Time is up, Twilight

by Dream Whisper

Chapter 2: The future

It was time to finally take the leap into the future. Twilight prepared the fluffy room again. This time, there was no interference with her plans. This time, she would finally do it. Her body vibrated in anticipation. She channeled the mighty spell, which could possibly bring her into the future. It would be enough magic to finally test that potion. With this, she could not only prove herself to be a worthy student, but also help every single pony in all of Equestria.

The idea behind time-travelling is really simple. You traverse the plane of time and space almost like teleporting, but instead of only being bound to space, you move freely in time as well. However, time is much more difficult to control. Teleporting through space is rather easy, though time is a life-time effort to master. She felt the magic slowly and steadily assembling in her horn, until it would finally be released in the end. When enough magic had assembled, she used it all and tried to move her physical body through time.

Her body was being pulled into a blinding light, and for a couple of seconds, she just felt nothing, not even gravity. It felt so weird, she almost had to throw up. There was no up and down anymore. There was nothing anymore, she was just floating in eternal nothingness, until she finally returned to the same room. The door to the room, however, was opened. Not only that, but the whole room was restored to its original layout. Had she traveled into the past by accident? Was it a reverse potion? Oh well, only one way to find out.

She needed a couple of minutes to fully recover again, it had taken an incredible amount of magic. She still did not know when she actually had arrived. There should be a big clock outside telling her the time. However, everything looked different. The machine was gone, as was almost every other possession of hers. The whole house in fact, was completely empty. What had happened? Had the potion misfired and put her into a different dimension? Had it disintegrated everything that had been in contact with her magic? Or had it been some result of the time spell?

This place did not feel like her home anymore. It was weird. Thoroughly weird, to see all of her personal items to be removed from the house. Was this before she had moved in? It must have been, mustn’t it? It was strange, how it all mattered less to her than she had expected. She didn’t feel like this was her place. Her place was somewhere in the future. However, out there would be a whole past world to explore. She had traveled into the false direction, but that didn’t mean she could not at least enjoy it. However, as she put her first hoof out, she was already jumped down by somepony. Totally surprised, she managed to get a glimpse on her attacker.

"Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here?"

Pinkie Pie was almost as confused as Twilight was.

"Are you a ghost? Twilight? How? But we thought... Do you know what this means? We have to throw a giant welcomebacktwilightpartybecauseyouareobviouslynotdead!"

Did she just mishear that? Pinkie was hard to understand at times, but still, 'Not dead'? What in all of Equestria had happened? Why would past Pinkie Pie think, she was dead? There was only one solution to Pinkie already knowing her: This was the future, not the past. However, something must have gone terribly wrong for Pinkie to think she was dead. Before Twilight had even been able to ask anything, Pinkie Pie flashed away, probably to give a party or something like that. Twilight however was just thoroughly confused. Had she died in the future and now was in a posthum future? Or was this a different universe with a different future? Or was this really the past, but one in a different universe? She shook her head to pull herself out of these thoughts. There was still a whole world to explain and many answers to find.

There was most definitely something wrong here and she would find it all out. First of all, she would have to be really sure, when she actually had arrived. She still did not know the exact date, so that was at least something to find out. Either it was the future or the past. With enough determination, she was sure to find it out. There was no stopping her! She trotted off into the direction of the Carousel Boutique, where maybe… no, most definitely she could find the answers. Although the bakery was a lot closer, she decided not to try it. Pinkie Pie had seemed quite overly excited there.

When she finally arrived at the boutique, everypony was already waiting for her. As it seemed, Pinkie Pie had indeed assembled everypony to greet her with a party. It was a strange experience to be so excitedly greeted only after being gone for a couple of seconds. How was she supposed to react to this? She couldn’t just act as if much time had went by or not went by. She groaned in anger: Why does time travel have to be so complicated? Obviously, in those couple of seconds after her journey quite a lot had changed.

"Twilight? Is that really you? Oh, I have missed you gal."

Applejack was completely surprised about her being here, which confused Twilight even more. Obviously it had not only been Pinkie Pie having some crazy idea. The fact that everypony was assembled here was an indicator for something truly terrible to have happened. She feared a bit what she could find out. What if she didn’t like what she would learn?

"Twilight? We thought you were... dead."

Why would Rainbow Dash say something like that? What had actually happened? Rainbow Dash was the element of Loyalty after all. Why would Rainbow Dash lie to her? Well, loyalty is not really honesty, is it? Twilight! How can you even think that?

Before she could even ask one question about the date, all her friends came to hug her and comfort her. Although she was not really in the mood for hugging, she didn't refuse. They must have really missed her after those two years. Incredible, what implications this all can have. She felt a bit awkward, but you have to do what you have to do, don’t you? After they were done with hugging, Twilight finally came to ask the question:

"Girls. Can you tell me the time and date, please?"

"Oh no! Twilight has become a mindless zombie that cannot remember the time! We are all doomed!"
Pinkie started hyperventilating, but Applejack put a hoof around her, shaking her head.
"Oh! Has she got amnesia because she fell down from a magical stair she had built for years to reach the books on top of her shelf?”
This time, Applejack just put her hoof to her face, but Pinkie Pie gave it another try.
“Hmm… Then Twilight has traveled through time exactly 2 years and 1 day and 25 seconds into the future and doesn’t know, it is the future!”
Pinkie switched back to her ever-happy manner as Twilight stared at her open-mouthed. Rainbow Dash took that as a yes and answered Twilight’s question.

"It is about two years now, since you were gone. Is Pinkie really right? She can’t be right.”

