//------------------------------// // Far Sighted // Story: The Minuet // by Noble Phantasm //------------------------------// Chapter 6: Far Sighted Time and Space Await… -In the eye of the lover, everything is beautiful. In the eye of he who is strong, everything opposes him. They spent several days trekking through the Everfree forest. After so many ledges they had to climb, so many streams they crossed, and all the wild underbrush they had to crawl under, over and around Colgate might have wondered where it was they were going and when they would get there. That is, she would have. She was far too preoccupied with something else to count or even think about counting the miles they walked. Their destination was also of little concern to her. She was doing exactly what she needed to do and that was listening to Celestia’s lessons at every stop. She listened as intently as she could, reiterating to herself with every syllable that this was her way out and she needed to pay attention. The very first night, after fumbling to no effect with her magic on her initial lesson, Colgate recalled the time when she was a filly and Celestia had asked her to consider her school for gifted unicorns. If only she could go back and reconsider the offer, she thought at first. But then, she realized how much irony was in this statement. The whole reason she wanted to go back was because she had gone back. Yet, with Celestia teaching her, it might not have been much different than if she had accepted Celestia’s offer. Different, was the only term Colgate could think of when she thought of the fact that Celestia was her personal mentor. It made sense now why she had started her school in the first place. In her teaching, Celestia was not only enthusiastic, but nearly ecstatic. Even through Colgate’s blundering with Luna rolling her eyes on the side line, Celestia never acted like anything was ever wrong. “I just want you to focus,” She had said on the second night. This seemed terribly cliché to Colgate. Certainly this was a preconception that only newcomers held about magic. It couldn’t be boiled down to something as simple as focus. Didn’t it take willpower? Emotion? Some kind of secret incantation or formula kept secret from those not meant to know it? Latter that night, thinking this over, Colgate realized these thoughts about magic were actually the silly preconceptions and that maybe it really was as simple as focus. Magic, Celestia kept reminding her, was a mental force comparable to the body’s physical strength, yet different as well. This was likely Celestia’s attempt to give Colgate an analogy to try to get her past her clumsy state of only ever having her magic backfire or just sputter like a poorly made firework. Colgate could do simple levitation spells and the comparison made sense in theory but it didn‘t feel the same. At least not for her. “It’s just I avoid doing it because my magic can be unpredictable,” She had explained to Celestia after she wanted her to pick up a branch lodged between riverbanks. “Just focus,” Celestia repeated to her. “I don’t want you to worry about losing control of your magic right now. I’m right here. You’ll be fine.” Colgate didn’t doubt her, but rather was still afraid of herself. “Okay,” Colgate said nervously. Luna sat at a distance, lounging in a patch of moss smirking occasionally as Colgate’s struggling amused her. Colgate did as Celestia said, trying to calm her nerves and deliberately, perhaps slower than normal, not used to being graded on her magic or being watched, lifted the branch from the river and placed it next to a tree. This went smoothly. It was always when Colgate went to stop the spell that things went awry. She put the branch down and her horn, instead of just stopping its glow, sparked unwilling to stop. “Ouch!” Colgate winced as one of the sparks met her hoof. She pulled it back shaking it. “Need a bandage Clocktail?” Luna jeered. She hadn’t been in a good mood since she found out Colgate would be tagging along with them. She had no doubt, Colgate thought, meant to leave her in the Everfree after she flew off to find Celestia and never see her again. Celestia gave Luna a side long glance to which she stuck out her tongue and turned her head away laying it in her hooves. "Hmmm,” Celestia gave Colgate a peculiar look. “I think your problem is flow. You’re using too much energy Minuette.” “What do you mean?” Colgate asked, not seeing how using too much magic could even be a problem for her. She was trying as hard as she could. “You’re bringing out more magical energy than the spell you’re using needs,” Celestia explained. “So when you go to stop, the extra energy has to go somewhere and since you’re not directing it anywhere, it simply does what it wants. Half of it tries to go back and the other half jumps away and it all just starts colliding.” This was an explanation that Colgate didn’t quite understand. Celestia detected Colgate’s confusion and approached her. “Here,” She said as she folded a wing over Colgate pointing at the branch she had just moved, but looking straight at Colgate. “I want you to move that branch again, but this time use as little energy as possible. Kay?” Colgate looked back at her, still unsure. “How?” She wanted a definite method, but it didn’t seem like there was one as Celestia never offered one. “You just have to feel around. Find the point where your magic clicks and don’t go any further. C’mon. Give it a go.” Celestia gestured at the branch while Colgate looked to it and back to her several times perhaps searching for some hidden clue in Celestia’s expression or the branch itself. Celestia gave her a nudge bringing her head next to Colgate’s. “Go on.” Colgate took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Only a little, she repeated to herself in her head, only a little. She imagined that the branch she was trying to lift was nothing more than a feather and therefore required an amount of magic that was practically nonexistent. Colgate was so intently focused she didn’t realize she had been clenching her teeth until the branch came off the ground. It was strange. It almost felt like she wasn’t even using her magic, but when she opened her eyes the branch was floating several feet off the ground. “There you go,” Celestia smiled. Colgate felt embarrassed at the sudden praise. “Well I…” Just when she spoke her horn sparked and the branch that had been gently held in place zipped into a bush snapping with a smack against it. Colgate flustered, brushing