> Rainbow's Quest
>  by Zetriax
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Lazy Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1- A Lazy Day
Rainbow Dash was dozing on a drifting cloud. Celestia’s sun shone brightly over Ponyville. Since she had no work to do, she had read the latest edition of Daring-Do. Now she was pretty much bored. She would see if Pinkie Pie wanted to go pranking with her.
Rainbow climbed off her cloud and drifted in a lazy spiral toward the ground. She walked through the streets until she reached Sugarcube Corner. There were a few ponies inside the shop, but it wasn’t too busy.
“Pinkie Pie, are you here?” Rainbow called. She waited for a second, then turned to leave.
“Rainbow Dash!” called Pinkie from behind.
Rainbow turned back to the shop and saw Pinkie bouncing towards her. “Hey Pinkie! How’s it going?”
“Really awesomely spectacular! I found this really weird rock by the Everfree Forest! Wanna see it?” Before Rainbow could protest, Pinkie shoved a smooth white stone in her face.
“Hey! You ever hear of personal space?” Rainbow complained.
“Yeah! But, look look look! There’s little carvings in it! And it looks like your cutie mark!” Pinkie said.
“What?” Rainbow exclaimed. Looking closer, the stone was engraved with an exact replica of her cutie mark. “What does this mean?” she asked Pinkie Pie.
“I don’t know. You can have it if you want. I’m gonna go make some cupcakes!” said Pinkie, bouncing back to the kitchen.
“Have fun with that,” she said, exiting the bakery.
Rainbow glanced at the stone when she got outside. “Maybe I’ll visit Princess Twilight in Canterlot. She’ll know what it is,” She flicked her eyes from side to side, hoping nopony saw her talking to herself. Sighing, she took off towards her house. It was too late to travel to Canterlot today.
When she arrived at her house made of clouds, she set the stone under her pillow and wandered to her kitchen to scavenge food. After a hearty meal of daisy salad, hay fries, and cookies, she flopped onto the cloudy bed and fell asleep.


> Problems in Canterlot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2- Problems in Canterlot
Rainbow streaked across the sky towards Canterlot Castle. The stone was in a saddlebag draped across her back. As she flew, she wondered what the stone could be. Maybe it was simply a carving made by an admiring filly. But, no mare would let their filly that close to the Everfree Forest. So what could it be?
The castle loomed ahead of her now. Instead of going to the front gate, she veered up and made for the tower she knew to be Twilight Sparkle’s dwelling. She nodded at the guards below her, and they acknowledged her with a nod of their own. She had been to the castle enough to be known as an ally, and a friend to one of the princesses.
Rainbow landed on the balcony of the tower and knocked on the door. Twilight’s voice came from behind the door, “Who is it?”
“It’s me. Rainbow. Open up!”
A series of locks sounded and the door swung open. “Dashie!” Twilight exclaimed and ran forward to hug her friend.
“So, why are you here?”
“Pinkie Pie gave me this stone she found near the Everfree Forest,” she replied, pulling the stone out of her saddlebag. “It has my cutie mark on it. I was wondering if you knew what it was.”
“Hm.” Twilight pondered as she seized the stone with her magic.
Rainbow didn’t see anything happening but Twilight kept nodding and started writing stuff down. “So?” queried Rainbow Dash after a few minutes.
Twilight looked up from the stone. “I’m not exactly sure where it came from originally but there are traces of magic embedded in the stone. Whoever made it was either a Unicorn or an Alicorn. And it was meant to wind up in your hooves.”
“I don’t get it. What is it? What does it do?”
“It’s a Fate Stone,” Twilight said. She pulled a book from the shelf. “They are closely related to the Elements of Harmony in power and magical property. Fate Stones were invented by Starswirl the Bearded to let one see their future. They were originally designed to let a pony see their future in their sleep. But, something went wrong with the spell. Instead of simply seeing the future, they were transported into the future.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened, “Cool! I can go to the future using this?”
“NO! If you use this you may never come back!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Of course I’ll come back. So, how do I use it?”
“Listen to me Dash! This is serious magic. You could change the results of the entire world by going there! Just take my advice and throw that away or something.”
“Well. Okay,” replied Rainbow Dash somberly.
Just then a pounding sounded at the door and a guard burst in. “Princess Twilight Sparkle! We need your help! Somepony’s trying to break through the gate. She claims to have come to warn us of something.”
“Fine. I’ll be right down. Rainbow, you go on back to Ponyville. Maybe we can chat about this another time.”
“Okay.”
When the door closed, Rainbow Dash glanced at the book Twilight was reading from. It was entitled, Relics and Artifacts. She grabbed the book and the stone and placed them both in her saddlebag. She would do a little research of her own before throwing the stone away.


> A Night of Studying
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3- A Night of Studying
It was later that night when Rainbow Dash sat on the edge of her bed and pulled out Relics and Artifacts. She kinda felt bad for taking the book from Twilight without asking. Oh well. She’d done worse things before. Rainbow flipped open the book and ran through the table of contents until she spotted a chapter called Fate Stones.
She flipped to the page and began to read.
Starswirl the Bearded was a gifted unicorn. He created many spells and creations. One of the most notable of these creations is the Fate Stone. He originally made it so that anypony could see his or her future. But he couldn’t get the spell right. He attempted to make a working Fate Stone but his attempts met with failure. After the second stone was created, he gave up. Starswirl thought the stones were too dangerous as it was and hid the two he had created. His failed experiments ended up bearing stones that transported the user into the future. There were two problems with this...
“Yeah, yeah, Twilight already told me all this. How do you use it?” Rainbow said to herself. Just then, Tank, her pet tortoise, crawled up onto the book and curled into his shell.
“Come on, Tank! I’m tryin’ to read!” Rainbow Dash said to the stubborn turtle. Tank’s only reply was a peek from the shell before his head retracted back in.
“Ugh!” Rainbow exclaimed. She picked up the obnoxious creature and set him on the floor beside the bed.
She returned to the book and skimmed the page. She flipped it and scanned the next page. Finally, she found what she was looking for.
How to Use the Fate Stones:
After Starswirl’s death, a couple scrolls were found telling about the Fate Stones. This is why we even know of their existence at all. Among the notes were the instructions on how to activate their power.
No. 1- Lay the stone on a large flat surface (such as the ground.)
No. 2- Crouch down next to it and let your muzzle touch the stone.
No. 3- You should instantly fall asleep.
“That’s it? No magic words or anything?” Rainbow said. She was tempted to try the ritual, but before she closed the book, she noticed another heading that drew her attention.
Fates Stones with Cutie Marks:
During his experiments, Starswirl concluded that if a Fate Stone was ever lost or destroyed in the world of dreams, the pony would not be able to return to consciousness. (This also applies to going to the future and not being able to return.) To prevent this, he tried to find a way to make them indestructible. Since there was no perfect spell, he turned to another method. If a pony’s cutie mark was engraved on its surface, the stone would only be usable to that pony, and only be able to be destroyed by that pony.
“Well that sort of explains my cutie mark being on here,” said Rainbow, holding up the stone. “But, why would anypony put my cutie mark on it? Wouldn’t he or she want to put their own on it?”
Just then Rainbow heard raindrops pattering on the roof of her cloudy home. She hadn’t expected rain. The weather pegasi must’ve pulled together a last minute storm without telling her. Whatever. She wanted to try out the stone tonight anyways. She laid the stone on the floor and crouched over it, touching her nose to its surprisingly cool surface.
Rainbow heard the door of her bedroom crash open behind her.
“No, Rainbow! Wait!” the intruder yowled.
Rainbow Dash tried to turn from the stone and face the intruder but, before she could get up, a powerful force pulled her mind into a deep, dark abyss.


> Beyond Reality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4- Beyond Reality
At first Rainbow was a little disappointed. All she could see was darkness. Did the stone not work? Did the pony that burst in ruin something? Rainbow wondered who the mysterious pony was. She didn’t sound like any of her friends. Yet, her voice sounded vaguely familiar.
Nothing was happening. Rainbow then realized her eyes were still shut. She opened her eyes and gasped. She was no longer in her house. She was on a solitary cloud in the sunny sky. She stood up and peered over the edge of the cloud. Below her was Ponyville. It didn’t look any different. Did the stone simply teleport her someplace else? No, there was something different. There were new buildings here and there. And she couldn’t recognize some of the ponies walking along the street below.
“Rainbow Dash, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” said somepony behind her. Rainbow turned around to see the speaker. She didn’t recognize the orange pegasus before her.
“Sorry do I know you?” Rainbow asked.
“Ha! Good one. As if you could forget me,” she replied.
“What do you mean? I’ve never met you before,” Rainbow said, genuinely confused.
“Is this some kind of joke? It’s not really funny. Cut it out,” the orange pegasus said.
“I think I would remember a friend.”
“Rainbow? Are you okay? It’s me: Scootaloo.”
Rainbow stifled a gasp. “Scootaloo? But, you’re an adult. How did …?” Then feeling extremely stupid she remembered that this was the future. Her future self probably saw Scootaloo like this every day. She had to think of a recovery.
“Got ya, didn’t I?” Rainbow said, feigning a giggle.
The concern left Scootaloo’s eyes and a smile spread across her face. “Yeah, but just for a second there.”
“So you said you were looking for me?” said Rainbow.
“Oh! That’s right. Shadow Flare needs you. He said he’d be near the Everfree forest,” Scootaloo said.
“Um, yeah okay,” she restrained herself from asking who in Equestria this pony was. She would just see when she got there.
She jumped off the cloud and flew in the direction of the Everfree. She passed a few new establishments but it looked generally the same. She wondered how far she was in the future. It couldn’t be too far off as Scootaloo still looked pretty young.
Before long, the Everfree Forest loomed ahead of her. There was a black unicorn with a jagged, red mane leaning against a tree.
“Shadow Flare?” she asked.
The black unicorn looked up at her with bright green eyes. “Ah! Finally! I was beginning to worry they’d never find you.”
Rainbow assumed he meant the former Cutie Mark Crusaders. “So, why did you need to see me?”
“Well, I know you’ve been busy with the Wonderbolts and all, but since you are the fastest flyer in Equestria I needed you to take an urgent message to Queen Twilight,” he said.
“Queen Twilight? Wasn’t she turned a princess only three months ago? What happened to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? Why would I be too busy with the Wonderbolts? Why can’t you get Spike to send the message? Who are you?” Rainbow covered her mouth with her hooves to halt the barrage of questions. She slowly looked up at Shadow Flare.
His eyes were narrowed suspiciously. “The better question is who are you? The real Rainbow Dash would know all of that.”
“I am the real Rainbow Dash! But I… I’m from the past.”


> A Lesson to be Learned
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5- A Lesson to be Learned
“Follow me,” Shadow said.
Rainbow nodded and obeyed. Shadow led the blue pegasus through Ponyville to a place she knew quite well. It was the library where Twilight Sparkle used to live before she became a princess. The place had changed very little since however long ago that was now.
“This is where I live,” Shadow said.
“You live here now? You know, my friend Twilight…”
“… Used to live here. I know,” he finished for her. “You know, I’m actually a student of Twilight’s. She has been teaching me some of the lessons Celestia taught her.”
“Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you supposed to be interrogating me or something?” Rainbow asked.
“Well, maybe I believe you’re from the past,” he said indifferently.
“Why? Don’t you think it’s weird that I just show up out of nowhere and claim to be from the past?”
Shadow smirked, “Do you want me to be wary of you?”
“Well, no. But, I know I wouldn’t believe a single word out of my mouth in your position. You just seem to be a bit too… trusting.”
Shadow Flare shrugged. “As logic would have it, a pony who was hiding something wouldn’t have said any of that. That was a test. One telling a lie would’ve never brought attention to the fact that they may be untrustworthy. One telling the truth would normally be surprised by the sudden trust being placed in them. It’s reverse psychology.”
“Oh,” Rainbow said. She was pretty confused as it was without some egghead trying to teach her about reverse whatchamacallits. Maybe she should’ve listened to Twilight. She didn’t understand this future. She didn’t belong here, at least not yet.
“Well, thanks but I need to get going,” Rainbow said.
“Where are you going? You don’t know enough to be out and about yet,” Shadow said.
“I need to go home. To my own time. I appreciate your help but I don’t need to be here. Its feels too strange,” she admitted.
“I understand completely. Good luck,” he said.
Rainbow Dash reached for her saddlebag to grab the Fate Stone. Only then did she remember she didn’t bring her saddlebag with her. Her face flushed with panic. She had lost the Fate Stone!


> The Search Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6- The Search Begins
“Where is it?” exclaimed Rainbow.
“Where is what?” asked Shadow Flare.
“My Fate Stone! That’s the only way I can get back to my time!”
“Where did you see it last?” he queried.
“Let’s see. I was at my house in my time and, when I used it, I woke up on this cloud…” she faltered. If it was still on the cloud, the stone could’ve drifted anywhere. It could very well be beyond her reach forever.
Crestfallen, she sunk to her haunches. Shadow came up to her and rested his tail across her shoulders. “We’ll find it,” he said encouragingly.
“Yeah, right. It’s hopeless. The stone is probably a million miles away by now,” said Rainbow.
“Listen to me,” he said, sitting in front of her. “We will find that stone. We just need to make sure you stay inconspicuous.”
Just then a knock sounded at the door. Shadow cast Rainbow a glance. She understood and went to hide in the basement. She stood at the top of the stairs and left the door cracked ever so slightly to peek out. Shadow Flare went to the door and opened it.
“Flare! Why didn’t you show up?” asked the visitor. From Rainbow’s angle, she couldn’t see the mysterious visitor.
“Oh yeah, something came up and I had to leave. It was really important,” Shadow said. Rainbow Dash decided that his statement was, in most part, true.
“So, I cut time out of my day to help you deliver some message and you don’t even bother leaving a note or anything? You could’ve at least left the letter there for me to pick up,” said the exasperated pony. Something about this pony’s voice reminded her of the voice of the one that belonged to the pony that had burst into her house the other night. Or was that this morning?
“I’m sorry. I was just in a hurry. It was a last minute thing that just threw everything off,” he apologized.
Rainbow cracked the door to see if she could catch a glimpse of the stranger. She was surprised to see a setting sun shining directly behind the figure, silhouetting the pony. No features were distinguishable in the blinding light.
“What was that?” said the stranger.
Rainbow shrunk back from the door.
“Somepony’s in here with you.”
The pony’s silhouette entered the house.
“Wait!” said Shadow.
“I’m not afraid of you! Come out and show yourself!”
Rainbow could now see the stranger approaching the door. She could see her blue pelt, feathered wings, magenta eyes and multicolored mane. It was no stranger at all. It was herself.


> Doppelgangers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7- Doppelgangers
Rainbow Dash turned and bolted down the staircase. In the basement, she quickly located a place to hide. She darted behind a bookshelf and peered over the books at the staircase. Her future self was striding boldly down the stairs, looking ready to pummel the intruder.
Rainbow ducked when her gaze swept past her hiding place.
“Where are you hiding? Come out and face me, pony to pony!” Future Rainbow yowled.
Her gaze swept again over her hiding place and Rainbow backed up, accidently bumping into a bookshelf behind her. Rainbow watched in horror as a flask that had been on top of the shelf was dislodged from its perch. It plummeted as if in slow motion. Rainbow darted to catch the flask but missed by a hair’s breadth and the flask shattered beneath her hooves.
“There you are,” came Future Rainbow’s ominous voice.
Rainbow could hear the hoofsteps approaching her hiding place. She squeezed her eyes closed and clenched her teeth. There was no place to hide.
“Rainbow!” called Shadow Flare.
“I’ve got him! I know where the intruder is hiding. There’s nowhere to run!” Rainbow’s future self called back.
Rainbow Dash opened an eye and saw a blue leg step around the corner. Wait. Is this how she wanted her future self to see her? Cowering in fear? No. She would prove to herself, literally, that she was strong and fearless. Rainbow stood up and brushed the dust from her shoulder.
Future Rainbow Dash walked around the corner and stopped dead in her tracks. The two Rainbow Dashes stared at each other. The Future Rainbow Dash waved a wing as if to test if it was a reflection. When Rainbow didn’t respond, Future Rainbow snarled and crouched in preparation to attack.
“Wait! Rainbow!” Shadow Flare called. He came around the bookcase from behind Future Rainbow.
“What’s going on here?” asked Future Rainbow.
Shadow stepped between the two cyan pegasi. “Rainbow Dash,” he addressed the future version, “This is you from the past.”
Future Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “I think I would remember coming here in the past if it was really me!”
“What?” asked Rainbow.
“Oh you’re busted now. If you were really me from the past, then at one point, I was you. I would remember coming to the future, right? So, since I have never time-traveled before, you and I are not the same pony! That makes you an imposter!”
Rainbow’s head reeled with confusion. What in the wide world of Equestria was she saying? Future Rainbow Dash had never time-traveled before? Then how did she explain herself. Suddenly, she understood what was happening. Not only did she not belong here, but none of this was ever supposed to happen. She had broken the timeline.


> As the Pendulum Swings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8- As the Pendulum Swings
“What can this mean?” Shadow asked.
“That she’s an imposter!” spat Future Rainbow.
“I’m not an imposter!” Rainbow objected, “I came from the past!”
“Really? Prove it!”
Rainbow thought for a second. “How about this. Ask me questions only you would know.”
Future Rainbow nodded.
“What time are you from?” asked Shadow Flare.
Rainbow thought, “I’m not too sure. It was three months after Twilight Sparkle became a princess. Why?”
“Well it wouldn’t be fair if she asked you a question about something that hasn’t happened yet,” was Shadow’s reply.
Future Rainbow shot him a furious glare. “Fine. So you came from ten years ago.”
“Ten years! Really?” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Yes,” said Future Rainbow, rolling her eyes. “First question: where are you from?”
“Cloudsdale.”
“What is your pet and his name?”
“A tortoise named Tank.”
“How did you get your cutie mark?”
“The pegasus race between me and the two foals who were picking on Fluttershy. I made my first Sonic Rainboom then.”
“Grr. Who is Little Strongheart?”
“She’s a buffalo that lives near Apploosa.”
“What is your Element of Harmony?”
“Loyalty.”
“Where do you live?”
“A house made of clouds at the edge of town. I made it myself.”
“Okay. Now for the real question: where are your parents?”
The question struck Rainbow’s heart. She didn’t even know who her parents were. She had never seen their faces. She never knew the protection of a family. From a very young age, she had had to learn to stick up for herself. To be tough.
Rainbow realized a tear was running down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. Future Rainbow nodded with a sigh. “It’s really me.”
Rainbow looked up at her future self. She, too, wore an expression of sadness.
Shadow Flare approached, “Now that that’s settled, we can get on to more important matters.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow, brushing off the momentary sadness.
“Do you still need me to send that message?” Future Rainbow asked.
“Oh! Yes, I hope it isn’t too much trouble,” said Shadow.
“None at all.”
The three ponies ascended the staircase. Future Rainbow took the message, leaving Rainbow and Shadow Flare to discuss some things.
“Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Don’t reveal yourself to anypony, if possible,” said Shadow.
“Okay. I’ll do that,” acknowledged Rainbow.
“Have you run into anypony today besides me and, well, you?”
“Scootaloo. She’s the one that told me you were waiting for me.”
“Okay. Let’s keep it that way.”
Shadow Flare stood up and walked upstairs, “I’ll be right back,” he cast over his shoulder. Rainbow Dash nodded in acknowledgement and began to look around. The place didn’t look much different than when Twilight had lived here, but here and there were new things. Lying on a desk was an object that caught her attention. The light glinted off the round, silver object.
She took it in her hoof. It was a pocket watch. She opened it and was taken aback by its oddness. On the inside was engraved a stylized dragon. But what was even weirder was the watch itself. The miniature clock had thirteen days instead of twelve hours. But the weirdest part about it was the fact that the hands were going counterclockwise. It was counting down.
Shadow Flare returned bearing a black cloak, “Here, you can use this whenever we go out.”
“Thanks,” said Rainbow, not looking up from the stopwatch. “Where did you get this?”
“Get what?” he asked.
“This trippy stopwatch,” she said.
“I’ve never seen that before. Where did you find it?”
“On the desk. On top of that piece of paper,” Rainbow answered, looking up.
“There was no paper on that desk last time I checked.” He walked over and picked up the paper and unfolded it, using his magic. He appeared to read a word or two and handed it to Rainbow Dash. “It’s for you.”
Rainbow seized the paper and read it:
Rainbow Dash,
You must leave. Take the stopwatch and use it wisely. Time is short.
-Ragnarok
“I don’t get it. The watch doesn’t even make sense. And who is this Ragnarok?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Wait,” said Shadow, “Did you just say Ragnarok?”
“Yes.”
Shadow Flare pulled a book from a bookshelf and flipped through the pages. He stopped on a page and stepped back to let Rainbow see the page. Upon it was a dragon unlike any she’d ever seen. It gave off a feeling of evil and menace that no other creature had made her feel. Not even Discord.
“In mythology, Ragnarok is said to be the entity that would destroy the entire world,” said Shadow. “He awaits the End of Time and will tear the universe apart and return all to the Void.”
“What?” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
“Somehow, your being here must’ve altered time. You need to go back to your own time. If you don’t it could spell the end of the world as we know it,” he said solemnly.
Rainbow turned back to the watch. The hand was on twelve. Only twelve days until the end the world.


