//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Catching Up // Story: Legend of Twilight: Harmony Tracks // by EmberBlues //------------------------------// As Twilight passed through the gates, she looked around. The day seemed almost as Twilight described it. Peaceful, cheerful, no drama to be found whatsoever. The sky was running nicely due to the Weather Ponies continuing success of cloud control. Twilight's castle was going in smooth fashion, and besides Princess Celestia's new Legend that obviously needs some revising, everything seemed felicitously in place. It was...eerie. As if something bad or evil was bound to happen, considering Equestria was kept peaceful for the past five years. Even Twilight noticed how alarmingly tranquil it is, and the eeriness kept her on edge-sometimes sending shivers down her spine. She did well to dismiss it and kept going though her prestigious gardens. Twilight arrived at the train station where she stopped and looked around once more. "I still am grateful that everything is in peace and order." The lavender Alicorn mutters. "I wonder how my new partner will handle being a student of myself, just as I was a student to Celestia. Oh, the memories never fade, do they?" Twilight grins as she is met by her past memories of being a student herself. "I better get going. Don't want to be late." As she passes by two Unicorns of the Royal Guard in front of the train doorway, Twilight enters her cabin right in front of the main engine. As she sits down, she notices an envelope next to her side. The train starts to roll along the tracks as it whistles. She lifts the envelope using the levitation spell, being as it's easier and also second nature to her. As she opens it, she receives two notes; one from Princess Celestia, the other from her student-to-be. She skims through Celestia's letter and rolls her eyes. "Your a bit late on apologizing for that ruthless Legend you sent me. I swear, you eat more cake than you do trying to make quality stories-not like THAT'S anything new." Twilight chuckled as she put the Princess' letter down beside her. She then looked at the second letter, reading out loud. "Dear, Ms. Sparkle. I am so pleased to be accepted as your new student. My parents are very proud of me and I thank you for that. I am also very excited to be the student of what was the former student of Princess Celestia. But that leaves me with quite a load of questions. I will ask those questions once I become your student. Again, thank you for allowing me to become your student. I greatly appreciate it!! Yours truly, Stargate." Twilight smiled as she laid Stargate's letter on top of Celestia's. "I really am glad to that I get to be your new teacher too. With you also being an Unicorn just like I was before I became an Alicorn, I'm sure we can both get along." She looks out the cabin window. "Yeah, I'm sure Shining Armour is proud of you as much as I am." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fifteen minutes have passed. Twilight is napping comfortably on her cushioned seat, almost drooling. She wakes up and starts to notice the Crystal Empire on the horizon out of her window. As she gets situated, using a tissue from the box near the window to wipe the drool off of her face. The train stops, and Twilight exits the cabin with the same two royal guards that were at the train station in Twilight's kingdom. Before arriving at the gates, she looks around once more. "Okay, this is starting to freak me out a little more that I thought. This is more painfully eerie than peaceful." She glances from side to side in slight worry. She then straightens up and breathes in deeply. "Calm down, Twilight. Its only been five years. I'm sure Equestria can handle the peace for a few more." After passing through the main gates, she starts trotting towards the Crystal Palace. She glances at some of the homes an shops that were along the path towards the palace. Upon reaching the Crystal Heart, she notices some old friends of hers. "Twilight!" Exclaims a certain baby dragon. "Spike! Long time no see!" Twilight runs up towards him. "I hope everything went well with you being Rarity's part time assistant." "Well? That's a large understatement. It was-how would you put it-simply charming." His eyes fluttered with love. Twilight nods her head. "So, how's Rarity with her latest fashion lineup? I heard it was beyond extravagant." "Indeed it was!" A marshmallow coloured pony chimes in. "The judges awarded me first place! I have five consecutive top lineups! Oooohhh, it was FABULOUS!!" She flamboyantly exclaimed. "And also Twilight, congratulations on becoming the teacher of a student such as Stargate. I received news of it only last week, and I made immediate preparations for your Approval." "Thanks, Rarity. I think its going to go well, too." Twilight grinned. "By the way," Rarity points to some other old friends by the newsstand. Twilight smiled brightly as she galloped towards them. "Hi girls! How has life been?" She yells, as all of her friends cock their heads towards her and also smile brightly. "Well if it ain't my ol' friend. Hows it going?" Applejack greeted her. "Twilight! Its been AGES since I've seen you!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she flew towards Twilight. "Rainbow Dash, nine months isn't 'ages'." Twilight Chuckled. "And Applejack, I'm doing quite fine." "Glad to hear that from ya, pardner." The orange mare said. "It sure feels like its been ages." The sky blue Pegasus exclaimed gruffly. "Yeah...where is Pinkie and Fluttershy?" Twilight asks looking around. "They are already in the palace. I'm sure they can wait for you." Applejack replied. "Besides, all of us need some catching up to do, I presume?" "Yes." Twilight nods. "Why don't we chat while heading up to the Crystal Palace?" "Sounds like a plan!