Notice: Just like last time, the crossover tag is being added just to be on the safe side.
With Sunny and her friends now stuck in the era of Twilight Sparkle, the two heroes and their respective groups will have to work together in helping to prevent the three pony tribes from ever separating again. All the while, Sunny will be forced to witness the ponies she was told stories about, both the good times and the bad.
With the ponies from the future stuck in the past and the future of the world in question, can these two groups work together to prevent the same mistakes that caused Sunny's future in the first place; or is the hand of fate the one thing that even the magic of friendship can't stand up to?
Twilight, Sunny, and their friends are going to find out the hard way either way.
I would like to be upfront about something: Only specific "Episodes" will feature romances. So while the Romance genre tag is not marked, it's not a main featured genre as this story is more focused on the action & drama that will come about having the Generation 5 ponies in Generation 4. If I spy any comments about ships that are hidden in this description by the spoiler block, those comments will be deleted.
Other Tag notes: Main 6 character tag incudes Starlight. Various Romances in Specific "Episodes".
Currently Featured Ships: FlashLight AKA Flash Sentry & Twilight Sparkle SoarinDash AKA Soarin Winds & Rainbow Dash
Notice: Due to extrunanting circumstances, I've become unable to do this story justice. Thankfully, Fimficiton User Mlp4ever has decided to adopt this story as their own. I will be keeping the original up for those that just want to look back on this now debunked version. There's...really no other reason. I know I normally delete cancelled projects from my profile, but this one? Well, it'd be better to keep the original up so people know where to go.
A mysteriously well-muscled being was standing over a collection of body parts.
"Astrotle Mondoli...who did this to you? What did this to you?" The being said. "It was those mortals, wasn't it? They managed to kill you didn't they, master?" The being asked. "...I know you can't answer me, or even so much as speak anymore to me in this state, but I don't need you to talk back to me." The being said. "I don't need you to tell me what to do. I know what it would be you would have me do anyways." The being continued. "I know what must be done, master. I will finish what you started and convince the gods that mortals should be stripped of their free will and made into puppets to be used by the gods." The being added. "And I will do it by making a band of mortals admit to your philosophy." The being concluded. This being was actually a Nidoking though they had the number "666" marked on one of their arms.
Um...hello? Can you read this? My name is Sunny Starscout.
So, you're probably most likely confused. Let me catch you up to speed on everything that's happened so far to me and my friends.
So, I had gathered everyone at my temporary housing with Izzy and even had sprout there because he made a joke idea about using the Unity Crystals to prevent the tribes from splitting. I know he ment it as a joke, but it got me thinking: Could that really work?
So I gathered my friends, some leaders in the towns, and sprout too so we could test out one theory I had left.
Well turns out while we were pouring out tribal magics into the Unity Crystals, at the same time in the past, Twilight Sparkle was reforming Starlight Glimmer. This caught the attention of the god of two sides known as Yin-yang who decided to mess with the combined magics and cause our time periods to collide with each other.
Not only that, knowing Discord would eventually figure him out, Yin-Yang placed a lock on the whole packaged of magics that caused this incident to where only his specific power set could undo everything. And then he proceeded to trick me, my friends, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her friends into simi-killing him so his powers would go to a mortal like us.
Oh yeah, if there is any silver lining, it's the fact that despite being in the same era as Princess Twilight Sparkle, IT'S THE FACT THAT WE ARE GETTING TO MEET THE PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP AND HER FIVE FRIENDS AND HANG OUT WITH THEM! I couldn't be fangirling more inside than I already am!
So, all caught up now? Don't worry, we'll quiz you later.
So, now that I've caught you all up, we can worry about Mr. Physcho Pants from earlier later. For now, it'd be best if you knew the whole story leading up to him. Everything started the day after Yin-Yang's defeat, and earlier that day when me and the rest of the ponies from my time period had finally been fully processed by Princess Celestia into full citizens of Equestria, it was time to go back to Ponyville. Well, Sprout's citizenship was up in the air. In fact...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T BE A CITIZEN JUST YET?!" Sprout yelled out.
"Well let's see, what exactly did you do in your original timeframe that you were specifically told NOT to do?" Princess Celestia asked.
"...Oh buck off..." Sprout said. "I get it. I shouldn't have started that war. Okay? Happy now?" Sprout asked.
"Considering your actions heavily mirror those of King Sombra, until you prove that you can be trusted, you will be kept a close eye on for the time being. And if you should ever try something, just know that Hitch's community service will seem even more like a light sentence, as you will be thrown into Tartarus straight up." Celestia said.
Sprout gulped. "Wow, you aren't going to mess around, huh?" Sunny said.
"We once lost the entire Crystal Empire to time itself because of King Sombra. We darest not taketh the chance on a potential Sombra 2.0." Luna said.
"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not a Unicorn." Sprout said.
"So? Sombra wasn't a unicorn either." Luna said.
"...Wait he wasn't it? But papa said that he was." Sunny said.
"Your father was misinformed. Sombra is in reality a male Umbra. We do not know if he has stuck around somehow, but we cannot risk another one like him from coming into reality." Celestia said. "That is all from me." She said before leaving.
"As for you, Zipp, I will speak with you more personally at a later date and time about the flight group Soarin and Rainbow Dash are creating. Expect a letter from me while you stay with Rainbow Dash for the time being." Luna said.
"Sure thing." Zipp said.
"Can't believe mom was allowed to be the manager for that flight team your creating, Rainbow Dash." Pipp said.
"Told you I'd put in a good word for her." Rainbow Dash said. The group was now on a train bound for Ponyville. "Of course, Soarin's the one who's going to be in charge of the thing after--" Rainbow Dash said before Pipp suddenly screamed again. "...Oh now what? Did more of your fancy gold polish come off again?" The speedster pegasus asked the fashionable one.
"...Sis, Sunny, Hitch, Izzy...don't tell me you haven't noticed it yet either." Pipp said.
"Noticed what?" Hitch asked.
"Then does that mean one of you has one still? Your phone?" Pipp asked.
