"Welcome Princess Sparkle, her friends!" One of the pretty white unicorn guards greeted the group as they approached the castle.
"We would like an audience with Princess Celestia." Twilight said importantly and the guards let them pass.
The two guards stared at the strange white alicorn questioningly as they passed.
She then looked at them and asked, "Have you never seen an alicorn before?" and they looked away awkwardly embarrassed.
The group walked for a while. Passing through elegant foyers and halls lined with pretty tapestries and stained glass windows depicting amazing pony triumphs and such.
And then they reached it, the throne room.
"Princess?" Twilight broke the silence to a regal white alicorn with her back turned to them.
"Celestia..." Time accidentally gasped.
"Yes, my faithful student?" Celestia greeted as she turned.
She stopped mid turn as her eyes fell upon Time.
"Who..... Where..... Wha-?!" She was clearly confused.
"Princess?" Twilight asked concerned.
The other ponies accompanying us stood, dumbfounded, jaws ajar and to the floor at the sight of Celestia's reaction.
"Are you- But you- LOST!" Was all Celestia could spit out.
"Hi Princess.... I'm glad to see you took care of my kingdom." Time frowned.
"Time Vortex!" She responded.
"We found her in the Time Vortex, Princess." Doc said. "Derpy and I were traveling and when we stopped here in Canterlot, Princess Time was found unconscious with her cape caught on the TARDIS door handle." He explained.
"We thought we had lost you forever..... Now the years can finally be caught up!" Celestia exclaimed.
"Beg pardon?" Applejack spoke up for the other ponies who were all clearly confused.
"With the disappearance of Princess Spazio di Tempo, time has not moved properly...." Celestia began.
The other ponies were so lost.
"What she means is," Doc began, "It's been the same year for a very long time...."
"The year Princess Spazio disappeared." Celestia sighed.
"Without the New Year's proper celebration, the year has never changed." Time said.
"Ponies still celebrated New Year's on the day they remembered to be the Celebration Day... So theoretically, the year has progressed, but realistically, no time has passed at all." Celestia finished for us.
There was a thud as somepony fainted.