Changing Our Destinies

by silent_user

Chapter 18 - Sweet Dreams

It was emptier than usual.

The ministers were missing.

Sneak was missing.

Candy was missing.

Something was still wrong.

Celestia entered.

For a moment, the generals could have sworn that her eyes were green.

But that wasn’t possible.

And upon second glance, the princess seemed to look just as she always looked.

Like the kind and benevolent leader that they knew she was.

The princess sat down.

Only now did they notice that there also weren't any guards.

Because they still believe in me, and I don’t want them to hear any more things that will shatter these beliefs.

“I am so sorry for what happened,” Celestia started. “As it turns out, you were framed by enemy spies that have infiltrated our ranks." Fortunately for her, there didn't seem to be any hard feelings, despite her show of mistrust. "As we speak, my intelligence forces are rooting them out."

“Princess… Your actions were justified, and we don’t hold them against you.” One of her generals spoke up. “We were a potential danger you needed to deal with. You did what was necessary, investigated us and then released us. What more could we want?”

I really am fortunate with you… seems like I am not all that bad at choosing the right ponies for the job.

"Thank you for your understanding." There was no more time for pleasantries. After all, there was a mountain of issues that required their attention. "Just in case you aren’t up to date. The nobility has been dissolved due to colluding with Cadence against me. Needless to say, she no longer is a princess.”

Again, everypony seemed to be ok with the change.

Weird… I expected some form of protest…

Could it be that Cadence was right that-

Who cares.

“Also, effective immediately, I want you to listen to my daughter Princess Twilight as you would listen to me,” Celestia continued to rattle down her list.

There shouldn’t be any issues with that…

And if anything happens to me, you will still have them at your disposal.

Hopefully.

“Of course, princess,” they assured her. Although, they didn’t seem all that excited.

We will have to work on that.

Those who aren’t loyal to her don’t have any place here.

For the moment, though, she would let it slide. After all, none of them had even met the new princess. "Now, let's circle back. The enemy spies that framed you are called changelings. A race of parasites that have specialised in illusions and deception. As of this moment, we are at war with them."

Sweet began pouring down their faces, heavy breathing accompanying it.

Nopony had a heart attack. I will consider it a win.

“I realise what you are going to say, and I have taken it into account.” The princess pre-empted their protest. “I have authorised all your requests, and you are free to spend anything necessary to return the equestrian army to all of its glory.”

This was what I saved those bits for, after all.

Now that she couldn't count on the elements anymore, it was time to use them. "Martial law will remain in effect until we don't need it anymore."

Shouldn’t be more than… 12 years?

The indifference with which the princess spoke those life-changing words was scary. “Our allies have been informed, drafts are authorised, reservists have already been called to arms and conscription reintroduced.”

This was too much.

This wasn’t what they wanted nor what they asked for.

Again, Celestia pre-empted their protest. "This isn't just about the changelings. In ten years, a powerful dark alicorn will return, with the goal to kill me and bring forth eternal night.”

They were shaking uncontrollably.

In their mind, the strongest army on the planet wouldn't be enough.

You are right about that, which is why I will have to land the finishing blow.

You better pray I can bring myself to do that.

“After her, Discord, the spirit of chaos will follow." For a moment, they thought she was trying to lift the mood with a joke, yet Celestia's face confirmed that she was still being serious.

Discord wasn’t just a legend.

“Then there is also Sombra and the Crystal Empire.” She conjured up a map where a new country had appeared. “Prepare yourself to go to war with this country as well once it has returned from banishment.

“His forces are under strong mind magic, ready to kill themselves at his command.” And she had already seen how devastating such a force can be.

There is more.

These were only the most dangerous foes that they would soon face, though it was obvious that they couldn't take any more for now. “I want you to bring my army into shape by any means necessary so that you can obliterate all of them.”

“We will do our be-“

“No!” She hadn’t intended to shout, but now that she had done so, she didn’t lower her voice again. “You will succeed! Failure isn’t an option!

“You will transform this army of walking decorations into a lethal force again!

“You will start by killing every single changeling!”

They turned her against you.

They deserve this.

"The regular guard will be replaced by you! I want every single pony to be able to describe the look of our soldiers in their sleep!

“Any form of opposition will be killed immediately! No more false tolerance!

"Nightmare Moon! Discord! Sombra! Any other foe that will emerge, you will cut down!” Celestia halted before continuing with an ice-cold voice. “If necessary, I want you to kill harmony itself.”

Her generals looked at her with a mixture of horror and disgust. “But princess! We serve h-”

A quick spell hat pierced the skull of the poor pony that had dared to voice his disagreement. “You serve me! Me! Me! Me! My interests just so happened to align with it in the past!”

Silence reigned.

The ponies in front of her flashed confident glances at each other. “We serve harmony,” another voice dared to say.

I need you. I am not skilled enough to manage the army on my own, and I don't have experienced replacements.

