It was a bright and sunny morning. Sunlight beamed through the window into Princess Twilight's bedroom in Canterlot castle. The beam of sun landed on her face causing her to open up her eyes. She was a light purple alicorn with a dark purple mane that had a pink highlight to it and a giant pink star surrounded by five other white stars as her cutie mark.
As she rose up in her bed she turned to her right and looked down at a sleeping purple and green dragon. "Spike," she said in a sweet voice trying to gingerly wake the baby dragon up. The dragon just lay there continuing to sleep. "Spike," she repeated still trying to wake him up. This time the dragon turned a bit in his bed but still showed no sign of waking up. By this time Twilight had grown tired of the fact that her baby dragon was refusing to listen to her so she decided that he had his chance and resorted to less gentle ways of waking him up. "SPIKE!" she yelled at the top of her lungs in a final attempt to wake the dragon.
Spike flew out of his bed screaming and landed on the floor with a thud. He was scared stiff at the volume of the voice that woke him up and took him a while to calm down. "Oh it's only you Twilight," he said while he rubbed his head. "I guess I overslept again didn't I?" He looked over at Twilight who was staring at him with an annoyed look on her face.
"Look Spike," said Twilight. "I know you aren't a morning person, but you need to start getting used to getting up earlier. Now that I am a princess I have more responsibilities and guess who gets to help me make sure I get everything done."
Spike rolled his eyes and said, "I do." in an unenthusiastic tone.
"That's right," said Twilight, "Which reminds me. What's on the royal checklist today?"
Spike looked over at the door to the room and saw a piece of paper slightly larger than the size of a business card lying on the floor right in front of it. Slowly he got up and walked over to pick it up. "That's odd," he said. "Today's checklist is a lot smaller than it normally is."
"What does it say?" asked Twilight.
Spike picked up the piece of paper and read it to himself. After he read it his eyes widened and he said, "It's an urgent message from Princess Celestia! It says she wants us to go see her as soon as we get this message!"
Immediately Twilight jumped out of her bed, lifted Spike up onto her back with her unicorn magic and ran out the door. Swiftly she galloped down hall after hall rushing towards the throne room With Spike hanging on to her back for dear life.
"Woah, slow down Twilight," said Spike. "When the paper said 'urgent' it didn't mean this urgent."
"Get real Spike," said Twilight. "Whenever the princess 'urgently' summons me it means either something terrible is going to happen or something big is about to happen and she 'urgently' needs my help. Who knows when that note could have been written. Which means whatever was about to happen could be happening right now."
"Umm, Twilight," replied Spike. "If it really was that urgent don't you think they would have just woken you up? I mean the writing on the note didn't seem that rushed and all of the royal guards are just standing around on guard. Wouldn't you think if something bad was really happening they wouldn't be just standing there?"
"That is a good point Spike," said Twilight. "But we still have to hurry. It has got to be important otherwise the princess would have just pulled me aside during the day. Just bear with me on this one Spike."
Spike just sat there, rolled his eyes and slapped his claw against his face. Before they knew it they were just outside of the throne room door where Spike dismounted Twilight. Twilight's mane had been slightly messed up and she was gasping for air because of how fast she had traveled, so she took some time to fix her mane and catch her breath before she entered the throne room leaving Spike outside waiting by the door. Once she was in the royal throne room she looked around and found Princess Celestia sitting on her throne at the top of a set of stairs, filling out important paperwork, heavily guarded by the royal guard. Twilight swiftly rushed up to her saying "Princess Celestia, you wanted to see me?"
"Ah, there you are Princess Twilight," responded Princess Celestia. "What's wrong? You look like you just ran a mile."
"Sorry, Princess," said Twilight. "I rushed over here as soon as I got your note. What's going on? Is there anything bad about to happen?"
"All will be revealed in due time, Princess Twilight," said Princess Celestia. "But first I have a certain task I think you might actually enjoy for you to accomplish before I tell you what really needs to be done." Twilight looked up at Princess Celestia partially in confusion and partially in anticipation as to what she was going to say next. "I need you to got down to the train station and welcome your friends to Canterlot."
"My friends are coming to Canterlot?!" exclaimed Twilight in excitement.