> Our Differences
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 9- Our Differences
The next morning, Rainbow Dash (wearing her black cloak), Future Rainbow, and Shadow Flare set out to truly begin the search for the Fate Stone. As they walked, Rainbow kept gazing at the new sights that blended with the familiarities of the Ponyville she knew.
“What does that place sell?” Rainbow asked.
“That place sells potions and remedies. Zecora decided a while ago that a profit could be made with her creations,” Shadow replied.
“Interesting,” she said.
She turned to Future Rainbow. She had much she wanted to ask her future self. However, she didn’t know where to start, or even what to call her. Calling her Rainbow Dash was weird and calling her Future Rainbow was just awkward, and could raise suspicions of passing ponies if they heard.
“Um, what should I call you?” Rainbow asked, without much of a better place to begin.
“What do you mean? You know my name,” said Future Rainbow.
“Duh. It’s just that it’s awkward and confusing if we both called each other Rainbow Dash.”
“Okay, how about this. You be Rainbow. I’ll be Dash.” She replied.
“Well that does take away confusion, but it makes you sound like the faster one.”
“Well, maybe I am. I am a full ten years older.” Dash smirked.
“There’s only one way to settle this!” said Rainbow.
Dash nodded, “How about from Sugarcube Corner to Carousel Boutique?”
Rainbow flexed her wings in preparation for the race. “You’re on!”
“Ready?” said Dash.
“Set,” said Rainbow.
“GO!” they both cried as they tore across the sky.
The two cyan pegasi flapped frantically as they tried to surpass each other. Rainbow relished the feeling of the wind in her face and the adrenaline rushing through her veins. However, the cloak was becoming a bit bothersome and the hood was slightly blocking her vision. She swiftly cast off the troubling article of clothing and put on an extra burst of speed to catch up with Dash.
Sugarcube Corner was upon them in an instant. They tagged the roof with their hooves almost simultaneously and darted towards the Carousel Boutique near the center of the town. They were a double-rainbow streak across the sky.
Rainbow struggled to pull ahead but they were perfectly matched. The Boutique was looming into view. It was going to be a tie if something didn’t happen to put the odds in her favor. Summoning the last of her strength, Rainbow tried to put on a last spurt of speed.
She was about to tag the roof when she heard a gasp of alarm from somewhere below her. In her momentary distraction, Dash shot past and tagged the roof. “Shoot!” said Rainbow.
She turned to see who had gasped and saw a familiar pony standing below. It was Rarity.
“Why are there two of you? I thought the cave to the Pool of Mirrors was caved in,” the white unicorn exclaimed.
“Oh! Hi Rarity!” said Dash. “Um, this is… a clone! Yeah. Shadow Flare made a clone of me and I just wanted to see how accurate it was,” she lied.
“Oh. I see. Still hanging out with that magician, eh?”
“He is not a magician!” shot Dash, “He’s just good at magic.”
“Well then! I stand corrected,” Rarity said in a teasing way, “But, if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought you had a crush on him.”
“Do not!” said Dash, whose face blushed.
Rarity giggled, “Oh, come off it. I was just teasing.”
“Yeah, okay,” said Dash, still a bit flustered.
“Speaking of Shadow, have you seen him lately? I repaired his saddlebag but I didn’t see him at his cottage.”
“He’s helping look for this magical stone for Rainbow.”
Rainbow tensed. That sort of mistake wasn’t easy to cover. She hoped Dash could come up with a decent excuse.
“I beg your pardon?” said Rarity.
“Oh, I mean, my clone here. Yeah, she needs a special stone to work,” Dash covered. Rainbow probably could’ve come up with something better, but it’d have to do.
“Whatever, I’ll just get him to pick it up tomorrow. I’m going to be busy the rest of the night. I have thirteen special dress orders!” Rarity nodded her farewell and walked into the shop.
“What was that?” Rainbow asked Dash when Rarity was gone. “You lie worse than Applejack!”
Dash smirked, “You do realize that you just insulted yourself.”
Rainbow smiled at that, “Yeah, guess I did.”
“We’re actually a bit different. You know?” said Dash.
Rainbow glanced at her curiously, “How do you figure?”
“Well,” Dash began, “We obviously have differing opinions.”
“I don’t think that really makes us different,” stated Rainbow.
Before Dash could counter, a voice interrupted their conversation.
“There you are! I was trying to tell you that racing was not the smartest idea, but nobody listens to me, do they?” Both Rainbow Dashes turned their gazes at Shadow with amused expressions.
“And you certainly shouldn’t remove your cloak in public,” he said to Rainbow.
“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” she said with a mock admonished tone.
Dash smiled widely, but refrained from laughing.
“We bumped into Rarity,” said Rainbow, “She says your saddlebag is finished.”
“Okay, I’ll pick it up later. I wanted to know where you woke up when you arrived here.”
“Um, it was somewhere over the south side of town. I’m not exactly sure where.” Rainbow explained.
Shadow nodded, “Then we’ll start there.”

> Betrayal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10- Betrayal
After a fruitless search around the south side of town, Rainbow and Shadow headed off towards the library while Dash went back to her house. Rainbow found it difficult to sleep. She kept on looking at the watch. Eleven days left until the end of the world. The concept sounded ridiculous. At least, it would if everypony’s life wasn’t in jeopardy.
Unable to lie there any longer, Rainbow rolled off her cot and went downstairs. The book on Ragnarok was still open on the desk. She took the book and began to read. Throughout the night she learned of many theories on Ragnarok and the world’s end. Ragnarok is portrayed as weapons (such as swords or spears) or an entity like a dragon that required summoning. One thing she realized was that Ragnarok was not really an uncontrollable thing. Ragnarok was simply a tool. But, who would want to bring the world to an end?
She fell asleep at the desk and awoke the next morning more tired than she was last night.  Her dreams had been of burning lands and the perpetual darkness of the Void. When Shadow came down, he told her to go upstairs and nap whilst he go searching for the day. Rainbow happily obliged.
A loud knocking awoke Rainbow from her sleep. She sluggishly rose from her cot and half stumbled down the stairs. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened the door.
“Hello?” she asked, blinking in the noon light.
Before her stood a yellow unicorn with a green mane and red eyes. Rainbow saw that his cutie mark was a clock. He dipped his head in welcome. “Is this Shadow Flare’s library?” he asked.
Rainbow nodded, “Yeah, but he’s not here right now. He’s out and about somewhere. Are you looking for a book?”
He seemed to consider before saying, “Yes, I need a book called Relics and Artifacts.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Okay. I’ll see if he has it.”
She went inside and searched the shelves for the book. She assumed it’d be under some reference shelf. However, she couldn’t find the book anywhere. Maybe Shadow didn’t have it. The unicorn peeked inside and said, “May I?”
“Be my guest,” Rainbow replied flatly.
The yellow stallion stepped in and located the book within a few seconds. He nodded and made his way to the exit.
“Wait!” said Rainbow. The unicorn stopped in the doorway and looked back. “Who should I tell Shadow borrowed the book?”
“Chrono,” he said and left, closing the door behind him.
“Chrono, huh?” she said to herself. “The name sounds like something I’ve heard before.” She had no idea why the name struck like that. Maybe it was because she usually recognized the words in a pony’s name, with a couple exceptions.
Rainbow located an enormous dictionary, and flipped through the C’s until she found Chronos, the closest thing to Chrono.
Chronos- n. (origin: Latin) the Greek word for time.
Rainbow was now a tad bit suspicious. It just seemed too coincidental that somepony with ‘time’ written all over him would show up in this time paradox of her own. Either that or she was extremely paranoid. Reluctantly, she admitted that the latter was more likely. She just had to get her mind off time travel and the end of the world for a while. Instinctively, she made her way to the Daring-Do books. She was surprised to find at least twenty new books in the series. This’d keep her occupied for a while. She grabbed a few of the books and took them to her cot.
A few hours passed and she was halfway through the book when the door opened downstairs. She got up and peered over the edge of the balcony to the main room below. Dash was down there searching through the shelves. She obviously didn’t find what she was looking for because she turned around and gave a snort.
The door opened once more and another pony stepped in. It was Chrono. Rainbow resisted the urge to lean in closer to get a better view. But she couldn’t risk being seen. “Who are you?” Dash asked.
“I’m Chrono,” he said, seemingly not surprised that this Rainbow Dash didn’t recognize him. That made Rainbow a bit worried.
Dash shook her head. “Never heard of you. You new here? Has Pinkie Pie thrown you a welcome party yet?”
“Listen. I know you have a problem. And I am here to help you,” he said in a way that made one think of a snake.
“I don’t have a problem! What makes you think that? You don’t even know me!” Dash threw back.
“Oh, I beg to differ,” said the yellow unicorn, “I know you very well indeed.”
“Really? How?” Dash asked. Rainbow was curious, too.
“It matters not how,” he said mischievously. “I came for you. Now, I know you want Rainbow gone.”
“What! I don’t want Rainbow gone! She’s just like me! And how do you even know about her?”
“Come on. There’s only room for one Rainbow Dash here. Am I right? What if she begins to best you at everything? What if your friends begin to like her more than you? Even if you left, they wouldn’t even miss you because they have a different, better you.”
“That’s a lie! My friends would never replace me!”
“Really? What about Shadow Flare? I know how much you care for him. But now he hardly ever sees you because of how busy he is with the Past Rainbow Dash.”
Dash looked down at her hooves. Rainbow couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Why was Chrono trying to turn Dash against her? She should stop it, but she couldn’t give herself away now.
“What do you suppose I do?” Dash asked.
“Prove yourself. If you show how powerful you can be, others will certainly be drawn to you. Make your mark on the world. But, you have to keep her from going back.”
“What?” asked Dash, a bit confused. “I thought that was the goal.”
“If you have more opportunities to make yourself look better, you will gain in popularity. You may become more sensational than even the Wonderbolts.”
“More sensational than… the Wonderbolts?” she asked.
“Yes! I can help you. And together we will send you to the top!” said Chrono.
Dash looked the yellow unicorn up and down, “What exactly are you getting out of this?”
“Let’s just say I have a few days to pass until I have to leave. Anyways, I’ll meet you at your house tomorrow. We can begin discussing plans.”
Rainbow inched back until she was at her cot again. What was going on? Why was Chrono trying to turn Dash against her? What was Chrono planning?


> Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 11- Friends
Rainbow walked with Shadow through the center of town. She wore the cloak and her watch hung around her neck. Shadow Flare had returned late last night. He had searched the entire remaining perimeter of Ponyville. The two ponies decided that it may be easier to ask around for clues.
Rainbow had not told Shadow of the events that occurred the night before. As they walked, she tried to find a way to bring the subject up. However, it was rather confusing to her as it was. How would she ever explain it to him?
“You rest up good last night?” Shadow asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” was Rainbow’s reply.
Silence again. There was no way to ease into this. She would just have to be outright with it.
“Something bad is going on,” she began. Shadow gazed at her with a curious look. “There was this unicorn named Chrono visiting the library yesterday. I don’t know why, but I instantly sensed something strange about him. Then, later, Dash showed up looking for a book and Chrono showed up again. He was trying to persuade her to turn against me. He’s planning to do something. And now Dash wants to prove that she’s better than me.”
“Okay. Why didn’t you tell me last night?” asked Shadow.
“I don’t know. The pressure of all this is overwhelming. I just want to go home and forget all this.”
She caught a hurt look cross Shadow’s face, but it was gone before she could say anything.
“HAY GUYS!” yowled an ecstatic voice behind them.
Rainbow and Shadow turned to face Pinkie Pie.
“What’s up you guys? Are you doing anything fun? I love your new cloak Dashie. Where’d you get it? Did Rarity give it to you?” Pinkie Pie barraged them with an onslaught of questions.
“Pinkie, have you seen a smooth, white stone with my cutie mark carved on it?” Rainbow asked.
“Nope. Wait! Uh, yeah. No. I’ve never seen a stone like that,” Pinkie answered confusingly. “Why? Lose it or something? I bet you could make another easily.”
“That’s fine Pinkie. Thanks anyways,” Shadow said.
“Okie dokie lokie then. I’ll let you know if I find it,” she said as she bounced off. Rainbow and Shadow both turned and walked off.
They walked in silence and asked a few passing ponies if they’d come across anything. Nopony claimed to have seen the stone before.
“How ya’ll doin’?” called Applejack. She was walking down the street with a wagon filled with apples. “I’ve come to town to sell some fresh apples from Sweet Apple Acres. Care for a bite?”
“No thanks, AJ. We’re looking for a certain stone. Perhaps you’ve seen it? It’s white and has my cutie mark engraved in it,” said Rainbow.
Applejack shook her head. “Ain’t seen a stone like that before. Why? Surely a stone like that is easy to replace.”
“Well,” said Rainbow, “I’m not gonna lie. But you’d never believe me if I told you the truth.”
“Try me,” said Applejack stubbornly.
Shadow butted in, “Listen Applejack. It’s probably best if you didn’t know this. It is rather hard to believe but the truth could cause more trouble than it’s worth.”
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Well I trust your judgment Shadow, but if something funky starts up, I’m looking for you two.” With that, she cantered past the two ponies.
“Man, I wish I didn’t have to see Applejack like that,” said Rainbow glumly.
“It will all be okay. You’ll see. Soon enough, you will be back in your own time, and everything will be fine,” Shadow encouraged.
“I sure hope so. I’ve never been so scared and nervous my entire life. I used to be able to stand up to anything without fear. But the end of the world? That’s a bit more than I can handle,” she admitted.
Shadow sighed, “It’s been tough for me, too. Not a second goes by without me imagining how it’s all gonna end. I can’t sleep without nightmares of death and destruction haunting me. But one thing has made it all bearable.”
“What?” said Rainbow, “If you say it’s me, I’ll punch you right in the nose.” They laughed at that.
“I’m sorry, but it is you. I’ve never really talked to anypony much, let alone made a friend. But, these past three days, I feel more comfortable knowing you’re around. I never knew how much it’d help to have a friend. In that way, I don’t want you to go back. Even if it did mean the end of the world.”
Rainbow smiled, “I know what you mean. Having a friend does ease the pain of having problems. But you’ll have more friends. And what about Dash?”
Shadow shook his head. “It’s not the same. As weird as it sounds, I see both of you as separate beings. You have qualities Dash doesn’t have, like being yourself.”
“Hold up. I’ve always been myself. I may hide it when I’m scared or have a problem sometimes, but I’ve always been me,” Rainbow objected.
“I’m sorry to say this, but since Dash joined the Wonderbolts two years ago, she seems to think she’s superior to everypony. She talks down to ponies a lot. If only she’d realize that it’s not the title earning her respect but herself, she’d be a bit more likable. The only ones she really treats with much respect anymore are me, her old friends, and Scootaloo.”
“Scootaloo?” asked Rainbow.
“Yeah. They’ve been like sisters since as long as I can remember. Whenever Dash isn’t busy with the Wonderbolts or her friends, she’s usually with the young pegasus.”
“Really?” said Rainbow. Something was clicking in her head.
“What is it?” asked Shadow.
“I think I know where to find the Fate Stone.”

> Losing to the Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 12- Losing to Darkness
Rainbow and Shadow trekked along the path determinedly. At the end of the street floated a house made of clouds. The house belonged to Rainbow Dash.
“Do you really think Scootaloo gave the stone to Dash?” asked Shadow.
“I’m positive. If they hang out as much as you say, surely Scoots would’ve returned the stone to me. Well, the other me,” Rainbow replied.
Shadow cast a sideways glance at her. “You don’t know if Scootaloo even found the stone. We can’t just waltz into Dash’s place and demand the stone back if she doesn’t have it.”
Rainbow sighed. “You’re right. We should probably ask Scoots if she’s seen the stone.”
The black unicorn nodded in approval. “So,” Rainbow said, “Where does the young mare live nowadays?”
“I think she has a house on the west side of town. It isn’t too far,” he said, nodding in the direction of the setting sun.
As the two ponies walked side by side, Rainbow slipped into deep thought. After today, only nine days remained until the world would be destroyed. She sighed. Why did everything have to be life or death? Why couldn’t everypony walk through life without having to worry about what would happen if you made one false step? Life always had a way of sneaking up on you when you least expected it. Rainbow just wanted to wake up and realize it was all a dream. But, it wasn’t. She was here, in the future, facing the end of the world.
“Rainbow,” Shadow said, jerking her away from her thoughts. “We’re here.”
They stood before a cottage with a feel of peace and serenity. It didn’t seem to fit with Scootaloo’s daredevilish ways.
“Are you sure this is it? It doesn’t exactly fit Scootaloo,” Rainbow asked.
Shadow shrugged. “I think the place was once owned by an old lady. Scootaloo only recently moved in. She probably hasn’t had time to renovate yet.”
The explanation sounded plausible enough to Rainbow. With that, she cantered up to the door and gave it a solid knock. Rainbow stood back and waited for somepony to answer. After a few seconds, the door opened and an orange pegasus peered out. Scootaloo instantly smiled. “Rainbow Dash! It’s good to see you! I see you brought Shadow. Please, come on in.”
Rainbow and Shadow filed in behind Scootaloo. The walls inside were lined with shelves filled with trophies and awards. There were also many pictures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or whatever they called themselves now, hanging on the walls.
“So,” Scootaloo started, “What brings you two here on this fine evening?” She plopped onto a particularly soft-looking couch and gazed expectantly at them.
“We’re looking for a stone. You remember, about three days ago, when you found me sleeping on that cloud? I think I left my stone on it. And we’ve been searching everywhere for it. Have you seen it?” Rainbow quickly explained.
Scootaloo’s eyes brightened. “Oh! Do you mean this stone?” Scoots pulled out a small white stone with Rainbow’s cutie mark on it. Rainbow nearly yelped in delight at having finally found the stone.
“Thank you!” Rainbow said ecstatically. She reached for the stone then stopped. She turned to see Shadow gazing at her. He was smiling but there was a sad look in his eyes.
“And thank you, Shadow,” she said with an air of finality.
“I’ll miss you,” he replied.
Scoots gave Rainbow a puzzled look. “Where are you going?” she asked.
“Shadow will explain later,” she said. Rainbow then took the Fate Stone from Scootaloo’s hooves and placed it on the ground. She took a deep breath before crouching next to it.
“Stop right there!” the command ripped across the room.
Rainbow glanced up to see Dash standing in the doorway. However, something was different about her. The colors of her vibrant pelt were now dulled and slightly gray. Dash stalked across the room and halted right in front of Rainbow.
“And where do you think you’re going?” she growled at the pegasus.
“I’m going back!” Rainbow yowled, “Dash, you know what’ll happen if I stay here!”
“I do,” she said menacingly, “But who said the end was all bad?”
Before she knew what was happening, Rainbow was thrown against a wall. Trophies clattered around her as she struggled to stand again. Dash loomed over her and pinned Rainbow down by the shoulders.
“Who’s the better pony now, huh?” Dash snarled. Rainbow struggled to get up, but Dash was overpowering her. Dash shook her head and raised a hoof. Rainbow hadn’t even the time to yell before the hoof met the side of her face. She tasted blood in her mouth as she glanced up again, gazing defiantly at her future self.
Dash released her and walked back across the room to the stone. “Well then,” she said, “I guess you’ll need a few days to recover. Guess you won’t be checking out early.” Dash smirked and raised her front hooves. Rainbow watched in horror as she brought them down directly on the stone, shattering it into dust.

> Hopeless
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                   
Chapter 13- Hopeless
Rainbow blinked open her eyes to see morning light streaming through a window. She was lying on the couch in Scootaloo’s living room, a blanket draped over her. She didn’t remember going to sleep. She didn’t even remember anything after Dash destroyed the stone.
Rainbow sighed. How could Dash do this to her? Even more importantly, how would she get home? Rainbow was stuck here, ten years in the future, with doomsday nine days away. She sunk her head back to the pillow and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t want to think about the end of time anymore. She didn’t really want to think at all. But the undeniable truth lurked at the edge of her mind like a dark cloud, waiting to unleash its fury. Why did this have to happen to her?
A solitary tear slid down her cheek. It was overwhelming. The fate of the entire world rested in her hooves and the only hope she had clung to was snatched away from her. What could she do now? She missed her old friends. She missed Pinkie’s over-ecstatic view of life, and Rarity’s over-exaggerated reactions. She missed Applejack’s playful banter, and Twilight’s boring lectures. She even missed Fluttershy and how she would suddenly grow bold when it really counted. But what Rainbow really missed was how simple all that was. It made her miss the days when nothing exciting was happening and her only worry was finding something to do. That was what she wanted now, more than anything in the world.
“How are you feeling?” said Scootaloo from the other side of the living room.
“Hopeless,” replied Rainbow, still staring at the ceiling.
Scootaloo nodded sympathetically. “I know the feeling,” said the orange mare. “When me, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were looking for our cutie marks, we tried everything. No matter what, we couldn’t find our special talent. I thought we were doomed to be blank-flanks forever. But we never gave up. And neither should you.”
Rainbow shook her head and turned to gaze at the pegasus. “This is totally different, Scoots. You see, I came from…”
“… The past. I know. Shadow told me everything. And if you don’t go back the world might be destroyed. I know it must be hard, but just sitting here doing nothing isn’t going to work. Come on! We should go outside and enjoy today. Just forget about it all for a while. Sometimes, you have to take a break, even from saving the world. Nopony accomplished anything wearing themselves out.” Scootaloo trotted up to the couch and pulled Rainbow to her feet. Rainbow reached for her hood and watch, but Scootaloo stopped her. “It’s okay. You don’t have to hide today. Dash is supposed to train with the Wonderbolts all day. You can be yourself.” Rainbow nodded in appreciation and left the disguise behind.
Together, they left the cottage and strolled outside. The sky was clear and Celestia’s sun shone brilliantly with morning light. The day reminded her of the day she left her time. Was that really only four days ago? So much had happened since her arrival that the days inched by at an agonizing pace. She shook her head to clear it. She wasn’t going to let her thoughts trouble her today.
“What do you do now, Scoots?” Rainbow asked mostly to distract herself.
“Well, I do stunts and things along those lines. I do daredevil shows from time to time, but I mostly just apply my skills where I can,” she replied.
“That’s cool,” said Rainbow.
“What is it like, seeing the future? Is it weird? I mean, I know it has to be scary since the world might end, but besides that,” the orange pegasus queried.
“Well,” said the cyan pony after considering for a moment, “It feels the same in some ways, but in others, it is totally different. Like you. I didn’t even recognize you when you found me on that cloud.”
Scootaloo smiled as realization dawned on her, “So that wasn’t Dash. I knew something was off about you. Guess I’m a little slow to catch on.” She flicked her magenta mane and giggled.
Rainbow grinned. “So, where to?” she asked.
“Let’s go to Fluttershy’s place. She has a new pet you’d probably like,” Scoots suggested.
Rainbow shrugged, “I don’t know. It doesn’t sound all that exciting.”
Scootaloo gave Rainbow a sly grin. “That’s because you don’t know what it is.”
“Well, if you insist,” the blue pegasus conceded.
Scootaloo merrily led Rainbow across Ponyville to Fluttershy’s cottage beside the Everfree Forest. The place hadn’t changed in the slightest over the ten years Rainbow had skipped. Scootaloo cantered up and rapped on the door a couple times. The door creaked open and Fluttershy timidly peeked out.
“Hello?” Fluttershy asked in a measly fashion.
“Hey Flutter!” Scoots greeted. “I wanted to show Rainbow that new animal you found.”
Fluttershy perked up. “You mean Dapple? Oh, yes! Please, come in!”
Once Rainbow and Scootaloo came in and made themselves comfortable, Fluttershy called, “Come here, Dapple! Come here, girl! Some friends want to meet you!”
Rainbow watched the staircase as something came slinking down. Scootaloo bounced excitedly as the animal came into view. Before the three pegasi stood a lithe, elegant cheetah.
“Wow!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Where in the wide world of Equestria did you find her, Fluttershy?” She flew in a circle around the wildcat. Dapple watched her without moving in a curious, but friendly way.
“I found her in a field not far from here. Poor thing had sprained her ankle in a gopher hole. I brought her here and made her all better. Now, she can run as fast as ever,” Fluttershy answered.
“Can I race her? That’d be so awesome!” Rainbow asked excitedly.
“Of course you can,” said Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus and Scootaloo exchanged glances and smiled as if something unspoken had gone between them; as if they were hiding something.
“What?” Rainbow asked. Surely, these two couldn’t be plotting against her.
“Nothing, nothing,” said Scootaloo quickly, glancing around guiltily.
Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “Okay then,” she said slowly. She knew something was up, and she planned to get to the bottom of it. However, there would be time enough for that later. Today was her day to get her mind off suspicions and looming threats.
She led Dapple out of Fluttershy’s house and instantly, the lithe animal tore off.
“HEY!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Catch her, Rainbow!” Scootaloo shouted.
Rainbow zoomed after the wildcat at full speed. Just when she was about to catch the animal, Dapple sharply veered towards town. Rainbow corrected her course and followed suit. Dapple ripped through crowds of busy townsfolk, leaving Rainbow to duck and dodge the alarmed pedestrians. She would lose the cheetah for a second only to see a glimpse of her glossy pelt. Then, she would be lost from sight again. Rainbow followed the creature around Ponyville until she was exhausted and getting frustrated.
She slumped against the wall of a building to catch her breath. As she leaned there, she spotted Dapple making a run for the opposite side of town. Rainbow quickly gathered herself up, and shot like a bullet after it. Dapple bolted over the hills outside town and into the countryside. Rainbow chased it all the way to Sweet Apple Acres, where she saw the tip of the cat’s tail whisk into the barn. Rainbow grinned. The cheetah would be trapped inside.
Rainbow crept into the entrance of the dark building. Suddenly, lights illuminated everywhere, momentarily blinding her. “SURPRISE!” howled a chorus of voices. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she could make out the shapes of seven ponies and party decorations.
Rainbow laughed. “Wow! I am surprised!” she said, “What’s all this for?” She could now see clearly. Fluttershy, Scootaloo, Shadow Flare, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and even Twilight was there. Dapple was also lying on the ground, panting.
Pinkie Pie bounced up to her, “It’s a ‘Get your mind off of the depressing’ slash ‘Welcome to the Future’ party. Shadow Flare planned it all. He told us about you coming to the future and how the world’s gonna end and how Dash became a giant meanie and how your rock was broken into a bazillion pieces and…” Rarity jabbed the pink pony in the side. Pinkie giggled guiltily, “Hehe. And how we were supposed to get your mind off of all that.”
Applejack trotted up to Rainbow. “Don’t you mind her none. You know how she is,” the orange earth pony apologized for Pinkie.
Rainbow smiled, “Thanks guys. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Actually, you should really be thanking Shadow,” said Queen Twilight, “He’s the one who came up with the idea. I guess he’s finally taking my advice to make friends.”
Shadow Flare shrugged and stared down as he scuffed his hooves across the floor. “I-it was nothing,” he said modestly.
“Well thank you anyways for the wonderful surprise,” said Rainbow. Shadow smiled but said nothing.
“Come on guys! Let’s get this party started!” Pinkie Pie yowled.
It was a classic Pinkie Party. They played outrageous games, ate mountains of food, and danced for hours on end. It was dark when the friends were finally calming down.
“So Twilight?” Rainbow asked, “When did you become queen?”
Twilight took a sip of punch before answering. “Well, a year ago, Celestia and Luna disappeared. I tried contacting them but could never reach them. They simply never came back. So, since Cadence is busy taking care of the Crystal Empire, I took charge over Canterlot. I even had to learn how to raise the sun and moon.”
“Wow. Did you try to get Spike to send a letter to them?”
“No, he grew up and went to live somewhere else. He simply couldn’t stay in the castle with his huge size, nor could he live nearby because of all the smoke when he snores. We still write each other often enough though. However, he is currently two years into a five year nap.”
“Geez. I knew the guy liked sleeping but five years is a tad bit excessive isn’t it?”
Twilight shrugged, “Not for a dragon.”
“What do you think happened to the princesses? Do you think Discord is behind it?”
“No. Discord is reformed, remember?”
“Call him what you may, but I still don’t trust him,” Rainbow said with a flick of her tail.
“Darling,” Rarity joined the conversation, “Discord has helped us a lot the past ten years and not once did he pull anything more than a harmless prank. Well, mostly harmless. Anyways, if he was going to do something, wouldn’t he have done so before even that next year was up?”
“I guess,” said Rainbow.
Twilight smiled and said, “They’ll return soon enough. I know they will. They’ve been here since the foundation of Equestria. There will be a day when they return.”
“Yeah. You’re right, as usual. Becoming a queen sure didn’t change that.”
Twilight nodded, “Well, I have a busy day tomorrow. I should probably be going. Visit any time you want.”
“Okay. I’ll do that,” said Rainbow. Fluttershy soon left with Dapple and, one by one, the other ponies followed until it was just Rainbow, Shadow Flare, and Applejack.
“I’ll be up cleaning all night,” Applejack grumbled to herself.
“I’m sorry but we should be going now,” Rainbow said.
Applejack nodded, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.”
With that, Rainbow and Shadow left. They walked side by side through the starlit night.
“It sure is beautiful out here,” Rainbow said.
“I agree,” replied Shadow.
“Thank you for the wonderful day.”
Shadow laughed, “Hey. I said it was nothing. I just got the people together. Pinkie’s the one who threw the party.”
Rainbow smiled, “Whatever you say.”
“So where are you staying tonight?” he asked.
Rainbow considered for a moment. “I feel safer at the library. Plus, Scootaloo’s place will just keep reminding me of the shattered stone.”
“Sounds good,” Shadow said.
Rainbow halted in her tracks. “I almost forgot! My cloak and stopwatch are still at Scootaloo’s.”
“Oh, should I go with you?” Shadow offered.
Rainbow shook her head, “That’s fine. I’ll meet you back at the library soon.”
Shadow shrugged, “Suit yourself.” He continued walking along the path and Rainbow flew in the direction of Scootaloo’s house.
The night suddenly grew colder around her. The sky grew darker. What was going on?
“This time you’ve gone too far,” a menacing voice said.
“Who’s there?” Rainbow asked, fighting panic.
“You think you can just waltz here into my time and steal my friends. I was always loyal to them and now you are turning them against me!”
“Dash?”
“No. Because of you, I am not who I once was. I am Dark Rainbow!” A flash of lightning illuminated the pegasus. She had black fur, her mane was dark grey, and her eyes were deep red.
“I don’t care what Chrono says!” Dash yowled, “I’m gonna get rid of you if it’s the last thing I do!” The black pegasus lunged at Rainbow. She now knew it was a mistake to come alone.


