Because Cirrus and Blaze had already packed their meager belongings, they were ready to disembark with their baggage immediately. The couple followed Daring and Trixie out onto the platform and let the duo herd them in the appropriate direction.

“Aren’t we going to collect your wagon, Trixie?” Cirrus asked, noticing that they were headed away from the remaining freight cars at the rear of the train.

“We will have no need of it for the moment. It will be unloaded and parked in the yard to await Trixie.”

Daring added, “She doesn’t like hauling it up the side of the mountain, so she’s quite used to how the train service deals with her wagon.”

Cirrus frowned. “What? Why didn’t she have you just fly it up here like you did back in the jungle?”

“Trixie had a solo career before partnering with Daring,” the unicorn answered. “Canterlot was one of her regular stops.”

The group exited the station and headed for the city gate. Blaze noticed that Daring and Trixie had taken up flanking positions about him and Cirrus. He frowned when he realized that they had been doing that in Foaledo and Appleloosa too. “You two look like you’re escorting us rather than just walking with us. What’s with that?”

Trixie replied, “Daring warned you about mares aggressively pursuing eligible stallions. By accompanying you like this, we are telling them that you’re a part of our herd and not available.”

Blaze’s eyes widened. “Wait! We’re not… But, we haven’t…”

Daring laughed. “It’s just for appearance’s sake. I don’t think you want to be hassled by random mares at this stage.”

“Phew! Yeah, you’re right,” the stallion admitted. He found it ironic that when he had been a woman, she had to cope with sexual harassment regularly, but now as a stallion in Equestria, he still had to deal with it.

“Besides, Trixie and I have first dibs on you,” the pegasus added with a smirk.

Blaze came to an abrupt halt and his jaw dropped.

Cirrus rolled her eyes and gave him a shove to get him walking again. “She’s just teasing you,” she told him. ‘At least, for now,’ she added in her head. ‘So, why am I not more bothered by that?’

The group made its way up the main road, taking the ramp up to the next level. The Peregrines noted how many of the buildings were made with gleaming marble and ornate golden metalwork. The street was immaculately clean and practically devoid of vehicles. Only an occasional cart pulled by a pony passed by. Even more than Ponyville, this city reminded the Peregrines of a Disney theme park. Undoubtedly, the back streets had to be a lot more utilitarian, but this being the main route into the heart of the city and to the castle that dominated the skyline, it was intended to impress visitors. Whether seen from afar or close up like now, this city proclaimed its importance to the nation and its inhabitants.

“Can we have a look in some of those stores?” Cirrus asked after an apparel shop caught her eye.

“Not now,” Daring replied. “We need to go straight to the castle. It’s Thursday which means public Royal Court is being held today and the afternoon session will be coming to a close soon. We need to get there before then.”

True to her word, the Peregrines inexorably made their way through the crowd, going up yet another level before approaching the walls around the castle. They headed toward an arched entrance with heavy steel gates which was flanked by four guards decked out in gleaming armor. However, there was no effort made to prevent them from passing through. Blaze noticed a strange tingle as they entered, guessing that they had been scanned magically. More Royal Guards inside suggested that these would deal with any hidden threats so detected.

Because this was a public session, there were several ponies and other creatures on the path, although mostly headed in the opposite direction due to the lateness of the day. The route through the castle was obvious – all side corridors were roped off with a Guard stationed at each. The Peregrines hardly noticed them as they gazed in awe at the sumptuous surroundings. They stopped outside a pair of doors which were once again flanked by more Guards.

“Sorry, citizens,” one of them said. “No more entry into the throne room until the evening session.”

Daring said, “We are an exception. Please advise the Sergeant-at-Arms that Daring Do and company are here to report to the Princess.”

The earth pony raised an eyebrow, then nodded. He turned, opened the door enough to pass through, and closed it behind him. After a minute, he returned and held the door open. “You may enter. Wait by the Sergeant-at-Arms.”

Daring grinned. “Thanks! C’mon guys.” She trotted in, closely followed by Trixie and then the Peregrines.

A crusty old unicorn met them, scowling at the pegasus adventurer. “Are you ever going to follow procedure and make an appointment, Daring Do?” he asked in a low growl.

