Darkness. All Starswirl could see was complete and utter darkness in all directions, confining and yet somehow infinite. Then he opened his eyes and reality slid into focus. A bright light, something purple. Distant sounds, reaching him through a layer of glass. Starswirl stretched out his hooves, and a surge of agony erupted through his muscles. Where was he?
Squinting, Starswirl could make out the forms of two ponies-- no, one pony and one...something else.
"Starswirl?" the single word broke the glass barrier and pierced into his mind until it was too painful to remain conscious and darkness enclosed him once more.
"Do you think he's okay?" As Starswirl awoke once more, an unfamiliar voice reached him. He sat up, and it didn't hurt so much this time. Now he could clearly see. A young mare with purple fur and a dark mane stood next to him, and behind her, Starswirl could see--
"Is that...a dragon?" Getting to his hooves, he approached the little creature. He was about the size of a young filly, standing on two feet with green spikes descending from his head to the end of his tail.
"You can call me Spike." He said casually.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle!" said the purple pony brightly, trying to get as close to Starswirl as possible.
"I am Starswirl. Where am I?" it was all very confusing.
"You're, well, you're in the Canterlot Archives..." the pony glanced at the little purple dragon.
"Welcome to the future!" Spike said loudly.
"The future?" Starswirl looked around. Mostly books covered the shelves around him. Tea and jam were smeared on the floor along the shards of a shattered tray. A light enclosed in glass hung from the ceiling. An enormous telescope was displayed in a huge glass container. And a statue...of a colt...who looked familiar. "Good lord!" he exclaimed. The panel at the foot of the statue read: Starswirl the Bearded. "How did I get here?"
"We found your note. You told us how to bring into the future, well, your future. Our present. That you helped create."
"Impossible, I...I wrote that not just last night! I never had a chance to try it myself! I-- what year is it?" Starswirl stuttered
"You're in the year 2014." Twilight answered.
"More than a thousand years in the future!" Starswirl exclaimed.
"1420 years, to be exact." Twilight responded.
"What is that?" Starswirl asked, pointing at the small yellow light inside the glass orb.
"What, the lightbulb?" Twilight looked at him inquisitively. "Well, it uses electricity to make a light..."
"Electricity?"
Twilight shook her head. "It appears that you have a lot to catch up on."
"Why does that statue have my name on it?"
"Well. You were kind of an important part of our history."
Suddenly, Starswirl noticed something odd about the unicorn. Which was that she wasn't a unicorn at all. She had wings on her back and a horn. "You are an Alicorn! Then the legends are true! Tell me, is this the legendary kingdom of the Alicorns?"
Twilight hesitated. "Not exactly. I'm kind of...a princess."
"A princess." Starswirl let out a long whistle.
"come with me," said Twilight Sparkle. "You may want to see this."
.....................................................
"So, this place is called Canterlot." Starswirl confirmed.
"Right," Answered Spike.
"And this is the castle."
"Right."
The three walked through the corridors and stairways of the Canterlot Castle as Spike explained the details of Ponyville and Canterlot to Starswirl. Apparently, a lot had changed over the past 1420 years. Finally, they arrived at the door to the balcony. Twilight opened it meaningfully with one hoof, and gestured for Starswirl to enter. He walked out onto some sort of balcony overlooking a town of sophisticated homes and parlors. Except one small detail. Everything was wrong.
"I was envisioning something a bit more...well, a bit less...what's the word...chaotic?!?"
Twilight rushed over the the precipice. Instead of the usual calm atmosphere, something was terribly wrong. Random splotches of paint splattered the beautiful buildings in neon colors. Muddy hoof prints left trails on the pavement. An occasional shop hung upside down in the air, clothing and goods falling out their windows. A drop of something landed on Twilight's ear. A drop of something brown. Chocolate milk. She only knew of one pony, or rather one Draconiqus who could have caused the kind of damage.
"Discord," hissed Spike.
"Did I hear someone say my name?" in a small flash of light, Discord appeared in front of the ponies. "Well I don't believe we've met!" he exclaimed, looking at Starswirl.
"Oh, really? Have you forgotten me, Discord? I see the future's come a long way." He replied coldly.
Discord almost fell out of the air. Regaining his confidence, Discord said, "Well, if it isn't my pal, Starswirl? Tell me, what are you doing in the 21st century?"
"Vacationing." Starswirl replied. "You can't have caused all this chaos on your own, Discord. Whose helping you?"
Twilight ans spike stared. Old pal? How did these two know each other?
"Oh, just a convenient little rupture in the fabric of space time. Maybe you've heard about it." Snapping his fingers, Discord caused the chocolate milk to rain harder. "Oh, I'm sorry, wouldn't want to mess up your perfect manes!" Snap. Bright yellow rain hats appeared on the ponies' heads.
"Discord, stop fooling around! Put those houses down right now!" Twilight yelled angrily
"Or what? You'll throw me in your pathetic little dungeon?"
"Or I'll use my element against you!" Her element alone wouldn't be enough to stop Discord, but it was a decent threat.
"Fine, have it your way." Snap. The houses fell out of the air, crashing to the ground loudly. "Twilight, you are no match for my magic now!" he made the chocolate rain harder. "Chaos will reign, or should I say, rain, once more!"
What had happened? Why had it happened now? How could the spell have caused so much chaos? She had just wanted Starswirl to see the future as it was, as it really was. She wanted him to see the future that he created. And with all this chaos, how was she supposed to get him back to his own time? She felt like crying. What if Starswirl never could return to his own time? Who would restore harmony to Equestria? Could she have changed time? The questions spun around in her head, stealing her from reality.
Suddenly realizing that her coat was soaked, Twilight shivered. "Aw, are you cold? Perhaps you'd like a jacket!" Snap. They two ponies were wearing straitjackets. Helpless. The two ponies. Spike had escaped.