//------------------------------//
// Chapter V 
// Story: The Lost Princess 
// by Takarashi282 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 5


 

Most of my dream that night was spent in silence. Twilight just sat across from me, closing her eyes most of the time. And me, being the apparent genius of being social, stayed silent for most of the time. 
But it was a while later when her eyes opened. “I wonder…” Twilight’s horn lit brighter, and a burst of energy came out of it. The burst went to the sky in a blinding flash. When I opened my eyes, a library surrounded me, bookshelves lined against solid oak walls. There was a landing above the library itself.
“Welcome to Golden Oaks Library,” Twilight said, though it wasn’t as energetic as usual. Her voice was warm with nostalgia, and it seemed like the weight of the world dissipated from her. Her back was straighter, her ears perkier.
“You seem to really love the place,” I observed.
Twilight stood from her haunches. “Well, yeah. This was my home for a couple years.” She went to a bookshelf, putting a hoof on one of the shelves. “I have a lot of memories here.”
“Must’ve been nice.” I noticed something else in her gaze, too. It wasn’t just a longing, but a sadness, like grief. “Is everything all right?”
Twilight looked surprised, as if she’d snapped out of a trance. “Y-yeah. It’s just…” She walked away from the bookshelf. “This library was destroyed in a conflict with Tirek. While it was replaced with a castle, I just long to turn back the clock.”
Like that, Twilight went back to the shelf and pulled out a book. The book’s cover was blank for a second, but the cover soon materialized. On the cover was a sketch of a girl in white lines, looking to the top right. Above the girl appeared the title Les Miserables.
I narrowed my eyes. “Where did you get that book?”
“I got it from your world,” she answered. “Our ambassador to your world lent me it.”
I smiled. “My best friend loves that book. He wouldn’t shut up about it in our English class. I don’t really get him, though. Couldn’t get through it without the cliffnotes. And the musical.”
Twilight’s eyes brightened. “There’s a musical?” 
I chortled. “Well, yeah! It’s one of the most popular musicals ever.”
Twilight was jumping in her hooves. “Oh my gosh! I need to ask Al about it!”
My eyes widened. “Wait… Al?”
Twilight nodded. “Yep! That’s the name of our ambassador.”
My jaw went agape. “Wait a sec, is he—”



I woke up cursing. The light blue dawn came through my window, illuminating my room with a hazy glow. 
Al? I thought, sitting up at the edge of the bed. There’s no way that could've been him.
Then I remembered what Twilight had said. There were two of everything, so maybe the Al in question isn’t my Al. But if I knew my politics right, then why did I not see a second Al? Maybe he’s in a different state? Or a different country?
I picked up my phone, a text message notification on top of eight others. It was from Ms. Luna’s number:
Sent 3:07 AM
Meet me as soon as possible.
I couldn’t help but notice how commanding the text was. Before I texted back, I placed my hands on my lap. The reason why I was going to contact Ms. Luna in the first place was because I was unconvinced. Now it has become increasingly clear that my situation was genuine. What purpose did I have to meet with her now?
But then I remembered that Twilight had a theory. That the disappearance of Princess Celestia and Principal Celestia are connected. Right then, we weren't sure if Principal Celestia was even alive. The news that she is possibly still alive may help Ms. Luna out, I thought. But I was reluctant. What if the news made her mourning worse? 
I sighed, picking up my phone. Only one way to find out.
Sent 7:02 AM
where at
I set down my phone, not thinking that she would respond so swiftly given the earliness of her last message. But my phone beeped again, and sure enough, it was Ms. Luna again.
Sent 7:02 AM
At my home. Do not tell anybody about our meeting.
Chills went down my spine. Why keep it so secretive? Of course there was a legal problem with personal contact with students outside of school, but Celestia’s family was pretty much our family. My mom wouldn’t tell Ms. Luna off like that.
