Princess Celestia and her small army of ponies landed in Canterlot, and headed over to the Asylum, where Twilight, Rarity and the Tambelon ponies had just left, unbeknownst to them.
"This place looks scary...Maybe I should wait outside." Fluttershy hesitated.
"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow Dash objected, shoving Fluttershy through the doors, "We have a rescue mission."
Princess Celestia frowned as they entered.
"Something isn't right here..." She declared, "these ponies have all been brainwashed."
"How can you tell, Princess?" Applejack asked.
"Their eyes are all grey, have you noticed? And they seem too...agreeable." Celestia replied. Her horn glowed, and immediately the room flashed with a pale blue light. All of the staff shook their heads and looked around as their eyes returned to normal.
"What...? Where are we? What happened?" One of the nurse ponies stammered.
All of a sudden, alarms started blaring and red lights flashed. The front doors were instantly blocked by iron bars.
"W-what's happening?" Fluttershy trembled.
"Quillius has escaped his room!" A senior nurse shouted. The staff all ran around manically, securing exits and calming down the other patients.
Quillius stepped out of his office and turned pale at the sight. He made a run for it, but the senior nurse stopped him.
"Oh no you don't!"
"Sandy it's me, Quillius!" He cried.
"Knock it off, I'm not brainwashed anymore!" The nurse retorted as she held him in place with a spell.
Quillius turned to look at Celestia and her army. He grinned a menacing grin.
"Hello Princess!" He hissed, "You and your little protigée will soon be where you belong!"
"What have you done with Twilight!" Rainbow Dash yelled at the tan pony.
Quillius laughed. "I haven't done anything with her," he said, "But pretty soon Grogar will! She's the heir to Tambelon, along with you!"
Princess Luna immediately blasted the pony with a purple flash from her horn, completely immobilising him. "NOPONY THREATENS MY SISTER!" She boomed.
The nurse took that as her cue to pin him to a bed and secure him down, where he was wheeled away by two hench-looking stallions in white coats.
Princess Celestia thanked Luna, before turning to the others.
"I was able to gain access to his mind. Be aware that he knows a lot of spells; Old and new. We must act quickly." She warned, as the security was turned off, and she led the others out into Canterlot city centre at a gallop.
"What else was in his head? What's happening to my little sis?" Shining Armour asked desperately.
"He's been sending her visions and getting into her head. He's the one who sent her to Tambelon. Twilight has been here, and while he did help her out at first, that was all a ploy. A trick, if you will." Celestia explained as she led them all to the Canterlot Archives. "He intends to brainwash her like he did to the staff at the asylum. He wants her to think that I have been imprisoned and that she has to rescue me, too."
"So, this crazy guy works fer this Grogar?" Applejack asked.
"I believe so." Celestia sighed as they reached the Archives and began to search the shelves.
"Please, help me find a book entitled '1985-1995 Equestria Asylum Archives." Celestia instructed.
Everypony looked for a few minutes.
"I found it!" Pinkie cried.
She took the book over to the large desk by the Southern-facing window, and everypony crowded round.
"Look!" Cadence said, "13th July 1992; Quillius escaped from the ancient city of Tambelon two days ago, claiming he had suffered at the hands of a beast named Grogar. Many of the Canterlotonians knew of the Tambelon tragedy, though years have passed, yet three of the escapees came forward with information that, while Quillius had indeed been imprisoned, he had been experimented with the most, as he possessed the most knowledge and the skill to learn all magic spells." She paused. "It is believed that the Quillius who escaped back into Canterlot was, in fact, Grogar himself, who morphed into a pony after brainwashing and then killing the original Quillius for escaping, and thus killing some of the other unicorns who followed him out. The surviving captured unicorns have since been brainwashed into believing that Quillius is alive and well. The reasons for them being spared is currently unknown. It is believed that 'Quillius' will come forth and capture the next heir to the throne; A unicorn who possesses all knowledge and all magic, once his morphing spell wears out after ten years." Cadence gasped and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh Twilight! You were my new sister, and now we're going to lose you forever!" She wept uncontrollably, as Shining Armour hugged her, also crying.
Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash began to well up too. What could they do to rescue their friends?
"Everypony, please don't panic. We can rescue Twilight and Rarity." Celestia announced. "I will be the next heir."
"Sister, no!" Luna objected.
"It has been decided." Celestia answered firmly. "I shall play the part and offer myself up. Remember, as Royalty, there are some powers Grogar cannot access, no matter how powerful he is. They have the Royal seal on them, therefore, they are protected, so I can defeat him before I become the heir. We shall fly over to Tambelon now. As I understand it, a bell was rung last time to mark the ponies' freedom and banish Tambelon back to whence it came. Unfortunately, some unicorns remained trapped there. We can free them. Who's with me!"
Everypony cheered and stomped their hooves.
"Oh girls, you'll be needing these." Celestia produced a gold trunk; Inside were the Elements Of Harmony.