> The Dark Side of the Rainbow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                   
Chapter 14- The Dark Side of the Rainbow
Rainbow and Dash plummeted from the sky. Dash had her hooves wrapped around Rainbow’s neck, cutting her breath. She struggled in vain to free herself of the black pegasus’ grasp, but the lack of oxygen was draining her strength.
The two pegasi slammed into the ground, Dash landing on Rainbow, driving whatever air was left in her lungs out. Dash scrambled to her hooves. Rainbow took the moment’s delay to take a breath. Dash kicked Rainbow in the face with her hind hooves.
Stars danced in Rainbow’s vision as she landed on her back. She was on the verge of tears. She had never been so relentlessly tortured. Rainbow was so weak from the attacks, she couldn’t defend herself. Her very body shook from the shock of it all.
Dash loomed over her and slammed her hooves into Rainbow’s ribs and stood there with all her weight. Her ribs were cracking under the pressure. She clenched her eyes shut as the tears began to stream down her face.
“Please… stop,” she whimpered weakly. Rain began to spatter around her as if the sky was crying with her.
Dash brought her face down near Rainbow’s. Her red eyes sparked with rage.
“In a mere four days, you have taken everything from me. Because of you, my friends despise me. Everyone I knew thinks you are better. I am supposed to represent loyalty! But what’s the point if no one is loyal to you? Why bother? Chrono was right about my friends. They replaced me with you! But he was wrong about letting you stay here. If I can’t have my friends, you can’t either. In either time!”
Dash raised her hoof in preparation to break Rainbow’s neck. Rainbow knew that she was at her limit. One last blow would be the end of her. The tears now flowed freely down her face. She should’ve accepted Shadow’s offer. No, she should’ve listened to Twilight. If she had just gotten rid of the stone, she wouldn’t even have dreamed of this. Now, she was going to die because of her mistake.
“Stop!” a stallion’s voice called through the rain.
Dash halted. Rainbow tried to breathe a sigh of relief, but Dash’s weight was still crushing her. Had Shadow followed her anyways? Happiness swelled in her heart.
“What are you doing here?” Dash spat.
“To stop you from ruining everything. If you kill her, her spirit will return to her time and our time will resume its normal flow. If that happens, what will become of our master plan?”
Rainbow’s relief quickly fled. That was not Shadow. She didn’t even need to guess who it was. Who else could it be?
“Fine,” Dash grunted and stepped off of her foe. Rainbow instantly inhaled massive gulps of air. When she recovered, she climbed unsteadily to her hooves. Rainbow faced the newcomer. Sure enough, wearing a metal helm and a gold watch around his neck, it was Chrono. He gazed at her with his red gaze.
“Come on,” he said to Dash, “Let’s go. You’ll have all the time in the world to get revenge after I’m done with her.”
Dash didn’t reply, but instead cast a loathing glare at Rainbow. “Your day is coming,” she promised. Chrono cast a teleportation spell and then Rainbow was alone.
The bloodied pegasus didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t move, she could hardly breathe, and she couldn’t think straight. So, she lied down, dimly aware of the rain pouring around her.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. Rainbow wasn’t even sure who she was sorry to. Twilight? Shadow? Maybe even Dash. All she knew for sure was that there was nothing she could do to change her mistakes. For what felt like the millionth time she felt tears welling in her eyes. At least the rain would cover them this time. She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep’s cold, yet gentle embrace.


> Dreams of a Dying Pegasus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                   
Chapter 15- Dreams of a Dying Pegasus
“Rainbow?”
Rainbow was roused by somepony calling her name. She blinked her eyes in the bright sunlight. Lifting her head, she sought out the one who had called to her. A smile spread across her face when she saw Shadow racing towards her.
“Are you okay?” he asked her breathlessly.
“I think so,” Rainbow replied trying to stand. She stumbled a bit, but managed to right herself. Tentatively, she tested her legs. Satisfied that they were in proper working condition, she turned to face Shadow Flare.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she confirmed.
Shadow looked her over, concern evident in his gaze. “You’re all bruised up, and there are bloodstains on your pelt. What happened?”
“I ran into Dash. She attacked me before I reached Scootaloo’s house. It was awful. She actually tried to kill me!” No sooner had the words left her mouth, than she realized that she hadn’t tried to embellish the story by saying she had fought back or some such. What had happened to her pride? She had changed since she had come here. What did that mean?
Shadow didn’t seem to notice. He was still fussing over her wounds. “I think you should go to the hospital. Some of these injuries look severe.”
“I’ll go later; I still need to get my stuff from Scoots.” Rainbow began to walk slowly down the path. As she walked, a fiery pain lanced through her chest. She staggered to the ground and coughed heavily and thin stream of blood seeped from between her lips.
“Rainbow! You shouldn’t be moving! I’ll get a taxi or something! Just stay there,” he exclaimed. Shadow ran off in the direction of town.
The cyan pegasus lie there in the middle of the path helplessly. The sun warmed her flank and a cool breeze whispered through her mane, lulling her to sleep. When she awoke, many ponies were hauling her on a stretcher through wide, white halls. Was she already in the hospital? She didn’t even notice them carrying her here. They brought her into a one-pony room filled with a bunch of medical instruments she couldn’t even be bothered to identify.
The ponies set her down on the bed in the center of the room. They all left hastily, leaving her alone. At least, Rainbow thought she was alone until Shadow spoke.
“You are in worse condition than I thought,” he said. “Apparently, Dash broke your ribs and it punctured one of your lungs. They say you were lucky to survive through the night. I’m worried about you.”
Rainbow had to smile at his sentiment. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I’ve been through too much to leave now. Besides, there’s the whole rest of my life waiting for me back in my time.”
Shadow gazed into her eyes. “I pray to Celestia that you’re right.”
Just then, a couple of nurses bustled into the room and shooed Shadow away. The nurses began running tests and such, but Rainbow hardly noticed. It wasn’t long before sleep claimed her once more.
Rainbow jerked awake to see the room dark around her. Tubes ran into her forelegs and nostrils. The only light in the room emanated from the screen of the heart monitor beside her. She rested her head against the pillow and gazed at the dark ceiling. Then the door creaked open, letting light spill into the room.
“How are you, Rainbow?” said the pony, stepping in.
“I feel okay as long as I don’t breathe too deeply,” she replied.
“You’re gonna survive, Rainbow. You have a greater destiny than you would ever imagine.”
Rainbow glanced at the silhouette of the pony. “What?”
“Just remember, the key to the future often lies hidden in the past,” the pony turned to open the door.
“Wait! Who are you?” Rainbow asked.
The pony turned her head just slightly enough so that her features were visible in the hallway light. The dark blue of her pelt was unmistakable. It was Princess Luna.
Rainbow was shocked. Hadn’t Twilight told her that the princesses disappeared mysteriously a year ago? “How are you here? I thought you and Celestia had disappeared,” Rainbow asked.
Luna laughed, “This is but a dream, dear child. My sister and I are in realm beyond the boundaries of time. We were banished by a dark force and await the day we can return. That all depends on you.”
With that, Princess Luna shimmered and faded before Rainbow’s eyes. She woke from her dream, pre-dawn light filtering through the window. Princess Luna had visited her dreams! But what was she supposed to do? There was no way she could bring the princesses back. She couldn’t even figure out how to get herself back to her time. Now, even more problems rested on her shoulders. All Rainbow wanted was to escape this place and realize it was all a bad dream. But no matter how much she willed it, she couldn’t wake up. This was not a dream. This was as real as reality gets.


> A Rekindled Flame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                   
Chapter 16- A Rekindled Flame
Rainbow didn’t even bother trying to go back to sleep. Instead, she lied there, gazing out the window as the sun unfurled its golden wings and soared into the sky. She wished that she could be like the sun. Soaring across beautiful cloudscapes and shedding her light across the land below just seemed like it’d be so peaceful. But, the entire world relies on the sun. Just like the entire world now relied on Rainbow returning to her own time.
A doctor stepped into the room and closed the door quietly behind him, tearing Rainbow from her thoughts.
“Oh, you’re awake. How do you feel?” he asked.
Rainbow shrugged, “I don’t know. Alright, I guess.”
The doctor nodded and went to the computer positioned beside the heart monitor. He gazed at the screen intently for a few minutes. Then he gasped in alarm.
“No! It’s not possible!”
Rainbow’s heart sunk. What did that mean? Did something get infected? Was she not going to heal properly?
“Am I going to die?” she asked, fearing for the worst.
The doctor turned to her. He shook his head and smiled. “No, no. Quite the opposite, really. You have made a miraculous recovery! Not a single thing is wrong! I can’t explain it! Celestia must be watching over you.”
“Really?” Rainbow asked, disbelievingly. The doctor nodded and puzzled over the medical equipment. Rainbow took a deep breath. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of pain. She then took one of her hooves and pressed lightly on her ribs. Nothing. It was true. She was better. Thank you, Luna, she said in her mind.
The doctor shook his head. “Well, everything is in order. You are free to leave.” He disconnected all the tubes and wires from her body and sent Rainbow on her way.
Once out of the hospital, Rainbow breathed long and deep. The cool summer breeze was refreshing. All around her, life was evident. Birdsong filled the air and trees rustled in the wind. Rainbow had hardly taken notice of such simple things. She had been in such a constant state of worry since the beginning that the rest just kind of blurred into the background. It showed her that this time wasn’t so dark and oppressive after all, that life would go on. Rainbow was sure of it. There were no “ifs” about it. She would rescue this time and all would return to how it was supposed to be.
Rainbow turned onto the dirt trail that led through Ponyville and made tracks for Shadow’s library. Once she approached the tree-shaped building, she gave the door a solid knock. Before long, the door opened and Shadow peered out.
“Rainbow? You’re here how… when…” Shadow stuttered as he gazed at her affectionately.
“Princess Luna came to me in a dream last night. I think she healed me,” Rainbow boasted, her old vigor beginning to resurface. “Apparently, I am still too important to die.”
“I’m glad to hear it!” Shadow replied, gleefully. “Come on inside. Scootaloo showed up this morning trying to find you.”
Rainbow hardly took two steps inside before the orange pegasus ran up to her and threw her hooves around her neck. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” said Scootaloo.
Rainbow smiled sympathetically. “Hey now. Don’t be like that. This is Rainbow Dash you’re talking about. I’ll be okay no matter what happens. Ain’t nothing gonna stop me! I will save this place. I promise.” And she knew it to be true. She was going to save this world or die trying.
“Oh!” exclaimed Scoots, “I almost forgot! I brought your stuff over from my place. I figured I would bring it here to you, but then Flare told me what had happened and I was so worried…” Tears began to well in the young mares eyes again.
“Come on, squirt. Everything’s A-Okay, now,” Rainbow assured. She embraced Scootaloo with her wings in a supportive hug.
When they separated, Scoots dashed upstairs, returning with the watch. Rainbow gazed at her, puzzled.
“You could’ve left it up there, you know,” Rainbow said.
Scootaloo shook her head. “No, I want you to look at it,” she prompted, holding the watch out to the cyan pegasus.
Rainbow took it in her hoof and opened it. The hands glided slowly as it ticked off the days toward the End of Time. There were only seven days left. Rainbow sighed heavily.
“We need to do something,” Rainbow said, lashing her multicolored tail. She searched her mind for the faintest idea, but found none. She stomped her hoof on the ground angrily. “I wish there was another Fate Stone!”
Wait a second. There was another Fate Stone, wasn’t there? Starswirl had had two failed Fate Stone experiments. At least, that’s what it had said in that book.
“I’ve got it!” Rainbow exclaimed. Shadow and Scootaloo snapped their gazes in her direction. “There is another stone! It said so in Relics and Artifacts! Maybe we can find a clue as to where it might be by using that book.”
“Really?” Shadow asked, “You think so?”
Rainbow shot him a contemptuous glance. “It’s the best idea we’ve got.”
Shadow shrugged and walked to the bookshelf. Rainbow watched as he scanned the shelves once, then twice. He turned and shook his head. “It’s not here. Do you think somepony may have borrowed it?”
“I don’t kn…” she stopped midsentence. A memory flashed through her head; a yellow stallion with a green mane and red eyes requesting a certain book. She sunk to the floor. Why did everything have to be so screwed up?
“Somepony did take the book,” said Rainbow, “It was Chrono.”


> Thieves
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                   
Chapter 17- Thieves
The light left Shadow’s and Scootaloo’s eyes as realization set in. Just when a spark of hope appeared, it was instantly snatched away. Rainbow still lie on the floor with her ears drooping. She stared blankly ahead, subdued.
“Why would Chrono want that book?” Scootaloo asked.
“Obvious. Either to stop us from finding a clue to locating the other stone, or to use it in a design of his own,” Rainbow replied, straining to keep her bitter disappointment from showing in her voice. Letting out a sigh, she rested he chin on the floor.
Shadow glanced at the two of them. “A better, more useful, question would be: where would he keep it?” he stated.
Rainbow lifted her head from the ground, ears pricked. Up until this point, she had never wondered where Chrono was staying. In fact, most of her antagonism had been directed at Dash. She knew Chrono was up to something in the background but Dash seemed to be an immediate threat. Was that just a distraction set up by Chrono? Rainbow’s mind flashed back to the day when Chrono had found Dash in the library. An eerie thought wormed its way into her mind. Had Chrono known she was there? It was becoming clear to her that Chrono was a greater threat than she had previously thought. Rainbow was also willing to bet he had staged the attacks by Dash. Well, at least the one at Scootaloo’s house. She had to keep him from summoning Ragnarok, for that was surely his goal. All signs pointed towards that. It was the way he said in the library, “Let’s just say I have a few days to pass until I have to leave,” and when Dash had attacked her the night before last when he said, “If you kill her, her spirit will return to her time and our time will resume its normal flow. If that happens, what will become of our master plan?” It was all coming together. He was in control. He held all the cards. That is, unless they could find that book.
“I think I have an idea as to where to find it,” said Scootaloo, interrupting Rainbow’s thoughts. Rainbow and Shadow looked at her, both wearing surprised expressions on their faces. She was the last one Rainbow would think to have any clue pertaining to the book’s location.
“You see,” the orange mare stated, “I’ve crossed paths with Dash every now and again. And, nine times out of ten, she’s walking with Chrono. I think he might be staying at her house.”
Shadow shook his head. “No, that wouldn’t work. Only pegasi can walk on clouds, and Dash’s place is made of clouds.”
“But,” Scoots argued, “Chrono is a unicorn. He probably knows a spell that allows him to walk on clouds. I’ve seen him do some pretty high level magic. I mean, I don’t know much about magic levels or anything like that but some of the stuff he does is really impressive, if not creepy.”
“You’ve seen him using magic? What kind of spells did he do?” Shadow queried. Rainbow wondered if he was annoyed for her not telling them sooner. She knew she was. However, she would keep her mouth closed, not wanting to discourage the young pegasus.
“Well, he does teleportation a bit. He knows how to conjure fire and stuff. But weirdest is when he manipulates time. I’ve seen him slow it and speed it up. One time I think he stopped it because he had Dash throw this spear at him but as it was flying it vanished and appeared, snapped in half at Dash’s hooves.”
Shadow’s eyes widened. “This is bad. Manipulating time is indeed a very high level spell.” As he spoke he began to pace. “I’ve only been training under Twilight for a few months. This may interfere with my plan.”
Rainbow rose from the floor and looked at him. “A plan?” she asked, wanting further explanation.
Shadow matched her gaze. “Yes. If Chrono is indeed staying with Dash, we need to have a plan to get in, right? Well, I was thinking of using an invisibility spell so we could sneak in and steal it that way, but if he’s as powerful as Scoots says, he might easily see through the spell. I’m not even that great at the spell to begin with.”
“So what do you suggest? Rainbow asked.
“What about a distraction?” Scootaloo butted in.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Shadow agreed.
Rainbow pondered out loud, “What kind of distraction would we use?”
“Maybe we could make a dummy?” Scoots suggested.
“I don’t know. That may not work. It wouldn’t be able to distract them for long,” Shadow gently rejected the idea. Scootaloo deflated a bit, nonetheless.
An idea struck Rainbows mind. “Shadow, do you know how to do good illusion spells?”
He glanced at her. “I think so. Why?”
Rainbow chuckled mischievously. “Alright. Here’s what we’ll do.”
---
It was high noon as the three ponies came to a halt in front of Dash’s house. The plan was simple. Shadow would hide and create an illusionary Rainbow Dash to lure Chrono and Dash away. Meanwhile, the real Rainbow and Scootaloo would sneak in, find the book and leave. If Chrono and Dash returned, Shadow would give a warning, giving the two pegasi a chance at escape.
Shadow took refuge in a tree with broad leaves that concealed him thoroughly, yet gave him a clear view of the road for quite a distance. Rainbow and Scootaloo hid among bushes nearer to the building. A close-to-exact replica of Rainbow shimmered into view, hovering above the ground. Now, it was time for action.
“Hey Dash!” Rainbow yowled, “You and Chrono come out here! We have something to discuss!”
They waited a moment. Nothing happened.
“Come out now! We’ll settle this once and for all! Mare to mare!”
Again nothing. Rainbow would have to try a different tactic. She glanced at the tree where Shadow was hidden. From what she knew, Dash had a crush on him. That may be used against her.
“You know what? I think Shadow likes me more than you!” Rainbow couldn’t believe what she was about to say next. “And what’s more, I think he would rather you go back in time instead of me so we can be together forever!” The illusion flickered for a moment. Rainbow cringed. She didn’t want to shatter Shadow’s focus.
There was a loud clang from the cloudy building. A black pegasus shot out of the building, stopping only to spot Rainbow. Or rather, the illusion Rainbow. “You!” Dash spat loathingly. She darted towards the phantasmal pegasus, and the illusion flapped away.
“Wait! Dash! Don’t let her provoke you like this!” Chrono shouted appearing from a doorway. Seeming to realize Dash hadn’t heard, he teleported himself away in pursuit.
“Now!” Rainbow whispered to Scootaloo.
The two pegasi flew up to the airborne house, entering without hesitation. They split up and began to search for the book. Rainbow checked all the places she would keep a valuable item like that. After searching through two rooms she came upon a room she hadn’t been in in a while: the guest room. She opened the door and gasped. Many pictures hung from the walls. Arrows pointed from one picture to another, little notes written and pinned up. It looked like a tangled web. However, at the end of the web was a picture of a dragon. Ragnarok. So she was right. That was his ultimate goal.
Rainbow shook her head and returned to the search. She noticed the helmet and watch Chrono had worn the night she was attacked by Dash lying on the bed. Here and there were strewn papers and a couple items were in the drawers. However, there was no book.
Rainbow left the room and turned to the last room in the hall: her room. She opened it and was relieved to see little had changed. It was a little unkempt but it was easy to navigate the room. She flew to the one place she could think of to hide a book in here. In the nightstand, there was a drawer with a secret compartment in the bottom. Rainbow found the compartment and gazed inside. Sure enough, the book was sitting in the bottom. She lifted the book from its hiding spot and turned to fly out.
However, in the doorway stood Dark Rainbow Dash. Her red eyes sparked with rage. She wore an expression of pure fury and hatred.
“Oh, you think you’re real funny, don’t you?” Dash spat venomously. “You would use the one thing I used to care about and use it against me? Well it’s my turn. I may not be able to kill you but you’d be surprised what you can live through!”
“Come at me then!” Rainbow challenged. She wasn’t going to let herself be beaten senseless this time.
Dash was caught off guard. “Oh, you seem to have regained your old recklessness. This ought to be interesting!” Dash flew forward hooves outstretched. Rainbow ducked under her attacker and bolted out the door, fast as lightning. She weaved her way through the hallways and was outside quickly, Dash on her tail. The cyan pegasus flew as quickly to town as possible, that would be the only place to hide. Dash was only a few yards behind her and gaining.
“You can’t run forever, Rainbow,” Dash threatened.
Rainbow turned her head, “Ha! Neither can you! You can’t keep this pace for long! I am a full ten years younger than you!” Rainbow knew that her goading had worked. She was right on Rainbow’s tail. Now it was time for Rainbow’s true escape. Picking up speed she felt energy crackle around her. The sound barrier was bending in front of her. Just a little more speed and…
BOOOOM! Blinding light mixed with the deafening sonic boom threw Dash off course. She spiraled and crashed into the ground. “Yes!” Rainbow cheered victoriously. The Sonic Rainboom had succeeded! She flew around the corner of a building and rested in the shade to catch her breath.
“Rainbow!”
Rainbow turned to see Dash standing there, wings in tatters, a strand of blood coming from her mouth. Her face was contorted in rage. Rainbow was dumbfounded. How had she found her so quickly?
“I’m sick of you and your meddling! Get out of my time!” Dash drew a knife and hurled it at Rainbow. Rainbow clenched eyes shut and tried to duck, knowing that the knife was going to hit her. She braced for the pain she was about to experience.
It took a few seconds to realize that the knife should have struck her already. She opened one of her eyes, spotting the knife in midair, mere inches from her muzzle. She stood and backed away from the weapon. Dash stood perfectly still, not blinking, not breathing.
“Go,” said a voice calmly behind her. It was Chrono. She noticed the aura around his horn. He was using his magic to stop time.
“Why would you save me?” Rainbow asked him.
“You are still my most valuable tool,” he replied plainly.
Rainbow didn’t press further. She gathered the book in her hooves and quickly flew off in the direction of the library. She noticed time began to flow normally again. She made it away unscathed this time, but Dash’s rage was building like a furious storm. Rainbow only wished she would get home before that storm finally broke.


