The Nexus

Chapter 4: Metal Thin

"Princess, you can't be serious. Time travel is impossible!" Twilight Sparkle, the egghead of the Mane Six and host of the Element of Magic, exclaimed, pacing in a small circle.

Across from the purple haired Alchemist, the royal sisters around the large, wooden table, looking at the silver metal book. The gems shined mischievously in the bright crystal light. It took pure willpower not to blast the stupid Book of Ages out of existence.

"Of course it is, Twilight. You did it only a month ago." Princess Celestia replied. "This is only a more complicated spell."

"But, Princess! A spell that allows you to relive your own past? That's ridiculous and dangerous! Why hasn't this been locked up?" Twilight demanded. "What kind of person makes such a thing? Yes, the advances you could make could be outstanding, you could change the very fabric of the space time continuum, but still! What if you make the wrong move? You could tear the entire universe in half!"

"Calm down, Twilight." sighed Rainbow Dash, absentmindedly playing with the lightning shaped, short sword that had been embedded in the wooden table. "You're creating a rut again."

The Alchemist stopped to send a glare at her friend, the same person who had discovered the book by accident. And who touched it. Her baby dragon nodded in agreement with Rainbow Dash.

"Argh! Don't you guys care?" demanded Twilight.

"Yeah, but there's no need to worry. The Princesses know what to do." She side glanced at the pondering royals. "I think."

Ever since the Sun and Moon Goddesses had appeared in a startling flash of gold and silver, they had been working nonstop on containing the ancient magic the book decided to leak. Well, the Moon Princess did. Celestia had taken Rainbow Dash to the side to privately speak to her while leaving Twilight to worry about the various possibilities of her friend potentially exploding. After several reassurances from the Princesses that Rainbow Dash would not explode like a Hearth's Warming Eve firework, Twilight Sparkle was slowly going crazy from worry. Her hair was slightly frizzled and her clothes a little out of place. She tore through the various scrolls and tomes predating even the times of Star Swirl the Bearded in hopes of finding more information about the book.

Eventually she had. In a large journal that belonged to Eclipse, the Celestial King and father of Celestia and Luna, during the times of the three great clans with tattered pages, a single page describing the power of the book had left her grasping at straws. There was absolutely no other information on the Book of Ages other than that it sent you back in time, in your timeline, to relive the past. What you did during that time would ultimately change the future according to the notes of Eclipse. There was no notes on how the Book worked or how old it was, though. For a scientific mind like Twilight's, it was absolute chaos.  The thing that bothered her the most was not the little information on the Book of Ages, the Codex as the Celestial King called it, but the way Princess Celestia was acting.

She had first found it odd that the Princess had broken her hand, then combined with the private talk with Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle was more than absolutely positive that Princess Celestia, her mentor since childhood, was keeping a secret. A secret that involved Rainbow Dash.

Twilight Sparkle had tried to speak to the cyan feathered Valkyrie on what happened but she had been distracted with the strange sword Celestia had handed to her. The lightning shaped sword was hauntingly familiar to Twilight. Although, she couldn't place her finger on why or how, she was certain it would come into play later. Whenever later was. Princess Celestia had a habit of doing things now that seemed odd but would later benefit them. Twilight only hoped this was one of them. A sigh and a frown, Twilight kept on digging through the labyrinth of scrolls. It had been this way for an hour until Twilight succumbed to her insanity.

"What does this book have to do with Rainbow Dash?" demanded Twilight Sparkle.

The uncharacteristically acting prismatic Valkyrie was easy to deal with but the Princesses were becoming increasingly difficult. For once, the Sun Goddess offered no more wise words than "you shall see soon, my student", and that had already run dry. Soon wasn't fast enough. She wanted results now. She briefly mused if this is the way Rainbow Dash felt all the time when everyone else was so slow compared to her. No wonder she was so impatient and rash.

"Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. All will be revealed when the time is right." Princess Celestia half smiled to her student as Luna nudged her.

"Sister, I fear the Book is already activating." frowned Luna, her brow creased with worry. "I don't think there is anything more we can do."

