[1] From Future to Past...
~~~~~(((0)))~~~~~
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery.
But today is a gift, that is why it is called the Present.”
- Master Oogway
~~~~~(((0)))~~~~~
Chapter 1
A flash of light was all the warning that she and her assistant received before blacking out. When they came too, their minds almost shut down due to an overload of the senses. Their ears were picking up the softest of sounds, their noses the most subtle of odors, and so on. They were aware of their surroundings and movements yet not at all. It was as if their bodies were on autopilot while their brains tried to solve their current conundrum.
They were given brief flashes of scenes that were both foreign and familiar. A younger, non-alicorn Twilight going through several books at once, with Spike nearby, holding up a stack of more books. It transitioned to a scene in Ponyville, where Twilight was enjoying an afternoon with her friends. Spike, trying his hardest, to help Rarity finish a complex dress as it neared its due date.
These flashes flew by quickly for what seemed like an eternity. One by one, the scenes… no, memories, they realized… started slowing down, until every detail of one frame could be examined thoroughly a few times over before the next frame revealed itself. This process continued for a while until one memory in particular began to show up on more than one occasion. It kept repeating itself until it was the only one able to be viewed. What made this memory even more intriguing was that it had sound to go with the color.
“Spike? Spike!”
The door shut, revealing a slightly crushed Spike, with Moondancer’s present impaled on his tail.
That memory was important for some reason, yet neither of them could figure out why. It took an easy dozen or more repeats until Twilight remembered why it was so important. She shared her revelation with Spike, who immediately agreed with her hypothesis. When the hypothesis was concluded as true, the memory began to rewind to the beginning, and beyond even that.
They blacked out once more…
=-=-=
“Hmm… Elements of Harmony? Where have I heard of them before?” Twilight looked up at the sky with a questioning expression. Her eyes widened and she shook her head.
Immediately worried, she teleported to her room and called out. “Spike? Spike!”
Spike perked his head up as he finished wrapping Moondancer’s present, worry and shock in his eyes. He shook his head and surrounded himself in a cloak of flames, accidently turning the present into ash. When the inferno calmed, Twilight was back-to-back with him, a grimace on her face. Spike held his fire shield and sword in a defensive position. Twilight had a shield around them both with her energy pike at the ready.
They stood there for who knows how long. An hour? Two? After thirty minutes of neither of them moving, they dispelled their weapons and sat down, still back-to-back. Twilight was shocked to find herself quivering. With what? Fear? Of course, any being that had the power to move time on a whim was a being that she didn’t want to anger. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head to look at Spike, confusion and worry nearly overflowing out of his eyes.
Twilight gave a small smile and stood up. She cleared her throat before speaking those ancient words, “Spike, take a letter.”
As he always did, Spike pulled a parchment and quill with auto-ink out of nowhere.
My Dearest Teacher,
My continuing studies have led me to believe that something very bad is about to happen. You see, the Mare in the Moon is in fact Nightmare Moon, and she is about to return to Equestria and plunge us in an eternal night. I await your ever-quick response for a solution to this eminent problem.
Your student,
Twilight Sparkle
“Send it.”
A snap of Spike’s fingers and the letter was gone in a flash of green smoke.
“Are you sure sending that letter again was a good idea, Twilight?”
“She would have made me go to Ponyville one way or another, Spike. I just want things to go as smoothly and correctly as their supposed to.” Twilight turned to look at her assistant.
Spike, a pseudo-younger brother to Twilight, assistant in research – and a few generations after her princess coronation – her best and most loyal body guard. He looked at her with a steady and calm gaze that was acquired throughout a period of half-millennia of being by her side. He felt a tingle in his wrist and snapped his fingers. A scroll appeared with Princess Celestia’s wax seal keeping it from unraveling. He unrolled the letter and began reading.
Twilight, already knowing what it said, started packing for the eminent trip to Ponyville. Books and quills and inkwells went into her travel pack to keep up her bookish appearance, while her nearly imperceptible pocket dimension held anything and everything she could possibly need.
The only way for anyone to see it was if they were looking directly at it, while it was in front of the sun. When inactive, it was a black dot nearly a tenth the size of a standard period. When she used it, however, it expanded to a size large enough for something two Celestias high and three wide to walk through.
