Tang Ri Shan

My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Project Tantabus

(This is a sequel to Equestria Girls- Seeing Double)

Ch 5

In Equestria:

Princess Twilight was preparing for bed when she saw the journal vibrate and glow. "Yes, finally!" She exclaimed, seizing the book with her magic and opening it.

Spike looked up from his nest bed. "A message from Sunset Shimmer?" He asked.

"Uh huh" Inside was the following message:

Dear Princess Twilight,

This is the Human Sunset Shimmer responding to your message.

None of us were aware that my double's birthday was coming up either, but I agree that such an event is worth celebrating, especially considering all the stress that my double has been exhibiting recently. In my opinion, I think she still carries guilt from her past misdeeds. I'm worried that, if left unchecked, that guilt could cause something bad to happen to her.

In order to help her combat this, I propose we make her birthday a surprise event. Twi and I will meet you when you arrive at CHS tomorrow and we'll give you the details then.

FYI, we will be in disguise and we will provide you and your friends with disguises as well. We do not want CHS wondering why there are six pairs of twins running around.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

'Sunset Shimmer'

Twilight's smile slowly faded as she read the message again.

Spike straightened up in his bed. "Twilight, what's wrong?"

"It's from Sunset's double," Twilight said slowly, setting the journal down.

"The human Sunset?" Spike tilted his head.

Twilight nodded. "And according to her, Our Sunset isn't doing so well."

"What do you mean?"

"'Sunset' seems to think that her twin is still dealing with guilt over what she did before the Fall Formal." Twilight explained as she climbed into her bed.

Spike scoffed "That's crazy! The Fall Formal was a long time ago! Everyone's gotta know by now that Sunset's a good person!"

"Everyone except Sunset herself, apparently" Twilight sighed.

"I don't get it" Spike scratched his head.

Twilight thought for a moment."It's like when we helped Princess Luna defeat the Tantabus, remember that?"

Spike grinned. "Oh yeah, I remember that all right" He began flexing imaginary muscles and Twilight giggled.

"The point is, remember how Princess Luna created the Tantabus to punish herself for what she did as Nightmare Moon? Well, it sounds like Sunset is feeling the same kind of guilt" Twilight explained as she fluffed her pillow.

"Oh" Spike's grin faded as Twilight's words sank in. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that you're going to Canterlot High in the morning. You can help Sunset deal with her guilt"

"I hope you're right, Spike" Twilight smiled at the dragon, but she still felt worried. "Because the last thing we need is for someone or something to take advantage of this"

---

The Following Morning:

At Crystal Prep:

Starlight Glimmer dashed down the street, quietly cursing herself as she ran. Why did she have to oversleep TODAY of all days? As Starlight rounded a corner, the saw that the large black buses the school used were still in the parking lot and sighed with relief. She wasn't late after all.

As Starlight approached the buses, she saw that the other members of her research team were standing near the back of the nearest bus with Dean Sombra, who looked up and locked eyes with her. "There you are!" He barked and the other girls spun to look at her, each one wearing a highly annoyed look.

"You're late" Sugarcoat snapped.

"Sorry, I overslept" Starlight knew it was a lame excuse, but it was the truth. She had spent half the night being plagued by extremely vivid dreams that she had been unable to explain, causing her to keep waking up in a cold sweat.

"That figures" Sour Sweet muttered.

"What was that?" Starlight asked, narrowing her eyes.

Sour Sweet's face brightened. "Oh, I meant that it's perfectly natural for you to oversleep." She purred in an angelic voice. "Considering how stressed out you must be about this project" Next to her, Sunny Flare smirked and Lemon Zest covered her mouth in a vain attempt to hide a giggle.

"Starlight is right to feel concerned." Dean Sombra spoke up, cutting off Starlight's response. "In fact, you should all be treating this project with great concern. This is your chance to make up for your disastrous presentation the other day. Your only chance" His narrowed eyes and hardened tone helped drive the point home. "I expect each of you to be at your best, both in the competition and with your research. Speaking of which..." The dean knelt down to a cardboard box at his feet and opened it. "When we get to Canterlot High, I expect each of you to keep your eyes open for any signs of unusual activity. Take note of what you see, then report back to me regularly."

"But how will we, like, know unusual activity when we see it?" Lemon Zest asked.

