"The night had lasted so long no pony alive could remenber otherwise. The land was barren and bleak. No green was to be seen anywhere. Miles and miles of rocks and dirt stretched as far as the eye could see. All hope was lost, the hunger was slowly taking all of us away, and then the rainbow saved us bringing the seeds of life" - Pippi
JANUARY 1, 1000 AD
The mechanical beast gave out a loud roar and stuck its neck high in the air. A blast of fire shot from its open maw, scorching the stone ceiling.
"Run. NOW!" Twilight shouted. The machine roared and lifted its two legs from the floor, the claws now extended straight in front. It then shot out another gout of fire and began to charge down the hall as its wheels moved. The ponies noticed how its tail was letting out even more steam.
The unicorn ran for the door at the other end of the stone hallway, her friends following her. When they made it to the heavy wooden door, Twilight Sparkle tried to push it open but she discovered it was locked. She pounded on it with her hooves. "Open up! Open up! You want the princess Megan to be killed or what?" There was no response.
Twilight Sparkle started to hit the door with her hammer, the tool barely leaving mere dents in it.
Rainbow Dash started to violently slash away at the door with her sword as wood chips scattered everywhere. She struck harder with every blow, getting angrier and angrier.
The Dragon Tank roared again; belching more flame and started moving faster. "Hurry Rainbow Dash! Hurry Twilight! Break through the door!" yelled Fluttershy, trembling in fear.
The young blue mare stopped. She and Twilight had barely made a hole about three inches wide in the heavy wooden obstruction. "Dammit! It's too strong!"
The pegasus looked at the false dragon which was less than a minute from smashing into them. Thankfully her wings where in good shape, which gave her an idea.
Dash moved in front of Twilight and kicked her up with her hind legs, taking the unicorn by surprise and making her drop her hammer. Fluttershy screamed in a mix of confusion and panic but reacted quickly and flew to catch her, Rainbow Dash soon joined, helping Fluttershy to carry the unicorn weight.
Roaring, the mechanical dragon charged faster. When its dumb mechanical mind realized the enemy was out of the way, it tried to stop but its claws could not grip the stone fast enough. With an impressive force, the tank slid into the heavy wooden door and shattered it. Dust clouded the air and large pieces of wood were strewn about the floor.
The two pegasi lowered Twilight down. Dash's plan had been risky, but It had to be done. Otherwise, Fluttershy's fear would have made her unable to fly; she had seen how her wings where shaking. Rainbow Dash had seen the same in Flight Camp. Some pegasi, when too scared, where unable to fly. "Fear cramp" it was called.
Sparkle picked her hammer back up while Rainbow Dash picked up her sword. The trio was glad the machine's wheels had not run over them. The Dragon Tank seemed to have stopped for now. The mares ran out the front door across the suspension bridge. The Dragon Tank gave another mighty roar and Twilight cursed herself for having created that thing, even if she had only made the plans.
The machine opened its mouth wide and shot out another blast of fire. The stone was scorched from the continuing blasts from the mechanized reptile. The dragon was too big to go out using the door, so it backed up as the young trio ran across the bridge. It then roared again and charged through the door, creating a huge hole as it broke through. The whole tower started to shake, pieces of it falling over the mechanical dragon and barely making dents in it.
The mares reached the end of the bridge, but the door was locked and this one was made of steel. They heard a strange sound, like a screech, and then turned around to see the Dragon Tank advancing slowly towards them.
"Now, if I remember things correctly.. Dash, destroy the wheels with your sword! Fluttershy, shoot arrows into that thing's eyes! I will jam the steam vent in the tail!" The unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle sounded confident. Dash nodded.
"Okay..." Fluttershy said. She felt braver for some reason. Maybe it was the tone in Twilight voice, maybe it was just being with her friends, but she was also angry. This thing had tried to hurt her friends; friends who had already saved her once. Fluttershy had one arrow already loaded in the slot in her crossbow. She picked it from her backpack and aimed at the Dragon Tank's left eye. She barely had any practice at all, having been forced into a crash course over the last two days by Twilight, so her best bet was to wait until that thing was really close.
Rainbow Dash attacked one of the wheels while the beast roared; a fire blast almost burning her wings. Unlike the door, the wood was not that strong and she had no trouble destroying one of the right wheels, making the machine shift a bit to the right. The thing moved its tail to the left to compensate the weight and stabilize again. Damn it was good! If it was not trying to kill her, she would feel proud for her friend having created such a powerful machine.
