Princess Twilight Sparkle was many things. A leader, a powerful sorceress, and a diplomat nearly without compare. However, an oracle was never one of those things.

Celestia almost always seemed to be like that. In fact, as far as she remembered was only one or two events in all of history that really surprised her. It is honestly a shame she didn't have the guidance of her former mentor.

Twilight mentally slapped herself for that. Even after a thousand years she failed to recognize that the two were peers now, even if Celestia and Luna had retired.

Standing before her was the crystalline Tree of Harmony, surrounded by intricate stone work in the center of a round design, showing her old friends orbiting around the tree in mosaics. Both her and the tree stood inside of the grand hall of her new palace in the center of her Equestrian capital of Ponyville.

The old palace was unfortunately destroyed when... She decided to not think about that. The memories were painful to say the least. All that matters is that her old palace was embedded into the side of a mountain nearby.

Moving the Crystal Tree to the center of her new palace was a challenge. She had to use all of her magical prowess and years of research to move the tree without disrupting or breaking the roots of the tree that provided it's power.

Although in the end, it did seem like a fools errand at the time. After the deaths of her friends, the elements of the tree had turned... dark and dull. One by one the elemental gems died, aside from hers.

For a thousand years the tree was dead and distant. Only existing to provide Twilight memories of her earlier life. That is, until sixteen years ago.

The first element to switch back on was Laughter, and a month later Generosity joined it. Before long they had all returned. She only had the foggiest idea what that meant.

First of all, it meant that a new group of elements was born, but she searched almost every corner of Equestria, and could only find a single pony who was attuned to the elements. Said pony was a 15 year old Crystal Pony in the North. She had alerted her sister in law Cadance about her and she would have to be tested soon. Maybe in the same way Twilight had been tested all those years ago...

As for why the elements had only been activated now of all times... It was hard to say. The most likely reason? The Tree of Harmony could tell the world was in danger in the coming years, as it was a thousand years ago... but if she couldn't find the other five element, what chance did she have?

"You're doing it again." A voice said, which caused her to jump, her wings fluttering wildly with surprise. She quickly turned her head over to where the voice said.

Leaning against one of the many columns in the room was her niece, Flurry Heart. A smirk on her face as she cocked her head to the side.

"Flurry Heart! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Twilight said after getting her heartbeat back under control.

Flurry Heart giggled as she walked up to her Aunt. "Kinda hard not to. The entire palace could collapse around you while you're in one of these moods, and that still wouldn't phase you."

Twilight couldn't do anything but pout in response as she examined her Niece, she could tell something was off. Her pale pink fur was cleanly presses and shimmering, her ethereal flowing purple and teal mane flowed as always.

Flurry Heart was also adorned in her silver tiara and gem encrusted silver slippers, which was something she honestly rarely wore. Flurry Heart honestly attested such shows of wealth. She had always said she was more at home in the clothes of the common pony than in the richness of royalty.

"What's going on? Why are you so heavily dressed today?" Twilight asked skeptically, cocking her head to the side and raising an eyebrow.

Flurry Heart promptly levitated a small scroll up towards Twilight who took it in her hooves and sat down on her haunches. "This came this morning via a courier spell from Lord Gasbar of House Gallus. He is calling in a favor to have us shelter his daughter from Chrysalasi assassins. I wanted to make a good first impression for her. She apparently lost her mother recently."

Flurry Heart's explanation was confirmed by the scroll itself, which featured House Gallus's royal seal at the bottom. "Ahh, House Gallus. Founded by a former student of mine. I always liked him - a good student! What time will she be getting here?"" Twilight said as she rolled the scroll up and handed it to an assistant standing near one of the room's sets of double doors via levitation.

Flurry Heart raised a hoof and looked at her wrist as if staring at a watch. "Oh... I'd say in about... fifteen minutes." Flurry Heart slyly said.

Twilight did a double take before placing her hooves on the sides of her heads in a panic. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" Twilight shouted as she quickly went about summoning her golden tiara and slippers sliding them on quickly. She checked her reflection in the tree of harmony, pulling a myriad of faces and checking her head at various, needless angles, mimicking her old friend Rarity ensure she was presentable

Flurry Heart couldn't help but burst out laughing at her aunt's panic. Twilight glared at her niece as she tried to calm herself down.

"S-Sorry!" The younger Alicorn said between bouts of laughter before finally bringing herself down from her glee. "I would have told you sooner but you seemed busy. Why are you so captivated with that tree?"

"The Tree of Harmony activating means dark times ahead of us... I think." Twilight said to herself quietly, a degree of doubt in her voice. She looked back to the Tree, bringing her hoof steadily forwards and tapped it against the center most design etched into it. A star, one which was shaped into the symbol on her flank: the element of magic.

Flurry Heart's glee immediately fell as she shook her head.

"Tell me Twilight. Can you name a single threat that Equestria and her allies can't deal with without the elements." Flurry said with her eyes narrowed.

Twilight sighed. Flurry always brought this up. She always pointed out that the elements were no longer needed in the modern age. That the threats of the modern day were capable of being dealt with via diplomacy and Equestria's military should it come to it.

Normally she would stop after this, she wouldn't argue the point, but now, now she knew she had to argue the point.

"Tell me, Flurry, can you expect the Equestrian military to be able to hold the line against the Slave armies of Kludgetown? To fight against innocents who are shepherded into fighting under the threat of death." Twilight said glaring at her niece.

Flurry rolled her eyes. "Kludgetown's military is overly reliant on slaves. Do you know how easy it would be to convince the slaves of Kludgetown to rebel should a fight break out?"

"Well what about Ember and the Dragons?" Twilight said with a degree of firmness as she stepped towards the pink Alicorn.

"They've been dead for a thousand years. Even if we didn't find their bodies, I don't think any one can argue they survived being buried under tons upon tons of ash." Flurry countered.

"What if Tirek escapes from Tartarus again?" Twilight said as she came face to face with her niece.

"We have contingencies in place for that event. Not to mention, Discord is much more likely to cooperate this time." Flurry once again replied apathetically, as if she had practiced this many times.

"What about Pharynx and the Pharates, Flurry." Twilight finished with a smirk.

Flurry opened her mouth as if to speak before closing her mouth and stopping. "I... I can't really argue that. But, I guess if they did want to conquer Equestria, they would have done it along time ago Twilight." Flurry Heart explained quietly as she put a hoof on her aunt's shoulder.

"You just need to calm down." Flurry said calmly with a small smile. "If there are dark times ahead or whatever, I am sure the elements will come to us rather than the other way around."

Twilight gave a slight smile and a content sigh. Flurry was right. She should just wait and see what happens next. Celestia always did that after all?

A second assistant entered from a set of two double doors. "My princesses, a pair of gryphons has arrived to speak with the both of you." The mare said with a bow.

"Why don't we go meet our new guests." Flurry said giving her aunt a couple pats on the shoulder as both of them turned towards the exit, and walked towards it, away from the shimmering crystal tree.

Author's Note

MFW no one cares about this story when I am writing it, but when I cancel it I get a bunch of messages telling me to not cancel it.