"What in the name of...?"
Five mares and a dragon stood on the road leading up to Twilight Sparkle's castle, staring at the column of bright light in the distant sky.
"That...can't be good," Applejack said.
"Do you...do you think that's where Twilight and Rainbow Dash are?" Fluttershy asked softly.
"I certainly hope not," Rarity said. "But something tells me that's exactly where they are."
Twilight Velvet's ears wilted. "Spike...take a letter."
* * * * *
Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes and massaged her temples with her hooves. Her skull throbbed with a dull, persistent ache. "Ugh...what happened?"
She looked around. The tomb was gone. Rainbow Dash was gone. Daring Do was gone. Dongnocc and his goons were gone.
The morning sun shone overhead. She lay sprawled on hard soil in a plain littered with sparse patches of crabgrass. "Where am I?" she wondered.
"A more apt question would be, from whence do you hail?"
Twilight blinked stupidly at the soft, lilting male voice. Pushing herself to her hooves, she looked around.
Some feet away stood an alicorn stallion.
He was easily as tall as Princess Celestia, if not taller, and as broad as Big Macintosh. His pale golden coat shone in the sun, and the soft breeze picked at his short, shaggy midnight blue mane and tail. Streaks of solid black ran through their length. His fetlocks were unevenly shorn; his black hooves were rough and chipped. He regarded her with red-orange eyes like pools of liquid sunfire.
Twilight stared, mouth hanging open. "Who...?"
"By name, I am marked as Inner Light," the stallion said. "In isolation I roam this barren stretch of land, far removed from the equine tribes. Long has it been since I laid eyes upon another of my kind. By what name are you marked, good lady?"
Twilight shook her head stupidly. "Umm...Twilight Sparkle," she replied. "My name is Twilight Sparkle."
"Well met, Lady Twilight Sparkle," Inner Light said, dipping his head in respect.
"Where exactly am I?" Twilight asked. "I was...I was underground..." She gasped. "The others! What..what happened to them?"
"You were beneath the earth?" Inner Light asked with a quizzical tilt of his head. "Most curious. You seem...fatigued."
"I've been travelling," Twilight said absently. She fluffed her wings. "You haven't seen a pegasus around here with a rainbow-colored mane, have you?"
"I should say not."
"Oh," Twilight said. "I hope...I hope she's alright..." She frowned. "Wait...you said 'the equine tribes'. Do you mean Equestria?"
"Equestria?" Inner Light repeated, frowning. "It is a word I do not know." He pointed with a hoof. "A fortnight west on the wing lie the lands governed by the three equine tribes. If they have bestowed names upon their stakes, it is not known to me."
"The...the three equine tribes..." Twilight repeated, frowning.
"Aye," Inner Light said, nodding. "The unicorns who master the lore, the pegasi who mind the skies, and the earth ponies who tend the fields."
Twilight shook her head. "But...the three pony tribes united thousands of years ago..."
"Pardon me, good Lady, but you speak nonsense. I have walked the land and flown the skies for countless thousands of moons, and never have I witnessed earth, unicorn, and pegasus ponies living in harmony. Indeed, their lack of harmony is the very reason I choose to distance myself from them."
"But...! No!" Twilight insisted. "The three tribes put their differences aside a long time ago! Equestria is a land of peace and harmony!"
Inner Light tilted his head. "Perhaps...your time below ground has addled your wits, good Lady. Come...you may rest and refresh yourself in my home."
* * * * *
Rainbow Dash gave a wild yell as she wove through the three ponies attempting to tackle her. As they skidded on the marble, she whirled around in midair, kicked one of them in the knee, grabbed him by the tail, and swung him into the pony next to him.
"Nice moves, kid!" Daring Do called as she flew to the ceiling and dropped into a wild, hoof-first dive on top of one of the henchponies. He cried out as his back cracked sickeningly. Daring hefted him up off the ground and threw him at the three ponies charging her; they went down like bowling pins.
"GET THEM! GET THEM!" Dongnocc roared.
Rainbow flew past the henchponies recovering from her attack and tackled Dongnocc, blasting him off his hooves. "WHAT! HAPPENED! TO! TWILIGHT!?" She seized Dongnocc around his massive neck and started shaking him.
"I don't KNOW!" Dongnocc replied, grabbing her around the barrel, prying her off, and throwing her. She slammed into the statue of Celestia with a painful-sounding thud and slid to the ground.
