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After she had finished packing the few things she thought she needed (her flight goggles and some trail mix) Rainbow Dash decided it would be best for her to help her friend Fluttershy with her packing. When she flew down from her cloud house, she was sure her pet turtle Tank could easily handle himself. He was coldblooded so he didn’t eat often and she left out his food in the auto feeder to keep him for about three weeks.

The idea of being away from her home for three weeks seemed like such a distant reality. A lot could happen in three weeks and she wondered what could be such a serious problem, the Princess would call them away and only tell them to pack lightly. Rainbow Dash suddenly laughed to herself, realizing she was starting to sound like Twilight. Man, this must be serious for her to sound like such an egghead.

When the cyan pegasus arrived at the quaint cottage in the woods, she initially realized the commotion that was going on inside. After knocking on the door, a familiar timid pegasus answered looking quite frazzled. Looking past the pony, Rainbow could see that the house looked like a rabid bull made his way into her abode.

“What is up Fluttershy? Is everything ok over here?” Asked Rainbow Dash with true concern.

“Well… not really. All of the cute creatures that I take care of are all startled up. It is almost like they are sensing that something just isn’t right.” Fluttershy spoke with true concern, looking back into her cottage and seeing the mayhem that was still in progress.

“Yeah, I’ve had that feeling too. Almost as if the world doesn’t seem right today…” Rainbow dash began to remember the strange feelings she was having earlier when she was flying back from her house and why everything wasn’t occurring normally. “Well Fluttershy, I can help you get things under control because it seems like if things keep going at this rate, we will never be able to catch the train on time.”

“Ok Rainbow. Thank you very much.” The grateful homeowner replied. “I still need to get all of these animals out of my house and put out enough food for them, but if we work together, I feel we will have all of this done in no time.”

Right away Rainbow Dash put down her saddle bag at the door and entered the house. All over, there were animals big and small. From chipmunks fighting for nuts in the kitchen to big owls trying to roost in Fluttershy’s rafters, the house was packed with animals. The two ponies seemed to divide instantly as Fluttershy tried to remove the ground animals while Rainbow focused on the birds and critters that had climbed up high. What seemed to be a task that would be almost impossible was achieved rather quickly as the critters were too rattled to put up a real fight?

“Wow! That was super easy! Now all we have to do is give these guys food and we can set out for the library to meet up with Twilight and the others before going to the train station.” Exclaimed the excited Rainbow Dash.

“Yes but… I don’t know how much to give the poor guys or what to do about their current state. What if we don’t get back in time? Then they will have to fend for themselves like the Everfree Forest monsters!” It was obvious that Fluttershy was truly concerned for her friends as she watched them all run around and find their homes and only then did they show any sign of settling down. Many still watched her, looking for her to try to comfort them in any way possible.

“Well the Princess did say to pack light.” Rainbow tried to comfort her friend, ”She couldn’t possibly expect us to stay away from home for more than three weeks… at least that is my best guess.”

“I am sure you are right… it’s just… three weeks! What will my animal friends do?”

“Well they had to live by themselves before you took care of them. If anything goes wrong, they will probably just fend for themselves for a day or two.” Rainbow replied.

At this the two pegasi grabbed their saddle bags and walked toward town and the library. Fluttershy consistently looked back to check on her cottage and more importantly, the friends she had to leave behind. Usually when she left on most of her journeys, some of her friends came with her as musical entertainment for parties and other royal gatherings. This was one of the few times she had to leave them alone and she couldn’t help but wonder what could how well her friends could handle themselves if she didn’t return in time.

Soon the two ponies had arrived in the heart of town and they could see the library in the distance. As they approached, they could make out everyone except Twilight standing outside, looking as if they had just arrived, similar to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. As the duo approached the group, they could see that each of their friends had a faint look on their faces that depicted just how Rainbow and Fluttershy had felt earlier.

“Howdy y’all. We ‘er just discussin’ what could’ve gotten Princess Celestia so concerned.” The cowpony Apple Jack said warmly to the two who were joining the group.

“Well darling, I don’t know what it is but if what Twilight said is true, we should be prepared for anything. She sounded really concerned.” Rarity spoke up with her usual formal accent.

“Speaking of Twilight, has anyone seen her?” Asked Rainbow Dash. At this comment, everyone immediately perked up, realizing that in their discussion about why the Princess had called them to Canterlot, they had forgotten the pony who had informed them of the occurrence at all.

At this, everypony slowly turned toward the library as if they expected Twilight to notice and exit on cue. Instead after a few moments of quiet wondering, Apple Jack spoke up, “Well, maybe she is expectin’ us to meet her inside.” At this, Apple Jack knocked politely at the door and Twilight’s dragon assistant answered the door with a truly concerned look on his face.

“Ah, is it good that you are here!” Exclaimed Spike emphatically. “Just a while ago, Twilight just stormed in here and is laying on her bed crying into her pillow. I don’t know what happened but she won’t come down and I am concerned that she will miss the train. Maybe you all could go and talk with her?”

