It didn't take long for the other royals to reach the room where the magic mirror was kept. Celestia was the first to enter the room with her followed quickly by her younger sister Luna and her adoptive niece Cadence. The first Celestia noticed was Twilight staring intently at the magic mirror that was located in the room. Her purple eyes burning through it. Wouldn't have surprised Celestia if Twilight was fighting with every fiber of her being not to just jumped into it and chase after her former student. Celestia didn't need the others to tell her who took Twilight crown, she already knew. She just wished it hadn't have happened.
Luna attention was elsewhere. Luna teal eyes falling onto that of Alpha and Theta. Alpha being able to look into the room and discuss tactics with his apprentice through the opened windows of the room. Luna noticing that both Theta and Alpha seemed to be looking different than the last time she had seen them up close. Alpha scales seeming to lose some of their color and turning more of faded red with some scales colored gray. Theta was a different story, ever since Sigma's betrayal she had paid special attention to the dragon's dreams. She didn't want to see another great dragon filled with potential fall into the darkness, not like Omega, not Sigma, and not like herself. For the last week, she had feared that Theta was starting to lose himself and follow the dark path she had left not that long ago. But, last night it was different. Theta, unlike every night since his brother's betrayal, didn't dream about his brother but instead of a yellowish-gray unicorn mare. A mare that Luna recognized as Moon Dancer, a mare that she happened to have a pleasant conservation with during the Grand Galloping didn't know if the two were a couple or not, but she could tell they had feelings for each other as that after she saw Theta's dream she saw the yellow's mare and she was also dreaming about the white dragon. Luna could still she the pain from Sigma's betrayal on Theta, most notably his three scars on his neck from when his brother bit him. But even with that lingering darkness around Theta she could still she that he was happier, maybe this mare could be the thing that keeps Theta from the darkness. Just maybe.
Cadence gaze was first on Twilight, but quickly shifted over to Zulu as she noticed the changeling sitting directly to Twilight right side, and Twilight didn't seem to be concerned at all by the changeling's presence. In fact, Twilight seemed to be calm, despite the angry snarl that adorned her face. Cadence knew this changeling, he was King Zulu. The newly crown King of the Changeling Kingdom. But more importantly to her he was the very same changeling that had helped Chrysalis kidnap her. Cadence earning a scar below her lower lip because of the changeling. The changeling had apologized to her for his actions. Him saying that he was simply following the orders he was given, and she told him had forgiven him. But she still had a lingering anger toward the changeling. An anger that only increased the closer that the changeling was to her sister-in-law. But, she could tell that they had feelings for each other, she was the Princess of Love after all. Them even closer than Cadence could ever have guessed. Even though she didn't like the idea of Twilight dating a changeling, especially that had a hoof in her kidnapping, she still understood that it was Twilight's life and it was her decision on who she wanted to date. Even if that creature wasn't one that Cadence approved of.
The rest of Twilight's friends were all in different stages of going back to sleep. Applejack and Rarity both having fallen back asleep in a dark corner of the room not long after Sunset had disappeared into the mirror and parts unknown. Fluttershy was helping mend Rainbow's right wing while the cyan pegasus drifted in and out of alertness. Pinkie seemed to still have all of her energy as she laid down near where Applejack and Rarity were sleeping and hopped down next to them. Pinkie's movements didn't seem to disturb Applejack's nor Rarity's slumber. Pinkie announcing to the world as she got into a comfortable position. "I think I can stay up the rest of the night!" Pinkie exclaimed as she then passed out of exhaustion that seemed to appear out of nowhere next to her other sleeping friends.
Celestia couldn't help but laugh at the pink ponies antics. The white alicorn's laughter catching the attention of Fluttershy. Fluttershy stopping her care for Rainbow's wings and hoping to bow to the three royals. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence, it is... um... a pleasure to see the three of you again." Fluttershy catching the attention of everyone else in the room.
Rainbow followed the example of Fluttershy as she also raised and bowed to the three royals. The two pegasi' movement catching the attention of the rest as Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack all awoke from their nap and did the same showing of respect that the others were doing. The only one of ponies in the room that seemed not to notice the entrance of the three royals was Twilight, her continuing to stare directly into the circling vortex of the mirror.
Twilight's mind was finally brought back to reality when she was lightly tapped on the shoulder by Zulu. "What is it, Zulu?" Twilight asked the changeling, taking her eyes off the magic mirror for the first time in minutes.