They started walking in the direction of the carriages when Twilight’s brother found them.
“Twily!”
The two siblings hugged each other while Shining gave Spike a hoofbump. They continued walking as they talked.
“So, Princess Celestia tells me that you’ve been sent to Ponyville to look over the Summer Sun Celebration?”
Twilight nodded. “Yup. The letter she sent me had a list of things that I’ll need to make sure are perfect by the time she gets there tomorrow.”
Her brother looked at her worriedly. “Just make sure that you don’t go all OCD on them, okay, Twily?”
She gave her brother the evil-eye and shook her head, but ended up smiling at him. “I promise that I’ll only go a little OCD on them if necessary.”
She and Spike hopped into the carriage and gave Shining Armor one last hug. As they were taking off, Shining yelled to her, “Don’t forget to write!”
Twilight waved and yelled back, “I won’t!”
She turned back to face the front. She looked at Spike and found him gazing out at different areas, keeping a close eye for any unwanted attention. The trip to Ponyville was relatively quiet; the crying of birds and the wind providing the only conversation. When they touched down in the center of the Ponyville market district, the two passengers hopped off and gave a brief thanks to the flyers, who nodded in return before heading back to Canterlot.
Keeping quiet, as to not be overheard, Spike muttered to Twilight. “How are we going to go about the next few days?”
Just by using the side of her mouth, Twilight replied, “As close to correct as possible when it comes to bonding with the others. During the fight with Luna I may summon you if necessary.”
A barely perceptible nod was all the recognition Spike gave. He was about to say something else when a loud gasp from a loud mare interrupted. A pink blur shot past him into Sugarcube Corner. He looked at Twilight to see her in near tears, before she reigned it in and continued on with a muttered, “That was weird.”
A few civilians that overheard her gave her a nod of understanding before going on their way.
“So, where to, Spike?” Twilight looked around.
Spike looked at the first item on the list. “Sweet Apple Acres is supposed to be handling the food.”
“So why don’t we ask that stallion with the apple cutie mark, then?”
Spike looked over to where Twilight motioned and saw Big Macintosh pulling two carts full of various dining utensils. Twilight walked over to him and cleared her throat.
Without looking at her, Big Mac said, “Ya’ll hafta walk ‘n talk, ma’am.”
Falling next to him step for step, with Spike right behind, Twilight asked, “Are you a member of the Apple family?”
“Eeyup.”
“Great! My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’ve been given the task of overseeing the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. I was just curious as to how far along the food is to being completed?”
Big Mac stopped for second to catch his breath before continuing on. “I can guarantee that the food will be ready by the time the celebration starts, Miss Sparkle.”
Twilight nodded and gave a ‘Thank you’ – to which Big Mac nodded in return – and started walking away when her stomach started rumbling.
Big Mac, always nice, stopped and looked at her. “We always make a surplus of food, an’ it’s th’ Apple Family Reunion today as well. I don’t think they’ll mind an extra mouth ta feed, Miss Sparkle.”
Twilight gave the impression of mulling over the idea. “Well, I suppose a quick bite to eat couldn’t hurt.”
Big Mac nodded and motioned for her to follow him, which both pony and dragon did. When they made their way onto Apple Family property, Twilight could hear violins and banjos playing near the barn. Tables were set up, nearly overflowing with food. Apple-themed decor stretched everywhere the eye could see. Members of the Apple family, young and old, were having a jolly old time, not even noticing the out-of-towners encroaching on their festivities.
“Yeehaw!”
Applejack ran at a tree, turned around, and kicked backwards, hard enough for every apple in the tree to fall into the baskets that were placed underneath it just a few seconds earlier. The orange mare wiped her brow and turned to her brother.
“Whadya think of th- Who this?”
She looked at Twilight and Spike in confusion. Twilight stepped forward and introduced them both. The two mares shook hooves, Applejack the more energetic of the two.
“Well, we’ve always got room for another mouth ta feed here at Sweet Apple Acres! An’ ya came just in time for the Apple Family Reunion, too!”
She rang the dinner bell and shouted.
“Soup’s on everypony!”
