Twilight sat quietly at the table, her eyes closed. The events of the past day... day? Month? Epoch? She shook her head gently, hoping everything would just click into place. She opened her eyes to see Starswirl across from her, glasses perched upon his nose as he studied some of the charts and reports about the changeling movement. Even with all the impossibilities Twilight Sparkle had been witness to, she found it odd to have him sitting across from her.
She looked slightly to her right, and Luna was staring at her. When they made eye contact, she looked at the floor between them awkwardly. Suddenly, Twilight remembered Celestia's memories. She not looking at me, she's trying not to look at him. She felt her own pang of guilt to mirror Luna's, and she reached out and gently touched Luna's hoof with her own, drawing her gaze back and smiling reassuringly. What happened is not who you are,Twilight mouthed silently to her.
Luna softened, her eyes and smile reminding Twilight of the young filly that pounced her to the ground long ago, and Luna clearly remembered too, blushing slightly.
“Well, I understand why this was the concern,” Starswirl said. “I've been watching as best I can since I arrived here, but from the periphery, it was hard to get a full grasp on the situation.”
“How long have you been here, anyway?” Twilight Sparkle said. “Thinking back on it, I can't remember a time you weren't in Ponyville.”
“I remembered the last moments before our parting quite well,” Starswirl explained, removing his glasses and setting them on the table. “The stars that Princess Luna made seemed to make quite an impression upon you all, and I assumed, slightly incorrectly, that they might be tied to whatever disaster had driven you to time spells. When the stars vanished, the spell spat me out...”
“Which would have been the night that Nightmare Moon returned,” Twilight Sparkle nodded.
Starswirl turned to Luna, considering her sadly and shaking his head. “You can imagine my surprise. The princesses ordered me to follow you only a dozen years after you left us. I had no idea...” He looked to Celestia, who was sitting serenely by the fireplace, waiting for the tea kettle to boil. “And to find a thousand years had passed...” He sighed, then looked at his hourglass cutie mark. “As you know, I'm bound here until time is done with me, so I've passed the years quietly with my companion, doing my best to avoid Celestia's notice, as ordered.”
“So why now?”
Celestia approached with the kettle and a ornately carved wooden case. She opened it, and within were the four mugs that Luna had crafted for them all those years before. She set the mugs before them and poured water for each as she answered, “He was instructed to have as little impact as possible, and only provide aid with whatever task your journey had failed.”
“And of course, under no circumstances, should it arise,” Starswirl added, “was I to change anything which caused your journey to begin with.” He took a sip of he tea set before him. “After all, we benefited too much from your failed attempts to save Prince Cocoon.”
“And now we only have one option available,” Twilight Sparkle said gloomily. “An outright war.”
“Nay, Twily,” Luna finally spoke, swirling the tea in her cup, still not making eye contact. “We have gathered here to consider our options one last time, with Starswirl able to aid us now.”
“But my friends, shouldn't they be included in this meeting, too? After all they've been through these past weeks...”
“Twilight,” Luna said softly, looking up at her at last. “It has been weeks for thee, and only years for Starswirl. Even my... exile... passed like a horrible dream that seemed timeless.” Her eyes darted nervously at the mention of that time. “But for my dear sister, eras have come and gone. For her, Twily, for this moment, just let us take tea.”
Twilight turned and looked towards Celestia. If she had heard Luna, she made no indication, quietly sipping her tea. Twilight sighed and smiled at her lightly, taking a sip herself. The flavor was just as sweet and pungent as it was nearly fourteen hundred years prior.
* * *
“And that's when we ended up here!” Pinkie Pie gestured enthusiastically to the tower around them, gasping for breath as she concluded the fastest possible retelling of their journey.
“Let me get this straight, you didn't change anything?” Spike said, scratching his head. “Not even a little?”
“Seems like we were always supposed to be there, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, looking over the balcony off toward the south, where lights from Ponyville were starting to go out for the evening.
“Oh! Oh! And you were there, too, Spike!” Pinkie added.
