> My Little Students > by Pegysus > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > A Hitchhiker's guide to Time Traveling > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was the afternoon in Canterlot as Celestia looked out upon the beautiful mountain city. The light creating a rainbow of warm colors to reflect off the clouds. Her sun glitzing and glimmering, giving all her little ponies. Her little ponies going out and about their day. The foals of Canterlot were just getting out of school as many scurried about playing games and some just relaxing in the afternoon sun. Other much older ponies were finally clocking out of work. Business owners closing their businesses, other business owners opening their businesses. Bars, nightclubs, and other more mature businesses began their faithful duty to gain profit. Nobles strutting out and about in the wealthier areas of Canterlot. All ponies enjoyed her afternoon sun. Celestia’s smile was a gentle ray of sunshine that nopony saw. A sunshine grew prouder as the decades galloped by. Her little ponies have grown up so much since she was a foal. Peace and harmony were amongst the common pony. Death was natural and blood no longer shed between tribes. There was a gentle, hesitant knock on the sun princess’s chamber door. Celestia’s smile grew wider as she trotted from her balcony. Her clopping hoofs grew closer to the door, a nervous tension in her stomach tightened. She drew a deep, calming breath. It’s only been a day since Twilight Sparkle became her new apprentice. When the goddess first saw the little lavender filly, it was during one of the greatest magic surges of all time. So big that all unicorns and even some pegasi and earth ponies could feel it. So big that the dragon egg that was apparently used as a test material hatched and the baby dragon grew into an adult dragon. It tickled her in a way no one but her and maybe her sister could possibly understand. But that was here not there. Celestia exhaled for the final time, her heart giddy with excitement, her muscles tightened, and her legs twitched. Her smile grew wider as she opened the door. The little lavender filly looked very nervous and a little scared. She rubbed a hoof through her dark blue hair with a purple and pink stripe through it. A smaller image than Celestia remembers her as. “Welcome Twilight.” Celestia kept her composure in a gentle voice. “Tha-thank you, pri-princess.” Twilight stuttered; her eyes wide as she gazed up into the ethereal being in front of her. “Would you like some tea?” Twilight smiled just a bit. Her nervousness not completely abated but she began to relax. “Yes, your highness. I’d love tea. Um please.” Celestia tittered and turned around, “Please, come in, we have much to do, my little student.” Twilight’s smile grew brighter as she nodded and trotted behind her princess. Little does she know, this isn’t the first time they’ve met. About Onety Tensy-One years later (In Pony Age and Numbers) “I. AM. SO. FRUSTRATED!!!!!” I screamed into my pillow, frustrated tears soaking them. I’ve tried this spell so many times and I still can’t get it to work. I have NO idea how Starlight even performed that stupid time spell and it’s making me both very jealous and very FRUSTRATED! “Twilight maybe you should take a break. Get some food. I’ll make you some hayburgers.” Spike tried to cheer me up. I sighed and pulled myself off my pillow. I pulled on the best smile I could. “Thanks, Spike, that… that would be nice.” “One hayburger and gemburger coming right up!” He performed with a bow. I giggled at his performance as he raced off into the kitchen. I flopped onto the couch. I have tried forsy-five times to get the time spell to work. Forsy-five times has the spell failed. I just don’t know what I’m missing or even really doing. With a heavy sigh, I rolled onto my stomach, my wings twitched and stretched. I have performed time spells before but they only went back at best a season. And even then, that cost so much power to come back that I blew my horn off from the amount of power it took. It was SO inefficient. So inefficient in fact that the Alicorn of Magic couldn’t even do it without hurting herself. I slammed by hoofs into the couch in frustration. The force of the slam and my earth pony magic crush the wood holding up the attached cushions. Hearing the crunch, my ears splayed back, “Oops.” Was all I could say before I found myself in a couch sandwiched. I heard a quick pitter-patter of tiny feet, “Twilight! You oka…” Spike found me, his eyes widened, then the giggles came out. The giggles turned into uncontrolled laughter. I sighed heavily… again and pulled myself out of the couch sandwich. “Oh har har, keep laughing.” I retorted dryly. I lit my horn, magic of a cantrip tingled and glowed to life. With a little imagination and willpower, I willed the couch back together. Spike composed himself with giggles spasming out here and there. A claw wiping away a joyful tear. “Sorry, Twilight, I just didn’t expect to find you in a *giggle* sofa *giggle* sandwich.” He burst back into laughter. He’s not sorry, not even a little bit I rolled my eyes as the smell of something cooking wafted her senses. “Uh, Spike.” “Hehehe, yeah?” “You were cooking hayburgers, right?” Spike blink, then jumped and scampered off. I tittered at the baby dragon’s behavior. “Foals.” I shook my head. The thought that I