//------------------------------// // 8 – Time Clash // Story: Dream Realm Destroia: Equestria // by RowanSkie //------------------------------// “Let me tell you where I was over a thousand years,” Starswirl said. “I was at Luna’s Sanctuary keeping it safe.” “Luna’s Sanctuary?” Celestia asked. ‘Where could she have hidden such a place?’ “I think it’s another dimension, master.” Mar answered. Starswirl faced Mar. “And I see you are a true Jedi now,” he commented before looking back at the ponies. “You guys want to know where is Luna’s Sanctuary is?” The ponies, except for Pinkie, nodded. “The Lithium Complex, Alerith Laboratories, Rediscovera Multiverse,” Starswirl answered, only receiving strange and confused looks from the ponies. He frowned. “Just what branch of magic did I do?” “Time and portal magic,” Twilight pointed out. “Hold on, time and space. Dimension magic. Why didn’t I figure it out before that you’re actually somepony not from Equestria?” “Because, dear student of my student,” Starswirl replied. “I casted a curse upon Equestria to remember me as the great unicorn pony who invented hundreds of spells, not an alien who helped advance Equestria’s technology in a tenfold by quantum physics.” “That’s… a horrifying picture to look at,” Twilight answered. “Well, to think that if it’s a curse for Equestria, then it must be wearing off since there are alien conspiracists telling you are not from Equestria, but rather a changeling…” Twilight winced at the mention of changeling. “Changeling, madam?” Mar asked. “Well, excuse my actions but, there’s a changeling species in your world!?” “We decided not to talk about it,” Rainbow Dash answered. “It brings too much action.” “No, do tell!” Mar answered. “They’re Jedi, not much thing for emotions,” Celestia whispered to her ponies. “I heard that, Celestia!” Starswirl shouted. “And I might have slightly offended by that, Celestia,” Mar added. “Even if that’s the truth.” “Speaking of truths, Starswirl told me about a rule about having one student,” Celestia called back. “I guess I now see where he got the idea from, Jedi Master.” “Please call me on the names you have grown with,” Starswirl begged. “Master Flystar, sure. Starswirl the Bearded, that’s acceptable. Rowan, well, I’ll let you six call me that.” Twilight heard a sigh from Pinkie. “Now… did I hear something about a rebellion?” Starswirl asked. “Why don’t you all tell me your plans.” They all looked at each other before they told Starswirl/Rowan Flystar their plans. King Armor also went back to their location and kneeled down to Flystar and when they asked why he did such thing… “I’m just giving respect,” he had answered. … So after they had told the plans, they all looked at Twilight seemed to wear different clothing. Twilight tilted her head before looking at herself and found herself chuckling. “How did you do that?” Starswirl asked. Twilight pointed to the saddlebag. “There were clothes there, so I switched with my robe while casting an illusion spell that I was listening and adding the plans,” she explained. “That, and this clothes are really, really comfortable.” “You’re wearing a shirt, pants, and a jacket,” Mar noticed. “Aren’t those what Earth humans would wear?” “My padawan,” Starswirl called. “I am a Jedi Master of Earth.” Mar’s eyes widened as Starswirl chuckled. “There’s a hidden Jedi Council on that primitive planet, you know.” Everypony except Twilight groaned and rolled their eyes. Twilight just removed her clothes and took on a cloak and her saddlebag where her improved survival kit lies ready, which includes her basic materials since first contact, her violet-bladed lightsaber, and her book which returned into its previous state being a book not a pile of solid readable ash, because that’s what it was. She then headed outside as a small voice in her guided her. “Twilight, head to Firea…” the voice whispered in her head. “There’s no good side from the both of them. You need to run…” Twilight, not knowing who the voice was, hesitated a bit until she found herself running towards the forest after what seemed to be a portal. She abruptly stopped herself afterwards. “Who are you?” she shouted. “Why are you in my head?” “I… I cannot explain. It’s… Follow the arch trees,” the voice replied. “Then you’ll find your answer.” Twilight looked around and now recognized three paths, one she