As the train pulled to a stop in the Crystal Empire, Twilight almost was able to stop herself from grinning like a school filly and prancing off the train.
Almost.
Pulling her saddlebags onto her shoulders, Twilight made her way off the train and out into the empire. Several ponies gawked at the princess acting in such a way. But a quick look at the ring around her horn seemed to work.
And even that was going to raise a ton of questions, and even now she could hear the whispers behind her back about what it meant. At one time, she might have worried about ponies talking behind her back about her. Now? She was in too good of a mood to care.
She shook her head and thought of why she was in the Crystal Empire, to begin with. She had a meeting scheduled with Cadance this afternoon on several subjects. Not least of which was Flurry’s acceptance into the School of Friendship
But this was also the perfect chance for Twilight to ask her favorite sister-in-law a huge favor. One that made her prance even more as she came to the base of the Crystal Spire. The Crystal Heart seemed to glow a bit brighter as Twilight paused a moment to enjoy the view.
A blur tackle hugged her to the ground with a cry of “Auntie Twilight!”
Twilight rolled her eyes even as the wind was knocked out of her, but she still happily returned the hug. “Flurry. What have I said about tackle hugging me?”
Flurry Heart rolled her eyes. “That I should only do it indoors or that I’m too old to be doing it. Well, I say phooey to both of those. And since I’m the Crystal Princess, I say I can do it wherever I want. So there.” To emphasize her point, Flurry struck a regal pose, though her grin said how she really felt.
Twilight giggled, but who was she to argue with that logic? As the two stood up once more, Flurry let out a huge gasp as she pointed at the ring around with an excited grin. “Aunty. Is that?”
Twilight nodded. “Not out here, Flurry.”
Flurry gave her a look of shock and horror. “Why not?! We should be celebrating.”
Twilight nodded. “Because we haven’t even announced it yet. It’s partially why I’m here, though. Where’s your mother?”
Flurry sighed. “She should be out of the Royal Council meeting any minute now. I don’t know how she can stand it.”
Twilight sighed, as she put a wing around her niece and began walking toward the entrance. “I understand the feeling. There are some days I wonder why I ever agreed to take Celestia and Luna’s roles and positions. Cadence is doing her best.”
Flurry sighed. “But even she can’t keep up with everything, I know, auntie. Dad says she’s been more tired than usual lately. We haven’t gone on a girls’ day out in months.”
Twilight nodded, “I wish that I could help, Flurry. I really do. But I can’t force your mother to do anything that she doesn’t want to.”
Flurry nodded but quickly decided to change the subject as she again looked at the ring Twilight wore. “So who's the lucky mare? That thing must have cost a fortune.”
Twilight giggled as she looked up. “Not quite. Forestsong helped her get it. Or was it one of his sisters?” Twilight tapped her chin in thought.
Flurry groaned. “There’s that name again. One of these days, aunty, you’re going to have to tell me who that is and introduce us.”
Twilight chuckled. “That is easier said than done, Flurry. Even more so, I would think, after what Pearl and I did.”
“Did what, Twilight?” Cadence asked as she walked out to meet them. Her smirk grew as she saw what was around Twilight’s horn. “And it’s about time you two took that next step.”
Twilight blushed. “Cadance! Not outside. We haven’t announced it to everyone yet. And I want this to be something both me and Pearl do together.”
Cadence giggled. “Of course, Twilight. Just don’t make the same mistakes Shining and I did. But where did you get the ring? I can’t think of any place that wouldn’t make a huge deal of a princess coming in to look for one.”
Twilight nodded. “There’s a reason for that. Pearl was the one who proposed. Remember what happened to Discord? We fixed what he ruined.”
Cadence and Flurry shared a look. “If this is about what he did as Grogar, Twilight. You know-”
“This isn’t about that, Cadence!” Twilight turned on her fellow alicorn with a stern glare. “I could almost forgive him for that after this. You remember the Kitsune skull Fluttershy found?”
Flurry nodded. “I thought he seemed out of place.”
Twilight nodded. “That’s because he was. Discord desecrated his grave and shrine to put it there. He set this up, and Kohaku made him pay the price for it.”
“Kohaku?” Cadence asked.
