More About Time

Chapters

Prelude: Discovery of the Century
Chapter 1: Authoring a New Future
Chapter 2: Dashing Toward Tomorrow
Chapter 3: An Uncertain Past
Chapter 4: Dreams of Yesterday
Chapter 5: Profits of the Present
Chapter 6: Unexpected Sunrise
Chapter 7: The Truth of the Moment
Chapter 8: Heading into Dusk
Chapter 9: An Unsettling Evening
Chapter 10: Languishing at Sundown
Chapter 11: Struggles of Twilight
Chapter 12: Wandering by Moonlight
Chapter 13: The Long Night
Chapter 14: Looking for Daybreak
Chapter 15: A Welcome Dawn
Chapter 16: Working Against Time
Chapter 17: The Timeless Season
Chapter 18: Just Today
Epilogue: From Another Millenia

Prelude: Discovery of the Century

“Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.” - Sophia Loren

Twilight and Spike had again found themselves digging around the library of the ruined castle within the Everfree Forest. They were still looking for something about the Tree of Harmony or the Locked Chest. Twilight had also suggested to Spike they were looking for anything that might be of interest. But of course the purple pony thought that every other scroll or book she found was of interest, and Spike kindly kept reminding her of why they were here. Unlike the last time where she spent the whole day reading Luna and Celestia's diary, today Spike was actually determined to find something. Part of it may have been that it was getting past the time the Star Spiders were out or maybe it was his newfound confidence following the enchanted comic book incident, but Spike wanted to get stuff done.

"I'm glad you're keeping me honest Spike," said Twilight. "If it wasn't for you I'd still be looking at that old book about those baffling bridles and silly saddles from the Paleo-Pony Period."

"You mean the first book you came across?" asked Spike, incredulously. He enjoyed Twilight's curiosity about the world around her, but sometimes he thought that every book was like a labyrinth to that pony – she got lost in them constantly and you needed to know how to get her out.

As they were going through the second shelf Spike tried to pull down a rather boring looking book about putting bells on hats when, suddenly, a secret compartment opened up a little down the shelf. "Twilight," he cried out. "I think I found something!" The purple dragon quickly ran to the small door and began to sift through the contents of the hidden storage space.

"What is it Spike?" asked Twilight, walking over with her muzzle in a book levitating just in front of her face. "These books are amazing! This one is an old guide to animal care. I bet Fluttershy would love to read something like this."

"What does that have to do with the Tree of Harmony?" asked Spike, his voice somewhat muffled because his head was now fully inside the compartment as he was digging through its contents.

" Oh, um..." Twilight reluctantly put the book away. "Yeah, I guess that can wait." She looked over to Spike only now realizing the dragon had discovered some sort of secret hole. "Wow! What's in there?"

The dragon emerged with his arms full of scrolls and books. They teetered slightly as he walked over to a nearby table. "I think this is everything," he said, slightly strained. "That compartment looks smaller on the outside than it seems on the inside." As soon as everything touched the table Twilight was already levitating scrolls over to herself and looking at them.

When she read a particular line on one of the scrolls her jaw dropped, her wings flew open, her eyes lit up. "Spike! You're amazing!" she said.

Spike laughed a bit, both at the comment and Twilight's comical reaction. "Tell me something I don't know. Like, what did I find, anyway?"

"These are old spells! Not just any old spells, they're spells written by Star Swirl the Bearded!"

"Wasn't he that really ancient wizard who you dressed up as on Nightmare Night?"

Twilight nodded, taking off into the air with a couple of scrolls in front of her. Her mouth was still open and for a while she simply hovered, almost literally drooling over the pages before her.

"Twilight?" said Spike. His friend didn't even notice. "Twilight?" he called again. And I lost her again. Looking around, Spike picked up the book on animal care and opened to a random page. "Oh yeah, this book sure is interesting. But, uh oh! I think the dust in here is aggravating my nose. I'm worried I might sneeze on... sneeze on..." The dragon began to fake a sneeze and suddenly Twilight snapped out of her trance, blinking to the ground and pulling the book away from Spike.

"Spike! Be careful! Don't you remember what happened to that Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy the last time you..." Twilight trailed off as her dragon rolled on the floor laughing. "Oh."

"That gag never gets old, I just had to bring you back somehow."

"Right, sorry I've been so lost today, Spike. I just can't believe what is written in these. Not only are they hoof-written by Star Swirl, but these are some of his other unfinished spells!"

"You mean like the spell that made you an alicorn?"

"Exactly! Star Swirl was the most important conjurer of the Pre-Classical Era. He was the father of the aniomorphic spell and created over 200 other spells. Some ponies have speculated that others might have been lost and we may have just found them!"

The alicorn levitated all of the contents of the secret compartment off of the table and began to walk toward the small side room that she and Spike had been using for research. "Come on, the Tree of Harmony can wait. We need to take a look at these!"

Spike ran to keep up with Twilight, who was trotting quite quickly. "Um, what do you mean ‘take a look at these?'"

Twilight shook her head as if the answer was obvious. "These spells are unfinished, Spike. We need to figure them out and figure out how to finish them." Spike stopped in his tracks and gaped at his friend. When she was fully into the side room he then rushed to meet her again.

Giggling with excitement, Twilight spread some of the scrolls on the pedestal in the old room and prepared to begin deciphering the old spells. "This is going to be so great! Who would have thought we could find something like this buried in a ruined library?"

"Uh..." Spike was going to tell her "anypony would think you'd find old books and old scrolls in an old library" but he was genuinely concerned about what Twilight was planning and didn't think sarcasm would help his case. "Listen, Twilight, are you sure you should be trying to fix these spells? Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried to cast an unfinished Star Swirl spell?"

"Of course, Spike!" Twilight dusted off the first scroll and set it in front of her as she spoke. "How could anypony forget Applejack trying to make dresses?"

"So why are you doing this then?"

"Because, Spike, Star Swirl the Bearded left dozens of unfinished spells here. We could have just made the most important magical discovery of the last century! Somepony needs to figure out what they're for and who in all of Equestria knows Star Swirl's magic better than me?"

"Princess Celestia might," Spike pointed out. He reached out and grabbed the scroll from the table. "I can get these to her right now for her to take a look at." Taking a deep breath Spike prepared to send the paper to Celestia, but Twilight took it away in a blink of magic, causing it to appear safely at her side.

"Come on, Spike. Don't worry so much. Celestia is too busy with the Equestria Games right now to worry about old spells, and besides, I'm only going to look at the spells that Star Swirl marked as ‘Nearly Complete' or ‘Almost Working' and not the really unfinished ones like that alicorn spell. I'll be very careful."
"I know you'll be careful. But don't you remember all of those times magic has caused unexpected problems? That Want-It-Need-It spell on Smarty Pants? Or just a few weeks ago with Fluttershy turning into a bat? Being careful might not be enough."

Twilight wanted to listen to the little dragon. He had a valid point, but her curiosity had more than gotten the better of her on this matter. She just had to know what these spells did. "Well somepony eventually has to look at these spells. These could be some of the most important magical discoveries in history! Think of all the good it could do if Star Swirl found a magical cure for Hay Fever or a way to stop Parasprites from multiplying?"

Spike heaved a sigh and looked to the ground, turning to leave the small circular room. "Alright, I guess if the advice of your Number One Assistant doesn't mean anything to you then fine, but if I come up here and you have two heads or Rarity's cutie mark–"

"Then I wouldn't want anyone else to be here to help me," Twilight smiled at Spike, who turned and actually was willing to give a small smile back. "This is just something I need to do. I feel somehow connected to Star Swirl and after I fixed his first spell I just want to see if I can figure any of these out. Some part of me just has to do this."

"You mean like how I needed to go on that dragon quest to find out who I am?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, Spike. It's actually just like that."

Spike sighed again, but this time it wasn't in defeat. It was more of his, Alright Twilight, if it means that much to you, kind of sigh. "Well, you let me go on my quest. I guess I have to let you go on yours. But please be careful."

"I will, Spike." And with that the purple dragon left the room and Twilight brought the first scroll back in front of her.

Let's see what Star Swirl came up with that he decided to hide away in this castle...

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As she read the scroll her eyes worked furiously. She wanted to remember every word she read. They were good words. The spell described was a time spell. A more powerful one than the spell Twilight had cast months ago. Instead of allowing the user to go back once for a short time this one was intended to allow the user to relive parts of their life. It talked a lot about correcting mistakes. Twilight could definitely relate to this. She would have loved to be able to redo parts of her life. Is that what this spell did? Is that what this spell does?

She paused at the incantation. It was as well written as any spell she'd encountered:

Life's mistakes will not define me
And I need not press through
For through my dreams I shall shape my life
To be a dream come true

Twilight bit her lip. This spell seems to be complete. It isn't like the one Princess Celestia sent to me. Everything is here. Taking a deep breath, the alicorn closed her eyes. "Do I dare cast this?" she asked aloud. The room did not echo her words. It stood silent, watching her. Waiting. Time spells were no laughing matter. Horrible things had happened to ponies who messed around with time. Her own curiosity was not worth her life.

Her eyes opened. A look of determination falling on her face.

I have to know what this spell does.

It was marked incomplete. Or at least it was filed with these other incomplete spells. Maybe he finished this one and never got around to publishing it. Twilight was trying to convince herself this was a good idea. Some part of her thought about thinking about what the worst thing that could happen would be, but she didn't let that idea of a thought surface. It was a dangerous thought because this could be a dangerous spell.

The alicorn's horn began to glow as she read aloud. "Life's mistakes will not define me." She spoke with authority. "And I need not press through." That line was somewhat confusing. Maybe she should stop before-- "For through my dreams I shall shape my life." She could feel the magic coursing through her body. It was preparing to do something. Something powerful.

"To be a dream come true!" Those last words she shouted and Twilight could tell something had happened. She had felt the magic leave her. Go somewhere to do something. Ever since the miscue with the earlier Star Swirl spell she had made sure to take a mental note on casting any unfamiliar spell so as not to think it was a dud when it did something like rearrange cutie marks.

So, was she in the past?

The stand in front of her still held the scrolls. That was not a good sign. Then again, perhaps it brought nearby objects with her. She walked into the hall now, looking at the sun through the many holes in the ceiling. It was in the same general area. And a dragon, her little dragon, was running toward her.

"Twilight!" Spike yelled as he approached, stopping a few feet from her. "I heard you shouting. Is everything okay?"

"You heard me shout the spell?" she asked, crestfallen. I can't be in the past if this Spike heard me say the spell...

The baby dragon's eyes went wide. "You cast one?! What did it do?"

"Apparently nothing, which doesn't make any sense, I could have sworn I felt..." Trailing off. Then, "I did feel. I know I felt magic leave me. Oh, Spike! What have I done? We have to get back to Ponyville! If this spell is anything like the last one, I don't even want to think about what could have happened!" Throwing Spike onto her back with magic, Twilight began to fly up through the roof and out over the forest toward her home and friends. Any other time she might have complained about how hard it was to fly, but the necessity made it easy. She'd never forgive herself if anything happened to one of her friends.

I only thought about what risk I was taking for myself. How could I have been so stupid to forget that my magic can affect my friends too?

