Epic Crossover Time: The Equestrian Princesses

by Benevolent Wolf

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Other
Length: 5233

The four princesses are sent into different worlds and must return home.

After an unexpected magical happening, the four princesses of Equestria are pulled into a portal to an alternate world. To return to Equestria, multiple universes must be explored, and many roles must be played.

(Changed to "Teen" for some mildly scary scenes in the third chapter.)

Published 2013-12-29 03:50:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-30 05:03:14 UTC

The Dark Mare

Luna stirred to awareness. The ground she lay on was cold and hard, like stone. Her eyes opened, and she realized she was, in fact, lying on stone.

Lying on stone in a humungous cave, with a large computer screen, and tons of gadgets of all kinds. Where was she?

"Luna!" A familiar voice rang through the cave.

Luna rose and ran to her sister, who was just entering the scene. "Tia! You're here too!"

Celestia nodded. "But..." she said, gesturing toward her attire, which was a black formal suit with a bow tie. "I'm not sure about these clothes." Then the alicorn pointed her hoof toward Luna. "Even you have some kind of... outfit on."

The azure alicorn looked down to see that she was clothed in a black leather suit, with an insignia of a bat surrounded by a yellow oval on the chest. It was at that moment that Luna realized where the two sisters were. "Tia... I think we're in Gothamare City."

"Where?"

"Sister, you know I read comics all the time. One of my favorites is Batmare." Luna raised her hoof to her chest and boldly declared, "Defender of the night and righter of wrongdoings!" Celestia rolled her eyes.

"Well," the white pony started. "You're obviously Batmare, with that outfit. But... who am I?"

Suddenly, a face appeared on the huge computer screen. "Callin' Batmare! Come in, Batmare!" exclaimed the pony, who looked similar to Twilight's dear friend, Applejack; at least Celestia thought.

Luna stepped forward, completely in character. "Yes, Commissioner?"

"Your arch-nemesis Double-Mug and the Complex Conundrum are attemptin' to take over the city!"

"Figures," Batmare replied. "How are they doing it?"

The Commissioner frantically answered, "They've built a 'Doom Ray' that turns ponies two-faced!"

Celestia tilted her head. "'Two-faced'? What is that supposed to mean?"

"The good, law-abidin' citizens of Gothamare are gonna go rampagin' through the whole darned city, robbin' banks, robbin' other ponies, the whole enchilada!"

"Great Scott!" Luna exclaimed. Celestia tried not to roll her eyes at the cheesy line that had just escaped her little sister's mouth.

"Great Scott is right!" Commissioner Jack agreed. "They haven't used their evil device yet, but they vow to if the city doesn't give them a large amount of bits!"

"What a dastardly feat!" Batmare stomped her hoof. "I will stop them as soon as I can!"

"Good! And take your butler, Alice, with you! She may be able to aid you with her--" The screen blacked out.

Celestia cried, "Holy cut-offs! She's gone!" Luna snickered.

"Oh, Tia, you're not supposed to say the 'holy' quotes!"

Celestia was confused, but she followed her sister out of the entrance of the cave. The two immediately took flight, scouring the city for the two devious criminals. The ivory alicorn asked her sister, "So, if we are in this world, I wonder if Cadance and Twilight made it, too?"

Luna gasped. "They did." Then, directing her hoof toward the ground, Batmare pointed out two ponies. One was an alicorn, with the right side of her looking like the typical form of Cadance, but the left side bore the image like that of the body of the Changeling Queen, Chrysalis; this gave her the "double-mug" she was so known for.

Twilight, on the other hoof, looked a bit more similar to her normal self, but she was clothed in a suit coat of emerald green and a bowler hat sharing the same hue. A golden scepter, the top end bearing the shape of a question mark, was strapped to her side. The Complex Conundrum was currently pushing a huge machine (the "Doom Ray", Batmare supposed).

"Hurry up with the Doom Ray, you dolt," Double-Mug scolded.

"Don't tell me what to do, you degenerated cheese cube!" Twilight spat. Cadance fumed inwardly, but quickly composed herself with a deep breath. Moments later, the dastardly machine was into its intended position.