“I ‘recken that is a good idea sugarcube. I wonder what could‘a gotten her in such a fit” AJ and the other members of the Mane 6 wondered if any of them that had seen Twilight earlier today had done anything to make her feel this way and more importantly, they wondered how they would snap the unicorn out of it.

The small group of ponies walked up the stairs in the library and approached Twilight’s bed. As they looked on, they could see the purple unicorn sniffling quietly with her face buried in her pillow. The herd exchanged looks of worry to each other, knowing that the last time Twilight was this concerned was when she forgot to give a friendship report to the Princess and everyone remembered how that turned out…

Fluttershy slowly approached Twilight’s side and sat on her bed. The usually timid pony spoke quietly to Twilight in the most consoling voice she had, “Twilight, everything will be ok. All of us are here to help like you asked.” They all waited a little bit with no response except that the crying softened. “Twilight, you should really talk to us… I mean if you are concerned.”

At this Twilight sat up quickly and wrapped her fore-hooves around a surprised Fluttershy who slowly returned the embrace. Twilight spoke up, “Oh, girls. I am so sorry. I am just concerned that something really bad happened to Canterlot or the Princess and she will be mad at me for not acting sooner. I really am a terrible student.”

“Now don’t ya’ll start blaming yourself just yet. We haven’t even gone and talked with Celestia yet. I’m sure you did nothing wrong or she would’ve told ya’ll in that letter she sent ya’.” With concern, AJ moved in and joined in the embrace with Fluttershy. At this the remaining ponies all joined in and Twilight showed, for the first time that day, some relief on her face.

“You know? You are right AJ. I should just stop blaming myself when I’m not even sure that I did anything wrong. Thanks for being here for me.” Twilight said again as they broke the embrace and started down the stairs. “Now that I am back to myself, I should do a final check of my and Spike’s bags and then we should leave to catch the train at noon.”

At this all of the ponies grabbed their saddle-bags and they started out the door as Twilight ran over her final checklist of what she had planned to pack on the trip while making sure the bag was lightweight like Princess Celestia ordered. After she checked Spikes bag and her own, the two left the library and met up with the others who were waiting outside.

The small group had everything that they needed to embark on their journey and they left the town at a quick pace. By the look of the Sun, it was about 11:00 so they would make it to the station with a few minutes to spare. Though they all had questions about what would be going on, the group was relatively quiet. Twilight looked into the distance at the city of Canterlot, a tiny silhouette in the distance, and only wished she could just speak with the Princess now.

“So Twilight, why does the Princess need the Elements again?” Pinkie Pie suddenly broke the silence. At this remark every pony stopped in their tracks and looked at Twilight intently, hoping to draw out an answer even sooner. The purple unicorn was taken aback at the question. As she looked around at her friends, trying to find an answer that wouldn’t promote more panic, the others only continued to look to her for answers.

“I really don’t have any specifics other than what I already told you Pinkie.” Looking around the group of ponies, Twilight Sparkle knew that they were truly scared and she replied, “Look, I know that when we have needed the elements before, we have always had quite a challenge ahead of us. Now I know this sounds scary but every time we have had the elements, we came out on top and were successful. If we just trust in each other and trust that Princess Celestia is there for us, I am sure everypony will be ok.”

After hearing Twilight’s response, the Mane 6 thought it over. As their expressions softened, it became clear that they were coming to terms with what was being asked of them. They soon continued on to the train station and approached the ticket booth. As Rainbow Dash first approached the salespony, he instantly looked up and said, “Wow you must be the heroes that stopped Discord and Nightmare Moon! Here are your tickets!”

“Um… ok. How much do I owe you?” Asked Rainbow Dash with a blush at the complement.

“Oh, there is no charge. It looks like the royal guard paid for the next train to be entirely for you all and your dragon friend there. You must have some friends in high places.” Replied the ticketpony.

With the tickets, the ponies walked down onto the platform to wait for the train and the first thing that stuck out saying this wasn’t another ordinary day was the presence of 2 pony civilian protection officers. Twilight knew about this program when she was back in Canterlot. These ponies were civilians that in the time of need were called up by the royal guard to complete some mission in keeping the balance of harmony. It looked like these officers were here to guard the train station, as it was the last stop for this train before it reached Canterlot.

Soon the train pulled into the station and the protection ponies walked from end to end of the train to make sure no straggling ponies would be making the trip to Canterlot uninvited. This was the highest level of security Twilight had seen sense the wedding of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. The scholarly pony just brushed this off as another precaution the Princess must be taking to make sure they arrived safely to the palace.

After the small group had entered the train, it immediately began its journey to the capital of Equestria as the protection officers waved them off. Even though the friends had the whole train to themselves, they all shared the same train car. Despite the fact that they all would be in Canterlot in a few hours, the friends lightened up and the car became full of fun and excitement. While Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack had a dancing contest, Rarity, Rainbow and Fluttershy all played a game of Appleloosa hold’em. Twilight figured that it would do her some good to get a bit of shut eye as Spike was drawn into the dance contest by Pinkie.