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Rarity and Fluttershy were the first of her friends Twilight encountered. The two were in the marketplace together and seemed to be appraising threads. When she landed next to them Spike slipped off and gave a grunt as he hit the ground. She didn't even notice.

"Oh my goodness!" said Fluttershy, going to help Spike. "What's going on?"

Ignoring the comment, Twilight began to appraise her friends, checking for any sign of harm her spell might have caused. When she found none, she heaved a sigh and hugged her friends. "You're both okay!"

Not expecting the embrace, Rarity gave a small squeak. "Good heavens! I must ask: what is all the fuss about?"

"We have no time to lose." Twilight again picked up Spike in a magenta aura and brought him onto her back. The dragon's eyes rolled around slightly as he again tried to adjust. "I've just cast another unfinished Star Swirl spell and I don't know what it did. We need to go find Pinkie, AJ, and Rainbow Dash!"

Rarity gasped and Fluttershy began to shiver. "You mean, like that spell that changed all our cutie marks?" The yellow pegasus seemed to be hoping she was mistaken, but Twilight confirmed her fears with a nod.

"Come on!"

Sugar Cube Corner held two of the remaining six. Pinkie and Applejack were helping to unload apples and other supplies into the Cake's cellar. Again, they appeared fine. When the situation was explained, Applejack was the first to run off in the direction of Rainbow Dash's house. Pinkie, however, was the first to reach it.

"RAINBOW DASH!" the pink pony shouted through a megaphone that apparently materialized out of thin air.

A light blue pegasus looked down from a window, her hair wet. "Pinkie! I was in the middle of a bath! What is so important that--" she stopped when she saw that the other four were present and soon was on the ground with them, a towel wrapped around her hair.

"So let me get this straight. You don't have any idea what in the hay this spell did?"

Twilight shook her head. "Unfortunately I don't."

Rainbow lifted herself off the ground with that, hovering as she continued. "But you cast it! How can you not know?"

"Sometimes even unicorn magic can be a bit unpredictable. It can't happen without you intending to do something, but that doesn't mean you always know what you intended to do."

"But you... cast... and magic..." Rainbow grit her teeth and then face hoofed. Twilight thought she heard the mare say "egghead" under her breath.

"What Twilight is trying to explain," chimed in Rarity. "Is that unicorns don't always know the exact outcome of our spells. That's why Twilight was able to miscast the earlier Star Swirl spell."

"Now, if that last one done rearranged our cutie marks," said Applejack. "Then does that mean this spell had ta do anythin'? What I mean ta say is: 'Who says the spell wasn't just a dud?'"

The five then looked to Twilight. Spike also watched her from his perch on her back. Was Applejack right? After all, she saw no sign that anything in Ponyville was different. And it was unlikely that her spell would have been able to affect ponies in more distant areas. Maybe it was just my imagination. Maybe I just wanted to believe the spell would do something when it really didn't... "I suppose it could be." Twilight spoke slowly. "I mean, who's to say? You all seem fine and I haven't seen anything unusual." It probably was just a dud. The alicorn's head fell. She was disappointed. Disappointed both that the spell hadn't worked and that she had been wasting her friend's time. "I'm sorry, everypony."

Her friends drew in at that. Fluttershy, for once, was the first to speak. "Oh, Twilight. Don't be upset. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah, it's no big deal," said Rainbow, touching a hoof to Twilight's shoulder. "All this means is that you cared enough to check up on us."

AJ nodded. "Shucks, Twi', I'm mighty glad ya told us. It means a lot that you'd think of us first."

"Indeed," added Rarity. "And I couldn't imagine life without you!"

And finally Pinkie added her two bits. "No matter how horribly, terribly, brutally you mess up your whole life with magic, we'll always be there for you!"

The alicorn couldn't help but laugh at the Element of Laughter. "Thanks, guys." And the group hugged for a long moment. It felt like it had been a long time since the last group hug. Maybe it was, but either way Twilight was grateful for it and for her friend's love.

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Spike and Twilight made their way back to the library. On foot this time as Twilight still preferred not to fly. It was evening now. The two had gone back to collect their things from the castle, but now needed to return home for the night. It was true that the Everfree had felt safer since the Elements returned to the Tree of Harmony, but the old castle was still hardly safe to sleep in. Not to mention the fact that Twilight really felt a need to sleep in her own bed tonight.

The scare had been exhausting. On their way to the castle she had promised over and over again that she wouldn't cast any more of the spells. That she would give them to Celestia as soon as possible. And eventually Spike was having to tell her that he believed her. He accepted her apology. He knew that she knew he was right. It was going to be okay. And so on.

But as Twilight prepared for bed, she recounted the days events. Going backwards through the day. Recollecting their things at the old castle, hugging her friends, going to find them, the spell, of course. Then she remembered the joke Spike had played on her. She even smiled slightly at that. It had been pretty funny how much she'd reacted to the thought of losing a book. And my fear of losing my friends put that in perspective. Her smile left.

She adored her friends, but while, logically, she should have been willing to smile at the thought of not losing them, the fear of almost losing them kept her frowning as she fell asleep.

Author's Note

This is my first time submitting a story that wasn't intended to be a one-shot. A part of me wanted to finish it all before posting, but I'd also like to get comments on what I have done. I see little harm in posting an incomplete story like this when I already have a plan for where it is headed.

Chapter 1: Authoring a New Future

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Søren Kierkegaard

Nopony likes making mistakes. For some, however, mistakes become a fear. The fear of failure. The fear of doing wrong.

Twilight Sparkle was one of these ponies.

While the mistakes she had made had rarely come back to haunt her, Twilight still did everything she could to prevent them. That was part of the reason she read so much. By reading about things she could minimize the risk of mistakes. Her books helped mitigate mistakes by giving her knowledge as a tool against... No. As a weapon against mistakes.

Those books were her constant companion in all sorts of unfamiliar situations. That and the notes she kept for herself on all of her experiments and lessons in both magic and friendship. She had hoped she could someday share her knowledge with other ponies, ponies who also feared failure in the realms of relationships or chemistry, but she'd never gotten around to actually getting anything published. It just wasn't in the cards, at least, not for now.

When she and Spike discovered some of Star Swirl the Bearded's old unfinished spells in the abandoned Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters she let her curiosity get the better of her. She had hoped the discovery would lead to her being able to uncover important knowledge, and to share that knowledge with others. But by casting a spell without doing her homework she almost made a horrible mistake. The same kind of horrible mistake she had made in casting Star Swirl's spell that rearranged her friend's cutie marks. Twilight had put her magic and effort into casting a time traveling spell, hoping that she could use it to return to the past and set some things right. Instead, when she cast it, nothing seemed to happen. Exactly as had been the case when she'd first cast Star Swirl's alicorn spell. Thankfully, her friends were all okay.

Falling to sleep that night was difficult; some of the fear of what could have happened still slipped into her mind. So, she decided not to fight her mind but relax it by working through the day. She thought about everything that had happened, eventually thinking back to a prank Spike had played on her when they were looking through the castle. It had actually been pretty funny, distracting her by making her think he might sneeze on another book. Sadly, even that pleasant thought couldn't help her as she again thought of how she might have lost her friends. But eventually, Twilight did manage to fall asleep.

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In her sleep, Twilight found herself flying in her library.

No. Floating in her library. And she was looking down at herself.

It was a somewhat jarring experience, partly because this version of Twilight didn't have her wings. That thought also surprised her as she hadn't realized how accustomed she had grown to having wings.

The other Twilight was walking through the library talking with Spike. Spike was in front of a red wagon stuffed with various items including a punch bowl and plate of cookies. Before reaching the door, however, Twilight paused and turned to Spike. It took a moment, but soon she caught their conversation.

"The Astronomona-humuna what?"

"You know, that really old big blue book on stars, moons, planets, the universe."

"Right! Check!" Spike proclaimed as he then left the room to head to another wing of the library.

That's the book Spike ruined. This is that night.

And then she was moving. Not the other Twilight, but herself, began to float down toward the scene. She didn't feel the movement. She only recognized that she was moving because the other Twilight was growing closer. She wasn't sure what to do about the matter, but soon her hoof touched the other Twilight's mane. In that instant she found herself standing in the library. She was in the other Twilight's body. Or she was the other Twilight now. Looking on her back she saw no wings.

Curious she tested her legs. They worked. And she tested her horn on a nearby book. It worked. It was as seamless as moving around had always been. Walking into the other room with Spike she saw the dragon rearing back for a sneeze. Without even thinking, she quickly grabbed the book from his claws with her magic just before a green flame burst forth from her assistant's mouth.

The dragon looked between his claws and saw the book was nowhere to be found. "Oh no!" he said. He began to work his way back down the ladder when he saw Twilight and the book on the other side of the room. "Twilight? When did you come in?" he asked.

"Right before you sneezed all over this book," she said, matter-of-factly.

"You saved it!" Spike realized. "I was worried my sneeze had accidentally sent the book to Celestia. That would have been bad enough. Sometimes when I sneeze it's just regular fire and the book could have been ruined!"

"It would have been if I hadn't been here. This book is pretty tough to replace. You would think they'd make more copies of astronomer's almanacs."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... so are you ready to go to the meteor shower?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow of her own. "Meteor shower? What are you--" She stopped. Wait. The centennial meteor shower we went to on that night. Spike destroyed this book, lied about it, and we went to the shower anyway.

Then her eyes grew to the size of saucers. Ohmigosh! This isn't just some weird dream about that night. This is actually that night! Star Swirl's spell... It worked. I'm in the past right now. And that means I just changed history! Spike now didn't destroy this book! What does this mean? What am I supposed to do? Looking at Spike, the dragon seemed concerned over her lack of an answer. I've got to say something. Anything! Twilight gave a fake laugh.

"Oh, right. Of course! The meteor shower that I've been looking forward to for months. That's totally tonight. I'd never forget about anything this amazing and I've been looking forward to spending this time with my friends and having a great picnic. That is definitely going to happen tonight!"

Now the little dragon looked totally lost. "Why're you acting so weird?"

"Huh? I'm not acting weird. I'm just commenting on tonight and how we're going to see that meteor shower. Speaking of which, did you know this meteor shower is caused by a comet that passes by every 100 years? That's why it's so prominent and only happens once a century!"

"I can hardly count how many times you've told me that in the last week." Spike sighed. "Anyway, we don't want to be late. And your number one assistant has taken care of everything!"

"Great! Just great!" The purple unicorn, for now she was again a unicorn, walked with Spike out of the library. What do I do? I don't want to change the future. But, well, isn't that what I already did? I mean, I have my book now. It took me months to replace this, right when I was trying to write those astronomical papers for Astro-pony Quarterly no less. Now that I have the book I could probably get them done on time. She remembered how difficult it had suddenly become to write an academic paper on the interactions between comets and planets when she didn't have one of the most important reference guides to comets ever written. That, combined with other distractions in the following days, hadn't allowed her to finish the paper by the journal's deadline. It had been unfortunate, but since her primary studies in Ponyville centered on the magic of friendship, she knew that any other work or research was on the back burner. Friendship was her main focus and she had learned some important friendship lessons in the weeks following the meteor shower, including how important it was not to worry too much about sending in things, like friendship reports, on time. Still, it had been a dream, if even a minor one, for her to get one of her paper's published. With her new responsibilities as a Princess that now seemed like it would never happen.

