Dull Skies

by Glacier Frostclaw

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Sad, Main 6, Nightmare Moon, Original Character, Trixie, Adventure
Length: 8698

Rune goes back in time and has to help the Mane 6 save Equestria from Nightmare Moon

1000 years has passed since Twilight first came to Ponyville, and Celestia and Luna have long-since retired, Twilight having been chosen to replace them as the new princess. She has chosen her own student, and has been teaching him as she had been taught. However, her friends had died long ago and 1000 years has caused her to become lonely and miss the antics of her friends. Her student, named Rune Sigilsign, sees her sadness and decides to go back in time to figure out a way to cheer her up. However, something went wrong. He finds himself in an unfamiliar version of his mentor's past, where her friend Rainbow Dash never completed her first Sonic Rainboom. What could this mean for the legend of the six Elements, and why is there an ominous feeling of doom spreading throughout the night?

Published 2012-02-11 12:04:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-02-11 12:04:01 UTC

Prologue

Prologue

A blue colt with brown mane and tail was wandering around Canterlot Castle, having nothing better to do at the time.  His cutie mark was that of an arcane circle, a very unusual circle with odd symbols encircling it. He wandered down random halls, nodding towards passing guards and civilians and thinking about his recent studies on magic. Soon however, he got a bit hungry and started heading for the kitchen. Reaching his destination, he looked around, noticing the busy ponies working on a feast for the coming Summer Sun Celebration in three days, putting up banners of the sun, as well as ribbons, streamers, and other party decorations. He noticed some baked goods on the table and took a cupcake from the plate. Eating the cupcake quickly, he walked out of the kitchen and back into the hall, before nearly bumping into a pair of royal guards.

“Oh, excuse me,” he said quickly, moving out of the way. However, they stopped in front of him, looking very serious, though they always looked that serious, even at the princess’s parties.

“The princess would like to speak with you before she raises the moon for the night. She’s currently in her study,” one of the guards stated. The blue pony nodded and walked towards the stairs that led to the princess’s personal study to see what his teacher wanted to speak with him about.

******

Twilight Sparkle looked out the window from Canterlot Castle. She was staring towards the setting sun, thinking of Celestia, her old teacher. It had been so long since Celestia and Luna had made the decision to retire and give her their jobs. Before they left, they turned Twilight into an alicorn, the image of a princess, and announced her as the new ruler of Equestria. She then thought about how happy her friends had been, as a sudden memory coming up from long ago.

“Oh… that’s right. Tomorrow is the one thousandth year since I first went to Ponyville…” she said to herself, tears starting to fall from her eyes as she remembered her friends. She may have been made immortal by the princesses of their time, but her friends had not. She sighed and looked up at the sky, smiling at the fond memories she still had of their adventures.  “I wish I could see you all again…”

At that moment she realized that someone had entered the room, and turned around. “Who’s there?” she asked, looking towards the door. A blue colt appeared from around the corner and smiled at her, causing her to smile back. “Ah Rune, it’s you. I wanted to talk to you about the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration. A long time ago, I was sent by a dear friend to a town I’d never been in hopes of getting me to make friends,” she said, trying to hide a pang of sadness from the word.

“I’ve been watching you, and you lack proper friendship like I did at the time, so I would like you to go to Ponyville and look over the preparations tomorrow evening, as well as make some friends, as I did. Can you do that for me, my student?” she asked, looking at the young blue colt. He nodded and she smiled in response.

“Thank you. I will arrange everything myself, so you only need to worry about what you’re taking. Now, I must raise the moon for tonight and continue preparations here,” she stated, Rune nodding in response with an “Ok.” She smiled yet again and moved towards the door to get ready to raise the moon, leaving the blue pony in her study as she thought of her friends.

May you find friends like the ones I did that day, faithful student. She stopped for a moment and chuckled in amusement. Wow I sounded like Princess Celestia just then. She then continued walking, wondering what her teacher was up to.

******

Rune watched his mentor leave the room and sighed. It didn’t take magic to tell that she was upset about something. He was just about to leave the room as well when he noticed an ancient-looking opened book on Princess Twilight’s desk. His curiosity getting the better of himself, Rune walked over to examine the book.

The book appeared to be very old, and the page it was on held several photos as old as the book itself. In one of the pictures was a group of fillies about his age. He examined them closer and noticed that the one in the very center looked a lot like Princess Twilight. Then he looked over the other ponies, each one distinct from the other; a pink pony with puffy pink mane and a triple balloon cutie mark, an orange pony with blonde mane sporting a hat and a triple apple cutie mark, a blue Pegasus with rainbow mane and a cloud and rainbow lightning bolt cutie mark, a yellow Pegasus with long pink hair, caring eyes, and a triple butterfly cutie mark, and a white unicorn with a fancy purple mane and triple diamond cutie mark, all surrounding a purple unicorn with purple mane and a six-point star cutie mark. Rune blinked and looked again.

“Wait a second… this pony IS Twilight! But she’s not a unicorn, she’s an alicorn! What is this book?!” he exclaimed, turning over the book rapidly to see the cover. It bore Princess Twilight’s cutie mark. Opening the book to the first page, he was met with a thick stack of unrolled scrolls, the first one holding words he least expected:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’ve learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings, but when there’s not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala. If my friends can’t all go, I don’t want to go either.

