A/N: Sorry about flooding you guys with uploads, I just feel so meh lately, I was hoping this might help.
It seemed to be a lazy weekend for everybody as they did their own thing. Cherry read a web comic on her laptop, Atticus was working out, Mo was playing the piano at home, and Patch was gnawing on a bone, but suddenly, they all decided to come together as their Equestrian medallions began to glow which usually only meant one thing.
"You guys know what this means, right?" Mo asked.
"It's time for another Equestrian adventure." Atticus smiled.
"Meh." Cherry said.
"You weren't busy, were you?" Patch asked.
"Not really," Cherry replied. "Kind of a dull weekend over here."
"Then let's go see how Twilight and the others are doing." Atticus said.
"All right." Cherry replied.
A portal soon opened up for them, and they went inside of it to go into the magical land of Equestria. Once through the portal, they were soon in their pony forms. They seemed to be in a different place other than Ponyville as Spike and the Mane Six were walking about.
"Seems like only yesterday I was saving this place from being totally destroyed," Spike smirked, a bit smugly as he came to his statue. "Hey, you guys remember that?"
"You only mentioned it about fifteen times on the train here." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
"Is this The Crystal Empire?" Patch asked.
"Why are we here and not in Ponyville?" Mo asked
"Eh..." Cherry shrugged.
Twilight smiled to her friends, though she seemed to look upset about something, she temporarily cheered up upon seeing Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Patch though.
"Hey, girls, how are you doing?" Atticus asked.
"Oh, ya know," Rainbow Dash replied. "Same old, same old, which for me means, being awesome!"
"Of course." Cherry rolled her eyes playfully.
"Just adjusting to my new life as a princess." Twilight told the others.
"How's it been?" Atticus asked.
"Oh, it's all right, the others wanted to come though," Twilight said with a small smile. "I'm glad you all wanted to come, but I don't think it's gonna be that exciting. I pretty much just have to smile and wave as the dignitaries arrive."
"Yes, but you get to smile and wave like a princess." Rarity replied to that.
"What's the difference?" Mo asked.
"It isn't." Twilight replied in agreement with the tomboy, though she sounded somber.
This concerned the others right away.
"What's wrong, Twilight?" Fluttershy frowned.
"Why the looooooooong face?" Pinkie Pie added, pulling on Twilight's face with a chipper smile.
"I've just been feeling a little unsure about things lately," Twilight frowned. "It doesn't seem that my new role as a princess equates to all that much."
"Don't worry, Twilight, you'll play your part soon." Patch smiled.
"Princess Celestia wouldn't have asked you to come today if she didn't think so." Atticus added.
"I guess you're right." Twilight soon smiled back.
"Of course we are. Now hurry along!" Rarity replied. "You don't want to risk having that important role diminished because you were tardy for your regal meet-and-greet."
"Which would just be like a normal meet and greet; only royals meeting and greeting other royals." Cherry said.
"We're here for you, Twilight." Atticus gave a brotherly smile.
Twilight smiled back to him on the way, and where to help her through this Atticus went with Twilight. Royal fanfare was soon played.
"The Duke and Duchess of Maretonia!" A royal guard who happened to be Flash Sentry announced.
'This could take a long time.' Mo thought to herself.
The royal ponies soon passed by the crystal ponies. The three Alicorn princesses, Celestia, Luna, and Cadence soon came out, and Twilight came out, lowering a banner with her horn's magic as she stood in the balcony. Atticus was sure that was important even if it was just lowering the banner. The royal ponies then all bowed to each other once meeting each other. Twilight and Atticus smiled and waved together.
"That was it?!" Spike complained. "Princess Celestia had you come all the way to the Crystal Empire just to do that?"
"Even I'm not sure why that would be important." Patch said.
Twilight frowned to that.
"I mean, whoa, really regal and important!" Spike laughed nervously.
Applejack then hit him in the back of the head for what he said.
'Had that coming.' Cherry thought to herself.
"Oh, Twilight." Atticus frowned.
Cherry looked to him and then looked to Twilight. "Um, Twilight? Why doesn't Atticus keep you company?" she soon suggested.
"Oh, you wouldn't mind?" Twilight asked.
"You two are pretty close..." Cherry said. "He's pretty good to talk to. I mean, he was my brother for seven years."
"It's true." Atticus smiled.
"I guess I could use that kind of support right about now." Twilight replied.
"Come on, Twily, I'll go with you." Atticus smiled.
Twilight gave a small smile back to him as that made her feel comfortable. Of course, Atticus was happy to keep her company.
They were soon together, waiting outside of a door.