knew she passed by because of a knocked sign lying beside of the path. She looked at the two paths and saw that one path had arch trees. She followed down this path. She followed on until she saw an old pony with a cloak and approached her. Soon after she had come close enough, the old pony’s cloak turned to dust to reveal a young unicorn mare. The mare smiled as Twilight looked at her cutie mark, a blue compass star. “I see that you’ve followed my instructions,” the mare answered, frailness present. “I believe that it would be wise not to tell anypony, including your friends, about this. It’s a fate you will choose.” “Why?” Twilight asked. “Why can’t I tell anypony?” “Because they have ignored my call and went to help Illyria,” the mare explained. “Any more questions?” “What’s your name?” Twilight asked. The mare chuckled. “Twinkle Starlight, granddaughter of the Princess of Friendship and the Stargazer,” she answered. Twilight opened her mouth to speak only to close as Twinkle raised a hoof. “I know what you might be thinking, I thought Missus Cup Cake was the Stargazer, yes?” Twilight nodded. “She is. Heh, my cutie mark for navigation and yet I’m the best in cooking and kids!” “Like Mrs. Cake,” Twilight noted. “Exactly like her,” Twinkle corrected. The two looked at each other before a spark flashed from both of their horns. Twilight jumped as her brain began to register what seemed to be instinctive responses as well as more battle stances. She looked at Twinkle. “What did you do?” Twilight asked. “I… I don’t know, it’s been doing that since…” Twinkle looked at her left hoof. “I found my grandmother’s lightsaber…” Twilight quickly threw her cloak away and pulled her lightsaber out in a defensive stance. Twinkle stepped back before she pulled out her own lightsaber, which was colored green. The two began to battle. A few minutes later, they find themselves both equally tired and wounded before deactivating their own lightsabers. Twilight giggled. “The Force is strong in us,” Twinkle joked as she threw the lightsaber towards a small bag which was near a tree. “The Force of determination.” “Now, why did you say neither Ms. Ravenshire nor King Armor are the good ones?” Twilight asked as she hid her hilt on her saddlebag and wore her cloak which was on a tree branch. “Because the true good in this place is those who roam free,” Twinkle replied. “Like me. And Sergeant Flystar, that is.” Twilight froze. “You know Starswirl!?” “That was his name too?” Twinkle wondered. “That makes sense, he created hundreds of spells and a few of them were time and space-related. Good game, Rowan. You owe me thirty million.” Starswirl blinked before he facepalmed while watching Twilight’s friends and mentor find her. “Thirty million what?” Twilight asked. “Not that I’m curious.” “Thirty million bits,” Twinkle replied as they find themselves on a small wood cottage. “We have been walking, it seem.” Twilight blinked. “Huh, I didn’t notice that,” she commented. “That’s your house, right?” “That’s my summer dream house, yes.” Twinkle approached the door, opened it, quickly entered and closed the door, and went back outside with a small vial containing blue liquid. Twilight inspected the blue vial and stared at Twinkle with one eyebrow up. “What’s this?” she asked. “It’s a serum my grandfather made,” she explained. “Whoever drinks it will physically and spiritually have tome slowed down. Basically, whoever drinks it turns the whole thing around her from 1 hour into a day! Good for practicing, never hurts. Also works as a body resistance potion for area where you cannot simply barge in, one example, it severs the link from causing you and your Soira to share the same everything.” She looked at Twilight and took her lightsaber and inspected it. “You seem to have resetted it… Good! Now drink the vial before they could trace you out!” “Trace me out!?” Twilight looked at the vial. “What do you mean?” “Autumn H. Ravenshire can trace and track all Dreamers in Dream Realm Destroia,” Twinkle muttered quickly as a wind began to blow. “She’s coming, drink it!” Twilight hesitated before she drank the vial and noticed that it tasted like apples. Twinkle looked around and quickly dragged her towards the house as the wind slammed down where Twilight was. Twilight blacked out as she was dragged in. “Thank goodness your safe, Twinkle! Wait