After Gold and Silver

Spike smiled cheekily as he ran into the room, holding a scroll in his small claws. Twilight, resting on her bed, reading a book, looked up and levitated the scroll to herself while putting the book back on the shelf.

"Thank you Spike." She said with boredom. Once he went she got up and read the scroll.

Dear Princess Twilight,

Recently, me and my sister have come to the decision that it is time we step down as rulers. We have both agreed that you should be our successor. Please be at the castle by night fall.

Best wishes,

Princess Celestia

Twilight gasped and fell off her bed. She rubbed her head. She then reread the letter with dismay. She felt like pulling her mane out, that was for sure. She ran downstairs. She instantly grabbed Spike by his claw and dragged him outside with her. She was breathing heavily, and parts of her mane stuck up. She bit her lip, and sighed. "Spike have you, in any way, tampered with this letter?" He shook his head and Twilight cried out with frustration.

"Err, should we go to one of your friends for help? Maybe Rarity?" He said while attempting to be helpful. Twilight shook her head. She didn't need to go to her friends, well, she couldn't. After such a traumatic blow of being successor to the throne she didn't have the strength.

"Spike, go to them all and ask them to come here. You know who I mean." She gestured in five directions and he was quickly off. She stretched and slumped back into the library. Her horn glowed strongly and six chairs came to the table. She sighed and sat in one of the chairs. She felt sick. How could Celestia not ask her if she wanted to be Queen first? Then again she was always busy. She sighed, putting her head on the chair, and turned over the table top. It revealed a large map of all of Equestria, as well as showing all the train tracks and stations. Six gems resided in the corners which were all different shapes. She touched them and remembered the happenings of years ago. She smiled.

~~~

Finally, there was a knock on the door. Twilight, to not be rude, went over and opened it. Five smiling faces greeted her. She welcomed them and once they all went in she closed the door. Rarity, a fascinating designer with the ideal ideas, noticed the map and gems almost instantaneously.

"Oh my, darling! A recreation of the elements of Harmony! What craftsmanship you must've put into it. Now, I presume we're travelling?" She raised her brow and smiled. Twilight nodded.

"Awesome! Where? Cloudsdale, Rainbow falls -" Rainbow Dash began.

"Canterlot." She prompted to the letter by the door. They all had a look of curiosity but Fluttershy just looked at her hooves. They slowly made their way to it. Rarity grasped it with her magic and they all read it together. Meanwhile Twilight waited for them at the table.

"Successor? Now Twilight, I know your not known for playing tricks but this must be some kind of mistake!" Applejack said, stepping away from the group and over to Twilight. Pinkie Pie was looking mindlessly around the place.

"Pinkie?" Twilight tried to grab her attention. Pinkie looked at her and took a deep breath.

"You're gonna be a Queen! With crowns and -" Suddenly her mouth closed. She went over to Twilight in silence. Twilight stopped her spell to make Pinkie silent. Pinke gave a cheesy grin at Twilight. They all then finished, saying similar things in regards to the letter. Some congratulated while others couldn't, or wouldn't, believe it. Once they were all in chairs around the map Twilight smiled.

"I have recently developed a new spell for long term teleportation." She then pointed to the gems. "Each one is like a conductor for my magic. It will magnify it and make me able to teleport us to Canterlot easily." She then noticed Rainbow Dash poking her gem with her hoof.

"Are these real?" She asked, remembering long ago they had put the Elements of Harmony back in the tree of Harmony. Twilight shook her head and Rainbow Dash shrugged. She didn't mind. They'd survived well enough without them. Pinkie Pie yawned.

"Can we get this party started or what?!" She said energetically and put her hoof on her gem. The others did the same. Twilight gave a sigh of relief as her horn started to glow. She tapped her horn of her gem and they all started to glow a rainbow colour. In a multicoloured flash, they were gone with only specks of dust to show it.

~~~

They arrived on the steps of a most fantastic castle, with shining white pillars with golden brims and large stained windows with light blue outlines. It was a most magnificent place in deed. Despite being there many times before they could only gape at its beauty and fine architecture. They walked up the flawless, snow-white stairs to be welcomed by a large door. Once it opened they saw the halls once again, the floors lined with red carpet and statues of famous ponies at the edges of the halls. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, looking as if they were made of pure diamond. The six friends walked through. They could only try to stop themselves from gasping in awe. They then came to the throne room, where three grinning ponies were there to welcome them.

