Chapter 11: “For the good of Equestria”
Starswirl the Bearded woke up the next morning long before dawn. He had to admit that the service in Twilight's castle was impeccable. A white unicorn named Rarity delivered to him a hoof-stitched saddlebag, complete with his cutie mark. Another pony named Moondancer brought him three blank enchanted comics, a quill, and an early draft of the book that explained how to use the new magical technique that Twilight had invented. Yet another Moondancer brought breakfast to his room.
Starswirl ate his breakfast and spent an hour reading the book he had been given. He then tracked down Rarity and spent some time talking to her. When he learned what he wanted to know, he asked her for directions to Applejack's home. He then thanked her and left the castle.
The unicorn had wanted to tell Twilight goodbye before he left, but one of the Moondancers told him that she was still in bed. Apparently the princess did not get out of bed before Celestia rose the sun. It was actually still dark when Starswirl left the castle, but he knew that Celestia would raise the sun soon. Applejack, he had been told, was an early riser. Which is all the better, he thought to himself. Perhaps I can talk with her before anypony else knows what I am doing.
* * * * *
Starswirl walked down the dusty road that led to Sweet Apple Acres. He was actually in a hurry, but he knew he couldn't appear to be in a hurry. If he ran along the road he would probably attract attention; if he attracted attention to himself there was a good chance that Sunshine would hear about it and wonder what was going on. So he had to act as if nothing was wrong.
He was a little surprised that no one noticed him. His costume was fairly elaborate, and he knew he couldn't possibly blend in with the local population. Yet he did not encounter a single pony on his trip, and he arrived at Sweet Apple Acres without incident.
The scope of the Apple family farm impressed him. The tree that had killed the original Applejack had been hauled away and was now gone. Starswirl looked at the barn, the family house, and the extensive apple orchard that stretched to the horizon. The Apple family has quite an extensive farming operation, he thought. How odd that one of the Elements works as a farmer. I'm surprised that Celestia does not keep them in Canterlot and put them on the state payroll. What advantage could there be to allowing them to live so far from the capitol? But he had more important problems to deal with.
Starswirl walked up to the door of the Apple family residence and knocked on it. He was a bit surprised when the door opened just seconds later. A yellow filly with a red mane looked up at him. “Howdy, stranger!” the filly said excitedly. “What can I do for you?”
“My name is Starswirl the Bearded. I'd like to speak to Applejack for a moment, if I may. Is she in?”
“Sure, she's in. I'm Apple Bloom, her younger sister. Wait just one moment, ok? I'll go get her.”
Apple Bloom turned around and yelled through the house. “Applejack! You got company!”
“I'm comin'!” a voice called back.
Apple Bloom turned around and grinned. “She'll be here in just a minute. Can I get you some breakfast?”
“No thank you – I've already eaten. But I appreciate the kind offer. You have a lovely home.”
“Thanks,” Apple Bloom said.
A moment later Applejack walked into the room. When Apple Bloom saw her she raced off and disappeared through a doorway. Applejack walked to the front door. “I'm sorry my sister didn't invite you inside. Won't you come in?”
“Are you Applejack, the Element of Harmony?” Starswirl asked.
Applejack nodded. “Yup, that's me. And you – hmmm, I know you look familiar. I just can't place it. Oh, I know. Twilight dressed up as you once for Nightmare Night. She said you were somepony famous.”
“I'm Starswirl the Bearded,” the stallion replied. “I'm not surprised you don't remember my name. I died about a thousand years ago, and apparently history is no longer taught in schools. But might I have a word with you, in private? I fear that there is trouble brewing, and I need your help.”
“So you died, huh? That means you're like me. Right? Did Twilight recreate you using that book magic of hers?”
“You are close to the truth. I am told that Twilight taught the technique to Celestia. Celestia is the one who did the actual deed.”
“Well, there you go. Kinda weird, isn't it? But sure, I can talk. If this is a private conversation then we can head out to the barn. There won't be anypony out there this time of day but the chickens, and they don't really say much. Well, except to Fluttershy, I guess. But she's not here right now.”
