//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18: Just Today 
// Story: More About Time 
// by SilverStar7 
//------------------------------//


“When the past is forgotten, the present is unforgettable.” - Martin Amis


This time, when she arrived in the past, Twilight found that she had hardly moved. The other Twilight was sitting on her bed, and Twilight floated several feet above that. This Twilight was reading a book, a soft smile on her face. There weren't many specific details, but given the lack of personal effects around the room, Twilight was able to conclude that she had arrived shortly after her defeat of Nightmare Moon. And so she descended.

After successfully merging with her past self, Twilight went down the steps into her study and set her book down on the desk. Her assistant was nowhere to be seen, so she shouted "Spike!" Some scuffling could be heard coming from downstairs and, within a minute, the baby dragon had reached the top of the stairs slightly out of breath.

"I need you to take a letter," said Twilight, holding up a quill and paper from the desk.

"Who's it for?" asked Spike as he took the materials and prepared to craft the message.

"Myself."


<> <> <>


It had taken a surprisingly short time for Twilight to explain things to Spike in the past. The little dragon was clearly uncertain about the situation he had been placed in, but he was also certainly willing to help.

As Twilight dictated the letter to Spike, she found herself in a difficult spot of trying to share information without corrupting the timeline. Of course, she tried to be non-specific, but on the other hand, she wanted to give enough information for the other Twilight to understand. This was when she realized there was a fundamental bias in the information she was able to share. 

She could describe the positive effects without fear, because these things were not supposed to happen. However, in order to explain the negative effects, she would need to talk about legitimate parts of the future. And she couldn't do that with this Spike. She thought about how she could remedy this, but, in the end, Twilight simply said that the other effects were bad. There wasn't much else she could say.

When Twilight was finished, she had the dragon read the letter back. "That'll have to do, Spike. Now keep it safe for a while."

"Not that I don't trust you, Twilight," said Spike. "But you didn't even want to listen to Princess Celestia when she told you to come to Ponyville. She's your teacher, and the Princess! How can you be sure you'll listen to yourself when you read this letter?"

At this, Twilight cocked her head to the side and put a hoof to her chin. That idea had never occurred to her. Sure, Twilight could be hard-headed at times, but certainly she would respect a message from the future. Because the last time I got a message from the future I behaved in a totally level-headed manner... 

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know for sure that I will." Twilight didn't want this Spike knowing too much about future events, so she stuck to the basics and to things that were not supposed to happen again. I can't mess up Spike's future just to stop myself... "I guess you can add a post-script of 'Please, please don't use that spell,' but there isn't much else I can say. For now, I need to make sure I don't do anything else to impact the future right here. What was next on my schedule?"

The dragon thought as he scribbled down the last line, then said, "I think you were supposed to start reading some book called the Tales of Neigh-something. But you didn't have any other plans for today."

"The Tales of Neighowolf," Twilight confirmed this by looking back at the desk. That was, in fact, the book she had taken from herself earlier. "Okay. I'll get back to reading until I wake up. You put that note away and go back to whatever you were doing." Spike hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and went down the stairs. 

Let's just hope Past Past me doesn't find that note before the Past Future me shows up. Shaking her head at the thought, Twilight grabbed the book off her desk and returned to bed. It was a great read and she didn't mind going through it again, but she would have liked to simply read the book. For the sake of the timeline she needed to read, but Twilight found her mind wandering about as she tried to focus on the old horse epic.

There was nothing to do now though. What was done was done. 

The rest of the timeline was going to need to take care of itself...


<> <> <>


When Twilight awoke, she found herself in her room again. 

Her room in Canterlot. 

Bolting upright, she flung herself out of bed, looking around. Spike's bed was empty and the sun had just risen outside. How could she not be in Ponyville?

What have I done?!


* ~ * ~ *


"Achoo!" Spike's eyes closed involuntarily as he sneezed onto the book in his hands. He opened them to find that the book was gone. "Oh, no!" I must've sent it to Celestia. Quickly beginning to make his way down the ladder, he looked over to see Twilight standing in the doorway, the book floating by her side in her magic. "Twilight? When did you come in?"

