Replacement

by superpony55

First published

Now that Twilight's a princess, she can't see her friends as often. So what happens when her friends make new friends? Does this mean... REPLACEMENT?

Twilight has seen her friends less and less since she became the newest princess of Equestria. So what happens when they make new friends? Twilight thinks the new pony is her replacement. Is she? Find out in a story where Twilight and Tie Die (the new pony) alternate narrating and telling their sides of the story. And if Twilight and her friends drift apart, will they still be able to use the Elements of Harmony? What happens if they have to?

(Cover Art made on Paint.)

Chapter 1- A Call to Canterlot (Twilight)

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I was back in Ponyville. Back with my friends. Finally, after a lot of paperwork, I'd convinced Princess Celestia to let me come to Ponyville to visit my friends for a few days before the Summer Sun Celebration. After all, they helped me become the Princess of Friendship!

We were having a picnic. We had finished the food a while ago, but everypony was hanging around to talk in the limited time I had before I went back to Canterlot. We were talking about the upcoming Celebration; and it made me realize I should tell my friends how happy I was to be back in Ponyville. "It's nice being back in Ponyville with my friends."

Rainbow looked at me in surprise. "Haven't you made any new friends- or seen any old friends- back in Canterlot?"

I was a little embarrassed, but I answered her anyway. "No, I haven't. And you guys are the first friends I've ever had, not including Shining."

Rarity wouldn't let the matter drop. "Why haven't you made any friends?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Princess Celestia has me very busy. There hasn't been any time. Plus, not very many ponies even think about becoming friends with a princess. And there's still a lot to sort out. But I missed you guys. I convinced Princess Celestia to let me come visit you. I mean, I'll try to convince her to let me live in Ponyville."

Rarity smiled excitedly. "If you can't come live here in Ponyville, we'll come live with you in Canterlot!!" She was shrieking by the end of the sentence.

I smiled. "Well, I just hope I can live here-"

Pinkie realized what I had said a little while back. "Hold on a second-" she took a few steps back. "You don't have time to make FRIENDS!!!???"

I sighed. "I'm afraid not Pinkie."

"How long can you stay?" Applejack asked.

"Until the night before the Summer Sun Celebration. Since it's going to be held in Canterlot this year, Princess Celestia wants me to be there. Don't worry, I'll be here long enough to spend time with all of you."

All of a sudden, I heard another voice. "Twily!"

I turned. There was my brother, stepping out of a carriage! "Shining?"

Shining Armor looked very serious. "Princess Celestia needs you in Canterlot!"

I gasped. "What? Why?"

"She wants you to plan the Summer Sun Celebration. She said you did a really good job last time. I'm proud of you!" said Shining.

"Thanks, but I'm not going. She told me I could be here with my friends," I said.

"But the other organizer got the pony pox." Shining Armor looked worried.

Fluttershy looked at me and said, "It's okay Twilight, go help the Princess."

Applejack nodded. "Go 'head."

Rainbow Dash simply said, "It's cool."

Rarity urged, "Go on darling. Oh, I wish I could come!"

I looked at them. "Why can't you come?"

"Too busy," they all said.

I made my decision. "All right, I'll go. But I'm coming back after the Celebration!"

Shining said, "That's the plan."

"Bye!" they said.

"Bye!" I called. Our carriage was already flying away.

Chapter 2- New Town, New Friends (Tie Dye)

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I was a pony wandering around town trying to find my way home. Typical for a new pony, I guess. And that's what I was. A new pony.

My name is Tie Dye. And I had just arrived in Ponyville. I had finally found someplace where somepony could help me find my way to the library I was staying at. Plus, She may be able to fix my traveling cloak.

"Um, hello?" I asked as I walked in.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique!" said a white unicorn with a purple mane. "Are you new around here?"

"Yeah." I answered.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Tie-Dye."

"Nice to meet you Tie-Dye! I'm Rarity. What can I do for you?" Rarity told me.

"I ripped my favorite cloak on my way here. Can you fix it?" I replied hopefully.

"Of course I can! I'll give it back on Tuesday, if that's okay." Rarity smiled.

"That's fine." I said.

"Great! Since you're new here, why don't I introduce you to some of my friends?" Rarity asked warmly.

"I'd love to meet your friends!" I cried.

She smiled. "Go on, my dear," Rarity motioned to the door.

"Yeah. That would great!" I told her.

The first pony we met was Pinkie Pie. She just gasped and ran off.

"That's what she did when she met Twilight," Rarity explained.

"Oh."

"She'll probably throw you a surprise welcome party."

"Well, it's not a surprise now!" I giggled.

"Oops." Rarity smiled embarrassedly.

"It's okay. Who lives here?" We'd just approached a farm called "Sweet Apple Acres".

"This is Applejack's farm." Rarity told me.

"Hi there!" said Applejack.

"Hi," I said shyly.

"This is Tie-Dye," Rarity explained.

"Nice to meet you, Tie-Dye." Applejack smiled.