There was an attachment to the text, too. When I clicked on it, it opened up my GPS. I didn’t go to Celestia’s and Luna’s house nearly that often, but I knew the gist of where it was; their house was only a few blocks away.
Sent 7:04 AM
okay. ill be there asap
I got myself ready, and headed out the door. My mom stopped me before I went too far, asking me where I was going. I had to lie and said I was going to Al’s to help him with a few things. She shrugged it off and went back inside. 
I fought down the cold stone of guilt settling in my stomach. I absolutely hated lying to my mom. It was the same thing day after day that my dad did, especially in the last few days before he left us. The thought of using the same tactic to get my own way felt slimy and disgusting. But if there were a good reason why Ms. Luna wanted to keep it a secret, I figured it was for the greater good. After all, her sister was abducted, and by the looks of it, what I’ve seen from the other world, this Luna may not be safe either.




It took about fifteen minutes of walking before I finally found their house. It was a meager rambler, one that looked about fifty years old. The house was made of red brick, a few windows breaking the monotony. To one side, vines creeped up to the roof, only a few inches away from reaching the top. A garden lay to the same side as the vines, with what I could only assume were tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes. The lawn was an excellent green color, an ash tree smack dab in the middle of it. To the left and inward was a carport, one car off to the side as if awaiting another one to take the empty space.
I proceeded up the driveway to the front door. There were a couple steps leading to a red oak door, a small window-looking thing at eye level. The stairs were outlined with a weathering metal banister, its supports twisting to the top with some leaf patterns on the outside of it.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. There were a few moments of silence, the only thing filling it in being the morning birdsong and a gentle, whispering breeze going through the tree behind me. There was also the occasional rumbling of car engines nearby, but not as often as normal.
It was a peaceful neighborhood. Mine wasn’t much different, but it had a lot of young kids that wouldn’t shut up for the life of them. This neighborhood was refined, more mature than most neighborhoods I’ve been to. Al’s was one of the most peaceful ones that I had come to know, and this one made his pale in comparison.
The door finally opened, and there stood Ms. Luna. She was wearing a night-like robe, a towel twisted in her hair. Her skin was dark, nearly matching the tone of her robe. Her face was well-rounded, much fuller than that of Mrs. Butterworth’s. But the bags under her eyes matched her tiredness. 
“Rodrick,” she greeted, her voice light. “Come in.”
I followed her in through the door. A living room opened before me, square and a little bit smaller. There were two recliners and a sofa facing each other, despite a small TV atop a mantle and fireplace. The carpet was much cushier than I had anticipated. Farther in front of me, the kitchen lay along with a small dining room abutted next to it, the carpet ending before a tile-like vinyl flooring began. 
“I am sorry for the appearance,” Ms. Luna apologized, gesturing to her robe. “I will change my clothes. Meanwhile, have a seat.”
I nodded, wandering over to the sofa and sitting. The sofa was comfortable, a little saggy with age, but comfortable nonetheless. I took a second to take in my surroundings once again. I imagine how horrible it must feel; to have a loved one stolen from right under you, to have a house that was made for two halved. It was cruel and unfair what happened to Principal Celestia and by extension Ms. Luna. I knew what it was like to lose someone you love… or had once loved. I wouldn’t wish that type of despair even on Rug.
It was only a couple minutes before Ms. Luna appeared again, wearing jeans and a purplish plaid flannel, a white undershirt underneath. She took a seat on one of the recliners, the one farthest away from me. She put her elbows on her knees, resting her chin on her thumbs. “So, in your message, you were talking about Princess Twilight Sparkle, correct?”
I nodded. I caught a notion of cautious intrigue from her. “Yes.” I explained to the best detail I could about the dreams, and what she had told me.
Ms. Luna’s eyes widened. “Princess Celestia has been kidnapped?”
I nodded once again. “That’s what Twilight told me.”
Ms. Luna knit her eyebrows. “And she suspects that Principal Celestia was kidnapped for the same reason,” I blurted. 
