The three princesses looked around. They were now no longer in Ponyville, but in a dry and dull area.
"What is this place?" Twilight rasped.
"Why does it remind me of the moon?" Luna said, tilting her head. "We're not on the moon are we?"
"Stop panicking, I'm sure it's not the moon," Celestia answered.
"How would you know? You've never been there."
Celestia simply pointed at the sky with her hoof. A bright moon shone in the black sky.
"Oh," the night princess sighed with relief. "Well, should we look around? Maybe it will narrow down where we are."
"I suppose but... where do we go?" Twilight pointed out.
"Maybe we can cut the search short?" Celestia suggested, spreading her wings to prepare for flight. The two other alicorns nodded, then followed her lead. They all took off into the air at different times, but they managed to keep together.
---
"This is so not good," Spike breathed. "Okay okay, maybe it's not too bad. Let's see, the two alicorns who are the only ones who can move celestial bodies like the sun and moon have disappeared along with the Princess of Friendship who usually takes over their jobs when they're captured or whatever.
...
Oh what am I kidding, this is AWFUL!"
"Spike!" Applejack covered his mouth with her hoof. "Calm down. Surely they know what they're doin', wherever they've gone."
"And... this has happened before. Remember when Twilight went to that place to get her wings? They'll probably be back by tonight!" Rainbow sounded chill, but it was obvious she was at least a bit worried.
"Of course. They've all been summoned to get a second pair of wings." Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, and I don't think there will be a 'tonight'. If you haven't noticed, the Princesses of both Night and Day are gone."
"Well, there's Cadance," Pinkie Pie told them.
"She can't raise the sun and moon. Heck, Luna's said herself that she can barely raise the sun!" Spike retorted.
"I know that, silly!" she giggled, "But if the princesses don't arrive soon, somepony will have to take their place in ruling at least!"
"...Oh. Right."
Rainbow Dash then slapped a hoof on her face. "Don't you guys think we should be worrying about our friend rather than who's gonna bring night and day?" she groaned.
"We are, darling. But losing three princesses in Equestria out of four can cause great havoc for everypony, not just us," Rarity explained.
"Yeah... I suppose," she sighed.
"With that being said, who's gonna raise the sun or moon just in case they don't come back, which I'm sure they will?" Applejack asked, keeping her tone calm.
"Discord?" Fluttershy suggested. Rainbow gave a skeptical look.
"Hey, I know we've forgiven him and all... but don't let power go to his head. And what does he know about moving things in the sky like harmony-maintainers?"
"Well, we could ask someone with unlimited power, or explain to a bunch of unicorns that the princesses tested a spell and now while we wait for their return they have to do their jobs," the shy pegasus pointed out, at first with an assertive tone, "...but it's your choice," she added quietly.
The blue pegasus sighed again, "Fine. Discord it is... that is if they don't come back soon."
---
The three ponies scanned the ground below them, searching for any clue to where they were. The area seemed somewhat familiar, but not one was aware of each other's epiphany to where they had been summoned to.
Below them, was a small, poor-looking village with a few farms, most of them with no crops. Next to it was a forest with dying trees and dull green grass, a lot of it have been replaced with dirt. Then after that came a ditch with a broken bridge hanging off the edge... then a castle...
"That's not possible," Luna gaped, "sister, tell me I'm seeing things."
Celestia shook her head. "I see it clearly."
"What?" Twilight asked them.
"It's our castle. Our old castle. When we were younger. But it's fixed." Luna could barely say the words.
"So... that forest is the Everfree? And that village was Ponyville?" she put everything together, "But... how?" Twilight looked at her former mentor, who was still looking at the castle.
"It must of been the spell... but I can't tell if we're in another Equestria or..." she gulped, "in the future."
Twilight put a hoof under her chin. "Only one way to find out." A grin spread across her face.
"Yes?" Luna edged closer.
"History lessons!" The little alicorn squealed.
"That's a smart thought, Twilight," Celestia complimented, "but how? Your library doesn't exist. In either world."
"There's a library in your castle though."
"Well yes but..." her magenta eyes turned back to the castle, "it looks occupied to me. I don't want to cause disturbance. Especially if this is another dimension. I don't want to cause a rift."
"Surely we can't cause a rift by walking in a castle?" Luna assured her.
"I don't want to take risks. Don't you remember the last time I caused a rift?"
Last time Celestia caused a rift...
"No, I don't remember that. I got knocked out because your evil counterpart knocked the other me out, which knocked me out."
"..."
"..."
"You two are supposed to be smart and pick up on complicated sentences like that."
"Never mind the last time we caused a rift," Twilight told them, "look, we can be extra careful to not get caught. If we hear somepony coming, we can teleport back here!" She clapped her hooves.
"In the air?" Luna asked, her wings slowing down their flapping from exhaustion.
"Um... down there then," she pointed down to the start of the broken bridge.
"Okay..." Celestia breathed, "let's go."