Starswirl was surprised. “Do you mean the Element of Kindness can talk to animals?”
Applejack nodded. “Yup. Animals are kind of her thing. If you ask me, Fluttershy should be the Element of Animals and I should be the Element of Apples. Pinkie should probably be the Element of Friendship. But I guess it don't work that way. I've never really understood magic. Of course, I'm an earth pony, so that's probably why.”
“But you have wings,” Starswirl pointed out. “Doesn't that make you a pegasus?”
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting about that. The wings are actually new. I was born an earth pony, and Twilight brought me back from the dead as an earth pony, but my friend Rainbow Dash talked me into getting these wings. So I guess I am a pegasus now. Although, really, I consider myself more of an earth pony with wings. Not that it really matters.”
Applejack stepped out of the house and accompanied Starswirl. The two of them made their way to the barn. On the short walk there, a rainbow-colored streak came down from the sky and landed directly in front of them. “There you are!” the blue pegasus said. “I thought you'd never get out of bed. What – were you sleeping in or something?”
Applejack face-hoofed. “Rainbow, I get up at the same time every morning – you know that! And we talked about this. You don't need to follow me around all the time. You can go off and do your weather pony stuff. I'm fine – honest.”
“Ah,” Starswirl said. “This must be the Element of Loyalty. It's so strange to see the Elements of Harmony represented by ponies.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow said dismissively to Starswirl. “Look, Apples, don't worry about my job. I've got it covered. We weather ponies don't have anything going on today, so I've got all the time in the world. What's going on?”
“I'm tryin' to have a private discussion with Starswirl,” Applejack replied. “He said there's trouble of some kind.”
“Great! Count me in. So what's going on?”
Starswirl held up a hoof. “Let us find a private area first, and then I will discuss the details with you. What I am about to tell you must not be overheard.”
Rainbow grinned. “This just keeps getting better.” She raced off into the barn. Applejack and Starswirl followed behind a moment later.
Once the three ponies were safely inside the barn. Starswirl closed the doors. He then cast a spell that created a bubble around the area. “There. That should keep us from being heard – for a while, at least. What I am about to tell you must not be repeated to anypony else. It is of the utmost importance that this remain a top secret.”
“Let me guess,” Rainbow Dash said. “You're a country music singer, right? Or maybe a clown. With that hat and bells, I'm going with clown.”
Applejack groaned. “Rainbow, be serious! He's a famous pony from a thousand years ago. I think he's some kind of magician.”
Starswirl nodded. “I am not merely a magician; I am the magician. I was the chief magician for Celestia for decades. I invented countless spells and performed feats of magic that had never been seen before. I even banished the three sirens to another dimension.”
“Yeah, we know,” Applejack said. “They caused all kinds of problems in that dimension, too. Twilight had to go and defeat them. She told us all about it.”
“Oh, I see. Of course – you are the Elements. I am sure you have had all sorts of adventures and faced many different foes. But I fear that the foe you will face this time is going to be far more difficult to defeat. Equestria is in grave danger.”
“What kind of danger?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Monsters? Please let it be monsters. I haven't fought off a good monster in weeks.”
“Let me start at the beginning. As I understand it, a number of weeks ago a tree fell on Applejack and killed her. Twilight could not handle the loss of her dear friend, so she decided to use her magic to bring Applejack back from the dead.”
Rainbow interrupted. “No, no, you got it all wrong. Twilight was, like, totally ok with it. Well, not ok, I guess, but she wasn't going to do anything. I was the one who pestered her into finding a way to save Applejack. I practically moved into her castle, and I bugged her until we got results. I didn't let her have any peace. I'm really the one who motivated her to do it.”
“Then you may have destroyed all of Equestria. You see, Twilight succeeded. She discovered the most dangerous secret of all: she learned how to create things with pure magic. Even worse, she immediately used this technique to create a friend for herself – the pony Sunshine. I am very, very concerned about what she has done.”
