Celestia frowned, Luna scowled and repeated the motions a few more times, slowly quickening their movements and incantations before fanning their wings out in a glorious spectacle of lights and colors.

The scene remained unchanged, save for the ridiculousness of their posture.

Twilight decided that something was wrong.

"Is something wrong?" she asked politely.

"We seem to have encountered...problems." Answered Celestia.

"Tis not working," Luna's frown seemed to deepen.

"Are you sure you're doing it right?"

"Of course we are sure, we are as sure was we have been the last hundred times we've performed the incantation!"

Luna was starting to sound annoyed.

"Can you..."

"Twilight dear, please do save your questions and allow us the chance to resolve our current predicament." Celestia gave Luna a semi disapproving stare as the younger added, "Yes do shut up and allow us to think!"

With a huff the lunar princess sat down, quickly mirrored by her sister, both deep in thought, horns aglow as they seemed to test the air around them and each other.

"Perhaps sun and moon are in conflict in this realm?"

"Hardly, we would have felt such disharmony earlier."

A dark indigo hoof began tracing patterns in the air as the alicorn muttered to herself darkly. The elder sister seemed to mimic her, tracing counter circles, save for the muttering. Twilight was at a loss, wondering if this was another form of complex incantations or merely a practice of deep thought, but then figured it was wise not to voice such thoughts. Wisely she chose instead to organize her mind, filing what she currently knew and building better and stronger theories.

She wasn't sure if Celestia and Luna could really be considered a threat to her or perhaps they were the only means of salvation from a bigger threat. Celestia seemed to exert a calming presence of warmth and care, something Twilight quickly accepted, whilst her sister the lunar princess expelled a cold aura which spoke of the night which she seemed to claim presence over. Of course by this time Twilight was sure that they were kidding about the previous comments of bodily harm, but it is something one wants to be sure of. One thing she had quickly learned, was that there was more to magic than she had learned about in her many years under Star Swirl.

"Oh no...oh no he did not." It was Celestia who reacted first, her body quickly taking on those semi demonic looking traits of fire quickly tossing such safe notions of care and warmth from Twilight's previous thoughts.

Celestia was quickly upon her hooves, glaring at Star Swirl whilst Luna looked upon her with a modicum of confusion.

"That ill-begot son of a wombat!" her horned glowed, gripping the dearly departed and shaking his body violently, comically it rung with the tiny bells that were stitched throughout his clothes.

"What's a wombat?" Twilight asked, immediately regretting it as images of horrific beings of outer planes came to mind, so horrifying that she didn't truly want details. Luna of course was not in the mood to offer such an answer as she watched her elder sister continue to shake the poor stallions body.

"We are unamused at this play of comedy."

"Princesses? I...I don't..."

Twilight froze as the two princesses turned to face her suddenly. Celestia's rants and Luna's mutterings having suddenly stopped as they leveled their gaze to meet hers. Reflexively she shrank back before realizing the snarl both sisters had adopted were replaced with a discomforting smile. She found she liked it better when the two we're raving.

"My dear, dear Twilight Sparkle," Celestia purred. "I apologize, for both my sister and I, as we have not been clear to you."

"Indeed, our haste to venture out to right what must be righted, had outweighed the care for one of such stature as yourself." Agreed Luna.

Twilight felt a sense of unease and dread grow within her. She was not used to others being so nice to her, especially demons.

"Oh...um that's okay, I was...was just wondering."

"Oh do let us speak, please!" Luna waved any thoughts Twilight voiced away. "As you should know, Tia, and myself, were friends of dear old Star Swirl. He was a friend and a drinking partner. Of course things began with a simple joke."

"Yes, a joke indeed." Celestia continued, "Having a few too many mugs of hard cider and moonshine, he had quickly left, stiffing us with the bill. Of course, you know it meant war, so the next time I had called upon him for our regular demon summons, I did so over a rather murky lake and of course he had to do his entire demon act up to his flanks in water. He got even by."

To the sisters, images of pink tutu's and clown makeup would quickly pass between them, unbeknownst to the young unicorn before them.

"Tis not worth continuing, we believe thee to get the gist of our meaning." Luna scowled at Star Swirl, "Glossing the details, it was childish but habitual that we would continue our pranks upon each other, putting each other in the most awkward, and embarrassing situations for the entertainment of it all."

"Generally quite harmless, we can a sure you of that." Added Celestia. "Of course now, The frog kisser has gone to far, wouldn't you agree."

Celestia smiled, pearly whites shining at Twilight, Luna did so as well, hers including some rather sharp canines. Twilight of course not being particularly stupid, felt the need to agree, but not knowing exactly what was going on, felt it rather difficult to do so.