> The Hidden Stone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 18- The Hidden Stone
Rainbow burst through the door of the library, chest heaving. Shadow and Scootaloo’s gazes snapped to her, wearing shocked expressions. Scootaloo flung herself at Rainbow, embracing her in a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re okay!” she said.
Rainbow laughed. “Isn’t this the exact same thing you did the last time I walked in here?”
Scoots also laughed at that. “Yeah. But maybe I wouldn’t have to if you would stop getting yourself in so much trouble!”
“What a relief!” Shadow said, approaching the two pegasi. “I was so worried.”
Scootaloo snickered, “Literally! I had to block his path from going back when he realized you weren’t behind us! Thank Celestia he hasn’t mastered that teleportation spell!” Shadow cast her a harsh look and nudged her shoulder with his hoof.
“You tried to save me?” she asked Shadow. “You actually tried to save me?” She took a step closer to him.
Shadow Flare stuttered a bit, “I-I… well, um… maybe. Yes… but, um… I know you can take care of yourself, but I thought…” Then he faltered.
Rainbow was surprised. Did Shadow think she was mad at him for trying? That was the furthest thing from her mind. She was ecstatic that he had tried to go back to help her.
“Shadow,” she said, “Thank you.”
He glanced up at her, surprise flashing in his eyes. They stood there gazing at each other for several moments.
“Ooh!” said Scootaloo, “Rainbow and Shadow sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
Both Rainbow and Shadow flare shot her smoldering glares. She gave a weak laugh and shrunk into her pelt.
“You know?” said Rainbow, “I don’t think you’ve grown at all since I saw you in Ponyville ten years ago.”
“What? Hey!” Scootaloo stood straight, pelt bristling, glaring defiantly. Rainbow and Shadow laughed. Scootaloo cracked up as well. They laughed together for a few minutes.
Shadow said, “Alright, alright everypony. Let’s settle down.” They sat down, and got comfortable.
“So,” Shadow began, “What’s the new plan? The last one didn’t work out and they’re sure to keep a lookout now.”
“Um,” said Rainbow, “It wasn’t a failure. I have the book right here.” She brought forth the book, slightly dusty from its rough journey back to the library.
“You got it!? Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Shadow exclaimed.
“Because somepony decided it would be more fun to joke around!” Rainbow joked, giving Scootaloo a playful shove.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Read it,” said Scootaloo, rather impatiently.
“Honestly Scoots! You may look like a full grown mare but there is no way you’ve grown at all intellectually since we last saw each other in my time,” Rainbow said, in an exasperated voice.
“Well, I learned from the best!” Scoots shot back.
Rainbow narrowed her eyes, “Is that an insult?”
“To Dash, maybe!” Scootaloo and Rainbow laughed.
Shadow broke in. “I’m glad you two are having fun, but we seriously need to get down to business.” He seized the book using his magic and opened it to the chapter about Fate Stones, then began to read aloud.
“Starswirl the Bearded was a gifted unicorn. He created many spells and creations. One of the most notable of these creations is the Fate Stone. He originally made it so that anypony could see his or her future. But he couldn’t get the spell right…”
“Can you skip ahead? I’ve already read all of this,” Rainbow interrupted.
“Sorry, but I want to make sure to cover everything,” was Shadow’s reply.
Rainbow sighed and shifted to a more comfortable position as he continued, “He attempted to make a working Fate Stone but his attempts met with failure. After the second stone was created, he gave up. Starswirl thought the stones were too dangerous as it was and hid the two he had created. His failed experiments ended up bearing stones that transported the user into the future. There were two problems with this...”
Rainbow sat up straighter this was the part she had skipped when she had read it. She listened intently as he read the very warnings she should have read herself.
“The first was that, in the event of a time traveling, time itself can be disturbed. It is rumored that when time becomes disturbed, it can trigger the right conditions for a mysterious apocalyptic force, known as Ragnarok, to be summoned. The purpose of Ragnarok is to send the world to the Void to make room for a new world at the End of Times. Essentially, the End of Times will create a disturbance in the flow of time. Since a time-traveler is still a part of the time they came from, going into another time can also cause a disturbance in that time’s flow, causing Ragnarok to mistake that disturbance for the End of Times disturbance.
“The second problem rests within the timeline and disturbances themselves. When one travels time against their predestined fate, it causes a Temporal Distortion, or a break in the timeline, causing an entirely new timeline to appear. However, this Temporal Distortion will sometimes manifest into creatures known as Fallen. According to some of Starswirl’s findings, a Fallen will have a clock imbedded in its chest. The reason for this is unknown. However, there is one exception to this phenomenon. Occasionally, the Temporal Distortion may go erratic and create a different type of Fallen. These Fallen look, act, and think like every other pony out in Equestria. Starswirl dubbed these ponies ‘the Tempest’. There is no way to tell if a pony is actually a Tempest. There has only been one Tempest in recorded history. During the first Fate Stone’s test, Starswirl the bearded accidently went into the past, before Celestia and Luna’s rise to power. He found a way to correct the timeline with the help of a pony who was never supposed to exist. When he returned to his time, he tried to bring this Tempest with him but he faded away with the elimination of the Temporal Distortion.”
“As interesting as all this is, I don’t think it’s helping us find the other Fate Stone,” Scootaloo pointed out blithely.
Shadow shrugged. “If we read further we may come across something.”
“Wait,” said Rainbow, “I think I might know where to find it.”
Scootaloo turned to face her. “You do? I’m utterly lost.”
“Of course you would be,” Rainbow joked. Shadow snickered and Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
“Please, elaborate, oh great, all-knowing Rainbow Dash,” Scoots retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Luna’s words rang through her mind as she reflected upon the tale. “The key to the future often lies hidden in the past. You see, I think this Tempest that helped Starswirl was a close friend of his. It’s possible he created the second Fate Stone to bring him forward in time.”
Scootaloo flicked her magenta colored mane. “That would explain the reason he created two failed experiments. However, that doesn’t help us in locating the Stone.”
“Ah, there you are wrong!” Rainbow said ecstatically as the pieces fell into place in her mind. “You see, when he returned and the Tempest faded, Starswirl didn’t destroy the Fate Stones. He hid them instead. That is probably because he wanted another Temporal Distortion to meet with his friend again.”
Scootaloo and Shadow wore blank expressions. “And?” Scoots pressed.
“The fact that the stones were still here suggests that he probably died before getting the chance to use it again. And where was he living at the time of his death?”
Shadow’s eyes widened as realization struck him. “Canterlot Castle…” he whispered.
“How did you… I mean, how did you know… When did you have the time to figure that out?” Scootaloo stammered, dumbfounded.
“I’m fast in more ways than just physically,” Rainbow boasted.
“So, tomorrow we go to Canterlot?” Scootaloo asked.
“To Canterlot,” Rainbow agreed.
“I’ll set up a force field. Dash and Chrono are starting to get a little bit creepy; it’s making me a little paranoid,” Shadow announced, pulling a spell book from a nearby bookcase.
“Shadow, do you mind if I stay here tonight? I’m not a huge fan of sleeping all alone back at my place with all this going on,” Scoots asked.
“Sure,” Shadow said, half distracted as he searched for the spell. “I’ll sleep downstairs. Give you ladies a little space.”
“Ladies?” Rainbow asked.
Shadow looked up from the book. “What? You prefer to be called ‘guys’ or ‘dudes’? I was only trying to be respectful.”
“We aren’t the most lady-like mares you’ll ever meet, but I guess you can call us that,” said Scoots.
“Whatever makes you happy,” said Shadow, returning to his book.
Rainbow and Scootaloo laughed quietly amongst themselves as they trotted up the stairs. Rainbow reflected the night in her head as they crawled into the beds. Although, she had had a rough morning, the night was quite something to be admired. She had friends here: Scootaloo and Shadow Flare. It made her wish she didn’t have to go back. She wanted to be here with her newfound friends. If it wasn’t for the sake of the world, Rainbow could easily have a future here. She and Shadow would sit together…
What was that? That wasn’t Rainbow talking. She didn’t get all sappy over some stallion. And certainly not one she had only known for a week! She was supposed to be strong, and not need others like she had been since she was small. Had she really changed that much in seven days? She pushed the thoughts from her head. She would need to get some sleep for tomorrow’s journey.
---
Rainbow was dreaming again. She stood in a wide chamber, resembling that of a castle’s throne room. All around her were pipes spewing spurts of steam, gears whirring, and chains clanking. Though, there was the slight background noise, it was eerily quiet.
Rainbow was so absorbed in her surroundings that she had almost missed the centerpiece of the room. It was a grand throne. It was heavily adorned with gears and carvings, but what stood out the most was the clock embedded high on the back. The enormous clock went to thirteen, and was counting down, just like Rainbow’s watch.
Then her vision drifted to either side of the throne. Celestia and Luna stood to each side of the grand seat. Their eyes were closed, and they spoke not a word.


> The Path of the Fallen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 19- The Path of the Fallen
Rainbow Dash stepped onto the train behind Shadow Flare and Scootaloo. There were only a few passengers in their car. The three took a seat near the back.
Rainbow had hardly sat down when the train started forward. As the train picked up speed Rainbow gazed out the window. The trees and fields began to blur together as they gained momentum. This was how time felt to her. It began to go by faster and faster until it was hard to focus on any particular thing. She sighed heavily, turning her attention to the inside of the train.
Scootaloo shifted in a rather impatient looking way. She caught Rainbow’s eye and asked, “How long is this ride?”
Rainbow pondered for a minute before answering. She had taken this trip several times. “I’d say about three hours. Although, I remember one time, the train had to take a detour. That was the day the Cakes were entering in that dessert contest. It took all night to get there.”
Scoots’ eyes grew wide. “Well, I hope to Celestia we don’t have to take a detour! It’s already going to take long enough!”
“We’ll be there before you know it,” she reassured the orange pegasus pony.
Rainbow stretched her feathery wings. They felt tight as she pulled on them. Since arriving to the future, she’d been flying around less than she used too. Maybe the overall attitude of seriousness was weighing her down. That was something she would have to change. Her wings needed daily exercise and she was slacking off a bit. Just because she had a world to save didn’t mean she should put aside her health. There would be time enough to walk around when she grew old.
Shadow Flare, who was sitting in the seat across from the pegasi, watched as she stretched. “What are wings like? I mean, do they feel weird?”
Rainbow paused from her routine. “Not really. We pegasi are born with them, it feel no different than a tail or a leg. Much in the same way you’re born with a horn.”
An unreadable emotion seemed to cross Shadow’s features, but it passed as quickly as it had come. “Yeah. I guess it would be like that.”
Rainbow folded her wings neatly to her side and settled deeper into her seat. It would be a while before they reached Canterlot; she may as well get a bit more sleep. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift into sleep.
---
“And who might you be?”                                                                        
“I am nameless, soulless. I don’t even know if I even exist.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Of course you wouldn’t, princess. You belong in this world. I belong to nothing!”
“Guards get rid of him!”
“Oh, you won’t get rid of me.”
“Sister! Warn Princess Twilight of this dangerous pony!”
“Oh, it’s not her I want. It’s you two!”
“What? What are you doing? What are you…”
Silence.
---
Rainbow woke with a jolt. What were those voices in her dream? Who were the ponies talking? She shook her head. Ever since Luna visited her dreams, they’ve been getting more and more bizarre. Why couldn’t her dreams be normal? As if her waking world wasn’t hard enough to believe already.
Then the train stopped abruptly, making her lurch forward. Shadow gazed around, alarmed. The book he had been reading fell to the floor. Scoots also wore an expression of dazed confusion and anxiety. Then the screams sounded from the front cars. Rainbow pricked her ears in worry. What was going on up there?
Suddenly, the screams came to an abrupt halt. The air chilled and the sky itself grew dark. Rainbow could see her breath billowing in front of her. The door at the front of the coach slowly opened. Rainbow gasped. The creature that stood in the doorway was in the general shape of an alicorn, but could not be described as one any further than that. It was a creature made from shadows. She could actually see the wisps of darkness floating off the creature’s body. The eyes were orbs of blue light. But the creature’s most unusual feature was the clock embedded in its chest.
“A Fallen…” she whispered. Scootaloo whimpered beside her and sunk below the back of the seat in front of her in an attempt to hide from the Fallen’s view.
“Mama, I’m scared,” came a filly’s fear-stricken whimper from further up the car.
The shadowy creature turned its crystalline blue gaze toward the young foal. It spread its shadowy wings, darkening the coach even more. The clock in its chest began to whirl and an aura began to surround its horn. Maybe it was an hour, maybe it was a split second; but before anypony knew what had happened, everything went back to normal. The train was moving as if it had never stopped and the sky shone with full morning light. It was easy to think it had just been her imagination. However, a chill still lingered in the air, and everypony was silent with either horror or shock. The only sound came from a weeping mare, crying for her missing daughter…


> Fear of the Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 20- Fear of the Darkness
"You may enter," said a guard.
The three ponies stepped between the two massive wooden doors that led into Queen Twilight's audience chamber. The lavender alicorn was seated on the throne that was once occupied by Princess Celestia. She lifted her purple gaze to her approaching subjects.
"Ah, Shadow. I did not expect your arrival. Is something wrong in Ponyville?" the Queen asked. Then her eyes darted to Rainbow Dash. A worried look crept into her eyes. "She still hasn't returned to her time. Isn't there any way for her to get back?"
"There is. That's why we have come here," Shadow replied to his mentor.
Twilight Sparkle cocked her head. "Really? I've searched the libraries for time spells. The trouble is that they're all temporary. I've also looked up alternative time travel methods, but came up empty-hoofed. What could I have over-looked?"
"Rainbow knew of this book called Relics and Artifacts. We read up on the Fate Stones and found something that suggested that Starswirl had a second Fate Stone. When he hid it, he died before having the chance to use it. He died when he was living here in Canterlot Castle," Shadow explained.
Twilight pondered for a moment. "So, you're saying that the Fate Stone may be hidden in the castle? This place is really big, it could be anywhere."
"Maybe," Rainbow spoke up, "Starswirl hid it among his personal belongings. He obviously found the artifact dangerous. I doubt he would hide it where anypony could stumble upon it."
"You may be correct, Rainbow. However, most of his stuff is on display in his former room. There certainly wasn't a Fate Stone among his collection of relics. At least not that I saw."
"It may be disguised," Scootaloo suggested, "If he's as great a wizard as everypony claims, I wouldn't put it past his ability to cast a spell to make one thing look like another."
"Alright, I'm convinced," said Twilight. "Come on, let me take you to his old bedroom."
Together, the ponies marched out of the audience chamber and into the corridor, Rainbow hovering alongside the group. They trotted through so many hallways and passages that, before long, Rainbow was hopelessly lost.
"So, has Dash improved on her attitude since last we met?" the purple mare asked Rainbow.
"No. She's… changed. And not for the better. She doesn't even look like me anymore. I don't bother with the cloak disguise much anymore. The deranged pegasus tried to kill me! Twice! I've come far too close to death for comfort because of her," Rainbow replied, cringing at the bitter memories.
"She even looks different? How so?"
"Her pelt and mane has gone pitch black and her irises around her eyes are red. I'm not sure how it's even possible but it happened."
"Hmm," said Twilight. "It sounds kind of like the time all of us faced off against Discord. When we stopped being true to ourselves, we all turned grey. Has she gone so far past her true self that she's turned into the opposite of her true self?"
Rainbow was a bit confused. "I thought Discord had made us the opposite of ourselves back then. We didn't change to black."
"Discord only made us behave the opposite of ourselves," Twilight explained. "Deep down we were still ourselves. I think Dash may have changed who she actually is."
Though understanding slightly better, she was still pretty much confused by the whole idea. The ponies lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Twilight navigated the twisting hallways with ease, the other three blindly following her lead. Eventually, they stopped at a well adorned door. A sign hung from the front of it, reading: Starswirl the Bearded.
The room inside was neat and homey. A canopy bed was nestled in one corner beside an elaborately carved wardrobe. A telescope was set up at the window. Nearby was a desk that was probably, long ago, piled high with papers and notes. There was also a wall lined with glass display cases. In the cases were all sorts of trinkets, tools, and oddities. Rainbow scanned through the cases, looking for anything that resembled the small white stone that had brought her here.
"What was in this?" Scootaloo asked from the end of one of the display. Twilight cantered up to the display the orange mare had indicated, Rainbow close behind. The glass had been shattered and the shelf inside was empty.
"I believe that contained Starswirl's stopwatches. He had two of them. One of them was a normal watch one would wear around their neck. The other one was silver and wouldn't open. There was this slip of paper attached to it that said something like: 'Will not open unless the end draws near'. At least, that's what I think it said. It was stolen about a year ago, right around the time the princesses went missing," Twilight responded.
Rainbow stood rigid for a second. Could it be? "Did the watch look like this?" Rainbow showed Twilight the watch that had appeared in the library on her first day. She had been wearing it around her neck but Twilight obviously hadn't noticed until Rainbow pointed it out.
Twilight looked at the watch. "How did you get this?" the purple pony asked incredulously.
"It appeared out of nowhere on the desk in Shadow's library. It came with a note telling me that the end was near, signed by Ragnarok."
"Really?" She opened the watch and gazed inside. There were only six days left. The alicorn queen swiftly snapped the watch shut and handed it back to Rainbow.
"So that's what it was. And, do you think the other one was…"
Shadow turned to look at his mentor. "Are you suggesting the other watch was actually the Fate Stone?"
Twilight nodded. An icy chill swept over Rainbow. Now what where they supposed to do? Once again the stone had eluded them.
At first, Rainbow had thought the chill was simply her own dark realization of the truth. But then the other ponies shivered a bit. The light around them began to grow dim. No. Not again. A black mist rose from the ground and began to coalesce in front of them. Rainbow was frozen with terror as the Fallen materialized right in front of her. Up close, she could tell it was taller than she had originally thought; probably rivaling Celestia's height.
"RUN!" shouted Shadow Flare.
The Fallen let out a demented shriek and bolted after them. The four ponies darted out of the room and into the vast maze of hallways. Though Rainbow, Scootaloo and Twilight all flew, they had to slow down to allow Shadow to keep up on hoof. The Fallen had no trouble keeping up with them.
The ponies rounded the corner and suddenly stopped. It was a dead end. The four doors on either side of the hall were all locked. The Fallen found that they were trapped and advanced slowly.
"Stay back!" Twilight Sparkle ordered the others. As they obeyed, an aura began to surround her horn. As the spell gathered power, the aura grew brighter until Rainbow had to shield her eyes to keep from going blind. Suddenly, Twilight released the spell. A ray of pure, concentrated light shot at the shadow horse. The Fallen roared in agony as it dissipated into nothingness.
Twilight sank to the ground, unconscious. Shadow Flare and Scootaloo raced to the queen's side, but Rainbow stayed where she was. She was gazing at the spot where the Fallen had once stood. The shadows began to rise once more from the ground. Only, this time they weren't shadows. The fog was white, like mist. The vapors came together into a solid form. It was a green filly with a pink mane. Rainbow recognized her. It was the same filly that disappeared on the train.


