“Spike! Come on!” Twilight Sparkle yelled as she ran around the library she resided in with the purple dragon. Being the overly orchestrated princess that she was, Twilight wanted to make sure each and everything was in place for their trip into Canterlot. They were meeting the other girls at the Ponyville train station and right now they were very much going to be running late if they didn’t leave at this very moment.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” He groaned, running towards her, cradling a claw full of gemstones. Twilight groaned before using her unicorn magic to place the baby dragon on her back while simultaneously doing the same with her six point stared saddle bags. She bounded for the station, nearly making it as the rest of her friends were getting on board.
She handed the conductor her ticket before boarding the train herself, running to sit over by her friends. “Twilight, darling!” Rarity called. Twilight smiled at her, trotting to the section of the train they had situated themselves at.
“Boy, am I glad to be seeing you girls!” She greeted, sitting on her haunches in her seat.
“Ah wonder why the Princess called us so urgently though...” Applejack wondered.
“I’d like to know too.” Twilight agreed. “But I’m sure she’ll brief us once we get there.”
“Do you think it’s Discord?” Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered over her friends.
“I doubt it!” Pinkie Pie chirped as she stuffed her face with cake she had brought along from Sugarcube Corner. “If it was, it would be raining chocolate rain by now!” She licked her lips. “Mhmmm. Chocolate rain.”
“Uh, no.” Applejack deadpanned. “Besides, didn’t you reform him or something like that, Fluttershy?”
“Well, yes, I did. I know it’s not him because I told him if he ever did anything bad again there would be serious consequences for his actions!” Fluttershy’s voice rose as she remembered the very heated argument they had had before she had left.
“Okay...” Rainbow responded, then, “Well whatever it is, it must be important.”
The rest of the train ride was full of laughter and jokes, courtesy of Pinkie Pie. They ate once they were halfway to the city, nervously thinking of what was to come. By the time they reached the station, they were all deathly silent, a creeping feeling washing over them as they took in the city.
Guards were stationed everywhere. The protection spell Shining Armor had put up during the wedding and Chrysalis’s attack was once again in it’s position protecting the city.
“What’s going on?” Twilight asked, spotting her brother as one of the guards standing at attention. He stepped out of line to answer her, his face grim.
“I can’t really say. You’re going to have to talk to Cadence and Princess Celestia about that.”
The girls shared a look of awe then nodded.
Shining nodded back, then trotted forward towards the castle. The walk there was tense and ominous, the cafes and quaint little shops along the main road deserted as well abandoned. There was absolutely nopony in sight. Twilight shivered. She didn’t like this feeling she was getting.
She glanced at Applejack, who flanked her on her right, and then Dash who was on her left. Both had the same expressions of worry on their features. She looked behind her to see that Pinkie Pie wasn’t bouncing like she usually does, but trotting along as serious as the soldiers that surrounded them. Rarity looked just as serious as her, trying all her might not to reach out and comfort poor Fluttershy, who was shaking with downright fear.
They had finally made it to the castle. Twilight noticed there was a protective spell around it too, and walked into the throne room where the other three princesses sat. Celestia nodded towards her student, who knowingly nodded back before telling everyone to come forward.
Cadence stepped down from her throne to briefly greet her husband before turning to her sister-in-law and the other Elements of Harmony. “Something not of this world has made a threat against Equestria.”
The girls gasped, and Twilight gritted her teeth. She knew something was up the minute they stepped off the train. “What’s going on?” She asked, her wings spreading.
“The Elements of Harmony have been stolen.” Celestia said, now standing next to Cadence.
“What?! But how?!” Rainbow Dash asked, her mouth agape.
“These, thieves, they are nothing that we have dealt with before. They have very strange magic.” Luna responded.
“But they were locked up after I retrieved my crown from the other world! How is this possible?!” Twilight asked in disbelief. She was so incredulous that she hadn’t even noticed that the other guards had left.
“We don’t know. That’s the problem.” Cadence sighed. She looked fatigued, her horn glowing just as much as Shining’s. She was helping him, and Twilight was seeing that it was taking a mighty toll on the princess of love.
“You must get the Elements of Harmony back or Equestria and the entirety of this world will be grave danger.” Celestia commanded. “Do you ponies understand the importance of your task?”
“Aye, aye, ma’am!” Rainbow saluted.
“Yes, ma’am!” Applejack responded.
“Why of course, princess! We’d never let you down!” Rarity assured.
“Yes...” Fluttershy squeaked.
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie giggled.
Twilight nodded surely. She knew she could do this. She had her friends on her side, and if there was anything she has learned in her time spent with them, it’s that friendship can help you overcome anything. Even something as dire as this.
“Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, my faithful student?” The alicorn responded.
“What exactly did these thieves look like look?” She asked. She was curious. Were they ponies? Or of a different species?
“We don’t know. A guard had discovered the case open and saw a abnormal shadow run along the walls. He tried to catch up with it but it jumped into a open portal before he could catch it. It turns out that mysterious shadow didn’t leave empty handed.” Cadence answered for her.
Twilight thought for a moment. “So this portal, is it not identical to the one through the mirror?” She asks, raising her hoof to her chin in thought.
“Not exactly.” Celestia answered. “Where they come from it appears that they too walk on two legs. But, their world is completely different than ours. It is cold, and void of any harmony.”
“Void? As in, there is none?” Twilight was confused, she had never heard of such a thing.
“But how do they survive?” Applejack asked.
Celestia sighed. “My guess is as good as yours, Applejack.”
Cadence cleared her throat. “It appears the portal that these thieves escaped through is still open. Though I suggest you girls hurry. We don’t know how much longer it will stay open so you all must leave now.”
Twilight nodded. “We’ll do our best. You can count on us princesses. Come on, girls.” She turned around and sighed in relief when she heard the sound of her friends hooves following after her.
“What do you guys think will happen once we go through that portal?” Dash asked. She wasn’t too keen on losing her wings. It was the one and only thing that set her apart of the other ponies. Well, besides her rainbow mane.
“I don’t know. But what I do know is that whatever happens, we stick together.” Twilight replied as they reached the wall a guard had been assigned to lead them to. He gave Twilight a curt nod and then a salute.
“Good luck, your highness. May you and your friends be successful in your mission.” She saluted him back, before he excused himself.
“Ready girls?” She asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be!” Dash shouted, her hoof pumped high in the air with anticipation.
The others gave her strong and sure willed affirmative nods. “Let’s do this!” She said, before stepping in the portal. The girls followed suit, but she didn’t get the chance to check on them to see if they were really right behind her. Twilight suddenly felt tired, and before she knew it, everything went black.