"Now," Double-Mug mused. "When Batmare comes, we shall--"

"You shall what?" A voice boomed from the sky as Batmare herself swooped down. Alice followed cautiously, seeing the giant ray.

Double-Mug laughed at pointed her hoof at Twilight, who was patiently waiting by the main button of the ray. "Now, Conundrum!"

Twilight fired the Doom Ray with a devious smile and laugh. But Batmare dodged the emerald beam of energy heading her way, throwing herself into the evil device and smashing it to pieces.

"No!" Double-Mug cried in horror, watching her precious machine destroyed before her very eyes.

Batmare pushed herself up from the rubble of the Doom Ray, but was suddenly hit in the back of the head; she fell back onto the ground, blacking out instantly.

***

Batmare awakened in her bed in the lush room she so often slept in. Turning her head to the side, Batmare spied on her nightstand a note.

You were knocked out while fighting Double-Mug and the Complex Conundrum. They have been taken care of.

I'm out running some errands.

~Your Faithful Butler, Alice

Batmare arose, still in full costume, and descended the staircase into a reading room with a bust of an alicorn on the coffee table. After carefully tipping back the head and pushing a little red button hidden under it, the shelf of books across the room slid over to reveal an opening with a brass pole connecting the top level of the house to the secret one below. Batmare jumped into the doorway, and the shelf moved back to its place, covering up the portal.

In the Mare-cave, Batmare's hidden hideout under her mansion,  the computer was on, and a newscast was airing.

"Both of Gothamare's biggest banks have just been robbed!" the stallion reporter on the screen shouted in despair at the camera filming him. "At both locations, notes have been left, reading, and I quote, 'Sincerely, Jokes-on-You'. On another note, gas is being spread through the city, turning ponies--" Suddenly, a stallion running by grabbed the camera suddenly, the scariest smile Batmare had ever seen stretched awfully across his face, and red stained deep on his lips. After a bone-chilling laugh and gas spraying in the background, the pony left the scene, and the reporter was now as crazed-looking as the stallion before. Cackling maniacally in-between, he cried out, "Where... are... you... Batmare?!"

The screen cut to static.

"Miss Batmare?" Alice walked up to the frowning pony. "I see you're conscious again."

It was then that Batmare noticed a strange mark on her butler's face, but ignored it for now. "Y-yes, I am. Thank you."

The butler looked to the computer screen, which now displayed a note reading, "Sincerely, Jokes-on-You", and said. "Oh my. A new villain plaguing the fair city of Gothamare?"

"I'm afraid so, Alice." Batmare answered. "And I've got to stop them." The hero began to head out.

"But, miss," the butler stopped her. "Shouldn't you be watching here?"

"No, Alice," Batmare denied. "If I'm going to find this 'Jokes-on-You', I need to consult the other villains of Gothamare. They may have some information."

"But, that sounds terribly dangerous--"

Batmare glared at her butler. "So am I."

Not another word was said as the dark mare exited the cave for possibly her most treacherous mission yet.

Blast, Alice thought. I almost had her. Oh well. There will be other opportunities.

***

At a table in a dim restaurant, a small orange figure with a proper style of attire sat at a booth, alone and with a single milkshake. She thought she was alone in that spot, but after taking a sip of her treat, she looked up and gave a startled shout. "Ah!"

The hero she'd feared most through all of her ten years of life was straight across from her. "The Flightless Bird," Batmare stated. "Acquaintance with many criminals of Gothamare, and surprisingly rich for her young age."

"I think I could've described myself better than that, thank you." Flightless retorted snobbishly, stretching her underdeveloped wings. Batmare ignored the filly.

"I've heard there's a new villain in town. One of your new friends?"

The Flightless Bird laughed, her short violet mane flapping back and forth as she threw her head back. "Ha! You think that I would acquaint myself with such a ruffian? No, Miss Mare, I only befriend proper criminals, not psychotic fiends who don't even have a real purpose in crime life."

Batmare scowled, annoyed. "Fine." I guess I'll try one of the more... scruffy villains.