“Me?” Spike pointed to himself. “Does that mean we time travel again and I get to go next time?” The young dragon perked up notably.
“Not unless you become an egg again,” Rainbow Dash said, swirling her element in the air with one hoof, leaving Spike even more confused.
“Do you suppose...” Fluttershy began. “I mean, I could ask the princess...”
“I'm sure Shadow Wing lived,” Rarity said, confidently. “I designed that armor for form as well as fashion. Applejack, did thou not say that they wear that style of armor still?”
“Uh, Rarity,” Applejack said, “we're not in the past anymore, nopony talks like that.”
“I don't know what thou...” Rarity began. “Oh.” They all smiled as she blushed slightly.
“So, that's Starswirl the Bearded,” Spike said, looking towards the room where the others were taking tea. “I bet Twilight really freaked out, huh?”
“Anypony else wonder why in the hay Twilight's element changed like that when he touched it?” Applejack pondered.
“Because the elements remember their keepers, no matter what,” Iris Dash answered. “Rainbow Dash.” She reached a hoof forward, toward the element. “Can... can I borrow that for a bit?”
“Huh?” Rainbow replied, looking at the element. “You can hardly borrow it, it's as much yours as it is mine, remember?” Iris Dash smiled, but it was a weary smile at best. She reached up slowly, hesitating on the verge of touching it, before she had taken a deep breath. With a single motion, she took it, wincing. Then she looked at it, she sighed deeply.
“Listen, Rainbow Dash,” Iris began. “I want you to know that I'll always remember this time, and I'll always remember how joyful flying with you was. How joyful being you was. We would have made a great addition to the Wonderbolts someday, and I'm sure you still will.” Iris spoke faster the longer she spoke, leaving no gaps for interruption. “And everypony, thank you for being my friend, even with... everything.” She darted for the door and closed it quickly behind her.
Rainbow Dash tried to dart after her, only to find her tail firmly wedged in Applejack's teeth.. She turned to say something, but Applejack just shook her head, closing her eyes. Rainbow Dash sunk from the air onto the cobblestones.
* * *
“The real problem is, we need to be able to maneuver these armies away from populated areas,” Starswirl said, studying the maps. “We don't even know their motive, or why one group of changelings would turn against Chrysalis to begin with.”
“The rebel faction is being led by one resembling Fluttershy,” Luna noted. To Twilight's concerned expression, she added, “we did not mention it to her because we thought it might unsettle her.”
“Good thinking,” Twilight nodded.
“The rebel faction are the elite changelings,” Iris Dash suddenly interjected, having just entered the room. She walked over to the table where the others were drinking. “We were the ones that were unicorns before the change, and the vestiges of our own magic keeps the hive mind from completely dominating us.”
“You remember, then!” Twilight said. “Who you were before you became Rainbow Dash!” She smiled, happy for her friend.
“I do,” Iris Dash said, and there was such a weight in her voice, Twilight decided her joy might have been premature. “I am her most trusted, the one she can only remember as Chambin. Faerbin and I were sent here to infiltrate the holders of the Elements of Harmony and betray them at a crucial moment, until... plans went awry.”
She took a deep breath before continuing. “But I remember who I was, even before that. I was the foal who started it all, and now I will finish it.” She raised the hoof in which she held the Element of Loyalty, closed her eyes, and focused, the familiar aura of form-shifting closed on her, shining brightly. When it faded, the unicorn before them set the ancient pocket watch on the table and considered them all with familiar eyes.
“Chamberlain,” Celestia said, the first to recover enough to respond. “You were hardly the beginning of all our ills.”
“I suppose Discord bears the brunt of the blame, but I...” Chamberlain closed his eyes tightly, his expression recalling some past pain. “I couldn't bear to see her that way, so I ignored Iris Dash's warning.” He snorted and smirked bitterly. “I was just trying to warn myself all along. I showed Chrysalis the changeling spell, hoping that any love she could find would ease the aching of her own lost love. If I'd just been brave enough to tell her how I felt...”
