//------------------------------//
// Gathering the Ingredients 
// Story: The First Pony to Time Travel Without a Spell 
// by Razor Blade the Unicron 
//------------------------------//

	As soon as Rainbow Dash vanished from the Timeline Void, Loyalty flew over to the lightning bolt she had entered through, and hung her hooves out the edge of it. She didn't want to take the risk that it would unexpectedly close, and it wasn't as if she had anything else she could do at the moment.
"Loyalty?" asked a familiar voice.
Hey, Luna, said Loyalty, Looking for Rainbow Dash?
"Indeed." said Luna, flying just outside of the lightning bolt.
She's in an alternate timeline.
"... What?"
She's in an alternate timeline. It's like an alternate universe, expect it's a timeline instead of a universe.
"You lost me."
She's not here is what I'm trying to say!
"Then bring her back!"
Luna, I don't know how!
"What?!?"
I don't know everything in the universe, I didn't even know that this universe is an alternate timeline until three seconds ago!
"But what if Equestria is threatened, and the Elements of Harmony are needed?"
There will be nopony to bear the Element of Loyalty. The Elements will be useless.
"Wait... If Rainbow Dash isn't here, then how are you here?"
I'm not quite sure, but it's keeping the Timeline Void from closing.
"But you are the spirit of Loyalty that resides within Rainbow Dash! It is impossible for you to ever truly leave her!"
I don't know how it works! Maybe it's because of the other... Elements... That's it! The other Elements! The other Elements of Harmony can help!
"The bearers or the gems?"
Both! Luna, I need you to bring me them! So we can get Rainbow Dash back!
"Gladly."





Loyalty's wings twitched nervously, which only managed to increase her worry. She was a being of magic, and only had a form to look like the being she was from. She had never flapped the wings she had, not with Luna, and not with Celestia. The sole fact that her wings were moving without her control completely terrified her.
"Pleasure to see you, Loyalty," said Celestia, flying up with a box held in her magic, "Though I wish the circumstances weren't so dire."
You brought the Elements? asked Loyalty.
"I have the gems in here. Luna is bringing up the bearers."
A balloon floated up into the sky, being pulled by Luna. Five ponies were standing in it, all of them looking very nervous.
"Princess Celestia," said Twilight nervously, "Where is Rainbow Dash? And why did we bring the Elements up here?"
"I believe that Loyalty can explain much better than I." replied Celestia.
"Loyalty?"
That's me, said Loyalty, I'm the spirit of Loyalty inside of Rainbow Dash.
The five ponies all stared at Loyalty with mixed looks of surprise and shock.
"The spirit of Loyalty?" asked Twilight, "What does that mean?"
I'm what helps to power up her Element, but we're not here to talk about me. We need to get Rainbow Dash back.
"Back?" asked Fluttershy, "Back from where?"
She's in an alternate timeline, but we're going to get back as soon as possible.
"An alternate timeline?" asked Twilight, "What does that mean?"
She's not here is what I mean! And we need to get Rainbow Dash back before some terrible happens! If she's not here to use her Element of Harmony, none of the others will work!
"What?!?" cried the five.
"Then we need ta get her back right now!" cried Applejack.
"What do we need to do?" asked Rarity.
See that lightning bolt? asked Loyalty, pointing at the bolt that Rainbow had traveled through to the alternate timeline, Rainbow went through there-
"Then let's jump in!" said Pinkie happily.
No! Don't go through it!
"But that's where Dashie is!"
We need to pull her back in, it's much too risky to go through it.
"Then we can just throw a rope in!" said Applejack.
We can't do that, either. A rope wouldn't be able to make it through this bolt, let alone two.
"How would ya know that?"
The only things that can go into this void need to have great quantities of magic. Which is why I needed the Elements of Harmony.
"What exactly are you planning on doing?" asked Luna.
Complex answer: we're using the magic in the Elements to slip through the two bolts, find Rainbow, and bring her back. Simple answer: we're making a Harmony Rope.









"So you can just walk up to a chamber filled with books on dark magic without even needing permission?" asked Rainbow.
"I am a Princess," said Twilight, as she, Rainbow, and Starlight walked through Canterlot Castle, "And I already told Princess Celestia about the situation, so she said it was okay."
Rainbow nodded as they stopped in front of a large iron door with six guards standing front of it. They all bowed to Twilight, who blushed with embarrassment.
"Princess Twilight," said one, "We were told that you would be arriving."
They all stood straight again, and two of them opened the door.
"Thank you." said Twilight, walking into the room.
Rainbow and Starlight both nodded politely to the guards before following Twilight in. The door was shut behind them, and a distinct 	locking sound could be heard.
"It sure is dark in here," said Starlight, "Are there any lights?"
"I don't think so," asked Twilight, "But we can just use a spell to light-"
She stopped talking as Rainbow's wings lit up bright red, and illuminated the room in a red light.
"What are we waiting for?" asked Rainbow as the two stared at her, "Let's start researching!"
"Okay..." said Twilight, before snapping back to focus, "So we need to find books to help us find a way to get rid of dark magic. Preferably without destroying the pony the magic is in."
"And if you see anything on Shadow, that, too." said Rainbow.
The three nodded, and each separated to a different section of the vault (library was not quite the right word to describe it). Rainbow began to pull out books with her magic, and flipped through the pages. She found that it was rather easy to skim through the book for certain pieces of information, and noticed that Starlight and Twilight were doing the same.
Do I get this scholarly part of me from Starlight and Twilight? she thought, The other Rainbow definitely isn't, but it could just be because we're from alternate timelines...
Rainbow continued looking through books, but her paced slowed as she began to think, again.
Come to think of it, how is all of this magic in me? And can it go away? If it can go away, will I lose all of my brains? No offense to the other Rainbow. But... Do I act like I do because of the magic in me? Am I only defined by the traits of others?
"Rainbow, have found anything yet?" asked Twilight, snapping Rainbow out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" she realized that her pace had majorly slowed, "No, I was just thinking about something. You find anything?"
"Nothing yet, but most of these books don't even make sense to me!"
"Me, either," said Starlight, "And I've seen some weird magic!"
"I'm understanding them fine," said Rainbow, before groaning, "Ugh, it's probably because of Shadow's magic in me! Why does the magic in me define who I am?!?"
Starlight and Twilight glanced at each other, pausing going through the books. Twilight walked over to Rainbow and put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
"Rainbow, it doesn't define you." she said.
"But it does!" cried Rainbow, "The only reason I'm so smart is because of your magic and Starlight's magic! The only reason I traveled back in time was because of Starlight's magic! The only reason I survived in space was probably because of some other magic in me!"
"That might be true, but it might not be. Plus, you're not just smart."
"You're the fastest flier in Equestria." said Starlight.
That phrase rang in Rainbow mind, and a familiar memory of a race stirred in her mind. She had been going to do Sonic Rainboom, Starlight's magic had just given her a boost after she had done it
"Fastest flier in all of Equestria..." she muttered, "Heh... Second pony in space... First to time travel without a spell... Couldn't have done those without being me, could I?"
Twilight smiled, and Rainbow turned back to look at her.
"Thanks, Twilight," she said, "You, too, Starlight." 
Rainbow around at all the books, and one caught her eye. She instantly flew over to it, and picked it up in her hooves.
"I think I found what we need!" said Rainbow, "Now who's ready to make a spell?"