Daring wrestled with four ponies, thrashing and swearing as they piled on her, kicking and punching. She threw them off, but three more poured on top of her.
Dongnocc stood, brushing dust off his suit, and snapped his fingers. "Change of plans," he said. "We are leaving. These two will remain here." He stomped over to Rainbow Dash and hauled her up by the mane. "You are so worried about your missing princess? Stay in this cursed place and mourn her." He threw her at Daring, who caught her with a grunt.
Dongnocc pulled a hand radio out of his suit. "We are returning," he said into it. "Prepare the charges. We are blowing the entrance to the tomb." He studied the obelisk. "But first..." He backed up to the wall and sprinted toward the obelisk. With a great leap, he plowed shoulder-first into the glowing prism, knocking it loose. The sunstones around the tomb flashed several times; the prism's glow faded and slowed. "At least I won't leave here empty-handed."
"No! You can't!" Daring cried. She lurched to her hooves, grimacing; as she put her weight on her left front hoof, she gasped. She tried to fly, but her left wing was stiff and unresponsive.
Dongnocc chuckled darkly as he tucked the prism under one massive arm. "Farewell, Doctor Do," he said. "Rest assured, your death will make a gripping final novel in your series. I am certain I can find a pony to ghost-write in your style." He threw back his head and laughed as he and his henchponies left the tomb as quickly as their hooves could carry them.
"NO!" Daring yelled, struggling to give chase. She fell to the floor. She groaned and looked over at Rainbow, who was barely conscious. "No," she repeated as her eyes sagged closed.
* * * * *
As abruptly as it had begun, the column of light shooting into the distant sky narrowed to a pencil-thin ray, then winked out of existence.
"Well...whatever just happened, it seems to be over now," Rarity said.
"Wonder whut'n tarnation all that was about?" Applejack said, scratching her head.
Seconds later, Spike's cheeks bulged and he exhaled a plume of green flame into the air. A scroll materialized. He unrolled it and read it. "Princess Celestia wants all of us in Canterlot immediately," he said. "Including you, Mom."
The mares looked at one another worriedly.
Spike jumped onto Twilight Velvet's back, and the group galloped to the train station at full speed.
* * * * *
Inner Light led Twilight Sparkle across the sparse plain to the edge of a cliff overlooking a shining green valley below.
Twilight gasped. It was the same valley she and Rainbow Dash had been in mere hours before, only...not quite. The entrance to the tomb and the canopy of trees that concealed the valley's existence were nowhere to be found; additionally, a structure had been erected on the west side of the valley, amid a grove of pecan and pear trees: a long, humble cottage of rough stones and wooden slats, with wood-framed windows and a slate roof. She looked around in awe. "What happened to the tomb? And the trees? Where'd this house come from?"
Inner Light tilted his head at her. "This is my home," he said. "There has never been a tomb here, and as you can see, there are many trees in the valley. Perhaps you need more rest than I thought...a good meal, as well."
Twilight shook her head. "This...this doesn't make any sense..."
"Come inside," Inner Light said, trotting toward the cottage door. Twilight followed him.
The cottage was as plain on the inside as it was on the outside, with a wooden floor, a large, rough wooden bed with a thin mattress, and a wooden table. At the back of the cottage, a fireplace sat recessed into the wall, with an iron kettle hanging in the middle over an unlit fire. Clay plates and cups were stacked on a set of stone shelves, and a wooden bookshelf contained an assortment of thick tomes and scrolls.
"I realize it lacks elegance," Inner Light said. "I have few needs, and fewer visitors still, so I choose to maintain a humble manner of abode."
"It's fine," Twilight said distractedly. "I've...never known an alicorn stallion before."
"Until today, I believed myself to be the last alicorn," Inner Light said. "The others gave up their immortality long ago to create the three equine tribes..." He sighed and bowed his head. "Such a tragic waste..." He frowned. "You must hail from a greater distance than even I have traveled...strange. I was of the belief I had explored every corner of the world in my solitude."
"The last...? But...no!" Twilight shook her head. "Canterlot isn't even that far from here! Princess Celestia has been around for thousands of years...and there's Princess Luna..."
Inner Light frowned. "I know not of any of these names you speak," he said. "Granted, it has been several moons since I last ventured beyond the cliffs."
