"She's not in any of the nearby rooms," Cadance said.
"And the guard on duty reports he saw her only minutes ago," Celestia told her, "so she could not be far even if she did merely wander off."
"Are you sure it's... her?"
"Who else could it be?" Celestia said flatly. "What I don't understand is how the Shepherd Stars could have failed us. I just checked them. They are weak but still holding."
"Auntie! What about... the other place? You know, where you found me?"
Celestia shook her head. "I checked there as well. It seemed too soon, yet I hoped that... but no, she was not there either!"
There was a clattering behind her. She turned to find Shining Armor coming to attention.
I am not looking forward to this.
"Lieutenant," she said calmly, "I regret to inform you that Twilight Sparkle appears to be missing." Before he could speak, she went on. "Will you assemble all available guards? We will conduct a thorough search of the palace and grounds. She will be found."
Shining Armor looked aghast, but quickly saluted. "At once, Majesty!"
He raced away, collecting guards as he went.
"Niece, that may buy us some time. You and I need to come up with a plan for locating where Twilight Sparkle has actually been taken... and get her back!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Twilight trotted down corridors and up and down staircases, but she could not find anyone or anything but echoing halls and night-dark, dusty rooms. Spike scurried along after her, his eyes wide as he stared up at the suits of armor and ancient tapestries.
"Hello!" Twilight called out.
"Um... Hello!" Spike added.
There was no reply.
By random chance they wound up back in the Audience Chamber with its two thrones. Forlornly, Twilight climbed the steps to the throne with the sunburst banner and sat down on it. Spike followed and sat down next to her.
"Maybe we should wait for daylight," Spike suggested. "It'll be easier to see stuff."
"I'm not sure if there will be any," Twilight replied. "This is just a magical copy of the palace. Maybe it's only daybreak when Celestia's actually here."
"But that would be good, right? We'd know she was here, and we could try to find her!"
"But where would we look? Celestia said she walks a path through the rooms. If we're searching the wrong place, she might pass right by us!"
"Did she say which way she goes?"
"No... but I have an idea," Twilight said. She looked around. "If we can figure out the path she walks, we can position ourselves so she'll find us when she does come here again."
"Sounds good. But... like, how are we going to do that?"
Twilight's face set in a determined look. "Spike!"
"Yeah, Twilight?"
"We're going to make a list. Of every room, of every thing in this palace. We'll figure out what belongs here, and what doesn't. The things that don't belong are what Celestia uses to remember stuff. Looking at them, we can figure out the path she walks!"
Spike looked at her doubtfully. "Every room?"
"Spike!"
"Okay, okay! I'm in! But that's gonna take a boatload of paper! Where are we gonna find some?"
Twilight thought for a moment. "The room we woke up in. There was tons of paper on that table. We'll head back there."
She stood up, and then thought for a moment. "Spike, climb on!"
"Okay!" He hauled himself up onto her back.
"Ouch!"
"Sorry! Guess I need to trim my claws a bit!"
"It's okay. Now grab my mane and hold tight. I'm gonna run!"
"Okay, got it... whoooaaaoohhh nelly!"
Twilight's hooves clattered off down the hall.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Celestia sat disconsolately on her throne in the Audience Chamber.
Before her, Shining Armor stood alone on the carpet, tense and puffing from exertion of the search.
"Your Majesty, the guards have searched everywhere. The palace, the grounds, even some of the adjoining streets in Canterlot. Twilight's not to be found anywhere. And I know -- I mean, uh, I remember -- how she plays hide-and-seek. I've checked all the places I could think of that she could be hiding, with no results."
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Celestia replied evenly. "We must assume that she has been removed by force, and may be held against her will. Have the guards continue the search with that in mind. I will investigate as well from here, using all resources at my disposal."
"Majesty..."
"Dismissed!"
Shining Armor looked about to object, then nodded, turned, and left. The doors closed behind him.
And Celestia dropped her head and shut her eyes, gasping in sorrow.
My dear Twilight, I have lost you! As I lost Luna, so long ago!
She thought back to the touch of Twilight's nose to her own, so much like that of Luna. The uncertain yet trusting gaze, the mixture of determination and playfulness. The incredible attention to detail in the way she designed the constellations for the night sky.
