Timeless Harmony
Chapter 5: Welcome Back
(Mane 6 P.O.V.)
Everypony shrieked in fear as the powerful white light overtook them. Twilight felt her horn being engulfed in immense magic as her spell reached its peak. The sheet of white magic swallowed the ponies whole until finally releasing them from its grip. Everypony looked around in confusion.
Fluttershy began hyperventilating, gasping for breath due to pure fear from the spell. Rarity panicked. She ran around the room screaming, “My hair, oh my precious hair!” She tried desperately to manage her mane that had been completely ruined on the trip. Pinkie Pie simply bounced around the library with the same glee that she always had. But Rainbow and Applejack were different.
They approached Twilight, both with stern looks on their faces. “Hey Twilight, what the hay happened? We're still in your library!” stated Rainbow.
“Yeah, I thought y'all had that spell under control!” joined Applejack. Everypony looked around their environment. Applejack was right; they didn’t seem to have gone anywhere.
“Hey, AJ’s right!” squealed Pinkie, ceasing her hopping to show she was being serious, even if it was for the slightest moment.
“Good Heavens, what is all that racket!?” came a voice that everypony felt was familiar but couldn’t quite place a hoof on it. Everypony's gaze moved over to the staircase that led to the bed Twilight usually slept in upstairs. Atop the stairs stood a light tan mare, rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. The ponies that were gathered in the library let out gasps of shock as they all took hiding places, not wanting to be seen by the owner of the house.
“Now that's odd,” began the mare. “I know for sure I heard something.” Twilight stared in confusion from her hiding place behind a sofa at the pony that was climbing down the steps. She couldn't believe her eyes, The Mayor of Ponyville! Her mane was a light shade of black, but not quite gray. She also lacked the glasses that she seemed to desperately need last she saw her, but that was definitely her.
The Mayor stood in the center of the library, eyes franticly searching for the source of the voices that had flooded her ears moments ago. However, nopony could be found. She began to trot across the library floor, feeling certain that there was somepony here.
“Okay, come on out!” she called out, standing in front of the sofa that hid Twilight. Rarity and Applejack poked their heads out of the curtains that covered a window to see if Twilight had been spotted. She wasn't. The Mayor was simply calling out in hope that her suspicions would be proven.
She continued her search throughout her living room, passing by the curtain with Applejack and Rarity within without even a second glance. As she walked onward, she passed a suspicious looking lamp. The body of the lamp was that of a pink earth pony with the average lamp shade on top. The Mayor looked over this lamp in confusion.
“I say, I don't remember buying this odd thing” stated the Mayor as she pulled the cord that hung from the shade. The lamp immediately lit up, revealing a smiling Pinkie Pie within. The Mayor shrieked in shock and stumbled backwards away from Pinkie, only to be tripped by a lump beneath her rug. She then lost her balance and fell on her back. As she regained herself and rubbed a hoof on her head, she saw a yellow pegasus emerge from beneath her carpet.
Everypony then gave up the attempt of shrouding themselves and emerged from their hiding places. They all trotted towards the fallen mare as Rainbow Dash floated down from where she was near the ceiling.
“Who are you ponies!?” called out The Mayor in fear. “And what are you doing in my house!?”
“Whoa whoa, easy there Ms. Mayor” started Rainbow. “We were just passing through.”
“Passing through!?” boomed the fallen mare. “In my house!?” Everypony knew there was no way to reason with her. How could they? They had no way to explain how they ended up in her house, or even why they were there to begin with.
“Excuse us ma'am” said Twilight apologetically. “We meant no harm. We simply wished to check out a few books.” Pinkie Pie looked at Twilight in confusion.
“That's not why we're here!” called out the pink earth pony. “We're here 'cause that Li-” a hoof was quickly shoved in Pinkie's mouth. Rarity stood next to the blabber-mouth pony and gave a cheesy smile as she pulled her away.
The Mayor eyed them suspiciously. “Now why in the name of Celestia would you come to the library in the middle of the night for books?” she asked. Twilight looked around nervously for support from her friends. It was Applejack to the rescue.
“Well, ma'am. Ya see, mah farm down the road is having a harvest in da mornin' and I was hopin' that I could find a book ta help out mah little sister.” Applejack gave Twilight a wink, showing she was there for her.
“Oh of course” replied The Mayor. “You must be Applejack's sister. That little filly never really did seem to be interested in farm work.” Pinkie Pie then tried to interject with more sense making, but was held tight by Rarity.
“Yes'm. That's her alright. But ah'll just get on out of yer hair. C'mon y'all.”
The six ponies quickly gathered themselves and fled the library, leaving behind a confused younger version of The Mayor they all knew.
Once outside, the subject of where to go was brought up.
“So girls, where to?” asked Twilight.
“Well I wanted to see myself get my cutie mark again, but Rainbow said that was a bad idea” said Fluttershy.
“Actually Fluttershy, you can't even see your past self. Too risky” stated Twilight.
Everypony grunted and sighed in disappointment. They really wanted to see their filly selves.
“Hey, at least we can still all go see the Sonic Rainoom!” called Rainbow Dash.
“Now, Rainbow...” began Twilight, but was quickly interrupted for Rainbow had already anticipated her objection. “Easy Twi, I'll just grab us a cloud over where nopony could see me. And well, you guys can just stay on the ground. We'll be fine.” Twilight thought for a moment, running over the idea in her mind to insure its safety.
“C'mon Twi, we don't have anything better to do.” Everypony looked at Twilight with pleading eyes, hoping for a 'Yes'.
“Fine, but we're going to need a place to stay until morning.”
“Indeed girls, all of our exciting plans for the past will simply have to be postponed until tomorrow” stated Rarity.
