The heat from Celestia’s sun baked the ground with a vengeance, warning all ponies away from its blast zone, lest they be scorched to death. Despite this, some ponies were obstinate enough to try to oppose the glaring fireball of unimaginable power.
The sky was filled with pegasi weaving back and forth, dragging the rebellious clouds that hung over the Everfree Forest over to Ponyville, trying to shield the pitiful town from the relentless heat that continued to scorch the ground. Slowly but surely, progress was made; the glowing yellow disc that was the sun was now almost completely obscured. When the last cloud slid into place, a loud cheer rose from the crowd of ponies that had gathered outside in order to witness the battle against the flaming celestial body.
Everypony was too busy admiring the handiwork of the pegasi to notice that a certain pony was missing. A pony named Jade Eyes.
Pinkamena looked down at the still-bleeding corpse of her unfortunate target. The limp body of the unicorn was a deep green, her hair an azure blue tinged with white. An image of a silver needle and thread was depicted on her flank. She lay in a pool of crimson blood, staining the blue carpet beneath her an unsightly purple. Pinkamena’s blade was steeped in blood as well, the bulk of which she didn’t bother to clean off before slipping the elegant sword back into its scabbard. Pinkie watched out of her host’s eyes with a deep sinking feeling of pure wrongness. This was her? What had she, bouncy party-loving Pinkie Pie, been reduced to?
Oblivious to the mare who was watching her, Pinkamena donned her hood again and plucked the piece of paper out from the pockets of her robe. Quickly and expertly, she neatly crossed out Jade Eye’s name with a quill that she had found in the room. Replacing the quill, she returned her attention to the paper and examined it. Her eyes flashed over the second target, then she returned the piece of paper to its resting place. She escaped from the scene of the crime through the chimney that led to the roof. When her head breached the last cover of soot and cleared the chimney, she coughed to clear her lungs of the dirty black substance. She jumped off the side of the Dress Shop and caught the end of a clothesline that was strung between it and the next building, which sagged dangerously under her weight.
Just as she was about to hit the ground, the clothesline snapped back into its original position, sending Pinkamena soaring through the sky and onto another impossibly tall building by Ponyville’s standards. Even after so many years, the idyllic, backwater appearance of Ponyville had remained intact, forgoing almost all forms of advanced technology.
Surveying the town, Pinkamena examined the sheet of paper with the names of the targets listed down again, searching for the building that it had mentioned. In bold letters, the paper stated:
Name: Fleur de Lys
Location: Ponyville Carousel Boutique
Below that, scribbled in hastily, were the words:
Note: She has an appointment with me at 10:30a.m.
Pinkamena glanced at the clock tower that now took precedence in the middle of Ponyville. It showed the time to be 10:25a.m.
The pink mare then turned her gaze to the distant Carousel Boutique, then leapt off the side of the skyscraper, towards her second target.
****
All semblance of thought left Fluttershy’s mind as she stared, disbelievingly, at the tombstone before her pet’s- no, her friend’s grave. Her host, however, continued mumbling to herself, clearly reliving the moment of his death. “I hate you, Princess Celestia. Damn you!” Fluttershy was snapped out of her reverie by the insult her host muttered, directed toward none other than one of the most repected and powerful ponies in Equestria. Her voice was rapidly growing louder.
“It was your carriage that caused the accident! You had to knock Angel over! Not just him, but another filly, too! ” Her voice rapidly deteriorated into an incomprehensible sobbing. When she had finally recovered enough, she continued to lament. “You… forced me to choose. And I made the wrong choice.”
Fluttershy’s future self’s voice suddenly erupted with anger. “No! I will never make that mistake again. I will never put a stranger’s life before that of my friends, be it pony or animal.” She felt her host’s eyes harden. “That was the day what Twilight was telling me hit home. You aren’t fit to rule, Princess, and I’m glad I played a role in your death.” Fluttershy’s future self reached behind the gravestone and retrieved a terribly mangled golden object that somehow managed to defy its intrinsic physical properties and accumulate layers of rust. The rust was mostly covered by crusted blood. Despite its poorly appearance, Fluttershy recognised it immediately.
It was Princess Celestia’s golden tiara.
The amethyst that normally adorned its front was gone, leaving a diamond-shaped hole in the metal. It was twisted so much that it was hardly recognisable as Celestia’s tiara. It was a twisted mockery of the original work of art. Future Fluttershy lifted her hoof and slammed it full force onto the tiara. Already brittle from several years of rotting in place, the gold easily shattered under her hoof, stabbing the ground with a multitude of golden shards. Fluttershy’s host lifted her hoof and saw tiny slivers of crimson blood slither down her hand.