"Yes, Twilight," answered Princess Celestia. "I summoned them here in the middle of the night. They should be here in about thirty minutes. I want you to go greet them and then bring them here where I will inform them as to why I have summoned you all on such short notice. Can you do that for me Twilight?"
"Yes, of course I can!" said Twilight in excitement. It had been a while since her friends had visited her in Canterlot and she had a lot of exciting activities planned out for when they did end up visiting.
"Good," said Princess Celestia. "Remember, bring them here, to me, first and then I will let you have time with them alone to catch up. You may go now."
Twilight bowed, then turned and left the throne room. Once she was outside the throne room she was greeted by Spike who was eagerly waiting to hear what Princess Celestia had to say. "Well," he said. "What did she have to say to you?"
"You were right Spike," said Twilight in a more relaxed tone. "There wasn't anything to worry about. She told me to go down to the train station to pick up our friends."
"Our friends are coming to Canterlot?!" exclaimed Spike in an excited voice.
"Yes," responded Twilight. "The princess summoned them her last night. She has a special task that needs done and she is having us do it."
"A task?" asked Spike. "What kind of a task?"
"I don't know," Twilight answered. "She said she would tell us once we arrive back here with our friends." Twilight started merrily galloping down the halls of Canterlot Castle. "Come on Spike," she said joyfully. "Lets go welcome our friends."
Spike ran after her and before they knew it they were on their way to meet their friends at the Canterlot train station. They left the castle and went out into the busy city followed by two of the castle's Royal Guard. While they walked trough the city everypony parted to the sides of the road at the sight of her and bowed. As Twilight went down the road she felt somewhat uncomfortable with all of the attention she was getting. Never in her life did she think that she would rise to the current state she was in and she was still getting used to being the pony that everypony admired. Sometimes she still wondered what life would be like if she was still just a unicorn and still lived in Ponyville with her friends. But the fact that her friends were finally coming to visit her in Canterlot for the first time since her coordination made her the happiest pony in Equestria and made her forget all of those thoughts.
They had arrived early to an almost deserted train station so both Spike and Twilight sat down on a bench nearby and waited for the train carrying their friends to come, still guarded by the two Royal Guards on either side of the bench. Not many other ponies were in the train station as well and those who were there paid little to no attention to Twilight due to the stares they were receiving from the guards.
It wasn't long before Spike started up a conversation. "So," he said. "What do you think is so important that the princess had to summon your friends in the middle of the night for?"
"To be honest, Spike, I'm really not worrying about it that much at the moment," replied Twilight. "She said she would tell us all together once our friends get here, remember?"
"I know, I know but haven't you noticed that the princess has been acting a bit distracted this last week or so?" asked Spike.
"What do you mean Spike?" asked Twilight.
"Well for starters she seems to be wandering off in her own little world," replied Spike. "She has been having trouble focusing on the tasks placed in front of her like she's worried about something."
"I guess when you put it that way, I have noticed that she's been acting kinda preoccupied because of something but I just don't know what." answered Twilight.
"Exactly," said Spike. "I have a feeling that might be why she sent for your friends in the middle of the night."
Twilight began to ponder about the subject to herself before her thinking was interrupted by the whistle of a train pulling up into the station. "That must be the train." she said getting off of the bench she was on. Slowly the train pulled in getting slower and slower until it had finally stopped. Simultaneously all the doors to the train cars opened and out of the door that was closest to Twilight flew a pink earth pony with a messy pink mane and two blue balloons and one yellow balloon for her cutie mark. The pony hit Twilight with such force that both ponies flew back several feet and landed on the ground unharmed.
"Twilight!" exclaimed the pink pony squeezing the life out of Twilight with a very friendly hug. "We've missed you so so so so sooooo much!"
"I've missed you too, Pinkie Pie," said Twilight. "But do you think you can get off of me? I'm starting to lose feeling in the lower half of my body."
Pinkie obeyed what Twilight asked her to do and helped her get back up on her hooves. Once she had stood back up a yellow pegasus with a curvy pink mane and three pink and blue butterflies for her cutie mark stepped out of the train car saying "Oh my. Twilight, are you ok? Pinkie you shouldn't tackle ponies like that when they aren't expecting it."