"A fair question" Dean Sombra answered as he straightened up. Hanging from his hands were six devices that resembled compacts. "And to answer it, you'll be using these. These EM devices were created based on the data you've already gathered. You can use them to track any bizarre energy you may find at Canterlot High. I expect you to keep them on you at all times, understood?" He explained as he passed one to each of the girls.

"How do they work?" Indigo Zap asked, examining hers.

"Just hold them up, and they do the rest. They're already on mode" Dean Sombra explained, he pointed to the top of the device. "This face acts like a compass, it should point exactly to where an energy signal is coming from, allowing you to track it to its source. Once you've found the source, press the center button to take a reading"

"But why would we need to track the energy at all?" Sugarcoat looked a little confused. "Wouldn't it be just as good to take readings from different points around campus?"

"It would certainly be easier" Sunny agreed, examining her nails. "I do so hate getting my hands dirty with extra work"

Dean Sombra's eyes narrowed, but his face didn't change. "Yes it would, but this way you will be able to get the most accurate readings possible," He said finally. "And if you are truly serious about salvaging your grade..." He paused while he let these words sink in. "Then doing a little 'extra work' shouldn't be a problem for you."

Starlight's smile grew as she realized what the Dean was getting at. "Dean Sombra's right. If we can get enough data on these energy frequencies, we may be able to extrapolate their wavelengths in order to determine their point of origin, a presentation like that would practically guarantee us getting an A" The other girls, who all had had blank looks on their faces, brightened up when Starlight mentioned getting an 'A'.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to get our hands a little dirty" Sunny mused, staring at her nails.

Before anyone could reply, the bus next to them suddenly started up with a growl, belching a cloud of smoke from its exhaust. "Ok, get loaded up. Remember, keep those devices with you at all times and I expect regular reports!" Dean Sombra called as the six girls scampered towards the bus. As he turned to head towards another one, his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and then turned away from the buses before answering. "Are you in position?"

"Getting set up now" A deep voice responded.

"Good, remember I want the girls unharmed, understand?" Dean Sombra chose his words carefully.

"Perfectly. I'll be gentle with 'em" The voice growled. "But not too gentle" He added, along with a dark chuckle before hanging up.

Meanwhile, at 'Twilight' and 'Sunset's lab:

"Well, how do I look?" 'Twilight' asked, spinning around in front of the mirror to face Imitae and the Sirens.

"You look different" Sonata replied, causing the others to roll their eyes but she was right. 'Twilight' had changed out of her usual clothes and was now wearing a sky-blue shirt with a white cloud on it and a pair of blue jeans that extended down to the pale white boots she was wearing. Her purple hair was tucked under a white wig and though she still wore her glasses, she had used contact lenses to change her eye color to gray. In addition to this, she had used makeup to lighten the color of her face from purple to a light pale pink.

"Thanks" 'Twilight' replied, raising the pitch of her voice as she spoke, to disguise it. "But please, call me Cirrus Cloud. I'm a shy prospective transfer student from Baltimare" She assumed a shy, submissive posture in front of the mirror, with her head bowed low and her arms clasped behind her back.

"Wow! And I thought the Equestrian Twilight was a good actor" Sonata laughed.

"Not that we're not enjoying this Twi, but why are you in disguise again?" Aria asked, chuckling herself.

"Probably because she doesn't want Canterlot High to know that there will soon be two Twilight's walking around." Adagio theorized, then shook her head. "Believe me, one Twilight is bad enough"

"Hey!" 'Twilight' frowned at them, making the sirens laugh.

"She's only kidding Twilight" Imitae soothed.

"Sunset? You all set?" 'Sonata' called out, glancing towards the door that led to the rooms where they slept.

"Yeah, just a second!" 'Sunset's voice responded from behind the closed door, which slowly opened and 'Sunset' stepped out. "Well? What do you think?"

Five sets of eyes opened wide and four jaws dropped open. "Wow! 'Sunset' you look amazing!" Sonata gasped

"Y-you think so?" 'Sunset' shifted nervously from side to side, glancing down at her disguise, which consisted of a burnt-red sleeveless top and a golden-colored mini-skirt. 'Sunset's top came down to just above her belly button, exposing her navel. Spiked black bands ringed her wrists and her nails had been painted black to match the black high-heeled boots she wore. 'Sunset's regular hair was tucked under a bright red wig with black streaks, she had applied makeup to make her skin darker colored and colored contact lenses to change her eyes from blue to gold. "This isn't exactly my preferred choice of clothing." She added, walking beside 'Twilight' to check her appearance in the mirror.

