//------------------------------// // 37 - Duty // Story: Sunburst to the Rescue // by David Silver //------------------------------// Platinum strode ahead of the commoner that had been helpful so far. "Sufficient. Your suggestion will be remembered, my loyal subject." Rarity tipped her head as she followed along. "Always a quality place for a divine day. Now then, dear, I imagine you have much experience I would care to plumb." Platinum half-turned towards Rarity. "Hm? You have need of my royal acumen? Whatever could be on your mind that requires such a thing?" Rarity rolled a hoof softly. "Not royal, per se, but you lived in the time. I would love to hear about the fashion thoughts of the old days. Properly managed retro styles can be all the rage, and fun besides. Proper royal attire, what was it like?" Platinum coughed softly into a hoof. "Oh, yes, I see... Well, we suppose we can offer some assistance in return for your devotion. The most distinguishing feature one must bare in mind is--" Rarity nodded along, a quill floating beside her and taking notes as loyally as Twilight ever would have. "Excuse me, dear, but..." She rolled a hoof softly. "Those are all stallion guides. The only time you mentioned a mare was for matching with them." Platinum stomped a hoof. "I'm getting to it! Have some patience, subject, or I can find something else to do." She turned up her nose with obvious irritation. "In fact, maybe we should go." "Wait! I mean, ever so sorry, Your Highness. I spoke out of turn." She raised a hoof over her chest. "Have it in your heart to forgive a silly seamstress. I would love to hear what you have to share." "Perhaps another time, or perhaps not. For now--" She didn't walk off. She simply ceased to be almost in the middle of the syllable. With the grip on the magic released, the body she had been inhabiting promptly ceased to exist. Rarity clucked her tongue against her teeth, eyeing the empty space that had been Princess Platinum. "Royalty..." Sunburst finished the last repetition with a soft sigh. "Alright, I've almost got a hang of this..." "Hang of what?" asked a familiar voice in his head. "You're back!" He jumped in place, looking around for her physical body. "Did you have a nice nap?" "Nap?" He had the impression she was close, almost leaning over his shoulder. "I don't sleep, future husband of the princess." "We haven't decided that!" He shook his head in defiance, turning red in the cheeks as he did so. "If you weren't sleeping, where were you?" "I am under no obligation to tell you. What are you doing?" The information flowed from his mind. "Why are you practicing magic? You should already be skilled enough. Go ahead." Sunburst tilted his head a little. "I tried, it didn't work very well." "Oh, that's logical. Try again." He shook his head slowly, trying to pull the information from the way she spoke, but her mind was not open to him as easily as his was to her. "Alright, so..." He reached out a hoof and willed the book he had been reading to lift. It sprang up into the air without hesitation, floating in front of him right where he wanted it. "Huh? It's... working better now?" He looked up and saw the jewel at the front of the crown was glowing softly. "Oh... If I need your help, does that really count?" "Of course it does. You want to cast a spell, and the spell happens, just as you envisioned it. However would that not count?" There was an impression of a shrug. "Besides, it's certainly far faster and less embarrassing than what you were doing a moment ago. Really, nopony can see the princess' consort doing such foalish things." He wrinkled his nose as he stood up. "That reminds me. Twilight wanted to know if I can take off the crown sometimes? I really don't need it if you've fixed my horn." "You just admitted you do need me," she pointed out in a snobbish tone. "Without me, you'll be doing foal's work and no magic worthy of calling it magic. Do you want to spend years learning how to manifest a cantrip? I mean, really, think of how silly that will make the princess look." He frowned at the image of Twilight protecting his lack of magic, but... "I already didn't have a lot of magic, that part isn't new." "You could lift things and not eat with your hooves like a proper unicorn," taunted Platinum with a little snort. "Good luck doing that now." "You did this!" He threw up a hoof with an exasperated huff. "You made it worse." "Nonsense. Your old horn couldn't have held up to the magic I will allow you to do. Now Twilight's horn, on the other hoof; she has a fine horn and it will service you, and her, delightfully." Sunburst put a hoof to his head, massaging at a forming headache. "Look, these books were given to me by Twilight herself. Learning from the start was her idea, alright? She supports me." "Admirable." One of the books suddenly hopped up, Platinum casually using his new horn. It flipped open and she skimmed it with his eyes. "Now it's your turn to return that warmth and love. Spare her the awkwardness." "You don't..." He set his hoof on the ground, taking slow breaths before it hit him. "Right, look... She likes teaching." One wouldn't think an entirely mental construct could blush, but Platinum managed it, bursting into a series of titters. "Oh! Oh my! Why didn't you just say that in the first place? If this is a little game between the two of you, then I shouldn't stand in the way. Be her good little student and make her proud." He let out a relieved sigh. That wasn't exactly what he had meant... "My old husband and I had a few little games... Harmless, provided