"I'm fine, Fluttershy." answered Twilight exchanging a hug with the pegasus. Just then a light blue pegasus with a slightly less messy, rainbow colored, mane than pinkie pie's and a white storm cloud with a red yellow and blue lightning bolt for her cutiemark zoomed out of the train car trailing a rainbow.
She stopped next to Pinkie Pie and said, "Wow, Pinkie. You really darted out of that train. I would say you were almost as fast as me. Almost. As in still not as fast."
"Gee thanks Rainbow Dash," said Pinkie Pie. "I have been working on my calisthenics lately."
"Well lookie here," said a orange earth pony with a blonde mane put into a ponytail with a cowboy hat on and three red apples for her cutie mark. "If it isn't Equestria's newest and finest princess. Long time no see sugarcube.
"Applejack," said Twilight trotting over to give the earth pony a hug.
"Don't forget about me," said a white unicorn with a purple curly mane and three diamonds for her cutie mark.
"How could I possibly forget you Rarity," said Twilight. "Come on everyone, group hug." All of the ponies gathered around Twilight and Spike and shared in one big hug filled with laughter and smiles. The hug was so warm and welcoming to Twilight that she was the happiest that she had ever felt for the last three weeks.
After a while the hug dispersed and Applejack went on to say, "So what did the princess want with us so bad? I was woken up at five o'clock this morning by a member of the royal guard knocking at my door saying that the princess needed us here in Canterlot."
"That's just it, Applejack," said Twilight. "I don't know either. She said once everyone was together she will tell us why and then she will let us have some free time so that we can catch up with each other."
"Then what are we waiting for?" said Rainbow Dash. "Let's go see the princess."
The six ponies trotted back through the streets towards the palace still under close watch of the royal guard. As they walked they entertained each other with stories about what they had been doing in Ponyville while Twilight was in Canterlot. "You should have seen it," said Rainbow Dash. "Pinkie filled an entire pool with strawberry flavored jello at one of her parties and we all got to jump in it! Well, all of us except Rarity of course."
"I refuse to give in to your barbaric ways, Rainbow Dash," said Rarity. "What is the point of jumping into a pool full of jello?"
"Um, it's just like everypony's dream to do it since they were a little filly," answered Rainbow Dash.
"Ya'll shouldn't talk too much about what excitin' stuff we have done with out Twilight around," said Applejack. "We don't want her to feel left out now do we?"
"Oh its ok, Applejack," said Twilight. "I understand I miss a lot of fun being in Canterlot and all but I enjoy listening to what all of you are doing as friends even without me."
"To be honest," said Fluttershy in a shy voice. "Even though we are all having fun together I still feel like something is missing part of the time." All of the other ponies nodded their heads and sighed in agreement.
"I hear you girls," said Twilight as they approached the palace's main door and the royal guard that had been following them went back to their posts. "But we are going to have to get used to being away from each other. Don't worry, like I have said before, the separation doesn't mean that we aren't friends anymore. I will continue writing you as much as possible and take any chances I get to visit you in Ponyville. Besides, by the fact that Celestia has summoned us all together again probably means we have another adventure in our hooves."
The six ponies turned and looked at each other with smiles beaming across their faces before they entered the palace. The group made their way back to the throne room door where Spike sat down and waited faithfully as the other ponies entered. When they entered they found Princess Celestia still sitting on her throne filling out her paperwork while under close watch of the royal guard. It didn't take long before Celestia realized her guests had arrived. She put her paperwork to the side, stood up, and motioned for the royal guard to leave. The royal guard obeyed the order and left the room. Once the royal guard members had left the room Princess Celestia began talking. "Greetings, friend's of Twilight, and welcome back to the marvelous city of Canterlot," she said as she began to descend the set of stairs at the foot of her throne. "I bet you are all wondering why I have called you here and why on such short notice. I assure you, all will be revealed in due time. Come, walk with me and we shall discuss this matter in which I have summoned you here."
With that order the six ponies began following Princess Celestia. She lead them through a door on the west side of the throne room into a hallway filled with stained glass windows lighting up the hallway with many beautiful colors, depicting the six ponies accomplishing many heroic deeds.
"As your friendship continues to grow with each other, you also continue doing many miraculous deeds that no other pony could possibly think about doing alone," said Princess Celestia continuing to walk down the hallway. "This fact has lead me to realize that you are the right group of ponies for the task in which I require you to accomplish."