Which was okay. It was just unfortunate.

Spike and Twilight left the library to head toward the hill on the outskirts of town where they would meet their friends. Twilight now looked forward to reliving her evening there, gazing up at meteors and laughing with good friends. With the exception of the conversation about her book going much differently on their way up the hill, the rest of the evening seemed to go as it did originally. The last part she remembered was Pinkie Pie again making her joke as Spike fell asleep in the punch bowl.

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Twilight awoke in her bed. The sun rising through her window as always. And her mind took a moment to register the night's events. Did I really go back in time last night? She looked on her back and stretched out her wings. That was no different. A cursory glance around the room didn't show anything out of place. And she saw that Spike was already awake, setting out her writing supplies for the day down in the room below her sleeping quarters. "Spike," she called out weakly and wearily. "Spike, come here."

The dragon's eyes flew over to her and he ran up the stairs on his little legs. On reaching her, he had a concerned look and voice. "What is it, Twilight? Are you sick? Did I set out your quills wrong? Because I remembered the system you set up two weeks ago."

"It's not that." Twilight yawned and stretched out, including opening up her wings. "It's just. Well. I wonder if you remember the night of the meteor shower a while ago."

"The meteor shower?" Spike asked, putting a claw to his chin as he thought. "Let's see... I think so. That was the night Rarity made me that bow tie. And then I fell asleep halfway through the shower."

"Yes, but do you remember anything about a book?

Blinking in confusion, Spike said, "What happened with a book that night?"

"Did you sneeze on one of my books? A big blue book that you ended up ruining?"

Spike's eyes went wide as he shook his head. "No. I swear, I wouldn't ever sneeze on one of your books. That would be terrible!"

Twilight quickly got out of her bed and went down the stairs into her study, Spike following. "Spike, get me the Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy." The little dragon was concerned about what was happening, and so quickly rushed into the other room and found the book Twilight requested. Bringing it back, he found Twilight staring at the wall of her lower bedroom study. She was looking at several mounted copies of journals and magazines. When she saw that Spike was back, she grabbed the book from him and looked through it.

"This is the fourth edition. But when I bought a replacement copy I got the fifth edition. That means this is the original copy. Spike! You never destroyed this book!"

The dragon was now thoroughly confused. Why would Twilight think he destroyed her book?

Next, Twilight turned back to the wall and pointed. "Spike, what are these?" she asked. Twilight thought she already knew the answer.

"You mean your articles for Astro-pony Quarterly and Popular Pony Science? You've had those mounted there since they got published. Is that why you wanted this book? Did you come up with another experiment or something you want to submit?"

A grin came onto Twilight's face as she took down the quarterly journal and began to flip through it to her article. Her article. It was there. The Astronomical Implications of the Interaction of Comets and Planets by Twilight Sparkle.

I'm a published author. I'm a published astronomer! Twilight was now beaming as she brought down the next magazine and opened it up, finding another article - this one with her picture next to it. She didn't have wings in the picture, but she didn't find it jarring after just having spent a night without them. She felt herself getting misty eyed. And through my dreams I will shape my life. "To be a dream come true." She said softly to herself.

This was a dream come true. The spell had not only worked, it delivered on an impossible promise.

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Twilight chose not to share the events of her experience with Spike just yet. She did apologize to the dragon for startling him in the morning and said she'd just had a strange dream. Which was true. Just not the whole truth.

Later that day, Twilight got a visit from Rainbow Dash, who had come to check out the 4th Daring Do book - Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams - for the sixteenth time.

"Seventeenth time," corrected Rainbow as she hugged the book. "Ever since I found out that Daring Do is real these books have been so much more exciting! To think that Dr. Caballeron actually tried to team up with Daring, and that she actually managed to defeat Ahuizotl is just... ah!" Rainbow let out a fangirl scream.

"Yeah," echoed Twilight. "It is pretty awesome. And to think that a pony as busy as she is can still find time to write all these books." She gestured up to the shelves behind her where the entire collection was perched on the highest shelf. "I can't even find time nowadays to write more astronomical articles." Twilight giggled a bit. It felt awkward to say that and have it mean something more than just a fantasy about writing journal articles, but she had to (wanted to) get used to it.

Suddenly, Rainbow's eyes went wide. "Ohmigosh! That's right. You're a published author too!" Rainbow suddenly zipped over next to Twilight and put her arm around her. "Just think! I've got all these ideas for awesome stories and you've got the connections and writing ability. You and I could totally collaborate on our own adventure series. We could even base it on our real lives! Like how we took on Discord or Nightmare Moon! I could come up with the stories and you could fancy them up and send them out. Then you'd have enough time to still write this stuff and I could also become an author. Then, maybe someday A. K. Yearling would let me not only help her live a Daring Do book, but actually write one!" Dash then flew over in front of Twilight and gave her a wide-eyed stare and smile, begging her to make this sudden dream a reality.

It does feel pretty good to get to live out a dream, Twilight mused. Then she gave a grin. The same grin she had given to Rainbow Dash the very first day they had met. "Alright, Rainbow," she said. "You give me a rough outline of the plot, and we'll work on the first draft. Who knows? Maybe we really can come up with something good."

The pegasus gave a squealing giggle. "This is so great! I'm going to get to write a book with Daring Do!" She then stopped as Twilight raised an eyebrow up at her. "Oh, I mean, I get to write a book with Twilight Sparkle." Then, more quietly and quickly, "And-then-someday-Daring-Do." Rainbow then left the library in an excited dash. Twilight shook her head.

Either way it went, it would be fun to collaborate on the project with Rainbow. Who knew? Maybe she would get to expand her published works into fiction novels. She smiled again at the thought of already having been published. I'm an author now. A real-life author!

Twilight walked over to the door that Rainbow had left through and closed it. Then a thought occurred to her. She hadn't noticed someone yet today. "Spike," she called toward the kitchen where her assistant was preparing dinner. "Do you know where Owlicious is? I haven't seen him since last night."

Poking his head out the door and wearing his apron Spike asked, "Who?"

Twilight giggled a bit at the joke. It never seemed to get old. "Very funny. But seriously, where is the little guy?"

Spike stared at her with a blank expression. He had no idea who she was talking about.

Chapter 2: Dashing Toward Tomorrow

“Time is the longest distance between two places.” - Tennessee Williams

When it came to making mistakes Twilight differentiated between simple mistakes and those made when facing a challenge. The former were hard to deal with as they exposed failure and weakness in handling life's everyday problems, and there was little to learn from them. The latter, however, she had learned not to fear. A mistake made during a challenge was an opportunity for growth. Twilight realized now that she had made a mistake in her voyage to the past. She was pretty sure that constituted a mistake made during a challenge since traveling to a previous point in her life was hardly an everyday thing.

In saving her book from Spike she had managed to create a future where she was now a published author. However, something about how her night writing had gone after the meteor shower had been different because she had never met Owlicious. She wasn't there for that part of the evening, but she imagined with the book at hand she was able to focus much more on her work. The lack of distractions must have allowed her to ignore the owl flying past the windows of the library. Or perhaps with the book available she had decided to leave the work for the next day. After all, the only reason she had wanted to stay up late was that she was worried the paper wouldn't get done on time. Whichever the case was, in this version of events she never met her owl. So, while she was now a published author, she was also a pony without a pet.

The bigger problem, of course, was how to correct the error. Could she go back to that night again? Make sure she opened the window and let the little guy into her home and life once more? Or was it not possible to be that precise with the spell? She hadn't really picked that night. It was just random that she'd ended up there.

Or did I pick that night? Was I thinking about Spike ruining my book when I cast the spell in the first place? It was possible. But all she had was questions. She needed to know facts. But she also didn't want to tell anypony about what had happened.

First, she would probably sound crazy if she tried to explain that her pet owl she'd never had was missing from the past. She remembered the mocking she had received when she tried to explain to everypony that she was visited by herself from the future several months before. Not to mention the fact that everypony knew how dangerous it was to mess with time.

Twilight had not originally intended to mess up the timeline, of course. She hadn't known for sure that she was in the past until she had already altered the future. She was sure her friends would understand. Even Celestia would likely understand and believe her that she hadn't meant to change anything. So it was probably safe to talk to them. But, then there was that part of her that was afraid she could lose this future she had created. A future where she was a published author was one she'd only dreamed could be possible, and now she was living it. Living the dream.

I'll try to get this all figured out somehow. Once I've got a solution to the problem I can just go back to the past and get Owlicious back. Then nothing bad will have changed. I just have to know more about how this spell works.

"Spike!" Twilight had waved off her comment to Spike about Owlicious, but now she called him back into the main room of the library. He entered quickly and she asked, "Where are those Star Swirl scrolls we found in the castle yesterday?"

"Oh, no." said Spike, shaking his head. "You promised me you wouldn't try to cast anymore spells! So I'm not going to tell you what I did with them."

Twilight groaned. Think. What's a good reason I'd need those scrolls. She thought and then continued, "Spike, this is serious. I think there might have been a side-effect of that spell I cast yesterday. I need to look at the notes to see if I'm right."

The dragon now looked concerned. "Does it have something to do with that Owlisis guy you were asking about?"

"Owlicious," Twilight corrected before even thinking, then, "but yes, as a matter of fact, it does. I think the spell might have changed something. So I need those notes."

Giving a sigh, Spike turned to leave. "Hang on," he said, but before he was out of the room he turned back. "I'll go get them. Just promise me you won't try to cast any of them again, okay."

Twilight bit her lip. She didn't want to give her word unless she meant it. "Alright, Spike," she said. "I won't cast any of the other spells." But I might cast the same one again...

<> <> <>

After looking through the scrolls, Twilight found herself frustrated. She now understood just how incomplete this spell really was. Obviously the spell worked, but the notes for it didn't really describe specifically how it worked. I guess Star Swirl really was still working on this one. I wonder if he ever even cast it? This doesn't really seem to describe how to control the magic in this spell, just how to activate it.

How had she not noticed this yesterday? Because I was so eager to try out one of these spells that I didn't care if it was actually complete. "Argh," she flopped her head onto the page in front of her. This inspection of the scrolls was sobering indeed. All the words about fixing mistakes and traveling back to relive a part of your life were just fluff now that she saw them again. There was no meat to this document. Except for the spell. That was very real and very powerful.

And if I cast it one more time, I bet I could get this right. Twilight looked across the room. Spike was working on sorting through some books. He had been glancing over at her every so often, possibly making sure she wouldn't renege on her promise. If she was going to cast this spell again, he'd have to leave the room. "Spike," she said, pretending to still be deep in concentration with her work. "Could you get me some tea?"

The dragon hesitated, but only for a moment, then, "Sure. I'll be right back." And the moment he was out of the room, Twilight's horn began to glow.

Under her breath, Twilight read out the incantation again, working through the spell and focusing on the night she got - or in this case didn't get - Owlicious. She had to cast it quickly, because she heard Spike coming back from the kitchen already. He was probably just setting the pot on the stove and returning to make sure she wasn't doing exactly what she was doing now.

