Princess Luna made her way around the Crystal Castle hallways of the empire, stacked with Guards, trying to figure out her sister's intentions for getting rid of the thestrals. The act itself was despicable enough and she will surely be tried for it, but she just wanted to know why. Speaking of which, didn't she have thestral guards before?
The princess stopped in the hallway, just now realizing her guards have been missing ever since Twilight became a princess. And that was a few months ago. Now that she thought about it, the last time she saw them were when she went off to her night court duties years ago. And how in Equestria did she even remember that?! Luna shook her head before continuing on her journey to the dungeons of the Crystal Empire. After turning one more corner, she spotted the stairwell leading down into the the dank cells, guarded by ten guards, five on each side.
"Hello, gentlecolts," she greeted, watching as they saluted her before continuing down the stairs. Once she reached the floor, she spotted her sister, sitting in a cell, looking.....confused. "Celestia."
Celestia snapped her head forward, spotting Luna walk towards her. "Luna! What in Equestria am I doing in a cell with a horn inhibitor?"
"Do not play foolish Celestia!" Luna yelled, slamming her hoof against the ground. "You know what you have done!"
"I do not play, sister!" Celestia said worriedly. "I have absolutely no idea what is going on! All I am aware of is that I have a ring on my head and I am in a cell! Honestly, what have I done? The last thing I remember was going to the Crystal Empire because I felt a rush of Twilight's magic. I was concerned. So I followed the source to the Crystal Empire where I found her and some more ponies in a building. There was another weird pony there, but I blacked out after that! Honestly!"
Luna looked at Celestia with an eyebrow raised. Something wasn't adding up right. "Celestia I am going to say one word. Thestral." The princess' eyes turned red and her head twitched for a moment before they narrowed.
"Never say that word around me again, Nightmare!" She yelled, trotting towards the bars of the cell. "I will banish you AGAIN! This time to the SUN!" Luna gasped and stepped back as Celestia ran into the cell bars, falling back on her flank after hitting her head on the metal.
"There is a grave problem here," she muttered slowly. Celestia was already back on her hooves, trying to get out of the cell by bucking the bars. "A grave one. I will return Celestia. I must inform the others." Celestia suddenly blinked her eyes rapidly before she rubbed her head with a hoof, watching Luna walk away and wondering what she was still doing behind bars. That question was never answered.
***
"Okay... So we have to keep you away from the public's eye," Sunset said as the group of eleven made their way off campus. Scootaloo decided to come along, just to see where this would lead and the other crusaders had to leave with their sisters, thus joining them. "The only ones who actually know about magic being real on earth are magicians maybe, everyone at Canterlot High, some at Crystal Prep Academy, and the owners of Camp Everfree. Oh and Juniper. She's around somewhere. That's it. Besides that, everyone would freak out."
"So what do we do?" Amaryllis asked desperately. She and Anemone were in between the group of seven girls, who were making sure they were out of sight from any passing cars.
"Stay hidden," Applejack answered. "If someone sees you like this, we're all in trouble. And we can't have that, now can we?"
"Anemone, darling," Rarity called, pulling on the Thestral's shirt. "You need new clothes, seriously. This one is somehow all ripped up. You too, Amaryllis."
"Hey, that raises a question," Twilight said. Then turned around to face Scootaloo. "Is YOUR real name really Scootaloo? Or is it Amaryllis?" Everyone stopped walking and turned to Scootaloo as she tried to hide behind her idol.
Rolling her eyes, Anemone threw up her hands and let it be known, "I don't understand why you guys aren't just embracing your names. Me and squirt had to hide ours in fear of getting killed, but you guys are doing it from embarrassment. Come on, it's not gonna kill you... Well, here anyway."
"Yeah, I think it's cute," Sweetie Belle said. "It's great to call you Scootaloo, but Amaryllis rolls off the tongue so easily."
"Yeah, Scoots!" Apple Bloom said, slapping her friend on the back. "I'm pretty sure if you say that around that guy you like at school, you'll grab his attention lickety split!"
"Wait! Guy? What guy?!" Rainbow said, looking at her surrogate sister, who was trying to avoid her gaze.
"Uhhh no one, no one, let's just....let's just talk about these two! W-w-what's it like in Equestria?" Rainbow wanted to pursue the conversation, but decided against it.