"Harrumph." Flightless looked back to her milkshake, and found that is wasn't before her. It had been replaced by a handful of dollar bills and a note saying, 'Sorry. I got thirsty.'

Half of the city heard the cry, "BLAST YOU, BATMARE!"

***

It was dark in the lair. Just how its inhabitant liked it.

"Lemme down, ya varmint!" The Commissioner hung from the ceiling of the hideout, bound with a rope. The officer was silenced with a cruel screech and an apple seed spit in her face. The captive said softly, "Ponies like you disgust me." She wished that Batty here would have picked another, less crisis-filled, day to kidnap her. But a few seconds later, she fell from the high place and crashed on the floor. She suddenly found herself freed from the rough rope formerly holding her entire body in place, which was now in cut pieces on the ground, and a voice whispered in her ear.

"Get out of here as fast as you can."

The Commissioner was quick to obey, finding the door slowly but surely in the dark. Thank you, Batmare... she thought to herself gratefully.

Batmare saw the yellow creature hanging from the rafters of the lair, and called, "Hey!" the creature fell, but caught herself before she hit the ground. A screech sent saliva hurling into the hero's face, but it didn't affect her. "You heard of 'Jokes-on-You'?"

The villainess smiled mischievously and answered in a dry, scratchy voice, "Maybe."

"What do you know?"

"She likes to laugh. Seems so opposite of her former self. But, personally, I like this new side much better than her drab, boring one."

Batmare frowned and growled. "What do you mean, Flutterbat?"

Flutterbat screeched, "That is all I'm telling. And if anypony asks, Flutterbat didn't screech a word." Then the batpony disappeared into the darkness.

Batmare left. This was all she was going to get.

And it was all she needed.

As Batmare left, Flutterbat shed a single tear. Oh, Batsy, you have no idea how much I envy you. If only you knew the things I've been through to become more like you... From the blackness, soft sobbing could be heard.

***

"Welcome back, Miss," Alice greeted as Batmare returned. "Any luck on finding Jokes-on-You?"

"Yes, in fact, I did find out who this new villain is."

"Who is it, then?"

Batmare took a deep breath. 'Well, judging by the information I was given..."

"Yes?"

"Commissioner, you are free to come out."

The butler suddenly found herself surrounded by numerous police officers and guns directing right at her. "B... But..."

"Oh, Alice," the hero smiled. "Next time you become evil, try not to keep your same handwriting, and remember to wipe off your makeup after a crime spree."

Alice scowled. "It's not my fault! You were the one that let herself become unconscious and left her friend vulnerable to Double-Mug's Doom Ray!" But Alice then started to laugh maniacally, and Batmare found that the red on her butler's lip was not makeup. Alice's face then grew pale green, and her mane turned from green, blue, and pink to pinstripe black and white. "Actually, Bats, thank you! Without your carelessness, I would have never met my more... glamorous side!"

"Alright," the Commissioner rolled her eyes. "Let's get Jokes-on-You to the asylum." And just like that, they were gone.

It was then that Batmare started to fade away, and Luna's mind returned. The hero tore off her cowl. Batmare hadn't just arrested a major super-criminal.

She'd arrested her older sister.

***

Luna sat in the darkness of the cave. Tia was gone, off to the Gothamare loony-bin. Cadance and Twilight were just as crazy, trying to turn the whole city into evil criminals. They'd probably already zapped the whole town.

Luna was alone, stuck in a universe that wasn't even hers.

The alicorn's thoughts were interrupted by an alarm. Some pony was knocking on the mansion door. Luna flew up the shaft that led down to the Mare-Cave still in her Batmare costume. She quietly slid the bookshelf off to the side, coming out and closing the portal behind her.

Luna's heart almost stopped when she answered the door.

Double-Mug and her Sidekick were standing there.

"Ah!" Luna was about to slam the door shut, but Double-Mug's right hoof, Cadance's hoof, stopped it.

"No! Batmare, you have to listen to us! We're not who we used to be!" It was then that Luna noticed that Double-Mug's voice had changed. Earlier, the villainess' voice had sounded evil and double-toned. Now it simply sounded like Cadance.