Just remember that night, she thought to herself. And she felt magic move inside her. The spell had been cast and the glowing of her horn died just as Spike rounded the corner. Twilight continued to pretend to look through her papers and, in fact, did return to looking through them. Even if she did cast the spell in the hopes of correcting her mistake, she still wanted to see if there was any other possible solution. After all, she wouldn't time travel until that night, so there was no reason not to keep working during the day.

But sadly, the rest of the day was mostly uneventful. The other scrolls were not that useful; none of them were related to the time spell. So Twilight gave up on that project after another hour and returned to her work on the mysterious Box from the Tree of Harmony. At one point, Rainbow Dash dropped by to give Twilight some outlines for the novel she had started thinking on. It wasn't anything concrete, but Twilight thought some of the ideas did show promise.

So that night, as she fell asleep, Twilight thought about her possible novel collaboration with Rainbow Dash. She smiled again at the knowledge that she was now a published writer, and she smiled because she remembered how, on the night she should have gotten Owlicious, Rainbow would never have wanted to read or write anything with her. She remembered that Rainbow having a stay in the hospital was what had caused her to fall in love with Daring Do books.

Ironic as it was, while trying to correct an accident, Twilight recalled that the only reason that Rainbow Dash wanted to do any of that was because of an accident...

<> <> <>

Twilight again found herself floating, this time following herself across a green field. Her other self, again wingless, was walking toward Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Rainbow Dash could be seen up in the sky performing various tricks. Twilight thought she might already remember this day, yet she still couldn't place it. Whatever day this is, it's definitely not the same day again.

Evidently thinking of a day when casting the spell was not a factor. So then what was? As Twilight thought her other self stopped and began to talk with her friends.

"Hey, Pinkie Pie! Hey, Rarity! Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Rainbow Dash!" shouted Pinkie.

Oh no! This is the day that Rainbow Dash hurt herself. The moment she thought this she began to move toward the other Twilight and, again upon touching her body, she found that she was united with her past self. This time, she didn't test any of her movements. She immediately began to run toward the point in the field where she knew Rainbow would soon crash into the ground. "Rainbow!" She shouted up to her friend. "Be careful!"

The blue pegasus couldn't hear her as she pulled up into a high spiraling loop. It was one of her more impressive tricks. She knew that it would really impress Rarity and Pinkie, but more than that she needed to practice it so she could impress the Wonderbolts. There was a rumor that Soarin was going to be coming to Ponyville in the next week and she wanted to be ready to wow him. But, as she reached the peak of her arc she suddenly felt herself meet some turbulence. It wasn't much, but the delicate nature of the trick meant that she wasn't able to correct herself. And before she knew it, she was going down. It was hard to tell what exactly was happening, but she saw the green grass coming closer to her and tried to brace for impact. Then she saw a magenta glow everywhere in her field of vision and felt herself slowing down. Which was strange considering that normally she felt an abrupt stop before she started seeing weird stars and colors. Blinking, the color wouldn't go away and, soon, she felt herself connecting with the ground in a relatively soft manner. Then the magenta was gone. Looking left and right she saw Twilight wiping sweat from her brow and breathing heavily.

"Twilight?" Rainbow asked, slowly moving around and standing up. The adrenaline from the acrobatics and near crash was still coursing through her body. Dash was shaking slightly as she walked over to her friend. "You saved me," she said, dumbfounded. Then she started to piece together everything that happened and laughed as she declared. "That. Was. AWESOME!"

Pinkie and Rarity had come over and were standing by their friends. "Goodness, gracious!" declared Rarity, as she looked at Dash. "That was quite the fall."

"I know!" shouted Pinkie. "Rainbow was all zoom-zoom-voom-whoom! and then Twilight was all 'Be careful!' and then Rainbow was like brow-row-row gonna crash! then Twilight was like wa-woosh! and then Rainbow was like" Pinkie Pie lifted herself into the air and slowly mimed falling to the ground like only she could do.

It was then that Twilight began to register what had just happened. She had been acting on instinct and fear up until this point. Now that she was back she started to realize that she had, yet again, changed the future. This time not just changing the fate of a book or an owl, but the fate of her friend. Oh sweet Celestia... Rainbow was supposed to get hurt. She's supposed to be going to the hospital right now. Twilight took a deep shuddering breath. "Are you... are you sure you're okay, Rainbow?"

The pegasus stopped and examined herself. "I feel fine. You did great! I definitely could have broken a leg with a landing like that!"

"Or a wing," Twilight said, thinking hard.

Dash nodded and flexed her wings out. "Yeah, I guess. But I'm pretty sure these bad boys are A-OK." Taking the the sky, Rainbow arced around and landed on Twilight's other side. "Yep, A-OK indeed." Dash laughed again. "Wow, could you imagine if I'd broken a wing? I might have been in the hospital for a week!"

Yeah, you're supposed to do exactly that! Twilight's eyes went wide. What have I done now?

<> <> <>

Back in Ponyville the four friends went to celebrate at Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie called it her "Twilight Saving Rainbow Dash from Going to the Hospital" party and Twilight wasn't sure she should be happy about being in attendance. At least the spacetime continuum as a whole is probably safe, but who knows what this will do to life in Ponyville. A lot happened that week while Rainbow was in the hospital. What will be different now that she's out and about?

Somehow about a dozen other ponies came to the little shindig Pinkie was having. Twilight wasn't exactly sure how Pinkie always managed to get word out about her parties, because she usually didn't do the singing telegram thing anymore. Instead, it was like the town somehow magically knew when to show up. Obviously that was impossible since Pinkie couldn't do magic, but it was still curious.

Working through the events that happened the week Rainbow was in the hospital, Twilight noted several things that would have to be different about the future. First, the weather team should have had an easier time with a rainstorm that had been a bit flawed in Rainbow's absence - that would only improve things. Second, Rainbow wouldn't have been still recovering during Hearts and Hooves Day, but that likely wasn't a problem since she wasn't dating anypony at the moment. And third, but probably most crucially, Rainbow wouldn't have gotten to read Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone. That did concern Twilight. Daring Do was an important part of Rainbow's life, not to mention an important part of Rainbow's future since she would later meet and help Daring Do defeat Ahuizotl for real. I have to fix this.

Walking over to her friend, who was now enjoying some punch with Rarity, Pinkie, and some of the other townsfolk, Twilight said, "Dash. I don't think you look so good. We have to take you to the hospital. In fact, I think you have to stay there for a few days."

All three of her friends, and the rest of the ponies, turned to her in confusion.

"Uh, come again?" asked Rainbow, tilting her head to the side.

The white unicorn raised an eyebrow, "Yes, Twilight, I must ask, why ever would Rainbow Dash need to visit a hospital?"

Pinkie chimed in. "Yeah, remember? You did the wa-whoosh! and saved her, so she doesn't have to."

"Heh, heh. Yeah, I guess you're right..." Twilight bit her lip.

"What wa-whoosh thing did Twilight do?" asked Blossomforth.

Rainbow Dash smiled and took to the air. "There I was! Doing some of the most death-defying and amazing moves ever seen by pony-kind. But then, suddenly falling from the sky, I was doomed to crash and end my flying career forever when Twilight Sparkle, expert of magic and amazingness rushed to my rescue and snatched me out of the air the instant before I connected with the ground!" As she spoke Dash performed several loops, and then landed solidly next to her purple friend.

The other ponies present gave "ohs" and "ahs" in amazement, but Twilight was still working out how she could get Rainbow to read the Daring Do books. Unfortunately, that was when she felt herself wake up.

<> <> <>

Looking out the window, it was clear that today was going to be another sunny day in Ponyville. When thinking about the weather, Twilight bolted upright and got out of bed. What changed for Rainbow Dash?

The first place she checked was the bookshelf downstairs. That was going to be very telling. If she got Rainbow to read the Daring Do series then there should be a copy of Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny at the end of the shelf. After all, it was Rainbow and the rest of the six that had helped Daring prevent Ahuizotl from harnessing the power of the Rings of Scorcherro. If Rainbow never read the books then that book wouldn't be there.

Scanning the shelf, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the spine of the book. I somehow got her hooked on the series anyway. But then she paused.

The color of the spine was purple rather than red as it once had been. Using her magic, she lifted the book down and saw that the cover lacked the depiction of her friend. Instead, it simply showed Daring flying by the ancient temple. Twilight's heart sank. So much for fixing mistakes. This time I really messed things up.

But it was still possible Rainbow was a fan of the books. It had to be possible that she was a fan without being so fanatical that she would go halfway across the known world in the hopes of helping A. K. Yearling do her laundry. Twilight had to know for sure what had happened as a result of this trip to the past. So without wasting time, the purple alicorn marched out of her tree home and went to talk to her friend.

Cantering through the streets, Twilight was on the lookout for anypony who might know where Rainbow Dash was. A likely candidate was busy selling apples at her cart in the marketplace. However, she didn't seem so busy that she couldn't be interrupted. Walking somewhat quickly but also trying to stay casual, Twilight made her way to Applejack's cart.

"Hey, AJ. Do you know where Rainbow Dash is?"

The apron wearing orange pony raised an eyebrow. "I reckon she's in Cloudsdale. Why wouldn't she be?"

I guess in this timeline Rainbow Dash is doing something in Cloudsdale right now. "Oh? I forgot she was visiting there today. Do you know when she'll get back home?"

Applejack looked Twilight dead in the eyes. "I'd assume she'd be home right now. Don't y'all remember? She's livin' in Cloudsdale ever since she became a Wonderbolt."

A jolt was sent through Twilight's chest on hearing those words. She inhaled sharply only to have her breath caught in her throat. The alicorn's mind strained to wrap around what her friend had just revealed to her about the future. Well, about the present. This can't be real. Rainbow can't be a Wonderbolt. I can't have changed that much.

Now Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder and said, "Listen, Twi', I can tell somethin's the matter. Why'd y'all need ta see Rainbow Dash?"

Twilight recognized her friend's concern, but she wasn't sure how to respond. Twilight also noticed that her own eyes had begun to produce tears. I made Rainbow Dash a Wonderbolt. A smile came on her face and she started to laugh. "Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbolt." Saying the words made it more real.

Now Applejack was getting worried. Something was very wrong with her friend. "Twi', if you ain't feelin' well I can take you to Nurse Redheart. She lives right over there." The pony pointed an orange hoof down the road. "I don't mind leavin' the cart. Or if ya need I can send fer Spike."

Twilight barely heard her friend. She was too wrapped up in thought. This future she was making - this future that she had made - was looking good. Even if it was coming about through minor accidents, and had some flaws, it was promising indeed. Those accidents, however, were problematic. She definitely wanted to have her pet, and to be able to share her love of Daring Do with her friend. Twilight honestly didn't know how to do that. Perhaps she could use some of her wise friend's advice on the matter...

"Twilight?" AJ tried to get through to her friend.

No, Twilight thought. I can handle this. These are big changes and this is a big responsibility, but I can handle this on my own. Then she remembered those thoughts once being relayed by the pony in front of her. She remembered that first applebuck season in Ponyville when Applejack, as stubborn as a mule, had decided to take care of the entire crop by herself because of her own pride. Now Twilight was about to do the same thing to hide her own fears. She looked at her friend's eyes, finding only genuine regard for her well-being. But if I tell her she might tell Celestia and I'll have to undo all this. That was again fear trying to control her. And she was not going to let fear be her guide in this. I have to tell somepony.

