Twilight went back to the library, feeling hopeless. Somehow Spike had gotten home, and was already tucked into bed. Probably was Rarity or somepony... Twilight climbed into her bed, not knowing if the sun would rise for a long time. Without Celestia to raise the moon, Equestria had to rely on Luna to learn the spell in one night (and not even the entire night either.) It took Twilight a little while to fall asleep, but she knew she had to. There was some noise downstairs. Did Spike wake up? No, he was still in bed. Twilight quietly went down the stairs to see what was happening. She looked around the corner to see a shadowy, unicorn-esque figure. From what Twilight saw of it, the figur--
"YOU!" Twilight sparkle yelled, catching the figure by surprise. "Where is Princess Celestia!" She tried to use her magic to restrain it, but it was no use. The figure somehow avoided, or deflected, the attack. The figure looked at Twilight, then teleported away...

What if she was dreaming again? Twilight sat down on a chair, and pondered that question to herself. She could just be dreaming again, and this whole thing would be fake again. How could she know for sure if this happened? Twilight sat for a while, when the light from the moon shone in her eye. She moved over towards the curtains to shut them, when she noticed her pencil sitting in the windowsill. Twilight had an idea. She grabbed the pencil, and went to her bookcase. She pulled out a binder, and ripped out a small scrap of paper from it. Feeling silly, she wrote "duck" on it...After she did, she realized what she did... Celestia was just kidnapped, why would this be humorous to her? She quickly shook that gruesome thought out of her mind, when something caught her eye. "Stallion & Hobbes"
"Oh no" Twilight said to herself. "Whoever brought Spike home, also brought home the Princess' book. I'll have to return that in the morning." Twilight slipped the 'duck' paper into the book, also feeling silly; but again, she felt bad for doing it after. She is making fun of Celestia's kidnapping! That's not funny at all! "Oh! I left my "Art of the To-Do list back at the castle too! I guess now I'll trade the two tomorrow." Twilight let out a yawn, and made her way back upstairs. Now she'll know if she was dreaming, the paper was placed; and she would check it tomorrow morning; along with trading her book back.

"WOW! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!" Pinkie Pie yelled, waking up Spike, and Twilight Sparkle. "THE PRINCESS WAS KIDNAPPED LAST NIGHT! Well.. I guess it wouldn't be called kidnapping, she is a grown mare after all... But Marenapped doesn't quite have the same--"
"Umm... Pinkie... What are you doing here?" Twilight said, a bit drowsy.
"Don't you remember? You told me last night that we would go see Zecora in the morning!"
"Why on Equestria would we go see Zecora..."
"I don't know! You're the one that wanted to go, silly!" Pinkie giggled, and lifted Spike onto her back.

Well... No use arguing with Pinkie Pie. The three of them went down stairs, and out the door. But just before it closed, Twilight remembered what she set up last night...was it a dream?
"Hang on!" Twilight said. Then she realized she may sound crazy if she told Pinkie what she really did. "Spike's book."
"Why would Spike need a book? Zecora's way more entertaining than a silly ol' book! Like one time, me and Fluttershy--"
"No Pinkie, you don't understand. Spike was reading Stallion&Hobbes from the princess' library, and accidentally brought it home. I need to return it later today."
"Oh..." Pinkie pie said. Twilight wanted to check for the 'duck'...but she couldn't do it in front of anypony. Soon enough the trio reached the Everfree Forest, and then, Zecora's house.

"Here is what you ordered. The special brew you wanted conjured" Zecora said, handing a bottle over to Twilight. "Although I must admit I am quite curious, why would you want a potion to make it's drinker uncontrollably furious?" So it's some sort of rage-potion? Why would Twilight need that? "Nevermind, I'm sure your reasons are kind."
"Umm... Thank you Zecora! Have a nice day!" Pinkie, Twilight, and Spike all left the Zecora's house, when Pinkie asked a question:
"Why did you need me to come along if you just needed to pick something up?"
"I'm not--"
"WATCH OUT!" Pinkie's tail twitched, and Pinkie grabbed Twilight and Spike and carried them under some trees. Just in time too, because a small red stone fell from the sky. Good thing Pinkie was there.
"Woah!" Spike said as he ran over to it. "Is this what I think it is!?!?!?"
"What?" Twilight asked.
"This is a fire ruby! What luck!" Spike sniffed it, then licked it. "Hmm...It's not quite ripe yet. Probably needs a few more months."
"Where did that come from?" Pinkie Pie asked, looking up.
"I don't know" Twilight asked. Spike was too busy admiring his good fortune to care.
"Let's just hope another doesn't fall and hit us on our heads."