Ms. Luna raised a skeptical eyebrow. “My sister… died in a car crash. There’s no way she could have survived that.”
I saw a kindling anger flicker in her eyes. My heart started racing. “I-I don’t mean to take light what happened to her sister..." I paused for a beat, wondering if I had the gall to continue that theory. "... But the incidents were too well timed. And the fact that they’re both Celestias can’t be a coincidence.”
The words hung in the air as if time itself had stopped. Ms. Luna exhaled, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, the coals of anger were snuffed out. “You are saying my sister isn’t dead.” Her voice was soft as a whisper.
I sat upright. “Yes. That’s what I... that’s what Twilight’s saying.”
Ms. Luna knit her eyebrows once again, her expression darkening. I recognized this face. I’ve worn it too many times to disregard it. It was the face of mourning, and the confusion of what to feel before emotions arbitrarily took over.
Her shoulders slumped, and she breathed a laugh that was mixed with a sob. She put her hand over her mouth, and tears came, flowing down her face freely. “I-I’m sorry,” she managed, but it felt like the apology wasn't aimed at me.
While I knew what she was feeling, it was still odd to see her like this. I mean, she was my superior, and even though she was always friendly with the students, and knew all of their names without fault, I still looked up to her as such. But now we were on common ground, status aside, age aside. It was comforting, yet odd.
When Ms. Luna calmed down, she wiped away her tears, and squared her shoulders. “Thank you,” she said, her inflexion warm. “But, my sister is still in danger… wherever she is.”
I nodded. “And Twilight and I are doing our best to find her. We will get her back.”
Suddenly, I was knocked forward. I tumbled to the floor. The sofa rolled over me. There was a sharp crack. Shattered glass from the window behind me burst everywhere. Dazed, I looked absolutely everywhere I could.
On the window sill, there was a guy, just about my age, hands clenched in a tight fist. He was scrawny, wearing tattered clothes. Through them, I could see pusy puncture wounds across his torso. His eyes were a neon yellow, and from the looks of it were actually glowing.
I squinted. This was the same teen that I saw in the newspaper. 
The guy sprinted past me in a blur, the sheer force of wind pushing me a few feet. He grabbed Ms. Luna by the neck, lifting her up slowly from the carpet.
I hoisted myself onto my feet, my body aching, and tossed myself at him. He moved, but didn’t fall over. I ate the floor, a sharp pain erupting in my right leg. As I struggled to get back up, I noticed an inky black residue eeping off of Ms. Luna. Undeterred, I tried to deck the guy, but he caught my fist mid-punch in an iron grip. He turned his head and glared at me, and I realized his eyes were literally steaming. He let go, and an unseen force threw me against the wall, knocking the air out of me.
“Rod!” Ms. Luna coughed. “Run. Now!”
I blinked. The residue had almost completely taken her over, and only her face was left. Whatever that thing was doing to her, it was almost done. 
“Rod!” another voice called out. Another figure jumped through the window, stopping and looking between Ms. Luna and I. 
I stared at him in disbelief. “Al?”
Al ran over me, yanking my arm to get me on my feet. “Time to go! Now!”
I gestured to Ms. Luna. “What about—”
“She’s fine!” He insisted, yanking my arm again. “We don’t want to stay here or she’ll kill us.”
“Kill us?”
“No time to explain!” He yanked my arm once more, and didn’t stop for me. Confused, I went after him, even though he was much faster than me.
We were just a few yards away from Ms. Luna’s house when a blinding light came from behind us. I blinked away the spots before my eyes, stopping to look back.
Was it just me, or was the pusy dude floating off the ground?
“Rod! Keep going!”
I nodded to myself, running after Rod, and away from whatever was happening at Ms. Luna’s house. 
Suddenly, five more pusy dudes sprinted out from between the houses, glaring at us for a split second, but then looking behind us. They ran toward Ms. Luna’s house, and a split second later, one of them flew back into one of the houses beside us, a steaming hole straight through his belly. 