"Look." Zulu said to the purple alicorn, pointing his hoof at the opened door. Twilight followed his hoof and her eyes widened as she saw Princess Celestia. Twilight then hopped up to her hooves and gave each of them a small bow out of habit of her own.
"It is a pleasure to see the rest of you as while, even though I wished that we would be meeting on better matters." Celestia said, addressing the entire room.
"Princess Celestia, I don't want to be the one to address the elephant in the room. But... who was that, and why did she steal Twilight's crown?" Zulu asked Celestia in the politest way that he could. King or not he was still technically a guest in a foreign country after all.
"Yes, of course, you should all know of the pony who stole Twilight crown." Celestia said, her words physically hurting her as she remembered the complicated past that she had with her former student Sunset Shimmer. "Join me in the throne room of the castle and I will explain everything." Celestia said as exited to the room, her younger sister and niece not far behind her.
About ten minutes later Twilight, her friends, Zulu, Theta, and Alpha all met the other three princesses in the throne room of the crystal castle. The three other princess were sitting at the end of the room on top a crystal throne. Cadence sitting in the middle with the other two princesses at her right and life sides (Luna right and Celestia left).
"Now that you are here. I can begin to explain what happened last night in more detail." Celestia said from her throne. Twilight stepping forward to speak to her former mentor.
"Yes Celestia, now would mind informing us on who it was that stole my crown while I sleeping and where they had taken my crown too?" Twilight asked Celestia. The white alicorn letting out a sigh as she answered Twilight's question.
"Yes, of course, her name is Sunset Shimmer. She was a former student of mine." Celestia said, Twilight's eyes widening. She had always thought that she was Celestia's only student or at least, the only student of Celestia during her lifetime. "She was a powerful unicorn when she was my student, even being able to rival you Twilight." Celestia continued, Twilight becoming more aware of how much of a threat this Sunset Shimmer really was to her. "But when she did not get what she wanted as quickly as she liked, she turned cruel and dishonest. I tried to help her, but she eventually decided to abandon her studies and pursue her own path. One that has sadly led to her stealing your crown." Celestia said stepping down from the throne and trotting closer to Twilight.
"She replaced Twilight's crown with this one." Zulu said to Celestia, him still at Twilight's side, holding up the fake crown from Sunset in his green magic.
"I suppose Sunset Shimmer thought you wouldn't notice right away that this was not yours. And by the time you did, it would be too late to go after your crown and Element of Harmony." Celestia said to Twilight as she examined the fake crown. Her beginning to trot out of the room.
"But I don't understand. Where did she go? Why did she take the crown?" Twilight asked the larger alicorn, following her out of the room.
"You'll soon know more about this place than even I do." Celestia said to Twilight as she led everyone back to the room that contained the magic mirror.
Back inside the room that had the magic mirror, the three princesses began to explain the true nature of the magic mirror. "This is no ordinary mirror. It is a gateway to another world. A gateway that opens once every thirty moons." Luna said explaining the true nature of the mirror to everyone.
"Sparkly!" Pinkie said happily as she touched the mirror's surface with her pink hoof. The mirror warping at the touch of the pink mare. Luna's face dropped into a frown as she used her dark blue magic to move Pinkie away from the mirror.
"It has always been kept in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. But when Princess Cadance took over the Crystal Empire, we sent it here for her to watch over. Good thing to given what ended up happening to Canterlot." Luna said, a noticeable snort coming from both Alpha and Theta at the mention of the destruction of Canterlot.
"I had always hoped that Sunset Shimmer would someday use it to return, to come back to Equestria seeking my guidance. Obviously, this is not what has happened." Celestia said with a sigh as she remembered her falling out with Sunset Shimmer.
"Twilight, you must use the mirror to go into this other world and retrieve your crown. Without it, the other Elements of Harmony have no power and Equestria is left without one of its most important means of defense." Cadence said to Twilight, giving her another mission.
"Why Twilight, why don't you idiots go through the portal and clean up the mess that would've never happened if you had just kept the mirror guarded at all times, especially whenever it was active." Zulu internally vented as the other three princesses were volunteering his marefriend into going to a world that could be many horrors that the princesses don't even know of.
