At the palace in the dining room, the Ninjas sat at the table with the Royal Family, who invited them to have dinner with them.

“Thank you for inviting us to dinner, your majesties,” Leo thanked the family.

“Nonsense, you're our guests,” Unna stated.

“I hope you enjoy this meal,” Vera said.

Just then, a few chefs came out carrying trays. Leading them was a Hispanic woman with greyish-brown hair who was wearing a chef's uniform.

“Your majesties and guests, your dinner is served.”

“Thank you, Katrina,” Unna thanked the head chef.

Deepack turned to the ninjas. “Meet our Head Chef, Katrina Rodrigues.”

“Greetings, Hamato Clan,” Katrina greeted the ninjas.

“Nice to meet you too,” April greeted.

Katrina talked under her breath, “No estaban bromeando sobre las tortugas gigantes.”

Gabby noticed her language “Tambien me sorprendio cuando los conoci pro primera vez.”

Queen Unna spoke up, “Muy bien, ustedes dos.” Everyone looked at the Queen with surprise, which made Unna chuckle, “Yes, I know Spanish. Now then, Senoira Rodrigues, what is being served this evening?”

Katrina replied, “Well, Your Majesty, for your guests, we have prepared aloo gobi, chicken madra, chana masala, and samosas.”

The staff presented the food to the ninjas and served it to them.

“Gracias, Katrina,” Queen Unna thanked the head chef.

“You're welcome, your majesty. Enjoy your meal.” Katrina and the cooks left them to enjoy their meal.

The Royals enjoyed their meal. The ninjas each ate the new food they’d never had before. They got their reactions from the food.

“Delicious.”

“Delectable.”

“Awesome.”

“So good.”

“Not as good as pizza but still good.”

The ninjas were enjoying their food.

“Glad you're enjoying it,” Deepack said.

“Katrina knows how to make a good dish,” Chaara complimented.

As the continued eating, Leo decided to ask the Royal family. “So, your majesties. Have these figures been around before?”

The royal family looked at each other.

“They've caused trouble in Reinkani for the last few months,” Vera explained.

“At first, they've only stolen money from vendors,” Yod explained. “But they also have been vandalising.”

“We fear they may getting worse,” Chaara admitted.

“What is their deal anyway?” Casey asked.

“We don’t know,” Yod said.

“So we wait till they return and then make them tell us,” Raph declared, cracking his knuckles. Rainbow, Casey shared the same sentiment.

“I must say you guys fought valiantly,” Vera complimented.

Saundra decided to change the subjesct, “So, we know Rainbow has superspeed.”

“But what can you girls do?” Chaara asked.

The girls looked at each other, and then Pinkie spoke, “Well, Rainbow has super speed, which you already know. Twilight can levitate stuff. Applejack has super strength; Rarity can make diamond shields; Fluttershy can talk to animals; Sunset can see people’s memories, and I can make sprinkles explode!” Pinkie then took a few sprinkles in her hand and threw them in the air, causing a tiny explosion.

The Royal family stayed quiet, not knowing what to say,

“Thank you for summing it up, young lady,” Chaara said to Pinkie.

“You're welcome,” Pinkie said with a big smile.

“The magic has been wise with you all,” Unna said, knowing a thing or two about Equestria magic.

Sunset Shimmer remembered their talk from before and decided it was now the time to ask the Queen. “You're majesty. You said you knew about Equestria, right?”

“Of course, and you want to know how I know, don't you,” Unna asked with a knowing smile.

“Uh, yes. We're quite curious, Your Majesty,” Leo admitted.

Unna had a nostalgic smile, “I know about Equestria because I once lived there,”

The ninjas gasped.

“You lived in Equestria?” Sunset asked.

“Are you a pony from Equestria?” Leo questioned.

“Wait, pony?” Yod asked in confusion.

Unna was slightly embarrassed: “Oh, did I never tell you that Equestria's inhabitants were Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns? And that anyone who enters transforms into ponies as well?”

“No, you didn't,” Vera said.

