//------------------------------// // Episode Four - In Defiance of the Fates // Story: Chrono Crusaders - Series One // by OriginalGinger //------------------------------// A week had passed, yet Apple Bloom was still inconsolable, and to make matters worse, she wouldn't even tell Applejack why, which had led to quite a bit of worry on the orange mare's part. The other crusaders had been coming by every day, so she knew it had nothing to do with a fight with either Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle, and she seemed in good health, so it didn't seem to be that either. Still, she hardly spoke, never smiled, barely ate, and refused to do any work on the farm, and Applejack had finally had enough. Apple Bloom was going to tell her why she was acting this way, or by Celestia, she was gonna snap out of it, and it was gonna happen today, whether she liked it or not. “Howdy there, Sugarcube,” Applejack said, cracking open the door to her sister's bedroom. “Oh, hi. Breakfast ready or somethin'?” “Not for another half hour or so. I just wanna talk.” Apple Bloom huffed and pulled a pillow over her head. “I already said I can't talk about it. Now leave me the buck alone about it,” she said, her words muffled by the pillow. “Dagnabbit, Apple Bloom, I don't give a hoot what your mood you're in, you ain't gonna be cursin' like that, 'specially not under your Granny Smith's roof. Listen, I'm just worried is all, little sis.” “I know, and I can't say I don't appreciate it and all, but it just ain't something I can talk about,” Apple Bloom said. “You know dang well there ain’t nothin' you can't talk about with me, Apple Bloom. Now we are stayin' in this room right here 'til you spill it, so I suggest you get to talking, little one.” “Fine! You really wanna know?” Apple Bloom said, her voice turning from sadness to anger. “I had to watch somepony die okay! I had to watch her die three times, and I couldn't do nothin' to stop it, no matter what I tried!” Apple Bloom rolled off of her bed and sprinted away, slamming her bedroom door as she left. It took a moment to register what her sister had said, and even once she did register what she had heard, she still could not make any sense out of it. Nopony had died in Ponyville in months, and nopony ever died more than once, so Applejack had no clue what to make of it. Finally she came to her senses just as she heard the front door slam, and quickly went in pursuit of her little sister. She could hear the sobs coming from the Crusaders' clubhouse, and briefly considered whether or not to just go in, call to her sister from outside, or let the whole matter go for the moment. Finally, after pacing entirely around the clubhouse several times, and briefly wondering what it was that Crusaders had hidden under a large green tarp, her decision was made for her. “Applejack? I thought I heard you out here” she heard Apple Bloom say from the balcony of the clubhouse. “If I show you somethin' you promise not to punish me? You can't tell Rarity, or Scootaloo's foster mom either.” “You know I can't promise nothin like that, Sugarcube, but if you are in some kinda trouble, you need to let me help.” “Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say. Alright, come on up.” The first item that Apple Bloom showed her was a small newspaper clipping. Applejack read it twice, unable to believe what it said. She even flipped it over and examined the reverse side, a portion of a grand opening advertisement for a store called 'Heartstring's Harmonies,' that featured the image of a familiar green unicorn, only she was much older than the mare than Applejack recognized as a citizen of Ponyville. The second item she was shown was a pencil rubbing of some sort of memorial plaque, Applejack was again struck with disbelief at what it said. “We tried and tried to save her, but we just couldn't Applejack, no matter what we did.” “Where did you get this stuff, Apple Bloom, and why are you trying to play such a darn cruel joke. It ain't funny,” Applejack said, in utter shock that her little sister would invent such a story, and even go to the trouble to fabricate evidence. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me,” Apple Bloom said. “Here, I got one more thing I gotta show you.” Applejack followed her sister to the large tarp, and watched as Apple Bloom tugged on it, until finally it fell, revealing a large and unstable looking device. Wordlessly she began to manipulate dials, appearing to carefully adjust and double check each one, occasionally glancing toward a clock on what Applejack assumed was the control panel. “Alright, I will be back in exactly one minute.” Apple Bloom pulled a large lever, and the strange device made a series of worrisome noises before a blinding light suddenly appeared. When her vision readjusted, there was no sign of either Apple Bloom, or the machine. Panic struck, and Applejack began frantically calling her sisters name. “Apple