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// Chapter Five: “The Beginning” 
// Story: Time Dash 
// by Xz Hacker 
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	Rainbow Dash looked around a little while. The plateau she was on was actually quite boring. There seemed to be nothing of interest and nopony around for miles. After several hours of flying, she landed and sat down to think. Why would Twilight send her to this place, or rather time? What possible benefit could there be to sending her here?
It didn't take long before it was getting dark. It was fairly warm, and it didn’t look as if the night was going to get much cooler. Too lazy to actually find anywhere more comfortable or safe, Rainbow Dash fell asleep in the middle of the field.
She awoke the next morning feeling well rested. The last few days had been hectic, and she hadn't gotten an honest nights sleep until today, or would that have been years ago? Who knew?
She looked around again, hoping to see some sign of ponies. Much to her disappointment, there seemed to be none. The season hadn't seemed to change much. Maybe she didn't jump this time? That thought terrified her. What if Twilight's spell also made her not time jump anymore. What if she was stuck in whatever time this was?
The day was very uneventful. She walked around, ate some grass, laid in some other grass, and she was getting to be utterly bored. After quite some time, she finally fell asleep again out of boredom more than anything else.
She awoke to find very little changed. The air seemed much cooler than it had the previous day, and the leaves on the trees in the forest had mostly fallen off. Other than those minor changes, the landscape seemed virtually unchanged. The only good thing about it was that she at least knew by the trees that she was still moving through time at some significant pace.
Rainbow Dash groaned loudly and fell back down on the grass, staring up at the sky. It was as clear and blue as any summer day. Being a weather pegasus, this bothered her a lot. There should be some clouds out if it was winter, or else it would never get cold enough for any snow.
After some time of sitting there, she heard some voices in the distance. She bolted up and began to look around for their sources. After a moment she spotted them. Two figures, not very far from where she was, appeared to be in some sort of argument. Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash flew towards them. “Hello!”
The two unicorns turned in surprise at the voice. As Rainbow Dash grew closer, she was able to make them out. To her surprise, they were none other than Celestia and Luna, except where were their wings?
She came to an abrupt stop about ten feet from them, mouth opened wide. “Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?”
The two sisters looked at each other in confusion, and both asked in unison, “Princess?”
Celestia, the unicorn turned and looked at Rainbow Dash. “Do tell us, young Pegasus, how you have come to know our name, and for what reason you do call us both Princess?
Rainbow Dash couldn't stop staring at where their wings were supposed to be. She was so used to seeing them as alicorns, it was odd seeing them without wings, and so short. “I uh... that's a bit of a long story, but what are you two doing here?”
Luna smiled. “We have been tasked with finding the location for the new empire of the...”
She was interrupted by her sister's hoof in front of her mouth. “Neigh, we shall not reveal our secrets to this one, she may very well be a spy from the pegasi, sent to gather information on us!”
Rainbow Dash was confused. “Wait, what? A spy? Why would anyone want to spy on you finding a location for Canterlot?”
Celestia's eyes grew wide. “You see? She is a spy, she knows the name by which our king intends to name our new city!”
Luna looked skeptical. “I understand your concern, but no spy would possibly be idiotic enough to reveal that sort of information when being accused of being such.”
Celestia relaxed a little. “You might be right, how could a spy ascertain such information and be idiotic enough to reveal it? No, there is another explanation here. You! Pegasus! Tell us how you came upon such information! Is it that the pegasi have infiltrated a spy for so long that our plans have become common knowledge in your empire?”
Rainbow Dash didn't know what to say. All this talk of spying and empires was one thing, but she was still trying to get over Celestia and Luna's lack of wings. “I uh.... what are you talking about? Empire?”
Celestia grabbed Rainbow Dash and shook her a little. “The Pegasus Empire obviously, you are a pegasus are you not? You are obviously from there.”
Luna pulled Celestia off Rainbow Dash. “Please let me handle this, you do not know the meaning of subtlety.” She walked over and gently placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's side. “Please young pegasus, tell us how you came to know of our secret mission. We would be ever so grateful to understand how it is you came to know of something that most of our own nation does not.”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I'm not quite sure I believe the story, and I've been living it the past few days.”
Luna smiled warmly. “We will gladly listen to any story you have to tell.”
“I guess the easiest way to put it is... well, I'm from the future.”
Celestia rolled her eyes. “Luna, please tell me you are not going to listen to the lies this pegasus is so blatantly spitting at us?”
Luna ignored Celestia. “Please continue, what is it from the future that let you know of our mission here.”
“Well, uh... I guess first would be, here is where Canterlot is supposed to be, the center and capitol of Equestria.” she said as she motioned to the large open grassland behind her.
Luna got a smug smile and looked at Celestia. “You see? Here is the correct choice.”
Celestia glared. “The pegasus said Equestria, not the Empire of the Unicorn. What is this Equestria you speak of pegasus?”
Rainbow Dash looked at them. “Well... it's the land that the both of you rule.”