a hoof across the grass below her. “Oops,” She looked down. “I guess I don’t have it.” “No no,” Celestia insisted, shaking Colgate a little. “You’re making progress.” Celestia was encouraging her they way Cheerilee might encourage the kindergarteners, but it made her feel strangely happy rather than childish. “Now,” Celestia continued, using her own magic to lift the branch out of the bush Colgate had jammed it in and setting it down several feet away from them. “I want you to try the same thing except this time, use as much energy as you can.” Colgate’s eyes widened. Celestia must have been feeling bold to request this. Colgate couldn’t think of anything to say and only shook her head vigorously in protest. Celestia let her wing fall against Colgate’s back. “Don’t be scared,” She said. “Now go for it.” Celestia stamped her hoof. “A-are you sure you want me to…” Colgate trailed off. “Yes,” She replied immediately holding her head high. “Don’t hold back. I won’t be upset even if there’s nothing left of that branch when you’re done with it!” “O-okay…” Colgate swallowed. She turned her eyes to the branch and figured if Celestia told her to, then she knew what she getting into. She pushed her magic forward, her horn lighting up, the branch shooting up several feet in an instant. It came to a jagged halt shaking in the air like something was flailing around inside of it trying to escape. A hiss came from Colgate’s horn and then a pop. Her magic stopped like the like it had been a camera whose bulb had shattered. This was far from what Colgate had anticipated. She felt suddenly dizzy and heard a static sound and wave wash over her fur. “Yipe!” Celestia gave what was almost a yelp, flinching away from Colgate. She heard Luna start giggling from her place and then something metal crashed to the ground. Colgate shook her head to resist passing out, and then looking to Celestia found even her a bit dazzled. She stumbled a little and her fur was all standing on end. “Ehehe!” Luna chuckled. “That’s what you get sis.” “No,” Celestia collected herself. “This is alright. Are you okay Minuette?” Colgate gave a lopsided nod despite being on the verge of fainting. “Good, good,” Celestia glanced around. “I uh…where…oh…” She seemed to realize what had happened to the branch. She approached it, an amount of wonder in her eyes. “Minuette?” Colgate had finally recovered enough to see correctly. “What? Did I do good?” Colgate asked. “What happened?” Celestia lifted what looked like was supposed to be the branch from the soil, turning around and holding it aloft in front of herself. “How long have you been able to do this?” Colgate forced her vision to focus on the object Celestia was levitating. “Do what?” This question was answered almost as Colgate spoke it. Her eyes met a branch, but one that was no longer wooden. It certainly still held the same shape it had before, a mildly thick twig with small sticks zigzagging out of it at a couple points, but it now carried a sheen that reflected the awkward light coming in through the leaves. It was steel. Colgate blinked a few times, wondering if her wonky vision was still playing tricks on her. “I…I uh…” Colgate stared at the object. “I’ve never done that before.” Even Luna, who had only been watching them to occasionally laugh, rose from her spot, narrowing her eyes at the would be branch, trotting up to it, raising a hoof to touch it. She clanked her hoof against it. It sounded slightly hollow like a tin can. Luna jumped up to it, dragging it to the ground, negating her sister’s magic. “Luna what are you doing?” Celestia asked. Luna proceeded to stomp on the object, trying to smash it. She was unsuccessful no matter how hard she hit it and only seemed to end up hurting herself. She backed away from it, shaking a hoof. “It…It’s really metal.” Luna glowered down at the branch, and then narrowed her eyes at Colgate. “You’ve never done anything like this before?” Celestia asked. “No,” Colgate assured them. “You told me to use as much energy as I could. I just tried real hard. Did I do something wrong?” Colgate sensed something was off, but was entirely oblivious to just what it was her magic had done. “No,” Celestia said. “It’s just this is transformation magic. That’s advanced.” “It wasn’t intentional.” Colgate didn’t want them to think it was what she had tried to do. However this happened, it was safe to assume Colgate had close to nothing to do with it. It was like her magic was just doing what it felt like the way it always did. Neither of the sisters seemed to know what to make of it and it only seemed to make Luna justify her distrust further. “No it’s okay,” Celestia seemed to have finally recovered her composure. “We’ll learn together. Bit by bit.” That episode ended there as any further attempt Colgate made at using her magic resulted in no results. It was a night later that Colgate had been sleeping and woke up inexplicably and heard the two sisters talking. “I still don’t like her sis,” was the first line she distinguished in her drowsy state. “Luna,” came the response. “You should give her a chance. She’s a normal pony. She just seems kind of lost.” “I just don’t like her funny powers. She shows up out of nowhere and all sorts of bad things start happening and then she tries to split us up.” “I’m telling you Luna, I just need to teach her to control her magic. You should help. I’m sure you could share some of your insight with her.” “No way.” “Woooona,” “Sis…” “I know you just wanna show off how big of a smarty pants you are.” “Tia, stop it.” “She could use your help Luna.” Luna gave a sigh at this. “How’s it so easy for you sis?” “Just give it a shot Luna. We could use her help as well you know.” Colgate drifted off at this point, only to wake up again some time later to silence. She thought she had only slid back into slumber for a few moments. It was quiet now, the two sisters seemingly asleep. Annoyed at the prospect of waking up multiple times, Colgate drug herself down to a nearby stream for a drink. It was probably her body’s subconscious alert telling her she still needed to brush her teeth. Colgate had, much to her dismay, gotten used to the weird feeling of not doing so. This bugged her. She didn’t want to get used to not cleaning them. Colgate took a drink, swishing the water around before swallowing it. She twirled a hoof around in the stream, lost in thoughts that didn’t seem to go anywhere. She looked to a nearby tree, staring longer than she intended at one of its branches that was hanging