Night Crystal’s POV:
I wake up to somepony pounding on my door. Not again. I wander downstairs to see Celestia and Luna outside. Great, now what could they want? Who knows, maybe Discord decided to do something to Canterlot. I open the door and see that Celestia and Luna actually look tired and out of sorts. I motion for them to come in and ask, “What has happened that brings you two out here and not to Twilight’s castle?”
“That’s just it! Twilight, Starlight, and Spike aren’t at Twilight’s castle, they have vanished. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash aren’t at their houses either. I have tried sending them messages through Spike, but they have always been returned. Do you know anything?” asks Celestia.
“Unfortunately I do not, but I have a pretty good idea who might know where they are,” I say, summoning Discord to my location, as much as he is fighting me to not come. “This would be the source of our problems, and thankfully for us I think he knows where they are. Right, Discord?”
“Oh my, well yes, you see, they were all called by the map to Seaquestria. I mean, not Spike, but they chose to bring him along just so he wasn’t by himself.”
“You’re lying Discord, you made them bring Spike, and I have a feeling the map didn’t send them there,” I say, shooting daggers at Discord.
“Oh fine, you got me. I told them there was a problem in Seaquestria, and now they are all stuck there. They are housed in a cell under the rule of Queen Nova, and will remain there until you go and get them out. Since it isn’t my domain, or part of what Celestia and Luna rule, I am afraid I can’t bring them out. Somepony must go in and get them. This is the last of my funsies, so I’ll leave you three to chat. Ta ta,” Discord says, disappearing in a flash.
“Night Crystal, you must go. Luna and I are not allowed in their kingdom unless invited. You must be the one to do it, but it must be done diplomatically. Unless of course the price that they ask is too much for you, then I give you permission to use whatever is necessary to get them out. The fate of Equestria and the Elements rests in your hooves, be safe Night Crystal.”
“Don’t worry Celestia, I’ll have them back before you know it.”
I run inside, grab my saddlebags and fill them with bits. I teleport to the edge of what Celestia and Luna rule, then fly my way to Klugetown for a rest stop. Thankfully for me, I am left alone since I am a pony currently still in Night Crystal form. Although that didn’t stop the creatures from giving me some nasty looks. I find the nicest looking inn in Klugetown and enter it. The innkeeper is standing behind a desk and as soon as he sees me he glares. “I require a room for the night, I will be gone early in the morning.”
“Go away. We don’t serve ponies like you here, so scram,” says the innkeeper, pointing at the door.
“I’m sorry, did that come off as a question? It was meant to be an order, and I won’t take no for an answer,” I say emphasizing my point by changing into my Changeling form.
“W-w-well, I mean if you insist. There is a room on the third floor, second door on the left.”
“Good. Thank you very much. Here is your payment,” I say, setting some bits on the counter, and sauntering upstairs. I enter the room to see nothing but a bed and small bedside table with a lamp on it. I lock the door with my magic and crawl into the bed to sleep until early morning.
I wake up and leave the small inn. I fly towards the coast and touch down on the beach. Now, never did I ever think I was going to have to transform into a Seapony. Especially not one that looks like my Changeling form. I was hoping I could transform into one that looks like Night Crystal. Unfortunately for me, seapony transformation has some... limitations, and needless to say, I am SCARY. Nothin’ I can do about that though. I dive down and follow my instincts towards where I believe Seaquestria would be. After swimming for a little while I sea a glowing gate looking object in the distance. I swim towards it, seeing as my instincts haven’t led me astray. As I approach the gate two sea ponies come out and ask, “What are you doing here? We have never seen you before.”
“I must speak with Queen Nova about an urgent matter regarding some prisoners she is keeping that I demand back.”
“Of course, come with us.”
The two guards escort me through the gates and towards a large cavern that I assume Queen Nova uses as a throne room. We enter the cavern and I look up to see hundreds of seaweed tentacles surrounding what appears to be a pearl. I look forward again to see Queen Nova glaring at me angrily, but also with a look of surprise on her face. “Queen Nova,” I say bowing, “I have come to request that you release the 6 ponies, and 1 dragon back to me immediately. As they are vital to the survival of Equestria.”
“You come into my kingdom demanding stuff, but yet you don’t understand that I could simply take the pearl and turn you back into a pony. But, I suppose I don’t really have a need for them. You can have them back on one condition.”
“And what condition is that?”
“You can have them back if you agree to stay in their place while we study how you were able to get down here without the help of one of us.”
“No, I can tell you how I got down here, but I will not stay to be part of your stupid experimentation.”
“Fine, then I cannot release your friends. Therefore I must use the pearl and change you into a pony. Guards, grab her.”
Suddenly the two guards grab me, pinning my fins behind my back. I don’t struggle because the pearl will make no difference on me. Although I was bound by limitations in sea pony form, I still used Changeling magic to get myself down here, not sea pony/ hippogriff magic. Queen Nova grabs the pearl down from the ceiling of the room, and swims over to me. She holds the pearl in both fins, then opens her fins as if they were a clamshell containing the pearl. The pearl grows brighter and brighter until I have to close my eyes so I’m not blinded. I hear gasps of shock, so I open my eyes to see Queen Nova staring at me in confusion. “Your pearl doesn’t work on me because I am a pony turned seapony, but not through seapony magic. So I will leave, but I will find a way to get your seven prisoners out,” I say, swimming my way out of the cave and through the gates. I turn around to see the gates slam loudly behind me, at least as loud as it can be underwater.