//------------------------------// // The End of Time // Story: My Little Chrono Triggers Are Magic // by Pav Feira //------------------------------// The End of Time Rainbow Dash fell slowly through a column of pure white light that shone up from the ground below. To her, it felt as if the light column were made of molasses and that she were slowly sinking to the bottom of its depths. Her hooves gently touched down on the cobblestone platform. The hooves of her friends landed shortly behind hers. As soon as Fluttershy touched the ground, she collapsed into the fetal position. “I-changed-my-mind-let’s-go-back.” “Oh, c’mon Fluttershy,” encouraged Twilight Sparkle. “This place doesn’t look that bad. I mean, it’s certainly... spacious?” The four ponies stood on a cobblestone platform, enclosed in a steel picket fence. A trio of light columns—one of which they had arrived in—shone resolutely up into the air. A small pathway lead a short distance away to a second platform. Beyond these two platforms was nothing. There were no supports, no ground, no surrounding structures, no light, and no darkness. Reality itself seemed to terminate beyond the simple picket fence. “Looks kinda boring, really,” lamented Pinkie Pie. “Where are we, anyway? When, I mean. When are we?” “Well, you see,” said Fluttershy, “I’m equipped with a number of sensors. Some of my sensors can detect the current date, while others can detect our location.” “Nice,” said Rainbow Dash with a smile. “That sounds crazy-useful for a bunch of time travelers like us. So, when are we?” “I don’t know.” “Wait, what?” Fluttershy shivered her wings, producing a vibrating metallic sound that the friends were quickly becoming accustomed to. “My sensors stopped working the second we entered the Gate. It’s like this place doesn’t exist at all.” She looked up at Twilight Sparkle. “Can we go back? Please?” “We’ve come so far,” said Twilight Sparkle, wincing. “I know that this place is a bit freaky-looking, but I’d hate to turn tail and run before we even figure out when we are.” “Hello!” The ponies turned and looked down the lonely path. A solitary lamp post rested on the only other platform in existence. Underneath this lamp post stood a brown pony with a moppy manecut and an hourglass-shaped cutie mark. He waved energetically, wearing a broad, disarming smile. “Rainbow Dash!” called out Fluttershy. “Where are you going?” Rainbow Dash hovered above the pathway, looking back in confusion. “Uh, to talk with him? He’s kinda the only thing here, besides the lamp post.” “Yeah! C’mon, Fluttershy,” said Pinkie Pie as she helped the robot to her hooves. “We’re all together. It’ll be safe, I promise.” The three mares followed after Rainbow Dash, trotting down the pathway to the second platform. The brown stallion waved them along, eagerly waiting for everypony to draw close enough for comfortable conversation. “Yes, yes, come along now,” he said. “Your pink friend there is quite right; no dangers here. None from myself, leastways. Come a bit closer, and we can talk proper about—goodness, have you picked up another companion? I suppose it was only a matter of time. It usually is, haha. Oh, and a robotic pony at that! Quite impressive. Quite impressive, indeed. Right then. I suppose we should get properly acquainted at last. Might I inquire about your names?” “Heya! I’m Pinkie Pie,” she said, firmly shaking his hoof. “Nice to meetcha!” “And you as well, Pinkie! My, what an energetic one you are.” “My name is Twilight Sparkle.” “And I’m Rainbow Dash. The three of us are time travelers from the year—” With a sharp gasp, she firmly lodged her hooves into her own mouth. She shifted her gaze towards her friend. Twilight Sparkle was glaring back with murderous intent. “Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine!” reassured the stallion. “We’re all time travelers. It’s not like anypony grew up here, after all. So, there’s no reason to keep it a secret.” Rainbow Dash removed her hooves. “—time travelers from the year 1000 AD.” “Very good, very good. And you, my dear?” the stallion asked Fluttershy. Fluttershy shifted her eyes away and murmured inaudibly. “This is Fluttershy,” said Twilight Sparkle, graciously intervening. “We met up with her in the year 2300 AD, shortly before traveling here.” “So that’s us,” said Rainbow Dash. “What about you? What’s your name?” “My name?” The stallion looked skyward, rubbing his chin. He contemplated the question as deeply as if he had been asked to speculate on the origins of the cosmos. He smiled upon reaching an answer that seemed sufficient. “Well, you can call me The Doctor.” “The Doctor?” asked Twilight Sparkle, arching an eyebrow. “Doctor who?” “Hooves.” “Huh?” “Your hooves, Pinkie.” He hurried in front of Pinkie Pie, who