> Ruin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 21- Ruin
“Hello there,” said Rainbow Dash to the green filly. She looked at the pegasus with frightened, sky-blue eyes.
“It’s alright,” Rainbow comforted. “We’re not going to hurt you.” She took a step forward, but the filly shrunk away.
“I’m Rainbow Dash. What’s your name?”
The filly hesitantly opened her mouth as if she were about to speak, but closed it again without saying anything.
“Come on, Rainbow. She’s probably traumatized after… whatever it is that happened to her on the train,” said Scootaloo who was helping hoist Queen Twilight’s unconscious body onto Shadow Flare’s shoulders.
“I guess so,” she said, conceding to her efforts.
Once Twilight was situated they began a trek through the winding hallways. The green filly followed a ways behind the others. But, she was following. That was good. It meant she at least halfway trusted them.
Shadow Flare must’ve been through here quite a few times as they had only gotten turned around once before reaching the more familiar parts of the castle. The ponies approached the door of the throne room. The guards, seeing Twilight, let them through without question. Shadow marched Twilight through the audience chamber and rested her at the foot of throne.
“Shouldn’t we put her in her bed or something?” Scootaloo asked.
Shadow shrugged. “I don’t know where her bedroom is.”
“You could ask somepony,” said Rainbow sarcastically.
“Actually,” Shadow shot back, “nopony knows where it is. It’s a closely guarded secret that only her elite guards know. It was a precaution she took when the other princesses disappeared a year ago.  The logic being, nopony could come and attack her in her sleep.”
“Oh,” said Rainbow, feeling a bit awkward at being wrong. She didn’t like being wrong.
“Wait. She’s the queen?”
Rainbow, Shadow, and Scoots all turned to see the green filly, wide-eyed with wonder.
“Yeah,” said Scoots, “And she saved your life.”
“She did?” she asked, her voice soaked with awe.
“Yes. The queen killed that monster and you appeared,” said Rainbow. A dark expression crossed the young filly’s face. She shrunk to the ground, shivering.
“You okay, little one?” Shadow asked.
The green filly shook her head. “Th-the monster t-took me away from my mama when we on the train. I-it t-t-took me to this p-place where there was n-no light. Th-there wasn’t any l-light or sound or-or anything. J-Just blackness every direction. I-I was so scared,” she stuttered, shivering violently. A tear ran down her cheek.
“There, there,” said Scootaloo, “It’ll be alright.” She keeled next to the filly and wrapped her wings around her. The filly hugged her and began to sob.
“We’ll find your mother,” said Rainbow. The filly turned and gazed at Rainbow through Scoot’s sunset feathers. She looked thankful.
“Ugh…” came a voice from the throne behind them. Twilight blinked open her eyes and glanced around, as if she wasn’t quite sure where she was. “What happened? Did I get it?” She began to struggle to her hooves, stumbling.
“Careful,” Shadow warned, “You should just rest. That spell must’ve been extremely draining. Oh, and yes. The beast has been slain.”
Twilight sighed and sunk back to the floor, obviously too exhausted to try and haul herself onto the throne. “Who is that?” she asked.
“We don’t know her name,” said Rainbow. “She appeared when you defeated the Fallen. She’s the same one that was abducted when we were attacked by the Fallen on the train.”
“You were attacked? Why didn’t you tell me? I need to know these things,” Twilight said. Even though the queen was looking at Rainbow, she knew the lavender alicorn’s words were directed to her pupil. He must’ve realized too, as he held his head down the way one might after being admonished.
“So, what is your name?” Twilight addressed the green and pink filly.
“I’m Jade,” she replied.
“Nice to meet you, Jade. I’m Queen Twilight Sparkle. Now what’s your mother’s name?”
“Her name is Rose. She’s pale with a red mane and green eyes.”
Twilight nodded. “I’ve heard of her. She’s nice. Don’t worry Jade. You’ll be back at home with your mother before you know it.”
Jade beamed at the queen then let out an enormous yawn.
“I guess it’s time for you to go to bed, little one,” said Twilight, “It’s getting rather dark outside. Scootaloo, will you accompany Jade to the guest rooms? The guards will point you in the right direction.”
Scoots nodded, then turned to leave with Jade. “Now,” said Twilight, climbing into her throne, “We have some things to discuss.”
“Yes,” agreed Shadow. “It happened on our ride here this morning. We were on the train to Canterlot when the temperature began to drop. Then we heard screaming. The Fallen came into our car, heard Jade speak, and then teleported away, taking her with it.”
“Anything else?” Twilight demanded. Both ponies shook their heads in response.
“Well, then there isn’t much reason to fear it any more, now is there? But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Where did Jade go? And why did she come back after we defeated the Fallen?”
“There is one idea that comes to mind,” said Rainbow. “As I’ve been reading, I’ve been hearing a lot about this obscure place called the Void. I don’t know where it is, or what it is, really. The books don’t have much information on it.”
“The Void, huh?” the lilac queen pondered.
“I wish there was more to go off of,” Shadow stated. “It seems like when we get close to the answer, it slips further away.”
“I wish Celestia and Luna were still alive,” said Twilight, “They would know what to do.”
Rainbow looked at the forlorn queen. She sighed. She knew she would sound crazy saying this, but she had to comfort her queen… no, her friend. “The princesses aren’t dead. They are still alive.”
She looked at the blue pegasus quizzically. “I saw them in a dream. Luna came to me when I was dying and healed me. She also left me with a weird phrase: the key to the future often lies hidden in the past. I saw her again with Celestia on either side of this eerie throne.”
“Really? I can’t believe it! All this time I’ve been worrying and they’ve been alive and well!” Twilight exclaimed, wings fluttering in excitement.
“Actually, I’m not sure if they’re all that well,” Rainbow stated, a little guilty at having to bring the queen’s spirits down. “You see, Luna said that they were banished to a realm beyond time by some dark force and await the day they can return. And that all depends on me…”
“Oh,” said Twilight. “But hey. It’s enough to know they’re alive.”
A heavy silence followed for the next few minutes. It was broken by Shadow. “So, what are we going to do about that Fate Stone?”
“If the watch was indeed the Fate Stone, then it could be anywhere in Equestria by now. A lot can happen in a year,” said Twilight.
Rainbow thought hard. Where could the artifact be? That’s when an image popped into her head.
The key to the future often lies hidden in the past…
It was a dark and stormy night. Rainbow was bleeding to death on the ground as rain fell around her. Then Chrono appeared to stop Dash from striking the final blow. He was wearing a helmet and…
“…a golden watch,” Rainbow whispered to herself. She turned to the other two ponies, who were discussing other, rather unlikely possibilities.
“I know where to find it!” said Rainbow.
“Well, let’s hear it,” said Shadow, “Your clairvoyance has yet to fail us!”
“Chrono has it. He always seems to be holding all the cards. He probably knows we came out here to search for the Fate Stone, so he’ll be expecting us to come back searching for him.”
“So, what do you suggest?” asked Shadow, running a hoof through his scarlet mane.
“What else? Find that time-twisting bozo and teach him a lesson!”
“What if it’s a trap?” the black unicorn asked.
“Of course it’s a trap!” said Rainbow, “But no mouse ever got the cheese without setting off the trap.”
“Are you sure, Rainbow?” There was worry in Shadow’s green eyes.
“Of course. You and me make a great team! Together with Scootaloo, we are unstoppable!”
“I hope you’re right, Rainbow Dash.”
“I guess you’ll be leaving soon,” said Twilight. “Feel free to stay the night. Ask the guards, and they’ll tell you where Scootaloo and Jade are staying.”
“Thank you,” said Shadow, bowing his head. Rainbow imitated his gesture and followed him out of the room.
It was not long before they had reached the room where Scootaloo and Jade were curled up, asleep on the same bed. Rainbow climbed into the second bed and Shadow found some spare blankets and set up a sleeping place on the floor.
An hour had gone by when Rainbow realized she couldn’t sleep. She got out of bed and crept out of the room. She navigated her way through the few hallways that led to the exit of the extravagant castle. Once outside, Rainbow took a deep breath. The starscape above her stretched far and wide, ruled by a brilliant crescent moon. This whole adventure was beginning to wear her out. She wanted to go home, yet she had begun to grow attached to this time. She wished she could go back to where she belonged, but have Shadow with her. It was crazy, she knew, but she wanted him to be there. He was a friend she could trust. Even though he didn’t speak much, there always seemed to be something going on behind those brilliant green eyes. It was funny that, despite their differing personalities, they could be so close. It was a connection she shared with very few. Yet, when she left, Rainbow would never see him again.
“Why is life so unfair?” she asked the moon. There was no reply. The white crescent simply kept casting its silvery aura onto the land of Equestria.
That’s when she saw it. A dark figure crept along the shadowed streets outside the castle. Rainbow followed the pony as quietly as possible. The figure trotted down the street heading towards a building Rainbow knew all too well. It was the tower in which the Elements of Harmony were kept. Since the princesses had entrusted the Elements to Twilight ten years ago, the purple alicorn probably would’ve returned them upon moving to Canterlot Castle. The Elements of Harmony were the weapon that defended Equestria from destruction. Rainbow and five of her other friends used them to keep the evil at bay many times before her departure. Each of them represented an Element: Twilight, the Element of Magic; Applejack, the Element of Honesty; Rarity, the Element of Generosity; Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness; Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter; and Rainbow, the Element of Loyalty. Without these Elements, harmony in Equestria could easily be shattered. That’s why Rainbow had to follow this intruder.
The mysterious pony entered the building, leaving the door cracked open behind her. Rainbow followed the figure inside. The inside of the building was dark; no light could be seen. Except for the place where the five Elements were shining on their pedestals. The sixth Element was in Twilight’s crown so it was never kept down here. Suddenly, one of the five lights vanished.
“Hey!” Rainbow shouted into the darkness.
Rainbow felt the intruder rush past her with incredible speed. The pony stood in the doorway to the building. The light of the moon revealed the features of the black pegasus that antagonized Rainbow the most, now wearing the Element of Loyalty around her neck.
“Good night,” Dash said with a smirk.
The doors crashed shut, leaving Rainbow in inky black darkness. She fumbled around the room until she located the door. Locked from the outside. Rainbow was trapped. The cyan pegasus hung her head. Dash was not going to stop torturing her until she either died or left, was she? But what was most disturbing was that what had originally been a lie was now true. All of Dash’s friends did reject her in favor of Rainbow. Had Chrono somehow known that was going to happen? Did he plan for it to happen? Either way, Rainbow knew Chrono was the real enemy here, not Dash. It almost made her sorry for her future self. Almost. Dash would have to be dealt with sooner or later. But Chrono? He was a monster that wished for the end of the world for no apparent reason. He had to be stopped first.
Rainbow curled up on the ground and closed her eyes. If she left and time was set straight again, what would happen to Chrono and Dash? What would happen to Shadow Flare? Would it be as if she had never been there? The thought that Shadow wouldn’t remember her hurt worse than any torture Dash could inflict upon her. She blocked out all of her thoughts until sleep claimed her once more.


> Anxieties
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 22- Anxieties
The yellow stallion was gazing at Rainbow, his red eyes burning into her magenta ones. A helm covered his bright green mane, and the golden watch hung around his neck. It was as if he were mocking her.
There was no room around them; simply darkness. Chrono stepped closer to Rainbow until their snouts nearly touched. Rainbow simply stood there, gazing right into his eyes. However, where she would’ve normally seen a soul, all she could see was an empty void.
“There is so very much you don’t know about me,” he said. Rainbow said nothing.
“Why do you meddle in the affairs of those you do not even understand? I am just like any other pony; well, almost.” Chrono walked around the blue pegasus as he spoke. “We all have our differences, but some of us don’t really belong here.” He came back into her sightline and stared once more into her eyes. “Like you,” he finished.
Rainbow had nothing to say. She knew she didn’t belong in this time. But, if Chrono knew, why didn’t he just let her go back? Why did he want to end the world? “Why not just give me the Fate Stone and let me leave then? If I don’t belong, why are you so intent on keeping me here?”
The yellow unicorn smirked. “I need you to stay in order to summon Ragnarok. Then we will belong, all of us.”
“You don’t make any sense! How will ending the world make anypony belong anywhere?” Rainbow shouted.
“You understand so little,” he said, laughing quietly to himself. Chrono turned and walked away into the shadows, leaving Rainbow alone in utter darkness.
---
“Rainbow? Rainbow!”
The sound of Shadow Flare’s voice roused Rainbow from her sleep. The door was open, spilling fresh sunlight into the corridor. Shadow kneeled next to her. “Are you alright? What happened?”
How many times had she met Shadow in this panicked manner now? Twice? Three times? It didn’t matter. She wasn’t sure if she had it in her to keep up with this constant sense of urgency. Couldn’t she have at least one more normal night? Rainbow sighed and stood up.
At first, she was shocked to find her legs streaked with deep red. Then she realized it was only sunlight streaming through one of the many stained-glass windows surrounding the chamber. Rainbow looked up at the window. The design upon it was one that rather intrigued her. She knew the windows were magic; that they shifted designs, often showing various prophecies and revelations. However, this design made no sense. It showed a picture of Rainbow Dash in three places: one with herself, her silver stopwatch around her neck; her as Dash, black with tattered wings and red irises; and one of her with a white mane and tail, yet still young. Even her rainbow colored cutie mark was white. She knew the first two Rainbow Dashes were herself and Dash, but who was the third incarnation? Rainbow wasn’t even sure if she wanted to find out.
“Rainbow?” Shadow asked. Rainbow realized she still hadn’t responded to his earlier question.
“I’m fine,” she answered without looking away from the stained-glass window. Rainbow could feel the concern coming off of him in waves, yet he didn’t give voice to his worries. She finally pried her eyes from the image, replacing it with his iridescent green eyes. “I’m fine,” she repeated. “I just went for a midnight walk and got locked in here.” She decided she would mention Dash to the queen later. Mentioning Dash to Shadow now would only double his worries. What he needed was some peace of mind for a while.
A smile spread across his visage. “How’d you manage to do that?” he asked, jokingly.
“Guess I locked it by accident.” Rainbow didn’t like lying. Especially to somepony she was so close to. But if it brought him peace, then it would be worth it, wouldn’t it? She would deal with it later.
“Come on. Let’s go. Twilight, Scootaloo, and I have been searching for you all morning. Even Jade helped in the search,” he said. The black unicorn led her out of the chamber.
When they reached the throne room, Rainbow was immediately worried over. Her friends hugged her and thanked Celestia that she was alright. She was sick of this kind of attention. Rainbow was a strong pegasus, the fastest flier in Equestria, and even managed to keep herself alive against all odds. If she was going to get attention, she wanted it because of her strengths, not her weaknesses. She was thankful when a yellow pegasus with a flame-colored mane erupted into the room, wrenching the attention from Rainbow in a split-second.
It was Spitfire, the commander of the Wonderbolts. She hovered in the air, panting heavily before gaining enough strength to breathe. “Something… is attacking… Ponyville.” She took a minute to let her breath catch up. “No, not something. Many somethings. They are abducting ponies left and right! We need your help!”
“What are they?” Twilight asked, alarm evident in her voice.
“Shadowy creatures. They have clocks in their chests and blue eyes; the stuff of nightmares,” Spitfire sunk to the ground in exhaustion. Rainbow caught her eye.
“Hey,” said the yellow pegasus, “Rainbow Dash? Why haven’t you been showing up for flight practice? It’s almost been a week now. Miss too many more sessions and we’ll be forced to kick you off the Wonderbolts. It’d be a shame, too. All those years down the drain…” Spitfire lapsed into silence, and she fell asleep.
“Shadow Flare,” Queen Twilight summoned her student. “You, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo go to Ponyville immediately. I trust you’ll come up with something to at least hold off the attacks of the Fallen. Jade will stay here with me.”
“What?” Rainbow interjected as an unexpected wave of anger swept over her. “Are you seriously about to pin the responsibility of Ponyville on us? What changed in you between yesterday and today? What kind of queen does that?” Too much responsibility had been placed on Rainbow’s shoulders. She didn’t need any more. Any more pressure would break her.
“That’s not why I’m sending you,” said Twilight. “I am sending you because there’s nopony else to turn to. You have figured out so much since you arrived eight days ago. If you three can’t figure something out, nopony can. I mean, what all can one queen do? You know more about the Fallen than even I do. That’s why you should go. I’ll prepare a backup spell in case you fail, but it may be too late by then. And not just that, the spell may cost me more than a few hours of unconsciousness. A spell of the magnitude to cover an entire city with concentrated light? It would be the final thing I do. So please, do what you can. The spell will take two days to prepare. Shadow Flare, do you remember the spell I taught you this morning to teleport items over long distances?” He acknowledged her with a brisk nod. “If you succeed before midday, the day after tomorrow, send a letter.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Shadow said.
“Alright, then. You should get going as soon as possible,” Twilight dismissed them.
“Can I see them off?” Jade asked the lavender alicorn. Twilight nodded her assent.
Waiting outside the castle was a large chariot, piloted by two armored pegasi. Shadow hopped into the chariot without hesitation, followed by Scootaloo then Jade.
Rainbow pulled her off the chariot by her tail. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Jade, you know you can’t come along. It’s too dangerous. You know better than most what they’re capable of.”
“Why can’t I come?” Jade complained, “Ponyville is my home! I’ve lived there for seven years! And my mama could be in trouble there! I want to help!”
Rainbow didn’t see why she shouldn’t deserve to come if she truly wanted to. She glanced at the others to see if either of them had any objections. Taking the silence as an okay, she nudged the pink-maned filly forward.
“Climb aboard,” she said, “Just don’t let Twilight find out, and we should be fine.”
Rainbow Dash climbed on after Jade and the chariot took off. They were headed back to Ponyville to fight off a horde of monsters. And they were there because of Rainbow. She sighed. Almost everything that had gone wrong could be traced one way or another back to her. She wanted to block it all out. That’s when Rainbow realized she had just caused another problem. She had forgotten to tell Twilight about the stolen Element of Harmony.


> Our Solemn Hour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 23- Our Solemn Hour
The flight to Ponyville lasted only two hours. Rainbow had been too restless to stay sitting so she had flown alongside the chariot half the time. When she caught the first glimpse of Ponyville, she almost fell from the sky. A dark cloud hung over the town and cast a few flashes of lightning. However, the thunder was muted as if it were many leagues away. The weather suggested precipitation of some kind, yet no rain fell from the gloomy heavens.
The temperature was another thing. The still air was deathly cold. Rainbow’s breath bellowed in front of her face in white clouds. When they touched down, the grass crunched with frost underhoof.
“W-what’s going o-on? Isn’t it s-s-summer?” Jade asked, shivering against the cold.
“It is,” said Shadow, “But the Fallen are causing the temperature to drop drastically.”
“B-But, i-it didn’t get this cold on the t-train,” Jade persisted.
“There was only one then,” Shadow replied. The green and pink filly shuddered a little harder and huddled close to Scootaloo, who embraced her with her wings, sharing some of her warmth.
“Where is everypony?” the orange mare asked.
“Well. It’s extremely cold and somewhere around here are huge shadow creatures. I’m willing to bet they’re all inside,” Rainbow replied sarcastically.
“Now isn’t the time, Rainbow. We need to find out what’s going on here and what we can do to fix it,” Shadow Flare reprimanded.
“What do you think you can do?” said an all too familiar voice. The four ponies whipped around to face Chrono. The yellow stallion stood in the middle of the street, his red eyes flashing in the shadows of his helmet. “This place is lost. This town has been overcome with the darkness. You stand no chance against the Fallen!”
Rainbow Dash stepped forward boldly. “What have you done? Why did you bring them here?” she yelled at the unicorn.
“Me? You think I brought them here?” he chortled inharmoniously. “Perish the thought. The one to blame here is you. You are the reason these creatures are here. When you arrived, the Fallen crawled in through the rift you tore in time. It’s because of you that this place is ruined.”
“No! That can’t be the truth! It’s not my fault! You are the one trying to destroy Equestria! You are the one keeping me from going to the past! You even hold the key to make this all end! It is that golden stopwatch around your neck!”
Chrono smirked. “I was wondering when you’d figure it out. Yes, I hold the second Fate Stone. I’ve had it all along. But, the time to use it is not now.”
“We’ll see about that!” Rainbow Dash reared up onto her hind legs spreading her wings. She flew at top speed at Chrono. The yellow unicorn didn’t even move. Suddenly, Rainbow smashed into something. She sprawled back to the ground in agony. For a brief moment a blue orb surrounded Chrono, but within seconds it faded.
“Rainbow!” cried Shadow. He dashed to her side. “Are you alright?” Rainbow tasted blood in her mouth, which she spat out, and climbed to her hooves.
“It’s amazing that so much responsibility rests on the shoulders of one who is so reckless and headstrong. Fate is very ironic is it not?” With that, the yellow stallion disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. When the fog cleared, he was gone.
“That guy drives me crazy! Why does he have to be so cryptic and… and… just frustrating!” Rainbow shouted, stomping her hoof into the frosted dirt.
“Clam down, Rainbow. You’ve been high strung since the train ride. You should rest,” Shadow Flare said, coming to stand beside her. She knew he was right. She let out a sigh and rested her head against his shoulder.
“Thank you,” Rainbow said.
“What for?” the black unicorn asked quizzically.
“For being there for me. I’ve never had to rely on anypony so much for emotional support in all my life. And I know I can be… stubborn at times, but you really are there when I need you most.”
“What are friends for?” Shadow said merrily.
“Come on. Let’s go. I don’t think Jade should stay out in this weather,” Rainbow suggested. Scootaloo and Jade nodded fervently in agreement. Shadow smiled and nodded. The four ponies wandered through the deserted street until they came to the library. Shadow unlocked the door and allowed everypony in.
“Here we are,” he said, closing the door behind his friends.
“So, what are we going to do about this problem?” Scootaloo asked, shaking the cold out of her feathers. “We haven’t exactly seen any of the Fallen since our arrival.”
“I know,” said Shadow. “It won’t be easy, but we have to figure out as much as we can. There’s no point in blindly fighting an enemy we hardly know about. Let alone see.”
Rainbow cocked her head, trying to think of some way to accomplish the task of fighting an unseen enemy. She thought through all she knew about the Fallen, which was practically nothing. They affected the temperature and could send ponies to the Void. They were formed from time distortions and were big and scary. That wasn’t much to go off of. Surely, there was some clue as to how to fight them off. But it had taken Twilight’s advanced magic to hold off just one. What could a novice unicorn, two pegasi, and an earth filly do against enough Fallen to send an entire town to ruin? Rainbow was losing her patience with all this figuring-everything-out nonsense. When she arrived to the future, she had set aside her single-mindedness and put a strong reasoning in its place. Now, her calm reasoning was wearing thin with all the stress that was placed on her. Her reckless nature was showing more often. But maybe that’s what Ponyville needed now: a bunch of ponies that didn’t care what happened to themselves in order to achieve their goal. Perhaps Ponyville needed a bunch of strong willed ponies that would die to protect their home. Ponyville needed an army.
“Forget about the enemy,” Rainbow said, shocking the other three out of their own thoughts. “We just need to fight them, head on. I’m tired of figuring out all these puzzles Chrono has set around this warped time. Let’s just plow through them, find Chrono, and get that Fate Stone so everything can go back to normal. If we can recruit enough ponies that are willing to fight, we can overpower them, right? I’m sick of everypony choosing my fate. This time, I’ll choose my own.” She stood proudly, chest stuck out and confidence stirring in her voice. “We’re going to build an army.”


