Beams of morning sunlight burst through the windows of the Golden Oaks Library, signaling the start of a new day. Twilight Sparkle sat up in her bed. Wiping her eyes, she looked out the window into her hometown of Ponyville. Only a few ponies were outside at the early hour, mostly the pegasi who were beginning to clear the skies, but a small number going for a morning stroll or setting up shops. Rainbow Dash, like her usual self, was probably sleeping late.
Twilight hopped out of her bed and trotted over to her vanity mirror across the room. She looked into the mirror and saw her normal, messy mane and began to comb it using her magic. As she was doing this, she realized that she was extremely hungry, and her mind instantly switched to wondering what Spike was making for breakfast.
"Spiiike!" Twilight called down the stairwell, "you'd better be making breakfast!" She hated to be so direct with her assistant, but her stomach got the better of her.
"Already on it, Twi!" she heard Spike respond with his uniquely cheerful voice.
Twilight smiled. What would she do without her wonderful, dragon assistant. As a new princess, she would need him even more than ever in the near future. Princess Celestia had already been establishing jobs for Twilight, even though she had only been a princess for two days, and the increased workload had already taken a toll on her energy.
Twilight finished her morning cosmetic tasks and set the comb down. Looking at her refreshed face in the mirror, she smiled, pleased with her work. Twilight turned away and headed downstairs, looking forward to the delicious breakfast that Spike would be preparing.
"Good morning Spike!" Twilight greeted the dragon with an affectionate smile.
"Heya Twilight! Sleep well?" Spike responded, flipping pancakes effortlessly.
"You bet, I slept like a filly. Best night's sleep I've had in awhile." Twilight walked over to the table and sat down, waiting patiently for a (hopefully) large amount of pancakes to be delivered to her plate. "I guess I was just nervous over my coronation and the duties that came with it, that my thoughts started messing with my sleep."
"Aw, don't sweat it Twilight. I'm sure you'll be able to handle any royal tasks after what you and your friends have done for you to become a princess. Besides, Celestia wouldn't have made you a princess if she didn't believe you could handle it." Spike placed 5 steaming hot pancakes on Twilight's plate.
"You're right Spike. The princess trusts me, and with her guidance and help from my friends, I will surely be able to rise to the challenge! By the way, did you manage to find any books with tips on being a princess?" Although Twilight felt confident she would get the help she needed, she wanted to be as prepared as possible for her new position. The stress of her new point of authority had contributed to her lack of sleep recently.
Twilight began to indulge in the steaming pancakes on the plate in front of her, the fluffy, soft texture she had always love gave her a boost of assurance. All her worries faded away for the time, and all Twilight cared about was how good the pancakes were. Spike's years of experience in cooking had produced several mind-cleansing meals recently.
"Well, no...not really..." Spike answered Twilight's question, just beginning to place pancakes on his own plate. Just as he was about to sit down, Twilight practically leaped out of her chair and quickly trotted her dishes over to the sink. "But what's the big hurry?"
"Today's Thursday , and I have to meet Fluttershy and Rarity at the spa, we do it once a month, remember?" Twilight was especially looking forward to this outing, as she had been too busy the last few days to spend time with her friends, and she was looking forward to having some time to catch up.
"Oh that's right," - Spike chuckled - "I guess I can't do everything right!"
"I know that well enough already!" - Twilight giggled as she trotted towards the door, "But really Spike, you do great. I don't want to know what kind of mess I would be in without you. See you later!"
"Thanks Twi, have a great time!" Spike closed the door behind his friend and finally began to consume his pancakes.
* * *
Twilight trotted lightly along the rustic, cobblestone sidewalks of Ponyville. Everypony was out enjoying the beautiful day, courtesy of the pegasi. Twilight made a point to greet and complement as many ponies as possible ever since she had arrived in Ponyville all those years ago, and was known for putting a smile on ponies' faces, almost as much as Pinkie Pie.
"Hello there Lyra, nice day we're having! Good morning Granny Smith, good to see you out and about! Hi Applejack, good luck with sales today!"
Everything was perfectly normal about this day, and that's how Twilight liked it. Any more changes in her perfectly organized schedule would drive her crazy. Although in the past the normal, uneventful days in Ponyville did become somewhat repetitive, Twilight was looking forward to a free day to spend however she wanted.
"Good morning Twilight." Twilight looked around towards the direction of the soft voice, and saw a timid yellow pegasus gliding towards her.
"Good morning Fluttershy! What a beautiful day we're having!"
"Oh, yes, the animals enjoy it very much."
"That's great! Is Rarity on her way?"
"Yes, I think so. I saw her leaving the boutique just a few minutes ago."
"Hello girls!"
The two friends turned in the direction of the easily recognizable voice and saw a young white unicorn trotting toward's them with a grin.
"Morning, Rarity!" Twilight and Fluttershy greeted the dressmaker.
"Oh, I am so excited to catch up with you Twilight, and you too Fluttershy! We've all just been sooo busy with our daily tasks that we haven't had much time to just sit down, relax, and chat! Shall we get going? I don't want to waste any time!"
The three ponies nodded in agreement and began to make their way through the bustling streets of Ponyville. They passed by salesponies, shops, and dozens of groups talking and laughing. Everypony seemed to be in a positive mood, probably because of the gloriously sunny day. This made the trio of friends even happier.
"We're here!" Rarity said enthusiastically.
Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight approached the spa they had enjoyed coming to for so long and trotted up the smooth steps. Mist escaped from the windows, giving off a peaceful and welcoming aura. Ornate designs and several exotic plants were spread all around the outside grounds, promoting relaxing feelings and luring ponies inside. But before they could enter, an unfamiliar voice came from behind them, disturbing their relaxing thoughts and anticipations.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight turned around and saw a messenger pegasus wearing the official Canterlot uniform. "Yup, that's me!"
"I have a very urgent message from Canterlot, and it is for your eyes only." And with that he flew off, just as quickly as he had arrived, leaving the three ponies wondering what could be hidden inside the envelope.
"Oh, a message from Canterlot," Fluttershy said softly, "it must be important. I don't remember you ever getting a letter from a messenger pony like that before."
"Important indeed," Rarity added, "and for your eyes only...I wonder what it could be about?"
"Oh, I really hope it doesn't interfere with our outing..." Twilight said worringly. While Twilight was anxious to discover the contents of the letter, she knew there was a possibility that she would ruin the time with her friends, something that was more important to her than anything right now. But she knew it contained important information, so she decided to open it anyways. She began to use her magic to tear the seal on the letter and unfolded it, revealing an ornate border and a different style of handwriting, one different to that of Celestia's. She looked down at the bottom of the page, and instead of Celestia's larger signature, was that of Princess Luna. Confused, Twilight began to read:
Dearest Princess Twilight,
I know that I have never written to you personally before, and it saddens me that this first letter must address such a negative note. This
breaks my heart to say, Twilight, but my sister has passed on. After your coronation, she became progressively weaker, began to lose her
power, and ate less and less. This morning it was I who found that she had died in the night, thankfully in a peaceful manner according to
the doctors. I haven't much else to say to you. I know how meaningful Celestia was in your life, how she got you through so much, how
she helped shape you into the amazing mare you are today, and all I can say is I'm sorry. She loved you with all her heart Twilight, and
hope you understand that as much as I do. This has caused me more pain and heartbreak than ever before. I know my words cannot
bring her back, but I hope that they, along with my condolences, lessen your grief. Please keep this information secret as well, as I would
not like to spread nationwide panic and chaos. I will announce to each of the cities personally. Stay strong Twilight Sparkle.
- Princess Luna