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The castle of the Crystal Empire sparkled brilliantly in the midday sun. Ponies pranced around the Kingdom, running their daily errands in the market or playing outside in tge gorgeous weather. In fact, everypony was so busy that they didn't notice that seven visitors from afar had just arrived trough the front gate. It was six ponies and one small dragon, to be exact.
The recently crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle trotted along with her friends, pulling her suitcase behins her and taking in the dazzling scene. She loved visiting her brother's kingdom--this must have been her fourth or fifth visit so far! But for once, it wasn't because somepony needed saving!
This time, Twilight was here for another reason, and of course, har best friends had insisted on being there to support her. Okay, and maybe to sample a few Crystal berry tarts of chek out the Equestria Games stadium if there was time. Either way, it was comforting to have her best ponies there with her.
"Whoo-ee! Your very first Princess Summit. You must be over the moon, Twilight!" Exclaimed Applejack, turning to her royal friend. Twilight Sparkle had taken up the lead, as royal ponies were known to do. Twilight furrowed her brow in concern and looked back at her crew.
"Well, I am excited. But, to be honest..." Twilight stalled, then admitted, "I'm a little nerveous, too." Twilight hadn't been a Princess for very long, after all. Even after everything she'd learned from Princess Cadance and the Crystal Heart Spell, she still felt that there was much more to discover every day. Twiligt just hoped shr would have something to contribute to the Princess Summit.
Pinkie Pie trotted up to join them, a wide smile on her face and an extra bounce in her prance. "You're just mervicited!" Her curly fuchsia mane bounced wildly as she spoke. "It's like you want to jump up and down and yell, 'Yay me!" She took a soaring leap into the air. A ray of sunlight glinted against her pearly white smile and sparkled. All of a sudden, she became serious and her face fell. "But you also want to curl up in a teeny-tiny ball and hide at the same time!" Pinkie fell to the ground and curles herself up, rocking back and forth.
Rarity and Rainbow Dash exchanged a skeptical look at the dramatic display before Pinkie Pie popped back up and patted Twilight reassuringly. "Don't worry, Twilight. We've all been there," Pinkie said knoeingly.
Fluttershy, who had floated into the air for a moment to stretch her pale yellow wings, landed gracefully on the ground. "I'm there almost every day,'' she agreed in her soft voice. Up front, Twilight Sparkle took in tmher surroundings with just the slightest trace of hesitation. Even though she had visited the Empire several times before, the first glimpse of the Crystal Castle always stirred something inside her. It was just so big and beautiful. And imtimidating. She took a deep breath and kept walking.
Applejack, who was trotting right beside her, noticed Twilight's frown. She was just about to toss a few more comforting words the princess's way when Rarity gasped in shock, stopping all six ponies in their tracks. "Sorry, darlings, but I just noticed that Twilight's not wearing her crown!" Rarity was always shocked that Twilight still felt self-conscious about wearing it.
"Don't worry, Rarity," Twilight assured her. "It's safe here in my bag."
"But you're attending a Princess Summit! I'm telling you, if I had a gorgeous crown like that I'd never take it off!" Rarity exclaimed. "Why, I'd sleep in the thing."
As soon as Twilight and her friends entered the foyer of the Crystal Castle, her nerves began to melt away like ice cream on a warm summer day. The empire was starting to feel a little more like a home away from home to her. Twilight attempted to hold her head high in order to give off an air is confidence to anypony who might be watching, but the sound of royal trumpets suddenly blared through the castle. Twilight was startled by the loud racket and stumblend. Unfortunately, being a princess didn't automatically make a pony graceful.
