//------------------------------//
// Yesterday's Problems 
// Story: Fallen Star Swirl 
// by Barrobroadcaster 
//------------------------------//

Twilight and Spike took the train to Ponyville. The train itself wasn't much of a change from the one they knew in the future. It ran smoothly and carried them quickly to their destination just as the train in Twilight's time had. Although Spike and Twilight still stood out a tad amongst the passengers, none payed much attention to them on their short journey. Before long, they arrived at the station in Ponyville and disembarked.

"Wow, the Ponyville of yesterday." Spike said as they exited the station and walked into the busy street. Ponyville looked more like a village at this point. Good portions of the town were still under construction. New houses and buildings were being built to accomodate a growing population. Ponies filled the streets carrying goods and materials to and from various destinations, chatting with one another as they moved about. Vendors sold products from stalls offering everything from food to clothes to jewelry. Two unicorns selling cider drew a glance from Twilight but she continued on. She looked for something specific amongst the salesponies: information.

"Excuse me! Excuse me ma'am? Would you care for some dirt?" a vendor asked Twilight as she walked by. The vendor was a magenta earth pony mare, her stall covered in jars full of dirt. "Got the finest dirt in Ponyville, guranteed." she said as Twilight stopped.

Twilight looked over the jars of dirt. "I'm not really looking for any dirt, sorry."

The mare frowned in disappointment. "Of course, of course. Nopony needs dirt after they get done walking on it all day. Well, is there anything else you might be interested in? I've got sand too!" the pony held up a jar of sand.

"No thanks, we're looking for somepony in particular."

"Who're you looking for? I know most everypony in Ponyville." the vendor offered.

"I'm looking for a blue unicorn, Star Swirl. He's a magician." Twilight said.

"He may or may not be bearded, uh, depending what time this is... err, what time IT is I mean." Spike added.

"Star Swirl... Star Swirl..." the mare thought aloud. "Not a name I'm familiar with. But you know, I have heard there's a unicorn magician who lives in the Everfree Forest."

"Really? What do you know about him?" Twilight asked.

"Not much really. He comes into town now and then, goes to the library mostly."

"That sounds like who we're looking for. Where exactly in the Everfree does he live?"

"Oh, just follow the path right through there. I think he lives in some kind of old stone building across a ravine. You'll probably want to go before it gets dark. Everfree can get dangerous at night." the mare explained.

"Thank you so much, we'll get going right away." Twilight said.

The vendor smiled back. "Don't mention it. Hey, take a jar of dirt with you. Never know when it will come in handy." the mare pushed a jar to Twilight.

Twilight took the jar, not wanting to seem rude. Who knew? Maybe it would come in handy. "Why are you selling dirt exactly?" Twilight asked the vendor.

"My family owns the biggest dirt farm this side of Apploosa. Don't know what else to sell to be honest." the magenta mare explained.

Twilight thought for a moment. "It doesn't seem like there's much you can do with dirt. You would probably have better luck selling rocks."

The mare thought for a moment. "You know, that's not a bad idea. We do keep winding up having to seperate all the dirt from the rocks anyway because they keep getting in the way."

"Well, thank you for the dirt and the uh, dirt." Twilight said as she walked off with the jar. Spike noticed the words "Pie Farm's Finest Dirt written on a sign above the stall. Again, he shook his head. Was this deja vu? Or... would it be deja vu in the future? How did this time travel work?

"Spike! Come on, let's get going!" Twilight called. Her voice brought him back to the present, or the past depending on your interpretation. Regardless, he ran to catch up to Twilight as they headed to the Everfree Forest.