Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: Before you say I copied Animation Crusader's chapter, I didn't mean to. I just thought that I really liked that chapter and they had included lots of valid points on why Twilight shouldn't take the throne. I also had other points I wanted to add. I tried to make this original and not copy.

Also, for the ending... I just had to do that because that was so creative of them to put that in. It was my favourite part.

''Girls!'' Princess Celestia exclaimed. ''Thank you so much for coming!''

''What's wrong?'' Twilight asked as she slowly trotted up to the princesses. ''What can we do?''

''That's just it,'' said Princess Luna. ''Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect!''

Applejack trotted forward beside Twilight. ''Did y'all call us down here just to tell us that?'' She pointed her hoof at the princesses.

''With all due respect, majesties. You might want to save your urgent summons for matters that are a bit more, well... urgent,'' Rarity mumbled.

The princesses laugh.

''Well, there is more to it,'' said Princess Luna. ''Equestia is currently enjoying it's longest period of harmony in recent years.''

''And it's all thanks to you, Twilight,'' Princess Celestia completed, ''and your friends, of course.''

''Who?'' Spike smirked as he crossed his arms across his chest. ''Us?''

''Oh, sure.'' Rarity spat as she chuckled poshly.

''It's about time you notice!'' Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Twilight bowed down elegantly. ''Thank you.''

Princess Luna continues, ''because of your efforts, there's been less and less for us to do.''

''So,'' Princess Luna trots forward away from her throne. ''After much consideration, my sister and I have decided... It is time for us... TO RETIRE!''

Every pony on the floor gasps in shock and disbelief. Simultaneously, there was a bright flash and a draconequus materializes next to them with a notebook and pencil. A brown and white suit materializes on top of his body with a yellow and red detective hat on his head, in between his disembodied antlers.

''Breaking news!'' he exclaimed. ''The royal princesses retiring! I have so many questions!'' He flies up to the princesses and slid between them, asking questions. ''Who will take over? Who will run Equestia? Will it be someone tall, dark, and handsome? Or will it be the Lord of Chaos?” Seven corresponding eagle claws formed to point at him. He gives a big warm smile.

The princesses casually point their hooves at the violet alicorn who instantly gave a shock and panicking look on her face. Her friends beside match the expression that she wears on her face.

''Oh, fine!'' Discord darted his eyes and rested his face on his claw while floating in mid air. ''Go with the obvious choice.''

Twilight squealed and widened her eyes, still in shock.

''You're retiring?'' she exclaimed.

Spike floats up to the height of her face. ''Princesses can retire?''

Luna chuckled at Spike's innocent question. ''Of course we can. I, for one, am looking forward to a little R & R, maybe a trip to Silver Shoals.”

''And you want me to take your place?'' Twilight repeated, speaking a bit louder showing the anxiety in her voice.

Both of the princesses nodded swiftly.

Luna added, ''with the help of your friends, of course.''

Twilight touches her face with her hoof nervously when she sees all of her friends gathered around her giving her assuring hoofs on her shoulder and smiles. Twilight looked at them and returned their smile.

''We can't think of any pony more worthy,'' Princess Celestia spreads out her wings and flies onto the floor to join the group. The ponies backed away slowly as she came forth. ''Over the years we watched you grow, you faced task-after-task.''

Princess Luna flies over to join the group as well and adds, ''challenge-after-challenge.''

''Countless adversities, yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it.'' Discord slides across them while laying on his back in mid-air.

''And you always prevailed.'' Princess Celestia was about to speak further when a voice had interrupted her.

''I decline,'' the violet alicorn uttered.

Everyone stared at the alicorn and blinked. Princess Celestia folded back her wings and tilted her head in confusion.

''Pardon?'' she said.

Twilight felt unconfident while everyone was staring at her, but she stood tall. ''I am sorry, Princesses Celestia and Luna. I am flattered that you chose me to take your place but I can't take it. I won't.''

Discord chuckled darkly and conjured up some popcorn and tea to sip so he could enjoy this show. Pinkie Pie looked at the draconequus with pleading eyes. He sighed and also conjured up some popcorn and tea for her. This brought out a smile upon her face and also on the draconequus'.

Princess Luna tilted her head. ''Why not?''

Twilight tried to make an argument towards this. ''Well... because my duty is to be spreading friendship all across Equestia with my friends and outside of Equestia as well too. I don't understand why you want me to take over your places... I mean, I have saved Equestia countless times before but that was because I was with my friends.''

''I don't want to sound unappreciative but why me? Why do I always get the glory? You made me into an alicorn princess and gave me the title 'Princess of Friendship' which I thought was a bit stupid considering I spread friendship with my friends. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to disappoint you but now that you are giving me this big job, I knew that I had to say something.''