"Your crown does not belong in the place Sunset Shimmer now calls home. And in her possession, your Element of Harmony will no doubt be used to bring harm to the inhabitants of this other realm. They will not have the power to defend themselves." Luna said, adding to Cadence's statement.
"You understand the importance of your task?" Celestia asked Twilight, her stepping closer to the mirror.
"Of course." Twilight said agreeing to her new mission.
"Good. Then you must go at once." Celestia said.
Twilight let out a sigh and began to approach the mirror to parts unknown. Her being stopped when Zulu put his hoof in front of her. "No, if she going. Then I'm coming with her."
"I agree, where Twilight goes. We all go." Rainbow said speaking for the rest of her friends.
"Oh my goodness! We're gonna go to another world! I'm so nervicited!" Pinkie exclaimed as she jumped for joy.
"You know that's not a real word, right?" Applejack said to Pinkie as she squealed in delight.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you go." Celestia said, Zulu irritation of the white alicorn growing.
"What, why not?!" Rainbow asked Celestia with a stomp of her hoof.
"Sending all of you will upset the balance of this alternate world, creating havoc that would make it impossible for Twilight to get the crown back from Sunset Shimmer. No, this is a mission that Twilight must do alone." Celestia said, all of Twilight's friends' faces dropping. While Zulu angry frown only increased.
"While I'm going with her and nothing you say can stop me." Zulu said trotting to Twilight's side and taking her hoof in his.
"Zulu, I'll be fine. You don't need to come with me." Twilight whispered to Zulu with a small blush on her face.
"I know, but I don't trust Celestia's way of handling problems that happen in Equestria." Zulu whispered, sending a silent glare the white alicorn's way.
"Celestia isn't all bad, sure she had her own ways of dealing with issues..." Twilight whispered to Zulu, a thought coming to his head. "Or have you deal with the problems." "but at least she cares." Twilight finished, another thought to come to Zulu. "Does she Twi, does she really care what happens to you or even greater, does she really care about what happens to all of Equestria."
The inclusion of Zulu to go with Twilight through the strange mirror portal lead the gears in Alpha's brain to start turning. As an idea formed in his mind he spoke to Theta.
"Theta, I want you to go with Twilight and Zulu." Alpha said, taking everyone by surprise.
"Really, you want me to go through that thing." Theta said, pointing at the magic mirror.
"Yes, I believe that it will be most active to have a representative from all the nations that are presented today to go searching for the lost Element of Harmony." Alpha said, putting Theta into deep thought.
It didn't take long for Theta to make up his mind. Him letting out a sigh as he spoke to his mentor. "Screw it, why not. Going to another world might be fun." Theta said as he took a spot to Twilight left side, Zulu to her right and their hooves still locked.
"Very well if that is all. Time is of the essence. On the third day, when the moon reaches its peak in the night sky, the gateway will close. And once it does, it will be another thirty moons before you will be able to use it to return." Luna said as she used her magic to show what would happen if they were unable to stop Sunset. "Do you understand?" Luna asked as she finished explaining.
"Yes." Twilight, Theta, and Zulu all said as one.
"Good, now go. You all have a lot to do and not much time to do it." Luna said as she stepped away from the mirror.
"Be careful Twilight." Fluttershy said to Twilight as the three began to approach the mirror. "We all have complete faith that you will be able to pull this off." Rarity said as Twilight and Zulu stood in front of the mirror.
"Well... mares first." Zulu said breaking the physical connection between them. Twilight sending the changeling a playful glare.
"I'll be right behind the both of you." Theta said as Twilight touched the mirror with her hoof.
"Alright, I'll see you on the other side." Twilight said as she stepped through the portal, her being quickly followed by Zulu. Theta being not that far behind the others. Unaware the rest Spike was biting his claws in anxiety.
"Spike no!" Twilight's friends all shouted as he made a beeline for the portal. Him following Twilight, Zulu, and Theta to parts unknown.
"So know what?" Rainbow thought out loud.
"We wait, it's the only thing that we can do." Celestia said as she began to leave the room.
Twilight slowly began to open her eyes as she landed in the new world. Her landing on so kind of hard surface, her thinking that it was some kind of sidewalk. "Ugh... my head." Twilight groaned.
"Uh, Twilight?" Twilight heard Spike say, his words taking her by surprise.
"Huh? Spike! You're not supposed to– Spike? Are you a... dog?" Twilight said as she opened her eyes to see a small purple dog with a green underbelly with Spike's words coming out of its mouth.