“Why?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Sunshine is a great pony. I don't have a problem with her.”
Starswirl looked sternly at Rainbow Dash. “Sunshine is the most dangerous sort of pony in the world. Not only is she a powerful alicorn with an extensive knowledge of magic, but she was created to be loyal to Twilight. Completely loyal. Unquestionably loyal. There can be no greater danger than a loyal friend.”
“Hey now!” Rainbow replied, offended. “I'm a loyal friend. What are you saying?”
Starswirl sighed. “Tell me something. Suppose that Twilight came to you and told you that she wanted to take Celestia's place as ruler over the nation. In order to overthrow Equestria, Twilight wanted you to assassinate the royal sisters and burn down Canterlot. Would you do that for her?”
“Of course not! I would never hurt Celestia or Luna. But Twilight would never ask for a thing like that. If she did, though, I would set her straight. There's no way I would agree to that. It's crazy. And stupid.”
“But you are the Element of Loyalty. How could you refuse her? Surely you want to be loyal to Twilight, don't you?”
“Well, sure. But I'm not the Element of Being Evil. If Twilight went crazy one day then I would set her straight. It's what friends do.”
Applejack spoke up. “I see where this is goin'. Rainbow would tell Twilight off – but Sunshine wouldn't. Am I right?”
Starswirl nodded. “Exactly. Sunshine is completely loyal. She would literally do anything to make Twilight happy. Sunshine is not dedicated to Twilight's well-being; she is dedicated to Twilight's happiness. If assassinating Celestia would grant Twilight some measure of happiness then Sunshine would do it without hesitation. If Twilight asked her to burn Equestria to the ground then Sunshine would do it. That is why Sunshine is so dangerous. She has great power, and she will do anything. Her behavior is only limited by the overwhelming desire she has to make Twilight happy. She would never, ever disagree with Twilight or tell her that she was wrong. It is not in her nature.”
Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Now wait just a minute. How do you know that Sunshine is actually bad? Maybe she's just friendly, that's all. Has she actually done anything evil?”
“That is an excellent question. Now I will ask you one. The pony Rarity – the Element of Generosity. I understand that she now lives with Twilight. Is this normal for her? Are Rarity and Twilight exceptionally close friends?”
Applejack spoke up. “Well, not really. I mean, they're friends and all, but Rarity used to have her own life. She actually ran two dress shops – one in Ponyville and one in Canterlot. She was a pretty busy pony.”
“And what about now?” Starswirl asked.
“Well, it's true that she has changed a bit. Her Ponyville dress shop isn't open as much as it used to be. Rarity seems pretty caught up in her new life in the castle.”
“That's quite interesting, isn't it? Has Rarity always been this supportive of Twilight's new magic?”
“Absolutely not. In fact, she hated it. She thought it was terrible. When Twilight came to talk to her about it, Rarity told her off and practically threw her out of her store. Rarity wanted no part of it.”
“I see,” Starswirl replied. “So what changed her mind?”
Applejack thought a moment. “Well, the next day Rarity came and apologized. She moved into Twilight's castle a few days later, and now she almost never leaves. I see what you're sayin' – it is a bit strange. Maybe even suspicious.”
“Think about this from Sunshine's point of view,” Starswirl said. “Sunshine was created to make Twilight happy. Sunshine surely realized that Rarity was upset with Twilight and was not being supportive. If Rarity was friendly and helpful then that would make Twilight happy. Therefore, it would make perfect sense for Sunshine to kill the original Rarity and replace her with a new Rarity – one that Sunshine could create out of a comic book. The new Rarity would be loyal, friendly, and would never disagree with Twilight again.”
“No way!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “That doesn't make sense at all. Only a deranged lunatic would think that was a good idea.”
“I understand you point, but the reason you are horrified is because you have a moral compass that guides your actions. Your morality outweighs your loyalty to Twilight. It places limits on your behavior and your way of thinking. But Sunshine is different. If Sunshine comes to believe that Twilight would be happier if her friends had a different attitude, then I have no doubt she would kill them and replace them. Twilight would never know what happened; all she would know was that her friends had suddenly started agreeing with her. That would make Twilight happy – which is literally all that Sunshine cares about.”