A stampede of Apple family members ran to get a good seat next to relatives they haven’t seen in a while, while the direct owners of Sweet Apple Acres passed out the food. When the last plate was given to Twilight, everypony yelled “Dig in!”
Not having tasted an Apple product in over fifty years, Twilight nearly gorged herself on the various pastries and pies that were within hooves’ reach. Her mouth nearly melted once the flavor hit her tongue. Needless to say, the meal was well worth the time spent eating and conversing with the Apple family.
When everyone was finished eating, Twilight and Spike bid farewell to the Apple Family and continued their task.
“Rarity?” Spike looked at Twilight, his eyes brimming with hope.
She nodded. “Rarity.”
=-=-=
They were halfway to Ponyville when they heard, “Look out below!”
Twilight hopped out of the way and transfigured the ground beside her into a mattress, where Rainbow Dash promptly landed with a soft thud.
The sky blue mare wiped her forehead with a hoof and said, “Thanks for the landing pad. That fall would’ve been nasty otherwise.”
Twilight smiled and turned the ground back to normal. “Don’t mention it.” Her face grew thoughtful. “Are you by any chance Rainbow Dash?”
Said mare puffed out her chest. “I take it you’ve heard of me.”
Twilight laughed. “The first pegasus to have pulled off a Sonic Rainboom, let alone at the age of a young filly, yes I’ve heard of you.”
Rainbow Dash smiled and said, “Glad to know my exploits is well-spread knowledge.”
Twilight looked at the still cloud-filled sky. “Think you could clear the sky over Ponyville in less than thirty seconds?”
“Ha! Try ten seconds flat! Ready set go!”
She took off at a speed near Sonic Rainboom levels and managed to clear the sky in 9.89 seconds. She landed in front of them and said, “What’d I tell ya? Ten. Seconds. Flat.”
Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Impressive. I’ll be sure to put a good word in when I see the Wonderbolts in Canterlot next month.”
Rainbow Dash was inches away from Twilight’s face in under a second, an extremely large smile on her face.
“You have tickets to the Canterlot Flyer’s Expo?!”
Deciding to throw the mare a bone, Twilight nodded. “I got invited by a few pegasi friends of mine.”
Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight’s shoulders and shook her rapidly. “You gotta take me with you!”
Twilight pushed the over-excited mare off of herself and said, “I barely even know you, Rainbow Dash.”
This led to a five minute info dump detailing Rainbow Dash in general while they continued walking towards Ponyville, where they ran into Fluttershy readying her song bird choir. A Blue Jay trying to sing tenor was having trouble and was coughing a lot.
“Hey Fluttershy! Guess what?”
Fluttershy jumped in shock and turned around to see Rainbow Dash hovering over Twilight and Spike. The birds, minus the struggling Blue Jay, had scattered.
“My new friend here is gonna be takin’ me to the Canterlot Flyer’s Expo next month. Oh… and sorry about your birds.”
“It’s… okay.” Fluttershy muttered shyly.
Twilight walked over to the Blue Jay and looked him over with narrowed eyes. She turned to Fluttershy and said, “Try giving him some honey. It should sooth his throat and vocal cords.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the idea and said, “I didn’t think of that, thank you… uh…”
“Oh!” Twilight facehoofed. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. This is Spike.” She motioned towards the dragon that was currently using her back as a recliner.
“Hello… I’m Flutt…” Fluttershy retreated into her mane.
“I’m sorry,” Twilight leaned forward slightly. “I didn’t hear you.”
“I’m Flutter…” Her mane now almost completely covered her face.
Rainbow Dash groaned and said, “Her name’s Fluttershy.” She glided inbetween the two mares. “I’ve known her since we were in Flight School back at Cloudsdale, but of course you already knew that.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and looked over the checklist. “Do you think you’ll be able to get the song bird choir into shape by the time of the event?”
Fluttershy nodded and spoke happily. “Oh yes. I just need to get Mr. Blues caught up with the others and go over a few more sets and we’ll be ready to go.”
Twilight nodded and marked another one off the list. “All that’s left is decorations, now where can I find this, Rarity…”
Rainbow Dash hovered over Twilight’s head, upside down. “Last I heard she was at town hall finishing up. She should be done by the time you get there.”
