> Black Mirror
>  by Electuroo
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The Realm of the Black Mirror
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Black Mirror
Chapter 1: The Realm of the Black Mirror




A flash from under the doors within the Crystal Empire palace as a guard does his round, he doesn't notice the flash or the pony creeping out of the door by passing him. The unicorn guard without the pony that slip pass him noticing, he just trail his eyes to the shadow moving with a very dark crawl smirk on his snout looking to the shadows with a nod of the head before moving away acting if nothing happened.

The mare entered the room for her goal moving to take the crown from the sleeping purple alicorn with a grin she put it in her saddle bag replacing it with a fake. She about to leave but trip over the dragon's tail causing a crashing bang sound, Twilight wakes up seeing the thief. “Thief!”

Running down the hallways she called out. “She stolen my crown!” The other ponies came out of their room giving chase she teleports in front of the mare running but she vanishes in her own teleport giving Twilight her robe but Twilight turn with wings open with a hoof out. “She not going anywhere...” Twilight grinned with a dark smirk, the others also calmly standing around their friend.

The orange mare look back seeing she got a clean get away but when she look forwards her eyes shrunk instantly. Before her stood three more Alicorn princesses, Shining Armor, Flash Sentry and a set of unicorn and crystal guards in front of the closed door calmly holding their lines. She slid to a stop turning around to see the girls trotting calmly up before her standing there with dark evil looks in all their eyes giving the unicorn a shiver of fear in her eyes.

“The failing student that I flung into the mirror returns I see...” Celestia said in a dark tune of voice stepping forwards. “I thought I got rid of you Sunset Shimmer, it seem my choice of words was very unclear, I said for you to never to return to this world for being a total useless foal who couldn't even live to my expectations with magic...”

Sunset Shimmer looked right at her with confusion. “What is going on around here? You sound like nothing like the Celestia I know!”

“Sister she seem to already get it doesn't she?” Luna chuckled. “Let show her there is no way of escaping.” The guards gave a clean line of sight of the mirror. “You plan on returning to that world?” Sunsent Shimmer stared at her magic started to glow from the horn. “Well this is a one way trip you should of never taken.” With a calm dark smirk from the night princess she used her magic to shatter the mirror into a billion pieces.

Sunset Shimmer gulped seeing she was trapped now. “How did you know I would be here!? This is insane!”

“Not from where we standing.” Cadance chuckled. “It was rather simple really but that will come in due time, for now we need to know why you came to this realm.” She turn to Flash Sentry. “Flash Sentry and my sweet love Shining, take this idiot away and begin to torture her for information.” 

They step up and took hold of Sunset Shimmer by her forelegs with Shining Armor taking the bag off her and giving it to Twilight. “Oh boys...” They turn to Cadance. “Have fun torturing her.” She grinned at them.

“We will my love.” Shining replied. 

“Indeed this will be fun.” Flash chuckled as they dragged her away as she tried to break free from their grip but her magic was held back by Shining Armour and their strength overwhelming to her as she was dragged away.

Celestia yawned. “Well that was exciting, who want to go see the torture and bet on how long it take to break her will?” Celestia look to all the ponies.

Fluttershy raised her hoof. “I would, watching those harm others if lovely.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth Flutters, I would best that little wimp wouldn't last ten minutes.” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs. “No challenge at all...”

“I darling will bet on longer but it would be amusing to watch though.” Rarity chuckled. They all turn and head off down the crystal hall way to witness the torturing of Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer struggled with all her might trying to break free from these dark cold stallions that had dragged her away, she saw the group of ponies following with amusement in their eyes with what about to happen to her. Sunset is thrown on to a cold metal table with hooves bound to metal braces that locked in place, she look up to the ceiling seeing a opening to the sky, her eyes filled with horror seeing a endless black cloud rolling over yet it was daylight, perfect day light... 

“What is this place!? This isn't Equestria I know!” Sunset Shimmer demanded.

Flash Sentry walked around the table the sound of his golden hoofshoes echoing from his steps. “It rather simple yet we won't say since we be the ones asking Sunset Shimmer.” He slammed his front hoof right into the wrist joint of her foreleg causing her yelp in pain. “Now why are you here and what was your reason behind stealing one of the Elements of Darkness!?”

“Elements of Darkness!? They suppose to be the Elements of Harm... AHHHH!”  Sunset Shimmer screamed out in pain feeling the same spot was hit by Flash very hard with her hoof. 

Shining Armor stood on his hind legs leaning his back against the wall with front hooves crossed over each other watching this as if it was all fun to him. Behind the black glass the others was doing bets on how long she will last under the torture she was going through.  “Now I will ask you again what is the reason behind stealing the crown that house the Element of Black Magic!? What is your purpose!?”

“Bite me!” Sunset sneered.

CRACK!

Sunset Shimmer screamed out in immense pain as she felt the bones in her wrist joint snap under the third hit from the pegasi guard. “Oh did that hurt? I am sorry let me hit it again so you can scream for mummy!” Flash Sentry burst out laughing at the pain the fiery mane pony was in.

Sunset growled at him. “No matter what you do to me! I will not tell you a single word!” She snapped at him with tears falling from the pain she was in. 

Shining Armor used his magic to the opening into the cloud, it started to pour on her draining in the drain holes below. “Let see how long she last with freezing cold rain.” Armor chuckled.

Flash Sentry sat on a chair with hind legs up on it crossed over with forelegs behind his back of the head. “Indeed, this be interesting.”

Hours past as the rain fell, Sunset Shimmer felt numb through out the experience she was facing, her breaths was becoming shallow with each passing moment, the cold damp feel through out of fur and mane made her sick, she'd never been this humiliated in her life... In fact she did to others, getting what she wants and how she wants it. This was beyond anything she'd experienced, it was overwhelming but she refused to givein to these thugs and give them what they wanted.

Another two hours past before she had enough, her breaths was too close to rapid breathing, she couldn't feel anything, the cold freezing droplets had started to cause her to suffer from extreme case of hyperferremia, her limbs in the fur was a shade of blue that showed there was no blood flowing through them, she was next to dead... Her horn was even snapped off after Flash Sentry smashed his hoof very hard down on it, if it wasn't for the numbness she would of howled in pain as the magical energy from her horn exploded out of her smashed horn. 

She had no will power left... beaten, hurt, frost bitten. She was out for the count... “F-f-fin-fine... I g-gi-give....”

Shining Armor stops the rain with a whisk of his hoof, bursting through the door Pinkie Pie dancing around. “I WON I WON!!!! I WIN ALL YOUR BITS!!! MUHAHAHAH!!!!” She dancing around throwing coins all over the place. 

Shining Armor rolled his eyes and step up to the almost close to death pony. “Speak your words!” He used his magic on her to able to speak clearly. 

“I took it to use again Equestria, my plan was to invade with my own army of teenagers to conquer this world...” Sunset Shimmer said to him. “That my reason!”

Celestia turn to Shining Armor. “Finish off this worthless trash so we can get back to our own enjoyments.”

“Yes right away Pr...”

A voice came from behind her. “Stand down all of you.” In a instant they all turn and bow to the present before them. “How much fun it is to see this life destroyed, I can't simply let that happen. It the first time in 6000 years we have a lifeforce that from outside the Black Mirror.” Sunset Shimmer eyes weakly saw a old looking human with a staff, purple robe and a purple wizard hat standing before her walking slowly towards Sunset. “I wasn't even sure I be able to hijack the portal path from the connection those two mirrors had, but gladly I was mistaken.”

“Who and what are you!?” She sneered at him.

He raised his staff pointing it over her with a shimmer of purple and black magical aura all her injuries, frost bite was all gone, she felt every inch of her body once more. Staring at the wizard before her as he uncuffed her from the table. She used her magic feeling it was normal again as if her horn was never smashed to pieces. “I am Nilrem and I welcome you to the place of my birth and the place of my imprisonment.”

“Place of your birth?” She sat up sitting on her flank with forelegs in front staring at him. “What the heck is that suppose to mean?”

Nilrem chuckled walking over to a walk using his magic to open it like a door, she saw the Crystal Empire but it was dark and shady with endless black clouds from the eyes could see but it was perfect daylight as she seen before. “This is the Black Mirror Realm. I stood alone for countless years. So to keep myself amused I created this world within the mirror.”

Sunset blinked with a real creepy feeling to what he said. “But if you did then those? Why are they alive?”

“Because I willed it, I allow things to play out for me to watch and have some fun. You get really bored after being stuck here for 6000 years.” Nilrem turn to Celestia standing behind him. “What is it my dark princess of the sun?”

Celestia bow to him and raised her head. “No disrespect my master but why are  you telling her all this?”

“No where to go really, she stuck here since a simple dark alicorn blow the gate way up.” Luna shied a little rubbing a hoof over the side of her snout laughing nervously. “Nicely done I might add.” She grinned at this with a bow.

“Thank you my lord. Thy please to please thy master.” Luna replied with graceful words to Nilrem.

Nilrem turn to the element bearers of darkness. “You all can go home if you want to. Or just cause a little mayhem for fun.”

“As much that sounds nice sir, I rather get back to my shop to finish off those deceitful outfits for you, you need to look your best for your return your highness.” Rarity bows to him and turn to leave.

“Yeah I got a few tricks to do and take it out of the Shadowbolts, they turned me down again so I want to hurt them badly.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Show that the one mare show can steal the crowd from those showponies.”

Twilight stood before him as the others left. “Sire may I join you? I wish to see what you plan for this wimp.” 

“Indeed princess you may, in fact why don't you bring that wimp Sombra along too?”

“That idiot in crystal? Sure why not, a goody too shoes like him need some roughing up any how, he had too much peacefulness in that crystal already.” Twilight trots off happily.

Nilrem turn to Shining and Flash. “Take her to my carriage and keep her restraint. I be there shortly.”  

“As you wish.” Shining Armor saluted with Flash Sentry leaving at once taking Sunset Shimmer by the forelegs dragging her away.

“I can walk you idiots!!!” She yelled out.

Cadance stood by him. “She got quite the temper I see.”

“Indeed, it been too long since I been trapped here but with you and those that I created, we have a dark army now to invade including all in within my black clouds, all those windigo, ice ponies, ice humans and all you.” He chuckled looking at each and one of them. “Who would of thought that after relining on Goldenmare I would get so much from the outside world to create this. She been a good puppet.”

“Indeed she has, I be awaiting my husbands return. I bid you good day my master.” Cadance leaves.

Nilrem turn to the princesses. “Now back to my castle.”

“Yes Sire!” Both bowed walking in front of him as he walked with them using his magic as he left to seal the hole in the wall back up. 

Luna and Celestia pulled the carriage through the air into the black clouds with Nilrem sitting in his chair calmly using his magic to push them back to create a path for them to travel, Sunset was held in hoof by the two armoured ponies Shining and Flash. She saw Twilight just giving her that evil dark smile that was creepy, even for her. 

Behind Twilight was a large clean crystal of pureness and within was a dark grey unicorn with eyes closed resting peacefully within it. His mane and tail was jet black with it turning into side burns running along side his face on each side, she also noticed the ridged snout with two sharp fangs sticking out of his snout. The cutie mark was of three white crystals and had a rather long tail, she noticed the band with the red jewel just behind his horn, she thought it might look different but it looked like any normal horn to her even he had dark grey hooves similar to that of Shining Armor's hooves. 

The endless dark skins appeared with no stars, the sun could be seen but it had no power to punch through the darkness, nor did the moon that sat not to far from the sun. “This world is stranger then the world without magic...” Sunset Shimmer muttered. 

What caught her eyes most of all was a very large dark stoned castle floating on the clouds, it size was massive, the towers was round and stuck out in different points of it, the arch leading out of the castle walls to a platform also sitting aimlessly on the thick black clouds, she peered over the edge seeing icy creatures moving around with the sounds of wailing that made her shiver with fear, Sunset could sense really powerful dark magic within these clouds, the creatures within dark, icy and without feeling... All she felt from it was utter fear of what lurks inside.

The dark grey cold castle didn't fair any better for her as they came closer to it. The huge fortress shimmering with dark magical energy basking in the even lasting darkness below and above. “Welcome to my home, Black Mirror Castle Sunset Shimmer, where you will live the rest of your days as my servant.” Nilrem chuckled darkly looking over to the unicorn with a dark look in his eyes making her gulp and now wishing she was dead on that torture table...

 


> Chapter 2: Mystery Magic Cutie Mark Cure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Black Mirror
Chapter 2: Mystery Magic Cutie Mark Cure 



Rainbow Dash slowly stood up with the flashes of lightning outside, the dark cold stone below her hooves. Her eyes scanned around the large throne room seeing her friends down for the count, they battered and injured moaning in pain, they had nothing to give. Tried as they might Nilrem stood in front of his black mirror with a dark look from his eyes his hands glowing with dark magical energy.

The large chamber of many stairs, doors and mirrors was in ruin, the heavy battling within left it sign to all that was still barely awake. The black mirror behind Rainbow Dash still glowing with purplish light, the magic from it every growing at each second pass. 

The evil black mirror wizard with his blackish purple robes and hat stood firm as he readied his last attack losing his staff in the battle now with his hands glowing with magic ready to unleash on Rainbow Dash that was definite. 

Rainbow Dash knew she was the only one standing now, not even the princesses was able to stand against his dark magic, her element shimmering as she stood before him alone. “So the element of loyalty still has fight in her?” He chuckled raising his hands, energy flowing around both hands he aimed them right at Rainbow Dash.

“R-Ra-Rainbow... Do-don't...” Rainbow Dash battered as much as the others turn to Twilight as she raise a hoof out to her. 

Rainbow Dash sighed. “I am sorry Twi but I can't take this sitting down, if this creep want to finish the job he has to look me in the eyes to do it, because no matter how many times I am knocked down I am loyal to those that I really care and love... Friends, family and all those that matter...” Rainbow Dash turn to Nilrem. “No matter what I will stand against you Nilrem! I will make you sorry for hurting us and all my friends! All the lives you destroyed!”

Nilrem just stared at her with a smile. “Are you done? Because this is starting to bore me.”

“No I am not! Give me your best shot you creep!” Rainbow Dash flared her wings open. “Come on! Fire and stop gloating you stupid old freak!” Rainbow Dash yelled at him, she unable to do anything but say those words and could do is wait for the final blow. 

“Rainbow!” Rainbow Dash heard her friends call out trying to get up.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes with tears falling. “Sorry guys...” She opened them staring at the dark mage.

“Time's up!” A sound of a thunderous crash as a stained glass window shatter, in the corner of Twilight's eyes she couldn't believe who smashed through the window with glass raining down. “Goodbye Rainbow Dash!”


FLASH


Twilight woke up screaming which startled Spike helping Rainbow Dash find the latest edition of Daring Do. Twilight looking around and sighed heavily. “What a nightmare...” She whispered.

“Sounds it with you screaming the place down like that.” Rainbow Dash holding the book in her hooves. “Well try to get some sleep tonight egghead. Electuroo out of hospital tomorrow lunch time.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Talking about him, I got this book to deliver!” Rainbow Dash turn to Spike with a wave. “Thanks again Spike!” 

“No problem, say hi to Electuroo for me ok?”

“Sure thing!” Rainbow Dash turn to Twilight. “And goodnight Twilight.”

“Yeah goodnight Rainbow Dash.” Twilight replied and Rainbow was gone in a blur of speed knocking down the Black Phoenix book with the page opening up to a possible event appearing in a glowing of light. “Another page revealing itself...” 

Spike step up to it looking at the picture and writing appear. “You know this book is really creepy...”

“Tell me about it... A book that evil, tells the future, magic and fire resident...” Twilight Sparkle muttered. “I still can't believe Princess Celestia made me keep this stupid thing in my library.” Twilight turn to Spike seeing him look at her with a jaw hanging. “What?”

Spike shook his head a few times. “So-sorry Twilight but that the first time you called any book stupid...”

Twilight sighed heavily. “Because this book is! No book should be able to do the magic this thing doing! It completely impossible by any known law of magic and science! I can not understand how it doing it by any means!” Twilight saw a image of a book then the next image on the other page of it burning. “Hmm...”

“What does it say?” Spike looking at Twilight.

Twilight read out the words. “The sparkle of light of magic shall never arise, the power of the alicorn is lost forever when the book that hold the key is burned away in an attack to the palace of Equestria...” Twilight frowned

Spike burped with a scroll appearing. He open it and gasped. “Twilight your not going to believe this but Goldenmare attacked Canterlot!”

“What!?” Twilight grabbed it with her magic reading it quickly. “Dear faithful student as you reading this the book that I was suppose to give you was destroyed in attack by Goldenmare, she seem to only had aimed for this one area of the palace, no pony was harmed, me and my sister was able to force the attacker to retreat but she seem to know how important it is. I am so sorry Twilight what has happened and may have cost you something special... The book held a large number of Starswirl's spells that are now lost forever...” Twilight dropped the scroll with fury.

“Tw-Twilight...”

“ARH!!!!!!” The whole library lit up in a huge burst of purple magic, Twilight fell the ground anger and annoyed. “How can she do this!? Goldenmare destroying something that historical valuable as that book!? Seriously!? What up with her!?”

Spike saw something in the book. “Twilight the book is intact and there a spell on it in the image. Look!” Spike points to it.

Twilight push Spike out of the way and looked. “Your right Spike! But it tiny I need something to help me see...” Twilight turn to see Spike gotten up and holding up a magnifying glass. “Thank you Spike.”

“No Problem Twilight, so what does the spell say?” Twilight took a scroll and quill to write it down as Spike watched her using the magnifying glass to read it.

Twilight read out the spell as she wrote it down. “From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled...” She finished writing it down and stared at it with a rub of her hoof looking to Spike. “What the hay is that suppose to mean? What kind of spell is this?”

Spike shrugs. “Beats me Twilight, to me it doesn't make any sense at all.”

Twilight put the quill and scroll down on the table. “Same here... Well the spell seem to not have done anything, so I guess that was a loss course...”

“Yeah... Sorry Twilight I thought that spell would mean something...” Spike look to Goldenmare's spell book. “At least you got her spell book still.”

Twilight smirked. “Indeed Spike your right again. Three out of three tonight. So how about tomorrow I treat you to some gem snacks from Sugarcube Corner?”

“Really!?”

“Yes my number one assistant!” Twilight hugged him and they happily went upstairs to get some sleep.


Canterlot

Stardust stood with Princess Celestia looking at the Elements of Harmony in the case, Celestia sighed heavily. “I can not believe that Goldenmare struck with such hate... She was stopped for doing any more damage to the palace but the damage to my goals for my student was done...”

Stardust turn to her. “Celestia why didn't you make any copies of the book?”

“We had no need to, maybe it best if we did now, in case something like this happen again...” Celestia turn away walking down the hallway. “But that not why your here, your message about Discord is unsettling at most, I do not believe what your suggesting would work...”

Stardust looking at the crown of the elements that started to glow. “I believe he need to know what friendship is Celestia, I am a hard working mother and since working at Sweet Apple Acres I got to know the family pretty well, that lead me to being close friends to Applejack, I never really 'hanged out' with anyone but here it really taught me a lot, if a working mother that doing house work and farm work almost non stop from day to night can find the meaning of friendship in Ponyville I believe he could.”

Celestia stopped with a smile turning around to Stardust. “Your right Stardust, I believe it would and think it could work... I know the perfect pony for the job. I will inform Twilight of my arrival tomorrow.” 

Stardust frowned seeing the element zap the others changing their colours. “Erm... Celestia are these things suppose to zap each other?”

“No why?”

“Because Twilight's element just zapped the other five and changed their colours...” Stardust step to the side and Celestia quickly ran up to them looking at each of the elements. “What is it?”

Celestia eyes darted at each of them. “It can't be... The spell was lost in the fire! But it is... Twilight must of cast the spell that Starswirl abandoned!”

“Sorry what are you talking about?” Stardust frowned.

Celestia turn to Stardust. “Your magic can it teleport large objects great distances?”

Stardust thought about it and nod. “Yes, it was one of those spells Merlin personal put into my head... Since I been here you made me write down every last spell Merlin gave me so I wouldn't forget them...” 

Celestia smiled. “Then we must find that spell and use it to take the elements of harmony right away to Twilight Sparkle!”

Stardust stepped back. “What the bloody hell is going on!?”

“No time to waste my dear friend, we have work to do.” Celestia smiled putting a hoof to Stardust. “I will put a spell on the elements while you find your spell.”

Stardust groaned with her head lowered. “Great there goes my sleep...” Stardust turns away walking down the hall grumbling to herself past Luna as she walk into the hall.

Luna turn back to Stardust and back to Celestia. “Tia why is Stardust in a foul mood?”

“Oh I sort of pushed her into finding her long distance object teleporting spell...” Celestia rubbed her head a little. 

“What so important that it can't wait till morning?” 

Celestia showed the elements to her. “This is why...”

Luna gasped. “The spell it been... But... That...”

“Impossible? Nothing impossible dear sister, we standing with each other is proof of that.” Celestia smiled and Luna did too as they stood before the Elements of Harmony. 

Luna felt happy seeing this. “Then not all is lost?”

“No Luna, it seems there is hope against the Black Phoenix after all...”

“What of the evil mage Nilrem?” Luna turn to her.

“That is a problem we will have to face as the time draws near...” Celestia felt uneasy about the upcoming darkness that was upon them.


Ponyville 

Electuroo put on his jacket after he had signed the release forms. “Now Electuroo your free to go but no flying till after the weekend ok?” Doctor Stable took the forms away putting them on the clipboard. 

“You got it doctor, no flying for another two days, shouldn't be too difficult.” Electuroo looked at himself in the mirror. “At least I am finally getting a hang of doing my mane now.” He whispered with a half chuckle. “So doc what up with the weather? Is it some sort of event that I missed?”

Doctor Stable looked out the window seeing the chequered clouds. “Not that I know of. How strange... You are off weather duty as well so don't even try to fly.”

Electuroo sighed. “First day out of hospital and the sky is all crazy... Ok I will leave it to Dash to sort out.” Electuroo took his saddle bag putting it on. “I will head to Twilight's to see if I can stay the weekend there till I am able to fly.”

“Good thinking, now take care.” Doctor Stable shook Electuroo's hoof.

Electuroo left the hospital walking towards the town seeing hot, cold, windy and raining weather all over the place. “What in hay is going on around here?” Electuroo saw whom was doing the weather, he rubbed his eyes and blinked. “R-Rarity!? What the hay are you doing!?”

Rarity turn to Electuroo. “Oh hi Electuroo... I am not doing well today. Usually my skies are better then this... I am really trying to fix it though!”

Electuroo saw her cutie mark. “Erm... Ok... I'll go see Twilight now...” Electuroo backed away a little and turn heading to the Golden Oak Library.

“Sure thing darling!” Rarity called back.

Electuroo ran up to the door knocking on it with his hoof. “Coming!” Spike called out and quickly opened the door. “Electuroo! I am so glad to see you! We got a huge problem!”

“Tell me about it, I just saw Rarity with Rainbow Dash's cutie mark! Where Twilight?”

Spike sighed. “She not taking this all too well, she in her room feeling really sorry for herself...”

“Why?”

Spike allow Electuroo to enter. “She cast a spell last night and it effected all her friends, but your not from the look of it.” 

Electuroo looked at his cutie mark and back at Spike. “Nope, mine still three black bolts. The very same I had when first arriving in Equestria.” Electuroo turn his head towards the door as he walked in. “Do you think it something to do with a spell? Then why Rarity is the only one affected?”

“No it not her, it Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack! They all been changed!” Spike jump on his tail with arms and legs out crying out the final word. 

Suddenly a bright light lit up the room both of them turn to see a chest appear on the ground before them. “Is that what I think it is?” Electuroo spoke walking up to the chest.

Spike quickly opened it up. “It is! The Elements of Harmony! But how!?” Spike saw a letter with it opening it up. “Weird there no name on it... All it says is, Twilight will know what to do...”

“What I need to do?” Twilight came down the steps. “I really messed up Spike... I did this to all my friends...”

“Not all” Electuroo showed his to Twilight. “See mine still the same.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait how?” She look at the case and at the Elements. “What happened to my friends elements? They different...” 

“I think whatever spell you did must of changed the Elements of Harmony Twilight.” Spike replied.

Electuroo put a hoof to her. “I am not sure what the spell is and what happened but if all our friends changed because of this. Don't think of the mistake you did think about how to help out your... I mean our friends.”

“Come on, Twilight, you'll figure out a way to fix this. These are your friends !” Spike step beside Electuroo.

Twilight turn to the picture on the wall of her, Spike, Electuroo and the others together at Rainbow Dash's birthday party. “You're right, Both of you. And they mean more to me than anything. My friends... ”

Suddenly her horn started to glow then her whole body. “Whoa what going on!?” Electuroo shielding his eyes.

“Twilight? Are you alright?” Spike shielding his eyes too.

Twilight's eyes lit with her cutie mark and turn around with a massive smile. “I've got it! I know what to do!”

Both Spike and Electuroo look at each then back at her. “You do?”

“I may not be able to remind them of who they are, but I can show them what they mean to each other. They'll find the part of themselves that's been lost so they can help the friend they care about so much! Come on, boys!” Twilight used her magic to put the tiara on her head. 

Twilight put the case onto Electuroo's back and Spike jumped on to keep it steady. “We with ya Twilight!” Electuroo beamed and followed her out of the library. 

The three of them made their way to the air balloon crossing by quite a few anger ponies in the process. “Wow what eating these ponies?”

Twilight sighed. “Without Pinkie Pie it kinda of gone a bit south...” Twilight saw Fluttershy at the balloon. “Fluttershy, wait!”

Fluttershy turn around after giving the bits. “Oh... Hey, Twilight...”

“Where are you going?” Twilight asked her seeing the saddle bag beside her.

Fluttershy sighed. “I'm moving back to Cloudsdale. I don't know what's wrong, but I can't seem to make anypony laugh.” She deflate whoopee cushion making all three frown slightly at it.

“Erm... Isn't that suppose to... Ow!” Electuroo get a kick from Spike looking at him on his back Electuroo glared at him. “That hurt!”

“Shh!” Spike put his claw to his snout, Electuroo rolled his eyes and kept quiet.

Twilight step up to Fluttershy putting a front leg around her. “Before you go, I was wondering if you might be willing to help Rainbow Dash. She's really struggling with her animals.”

Fluttershy rubbing her hooves through her mane shyly. “But... I don't really know anything about animals...” Electuroo felt like saying something but he got another kick from Spike.

Electuroo hissed at him “You do that again and I will buck you off Spike!”

“Then shut up and leave this to Twilight!” He whispered to Electuroo.

“Fine...”

Twilight turn to them and back to Fluttershy. “But you do know something about Rainbow Dash.”

Fluttershy thought about it and nod. “I... know that she's a true friend, and I'll do anything I can to help her.”

“Then let go help her.” Twilight smiled and so did Fluttershy they heading over to the cottage with Electuroo and Spike behind them. 

“See.”

“Alright I get it... Next time just say not kick ok... I am grounded till the end of the weekend, much I want to deal with that mess high above... I can't.” Electuroo looked up at the sky then back to Spike. 

Spike rubbed his head a little. “Yeah sorry about that, guess not able to do something your good at isn't easy not to do is it?”

“Not at all. Let catch up with the girls!” Electuroo galloped after them with Spike holding on to the chest and to Electuroo not to fall off.

Upon arriving at the cottage all four of them heard a thud with a following crashing sounds. They heard Rainbow Dash yelp. “Whoa!”

Electuroo quickly push open the door “Rainbow Dash are...” Electuroo blinked seeing what he saw, animals dancing around a black cauldron with Rainbow Dash tied up. “What the bloody hell?”

“I'm in here! Help! I'm trapped!” Rainbow Dash cried out.

“Don't” Spike whispered. “I know how much you want to but let Twilight handle this.” Electuroo bit his lip trying to fight again the urge to just dive in and get Rainbow Dash out of the cauldron.

Fluttershy turn to Twilight. “Hurry, Twilight! Can't you do some sort of spell to get her out?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. Fluttershy, you're the only one who can help! Rainbow Dash needs you!” She point the hoof out to Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy gulped walking in to the animals. “Um... Hello? Little... woodland creatures? I know that you're all very upset and feel like giving Rainbow Dash a hard time, but we'd all really appreciate it if you'd calm down and, um, maybe... rest for a bit?” She spoke to them as they all seem to stop turning to face her. 

She flying on the spot game up with a idea and flew off, she came back with some food. “Oh! Uh... look! Here's some nice, juicy leaves for you to munch on. And some crunchy, munchy acorns too.” She gave the food to the respecting animals walking up to the others, Electuroo saw the smile on Twilight and Spike's face, he could now see what they had it mind, with a smile he watched. “Uh, wouldn't you like to take a break and have a little snack?”

The remaining ones shrug and toss the cutlery away joining the otheres. “Aww, look at that. I guess you were all just cranky because you were hungry. Oh, you are very welcome, little friends.” The bear pluck her out of the air and kisses her.

“Goodness, it's like I can understand them! I... I feel strange, like... like this is what I'm meant to do, like this is who I am! My destiny!” Twilight took the element that belonged to Fluttershy running up to her as she glowed with pink aura snapping the element on her.

Fluttershy went into trace as memories flashed before her, next thing she was on the ground in a daze. “Wha... what happened?”

Twilight saw her cutie mark returned. “Fluttershy, look! Your cutie mark!” Twilight bounced around her. “It worked! It worked!” She gave her friend a huge nuzzling close to her. “Oh, I'm so happy you're back to normal!” She pulled away turning to Fluttershy. “Now we need your help!”

Electuroo started to hear music, looking around he tried to find the source of it. “Where is that music coming from?”

Twilight started to sing walking by some of the animals. Electuroo blinked as she started. “And I only thought this was in the cartoon... Never heard this song before though...” He whispered to himself with a shrug he joined them. 

(True True Friend Song)

After the girls did their part of the song Rainbow Dash called and with the help from the girls with Electuroo. The song continues with he standing with them not saying anything with Spike as they followed around with the singing and helping of friends at place to place.

The final part came and everypony cried out “Pinkie Pie!” Electuroo joined in at this part singing with the six friends and all of Ponyville at this point.

The girls together float above and hugging each other with happiness at the end of the song falling afterwards gentle to the ground still embraced with each other. Electuroo smiled looking to Spike. “Well look like you was right pal, Twilight had it covered afterall.”

“Told ya so.” Spike crossed his arms with a pride smirk.

“You sure did!” Electuroo laughing and Spike joined him.

Suddenly Twilight heard something in her mind “A mark of one's destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled.”

Twilight gasped. “Wait a second, that's it! I understand now! I know how to fix the spell!” Twilight runs off and everypony followed her.

In the library she took the scroll and quill with everypony gathered around, Electuroo and Spike by the door seeing her write it down as she spoke. “From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!” She hit the end with the quill putting it down and the scroll she smiled at the completed spell.

Suddenly the elements activated from each of the five girls firing a beam of energy into Twilight, Spike and Electuroo cover their eyes from the blinding light. Gold Wing spying on them looking through the window at the time saw this happening suddenly get hit by the huge burst of purple magical explosion of energy. 

Gold Wing crashed into a tree head first sliding down it dazed but coming out of him was a black purple aura that faded into nothing as it left him. Gold Wing slowly open his eyes looking around with confusion. “Wh-wher-where am I? Or the matter is who am I?” He looked at his hooves and himself seeing he was wearing some sort of armour. “Am I a guard pony?”

Inside the girls gasped. “What happened?” Fluttershy spoke and all they saw was a blackish mark on the ground all exclamations of shock at the scene.


Unknown

“Hello? Where am I? What is this place?” Twilight spoke out and paused she noticed the clouds of mist endless with the stars in the sky. “Wait this almost look like the Realm of Dreams...” 

Princess Celestia walking up to her. “Your close but no Twilight. But I do have to say, Congratulations, I knew you could do it.”

“Princess... I don't understand. What did I do? All I did was almost mess up my friends lives with that spell...” Twilight step up to the princess.

Celestia smiled warmly to her student. “You did something today that's never been done before. Something even a great unicorn like Star Swirl the Bearded was not able to do, because he did not understand friendship like you do. The lessons you've learned here in Ponyville have taught you well. You have proven that you're ready, Twilight.”