Applejack spoke up. “Is that why you think she's so dangerous?”
Starswirl nodded. “I do not know very much about Princess Twilight, but very few ponies would be able to defend themselves against someone like Sunshine. All Twilight sees is a pony who wants to help her and make her happy. Twilight would never imagine that Sunshine might be dangerous, because Sunshine would never be dangerous to her. It's only the rest of Equestria that is in grave peril.”
Rainbow spoke up. “Fine, fine. Maybe you're right. So why don't we just go talk to Twilight? This sounds pretty easy to fix if you ask me.”
Starswirl held up a hoof. “There is more. Sunshine is only part of the danger. The other problem is the magic that Twilight invented. In a few days Twilight is going to release her enchanted comics to all of the world. When she does that, everypony will be able to create any world that they want, and will have everything that they ever desired.”
“That sounds totally awesome! I've already been thinking about what I'm going to do with that sweet magic. It will be the best thing ever.”
“It will be the end of Equestria,” Starswirl said darkly. “Once ponies are given those comics, they will live in them for the rest of their lives. Why would anypony come back to the real world, with its problems and pains and limitations, when they could spend their whole life living out any fantasy they can imagine? What will happen next is blindingly obvious. The ponies of this world will spend the rest of their days living in their fantasies, and then they will die. If this is not stopped then this generation of ponies will be the last. A hundred years from now there will be no ponies left in the entire world. They will all be dead.”
Applejack frowned. “Look. I ain't no fan of this new magic, and I agree it's a bad idea. But do you really think it's going to be that bad? Maybe ponies will use it responsibly. Maybe the fantasies will get old. It seems to me like doom and gloom ain't the only possible outcome.”
“Perhaps,” Starswirl said. “Which brings me to my plan. As I said earlier, I am a magician – perhaps the greatest magician who has ever lived. One of the spells that I developed was a time travel spell.”
“That's it!” Applejack exclaimed. “I knew I'd heard of you somewhere. Twilight used that spell of yours once. It didn't really work out the way she hoped, though.”
“I know. That is because the version of that spell that I recorded for posterity was broken. I put limits on it so it would not be abused. But I know the real spell. I know a spell that allows you to travel through time as much as you desire. You can travel anywhere you wish, and you can change the past. It is very powerful and very dangerous.”
“That sounds totally amazing,” Rainbow Dash replied. “But how is that going to help us?”
“It is very simple. I want Applejack to travel a hundred years into the future. If the world is fine and all is well, she can travel back here and live out the rest of her days. It will be as if she never left. However, if I am right and the world has been destroyed, then Applejack will travel back to the day she died and prevent her own death. Once her death is prevented, Twilight will no longer have a reason to investigate enchanted comics. She will never invent the new magical technique, and this entire future will be prevented.”
Applejack raised a hoof. “Hold on just a second there. First of all, I ain't a magical pony. I can't cast spells. How are you going to teach me to travel through time?”
“By turning you into an alicorn, of course. All I need is the comic that was used to create you. I can handle the rest from there.”
“But I don't have that book. It's at Twilight's castle.”
“I am sure we can obtain it,” Starswirl replied. “Do you have any other objections?”
“Well, not an objection, really. But I do have a question. Why don't you go? Wouldn't that be easier?”
Starswirl sighed. “The problem is that preventing your death will only postpone the problem. It won't actually solve it. You see, Twilight is an alicorn. That means she will live for a very long time – but you, her friends, will not. One day one of the Elements will die. It may be in an accident, or it may be of old age, but it will happen. When it happens this whole process will begin again. What we need to do is convince Twilight to not invent this magic. Somepony needs to tell her that it is too dangerous, that the cost is too high, and that no matter how much she hates reality she must never use enchanted comics. The best pony to tell her this is not me, a pony from the distant past. No, the only pony who might be able to convince her is one of her friends. Somepony like you – the living embodiment of honesty. Twilight just might listen to you. I very seriously doubt she will listen to anypony else.”