Twilight lowered her head, then her eyes caught the watch on the table. The element remembers... but the changeling spell is enough to fool it. She took her own Tiara off, remembering it changing when Starswirl put it on just recently. Faerbin... Fluttershy. She stepped away from the table, only vaguely aware of Luna trying her best to reassure Chamberlain as she paced.
“Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia queried loudly, waving a hoof to silence the others. “I know my... student well enough to know she on to something.”
“Ir.. Chamberlain, do you have any idea why Faerbin is rebelling?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Probably she felt the same way I did after being Rainbow Dash for a while,” Chamberlain mused. “She felt her independence from the hive, and liked it.” His eyes widened. “Of course, Fluttershy... it's Firebane, you know.”
“Some part of her might still mistrust me,” Twilight considered. “Would she trust you? And Fluttershy?”
“I think so, but-”
“Would she work with us if we could promise to help her with her independence?”
“I won't let you hurt my princess,” Chamberlain said firmly.
“I wouldn't dream of it,” Twilight said, putting a hoof on his shoulder.. “Every changeling's spell is tied to her, right? We want what you want, Chamberlain. We want her to to be the princess you love. But you're going to have to lie to her for me.”
“I can do that if I have to,” Chamberlain nodded.
“It's not a little one,” Twilight added, looking him right in the eyes, “it's a lie of the heart. And it will hurt her. Can you do it?”
Chamberlain's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't waver. “I think I know what you want. I couldn't before, but the time for cowardice is past.”
“Well said,” Starswirl said encouragingly. “What's your angle with Firebane, Twilight?”
“Chrysalis is weakest when she thinks she has the upperhand. We're going to fall into her trap. Only not us. And not really. Did you ever figure out the changeling spell?”
“I tried briefly, hoping I could get deeper into the hive than our scouts and find out what was going on,” Starswirl admitted, “but I couldn't quite grasp it.”
“Then Chamberlain will show you,” Twilight said.
“That spell is the cause of our current problems,” Luna protested. “Isn't it best that it remain lost?”
“I'll tell nopony else,” Starswirl countered, “and never use it again after this. And never write it down.”
“That's a promise I know he keeps, too,” Twilight reassured Luna. He looked at her oddly, and she added. “You left me your journal. With all your spells.”
Starswirl's eyes widened. “Ah, the tornado spell you'd read about... and the time spell I suppose, too.”
“An invisibility spell would really help out with my plan,” Twilight said. “Do you have one?”
“Not yet,” Starswirl answered. “But I could certainly start working on it as soon as I get back, then journal it... but I suppose it would have been in there, right?”
Suddenly, something occurred to Twilight “Just a moment.” Before he could answer, she teleported to the bookshelf in the room behind the throne, grabbed the journal, and teleported back, opening it and setting it in front of him. “Before I unlocked the journal, everything in it was invisible.”
“It still is, I think,” Starswirl said, his brow furrowing.
“Oh!” Twilight turned the pages absently. “I guess it's tuned only to me right now... but this page is still blank, even to me.”
“I probably set it up so I couldn't see the rest so I wouldn't get to cheat,” Starswirl sighed. “But this page has one line I can see.” His horn began to glow. “Twilight, if you'd assist?” He leaned in and put the tip of his horn against the page. Twilight followed suit, and before she could do anything magic arced between them. The page revealed itself.
“I can see it, too,” Luna said from over their shoulders. “Was that intended?”
“I was never one for keeping secrets,” Starswirl explained, looking to Celestia, as he handed the journal to Twilight. This is it. This will do.
“You kept it that way to keep me from being tempted to try using that time spell, I think,” Celestia said.
“You always take too much on yourself,” he chided. “I suppose I'll have some secrets to keep now anyway.” He looked back at Luna as he spoke.
“Okay, this will work,” Twilight said aloud finally. “I'm calling in my friends. They're not going to like it much, but I think they'll understand.”