Descendants of Starswirl

The silver spires of Canterlot towered majestically over the land. Twilight gazed proudly at the amazing feat of pony design, perched atop a vast mountain. From this distance, the city looked to all the world like a vast marble crown, glinting and glimmering in the Equestrian sun.

"Oh look! There it is!" cried Rarity, practically hanging out of the large weather balloon that carried them swiftly across the vast open spaces of Equestria.

"You act as though you ain't never been there, when we all know for a fact we were." said Applejack, pulling her back into the safety of the basket.

"Yes, I know perfectly well I have been there." said Rarity, running a hoof through her indigo mane, "It's just so glamorous a place!"

"I wonder what we will be helping Princess Celestia with?" whispered Fluttershy, "Perhaps a critter who needs some special love and kindness?"

Rainbow Dash scoffed next to her. "I doubt that!" she jabbed a couple of hooves through the air in quick succession. "She probably needs us to take care of some big ferocious monster. To give it the old one-two!"

She jabbed a hoof so close to Fluttershy's face, it grazed a few hairs on her muzzle. The yellow pegasus rubbed her nose with her hoof, close to tears. "Oops, sorry!" Rainbow chuckled, awkwardly.

"OH!" gasped Pinkie, launching herself out of her seat and on a collision course with the balloon, but she was caught by Twilight and Applejack. "Maybe she wants us to plan a super funtabulistic-super-amazing PARTY!" she rambled, as she came crashing down into the basket, causing a lot of turbulence.

"I don't think so, Pinkie." Twilight said, as she glanced at the steadily-growing form of Canterlot in the distance. "Princess Celestia trusts the six of us, that's why she's calling us in her time of need."

"A friend in need is a friend indeed." agreed Rarity, nodding. "Or six friends, as the case may be."

"Oh my goodness!" gasped Fluttershy unexpectedly, so quietly that only Rainbow Dash next to her heard it.

"Uh, did you say something, Fluttershy?"

"Look!" exclaimed the yellow pegasus, pointing a hoof at the horizon.

Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie craned their necks backwards to see what she was pointing at. Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy herself hung out the sides of the weather balloon.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "That big dark thing has never been there before, has it?" she asked, peering at a large dark shape perched in Canterlot's plaza like a lollipop.

They could all see it now. Applejack twisted in her seat and hung her front hooves over the basket rim. "I think that's a weather balloon, like ours!"

"That's not black," said Twilight, also flipping over to get a better view. "It looks like damson!"

"It looks like what?" Rainbow asked skeptically, peering at it.

"Damson," Twilight repeated matter-of-factly, "It's a kind of purple!"

"Well, whatever it is, it sure looks exciting!" cried Pinkie Pie, bouncing dangerously to the point of shaking the balloon again.

A few minutes later, their balloon gently touched down on the cobblestone of the Plaza like an experienced bee upon a flower.

Exiting the balloon, the six mares glanced around with interest, chatting merrily amongst themselves.

Rarity breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled, a look of pure delight shining on her face. "Ah, lovely Canterlot." she sighed, and flung her hair back just as a breeze flew through the air. "I have missed you!"

A few colts standing quite close by, bantering with each other, stared at her. She gave them a warm smile and they both blushed. Rather deterred, they broke eye contact with her and attempted to resume their bickering over the price of cyder.

The six ponies made their way through the plaza, stopping only to examine the curious purple balloon.

"Twilight, come look at this." Rarity said absent-minded, spotting something on the balloon.

Twilight stood next to her and followed her gaze up to see what looked like a symbol stitched across its velvety surface.

"What do you suppose it means?" Rarity asked her.

Twilight studied it. It depicted a star encompassed by a swirl. She shook her head in defeat. "I don't have a clue. I've never seen that symbol before."

" 'Scuse me," said Applejack to a guard nearby, " Y'all wouldn't happen to know where this here balloon came from, would you?"

The guard shook his head, his perplexed expression matching her own. " I don't know," he said, "I was only told that it was a very important visit." He glanced up at the crimson weather balloon above him, "When I asked who, Princess Celestia said that it was a very special mare."

"Special mare?" Fluttershy whispered, joining the conversation, "Twilight," she said, "Could it be Princess Cadence?"

"That wouldn't make sense." Twilight replied, thoughtfully. "Why would Princess Celestia keep Princess Cadence's visit a secret?"

"Maybe it's not Princess Cadence." Applejack said, glancing between the two of them, "Maybe it's Princess Luna?"

Twilight shook her head once more. "Again, same problem."

"Or maybe," came Rainbow Dash's sarcastic voice from above the little group, "It's NOT a princess at all?" She crossed her front legs in a defiant sort of way.

"I mean seriously, I've never heard the word 'princess' used so much in a conversation before!"

Applejack gave the balloon a quick once over with her emerald eyes.

"It obviously ain't anypony from Equestria," she re-adjusted her hat, which was sliding off her head.

"Well, whoever it may be," Rarity said, "I for one think it is most uncouth of them to arrive unannounced!"

Twilight put a hoof on her chin in thought, letting her gaze drift. When it landed on the guard, she felt a question form in her mind.

"What did this mare look like?" she asked him.

The guard strained his face as he tried to remember.

"Well," he said, "she was kinda tall - not as tall as Princess Celestia but definitely taller than yourself, Princess."

"What about her face? Her mane color? Her coat?"

"I couldn't really see what she looked like, because she was wearing a greenish cloak that covered most of her body..."

"Anything else?" Twilight asked, gently encouraging him.

"Well, I'm not really sure," he said, "but I think she had stripes..."

"Oooh!" Pinkie Pie sang, bouncing up and down excitedly like an over-wound spring, "I'll bet she's a zebra like Zecora, whoever this mare is!"

"A zebra? Really? That's what all this fuss is about?" Rainbow asked with a slight frown, hovering impatiently in the air like a feather drifting in the wind.

"Thank you for your help." Twilight said to the baby blue guard.  He beamed.

"Oh! No problem, Princess!"

Twilight bowed before him with as much grace and majesty as she could muster, then joined her friends as they started moving again.

The Mane Six made their way up to the Royal Castle.

The Royal guard stationed at the great brass gates, saluted the Elements as they approached. Wordlessly, and with a smile to Twilight, he opened the giant metal door with the help of another guard, revealing the large spacious interior of the Castle.

"Say, Twilight," Rarity spoke up as they walked down the corridor a few minutes later, "Do you know that dashing colt back there?"

"What?" Twilight said in a surprised tone of voice that fooled no pony, glancing over her shoulder at her white unicorn friend. "N-no! I mean, kind of...It's just..." Her cheeks caught fire as she stammered nervously over her words, so she decided to stick with "It's a long story."

"Well, one of these days you simply must tell me the whole story, Darling," Rarity said, with no hint of subtlety.

"Not likely." Twilight mumbled under her breath.

As they reached the inner door, Twilight lifted a hoof and knocked confidently on the brass surface.

"Enter," came a voice from within, strong yet kind.

Twilight then gently pushed the door open. She and the other Elements then entered the bright room beyond.