Twelve

"That was..quite...out.."

"Are..sure..us?"

Mumbling voices were around here.

"Maybe...here?"

"We...her."

They were unfamiliar. Robbers, kidnappers?

"Do you think she's alright?"

"I could make her feel alright."

"Shut up Aries."

Aries? Where had she heard that? Did she knew these voices?

"Party time!"

She knew that voice.

"NO!" she bolted awake. She recognized her surroundings now. She was in the library. All of her friends were at the library, along with the zodiacs, crowding the entire place. Good thing she asked Celestia to magically make the interior bigger. Otherwise none of them would have fit!

"No! No parties!"

"Aw but why not?" Pinkie whined.

"Because I say so!" Twilight shouted. Inside the library was chaos. All of them were talking. All of them were making noise. A few of them were shouting even. Her head still hurt from the fainting. Twilight lit her horn, trapping everypony in magical bubbles. Of course, her friends, being used to it, got the message and remained quiet, along with Leo, who was trying to avoid looking annoyed. The zodiacs however, never having been in a situation like this, reacted accordingly.

"What is this?!" Aries shouted.

"Oh my..." Aquarius whispered as he floated insides the bubble. Scorpio tried punching it, then bucking it. Seeing it didn't work, she growled before stabbing it with the tip of her tail, making the bubble pop like water. The surprise distracted Twilight enough to release all the other zodiacs, who slammed on the ground.

"You...popped my magical shield..." Twilight murmured.

"My sting is a disruptor. No force can stay together when pierced by it. That includes your magic." Scorpio explained. The rest huddled together, distancing themselves from Twilight. Tension slowly rose until only Leo stood in the middle. The elements of one side, surprised about the power of Scorpio, and the zodiac on the other, fearful the strange magic of Twilight.

"What are you doing?" Leo asked irritated.

"What do you mean what are we doing?! What are you doing close to them?!" the one with pincers asked.

"Cancer. I can tell you by experience that they are mostly harmless. Specially the yellow one. Now stop this. All of you." Leo commanded. Fluttershy hid further behind Rarity.

"How de we now you have not been enchanted by that which?" the large red stallion asked.

"Witch!?" Twilight thought angrily.

"Taurus, you are being just as childish as Cancer. Drop it."

"But-"

"Now."

Reluctantly, the twelve siblings separated from each other a bit, allowing Twilight and her friends to relax a little. However, Twilight's mind still harbored some worries. The mare named Scorpio had dissipated her shield. Did all of them have similarly strange powers? If so, in which way. Her mind was divided between giddiness at the prospect of experiment and discovery and the fact there twelve apparently powerful aliens on Equestria. Her mind was distracted when Spike yawned. She gave the clock a glance.

It was four in the morning!

"Well, Ah' don't know about you, but Ah'm ready to hit the hay...." Applejack yawned.

"I'm afraid I'm tired as well..." A mare with two circles for a cutie mark said. As on cue, the two zodiac foals yawned as well. As cute as it was, Twilight didn't let it distract her from the situation at hand. There was no way in tartarus that they would fit on the library and be comfortable. She would have to split them, but would they agree?

"Okay, I have an idea..." she started.

"I say we split among the natives!" Aries said.

"I agree." Taurus replied.

"I don't trust them, but it doesn't look like we have any other choice." Scorpio grumbled. One by one, the zodiacs agreed with each other. Twilight hadn't even said a word!

"We have decided to stay with you all. For the moment at least." Leo answered. Twilight stammered incoherently.

"I'll take these two!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she flew towards only pegasi zodiacs. One of them, a stallion, had a bow and arrow cutie mark, while other one, this time a mare, a weird symbol on her flank.

"Take us? What does she mean by that Sag?" the mare said.

"Just go with it Libra."

Aquarius, followed by the beautiful mare, walked towards Rarity, who backed away a little.

"Do not worry. We will not harm you. Right Virgo?" Aqua assured. Virgo nodded in agreement. Pinkie immediately went for the foals.

"I'll take care of these little fellas! I'm an expert at it!" she said proudly.

"I like you! Let's be friends!" Cancer said as walked beside her.

"Of course! I'll be most delightedliscious to be your friend!" Pinkie replied.

Meanwhile, Scorpio was pulled by Aries, who planted her in front of Fluttershy.

"Scorpio and Aries, at your service!"

Fluttershy muttered something.

"Excuse me?" Aries asked as he leaned closer. Fluttershy tried again.

"Come again?" Aries asked again. Fluttershy barely managed to whisper.

"Louder mare!" Scorpio growled.

"S-sure! No problem!" Fluttershy meeped. Aries gave Scorpio a disapproving glare as Fluttershy ran besides the door of the kitchen.

"We could use a big like you on the farm. Interested?" Applejack offered Taurus, who nodded in agreement. Another mare, this one with a two connected circles for a cutie mark approached them.

"May I also join him? My name is Pisces." she explained.

"Eh, sure, no problem. The more the merrier right?" Applejack answered.

Twilight simply stared in amazement at how her friends easily mixed the zodiacs. She shouldn't be that surprised actually. Ponies in Ponyville had an almost pathological easiness for making friends, as she could personally attest. Leo approached her, followed by the last mare.

"Capricorn and I shall stay with you Twilight." Leo decided, pretty much ignoring the decision of the actual owner of the library. Soon enough, only Twilight, Spike and the two zodiacs remained in the library. Twilight had not moved from her spot, her mind still putting itself together after the whammy that the last couple of hours were. Needless to say, the library was a mess. Books were on the floor. Leo's bed was all but destroyed. The kitchen was a disaster. And they would have to clean it spotless.

"It can wait until tomorrow...Spike, can you please set a bed for Capricorn? I'll take care of Leo's." Twilight asked. Spike nodded before leading Capricorn away.

"I must say. I did not expect such hospitality from your friends." Leo said as she helped picking the blankets while Twilight used her magic to put the bed together.

"It surprised me too when I first arrived here. They can be an odd bunch, but I wouldn't change them for anything in the world." Twilight answered, making Leo stare at her for a few seconds.

"Well, this is it. I hope you like it." Spike said as he finished the bed, right besides Leo's. Capricorn nodded in thanks. Spike couldn't help but to notice the mane and tail of the zodiac. It was beautiful, in it's own, sea-like way. It reminded him of the see. If Rarity was stunning, and nopony could come close to her, but Capricorn could be a close second. Watching how she moved on top of the bed, Spike did what he did best with a mare.

"So, Capricorn uh? Need a guide for tomorrow? I could show things that Twilight wouldn't even dream about." he said smugly. Capricorn smiled. It was beautiful smile. She made a signal for him to come closer. He did. She did again. Spike leaned close enough that their faces were almost touching. She leaned one of his ears and whispered.

"I'm a boy."

Spike froze. He stared at her, no him. No, her! Wait a minute, him! She was a he!? How could that be?! He was almost prettier than Rarity! He had just flirted with a guy?! The thought sank inside of him. He had flirted with a stallion. Spike spasmed for half a second before passing out.

"I love doing that." Capricorn said as he smirked.

Leo sighed when she saw Spike pass out. Capricorn had done it again. She would have to talk with about this sense of humor of his. But right now, she wanted to sleep. Twilight had levitated Spike to bed before climbing the stairs.

"Twilight?"

"Yes Leo?"

Leo hesitated for a few seconds.

"Thank you for taking us."

"No problem. That's what friends do after all!" Twilight said with a smile before climbing the stairs. Leo blushed a little before walking to the bed, a goofy grin on her face. Capricorn raised an eyebrow.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

"Be quiet." Leo replied.