Just then, the distinct ringing noise different from the alarm of the clocks resounded from the cottage. Fluttershy’s future self was snapped out of her reverie. She wiped her hoof on the grass in an attempt to remove the blood, then headed towards the source of the ringing noise. The moment the front door was opened, Fluttershy noticed an object she had not noticed on the way down, and it was certainly nothing she had ever seen before. The rectangular object was mounted on the wall like a clock, but had buttons that numbered from 1 to 9, along with various other symbols. A sort of curved pipe was connected to the object by a coiled piece of string that had the appearance of rubber. The thing on the wall of vibrating madly, emitting the annoying ringing noise Fluttershy had heard from outside.
It was towards this device that her host headed. She grabbed it in her mouth, then propped it against her shoulder so that one end of the curved pipe was directed towards her ear, and the other end faced her mouth. Fluttershy noticed various holes dotting the surface of the ends of the pipe. What was this object used for?
Future Fluttershy spoke to nopony in particular, instead seeming to direct her voice towards the pipe. “Hello?”
Had she been in control of her body, Fluttershy would have jumped out of her skin when she heard a response from the pipe. “Fluttershy, this is Rose. The little bunny you gave me is very sick! I’m so worried that something will happen to it! Can you come over and check on him?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right over.” Fluttershy noticed her host’s voice had shifted back to the kind and compassionate one she was familiar with. She shuddered inwardly. This future version of herself was as much of a twisted mockery as the mangled tiara that lay on the grass in her backyard.
“Thanks!” The sound of coughing suddenly erupted from the mouthpiece of the tube. “Oh no! He’s coughing again! Sorry I would love to talk more but I really have to go see you bye!” With that, a click sound followed by a long, continuous beep noise heralded the end of the conversation.
Future Fluttershy returned the tube to its resting place, then headed towards the still-open door, grabbing a yellow medical bag with a symbol of three butterflies printed on it, and hurried out the door, across town to Rose’s house.
After half an hour of travelling from her cottage beside the Everfree Forest, Rose’s flower shop came into view. The picture of its owner’s namesake took precedence on the roof of the structure, informing everypony about what it sold.
Fluttershy’s host was about to enter the shop when a loud screech came echoed from behind her, followed by the sound of bones straining and cracking, and finally the squelch of blood spraying out from an unfortunate soul’s deep wound. Fluttershy’s future self turned her head and saw a very gruesome scene that made Fluttershy want to throw up. She tried to squeeze her eyes shut, to somehow shut out the gory scene before her, but try as she might, she could not control her host’s body.
The wreckage of a pegasus carriage littered the scene, with two ponies lying on the ground, oozing blood which accumulated in red puddles on the dirt. Their legs stuck out at unnatural angles, and their bodies were decorated with gashes and deep bruises. A crowd was gathering now, looking on in silent bewilderment and muttering among themselves. These soon escalated into shouts of panic as they realised the magnitude of the situation.
“They’re dead!”
“No! They’re not! They’re moving!”
“There’s so much blood I’m sure they’re going to die soon anyway!”
“Where’s Nurse Redheart?”
“You idiot! She went to Manehatten for a vacation, remember?”
“Then what about Nurse Tenderheart?”
“That is Nurse Tenderheart! How is she supposed to help anypony while she’s bleeding to death?”
“Everypony, we need to work together! Who has any medical experience?”
The ponies gathered all fell silent before the question posed. No hoofs were raised.
‘But I have medical experience,’ Fluttershy thought.
“Please! Anypony!”
Fluttershy’s future self watched the scene for a few more seconds before turning her head and entering the house.
“No more mistakes…”
****
Rainbow Dash’s host flew up to another of Applejack’s apple trees, plucking the ripest apple off its branch and devouring it greedily. When she had finished the apple, she burped loudly and patted her belly. “Ten apples sure does fill you up.”
She was about to proceed to another apple tree when a loud beeping sound interrupted her feast. Rainbow’s host looked at a watch strapped onto her leg (‘An actual one this time, not one that was drawn on my leg.’ Dash mused.) and swore. “It’s ten twenty-five already? The performance it at ten thirty!”
Her host took off like a bullet, leaving trails of thunder clouds behind her. She accelerated to insanely high speeds as she raced against time, trying to reach the performance in time. The air began to bend into a cone around her, but it was gravity that played the biggest part in releasing a sonic rainboom, and the cone did not break.
10.29a.m….
Rainbow could hear the announcer of the Wonderbolt performance already. “-and so, without further ado, let us welcome the Wonderbolts!”
The Wonderbolts filed out one by one from behind the curtain. The announcer named them one after another.
“-Spitfire, Soarin, and last but not least, Rainbow Dash!”