"Oh, I hope I can help out somehow with the visit." Twilight said to Atticus as she began to pace.
"I'm sure you can." Atticus smiled.
The doors soon opened which stopped the pacing. Twilight and Atticus bowed as it was polite.
"Your Highness, thank you for understanding our desire to keep the number of those privy to these confidential discussions to a minimum." The Duke of Maretonia told the young Alicorn.
"Of course." Twilight smiled.
'Good so far.' Atticus thought to himself.
Twilight waved with a grin, but frowned as soon as they left.
"Oh, Twilight, don't be so down." Atticus frowned to that.
The three other Alicorns soon came over to see Twilight and Atticus.
"It's great to see you again." Atticus smiled at the three other Alicorns.
"Likewise, Atticus," Princess Celestia smiled back. "Give the others my greetings as well."
"Will do." Atticus replied.
"Is there anything else I can do to assist with the Duke and Duchess's visit?" Twilight asked.
"I'm sorry, Twilight, but their visit is already over." Cadence told her sister-in-law.
"Already?" Atticus asked.
"I'm sorry." Cadence replied.
"Oh..." Twilight frowned suddenly.
"Something wrong?" Princess Luna asked.
"I guess I just don't really understand why I'm here," Twilight frowned. "Couldn't one of the royal guard have unfurled the banner?"
"Having all four of us in the Empire to greet them lets the dignitaries know that their visit is considered an important one." Princess Celestia told her.
"She's right, Twilight, besides; I'm sure you'll play your role soon enough." Atticus said.
"Plus, it gives me an opportunity to see my favorite sister-in-law." Cadence smiled, putting a hoof around Twilight.
"What about me?" Atticus asked playfully.
"Well, I guess you could be part of the family too since your parents know Night Light and Twilight Velvet so well." Cadence giggled to that.
Atticus smiled as it was always great to see the princesses.
"And I'm happy to see you," Twilight gave a weak smile back, but it soon disappeared. "All of you."
"...But...?" Cadence frowned back.
"But I... well, it's just that Princess Luna raises the moon, Princess Celestia raises the sun, you protect the Crystal Empire, and all I seem to do is... Smile and wave." Twilight said as she soon walked off, a bit depressed.
Atticus could already tell there would be a song involved.
"I think you should talk to her, Atticus." Cadence suggested.
Atticus nodded as he had his moments of being able to talk things through to Twilight. The three Alicorns then stayed behind while Twilight sulked.
"It isn't that I'm ungrateful, For all the things that I've earned, For all the journeys I have taken, All the lessons that I have learned~," Twilight began to sing. "But I wonder where I'm going now, What my role is meant to be, I don't know how to travel, To a future that I can't see~"
Atticus soon met her outside the balcony.
"I have my wings, I wear this crown I'm a princess, this is true, But it's still unclear to me, Just what I'm meant to do~" Twilight sang to him. "I wanna have a purpose, Want to do all that I can, I want to make a contribution, I want to be part of the plan~"
The princesses frowned as Twilight seemed to be depressed.
"Your destiny's uncertain, And that's sometimes hard to take~," Princess Celestia coaxed through song. "But it will become much clearer, With every new choice you make~"
"Patience is never easy, I understand wanting more~" Princess Luna added through song. "I understand how hard it is to wait, To spread out your wings and soar~"
"But you stand here for a reason~," Cadence sang to her sister-in-law sincerely. "You're gifted and you are strong, That crown is upon your head because, You belong~"
Atticus soon joined in with the Alicorns. "Know that your time is coming soon, As the sun rises, so does the moon, As love finds a place in every heart, You are a princess; you'll play your part~"
"We understand you wanting more, A chance to shine, A chance to soar~" Princess Luna sang to the new princess.
"Soon will come the day it turns around~" Cadence sang to her sister-in-law.
"Know that your time is coming soon, As the sun rises, so does the moon, As love finds a place in every heart, You are a princess; you'll play your part~" The Alicorn princesses sang together.
"You are a princess, you'll play your part~," Atticus smiled to his Equestrian sister figure. "Your time will come~"
Twilight smiled back as she needed that.
"Your time will come." Princess Celestia reassured her student as she hugged her.
Twilight smiled as she felt a little bit better as they began to leave.
"Well, we better go get some sleep." Atticus smiled back.
"That sounds good." Twilight replied.
"Come on then." Atticus smiled as he walked with Twilight inside as it was late enough as it was.
Once they got to bed, they went to sleep. Cherry poked her head in. Atticus yawned and turned over to get some sleep. Cherry hid a small smile to see that he was sleeping peacefully and soon went to go off on her own. Unknown to anyone, things were not peaceful elsewhere.