Twilight realised what she meant by this. “That spell displayed in the Black Phoenix book... The last spell in the book that was destroyed right?”

“Yes indeed, it seem that the phoenix had slipped up. But that not important right now. What is... That you are ready Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia started to walk and Twilight followed.

“Ready? Ready for what?” Twilight asked and before her displays of her life started to appear as viewing windows.

Princess Celestia starts to sing to her. (Events play out in the song)

(Song where Twilight becomes an Alicorn)


Ponyville

The girls stood outside in the night air seeing a beam of light come down shaped as Twilight's cutie mark and appear before them as Twilight. “Twilight? Is that you?” Applejack spoke out shielding herself from the light.

Twilight stood before them with wings flared open. “Wha... I-I've never seen anything like it!” Applejack and the girls step up to her seeing the new changes before them.

Rainbow Dash was over the moon about this flying and checking out the wings. “Ha! Twilight's got wings! Awesome! A new flying buddy!” 

“Why, you've become an Alicorn. I didn't even know that was possible.” Rarity spoke seeing this to be a real surprise.

Pinkie Pie swings in to speak out “Alicorn party! Y...”

“WATCH OUT!” Electruoo cried out but it was too late Pinkie Pie crashed into him both landing into Rainbow Dash in a pile.

Pinkie Pie giggled. “That one way of celebrating!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes pushing them off her. “Yeah great Pinkie. Next time watch where your swinging.”

“Will do!” Pinkie Pie helped Electuroo up onto his hooves. 

Electuroo shook his head at the randomness of Pinkie Pie. “By the way what happened to all that get up you just had on?”

“What get up?” Pinkie Pie grinned at him.

“Never mind...” Electuroo put a hoof to his head.

Fluttershy spoke stepping up to Twilight. “Wow... You look just like a princess!” 

“That's because she is a princess” Celestia lands before them with Stardust beside her. 

“Huh?” They all said together.

Pinkie Pie put a hoof out. “Hold on a second!” She pulled out a glass but Stardust took it from her. “Hey!”

Stardust drunk it all in one go. “Sorry Pinkie Pie but I really needed it.”

“I guess that good enough for me.” Pinkie Pie shrugged.

Twilight turn to Celestia after that strange moment. “A... A princess?” She felt a little unease by this.

As the talk went on between them and Celestia speaking to the newly formed Alicorn, Goldenmare stood by the forest watching them with pair of binoculars over her eyes. “That idiot Gold Wing had one job to do and destroy any chance of her getting to become a Alicorn... Not only he failed me but that magic also removed my hold on him.” Goldenmare turn walking into the Everfree Forest. 

Goldenmare put the binoculars away and pulled out sheets of script titled 'Magical Mystery Cure'. “Not only I had a heads up over this thanks to my abilities to use the rift to travel between worlds. I had the ability and did have it to stop her from becoming a Alicorn.” Goldenmare grumbled. “I destroyed a big chunk of that tower just to get to that blasted book...” 

Goldenmare stood before a large boulder, using her magic she pulled it up and dropped it to the side, she walked into the hole making her way down to the 'Mirror Pool'. “All Gold Wing had to do is make sure she didn't have any copies of that spell, but no he had to get blasted by that spell and now I lost my last asset.” 

Soon Goldenmare stood before the pool looking down at her reflection. “I have no choice now.” 

Taking a deep breath she spoke out in rhythm with her horn glowing with golden light. 

“Into the reflection of one's light
Shadows and darkness mirror light
Black as light and light is black
Solemnly  bring the mirror of black light
Black Mirror shine with might!”

A beam of magic hits the middle of the pool, the blue colour turns grey then black with the light from the cave being drawn into the swirling Mirror Pool as it turns from blue to black. The water spins faster and faster with dark sways of energy exploding out of the middle, coming out of the Mirror Pool Nilrem appeared standing in the middle of the pool of the swirling black waters. 

“Greetings dark lord...” Goldenmare bow to him.

Nilrem raise his hand. “Goldenmare raise, what is it?”

She sighed. Goldenmare stood firm and told him. “Twilight Sparkle has became a Alicorn. She will be crown Equestria's newest princess in two days time. I failed to stop her from becoming a princess, even the book told of this and somehow she was about to break the fix points in time from happening by completing the very spell...”

Nilrem put his hand out at her hitting her with a blue magical blast. “You idiot!” She slowly got up feeling the pain from the blast but look down in disappointment at failing her master. “Luckily I still need you on the very day of my return.” He said coldly to her. “Now why did you come here to risk talking to me face to face? I told you Mirror Pool has only the energy for me to briefly break free from my prison for less then two minutes.”

“Indeed you did sire, that why I came. I lost all my guards... Two betrayed me and the other was affected by her magic, the hold on him is broken, he may not remember anything but I lost my final asset. I need help in stopping her from being crowd princess.” Goldenmare said to Nilrem. “I need the spell.”

Nilrem raise a eye when spoken to. “Your serious aren't you?”

“Yes Nilrem I am!”

Nilrem put his hand into his other arm's sleeve pulling out a scroll. “Very well I will give you this last chance. If you fail, you will know what will happen to you.” He toss the scroll to her. 

Goldenmare caught it as he started to be pulled back into the pool. “I understand and I won't.”

“Make sure you don't Goldenmare. I hate to see 6000 years go to waste...” With those words he vanished into the mirror pool it turning back to a normal blue.

Goldenmare open the scroll up looking at the spell with a dark chuckle. “Twilight Sparkle... Elements of Harmony your end comes at sundown tomorrow, hehe! When the meaning of 'magic' will become no more then words.”

Nilrem stood before the black mirror in his throne room looking at his reflection turning to Sunset Shimmer. “It seems things going to get a bit interesting, don't you think?”

“Whatever you got planned isn't going to work!” Sunset snapped at him.

“Maybe it won't, maybe it will... That just depends on what happens next.” Nilrem turn to Flash Sentry and Shining Armour. “Take her to her new room, I am sure her roomates will enjoy the company. They might need it for a change.” He smirked, “it will give me more time to think of a suitable role for her.” He chuckled.

“Yes sir!” They saluted and dragged her away. 

Nilrem turn and leaves the throne room, as he does one of the side mirrors in the massive chamber started to shimmer and stepping out of it was no other then General Ricks and Daring Do...
> Chapter 3: Keep Calm and Magic Along  
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Black Mirror
Chapter 3: Keep Calm and Magic Along  



Spike stood nervously in the middle of the library, standing before him with her magic primed and ready was Stardust. Twilight Sparkle standing to the side watching with interest as the rocks around the little dragon was picked up in the whitish grey aura of Stardust's levitation spell, preparing for the spell Twilight asked her to use.

Twilight scan through the page she had opened in the spell book, with a nod to the silver alicorn to go ahead, the magic starts to change the rocks into clothing. A black suit jacket, red shirt and a black top hat with a red ribbon around the base. 

The items drift down and with help from Spike moving his arms up they slip on with ease, the dragon close his eyes thinking the hat will become a rock when Twilight had cast this spell last time.

He felt something softly land perfectly on his scaly head and the aura of the magic lifts from it, Spike open his eyes seeing a very happy Twilight Sparkle and an relieved Stardust. “Oh my gosh! It really worked! I can't believe you did that in one go!” Twilight walking around the little dragon looking up and down at the fine wear he now had on, sparkling a little too.

Spike took off the top hat looking at it and feeling it with his right claw hand. “Whoa... This feels real, all of it does and soft too! Stardust you're really amazing!” Spike put the hat back on his head and gave her a hug around her neck with one leap too.

Stardust didn't move. She felt unsure how to approach on this and slowly place a foreleg around his back to return the hug. “Your welcome Spike. Just...” She remove the foreleg and Spike let goes landing on the ground taking a step back. “This magic still very new to me, thanks to some help from not only Twilight, but from you, Rainbow Dash and Applejack. I managed to adapt to this new body.” Stardust warmly smiled to them.

Twilight close the book up. “Faster then I have, I been having problems with these wings.” Twilight open them up. “You managed not only to figure out to use them but fly from Canterlot to Ponyville with Princess Celestia. And yet your magic still surprises me.” Twilight took a look out the window watching a family heading to the station with a wagon load being pulled by the stallion Note Worthy. 

Stardust saw that concern look that Twilight gave as they watch more start to leave Ponyville. “Spike I left something for you in your basket.” 

“Great!” Spike runs up the stairs disappearing from their view.

“Twilight.” Stardust turn to the new alicorn. “I will be gone for a few days, I am taking Angel to the Crystal Empire. My son...” She rolled her eyes. “Being overly stubborn. Please make sure he doesn't fly till Monday.”

Twilight laughed a little before answering. “If I don't Rainbow Dash will. She been making sure to keep that stallion grounded.” Twilight walking up to the book shelf. “I have to figure out why Rainbow Dash is acting like this, it not like her at all.”

Stardust with a shake of the head went to the door. “Sometimes the answers are in plain sight Twilight, I am his mother and I know exactly what it is. But I will let you figure it out on your own.” Stardust open the door.

“Ok Stardust, see you in a few days.” Twilight answered.

Stardust went to leave but almost walk into a young colt. “Sorry there youngster, still getting use to being so tall.” She laughed softly. “Becareful ok?”

“You got it!” He answered walking by her. Stardust walk out heading off to the train station to meet Angel and get on the train to the Crystal Empire.

The young yellow colt with rainbow mane and tail step up to Twilight Sparkle from behind. “Hi Twilight! Can I get the latest issue of the Daring Do book please!” 

Twilight not looking at who was speaking took the book off the shelf with her magic moving it over to him, giving him the book with a smile.





“Sure thing young colt, just remember to bring it back when you are...”  Twilight turn around at this point and froze in place staring at the young colt before her. “...Finished.”

The young pegasus flap his wings with a push off the ground with a twist and turn the book drop from his hooves into the saddle bag. “Thank you Twilight! See ya later!” He lands on his hooves and walks to the door.

“Wh-who are you?”

He turns with a big warm smile from his golden eyes showing some confusion and laughed afterwards. “The one and only awesome colt around! Name's Spark Spectrum!” He does a pose to her with the smile still there. “Awesome intro right? Mum says it 20% of total awesomeness and Dad always think so too!” 

With those words spoke the colt leaves running out of the library. “N-no that no-not possible!” Twilight gallops for the door to only come face to face with Rainbow Dash and Electuroo colliding into them both.

CRASH!

At first the two pegasi are dazed under Twilight. Rainbow Dash shook it off. “Twilight what the big idea!?” Rainbow Dash push the alicorn off her.

“Where the fire?” Electuroo asked getting up dusting himself off.

Twilight looking around for the colt and couldn't see him in any direction. “Did you two see a young yellow colt?”

Both of them look at each other and back at Twilight. “Nope, we just about to come in to tell you we was heading off for the rest of the day and be back by morning at Canterlot for your crowning.” Electuroo replied.

“But he just left!”

“Seriously Twi, I didn't see a darn thing. Only you running into us.” Rainbow Dash picked up the sleeping bag placing it back on top of her saddle bag pulling on the strap. 

Electuroo put the last of his stuff back in his own saddle bag. “Well that was eventful but we got to go. Having to walk then fly isn't much fu-” Electuroo paused glaring at Rainbow Dash. “Gah! I can't believe how much I want to fly! Your rubbing on me too much Rainbow!”

“And?”

“And if I was human this wouldn't be a problem.”

“So you just want to go back to that life?”

“Nope.” 

“Then what the problem?”

“Nothing Crash.” He grinned.

“What did you say!?” Rainbow Dash press her snout against his.

Electuroo then just stood there looking right into her eyes so close to his. “Something we both have in common.” He step back. “We over-react to name calling.” 

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah what ever Sparks.” Rainbow Dash slap her wing against the back of his head. “Now can we go already?”

“Sure!” 

Twilight watched this with her eyes moving to each of them as they spoke. “Have fun...” Then she had to ask seeing the camping gear. “Are you two going camping?”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “We sure are egghead, it a date.”

“A date!?” Twilight gasped. “When did you two get this close!?”

Electuroo rubbed his chin a little. “I think it was when I asked her and we got into that race, win or lose we go on a date.”

“That it?”

“Yep!” Rainbow Dash replied. “See you tomorrow ok?”

“Yeah su-”

Spike comes running out side to Twilight. “Twilight, I got a letter from the princess!”

Rainbow Dash quickly whispers to Electuroo. “Lets get out of here, like now!”

“I can't disagree with you there.” Electuroo answered and they turn to leave as Twilight starts to read it, they run away from the library quick as their hooves can carry them with the stuff on their backs.

But they only got a short distance away to find themselves back at the tree before Twilight Sparkle and Spike. “Sorry but your camping trip called off.”

“What!?” Both of them said together and the looks they gave made Spike hide behind the purple alicorn.

“Don't give me that look!” Twilight snapped. “Princess Celestia want all the element bearers to be at the opening north of Ponyville outskirts by noon!” Twilight showed Rainbow Dash the letter.

Rainbow Dash just throw it into the air. “Gah! This isn't fair! We plan to go on an awesome camping trip to Winsome Falls! We agreed on this for a date! Can't Princess Celestia just you know reschedule this for another time?”

“I have to agree on this with Rainbow Dash, we all do have personal lives and with the secret out about the magic mirrors and what they really are. We have not much of personal time left before everything gets flip on it head.” Electuroo stood by the rainbow mane mare, backing up Rainbow Dash. 

Twilight sighed. “Fine I will try...” Twilight walk inside with Spike and the two pegasi. Inside she writes a letter and sends it off.

Soon afterwards Spike burbs out another scroll. He opens it and read it out to them. “Rainbow Dash and Electuroo I do apologise but this is far too important and may help us all in events to come. I know I just asked for the bearers to come with their elements on to the clearing at noon, if Electuroo wishes he can tag a long with Spike to find out why I ask them there and they should understand why. Yours truly Princess Celestia.”

Rainbow Dash took the letter right out of his claws and both pegasi read it together. “What do you say Electuroo?”

“If it this important I guess we got little choose.” Electuroo sighed. “I was so looking forward to this.”

“Same here.” Rainbow Dash gave the scroll back. “Fine Twilight we will be there.” 

“Thank you to both of you.” They nod with a smile and left the library together.

Spike look at the scroll and back at Twilight. “I feel really bad that they missing out on their camping trip.”

“Me too Spike.” Twilight stared at the door after seeing two disappointed pegasi leave with their camping trip date in ruins. “Come on Spike let go inform the rest of the girls of this.”

“Sure Twilight. Let me just put the books away first.” Spike answered getting hold of the two books and walking off into the next room.

Twilight glanced at where the Black Phoenix book was a moment ago. “I hope becoming a princess is really the time and place for this. Because time is really against us now...”

Close to noon the girls, Spike and Electuroo gathered at the clearing just outside Ponyville close to Sweet Apple Acres which could just be seen in the distance. Rainbow Dash bouncing a ball in the air keeping count as she tried to keep herself entertained, Electuroo on his front reading one of the Daring Do novels even he read that copy a few times already. Rarity sorting out her mane, Pinkie Pie polishing her hooves.

Applejack talking with Fluttershy about the beavers and how they helped the apple farm in a big way after a few months ago they solved the dam problem. Twilight pasting back and forwards with Spike watching her as she thought about what Celestia had called them to come with their elements all on.

Twilight looked around for any sign of the princess. “I wonder why she asked for us to bring and wear our elements?”

Pinkie Pie finished polshing her hooves. “I love it when Princess Celestia comes to Ponyville! I got my hooves shined just like Rarity for the occasion. Ya like?”

Rarity brushed one more time against her mane and took a good look at herself at the reflection on Pinkie's hoof. “I certainly do!”

Electuroo sat up taking a good look around. “I wonder who this visitor could be? Must be somepony important if she running late.”

Spike shrugs. “Beats me Electuroo.”

Rainbow Dash balancing the ball on the end of her snout as she spoke. “A visitor who's important and slow.”

Applejack turn to Rainbow Dash. “Sugarcube yer never one for waitin'.”

“Nope, rather they be here now so we can get going already.” Rainbow Dash replied. Electuroo moving his hoof across his neck to tell her to keep quiet. “What? It suppose to our date isn't it?”

“DATE!?” Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity all spoke in unison with surprise and wide eyes at the two pegasi, Electuroo just hoofpalming himself in the head with a shake of the head.

Rarity quickly spoke afterwards right close to them. “When did this happen!? When did you two become well...”

Electuroo sighed. “Kinda happen over time, it when I finally asked her on one we agreed on a race first, win or lose we go on a date.” Electuroo turn to Rainbow Dash. “She suggested the camping trip and the perfect chance was kinda ruined.” 

Rainbow Dash toss the ball up and land on her hind hoof stretched out, balancing it on it. “That about sums it up Rarity, nothing to be bothered about. It just something that took time. For both of us to admit to.”

Applejack frowns walking up to the rainbow mane pegasus. “This doesn't happen to be the same trip we put on hold about six months ago is it?”

Rainbow Dash kick the ball against the tree doing a twist and boots it right at Electuroo, he chests it and balance it on the right wing. “Sure is AJ, just thought since he grounded till Monday we get to track through the woods alone and enjoy the views and such. No biggy.”

“And about Scootaloo? She was lookin' forward to the trip to hang out with ya.” Applejack jab her chest with a hoof. “What ya think if she found out about this?”

Electuroo toss the ball in the air doing a back flip without using his wings kicking it to Rainbow Dash, she knocks it into the air and lands on the back between her wings. “Isn't Scootaloo with the girls at Zecora's at the moment?” Electuroo asked.

“Eeyup, Big Mac went with them.” Applejack answered.

“So by the time we left when we should of this wouldn't of mattered since we be long gone right?”

Pinkie Pie nods in agreement. “He does have a point and I am sure Scootaloo and the girls forgot about the camping trip too with all that happened.” Pinkie Pie turn to the sky. “Oh I see the princess!”

“About time!” Rainbow Dash toss the wall to the ground flying up a little to get a good look. “Hey is that a statue I see?”

“Indeed darling and it look like...”

“No way it can't be him!” Spike realised who the statue was.

Princess Celestia lands in a charity being pulled by four pegasus guards and another six land pulling the statue of Discord on it. “Hello my little ponies it good to see you all have made it.”

Twilight step up to her as the others look very unsure at the sight of the Discord statue before them. “With all due respect, Princess Celestia, how could you bring-” Twilight was in the middle of shouting at Celestia but pause seeing Electuroo quickly trotting around the statue with a look of glee and happiness. “Electuroo! Why are you so happy!? It DISCORD!!!”

“I know! It really awesome isn't it?” Electuroo turn to Twilight.

Twilight groans picking him up with her magic and pulling the yellow pegasus away from the statue. “How can you say this is awesome! Do you have any idea what chaos he caused last time?”

Electuroo held in her magic rolled his eyes. “Of course! He used what you all are against you. But you defeated him and put Discord on stone.” Rainbow Dash chuckled and Pinkie Pie giggled. “I recall seeing a title and summary about a episode I didn't get to see, it was called 'Keep calm and Flutter on' and it said about Fluttershy been asked by Celestia to help in reforming him.”

Twilight blinked and quickly turn to Fluttershy who gasped at what he said. “Is that true?” The purple alicorn now staring at her former mentor for the answer.

Celestia used her magic to cancel out Twilight's and put Electuroo back down on his four hooves. “Yes and I did abandon it due to the importances of the mirrors. But Stardust had came to me about this when we learned the truth of the mirrors and what darkness is going to rise. Sadly I don't think the elements be enough. So we need help from those we most likely never turn to.” Celestia turn to the statue looking at the shocked frown eyes.

Rainbow Dash hovering over it with both hooves out to it. “But him!? Seriously? Couldn't we ask somepony that isn't well... Him?”

“If we had time yes, I would seek help from else where. The griffins are mobilizing their forces and so are the dragons, they are preparing for the worst as well. I believe Fluttershy can help reform Discord in time for when his help is needed for good.” Celestia answered calmly to Rainbow Dash. “Are you up for the task Fluttershy?” She asked the shy pegasus.

Fluttershy gulped. “Me?”

“I realize that this is a tall order, but I wouldn't ask if I weren't confident you could get him to use magic obediently of his own free will.” Celestia put her hoof gentle on Fluttershy.

Fluttershy turn to the statue. “And... you really think I'll know best how to do that?” 

“I do. Now, I must return to Canterlot for Equestria's royal summit. You may release Discord when ready. Also the elements are protected against his magic too.” Celestia got onto the charity and leaves for Canterlot.

Electuroo stood back with Spike, his wings flagging a few times as the excitement of meeting Discord face to face. The girls formed a circle around him preparing themselves for releasing Discord from his stone prison, unaware that a golden alicorn watch with interest and an dark evil smile formed on her snout.





“The moment I been looking for.”

“Okay, ponies, guess it's time to get started. Let's just hope this releasing spell works.” Twilight look to each of them and at the statue.

Spike gulps holding his tail. “Or... let's not.” Electuroo rolled his eyes.

“We'd best keep our elements on at all times 'til further notice.”

“Check!” They replied.

The magic from Twilight element moves to each of the others and soon the magic from all six elements begin to work their magic, the statue starts to crack and creek with pieces falling as Discord finally emerges from it with a scream and yawn.

With a wobbly he flexes his body. “Oh! Ooh! Ooooh! Well, it's about time somepony got me out of that prison block. What a relief!” 

Discord about this click his lion paw when Electuroo right before him with an quill and paper on the ground before him. “Before you start causing chaos how about an autograph first!” 

Discord took the paper and quill staring at Electuroo and at the paper seeing a sketch of himself holding a upside down umbrella with chocolate rain landing into a pool of it inside. The girls look at each other with unsure glances, Spike hiding behind Twilight. “Well somepony got good taste in who they fans to.” He wrote his name across it. “If I am to guess your Stardust's son.”

“Yeah I am, but how?”

“She spoke about you to Celestia and how friendship changed her life for the better here. Also I got to thank her since it was that delightful alicorn's idea to free me.” He looked around for Stardust. “I thought she would have been here to greet me.”

“No mum gone to the Crystal Empire with my sister, the mirrors are no where near there so it one of the safest places to be for most ponies.” Electuroo answered.

“That's true and what I also heard.” Discord disappeared and appear by Fluttershy. “I heard you are the one that suppose to reform me.” He chuckled. “So it seem I be crashing at your place.”

“Oh...”

A bright flash and Goldenmare appeared before them all. “Hello all.”

“Goldenmare!” They all yelled out and stood ready for a fight with the golden alicorn.

“Who?” Discord took a good look at the alicorn before him. “Well isn't this nice. Another alicorn, they just popping up like daises now.” He held up a group of them sniffing the flowers and tossing them at her.

Goldenmare smirked and zaps them into solid gold, they land with a heavy thud. “Today is the day when I will rule this land.” She chuckled.

“Yeah right! We beat you once! We beat you again!” Rainbow Dash points at her. “Twilight let use the elements on her!”

Twilight stood ready. “You got it. Let do it girls!”

“Oh this is going to be good!” Discord jump back on a chair that he made appear. “Care for some popcorn?”

Electuroo smiled. “Sure!” Electuroo took some with his hoof and ate them. “Wow they good!”

“Indeed and the show just getting started! How exciting!” Discord ate a handful.

Goldenmare's horn glows as she aims not at them but at the sky. “From this day fourth the only magic that be around will be mine! And Mine alone!” The magic spins around her hoof as it glows golden.

Discord wearing 3D glasses lower them. “That doesn't sound good. I better step in.” 

“What do you mean?” Electuroo notice the magic spinning around faster and faster, he noticed the elements charge start to fade, not only that he noticed Rarity's horn start to fade away alongside Fluttershy's wings and Twilight's horn and wings. “Discord what going on!?”

“Let find out after I take care of her.” Discord click his lion paw and nothing happen. “Oh this isn't good...”

Five out of the six elements start to darken and fade with colour, the five effected fall on their foreleg knees feeling weaken all the sudden. Rainbow Dash look at her friends all losing their magic. “What did you do to them!?”

“Only what is the beginning of the end for all pony magic.” She chuckled darkly. “Everything effected in about 1000 miles from this point is losing their magic.”

Electuroo saw a strange magical field around the bounders of the Everfree Forest. “Not everything.”

Goldenmare noticed the shield blocking the spell. “Only a minor problem.” Goldenmare fired the magical blast into the sky, high above everypony losing their magic watch it explode with an massive blinding flash seen on all corners on the world. In seconds the magic spell was completed.

Discord was about to say something when Goldenmare cast a spell directly on him, he couldn't move his body or his mouth. Blinking a few times he was helpless to her magic and trapped again but this time in his own physic form. 

Goldenmare chuckled walking around the drained ponies. Rainbow Dash trying to get them to respond and they slowly was coming too. “Now this is a victory I long waited for.”

Twilight slowly open her eyes looking directly into Rainbow Dash's, she felt so weak and the magic that was always with her, there was none to feel. It was all gone. “Rai-Rainbow Dash wh-what happened to u-us?”

“Ease there Twilight. Goldenmare did something to ya and the others.” Rainbow Dash glares at Goldenmare. “And I am going to make her sorry!” Rainbow Dash flies right at Goldenmare.

The alicorn put up a magical shield but Rainbow Dash smashes through it with her element glowing brightly and hits Goldenmare right across the snout with her right front hoof followed up by a round house kick with her hind hoof knocking the alicorn back a few meters.

Goldenmare spat out some blood startled by the impact and how easily Rainbow Dash harmed her. “That impossible! You shouldn't have anywhere this level of magic! Where are you getting it all from!?” Goldenmare shouted at her.

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Heck I know! All I am going to do is kick your sorry rump!”

Goldenmare had to act fast and look at Twilight and her friends. With a dark smirk her magic lit up. “Indeed you can harm me and my magic seem to not work on you, but what about your friends? Will you risk their own safety and other ponies in Equestria?” The beam fires hitting all of them.

Rainbow Dash, Electuroo, Discord and Spike watch as they all scream out and turn into gold before their own eyes, all frozen in that moment. “You creep!” Rainbow Dash went in for the attack.

“I will free them if you submit.” 

Rainbow Dash grit her teeth looking at her friends and at Goldenmare only inches from her face. Rainbow Dash saw Electuroo shake his head, no victory worth losing the friends they had and Rainbow knew it. “Fine...” Rainbow Dash lands with a helpless look as Goldenmare frees them as promised.

“Good, now the age of Queen Goldenmare has begun.” She chuckled. “And I even stripped the princesses of their puny magic.” Goldenmare use her magic to control the sun moving it a little across the sky. 

Into the sky she flew and calls out with an much louder voice then a Canterlot Voice. Using her magic to transmit the magic almost instantly to every corner of Equestria and maybe beyond it bounders.

“From this day fourth! I will be your queen! Those that was unaffected by my magic will submit and do nothing to remove me from my throne! Those that will! Their friends and family shall be turn to gold and become statues in my gardens within Canterlot! Your princesses have lost their magic and no longer control the sun or moon! I Queen Goldenmare have control and will rule this land with just and fairness, all those that still able to use their magic will come fourth for assignments! If you don't want your fellow pony to suffer without control of the magic around them! You are all that left to keep order! Weather and Land!” 





Within the dark halls of the Black Mirror Castle, Nilrem pulls out a hour glass placing it in front of the black mirror. “The magic been cast, in one day, 100 years will pass. None shall be able to have children after those that are already with child. You better not fail me Goldenmare because if you do... You will be no longer any use to my plans.” He stares at the black reflection before leaving the chambers but notices a door open. 

“It seem our new maid still got a lot to learn.”

Closing the door he leaves through the main doors not realising how close he was to discovering General Ricks and Daring Do, lying on the ground by the door a single feather. 

A reddish magic pick it up and staring at it was Sombra but he was wearing a butler outfit, looking around he hid it inside the coat. “Sombra get back to work!” Twilight Sparkle yelled out at the grey stallion zapping him on the backside. “Before I do become kind and put you back in crystal!”

“Ye-yes ma'am! Ri-right away ma'am!” He quickly rushes off down the stone hall way.

Twilight grumbled under her breath. “Useless stallion...” Twilight head off the opposite way heading back to the library to come up with new ways of bring entertainment for herself in causing Sombra pain.

Peering out of another door Daring Do and General Ricks now knew they was in hostile lands.

The question was... 

What where they going to do about it?
> Chapter 4:  The Years That Stood Still Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Black Mirror
Chapter 4:  The Years That Stood Still Part 1  



6 Days after Goldenmare's Victory 

Outside the weather factory entrance Electuroo stood by the door with Soarin checking every pony that arrived, there was a few waiting in line as they check the names with the cutie marks on the clip boards. The chaos from the force take over by Goldenmare had caused mass panic over Equestria with over 98% of the pony population losing their magic and something that was part of them, wings or a horn. 

Electuroo looked at the cutie mark of the slightly bigger stallion and look to the clip board. “Soarin do you have his cutie mark on your clip board. I don't have anything with two swirling clouds that look almost like a hurricane on it.”

Soarin check through his and doubled checked it. “No there no cutie mark on here. Are you sure we got the complete list of pegasi in Equestria?”

Electuroo stared at all the pages he had on it and gave Soarin an rather agitated look. “Heck I know! I am not even on this chart since I am not officially an Equestria citizen! Nor is Wind Note!”

“Point taken...” Soarin put a hoof to his head. He picked up the clipboard with the blank page. “Name please.”

“Marshal Hurricane from Fort Hooves on the most southern tip of Equestria close to the the Dragon bounders.” The light blue stallion replied.

Electuroo step back with surprise. “Whoa! I heard of you!”

“You have?” Soarin asked.

“Sure have. Thanks for coming we need-”

Marshal Hurricane put his hoof out. “I am not here to help here. My work is back at Fort Hooves, I am here to tell you that none of us have been effected and the ponies there are ready and able to help in the rest of Equestria, I have to leave but give this to Rainbow Dash. I heard she taken charge of the factory till further notice.” He pulled out of the saddle bag a letter. 

“Tell her also that we will continue to work on getting needed rations out if things get out of hoof. Those that need shelter without their magic for flying, magic or even land are most welcomed. Remember even without magic working together we can pull through. Times are now extremely chaotic and tough but stay there youngsters.”

Hurricane put his wings over both of them gently with a warm smile. “Also let her know the ponies of Dust Town are living at Fort Hooves, we brought them in just yesterday.” He step back and flies up and over the small number of ponies before diving right down below the factory, he turns south flying right back to Fort Hooves.

Soarin tap the quill against the board. “At least we still got somepony keeping order down there.”

“Indeed.” Electuroo sighed. “Next please.” He wave the hoof for the next Pegasus to step up to them. He checked the orange stallion cutie mark to the papers and finds the name. “Lightning Rider, Ponyville weather and mail pony, is that correct?”

He shakily saluted. “Y-yes sir that me.” The two tone blue mane stallion replied.

Electuroo smiled putting his hoof to the cream colour hoof of Lightning Rider pushing it down. “Look Lightning Rider I might be stuck holding the reins alongside Rainbow, Soarin and Wind Note but it doesn't mean we all can't work together on this. It going to need team work to fix this bloody mess.”

“Y-your right. Sorry it just...”

“With all the crazy things that gold alicorn done. It fine kid. Go inside and wait till everypony arrive ok?” Soarin smirked. “At this point no pony better then each other.”

Lightning Rider staring at Soarin for a second or two realising who spoken to him and with a shaky nod he walks inside.

They checked in another two ponies and for a few minutes it seem that no one else was coming, they packed up the papers and put the pile of paper of able fliers being only about 37 total pegasi listed still in action.

All the sudden coming in for a landing was an mint coloured pegasi, she lands with a sliding stop right before them only a foot from Electuroo and Soarin. “Name Lightning Dust. Heard you need any able fliers for weather detail hope I'm not late!”

They both standing on their hind legs holding onto the boxes they carried in their forelegs. Electuroo recalled seeing the name on one of the pages. “We are but this isn't a chance to prove your the best or anything Lightning Dust.” He said directly to her looking over to his right of the box he held.

“Of course not duh! I know what going on in the world and I am here to help!” Lightning Dust said back with quite the temper in her voice and eyes.