"What do you mean activating? Is Rainbow Dash going to be sucked into her past?" Twilight asked.

"Yes." Celestia sighed.

"Can't we do anything to stop it, Princess? You know what happened to her! We can't let her relive that!" She all but screamed.

"I'm not." Rainbow Dash piped up. "We're going a bit further than my past."

"What do you mean by furth- we?"

"Yeah. You touched it, too." grinned Rainbow Dash. "You're coming with me, too."

"But," she sputtered pathetically. "where will we be going? It's your past. I don't come in until the two days before the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Do you remember Hearth's Warming Eve when we did the play, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Of course. You were Commander Hurricane, Fluttershy was Private Pansy, Pinkie Pie was Chancellor Puddinghead, Rarity was Princess Platinum, Applejack was Smart Cookie, and I was Clover the Clever." replied Twilight Sparkle, confused at her question. "Why does that matter?"

"Because that's where we're going. That's why these two," Rainbow Dash lifted the two gold figurines for Twilight to see, "are gold. That's the only reason why we're even down here. Spike got the black eye, the bruises and the cuts because this place is booby-trapped to stop anyone that isn't a Celestial or meant to find the Book of Ages."

"But that's scientifically impossible!" Her entire world was crashing down around her.

"You're an Alchemist. That is in itself impossible. Princess Celestia explained to me why my rage was happening and why we need to use the book. Believe it or not, we're going to secure the founding of Equestria." Rainbow Dash explained.

"Princess?"

The Sun Goddess nodded. "Rainbow Dash is correct. I hadn't imagined it would happen this way. If I had known, Twilight Sparkle, I would have informed you."

"Was that why you called us here?" whispered Twilight.

"No, I had wanted to discuss a theory that you might have been interested in. Rainbow Dash was summoned because the Wonderbolts were going to stay in the palace before their next show. I thought she would enjoy it." The Sun Sovereign explained.

"You knew all along?" Twilight Sparkle cried.

The Sun Sovereign did not deny it. Instead she put her uninjured hand upon her shoulder. "Twilight Sparkle, I did not chose you to be my apprentice because you were destined to finding the Book of Ages, nor did I chose you because you are the Element of Magic. I chose you because you're you. I chose the Twilight Sparkle who loved to read and explore the wonders of the world, who's ambition towards something greater led her to saving Equestria more times than anyone else. I hope you can forgive me for not telling you your fate."

"Why, Princess?"

The immortal Princess seemed older than she normally looked underneath the crystal light. "Whatever happens in the past, always look to the future. You and Rainbow Dash will be responsible for all of Equestria. I don't know what will happen when you're there, but know you always have friends."

"Princess, who am I? Back then, I mean?" If Twilight was being honest with herself, she feared that she might not like who she'll become when inside the mysterious Book that could bend the space time continuum. What if she was a criminal or worse! A book hater! Every single possibility raced through her head faster than a Sonic Rainboom.

"You must find that on your own. Discovering who you are isn't just a name. Star Swirl the Bearded did not become the most powerful unicorn by simply saying his name. He worked hard towards the future, helping all of humanity. You, Twilight Sparkle, must find your own path." the cryptic Celestial replied.

"But what if-"

"No, what if's, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Just find me and we'll be fine."

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight deadpanned, "how will I know it's you? We'll be in the middle of an entirely different continent with no way of knowing who's who."

"Just find Commander Hurricane and Clover the Clever. That way, we'll have to eventually meet when the three clans move to Equestria." Rainbow Dash explained.

"Alright, but you better be there." Twilight sighed.

"I will." smirked Rainbow Dash. "Come on, let's get going."

"Will it hurt?"

"Let's find out." Rainbow Dash said, roughly grabbing her hand and slamming it onto the cold, thin metal sheets.

The Princesses had already retracted their magic by then and all Twilight could feel was a cold emptiness that left her craving for the sun. She no longer felt Rainbow Dash's hand upon hers as her body jerked forward into the black abyss of nothing. Twilight couldn't scream or breathe as everything became nothing and nothing became everything.

Then she hit the snow.