"Well....it's....alright, I guess," Amaryllis answered as they turned a corner towards the downtown area. "Is it.....really smart for us to be going downtown like this? I mean aren't there other... Humans here?"
"Oh yeah, most definitely," Twilight replied. "But the streets are really bare at around this time. So we can do whatever. Sometimes, the Crystal Prep girls show up, so we'll have to be careful with them."
They continued on their walk to some place Twilight was taking them, making sure the thestrals were hidden from sight before a voice shouted out. "Sunset!" They all stopped and froze, recognizing Juniper's voice coming from behind them.
"Stay calm, I'll handle this," Sunset Shimmer whispered before she stepped around the group and walked towards the girl approaching, grinning the entire while. "Hey, Juniper, wassup? Wait, how'd you know I was even here, I was in the front and you're in the back."
Juniper stopped in front of her before responding excitedly. "I know your hair when I see it. Where you guys headed? I'm off work, so I got some free time."
"Uhhhhh," Sunset stammered. "We have a little emergency that we have to tend to, so we're just heading wherever Twilight's telling us to go."
"Oh, is everything alright?" She asked in concern. "Do you need help?"
"It's fine, nothing too big. I'll text you later, ok?" Not waiting for an answer, Sunset turned and jogged back.
"Ummm... Alright," Juniper replied sadly, watching her move. "See ya' later."
"Alright, let's go," she whispered before they started moving again. She looked over her shoulder and gave Juniper a tiny smile and a wave before turning back around, unaware of the girl's grin.
On the way to Twilight's place, Sunset Shimmer kept getting glances from everyone in the group, sort of irritating her and getting on her nerves. Just what was it they were looking for? Rainbow even gave her a little smirk just now!
"Okay! Stop!" The group jumped before turning around to face Sunset's suspicious expression.
"What's wrong with you?" Rainbow teased, smirking and trying not to laugh.
"I don't know, maybe it's the strange smirking, the chuckles, and the giggling Twilight keeps doing." They all looked at the front to see Twilight looking at the sky for something that was definitely not there. "What are you trying to tell me?"
"Ummm...uhhh....help me out here people," Applejack said.
"Juniper has a crush on you!" Rainbow yelled out.
Anemone chuckled and agreed, "Oh, yeah big time."
"She so does not have a crush on me," Sunset denied. Then waved her hand and added, "You guys are just reading it wrong."
"No, we're reading her right. Darling, how else does she 'notice your hair?'" Rarity asked, putting up air quotes and smirking at her. "Trust me, our little friend has a little something of a crush for you."
"Ehhh, I doubt that. Let's just get to Twilight's place. I didn't even know you lived alone." The group continued walking forward while making conversation.
Twilight nodded and explained. "Yeah, it was given to me by Shining Armor. You know he gets a lot of money from wherever he works at. And since mom and dad live in a different city, and he goes to work most of the day, we both share the same home and I get a key. Then Cadance came along. So he goes there on the weekends and I stay alone. So... We're golden until monday."
Soon they made it to Twilight's two story home, which, ironically enough, was a purple color. "Seriously? Purple?" Rainbow asked unenthusiastic.
"And I bet yours is blue," Applejack countered sarcastically. "Mine is actually red, Rarity's I bet is white. We all know Pinkie's is pink—"
"Yup!"
"And Sunset.... I bet is yellow or orange. Right?" Sunset shrugged. She didn't want to get into her living arrangements. "So what exactly are we doin' here?"
"Well we're trying to hide them," Twilight answered. She reached in her pocket to pull out her keys. The pushed a specific one into the keyhole. "And get them settled in. We can't exactly have them running around out here by themselves." She twisted the knob and pushed it open, letting everybody in before closing it back.
"So it's like when Princess Twilight came here!" Pinkie cried happily. "She was all 'I'm sleeping in the library,' remember? And I was all 'no you're not! We're having a sleepover!'"
"Oh yeah," Sunset recalled. She sat down in one of the chairs in the living room, eyes on Anemone and Amaryllis. "I remember that. During the band thing, yeah. So we're doing that again. Except longer, and possibly more permanent."
Twilight huffed and tooked a tired seat beside Sunset. "Yeah, but my brother's probably not gonna like it though."
"Why?"
