The small group of ponies stared at the empty hallway for longer than they’d like to admit. There was no trace of where Princess Twilight and the human-world’s version of her friends went, or even if they were there to begin with. “Alright, I’m not going crazy, right? I’m not the only one who saw that?” Rainbow Dash asked aloud, breaking the silence that lasted for a few minutes.
“Rainbow Dash, I’m not sure if we could all make that up if we wanted to.” Rarity confirmed for the blue pegasus, who landed next to the group.
“Oh this is bad, this is very bad…” Fluttershy said, which only made everyone else realize it as well. Applejack turned and started trotting out of the castle.
“Uh, where are you going, Applejack? Twilight just vanished over here!” Rainbow called.
“Ah know that. That’s why Ah’m gonna go fetch Spike and send a letter to Princess Celestia. No need to panic, she’ll know what to do.” Relieved by the farmpony’s logic, the five friends led Twilight (who didn’t know anything about this place, and confused by “Princess” Celestia) back to the crystal castle of Ponyville. “Spike! Where are you, little guy?”
“I’m over here!” Two identical voices responded. The sounds came from the map room, where a small blanket fort was set up in the corner. Two dragon heads popped out of it, one of them with a comic book on his head. “How did the castle search go? Did you find Rainbow Dash?”
“We, err, didn’t really find anyone, Spike.” Twilight spoke up. “We actually lost quite a few people.” The Spikes, not quite understanding, were told what had happened. One of them started to have tears well up in his eyes.
“You mean… Twilight’s gone?” he asked, receiving nods in return. “I need a moment, guys…” That Spike dipped into the blanket fort, and soft sobbing could be heard inside. The ponies in the room thought it best not to interrupt.
About half an hour later, there was a puff of green fire as the young dragon exited the blanket fort. “I sent a letter to Princess Celestia. She should know what to do. I hope.”
“So, what do we do while Celestia reads the letter?” Twilight asked.
“Um, I don’t think we need to wait very long.” Fluttershy said.
“Why not?”
“Because she’s right there.” The yellow pegasus pointed a hoof at the doorway, where the largest horse Twilight had ever seen stood. The creature was an Alicorn like this world’s Twilight, but her fur was whiter than the fluffiest cloud and her mane sparkled with soft, pastel pink, green, and blue. Her eyes sparkled with wisdom far beyond her years. Behind her was a smaller, but still large Alicorn colored midnight blue with the night sky waving in her mane.
“I came as soon as I read your letter, Spike.” Princess Celestia said with peace and kindness radiating from her voice. It soothed Twilight, let her know everything was going to be alright, just when she talked. “Is it true? Is the Twilight Sparkle from this word gone?”
“Er, yes, your majesty.” Rarity said. “We saw this strange little zebra colt teleport her away along with some friends of ours. We have no idea where they, or the little colt, went.”
Celestia looked troubled. “Sister, I may not have been as… social with our foreign neighbors since I had returned, but even I know that Zebras are skilled in alchemy and herbal medicines. They are not, however, skilled in magical arts like unicorns.” Luna said.
“I know, which makes this all the more frustrating. I know not where a zebra might have obtained such power, but it is not the important task at hoof. We must focus our efforts on finding Twilight. With Equestria down a princess, and one of the Elements of Harmony as well, we are weaker as a nation.” Celestia smiled. “Even though you had given up the Elements of Harmony recently, the Rainbow Power you possess is weaker without all of you present.”
“So then what are we waiting for?” A certain multicolored pegasus asked. “Let’s go find Twilight!” With that, the gathered ponies discussed plans of research and searching, Celestia and Luna offering advice when they could over the excitable group’s discussion. The unicorn in the corner of the room, however, could only look on with worry and concern.
“Spike, what should I do? What can I do?” she asked the dragon on her back, who seemed down as well. “They’re focused on bringing back their friend, but what about me? What about my friends? This all started when Sunset disappeared… Why are they-“ She cut herself off with a shrill scream, as a flash of light appeared in front of her. Soon her vision was filled with a soft, purplish-pink flank and a violet tail that had a single, cyan stripe running down it.
“Sorry I’m late, twilight, there was this thing over at Thorax’s hive and we had to deal with it and – oh my gosh!” The newcomer instantly dropped down into a bow upon seeing the two princesses in the room, and continued talking while ignoring the now-crimson Twilight behind her. “S-Sorry, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna! I didn’t see the two of you there!”
Celestia chuckled softly. “Starlight, after what you helped my sister and I realize about each other, you are a friend. No need for the formalities. Now, why don’t you come closer, and give poor Twilight over there some air.” Celestia blinked. “Wait… Twilight?”
“Ho boy, Celestia, you might want to take a seat for this one.” Applejack said, after which they informed Celestia, Luna, and Starlight what had happened. “…Then after Spike sent that letter, you know what happened since.”
“I see.” Luna said, turning to Twilight. “I give my deepest apologies for you and your friends, Twilight. Forgive me for not showing them the same worry as my own fellow princess.”
“Uhh… it’s no problem, Vice-Princip- uh, Princi- Vice-Prince…Luna.” Twilight managed to choke out, much to Spike’s amusement. “What? You try knowing someone by one title and then meeting their pony goddess counterpart!”
“If I may, dears,” Rarity said, “but we still don’t have a way of knowing where any of our friends went. It’s not like a solution will just magically make itself…” She slowed down her speech upon a glowing behind her, coming from the map table. Starlight was busying herself by casting a spell on it, the light form her horn slowly growing brighter and brighter.
“Starlight, what are you doing?” Celestia asked. “Magic as ancient and powerful as the map table can’t just be tampered with!”
“I’ve almost got it…” Starlight strained against the flow of mana in the air, then at once the lights dimmed and the map went blank. It fizzled and sparked at the sides, then the projection of a landscape reaffirmed itself. There was a large, white city that had a tower in the center of the map, with several outlier towns forming a web of roads and plains around it. “Got it! I just used the map’s natural ability to show where somepony is, and gave it a power boost to show us places other than Equestria. No meddling with the magic, only making magic stronger.”
“While it is impressive, we still have no idea where this is, or who may be here. As the story went, it looked like a vastly different place through each portal.” Luna added.
“I know who is in this place.” Celestia said, her face darkening. She simply pointed a hoof at the upper-left part of the network of roads and routes, where a symbol hovered. It resembled a red and yellow sun, and it currently resided above one of the larger buildings in the town.