"I... think so. But I have no idea what you are!" Spike said as he looked the new version of himself over. Twilight looked down to see two five-fingered hands in front of her face. Twilight wearing a light blue blouse with a purple skirt with the design of her cutie mark being embroiled into the skirt. Twilight was also wearing a pair of purple and pink boots. Twilight getting hit a rush of anxiety and let out a high pitched scream.
Once Twilight's scream was over she heard another familiar voice call out. "By the darkness, Twilight! Did you really need to scream." Twilight heard someone else say, it was Zulu.
"Zulu, where are you?" Twilight said not seeing the changeling anywhere.
"Right in front of you, Twi." Zulu said and Twilight drifted eyes upward. Her breath being taken away when she saw the new him.
"Zulu... is that you?" Twilight asked the... whatever he was that had Zulu's voice coming out of. The whatever it is was a tall being standing on two legs and wearing all black. Him wearing black jeans with black leather boots, a black leather jacket with a green shirt underneath. This new version of Zulu wearing a pair of black leather gloves and black sunglasses with lenses that were slightly tinted green over his eyes. Twilight hoping that his gorgeous green eyes had survived the trip. His hair being jet black and spiky. Most might have seen him as scary, but not Twilight. She thought that he looked sexy.
"I guess so." Zulu said he removed his sunglasses and placed them on top of his head. Twilight's wishes being confirmed as she stared into his beautiful green eyes. "Come on we need to find Theta." He said as he offered his gloved hand to Twilight. Twilight accepted the hand as he helped pull up to her feet. Twilight only to nearly faceplant as she wasn't familiar with walking on two legs.
"Wow Twi, are you ok?" Zulu said as he caught Twilight falling forward.
"Yeah, I'm alright." She said as she steadied her feet. "Ok, let's find Theta. With the both of us being whatever we are and Spike being a small purple dog. I have no idea what he would've been turned into." Twilight said to Zulu, the voice of Theta breaking the silence of the light fall breeze.
"You don't have to look that far." Theta said, the source of his voice currently unknown.
"Theta, where are you? We can't help you if you don't show yourself." Twilight said searching in every direction for anything that could be Theta.
Theta let out a sigh as he spoke. "Ok, I'm coming out just whatever you do, don't laugh." Theta said, Twilight realizing that his voice was coming from behind the statue of a horse.
"Sure, whatever you say Theta." Zulu said, him a little confused as to why we would tell them not laugh at them.
"Ok, I'm coming out." Theta said as he stepped out from around the statue. Twilight's face lit up and she went 'daw' as she saw Theta for the first time. Theta having been turned into a dog like Spike, but him being very different than Spike. Theta was much larger than Spike with him going up to the knee of Twilight and Zulu. His coat was a white with shades of a silver/gray on his underbelly and face to make look like he was wearing a mask. His fury tail being held underneath his belly. His green eyes stayed with his as he stared up at his two changed friends. Theta always pointed up in the air ears dropped down as he stared at the concrete sidewalk.
"I know, I look stupid." Theta said in a defeated tone.
"Oh Theta, I don't think you look stupid. I think you are cute." Twilight said as she cupped her hands around Theta's neck and brought him into a tight hug, she then began to scratch the large dog/dragon's left ear which Theta began to involuntarily kick his hind leg in excitement. "Does that feel good?" Twilight asked as she continued to scratch his left ear.
"Yeah, though I still like being bigger than you guys. I could get used to this." Theta said as he dropped down onto his belly and Twilight began to scratch it.
"Sorry to break up the moment, but we still have a mission to do." Zulu said being Twilight and Theta back to the problem at hand.
"Right, so where should we start?" Twilight asked as she rose to her full height.
"Think we should split up. You and Spike can search the confines of whatever this large building is." Zulu said to Twilight as he pointed at a large building made out of a magenta painted brick that was in front of them. The building having white steps that lead to a glass door that marked the entrance to the building. "While Theta check the surroundings areas." Zulu suggested, Twilight nodding her head in agreement.
"Ok, Spike and I will check out the castle while you and Theta check out the surrounding area." Twilight as she began to walk toward the large building, Spike at her side.
"Copy that, We'll meet back up here around 2:00." Zulu said as she looked at a watch on his right hand, Zulu assuming that was what his warp blade had turned into when he went through the portal.