they were kept in private. If it will enhance things, I will allow you to remove me." Sunburst's ears pricked up. Would it be that easy? "Oh, thank you." He reached up and the crown came right off, no longer affixed to his skull. "Just like that?" "Until you step outside." Her voice was a little distant. "Or important ponies come visiting. We can't have her consort being seen without magic and proper pomp. Don't you worry about it, I'll take care of that. You just leave it to Princess Platinum." He carefully set the crown down on the table that held the books and the great tome they had been working on. His horn felt funny, free of the crown for the first time since he got the new one. He reached up and rubbing at the area where it touched his head, pondering the situation a moment. "Um, so, thanks... Are you still in my head?" "Of course, Princess Consort." Her voice was distant and faded, but clearly present. "You'd have to put much more distance between us before that ceased to be the case. Now, I desire to learn too." He twitched an ear at the crown. "You're going to listen in on our lessons?" "I know how to do magic! Not that... I want some books on modern etiquettes and fashions. If you have an up to date book on heraldry and family lines, that would also be delightful. Stack them up beside me and I will busy myself. If I'm the only Princess Platinum, then I'd better be ready to assume that position properly. It simply will not do for me to be ignorant." He tried to lift the books on horn practice, but he ended up just knocking them right off the table as if he had swept them aside. "Oops." He had to gather them in his hooves. "I'll see what I can find." "If you don't see them, ask the princess. She seems quite detail-oriented when it comes to this. I should imagine she would know exactly where to look." "Right." He scurried from the room awkwardly, books tucked against him. He made it outside and fell back against the door. "Free..." He wasn't wearing the crown. He had broken the curse! "Am I that difficult? Come now--" He squeaked and jumped in place. "We're still bound," came her muffled voice. "Now be a good husband and see about those books. We demand something to at least read while you two are playing your little game." "Right," he said out loud, though there was nothing there, except Spike. Spike had a brow raised, peering at him on his way past. "Uh... you look worried. Hit a hard part in the books?" "That works." He tucked the books away in his pocket. "Do you know where Twilight is?" Spike pointed in the same direction he was walking. "She went to the school. She said to make sure you got some tea and a snack and didn't starve to death while she was gone." "She did not!" "Well, no." He stuck out his tongue. "But I can read between the lines. You start a new interesting book and forget to move? Twilight does that sometimes. One of many reasons it's good to have me round." Platinum's voice nudged in, "what is the position of this little dragon? He speaks with confidence. Does he have a title?" Sunburst opted to not reply to Platinum. "Always good to see you, Spike. A snack actually sounds nice, then I have to find Twilight." "Snacks are this way." He made little gun-shooting noises as he continued his forward stroll. "I was just gonna make a little lunch. I'll make it for two." Platinum casually drew the information from him. "Ah, her familiar. How fascinating... I had no idea a dragon could be forged with that bond. Twilight continues to impress me in new ways, even if she is a little dumpy looking." "Hey, Twilight's very pretty!" Spike looked over his shoulder at Sunburst, blinking. "Uh... if you say so? I mean... Dude, I never really looked at her that way, and I think I'll avoid even trying." "Ah, yeah, sorry." Sunburst followed after him, a hoof behind his head. "Just a thought that escaped." "Been there." He waved it off, dismissing the awkward moment. "I mean, she's alright, but she isn't... Rarity." He sighed with the gentle rumble of lovestruck dragon. "He has good taste," gently whispered Platinum. "But I presume he is no royal at all. That makes sense. Making a familiar royalty? How uncouth that would be. Go, feed yourself, then remember my books!" "So, uh, what's for lunch?" Spike gave a double thumbs-up. "I was planning on keeping it simple, but tasty. Lightly toasted cheese toast, just the way Twilight doesn't like it. But she doesn't have to eat it, so no losers here." Sunburst licked his lips. "She doesn't like that? Sounds good to me. Garlic?" "Of course." Spike hopped off the stairs and made his way towards the kitchen. "Still a little wet from the butter. You know a good one when you have one, and if you leave it to me, you'll be getting a great one." "I trust you, Spike." Sunburst glanced around. "While you work on that, do you know where Twilight would hide a book on royal families?" "Or current fashion or etiquettes," reminded the voice in his head. "Huh? Hmmm." He turned in place with a frown. "I think that's on the fourth floor? Wanna say library seven up there. Go ahead and peek, I'll have it ready by the time you get back, I bet." "On it, thanks." He saluted and started right back up the stairs. "A loyal subject of her's, I can see easily. Much like you, though you two have the lovely dash of shared interest and affection. Do keep that up." He frowned softly as he scaled the many stairs. "What about you? You technically belong to her." "There is no technicality there. I do belong to her." She sounded a little annoyed by the fact, but she did not argue it.