> Forever Timebound
>  by FoxMcCloud7921
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The sound of the wind outside her window woke Twilight up. Still half asleep, she managed to open her eyes just barely enough to see it was still dark outside. The storm that had come in the evening was still continuing on, bringing in rain, wind, and the occasional sound of thunder.
Twilight closed her eyes again and tried to fall back asleep when she heard a loud rumble sound throughout the castle. At first she thought it was just thunder, but then it occurred to her that she recognized that sound. 
Someone had just entered the castle.
Twilight quickly got up, looking around and saw that Spike was still sleeping. Could it possibly have been Starlight? No, what reason would she have to go out at this time of night? Twilight quietly walked to her door, careful not to wake the young dragon up, and went into the hallway.
Twilight walked slowly, trying to keep her footsteps from echoing down the hall. Perhaps the intruder didn’t think they had woken her up, which gave her the element of surprise. Of course, there was also the possibility it may be someone just taking shelter from the rain.
Then, she saw a light coming from what appeared to be the library. Cautious, Twilight made her way over slowly. “If I catch somepony trying to steal a book from my library…” The door was only slightly open and as Twilight peeked inside, she saw that someone had heated up the fireplace. That someone was currently standing in front of the flames, wearing a black cloak. Twilight slowly opened the door all the way with her magic and slowly walked in. The figure slightly tilted its head in her direction.
“I apologize for the intrusion; it’s quite the storm outside.” Twilight froze for a moment as she registered two things: one, the figure was definitely a mare and two, her somewhat deep voice told Twilight that the mare was at least her age, if not older.
“Yes…I suppose you’re right,” Twilight said slowly. “Are you a traveler? You picked a weird time to be traveling.”
“You could say that,” the figure replied. “I was supposed to end up in Ponyville in the first place but the spell, despite my efforts, decided to put me straight in the Everfree Forest. I always forgot how much of a pain that place is.”
Twilight blinked slightly in confusion. “Spell? Uh…I don’t want to sound rude but can you please explain to me just who you are?”
The figure suddenly giggled. “I suppose that’s fair…since we’ve never met. At least not like this.”  The figure finally turned around and lowered her hood, revealing a mane of violet and light blue. But it was only when the mare took off her cloak and revealed her wings that Twilight gasped.
“It’s good to see you again, Auntie Twilight,” Flurry Heart smiled.



Twilight hadn’t realized she had fainted until she suddenly found herself waking up on the couch in the library and Flurry Heart was looking down at her. “Oh good, you’re awake,” she sighed in relief. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this would've been too much for you.”
Twilight looked around slightly and realized she was fully awake and this was really happening. “This isn’t a dream is it?”
“No, and I’m sure you’re very confused right now,” Flurry said. “To answer your first question, yes I’m still sleeping soundly up in the Crystal Empire…or at least I hope I am.” She paused for a moment. “Wow, I don’t think I’m even one year old yet.”
“Okay…hold on a second,” Twilight said with a hoof gesture. “You may look like Flurry Heart…but how do I know you’re really her?”
Flurry grinned slightly. “I’d be disappointed if you weren’t suspicious Auntie. Well… I do have this.” She went through the small bag she had and took out a much worn out doll, one that resembled a snail. “I’ve taken good care of Whammy during the years but eventually he’s going to fall apart.”
Twilight looked at the doll, saw it was the same doll she had seen only days ago and yet know it was worn out and falling apart at the seams. “Okay…but I don’t think that quite convinces me you’re the real deal.”
Flurry sighed. “Alright…then let me try this then: just over a week ago, Mom and Dad surprised you by asking for you to foalsit me in order to go to a friend’s art exhibit. During that small amount of time, I messed up Miss Cheerilee’s chalkboard, made quite a mess of Sugarcube Corner, and practically caused an uproar over at the foal’s hospital. Does that pretty much sum up that day?”
Twilight stared at her. “How can you even remember that from such a young age?”
“Well, when you go back in time you tend to relive a lot of memories, good and bad,” Flurry explained. “I try not to remember the fact that I broke the Crystal Heart.”
Twilight smiled slightly. “Well, you definitely inherited your Aunt Luna’s lungs, that’s for sure.” She then sat up and gave her niece a hug. “Okay…normally I’d find this weird but…I’ve had my experiences with time travel as well. The question is what are you doing here?”
“There’s really no other way of putting it,” Flurry said as she broke the hug. “I need your help Auntie Twilight. The fate of all Equestria depends on us.”
“Well, that definitely sounds serious,” Twilight said. “But to be honest, it’s not the first time I’ve heard that.”
“Yes, I’m well aware of your achievements but this is more than just some random villain,” Flurry said. “This is something unlike anything you or even Celestia and Luna have ever faced. Do you remember what you and Starlight saw when she had changed the future?”
Twilight’s mouth went dry and she shivered at the thought, a reaction appropriate considering the landscape. “How did you know-?”
“You told me about it many years from now.”
Twilight nodded slowly. “Yes…there was nothing but sand. I wasn’t sure but I had the horrible feeling that all of Equestria was like that.”