> To Build an Army
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 24- To Build an Army
Rainbow stood atop the raised platform in front of the City Hall in the center of Ponyville. Shadow Flare stood resolutely behind her. Various ponies of all shapes and sizes crowded around the stage, cold and confused. Scootaloo had gone around all of Ponyville, telling the residents of each building to meet at the City Hall before rushing off to the next. Now she was with Jade, down near the base of the stage, shivering in the cold, stagnant air.
The ponies gazed at Rainbow expectantly, waiting for her to speak. The sky-blue pegasus took a deep breath. “Citizens of Ponyville,” she began, “You may be wondering why I summoned you here today during such a dark time.” A few voices sounded in fuming agreement. “Now listen. This is very important… I am not the Rainbow Dash you all know. I am from ten years in the past.” The crowd gasped. “When I came forward in time, the timeline was broken. From that rift in time came the Fallen, the creatures that have been attacking you. The ponies they abduct are sent to a place called the Void. We need to stop these creatures. If we can kill a Fallen, the pony they abducted will return to this world. However, there is evidence of many Fallen and Shadow, Scootaloo, and I can’t stop them on our own. We need as much help as possible. Will you assist us?”
“Do you expect us to believe all this? We know strange things are going on, but time-travel and voids? Rainbow, you must be going crazy! I say you go to a counselor and we’ll wait in the safety of our homes until the shadow creatures go away,” said a brown pony in the center of the crowd. Many shouted in support.
Rainbow took a few steps back. Crazy? She wasn’t crazy. Dash was. Or was she? Maybe she was crazy and Dash was sane. Maybe this whole thing is a giant illusion conjured by her mind. She ducked her head low and turned away from the crowd. Shadow was looking at her. He wore an expression she had never seen on him before: anger.
He took a few steps forward. The red-maned unicorn halted beside Rainbow. “I’ll take care of this,” he whispered comfortingly. So, it wasn’t her he was angry at. It was the civilians. Shadow walked up to the front of the stage.
“Listen everypony! Rainbow is not crazy. There is countless proof of her story’s reliability. But it isn’t about her. It’s you! Here she is, trying to help you, and you treat her as if she is mentally insane? Listen here! The world around you is falling apart. We are literally on the brink of an apocalypse and you merely treat it as happenstance when the strangest things go on. The Fallen are trying to tear us down, and we are the only ones who can stop them from succeeding. Are we just going to sit here or are we going to stand and fight!”
There was a prolonged silence as Shadow Flare’s gaze swept across the audience. Rainbow was moved that he had tried to defend her, but it seemed that the speech was ineffectual. That was until somepony broke the silence. “Fight!” shouted a mare in the back, her lone voice echoing in the quiet. “Fight!” joined in stallion somewhere to the left. “Fight!” joined in three more. The chanting began to spread across the ponies, rising in volume and intensity until everypony was chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” Rainbow smiled and a tear rose to her eye as she saw the conviction of these ponies.
“Alright!” said Shadow, “Let’s build an army!” Cheering roared across the gathering. It was time to prepare.
---
“Now, when one of you flies toward the enemy, it’ll draw the attention, allowing another of you to attack from behind,” Rainbow addressed the pegasi gathered around her. They had decided to train them in groups based on their races. Rainbow trained the pegasi while Shadow trained the unicorns and Scoots trained the earth ponies.
The training was tough as she wasn’t especially learned in combat herself. She only knew basic skills; most of her advanced attacks being completely improvised. Quite a few other ponies contributed to strategy ideas. That at least made it easier to work with them.
Rainbow sighed and gazed at the clouded sky, now shaded orange with sunset light. They had been training nonstop for several hours. Would these ponies be ready when the Fallen showed up? She sure hoped so. Then she got a brilliant idea. Fluttershy could possibly convince some of her animal friends to assist in battle.
“Time out you guys!” she called across the clearing of practicing pegasi. “You’re all doing great! Take five. You’ve earned it. Now, has anypony seen Fluttershy?” Many shrugged, a few shook their heads. Where was she?
“Um, I saw her with Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie yesterday boarding the morning train,” said a pony Rainbow recognized as Flitter from her time. She had aged a bit but was still the calm pony she had known ten years ago.
“Hm, I was on that train. I wonder why I didn’t see them,” Rainbow asked herself.
“Maybe they were riding first class?” Flitter suggested.
“Possibly. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go ask Shadow Flare something. Get your sister to supervise the training sessions while I’m gone.”
“Oh. Where is Cloudchaser? I haven’t seen her since an hour ago.”
“I think she joined a group with Thunderlane and Raindrops.”
Rainbow watched as Flitter nodded and flew off to find her sister. Then she took off from the park where the pegasus training was taking place and located Shadow’s training area which was just over the rise. She landed next to the unicorn and took in his progress. The unicorns were levitating many items including rocks, poles, and a few even had swords or knives. Some of the more advanced spellcasters were conjuring spurts of flame and the such. All seemed to be going well.
“Looks like you’re doing a great job,” Rainbow commented.
“Ah. Most of them already knew levitation. I’m really only coaching them on how to use it,” he replied modestly.
“Certainly is getting the job done, though.”
“So, how are the pegasi coming?” Shadow asked.
“They’re coming,” Rainbow replied. “Derpy can’t fight well at all, but she has some of the most amazing strategies I’d ever seen! And here I was, thinking Derpy was as dumb as she looks.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that. It’d break her heart.”
“Yeah, I should be a bit more careful about what I say.”
“So what’s up?” Shadow asked.
Rainbow looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“Did you just come to make idle conversation or did you have something to say?” he asked.
“Oh!” exclaimed Rainbow, remembering. “Twilight’s friends have all gone to Canterlot. That means we won’t have their help during the battle. It sucks because they have more experience in battle than most of these others.”
“We’ll make do without them. We’re doing well now aren’t we?”
Rainbow sighed, “I guess I just wish they were here.”
“It’s not them you want. It’s their past selves you’re missing. It’s homesickness,” said the unicorn. “I understand the feeling.”
Rainbow lowered her gaze. She had no pride left. She let the tear fall to the ground. She was homesick.
Shadow pressed himself against her. “It’ll all be okay. The world has a funny way of doing things. Even when something that wasn’t meant to happen happens, we all still have our destinies. Everypony has a fate, even those who don’t belong.” He gazed deep into her rose eyes and suddenly the homesickness vanished, leaving behind a warm, comforting emotion she was rather unacquainted with.
“LOOK!” cried a unicorn from a training circle. The mare was pointing towards the setting sun with her hoof. The clouds in the sky thickened tenfold, giving the entire field the impression of night. Temperatures went from cold to subzero within seconds. Then a pair of tiny blue orbs appeared on the horizon. They were eyes. Then another pair appeared. Then another, and another. A black hole yawned in the pit of Rainbow’s stomach. She had expected maybe thirty of the dark creatures. But this was not fair at all. This was a horde of darkness. A thousand pairs of eyes shone in the near pitch black sky, giving the illusion of a starry night. It was a night that would be filled with pain. The nightmare had begun.


> Children of the Abyss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 25- Children of the Abyss
Chaos. That was the only way to describe it. The darkness made it nearly impossible to see the smoky black figures of the Fallen. Bright lights flashed here and there whenever one of them engulfed one of the ponies out in the field. Rainbow watched in dread as her army was drastically outnumbered.
Had she done the right thing? Or had she just led Ponyville into a losing battle? No. There wasn’t time to worry about the consequences now. It was kill or be killed. She turned to face Shadow Flare.
“It’s time,” she said. Shadow nodded.
With a resigned sigh, Rainbow flew high into the shadowy sky. “ATTACK!!!” she commanded the army. Shrieks of terror turned to battle cries as the ponies braced for the attacks against their beloved home. It was too late to turn back. The future of the town rested on killing as many of these monsters as possible.
She wished she could see through the gloom. She swooped back down towards the ground and immediately found herself amongst the warring ponies and Fallen. Something landed on her back heavily, causing her to plummet to the ground a few feet down. The pegasus struggled from under the Fallen and whirled to face it. The piercing blue eyes blazed with cold light. Rainbow lunged forward and kicked it in the face. The creature roared in fury and the clock in its chest began to spin erratically. She rolled away just as the space behind her warped in an illuminating flash.
Then she was face to face with another of the shadowy monsters. She looked all around her, but could find none of her allies. Rainbow launched into the sky, trying to free herself. Three Fallen pursued her on night wings. “Get lost!” she yelled at the creatures. Rainbow flew in a circle as fast as she could until a small whirlwind formed. The Fallen were sucked into her trap, or so she thought, one of the vast monsters burst from the twister at her. Suddenly, an orange pegasus rammed it in the side.
“Scootaloo!” Rainbow called, relieved.
“Come on, Rainbow! We have to work together. Fighting them alone is useless!” The pegasus mare said.
Rainbow acknowledged her with a nod, then taking into account the lighting, said, “Alright. Let’s do this.”
The two pegasi plunged back into the thick of battle. Rainbow lured one of the creatures into the sky, and Scootaloo took a shot at it with her hind legs. She missed but at just that moment a grey coated pegasus tackled the monster. The creature looked bewildered as Derpy pummeled the creature with her front hooves.
Suddenly, another Fallen appeared behind Scootaloo, its horn raised threateningly. “Look out!” Scootaloo whirled and was tackled by the creature. Rainbow lunged forward and dug her teeth into the mane of the monster. The taste of frost bathed her tongue as she heaved against the force of the alicorn-like being. The Fallen let out an unearthly shriek and thrashed in her grasp. Scootaloo turned back to assist with the struggling monster.
 Scootaloo kicked its side and the creature jerked sharply, flinging Rainbow away. She hovered in the air dazed for a second, blood filling her mouth. She spit out some of the crimson fluid and flew forward to continue with the attack. “Watch out!” Scootaloo warned.
Rainbow felt the space mere inches behind her warp with a bursting illumination. She lurched forward into the Fallen she and Scoots were fighting previously. Out of pure frantic chaos, she spun and aimed a blow at its face. She misjudged the shot and hit it squarely in the chest, directly in the clock. Suddenly there was a sound like whirring gears and the creature exploded in a brilliant burst of light.
“What did you do?” Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow took a second to reply. “The clocks in their chests…” She turned to the orange pegasus, “We might be able to fight them off after all.” Rainbow heaved a breath and ascended quickly. “Everypony! Aim for the Fallen’s chests. The clocks are their weakness!” There were a few yowls of acknowledgment, but the war did not cease for her announcement.
Rainbow Dash descended once more to meet her partner. Scootaloo was struggling against a Fallen, trying to land a blow in its chest. Rainbow dived towards the creature, landing on its back with a speed that would kill an ordinary pony. The Fallen plummeted to the ground, landing heavily on its chest. It exploded on the ground under her hooves. After the initial illumination, little sparkles of light drifted lazily to the ground around her. She looked up and saw Shadow Flare fending off three of the creatures on his own.
“Scootaloo! We’ve got to help Shadow!” Rainbow called, charging to the black stallion’s side. Shadow swiped at one then another, but they were steadily overpowering him. He cast a spurt of flame at one, and took the momentary distraction to ram one of the creatures in the chest with his horn, piercing the clock and causing a brilliant explosion.
Rainbow caught up with him and stood by his side, prepared to attack. “Need a hand?” she asked.
“It crossed my mind,” he said lunging at a Fallen that had come to take the place of its defeated comrade. A fire blazed somewhere nearby, illuminating some of the surrounding pandemonium. Ponies struggled against the shadowy creatures everywhere. Some were covered in blood, some disappeared in flashes of light, and some stood ground with a few allies. It was not looking good.
Rainbow turned back to the three Fallen before them. Where was Scootaloo? As if on cue, the orange pegasus tackled on of the Fallen. One of the others dove forward, wings spread, blue eyes blazing. Its horn sliced Rainbows cheek and she reeled back in pain. Shadow cast some sort of magic at it to distract it, but immediately one of the others sprang and pinioned Rainbow to the ground. The clock in its chest whirled as it prepared its spell to cast her into the Void. She tried to swing at it with her hooves but her forelegs were trapped under the Fallen’s immense hooves. Her hind legs were equally pinned.
Time slowed drastically around Rainbow and the Fallen. Scootaloo could be seen in the firelight, diving to her rescue. Shadow turned and gazed at her with fear filled eyes. The Fallen looming above her seemed to crackle with sheer power. Its glowing blue eyes faded to a flame orange. Then the darkness swarmed around her. She couldn’t struggle. She couldn’t move. Icy darkness engulfed all light and any warmth. The sounds of battle faded out of existence. Or rather, it was she who faded out of existence.


> The Rift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 26- The Rift
Rainbow drifted through the endless darkness. There was nothing: no light, no sound, nothing. It was like the edge of the world. This was the Void.
It was not a sense of dread that found its way into the pegasus’ heart. Rather, it was regret. She had failed her quest. Rainbow never reached Chrono or the Fate Stone. She would drift here in this perpetual darkness until the entire land of Equestria joined her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Even though she knew the words were spoken, she didn’t hear them. The sound was immediately sucked into the black nothingness.
As she drifted through the Void, she summoned her memories. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity had been with her through various trials and heartaches. They were her best friends, or at least she thought so. The image of the five mares began to warp. In their place stood three different ponies: Shadow Flare, Scootaloo, and even little Jade. These were her friends here, in this time. It seemed that, after all they’ve been through, these ponies were her closest friends.
Rainbow wanted to go home. Not to her own time and life, but her new home. The one that she had tried to protect… and failed. Now she would never see the light of day again. She would see none of her old friends ever again. But was there really any reason to be disappointed? Maybe her disappearance would stop the clock ticking towards the end of the world. Maybe her friends would survive. Rainbow felt the stopwatch around her neck.
She couldn’t leave yet. Even if she stayed here in the Void, Chrono was still out there. He would find another way to destroy the world even if his initial plan failed. Rainbow couldn’t fail! She never failed! And she never leaves her friends in trouble!
Determination rose inside her heart. Suddenly, something began to happen. Rainbow saw light tearing through the darkness like a foal tearing into a present. Light swelled around her until all she could see was blinding light. Then she was falling. Falling down at an exhilarating speed towards an unseen destination. Flames erupted along her wings at her insane dive, yet the flames protected her rather than harmed her.
Then she could see again. She was a meteor plummeting into the battlefield below her. With her fall, the darkness brought by the Fallen faded like mist in the sun. Rainbow blazed past several flying Fallen and they vaporized instantly into stardust.
Then her heart skipped a beat as she realized that she was not going to be able to stop in time to avoid colliding with the ground. Rainbow braced herself for the inevitable impact. The ground rushed towards her with frightening velocity. Suddenly there was an explosion behind her. A Sonic Rainboom? No, it was more than that; the entire sky was arced with electricity all emanating from the point where her trail had caused the explosion. The lightning bolts jabbed neatly at the Fallen, causing each one to fall to its brilliant light.
Rainbow came to an abrupt halt. It was not the bone-jarring, life-ending halt she had expected; in fact, she was still in the air. She looked below her to see Shadow Flare directly below her, a green aura around his horn and sweat dripping from his forehead.
“Thank you,” Rainbow said. The flames dissipated from her wings and she collapsed to the ground, Shadow catching her with his magic. He rested her beside him. The two ponies were on the top of a hill that overlooked the land for miles, facing the east. The first rays of light were beginning to peek from behind the horizon, setting the sky a brilliant, flaming orange.
“You did it,” Shadow said to her. “I knew you would.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Shadow.” Rainbow replied, resting her head on his shoulder as the sun continued its skyward ascent. His presence was comforting. She let her eyes close, feeling safe once more. The cold from the Fallen was fading, quickly replaced with warm light of dawn.
“Rainbow,” Shadow said.                                                         
“Yeah?” Rainbow acknowledged without opening her eyes.
“I,” he began, “I’m very glad you came here. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Because of you, I actually have friends. And you… well I think you’re more than just a friend to me.” Rainbow opened her eyes, and looked up at him. He was staring back at her with those brilliant green eyes. “I know you have to go home soon, but I don’t want you to go. I love you.”
Rainbow was speechless. What should she say? Did she love him back? At that moment, she was sure that she did, more sure than ever before. She did love him, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. Rainbow loved Shadow.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. Shadow let out a sigh as if he had been holding his breath. Rainbow rested her head back on his shoulder and watched the sun climb into the sky. It was the most beautiful dawn she had ever seen.
---
Scootaloo was observing the aftermath of the battle from the sky. She could see the backs of Shadow and Rainbow as they gazed into the sunrise. The sight filled her with joy and pity at the same time. She saw the way they looked at each other, yet she knew it couldn’t last. It was a doomed love.
Rather than dwelling on what lay ahead for them, she swept her sharp gaze back to the battlefield. There were many injured ponies everywhere. Somepony had obviously gotten hold of the hospital, though; doctors and nurses were by almost all the wounded soldiers’ sides.
“Mama?” Scootaloo heard a voice below her. She turned to see that Jade had wandered onto the battlefield and was over the form of an earth pony with a red mane. It was Rose. “Mama?” Jade said, her voice choking on the word. Scoots soared down and alighted beside the green earth filly and looked down at Rose. Blood streamed from her mouth and she stared blankly into the clear, blue sky.
“Mama!” Jade cried throwing herself onto Rose’s body with a sob. Scootaloo felt tears rise as she watched the young filly grieve over her deceased mother. A few of the doctors heard Jade and looked in their direction but didn’t come over. It was apparent there was nothing they could do.
Scootaloo knelt beside Jade and wrapped a wing around her. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered as Jade mourned openly. Jade turned and buried her face into Scootaloo’s shoulder. Fate was cruel. How would they survive the impending doom if fate toyed with them this way? Equestria had changed since the princesses disappeared. Perhaps harmony was done for. Perhaps it was time for the world to end.


> The Penultimate Journey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 27- The Penultimate Journey
Rainbow didn’t want to leave where she was, sitting with Shadow and overlooking the dawn as it crept over the distant Everfree Forest. However, she knew Shadow had to send that letter to Queen Twilight as soon as possible. With great reluctance she forced herself to part with him.
“You go ahead and see to that letter,” Rainbow said. “I’m going to see how Scoots and Jade are.”
Rainbow lifted off into the sky. It was not long before she found the two ponies huddled over the body of another. Was that Rose?
“Oh no.” Rainbow drifted down to her friends concern showing on her face. Jade was sobbing into Scootaloo’s shoulder as the orange mare comforted her. It broke Rainbow’s heart.
“I hate him,” Rainbow heard Jade mutter, her sobs dying down. The green filly lifted her head out of Scootaloo’s feathers and to look at Rainbow. “He’s gotta die now. I already lost my father and now Chrono took my mother. You’ll help me, right?” The calmness in Jade’s voice creeped Rainbow out a bit.
Rainbow wasn’t sure what to say. The young filly’s sudden anger and lust for revenge was unexpected. But Rainbow also understood what it was like to be an orphan. If she had known what had happened to her parents, would she have tried to exact vengeance? It was likely. “Of course. I have a few bones to pick with that green-maned freak myself.”
Scootaloo nodded her agreement. “And after we take care of old Chrono, you can stay with me at my house. How does that sound?”
Jade wiped some of the dampness from her cheek and nodded. “I’d like that.”
Now, only one question remained: where had Chrono gone? There were no leads anymore. All the clues as to what to do next were gone. All that was left were four determined ponies and nowhere left to turn. Only fate could show them where to go next.
Rainbow turned to the hill where Shadow still sat. He was gazing up at the sky at five blazing stars. Wait. Stars? No stars should be visible anymore. The stars shot down in a magenta tinted flash. Where they landed were the five ponies that had been Rainbow’s best friends ten years ago, all bearing the Elements of Harmony. Well, the remaining five.
Rainbow, Scoots, and Jade cantered over to meet the ponies on top of the hill with Shadow.
“You did it!” Queen Twilight praised them. “I knew you all would pull through. I have no idea how you managed to pull it off, but either way, I am greatly indebted to you. You have saved my kingdom and my life.”
“It was nothing, really,” Rainbow said, reverting to the modesty she picked up during her time in the future. She was sure that came from hanging around Shadow Flare so often.
“It sure was something! You should be proud,” Rarity said.
“Yeah!” Pinkie said, bouncing in front of the white unicorn. “In fact, we should throw a victory party or something. We could have lots of fun and play games and… and… and have fun!”
“As great as that all sounds, we still have to find Chrono,” Shadow objected. Pinkie simply shrugged.
“Speaking of which, where’d that creep run off to?” Applejack asked. Nopony had an answer for her.
“Maybe he’s in there,” Jade suggested, pointing in the direction of the rising sun. Rainbow followed her gesture and saw what she was referring to. Towering out the Everfree Forest was an eerie rust-colored castle. Steam billowed out of smokestacks placed at awkward angles. The turrets and spires dwarfed the Canterlot Castle even from this distance. There was no doubt about it, if Chrono were anywhere, he’d be in there.
---                                                                                                       
The band of ponies fought through the excessive undergrowth of the Everfree Forest toward the distant castle. Rainbow always hated going through the dark trees, knowing that at any time there may be some new and dangerous monster. At least Fluttershy was here to set any feral creatures straight if it came to that.
Already the shadow of the monumental structure was looming over them and they were still miles from the castle. Rainbow feared what such a building could house. Especially considering the fact that it was most likely the result of a Temporal Distortion.
“So what was that spell you used to teleport to the field back there?” Shadow asked Twilight as they walked.
“Oh, that was a spell I recently discovered. It’s a group teleportation spell,” the queen replied.
“Do you think you could use it again to take us to the base of the castle?” Rainbow suggested.
“It’ll take a while before I’m able to perform the spell again. It would be convenient but unfortunately not something I can do right now.”
“Mind if I give it a try?” Shadow asked.
Twilight gave him a quizzical look. “It’s a pretty advanced spell. You think you could manage it?”
Shadow nodded determinedly. “Okay,” Twilight resigned. “So, here’s what you do…”
Rainbow turned to Jade, who was trotting along beside her. “You okay? It’s a pretty long walk.”
Jade nodded energetically. “I’ll be fine. We haven’t been walking that long.”
“Yeah, but there are still miles ahead of us,” the cyan pegasus pointed out.
“Scootaloo will help me if I get tired, right?” Jade said.
“Of course I will,” Scoots said, ruffling Jade’s pink mane with a wing.
Rainbow was happy to see the two of them bonding. Scootaloo was obviously protective of the young filly, and Jade trusted her a lot. She wouldn’t be surprised if Scoots decided to adopt the young filly. It would be good for the both of them.
Suddenly a bright, green light surrounded the nine ponies. Before Rainbow knew what was happening, the world was warped around her. It lasted mere seconds but when the world returned, the pegasus was sick to the stomach. When she regained her ability to stand, she looked straight up. Looming above them was a mountain sized castle made of rusted metal, the tip disappearing among the clouds. Pipes ran all along the walls of the building and gears could be heard whirring inside.
Rainbow made her way to the front of the group. “You ready for this?” she asked. Everypony nodded. This was it. There was no turning back. Rainbow made for the giant dark metal doors. They towered above her menacingly. Twilight and Shadow both used their magic to pull the doors open. Steam flowed out onto the grass among the group of ponies. Then they entered.
The cavernous entrance hall reflected the foreboding that the outside possessed. The floor was grated and gears could be seen spinning below. The rusted walls were crisscrossed with old pipes that spewed steam into the air, creating a hazy atmosphere illuminated by a yellow light that originated from somewhere below the floor. Chains dangled from the distant ceiling and the remains of fractured chandeliers hung by the ends of a few of them.
Rainbow led the group further into the castle. As soon as the last of them entered, the doors swung shut behind them. Rainbow turned to see the doors firmly closed, the mist swirling in the draft. There was no sign of anypony else there; the doors probably shut of their own accord.
The cyan pegasus opened her silver watch. Less than four days remained. It seemed as if they would need all the time they could get to navigate through this castle. Rainbow led the band down the corridor and up the small flight of steps at the end. A staircase led off to either side and directly ahead of them was a thick iron door engraved with intricate swirling designs.
“Through the door, then?” she asked of her teammates.
None of them said anything. They all seemed to be too afraid to speak, but refused to turn back. The company was definitely determined to see this through to the end. Twilight trotted up to stand beside Rainbow.
“I think it’d be best if you lead us,” the lilac alicorn stated. “We need your courage right now more than anything.” Everyone else nodded. Rainbow’s gaze locked with Shadow’s for a short eternity. She could see the support in his beautiful green eyes.
“Okay. Let’s go,” said Rainbow, turning back to face the door. The door creaked loudly on neglected hinges as she shoved it open.
Inside was a room similar to the first, though the ceilings were much closer and a few hallways diverged from the main hall. A pipe travelling the ceiling length of the room spurted out a waterfall of steam, creating a curtain that prevented Rainbow from seeing anything beyond it.
The blue pegasus stepped through the foggy veil, her friends close behind. On the other side was a lone figure in the middle of the room, her back facing them. Her black feathers were ragged and her tail swished angrily back and forth.
“I see you’ve come Rainbow,” Dash said turning to face her with those hate-filled scarlet eyes, “And you brought my old friends.”
“Dash?” Twilight asked, stepping forward, “Is that you?”
“What do you care? Rainbow has certainly taken my place among you,” she shot at the purple alicorn.
“Now listen here, Dash,” Applejack spoke. “Rainbow here would never replace you. She hasn’t been through all the same thing we all went through together. No matter how much she’s become our friend, she’s not the same Rainbow Dash you are.”
“Ha! And here I was thinking you’d never tell a lie,” Dash mocked.
“Come on, Dashie. We were always best buds, remember? We still can be,” Pinkie said.
“You don’t get it!” Dash spat. “I am through with you. As soon as Rainbow here showed up and started making me look bad, you’ve all looked down on me! Now I stand on my own, swearing loyalty to none!”
“What about Chrono?” Fluttershy whispered the question. Dash shot her a look so harsh that Fluttershy yelped and ducked behind Rarity.
“I’m only helping him because of his promise to me.”
“And that is?” Shadow demanded.
“Love, you’ll see when the time comes.” Dash shot a smirking glance at Rainbow. So, Dash knew of Rainbow’s feelings for Shadow and was trying to get under her skin. Rainbow resisted the anger threatening to seep into her heart. If she was enraged, she would become reckless. But she couldn’t let the black pegasus get the better of her.
“Is that an Element of Harmony?” Jade asked from behind Scootaloo’s wing.
Rainbow was so surprised by Dash’s appearance that she had missed the gold necklace tied around her neck. In fact, she had been so preoccupied by the war that she had forgotten Dash had stolen it in the first place.
“Hey! That’s ours! Give it back!” Rarity demanded.
“Says the Element of Generosity,” Dash retorted. “If you want it come and get it.”
Dash spread her night black wings. Rainbow shot forward to tackle her, but it was too late; Dash was already in the air. The black pegasus shot down a hallway to the right. “After her!” Rainbow shouted as she launched into the air. The chase was on.