On Pipp mentioning that, the other four future ponies searched their belongings. "OH MY STARS SHE'S RIGHT; WE DON'T HAVE OUR PHONES ANYMORE!" Izzy said.
"Phones? You had PHONES in your time period?" Twilight asked. "Wow...guess my plan to bring that technology to Equestria will work out after all." She added.
"Wait that was your idea? How could it be your idea?!" Sunny asked.
"Twilight, is this part of why you wouldn't tell me what the buck hands were when you came back from the other side of the mirror that you now have in your castle?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"...What the buck is this about a mirror?" Sunny asked.
Soon enough at Twilight's Castle, the group was in front of a mirror.
"Now I have no idea if there's versions of you on the other side of this thing, but I would not chance it if I was you six. And I'm in charge of this mirror, and that's final." Twilight said.
"Huh...interesting." Sprout noted. Suddenly Discord showed up out of nowhere. "GAH! Why does he just poof in like this?!" Sprout exclaimed.
"Oh is that any way to thank me after coming all this way to give you something very special." Discord said.
"If this is another one of your pranks Discord, I swear I will convince Fluttershy that you'll need to--" Twilight was saying before Discord pulled out six very familair objects to her and the six ponies.
"Our phones! Where on earth did you find these?!" Pipp exclaimed.
"Oh a whole bunch of them came pouring out of a time rift at Fluttershy's house, and I figured I wait until you were processed by Celestia before returning the bunch. After all, they are yours. I hope you don't mind that I checked the data on each one just so they could be returned to their originals owners." Discord said.
Twilight was just dead silent with her jaw dropped. "Oh Twilight, that look on your face is so priceless. But don't worry..." Discord said and handed her a phone too. "I made a copy with my powers especially for you to look at and dissect so you could get all the other phones working properly." He said.
"Wait what?" Sunny asked.
"Oh yes, seems your phones will only boot up and take you to the start screen; you can't actually use them until Twilight here figures out how to get a network for them up and running. But knowing her and her friends, it won't take that long. Toodles." Discord said.
"...I simply have no words." Twilight said before her eyes began to sparkle. "TIME FOR RESEARCH!" She yelled out before rushing out of the room.
"...Anyone want to tell me what the buck is going on with Twilight?" Starlight asked, coming into the room.
"...How much time you got?" Sunny asked.
After I explained everything to Starlight, she fainted straight away. Really should've seen that one coming.
Season 1: Episode 2 - Crystal Clear (The Crystaling AU)
Twilight was indeed going to work on getting our phones to work and considering dad talked about how smart she was like A LOT I'm sure she'll figure it out. But she had other things to do besides that, such as helping Starlight learn about friendship, and figuring out where her old friend Sunburst was living now. And there's also the fact that Princess Cadence; Twilight's sister-in-law and former foal sitter; is expecting a baby any day now. Figured I'd help Twilight out a little with the first two things.
"Can't believe that you were raised by a pony who told you a lot about Twilight." Starlight said.
"Normally, I should be upset about you not calling her 'Princess Twilight' but as I've come to find out myself as I've grown into her inner friend circle, it's that she doesn't want her friends using her royal title unless it's for official business matters." Sunny said.
"Has that changed the way you've looked up to her your whole life at all? I mean, you are from the future originally after all." Starlight said.
"Quite a bit actually, but not the way I was expecting. Hearing the stories of Twilight's adventures was one thing, but I actually have the super rare opportunity to live them myself. How many ponies do you know who can say that get to experience the stories they love to death?" Sunny asked.
"I guess that's an extremely good point. It's one thing to hear or read about history, but to actually be a part of that history would be something else entirely." Starlight said.
"Still, I'm expecting the presence of me and my friends to change certain events. I'd tell you more, but then I feel like I'd alter history too, too much." Sunny said. "But that doesn't mean I can't help Twilight out where it counts." She added. "Speaking of, I managed to track down Sunburst. Well...sort of. See, the reality is I already knew where he was from the stories dad would tell. But I knew Twilight would want the actual paper trail, so I did some digging the old-fashioned way anyways, and found Sunburst right where dad said he was living when Twilight found him for you." Sunny said.
"...This is going to take so much getting used to, knowing you know everything in relation to our history but won't sweat out all the details simply because you don't want to cause any major drastic changes." Starlight said.
"Trust me Starlight, some of the information I'm holding out on is for the best that I am." Sunny said. "Just remember: Me and my friends lived without magic until a few weeks ago, so more or less the majority of our lives." She added.
"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Starlight asked.
"Not for now, just remember it for later." Sunny said.
"...I have no clue what your hinting at." Starlight said.
"Well for now, it's worth mentioning that Sunburst is at the Crystal Empire now." Sunny said. "And knowing how particular Twilight is, I even made you your own checklist to follow along with Spike accompanying you. I assured Twilight that this would be one thing you should do on your own on your own terms." She added.
"But...I'm not quite sure if I'm ready yet..." Starlight said. "Plus, what about the whole 'travel through time to stop twilight and her friends be--'" Starlight was interrupted when Sunny put a hoof on her mouth.
"Just save that for Sunburst when you meet with him. Trust me on that one, okay Starlight?" Sunny asked.
"V-very well, but when are we ever going to get an excuse to--" Starlight started
"Ah! You won't believe it!" Twilight said, suddenly coming into the room. "We got an invitation to go to the crystaling for Cadence's baby who has just been born. I'm an aunt." She added in pure celebration.
"...Never mind..." Starlight said. Funny, it's like Sunny knew this was going to happen... Starlight thought to herself.
...Yes I did know that this was when Princess Flurry Heart was going to be born. Don't judge me. I kept that information to myself. And I swear if you get what I'm hiding from Starlight, if you so much as tell her, I will find some way to rip myself out of this story and punch you right in the face. Got that?
Regardless, we traveled to the crystal empire where we were met with Shining Armor.
...But can I just say real fast how beautiful the Crystal Empire looked?
"Wow...so Sprout, you saw all of THIS when you first landed here?" Hitch asked.
"Kind of got overwhelmed by it when I showed up out of the sky, but I won't lie, it definitely is something." Sprout said.
