Rainbow's Quest

by Zetriax

As the Pendulum Swings

Chapter 8- As the Pendulum Swings
“What can this mean?” Shadow asked.
“That she’s an imposter!” spat Future Rainbow.
“I’m not an imposter!” Rainbow objected, “I came from the past!”
“Really? Prove it!”
Rainbow thought for a second. “How about this. Ask me questions only you would know.”
Future Rainbow nodded.
“What time are you from?” asked Shadow Flare.
Rainbow thought, “I’m not too sure. It was three months after Twilight Sparkle became a princess. Why?”
“Well it wouldn’t be fair if she asked you a question about something that hasn’t happened yet,” was Shadow’s reply.
Future Rainbow shot him a furious glare. “Fine. So you came from ten years ago.”
“Ten years! Really?” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Yes,” said Future Rainbow, rolling her eyes. “First question: where are you from?”
“Cloudsdale.”
“What is your pet and his name?”
“A tortoise named Tank.”
“How did you get your cutie mark?”
“The pegasus race between me and the two foals who were picking on Fluttershy. I made my first Sonic Rainboom then.”
“Grr. Who is Little Strongheart?”
“She’s a buffalo that lives near Apploosa.”
“What is your Element of Harmony?”
“Loyalty.”
“Where do you live?”
“A house made of clouds at the edge of town. I made it myself.”
“Okay. Now for the real question: where are your parents?”
The question struck Rainbow’s heart. She didn’t even know who her parents were. She had never seen their faces. She never knew the protection of a family. From a very young age, she had had to learn to stick up for herself. To be tough.
Rainbow realized a tear was running down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. Future Rainbow nodded with a sigh. “It’s really me.”
Rainbow looked up at her future self. She, too, wore an expression of sadness.
Shadow Flare approached, “Now that that’s settled, we can get on to more important matters.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow, brushing off the momentary sadness.
“Do you still need me to send that message?” Future Rainbow asked.
“Oh! Yes, I hope it isn’t too much trouble,” said Shadow.
“None at all.”
The three ponies ascended the staircase. Future Rainbow took the message, leaving Rainbow and Shadow Flare to discuss some things.
“Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Don’t reveal yourself to anypony, if possible,” said Shadow.
“Okay. I’ll do that,” acknowledged Rainbow.
“Have you run into anypony today besides me and, well, you?”
“Scootaloo. She’s the one that told me you were waiting for me.”
“Okay. Let’s keep it that way.”
Shadow Flare stood up and walked upstairs, “I’ll be right back,” he cast over his shoulder. Rainbow Dash nodded in acknowledgement and began to look around. The place didn’t look much different than when Twilight had lived here, but here and there were new things. Lying on a desk was an object that caught her attention. The light glinted off the round, silver object.
She took it in her hoof. It was a pocket watch. She opened it and was taken aback by its oddness. On the inside was engraved a stylized dragon. But what was even weirder was the watch itself. The miniature clock had thirteen days instead of twelve hours. But the weirdest part about it was the fact that the hands were going counterclockwise. It was counting down.
Shadow Flare returned bearing a black cloak, “Here, you can use this whenever we go out.”
“Thanks,” said Rainbow, not looking up from the stopwatch. “Where did you get this?”
“Get what?” he asked.
“This trippy stopwatch,” she said.
“I’ve never seen that before. Where did you find it?”
“On the desk. On top of that piece of paper,” Rainbow answered, looking up.
“There was no paper on that desk last time I checked.” He walked over and picked up the paper and unfolded it, using his magic. He appeared to read a word or two and handed it to Rainbow Dash. “It’s for you.”
Rainbow seized the paper and read it:
Rainbow Dash,
You must leave. Take the stopwatch and use it wisely. Time is short.
-Ragnarok
“I don’t get it. The watch doesn’t even make sense. And who is this Ragnarok?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Wait,” said Shadow, “Did you just say Ragnarok?”
“Yes.”
Shadow Flare pulled a book from a bookshelf and flipped through the pages. He stopped on a page and stepped back to let Rainbow see the page. Upon it was a dragon unlike any she’d ever seen. It gave off a feeling of evil and menace that no other creature had made her feel. Not even Discord.
“In mythology, Ragnarok is said to be the entity that would destroy the entire world,” said Shadow. “He awaits the End of Time and will tear the universe apart and return all to the Void.”
“What?” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
“Somehow, your being here must’ve altered time. You need to go back to your own time. If you don’t it could spell the end of the world as we know it,” he said solemnly.
Rainbow turned back to the watch. The hand was on twelve. Only twelve days until the end the world.

Comments

[spider-pony32]

Keep up the good work thanks.

[Zetriax]

3597290 Most definitely!