Sweetie Belle awoke in the light of the moon. She whipped away the sleep from her eyes to a view of lights of the Eiffoal tower... Wait what?!
As she sat up, and the electric candles in the room slowly lit up. She found herself lying on a bed made out of the finest cotton sheets in the land with a silk blanket embedded with jewels. She looked around the most elegant room that she's ever seen. The room was full of classical painted murals and gold molding from floor to ceiling. Though the tall windows, she saw the skylight of the capital of Prance. She saw that there were new buildings, but the Eiffoal tower was still the centerpiece of the city.
“Applebloom? Scootaloo? Anypony?” She cried out.
The door to her right opened, there entered a unicorn who was dressed like somepony who seemed to step out of the age of reason. Powdered wig, layered clothes and all. The unicorn bowed to Sweetie Bell and took out a pocket watch.
“Mistress Sweetie Belle is it?” He asked in a Prench accent. Sweetie Belle nodded but was confused that he called her, a young foul, mistress.
“You are still in time for dinner. Please come follow me and I shall show you to the dining hall.”
“Excuse me mister, but, who are you?”
“I am Silver Plate mistress, one of the servants here.”
“Where am I?”
“You are in the palace of Versailles milady, in the grand territory of Prance.” Sweetie Belle's jaw dropped. She had heard about this palace in school when Cheerilee was teaching history of the Prench Revolution. “I was made aware you would have many questions.” Silver Plate said, “The princess wants to inform you that all of your questions will be answered by her and her husband when you awoke. Now please follow me, mistress.”
She got out the bed and followed Silver Plate through the room after an elegant room. Down halls of mirrors to staircases made out of the finest woods in the world to eventually she reached the dining hall.
Amongst the gold moldings, the carved woods, the crystal candles, the titanic table with mountains of food and rivers of every drink imaginable, there at the end of the table were a pony and a dragon. At first, Sweetie Bell had to take a triple take at them to register who they were.
“Rarity? Spike? Is that you?”
Suddenly, Sweetie Belle was engulfed in Rarity's aura, being lifted off the ground and flew over the food and right into the crushing arms of Rarity's forelegs.
“Sweetie Belle! Oh, Sweetie Belle! You're alive!”
“I won't be if you keep crushing me!” Sweetie Belle struggled to say. Princess Rarity did loosen from her grip and both of them got a good look at each other. Beside of still having to look the same, Sweetie Belle noticed that Rarity is much bigger, is an alicorn and she is wearing jewelry from her golden ruby embedded tiara to her intricate silver necklace.
“Why Sweetie Belle, you haven't aged at all!”
“And look at you, why are you bigger and have wings? Why is Spike big and why is he even here? And why are we in Prance. How did I get here? Sister, what's going on?”
“Sweetie Belle, calm down. It's alright. Everything is fine now.”
“And where are Applebloom and Scootaloo?”
“Please darling, one question at a time. We shall explain everything.”
Here, the angry growl of Sweetie's stomach can be heard throughout the hall.
“Why Sweetie, I did not realize how hungry you were! Here, first things first.” She used her magic to sit Sweetie Belle down in one of the nearby chairs. “Since dinner isn't quite over yet, how about we get you fed.”
-*-
“But Princess Celestia and Luna are still around are they?” Sweetie Belle asked.
By now, her, Princess Rarity and Sir Spike were sitting near the grand fireplace of the palace. It was after dessert, the royal princess and the dragon tried to explain as best as they could what happened the last thousand years.
“It's Empress Celestia and Luna Sweetie Belle.” Spike corrected her. “And yes, they're still around.”
“So what does that make Rarity?”
Spike couldn't help but laugh a little as he said: “She's practically the Queen of Prance.”
“At least I'm doing a good job at it, darling.” Rarity retort. Spike bend his neck down to give her a nuzzle.
“True. But to me, you'll always be my princess.”
“That was rather cheesy don't you think?”
“Wait! You two are married!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“Why yes.” Rarity said in a matter-of-fact fashion. “Besides, our 900th anniversary is coming up after all.”
“And I still don't know what to get her,” Spike muttered to Sweetie Belle.
“I heard that!”
“So what have you two been doing in Prance for so long?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Well, ruling over one of the most cultured and creative places on earth; the first thing I did was leading Prance the way from one cultural revolution after another. By expanding education. Have not only encouraged the arts but even paid the most creative artists, writers, actors, philosophers, inventors, scientists, architects and engineers to press further the culture and sophistication of Prance to the world. Oh Sweetie Belle, you would not begin to believe the creativity here.”
“I don't find it that all surprising since you've always adored anything that's Prench.” Sweetie Belle said.
“True. It is rather ironic that I use to buy things from this part of the world, only in the end to owning the country itself.”
“But what about the other princesses like Twilight, do you still see them?”
“We do,” Spike said. “In fact, mom was just her last night after she teleported you here.”
“Your mom?” Sweetie Belle asked as she tilts her head to the side.
“Oh, I didn't mention that Twilight adopted me, didn't I ?” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “She did, and not long after the three of you vanished.”
“Say, am I ever going to see Applebloom and Scootaloo again?”
“Well,” Rarity said as her horn glowed and an invitation appeared. “Pinkie is planning to give the three of you a, as she puts it: ‘A welcome back from disappearing for a thousand years party’ tomorrow night. So you will be seeing them soon.”
Just then, Sweetie Belle got an idea. “Hey Rarity, if you're not too busy, can we go into Paris tomorrow? I always wanted to see what it's like.”
“Well, we do need to get a few necessities anyway, so of course. Anything for you.”