The two unicorns looked at each other for a moment. Luna looked at Rainbow Dash again. “The two of us? So it is the Empire of the Unicorn, just under a different name?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, it is a land in which pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns all cooperate in order to survive.”
Celestia looked smug. “And it just so happens to be ruled by the unicorns? How fitting.”
Rainbow Dash shook her head again. “No actually, you're not unicorns in the future.”
They both stared at her intently. Celestia asked in a low cautious tone. “Then what are we?”
“Alicorns.”
They both continued to stare, this time in confusion rather than suspense. Luna spoke first. “And what are alicorns?”
Rainbow Dash was shocked. “You don't know what an alicorn is?”
They both shook their heads.
“They are large unicorns with wings.”
Celestia began to laugh. “This is all insanity. How on earth could we possibly gain wings, and further more, why would we be the rulers of this new kingdom of which you speak?”
“Because you both control the sun and the moon, you are the sisters of night and day.”
Luna looked confused. “Sisters? We are not sisters. We are, however, the directors of the night and day. We simply help tell a team of other unicorns where to move them. No one unicorn could possibility move the sun or the moon.”
“You're not sisters?!”
Celestia looked concerned. “This isn't a joke, is it? You actually believe what you are telling us, don't you?”
“It's all true, I swear. At least, you always told us you were sisters.”
Luna shook her head. “No we are not sisters. We have been with each other since a very early age, however. As young fillies we showed great interest in the celestial bodies. After a while, we became experts at them, hence our cutie marks you see. As we got older, we were put in charge of the teams of night and day. We have coordinated with each other since then as partners. We were sent on the mission to find a new place to make the Empire of the Unicorns, since we would be most familiar with the position of the sun and stars. It would not only help us navigate, but also with finding a place with an adequate growing season.”
Celestia held her head up high. “And before you arrived, I was just informing Luna here that there would be no way this place would get enough sunlight for growing food due to the position of the cliff there.”
Rainbow Dash looked over to the forest where Ponyville would eventually be. “Well, over there will be a town of mostly earth ponies, and a large apple farm.”
The two unicorns looked over at it. Luna looked for several moments. “Well what do you think Celestia, is that a good place for a growing season?”
Celestia nodded. “Yes indeed, however the trees would become incredibly annoying, we would have to get rid of them.”
Luna nodded and smiled. “Good. Then it is settled. The city of Canterlot shall be made here, and we shall recommend to our king that another town meant for farming shall be made yonder.”
Celestia looked back and forth between the forest and the grassland plateau they were standing on. “Fine, this place will be well cooled by the cliff face, and that place will have good sunlight for growing. However... what are we going to tell our king of this pegasus?”
Luna looked down at Rainbow Dash. “Please, tell us how it is you came to travel from the future to our time.”
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I'm still not sure how it works, but basically if I sleep, I go forward, and if I fly fast I go backward. I got here by getting sent back by another alicorn.”
Celestia shook her head. “I am still not sure I believe all of that. But, at the very least, you have made a good suggestion for where to place our new city.”
Luna looked at Celestia. “I do not think we should tell our king of this. He will most certainly become paranoid upon learning of a pegasus that knew of our plans.”
Celestia glared at Luna. “And rightly so, whether or not she is telling the truth is beside the point. Either she is a spy with a clever, if not insane story, or she is truly from the future as she claims, and we must inform him of this Equestria!”
“Celestia, are you foolish enough to think that if he learns of these things he will let us live? We are to be the ones to rule this kingdom. If he hears that, then we will certainly not be alive to see this prophecy unfold. I think it unwise to tell him either way.”
Celetia stared intently at her for a moment. “Alright then, I propose this: we watch this pegasus sleep. If her story is true, then she shall disappear sometime in the night and we know she is telling the truth, and we will not tell our king. If she is with us by morning, then she is a liar and a spy, and we take her to stand justice.”
Luna turned and looked at Rainbow Dash. “This sound fair to me, what say you?”
Rainbow Dash merely nodded, hoping for the first time the time jump would happen.
The three of them made it to a cave in the cliff face and made a fire for the night. Celestia went to sleep first, while Luna stayed awake to watch Rainbow Dash. “So how is it that you came about the ability to move through time?”
Rainbow Dash rubbed her left foreleg against her right. “That's a kinda weird story too. It has something to do with these weird glowing rocks I found in a cave.”
“I see, do you know why they gave you this power?”
“I'm not sure I would call it a power, I mean I can't really control it.”
“You seem to know how it works, that is the first step to controlling something.”
“I guess.” Rainbow Dash yawned. “I think I'll go to sleep now, I have no idea when I'll see you two again.”
“Before you leave, I wish to know your name.”
“Oh... I'm Rainbow Dash.”
“Good to meet you Rainbow Dash, I am Luna.”
“You might want to start thinking about being called Princess Luna.”
“It is a nice title indeed. I will keep it in mind until the day comes I begin to use it.”
“Good night.”
“Yes, yes it is.”
Rainbow Dash smiled and went to sleep.