It was an ordinary day in Ponyville! The birds were singing, the ponies were hanging out, and Starlight Glimmer, herself was relaxing in the Castle of Friendship. Somehow, little did she know, it wouldn’t be such an ordinary day for her as she would wind up in a time travel adventure!
She yawned as she walked into the throne room, having just finished her breakfast. Her eyes were tired, and her mane was a teeny bit frizzled. “I'm bored!” She said out loud. “Everyday, it's the same stuff! I eat, play, the changelings chase us, we chase the changelings…boring!” She put her hoof on the cutie map. “I need an adventure.”
As soon as she touched the cutie map, a bubble similar to the one Twilight and Spike had been sucked up into, chasing her appeared! She gasped, as she was unable to avoid being sucked up into it, and she disappeared!
Starlight kept on screaming, as she tumbled through what could only be described as a time bubble. At last, the bubble spit her on the familiar grounds of Canterlot, though the buildings looked like they were a little older than before.
She got up. “Boy, be careful what you wish for! Where am I?” she wondered. And, that was when she noticed where she was. “Canterlot?” She asked. “Why did the map send me here? And why do the buildings look a little older?” She sure was confused so far. But, what really surprised her was that she saw ponies in well-dressed clothing, as if it was like they were on the Island of Grand Jatte.
She then noticed her cutie mark glowing. Now, she really was confused at this. “My cutie mark’s glowing?” She asked. Was she on a friendship problem? She decided to walk around the town, in search of ponies with any problems concerning them.
As she was walking around town, she could instantly realize that each of the building had a bit of a holiday feel around them. She saw wreaths, ornaments, baubles, and ribbons. She was confused at first, but after seeing more buildings with those same decorations, she figured it out.
“It must be getting close to Hearthswarming Eve.” She said out loud, putting the pieces together. “And I must have been sent there…” she beamed. “Maybe, because Princess Celestia wants me to help with her new pageant!” She felt like she wanted to scream like a little girl in excitement, as that time of year made her feel more warm inside herself ever since Twilight read her the story, A Hearthswarming Tail. Since then, she felt so happy about the holiday. She hummed the song she and her friends sung that fateful night.
She saw ponies with bells around them, and her smile only got wider, as she continued to trot through the town. She stopped eventually, noticing a house that had no decorations at all on it. The setting on it was rather…dark. Her cheery expression was now confused, as to why it wasn’t decorated this time of year.
“I’ll think maybe someone forgot to put up their decorations.” She thought to herself. “Maybe, I could help him or her with setting up their house for the holiday.” She walked towards the house, and saw that it looked dark inside.
“Is somepony home?” she wondered, as she checked the other windows. She didn’t see anyone here, which was strange. She pondered as to why they weren’t home, as a few ponies caroling strolled by the house. Suddenly, she heard a growl…from upstairs inside the house, making her ears perk. That meant that somepony was home! She went to the side of the house, and put her ear to the house.
“Well, that batch is ruined.” A voice said from inside. It turned out to be female, as Starlight carefully ignited her horn, and lifted herself from the ground to the upstairs level of the house. Sure enough, she saw a pony in their working on a cauldron, and the pony thought that cauldron looked familiar.
She tried to deduce who it could be. Zecora, maybe? Nah. She never comes to Canterlot, and she lives in the Everfree forest. So...? At this point, Starlight was close enough to ask, so she cleared her throat.
She then saw a pony zoom into the room, who also turned out to be female. She was in nice clothing as well, but her mane color was totally what stood out. She saw the mane was Rainbow coloured, and that her coat was cyan! Her eyes widened, as she saw her. “Rainbow Dash?!” she thought in surprise. “What’s she doing in Canterlot?” She leaned in closer for a better look. She did see a well-dressed female pony, and somepony who did look like Rainbow Dash…but also, Kinda not.
She listened in on the conversation that was going on inside. “What do you need?” the pony who looked like Rainbow asked the other well-dressed pony.
“Get this mess cleaned up.” That other well-dressed female pony barked. “Those foolish ponies were ringing those blasted bells outside the window and I lost my concentration!” Starlight’s ear perked up, as she heard that voice. That voice was just like her own, as her eyes widened.
“Whoa, ponies actually enjoying Hearth's Warming Eve.” The Rainbow Dash pony said, under her breath. “Where did they get that crazy idea?”
“Today is nothing to celebrate.” The other pony said, as Starlight was still listening on. “Hearth's Warming Eve is a menace. A dangerous day for all of Equestria.”
“Hearth’s Warming is a menace?" Starlight exclaimed in outrage. "Okay. That’s not how…” she sighed. “Wow, Twilight would feel so insulted…” She grumbled.
“Dangerous?! It's awesome!” The Rainbow Dash lookalike said with glee. “It's the day we remember how unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies came together in friendship to defeat the windigos!”
“That silly legend is the problem!” The other pony said, strongly. “Telling everypony that "singing songs and being nice" will solve anything?” She just scoffed. “I've spent years studying magic, and that's not how it works.”
The Rainbow Dash lookalike was confused at the other pony. “I think you might be missing the point.” she told her.
That just earned the other pony a chance to get into her face angrily. “Work hard, learn, and use your skills…” That was all Starlight heard, as she somehow accidentally slipped off the windowsill, and fell into the snow. She got back up, and saw the Rainbow Dash lookalike leave excitedly.
She smiled. “Well, at least she’s excited for Hearthswarming Eve.” She said out loud happily, as she lifted herself from the ground and went back to the window to see the other pony. “That other voice…I wonder?” She took a good look at the window and saw the other pony. So far, she had a nice well-dressed red puffy shirt outfit.
But, the other features would shock her, as she saw that her mane was straight up, and it was purple with cyan hairlines. That was how her mane was when she ran her equal pony town when she met Twilight. She even had yellow glasses on her nose, and what really shocked Starlight was that she had the same cutie mark as hers. It was then that she was seeing herself as if it were a mirror. But, it wasn’t herself, and it sure wasn’t any ordinary pony! It was…
“Sn…Snowfall Frost?!” Starlight gasped in shock, upon seeing her. She had remembered Twilight telling her the story, but she never thought she’d actually see Snowfall Frost for real in her life! Once, she saw her menacing look, her blood ran cold, as that was the same attitude she had when she took away ponies’ cutie marks, and when she faced off against Twilight.
She took one look at her flank, and back at Snowfall. She then realized something. “That Rainbow Dash lookalike must have been Snowdash!” she thought, as she got more shocked. “No wonder, she looked like one of my best friends!” She peered through the window to see Snowfall preparing a brew, and got nervous as she knew what her lookalike was planning.
“I’ve got to find a way to help her!” She said out loud. “She doesn’t know what she’s in for, if she blindly casts that spell!” Starlight knew what Snowfall’s intentions were, and why. And now that she knew, she had to stop her from casting Equestria into a wintery destruction! But, how? Either way, she was in for a long ride! Even if that ride involved her meeting her lookalike!