"Alright, have fun." Twilight as she started to run toward the large building. Spike having to completely sprint just to keep up with her.
"Ok, where do you want to start Theta?" Zulu asked the white dog that used to be a dragon.
"I don't know..." Theta began to say as he sniffed the air. "But, I'd like to have what that is that I'm smelling." Theta said as he began to follow his nose down the sidewalk.
"Following your nose it is. I wouldn't mind having something to eat anyway." Zulu said as he put his sunglasses back over his eyes and began to follow Theta wherever his nose was taking him.
"Ok, let's do this Spike." Twilight said as she was standing in front of the door that led into the building. "Hmm..." Twilight grunted as she went into deep focus, her trying to use her magic to open the door for her. "Huh, my magic it isn't working." Twilight said looking down at Spike.
"Well, you have your horn." Spike said not seeing Twilight signature horn sticking out of her head.
"What!?" Twilight exclaimed as she touched the top of her head to see if Spike was correct, Twilight not feeling anything on the top of her head other than dark purple hair with light purple and pink highlights.
"Ugh... we really need to find you a mirror." Spike said as he pushed the door open with his paw. Twilight following after the small dog into the building.
Twilight and Spike both entered the strange building and walked over toward a case filled with gold trophies inside of it. "What do ya think, Spike? Other artifacts she's stolen from Equestria?" Twilight said as she studied the gold objects inside the glass case. "What am I?" Twilight gasped as she got a full body look at herself for the first time.
There was then a ringing of a bell overhead and the halls of the building were filled with dozens of teenagers that Twilight couldn't recognize, but still seemed oddly familiar. Twilight was caught up in the crowd and did her best to get out of it. The only way being her having to get down on her hand and knees and crawling out. Twilight just getting out of the crowd and rolling, her accidently hitting a teenaged male that was standing next to a metal locker.
"Huh? Oof!" Twilight grunted as she hit the leg of the teenager.
"Whoa." The boy said, him being a blue-haired and orange skinned boy wearing a black jacket with a white shirt underneath and blue pants. Him helping Twilight off of the guard. "You okay?" He asked as he helped Twilight to her feet. Twilight giving a silent nod.
"I don't think this is a castle." Spike said to Twilight as the boy walked away with several books being held in his left hand.
Twilight then began to search through the halls of the building. Twilight coming to learn that the building wasn't a castle at all, but some kind of school for the people in this different world. Despite the world being very different than Equestria, Twilight couldn't stop herself from feeling like this place was strangely familiar. This no more so than when Twilight and Spike were almost run over by a purple girl riding a scooter. The girl bearing a striking similarity to Scootaloo. The similarity only enforced when the when two other girls chased after the girl on the scooter. The two other girls looking like Rarity and Applejack's little sister's, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.
"Spike, is it just me or is this place feeling kind of... familiar?" Twilight asked Spike as the pair continued to search the school.
"I don't know, Twi. Maybe, I guess." Spike said as he continued to follow Twilight.
"Oh, I'm really sorry. I-I just found it, and-and I thought I should give it to her. I didn't know you had dropped it." Twilight a girl with a soft voice that heard strangely familiar.
"Do you hear that, Spike?" Twilight asked the purple dog. Spike giving her a quick head nod. "It sounds like that girl's in trouble." Twilight as she rounded the corner to see a yellow-skinned girl with flowing pink hair being bullied by another girl with a head of hair that made it look like she was on fire. The girl that was being bullied wearing a white shirt, a lime green skirt with butterflies on it, and a pair of boots in the same color as her skirt. The girl that was bullying her wearing a black leather jacket with a magenta colored shirt underneath and an orange skirt with a matching pair of black and magenta cowboy boots.
"Well, I did! And I was about to get it before you swooped in and ruined everything! You shouldn't pick up things that don't belong to you." The girl with the hair of fire shouted at the yellow-skinned girl.
"It... doesn't really belong to you, either." The other girl said underneath her breath.
"Excuse me?!" The bully shouted as she hit the lockers that she was pinning the other girl up against.
"N-n-nothing..." The poor girl whimpered as she shrank underneath the glare of the other girl.
"That's what I thought. It's as good as mine, and you know it. You really are pathetic. It's no wonder your best friends are all stray animals." The bully said down to Fluttershy as she hid underneath her hands. Spike growling that the girl with the head of fire.
