//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: Title 
// Story: Twilight Sparkle, Princess-Regent of the Crystal Empire 
// by Eltirions 
//------------------------------//

Another day, another batch of paperwork. Twilight longed for being able to go play with Flurry, maybe read a book to her, but right now she was stuck in her office with Spike. Note had gone off to collect some books from the palace library.

Suddenly, Spike coughed up a letter. He caught it in his claw and analyzed the seal for a moment. ‘’It’s from Luna,’’ he said, before giving it to Twilight.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

We have seen to your request, and the advisor is on her way north. Enclosed with this letter are her files, though I’m sure you’re already familiar with her. If there is anything else we can do for you, do not hesitate to ask us.

Signed,

Luna

Well, would you look at that.

‘’Damn, Luna works fast,’’ Spike commented.

‘’Hmm,’’ Twilight hmm-ed in agreement. ‘’Let’s see who she sent us.’’ With her magic, she opened the files that Luna had included with the letter.

And proceeded to stare.

‘’Who’s- oh.’’ Spike had walked up to her and taken a peek for himself.

‘’Well,’’ Twilight said after a long moment of silence. ‘’I wasn’t aware she had gone into the military.’’

‘’Didn’t she say something about fighting?’’ Spike mused aloud.

‘’She did,’’ Twilight recalled with a frown. ‘’I never really pressed her on that. Seemed like some bad memories.’’

Spike nodded. ‘’It says here she did study at the Equestrian Academy of Warfare, so I guess she has the papers. And the experience.’’

True enough. Twilight laid the documents on her table. ‘’Let’s go through these.’’




|-x-X-x-|




Star threw the paper onto the table. ‘’Well, that’s that.’’

The Olenian Civil War had ended in victory for Velvet. Now, the Olenians would have to rebuild their nation, and quickly. No doubt Chrysalis was itching to take advantage of the situation.

Next to him, Rarity hmm-ed. ‘’Velvet seems like a good person,’’ she offered.

‘’I met her once,’’ Star replied, ‘’just after she was exiled, when she visited Canterlot. She’s a devoted harmonist, from what I could tell. She’ll be a good ruler.’’ For however long Olenia would continue to exist.

Rarity shifted, pushing her body closer to him. ‘’Are you worried, darling?’’

Star was sure he wasn’t that easy to read.

‘’Yes,’’ he admitted anyway, as he turned to look at Rarity. ‘’I’m worried about how Chrysalis will react to this.’’

Rarity frowned. ‘’She wouldn’t try anything, would she?’’

‘’Maybe,’’ Star allowed. ‘’Maybe not. We’ll see.’’

Rarity kissed his cheek. ‘’Well, it’s out of our hooves, darling.’’

He smiled at her, and gave her a kiss back. ‘’I should get to work on some of those reports,’’ he noted idly.

Rarity’s eyes gleamed. ‘’You should,’’ she agreed. Neither of them moved.

 Star considered how they had gotten in this position. When they’d first met at the Gala in Canterlot, Star had been impressed by her. Rarity had wanted to be like the nobles in Canterlot; in Star’s opinion, she had been exactly what they should be. He had said as much, and Rarity’s blush had been a beautiful sight to witness.

From that day on, Star sent whatever requests he had for clothes, for him or for Crystal, to Rarity, and he discreetly directed some of his acquaintances to do the some. If Rarity had noticed, she never said anything of it.

And then, he’d gone to Ponyville. It was barely a week ago, but Star would remember that afternoon, filled with flirting, for the rest of his life, he was sure of that. And of course, that night would be remembered as well.

He wasn’t sure what they were now. Friends with benefits? Dating? Whatever it was, he liked it, and evidently Rarity did too.

‘’Darling?’’

‘’Hm?’’ he hmm-ed.

Rarity shifted. Hesitated. ‘’What are we?’’

Was she reading his mind? Star didn’t think so. 

‘’Truth be told, I don’t know,’’ he admitted honestly. ‘’What do you want us to be?’’

‘’I’m not certain,’’ Rarity replied. ‘’Darling, I’ll be frank: I don’t know a lot about you. And I do want this to work out, but…’’ She flailed a hoof.

‘’I see,’’ Star said. ‘’I don’t know that much about you either. And I want this to work as well. So…’’

Rarity held his gaze for a moment.

‘’Would you like to go on a date?’’ he offered. ‘’A dinner for two, in Canterlot? Or somewhere else.’’

Rarity nodded. ‘’That sounds delightful, darling. In Canterlot, if you don’t mind.’’

Tension left him as he smiled. ‘’What about Wednesday evening? I can teleport us there.’’ And if they were too drunk to return, they could spend the night at his mansion and go back to Ponyville in the morning, though Star didn’t expect that to happen.

‘’Of course,’’ Rarity agreed.  ‘’I’m already looking forward to it, darling.’’

Star let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in. ‘’I’ll pick you up at seven?’’

Rarity inclined her head. ‘’That seems like a good idea.’’ Then she reached forward and pulled Star in for a kiss. Her hoof brushed through his mane as it pressed against his neck. Star relished in the touch.