“I get it,” Applejack said. “I guess you have a point.”
“So will you do it?”
“Well, sure. As you said, I can just go into the future and see how things are. If things are fine then I can return and get back to my life. If things ain't fine then that means there's a problem, and so I'll go fix it. That seems fair enough to me. Do you want me to go and get my source comic?”
Starswirl shook his head. “Absolutely not. We must make sure that we obtain that comic without arousing Sunshine's suspicions. Sunshine must not learn why we want that comic or what we are planning on doing with it. You are the Element of Honesty; lying is not in your nature. No, we need another pony to go and get it under false pretenses.”
“Which would be me,” Rainbow Dash commented. “Don't worry – I'm on it. You don't want me to mention you at all, right? Consider it done. I'll just go straight to Twilight and tell her that Applejack wants her book, and I'll come up with some excuse to explain why.”
“That is exactly what needs to be done. Rainbow Dash, this may be the most critical mission you have ever performed. The future of Equestria is hanging in the balance. You must not fail, and you must not let Sunshine find out what is going on. Can I trust you to do this?”
“You bet!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She then raced to the door of the barn, opened it, and soared out into the sky. The moment she left the barn, the magical field that was protecting their conversation popped.
Starswirl watched Rainbow fly off. “Now we wait. The fate of the world is in her hooves.”
“Oh, don't you worry none,” Applejack said. “She's the fastest pony in Equestria.”
“But I fear she may not be the most discreet,” Starswirl replied.
* * * * *
Fifteen minutes later Rainbow Dash swooped down into the barn, holding Applejack's comic in her front hooves. She handed the book to Starswirl. “Here you go,” she said, panting. “I told you I'd get it!”
“Thank you,” Starswirl replied. “We need to hurry. We may not have much time.”
Starswirl took the comic and laid it on the barn floor. He then plucked a few hairs out of his mane and laid them on top of the comic. The unicorn lit up his horn and began carefully merging his unicorn genetics with the comic.
Rainbow spoke up. “You know, when Twilight does that she uses all kinds of fancy equipment.”
“I've been doing magic for far longer than Twilight has even existed,” Starswirl replied. “I have learned many things that she does not even suspect.”
It took Starswirl about five minutes to merge the information from his mane with the comic. He then levitated a quill and began making changes to the book. “The text needs some manual adjustments,” he explained to Applejack. “Since I am a unicorn and you are a pegasus, the transfer is not exact. Merging the two natures requires some fine detail work.”
“Fine detail work? You know, that kinda makes me nervous. I'm not big on being experimented on.”
“You will be fine. Trust me – I know what I'm doing. While I'm at it, I'm also going to give you a large mana pool. When this is over you should be the most powerful magic user in the world. If you have to fight Twilight you should be able to defeat her.”
“Fight Twilight? Why in Equestria would I need to fight Twilight?”
“You are about to travel into the distant future,” Starswirl replied, as he continued his writing. “I think it is quite likely that everypony will already be dead – but alicorns live a long time. It is quite possible that Twilight will still be alive. In fact, she may be the only pony who is still alive. If she has spent years as the last pony in the world, the strain of loneliness may have caused her to go insane. Twilight might not be happy to see you and she might not be in her right mind. If you do find her in the future and she attacks you, it is critically important that you are able to neutralize her. If she kills you then you will not be able to go into the past and fix the timeline.”
“So you want me to kill Twilight?” Applejack asked. “You seriously expect me to attack my friend?”
“Of course not! I expect her to attack you. All I ask is that you defend yourself. You will have all sorts of powerful magical tricks in your arsenal. Hopefully you will find one that will restrain Twilight without injuring her. However – you must not fail. Remember that even if you do kill Twilight, you are going to go back in time and reset the timeline. Whatever you do will never happen. Your actions will be erased. They will not matter.”