“We only just arrived in Canterlot. The Princesses aren’t going to want to wait for what we have to tell them,” she replied unrepentantly.

He just shook his head and told them to wait until the last petitioner was done.

The Peregrines hardly noticed as they took in the magnificent surroundings. The Throne Room was huge, at least three stories high, illuminated by a series of tall windows, some with stained glass scenes depicted upon them. There was an area set aside as a public gallery which left a large space between it and a raised dais upon which were three thrones. Only the central one was currently occupied by a pony with both wings and a horn decked out in silver regalia and a crown – the alicorn princess that they were about to meet. She still had her attention on the petitioner standing at the base of the dais and had not noticed the new arrivals. It was only a couple of minutes before their business was concluded and the pegasus stallion bowed to the Princess and made his way out. The alicorn saw the group then and raised an eyebrow.

The Sergeant-at-Arms took the cue and bellowed, “Announcing Lady Daring Do, Lady Beatrix Lulamoon, and company!”

“Step forward, My Little Ponies,” the Princess said with a knowing smile.

The four made their way to the dais, and when Daring and Trixie bowed, the Peregrines followed suit immediately.

The alicorn leaned her elbow on the arm of the throne and rested her head on her hoof, smirking at the pegasus. “What tall tales do you bring to the Royal Court today, Daring Do?”

“Your Highness, may I introduce you to Cirrus Sky and Blaze Peregrine, two beings from another world who were transformed into ponies by the very artifacts we were sent to find. Cirrus, Blaze, may I introduce you to Her Royal Highness, Sunset Shimmer, Princess of Friendship.”

Ignoring the exclamations of shock and whispers emanating from the public gallery, the golden-coated alicorn mare with a bright red and yellow striped mane sat up and gazed keenly at the two. Her horn glowed briefly before she grinned. “Okay, you and Trixie have really outdone yourselves this time. I can’t wait to hear the whole story. I’ll talk with you after we close Court for the day.” She turned to the unicorn Royal Guard dressed in extravagantly ornate armor standing at attention at the base of the dais. “Captain Armor, please escort our guests to the Royal Lounge and await my arrival.”

The Royal Guard snapped a salute. “Yes, Your Highness.” He approached the group and said, “Please follow me.”

The four bowed to the Princess once more and followed the captain out of the Throne Room. Instead of heading the way they had come, they turned in the opposite direction. They approached a magical barrier and the Royal Guard posted there saluted the captain, allowing him and the rest of the group to pass through.

Once they had left the public area, Daring surprised the Peregrines by nudging the Guard with her shoulder and saying, “How’s it hanging, Shiny?”

The formerly impassive stallion grinned and replied, “Not bad, Double-D. Is it true? These ponies are from another world?”

“Yep. And before you ask, we know for certain because we visited it briefly too.”

“Umm… should we be talking about this before the Princess gets to hear it?” Cirrus asked.

“Nah, it’s cool,” Daring said. “Shiny and I go way back.”

Shining Armor smirked. “Yeah. I used to have to get her out of jams a lot.”

Trixie said, “Now, she has a far superior partner to prevent her from ever getting into jams in the first place!”

The stallion just laughed. “Don’t worry, Trixie – she’s all yours! I’m not trying to add her to my herd.” He looked over at Blaze. “Although maybe it’s a moot point anyway?”

Blaze realized what Shining was getting at and blushed. He felt a bit out of his depth with both mares and stallions seeming to have one-track minds. He looked at Cirrus for support only to notice the mare trying to stifle laughter at his discomfort. He rolled his eyes and decided the wisest course of action would be to keep his mouth shut.

The group continued on for a while before they arrived at a large double door with Royal Guards posted on either side. The Guards saluted Shining Armor and one opened the door for him. Blaze and Cirrus followed the others inside to find themselves in a roomy parlor lacking the usual fancy ornate decorations that they had seen in the rest of the castle. Instead, it oozed comfort rather than opulence. Sofas and coffee tables were the main furniture, while warm lighting was easy on the eyes. Clearly, this was a place where the royals went to relax and unwind.

