"By George, I think I've got it!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed.
"Got what?" Spike called over from where he was rearranging books on the shelves.
"I learned the spell for winking out and in again!" Twilight gasped, and she quickly demonstrated.
"Wow! That was amazing!" Spike whooped, dropping the books he was holding.
There was a knock at the door of the treebrary.
"Come in!" Twilight called.
The door burst open and Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie entered, calling out their greetings.
"Hi girls!" Twilight replied, grinning. "Look what I just learned!" She demonstrated her winking-out-and-in-again spell.
"Wow! That's awesome!" Rainbow Dash cried, flying around in circles above her head.
"Twilight, that really was an amazing demonstration." Rarity grinned, "we came to show you this book we just found in the antique items store. It's rather...well disturbing." Her voice grew sombre.
"Yeah, it gave me the creeps!" Pinkie exclaimed, bounding over to Twilight as the purple mare picked up the book with her magic.
"The Return Of Tambelon?" Twilight frowned. She opened the book with her horn, and began to read as her friends browsed the library.
"The ancient city of Tambelon disappeared around 500 years ago, then reappeared in Dream Valley and claimed all of the Unicorn inhabitants with the ability to wink out." She read. Her eyes slid over the paper cutting that made the first page of the book. "This was from 1986!"
"Yeah, read the next part." Rainbow Dash warned from across the room.
Twilight turned the page and shrieked. The images of unicorns chained up and being tortured.
"This is barbaric!" She read on, then her breath caught in her throat. "The city of Tambelon is said to return to Equestria in the Summer of 2012 ."
"I learned how to wink out at the wrong time." Twilight concluded.
"It's okay Twilight, it probably won't happen. It's probably just an old mares' tale. And the pictures are probaby ponies acting." Pinkie Pie said, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.
Twilight was pleased to hear Pinkie's optimistic outlook on the story.
"You're probably right." She smiled gratefully...
2 WEEKS LATER...
Twilight had completely forgotten about the story, and was having a picnic on Ponyville Green with her friends.
Fluttershy was cutting slices of apple pie, and Applejack was squeezing fresh cider from a barrel that she'd convinced Big Mac to carry over to the picnic blanket.
Rarity was talking about how she needed some special material from Canterlot to create a dress for a celebrity pony who was visiting Ponyville next week.
"Haven't you heard, Rarity?" Rainbow Dash began, "The Equestria Railway Network have closed the railway down all over Equestria this Summer. Something about 'history repeating itself'." She did air quotes with her wings as she said the last three words.
"Oh no!" Rarity exclaimed, "however will I get the material in time?"
"Either I or Rainbow Dash could fly to Canterlot and pick it up for you?" Fluttershy offered.
"We can't; They have the security bubble round the city again, like the time the Changelings got in...But, you know, more secure this time." Rainbow replied.
"Ah I see...Um, Twilight would you mind teaching me that winking out spell please? I really need this material." Rarity fluttered her lashes.
Twilight, of course, had forgotten about the Tambelon story, and agreed. "Of course, Rarity."
"Oh THANK YOU!" Rarity exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"Now, you have to focus all your energy and thoughts on where you want to go, and let the spell flow through your horn. Now, let's try going to the waterfall on the other side of Ponyville. Ready? Repeat after me: 'Wink out!'." Twilight instantly winked out and ended up by a waterfall, shortly joined by Rarity.
Rarity squealed in delight. "Oh that was simply marvellous! Shall we go back?"
"Sure, now imagine where we just were, repeating the same steps as before, except you say, or think. 'wink in' and you'll get there." Twilight responded, her horn glowing pink.
Rarity's glowed purple, and both unicorns said "wink in" in unison, returning to the picnic.
The other ponies cheered.
"That was pretty good, girls!" Applejack excalimed, "So Rarity, are ya gonna wink out to get that material?"
"Yes I am!" Rarity grinned, "See you all in a minute! Wink out." Her horn glowed and she disappeared.
She was gone for quite some time. Almost ten minutes passed, and the friends grew worried.
"Maybe the shop ran out of material?" Pinkie said.
"I dunno Pinkie, maybe she's having a might lot of trouble winkin' back in?" Applejack replied.
"Twi, why don't you wink out and give her a hoof?" Rainbow Dash suggested.
"Okay, be right back." Twilight agreed, and winked out.
She opened her eyes as she heard a scream, and found herself in what looked like a dungeon full of other unicorns that she recognised from somewhere, and Rarity who was shaking in fear. The other unicorns looked weak and tired, like they were losing the will to live.
"Oh Twilight! You're here! Where is this place?" Rarity wept, hugging her friend.
As Twilight's eyes grew accustomed to their surroundings, they widened in realisation and fear. One of the others; a white unicorn with a green and red mane and tail turned her weak, weary eyes to face the two friends.
"I'm Gusty, I've been here since 1986," She croaked.
"Really? You haven't aged one bit! Where are we?" Twilight shuddered.
A blue unicorn with a yellow and red mane, with a matching foal next to her sighed.
"You really want to know?"
Twilight and Rarity nodded.
All of the unicorns looked at each other, then a pink mare with different shades of pink in her mane spoke up. "Welcome to the hell that is Tambelon."