Just in time, Rainbow’s host broke her forward momentum and accelerated towards the ground. The cone that had appeared earlier now began to bend, slowly yielding little by little until finally, it split under the pressure, and Rainbow Dash’s future self flew straight downwards, her thunder clouds now joined by a curving rainbow trail. Another rainbow, this one in the form of an expanding ring above the stadium, caused all present to gasp in awe.
Rainbow’s host landed softly on the hard wood of the stage. Spitfire shook her head in mock annoyance. “Great job Dash. Now you got them cheering as if the performance was already over.”
Soarin nudged Rainbow’s host eagerly. “That was pretty awesome flying there! Even though you do that all the time, it never gets old!”
Rainbow’s future self adopted a proud stance. “What else do you expect from the best flier in Equestria?”
The announcer recovered from the surprise admirably quickly, and decided to allow the performance to begin. “And now,” he shouted, trying to be heard over the sound of cheering, “let the performance begin!”
All of the Wonderbolts took to the sky at the same time, demonstrating their practiced routines. Nopony really paid anypony much attention except Rainbow Dash, who was performing various tricks she had invented that all involved her signature move. Using the trail of rainbows that followed after a Sonic Rainboom and the thunder clouds that she inherited as a Wonderbolt, she wrote her name in the sky, then drew a perfect caricature of herself with a signature to boot. The cheering of the crowd grew significantly louder. By this time, the other Wonderbolts had stopped performing and were just watching Rainbow strut her stuff.
Rainbow Dash decided after a few dozen rounds of drawing stuff in the sky that she was extremely, EXTREMELY tired. Future Rainbow was much fitter than she, and considering how fit she already was, that was quite a feat. Thankfully, her host seemed to have had enough, and she decided to end it off.
Flying straight into the sky, Rainbow’s host waited till she reached sufficient altitude then began the customary Sonic Rainboom steps. She plummeted towards the ground, but when she broke the air barrier and unleashed a Sonic Rainboom, she didn’t stop there. Looping back into the air, she approached the ground at a diagonal angle. The cone of air still bent despite the lesser gravity, and as Rainbow’s host reached the point where her previous line of flight and her current one intersected, the barrier bent and shattered, releasing another Sonic Rainboom. Not yet satisfied, Rainbow’s future self looped around again and performed another Sonic Rainboom, exactly at the point of intersection. The sky was rent by another brilliant explosion of light and colour. The three rainbow rings in the sky dazzled the audience until they finally dissipated, whereupon all of the ponies present began stomping their hooves in applause.
“The performance is over!” The announcer declared. “Thank you for coming today.”
The moment Rainbow’s host landed, she was swept up by a sea of fans, all cheering for her.
****
“This is unacceptable!”
The snarling visage of the Wonderbolt Trainer, Sky Slash, was visible to all as he trotted back and forth in front of the cringing Wonderbolts. Only Rainbow’s host kept her cool, knowing that his rage was not directed at her.
Ten minutes earlier, the Wonderbolts had assembled for the post performance meeting, and Sky Slash had proceeded to berate them for their lousy performance, as all of them had stopped mid-performance to watch Rainbow, realising that nopony was concentrating on them
“Rainbow Dash is the only one who is actually doing her job! All the rest of you are soft, stupid foals who can’t even pull off a decent trick!” With the exception of Dash, all the Wonderbolts were squirming in their seats. “As such, I have to teach all of you a lesson you’ll never forget!” His eyes roamed the crowd, contemplating a potential punishment.
“All of you except Rainbow Dash! Canterlot and back! Thirty minutes! GO!”
The Wonderbolts that recovered the fastest quickly oriented themselves towards Canterlot and shot off. Rainbow’s host let out a snort of amusement when she saw some frozen in place, trying to process what was happening while losing precious time. Rainbow’s host pulled a cloud from the sky to rest on as she watched the pegasi zoom towards Canterlot in a hurry, trying to beat the thirty minute time limit. She gazed at her watch, its glass cracked by the intense strain of a Sonic Rainboom. Shrugging nonchalantly, Rainbow’s host looked back and forth between the Wonderbolts and the watch, trying to gauge who would make it and who wouldn’t.
“Let’s see… Spitfire and Soarin will make it… not so sure about Frost Trail, though… hmm, Sonic Rush won’t…”
Eventually, each and every pegasus had made it back to the Starting line, all sweating and out of breath. Sky Slash singled out the three Wonderbolts who didn’t make it and stared daggers at them.
“You three. Are. FIRED.”
All of them tried to process what had just happened to them, and Rainbow’s host began to laugh.