Soarin walking to the door struggling to balance himself holding up the box. “Ok, go in and meet up with the rest of the ponies, don't expect this to be easy though, it going to be really tough with so little of any pegasi left.”

“Yeah yeah, I get it.” She walk by them not even trying to help Soarin struggling with his box. “I love a challenge.”

Soarin stares at Electuroo as he head to the door. “How in the hay are you doing that so easily?”

“Wings Soarin, you got them ya know.” Electuroo look over to Soarin with a chuckle and enters.

Soarin realised he had the wings closed and groan. “If Spitfire was here she be telling me I am over looking the obvious.” Opening his wings up the former Wonderbolt enters the factory finding it easier to walk on his hind legs. “Just hate it that she lost her wings because of Goldenmare's spell...”

“You and me both Soarin...”

They walk into the main hall and fly the rest to the railings where Rainbow Dash stood looking at the small group of ponies talking among each other. “I'm not gonna to like this am I?” Rainbow Dash went over to them as they put the boxes down and pulled out all the papers of the able flies.

Wind Note look through them quickly and with a chalk in his mouth wrote the last few names on the board. Putting it down and stared at the total number of ponies they had to work with. “How many pegasi does it take to run all of Equestria's weather?” He dared ask the question.

Rainbow Dash look at the numbers, she walked into the office and took one good look at the Weather Factory floor layout. Every room from their size to the numbers required to run them from rainbows, snow, fog to rain. Even getting water up into the factory itself. The supplies they had would last a year at normal function, rationing was the only option.” 

“There no way we can run the whole factory. The numbers we need is no where near enough, with all the management and those that ran this place grounded...” Rainbow Dash went to smash her hoof against the wall but Electuroo put his on hers stopping it. Rainbow Dash look right at him with water in her eyes. “I-it not fair!” 

She hugged him tightly, the stresses of just finding the ponies they now had and even getting into the weather factory was just taking it toll on Rainbow Dash and the others, the other two watch as little they can do at the moment. “Why am I put in charge!? Why me!?” She started to cry.

Electuroo put his forelegs around her as the others watch. “I hardly lived here more then half a year Rainbow Dash, you threw me into this weather business and helped teach me so much.” He rested the chin of his snout on top of Rainbow Dash's head. “If anypony could do this, it you. That why.” He push her back after a moment looking into her watered eyes. “So stop being sappy ok?”

Rainbow Dash wipe her tears away pushing him off her. “You got it Sparks, not a word to anypony got it boys?”

“Got it!” Both Wind Note and Soarin answered.

Rainbow Dash walk around the table in the middle and stood on one side with Electuroo, the others stood on either side. They let Rainbow Dash collect herself before she asked them the question. “So any ideas guys?”

Soarin took a good look at the layout before answering. “I use to work here before signing up for the Wonderbolts, there was a time when we ran this place with only 12 ponies, it was hard but we managed it.”

“How exactly did you do that?” Wind Note asked knowing how big the factory is.

Soarin pulled down the layout placing it on the table. “We close down everything part from the cloud makers and distribution centre for a week.” Soarin moved his hoof over to the sections of the layout. “We turn the room where we make our rainbows into living quarters since we worked almost around the clock and where we make snow into a cold storage for extra food and drink to be stored.”

“That could work.” Electuroo looking over it. “Kinda be like working at McD's back when I was human.”

“Or even ASDA where I worked at. Just instead we be living at the place we work.” He chuckled and Electuroo also laughed a little as the joked about their former lives.

Rainbow Dash was glad to see smiles from them and sat there taking in what they got. “That good to know that we have that option. It a good one but let figure out what exactly to do in the long run. I rather be awesome but there isn't a time or place for it now. We all seen what happened six days ago after Goldenmare took over right?”

“Yes...” They answered.

“Cloudsdale is empty, seriously empty! There should be a whole city of us pegasi and yet there only us.” She look around at them. “We each some how was completely unaffected her crazy magic, not sure what it is but we going to need all the strength we go to help everypony else...”

Electuroo put the letter on the table. “This is from Marshal Hurricane.” 

Rainbow Dash took it with her hooves. “He was here?”

“Only for a moment, he went back to Fort Hooves.” Soarin replied.

Rainbow Dash put it down on the file cabinet. “I will read it later, for now it good to know we got somepony keeping an eye on things on the south, for now we got to figure out what to do.” Rainbow Dash turn to the map of Equestria. “Because we got a lot of cities, towns and villages to get weather to...”

“Climb up a hill and walk down a mountain...” Electuroo muttered under his breath looking at the scale they had got at hoof with the very limited number of pegasi that made it, they just hope there was more out there.

The ponies that was still waiting in the main hall by the  desk talked to each other, sat around or some just snoozing away with minutes turn into hours of waiting without a single thing said to them by any of the four ponies that disappeared into the management offices. 

Lightning Dust picked up an card from the pile looking at what she got and place one down on the discard pile. “It been hours since they went inside, what we suppose to do? Wait till we get bored?”

Thunderlane took the card from the discard pile and put one of his cards on it. “Just chill. They wouldn't have been put in charge by the princesses if they didn't think their up for it.” He put one of the other cards down. 

Derpy pick up one from the face down pile and look at her cards in hoof. “Yeah! We was there when they arrived in Ponyville. It took days but they all came to agreement that we can do something!” 

Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. “That all to it huh? They became weather mangers just like that huh?”

Derpy just kept her smile. “Sure is! I was asked right away by Rainbow Dash to go around and find every able flier in towns around Cloudsdale! I couldn't let her down!” 

Lightning Dust glanced at the stallion walking back and forwards the clopping of the hooves as he pace. “I doubt somepony that nervous and unsure of himself would be any-cop.”

Thunderlane chuckled. “Don't count Lightning Rider out Dust, his pretty good at it. Just need some encouragement that all.”

“If you say so.” Lightning Dust answered. “Hey Rider!” 

“Y-yeah?” He stop walking and turn his head to the three ponies playing cards. 

She pat the ground beside her. “Sit down and play, your going to wear out the clouds with all that pasting.”

Lightning Rider shook his head. “No thanks. I learned my lesson when playing against Derpy.”

“What the hay do you mean by that?” Lighting Dust quickly turn to Derpy who place a card face down on the discard pile. “Oh you got to be bucking kidding me! Again!?”

Derpy giggled. “That five games for me!” She place the other down showing three kings and all four fours. 

Lightning Dust toss the cards down on the pile of cards. “You know what! I just say if she can beat us at cards like that, anything is possible!” The three ponies started to laugh and Lightning Dust chuckled slightly. “Your not half bad Derpy, no way I'm underestimating you anymore.” She put her hoof out to the wall eyed mare. “Pals?”

Derpy giggled. “Pals!” She clopped her hoof against Lightning Dust's.

The sound of the doors opening got everypony attention, those that sleeping woke up, those gaming stopped and those talking stopped, they all raise their heads looking up at the second floor to see Electuroo, Rainbow Dash, Soarin and Wind Note. 

Rainbow Dash hovering above them and lands before them with Soarin and Wind Note beside her. Electuroo staying where he was. “Ok everypony here the news.” She looked around at each of them as they got up. “In the last four days we was tasked in looking for any pony with wings, able to fly and got some strength behind them for this. And what you see is all there is.” 

They was muttering to each other and Soarin spoke in turn. “I am the last of the Wonderbolts that got wings, the rest lost theirs because of what Goldenmare did. I know we all anger and like to beat the buck out of her but it not going to help us since she got control of the moon and sun now.” Soarin trotting around them as he spoke with wings open. “We are going to have to do things that isn't normal for weather around here. Each team we assign will be doing their part that make things run.”

Wind Note next to speak as Soarin step back beside Rainbow Dash. “I be stationed here with Rainbow Dash and Electuroo in the factory to help coordinate the weather to the best I can, as it looks we going to only able to provide the rain to areas of Equestria once an week even as far to three weeks, we going to have to try and work out what we got and make it last till we find a way to resupply the factory for weather.”

“So what do you mean we going to have to do things that not normal for our weather?” Lightning Dust decided to raise the question hovering over the other ponies.

Rainbow Dash pulled up an cloud she found in the lobby they all was in. “You see this cloud?” They nod. “Instead of busting it for nice sunny weather we going to move it and join it with other clouds till they get super heavy and cause rain.” They looked really surprised by this. “Some of the crazy weather coming from outside Equestria and in the Everfree will be used too. We going to have to guide these wild and outcontrol weather systems into Equestria if we going to keep crops and such going.”

“That crazy! We never seen any weather pony do that! Not even you!” One of them shouted in an outburst to this. “We can't let dangerous weather move freely! What if ponies get hurt!?”

“Ponies are already getting hurt.” Electuroo decided it was time to speak and they all looked up at him. 

“I don't want anypony to see me as one of those that lead, but here we are and I have to try and play catch up with Wind Note here, we have weather in Earth that always out of control and no human controls it.” He starts to walk.

“We going to have to try and create some of these weather patterns to just make do with what we got.” Electuroo walking on the walk way around them as they moved their eyes and heads in motion to his, the sound of hooves against metal clapping with echoes of hoof steps.

“Goldenmare even removed the magic of Princess Celestia and Luna, the rumours are true on that and also the talks between her and the Crystal Empire. Good news about that is the ponies we sent there with the whole mirror thing saved them from losing their magic. So any of you having family there is safe.” Sighs in relief came from many, Electuroo came back to where he began and held up the clipboard in his hoof. 

“Now Rainbow Dash and I will see Lightning Rider, Derpy and Thunderlane in the office right now, Soarin and Wind Note will assign everypony else jobs to get this place ready for delievering it first weather and also gathering supplies through out Cloudsdale.” Electuroo lower the clip board. An hoof raised by Lightning Rider. “Yes.”

He looking around seeing eyes was on him, nervously he asked. “Wh-what do you me-mean by gathering supplies in Cloudsdale?”

Electuroo joined by Rainbow Dash allowed her to answer stepping back a little. “It means we going to every business, home and restaurant to find food, water and other much needed supplies to live. That even include moving some of the cloud houses to the factory. I hate the idea of going into someponies home or place of work and taking stuff that not ours but we the only fliers now and we need this stuff to keep us going as long we can.”

Rainbow Dash lower her head with a heavy sigh. “As uncool this is ponies.” She raise her head a little. “We got little choice, we been put into an place where now we are the only ponies at this time that can do the weather. Without us Equestria will wilt and...” They all didn't need to hear this and nod after the silence for a moment or two. 

“Those that was called out come up please...”

Rainbow Dash turn with Electuroo heading into the office followed by the three pegasi that was called for, all flew up and landed by the door and walked inside. Thunderlane, Derpy and Lightning Rider stood now across the round table to the two ponies Electuroo and Rainbow Dash.

“Here the deal, you three are now the weather team for Ponyville.” Rainbow Dash push a clipboard across the table. They showed surprise in their eyes and expression at the two before them. 



“We will have somepony drop by some clouds once a week but during that time you three must keep your eyes peeled for any clouds or storms that floating around. You will have to push them over Ponyville, not only that but make drift like a weather pattern seen on this clipboard before you.” Rainbow Dash gave the heads up about their new job. 

Thunderlane took it from the table to get a good look at it. “Rainbow what up with this? Why aren't you leading the team in Ponyville?”

“Thunderlane I...” Rainbow Dash begun. “I can't...” With an whisper she turn her head away from them. 

“Wh-what?” Lightning Rider was taken back by the words he just heard. 

Thunderlane blinked. “Come again?” 

Electuroo decided it was best to step a hoof into this before it got out of hoof and seeing Rainbow Dash's look he had to. “We can't because we too O P in wing power.” He exclaimed.

“O P?” Derpy tilted her head.

Electuroo rubbed his hoof through his mane. “Me, Soarin, Wind Note and Rainbow have over powered wing power and pegasi magic, not sure how or why but we almost twenty-two times stronger in both cases. Heck! Me and Rainbow Dash alone was able to pull off over 600 wing power tornado!” Electuroo open his wings up as he told the three pegasuses of their problem. 

Lightning Rider gasped with the others leaving their jaws hanging as they heard this, the image of two pegasi pulling off that much wing power going through their heads was one of ponyfiction. “R-Re-Really?”

“Really.” Electuroo instantly replied. “We kinda grounded in an manner of speaking till we get our wing power under control.” Electuroo gave them the run down. “Princess Celestia and Luna suggested that we gather all able fliers and manage the weather best we could by dispatching those we found to different parts of Equestria.” 

Rainbow Dash stood by him adding her own words. “That where you three came in for Ponyville. We think you all are an awesome choice.” 

Lightning Rider saluted. “We won't let you down Rainbow Dash.”

Thunderlane push his hoof down. “Chill Lightning, we be fine.”

“Su-sure” He smiled sheepishly to Thunderlane.

Derpy put both hooves around the two  stallions “We do great! We all good friends right!?”

“Hehe sure thing Derpy.” Thunderlane return the hoof around her back of the neck. “We do fine, might be hard going but we get there together.”

Lightning Rider felt relaxed with an warm smile in return placing his hoof over Derpy's back too. “Yeah together.”

Rainbow Dash hits Electuroo with her hoof. “See told you they be perfect for Ponyville.”

“Don't need to tell me twice Dash.” Electuroo rubbed his leg where she hit it. “So... Derpy, Thunderlane and Lightning Rider are you ready to take charge of Ponyville's weather?”

“Yes sir!” They said together.

Electuroo felt a little unnerving by this. “I hate this in charge stuff... I just don't know if I will mess up on this...”

Rainbow Dash countered. “It fine Sparks you be fine, you have me, Soarin and Wind Note here. So don't get your ponyfeathers in a twist and chill ok?”

“Sure thing.” Electuroo laughed lightly. 

Rainbow Dash open the door. “Lightning Dust should have been briefed by Soarin and Wind Note, she be in charge of bring the first clouds alongside you to Ponyville, once delivered she be returning here for the next task at hoof.” They all walk through the door with Rainbow Dash and Electuroo. “We come by for a visit...” 

They looked at what task at hoof in the factory itself. “When we get things sorted out here... Man this is gonna to be so lame...”

“Well we better get started Rainbow Dash.” Electuroo lightly spoke and turn to the three they talked to. “Take care and don't stress yourselves out. Trust me it get you no where...”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Like back in Ponyville after you...” Electuroo quickly put his hoof on her snout.

“Hehe look at the time, better get going!” Electuroo drags her away quickly before any of them could respond.

Lightning Dust step up to the three pegasi. “Alright I got the clouds outside, lead the way to this Ponyville and I get the clouds delivered ok?” 

“Sure!” Derpy beamed. 

The four ponies set off out of the weather factory to take the cloud and go to Ponyville, Electuroo and Rainbow Dash watch another set of pegasi leave soon after talking with Soarin and Wind Note, soon there was only about six of them left to run the whole factory excluding the four that was put in charge. 

“This place isn't going to run itself.” Rainbow Dash finally said.

“The remaining ponies will come with us to scout out Cloudsdale and take what we will need to survive up here, even moving some cloud houses closer to the factory itself. We are going to up here for a long time and we are part of what Equestria needs to survive at this time of need. We might be few but we strong as a team.” Soarin gave them his speech as they gathered around.

“I know it won't be easy entering other ponies homes, but we need food, water and anything that will help us to live that little easier in these trying times. Chaos and panic is continuing far and wide and without our help to try and bring some norm back to the ponies below the land we call home would most likely not be called Equestria. Let do our part to make it better for everypony ok? Let do our part!” Soarin raised his hoof up at the last word and followed by a... 

“YEAH!” From them.

Wind Note took to the air. “What we waiting for then? Hearth Warming?” The remaining ponies laughed lightly at the comment and took off out of the weather factory to find supplies. 

Their attempt to help everypony had truly begun for all the remaining pegasi that now was weather ponies for the whole country of Equestria, an task challenging for all of them for sure and this was only day one of this new team...

“Rainbow Dash our spirits might be high at the moment with us able to do something, but if some of the ponies don't stop what they been doing for the past six days this will be only a short welcomed rest bite.” Electuroo trot through the factory floor with Rainbow Dash as Soarin with Wind Note help with salvaging anything of use for their long term stay. 

“Wonder if an normal human life would have been better.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at the yellow stallion. “Yeah as if that happen.”

“Oh?” Electuroo stopped his tracks turning around to face Rainbow Dash. “And why do you say that?”

With an flick of her tail in his face she replied in a sly tone of voice. “Two words.” The mare turn around facing him directly staring into his brown eyes. “Rainbow Dash.” She boop his snout with her hoof making him crunch up his snout in response wiggling it a little. 

Electuroo put his hoof on his snout rubbing it. “Wow... So that what it feels like to get booped.” He trots off after her but he turn to the north when glancing out a window at Canterlot and beyond thinking about the two words she just spoken. 

“Electuroo stop daydreaming and move your flank!” Rainbow Dash's words rang out snapping him out of the trail of thoughts and he gallops off after Rainbow Dash to catch up with her as they head to the rainbow pools where they made the rainbows for Equestria.


Ponyville...

A unicorn guard with help from Gold Horn set up the last of the steps to one of many new watch towers being put around Ponyville, it was to give early warning to the residents from those that without reason been looting and other crazy things that no pony would normally do. 

“I think that about does it.” Gold Horn put the hammer down in the tool box wiping his head and adjusting the armour slightly, the blue star on the front of it and the helmet by the box. “Shield Spell are you ok?”

The unicorn guard with the grey fur with white and grey mane and tail with the mix gold and purple armour sat down with the tools by him breathing a little heavily. “Yes I'm alright. Just building all these towers taking it toll, I'm a guard not an engineer...” Shield Spell slowly got up on his hooves picking up his helmet placing it on his head.

Gold Horn put the last of the tools away, patting his golden covered hoof shoe on the ground he used the magic on his horn to launch a flare up to let the ponies that be taking station at the new watch tower to come. “We going to be doing a lot of things we never thought we'd be doing. I was a personal guard to that mare that now rules Equestria...”

“I heard the story when I got here with the princesses and Princes Blue Blood, never thought you be  here and not there with her.” Shield Spell pick up the tool box with his magic and they made their way back into town seeing some coming back from Sweet Apple Acres looking really worn out and out of breath.

Gold Horn saw his brother Gold Dust among them without any sort of armour, he had packed it up forgood and decided to help the Apple family any way he could. “Too much history and wrong doing. This just topped it all Shield, I hate what she done to almost everypony. It not right.”

Shield Spell nudge him a little as they quietly trotted back. “From what I seen and gotten to know you Gold Horn, I am pleased you joined Celestia's and Luna's guard. If we got any chance of keeping Ponyville and anywhere else safe from those ponies taking advantage of those in need, we need all the good ponies out there.”

Gold Horn snout a little almost laughing at the statement. “That bold Shield Spell and...” He turn to Spield Spell. “Thanks.”

“Anything for a friend.”

“First time anypony called me that in an very long life time.” Gold Horn words was quiet and just heard by Shield Spell. “I just hope I can help Gold Wing... Gold Dust and I do not know what to do... How to help him...”

“If anypony can help it the princesses even without their horn and wings. They wise and do all in their power to help your brother.” 

“That they will, come on Shield Spell let get back to the library and get some rest before the rain hits.” Gold Horn trots a little faster with Shield Spell keeping up.

Shield Spell was a little confused. “What rain?” As he said it a large build up of clouds moved right over them with droplets hitting his armour and snout. “Me and my big mouth.” This earned a chuckle from Gold Horn as they quicken their paste to the library, high above the rain clouds was pushed and left to move by three pegasi hovering over it looking down as it covers Ponyville.

The fourth watch them shift it and left it to move. “Well it be fun watching you do your jobs but I got to do mine, take care guys!” Lightning Dust waved at Thunderlane, Derpy and Lightning Rider before taking off at high speeds back to Cloudsdale in the distance.

Lightning Rider flew around to the clouds pushing the rain storm they have but it was barely changing direction, it took help from Derpy and Thunderlane with about 15 minutes of flapping their wings almost non stop to get it to shift direction to Sweet Apple Acres. 

They land on the ground close to one of the watch towers. “Wow that was harder then I thought it be, without Lightning Dust it was trying to push a mountain or something.” Thunderlane flapping his wings a little trying to get the pain out of them. “Man this isn't going to be an easy task.”

“No it won't, but all that can help will try.” They all turn their heads up to the wooden tower, looking over it was Luna with Pinkie Pie beside her.

Lightning Rider lower his head instantly. “Princess Luna...”

“Please rise, I and Pinkie Pie are on watch for the evening.” Luna said calmly. She without her crown and still mane resting down her side of her head look really out of place. 

Lightning Rider raise his head. “Sor-sorry it just...” He stared with curious eyes noticing what she just said. “Night watch?” He turn to the sky seeing the sun setting and the moon starting to rise, it was strange for everypony to see it happen without Luna or Celestia doing it themselves, it was all done by Goldenmare now. “Wow time really gone by...”

“Yeah! Time flies when your having fun!” Derpy giggled.

“Or working hard without thinking about time!” Pinkie Pie also replied and they giggled a bit more.

Lightning Rider flapping his wings took a look at the tower as he flew around it. “When was these built? I am sure they wasn't here last night.”

“Oh the unicorns worked on them through out the day, they are all resting now, so are many that worked the fields. You and your friends shall rest too. We will alert you of any bending weather from the Everfree with these erm...” Luna look at the device place on the side of the tower. “Pinkie Pie what exactly are these again?”

Pinkie Pie put her snout close to it with a hoof over the trigger, pressing down on it she spoke. “A MEGAPHONE!” 

The three ponies covered their ears from the sound. “Whoa that really loud.” Thunderlane bashing his head lightly with his hoof. “No way I won't hear that.” 

“Indeed.” Luna exclaimed staring at the pink pony. “Even without your unusual magic you are still one of wonder.”

“And that how it going to stay!” Pinkie Pie giggled, picked up some playing cards. “Up for a game or two Luna?”

“Sure, but we must keep an eye for trouble.” Luna replied in a serious tone.

“Of course!” Pinkie Pie answered. “Good night!” Pinkie Pie waved at them and as they about to leave she yelled out to Lightning Rider. “Don't worry you will get your birthday party in two weeks! That a promise!”

Lightning Rider froze and quickly turn to the tower. “B-but I never told anypony of my birthday!” Pinkie Pie winked and turn to Luna.

Derpy giggled. “You know the saying Lightning.”

He just gave a deadpan look. “Never question Pinkie Pie.”

The other two grinned and said together. “Right!” Just laughing softly between the three pegasi and flew to make their way to their homes for the night. The days ahead will be tough for them for sure.

As they flew away and over Golden Oak Library, Twilight with Celestia watch the clouds roll over with rain falling as the clouds head to Sweet Apple Acres. “It seem Rainbow Dash, Electuroo, Soarin and Wind Note got a team of pegasus to bring weather. It is of a heavy heart that much of Equestria fallen to chaos and those with magic are taking advantage of others.” 

Twilight letting the rain fall on her freely watch the two guard ponies fast trotting towards the library. “Princess I don't mean to question you on this, but do you think we acting a bit rash on putting up those watch towers all over the edges of Ponyville?”

“Twilight you may just call me Celestia, but to answer your question. No it isn't rash.” Celestia gaze to the stallions coming up to the door and entering the library. This gave Twilight surprise by what Celestia said. “I heard many troubling stories from the major cities since Goldenmare had taken over Canterlot, she even made the ponies safe which was a surprise. But elsewhere not so much since she sealed all contact and travel between us and the Crystal Empire.”

Twilight walked inside with Celestia, she stared at the dead phone on her desk, the battery long died since day two of the Goldenmare's conquer of Equestria. “I wish we could of gotten help from our human friends instant of getting a unblinking response for almost nine straight hours.” 

“Indeed it was strange. But with looting and word of ponies grouping up into these raiders with their magic still intact is troubling. They harming others and taking what they want from those that are helpless, we even had two attempts already from two small groups from Las Pegasus. With the train network now completely cut off we having to defend ourselves, Appleloosa, Fort Hooves and Dust Town.” Celestia calmly recapped all the events that taken place and the locations that seem to be safe for those that are trying to avoid the rapidly formed raiders.

“Six days... Only six days with almost no pony with magic left and we got some becoming these raiders... It just wrong! We should be working together to solve the problems we facing! Not stealing, looting and causing pain to others! It Equestria not...” Twilight from full blown anger to instant freeze in her tracks and words turn to the golden pegasus standing before her. “Gold Wing?”

Gold Wing look at her and Celestia. “Sorry. I was listening and thought I might help you solve what might of happened. Could the magic in their bodies be corrupted by whatever this Goldenmare pony did?” 

Both wingless and hornless ponies look at each other for a moment and back at him. “Gold Wing! Bro you should be in bed!” Gold Horn trotted up the stairs to his brother. 

“I am very confused with everything going on, I don't completely understand how we brothers and yet I feel that connection that we are and feel that we done wrong yet I never done anything that comes to mind, but I think I know why some ponies acting the way they are.” Gold Wing exclaimed.

Celestia turn to the storm. “That would explain why some acted the way they did within a day after the magic spell was cast. But why did others that didn't show any effect from the spell are themselves?”

“Erm...” Gold Wing put his hoof to the snout rubbing under it. “I haven't got a clue, it was only a idea.”

“A good one, thank you Gold Wing.” Celestia bow her head slightly.

“Glad to help Celestia. I think I will do what my brother suggested and rest.” Gold Wing yawned and trot back down the stairs by Gold Horn to get some rest in the bed that was set up in the basement.

Gold Horn remove the helmet from his head with his magic. “The towers will give us more time to warn of dangers to come and with the magic trip lights we put it place also it will help. But I wish to know of word of Typhoon, I know he was in the Crystal Empire when this all happened, is any word on his safety?” Gold Horn requested a answer to his uneasy feeling he had for days and one of those was wearing the army of the Equestrian guard.

Celestia still standing taller then most ponies step up to him, she was without hoof shoes or the crown only the plate around the neck and chest. “Even without my alicorn magic I can sense your discomfort of being before me and wearing the armour you now wear to help those here in Ponyville. I can answer what I know and this is all I know, those that fled to the Crystal Empire and within it are still there. That is all I know.” Celestia put her hoof to his shoulder looking square into his eyes.

“You have lived far longer then I, you know so much that I do not. Wearing something that once you classed as your enemy is to bring up some strong feelings.” Celestia remove her hoof. “I am only asking for your help to be part of the guard to protect those in the areas we can keep safe for now.” Celestia turn her head to the closed balcony window with rain splashing against it. “Since that day I only think of how I could of done things differently and you know what?”

Gold Horn put the helmet back on. “Nothing would be any different to as it is now?” She nods with a small smile. “We made our choice to help. And we stand by it, I bid you young mares a goodnight. It time for this old stallion to get some shut eye.” Gold Horn turn and head back down the stairs.

Celestia put a hoof to her snout giggling a little. “I can not have a come back from that dear Twilight, he and his brothers is far older then I.”

“Indeed...” Twilight sat down at the table looking to the quill and ink well with a sigh. She still had her cutie mark but the magic in her that made her talent mean something was gone and never coming back, the sense of not having a horn or the recent wings felt very alien still to her. “Nothing going to be the same again is it Princess?”

“No it will not. Equestria is never going to be the same and what we can salvage to help those around us be our first steps, Rainbow Dash and her friends are doing their part and even challenging they will give it all they got.” Celestia nuzzle Twilight softly with a warm smile. “I bid you a goodnight Twilight Sparkle. Without magic yet it strange I will adapt to this.”

Twilight watch her former mentor walk down the steps to join those in the basement to rest. “Only six days ago the world was a much happier place... Will it ever be again?” Twilight whispered and taking the quill with her mouth she begins to write on the scroll with Owlowiscious landing by her stand keeping her company.

One thing that played on her mind again was what happened with the mobile phone that now lay ideal and dead. For all the time Electuroo been in Equestria it not once lost power and always on but in a space of a few days it was now completely drained of energy.

This and what the call for help brought lead her to no answers at all only questions and even more questions to everything that happened in one week that there was no answer to...
> Chapter 5: The Years That Stood Still Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Black Mirror
Chapter 5:  The Years That Stood Still Part 2  



1 month after Goldenmare's Victory 


The sun rose into the sky and as the light of the rays of the sun shined through Ponyville a convoy of about 20 ponies or so walked into the ever growing town. There was tents set up in the park as many that live in Ponyville aid in giving food and water to those without homes, the construction of many new buildings could be seen all around the outskirts of the town itself.

Gold Horn stood at guard on the tower watching the ponies flow in, Celestia stood with him taking her turn in guard duty. The golden armour she worn looked quite strange for somepony so tall but it had been gotten use to. “More refugees from the east lands of Equestria...” 

Celestia was sadden by the fact the corrupted ponies had forced so many ponies that had little or no magic left in them to flee the lands they called home. The influx of ponies continued to grow and they had little choice but to expand Ponyville to help all these ponies in need. 

Gold Horn didn't answer he had been bothered and sicken to the stomach for days now. “Twilight and her friends will get answers about Gold Wing and the scouting team to the west.”

Still no answer from the gold unicorn, he just kept watching the flow of ponies. “If it wasn't for you and Gold Dust we wouldn't of expected anything. Your and his strong bound with Gold Wing made it possible.”

“I know...” He finally answers. “But it should be me out there helping them. Spell Shield was with Gold Wing, his my friend I should be there to help...”

Celestia gazed at the sun as it continue to slowly rise into the sky the orange draining away into blue skies. “Your judgement would be clouded Gold Horn, your brother and Spell Shield might be in trouble. Would you act rash?”

Gold Horn showed a small smile on his muzzle. “Yes Celestia I would. But sending Rainbow Dash and Electuroo seem a little...” He slowly turn his head to her. “Extreme.”

“Indeed that seems true with the level of magic they have. But...” Celestia notice something a miss in the crowd of ponies walking into town. “Stardust?”

Gold Horn quickly turn to scan the crowd to see the large alicorn with two ponies in cloaks either side of her walking towards their tower. “H-how is this possible!? The barrier that prevents those from entering and living Equestria is...”

Stardust look up at them for a moment. “I am only here to bring these two gentlecolts to you. One might be needing medical attention.” She quickly look to Canterlot. “I got to go, I give you and everyone here their best from Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.” With a flash Stardust was gone. 

In a flash of golden light the ponies turn to see the queen standing before them looking around for the alicorn. “Where is she!?”

“If you mean Stardust, she gone. I gather heading back to the Crystal Empire.” Celestia answered with a spear grip in her foreleg ready for a conflict.

Goldenmare just snorted. “Damn that alicorn, she been testing my patients with her magic for weeks now... Guess that was my own fault.”

“Indeed” Celestia loosen up the spear in her grip with an content look.

Goldenmare stared at her for a moment and with a snort look around at the ponies that all look scared at her. “So what my scouts said are true, the ponies that became corrupted by my spell are doing dreadful things. It another piece of mess I need to try and fix...” She sighed. “Victory is so hollow...” With a golden flash she was gone.

Gold Horn wave the ponies to enter Ponyville. “It is...” He whispered feeling a little bad for her. “Goldenmare doesn't seem to be the same as she was a month ago.”

“It seems so.” Celestia heard hoof steps and turn to the two cloak ponies walking up the steps of the tower.

Gold Horn using his magic on the spear aiming at them. “You two might of came with Stardust, show who you are now!”

The first pull his cloak off throwing it to the side reviving the orange pegasus with golden armour, blue star and saddle on his back, the dark blue tail and the blue brush on the helmet was a give away for Celestia. “Flash Sentry. One of Cadance's most trusted guards.” 

“Princess. You...”

“Speak freely Flash Sentry, I haven't been called princess by almost anypony for over two weeks now. I am at this moment doing my part to keep Ponyville safe from the Raiders of the East.” Celestia said calmly to him.

Flash calmly took a few breaths. “It strange to see you in a guard uniform P... Celestia. It the last thing to see you without your wings and horn, but this...”

“It trying times Flash Sentry.” She turn to the other. “And you?”

The stallion sighed removing his cloak, this dark orange stallion with cream and black mane showed a real nasty purple mark over his eye and swelling to his side of the snout. “Sweet mercy what happened to you!?” Gold Horn instantly said seeing the marks on this middle aged stallion.

