"You wanted to see me, Princess Celestia?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she looked around the Dining Room of the Friendship Castle, one that was currently playing host to all of the alicorns in Equestria. Something that made Twilight's heart beat harder and harder.

She was so not ready for a meeting like this.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had shown up at the Friendship Castle unannounced and without fanfare that very morning, and after panicking for a good twenty minutes or so, Twilight had shown them to the Dining Room.

It helped though that Cadance and Flurry Heart had arrived the day before and, after Shining had left to visit an old Royal Guard friend of his, the two had decided to stay in Ponyville for several weeks for a vacation both she and Twilight agreed was long overdue.

Plus it gave Twilight time to bond with Flurry Heart. Living on opposite ends of Equestria as they did, made family visits hard to arrange.

And Twilight already knew for sure that Discord would not be able to screw with her and Cadance this time. Fluttershy had promised to keep him away from them.

If some reason he did mess with them, Twilight had already Pinkie Promised that she would not be held responsible for whatever she, Cadance, or Flurry Heart might do to him.

Princess Celestia nodded, a small smile on her face as she sipped her tea. "I do, and it is fortunate that you are here as well Cadance. This involves both of you in fact."

Cadance blinked in confusion. "How is that auntie?"

"Tia and I feel that it is high time that you both know of what it fully means to be an alicorn. You are both aware of the basics I assume?" Princess Luna asked.

Twilight nodded. "We share traits of all three tribes. Earth pony strength and vitality, Pegasus flight and weather control, and unicorn magic."

"Never growing old or dying old age. We've already made peace with that," Cadance added with a straight face, one that Twilight held as well at the mention.

Celestia and Luna both nodded, visibly relaxing. "That is very mature of you. I expected you Twilight to make a big deal out of it," Celestia replied.

Twilight shrugged. "I knew what it meant when I ascended. But it only hit home when I became Princess of Friendship." Her gaze grew more intense. "Friendship never dies, no matter what, and there's still so much about it I don't know. I won't let losing my friends stop me from discovering more about it, and making new friends."

Cadance nodded. "And the same goes for me. I can't say if I would ever marry again, but that won't stop me from spreading love in every way."

Flurry Heart just burbled happily.

Celestia and Luna shared a knowing look. "Then that is a burden off of our shoulders," Luna replied as she looked at Twilight. "Now there is a matter that only concerns you Twilight."

Twilight gulped, suddenly worried about where this was going. "What's that?"

Celestia sighed. This had been something a long time coming in fact. "Your lack of domestic staff Twilight," she replied as she gestured around the room. "This castle is far too big for you, Starlight, and Spike alone."

Luna nodded. "The fact that Miss. Glimmer is off traveling with Trixie at the moment makes it even so than it already is," she added.

Twilight was aghast at the notion. "But we do fine on our own," she pouted.

"And what happens if you all are called off on a Friendship Mission? I've had doubts about this arrangement since Starlight got in and ruined time multiple times," Luna replied.

Twilight's ears drooped. "But she's changed, and I made her my student. You know that."

Celestia wrapped a wing around her former student. "And this is not a condemnation of that Twilight. But Starlight will not be around forever. One day, she will move out. Even if it might still be Ponyville."

"And Spike will one day grow up as well. What then?" Luna asked.

Twilight wanted to argue, but they died in her throat as she thought about what she was being told. They were right of course, no matter how much she wanted to argue against it. Plus it was kind of lonely in the castle.

Heck, she had more rooms than she knew what to do with. Some had been converted for use of course. The Main Library, Kitchen, Throne Room, Dining Room, Spike, and Starlight's Bedrooms.

Twilight's own Private Chambers were, as far as they could tell, the most opulent in the whole castle. They took up an entire floor by themselves. What with her own Private Bath and Spa, Bedroom, and Personal Library.

One room on the floor though was still unused. Unlike the others, which had come fully equipped when Twilight and Spike had found them, it had been barren. Twilight was still trying to decide what to do with it. Several times, she had thought to use it as extra storage, but something had always stopped her. Like it was meant for something, but that time had not yet come.

Or somepony was meant to use it. It couldn't have been a coincidence that it connected directly to her bedroom. Right next to her bed in fact. Cadance had an idea of what it was for if Twilight knew what she meant. But Twilight didn't even want to think about that idea.

Twilight sighed. "Okay, fine. This place can be lonely, and Spike can't do everything himself." She giggled. "No matter what he might say."

That got a laugh out of everypony. But where would I even find anyone willing to work here? Ponyville isn't big enough to have that many unemployed, and Canterlot would have the first choice," Twilight went on.

Luna smiled. "We can help with that. Many of our own staff have talked of maybe moving here if the chance ever came up."

Celestia nodded. "And there is also the fact that we need to downsize our staff. We have more than we can find tasks for most days," she lamented.

Twilight nodded, but something else came to mind. "Does all this mean I have to have my own Royal Guard?"

Celestia, Luna, and Cadance all shared a look. "It might be wise. Ever since your coronation, there have been many more recruits joining the Training Academy. The vast majority of which are mares," Celestia replied.

"Really?" Twilight asked, surprised.

Cadance nodded happily. "Oh yes. A lot of them actually come and join the Imperial Guard in the Crystal Empire in the end because, well..."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Because the Royal Guard in Canterlot are hidebound idiots and fools who think that only stallions should be allowed in the guard." She scoffed. "I offer any that are willing a place in the Night Guard, and many have. My Captain, Emerald Dream, is more competent than most of the Day Guard put together, and she is still relatively new to the role."

Celestia sighed, while glaring at her sister. "I have tried for years to end the practice. Your brother did much the same. As long as they could pass all the tests every trainee must, he didn't care what their gender was."

Twilight nodded. A part of her wasn't shocked by what she was hearing. But she was still surprised to hear it all the same. "What would they even do around Ponyville though?"

"Outside of guarding yourself and the castle, nothing. Unless you make Ponyville and the surrounding lands your own personal domain, their remit would only extend that far," Cadance replied.

Twilight took a moment to digest all of this. It was a huge step up if she did go through with all of this, but in her heart, she knew that this was right. She sighed. "Where do I even start?"

Celestia's smile lit up the room. "I will put in the notice at the academy that you are looking to start your own Royal Guard Corp. Any that are willing will be allowed to try for it. Do you have any limits?"

Twilight thought about it for a moment and smiled. In fact, she did have one. "Just one. I'm breaking with tradition. I'm making it an all mare Royal Guard. If they're going to protect me, then I want to have a say in it."

Luna nodded, already hooked on the idea. "There is the small problem of who would be your captain. If they all come straight from the academy or sign up from Ponyville."

Cadance nodded as well, seeing the problem. "None of them would be qualified yet. And the guard without a captain isn't much of one at all."

Twilight's smile grew as her mind returned to somepony she had met a few years before. One who she had helped at her lowest point. Would she be willing though?

"I think I have somepony in mind."

Author's Note

Okay, so now we come to the first big change to Friendship is Magic's canon. I personally hated how Hasbro did A Flurry of Emotions. So I fixed it.

Everything else though from Season 3's change last chapter up to this episode has not changed though.