"Something beautiful no doubt. This place is AMAZING!" Sunny said. "Words alone do NOT do this place justice; just like my dad said they wouldn't." She added.
"Your dad sure gave you a lot of stories about our era, sugar cube." Applejack said. A very shiveled Shining Armor came up to them, snow in part of his mane.
"...Wait what's with the snow?" Sprout asked.
"Yeah...seems more of your time period leaked through. Thankfully, all that happened is that random piles of snow pop up every now and again." Shining Armor said.
"...Really hate that Yin-yang right now." Twilight said, groaning.
After that, we all got to meet Princess Flurry Heart and as I figured, Starlight had her initial failure with reconnecting with Sunburst, Flurry Heart's massive magical powers caused her to accidently break the crystal heart, giving Starlight the chance to successfully reconnect with Sunburst.
...I would like to point out real fast that having the crystal heart out in the open like this was just ASKING for trouble. But more on that later.
A bit later, the group was heading back to Ponyville by train when Starlight went up to Sunny.
"You knew everything that was going to happen, didn't you; right down to the fact Sunburst wasn't even a real wizard yet." Starlight said.
"Do you blame me for wanting you to hear it from your friend's mouth instead of from mine? You'd probably would've called me crazy." Sunny said.
"...Fair enough point. But one of these days, I will figure out what else your hiding and pry those secrets from your lips. Because they could help prevent future disasters." Starlight said.
"Now what kind of friend would I be if I didn't also make sure you had your own growth to go through?" Sunny asked, smiling.
"...Oh it is on Sunny Starscout." Starlight said.
Looking back on it now, maybe I should've told her a few things right then and there.
Season 1: Episode 3 - Friendship Castle-Mania (The Gift of Maud Pie Background)
It was a few days later when Rarity left with Pinkie Pie to go to Manehattan and in addition to helping Pinkie Pie find a gift for her sister Maud Pie (who I didn't even know about because my father never told me about her), Rarity was looking for a place to set up her Manehatten Boutique at. Leaving me and my friends back in Ponyville. Of course, Twilight was out on a date with Flash Sentry at the moment, leaving me and Starlight with Sprout at the castle.
...And then that's when the madness happened...
"Is it just me, or does this castle not look as big as it does on the inside as it does on the outside?" Sprout asked.
"Trust me, you're not the only one Sprout. I swear, just when I think I've managed to get a decent map of this place going in my head, I find some new hallway that I somehow completely missed." Starlight said. "And I've been living here for less than a month." She added.
"I hope this place becomes easier to navigate with time, otherwise I'll think that Discord is messing with us." Sunny said. "For everything my father said about him being a hero, he certainly likes his chaos." She added.
Suddenly, Discord crashed through the roof in the litteral sense. "OW! THAT REALLY BUCKING HURTS!" Discord said, very clearly injured with a claw swipe over his mid-section. Suddenly a mysteriously clawed creature landed on top of him HARD, knocking the wind out of the Draconequus. "GAH! WOULD YOU LET UP ALREADY?!" Discord said to the mysterious creature, who the three ponies were getting a good look at now.
"...What the buck am I looking at?" I don't remember father mentioning anything like this..." She added.
"Ah...ponies. Good. I'm in the right place." The creature said.
"...It TALKS?! Or is that a 'he' in this case? Sounded masculine." Sunny said.
"The name's Slasher, the right hand to Empress Paulina. But you don't need to know who that is just yet. All you do need to know is that she's someone who loves taking over planets and expanding her multi-versal empire." The creature said.
"Seriously? We just dealt with some god creature, now we got some world conquering space tyrant?" Sprout asked.
"Better put up your dukes, because I'm going to do my Empress a favor and kill the lot of you right here and now, so she doesn't have to be bothered." Slasher said. With a lunge, the mysterious creature tried to attack the three ponies but they dodged him.
"Where did this guy come from anyways? Discord, did you do something?" Starlight asked as she, Sunny, and Sprout did their best to fight back against Slasher.
"I found this guy just wondering around up on the upper castle floors and as soon as I saw him, he just attacked me straight up I swear." Discord said.
"Attack first, ask questions later when you see something you see as a threat. That's my motto." Slasher said.
"...And these ponies are worried I'M a threat?" Sprout asked.
After a few more attacks, Slasher just fled deeper into the castle.
"WHOA! He just took off like a rocket!" Sunny said. "We better track him down before Twilight and Flash get back and he hurts them." She added.
"I was thinking the same thing really." Starlight said. The group chased after Slasher, soon coming across him when they found Spike.
"Can someone explain to me what this creature is doing here and what it is for that matter?" Spike asked.
"Don't know, but whatever it is, it ain't friendly." Starlight said as she, Sunny, Sprout, and now Spike began to fight Slasher.
"Tch, I was going easy on you the first round, this time I'm getting serious on you." Slasher said and in addition to his lunge slashes, was now seemingly warping across the room straight to their location with his claws outward when in reality he was just using REALLY fast-moving slashes.
"Okay, this guy defiantly moves fast. We need Rainbow Dash here STAT!" Sunny said.
"Got a letter sent already." Spike said. While Starlight and Sunny attacked with magic, Sprout was forced to try bucking him with his hind legs while Spike tried to use his fire breath to attack the creature. At one point, the dragon actually hit Slasher.
"FIRE! WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE FIRE?!" Slasher said before essentially booking it again.
"And he's ran off again." Starlight said before Rainbow Dash suddenly showed up.
"Spike said you got a fast moving creature problem?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yes we do. Let's get moving after him to catch him before Twilight comes home." Sunny said.
"Right. Let's do this thing!" Rainbow Dash said. "Stand back Spike, we got this from here." She added.
"Right. I've um...got to make sure he doesn't wreck anything in my room anyways." Spike said before leaving.
"...What on Equestria is that about I wonder? Don't answer that. Not our concern for the time being." Sprout said.
"Spike's business is Spike's business. Besides, I've got a good idea on what he's trying to keep secret. It's most likely his collection of Rarity plushes. My father said he has a crush on her after all." Sunny said as the group of ponies searched the castle for the second time.