Blinking at the letter to this ‘Princess Celestia’ person, Rune levitated the next paper to his view, reading it as well:

My faithful student Twilight,

Why didn’t you say so in the first place?

Princess Celestia

This letter confused Rune more. “So, this Princess Celestia really did exist… and Princess Twilight was her pupil?” He quickly closed the book and lifted it, heading towards his room to study as much of this book as he could, forgetting he had never asked for permission…

Several hours later, Rune had read through hundreds of letters between Princess Twilight and this ‘Princess Celestia’, and it seemed what he originally concluded was correct. A long time ago, Princess Twilight was in fact a student of Princess Celestia. However, all these letters talked about friendship and Ponyville. Suddenly, an epiphany hit him. “Of course! Princess Twilight’s dear friend was Princess Celestia! But… what happened to Princess Celestia?” he asked himself, and then went for the last paper in the stack:

My ever faithful Twilight Sparkle,

Princess Luna and I have decided that after nearly three thousand years of ruling over Equestria, it is time for us to retire. It is time I explained why I was looking for a personal student, and why I chose you.

Three thousand years ruling over any one land is tiresome, and we feel it is time for us to move on and have some well-deserved rest. The strain has been hard on us, and I believe it holds some fault to Luna’s little… episode, and after another thousand years, I have found you, the perfect replacement to take on our jobs so that we may finally rest peacefully.

I will not force this task upon you, as it is indeed a very difficult and selfish task I ask of you. However, I find that you are capable of doing this for us.

On acceptance of this task, my sister and I shall transform you into the image fit of the title, an alicorn like us. However, as much as we would love to, we cannot change your friends as well. The spell to turn only you is just too great. Again, we know this is a selfish request, but this was why you were chosen to be my personal student.

We await your answer anxiously.

Princess Celestia

The Journal

Chapter 1: The Journal

Rune put the letter down and immediately looked through the book for an explanation. What he found instead was Princess Twilight’s personal thoughts. “Wha-… this is… This is the princess’s diary!” he exclaimed, his eyes getting wide. He’d always hoped she would tell him why she was upset so much, and here laid the answer. Without another thought, he quickly found the latest entry, apparently written just before he’d entered her study.

This isn’t what I’d expected when I agreed to take your place as Princess…My friends are gone… All I have is my student, young Rune Sigilsign. He reminds me of when I was your student. How I’d stay shut in my own little world, oblivious to the troubles and happiness around me. I think I’ll send him to Ponyville, like you did with me. Maybe he’ll make more friends.

I wish I could see my friends again. See Rarity and Applejack arguing over silly things, or Fluttershy’s warm smile, or attend another famous Pinkie Pie party, or hear Rainbow Dash’s determined voice just one more time… Or even have something more to remember them by… it’s been so long since I’ve seen them… all I have of them is pictures and memories…

There are only three days until the Summer Sun Celebration. I have to attend to many things to prepare for the trip to Ponyville… I haven’t been there in years. I wonder what changes have been made since my last visit. For now I must ask Rune to look over preparations in Ponyville.

The entry ended there, and Rune guessed she had stopped to wait for him to arrive. He was just about to flip back a few pages to read more when the door opened.

“Rune? What are you still doing in-“

Rune quickly turned around and saw Princess Twilight at the door, staring at the book. Oh no I’m caught! Rune quickly looked around before Twilight spoke up again.

“Rune, were you reading that book?” she asked, looking directly at him. Rune reluctantly nodded.

“I’m sorry Princess. The book caught my eye and I got a bit too curious…” he replied, looking ashamed. Princess Twilight sighed and giggled at him.

“I should have known you’d look at it if I left it out.  So, how much did you read?” she asked him in a forgiving voice. Rune smiled nervously.

“All the letters and a few of the entries…”

Twilight blinked. “My, you’re a fast reader aren’t you? So, you know the truth, then,” she stated, thinking about what she should say. Rune looked up at her to ask her a question.

“How come you never talk about your friends? The letters and entries in that book sounded like you cared a lot about them,” Rune questioned. Indeed, the book showed Twilight to be quite fond of her friends, so why couldn’t Rune remember her talking about them very much at all?

“I do care about them. It’s just that… I was granted eternal youth, but they weren’t. I watched them all grow old and die. The whole subject is just… too painful to talk about in the open…” Twilight replied, deep sadness in her voice. Rune nods.

“I think I understand…”

“Well, I have a lot of preparations to make. It’s getting late, too. Why don’t you head off to bed and we can talk more in the morning?” Twilight suggested to her student. He nodded in response and turned to leave, but stopped to ask one final question.

“Um, Princess… could I borrow that book? I want to know more about your friends…” he asked, not certain how she would reply. Princess Twilight blinked and then smiled.

“Ok, but you mustn’t let anyone else see it. That book is still very private,” she replied, causing Rune to blink. He really didn’t expect her to say yes. He nods and grabs the book, then, after waving goodbye to his mentor, headed for his room. As he left, she thought to herself, maybe if he reads about my friends, he’ll go out and find his own…

******

Rune closed the book about nine hours later, sighing and looking at the massive book that he’d barely made a dent in at all. He had read all the way to his mentor’s first Grand Galloping Gala attending, and was too tired to read any more that night. I’ll continue in the morning. He thought as he put the book under his bed for safe-keeping and lay down to sleep.

