Rainbow Dash sat on her cloud, absorbing the heat of the Sun, which sat high in the sky. She sighed, relaxing with a smile. Her arms were folded behind her head, as she felt the warmth fill her. She felt pure bliss, and wanted it to last forever. Still, there was one feeling, nagging her at the back of her mind. It was a feeling she didn't often feel: Sadness.

She sat up, and looked across the land, from her cloud up high. She saw the Everfree Forest, which seemed to stretch on forever. She looked the other way, and saw Ponyville, which was loud with the laughter of many ponies. She saw the mountain, with the capitol city of Canterlot, built onto the side. She had a great life, living in a great town. She couldn't shake the feeling she had deep down.

Then, she remembered what day it was. The anniversary. The anniversary of her greatest triumph, and greatest regret. Today, many years ago, she performed the Sonic Rainboom for the first time. The day her friends got their cutiemarks, the day her parents died.

She looked to the sky. It was about noon, and time to visit their graves. She slowly floated to the ground, and began walking along the dirt roads. She gathered some flowers from the side of the path, and proceeded to town. She walked across the bridge, over the small river, and into the town of Ponyville. She fought her way through the crowds of ponies, who were all unaware of what her life was truly like; to grow up as an orphan. She fought through the worst of the crowds, and saw three familiar fillies sitting at one of the tables at the cafe.

There was Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle; the Cutiemark Crusaders. Rainbow Dash expected they were conversing about what they should try next, to get their cutiemarks. Scootaloo looked up from the table, and saw Rainbow Dash approaching the table. She shot up, and met up with her.

"Hey Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo began. "Wanna hear about what we tried to get our cutiemarks?" Rainbow Dash looked up.

"I'm sorry Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash looked to the others. "I have to go somewhere." Scootaloo gasped.

"Is it your secret base?"

"No, well not today-- wait no! I'm going to the cemetery." Scootaloo stopped jumping.

"Is that why you're holding the flowers?" Scootaloo sighed. "Did somepony you know die?" Rainbow Dash looked down.

"My parents..." she said quietly. Scootaloo's ears went down.

"Oh, sorry. Do you want me to come with you?" Rainbow Dash looked back up.

"Sure, you can all come with me." she led the way, past the cafe. The other two slowly got off their chairs, and followed behind Rainbow Dash.

For most of the trip, nopony talked. Rainbow Dash watched the skies a lot. She wondered what it would have been like if her parents were still alive. She wondered what her parents would be like, if they raised her, She wondered how she would change. Rainbow Dash looked back down and saw the large metal gates to the Ponyville Cemetery.

As they entered, the air was heavier. It made Scootaloo fell uncomfortable. She never liked being around dead things. She had never been in the cemetery before, and it freaked her out. Apple Bloom would go there with Applejack every once in a while. It wasn't to visit any of the graves. Applejack and Apple Bloom enjoyed walking through the graveyard. Rarity would never let Sweetie Bell anywhere near the cemetery. She said it was "full of dead things!! And... and dirt!".

As they approached the two graves lying next to each other, Rainbow Dash placed the flowers down. She looked at the two names, staring back at her, mocking her; Firefly and Rainbow Strike. She looked to the ground once more. She felt the tears beginning to roll down her face again. She didn't care if Scootaloo thought she was being a baby.

"I'm so sorry Mom and Dad." Rainbow Dash said, looking up. "If I just flew a little faster, maybe I could have stopped it." The three fillies looked up at her.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Sweetie Belle asked. Rainbow Dash looked down at them.

"Today, many years ago. This was the day I performed the Sonic Rainboom. I was so excited the moment I heard the boom and looked back. I looked down at the cutiemark that appeared only moments later. Rather than gloat upon my victories, I rushed home to tell my parents. On the way there, I decided not to rush. I slowed down to a much slower speed. I didn't think of what might have happened."

"When I arrived, the door was slightly open. There was broken glass on the floor, from the shattered windows. The furniture was messed up and knocked over. There was blood on the walls and on the floor. Most of the blood was in a large area, where my parents lay dead. I did what I only thought that moment. I flew. I flew away from my house. The next day I went to the police and told them what I saw. They took my parents away, and I was alone. I had no family members who could take care of me."

The three fillies sat next to her. Nopony said anything. They waited a few minutes for Rainbow Dash to relax.