"How dare you speak to her that way!" Twilight shouted at the bully as she stepped out from the lockers that she was watching from and confronting the girl with a head of fire.
"What did you say?" The bully said as she shifted her attention away from the poor girl and onto Twilight.
"I said! How dare you speak to her that way!" Twilight repeated herself as she walked over to the girl with the head of fire and stared her down. A smug appearing on the other girl's face as she began to laugh.
"Huh, you must be new here." The bully said as she began to walk away. "I can talk to anyone anyway I want. "I speak to anyone, anyway, I want." She said as she continued to walk down the hall like she owned.
Twilight sent the girl a glare before turning her attention to the girl that was being bullied. "Are you ok?" Twilight asked as she helped the poor girl to her feet.
"I can't believe you did that." She said once Twilight had helped her to her feet.
"Well, I couldn't just stand there." Twilight said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Well, it's just that nobody ever stands up to Sunset Shimmer." The other girl said.
"Sunset Shimmer!?" Twilight gasped as she whipped her head around to see the girl with the head of fire turn the corner down another hall.
"You've heard of her?" The other asked.
"Sort of..." Twilight said as she shifted her attention back to the girl that was being bullied.
"I don't think I've seen you around before. Did you just transfer to Canterlot High from another school?" The girl asked and Twilight began to learn a little bit more of what kind of world she had walked into.
"Um... yes! Another... heh, school! My name's Twilight." Twilight said introducing herself to the girl.
"I'm... Fluttershy." She whispered at a level that was barely audible.
"Sorry, what was that?" Twilight asked as she cupped her hand around her ear to hear her better.
"It's Fluttershy!" She said even quieter than before.
"It sounds like you're saying Fluttershy, but how can that...?" Twilight began to say, her being interrupted and almost run over when Fluttershy saw her purple dog companion.
"Oh, my goodness!" Fluttershy exclaimed and her eyes widened when she saw Spike. "Who's this sweet little guy?" Fluttershy asked Twilight as got down on her knees and cuddled with the small purple dog. Twilight and Spike getting a strange sense of deja vu.
"That's Spike! My, uh... dog!" Twilight said as Fluttershy continued to be fascinated by the purple dog. A thought coming to Twilight head as she watched this world's version of Fluttershy. "I wonder what would happen if she saw Theta."
"Oh, he's so cute! Go on, eat up, little pup!" Fluttershy squealed as she offered a doggie treat to Spike. Spike was hesitant at first, but after he took a small bite of the treat he was convinced and ate the rest of the treat in record timing.
"Oh, wouldn't ya just give anything to know what they're really thinking?" Fluttershy sighed her in complete bliss around the small dog.
"He usually just tells me." Twilight said, a look of confusion
"Oh, w-what do you mean?" Fluttershy asked Twilight. Spike noticed Twilight mistake and bailed her out with a single bark.
"Oh, uh, nothing!" Twilight said laughing off her previous comment as she quickly changed the subject back to the reason that she was in this alternate dimension. "Never mind. Sunset Shimmer said you picked something up. Something that belonged to her. It wasn't a crown, was it?" Twilight asked Fluttershy, the other girl raising to her feet.
"How did you know?" Fluttershy asked.
"Uh, lucky guess? Do you still have it?" Twilight asked with a happy face. Her face dropping when Fluttershy shook her head no.
"But you know what happened to it." Twilight asked her face returning to a happy expression. Fluttershy giving a single head nod.
"This morning, I was passing out flyers for the animal shelter like I do every Wednesday." Fluttershy said as she told the story of how she found Twilight's crown. The crown having seemly appeared out nowhere and hitting her in the back of the head as she was sitting next to the statue in front of the school. A statue that also happened to be this world's portal to Equestria.
"I have no idea how it got there. But I didn't want anything to happen to it, so I decided to give it to Principal Celestia." Fluttershy said to Twilight, a look of confusion appearing on Twilight's face at the mention of 'Principal Celestia'.
"Principal Celestia? She's the ruler here?" Twilight asked Fluttershy.
"You could say that. Technically, I guess she and Vice Principal Luna do make the rules." Fluttershy said.
"Where is she now?" Twilight asked, her beginning to get somewhere in her search for the crown.
"Probably in her office." Fluttershy said and Spike and Twilight both took off in different directions looking for the principal's office. Them both walking back to Fluttershy when they realized that they didn't know where they were going. "Third door on your left." Fluttershy said pointing Twilight in the right direction.