“Ha ha ha ha ha! Look at their faces! They're so ridiculous! Priceless!” The three pegasi glared angrily at Rainbow before returning their uniforms and trotting off sadly, glancing back every now and then at the life they had just lost. They were leaving something that was immeasurably important to them behind, and their faces reflected that pain.
Rainbow only laughed harder.
****
Thirty minutes later, Rainbow’s host was lounging around in her house, when what approximated a knock sounded from her door. It was hard to knock on a cloud and receive a noise at all. Rainbow’s host yawned and got up, lazily ambling to the door. Opening it revealed a grown-up form of a very familiar orange pegasus.
“Hey Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo eagerly chirped. “I’m been trying to find you since the performance! Can I have your autograph?”
Rainbow felt herself smirk. “Not till you’re cool and fast enough, squirt. How many times have I told you to stay away? Now scram!”
Scootaloo’s eyes began filling with tears, and her lip quivered slightly. She wordlessly flapped her developed
wings and dove through the clouds.
Rainbow’s host began to laugh anew.
****
Carousel Boutique was empty, Sweetie Belle having been chased out to practice somewhere else. Only Rarity’s host remained in the living room. She watched the clock in the boutique silently, clearly expecting somepony or something to arrive. There was an oppressive silence permeating the room. Rarity’s future self neither moved nor spoke, simply staring at the wall-mounted clock like a zombie.
Minutes came and went. The clock showed that the time was 10.29a.m.
The second hand ticked slowly, counting down the seconds to the next minute. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…
The moment the minute hand touched the styled 6 at the bottom of the rounded clock, the wind chimes at the door of the boutique sounded, announcing the approach of a pony.
Rarity’s host kept her eyes directed at the clock. “Hello, Fleur.”
A voice came from behind her. “Greetings, Rarity. What sinister plot have you concocted today?”
Rarity’s future self finally turned, and the identity of the visitor soon became clear. The pink mane and the white coat was a dead giveaway. No one else had the same mane and coat colouring.
“What makes you think that I have anything up my sleeve, Fleur de Lys?” Future Rarity feigned hurt. “What have I done to deserve this insult?”
Fleur de Lys spat on the ground. “Don’t think I don’t know you, Rarity. You’re a monster, nothing more.”
“Please, don’t insult me this way.” Rarity’s host trotted over to the pillow in front of her work desk and sat down, gesturing to a pillow at the other side of the table. “Take a seat.”
Fleur de Lys warily sat down, still focused on Rarity. “What did you want to discuss?”
Rarity’s host’s smile grew larger. “I wanted to request a merger between our businesses, but seeing that you detest me so much, I assume the answer is a ‘no’.”
The pink-maned unicorn snorted in a very un-ladylike manner. “That’s not all, I’m sure. You would not have called
me all the way from Canterlot to discuss this. Now what is it you really want to discuss?”
“Well, I also wanted to try out one of your designs-”
Fleur de Lys slammed her hoof down onto the table. “Lies, Rarity! All lies! Tell me now! What is it you want?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity caught sight of a pink blur behind Fleur de Lys. Clearly, her future self had noticed it too.
“Your death.” Future Rarity said.
Taking her cue, Pinkamena sprang out from behind Fleur de Lys, sword drawn and prepared to strike. However, just as she came within range of the unicorn, a magic shield shimmered into existence. Pinkamena slammed hard into it, then slid to the ground with a painful moan. She ceased to move, lying on the ground.
Fleur de Lys had not even turned around, nor was her horn glowing. The invisibility spell of the two burly unicorn guards beside her finally dropped, revealing their scarred faces and their eyes filled with murderous intent. One of them stomped on Pinkamena for good measure.
A sinister smile had appeared on the pink-maned unicorn’s face. “You don’t think I came to your turf, fully expecting a deathtrap, without bringing some form of protection with me, did you?”
Rarity’s future self’s smile still held. “No, I don’t. And now is the time to play my trump card.”
Without warning, one of the unicorn guards toppled over, a sword lodged in his stomach. Blood dripped onto the floor as he collapsed in a bleeding heap. The other guard spun around, horn aglow as he prepared to unleash destructive magic upon his foe, but Rarity’s host took the opportunity to collect a bunch of sewing needles from her drawer and send them flying straight at the unicorn guard. He too crumpled to the ground soundlessly, staining the floor red.
Fleur de Lys took one look at a bleeding Pinkamena, who stood on the corpse of her first unicorn, triumph and bloodlust glistening in her eyes, and backpedalled hastily, trying to get away from the pink monster. Her eyes were wide in fear. “You… you’re supposed to be-”
“Be what? Unconscious? Dead?” Pinkamena drew in closer, until she was so close to Fleur de Lys that the unicorn could smell her breath, a foul mix of hot sauce and sarsaparilla, combined with the smell of blood. “You are very foalish to think me so weak.”