Unna turned to the ninjas and said, “No, I was born here in Reinkani. You see, I wasn't born of Royal blood, but I was born into a family of milk farmers.”

“Farmers?” Applejack asked, intrigued.

“Yes,” Unna confirmed. “But over fifty years ago, when I was a year younger than you children, I was gathering some things from the forest for my family when I discovered a magical portal. I didn't know what it was at first, so I got closer to it and got sucked in.”

“That led you to Equestria?” April asked.

Unna nodded with a slight smile, "Yes, that's true. Unfortunately, it was a one-way trip. As soon as I stepped through, the portal stopped working.”

“So, you were stuck in Equestria?” Leo inquired.

“Yes,” Unna answered.

“Did you turn into a pony?” Mikey piped up, causing the others to look at him with daggers.

Unna chuckled at the turtle's enthusiasm. “Yes, Michelangelo. I became a unicorn when I arrived. At first, it was scary—a young girl transformed into a unicorn, stranded in a strange world. But then I met an important pony who helped me and would become very dear to me to my heart.”

“Who did you meet?” Donnie asked.

Unna answered, “Princess Celestia.”

“PRINCESS CELESTIA!?” The heroes said in shock.

“Yes, Princess Celestia found me and helped,” Unna continued. “While there, I became her student. I learned magic under her guidance.”

Sunset then frowned in thought. Then, she decided to be honest with them. “Remember when I told you I was from Equestria? Well, I was once a student of Princess Celestia as well.”

The Royal Family were surprised.

“You learned under Celestia as well?” Unna asked, intrigued by meeting another fellow student.

“Yes. But unlike you, I didn't take her lessons to heart. I was a different person back then, obsessed with power and recognition. And when I didn't receive it, I turned cruel and dishonest.” Sunset explained how she had been unkind and disregarded Celestia's teachings. She recounted their arguments and how Celestia had eventually dismissed her as a student, leading to Sunset's departure to Canterlot City. “So I arrived in Canterlot City and became a terrible bully.”

“A bully?” Vera inquired with concern.

She then described how she stole Princess Twilight's crown and used it to brainwash the students into invading Equestria, becoming She-Demon in the process. She recounted how Princess Twilight followed her, rallied the other Rainbooms, and ultimately stopped her.

“If it wasn't for Princess Twilight and the others. For stopping me and putting me on the right path, I would still be the monster. It took time, but I worked hard to make up for what I did.” Sunset then looked at the Royal Family. “I'm sorry that I brought this up, but I thought I should...”

Sunset stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Queen Unna. The queen smiled at the girl.

“It’s alright, dear. You have made decisions; however, it is evident that you have redeemed yourself for those choices. I am confident that Princess Celestia would be proud of how far you’ve come from when you were a student.” Sunset looked at Unna, feeling like Princess Celestia was talking to her.

“Thank you, your majesty,” Sunset thanked the Queen.

Queen Unna smiled as she returned to her seat.

“So, what was it like living in Equestria?” Twilight asked.

“It was wonderful,” Unna said. “Canterlot was an amazing city, as well as the forests and watching Princess Celestia's sunsets. And a lot of the ponies there were friendly. In fact, Princess Celestia wasn't the only pony I grew close to. I became close with an earth pony mare from a small farm town. Her name was Annie Smith.”

“Annie Smith!?” Applejack and Applebloom exclaimed.

“That's funny; it almost sounded like Granny Smith,” Mikey chimed in, prompting Raph to smack Mikey on the head.

“That is Granny Smith,” Raph said to his brother.

“Oh,” Mikey realised.

Unna said, “When you told me about Twilight Sparkle's counterpart and meeting Principal Celestia in Seattle, I theorised that you were related to Annie's counterpart.”

“So, you knew Granny Smith?” Rarity asked.

“Does that mean you once visited Ponyville?” Karai asked.

“Ponyville? Such a nice little town,” Unna reminiscence. “Yes. I accompanied Princess Celestia when she went there to meet with some delegations. It was there that I met Annie Smith. We became good friends, even with me helping out on her family's Apple Farm a bit.”

“Did you try their apple cider?” Karai asked.