was poking a small bucket in the corner. He nudged her back toward her friends, saying, “Watch your hooves. We don’t want you messing with anything so dangerous.” “D-dangerous?” Fluttershy’s eyes shrank. “But you just said there wasn’t anything dangerous here.” “Ah, indeed I did. Mostly true. I certainly won’t harm you. No, the danger is mostly in places that are not here. Like there,” said The Doctor, pointing to the bucket that he saved Pinkie Pie from. “Or probably there,” he said, nodding to a wooden door along the fence, which appeared to lead nowhere. “Or really, any of those,” he said, looking over to the first platform’s light columns. “But right here? Perfectly safe, I assure you.” “And ‘here’ is—” Rainbow Dash asked. “Why, the End of Time, of course!” Twilight Sparkle’s mind boggled at the notion. She couldn’t help but drop her jaw in shock. “T-the end?” “Yes. No. Bit of a misnomer, that,” mused The Doctor. “Might want to come up with something better. Bend? Brink? Precipice?” He shook his head. “It’s not the ‘end’ in a strictly linear sense, like as in ‘tomorrow’s tomorrow’s tomorrow.’ It’s the ‘end’ in the sense of a void. That is to say, the space-time coordinates of least resistance, yet also outside your normal dimensions of space-time. It’s the ‘end’ as in the end of tea time, not because it is 4:30, and not because we ran out of tea, but because tea is not here. Do you follow?” “No,” said Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy simultaneously. They turned, looking expectantly at Twilight Sparkle. “I think... Sorry, I’m lost too.” “Err, right,” said The Doctor as he ran a hoof through his mane. “The point is, this lamp post is a bit of a crossroads. Those pillars of light, like the one you arrived on? Those are connected to the various time-traveling Gates dotted throughout history. From here, you can access different eras with ease, rather than be encumbered with strict point-to-point travel.” “Oh, wow! That should make our time traveling a lot easier,” said Twilight Sparkle. She furrowed her eyebrows. “But wait, why did we get sent here this time? We’ve traveled through a few Gates, but this is the only time we’ve arrived at the End of Time.” “Indeed it is,” said The Doctor with a nod. “I confess, I’ve been keeping a bit of an eye on you lot. You see, from the End of Time, I’m able to keep tabs on a few of the going-ons in space-time. Nothing too detailed, mind you, but enough to see the broad picture. When I saw that the three of you—ah, that is, the four of you—were whipping back-and-forth willy-nilly across time, I figured that you just might be the ones.” Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “The ones?” “Precisely! The ones to watch! The girls on the go! The type of ponies everypony, everypony should...” He buried his face in his hoof. “I was quoting Becoming Popular again, wasn’t I? Really must break that habit. But that’s beside the point. You four have no doubt learned about Lavos, yes?” “Lavos!” growled Rainbow Dash. “Of course we heard about that monster! That’s why the four of us are traveling through time: to put a stop to it!” “Splendid! That saves us plenty of exposition.” He motioned over to the bucket in the far corner, which Pinkie Pie had been investigating earlier. “It’s in the bucket.” “What? Lavos?” “Yes.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed in bemusement. “Lavos, the gigantic monster which destroys all of ponykind, is in that bucket.” “Yes.” Pinkie Pie folded her forelegs across her chest and nodded sagely. “Mmm, yes, I see.” “Oh,” said The Doctor with a slight blush. “I think I see the point of confusion. The Gate leading to Lavos is in that bucket.” “Ohhh,” said Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie in unison. “Well,” continued Rainbow Dash, “what are we waiting for? Let’s go kick its face in.” The Doctor shook his head. “I’m loving the gumption, Rainbow, but it’s simply not possible. Not then; not now. First, you must prepare.” “Prepare?” asked Fluttershy. “How can we possibly prepare to fight a world-destroying abomination?” The Doctor winked at Fluttershy, causing her to release a small puff of steam. “I’m glad you asked, dear Fluttershy. I would start in there.” He pointed behind him to the small wooden door along the back fence. Twilight Sparkle frowned as she approached the door. “Oh, come on. I suppose I can understand the ‘bucket’ confusion, but this is ridiculous. There clearly isn’t anything on the other side of this—whoa!” Opening the door, Twilight Sparkle could see another room through the doorway. She leaned to the left, looking through the fence next to the door, but she could only see the lightless, darkless void. She leaned back through the doorway, and the new room reappeared before her. The Doctor chuckled. “Ah, but Twilight, as the saying goes, things aren’t always as they seem. Now, hurry along, all of you. We mustn’t keep her waiting. Oh!” he called out. Once he had the ponies’ attention, he looked downward, pondering how to phrase his advice. “Be very respectful,” he eventually offered. “Very.” ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ The End of Time—Unknown Room The ponies walked into the back room and closed the door behind them. Like the other platforms in the End of Time, it was a cobblestone floor with a picket fence. This room, however, was otherwise empty. There were no ponies and no buckets. The Doctor and his lamp post were no longer visible; even though they ought to have been visible through the picket fence, they had vanished as soon as the doorway closed. “I don’t get it. How is standing alone in an empty room supposed to prepare us to save the world?” asked Pinkie Pie. The disembodied laughter of a mare floated overhead, causing the four friends to jump in alarm. The room, though it lacked any visible source of lighting, plunged into darkness. Fluttershy let out a timid squeak. “Oh, my little ponies, you aren’t alone,” said the voice. “In fact, you’re just in time for the show.” Trumpets blared from the edges of the void, showering the four ponies with a bold fanfare. The brass chorus was nearly drowned out as an array of fireworks exploded overhead. The bursts lit up the dimmed room with a soft red glow. “Prepare yourself, ignorant foals, to behold spectacles beyond comprehension. Prepare to be graced by a veritable Goddess of War, for whom there is no equal. Prepare to be amazed by none other than—” A bright spotlight shone down from the sky, falling onto the center of the room. A burst of wispy smoke puffed up from the ground, from which emerged an azure unicorn draped in violet, star-stitched robes. “—the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she exclaimed, rearing back on her hind legs as the fanfare and fireworks reached their finales. Rainbow Dash pivoted and walked toward the exit. “And just where you do you think you’re going?” demanded Trixie. “The show’s boring. You’re loud. I’m outta here.” Trixie chuckled softly. “Suit yourself, pegasus. If you are not interested in tapping into your true potential, The Great and Powerful Trixie won’t force your hoof.” Rainbow Dash stopped cold in her tracks. She whipped her head around, raising her eyebrows. Her expression quickly darkened as she marched back to Trixie. “What, you think you can teach me something?” “Dash...” warned Twilight Sparkle. “She looks like she’s performing at some filly’s birthday party!” protested Rainbow Dash. “What could she possibly know about getting stronger?” “How fascinating,” said Trixie with a sly grin. “You know, Trixie finds that her worthy adversaries never make such rash judgments. It’s only weak, clueless amateurs who choose to disparage The Great and Powerful Trixie’s name.” “Why, you little—hey!” Rainbow Dash’s attack was cut short as she was grappled by Twilight Sparkle’s magic. “Twi! Lemme go!” “You could help us unlock our p-potential?” asked Fluttershy as she hugged against the back wall of the room. “Do not misinterpret Trixie,” scoffed Trixie. “She is not motivated by altruism. The Great and Powerful Trixie will unlock your potential, solely to prove that even at your grandest, you are inferior to Trixie in every, conceivable, way.” With each punctuated word, Fluttershy slumped deeper and deeper into the far corner. “But what d’ya mean by ‘potential’? What are you going to unlock?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Is it some kinda ancient treasure chest with legendary artifacts? Why is the chest named Potential, anyway? That’s a silly name for a treasure chest. Though, I suppose I’ve never actually met—”  “Naturally, the Great and Powerful Trixie is referring to the most elusive and powerful force in the universe—” she paused dramatically, flipping her luxurious silvery mane, “—magic!” Twilight Sparkle raised her hoof. “You see, little foals,” continued Trixie, “magic is the foundation upon which every single piece of the universe is constructed. It is comprised of the balance of four fundamental elements: fire and water, light and shadow.” Twilight Sparkle rapidly waved her hoof back and forth. “Several millennia before your time, a kingdom existed wherein nearly everypony was capable of calling forth the power of the elements. Due to their hubris and ineptitude, the kingdom was destroyed and the art was forgotten.” Her raised foreleg was starting to fatigue. Twilight Sparkle braced her left foreleg behind her head, keeping her right foreleg propped up. “Forgotten, but not lost. The gift of magic lies dormant in the descendants