The CMC's began their "covert mission" by screaming and running to break into a princesses castle in broad daylight. There's a reason they didn't get their cutie marks in breaking and entering. The 3 fillies stopped and stared up at the castle. "Okay, so what's the plan Apple Bloom?" Sweetie asked. "Yeah, what's your brilliant idea to get in to this locked castle." Scootaloo implored. Apple Blooms face suddenly shifted. "What do you mean empty?" The other ponies groaned at their friends who incompetence.
"She's not home! Twilight and Spike went to Canterlot to see her brother!" Sweetie explained to Apple Bloom. "Oh come on! My cutie marks on the line and I can't even plan a heist the right way!" Apple Bloom whined. "Take it easy. Maybe we can climb it!" Scoots suggested. The young Pegasus moved closer to the door, only to have it fly open and slam her against the wall.
The pony behind the door was revealed to be Rarity. "Sweetie Belle! What are you doing here?" The unicorn asked, her arms loaded with fashion books. "Oh, we came to see if Twilight had books to help me practice my magic!" Sweetie lied. "Oh well of course! Their in the library on the second floor. And be sure to clean up after yourself!" Rarity encouraged as she trotted off. "Well that sure was lucky!" Apple Bloom declared as Scootaloo pried herself off the wall in annoyance. "Yeah. Super duper." The Pegasus said sarcastically. The fillies waisted little time scampering up to the grand library where their answer hopefully was waiting.
"Okay Crusaders! Split up and find any spell that can duplicate a pony! My sisters gonna see her special somepony before sundown or my name isn't Apple Bloom!" AB declared as the search began. Unfortunately, the fillies were as inept at spell finding as they were at robbery. For two hours they searched, and not a single word in the massive library said anything about cloning.
"This is ridiculous! We've checked every book in this room, and there's no spell to make a second Midnight!" Sweetie Belle groaned as she placed another book back. "You said it. There's spells for everything from making cake to making a dragon, but there's nothing for that!" Scootaloo agreed. "Maybe we should try something else Apple Bloom." The unicorn suggested. The earth pony herself was buried under a massive pile of scrolls and books, but Apple Blooms face told her friends her search had been just a fruitless.
"But there has to be something! I can't mess this up, I just can't!" Apple Bloom whined in despair. Scootaloo thought for a moment. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way. We've just been pulling books at random, but Twilight is the most organized mare in Equestria! So how would she arrange them?" The Pegasus asked. The Crusaders thought for a moment. "The alphabet?" Sweetie tried. "Worth a shot." So the fillies started over, this time looking with letters in mind. And low and behold, on an untouched shelf sat the book.
"This is it girls!" Sweetie yelled, to Scootaloos relief and Apple Blooms joy. The unicorn levitated the book over to her friends and set it down so they could read it. "Replication: Spells for all your cloning needs! This is perfect!" AB squealed as Sweetie opened the book. "Okay let's see. That's for cloning a cow, that's for cloning a sheep, that's for cloning a Gryphon, thats for cloning a Princess-" The unicorn read before her friend caught it.
"That one! Cloning Colts from far away!" Scootaloo yelled. "That's it! All we need is to think of Midnight and it'll work!" Sweetie said. "DOITDOITDOIT!" Apple Bloom yelled, shaking her friend. "Okay okay! Keep your saddle on!" The unicorn yelped, focusing her magic on Rainbows brother. Wisps of soft blue light gathered at the fillies horn as the spell took shape. "It's working!" AB cheered as Sweetie Belle strained to conjure up a clone. Suddenly a bright light bathed the room, blinding the 3 ponies.
When the light faded, the Crusaders were stunned to find that there was no clone to be found. "Oh come on!" Scootaloo whined as Apple Bloom fell depressed. "I could've sworn I did that right. Oh well. Come on girls, I just thought of something else we can try!" Sweetie exclaimed, and the fillies ran off. But as the ponies ran off, they failed to spot something taking shape in the darkest corner of the room. A shadowy figure that took on the features of a certain colt. The figure cackled as he melted away into the shadows, whispering as he did. "I am reborn..."