Sunburst to the Rescue

by David Silver

40 - I Like Rocks

Starlight moved her hoof in precise ways as she muttered under her breath. "The second resonance..." She squinted her eyes as she visualized what the spell would theoretically do. "This will put a lot of aetheric stress on whatever material we use."

Twilight nodded in agreement, a scroll in front of her a mess with her own writings on the plan. "Sunburst said he was on that case. I trust him to have an answer."

Starlight smiled a little. "You know, it's kind of nice having a turn."

"Turn?" Twilight cocked a brow. "A turn at what?"

"You." Starlight pointed at Twilight directly. "He isn't the only pony that enjoys pitting their brain against yours. How long has it been since we had a proper magic duel?"

Twilight colored faintly. "Has it been that long? I'm sorry!"

Starlight rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah. Miss Princess was busy falling for my filly-hood friend." She narrowed her eyes a little with a predatory gaze. "You know you're stuck with me even if you two go all the way, right?"

Twilight's blush only grew in intensity. "I wouldn't dream of sending you away just because I developed another relationship." She raised a hoof and waved it wildly at the castle in general. "It's not like I'm hurting for space, Starlight."

"True." She shrugged softly. "It'd be nice if you considered me in your schedule though. I don't want to get rusty, and even if I complain at times, I do enjoy your lessons on friendship." She smiled gently. "I know they're post-grad studies, but who's ever finished, right?"

Twilight reached over and casually booped Starlight on the nose. "You have been an outstanding friend through all of this. Let's finish this project before we plan the next one, but I promise to get some 'Starlight-Twilight' time onto the schedule." She nodded once firmly, self-satisfied with her resolution.

"I'll tell Spike," sang out Starlight as she resumed the work of spell-weaving.

---

Sunburst descended into the depths of the tunnel. That was where crystals resided. It was also where... "Oh, there you are." He hurried towards the frocked mare in a hardhat that was casually chipping at a wall. "Maud, do you have a moment?"

"You can't own a moment," noted Maud, turning to look at Sunburst.

"I suppose not. I need your geological expertise." He smiled at the earth pony mare. "It's for a project Twilight and I are working on that'll let a pony live a relatively normal life."

Maud set her pickaxe down gently. "Sounds important." Her face was impassive as it usually was. "What do you need?"

"Air," he joked.

"True," she replied as if that was a valid answer. "You have that. Glad I could help."

"N-no. We need a stone, a crystal likely, that can hold, absorb, and release magic steadily and repeatedly without becoming warped or damaged."

Maud lifted a hoof to her chin. She didn't tap, she just held it there as she paused in what one would assume to be thought. "Hmm. Those are very rare."

Sunburst broke into a big smile. "But you know what we need?"

Maud nodded lightly. "It's hard to get, but it would be the best." She coiled on herself and pulled a book free. She had it open at her leisurely pace and pointed to a picture of a sparkly geode that was a vibrant yellow in shade. "Properly mined and set, it becomes capable of incredible magic storing."

"Speaking of setting..." Sunburst nodded at Maud, his hope raising. "What would it need to be set in?"

"Platinum would be best."

Sunburst had to blink. "Well, I doubt she'll complain about that."

"Who?" Maud inclined her head faintly.

"Princess Platinum."

Maud nodded softly. "Did you pull another historic pony out of the void? That's a bad habit." She spoke her accusation with her usual monotone, not sounding terribly upset by it.

Sunburst huffed out a little gust of air. "I could stop any time I wanted to. She needs this--" He pointed at the sparkling gem displayed in Maud's book. "How do we get our hooves on it?"

Maud seemed to consider that a moment before pointing to the east. "It's in the dragon lands. They don't like sharing."

Sunburst blanched at that. "Oh... Well, that complicates things." He clopped down a hoof. "I won't give up though!"

Maud nodded mildly, reaching for her pickaxe. "If you get any, let me see it." She went right back to her casual mining as if nothing had really happened.

"I'll need your assistance even after I have the stone." He stepped up beside her as she chipped at the wall. "You know how to work with this stone, right?"

"I do."

"Can you--" He aborted the question. "Will you help me?" he rephrased with a smile.

"Sure." She set down her pickaxe once more. "If you bring me the platinum and the crystal, I will put them together for you. You intend for a pony to wear it?"

"Yes." He raised a hoof to his chest. "Like a pendant I imagine."