Twilight was looking at Fluttershy. Why the hay wasn't she shooting? No time to think about that now. The tank roared again, and Dash was still too damn close for her own good. Twilight threw her hammer with her magic at the dragon's chest to distract it. Its head turned to the unicorn and she could see the flames forming in its mouth...
CRACK!
The metal beast's left ruby eye was gone. It blasted it fire where Fluttershy should be, but the yellow pegasus had flown a few meters up after she fired her bolt.
Rainbow Dash was not going to waste time, taking out another wheel on the right side. The head then blasted a fireball at her, but Dash just flew away faster than the dragon could aim. Dammit, she hated not being able to taunt that thing, but if she did her sword would fall off!
Twilight jumped over the dragon, hearing a familiar sound. "Oh right..." Twilight jumped behind the dragon before whole metal body coursed with electricity. That would have fried her! Once behind the dragon she started to hammer on the pipe where the steam was escaping, slowly closing it. The dragon then opened a hole in its back, where a blast of scalding steam started to come out.
"Dash, go to pick up one of the stones that felt of the tower and jam it into that hole! Fluttershy, make this stupid mistake of mine blind!" The Dragon head did a full turn, its single eye glowering at the purple unicorn.
"Oh hay..."
Before a fire blast hit her, Rainbow Dash did a flying kick to the dragon's head, moving it to the side. The hole on the back closed, and the now almost sealed pipe was drooping. Lots of pressurized steam started to blast out of what was left of the hole in the tail.
"Dammit, Sparkle! Why did you have to make this thing so smart!" Rainbow Dash yelled, her sword falling out of her mouth. The dragon body charged with electricity and tried to hit Dash with a head butt, but the pegasus did not call herself one of the fasted pegasi in Equestria just to brag. Twilight ran towards the prison tower, hoping her friends would keep the machine she had the disgrace to create busy.
Fluttershy had gone down and charged a second arrow in her crossbow. "Hey ugly, you make real dragons look bad!" The beast roared, but instead of charging a fire blast it tried to run the mare over. Fluttershy shot; her bolt barely missed its mark. She was then scooped up into the air by Rainbow Dash.
Twilight had gotten a bunch of rocks from the prison tower and poured all the potions in her backpack over them. She then levitated the rocks around her with magic "Hey, ugly! Over here!"
The tank, without even turning around, crackled with electricity an moved fast backwards towards the violet mare. Twilight threw the rocks at the lower right of the dragon tank. The rocks exploded: the resulting blast destroying two of the machine wheels. Even with the help of its tail, the machine was still inclined to the right with only two wheels remaining in the left side. Twilight was happy that she filled her backpack with explosive potions, leaving Fluttershy the healing ones.
Unfortunately that move had depleted her few bottles. The dragon eye started to glow bright red, the hole in its back opened again, now looking at her. Twilight's horn glowed like never before, and she took a huge rock out of the wall behind her. She was panting. It was like with Gilda; she had to do it fast or else...
She dropped the rock over the dragon tail. Dammit!
The machine's fangs opened wide. It was not going to be a regular fire blast; it was going to be huge. Maybe she could...
CRASH!
The prison tower collapsed behind her, nowhere to run...
Rainbow Dash had destroyed the dragon's remaining wheels with her sword but was too late. The fire was about to... WHAT?
CRACK!
Fluttershy had done a flying kick to the dragon head, making the huge blast fire uselessly to the left. The dragon was not designed to use such a blast while not aiming to the front, so the machine ended melting some of it own armor. Twilight could hardly believe it; Fluttershy was being so brave right now. And that kick... had she copied it from Dash?
The Dragon Tank was now blind. Twilight climbed over it, and crossed to the other side.
"We... we did it? YAY!" Fluttershy seemed so happy, then there was the sound of chains moving; the steel door was being lifted.
"... surely the escaped prisoners must be dead by now." The Chancellor's voice was heard from the other side, but as soon as the mechanical door was fully open his mouth opened wide while the short colt's eyes almost went out into orbit "What? You... You defeated the... "
"Chancellor!" Yelled Fluttershy, staring down at him. "I heard you ordered for Rainbow Dash to be executed! What is the meaning of this?"
"I... guards, the prisoners have kidnapped Princess Megan! Get them!" Yelled the Chancellor, sending a group of guards to attack Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle.
"Stop this! I am Princess Megan Fluttershy of Equestria, and my word is law! The Chancellor had this mechanical beast attack me and these young heroes rescued me!"