Rune looked around. He was in an unfamiliar, dark forest near what appeared to be the ruined remains of a castle. He nervously looked around before walking up and entering the ruins. Upon entering the doorway he saw a large structure with 5 small spheres circling a much larger central sphere, covered in vines. As he watched, he heard a sound behind him, and hid behind a pillar. From his hiding spot, he watched as five fillies entered and walked over to the structure.

“Whooooaaa… Come on Twilight. Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?” the orange one said. Rune blinked. He’d seen her somewhere before, but where? And how did she know his teacher? His eyes widened as a sixth filly appeared, looking exactly like a younger version of his mentor. He watched as she moved towards the structure.

“The elements of harmony! We found them!” Twilight exclaimed as the blue and yellow pegasi that accompanied her started taking the smaller orbs down in front of her. A white unicorn and pink earth pony walked up behind Twilight.

“1, 2, 3, 4… there’s only 5!” the pink one stated. The yellow Pegasus brought the final of the five spheres down as the blue one spoke.

“Where’s the sixth?”

Twilight lay down in front of the 5 spheres and addressed her friends. “The book said that when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed.”

“What in the hay is that supposed to mean?” the orange one said, frowning in her confusion.

“I’m not sure but I have an idea. Stand back. I don’t know what will happen,” Twilight said, her horn starting to glow. Her friends started backing away and headed for the door.

“Come on now, y’all. She needs to concentrate,” the orange pony stated. The other four followed her out the door. Just as they left, a strange blue cloud appeared and flew right between the five stones, starting to swirl into a vortex. Rune ran out from his hiding spot and went to grab the stones, but when he tried, he simply went through them like a ghost. At that moment the stones were lifted off the ground, getting Twilight’s attention.

“The elements!” she cried out as she leaped into the vortex just before it disappeared, the other ponies entering just as the cloud, the stones, and Twilight disappeared.

Rune woke up at that moment and looked around. He shook his head and sighed. “What a strange dream…” he said, getting out of bed and moving instantly to pull out Twilight’s journal, continuing where he’d left off, hoping to be able to read as much as possible before having to go.

******

Rune was flying over the landscape in a fancy golden chariot being pulled by two royal guards, his destination, Ponyville, in sight. He’d spent most of the trip from Canterlot reading his teacher’s journal, and was starting to make a decent dent in the first half when he’d noticed they were almost there, so he closed the book and watched Ponyville become closer and closer. Within a few moments they would be landing in the town square. He glanced out of the vehicle at the ponies going about their business as the chariot landed. He stepped out of the chariot, nodded towards the guard pegasi that had brought him there, and grabbed the book, heading towards a large wooden tree house. However, just before getting to the doorway he heard something coming at him fast.

“LOOK OUT!”

Less than a second later, he found himself lying on his back in front of a white Pegasus filly with yellow mane and five purple balloons for a cutie mark. She rubbed her head and looked at him, then jumped up and tried to help him up.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there until it was too late! Are you ok?” the filly asked. Rune stood up and used his magic to pick up the book and letters, which had scattered on the ground.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied. He noticed her staring at him in silence. “Um… you want something?” he asked, looking confusedly at her.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” she asked simply. He hesitated, and then nodded. “I thought so. I work at Sugarcube Corner so I know just about everyone in Ponyville. Never seen you though. So, where’re you from?” she asked. Rune blinked.

“I just came from Canterlot…” he said slowly. Her eyes sparkled as she leaped into the air.

“Oh, Canterlot?! I’ve always wanted to visit the castle! You’ve been there, right? What’s it like?” she blurted out. Rune looked awkwardly at her, and then turned towards the door.

“I don’t really have time to chat… I have a lot of things to do,” he said, opening the door. She looked at him.

“Well can I help?” she asked, smiling. He turned and shook his head.

“No this is something I’ve been tasked to do. I can take care of it myself.”

“Well ok then… bye!” she said before dashing away. He sighed and walked inside, hiding the book away so no one would find it while he wandered off to take care of the job Princess Twilight had left him.

******

Rune looked over the list of what he was supposed to check on and a map. “Ok, so the first thing I’m supposed to check over is the food. Guess my first stop is Sweet Apple Acres…” he said as he pulled up a map. “Ok that’s kinda close, and the next place is close to that so it won’t be too big of a deal… hmm… I wonder if this library has anything on arcane circles I can study while I’m here.,” he said as he moved towards the door. As he opened the door, however, he was met face to face with the same Pegasus from before. “Uh… hello again.”

“Hi! I forgot to ask your name!” the white Pegasus filly said simply. “So, what’s your name?”

Rune blinked for a second. “I’m Rune Sigilsign. And you are?”

“I’m Surprise! Nice to meet you!” she said excitedly. “So what brings you to Ponyville?” she asked quickly. Rune blinked and looked at her, starting to get annoyed at her over excessive happiness.

“I’m here to check on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get to work.”

With that, Rune turned away and started walking towards Sweet Apple Acres, leaving the white Pegasus behind.

******

As Rune approached the farm, he noticed an orange mare with blonde hair and five red apples on her flank eating a few apples. He walked up to her and looked around.