"You look fine Sunset. No one will even recognize you" 'Twilight' assured her.

"Especially if you can alter your voice the way Twilight did" Imitae added, coming forward with a black leather jacket.

'Sunset' thought for a minute as she took the jacket from Imitae, then cleared her throat. "You mean, like this," She asked, in a voice that was higher pitched and boasted a strong English accent.

"Something like that, yes" Adagio replied, giggling.

"Nu-uh" Imitae shook her head firmly. "It's a good voice, but it just doesn't match your outfit. You need something more laid back, something that goes better with your style. "

"Hmmm...oh I know!" 'Twilight spoke up. "How about a Beverly Hoofs accent?"

'Sunset' rolled her eyes. "Oh no, like seriously?" She spoke in a California-style accent. "You want me to, like, sound like this? That would be so totally embarrassing for me!"

For a few seconds, there was stunned silence, then all the girls burst out laughing. "That's perfect! Keep that!" 'Twilight' cried out between laughs.

"Like, what is everyone laughing about?" 'Sunset' asked in her new voice. "It's, like, soooo not funny!" But a second later, she started laughing too. "Oh man, it's going to be hard to keep a straight face doing that!"

"Keep working on it, you'll be fine" Imitae giggled, patted 'Sunset' on the shoulder. "What are you gonna call yourself?"

'Sunset' thought, then smiled. "Obviously, I'm like, Scarlet Fire, from Las Pegasus, duh!" She exclaimed in her new voice and giving her hair a dramatic flip as she spoke, which lead to more laughing.

"Scarlet Fire, I like that!" Imitae chuckled.

"I know! It like, totally suits me, doesn't it?" 'Scarlett' agreed.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt, but shouldn't you two be going?" Aria interrupted, glancing at her watch.

"She's right" 'Sunset' agreed after glancing at her own watch. The two girls grabbed their bags and began to head for the door.

"Okay, so we'll see the four of you at CHS after the Equestrian Games are over, okay?" 'Sunset' called back.

"Right. We'll be there" Adagio nodded

"Make sure to lock up!" 'Twilight' added as they bolted through the door.

"We will!" Imitae dashed to the door to see the two girls head down the stairs. "Have a good time!" She called down after them before closing the door. Turning back to the sirens, she let out a big sigh. "Well"

"I swear, I'll never understand humans" Adagio shook her head. Sonata laughed out loud while Aria rolled her eyes.

Outside:

In a large white van outside, three pairs of eyes were watching the laboratory.

"What's keeping them?" a deep voice growled.

"Relax" A feminine voice spoke up "They'll be out soon enough"

"And if they don't come out?" The first voice asked.

"They have to" The second voice replied. "They all have commitments"

"Hey, we've got movement" A third voice cut into the argument. All three figures peered out the tinted windows of the van. "They just came out of the building"

"Who are they?" The first voice asked as they watched two girls, one with red hair and one with white hair, walk by.

"Don't know" The first voice growled. "Never seen them before"

"I'll take a reading," The third voice said.

"Forget them," The second voice cut him off as everyone heard a sudden series of beeps. "It's the boss, he says time's up. We raid the lab"

"Finally!" The first voice growled, his delight only too evident.

Inside:

"So, have you decided what you're getting Sunset for her birthday yet?" Imitae asked as she posed in front of the mirror.

"No, not yet" Adagio admitted. "To be honest, I'm kinda out of ideas"

"Really? That's a shock" Aria jabbed.

Adagio frowned at her sister. "Hey, give me a break. Buying gifts is new to me!"

"Yeah, normally we were the ones getting the gifts" Sonata added, rummaging through her bag. "Hey, you think she'd like something like this?" She pulled out a pendant with a red jewel on it. It looked similar to the ones that each of the three sirens was wearing. "I made it back when we were making ours"

Aria's eyes narrowed as she examined the jewelry. "Somehow, I don't think so, Sonata" She said.

Sonata shrugged and kept rummaging through her bag.

"Hmm, looks like none of us have any good ideas" Imitae frowned, rubbing her chin. "Maybe the four of us should go shopping together. That way we can bounce ideas off of each other and help pick out suitable gifts"

Adagio looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm game," She said, turning to her sisters. "How about you two?"

"Count me in!" Sonata piped up, leaping to her feet.

Ara rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine, but just remember that we all have to work this afternoon, this can't take too long"

"Oh, I'm sure it won't" Adagio assured her.