“Fine! Have it your way!” To their shock, green eyes stared at them.

What should have been a simple apology had turned into a life-or-death situation. For them, their families, their friends, their country… maybe even the planet. Immediately horns lighted up, and the few without them took battle stances.

For the sake of everypony, they needed to win a fight against an alicorn.

***

Pinkie was rudely awoken from her sleep.

“W-“

In front of her stood her sisters Limestone and Maud.

While Maud seemed like her usual self, Limestone looked like she was ready to beat her bloody.

"How dare you hurt Marble like that, you selfish moron!” Limestone immediately began screaming.

If Pinkie hadn’t decided to seek a place far away from the other to sleep, they would have already woken up.

“I-“

“Shut up!" Her attempt to defend herself only enraged Limestone even more. "She was ready to attempt and stab the princess in her sleep, thanks to you!"

That was a joke, right?

But there was no laughter.

“You want to leave! Then-“

“What she means to say is that we love you and will deeply miss you.” Maud intervened. Her voice was monotone yet somehow full of emotion.

That didn’t sound like she meant-

“Celestia dammit, Pinkamena!” Limestone sobbed. “If this is what you want, then we won't stop you!"

“Marble was in the wrong,” Maud continued. “She will understand eventually.

“Family doesn’t keep itself chained up thanks to some false sense of loyalty to each other.”

“Do Mom and-“

"N-No," Limestone's eyes narrowed. "Keep them out of this. They have enough to deal with.”

But they are our parents…

“Just promise-“

“You have no idea how much you mean to us!” Limestone wailed, interrupting Maud. “We don’t even know if you are able to live on your own! You are lucky the princess liked that behaviour! Most nobles would have you severely punished for it!”

Why does it matter? Twilight-

“Marble feared for your life! It was more than enough to make her talk, despite the pain it causes her!” She wasn’t getting through. “Pinkamena! You are our sister! We care about you! Why can’t you see that! Why do you hate us so much! Just because we can’t offer you the life you want!”

“I know you try your best-”

“It’s not enough. We have already lost you,” enraged Limestone marched away.

T-This isn’t what I wanted to happen!

I only want to go out there and fulfil my destiny!

She needed to follow her life's calling, yet her siblings didn't seem to understand.

“You are my family! I do love you!” Pinkie called after her.

Limestone didn’t return.

“We love you too, Pinkamena,” awkwardly, Maud closed the distance between them, enveloping her in what loosely resembled a hug.

“Sis… I will come back. I will come back, and I will make our lives better than ever before… turn them into lives of never-ending happiness,” Pinkie swore.

“Nothing will be able to make up for the time without you,” Maud dismissed her well-meant promise.

“I know… but this is what needs to happen.…” It simply was what every instinct of her body told her.

And only Maud seemed to understand. “Be careful out there, Pinkamena. Please make sure to actually return.”

“I will, Maud.

“I will.”

***

“You took over me! You forced me to use mind magic on Fluttershy!”

“Don’t confuse what happened. You forced me. You were about to make them afraid of us and reveal crucial information in the process.”

The worst part?

The words rang true.

“I will assign Pharynx and a few others to oversee Twilight. When they arrive, you will return to the hive.”

“Mother-”

“Don’t mother me! Your performance has been abysmal! I understand that you want to be all buddy-buddy with them, but you can’t! You have a job to fulfil! Our future depends on it!”

“You think they will get along with your new picks?”

“You think they will get along with you after what happened?”

“…”

“And with that, the only reason you are here is gone.”

“You did this! Your stupid-”

“If it had worked-”

“But it didn’t! And now we made the same mistake again!”

“Isabella… I am sorry. I just wanted to do what I thought was best for you… they aren’t my children. You are." For a moment, Chrysalis's appearance faltered. "You are more important than them." A wave of sadness swept over Isabella. "I promise had she hurt you, I would have forsaken her.”

It wasn’t fair.

Everything just wasn’t fair.

She should feel happy that she meant so much to her mother, yet she didn’t. Not when her life lay in shambles. “Mother… I lost everything-”

“You didn’t. Not yet,” Chrysalis assured her. “It all depends now on how quickly we can finally force the ponies to accept us.”

“But how! We-”

“We tried to play nice. They take away our spies?

“We are more than capable of making their own spy for us.”

“Mother-”

“From now on, this is an open war.”

“But will we-”

“We will, Isabella. We will.

“Celestia has already ensured that we will.”

***

…Where am- The black void!

Only a necklace on the ground provided any sort of light.

“Show yourself! You don't get to threaten Twi! You don't get to wield her like a tool!”

Nothing happened.

“What! Are you afraid! I will make you feel the same pain you forced her to go through! You may have brought us together, but that doesn't give you the ri-”

“What the buck are you screaming about?”

An older version of herself was standing in front of her.

What kind of trickery is this?

