Rainbow Dash was not a mare who enjoyed waiting, as anyone could see when she tapped her hoof impatiently against the edge of the Cutie Map. The pegasus exhaled with a sound of obvious annoyance as she reclined in her throne, looking around for the one she knew was supposed to be here. But, she was hardly the only one waiting, as Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack were also present, looking to one another with equal parts concern and curiosity over what their missing number had gathered them here for. However, after a good long while, their long wait paid off, as the doors of the palace opened to reveal Twilight, now entering from outside. They all smiled to her, but those smiles faded when they saw how serious she was looking right now. So, they waited again, watching as she approached the Map herself, and as she sat upon her own throne, she took a deep breath, then looked to each and every one of her friends.

"You're probably wondering why I've called you all here. Well, as you can guess by this point, something extraordinary has just taken place in the Everfree."

Pinkie bounced out of her throne and onto the map, pointing to the spot where the Everfree was represented.

"I'll say! There was all this light and magic and stuff! I could see it from my apartment! It was really great! Like some really weird fireworks!"

Fluttershy seemed more concerned.

"Is it something dangerous?"

Twilight, for the first time in this meeting, smiled, shaking her head.

"No. Quite the opposite in fact. Our students, Yona and the others? They decided to try and create a monument to the memory of the Tree of Harmony, and after coming together to make it, something truly special happened."

Her face softened as she looked to the image of the Castle of the Two Sisters on the Map.

"Something entirely new was created. A haven for them and their friendship, and for those who have yet to come."

It was quite a statement, and one that warranted the expected level of confusion.

"But...how'd they do that, Twi? Those kids ain't got no magic like that!" Applejack pointed out.

Twilight nodded in agreement.

"You're right. But it wasn't their power that caused it, at least...not exactly."

Rainbow, who was not one for riddles, rolled her eyes.

"Ugh! Can you just spill already, Twilight?!"

Twilight sighed in response.

"Their haven...was created by the power of the Tree of Harmony, and triggered by their display of friendship towards one another."

The declaration stunned the others, and they gasped in unison. Twilight couldn't blame them, as she too had felt much the same way when she'd learned of the occurrence. After a while though, it was Rarity who asked the question Twilight knew was going to be asked.

"But how is that possible?! The Tree was utterly devastated!"

Twilight looked to her.

"I thought the same. But it seems it still has a few tricks up its sleeves. Or lack thereof in this case. We may not fully understand it or its power, just like its creators, the Pillars, didn't fully understand it, but I think that, in some way, it lives on, even though its physical form is no longer with us."

It was a lot to get their heads around, especially considering they weren't dealing with concrete answers here. Matters of mysterious magic had always been a difficult thing for them to understand, and if Twilight, the most magically adept of them all, couldn't give them a full explanation, then they knew they were dealing with some pretty new territory here. But Rainbow, out of all of them, seemed to be thinking about something else entirely.

"Wait...if the Tree isn't actually gone, and it still has power...does that mean...the Elements...?"

Twilight knew what she was getting at, and after considering the unfinished question, she looked her right in the eye.

"I can't say for certain, but if the friendship of our students was instrumental in creating what now stands in the old castle, then it's entirely possible that the power of the Elements may also have survived Sombra's attack, albeit in a form we can't quite grasp right now."

Though there appeared to be a noticeable and understandable sense of relief among her friends over that revelation, Rainbow was positively ecstatic over it.

"Oh yeah! Turn those frowns upside-down, girls! We're back in business!"

Landing back into her throne, she reclined against it in her usual "chillax" way.

"Phew! That Tree gave us quite a scare! But, looks like we worried for nothing! Pretty soon, we'll be back to normal and kicking butt with the Elements just like old times!"

But Twilight did not share her feelings on he matter, as shown by the more serious look she bore. It was a look Fluttershy picked up on immediately.

"Um...Twilight? Is Rainbow...wrong?"

Rainbow cracked an eye open at that, looking from Fluttershy and then to Twilight, with the latter giving out another sigh.

"There's something else...and it's the actual reason I called you here."

Learning that the appearance of a new castle and the possible revival of the Tree was not the main reason for this meeting was a fair surprise, and after just a moment, Twilight had the undivided attention of all of her friends.

"It has become clear to me now that our students...Yona, Gallus, Silverstream, Smolder, Ocellus and Sandbar...they have a connection to the Tree and its power. Through dreams, it spoke to them, called to them, summoned them."

She frowned.

"I ask you...even after everything we have done with the Tree and the Elements...when did it ever speak to us?"