Bloom! Apple Bloom, this isn't funny, now get your flank out here before I have a heart attack!” Without warning, there was another flash of light, and Apple Bloom reappeared inside her machine. Apple Bloom had a newspaper with her, and when she gave it to Applejack, she saw that it was dated October 5th, 1593, the day of Applejack's birth. “It's a time machine, sis. I built it with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.” Applejack looked from her sister, to the newspaper, to the time machine, and back to her sister again. She felt her head begin to swim, and despite her effort to maintain composure, the shock was too much, and she abruptly fainted. o:O:o “I can't believe you told your sister! What the heck were you thinking?” “I was thinkin' that we needed help, Scootaloo. Plus, she wasn't gonna give up 'til I told her what I was so upset about. It ain't like I had a choice.” “I think that you did the right thing, Apple Bloom. So what if we get in trouble, we have to do everything we can to save Apple Fries, no matter what.” “Well, I don't wanna get grounded for some filly that hasn't even been born yet,” Scootaloo said indignantly. “We stole the fuel for the Epoch, you know. We might not just get grounded, we could get arrested, or worse!” “Well, we will just have to not say nothin' about that then. Now calm down, Scootaloo, I will make sure I take the blame for everything if I have to.” Apple Bloom had been brought to Twilight Sparkles library, and Twilight sent Spike to get Sweetie Belle, Rarity, Scootaloo, and Scootaloo's foster mother, Cinnamon Twist. It had been over an hour since the adults had retreated upstairs, and despite her confidence that she had indeed done the right thing, Apple Bloom was still worried about what they might say or do when they returned. “Anyway, once everything is fixed in the future, we can just go back to before I ever told Applejack, and just not say nothin.” “Can we even do that? I still don't really understand how time travel actually works. Like, why didn't we ever run into ourselves when we kept going back to the day that Apple Fries... um, the day that it happens.” “I can't rightly say that I know exactly, but I guess if you go to a time just before you were there before, it kinda cancels the last time. That’s why I kept taking us back a few minutes earlier each time. Remember that book I had when we were building it? I read about it in there, it's actually about magical time travel, but a lot of stuff seems to work the same.” Finally, they heard the adult ponies heading down the library stairs, and all three Crusaders, held their breath, fearful of what they may have decided. Applejack, Rarity, and Cinnamon Swirl all followed spike into the kitchen, while Twilight began magically taking books from various shelves, and stacking them on the table. “Okay, girls, we've discussed it, and see no reason why you should be punished. In fact, I believe that you three may have achieved one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history, as unlikely as that seems. For now, however, there are matters of more importance to discuss.” Twilight selected one of the books from her stack, and magically flipped through the pages until she found what she desired, and levitated it to the Crusaders. “I understand that you have had trouble affecting the time line in any lasing way. Perhaps if we start by trying to determine exactly why that is, we can begin to work on a solution. I would have normally considered this just a legend, were it not in the same book that helped me learn about Night Mare Moon's return. Apple Bloom, read it out loud, please.” Apple Bloom took a deep breath, and began reciting the words on the pages for everypony present to hear. “The Sealin' of the Fates. Before the first Equestrian War...” “... protectin' the fate of all creatures that call Equestria their home,” Apple Bloom finished. “Wait a minute, does that mean that we can't change anything? That's what it sounds like it says,” Sweetie Belle remarked. “Well, yes and no. Time travel magic is is an entire complex school of it's own, a suborder of Sorcery, which is known to be among the most advanced magic. I myself can only preform basic sorcery, and only the Princesses can handle the most complex spells.” Twilight Sparkle selected another book from the stack, and read silently for a few moments. Apple Bloom noticed that the title was Advanced Sorcery Book Two; Space, Time, and Dimensional Magic. “It seems that a magical time traveler can effect nearly everything when they travel, but certain things will resist being altered, and even if a traveler changes those things, something will inevitably happen to correct the change.” She flipped the pages to near the end of the book, and read again. “Okay, so here is a spell that can essentially isolate a certain portion of time-space, and allow otherwise impossible alterations to happen. Wow, this spell is far beyond my ability, though