“You are future-me…." Rainbow mumbled, completely caught off guard.

“I am?” Her older self seemed amused by the whole situation.

A quick jump followed by a slap wiped the smile off her face. "Ow! Why you little!”

There is more where that came from!

“That’s for bullying Twi! You should be ashamed of yourself! Haven’t you learned anything from Fluttershy?” Rainbow accused her.

“I did not bully-”

“Oh yeah? What about the puddle?” The scene Cadence’s spell had shown her was still deeply ingrained in her mind.

“…” Her older self seemed unable to come up with a retort.

That’s what I thought.

“I heard that a pony from Canterlot came and thought she may deserve a special greeting," older Rainbow finally admitted, embarrassed.

I just had to do that to the one pony from Canterlot, who is actually nice.

But the story didn’t check out entirely.

“Why then cosy up to her immediately afterwards?” That must have been what she did, right? Or did Twilight forgive her for doing so, making the first step?

“Look, you are young. You wouldn’t understand,” older Rainbow waved her off.

I didn’t…

I would never…

No! Just no!

“You bitch! How could you do this to her! She doesn’t deserve a pony like you!” She felt like puking.

Could she puke in this endless void?

“Ok, it seems like you are more capable of understanding these things than I remember. Yes, after I put her in her place, I did put on a show in the hopes of getting something out of it. She was an envoy of the princess, and as such, there was at least the possibility of-”

The more her future self talked, the worse it got. “I was wrong! I thought it was the princess who caused her to become this monster, but now I see it! Ponies like you are the reason!”

“What are you talking about? I realised that I misjudged her. Sure, I didn’t have good intentions at first, but in the end, we became good friends. We even saved Equestria multiple times-”

“Buck Equestria!” Rainbow shouted from the top of her lungs.

“Excuse me?” Her older self seemed horrified.

“I said buck Equestria!” Rainbow repeated herself. “What has it ever done for you!”

I don't want to just leave anymore.

I want to see it burn.

“Watch your mouth!" To her delight, she was getting right under future Rainbow's feathers.

“What are you going to do about it?” she replied smugly. “Beat a small filly up? Yourself no less?”

“I see what’s going on here." Future Rainbow's eyes darted around.

Rainbow had no idea what she meant by that, but that didn't stop her from continuing to attack her. "Nice uniform, by the way. Are you having fun serving a tyrant?”

Wonderbolts…

Hopefully, Isabella will destroy them.

“You know nothing!" By now, her future self looked ready to attack.

“I know nothing?” Rainbow shrugged. “Well, at least I know what they say. If you can’t beat them, join them. What did she give you? Bits? A title? Property? Power? Come on, tell me! How much is my loyalty worth!”

“You know what, you arrogant brat! I am done here! I don't need to listen to you! You try living in this place of deceptive illusions with your precious ideals, and I will stick to my life of luxurious comfort.” Older Rainbow began walking away into the darkness.

There, it’s settled.

I, too, fell to the princess.

She swiped up the necklace and began running after her older self. “Where do you think you are going! I am not done with you!” she bit her tongue. This question needed to get an answer. The other elements, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie, were they bought too? Is there even one genuine pony around her?”

“The princess has used her power to make our lives easier. There is nothing wrong with that. We saved Equestria multiple times and deserve to be rewarded for that." It sounded like future Rainbow was reading off of a script.

“Are those her words or yours? Twi-”

“Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! You are always talking about Twilight! What is so special about her! Do you think she is any different! She loves the princess! She was nobility! Now she got gifted with wings and princesshood! Why would she give any of that up!” Her older self was quickening her pace, hoping to lose her.

She loved you. If that was the case, then there must be something left to save.

Suddenly her older self stopped dead in her tracks. “Have you already performed the sonic rainboom?”

“Yes,” Rainbow confirmed.

I need to get as much information out of you as possible.

“Awesome. Good job.” Her future self wanted to give her a pat on the back, but Rainbow jerked away.

Despite that future Rainbow continued undeterred. “Doing that will have been the most significant accomplishment in your life. Thanks to you, the future will be saved.

“Also, the rewards you will receive will be unspeakable.”

None of that was true.

But she didn’t want to give anything away, choosing to rather continue to pry more information out of the older mare. “Rewards?”

“Have the princess’s ponies already contacted you?” Somehow the knowledge they gained from each other didn’t seem to line up.

You could say that.

“No,” Rainbow lied.

“Hmmm. They should do so soon. Now I know you will want to fight them. I did so as well. But trust me, you shouldn't do that. You won't win.

“Instead, just go along," her older self recommended. “It will spare you from your life getting absolutely miserable before you will inevitably give in just so that it can finally become a life of dreams.”

…what have they done to you?