There was silence, and the other five mares all looked to each other. They were all thinking the same thing, Twilight could tell, even if they didn't say it. And this further silence gave her leave to continue speaking.

"Those children...the Tree sees something in them. Something special. Their friendship stirred it from whatever oblivion Sombra had sent it into. Their connection brought forth something new and brilliant from where it once stood, just as our friendship led to the creation..."

She looked up, gesturing to the Castle they now sat in.

"...of this."

She looked back down to them.

"This is not the first time I've been thinking about this. Last year, when Cozy Glow nearly took Equestria's magic, it wasn't any of us that saved our people...it was them. There is a change happening, and those six are at the centre of it."

Slowly, all of her friends were starting to understand what she was talking about. They could feel it, and though no words came from them, they all looked to her with a realisation. Well, all except Rainbow, who remained just as confused as she had before.

"Twilight...are you saying the Tree wants them to do...well...what we do?"

Twilight hung her head, her eyes drifting down to the Cutie Map.

"I think it's a very real possibility that the power of the Tree...or its spirit...or whatever we call it...it's chosen them for something special. It did so before, and it's doing so now. It did not speak to any of us after its fall at the hooves of Sombra, but them."

Slowly, she looked back up to Rainbow.

"There is no doubt in my mind that, if the power of the Elements still exists, regardless of whatever form they may have now...we may need to come to terms with the reality that they will be the next wielders of them."

Silence fell, with everypony here stunned beyond belief over what had just been said. All had different expressions, from shock and surprise to confusion and apprehension. Rainbow, as usual now, was not quite as accepting of it all.

"So...wait...you're saying they're gonna use the Elements from now on?!"

Pinkie gasped, then giggled to herself.

"Oooooooh! Who do you think is gonna have Laughter? Oh! Dibs on Silverstream!"

Fluttershy looked to her with curiosity.

"Because she laughs more than the others?"

Pinkie responded to that with a look of astonishment.

"I was gonna say because she's the pink one, but that's a much better reason!"

Rainbow frowned to that, then glanced back to Twilight.

"No offense, Twilight, but are you crazy?! Using the Elements, saving Equestria, fighting bad guys, that's...that's our job! We've been doing it for years now! That's our whole thing! Going out, saving the day, being the heroes, all that stuff!"

Twilight's face softened as she regarded her friend, and she placed both hooves on the edge of the Map.

"Rainbow, I know this is a lot to take in, but you have to remember one very important thing."

Folding her hooves, Rainbow frowned.

"Oh yeah? What?"

Twilight paused, slowly looking to each of her friends, staring them right in the eye, before again looking to Rainbow.

"...Nothing lasts forever."

Rainbow's aggression was brought to a screeching halt at that, and she said nothing as Twilight continued.

"If there's anything to be learned from Celestia and Luna's decision to retire and leave Equestria in our hooves...it's that all things come to an end. Generations pass, and torches are picked up by others."

She closed her eyes for a time, then opened them again.

"Do you really believe that 'being the hero' was something we were going to be able to do for the rest of our lives?"

Rainbow had no answer for that, but Applejack certainly did.

"Ah hear ya, Twi. Ah don't know bout the rest o' y'all, but ah certainly wasn't plannin' on running out ta fight bad guys when ah'm the same age as mah Granny."

It was a sentiment that, though not spoken, seemed to be shared by the others. Rainbow had her difficulties, though after a time, she too sighed, slowly descending back into her throne.

"So...new Bearers, eh?"

Rarity placed her hoof on her shoulder, smiling to her.

"It appears as though that might indeed be the case, darling. After all, were any of us that much older than they were when we first started saving the day?"

It was a fair point, and one that Rainbow had no answer for. Nevertheless, a grunt came from Rainbow soon after.

"Ugh! I never thought that we'd have to...you know...stop one day!"

Twilight nodded.

"Nobody does. And I know it's a hard thing to think about. But ask yourself this..."

Slowly, she smiled.

"If the day does indeed come when the six of us step aside and let the next generation take up the mantle of protectors and teachers...shouldn't we be happy that we taught our lessons well?"

Her friends all smiled to her, even Rainbow, who let out a chuckle.

"Well...I guess if the Tree thinks they're good for it, I guess I can be happy about it. And hey, who knows? The kids might even be better at this than we were one day!"

Thinking on that, Twilight's smile grew, and she turned, looking behind herself to the still-open door of the palace, wherein the very top of the ruins of the old Castle could be seen in the distance.

"Well...I'd say they're off to a good start already."

Author's Note

If this is indeed the direction the show is going to go, then at least I can be happy knowing the role of heroes is going to someone worthy