Past Twilight’s jaw dropped.
As Princess Twilight watched, Past Twilight’s horn fizzled out and the book fell on the table. The unicorn mare looked like she was in shock.
Trixie trotted over to them, looking confused and worried. “Is… Is she okay?” she asked. Princess Twilight shrugged in response.
They waited a couple minutes.
After what seemed like a whole day (even though it was like 3 minutes in reality), Past Twilight blinked and looked up at them. “Hello there,” she said. “Are you… Are you really me?”
Princess Twilight chuckled. “Yes, I am. My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship and current ruler of Equestria.”
“Wow.” Past Twilight was very shocked. All this time, she had been hearing about Princess Twilight, but seeing her future self in pony was completely different. “Your mane is pretty.”
Princess Twilight smiled. “Thank you.”
The two sat in an awkward silence. However, this was soon broken by Spike, who asked, “Hey, um… Do you guys want anything? I saw a kitchen here and I want to make a gem cake.”
“Did somepony say CAKE?” A perky voice suddenly entered the conversation. Pinkie Pie bounced over happily. Then she gasped. “TWILIGHT! What are you doing here? You should’ve told me, I would’ve thrown a party!” She pouted sulkily.
Princess Twilight smiled. “Pinkie, I’m sorry. But I am here for an important mission, not a fun day.”
“Oh yeah!” Pinkie bounced up and down. “Your past self is here! How are you going to get her back home?”
“Pinkie…” Past Twilight looked at her, confused. “Why are you bouncing?”
“Because I can.” Pinkie grinned and kept bouncing. They could hear Starlight and Trixie giggling in the background.
Princess Twilight laughed, and even Past Twilight had to crack a smile. “Pinkie Pie, you are so silly!”
“I know!” Pinkie bounced over to Spike. “Hey Spike! Wanna make a gem cake?” Spike nodded excitedly, and Pinkie bent down. “Get on!”
Spike climbed on Pinkie’s back, and Pinkie ran off towards the kitchen. The two Twilights, as well as Starlight and Trixie, looked on in amusement.
“Anyway…” Past Twilight turned to Princess Twilight. “Pinkie had a point. How are you going to get me home?”
“Well…” Princess Twilight put a hoof to her muzzle as she thought. “I was thinking of using Starlight’s variation of Starswirl’s time travel spell. However, instead of going to the day of the Sonic Rainboom-” She was interrupted by a scoff from Past Twilight.
“Sonic Rainboom? That’s an old mare’s tail. There have been rumors it happened in Cloudsdale when I was a filly, but everypony knows that didn’t actually happen.” Past Twilight rolled her eyes, then blinked. “Unless… did it actually happen sometime in between now and when I’m from?”
Princess Twilight facehoofed for a second, then removed it sheepishly. “Actually, the rumors were true. That’s how you got your cutie mark, Twilight.”
“WHAT?” Past Twilight gasped in shock. “I thought there was something magical about that rainbow! A Sonic Rainboom! Wow!”
Princess Twilight nodded, then continued. “Instead of going to the day of the Sonic Rainboom, we would go about 5 minutes after you originally left Canterlot in your time. Do you remember the time?”
“Uh…” Past Twilight thought for a second. “I think it was about noon?”
“Alright. That will help us immensely.” Princess Twilight took a deep breath, then readied her magic. “Are you ready?”
“Wait! I’m leaving now?!” Past Twilight jumped up and hugged Princess Twilight’s hoof. She knew that that behavior was unfitting for a mare, and especially for Celestia’s personal student, but since it was sort of her own hoof she was hugging, Past Twilight did it anyway. “Please don’t make me! Yes, stopping Nightmare Moon is important, but if we have time travel, I can travel from any time to the correct one! For example-” Past Twilight let go of Princess Twilight’s hoof so she could explain. “-Theoretically, I mean- I could stay here, in this time period, for years! We could do the spell any time, and no time at all will have passed in my Canterlot!” She smiled at her future self, who was looking at Past Twilight with an expression akin to longing.