"Twilight?" AJ repeated.

Twilight took a deep, shuddering breath. "Applejack," she said, closing her eyes as she fought to get the words out. "I need to tell you something."

Author's Note

Sorry this chapter took a bit longer to get out, but the story in it was longer than the others. I was originally going to also include Twilight's discussion with Rainbow Dash, but then I decided to split this into two chapters for the sake of time and length.

Chapter 3: An Uncertain Past

“The past is the place we view the present from as much as the other way around.” - Frederick Buechner

Applejack and Twilight were sitting in the living room of Sweet Apple Acre's farm house. At first Twilight said their conversation could wait until the marketplace closed, but AJ insisted that she close up shop. A part of Twilight was sad that her friend was losing business on her account, but another part of her was quite touched by her friend's willingness to help. Upon arrival, after having been poured a cup of cider and given a spot on the couch, Twilight told her friend everything.

She started with the trip to the castle and finding Star Swirl's lost spells. As it turned out, AJ had already known about that. I suppose that part of the timeline is still in tact. I found and cast the spell and told my friends about it.

But Applejack's first question revealed that not everything was as Twilight recalled. "Are y'all sayin' that yer spell affected Dash? 'Cause the way I remember it, you said that Dash was too far away in Cloudsdale for the spell to have done somethin' to her."

Twilight was taken aback. This isn't the same story. When I went around town checking on my friends we ended up at Rainbow Dash's house. I guess in this future I stopped after finding AJ and Pinkie outside Sugar Cube Corner. A strange feeling came over her as she asked what probably seemed to be a silly question. "Applejack, did the five of us share a group hug after I talked to you?"

The orange mare was appropriately surprised. "Uh... I don't recall that happenin'. Why?"

Twilight's eyes and ears fell. "Oh. Just a thought. I remember things a bit differently." I guess in this version of events we didn't get to share that special moment together. She wasn't sure why, but this hurt Twilight a fair bit. That moment of reassurance. That hug. It signified to her the unique bond she shared with her friends. Knowing that this never happened was effecting her almost as much as no longer having Owlicious. I can't dwell on that now. I need to tell the rest of this to Applejack and find out how Rainbow became a Wonderbolt. So she continued her story. "The way the rest of that day went isn't that important. What matters is what happened that night."

Twilight recounted the trip to the events before the meteor shower. Preventing Spike from destroying her book. She explained that this was a trip to the past and that she awoke to find that she was a published writer. That got Applejack to stop her once more.

"Whoa there, hold on," AJ held up a hoof and seemed to be trying to find words. "Let me see if I'm hearin' y'all okay." She looked her friend dead in the eyes. "You're sayin' that things ain't the way they're supposed to be right now?"

Every muscle in Twilight's face and neck tensed up. This was, of course, the moment of truth and, by extension, the moment of her fears. Applejack was a level-headed pony, but it wasn't every day you discovered that someone changed history right out from under your hooves. However, who was to say that this was or was not the way that the universe was supposed to be.

There was no way Twilight could bring herself to try to argue that point.

With a mechanical nod, Twilight instead admitted her guilt. "Yes, I did. But it was an accident. I didn't know I was in the past until I'd already changed the future."

Applejack sighed. "Right. I guess I was the one who tried to convince y'all that spell was a dud. Shoulda known somepony like Star Swirl'd never make a bad spell." AJ thought about this for a few more seconds, then, "So you weren't gonna write any of those astronomy papers, but now you did. Did anythin' else change?"

Another nod from Twilight. "In my version of the past, I met a little owl that night and he became my pet. His name is-- well, was--" A pang of guilt went through Twilight at that correction. "His name was Owlicious and he became sort of my junior assistant."

AJ raised an eyebrow. "Owlicious? Really?"

Twilight glared at her friend for that. "Yes. And, furthermore, he was an amazing pet. His feathers could be used for quills. He was always neat and orderly. He helped me get my books when I couldn't find them and Spike wasn't around. Every now and then, he and Winona would go on play dates together. You once said he might be the sweetest owl in all of Equestria."

A look of awe had fallen on Applejack's face. "This is all real for you, ain't it? I mean, from your perspective this all really happened. And nopony but you knows about it because y'all were the pony who changed everythin'."

For some reason the idea of her memories about the past being somehow less real than everypony elses' hadn't occurred to her. The mare now realized that, in truth, her memories were false. She never had an owl as a pet. She did spend the last year as a published writer. Rainbow was a Wonderbolt. Any other interpretation of the past was inaccurate, and this all made sense to Twilight. At least, to the scientific and logical part of her mind.

"It probably sounds crazy, but I don't actually have any memory of Rainbow Dash becoming a Wonderbolt."

AJ blinked twice. "How did stoppin' Spike from burnin' a book make Rainbow a Wonderbolt?!"

Twilight shook her head. "That didn't happen that night. That happened last night." And Twilight relayed the next dream to her friend. She also explained that, in her past, Rainbow spent a week in the hospital recovering from a broken wing. She wished she could offer some sort of explanation for how not being in the hospital gave Rainbow the opportunity to join the 'Bolts. "Do you recall anything about that week? Anything that Rainbow did that could explain why she's living in Cloudsdale as a Wonderbolt instead of Ponyville as a weather pony?"

Applejack rested her chin on a hoof. "I don't remember that week off the top of my head. You'll need to ask Dash. I know you said I went to Pinkie's party for you savin' Rainbow, but, to be honest, Pinkie Pie has a lot of parties. I can't keep track of every one."

"True," Twilight nodded. "But, somehow and some way, without intending to, that change gave Rainbow Dash a chance to fulfill her dream." Twilight chuckled at that word. "It's exactly what the spell promised."

"What'cha mean by 'what the spell promised?'"

"The spell's last line is: 'Through my dreams I will shape my life to be a dream come true.' That's exactly what it's doing. It's given us a world where I'm an author and Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbolt. Isn't that amazing?" Now Twilight tensed slightly again. She was anxious about her friend's reply to that question. What will AJ think about me changing things like this? She must understand what it's like to want to change the past. But will she go and tell Princess Celestia about this?

In reply, Applejack exhaled deeply. "Woo wee! Twi', y'all've done a lot of things since you came to Ponyville. Us six have been through more in the last couple years than most ponies will go through in a lifetime. But this..." Applejack got up and walked over to the window, looking out across apple orchards and hills toward Celestia's sun. "This is a lot to take in. I don't know what ta think yet, and that's just the truth a' the matter. From ma perspective, nothin' changed. I don't remember you havin' an owl. I can't imagine Dash still bein' grounded here in Ponyville. That was my life both yesterday and today." AJ turned back to Twilight. "But I do believe ya. I have no doubt y'all changed all this from whatever once was."

"So, what are you going to do?" Twilight dared to ask the question because it had to be asked.

With a sigh, Applejack turned back to the window. The two were in silence for about half a minute as the orange mare collected herself and her thoughts. Then, "I don't know. I can't figure that out quick. I need time ta think for maself." AJ walked back over to the couch and sat down next to Twilight. "This is big. Real big. Bigger than me and bigger than you. If you was some random pony who found that spell I'd be right scared. Changin' history. It just ain't natural." Twilight's head dipped at the words, but Applejack gave her friend a hug. "But you ain't a random pony. And I trust you."

Returning the hug, Twilight asked about what she'd been most afraid of. "So you're not gonna tell Princess Celestia about this?"

Breaking apart, Applejack pondered that for a moment. "Not yet. I do think we'll wanna tell her eventually. Like I said, I need ta think this over. In the mean time, y'all gotta talk ta Dash."

"Do you think I should tell her that her past's been changed?"

"Don't ya think she's got a right ta know?" Applejack countered.

Twilight gave a light snort of a laugh at that. "I suppose she does."

Applejack smiled. "And you're gonna have to be the one ta tell 'er, 'cause I ain't got the time. Ta be frank, I gotta get back to the market before they close. Ya mean the world to me, Twi'. If I thought there was anythin' I could do ta help now, I'd do it lickity split. But I can't think a' nothin' and apples don't sell themselves."

"This has already been a lot of help." With that, Twilight got off the couch. "Thank you for talking with me, Applejack. You really are a great friend."

"No trouble at all, Twi."

Twilight thought about how much trouble this really was for Applejack, considering their walk and conversation would cost her well over an hour of peak hour sales. If only there was some way I could make it up to her. And then a strange thought occurred to Twilight. I suppose I could try to make it up to her... Turning back before the door, the purple alicorn asked, "AJ? Don't you have any parts of your life that you wish you could have done over again?"

The orange mare shook her head and gave a confident "nah" in reply.

"But surely there's something you regret? What about during my first applebuck season in Ponyville when you poisoned half the town with bad muffins."

AJ's cheeks flushed. "Ah, well, I might have a mite of regret about that. It's true. I am sorry that I got everypony sick. Maybe--" Applejack paused and thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I wouldn't wanna change it. That whole experience taught me a lot 'bout myself. I got to see how ma pride and stubbornness wasn't nearly as important as the rest of y'all. If I hadn't done that stuff then I'd never've learned ma lesson."

Twilight sighed. I guess AJ just doesn't think about the past like I do.

"It's not that I don't understand." AJ continued. "I get why y'all want ta change the past. It's just that I believe things happen for a reason. When I got back from Manehattan and earned my cutie mark I knew I was supposed to run Sweet Apple Acres. But even with these apples on ma flank, there were times I couldn't imagine running this here farm.

"One day, I was crying under a tree that I just couldn't buck. I'd been at it for probably fifteen minutes and not even one apple fell. I thought: How could I run a whole orchard if I can't buck just one tree? It had gotten me so upset. I was feelin' sorry for ma-self and I wondered if this was my destiny after all. When I finally was about to call it a day and give up Granny Smith saw me and put her arm around my shoulder. I tried to explain about the tree and my future and all that, but she just gave me a hug and I cried for a while more 'til she eventually said somethin' I'll never forget.

"She said, 'These things happen for a reason, deary. I know this is hard, but hard times should help us remember who we are, not make us question it. A pony doesn't get her cutie mark and then lose her destiny.' So I never fret the little things and I don't regret the past.

"Think of it like this: Do y'all remember that crazy cider makin' competition? Without that applebuck season I'd never see how letting ma friends help me was good. I might've turned y'all away when ya asked if y'all could help. Without your help, Flim 'n Flam would've never ruined their cider and we would've lost the farm."

Having seen first-hoof how cause and effect played out in her time travels Twilight knew that this was a real possibility. That particular choice of helping Applejack not mess up the muffins could actually cause more harm than good. I need to make sure I'm careful on my next trip. I don't want to make anypony else's lives miserable when I try to help them. "Thanks again, Applejack. I needed to hear that."

"Don't thank me," AJ said. "Thank Granny Smith. She's the wisest pony in Ponyville, even if she don't always seem to have it all together."

Twilight gave a smile at the thought of Granny Smith singing to watering cans in a bunny costume and gave a final nod to AJ as she left the house for Cloudsdale.