down into the underbrush. Colgate squinted at it, then focusing her magic, her horn lighting up, tried to do what she had done before. She forced her magic at it. Colgate heard a snap and, looking up, saw the branch crack every which way and suddenly crumble into a bunch of tiny pieces like a dry cookie. Colgate frowned and turned to go back lowering her head. “You know,” a voice said. “Maybe you’re using your magic wrong.” Colgate turned. Luna was looking away from her, facing the stream she had been standing at earlier. How long had she been there? “When I was learning,” She continued not looking at Colgate. “I always imagined my magic as something I liked. You know…like stars…I like stars and well…you get the picture.” Colgate didn’t really and still wondered why Luna wasn’t facing her. It was like she was talking to the water. “What?” Colgate asked. “Hm?” Luna waved a hoof back at her. “I didn’t say anything if you weren’t listening. Go back to sleep.” “We’re you talking to me?” Luna didn’t answer, leaning to take to a drink of water. She then proceeded to start walking back appearing a bit flustered. “Just…I dunno. Forget it. Go back to sleep.” Luna stomped off indignantly. Colgate stayed where she was. Had Luna just given her advice? Imagine her magic as something she liked? Colgate mulled over the statement several times in her head, unsure of how it was supposed to help her. It made her feel slightly guilty as Luna had seemed to actually be making a genuine effort to help her in her quirky little way. What did she like, Colgate thought? She certainly didn’t like her magic. Then again, imagining her magic as her magic seemed horribly meta. The one thing Colgate was sure of was that she liked dentistry, but how did that help with using her magic? She wanted to jump back forward in time not practice her orthodontics. Although it would have been helpful to have a spell that cleaned her teeth, Colgate wasn’t eager to use her temperamental magic on something that important. “Imagine my magic as something I like,” Colgate whispered to herself as she started to walk back. She stopped, getting an idea, and turned to a nearby tree. She wasn’t sure what she had wanted to accomplish, but put her horn to it, focusing and imagining one of her drills back home. There was a crackle and then a hiss. Colgate backed up from the tree only to watch cracks spider web through and then have it crumble into pieces like the branch had before. The tree, reduced to powder, puffed onto the ground like soot. Colgate was then showered with a cascade of its disembodied leaves. Colgate shook them off of her blowing one out of her mane that was drooping down into her face. She sighed. Perhaps that was enough for now. The absence of the tree let in a spotlight of dim reddish light. The only reason Colgate had been able to count when they slept as nights was because they had been taking advantage of when Discord put the moon in front of the sun. This made the forest dark enough to appear like it was nighttime, but by taking away a tree as Colgate had done, one could see the pink daylight thickened to eerie reddish glow. She stepped out of it, as it made her uncomfortable and slinked back to where she had been sleeping. She might have stayed awake had she thought practicing her magic would get her any progress. It seemed she needed Celestia’s guidance to do anything of the sort and even then Celestia’s wisdom had its limits. But who knew more about magic than her? Colgate couldn’t think of anypony else, especially who existed in the time period, who might know more. The two most knowledgeable ponies were right in front of her. It wasn’t until a day later, if one might call it a day, that Colgate made any more progress. She woke up to something striking her in the forehead. She raised her head, a bit dazed. Then something hit her again, almost in the same spot. She massaged her forehead, fully awake looking around her for whatever was tossing things at her. She looked to Celestia and then something hit her in the side of the head. As this happened, Colgate saw a glimpse of a hoof disappear into Celestia’s tail. Her confusion turned to annoyance as she figured out what was going on. As big and fluffy as Celestia’s tail was, Luna had balled herself up inside it to hide and was throwing pebbles at her from the forest floor at her. Colgate gave a huff and Luna poked her head out with a smug grin. She was unaware that Celestia was also awake and was looking down at her suppressing the urge to giggle. Luna brought a hoof out from hiding with another pebble ready to launch. “Aww,” Celestia chuckled slightly before Luna could throw it. “Are you two bonding?” “What?” Luna jumped from her place and quickly unraveled herself from her sister’s tail. “No! Silly Tia. I was just waking her up.” Celestia raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything back to this. “Aaaaaanyway,” She said slowly, turning to Colgate. “I’ve got something new for you today Minuette. Would you like to give it a try?” Colgate finished glaring at Luna as the alicorn stuck her tongue out at her and turned her head to Celestia. “What is it?” Colgate went to stand up and lost her balance as she stepped on one of the stones Luna had thrown at her. She flopped back down to her stomach and frowned. “Ahahaha.” Luna laughed at her inadvertent success. “What a stupid clumsy mare,” came another voice. Colgate stood straight up, immediately on edge and looking around. It certainly hadn’t been Luna or Celestia that had said it, but when she turned back to them Luna had stopped laughing and both of them were giving her a puzzled expression. “Did either of you hear that?” Colgate asked. At this they both looked at each other and then back to her, their puzzlement changing to concern. Even Luna looked a bit taken aside. “Are you alright Minuette?” Celestia asked. It was apparent that neither of them had heard whatever she had. “Maybe now is a bad time for lessons. We should get going.” “But I-” Colgate protested. “We can do it now. I mean it was nothing, I’m fine.” Colgate was a little disturbed herself, but still knew that the faster she could learn the faster she could solve her problems. “Here she goes again sis.” Luna kept her eyes on Colgate. “Maybe she’s just drowsy Luna,” Celestia offered an excuse. Which was good as Colgate would have never thought of one. She swore she had genuinely heard someone insult her when she tripped. The voice had been unclear though and searching her recent memory the