The tumult of ponies quickly spread out, shaking off their feelings of being cramped seconds before. The ponies quickly spread out to regain their personal space; some shaking their manes back into place.
"Yay, we rescued Glittermind!" Pinkie Pie cheered again, as she hugged the teal unicorn to her.
"Uh, thanks, I guess." Glittermind nodded hesitantly. She was smooshed against the pink pony's flank.
"Where are the rest of the foals and colts, Glittermind?"Dung Red shoved through Pinkie Pie and queried Glittermind. "Where's my sister, Foal Mouth?"
"I…don't know." The teal unicorn shrugged. "I thought they were right there, and then the portal opened and you ponies all fell out."
"She's right, Dung Red." Flawless spoke up after viewing the innards of the room the group had just left. "It must have been a reverse switching spell that Twilight cast. Somehow Twilight used Glittermind as an anchor and simply swapped our group with your group, Glittermind."
"Say what?" Color Jam and the rest of the pegasi looked clueless.
"She's right, everypony." Twilight smiled and stepped up next to the hornless unicorn. "Something about this place must have disturbed my simple teleportation spell."
"If you say so, deary." Rarity sniffed, and glanced briefly at Flawless. The hornless unicorn sighed to herself; brushing off the glance of distain.
"Just where are we anyway, Twilight?" Cat Slave purred as she huggled Sly closer to her.
Electric Idea and Twilight Knight were just one pair of many ponies whom fate had brought together that one Galloping Gala night.
Electric Idea, a fine sparkling gold haired-mare unicorn, was just going through the motions for that year's expected Galloping Gala festival – the same old boring routine that Canterlot went through year after year. After all, she was just a regular, bright-idea-ed unicorn mare whose life really didn't mean much outside her talent. Her talent, which was depicted on her flank by three illuminated light bulbs, was to offer excellent ideas in new social circles. This was the reason she couldn't really keep a job for more than two or three years. Her working skills at that position would grow stale, and her talent would force her to look elsewhere to offer her 'bright-ideas'.
So it was with her current working position that semi-forced her to attend the rather boring Galloping Gala that year; because what was the point of being the festival's grand organizer if she didn't attend? Electric Idea would forever be grateful for going that year, because fate rewarded all her 'bright-ideas'.
Twilight Knight was a black and boring stallion; his only interesting trait was his stargazing hobby. A stallion who could find almost anything in the stars – almost anything but his one heart's desire: a lovely mare to spend his life with. It was a starry night when he finally found his life mate: Electric Idea. Twilight Knight's pals had finally talked him into going to the Grand Galloping Gala that year, to perform magical feats with his star magic.
They both may have been the most ordinary Gala attendees, but to each other, it was a night forever to remember. Nine months later, Flawless was born. Now a pony would think two, purebred unicorn parents would produce a unicorn foal, but Electric Idea and Twilight Knight had a hornless foal. Still they loved her regardless.
Flawless grew up in a unicorn-dominated society, and for a hornless foal of two unicorn parents, it was very difficult. Being picked on by other unicorn foals was utterly heart-breaking for the two parents. But their little Flawless was special: by the age of three years, her horn made an appearance. The forehead of their beloved Flawless was pushing through the skin, and grew to be a little twisted spike of a horn; almost a bump.
Electric Idea and Twilight Knight immediately petitioned Princess Celestia to let their lovely Flawless in unicorn school of magic. The kind princess, being who she was, agreed to take the odd little unicorn in and teach her how to use the nub-horn to do magic.
That was five years ago, and now Flawless was unique in unicorn magic. She had mastered the magic of Polarity Magic; magic that could seamlessly combine two opposite forces into one powerful new magic (like fire and water). She had rightfully earned her cutie-mark and was always so proud to tell its story: a flaming flower.
Her white-rose mark was literally on fire, since the flame was part of her mark. The deformed unicorn had gained her true talent while bird-sitting Princess Celestia's royal pet - Philamina, the phoenix – during the annual royal Botany festival. The mischievous phoenix managed to escape the cage and set fire to the multitude of blooms in the garden, nearly upsetting the whole festival. Flawless had saved the day and used her magic to imbue the precious flowers with the ability to maintain their form while on fire.
Princess Celestia had taken it upon herself to school Flawless in magical avenues; opening the young unicorn's eyes to new levels of knowledge. The level of history, mythology and geography was very high in the young Flawless; so it was with relative ease the different unicorn used her brain and made the connection of just where they all were.
"We're in Ponitropolis, Cat Slave." The white and purple mottled Flawless spoke up, after much thought.
"Who are you again?" The cat-crazy pony looked at her and sniffed.
"Never mind that, Cat." B-Pond interrupted and trotted over to the Element Holder of Friendship. "Just what is Ponitropolis, Flawless?"
Smiling openly at the butter-loving earth-pony, the Polar-magic-wielding unicorn gathered her thoughts and began moving. "I'll explain it to you all on the move. If you ponies don't mind, I'd like to get away from this horrid smelly place and find a way out of here."
"That sounds like a grand idea." Doctor Whooves agreed. The group gave a communal nod and allowed the green unicorn to take the lead as they all looked for stairs leading out of the dank dungeon.
"Ponitropolis is/was a huge multi-industrial city of high technology; all of which is part of the Ponitropolis Empire." Flawless began her dialogue. Following behind her was Twilight Sparkle, Fairy Dust, Dragon Fly, Rarity, Doctor Whooves and Derpy, Color Jam, Applejack and Butterpond. Mingled within that group were Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Catslave, Sly and Dung Red. Behind the group came Pinkie Pie and Glittermind; the poor teal unicorn being dragged like a sack of potatoes.
"Ponitropolis is a huge city unmatched in growth, success and innovation, and started out much like our humble old Canterlot."
"Canterlot ain't old." Applejack interjected.
"Shusss, A.J." C.J. asked the apple-based pony. Color Jam got a dirty look from A.J., as the orange pony shrugged her hooves. "Flawless is going into her 'Twilight' lecture mode."
"Well, anyway…the center of the city was the castle, or the capital, and much like Canterlot, was ruled by a princess."
"Did Princess Celestia switch kingdoms or something? How come I never heard of such a place?" Color Jam questioned. She flexed her wings to keep herself in the air next to Derpy.
"QUIET!" The group said at once.
"Sorry…" Color Jam muttered.
"Princess White Noise was said to have been descended from the group of unicorns who founded the city. However, one hundred years ago, the empire – and city – cut off all communication with other cities. An impenetrable magical dome engulfed all the land that was part of the empire."
"HALT! Who goes there!?" A gruff, raspy voice shouted down the hallway. The Canterlot group halted in their steps, and looked down the hallway they all just carelessly stepped into.
On the far side was a group of ugly black dregasi, dragon-ponies, all wearing a type of guard-armor.
"Eeek!" Rarity squeaked, viewing the ugliness of the dregasi.
"INTRUDERS!" The lead dregasus shouted.
"GIRLS, RUN!" Twilight Sparkle shouted back.