"Thank you!" Twilight said as she took off again to find the principal.
"Oh, wait! You're not really supposed to have pets on school grounds. Might wanna tuck him into your backpack. That's what I do." Fluttershy called out to Twilight as she placed her backpack on the tile floor of the school. A white cat and a bird coming out of it. "They just get so lonely when I'm in school all day." Fluttershy said as she played with her , okay! Thank you!
"Oh, okay! Thank you!" Twilight as she followed her new friend's, or was she an old friend Twilight couldn't tell, advice and tucking Spike into the largest pocket of her purple backpack.
There was another of a bell overhead as Fluttershy jumped up to full height as her eyes widened at the sound. "Oh, no! I'm late for class!" Fluttershy gasped as she rounded up her animals, waved goodbye to Twilight, and started running off to her classes. Twilight gave
"Huh, this might be easier than I thought. I hope Zulu and Theta are having the same success that we are." Twilight thought as she walked toward the principal's office. Her completely unaware that her mission to get her crown back would become far more difficult than she could ever have thought.
Back with Zulu and Theta, the changeling turned human continued to follow the dragon turned husky through the streets of the city. "Theta, are you sure you know where you're going?" Zulu asked as he continued to follow the white dog through the streets of the new city.
"Do you want the honest answer or the bullshit answer that I can come up with in a few seconds." Theta said as he took a left down another street. They all look the same to him, contrary to popular belief he could see in color but he had seemed to lose the ability to see the different shades of red and green. Him only able to see the different shades of yellows and blues.
"I would prefer the honest answer, but if your bullshit answer is good then I'll take it." Zulu said with a small laugh as he continued to follow the white dog.
"Well... honestly I don't know where I am going, but I am still to smell something good so I will continue to follow that smell until I find where it comes from." Theta said as he continued to follow his nose. The smell continuing to grow stronger.
"Whatever Theta, are you close because I don't know about you but I'm hungry." Zulu said to Theta him continuing to follow the white dog as he turned down another street.
"I think so." Theta said, his eyes widening as he found the location where the beautiful smells were coming from. The smells coming from a large diner at the end of the street that they were currently on. The diner going by the name of Derpy's.
"Huh... Derpy's." Zulu said as he stood in front of the large diner, a large sign showing the name of the diner in bold letters. The sign shaped like a big muffin with the apostrophe in 'Derpy's" being in the form of seven silver bubbles. "Are you sure this is where you nose lead you?" Zulu asked Theta, who sitting on his rump and shaking his furry tail back and forth. Him beginning to pant in excitement and hunger. "I'll take that as a yes." Zulu said to himself as he saw the white dog's reaction.
Zulu took off his sunglasses and placed them on top of his head as he entered the diner Theta not being far behind him, a bell on the door signaling his entry to a girl wearing a standard apron over her clothes that was standing behind the counter in the center of the diner. The girl being a gray-skinned teenager that looked about Zulu's age with blonde hair and yellow eyes that seemed to look in different directions.
"Hello, and welcome to Derpy's. Please take a seat at any open booth, a waitress will be with you shortly." The girl said to Zulu, him giving her a single head nod as he took a seat in an empty booth. The booth being the second one in the diner. There only being two other people seating in the first booth inside the diner. "It must be before most people have lunch." Zulu thought as he sat down in the booth, Theta taking a seat next to Zulu's leg as the waitress approached. The waitress being another teenage girl with a light purple skin and blonde hair. The girl looking a year or two younger than Zulu.
"Hello, my name is Dinky and I will be your server today." The waitress said as she gave Zulu the menu for the diner and placed down a glass filled with water.
"Thank you, I hope that the dog isn't that big of a problem." Zulu said to the waitress looking down at Theta, who was happily sitting next to Zulu.
"Of course not, we have always allowed dogs inside the diner. Especially one as cute as this one." She said as patted Theta on the head.
"Yeah, I could definitely get used to this." Theta thought as the waitress turned her attention back to Zulu.
"So, what would you like to start out with, sir?" She asked as she took on a pen and paper to write down Zulu's order.
"The name's Zulu, and I think I would like a..." Zulu began to look through the menu, him stopping once his eyes fell upon a delicious looking cheese and bacon burger. "I will have the Bacon and Cheese Burger, please." Zulu said to the waitress, her writing down his order on her piece of paper.