Knock, Knock!

All four girls froze as someone knocked on the door of the laboratory.

"Anyone expecting company?" Aria asked.

Adagio, Imitae, and Sonata all shook their heads.

Bang! BANG! The girls jumped as someone pounded on the door.

"Sh-should we answer it?" Imitae asked nervously.

"M-maybe we shouldn't. Maybe they'll go away" Sonata peeked out from behind a counter.

BANG! BANG! BANG! The thumping got louder and more urgent.

"They're gonna break the glass at this rate!" Adagio exclaimed.

"Oh for goodness sake, I'll get it!" Aria suddenly stood up, strode over to the door and yanked it open. "Hey!" She shouted. "Could you possibly knock any...louder?" Aria's voice suddenly gave out. The other three girls gasped.

Standing in the doorway was a massive man with red skin and wild black hair. He had a full beard and evil-looking black eyes. A golden ring went through his nose.

Aria quickly made to close the door, but the man placed a hand on it and shoved. Aria was thrown backward to the floor as the large man squeezed through the doorframe and stepped into the lab

"Who are you?" Imitae demanded. "What do you want?"

The man smiled. "My name is Tirek, and you four girls need to come with me"

Adagio snorted and folded her arms. "I don't think we want to go with you," She said and the other girls nodded ascent.

"I'm afraid you have no choice," Tirek said as he raised a beefy hand and snapped two thick fingers. Before the girls could blink, no fewer than several men in dark combat gear burst through the door.

"What the...?" Aria gasped before one of the troopers tackled her to the ground. "Girl's run!" Aria screamed

"Run where?" Sonata cried out, and indeed, there was nowhere to run to. Within seconds, the four girls were seized and pinned to the floor.

"Unhand us!" Adagio cried out.

"What are you doing?" Imitae cried out. "You can't do this to us, we have rights!"

Tirek laughed. "Rights are for citizens sweetie, and I know for a fact that none of you fill that category"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sonata asked, but Tirek ignored her.

"Fan out!" He barked to the soldiers. "Tear the place apart if you have to, find me the scientists and the energy source!"

"Yes, Sir!" The man scattered. A group of them broke down the door that lead to the girl's sleeping quarters and disappeared inside while the rest of them began to scour the lab, opening drawers and cupboards and flipping through notebooks. Several of the men were holding what looked like scanners and they beeped as the men swept them around the room.

"What's going on?" Imitae whispered to the others as they watched the soldiers ransack the lab.

"I don't know" Adagio shrugged, wincing as her captor pressed down harder on her.

"It looks like they're looking for something," Sonata said. She was watching the soldier's process with bemused interest.

"Gee, ya think?" Arai snapped at her sister.

"Do you see that weird symbol on their outfits?" Sonata continued. "It looks kinda creepy"

Imitae couldn't argue with that. Each of the soldiers had the same insignia on their shoulder. A black spiral with a vertical eye in the center. Imitae shivered, it looked like the eye was staring right at her.

"You think these people are policemen?" Imitae wondered aloud.

Aris shook her head. "If they are, they're not normal policemen. They look more like a SWAT team"

"But what do they want with us?" Sonata asked. "We haven't done anything wrong!"

"Shh, quiet!" Adagio shushed them as one of the soldiers emerged from the doorway and approached Tirek.

"Sir!" He said, saluting. "We've swept through every room. No one else on the premises"

Tirek frowned. "Impossible, check again!" He barked. The soldier nodded and dashed back through the doorway.

"Sir!" Another soldier, this one holding a scanner, stepped forward and saluted. "We've detected strong traces of magical energy in this room that match the readings from Starlight Glimmer's research, but no definite hotspots, if the source was here, it's not here now"

Imitae and Adagio exchanged a glance. Magical energy? Did these thugs know about Equestrian magic?

"Impossible!" Tirek roared. "We had the building completely surrounded, there's no way anything could have gotten past us!" He grabbed the scanner from the man and glared down at the tiny screen.

"Aww, did the big scary ape-man not find what he was looking for?" Sonata teased, "Too bad! So sad!"

"Shut up Sonata!" Aria snapped as Tirek spun to look at them, his face livid. Sonata gulped nervously and clammed up.