“Excuse me. I’m here to check on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. How are they coming along?” he asked the filly. She looked extremely familiar but he couldn’t place where he’d seen her before.

“Oh? Well it’s comin’ along fine. Ah’ve collected all the apples the farm needs to feed everypony in Ponyville,” the orange mare replied. “Mind staying to taste test one of the pies?” she asked Rune. Rune thought for a little bit.

“I don’t know… I am hungry but I’m kinda busy at the moment. I still have several places to check on,” Rune said honestly, unsure of whether or not to stay for at least a snack.

“Come on, it won’t take too long,” she said, trying to convince him to stay for a bite as she started walking towards the barn. “Oh and my name is Applejack. What’s yours?” Hearing that name made Rune blink.

“Wait what? I thought Applejack was the name of a pony that lived about a thousand years ago,” he replied without thinking, following her. Applejack stared at him for a moment.

“Well… Ah’m not sure how ya know ‘bout that, but yeah there was once another filly in my family named Applejack. You see, Ah was named after her because Ah apparently look a lot like her. She’s my namesa- WHA?!” Applejack said as she had apparently stopped paying attention to where she was going and accidentally ran into a fence, falling on top of it and knocking it down. “Oh shoot! You head up to the barn while Ah fix this. Ah’ll be there in just a minute.”

A few minutes after Rune made it to the barn, Applejack entered the doorway. “Sorry ‘bout that, Rune. Ah tend to do that on accident sometimes. So… how about that taste test?”

Rune blinked and nodded. “Well, I suppose I could taste test something… as long as it doesn’t take too long,” he replied simply. Applejack smiled and headed for the door.

“Alrighty. Give me a few minutes and Ah’ll bring you something we’re planning on bringin’ in,” Applejack called back as she left, leaving Rune alone to think. His thoughts went, of course, to Twilight’s diary.

“I need to hurry and get this done so I can continue reading that book. I really want to know what happened after Discord was sealed away again…” he said to himself, thinking about what he’d read so far and wondering what other adventures his teacher had been on during her long lifetime. Soon Applejack returned with a slice of what looked like delicious apple pie.

“Well, here ya go. This here’s a slice of one of the pies we made especially for the Summer Sun Celebration,” Applejack explained, passing the plate to Rune, who lifted it using his telekinesis and took a bite.

“Wow this tastes great! If this is what you’re bringing to the celebration I don’t think I’ll have to worry about it at all!” Rune said as he tasted the pie, the delicious flavor filling his mouth and making him smile. He quickly ate the rest of the slice and returned the plate to Applejack. “Well I must be going. I still have a lot of things to check.”

“Alright. See ya around, Rune,” Applejack said as Rune turned to head for the barn door. Rune nodded and smiled, heading for the center of town.

******

As Rune approached the town square, he heard birds singing beautifully. He rounded the corner and saw a young blue earth pony with darker blue mane and tail and a snowflake cutie mark directing a choir of birds. He listened intently and smiled, enjoying the happy little melody the birds were singing, and didn’t realize it’d stopped, opening his eyes and seeing the filly looking at him curiously.

“Um, what are you doing over there?” she asked in a quiet voice. Rune walked over to her and her birds, looking over the birds and smiling.

“I was sent by Princess Twilight to check on the preparations of the Summer Sun Celebration. I was just here to check on the music preparations, but I can see that everything is taken care of,” Rune said, looking around the area. The blue filly looked towards him indirectly and kneaded the ground with her hoof.

“Oh I see… Well, my family has always been in charge of the music preparations in Ponyville, so I have it pretty well handled… I think. Speaking of family, if you’re checking on preparations, you should check on my sister next. She’s in that building setting up the decorations,” she said quietly, pointing to the tall circular town hall. A few decorations were draped on the entrance but it otherwise appeared plain. Rune nodded and started to head in that direction, then remembered his second objective the princess had given him.

“Oh! By the way, my name is Rune Sigilsign. What’s your name?” he asked simply, turning around to look at her. She looked away shyly and answered in a soft voice.

“My name is Snowflake Ice. It’s nice to meet you,” her reply came. Rune nodded and turned to enter the town hall.

******

“Let’s see… there’s a little too much blue there. And that spot over there is too green… hmm….”

Rune looked around to try and locate the source of the voice that had spoken as he entered. “Hello? Anypony in here?” he called out and waited for a reply.

“Oh, yes, hold on a moment! I’ll be right there!” the voice replied, seemingly coming from a ‘corner’ of the room surrounded in cloth, ribbons and papers. Another blue filly appeared from behind the clutter, this one a unicorn with light blue fur and icy blue mane and tail, and wearing a large green bow on her head and two green bands around her right hind hoof. She also sported three freckles on each cheek. “Hello, my name is Diamond Ice. How can I help you?”

“I was sent by Princess Twilight to check on the preparations for the celebration and was checking on the music. While I was there your sister said I should check here since it was close. So how are the decorations coming along?” Rune explained and asked curiously. Currently there were no decorations up in the entire building, from the looks of things. Diamond smiled and pointed a hoof to the cluttered workspace she’d walked out of.

“Oh it’s going wonderfully. I’m almost ready to start actually putting them up. Tell Snowflake I said thank you for sending you in while you were nearby. I needed a small break from working. You know the saying don’t you? ‘Too much work, not enough play’,” Diamond said happily. Rune nodded, hoping she had enough time to finish before the celebration started.