Unna chuckled, “Of course. And it was the best.”

“Of course, it is,” Applejack boasted a bit.

“Nothing beats Apple family Apple Cider,” Rainbow said.

The ninjas rolled their eyes.

“Your majesty,” Sunset asked. “How did you get back?”

Unna told them, “After a year in Equestria, Princess Celestia discovered something: a spell that could open the portal back to my home.”

“She could do that?” Shini asked.

“Yes, but it would require a great deal of magic. And, as before, it would be a one-way trip,” Unna explained. “As much as I adored Equestria, I missed my home. So, I bid farewell to Princess Celestia, Annie Smith and her family, and others I had grown close to. Celestia opened the portal, and I stepped through, returning home to Reinkani.”

“To the same spot where you first found the portal?” Mikey asked.

“Yes, Michelangelo. I was a bit woozy from the portal travel when I arrived home. Luckily, like the first time, I was found.”

“By your family?” Applejack asked, feeling Unna's family would've been worried sick.

“No,” Unna answered. “By Prince Balo.”

The rest of the Royal family were surprised. Saundra spoke, “Grandfather?”

“That's how you met father?” Chaara asked, never knowing the story of how her parents met.

“Yes, Chaara, it was,” Unna replied. “Balo helped me reunite with my family. After that, he began to see me secretly, and as they say, the rest is history.”

The ninjas were in awe of that story.

“So that's how you knew about Equestrian magic,” Sunset said.

"Indeed. Even at my age, I never forget” Unna. “In a manner, Princess Celestia is a substantial influence contributing to the monarch I embody today." The ninjas saw the look on Queen Unna's face.

“Do you ever wish to go back to Equestria?” Sunset asked.

Unna looked down, "Many times.”

“Well, Your Majesty, I've created a device that allows us to go back and forth to Equestria,” Donnie explained.

“So, if you want, we could take you back to Equestria anytime,” Leo offered.

Unna was shocked at the thought, as it felt unreal. “Go back to Equestria?”

“It's your choice, your majesty,” Leo advised.

“Thank you,” Queen Unna said, appreciating the offer.

The ninjas and Royal Family finished eating their dinner.

“Thank you for the dinner,” Karai thanked the Royal Family.

“You're welcome,” Chaara replied. “Now I think it’s time to get some rest.”

Unna turned to her grandchildren. “Vera, Yod, and Saundra, would you be willing to escort our guests to the guest chambers?”

“Yes, Grandmother,” the Royal grandchildren said. The escorted the Ninjas bowed to the Royals before leaving.

...

The prince and princesses led the ninjas down the hall.

“I'm very looking forward to staying in a royal palace,” Rarity excitedly said.

“Yeah, talk about fancy,” Mikey said.

“Thanks again for accommodating us,” Twilight thanked the royal grandchildren.

“You're welcome,” Yod replied.

“And I'll admit, I'm excited to have The Rainbooms staying here,” Vera said excitedly.

Saundra rolled her eyes as she turned to the young ninjas, “I’m looking forward to hanging with you.”

“Same here, Your Highness,” Sweetie Belle said to the princess.

“Same here, chicas.”

They looked to see two girls approaching. One was Mariana, and the other was a teenage Hispanic girl with messy brown hair who was wearing a red tank top and green cargo pants.

“The Rainbooms, cool,” the older girl said when she saw the girls.

“Thanks,” Sunset replied.

“And giant tortarugas,” Mariana pointed out.

“Cool,” the older girl said, unfazed.

Saundra began introductions, “Hamato Clan, meet Mariana and Isabelle Rodriguez. Senora Rodriguez's daughters.”

“Hola,” Mariana greeted them.

“S'up. Call me Isa,” Isabella, or Isa, said to them.

“Nice to meet ya,” Rainbow said to them.

Spike scampered up to them. Mariana bent down to pet him, “Hola, Perito.”

“Actually, my name is Spike.” The sisters got wide-eyed. “Yeah, I can talk.”

Mariana shook her head and approached Rainbow, “Your Rainbow Dash, right, the girl who helped save Saundra's life.”

