Silver groaned as he felt someone rock him slightly, cracking open a bloodshot eye to scan his room, grumbling when he didn't spot anything and wrapping his hooves tighter around his pillow, digging himself deeper into his blanket.
"Big bro, you told me to wake you up when the sun came out." A voice whispered, and Silver cracked open a bleary eye again, this time lowering it towards the ground, stopping when his eyes locked onto a blurred tiny purple form holding an even smaller purple form.
"Spiiiike..." Silver groaned miserably. "Spike, it's like... like... I don't-" Silver let out another miserable groan, using a hoof to lift up a bit of the blanket. "Just- just come up here into bed okay? We'll sleep in together."
There was an excited gasp from the tiny drake, before Silver felt him scramble up onto the bed, crawling his way under the blankets and wiggling in between Silver and his pillow, settling down soon after, and Silver sighed as silence reined once more in the room.
...
"Mom is gonna be mad."
"Go to sleep little bro."
"... You did that thing where you speed up time on the bed didn't you?"
"Don't tell mom."
"I won't, promise."
...
"... Does that mean I can take longer naps?"
"Sure."
"Yes!"
After what to anyone else was just half an hour, Silver got up along with Spike, carrying the tiny drake on his back as he all but skipped his way towards the castle kitchens, giving his fellow not-so-early risers a jaunty wave of his hoof, smiling at the halfhearted glares he got in reply.
Maybe one day he would do them the ultimate service and use his haste spell on their beds, letting them sleep in as much as they want.
...
Nah, watching them all suffer was too fun.
Silver used his magic to grab a muffin from the kitchen as he walked by, breaking it in half and floating one bit to spike, who started nomming on it happily as Silver bit into his own piece.
Silver gave a hip bump to a familiar white-furred blue-maned future prince, Shining Armor looking just as confused as ever while Silver walked past with a knowing wink, Spike looking between the two in confusion from his place atop Silver's back while he finished off what was left of his muffin.
"Why do you bother him so much again?" Spike asked as he leaned into Silvers view. Said pony blinked, glancing back at Shining as an amused smile spread across his face and he shook his head.
"It's a private joke, doesn't really matter." Silver said.
Spike shrugged and returned to his spot on Silver's back, waving at a nearby guard as they walked through the castle entrance into Canterlot proper, smiling when they discretely waved back. "So big bro, where are we going today?" He asked.
Silver hummed. "We're heading to see a few people I... looked up. At least the ones in Canterlot. Need to remind myself of why I'm... doing something." Spike blinked, before shrugging and returning to just looking around.
Silver took a turn, nearly knocking Spike off as he headed into the residential area of Canterlot, stopping once he arrived a relatively large building with a sign that had Spike looking at him oddly.
"Why would we need to visit a library?" Spike asked, confused.
Silver got his confusion, really. There was next to no chance that a library would have any books that he couldn't just read in the castle archives, but it wasn't the books he was here for, but the pony who took care of them, only a few years older than Silver himself.
It was a small building, but it had an appearance that showed it was being religiously cared for, even on the outside, and a sign that hung above the door with a picture of a book on it said everything he needed to know.
He trotted forward, rearing up and butting his head against the sign above the door so that it started swinging, as was habit, much to Spike's bafflement, and the sight that greeted Silver as he entered put a massive smile on his face.
A mare he was unfamiliar with smiled at him as she levitated some books into position. "Hello and welcome to the Light Library. How may I help you?" She asked politely.
She was a unicorn who had off-white, almost grey fur with an alternating purple and white mane and tail. She looked like she was getting up there in years, with clearly visible stress lines and crows feet around her eyes, but it wouldn't be a stretch for someone to call her pretty, or at least Silver thought so.
Apparently, that showed on his face, because Spike was giving him a confused look and the Librarian's smile widened marginally, causing Silver to blush and Spike's eyes to narrow as he tried to figure out what was going on.
"You're like four, you'll understand when you're older." Silver hissed. Spike just shrugged like the little ball of laziness that he was, the Librarian giving them both a knowing look.
God he hated hormones.
"I'm looking for a book about old Equestrian legends. Like, old ones." Silver said, desperate to change the subject.