it can be performed as a tandem spell with other unicorns, but it is extremely risky. Just the list of warnings is more than eleven pages long.” A blue flash of magic appeared in the center of the library, and quickly dissipated, leaving behind the form of a graceful blue alicorn. “Ah, right on time, Princess,” Twilight Sparkle said. The three fillies stood shocked for a moments, then quickly dropped into low bows. “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. You may rise, children, there is no need for such formality. I take it these are the fillies you wrote about, Twilight?” “Indeed they are, Princess.” “Please, just Luna when in private, you know by now how I feel about pomp and circumstance. I must admit, Celestia is doubtful that the task you wish to attempt should be undertaken, though she has left the matter ultimately to my discretion.” Luna looked each of the Crusaders in the eye one by one as she spoke. “You must understand, that fate has it's reasons to prevent certain occurrences, however, I am willing to consider intervening, if I deem the matter worth perusing. Please, tell me all that you know, leave out no detail, no matter how unimportant it may seem, I must know everything.” Apple Bloom began with how she had gotten the idea to build a time machine in the first place, and detailed how it was built, attempting at first to skip the matter with the Gryphons, and the theft of the radioactive fuel. Luna promised them immunity of legal ramifications, however, so the Crusaders spilled all, often interrupting each other when one of them felt another had left something out that was worth telling. For several hours, the Crusaders talked with Luna, answering her questions and retelling portions when the Princess required clarification. It was nearly sunset when they finally finished their tale, but finally Luna was satisfied that she had heard enough to make an informed decision. “Thank you for telling your story, children, and thank you, Twilight Sparkle, for your hospitality. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, it has been a pleasure to spend this time with you, you have given me much to consider. I must consult with my Sister, and partake in some research, you shall hear from me when I have reached a decision. I sincerely wish I could spend more time with you all, but alas, night is upon us, thus duty calls, and I must respectfully take my leave. May you have a pleasant evening.” “Thank you Princess Luna,” The Crusaders said together. “Yes, thank you. Goodnight, Luna,” Twilight said. “Goodnight. I bid you all farewell, until we meet again.” With a burst of blue magic, Luna disappeared from the library, leaving the Crusaders to wonder what she would decide. Several times, Luna wrote letters to Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, sometimes addressed to one of them, other times addressed to all three. Each time the letter was delivered by one of her bat-winged royal guards, and each time the guard had waited silently and patiently for the letter's recipient to draft a reply. On the morning of the eighth day, four guards arrived in Ponyville, each with an identical letter to the fillies, as well as Twilight Sparkle, informing them that a pair of chariots would arrive late that afternoon. They were to meet at the Library and board the chariots, to be taken to a meeting in Canterlot with Princess Luna. o:O:o Twilight Sparkle had told her that when visiting Canterlot Palace, the chariots usually land outside the gates, so Apple Bloom was mildly surprised when their bat-winged chauffeurs flew past the gates and over the royal gardens. She was more surprised when their chariots descended into the sculpture garden. The last time she was here, she and her friends had inadvertently released Discord. It was unnerving to say the least, being near that statue again. Princess Luna greeted them happily, and did not seem the least bit worried that the Crusaders would repeat their previous mistake, and Apple Bloom wasn't sure whether that was reassuring, or a reason to be even more nervous. Either way, this is where Luna had chosen to meet, and Apple Bloom was in no position to protest, so she did her best not to think about where she was, or her previous experience there. “Good evening, fair Twilight Sparkle, good evening, young Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. I am pleased that you could join me here tonight,” Luna said as they exited the chariots. “Good evening, Princess.” the Crusaders said in unison, bowing low. “Please rise, children, that isn't necessary. Such formalities make me a bit uncomfortable, and I do my best to avoid them, especially during private meetings such as this. So no bowing, and please, just call me Luna. I will make it a royal decree if I have too,” Luna said with a smile. “As you know, I have spent the preceding days pondering the wisdom of intervening in fate in order to save the life of one of my future