"I still don't know what's going on."

"What's going on, is that this mucking pile of pond scum has gone and taken a majority of our powers away!" spat Celestia, Star Swirls body was ringing again with her telekinetic grasp.

"And seems to have locked our ability to enter our home realms." Finished Luna.

"Wha?"

"We are locked from our full capabilities you foal!" she roared, the whole of the world shook with each syllable. "Blocked, neither sun nor moon can hear us, touch us, and benefit us. Without our contact to our home, we cannot remove this foalish prank that he has placed upon us, a prank that he in his vast knowledge knows how to remove, a removal which he has forthwith given the right to abscond for he has joined the choir invisible! He has chosen to be a gardener of daisies from which his body shall nourish! He's stiff, bereft of life! He is dead! Do you understand us you twit!"

From the unicorn shaped hole in the wall, a purple hoof waved dizzily into the air assuring Princess Luna that Twilight had most definitely heard, and accepted her reasoning.

Twilight of course had made her mind up, savior or not, she wanted them to both be gone and away from her.

"Well...if there is anything I can do." She pulled her self back into the hut, shaking her head of the swirling stars that seemed to have taken orbit around her.

"Oh Luna is most sorry my little pony." Luna gently tugged Twilight closer to them, placing a friendly hoof upon her shoulder. "You can most certainly help us!"

Twilight suddenly felt that instinctual urge to run, run and never look back. Of course that hoof was awfully firm, and the appearance of a pristine white feathery wing along with a nearly matching indigo wing seemed to close off any escape route. Feinting began to look pretty good.

"My Twilight, our Twilight, dearest Twilight," Celestia buttered on with pleasant purrs, "Do fire up that wonderful brazier, and cleanse us of that filthy spell. Surely dear Star Swirl would share such a lesson with you, would he not? We could then go our separate ways and"

"I...I can't do it."

"Look you," Luna's face was now uncomfortably close to Twilight's. "We shall grant thee a boon, protection. Call you a cherished friend!"

"That's not it."

"What dost though want from us! Blood?" It was Celestia's turn to expel clearly and loudly. "I f you are trying to hold us up..."

"I'm not! Twilight interrupted with a desperate shout. "I can't do it because I can't do it! I don't know how!"

That stopped them.

"Tia, I fear we have a problem then. Twilight, why not just open a portal for us then."

"Clever Luna! Surely someone at home can rid us of this nuisance."

"I can't." Squeaked Twilight. "Remember, I didn't even know what a dimension was till you both told me."

"Well...what can you do?"

"I can levitate objects...er small ones."

"And?" Celestia encouraged.

"Light a candle, er almost."

"You're joking, you're joking right?"

"Er...I blew up my school with a magical surge?"

They both slumped back, landing upon think cushions that Twilight was sure wasn't there a moment before.

"Have you anything to drink?" asked Luna.

"I'll get you some water!"

"We said something to drink, not something to wash our face in!"

"Oh!"

Twilight hastened to bring her a goblet of wine from the hidden liquor stash that was buried within the wall of the house, hoping that the lunar princess wouldn't notice the vessels lack of cleanliness.

"What will this do? Will it bring your powers back?"

"No...It will only help to alleviate this gnawing headache." She glared at the goblet, studying it disdainfully. "Tis a small goblet, unworthy of sating our needs. Is there not a larger vessel?"

Casting her eyes about the room, Twilight was at a loss, but Luna seemed to already be ahead of her.

Luna rose from her cushion, trotting towards the pentagram and with a glow of her horn, collected the large brazier.

"Er...the brazier...its heavy."

Luna released her magical grip upon it and held it aloft in her fore hooves like it was paper.

"It still has Star Swirls potions..."

Luna emptied the bottles contents into the brazier.

"But the mixture might..."

Luna took a deep and rather throaty draught.

Twilight felt a little queasy.

"Ah, that does us most graciously, Star Swirl always had a keen sense of taste with wines." Luna smacked her lips.

"Sister, it does seem that fate has granted Twilight the convenience of our presence for better or worse." Celestia finally rose from her own cushion, casting it away with a nod of her head. "Tis not ideal, but it is the cards which we have been dealt, and thus must play. We must bite the proverbial bullet. You do know what cards are do you not child?"

"Yes, and I'm not a child!"

"Are you millenniums year old?"

"...I'm a child...what's a bullet?"

Princess Celestia sighed, almost whimpered to herself as she slowly dragged a hoof down along her face.

"Twilight, if we are to be in each others company for the foreseeable future. There's a high probability of this relationship driving one of us mad. Twould most likely be my sister, or I, less you cease with the constant questioning."