There were a few ponies in there, but the one that immediately drew the Peregrines’ attention was a mare with fur so dark, it was almost black. However, highlights showed that it was an extremely dark blue. She was an alicorn like Sunset, but unlike her, this one was much larger and her mane waved like a shimmering nebula. Her rump bore the image of a crescent moon against a purple background and she gazed at them with bright blue eyes whose pupils were vertical slits. Despite her imposing appearance, she gave the visitors a warm smile.

“Greetings, Daring Do, Trixie Lulamoon, and guests. To what do we owe this visit?”

“Yes, why are these strangers here in our private retreat?” asked the other occupant of the room.

This one was every bit as big as the alicorn, but despite having wings and a horn like her, it was clear from the shiny dark carapace and insectile wings, she was a changeling. Unlike the one the Peregrines had met on the train, this mare had a luxurious blue mane and tail. Her horn was also very long and crooked, and her fangs clearly showed as she frowned at the newcomers.

“Now, dear, there’s no need to be rude,” the dark alicorn said. “I am sure Daring has a good reason for being here.”

Shining spoke up, “Sunset told me to bring them here, and after hearing what they told her, I think you’ll be interested in it too. Your Highnesses, let me introduce you to Cirrus Sky and Blaze Peregrine, visitors from another world. Blaze, Cirrus, these are Princess Luna, Alicorn of the Moon and Stars, and Princess Chrysalis, Queen of the Canterlot Hive.”

Blaze and Cirrus bowed and the stallion said, “It’s an honor to meet you both. We never expected anything like this when we stumbled into your world. But if I may ask, Princess Chrysalis, why do you have two titles?”

The changeling regarded them with less annoyance and more curiosity. “Intriguing. From your mix of emotions, I can taste that you truly don’t recognize either of us. I am a Princess by dint of having married my lovemate, Luna. And as the head of my hive, I am its Queen. Because I am not one of Equestria’s rulers, I cannot have status outside of the hive that is greater than theirs. Despite my urgings, they refuse to take on greater titles. With my Luna as Empress, of course.”

The alicorn rolled her eyes and smiled at the changeling queen. “We three alicorn rulers will always be equals – that is a lesson that I learned the hard way.” She turned her attention back to the visitors. “Please make yourselves comfortable. Would you like some refreshments? The maid would be happy to take your requests.”

Daring and Trixie immediately climbed onto a large lounge chair and cuddled at complete ease. Cirrus and Blaze chose a sofa and sat on it a little awkwardly, uncomfortable at being in the presence of two of Equestria’s most powerful beings. A light blue unicorn mare with a pink mane dressed in a classic mid outfit approached them and waited expectantly.

“Umm… Could I have a coffee?” Cirrus asked.

“Certainly, ma’am. Would you like an espresso?”

Cirrus blinked. “Oh! You have that? I’d like a café latte, please.”

“Of course. And you, sir?”

“A long black, please,” Blaze replied.

“Cappuccinos for Trixie and me,” Daring said.

“Make that three,” Shining added as he took a seat on another large armchair.

“Bring an assortment of cakes too,” Luna said.

“Yes, ma’am,” the maid replied. She turned and exited the room.

Blaze noted the empty mugs next to the princesses which is why he assumed that they did not order drinks. He shifted nervously under their curious gaze until Luna spoke up.

“Thy claim to be from another world is fascinating if true. While I have no reason to doubt Daring Do, thy lack of a cutie mark lends credence.”

The stallion shrugged. “Humans don’t have that kind of thing, so we didn’t have one in the first place.”

“So, you both were not ponies before? That explains much, but your lack may yet change. The magic of Harmony awaits your discovery of what makes you both special.”

Blaze frowned. “Trixie told me that you get one when you find your special talent.”

“While true, 'tis an incomplete answer. Very often, the two are the same, but 'tis not unusual for a pony to have a great talent for something but be more passionate in another.”

Cirrus said, “So, there’s no predestination in them? You’re not locked into one course forever?”

“Dost thou fear that, child? Nay, Harmony merely shows thee the easiest option. Thy destiny is thine to choose.”

The pegasus mare frowned thoughtfully. “I’ve always been interested in archaeology, but I had to work hard at being good at it, so maybe that’s why I haven’t gotten one for it yet?”

“'Tis a possibility,” Luna conceded. “Or thou hast yet to find thy place in this world and realize that which makes thee special here.”

“In other words – wait and see,” Cirrus concluded.