subjects. I want to make it clear that no matter how we approach this problem, there will be a great degree of risk, and no guarantees that we will succeed. Do you understand?” “We do, Princess... I mean Luna. I believe that it's worth it to try.,” Twilight answered. “Us too, it's important to us to try and save Apple Fries,” Sweetie Belle added. “I know it is, especially to young Apple Bloom, I am sure. If I am to agree to this, you will be expected to perform certain tasks. Some of them may not be easy, but my instructions must be followed to the letter.” “We understand. Ain't no way I am gonna give up of Apple Fries, I will do anything I have to,” Apple Bloom said. “Of that I am sure. Since we seem to be in agreement, let us discuss what we need to do,” Luna said, a tone of grave seriousness in her voice. “First, you should be aware that certain magical safeguards have been put in place over the centuries, measures that are designed to protect the time line from negative alterations. I have done what research I could, and have seen no evidence that the death of Apple Fries should have any effect on the larger time line. However, I must warn you, if we save this pony's life, and at a later date it becomes apparent that the death indeed served a greater purpose for fate, action will be taken without hesitation. Also, I can't stress enough that any action we take will be in direct defiance of fate, and there is a strong possibility that any plan we make, no matter how well thought out, may be doomed to failure.” As if to punctuate her serious tone, as the Princess continued her speech, the skies opened above the sculpture gardens, and rain began to fall, first as a light sprinkle, but quickly growing to a heavy downpour. The princess made no indication that she even noticed, and continued speaking heedless of her increasingly wet mane and coat. “You are to say here as guests of the palace, and you as well, Twilight Sparkle, to act as their caretaker. For the next week, and perhaps more, should it be required, I will work with you, side by side, to formulate a plan of action. When such time comes that we are ready to proceed, you three will travel to the future in your device, and inform the adult Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle of your plan, as well as any other individuals who may need to be involved. Twilight Sparkle, as well as being my sister's student, you and I shall have begin to have monthly meeting specifically to study the advanced and hidden magics. I was going to ask this of you in time, though this situation serves well as an opportunity to ask. You are not yet powerful enough to perform the magic required, and alas, neither am I. We shall not travel through time, Twilight Sparkle, but instead we will do our part when the day comes in the natural way. Is this arrangement acceptable to all of you?” “Yes, Princess Luna,” Apple Bloom said, and the other Crusaders nodded in agreement. “And you, Twilight Sparkle?” “Of course. I would be honored to study magic with you. Really excited, in fact,” Twilight said, blushing slightly. “Then it is settled, our work shall begin tomorrow. Twilight, my sister wishes for you to visit her in her chambers. When she heard you were to arrive tonight, she cleared a portion of time to spend with you. As, for you, children, I don't know about you, but in my opinion, rainy nights are the best times for outdoor fun.” The Princess's demeanor abruptly changed from one of weighty seriousness, to carefree playfulness. “Tag, you're it,” she said, and tapped Apple Bloom on the head. While Twilight headed inside to dry off, and visit Princess Celestia, The Crusaders played cheerfully in the rain with Princess Luna, and soon all four of them were caked in a generous layer of mud. o:O:o o:O:o To Apple Bloom's eyes, it appeared that the trio of fillies had simply winked out of existence in their time machine, only to reappear an instant later. “Good, you're still here,” Sweetie Belle said. “We've spent weeks working on it,” Scootaloo added. “And we think we got a plan,” the younger Apple Bloom said. “So, um... yeah, what they said,” Sweetie Belle finished. “Now, dang it, you three, this whole situation is hard enough as it is. We asked y'all to let it go, so please, just go back to where you came from and stay there.” “Please, Mrs. Apple Bloom, just hear us out, we promise if you don't want to try our idea, we will leave and not come back ever again,” Scootaloo pleaded, putting on her cutest, saddest face, and the other two crusaders did the same. Apple Bloom considered their proposal for a moment. Eventually and reluctantly, she agreed to at least hear them out, it couldn't hurt to at least see what they had come up with. “Fine, but if I ain't happy with what I see, y'all gotta go straight away. I am goin' against my better judgmental here, so y'all better be appreciative.” Immediately all three Crusaders' faces brightened, and they quickly reached