Twilight stepped forward. Her green suit coat she still bore, but her face was no longer sarcastic and arrogant. "The explosion of the ray released a massive amount of energy throughout the whole city. Every 'good' pony turned 'bad', but every villain turned 'good'. Including us."

Luna allowed the two inside and said, "I need you to know, you're not really Double-Mug and her Assistant!" the Night princess assumed the worst reply, but Cadance just nodded.

"Yes, we know. Twilight realized it after our mindsets were altered."

"Also," Twilight mused. "I have an idea of how we can escape this alternate universe! But we need to find Celestia to do it!"

Luna and Cadance nodded firmly, and the three headed out to the main part of town. There, multiple ponies who looked like normal civilized citizens were stealing from stores and fighting one another. Other ponies who looked like criminals were protecting the shops from robbery. But this would have to be solved later.

In the Gothamare Asylum, down a long hallway with only a few cells, loud and maniacal laughter could be heard. The noise could even be heard outside, where the three princesses were. "She's up there," Luna explained.

It would be difficult to enter the asylum, because of its maximum security, but the three ponies had a plan.

Batmare pounded on the steel door of the facility, and a guard opened it. "Whadda you want?"

The hero answered, "I have captured Double-Mug and her Assistant. If you would just let me in--"

"Sorry. We don't serve heroes here." What? Had the guard been hit by the blast of the Doom Ray as well?

Batmare didn't have time to negotiate. She started to walk toward the guard. He started to move backward, looking afraid. "H-hey now, no need to get--"

***

Batmare and company walked cautiously through the asylum, careful of any escaped criminals. Surprisingly, no trouble was found. The trio finally came to the hallway where the laughing was coming from. The door of the cell was kicked down. Inside sat two ponies.

One was on the floor, rolling around and cackling like a maniac.

The other was Celestia.

"Sister!" Luna ran to embrace Tia, and they quickly exited the room before the other pony could get up.

"It's lucky you came when you did," Celestia sighed with relief. "At first that pony was calm as can be, but some beam came in through the barred windows and he suddenly started laughing and laughing..."

Luna hugged her sister again. "So that explains why we ran into no trouble on the way up here. The Two-Faced ray must have come in, turning the guards mean-spirited and the criminals sane."

Twilight smiled. "Alright. Now, to get back home. Do you remember when we performed the royal creed?" The other three heads around Twilight nodded. "Good. I believe if we perform it again, we will return to Canterlot!"

"Then let us not tarry." Luna stated, illuminating her horn.

The other three followed, and the whole room filled with a bright white light.

Fetlock Holmes

Twilight ducked. "Gyaah!" A whole chocolate cake soared straight over her head and smashed into the wall behind her. A pink pony pranced to the white-painted barrier, dipping her booted hoof into the mess of dessert and tasting it.

"Just as I suspected."

"And, what is it you expected?" Detective Inspector Applestrade tilted his head and walked up behind the magenta earth pony.

"Black forest, Applestrade."

Applestrade shook his head. "I don't understand."

The pink pony threw her forehooves into the air. "Think, Mark!"

"It's 'Mac'."

"Whatever!" The pony with the long Belstaff coat straightened the deerstalker upon her head. "This cake on the wall is Black Forest. Mrs. Cake made a devil's food cake. Obviously the perpetrator stole the Cakes' cake and put another cake to replace that cake right where the cake was before and now it's caked all over the walls!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "How do you do that all in one breath?"

"Fetlock Holmes, you're a genius!" DI Applestrade clopped a hoof on the wooden floor.

"Aren't I?" Fetlock grinned like a filly on her birthday.

"But what about the Cakes' disappearance?" Twilight inquired. Fetlock simply trotted over to a door in the corner of the shop and threw it open to reveal both Mr. and Mrs. Cake, unconscious on the ground.

"Egad!" Applestrade galloped over to the couple and reached for a radio in his jacket pocket. "I need an ambulance. Stat!" The crimson stallion held out a hoof to the proud pink mare beside him. "Fetlock, we can't thank you enough for solving another case."

