Timeless
Starlight shot a blinding bolt of magical energy, the air crackling as it hurled toward its target. Twilight dove out of the way, the bolt passing mere inches from her head. She took aim and returned fire at her foe. For a moment it looked like it would find its mark. But at the last moment Starlight teleported and the bolt passed harmlessly through empty sky.
“Where is she?” asked Spike, still clinging tightly to the alicorn.
“I don’t –”
Suddenly, they heard the maniacal cackle from behind. They turned to see Starlight standing on a cloud, a devious grin on her face. “You’re too late,” she declared, pointing to the racecourse in the distance. At that moment a brown pegasus colt passed through the finish line, easily beating a filly Rainbow Dash.
“No!” cried Twilight. She felt herself pulled upwards into the time vortex...
~~~
Thud! Bam!
Dazed, Spike, sat upright. “Where are we now?”
Twilight, rubbing her head, replied, “I’m not sure. But it’s not our Equestria.”
Spike scrambled over to the map. “Well, it doesn’t look too bad. The Crystal Empire hasn’t taken over half of Equestria. And the Changeling.... Twilight?”
She stared silently towards the horizon.
“Twilight? What’s wrong?” He gazed up at the mountains looming in the distance.
“It’s... gone.... Canterlot is... gone. What happened here?” She turned to the map. “There’s no sign of it. There are roads and aqueducts and railroads leading to where it should be, but there’s no trace of Canterlot.”
“Look at Ponyville.” He motioned to the town’s location which was covered by an enormous fortress.
“Halt!”
Twilight and Spike spun around and saw five armor-clad stallions approaching.
The one in the lead demanded, “Who are –” He stopped dead in his tracks. “An alicorn!”
“An alicorn!” echoed another.
“What does it mean?” asked a third.
“Uh – hello?” attempted Twilight.
The leader declared, “The Lord will know.”
“The Lord?”
“The First Lord,” he clarified.
“Well, we’d love to meet the First Lord, but we really must be on our way,” said Twilight, giving a nervous laugh.
“You’re not going anywhere but to see the First Lord,” proclaimed the leader, the others lowering glowing horns at the hapless pair....
~~~
The soldiers escorted their prisoners to the commanding fortress. A solid stone wall, fifty feet high and crowned with battlements, stretched to the horizon in either direction. Every hundred feet stood imposing watchtowers topped with catapults. The group approached the gatehouse and an iron portcullis creaked upwards. Twilight and Spike gazed apprehensively upon the arrowslits on either side and the murder-holes threatening from above. Reaching the other side, they came upon a broad paved street. Houses and shops competed for space, many with overhangs that nearly made the road feel like a tunnel. As they walked, ponies began forming a mob around them, with whispers and murmurs of “An Alicorn!” and “There’s another!”
“Get back!” ordered the leader of the soldiers.
The soldiers and the two prisoners continued walking, their progress slowed by the gawking and confused onlookers who often blocked the way.
“Make way! Official security matters!” barked the leader.
Finally, the group reached the citadel. Dominating the top of a natural hill, it loomed ominously above them, an impregnable structure of walls and towers and buttresses with each level built on top of the one below. The base of the complex was encircled by a thick wall, while a wide moat surrounded it all.
The group passed over a drawbridge and through an even more formidable gatehouse. Up the steep path they climbed, an exposed trail of twenty switchbacks and nearly as many guardhouses. Eventually they arrived at the entrance, and heavy wooden doors swung open to admit the group. Ahead lay a long hallway lit only by torches. Down they walked, the only sounds coming from hoofsteps upon the marble floor. Another set of heavy doors opened to reveal a vast room. At the far end, upon a raised platform, sat a golden throne.
For a long time the group stood in silence. Then, from behind the platform, came the sound of a door opening and the guards snapped to attention. A dark figure gradually climbed, though still in the shadows... an alicorn. Twilight and Spike exchanged glances. Finally, the figured descended the platform, emerging from the darkness and into the light.
“Pinkie?” gasped Twilight.
“Princess Pinkamena, First Lord of Equestria,” corrected the leader.
Circling the strange alicorn and her dragon accomplice, the sovereign demanded, “Who are you?”
Closing her gaping mouth to swallow, Twilight replied, “I’m Prin –”
“Impossible! There are no other princesses in Equestria. Who are you?”
“I’m Twilight Sparkle and this is Spike.”
“Where are you from? Why are you here?”
“That’s a long story,” explained Twilight.
Pinkamena moved her long, straight mane to the side and leaned forward, staring directly into Twilight’s eyes. After an uncomfortable amount of time, she stepped back and gave a nod to the guards....
~~~
Twilight and Spike sat at the long dining table, with Pinkamena at the head. Waiters entered and laid silver trays before the three. Removing the covers, they revealed –
“Gems!” cried Spike, quickly gorging himself on the emeralds and rubies and sapphires.
“Spike! Where are your manners?” scolded Twilight.
Swallowing, he apologized, “Sorry.”
Pinkamena said, “It’s alright. I don’t mind.”
