The Rise of Passion

The next two weeks passed in a much faster manner than was expected. Starlight's history in community management cleared most of the problems that arose, and once she synchronised with the role she was to fill, she didn't really need Trixie around. Not that she didn't want her around, and almost every evening was punctuated with exhaustive lesbian sex that really helped them sleep through the night.

Not to mention the fact that their love helped to fuel the Crystal Heart, which had been moved downstairs as requested. Sunburst, who also joined in on their sexual congress on Tuesdays and Thursdays, was the acting liaison with the crystal ponies, and was voicing their opinions to Starlight and vise-versa. They were okay with the idea of moving the crystal heart temporarily, as long as it didn't stay gone for too long. It was their protector, after all, and having to defend themselves for a bit to guard their shield was an acceptable prospect.

Of course, the only news about what might have happened to the royal family came from Gallus. He was bouncing back and forth between Cozy and the palace, delivering news back and forth. Cozy was starting to find it very tedious to take care of the prisoners, though Twilight had not dared to come back or send a guard to look over the place.

In fact, the only contact with Twilight was a letter that said she was coming to inspect the Crystal Empire exactly two weeks after Starlight had taken over. Starlight had, by now, exhausted the temporary supply of things she'd brought with her, and had needed to resupply, though the crystal ponies had been very accommodating, helping her out whenever they could, as if she were the real princess.

As promised, Twilight's carriage rolled up to the palace on the day in question. She had taken a detour through the city to make sure that she saw how life in the empire was going. When she finally stepped off the carriage with Spike under the palace, she wore a big smile as she approached Starlight.

"Wow. I knew you were the right pony for the job, but I didn't expect you to be this thorough. How are you finding it?"

Starlight smiled back. "Let's talk inside, shall we?"

As they moved to the steps, Twilight looked up and frowned. "Where's the Crystal Heart?" Panic washed over her. "Did somepony steal it?!"

Starlight gripped Twilight's shoulder tightly. "No. It's fine. Or was, half an hour ago when I checked. Come, I'll show you."

They made their way down into the basement, through a well-guarded door and into the chamber where the Crystal Heart hung in the air. "It's still here," breathed Twilight in relief.

"I thought somepony would try to steal it, so I brought it down here to keep it safe."

"And the crystal ponies were okay with that?"

"They took some convincing, but as long as it returns to the surface before the next Crystal Fair, they don't want it stolen from them again."

"Who do you think would steal the Crystal Heart?" asked Twilight.

"Who do you think would steal the Crystal Princess?" returned Starlight. "How's your search going, by the way?"

Twilight shook her head. "No luck. She didn't leave a trace. She's just gone."

"Any strange happenings that may indicate her plans?"

"Just Cadance's family's disappearance. No word on that front, either."

"I see." Starlight sighed. "I really hoped we'd have found something by now."

"I know. It gives me no pleasure to do this, but I'm making you a full-on regent for the Crystal Empire. Until Cadance returns, somepony needs to be in charge, and you're doing a magnificent job. I can think of nopony better. I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you here, rather than at your own place. You will, of course, be compensated for your loss."

Starlight was ambivalent. On one hoof, she needed to return to Cozy in order to move their plans along. On the other, she had hoped to run an entire city, and the Crystal Empire had offered just that. "I'm honored," she chuckled, "but at the same time, I wish I could go back to my studies at home. It'd be terrible if I had little to teach my students this upcoming year, and it's not fair to them."

"I know," nodded Twilight. "If it weren't necessary, I wouldn't ask it of you. But I'm counting on you to make this right. It'll be over as soon as Cadance and Shining return with Flurry. I promise."

Starlight nodded and sighed. "I suppose I should start having my things brought here, then, huh?"

"That would be best. I'll cover your expenses in doing so, of course. We'll hire a moving company and everything."

Starlight shook her head. "I'm going to refrain from moving everything right away, in case they come back. I'll have Trixie help me out with it all. She knows what I was working on. Gallus can help her, too, if she needs a bit of muscle. He's been very helpful recently."

Twilight nodded and looked back to the Crystal Heart. "Has there been any issue with the Crystal Heart being down here? Can it protect the Empire from underground like this?"

Starlight shrugged. "Nopony's attacked us. Besides, if they were able to sneak past it to kidnap Cadance, can it really stop them? There might be some kind of protection from the Crystal Heart, or it might only stop certain types of enemies. I'll need to do some research to determine its effectiveness."

Twilight nodded. "I can't argue with doing research. I can only tell you that sealing it away at the top of the tower is what allowed Sombra to take control over the empire. The crystal ponies need that heart. They need to see it, and to know where it is. Their bravery can only take them so far."

Starlight placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulders. "Don't you worry, princess. I'm going to make sure that the crystal ponies, as well as their heart and lands are kept safe. If something dares threaten them, the Crystal Heart will rush to their defense. I'll clear a path for it to do so personally. They're in my charge now, and I will not allow them to come to harm. That, I can promise you."