Twilight smiled, her anger receding for the moment. “That was his name. Pearl and I restored his shrine in what was his family’s home deep in the Everfree. A wild storm forced us to stay there for the night. Pearl hasn’t really said where she found this. But she said that it was given to her. And after what we saw, I’m inclined to believe whatever she says happened.”
Flurry and Cadance shared a look. They felt there was more to it than that. But decided to hold off on it for now. “So when is the wedding?” Flurry asked, even more excited now.
Twilight giggled. “We don’t know. We still need to do so much before then. It’s partly why I’m here,” she said looking at Cadance. “I want to ask you something, Cadence.”
Cadence’s grin grew as she leaned forward. “Yes, Twilight?”
Twilight’s smile grew as well. “Will you do me the honor of presiding over the ceremony? I can’t think of anypony better suited for the role.”
Cadence squeed before pulling Twilight into a huge hug. “I would be honored to, Twilight. Take it from someone who knows love best. I think this will be even better than my own.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I don’t know about that, Cadence. But thank you. That’s one less thing I need to worry about.”
Flurry looked around, finally noticing something odd. “Where is Pearl anyway? You two barely go anywhere without the other anymore.”
Twilight shook her head. “She’s taking lessons with a friend of hers. I trust her to take care of herself though.”
“Oh yes I wanted to tell you, you timed your visit here perfectly. Because guess who is currently visiting our castle?” Cadence grinned and almost giggled.
“You don’t mean?” Cadence nodded as Twilight almost squealed with delight. “Starswirl. Oh my. This trip is going to be even more fun than I thought. I have a feeling he’s going to just freak out when he sees this.” Twilight grinned pointing to her ring.
“Why? Does he know anything about it?” Flurry asked.
Twilight giggled. “Possibly.” She slipped the ring off her horn and hid it under her wing. “But now that I think about it. I think I’m going to keep this hidden when I see him. He owes me for all the grief I had to put up with during the Pony of Shadows mess.”
“Does he know something about the ring?” Flurry asked as they came to the Throne Room.
Twilight shrugged. “Possibly. I’m not sure if what we saw was really him or not though. I’m still trying to wrap my head around all we saw.”
Cadence and Flurry shared a confused look. They felt there was a lot Twilight wasn’t telling them, but for now, they could wait. “So what is Pearl studying, auntie? Isn’t she a little old to be taking lessons from you?” Flurry asked.
Twilight giggled. “She isn’t taking lessons from me, Flurry. Pearl is learning all she can about eastern dragons, their language, and customs. Tiamat wants her to meet a delegation of their kind who want to start a colony in Equestria and possibly open trade with us.”
Now Cadance sighed irritably, rubbing her forehead. “Twilight. I mean no offense to Pearl, but she cannot do that. She is not a diplomat, nor even qualified to be one. You know how her temper can be.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. I said the same thing. But Tiamat will not take no for an answer, and I have no power to change her mind. I can only hope she is only meant to get things started on the right hoof, and we will work out the rest.”
Cadence nodded. She felt that this was something all the princesses needed to be together for. Even aunt Celestia and Luna. They had far more experience in this type of thing than either she or Twilight did.
Flurry tapped her chin. “How is she going to learn all that though, auntie? I’ve read that journal you and Pearl have about them and kitsunes. I don’t think that’s gonna help much. One's extinct, and good luck trying to find the other."
Twilight nodded. “She will be learning from the best possible source about eastern dragons.”
Cadence gave her a flat look. “Twilight. Nopony has seen one since the end of the Dragon Wars. If I hadn’t heard it from the Dragon Queen herself, I wouldn’t believe any still live.”
Twilight grinned. “Well. Good thing one of them seems really interested in Pearl for some reason. Her name is Summer Rose. She is the spirit of the river that runs close to Ponyville.”
“Now that is a name I have not heard in a very long time,” Starswirl said as he joined them from a side corridor.
Cadence gave him a confused look. “You know who she is?”
He nodded. “Yes. Once upon a time long ago. Not as well as her mate did. Why she would appear like this now, I do not know.”
Twilight held back a grin. This gave more weight to the idea that it had been Starswirl they had seen in the memory. “Well. You’ll be happy to note that my friends and I did find the Heart of the Everfree.”
