//------------------------------//
// 41 - Some Like It Hot 
// Story: Sunburst to the Rescue 
// by David Silver 
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Sunburst stepped off the ship onto the hard volcanic rock that made up the dragon lands. "I hope they can get along while we're doing this."

Spike shrugged, flying just overhead. "You've said that a few times... in the last hour. It's too late to worry about that. Let's find that yellow snack and get home."

"Yeah..." He waved at the ship, already touching off. "They'll come back in a few days, and we'll go home, hopefully with a prize."

Spike thumbed up in reply. "Sure thing. Now, where is Ember hiding...?"

Together, they pressed inland in search of treasure.





Starlight tapped a hoof down on a scroll covered with dense notes. "So all a pony would have to do, in theory, is place a hoof against whatever we find that can hold the magic and--"

"--press firmly while saying the magic word." finished Twilight with a smile. "Easy."

"Simple enough, even if everything else about it isn't." Starlight tapped at that cluttered scroll. "In order to get the magic back out again..."

"Repeat the processes with the other word." Twilight nodded in acknowledgment. "There remains a problem."

"Hm?"

"What if she runs out? If she runs out, she's just a crown again, and won't have a hoof to press against anything." Twilight extended a potentially impotent hoof. "What does she do then?"

Starlight frowned at that, considering a moment. "One part of me says we should just set whatever Sunburst is getting right into the crown, but I imagine she wouldn't like the idea of altering the crown at all, and I can't even say I blame her entirely." She shrugged a little. "What if we messed up and pfft, no more Platinum?"

Twilight cringed at the thought of casual murder, accidental or not. "With such a complex, not to mention historical, artifact, we shouldn't consider modifying it, no. I can't think of too many ways around it... She really just has to not run out. Monitoring that will become an important part of her new life."

She smiled a little. "This could be a learning experience. At first, she'll have to remain around trusted friends who can rescue her if she forgets."

"That reminds me." Starlight stood up, slowly stretching away the kinks from their furious design work. "When do you plan to introduce her to all the girls?"

A timely knock at the door had both looking towards it. "Come on in," called Twilight.

The door swung inwards, permitting Princess Platinum to approach. "Princess Twilight, I am afraid I require your assistance."

"Ah, yes." Twilight could see the princess was looking a bit pale and just faintly transparent. With Sunburst away, she couldn't draw magic from him. "You're already learning what we were just talking about."

Platinum looked a bit confused, but stood there patiently and expectantly.

Twilight lowered her horn towards Platinum, firing a beam of magic right into the core of the magic-forged form, slowly refilling it. "When you have the magic battery, you'll have to remember to use it whenever you even begin to feel drained. If you run out entirely, you'll be just a crown on the ground, and in no state to replenish yourself."

Starlight rolled a hoof. "Which also means keeping track of how full it is too, since if it's empty, no recharges except the personal way Twilight's doing right now."

Platinum darkened in her cheeks, her color restored and vibrancy coming back quickly. "This is... far too intimate to be doing with random ponies, even if they were of Noble or Royal lineage. No, if they can fill this 'battery' of yours and I can dine from it, alone, in private, that would be far better."

Starlight gestured at Twilight. "But you don't mind her doing it?"

Platinum shrugged at that. "She is literally my princess. However I feel about it, I am hers. If there is one person in the entirety of the world I would allow, it is she."

Twilight tilted her head faintly. "I'm flattered, really... but once you have the battery, you'll be equipped to be independent, then I will release you to be your own pony. You won't be mine."

Platinum inclined her head in the other direction. "You say that, dear, but surely I would still be your subject, would I not?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'm not really that kind of princess. You'd be Princess Celestia's if anypony's. Unless you became a student of friendship, there would be no tie of authority between us."

Platinum frowned at that, though her eyes strayed to the magical notes. "Oh dear, how wickedly complex." She approached, eyeing it curiously. "Is this what will enable my liberty?"

Starlight puffed out her chest, smiling proudly. "We cooked it up and it's ready to go. You'll be able to recharge from any pony you want to and pull it back out without breaking a sweat."

Platinum cocked a brow. "Any unicorn, you mean, right?"

Twilight slid between Starlight and Platinum, laughing nervously. "We actually meant to bring that up..." In a more graceful way, she silently added. "It's still entirely up to you who you wish to work with, but if you allow a well-mannered pegasus or earth pony, they can recharge you just as well as a unicorn."

A frown spread on Platinum's face. "How... would that even work? They don't have magic, dear. Will a pegasus just... flap their wings at me?" She stuck out her tongue a bit at the mental image. "Distasteful."

Starlight rolled her eyes. "Nothing so 'barbaric'. All they have to do is put their hoof on the battery and say 'Accord'. It will draw magic right out of them, no horn required."

Twilight smiled and gestured at the scroll. "It's good to have options. Besides, even back then, there were ponies of other tribes that could be considered noble."

Platinum's brow went right back up. "Name two."

"Chancellor puddinghead," started Twilight, tapping her forehooves together. "Commander Hurricane. If either of them wanted your services, you would...?"