Fetlock shook the DI's hoof, head still held high. "All in a day's work, Mary."

"...Mac."

"Oh." Fetlock burst out into laughter.

Applestrade shook his head and helped the stallions that had just entered set the middle-aged pony couple onto stretchers and roll them out of the bakery into the vehicles waiting outside.

Twilight couldn't help but just stand there, still wondering how the hay Fetlock Holmes had just solved a whole case of grand theft.

In under three minutes.

***

Twilight's memory of the past two days flooded her head as she lay beneath her sheets that night. The blinding white light, the rain-covered street she found herself on thereafter...

"Huh? Where am I?"

The hoof that had pulled her into that dark alley.

"Hand over your wallet!" The thugs that had attempted to rob her.

"If I were you, I'd let the mare go." And her mysterious savior.

"Yeah? Who says?"

"I believe, I do!"

The whole scene had been a blur to Twilight. But, next thing she knew, she was standing before two unconscious ruffians and a tall, cloaked figure holding out a hoof; the alicorn taking it.

And the whisper in her ear. "Run."

The rest of the evening had been a blur. Running through dark streets, splashing through grimy puddles, and at the end of it all, looking up at the door of 221B Bakery Street. Sweet old Mrs. Smith, Fetlock's landlady, quickly welcoming Twilight and even serving her tea in the morning (but, don't expect her to do it all the time. She's your landlady, not your housekeeper).

And Fetlock Holmes herself. What a confusing character. One moment she won't stop rambling about that pony skull on her mantle, and the next she's silent for hours upon hours. Twilight didn't understand her one bit from that first moment when the earth pony had rescued her.

How could one pony know so much about everything and everyone in this town? In this country! It was impossible.

But Twilight was almost forgetting the truly important matters-- reuniting with the other princesses. Surely if Twilight was in this world, Luna, Celestia, and Cadance would be in this one with her, too.

Right?

But, for now, Princess Twilight Sparkle was stuck as the temporary assistant of Fetlock Holmes, consulting detective (self appointed, and had made up the job herself). Hopefully, the other princesses would turn up soon; the second day of being lugged around by Fetlock was already making Twilight near-insane.

The alicorn drifted off to sleep, her thoughts carrying her.

And then the squeaks of a violin played in a terrifyingly awful manner caused Twilight to fall asleep with two pillows stuffing her ears.

***

St. Heartholomew's. The place where your thinking of all hospitals being morbid locations is flushed down the drain. Everyone there was full of joy. The doctors, nurses, patients especially, all had a beautiful happiness about them. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Twilight was smiling as she entered the hospital.

The receptionist at the front desk was smiling even greater as Fetlock entered St. Heart's. "Fetlock!" Her golden, magenta, and violet mane bounced happily as she greeted the detective with an embrace.

"Good morning," Fetlock smiled, though it looked a bit forced to Twilight's seeing.

"Fetlock, you'll never believe what we've got planned for you to--"

Fetlock interrupted, as politely as one can when interrupting. "I know. Dr. Stablehooves has disappeared. And I'll be happy to help."

"That's fantastic!" The receptionist pranced as the three headed down a hallway to the missing stallion's office.

Twilight's brow furrowed as she observed the mare next to Fetlock. She looks so... familiar... Wait. "Cadance?" The alicorn blurted out.

The taller mare froze, and turned around to face Twilight. "How did you know my na--" Cadance's eyes suddenly glazed over for a few seconds, but quickly she shook back to reality. "T-twilight?"

Now it was Fetlock's turn to stop in her tracks. "Cadance, how do you know Twilight? I just met her two days ago!"

"Twilight... how did I end up here? In a hospital?"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know. I just saw that flash of white and found myself in this world."

"What's going on?" Fetlock's hoof raised in confusion.

Cadance embraced the other alicorn. "I'm just glad we found each other! But what happened to Celestia and Luna?"

"I have no idea." Twilight's face fell. "But we'll find them. I know we will!"

"Hey!" Fetlock exclaimed. The whole hallway shook.

Both mares stopped rambling and turned. "What?"