The spell had actually catapulted her way too far into the future, about two years, or two years one day and twenty-five seconds into the future, if she could trust Pinkie with that. In those two years, she had just been gone from the face of the world. That still did not explain what had happened to everything in her home, but she could find that out later. Now she should better explain it all, because the others were already doubting her sanity.

"Okay… This is hard to convey, but... When I disappeared two years ago, I did not actually die. As you know, I was trying to research a potion that could amplify the magical power of every unicorn."
She decided not to mention the fact, that there had actually been some mysterious mare trying to kill her and her own future self trying to save her.
"When I then cast a spell, that would have just transported me a couple of seconds into the future, I must have been catapulted through time until arriving here. Two years? That is actually incredible. That recipe must be the solution to all problems."

"Wow, that really hurts my mind, that egghead stuff. So, are you two years older now?"
Actually quite an interesting question. As she had traveled two years into the future, her body had not grown two years older. However, she had missed two birthdays now, which should be...

"We are going to do a double-birthday party!"

Of course, Pinkie Pie had to bring that up. There was just one questions still torturing her mind.

"So, where are all the machines? The translucinator and the chemical abstractor and the magic-transverser?"

Even though Applejack made a confused face, she was able to guess, what Twilight had actually wanted to know. There had been some huge machines in that chamber, so maybe that was what Twilight was goin’ for.

"I think it was all brought to Canterlot castle after we searched everywhere for you. We didn't give up easily. However, we couldn't search forever. When it became apparent that we would not be able to find you..."
Applejack paused for a moment, thinking about how she could continue the sentence. After realizing, there was really no considerate way to end it, she decided to just begin another one.
“We decided to have your things stored somewhere else, so the library would be publicly accessible again. It is all stored in the Canterlot castle. We can go there, if ya want."

"We need to parteeey first!!"

Although Twilight did not really want to party, - It had been just some seconds for her - she knew, that having one of her friends missing for two years would have been absolutely devastating for her. She did her best to make the others feel comfortable again, but this meeting had inevitably tears of joys and a lot of hugging in it. The party right afterwards was something that was quite enjoyable, although there had been a party two days ago - or one day and two years ago, depending on the point of view.

After the party was over, it was finally time to get her stuff back. It felt bad to think so inconsiderate, but she just had to find out what had happened. Her curiosity would kill her if she didn’t. As it had been stored in Canterlot, she would have to order spike to send a letter... Where was spike? Was he gone?

"Err... girls? Where is spike?"

This time, it was Rainbow Dash answering her question. Rainbow Dash had most easily coped with the loss, or she didn’t show it anymore.

"Spike didn't want to let go. He is still with all of your egghead machinery in the Canterlot castle. I'm sure that he missed you as much as we did. If you are going there, though, we are coming with you. We won’t let you dash away once again."

That was a deciding fact. If spike was really still with her things, she would have to prioritize to get to the castle. However, the question remained how she could actually get there. She would probably have to take a normal train. If the trains would still run like two years ago, there should be one in just about an hour, considering the sun almost being at its peak right now. Of course, that would give her friends the time to get their bags together.

The train ride to Canterlot was boring and exciting at the same time. Of course, it bored Twilight to drive over the same train-tracks again and again for the last years, but this time it was different. She was quite excited about what would await her in Canterlot. The poor Spike must have had a really hard time in those two years without her. How much had changed? Two years is quite a long time. Would everything still be there? Somehow, it still filled her with pride, the whole situation. Of course, the spell was misfired, but her potion had worked over all expectations. 2 whole years... The power given to everypony would be so intense. This would be the greatest discovery since the discovery of the fire! It would change the world! Every unicorn in Equestria would be able to work together for a better Equestria!

They arrived in Canterlot a bit after noon. It was a beautiful summer's day in Canterlot, everypony smiling and having a good time. It felt so normal, so usual, that she had to actually remind her of the fact that two whole years had passed by. This was a different Canterlot now, and she was about to see a different Celestia and a different Spike. They slowly trotted towards the entrance of the castle, the city being still as impressive as in the first days. The tops of the towers were flying in some unreal distance and down here just above the ground was a zoo of ponies, in which everypony had to do something, streaming through the streets like busy ants.

The royal guards at the entrance immediately recognized her and some of them already ran inside to spread the news of the Princess having returned. After they had already entered the castle, getting as far as into the floor, Celestia, Luna and spike were already coming their way. It was impressive how fast they had been. Celestia spoke first, although Spike had already opened his mouth:

"Twilight Sparkle, you have returned. I am so grateful to see you again. Please, tell us, what has happened?"

She had not expected Princess Celestia to be so worried about her. Celesita's face told of worrisome hours without sleep and of incredible relief after seeing her again. Twilight found a very similar expression on Luna's face, although Luna seemed to hold it back much less. Spike however, was completely overwhelmed. He cried and laughed and hugged her, unable to really bring out any words. As Celestia realized that Twilight would need some more time to calm Spike down, she made a clear decision:

"As soon as you are ready, come to my chambers. There might be something important, I have to tell you."

Might be? How in Equestria could Celestia not know, if something was important to tell or not? Then again, she had no idea how exactly Twilight had disappeared. Twilight decided to just find it out afterwards. For now, she was just happy to calm down Spike, who had become a stronger dragon in those two years. It was so strange to be gone for a couple of seconds, but still be treated like a dead pony coming back from its grave.

After all the tears had fallen and all the joy had been exchanged, Twilight decided to finally visit the chambers of Celestia.

Comments

[mlpfanficismagic]

You...Are...Soooo...AWESOME!!!!

[miiohau]

Why are you intalicizing all spoken diolog? It very jarring. The quote marks are enough to mark diolog. Intalics are usually used for thought and flashbacks.