Platinum considered a moment as a smug smile spread on her lips. "I would savor it. They were quite rude to me and will pay a premium for my assistance."

Starlight raised a hoof. "But you'd give it?"

"And have them whine and cry about how I spurned them? No, I'd rather relish in their discomfort. They'd know they owed me." She laughed haughtilly at the imagined scenario. "Almost a pity they're not here to make this a reality... Oh..." Her good mood seemed to deflate. "Oh..."

Starlight tilted her head at that. "You look upset. What's wrong?"

"I... just realized how... long they've been gone. They're really..." She sank to her haunches. "I must look dreadfully foolish. I should have faced this a long time ago, but here I am, just facing facts..."

"No!" Twilight moved towards her with a scowl. "Don't even start saying that. You just... realized ponies you knew very well are gone. You should feel bad. That's normal and healthy and you just... feel that. I promise neither of us will think less of you for having feelings."

Platinum smiled gently at Twilight. "Are you certain I couldn't become a subject of yours? You are almost too kind for a ruler. It's still unseemly for me to fall apart like that. It's not like we were... friends... anymore than out of what was needed for our people."

Starlight shrugged softly. "Unless you want to go back to being a filly?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "There's nothing technically stopping her from making a filly body if she wanted to, but she also does not need to do that, seeing as we already have one adult student at my school."

Platinum's ears perked up. "Oh, that's... not a terrible idea. Now I see why you keep her around. Rough around the edges, but just as sharp as those jagged bits." She smiled brightly. "Perhaps that would be best. I'm full of... outdated ideas. I would rather the world go back to them, but that seems increasingly unlikely..."

Twilight blinked softly. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Deadly so." Platinum nodded lightly. "As a filly, I can learn this new and strange world without looking nearly so unseemly while I do so. Just like that colored pony Rarity is assisting, I need a reimaging." She put a hoof to her chest. "And this is just the way to do it. Positive side effect, smaller body means less magic is used to make it."

"Well, that's true..." She put a hoof behind her head. "You would be a filly in pony's eyes. They won't let you do things a filly shouldn't do."

"Being a crown--" She gestured up to the crown perched on her own head. "--I have no insatiable appetites. Were I a drunkard, I could see how that might be an issue. The only thing I need to do is instruct stallions how to best please their mares. I doubt colts will care for my advice."

Starlight snorted into laughter. "Oh, wow, imagining you coaching some lovestruck little colt as a filly. That's almost too cute! Please, do that."

Twilight shook her head, putting a hoof between them. "Don't rush into that... Before you go making any decisions, I want you to meet some important ponies."

Platinum perked up, rising to her hooves. "Nobles?"

"They're important enough to compete," announced Twilight with a proud smile. "The heroes of Equestria, former bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and my dearest friends. They are also instructors in my school. If you're going to become a student of my school, it's even more important that you meet them all."

Starlight gestured at herself. "I'm a guidance counselor there. If you ever feel out of sorts, you come chat with me and we'll get it straightened out."





Ember hopped up on a rock. "Spike! What are you doing here?" Her eyes went past him to the pony just behind him. "And you brought a friend? I don't think we ever met?"

"Sunburst," he introduced himself, dipping his head. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah yeah, what's up, Spike?" She swatted him on the back.

Spike almost toppled with the powerful blow. "Oof, hey Ember! Nice to see you again."

"You didn't come by just to visit." she rolled a taloned hand. "Or did you?" She cocked a brow, looking curious. "You never visited just to visit before."

Spike rubbed an arm with the opposing hand. "I'd love to say I did that, but not really."

"Figured." She smirked a little before pointing at Sunburst. "I'm going to guess it involves him. What do you want?" She pointed the question at Sunburst.

Sunburst's horn began to glow as he pulled out the paper with the picture of the gem he was looking for. "I need some of this for a friend. Do you know where it is and could I have some?"

Ember snatched the paper out of the air and held it up to study a moment. "Mmm... Yeah, I know that. Dragons have a very specific use for it."

Sunburst blinked softly. "What use is that?"

Ember smirked, glancing at Spike. "There are wyrmlings around, so I'll spare you. Before you get any crazy ideas, we crush it for a drink."

Spike scratched softly at a cheek. "So I shouldn't try a little bite?"

"Go for it." She shrugged. "It's not poisonous or anything."

Sunburst was left with more questions than answers. "So... it's not rare?"

"Not if you're a dragon." She hiked a thumb. "There's a specific volcano that's lousy with the stuff. Every time it erupts more gets thrown out into the surrounding area. I doubt we'll ever be that short on it. Why, got no volcanos like that out there?" She turned the thumb to point where they had come from."

Spike shook his head quickly. "Afraid not. I never even saw this thing until Sunburst showed me a picture."

Ember shrugged softly. "If it had a real use, I'd consider trading it. Whatever, you want some? Let's trade now." She leaned forward. "Now I ain't an idiot. It does something fancy or you wouldn't be here, so spill it."