Twilight and Spike awoke to find themselves back in Cloudsdale.
Back here she thought. The last she had been here, a filly Rainbow Dash ran away from her, probably thinking she was going to foal nap her. Twilight scanned the area for any signs of Starlight Glimmer. She found her prey helping the bullies and a filly Fluttershy learn how to fly. Each reality she had visited seemed to have some degree of discontinuity to it. One reality didn't affect the outcome of another. She couldn't help but think back to what Dash had told before the portal had opened, 'Go get her Twi'. As much as she told herself that she was doing this to save her friends and all. She was also doing this for Rainbow. She was not going to let Starlight keep her from their future together.
Something caught her eyes though, there were dozens of Royal Guards this time. Something that also caught Starlight's attention and seemed to make her somewhat nervous. As Twilight was about to make her move, a voice spoke from behind her, " Who are you my little pony?", and turned to come muzzle to muzzle with Celestia. And the PRincess seemed very confused as to what was standing before her. That was until Twiliglht was the first to break the silence.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, I'm from another timeline," she decided to keep it short, there was no telling if she'd be believed here or taken to the dungeons. She looked up to see a somewhat relaxed look spread across Celestia's face. Hopefully the princess believed her, hopefully was a relative word though.
"that explains why I sensed the magic from the tree here," Celestia commented before turning to have Twilight walk with her, to learn why she was here and what she could be to help.
"I'm after that unicorn over there, her name is Starlight Glimmer,"Twilight paused,"My friends and I stopped her from stealing the cutie marks from a town of ponies she falsely tricked into being equal." Celestia nodded as she went on," So she stole the Time Spell from the Canterlot Archives in order to get revenge on me. Every timeline I've visited grew progressively worse because of the lack of friendship magic. Three I mangaed to restore some decency of order with variants of my friends. Some, I dont want to think about." This last comment caught Celestia's interest more then the rest of the conversation.
"What exactly happened in those realities, might I ask?", Twilight obliged her.
"One reality saw the return of King Sombra, and an all out war between the nations of Equestria and The Crystal Empire, another saw the the Occupation of Equestria by Chrysalis and her Changeling empire, And another saw the return of your sister Luna, but because my friends and I weren't there to stop her, she came back as Nightmare Moon and imprisoned you in the moon,", that last one struck a chord with the Princess. Twilight could see that last bit caused Celestia's shoulder's to sag for a moment.
"And what happened in your timeline?", Celestia asked her new friend, hoping that her one regret in life might of been rectified in another world.
"Because of my friends and I finding the Elements, we purged her of the Corruption and restored her to Princess Luna. She was so happy to see you she was in tears most of time." Twilight smiled softly to herself as she recalled that memory from so long ago.
"Back to the matter at hand then," Celestia spoke," That Lilac colored unicorn is Starlight Glimmer?", she asked Twilight, who nodded with a resounding yes. Use of a time spell in this kind of manner was apparently a crime on the same scale as murder or Treason. Twilight was about to say something to Celestia, when the Goddess of the Sun summoned her Guards. This wasn't going to be like the other time that something similiar happened, and Starlight ducked out at the last moment.
Celestia flexed her wings and flew to where the Unicorn was standing with the fillies. Starlight's face lost all of it's color when she saw who was in front of her. She never even got the chance to speak, she was in that much shock. And she was not prepared for what happened next. Celestia summoned Twilight to her side so she could take witness of this.
"Starlight Glimmer, for mis use of Starswirl The Bearded's Time spell and augmenting it, I, Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria and Goddess of the Sun, do hear by place you under Arrest. Violating time the way you have is a crime punishable by Death. Right as she said this, Rainbow Dash broke the sound barrier, and performed a Sonic Rainboom. Starlight's pupils shrank. It all went to Tartarus for her, right then and there. Celestia turned to Twilight as the Portal opened and smiled. She allowed Twilight to take Starlight with her, along with a scroll to the version of herself that Twilight had grown to know. And with that, she turned back to congratulate a filly Rainbow Dash who just earned her multicolored lightning bolt cutie mark, and had ensured the destinies of the friends she was going to make in Ponyville.
As the portal opened back up, the two mares and one small dragon, landed back in Twilight's castle of Friendship. the double doors opened to reveal all her friends standing there, albeit with surprised looks on their faces.
"IT's good to be home,"Twilight started to say, right before Rainbow Dash jumped her, wrapping her hooves around her. And said the most bizarre thing.
"I knew you'd do it Twi." How could she of known? Twilight thought, Rainbow should of had no memory of the events that had transpired, since she wasn't there.
"Dont question it, it was like a thousand different me's were all connected at once, and we all knew you'd come through for us, for me." That was the most egg headed thing that Twilight had ever heard Dash utter. And she was proud of her for it. But now was not the time for smiles and sunshine.
"Spike, send a scroll to Princess Celestia, and ask her to come with five Royal Guards," Starlight could see the cold look in Twilight's eyes right now. There was no , I want to be friends, everything's forgiven kind of look. This was one of utter despise. She had tried to take her destiny from her, her friends, her future. As far as Twilight was concerned there was no forgiveness for that kind of act.
Her friends were a bit surprised by her behavior as well. All except Rainbow Dash, somewhere deep down in her gut, she knew this was Starlight deserved for trying to keep them apart. For trying to screw with their friendship as well as for mucking up the timeline too. As if on que, Celestia arrived as asked, and with five Royal Guards. To prevent her from escaping, Celestia cast an anti magic field around Starlight Glimmer, preventing her using her magic at all.
"Now, what is the meaning of all of this, Twilight?", Celestia asked of her former student.
"This," and with that Twilight presented the scroll from the alternate Celestia and gave it to her mentor and friend.
It read : If you are reading this, then our Twilight made it back to her timeline safely. from what she has told me, The unicorn Starlight Glimmer, stole the Time Spell magedcrafted by Starswirl the Bearded and altered it to travel back in time to prevent the Sonic Rainboom and to keep Twilight from ensuring her destiny and meeting her friends. You and I both know what happened the last time a pony tried to use that spell for their own gains. Before the portal opened I was handing down a death sentene on Ms. Glimmer. I am transferring that order to you. I know you and I both have decisions we regret in regards to a certain pony. But this must not be allowed to go unpunished.
Signed the Goddess and ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia
And so shall it be, she thought to herself.