"...But he's a D-R-A-G-O-N! Not to mention she's like, several years older than him." Sprout said.
"...You know now that you say that, does this count as romancing a minor on Rarity's part?" Sunny asked.
"She doesn't return his feelings; it's totally a one sided crush thing. Wish the dude would take the hint already that she's just NOT interested." Rainbow Dash said.
"...And on that note, then what DO we count this as?" Suny asked before the group found Slasher again, this time near the entrance.
"I AM GETTING SICK OF YOU CATCHING UP TO ME! NOW DIE!" Slasher said when Twilight and Flash Sentry came in the door.
"What on Equestria...what is THAT?" Twilight asked.
"Oh hey Twilight. This thing is running around your castle like it owns the place." Rainbow Dash said. "And uh...we were trying to catch it before you got back." She added sheepishly.
"...Figures. But that's fine. Guess now we can help out." Twilight said.
"Formation S?" Flash Sentry asked.
Twilight nodded. "Formation S." She answered and then the pair suddenly rushed him, dragging him into a big scuffle. Unfortunately for the other ponies, a dust cloud prevented them from seeing anything. When it finally cleared, the creature was all beat up and on the floor.
"Dang Twi; what did you and Flash Sentry do to him?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Trust me, you don't want to know." Twilight said.
"Ow...everything hurts now..." Slasher said.
"Alright then, spill: Who's this Empress Paulina you mentioned before?" Starlight asked.
"That would be me." A female voice said. The group was forced to turn towards another mysterious creature, but this one had over their midsection a black cape.
The strange rabbit-like creature with a black cape was just about the same height as they were. "Slasher, didn't I tell you that I was currently on vacation?" The creature said.
"I just wanted to continue making you proud of me, mistress." Slasher said.
"Mistress?" Twilight asked. But that's strange, I'm not sensing any mind altering magics at all...
"How many times do I need to tell you Slasher? When I'm on vacation..." The rabbit-like creature suddenly used some kind of dark magic to make Slasher be forced right to the ground face down before stepping on his back side. "...It means absolutely ZERO world conquering." The rabbit-creature said.
"! Whoa!" Sprout said. Now even THIS thing is making me look like a joke. He thought to himself.
"Need I remind you that just because you're my second in command, it doesn't give you the right to do whatever you want." The rabbit said.
"My apologies mistress...it won't happen again Empress Paulina." Slasher said, baring the pain. It seems this was not the first time this has happened.
"I really must apologize. I'm supposed to be on vacation. But one of my minions informed me that Slasher had decided to try and conquer this plane without permission. But rest assured this will be the only time he does ANYTHING without my permission, or he'll face more extreme consequences." Paulina said.
"If your going to take over our world, you've got another thing coming." Rainbow Dash said.
"Ah yes. I've heard about your friendship magic. I'm not stupid of course. I don't conquer planets unless I know for sure I can do so without issue. After all, it's just not in my nature to fight a losing battle. It's why your being spared. For now." Paulina said
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Flash sentry asked. Suddenly Paulina formed a big, massive black sphere.
"It means this." Paulina said before throwing it, and when it detonated on the ground, the resulting explosion...did...nothing?
"...I don't get it..." Sunny said.
"If you don't get it, then you obviously don't know how strong your planet's friendship magic is. This castle is chock FULL of that same magic." Paulina said. "That's what I meant by me not being stupid. As it stands, if I were to invade your planet, you'd not only repel my invasion, but crumble my entire empire. And I can't have that." She added. "But for now, I bid you, Audiu." Paulina concluded before she and Slasher suddenly were whisked away by some sort of tractor beam.
"Hey, what in Tartarus? THEY'VE VANISHED!" Rainbow Dash said.
"Got a bad feeling about that Paulina girl..." Sunny said.
"You and me both." Starlight said.
A bit later, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle showed up.
"Oh hello Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. Is there a reason your here three before Twilight Time?" Twilight asked the three fillies.
"Oh hey, those marks of theirs look nearly identical." Sunny said.
"That's because we managed to figure out our special talent is helping others with their cutie marks." Scootaloo said.
"But as soon as we started looking around, we noticed something was off about the ponies from that future timeline." Sweetie Belle said.
"And wouldn't ya know it..." Apple Bloom was examining Sunny Starscout's flanks. "...Sunny's only got a cutie mark on one side as well. Just like ever pony else from the future." Apple Bloom said.
"...Wait what?" Twilight said, before examining this. "...Oh my gosh...it's true. It's only on the one side." Twilight said.
"Oh...yeah me and my friends kind of noticed that every pony in this era has their cutie marks on both sides of their flanks." Sunny said.
"This...could be a clue." Twilight said.
"...I beg your pardon?" Sunny asked.
"The fact that your era's ponies only have a cutie mark on one side might have something to do with why the three pony tribes were broken up again. Something must have happened for that to become the case after all." Twilight said. "But as far as I know, when a pony discovers their special talent, in this era, they get a cutie mark on both of their flanks. But I'm guessing that with you, it's only on the one side." She added.
"That's true. And I don't think it's got anything to do with the magic disappearing, as ponies were still able to get their cutie marks while the magic was gone in the future." Sunny said. "After all, I got mine during that period." She added.
"Which means that it was something more then the magic disappearing that cause that to happen." Twilight said. "Hey, here's a thought for you three: Why don't you go looking around for foals without a cutie mark yet from the future and see if you can help them find a special talent. That way, I can know for certain if being in this era causes them to get cutie marks on both sides now." Twilight said.
"I think they'd cover more ground if they split up." Sunny said.
"Good idea Sunny. Let's do it." Apple Bloom said.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CUTIE MARK SAVIORS, YEAH!" The three fillies said before running off.
"...By the alicorns, those three fillies sure have some kind of special lung compacity or something." Sprout said.
"...Your telling me." Sunny said.
Over the course of the next few days, the three fillies first actually managed to help an earth pony colt from their original era named Tender Taps discover his cutie mark, and then later, a filly named Wild Storm from the future get their cutie marks.