"Right before you sneezed all over this book." Her tone was matter-of-fact. She did not seem upset.

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "You saved it! I was worried my sneeze had accidentally sent..." Spike's last word trailed off. Wait. Could this be the night that Future Twilight told me about? Is this the other Future Twilight?

"What's wrong, Spike?" Twilight asked.

"Okay," he said. "This is gonna sound weird." Spike chose his next words with care. "Did you know I was going to destroy that book before I did it?"

"Ye-yeah." Twilight sputtered. "I did. Spike? How did you know I knew?"

"You're from the future!" The dragon exclaimed. "It happened again. Just like you said it would."

Twilight froze. Her eyes widened. "The future." The spell worked? This isn't some dream? She could hardly believe it, but given how real things felt, that explanation seemed plausible. Yet somehow Spike knew. And... "Hold on. Happened again? Like I said it would?"

Spike nodded. "This isn't the first time I met you from the future. But your other future self told me that this was your first time in the past. She told me to tell you not to change history tonight. I need to destroy that book, and we need to go to the meteor shower like we were gonna do."

"And then you're just gonna hide the book from me until I find it?" Twilight asked.

"That's pretty much the gist of it. Although you weren't too clear on the details," Spike admitted. "You didn't have a lot of time and you didn't want to tell me anything that I shouldn't know about the future." Spike's eyes then widened as he remembered the letter and the dragon rushed off to the other side of the room where he began to rummage through some of the books.

Twilight's eyes darted back and forth as she considered this situation. So she had already been to the past. No, this was her first time in the past, but her future self had felt it necessary to preempt this visit with one of her own to undo this change. I guess saving that book had some unexpected consequences. Twilight then realized that Spike was standing in front of her again, holding forward a scroll. "What's that?"

"You told me to give you this letter. It's from you, well, the other you. I mean, it's sort of like a letter from yourself, except that it's not the same you as you are now..." the dragon pondered his words for a moment, but Twilight simply grabbed the scroll with her magic and began to read.

Dear Twilight,

Please listen to me. I know how easy it is to let yourself get distracted by questions, but I have to tell you what happened after you found those scrolls.
The first spell you came across was a time spell. It's able to change the past by using your dreams. After casting the spell, when you sleep, you will dream about the past. And you will be there for real.
In my version of events, I thought I could make the world a better place. At first, I thought I did. I finished those astronomical papers and became an author. Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt - she even started dating Soarin'! And Applejack's farm became an Equestria-wide corporation more successful than you could imagine. I had begun to make plans for all of our friends. 
The problem is, in my attempts to fix mistakes, I made a big one. The results were bad. Equestria lost more than you could imagine. I can't explain them here, but just trust me that the results are catastrophic. I was so tempted by the prospects of this spell that I was blind to possible consequences. But I know now that the possibilities aren't worth the risk. The past is the way it is for a reason. Even if good things can happen, changing time isn't worth it.
Please don't try to get clever. Please don't use this spell. Just go on with your life and be happy for how things are, because I know from experience that they could get much worse.

Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Please, please don't use that spell!

"Wow. This is amazing!" Twilight gushed slightly over the significance of the self-sent letter. "I successfully changed history! My mind is officially blown!"

"But you're not going to do it again, right?" Spike asked. "You - well, the you from the future in the past - told me that you shouldn't." But Spike was unsure if this Twilight, the Present Future Twilight, would be as level headed as the Future Future Twilight in the past had seemed.

Twilight began pacing. "Applejack a national success. Me an author? This letter proves that you can do a lot with just a bit of time."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, nervously.

"This letter shows me that I can change the world!"


<> <> <>


Twilight ran from her room and saw a guard standing across the hall. And I even have a guard! Twilight shook her head, she could worry about that later. "Are my friends here?" she asked, a little too desperately, but she couldn't keep calm. The guard pointed down the corridor to the hall Twilight and Dash had met in two days earlier. Without even a word of thanks Twilight rushed onward toward her friends.


* ~ * ~ *


Spike was mortified at these words. How could Twilight be considering repeating all of these things again? "But your future self said that the spell would ruin your future!"