They all made their way back to Twilight's Place, and finally, Twilight was all alone. She could check her book for the paper. She pulled it out of her bag, when she heard Fluttershy scream from outside. Twilight ran outside to see her chasing rabbits all over town.
"Oh Twilight!" Fluttershy said as she floated over. "Somepony unlocked my bunny cage and all of the bunnies got loose!"
"That's terrible! How can I help?" Twilight asked to help without even realizing it. The book will have to wait, helping friends is important.
"Go get Applejack! She'll know what to do!" Fluttershy squealed again as a bunny hopped onto her head. Twilight stuck the book in her bag and headed for Sweet Apple Acres.
"Applejack!" Twilight called.
"Oh hey Twi. What's up--" Applejack said.
"Fluttershy's bunnies got loose and are rampaging all over town!"
"I'm on it."

Applejack ran into town. From what Twilight could see, she ran into Fluttershy who appeared to be explaining the whole thing. Applejack nodded and the two of them separated. Looks like that was under-control. There was a rustle in the bushes behind Twilight, she turned around to see three small figures disappearing into the foliage. Twilight followed them to find the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse. Twilight listened in on the meeting going on inside.

"I'm sure you all know why this meeting was called" Scootaloo announced.
"Actually... Not really" Sweetie Belle said...
"Fluttershy's bunnies got loose! Remember?" Applebloom said.
"Oh right!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Yeah! And I think we should help out." Scootaloo said.
"Why?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Our cutie marks might be in bunny wrangling!" Applebloom said, getting excited. Twilight giggled a bit at even the possibility of such a funny talent.
"Exactly." Scootaloo said.

There was a quick "3, 2, 1, GO!" chanted by all three fillies, and then there was the sound of hooves running around. Twilight ran into the bushes to avoid being seen. The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran out and then into town, not even noticing Twilight.
"It's going to be a great day!" Scootaloo said. "I can feel it!"

...Great day? Day? Twilight looked around to find the sun shining! It was day! Luna did it! Or Celestia was found! Either way, Twilight got to the castle as fast as she could. She ran to the library to see Luna staring out the window.
"Oh, greetings Twilight Sparkle."
"You did it Luna!" Twilight said, abandoning all the formality expected when talking to royalty. Luna didn't respond. She stood there quietly, gazing across Ponyville.
"Princess?"
"I didn't do anything..."
"But...That's impossible. How else would the sun have been raised?"
"I'm not sure...But I'm glad it did. If it didn't I'm sure there would be total chaos in the town."
"I wonder what could have been powerful enough to raise the sun?"
"It would take some pretty great magic to accomplish such a feat."

Then the two of them had the exact same idea. Could it be possible? Luna readied the chariot, and Twilight and her hopped in. If this magician was powerful enough to raise the sun, surely she would have a way of finding Princess Celestia. They landed just on the other side of the Everfree forest, next to a small shack with a moon and wand drawn on it. Luna approached the door and knocked on it.

