Rainbow Dash perched on top of a roof, a little confused. She'd been all over town, and she should have seen that white unicorn...
Oh, wait, duh. She wouldn't be white- well, she would be, but she'd be wearing an outfit. This was Canterlot, after all.
She wouldn't mention this to anyone- they'd think her silly.
Then Pinkie Pie caught her eye. What was she doing here? Did she know where Rarity was?
She was about to swoop down when two guards barged out of a store, dragging a distraught light blue pegasus with them.
They banged into Pinkie Pie and all fell to the ground.
"Hey!" said Pinkie Pie. "Why are you arresting her? I need to go to this boutique- it's Rarity's favorite!"
"Sorry," one of the guards snarled. "This boutique is now closed."
"Why? Did they commit a crime against fashion?" She rolled on the floor like it was funny.
"It's not fair!" the pegasus wailed. "It's not my fault I'm going out of business! Nopony wants clothes that are just white and brown!"
"What?" One guard- white with brown spots- pulled her closer. "Are you complaining about our laws? ...Hey, do we have a law that clothes can only be white and brown?"
He seemed young and inexperienced.
"No," said the older one, who was black. "You can still buy dyes."
"They're too expensive, and now those are being restricted!" The blue pegasus yanked herself away.
"If you can't stay in business, that's your fault. Now come with us and-"
"What's the problem?"
The guards and the blue pegasus gasped and fell to their knees.
"Oh, please," said Rarity.
Rainbow Dash nearly fell off of the roof. Rarity... was a princess... and had wings? How long had she been gone?
"Is there a problem?" She asked the blue pegasus.
"I... I can't stay in business and I don't want to go to jail and I have a family and-"
"Say no more," Rarity said, waving her hoof. "I'm not the bearer of the element of Generosity for nothing. I'll make a present of the money needed to get back on your hooves."
The pegasus fell at Rarity's hooves, kissing them. "Oh, thank you, most generous majesty! It is no wonder you are so loved."
Princess Rarity's eyes brimmed with tears. "It's nothing, really."
"Wow, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie said. "Awesome wings!"
Princess Rarity turned to Pinkie Pie, clearly noticing her for the first time. "Oh! Diane! Your mane!"
Pinkie Pie tapped her hoof nervously. "I think my name's Pinkie Pie. Unless it changed while I wasn't looking."
That seemed too much for Princess Rarity. She wrapped her hooves around Pinkie and sobbed into her puffy pink mane.
"Something wrong?" Pinkie asked.
"Oh, nothing." Princess Rarity leaned back and composed herself. "It's just- you! It's so wonderful... thank you so much!"
"Sure!" Pinkie Pie said. "I love you too!" She hugged her back.
"Oh, but- Pinkie! Don't you have a show to do?"
"Show?"
"Your two o'clock performance! Quick!" Princess Rarity pointed. "You might make it if you run!"
"Okay!" Pinkie Pie took off.
Rarity's bracelet began pulsing.
"Oh, curses," she said. "Please excuse me." She left the three pegasi and went arond the corner.
Rainbow Dash turned around to look at her.
The princess pushed a button on the bracelet and pointed the gem at the blank wall in front of her. An image of Twilight Sparkle was projected on the wall.
Rainbow wasn't sure she was suprised at Twilght's appearance. It was more of a how-much-changed-while-I-was-gone reaction.
"Yes, Twilight?"
"Just wanted to know where you were. You weren't at the palace when I arrived."
"Oh, I stopped to help a pony in need. Are you done with our younger selves already?"
Younger selves? The pieces started falling into place in Dashie's head.
"I showed Rarity and Twilight to the academy. I have some... plans for them."
"Twilight! You didn't!"
"Please, call me Princess Twilight. People might be listening."
"And are you sure we're not going to cause a collapse in the space-time-whatever?"
Suddenly Spike pressed his face against the projection. "Rarity! Save me!"
Twilight pounced on him. The two disappeared out of the screen for a moment, showing some laboratory equipment.
Rainbow Dash's heart was pounding. Younger selves? Space-time-whatever? Did they just... time travel?
One thing she knew for sure: her friends were being held captive.
"Captain Dash!"
Rainbow lept into the air and spun around.
The two pegasi guards were staring at her expectantly.
"We're sorry," the young one said, "we didn't know you were here and-"
"Ahem," the black one said, "salute."
The two raised their hooves to their foreheads.
"Reporting for duty," the black one said.
Rainbow Dash blinked.
Oh! she thought. I must become a captain in the future! They think I'm her!
She thought of correcting them, but had a better idea. This could be how I save my friends!
"Uh, good," she said. "I'm not suprised you didn't know I was here. Uh. I was just... taking a break."
The younger one looked a bit shocked at that. Rainbow Dash saw his cutie mark was a red shield.
"What are your orders?" the black one asked. His cutie mark was a flaming meteor.
"Well. What were you doing before I interrupted?"
"Patroling the north quandrent, sir."
Rainbow Dash wondered why she had insisted on being called Sir. But then, she did like it better than "ma'am".
"Well, maybe I'll join you," she said. "I don't have anything imp- I don't have any urgent business."
The younger one looked a bit... skeptical, but the black one just took her orders.
"Yes sir," he said, flying off.
The younger one looked over his shoulder before joining.
They just flew for a while. There was nothing to say. Rainbow Dash wished she knew what the guards' names were, but felt she couldn't ask. She reviewed everything about military that she knew- the bulk of which was just 'guards never laugh'.
Suddenly the younger one pulled up short. "Hey, I think I just-" he whirled around. "It's Blackjack!"
The older one turned around more slowly. "Really?"
"Yeah! See!"
Rainbow Dash didn't see any black ponies.
"C'mon," the younger one said, pulling on Rainbow Dash's hoof. "Let's go and-"
"Ahem," the black one said.
"Huh?"
"AHEM! You don't have to join if you don't want to, Captain Dash."
"What- oh, yeah, we understand," the younger one said.
Rainbow blinked.
"Anyway," the black one said, "Charge!"
The two pegasi swooped down.
"Hay! Stop tha- HALP!"
Rainbow knew that voice.
They were arresting Applejack.