1 ~The Letter
The day bloomed with a beautiful sun which Celestia hadn't risen too long ago. All six ponies from the famous Ponyville stood before the two princess sisters. Princess Celestia; ruler of the sun and Princess Luna who rose the moon at night. Princess Celestia was asking Twilight Sparkle how she felt on becoming a royal princess, which meant living in the grand castle and having responsibilities. This also meant not having much time with her best friends. Before she became familiar with how important friendship is, Twilight would have dreamed this, but she couldn't leave her friends. Twilight looked up at her old teacher, tears almost brewing in her magenta eyes. She couldn't leave them. But she couldn't disappoint the Princesses.
"So?" The white princess asked softly, a smile across her face.
"I - I - I can't... I can't do it!" Twilight said. Luna frowned.
"You can't live here?" Celestia asked, although she understood Twilight.
"Well... I just can't decide!" Twilight turned to her friends, they all had understanding faces, but the violet princess wondered if they actually wanted Twilight to stay. Princess Celestia chuckled.
"It's okay Princess Twilight. I understand, I'm sure you'd rather spend time with your friends? They mean so much to you after all."
Twilight was stunned. "So... I'm not letting you down?"
"Not in any way dear. Now go on, return to Ponyville before they find a new librarian!" Celestia laughed and directed Twilight gently with her wing, towards her friends.
"Goodbye Princess, thank you!" Twilight trotted back and gave her pre-mentor a hug, before returning to her friends who stood patiently behind.
As they left the castle, Rainbow Dash beamed in happiness. "I knew you'd never leave us Twi! Just one thing, you don't have wings only to look more majestic and show off you being an alicorn... They are to fly with, sis! Come on, you need to start carrying yourself to places rather than walking. Walking is sooo lame and boring nowadays! Look, you barely ever see me on the ground do ya?" Rainbow explained, trying to convince her. The alicorn laughed.
"Apart from when you're in front of the ruler of Equestria!"
"Huh?"
"Well you weren't flying then were you?" Twilight said giving the cyan Pegasus a nudge from below. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and dropped to her feet.
"I was in front of Royalty." Twilight opened her mouth to protest and point out that she now counted as Royalty, but Dash stopped her with her hoof.
"Now give it a go!!"
Twilight even stayed in the air while purchasing her train tickets. She flew in through the train door. She hovered above her seat, then suddenly collapsed onto the soft chair. The ponies rushed to her side, all gasping worriedly. Except Rainbow Dash.
"C'mon guys, she just needs a rest because I've been making her do so much flying!" Rainbow laughed, but too went towards Twilight. "You're okay, aren't you flying buddy?"
" 'Ahd stop talkin' to her like that Rainbow! You're not her boss okay? Give her a break, what if she ain't wanna be flyin' all day?" Applejack butted in, rather harshly. This time Rarity stepped in.
"Yes. I agree with Applejack. Fluttershy is a perfectly normal Pegasus, and she doesn't fly everywhere!" Fluttershy blushed, although having no reason to what so ever.
"Well I wouldn't say Fluttershy was a normal Pegasus... She's practically scared of the sky!" Rainbow Dash said, nudging Rarity. The group continued to argue, while Twilight lay on the seat, her head starting to throb as well as her wings.
"Girls, please!" She called, and to her satisfactory, they all fell quiet. "Thank you. I hate it when we argue. I'm fine, just a little tired. Now let's all have peace on our journey home!" The train finally chuffed into movement, suddenly reaching a high speed. Outside, the poshly trimmed bushes of Canterlot faded away, as the view became more rural.
Even though Twilight was tired, she was so happy she was spending the night with all her friends together. As she settled into her bed, the ponies slept in sleeping bags, with a couple of huge mattresses on the floor of the upstairs part of the library. Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy shared one, while AJ and Rainbow slept on the other. Spike also lay in his little basket bed, while admiring Rarity as she dreamed. Suddenly he burped out flames, with a scroll flying out of his mouth. He was interrupted from staring at the sleeping beauty from a late night's letter! "What the hay?" He murmured. Holding the scroll together was the golden 'C' for Princess Celestia. Spike opened it up, and in the dark just managed to make out the messy writing: Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle. He shrugged then forced himself out of the bed and set it on Twilight's pillow. He returned to bed and fell asleep instantly.