So, that lead to the report Twilight was looking over.
"...Hmm...interesting..." Twilight said. "Despite being here back in the past, Wild Storm still only got a cutie mark on one side of her flanks. Which only deepens the mystery further." She added.
"So, no real luck?" Sunny asked.
"No real luck. I was really hoping to have something." Twilight said. Suddenly, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon showed up.
"Um...hey girls." Diamond Tiara said.
"Diamond Tiara, what are you and Silver Spoon doing here? Are you going to try and derail Twilight Time for us again?" Apple Bloom said.
"Nothing like that." Diamond Tiara said.
"We thought we could actually legit attend this time, as we both need to be better ponies. Besides, with all these ponies from the future...my parents for sure are okay with me wanting to help figure out a mystery that no doubt Princess Twilight is trying to figure out." Silver Spoon said.
"And I'd figure that because your the cutie mark experts at this point, I'd help you out in my own way too. Besides, ironically the fact that there are ponies with only side of their flanks with a cutie mark is driving my mom very crazy. So when I asked if I could help solve the mystery, she couldn't say yes fast enough." Diamond Tiara said.
"But you never said how'd you go about doing it, did you?" Scootaloo asked.
"So, what if I didn't? Besides, her exact words were, and I quote 'if you have to be involved with those Cutie Mark Crusaders just to solve this mystery, then by all means do it; I feel like I'm about to lose my sanity just thinking about it.' So yeah. She doesn't even care." Diamond Tiara said. "I'm not complaining. Any excuse I can get with mom to hang out with you now that I'm not the same pony any more is a good one." She added.
"Fair enough. I'm certain we can use all the help we can get for this." Scootaloo said.
"Agreed." Twilight said.
"Same here. This could be crucial to the very history of Equestria!" Sunny said, completely excited.
Season 1: Episode 5 - Call a Doctor (Gauntlet of Fire Background)
"So...is there a reason WHY we didn't go see this whole Gauntlet of Fire thing?" Hitch asked. "If you ask me, we could've been there to help out." He said. He was talking to Sunny Starscout while the two were at the Castle of Friendship.
"Because Hitch, all of the main six went with Spike. Which leaves Ponyville more or less defenseless without them. If something should happen while they are away, then Ponyville is in big big trouble." Sunny Starscout said. "And we wouldn't want anything to happen to Ponyville now would we?" She asked.
Hitch opened his mouth...only to quickly close it. "...Out of all of us, you seem to have become the most willing to accept our new reality." He said.
"You forget Zipp. You weren't here for that, but when Luna gave the okay for her to join up with Soarin and Rainbow's upcoming flight team, she said and I quote 'This is like a dream. Hey Sunny, would you mind forgetting about going back now? I think I'm going to enjoy this new reality of ours.' Seriously, she was ESTATIC because she knows Soarin is a former wonderbolt and now he's making this all new team that'll be just like the wonderbolts and I know Zipp wanted to bring those back from the grave once things settled down enough after the magic returned." Sunny explained.
"...I didn't know that. How did you know about that?" Hitch said.
"You mean you didn't add her to your contacts list?" Sunny asked. "She was keeping in touch with the rest of us while she figured out how to bring back the wonderbolts almost daily." She added.
"Oh right...our phones..." Hitch said. "Speaking of, has Twilight made any progress on those?" He asked.
"Actually, she was about to run a test on them, and I will not budge on letting her run said test. If anyone can figure out how to get those phones working again, it's Twilight Sparkle." Sunny said. "I can only imagine how jealous my father would be about me working WITH Twilight Sparkle." She added with glee.
"...Please...someone call a doctor...because I think I'm about to get a headache..." Hitch said. Suddenly some kind of alarm was going off, which made Hitch jump and hit the cealing.
"WHAT IN TARTARUS IS GOING ON?!" Sunny exclaimed; yelling over the very loud alarm.
Flash Sentry suddenly came in. "UNKNOWN OBJECT ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE; IT SEEMS TO BE HEADED FOR THE EVERFREE FOREST!" The pegasus guard said.
"Oh of all the things that could happen while Twilight and her friends were away. C'mon Hitch, let's go round up every pony else." Sunny said.
Sprout didn't want to come along (mostly because as he told them he doesn't feel comfortable leaving the castle yet) but Sunny was sure that she and her four friends plus Flash Sentry would be enough to handle whatever it was that was coming to the forest. However, as the group looked up at the incoming object they noticed two things about it. The first was that it looked like a giant robot falling apart. The second was that it wasn't coming in on it's own accord.
"THAT THING IS GOING TO CRASH LAND! QUICK FLASH, GO GRAB PONIES TO HELP CONTAIN A SUDDEN FIRE SO THE FOREST DOESN'T GET TOO DAMAGED." Sunny Starscout said.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME TWICE!" Flash said and made sure to do so.
"As for us, we need to get Zecora out of the forest just in case." Sunny said.
"...Wait, who in Equestria--aaaaaand she's gone." Hitch was trying to ask but Sunny went on ahead. The other four shrugged and headed into the forest after her.
Zecora was in the middle of brewing a potion when Sunny suddenly grabbed her and started haulling out of the forest.
"Why is it that you had entered my home young pony of future year--" Zecora was trying to say.
"Quick summary: There's a falling robot from space going to crash land into the Everfree forest and I'm making sure you don't' get caught up in a fire if one happens." Sunny interrupted.
"--Never mind..." Zecora finished; not being able to rhyme after that. Sunny managed to get Zecora out just in time with her four friends following her out.
"Whose the Zebra?" Hitch asked.
"She's Zecora." Sunny said. "Father told me she was very helpful to Twilight Sparkle over the years." She added.
"And why was she in the Everfree forest?" Izzy asked.
"She lives there." Sunny said.
"...Zecora, have you ever thought about--" Pipp was about to ask Zecora about moving.
"If she moved, then there wouldn't be any guide through the forest." Sunny interrupted.