She nodded, taking out a little notebook and flipping through it, before tapping her hoof on a specific line of text, mumbling to herself, before smiling at him. "Bookcase four, row second from the bottom."
Silver smiled back and nodded, heading over towards the bookcase with a big 4 at the top, leaning down and scanning the second row from the bottom, looking for a very specific book to tickle his memory.
"Aha! There!" He used his magic to grab the book, pulling it out of the shelf and smiling at the little brass pony imprinted on the front.
He floated the book up into Spikes waiting claws, who scrutinized it with narrowed eyes, before nodding.
"There's like fifty of these in the Archive." Spike stated. Silver pointedly ignored him as he walked back over to the librarian, floating the book out of Spike's grasp and onto the table.
"I'd like to see about purchasing this book." He said. The librarian nodded, lifting up the book in her magic and looking at the front.
Then she flipped it over and looked at the back.
Then she turned it to look at the spine.
Silver tapped his hoof on the counter, causing her to look over. "Uhm... is something wrong?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
She let out an embarrassed laugh. "I'm terribly sorry about this, but im afraid I'm not quite sure which book this is listed as, could you wait here please?" Silver blinked, looking at the book before nodding, watching as the librarian trotted off, before picking up the book and looking it over.
Other than the pony on the front, there was no identifying features, so he could understand the confusion.
Actually, come to think of it, did he know its name? He thought it over for a bit as he waited, before an upside down purple head appeared in his vision.
"Okay, seriously, why are we here?" Spike asked.
"We're here to get a book Spike, don't you know?" The drake narrowed his eyes, pointing two claws at his eyes, then pointing them at Silver in the universal 'Watching You' sign, before going back to sitting.
"Hello! Sorry to keep you waiting!" A voice said. Silver turned, a 'No problem' on the tip of his tongue, before he froze, a megawatt grin spreading across his face
She was wearing glasses, and her hair was in a bun, but standing before him was unmistakably Twilight Sparkle, closely followed by the librarian from before, who he could only assume was her mother.
Wait, she was waiting for a reply. "Oh! Uh, it's no problem." God, she looked just like he remembered, which... actually sounded a bit creepy in his head.
She smiled and wow did that do weird things to him.
"So I see you're looking to buy Equestrian Legends: Solar Sisters." She lit up her horn and floated the book over. "If so, that will be six bits."
Silver nodded, reaching a hoof into his mane and pulling out a tiny bag that he opened and upended onto the table, sliding forward six bits.
Twilight floated the bits into a jar sitting on the counter, before sliding the book forward and smiling at Silver. "Here you are! Please enjoy your read!"
Silver nodded, floating the book up in his magic and trotting out the door, gently closing it behind him and slowing to a stop.
He stood there, closing his eyes and letting out a breath through his nose as he tapped his hoof against the cobblestone beneath him.
"She looks happy." He whispered. Spike looked at the back of his head oddly, before letting out a yelp and latching onto Silver's mane when he started trotting away.
"Where are we going now?" Spike asked incredulously. Silver said nothing, trotting through the crowd before stopping again, Spikes confusion just rising.
"A vet? What in Celestia's name are we doing at a vet?" Silver just shook his head, bringing a hoof up to his lips and shushing Spike as he walked over to a window, peeking in, and Spike leaned onto his head, looking in as well.
"Well aren't you just the prettiest little thing!" A voice said, and Silver traced it back to a Pegasus with short pink hair who was fiddling with a ferret, wrapping one of its tiny legs in bandages.
He almost looked right past her with how different she was compared to his memories, double taking and doing his best impression of a goldfish as he watched her go about her job.
It was her, the Cutie Mark didn't lie, but it was such a stark difference that he'd almost passed her by completely, her hair being cut short was just one of a hundred subtle changes that stood out to him.
For one she walked around like she owned the place, which considering how much she loved animals was a distinct possibility, and he watched as she talked to what he could assume was the ferret's owner, all normal enough things.
it was what wasn't there that stood out the most.
There was no shyness, no stutter, no hiding her face behind something or avoiding eye contact, it was- it didn't feel right, because as far as he remembered that was the basis for her entire character.
He narrowed his eyes, running a hoof through his mane and starting to walk back to the castle, deep enough in thought that he didn't notice any of the greetings from ponies he passed on the street.