“Lightning Strikeer do you like to explain?”

The stallion not looking at any of them spoke. “Stardust...” Flash Sentry trying not to laugh put a hoof to his snout as he snickered. “30 years ago I was someone else. But to her it only been 10...”

Gold Horn and Celestia look lost for a second but then it caught on fast when he look at the mane colour. “Celestia...”

“Yes it hard to believe  but I think I see it. Your Electuroo's father aren't you?”

“Yes and I been avoiding Stardust at every possible moment, but when I walked into her five days ago she saw the colour of my mane and tail before I could speak...” He rubbed his face with a hoof. “She exploded...” His blue eyes now look directly at Celestia. “I can't blame her or Angel...”

Gold Horn gulped nervously. “She and Angel did that?”

“Only Stardust but we worked it out. But it be a few more days before this shiner goes away.” He point to the black eye. “As for the side of the face, that was today...”

Flash Sentry spoke in turn. “That one is us for trying to get out of coming here.”

Lightning Strikeer quickly glared at him. “You try seeing your son after 30 years of thinking that your previous life was nothing more then a dream! I am 52 years old! You trying to be a 22 year old stallion thinking that your not a pegasus and a human!”

“Still funny to see her strike down the ex-captain of the Wonderbolts like that.” He chuckled. 

“Laugh it up...” Lightning Strikeer muttered. “Spitfire and Soarin will have a field day with this... The Wonderbolt lightning captain getting caught out by the mare that once you loved and still...”

Gold Horn rolled his eyes and used his magic on Lightning Strikeer in seconds the marks was healed up. “There.” 



Lightning Strikeer felt his eye and lower his hoof. “That some trick you got there kid.”

Gold Horn chuckled. “Sorry but your the kid to me kiddo.”

“What?” Flash Sentry stared at the unicorn. “You look like somepony that about my age.”

“Well I like to look my best for somepony that lived 6000 years.” This caused both stallions to gasp with open jaws hearing this. “And you don't have to worry about your... Son.”

“6000 years...” Lightning Strikeer whispered trying to understand it. “Electuroo why?” He managed to ask.

Gold Horn let Celestia answer this. “He, Rainbow Dash with Twilight Sparkle and their friends are on a mission to find out what happened to Gold Wing and the other ponies to the west.” Celestia decided to let them relax for a bit first. “Go to Golden Oak Library, it the tree near the middle of town. I will contact Soarin to find out what you two can be doing to help out, there very little ponies with their magic still and every little helps at the moment.”

They saluted. “Yes ma'am!” They said together and flapping their wings left the guard tower.

Gold Horn just gave one look at Celestia with a smirk on his snout. “Ma'am.” He chuckled and Celestia rolled her eyes with a small smile appearing before going back keeping a eye on lands ahead with the last of the convoy finally entering Ponyville. 


Somewhere to the West of Equestria


Seven ponies walking across a bridge over the gorge towards the hill that laid ahead of them, Electuroo staring at the compass that Gold Dust had given up was pulsing and pointing in the direction they was heading. “The pulsing getting stronger girls, I think Gold Wing is near by.”

“I wonder why Celestia asked all of us to go.” Twilight said looking over to the two pegasi in guard armour. “We haven't had anything magically related in over a month now.”

“Darling that might be true but we still friends and we work well together magic or no magic.” Rarity said soundly to her. “Also a adventure doesn't hurt.”

Rainbow Dash hovering over them could just see over the hill. “I see some sort of town ahead.”

Electuroo took one good look at the compass needle and it was pointing at the town. “He down there from the look of it.”

“Strange...” Twilight stated. “Why would the compass point to a town close to the edge of Equestria and look well...” Twilight point her hoof to it. “Nothing threatening at all.”

“I got to admit it looks boring.” Rainbow Dash lands on the ground beside them.

Pinkie Pie pulled out of her saddle bag a spyglass and took a good look at the town below, she saw all the creepy smiles from stallions, mares and even foals. “I don't like it! I don't like it one bit! I know smiles and those are just not right.”

Electuroo took the spyglass to take a look for himself. “Talk about something you see in a 18 plus horror movie, those smiles are on the ten of the creepy meter!” 

Rainbow Dash snatch it from him. “Let me see!” She took a look and cringed. “Wow your right they are just creepy. What up with those huge smiles?”

Each took turn to have a look through the spyglass. “Oh my I see...” She saw the ponies gather around and stepping out of the door was three ponies looking grim and sad. “I see Gold Wing and the other ponies of the scouting team! But something not right...”

Applejack decided to have a look herself and through the spyglass she watch as one of those ponies talk to them. Gold Wing said something back to her with wings flared out and the other two standing by his side, with what look like a sad look from the mare that spoke to them, they was lead back into the house and locked up.

“Ah think we might be a tad over our heads here sugarcube. Whatever gonna on down there, is not right. Ah saw Gold Wing and the other two guards ponies with the same marks as those other ponies and that here light purple one with the blue and purple mane seem to talk to them and it seem they refused.” Applejack explained what she saw through the spyglass. 

Rainbow Dash smirked. “Don't sweet it AJ. With me and Electuroo here! We got this covered!” She put a hoof to her chest proudly. 

Rarity put her hoof on Dash's. “Darling I do not doubt that but us five haven't got wings, horns or the hooves to really defend ourselves if something happens.”

“I think that why Celestia asked us to come. We working together and find a way to not only save the guards but also to find out why all the ponies and now Gold Wing and the others has those equal cutie marks.” Twilight exclaimed as she took a good look at each of the ponies with the spyglass and finally gave it back to Pinkie Pie who put it away in her saddle bag. “Let get down there and find answers.”

Pinkie Pie was the last to follow them alongside Electuroo who was taking a step back. “Those smiles are bad news.”

“Don't need to tell me that, you know what. I am going to go and wait here.” Electuroo sat down.

Pinkie Pie came up behind him and push him back on his hooves. “Your coming!”

“Bu-”

“Rainbow Dash going and she might need your help.” Pinkie Pie put her foreleg around his back. “Right?”

Electuroo sighed. “Alright.” They rejoined the others and head into town.

After getting the most creepiest welcome from the ponies as they entered it and the smiles making Electuroo try to hide between his friends. “Urg! Electuroo cut out being a chicken already!”

“So-sorry but their looks just scaring the bloody hay out of me!” He responded.

“No need to friend, we all just want to be friends here. I am Double Diamond and this is Party Favor.” Soon they got close to Electuroo, he quickly took the air in a blast of speed causing a electrical discharge.

Electuroo hovering high above points at them. “Just keep your distance from me and we be fine you hear!” 

All the ponies around him was knocked over and they slowly got back onto their hooves. “What was that?” Party Favor asked with amazement in his eyes.

Rainbow Dash glared right up at Electuroo. “Somepony that letting his fear get the better of him! That what!”

“But that was pegasi magic... How did he explode it out like that?” The stallion asked another question.

Twilight dusting herself off. “Electuroo and Rainbow Dash's internal magic are way higher then anypony in Equestria since Queen Goldenmare cast that spell a month ago, I was a Alicorn and the magic spell not only took away mine and most of my friends magic but also took way our horns and wings.” Twilight explained. “Haven't any of you experienced this?”

“Not at all. We wasn't aware of somepony new in control of Equestria now, what happened to Princess Celestia?” Double Diamond asked with a curious expression.

“She and her sister lost their magic, horns and wings! They live in Ponyville with us now!” Pinkie Pie replied with a smile but turn to a frown and she moved back to the others.

“If you all like to come with us, we could let our founder Starlight Glimmer know of this at once!” Party Favor said with a big massive smile.

Fluttershy nod with a smile of her own. “Thank you Party Favor, we all be grateful, you are all such wonderful ponies!”

“Ah'm Applejack and this here Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and the stallion up there is Electuroo.” They all looked up at him hovering above them. “Sorry about what he did.”

“It fine.” Double Diamond replied.

Electuroo slowly descend after getting glares from all of his friends. Landing he kept his distance from the stallions much he could or any of them with the creepy smiles. “Electuroo stop being so jumpy!” 

“Sorry Rainbow Dash but my heart is racing and I just want to get out of here...” Electuroo had so many bad warning signs going through his body. “I feel sick to my stomach, my legs feel like jelly and I can't stop looking around. I feel like something really bad going to happen...” 

Rainbow Dash took a good look around. “I got to agree it really not cool here but we need to play it cool for now, I won't let anything happen to you ok. I promise.” She put her hoof against his chest and look at him in the eyes.

Electuroo look back and taking a deep breath hugs her a little. “Thanks Dash.” He let go and follows them with Rainbow Dash just behind him. 

They enter the far house and the two stallions called out to Starlight Shimmer, she opens the door from one of the rooms walking up to them. “Welcome! I am pleased to have you here!”

Double Diamond introduced the ponies to Starlight Glimmer. “This is Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Electuroo and Twilight Sparkle.”

Party Favor chimed in. “Twilight Sparkle also said she use to be a Alicorn but a spell cast by another called Goldenmare removed not only her of the magic within but Princess Celestia and her sister too.”

Starlight took a good look at each of them. “Forgive my bluntness, but wouldn't that be Princess Twilight Sparkle then?”

“Not really, I never was crowned a princess. It happened before and now Goldenmare now queen of Equestria, we been busy trying to clean up the mess her spell caused.” Twilight explained to Starlight Glimmer. 

Starlight was curious on how they found out about their village. “So! How did you hear of our little village?”

Electuroo got a nudge from Rainbow Dash, he step forwards with a hoof out showing the compass with the north pointer going crazy. “Till this morning we was following this compass that tracking down a golden pegasus by the name of Gold Wing, one of his brothers used some strange potion spell on it to track down his fellow brother but the trail got cold and something in this area caused the compass to go nuts.”

Starlight took a good look at it and saw the needle was going crazy, it was moving around clockwise rapidly then going the other way just as fast. “Well, however you found us, we're happy to have you! We're happy to have anypony who wants to experience true friendship for the first time.”

Applejack frowned. “Say what?”

“Oh, indeed. That's what's so unique about our village, you see. Around here, we don't flaunt our special talents because we don't have any special talents to flaunt.” Starlight Glimmer spoke with pride.

Twilight asked about the equal sign cutie mark. “Is that why you all have those cutie marks?” Electuroo put away the compass into his saddle bag. 

Starlight Glimmer walking by them to the door. “Perhaps it would be easier to understand if I gave you a tour of the village!” 

Electuroo's ears perked up hearing the drums. “Here we go again... Another musical number!”

“Heads high, ponies! Marching proud! [whistle blows] All together now! Every one of you! No pony left behind!” She step up to a door and ponies march out with their massive smiles.

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioDuLqK_LuY )

Starlight start to walk with ponies to the left and right marching behind her as she starts to sing with her hooves out with a bit smile and followed with a hoof over her head, she finally turn to the group of ponies.

Life is so grand in Our Town 
We're always filled with cheer 
We never have to look around 
To know that we're all here 

The citizens started to sing and march around with their big smiles circling the group, Electuroo keeping close to Rainbow Dash and now she felt uneasy with this song a little.

In Our Town, in Our Town 
We don't have to wait 
To find out that our destiny 
Is just to emulate 

“Let's see those big, happy smiles” Starlight said as she walk by a small group of them. Starlight starts to sing again with ponies leaning forwards with their chests showing with a big prideful smile of their town and being the same with their cutie marks.

Life is a smile in Our Town 
Our cutie marks the same 
Because we do not separate 
Ourselves by more than name 

The citizens started to sing again this time two pegasi was flying close to Rainbow Dash with a hoof each on her as thy glide down singing the verse and once landed they parted ways. Rainbow Dash didn't like this one bit now, Electuroo gritted his teeth as the strange bad feeling was just increasing within and showing on the outside as sweat started to drop from his forehead down his fur.

In Our Town, in Our Town 
We dare not compete 
Winning only breeds the worst 
Ego-filled conceit 

Starlight Glimmer stood by Rainbow Dash and a hoof  out “You see? Now everypony wins!” She start to sing her next line walking by a group of ponies and one of them being different turn it into a ponytail to match the rest, Electuroo look at the stallions and his own tail and mane, shaking his head out of that thought there was no way he would let any of them do that to him!.

Life is a joy in Our Town 
We're all equal here 
No one is superior 
And no one shakes in fear 

The citizens in chores to each other march by the seven ponies in line of four ponies each side by side in perfect movement of their hooves, four stallions then four mares. They looked uneasy as they marched. 

In Our Town, in Our Town 
We work as a team 
You can't have a nightmare 
If you never dream 

Fluttershy let out a 'epp' and quickly move behind Pinkie Pie as Starlight Glimmer sings and move around them, Pinkie Pie narrowly looking at her not liking this one bit. She put a hoof over Twilight's head at the last part of the verse of this part of the song.

Other ponies argue 
Do you ever wonder why? 
When you think your talent's special 
You don't see eye-to-eye 

She continues to sing with three out of four mares dancing together and one look from Starlight and she joins in with them others as Starlight sings the next part.

There's just too many differences 
That lead to disarray 
But when you learn to act as one 
It's like a holiday 

The citizens sing together marching around, everypony tighten up into a make shift circle watching them sing and march.

In Our Town, in Our Town 
We don't complicate 
When you learn to simplify 
Life is oh, so great 
Join in our utopia 
Come out of the dark 
Banded by equality 
By our cutie mark! 

At the end of the song they stood line by line and turn their flanks to show their equal cutie marks with some flying above them and Night Glider leading two stallions carrying a banner of the equal sign cutie mark.
After the song was over fear came to Electuroo staring at his own cutie mark on his flank. “Y-your kidding... I have no idea what would happen to me if something like that happens!”

“What do you mean?” The blue pegasus with the white and grey mane called Night Glider asked.

Electuroo gulped nervously. “W-well I never earned my cutie mark. I already had it when I came to Equestria. So it part of me and I am part of it. I have zero idea what would happen.” 

Starlight Glimmer step right up to him. “We have no judgements here in our village. Each of us was confused once as well, blinded by the false promise of our cutie marks.”

“But my cutie mark isn't a false promise or blind me, I still do things that doesn't even mean anything to my cutie mark.” Electuroo exclaimed.

Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly. “You can say that again Electuroo, if anything it awesome the way you are. You've showed us that we can do things that outside the box and after that crazy switch around no spell going to make me forget that lesson for a long time!” Rainbow Dash put her wing over him. “So we be keeping our cutie marks.”

“It seems that we no more closer to finding the scout team. Guess we be on our way.” Twilight suggested.

“Have you considered perhaps that you might have been sent here so we could help you? After all, nopony has ever come to our village and wanted to leave.” Starlight walking around them a little as she spoke. “Why should you be any different? But that is entirely your choice.” She stops before Electuroo and Rainbow Dash. “Please enjoy our little corner of Equestria. We're all quite fond of it. No doubt you will be as well.” 

Rainbow Dash whispers to Twilight. “We better find out why they not telling the truth...”

“We will find out why, but we need to buy our time.” She replied.

Fluttershy looked around. “If I didn't know about them holding the guards captive I would be liking this place a bit more.” Fluttershy muttered under her breath. 

Starlight Glimmer turn to Double Diamond. “Double Diamond, please help our guests with whatever they might need.”

“Of course!” He gave a big smile to her.

Electuroo cringed again. “Ok that enough for me!” he flew right into the air and with a thunderous boom flew off towards the mountain line just outside of the village.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes taking to the air. “Girls I'll catch you later. I am going to catch up with our fearless stallion.” Rainbow Dash unleashed a Sonic Rainboom just flying off to catch up with him.

Twilight and the others left looking at each other trying to figure out how to not blow the whole reason that they was there for after the stunt Electuroo just pulled, with Rainbow Dash gone off after him it left them in a scene of two booms from the super magically charged pegasi.

Rainbow Dash quickly saw where Electuroo went to, the speed trail that he left behind faded away but she caught glimpse of it though. Landing where it ended she saw Electuroo close to a large cave opening lying on his back on the rock with wings spread out seem calmer then before and relaxed.

“Electuroo what in the hay was that back there!?” Rainbow Dash instantly asked with an aggressive tone of voice demanding an answer for his freaked out behaviour.   

Electuroo sitting up seeing her storming over to him with each hoof step. Removing the helmet he had been wearing and placed it to the side. “I had the most strangest feeling I ever had in my life and everything in my body was telling me just to get away...”

Rainbow Dash's stormy temper quickly faded upon hearing this. “Say what now?” Now she was confused.

“Almost every inch of my fur was shivering with goosebumps, I felt so tight in my lungs when I breathed and my stomach felt like it was in some mixing bowl. In the back of my mind I felt so much fear as well...” 

Electuroo glance over to his own side. “Even my cutie mark was feeling weird, I never knew this thing could be felt like that...” Electuroo pull the armour up a little and Rainbow Dash took a good look at one of them seeing it pulsing with a faded light.

Rainbow Dash quickly looked at hers and saw the same thing. “I thought it was just me. With the weird feeling around my cutie mark.” Rainbow Dash took off her helmet placing it beside his and sitting down beside him. “Guess whatever causing you to freak out like this must be an warning but we need to figure out why the guard ponies don't have their cutie marks anymore.”

Electuroo put the saddlebag back over on, placing his helmet on his head. “I just can't go back into town. No one or no pony going to tell me otherwise.”

Rainbow Dash put hers back on too and sitting together they look over at the small village in silence  for a few moments.

“Fair enough Sparks, now let...” A glow from the cave caught her eyes. “What in the hay is that?”

Electuroo turn to the source of the light that Rainbow Dash saw. “Not sure, should we check it out?”

Rainbow Dash tap her hoof on his helmet. “What do you think?”

“No?” He smirked and Rainbow Dash took a swipe for his head but Electuroo ducked. “Too...” 

WHACK!

Electuroo got hit by a powerful whack from Rainbow Dash's right wing sending him flying into the cave landing on his belly with legs spread out. “Slow? Nah and get your lazy flank up, you can easily take a hit like that.”

Electuroo stood up pushing his tilted helmet back into position. “I deserved that.” He chuckled softly. 

“Sure did Sparks!” She chuckled back and they trot slowly deeper into the cave.

They only walked for a minute when they came across a large glowing wall of glass and behind them in each box they saw cutie marks of all types within it. “What the fuck...”

“Sometimes I hate it when you say that but this time...” Rainbow Dash step around the pendlestone holding up a stick and looked up at the vault before them. “This is totally weirding me out.” She place a hoof on the glass looking directly at one of the cutie marks shaped of a balloon with streamers. “I bet this one Party Favor's...”

“I think your right.” Electuroo looking at each of them. “Rainbow Dash...”

“What is...” Rainbow Dash saw the cutie marks of Flim and Flam. “You got to be bucking kidding me! Flim and Flam are here!?”

“It looks like it but their cutie marks they not golden hazed any more...” Electuroo noticed the cutie marks look very normal. “Remember when they came to Ponyville two weeks ago, they had that weird gold haze over the cutie marks and found out they was working with the Raiders of the east of Equestria to try and take over Ponyville.” Electuroo recalling the events.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah tell me about it, they was a bunch of slim ball double crossing no good for nothing corrupted ponies...”

They spent about half a hour looking at each cutie mark in the vault taking into account how many ponies lived in the village below, Electuroo fear was making sense to Rainbow Dash now. Some must have been forced into this and the pieces of the puzzle was starting to put together as they studied what was before them, with this many ponies with their magic still within as well their horns, wings and strong hooves. 

“With this many ponies we could really get things stable if they willing to help, even I hate this equalisation thing going on below. It seem whatever done to make it happen removes the corrupted magic within the ponies too.” Electuroo taking into account the two cutie marks that look very normal now.

“Yeah they do, stra-” Rainbow Dash saw Gold Wing's cutie mark. “Gold Wing's cutie mark...”

Electuroo saw it too flying up to level up with it. “I see Shield Spell Cutie Mark too! And Iron Hoof...”

“The scouts. But if that the case...” Rainbow Dash quickly heard the sound of hoof steps and talking echoing through the cave. “Hide!” She hissed and both of them flew up to small openings they found and hid inside them as the hoof steps came closer.

The two pegasi watched the entrance to see Starlight Glimmer trot in followed by their friends and Double Diamond just behind them. “Behold!” Starlight Glimmer put a hoof out to the vault “Our cutie mark vault!” Twilight and the others stared at the vault of cutie marks before them.

“I've never seen anything like it!” Twilight looking up and down the vault seeing all the cutie marks.

Starlight Glimmer walking over to the staff as she spoke to the five ponies. “And here is the Staff of Sameness. It was one of the great mage Meadowbrook's nine enchanted items.” Twilight look as she didn't believe Starlight.

Rainbow Dash and Electuroo watched this unfold. “Something up with that staff...”

“We are incredibly fortunate to have it here.” She held it in her magic beside her. Starlight Glimmer stared at the stick as she spoke. “This is the tool that allows us to free ourselves from our marks!” Starlight raise her head now looking over at them. “I'm curious – how did the subject of the vault come up?” 

Pinkie Pie turn her eyes away as she spoke. “Oh, some ponies were telling us how much they missed their cutie marks, and—”

“Pinkie!”

“Opps...” Pinkie Pie place her on the snout.

“Were they? Well, it seems you inspire all sorts of free thinking” Starlight twisting the stick around with a smirk and turn into a anger glare. “Don't you?”

Rarity laughs nervously. “Well, w-we certainly didn't intend to cause any disruptions to your charming little—”

Starlight Glimmer was in Rarity's face. “Good. Let's just make sure of that, shall we?” Rarity backs up into Double Diamond as she speaks to Rarity.

“It's a trap!” Twilight yelled out seeing more appear all around them, they had no horns or wings to get out of this mess, they all knew there was no escape without any form of magic.

Starlight Glimmer aims the staff at them. Electuroo shook his head to Rainbow Dash to not blow their cover, she grit her teeth and watch helplessly but the expression on the stallion's face made her look at him with a frown. It was dead serious...

Starlight Glimmer fires the magic through the staff at the five ponies but after a few seconds nothing happened at all, the looked over themselves in confusion and at Starlight Glimmer who dropped the staff with a huge gasp. Followed by all the equalisation cutie mark ponies, they never seen any pony be unaffected by the staff before. 

“H-how is this possible!?” Starlight took hold of the staff with her magic and focused it right on Twilight's cutie mark but nothing happened again, she focused more energy into it and no results. “This is impossible! How can you five be unaffected by the staff of Sameness!?”

Pinkie Pie just gave a deadpan look at Starlight. “Because we almost don't have any magic, duh! By making us the same you be giving us something we do not have anymore. We learned to live without the need of what our cutie marks represent.” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in a motionless way making some ponies lose their creepy smiles all together. 

Pinkie Pie then smiled bouncing up and down a few times. “We learning to use the strength within to do things! It really cool! I even retaught myself to bake all sorts of tasty treats!”

“Ah say to that Pinkie Pie, workin' day in and out at Sweet Apple Acres just relying on mah hooves and not what mah cutie mark use to represent means ah can do it even without mah Earth Pony magic.” Applejack backing up Pinkie Pie both not smiled.

Twilight stared at her cutie mark knowing that was representing magic but she was now using that pervious skill to good use, it taking time but without her horn it been trying. “My cutie mark showed I was good at magic but since then I had to learn to use a different form of magic. The things I done and learned is that friendship is strong and we working together to try and help those in need shows we got what it takes.”

Starlight Glimmer caught sight of a shadow from one of the fissures above. “That maybe true for you but what about your two guard friends?” The magic holding up the staff once again by her side. “Would that be the say for Rainbow Dash and...” She aims right for the fissure. “Electuroo!” She fires it right at him.

Electuroo had no time to react when the beam of magic hit him, the feeling of his cutie mark being pulled from his flank felt extremely painful so much so that he let out a blood-curdling cry. All the equalized ponies eyes shrunk and they pull their heads back with horror on their faces, they never seen this happen to anypony.

When it finally was ripped from his body Electuroo just fell on to the ground hard, the world suddenly started to fade for him, Rainbow Dash cried out with anger and fury as she leap right at Starlight Glimmer. The last thing he saw was her getting hit by the same magic beam, the pain just was too much for him and the darkness overcame him.

Rainbow Dash felt very weak but it didn't stop her from getting to Electuroo's side, she held him up looking at the equal size cutie mark on his flank and what she had too. But what was worse over it she couldn't do anything to stop this from happening. “Electuroo...” 

“I might not be able to get all of your marks, but I don't blame you for what you tried to do here today.” She step up to them with the others. “You've spent your whole lives thinking those marks are a good thing.”

Rainbow Dash had tears falling and gaze at her. “G-give El-Electuroo's cutie mark back... Pl-lease...”

“Well, now you can spend the rest of your lives here with us! And we'll teach you just how much better life can be without your cutie marks!” They stood in a equal sign formation. “Even those I couldn't remove your marks. I will discover how to remove your mark to you as equal as your friends already became.” The five ponies stood in a circle around Rainbow Dash holding to Electuroo blinded in fear of what might happen to him now...





 
> Chapter 6: The Years That Stood Still Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Black Mirror
Chapter 6:  The Years That Stood Still Part 3  



1 month 3 days after Goldenmare's Victory 

Twilight Sparkle and her friends part from Rainbow Dash and Electuroo stood before the cutie mark vault once more. Starlight Glimmer holding the wooden staff with her magic preparing to use it on them, a few ponies watched as she attempted it again.

“Why doesn't it work!?” Starlight failed to remove their cutie marks with this attempt she put more magic into it but it ended the same. “We will have to try again, tomorrow.” Starlight Glimmer put the staff down walking up to the five ponies. 

Rarity just causally shook her head. “Darling we been coming up here for three days. Don't you think it would of worked the first time?”

“I do think so too... Can we just go home with our friends please?” Fluttershy begged her to let them go.

Starlight Glimmer walking around them. “No, I will discover a way to use the 'sameness' on you five and when I do we be able to do with any pony with this lack of magic you speak of.” Starlight turn directly to Twilight Sparkle. “You haven't spoken at all miss ex-alicorn. Why so silent?”

Twilight eyes wasn't on her but on the staff she been doing some real deep thinking and putting the pieces together day by day. “You said there was nine artefacts right?”

“Ah you finally speak and yes. Now take them back to Double Dimoand's house, we going to try and bring our new friends into our bound of friendship once more.” The two stallion pegasus ponies nod, they walk with the five mares back to town.

Starlight Glimmer took a look at the staff with a frown upon her face. “She knows it isn't magical... But then why Party Favor, Sugar Belle and Night Glider have refused to rejoin the community?” Starlight Glimmer was split on what to do, in just three days everything that been worked for was now falling apart.

She left the vault cave heading back to the village to see if any of the ponies were to join them this time around, for extra caution Starlight had stored away all recent visitors cutie marks in jars at her own house until she was very sure they had joined the community.

Inside the house that was holding Rainbow Dash and the others that had their cutie marks removed, she was attending to Electuroo who most of the time lay on the bed in pain for the most part. “His not looking so hot.” Night Glider whispered to her friends watching as Rainbow Dash put another damp cloth on Electuroo's forehead tending to his needs.

Sugar Belle noticed under the sheets just catching her eyes on the equal cutie mark. “It something to do with the cutie mark.”

“Are you saying that the equalization cutie mark is having an negative effect on him? But why only him and not us?” Party Favor whispered. 

“I don't know, we had it for quite some time and we perfectly fine to the point we neither worse or better then each other. But when he screamed out when the cutie mark was removed it was the first time we seen any pony react so badly to the equalization effect.” Sugar Belle getting her voice low so only Night Glider and Party Favor heard, the other ponies was busy talking about a way to get their cutie marks still. 

Night Glider glance out the window seeing the group of ponies returning to Double Diamond's home. “Talking about Equalization, look.” They looked through the window seeing Twilight and the others entering, just before the door closed Double Diamond looked right at them without the smile and shook his head before shutting the door completely.

Gold Wing sitting against the wall with his forelegs over his head glance over to them. “The spell needs the cutie mark to have magical energy to remove it and replace it with the equal cutie mark like ours, but without that magic the cutie mark only a mark on either side the flank.”

“You know she not stop till she find a way to remove them and replace with the same marks we have.” Night Glider replied. “We thought that being equal was the right thing but now I am not even sure.”

Sugar Belle sighed. “I miss making cooks treats... Those muffins we all make are just horrible...” 

Gold Wing notice movement outside the window. “Well be ready to put on your true face because here she comes again.”

Party Favor groans. “I just want everypony to be happy! Why can't Starlight see that having our cutie marks back won't make a differences to how we feel about each other as friends!”

Gold Wing chuckled. “A pony that determined to make this town equal and nothing more.”

Flim and Flam spoke up. “Well we don't want our cutie marks back!” Flim started

“Indeed brother of mine, if we get them back we return to being one of those corrupted ponies!” Flam finished.

“Are you sure of that?” One of Gold Wing's team spoke up. “What if it gone and your...”

Flam shook his head. “I can feel it inside me, this equal cutie mark keeping it at bay.”

Rainbow Dash glared at them. “And what of Electuroo huh? Look at him!”

They all looked at the stallion in bed in pain. “Well it not our fault he not a complete pony like us.”

“Indeed br...” Both stallions got a double whammy hit from Rainbow Dash with a twisting right hind leg twist knocking them into each other and against a wall with a thud.

“How dare you speak like that when even without the corrupted cutie marks you still as selfish and two faced as always! You two never learn!” Rainbow Dash shouted at them picking up a plate to throw it at them but Gold Wing took her foreleg with his hoof. 

“Rainbow Dash... Don't do anything stupid, they not worth the energy. Focus on Electuroo, he needs you more then ever.”

“Gah!” She let goes and go back to Electuroo's side. “El-Electuroo come on bud you can pull through this...” She whispered to him with tears flowing freely down her face onto his face.

Electuroo eyes slowly open he looking up at her. “R-Rain-Rainbow...”

“I'm here you idiot. How are you feeling?”

“S-So tired... Pain...”

“It ok I'm here.” She put her hoof on his looking into his big brown eyes with her own moderate cerise eyes. “I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you. I promise!”

“Don't make a promise if you can't keep it...” Electuroo muttered with a soft painful chuckle and close his eyes again.

Rainbow Dash moved her hoof to the side of his snout. “I plan to make this promise come true. I won't let you down Sparks.” She closed her eyes letting a deep sigh. 

When Rainbow Dash opened them she found herself sitting at a wooden table with hot cup of tea before her. Looking around quickly she came face to face with the elderly wizard Merlin sitting on the otherside of the table on a cloud drifting among the stars and planets. 

“Sugar?” Merlin spoke with a hand out with a bowl of sugar before her in a magical field.

Rainbow Dash blinked trying to process what was going on. “Erm... Sure two...”

Merlin put two spoon full in and stir the tea. “Your trying to figure this place out aren't you?” He calmly spoke as he picked up his tea taking a sip out of it. 

“Yeah kinda...” Rainbow Dash took her tea and drunk some of it. “So where the hay are we? The Dream Realm?”

“Indeed it took a good deal of focus and magic to just get you to sit at this table with me to enjoy this tea.” Merlin answered. “It was quite difficult with this mark on you.” He waved his hand showing a black equal sign between them. 

Rainbow Dash stared at the symbol. “Then how the hay did you get in contact with me in this place then?”

Merlin made the symbol disappear with an wave of the hand. “I had to use equal force to apply this contact, but why I am contacting you now after what happened with Goldenmare is to do with one simple life form. Something that you must resolve soon.” Merlin pulled out a apple from one of his sleeves placing it before Rainbow Dash. 

Rainbow Dash took it with her two front hooves and taking a bite out of it she gasped, spitting it out and throwing the apple on the table. “What the heck are you trying to pull!” She saw that it was a orange inside the skin of the apple.

Merlin took the bitten apple with his right hand and rose it up to place his other hand over it making it whole again. “What do you think Electuroo is?”

“A pegasus duh!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“On the outside yes, but what of him in the inside?” 

Rainbow Dash watch him cut the apple with a knife and show the inners of it. “Human, why are you asking me what I already know.”

“Because it over looked.” Merlin shows the core being partly apple on the outside and inside orange. “Think of this core as his cutie mark, a balance between human and pony.” 

“Okay...”