of that ancient civilization. With proper guidance from an omnipotent and magnanimous being, it might even be possible for the likes of you to reclaim your—what?! What is it?” Trixie snapped at Twilight Sparkle. “What could possibly be so important that you see fit to interrupt The Great and Powerful Trixie’s lecture?” Twilight Sparkle dropped her foreleg. She felt a wave of relief flow over her fatigued muscles. “I already know magic,” she said. Trixie blinked, cocking her head back. “You? You’re telling Trixie that you already know magic?” “Of course! See?” Her horn surged with magical waves, lifting a particularly thick textbook out of her saddlebags. Twilight Sparkle was interrupted by a particularly unflattering snort. “Telekinesis? Please,” said Trixie. “An amateur ability available to even the simplest of unicorns. Do not sully the name of your ancestors and betters by claiming that this meager parlor trick is ‘magic.’” “Huh?” Twilight Sparkle tilted her head. “But if that’s not magic, then what—” Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh, of course! That’s what you mean! Let me try something.” Twilight Sparkle widened her stance to lower her center of gravity. Her horn glowed once more with a radiant aura. She licked her lips as a surge of magical energies whirled in the air around her. Her mane and tail floated gently along her own energy waves. Her horn’s energy exploded in a radiant shockwave, flooding the room with light and forcing everypony to shield their eyes. As the room returned to its normal brightness, the ponies could finally see the result of the conjuration spell; a thick-bristled, silvery mustache now adorned the face of The Great and Powerful Trixie. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie collapsed on top of each other, howling in laughter at the dapper adornment. Even Fluttershy, curled up tightly in the corner of the room, couldn’t help but giggle. “Excellent!” crowed Twilight Sparkle. “I was a little worried there. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried casting a spell that complex. But yeah, I already know how to—yah!” She dropped straight to the ground, landing roughly on her underside. The incoming ball of flame whizzed overhead, singeing the top of her hat before bursting against the picket fence. Trixie gnashed her teeth. Her chest rose and fell with each forced breath. A metaphorical fire burned in her eyes as she stared down the offending unicorn, while a literal fire burned underneath her hooves. She summoned forth a column of flame, which propelled her into the air and cleanly burnt away the grievously offensive mustache. “Insolent peons!” she roared down at the four ponies below her. “You would dare to mock The Great and Powerful Trixie with such a pathetic and insulting display?” Fluttershy wailed, covering her eye sensors with her hooves. Secretly, she hoped that by doing so, she would render herself invisible to Trixie. Twilight Sparkle’s reaction was not much better; she laid on the ground before the burning pillar, enraptured by the display of magical prowess. “Whoa!” shouted Rainbow Dash, flaring her wings. “That is awesome! You can seriously teach us how to make giant fireballs and crazy stuff like that?” “Right? That is crazy,” said Pinkie Pie, bouncing up alongside Rainbow Dash. “I’ve never seen anypony who could do a trick like that. You must’ve really practiced a lot, Trixie!” Trixie coldly examined the ponies beneath her hooves. In time, her breathing slowed and her muscles unclenched. The flames below her dissipated, and she gently drifted back to the ground. “Hmph. Yes, well, at least some ponies can recognize their superiors.” She lifted her nose at the ponies, closing her eyes. “Very well! Trixie shall agree to unlock your magical potential,” she said, raising a limp hoof toward Rainbow Dash, “if you apologize for insulting The Great and Powerful Trixie.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “Uh, we’re sorry?” Trixie opened an eye and smirked. She shook her head, wiggling the hoof closer to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash heard a squeal behind her. Turning, she saw Twilight Sparkle attempting and failing to cover a mile-wide toothy grin with her hooves. As Rainbow Dash processed her friend’s reaction, the meaning of Trixie’s request slowly dawned on her. Her jaw dropped as she squeaked in protest. “What?” she wailed. “No! C’mon! Okay, first off: you!” she yelled, pointing accusingly at the giddy Twilight Sparkle. “Cut it out. That thing you’re doing? Stop it. Second? This is your fault, so you oughta be the one up here. Third?” She turned back to Trixie, stretching her forelegs wide. “Come on!” Trixie leaned forward, gently bopping Rainbow Dash in the snout with her