"Ya know," Apple Bloom started. " Applejack told me not to dwell on the ghosts of the past, or y'all will never move on." Rainbow Dash looked down at her.

"I just wish it was that easy Apple Bloom." Rainbow Dash got up from the ground. "C' mon, I think it's time to be going." Rainbow Dash picked the three fillies up, and they began to walk out of the cemetery. "Thanks for coming."

Rainbow Dash decided to head over to Twilight's house. She probably wouldn't get much out of her. Today was the day Twilight would spend reading her books. Rainbow Dash looked for the shades to be drawn, only to find they were open. Twilight loved being in the dark when she read. Rainbow Dash knocked on the door and, after a few moments, Spike answered the door.

"Oh! Hey Rainbow Dash," Spike started, looking into the room. "Sorry, but Twilight is kind of freaking out about a lost book, or something." Rainbow Dash looked inside and saw Twilight frantically running back and forth, looking over every book.

"Okay..." Rainbow Dash said, slowly walking in. She saw Twilight shouting and running upstairs, looking on every shelf. "Hey Twilight?" Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash.

"I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, but I'm looking for a book Spike lost. It's called Equestrian Theories and Strange Phenomenon."

"I didn't lose it!" Spike called from behind her.

"Yes you did! You were the last one to use it!" Twilight turned back towards her books. "And not only that, but a few other books have gone missing. All of them had to do with theories about Time travel, similar to what I've used, but way stronger!" she looked carefully at each book, before moving onto the next one. Rainbow Dash walked around the room, before she saw a broken picture frame on the floor. It was of Twilight and her parents.

"Hey Twilight, your picture frame broke." Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash.

"Oh your right. Is the picture damaged?" Rainbow Dash examined it. There wasn't a fold or tear anywhere.

"Nope it's good. I think I may have a spare frame at my house. I can get it to you tomorrow." Twilight sighed.

"Okay. Just be careful with it. I've only had it for a few weeks." Twilight turned back towards the books. "Oh yeah, I probably won't be doing anything for a while, so I can't really hang out right now."

"I understand. I just remembered I have important things I need to get to. See ya around!" Rainbow Dash left Twilight's house and sighed. She slowly floated into the sky, and left the area.

Later that day, Rainbow Dash sat on a cloud, trying to relax, but was too overcome with grief. She tossed and turned on the cloud, but was unable to get comfortable. Part of it was from her feeling of grief. The other part was the annoying whooshing sound that grew louder with each second. Rainbow Dash looked around in the sky. A pegasus, with a leather bag, was flying at her, at an unbelievable speed. She leaped out of her cloud, as the pegasus flew into it.

"Hey, watch it you jerk!" Rainbow Dash shouted, catching up to him. He looked back at her and made a sharp left. Rainbow Dash was hardly able to keep up with the pegasus' speed. He flew over the town, under the trees, and through caves. He was impossibly precise. "Hey, slow down for a moment!" Rainbow Dash struggled to keep up with him. He rounded a corner, and landed on a small cliff on the side of a large hill. "Finally," Rainbow Dash slowly landed. "What the heck was that about?"

"Hmph," the colt said. Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Who are you?"

"The names Blitz, that's all you need to know." the colt smiled wryly. "You don't need to tell me your name. Who could forget the amazing Rainbow Dash?"

"Do I know you? You seem familiar."

"You saw me. Once, anyway. I was at the funeral." his smile got bigger. Rainbow Dash was irritated.

"Are you trying to start something? Cause I'm ready if you are!" Rainbow Dash began to circle him. Blitz laughed.

"Start something? No. End something." Rainbow Dash stopped circling. "You see, I saw you the day you performed the Sonic Rainboom. I saw that much power in only one filly. I sought to increase the power, one million times over. Just imagine, the possibilities of Time Travel." Blitz chuckled again.

"Well, what do you want with me then?"

"You are but the Catalyst for a plan I'm still working on. You will find out soon, but for now, I'll leave you to figure it out on your own." Blitz leaped from the cliff at bolting speed. He looked down at Rainbow Dash, before flying away. As he flew, a book fell from his bag. It landed on the cliff, in front of Rainbow Dash. She walked towards it, and read the large letters. Equestrian Theories and Strange Phenomenon.