“Well, not to brag, but yeah, I helped out,” Rainbow pretended to be humble, which caused the girls to roll their eyes. “But I didn't do it alone.”

“Of course,” Mariana said, understanding.

“Encantado de conoceros, chicas,” Gabby greeted them.

“Yo igual,” Isa responded as the two shook hands.

Rainbow said, “You two and your mother don't look like you're originally from here. “

“That's because we're not,” Isa confirmed. “We're originally from Bogotá.”

“Ooh, Columbia, nice,” Twilight said.

“Thanks. Before, it was just Mama and us. Our padre left when I was a baby,” Mariana explained.

“He left us for another woman,” Isa said as a matter of fact.

“We're sorry to hear that,” Sunset apologised.

“It's alright. That man made his choice,” Isa replied.

“We lived in a one-bedroom apartment, barely scraping by,” Mariana explained. “Mama worked as a chef working for minimal wage. But that was until...”

Yod continued, “My parents. Mom and Dad went to Columbia for trade meetings. When the embassy advertised for cooks, her boss volunteered Senora Rodriguez to cook for them.”

“Mom's previous boss was una verdadera pieza de trabajo,” Isa said.

Vera took over, “Aunt Chaara and Uncle Deepack enjoyed the food Senora Rodriguez made. They also took some time to get to know her.”

“Mama told them about us, her awful boss, and her not-so-nice apartment,” Isa explained.

“So, after speaking with Grandmother, Mom and Dad offered her a job as one of the castle chefs,” Yod said.

“That was nice of them,” Fluttershy said.

“It was life-changing, and in a good way,” Mariana said.

“So we ended up moving here,” Isa said. “Mama started as a chef, and she risen to head chef.”

“Sounds like things improved for you,” Sunset pointed out.

They continued walking down the hall.

“Heard about the fight in the market,” Isa said. “Cool how you took them down.”

“Well, they were in for a surprise,” Mikey boasted, much to his brother's annoyance.

“You enjoying Reinkani so far?” Vera asked.

“Of course,” Sunset replied.

“Such a lovely place,” Rarity said.

“Well then, perhaps we can take you around Pohzi,” Saundra offered.

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Fluttershy said.

“But, don't you have Royal Duties to do tomorrow?” April asked.

“I have only a few to do, so we have time to do a tour,” Vera explained

Just then, they reached a fork in the hallway.

“Alright, boys, that way with me,” Yod instructed. “Girls, you're that way.”

“Okay,” Sunset said.

Yod approached Rainbow, “So, see you in the morning?”

“Definitely,” Rainbow replied, acting cool.

Everyone had grins on their faces as they watched the two interact. Yod then went down the hall with the boys following him.

“Good night, girls,” Leo said to the girls as he, his brothers, Casey and Keno, went in one direction.

Vera, Saundra, Isa and Maria led the girls in another direction.

Vera noticed another hallway entrance to their left.

“Saundra, Mariana, could you take the CMC, Sweetheart and Melody to their rooms that way?” Vera asked her sister.

“Sure thing,” Saundra replied as she led the younger girls down the hall.

“Good night, sugar cube,” Applejack said to her sister.

“Sweet dreams, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity wished her sister.

“Night, Scoots,” Rainbow said to Scootaloo.

“Goodnight,” The CMC said to their sisters.

Saundra and Mariana led the girls down the hallway.

“I can’t wait to see the sights tomorrow,” Applebloom said.

“I’m looking forward as well,” Sweetheart added.

“You’re gonna love it,” Mariana said.

“We’ll show you the best,” Saundra proposed.

“Thank you, Princess,” Melody said to Saundra.

Saundra blushed, “Uh, you’re welcome.”

As she watched her best friend, Mariana couldn’t help but glare as she clenched her fist.

Suddenly, the girls heard a loud clatter from down the hall, followed by loud screeching and hissing.

"Oh no," Saundra groaned.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Apple Bloom wondered aloud.

"Where's all the noise coming from?" Sweetheart questioned.

"The kitchen," Mariana answered dryly.