"Will that be all?" She asked just Theta began to whimper. Theta usually didn't like to look weak in front of others, but it got him food then so be it.
Zulu let out a small chuckle as he looked at the whimpering face of Theta and said to the waitress. "And could get me a few slices of cook bacon and sausage for Theta here." He said, the waitress writing the rest of his order.
"Ok, would that be all for you?" She asked.
"I believe so." Zulu said as he patted Theta on the top of the head.
"Ok, I'll be back in few moments with your order." She said as she walked off to give Zulu's order.
"Thank you." Zulu said as he took a sip from the glass of water in front of him. His gaze falling onto Theta who looked like he was having the time of his life. "You're having way too much fun with this, aren't you?" Zulu asked Theta, the white dog giving him a look that said 'maybe'. Zulu chuckling as the waitress returned with a black tray that contained his order.
"Ok, a single Bacon and Cheese Burger with a side of bacon and sausage. Is that correct?" The waitress said as she placed the tray on the table that the booth that the table that the booth was attached to.
"Yes, thank you." Zulu said as he took a bite out of his burger, it tasting just as good as he had expected.
"Great, I will be back with the check in a few minutes." She said walking away. Zulu giving her a single head nod as he took another bite of his burger. Theta whimpering returning when he wasn't getting any of the food.
Zulu let out a chuckle and looked down at the whimpering dog. "You know you're not really my dog. I don't need to feed you." Zulu said and got a disapproving bark from Theta in response. "Alright, here go bud." Zulu chuckled as he threw a strip of bacon at Theta. The white dog catching the bacon with his mouth and eating it in about a second. Zulu let out another chuckle as he tossed the rest of the bacon and sausage into the white husky's mouth.
"There, do you feel better now?" Zulu asked when he finished feeding the dragon turned husky. Theta giving him a single head nod and laid down next to Zulu's neck. Zulu returning to eating the rest of his half-eaten burger.
Zulu's eating came to a halt when the bell on the door of the diner ringed, signaling that someone had entered. Zulu and Theta both turned their heads to see who had entered. The people being three girls all wearing hoodies of different colors, one being purple, another a magenta color, and the last being green. Zulu couldn't see any of the girl's face as they all had their hoods up. Zulu and Theta follow their movements as they sat down in the furthermost booth in the diner. The both of them getting a strange uneasiness the moment the trio had entered the diner. An uneasiness that only increased once the trio began to hum a harmonic tone in perfect sequence.
"I guess that's our cue to leave." Zulu whispered to Theta as he finished his burger and called over the waitress that had his check. Zulu paid for his meal with money from a wallet that seemed to be created when he walked through the portal to Equestria, even giving the waitress a decent tip.
Before Zulu and Theta left the diner he asked the waitress about the three hooded girls. "Hey, who actually are those three girls?" Zulu asked the waitress, her shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't know, they come in every day during lunch and dinner, but they never order anything. I don't even know their names." She said as she returned to her duties.
"Hmm... interesting." Zulu said as he exited the diner, Theta being not far behind.
Zulu and Theta exited the diner and began to walk back toward the school. Zulu putting his sunglasses back over his eyes as he walked down the sidewalk. Theta's movements coming to a halt when something caught his eye. Theta gaze falling on a black husky with red eyes that was standing on the sidewalk across the street from the diner. The husky being looking almost identical to Theta, minus the fur and eye color. Theta also noticing a red gem of some kind that was connected the black collar of the dog. The two dogs' eyes met and they stared at each other for a few brief seconds. Theta could've sworn that he saw a devilish smile appear on the dog's face as it began to walk down a dark alley and disappearing into the blackness.
"What are you looking at?" Zulu asked when he noticed that Theta had stopped following him.
"What... oh um... nothing. I just thought that I saw something familiar." Theta said as he began to start walking down the sidewalk again.
"Familiar?" Zulu said as he followed after the white husky.
"It's nothing, my mind was probably just planning tricks on me." Theta said as he began to walk a little faster. Him not wanting to believe that this world its own version of him.
"Whatever you say, Theta." Zulu said, him noticing for the first time the three scars that were on his neck. Zulu continuing to follow the white husky back to the school where Twilight and Spike were located them both completely unaware that they would see that black husky again, and they would very soon.