a minute…” “Yes, that’s grandma. No, that’s not her, her.” “Wait, so that means Mom was a unicorn pony before she became a Princess?” “Sort of. She’s awake now. Rise and shine!” Twilight jolted upwards and saw Twinkle with a white unicorn pony with a yellow-orange compass rose star. She looked around and saw herself not on a small cottage but rather on a luxurious house. Her eyes widened as it reminded her of her apartment back in Canterlot and cringed as she remembered her old friends. “Okay… Twinkle, get some sandwiches. I’m talking her in,” the white pony commanded. The pony then faced Twilight who stood and fixed herself. “Good day, my name’s Twilight Sunshine.” “Huh. Well… my name’s Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight introduced herself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sunshine.” “Call me Twilight,” Sunshine corrected. “If I call you Twilight, then how will everypony know whose Twilight is Twilight?” Twilight pointed out. “My friends call me Twilight, you know.” “I call you Sparkle while you call me Twilight,” Sunshine suggested. “Hm… I call you Sunshine in public and I keep the Twilight instead, sounds good?” Twilight asked. “Deal,” Sunshine suggested as Twinkle came carrying a plate full of daffodil and daisy sandwiches. “Oh, snacks! Yummy!” Twinkle shifted the plate to avoid getting the snacks being taken by her mother and floated a sandwich towards Twilight who quickly ate it. Sunshine looked at Twilight and quickly shook her head as she looked outside. She sighed and smiled. “Ravendesk clear,” she announced. “Thank goodness. Twilight, Twinkle, since you two have drunk the vial, go train yourselves outside. The effects of the vial in the Dream Realm Destroia is awesome; you guys can go anywhere undetected. Just…don’t reveal yourselves.” “Not even my friends?” Twilight asked. Sunshine blinked. “Especially your friends because they’re still under the Cycle.” “Not me!” They all looked around to find Pinkie Pie inside the house. Sunshine and Twinkle jumped as Twilight noticed an empty vial hanging from her neck as a necklace. “You had one the whole time, didn’t you,” Twilight deadpanned. “No, it came with the lightsaber.” Pinkie pulled out her lightsaber and pointed towards the bottom. “Only I had it, probably because of the spiri-quantum bolt.” Her eyes landed on both Twinkle and Sunshine and grinned. “Hey, Sunshine and her daughter Twinkle Starlight the Stargazer! What’s up!” “Auntie Pinkie?” Twinkle called. “Wait, how did you know?” “The Fourth Princess told me!” Pinkie answered as she took a sandwich from the platter and ate it. “Which I won’t even tell who.” “Actually, I may have forgot to tell you but,” Twilight told them as she pulled out her book which promptly turned to ash. “After this, we’re all going to forget it. Everypony who was within our timeline will, except for Mrs. Cake.” “What about her?” Pinkie asked. Twinkle giggled as she said one word. “Stargazer.” “What’s so special about stargazing?” Pinkie continued. It was Sunshine’s time to answer. “Not stargazing, the Stargazer. In laypony’s terms, a historian.” “Really?” “Yeah, but in a way that he/she records history by burning/reading specific books,” Twilight finished. She blinked to recount her words and gulped. “I actually didn’t know that until now.” Pinkie’s eyes drifted on the book and then to Twilight and then smiled. “I know.” The three looked at Pinkie. “The Fourth Princess explained all of that to me too,” Pinkie declared. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.” … They finally sighed in relief. Day 1 “So… We can’t tell anypony about the vial,” Pinkie clarified. They nodded. “Which means this is a secret to the four of us,” she added. They nodded again. “What will we do now?” Pinkie finished. Twinkle answered alone. “We train.” “Train for what, exactly?” Twilight asked. “Training to be as powerful and wise as both Autumn and Armor,” Sunshine answered. “Well, that, and if you also want, trying to make decoded messages only we four could interpret.” “Why does everything almost have to be something that needs to avoid my friends?” Twilight complained. Pinkie sighed. “Your greatest ally in a corrupted world is yourself and those free from corruption,” she answered. “Right now… We’ve broken the cycle. If we don’t act now we’ll lose the whole group first, then we’ll have