“I don’t.” Fleur de Lys responded.
Without warning, her horn started glowing, and Pinkamena’s sword was snatched out of her unsteady grip. A magical aura now enveloped the sword, and it was levelled at the pink mare's neck. “You don’t get far in Canterlot without knowing how to thwart an assassination attempt.”
Pinkamena realised that the tables had turned, and now it was her turn to retreat, keeping her eye on the sharp end of her sword. Fleur de Lys was facing Pinkamena, but her eyes were directed at Rarity, daring her to attack.
Rarity felt magic flowing through her host’s body, and she knew that she was using magic. The blue glow of Rarity’s aura fought for control over the deadly weapon. But very little magic was being directed towards the sword. It was instead being used somewhere else, somewhere out of her field of vision.
Her future self’s face scrunched up, as if she was exerting all her power. Fleur de Lys grinned. “Is that all you have?”
“Hardly.”
With a sudden thpwing sound, a copper-tipped arrow embedded itself in Fleur de Lys’ flank. Crimson blood flowed out of the wound. The floating sword, suspended in the air by telekinesis, dropped to the ground with nothing left to hold it up. Fleur de Lys looked up, shocked, at a smiling Rarity.
“Usually I’m not that good an archer,” Rarity heard herself say, “but with a target as big as that, it’s hard to miss.” The plain oak wood bow that had unleashed the arrow finally slid into Rarity’s view, its string stretched taut as another arrow moved in to replace the one that had just been released.
Fleur de Lys’ expression turned from one of shock to one of resignation as she realised that she had been beaten. “I give up, Rarity. You truly are the monster everypony says you are.”
“Naturally.” Rarity’s host’s smile widened.
Fleur de Lys sighed. “I just wish I could see Fancy Pants one more time. He was like a brother to me.”
Rarity’s future self couldn’t resist rubbing salt into her enemy’s wound. “Fancy Pants? I took him out last week. He was trying to topple me with his influence. Couldn’t have that, could I?”
Fleur de Lys’ purple eyes suddenly filled with rage, leaving no trace of the resignation they had displayed earlier. “You… you MONSTER!” she screamed. Future Rarity knew just what buttons to push to push her over the brink. “HOW DARE YOU!” The unicorn, in an act born of desperation and anger, flung herself at Rarity. With practiced ease, the arrow slid out of the safety of the bow and flew towards Fleur de Lys’ head.
The arrow hit home on her forehead, drilling a hole in her cranium just below her horn. A spurt of blood followed, staining all three ponies, plus whatever part of the room that wasn’t already crimson, a deep red. Rarity watched as the life was drained out of Fleur de Lys’ eyes until they were but dull, lifeless orbs. The steady stream of blood eased to a slow drip. Nopony moved for a few minutes. All was silent save for the heavy breathing of the combatants who were recuperating.
After a while, Rarity’s host, now covered in sweat and blood, lifted a hoof to clean the liquid away from her eyes. Pinkamena looked at her expectantly, as if she was waiting for something. Rarity’s future self turned towards her. “Yes, dear?”
“Is there anything else?”
Rarity’s host thought for a moment. Then, with an “Aha!” she rushed over to her bedside table and retrieved a scroll with a seal that was shaped like Twilight’s cutie mark from it. “This is from Twilight. She told me to give it to you.”
Pinkamena opened the letter, scanning its contents. She scrunched up her face in confusion, the first time she had done so in a very long time. “Are you sure you want me to do this, Rarity?”
Rarity’s future self waved her hoof dismissively. “An order from the Princess is an order you must follow. Do your job.”
Pinkamena looked uncertain. “If you insist.”
The last thing Rarity saw was a pink hoof descending towards her face, then a resounding crack, and then the world faded away.
****
Pinkie Pie read the letter numbly. She could tell her host was uncertain as well. It was the last thing she had expected from friendly Twilight.
Dear Pinkamena,
I have two tasks for you. One; I need you to attack Rarity. Don’t kill her; she’s a valuable asset. Just injure her, remind her that she’s not invincible- and that I’m not always on her side. She’s been doing very reckless things lately, and I’m taking flak from the public for not doing anything about it.
Two, come to Canterlot immediately. There are urgent matters requiring your help. I hope to see you soon.
Her Royal Majesty, Princess Twilight of Equestria
“Are you sure you want me to do this, Rarity?” Pinkamena asked.
“An order from the Princess is an order you must follow.” Rarity answered.
‘She has no idea what she’s asking for.’ Pinkie thought.
“If you insist.”