event seemed like a blur. “Are you sure you’re okay?” “Yeah,” Colgate nodded. Whatever it had been, it was gone now. “I-” “Enough talking!” A shout from above interrupted her. “Race me!” From the canopy above a metal looking cube smashed through the branches and buried itself in the soil between Colgate and the two alicorns. “See! See Clocktail! I can make them too!” This echoing jeer left no doubt to who had thrown the object at them. Celestia motioned for Colgate to stay close to them and she trotted around the steely prism as if she had to be sneaky about it. “You know I’ve actually been wondering,” Colgate whispered to Celestia. “Is this why we haven’t been flying?” Celestia nodded. “We know they can’t enter the Everfree,” She said. “But they can definitely wander around above it.” “Don’t you try and hiiiiiide!” Screwball called down. “I want this to be fun!” Another cube ripped through the leaves above them, smashing into a barrier that flashed before them, throwing lighting around from the friction of the impact. “Go!” Luna shouted. Colgate would have stared in shock, unable to move in awe of what was happening in front of her had Celestia not bitten down on her mane and dragged her away. It hurt, but it jarred Colgate just enough to bring her back to the reality of what was happening. She took off into a gallop alongside Celestia. She looked behind them to see Luna’s shield explode, forcing the object away as she turned to sprint after them. A sing song voice followed above them chanting another rhyme, this time to the tune of pat-a-cake. “Run away, run away, scaredy cat mares! Clop those hooves as fast as you can! I’ll tail you and nail you and smash this Everfree! Till there’s nothing left of your harmony!” They continued running as Screwball’s crazy laughter trailed along behind them, more blocks of metal crashing into the forest at random locations around them. Colgate had no idea where they were running or why. She was just following Celestia. Luna had caught up, but no less annoyed than she had been at Colgate when she didn’t pick up on her advice a night earlier. She wore a cross expression as she ran next to them her eyes following where blocks fell through the trees. “This pony has serious issues,” Luna muttered. As she did so she jumped spinning around in a one-eighty, landing firmly, and yelling up at the sky. Celestia skid to a halt as she saw this and Colgate followed suit. “Luna no!” Celestia shouted after her sister, but Luna paid no attention to it. “C’mere you!” She yelled. A blue beam lasered from her horn, through the tree line and into the sky. The only thing it passed through was wind and through the resulting gap, Screwball popped into view, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey hey!” She chanted gleefully. “I found you definitely found you!” Another chunk of metal spawned next to her, the pink light dancing into shadows from behind it. “Merry misery mire moonface!” The block soared toward Luna and the forest lit up as it collided with a dome of magic Luna placed around herself. She struggled against it as its weight forced itself down on her, the only thing stopping her from being crushed was a thin film of light bending as the object strained it boundaries. “Luna!” Celestia made a dash for her sister. Colgate panicked. She didn’t like where this was going. “Weeeee,” Screwball whirled around above them as Luna’s magic raged out of control around them. “Smashing sissy sunbutt will be fun!” She seemed to be having an abnormal amount of fun. Even her words came out wickedly playful and she never stopped moving. It was like she was hyped up on too much sugar from all of the chocolate and clouds. Celestia ground to a halt as another block crashed down in front of her. Screwball was making a clearing out of where they were and conjured up another of her new favorite objects even as Luna was still unable to shake the one that was relentlessly trying to drill her into the earth. “It’s sundown shiny flank!” Colgate saw what was about to happen. With all her will she wanted to stop it. She focused on the object as Screwball swung it in an arc over her head sending it straight for Celestia who was still regaining her footing. She projected her magic at it with everything she could. “Work, work WORK!” Colgate yelled at her own horn clenching her eyes shut. There was a pulse and with the toll of a bell everything went silent. There was a sound like steel doors being slammed shut as the chime of the bell echoed in the apparent stillness. Colgate opened her eyes. Everything was grayscale and frozen in place. Even Screwball was stuck, suspended in the air with a twisted expression locked to her face. Colgate looked down to her hooves. She was still in color. Her fur was still its normal pale blue and her mane was still a fond reminder of toothpaste. She took a step. She could still move. She looked to Celestia and Luna, both also frozen in place, the former with a terrified look on her face and the other eternally exerting all the effort she could. The whole scene she had been so afraid of had stopped, ended just like she had wanted it to. Not like this though, she thought. She had wanted her magic to stop Screwball’s attacks, not everything else along with it. Suddenly there was a noise, but not one she had expected. It was faint at first, but it heightened in volume gradually until Colgate could distinguish it. Was it…a clock? It sounded like the ticking of a second hand casually counting seconds even as none passed around her. She trotted up to the steel cube in front of Celestia and gave it a poke. It clinked like she might have expected it to had she randomly stumbled across something like it in the woods somewhere. It was smooth and gave her a slightly glossy reflection of herself distorted by the light bending across metal. Yet even in this distortion she could make out a few disturbing details. Her left eye was yellow, giving off a faint glow. Furthermore, she discovered it was the source of the ticking. She could make out instead of a pupil and iris, her once normal blue left eye was a clock. Even stranger, she could see a second hand within it moving. The clock was in her own head. She was tempted to try and touch, but reminded herself that she would poking her own eye if she tried. A glowing clock in her eyes, Colgate wondered? And yet it seemed to have entirely halted the flow of events around her. Had she done this? Was this her magic? It seemed logical. If it had been able to take her over