"Sir!" The first soldier came back, along with two others. He saluted. "We've gone through every room twice. All accounts are negative. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer are not here"

"Unacceptable!" Tirek through the scanner to the floor, causing it to shatter. "Where are they?" He roared

"We..we don't know sir" The soldier replied hesitantly. Though his face wasn't visible, he clearly sounded nervous.

The four girls looked at each other. Were these thugs after Twilight and Sunset's research? Or were they after the Star Stone pieces? Imitae suddenly felt grateful that 'Twilight' and 'Sunset' had taken the Star Stone pieces with them when they had left.

I'd hate to think what would happen if these thugs got their hands on the Star Stone's power. Imitae thought as she watched Tirek clench his fists angrily. She could swear that she heard the man's teeth grinding together.

Suddenly, Tirek turned and looked at the four girls. Imitae bit her lip as his hateful gaze swept between them. He finally pointed to Imitae and the former changeling was yanked roughly to her feet and brought forward.

"Tell me. Where did Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer go?" Tirek leaned down until he was eye-to-eye with Imitae.

Imitae felt like wincing as she gazed into Tirek's pitch-black eyes, but her acting training came to her rescue. She adopted a stoic look and said, in a calm voice, "I have no idea where they went"

"You little liar!" Tirek growled and reached out. His thick fingers found Imitae's cheeks and the girl cried out as he pinched them hard.

"Hey, cut that out!" Adagio demanded.

"Yeah, leave Imitae alone!" Sonata added. Aria didn't say anything, she just growled angrily and made another futile attempt to break out her her captor's grip.

Triek, still holding Imitae's cheeks, lifted his gaze to the others."I'll ask again, where did Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer go?" Tirek demanded, his gaze moving from one siren to another.

All three sirens glared back at him. None of them spoke.

Tirek snorted. "You wanna do this the hard way? Fine!" He threw Imitae to the floor. "Gag these four and put them in the truck, then strip this place down!" He ordered.

"Yes Sir!" The soldiers sprang into action. The four complaining girls were pinned to the floor once again. Their hands were bound with strong rope and cloths were tied tightly across their mouths, keeping them from speaking.

As the four girls were yanked to their feet, they watched helplessly as other soldiers began ransacking the lab. Papers and devices were pulled from drawers and dumped into plastic bags. Some soldiers took crowbars to the big machines, ripping them apart, unleashing geysers of sparks. Test tubes shattered and clouds of smoke began to fill the room.

"Prisoners secured, sir!" One of the men barked, saluting. Tirek nodded at him and snapped his fingers. The girls were forced out the door and onto the stairwell. As they were marched down the stairs, still squirming, the girls could hear loud bangs coming from the lab above.

Suddenly, a door in the landing below opened and an angry-looking man stepped out. The girls had seen him before, he was one of the few other tenants in the building.

"Hey!" He yelled, "What's all the ruckus abo...?"

All four girls cried out as one of the soldiers lashed out, striking the man in the jaw, knocking him out. The man crumpled, falling into the hands of another soldier who carried him back through the open doorway. He appeared a few seconds later and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Poor fool should have minded his own business" Tirek snorted as he came down the stairs.

"MMMMMM-MMMMMMMM-MMM!" Imitae whimpered, glaring at Tirek.

"I wouldn't worry about him sweetheart" Tirek smiled in a way that made Imitae cringe. "I'd worry more about yourselves. Project Tantabus has big plans for you four Equestrians, and I imagine they will be quite painful" Tirek laughed as all four girl's eyes widened simultaneously and they began struggling against their bindings with renewed vigor, screaming into their gags.

Tirek was still laughing as the girls were finally marched out the front door to a waiting truck. The girls were unceremoniously tossed into the back. Three soldiers climbed into the back of the truck with them and the doors slammed shut, cutting off all climbed into the front of the vehicle and the truck's tires squealed as it raced away from the lab and the destruction still unfolding inside.

---

Meanwhile, In Equestria:

Twilight Sparkle grunted as she used her magic to adjust the strap of the saddlebag that hung from her back, tightening it in anticipation for the trip through the portal. She knew that the experience would be rough and she did not want to risk losing her gifts for Sunset. Smiling giddily, she checked each flap for her two gifts for Sunset Shimmer's birthday.

"Twilight!" Twilight glanced up as the door to the library burst open and her friends all entered. "Oh good!" Rainbow Dash sighed with relief upon seeing her. "I thought we were too late!"

"Oh come on Rainbow!" Twilight chuckled. "You know I wasn't going to leave without you"

"Ah told her that!" Applejack panted, glancing coldly up at the pegasus "But she insisted on hurryin' us all up!"

