Once upon a time, in a magical land of Equestria, there lived a princess Lunestia. She were actually two princesses, mostly because she always referred to herself in plural tense and worked like there was someone else to make her work for her. Princess Lunestia raised Sun, raised Moon and raised questions every day. One of the questions was: why did we never see the princess actually doing anything to move either the Sun or the Moon? Can't they actually move on they own? The answer was obviously no, because who in the world would dare to accuse such a beautiful innocent princess of pulling the wool over her subjects' eyes!
Princess Lunestia had many students because she also was a teacher who taught students. I honestly can't say what could they learn from her (the princess wasn't much educated), but my story is not about it. My story is about Fluttersparkle, who basically is Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle together. She is both really shy and really smart and she's one of the princess Lunestia's favorite students.
One day, princess Lunestia summoned Fluttersparkle for a serious talk. Fluttersparkle, as a shy pony alicorn, was afraid of talking seriously, so she didn't do came. Lunestia messaged her then that she had a sweet cake to share with her, and so Fluttersparkle decided: "Why not? I don't mind eating cakes."
"My faithful student," started Lunestia when Fluttersparkle appeared before her, "I want to talk with you about friendship."
"Yes, friendship: lying about the cake was really unfriendly of you!" Fluttersparkle agreed.
Princess Lunestia was unable to figure out how to respond and dismissed Fluttersparkle. Fluttersparkle went to her room.
There Spike the baby dragon awaited her, worried about his friend's visit to princess Lunestia. Fluttersparkle told there was no cake and Spike became sad. He hoped that she would bring him a piece or two.
"She wants a serious talk!" exclaimed Fluttersparkle. "I'm so worried! And I am also really upset about this cake. Or, more precisely, this no-cake."
Spike gave her a friendly hug and tried to calm her down by saying that things could have been worse. For example, she could've got bitten by a mosquito and get malaria and eventually die of a disease. That was really sweet of him, but Fluttersparkle remained to be worried.
"I'm so sure she's going to send me to Ponyville to make some friends! You know, Spike, nopony who was sent before me did ever return from Ponyville!" Fluttersparkle remarked.
"Well, maybe it's because they all made a lot of good friends there and didn't want to come back?" Spike assumed.
"That's what I'm essentially afraid of. When the bonds become really tight, Spike, you cannot reject them anymore, you feel like you are nothing without your friends, that you can't live without them. I don't want to get attached to anypony this much!"
"But you're attached to me, aren't you?" Spike asked.
Fluttersparkle was unable to figure out how to respond and dismissed Spike. Spike went to his room. Fluttersparkle started to understand something really important and boarded a train to Ponyville this instant.
The adventure begins.