Twilight said, still pacing. "Don't you see the possibilities? Rainbow Dash could have a celebrity colt friend! We all make mistakes, and a spell like this proves that we don't have to let those mistakes define our future."

The baby dragon was exasperated. "But you... she... the other Twilight!-- said casting the spell is a mistake!"

"Mistakes are what this is all about. The mistakes I've made. The mistakes my friends have made. It's why I tried to cast that spell in the first place! Mistakes sometimes feel like they define who we are," Twilight smiled. "But they don't have to! I can make a better future!"

Falling at her hooves, Spike begged, "Please Twilight, don't use that spell again!"

"You don't need a spell to change the future, Spike."

The dragon looked up to Twilight with a raised eyebrow.

"All you need to have to change tomorrow is today." Twilight declared as she stopped her pacing. "I'm going to do something better than change the past.

"I'm going to change the present!"


<> <> <>


As Twilight threw the door open, her friends rushed over and threw themselves around her in a group hug. 

"What's going on?" Twilight asked, confused. "Is everything okay? Why are we still in Canterlot? Did I decide to change the future back or not?"

Rarity laughed. "You said you'd be confused about why we're in Canterlot today, but it's not what you think."

"Then, what is it?" Twilight was desperate for answers.


* ~ * ~ *


Twilight's horn ignited as she roasted the Astronomer's Almanac with her magic. She then levitated the destroyed tome back up onto the shelf where it belonged. "Come on, Spike," she said. "We have a meteor shower to attend. Let's make sure all those cookies you made don't go to waste!" Twilight walked back into the main room of the library. Her assistant wiped his brow in relief and soon followed.

As the duo left the library, Twilight smiled and joked with Spike like they did the first time she had experienced this night. She had a lot of planning to do for tomorrow. Her tomorrow. But that could all wait. For now, she was going to enjoy an evening with her friends.


<> <> <>


"We're here coordinating for the Equestria Games!" shouted Pinkie.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" Of all the effects that trip to the past could have had, this was never one she would have predicted. Why do the results of time spells have to be so sporadic?

"Oh right," said Flutershy. "You don't remember because it wasn't really you who did it."

"Did what?" pleaded Twilight. She had to know what she had done.

"Y'all used your fancy-pants connections to help get us involved," AJ explained. "Sweet Apple Acres is doin' the caterin' for the athletes."

"I'm going to be helping set up a daycare for their pets," said Fluttershy.

"I've been commissioned to make ensembles for the guests of honor," Rarity announced.

"And I'm the party planner!" declared Pinkie. Then she cleared her throat and corrected herself in a hoity-toity voice, "I mean, I am the Master of Ceremonies."

"And I'm sure you will all do a splendid job." That voice came from behind them and Twilight gasped. She turned to see Princess Celestia, as regal as ever, standing in the door. Her sun was resting at her back and Twilight's friends released her so that she could hug her former teacher.

"Oh, Celestia, it's so good to see you."

"It's wonderful to see you too, Twilight," Celestia said, amused. "But we only saw each other yesterday. You make it seem like you haven't seen me in months."

"It's a long story," tears streaked Twilight's face as she looked up at Celestia. "You'll get to read all about it in my next letter."

"I see," she said, intrigued. "You haven't sent me one of those in a while. I look forward to reading it."

Suddenly, Spike came into the room, hidden behind a stack of books. "Is Twilight here yet?" he asked. "I've got those Equestria Games books she wanted."

Twilight laughed. "I'm right here Spike." She took the stack with her magic and rested it on the table. "And thank you," she said. "For giving me that letter."

The dragon blushed. "It was no big deal. Just doin' my job."

"Well, you did a great job," she said. Twilight glanced over at the books. Even in all her excitement, she couldn't help making note of the titles. There was one, however, she was surprised she overlooked.

"Spike," she said. "Did I not request 'Equestria Games through the Ages'? I know that's a good reference book."

"Oh," said Spike. "That's the one Owlicious is carrying." Right on cue, the owl flew into the room, a large book in tow.

"Owlicious!" she said. The owl set down the book and Twilight held out her forehoof for him to rest on. He gave a light "who" and when he did so, Twilight gently nuzzled his cheek with her own. "I missed you too."