“Indeed,” the Moon Princess said with a smile.

Just then, the door opened to admit Sunset Shimmer who promptly doffed her fancy horseshoes, climbed up next to Shining Armor, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, love,” she said.

“Not a problem, dear,” Shining replied. “We’re barely past introductions anyway.”

“Oh! I thought Captain Armor was a Royal Guard,” Cirrus blurted out.

“He is,” Sunset replied with a grin. “He’s also my husband.”

Cirrus blushed. “Sorry. It’s just that you were so formal back in the Court. I was wondering why he stayed around after showing us here.”

“We keep everything formal while on duty,” the alicorn explained. “That’s why I wanted you to join us here so we could have a nice relaxed chat. I always look forward to hearing about Daring and Trixie’s adventures, and this sounds like a doozy.” Sunset looked around. “Where’s Mom, by the way?”

“Celestia is dining with her coltfriend this evening,” Chrysalis reminded her.

“Oops! I forgot about her date. Oh well, her loss. She can hear about this later.” Sunset’s attention was drawn to the side door where the maid was entering, pushing a tea trolley with her magic. “Oh good! I hope you brought some coffee for me, Cerulean?”

“I anticipated your desire, Princess,” the maid replied with a proud smile.

After passing out the coffee, Cerulean offered a plate of cakes to everyone before retreating to a corner and awaiting further need.

Blaze sipped his drink and nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent coffee!” he said to the maid who smiled and bobbed her head in thanks. The stallion took a bite out of the tart he had chosen and was again impressed. After swallowing, he said, “Trixie told us that you and Princess Celestia were rulers of Equestria along with Princess Luna, but she did not mention that Celestia was your mother.”

“Adopted mom, to be precise. I was a very young orphan filly when I had the exceedingly good fortune to attract her attention. She said she recognized my potential, so she took me as her own foal, raised me, taught me everything she knew, and enabled me to become the mare I am today,” Sunset replied proudly.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be hard to see potential in an alicorn foal, but she seems to have been just as good as a mother.”

Luna burst out laughing. “Nay, young stallion, alicorns are not born; they doth ascend. Sunset Shimmer was a mere unicorn back then.”

Blaze frowned. “Ascend?”

“When a pony achieves some great accomplishment that hath world-changing consequences, Harmony elevates them to a greater level. I achieved mine by controlling the heavens, my sister – the sun, but Sunset became an alicorn by freeing me from the Nightmare. Whilst I have been left forever physically changed by my folly, I am nevertheless glad that I played a part in Sunset’s ascension.”

Sunset blushed and waved it off with one hoof. “Enough about me. We want to hear about you ponies from another world. Spit it out!”

Blaze looked at Cirrus. “Do you want to start? I’ll get the laptop booted up.”

The mare nodded. “We come from a world called Earth and a—”

She was interrupted by the door bursting open and a teenage mare with dark coat and purple mane and tail came flying through it. She had both wings and horn, and she wore a headband and a large pair of spectacles. She trotted up to Luna and said, “Mom! I heard that there are strangers from another world here!”

Chrysalis scowled and said, “Nyx! How many times have we told you to act with the decorum expected of a princess?”

Nyx’s ears sagged. “Sorry, Dad.”

Cirrus looked askance at Trixie. “Dad?” she whispered.

“Did I not say that changelings can become stallions if they choose?” was the quiet reply.

“Oh. Right.”

Luna said, “It’s true, daughter. Look behind thee. The unicorn and pegasus who are not Daring Do and Trixie Lulamoon are our visitors.”

Nyx turned and blinked and her ears sagged. “But they’re just ponies.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Cirrus Sky, please continue.”

Cirrus nodded. “As I started to say, we come from a world called Earth and a country called America. Our species are a bipedal ape-descended species and we are the only true sapient beings there. Our kind have colonized virtually every habitable place on the planet, but there are still mysteries to be found. Blaze and I set out a couple of weeks ago to investigate one of them…”

Cirrus and Blaze continued their lecture with only the occasional interruption for clarification by one of their listeners until dinner was announced to be ready. The princesses invited their visitors to join them for the meal and conversation recommenced at the dining table. Luna excused herself eventually as she had to attend Night Court, and Chrysalis accompanied her. Nyx tried one excuse after another to escape her ‘princessly duty’ to watch and learn from her parents. The one that finally stuck had to do with gathering first-hoof knowledge of the travelers and second-hoof knowledge of their world that the filly would later retell to her parents. A skipping teenage alicorn with a beaming smile led the rest to the lounge once more.