"But...but I can't understand half of what your saying!" Twilight protested.

"Then let us concede, would it help if you saved your questions for later, so that we may discuss them then, and not in small separate pieces."

"I'll try."

"So as we see it. If Discord is hiring changelings for assassins..."

"What's a changeling."

Luna sat beside Twilight, leveling her with a quick glance before tipping the brazier, gulping down its contents of wine and unknowns, some of those unknowns squealing as they slid down her gullet.

"Pardon me, I did not hear you."

Urk...I...I didn't say anything." wheezed Twilight through tight lips.

"Ahh would you like to partake sister of mine?" Luna held the brazier out to Celestia whom gladly accepted and drank before passing it back.

Twilight felt that if this continued, she'd be adding her own special contents into the brazier in the hopes of making them stop.

"Now, where was I?" she frowned, looking up to the heavens again, "Dear me, its happening, its been but a few seconds and I've forgotten."

"Ch-changlings..."

"Ahh! Yes. So if Discord is hiring changelings and of course arming them with illegal non-realm weaponry, it can only mean he's up to his old tricks again. Of course with my sister and I happily." This part she hissed, "Are out of contact with our realm, we are unable to sound the alarm, and seal the beast. That is where you come in my little pony...Twilight...Twilight?"

She gave Twilight an expectant look, one that the poor little filly couldn't shoulder, all the building misery finally blubbering through her eyes.

"What is wrong with thee?" shouted Luna whom regretted it suddenly.

A confused lavender unicorn was understandable, a blubbering and now snuffly nosed lavender unicorn, huge globes of tears spilling from her yes, was just tragic.

"I...I have no idea what you're talking about!" the hardly recognizable voice of the sadden unicorn cried out, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm trying to understand, I am!"

She turned, trying to hide her face from the two alicorns, whom shared rather troubled expressions, regarding the small unicorn who was currently wiping her eyes of tears and wondering why she was so concerned about two demons watching her cry. She didn't know how much time had past, but reality quickly came as a set of hooves, one warm and gentle, the other cool and calming, rested upon her shoulder.

"Twilight, please forgive us." Luna gave her a firm squeeze, voice surprisingly sympathetic. She gave her sister a nod. "We had assumed to much in our time here, and have expected of thee to know more than the secrets held by our departed. We can't expect you to learn that which was never taught, so there is no reason that you should."

"We apologize, please do not be alarmed Twilight."

"But I feel so stupid," she blubbered, "I was top of the class in Canterlot, before my incident! I'm not used to being...to feeling so stupid!"

Wings enveloped her as two princesses pulled her into a group embrace.

"Silence young-ling, you are far from stupid, Star Swirl would never have chosen you if it were so."

"To be apprenticed to a unicorn of his stature, means a great honor. If anyone here is lacking intellect, it would be us. So carried away we were with our position, that we had dismissed your plight, expecting more of thee than we should from an apprentice. A true magician you are not."

"But with us, in time, you shall be."

Twilight didn't look up, snuffling and unable to respond.

"Twilight, without our connection, we severely lack the touch of mana which you yourself have control of, in time you would be more powerful than us in the correct planes of magic."

"But...but you know more than I do!"

"Sister, I believe it maybe worth our time to invest in this young filly." Celestia smiled.

"We believe so as well." Came Luna's reply, a smile of her own.

Standing back, the two Alicorn Princesses regarded Twilight, a powerful aura resonating off the both of them drawing the young unicorns attention to focus upon them.

"With the loss of our friend, and your master, you are a student without direction."

"Lost and alone in a world that will not understand the power you hold."

"From the beginning to the end."

"We shall take you on as apprentice, and shall be your teacher till we see fit to end your education."

"So then, Twilight, would you accept being our protege?"

In spite of her gloom, Twilight couldn't help but smile as she felt her spirits lift. Realizing that she was merely uniformed and not stupid, she accepted a golden opportunity for what it was.

"Its a deal!" she emitted a sound between a squeal and a yip...it was adorable.

"A deal it is then!" both sisters concluded.

Twilight held a hoof out to Luna who then regarded it coldly.

"What is this?"

"Er..."

"Our word not well enough?"

"Er no...I mean yes..I mean I just thought, I'm your protege...right?"

"Tis right, and as an apprentice under our tutelage, we do not go round shaking the hands of our students!" Luna finished.

Twilight felt that this particular alliance certainly missed the choir, the roses and landed her right into the thorns.

"Now then, as I was saying, here is what we've got to do with this current situation."

"But...but I still don't know anything!"