Twilight looked down at her own bowl, a scrumptious salad piled high and covered cheese and dressing. Her empty stomach growled in anticipation. She levitated a fork and took a polite bite.
“So, where do you come from?” questioned Pinkamena.
“Well,” began Twilight, “it’s rather complicated.” She hesitated, looking for the right words. “We’re from another Equestria.”
Pinkamena’s eyes narrowed and she leaned slightly forward, but said nothing.
Twilight continued, “An evil unicorn named Starlight Glimmer used a spell to travel back in time and change the past.”
“Time travel is impossible.”
“No. The spell can be found in the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the library in Canter...”
“Canterlot?” finished Pinkamena.
“Yes,” replied Twilight, rubbing her tearing eyes. “What happened here?”
“You really don’t know?”
“No.”
“It was destroyed during the war.”
Tilting her head, Twilight asked, “What war?”
“The war against King Sombra. When the Crystal Empire returned, he waged a war of conquest against Equestria. We lost nearly everything.... But he was defeated.”
“So Princess Celestia...?”
Pinkamena shook her head. “I’m afraid she didn’t make it. She gave her life for....” Now it was time for her eyes to well with tears. “...me.”
“She did?”
Letting out a long sigh, Pinkamena explained, “It was desperate. Our army was battered, broken, outnumbered. There remained only one hope. Princess Celestia led a desperate last stand, holding off the hordes while... Maud and myself sought the lost Elements of Harmony. Using their power, Sombra was finally defeated.”
“So Maud must be an alicorn too?” asked Spike.
Pinkamena’s face darkened and she shook her head. “Victory came at a steep price. We all sacrificed something... some more than others....”
“Pinkamena?” urged Twilight.
“I lost my whole family. And now....” She let out a sarcastic laugh and looked at her wings. “...Now I have eternity to grieve.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Yeah, I’m really sorry too,” added Spike.
Taking a deep breath, her eyes hardened. “Twilight, you say all this suffering is due to a unicorn?”
“Yes.”
“We must find her and make her pay for her crimes, though having her drawn and quartered would be too light of a punishment.”
“Well, Spike and I have been using the spell to travel back in time to fight Starlight Glimmer.”
Spike pulled forth the scroll and passed it to the princess to examine.
Twilight explained, “However, everytime we fight her we lose, and get pulled into another alternate Equestria.”
Pinkamena looked at the scroll and asked, “What is your Equestria like?”
“Our Equestria is different. Princess Celestia and Luna rule from Canterlot. Princess Cadence leads the Crystal Empire. There hasn’t been a major war in a hundred years. And we all live in Ponyville.”
“Is Maud? And Limestone? And –”
“They’re all still alive,” confirmed Twilight.
“Except they all live on a rock farm while you live in Sugarcube Corner,” added Spike.
Leaning back into her chair, Pinkamena sat in quiet contemplation for a long time. Finally, she asked Twilight, “Could two alicorns defeat this Starlight?”
“Yes, but –”
“I will come with you and make sure it is done.”
“I’m not sure –”
“It is not up for debate.”
~~~
The two alicorns and a dragon walked along the dirt road that led to the map and the former location of the Castle of Friendship. The trio walked mostly in a tense silence. With the map coming into view, Twilight said to Spike, “Go ahead. I would like a word with Pinkamena.”
He returned a confused expression but nodded and trotted down the road. After he was out of earshot, she said, “I really don’t think this is a good idea.”
“I’m coming and that’s final.”
“It’s just... I think you’re going to....” Twilight looked away. “...die. You’re from an alternate timeline, so going back in time may kill you. Even if it doesn’t, if we succeed in stopping Starlight Glimmer, you’ll be erased from existence.”
“If you succeed, this Equestria will be erased as well. I’d rather die saving the ones I love than live with the pain of their deaths for the rest of my life.”
Twilight looked up. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
Twilight slipped a small smile. “That’s one of my favorite books.”
“Mine too.”
“I – I wish we had more time.”
Pinkamena sighed. “It’s always a matter of time. Come, let us end this.”
~~~
Starlight shot a blinding bolt of magical energy, the air crackling as it hurled toward its target. Twilight dove out of the way, the bolt passing mere inches from her head. She took aim and returned fire at her foe. For a moment it looked like it would find its mark. But at the last moment Starlight teleported and the bolt passed harmlessly through empty sky.
They heard the maniacal cackle from behind. They turned to see Starlight levitating in the air, a devious grin on her face. “You can’t stop –” Instantly she was encased in a crystal block.
Emerging from behind a cloud bank, Pinkamena said, “No, but I can.”
“We did it!” cried Spike.
Pinkamena and Twilight shared a smile.
Ka-Boom!!! In the distance a rainbow wave spread across the sky like ripples in a pond – a sonic rainboom.
Suddenly a time vortex sucked them upwards....
~~~
Wham! Thud! Bam! Thud!
Dazed, Spike, sat upright. “Are we back?”
Twilight, rubbing her head, looked about the familiar crystal walls and chandelier made from the roots of the Golden Oak Library. “I think so.” Almost to herself, she said, “Thank you Pinkamena, we’ll never forget you.”