Celestia gave a light "hmmm" before saying, "I definitely look forward to reading your letter, Twilight." Then she looked to the rest of the room. "I'll let you girls get back to your planning. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have breakfast with my sister." The mane six and Spike, and even Owlicious, gave a light bow as the Princess left. Twilight smiled. Luna had her sister back. More than that, Twilight imagined that both of the Princesses' schedules would be freed up quite a bit by this help. Now they can enjoy themselves at the Games without worrying about all the planning.

Finally, there was one more thing. Twilight looked to her back and gently attempted to unfold one of her wings. It was there, and so was the other one. She gave a soft sigh of relief and set down Owlicious on the desk, turning to her friends. Obviously she had told them all what was going on, but now Twilight wasn't sure exactly what was happening in this timeline. "It's great to see that Celestia and Owlicious are okay, but what happened? I thought I was going to change the past back to normal?"

"Ya did," said AJ. "Nothin' changed about the past. Ya just decided y'all still wanted to do somethin' nice fer us."

Rarity nodded. "You thought it wouldn't be safe to alter history again. So instead, you spoke to the Princess about letting us help with the Games."

"And that's why we're here in Canterlot," said Rainbow Dash, then she corrected herself. "Well, them at least. I'm just here because you guys are."

Twilight shook her head. How could she not have done something for Rainbow Dash too? I guess Dash is already in the Games, but isn't Fluttershy on her team too? Twilight tried to think of what she could do now, but as she did that, there came a light knock at the door. Turning, she saw Soarin', dressed in his Wonderbolt's uniform.

"Soarin'?" Twilight said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting," the stallion said, a hoof rubbing the back of his neck. "I just wanted to see if Dash could meet up for some more training today."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Sure. I just need to help the girls figure out this Equestria Games stuff. I can be there in an hour. Same place as yesterday?"

Soarin' smiled. "Yep. I'll see you there, partner." With a wave to the rest of the group, the Wonderbolt departed.

Turning back around, Twilight grinned at her friend. "Rainbow," she said. "Are you sure I didn't do anything for you?"

"What? You mean having Soarin' come in to town for the week?" Dash shrugged. "Yeah, I guess that's been pretty cool to hang out with him. And he's definitely been helping me train up for the Equestria Games."

An eyebrow raising, Twilight asked, "Haven't you two done anything more than just hanging out?"

"I mean, well, Soarin' and I have been meeting over lunch to discuss training, but that's it." Twilight said nothing to that, but continued to smirk at her friend. Rainbow Dash's eyes glanced left and right, then she admitted, "Okay, it was dinner one time, but it's not like a mare and stallion can't share a meal together." When she saw her friends grinning at that, Rainbow quickly tried to explain herself. "It's just we want each others' teams to do well, but we also need to eat. A pony's gotta eat sometime, so why not do both things at once? Ya know?"

Twilight and her other friends laughed. The pegusus spilling out all those words in 10 seconds flat reassured Twilight that she had done something good for Dash as well. But there was still one more thing the alicorn wanted. It was not for her friends, though, it was for herself.

"I know we kinda just did a group hug," said Twilight, timidly. "But could we do another one?" 

"Uh, yeah! Duh!" shouted Pinkie. Her friends laughed and drew closer. The six again embraced one another. 

Twilight happily soaked in every detail of the experience. The feel of Rarity's perfectly manicured hoof on her back. The view of Applejack's hat pressed against her face. The cotton candy scent of Pinkie's mane. The gentle, humming laugh of Fluttershy. And the sound of a jerking sniff as Rainbow tried to hold back tears. Every part of that moment she tried to hang on to. This moment was not a mistake.  It was supposed to happen.

Even then, Twilight wasn't sure she was comfortable with the past she had, but she saw that everything was okay now. It wasn't okay because those things no longer mattered. There would always be regrets - this experience had even added new ones.

Instead it was okay because she knew with absolute certainty that no matter how horribly. No matter how terribly. No matter how brutally she messed up her whole, entire life, her friends would always be there for her.

Loving and being loved by her friends. That was exactly what Twilight wanted her future to be.




<> <> <> THE END <> <> <>





"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."
- Muhammad Ali