Pocornia and Pinkie Pie neared the outskirts of Canterlot. Pocornia heaved, her stomach hurting from laughing so hard at some of Pinkie Pie's insane guesses as to why the they were on their way to Canterlot. They approached city's gate, Pocornia giving the gate keeper a quick nod as they entered. Their hooves tapped along the city's stone paths, many other ponies around them going about their day. "Canterlot is an interesting place..."
Pinkie Pie looked all around, at the buildings and the stores. "And the buildings are so tall, maybe not as tall as the buildings in Manehatten or Baltimare. And another thing thats cool is some of the old army buildings are still here like that Barracks over there!" Pinkie pointed out.
Pocornia turned her head, eyeing the barracks. It looked rather large, for square towers on each end of the square building connected by reinforced walls. She thought it looked like a smaller castle, her eyes watched the Equestrian guards patrolling the barrack's walls. "Yeah, that does look cool."
"Popcorn, so why are we really here?" Pinkie questioned. "He isn't back is he?"
Pocornia shook her head. "No, thats not why..."
"Whats it about then?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Okay so...Princess Celestia wants me to start practicing with the orb. I figure she will give it to me and i'll just take it home." Pocornia answered.
"Hmmmmmmm..." Pinkie Pie hummed.
"I'm not sure how that would work because the magical scars I got disappeared after I came back to this timeline. "Pocornia answered.
"Up here!" Pocornia pointed at a stone stairway ahead.
Pocornia and Pinkie Pie approached Canterlot castle then ascended the courtyard stairway. Two Equestrian guards stood between them and the castle's entrance. "Oh my gosh, Pocornia, I have such a super awesome idea!"
"Whats that?" Pocornia asked.
"Lets use the orb to go timeline surfing!" Pinkie Pie cheered.
"that'll cause so many problems..." Pocornia deadpanned. "Like...now is the time to get serious Pinkie."
Pinkie Pie went to speak till Pocornia cut her off. "And besides, that is not how the orb works. Its not the multi-verse theory here...It doesn't just cross dimensions, its used to time travel, but doing something that changes the past would change everything else thus creating an alternate timeline!"
Pinkie Pie reeled her head back a bit, a saddened look replacing her once enthusiastic smile.
"So, we're not doing that!" Pocornia growled angrily.
"Well, what are you yelling at me for?" Pinkie shot back.
Pocornia squinted her eyes, proceeding to rub her face as she spoke. "I'm sorry, its just...I still haven't gotten over everything that happened."
Pinkie Pie relaxed her frown. "I should have known that Pocornia, upsetting friends is never fun..."
Pocornia rolled her eyes. "And the princesses want me to practice with the orb?"
Pinkie Pie rushed ahead, opening a door for Pocornia. "That why we're here right?"
Pocornia walked through the doorway, motioning for Pinkie to follower her into the castle foyer. "Yeah...Sapphire was right, I think its a bad idea."
Pinkie Pie walked alongside Pocornia, giving her undivided attention.
Pocornia shook her head. "I don't think I can use it anyway, the scars are gone and even if I could, what if I change time by accident or if I bring something from the past to the present or from the future?"
"I don't think Princess Celestia would ask you to do this if she did not think you could handle it." Pinkie Pie affirmed.
"She dunno..." Pocornia retorted, shaking her head. "She wasn't there in the gauntlet with me, Luna doesn't know that either!"
"You mean the dream world?" Pinkie Pie questioned.
"Spirit world, yeah..." Pocornia answered.
"Well Pocornia, me and my friends have gone on lots of adventures throughout Equestria. Sometimes it was because she asked us too, other times it was Twilight's idea and we occasionally just ended up going on a adventure just because..." Pinkie Pie explained.
"Because what?" Pocornia asked.
"Just because!" Pinkie Pie chimed.
"Just because..." Pocornia groaned.
"What I mean is, if you don't think this is a good idea, you should say something. Princess Celestia will give it some thought, shes really good at that!" Pinkie Pie encouraged.
"I'm just not used to the hero thing..." Pocornia sadly.
Pocornia walked in silence, directing her attention on the hall leading to the throne room. Pinkie Pie followed behind her as they approached the throne room's door. "Its like her super power!" Pinkie Pie happily exclaimed.
"What?" Pocornia replied, turning to look at Pinkie who wore a exaggerated smile, her eyes as wide as saucers. "oooooOOOOOOoooooo" Pinkie cooed.
Pocornia snorted, choking on her own giggle.
"There we go, that is what I wanted to see!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "Now relax and go do your thing for Equestria."
Pocornia opened the throne room door. "Okay!" She replied, shutting the door behind her. She quickly turned the the three thrones, Celestia sat on the center throne with Luna to her left and Twilight to her right. "I didn't think I'ed be seeing all three of you!" Pocornia said with a smile.
Pocornia approached Celestia, eyeing the orb atop a simple wooden cart. It stood between her and Celestia, everyone's gaze centered on it. Pocornia watched the smoke serpents contained within the orb slither around without deliberate direction. "Alright..." She muttered. "I need to say something."
"And we are here to listen." Celestia acknowledged.
"Why not lock it up and forget about it? Out of sight, out of mind..." Pocornia debated.
Celestia leaned back in her throne, resting her hooves atop of each other. "As my once faithful student can tell you, I attempted to do that with the elements of harmony."
"But then discord stole and hid them before me and my friends could use them against him." Twilight interjected.
"Before he was reformed by Fluttershy!" Luna insisted.
"Pocornia, while I understand your concerns. There is simply no other qualified pony in Equestria to handle the orb besides you." Celestia explained.
"I'm not even sure if I can anymore, the scars are gone!" Pocornia countered. "Why just...I dunno, smash it?"
"Something sentient inhabits the orb, destroying the beings vessel could destroy it or it may set it free. Knowing this, it cannot be out of sight, out of mind as you say." Luna argued. "and when the Dark Pony returns, using it against him will be the quickest way to end the battle."
Pocornia lowered her shoulders, sighing heavily. She stared at the orb, watching the serpents encircling each other. "What if I do something to time..."
Celestia offered Pocornia a friendly smile. "I am confident in your abilities."
"Trust me, she is a very good teacher." Twilight added.
"Can I practice at home?" Pocornia asked, giving Celestia a pleading look.
Celestia nodded. "Of course."
Pocornia sighed. "Alright..."
Pocornia approached the cart, slowly raising one hoof over the orb. She held her hoof over it. Her mind aggressively drifted off, returning to the moment where she first touched the orb. She remembered the feeling, of it not being something meant to be touched, of it being an evil object capable of terrible things. She looked up at the princesses again, hating the thought of using the orb again...