//------------------------------// // Meeting the Elements:Arc 2, Chapter 7 // Story: New Reign // by Dream Seeker //------------------------------// Twilight woke up, and saw Luna about to raise the sun when she stopped and blushed. "Force of habit, sorry." Luna apologized. "You're in charge of the sun now that you're back." Twilight smiled, her horn lighting up as she raised the sun. "I really need to catch up on the new Equestria. I mean, the Canterlot Castle being gone was a large enough shock, as was the fact that you live in a house only slightly larger than average." Luna smirked. "I don't have much money, due to donating most of it to charities around Equestria. You, on the other hoof, just got back from a thousand year long paid vacation." Twilight's jaw dropped. "That counted as a paid vacation? But... That must mean that I'm the richest pony in all the world by now!" Luna smiled mischievously. "Indeed. Inflation has doubled the price of everything, but you still have a very large sum of money in the bank, especially because your salary rose with inflation." Twilight closed her mouth. "What else has changed?" Luna waved her hoof around nonchalantly. "Not much. Major catastrophes in Equestria tend to be in spurts every thousand years. The Elements of Harmony are chosen every thousand years as well. For instance, you and your friends lived through the most interesting times since Sombra, Chrysalis, and Nightmare Moon first happened. I'm expecting a return of Chrysalis, maybe a few other evil beings this decade." "I was wondering... What is our job as Princesses now that we have a democracy?" Twilight asked. "We raise the sun and moon, go to public events to raise moral across Equestria, teach others... That reminds me!" Luna said with a cheeky grin. "I get to run Luna's School for Gifted Unicorns!" Twilight laughed. "So, I assume the Element of Magic is your personal prodigy? Just like I was Celestia's?" "Yes. You should really hang out with the new Element Bearers, I think it would be good for you." Twilight's smile faded. "I tried to kill them only yesterday, you know. I don't know how willing they would be to befriend me." "Nonsense. They understand that it was Ether, not you, that tried to kill them." Twilight sighed. "Still. It's going to be horrible trying to convince ponies not to see me as evil." Luna raised an eyebrow. "Who of the two of us would know more about that? A thousand years ago, I felt the same way." Twilight chuckled. "I guess I forgot about that. Do we have anything scheduled today?" Luna smiled. "It's a Sunday, we've got nothing. Another plus of the position 'Princess' being modified is a more free time." "Do you know any of the relatives of my old friends? Any living members I could visit?" Luna chuckled. "Right under your nose! Of the new Element Bearers, only two are not related to at least one pony you knew well." Luna hoofed the list of Element Bearers and the their relatives that she knew, and Twilight began chuckling. "You're kidding, right? This is amazing! I would like to spend time with them, actually. Do you know if today would be fine?" Luna smiled. "Go for it. Today is a day off for everypony." Starlight was in his library, talking with his new friends, when they heard a knock at the door. "Who do you think it is?" Gem Seeker asked. "Most likely somepony just decided to check out a book from the library." Truth Finder said with an eye-roll. "This is a public service, you know." Starlight opened the door, staring at a familiar grinning alicorn. "Hi!" Twilight said. "Can I come in?" "Uh, sure." Starlight said nervously, calling to his friends, "It's Nigh- I mean, Princess Twilight." Twilight flinched for a moment at Starlight's slip, but didn't let it show. She walked in next to Starlight, waving a hoof. "I talked to Luna, she said that most of you are distantly related to my old friends, the previous Elements of Harmony." Prism Armor started to smile. "I'm related to Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, right?" Twilight smiled and nodded. "Yes! You're also the only pony who can do a Sonic Rainboom currently alive. You inherited that from Rainbow Dash, who was the old Element of Loyalty. Fancy Belle's jaw dropped. "You mean to say, he was telling the truth the whole time? Nopony believed that he was related to royalty!" "I just didn't find conclusive evidence either way." Truth Finder muttered. "I never openly said it wasn't possible." "Well, it's true. Also, considering I am Shining Armor's brother, you're technically related to me!" Twilight grinned. Everyponys' jaws dropped. "I'm related to you?" Prism Armor asked. "So, I'm also related to one of the two reigning Princesses of Equestria?" Prism Armor grinned. "Yes. In fact, did you know that all of you except possibly Truth Finder and Gem Seeker are technically nobles?" "Really?" Apple Pie asked. "What does that mean for us?" Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof. "I don't actually know, I have no clue what the old noble lines do anymore." "Maybe I could help you catch up." Truth Finder offered. "I know a lot about... Well, pretty much everything really. You'd be surprised how often it is useful to know a little of everything." "I'll have to take you up on that offer later. First, I want to catch up on the thousand-year-old series of books I was reading, back before I was sent to the moon!" Twilight's smile expanded. "Now, instead of having to wait a whole year for the next book to come out, I can read all of them now!" "Which series did you want?" Starlight Watcher asked. "You're related to me as well, by the way. We are both in the 'Light' noble house. So you're also related to Prism Armor! The series I'm looking for is called Daring Do." Starlight began searching. "We're related? Interesting. I would like to know what your life was like sometime. By the way, the Daring Do series is antique now. I'd be surprised if this little library had any of them, let alone the whole city." Twilight grinned. "On the contrary, I lived here for a long time. A large amount of the books should still be here from when I bought them. Also, I'm sure Luna planned ahead and made sure this library had every single book in the series. A 'welcome back' gift, as it were." "Found them!" Starlight smirked. "Guess you were right. Every single one is here. Come grab the ones you haven't read." "See you later!" Twilight waved, flying out of the tree that used to be her home, the books floating next to her in a levitation field. Twilight began to read as she flew, heading back to the house she would share with Luna for the time being. "It's great to be back." Twilight sighed happily, returning to her bed.