“Thank you.” Twilight nodded towards Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and took off towards Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash landed next to Fluttershy and asked, “So what do ya think of her?”
“…I think she’s sad.”
Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy in shock. “That’s a bit harsh Flutters.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “I mean that she feels sad, really sad. It felt as if she could barely contain her emotions around us. I don’t know why I feel this way. I just do.”
Rainbow Dash said nothing and just looked at the receding form of the new mare in town as she made her way towards Ponyville.
=-=-=
Little to Rainbow Dash’s knowledge, she was right. Twilight and Spike went behind a large bush and bawled their eyes out, silently witnessing the deaths of their friends’ one at a time. They were happy to see them again, but the fact that their friends didn’t know them broke their hearts. After crying for about ten minutes, they cleaned themselves up and got back on the road to Ponyville.
They were about to enter town hall when one of the doors opened and Rarity walked out. Twilight had to hold Spike’s tail with her magic to keep him from running forward and hugging the mare. Rarity looked at the scene in shock for a second.
“Sorry, am I in your way?”
Twilight shook her head and released Spike’s tail. “No, I’m just looking for a mare named Rarity; she was supposed to be working on decorations for the Summer Sun Celebration.”
“Well, you can go ahead and look inside because I’m all finished with the décor.” Rarity opened the door and let the two through.
They looked around approvingly. Spike whistled while Twilight nodded a few times.
“It’ll work.” Twilight nodded to Spike, who marked it off the checklist.
Rarity looked confused. “I hope I’m not rude for asking, but you are…?”
“Oh.” Twilight raised a hoof for a hoofshake. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I was sent here by-”
“Twilight Sparkle?” Rarity interrupted. At Twilight’s nod, Rarity gasped and asked, “As in Lady Twilight Sparkle, Protégé to Princess Celestia?!”
Twilight mentally rolled her eyes and tried for a stealthy approach to the situation. She put on her “Political” voice and said, “Indeed, but please don’t go flaunting that you’ve met me, I really don’t want the extra attention.”
“O-of course, Lady-” Rarity cleared her throat with a quiet ahem. “Of course, darling. If you need any help at finishing that checklist or if you have concerns regarding the décor, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Twilight nodded, but didn’t say anything. Rarity, getting the silent message, left, leaving the door slightly ajar. Twilight sat down in a stray seat and sighed.
“Spike, where and what in the encounter led to Rarity recognizing me by my title, when she didn’t the first time around?”
Spike’s expression went to that of an academic. He wondered aloud, “Maybe because we arrived late? It’s hard to tell. None of us has dabbled in Chronomancy so we can’t really tell what kind of small variables have been altered, removed, or replaced. The best choice of option here would be to make the best of this otherwise unfavorable situation.”
Twilight sighed again and got to her hooves. With Spike right behind her, they walked out of town hall and towards the Golden Oaks Library.
=-=-=
They were just outside the door of the library when Twilight channeled magic into her horn. Spike looked confused but got the message when he heard their voices faintly getting louder while they made small talk. At her signal, Twilight cancelled the spell – to which they seamlessly continued the conversation of making a few new friends that day – opened the door, and had them both walk through.
Spike finished his line. “-ity mare seems nice enough-”
“SURPRISE!”
Despite the foresight of it happening, Twilight still shot into air… and embedded her horn halfway into the ceiling. Spike, in all of his glory of being one of her personal guardsmen, promptly rolled down the aisles in stitches while Rainbow Dash got her unstuck. While all this was happening the party was going full swing.
“Ow!” Twilight rubbed a sore spot on her horn when her hooves touched the ground. “Thanks, Rainbow Dash.”
The hovering pegasus smiled. “Don’t mention it.”
Pinkie Pie was suddenly inches from Twilight’s face, who didn’t react in the slightest.
The party mare pouted, and said, “Darn it, no dice!” She bopped Twilight’s nose and narrowed her eyes. “I will make you jump in shock through personal means. That is my new quest.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were seeking the Grail?”
Pinkie Pie, who was now wearing Knight’s costume, looked at her in confusion. “You didn’t ask me three questions though!”