"What, is going, on?!"

Twilight set her hoof on the detective's shoulder. "I think you may want to sit down for this, Fetlock."

***

"Look at her."

He had a perfect view of the front doors of St. Heart's.

"She's so perfect. So smart. So... alluring."

A sigh. The binoculars over his eyes were set down on his desk.

"But I can't have her. No. She'd see my ways and turn from me."

Another look through the instrument. A spying of a new pony-- pretty and purple.

"Oh? What is this? A new friend, Miss Holmes?"

A curling of the lips.

"Perhaps I ought to have a... welcoming party for your new guest..."

The binoculars were thrown down for a last time. And a plan was formed.

***

"Twilight," Fetlock nodded at the violet alicorn princess from another world as the trio of ponies stood just outside the doors of St. Heartholomew's. "Go on back to the flat. Get a shower, if you want. I'm going to help Cadance with this disappearance."

Twilight smiled. "Okay, Fetlock." The princess prepared to go.

"And, Twilight?"

"Yes, Fetlock?"

The detective smiled and winked. "It's a pleasure to house a princess."

Twilight laughed a little and walked on her way. Hm... It's quite a long way to walk. Fetlock and I took a cab to get to St. Heart's, so... The pony started to wave.

Surprisingly quickly, a yellow vehicle pulled up to the curb the princess stood on. A stallion with an orange coat and a flossy brown mane nodded to her kindly. "Come on in."

The purple pony climbed in and thanked the driver.

"Oh, no, miss," the driver chuckled, a little darkly. That made Twilight a little nervous. "Thank you."

Twilight gasped and choked as a blue-hued gas started to fill the backseat of the cab. "What... is... this...?!"

The driver's voice became exceedingly grimmer than before. "Just a little something to ease your tense muscles, miss. Go on. Take a rest."

The princess' eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell over into the plush seat, completely unconscious.

***

"What do you mean she's not home yet?!" Fetlock was distraught. Cadance gave the detective a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, Fetlock. I haven't seen her since you two left this morning." Mrs. Smith hung her head sadly.

"Where could she be? I told her to come right back here!" Fetlock was near the point of tears as the three mares stood in the doorway of 221B.

Suddenly, a mailmare arrived, landing gracefully on the sidewalk outside and drawing out a letter from her leather satchel. "Letter for you, Miss Fetlock. Just came in."

The detective received the envelope, and the delivery pony left. The letter was opened and unfolded.

Dear Miss Fetlock,

I do so admire you. Would you mind coming to my party in the basement of city hall? It's going to be a blast.

Signed,

C. Briearty

p.s. Twilight is waiting for you.

Fetlock gasped.

Cadance raised a hoof to her muzzle. "What is it, Fetlock?"

"We... We have to go save Twilight."

***

Another tear slipped down Twilight's cheek.

"Aw, don't cry, Twiley." A bight, smiling face pushed only inches from Twilight's muzzle. "We're gonna have a party! It's gonna be so much fun!" The smiling face turned into a pout. "We can't have crybabies at our parties, Twilight." The stallion's eyebrows furrowed. "So, do you know what we do to crybabies?"

A light flashed on just feet from Twilight and her captor, revealing a gigantic blue and red cannon.

"We shoot them with the party cannon! Doesn't that sound fun?!" Cheese Briearty strapped a colorful cone hat to Twilight's head. The princess wished she could toss it off of her head, but her hooves were tied to the chair she sat in. The stallion then jumped over to the cannon and shot the device at a pony mannequin across the room.

The dummy exploded. Twilight started to tremble.

"So, Twilight, if you don't wanna get blasted into next Thursday..." A hoof stroked the purple face of the alicorn tied to the chair. "I suggest you keep a happy face!"

"Briearty."

The stallion froze, and excitedly turned around to see two ponies. One was a pink earth pony with a long black Belstaff coat and a deerstalker upon her head. It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever laid eyes on.

"It's... you..." Cheese jumped on the detective, hugging her tight. Cadance exclaimed and jumped to the side. "You came! Yay! Now the party can begin!"