"He's seen you in your angelic form during the friendship games. How? I don't know, I don't even remember seeing him there at the school. He didn't like how I looked. He was panicking a little. He said he wasn't scared for me, he was scared OF me. Now imagine him seeing these two." Twilight pointed to Amaryllis and Anemone who were investigating the flat screen TV in front of them by poking at it. Twilight chuckled and grabbed the remote, turning it on. Someone's voice came through making the two girls flap their wings and jump back. Amaryllis actually flew over Sunset and hid behind the couch.
"What....what is this?!" Anemone asked in fear, pointing at the screen. It showed a video of some fantasy movie. Amaryllis peeked at it from over the couch.
"It's called a Television," Sunset answered chuckling. "We use it for entertainment." Amaryllis peeked over the couch and focused on the screen, staring at it weirdly while everyone else just laughed.
"Don't laugh, we don't have this in Equestria! B-besides... Shouldn't we be poking fun at Sunset who is getting crushed on by what's-her-name?" Anemone asked, pointing at the before mentioned girl.
"What? NO!" Sunset replied, blushing.
"Oh, yeah," Twilight answered, grinning at the embarrassed girl. She propped her head on her elbow before speaking. "So.... What do ya' like about her?"
"One? I am not in a romatic relationship with Juniper," Sunset blandly clarified holding up the digits. "Two? I don't think I'm GOING to be in a relationship with Juniper."
"Well that wasn't an 'I don't like her'," Rainbow said, sitting on the armrest of the couch. "Do you even like girls?"
"I don't know, I'm open-minded to anything. It's my biggest weakness."
"I think it's cute!" Pinkie cheered while eating a cupcake, getting everyone's attention. "You have two girls who were lonely in the beginning and got friends in the end who could be in a relationship together. You were both in the same situation! You went all evil trying to get noticed and got reformed! It's super duper adorbs! Talk! To! Her!...Talk! To! Her!..."
Everryone joined in the chant, trying to urge Sunset to talk to Juniper. Amaryllis and Anemone just sat there and looked at each other. Shrugging, they joined in as well.
"Talk! To! Her!...Talk! To! Her!.....Talk! To-"
"OKAY, OKAY!" Sunset yelled, placing a hand on Twilight's mouth. "I'll........talk to her tonight. We text every now and then so.....I'll do it."
"Ooooo, already got her digits?"
"Shut up, Rainbow!"
"So what is it you wanted to know, Luna?" Twilight asked, sitting in the Crystal Empire's throne room with everyone else. Luna called them all back after her visit into the dungeons. "Your summons were pretty....."
"Quick," Cadance finished.
"Yeah, quick. Thank you, Cadance. I take it Celestia told you her reason?"
"It's not that," Luna sighed out, looking at the ground. "Because it wasn't her."
"Yeah, it really was out of Celestia's character to attack those two," Rarity said, looking at her hoof.
"No, not that. I mean it really wasn't her." Everyone stopped their movements and looked at the princess of the moon confusedly.
"What do you mean?" Cadance asked. "What do you mean it wasn't her?"
"When I went down into the dungeon, I first noticed Celestia looking confused. She asked why was she in the dungeons and I said she knows what she has done. But she replied saying she had no idea. And that the only thing she could remember was that she came to see Twilight after feeling a pulse of her magic sweep across Equestria. She saw everyone else there, but I believe when she saw Rainbow Dash, she went into a trance. Because after that she couldn't remember a thing. I decided to test this by saying one word 'Thestral'. She twitched and became irritated. Angered. She called me nightmare moon and said should I ever speak that word again that she'll banish me again. A few moments later when I was leaving, all became silent and I noticed Celestia looking around confused again, like it never happened."
All the ponies looked at each other, confused as to why Celestia would act that way.
"You don't think Daybreaker is trying to return, do you?" Applejack asked fearfully.
"No," Luna replied shaking her head. "Daybreaker never had intentions to kill. She just wanted power over everything. If what I saw down in those dungeons is real, then we are dealing with something entirely different. Something horrible enough that it could kill a whole colony of Thestrals. I'll assign a group of doctors to study Celestia. This information does not leave the castle. No word shall be spoken about what has happened here in the Crystal Empire, the dungeons, the caves of the Thestrals, and especially Rainbow Dash."
"Anemone," Cadance corrected.
"I'm sorry?"
"Her name was never Rainbow Dash, apparently. It was always Anemone. Princess Anemone. Her sister, known as Scootaloo, is named Princess Amaryllis. They're the last two Thestrals known to Equestria. And royalty."