Merlin zaps it and the core is replaced by a pure apple core. “Now what do you see.”

“His cutie mark been changed and the orange...” Rainbow Dash watch it become rotten and turn to dust and blows away. “Merlin what the hay up with the fruit, it becoming hollow.”

Merlin place it down before her. “Exactly and what would happen to the fruit if it becomes hollow?”

“It be a apple that emp-” Rainbow Dash swallowed hard. She couldn't speak what was witnessed was happening to Electuroo. She didn't see it at all but now it was clear as day and this been going on for three days. “Electuroo! I got to get his cutie mark back at once!”

Merlin smiled warmly. “There you go Rainbow Dash, this chat been brief but at least you see it clearly now.” He tap her on the snout with his finger. “But if the worst comes to happen there is one more way to save him.”

“And that is?”

“You already have that answer Rainbow Dash, it been right in front of you all this time.” Merlin got up opening a bag he pulled out of now where and tap the table, in a flash it shrunk and entered his bag, closing it up Merlin turn and leaves.

Rainbow Dash chases after him. “Come back here Merlin you need to give me a straight answer!”

Merlin took one last look at her. “The straight answer you seek is plain and simple, I can not solve everything for you. Farewell for now my young friend and good luck.” Rainbow Dash saw a barrier  appear between her and him as it turn solid and she hardly could see him through it. “The magic to get in contact with you is fading, I am sorry but from this part onwards your on your own, I be unable to talk to you ever again unless you able to break free from the time spell Nilrem created... Good luck...” 

Everything fades instantly from that point forward Rainbow Dash trying to break through the barrier.

“MERLIN!” 

“Rainbow?” She quickly saw that her hoof was on Electuroo side of the snout and looked at Gold Wing staring at her as well all the ponies around stopping their conversation half way through. “Why are you calling out a dead wizards name from 6000 years ago?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Not so much, he speaks within the dream realm. And just did to me with his magic.”

“How? You just finished speaking to Electuroo before he blacked out again and then you cried out that name.” Night Glider responded with an confused expression on her face showed on all around.

“How the hay am I suppose to know! All I know is that because Electuroo isn't truly a pony on the inside that stupid cutie mark is destroying him!” Rainbow Dash Snapped at Night Glider wings flared open. “I don't even care about getting mine back! About how awesome I should be or even if I can fly fast again! I only care now to save his life!”

“We all equal nothing less nothing more.” Party Favor raise his two front hooves up in equal height. “That what it does. How can it be different for him?” He points the hoof at Electuroo.

Rainbow Dash growled under her breath and decided to let them in on it. “Because he not a pony! He was turned into one when arriving in our world! He a human and the reason he been ok is because of his cutie mark! Merlin showed me that without it the magic of that stupid mark we have on us is trying to balance something that it can't balance!” 

Gold Wing's eyes lit up getting off the wall by the window he quickly trotted over to her. “Of course! The magic is trying to balance magic! The ponies without their magic can still live because they are not human but because his human still in there and humans have basically no magical energy within them, the spell Merlin placed on our world is still in effect too! The magic of this cutie mark can't equalize something that not of our world so it takes the next best thing...”

“And that is?” Sugar Belle gulped upon hearing this.

“Destroy the human energy... Basically his soul...” Gold Wing felt his throat tighten and a sickening feeling well deep within his gut. 

Rainbow Dash notice the dead silence in the room with all looking away knowing that now Electuroo was dying from within, not physically, not mentally or internally but the very thing that those would call a soul, the human was being ripped apart and she knew the answer was. 

Action was needed! “He needs that cutie mark back before it too late!”

Party Favor turn to his friends. “If it means him getting better I agree.”

“I do too but how?” Sugar Belle asked.

“Maybe one of us could say we very sorry and would never do it again. Maybe...” Night Glider looked over to Party Favor with a smirk. “I know the perfect pony to act.”

Sugar Belle also smiled. “What do you say Party Favor?”

He nods. “Alright I'll do it! Saving his life is what is mostly important right now!”

Rainbow Dash blinked a few times. “Wow you really will do that?”

“If it means saving Electuroo's life. Then yes.” Party Favor answered.

Rainbow Dash hugged him. “Thank you. Your awesome in my books Party Favor.”

He return the hug and let go. “Alright! Here is what we going to do!” He wave all the ponies to gather and he start whispering to each of them. 

An short time later Starlight Glimmer had gathered most of the ponies part from Double Diamond who watched from his home's window alongside the five ponies that couldn't have their cutie marks removed from her magic. 

Rarity sighed. “Here we go again...”

Double Diamond sitting by the table decided to get up and trot over to the window. “I did notice the yellow one looked weaker when walking out yesterday, is he ok?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not at the least, I been thinking about the effect of the equalization having on him and it isn't good. Last night I woke up with a horrible thought and it been keeping me awake since.” Twilight went to the other window looking out of it. “Knowing Rainbow Dash she most likely just figured that out herself and now really scared for his life...”

“Wait what!?” Double Diamond gasped. “Why would it be harming him!?”

“Because he was human! Duh!” Pinkie Pie answered. “Here look.” She showed him a pair of photos. “That one on the left is him human and that the one you know Electuroo as.”

Fluttershy stared at the photos too. “Where did you get them Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie Pie pulled out the album from her mane. “In here of course! I might not have my pony magic but I still got my Pinkie Sense and such! No magic in there! Just me!” She giggled and looked at... “Yeah no crazy almost stand still magic getting that!” She hissed. 

“It took me three weeks to just get cooking cup cakes again and working at half or three quarters or well maybe more or not of the magic in me! I can't even eat a lot of my sugary treats too! It been a nightmare of a month so far and I have to go with that for how long!? Tell me! You...”

Pinkie Pie still ranting and raving had everypony in the room stare at her, thankfully Double Diamond draw the attention away. “Is she talking a wall?” Double Diamond asked with confusion at what he was seeing. 

Twilight sighed. “Guess somethings Goldenmare's magical spell didn't take away or somehow Pinkie Pie managed to get back. This is what we call normal for Pinkie Pie Double Diamond.” Twilight glance back at Pinkie Pie. “How exactly did?”

“Not telling!” Pinkie Pie bounce back to Twilight's side and looked out the window. “Oh why don't Double Diamond sneak out while Starlight got everypony distracted and get his cutie mark back?”

They looked really surprised. “That is a really good idea Pinkie Pie.” Rarity put her hoof on the underside of the snout tapping a few times.

Double Diamond grinned. “I'll do it! Not just for him but for all the ponies here in town! I got to know each and one of you and now know that Starlight Glimmer going all about this wrong and I want to set it right.” 

Fluttershy smiled warmly hugging him. “Thank you Double Diamond! Your a really good friend.”

“That I am” He answered. “But Twilight after you got back this morning you look really bothered by something, what is it?”

Twilight shrugs. “I can't really say for sure but I am certain that staff she uses isn't what it seem to be. Unless I get a really good look at it I can't give a real answer.” Twilight explained to him. “But we wait till after Electuroo be restored ok?”

“Ok.” They watched for the perfect timing as the ponies gathered and Starlight Glimmer stood before it to ask once more who be joining them in the town.

“Look they coming out but I don't see Electuroo anywhere. Do you?” Fluttershy was very concern.

“Indeed darling...”

Outside the long row of ponies formed, their colour drained and all had the expressions of the unhappiest of faces could see. Rainbow Dash eyes half open glaring at Starlight Glimmer as she approached each of them walking from the left to the right as she spoke to them all.

“I trust you had a pleasant night? We've come to ask if any of you are ready to join us! There are so many friends to be made once you realize you don't need your cutie marks or the talents that come with them. And for those to realise that they are fine as they are now.” Starlight Glimmer stops looking carefully at each of the three ponies that decided to part from the town. 

Rainbow  Dash snorted catching her attention away from the three ponies. “As if we had a pleasant night! Haven't you noticed there one pony less in this line up or your just ignoring the fact Electuroo is getting worse since you slap that stupid mark on him!” Rainbow Dash raising her voice at every hoof fall Starlight Glimmer made coming up to the rainbow mane pony. 

“Why exactly is he important about all this? I noticed that no pony ever asked for their marks yet they all want him to have his back.” Starlight now seen the eyes shift a little. “Explain to me why?”

Rainbow Dash just answered with one word. “Human.”

“Human? What exact is 'human?” 

“That what Electuroo was before ending up here in our world! His cutie mark is unlike anything! If he doesn't get it back he'd die!” Rainbow Dash told her straight in the face and got mutters of agreement from most of the ponies in line and others all questioning this. “I don't give a damn about mine at the moment, all I care about is getting his back right now to just save his life! The equalization process you speak of is killing him!”

Starlight just waved it off with a hoof. “Pfff! Please you really think I believe that rubbish. It starts off with one cutie mark then two and soon every pony will say they falling sick and want it back! You really think that would work?” She glares at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves sitting on her rump. “Fine! Don't believe me! Live in your stupid little perfect world and watch it shatter because you wouldn't do the right thing and save Electuroo from dying!” 

Starlight shook her head with a heavy sigh. “I am sorry every pony it seem they don't want to join to-”

“Please don't send me back in there! I don't want to even look at my cutie mark again! I just want to be with my friends again!” Party Favor broke the lines and rushed out to her and put his front hooves around her front hooves with begging eyes.

“It good that somepony is seeing sense, very well Party Favor wel-”

Starlight Glimmer was interrupted again and at the same time Double Diamond had open his door to sneak out. But he froze in mid step as he saw Electuroo with a hoof to the door frame for support stand there breathing heavily after he spoken a word. “Sunburst...” 

Party Favor quickly turn and gasped seeing Electuroo limping with each of his four hooves landing with a lot of effort made to stand before Starlight Glimmer who was now giving him a very dark hard look at the stallion. “Where did you hear that name!?”

Rainbow Dash raced to his side as fast she could get her body to move but he raised the left foreleg shaking his head. “No Rainbow... No Time...”

“B-but...”

“Pl... Please...” Rainbow Dash stood back and let Electuroo speak. “A friend... Saw...” Electuroo had trouble getting his words out and he breathed heavily. “Everything that... happened to...” He whizzed making Rainbow Dash even more edgy and other ponies as well, even Twilight and the others gathered among the other ponies. “You back then shouldn't effect... what happens... now...”

Starlight Glimmer anger was building by the second and she grabbed him by her magic pulling the weaken stallion right close to her. “Your friend had no right to spy on my life!”

“Unless it was Merlin” Twilight speaks up and they all turn to her. “He is trapped in a layer between reality and dreams, all he can do is watch everything that happens.”

“Merlin showed me... Everything... I saw it... Forcing this... isn't right...”

“You don't know anything part from what you saw! I had nothing after that! I didn't even make another friend because of the cutie mark pulled our friendship apart! It was because of that cutie mark! That why I did this! Because what could happen to others like it happened to me! We equal and that makes us no different to each other!” Starlight Glimmer spoke out in rage at Electuroo dropping him on the ground. “You are no different! You only want it back to-”

Electuroo groan as Rainbow Dash aids him to get on his hooves but barely able to. “Too late...”

“What?”

“When you... you... Removed my cutie...” He took a sharp breath and spoke a little bit more. “Mark it... Sealed my fate...” He whispered whizzing and falls on his foreleg knees breathing getting more harder by the second now. “It not a... Normal mark... It protected me... Where I from... No cutie mark... everyone different... no magic...” 

Rainbow Dash helped him onto his side. “What does he mean by no marks and no magic? Explain!” Starlight Glimmer demanded answers.

Rainbow Dash was in tears with Electuroo head resting against her stomach as she rubbed her right front hoof on the side of his snout. “Please say it not true Electuroo! Please say we can just put it back on you and you'd be better!”

“No better... It unstable... Putting it back would only... end the same...” 

“No it can't be like that! It just can't!”

“Somepony better answer me now!” Starlight Glimmer raised her voice.

Rainbow Dash snouted. “I don't give a buck about answering you! He going to die and it all your fault!”

“How removing his cutie mark is killing him!? It impossible!” Starlight snapped.

Twilight steps up with her friends. “Because he not of our world, Merlin long ago before any of us even could remember placed a spell on our world stopping humans from stepping hoof on our lands again. Only way the mirror that brought him here could make sure that didn't happen was make him a pony like us and give him something that would match Electuroo, I don't completely understand it but Wind Note and him created their characters out of drawings and writing that some how was read by the mirror through their thoughts yet that another theory that I can't...” Twilight stops seeing them all staring in silence. 

“Hehe opps...” 

“Highly unlikely!” Starlight grumbled. “That far to crazy to believe and I won't have it. All of you back in the house and we-” A glow caught her corner of the eye. “Now what!?” She turns and the eyes widen to the sight of her house, the electrical energy bouncing around the house.

“Rainbow.... Sorry... And Starlight... I forgive...” Starlight stares at him in a instant seeing the eyes look right back at her, she had tears start to form seeing that stare, he wasn't making it up, she had destroyed his life and this was it.

“What...” She whispered

“Nothing to be sorry about Sparks. I love you for who you are. So please stay with me! For that at least!”

Electuroo blink with tears rolling down his snout. “Love you... Skittles.” He whispered closing his eyes and letting out one final breath of air.

“Electuroo... Electuroo! ELECTUROO!!!!!!” Rainbow Dash tears fell as she burst out crying holding the limp body as a huge explosion of lightning rip into the sky destroying the house, a blast wave of sound rip through blowing out all the windows around.

That wasn't the only thing the cutie marks from within the house was freed and returning to their true owners, the thunderous boom reached the caves and within the sound shattered the vault causing all marks to come flying out and return to the ponies once belonged too. Starlight Glimmer was knocked over as many was and she landed in a puddle of water rolling to a stop.

She watched the cutie marks restored to every one of the ponies and took one look at her flank the paint that hid her cutie mark was gone. Starlight Glimmer slowly got up to have a hoof out to her, taking it she stood back up to come eye to eye with a elderly brown unicorn with a white mane, bread covering most of the snout and hanging down it too, wearing a purple cloak. 

His calm old brown eyes looked into her own with a gentle smile he whispers into her ear and with a few blinks of surprise from what she heard she found herself standing alone staring at what was left of the home she had and the damage to the town, not only that the still form that laid before with Rainbow Dash holding him with tears still falling, she had her mark back but his was...

Nothing... She saw no mark at all. The ponies, his friends had all gathered with sadness in their eyes with tears falling as Electuroo now laid there dead. The words from the stallion echoed in her mind and with each step to them Starlight Glimmer had to make right her wrongs.

And the chances of that was... 50/50
> Chapter 7:  The Years That Stood Still Part 4 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Black Mirror
Chapter 7:  The Years That Stood Still Part 4  



1 month 3 days after Goldenmare's Victory 

Starlight went to the aid of the ponies being Twilight and her friends under some pieces of her home. “Party Favor, Night Glider help me!” She called out and they quickly came to her aid, with them restored to their truesleves they managed to remove the debris. 

Double Diamond help some of them to their hooves. “Are you all ok?”

“Yeah...” Twilight took his hoof and got back up on hers. “How are you?”

“Feeling pretty good being back to normal. The vault most of been shattered from that explosion. What exactly was that?” Double Diamond turn to the ruins of Starlight Glimmer's home.

Starlight continue to aid others and answered. “That was Electuroo's cutie mark exploding...” 

Sugar Belle blinked. “Wh-what? How can a cutie mark explode?”

“Because they was right and I knew...” Starlight answered again.

“WHAT!?” Rainbow Dash screamed out. “How can you know and still do this!?”

Starlight glared at her stomping her hoof hard. “I had to! If I didn't none of this would happen and who knows what would happen if I didn't!”

“What the heck does that mean?” Applejack now asked. “Yer better make sense sugarcube.”

Twilight was curious now walking up to the unicorn. “What do you mean you had to?”

Starlight sighed sitting down on her rump looking over to her ruined home. “I don't have time to explain all I can say is that Rainbow Dash need to take Electuroo right now and fly fast as you can, no slowing down, just go faster and faster.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash lower Electuroo's still body off her and got onto her hooves. “How can that help me!?”

“The connection of the magic mirrors are one path, when you touched the energy of two became one for a second and in that transferences of magical energy and life force a part of him stayed within you, how I can't say for sure but with all that extra magical energy in you at the moment you could maybe use your speed to do something impossible.” Starlight Glimmer explained to Rainbow Dash looking directly at Electuroo as she spoke. 

“Yo-”

“If there a chance it is now, the more time we waste chatting the less chance you have to bring back Electuroo. What have you got to lose?” Starlight Glimmer interrupted Rainbow Dash instantly looking directly into the eyes of the cyan pegasi. “Worst case I am wrong and you do whatever you wish of me...”

Fluttershy took the chance to speak with the silence that came right after with at first none of the ponies saying anything even the guard ponies and the two brothers, Flim and Flam. “Rainbow Dash I-I... Think it worth a try...”

“You really think so?” Rainbow Dash asked her best friend from Cloudsdale. 

“Y-yes...”

“Ah have to agree Rainbow it worth a shot. Ah'll get some ropes to...”

Rainbow Dash flapping her wings hovered over Electuroo with both forelegs over and under each of Electuroo's. “No time Applejack, if you all think I got to do this and the chance of saving Electuroo's life. Then I will take it.” Rainbow Dash flapping her wings a few strong beats lift him up with simple ease. 

Gold Wing look around at the sky quickly and pulled out one of his feathers and give it to Rainbow Dash. “This should help create a stable magical field around you when you go faster then sound itself.”

Dash looked at the feather in her mane that he placed there. “How is a gold feather going to do that?”

“Trust me I haven't got a clue. At the end it magic so don't question it and do it now before we flap around and chat all day. You got a coltfriend to save.” He grinned as she blushed heavily. “Skittles.”

Rainbow Dash grumbled under her breath. “I'll get you back for that Gold Wing.” Rainbow Dash gains more height looking around the town with a smirk came to her snout. “I'll be back before ya know it everypony! See ya soon!” With a few powerful flaps she takes off in a blinding speed into the distance creating a Sonic Rainboom soon afterwards.

Rarity with a hoof over her eyes watch Rainbow Dash disappear into the horizon. “Darling how would we know it worked?”

Twilight shrugs. “I don't know, whatever this have to do with Rainbow Dash flying faster and faster got me beat. I am trying to figure it out and it driving me nuts!” Twilight screeched a little at the end. 

The ponies all talking about it all looking at the sky for anything as well, minutes past and nothing seem to happen. Starlight Glimmer stood in front of what was her home now only the foundations and the hidden passage exposed. “Well I hope this stupid plan was worth it, not only I lost my home but everything I worked for a better place...” She grumbled.

Twilight walked up alongside her. “What exactly was this plan?”

Starlight caught glimpse of the elderly stallion. “Why don't you ask the jackass behind the plan himself...” 

“Huh?” Twilight turn her head to the left seeing nothing then to the right to see a brown unicorn with grey hooves, white mane, tail and bread with a purple cape standing before her. “You got Starlight Glimmer to do that to Rainbow Dash!?”

“Indeed my dear young friend. It had to happen or this wouldn't have happened.” The elderly unicorn answered calmly to the enraged pony about to charge at him but frozen in place. 

“Merlin!?” 

“Yes it me and the reason behind this outrageous plan is about to fly over in ten seconds.” 

Twilight frowned at the words he gave her and about to protest when she turn to the direct he was looking at. On cue of ten exact seconds a rainbow streak shot right over at blinding speeds and just as fast it came it was gone. “Sweet Celestia! She flying faster then I ever seen her fly before!” 

Merlin chuckled lightly. “She be crossing over again in about 30 seconds or so and then less time after that and then less after that. After about seven trips she be catching up to her own rainbow trail and over it take it.”

“Ho-how do you know this!?” 

Starlight was about to ask this as well but her jaw just dropped at what was walking up to them behind Twilight. “N-no way...”

Twilight quickly spun around and gasped. Standing before her was no other then Rainbow Dash and Electuroo both wearing red puffer sleeveless jackets with sunglasses on their heads. “Guess who back from the future!” Both said together with smirks on their faces.

The other ponies saw the rainbow streak go over again faster this time and fading not as fast as before. But what shocked them even more was seeing Rainbow Dash and Electuroo, Pinkie Pie bounced over to them and gave Electuroo a huge hug. “Oh gosh Electuroo! Your alive! Your breathing!”

Electuroo hugged her back. “Pretty much.” He answered and let go. “Been alive for over a year or two.” He said looking at each of them. “It going to be tricky to explain but we arrived back about a month ago.”

“Month ago? Sugarcube how is that even possible?”

Merlin step up between the two pegasi. “Time and dimensional travel Miss Applejack.” 

Applejack looked at him dead in the eyes. “Yer that old pony that came by Sweet Apple Acres two weeks ago. Ah know those eyes.” 

“Indeed I am, 'guilty as charged' as you youngsters say it.” Merlin smiled putting his hoof on her right shoulder. “As for how I am really here and a Unicorn that because of Miss Dash here.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Merlin we been through this so many times already! It Dash, Rainbow Dash or Rainbow. Not Miss Dash!”

Merlin looked around as the crowd gather. “Twilight are you ok?” 

Rainbow Dash smirked seeing that twitch in her eye. “T-time travel... Dim-dimensional tr-travel... Brought back...” Twilight eyes rolled up and she fell over backwards with a hind leg twitching after the fall.

Electuroo just shook his head. “Rainbow I own you ten bits.”

“Yep you do.” Rainbow Dash replied and they watch another streak and followed by another. “Whelp, let get Twi into a bed and we will explain what happened.”

“I am for one that want to know because I was put through all this and it was part of you three plan!” Starlight Glimmer stomped her hoof hard. “This was all part of your stupid plan to get him back alive and I want to know why it had to cost what I was doing here!” 

Electuroo and Rainbow Dash looked to each other and back at Starlight. “Because fear of not getting another friend over gaining a cutie mark and moving on isn't the answer your seeking Starlight. You got friends here.” Electuroo said calmly to her.

Starlight blinked. “H-how...”

“You told me.” Electuroo pulled out with his hoof a pair of bands and toss it over to her.

Starlight caught them with her magic and looked at it. “Wait this is one of my mane bands from when I was a child. But I got them right here.” She showed the pair and looked at the others. “The other me from this other Equestria wasn't it?”

“Pretty much. Took some crazy time events when you was trying to change history from Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom to finally come to terms and have new friends.” Electuroo said making the ponies look at each other talking quietly. “But that was you there and not here.”

“Don't bother trying to get your head around this time travel dimensional thingy, I been through it from going to that Equestria to getting home and arriving a month before all this.” Rainbow Dash pull out her hoof to the land around and looked up. “Wow so that what it looked like from down here. Never thought I see myself flying.”

“Sugarcube ya have no idea how weird it is for us.” Applejack step up to Electuroo. “But it good to see it did work Electuroo.”

Electuroo flap his wings a little before resting them against his sides. “It was weird for me too waking up at the Wonderbolt Academy after I should have been dead. Magic just something I can't understand, just one of those things you go along with and keep a open mind.” Electuroo gave her a hug. “But it good to see you again Applejack, same to all of you.”

“Oh darling it is.” Rarity next hugged him and pulled away looking at both him and Rainbow Dash. “Those outfits what exactly are they?”

“Back to the Future. It something Electuroo said about and we got Rarity in the other Equestria to make them for us before we returned.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “It is your hoof work.”

“Indeed I can see.” Rarity replied taking a good look at their jackets. “It good to know the plan worked.”

Fluttershy next hugged Electuroo and Rainbow Dash. “I am glad you two are ok. And now we got a new friend. It makes me feel warm.”

“Indeed it does Miss Flutershy.” Merlin bow his head slightly as the speed of the past Dash was now so fast it seem there was many of her. “The ring is forming and soon she will crash into me.”

“Oh so that why I been getting that weird feeling in my tongue and back legs since it begun! It a new Pinkie Sense I had a month ago! I couldn't just place it and now I know!”  Pinkie Pie giggled.

All of the ponies part from Twilight who was out cold watch the rainbow ring glow brighter till it exploded in two directions in the sky rippling outwards across the sky and over their heads, the two waves fading as they travel beyond the horizon. 

Double Diamond notice Rainbow Dash had zoomed off and returned with a scruff tossing it at him. “Here I believe it yours.”

He looked at it resting on his front hooves. “It is! I left this with my skis back on the slope when I first met Starlight! Thank you Rainbow Dash.”

“Don't sweat it!”

Starlight put the bands with the others. “Till Twilight recovers how about we clean up this place? And afterwards you three can explain everything that happened to you.”

“Sure.”

“I got no problem with that.” Electuroo answered after Rainbow Dash.

Merlin nod a little. “Indeed Miss Glimmer I believe we do have a lot to discuss. And I believe I got everything we need to get this place cleaned up in no time at all.” Merlin levitated a bag over to him and open it up.

“No disrespect darling, how is a tacky blue bag going to help us?” Rarity asked.

Merlin looked into it. “Now where is those brooms, I know I put them right here.” He pulled out a staff from the bag making many ponies just wide eyed stare at what came out of the bag. “Nope that my staff.” He put it to the side and pulls out a globe that increased in size afterwards then came out some books and finally a set of brooms. “Finally!” He put the other stuff back in and they shrunk as they entered the bag.

Rarity quickly looked inside it and found nothing but a empty bag. “H-huh!? I just saw you pull out a library of books, a set of brooms, a staff, globe, thread, a cape and that hat!”

Merlin close the bag up and in a flash disappeared before their eyes with a glow of his horn. “That Miss Rarity is magic that is mine alone. The only one that can understand it is Pinkie Pie.” 

“Yep I do!” She giggle bouncing on the spot. “After we done cleaning up let have a party!”

Electuroo took a good look around. “It good to be back.”

“Yeah it is. Even it not all roses and sunshine like the other one we left, but we still got our friends.” Rainbow Dash replied as they joined in on the cleaning up of the town.

Flim and Flam stood on the outskirts of town looking down from the mountain pass. “Are you sure we to go this way brother?” Flam asked Flim.

Flim sighed. “I do not know brother of mine. The further we are from anypony the better.” 

“Indeed. I agree. Shall we go?”

“Yes let go.” Both brothers turn and walk away heading across the stone bridge to the mountain pass not looking back as they adventure off.

A few hours past with the mess rapidly cleaned up mostly by those with their internal magic now returned, pegasi lifting up pieces of Starlight's home and setting them down on a ever growing pile, Earth Ponies carrying their own loads of pieces of wood, glass and metal in wagons. 

Unicorns with the aid of Starlight Glimmer used their magic to compact the pile into a much smaller cube that be easier to place out of harms way. The work being done between the whole town even Rarity and the few without magic was a sign of friendship that touched Starlight more ways then one, she felt happy doing this, happier then in a long time.

Merlin stood beside her as Rainbow Dash with the help of the local pegasi lift the cube of rubbish with ropes to take it away to the dump site not to far out of town. “I noticed something that I did not see right away from your counter part Miss Glimmer.”

Starlight turn slightly to look at the elderly pony. “And what would that be?”

“You are truly happy within one's self are you not? The feel of helping and being just yourself and not pretending to be equal when in fact you just hid your cutie mark from them.” Merlin made her stare at him directly now with shock and surprise but then recall her counter part so he must known about it. 

With a smile she turn back to the empty slot that was her home. “So what does that make you and me?”

“Friends Miss Glimmer, it not always about the cutie mark, but much about yourself. The fear and pain you had when you was a child is enough to cloud one's mind. I also made mistakes I regret. I took it upon myself 6000 years ago to banish my dark mirror counter part, I could of destroyed the mirror and none of this would be happening now.” Marlin walks to Double Diamond's house with ponies now enjoying themselves having a party.

“What we regret is what we have to learn to live with and move on. Sticking to the past will only aid that darkness within and blind you to the word around you.” He continued to speak as she joined him, ponies calling out to say hi to Shimmer and she returning it with a warm smile. “As you can see in this time of events no pony knows that truth you hid, that is your choice to tell and not mine.” 

She stopped at the door with Rainbow Dash landing beside them. “So once we go in the story of what happened be told about you, Rainbow Dash and Electuroo?” 

Rainbow Dash sighed. “We did say didn't we? Not like I flew faster then the speed of light, time and whatever the dimensional barrier made of to save Electuroo's life and pull in an extra.” Rainbow Dash walked up to the door pushing it open.

Merlin just came out with two words that countered her words against him. “Miss Skittles.” He walks in seeing the red under her eyes and alongside the anger that appeared.

“Gah!” She stomped hard with her right hoof. “That wizard is so annoying with being formal and using that damn nickname Electuroo gave me! I so going to make them both sorry!”

“And how exactly will you get your back on them?” Starlight asked.

Rainbow Dash thought about it and smirked. “Oh I got a idea, how would you like to get on the act Starlight?”

Starlight Glimmer thought about it and a smile creep up on her snout. “What do you have in mind?”

“How are you in illusions?” 

“Very.”

Electuroo finished making some tea by the time Starlight and Rainbow entered the house and joined the others sitting down at any aviabiable spot left in the living room of Double Diamond, sitting by the sofa was a set of skis and helmet with four boots. 

He scooped it up with his wings and placed it before Twilight sitting at the table who had finally recovered from her shock, taking it with her hooves she sipped some of the tea. “Before we say anything your not going to bloody spas out and faint because something that shouldn't be possible happened right?”

Twilight took some deep breaths and took another sip of her tea. “I'll try, but I can't promise you I won't freak out.” Twilight looked over to him. “You being alive when all that you are was destroyed with your cutie mark. Yet your here and cutie mark.”

Applejack leaning against a wall on her hind legs with forelegs crossed nod to this and many others also nod. “Ah have to agree with Twi there, seein' ya sittin' as if yer a spring chicken isn't what ah had it mind. How exactly are ya alive?”

Electuroo looked over to Merlin and over to Rainbow Dash before returning to Applejack and Twilight to answer their question. “I haven't got a clue about that, nor as Rainbow or Merlin. In fact Merlin shouldn't even be a unicorn so think how we felt in your hooves when we found out about it.”

Rainbow Dash didn't answer right away and got a nudge from Starlight. “Hmm? Oh right! Talk about erm...”

“Creepy?” Pinkie Pie chimed in.

“Yeah that...”

Electuroo chuckled. “Always with the right words huh Pinkie?” Starlight sighed slightly.

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Sure am! So how did you get your exact cutie mark back? We all saw the lightning blast it created when it went boom!” She pull out her hooves either way making a explosion sound as well.

Electuroo rubbed his head. “After all that time we never got a solid answer nor followed it up because of the place we was in.” He glance at the cutie mark. “But all I can saw it just like any pony cutie mark now, somehow I am not even human inside anymore, I am a pony through and through. Try to work that out.” 

Twilight open her month for a second and closed it with her eyes drifting away rubbing her underside of the snout for any idea to solve this. “I might have a idea.” Sugar Belle spoke up.

“Hmm?” Twilight and the others look to the unicorn.

Sugar Belle took a look at Rainbow Dash first. “From what I saw and this talk of magical overload thanks to whatever happened.”

“How...”

“Pinkie Pie told me while we was making some baked goods. She said that there two others so I thought if that the case.” She look directly at Electuroo. “The energy that these mirrors had to turn him into a pony left enough of his human in Rainbow Dash, only a tiny bit and with the magic overload thanks to Goldenmare it resulted in something like making a cake.”

“How exactly does a cake come into this?” Rarity asked.

“I like to know. If that ok?” Fluttershy was curious herself.

Sugar Belle using her magic brought up the cake on the table and show it them. “Sometimes when you have too much of something the little bit that isn't even there becomes there. So let say the egg and water or milk with the flour to make the cake base is Rainbow Dash.” They watch as the icing and the rest is pulled away from the base. “Now at first  you have little bit of icing there not much for a cake that big right?” They nod. “Now add more icing and you get the perfect amount.”

“But it doesn't explain Merlin.” Party Favor point to the old unicorn. “If he some 6000 year old wizard that lost his body to something back then how is it he got one?”

Sugar Belle use her magic to place the remaining layer between the cake and place it back on the plate complete. “He somehow became the connection needed to transfer magic from Rainbow Dash to Electuroo. He was the focal point.”