Soon enough he was walking through the door to his room, kicking it closed behind him and walking over to his desk, grabbing a journal and walking over to a trashcan, tossing the journal in and lighting it up with a quick fire spell,
Spike hopped off Silver's back, looking between him and the burning trashcan with a worried expression on his face.
"Uh, bro? Why are you burning your journal? What... what was in it?" Spike asked hesitantly.
"Plans... things to say and do, who to say and do them to." Silver smiled softly, reaching out to pat Spike on the head. "Nothing important anymore."
Spike tilted his head. "But why burn it?"
Silver's smile turned distinctly less happy. "Some of them weren't very nice plans." He said after a moment.
Spike blinked. "Oh."
They both sat there in silence for a few more moments, before Silver turned away from the fire, smiling at Spike. "Why don't you go see your aunt Celestia for a bit, okay Spike?" Said dragon shrugged, muttering an affirmative as he walked out of the room and climbed on the back of a guard, who started to trot off towards the throne room in a long practiced routine.
Silver waited a minute to make sure Spike was gone before he sighed, running a hoof through his mane and turning back to the burning trashcan.
"Just has to ruin my plans, huh?" He whispered. "If those two were that different, then the others are probably just the same."
He groaned and laid on the floor, watching as years of careful planning turned to ash.
"I can't do it." He muttered. "I'd have to drag them away from lives that by all means would leave them happier than the original story."
He shut his eyes and sighed as the fire petered out, just letting the smell of smoke settle his nerves, before he opened his eyes and pushed himself to his hooves, trotting over to his desk and opening the drawer.
He floated out a little notebook and a pencil, opening it to the first page and getting ready to write, before he paused, looking down at the notebook.
He narrowed his eyes, setting down the pencil and letting out a breath. "This isn't gonna work, is it?" He asked himself quietly. "Every plan I come up with isn't gonna work, because I just... don't have enough information."
"Nightmare Moon is the only villain I have any info on, but after that first hurdle, I have nothing, just names." He sat there in silence for a minute, before he blinked.
Then he smiled.
"Guess I'll just have to wing it, huh?" He walked over to his room's door, a new pep in his step as his mind wandered to other, more important thing, like what to get Spike for Hearthswarming.
Besides, from what he knew, things in this world had a way of always working out, and a few ponies living different lives didn't change that.
Silver gave his room one last look, before snorting and shaking his head as he trotted his was through the castle.
He really needed to chill out more, he was in magical friendship pony land. I mean really...
What could go wrong?
Well...........crap.......he said the thing.
He's invoked Murphy. The poor dear won't even know what hit him.
Oh god, he's late, waaay late...
He's gonna have to face her as a child
WHY DID YOU SAY THAT SILVER!?
Imma be over here. In my Endstone-lined bunker.
i.imgur.com/wNOcrAS.png
So wait, are Twilight and the main 6 adults?
Does he mean she is the only one he knows for sure will happen because King Sombra also appeared because of a magical time limit, so he should be similar? Though I feel like I should mention that its now canon that luna cant move the stars (Rockhoof and a hard place) so we don't actually know what was up with those four stars that helped luna escape, Luna didn't control them and they moved too fast for it to be the usual "when the planets align" shtick, so... any ideas?
Jinx. JINX. FREAKING JINX.
9277035
There was a time skip so yes, he is one as well.
9277039
9277035
Eh, kinda. He’s 15, they’re adults. Still young, but not incapable levels of young.
Edit: Gonna mention that in the next chapter.
So is this one of the alternate timelines.
Everything could go wrong
9277056
Got it so it was just a few years apart that things diverged. I have to ask about my other comment though, what do you think was up with the stars?
you know. in some cultures these words are a curse.
9277036
I'm thinking some asteroids that might have struck the moon on the other side causing moon quakes freeing Nightmare Moon. Perhaps her plan from the beginning to yank them just the right way in what time she had before the Elements fired.
Using this Fluttershy as a guide. I don't think this would be the Crystal War Timeline. That Fluttershy was still timid as she tended to the sheep.
She was more aggressive when the Changeling Timeline happened. So we could be seeing an early Changeling timeline Fluttershy I can see her losing her home in Canterlot and becoming the more warrior Fluttershy in the forest.
This could be a whole other Alternate Reality as well.