"Then we have to work hard to get them back," Luna said determined before turning to the purple mare. "Twilight? Do your study thing and find that spell. You're smart enough to get it done. The rest of you assist her. Cadance? Give Celestia a room and tell her what has happened. Dismissed."
***
"So what exactly are we going to do now?" Amaryllis asked, sitting on the living room floor. Everyone else had left and went home, leaving Twilight with the two human thestrals. "So much for learning how to sleep upside down."
"I'm pretty sure we can find a way," Anemone said, sitting down beside her sister, using her wing to pull her into a hug. "I'm sure these people aren't as fear ridden like they say they are. If so, then we have a huge problem on our hands. You know, besides being stranded here."
"At least we know Sunset isn't as bad as she was before, according to Twilight. Remember that story you told me?"
"Yep, where Sunset took Twilight's crown. I'm surprised you remember that, squirt."
"I usually don't forget things unless they're really long ago. Really REALLY long ago." Amyrallis looked around the room, seeing the nice decorations. "I'm still trying to understand that TV. How does it work?"
"It's electronic," Twilight answered happily as she walked down the stairs. "It works through electricity, a type of energy that humans use in their everyday lives. That remote? Electricity. The lights? Electricity. That carpet you're sitting on like a dog? Made by machines which are powered by electricity."
"Hey! We don't sit like dogs!" Anemone protested. Twilight smirked before pointing at their position. They were squatting down like frogs, their legs bent at angles that a guy definitely would hurt his haystacks over.
"Right," Twilight said chuckling while making her way to the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I'm sure we have some food around here for you two. Do you eat meat?"
"What?! No!" Amaryllis yelled out before standing up. "Do YOU eat meat?!"
"Yeah, it's good in protein. You're vegetarians then? Sunset is too. I just thought since you're half bat-half pony, you'd eat meat, but I see I was wrong about that." Twilight rummaged through the fridge, ignoring the horror-filled faces of the two human thestrals as they stared at her. "Do you like salads?"
"You want a salad, sister?" Rainbow asked Amaryllis.
"Yes, please."
Twilight took out the salad and set it on the table before closing the refrigerator door back. After opening the container, she grabbed a nearby bottle of ranch and dropped some onto the food before closing the container back and shaking it around. "Some people like to stir the ranch around the food with a fork. I just shake it up," she explained. After getting the food ready, she reopened the container and grabbed a nearby fork, placing it in the food. She then slid it over to Amaryllis.
"Bon apetit, girl," Twilight said before turning to Anemone. "What about you?"
"Uhhhh....I'm not hungry." They watched as the child took the fork and brought it to her mouth, eating the food. "So what do ya' think?"
"It's good," Amaryllis said. "I wonder how Sunset's doing. And also Rainbow Dash."
"Why Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
"Well......she flirts with you a lot," Anemone explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if she crashed through your window right now."
"What? Did you used to do that?" Twilight said, looking up at Anemone
"Oh yeah, a lot," Anemone chuckled. "Twilight would actually expect it from me. But that was before she got her castle. I can't do that as much now...."
"Okay. But that doesn't explain what you meant by flirting," Twilight groaned.
"Rainbow likes you," Amaryllis said with her mouth full. "If I know Rainbow Dash, and I do, she'll flirt with you by teasing and talking to you a lot. She will probably send you a letter through the air in a minute."
"'Letter through the air' is called a 'text' here, Scootaloo....Amaryllis," Twilight corrected, pulling out her phone and setting it on the table. The thestrals looked at the strange box made of plastic before it vibrated and the screen turned on, making them step back. Twilight picked the phone back up and smiled before looking back at Amaryllis. "You were right, she did text me."
"Anemone does the same thing to the Twilight in our world, except she doesn't act on her feelings. She just breaks through windows."
"I do not!" The oldest said, bopping her sister on the head and making her swallow her food roughly. "I have always acted on my feelings. I'm bold and awesome enough to do it!"
"Oh yeah?" Amaryllis asked, turning around smirking. "Okay. Then I dare you to tell Twilight your feelings when we get back to Ponyville!"
"Deal!" The two thestrals shook on it before Amaryllis went back to her food and Anemone got a weird look on her face. What did she just do? And how did the squirt know she had a crush on Twilight?!! Great. Just great.