"I can do that." She sat in place on her haunches. "I'll consider the manufacture while you get it. Don't die."

Sunburst blinked at the curious well-wishes. "I'll try not to..."

"That would be awful," she noted in her placid tones, not sounding all that upset about it. "Maybe you should take Spike. He's a dragon."

"He is." Sunburst smiled at Maud, even if it wasn't reflected. "Great idea. May I borrow this book?" He pointed to where the picture of the gem resided. "I need to know what it looks like when I go for it."

Maud reached with her mouth and casually tore the page free. She held it towards him with her placid expression.

He accepted it with his magic, floating the page free. "Oh... I'll bring this back. It'd be a shame for your book to be missing a page."

"Thanks." She took up her pickaxe. "Good luck." She resumed her work without further ado.

Sunburst trotted free of the cave and veered back towards Twilight's castle. "Time to talk to a dragon." He didn't have to search very hard to find the drake.

Spike was in his room, assembling some kind of action figure with a magnifying lens over one of his eyes. He looked up and blinked owlishly when Sunburst knocked on his door. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Sunburst?"

"Oh, hey man." Spike set down his tweezers. "Door's open." As the door opened, Spike was pulling off his monocle and setting it aside. "What can I do for ya?"

Sunburst floated over the paper. "I need a very specific kind of gem."

Spike raised a brow at the yellow gem. "I don't have any of those." He licked his lips. "Wonder what it tastes like...?"

"I need it for Princess Platinum." He rubbed behind his withers as he said it, awkwardly squirming.

"Pass." He waved a claw away. "Little Miss McTribist can get it herself if she wants it so bad."

Sunburst shook his head. "Now, c'mon Spike. We can't stoop to her level. She needs our help, and we, being enlightened modern ponies, and dragons, will help, because we're good people."

"Yeah..."

"Besides--" He shrugged gently. "Maybe we'll get enough that you can see what it tastes like."

"Now you're talking." He gave an emphatic thumbs up. "So where is this thing? Need me to fly over to it or what?"

Sunburst gestured with his horn to the east. "It's in the dragon territory. Seeing as you're an ambassador..."

Spike put a claw over his face. "Oh... You're asking a lot out of me for a pony I don't really like."

Sunburst smiled nervously. "You're doing it for Twilight and me, not her. Think of it that way."

"Right..." He crossed his arms a moment before he hopped down from the stool he had been perched on. "Let's get this over with. I vote we talk to Ember. If we just barge in there looking for it, it'll just end up causing trouble, mostly for ourselves."

Sunburst began to follow after Spike. "You're sounding awfully responsible all of a sudden."

"Hey, I am the ambassador." He puffed out his chest. "I have to know how to, you know, ambass or whatever. We'll get this handled."

---

Platinum smiled lightly at the sight of the peasant's little shop. It was gaudy and showy and everything she'd expect of a commoner, but Rarity was, at least, a successful commoner. She also had manners. There was far less shame in being seen with a merchant that composed themself properly.

She knocked on the door with her magic. "Princess Platinum has arrived," she sang with a cocky smile.

"Darling!" Rarity's hooves approached the door quickly and it swung open, revealing Rarity's smiling face. "You vanished so suddenly last time, I was afraid I had offended."

"Perish the thought," assured Platinum. "I simply had duties to attend to. You know how it can be."

"Of course." She huffed softly. "This is why I enjoy a good little break when I can manage it." She glanced back into her store. "Speaking of that, I'm working on a very large order this moment. I'd love to host you, but this really can't wait."

Platinum blinked. She was being denied?! "What sort of project is this?"

Rarity turned and headed inside, leaving the door open for Platinum to follow her. "Coloratura is looking for a new outfit. She's reinventing herself, so her old stage outfit simply won't do at all, dear." She gestured a hoof at the three ponyquinns she had set up, each with a subtly different dress.

"I'm sorry, but who is Coloratura? She isn't a noble or a royal." She had read about all the modern day ones. "Yet she has the money to have you design several dresses that you may not even use?"

"Oh, darling, no, most of the money these days resides in those that could not be called royalty." She smirked faintly. "At one point, she did insist on being called Countess Coloratura, but she's moved on past that."

Platinum frowned at that. "She should not be making claims of such a thing without the land and title to go with it. I'm glad to hear she's abandoned such boorish behavior. Now... what manner of profession requires these?" She waved a hoof over them. "They draw the eyes to... uncouth places."