Starswirl couldn’t hide his surprise at this bit of news. Impressive, for one so young. “And what did you find there?”
Twilight only smiled wider. “Some things that should never be disturbed. Things none of us were insane enough to disturb of course. I have far more love for the Everfree now, and he who rules it. More ponies should I feel.”
Starswirl almost choked at that, earning a concerned look from Cadance and Flurry. He?! That wasn’t possible. Princess Twilight could not know that. But if she and her friends had indeed made it to the Heart and seen what was there, then…
Twilight fought to contain her giggles at the sight. This was only confirming what she and Pearl had thought. Wait until her fiance heard about this. But that could wait as she pulled a certain letter out of her saddlebags and handed it to Flurry Heart. “And I know you’ve been waiting for this, honey.”
Flurry squeed as she saw the seal on the letter and ripped it open, quickly reading it. “I got in!”
Cadance looked as though someone had just punched her in the gut. “Twilight…”
Her fellow alicorn frowned, afraid this was going to happen. “Cadance. We have talked about this. I thought we agreed this was the best way? I had nothing to do with the School’s decision.”
Cadence didn’t seem to buy it, though. “Because I didn’t think the School would take Flurry. Why would they? Crystal Prep has so much to offer her.”
Twilight’s frown grew, as Flurry wilted under the glares they were giving each other. “Is that you talking, Cadence. Or is that Principal Cinch talking for you?”
Cadence flinched before Flurry finally interjected. “Mom. What are you talking about?”
Twilight rubbed her snout irritably. “Your mother and I agreed that if you were accepted into the School of Friendship, or chose to go to Crystal Prep Academy, we would respect whatever you chose. As much as I would love to see you more often, I will respect whichever you choose, Flurry.”
Cadance nodded. “I have full confidence in your aunt and her friends. But Ponyville is a long way away. Crystal Prep is so much closer, and you know some of the students already.”
Flurry frowned. So that’s what this was really about then? “You’re right, mom. Ponyville is a long way away, and I wouldn’t know any of the students. But at least I’ll be away from you!”
Twilight’s jaw dropped in horror, and even Starswirl couldn’t believe what had just been said. Cadence, meanwhile, looked as though her heart had been ripped out.
But Flurry didn’t care as she poked her mother in the chest. “All my life, you’ve treated me like a glass vase, too precious to be let out of your sight. I’m sick of it! At least dad doesn’t treat me like a little filly anymore.”
Cadence wilted under her daughter’s verbal assault. “Honey. You’re the Crystal Princess. You need to learn all you can about the empire.”
Flurry snorted. “My title doesn’t mean anything, mom. The only way I’ll ever rule is if something happens to you.” Her frown melted, as she hugged her mother. “I don’t want that. Don’t force this on me.”
Cadence’s heart sank like a rock as she heard the despondency in her daughter’s voice as she returned the hug. Twilight soon joined.
Starswirl quietly let himself out. It wasn’t his place, and this had awakened memories he had thought long buried. Of his own family, and that of his wife, both now many millennia gone.
Cadance looked helplessly at Twilight. “When did we become like this, Twilight?”
Twilight could only shake her head. “I don’t know, Cadance. Things used to make sense. Now, look at us. But Flurry is right. You need to stop treating her like something precious you can never take your eyes off of. You know we would watch out for her.”
Cadence nodded, while Flurry gave her a hopeful smile. “Mom. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, and that I wouldn’t miss the Crystal Empire. I would. But I want to see the world. Live a little. I’ll never do that here.”
Cadance smiled as she kissed Flurry’s forehead. “I know, sweetie, and I would miss you too. I know your auntie and her friends would take care of you.” She snorted. “Gods. I’m turning into Aunt Celestia.”
Flurry and Twilight giggled. “When do you need an answer?” Flurry asked, giving Twilight her best pout face. One that worked every time.
Twilight giggled. “I plan to stay for a few days. If you truly want to attend the School of Friendship, then you can come back with me. If not? Then I’ll see you at our next Girls Day Out.”
Flurry and Cadance both giggled, and Twilight felt relief that things seemed back to normal.