"--That is an EXTREMELY good point." Pipp admitted. The robot crash landed into the forest and like Sunny thought, a fire began to start. Just in time, Flash and a bunch of ponies started helping to put it out.
"I wonder if anyone was in that machine..." Sunny said. The fire was soon extinguished enough for them to go check.
"If you want to go check, do it now." Starlight said.
"Right..." Sunny said and the group headed back into the forest. They managed to find the wreckage where they found a mysterious creature passed out in front of what could only be described as the robot's head. Sunny couldn't help but notice the creature's head and the robot's head looked very similar. Eventually, the creature opened his eyes.
"Ugh...my everything hurts." The creature said.
"Aw...he's so cute AND he talks~" Pipp said and was rubbing her cheecks with a smile on her face.
"Ugh...to make matters worse it's going to take me MONTHS to rebuild my Devil Robo." The creature said.
"...D-devil?!?" Pipp said.
"Ah...greetings native lifeforms." The creature said suddenly addressing them. "Do not fear, I am not one who is evil despite my appearance and form name to the contrary." He said; the voice clearly masculine. "Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am Dr. Krono." The creature said.
"...When I said I wanted a doctor...I didn't think I'd actually get one..." Hitch said.
Season 1: Episode 6 - Second Chances (No Second Prances AU)
It didn't take long for the royal guard to collect the parts to Dr. Krono's robot which were then brought to Ponyville. When Twilight and her friends came back, Dr. Krono explained what he is and what he does for a living.
"A chao?" Hitch said.
"That's what I am. Specifically, my particular form is that of a Devil Chaos Chao. You have nothing to fear though. I assure you, I'm quite friendly." Dr. Krono said.
"So you built this robot yourself?" Sprout asked.
"Indeed. I was actually returning back to a different galactic system when I was hit by a meteor that threw me off course and caused me to crash land here." Dr. Krono said.
"I just have one question: What kind of doctor are you?" Twilight asked.
"A doctor that researches and studies chao. It's what I wanted to do with my life, and I assure you, my status as a doctor is legit." Dr. Krono said. "Even though the cost was great..." He mumbled to himself.
"Did you say something else?" Sunny Starscout asked.
"Perhaps I'll tell you some other time. Perhaps I will not." Dr. Krono said before resuming his work. "If you don't mind, I'd like to repair my robot so I can be going back home." He added.
A couple of days after this conversation is a day I knew all too well. I wanted to do my part to avoid the mistakes of what would happen this day, but I was beaten to the punch. It was also when Dr. Krono revealed the truth to me and Twilight.
Trixie was walking towards the Map room, a grin on her face. She had the perfect way to finally rub something in Twilight Sparkle's face when she got to the door.
"Are you really going to do what I believe you're going to do?" A voice asked her.
"Wh-whose there?" Trixie asked.
"Does it matter? If you're going to try and rub something in some pony's face, is that really what you want? Is that really what you'd want to do to your newest friend of all people?" The voice asked.
"How...do you..." Trixie was confused.
"Maybe instead you should be honest with yourself. Be honest with everything. I once made the mistake of being honest too late and it's costed me dearly. Do not make the same mistake." The voice said.
Trixie still had no idea who was talking to her, but that made her realize, if she wasn't honest...she would be most likely to lose everything for good this time. With her initial plan revoked, Trixie entered the room.
To say Twilight was shocked at the sudden apology of Trixie was an understatement to say the least.
What exactly has happened? My father didn't mention this... Sunny thought to herself. It was then that Dr. Krono came in.
"Dr. Krono, are you taking some sort of break from rebuilding that robot of yours?" Twilight asked.
"In one way, you could say that yes." Dr. Krono said.
"Your voice. Trixie heard your voice outside in the hallway." Trixie said.
"Hmm? Oh yes. That was me." Dr. Krono said.
Curiouser and curiouser... Sunny thought to herself.
"Dr. Krono, what exactly did you tell Trixie outside in the hallway?" Twilight asked.
"Just told her to be honest with herself is all. After all, I made the mistake of not being honest once. And it's costed me dearly." Dr. Krono said.
"Exactly what do you mean it costed you dearly?" Sunny asked.
"I wasn't always a Devil Chaos Chao. In fact, I used to be a human. The field of study I'm in now was something I wanted to be known for. But I had received some pretty bad news: I had been diagnosed with Tuberculosis." Dr. Krono said.
"I've never heard of Tuberculosis." Twilight admitted.
"You most likely would not; it's a virus exclusive to humans. I don't think you ponies will ever get a version of it. I had let the desire to fulfill my life's dream fill me, choosing to commit criminal acts in an effort to obtain the land necessary to get my research underway so I could fulfill said dream before I died." Dr. Krono said. "It was only when my diagnostics got serious and the truth had to be revealed was the person, I had to tell the truth willing to reach out and help me. Not only were they able to get me the land I've always wanted, but they saved my life from Tuberculosis. The later however, came at a price: They had to use Devil Chaos Chao DNA to save my life, and it ended up turning me into what you see before you." He explained.
"But...is that really so bad? You became a chao that researched your own kind." Sunny Starscout said.
"That's not where the price came from. See, Chaos Chao are immortal. We can't die. Period. We won't age a day either." Dr. Krono said.
"...Wait...your saying..." Trixie's eyes went wide with realization.
"Yes. This is my punishment it seems. Maybe if I had said something sooner, a different solution could have been found. Instead, this is my fate; my sentence if you will: Forced to live forever." Dr. Krono said. "No one should ever make the same mistake I did of not being honest towards others. Lest they share in my curse." He concluded.
"Forced to live forever...all because you weren't honest sooner..." Twilight said.
"Exactly." Dr. Krono said.
Safe to say I did not expect that, but honestly, I'm glad the situation was resolved without me having to reveal anything quite yet. But maybe it was both a blessing and a curse that I did not, considering what happened much, much later.
Season 1: Episode 7 - The New Team (Newbie Dash AU)
It had been a few days now, and now Dr. Krono had finished rebuilding his robot.
"Well, I really must be heading back home now." Dr. Krono said.
"By the way Krono--" Hitch began.