Twilight's friends were muttering a few words to each other on how her violet friend had got a point.

Rainbow Dash continued for her. ''We are awesome, your highnesses. But what I don't like is that, what Twilight said, why does she get all the glory? I mean I get she was your student but to tell you the truth, there shouldn't be a leader in a friendship group because that will just make one pony be better than the rest of us, and let's face it, we all know who is going to get the throne. Twilight, and you are immortal, right? So when you pass on that immortality to Twilight... we all will eventually pass away, where Twilight have to suffer to see us die and continue ruling Equestia on her own. Like you said before when we got Twilight's castle, and I quote, 'what is the Princess of Friendship without her friends?'

Pinkie Pie joined in by stepping forth. ''Not to mention that we all have our separate lives. We all have responsibilities in Ponyville which means Twilight will have to move back to Canterlot again and she will be all alone again which is called going backwards.''

Princess Luna opened her mouth to speak but got nothing out of it when Applejack plotted another point of hers.

''Sorry to interrupt, your highnesses,'' she apologised but swayed her head. ''But ya said that Equestia has been living in harmony for recent years but that's not true. I mean, we did had to face and conquer so many evil villains, such as: Nightmare Moon.'' She turned to Luna apologetically for bringing her dark past. ''No offense, Luna.''

The night princess ducked her head for a second before she could reply: ''None taken, Applejack.''

''Anyways,'' she continued. ''We have also defeated King Sombra, Lord Tirek, Cozy Glow, Queen Chrysalis (who is still on the lose), plenty of pony villains that felt jealous... And last but not least, Discord.'' The draconequus huffed as she also brought up his dark past. Applejack bit her lip and continued. ''What I mean is that in these previous years we have lived, there had been so many villains wrecking and attacking Equestia. Of course, we managed to save it and I don't mean we aren't the perfect choice to rule Equestia but you are just going to make Twilight the ruler and not us. What are we meant to do?''

''For once, I say this ruffian pony is correct.'' Rarity said as she stepped forward confidently with her head high. Applejack shot her a glare but the white unicorn shook it off with an apologetic smile. She cleared up her throat to speak. ''Anyways, my point is that when Twilight becames ruler with her new title, throne, crown and glory, it will make us look like that we are nothing but peasants! We literally helped Twilight learn friendship and make her how she is today and we get nothing in return? Why, we will still continue on with our same lives where Twilight upgrades hers and gets all the glory.''

''Not trying to make this topic sad but... Twilight will eventually have to see her friends pass away with tears and she will be alone again. I am pretty sure some pony here has already mentioned that but still! I simply cannot understand why you would give such a dreadful fate like that to us... I mean, I am pretty sure you had to see your friends age and die but... You have lived over what? A thousand years! So I am pretty sure you have gotten used to it...'' Rarity chuckled nervously.

Twilight smiled at her friends for their strong and valid points. She then faced her mentor seriously.

''Princess Celestia, I get why you would want to retire as you have ruled Equestia for so many years but Luna, it doesn't quite make sense on why you want to retire. I mean, you literally just got back from the moon a few years ago from a thousand years prison,' she faced the night princess. ''I just want to know that... Do you truly want to retire or do you want to because your sister wants to and you want to spend time together?''

''I... I never really thought about that.'' Princess Luna looked at her sister with a frown. ''I am sorry, sister. I only agreed with you to retire so I could spend time with you just like when we were fillies.'' She sighed. ''I am truly sorry, Tia, on ruining our vacation we were going to do.''

Princess Celestia placed a hoof on her sister's shoulder. ''It's okay, Luna. You should have told me that you didn't want to retire.'' She turned away and bit her lip. ''Although...''

''But you really want to retire?'' Fluttershy finished for her.

''Yes,'' she turned away.

Twilight tapped her chin with her delectable hoof and thought to herself. When a lightbulb appeared on top of her head, she trotted over to Spike and whispered to get out a notepad and quil. Spike said nothing and got out the equipment, she asked for, right underneath his tail. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash looked at this movement and both thought the same thing that they thought that only Pinkie Pie could do something like that.

''So you say you really want to have a vacation, princess?'' said the violet alicorn princess. The two princesses turned their attention at her. ''You don't need a retirement for that! I mean, I got a vacation with my family even though I am a princess. So...?''

Pinkie Pie jumped up in the air with a gasp. She exploded confetti behind. Discord scratched his head in confusion on how she could do that.

''I think I know what Twilight is going to say!'' She said in a singsong voice and bounced up and down. ''Instead of you two retiring, you should take a mini one week off vacation or how long you want it to be, whereas...''

''Hold up!'' Applejack interrupted. ''Who is going to look after Equestia while they are gone off to a vacation?''

