//------------------------------// // Chapter Eleven: The Plan // Story: Generational Divide // by Boltstrike58 //------------------------------// Maretime Bay Twilight only stood there, blinking, for what seemed like hours. She just stared at Starlight, not really seeing the unicorn. The others didn't have anything to say either. "I...I'm sorry," Twilight finally managed to squeak out, "but could you repeat that, Starlight?" "You were the one that cast the time portal spell on the Time Twirler," Starlight reiterated. "The spell's signature is a perfect match for your unique magical signature. Well, there's some of my magic in there, Star Swirl's, and Discord's, too. But the base of the spell comes from you. And before you ask, yes, I checked it against the records of our magical signatures. That's how I knew." Twilight's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" she shouted. "BUT...I...HOW...I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!" "So, um...I'm guessing you don't remember doing that," said Sunny, awkwardly patting Twilight on the back with one hoof. "No! I don't remember doing that at all!" insisted Twilight, holding her head with both forehooves. "How could I have..." She stopped mid-sentence. Behind her eyes, one could see the gears in her head turning, an electric connect-the-dots firing through her brain. "Oh my Celestia." "What is it, Twilight?" asked Applejack. "Did you figure something out?" "Well, we can rule out the idea that my future self somehow survived her battle with Opaline. Because if Starlight, Star Swirl, and Discord all helped with the spell, it must've happened closer to my current present. Meaning that, after this affair is over, we create that spell on the past version of the Time Twirler, throw it in the ocean, and it washes up on Maretime Bay's beach, setting this whole thing in motion! It's a time paradox!" Everypony else all blinked, staring blankly at Twilight. Spike looked like the mere suggestion was hurting his brain. He'd figured out where it was going already. "I'm sorry, could you elaborate?" asked Zipp. "I don't get it." "Who's Opaline?" asked Starlight. "Sorry. I didn't explain it very well," replied Twilight. "Starlight, we'll get to that in a minute. Anyway, let me tell you a story from my past that might help it make sense. One day, I was sitting in my house, when suddenly, a future version of myself from a few days later appeared before me. She was trying to convey some message to me, but I kept interrupting her, so she disappeared before she could get it out. I became convinced she was trying to warn me of some coming disaster, and I started panicking, as I tend to do." She sheepishly placed a hoof behind her head. "I'm sure my group remembers that particular...incident well." Her six best friends all nodded. "We don't blame you though, darling," said Rarity. "If my future self tried to give me a message and failed, I'd become sick with worry as well." "Thank you, Rarity. As I was saying, I thought some calamity was about to befall us, but as it turns out, it was nothing. The day my future self came from occurred, and it was a perfectly normal day. So I used one of Star Swirl's time travel spells to go back in time and tried to tell my past self that there was nothing to worry about, but the conversation with my past self went exactly as it did the first time. Meaning, it was the very act of me going back in time that caused me to go back in the first place. It's a stable time loop. It's a cycle that has no beginning. I know, logically, it should make no sense, but it does." "Wait a minute," Sunny cut her off. "So you're telling us that your visit to our future will lead to you developing the time portal spell on the Time Twirler after we defeat Opaline, thus enabling us to meet in the first place?" "That's a good way of putting it, yes," replied Twilight. "Oh, my poor brain hurts," groaned Pipp. "I get it!" said Izzy. "So does that mean we've already defeated Opaline?" asked Applejack. "Since you already cast the spell on the Time Twirler in Sunny's future, does that mean we're guaranteed to win?" "I'm not sure. I don't know what will happen if we don't defeat her, so let's make sure we don't find out," said Twilight. "And I think I might have an idea as to how." "How?" asked Sunny. "Remember how, in Opaline's memories that I saw, the Unity Crystals were always on display at Canterlot during my rule? What if that's because we created them now, and used them to seal away Opaline's magic?" "So...you're saying...we get to actually participate in the creation of the Unity Crystals?!" Sunny squealed, bouncing up and down on the tips of her hooves. Twilight opened her mouth, but before any words could come out, an explosive burst of lightning in the skies above cut her off. Everypony turned their gaze towards the Crystal Brighthouse, where a bunch of dark black clouds were rolling in, blotting out the sun. More lightning strikes came from the clouds, only these bolts were purple instead of yellow. "Opaline," snarled Rainbow Dash, punching her forehooves together. Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder to calm her. "We need to act fast," said Twilight. "The ambient magic around the crystals at the Brighthouse will keep her busy for a minute, but not long enough." She turned to the others. "Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Spike, Hitch, Zipp, Izzy, Pipp. I hate to ask this of all of you, but can you hold her off long enough for us to go back to Ponyville and forge the crystals?" "You can count on us!" said Pinkie. "Affirmative!" said Zipp. "I've been itching to take a crack at her," said Hitch, with a grin. "Wait a minute, what about me?" asked Sunny. "You're gonna help me," replied Twilight. "To put the magic of all three tribes in the crystals, we're gonna need more than one alicorn. And I don't want the princesses in my time to leave the portal unguarded." "But I can't control my alicorn powers!" protested Sunny, nervous. "I can't—" "Yes, you can," insisted Twilight, placing a hoof on Sunny's withers. "You're stronger than Opaline, you're smarter than her, and you have the power to do this. I'll help you as much as I can." Sunny swallowed fearfully. "Well, okay. If you say so." "Seriously, who is Opaline?!" complained Starlight. "I have no idea what's going on!" "Come on, Starlight! I'll explain on the way. We'll probably need your help to stabilize the magic," said Twilight. She grabbed the unicorn in her telekinesis, and rushed off towards the portal, with Sunny following. The remaining ponies, plus Spike, all looked at each other. "So we gotta keep Opaline busy?" asked Pipp. "Yep," replied Pinkie. "Sounds like fun to me!" Zipp groaned quietly. "This is gonna be a long day." Crystal Brighthouse Opaline's smile only grew wider and wider as she flew closer and closer to the Brighthouse. "Those fools left the crystals unguarded," she said, smugly. "Probably too busy worrying about that stupid baby dragon. This is why love is pointless and idiotic. Soon, all the magic in Equestria will belong to me, finally! And I'll erase Twilight Sparkle from history!" She locked her gaze onto the Unity Crystals floating in the top of the Brighthouse, through the glass dome. Lighting up her horn, she surrounded herself with an aura of pure flame, while simultaneously causing her body to accelerate. She prepared to smash through the glass and seize the crystals. And that was when she smacked into the side of the building, spreading her body against the wall, and slid downwards. With a grunt, Opaline flapped her wings, getting herself back into the air. She fired up her horn once again, and cast a quick probing spell. "So the crystals have a defense mechanism now," she growled. "Well, it doesn't matter. My magic is strong enough that I can get through it." "Guess again!" came a voice from below. Opaline yelped as vines emerged from the earth below her, and wrapped themselves around her body. Then they began twirling around, taking Opaline for a crazy ride in the air. Finally, Opaline powered up, and sent a fireball downwards, burning through the vines and releasing her. Once she'd regained her bearings, Opaline looked down, discovering nine ponies, plus Spike, staring back up at her from below. They didn't look happy. Twilight Sparkle and Sunny Starscout were absent. "So, you decided to face me after all," Opaline said with a sneer. "And I see those two unworthy alicorns didn't show up. Were they too scared to face me?" Zipp stepped up. "Listen up, Opaline!" she shouted. "You're never getting those Unity Crystals! So you can either lay down and give up, or put up a fight you can never win!" "Yeah!" added Spike. "And don't think you can take us! We've beaten down plenty of Equestria-conquering maniacs before!" "Well, you have," Pipp muttered quietly. Opaline chuckled wickedly. "I'd say this display is foolish and pointless, but it does bring me a moment of amusement. I might as well have some fun before I finally claim what is rightfully mine. I'll enjoy destroying Twilight Sparkle's best friends before I take her life and—" "Señor Butterscotch, attack!" yelled Izzy. In her telekinesis, she held her homemade unicorn friend, and hurled him towards Opaline. He landed on top of the alicorn, and slumped over her like a limp blanket. Opaline, clearly caught off-guard, blinked a couple of times. She looked at the homemade unicorn covering her body, before rolling her eyes. Then, she levitated Señor Butterscotch off her body and fired a blast directly into his chest, breaking him into bits. The pieces flew everywhere, and the charred head landed in front of Izzy. "SEÑOR BUTTERSCOTCH, NO!!!" screamed Izzy, as she scooped up the head and cradled it in her forelegs. "Uh, Izzy? Not to be rude, but could we focus?!" demanded Rainbow. "Do you have any more garbage to hurl at me?" asked Opaline, looking unamused. Hitch turned back towards her. "You'll pay for what you did to Sparky," he growled. Maretime Bay Hospital Misty lay on her back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mane was unkempt, and her mouth was stuck in a permanent frown. Considering that Opaline had basically stomped out her entire purpose in life only an hour before, her mood made sense. A flash of light from the window attracted her attention. She turned in the bed, and looked towards the Crystal Brighthouse. She saw more bursts of purple lightning blaring, and her eyes widened. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. "Opaline..." she said to herself. She sat there, staring for a few seconds. Then she leaned down, seized her IV line with her teeth, and pulled it out.