Out in this part of the country it wasn't expected for there to be a lot of ponies around. But that trend was definitely being bucked today, as anypony wandering the road would be greeted by a truly awe-inspiring sight. A procession, numerous and just exuding authority, this was a royal entourage if ever there was one. Soldiers at the front and upon the flanks, standard-bearers, pages, labourers, you name it. One would look at this and assume that the entirety of the nation's nobility were travelling today. And speaking of whom, at the very centre of the column, amidst the most veteran-looking of their warriors, was a royal carriage, shining silver gleaming in the midday sun. Looking out of the side, a smile upon her face, was a pale unicorn mare, her mane a dark purple and her demeanour a regal one. She inhaled deeply through her nose before exhaling, satisfaction coming to her. "Ah! Is it not simply wonderous, sister? To be out of the capital and here to where the air is fresh?" When she received no answer, she arched an eyebrow, looking to her side before regaining her smile. "I realise such journeys are not your forte, but even so you could at least try to enjoy the splendid weather we're being graced with."

The one sitting beside her, another unicorn, continued to give no reply. Unlike her sibling, her overall look gave the distinct impression of one who did not enjoy being out and about, and certainly not among lots of other ponies. Nervousness was the order of the day, as every time one of the other ponies around them so much as glanced in her direction she'd look away. After a while, and after a long sigh on her part, she finally answered her sister, albeit in a hushed voice. "Rarity, I...I'm not sure if I can do this."

But Rarity seemed unconcerned, giving the other mare a pat on the shoulder. "But consider what an opportunity this is, Fluttershy! Our first time leading the annual royal tour of the nation. Perfect practice for when you one day assume your place upon the throne."

Those words led to a look of panic for her sister, who shook her head. "But you know how I am around others! Nopony wants to see a princess who can't even speak to them! You've had to do most of this so far!" Looking Rarity right in the eye, Fluttershy pointed to her. "Couldn't you be the one to do the meet-and-greets? You're so much better at this than I am!"

But Rarity simply gave a quick tut-tut before replying. "Now, now, sister. You know the rules. Such prominence is for the heir, not the spare."

Grabbing hold of her long, pink mane, Fluttershy proceeded to cover her face with it. "But I'm only older by three minutes!"

"Older is still older," Rarity continued. "And besides..." Reaching out again, she took hold of Fluttershy's hoof, causing the latter to peek out from her mane just in time to see her sister look to her with encouragement. "You know as well as I do that Mother would never send you out here unless she was certain you could do this."

There was silence from the timid mare for a time, but eventually she brought out her full face from under her mane, looking less fearful than before. "I...I know she wouldn't. It's just...I'm so much more comfortable back home, in the gardens, with my books."

Rarity, after patting her sister's hoof, gave her a nod. "I know. But, we must all step out of our comfort zones from time to time, and this is one of them. There will come a day, Fluttershy, when you will be queen of ponykind. The one who rises above it all," she said, making sure to add as much flair to her tone as she did so. "You will be the steadfast rock that gives all mares, stallions, colts and fillies that all-important feeling of inspiration. The one they all look to for leadership, for guidance, for resolve!" After a pause, she saw her sister start to breathe heavily, leading to an understandable degree of concern. "Oh my. Hold on now." She lit up her horn, and a moment later Fluttershy found a paper bag being levitated her way, which she promptly grabbed onto and began breathing into, much to Rarity's satisfaction. "I had a feeling packing those would come in handy."

Having finally gotten control of her breathing, Fluttershy looked to the bag that had been given to her. "Some queen I'll be. I'm not even that good at magic."

"It comes to every unicorn eventually, darling," Rarity assured her. "Focus not on your shortcomings, but on your strengths." When she saw Fluttershy give her a sceptical look, she elaborated. "I realise it may be cliché to say that, but the point still stands." Scooting over a bit, Rarity placed her hoof around her, holding her close. "And always remember, you're not in this alone. Whatever problems come your way, Mother and I will always be there to help you."

It took a moment, but Fluttershy did indeed ease into the embrace, smiling for the first time since this trip began. "Thank you, Rarity."

"It's quite alright, sister. Now then..." Moving away from her, Rarity used her magic again, bringing forth a parchment which she unrolled to reveal a map of their route. "We've already passed by a number of places, so next on our agenda will be..." Squinting her eyes, the younger princess smiled before placing her hoof square on one point of the map. "The village of Ponyville!"

Fluttershy looked to her with uncertainty. "I've...never heard of Ponyville before."

Rarity nodded. "Quite. It does indeed seem like an out-of-the-way sort of place. I don't think Mother has even mentioned it from any of her previous tours." Her smile widening, Rarity re-rolled the parchment before giving Fluttershy her full attention. "Well, think of it this way, we could be the first royals that little place has ever seen! Imagine all the joy we'd bring just from us being there! I mean, granted, it's not the most prestigious place we could be visiting, but even little dots on the map like Ponyville shouldn't be ignored."

Fluttershy, looking down to the rolled-up map, took another deep breath before putting on a smile for her sister. "Okay, I'll...I'll try to be the one to do this when we get there."

Looking softly, Rarity embraced her sister again. "I know you will."

Author's Note

Among some of the ideas being tossed around in the lead-up to the fifth generation was the notion of reinterpreting Fluttershy as being not only a unicorn, but the princess of the new main group. I decided to go along with that idea, as well as include one of my own. You seem, something of a recurring theme in the two recent generations has been that of contrasting royal siblings who aren't always on the same page. We had Celestia and Luna in FiM, as well as Zipp and Pipp in G5, so I figured Id continue the trend here. And since Rarity was the only other new unicorn in the proposed new roster, I decided she'd make a nice fit. The one who likes to stand out against the more timid and introverted one