"Well, at least you're all here now" Twilight smiled at them.

"Personally, I could have used a little more time" Rarity huffed. "I haven't had a chance to style my mane yet. I simply cannot travel between dimensions looking like this" She gestured to her mane which, in Twilight's opinion, didn't look any different than usual, but she knew better than to say that to Rarity.

"Do you all have your gifts?" Twilight asked, hoping to dissolve an argument

Everypony nodded. "What's your gift, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm giving her these" Twilight levitated the two books out of her saddlebags to show them.

"Books? Wow, that's a big surprise!" Rainbow Dash scoffed, earning a dark look from Twilight.

"This book is a copy of the first Daring Do adventure." Twilight continued "And this one is a copy of the friendship journal we've all been keeping"

"Why are ya givin' her that?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because according to her twin, Sunset's been feeling more and more guilty about what she did before the Fall Formal, I thought that showing her all the lessons we had learned about friendship might help. And I imagine Imitae and the Sirens might enjoy reading it as well.

"Wow, that's really thoughtful of you, Twilight" Fluttershy commented.

"Thanks Fluttershy" Twilight nodded at her friend "What are you giving Sunset?"

Fluttershy reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a long red-and-yellow object. "A friendship necklace!" She exclaimed, holding it up for the others to see. "I had some of my animal friends help me make it out of silk and string, some of my bird friends even donated their feathers, which we painted to match Sunset's hair.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive" Twilight smiled at the pale yellow Pegasus, making her blush.

Rainbow Dash seemed to gag. "Pulleeze! That's gotta be one of the lamest presents I've ever seen!"

"Oh really, and what are you bringing her?" Fluttershy snapped back, which made Rainbow's eyes widen in surprise. Realizing what she had just done, Fluttershy shrank back, looking embarrassed.

"Only the best possible gift ever!" Rainbow Dash cried as she opened her own saddlebag and pulled out what looked like a trophy of a pegasus in a Wonderbolts uniform.

"Isn't that one of your trophies?" Rarity asked. Applejack snickered.

"Nope" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I got this sweet thing from Spitfire herself. She was gonna throw it away, can you believe it?"

"But why?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow dash giggled. "Funny story behind that. I was actually going to get the Wonderbolts autographs for Sunset Shimmer, but then I learned about this trophy, which had been made for Soren. It was supposed to look like him, but...it doesn't really, does it?"

"Nope" The ponies shook their heads.

"So since Spitfire couldn't give it to Soren, I asked her if I could have it and she said yes" Rainbow Dash finished. "Besides, based on what you've been telling us Twilight, Sunset Shimmer's been going through some tough times. It'll be nice for her to feel a sense of accomplishment."

"Wow, that's...actually pretty thoughtful Rainbow Dash" Twilight commented, and the other ponies agreed.

"I know. I know" Rainbow Dash smugly smiled as she landed "Can I pick the perfect gift, or what?" She boasted, causing everypony assembled to roll their eyes.

"What about you, Applejack?" Twilight turned to the farm pony.

"I'm givin' her these" Applejack opened the sack at her hooves, revealing a bunch of smaller sacks. "Seeds of every kind of tree, flower, and plant that we have at Sweet Apple Acres. Hopefully, Sunset can find space at her house to grow a few of 'em."

"That's very thoughtful Applejack, but I think most of these plants are ones she already has access to." Twilight pointed out. "Plus I've actually never seen sunset's house, so I'm not sure she has the space to grow anything.

Applejack just shrugged. "Maybe, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"True" Twilight admitted, before turning to Rarity, who was practically skipping with excitement. "Rarity, what are you bringing?"

"Well Twilight, if you must know" Rarity tossed her head dramatically, making Twilight chuckle. "I've been working tirelessly all night to construct...this!" Using her magic, she levitated a beautiful red-and-gold silk scarf for them to see.

"A scarf?" Rainbow Dash bluntly pointed out. "You spent all night making a scarf?"

"Well, I was planning to make a dress" Rarity admitted, as she laid the scarf on a table. "But then I realized that I wasn't familiar with pony-to-human configurations, and I didn't want to risk upsetting her if the dress didn't work out. Luckily, it seems that scarves such as this are worn by both ponies and humans in the same way, so I'm certain she'll like it." Despite saying this, Rarity's voice betrayed her disappointment.