“Crashing into me resulting in a dimensional and temporal shift as well bring me back to the living world within the Dream Realm. Interesting Miss Belle.” Merlin looked right at Starlight. “Don't you agree Miss Skittles.”

“Dash! Rainbow Dash not-” Starlight created a outburst and cup her mouth. “Ah buck...”

Electuroo blinked a few times. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Hehe yep it me.” The illusion disappeared and both appear back to normal. “Had ya fooled right?”

“Ya sure did RD, but how come Merlin wasn't?” Applejack now curious as the elder chuckled softly.

Merlin put his hoof on his bread and rubbed it slightly. “That Miss Apple is something a wizard such as I don't disclose. I been enjoying the last year or so with this body and got to taste the fruits of living, breathing and sleeping. It been quite enjoyable as well teasing Miss Dash here.”

Rainbow Dash snorts. “It either RD, Dash, Rainbow or Rainbow Dash! Not Miss Dash or Miss Skittles!” Rainbow Dash grunts with forelegs crossed and the anger showing.

“As it is Miss Dash.”

“GAH! You bucking old unicorn! Why do you keep call everypony miss and mr part from Celestia and Luna!?”

“That because I am over 6000 years and believe that no matter how irritable it is to you and others to call you such it amusing to see you get angered so easily and yet we still friends are we not?” Merlin said calmly with a soft smile.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah old timer whatever you say.”

“And we come to full circle once again.” 

Twilight rubbing her head. “Right... To the point of this...”

“Can you tell us how it was like in the other Equestria you was at?” Night Glider asked.

“Yeah tell us! Please I like to know!” Double Diamond was curious.

Rainbow Dash smirked. “We sure can, right boys?”

“Indeed.”

“I'm cool with that.”

“This be interesting to hear.” Starlight Glimmer attention was caught and now hooked to know this tale.

Rainbow Dash jump up and hovering over them she begins to tell them. “As I took off holding Electuroo I flew faster then I ever had before! So fast that I thought I was seeing more of myself moving that slightly slower and all I cared about at that time was doing whatever it takes to get Electuroo back! I had no idea what would happen when I did it and...”

> Merlin, Rainbow Dash and Electuroo Adventure Chapters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The MRE Adventure



This will be the adventure story of the three ponies in an alternate Equestria to their own with some twists and turns. 

And don't forget a painful headache of temporal paradoxes! 

Enjoy!





> MRE Adventure Chapter 1 – Read it and Weep Retake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The MRE Adventure

Chapter 1 – Read it and Weep Retake



Rainbow Dash was coming too from events that unfolded, her vision was blurry and the voices she heard muffled with the sound of beeping. The last very moment she remembered was crashing into something at high speeds and the world instantly going black in an flash of light.

“Is she gonna be okay?” The first first was Applejack's

Second was Fluttershy's. “Oh, I'm so worried!”

And the next gave Rainbow Dash a strange sense of Deja vu as Pinkie Pie spoke. “Is her face gonna stay that way?”

Rainbow Dash groans shaking her head and rubbing it with a hoof as the vision finally clears. “Oh man that was some ride... I hoped it worked.”

“If you mean doing stunts very low to the ground and crashing into the ground. No.” Twilight responded then turn to Doctor Stable. “How is she, doctor?”

Rainbow Dash was surprised at first by the first comment and gazed at her right wing now taking notice the bandages. “What a second this injury, this room. Everything is when I had that accident a year or so back!”

Doctor Stable looking at her x-ray replied turning to Rainbow Dash and her friends. “She's going to be fine. Luckily she has friends like you who got her over here in a jiffy.”

“Let me guess, a few days right?” Rainbow Dash said in a blunt tone to Doctor Stable.

He stared at the charts hanging on the front of the bed and back at her. “Indeed yes.”

Rainbow Dash sighs. “At least I am not going to freak out and say something about climbing walls...” She mutters turning her eyes away.

Pinkie Pie came to her bed side in a instant. “Ooh, just like a spider!” She turns to Doctor Stable. “Did the crash somehow give her super-duper spider powers?”

Doctor Stable shook his head. “Nnnno, nor did it give her amazing healing powers. She needs to stay in bed for a few days.” He replied and walks out the room.

“Am I seriously dreaming on what!? This can't be really happening! I just flew faster then I ever before to save...” Her eyes shrunk in a second of that thought came to a crashing halt. “No no no NO NO!” Rainbow Dash was in a panic.

Fluttershy shyly smiled to her friend in bed. “It's not so bad, Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack spoke afterwards. “I bet the chow in here is hoof-lickin' good.”

Rainbow Dash stares at her. “You mean tasting like it been in some mouth wash?”

“Point taken.” Applejack couldn't disagree. “It sound like yer been in hospital before.”

“A few times. No biggy.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “And Pinkie don't disturb the pony behind that curtain he needs more rest then I do.”

Pinkie Pie froze in mid position as she was to pull it. “How did you know?”

Rainbow Dash tap her left ear. “My machine not the only thing beeping.”

“Oh yeah!” She giggled.

Rarity pulls up the gown with her magic. “And the hospital gowns, they...match the curtains!”

“Give me strength! I need to get out of here and find Electuroo!” She turn away from the girls covering herself up. “I flew faster then I ever flew before! Whatever I hit interfered! Those that mean...”

A tap on her side caught Rainbow Dash's attention. Turning and lifting herself up she saw the book beside her. Picking it up she read the title out loud. “'Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone'”

“This is the first story in the series. I own all of them.” Twilight squees

Rainbow Dash was about to say she read it already but something was amiss, she could feel it deep inside. Remembering what Electuroo had told her once she had to play it safe till she get a completely understanding on what just happened then leaping into it blindly.

“No thanks. I so don't read. I'm a world-class athlete. Reading's for eggheads like you, Twilight. Heh, no offence, but I am not reading. It's undeniably, unquestionably, uncool.” Rainbow Dash played out her line perfectly trying to not laugh at the expense of Twilight's reaction.

They all talking about how good to read the book and Rainbow with a hoof over her mouth trying not to laugh with gasps of giggles escaping. They all looked bewailed by her reaction but before they could question her, the nurse came in.

Nurse Red Heart comes in. “All right, my little ponies. Rainbow Dash needs her rest. You'll have to come back tomorrow.”

The girls leave not before Twilight said to Rainbow using her magic to put the book on the table side. “I think you'd like Daring. She's a lot like you. Adventurous, fierce, and undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable.” Then she leaves.

Rainbow Dash burst into a fit of laughter not able to contain herself any longer. “Oh hahaha man! Hahaha that was so hahaha awesome!” She catches her breath and pick up the book with her mouth and place it before her. “I know that all too well Twilight.” Rainbow Dash lift it up with her hooves and open it.

A few hours past as she reads, her mind plays through the final moments still and very worried about what happened to the pony she tried to restore back to life with an gamble of super speed flight. Nurse Red Heart enters making Rainbow raise her head up with surprise to see the nurse. “Rainbow Dash. I know visiting hours are over but I have a Soarin of the Wonderbolts here to see you.”

“Wait what?” Rainbow's words escaped her mouth. “Soarin? Why would he be here to see me?”

“I do not have a clue, if you do not wish to see him I will-”

“No!” Rainbow Dash cut off the nurse with an outburst of one word. “I mean... No it fine.”

“Ok, I will let him in.” Nurse Red Heart leaves and a short time later the snow white blue stallion with navy blue mane and tail without a uniform or flight suit on enters.

“I was suppose to play this bucking safe! Soarin shouldn't even be here, not after a small accident like this! What the buck going on!? I might have slip things that happened in the past but this is one of these moments I would of remembered. So this must mean something different! Something must of happened to cause Soarin the co-captain of the Wondeerbolts to be here to see me out of visiting hours!” Rainbow Dash realised in thought she was thinking through so much, so fast trying to figure out why this was different as the stallion continue his walk to her bed. 

“Gah! Electuroo you and your non-stop over explaining things! You making me sound like an egghead!”

Rainbow Dash thinking out as Soarin's hooves moved till the stallion was just in front of her bed and the sound of the clop clip clop came to a silent end. “I like to say first of all to thank you Rainbow Dash for saving mine and the others a few months ago at the Young Fliers Contest.”

Rainbow Dash waved it off with an off. “It no big deal, I did what I had to save not only my friend Rarity but you and others too.” Rainbow Dash started to brag but thought about Electuroo and what she did to try and save him, if that work that is. “Winning the contest was awesome and I was so happy about it but taking time to think about it, winning wasn't the reason I did the Sonic Rainboom, I did it to do the right thing.”

Soarin open his right wing up turning his head around to pick up with his mouth a envelope placing it on his hoof. “Hmm, that odd. You seem to be acting different to when you was briefly with us after the contest. I would of thought you want an autograph or something.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No thanks I'm good.” She then had to ask. “What in the wide world of Equestria got you to come and talk to me at night during off peak visiting hours?” She sat up in bed putting the book to the side.

“Spitfire suggested it.” Soarin gave the envelope to Rainbow Dash. “She said it be best to bring this and talk to you after visiting hours because of what happened this morning.”

“This morning?” Rainbow Dash knew the accident happened around that time and she knew more about what was going to happen before it happen. Even if some of the things have changed already.

Soarin answers the question. “A strange event happened over the Wonderbolt Academy, a rip of rainbow light appeared as if the sky itself was ripped open!” Soarin stand on his hind legs with his front hooves press together and spread out to make out the action sound it too. “With an whoosh! The whole academy shook! Then as it closed up with an yellow Pegasus falling from the sky! It took Fleetfoot and Rapidfire to save him!”

Rainbow Dash quickly open up the envelope up and pulled out a photo. It was of an yellow pony in the bed. “Electuroo!” Rainbow Dash yelled in surprise.

Soarin had settled back down on his front hooves. “He was muttering in his sleep your name, that why I was asked to come at night. Because interestingly when he woke for a brief moment he said something about dying in your hooves.” Soarin looking rather serious now on the subject that brought up.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes taking an rather deep breath of air and exhaling it. “I was told that something unknowing would happen, didn't expect a rip in the sky and I waking up as my past self...”

“Erm... Come again?” Soarin rubbing the inside of one of his ears. “I thought I'd just heard you speak of you causing the rip and being something of you in your past self.”

“That exactly what I said...” Rainbow Dash deadpaned in reply giving him an serious look.

Soarin lower his hoof in surprise. “How in Equestria made you think tearing a hole in the sky was a good idea!?”

“I didn't know that was going to happen ok! I was holding Electuroo in my forelegs! He died in them! Then I was told by my friends and those around me to take a leap of faith and do it!” Rainbow Dash snapped back at Soarin. “Talking to you right now isn't even suppose to even happen! That how bucked up things are when you do something by chance! I flew so fast that I could see double, no multiple versions of myself!”

Soarin blinked a few times upon the words that sunk in. “Wow... Ok so... How do you think to fix it?”

“I just react as it all like it normally did happen and then in a few days time you can pick me up on a cloud and take me to the Academy to see Electuroo for myself. We cool with that?”

“Why not fly?”

“Because I be bucking grounded for another two days after tomorrow and the next that why!” Rainbow shouted at him. “And here one reason I know this! Shining Armor planning to get married to Princess Cadance in a few months time.” She spoke calmly at the end with a sly smirk.

Soarin was baffled. “Are you sure? I haven't heard nothing about it.” Soarin rubbed his head a little with a hoof.

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs not letting the sly smirk go. “Just ask Princess Celestia if they plan on getting married.”

“Ok sure...” Soarin turn to leave. “So two days time I come back to bring you to this Electuroo.”

“Yep.”

“One more question...”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Why does he have very similar mane and eye colour to the previous captain of the Wonderbolts?” Rainbow  Dash looked at him with confusion as he said it. “Have a look his photo inside, Lightning Strikeer very much look alike to him, because of that we took a feather to run a DNA test to see if they related.” With that Soarin left the room.

Rainbow Dash pull out the photo and stares at the orange stallion on it. “Sweet Celestia...”

The rest of the time in hospital to the chase happened as she planned and even making herself look silly twice, with some help from Fluttershy she got back home and chilled out to await for Soarin to arrive reading on her bed another Daring Do book to pass the time.

Morning came on day of Soarin's return, he knocked upon the door and Rainbow Dash answered it. “Hi Soarin.”

“Hey Rainbow Dash, I don't know how but you was right! It even surprised Princess Celestia and Luna! Spitfire had Electuroo moved and taken to Canterlot last night.”

“What why!?”

“I-I can't say... I was just told to bring you there as well. Somepony else showed up in the middle of Canterlot going by the name of Merlin.”

Rainbow Dash gasped loudly. “Whoa whoa whoa! You mean the old wizard Merlin! That Merlin?”

Soarin nods. “I believe so, the unicorn got some weird magic. Specially that weird bag of his!” Soarin answered flapping his wings and fly over to a cloud. “I will take you the long way around Ponyville so no pony will see us.”

Rainbow Dash nods. “Yeah... Let's get this over with before I regret being helped to fly to Canterlot...” She walk up to the cloud getting on it. “And also manage to keep things on track for now.”

Soarin didn't bother to ask what she meant and pushed the cloud she was on away from her home towards Canterlot. With all that happened in two days things really gotten a bit more interesting and rather confusing for this one Wonderbolt to handle.
> MRE Adventure Chapter 2 - Outside the Page
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



The MRE Adventure

Chapter 2 – Outside the Page




The Wonderbolts in full gear for their show in Manehatten in the coming weeks, they preparing and practising the formation of a six flyer arrow then breaking up in six directions forming a rose of cloud and sparkling lightning from the trails they leave behind. Spitfire zooms in behind and smash through the middle creating a shockwave bursting the rose apart with a wave of sparks of different colours.

Spitfire hovering after finishing the performance raise her goggles up looking around the team. “Good job! We getting there! We do another run down before we take a break. Got it!?”

“Yes ma'am!” They all saluted.

“Alright! From the top!” She lower the goggles preparing for another run but before look around the Wonderbolt HQ slash Academy. “Clipper!”

Soarin quickly flew up to Spitfire. “Yes boss!”

“I know you had cleaning duties last night but did you have to go over board with the whole Academy!?” She point to the sparkling light that caught his attention, raising the goggles there was nothing but soon as he put them on again he could see it.

Soarin raise and lower them over and over again. “Erm... Spits that sparkling is only seen through the goggles...”

“What the hay do you mean by that?” She raise her goggles on to her head and saw no sparkling light. “Wh-what!?” Spitfire put them back on over her eyes. “Ok what gives?”

“Beats me, nothing to do with me.” Soarin lands with Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts looking around at the sparks of electrical energy that now appeared with it. “Whatever it is, it making my fur stand on end!” He had a shiver down his spine making him cringe.

Fleetfoot wave her hoof through some of the sparks. “It really amazing, I wonder what causing it.”

Spitfire held her hoof out feeling the tingling of the sparks gave. “It is something isn't it?”

“Yeah it is.” Fleetfoot smirked.

Soarin noticed the area it was effecting as he took to the sky to get a good view of it. “What do you see Clipper!?”

“It covering all the the Academy and slightly beyond it. Not any further!” He called back. “Also it in the sky too now!” Soarin shivered as the sparks went through him.

Spitfire sighed rubbing her head. “Practice is cancelled till whatever this is goes away! You all dismissed!”

“Yes ma'am!” Most of then went inside the HQ.

Rapidfire glance around with Fleetfoot. “You feel that?”

“Yeah I do Rapid. It feels as if the air pressure is changing all the sudden.”

Spitfire shivered. “Is it me or did it just get cold?”

Fleetfoot notice the clouds darking and growing in response to the sudden change in temperature and pressure around them. “It isn't the only thing Spitfire! The clouds are reacting to the sudden change! We got a storm forming fast!”

Spitfire open her wings up. “Wonderbolts! Take on the storm now! We got to break it up before it get worse!” Spitfire point out her right hoof out to the rapidly forming storm as the other members of the team came out to get ready to tackle the storm head on.

The darken skies took the sunlight away and as they was about to fly head on into the storm forming above them with their breaths now seen as they breathe out, the skies light up. Multiple colour chains of lightning raced across in different folks across the underside of the clouds followed by the rumbling sound of thunder.

The wind picks up and rain starts to fall but as it hits any surface it turns into sparkling light and floats upwards followed by a chain of lightning falling from the sky hitting every speck of sparkling light, the ponies felt as if they was being static shocked from a static charged balloon.

None of them could even muster any form of reasoning to what was happening now, it had them frozen in mid pose as they about to take off staring at the storm unfolding around them. This was rapidly increasing in repeating with it happening over and over again with less time apart.

The clouds rip open with a colourful rainbow explosion. The ground shook with the air vibrating from the explosion. Everypony cover their eyes part from Spitfire who managed to keep her eyes on it, the shock wave expanding outwards but what she saw as it spread out was another land mass for a spilt second and that all she got.

The clouds was pulled into it as it closes up, the rift that appeared was there and gone in only two seconds but for Spitfire for that very moment it almost felt a unknown amount of time went by. The clouds was gone with the wind, rain and lightning. It was sunny and normal as if it was never there in the first place.

That when she saw it. A string of rainbow energy was heading right for the ground, it was breaking apart to show a Pegasus free falling. “Rapidfire! Fleetfoot! Soarin! We got incoming! Intercept!”

“Yes ma'am!” They took off with one push of their wings right for the falling yellow pony.

They caught the pony in their hooves but the motion of the free fall caused them to be pulled towards the ground, they flapping their wings hard to counter the force that came from the impact.

The other Wonderbolts watched as Fleetfoot, Soarin and Rapidfire manage to slow the decent and land before their fellow fliers. They lay down the Pegasus on the grass gentle and step back from him. “Let see what we got here.” Spitfire step up to him seeing the stallion lay there breathing gently.

“Brown jacket, cream, black mane and tail with a bit of orange to the mane. Three bolts for a cutie mark, yellow fur...” Spitfire took a look at his colours of the mane and tail again. “Where have I seen this colour before?”

Soarin spoke up. “It almost exactly like Lightning Strikeer Spits.”

“What?” She turn to Soarin. “Clipper are you sure?”

“Very sure.”

“Dying... In Rainbow... Dash hooves...” They heard the stallion mutter his eyes lids fluttered a little. “H-how...” With tears seeping between the closed eyes he was unconscious once again.

Spitfire stared at him intently. “Lightning with rainbow colour, static surges, rainbow sparkling and a rip in the sky. This pony falls out of it as the rift disappears...” She tap her hoof on the ground a few times. “Rainbow Dash... Rainbow explosions... What are the connections?”

“Ma'am?” Fleetfoot got her attention. “What going on?”

“No idea... Sparky here is a big bundle of questions...” Spitfire rubbing her head trying to get a idea what was going on. “Right this is what we going to do.” She turn to all the ponies. “We taking him into the HQ, somepony will keep with him at all times, we will take shifts.” They nod. “Clipper you go to Ponyville tonight and talk to Rainbow Dash, she the young flyer that saved our flank at the contest-”

“Right on it ma'am!”

“Not yet!” He was taking off but came to a dead halt. “Take this feather!” She take an feather off the wing of the sleeping pony. “Take it to Cloudsdale and do a DNA check on Lightning Strikeer.”

“Why?”

“Something about this stallion just make my fur stand on end when thinking about Strikeer.” Spitfire replied giving him the feather. “Now you can go Clipper.”

“Right!” He zooms off heading to Cloudsdale as the rest now pick up the stallion and take him to the HQ.

Fleetfoot didn't move and decided to wait to speak to Spitfire once they was alone. “Spits we all know that Lightning not a family pony. Why do you think he related?”

“Not sure...” Spitfire sighed. “What ever just happened Rainbow Dash may have answers or he might have.” Spitfire eyes trail along the sky. “That stallion is connected and somehow Rainbow Dash is now... Rainbow explosion kinda a give away right?”

“Maybe, the whole rainbow lightning and charged air was really strange.” Fleetfoot looked around the sky too. “Do we just do nothing?”

“There wasn't anything we could do, we wasn't no where prepared for some crazy bucking stuff like this to happen.” Spitfire turn and walk into the HQ with Fleetfoot following. “Cold air, storm clouds, lightning and rain that untouchable with a rift that sucked it all up with one final surprise.” Spitfire and Fleetfoot enter the sleeping quarters with the sarcasm loud and clear.

The other members place the yellow pony in one of the spare beds removing his jacket and putting it on the side. “Sparky really made a routine day a interesting one.”

“Indeed ma'am... No books, experience could prepare us...” Fleetfoot only could say and step into the quarters. “I'll take first shift.”

Spitfire nod and coughs to get the others attention. “Whatever in Equestria just happened outside just now we need to keep under wraps till we know exactly what the blazes is going on, Sparky here may have the answers we seek but when he wakes we won't pressure him into telling us. He look really out of it and we are Wonderbolts not some ponies that love to drill information out of somepony.” Spitfire trots up and down and they stood in line be the bed sides with Fleetfoot taking position by the bed the stallion was in.

“If we can't found out any real answers I personally will go to Princess Celestia about this and inform her what happened over the Wonderbolt Academy and proceed from there.” Spitfire came back to where she started turning around. “I understand we a bit freaked out by whatever that magical weird event that took place just now, keep your heads on ponies and be level headed. Whatever it is had no real effect so we stay put in here until we sure of it.” Spitfire stood firm as she finished talking to them.

“Got it?”

“Yes Ma'am!”

“Good dismissed and relax. When Soarin gets back we might have more answers to some other questions we all got in mind, specially the former Wonderbolt Captain Lightning Strikeer.” Spitfire turn to the glass case staying at a group photo of her, Soarin, Rapidfire and Fleetfoot with other Wonderbolt members including their previous captain Lightning Strikeer, the other ponies went off to get their flight suits off and relax as ordered by Captain Spitfire.

Hours passed by with every four of them the Wonderbolts rotated till it came to night and Spitfire decided to take next watch for the night, sitting back on a chair with hind legs up on the stall in front she open up a book to read to pass the time as the yellow stallion still slept, no change to his restful form.

Time slowly tick by for her as she reads and turn the pages of the book, engrossed in the story she read it time go that bit faster for Spitfire. “What a twist, didn't see that coming.” With an chuckle she continue to read. “Got to love these adventure novels, never get dull once.”

The other Wonderbolt members had settled down for the night and was asleep, Spitfire dimmed the lamp beside her to keep it from disturbing them, the early hours came with it well past midnight and the captain almost falling asleep herself. “urg hmmm...” Spitfire heard the groan and lower her book seeing the stallion slowly coming too, this was well timed with Soarin returning from his trip.

“Easy does it.” Spitfire put a hoof on him as he tried to sit up with his eyes half open and adjusting to the light in the room. “Here drink this.”

Spitfire place the cup by his snout and opening it he drunk some of the water from it. Coughing a little he slowly looked around and the eyes came back to Spitfire not her directly but her wings, he was watching them flap.

“Something on my wings?” Spitfire snapped him out of his trance look on her wings and now looking at her directly. “Now your awake I got some questions, first what is your name, Sparky.”

“His name is Electuroo.” Soarin answered for him walking up to the bedside. “As for dying in Rainbow Dash's hooves, he did and she caused the rip in the sky that we saw.”

Spitfire blinking a few times and quickly looked at Electuroo and Soarin again. “Seriously?” Raising a eye at him. “Clipper that hard to take in.”

Soarin sighed. “I went to Canterlot to confirm her story when she said that Rainbow Dash was in her past self. I asked the princesses about a royal wedding in a few months time.” Soarin explained as Electuroo stared at his front hooves. Placing one over the other rubbing the right over the top of the left scrapping against each other.

“And?”

“They was caught completely by surprise by what I asked. Rainbow Dash did cause it to bring Electuroo back to life and somehow pulled both of them into the past.” Soarin didn't stutter as he reported to the captain.

“So it was real... Not a dream...” They now turn to Electuroo. “I did die...”

Spitfire wasn't convinced. “So she guessed this royal wedding, it doesn't prove he and her are from the future.” She point directly at Electuroo with an hoof. “I need more then-”

“Your nickname, I know it.” Electuroo said to Spitfire. “You told me after giving me the nickname Sparky for shocking all the Wonderbolts at the last stage of the one and only performance I flew with you.” Electuroo explained sitting up.

Spitfire glares at him. “Really now?” She got closer to him. “Then tell me. Sparky.”

Electuroo lean up to her ear and whispers into it, Spitfire quickly pull her head back with pupils shrunk to pin pricks. “He knows doesn't he?” Soarin saw her reaction and guessed.

“He does...” Spitfire muttered seeing the grin on his face. “Sparky lose that grin! You got me ok! I believe it now...” Spitfire hissed quietly at him and turn to Soarin. “Clipper stop snickering.” Soarin put a hoof to his snout. “So Rainbow Dash saved your rump by ripping a hole in the sky huh?”

“Don't know.” He lost the smile with a shrug. “I remember dreaming that I was looking over myself in some weird cloudy landscape seeing myself die then I woke up in bed right now.” He took a good look around seeing Wonderbolt members sleeping. “Am I in the Wonderbolt HQ?”

Spitfire chuckled. “That you are.”

Soarin shift his right wing a little. “I got results from the test on the feather here. But we should talk somewhere else.” Soarin hinting about the other ponies snoozing away in their beds.

Electuroo pull the sheets off sliding his hind legs over the edge of the bed, slipping down on them he almost fell backwards back on the bed before he could adjust his body to stand on all fours. “Whoa Sparky ease up.” Spitfire put her right wing across his back and with a push allow him to land on all fours. “We'll go to the cafeteria and talk there.”

“My stomach does feel empty.” Electuroo replied and slowly with help from the two Wonderbolts he walk out of the sleeping quarters down the corridor to the cafeteria. They enter and sitting down Electuroo watched them from the table get something cooked up at the kitchen. “So you all cook your own stuff and wash up?”

Spitfire glance at the envelope Soarin left at the table before answering. “Nah we usually have two of us cook for everypony so we all get to eat together and recap on either jobs Princess Celestia or Luna got for us and performances we fly. Fair events, weddings, Grand Galloping Gala and charities in some cases.”

Electuroo thought back to the number of times he, Wind Note, Rainbow Dash and Soarin of his time had meetings during their meals. How they talked about getting the right weather around Equestria with the ponies they only had left that could help with the weather, it was very stressful for all four of them during that month before he should of died afterwards.

That came back to him the very moments zoning him out from the world around.

“Rainbow.... Sorry... And Starlight... I forgive...” Starlight stares at him in a instant seeing the eyes look right back at her, she had tears start to form seeing that stare, he wasn't making it up, she had destroyed his life and this was it.

What...” She whispered

“Nothing to be sorry about Sparks. I love you for who you are. So please stay with me! For that at least!”

Electuroo blink with tears rolling down his snout. “Love you... Skittles.” He whispered closing his eyes and letting out one final breath of air.


CLANK!


“Huh?” Electuroo blinked seeing a plate of food with two pots one smell of tea the other coffee.

Soarin sat down beside him placing the envelope and Spitfire opposite as them. “You ok?” Soarin asked.

Electuroo using his wings and fronts hooves he took the pot of tea and put it in the empty cup with some sugar and milk, stirring it together. As Electuroo did he explains to them. “I was remembering my final moments... I-I seen it in movies, stories and comics but never th-thought it would happen to me.” He stared at the brown liquid at his own reflection.

“I can't even begin to think how to explain or even help. But once Soarin fills in what Rainbow Dash told him and his brief visit to Canterlot we can go on from that point.” Spitfire point to the plate. “Eat up you will need it.”

Electuroo nod and begin to eat and drink what was made and given to him as Soarin gives a recap of events that unfolded at the Hospital in Ponyville with Rainbow Dash and then the Canterlot evening surprise visit that gave the two princesses a shock about Rainbow Dash exactly knowing about the wedding before even they knew.

“Hold on Clipper, you telling me that Princess Cadance didn't even tell them yet?” Spitfire was very surprised by what she was hearing.

Soarin drunk some of his remaining coffee and answered. “Yeah she was planning to tell them in a few days time, she asked how Rainbow Dash knew. I explained what she told me and about Electuroo here and well she want us both there in the morning at Canterlot.” Soarin told Spitfire.

Electuroo muttered to himself. “Read 'n' Weep...”

“What that Sparky?”

“Oh it something Rainbow called her time in hospital when reading a Daring Do novel when stuck there. It happened before I arrived so I only going by what I known from her.” Electuroo explained trying not to mention anything about the TV Series back on Earth.

Spitfire notice he didn't seem completely there from the way his eyes kept staring into space. “Something else isn't it? You got that look of somepony either deep in thought or really troubled.”

Electuroo drunk the last of the tea putting the cup down. “Guess being dead and brought back make you wonder about life and how every moment counts. When I see Rainbow Dash next I will most likely blitz to her for a crushing hug and kiss.”

“Sounds like somepony got a special somepony.” Spitfire chuckled.

“Rainbow did seem to feel that too when she was concerned about Electuroo at first and going to all that trouble, I think it mutual.” Soarin glance to the yellow stallion sitting next to with a smirk seeing the pink appear under his eyes.

Electuroo felt himself warm up a little around the face. “No point beating around the bush.” He answered. “So what in the envelope?”

Soarin opened it up and pulled out a photo and some sheets of paper. “It about a pony called Lighting Strikeer, he was the last captain of the Wonderbolts before Spitfire and has-”

“His my dad.” Electuroo replied unphased by this.

“WHAT!?” Spitfire took the papers and taking a good look she lowered them. “Sweet Celestia he is! This DNA results says your his biological son. B-but that-”

Electuroo did himself another cup of tea. “Dad won't know I am his son, well not yet. In my time he added it all up by himself, decided to try and dodge my mum and from what mum told me it ended up with him getting a black eye after she hit him from trying to dodge he, explains why after all these years we thought he died that he didn't” Electuroo explained to them both and they looked really confused.

“Died? But-”

“Thought...”

Spitfire saw the correction. “So there was an innocent when you was little and that was the last you saw of him?”

“Pretty much.” Electuroo knew that wasn't the whole story, the whole story was his dad really did die and somehow his soul ended up with a new body and life in Equestria. That mystery yet to be solved...

Spitfire sighed. “I am going to have some choice words with Strike Out...”

Electuroo shook his head. “It not going to be that simple. At this moment of time it really taking a different path. This talk one of those reasons. Dad will only know it me once I give mum's message to him.”

“Ok I will only drag him in front of you at least.” Spitfire decided to be easy on him. “This just been one weird few days... Storm, a pony from the future, son of the last captain and Rainbow Dash doing some neck breaking speedy stunt to save your flank...” Spitfire put her front hooves against her head leaning her elbows on the table. “This isn't exactly what I signed up being captain for...”

Soarin rubbing his head and felt he had to ask. “What am I like in your time?”

“Can't say. I already said too much.” Electuroo sighed putting his head into his forelegs resting on the table now groaning. “Now I know how Janeway felt about temporal paradoxes... One massive headache...”

The two Wonderbolts glance at each other listening to this and didn't press this further. “Don't worry Sparky we won't press but I would ask you of this.”

He rose his head up looking at the Captain of the Wonderbolts. “Stay in the airspace of the Academy till this is resolved with the Princesses.”

“Just like that I can stretch my wings?” Electuroo wasn't sure he heard her right.

Spitfire yawned with a hoof over her snout. “Yeah. That right. Now how about we all get some zzzs with what we can get shall we?”

Electuroo shook his head. “I rather just sit somewhere and read a story or two if that ok.”

“Sure, Clipper... *yawn* You take care of it ok?” Spitfire collected the plates, cups and pots to take to the kitchen and clean up.

Soarin saluted. “I'm on it ma'am!” He waved a hoof to Electuroo to follow and they leave the captain to clean up the items.

Electuroo glance back. “I think we should of helped.”

“Nah it fine.” Soarin showed him into room filled with some books, tables, papers, quills and pencils. “This our study. It where we do some paper work or chill out quietly.” Soarin point a wing to the shelves. “Daring Do and other adventure novels over there, Wonderbolt History also there.”

Electuroo heard about this and got curious. “Wonderbolt History? That something to dig into.”

“Knock yourself out. I am going to get some sleep.” Soarin yawned loudly. “Flying back and forwards all day really takes it out of you.” He yawned again and leaves to tuck into his own bed.

