The sun was shining brightly that day over Canterlot. The summer was finally beginning to get into full swing, and it was easy to tell as the trees became the deepest, lushest shades of green anyone could remember for years past. The birds sang happily, seeming to greet everypony who came outside to join them on such a glorious afternoon. The pegasi of the city had spent a previous week giving off and on rain-storms to make this day possible, the first of what was scheduled to be many sunny days in a row in the capital and the neighboring towns.

One Twilight Sparkle happily leaned out the window of the train as she approached the city, enjoying the breeze and the warm sunshine. No matter how many times she saw her original home from this view, it always left her awestruck in wonder. The towering castle glistened in Celestia's sun, seeming to give even the surrounding mountains a shine of their own. As she gazed her mind gleefully went over her plans for her trip to Canterlot.

It was to be a short princess council, only the second one that Twilight would attend in her short tenure as a princess herself, with Princesses Celestia and Luna. Princess Cadence would not be coming to this one, needing to stay in the Crystal Empire to attend to affairs there, though she sent a letter sorrowfully apologizing. They were still in cleanup from the Equestria Games, and on top of that the Festival was to be held soon.

Twilight sighed at that. She didn't get much chance to see her Sister-in-Law often, let alone do something fun or even talk, and she saw her brother even less so. Twilight pulled herself back in the train car and looked at her only traveling companion, Spike, who was snoozing (and snoring loudly) on the seat. Twilight suspected that the little dragon had eaten too many pastries early in the journey, but she let him sleep on. She was in a good mood, and was relieved to find that she wasn't nervous at all unlike the previous time.

Though Twilight may have been very nervous, had she had any way of knowing that that beautiful, sunny day was the last peaceful and nerves free afternoon that she or anyone would have for quite some time.

-----

"Oh, c'mon Twilight! I just gotta have a doughnut from Doughnut Joe!" complained Spike, giving the best puppy eyes he could muster.

"No way, mister!" replied Twilight, to which Spike groaned and leaned back dramatically as he rode on her back. "You've had too much sweets for today already."

"But we always stop at Doughnut Joe's when we come to Canterlot," the purple dragon moaned.

"And we will, Spike, but on our way home. You gotta have something good for you first. You are a baby dragon after all," said Twilight firmly, with a small grin besides.

"How come everything 'good for me' isn't something yummy like doughnuts," muttered Spike, just barely loud enough for Twilight to hear. Twilight chuckled as she trotted on. She didn't say it out loud any more since the time he ran off with a dragon migration, but Spike looked and sounded so cute when he got mad. Rarity still pointed it out from time to time, and was the only pony Spike didn't seem to mind those words coming from.

"She said I was cute," he would say and swoon.

Twilight's smile never faltered as she approached the Castle. On one of the highest towers Twilight could briefly see Princess Celestia, looking out over the city, before she turned and walked back inside.

"Ready to fly, Spike?" asked Twilight with a slight edge of mischief mixed in with her excitement.

"Sure." Spike was obviously still moping about the doughnuts and hadn't really heard what Twilight had asked him, which she knew full well. That's why he yelped in surprise as Twilight spread her wings and took off from the ground. She was getting very proficient at using them now. How could she not with Equestria's best flyer, Rainbow Dash, teaching her?

"Warn me next time!" called out Spike, clinging tightly to her neck and breathing quickly.

"I did, and besides, it serves you right for moping!" teased Twilight.

Twilight soared quickly through the air and came to a graceful (sort of) landing on the front steps of the gate. The two armored stallions there bowed respectfully before opening the double doors. Twilight had to fight to keep herself from bounding like a filly inside, instead walking with composure. Rarity had spent some time with her to help her learn how to walk sophisticated. Twilight wasn't sure she was doing it right but calmly trotted on with her wings folded neatly at her side.

Spike hopped off of her back and started jogging down a hallway, hollering something back about going to get comic books. Twilight inwardly hoped that he would stay away from the Enchanted ones this time. The Power Pony adventure had been fun, but the their near demise at the hooves of a crazy super-villain had put her off of the idea of ever doing something like that again, to which most of her friends heartily agreed. Rainbow Dash still maintains she could take the Mane-iac any time, any place.

Twilight walked down the grand halls of the Canterlot Castle, gazing over the windows that recorded the history. It suddenly struck Twilight as funny how many times she was featured on one, not to mention her friends as well. Retrieving the Elements of Harmony and using them to stop Nightmare Moon, and then again when they stopped Discord. Down the hall showed Twilight with her coronation as a princess, and nearby even Spike was shown tossing the Crystal Heart to Cadence. So much had happened in so short a time, that Twilight always swore if someone had told her all of this before she was sent to Ponyville, she would have completely ignored them and forgotten it as useless and implausible.