hoof. “Trixie is waaaiting,” she said in a singsong voice. Rainbow Dash locked eyes with Twilight Sparkle, sneering with the dirtiest look she could muster. She leaned in toward the hoof and grazed it with her lips as lightly as possible. Rainbow Dash immediately slouched away, folded her hooves, and muttered impolite things about her so-called best friend. Twilight Sparkle responded by sticking out her tongue. “And just like that,” announced Trixie in a needlessly booming voice, “all is forgiven! Is not The Great and Powerful Trixie gracious and benevolent?” “So does that mean you’ll teach us? Hooray!” cheered Pinkie Pie, unphased by her squabbling friends. “Can we learn right now? What’s the first step?” Trixie nonchalantly examined her hooficure. “Trot three laps clockwise around this room, while chanting the word ‘magic.’” “Oh wow! I had no idea that learning magic was so easy!” Pinkie Pie trotted to the edge of the room, slowly working her way around the perimeter. “Magic... magic...” Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash pivoted and walked toward the exit. “Giving up so soon?” taunted Trixie. “Is walking in a circle too hard?” “You’re just jerking our chains,” snapped Rainbow Dash, redirecting her anger from her friend to where it belonged. Twilight Sparkle frowned sourly. “If you don’t want to help us, just say so.” “Magic... magic...” chanted Fluttershy as she shambled around the edge of the room. “Need Trixie remind you once again of her awe-inspiring prowess? She is clearly more than capable of training the likes of you, so you would do well to just shut up and do as The Great and Powerful Trixie says.” Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle shared a bemused glance. With a dejected sigh, they joined their friends in encircling the room. “Magic... magic...” “Congratulations, students,” said Trixie in a monotone as the last of the ponies completed their third lap. “You passed. You can use magic now.” Twilight Sparkle glared at Trixie. “Are you serious?” “Sah-weet!” yelled Pinkie Pie. “I know magic! I know magic! Hey Trixie, what spells can we use?” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Well let’s see, then.” She stared curiously at Twilight Sparkle’s saddlebags before smirking. “Ooo. You’ll get fire.” Twilight Sparkle nervously examined her saddlebags as well. She noted the copious number of dry books and brittle scrolls. “Fire?” she said with a gulp. “I mean, not that I actually believe that you taught us anything, but... fire? It’s bad enough that I’ve got a flamethrower buried somewhere in here.” Trixie looked Rainbow Dash over, noticing her lightning bolt cutie mark. “Sure. Light for you.” Rainbow Dash moaned, “Light? That sounds so frou-frou. Can’t I get something cooler?” Trixie waved her hoof noncommittally at Pinkie Pie. “And that means water for you. Rounds out the trio.” “Water?” said Pinkie Pie with a wince, trying to hide her disappointment. “Isn’t that a little bit plain? I was hoping for something with a bit more pop and pizzaz.” “How about fire?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Water sounds nice. Gentle. Nonflammable.” “What?” snapped Trixie. “You’re not allowed to—” “Aww, Twi,” whined Rainbow Dash. “Trade with me! Fire looked pretty sick, the way Trixie was using it.” “Actually, light sounds neat,” said Pinkie Pie. “It sounds cheery, and sunny, and a great way to brighten someone’s day!” Twilight Sparkle smiled, nodding eagerly. “That works! So I’ll get water, Pinkie gets light, and Rainbow gets fire?” Trixie stomped her hooves repeatedly on the cobblestone floor. “No, no, no! You can’t just ‘trade’ elements! Your element is an intrinsic trait determined by your heritage.” “Oh, shaddap,” sneered Rainbow Dash. “You obviously picked them at random just now. What do you care if we swap ‘em?” “Um, I’m sorry to interrupt—” Rainbow Dash gasped, wincing at her newest friend. “Oh cripes! Sorry Fluttershy, I almost forgot you for a minute there.” She turned back to Trixie. “So yeah. What about Fluttershy?” “What about her?” sneered Trixie. “Good point. Sorry to bother you,” said Fluttershy. She hung her head low, obscuring her face behind her metallic mane. “Hey!” snapped Rainbow Dash. “She did your stupid little exercise, just like the rest of us. Why doesn’t she get magic powers?” “Oh, Trixie doesn’t know. Maybe it’s because robots can’t use magic. Maybe it’s because this robot is weak and not worthy of Trixie’s time. Or maybe,” she said, grinning smugly at an increasingly-aggravated Rainbow Dash, “Trixie just doesn’t feel like it.” “That’s it!” yelled Rainbow Dash, taking flight above her friends. “I have had enough with your—” She pointed an accusing hoof at Trixie. Trixie calmly leaned to her left as the bolt of lightning