Electuroo was left alone, glancing out of a window to the  Academy grounds he had to agree with them for now and stay on their grounds, he had to wait a few more days to see Rainbow Dash once more and find out what the blazes she did to save his life... Bring him back to life.

With a pull down with a hoof on the book on Wonderbolt History he took it with his mouth placing it down on a table, opening it he stared at the words. “Wow that a lot... This might take some time. Guess I can't squander second chances...”

“Second...” Tears roll down his face and snout wiping some away he couldn't help but break down. “C-chanc-chan...”  He continued to cry into his forelegs burying his face into them muffling his crying.
> MRE Adventure Chapter 3 - One Old Wizard Comes to Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The MRE Adventure

Chapter 3 – One Odd Wizard Comes to Canterlot




Thump Thump...

The eye lids open showing calm blue eyes as the pupils adjust to the light from the window to the left.

Thump Thump...

Ears twitch to the echo within the brown unicorn as he yawns deeply and takes in a deep amount of oxygen into the lungs. In a frozen motion the eyes snap open.

Thump Thump...

The exhale was sharp and crisp causing a set of coughs to come from the unicorn.

Thump Thump Thump Thump...

The heart beats a little faster as he feels it and the body tensing up, he eyes started at the end of his vision a snout covered with white hair. With a snort he felt the hairs tingle to the fur hairs.

The raise of a arm showed in vision was an brown fur foreleg with a dark grey hoof attached to the end of it, with a few motions the eyes showed inquizzion and amazed at the side as he test out the limb with some twists, lift, lowering and bending. “Can it be?” The voice was clearly his as the pony ears twitch to the sound of it.

Thump Thump Thump...

The heart rate slows a little but it felt it there as he breathed in and out taking in the smells around him through his nostrils at the end of the snout. “I have a heart beat, I can really smell and even breath. This is my body... The question is how...”

The feeling of contact with fur to the bed sheets he decided to test this new body of his, thinking about using a hand to lift the sheets off the horn on his head buzz into life with a light blue aura similar to his eye colour. The sheets moved as if he had hands on it, feeling the levitation contact with his magic with him.

“How interesting. The magic I processed is now within my own body and through it I can levitate things if I had hands reaching out.” He spoke to himself with interest to understand this. “Doing so within the realm between dreams and reality is one thing but able to breathe, use magic and feel hunger is something I haven't felt in 6,000 years.”

Sliding his hind legs around he caught sight of the mark on his flank, it was a purple orb glowing with a odd yellow shape object in front of it. “When dreams and reality bends anything is possible it seems.” He slip off the bed with a clop and leaning forwards the front hooves land on the smooth surface.

He calmly folded the sheets up and made the bed up, walking on his four hooves he took a good look around the room he was in. It had varnished wooden draws with a carefully carved pattern through it, giving it character. The curtains was a dull blue in colour with an golden ribbon of pattern through it of flowers, the window when looking out of it showed parts of the city of Canterlot.

By the window was a rack and on it was his cape and below it was his bag, surprised to see it he opens it to taking a good inside. “It seem that I wasn't the only thing brought through, the bag shouldn't be possible yet it is here and full with all my stuff.” He whispered taking a good look and pulling out a wizard hat from it and staff. “Well it seem I won't be needing much of this now.” He place them back inside and closed it up.

A knock came from the door as he put the cape back on around his neck with it clipping on by the sapphire pendant attached to it and pull his tail through the hole in the back letting the cape rest on most of his back down resting partly against his body and hind legs. “You may enter.”

The door opens and to his surprise who it was. “Soon I heard the sound of hooves, I had a feeling you just woke.” The grey unicorn with white and purple mane and tail said with a every warm smile to her house guest. “You most likely wondering how you got here.”

Merlin made his bag vanish into thin air. “I believe that is the case Mrs. Sparkle.”

“It seem you have me at a disadvantage. You seem to know who I am.” She said keeping her smile walking into the bed room.

Merlin bow slightly with a hoof moved across his chest slightly lowing his gaze to the ground as he replied. “Merlin is my name Mrs. Sparkle.” He raised from the formal bow to the house owner. “May I ask why you brought me into your home? A stranger no less.” Merlin brought up the statement made by Twilight Velvet in a form of an question.

Twilight Velvet glance to the door she came through. “That was because you was found in the alley not to far from where we live covered in boxes after an strange rainbow light was saw by not only me but my son Shining Armor the captain of the guards here in Canterlot. He suggested that I get you here and have the guards right out this door and one below the window to stay guard.”

Merlin notice the spear tips just in view behind her showing there was a guard on either side of the door. “Very wise and one that thinks on the go as it seem.” Merlin walk by Twilight Velvet glancing to the golden armour white ponies with two tone mane colours that stood firm and their eyes turn to him as he stood in view. “Ah the twins that just below the rank of Captain, they work directly for Shining Armor the best in his division. Shield Lance and Spark Lance am I correct?”

They shifted a little with surprise. “H-how...”

“Did you...”

“Figure...

“Who we are?” They spoke after each other.

“Ah and there the telepathic link the unicorn twins has, able to share their words in perfect harmony. Yet without the armour one is red and the other is blue. You wouldn't think they would be twins part from their yellow piecing colours right?” They was very surprised by this and couldn't understand how this old unicorn knew who exactly they was. “If it bad enough for me, I can tell you the name of every single pony in Canterlot from A to Z.”

Merlin popped his bag out of the air making them jump and prepare their spears. “Calm now it only my bag.” He opens it and pulling out of it a book and lowers it in front of them. “This book tells you every name, gender and type of pony there is from about 6000 years give it take.” They stared at the massive book that was hovering.

Twilight Velvet blinked. “Did you just say 6000 years? You can't be that old can you?”

“That I am Mrs Sparkle. I lived without form for a very long time, when your without form and stuck between dreams and reality you don't really have much to do but what the world and dreams unfold.” Merlin turn around to her and place the massive book back into his bag closing it up and popped it back out of sight.

“Being straight forward and to the point to the most part, hearing that Captain Shining Armor and not Prince means this is before the wedding and using the time I brought out the book to sense the between layers of the reality. I can not sense my past self without the folds of it which means this isn't my reality and thous I never excised is the most logical option. 

Which means this isn't my dimension nor the right point in time. An event which gave me not only a physical form but now tore between realities and time is part of the every growing questions I have in mind.

Place the truth in pieces and not tell the whole to get the answers I seek and maybe get an auidence with the Princesses of Celestia, Luna and Cadance. Blueblood even a prince and nephew of Celestia and Luna good at being a diplomat isn't much for this. He will be rude and prideful at most.”

The information sinks in and Twilight Velvet finally snaps out of it. “Could one of you boys go get my son, this something he needs to hear for himself.”

“Yes ma'am!” The left one replied and gallops off down to the stairs.

With the sound of magic, the door opens and slam shut. “Till he gets here I will be a good host and get you something to eat Merlin.” She smiled. “Follow me.”

“Very well Mrs Sparkle.” The remaining guard follows close behind as they went to the stairs to go downstairs to the kitchen slash dining room.

She sat him and the guard down at the table before cooking up something from the kitchen. The guard remove his helmet and the fur turn red and mane with the tail turn into a light blue with white streaks through it. “Lt. Shield Lance.”

“Well seeing it many times through the rifts of reality is one thing but sitting here and watching it happen is something else.” Merlin studied the change. “But I seen many take the helmets off before how...” He noticed the rest of the armour including the hoof shoes was removed. Blinking the old unicorn was really surprised how fast this unicorn removed his armour. “That wasn't even a second. That is very impressive youngster.”

Shield chuckled softly as he took the cup of water with his magic and drunk a little. “Usually I wouldn't but after hearing your over 6000 years old I thought I try to surprise you and it worked.”

“I can say it easily did. This old git is still learning even after all this time. When you view almost the whole world instantly through your eyes the little details can be easily missed.” He put a hoof up. “Before you ask how I coped with it. It became white noise to me, an annoying buzzing sound deep in the depths of your mind that you can never shake.”

Twilight Velvet came in with Night Light her husband and sat at the table with them as she put four plates down. “While we wait for my son to get home we enjoy a good meal and Merlin can explain what he meant about being disembodied.”

“No body but how...” Night Light stared at Merlin drinking some of the water.

Merlin put the glass down with his magic. “That Mr Sparkle is a question I can not answer and as the youngsters of this generation may say. 'It driving me up the wall' and that it is...” Merlin drunk a little bit more.

“Hmm, purified water through a tap with a traces of iron. Drinking water and feeling it run down my throat and into my stomach feels really interesting to say the least. Having a body after all this time is really something give this old wizard a feel of life once more.” He chuckled lightly taking another sip of the water and enjoying the feeling and tastes of it explaining the taste and feel to them.

Shield drunk a little bit more of his and stared at the clear liquid. “You can taste this?”

Merlin stared at the plate before him. “Indeed, new taste buds, new everything. I muse say that digging into this will be a delightful treat!”

“For a wizard his very odd.” Night Light said quietly to his wife.

She nods as they watched him eat some of the carrot soup she made. “One odd wizard indeed but he seem to enjoy my soup though.”

Merlin after eating some of it with bread took a spoon and drunk some of it while chewing on the carrots in it. “Creamy, crunchy and rich with flavour! This is an master piece! I am going to really enjoy trying out any dishes I can get my-” He stopped in an instant looking upon his front hooves on the table. “Hooves on.” he finished bluntly with a chuckle and felt so much alive as he took another sip.

“I am definitive going to try many of the treats that Miss Pie has in Ponyville! I seen how amazing they are and if this soup is a start then I am on a roll.”

Merlin finished it and went to the mash and hay bacon. “Oh my stars this is even more taster! It got such a sweet texture to it and-”

Shield Lance was starting on his plate and watching Merlin just gone into a world of his own explaining the texture of the food and how much he was enjoying it. “If this what the captain called a threat then I like to know how an 6000 year old unicorn like him that just seem to have a flare for food is going to be such a thing.”

“I got to agree Twilight, first impressions shouldn't be taken lightly but this. I never seen anypony just enjoy themselves with eating food before...” Night Light said and continues to eat his meal.

Twilight Velvet sighed putting a hoof to Merlin “Ease up Merlin. I don't completely understand what going on and why you was trapped in some between place, the fact you have a body once more is creepy to hear but you might not have it much longer if you keep going the way you are with the way your eating and drinking.”

Merlin swallowed and stared at her for a moment, he took into account of how fast he was eating and drinking that it now drawn to him. A feeling within an aching feeling. “It seem that I have reach my limits of eating, my body is telling me to stop. How wonderfully delightful and discomforting as well.” Merlin groaned a little leaning back. “That is an lesson that I just learned. An bloated old unicorn.” He grumbled in discomfort.

“That you did dear, now tell us how did it all happen? You being in this between place and now having a body.” Twilight velvet asked and unaware her son had returned, he stood at the door way listening to them with Shield's brother.

Merlin thought about how to place the words right and he couldn't really beat around the bush. “To stop an evil I created by my own careless actions. A brother reflecting everything opposite to what I uphold an evil brother I created through a jagged mirror of pure darkness. I tried to reason with him, even try to help him to change his nature to go beyond.” Merlin begins to explain to them and he sound sadness in his old eyes as he spoke on.

“Nilrem did and went so far into the darkness he made it his own, took control of the Black Mirror and within unleashed the frozen heart he had upon the world. He would take control but that he didn't care for, he would do it to make others suffer and die because he could. I had no choose but to seal the mirror within itself in an pocket reality at the cost of my own physical form. I destroyed my body to save every living thing for the very mistake I made. That is why I was without a body for 6000 years dear Mrs Sparkle.” Merlin finished telling them a short story of what he did wrong not including the battle, the betray of Goldenmare to her own younger brother and so much more.

Shining Armor entered the room with no one saying anything all turn to the stallion that was captain of Canterlot's royal guards. “So why do you have a body now?”

Merlin stood from the table looking directly into the eyes of Shining Armor. “If I knew I believe I would tell you. But I can't because the answers of that very question completely escapes me.”

“Then what of your brother? If destroying your body sealed him away, what stopping him from returning now that your body is back.” Shining Armor asked not leaving eye contact.

Merlin smiled. “This isn't my body, this is a new body. I never had a body quite like this, how I was given such a thing is a mystery that I want to solve. And if he did return from the Black Mirror Realm we would be under attack at this very second by an army of frozen soldiers and mirror counterparts that would over run this very city in mere minutes in ice and snow with the hollowing of the Windegos.” Merlin's smile turn into a serious expression when telling this to the royal captain.

“The last army that faced his might was almost destroyed completely. The history of that every moment wiped from time and forgotten. Like me...” Merlin turn away looking out at the window. “I stand with a new life, a spring in my hooves. I might look like I am less focused but I not.” Merlin took a glance at Shining Armor. “Like the very motion just a few days ago you proposed to Cadance”

Shining Armor blinked a few times as those final words left the old unicorn's mouth. “No pony but Princess Luna and Celestia know about that! I was going to surprise mum and dad tonight with the news!”

“I will tell in audience of all the princesses and if Mr and Mrs Sparkle like to join you are most welcomed.” Merlin had enough theories to go but needed a little bit more and getting the three princesses together will help.

With the push he needed now all he had to see if they will follow it through. “And the prove I know.” The bag appears and he place it down on the a open space on the table, opening it he looked inside for what he needed.

They watch him pull out one wooden case after another from the bag stacking them. Shining Armor curiously open one of them to see a set of five crystals in it, he took one with his magic and it reacted the whole world around them seem to melt away and found themselves at a throne room with Princess Luna stepping out of the shadows past one seat towards another standing on the bridge between the two.

“Wh-what-” Night Light glancing around as they was still sitting at the table. All of them was confused.

Merlin stares right at Shining Armor. “Young stallion has anyone told you that never to touch something that doesn't belong to you?”

“Y-yes...” Shining Armor sighed and glance around. “But what is this?”

“The night Luna became Nightmare Moon and Celestia having no other choose but to use the elements on her.” Merlin explained. “Stay still all of you, we still in your dining room slash kitchen.”

They all nod nervously. “Since you activated we have to let it play itself out...” Shining Armor's response was a nervous laugh rubbing the back of his head before he really had to from a clout from his mother across that very back of the head.

Luna calls out to Celestia. “Not another step.” She continues to stare at her older sister with the group watching this unfold. “Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light?”

Luna slams her hooves into the ground breaking the wall and a crack behind her forms up to the window. “There can only be one princess in Equestria! And that princess... will be me!” The moon moves in front of the sun causing a Eclipse.

Luna transforms into Nightmare Moon before their eyes and the eyes of Celestia. “If you saw this happening why didn't you stop this from happening!?” Shining Armor turn and glared at the old unicorn.

“I was only in the power of viewing, you try listening and seeing everything at every moment.” Merlin replied in a calm manner. “Here is an example of such.” Merlin close his eyes and the magic he released made they see and hear everything that was happening at the moment of the memory crystal for a single second.

Twilight Velvet was dazed and trying to refocus. “Th-that was everything happening at the time this happened!? It insane!”

“That is what I had to live with. I learned to focus it into white noise. Background sights and sounds that I can simply put to the side. It did once drive me mad for a small time.” Merlin replied. “Now watch...”

Shining Armor looked away feeling bad now, he just experienced the pain that Merlin had to endor for so long. This odd old wizard was far from questionable but now with a understanding this unicorn saw so much more. “I am sorry...”

“There nothing to be sorry about my young friend. Just remember to not to judge one till you know who or why the motives was made or had no choice to be made. Sometimes you have to think on your hooves at the moment but this isn't that instant moment is it?” Shining Armor shook his head.

The rest of the events unfolded with Celestia being chased by Nightmare to the point she got struck down but upon getting up using the elements Celestia with tears banished her sister to the moon and forever losing connection the the very Elements of Harmony.

The memory crystal dims and drops, Merlin takes it with his magic and placed it back in the case closing it up. “This is for you Shining Armor, it is the moment you proposed to Cadance.” Merlin put the purple crystal into a new case he brought out of the bag and put all the rest back inside it. “Think of this an early wedding gift from me to you and your wife to be.”

Shining Armor took the case with his magic staring at the markings on it, they was of his cutie mark and Cadance's. “Th-thank you...”

“It is an pleasure to see one happy of their gift.” He smiled softly.

Shining Armor wipe away from tears that had formed and fell from his face. “Lance brothers, take Merlin with my parents if they wish to come to the castle. I will be there shortly, I am going to get Cadance.”

They nod without a word and so did the parents of Shining Armor.

During their walk it was mostly quiet with Night Light and Twilight Velvet talking about what just happened back in their home. One thing that slip the mind of the old wizard as they closed in on the front gates. “How long was I asleep for if I may ask?”

“Oh since yesterday.” Twilight Velvet replied.

“A day hmm. Understandable with the transition.” Merlin responded as the Lance brothers talk to the guards at the gate and they open them right afterwards allowing the group to move on through to the throne room of Canterlot castle.

Entering the castle the twins kept the path clear for a straight path for the throne room, it took them a little longer then they hoped with Merlin slowing his walk to take in the sights of the castle and talking to some of the guards.

Spark Lance lean over to Shield. “How is he able to do that?”

Shield whispered back with an astonished look. “Beats the heck out of me, but after what we seen that he pulled off. He most likely got more surprises installed.”

Both nod with the same word spoken. “Yeah...”

“Take care Shimmer Night and remember to take it easy, also let the captain know your with child.”  The old wizard put his hoof on the shoulder of the mare guard.

Her expression showed shock as she tried to find her words. “B-but-Bu-but, I ju-just found out th-this morning h-”

Merlin made his bag reappear and pulls out of it a towel nicely folded and tired with an nice purple bow. “This blanket I made during my time alone. Give it to your child when he or she is born. A gift from a very old wizard.” The purple blanket slash towel had a mix of gold and silver stars with crescent moons on it.

The smile he gave was filled with warmth, the pegasus solar guard took it with a hoof with a smile came from her. Giving him a warm hug with her other hoof and an wing. “Th-thank you...”

“A pleasure youngster. I bid you well.  I kept the princesses waiting long enough.”

She put the blanket beside her and stood back at her post without a word but the expression she had was enough for him as Merlin rejoined the group. “We can proceed.” The bag disappears in a pop of magical energy.

The twins nod silently and walk on with Shining Armor's parents and Merlin down the last corridor to the main doors of the throne room, standing and waiting was Shining Armor with Princess Cadance. “What took you? We been here for almost ten minutes.” Shining asked the guards.

“Merlin sir...”

“He stopped at almost...”

“Every guard and pony...”

“On the way here and...”

“Gave them some meaning...

“Words and gave them gifts...”

“From that impossible bag of his...”

Both of them reported speaking directly one after the other, Shining turn his head each time one spoke then followed by the next. “Why didn't you just tell him to continue cause the princesses been waiting with the co-captain and captain of the Wonderbolts?”

“Ah Captain Spitfire and Co-Captain Soarin are here? That an interesting development.” Merlin step up to Cadance with an soft smile came from his bearded snout. “The Princess of Love with magic as pure to show. Your ability as an Pegasus against such odds was amazing. Alicorn during the first time you foalsit Miss Sparkle and your little ladybug song is quite charming as well.”

Cadance raise an eye with an questionable look. “You seem to know a fair amount about me and Twilight.”

“That I do Cadance-”

“Princess Cadance...” Shining tried to correct him.

“That is true but Cadance will suffice.” Merlin countered.

“Look you can't-”

“Captain Armor I am well over 6000 years. I am not an citizen of Equestria. I maybe a Unicorn but it doesn't mean I have to show the same respect the guards and civilians has to show.” Merlin yet he countered Shining Armor once again.

Shining raise a hoof and about to speak but Cadance steps in with an hoof on Shining Armor foreleg. “It fine Shining. He is correct that somepony from outside Equestia doesn't have to bow or call me Princess if he choose to. It maybe an insult to some but when you have somepony as old as he is that can be easily over looked. He far older then anypony if his age is true.”

“Fine...” He relented.

“I can say it very much true. Captain Armor had seen one of my memory crystals.”

“Memory Crystals?”

Shining Armor sighed putting an hoof to his head. “Merlin got these weird crystals in his weird bag of his. It contains part of the past. The one I accidentally activated when being too curious for my own good watched the events that had Princess Luna turn into Nightmare Moon over 1000 years ago...”

Cadance was surprised and look to each of the other ponies they nodding. “That's... Amazing...”

Merlin grinned. “I think I can show a short one.” With a pop the bag appear landing before him. “Care to have a look Cadance.”

She open it up and took a look inside. “It empty...” She put her hoof inside and touch the bottom. “There nothing in here.”

Shining Armor and the other ponies looked inside. “Ho-how...”

Merlin took the bag with his magic and with an hoof put inside he pulls out a wizard hat. “Opps. Wrong thing.” He put it back inside and then pulls out a hat rack from it that placed beside him.

Cadance stared at the large wooden rack that had the hat on it now with a few others. “Bu-but that was empty-” Cadance look inside again and saw nothing but the bottom of the bag. “How are you doing that?”

“A wizard doesn't relieve his or hers secrets easily my young friend.” He pick up the rack and bag with his magic walking into the throne room searching in the bag pulling out a few books, an globe. Wires, lightbulbs, an laptop and pictures with an chest and a many more items. “Now where did I place those boxes...”

The two Wonderbolts, Celestia and Luna watch as the doors close behind the remaining ponies, they wasn't sure what to exactly say when Merlin was pulling out item after item from his bag, it was quickly filling up the throne room with his stuff.

Luna pick up an cube with nine smaller ones on each face, the colours mixed up. “Sister...”

“Don't ask... Just don't...” Celestia whispered.

Luna shrugs and with her magic she moved one of the slots. “Interesting, it some form of puzzle.”

“I wonder what happens if you complete it.” Celestia was curious about it.

Merlin turn to them. “Oh it an simple puzzle game toy that I saw children and adults playing with and I simply had to get one to see what it like. It an quite the puzzle.”

“An puzzle game! We will win!” Luna beamed and went on trying to solve it with her magic.

Spitfire found a book with the words on it of her own name, opening the book she found a weird looking flying machine in a picture, the words on the other page she started to read but the magic pulls it away from her was Merlin, he was returning everything back into his bag. “Hey I was reading that!”

“Sorry Captain Spitfire. I will return the book to you as an gift after we all discuss why we are here.” Merlin replied leaving the book by his bag after returning all back into his bag part from one crystal as well resting on top of the book.

Luna still had hold of the Rubik Cube and refused to let go of it. “We have not finished the puzzle! This will not leave our side!”

“Very well Luna you may keep it. But for now please put it down so we all can talk and listen without distraction.” Merlin replied with an calm manner to the princess of the night.

Luna nod putting it down beside her hoof. “Very well. But we must ask, who are thy?”

Merlin bow slightly with his head and raise it. “I am Merlin, an very old wizard. You are Luna, Princess of the Night and your eldest sister Celestia the Princess of the Day.”

“That we are.” Celestia replied. “I am curious though. You seem to be a wizard from the way you are dressed but I have no knowledge of anypony called Merlin.”

“It is to be expected, I wasn't even here till yesterday when Mrs Sparkle and her son Captain Armor found me in the alleyway of one of the Canterlot streets after seeing an rainbow flash.” Merlin replied. “That is when I arrived.”

Soarin stepped up. “That odd. It was the same time the hole in the sky appeared and it was filled with rainbow light.”

Merlin stared at the crystal on top of the book. “My last Memory Crystal created before I came to be in Canterlot. It was of an event that took place, which I can not remember clearly.”

Spitfire spoke next with wings flared out a little. “How can two things that happened almost exactly the same time so far apart be connected? Magic can't be exploding like that in two places at once.”

“Normally it can not. But we are talking about an level of magic that was an factor. If you explain to us what happened in detail and Mrs Sparkle and Captain Armor does the same we can fill in the missing pieces with the crystal.” Both parties nod in agreement. “Good I will get a table out.”

Before they could say anything the bag opens and out came a table that was small and suddenly became a huge round wooden table that lands between all the ponies landing in the middle of the throne room with chairs placed at each of them, a few bigger then others for the princesses sizes.

Celestia stared at the table trying to get her head around what exactly happened. “How did that come out of a bag so small?”

“Somethings best left unanswered, my bag is one of them.” Merlin replied as he sat down at the table.

The others sat down and Celestia choose to just let it slide for now. “Very well. As for now let hear of the events that unfolded in the last 24 hours.”

Both parties explained what happened during the time that seem to happen exactly at the same time. From the hole in the Academy skies to Electuroo arriving, the stories from both Electuroo and Rainbow Dash confirmed about his death and how his alive once more.

The other side was of Merlin who was without a body that now has one once again and an unicorn that was far older then Celestia and Luna, he caught them by surprise by the age. He ended up sleeping through a whole day in the Sparkle home to waking up a few short hours ago.

Merlin taking in all the information finally figured it out. “It wasn't only a temporal blast of magic it was dimensionally as well. With all that harmoniousness magic from Rainbow Dash and the over charge she had it was not only enough to shatter the walls of reality but dreams as well. That why I can't remember clearly, she hit me.”

“Somepony trapped between dreams and reality is hard to believe but Rainbow Dash able to have both touch? Isn't that impossible?” Spitfire argued.

Luna shook her head. “No it is possible. If an being is created within a dream of magic. It is possible if it grows strong enough it could escape the dream into this.” Luna replied in an calm manner.

Celestia felt a bit tense of this new news. “If this is true it means you, this Electuroo and Rainbow Dash are all from another time and dimension which explains why you all knew of the planned wedding in a few months time of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.”

Merlin nods. “Yes and I can confirm it.” He used his magic on the crystal and the room around them melt away replaced by a village they appeared in. “No pony move. We are still in the throne room. Just watch.”


---


Starlight went to the aid of the ponies being Twilight and her friends under some pieces of her home. “Party Favor, Night Glider help me!” She called out and they quickly came to her aid, with them restored to their truesleves they managed to remove the debris. 

Double Diamond help some of them to their hooves. “Are you all ok?”

“Yeah...” Twilight took his hoof and got back up on hers. “How are you?”

“Feeling pretty good being back to normal. The vault most of been shattered from that explosion. What exactly was that?” Double Diamond turn to the ruins of Starlight Glimmer's home.

Starlight continue to aid others and answered. “That was Electuroo's cutie mark exploding...” 

Sugar Belle blinked. “Wh-what? How can a cutie mark explode?”

“Because they was right and I knew...” Starlight answered again.

“WHAT!?” Rainbow Dash screamed out. “How can you know and still do this!?”

Starlight glared at her stomping her hoof hard. “I had to! If I didn't none of this would happen and who knows what would happen if I didn't!”

“What the heck does that mean?” Applejack now asked. “Yer better make sense sugarcube.”

Twilight was curious now walking up to the unicorn. “What do you mean you had to?”

Starlight sighed sitting down on her rump looking over to her ruined home. “I don't have time to explain all I can say is that Rainbow Dash need to take Electuroo right now and fly fast as you can, no slowing down, just go faster and faster.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash lower Electuroo's still body off her and got onto her hooves. “How can that help me!?”

“The connection of the magic mirrors are one path, when you touched the energy of two became one for a second and in that transferences of magical energy and life force a part of him stayed within you, how I can't say for sure but with all that extra magical energy in you at the moment you could maybe use your speed to do something impossible.” Starlight Glimmer explained to Rainbow Dash looking directly at Electuroo as she spoke. 

“Yo-”

“If there a chance it is now, the more time we waste chatting the less chance you have to bring back Electuroo. What have you got to lose?” Starlight Glimmer interrupted Rainbow Dash instantly looking directly into the eyes of the cyan pegasi. “Worst case I am wrong and you do whatever you wish of me...”

Fluttershy took the chance to speak with the silence that came right after with at first none of the ponies saying anything even the guard ponies and the two brothers, Flim and Flam. “Rainbow Dash I-I... Think it worth a try...”

“You really think so?” Rainbow Dash asked her best friend from Cloudsdale. 

“Y-yes...”

“Ah have to agree Rainbow it worth a shot. Ah'll get some ropes to...”

Rainbow Dash flapping her wings hovered over Electuroo with both forelegs over and under each of Electuroo's. “No time Applejack, if you all think I got to do this and the chance of saving Electuroo's life. Then I will take it.” Rainbow Dash flapping her wings a few strong beats lift him up with simple ease. 

Gold Wing look around at the sky quickly and pulled out one of his feathers and give it to Rainbow Dash. “This should help create a stable magical field around you when you go faster then sound itself.”

Dash looked at the feather in her mane that he placed there. “How is a gold feather going to do that?”

“Trust me I haven't got a clue. At the end it magic so don't question it and do it now before we flap around and chat all day. You got a coltfriend to save.” He grinned as she blushed heavily. “Skittles.”

Rainbow Dash grumbled under her breath. “I'll get you back for that Gold Wing.” Rainbow Dash gains more height looking around the town with a smirk came to her snout. “I'll be back before ya know it everypony! See ya soon!” With a few powerful flaps she takes off in a blinding speed into the distance creating a Sonic Rainboom soon afterwards.

Rarity with a hoof over her eyes watch Rainbow Dash disappear into the horizon. “Darling how would we know it worked?”

Twilight shrugs. “I don't know, whatever this have to do with Rainbow Dash flying faster and faster got me beat. I am trying to figure it out and it driving me nuts!” Twilight screeched a little at the end. 

The ponies all talking about it all looking at the sky for anything as well, minutes past and nothing seem to happen. Starlight Glimmer stood in front of what was her home now only the foundations and the hidden passage exposed. “Well I hope this stupid plan was worth it, not only I lost my home but everything I worked for a better place...” She grumbled.

Twilight walked up alongside her. “What exactly was this plan?”

Starlight caught glimpse of the elderly stallion. “Why don't you ask the jackass behind the plan himself...” 

“Huh?” Twilight turn her head to the left seeing nothing then to the right to see a brown unicorn with grey hooves, white mane, tail and bread with a purple cape standing before her. “You got Starlight Glimmer to do that to Rainbow Dash!?”

“Indeed my dear young friend. It had to happen or this wouldn't have happened.” The elderly unicorn answered calmly to the enraged pony about to charge at him but frozen in place. 

“Merlin!?” 

“Yes it me and the reason behind this outrageous plan is about to fly over in ten seconds.” 

Twilight frowned at the words he gave her and about to protest when she turn to the direct he was looking at. On cue of ten exact seconds a rainbow streak shot right over at blinding speeds and just as fast it came it was gone. “Sweet Celestia! She flying faster then I ever seen her fly before!” 

Merlin chuckled lightly. “She be crossing over again in about 30 seconds or so and then less time after that and then less after that. After about seven trips she be catching up to her own rainbow trail and over it take it.”

“Ho-how do you know this!?” 

Starlight was about to ask this as well but her jaw just dropped at what was walking up to them behind Twilight. “N-no way...”

Twilight quickly spun around and gasped. Standing before her was no other then Rainbow Dash and Electuroo both wearing red puffer sleeveless jackets with sunglasses on their heads. “Guess who back from the future!” Both said together with smirks on their faces.

The other ponies saw the rainbow streak go over again faster this time and fading not as fast as before. But what shocked them even more was seeing Rainbow Dash and Electuroo, Pinkie Pie bounced over to them and gave Electuroo a huge hug. “Oh gosh Electuroo! Your alive! Your breathing!”

Electuroo hugged her back. “Pretty much.” He answered and let go. “Been alive for over a year or two.” He said looking at each of them. “It going to be tricky to explain but we arrived back about a month ago.”

“Month ago? Sugarcube how is that even possible?”

Merlin step up between the two pegasi. “Time and dimensional travel Miss Applejack.” 

Applejack looked at him dead in the eyes. “Yer that old pony that came by Sweet Apple Acres two weeks ago. Ah know those eyes.” 

“Indeed I am, 'guilty as charged' as you youngsters say it.” Merlin smiled putting his hoof on her right shoulder. “As for how I am really here and a Unicorn that because of Miss Dash here.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Merlin we been through this so many times already! It Dash, Rainbow Dash or Rainbow. Not Miss Dash!”

Merlin looked around as the crowd gather. “Twilight are you ok?” 