“Except for the part where I had to kill my friend. I'm pretty sure I'll remember that for the rest of my days. I'll never be able to look at her the same way again.”
“You do realize you can erase your memories, don't you? You were created with this comic, and you can be changed by this comic. All you need to do is write a few lines, and any memory that you no longer wish to have will be gone.”
Applejack shook her head. “I ain't gonna do that. I don't like messin' with who I am. If I did somethin' I want to remember it. I don't want to pretend I'm somepony that I'm not.”
“Have it your way,” Starswirl replied. “It is your life, after all.”
A few minutes later Starswirl laid down his quill. “There, that should do it. Are you ready to become an alicorn?”
“I suppose,” Applejack said reluctantly.
“This is gonna be so awesome!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly.
Starswirl smiled. His horn lit up, and he cast a spell on the comic. The comic glowed an eerie green color – and Applejack changed. A horn appeared out of her forehead.
Applejack gasped, staggered, and took a step back. She lifted a hoof up and touched her horn. “Woah. I feel really strange. It's like I have an extra sense now that I never had before. This is much weirder than suddenly having wings.”
“Of course! You now have magic,” Starswirl replied. “What you lack is the knowledge and ability to wield it. That is what I am going to do next – give you my memories.”
Rainbow spoke up. “But you don't have one of those stone things! How are you going to copy the memories?”
“I don't need a memory stone. Believe me, young mare, I am quite capable of casting this spell without the aid of any instruments. In fact, I invented this technique, although I suppose that knowledge has been forgotten.”
Applejack spoke up. “Now, you're not gonna give me your memories, are you? Because when Twilight gave me Rainbow's knowledge of flight, she also gave me a lot of Rainbow's memories of flying. And I learned a lot more about Rainbow than I ever wanted to know.”
Rainbow Dash turned bright red.
Starswirl smiled. “No, Applejack, there is no fear of that. It appears that Twilight used a crude version of my memory transfer spell. The version that I know is far more refined. I can give you my knowledge and control over magic without giving you any of my memories. You will be fine. Are you ready to begin?”
Applejack sighed. “Sure, why not. I've already come this far. There's no point in turning back now.”
Starswirl's horn lit up.
* * * * *
Twilight was seated in a comfortable chair in her castle library, deeply engrossed in a thick book. Sunshine walked into the room and came over to her. Twilight, however, didn't notice.
Sunshine glanced at the title. “Why are you studying basic magic? You mastered those spells years ago.”
Twilight looked up. “Yes, I've mastered the spells. But what intrigues me is the theory behind the spells. I've seen what's possible with the magic of enchanted comics. In that case I was able to take that magic in an entirely new direction. It makes me wonder if there are other tricks that I've missed. Perhaps there are other basic spells that are not as well understood as we think. I've been putting together some ideas. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could create things with pure magic without the use of comics? The comics are a crutch – an obstacle. There must be a better way.”
“That's an intriguing thought! You are a very clever pony. I'll have to look into that. I don't mean to interrupt your research, but the reason I came in here is because I heard that Rainbow Dash stopped by. Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing's wrong. Rainbow just came to get Applejack's comic. Applejack apparently wanted it for some reason. Since the comic defines who she is, I kinda understand why she wanted it. So I gave it to Rainbow, and she flew off.”
Sunshine gasped. “That's terrible news! Don't you see what's going on?”
Twilight put her book down and looked at Sunshine. “Why is it terrible? I mean, if Applejack wants the comic then why not give it to her? It is kind of a part of her, after all.”
“Think about it, princess. Applejack is not a magical pony. She can't cast spells and she doesn't know how the comics work, so she can't be planning on changing her definition. She also can't possibly believe that the comic would be safer in her care than it would be here. If she had left the comic here it would have been guarded by an army and stored in a cool, dry place. There is no safer place in all of Equestria.”
“What are you getting at?” Twilight asked.
“There's only one possible reason why Applejack would want that comic. It's not because she wants to change it, and it's not because she wants to keep it safe. She must be planning on destroying it. Applejack has never been able to accept that she was created from a comic book. She can't handle who she is – so she must want to end it all. Twilight, she's trying to kill herself.”