“Well ok then. I’ll leave you to do your business. Oh, and my name’s Rune Sigilsign. Nice to meet you,” Rune said before heading for the door. Diamond waved a hoof and called back.

“Nice to meet you too, Rune!”

******

Rune looked around the edge of town where a few clouds were. He was certain that if a certain pony was doing her job he’d find her here and sure enough, a pink Pegasus with purple hair and blue lightning bolts for a cutie mark streaked past, dispersing the few clouds left. He waited for her to finish and then called out to her.

“Excuse me, are you Firefly?” he called. The filly stopped midair and landed in front of him with a grin.

“That I am. Something you need?” she said simply and confidently. Rune smiled and nodded.

“I was sent from Canterlot to check on the Summer Sun Celebration’s preparations. The weather was the last thing I needed to check, so what’s left to do to get ready weather-wise?” Rune asked smartly. Firefly smirked and stood in a proud position.

“Nothing. That was the last patch of clouds I needed to get rid of. The sky is perfect for the celebration as long as I keep it just liked this until then,” she replied happily. Rune nodded again and smiled.

“Great that means I’m done too. Oh, my name’s Rune Sigilsign. Nice to meet you, Firefly,” he added, once again remembering the princess’s second task.

“Nice to meet you too. Well, I better keep an eye on the sky if I’m gonna keep it looking perfect. I’ll see you around, k?” she said before darting to the sky.

“Yeah sure!” Rune called back, turning around.

“SURPRISE!”

The outburst followed by the sudden flash of something white towards him made Rune drop and duck quickly before looking around. He immediately noted a familiar white Pegasus flying close to him.

“Surprise, please don’t do that. You scared me for a second,” Rune complained. He stood up and picked up the checklist, which he’d dropped when Surprise had scared him. Surprise giggled.

“Sorry. I just love surprising everypony! Almost as much as parties! Especially surprise parties!” she said cheerfully. Rune couldn’t help but chuckle, starting to get used to Surprise’s over-the-top cheeriness.

“Well, ok. I was just finishing up the task Princess Twilight gave me, so I think I’ll go to the library I’m staying at and do a little looking around. I might find something I can use in my studies,” he said simply, walking past Surprise towards the library. “I’ll talk to you later, Surprise.”

“Ok bye!” Surprise called before dashing off, undoubtedly to surprise some other pony. Rune headed back to the library and quickly went back to Twilight’s diary, forgetting he wanted to check the library for any books on arcane circles.

Decisions

Chapter 2: Decisions

Rune looked up from the book after finishing reading about Applejack’s attempt to run away because of a failure to win first place, and thought about his teacher. Remembering his teacher’s sad look when she told him about her friends, he frowned, not liking it.

“I want to cheer her up… but how…” he said, and then thought about what could possibly cheer the princess up. Suddenly he remembered something he’d read before. Turning back to the final page in her diary, he reread the entry and found what he was looking for:

I wish I could see my friends again. See Rarity and Applejack arguing over silly things, or Fluttershy’s warm smile, or attend another famous Pinkie Pie party, or hear Rainbow Dash’s determined voice just one more time… Or even have something more to remember them by… it’s been so long since I’ve seen them… all I have of them is pictures and memories…

He smirked, getting an idea.

“Or even to have something more to remember them by… If I remember correctly, there was a spell that allowed time travel in one of the books back at Canterlot Library…” he said, getting up and looking around the library. “Maybe this library will have a copy of that book… what was its title again… Oh yeah! It was Starswirl the Bearded’s Guide to All Things Magical!” he said, quickly looking to the correct section. To his surprise, the library did indeed carry the book he needed, and he quickly pulled out the book and skimmed the pages, finally finding what he was looking for near the back.

It is, in fact, possible to travel back in time using unicorn magic, though the practice is frowned upon due to the sheer amount of danger it can bring. For one, use of this magic risks messing up the time continuum, which will result in changing the future you would be returning to. Anypony thinking of using this magic must gain the permission of the Royal Council before attempting, and must follow ALL guidelines given to them by the council.

To cast this spell, a unicorn must meet all prerequisites:

The user must have a large amount of magic at their disposal. Time travel magic is very energy-consuming, and it will use the user’s life force if it runs out of magic to use, also known as magic overdrain. Most unicorns that have attempted this spell have died from using all of their magic and life force.

The user must have a very distinct image in their head of the targeted time and place. This is how the user indicates what time they wish to return to. Without a proper image in the user’s head, they could end up in any time period.

The user must also have an image in their mind of where they want to return to. They must know every detail of the location and time they want to return from their journey. Without this, the user will be stuck in the past with no way to return.

The easiest way to cast this spell is with the assistance of a magic multiplying arcane circle, preferably of high level to ensure the user is not killed from magic overdrain. My preferred arcane circle can be found in the back pages of this book. Simply copy the circle on the ground, and be sure to make the circle big enough that the caster can comfortably stand within the circle. The user then pictures the exact moment they wish to return to and activate the circle. The process to return is the same.