Oh anyone else wants to see a Spark and Twilight romance? *Starts the shipbuilding*
9277241
well judging by
1:30-1:40
she did bring something to the moon so that's as good a theory as any. though I feel like they would have to be super magically charged to free her... Oh, I got it, those weren't stars or comets those were balls of her power that leaked out of her prison, after 1000 years there was finally enough energy that she could attack the spell keeping her there from both sides, breaking it. Though there is one more question, what was up with the face? I mean in the comics(if you count those as canon) they showed that she was actually physically up there with a castle she built and everything, so that face wasn't a sign that she was trapped In the moon like how discord was trapped in stone.
oooooooooooooooooooo So new Element Bearers? I vote for Lyra to be one!!!!!
9277211
Hmm... maybe they were remnants of the spell that Trapped NM up there, not stars, and when the spell failed, they collapsed in on themselves.
A spell strong enough to trap someone on the moon for a thousand years is bound to have some visual effects, right?
You should probably talk to someone about the talking to inanimate objects thing. I suggest the doll again because they don't judge.
Probably needs to change his thoughts on Shining, since it seems doubtful he and Cadance would still have the same relationship as in the main timeline. Speaking of, have we seen Cadance yet? She seems like someone Silver should personally know by this point.
Who's the librarian? It seems like she's supposed to be familiar, but I can't figure out the name, since I can only think of Moondancer and she's younger...
He said the phrase which shall never be uttered. Oops.
What is up with canon, anyway? Why can't Luna move the stars? Admittedly, it would work better for my own story, but I can't help but feel that the princesses keep getting nerfed. \
It's going to be an interesting slog, though, for sure, trying to keep the world from ending. :P
I'm curious how the backstory worked out for the Elements that they have changed so much. That's one of those things that I hope you show later.
Oh, and you never did replace the horizontal rules in chapter 2, I think it was. Just use [ hr ] without spaces.
9276942
luna ?
9277302
Zat would be Velvet, Twilight's mom.
9277287
True, it would make sense if those were the power sources of the spell and they ran out, thus collapsing.
9277282
I tend to ignore the comics unless the show supports it.
One possibility is the shadow mare on the Moon was the spell keeping her trapped.
Me I had her be in mist form on the moon and the mist filled an area in the shape of an unicorn. But that my headcanon.
... Now I wonder if a cutie mark really would look the same, if the circumstances where it was acquired were different, and the individual took a different path to get there. Even if it symbolized the same talent. Interesting thought.
Geh heheheh...
Laying it on a bit thick, but it's not like playing things up is a cardinal sin. Can be fun, even. Does make me wonder if the background six are going to get dragged in anyways, just to ruin their happy.
9277317
Yes
9277340
Yep. Some comics are kinda "out there," or later get contradicted. And yet some are almost outright confirmed by the show. (I'm pretty sure Shining being a nerd only got into the show after the issue showing how him and Cadence got together.)
9277401
Yeah like I said I only accept it as the main canon if the show confirms it. Or else we have the issue of Nightmare Rarity being canon (even though she looks Awesome!)
Just too many things got contradicted by the show to consider them part of the main canon. I consider the comics an Another Universe much like the Equestrian Girls Universe is separate stories.
9277415
Yep. Nightmare Rarity looked awesome, but it also made the Nightmare a separate entity. While I sometimes like that for fanfiction purposes, it removes a lot of Luna's guilt, which makes her a less dynamic character. The Chrysalis arc also did a lot of things with changelings that were debunked quite thouroghly. Then there are the more strange moments like when Pinkie dressed up as the Joker and blew up half a building with her party cannon (accidental or not).
Though I still like to think that Cadence going to roller derbys in disguise as "Shining Harmer" is canon. She was revealed to be a bit of an adrenaline junkie who was bored of Princess life in that one episode with Discord.
(Though that is pretty much the definition of headcanon.)
9277415
Yes, that's what the staff called it "tier two cannon" its canon until proven otherwise, though I think the EQG movies need to be mentioned in the show, I mean they pretty much beat the other movie into our heads when within a few seconds of the season starting.