> The Clockwork Tower
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 28- The Clockwork Tower
Rainbow was on Dash’s tail, weaving through the misty hallways and dangling chains and stray pipes. Steam blasted across her path a few times, causing her to be temporarily blinded, yet she never lost sight of her target.
She had no idea if the others were following her, but she couldn’t let Dash escape. Rainbow was the fastest of the group and had the greatest odds of catching the black pegasus. They would just have to catch up later.
“Can you keep up?” Dash taunted, throwing a glance over her shoulder.
“You bet,” Rainbow replied wholeheartedly.
“Oh, we’ll see about that.” Dash stopped for a split second and kicked a pipe that ran up the wall, then she shot off again. Rainbow heard pipes start to groan and creak overhead.
“That can’t be good,” she muttered. Pipes began to burst, a thousand jets of steam exploding in the cyan pegasus’ path. Rainbow flew blindly through the thick, white vapor, unsure of her surroundings. Suddenly, there was a loud clang behind her as the pipe collapsed from the ceiling. She backwinged just as another came plummeting down directly in front of her. In a panicked frenzy, she hurtled forward as the pipes crashed from the ceiling all around her.
Then she spotted the door at the end of the hall as Dash disappeared behind it. Heartened, Rainbow put on an extra burst of speed. She was nearly to the door when a large pipe fell from above and landed across her back, slamming her into the floor and driving the breath out of her lungs. She was pinned to the ground as rubble continued to rain around her.
“RRRAAAGH!” Rainbow howled, more out of frustration than pain. Dash was getting away and she was here about to be buried alive. What kind of end would that be? She just had to catch Dash!
“I thought I told you to stop putting yourself in situations that could get you killed,” came a matter-of-fact voice from behind. Scootaloo struggled to lift the rusty pipe with her hind legs. It rose just enough for the cyan mare to squirm out from underneath.
Rainbow turned to Scoots with gratefulness brimming in her eyes. “Thank you. How did you get here so fast?”
The orange mare smirked. “I’ve been hanging out with the fastest flier in Equestria my whole life. You didn’t think I’d go all that time without learning a few flying techniques?”
“You certainly are fast.”                                                                                     
“You better be faster if you’re going to catch Dash. Get going before we both wind up being crushed by the ceiling!” Scoots urged.
Rainbow nodded her farewell and took off in pursuit of the black pegasus once more. Rainbow Dash was confused. Behind the door was a circular room about the diameter of two pegasi standing next to each other, wings extended. The floor was grated like in the other parts of the castle, but a large gear dominated the center of it. Then the ceiling…
“Oh…” said Rainbow, realization dawning on her. There was no ceiling, at least, not a visible one. The room was a giant cylinder that faded into the darkness far above.
Without warning, the gear in the floor began rotating, slow at first but gaining acceleration. Then, the floor itself began lifting. Rainbow landed and down as the lift began to gain speed. It went faster and faster and faster. Rainbow could see other exits flying past on the walls at dizzying speeds, even for her. The rattling of the elevator was now a loud cacophony of noises like piston hissing and engines straining. Wind whistled sharply in her ears as she soared skywards. The lift was now going so fast it was difficult for her to move from where she was, crouched on the floor.
Suddenly, there was a loud screeching and the lift began decelerating. The elevator skidded to a halt perfectly at another doorway. Dash was standing in the entrance waiting for her.
“Enjoy your little ride?” she asked, her black feathers bristling.
Rainbow said nothing, but instead tackled Dash. This was her opportunity to unleash all the hatred she felt towards the dark mare. She raised a hoof and brought it down into Dash’s face. Rainbow prepared to strike again, but something held her back. This was herself. She hated this pegasus under her with a passion, but it was her.
“You know they want you back,” Rainbow said. “I can never be who you are to them. And they could never be the friends from my time. I am not a replacement. So why are you still so bent on attacking me.”
Dash was quiet for a long moment. The silence that hung between them was only broken by the sound of running machinery and spouts of steam. The black pegasus spat out blood and grinned.
“Because being this is far more fun!” The Element of Loyalty suddenly shifted from its red color to a dark hue and a bolt of energy fired right into Rainbow’s chest. She flew off landing in a heap on the other side of the room. Dash stood up and brushed dust from her shoulder as if she hadn’t just taken a brutal blow to the face. “You know, I thought you would be smarter than that. But just you wait, you’ll see. The End of Time draws near, then you will see everything clearly.”
Rainbow staggered to her feet and glared at Dash. “Why don’t you just tell me why he’s trying to end the world?”
“Oh, but that would spoil everything!” Dash turned and walked away up a small flight of steps that led to a grand door made of tarnished gold in the middle of the room. Rainbow hadn’t even noticed it before. Dash went through the door and slammed it shut. Rainbow bolted to the door and pulled on the handle with all her strength. It was locked. The enraged pegasus shouted and slammed a hoof into the golden door.
Screeching came from behind her in the elevator shaft. The other eight ponies that made up Rainbow’s party entered the room dust-covered but uninjured.
“Did you find her?” Shadow asked.
“No,” said Rainbow, distraught. “She’s on the other side of the door.”
“Is that where Chrono is, too?” Jade asked.
“Not sure,” Rainbow replied. “It’s possible.”
“Wait a sec,” Pinkie Pie spoke up, “It looks like there are pictures of the Elements of Harmony engraved on the door.”
Rainbow looked up and sure enough. Six glyphs were carved into the door’s golden face. Rainbow smiled. It was just like when Pinkie pointed out the carvings on the Fate Stone back in her time. It was certainly ironic.
“But if Dash is in there with the Element of Loyalty, then how are we supposed to open the door?” Fluttershy asked.
Nopony had an answer for her.
“We go to the past.” Everypony turned to look at Shadow Flare.
“What d’ya mean?” Applejack asked.
The red-maned unicorn stepped up stand beside Rainbow. “We could go back in time. Queen Twilight said she found a few temporary time spells back in Canterlot. If we had one that lasted long enough, we could go back in time and ‘borrow’ the Element of Loyalty.”
“But wouldn’t that change the past and, therefore, effect the present?” Rarity questioned.
“The damage has already been done to the timeline. Creating one more distortion wouldn’t make the slightest difference to us. We lay in the heart of the distortion. It’s like we have our own timeline that defies the laws of time. It doesn’t matter what happens because if we succeed, it’ll change the past to its original, intended state. And if we fail, time is forever ruined anyways.”
The ponies seemed to accept this. Rainbow noticed satisfaction in Shadow’s gaze, but when he met her eyes, that same weird expression from the train crossed his face. What was that?
“Alright, we go back to the past,” agreed Twilight. “However, I’ll only be able to send one pony. Who wants to go?”
“ME!” Rainbow and Shadow both volunteered at once.
“I’m sorry Shadow, but I’m going to send Rainbow. She’d be more likely to convince the past me to let her use the Element.”
Shadow turned to face Rainbow again. “You be careful, okay?” Worry was shining in his eyes.
“Okay.” The cyan pegasus promised. She turned to stand before the queen and bowed her head. A bright light surrounded her, then she was gone.


> Return of the Time Traveler
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 29- Return of the Time Traveler
“Rainbow Dash? Is that you? Are you okay?”
Rainbow didn’t want to open her eyes. Whatever Twilight had done had caused a great toll on her body. The pain from the injuries Dash had delivered throbbed. Pain was clouding her mind. Time travel with injuries must be a bad combination. She would have to remember that.
“Come on Dash, get up.”
Rainbow’s eyes opened for this. She stood up and looked around, expecting to see the black pegasus somewhere nearby. She was surprised to find that she was in Ponyville again, though something seemed a bit off. How far in the past was she, exactly?
“What’s going on?”
Rainbow turned to see an orange pegasus filly with a magenta-colored mane before her, about the size of young Jade. “Scootaloo?” she asked.
“Yeah?” the young Scoots replied.
Rainbow was baffled. After seeing Scootaloo as an adult for more than a week, she was unused to seeing her like this. It was like another pony altogether. Was that how her friends saw her in the future?
“Weren’t you going to ask me something?” Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow shook her head to clear it. “Um, yeah. No. I don’t really know. What time is it?”
Scootaloo cocked her head, a puzzled look playing across her face. “Not really sure, but isn’t that a watch around your neck?”
Rainbow nodded. “It is, but it doesn’t…” she faltered. Scootaloo at this age couldn’t possibly understand, and it wouldn’t help to start confusing everypony by explaining time-travel. She opened the watch to see that more time had passed than she had expected. There were only three days left and the clock was still ticking down.
“It doesn’t what?” Scoots pressed. The filly was about to steal a glance at the watch, but Rainbow snapped it shut before she could.
“It doesn’t work. I need to get it fixed,” Rainbow lied.
“Oh. Maybe I could get the other Cutie Mark Crusaders and we could work on it. We could get our cutie marks in clock fixing!” Before Rainbow could object, Scootaloo took off in the general direction of Sweet Apple Acres shouting, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Clockmakers!” The cyan pegasus sighed and turned the other direction, towards the Golden Oak Library.
As she cantered through town, all the new sights from the future were gone. It was exactly like she remembered it. In fact, there was something odd about how well she remembered everything. It was as if this had been an important day in her past. But what day had it been?
Just then a rainbow streak blazed past overhead, heading out of town. Rainbow recognized herself soaring above, a saddlebag strapped across her back.
“Canterlot,” Rainbow said, realization dawning on her. This was the day she went to Canterlot about the Fate Stone. Maybe if she could catch up to her past self, she would be able to get the stone and go back to a few days before, when she hadn’t even had the Fate Stone. Or she could stop herself and prevent the whole scenario in its entirety.
Rainbow spread her wings and took off after her former self, all pain forgotten. She had only one chance to catch up with her. There was only one day to spare as the End of Time drew nearer.
---
The flight took longer than expected. Once or twice Rainbow had to stop and rest when her chest started throb with pain. However, she made it to the castle not long after her past self flew up to Twilight’s tower.
Rainbow was about to follow when a pegasus guard yowled, “Halt!” and shot after her. Rainbow tried to evade the guard, but the pain in her chest cost her valuable speed and the pegasus was on her in an instant.
“No! Let me go!” she shouted as he flew her down to the front gate. A pair of unicorn guards took her from the pegasus and held her still before a guard that bore more superiority than the others.
“I am the current Captain of the Royal Guard,” the pegasus spoke with great authority. “State your business here and why you are impersonating a trusted friend of the Princess.”
“I’m not impersonating her, I am her! You have to let me in there!”
The guards holding her exchanged confused looks, but did not voice their puzzlement. There would be no use in explaining time-travel to these single-minded warriors. She needed to speak with somepony who would understand. Wasn’t Twilight up there right now, explaining the Fate Stones to her past self? That’s who she needed to talk to, at least then she would be welcome in the castle.
“I need to speak with Que— I mean, Princess Twilight. It’s of the utmost importance. The fate of Equestria depends on me getting this information to her.”
“And what might this information be?” the Captain inquired.
“It is for Twilight’s ears and Twilight’s only,” Rainbow denied his request. Hopefully, the guards wouldn’t try to force it out of her. Thankfully, the Captain turned to the pegasus guard and gave him orders.
“Firemane, go and tell Princess Twilight of this pegasus’ presence and request that she come down to listen to her.” The pegasus guard saluted the Captain and soared off to Twilight’s tower.
A heavy silence hung between Rainbow and the three guards. None of them even seemed to blink as they fulfilled their duties. Time seemed to drag by agonizingly slow as they awaited the Princess’s presence. Fifteen minutes passed before the gate protecting Canterlot Castle swung open to reveal the lavender alicorn princess, a guard placed on either side of her.
Rainbow saw surprise in Twilight’s gaze when she recognized the cyan pegasus.
“Rainbow? I don’t understand. You just left.” Rainbow felt her heart sink at this news.
“We think she’s an imposter,” informed the Captain of the Guard.
“No!” Rainbow objected. “It’s me Twilight! I used the Fate Stone!”
Twilight turned to the Captain and said, “Let her pass. We have some things to discuss. Rainbow, you follow me.”
---
Rainbow sat before the three princesses in the throne room, feeling slightly admonished. Celestia and Luna’s expressions were unreadable, but she had a creeping suspicion that they knew she had done something she wasn’t supposed to have.
“What brings you here today?” Princess Celestia asked.
“I… um… well, it’s kinda hard to explain. The guards got me all nervous, you know,” Rainbow replied honestly.
“An understandable circumstance under normal situations, yes. However, you are on good terms with our guards. Why would they detain you?” Princess Luna inquired.
“They probably thought I was a fraud.”
“Now, why ever would they think that?” Celestia asked.
Rainbow looked over at Twilight, wishing she would step in and help explain. However, the lavender alicorn refused to speak. She was probably mad that Rainbow had disobeyed her advice and not only kept the Fate Stone, but used it as well. This was a hole Rainbow would half to dig herself out of alone.
“Have you ever heard of a Fate Stone?”
Both the sisters nodded. Good, one thing she wouldn’t have to explain.
“Well, Pinkie Pie found this stone, you see, and it had my cutie mark on it. I took it to Twilight to see what it was and she told me it was a Fate Stone. That, to you, was about fifteen minutes ago. For me, it was ten days ago. You see, I used the Fate Stone against Twilight’s advice to throw it away and now I’ve broken the timeline and Temporal Distortions are occurring and Fallen are appearing and Chrono’s going to summon Ragnarok to destroy the world!”
All three alicorns wore bewildered expressions on their faces. Princess Celestia and Luna exchanged a confused glance, then turned back to her.
“I’m sorry, but would you go back and explain a little better?” Luna requested.
Rainbow nodded, but before she said anything another wave of pain wracked her chest. She crumpled to the ground, clutching her chest in an effort to snuff out the agony. Dash’s blast had done serious damage.
“Are you okay?” Twilight bolted to her friend’s side, none of her anger that she must have felt showing in her voice.
Rainbow shook her head and clutched harder. What had Dash done to her? That magic blast must’ve been more damaging than she had thought. Instead of dissipating, the pain continued to constrict on her chest, making it difficult to breathe without immense pain flowing through her. Had the dark pegasus placed her in a fatal situation yet again? Rainbow dreaded going back to that place on the verge of death, the fear of failing her quest and sealing the fate of the world looming over her.
“Twilight. Back away,” said Princess Luna. “I can help her.”
Twilight obeyed and Luna took her place. She leaned over the cyan pegasus and the bluish aura surrounded her horn as a she began a spell. Rainbow had no idea what the Night Princess was doing, but the pain was starting to fade. After a few seconds, the pain was all but a memory. Realizing she had been holding her breath, Rainbow gasped, feeling her lung inflate and deflate without the slightest hint of an ache.
“Remember what I said,” Luna whispered in her ear quietly, “You have a greater destiny than you could ever imagine.”
“Wait. I thought that was your future self that told me that,” Rainbow whispered back, befuddled.
“Prophecy transcends time, young one.”
“Is she alright?” Celestia asked, worried. Twilight was beside her, quivering.
“I am,” Rainbow replied.
Both Twilight and Celestia let out relieved sighs. Luna returned to her place beside Celestia’s throne.
“I believe you should be off, now. Rainbow Dash still has the Fate Stone, and it may be your only opportunity to stop her,” Princess Luna reminded her.
“Oh, right! Bye then!” Rainbow flew towards the exit, then halted, hovering in midair. “And thank you, Luna.” With that, she resumed her pursuit of herself.
---
Rainbow’s journey back to Ponyville was uneventful. The sun was already setting in the clear sky as the town drew nearer. Time seemed to be flying past her, forcing her to press on in haste.
Rainbow knew where she would find herself: at her house, studying. It wouldn’t be long before she went to the past. Time was short.
“Rainbow Dash!” somepony called to her as she reached the city limits. She glanced down to see Applejack on the ground below her. Reluctantly, Rainbow soared down to see what she wanted. There wasn’t much time to spare.
“What is it?” she asked, a bit too harshly.
“What in the hay’s goin’ on with the weather?” AJ demanded, “It ain’t ‘spose to rain until the day after tomorrow. Not just that, what’s up with the cold wind? It’s gonna kill my crops. I need to know these changes ahead of time, RD.”
Rainbow flapped her wings in impatience. “Come on, Applejack. There’s not a cloud in the…” She faltered as she noticed that the sky over Sweet Apple Acres was dark, swirling with unnatural clouds. The storm was progressing towards the town with great speed, accompanied by a freezing wind that ruffled Rainbow’s fur.
“That’s no ordinary storm,” Rainbow said, fear edging her voice. “It’s the Fallen.”
“The what, now?” Applejack asked, clearly not sensing the danger.
“This is not good!” Rainbow exclaimed, panic rising within her. Applejack looked alarmed at Rainbow’s sudden distress. The pegasus had to get Applejack to do something, but what? She wasn’t thinking straight. “Stay indoors! Go out and tell others to do the same!”
“Um, you do realize I can’t do both…”
“Just do something!” Rainbow interjected. “The Fallen are extremely dangerous creatures! Do what you can to make sure ponies are safe! Now, hurry up while I stop myself from going to the future!”
Without bothering to explain, she shot off toward her house. Already, the rain was beginning to drizzle from the clouds. A flash of lightning illuminated the horizon and a rumble of thunder echoed its existence. Time fought against her as she shot over the city, desperately hoping to reach the floating house in time.
The billows overhead blocked the setting sun, settling immediate darkness over the town. They burst all at once, dropping a downpour over her head. Even though the heavy drops of water threatened to pull her wings earthbound, she struggled onward, pushing her wings to flap harder and faster. Claws of lightning stabbed around her, unleashing deafening roars of thunder. However, nothing would stop her approach.
The cloudy building she called home loomed into view. Rainbow sped towards it, praying desperately she wasn’t too late. The cyan pegasus smashed through the door and bolted up the stairs to her bedroom. She crashed through her door and saw herself on the ground with the Fate Stone, her back towards herself.
“No, Rainbow! Wait!” she yowled.
No sooner had the words left her mouth when there was a brilliant flash of light. Rainbow jerked her head away from the blinding aura. When it subsided, Rainbow’s past self and the Fate Stone were both gone. That’s when Rainbow remembered the intruder nearly eleven days ago. This was all bound to happen.
At the realization of defeat, a wave of fatigue washed over her. Rainbows eyes rolled back in her head and she fell onto the cloudy floor with a puff, unconscious.


> Our Time is Running Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 30- Our Time is Running Out
Tick… tick… tick…
The sound echoed in Rainbow’s ears. It was the unhalting cadence of time marching towards its impending doom. Images of the world, everything she ever knew, being sucked into the black abyss known as the Void drifted before her closed eyes. Everything was dwindling to its final moments. There were only two days left; time was running short.
Tick… tick… tick…
Yet here she was, dreaming of the very end she ought to be trying to prevent. But wakefulness refused her call. Sleep held her in the darkness, restraining her from the real world. For some reason, she just would not wake up.
Tick… tick… tick…
“You tried to stop yourself from reaching the future, have you?” a voice echoed in her head over the ticking. “You should know not to mess with fate.”
“Who’s speaking to me?” Rainbow asked.
Tick… tick… tick…
“I am your future. Just as I am your past. You cannot escape me. You will be swept along by the currents of time no matter how hard you resist. You will continue to flow with me towards your inevitable demise. I control time. No, I am time!”
Tick… tick… tick...!
The ticking was growing louder, ringing through Rainbow’s ears with renewed intensity. The pounding was causing her a headache.
“What do you want from me?” she cried.
“I am already getting what I want from you. Very soon, all will be corrected. At least, it will be restored to what it ought to be.”
Tick… Tick… Tick…!
“Restored? What will be corrected?”
“The world…”
TICK!!! TICK!!! TICK!!!
---
Rainbow’s bolted upright, eyes open and chest heaving. Sweat slicked her body and the scent of fear wreathed around her. The pounding in her skull mimicked the rhythm of the stopwatch’s ticking, which lay beside her on the floor, opened.
The stylized dragon on the inside seemed to glare at her simultaneously as it watched over the thirteen days below it. There were one and a half days left; noon had already passed. Rainbow had slept through half the day.
Rainbow rubbed her throbbing head with a hoof. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she snapped the watch shut and put it on over her head. The barely audible ticking of the watch warned her of how little time that was left. She had to find a way back.
The cyan pegasus stood and brushed the dirt from her shoulder. She marched over to the window and swung it open to find herself in the same nightmare that had taken place just three days prior. Frost covered the ground and cold wind buffeted her feathers. Clouds swirled ominously overhead and the occasional thunderclap resounded through the town. The Fallen had definitely returned.
“What can I do?” she said to herself. It was unlikely she’d be able to rally up an army like before, but she couldn’t sit idly by and watch her town be destroyed; not after having come so far. She just had to do something.
Then it came to her. “How could I have forgotten?” she admonished herself. She had come to the past to get the Element of Loyalty, not chase around her past self. If she could get the Element, return to the future, get the Fate Stone from Chrono, and return to her own time, surely the whole Temporal Distortion would be resolved. Rainbow’s destination was Canterlot. There was no time to waste.
---
Rainbow landed roughly, skidding into the castle entrance. A few guards cast wary glances at her, but didn’t try to block her. The cyan pegasus dashed through the halls and burst into the throne room, where three surprised alicorns turned to see the intruder.
Suddenly, Rainbow wondered if she might have been better off going directly to the tower that contained the Elements. That may have prevented her having to explain everything.
“Which Rainbow are you?” Princess Twilight asked.
“Future. Now, listen. Ponyville is being attacked by the Fallen and I need my Element of Harmony to fix the Distortion that caused them.”
“Excuse me?” Celestia said.
Rainbow rolled her eyes in impatience. There wasn’t time to explain the mechanics of Temporal Distortions and the Fallen and the Void. “Just let me have the Element so I can travel into the future and stop Chrono from destroying the world. If I can manage it, you can study all you like to find out what a Temporal Distortion is. Tomorrow is the End of Times. I need to hurry!”
Twilight stepped up to Rainbow and put a wing over her shoulder. “I understand that you mean well, but what will that help?”
Rainbow sighed. “Okay, there’s this door on the top floor of the Clockwork Tower that Chrono is behind that can only be unlocked using the Elements of Harmony. However, Dash stole the Loyalty Element, sealing the door unless I can get this one.”
“I don’t really underst—“
“You don’t have to understand!” Rainbow interrupted. “Twilight, the world ends tomorrow! If you don’t trust me, the very ground we’re standing on will be nothing! Not even a memory! I know it must be difficult to believe everything I’m telling you, but you have to have faith. That’s why I represent Loyalty; I’m always there to pull through when you need me most. And right now, you need me a pretty damn bunch. So, please. Just… let me do this.”
The three princesses were silent. Rainbow hoped she didn’t say anything too out of line. Just then Celestia and Luna nodded their assent. Twilight looked into Rainbow’s eyes and smiled. “Follow me,” she said. Relief flowed through Rainbow’s body. She took off after her friend in the direction of the Tower of the Elements.
---
There it was. The golden necklace with the red, lightning bolt pendant was just before her. At this very moment, it felt as precious to her as the Fate Stone itself. This was it. This was her way back. It felt strange. This whole time, she had been trying to reach the past. Now, more than anything, she wanted to return to the future. She wanted to be with Scoots, Jade, and Shadow. Together, they would stop Chrono from destroying the world.
Rainbow lifted the Element from its pedestal and fastened it around her neck. She had borne this weapon to defend Equestria many times. However, this time. She was defending the entire world.
“I suppose this is goodbye,” said Twilight.
Rainbow turned to face her. “No. I’m going to the future so that we don’t have to say goodbye. I will protect us from the end. Then all of this confusing time stuff will have never happened.”
Twilight gazed into Rainbow’s eyes. “You don’t really want that, do you? I can tell that you’ve changed quite a bit. You are who you are now because of the friends you’ve made in the future.”
“How did you…?” Rainbow gaped.
“I know how it is when you make a friend. They can change how you view life. I hope that, whoever it is you met will be in your future in the non-warped timeline as well.”
“Thanks Twilight.” Rainbow smiled and they hugged, wrapping their wings around each other.
They released each other as the Element began to glow brightly. Rainbow glimpsed Twilight waving at her as the light engulfed her in its warmth. She felt herself moving forward through time. She shot through the timeline like a bullet, racing towards her target in the ominous Clockwork Tower.
Then something went wrong. She was standing in the Canterlot Castle throne room once again. Celestia and Luna were upon their thrones talking together in hushed tones. Twilight was nowhere in sight. However, there was something odd about this place. It didn’t seem quite right. Nopony had seemed to notice her, so she dashed for cover. As soon as she reached a hiding spot behind a large pillar, a bolt of lightning arced to the ground from thin air in the center of the room. Rainbow shielded her eyes from the sudden light. Whatever was happening out there, she had a feeling it wasn’t good.