actually raised a baby dragon would be mind-boggling to many. Of course, I had help in the form of my parents and brother, and honestly, Spike was always more of a little brother to me than a son. Not like I wouldn’t want a foal or anything just with everything to do there especially as a new princess and with my very first student and research. There isn’t really any time for romance. Not like I have to have romance to have a foal. Adoption is always a viable option and one I highly recommend. Equestria may be peaceful but no world is ever truly peaceful. Just no mass murders or wars between tribes like back in the day. The stories I read about those times were gruesome and it makes sense why they’ve been sugar-coated even though I think that’s highly offensive to history. I’m getting off-topic. How am I possibly going to turn this cantrip into a spell? I’ve already kind of did it, but time travel isn’t really something anyone knows about. Starswirl the Bearded did something, I just have no idea what he did. That paper Starlight had was combined with Cutie Mark map, but I don’t actually know what was on the paper. And worse of all, Starlight won’t help me. She even begged for me to stop but I really need to know how to do it so that villains like the one Starlight was won’t ever repeat what she did. Of course, it’s all eluded me. “Foods Ready!” Spike shouted from the kitchen. With another heavy sighed, I stood back up, “Coming!” And trotted into the kitchen. The hayburgers smelled delightful. Spike really had a knack for cooking. If he was a pony, I’d say it’s his cutie mark. The plate of hayburger slid right in front of me. I smiled as I brought it up to my mouth, taking a bite. The sweetness of BBQ with the wonderful delicious crunch of cooked hay filled my taste buds. Hay by itself wasn’t that good but hay with something was absolutely delicious. I have no idea how our foremothers survived on grazing alone. I know I couldn’t. A hot meal was too delicious to pass up. Huh, I’ve been thinking about the Pre-Equestria a lot lately. Maybe I should read up on my histories more. Spike moved to the window and opened up the blinds. “So Twilight, don’t you agree that it’s a beautiful day today?” I swallowed my bite of hayburger and washed it away with my glass of apple juice. The gorgeous noon azure sky was free of most clouds besides the lazy, sleepy ones Rainbow left to nap on. The ponies of all tribes were out and about doing one thing or another. It really was a good day to go out, I admit. Maybe I could stop by Fluttershy and see what she was up to. I know she would enjoy some company. Though, I don’t know if that’s a good idea since last time I accidentally walked in on Rainbow and her doing the… My face is red, isn’t it? Anyway, I could go see what Rarity is up to but she’s busy with her new line of winter clothes. Apple bucking season is coming and Applejack wants to get ready and take it easy. Oh, I guess I could see Pinkie Pie. But I… uh don’t know if I could handle her energy today. “I don’t know…” Then a thought came to me. I remembered when I used the Elements of Harmony to complete Starswirl’s spell. Maybe, just maybe, I could use the elements to stabilize and power the time cantrip itself! I pounced on Spike with a hug. “Thank you, Spike! You’re a genius!!” The baby dragon blushed, “Uh, sure, you’re welcome.” I gobbled the rest of my hayburger, chewed as quickly as I could, and swallowed it all, coughing and chugging water from scarfing down the rest of my meal. I opened the window to fly then I realized something, “Spike, I need you to put some tea on for us, please. I’m bringing the girls over.” “Okay! Bye!” “Bye!” I didn’t know if it would actually work, but I’ll at least try. “So, Twilight, what are you planning to do again?” Rarity asked after my explanation. “Yeah, Twi, Ah know ya really want to cast this spell, but dun ya think it’s a bit crazy?” Applejack pointed out. “What they said.” Rainbow agreed haphazardly. I sighed as the girls took their seats in the chair, wearing their elements. You know, I find it funny how we gave away the elements when in reality, we just put them somewhere for the Tree of Harmony to be recharged. Kind of anticlimactic huh. “I know, this does seem a little crazy but it’ll be a quick trip. A ten-minute adventure to and back.” “I’m not sure about this, darling. You are putting an awful lot on magic that does not have very many rules.” Rarity, somehow remembering my lectures on the elements of harmony and how they work in strange ways. “I know, I know, but the worse thing that could happen is I solve a friendship problem in the past.” I countered. Applejack and Rarity shared a look with each other and shrugged. “Okay.” Applejack gave in reluctantly. “We’ll trust ya to know what you’re doing.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Now girls. Can you all do the thing?” A tingle sensation went up to my horn as it sparkled and crackled to life. Brighter and brighter the horn became. The elements turned on. The warm, brightness of the five elements around me tickled me. Beams of rainbow light fired into my element as I saw nothing but magic. Life and time flowed into itself as the world shifted. Seasons rewind back, events replayed themselves, and time moved back at a speed I couldn’t even fathom. That was only a millisecond. And in another second everything turned to Darkness.