Twilight frowned. “But that's ridiculous! That's not like Applejack at all.”
“That's not like the old Applejack,” Sunshine corrected. “The new Applejack isn't stable. Don't you see? The reason she sent Rainbow Dash to get the comic is because she couldn't lie to you. She is the Element of Honesty, after all. So she had Rainbow go get it for her. As soon as Applejack gets her hooves on it she is going to burn it.”
Twilight jumped out of her seat. “We have to stop her! We can't let this happen.”
Sunshine put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “Don't worry – I'll go take care of it. I'll retrieve the comic and will bring Applejack here. We'll talk to her together and will calm her down. All right? Just wait here.”
Twilight reluctantly nodded. Sunshine then lit up her horn and teleported out of sight.
* * * * *
After the memory transfer spell was complete, Applejack looked at Starswirl. “You sure know a lot about magic! I know all kinds of spells now. Why, I had no idea that most of this stuff was even possible. Can I really do all these things?”
Starswirl nodded. “The spells will be second nature to you now – like walking. Do you know my time travel spell?”
Applejack nodded. “Yup, I've got it. It's kinda clever, actually.” Applejack's eyes widened. “Hey, wait a minute. I actually understand the spell! I know how it works, even though I've never studied magic a day in my life. This just keeps getting' weirder.”
“Of course you understand it! You have my knowledge of magical theory and practice. You understand magic as well as I do. But we must not tarry. Are you ready to depart? Do you know what to do?”
Applejack nodded. “I just have one question. If I go back in time and change things, will I disappear? You know – since I prevented the timeline that caused me to get created.”
Applejack paused. “Wait a minute – I know the answer to that. No, I won't disappear. This magic doesn't work that way. I will still exist, and there will be two Applejacks in the new timeline. There will be the original, and then me.”
Rainbow Dash spoke up. “And two Rainbows as well. Twice the awesomeness in one timeline!”
Applejack looked puzzled. “Two Rainbows? Why?”
“Because I'm going with you, of course! You don't think I'm going to let you go into some scary future all by yourself, do you? What kind of a loyal friend do you think I am?”
Applejack smiled. “Sure, I reckon you can come. In fact, I wouldn't dream of going without you. But how are we going to explain the fact that both of us disappeared?”
Starswirl spoke up. “It's not important. If you change the timeline then it won't matter, because none of these events will happen. If you don't change the timeline and just return here then you won't be gone, so it won't matter then either.”
“Right,” Applejack said. “Rainbow, are you ready to go?”
Rainbow walked over and stood right next to Applejack. “I'm ready! Oh, this is going to be so amazing.”
Starswirl gave Applejack the comic that defined her. Applejack took it from him. She then took a saddlebag from a nearby table, put the saddlebag on, and placed the comic inside it. “Thanks – I'll take good care of that. Look. I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I just wanted to thank you. For everything. You are a true friend.”
“Of course,” Starswirl replied. “It was my pleasure.”
Applejack lit up her horn. A glowing blue sphere appeared that encompassed both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. The sphere glowed brightly for a moment, and then vanished.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were gone.
Starswirl waited for a few moments, but the two ponies did not reappear. The barn remained empty, and he was alone.
It is as I feared, Starswirl thought. The future truly was a disaster. Well, there's nothing to do now but live out the next one hundred years.. Then Applejack and Rainbow Dash will appear, see the problem, and go back in time and reset things. That is, assuming they survive whatever they find in the future. But first I need to create an excuse to explain why they are gone, so that no one will discover what I have done.
Starswirl took a book out of his saddlebag – a comic that looked exactly like the one that defined Applejack. He set it on the ground, lit up his horn, and set it on fire.
“Stop!” a voice screamed in panic.
Starswirl turned around, startled. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Sunshine standing in the doorway to the barn.