"Do you know where Rainbow is? I'm introducing Tie-Dye to everyone." Rarity smiled.

"I think she's resting in a tree. Rainbow! See?" A blue Pegasus had fallen out of an apple tree, startled, and flown towards us. "Rainbow, this here is Tie-Dye," said Applejack.

"Hey Tie-Dye. I'm Rainbow Dash." The Pegasus pulled a cloud out of the sky and sat on it.

"Hi," I muttered.

"Have you seen Fluttershy? I want her to meet Tie-Die," Rarity said.

"Yeah," Rainbow said. "Follow me!" Applejack, Rarity, and I followed her.

"Hey Fluttershy! Come on out! There's someone we'd like you to meet!" Rainbow yelled. We'd reached a small cottage that was surrounded by animals.

"Meet somepony???" I heard a small voice gasp.

"Yeah, come on out," Rainbow coaxed.

"No."

"She'll come out when she's ready," Rarity sighed.

All of a sudden, a bunny hopped out of the window.

"Come back here, Angel!" A light yellow Pegasus cried as she flew out of the cottage.

"See?" Rainbow said smugly. Rarity glared at her.

"Fluttershy. this here is Tie Dye," Applejack told the Pegasus.

"NicetomeetyouTieDyenowgoodbye!" FLuttershy squeaked and ran back into the cottage.

"She'll open up once she gets to know you," Rarity told me.

Rainbow tried to make conversation. "How long are you going to be here?" she asked.

"I'm hoping to live here," I answered. "I'm taking care of a library, until the owner gets back."

"That must be Twilight's library!" said Applejack. "Let's go look!"

Sure enough, that night, at Pinkie Pie's "surprise" party, Pinkie said, "This is Twilight's library! Isn't that funny!"

We were all standing around a table of cupcakes (including Fluttershy).

"Huh. It would be great to meet her, but I guess as a princess she's busy," I sighed. I picked up a cupcake and took a bite.

"Yes, in fact, she's in Canterlot on last minute business," said Rarity.

"I heard," I said.

"You know, this is almost the exact place and setting we met Twilight! I bet you 2 would get along great!"

"I sure hope so." I smiled as all around me, ponies talked, not even glancing my way.

Chapter 3- Different But the Same (Twilight)

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This is Twilight. I'm back in Canterlot, now. Unfortunately.
"Twilight!" Princess Celestia came running.
"Yeah?" I said grumpily.
"Thank goodness you're here! I'm sure Shining Armor had told you why I need you." When she saw I still didn't really understand why I had to come back, she sighed. "Twilight, I'm sorry I had to take you away from your friends, but you're needed here."
I sighed then. "I'm sorry Princess. I just haven't seen them for so long."
"It's okay Twilight."
"What do I need to do?" I asked.
"The same thing you did in Ponyville," she answered.
"Okay," I said.
Later that day, I was on my way to see that the preparations were going along just fine. My first stop was in the Royal Kitchen.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Hi. You must be Princess Twilight Sparkle?" said a green unicorn with a short, wavy mane.
"Yes. I am. But please, call me Twilight. And you must be Chef Chef?" I said.
"Please, call me by my first name. It's-"
"Connie. I know." I smiled. "I see the food is coming along fine?"
"Yes, yes it is," said Connie.
"I'll have to go now, I have more preparations to check on."
"Alright, see you later," Connie waved.
I went to check on the weather preparations.
"Hey there," I said.
"Hi," said a grey Pegasus. "I'm Cloud Clearer."
"Hi Cloud Clearer. I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"Pleased to meet you, Princess. I was at your coronation. I cleared the skies," she said proudly.
"Wow. I'm sure you'll do just as good of a job as last time!" I smiled at her. "Well, I'd better go oversee the other preparations. Bye!"
"Goodbye, Princess!" she yelled.
"Just call me Twilight!" I called.
"All right then, goodbye, Twilight! She wanted me to call her Twilight!" The last part was just to herself.
"Next is the décor..." I muttered to myself.
"Hello?"
"Hold on. Yes, there should be a bow here, and there, and..."
"MOONDANCER?" I said.
"TWILIGHT?" Moondancer said.
"YOU'RE in charge of the DECORATIONS?"
"No crazier than Lyra doing music, or you being a PRINCESS!"
"I'm sorry how I acted last time I saw you!" I said. That had been on my last day in Canterlot before I went to Ponyville.
"Well, I wish we could talk longer, but I have to go see the music-"
"And Lyra!" Moondancer finished my sentence.
"Bye!"
"See you!"
I went to see how the music was going. Moondancer was right, I looked, and there was Lyra Heartstrings, just like she said.
"Hi Lyra," I said.
"Hi Twilight," she said.
"How's the music going?" I asked.
"Great!" she answered. "Listen." And she played a beautiful melody on the lyre.
"It's nice to see you, but I have to go," I said. "Bye!"
"Bye!"
I hoped I was done, and go back to Ponyville for at least a day or 2 (she had me check the preparations a few days early). But there was more to do.