"Don't worry Rarity, I'm sure your human twin will be more than happy to help you make a dress for Sunset," Twilight assured her and Rarity brightened up upon hearing this.

"Wait a minute!" Fluttershy suddenly exclaimed as she ran her hoof along the scarf. "I recognize this material. Isn't this the same gold silk that you used for that order of capes that one time?"

Rarity nodded sheepishly. "I had a feeling you might remember, Fluttershy. Another reason why I was up most of the night. This silk was hoof-made, and believe me, it is not easy to make." She directed that last phrase towards Rainbow Dash, who just shrugged.

"Huh, my gift's still better."

"And Pinkie? What are you getting her?" Twilight turned to the pink earth pony, who had been unusually quiet. "Pinkie?" Twilight cocked her head when she saw that Pinkie was staring at the ground muttering to herself.

"Hmmm?" The pink pony glanced up at them. "What did you say?"

"I said, what are you getting Sunset for her birthday?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, well, I'm bringing her these" She held up a tray that appeared out of nowhere, with several cupcakes on it, covered in red-and-yellow frosting. "But my actual present for her will be to help my double throw her the biggest bestest birthday party ever!"

"I'm sure you'll both do an excellent job, but remember though, this is supposed to be a surprise party" Twilight reminded them what the letter had said. "Sunset doesn't know we're coming, and we need to keep the secret for as long as we can, okay?"

"Okay!" Five voices replied in unison.

"All right, enough chatting! Let's get this show on the road!" Rainbow Dash turned towards the mirror that housed the portal to Canterlot High, but paused when Rarity suddenly cried out.

"Wait! Where's Spike?"

"I don't know" Twilight replied, realizing that she hadn't seen hr number one assistant since the previous night.

"Here I am!" The doors to the room suddenly burst open and Spike appeared, out of breath, and hunched over.

"Spike! Where have you been!" Twilight asked, levitating the dragon over to her. "And what have you got there?" She continued, noticing the small item clutched in his claws.

Spike glanced up at her, his face beaming and he opened his claws. "Just a little something for Sunset"

"Woah!" Six pony voices exclaimed in awe. Sitting in Spike's open hand was a beautiful golden-colored jewel that seemed to glow like a tiny sun.

"Spike, what is that?" Rarity's voice was hushed as she gazed at the jewel.

"A SunStar, a kind of gemstone," Spike explained proudly. "They're very rare"

"Rare is an understatement!" Twilight's eyes were as wide as dinner-plates. "Spike, where in Equestria did you get that?"

"From the diamond dogs," Spike replied

"The Diamond Dogs?" The six ponies shrieked in unison.

"That's why I was so late getting back. I was wheeling and bartering with the Diamond Dogs all night long in order to get this." Spike explained, looking a little embarrassed. "I was kinda hoping to make it into a necklace before you left. Is there enough time?"

"We were just about to..." Twilight paused when Pinkie suddenly cried out.

"Look!" She squealed, pointing to the enchanted journal laying on the table, which was glowing and vibrating. Twilight used her magic to open the book and flip through the pages until she saw three glowing words.

'We Are Waiting'

"They're waiting for us," She told the others as she closed the book and levitated it over to the contraption that surrounded the mirror. "We have to go now"

"Ooooh, this is gonna be so fun!" Pinkie squealed, jumping up and down.

Twilight turned towards the mirror again and was closing her eyes when the doors to the library suddenly burst open again with a loud bang. "What now?" She demanded, spinning back around, but her anger faded when she saw Princess Luna standing in the doorway.

"Princess Luna!" Every other pony bowed before the princess of the night.

"Ah, good! I see you have not yet departed for the human world" Princess Luna said, sounding relieved.

"We were just about to" Twilight replied.

"Then it is most fortunate that I arrived in time" Princess Luna smiled as she entered the room.

"Why? Is there a problem?" Twilight's eyes widened in alarm.

Princess Luna chuckled. "Of course not, Twilight Sparkle. My sister and I simply wanted to ensure that you received our gift for Sunset Shimmer before you left." She used her horn to levitate a package wrapped in blue and gold paper over to Twilight.

"Thanks. I'm sure she'll love it." Twilight took the gift with her own magic and tucked it into one of her saddlebags.

"Great! We've got everything! Let's go!" Spike strolled towards the mirror, only to be yanked back by Princess Luna's magic.

"I'm sorry Spike, but you must remain here," Princess Luna said.