"That's DOCTOR Krono. I am lincensed after all." Dr. Krono corrected.
"...Dr. Krono, when we found you, you had dropped this picture." Hitch said before handing over a picture of another mysterious creature.
"Ah yes, that would be a picture of an Angel Chaos Chao. Though, this particular one would be of Angela; my wife." Dr. Krono said.
"Your married to her?" Twilight asked.
"In a sense. Chao aren't ones for marriage. Besides, we don't need some ceremony to be in love the way we are." Dr. Krono said. "I know weddings are a big thing, but there wouldn't really be anyone there besides a bunch of Chao." He added.
"Is there a problem with that?" Flash Sentry asked.
"Most chao aren't able to say anything past their species name. Me and my wife are the exceptions to that." Dr. Krono said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go back home and help my wife pack." Dr. Krono said.
"Pack? But weren't you given that land?" Sunny asked.
"Yes, I had done so, but until a few weeks ago, I felt like I had hit a brick wall in my studies when I came across a galaxy system home to plenty of intelligent chao like me and my wife. I wish to go to this galaxy system and study the chao contained within it so that I may understand how they had become so intelligent on their own merits. It would provide a breakthrough like never before." Dr. Krono said.
"Well ah reckon I speak for all of us when I say that we wish you the best of luck." Applejack said.
"I prefer not to rely on some chance-based aspect. Science is about control after all." Dr. Krono said before he hopped in his robot and proceeded to fly it off the planet.
Two Days Later...
Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Zipp, and a few other Pegsi were gathered at Canterlot with Soarin and Rainbow sitting behind a table that was facing all the other Pegsi.
But outside the room, Haven was pacing back and forth with Twilight and every pony else was looking at her.
"This is something I'd expect Twilight to do, not a former ruler. No offense Pipp." Rarity said.
"None taken." Pipp said.
"You pace back and forth like this?" Sunny asked.
"She does, but it's mostly when she's overworked herself." Applejack admitted for Twilight.
"Admittedly it's true." Twilight said. "That said, I can understand why Haven is so nervous. Her own daughter is behind those doors, and Rainbow Dash told me that there's a good chance that after all the tests scores were compared, Zipp may not make it onto the team." She explained.
"Wait, does that mean not every Pegasus in there will make the cut in the end?" Sprout spoke up.
"It is unfortunate, but it is the truth. A number of them will be flying with Soarin and Rainbow Dash on the main team, while another portion will be on the reserves. Every pony who doesn't make it on the reserves though, will be leaving here in sadness." Princess Celestia said as she joined the group shortly after with her sister.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna!" Sunny said. "Why aren't you in court right now?" She asked.
"Court won't be happening today, as this situation is far more important." Princess Celestia admitted. "It's not every day your sister gets her own dedicated flying squadron." She added with a chuckle.
"It does admittedly give me some something more to have with my sister." Princess Luna agreed.
"Did those two ever think of a name by the way?" Sunny asked.
"Admittedly, in the end, they simply went with the name of 'Neo Shadowbolts' as they really couldn't come up with anything better." Luna admitted.
"Neo Shadowbolts? Ah might need to talk to Rainbow Dash about her naming this new team that." Applejack said.
"Actually, the name idea was Soarin's." Princess Celestia said.
"...Never mind..." Applejack folded. Soon, the doors opened and a lot of Pegasi began leaving, many of them with sad faces. Soon, Zipp showed up.
"...How did it go?" Pipp asked.
Zipp smiled. "Believe it or not, I got in the main squad. I pretty much was the highest performer amongst all the candidates." She added. "Having a passion for wanting to inspire others the right way also helped." The white Pegasus added.
"Wow, congrats sis." Pipp said.
"Oh, I'm so relieved. Now you make sure to make me proud whenever you fly in those airshows." Haven said.
"By the way, I heard Soarin call Rainbow Dash something as I was leaving the room." Zipp said.
"Really? Did you pick up what it was?" Sunny asked, curious.
"I believe he called her 'Rainbow Crash'. No idea wh--" Zipp said before suddenly Fluttershy rushed past her. "...What was that about?" Zipp asked.
"We'll fill you in on the way." Twilight said.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was having her wings preened by Soarin.
"It was very nice of you to do this for me." Rainbow Dash said.
"When was the last time you ever did this?" Soarin asked.
"Last week. It's not easy to do by yourself as you know." Rainbow Dash said.
"You've got that right." Soarin said before Fluttershy suddenly came in the door, looking very angry.
"SOARIN WINDS, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU MISTER!" Fluttershy practically shouted.
"Whoa! Take it easy Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash said.
"How can you be so calm? He called you Rainbow Crash of all things." Fluttershy said.
"So? He explained a few things to me about the Wonderbolts. Isn't that right, 'Clipper'?" Rainbow Dash said with a smile. Fluttershy's jaw dropped at the notion of her friend calling Soarin Winds something like "Clipper".
"Heh...think we should fill her in then, Crash?" Soarin asked. With a nod from Rainbow Dash, Soarin continued. "See, the thing about the Wonderbolts, our nicknames? They are embarrassing sure, but they are meant to remind us that we aren't perfect, and we will mess up from time to time." He said. "Rainbow Dash filled me in on what caused her to earn a nickname that was used to bully her when she was a filly. And well, she figured best I know about what had occurred. Besides, she told me it was okay for me to call her 'Rainbow Crash'." Soarin finished.
When the main six finally arrived, they had noticed a fainted Fluttershy. "...What did you two tell her that made her react like this?" Twilight asked.
"...Here we go again..." Rainbow Dash said. Applejack would later faint just like Fluttershy did.
"Wait back up, I thought Rainbow Dash would be in Wonderbolt Academy at this point in time? I mean, that's what my dad told me about." Sunny said.
"It seems some changes have already happened before Yin-Yang interfered with everything." Starlight noted.
"Yeah, I bet he told you something like 'Lightning Dust caused the tornado incident' or something to that effect." Rainbow Dash said.
"Yeah. That's what he said." Sunny said.
"...Well the thing is...I told Spitfire the truth." Rainbow Dash said.