Thinking of that, Celestia invoked an rarely-used spell, one that conjured up a familiar room in the old castle. A bedroom with night-dark curtains, a table cluttered with star-charts and sketches, and the balcony with Luna's telescope, which she used to triple-check her work.
Standing just outside the door to Luna's bedroom, she gazed in, tears welling in her eyes.
Take me if you need to, she cried in her thoughts, imprison me for a thousand years if it gives you pleasure! But please, dear Luna, please give Twilight back to me!
All at once, her head jerked up. The sheets on the bed -- they were thrown aside... as if someone had been sleeping in them? And was that... Spike's basket, on the floor next to the bed?
She heard a clattering of hooves coming from the nearby stairs. And Twilight Sparkle hove into view, with Spike clinging to her mane for dear life. Twilight skidded to a halt on the stone flagging when she saw she wasn't alone.
"Princess Celestia?"
"TWILIGHT? What are you doing here?" Celestia all but ran over to her, and pulled her into a hug.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Twilight cried, "Please don't be mad! We somehow got into your memory palace and we couldn't get out and I didn't know if you would ever come back and I was afraid we might never get out and..."
"Shhh! Dearest Twilight, I am not mad at you. I am overjoyed to find you! But how did you get here? This is not my memory palace..."
Then Celestia looked up and around. "Well... this is a memory... of a palace.... which I suppose amounts to the same thing."
She looked back at Twilight. "I'm the one who's sorry, Twilight. I've been having upsetting dreams lately about someone I knew and loved very much, a long, long time ago. My memories of her were getting tangled up with my memories of you. You are a lot like her, in many ways! So while I was dreaming about her, you somehow wound up here, in my memory of her room."
"My lady," Spike said. "I completely don't get that! But I don't care! We're really glad to see you!"
"We sure are, and Spike was a great help!" Twilight said. "He kept me from being really scared, and he helped me figure out how to find you!"
"Aaah, it was nothin'," Spike said. He coughed green flame and produced a small pasteboard card scribbled with green and purple crayon. "All part of the service, according to the Dragon Code of Honor!"
To his surprise, he found himself being kissed gently on the forehead. Celestia smiled. "I'm glad Twilight has such a great friend!"
"Awwww!" Spike looked embarrassed. Twilight giggled at him.
"What's the matter, Spike? Can't you take a compliment?"
"Yeah, as long as it doesn't get all mushy!"
"Come along you two! Let's get you back to the real palace. I imagine by now Shining Armor will have torn apart the wainscoting in the cellars trying to find you!"
"Shiny! I hope he wasn't too worried!"
"He actually kept his head quite well in a difficult situation! We must think about a promotion for that," Celestia said. "But please don't say I said so. Allow me to surprise him!"
"Okay!"
To Twilight's surprise Celestia led them back into the bedroom. She motioned wordlessly with her head to Spike. He took the hint and hopped down from Twilight's back and into his basket, bundling himself up.
Celestia helped Twilight scramble back into the bed, then pulled the covers up over her.
"Was she really nice?" Twilight asked, as she was gently kissed as well. "Your friend who used to live here?"
"She was the nicest pony we had ever known. Until we met thee. Sweet dreams, young Twilight Sparkle!"
"But..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"...Princess Celestia?"
Twilight awoke, and sat up in bed in her own daylit room.
"Psst, Spike!"
"Right here!" He clambered up over the endrail. "Ya know, I think I'm gonna stick to those pepperoni-and-turquoise bad dreams from now on. At least I got a chance of figuring those out!"
There was a blazing aura of sunlight, out of which appeared Princess Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor.
"Twily!"
"Hey, B.B.B.F.F.!"
"Twilight, there you are!"
"Cadance! You'll never guess where I was!"
"The Princess has just been telling us. Like I said, you are definitely not a plain old unicorn! You never stop amazing me!"
"My apologies," Celestia said. "For all of this. I shall take immediate steps to make certain it does not happen again!"
"Uhm, Princess?"
"Twilight, if you have a question..."
"... I know, I know, just ask! But... now I that know where I was, I'm not so scared any more! Do you think I could visit that old castle again?"
"I think it's more than likely you will!" Celestia answered cryptically.
"Yay!"