The Rise of Passion

Twilight let out a chuckle. "Sounds like a good time to me."

"It was," snickered Sunburst. "It truly was a fun experience."

"So, it seems that the three of you are building yourselves up just fine," she sighed. "Not to bring the conversation down, but there's been no word of Cozy Glow or the royal family. I mean, I'm glad that they'll have a strong, happy empire to return to, with the Crystal Heart back in place, but it's been a month, and some of the investigators are losing confidence."

"Oh, cheer up, Twilight," smiled Starlight, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "They're not gone forever. I haven't given up the hope that you'll be reunited with them, and neither should you."

Twilight shook her head. "I haven't given up hope. I'm going to keep looking, and when I find them, it'll be all the more rewarding with that big hug at the end."

"That's the spirit!" smiled Trixie.

They all took a sip of their tea. "So, Sunburst, Trixie, are you coming back to teach at the school of friendship this year?"

"I am," nodded Trixie. "Starlight and I have been talking, and we agreed that we're moving just a bit too fast. We love each other, sure, but we don't want that to turn into smothering or resentment, so we're going to add a bit of longing into the mix, and just meet up on the weekends."

"I'm staying here," answered Sunburst, scrunching up his face. "I found some students over the break that could really use an education, but can't take the train to school."

Twilight swallowed her cookie. "I could subsidize their transportation," she offered. "We also have boarding facilities that we can aid them with, as well as many other workarounds for their financial status."

Sunburst shook his head. "It's not about the money. One of the kids literally can't leave the house because of their condition."

Twilight nodded, a bit confused, but not wanting to pry. "Well, I suppose that's a pretty good reason. At least you're still teaching. I'll tell you what I'm going to do: You're still a teacher at the school, you're just teaching abroad. That way, you still earn your paycheck."

He bowed. "You are most generous, Princess."

"I'll be going back, too," volunteered Gallus, one of the door guards. Starlight had hoof-picked his locations and placed him wherever she needed him. "My extern contract expires next week just before the start of the next term, and I can only reinstate it if I'm a listed student and in my off hours. Otherwise, I'd need a license, and that's something I can only have once I graduate. If I don't go back to school, I'll have nothing to do for the next six months."

"Not to mention your friends," added Starlight. "You were absolutely gushing yesterday over that letter from Sandbar. I'll bet you can't wait to see him again."

Gallus blushed, and his feathers stood on end to help disperse the heat of his face. "Th-that's not... the only reason." He cleared his throat, pushed his feathers back down, and tried to present a more professional air. "It's just a perk, okay? My relationship with Sandbar is nice, but it's not like it's going to strongly impact my professional career."

"Your relationship with Sandbar is the cornerstone for the next phase of our plan." Down in the hidden chamber, Cozy munched on a cookie while drinking from her cup of tea. "We're going to use that to our advantage."

"How do we do that?" asked Gallus. "I don't want to hurt him."

"You shouldn't have to," explained Cozy. "If he's your friend, he'll do what's best for you. If he doesn't support you, he's not a very good friend."

"I don't think he'll see it that way," sighed Gallus. "I think he'll see it as a bad idea and try to talk me out of it because I could end up hurt if the plan fails."

"We can't make a change in the world if we're afraid of being hurt," interjected Starlight. "Change is always hard, and sometimes, you don't live to see the world you helped create. But if you don't try; if you don't keep picking yourself up, you'll not make any changes, and the world will stagnate around you, locking you into a state of complacency."

Gallus sighed. "I'm willing to accept any hurt that comes to me. I have a goal in mind, and I'll fight to my last breath to see it come to fruition. But I cannot condone harm upon those I care for; Sandbar most of all. If it weren't for him, I'd never have stuck with all of this. Hell, I wouldn't have given any of you the time of day if he hadn't convinced me to stay."

"Then we'll simply have to make it so that he stays by your side," offered Sunburst, stepping forward. "When you return to Ponyville, see if you can find directions to Zecora's hut in the Everfree Forest. Go see her, and find out if she can give you anything that can help endear somepony to you. Keep it vague, like you had some kind of fight, and you want him to be amenable to making up."

"Trixie can lead the way," Trixie offered. "She's been there before."

"Then it's settled," smiled Starlight. "That's our first step. We have Zecora help us seduce Sandbar to our side, and we have him help us take down Twilight for good."

Shining growled from the corner of the room.

"What was that, lover?" smirked Cozy, fluttering around to face him.

"Fuck you," he growled, adjusting himself.

"You want to fuck me again?" smiled Cozy. "Well, who am I to say no?"

She approached, and despite his further protests, a spell burst from her horn, striking his face. His struggling instantly ended, and his face went blank. He slowly stood up and lifted one of his back legs to the wall, letting his cock slide smoothly out of its sheathe.

Cozy smiled widely. "Not so fast, my love. First, let's go have a look at your wife. She should see what it is you really want."

Shining nodded and followed Cozy out of the room, the force field blocking the door disappearing as the duo walked through it. "We done?" asked Cozy, poking her head back through. "Good. You know where I'll be."