"Huh, Twilight's book. I bet he was the one who stole it, but why would he need it? Time Travel?" Rainbow Dash was muttering to herself. She decided to take the book back to Twilight.

"YES!" Twilight shouted as she saw the large letters imprinted on the cover. "Where did you find it?" Rainbow Dash hesitated for a second.

"From this guy, his name was Blitz." Rainbow Dash said. "I think he was the one who's been stealing your books, but why?" Twilight looked through the pages of the old book in confusion.

"Hmm, was Blitz a pegasus, by any chance?" Rainbow Dash looked back at Twilight.

"Yeah, why?" Twilight nodded.

"I know what he was doing, or what I think he was doing. Blitz may have been trying to break the Time Barrier. I think, well fear, that he is trying to use the Speed Force, in order to travel back in time." Rainbow Dash was lost.

"Wait, what is the Speed Force? How can he travel back in time?"

"Well, the Speed Force is the power that comes with a pegasus' ability to fly fast. The greater the speed, the greater the Speed Force. According to the book, a pegasus that flies fast enough may be able to break the Time Barrier." Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash's face, which held confusion. Twilight sighed. "Okay, imagine the fabric of reality is separated by multiple intangible layers. All of these hold of the fabric of reality and, on occasion, they may be broken."

"You've performed a Sonic Rainboom, which breaks the Sound Barrier. There are dozens of other layers that require impossible speeds, most of which are occasionally broken by certain particles. One of the highest ones is known as the Time Barrier.This barrier is one of the harder ones to break, but not impossible. If broken, the breaker will be able to travel backwards, or forwards in time, theoretically of course. This may be what this Blitz is trying to do."

"He did say that he was shocked to see only a filly perform a Sonic Rainboom. Maybe he's jealous of me." Rainbow Dash joked. Twilight's hoof pounded the floor.

"This is no laughing matter! If Blitz does break the Time Barrier, then he may change something in the past that could change the future of Equestria."

"But what could he do?" Twilight's ears went straight up.

"He could stop you from performing the Sonic Rainboom, therefore stopping any of us from getting our cutiemarks." Rainbow Dash stopped smiling.

"Oh," she said.

"We wouldn't be there to stop Nightmare Moon, she would rule Equestria. Eventually the Elements of Harmony would no longer hold Discord, causing him to escape. Then Sombra would eventually rule the Crystal Empire, able to forge an army." Twilight stopped to take a breath. "Then, the Changelings would invade. The Solar Empire versus the New Lunar Republic versus Sombra's army versus the God of Chaos versus the Changeling army. Equestria would never survive." Rainbow Dash'd face changed to a look of horror. "Rainbow Dash, you have to stop Blitz from changing everything!" Rainbow Dash leaped off the ground.

"Don't worry, nopony is going to change history while I'm, around!" Rainbow Dash charged out the door. On her way out, Twilight called from behind.

"Rainbow Dash! There's something I forgot to tell you about breaking the Time Barrier!"

"Yeah, yeah, Twilight! I know how it could change history!" Rainbow Dash left Twilight's house.

"Wait, there's something else!" Slam! Rainbow Dash closed the door before Twilight could finish. The words Time Travel echoed in Rainbow Dash's head.

"Time Travel." she said, thinking. "I wish Time Travel could bring my parents back." she didn't let that bring her down, though.

Rainbow Dash was ready to kick some butt. Then, she remembered that she didn't know where Blitz lived. It wouldn't stop her. She searched every inch of Ponyville, keeping an eye out for anything or anypony. She spent hours looking, but was unable to find him. The last thing she remembered was the sun going down, and then... nothing.

When Rainbow Dash awoke, she was confused. She didn't remember falling asleep. She looked around her house. Everything was exactly the same. She rushed to the door and picked up the newspaper. The date was not different than it should have been. It took Rainbow Dash a moment to see the bold letters written as the headline. Equestria faces Apocalypse!

"What?" Rainbow Dash said to herself. She flew down to the ground, and went to Ponyville. Nothing was really different. The word Apocalypse was still in her head. Still, the ponies went about their lives as normal. But then, Rainbow Dash looked away from the crowds, and no longer tried to understand what was happening. Through the crowd, she saw two ponies she thought she'd never see again.

Author's Note

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