Pinkamena’s hoof rose into the air swiftly, then descended to connect with Rarity’s face with a sharp crack. Rarity stumbled backwards, blood running down her face, then her eyes rolled backwards and she collapsed in a heap. Upon seeing the crimson streaks down Rarity’s face, Pinkamena seemed to remember the injuries she had sustained, and licked her lips to savour the coppery taste of blood.
Her eyes shifted, no longer concentrating on the unconscious Rarity, and instead staring at far-off Canterlot, nestled on a mountain face.
“Whatever the Princess needs a paid assassin for, it can’t be anything good.” Pinkamena muttered to herself.
She trotted to the window, donning her cloak and grabbing her sword on the way, and slunk out of the room.
****
Applejack’s host stood in the long line leading up to the gate which barred the way to Canterlot. Her apple cart trailed behind her, still attached to her by the harness. She was almost there; just a few more ponies and then it would be her turn.
The trip to Canterlot would only take half a day at most if you had pegasi pulling your carriage, but on hoof and with an apple cart stacked to the brim with apples, in was the most gruelling three days Applejack had ever gone through. However, the ordeal was finally over, much to her relief.
A voice broke through her thoughts. “Next!”
Applejack realised that she had been so busy remembering the past few days that she did not realise the line had moved forward. Her host stepped forward, allowing the pegasus guards protecting the gate to search her and her wagon. After a minute of digging through the cart of apples, the guard’s head emerged from the stack with a knife in his mouth.
“Consarnit,” Applejack’s host swore under her breath, “ah forgot ‘bout the dang knife!”
The guard spat the knife onto the ground and pointed to it with a hoof. “What is this, ma’am?”
Applejack’s host hesitated momentarily. “Uh, it’s for, um, peelin’ the apples! Yup! That’s what it’s for!”
Applejack facehoofed internally. Her future self was as bad as lying as she was.
The guard scrutinised her carefully, causing Applejack’s host to sweat profusely.
“Are you sure?” he asked slowly.
“Uh, yup! That’s mah story an’ ah’m stickin’ to it! Heh heh.”
The guard observed her for another ten seconds, then withdrew the wing that blocked the gate and motioned for the other guard to do the same.
“Then welcome to Canterlot, ma’am.” The guard said, smiling. “I hope you enjoy your stay here.”
Applejack’s host sighed in relief, dragging the wagon behind her into the now unguarded gate. “Thank ya kindly.” She picked up the knife from the floor in her mouth and slid it into the braid of her mane in order to free her mouth.
Canterlot was a buzzing hive of activity. As the capital city of Equestria, it received diplomats from all parts of the world on an almost weekly basis. Fortunately, this was not one of those days, but it was a busy hub nonetheless. Applejack observed the city through her host’s eyes. Canterlot was not very different in the future, except that all the statues of Celestia and Luna that had dotted the city previously had been removed.
The various shops and stores that lined the streets had patrons going in and out, but apparently Future Applejack decided to ignore those and head straight of the jewel of Canterlot: The Royal Palace.
After half an hour of travelling that made Applejack wish that she was as tough as her host to be able to endure such suffering and still walk upright as if nothing had happened, the monolithic palace drew into view. It had not changed at all, except perhaps the dozens of Royal Guards that patrolled the exterior, on a lookout for a rogue villain that might break into the palace. Her flimsy knife was no match for the sharp and deadly blades of the guards.
“Well, ah’m glad ah brought this apple cart all this way.” Applejack felt her host smile.
She unfastened the harness that bound the cart to her quickly. When the harness fell to the ground, she unleashed an almighty buck that sent the wagon crashing straight into one of the royal guards.
The effect was instantaneous. All of the guards ran to the site of their fallen comrade while searching for the assailant. At the same time, all the surrounding ponies ran in circles, panicking and shouting things like “Canterlot is under attack!” or the occasional more undignified “We’re all gonna die!”
Applejack’s host wound her way around the crowds of ponies and leapt over a nearby fence into the castle grounds, right under the noses of the guards who were now to busy trying to control the crowd and assure them that Canterlot was not under attack and that they were not going to die.
Applejack found herself in the palace garden that was unsurprisingly deserted. The animals would no doubt continue to avoid her, as she was an unfamiliar figure in the gardens. She slowly made her way to the ballroom on the other side of the garden, taking care to silence her hoofsteps.
She was almost there when a loud snoring noise alerted her to somepony else’s presence. Ducking beneath some bushes, she peeked through a hole between the branches to determine the identity of the mysterious pony.
She caught sight of an old brown pony with a blue cloth on his back, a ridiculous green skewed top hat, and a short grey mane, tail and beard. His head was slumped on a rake that he carried in his hooves. Applejack guessed he was the gardener.