Confident he could accomplish this task, Rune went to the back of the book and found the circle, immediately recognizing it as a very high-level circle. He looked around and found a door he hadn’t noticed before and opened it, revealing a staircase downward. Rune grabbed both Starswirl the Bearded’s Guide and Twilight’s diary and then headed down the stairway, closing the door behind him and eventually coming to the end in what looked like an ancient laboratory. Cobwebs and a thick layer of dust covered everything, as if no one had been here in at least 100 years. Rune nodded, knowing this would be the best place to draw the circle, away from where anyone would find him. He quickly got to work using his horn to leave trails of magic energy and drawing the circle. After about half an hour of drawing the circle, he looked down at it and nodded. Then he turned to Twilight’s diary and looked through some of the pictures, finding a picture of the park at dawn with nopony in it.

“Perfect. I won’t have to explain anything for popping up if I use this,” he said. He quickly memorized the picture and walked to the circle, placing the two books into it and then stepping in himself. “This is it…” he said, closing his eyes and picturing the image of the park. He then realized that the picture existing meant that somepony WAS there, most likely Twilight herself, so he changed the image in his head to around dusk, made a mental photo of what the laboratory looked like as he left, and focused back on the image he as using to go back, activating the circle and disappearing with a flash of very strong magic.

******

Rune appeared with a flash in the exact image he’d pictured in his mind, looking around to make sure there was in fact nopony in the vicinity before opening Twilight’s diary and thinking about where to start.

“Hm… according to the book, Pinkie Pie knows everypony in Ponyville, so I suppose she’s the first one I should go to,” he decided, looking around and heading for the edge of the park to begin his search. He looked at the different buildings, and back to Twilight’s journal, looking at the picture of Sugarcube Corner, the place Pinkie apparently lived and worked at. He noticed a lot of the buildings hadn’t changed in the 1000 years that he’d travelled, recognizing most of them from when he first came to Ponyville. After a while he realized that wandering around wouldn’t get him anywhere, since he’d never been to Sugarcube Corner in the first place. Spotting a pair of fillies walking together, he walked over to ask for directions.

“Excuse me, girls. I’m a bit new here. I’m looking for Sugarcube Corner. Could you point me in the right direction?” Rune asked them, looking around to make sure it wasn’t visible and making him look like a complete idiot. The green one with white hair and a harp cutie mark was the one to speak up first.

“Oh sure, it’s on the other side of Ponyville. In that direction,” she said, pointing in the opposite direction Rune had been going. Rune nodded and smiled.

“Thanks a lot. Bye!” he said, running off in that direction.

“Don’t mention it!” the filly called back.

******

Rune looked up from the book and nodded.

“Yup. This is the place. Sugarcube Corner, run by Pinkie Pie, Mr. and Mrs. Cake,” he said to himself before heading for the door. He made sure they weren’t closed yet and entered, looking around. “Excuse me, is anypony here?”

“Be right there!” came a lady’s voice from the kitchen. Moments later, a filly with three cupcakes for a cutie mark came out.

“Hello there. I’m Mrs. Cake. What can I do for you?”

“Um, I’m looking for a filly named Pinkie Pie? I heard she lived or at least worked here? Is she around?” Rune asked, looking around to see if the pink pony he was looking for was in the room anywhere. She was not, which wasn’t surprising, but Mrs. Cake’s face at the question and her reply were.

“You say you heard a ‘Pinkie Pie’ worked here? I’m afraid you heard wrong. It’s always been just me and my husband working here. I’m sorry,” she said, and Rune could tell from her face and tone that she was telling the truth. This confused him greatly.

“Oh… well, ok then… Thanks anyway,” he said, turning around and heading for the door. After exiting the building, he double-checked the journal. Pinkie Pie was supposed to live and work at Sugarcube Corner. The book confirmed it. Rune decided that the next best choice would be to find the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy. She should be on the edge of the Everfree Forest, living in a cottage alone with woodland creatures. He once again stopped a pony for directions, this one a colt with brown fur, darker brown mane and tail, and an hourglass for a cutie mark.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for a filly named Fluttershy. I heard she lives on the edge of Everfree. Where can I find her cottage?” he asked the colt. The colt shrugged.

“I’m not entirely sure, but the road to the Everfree would be a good place to start. It’s right over there,” the colt replied, pointing to the left. As he’d said, Rune could tell that a little farther down that road and he’d end up at the edge of Everfree.

“Thanks,” Rune replied, heading down the road. After a few minutes of walking, Rune came to the edge of the Everfree Forest, noticing a small path leading off in the right but not heading into the forest. Guessing this lead to Fluttershy’s house, he followed the path. His guess was right, and soon he found himself standing in front of a cottage. He knocked on the door. The moment he did, there was a small squeak. The squeak wasn’t from a mouse though.

“W-who’s there?” a quiet voice spoke from the other side of the door. Rune thought for a moment. “H-hello?” the voice asked again after Rune hadn’t answered right away.

“My name is Rune Sigilsign. I’m looking for somepony named Fluttershy. Is this her cottage?” Rune asked. He figured it’d be safe to say his name as long as he didn’t affect too much. He was only here to get gifts for Twilight, after all. The door started to open, but stopped suddenly, only opening a crack as a single green eye peeked out.

“T-this is my house, yes… w-what do you want?” the filly asked quietly. Rune blinked, and then remembered Twilight’s journal had said Fluttershy was extremely shy.