“I know that sounds harsh. But they have good intentions-”

“Are you listening to yourself! You-”

“Calm down. It will be worth it." Future Rainbow shrugged her off. “They will ensure your marks get better, they will make the teachers love you, they will gift you with friends, make sure your parents will never have to worry about money ever again… what are you going to accomplish with your stupid defiance against Princess Celestia?”

I was hoping to never become you.

“Celestia isn’t an evil monster that has made it her mission to make our life miserable. She is a kind and benevolent ruler that sometimes makes hard decisions for everypony's benefit. That’s what ruling is all about.” It was no use. Her younger self was and would forever be stupidly stubborn. Despite that, she would try to help her out so that she wouldn't have to go through the same things she had to go through.

"That’s what ruling is all about."

That's why only evil ponies rule.

“She knows what’s going on. She controls everything.”

I know.

“Thanks to her planning, we could defend ourselves against the barrage of threats that surfaced.”

It wasn’t worth it.

“What more could you wish for in a ruler? Without her, we would have died in an everlasting night.”

Everlasting night…

As if.

“Look. I know you are stubborn, but it doesn’t matter. If you don't heed my words-”

“You are right.” Rainbow didn’t want to listen anymore, even if it meant she would probably miss crucial revelations. “It doesn’t matter because I lied. You succumbed while I am still out there fighting that tyrant.”

“Don’t call her that. She-”

“Is a brutal monster that only barely resembles a pony.” Maybe it was time to go on the offensive again? Try to make her older self realise who she was defending?

A monster that killed our parents…

Shouldn’t you know that?

“I am warning you. You-”

“Once again, what are you going to do? Call the guard?” She motioned towards to darkness surrounding them. “Is that what you always do when ponies tell you their real opinion of your master?”

Future Rainbow shook her head. “I know myself.

“I know I was already breaking.

“I know I didn't have much more strength left to fight. At best, make a run for it, yet even that terrified me. It would have meant being all alone out there.” She was right.

If it hadn't been for the ESS that forced her hoof, Rainbow wouldn't have attempted to flee.

But when I did make a run for it, I wasn’t alone…

There was a pony out there already waiting for me…

Wasn’t there one for you?

“And since I hope we aren’t dead, you obviously have found a master of your own.” Eyes were scanning her body, looking for something, yet seemingly not finding anything. “Care to tell me who it is?”

It hurts…

It hurts to know you are right…

It hurts to see how close I was to falling to her.

“Guess who,” Rainbow challenged her.

“This isn’t a game-”

“It is now.” As her future self, she had to know, right? “Come now. It really isn’t that hard.”

“Nightmare Moon?”

“Nope.”

“I dunno… Discord?”

“Who is that?”

“Starlight Glimmer?”

“Wrong.”

“Sombra?”

“Try again.”

“Any hint?” she was running out of ideas.

We changed the future…

You aren’t me anymore…

But then why are you still existing?

“Mudpuddle.” Now it should be obvious who she was talking about.

…What?” Future Rainbow looked horrified. But horror quickly turned into anger. “All right, Twilight! This is too far! Stop this at once!”

Moron.

To future Rainbow's irritation, nothing happened. "I can’t believe the purple egghead would-”

“Ouch! Stop that!” Again, her younger self had decided to attack.

“You don’t get to call her that! She has nothing to do with-”

Older Rainbow had enough, kicking her away. “I can’t believe you would make an illusion of my younger self attack me, Twilight! Come on! Pony up and show yourself!”

This is the pony you thought I was…

This is the pony that set you on this path, Twi…

How can you not despise me after you have seen her?

Future Rainbow walked over to her. “You! Tell me-”

“I already told you Twi is not behind this. This is real, and I am real.” Rainbow insisted. “She came for me and got me out of there.”

“Did she time travel?” None of that made sense to her future self.

“What? No. Twi just came and told me she had a vision. The elements gave it to her.” Or at least that was how it appeared to be.

The older mare didn’t buy it. “None of that happened.”

“I know. Not to you.” Could Rainbow really be mad at her? “You know I feel sorry for you. You were so close, yet here you are.”

“You don’t know me. Why are you assuming that I am not happy? Why are you so convinced of that?” After all, she was happy, right? “I have a wife, friends, a good job, money, power. What else could I want? The only thing I lack is a noble title, and I bet Twilight will make sure they are granted to us eventually. It's already insane that we didn't get them after everything we did.”

I was already offered one. Seems like you once again have gotten the short end of the stick.

“I have a wife as well," Rainbow claimed.

The moment those words had left her mouth, her older self began laughing hysterically. “You! You are twelve!”

I am almost thirteen.

“You don’t even know what marriage entails! You haven’t even fallen in love yet!”

I did.

“Say what you want," Rainbow brushed her off. “We may not be married right now, but it is only a matter of time.”

“And you say Celestia was the tyrant! At least she doesn’t require you to marry her!” This was her younger self, wasn’t it? If she fell in love with Twilight, what would that mean for her and Applejack?