grazed harmlessly past her. The other ponies gasped loudly. “Rainbow?” whispered Twilight Sparkle. “What did you do? Was that...” Rainbow Dash stared at her own hoof, slack-jawed. Slowly, the corners of her mouth turned upward, first into an elated gasp, then into an eager grin, then finally a devilish smirk. “Oh,” she told Trixie, “it’s game on.” Hovering in place, Rainbow Dash curled up into a small cyan ball, tightening her muscles. As she focused her mind, the room began to tingle with the buzz of static electricity. The air of the room ebbed and flowed with magical energies, synchronized with Rainbow Dash’s relaxed breathing. With a sudden roar, she unfurled herself, rocketing her magic upward. The magic fell quickly back to earth, striking as a ferocious bolt of lightning. Without so much as a blink, Trixie summoned magic of her own. A blue, static-laden orb surrounded her form, absorbing the incoming attack. “Well, well,” she stated dryly. “Looks like somepony is a quick study.” “Oh my,” gasped Fluttershy as she watched the sparring match unfold. “Everypony, please be careful. We don’t want anypony to hurt themselves right now.” As Rainbow Dash prepared to unleash another attack, Pinkie Pie eagerly raised her hoof up to her own eyeball, studying it intently. She gave it a few rapid shakes, then held it up to her ear. She muttered, “How’re you supposed to…” Not to be outdone, Twilight Sparkle meditated on this new form of magic within her. With a smile, she called forth a thin stream of fire which playfully danced around her hooves and behind her torso. She focused the flame near her horn, flowing her power into it before unleashing it at Trixie. The Great and Powerful Trixie leapt to the side, dodging another of Rainbow Dash’s lightning bolts. As she landed with a rough stomp, a wall of flames rose up in front of her, swallowing up Twilight Sparkle’s fireball. “Impressive. Upgrading from facial hair to fireballs in a matter of minutes. There just might be hope for the three—” A chunk of ice slammed into the side of her head, interrupting her snide taunt. Trixie staggered sideways, trying to regain her balance. “Ice! How nice!” giggled Pinkie Pie. “See, I was just thinking about how boring water sounded, and I was like, ‘How can I make this cooler?’ And it was like ‘Of course! Ice is cooler!’ Get it? Cooler? It’s almost twen—” A cascading flow of ice crashed over Pinkie Pie, sending her careening into the side of the fence. The ice flow solidified over her torso, pinning her to the wall. She flailed her exposed hooves helplessly. “Hey! No fair!” “The Great and Powerful Trixie has no patience for your terrible puns!” screamed Trixie. “My puns? Terrible?” squeaked Pinkie Pie. Her jaw clenched tightly. Spasms rocked through her eye muscles. “Dashie!” she screeched at her friend. “Demolish that she-witch!” “Heh, you got it, Pinkie!” called out Rainbow Dash. She raised her hoof skyward, preparing to send down another wave of lightning. Trixie snarled. “Trixie is through playing nicely. It is time to show you who is in charge.” Swirling her hoof in a circle, she summoned forth a storm cloud which flew up to Rainbow Dash. The storm cloud shook and rumbled, shooting its own lightning bolts back at Rainbow Dash. “Yeowch!” she cried after taking a zap to the flank. “Quit it!” She kicked out at the cloud, trying to move or dissipate it, but the barrage of electricity prevented her from getting close. After taking a few more licks, she was forced to turn and flee. The magical cloud chased her around the room, causing her to yelp with each strike. “Rainbow Dash!” called out Fluttershy in worry. She stood up from her hiding place in the corner. “Watch out!” “Nopony asked you,” scoffed Trixie. She grinned widely as she performed another incantation. Fluttershy’s shadow began to solidify and take shape. It formed into an amorphous blob in front of Fluttershy. The mere sight of the shadow was enough to send her cowering back into her corner. “Pathetic!” snickered Trixie. “How can all of you crumple so easily?” “It’s not over yet, Trixie.” Twilight Sparkle stood defiantly in front of Trixie. “You may be stronger than us, and more versed in magic, but you’ll never be able to crush our spirits. Ack!” Twilight Sparkle leapt sideways, dodging the fireball which Trixie threw at her. “Ha! See that? I can already dodge your attacks.” Trixie laughed, “Trixie would check again, if Trixie were you.” “Double ack!” yelped Twilight Sparkle. The fireball had grazed along her tail, setting it asmoulder. She rapidly swished her tail to and fro, attempting to put out the embers. In response to the extra oxygen, the hair fully ignited, leaving a trail of flames along her tail. “Triple ack!” She kicked and stomped on her tail, futilely trying to extinguish the flames. Trixie fell onto her back, squealing with laughter. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried and failed to regain her composure. “T-this is so sad! The lot of you can’t even stand up to your own elements? Ahaha! What was that imbecile Doctor thinking?” Trixie bit her lip, stifling her laughter for a second as she surveyed the damage. Fluttershy was cowering from her own shadow. Pinkie Pie was frozen against the fence, completely helpless. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were both busy screaming and running circles around the room, desperately trying to outrun her magic. “Pfft, gya ha ha!” Trixie howled. “Hooves down, you four are the most pathetic opponents that Trixie has ever faced!” ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ The End of Time “Well,” scowled Twilight Sparkle, “that was a complete disaster.” Dark smoke billowed from her tail as she and her friends left Trixie’s room. The air around her hung with the foul odor of burnt hair. “I-i-it wasn’t all that b-b-bad,” chattered Pinkie Pie as she rubbed her forelegs against her body. “We p-p-picked up these amazing new powers.” “Well, I think that everypony did a great job,” said Fluttershy cheerily. “You all tried your very best. You should be proud of how well you did your first time.” “Yeah, not really,” said Rainbow Dash. She rubbed a hoof over her flank, massaging her sore muscles. “That was pretty much disgraceful. The four of us are going to have to train non-stop if we ever want to wipe that smug grin off her face.” “Oh come now, Rainbow!” said The Doctor as he welcomed the ponies back to his lamp post. “The lot of you don’t look too much worse for wear. I’d say you four did better than most who’ve passed through that door. And really, those new magical abilities of yours are quite a blessing.” He chuckled, adding, “It’s always nice to see the legacy of that ancient kingdom passed along, such as it were.” “What’s her s-story, anyway?” asked Pinkie Pie, warming herself under the lamp’s glow. “She called herself a Goddess of War? And she knows magic? How’d you pick up an assistant like that?” “Assistant? Her?” laughed The Doctor. “No-no-no, it’s nothing like that. The Great and Powerful Trixie—” “Please don’t call her that,” deadpanned Rainbow Dash. “It’s a small price to pay, my dear. Trust me on that. Anywho, she simply arrived here one day—if there can really be a concept of ‘days’ in a place like this—from another time period. Said something about wanting to prove herself as the strongest pony in history, and boy did she have the skills to back it up. Since I had plenty of extra space around here—if there can really be a concept of ‘space’ in a time like this—we sort of decided to peacefully cohabitate. “Right then!” he continued. “We’ve got you a new centralized hub of time travel and a suite of unlocked powers. No sense in dilly-dallying any further. We should get the three of you back to your home era,” he said, motioning to Rainbow Dash and her companions. “I understand,” said Fluttershy. The sound of her metallic hooves echoed loudly in the empty void as she walked to a corner of the platform. She parked her hindquarters on the ground, staring vacantly at the fenced corner. “I shall wait here. You can come visit me here, whenever it’s convenient for you.” “Oh dear,” stammered The Doctor. “I didn’t—” “No way!” objected Twilight Sparkle. “There’s no way we’re going to abandon you here. I mean, no offense to The Doctor or… her… but this place is so cold and lonely.” She nodded resolutely. “You go with Dash and Pinkie. I’ll take the first shift here.” Pinkie Pie’s chest heaved. “I don’t want to leave any of my friends behind. It’s not fair.” She turned to The Doctor, giving her best puppy-dog eyes. “Can’t all four of us go? Please? Pretty please with lots and lots of sugar on top?” “I’m terribly sorry,” said The Doctor with a blush. “I’ve given you all the wrong impression. Of course the four of you are free to travel together.” “We are? Oh, how wonderful,” said Fluttershy in a breathy cheer. “I mean, really now,” added The Doctor. “It’s not like there’s some artificial limit on the number of ponies that can travel through time with one another. Wouldn’t that be daft?” Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin. “Now that you mention it, that does sound a little contrived.” “Right! 1000 AD,” said The Doctor. “Just take that pillar of light on the right there. Piece of cake.” Rainbow Dash leapt forward. “You heard him, girls. Time to head back home.” The four ponies crossed the small bridge, approaching the pillar of light. As soon as they stepped into the column, it pulled them upward, sending them out into the void and back into the time stream.