Rarity hiked a brow, considering Platinum's words. "She's a singer, dear. She performs and is quite popular, or was. This is why this reimaging must go off without a hitch!" She put a hoof to her chest. "I'm flattered and honored she selected me to oversee it and I don't plan to let her down."

"What image are you attempting to convey?" she asked with a mildly disgusted tongue. "I'm afraid I don't quite grasp what you're going for."

"Well, that is the question, isn't it?" Rarity pointed to each dress in turn. "The song I heard her perform implied a more sedate and warm impression." The first dress was also the most conservative. Lovely, but not at all provocative. "She used to be more... faux-royal, as you can guess by the name. She was aiming for haughty and unapproachable. Too good for you and all that."

Platinum frowned a little deeper. "We don't act that way as some sort of... screen. We are often busy handling things the average pony simply cannot comprehend. We are 'haughty' because our thoughts are occupied with keeping the world safe and operating for the sake of everyone else."

Rarity detected she had tripped over her new friend's sensibilities. "Darling, dear, I understand this, really, I do. This is Coloratura's old motif I'm speaking of, not you, heaven forfend. No no no. If I were designing a dress for you, it'd be completely different on almost every level." She put an arm over the top of Platinum's withers, drawing the royal pony closer.

Platinum smiled, her frazzled nerves calming down. Rarity was a model citizen, she quietly decided. She deigned to allow the touching. It was kind of nice to have a friend.

Author's Note:

Ponies are doing things!

Wait, that's every chapter...

Spike takes charge to start an expedition to the dragon lands. Surely there will be no typos there! Dragons eat typos I hear.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

I love Sunburst and Maud's banter. It's hard to tell which one's the straight man; they seem to exchange the role. Still, I suspect getting that crystal will be a lot more complicated than just asking for it. Hopefully the boys will tell Twilight where they're going first.

Also, Platinum's taking royalty's relative loss of status in this new world... fairly well. I suspect it hasn't fully sunken in yet. Or she doesn't see it as applying to her. Well, better that she focus on making friends across the class divide in any case

[Batling]

Heh, guess the old McTribalist is going to have a proverbial heart attack when she meets someone who will simply blow her off for her attitude. Though I guess she and Blueblood would get along like a pair of shoes.

[avidreader07]

9356365
Actually, I doubt that. From what we've seen of her, Princess Platinum at least gives the impression of being a Royal Who Does Something, but if Blueblood in this fic is like his more common depictions, he's little more than a self-absorbed, self-important idle rich. If they ever do meet, I see him blowing her off as "somepony with the same name" or an impersonator/actress, or something like that. Which will probably leave her wanting his head.

[Booster Spice]

I suspect that Bluebloo and Platinum would get on together like two pieces of U235.

Hope Discords stocked up on Rad resistant Hazmat suits, cos theres gonna be a whooole lotta Fallout.

[Emtu]

9356353
I think Sunburst is more of the straight man, Maud actually does stand-up comedy.

[OmniFox]

A moment of your time about Spike and Smolder?

[David Silver]

9357089
Hm?

[OmniFox]

9357332
Your opinion of them as a potential couple?

[David Silver]

9357399
It would help if we had a more solid idea of ages. Spike is literally just entering puberty. Where is Smolder? We dunno. Their temperaments are not terribly compatible, nor their general likes and dislikes, so that doesn't speak well.

[lordelliott]

9356411
I agree. Her reaction to Rarity's comments at the end of this chapter made me instantly think that Blueblood has a world of hurt coming his way if and when they meet. I'm fairly certain that Platinum will take offense at him giving royalty a bad name. Plus, she likes Rarity, and I'm not sure Blueblood will have nice things to say about Platinum's newest friend.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Celestia will be delighted to have the two meet.

[lordelliott]

9357438
Unless the females get wings sooner, Smolder is definitely older. Smolder likes cutesy stuff and tea parties. Spike is great at baking and presumably could host great tea parties, so I think they have plenty in common. Smolder is the most passive and understanding dragon we've seen besides Spike. I see Smolder more as an adoptive big sister to Spike, but shipping potential is high.

[howard035]

9356353
Wait until she meets her descendant!

[Midknight Defender]

Well. That's oddly specific to what I was jokingly predicting. *makes a note to buy a lottery ticket*

9364483

I'm really hoping that that happens as I read through this story now. If it doesn't, any disappointment I suffer is all your fault.