I wouldn’t put it past her.

“Twi saved me. She was there for me. She would give anything for me. Who else but she deserves my love?” She already knew what her older self would say next.

“You know what? There is no point in arguing with the element of loyalty on these matters." Or maybe she didn't know. Instead of continuing to fight, her older self chose to try and leave her be. “I only hope that your loyalty won’t waver once you meet her.”

Applejack.

“I already did, and she was disgusting." Why was she actively trying to resume arguing when she had an opportunity to move on?

“I see. I underestimated you. If your dedication is so high that you are even forsaking our true love for those you swore to give your life to, then we truly deserve to wield the element of loyalty."

Loyalty…

I have been chosen as the bearer of the element of loyalty?

Of all things, loyalty?

Why! Why do they think that I should be the bearer of loyalty! Why me! Why a pony as undeserving as me!

“So, you never even considered Twilight?” She needed to turn the focus of the conversation away from herself again.

“Not once.” the answer came too quickly.

You are hiding something.

“Why?”

“Why?” her older self was taken aback. “Why not?”

“I asked first.” Rainbow stuck out her tongue.

“I just didn’t,” future Rainbow asserted.

“You obviously-”

“Ok. You got me. I thought about it,” she admitted. “Yet things just didn’t work out. I don’t regret it. I stand by my love, and she stands by me.

“Sometimes it just works this way.”

I could respect that, even if I think you are wrong.

But your Twi is hurting.

Would that mean she had an obligation to help her out?

“How can you be sure? You should give her a chance,” Rainbow urged her.

“See." Her future self shook her head. “You don’t understand marriage.”

“I do.”

“So, you want me to…."

“Yes.”

“Loyalty-”

“The question is, what is it worth to be loyalty to?”

“You think Twilight would justify infidelity?”

“I do.”

“Then you are screwed up, and they should lock you up as quickly as possible.”

Ouch. I have hit a nerve.

“Look. Please keep AJ out of this. After all, I am not asking you these things, so I would like you to do the same.” It probably was futile to ask a child to see reason. Especially one that was a younger version of herself. Yet future Rainbow hoped that she would do so regardless.

Too bad I don’t care about you.

“Twi-”

“You are wasting your breath. I am just as unlikely to abandon her for the same reasons you won’t abandon Twilight.” That had to work, right?

Somehow, I doubt it.

“All you need to do-”

“It’s not going to happen. I wouldn’t even live long enough to try.” The last part she didn’t mean to say.

Are you that scared of A-

Celestia! She didn't want me to get close to her! Only with you, she had enough power to enforce it!

You sacrificed Twilight for her!

“You know Twi would win against Celestia?" She may have lost last time, but by now, she had to be older and even more powerful.

“You are forgetting that your precious Twi is her most loyal subject,” future Rainbow reminded her.

…I didn't consider that.

“Ok, enough. This really is getting ridiculous. I think I have entertained you long enough. Either stop with this nonsense, or I am out for real this time.” Only she had no idea how to get out of this black void.

But luckily for her, Rainbow finally saw that she had to stop this senseless fight.

There were more important things to figure out.

“Fine. Though, I stand by what I said.”

“As expected. I do, too, after all.”

We will see.

***

Spells impacted her shield, having no effect whatsoever.

But at the same time they did, the non-unicorns began charging at her.

Show them the power of the sun!

No. I want them alive.

Why had she even considered-

A shard of glass barely missed her face.

They are creative.

She flung the pegasus at the wall, focussing on the remaining assailants again.

They won’t give in.

You picked them specifically because of that.

And since they won’t give in by themselves, you must make them give in.

Green magic engulfed the room.

The fight would soon be over.

And still, spells continued blasting while the others tried to find an opening in her defence.

This is what needs to happen…

Just like everything else needed to happen.

A pony ran for the door, probably trying to alert reinforcements.

A bolt of green magic hit him.

Seeing what fate was awaiting them, they began fighting even harder.

And yet, to her, they were like annoying mosquitos.

The pony she flung against the wall attacked again.

Victory was in sight.

It had been an illusion.

Before he had made contact with her neck, magic had engulfed him, causing him to collapse on the ground.

He didn’t get up again.

“Princess! Snap out of it!” Somepony tried to get through to her.

You are the ones that have lost their mind!

You are betraying the pony you have sworn to serve!

“The dark magic will destroy everything you stand for! Let us help you! Let us protect the ponies you hold so dear to you!" And by that, they meant killing her.

"Let us protect the ponies you hold so dear to you."

My death…

Her death would be Candy’s death.

There weren’t many non-unicorns left.

That didn't deter them, though.

In a combined attack, they tried to charge from the left and the right, hoping she wasn't paying attention.

She had been paying attention.

In an instant, magic lifted her off the ground above them.

Instead of running into the princess, they ran into a green force field.

Stop hesitating! You could have already taken all of them out in a heartbeat!

