"Prince Blue-blood! What art thou doing here?" Luna yelled up the throne room stairs. He was sitting on the throne in front of Luna, with an evil 'I've just gotten away with something' grin on his face.
"Why, claiming my right of ascension, of course."
"We are not making you a crown prince. Thou art a knave and rapscallion, and besides have not earned the title of Alicorn."
"But the title of ascension, last modified in the 3rd of June on Clelestia 996, clearly states the next of kin of Celestia, listing Cadence, and then myself, shall inherit Equestria. And Cadence is not here. Legally, it was never updated after your return, nor Twilight's promotion. Therefore, De Juris, I am now the King of Equestria.
Luna's eyes became tiny slits, "Shall I find you were responsible for Celestia's disappearance, or Nay?"
"Nay, er, no. But no reason not to benefit when it falls into my lap, requiring but a bit of legal maneuvering."
Luna looked sidelong at Twilight, who piped up, " I can double-check the statute, but, legally, he may be right."
"I care not. I am not playing legal games. You shall leave or I shall have the Thestral Lunar Guard remove you by force. These are your only two choices."
"You realize if you choose to end this by force, I will return with still greater force."
"I care not. Get thee hence."
Twilight watched him go sauntering off through the main hall doors, "You should have sent him to the moon."
"Nay, Although I yet might later," Luna said with a smile, "but others would simply come looking for him; he does have his allies in the aristocracy. In any case, we have bought quite some time. My guard is fiercely loyal to myself. But this does need to be resolved with greater expeditiousness."
Aurira Glory's voice could be heard as the Great Doors opened, "Expedition? Are we going on an adventure? I love adventure!"
"Well, no time like the present," Twilight turned around.
"Is there presents, too?" Aurora laughed. "This is already a good adventure."
"This is an adventure in dreaming. What do you know about dream magic?"
"Oh, I know lots about dream magic! I've been studying! That's what I was doing before I wound up in the marketplace!"
Twilight's grin widened, "That's what I figured. Do you normally remember your dreams?"
Aurora jumped up and down in place, "Always! Except that one. Is this a test? I love tests! I always get an 'A'!"
"A filly after my own heart. Well, this is a dream adventure, and I'm sure you'll get an A on it. Luna, I'm sorry to bother you again."
"Nay, it is understandable. I will monitor this test," She turned to a saluting Lunar guard, "Have Miss Pinkie Pie resume as sentinel until our return, But do not be surprised if she- erm... suddendly falls asleep."
* * *
"So it's like a teleport spell, except you don't go anywhere. It's a dream world; a place you make up yourself." Aurora was reciting every step along the way as Twilight would if she were instead being quizzed on dream magic. Twilight thought that she really should study it more closely; she'd been focusing too hard on Celestia's pantheon of spells, but hadn't made as much of a dent in Luna's. She resolved to change this once this was all over.
They all closed their eyes, Twilight, Pinkie, Aurora, and Luna, as Aurora cast the dreamworld spell, and to everyone else's surprise except theirs, Aurora Glory suddenly vanished entirely from reality.
* * *
Twilight woke up first in the cloudy dreamscape. She saw Aurora asleep in front of her. As Twilight moved to poke her awake, she noticed that she was herself again, and not Pinkie Pie. Or was she? Her hoof fluctuated between pink and purple as if it were a fluid, ripples of pink and purple fighting each other over her identity as if she were a marbled stone, or spreading ripples in a pool. She stared at it for a few seconds before remembering Aurora and gently nuzzled her awake.
Aurora woke sharply, and immediately jerked to all four hooves, "See? I did it! I told you I've been practicing dream magic." As she spoke, Luna and Pinkie appeared in the dreamworld with her, barely visible through the fog. Twilight assumed it was Pinkie; she was rippling in the same way between Pinkie and Twilight. They gradually came to, much gentler than Aurora did.
Luna rubbed her eyes, "Pardon me; I'm not used to to others dream-walking into my own dreams. 'Tis a new experience for me." She continued after recombobulating herself, "The first order of business is to find Celestia."
Aurora responded to that, "Oh! I know where she is! Follow me!" And ran into the fog, stopping every ten yards or so to ensure that she was, in fact, being followed.
After a brief walk they came to a door in space, which Aurora pushed open by charging straight into it. Inside was Celestia's bedchamber, exactly as if they were in Canterlot Castle.
Celestia was on the cloud bed, under the covers, fast asleep.
"Isn't that Celestia?" Aurora asked. "She looks exactly like the picture in Pinkie's book! Wow, she's big! Even bigger than Luna! How does she get so big? Is it because she's an alicorn? Why are you all looking at her that way?"
Twilight and Luna ran up and gently shook Celestia in the bed. She did not wake up.
"Well, "Pinkie Pie said, matter-of-factly, lagging behind for once, "As least we know where she is, now."