Rainbow Dash smirked seeing that twitch in her eye. “T-time travel... Dim-dimensional tr-travel... Brought back...” Twilight eyes rolled up and she fell over backwards with a hind leg twitching after the fall.

Electuroo just shook his head. “Rainbow I own you ten bits.”

“Yep you do.” Rainbow Dash replied and they watch another streak and followed by another. “Whelp, let get Twi into a bed and we will explain what happened.”

“I am for one that want to know because I was put through all this and it was part of you three plan!” Starlight Glimmer stomped her hoof hard. “This was all part of your stupid plan to get him back alive and I want to know why it had to cost what I was doing here!” 

Electuroo and Rainbow Dash looked to each other and back at Starlight. “Because fear of not getting another friend over gaining a cutie mark and moving on isn't the answer your seeking Starlight. You got friends here.” Electuroo said calmly to her.

Starlight blinked. “H-how...”

“You told me.” Electuroo pulled out with his hoof a pair of bands and toss it over to her.

Starlight caught them with her magic and looked at it. “Wait this is one of my mane bands from when I was a child. But I got them right here.” She showed the pair and looked at the others. “The other me from this other Equestria wasn't it?”

“Pretty much. Took some crazy time events when you was trying to change history from Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom to finally come to terms and have new friends.” Electuroo said making the ponies look at each other talking quietly. “But that was you there and not here.”

“Don't bother trying to get your head around this time travel dimensional thingy, I been through it from going to that Equestria to getting home and arriving a month before all this.” Rainbow Dash pull out her hoof to the land around and looked up. “Wow so that what it looked like from down here. Never thought I see myself flying.”

“Sugarcube ya have no idea how weird it is for us.” Applejack step up to Electuroo. “But it good to see it did work Electuroo.”

Electuroo flap his wings a little before resting them against his sides. “It was weird for me too waking up at the Wonderbolt Academy after I should have been dead. Magic just something I can't understand, just one of those things you go along with and keep a open mind.” Electuroo gave her a hug. “But it good to see you again Applejack, same to all of you.”

“Oh darling it is.” Rarity next hugged him and pulled away looking at both him and Rainbow Dash. “Those outfits what exactly are they?”

“Back to the Future. It something Electuroo said about and we got Rarity in the other Equestria to make them for us before we returned.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “It is your hoof work.”

“Indeed I can see.” Rarity replied taking a good look at their jackets. “It good to know the plan worked.”

Fluttershy next hugged Electuroo and Rainbow Dash. “I am glad you two are ok. And now we got a new friend. It makes me feel warm.”

“Indeed it does Miss Flutershy.” Merlin bow his head slightly as the speed of the past Dash was now so fast it seem there was many of her. “The ring is forming and soon she will crash into me.”

“Oh so that why I been getting that weird feeling in my tongue and back legs since it begun! It a new Pinkie Sense I had a month ago! I couldn't just place it and now I know!”  Pinkie Pie giggled.

All of the ponies part from Twilight who was out cold watch the rainbow ring glow brighter till it exploded ... 


----


The room return to normal right after the blast happened and the crystal cracked and shattered into an million pieces on the table. “It seems you being here and showing us this was no accident. It seem that time has played it part for you, Electuroo and Rainbow Dash. Whatever exactly happened from then and now is unknown but it seem your future self made sure this was only seen once from the way the crystal shattered.”

Merlin took in Celestia's words and stared at the pieces on the table. “Indeed. Not only we do not know how exactly we return it seem to be years down the line. How interesting to know that whatever the path is laid out in front of us will lead to an causality paradox.”

“Causality paradox? What exactly does that mean?” Shining Armor asked.

“It means an set of events from somepony from one point in time go back in time and lead to events that leads back to the start of the very event that it begins at.” Cadance replied. “Usually time travel is almost impossible to do, Starswirl created such a spell but it only take the user back a week for a few minutes before bring them back to the present.” Cadance finished explaining to Shining Armor.

He rubbed his head. “This is just giving me an headache...”

“Time travel and paradoxes usually do.” Merlin replied. “That why it surprising it happened. We was in such a paradox already thanks to an Alicorn called Goldenmare, she sealed the universe in an time bubble that will have time pass faster inside then outside, how fast and how many years is unknown. The spell only been around for a month so far and from what I saw of Equestria only one percent of all the ponies have their internal magic. Another 1 percent became corrupted by the magical blast.”  Merlin explained and using his magic shows them an image of Twilight and the girls.

“Twily... She don't have her horn! What happened to it!?” Shining Armor demanded with his magic grip on Merlin picking him up.

Merlin raise a hoof to the princesses, all of them not to act. “Goldenmare removed their magic part from Rainbow Dash. Her connection to the mirrors I created somehow protected her, in fact gave her, Electuroo, Soarin and Wind Note an magical boost by 22 times their normal level of internal magic. Stable.”

Shining Armor lowers him onto his hooves. “Will that happen here?”

“No.” Merlin replied. “Reason is I, her and Electuroo don't excised in this world.”

Soarin coughs. “Erm... One thing. Our previous captain is related to Electuroo...”

“How so?” Celestia asked.

“F-father and son related... The DNA test clearly shows it...” Soarin gave her the results.

Celestia look at the papers and double checked the results. “Interesting. It seem that the tests are true.”

Merlin chuckled lightly. “I can believe that, Stardust gave him a black eye.”

“Stardust? Who is this pony you speak of?” Luna asked.

Merlin replied in calm collected voice. “The mother of Electuroo.” This interesting of Celestia as she listened to this and showed a picture of her to Celestia. “He figured it out and tried to avoid her at all costs and well it didn't work and lead to her giving him an hoof in the face for his troubles.”

Celestia put the papers down on the table. “It seem that this has just got far more complicated, Lance brothers.” The two guards saluted. “What we seen today is not to be spoken of.”

“Yes Princess!” They answered.

“Go to the western side of the castle and talk to two Luna guards at a silver door and ask for Lightning Strikeer to come to the throne room by tomorrow.” Celestia told them.

They was about to leave but stop. “Tomorrow?” Shield asked.

“Yes, for today get some rest. We need time to examine this and see where we go from this point on.” Celestia turn to Spitfire and Soarin. “Will that give you two time to bring Electuroo and Rainbow Dash to Canterlot?”

“Yes princess. That will give us enough time.” Spitfire replied and turn to Merlin who place the book in front of her.

“Happy readings youngster. And if you do not like what you read do not complain. You wanted to read it.” Merlin said to her.

Spitfire took the book with a hoof. “Don't worry I got you.” She turn and leaves.

Soarin step up to Merlin. “What happened to the Wonderbolts in your world?”

“You are all that is left of them that has wings.” Merlin replied. “Your counterpart with Electuroo, Rainbow Dash and Wind Note manage the Weather Factory with a very limited staff.”

“Wow...”

“You asked and I answered my young friend.”

“That I did. Thanks.” Soarin took off after Spitfire leaving the throne room.

Celestia looked at the table and back to the old wizard. “If you don't mind. Can we keep this?”

Merlin nod. “Yes Celestia you may.”

Twilight Velvet and Night Light walked up to Shining Armor. “Son we going home, we won't tell anypony of this, it too crazy to believe.”

“Indeed it is mum...”

“Take care son and congrats.” Night Light smiled hugging his son.

“Thank you dad.”

Cadance watch Luna try to solve the Rubik Cube “Auntie do you need any help?”

“NO! WE WILL SOLVE THIS!” Luna replied with her Royal Voice.

Celestia just rolled her eyes and Cadance just shrugged and leaves with Shining Armor. “Time, dimensions all shattered by one pony saving a life...” Celestia whispers to herself.

“If I had that amount of magic and Luna was... Would I do what Rainbow Dash did?”

“That is something only you can answer my  young friend.” Merlin replied standing beside her as she and the old odd wizard look out to the city of Canterlot.
> MRE Adventure Chapter 4 - Reunited
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------




The MRE Adventure





Chapter 4 – Reunited










Flying to Canterlot should be very simple flight from the Wonderbolt HQ at the Academy grounds but for Spitfire this wasn't such one of these simple trips. She glance to the yellow stallion flying beside her with serious amount of worry as he was half awake, the eyes kept closing and snapping open with a shake of the head. 




Spitfire glance back seeing the Academy wasn't even ten miles away. “Electuroo why in the hay did you not get any sleep last night or in the last two days? Look at yourself! Your all emotionally and physically drained!” She quickly glide over correcting his flight path from crashing into anything which she feared he could in the sleepy state he was in.

“In fact you shouldn't even be flying! I can't believe that you refuse to be airlifted to the city! Your in the worse possible state for any Pegasus to be in right now.” Spitfire was now determine to drag Electuroo out of the sky and then put him in something to be flown then in.

But the next words that rang out made her scrap that idea pretty fast. “Try dying and fearing that you go to sleep and never see the ones you care about again.” His sleepy tone of voice making his words slued at points. With a mighty yawn and wiping the tears from his eyes. 

They flew at a steady speed towards the mountain side city Canterlot. Spitfire couldn't say much to counter it cause she never knew anypony or anything for that matter being dead and brought back to life. This was well beyond what the Wonderbolt Captain has ever experienced and wished that this was all just some wild dream, yet that was too much to be asked for.

She thought about those words and decided to counter to keep him from falling asleep without even releasing it, Spitfire can easily see this was going to happen every flap of the wings. “That no excuses rookie! We was there the whole time! The whole team of the Wonderbolts, we would of made sure you get some sleep! Instead you played on your own stupid fears of sleeping and never waking!”

Electuroo glared at her for a second and look forwards. “Bullshit! I bloody had my life sucked right out of me! The bloody pain in both wake and sleep I can never forget! The sorrow the sadness in Rainbow Dash's eyes when I was lying there in her lap unable to do jack but weakly mutter out words!”

“And how do you think Rainbow Dash going to think when you seen like this! A Pegasus without two whole days of sleep! Unable to even think straight yet alone fly without help from me! Your fears I can't understand since I never been through it but we all have fears and you need to overcome it rookie! Not for me, but for Rainbow! You need to buck up Sparky!” Spitfire snapped back at Electuroo she was playing him along with this and the alertness from this over tired pony was there.

Electuroo quickly turn around with a few sharp flaps coming directly face to face with Spitfire. “You bloody don't understand what I-”

“You don't understand what she been through too, she broke not only time and space for you but crossed whole dimensions too. This isn't your Equestria Sparky.” Spitfire let go the bomb she kept back all this time and played her cards.

Electuroo tired eyes darted left and right trying to understand what she said. “Di-dimensions? Yo-you mean this-” His mind couldn't process it as it was now wearing down on him. “I-I caused this, I died and caus-”

Spitfire put a hoof to his snout. “What I am going to say wasn't suppose to be said till we got there. So if this make sure you get some stupid sleep after we get there and you meet up with your damn beloved Rainbow Dash so be it!” Spitfire remove her hoof and point to fly, he did so.

“We saw some crystal showing what happened after you died. Yes we saw you dead. Merlin this weird unicorn recently got a body showed us it.”

“Weird unicorn recently got a body? Merlin is a Unicorn?” Electuroo's confusion showed as he tried his hardest to think. “Gah! I can't even think of understanding! I just can't think clearly!”

“That what happens when you think not sleeping is best...” Spitfire muttered. 

Electuroo close his eyes taking a deep breath with an very heavy sigh. “Your right... I've been completely stupid... Continue...”

Spitfire sighed as it finally sunk in. “Finally! Took you long enough!” She didn't say anything but showed shame as they got closer to the city. “There was future versions of you, Rainbow Dash and Merlin in what we saw with the crystal, they watch Rainbow Dash do that super hyper speed move around the whole world to save you. They made sure it did happen because it was part of some temporal paradox.”

Electuroo knew a lot from movies, tv shows and other forms of theories about time travel. He was now part of one of them. “So me acting like a complete idiot for the last two days all part of it huh?”

“Guess so. Well it didn't have to be. Since your the idiot that choice to use their own fear to become a restless ass.” Spitfire chuckled slapping him across the head with her left wing during a flap and drift back to her spot beside him. 

Electuroo rubbing his head with his right front hoof. “True. And I deserved that. But why didn't you tell me when you got back from Canterlot?”

Spitfire blinked and now felt stupid. “Touché Sparky. You got me there. I guess we both asses.”

“Hehe yeah.” He yawned and drift down towards the castle with Spitfire, her plan worked and even she did spill it to him, it kept Electuroo from going to sleep in mid flight.

The landing wasn't even close to perfect, she watch the stallion land with his forelegs giving way and causing him to tumble around and around till he came to a stop with half of his back on the ground the other bent up against the pillar with his hide legs close to his mouth with his tail covering his head.

“Maybe I should call you Sparky Crash.” Spitfire land beside him with a chuckle.

“Do that I tell everypony in the world your Wonderbolt nickname.” Electuroo flick a wing pushing his tail off his head looking upside down mischievously at her.

Spitfire didn't seem impressed and with a hoof on his side she gave him a push to roll him over and off the pillar. “Not convincing by the slightest Sparky, if you didn't look like a wrecked over tired pony I might have been.” 

A guard came over with orange fur, blue mane and tail wearing golden armour with two white fur, blue mane and tail typically looking Pegasi royal guards. “That a rough landing there, you don't look too good.”

Electuroo yawned laying there on his stomach with a hoof over his snout. “Not sleeping in three days or was it two?”

“Two...” Spitfire replied. “Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts with Electuroo to see Princesses.” Spitfire stood firm before the guards.

The orange pony stood firm and saluted. “Lt. Flash Sentry! It a pleasure to meet you Captain.”

“Hehe... The fandoms most hated pony for no reason at all...” Electuroo mutters and chuckled a bit more.

Flash raise an eye. “I have a fandom?” Only hearing a little of what half muttered words of Electuroo said.

Spitfire hits Electuroo. “Ow! What that for!?” He complained.

“Get your head straight Electuroo! Seriously! Look at you! Your half aware and acting like a complete idiot!” Spitfire glares at him. 

Electuroo slowly got up almost falling over with his sense of balance not completely there. “Because I refused to sleep!” Electuroo glared back. 

“I know you think it an stupid excuses and year it could be! But have anything like this happen to you!? Have you experienced it till now!? Can you tell me right now that all this bull crap bloody temporal crap can be foretold!? 

Paradoxes are a pain in the ass and give you one fucking serious headache! I am getting one just thinking about it in the last few minutes when you told me! So fucking back off and if being a idiot is part of what I do! So bloody be it!” 

Pushed passed both of them and the guards, they lower the spears to just get him to push them right down and step over them storming off into the castle.

Flash blinked. “What the heck was that about?”

“More then you want to know...” Spitfire rubbed her head a little. “And what happened nothing like it ever happened so he got me there.” Spitfire flew off after him with the guards glancing to Flash he waved them on with his front hooves and they flew after her.  

Spitfire caught up to Electuroo seeing he was still anger. “Spitfire don't... I hate enough of I did wrong this! And Wrong that! I am a complete wrack and get it ok! I did wrong and should of thought about it! Yet I didn't and didn't pay attention like per-usual!”

“Is this to do with that asperger's syndrome you spoke about yesterday?” Spitfire asked.

Electuroo come to a dead stop. “Yes... Not sleeping hasn't help my thinking. It all over the place and so it my mood.” He sniffed a little. “I am not using it to excuse myself, it just with everything-” He sniffs with tears falling. “That happening I just don't know what to do. I am a afraid to even think of what Rainbow will  think of me looking like this.” He closed his eyes trying to keep it together taking in a deep breath of air, breathing it out afterwards. 

“Sparky your a good pony. Even you don't think of what to say first and act before you think sometimes, your heard is always in the right place even though sometimes it acted or said at the wrong time.” Electuroo nod a little with the guards rejoining them. “Now get that flank moving or do I have to force you to go through those doors?”

Electuroo turn to her. “Go through the doors?”

She point with a wing. “Just look where your standing in front of.”

Electuroo faced forwards and stared at the large doors. “Your serious aren't ya?” 

“What you think?” She move around to behind him reading to give him a helpful push.

Electuroo instantly move forwards. “No thanks Spits I already made a fool of myself so far, don't need extra help on that.” He put the hoof to the door.

“Where you really going to do that?” Flash asked.

She smirked. “Yes.” Flash didn't say anything else as he and the guards now stood attention in the hall not to far. “Guess you guys will miss all the fun.” Spitfire chuckled as Electuroo push open the door and enters with her following inside.

The doors close to hear a mighty thud against the doors seconds later causing them to get startled but whatever was being said they couldn't even hear. Seeing a glow of golden light they knew that Princess Celestia just sound proofed the room with her magic and sealed it from any from entering, they could only guess what was going on inside the throne room .

The doors close as Spitfire and Electuroo enter the throne room only for Electuroo not able to even react or realise what came right at him. Rainbow Dash knocked right into him sending him flying backwards into the doors just as Princess Celestia quickly used her magic to soften to impact and seal the door up in the process.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my Gosh! Electuroo you alive! I am so happy!” She hugged him tightly with tears rolling down her face. “I wasn't sure it worked and when Soarin told me about you I was over joyed!”

Electuroo put his wings and forelegs around her too with tears falling. “I heard and I am breathing because of you Rainbow Dash. You did beyond what anyone as ever done. I should have been dead but you did the impossible.” He press his head against hers as they rubbed together a little.

The other ponies watched from where they stood at the round table, Cadance generally very happy seeing the love that was coming  from the two pegasi. “It at these moments that are treasured the moment when love blooms.”

“Indeed.” Celestia replied.

Rainbow Dash slowly eased the hug and look into the eyes of the pony she had to fall in love with and noticed something instantly with a hard whack with her hoof against his right foreleg. “OW, what the hell Dash!”

“Sparks don't 'what the hell' me! You haven't slept haven't you!?” 

Electuroo nods slightly. “What the buck have I told ya about getting some stupid rest!”

“He did try but every time it was a nightmare, thou we wonder why we could not aid in thee.” Luna responded to this.

Rainbow Dash turn to her and back to Electuroo. “Let me guess. Fearing of dying and never seeing me?”

“Kinda...” Electuroo whispered. “I was so scared of sleeping. So afraid that I would awake as something else. Something that would harm you Rainbow... I was terrified.” He put his head into her chest and start to cry.

Rainbow Dash embrace the emotionalized wrecked pony. “It cool Electuroo, I'm here now...”

Merlin turn to Luna. “I believe I can answer why you couldn't solve or dissolve the problem within the nightmare.”

“Please do tell.”

“His mind isn't like a typical ponies, it far more active and even in his sleepy state the dreams of his fears are still there. Can't you sense the nightmare?” Merlin answered and questioned the princess of the night.

Luna close her eyes for a second and open them. “Yes we can. His dreaming of the fear within but then it changing to pleasant ones being with Rainbow Dash once more. The scene of his death hunts him the most.”

Rainbow Dash kiss him on the forehead. “Sparks it ok now we together.”

“We are...” Electuroo return the kiss on her own forehead raising his head and finally they let go, getting up on all fours. “Shit!” He instantly curses. “I left my jacket back at the bed side!” He realised he didn't have his jacket on after all this time.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “That what happens when you let your nightmares get the best of you. Didn't your mum tell ya dreams just dreams and they can't possibly hurt you?”

“Yeah she did.” Electuroo replied and slowly look around the room. “Did we just cuddle, sweet talk and kiss in front of them?”

“Pretty much.”

“Well it safe to say we feel like bloody twats at this second.”

“Hehe yep.” 

Princess Celestia spoke to them as they walked up to the table with the other ponies slightly gathered. “Before we start this meeting about what Rainbow Dash has done and the effects it laid out to us at this very moment of time. We have one more guest to arrive, he should be arriving any moment.”

Shining Armor turn to Electuroo. “You really look bad.”

“Yeah no sleep. Pretty much wiped out. Look forward to getting my Zzzzs.” Electuroo answered. “Being a twat did this to me.”

He raise an eye brow. “Twat? What exactly does that mean?”

“Other words for being stupid.” Electuroo answered.

Rainbow Dash stood by Electuroo. “Yeah and got me saying it some times. British slag has a way getting to ya.”

Merlin reading through a book nod to this and speaks as he reads. “That is very much the case. Many are shared in many countries.”

“How come we never heard of it?” Cadance asked.

“It simple, Electuroo not really from the Equestria Rainbow Dash is from, his from another reality that shares an connection to their worlds. He in fact once human. But-”

“Not a pony but-”

“Captain Armor if you please let me finish I can explain...” Shining Armor agrees with a nod in silence. “Thank you, as I was saying the fact he not any more is what Rainbow Dash did. The pony body you see him as is the form the magic of Equss a spell I cast 6000 years ago aided giving him thanks to Miss Dash touching a mirror connected to another on Earth.

The two allowed a bridge to form and pulling Electuroo in turn him into a pony. The cutie mark does show his thrill of flying but it also shows the talent his has with the flight, he has a signature move called the 'Thunder Bounce' that allows him instantly sharp turns and repelling himself away at great speeds from them creating a charge through his coat.

The results of such leave a large dome of static electrical energy. But this is getting off topic about his talent. The cutie mark also acted as a magical converter allowing him to exist when he shouldn't be able to. When his cutie mark was removed the results left the cutie mark to become instantly unbalanced and poor child with the magic bleeding out of him.

The results was very painful and resulted in his death with the human within dying out without the mark to protect it. That is where Rainbow Dash came in, she held a tiny amount of the human of Electuroo within herself, some how travelling at speeds that I couldn't even calculate resulted in an magical transfer. That led to Electuroo being restored to life, his cutie mark returned and the pony you see before you.

If the cutie mark was to be removed he would live this time. The human part that left his the very soul within, what makes him who he is. Electuroo you never be human again the human physically form was destroyed and you most likely sense a difference in the way your body feels, natural even.”

After Merlin spoke in detail about Electuroo with the cutie mark and human side nothing more a shadow now of his past. Electuroo knew inside Merlin was right...

“Your right Merlin it does feel like this is my body, every twitch of a wing, the wind, sleepless nights. The nightmares and the way I feel with my hooves to my mouth and how my feelings are to Rainbow Dash seem to be so part of this body. The human once was is gone physically, I can't even think of my true self as normal any more.” Electuroo turn to Rainbow Dash. “It kinda scary thinking that I lost something and just accepting it...”

Rainbow Dash hit him again with him yelping. “I don't care about that Electuroo, knowing that what ticks here and there is you that only matters, I love you for who you are even how annoying you can get sometimes.” Rainbow Dash tap his head then his chest with a hoof. 

Cadance heard everything and kept her smile about the whole thing that turned out before her. “That is how love should be, I love Shining Armor because of who he is not by the way he looks even he is cute.”

“Cadance!” Shining blushed. 

“Only teasing my love.” She place her head against his.

Merlin whispered. “Young love. Even Miss Dash forgot to mention it wouldn't of happened without him being a pony in the first place and her touching that said mirror. Love has a  strange way of sipping in.” He gazed over to Celestia. “Isn't that so?”

“Indeed, it has lightly the mood but matters will turn serious.” 

“That is true.” Merlin turn to the door hearing it open with the two twins entering with a orange Pegasus with a similar colour mane and tail to that of Electuroo's. “And it seem that moment has came.”  

Lightning Strikeer turn to the door closing with Celestia's magic. The Lance brothers joining them at the table. “What exactly am I here for Princess Celestia?” He turn to the table and start to walk towards it.

Rainbow Dash felt very uneasy and her wings twitching was showing it. Soarin saw the look in Spitfire's eyes, he put a hoof to her not to explode and let this play through, she grumbled under her breath an uneasy look she only can give for now with answers wanted from the previous Wonderbolts Captain.

Electuroo eyes was trying to avoid eye contact with him while Merlin was relaxed with the princesses and Shining Armor looking at him as if he done something wrong and kept them in the dark about it. “And why so many ponies seem to be uneasy or giving me such strange looks?”

The three princesses decided it was now to show him. “We decided to run our own tests on your DNA on record to the yellow feather provided by the young stallion Electuroo over by Rainbow Dash.” Princess Celestia raise a right hoof to the yellow stallion.

“We discovered that his related to you.” Luna adds. “Thee have reason of not telling us?”

“Is that it? We related. That all this is about?” Lightning said in slight annoyance in his voice. “Why would I not tell of something I didn't know?”

Cadance using her magic moved it over to him on his side of the table. “It more then just related Lightning Strikeer. His is your son, the DNA results was ran in two different labs, one in Cloudsdale Medical and here in Canterlot General Hospital. They both clearly show you are his father.”

Lightning took the papers with his wing and scanned through both of them quickly. “You had a son and never thought to tell anypony including your fellow Wonderbolts? Why keep such a thing as this a secret? Aren't we best friends?” Shining Armor demanded an answer with a hoof slam down on the table giving him a really shameful look.

Lightning Strikeer toss the papers back on the table. “Care to explain?” Celestia asked calmly.

“Some how he manage to make a completely fool of everypony because I have no children, I been in the Wonderbolts over 15 years and never once thought about being in a relationship!” Lightning Strikeer quickly turn to Electuroo. “Look Electuroo is it?” He step up to the yellow pony. “I don't know what you have to gain for this, I am a retired Wonderbolt and not letting my name get dragged down by somepony that want to get his bits worth for being a son of a ex captain.”

Electuroo sighed. “Recently being told we crossed dimensional barriers and mum making sense when it seem she didn't. Geez she just always seem to be able to get one up on ya.” He step up to his father. “Strange as it sounds, you are and your not at the same time since I am from the dimension next door but-”

“Dimension next door what the buck are you talking about colt!?” Lightning Strikeer step back a little with an uneasy feel about this. 

Electuroo raise a hoof up. “Just one sentence will confirm your my dad, a personal message from my mum.”

“Fine I will play your stupid game!” He sighed and allow Electuroo to get close enough to lean towards his right ear. The other ponies watch as Electuroo whispers something in his ear making his large round eyes quickly shrink to small little pupils, he quickly flew back with a deep pink clearly seen under his eyes.

“SHE SAID THAT TO YOU!? ALL THE THINGS TO SAY SHE SAID THAT!!!” 

It echoed through out the room and that all that was needed to confirm it. “It seem you have a tale that you never told Wipe Out.” Spitfire spoke up his nickname now amused at the embarrassing position he was in. 

Merlin pull out a small note book from his bag and wrote into it. “It seem the fur is able to change colour specially around the face to show expressions of deep feeling. I also saw the fur can turn red if they really anger or in the case of being in the hottest sun light. Sun burn. It an interesting thing indeed, sick is almost green if you already green then a more neon close my guess.” Merlin continue to speak in lower muttering tone of voice writing down his findings.

Lightning lands and look into the brown eyes of Electuroo. “Wayne?” He whispers.

Electuroo nods with a smile. “Yeah dad it me. Electuroo now but good to see you breathing again. Even back on the other side there another you that encountered mum for real and let say it left you with a real shiner in the right eye.” Electuroo point his wing to the right eye of Lightning.

Lightning sighed heavily. “Knowing if I figured it out I would play dodgers with her and-”

“That exactly what happened from what mum told me.” Electuroo chuckled lightly and gives him a big hug and Lightning returns it in full.

Rainbow Dash steps up. “I knew you was the ex captain but how can you be his father when you never been with anypony? Spitfire you treated as a younger sister right?”

Lightning release the hug standing by his son. “It true. But before that I just woke up one day in Cloudsdale as I am and at first I thought I was going completely nuts but it seem one second your another then become another. Spitfire can tell you how my mouth was full of crap. The words saying wasn't too pleasant right?”

“Indeed, you sure had a mouth back then.” Spitfire chuckled. “But what was this other life then?”

“I was human, not had a good life. Did mostly the wrong shit that put me in the bloody pits of regret. I had a heart condition and didn't care much about it. Taking care of the children while their mum was away to relax from raising three children mostly on her own. I feel asleep watching a movie and woke up here. In Equestria.” Lightning Strikeer explained to her and the rest. “First I thought I was off my rocker.” He flew over to the table landing on it.

“I thought that other life was just a dream nothing more so I moved on and lived the life of Lightning Strikeer which is really me now. I don't get how or what happened back then but-”

Electuroo let the bomb drop making them all gasp. “You died of a heart attack. I found your body on the sofa.” 

Soarin was really stunned by this and quickly spoke over everypony in the room. “That crazy! How can he die of a heart attack!? His right here! It makes no sense!”

Lightning turn to the young co-captain. “Sometimes life and magic never make sense no matter how much you want to figure it out youngster. I am 52 years old, I lived over 20 years here in Equestria. How I ended up dead in one world and woke up alive breathing and what else you like to call crazy into the world. I am here breathing with wings, hooves and this being my body. I captained the Wonderbolts gave it to my co-captain Spitfire. That all happened, it just now I realise that I'd had another life and never thought about it being real.” Lightning Strikeer jump off the table walking around the throne room looking at each window display as he told them what was on his mind.

Celestia nod with a warm smile. “It seem life has an interesting twist. Your still part of the project you signed up for, helped and continue to do so. I believe this just another one of those interesting points of life we just have to live with. I still have complete trust in you my little pony.” Celestia walk up to him standing by him looking out of the window towards the warm light of the sun. 

“That your own son did die and Rainbow Dash some how brought him back to life by not only crossing dimensional barriers but also breaking space, time and magical barriers that once should be impossible to break all at once. Yet she stands there with three different sides of the story all alining with each other.” Celestia said with a feeling of thrill in her voice. “I been surprised so many times but this is one of the most amazing things to happen. I feel young again and wish to see what happens next.”

Luna blinked. “Sister thou not thinking that they should return to Ponyville? Wouldn't that upset the balance?”

“Luna. Sister, don't you think this very meeting is such?” Celestia gave a playful smile. 

Luna smiled slightly. “Yes that is true. We agree.” Luna turn to Cadance and Shining Armor. “Learning on the wedding before you two can say is one thing indeed. Thee agree?”

“I have to. It rather strange that they knew of it before we did but the fact they come from a different point in time too is interesting.” Cadance turn to Merlin then Rainbow Dash and finally Electuroo. “So I wish for you three not to tell of what to happen. I wish to be surprised if you don't mind.”

Electuroo shrugs. “Sure, just call out Sparks when you next see me and call Rainbow, Skittles.” Electuroo replied.

“Skittles?” Shining Armor asked.

Rainbow Dash glared at Electuroo. “Oh your so in for it!” She open her wings and Electuroo was gone busting through the door Celestia let go with her magic. “GET BACK HERE!” She chased after him with a burst of speed.

Lightning Strikeer watched the two disappear in a second not even that. “Sweet Celestia they fast...”

“Indeed they are.” Merlin replied walking past him. “I will be on my way to Ponyville, I bid you all a good day.”

“That it? We talk about this, have some talk about the father and you let them all off the hook?” Spitfire turn to Celestia. “I'm a bit confused. They did do impossible things Princess... No offence but isn't that reckless?”

Celestia shrugs. “Sometimes you just have to roll with it Captain Spitfire. Am I right Soarin?”

“Yes Princess.” Soarin replied. “So what now?”

“Keep a eye on their progress time to time. I have a feeling that Rainbow Dash's dream of being a Wonderbolt someday may come true, she rough around the edges and have a ego to match but with Electuroo around I can say things will be interesting for sure. It not everyday something new and thrilling comes your way.” Celestia turn to the large table. “And a gift from an very unusual wizard.” 

“We like it sister, it fitting for the throne room.” Luna agreed.

Lightning Strikeer rubbed his head with his hoof. “If you don't mind I think I like to just go somewhere and lay down.”

“You may and see you the day after tomorrow at the west wing.”

“Yes ma'am.” He saluted and trots off before stopping, he thought about something from the look of Celestia gave him and said. “Damn, how did she know?” He leaves with the words muttering under his breath with the princess laughing softly.

“Let get going Shiny. I found this little place where they sell this really amazing food.” Cadance pull on his foreleg. 

Shining Armor nods. “Alright, I am a bit hunger myself and today is my day off.” He nuzzles against her head and she returns it.

Spitfire and Soarin saluted and leaves right afterwards. “Lance brothers.” Celestia step up to them. “Remove your armour and report in with me for a special assignment.” Celestia walks by them and out of the throne room.

They look to each other and back at Luna who shrugged and went back to the cube that she been trying to solve. 

“Special assignment?” They said together