• Published 9th May 2016
  • 4,479 Views, 503 Comments

Quantum Gallop - Goldfur



The youth of House Path are abruptly whisked away to a Ponyville where a tyrant queen rules absolutely, and the alliances with Griffonia and the Changeling Hives have never been forged. Who has changed history and how do they fix it?

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Chapter 7.5 - A Timely Interlude

Luna could not help smiling to herself as she entered the throne room, thinking for a moment about how her Night Court had become so much more popular than it had used to be. Before the days of the House, only a hoofful of ponies would seek her out each night, but now her court was almost as packed as Celestia’s until it closed mid night so that she could attend her dream-watching duties. In fact the Night Court was on the verge of becoming too successful as she was finding it harder to devote the necessary amount of time to the dream realm. That problem would need to be addressed very soon.

As she made her way onto the dais to take her place on her throne, she noted this night’s attendees. One thing that differed significantly from Celestia’s Day Court was that hers primarily had the three main pony types attending, while she frequently saw more of the other races, anything from thestrals to diamond dogs. As she had once been perceived an outsider, so did many of them, so she welcomed all, and so they came. Pony nobles, however, did not like how she had thrown out the pomp and circumstance, not to mention being far less tolerant of their fawning ways, and therefore they visited her less. This suited Luna just fine; let her sister deal with those ninnies!

With a shake of her head, she cleared it and looked over at her court’s right-hoof mare. “What is on the agenda for tonight, Scribe?” Luna asked with a smile.

The disguised changeling pored over way too many scrolls. “We have forty-one in the line so far, with topics ranging from a property dispute, a lineage claim, and a proposal for... a changeling tax?” She looked at the last scroll, somewhat confused.

“A changeling tax? A tax because a person happens to be a changeling? Why would they think I would ever pass such a thing?” Luna started to scoff.

“Ah, my mistake. It’s not a tax on being a changeling, but a tax on changeling love-gel so that the Crown can begin to build up its own store of gel in case of a disaster, or if Hive Aid is needed,” Scribe said as she read the details from the scroll. “Apparently the one wanting to enact it is a changeling from the Yellow Hive.”

Luna nodded in understanding. “See them in, I wish to tackle this matter first.”

Scribe went to get the changeling who had written the proposal. However, just before she made it to the door, a fierce wind started to blow in the throne room as a rift started to open in reality itself. Luna flared her wings open and readied herself to act as necessary, and the Night Guards formed up around her, clearly alarmed by the opening. Then a large draconic snout came out of the side, followed by an equally draconic body, and soon a large dragon was grinning at Princess Luna, amused at the reaction she was getting, but otherwise ignoring the guards that were in full defensive formation.

“My apprentice said that you wanted to speak with me, Your Majesty. However, we do not have much time; the course is about to be shifted. Please come with me, Stellar Aspect.” The dragon stood next to the rift, her tail still inside to prop it open.

Luna’s eyes went wide, both at what the dragoness was doing, as well as the warning. She quickly got up to her hooves and launched herself off of the throne, yelling in the Royal Canterlot Voice so that all could hear her, “Night Court is in recess until my return!

Luna nodded at the Seer, and both of them disappeared within the rift which promptly closed behind them.

Scribe looked at the confused guards and shrugged. “Anyone want to play poker until she comes back?”

The guards just blinked in confusion until one of them spoke up. “I’ll deal!”

# # #

The dragons were among the most unique of the life forms on Equus. The Boons and the Banes they were given by the Primes were unique to themselves. The Seers were a subclass of dragon that had the ability of ‘The Sight’, although neither sister fully understood what that really meant. Luna had believed that this was their rift magic, the draconian way of going between two places that were a great distance apart. The sisters knew of this magic quite well, but this was proving to be something else. As Luna traveled through the rift, she felt something she had only experienced in the most intense of dreams, or when talking in depth with Destined: The Methodical Deconstruction of the Self.

Luna was gone. Titles, form, function, all of it fell apart when she entered this place. Only the Stellar Aspect of the Moon existed. Here she had only Presence.

Where are we?” it asked in an awed thought.

A draconian thought replied, “It has been a long time since you have been here, so it makes sense that you have forgotten. We are outside of everything; the ultimate plane of the Seers – a place where I can only bear witness. I have seen your student; I have seen your nephew. Look there – the divergence begins.