<> <> <>

The flight to Cloudsdale was longer than Twilight remembered. Perhaps it was just because of the anticipation. She imagined that her body was producing some amount of adrenaline at the thought of talking to a Wonderbolt Rainbow Dash. That and her brain was working overtime to find out where she would time travel to next...

She wanted to help Applejack. Even if her friend didn't have any request about changing something, Twilight was convinced there was something she could do. Still, the mare's words of warning were important to her, so she knew she wouldn't be visiting the applebuck season episode. Perhaps there were other ways she could help AJ.

The pony usually seemed quite content about her life and rarely did wrong by anypony. The only thing she ever seemed troubled with was the success of her farm. That wasn't really a concern for her, but the incident with Flim and Flam was an indication that the Apple family could be doing better financially. If one bad cider season was enough to ruin the farm then surely they needed help. But how?

Let's see. There was that time the vampire fruit bats ate up all those trees. But that got resolved fairly peacefully. Flutterbat was more of a problem than the bats themselves. So that wasn't the solution. How else could she help her friend make some bits?

What about when AJ didn't win those blue ribbons? The idea seemed somewhat impractical. Because Twilight was in Ponyville when the rodeo took place it would burn most of her time in the past just traveling to Canterlot. The duration of the time spell was longer than the one from the Canterlot archives, but it wasn't unlimited. Besides, Twilight remembered something. She was gonna give that money to the mayor anyway. Changing the results of the rodeo wouldn't help her directly.

Twilight struggled to find something she could do in the past that would help AJ without the threat of negative consequences. She was just pondering how she might help Applejack through helping Apple Bloom when Cloudsdale appeared before her and Twilight realized that she had a more immediate problem to deal with.

She hadn't asked where Rainbow's house was.

Author's Note

So I basically ripped this out of the next chapter, which was going to be the end of the prior chapter. Basically I had too much stuff to write about, so I now am splitting this one chapter into three. This chapter turned out shorter than I felt when writing it because I ended up gutting about 50% of it. A hard choice for any writer, but sometimes it's better that way. We didn't really need to address Twilight and AJ's trip through town or have Twilight actually recount all of the events of her dreams. While I thought Twilight's own insights into her visits to the past were interesting I realized it also made the story repetitive.

Also, with how busy my life has been lately, I'm going to stop promising chapters in a timely fashion. They will come out as they come out. Hopefully that is quickly, but promising delivery in the near future will not change my present circumstances.

Finally, feel free to comment on anything. Good or bad. Reader comments help me to stay engaged in the story.

Chapter 4: Dreams of Yesterday

“The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.” - Kahlil Gibran

Twilight decided to make her way to the Wonderbolt's training grounds. After all, if anypony knew where to find Rainbow Dash it would be them. And who knew? She might even be there. Twilight stopped by a street vendor - or what passed for a street vendor in a place without streets - and ask for the location. It only took a few minutes to fly across the city. The cloud buildings were beautiful as always. Pegasi zipped between them as they went about their daily routines.

The training facility was not as grand as the Wonderbolt Academy, and was constructed entirely of clouds, but it still impressed Twilight. The main building was large enough to house dozens of ponies, but most of the "grounds" were covered by large courses and training equipment. She thought of Rainbow Dash being able to run the courses whenever she wanted and a smile came across her face. Someplace like this is exactly where Rainbow is supposed to be.

Now there were many things that had changed in Twilight's life since becoming a princess. Responsibilities, titles, and even her own physiology. Everypony knew that, but the laundry list was longer than most ponies would think. It wasn't that Twilight wasn't happy being a princess. Far from it, she loved this accomplishment. Still, transitioning from "faithful student" to "alicorn princess" could not be called easy.

There were some things she had already gotten used to. Wings, for example, were not that bad. Sure, there had been many restless nights trying to get comfortable in her own skin. Learning to fly was hard. By now, however, she'd become accustomed to the purple feathered things jutting from her back.

The popularity associated with her princesshood hadn't caused her many problems. Sure, every now and then she would come across somepony that would stop her and make a comment. Usually it was a little filly or colt, perhaps because they were generally less reserved than older ponies. She remembered once she was even surrounded by a crowd of them and asked to give out signatures.

Then there were things that she was beginning to think would never become normal. The rites and rituals surrounding her arrival to someplace was one of these things.

Twilight hadn't even given a second thought to visiting the Wonderbolt's training facilities in Cloudsdale. The moment she touched down on the base, however, she was shocked by the sudden stop in activities. From every direction the pegasi turned to face her and gave a sharp salute. One of the instructors nearby declared "Princess on base!"

Blushing, Twilight cleared her throat and said, politely but still loudly enough that everypony could hear, "At ease, erm, as you were." Hooves fell down as the ponies returned to their various tasks. One of them, however, began to walk toward her across the cloud field. Twilight had forgotten that, for all their popularity, the Wonderbolts were a military organization. They were as duty-bound to serve her as any members of the royal guard were.

The pegasus pony approaching was none other than Spitfire. She gave another salute that Twilight returned and said, "Princess Sparkle. Welcome to the Wonderbolt's training facility. You have my apologies for our lack of preparedness; we were not expecting you."

Shaking her head, Twilight explained her reason for being here. "It's not a problem, Spitfire. I wasn't planning to stay long. I was only wondering if you could tell me where Rainbow Dash is."

"I would assume she's at her house, but you probably already tried there. Otherwise maybe she's at another flight course. Tuesday is still her day off, but I know she doesn't want it. I swear that pony could train for a month straight without a break. She's the most dedicated and determined flyer I've ever had."

Twilight smiled and nodded along. She was trying to think of a way to avoid asking the stupid question of where Rainbow Dash lived. The problem was that there was really no way around the point. I just have to ask... "Well, to tell you the truth, I kind of... forgot where Rainbow Dash lives."

The yellow pegasus moved down her sunglasses to look at Twilight, one eye brow noticeably lower than the other. "They must really put you Princesses through the ringer in these first few months. Although, I suppose it's understandable anyway. Cloudsdale is a pretty hard city to navigate when you didn't grow up here. You can't really give good directions. 'It's just past the white cloud building on the corner next to that other cloud building.'" Spitfire grinned and Twilight thought she heard a slight laugh, but she couldn't be sure. It was hard to imagine a pony as tough as Spitfire laughing at her own joke. And proving her own character, Spitfire abruptly shouted, "Soarin'! Get down here!"

Soon the blue-gray pegasus was standing at attention in front of the two mares. "Spitfire, Princess Sparkle, what do you need?"

"I need you to escort the Princess to Rainbow Dash's house. I figured you, of all ponies, would know best how to get there. But don't mess around; you're still on my time. Just get her to the house and come right back here." Sliding her sunglasses back on, Spitifire said, "Thank you for stopping by today, Princess. It is always a pleasure to help a member of royalty." In a golden yellow streak the pony took to the skies and continued instructing other pegasi through drills as though there had been no interruption.

Looking back, Twilight saw Soarin' gesturing skyward. "After you, Your Highness." There was a touch of sarcasm in the stallion's words, but he was not insulting her. It was more like the casual way her friends occasionally addressed her as "Your Highness" in jest. Twilight made note of that as the two spread their wings, heading west. It was not the direction Twilight had come from. Instead, they were flying farther through the city. "So," Soarin' broke the silence. "I know I probably shouldn't ask, but is there a reason you wanted an escort for goin' to see Dash?"

Twilight made another note of Soarin's behavior, this time his use of "Dash" to identify her friend. Then said, "Well, I didn't request an escort. I just got lost in the city and was hoping I could get directions. Spitfire called you over."

Soarin' nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like Spitfire alright. But I ain't gonna complain. It's nice to take a break from all the Equestria Games prep work. My wings have been sore for weeks." He gave a sigh, stretching out his limbs and wings as they flew. "Yep. Would be nice if I could stop and see Dash for a bit, but of course Spitfire had to order me back immediately." Then the stallion laughed. "I guess she still doesn't trust me to be professional enough around her."

As Soarin' spoke, Twilight was straining to understand what the words he was saying actually implied. It was obvious she missed an important piece of context. So she asked a probing question to see if she could get another hint. "How come Spitfire called for you if you're supposed to be training?"

"Heh, well, I guess she just wanted to poke fun at me and Dash again. She's been pointing it out a lot. I guess she's still not totally comfortable with the situation."

Me and Dash? What does Rainbow Dash have to do with... Twilight felt her cheeks flush as the pieces of evidence all fell together. Rainbow Dash and Soarin'. As with all of the strange discoveries she had made, Twilight had to let this sink in for a moment. Apparently it took too long to sink in because Soarin' broke the silence again.

"I mean, sure, it is unusual for two Wonderbolts to date, but it's not like this has never happened before. At first I could just use Spitfire's parents as an example, but now she makes me run laps every time I mention that."

"Don't you mean 'fly laps?'" Twilight corrected.

"I wish." The stallion rolled his eyes. The two then simply flew for a while. The sound of the wind going past their ears and the occasional noises of the city were all that moved between the two.

I would never have expected this. I wonder if their relationship is how Rainbow got into the 'Bolts? No, with the way he was talking this is a more recent development than that. The alicorn could speculate all she wanted, but what she really needed was answers. "Soarin'?" she asked. The pegasus looked over at her. "How are you and Dash doing? If you don't mind me asking."

Soarin's face split into a wide smile. "Every day she proves that she's nothing like I expected, but everything I've always wanted in a mare. Adventurous, determined, and beautiful inside and out. Every day is like a dream."

Twilight smiled when she heard that word. This change may have been unexpected, but if Rainbow Dash was half as happy with Soarin' as he was with her then it was a welcomed change indeed. And through my dreams I will shape my life...

When the two got close to Rainbow Dash's place, Soarin' simply pointed it out and turned to leave. "I would love to see Dash, but it's probably better I just leave now so I'm not tempted to stay. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'm alright. Thank you so much, Soarin'."

"Always a pleasure, Twilight." The two waved briefly as the stallion took off from whence they came and Twilight turned toward Rainbow's house. It was neither modest nor impressive. Not much different from her previous house other than the lack of rainbows. Instead, the cloud structure was bedecked with lightning bolt insignias and flags with similar emblems. The Wonderbolt's logo.

Landing on the front porch, Twilight was going to think about what she could say, but decided against that. There was really nothing to it but to do it. The knock on the door produced an interesting sound. It wasn't that the door itself was made of cloud, but the clouds around it muffled the vibrations of the door, dulling the "thunk, thunk, thunk" she made.

In a few moments, a blue and rainbow pegasus opened the door. "Twilight? What are you doing here?"

"Sorry for the short notice. I thought I could drop by for a visit since today is your day off. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Rainbow smiled. "Of course! Come on in! What'cha wanna talk about?

"I wanted to..." I suppose I shouldn't dodge the issue, Twilight gave a light sigh. But I also don't want to hurt Rainbow by telling her this wasn't supposed to be. I'll just start small. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about the Daring Do series."

As the two entered the house, Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, yeah. I'll get back to those books as soon as I'm done training for the games. I still haven't gotten through book five, but you were right, they are really good."