Two of this figures were tall and thin, with large wings and beautiful tiaras, slippers and necklaces. The other was slightly taller than a normal pony, also with a tiara, necklace and slippers. Her mane was tied in a beautiful bun and her tail lovely and long. Twilight ran to her, grinning.

"Cadence!" Twilight cried out. They did their normal welcome dance, remembering old times. They then gave each other a big hug. Cadence grinned at her as she went to the other two princesses.

"Princess Twilight. My welcomes." Princess Luna bowed low to look right into Twilights face. She then returned to her normal stance. Princess Celestia did the same.

"Twilight, we welcome you to our castle." Celestia smiled at her and gave her a small pat in the head. She winked at her. Twilight turned to her friends. She bit her lip. She was regretting to say this.

'"Well, I think I need to talk to the princesses in private, please?" She said quietly, but they did as they were told without question. Truthfully, in this place, she was their princess and it was their duty to obey her commands. She then turned to the princesses.

"Twilight, I'm sorry for being so sudden about all of this." Celestia apologised, looking into Twilights eyes with a supporting smile. Twilight shook her head. Twilight didn't want an apology at all. She was fine with it but she didn't know if she could cope alone. Sure, Celestia did it but Celestia was much more experienced than Twilight.

"But princesses, I cannot possibly take such a task on my own. Why, I am hardly as powerful as you! I know I have my friends to help me but..." Twilight said, trying to speak her mind as clearly as possible. Luna and Celestia exchanged glances. They nodded.

"And that is why we are looking for another..." Luna said. Celestia nodded to clarify. Twilight frowned.

"Another what?" Twilight asked, yet reluctant to do so. The two before her smiled, and Luna went down the steps to her.

"One who has similar qualities to you, Twilight. One fit to be..." She looked at Celestia.

"Princess." Celestia continued. Twilight gasped. Out of her saddlebag floated a small white cloth which she wiped her brow with. After all her surprising visits to the castle it was second nature to bring one. It then floated back.

"So, where have you begun?" Twilight asked. Then, in front of Celestia, appeared a vast map of Canterlot. Twilight laughed. She remembered a long time ago when she lived there. She was stuck up back then, completely emerged in her books and always scouring the library for more. She didn't even know about friendship.

"We've found nothing yet, so we ask that you, and if you wish, your friends, to help with the search." Celestia prompted the map, which now showed the whole of Equestria, Canterlot being crossed out. Twilight smiled and nodded.

"Now, I suggest you go back to your friends who will most likely be in their rooms." Princess Luna gestured to the door, smiling kindly as her mane flowed.

~~~

Meanwhile, outside the door, Twilight's friends listened in on them. There was a hushed silence after the conversation finished. Realising Twilight was coming, they ran through the complex of corridors, looking for their rooms. Finally coming across six doors, each with an Element of Harmony symbol above it. They went into the corresponding rooms. They heard a familiar call. Swiftly, they answered and came out to Twilight.

"Hello, everypony, I have some surprising news..." Twilight began, a but reluctant to tell them straight away. It would probably be more of a blow for them than it was for her finding out she was a successor to the throne.

"Ooh! Ooh! Let me guess! You don't want to be Queen alone so Princess Celestia and Luna are going to find another pony to be a princess with you for support!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed and Twilight raised her brow. Pinkie gave a large grin at her.

"Pinkie Pie I don't actually think -" Applejack began but stopped as suddenly as she began.

"Actually, Pinkie is right." Twilight said, remembering another time where the same thing happened. They all dropped their jaws in disbelief, despite already knowing about it. Rainbow fell from her hovering and Flutterhsy crouched with her mane covering her face. Rarity gave a dramatic gasp while Applejack took off her hat. Pinkie Pie merely bounced happily on the spot.

"Um, well darling, I think it's about time we unpack." Rarity said, walking into her room. They all did the same.

Twilight, in her room, said to herself, "Oh what am I going to do?"