a thousand years into the past then something like this shouldn’t have seemed out of the ordinary at all. Wait, what was she doing? Colgate shook her head to get the thoughts to disperse. She had been so enraptured in what her magic had done that she was forgetting to take the opportunity. The metal object next to her had reacted with a noise when she had touched it and she could move. This meant she could still interact with things despite them being frozen in time. The incessant ticking was something she could do without, yet its increasing persistence seemed to be a warning. Colgate found that she was beginning to sweat and that her heart rate had begun to increase even though she wasn’t moving all that much. If she wasn’t quick, her magic was going to take more out of her than she could handle. Colgate moved quickly, pushing Celestia out from under the path of the brick that was aimed to crush her. She was nearly weightless in this state and Colgate pulled her by her tail smoothly as if only scooting a hollow chess piece across a plastic board. Luna was next and her nerves nearly got the better of her as she approached her threatening but static magic shield. Yet it was as if it wasn’t even there. When she touched it, she felt nothing and passed through like a ghost. She had no time to contemplate this, even though it seemed like time shouldn’t have been a factor. She pulled Luna away and outside her barrier putting her next to Celestia. She looked at them side by side for a moment. They were like paperweights, she thought. This gave her an idea. She put them as close together side to side as they would go, crawled underneath their legs and picked them up onto her back. It felt like no more weight than her saddlebags. She took one last glance back to Screwball, still happily laughing in stasis upside down over the trees. No, Colgate told herself, this was enough. She galloped off into the woods away from everything. It was now that Colgate had started to really feel the consequences of what she had been doing. Her eye ached and it was like she could feel the clock snap the seconds around inside of it. Her heart thumped like a tympani in her chest and after only a bit, she found running far too laborious, panting from mere walking speed. But how did she stop the spell? She put Luna and Celestia down in the shelter of an overbearing willow and climbing out from under them, nearly collapsed as she went light headed her vision reeling in a triangle. She propped herself against another tree, her breath coming out in gasps. Stop the spell! Stop the spell! Her mind was yelling at her body to do something it couldn’t or didn’t know how. She tried to focus again, but the only image that came when she closed her eyes was that glowing yellow clock, its numerals taunting her with their lack of an answer. The second hand ticked away. But why was it moving? If time was stopped then why would this clock be moving? Stop… Stop… Stop… It was the only solution her mind allowed. If the ticking of her imaginary or magic clock, whatever it was, was the thing stopping the flow of time, then stopping it would resume time. There was a pop. She could hear the toll of a bell again as the clock in the vision of her closed eyes vanished, its second hand jolting to a stop at the six. There was a sound like an iron gate opening and, in a flush of air, color flooded back into the environment. Colgate opened her eyes. Everything looked normal. Or it did until her head took another reel and the fell against the tree again for support. There was a nearby snap of static, Luna’s horn being disconnected from her magic. She heard the two alicorns shuffle about, resuming whatever they had bee doing and then suddenly realizing there was no need to. “Wh-” Celestia breathed out. “Sis?” Luna shuffled away from her sister. “What…What just happened?” Colgate was breathing heavily and she could hear the two turn to her, no doubt hearing her even as she tried to suppress it. “Minuette?” Celestia said. Colgate was unwilling to open her eyes to look at anything. With every passing moment the world titled more fiercely and her pulse refused to calm itself. She felt herself start titling away from her support. Maybe? Was she? Perhaps the tree had just vanished. In any case, she felt herself falling to the opposite side, unable to make a conscious effort to stop herself. “Minuette!” Celestia moved into a gallop towards her. Did she catch her? She must have, Colgate concluded. She never felt her head hit anything hard. She flopped into Celestia’s hooves and the alicorn panicked. “Minuette, what’s wrong?” She fretted. “What happened? She’s breathing weird Luna.” This was no secret even for Colgate who was at best half conscious. She knew she must have sounded bad, but to her it seemed like she needed every bit of air her lungs could drag in. Even then, she felt constricted. Luna frowned and walking up to Colgate, put a hoof to her forehead. “She’s pretty warm,” She commented. Colgate willed her eyes open. Everything was broken into doubles and triples; the only distinguishable thing was Celestia, holding her in her hooves and Luna looking down at her next to her sister. “Minuette?” Celestia spoke in response to Colgate’s attempt to appear conscious. “What’s wrong? What happened to Screwball?” Colgate figured the crazy pony was just as confused as they were, but probably not any worse for the ware. But Colgate didn’t answer Celestia with this information like she should have. Her mind was muddling everything together like a cloud. “Is there…” Colgate breathed out and then in. “Is there anything in my eye?” Celestia and Luna looked at each other confused and concerned. She must have sounded delirious to them. “N-No.” Celestia responded. “Your eyes are fine. You look like you’re about to pass out. Are you okay?” “My magic,” Colgate forced out. “What about you’re magic?” “I…I stopped everything. Everything stopped.” “You what?” “The blocks, Screwball, time. All of it. I stopped time.” There was a pause, perhaps of disbelief or further unease. “She’s all loopy sis,” Luna said. “I don’t think she even knows what she’s saying.” “Minuette,” Celestia continued. “What do you mean? Did you teleport us away? “No…” Colgate tried to squirm away from Celestia, but she wouldn’t let her. “Time,” Colgate insisted. “I stopped time.” There was another pause longer this time. Colgate wondered if they were even taking her seriously. “Princess I-” Colgate tried to further her point, but was cut off. “No,” Celestia