Twilight breathed a slight sigh of relief. So Rainbow hadn't gotten addicted to the series, but Twilight had still managed to promote the series enough so that Rainbow would read them. "What was your favorite part of book four?" Twilight asked. Ever since the A.K. Yearling incident her favorite part had become when Doctor Caballeron tried to team up with Daring.

"I told you that in my last letter, remember? It was the climactic final fight between Daring Do and her arch-nemesis, the dreaded Ahuizotl!"

"Oh, right." Twilight blushed a bit. She had to be more careful with her questions. Then again, aren't I supposed to be telling Rainbow Dash the truth? Still, she didn't have to say anything right away. There was still stuff to talk about. "How've you been liking Cloudsdale recently?"

"It's a'ight," Dash shrugged.

"It's just 'a'ight?'" Twilight attempted to imitate her friend's half-word.

"I mean, Cloudsdale's great and all, but I don't know if it's the best place for me to live."

Twilight's breath caught and her eyes went wide. Oh no! Is Rainbow Dash not happy here? Twilight took a deep breath and then calmly sought to clarify what Rainbow was getting at. "This is your dream though, right? I mean, you can't exactly be a Wonderbolt if you don't live where you can work and train with them."

Dash nodded. "Yeah, yeah. It's just-- you know how before I left I told you 'we all knew this was coming?'"

Twilight nodded even though she didn't actually remember the conversation. And I wouldn't. I never had it with her. Past Twilight did.

"But, to be honest, I didn't know," Rainbow looked out the window at the other clouds in the sky. She chuckled. "Yeah, who'd've thunk it? With all my daydreaming and talking about being a Wonderbolt, I never really considered the idea that being a Wonderbolt meant leaving Ponyville. I never thought it would mean leaving my friends."

Now Twilight understood. For Rainbow Dash, at least for this Rainbow Dash, reading the Daring Do books wasn't something she did for the sake of enjoyment. It was a way for her to connect with Twilight. It was a way for her to seem closer to her friend. "Rainbow..." Twilight was searching for words.

"Don't get me wrong," said Dash, turning back to Twilight and slowly rising into the air as she spoke. "I love it here! Being a Wonderbolt is really everything I ever dreamed it would be. I'm challenged every day. I've made friends with most of the team. And I have screaming fans who know my name and cheer for me at the top of their lungs!" She stopped and looked Twilight in the eyes. They were both thinking the same thing. Smiling, in low, soft voices, they declared "Yay!" And then laughed together.

"How is Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow as she landed on the cloud floor.

"Oh, she's fine." Twilight wasn't actually sure how Fluttershy was, but she assumed everything was alright. "Still caring for animals and being Fluttershy."

Dash nodded. "Is she still looking after Tank? Have you seen him recently?"

Twilight paused. The statement took a moment to register, but then it made sense. Of course Tank couldn't move to Cloudsdale. His magical helicopter could keep him airborne, but he couldn't walk on clouds. I had no idea how much Rainbow would need to sacrifice to be a Wonderbolt. "I haven't seen him," Twilight answered. "But I'm sure he's doing fine too. You could always come and give him a visit."

Rainbow shook her head. "Not for a while. I've got to get ready for the Equestria Games. Spitfire has Fleetfoot and I training almost non-stop. Of course, with me on the team, we're sure to win, but we want to do more than that!" Dash's eyes lit up. "Cloudsdale usually wins the relay, but it's been a while since we've broken the record for the fastest time. This year, thanks to yours truly, Cloudsdale is going to break its record!"

Smiling at her friend's enthusiasm, Twilight decided not to mention how unfortunate it was that Rainbow couldn't help the Ponyville team. She didn't want to again remind her friend of what she had given up. After all, she had clearly gained a lot more. Rainbow loved competitions and challenges. It was obvious that being a Wonderbolt was a perfect fit for her. And I'm not done yet, she thought. I can still go back again and help the rest of my friends live out their dreams. If I get to be an author and Rainbow gets to be a Wonderbolt... And then Twilight remembered that that wasn't all. "So, how are things going with you and Soarin'?"

"Awesome. Soarin' is great." Dash smiled, but it was not the same as Soarin's smile. It was a more subdued grin. "He's fun. Kind. Everything I could want in a colt-friend. But I'm sure you don't want to hear me brag about that." The words spilled from Rainbow's mouth as quickly as possible and the blue mare rubbed the back of her head with her hoof.

Something was not right. Rainbow should have been happy to be living her dream and to have a colt-friend who really cared about her. What changed about this Rainbow's past that made her less sure about this future?

"Rainbow. What's the matter? Is something wrong with Soarin'?"

"Nothing, Soarin' is doin' fine." The multi-colored mare bit her lip and seemed to be about to speak, but then stopped herself. "Anyway, that's enough about me. What have you been up to?"

"Rainbow." Twilight spoke and looked firmly at her friend. "What's wrong?" An expression that Twilight rarely saw on her friend's face appeared; it was a look of defeat.

There was a pause.

Twilight let the silence hang.

Finally, Rainbow Dash sighed and sat down, speaking at last, "I'm just worried that I might not get to be Soarin's mare-friend much longer."

Twilight cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Soarin' is a Wonderbolt. He could have any mare in Cloudsdale if he wanted... Sure, he likes me now, but I'm not like Rarity. I can't do the whole fashionista thing to keep Soarin's attention." Rainbow now laid down on the cloud floor fully, her head resting on her hooves. "By the end of the day, I'm always sweaty and my mane is a disaster. I can't hide that; Soarin' always sees me because he's there at the end of the day. Being a Wonderbolt means you can't do things like style your mane and look pretty. I know it's only a matter of time before he finds somepony more attractive than me."

This was the last thing Twilight expected to hear from a pony as confident as Rainbow Dash. The mare had shown uncertainty at times, but she usually presented an heir of solid, unwavering confidence. Then again, whenever she was afraid of failing at something she valued, the pegasis had shown she could crumble. "What happened to make you think this?" Twilight probed.

"After one of our shows, Soarin' and I met a fan named Jetstream and she was totally in to him! She kept talking about how awesome Soarin' was and then went on about how she's planning to become the first pegasis to fly non-stop across Equestria and Soarin' thought that was 'so cool.' I wanted to tell her to back off, but we have to be extra professional when meeting fans." Rainbow's face scrunched and she shut her eyes, nuzzling her mane into her forelegs. "Her mane and coat were perfect! I could never compete with that!

"But worst of all:" Rainbow lifted up her head, but still didn't look at Twilight, "Spitfire heard about Jetstream's project and invited her to come to the aftershow dinner that night. And when we got to the restaurant of course Spitfire had to separate Soarin' and I because we 'spend enough time together on our own time.' But then guess who gets to spend the whole night talking with Soarn'? Spitfire lets Jetstream sit right next to him." Twilight watched as her friend curled into a ball on the floor. "So now you know!" Rainbow declared. Even if she couldn't see her friend's face, Twilight heard the tears in Dash's voice.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow. I can't imagine how hard that was for you." And I had no idea Rainbow could be this sensitive about a stallion. Then again, it was rare that the two discussed such things. When Dash didn't respond, Twilight walked over to her friend and laid down next to her. She lifted out one of her wings and put it around Rainbow Dash. This was something Twilight had never done since becoming an alicorn, but she had seen Rainbow and other pegasi do it. Yet Rainbow didn't respond and continued to look at the floor. Twilight started talking. "Rainbow, do you know what Soarin' told me when I asked him about you?" Still, Rainbow sat and did nothing. "He said that he loved being your colt-friend. That you were adventurous, determined, and..." Twilight waited for Rainbow to look over at her, and when Rainbow looked she said, "beautiful."

Rainbow Dash looked at her friend with tears and skepticism. "He likes to tell me that I'm 'beautiful inside and out' every now and then, but how do you know he's not just saying that? To me, starting with 'beautiful inside' seems like a nice way of saying that he can get past my lack of looks."

"First of all, Rainbow, you are beautiful. I still remember Rarity going on about how hard it was for her to find a fabric that could match the colors of your mane for the Grand Galloping Gala. You don't even have to style it to make a statement. Second, as you said yourself, Soarin' could have any mare in Cloudsdale. But he chose you. And he's happy that he chose you."

"Yeah, for now. But what about in the future? How do I know that he won't get bored?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow at that. And then it dawned on her. Rainbow never went through the experience with Daring Do. She never learned her lesson about how she has to remember her own self worth! And so now Twilight knew what she had to say.

"Rainbow. Nopony else's accomplishments can take away from yours." She declared boldly. "I've heard you described in many ways. Never once have I heard you called 'boring.'

"Soarin' thinks you're adventurous and, frankly, you are a pretty awesome mare. So what if Jetstream can talk about flying across Equestria? You're still the only mare in history that's actually done a Sonic Rainboom! You don't have just talk. You've got the awesomeness to back it up."

Dash sniffed. "You really think that I can still impress Soarin'? Even when he's seen me do that a dozen times at our shows?"

"You do impress, Soarin', Rainbow Dash. You're all he talks about. Just because somepony else comes along that doesn't mean he's going to forget about you. How could he not see how special you are?"

Rainbow gave a weak laugh. "Well, when you put it that way it makes it sound like I'm just being silly."

Twilight chuckled softly. "It's normal to get nervous sometimes. You just need to make sure that you don't let your fears of falling short get in the way of seeing how amazing you are."

Twilight felt Rainbow shift under her and removed her wing. The blue pegasis stood up. "You know what, Twilight, you're right. I don't need to be afraid of Jetstream or any mare. Soarin' picked me because of me!" Then her friend took to the air and finally, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash smile as fully as Soarin' had.

Author's Note

Another content shift. I originally intended this chapter to conclude with the dream, but instead I decided to move Rainbow's conversation about Soarin' to this chapter (it was going to be at the start of the next chapter). I could keep this one going, but I don't want these chapters to be too long. This one is already the longest so far.

The dream will be near the start of the next chapter along with the consequences of that dream. I won't spoil my plans for Chapter 6, but I can tell you that what comes next is something I've been looking forward to working on since I started the story. :twilightsheepish:

Chapter 5: Profits of the Present

“One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.” - Golda Meir

Twilight wanted to talk to Rainbow about changing the past, but after Rainbow confessed how nervous she was about Soarin' Twilight couldn't. If I tell her that there is a parallel timeline where she and Soarin' never got together she might feel like none of this was supposed to happen. Of course, that might actually be the case, but that didn't mean that Twilight had to ruin Rainbow Dash's happiness. In time she could tell her.

So, as the two spoke their conversations meandered about through their other friends. Twilight also had to relay some basic information about how her own life was going since Rainbow was not around Ponyville on a regular basis anymore. Overall, it was a very nice chat. The best thing that happened was not directly a part of their conversation, however. It was something Twilight had been working on in the back of her mind all day. After talking with Dash, and thinking about Applejack's past, she thought she'd found something she could change that would help her friend without negative side-effects. It was an event strictly about business where Applejack didn't learn any important lessons. A perfect choice for another trip to the past.

But Twilight did realize she never got Rainbow's full story. In all their discussions about the other four friends they never discussed why Dash became a Wonderbolt in the first place.She needed that information too. So Twilight changed the subject from one of Spike's sad sapphire shortage stories.