That was enough for me to run a little faster than I would’ve normally.
Abruptly, I heard a whoosh overhead, and I looked up. It was Ms. Luna, but way different than before. Wings as black as night sprouted from her back, her wingspan bigger than she was tall. A horn protruded from her forehead with a darkish glow surrounding it. Her clothes were in tatters, ripped up by her wings and debris, but the skin I did see was darker than before.
“Wha…?” I managed between breaths.
“Yep!” Al called back. “Say hello to Nightmare Moon!”
Al took a sharp left, and I followed behind. The school appeared in view, the courtyard just across the street. But Nightmare Moon didn’t have a hard time catching up to us. She shot a beam of twisting dark energy at Al, barely missing him. 
“Al!” I yelped, narrowly avoiding the crater the beam made in the concrete beside me. We were finally at the street, and Al crossed it haphazardly, a car ramming into his hip. He ragdolled toward the car, then fell onto the asphalt.
Without wasting any time, I grabbed Al’s arm and hoisted it over my shoulder. “You alright?”
Al nodded, eyes wide. “Yep. Car just… kissed me. Didn’t hurt too much.”
Nightmare Moon shot another beam toward us, now missing us by a long shot. I looked up to see her holding her head, the dark mist around her horn dissipating.
Thank you, Ms. Luna, I thought as I pulled Al out of the middle of the road. But Al quickly let go of me, and started sprinting toward the courtyard. I followed suit, my lungs burning and my mouth tasting like a swallowed a penny. I figured we were heading to the school building. Perhaps there’d be a door open, I thought. That’d help us get out of her way.
But that wasn’t where Al was running to. He was running to the Wondercolts statue in front of the school.
“Al?” I called, concern building in my chest.
“Trust me!” he yelled back, barely avoiding another one of Nightmare Moon’s Storm Trooper blasts. I hopped over the crater it made and we’d made it to the statue, and Al grabbed the lip of the pedestal, gesturing to the mirror-like glaze on the side. 
“After you!” he commanded.
“Are you nuts?”
Anger flared in his eyes. “Just!” His eyes widened as they drifted over my shoulder. “Screw this!” He grabbed both my shoulders and shoved me into the pedestal. I braced for impact…
But I kept going. A vortex swirled around me, and I felt myself accelerating faster and faster. It started to feel like my body was stretching out as I swirled in a whirlpool of light. I spun faster and faster until I was completely disoriented…
Then I fell into a dark room, skidding across tile. I shook my head, holding it until my vision straightened out. Behind me was a horseshoe-shaped mirror glowing with blue light, its surface rippling like water. Behind it was some sort of mechanism, surrounding it at all sides.
Another figure stepped through the portal, sticking the landing. It ran to the other side of the mirror, and the light abruptly stopped. It was breathing hard. “Rod! You okay?”
That was definitely Al’s voice. “Al!” I called. “You crazy son of a gun! Where are we?”
Al chortled, but it sounded nervous. “You… might not like this.”
That’s when I heard hollow footfalls, followed by a click of a light switch. The light revealed that we were in a library, surrounded by purple, crystalline walls. The shelves went up high, higher than I’d ever seen. There were a multitude of books in a multitude of different colors, creating a rainbow pattern across each shelf. 
That’s when I saw a horse in the room. He had a dark mane and tail, and dark coat. On his flank was some sort of brand… a shield with a purple star, a sun, and a crescent moon. His green eyes didn’t lie.
“... Al?”
The pony nodded. “Yeah.”
“But you’re a horse.”
He gestured to me. “Hate to say it, bud, but take a look at yourself.”
I hesitated. He can’t mean… I looked down, and was greeted with an orange coat and a pair of uncloven hooves.
I couldn’t help the dizzy confusion clouding my mind. “How… where…?”
Al smiled uncomfortably at me. “Rodrick MacBride… welcome to Equestria.”