“So, your goals are to find your way back to your world and regain your human forms,” Sunset summed up. “I know of some artificial worldgates that we call portals that go to other worlds, but judging by the images you have shown us on your remarkable device, none of them lead to yours. However, there are rumors of other natural worldgates that you can look into. Getting your human bodies back is a bigger problem though. I can’t say that I know of an answer to that one.”

Shining Armor said, “However, there’s somepony who may be able to help.”

“You’re talking about your sister, right?” Trixie said with a grimace.

“Yep!” he replied with a proud smile. “If anypony can figure that one out, she can.”

“Trixie thought as much. Trixie has prepared a preliminary report of our expedition to send to her in anticipation.”

Shining’s grin widened. “The Great and Powerful Trixie concedes that she has met her match?”

The mare gave him a sour look. “Twilight Sparkle is the only pony besides Princess Celestia that she acknowledges as her superior in the magic arts.”

Blaze was startled. “Your sister is a greater magician than an alicorn?”

“Twilight is an alicorn and the Princess of Magic,” Shining replied smugly.

Nyx chimed in. “Auntie Twilight is the best!” Her expression then turned serious. “Did you bring any sweets from the other universe? For … uh … academic reasons, of course.”

Blaze blinked. “Wait! I thought there were only three princesses – Sunset, Luna, and Celestia. Now you’re saying there are four?”

“Five, actually, but Twilight refused the Crown, preferring to put her talent to work in other ways. By law, she’s still a princess though. And Nyx is not an alicorn, only a pegacorn, so she is a princess by birth only, just as I am a prince by marriage. The other princess is Mi Amore Cadenza. She’s the adopted daughter of Queen Amore and King Sombra who rule the Crystal Kingdom. But that’s not important right now. It’s my sister who learned everything that Celestia had to teach, all the accumulated knowledge of the Council of Mages, and read every book on the subject of magic in Royal Canterlot Library. She now spends her time researching old forgotten styles of magic or creating new ones. There’s no greater mage in all of Equestria.”

Cirrus could feel the palpable pride the unicorn had in his sibling. “So – if anyone knows how blood magic works, it will be her? How soon can we see her?”

“You’re in luck. She splits her time between her research laboratory here and her home in Ponyville. She will be in her office tomorrow, so you can see her first thing.”

Trixie added drily. “Better make it after breakfast. Miss Sparkle is not an early riser.”

“No problem. How come she commutes so much though?”

Sunset replied, “To get her out of the lab and spend more time with her friends, I convinced her to open a school in Ponyville to teach the Magic of Friendship. It’s an interspecies school where culturally diverse beings can learn about each other as well as the regular subjects. And magic too, of course. You’d be surprised what other species can do with magic. If there’s one thing that Twilight Sparkle loves almost as much as magic, it’s teaching it. So, some days are spent here and some at the school where her friends also do lectures. They’re under orders to make sure Twilight spends a little time enjoying life rather than nonstop work.”

“Are they truly her friends if they have to be ordered to do that?” Blaze asked.

Sunset chuckled. “It was more like a strong request, but they use it as an excuse whenever Twilight is reluctant to put aside her studies.”

Shining said, “Yeah, my little sister gets too obsessed sometimes. Don’t be surprised if she gets that way when she learns about your origins.”

Sunset said, “You can all stay at the castle for now. Daring and Trixie – for now, I’m making the Peregrines your next assignment. I can see that we will learn a lot from them and from the research that will ensue. Blaze and Cirrus – the Crown will pay you a stipend until further notice, retroactive to when you first arrived in recognition of the help you gave Daring and Trixie, and for your part in dealing with the attack on the train by the diamond dogs.” The alicorn grimaced. “I really have to figure out a way to deal with them. As the Princess of Friendship, it wouldn’t be on brand for me to mobilize the army to rout them out.”

“Thank you,” Blaze said. “We were kind of wondering what we were going to do to pay for things if we got stuck here for a while.”