Damnit, he was going to go out of his way to make this the best date he could imagine.




|-x-X-x-|




‘’Celestia, we need to talk.’’

Luna’s sister raised her head from her food. ‘’About what, Luna?’’

About lots of things, Luna wanted to say. But she kept her tongue for now. ‘’About Olenia,’’ she said instead. 

Celestia let out a sigh. ‘’Very well, Luna. After dinner?’’

‘’Of course,’’ Luna allowed, because it would be a waste to not eat the food the cooks had made. Especially when it tasted so good.

After the food had been eaten, Luna and Celestia both rose from their chairs. ‘’Where did you want to talk?’’ Celestia inquired.

That was a question Luna did have an answer to. ‘’The Cabinet Room.’’

Celestia inclined her head. ‘’Then let’s go. Lead the way, Luna.’’

With pleasure.

The Cabinet Room was a large, rectangular room, dominated by an equally rectangular table, and with large windows that looked out over Canterlot. A giant map of Equestria plus Stalliongrad and the Crystal Empire hung on the wall, another map of the entire world next to it, both made with great attention to detail. Luna didn’t use any of the chairs, instead she walked over to the window and looked outside.

Celestia stood next to her. For a while there was silence.

Long ago, Luna mused dryly, she would have broken the silence already.

Now, it was Celestia who broke first. ‘’What is this about, Luna?’’ she asked tiredly.

‘’Olenia,’’ Luna half-lied. She was planning on talking about Olenia; it just wasn’t the only subject.

‘’Olenia,’’ Celestia sighed.

‘’Sister,’’ Luna began. This was going to be difficult. ‘’It might be wise to extend an invitation into the United Ponies Front to them.’’

‘’Why?’’

Logic, Luna’s mind screamed. Cold logic, sister. Olenia was a valuable ally to keep the Changeling Lands in check, sister. But Celestia would never go for an argument like that.

‘’To protect them.’’

Playing on Celestia’s weaknesses was easier than it ought to be, for Luna. The problem was that the instinct to protect her delicately-built system overruled any other sense of protection, most of the time.

‘’From Chrysalis,’’ Celestia tiredly concluded, because for all her optimism, Celestia wasn’t a stupid mare. Even the Nightmare had admitted as much.

‘’Yes,’’ Luna admitted with a tilt of her head.

The silence that followed that simple admission was longer than it ought to be, in Luna’s opinion.

Finally, Celestia let out another sigh. ‘’Why, sister? Why do you want war so badly?’’

Luna’s anger soared, old flames rekindled by new sparks. But she pushed it down, projecting an image of serenity. ‘’I do not want war,’’ she said slowly. ‘’I want peace. And allying with Olenia will make Chrysalis think twice about declaring any wars.’’

‘’She’s not our only enemy,’’ Celestia noted bitterly.

True. ‘’No,’’ Luna agreed, ‘’she’s not. But she is the most pressing one. And Stalliongrad, at least, has reasonable leaders.’’ Somewhat.

Celestia didn’t reply to that. She just kept on looking out the window.

‘’Sister,’’ Luna pressed after a minute of silence.

‘’I will send a message to Velvet in the morning,’’ Celestia relented, defeated.

‘’About an alliance.’’ Because Luna wasn’t going to let this opportunity leave.

‘’About an alliance,’’ Celestis confirmed.

‘’Thank you.’’ Luna stepped forward and wrapped her sister in a hug. She was steadily growing to Celestia’s size, so she only had to reach up slightly to nuzzle her sister.

After a moment, Celestia relaxed as she nuzzled Luna back.

‘’I can’t do this, Lulu,’’ she whispered.

Luna reached out with her wings and stroked Celestia’s feathers. ‘’You don’t have to do this alone, Celly.’’

Celestia didn’t reply, but her grip on Luna tightened. Luna didn’t mind, not at all.




|-x-X-x-|




Twilight and Spike were waiting on the train from Canterlot on the station. Flurry was with them as well, as was Note Keeper. The four of them were surrounded by guards.

Twilight didn’t like the guards. Oh, she had no problems with them as persons, but she disliked the fact that they were necessary. But it was a fact, and Twilight’s logical mind had forced her to allow them to come.

‘’How much longer, auntie?’’ Flurry asked from besides her. The foal was peering at the tracks anticipatingly.

Twilight smiled. ‘’The train will arrive any minute now,’’ she assured the filly, reaching out with her wing to stroke Flurry’s back. In response, Flurry nuzzled Twilight’s leg with her cheek.

The sounds of the approaching train reached Twilight’s ears. Finally.

The train rolled into the station, gleaming grey carriages shining in the light of the sun. It came to a screeching halt as trains were wont to do, and after a few seconds, the doors opened.

Almost predictably, from the frontmost carriage, where Twilight and her entourage stood, the advisor from Equestria emerged.

‘’Princess,’’ she greeted, snapping off a salute. Behind her, more soldiers from Equestria filed out.

Twilight inclined her head once. ‘’Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Field Marshal Shimmer.’’