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Hey fashionista! We're going to the palace!" "Spiiiiiiike!" Twilight yells cheerfully. Rarity glares at Rainbow Dash. "I'm coming!" She and Spike both run towards the trio before letting down to a steady trot. "I'm glad to hear that phrase again." Spike grunts sarcastically. "Oh, Spike. It wasn't that bad." Twilight evilly grinned. "You haven't changed much?" He asked. "Nope!...well, maybe a little." Twilight chuckled. "Hey, a lil' is better than nothin'!" Applejack proclaimed. All of them laughed as they headed towards the Crystal Palace, talking about their time away from the past nine months. "So, how has the Wonderbolt Academy been going for you, Rainbow Dash? I've heard you got promoted." Twilight asked with interest. "You bet I did! Say hello to Wonderbolt Lieutenant Rainbow Dash! Assistant of the renounced Wonderbolt, Admiral Spitfire. But, you knew that already." The pegasus grinned. "That great! how is it like?" "Its actually quite nice. I have some time to meet up with other experienced Wonderbolts in meetings, Spitfire calls me to help her out with some drills-believe me, it is AWESOME-and I have some free time to practice my flight patterns. All in all, I'd say getting screamed at by Spitfire during the Wonderbolt Academy was TOTALLY worth it." Rainbow Dash said with glee. "I have to agree with the info you're telling me. Sounds quite the experience!" Twilight exclaimed. "Yeah, it is!" Rainbow dash replied. "Cool! So, Applejack! Hows the family?" "Doin' just fine! Big Macintosh an' I have done pretty well during Applebucking Season. We were able to make quite the profit for the farm. I reckon that Granny Smith won't live much longer though." "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Any sicknesses?" Rarity chimes in. "Naw, just ol' age. She knows it too. Besides, no pony lives forever. Even Alicorns have to go at some point in time-no offense, Twilight." "None taken." Replies Twilight. "Besides that, things have been going smoothly; no bats gettin' into 'em apples that AREN'T designated for them, that's for sure. Applebloom is doing well through school. She's almost t'wards her graduation!" "That's great to hear!" Twilight smiles. "Yeah. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are right beside her and probably will be during the graduation. They still have the Cutie Mark Crusaders thing going, considering they haven't gotten their cutie marks yet. But hey, you can't force something like that onto a pony. Remember what dear Applebloom did that one time?" Applejack asks rhetorically. 'Please don't remind me of that. That's a mental image I can't ever get out of my head." Rainbow Dash replied in disgust. "Sorry, just askin'. I have to ask you something, Twi'." Applejack says. "Yes, Applejack?" Twilight replies. "Its been awfully quiet the past four ta' five years if ya' ask me. Ever since we banished the Nightmares into the Harmony Tracks, I just been having these shivers down my spine. Its eerie, I tell ya'." "Probably Discord plotting something we don't know. If anything, we're ready. Even without the Elements of Harmony, Discord can't do much now that he's reformed." Rainbow Dash replies. "I've been getting the same shivers down my spine as well, so much that even Spike can sense the tension. Something bad is gonna happen soon, I just don't know what." Rarity chimes in. "Not only can I sense it-its almost like I could smell it coming." Spike grinned. "Cut the jokes, Spike." Twilight responds. She then turns to her friends. "Consider the feelings mutual. I've been doing my best to try and ignore the eeriness so I can resume with my royal duties, but we cannot avoid this with how often its happening. Once my approval of Stargate is done, I shall deal with this issue." "Sounds like a plan. And uh, by the way," Applejack says as she puts her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "congratulations on having a student of your own! I'm sure Princess Cadence is waiting for you in the Throne Room along with your brother." "Same from me, pal! Princess Cadence is going to love having her own foal be taught by the Alicorn of Friendship. Uhh, what is she again?" Rainbow Dash asks. "Her name is Stargate. She is the first born daughter of Princess Cadence and my brother, Shining Armour. She is a Unicorn that is said to have superior abilities in magic, and has much more potential to be shown from what I've been told. I held her in my hooves after Cadence and Shining Armour held her first. She was beautiful black foal with what looked to be a galactic blue mane. She Unfortunately she has asthma, but that is taken care of due to her taking an inhaler once a week. I've heard that she already got her Cutie Mark, which is said to be the result of helping Luna raising the Moon by raising the Stars with her since Luna was sick at the time. From what I've heard from the last time I saw her, she seems to be doing fine." Twilight concluded. "She's a Unicorn that has superior abilities in magic? Sounds a lot like a certain somepony we used to know." Applejack glances at Twilight grinning. Twilight turns back to her in mild disgust but smiles and shakes her head chuckling at the ironic statement. "Well what are we waiting for? I'm sure that darling Stargate is growing weary of waiting." Rarity exclaims. "Right! Let's go!" Twilight responds. Things seemed to go just as planned for Twilight, which worried Twilight even more as she rushed toward the entrance with her friends to the palace. Even perfection sometimes has its misdemeanors.