“It was,” Flurry said sadly. “Everything…everypony was gone. The worst part was that it wasn’t immediate but the long-term end result of a terrible tragedy.”
“But that was because Rainbow Dash didn’t do her Sonic Rainboom,” Twilight said. “Are you saying it was going to happen anyway?”
“The Sonic Rainboom only delayed the event,” Flurry explained as she got up and looked towards the fire. “What happened takes place about five hundred years from now.” She then laughed bitterly. “It’s sad…most probably wouldn’t care considering they’d be long gone by that time, but us alicorns don’t have that choice…”
“So…you’re saying Princess Celestia, Luna…your mother…”
“Yes, they all perished. Even you Twilight.”
Twilight had to gather her thoughts for a moment. She had always feared that because she was now an alicorn, she was entwined into a fate similar to the other princesses; that she would have to say goodbye to her friends when they would eventually pass on. But to hear that she would eventually die, even if it was five hundred years from now, it still terrified her. “So we couldn’t stop it,” she said quietly.
“It’s…more complicated than that,” Flurry said hesitantly. “I know this is all hard to believe, but I need your help. You’re the key to defeating this great evil.”
“And what is this great evil?” Twilight asked.
“It’s easier if I show you,” Flurry said. “Though you’re not going to like what you see.”
“Okay…then I’ll wake up the other girls and-”
“You can’t.”
“Huh?” Twilight stared at her niece.
“They can’t come with us. Their lifespan doesn’t even last another century and if they go even further into the future, it could mess up the space-time continuum…and we don’t want to do that.”
“There’s something I don’t get,” Twilight said. “If you need me, then why come back to this time, why not a few weeks before the event?” Flurry looked away from her. “What? What’s wrong?”
“That’s just the problem,” Flurry said, looking back at her sadly. “Somehow, you’ve been erased from the timeline…”
The room became silent, all except for the sound of rain pouring down outside. “What!?” Twilight almost yelled. “What does that even mean?”
“I’ve spent what has felt like a lifetime looking for you,” Flurry said. “But everywhere I went, you were gone, as if you never existed in the first place. Of course, each circumstance was different but as I kept going back, the result was always the same.”
“And it took you back five hundred years,” Twilight finished.
“Yes,” Flurry replied. “Five hundred years later, you were no doubt as powerful as Celestia or Luna themselves, but…you’re the only chance I have now.”
“This is fascinating,” Twilight said. “You managed to learn Starswirl’s spell?” As far as she knew, that scroll had been lost in the sea of time.
“I was a lucky mare as it turned out,” Flurry said with an amused look. “Mother actually found it about…three hundred and eighty four years from now. It was almost torn in half and needless to say you and her both were surprised to see it.”
“So you managed to hold onto it for that long,” Twilight said. “Flurry, you really are something else.”
Flurry beamed. “I’m not sure whether I inherited it from Mother or Father but-” She suddenly stopped.
“…What’s wrong?”
“Listen.”
Twilight listened but she couldn’t hear anything. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Exactly. It was almost downpouring minutes ago and suddenly it just stopped.” Her eyes suddenly widened. “Oh no…he’s here!” She quickly started to look around. “We have to get out of here.”
“Who is he?”
“The one behind your disappearance! The one…who killed you and everypony else…”
The room suddenly dimmed, even the fire inside the fireplace dwindled slightly. Suddenly, a large black pentagram appeared in front of it as a stallion materialized from it. The equine was large, wearing black armor and a matching helmet that bore white horns on either side and hid his face. But he certainly looked like someone not to be trifled with.
“So…I finally tracked you here,” the stallion said, his voice deep and menacing. “And if it isn’t the little brat as well. My lucky day indeed to get rid of two nuisances in one go.”
“Starlight!” Twilight suddenly yelled, hoping her former student would hear her.
“Don’t bother, no one can help you now,” the dark unicorn said. “It seems your past endeavors have given me quite the setback. I didn’t realize your future had so many paths, at least not until I realized you had somehow changed the space-time continuum. But no matter…once I’ve finished you here I believe you’ll no longer be a threat.”
“A threat to what?” Twilight said. “Why are you targeting us!?”
“Oh? Your dear niece hasn’t explained everything to you?” the unicorn said with amusement. “Pity, I guess that’ll just have to be a lingering thought as you’re taken to the grave.”
“Twilight,” Flurry said. “Do you trust me?”
Twilight wasn’t sure what to think. Just hours ago, a normal day like any other had ended, and now not only does her niece show up from the future, there’s now a dark mage trying to kill off the entire royal family. “Yes Flurry…I trust you.”
“Brace yourself.”
“Huh?” Before she could ask, the ground beneath Twilight gave out as a portal, a portal she quickly recognized from her earlier endeavor with time travel, appeared below her and she quickly fell through with a yelp.
The dark mage gave an impatient snort. “You’re starting to become an annoyance little filly…”
“I won’t let you win,” Flurry said as she slowly walked backwards. “I’ll protect my family at all costs.” She paused for a moment as she felt the portal right behind her and allowed herself a small smile. “And I’ll have you know you’re addressing Princess Flurry Heart.” She then opened her wings as she fell backwards into the portal which closed right behind her.