Everyone seemed to just forget the present as they enjoyed themselves for the time being. Soon after the train emerged from the final tunnel on the path up the mountain, the great city of Canterlot came into view. Everyone peered out the window and even though they had seen this sight many times before, it was always an exciting experience to see the home of their Princesses. This time the city looked much different than most days. There was a large barrier similar to that which had been seen on the day the changelings attacked surrounding the city but this one seemed to be clearer with less of a magical hue around it. There were guards at the edge of the barrier and they used their magic to open a small hole for the train to pass through on the path to the train station.

Once they arrived at the station, there was an armed guard there to escort them. Twilight was first off the train and she had a wave of déjà vu sweep over her as this seemed just too familiar to what had been seen at the wedding. Soon as her friends left the train after her, they began the walk through the city.

As they journeyed through the streets, there were few ponies seen and those that were out looked confused and concerned, continually looking up at the shield. “I wonder what got into this place. I bet that shield has something to do with why the Princess called us here.” Stated Rainbow Dash looking around. “Hey,” Rainbow called to a passing pony, “what is going on? What is up with the shield?”

“I have no idea,” stated the passerby, “but it just appeared here overnight. It probably has something to do with that weird magical aura coming from the palace though.”

Once the pony mentioned the aura, Twilight looked toward the castle and noticed how strong the aura really was. She was so distracted from her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the weird atmosphere emanating from the castle. Twilight concentrated her magic and used her horn to analyze the magic. After studying it for a couple of moments, Twilight began to realize this was such a massive emanation of magical interference. The interference must be why there is such a strong concern on all of the citizen’s faces for even those who were not magically inclined could feel such a strong emanation.

“Girls, did you feel a change once you entered the shield when we were back on the train?” Twilight asked.

“Well I felt less like throwing a party which for me is a BIG DEAL!!” Pinkie exclaimed loudly, startling Twilight with her enthusiasm.

“I believe there is some powerful magic that is being cast inside the castle and it is causing the fear that we are seeing among the ponies here in the city. Look, even the guards are concerned.” The purple unicorn stated, motioning toward their escorts who had the slightest look of concern on their faces.

“I wonder if that is why all the animals were acting strange today.” Fluttershy said, remembering back to the past morning,” It was almost as if they were afraid to let me leave…”

“This might sound strange,” Spike spoke up after being quiet for so long, “but I have a bad feeling about this.”

Finally the small group arrived at the palace gates. There was obviously an increased guard as there were guards standing shoulder to shoulder, blocking the gate. The stalwart soldiers stood at the ready against any foe that would threaten the princesses. Twilight approached and the guards instantly recognized her and the friends she brought with her. A unicorn guard stepped forward and enveloped them in a light blue field of magic as he scanned them to make sure they were not changelings or any other imposter. Seeing no abnormalities the guards stepped aside and allowed the Mane 6 and Spike to enter.

The small group briskly trotted up the stairs and into the castle. As they rounded the corner as to enter the throne room, they were once again met with a large group of guards and one in particular in his purple armor who was looking away from the group at the moment. This instantly brightened up the face of the element of magic who galloped at him. “Big brother!” Twilight exclaimed as she galloped up and jumped on the surprised unicorn captain of the guard.

“Twili!” Shining Armor exclaimed ecstatically as his sister embraced him closely. “I didn’t expect to see you this early.”

“We managed to get the train that the princesses sent for us.” The purple mare said to her brother. “What is going on? Why is the guard on alert? I haven’t seen them like this since the wedding of you and Cadence.”

“Princess Celestia seems to have discovered something unknown and potentially dangerous. She is afraid that our enemies will sense its powerful magical fields and try to use it for their own intentions.” Shining Armor explained.

“T-that would explain the animals earlier today…” Fluttershy squeaked out.

“and that clarifies why Opal was acting so funny this morning” Rarity added.

“So what then do you reckin’ this magic could be coming from?” Apple Jack asked inquisitively as the group looked to Shining Armor for information.

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea. The princesses wouldn’t let me know anything except to put the guard on high alert and that the civil protection officers were to be placed at all train stations and major cities on guard against any danger.” Shining exclaimed, the worry coming across his face as he added, “I was so worried when Cadence first noticed the magical fields. I thought Sombra was back at first and I was truly concerned.”

Suddenly a guard entered and beckoned for them to enter the throne room for the princesses wanted to see them. The friends entered the grand hall and before them sat both the princess of the day and her sister, the princess of the night.  In respect, all of the ponies and Spike bowed humbly before the godlike royals whom they respected greatly.

“Rise my little ponies.” Princess Celestia said to her humble subjects. “We have much to talk about. I trust your lieutenants will be able to handle the guard Shining Armor?” The Princess said as both she and her sister got up and began to turn toward the royal study. A magical shield was over the door that Twilight had only just now noticed.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Luna interjected, “did you bring the Elements of Harmony?” Her question was answered as the young unicorn opened her saddle bag and showed the Princess the variety of gold jewelry that was inside.

“Princess if I may ask, what is going on? What did you discover and what is the source of this strong magical field that is emanating from the castle?” Twilight could have gone on and on asking but to have her questions answered promptly by the Sun Princess.

Celestia canceled the magical field and opened the door; looking back at her student she said simply, “I discovered a portal to another universe.”