The wind blew against Luster’s face and carried her mane with it as the carriage carried her, Spike, and Princess Twilight through the daytime sky. While the feeling would normally be calming, Luster instead felt only wonder and pure anxiety.
Spike was the first to notice.
“Luster?" the dragon said with concern. "Is something wrong?”
Twilight also turned to look at her troubled student.
“It’s just...” Luster started, “It’s just that, the map’s been dormant for so long. Sure, I only knew of its purpose for an hour. But I find it weird that, of all the ponies it would call for after so many years of being dormant, the pony it would call for would be... me.”
Princess Twilight and Spike listened with high interest. They knew she wasn’t finished yet.
“I mean, I only truly accepted friendship for a month. I only had a large group of friends for a month. I only started being more social for a month. I can keep on going on and on and...”
“Luster?”
The voice of Princess Twilight turned Luster Dawn's attention to her mentor.
“I understand your frustration," Twilight continued. "Sure, I didn’t have as much anxiety and confusion when I was first called by the map with my friends. But I valued friendship longer than you at the time.”
“Yeah. She was in that know-it-all phase," Spike chimed in. "You’re still in the writing letters phase.”
The Princess looked at Spike.
“Oh, hardy-har-har," she said, jokingly rolling her eyes. "Listen Luster. I have felt your anxiety. Even if it WAS for different reasons. But let me give you some advice from my experience: just don’t get anxiety too often or else your friends will make you a verb.”
“The last time I heard the verb ‘Twilight-ing’ was two weeks ago," Spike muttered. "Those ponies don’t know when to quit do they?”
Twilight giggled before adding a comment of her own.
“Ok, ok. So I’m still a verb. But now that I think about it, it is kinda funny.”
“Funny?" Spike lifted a brow. "I find it hilarious that it’s still a thing.”
Twilight face hoofed, smiling, before pointing her hoof at Spike.
“You know, I wonder what will happen if I made you my maid. With a dress and everything.” she joked.
Luster and Spike both looked at her with weird looks on their faces.
“What?" Twilight smirked. "A princess can have a sense of humor too! Trust me! I’ve seen Celestia’s humorous side FAR too many times.”
Luster snickered.
“You know..." Luster began. "You two always say things that make me want to laugh. I think I feel better now.”
“Well, don’t go around forcing us to do that...” Spike muttered.
The Princess ignored Spike’s comment and smiled at Luster.
“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better," Twilight said. "And just in time too! It looks like we’re here.”
Luster saw that they were, indeed, there. Her face showed signs of wonder and amazement as the lush green gardens came into view, with many colors on the leaves and a few stone statues lying around. It was amazing how big the entrance was: it could fit 10 carriages. Otherwise, Luster would have had to walk there on hoof.
Finally, the carriage slowly came to a halt as the guard ponies driving finally managed to find a spot. The mixture of the carriage and the guard ponies armor both landing still wasn’t enough to make any noise from the plush green grass they landed on.
Twilight exited the carriage. Luster and Spike immediately followed. They were right in front of the entrance, with another pony standing there with a hazmat suit on. When he noticed the three friends at first, he looked alarmed, until he seemed to have calmed down. His horn under the helmet glowed a shade of lime green, before the helmet slid off his face. Under that helmet revealed the face of a young male unicorn, with a yellow coat, orange mane, and lime green eyes
“Well, if it isn’t Princess Twilight,” he said, bowing with the utmost respect. “It’s good to see you, your majesty.”
“It’s good to see you too. I take it the garden has an infestation?”
“You have no idea! We’ve been spraying the plants for days! The pests moved out, but since the gas is still settling, it’s still too dangerous for anypony to go in!”
“Well, I have to go in on royal duties. But thankfully, I know a little spell that will protect my friends and I from the gas.”
“Well, as long as you know a spell, I guess I've got nothing to worry about. After all...” the stallion looked at his watch. “I got a lunch break! If I’m the first one there, then it’s hello free donuts!”
And then, he galloped away, leaving the three friends alone with the guard ponies.
“Ok then...” Princess Twilight began. “I need you two to hold still so I can focus.”
With that, her longhorn ignited it’s magenta glow, before the glow covered Luster and Spike, as well as herself. Immediately after, the bright glow faded.
“There,” Twilight said. “This should protect us from the gasses. Let’s look around the place. I bet two of the workers here are arguing or something. I bet they’re forgetting it’s lunchtime.”
“Makes sense of why they are the only ones here,” said Spike. “They all have hazmat suits.”
Luster spoke up. “I just hope it’s something simple. I’m still new at this. That’s also another reason why I’m worried. I’m still so new at all of this friendship stuff. I’m learning left to right, but it only feels like yesterday you told me about the coronation.”
“We will see,” Luster’s mentor said. “We will see.”
And with that, the trio entered the garden, while the guard ponies loosened themselves from the carriage to watch the gate.
The flowers and leaves all looked like they have been rained on, despite the fact there has been no storm for days. Although the garden was large, it took them thirty minutes to realize there was nopony there.
“I get the deep feeling that nopony's here,” said Spike. “You can hear anything in this garden, with the calming atmosphere and stuff.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Twilight pondered. “Why would Luster be sent here for a friendship problem if nopony was here. The only other living beings here besides us are... wait!”
“What? What is it?” Luster asked her mentor with obvious worry.
“I think I might know who the subject of the problem is!”
“Who?” Spike asked.
“Come with me,” Princess Twilight ordered, before continuing forward.
Luster and Spike looked at each other before following the Princess.
It didn’t take long for Princess Twilight to find what she was looking for. She stopped to stare at what she was looking for.
Luster Dawn walked closer to where her mentor was staring. There, a specific stone statue with three figures stood in place. One figure looked like a small filly with a curly mane and a frightened facial expression. The second looked like a small centaur, holding up his arms and sporting a facial expression with closed eyes and a frown. The third figure was undoubtedly a changeling. But different. She sported holes on her legs, wings and long mane. She had a long jagged horn protruding out of her head, with a small crown perched behind her horn. And her position showed her lunging at her enemy, with a facial expression of rage and bitter hate.
The pedestal the figures stood on had a small gold sign on it that said “Cozy Glow, Lord Tirek, and Queen Chrysalis: The baddies of the century.”
Luster suddenly felt uneasy in her stomach. These were undoubtedly the villains that Princess Twilight told her about. These were the villains that nearly destroyed Equestria a while before the day of Twilight’s coronation.
“Luster...” the Princess began. “I think you have to help... them!”