Cause and effect – it was not linear like most thought. In the infinite web of probability, something moved sharply, and a ripple moved through the web, changing the connections as it moved. However, one point removed itself from the fabric just before the ripple reached it, moving to the source of the ripple.

Your student fights to keep the fabric stable. He is wise for someone so young, but in this he is but a pawn. While you may be a Queen, we are all still but pieces on the board. The players are the ones jockeying for positioning.” The draconian thought continued before pausing for a moment. “You know the Order of the Aspects, do you not?

Of course. Twilight, Cadance, Shining Armor – they are all lesser aspects, the embodiment of an Idea. Their existence is tied to the people that believe in it. If there was no Love, Cadance would fall; no Friendship, Twilight would fall; no Justice, Shining would fall,” the Lunar Aspect replied.

And above them?

Myself and my sister – the Stellar Aspects. Our magic, our ascension, is tied to the bodies that we govern. Our existence will last as long as the sun and the moon.

And above you?

The Greater Aspects, of which there are only two known. Entropy, of which Discord is the Aspect, and Order… I have never talked to her, but there have been times when I have caught a glimpse of her red mane or her white coat. She chooses to remain hidden, but she and Discord will outlive my sister and me since they are tied to the fundamental rules of the universe.

Above them?

The Prime Aspects – Creation, and Destruction. I know they exist, and are second only to the Great Architect, but I know nothing more about them.” The Lunar Aspect growled. “Enough! Why doth thou question me so?!

I needed to know how much you remembered from the time before your banishment so I would know how much I needed to explain.” The draconian thought paused for a moment. “I believe that the ripples in the fabric of reality are being caused by the ‘players’ in my chess analogy. So far it has only been Destruction moving its pieces, but now with the vision that Blue Streak experienced, I believe that Creation is starting to make its move.

We have deduced that Chrysalis is the one causing the changes to time. She is not an Aspect, nor do we believe that she has ascended. My sister and I would have felt that change no matter where she was.

You are right – she is not an Aspect. But there is one last piece you are forgetting about, a piece that you should know intimately.

The Lunar Aspect thought for an unknowable amount of time, since time did not exist in the conventional way where they were.

The Nightmare.

Indeed. Destruction’s champion has aligned herself with the Mad Queen. We do not know what her ultimate plan is, but as of now, the pair seems content on causing shifts to the timeline. What she hopes to achieve by this, I do not know. What I do know is that while Destruction has chosen a champion, I believe that Creation has its eyes on Blue Streak. Please aid him in his path. I will do what I need to do when it is to happen,” the draconian being stated.

The fabric rippled a second time as the series of points started to rearrange themselves once again.

The young ones have begun their efforts to repair History. Keep in mind that since we are outside of time, you will not know how history has changed, as your memory of it has not been altered by the ripples in the fabric. It is time that we depart this plane for now.

Gradually Luna came back into being as a rift opened into her chambers, and the dragon Seer and the alicorn stepped out of it. Once it closed behind them, the Seer collapsed on the floor with a heavy thud. Luna lit her horn, and the Seer was lifted off the ground and onto her bed. The massively over-sized bed that could easily fit Luna’s herd was just barely big enough for the dragoness.

The Alicorn of the Night gave the Seer a serious look . “Before thou doth return to the Dragonlands, we have yet to discuss the incident with Blue Streak, but for now rest for the night. When thou waketh, we shall eat and talk about the meaning of Blue’s vision before thou must depart.”

The dragoness grinned back with all of her imposing teeth. “I look forward to it, Queen Nocturne.” The Seer promptly drifted off to sleep as Luna teleported back to the throne room.

# # #

“I’ll deal!” the Guard said happily, not noticing Luna reappearing next to her throne.

“Just one round, Silent Knight, but then we must get back to the schedule for Night Court,” Luna said with a grin.

The Guards nearly jumped out of their armor in surprise, and Scribe just looked at Luna with confusion.

“I would be more perplexed if this didn't happen so often,” Scribe said with a wry grin as she gathered her documents once more.

# # # # # # # # #

Author's Note:

This chapter was basically the work of my collaborator, AlaskaIsCold, while I whipped it into shape as usual.

Sorry, but no illustration this time. If you would like to see one or more with this story, please consider donating to my Paypal account.