"Your first lesson then. When in a crisis, do not waste energy wishing for that which you cannot have, or for skills you do not own. You must brace yourself and collect all the information around you in order to deduce your next course of action."

"Thus sit down and shut up!" added Luna as she began pacing around the hut much to her sisters displeasure.

"Yes...in more polite terms, think and listen, it can save your life." Celestia finished.

Twilight took in a few breathes, then released them. Luna studied her for a moment before taking a gulp from the brazier.

"So let us educate you now in order to help your mind process the full extent of the situation as it is." Celestia sat before Twilight, taking her whole attention off of Luna, and began the lesson. "You've a small understanding of dimensions, and as you've heard, there are barriers that rest between each dimension. These barriers fold and flex, ripple and wave, and with a light touch of magic, can open a whole allowing travelers to journey between them. Different magicians utilize these barriers for different reasons. Star Swirl used it for show, others for trade, and yet still more use it for war and peace; summoning more demons, visions of lands beyond, etcetera etcetera."

"Technology is different amongst dimensions," chimed in Luna. The brazier was chucked aside with a loud clatter as its contents were finally drained. "Progression is rated differently amongst the many realms. This can be used to a magicians advantage. Of course it would not be for show. These tricksters are not but smugglers, bandits and thieves transcending barriers to pilfer than sell their trade. Many famous inventors are in truth closet magicians, a coin I would rarely use, but I feel simplifies the explanation."

Twilight frowned without realizing this, though Celestia caught it, a smile growing on her face.

"It does sound rather dishonest and unscrupulous, least you would think so. Actually many of this smugglers are fairly ethical, following a code that they adhere to rather closely."

"Smugglers code?" asked Twilight, forgetting herself. Celestia nor Luna seemed to mind the outburst.

"Like a mercenaries code, less violent, more profitable. One part of the code states, an invention of one dimension far beyond the technological capabilities of another, cannot be brought to dimension B. Like bringing guided missiles to a longbow culture, or lasers to a flint and powder era."

Twilight was biting her tongue now, finding it extremely difficult not to voice her thoughts. If silence is golden, she was surely eating away at its market value.

"Now as said, magicians generally keep to the code, but it doesn't mean that at times a magician might forgo the rules for his or her own benefit."

"And thus my elder sister brings us to Discord."

Somehow a chill ran along Twilight's spine, a chill that never existed before, yet the more and more Discords name was uttered, the more uncomfortable she felt. Maybe it was all in the pronunciation.

"Discord...is said not to play with a full deck of cards. Perhaps he's been snapping his fingers one too many times and drowning himself in whatever desires he takes too. But whatever reason he caters too, be it known, he has a mind which demands the total control of all dimensions." Luna finished and began preening her feathers.

"He has done this before," continued Celestia, "But many of us we're able to discern his intentions. This is when we first met Star Swirl. Honestly we thought Discord had given up after the last beating. Even gave him a few souvenirs so as not to forget his time with us. Now he's at it again, using cross dimension help and aiding them with advance technology. Surely he's doing it again."

"Doing what?'

"Did I not just tell you? Taking over the dimensions."

"I know the what! Its the how that confuses me. I mean how does what he does in this dimension help him rule others?" Twilight corrected.

"Oh dear, that is to the point. Well, each dimension has a finite amount of power. As a whole, all dimensions are infinite, but alone they are but a single strand. Different dimensions have different sizes, these strands we call Ley Lines. These strands are then shared by the magicians of that land."

"So...the less there are, the more powerful the whole is, and the more powerful the whole, the more powerful the magician who controls it!"

"Oh you've got it!" Celestia clapped her hooves, smiling, "You certainly do pull together such vague clues!

"I understand now!" Twilight squealed happily at the praise.

"Good, then you understand why we must stop him!"

Twilight felt the praise, the happy warmth, and joy all fade like a match dropped into ice water. Dead cold.

"We? You mean us!" a hair on her mane sprang up in her growing panic.

"Well, it isn't much, especially if he's had time to gather multiple dimensions, but nevertheless, we shall prevail!"

"I'll have some of that wine now."

"None for you, you're to young." Luna admonished, shaking the bottle. "Tis empty now anyhow, pity.

"I agree, your training began the moment we accepted you under our wing. You are going to need all the practice you can take. Insane or not, Discord is not one to trifle with!" Celestia shared a stern look with Twilight enforcing her words.

"Do you really believe I have what it takes to beat him?"

"Of course! We would have never accepted you if we didn't believe so!" said Luna.

Both alicorns shared an unconvincing smile. Truth be told they probably didn't believe themselves either but Twilight at least gave them credit for the confidence boost.

Author's Note

Whew...find any errors, just let me know!