//------------------------------// // CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Questions? Answers! // Story: The What and Whatiful Who // by cosby7 //------------------------------// “Well, that was educational!” Trixie shouted over the rummaging and racing of Doctor Hooves. As soon as the TARDIS had taken off, he had set to work, or maybe play, it was hard to tell with him. Either way, the Doctor had paid Trixie no mind as he set to flicking this and switching that, and being paid no mind was just not something Trixie could tolerate for much longer. “Oh, you know me,” he replied absentmindedly, still going about his business, “all about the learning. Learning and adventure: two sides of the same coin. Doctor Learningthingsington. Wait, no, stick with Hooves. Learninghoovesingtonthings.” She could tell that the Doctor was only half, if that, paying attention to her. He was doing that rambling thing he did when his mind was obviously focusing on two or three other things at once. Maybe he had to hurry, Trixie honestly didn’t know anymore, but, for Celestia’s sake, they were in a damn time machine. Circumstances suggested he could spare a couple minutes. “Doctor Hooves!” Trixie made sure he stopped and listened this time. Of course, he respected her enough to turn his attention when she used the right tone of voice, but the tiniest little magic smack didn’t hurt things. Just his face. “Please stop what you are doing for one minute and speak to me! Your companion requires your attention.” “Of course,” he replied abashed, rubbing his cheek with one hoof, “why didn’t you say something?” “Trixie assumed her naturally needy demeanor would suggest as much without her having to say so.” “Right, demeanors. I have noticed those.” Communication was so much more streamlined when faced with imminent danger. “So, what would you like to, um . . . .” “Discuss?” “That’s the one!” “Well, here’s a start: What just happened?” Trixie asked emphatically, letting loose with a torrent of emotions that had built up over far too long a time. “We really just traveled back in time, didn’t we? Where was that? What’s Cantaerloth? What did that have to do with the Elements of Harmony you keep talking about? How was that mustache pony from the future? Why did everypony have so much facial hair to begin with? Why didn’t Trixie get to do anything important? What’s going on?” She huffed and she puffed and she nearly blew the Doctor down. For his part, Doctor Hooves took the screaming and yelling with only a look of mild discomfort, as he patiently waited for her to finish. When she finally had, he paused for a moment, just to make sure she was not planning to start up again. “Corrected time. Yes. Cantaerloth. Early colony. Saved them. Not sure yet. Perseverance. You did. Adventure.” Trixie was stunned. “Oh.” Doctor Hooves sighed. He supposed he owed her a bit more than that and it wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy playing tour guide. “Cantaerloth was the original colony established in Equestria, before the ponies were able to expand. It was the original capital and precursor to Canterlot. Eventually, the city will come to be destroyed in an epic catastrophe and, from then on, will come to be known as the Everfree Forest. Cantaerloth Palace eventually comes to be known as the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.” Much to his surprise, Doctor Hooves found Trixie nodding along interestedly. He never considered her to be the good student type, but perhaps he had misjudged her. “It was always at this point in history that the legendary ‘Fires of Friendship’ were discovered and the idea to use them to create the Elements of Harmony was incepted. Originally, Star Swirl knew the risks and the experiment would not be done until Princess Luna and Princess Celestia were born, creating just the right balance of each Element for the forging to succeed. Menlo’s interference caused time to change, creating the new reality in which the Elements are destroyed before they can do any good, which is why the memory of them faded from the present. Our interference was able to cancel out Menlo’s. Since history will still view the event as “Star Swirl convincing everypony of the danger of the Elements,” the original timeline is basically restored.” “So,” she replied slowly, making a show of her comprehension, “you’re saying Trixie is the most important pony in Equestrian history?” Should have known that’s why she was so attentive. Without her, though, he reminded himself, you wouldn’t have been able to act in time. “That is pretty much the truth of it,” he said wryly, turning back to the TARDIS console. “Doctor?” the voice came pleadingly. “What did you mean about Star Swirl? About what he will do?” If Doctor Hooves didn’t know any better, he’d have thought Trixie looked genuinely curious just then. “Trixie knows he is a famous unicorn in history and created many spells, but it seemed like you meant something else.” How perceptive. This mare had surprises yet. “Star Swirl the Bearded is indirectly responsible for the entire modern pony society. Back in his time, it was every unicorn working together that raised the sun and moon each day, but an ancient prophecy said that one day their magic would wane and a chosen one would have to be found to finally unite all ponies and give rise to a new generation. It was Star Swirl who found and mentored this ‘chosen one,’ a young colt, an earth pony, living among peasants. He became a great leader, both uniting all ponies in Equestria and fathering two princesses. Celestia and Luna were the first alicorns born in over a thousand years and, with their power, allowed for not only the creation of the Elements of Harmony, but took on the burden of raising the sun and moon. Star Swirl the Bearded was the royal advisor and court wizard until his timely death.” Doctor Hooves spoke with a reverence that had even Trixie awed. The whole thing sounded like one of the stories her father used to tell, about the legendary King Graham Chapony and the adventures he had with his knights. Trixie’s favorites had always been about the stalwart Sir Gallophad, but she loved them all. She just had never thought they were real. “I never knew.” “Most ponies don’t,” the Doctor replied, exchanging his respectful tone for the more familiar casual lecturing. “Most of the history before Celestia’s reign started is considered to be legend and pony tales, just like the Elements were until they re-emerged.” “Then how do you know?” “Oh,” the Doctor began with a bit of a scoff, but Trixie wasn’t sure whether he meant it for her or himself, “history’s been a hobby of mine for a very long time. At a certain point, you tend to get a knack for separating what’s fact from what’s just pretending.” Trixie wasn’t sure what that meant, but she found that it made an odd sort of sense. Doctor sense, but sense nonetheless. “But, if that is all true, and that phony future pony was trying to rewrite history, then why was he not, well, better at it?” It was the Doctor’s turn to be curious. “How do you mean?” “Well,” Trixie assumed a lecturing tone of her own, “he said himself that he had gone far enough back to know Star Swirl for years. Of course, Star Swirl may have even been just slightly more powerful than Trixie, but if Menlo had something from the future to boost his magic, like you said, then couldn’t he have just influenced Star Swirl directly, instead of leaving things to a debate?” She shrugged. “That is what Trixie would have done.” Doctor Hooves wore a mask of fierce determination, but it instantly morphed to coltish glee, as soon as he spoke: “Why don’t we go find out?” “You mean we will not be going home yet?” Trixie asked. “Trixie thought our mission was to restore the Elements. Should we not first return to Ponyville to make sure everything is alright?” “Not until we know what Menlo’s real plan was or, more importantly, who he was working for. If we return to the present and then leave from there, it will be like leaving from a different time line than the one we’re already traveling. What we need to do is retrace Menlo’s steps.” Half nervous, half excited, Trixie took a great and powerful gulp. “Does that mean what Trixie thinks it means?” Doctor Hooves spread a roguish grin. “Trixie, would you care to see the Equestria of three thousand eight hundred and fifty one years in the future?” Her expression mimicked his to a ‘T.’ “The Great and Powerful Trixie thought you would never ask.”