The princess continued hovering, green eyes glaring at them.

Their spells continued to not have any effect.

All of their non-unicorn comrades were gone.

“Princess! Think about your daughter!” It was a desperate last-ditch effort to attempt and save Equestria from the terrible fate they knew it was about to face, using the easy way.

Twilight…

I am a bad guy…

Twilight is in danger of becoming a bad guy.

And the bad guys didn’t tend to win or get a happy ending.

It's ok.

You will do what’s necessary so she can be happy.

Magic overwhelmed them.

Whatever dreams their induced sleep would bring…

They wouldn’t wake up from them again anytime soon.

***

What have I done?

There the entire General Staff of Equestria lay on the ground, green magic surrounding the once-free ponies.

Dark magic…

Candy…

This was the price for her moment of weakness.

It has gotten stronger…

Way way stronger.

So strong that she may not be able to resist anymore.

W-What can I do now!

I can’t go on like this!

Yet she needed to be here.

She needed to defend her daughter against the enemies that would soon show up.

She needed to live so that Candy could live.

I trapped myself.

Celestia surveyed the room once more.

No…

One of her generals was missing.

***

Edge was flying as fast through the night as he could.

Leave! You need to leave Canterlot!

It was only a matter of time until the princess would notice that he had slipped away during their distraction.

I need to get the information about her corruption out there!

Under no circumstances could he allow the Equestrian army, the protectors or harmony, to be instrumentalised in whatever the princess planned in the state she was in.

She will discredit me.

That much was obvious.

I need to get to my troops.

They knew him. They would listen to him.

Listen over Celestia?

If they didn’t. Then he had already lost. There wasn’t anypony else out there he could contact, and who would stand a chance against the princess.

Even they would lose, but maybe we can devise a plan?

Contact our allies?

Inform the public?

Bring in the rest of the military?

Those seemed like steps he should probably take.

Wind Rider! The Wonderbolts are fast! They can do this!

Wind Rider had severed under him for years.

Now he had to count on the fact that this meant anything to the Captain.

***

“I… I need to know what I should look out for.”

Why am I continuing to distract myself?

“You don’t trust me…

“How am I supposed to help you if I don’t even know where you are at right now?” Future Rainbow sighed. “You are not me.

“You are different.”

Maybe I have overdone it…

“Things looked bleak for me…

“But then Mom and Dad finally got help from a therapist, and Fluttershy continued to support me along the way. Bless her. No matter how much I tried to drive her away, she always stayed, determined to help us heal.” Those were good memories.

It showed her that no matter what, some ponies would never give up on you.

I am already receiving all the help I need.

“I was blind. For a long time, I couldn't see how my actions were hurting others, yet that didn't mean I was a bad pony. The fact that I not only immediately stopped when I noticed the damage I was doing but also tried to stand up for my former victims is proof of that." It took so long for her to come to terms with that. "It is proof I could tell right from wrong. Proof that I had a moral compass… I tried my best. I fought every day. The world around me, however, wouldn't change… And one day, I realised it wasn't the problem. One day I stopped caring. Everypony around me lived in it. Everypony around me had accepted this world. It was obvious. I was the one who had to change. It was the only way. You, too, will see it one day. You, too, will fall.

“And when you finally do, you will be rewarded with happiness. Instead of constantly having to see the world for what it really is, you will finally be able to lie to yourself like all the others, being rewarded with a land of sunshine and rainbows.

"Or maybe you won't. Maybe I was simply too weak.

“Maybe there had been another way all along.” For the first time in years, an old foe reared its head again.

Her conscience.

Something was still missing. “Did you come to that realisation by yourself? I thought Celestia made your life hell first?"

“I… It’s difficult.” Future Rainbow was feeling a migraine sneaking up on her.

Was it possible to get one in this void?

“To be frank. Life isn’t that black and white. Yes, they wanted me to break. Not to put up any resistance anymore, but I also needed their help. Or aren’t you feeling so…

“Lost?

“Sad?

“Depressed?”

I... Sometimes I do...

“In the end, they cured me of these feelings, and I suppose in return, they got the element of loyalty they wanted.”

They destroyed you…

They will do the same to me…

They will do it to Twi and Spike…

They will do it to everypony.

“I was stupid. I tried resisting them. The only thing it accomplished was that they put me into a mental asylum…

"But like I said, I probably needed that.”

They drugged us?

“Do you… do you take medication? Have they forced you-”

“I know what you are imagining, but don’t. There is no reason to be afraid to take the needed medicine.” Maybe she should have kept quiet.

It seemed that future Rainbow's well-meant advice had put her younger self off even more.

They forced you…

It's exactly what I was afraid of!

“So you are happy taking them!” Everything seemed to be against her.

Even health care.

"I wouldn't say happy… they are simply a necessity that enables me to go about my life.

“If you are like I was, then they will help you.