"What is it Celestia?" asked Twilight.
"This past week both me and my sister Luna have sensed a new type of magic flowing from the northernmost part of Equestria making it's way here," Princess Celestia replied. "If you focus hard enough, Twilight, you can feel it as well. We need somepony to go investigate it to make sure that all is well in the region and to document it's magical properties."
"Sounds easy enough," said Rainbow Dash. "Where is it at? The Crystal Empire?"
"That's just it," replied Princess Celestia. "We have no clue as to where this mysterious force is coming from. All we know is that it originates somewhere deep within the Frozen North, far beyond the Crystal Empire.
"But nopony has ever gone past the Crystal Mountain range before," said Twilight.
"Which is the reason why I believe that both you and your friends are the right ponies for the job. Not even I have knowledge of what lies beyond that mountain range," replied Princess Celestia. "The choice is yours Twilight. I will give you the option of having somepony else go instead of you or you going alongside your friends but you must take into mind what I have said. You truly are the best group of ponies for the job."
Twilight looked back at her friends who were all standing tall behind her. She turned around and said to them, "What do you think girls? Should we accept one more adventure together?"
The six ponies stood there staring at each other before Rainbow Dash spoke up saying"Are you kidding? "Let's go! Finding out where this magic is coming from might be the greatest discovery in all of ponydom!"
"Besides," said Applejack. "If not us then who? Like the princess said we are definitely the right group of ponies for the job."
"I needed some time out of the boutique anyways," said Rarity. "I am in as well."
"It'll be a blast!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "We can make snow cones all the time up there!"
"I'll go too Twilight," said Fluttershy. "Who knows. I might even find a new species of animal up there that nopony has seen before."
Twilight smiled. She had never seen her friends so eager to run into the unknown before. She turned back around to Princess Celestia and said "Princess, we accept your task."
"Excellent," said Princess Celestia. "We will all travel to the Crystal Empire tomorrow morning. There, we will gear you up for the journey and I will teach Twilight a new form of magic so that she may track the flow of magic upstream to the source. But first, as I have promised, you may have the rest of the day devoted as free time to catch up with each other. I advise you to not stay up too late, however, for we must depart early in the morning."
"Thank you, your majesty," said Twilight.
"You may go now," said Princess Celestia. At that command each of the other six ponies filed out of the stain glass hallway, through the throne room and back to a patiently waiting purple and green dragon.
"So what does the princess want you to do?" asked Spike.
"She wants us to go up north to investigate a new form of magic that is originating there," replied Twilight. "We leave for the Crystal Empire tomorrow morning."
"Am I going too?" asked Spike.
"No," replied Twilight. "It is too dangerous for you."
"Aw, but Twilight," Spike begged.
"No buts about it," said Twilight. "Besides I need you here, holding down the fort. That is still a very important job. Think you can do it for me?"
"I guess," answered Spike. "It doesn't seem that important though."
"Trust me, it is very important," replied Twilight. "Come on, let's go have fun with our friends now before we have to leave."
The six ponies and Spike went out of the palace together to begin the long list of things Twilight wanted to do when her friends happened to visit her in Canterlot. They started by going to Doughnut Joe's where they ate loads of doughnuts and drank hot chocolate until Pinkie Pie accidentally spilled some of her hot chocolate on Rarity. Next they all took a trip in Twilight's new chariot. Rainbow Dash challenged the chariot horses to a race and the chariot horses lost to her. Finally, after they were all done with that, they spent the rest of the day in the royal Canterlot gardens. They watched as the two royal sisters lowered the sun and raised the moon. They could not have thought of a more beautiful way to end the day together. Afterwards they headed back inside the castle, not before Pinkie Pie accidentally tripped and landed in a small pond in the garden. When they got back inside the castle they each said goodnight to each other and went to bed in the rooms they had been given by Princess Celestia. They had a long journey ahead of them in the morning and needed some extra sleep. However, for Twilight it was harder to sleep. She began hearing voices in her sleep calling out to her, saying "Come closer," and "Set me free." Eventually the voices began to die down and she was able to sleep. She began to wonder, however, if the voices had something to do with the new magic flow that had surfaced. The thought quickly faded away as she drifted back to sleep.