“I need a little help. I was looking for a Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner, where I was told she worked, but Mrs. Cake said she doesn’t. Do you know where I can find her?” Rune asked. Fluttershy opened the door a little more.

“I’m sorry, but I d-don’t know a Pinkie Pie. I know a Pinkamena Pie, and she lives out a-at the rock farm. It’s just north of Ponyville. I’m sure you c-can make it if you just follow the r-road,” Fluttershy replied softly. Rune had to strain his ears just to hear her speaking. When the book said she was shy, it wasn’t lying. Rune thanked her and apologized for bothering her so late, as it was now getting dark. He then walked through Ponyville and to the north road, following it to a small farm with a single house and silo. This farm had no wheat, no vegetation of any kind. The only thing it did have was rocks. Rune looked around and noticed that the residents of the farm were all asleep, and a thought hit him.

“I… I don’t have anywhere to sleep,” he said in surprise. He hadn’t thought he’d have spent a night here. He thought for a bit, then decided on the only thing he could think of, walking towards the silo doors. Opening them quietly, he saw nothing but more rocks. Frowning, he walked in and closed the door, laying down next to a small rock pile and closing his eyes to sleep.

******

Rune woke up with a jolt as something poked his side. At first he suspected it to just be a rock, and started to go back to sleep, when whatever it was poked him and a voice spoke.

“What are you doing in here? This is my pa’s silo, not a bed.”

Rune jumped up quickly and looked at the pony poking him. He was met with a gray filly with straight hair and a rock for a cutie mark.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t have anywhere to sleep, and I saw this silo and thought it’d at least be a good shelter for the night,” Rune explained quickly, looking straight into the filly’s eyes. She didn’t look too impressed.

“Oh really. Well, I suppose I should bring you to my pa. You were trespassing, after all. What’s your name?” the filly asked. Rune winced at the thought of meeting the owner of the farm.

“Rune. You?”

“Inky. Come with me. Pa should be in the south field.”

A World Without Rainbows

Chapter 3: A world Without Rainbows

Moments later, Rune found himself in the south field, getting a piercing stare from Inky’s father.

“So… you were in my silo last night, huh? Why? Thinking of stealing my harvest?” he asked accusingly. Rune blinked, not sure if there would have even been a point in stealing from a rock farm.

“No sir, I was only looking for shelter to sleep. I came to Ponyville last night and realized I didn’t have a place to stay. I didn’t think anypony would mind me staying in the silo just for the night.”

“We’re a ways away from Ponyville, colt. Why’d you come way out here if you were in Ponyville?” Inky’s father asked. Rune frowned.

“Well… I was trying to find somepony, and I was told she lived out here,” Rune replied cautiously. It’s not the best idea to tell someone you were at their place at night looking for a filly, but it was an even worse idea to lie to them.

“Is that so? And who was this filly you were looking for?” the father’s response came, sharp and accusing as the last inquiry. Rune took a deep breath.

“I was looking for a filly by the name of Pinkie Pie. I was told she lived here and I was needing her help with something,” Rune said, hoping they wouldn’t ask any more questions. This hope was, of course, pointless.

“’Pinkie’ Pie? Young colt, that is not my daughter’s name. Her name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, and I demand to know what you want with my daughter,” Inky’s father said firmly. Rune winced again. As he’d figured, Inky was Pinkie’s sister, and this was her father.

“I need her help with a gift for a friend of mine,” Rune answered. To his surprise and relief, Mr. Pie seemed to soften up a little.

“Is that all? Well, she’s in the north field. Just know, if I find out you try any funny business, I’ll report you to the authorities,” Mr. Pie warned. Rune nodded.

“Yes sir. Don’t worry,” Rune reassured, then headed towards the northern field. A few moments later he found himself standing next to the pink pony he’d been looking for, except she looked nothing like she had in the photos. Her mane and tail had been curly in the pictures, but the filly in front of her had perfectly straight mane and tail. The pony in the picture also had three balloons on her flank, and this filly was a blank flank.

“Um… hello? Pinkie?” Rune asked nervously. He was starting to wonder what was going on. The filly turned around and grimaced at him.

“Don’t call me that. My name is NOT Pinkie. It’s Pinkamena! And what do you want?” the filly demanded.

“I’m sorry. Pinkamena, why aren’t you working in Sugarcube Corner? And where’s your cutie mark?” Rune asked without thinking. He was focused on figuring out what had happened that caused this confusing predicament. Pinkamena simply blinked and looked at Rune.

“Work at Sugarcube Corner? Where the hay did you get that idea? I’ve always lived with Ma and Pa. And are you just here to make fun of me being a blank flank? Because if you are, just leave!” she grumbled. Rune shook his head rapidly. Then he remembered something worrying that he’d read in Twilight’s journal.

“Pinkamena… When you were a little filly, did you ever see Rainbow Dash’s sonic rainboom?” Rune asked nervously. It was the only thing he could think of. Twilight’s journal mentioned that Pinkie Pie had gained her cutie mark on the day that her friend Rainbow Dash performed a sonic rainboom for the first time. The worrying thing is that according to the book, Twilight and all five of her friends had gained their cutie marks at the same time because of the sonic rainboom. If his suspicions were correct, then he was in trouble.