"But... I... I mean..." The Chancellor said, looking at the guards that were slowly moving toward him. Then the Dragon Tank roared, a sound like an alarm clock ringing could be heard from it...
"Hay! I forgot the self destruct! Lets get out of here!" Twilight screamed; everypony ran down the steps to the ground floor. A huge explosion was heard and as the suspension bridge crumbled from the Dragon Tank's explosion.
Everypony let out a great sigh of relief. Then the guards remembered they had to arrest the Chancellor.
"Stop this nonsense!" The Chancellor protested while the guards surrounded him.
"Okay, let's get out of here!" Rainbow Dash said, sticking her sword in Fluttershy backpack. The trio made a mad dash for the front door. Thankfully, with all the confusion they had caused, the front door of the castle was wide open. Twilight Sparkle stepped outside first and looked at Canterlot; a lot of curious ponies had come close to the castle and there where a few guards outside.
"Going somewhere?" said a voice. They turned back and saw a pegasus that looked a lot like Fluttershy. Only it was all pink and its pink mane had a white line running through its length. She wore a magnificent and elegant red dress with a crown. Behind her there was the Chancellor and the royal guards.
"Mommy?" Fluttershy said "I... you do not understand..."
"What do we not understand? That you are going against the will of the sun princess? That you have helped a prisoner escape?" The pink pony said, looking furious.
"Foolish girl! You've been brainwashed by this scum!" yelled the Chancellor. "Arrest them, guards!"
The knights walked towards Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle
Fluttershy looked around frantically. She looked at the Chancellor, then at the group of soldiers, then at her mother. She then stared the guards and yelled "STOP! RIGHT NOW!" The lead guard stopped and backed off in fear.
Fluttershy then ran away, calling back to her friends. "Follow me quick, my stare won't last long!"
The young mares ran right into the suburbs of Canterlot. The Chancellor could not believe what was going on "What the hay? Snap out of it! Go after them! Go!"
The Queen smiled, only uttering a single word.
"Megan..."
The knights ran off from the castle and off into the suburbs; splitting up and looking for the escaped prisoner and her accomplices.
The Knights started to knock door by door; looking in all the alleys, (and even in the trash cans) until one of them noticed an open door in an abandoned house.
In the house's basement , the three ponies where hiding.
"We don't have much time. Did somepony leave the door open?" asked Twilight Sparkle. "Why did you lead us into this place?"
"Well, I used to hide here as a filly. This place has been abandoned for a long time..." Fluttershy said and looked behind some boxes, noticing a hole in the wall that was filled with rocks. "They covered the hole, we're stuck here! I can't believe I got you guys into this mess," she said despairingly. "I'll never forgive myself..."
"Quiet, Fluttershy!" said Twilight Sparkle. "We need to figure a way out of here!"
Fluttershy then clamped her mouth shut, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Fluttershy, I'm sorry..." Twilight Sparkle shook her head and looked at the two of them. Rainbow Dash sat in silence.
Suddenly they heard a beeping sound that seemed to come from the strange clock device known as the gate key.
"Why is it making that noise?" Rainbow Dash asked
"I built in a detector of dimensional tears, holes, and other anomalies," said the brilliant unicorn who then looked at the blue pegasus "I am 99% sure there is a gate nearby!" The unicorn moved the gate key to the covered hole, and turned a dial on the clock-like device back.
The air shifted and they could hear a whooshing sound. Then a portal appeared in front of the three.
"No way! I don't wanna risk destroying the universe again!" Rainbow Dash yelled "I had to kill. I almost died! Heck, I prefer to beat the guards if I have to! No more time travel!"
"But... we cannot face the Sun Princess even if we do defeat all the guards. She is the one who wants you in jail, remember?"
"Ah, right... sorry" Rainbow Dash said. There was no way in a thousand years she would be able to beat a goddess.
"Hah!" said Fluttershy. "We have nothing here anyway! Um... I mean... it will be fun?"
Twilight Sparkle nodded and looked at Rainbow Dash. "Hey, I am sure this gate will take us to the future, so no way to mess up the time-line this time, the resonance is..."
"Hey, lets go before you make me fall asleep!"
"Okay then, get ready to take another trip through time!"
"There they are!" said an all-too-familiar voice.
They all turned around and saw the short Chancellor standing at the Basement doorway with the guards "You're cornered, Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow Dash picked her sword from Fluttershy's backpack and stood in front of the two ponies.