Fetlock pushed the stallion off of herself and snorted. "No, Briearty. Party time is over. Now let Twilight go."

Briearty's smile fell. His heart broke. The one pony he'd wanted to party with ever since he laid eyes on her now rejected him. "Party time... is over?" A terrible frown slowly crawled onto Cheese's face. "Uh, oh, Twiley."

Fetlock's coat was grabbed with a hoof, and the detective was raised into the air and thrown into a wall. "Augh!"

Briearty stalked over to the humongous device in the center of the room. "Looks like we have a CRYBABY!"

The cannon shot. Cadance and Twilight screamed.

Fetlock Holmes stood from the floor.

"What?!" Cheese shook his head in disbelief. His cannon had shot just an inch over Fetlock's head and made a dent in the wall behind her. "No! No! This isn't right! NO!" The stallion threw himself upon the ground. "All crybabies will be eliminated! All of them! All!"

Cadance bit her lip. Such a sad sight to see...

***

Twilight hugged Fetlock tightly. "It was fantastic staying with you, Fetlock." The princess laughed a little. "Even if I still don't understand all of your methods in crime solving."

"It was a pleasure to know you, Twilight." Fetlock wiped a tear from her smiling face. Then the detective turned to Cadance and DI Applestrade. "What about Briearty?"

Cadance grinned. "Briearty will be staying in St. Heartholomew's for a while. He should be back into society as a great stallion in a short time."

Fetlock was happy about that. Somehow, she knew it wouldn't be the last time she encountered the party criminal mastermind.

"Well," Twilight sighed. "I guess it's time for me and Cadance to find a way back home."

Cadance embraced her sister-in-law. "We will find a way, Twiley. Don't worry."

Suddenly, the whole town filled with a bright light.

Fetlock Holmes winked. "Goodbye, Princess Twilight. Until we meet again."

The Meeting of Doom

"Winter wrap up, winter wrap up..." Luna sang as she pranced down the castle hallway. For what an uneventful day it was, the Night Princess was surprisingly jovial. At least she looked like it. Luna was actually trying to keep herself happy and her mind occupied, because...

Today was a meeting.

Yes, in a few minutes, some preppy unicorn stallion would stomp into the relatively small boardroom of the Canterlot Palace, bringing all of his charts and free pens that worked for ten seconds and then were somehow out of ink. He'd explain how the economy was either rising or falling, and how it could be fixed, then he'd talk about some other stuff that none of the princesses would hear because each of them were either snoozing or spacing off. Especially Celestia. No, she wasn't careless, in fact, she cared very much about the matters introduced. The thing was... well...

It was so boring!

Luna arrived at the boardroom, where her sister Celestia, her niece Cadance, and the newly appointed Princess Twilight Sparkle were sitting already in their regal chairs. Twilight, unsurprisingly, was asking Tia a million questions a minute-- what the issues would be, what would happen if she fell asleep and missed something important, if her crown was on straight. Luna laughed a little as she took her place beside her older sister, across from Cadance. Every princess seemed to be having a fine time.

Then the board meeting director came in. "Good day, your majesties," he said as he bowed low to the ground, as he always did.

"And to you, Mister Nalysis," Celestia answered for the rest of the group. Mr. Nalysis proceeded to the front of the room, where he placed his usual meeting tools-- an easel, a thin stick, and those blasted pens. Everything was labeled Property of A. Nalysis.

"Shall we perform the Royal Creed?" Luna slyly suggested, hoping to prolong the meeting's start.

"We don't usually..." Celestia was a bit confused at first, but when she saw Luna's mischievous face, she stopped herself. "Ah, yes, yes, we should. It's about time we do the creed before events such as this.

"The 'Royal Creed'?" Twilight whispered.

Celestia answered softly, "Just illuminate your horn and watch."

Twilight did so, followed by the other princesses. Then the mares touched their horns together, and Twilight joined as well. When she did, the whole room was filled with white light, and Mr. Nalysis screamed.

Apparently, this part of the Royal Creed wasn't supposed to happen.

What's going on?! Luna panicked silently. Then each one of the princesses fell into sudden unconsciousness.