Twilight heard hoof-steps echoing down one of the passageways, bringing her back to the present. She turned towards the source and followed them towards another hallway, hoping that it was the Princesses. As she got closer Twilight could hear their voices, and, though muffled for the moment, she could still recognize the the sisters's regal tones coming from around the corner.

She stopped short as she realized that they were arguing. This sent Twilight's mind reeling and she tried to grasp what was happening. She quickly gained control of herself as she realized she was being irrational. They were sisters after all, and she had seen Rarity and Applejack bicker enough with their sisters to know that sometimes arguments just happened. And besides, they didn't really sound that angry. Twilight leaned in, staying around the corner, trying to hear what they were saying.

"Sister, you need to realize what you are doing will only make things harder on your subjects," urged the commanding voice of Luna.

"I said before, Sister, they will understand that the changes will help everypony prosper even more in the future," responded Celestia sternly.

"Not so if they crumble under them first," retorted Luna.

"The laws are not harsh, Sister, nor difficult for anypony to bear," shot back Celestia, her tone rising. Twilight felt like her heart had just sunk like a stone. She didn't like hearing them argue like this. She backed away from the corner, shaking her head to try and clear her mind. It had been none of her business and she shouldn't have eavesdropped on their private conversation.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle, I'm so glad to see you have arrived."

Celestia's now calm voice greeted Twilight as she opened her eyes and smiled, trying not to show that she had heard some of their conversation. Celestia was obviously also trying hard to show that it had never happened either, though Twilight could see the concern in her mentor's eyes. Twilight held her smile and glanced at Luna, who nodded curtly but did not return the smile. Celestia had always seemed better at controlling her emotions, and Twilight saw that confirmed then in Luna's expression.

"Good to be here as always, Princess," Twilight said, bowing slightly. Celestia and Luna both returned the gesture.

"Shall we continue on to our meeting place? We have much to discuss," said Celestia warmly. Twilight fell in step with the two Princesses of Equestria as they moved on to the meeting chamber. She gave nervous small talk to Celestia and Luna as they walked along, and she hoped to the bottom of her heart that they thought she was only nervous for the upcoming meeting.

-----

The meeting turned out to be mostly uneventful. In fact it turned out to be mostly just talking about some basic affairs of Equestria, like about a small dip in the value of the bit, and about a bountiful harvest produced by the earth ponies throughout the land, and also giving Twilight some advice on how to be a Princess. It seemed to her that they might of been hinting at giving her a piece of Equestria to take direct rule over, similiar to Cadence in the Crystal Empire, but they never said it directly. That made Twilight's nerves return, though she felt calm knowing she would have Princess Celestia to help her if that day did come.

When the meeting closed, Twilight bade farewell to the Princesses and trotted to her room, her previously good mood from early in the day evaporated from exhaustion and fretting, in serious need of getting some rest. She found Spike already in the room, buried into a comic book titled, "Jurassic Pony." Twilight hesitate a moment before stepping further into the room. That did not sound like a story she'd want to get zapped into.

"Oh, yeah Twi!" said Spike excitedly, putting down the comic and bounding up to her. "How'd the meeting with the Princess go?"

Twilight sighed tiredly, glancing out the window as she said, "Fine, but I'm really tired."

"Oh okay," said Spike, who only sounded a little disappointed at not getting to hear what they had talked about. Twilight was glad he hadn't pushed it. She sauntered slowly towards the bed, still watching out the window as she watched Luna raise the moon as Celestia set the sun. As Twilight crawled into bed and clicked off the light with her magic, she felt reassured. Everything would be fine.

-----

"Twilight, please wake up at once."

Twilight groggily opened her eyes, wondering with slight annoyance who was waking her up so late, or so early. She was shocked wide awake when she realized that it was Princess Celestia. She was so surprised her wings opened and shot her up from the bed and into the ceiling. The thumping crash woke Spike, who also stared in surprise at the Sun Princess standing in their room.

Twilight rubbed her head in pain and embarrassment as she sat on the bed. She looked up at the Princess, who wore a serious expression. "What is it Princess? Is something wrong."

"Yes Twilight Sparkle, I'm afraid so." Princess Celestia stepped forward, towering even higher above the purple alicorn.

"Princess Luna has left the castle. She has sworn to return and take control of Canterlot for herself."

Twilight could only stare in shock, while Spike promptly fainted with a thud onto the hard floor.

Next Chapter: The Line in the Sand Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 45 Minutes