She would not have noticed any of this if the gardener had not been sleeping in front of the very door that led to the ballroom.
Applejack’s host cursed her luck. Realising that everything hinged on this moment, she crept forward uncertainly, closer to the pony who unwittingly blocked her way. She carefully nudged his side, trying to move him far enough away from the door to open it without disturbing him. After the sixth nudge, the gardener let loose a snort that caused Applejack’s future self to freeze in her tracks. Fortunately, he started snoring again. Applejack’s host sighed with relief and silently pushed open the door to the ballroom.
“Yes! Ah made it!” she exclaimed once the door shut behind her.
“Halt! Who goes there?” Future Applejack tensed again, searching for the source of the voice. Just then, an earth pony guard burst around the corner, sword in mouth.
Applejack’s host swore and whipped the knife out from her braid, ready for combat. The guard lunged forward and executed a neat downward slash that Applejack’s host only just managed to dodge. It sheared off the tip of her mane. Future Applejack flung the knife at him, and it scored a small cut on his leg. The guard winced before charging at her full tilt, the business end of the sword directed towards her throat. Applejack’s host undid the braid that kept her mane in order, revealing a total mess of golden strands. It was only then that Applejack realised the full length of the string that held her mane together. Unlike the one she usually wore, this one was a full three hooves in length, and already done up in a lasso.
“Hyaa!” Applejack’s host sent the lasso flying. It caught the guard expertly on his leg, causing him to fall. His sword dropped out of his mouth, landing on the cold marble of the ballroom floor.
Not wasting a second, Applejack’s future self galloped forward and gave the guard the hardest buck she could manage. He flew backwards, his back colliding with the wall, then he slid to the floor, unmoving. Applejack’s host picked up his sword and advanced speedily. When she came within range, she held her hoof to his chest. His heart was still beating.
Applejack heard her host breathe a sigh of relief. “For a moment there, ah thought ah’d killed him.”
Future Applejack turned to leave, but hesitated at the last moment. Looking back at the unconscious guard, she trotted back to his side and sat down. She used her mouth to undo the straps of his armour. When the last plate came off, his coat colour changed from the signature pure white of the Equestrian Royal Guards to a plain red which reminded Applejack of Big Macintosh. Apparently her host had thought of him, too, for a single tear found its way down her cheek.
Her host began to don the armour, and the moment the first gauntlet touched her leg, her coat colour turned pure white. ‘Enchanted armour,’ Applejack thought. ’wonder what else it’s supposed ta do.’
When Applejack’s host was fully clad in the golden armour, she trotted to a window to see the faint reflection. When she stared into the window, Applejack could have sworn that she had switched bodies with the earth pony guard. She looked exactly like the adversary she had defeated moments ago!
A groaning from the corner indicated that the earth pony was waking up. Without wasting a moment, Applejack galloped over and gave him another buck. His head hung down limply. Deep bruises were already developing.
Applejack’s host turned away, quickly galloping through the corridors of the palace. “I hope I don’t meet anypony along these corridors.” She muttered to herself.
As if on cue, a pegasus guard came flying around the corner, and greeted her enthusiastically. “Hey Krayt! I thought you were supposed to be guarding the ballroom.”
Applejack could feel her host hesitating. “I… uh… the Princess called me.”
‘The enchanted armour takes away mah accent, too.’ Applejack mused.
The pegasus appeared confused, then a look of mischief dawned on his face. “Oh, you are so dead! What did you do, huh?”
Applejack realised that he thought that she was being punished. Her host, too, quickly noticed that, and tried to act as Krayt would. “I didn’t do anything! You’ll see, I’ll get a promotion for sure!” Well, her lying was getting better.
“Ha! You? A promotion? That’s priceless!” The pegasus started laughing his head off. Applejack’s host gave a convincing “hmph” and continued on her way, the sound of laughing echoing off the walls behind her.
Thankfully, the rest of the journey was uneventful, though Applejack could tell that her host was tense the whole time. Soon, the throne room door appeared on the wall to her left. She stood in front of the large door with a seal of a six-pointed star on it.
“This is my last chance.” Applejack’s host said to herself. “I can go through this door and almost certainly not emerge alive, or I could leave now and live.”
She opened the door.
****
Twilight’s host trotted up the stairs leading to the door of the archives. When she pushed it with a hoof, it opened with a loud groan. “I have to get this oiled sometime.”
Twilight watched as her host passed many familiar landmarks and rooms on the way to her destination. But Twilight knew where she was headed. She knew that Princess Celestia always raised the sun from her balcony, barring the Summer Sun Celebration. That should be where her future self was headed too.