"Who dares disturb my great and powerful slumber?" a voice from inside called.
"It is I. Princess Luna. We request your assistance." Luna replied.
"...We?" the voice asked as the door opened, revealing an arrogant blue pony.
"As you can see, I brought along Twilight Sparkle."
"Why did you bring that little whelp along?"
"You and I are both aware that you two are the most powerful unicorns in Equestria."
The blue pony liked the acknowledgement of her prowess.
"What do you want?" She said.
"Are you aware of what events transpired last night?" Luna asked.
"Even though the Great and Powerful Trixie knows everything, she does not know of what events you are speaking." The blue pony said...being an annoying third-person talker as always.
"Princess Celestia was kidnapped the other night, and we had believed this would cause the world to rest in an Eternal night. However we awoke this morning to see...it was morning. The sun was out."
"So you believed that only the Great and Powerful Trixie could have accomplished such a feat?"
"Yes. Did you?"
"Alas, Trixie did not. For the Great and Powerful Trixie requires at least 9 hours of continuous Great and Powerful Beauty Sleep. She wouldn't be bothered by waking up early enough to raise the sun." It appeared that the annoying blue pony went into show-off-mode, and is talking in a Pseudo-Royal-Canterlot-Voice.
"If Celestia is missing; and neither Princess Luna or you raised the sun, how is it possible it was raised?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know, but I guess we need to focus on the task at hand. Locating the Princess." Luna said. "Trixie--"
"GREAT AND POWERFUL Trixie" the blue pony interrupted.
"Are you able to use any locator spells."
"My apologies, but the Great and Powerful Trixie's cannot perform a trick such as that." Ugh...Will this blue pony just shut up. "However, The Great and Powerful Trixie may have means of saving your princess."
"What is that?" Luna asked.
"Time."
"What?" Twilight gasped.
"The solution to your problem, is altering the timeline. You say she was kidnapped correct? Then the only way to save her is to stop whomever it was from kidnapping her, by kidnapping her yourself!"
"Couldn't I just stop the kidnapper?"
"No! Nopony can know it's you. Not even the Great and Powerful Trixie knows what would happen if such were to occur. The possible outcomes of an event could be catastrophic! You must wear a disguise. And the Great and Powerful Trixie may have something laying around for Twilight Sparkle to use." The blue pony entered the shack and pulled out a chest. "Inside is the costume. Do not show it to anypony, or else they would know it's you."
"Why me?" Twilight asked.
"Because the costume lacks wing-holes, and is the improper shape for the princess." Oh, and in-case you haven't realized, the blue pony is Trixie.
"What will the princess do then?"
"She will maintain everything else in Equestria. However that will not be effective, because you may alter the timeline significantly enough to disrupt even the moment happening right now."
"I see" Luna said. "Then I'd best be off. Twilight, you and Trixie must save the Princess." Luna hopped into the chariot and flew away. Meanwhile Twilight stayed to learn the secrets of time. Trixie entered her shack, and called back to Twilight.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie beckons you to enter..." Twilight entered the shack, and shut the door behind her.

"First the Great and Powerfu--"
"Can you just stop that..." Twilight said under her breath, hoping that Trixie wouldn't hear...but as luck would have it, she did.
"You dare question The Great and Powerful Trixie's amazing method of speaking!?!?!?"
"...It's kinda annoying..." Twilight said, trying not to offend. Trixie took a step back, got quiet for a minute.
"I suppose it is..." Trixie said, totally not in an annoying way. If Twilight hadn't known better, Trixie almost seemed like a nice person. "Let's get to work on time-traveling."
"What's the spell? What do I need?" Twilight asked, a bit too enthusiastically.
"You need to train yourself first."
"Train? for what?"
"To defend yourself in-case someone spots you. Or to attack whoever kidnapped the princess."
"Oh."
"Probably the most useful spell will be a spell-block. Do you know how to do this?"
"No, but I had a book about it...Although now that I think of it, it strangely disappeared a couple nights ago."
"Then you must go back in time and get it. You need to learn some kind of spell-block if you ever want to defend yourself against magic."
"How do I go back in time?"
"I wish we didn't have to skip all your training, but learning the spell-block is important."
"Couldn't you teach me?"
"I don't know one. It's pretty ancient magic you know. I think the last unicorn to use it was Starswirl the Bearded. Which I happen to know a certain Twilight Sparkle keeps an extensive collection of books on." Trixie giggled a bit. It was as if she was an entirely new person. "However, although the spell-block is ancient magic; I have been working on some time magic. However it requires a few 'ingredients.'"
"What are they?"
"Hair from a brown rabbit; some Zap Apples; a Fire Ruby; and lastly, fire."
"How am I supposed to get Zap Apples? They don't harvest all that often. And any Zap Apples left unharvested go away after the harvesting season is over."
"I can imagine you can use something made of zap apples, such as jam." Trixie licked her lips. "I love zap apple jam; the harvesting season usually falls during my birthday. So my mother used to always get me some for my birthday. Once my mother left, I always promised myself that if I ever got some, I'd try to be a nicer pony." Trixie cracked a quick mischievous smile, but quickly hid it away, hoping Twilight didn't see it.
"I think I can gather the ingredients alright. I'm sure they'd have a lot of that stuff at the castle."
"Good luck!"
As Twilight was leaving, she turned her head back and giggled as she said one last thing.
"You know Trixie, without your ego; you're a pretty ok pony."
"Thank you. I suppose I should leave my Great and Powerful ways behind me. Nopony seemed to like a show-off." Trixie said. Twilight left the shack, and made her way back to her house. It did seem off Trixie changed her mood so quickly, especially when Twilight complained. It's not as if they were on good terms or anything. In fact, it was odd that Trixie even allowed Twilight within 200 hooves of her home! This whole week has been awfully strange.