behind the Epoch's seat, and began pulling out numerous books, scrolls and charts. They set up their presentation on the picnic table, and the elder Apple Bloom watched and listened, doing her best to keep an open mind. As the Crusaders excitedly presented their plan, Apple Bloom's heart started to race. It was something that she had never considered, and it gave her a glimmer or hope. “Well, I'll be! Y'all have really thought this through haven't you?” “You got no idea what we've went though to get this all planned out. Please, just give us a chance,” the younger Apple Bloom begged. “I can't say that I even understand everything, especially the parts about magical fields and ancient legends, but I think I should at least give thought to what you have here. I'll tell you what, I'm gonna get the others, and let them take a look too. I suppose it's my choice in the end, since Apple Fries is my foal, but this plan involves them too, so I aught to at least give them a chance to have their say. Y'all don't run off, now, I should be back with Scootaloo and Sweetie soon.” As far as Apple Bloom knew, only four ponies in all of Equestria knew of Apple Fries' fate, seven if the younger versions of Apple Bloom and her two lifelong friends were to be considered. Apple Bloom had never told Featherweight, Applejack or Big Macintosh, she believed that the fewer ponies carried such terrible knowledge, the better. It was unfortunate that Pinkie Pie had overheard them talking around the bonfire, but that was in the past, so nothing could be done about it now, Apple Bloom supposed. Thoughts of the plan that the fillies had developed raced in her head. It would be difficult, that much she knew for sure. It would involve letting others in on the secret. Worst of all, Apple Fries would have to be a willing participant, she would have to be told. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, as well and both of Apple Bloom's siblings were sitting on the deck of the Apple Family home when she arrived. She could see Apple Fries playing with her two friends among the honeycrisp trees. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before ascending the wooden steps of the deck and taking a seat among her friends and family. “Scoots, Sweetie, somethin' important has come up, and I need y'all to come with me for a bit if you don't mind.” “Everything okay, little sis?” Applejack asked, concern apparent in her voice. “Yeah, AJ, it ain't nothin', I just need to talk to them in private for a bit. Think y'all can keep an eye on Fries for awhile?” She beckoned her friends to follow, and the three ponies traveled together to meet the awaiting Crusaders. o:O:o “Girls, this idea is fascinating,” the elder Sweetie Belle said as she studied the proposal laid out in front of her. “Though, I don't think that I would have enough magic to do it.” “We found somepony with an awful lot of magic that is willing to help. She should be showing up tonight.” the younger Sweetie Belle explained. “That is good to know, we will definitely need the help. That is, if we decide that we are gonna do this,” the elder Apple Bloom said. “I don't even know why you are even considering not doing it,” Scootaloo said as she flew around the clearing in wide circles, the younger Scootaloo riding on her back with an impossibly large grin on her face. “I say any chance is better than no chance at all.” “Yeah,” the younger Scootaloo added. “What's the worst that could happen?” “Well, the spell disrupts the time-space continuum, so we will only get one chance at it, and no amount of time travel will ever be able to change it. We will just have to accept the results, for good or ill,” adult Sweetie Belle said. Apple Bloom was torn. This plan gave her hope, gave Apple Fries hope, and that was something that didn't exist before, but the risk was high. If the plan failed, if the spell were to be miscast, not only would Apple Fries die, but the spell could literally destroy the magic of all those involved. Not just unicorn magic either, but pegasus and earth pony magic as well. Indeed, the risk was high, but the reward would be the preservation of a precious life, the life of the pony she loved most. It was a difficult decision for her, but finally her mind was made. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and reluctantly, but confidently, spoke to her five companions. “I can't say I'm sure that this is a good idea, but we have to try. Dear Celestia, I pray that this is the right thing to do” TO BE CONCLUDED IN EPISODE FIVE A LINK IN THE CHAIN OF DESTINY Thank you for reading, and as always, please let me know if you notice any mistakes, so that they can be fixed. Title Card created using the following images: Twilight Sparkle by AncientKale Luna and CMCs by Kumkrum Background - Artist unknown All other logos and image edits by me, using screen shots from the show, fonts from DaFont, and images found on google. Images created using Photofiltre.