told her. “Stop Minuette, Just…” “But-” “Shhh.” Colgate felt herself folded down against the grass, Celestia laying her by her side and folding her tail around her and her wing over her. “Just calm down. Breathe.” Colgate wasn’t going to try any further talking if no one wanted her to. “This is ridiculous Tia,” Luna complained. “This pony has so many problems.” “Now Luna,” Celestia said. “We do too. Besides, you sleep next to me every night just like this.” “Yeah but that…it’s diff- never mind.” Luna gave a huff and trotted away next to the willow they had found themselves under. “I’ll be over here. At least I don‘t call you princess.” She flopped down and rolled her eyes. Colgate wasn’t even entirely certain what was all going on. She was lying against something soft, something that was somehow helping the pounding in her head go away. “Clocktaaaaaaail!” Came a ridiculously enthusiastic voice. Luna would have bolted from her spot, but she only managed a quick jerk before she stopped herself as Celestia raised a hoof and lowered her head. Luna followed suit, folding herself to ground, as if getting closer to it was going to make them less detectable. It was Screwball shouting for her, that much Colgate could tell, but it didn’t seem like she knew where they had gone. “It’s no fun if you just disappear,” She was getting closer, throwing her words around in shouts so to be sure not to spare any part of the forest in any direction of her summons. Then, she started chanting again, always a different rhyme, but always eagerly twisted. “Little foal blue, come out and play! Your Everfree’s freezing, your moon’s full of day! Where is the pony on whose flank there‘s a clock? She’s pining for booze, with her squawks!” Luna suppressed a giggle while her sister scowled at her reaction. “Will I stop her? Nay not I! For when I do, she’ll be the one to die.” Luna and Celestia’s expressions turned sour at this final line. It seemed rather vindictive even for Screwball. She was a mare who seemed like she just had a skewn idea of play, yet one that wasn’t broken enough to involve death. Had she angered her that much, Colgate thought? Based on what she had done, Screwball’s new developed malice wasn’t out of place. Colgate shifted by Celestia’s side and the alicorn hunkered down over her, using her wing as a wordless way to tell her to stay still. “Don’t worry! I know what you want!” There was pause and then a hail of bottles came rushing down all around the forest. Only a few came down where they were, shattering like hailstones in a shower of champagne. Luna tensed up, putting a shield around her sister as one landed not too far away from her. The rest couldn’t be seen, but could be heard at varying distances breaking across tree limbs and bushes. “Have fun now! I’ll be back before you know I know you know who knows!” There was a pop and a slow breeze bent the tops of the trees and then stopped. Luna and Celestia lifted their heads, sensing the drop in tension. They waited a few moments. Silence. It wasn’t like Screwball to be able to be this quiet. She didn’t really have a reason to be sneaky; always being fairly vocal bout her presence. Luna stood up and Celestia lifted her wing looking gently at the one under it while Luna stood up pursing her lip in dissatisfaction. “Well,” Celestia smiled. “At least one of us is comfortable.” Colgate opened her eyes only to have everything come back into focus. “Ah!” Colgate jumped away glancing from side to side. “I-uh…Well you know I was pretty much out, but uhhh…I’m fine so…” Colgate brushed her hooves off and shuffled trying to stand as normally as possible. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Celestia stood up and Colgate took a couple steps back because she thought it was necessary. “That’s good to hear.” “Yeah,” Luna interrupted. “Maybe now you can tell us what the hay you just…I don’t even know what to call it! What did you do!?” “I told you,” Colgate said as Luna moved toward her in small angry steps. “Time just stopped.” Luna halted, glaring at her. “Are you serious?” Colgate moved her eyes to Celestia and then back to Luna, hesitating because she knew Luna wouldn’t like her response. “…yeah?” She looked at Luna with unease, watching her half question answer process. Her jaw dropped and she looked at Colgate with an expression that asked ‘are you stupid?’ Colgate forced a grin as if it might help her plight. “She’s not fine sis.” “Yes I am.” “No, no you’re not.” “Luna.” Celestia said almost like a mom. “She’s crazy!” Suddenly Colgate found Luna right in front of her in a flash. Without warning she was tackled and after forcing her to the ground, Luna started stomping on her. It almost seemed like she was about to get rather violent at first, but her stomping was more like an emphatic patting and didn‘t really hurt. “I’m gonna knock some sense into you, you stupid pony! You can’t stop time!” “Luna,” Celestia laughed. “You’re being ridiculous.” Luna stopped, staring at her sister with wide eyes. “Me!?” She said as if she were being betrayed. “I’M being ridiculous!? Do you hear what she’s saying!?” “As far as I can tell, she saved us.” “But- but…Uuuuuugh!” Luna whirled around exasperated. Colgate stood up, wondering for a bit if Luna was going to turn around and jostle her again. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Celestia said as Luna sat with her back turned to Colgate and flopped into a sitting position. “mmmm.” Luna pondered for a moment and then turned her nose to the air. “Th-thank you.” Celestia gave a small laugh “Good enough,” She said. “So…” Colgate asked. “You believe me?” “We’ll figure your magic out somehow Minuette. I can’t think of any of explanation for what happened. It wasn’t teleportation magic. One moment I was about to be smashed, the next I was under a completely different tree.” Colgate was almost flattered by this. Since she had gotten in this place, her magic had made her look half sane. It was good to know someone believed her when she told them what had, or at least what she thought, had happened. She wanted to thank Celestia for her faith in her and even for caring for her when she nearly fainted. She was too kind when all Colgate had really been to them so far was trouble. Luna’s mindset made far more sense. She never got to thank Celestia though. She was interrupted by something she had never expected. “I found them!” A voice came. “I told you they were coming back!” It put Colgate on edge for moment; the initial phrase making her think