"So why are we here again Twi?"
"Honestly Dash, that's the third time you've asked. What makes you think I'll know anything new? We've been sitting, alone, in this train cart for the last few hours. What makes you think I'd have gathered new information?"
"I dunno, maybe you talked with the Princess with your crazy magic."
"Considering how much you've been messing with my horn, I would've thought you'd know more about magic by now," I said with an impish smile.
Rainbow blushed at that. The light red of blood rushing to her cheeks was a nice contrast to the light blue of her fur. She shifted her wings, snuggling in closer and closing her magenta eyes with a long-suffering sigh. I reached out to brush a fiery forelock out of her face. Chance had it at that time the train started to decelerate and all I accomplished was bopping her in the nose gently.
"Up and at 'em Dash. Grab your bag, the Princess said she wanted to meet us as soon as we arrived in Canterlot."
"Right when I was getting comfy too," grumbled the athletic pegasus as she shouldered her sporty looking travel bag. The summons had an air of urgency, so we had packed light taking with us only the necessities.
Stepping out into the bright sunlight, I glanced around to get my bearings. Rainbow stretched her wings out, glad to be back out in the open. She didn't take sitting in one place all that well if she couldn't nap. The guard who was supposed to meet us at the train station and escort us to the castle was no-where to be seen. In fact, it seemed the entire train station was deserted. Trash flittered by on the wind; silence held reign over the warm spring day. Rainbow shuffled about nervously. It seemed the entire city held it's breath, waiting for somepony or something to break the eerie quiet that had settled down in the absence of life. I took the discomforting emptiness in my stride and set off at a trot, eager to get to the castle and find out what had happened to the once boisterous city. Rainbow, in the meantime, zipped about looking through windows and down empty cobblestone streets, glancing quickly about for clues to what had caused the inhabitants to disappear. Her soft wing beats and clip clop of my cantering hooves filled the wide lanes, echoing oddly off the buildings and in the dark alleyways between the shops and stores. Dash landed lithely next to me with a quiet brush of feathers as she tucked her wings in.
"Where do you think they went?"
"I'm not entirely sure. It is possible the changelings came back and were successful this time, but I haven't seen any signs of struggle. It's almost as if the entire town had stood and left, leaving everything behind in their haste."
Rainbow nodded her agreement, "Some of the houses still had food on the table restaurant up ahead still had a kettle of tea on the stove top."
"The meals should give us a good idea when everyone left. Find anything else?"
"It didn't look like anything had been packed. No open drawers or bags and suitcases left behind. Far as I can tell, we're the only things moving in the entire city at the moment."
"Solid work Trotson," I said, giggling as Rainbow Dash grumbled at the nickname. "It seems we have quite the mystery here."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, 'The game is a-hoof' and all that stuff you say every time you go Sherclop Holmes on me. Let's get up to the castle and find out what the Princess can tell us."
"Spoil-sport," I pouted.
The castle, it seemed, was just as empty as the streets it over-looked. Everything was still in pristine condition, the walls and floors were polished, the tapestries were vibrant, the stain glass murals glimmered in the warm light, even the corners were thoroughly dusted. The only thing the castle lacked was ponies. Not hair nor hide of the guards, royals, servants, or nobles that usually filled the grand halls with chatter. Dash was becoming more and more spooked as we made our way through the vacant fortress. She and I stood in the main throne room, looking for any signs of the previous occupants. A fruitless search, as we quickly found out. Rainbow and I stalked through the guest halls, disheartened by the lack of progress. The rooms were just as empty as the rest of the town.
Finding ourselves at the doors of Celestia's own personal chambers, Rainbow and I paused.