//------------------------------//
// Royal Crystaling 
// Story: The Crystal Empress 
// by Mystic Sunrise 
//------------------------------//

Venus turned to look at her daughter, her expression becoming dead serious. "Are you ready, Little Star?"

Amicitia's anxiety shot back up through the roof. "No. No, I'm not! Can't we do this in, like, a week? Like a week from never?"

Everypony within earshot giggled, and even Luna couldn't keep a straight face. "And that was what I was hoping you would say. I said the same thing when the time came for me to take this. A part of me still feels that way," her mother said kindly, wrapping a wing around her.

Amicitia gave her a surprised look. She hadn't expected to ever hear that from her mother. "Really? But you're always so calm and collected. What do I even do?"

Venus's smile grew as she pulled her daughter close. "I am not above having doubts or insecurities, Amicitia. I am not perfect. Nopony is. That is what makes us who we are."

Kissing her daughter's forehead, Venus released her and stepped back toward the crowd of ponies around them, motioning Luna and Amicitia's own guards to follow her. "Approach the Crystal Heart. The rest will fall into place after that. From here on, we cannot help you."

Amicitia gulped but tried to put on a brave face as she turned to face the Heart itself. She had no idea of what could happen from here on, but her mind was filling with all of the worst possibilities. She could be found unfit, she wasn't ready, her mom had made a mistake.

She could get vaporized.

That last one was a bit of a stretch, Twilight admitted, but she knew the tales. Of what had supposedly happened to a pony in this same position when her grandmother had been Crystal Empress and her mother hadn't even been born yet.

Whether they were true or not, nopony knew. But that didn't stop her from thinking the worst.

Before she knew it, however, Twilight found herself standing before the Crystal Heart. The Heart was glowing, and it seemed especially aimed at her. The warmth and love it always radiated seemed to be even more so now, and no matter how she felt, Twilight smiled at the feeling.

Not knowing what else to do, and feeling foolish with nothing else coming to mind, Twilight placed a hoof on the Crystal Heart. The glow of Heart grew brighter

That was all she could see before her vision faded to white.

***

When she could see again, Twilight found herself floating in what seemed like a white void. All around her was nothing but white. Despite that, however, she had never felt more safe or secure. Wherever this was.

"Hello? Where am I? What is this place?" She asked nopony in particular.

"A safe place," a voice replied, making Twilight jump out of her feathers. "Don't worry. You're safe here."

Before Twilight could ask what that meant, a form began to take shape before her. Vaguely pony shaped, yet no features could be made out on it. Twilight squinted at it. "Who are you? What are you?"

The figure giggled. "Come now, I'm sure you can figure it out. You are a part of me at the moment."

Twilight's eyes widened in shock. "You're the Crystal Heart? How? How did I get here? Why am I here?"

The Heart shook her head, for the figure was definitely female. "Only when it comes time for a Royal Crystaling will someone see me like this. Your mother saw me like this, as did your grandmother." The figure leaned closer to the younger mare. "The question is, then. Who are you?"

Twilight tried not to flinch under the gaze she was getting, but it was easier said than done. "You know who I am."

The figure seemed to smile. "Maybe I do. And maybe I don't." Her smile softened. "Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you. But please, what is your name? We have never met before now, and it's rude not to know each other's names."

Twilight couldn't argue with that. Holding her head eye, she met the Heart face to face. "My name is Princess Mi Amora Amicitia. Though that is only my Throne Name. My Personal Name is Twilight Sparkle."

The Heart's smile grew. "Then I welcome you, Princess Amicitia and Twilight Sparkle. A fitting name as well. Amicitia, meaning Friendship in the Old Tongue. I hear you are one of the friendliest ponies in the Crystal Empire. Never letting your station dictate who you make friends with, though knowing when your position must be used. Things all good rulers must possess if they are too rule wisely."

Twilight blushed at the praise, but her worries returned in full. "But I'm not a ruler. Not yet, and I don't think I ever will be. Nopony can replace mom. I'm not a leader. I'm not someone who can make decisions that will affect the lives of so many ponies. I'm just, me. What if I screw up? I could decide to do something, and ponies could die. I never want to have to bear that."

The Heart smiled gently as she lifted the young princess's head with a hoof. "Your mother said much the same thing, as did your grandmother. A wise ruler never believes themselves above making mistakes. It is how you rise above them and correct them, that is the true mark of a great ruler." She shook her head. "There will come times when you must make hard choices, ones that would never seem right under other circumstances, but ones that have to be made."

Twilight sniffed, wiping her eyes with a hoof. "Then how do I stop myself from becoming a tyrant? I don't want to be that. Equus has had enough of those. I don't want to be like that."

The Heart's smile seemed to grow if it was possible. "Remain true to who you are, Amicitia. Never abandon your friends and the bonds you all share. A true ruler never stands alone. Keep them close, and they will stand beside you no matter what."