"And I know from who," Saundra added. "Come on." And she and the girls raced down the hall and burst into the kitchen to find a large mess.

Pots and pans had fallen over, and bags of flour and fruit were strewn across the floor. Amid the chaos stood Aaserak and the Royal family's cat, Roen. The falcon fluttered around, gripping a fish in its talons, while Roen hung from the other end, clinging to the fish with his claws and dragging it down. Both hissed and shrieked at each other in anger.

Or at least it sounded like that to the girls, but to Saundra, what she heard was...

"Let go of my fish, you thieving feline!" Aaserak ordered the cat.

"I saw it first! You let go!" Roen shot back.

"It was in my sight before you slung in here, so it's mine!" Aaserak argued.

"I called dibs on it, birdbrain!" Roen shot back.

"I'M A FALCON!!!" Aaserak shrieked.

However, at that moment, Aaserak collided with some dangling ladles, causing both him and Roen to tumble and flop onto the floor. They then heard a stern 'ahem' and opened their eyes to find Saundra's tapping foot. They slowly looked up into her frowning face.

"Fighting over fish again?" She asked in a dry tone.

"He started it!" Aaserak and Roen pointed at each other.

“I don't care who started it!” Saundra exclaimed.

From the side, Mariana and the Young Ninjas watched as Saundra scolded the animals.

“Do you remember what happened last time?!” They heard Aserak squawk while pointing at Roen, which made the cat his.

“That's not the point!”

The Young Ninjas were confused. “It looks like the Princess understands them,” Melody pointed out.

“Like when Fluttershy is talking to animals with her magic,” Sweetie Belle added.

“Can the Princess actually talk to them?” Sweetheart asked

Mariana remained quiet, not knowing if to tell them. But lucky for her, Saundra wrapped up her conversation.

“You two are to work together to clean this mess, understood!?”

Both the cat and falcon squawked/meowed in agreement. Saundra then walked to the others.

“Uh, did you just talk to those animals?” Scootaloo asked.

“And did you understand what they were saying?” Sweetheart indicated.

Saundra realised that they had watched the whole thing. Saundra turned to Mariana, but all she could do was shrug.

“And before you say anything, we’ve seen Fluttershy talk to her animal friends before, so we know what it looks like,” Melody said.

Saundra sighed and confessed, “Yes, I can talk to animals.”

The Young Ninjas gasped.

“How are able to do it?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I'm not sure. It started after my heart surgery. While recovering, I found myself able to talk to animals.”

“Does your family know?” Applebloom asked.

“No. Mariana's the only one who knows right now. My family would freak out,” Saundra explained. “I need you to promise that you won't tell them.”

“Don't worry, we won't tell anyone, not even our sisters.” Sweetie Belle declared.

“We Pinkie Promise,” Applebloom said.

The Young Ninjas said, “Cross our hearts and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Saundra and Mariana were confused but accepted it.

“Thank you,” Saundra said, glad they wouldn't tell anyone.

...

Princess Vera and Isa led the Rainbooms, April, Karai, Gabby and Shini, through the halls of the Palace.

“I must say, Your Highness, this palace is divine,” Rarity said in awe.

“Thanks. It’s one of Reinkani’s most important places,” Vera stated.

“Royal Castles always are. And I must say the cleaners do a good job keeping it clean,” Sunset complimented.

“Yeah. Although they do most of the work, my family and I do some cleaning ourselves,” Vera admitted.

The girls looked at her with surprise.

“Yeah, surprised me too,” Isa said.

Vera explained, “Just because I’m Royalty doesn’t mean I can let all the servants do the work. Grandmother gave me and my family household chores, as well, so that we can learn and not take the servants for granted.”

“Your grandmother’s a smart woman,” Karai stated.

“She is. Grandmother is no push-over,” Vera said

While walking, they encountered a boy with brown skin wearing a blue shirt and black pants. Vera immediately recognised him.

“Kumar,” Vera acknowledged the boy.

“Princess Vera,” Kumar replied.

The two stood in awkward silence.

“Oh boy,” Isa whispered to herself.