9277445
I don't see how the nightmare creature makes her less dynamic, from what I can tell it needed to feed off of her emotions to get that strong Luna was just a step away from turning it just pushed her harder, rarity, on the other hand, it just took over with the power it got from luna. What was proven wrong with the changelings from the comics, I don't remember anything that was outright proven wrong?
9277467
It was the feeding on small cute animals. The changelings in the comics drained them dry, killing them, but it was a solution not even considered with all that we learned about changelings in the show.
I mean, I doubt Thorax would have just forgotten how to feed on animals as a solution to the feeding problem.
And as for the Luna/Nightmare thing... I understand that, which is why I can agree with fanfictions that have that as the canon. But... it changes days/weeks/years of mistakes as the Nightmare into perhaps one instance of handling something the wrong way. Her only mistake becomes not making her frustrations clear to her sister. If Celestia even listened.
In the separate entity situation, there is still a small amount of guilt on Luna for getting into that position, but an equal amount (not paying attention) or even more guilt (outright ignoring concerns) on Celestia. It makes Luna's guilt for Nightmare's actions a lot less valid, rather than having those actions be performed by Luna, just amplified by years of anger. (Nowhere do we see Luna attack anypony other than Celestia... until she was locked away for a thousand years.)
Even the version where Nightmare Moon is a dark spell Luna cast on herself to gain power and recognition means that she is a lot more culpable for her actions, rather than an entity that took advantage of her aggravated emotional state. (After all, anger itself is not evil, only the actions that it can cause should you give in to it.)
At least that's my perspective on the situation.
I would love it if the next chapter started with Celestia in panic mode
9277491
Actually, whatever those things are, seem sapient like the ponies, they did build buildings after all, so him feeding off of animals might not be an option.
derpicdn.net/img/2013/1/11/209622/large.jpeg
Even if he could, would he, seriously him killing animals seems like a stretch.
As for luna, I prefer to think she had to accept the nightmare, either way it should be partially Celestia's fault, she even says so, in the show, they both blame themselves luna just went over the top with the whole tantabus thing.
9277531
I guess my memory of that arc wasn't very reliable then.
And in the context of accepting the Nightmare into her mind, aware that it is an actual entity... yeah, that could work just as well as dark magic or the like.
And I also suppose that the show really showed that her guilt was an over-reaction, so that could easily be the case. But the beginning narrative, as well as the scene in Twilight's flashback seem to point to Luna taking that form out of her own free will.
After all, she quite easily "turned into" Nightmare Moon as a costume for Nightmare Night. (Without the fangs, for some reason, but the rest of her was a seamless transition.)
It's crazy that with so much that has been revealed in the show, we still don't know some crucial details.
9277445
My personal headcanon is Discord caused Nightmare Moon. Just like how he flipped the Mane 6 elements he affected Luna's. Only two didn't switch right away. Fluttershy he had to force and Twilight took time to cause her to break down. With the plunder vines, we see Discord planning ahead.
Apply that to Luna his spell didn't trigger right away, just like with Twilight. As it took she became more and more withdrawn, and the nobles shunned her more, causing her to get more paranoid. Then Discord's plan took hold and Luna became Nightmare Moon.
What better Choas then to split the royal sisters apart. If Celestia was slower in using the Elements it might even free him of the stone. At the very least it prevented the Sisters from using the Elements again causing them to go inert.
This would be both an outside influence and Luna's actions. Luna can blame herself for not being strong enough, or falling. Where Celestia saw it as an outside force taking her over. Both are true the nightmare was indeed Luna just like Lying Applejack was Applejack, or mean Fluttershy was still Fluttershy, but the cause was still external.
What could go wrong is that Twilight Velvet's marriage dissolves and you hook up with her in a few years.
Because human protagonists always end up with their crushes.
Just read this chapter and I am really likling the fact that you are not following the trend of making the mane six lives worse off just becasue they didnt become the elements of harmony. This is the first time i have seen an SI character make plans about people, meet them and then decide that they are not going to ruin these peoples lives just because they are not doing what the SI feels they are meant to be doing.
I admit though I am hoping Future twilight turns up just to see her reaction to te chaged events that are not horrible.