“They won’t even keep you out of the Wonderbolts for all that long. Celestia will make sure of that.

When did I start gushing about those clowns!

“And yeah… they will make you tired, but everypony will simply think you are lazy, and honestly, who cares about them?" Maybe she was going about this the wrong way.

Ultimately, a doctor would need to see what was best for this version of her younger self.

“Stop taking them.” Rainbow almost commanded.

“Excuse me?” Was her younger self still seeing this as a game?

“Twi will help you! They won’t be able to force you anymore! You need to stop taking them!” Whatever it was, Rainbow was sure it wasn’t medication.

“Are you stupid! Who knows how I would react to the withdrawal-”

“They are just scaring you! You will be fine, and in the rare event that you won’t be at first, Twi will help you!" Because if there was one thing she knew, then it was that Twilight would always be there for her.

For every single version of her.

“You have no idea what you are talking about! You don't play with medicine like that! Those aren’t loyalty pills! It's medication helping me with my medical condition! They have nothing to do with the other things-”

“Keep telling yourself that! Who knows what they put in there!”

“I know! The ingredients are labelled!”

Really? You had no better argument?

“You may think you can go without professional help right now, but you will be going out there on borrowed time… these illnesses need to be treated. The older you get, the longer you wait, the worse they become. One day you will be super happy. The other day you will be feeling absolutely down…

“They work in phases, you know.” It probably was all futile.

If her younger self really was fighting against the princess, then it wasn’t like she would be able to see a doctor.

Not like she could freely talk to them to get the help she needed.

Life simply wasn’t fair. “I only wanted you… I want you to be able to get that help without getting yourself locked up.…”

Don’t listen to her.

You are fine.

“I will manage," Rainbow waved her off.

And still, it made her fear that much more for the small filly in front of her. “You will be hurting yourself and those around you for nothing. Those who play with fire will get burned.” If only she knew if there even was a reason to worry about her thick-headed younger self.

“Yeah, yeah.” The only thing that was missing was for Rainbow to cover her ears with her wings.

“I am serious. Your Twilights support might help…

“But in the end, illnesses like these can only be treated with professional help and medication.

“When you see it for yourself, it will be too late,” older Rainbow warned.

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

“We aren't ill! They lied to you! Because that's all they do! They lie! They lie! They lie!”

She shot out of bed.

“They lie! They lie! They lie!”

“Dashie!”

They are everywhere.

They will hurt you.

They will hurt her.

They will lock you up until you are dead.

You will never see her like that again.

They will make you forget.

“Dashie!" Twilight was shaking her.

But Rainbow just stared at the wall.

The door was forced open. “Is everything all right?” Isabella asked.

They will drug you.

They will make you believe their stories.

They will make you fight for them.

They got Twilight as well.

They can do it again.

“Hey… did you have a bad dream?” the changeling tried to understand the whirlwind of emotions the pegasus was feeling. “There is no need to be afraid. Look around you. We are all here for you.” Unknowingly her well-meant words bounced straight off of the blue pegasus.

You were right.

You need to leave.

Leave.

Leave.

Leave.

In an instant, the heaviest object she could see was thrown at the changeling.

“Why do you continue to do this to me!” Isabella was on the ground, covering her eye.

They want to keep you here.

They will use you.

They will endanger you.

While the changeling was trying to recover from the pain, Rainbow grabbed Twilight and Spike and hurled them out of the window.

As fast as she could without resorting to another rainboom, she began flying.

“Dashie!" She could feel Twilight's magic.

She will stop you.

She doesn’t know.

She can’t know because they got her as well.

“We need to leave!” Rainbow pleaded. “I saw what they did to me-”

“You had-”

“It wasn’t a nightmare! I saw my future self! If you want us to even have the slightest chance at happiness, then we can never return here!”

It will never be safe anywhere near her.

“They want to keep us here for their own purposes!

“We can’t stay here! We need to leave! Leave! Leave!” Rainbow desperately wanted to speed up, yet she couldn’t.

She couldn’t kill Twilight again.

The only thing that was left was to continue flying while hysterically continuing to speak what she knew was the truth. “Leave! Leave! Leave! Leave! Le-”

Purple Magic engulfed them.

No!

For a short moment, she could see land once more before it engulfed her again.

And again.

And again.

It continued until Twilight fell onto the ground.

Where are-

“I can’t-”

“Don’t overextend yourself!” Or else what happened in the throne room would happen once more.

“I brought us as far away as I could… I don’t know where we ended up.

“I didn’t even know I already knew how to teleport.” Twilight hugged an ill-looking Spike.

The barrage of teleports seemed to have gotten to him.

We are… safe?

“Everything is ruined!” The purple filly began sobbing. “I had them! I had them!”

Who- Fluttershy and Pinkie.

“How can I ensure they won’t turn on us now?

“What will happen if she kills them?