Screwball had come back after only a short absence. But it wasn’t Screwball’s voice nor did it have her typical off kilter emotion behind it. It was a happy voice and clear, that of a younger pony that seemed to skid across the leaves. Celestia and Luna turned to see a pony fluff her way out from between two bushes, smiling widely as she realized she had found what she had been looking for. Colgate found herself looking at nothing less than a glittering crystal pony. They had only come back recently in her time and this was her first time ever really seeing one. She was a filly, quite small with a pelt of sparkling gray and a smooth and curled black mane with a straight haired tail that came to a point. Her eyes were a light innocent red nearly pink, but not quite bright enough to cross over. Any pony casually glancing would have thought them red. “I found the Princess!” She proclaimed gleefully. “Ruya!” Celestia greeted her with enthusiasm. The two approached each other, the apparently named Ruya bouncing up to Celestia and giving her a hug. Celestia had mentioned the name before, Colgate remembered, and it was just as she had said. The filly did in fact refer to Celestia as a princess. “What are you doing outside Canterlot?” Luna asked as Ruya stepped down from her embrace. This took Colgate entirely off guard. It took her a second, because the mention of the name Canterlot was normal for her. But then she reminded herself that she had stood where Canterlot was supposed to be. “Canterlot??” Colgate said much to her own surprise. She hadn’t meant to butt in on their conversation. “It’s where everypony stays in the Everfree. It’s a stone castle we use to hide from Discord. We called it that cause everyone there is always moving. What are you doing here Ruya?” Colgate looked to the filly who seemed quite pleased with herself. Closer up now, she could see that the child already had a cutie mark although it might have been even more cryptic than her own. It was hieroglyphic looking eye having the appearance of a stone etching on her gray flank. “You were coming back,” Ruya said. “I came to meet you.” “You knew?” Luna questioned. This was exactly what Colgate had wanted to say. Ruya talked like she somehow knew they were coming, but didn’t elaborate, turning to Colgate. “Oo!” She exclaimed hopping up to her. “You brought the dentist pony.” Colgate took a step back. “H…how did…” She stared down at the peculiar pony who seemed to see her assumption as entirely normal and expected it to be correct by default. It almost seemed like if Ruya had said she was a cobbler then it would have been so. It wasn’t possible for this mare to be wrong. “You’re the dentist pony.” She repeated. “Aren’t you?” She tiled her head, only now unsure simply because Colgate was unsure as well. “Well…yes.” “See,” she said, satisfied. “I knew it.” “Ruya!” Came another voice from within the forest. “Ruya I told you not to run off!” This was a deeper voice, a stallion no doubt. “Is that…?” Celestia stopped, her question seemingly implied. “Yes,” Ruya smiled. “I brought uncle with me. He said I shouldn’t go out into the woods cause I’m little. Isn’t he silly?” “Well…” Colgate could tell Celestia was on the side of whoever Ruya’s uncle was, but Ruya had infinite confidence in her assured safety even if she had been alone. “Over here!” Ruya called after the voice. “I found them! I told you they were coming back!” This is what she had said before and before long a stallion as Colgate had thought made his way out of the shrubbery around them, a bit disheveled. “Goodness, Ruya,” He spoke, an authority in his voice even when speaking causally. “Sometimes I think you do this just because I tell you not to.” This stallion wasn’t a crystal pony, but still had gray fur and a short black mane and tail, the same color as Ruya’s. He was a unicorn, with a cutie mark of red crystal columns, his eyes the same crimson color “Sombra!” Luna perked up. “Wait,” She held back. “Why aren’t you in the Crystal Empire?” “My brother has things under control,” He stated. “I figured the ponies here could use my knowledge in magic. We think we’ve found something that might be quite useful here.” “Oh, where are my manners,” Celestia said. “This is…” she gestured to Colgate and then paused. “You don’t happen to know her name already do you Ruya?” Ruya looked to Colgate again and blinked a few times. “She’s the dentist pony.” It was still unsettling that she knew even that much. “Ah, well this is Minuette,” Celestia introduced her. “Minuette this is Sombra And Ruya.” The stallion’s appearance was a bit stark and it was enough to intimidate Colgate a bit, yet she didn’t feel any malice from him. He appeared sinister, but his speech was rather docile. “A unicorn I see,” He turned to her. “Do you study any magic?” “Well uh…” Colgate wasn’t very strong with strangers. Luna and Celestia had been exceptions when she had met them. “I guess my own I suppose.” She didn’t know what else to say. It was essentially what she was doing. “Oh? What do you mean?” “Uh…Well I don’t really have that great of grasp on my own power.” Colgate looked away. “Actually Sombra,” Colgate was glad to hear Celestia chime in for her. “Now that you’re here she could actually use help from someone like you.” “Go on.” He seemed intrigued. “Minuette here can’t really control her power. It’s done all sorts of strange stuff and I can only teach her so much. Maybe you would know more about her magic.” “Just what is it that it’s done?” Both Celestia and Sombra turned to Colgate and she flustered a bit under the pressure of having to review her mistakes. “Well I uh…” Colgate started. She took a deep breath. “First it landed me in cave with these two, then it got them separated, then it almost killed some crazy mare that attacked us, and I’m pretty sure I stopped time.” Sombra’s eye widened and he turned to Celestia. “Is this true?” “It’s what she says,” Celestia confirmed. “I’ve seen enough of her magic to believe her.” “Hmmm,” He turned back to Colgate and grinned unrepentantly. “Well I’ve never heard of a unicorn that could do that before. I’ll certainly study her magic then. You’ve piqued my interest.” “Yay!” Ruya jumped in “Now we go back to Canterlot!” “That would be ideal. It’s not too far. Follow us.” They began walking back the way they came, Celestia, Luna, and Colgate all following their lead. Ruya skipped about the path as they went, jumping back and forth playfully as they others conversed. It was surreal. It was a conversation Colgate