“You are absolutely right.” Past Twilight squealed happily upon hearing those words. “However,” Princess Twilight continued, “we can’t wait that long. You see, you will still age here. If we send you back a year older than you were, the timestream will be affected and that won’t be good at ALL.”
Past Twilight’s face fell. “But… but the knowledge… How am I supposed to wait now that I know this is all right here?” She blinked, as a thought came to her. “How many years is this time from mine, anyway?”
Starlight turned away and began calculating, if only to have something to do. “Twenty-eight years. Your time, 2012 Age of Celestia, was eight years before 1 Age of Twilight, and it’s 20 Age of Twilight right now. So that’s twenty-eight years.”
Both Twilights stared at her. “Huh.”
“What?” Starlight snorted. “Yeah, I know, it’s not that long ago. Shocker, huh?”
Princess Twilight laughed, then looked at Past Twilight. “I know how. You see, a couple years ago, I learned a spell that might help with this situation.”
“Is this some sort of ex machina or something?” Spike asked. He and Pinkie had returned, and Spike was eating a piece of gem cake.
Pinkie looked up at Spike. “Don’t call out the author!” she admonished him. Spike stared at her with a very confused expression.
Princess Twilight facepalmed. “No, it’s not an ex machina. It’s a memory spell.”
“It’s an ex machina.” Past Twilight deadpanned.
“It is not!” Princess Twilight argued. “It’s a way to help get the timestream back on track without letting you retain knowledge of the future!”
This caused Past Twilight to stop and stare. “But I want to know the future! There is so much to learn! Please don’t erase it!” She could feel her eyes tearing up.
Princess Twilight walked closer to Past Twilight. “Look, Twilight. Yes, the future is incredible. But there will be so much to learn in your own time. Plus, you will experience the magic of friendship, and discover the Elements of Harmony. You really wouldn’t want to miss that.” Princess Twilight leaned closer and whispered in Past Twilight’s ear, “There are rainbow lasers.”
Past Twilight raised an eyebrow at that.
“Anyway…” Princess Twilight laughed sheepishly. “We have to prepare. Are you ready?”
Past Twilight looked at her surroundings: a crystal castle, with her future self staring at her. Spike ran over to Past Twilight, and Past Twilight lifted Spike onto her back. Pinkie Pie waved to him, a slice of gem cake still in her hoof. Starlight and Trixie were standing next to each other, watching the events unfold and holding hooves. Past Twilight remembered the other creatures she had met as well: Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Li’l Mac, Rarity, that Canterlot kirin, and the Canterlot nurse Amber Heart. She realized that she hadn’t actually met Fluttershy, which was a shame, but Past Twilight knew that she would meet her one day. Past Twilight put on a determined expression, and looked up at her future self.
“I’m ready, Princess.”
Princess Twilight smiled, and readied her magic. A glowing aura surrounded her horn, and the silvery orb shape showed up in the sky again. Past Twilight looked at Princess Twilight, who nodded and set her horn on Past Twilight’s head. Past Twilight gasped, as the events from the day shot through her mind. She could see herself and Spike meeting their future friends, being on the train, flying through the silvery orb back in their Canterlot dorm…
Then everything disappeared, and both Past Twilight and Spike blacked out.
“Twilight? Are you all right?”
Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes slowly. Her mentor, Princess Celestia, was standing over her.
“Princess! I- I’m so sorry! It’s a huge mess in here- I didn’t get that spell done-” She raced around, levitating items and putting them where they belonged. “I don’t even remember how the room got so messy- I probably was studying again-”
“Twilight.” Twilight stopped as she felt Celestia’s hoof on her back. “It’s okay. I’m glad you got your sleep.”
“Oh wow! Princess!” Twilight jumped, remembering her dream. “Can I tell you about my dream? Also, Nightmare Moon is returning and will possibly end the daytime forever.”
Princess Celestia stopped. Then she smiled. "You know, Twilight? I have a special mission for you relating to just that."
The End