“What if the changelings will want revenge for us abandoning them?

“What if we are in hostile territory?

“Where can we get clean water?

“Food?

“Money?

“Are they speaking the same language-”

Rainbow pressed her lips onto Twilights.

Then she simply lay down next to the lost alicorn, looking at the night sky.

"We are here, Twi.

"We are here while our problems remain in Equestria.

“The only thing that came with us is a bright future.

“Happiness is awaiting us.”

Comments

[Xarmar13]

For a long time, I've been questioning whether or not a mentally sound pony even exists in this story. At this point, I have to say there isn't.

[LastToTheParty]

11605856
Yeah I can kind of see your point . Though to be fair it's mostly true only for the main actors. Most of them even know about it and I think their mental issues are not at all unjustified:

Celestia on the forefront has seen all her century-long planning falling through and is more and more influenced by dark magic as we see in this chapter. While she has realized that, she is too far set on her current path to go back.

Twilight and Rainbow on the other hand are only children thrust into boarderline impossible circumstances. They, or at least Twilight, even acknowledge, that some therapy would do them good and start attending with Cadence, but well that option quickly got thrown out the window.

Another pony with wavering sanity is of course Candy, but again it is justified, with her backstory of being a child soldier and her entier character build around the adoration of her idol Princess Celestia. She is a little bit of a stand-in for the Twilight of the original timeline, who probably would have also reacted quite poorly and similar mental, when seeing that her beloved mentor turns out to be a ruthless tyrant.

Everypony else doesn't seem unsound of mind, but are of course panicking and desperately acting on all the livechanging events that keep happening in such a short amount of time, most centered around Celestia.

[origami]

Gonna go out on a limb and say the dream Rainbow just had was courtesy of Nightmare Moon. I'll even put forth the idea that everything transpiring is because of her. Somehow she found a way to reach Equestria from her banishment on the moon and has been slowly manipulating Celestia in an effort to weaken her so that when she does finally become free, she'll have the least amount of resistance when she comes to take over.

[LastToTheParty]

Another chapter, another great start to a weekend .

I really like Rainbow's confrontation with her alternate future self. It highlights her internal issues and kind of leaves it ambiguous, who the more mentally stable of the two is. Though one can argue that Future-Rainbow has been drugged into submission, Current-Rainbows outright refusal of these issues and of course her desparate escape from them speaks volumes.

Also wow, I kind of said it before but our Mane Cast can't catch a break, having just meet up and being separated almost immediately after. Will the changelings look after the rest or will some other fate befall them, we will see.

“Why do you continue to do this to me!” Isabella was on the ground, covering her eye.

Poor Isabella, first her mother's interference and now this as the cherry on top .

[LastToTheParty]

11605913
Will be interesting to see though, at the moment I am more inclined to think of the dream as a similar sort of vision that Twilight had, albeit in a more blunt way. Though this more direct confrontation, really suits Rainbow's character more. It isn't even that unsimilar to the therapy session the pair had with Cadance in chapter 12. Also these glimpses into an alternate future remind my of the Little Glimpses Series, where the glimpses are exactly that and no manipulated dreams, though this is just me linking two great series that have no connection to another .

[silent_user]

11605915
Thank you so much. I had this segment written for so long, and it has driven me insane that I had to wait this long to use it .
Regarding the behaviour of the characters, there are many aspects, but your previous comment summarized my thoughts/intentions on these matters pretty well.
Other than that, I probably shouldn't comment any further on what you all have brought up .
Though, let me tell you this: I have said it before, and I will say it again. You are the best readers one could wish for. Hopefully, I will see you all again next week in the future .

[LastToTheParty]

11606356
Well you certainly won't get rid of me so easily with all your engaging story-telling and, to top it all off, interacting with your faithful fans . I know it sounds cheezy, but reading another update to your story and even responding to so many of my comments really brightens my weekend.
But that's enough enough mushy stuff for now , i think i hear a certain sky-blue pegasus gagging in the distance at all this heartfelt outpour.

[Poparakelis]

Problems, problems, and no solutions, when will they come, Author?

[silent_user]

11606572
First of all, thanks for making it this far .
I am not going to lie. There are many things that need to be addressed, and all of them will be in due time.
You could consider this chapter as the end of the first book. From here on, the story will begin to shift focus.
But don't get any false hopes. This is a long-term project.
Even I sometimes get mad at the pace, but like when Twilight got her vision, patience is needed. I would have loved for her to immediately meet Rainbow, but a filly wouldn't just jump out of a window to look for something she has seen a vision. Time is needed to set characters on their path, explore motivations, and build a world. Most of the former things have been done now.
Now it is time for adventure, consequences, recovery and more mystery.

[Giltor]

So, it's decided. "Elements of Harm". Just throw them into the volcano and the world will be a better place.
And release Discord. I suspect that the Spirit of Chaos will be the sanest being in this madhouse.