Flashback
"Just because you handed in your resignation, doesn't mean I'm going to accept it." Spitfire said.
"You don't get it. I was hoping Soarin was wrong, I really was, but you've shown me that he was right: You don't care about your fellow Wonderbolts at all." Rainbow Dash said.
"Still, if it wasn't for you, that tornado could've done a lot of damage." Spitfire said.
"...If it wasn't for me, that tornado would've never happened in the first place. I enabled Lightning Dust, got way too competitive with her, and it caused that Tornado." Rainbow Dash said.
"What are you saying?" Spitfire asked.
"I'm saying that I should be held just as responsible for that tornado as Lightning Dust was." Rainbow Dash said. "Look, I don't care if you say you made me a wing pony in order to put my ego in check. I've already had my ego checked by my friends as it is. So I didn't need it rechecked. And what's worse, you put some pony who was reckless in charge over me." She added. "So the Wonderbolts are just not where I see myself being in five years." The cyan mare said before flying off.
Rainbow Dash just left Spitfire there, brooding over her choices.
Season 1: Episode 8 - Big Mysteries (A Hearth's Warming Tail Aftermath)
Sunny was on her usual prowl through Twilight's castle; the earth mare still getting used to being able to drop Twilight's title and said princess of friendship having a special somepony.
However, as she did so, she noticed that Spike was in his room writing something. "Spike, what are you writing letters for?" Sunny asked.
"Oh, well, apperently I seem to have a secret admirer now. It happened shortly after the Gauntlet of Fire when I started getting these letters from some pony that prefers to remain anonymous. Whoever they are, they seem to like me a lot." Spike said.
"...And about your Rarity crush?" Sunny asked.
"...Funny story, shortly after that Paulina incident, Flash decided to have a talk with me..." Spike said.
Flashback
"Look, I know you like her Spike, but be honest with yourself: How old are you in comparison to her?" Flash asked.
"Err...I guess I never thought of it that way. I guess what I have is some crush." Spike said. "But who else is there really for me? Sure, Sweetie Belle is nice to me sometimes, but I don't think she likes me that way." He added.
"Not...sure how I can answer that." Flash said. Suddenly there was a knock on Spike's window.
"Derpy?" Spike asked before opening the window.
"Another letter for you." Derpy said before handing Spike the letter and then flying off.
"What does she mean another letter?" Flash asked.
"Seems I have a secret admirer." Spike said.
"Well, I'm sure whoever it is probably would actually love you back if you gave them a chance." Flash said.
End of Flashback
"And I decided to take Flash's advice. Plus, they said they are about my age so what's the harm in it? Not sure whose on the receiving end of these letters, but I hope to meet them one day in person." Spike said.
"And you have no idea who it is, do you?" Sunny asked.
"Nope." Spike said.
Sunny would've brought up Gabby the Griffon, but then she realized that there's no way Spike had met the Griffoness at this point. But she wonders if there could very well be someone else. Yet, Sunny has to admit to herself that she has no idea who exactly this could be if not Gabby. The hyper energetic griffoness that could give Pinkie Pie a run for her money is the only creature that comes to Sunny's mind when she thinks of letter writers. There are just too many unknowns with this.
It...couldn't be one other female Spike has yet to meet...could it? I don't even think she would see Spike that way. Sunny thought to herself. But she then threw that thought away. What the heck am I thinking? There's no way in Equestria is could be her. I'd bet one hundred bits on it. Sunny thought to herself. Hitch suddenly showed up.
"Hey Sunny, you remember those one hundred bits I borrowed from you that one time..." Hitch said.
"Yes?" Sunny asked.
"...Well I had invested them into something and I just realized, I'll never see any bits from what I invested in." Hitch said.
"...And why not?" Sunny asked.
"...Because what I invested them into doesn't exist here in the past." Hitch said before then heading off.
Sunny just stared at where Hitch left to. "...P-probably just a coincidence. Yeah." Sunny said to herself. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Zipp suddenly flew into the castle. "Whoa! What's going on here?" Sunny asked.
"We need to find Princess Twilight. Fast." Soarin said.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Sunny asked.
"I spotted that Paulina chick while we were doing arial practice over ponyville today." Rainbow Dash said.
"...You sure about that?" Sunny asked.
"Yellow-ish rabbit creature with red highlights and a purple cape around her back. I'm pretty darn sure that description only belongs to one creature." Rainbow Dash said.
"...Huh. Let's tell Twilight." Sunny said. In hindsight, she should've remembered Rainbow Dash's hyper attentive span while flying. It's how Twilight would've helped Rainbow Dash pass the test to get the cyan pegasus into the Wonderbolt reserves. Guess that was bound to come up somehow anyways. Sunny said.
"I'm still shocked that Rainbow Dash was able to spot Paulina from a thousand feet in the air." Zipp said.
"...I'll tell you later." Sunny said before the foursome told Twilight.
Outside at the outskirts around Ponyville, the mane six, mane five, Soarin, and Flash approached the one Rainbow Dash saw, and sure enough, it was Paulina. "Oh, you ponies again." Paulina said.
"What exactly are you up to, Paulina?" Hitch asked.
"If you must know, I'm currently trying to find my father." Paulina said.
"...Wait what?" Sunny asked. She did not expect that.
"A couple of days ago, I noticed my father had gotten free of the containment capsule I kept him in." Paulina said.
"You had him in a containment capsule? You really are evil." Soarin said.
"Hey my father once tried to make the world of the dead collide with the world of the living which would've made everything into a zombie. So I put him in that containment capsule so he couldn't basically zombify every living thing in vast meta-verse." Paulina said.
"...Okay, are we even sure this girl is evil?" Pipp asked.
"This was the last place I was before I had noticed my father got loose. So I'm just making sure he didn't get out around here." Paulina said. "Finding him is priority one right now." She added. "Don't think for one moment I'm no longer trying to find a way to combat your magic of friendship stick." The rabbit suddenly said. "Because once I do, finding my father will become priority two. Taking over this world will then become Priority one." She added before turning away and leaving.