9277415
Jim Miller did state at one point that things that aren't contradicted by the show in the comics are canon. It's one of the reason's they haven't brought back Sombra as a villain yet as his background special and redemption arc are a favorite of Jim's and a lot of the staff. The show staff even starting working more with the comics as the comics caught up to the shows timeline they started having Easter eggs for things that would appear in soon to air main story episodes from what I remember. It's been a while since I've read the comics and I also remember going through lists that explained how comics that no longer seemed canon could still be canon including the ones that contradict themselves about the Nightmare. Those were interesting as they made the Nightmare make a lot more sense.
Edit: Also EQ girls has also been stated as canon and their new movie supposedly has them going to Equestria from what the trailer showed so that'll be a thing soon.
*A Few Moments Later*
Silver paused mid step, staring out of a window in the corridor.
Canterlot was on fire, buildings toppling and collapsing everywhere he looked.
A black cloud approached from the southeast, revealing a rapidly approaching swarm of changelings.
All along the northern slopes of the mountain below the city spires of dark crystal erupt from the ground amid crazed cries of "Stairs!"
Looking in the direction of ponyville, Silver could just make out the figure of Tirek, draining magic and rapidly growing in size on his path to Canterlot.
Suddenly the world is plunged into darkness, the burning wreck of a city revealing the form of Nightmare Moon descending from the sky, cloaked in shifting shadows and cackling like a madmare.
Silver stood frozen in place, when a sudden cry from below broke him out of his horrified stupor.
"My Cabbages!" Sompony cried out in despair.
Sorry, i couldn't help myself, the combination of "What could go wrong?" and "My cabbages!" sent me into a fit of giggles that prompted this.
This has been great so far, and I'm eager to read more. I've never seen this kind of quasi-AU / SI mishmash but I absolutely love the concept.
9276942
We haven't gotten any date for the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration as far as I can recall, so he might not even have a year if he's unlucky.
Hm, so does he feel this pony's attractive because he's in a pony's body, or because he's gotten so used to seeing ponies that he's under the same curse most bronies are? You know, the one that leads to cute fanart and heated debates over who's the Best Pony.
Those damn Humans in Equestria, stealing jobs from hard-working ponies like Twilight.
In all seriousness though, since Twilight never went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, does that mean she hasn't been friends with Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and Moon Dancer? If that's so, does that mean Moon Dancer hasn't been heartbroken over Twilight ditching her party? 'Cause I don't think I could read about a world where Amending Fences doesn't happen...
Okay, hold your horses. If you want to tell me that Twilight's become a librarian in Canterlot, then fine. She likes books, she lives there, and her BBBFF is also the Captain of the Royal Guard, so that stuff makes sense. But why on Earth... is Fluttershy a vet... in Canterlot? Yeah, she's good at taking care of animals, but she was also a nervous wreck in Season 1, especially before then. So now you're telling me that she not only has the fortitude to handle a job, but one that involves talking extensively to people who need her assistance, all while moving from Cloudsdale/Ponyville to Canterlot???
I'm sorry, but this story about a dude who uses "the power of the human mind" to cast Haste from Final Fantasy is going off the rails.
YOU did this to her, you monster!
9277609
Huh. My head cannon has always been magical PTSD. Dealing with Discord, Sombre, hunting down monsters etc...
Ok if I had not read comments I’d still be confused. More info in story about the time skip would have helped a lot.
9278033
He invoked Murphy's wrath, if it happened today or on the thousand'th year, who knows but the author. Fluttershy went through a complete character redo, anything's possible now...
9278122
Well, some things are probably the same.
I mean, the Apple family is probably right where they usually are. RD could be anywhere on the planet. Rarity . . . well, if this is a world without the rainboom then she'd be almost as hard to pin down as RD. Pinkie is probably miserable on the rock farm. Probably.
Ok, so a lot of things will be different.
9278104
Twilight probably DID go to the school for gifted unicorns. If the point of the test was to successfully hatch the egg then there would be a LOT more dragons wandering around Equestria.
More than likely, the test was to measure raw magical strength, drive to succeed, and/or the ability to cope with failure.
Lol. High on exhaustion?
9277776
may We have a link to this trailer? Can’t seem to find one...
9278464
My mistake it's a special, Equestria Girls Spring break special slated for release 2019 trailer was at a con. Supposedly it ties in to something dealing with the staff the Storm King used. Video appears to be recorded on phone at con but there should be more info if you look up the special.