"Sparkle, lets go! Now!" said Fluttershy.
"Right! Twilight forced the door closed with her magic in the short colt's face. "Jump in!"
Fluttershy jumped into the portal banishing instantly.
Twilight Sparkle put the key in her backpack and dove into the void. The guards busted the door open, Rainbow Dash jumped into the gate just before it closed.
The guards were confused, and the Chancellor's jaw dropped. "Where did they go?"
"I think... I think they jumped into... some magic portal sir!" one of the guards said
"Listen! Half of you will stay here in case they come back. The rest, come with me back to the castle. The Queen and the Sun Princess won't be happy with this!"
JANUARY 13, 2300 AD
"OOF!" The three landed in a heap. "Twilight Sparkle, um, would you mind trying to fix this sometime soon?" came from Fluttershy at the bottom of the pile. Dusting themselves off, they looked around.
"Well... it seems we're inside a building this time." Rainbow Dash observed.
Twilight Sparkle was more interested in the details. The room they were in, while crude looking, was all made of metal and white crystals in the walls illuminated it. It was basically a big metal box, yet there were broken machines in the walls that Twilight had only (dreamt or dreamed) of! To her friends, however, they must just look like a pile of junk.
"The technology here is so advanced... I'd say it's quite obvious we're in the future, that or an alternate universe, but the chances of that happening are highly unlikely."
"The Future? How far?" Fluttershy murmured. The other two shrugged.
Rainbow Dash noticed a strange door in the back. Black, with silver markings all over it and having a crescent moon symbol in pink. "Hey, that looks like it could have some treasure." She tried to open it. The next thing the blue pegasus knew, she was flat on her back. "Uh... what hit me?" Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy were both standing over her.
Twilight Sparkle responded first. "There was this flash, and the door was covered with a pyramid of pink light. You got thrown back, and this weird yet familiar voice said 'This door is protected by the seal of the moon, silly.' "
"Huh." Rainbow Dash grunted as she sat up. "Can't you force it?"
Twilight sparkle looked around, that door seemed like the only exit, yet the place was full of breatheable air. She walked close to the walls and found an air current coming from behind one of the big machines. Twilight's horn glowed and she moved the massive object away, revealing a hole in the wall big enough for them to get outside one at a time. It was dark outside and the wind was strong, carrying a lot of dust. "No, but I found a way out"
"Girls, can't we stay here a bit longer? Outside... is hard to explain but... I feel like everything is dead." Fluttershy sat down and felt strangely scared, like all courage she had before was gone. Even worse, she feared they would all die if they went outside.
Twilight nodded and moved the machine back in place, then sat down to rest. "From what I could see, we seem to be in some kind of desert. Maybe we should wait until the morning."
"I don't think it is going to be morning any time soon." Rainbow Dash said with a sad face.
"What are you talking about?" Fluttershy asked, to see her courageous and brave friend like that scared her further.
"Its part of my training as a weather mare" Rainbow Dash explained "I can sense subtle changes in the weather, and know when the solar cycle has been altered. When Princess Celestia decided to make the longest day of the year be the day of the start of the Millennium Fair; the sun gave me a strange feeling. When we were in the past, that feeling was gone. Now, I sense something similar, but the opposite. Its like a void, like something is missing. We didn't get here during the night; its supposed to be day but the sun is not there!"
"And you can know all that being inside? I thought you had to be outside for that" Twilight Sparkle said, then finally noticed how scared Fluttershy seemed to be. Maybe the princess, though lacking weather mare training, still seemed to feel what Rainbow Dash did, only in a more instinctive way?
"I didn't until you let the wind enter. All pegasi are naturally connected to the wind, like earth ponies are connected to earth. It sounds bizarre, but...the wind told me."
"So...I know I should not ignore you two being freaked out by all this, but we can't go back. If we go back; Rainbow will be executed, I will probably be put in jail, maybe executed too, and our (lovely or beloved) princess here will be grounded for life"
Rainbow Dash stood up firm on her four hooves "You're right. We defeated a robot dragon, so I'm sure we can take whatever is outside!"
Fluttershy stood up. She was still scared, but she was not going to remain there if her friends were going to risk their lives. "Let's go then, nothing's gonna stop us now!"
Twilight nodded, then moved the machine away. She went outside first, then looked at the sky. It was not what she expected at all; a beautiful sky with shining stars. The moon was full, giving them light, but the wind and the dust soon forced her to look down. What she saw was not pretty.