"Several...moons?" Twilight echoed, tilting her head. "But...Equestria...Canterlot...all of it...it's all centuries old!" She shook her head. "I don't understand any of this!"
"I believe we are both confused," Inner Light said as he lit the fireplace with his horn and began levitating bowls and plates and cups. "Perhaps a good meal and a decent rest. I will begin preparing supper."
"I guess I'm a little hungry," Twilight said. "I'm...I'm just going to take a quick look around, see if I can get my bearings. I'll be right back."
Inner Light's brow furrowed, but he nodded. "Very well. I shall fetch you if you tarry too long."
Twilight stepped out of the cabin into the bright green valley. "This is definitely the same valley," she muttered as she looked around. "But...this cabin wasn't here...the tomb is missing..." With a frown, she flew up into the bright blue sky. It took her a minute to clear the tops of the cliffs. Tracking the path of the sun, she focused her magic and teleported to Canterlot.
She found herself flying alongside a stark, barren mountain. The Everfree Forest sprawled below her...
...and there was no trace of Ponyville. There was no giant crystal tree castle. There was just empty prairie as far as the eye could see.
"No," Twilight whispered, her ears wilting. "No, no, no, no, no..."
She turned and flew back in the direction of Ponyhenge, building up power for another long-range teleport. In a bright flash, she disappeared, reappearing over the hidden valley. As she searched the area above and around the valley, she reached a sudden, horrible realization:
The sparse plain where she had first encountered Inner Light was Ponyhenge. The monument itself simply did not exist.
Twilight's eyes widened. Her ears fell flat around her skull.
"What...what's going on here?"
* * * * *
"Hey."
Daring Do stirred. Her head was pounding and her body hurt like hell. "Ugh..." She opened her eyes and stared into an identical pair.
"Drink this," Rainbow Dash said, pressing a canteen to her lips. Daring reflexively drank. She tried to sit up, but felt a hoof pushing her down. "Easy there," Rainbow said. "You're pretty banged up. I, uh...I found your pack. I bandaged you up a little..." She chuckled. "Heh...had to do the same for myself."
Daring drank some more water, then looked around. The sunstones around the tomb were still just barely glowing. "How long...?"
"No idea," Rainbow said with a weary sigh. "Dong-knock sealed us in. The explosion woke me up. We're...in a pretty tight spot here."
"No kidding," Daring said.
"Umm..." Rainbow licked her lips. "So, I was thinkin'...our only way out of here alive might be to figure out what this thing did to Twilight and...and try to get her back."
Daring stared at her. "What makes you think she's even still alive? For all you know, that obelisk vaporized her."
Rainbow planted a hoof firmly, spreading her wings wide. "There's no way!" she cried. "Twilight Sparkle is ALIVE, and she needs OUR help to get back!"
Daring frowned, but decided not to argue the point. "Easier said than done," she said. "This tomb is unlike anything I've ever seen before. And...well...Dongnocc took the prism." She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it's important."
"So we gotta bust outta here and get it back?"
Daring grimaced. "I...don't really know how we're gonna manage that. We're both pretty banged up and we're sealed in. By the time we can even think about an escape plan—"
"Hey. You're Daring Do. If anypony can figure out a way out of this mess, it's you. Especially with me here."
Daring smiled. "Heh. Maybe."
Rainbow set the canteen down and procured a couple loaves of crusty bread, one of which she offered to Daring. The two pegasi sat and ate in silence for a long moment. "So, uhh..." Rainbow rubbed one foreleg with her other hoof. "Kinda super-sucky timing for this, but...me an' Twilight actually came here lookin' for you."
Daring raised an eyebrow. "Heck of a long way to go for an autograph."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "That's not it," she said. "Don't you...don't you recognize me? At all?"
"Of course I do. You're Rainbow Dash. You helped me defeat Ahuizotl." She grinned. "That was actually kinda fun."
Rainbow's wings dropped. "Not from that. From...before that. Like...like about twenty-one years ago."
"Twenty-one yea—" Daring blinked. "Oh Celestia."
"I know," Rainbow said softly. "I know you're my mother."
Daring's ears wilted.
* * * * *
Twilight Sparkle trotted back into the little cottage. A pleasant smell filled her nostrils.
"Ah, there you are," Inner Light said. "Supper is almost ready. I do not fancy myself a great chef, but the simple, hearty vegetable soup and bread I make is filling."
"It smells great," Twilight said. "Listen...Inner Light...can I ask you some questions?"