could only listen to like something out of a story book. She was living an old legend and Celestia and Luna’s appearances became nearly that of epic heroes for a moment. “How are things Sombra?” Celestia asked, a bit worried. “Well…I have to say it hasn’t been the same since you two left. I’ve done my best to keep hopes up, but with Discord still being around and you two being gone, ponies had thought you had failed.” “We…we did.” Celestia’s expression drooped, her ears folding down. “But you’re still alive,” Sombra insisted. “There are a lot of hopes pinned to you two. It’s something I can’t really replicate. They just have so much faith in you. You are extraordinary after all, being alicorns.” “I’m sure we’re not that important,” Celestia was being modest again. “Hm,” Sombra gave a chuckle. “Just wait till we get back. You know everypony might have lost hope if Ruya here hadn’t been here to keep running around and telling everypony you would come back.” “I knew it too,” Ruya puffed herself up proudly, skipping in front of them. “Of course,” Sombra assured her. Although to Colgate it seemed like Ruya really had known all along. “Thank you Ruya,” Celestia said. “No problem princess!” She resumed her playful trot as they continued walking. “It’s Celestia. I’m not royalty.” “That’s okay princess Celestia. No need to be humble. You either princess Luna.” “I’ll never get you,” Luna replied watching Ruya bounce around. It wasn’t long before they reached their destination although the darkening light of the moon swinging in front of the sun again might have made it seem like it had taken them an entire evening. Eventually, they came to the stone wall of a fortress tucked into the confines of the Everfree. It was much different, Colgate thought, than the ivory columns of the Canterlot she knew. Its great gates were made of worn, yet sturdy color faded oak within an arc of rock. Sombra stopped before it, the others following suit, Colgate expecting him to call to a set of guards that were supposed to be stationed at the top of the wall. He took no such action and instead his horn glittered with a red aura and the gate ground into motion creaking as if it had been ages since anyone had ever opened them. No sooner than there was just enough room, Ruya dashed through them in an eager anticipation. “Ruya,” Celestia said as the filly slithered into the castle. She let out a sigh, realizing right away it was no use. “She can’t sit still can she Sombra?” He let out laugh. “Ha! She is a strange one. What can I say though? She’s just excited to see you. Listen.” Sure enough, even over the sound of the gate’s rumbling, Ruya could be heard yelling as she ran, shouting her declaration to anypony who might be inside. “Everypony! Everypony!” Her voice echoed. “They’re back! I told you they weren’t gone! Luna and Celestia are back! Everypony come out, they’re back!” “What is she…?” Luna seemed to know what she was about to ask, but half asked it out of nervousness. “She wants everypony to see you,” Sombra explained as the gates halted finally open. “Wh- She’s calling out everyp-…mmmm.” Luna trotted in place. “Oh don’t worry Luna,” Celestia said. “But you know I’m no good with other ponies.” “You handled Minuette just fine.” Luna looked at Colgate and then quickly away when she returned her gaze. “Come on. You’ll be okay.” Luna reluctantly followed at her sister’s side as Sombra motioned them through the archway. He and Colgate filtered in behind them. The gate led onto a stairway that led down into the fortress which Colgate found, had no roof. The stone walls were really just to separate them from the Everfree and the canopy above them was thinner, letting in considerably more light. There were even trees growing inside of the enclosure, making the castle seem altogether almost part of the forest itself constructed not by any pony, but forged from nature simply part of the Everfree’s magic. As they came to edge of the staircase that led down a considerable distance into a courtyard covered in grass and stone, the two sisters stopped, standing at the top as they stared dumbstruck at a multitude of ponies more still gathering, with Ruya still calling enthusiastically at the bottom of the steps. As soon as the two alicorns came into view all of them began to murmur. There were gasps, exclamations, a few ‘it’s really thems,’ and a general sense of awe. There were more ponies here than lived in the Ponyville she knew, Colgate thought. They were so many different colors and yet they were all looking at the same thing. “Come on, ponies!” Ruya shouted to the crowd. “You missed them! Tell your princesses how much you love them!” As she said this, the sun came out from behind the moon at their backs and a ray of light, shining, filled the gateway glittering down to the ponies below. Colgate watched it happen and wondered if Discord knew what he had just done. Luna took a quick look back and then to the ponies below them, while her sister kept a steadfast and gentle gaze forward. Those below them no doubt believed Celestia had done this. Their eyes widened their faces uplifted. Colgate had to remind herself that Celestia had nothing to do with the sun’s movement yet, this was purely coincidental. Yet it seemed to inspire an infinite amount of hope and as it happened there was a great uproar from the crowd. They burst into cheering, louder than anything Colgate had heard before. There were so many of them. “They really are incredible,” Colgate heard Sombra say to her over the noise. He was right, Colgate thought, watching on in awe. There was only one other mare she knew of that could get this type of response. It was Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s student. The crowd’s applause began to become a chant and through all the clamor the crowd merged into a unified a cheer. “Celestia! Celestia!” They chanted. Sombra’s words were really the only ones that fit the situation. The two alicorns seemed to have all the hope in Equestria on their wings. Yet as Colgate watched as Ruya turned and looked up at them grinning with satisfaction, Celestia stood proudly while Luna looked out timidly hugging close to her sister’s front leg. Ever since she had arrived here, the two sisters seemed like a perfect team always covering each other’s weaknesses. Perfect foils. Perhaps they still were. But now, as the sun shown bright through the gates of Canterlot across Celestia making her pink mane glimmer, for the first time she saw Luna standing in her sister’s shadow.