The alicorn grinned. “Hey, it’s not all altruistic. I want to be part of this. Daring and Trixie are my proxies most of the time, but I reckon you have a lot you can do for me right now. Can you show us more of what your device can do?”

“Show her a movie!” Daring declared.

Cirrus smirked. “Let me guess —”

“Indiana Jones!” four voices chorused.

“I’ll get the popcorn!” called out Nyx in a sing-song voice before scampering out of the room.

Shining blinked and then turned to his wife. “Something tells me that this is something we really have to watch.”

“I couldn’t agree more, love. But a whole movie on that? That’s something I really have to see.”

A couple of hours later, one alicorn, one pegacorn, one unicorn stallion, and one unicorn maid allowed to hang around after her shift were all both entertained and amazed.

“I hope we get to watch more of these movies,” Sunset said.

“We have only a few because they take up so much storage space, but you’re welcome to watch them.”

“I’m astounded that you can even get one in there, let alone all the other things that lap-top can do.”

“We do have a bit of a power problem though,” Cirrus said. “The solar panels we use can charge the laptop, but it takes a long time. All day, in fact. On an overcast day, it might not get a full charge. We were hoping to make a faster charger with a generator.”

Shining replied, “Speak to Twi about that. She’s as much a mad scientist as she’s a mage.”

“That too? Is there anything your sister can’t do?”

“Run a nation, apparently,” he replied with a chuckle.

The others laughed along with him.

Nyx wrinkled her muzzle. “She’s also terrible at making pancakes. No matter how many recipes Auntie Twilight has memorized, she keeps trying to invent shortcuts!”

Sunset got up from her chair. “Well, I’m afraid I need to call it a night. I have duties first thing tomorrow and I need to get to bed. I suggest that you do the same.” She paused for a moment before looking directly at Cirrus. “By the way, do you want to get pregnant?”

Cirrus blinked several times before saying, “What? I’ve lived as a male until very recently, so sex is the last thing on my mind!”

Sunset shook her head. “That’s not what I’m asking. Do. You. Want. To. Get. Pregnant?”

“Uh, no. No, I don’t.”

“Makes sense to me.” The alicorn’s horn glowed briefly. “I’ve applied the standard contraception spell. Now you have one less thing to worry about. And you’re welcome.” She then turned to the maid. “Cerulean, since you’ve decided to hang around past the time you normally go off duty, I’m assigning you the task of providing rooms for our guests. Let the Head Maid know before you retire for the night.”

Cerulean blushed. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Sunset grinned and headed to the door with Shining in tow. “Goodnight everypony!”

The maid said, “Would you please follow me, madams and sir?” She then followed after the royals.

As the four were guided to their rooms, Cirrus asked Trixie, “What was that all about? Do you really have a contraception spell?”

“Of course, it’s standard for mares to get it cast on them once they reach puberty. Be warned that it needs to be refreshed regularly though.”

“But as I told Sunset, I have no intention of having sex.”

Trixie chuckled. “You have not experienced going into heat yet. Be grateful.”

Cirrus shuddered. Was it going to be that bad?

Cerulean took them to the guest quarters where Daring and Trixie took the first room.

“We know the ropes – no need to hang about,” the pegasus told the maid. See you at breakfast,” she said to the Peregrines. They got the suite next door.

Cerulean pointed out the features and then indicated a bell rope. “Ring for assistance at any time if you need help. Somepony is always on call.”

“Thank you,” Blaze replied.

“Goodnight, sir and ma’am.” The maid then left and closed the door behind her.

Cirrus looked at Blaze. “Well, I never expected to get the royal treatment. I’ve got to admit though, I’m looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed tonight. And this one looks positively decadent.”

“Just sleeping?” he replied with a smirk. “We can practice safe sex now.”

Cirrus glared at him. “For that crack, I’m using the shower first!”

“Before or after?” Blaze broke out in laughter at his spouse’s frown.

“Just one more and you’ll be sleeping on the floor!”

‘Worth it,’ he said to himself as she stalked away in a huff.

Later as they spooned in bed, little did the stallion realize how much that teasing suggestion had affected his wife who was very aware of the virile male embracing her. It took longer than usual for her to fall asleep that night.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

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