Unsurprisingly, she was correct. A few more corridors and two turns later, she found herself at the same balcony she had seen the Princess raising the sun at the first time. Her future self stepped out onto the balcony, the sky was dark, the moon casting its gentle rays on the land. However, excluding the moon, there were no other sources of light in the sky. The stars were gone!
This fact puzzled Twilight, but she was jerked out of her reverie when her host’s horn began glowing, and Twilight felt an intense amount of magic being channelled to her horn. It overwhelmed her in an instant. Even she had never felt this kind of power before.
Slowly but surely, the moon was pushed away below the horizon, and the glowing celestial disc that was the sun emerged, bathing Equestria in unusually harsh sunlight.
“Oops.” Twilight’s host said. “Maybe I made that a little too hot… nah, its’ okay.”
Twilight’s host turned away from the balcony. She visibly jumped when she saw a royal guard behind her, as still as a statue.
“Your Highness, the court is ready for your presence.”
When Twilight’s host calmed down, she snapped back, “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
The guard bowed low. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Future Twilight shook her head despairingly and trotted past the royal guard. She turned right, heading towards the throne room.
When the doors of the surprisingly gigantic throne roomcame into view, Twilight was surprised. Instead of the sun and moon seal that would normally be present on the door, a six-sided star much like her cutie mark adorned the front. When she pushed open the door, a cacophony of voices assaulted her ears.
“Your Majesty, that is why we need to-”
“No, Princess, you must reconsider your decision-”
“This is madness! Nopony would accept such a policy-”
Twilight’s host shook her head. “This is going to be a long day.”
****
“-and that is why we need cut down the military budget, Princess!” The economic advisor, Bit Saver, finished. He was a golden-yellow hue, his mane a shimmering platinum. His cutie mark was a picture of a bag of bits.
“No!” Steel Blade protested. His rust-coloured mane was in a disheveled mess from arguing with Bit Saver. His silver coat was drenched in sweat, causing his cutie mark, a sheathed sword, to seem slightly distorted. “Both Peace Maker and I agree that the border relations with Gryphonia are strained! We cannot afford to cut down on military spending at a time like this! As the Royal Guard Captain, I have to protest!”
The Royal Diplomat, a light purple stallion with a brown mane and a sealed scroll for a cutie mark nodded. “Exactly!”
Twilight could hear her host sigh. It had only been four hours and she felt as if she had enough of politics for the rest of her life. These ponies were unbearably dull.
“But if we don’t, we will run out of bits!” Bit Saver protested.
Finally, Twilight’s future self decided that enough was enough. She raised her hoof, and the throne room fell silent almost instantly. “Both of you have valid points,” Twilight’s host began. “Therefore, I have decided that we shall not cut our military budget.”
“But-” Bit Saver objected.
“SILENCE!” Twilight’s host thundered. Most of the ponies present all winced or flinched.
“I have not yet finished.” Her future self continued. “Bit Saver, you will be in charge of raising the tax levels. Collect them from the citizens tomorrow.”
“But, didn’t we just raise the taxes last month?” Bit Saver asked meekly.
Future Twilight’s voice rose again. “DO YOU DARE QUESTION MY AUTHORITY?!”
Bit Saver shrank as far back as he could go and stammered out a response. “N-No, Your Majesty.”
“Good.” Her voice had returned to normal. “I’m glad we all agree. Don’t we?”
All the ponies nodded frantically.
“Excellent.” Twilight felt her host’s lips break into a smile. “You are dismissed.”
Everypony rushed for the door, tripping over each other as they struggled to get out. Twilight’s host stifled a giggle. All of the most dignified nobles and bureaucrats in Equestria running and smashing into each other. ‘Princess Celestia would love to see this,’ Twilight thought.
When the last pony had squeezed his way out of the room, Twilight’s host strolled out at a leisurely pace, knowing that they wouldn’t be giving her any more trouble for the next two days at least.
Her host now took a different route, but Twilight knew this route institutively as well. It was the route to Princess Celestia’s private chambers.
Soon, her host stood before the door, which was now also marked with the six-pointed star she saw everywhere. She entered the room and trotted to a bedside table that had a notepad resting on it. Levitating it with her magic, she ripped a page out of it and placed it on the table. A quill enveloped by a purple aura floated into view and scribbled some words onto the piece of paper.
“Dear… Pinkamena…”
****
The throne room door swung open, revealing-
Nopony.
Applejack’s host trotted in cautiously, casting wary glances around her, trying to detect a threat. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before a loud, sinister laugh echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls in a most peculiar fashion.
Applejack knew that laugh. She knew who it was.
“So, somepony’s come to visit lonely old me, eh?”
And she was frightened.
‘Discord…’
To Be Continued in Repercussions: Chapter Three: Conspiracy!