"What? Why?" Spike exclaimed, looking both surprised and annoyed.

"Because I require your help in Canterlot. Representatives from the Crystal Empire will soon be arriving in Canterlot for an important meeting and I need you there to help me oversee the meeting." Princess Luna explained.

"But...why me? Why not Princess Celestia?" Spike scratched his head.

"Two reasons Spike, the first is that to the Crystal Ponies, you are Spike the Brave and Glorious, and I think the Crystal Ponies would prefer that you were there" Princess Luna explained.

"Well, when you put it like that" Spike grinned, causing Twilight to chuckle.

"And the second reason?" Maybe it was Twilight's imagination, but Luna's smile suddenly seemed to widen.

"The second reason is that my sister is currently not in Canterlot, and I do not expect her to return in time to attend the meeting" Princess Luna explained.

Now Twilight looked confused. "Where is she?"

Princess Luna shook her head. "I'm afraid I could not tell you. She departed yesterday on what she called an 'extremely important diplomatic mission'. All I know is that she left without taking any of her guards with her.

"Huh, that's strange," Rarity said. "Why would she go off on her own, without an escort?"

"Maybe she just wanted a day off" Pinkie suggested. "Even royalty needs a break every now and then"

"I believe you may be correct" Princess Luna nodded at Pinkie Pie. "Perhaps all this talk of Sunset Shimmer has gotten her reminiscing. If you recall, Sunset Shimmer used to be her prize student before she went her own way."

The other five ponies nodded understandably, but Twilight looked disappointed. "I was really hoping Princess Celestia might come with us. I think it would be great for her and Sunset to see each other again. You all saw how happy she was when she read Sunset's letter, remember?" Twilight thought back to when she had returned from her last trip to Canterlot High.

"My sister's reasons are her own, Twilight Sparkle" Princess Luna's eyes seemed to twinkle as she spoke. "But she said to tell you that she wishes you luck...as do I"

"Thank you Princess Luna" Twilight smiled as she used her magic to levitate the journal into its place on the portal. "Is everypony ready?"

"Ready!" Five voices chorused.

"Okay, here we go" Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated. Magic flowed from her horn into the book, and then out into the machine. Pink and Purple energy swirled through the presses and hoses that ringed the mirror, which beeped and whistled, before diving into the glass of the mirror, dissolving it into a pink-and-white vortex.

"Most impressive" Princess Luna commented.

Twilight felt a blush appear on her face and hoped it was not too visible. "Okay, we're all set. Now let me warn you, this is not gonna be a smooth trip. It's gonna get a bit... a bit..." Twilight struggled to find the right word.

"Bumpy?" Spike offered, cringing as he spoke.

"Right. Just relax, and we should all be okay, alright?" Twilight glanced at each of her friends in turn, who nodded. "Okay, let's go!" With that, Twilight turned and raced towards the mirror.

"GOOD LUCK!" Princess Luna and Spike called as one-by-one, the six ponies dove into the swirling vortex.

---

And Cut!

Whew! I had a nightmare getting this chapter online. If it wasn't a lack of inspiration or imagination it was my computer acting up! I think I may need to get a new one.

So the Human Tirek is working for Project Tantabus (no surprise, right?) and they've captured Imitae and the Sirens! What do you think they are going to do with them? (Stupid question, right?)

Fun fact: When I was writing this scene, I was reminded of a scene from a Disney movie where two of the characters are targeted by the U.S. Government just because they happened to be aliens. Props to you if you can figure out which movie I'm talking about (Hint: It's a 2005 remake of a 1975 original)

The Tantabus symbol that the soldiers have was based on the cutie mark for an OC character I once saw online, but cannot find now for some reason. The eye is a nod to secret societies like the Illuminati, who apparently hold the real power in the world (If you believe in that)

I tried to make 'Twilight's disguise similar to the character we see in the Friendship Games movie, while I wanted 'Sunset's disguise to be kind of a reminiscent of how the old Sunset used to act. Whether or not that has any effect later on in the story, we'll have to wait and see.

For those of you hoping that Celestia was going to go with Twilight back to Cantelrot High, looks like you're out of luck (or are you?). I'm not saying anything else now, but we may see the solar princess again further down the road.

As always, please read, review, and react. Thanks to goddragonking and Brony-Online for their reactions. As I've said time and again, I enjoy hearing feedback, positive and negative.

Until Next Time!