“Oh silly me!” Twilight cheerfully rolled her eyes and stood up. Her voice took to that of an old hermit. “Those that wish to walk my path must answer me these questions three: What is your name?”
Pinkie Pie hopped in place. “Pinkie Pie!”
“What is your quest?”
“I seek to see you in shock!”
“What… is the average flight limit of an Equestrian Canary?”
“!” Pinkie Pie paused. “…I don’t know that.”
She was suddenly launched into the air and landed on the sofa next to Spike, who was enjoying a small cup of ghost chili pepper-spiked punch.
The other future bearers looked at Twilight in shock. Astonishingly enough, it was Fluttershy who spoke first.
“Oh sweet Celestia there’s two of them.”
The others turned to look at the mare in more shock, who “meep’d” and hid behind her mane.
The party had died down all too soon as the sun neared it’s time to rise. Twilight and Spike left the library last, so that they could talk alone. Speaking through the corner of their mouths, Spike went first.
“So, how is this going to go down?”
“Well, by assuming that the Elements of Harmony will be willing to work with me until we can put them back into the Tree of Harmony, everything should go smoothly. The Elements should automatically react when their bearers get nearby once their stone enclosures have been smashed. Magic should appear soon after, seeing how I’m technically already friends with them.”
Spike shook his head. “You’re basing the plan on the hopes that the Elements will accept you again? Do you have any idea how-”
“Yes. I. Do. Spike.” Twilight looked at him, a scared look in her eyes. “I am basing this plan on hope because that is all I can afford to do at the moment. Luna has been an alicorn and combat mage for far far longer than I have, I can’t risk an open conflict without possible destruction of the Elements or the deaths of my friends. If I somehow manage to win, I won’t have enough magic to bring Celestia back from her solar prison. My only option right now to hope that the Elements of Harmony will accept me as their figurehead once more. I will not allow that parasite that calls itself Nightmare Moon take over Equestria, even for a day.”
Twilight now had the aged look of a battered leader that was willing to sacrifice her life for a necessary endeavor. She sadly shook her head.
“That’s all I can ever do: Hope.”
She walked through the entrance to the town hall and took a random spot. Once everypony in town was there, Mayor Mare cleared her throat.
“Welcome everypony, to the Summer Sun Celebration. This year, our small town of Ponyville was chosen as the location for the event.” She motioned towards the heavily decorated over cropping above them. “Without further ado, I present, Princess Celestia!”
The dark blue curtains were drawn back, revealing nothing. Muttering immediately swept throughout the crowd. It increased into a shout-fest when Rarity stepped out from behind the curtain and said with shock and fear, “She’s not here.”
After a minute of the crowd’s confused screaming, Nightmare Moon thought it was enough and formed herself on the over cropping. The crowd fell silent and cowered slightly. The only ones that didn’t were the future bearers, Spike, and the Royal Guard that was stationed around the room.
Nightmare Moon laughed. “And here I thought old Celly didn’t know how to throw a welcome party. There’s food, drink, and a few… mmm… desirable specimens.” She narrowed her eyes sultrily at a few stallions, who all shivered in fear. “But I digress, nopony here remembers the tales? Nopony here could see the signs?!” Her voice received a mocking tone to it. “On the longest day of the thousandth year…”
She waited, so Twilight finished, with confidence.
“…the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about eternal night.” Twilight stared into Nightmare Moon’s slitted pupils. “You are the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon.”
There was a round of gasping from everypony present. Nightmare Moon just threw her head back and laughed.
“So,” She looked at Twilight with the gaze of a hungry leopard. “somepony does remember. And you are…?”
Twilight decided to let it out with a bang.
“Lady Twilight Sparkle, Protégé of Princess Celestia, graduate of Canterlot’s School for Gifted Unicorns at the age of six, PhD. in Spell Creation, and…” Her voice grew smug and confident, “defeater of a shadow of a Princess. Won’t be that hard, just the quick usage of some Harmony and Magic.” Twilight stared at Nightmare Moon’s eyes, letting her know that she was one hundred percent serious.
The dark alicorn snarled and turned into an ethereal cloud. She blasted through the doors of town hall and made towards the Everfree Forest, with Twilight and Spike on her figurative heels. Much to their knowledge, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were behind them.