//------------------------------//
// I Know You: Reprise 
// Story: The First Pony to Time Travel Without a Spell 
// by Razor Blade the Unicron 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash was floating in a void of numbers, math, and colors. Her wings were aching as if they were still flapping, but Rainbow was holding them still with her magic. She didn't notice the large lightning bolt shape behind her, or the one forming in front of her front all of the numbers and math.
"Hello?" called Rainbow, her voice wavering and echoing, "Is anyone there?"
I'm here! Although, I'm not sure that's what you meant...
"Loyalty? Is that you?"
A familiar light shined in front of Rainbow, before taking the shape of herself, except with a red coat and mane.
Of course it's me! said Loyalty happily, before switching to a more serious tone, But that's not important, right now.
"Where am I?" asked Rainbow.
This place doesn't have a name, Loyalty causally walked around on nothingness, No one has ever been here. 
"Then what is this place?"
You cannot see because you're not a being of pure magic, but this place leads to other worlds.
"Other worlds? As in other planets?"
No. Have you ever head of the multiverse theory?
"That there is an unlimited number different universes that have even the slightest differences. Do you mean that this place leads to other universes?"
Not exactly. It doesn't lead to alternate universes, but alternate timelines.
"Alternate timelines? How is that different from alternate universes?"
Alternate timelines do not just exist as alternate universes do. They are created by someone or something. They can only form from universes that have had that someone or something do whatever action can make alternate timelines.
"Okay, this is getting confusing."
I'll admit that it can get confusing, but it's just as simple as breathing.
"Wait, if this place leads to alternate timelines, does that mean something happened in my universe to create these alternate timelines?"
Your universe is an alternate timeline.
"What?!?"
Although, if I'm being specific, your universe is the alternate timeline of an alternate timeline.
"WHAT?!?"
And it's all because of a unicorn and an alicorn! Can you believe that two ponies could cause that?
"A unicorn and an alicorn? What about a dragon?"
According to these databases there was a dragon with the alicorn, but he didn't create the alternate timelines.
"Do you realize how much this explains? When I did my Sonic Rainboom as a filly, I had seen a unicorn, an alicorn, and a dragon! It must have been them!"
Loyalty stopped pacing and stood in front of Rainbow.
Yep, it was them. At least, according to all of these databases that literally no one in history has ever touched.
"Wait, why is there a lightning bolt shape forming behind you?"
At the speeds you flew upwards at, you caused it so you're now travelling to the original universe where your timeline came from.
"But didn't I time travel again, like last time?"
You were flying straight up. If you had flown straight down, you would have ended up in a random alternate universe. If you had flown any other direction, you would have traveled through time.
"Will I be able to get back to my timeline? I can't just leave all of my friends!"
Don't worry, you'll be able to get back. However, I need to wait here so you can.
"Why?"
I'm a core part of your magic. You can't stay elsewhere without your core magic, so you will come back eventually. However, I don't know how long that will be. It could be seconds, but it could just as likely be years.
"Years? No way am I leaving everypony I know for several years!"
It could also be centuries.
"I'll find a way to get back to... Uh... I'll just call this place the Timeline Void. I'll find a way to get back here sooner!"
Good idea!
Rainbow found herself being pulled towards the lightning bolt shape. She took a deep breath as she touched it, and everything turned into numbers.
Good luck!
"Thanks!"







Rainbow Dash suddenly crashed down onto something hard and shiny. She quickly got to her hooves and looked around, to see that she was standing on a table that looked as if it was made of crystal. Everything around her seemed to be made of crystal, except for the seven thrones surrounding the table.
Wait, what are those pictures on the top of each of those?
Rainbow glanced at each throne to see that they all (except the smaller one that was next to one of the others) had images of her friends' cutie marks, except they were different colors. Applejack's cutie mark was red instead of green, Pinkie's was blue instead of gray and blue, Rarity's was blue instead of purple, Fluttershy's was pink instead of emerald, and Twilight's was pink instead of blue. The only one  that was the same was her own cutie mark.
Pinkie's, Applejack's, and Fluttershy's cutie marks are the same color as the ones in my visions! Are my visions just of what happen in this universe?
"We can wait for Pinkie to finish cooking breakfast in the main room," said a familiar voice from behind one of the doors leading into the room Rainbow was in, "You know what, girls? I think that today might actually be peaceful and normal!"
The door swung open to reveal four familiar ponies. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack all stared at Rainbow, who stared right back at them.
"Rainbow," said Rarity, "What in Equestria are you wearing?"
"And didn't you say that you were gonna be a bit late?" asked Applejack.
"And when did you cut your tail shorter?" asked Twilight.
Rainbow simply stared at the four, who looked concerned.
"Hey, guys!" called a far-too-familiar-voice, "Wonderbolts practice was cancelled so I'm here!"
Behind the four ponies flew in Rainbow Dash, who landed in front of them.
"What?" she asked, when they all stared at her and Rainbow.
"Why are there two of you?" asked Twilight.
Other-Rainbow turned around to look at Rainbow, who was completely speechless.
