So~ no excuse for lack of updates. but ya know... also I found an amazing glitch text generator which works for here. I could use it... but i'm too lazy and I don't wanna change style halfway through (unlike most of the time)

The ninjas, gathering closer around the screen, their fur illuminated by the eerie glow of the screen watched as Lloyd's face kept glitching, suggesting that the connection was very weak. It kept dipping in and out of static and the background seemed... under saturated. a bit too dull for anything in Equestria.

"Go on then Lloyd!" Kai urged, "what's happened?!"

"tHe M-m-MaG-mAGicAL sIGNItUrEs wE fOUnD... I De-dEF-DeFINitLEY LOCaTeD iT..."

"Great!" Jay exclaimed happily, a wide grin spreading across his face, "what is it?"

"I think what Jay means to say..." Cole glowered at his blue comrade, who shrank back slightly, "is why you haven't been contacting us for days! did the magic cancel out the communicator?"

The Lloyd onscreen shook his head frantically, "kINd oF... ThE pONy InCHAR-char-chARge StOLE iT FROm m-Me... I G-g-goT It bAck ThOUgh... BuT I'M iN-I- iN a T-t-t-TOn oF TRouBLE... ThEY... aRE-"

Lloyd's eyes widened as he looked around behind him and said quickly, "TuRNing TrACKEr oN... DoN'T kNOw if I cAN E-e-esCAPe." He poked the screen and it turned to black.

The ponies blinked.

Twilight stared at it, trying to analyse the background scenery... trying to figure out what was happening.

"What's happened?!"

"Where is he?!"

"We've got to find him!"

chaos erupted amongst the ponies as they all started yelling and panicking.

A loud crash silenced the group as they all turned to Cole, who dropped a stick from his mouth, using a hind leg to also silence a nearby gong.

"great. glad you're all listening now," he said slowly, eyeing his brothers in arms, "we've got a rescue mission on our hoov-hands. Lloyd's in trouble and who knows what could happen to him if he's captured... we're talking ransom, power, or worse. so. first thing we need to do is NOT panic? capiche?"

everyone nodded.

"brilliant. the tracker has apparently been turned on but whoever Lloyd was running from may have deactivated it... so, Zane, can you get data on the last known location of Lloyd's communicator within the last five hours?"

Zane nodded and his eyes turned an unsettling shade of blue for a while, "found it."

"where?"

"south of the crystal mountains, west north west of Manehattan," the nindroid replied, "I believe the area is named simply 'the place with no name'. there isn't much information available, except it is a large empire like settlement that has being quietly growing in size over the past few years."

"Right." Cole nodded.

"That's incredibly vague," Kai said flatly.

"Kai, don't be such a neigh-sayer..." Jay replied.

Kai's eye twitched, "I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOUR INFERNAL HORSE PUNS!" he roared at the pegasus.

"sorry..." Jay mumbled, "sorry..."

Nya just rolled her eyes, "great. I'll grab the map and figure out what supplies we'll need."

Reena looked around sceptically, "I'll... go... look after the library while you're all gone... see ya!" She said quickly and bolted for the stairs.

The ninjas sighed. The unicorn siblings left, leaving the princess of friendship, an inventor, a nindroid, a dragon and a Cole in an awkward silence.

Jay raised an eyebrow at Twilight, "so, uh... hey there?" he said cautiously, "what brings-" he stopped himself as he spotted Twilight's wings, immediately galloping over to and examining them, "oh my first spinjitsu master!" he squealed, "these look so realistic!" he pulled one open and began to study it carefully, goggles swinging wildly around his neck, "this is incredible... it's a perfect replica!"

Twilight carefully pulled her wing out of the pegasus' grip, "that's because it's real..."

"no way!" Jay laughed, "that's hilarious! you probably need lessons in comedy but still. I'd fall for it if I wasn't an expert in this area..." he trailed off, "who made them for you and how are you managing to keep them attached without straps?"

"because they are real Jay..." Zane said slowly, "i have told you this already."

"but there are only..." Jay paused for a minute before looking at a hoof and seeming to count with it, "Celestia, Luna... Cadance... Lloyd... four alicorns! and they're all alicorns for a reason! how does... Twilight? have them?"

"she's the princess of friendship," Spike said helpfully.

"princess of what?"

"friendship."

"since when?"

The grey pony shrugged.

"But, either way, last time I saw you... I'm positive you weren't an alicorn... unless you've ascended since the wedding..."

"you saw me?" Twilight stuttered.

"oh yeah... she was Shining's sister wasn't she?" Jay added.

"indeed. but this is another version of her."

"Zane. please. we all know that only the realm crystal can do that. and it's very limited. and there aren't multiple versions of everyone when you use it."

"well, Zane hasn't lied before..." Cole said to himself before trotting over to the alicorn, "so... you're seriously from some other universe?"

"yes... no... more like a timeline... it's complicated..."

"of course..." Cole replied looking away for a minute, "you haven't been messing with Sensei's spells again have you?" he glared.

"n-no... i'd never-"

"great... just one thing though... when's your brother's wedding anniversary?"

"April 21st. why is that so important?"

"And summer solstice celebration?"

"what?"

The ponies looked at Twilight, shocked.

"she is definitely not from 'round here..."

"I know... that's basic knowledge... like kindergarten stuff..."

Zane sighed, "the summer solstice celebration marks the longest day of the year, but it also marks the return of Princess Celestia's sister, Luna after her banishment by Starswirl and Celestia, over 1000 years ago. there is also a winter solstice celebration, marking the longest night, which is symbolic of Luna's return and how this caused the night to be longer than the summer solstice... it also improves the princess' outlook on life. she is not all too proud of her past actions."

"oh..."

"yeah. now we're kinda wasting time here and we'll need some permission from the princess to cross into 'the place with no name'."

"she'll never let us go. if we tell her why then she's gonna get worried and ask about her 'nephew'... and we all know how tat's gonna end..." Jay groaned.

"we'll figure something out..."

"really?"

"we're gonna have to."