“So, you’ll be Queen soon,” Kumar pointed out, making conversation.

“Yeah, I guess,” Vera replied, unsure what else to say.

The girls watched them, worried about the Princess. Then they heard hissing and looked down to see a giant Monitor Lizard standing next to them. The girls instantly freaked out.

“AAAAHHHH!!!” Rarity screamed as she saw the lizard. “What is that?”

“Oh, that's Chip, Kumar's pet,” Isa explained as Vera crouched down to pet the lizard.

“Hey, Chip,” Vera said to the lizard.

Fluttershy then petted the lizard. “Nice to meet you, Chip.”

“Sorry about him,” Kumar apologised. He then motioned to the lizard. “Come here, Chip.” The lizard walked over to the boy.

“Don’t worry, girls. Chip’s a nice lizard,” Vera said, knowing the lizard.

“I believe you,” Fluttershy said.

Sunset approached. “Now that we know the lizard, can we get some introductions?”

“Girls, this is Kumar,” Isa began introductions. “His parents are in the council, and Vera's... uh...”

“Ex,” Vera finished.

“Yeah,” Kumar confirmed. “So you're the guests the Royal Family has personally invited.”

“That would be us,” Twilight said as the girls introduced themselves.

“Nice to meet you, girls,” Kumar said. There was an awkward silence. “Well, I must get going. Good luck with, uh, things. Come on, boy, let’s go.

Kumar and his lizard walked down the hall.

“Uh, actually…” Fluttershy tried to say something to them, but they were gone.

The girls watched as the Princess stared in the direction Kumar left.

“Estas bien? You okay?” Isa asked as she placed her arm around the Princess's shoulder.

“I'm fine, really, I'm fine,” Vera said, who was obviously lying.

The girls got closer to the Princess.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Twilight asked.

“That's right; we're here for you, darling,” Rarity said.

Vera sighed as she began to tell them. “Kumar and I have known each other since we were kids. We were best friends. But something always clicked between us when he was honest.”

“Honest?” Applejack asked, as honesty was her thing.

Vera continued, “When we first started dating, it was amazing. But then, he started acting phoney in public, like he was this cool yet noble person who, in his words, ‘The kind of boy a future queen should date'. Except it was the quiet nerd that I fell in love with. The breakup was a while ago, but it still hurts.

The girls comfort the princess in silence.

“We're sorry to hear that, Princess,” Karai said to Vera.

“Kumar must've been desperate to fit the role,” Rainbow pointed out.

“Except the only role I wanted from him was to be himself,” Vera explained.

“Have you ever tried talking to him about it?” Twilight asked.

“I've tried to talk to him many times, but whenever I tried, things get awkward between us and I find myself unable to say the words,” Vera said.

“I'm sure the two of you can work things out and get closure one day,” Sunset encouraged.

“She's right. And maybe it's time to find someone new,” Isa suggested.

Yeah, maybe,” Vera said, but she didn't sound convinced.

Fluttershy changed the subject a bit. “Um, Kumar does know that Chip’s a girl, right?

Vera was shocked by that answer. “Chip is a what now?”

Isa, Rainbow, Karai, Shini and Gabby couldn't help but laugh.

“Kumar's been raising that lizard from an egg,” Isa said between laughs.

“He actually sat on him, I mean her, till she hatched,” Vera remembered. “And he never figured it out?”

“Should we tell him?” Gabby suggested.

“Not yet,” Gabby said. “Perhaps another time.”

After that, Vera and Isa led the girls to their rooms.

...

Yod led the turtles, Casey and Keno, down the hall.

“Just down here,” Yod said.

“Thank, Yod,” Leo thanked the prince.

“Can't wait to see the town tomorrow,” Mikey said as the others agreed.

“And if those figures appear again, it'll be even better,” Raph said with a smirk.

Yod then turned to Leo, “I just wanted you to know that it is an honour to have the Hamato Clan here.”

“And it's an honour to be here,” Leo replied.

The two then bowed as Yod left the boys. Tomorrow would bring a new day.

Author's Note

Shout out to Jebens1 for the Character designs