to redo the whole thing from scratch. Probably after they try to find us and suck the information out of us!” Twinkle raised an eyebrow. “You certainly know a lot.” “Well, after we got to Isla Destroia we came here searching for the Crystal of Blue for starters…” Pinkie trailed off. “And then we went for a secret adventure around the water borders of Equestria to find the last copy of the Universes of Dream Realm.” “Destroia…?” Twinkle looked at her mother then back to the two. “I guess we should skip the lore and into the petty facts now.” “Lore?” Twilight asked, curious mode activated. “There’s a lore?” “Uh…” Twinkle motioned Pinkie to tell her. Pinkie blinked then faced Twilight. Pinkie took a deep breath. “Everything began when a guy named Mark Johnson Crafters was lost in a place called Minecraftia and after a few years of exploring he became a mayor just after founding a town into the shores and then the years afterwards the town was named Destroia after Mark’s favorite location the Destroia Garden which frankly was located in an island which was soon named Isla Destroia as humanity created safehouses to get themselves out of the dangers which the island can bring without the proper equipment like the vial we drank,” she finished, taking some air in. “Phew.” Twilight blinked. “Carry on,” she encouraged. “It doesn’t seem to tell how Dream Realm Destroia founded, how there are five countries, and why Soiras were formed.” Twinkle promptly dropped a book on Twilight’s head in annoyance and in Pinkie’s relief. Day 5 “It’s cool how time slows down from a day to 24 days,” Twilight noticed. “How did you get it to work?” “Well, it started as a spell immunity potion for spellcasting Dreamers,” Sunshine explained since Twinkle and Pinkie chattered on another room. “An invention the Princess made so that she could feel better and not experience any limitations. However, after the initial testing, the test subjects who took it experienced a different effect. They weren’t immune to magic, but they were immune to the ambient magic and makes their bodies experience what it should’ve been before. 24 days for a day.” “Test subjects… were they pony?” Twilight asked, worried. “Nope, only volunteers,” Sunshine answered. “Although 2832 and 449 are ponies.” “Oh, what happened to them?” Twilight asked. “449 is me, 2832 is my husband,” Sunshine replied with pride. Twilight opened her mouth to ask something before her eyes landed on Pinkie and Twinkle who were laughing. She closed her mouth and frowned, thinking it would just be a question for another time until she landed on a portrait. Twilight approached the portrait which surprised both Twinkle and Sunshine. She took the portrait and showed it to them. “Who is this?” Twilight demanded. Pinkie took a closer look and gulped. “That’s nopony.” “Then why does it look like me with…” Twilight checked the portrait for a few seconds. “Wings! Wait, wings?!” Twilight looked at the portrait again and saw where it was shot along with who were in the picture. “Okay, break the locks, tell me or else I’m telling everypony about this.” They all gulped. Twilight watched them as the three huddled up. The three engaged in a conversation about the matter. “What should we do now?” Pinkie asked. “I thought you girls hid that photo?” “Hey, I thought she wouldn’t even notice it,” Twinkle defended. “Well, we have two decisions left,” Sunshine noted. “The truth, or memory removal.” “No fair!” they both proclaimed. “It’s been five hours!” Sunshine took notice of this and facehooved. “She knows her timings well, I suppose.” “So, truth it is then?” Twinkle asked, grinning. “Why are you smiling like that?” Pinkie noticed. The smile vanished. “Can’t I just smile like I used to when I learned about that one thing with the orb?” Twinkle asked. “Orb? You mean…” Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Ooh. So that’s what she meant by ‘each sphere by the truth past hear’ a few hours before I left.” Twinkle tensed up. “You mean… she knew?” “Hey, remember, we came here AFTER Isla Destroia,” Pinkie reminded. “‘Each sphere by truth the past hear,’” Sunshine began. “‘As ash cover memories of the flash. Let be reminded of the journey before disaster strikes permanently.’” “The Poem of Dream,” Twinkle recognized. “Why does grandfather speaks in rhymes when he goes all prophecy?” “Probably because it looks awesome,” Sunshine noticed. “Anyways, we need to tell her now.” The three ponies looked at Twilight who was surprisingly patient, Twilight looked up and tilted her head, keeping her expression the same “What?” face. Twinkle took a deep breath and began. “The Fourth Princess is you. The Princess of Friendship, Peace Prime Minister Princess Twilight Sparkle-Gemstone,” she said. “‘Sparkle-Gemstone?’ I’m married?” Twilight asked. Her eyes landed on Sunshine. “Oh wait, if I wasn’t there wouldn’t be the both of you, isn’t it. Who did I marry?” “A Exiled Soira who took the name of Opalescence Keyheart Gemstone. Or Opal Gemstone,” Sunshine answered. “Took form in a wingless horned pegasus.” “That’s weird,” Twilight commented. “Why didn’t he have any wings?” “Apparently Princess Celestia found him first and saw his horn and wings, then cut off his wings because he wanted to,” Twinkle explained, shivering at the thought of seeing her own grandfather go through it. “Then, a magical storm ended up removing his memories and cutie mark, you came to the rescue, found a way to turn his magic into unicorn magic, happily lived ever since.” “Not to mention the advancements Equestria had on our time!” Sunshine added. “Apparently Eraidans are very smart and creative.” Twilight looked at the portrait. “Who’s the other one, Sunshine?” Sunshine blinked. “Pardon?” “It’s a family portrait of me, if it was really me, Opal, you, and a colt,” Twilight pointed out. “Crystal Spinwheel? Ol’boy’s watching us through that camera.” Sunshine pointed to a security camera hanging from the ceiling. “That, and he’s really shocked when he found you.” “Really?” Twilight looked at the camera and waved. “Hello!” I moved the camera up and down. “Oh, he did saw me,” Twilight noticed. “That’s weird, I thought this was a third-person thing,” Pinkie commented. The three, plus the camera, looked at Pinkie. Day 9 (9 Hours since Twi and Pinkie Vanished) “They’ve been missing for nine hours!” Applejack complained. “Any luck, Fluttershy?” “Nope,” Fluttershy answered. “How about you, Rarity?” “Well, nothing, but I did craft a sword for my protection and some clothing,” Rarity replied. The four ponies and Princess Celestia looked at Rarity and saw her with a rose on her mane, a diamond cloak, and hellstone boots. “Don’t I look fabulous, darlings?” “Yeah, where’d you get it?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Didn’t it came from those materials you looted from that monster… right?” “It is…” Rarity looked at her sword, a Terrarian Night’s Edge. “Well, this cloak isn’t, I found it lying around near a dead guy holding a diamond staff. I didn’t take the staff though.” “A staff like Pinkie’s, isn’t it?” Celestia asked. Rarity blinked. “Yes, yes it is, Princess.” “And you said you found it near a skeleton with the staff, right?” Celestia clarified. Rarity nodded. “Could it be that the cloak has magical properties?” Celestia suggested. “It could be, I haven’t thought of that…” Rarity pulled out the rose from her mane and willed a fireball to appear. A fireball shot itself from the rose, and bounced four times before it popped off. Rarity then sparkle a little a few seconds later. On Twinkle’s cottage, Pinkie felt something. The others all looked at Pinkie and asked. “What happened?” Twilight asked. “I don’t know,” Pinkie told them. “I haven’t felt this since I donned my favorite diamond cloak I lost on the way.” “Diamond cloak like what Rarity is wearing right now?” Sunshine pointed out as she levitated a small monitor focusing on their friends. “Wow, how did you do this?” Twilight asked as she took the monitor. “Is this real-time, as if their time?” “Er… yeah,” Sunshine answered. “It is powered by a lithium battery, it’s immune to everything except for electricity, because it’s electric. Modern tech. Nopony knows yet in your time. That.” “That doesn’t make sense,” Twilight commented. A flower pot beside them turned around to show a smiling face. “What doesn’t make sense?” Twilight jumped. “Wha-who!?” The flower pot turned into a creature after a snapping sound and took a deep breath before staring at Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle,” he called. “The flashy unicorn who will be the Princess of Friendship. I missed you ever since you got the wings from where we three are from.” “Hardy har har, Dissy,” Pinkie