“Sonic rainboom? What are you talking about? And who the hay is Rainbow Dash?” Pinkamena’s reply came. Rune blinked and shook his head in realization.

“N-nothing… Forget I said anything. I’ll be going now,” Rune said before turning around to leave. He made his next destination Sweet Apple Acres.

******

Rune approached the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres and looked around for the orange pony in the picture. Not seeing her, he headed for the barn, where he nearly ran into a red colt with tan mane and tail, as well as a half apple cutie mark.

“Oh, sorry! Didn’t see you there,” Rune apologized quickly. “Hey do you know where I can find Applejack?” he added a moment later. The red pony blinked and frowned.

“Eeyup. She lives in Manehatten. She has ever since she went to live with our Aunt and Uncle Orange. Why you need her? I’m sure I can help,” the red colt said. Rune shook his head.

“No, I have to talk to her specifically. Thanks anyway though,” Rune replied. He quickly checked in the journal to see what he should do next when a young filly with yellow fur, red mane and tail, and no cutie mark came in.

“That’s too bad. Unless you really hurry, you’ll miss the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration in three days. Princess Celestia herself is coming to Ponyville,” the young blank flank added, causing Rune to blink.

“Wait… what did you say about the Summer Sun Celebration?” Rune asked urgently. The filly looked confused and repeated herself.

“It’s the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration. We’re hosting it here in Ponyville. Surely you know what the celebration?”

“Oh no… this isn’t good,” Rune said to himself, a little loudly. The filly tilted her head.

“Why not?” she asked. Rune looked at her for a moment then shook his head.

“It’s nothing. I have to go,” Rune said, rushing towards the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. As he ran, he started heading towards Fluttershy’s cottage. He had to find Rainbow Dash, and the only one who would know where Rainbow Dash is would be Fluttershy, because according to Twilight’s book, they were friends before Rainbow Dash’s race. If the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration was only three days away, then the book said that Nightmare Moon would be released from her prison on the moon. Rune was now on a tight schedule. He had to somehow get the six fillies their cutie marks, get them to be friends, and then convince them to face Nightmare Moon and use the Elements of Harmony to defeat her. As he thought, he followed the roads to Fluttershy’s cottage. He quickly knocked on the door. The door opened a bit.

“H-hello? Who’s there?” Fluttershy asked quietly. Rune was panting from running.

“It’s me… Rune… I…. need your help… Rainbow Dash… I need to find her…” Rune forced out between pants. Fluttershy opened the door a little more.

“Why do you need to find her? She tends to be practicing right now,” Fluttershy said, looking out enough that Rune could actually see her face. He let himself catch his breath before continuing.

“It’s something very very important. It involves her cutie mark. I think I can help her with it,” Rune said, taking a guess that Rainbow Dash never got her cutie mark either. Fluttershy opened the door all the way and stepped outside.

“Really? Oh she’ll be so excited! You know, she’s always being laughed at by these two boys for never getting her cutie mark. I tried to help her after I got mine but-“

“Wait you have your cutie mark?” Rune interrupted. Fluttershy blinked.

“Well… yeah I’ve had it… I got it after Rainbow Dash accidentally knocked me off a cloud as a little filly,” she said shyly, apparently embarrassed at being interrupted.

“Oh… whatever. Can you show me where Rainbow Dash is?”

“Oh, right. Follow me,” Fluttershy replied and flew off, Rune chasing after on the ground.

******

Fluttershy stopped in front of a cloud where a tuft of rainbow mane could be seen. She looked worriedly at the tuft of mane.

“Rainbow Dash, are you ok?” she asked. A groan from the cloud was the response. A filly with blue fur and rainbow mane and tail popped out of the cloud, looking very grumpy.

“It was those two colts again! I was trying to practice and they kept getting in my way, chanting ‘Blank Flank’ and stuff like that! I couldn’t get anything done at all!” Rainbow complained. Rune caught up and frowned. He was never fond of bullies. Rainbow Dash looked down at him. “Fluttershy, who’s this guy?”

“This is Rune. He said he knows how to get you your cutie mark!” Fluttershy replied excitedly. Rainbow mirrored her excitement and flew down to Rune.

“Really!? You’re serious?! Tell me! Tellmetellmetellmetellme!” she exclaimed excitedly. Rune couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It’s simple, Rainbow Dash. You just need to complete a sonic rainboom,” Rune informed her. Rainbow Dash’s excitement immediately disappeared.

“Ex-CUSE me?! ‘JUST’ complete a sonic rainboom?! It’s impossible! The sonic rainboom is nothing but a myth. I made it up myself and I can’t even do it!” she exclaimed angrily. “You’re…. You’re just here to make fun of me too, aren’t you!? Well, FORGET IT! I’m out of here. Fluttershy, I don’t want you to bring anyone else to help. No offense but no one you’ve found has been able to help me,” she said and flew off, quickly disappearing into the clouds. Rune sighed and Fluttershy looked down at him.

“Were you being serious, Rune? Because if you were only making fun of her, that wasn’t very nice…” Fluttershy stated quietly, as if afraid he might hear her speaking to him.

“Yes, Fluttershy I was being completely serious. Don’t ask me how I know, but if she does a sonic rainboom she’ll get her cutie mark. I swear it.”