Sunshine looked at the burning book, and then stared at Starswirl in horror. “What have you done? You set that book on fire – I saw you! You murdered Applejack. I was wrong – it wasn't Applejack behind this. It was you! But why? Why would you kill her?”
Sunshine then noticed the blue feathers that were scattered on the ground. She gasped. “And you killed Rainbow Dash too? You killed them both? But why? How could you do such a thing?”
Starswirl was about to say something, and then stopped himself. I can't tell her what really happened. I don't dare defend myself. Perhaps it is best if she thinks I killed them. Then at least she won't go looking for them.
“I did what had to be done,” Starswirl said coldly. “I acted in the best interests of Equestria.”
Sunshine looked at Starswirl angrily. Rage was all over her face. “And now I will act in the best interests of Twilight. Give me your comic definition. Now. I am going to put a stop to your reign of terror.”
Starswirl instantly knew that he could not give his comic to her. If I give her my book, she will change it so I become as mindlessly loyal as she is. I will then tell her what I did and give up the secret of time travel. But I cannot let that happen. I must protect that secret at all costs. It must never, ever fall into Sunshine's hooves.
For a split second Starswirl considered trying to fight Sunshine, but he knew it was futile. She was a powerful alicorn, and he was not. Even if he managed to get away, she could send entire armies after him. He had to end this now. For the good of Equestria. Besides, it's not like I'm the original Starswirl. I'm just a magical copy made from a book. I'm not actually real at all. Not really.
“Very well,” Starswirl said. With his magic he opened his saddlebag and levitated out his comic definition. He then changed the levitation spell ever so slightly – and the book was instantly incinerated.
The book's ashes fell to the ground.
Sunshine screamed.
Starswirl vanished from existence. His saddlebag collapsed onto the barn floor.
Sunshine looked at the ashes in horror. “What have you done? How could you do this to Twilight? Oh, Twilight. I am so sorry – so very, very sorry. I have failed you. You have done so much for me, and I let Starswirl kill two of your friends. What have I done? How could I let this happen?”
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sunshine the untimate mastermind goes on a mindless murderspree while twi is in her Castle sleeping
6714857
You are really keeping up with the story!
In the next chapter, Twilight has a big falling out with Celestia. (It was supposed to happen in this chapter but the chapter got too long.) After that, things start going downhill really fast.
6718277 hum sunshine what are you doing to twi
wona wants friendly twi back or else wona will blast her whit harmony and cuteness
...the plot thickens.
Well, I'm pretty sure I know what Sunshine will do, in response to this.
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This is certainly an interesting story. Sunshine is a most intriguing villain...
Okay, so I know that this will never occur to any of the characters, but the solution is obvious. To me anyway. Now that I've thought of it.
Basically, the comic books need to have a sort of "parental control". That is to say, no book can be used during half the day. Explanation for those that ask why not? They have a limited power source that will only work for half the day (such as midnight to noon). That way, they still get Applejack, albeit not all the time, and Equestria doesn't get destroyed! Well, unless they need AJ for something during her "off" time.
I really over think these things
Also, great story!
6718866
Sunshine will do anything that she thinks will make Twilight happy. That's what makes her so incredibly dangerous (and that's why she's one of my favorite villains - she's very different from your run-of-the-mill badpony). There's going to be trouble - that's for sure.
Thank you very much!
6720802
See, that's brilliant! That is a really clever solution to the problem. I like the way you overthink things.
Coming up with a good ending to this story has been incredibly difficult. I've spent hours thinking about it. So far the story has presented two possibilities. Twilight wants to release this magic, unlimited, to the whole world, and use to to completely remake society. Starswirl is convinced that this choice will end badly, and wants Alicorn Applejack to go back in time and completely erase the magic from history. But what is Applejack actually going to find in the future? Is there - as you suggested - a third path?
I appreciate your comment. It's really helpful to know that readers are thinking about where this story is going.
Thank you!
Are New Applejack and Rainbowdash really dead? I mean sure New AJ is dead now as her comic was destroyed but did she die in the future, and what about Rainbowdash?