deadpanned. “Hardy har har.” “Yes, I know, and I already said I’m sorry, you know,” Discord half-heartedly said. “Speaking of which, goldfish!” He snapped his claws. Walking goldfish began to enter the room. Pinkie looked outside and didn’t see rain. “Huh, it’s not raining outside.” Discord tilted his head as to what Pinkie meant as she began to laugh. Twinkle rolled her eyes as Sunshine whispered something to Twilight made Pinkie’s statement make sense. Well, it roughly made sense since she haven’t played the game where Pinkie got the reference. Neither did I. Pinkie looked at the camera again after abruptly stopping. Discord also looked at the camera. Day 21 “It’s weird how things look different on the outside world under the effects of the serum,” Pinkie commented as they arrived back towards the cottage from the outside. “As if we could totally see another version of this place, this time with more Soiras than ever.” “Those Soiras you saw were actually ourselves from the very future,” Sunshine corrected. “Well, astral projections unless they themselves drank the serum themselves.” She then notice something. “Where’s Twilight?” Pinkie looked around and saw that Twilight wasn’t with her. She looked outside to find Twilight running towards the door. She opened the door, only to find two Twilights. She tilted her head. “Thank you, Twinkling Star,” Twilight told the second one which everypony now noticed had one busted eye. “I… I wouldn’t survive Allem Canyon without you.” “Anything for the Prime Twilight, mistress!” Twinkling Starr told her as she took a red-colored vial and looked at them. “You do know what this is, right?” Twinkle went closer and sniffed the liquid. “Antidote. ANTIDOTE!?” “Yes, antidote.” She drank the vial and stepped outside. “Viva Equestria!” The mare then promptly vanished as the door closed on its own. They all looked at Twinkle who took a flower and clipped it on her mane. She then facehooved. “I have a heightened sense of smell,” she explained. “A trait dad had.” Everypony didn’t ask questions afterwards until Sunshine noticed something. “Allem Canyon?” Sunshine asked. Twilight winced. “The line from Firea Edge to Litteroot Edge,” she began. “Look, I know I shouldn’t have—” “Stop.” Twilight looked at Sunshine. “You know, maybe I should let you give you the memory orbs of my mother. Maybe turn yourself into a princess here, but never above.” Twilight tilted her head before Twinkle poked a metal ball on her horn, causing her to flash into white light. A few seconds later, she returned with wings. Twilight took the time to adjust before nearly panicking, only to be calmed by the three who reminded her of the portrait. “Thanks,” she told them. Twilight flexed one of her wings. “This is weird. How many times did I crash practicing?” “We have no idea,” they all answered. “How many disasters did I go through?” she asked again. “Quite a lot,” Pinkie answered. “I think the last one was… End of the World.” “How did I survive that out?” Twilight asked indecrously. The door opened to show another Twilight with a burnt wing and a busted eye along with a maroon unicorn whose horn seem to be wired to his torso. “Okay, that explains everything,” Twilight answered her own question. “Uh… hi?” The two entered, stared at Twilight, then headed off towards the basement. Twilight blinked and closed the door afterwards. Pinkie facehooved. “Twilight, I think time is running out.” “Why? Is it because of her?” “No. It’s because the war is coming faster than we could stop it! The triplets are trying, but they’re stuck with Armor. Autumn Ravenshire has gone nuts, and the Doctor of Alexandria hasn’t left the portal.” “It is because of her.” “No! I wouldn't blame you! In fact, if time serves right, Eldrick von Saphyr, the Soira me before I met you, should be trying to solve a mystery while seldomly staring at a picture of you. Or her.” “Heh, when did you start doing it? Have a picture of me?” “Well… If memory serves right… Before you were even born, I think. I– Eldrick was a time travelling genius. Heh, probably fascinated by Starswirl.” “Cool. I mean, you bloody stalker. What should we do now? They have three Earth hours left before they are kicked out.” “Kicked out? Seriously? Don’t worry, I have a plan.” Helena T.S. Ryder looked at Dr. Opalescence Keyheart Saphyr Gemstone who smiled. “Call them both out.”