"Changeling!" yelled other-Rainbow, flying towards her.
Rainbow quickly stopped other-Rainbow with her magic, which caused all of the ponies to gasp.
"I'm not a Changeling." said Rainbow.
"Then what are you?" asked Twilight, who Rainbow suddenly realized was an alicorn, "Are you another kind of shapeshifter? Or are you lying? Or is Discord pranking me again?"
"Where's the unicorn?"
"Huh?"
"The pink one that can fly with her magic. Where is she?"
"Lemme at her!" yelled other-Rainbow, trying to break free from Rainbow's magic, "She's a Changeling or something worse!"
"Wow, are we really the same pony? I would've thought that we'd be more similar..."
"I'm here!" declared a pink unicorn, suddenly teleporting into the room, "Did I miss anything?"
Everypony pointed wordlessly at the two Rainbows. Rainbow stared at the pink unicorn for a few seconds before speaking.
"Why exactly did you try to stop my Sonic Rainboom?" she asked.
"W-what?" asked the unicorn nervously.
"Do you realize how many alternate timelines you created?"
"Okay, let's pause right here," said Twilight, using her magic to pull other-Rainbow away from Rainbow, "And have an actually conversation about what in the hoof is going on!"
"We can have pancakes!" said Pinkie, suddenly bouncing into the room, holding tray-fulls of pancakes.
"To be honest," said Rainbow, "I would have expected that you had more sprinkles, Pinkie."
"Silly alternate timeline, Dashie! I have whipped cream with sprinkles already in it!"







After everypony calmed down, Starlight (which was the pink unicorn's name) conjured up a chair for Rainbow to sit in. Pinkie had given everypony some pancakes, and then started devouring hers. The other ponies were most interested in hearing about what Rainbow, Twilight, and Starlight were talking about. Rainbow had just finished telling them about the alternate timelines and universes she had just learned about.
"So you're from an alternate universe?" asked Twilight.
"An alternate timeline, to be more specific." said Rainbow.
"And... I created these alternate timelines?" asked Starlight.
"From what I can tell, either you or Twilight created several alternate timelines, and then the other created alternate timelines of those alternate timelines."
"So when Starlight used her time travel spell and stopped the Sonic Rainboom," said Twilight, "She created and alternate timeline?"
"Correct."
"And when I stopped her from doing it again, that created alternate timelines of those alternate timelines!"
"Sounds right to me."
"I'm getting really confused." said Starlight.
"You think you're confused? Try having to process all this information in the middle of a void between time and space!"
"But how do you understand all of this?" asked Twilight.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, our Rainbow is kinda..." she trailed off, and pointed at Dash, who had fallen asleep.
"She fell asleep? When did she fall asleep?"
"About three seconds ago!" said Pinkie happily.
"Okay, now I see why you're confused how I understand all of this."
"So how do you?" asked Twilight.
"Can you do a magic scan spell?"
"Uh, sure."
Twilight's horn lit up pink, and she quickly scanned Rainbow. A familiar screen popped up, and Twilight skimmed over it.
"WHAT?!?" she cried out in surprise, "How do you have over 100 magic parts in you?!?"
"Wait, WHAT?!?" asked Starlight, jumping over to the screen, "But that's impossible!"
"Somepony mind explainin'?" asked Applejack.
"They're looking at what kinds of magic are in me," said Rainbow, "By the way, you're one hundred percent Earth pony, if you were wondering."
"How do you have ALICORN MAGIC?!?" cried Twilight.
"I-"
"And you have GRIFFIN MAGIC?!?"
"Griffin magic?"
Rainbow quickly flew over and looked at the screen, gently pushing Twilight out of the way, as she seemed to have gone in a trance.
"60 parts pegasus, 30 parts unicorn, 5 parts dragon, 25 parts alicorn, 10 parts Earth pony, and 5 parts indistinguishable..." muttered Rainbow, "5 parts griffin? I must have gotten that from Gilda..."
"Did somepony say Gilda?" asked Dash, waking up.
"Wait... If Loyalty is waiting in the Timeline Void, why do I still have those five parts of indistinguishable magic?"
"Is there anything I do to help?" asked Starlight.
"Can you figure out what this indistinguishable magic is?"
"Give me a sec..." Starlight looked over the information in the screen, "Got it!"
"Griffin magic..." muttered Twilight, curling up into a ball.
"What is it?" asked Rainbow.
"Some kind of dark magic," said Starlight, "Or shadow magic. I'm not quite sure."
"D-did you say shadow magic?"
"Yeah... Is there something terrible about that? There's not that much, so it can't corrupt you!"
"Ever heard of Nightmare Moon?"
"Twilight and her friends defeated her and brought back Princess Luna, why?"
"Ever wonder how she became Nightmare Moon?"
"Uh..."
"Shadow. An entity of pure evil. And now some of Shadow's magic is in me, and I don't have Loyalty with me to stop them from doing anything!"
"I'm getting confused."
"Can you make spells?"
"I'm great at making spells!"
"Then I need you to make me a spell that will let me go into where my magic is stored, and get rid of Shadow!"