Twilight smiled, her heart lifting at the thought of her friends, who were even now probably worried about her. "Will, I ever feel like I'm ready for this? Or worthy of taking the throne? I don't think I ever will be."

The Heart giggled. "Only you can know that for sure. That you worry about what kind of ruler you will be, tells me that you will be a fine Crystal Empress one day. May that day be many years in the future."

They both giggled at that. The Heart soon turned serious, however. "Are you ready? To take the next step in your journey?"

Twilight thought about it for a moment. Was she ready? Her head was saying no, that this was still a bad idea. But her in her heart, she knew the truth. She could never be as great as her mother, but she would still make her proud when the time came. "I am."

The Heart nodded. Extending a hoof, she bowed her head, until it was almost touching Amicitia's horn. Amcitia bowed her head as well, touching her horn and hoof to the Crystal Heart, before closing her eyes, as a swirl of magic surrounding them.

***

Outside, ponies waited anxiously. Very few remembered the last time a Royal Crystaling had happened, so few knew what to expect. Amicitia seemingly being absorbed by the Crystal Heart was a shock to everypony. Even Venus was surprised.

Was this was what had happened to her? She had never thought to ask what it had been like to be on the outside looking in at her own Royal Crystaling.

Luna, even more, confused than the rest of the crowd, was not too worried. Something told her that the young princess would be fine. It took a lot to put an alicorn down, let alone hurt them. She knew that from experience.

The worst off, though, were Amicitia's guards. They couldn't hide their worry and fear that something was deeply wrong with their princess, and there was nothing they could do to help her. Crystal seemed to be the worst off of the group, chewing her lip and constantly shifting from one hoof to the other.

Just as the group seemed about to burst, the Crystal Heart began to glow brightly. Before anypony could say anything, a pillar of light shot from the top of the Heart, empowering the spire above them all, before exploding outward in a sphere of magic that engulfed them all.

As the magic passed through the crowd, they all gained a new crystalline appearance, even Luna getting one as well, as the spire top shown in all the colors of the Aurora.

From the Heart, a new form began to take shape. Pony shaped, but almost as large as Empress Venus, the form spread her wings, even as the crowd saw the horn the poked from her mane.

Venus approached the figure, concern etched on her face. "Amicitia?"

The figure smiled and nodded, before seemingly shrinking back down to normal pony size, even as the light faded, revealing that it indeed was Princess Amicitia, who seemed to positively shine with the light of the Crystal Heart.

The Heart itself returned to normal, as the princess opened her eyes, looking a little woozy. "What a rush," she mumbled.

That was all Venus needed to hear. Not caring who saw them, or even about proper decorum, she scooped her daughter up in the biggest hug she could, ignoring Amicitia's indignant squawk of protest. "I knew you could do it, Little Star."

Twilight tried to fight her way out of her mother's grasp, but it was a futile effort. "Mom! I'm not a little filly anymore. You're embarrassing me in front of everypony!"

Venus just giggled and kissed Twilight's forehead. "It's my job, honey. You may no longer be my little filly anymore, but you’re never too old to be publicly embarrassed by your mother.”

Twilight just grumbled, even as the entire crowd giggled at her expense. Even Luna could not keep a straight face. After a moment, Venus finally let her daughter go with a smile. "How do you feel? Do you still feel you are not worthy?" She asked.

Twilight thought of it for a moment, before shaking her head. "A little. I don't think it will ever go away. But I feel more confident now. I can never be as wise or good as you. But I will make you proud when that day comes. Hopefully not for a long time yet."

Venus nodded, her smile softening. "You have already made me proud, Amicitia. Never think you will not cease to make me proud. I know that one day, you will be a great ruler. I know so."

Twilight blushed, as her guards and Princess Luna came to join them. Crystal couldn't hide her look of relief, and Twilight couldn't blame her for it either. Luna, though, seemed more interested in something else, one that made her smile. "I see that you have gained more than just confidence, Princess Amicitia."

Twilight blinked in confusion, even as the others saw what Luna meant, and their own smiles grew. "What do you mean?"

Luna simply pointed at her flank. Looking back, Twilight felt her eyes widen and her own grin grow even wider.

A pink starburst, surrounded by five smaller Crystal Hearts, now proudly adorned her flanks. She could just make out a white star behind the pink starburst.

Twilight didn't bother to hide her excitement, jumping a good ten feet in the air, as she squeed. "My cutie mark. Yes! Best. Day Ever!"

The whole crowd cheered, as the news passed along to those who couldn't see it all from the front, as Amicitia did laps around their heads, no longer caring if others saw how excited she was.

Empress Venus could not have been more proud of her daughter. All of her hopes and dreams for her daughter were coming true. She knew at that moment, that Amicitia would make a great Crystal Empress when that day came.

There would be bumps and changes along the way, for the future was never set in stone. But she now looked forward to the future with happiness.