Twilight grumbled and turned on her side. She twitched her ears at the noise of metal clanking together. Sounded like breakfast. 'But I don't even have a flipping kitchen!' She thought. Twilight couldn't be bothered to go and investigate, yet she sat up to see that everyone had got up. 'Whoa. What's the time? 9:45 already? Gee, I must've been tired last night...' Twilight still said in her mind. Just as she was about to have the will to get up, Pinkie Pie appeared holding a tray with some food. Following was Applejack, carrying a jug of Apple Cider. Twilight smiled in appreciation and pushed her pillow up, then settling back in a comfy position. "Aw guys, you didn't need to do this! I was just getting up." Twilight grinned. Pinkie set down the tray and let Applejack pour in the juice.
"But you're a Princess, and you were tired last night, so we just had to make you a brilliant breakfast, right? With the two best bakers in town, me and of course AJ!!" Pinkie rambled.
"Bu-" Twilight began.
"We went over to Sugarcube Corner, and practically lugged the oven and kitchen stuff in here!" Pinkie laughed. Applejack came to rescue by spotting the alarmed look on Twilight's face.
"Don't worry sugar cube, we just did the cookin' over there! We'd never bring all that stuff in, we ain't that mad... Heh heh..." Applejack giggled.
"I mean I might be that mad cos I suggested it, but then you might as well call me the mad hatter! Which is funny because that seems to rhyme with batter, and that's to do with-" Applejack's hoof wedged into the bright pony's mouth, turning her waffling into muffling.
Rarity trotted into the room, levitating a beautifully laced dress. "Look Twilight! I made you this dress! It fits to your wings too!" Rarity squealed and laid it down on the bed covers.
"Guys, why? Rarity, it's beautiful but why are you just giving it to me? I haven't done anything special..." Twilight said, taking a spoonful of her cereal.
"Oh! Why Twilight, you've just become a Princess darling! We're all so proud of you! Now hurry up so I can fit this dress onto you, and do any changes!" Rarity smiled. Twilight returned the smile, and started eating her cereal quickly. Pinkie glanced at AJ and giggled silently. Applejack nudged her. They'd planned a fantastic party for the new princess, everyone was downstairs, squished into the bookshelves, ready to jump out and squeal "WELL DONE TWILIGHT!" Pinkie Pie couldn't resist putting a party hat on and then hiding it again. Twilight ignored it, thinking she was just being random.
Once Twilight had finished her delicious bowl of cereal, Pinkie Pie and Applejack whisked the tray away from her and ran downstairs. Rarity had been standing at the corner of the room, waiting patiently.
"Yay you're ready!" Rarity squealed, and helped her friend from her bed, then covered her in the golden dress.
"Whoa! Couldn't you have let me do my teeth?" Twilight asked, speaking with a muffled voice. Rarity ignored the mare, and started doing up lace, buttons and zips.
"Hmm... I'm just going to add couple more sequins around the hem, give me a minute!" Rarity got out her travelling, dress-making kit and quickly sewed more shining glam onto the dress. After a few minutes of the pretty white unicorn deciding what more she could add, she pronounced the dress as perfect!
Twilight could barely walk, so to Rainbow's delight, Twilight flew down to the ground floor in her library. As soon as her hooves were meant to touch the floor, all the ponies were to jump out and celebrate, but as she was an inch off the ground, Twilight remembered the scroll she'd spotted on the floor, beside her bed. She flew back up and picked it up. "Hey, girls?" The mare called, and the five best friends silently crept out of the bookshelves, then trotted up the stairs.
"Yeah?" They said in unison.
"Look, I got this letter from princess Celestia. Why would she send it to me? And I could have sworn Spike put it onto my bed in the middle of the night! Look, her writing is different too!" Twilight said suspiciously.
"Well everyone has their days when they just can't really be bothered to write properly I guess..." Pinkie suggested. Twilight opened the scroll further, the started reading aloud.
"Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
I know you have just become a Princess and all, but I think you should try out this interesting spell. I'm giving you one last task as my student, try and figure out what this spell means. Then read it out.
One way or another, one day or another.
Places switch, worlds move,
Friendship stays together, but what about -"
"Don't read it yet!" Rarity squealed. "Just read it in your head! What do you think it means?" She asked.
"I have no idea. It just suggests things switching, and worlds too!" Twilight said.
"Now read it out!! This sounds good!" Rainbow Dash said. Twilight took a deep breath. Fluttershy grabbed onto AJ, she was obviously worried already.
"One way or another, one day or another.
Places switch, worlds move,
Friendship stays together, but what about collision?
What about time? What about rhythm?"
A blur of purple spun around the six ponies, who all suddenly screamed aloud. Rainbow Dash tried to control it, but nothing happened. It was like a huge, violet twister. All their vision was disorientated and they could only hear wind whispering through their ears, along with each other's terrified screams.