> Tempest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 31- Tempest
Rainbow tentatively peeked around the pillar to see what was going on. In the place where the lightning had struck now stood a yellow unicorn. Rainbow had to stifle her gasp at the sight. It was Chrono.
“And who might you be?” Princess Celestia demanded
“I am nameless, soulless. I don’t even know if I even exist,” Chrono replied, shaking his head.
“I don’t understand,” the Sun Princess responded. Something about this conversation seemed vaguely familiar to Rainbow, but she couldn’t quite place why.
“Of course you wouldn’t, princess. You belong in this world. I belong to nothing!” Chrono shouted, glaring at the princesses.
“Guards get rid of him!” Celestia ordered. Almost a dozen guards instantly burst through the entrance, brandishing swords and spears.
“Oh, you won’t get rid of me,” Chrono smirked, seemingly undaunted by the appearance of the soldiers.
“Sister! Warn Princess Twilight of this dangerous pony!” Celestia said. Luna nodded and was about to take off when Chrono bound them both with his magic. The guards lunged forward, but Chrono unleashed a blast that sent them all sprawling to the floor.
Chrono trotted close the two sisters and growled in their ears. “Oh, it’s not her I want. It’s you two!”
“What? What are you doing? What are you…”
Suddenly, the space around the alicorns folded in on itself, sucking the princesses into the dark vortex it formed. When the portal disappeared, the princesses were gone. Chrono smirked and leapt down from the throne.
Rainbow ducked backed behind the pillar. A memory came to her; she had heard these events in her dream on the train! Did this mean she was nine years in the future at the moment the princesses went missing?
There wasn’t time to process it. Chrono dashed out of the throne room as if he had a destination in mind. Rainbow set off after him, being careful not to be detected as he navigated the winding halls of the castle. As they made their way further, Rainbow began to puzzle over something. Where had Chrono come from? How exactly was he soulless and nameless? Why did he want to get rid of the princesses?
Chrono stopped abruptly in front a door Rainbow recognized: Starswirl’s room. Chrono unlocked the door using his magic and stepped through. Rainbow hovered quietly in after him and realized what was going to happen seconds before it did. Chrono smashed open the display case and withdrew two watches. He placed them both around his neck and turned around. He wasn’t surprised at all to see Rainbow floating in the doorway.
“You thought I didn’t notice you there, didn’t you?” Chrono said flatly. “You saw what I did to those guards. What do you think you can do to stop me?”
“What did you do with the princesses?” Rainbow demanded.
“I sent them away. They are the leaders of Equestria you know. With them out of the way, my job here will be much easier.”
“What job?”
Chrono smiled, “I’m going to make it so that we can exist…”
“We?” Rainbow questioned.
“Yes,” the stallion began to pace as he spoke, “those of us without souls, those of us without a place… those of us who don’t exist.”
“I’m going to kill you, Chrono! Stop speaking in riddles!” Rainbow snarled, poising for attack.
“Chrono? Is that a name? Wait. You must be a time traveler. You wear the same watch as the one I just stole.” He gestured to the one hanging around his own neck. “It is a one of a kind artifact. So, the fact that you have one must mean you come from sometime else. So, what is your name?”
“You’ll learn soon enough…” Rainbow muttered.
“Pity. And here I thought we were going to be friends. I mean, you just gave me a name and everything! So, how long is there left until the end?”
“Why should I tell you?” Rainbow muttered.
Chrono shook his head. “So defensive. I don’t understand why you feel it necessary to hide from me. I mean, I’ll know everything in time anyways.”
“Then be patient,” Rainbow retorted.
 Chrono scowled. “I hate waiting. Will I have to find out by force?”
“Fine! There’s a day and a half left!” Rainbow yelled at him, feeling hopelessly manipulated.
“Hm, I think I’d rather not keep myself waiting…” Chrono said. Rainbow wasn’t sure if the words were directed at her or himself. Suddenly, a blue aura blazed to life around his horn. The light outside the window darkened grew light and darkened again. Alarmed, Rainbow shot forward and tackled Chrono. The aura instantly vanished. Rainbow pinned Chrono heavily to the ground though he didn’t even struggle in his grasp.
“What did you just do?” Rainbow growled in her face.
Chrono smiled back up at her. “I told you, I hate waiting. Now, in about an hour, all the Fallen and Tempest will finally have their chance at existence.”
“Wait. What?” Rainbow exclaimed. The Element glowed again and swallowed her in its light, preparing to send her the remaining year into the future. The last thing she saw was Chrono’s mocking smile.


> The Apex
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 32- The Apex
Rainbow appeared before eight ponies in the gloomy light of the Clockwork Tower. The whirling gears and steaming pipes were almost a relief to see again. All of her friends were asleep on the metallic floor. All of them except Shadow Flare. He was gazing right at her with emotions written all over his face, yet he seemed unable to speak.
“Hey,” was all Rainbow could manage.
Shadow smiled back, a barely visible tear slipping down his cheek. “I thought something horrible may have happened. You were gone for nearly three days.”
“Three? So, he wasn’t lying,” Rainbow said. She opened her watch and looked at the needle, ticking down at its usual rhythm. It was the final day.
“Who wasn’t?” Shadow Flare stepped closer to her.
“Chrono. I saw him a year ago. He fast-forwarded time. There’s only an hour left.” Rainbow looked around at her peacefully sleeping friends. “What did you guys eat? What did you do?”
Shadow shrugged. “We ate whatever Pinkie brought, mainly cupcakes. And with her around, she can always make something to do.”
Rainbow smiled. Pinkie Pie was the same old filly from back home. Or was this home? It didn’t matter right now, it was time to get serious.
“Come on. Let’s wake them up. It’s time for our final reckoning with Chrono.”
---
After everypony was awake, they stood before the golden door with Rainbow, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity poised to use the Elements of Harmony. Together, the six friends’ amulets shot beams of light at the gilded door and it erupted to life. Hidden gears rumbled ferociously as the doors slowly opened inward. Steam poured out from behind the door, filling the room with an ominous tone.
“Here we go. It is time,” Rainbow told them as she led the way inside. They filed in through the door and ascended a flight of thirteen steps. What was it with this number? At the top was a grand hall, a throne room. Great arches rose high into the ceiling, steaming pipes following it all the way. Lights glowed from beneath the grates than ran along either side of the room’s floor and grand braziers flamed in the four corners of the room. An enormous pendulum taller than four ponies standing on their hind hooves with the same stylized dragon from the watch carved into its face swung behind an eerily familiar throne. It was decorated with intricate carvings and gears, and high on the back was a thirteen day clock approaching its final moments. On either side of the throne were the princesses that went missing a year ago. Yet they were frozen in shimmering crystal. Rainbow was scared. In the throne sat a fully armored Chrono, the golden watch hanging from his neck. And his red eyes seemed to glow in anticipation of the final hour.
“It seems you have finally made it,” Chrono spoke, his voice echoing in the great room.
Rainbow and her company walked across the hall, closing the distance between them and the notorious unicorn. “Give me the Fate Stone!” Rainbow demanded.
Chrono chortled mockingly. “You must know by now that I’m not simply going to give it to you. I want to see the look on your face when you finally realize the truth. I have been ever so patient to see this moment.” He shot a glare at Rainbow, letting her know that he was referring to the words she spoke one year ago.
“Then we’ll take it!” Twilight shouted. Before Twilight could act, Rainbow stuck out a hoof to stop her.
“Don’t. He probably has a force field set up around him,” Rainbow warned. Twilight snorted but did nothing else to attack.
“How wise,” Chrono stated. “It seems that young Rainbow Dash here is finally catching on. I can’t be stopped.”
“That’s not what I said!” Rainbow argued, stepping forward aggressively.
“Unfortunately, your wisdom comes from failing over and over again. You went through all that trouble when you could have just accepted your fate. Like Dash.” The black pegasus stepped out from behind the throne, still wearing the dark Element of Loyalty.
“How nice of you to finally catch up,” she smirked.
“Shut up!” Rainbow snarled, wings flaring.
“Make me!” Dash retorted.
Rainbow lunged forward and bowled the black pegasus over. They writhed on the ground, Dash struggling to get on top but Rainbow held fast. There was a collective gasp from her friends, but Rainbow was determined to shut Dash up once and for all. Rainbow’s doppelganger kicked Rainbow, sending her flying across the room. She righted herself in midair and flew down to attack again. Dash poised and aimed her corrupted Element at the cyan pegasus. Before the shot could be fired, Applejack tackled Dash.
Dash threw the earth pony off of her and resumed her assault on Rainbow. She flapped her ragged, black wings to fly up at her, but Pinkie Pie jumped after her and yanked her down by her tail.
“Stop meddling, you incompetent foals!” Dash shouted. “This fight is between me and her! This doesn’t concern you!”
“You’re wrong,” Twilight said, her voice brimming with confidence. “Rainbow is our friend. Unlike you, we don’t abandon our friends in their time of need.”
“Geez,” Dash muttered, “I forgot that you idiots never knew when to quit. And what about you, Rainbow? I thought you were always strong enough to fight your own battles. Are you just going to let them get in the way?” Dash flicked Pinkie off of her tail and flew up to where Rainbow was so that they were face to face.
“Maybe the old me would’ve been too prideful to let them help,” Rainbow stated. “But I’ve changed in the past thirteen days. I’ve grown wiser. I know that my friends are there to help. They will not leave me behind.”
Dash smirked. “Oh, how honorable.” She snatched the Element of Loyalty from Rainbow’s neck and smashed her in the head with her hoof. Rainbow spiraled down and landed in a dazed heap of feathers on the floor. She could hear the others rushing to attack Dash but her vision was spinning violently.
“You okay?” Jade asked, helping Rainbow to her hooves.
“I’ll be fine,” Rainbow replied. “Now you stay back.”
When her vision righted, Rainbow glanced up at the throne where Chrono still sat. He gazed right back at her with an amused smile on his face. It seemed he was simply enjoying the show.
“Got it!” she heard Scootaloo announce. Rainbow looked up and saw Scoots carrying the necklace in her teeth as she performed complicated aerobatics in order avoid Dash.
“Put it on!” Rainbow called.
“But—“ Scootaloo was about to protest.
“Just do it!” Rainbow ordered. Scootaloo obediently clasped it around her neck and twisted away from Dash at the same time. The orange pegasus landed among Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity on the far side of the room near the exit.
Dash dove towards them at an alarming speed.
“Now!” Twilight ordered. Surprisingly, the Elements of Harmony glowed and hurled bolts of energy at the same time Dash starting shooting magic with her own. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion and light filled the chamber. When the light faded, all seven ponies in the skirmish were frozen in glimmering, timeless crystal.
 “Scootaloo!” Jade cried and dashed up to Scoots’ crystal prison.
Rainbow turned and glared menacingly at Chrono. “You did this didn’t you?”
“But of course,” Chrono said. “Time is short and I didn’t want you to miss the grand finale.”
“I can’t believe you!” Shadow stalked forward. “Why are you doing this?”
“I’m doing this for those that are like you and me,” Chrono replied.
“What is he talking about?” Rainbow asked Shadow.
Chrono laughed. “She doesn’t know? All this time and you haven’t told her?”
“Shadow,” Rainbow demanded, alarm sparking inside of her, “What is he saying?”
“Rainbow… I…” Shadow stuttered that strange look crossing his face once more.
“Rainbow, my dear,” Chrono said, “There are those of us that don’t truly exist. We are not born. Rather, we are created through distortions in the timeline. We are the Fallen. But there are those of us who, through miraculous happenstance, are given intelligence and a true form. We are the ones called the Tempest. I was formed through a distortion eons ago, but was banished back to the Void. However, instead of fading into oblivion like every Tempest before me, I held on to my essence. I returned. But there was hardly a chance I’d be able to do it again. And most other Tempests wouldn’t be able to manage it even once. So, during my time in the Void, awaiting the next Temporal Distortion, I came up with a plan. I would use Ragnarok to destroy the world. However, what few know is that the world can be recreated using Ragnarok’s power. It is not the death of a world, it is a rebirth. I will use Ragnarok to recreate a world so that the Tempest and Fallen can exist. We deserve a chance at life, at destiny. So, I am rebuilding a world for poor soulless beings like me… and Shadow Flare.”
“Shadow?” Rainbow turned to the black unicorn. He refused to meet her gaze. “You’re a Tempest?”
“I’m sorry, Rainbow. I should’ve told you, but I didn’t want you to put aside your quest for me. If you knew that going back to the past and restoring the timeline would erase my existence, I feared you wouldn’t try. But you still have to do this, for the sake of the world.”
Rainbow was speechless. She opened her stopwatch and looked at the time. Twenty seconds. There was no time. She tore the watch off of her neck and threw it on the ground, shattering it. All was lost.
“Come now,” said Chrono. “That was a gift from me. Do you realize how hard it was to get that to you without either of you noticing?”
“Shut up! I don’t care anymore. I have about fifteen seconds to save the world and I will do it!” Rainbow shot forward and smashed into Chrono’s shield. Rainbow instantly picked herself up and threw herself at him again. And again. And again.
...Five...
Rainbow smashed it again and saw the force field flicker.
…Four…
Chrono began to laugh eerily as the clock over his head ticked off the end of time. Rainbow strained against the shield, struggling to burst through.
…Three…
Rainbow glimpsed Shadow staring hopelessly at her. Hopeless. That’s all this was.
…Two…
Rainbow Dash slid to the ground, the sense of failure washing over her. What could she do?
…One…
A single tear ran down Rainbow’s cheek. She had failed, the end was nigh.


> Ragnarok
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 33- Ragnarok
Chrono glared at the two of them, excitement sparking in his eyes. A loud gong penetrated the sound of the machinery as if it were a bell, tolling the midnight hour. Chrono hovered from the throne, his green mane ruffling in an out of place breeze. Rainbow followed his ascent into the air and energy swirled around him. Bolts of electricity erupted around, encasing him in an orb of brilliant light. The orb expanded and filled the room, forcing Rainbow and Shadow to back away from it.
Then the orb exploded. Where Chrono had been hovering was now and enormous black dragon. Thirteen horns curled out of its head and flaming red eyes gazed out from an armored brow. Spikes ran all along its spine and along its immense wings which were folded to its sides. Chrono hadn’t summoned Ragnarok after all. He became Ragnarok.
Then Rainbow noticed the golden watch lying on the ground between its enormous claws. Maybe there was still a chance to save the world. If she could get the Fate Stone, go back, and fix the timeline, the world would be saved!
“Shadow! I see the Fate Stone! We can still do this!” Rainbow yelled. Shadow acknowledged her with a nod. Together they charged at the dragon, ready for the fight of their lives. Ragnarok roared at them and smashed his claws into the floor before the two ponies. The wall behind the smashed throne shattered like glass so they could see the star-studded sky outside.
The black dragon twisted and launched out of the tower, spreading its enormous wings so that it seemed to cover half the sky. Rainbow lunged forward to grab the golden watch but the chain snagged on Ragnarok’s claw as he took off.
“After it!” Rainbow yowled.
“But I can’t fly,” Shadow pointed out.
“You don’t need to. Just shoot at it,” Rainbow said, kneeling down so that he could climb on.
“What? Are you sure?” Shadow asked.
“Yes! He’s getting away! Hurry up!” Rainbow shouted.
Shadow clambered on her back and Rainbow instantly shot outside after the apocalyptic beast. The extra weight proved to be a little troubling, but she was determined to keep up. This was her last chance. Shadow began casting magic in the dragon’s direction, but it was too far. Rainbow needed to get closer.
Ragnarok opened his massive maw and let out a roar. An orb of pure black energy launched out of its mouth and struck the ground. Instead of exploding or something of the like, the ground began to cave in on itself, sucking everything around it in as well. Ragnarok shot another blast into the air and it hung there, beginning to suck clouds and stars into its ruthless vortex.
“That can’t be good,” Shadow said. “We need to get closer, fast!”
“I’m working on it!” Rainbow flapped harder and as she approached, the dragon made a sudden turn, its tail whipping behind it. The tail swung at Rainbow, forcing her to jerk to the side to avoid getting hit. The action caused Shadow to slip and fall. Rainbow grabbed him by his hoof and he hung there helplessly, gazing up at her.
“Hold on!” she said through gritting teeth.
“If you get close enough, you could drop me on his back!” Shadow suggested.
Rainbow glanced up at Ragnarok. They were close. The cyan pegasus put on an extra burst of speed and struggled forward to hover over the dragon’s back.
“You ready?” she asked.
“Ready,” Shadow replied.
Rainbow let go and Shadow slipped from her grasp. He plummeted through the air and landed with a thud on his scaly back. Ragnarok roared and twisted his neck towards Shadow Flare, unleashing a geyser of flame. He ducked behind one of the spikes along his spine, avoiding the raging heat.
Assured that Shadow could handle himself, Rainbow shot down below the dragon and searched its claws for the Fate Stone. She spotted it hooked precariously on one of its talons on its foreleg. Rainbow maneuvered between its humongous legs and reached for the watch. She snatched it just as it slipped off the claw. Rainbow flew back up to get Shadow and a pillar of flame engulfed her.
She let out a shriek and plummeted towards the ground. Her feathers had not caught flame but her feathers were singed, preventing her from flight.
“Rainbow!” Shadow called after her and jumped off Ragnarok for her. He dove towards her and wrapped his forelegs protectively around her. They fell towards the ground locked in a powerful embrace.
“Are you okay?” Shadow asked.
Rainbow nodded. She still had the watch clutched in her hooves. “What’s going to happen to us?”
“I got this,” Shadow assured. A green aura surrounded his horn. Suddenly they were tumbling across the grass at the base of the tower. Ragnarok was still roaring far above, but they were safe.
Rainbow stood up, a little shaky from the fall, but okay. This was her chance. After all this time, she finally had the Fate Stone, but she didn’t want to return to her time.
“Rainbow, it’s time for you to go,” Shadow said, walking up behind her.
Rainbow turned to look once more into his beautiful green eyes. She wished they could be together forever, but fate was determined to keep them apart. Rainbow knew this was probably the last time she would ever see him again. She tried to fight it but tears began to form in her eyes.
Rainbow shook her head. “I can’t,” she said, her voice shaking. “I want to stay here with you!” She flung herself at him and hugged him tightly.
“I know, I know,” he said, stroking her mane. “But there’s no choice. You have to go and restore the timeline.”
“Maybe you can come back with me?” Rainbow suggested, backing up to look into his face.
“You know as well as I do that that can’t happen.” He gazed deep into her eyes as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “I love you. Just carry that in your heart always. Maybe that bond will keep me alive in the Void and we’ll meet again one day.”
Rainbow embraced Shadow one last time. “I love you, too,” she whimpered. She then backed away and placed the watch on the ground. As she placed her snout on it, the watched morphed into a familiar white stone with her cutie mark emblazoned onto it. Heaving a shuddering breath, she let herself be pulled to sleep by it.
“Goodbye,” she heard Shadow say just before she slipped from consciousness.
---
Rainbow opened her eyes to see the moonlit grass. The cyan pegasus glanced around. She was at the edge of the Everfree Forest. In the distance she could see the Ponyville like she remembered it. This was her time. Then she heard laughter coming from a little ways into the forest.
“Thank you, Zecora. These’ll make for great cupcakes in the morning,” came Pinkie Pie’s voice.
So, this must be where Pinkie found the Fate Stone. Rainbow hesitated for a moment. She was going to have to destroy it wasn’t she? Closing her eyes, she brought her hooves down on the relic, feeling it crumble beneath her hooves.
Suddenly, she was bombarded with visions. They were her memories. It all whisked past her: the meeting with Shadow Flare, the race between her and Dash, the cheer up party, and Jade’s appearance. The more serious memories showed up, too. The fight with Dash, the dream, the war, and the Clockwork Tower. But most of all, she recalled three words: I love you.
Rainbow shuddered. The visions disappeared from her head. The timeline had been corrected. None of that had ever happened. She collapsed unconscious to the ground. Her work was finished.



> Epilogue- A New Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Epilogue- A New Day
Rainbow stirred from her sleep. Dawn light filtered through her bedroom window. She shifted under the covers. Something told her she had had a particularly awesome dream. However, as she struggled to recall it, the dream slipped further from her memory. Did it have to do with time travel?
It was useless, she couldn’t remember. It was almost sad to forget what the dream was about. Rainbow couldn’t place why. It was as if the dream had been real. Hadn’t she been burnt in the dream? She twisted around to observe her back. Not a feather out of place.
There was a note on her nightstand. She picked it up and read it aloud.
“Dear Dashie, I found you unconscious outside the Everfree so I brought you home. I hope everything is alright. Your bestest friend, Pinkie Pie.”
Rainbow replaced the note on her nightstand. What had she been doing way out there? It didn’t really matter as long as she didn’t get hurt, right?”
Suddenly, a memory came back to her. There was a stained-glass window in Canterlot. On it was three ponies that she knew to be herself. One as her normal self, one of her black as night, and one with a white mane. Not wanting to lose the memory, Rainbow flipped the note over and wrote down the memory.
For some reason, it seemed like more than a dream to her. She felt as if that memory held something extremely important. Feeling utterly overwhelmed, Rainbow decided to go out for a morning flight around town. Maybe she would go hang out with her friends.
Already forgetting about the dream, she got ready and headed out, ready for the bright, sunny day.
---
However, it was more than a dream. All the events had really happened. There was even a remnant of Rainbow’s quest left behind. Underneath her bed laid a shattered, silver watch.  It had thirteen days and was watched over by a stylized dragon. And it was still ticking…