''Why us, of course!'' she smiled brightly.

''WHAT?'' the five ponies and dragon yelled.

''Pinkie,'' said Twilight calmly. ''We just said we don't want to rule.''

''Oh,'' she giggled. ''You missed my point.'' She patted her on the head several times. ''What I mean is that we are not going to rule but just look after the kingdom with the palace duties and stuff. And no, Twilight will not be a leader anymore!'' she said.

Fluttershy says, ''but then who would raise the sun and moon?''

''Oh, silly!'' She patted her on the head as well. ''You don't need one position to raise the sun and moon. Remember that anniversary play we did and Princess Celestia actually raised the sun because you couldn't? They will do it when they finish exploring Equestia and it is night time for them. We will just look after the kingdom, so just tell us what to do, Celestia, and we will do exactly just that!''

''Sometimes I think she is a bit...'' Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack whilst she circled her hoof against her ear. The southern pony chuckled at this movement. Pinkie Pie shot them a glare the two ponies didn't expect from a dynamic pony like her.

Discord laughed as he conjured up a throne for him to sit on. ''Will I be protecting Equestia as well?''

Fluttershy smiled at his innocence and ruffled his body. ''Oh, you and I will be having lots of tea parties during the princesses vacation.''

Everyony glared at each other with nervous smiles.

''Why are they still not a thing?'' asked Spike, which made Rarity chuckle.

Princess Celestia trotted up towards the violet alicorn princess. ''Twilight, are you sure you don't want to rule?''

''Oh, for peat sake!'' Rainbow Dash yelled as she stretched out her eye lids and flew over to the princess' face. ''After everything we have told you: there shouldn't be a leader, immortality, unfairness, death, and you still want her to have all the glory?''

Applejack pulled her tail to calm down and watch her tone and disrespect towards the princesses.

''Sorry, your highness. We just had a rough day today.'' The southern pony shot her a death glare. The pegasus smiled nervously and shrunk down back into her position.

Twilight ignored her friends and answered the question. ''I am sorry, your highness. But I made my decision, which is no. I hope you can forgive me still for ruining your plans.''

The princesses both looked at each other and Princess Celestia stepped forth with a sigh and a smile.

''Pinkie Pie made everything up and gave us a vacation so it is alright, Twilight.''

The violet alicorn smiled.

''I guess that means... you are all dismissed,'' Princess Luna announced.

Everyone trotted off outside the throne room in silent. Discord looked sad as he wanted this to go on further. Fluttershy took him by the paw and assured him with a tea party. This brought joy to him and they both trotted off outside. Spike had a unpleasant expression upon his face as he really wanted them to be a couple. He then flew after the others out the throne room.

Twilight Sparkle was about to follow them along when a voice called her.

''Twilight, a word?'' asked Princess Celestia.

Twilight looked up at her mentor and then back at her friends who all nodded without hesitant and trotted outside.

''What is it, princess?''

''I am very proud of you.''

''Proud?'' she huffed. ''Why? I mean I just ruined your plans to retire so how can you...?''

The elder princess continued. ''For finally saying no. As many years I have known you, you have never once declined me whenever I asked you to do something. You would be either scared of me or...'' She sighed. ''I am sorry for putting this ruling Equestia upon you without giving you a choice but you did make a decision on your own and which is why I am proud of you. And you and your friends are right. One pony shouldn't get all the glory than the other or else it will be unfair. There shall be no such thing as leadership. I wish I knew that before turning you into an alicorn.'' She sighed again. ''I just wish you've told me.'' She turned away. ''I'm a such nutcase, ain't I?'' She chuckled slightly. ''But I suppose that means you don't need my guidance anymore as you got your friends.''

''Princess Celestia,'' Twilight said with tears in her eyes. ''You are not a nutcase and I would always need you. You are right, I should've told you but no one told me that leadership shouldn't be a thing in friendship groups and I never put much thought into it. I always thought that leaders are only meant for countries and kingdoms to provide resources and guide ponies with rules and demands. Of course, I rule a kingdom but... It just doesn't feel right.'' She looked up at her mentor and hugged her.

Princess Celestia widened her eyes and accepted the hug.

Meanwhile, at Discord's dimension, the draconequus walks around his room to wonder why Twilight didn't accept the throne and glory, but he sort of agreed with the things she and her friends had said. For the first time in forever, he had agreed with them!

After a few several steps, something caught Discord's attention by the side of his eye. It was green orbs glowing. He trotted up to it and looked through it and found a vision of seven ponies with a dragon. Five of them had bags under their eyes and looked old, whereas for Spike... He was buff. Something Discord would not expect from him. As for Twilight...

He tossed the green orb away. As he trotted off, a blue figure monster was tackling in the orb.