"But of course."
Twilight sat down at the table, brow furrowing. "Something very strange is going on here. I took a trip to where my home is supposed to be. It's...it's not there."
Inner Light raised an eyebrow. "In such a short time, you traveled to this...what did you call it?"
"Canterlot," Twilight said. "Do you...do you know of a tall mountain, about two days from here by air, above a dark, wild forest?"
"The Everfree Forest?" Inner Light frowned. "I know to stay well away from that wretched place. It is not for the faint of heart." His brow furrowed. "The mountain you speak of...yes, I know it."
"There...there should be a city on the side of the mountain," Twilight said. "A huge city, with the royal castle...but it isn't there." She swallowed. "There...there should be a village at the base of the mountain, in the prairie. Ponyville. My home. It's...it's gone too."
Inner Light shook his head. "I have never known of any such places," he said. "That entire area is but wilderness. The three equine tribes have made their homes far to the northwest of there, in less hospitable climes."
"And the names Equestria, Canterlot, Celestia, Luna, Discord...none of these names mean anything to you?" Twilight asked.
Again, Inner Light shook his head. "Sorry, no."
"I see..." Twilight frowned. "I think...I think I'm starting to understand what happened to me. How I got here. Where I am."
A bowl of soup and a plate with a thick slice of bread floated onto the table in front of her. "Pray tell," Inner Light said as he sat across from her. "You have my undivided attention."
Twilight took a sip of her soup; the broth was savory and the aroma tantalizing. "I think...I think I've been sent back in time." Her ears drooped. "I think this is the past. Before Equestria."
"You believe you have traveled in time?" Inner Light asked politely as he took a bite of his bread. "Interesting."
"If...if it's true, then..." Twilight's eyes welled with tears. "I may never see my friends or my family ever again..."
* * * * *
Rainbow Dash and Daring Do sat in the shadow of the statue of Princess Luna. Rainbow stared at Daring with a hard expression. "So...why?" she asked hoarsely. "Why did you just leave when I was born? When you met me a few moons ago...did you even recognize me?"
Daring sighed. "I guess...maybe I thought it was you," she admitted. "But I didn't...I didn't wanna deal with that. I wasn't even sure you knew the truth."
"I didn't," Rainbow said. "Until a few days ago, I had no idea who my biomom was." She frowned. "What kind of pony just shits out a foal and flies off?"
"Look, kid..." Daring began before sighing heavily. "Yeah, I skipped out on you and your dad as soon as I had you, and...and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Because that's not my life, okay? Staying in one place, being...being some kinda mom, kissing skinned knees and teaching you how to preen and whatever the hell else...that's just not who I am. I'm always on the move, always charging headlong into danger. I just...staying in Cloudsdale, doing the whole mom thing, it's...it's just not who I am." She looked at Rainbow Dash. "Now that's not an apology, because I'm not sorry for what I did. But..." She looked away. "I'm...glad you turned out okay. And...I guess I'm glad you found out the truth."
Rainbow stared at her for a long time. Slowly, she shook her head. "I guess...I'm just like you," she said quietly. "I mean, a lot of what you just said...it sounds like me. Except for one thing." She looked Daring in the eyes. "I'd never leave anypony hangin', especially if they were my own kid."
Daring dropped her gaze. "Heh. Then you're a better pony than I am." She sighed. "Look...we can hash all this out after...after we figure out what happened to your friend. And find a way out of here. Alright?"
Rainbow frowned. "Yeah, alright. Figuring out what happened to Twilight is way more important right now. But as soon as this is all over and we're all safe and sound, we've got a lot to talk about."
* * * * *
The stars littered the sky above. The fire crackled merrily in the fireplace.
"You are welcome to the bed," Inner Light said.
"I couldn't," Twilight Sparkle protested.
"I insist, Lady Twilight of the future," Inner Light pressed.
"Well...alright."
Twilight stretched out on the bed, closing her eyes.
*If...if I'm really in the past...*
*No...Rainbow Dash and Daring Do will find a way to bring me back. I'm sure of it...*
*Or...at the very least, Rainbow will get a message to Princess Celestia, and she'll be able to...*
Twilight glanced at Inner Light. She hadn't noticed it before, but in the flickering firelight, she could see that his flank was blank. *He...he doesn't have a Cutie Mark...?*
Inner Light's horn glowed, and the fire went out.