“Well, where the hay are we gonna stay until then!?” asked Rainbow. “It's almost midnight!”
“Well, we did say we was going ta the farm. And Ah'm not one ta break mah word.” said Applejack with utmost confidence.
“Now AJ, we discussed this already” began Twilight. “We CANNOT, under any means, meet our past selves. That would lead to a paradox.”
“Dontcha think Ah know this?” said Applejack defensively. “My filly self is still somewhere in Manehatten right 'bout now. So we could just sneak into the apple cellar, wait till mornin' and head out to that der sonic rainboom.” This idea was quickly accepted amongst the ranks of colorful ponies as they all made their way to Sweet Apple Acres to wait until the morning would come and bring its wonders.
---
“Alright y’all, this way” guided Applejack to the remaining ponies as they all filed into through the cellar door that was held open by the southern pony. As the last member, Rarity, climbed through the entrance, Applejack silently sealed the door behind them, locking out the only source of light that poured from the moon.
“Pinkie, that’s my hoof!” complained Twilight as she recoiled from the firm stomp on her hoof from the blinded earth pony.
“Whoopsies, sorry Twi” said Pinkie apologetically as she backed away from where her voice came from in the utter darkness. She continued to move backwards until bumping into another solid object.
“AHH! WHAT WAS THAT!?” screamed out Pinkie in fear.
“Pinkie calm down, it’s just me” explained Rarity as she illuminated her horn in order to shed some light in the dark cellar. Twilight mimicked her friend and also allowed her horn to glow. They could now all see both each other, and the virtually empty apple cellar.
Applejack came trotting down from where she sealed the door and joined the group. “Alrighty y’all, I know there's got ta be some candles ‘round here somewhere.” Applejack then made a quick search throughout the cellar using the glow from Rarity and Twilight as a guide. After but a moment of searching, she produced three small candles and a match from a low dusty shelf.
The southern pony then struck the match and lit the three candles. Their light filled a large circle around the six time travelers as they all gathered in the center of the now illuminated cellar.
“Oh Applejack, might I ask why Twilight and I didn’t simply keep up our 'Candlelight' spell?” asked Rarity.
“Actually Rarity, that’s pretty obvious” began Twilight. “Our magic is pretty bright, and we don’t want to wake the rest of the Apple Family. Rarity nodded her head in the acceptance of this new knowledge.
Twilight looked around the room at everypony, making sure everypony was here. Applejack and Rainbow took their seats around the candles that were set in the center of the room. Fluttershy was helping a rather large spider onto a web in a corner of the ceiling before shyly trotting over to the group. Rarity continued to wipe away the dust and dirt that covered the area she was about to claim as her seat. Twilight then sat herself down in the circle of ponies around the candles. Everypony was seated, except for Pinkie.
She stood a slight distance from the group with her side showing to them. “Hey Pinkie, what’s up?” asked Rainbow from behind the set of candles. Pinkie looked over her shoulder to face them and blushed slightly. She then trotted over to her friends and sat herself between Rarity and Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie stared into one of the candles, still slightly blushing. She lifted her gaze from the small flame to see that everypony was looking at her.
“Um, why is everypony staring at me?” asked Pinkie looking around at the staring eyes.
“So Pinkie, are you gonna tell us who this ‘S’ is?” questioned Twilight, giving Pinkie a hinting look. The remaining ponies all gave the pink pony the same smile.
“What are you talking about?” asked Pinkie, now blushing insanely hard. Twilight nudged her horn to the ground in front of the party pony. Pinkie looked over to where Twilight had motioned and saw that she had drawn a heart in the soft dirt with the letters PP+S in it. She must have drawn it without even knowing!
“Oh, that.” Pinkie giggled in slight embarrassment at the figure below her. “I guess you guys wanna know about that huh?” asked Pinkie, half hoping the answer was 'no'.
“Well, we got nothing better to do until morning!” called out Rainbow Dash in annoyance.
“Well, I'd completely love to tell you guys about it...but uh” Pinkie began to look around nervously. Then, she quickly looked at her wrist before saying “Oh look at that, it's my bedtime.” She then immediately turned onto her side and gave her back to the crowd, faking a very loud snore.
Although obvious she wasn't sleeping, everypony decided to just let it go. They'd find out soon enough. And so, they all chose to follow the party pony's example and got ready for bed, preparing for the excitement that tomorrow was sure to hold.
---
The morning sun beamed its strong light as it worked its way over the mountains, bringing with it the start of a new day. In the distance, the loud crowing of a rooster echoed through Sweet Apple Acres. The sound worked its way deep into the apple cellar, waking the sleeping ponies within.
Applejack stretched out her sore limbs from sleeping on the hard cement floor. The scent of apple fritters and freshly squeezed apple juice filled the southern pony’s nostrils.
“Hm, I bet Granny Smith just baked the most delicious apple breakfast that anypony could ever imagine” thought Applejack to herself, envisioning the delicious meal that she couldn’t have. This scent brought more to the ponies in the cellar than just the thought of food, it meant morning was here.
Applejack looked around the room to see that the remaining ponies were also waking up. Rainbow Dash immediately flew over to Applejack with a stern look on her face.
“Well, Ms. Let’s Sleep In The Cellar” began Rainbow. “How the hay are we supposed to get out with the Apple Family already up and about?” Applejack gave this some thought in advance.
“Now keep your wings on Rainbow, everypony is still eating breakfast. We’ve got about a five minute window ta get the hay outta here.” Rainbow pulled back on her verbal assault on Applejack and began to rush the others out of the cellar, becoming ever so impatient on finally being able to relive the amazing moment when the first sonic rainboom cracked the skies of Equestria and a cutie mark was earned.