Groan.
Twilight turned. Beyond Spike, beyond the still imprisoned Starlight Glimmer, lay a pink alicorn.
~~~
“...and Starlight will be put on trial for her crimes. I’ll ensure she’s kept in a secure location where her magic is useless.”
“Thank you Princess Celestia,” said Twilight. “She’s extremely powerful; we can’t risk her wielding her magic. Who knows what she would attempt next.”
Turning to the third pony in the room, Celestia asked, “And what comes next for you?”
“I – I –”
“Pinkamena?” asked Twilight.
“I – really don’t know. By all rights I shouldn’t be here. But I am. Somehow I survived when my whole world was destroyed. I’m lost here – a stranger in a strange land.”
“You may be lost, but you’re not forgotten,” she said, putting a comforting hoof on Pinkamena’s shoulder. “You’re more than welcome to stay at my castle until you can figure things out.”
Princess Celestia observed, “Being the Princess of Friendship, I’m sure Twilight can introduce you around Ponyville.”
“I’d like that,” conceded Pinkamena.
“I just realized, any friend of Pinkie’s will be a friend to you,” added Twilight.
“Is that many?”
“You have no idea.”
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I was not expecting for Pinkie Pie to be the ruler of this Alternate Equestria, nor was I expecting her to be an Alicorn
! Then again, that was a pretty clever choice, since this is Pinkie and all
.
I enjoyed this. My only regret is having only so much time with alternate universe Pinkie. I would have moved to see more of her and it would be fun to see her meet the main universe Pinkie.
9145019
Well, she did return to the prime timeline. As for meeting Pinkie, perhaps I should write a sequel.
Dreadnought
9145031
I do think that can be done but I will also say that what you have here is a complete story. It is great as is but if you find an additional story based off of this I certainly would read it.
What have you done... now there are two pinkies and the new one has a horn and wings!! There is no telling the chaos that insues that is if when the pinkies met they don’t end up destroying space and time by doing so!!!
Pretty decent overall, but this:
Makes me wonder… What crimes exactly did Starlight commit (aside from attacking Twilight)? Technically, all she did was stopping the rainboom, everything that followed was pretty much a coincidence. Unless there is a law against time travel, I don’t think she can be held accountable for the outcome.
As for Pinkie alicorn... She could use a sequel, but IMHO you could use it to write something longer, not a one-shoot. Just a though
Then the next month everypony is killed because Starlight didn't become their friend.
The end.
I like.
Well written.
Huh.
Now this is an interesting idea. When Twilight visits the various futures she comes across ascended versions of her friends (but only one or two per timeline) and enlists them to help stop Starlight. When she returns to her original present they merge with their bearer (non ascended) selves.
Would they have to learn everything about their new lives, forget their battle with Starlight in favour of the current time line memories, or have both sets of memories mesh together?
They could even be separate and slowly fade after talking to their counterparts.
9145321
"Huh" as in "Huh good" or "Huh" as in "Huh bad"?
Dreadnought
You need to either change this. Or find a better justification for it. What crimes did she do? Fucked over time doesn't count since those timelines don't exist anymore.
Powerful magic? That's even more stupid. Sunset Shimmer was guilty of the same, and she got off scot free.
Well, it's actually one of two mutually exclusive: either they can risk or they have to kill her immediately.
9145770
Probably assaulting royalty.
9145770
Negating all existence is one of those laws that aren't actually on the law books, because why would it!
Attempted Realityicide?
Please make a sequel.
9154789
All in good time. I'm actually working on a sequel to my story Rainbow Dash Comes Out of the Closet.
Dreadnought
I really think you should make a sequel series.
9254223
I think I will... at least one story. But first, I'll be publishing two sequels to my story Rainbow Dash Comes Out of the Closet. Be sure to check them out!
Dreadnought
9254223 9154789 9145084
Thought you'd be interested to know I'm halfway done with the sequel to this story.
Dreadnought
9305548
Another oneshot or something longer, perhaps? I'll read it anyway, but I'm curious
9306995
It will be longer, but is not a massive story like some of the other stories on the site.
Dreadnought
9305548
Yey
9309619
I think you mean:
9309682
So far the cutie mark removal spell only counts as forbidden in the fandom. I seriously doubt there was a law against it since no one thought it was possible to do.
And Our Town? I blame that more on ponies being stupid enough to listen to Starlight in the first place. You make that illegal. You trample on free will.
Stealing the scroll does so I'll give you that.
9310885
Oh. Do you think that highly of me?
Thanks!
9316080
Oh, I didn't mean to reply to you!
Just teleport
Is that a grammar mistake?
10682887
i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/284/456/eef.png
Don't know - ask Charles Dickens.
10682902
Is that who you got it from?
10682907
-A Tale of Two Cities-
I've always loved that quote.
10682966
That’s where it came from?
10683022
Yeah, it's uttered by one of the characters as he takes an innocent man's place before the guillotine.
10683404
Oh ok