"Rainbow, I've been wanting to ask you. What was it like becoming a Wonderbolt?"

Her friend gave one of the confident grins she had come to expect and admire. "Well, it really started the day I was born, but I suppose I can skip ahead to the day that Soarin' came to Ponyville." When did that happen? Twilight wondered. Rainbow Dash continued, "I met with him before he left and we talked a bit about how I saved the Wonderbolts in Cloudsdale. Then I asked him if I could show him some of my tricks and, well, the rest is history!

"After that I was put on the fast track to the Wonderbolt Academy. That was one of the most challenging weeks of my life, but I really proved that I had what it takes. After breaking just about every Academy record I was asked to apply for a position. And then that was the most challenging week of my life.

"I had to compete against half a dozen ponies, some of them had been training for years to get into the 'Bolts. I thought my own training wasn't going to be enough. After all, I have to be a weather pony most of the time. It's not like I'm one of those born and bred fliers that was sent out to flight courses every day since I was a filly. And these tests were hard, but I stuck with it and stayed in the game.

"One by one they eliminated ponies, until finally it was neck and neck between me and a pony named Lightning Dust. She had gone to the Academy a few weeks after I did and just blew everypony away. She'd even broken a few of my records! It was too close to say one way or the other which of us was the better flier, but the Wonderbolts only had one spot open. So Spitfire put us through one last challenge: A race.

"I wasn't sure going in. Lighting Dust was really fast - pretty much as fast as Fleetfoot. But I had one thing she didn't. I wasn't just flying for myself, I was flying for my friends. You all had been with me this whole time. During that final race, Lighting was able to stay right beside me. In fact, I was behind going into the final stretch. I just couldn't move fast enough. Then I imagined you guys all cheering me on. I thought of Pinkie and Fluttershy and all of you guys! And soon I felt that air resistance. Lightning Dust didn't know what was coming until the Rainboom had already formed. After that, there was no way Lighting Dust could catch me. And I was inducted into the Wonderbolts the next day." Rainbow Dash grinned as she finished her tale. "I have to thank all of my friends for this. Without you guys, I'd never have been able to push myself enough. Lighting Dust was good at pushing herself, but you guys have always kept me pushing myself in the right direction, you know? And even if you weren't physically there like back at the Young Flyer's Competition, I could still feel you guys with me as a crossed that finish line."

Twilight smiled. "I feel like we were there, Rainbow Dash." Well, maybe I wasn't, but I'm sure I was. At least, the past me was. And the rest of my friends.

"In a way, though, I really have to thank you specifically," Rainbow said.

Twilight raised an eyebrow to her friend. "Why me?"

Dash smiled. "I was practicing for Soarin's visit that one time you saved me from crashing. Remember, out in that field with Pinkie Pie and Rarity? If I'd hurt my hoof or wing then I'd have never been able to show Soarin' my stuff, and then I'd probably still be grounded in Ponyville."

So it all clicked. That was how Twilight's moment in the past had changed the course of Rainbow's life.

"It was nothing, Rainbow. I'm just glad I was able to help." Twilight was still feeling guilty for not telling Dash the truth. It was just that everything that had happened to Rainbow was so good. I'd hate to ruin all this by telling her it didn't used to exist... But she'd have to say something eventually. Outside the sun was beginning to set. Tomorrow. I'll tell her tomorrow.

The pegasus followed her friend's eyes and looked out of the window. "Wow, it's getting that late already? I should probably let'cha head back. The last thing we need is one of Equestria's princesses getting lost flying at night." Rainbow laughed slightly at her own joke.

"Actually," Twilight said, "I was wondering if I could spend the night here. It is a long flight back to Ponyville and I think it'd be fun to have a bit of a sleep over."

Dash smiled. "Sure! I'll go get some blankets. We can stay out here in the living room. It's not like a cloud bed is that much softer than a cloud floor anyway."

Twilight nodded as Rainbow left the room. The moment the pegasus was out of sight, Twilight performed the time spell again, reciting the words under her breath as she prepared herself for another foray into the past. What I'm thinking now shouldn't matter. What matters is what I'm thinking about once I'm in bed. I need to make sure I think clearly as I'm about to fall asleep. The spell ended and Twilight walked to the center of the room laying down in front of the couch just before Dash returned with blankets and pillows.

This time, Twilight thought. This time I'll get it right. Because this time the change would be intentional. This time she knew what she was doing. This time--she would really be able to do some good.

Rainbow placed the bedding on the cloud floor and the two settled in. Dash simply flopped down and pulled the blanket over herself; Twilight laid down more gracefully, but without any amount of fussing. It reminded her of the night that AJ and Rarity slept over at her place, but it wasn't as stark of a contrast. She then stopped herself from pursuing that thought. I can't think about that night when I'm about to sleep. I need to keep my mind focused. Dash yawned and Twilight thought about just trying to clear her mind right then, but her curiosity lead her to ask one last question of the pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash? When did you and Soarin' first think about dating? I mean, I know it wasn't right away, but you must have some moment you can point to."

Rainbow grinned and blushed a bit. "Well, it really was that moment at training day. Where we did that Hoof Clasp Double Spin maneuver. But I know I've told you that training day story a dozen times, you probably don't care to hear it again."

Twilight smiled as she shook her head. "I know you love that story, Rainbow. Come on, I'd love to hear it again." Or for the first time...

"Alright." Dash beamed and turned herself back into an upright laying down position so she could face her friend more easily. "It was my first day of official Wonderbolt training. I was so... what's that word that Pinkie sometimes says?"

"Nervous-cited," Twilight reminded her.

"Yeah, that. I had finally become a Wonderbolt! This was my life's dream, but I still wasn't going to do any performances until after the training. That was where I'd need to really prove that I was ready. The first half of the day was tough for sure. I had to keep up with Fleetfoot through the aerial hurdles, bust clouds with Spitfire, and do all sorts of tricks.

"But then it was time to do some team practice. I got paired with Soarin'. To be honest, I had never thought of him in that way, you know? We were great friends, and I thought it was so cool that he helped me get into the 'Bolts, but it didn't seem like we were heading in that direction. At the time, I just thought it was really nice that the pony who got me into the 'Bolts was going to help me train for the team maneuvers. And the first one they called for was the Hoof Clasp Double Spin."

"Um, could you remind me what that is again? I don't really remember." Twilight scratched her hoof behind her head, feeling genuinely embarrassed about still not telling Dash the truth. But Rainbow didn't seem to mind her question, instead she was clearly happy to add any details to this story.

"Yeah, yeah," she continued. "The Hoof Clasp Double Spin is a pretty basic trick. I've known how to do it for years. And I knew I wouldn't have any trouble with it then. I can even do a Hoof Clasp Headspin in my sleep. The basic spin is just two pegasi flying toward each other. They look like they are about to pass right by, but then they meet in mid air and grab hoofs. They spin around twice - 720 degrees - and then let go, flying off in the same direction they were heading at the start. The hard part is being coordinated enough to go the right direction at the end.

"So Soarin' and I were flying at each other and when we met and grabbed hooves we started to spin. Some ponies close their eyes when they do the maneuver because it's easier - your body and ears can tell you what direction to go better than your eyes most of the time. But Soarin' and I didn't close our eyes. We looked into each others' eyes... And then we just kept looking. It was like time stopped or something and I started to notice everything about him. How bright his emerald eyes are. The way the wind was pushing his mane around. And I felt his hooves in mine, holding me against the forces trying to rip us apart. When he smiled at me there, something just sort of clicked. After it did, I didn't really want to let go.

"And neither did he.

"So we stayed there, floating above the field staring at each other. Some of the other ponies thought it was cool we maintained altitude in the maneuver for so long. Spitfire wasn't impressed though; her whistle brought us back. So we let go. I didn't know how many spins we did, but Spitfire says she kept count. It was twenty on the nose--and don't worry. We both headed off in the right directions." Dash laughed at that. "Fleetfoot still thinks that was the best part of the story. Apparently we set a Wonderbolt's record for the most spins successfully performed in a Hoof Clasp maneuver. That makes me the fastest pony to ever break a Wonderbolt record and they even named the trick after us - the Soarin'-Dash Seventy-Two Hundred!"

Twilight smiled. "That's a great story, Rainbow Dash! It's so cool that you and Soarin' could make a connection like that - and that you'd break a record on your very first day!" Twilight felt a yawn coming on, but stifled it. After hearing about this she had to have more details. "So how long did it take for you two to start dating after that?"

Rainbow gave a grin. "Well, I am a pretty awesome mare. I don't just let any bright eyed stallion go on a date with me. It took Soarin' a few days to work up the courage to come and ask."

"And how did this fair gentlecolt woo the amazing Rainbow Dash?" asked Twilight.

Dash blushed again. "There were a lot of things on that first date, but I really remember this one line..." She hesitated. "Oh, I don't know. It's sort of cheesy now that I think about it. It was probably just one of those 'in the moment' things or whatever. Maybe I shouldn't tell you."

Twilight playfully threw a pillow at her friend. "Come on, Dash! You can't leave me hanging like that!"

The multi-colored mare chuckled. "Alright, fine. He said 'I never realized how dull a regular rainbow looks until I saw your mane during our spin.'"

"Ohhh! That is so sweet!" Twilight was gushing over this story. Before having friends, she'd never imagined she'd be up late into the night talking about a stallion. It was far more interesting than she would have thought. And she had never seen her friend so giddy. This kind of life is really what my friends deserve. I just hope I can do something this good for AJ tonight. "He's a great stallion, isn't he?"

Dash nodded while giving a light yawn. "Yeah, he really is. That's why we've been dating ever since then. And that's why I hope we can keep dating in the future."

"I'm sure you will Rainbo--" the end of that name was cut off by a yawn. "Sorry, but I guess it is time for bed."

The pegasus turned onto her back. "Yeah, s'pose it it. Thanks for coming over tonight, Twilight."

The alicorn smiled as she turned over herself and pulled up the blankets. "Thanks for having me over, Rainbow Dash."

And the two didn't exchange any more words after that. Twilight heard Dash's snoring before falling asleep herself, but tried not to pay attention to it. Instead she was focusing her thoughts on a day from almost a year ago. A day where a couple of ponies with a strange contraption came to town and tried to run her earth pony friend out of business...

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The line of ponies stretched as far as the eye could see, which said something considering Twilight was floating a few feet above the ground. Yet the cider was almost gone. Big Mac had just loaded up the last barrel. Twilight stood with Rarity and Spike sipping a mug of her own delicious Sweet Apple Cider while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash neared the front of the line. This is it! she thought. This is the day that the Flim Flam brothers came to Ponyville! And as she suspected, the moment she realized where she was she was pulled down into her physical self on the ground. She was beginning to understand this spell better. Clearly Star Swirl didn't want the user to be randomly flung into a moment of their past, so you had to know where you were before you could change anything. It was really ingenious.

Upon being reunited with herself, Twilight could still taste some of the cider in her mouth. She examined the mug and sadly found it empty, but that was alright. She wasn't here to relive the taste of cider. She was here to help her friend's future.

"Oh dear," said Rarity, pointing a hoof at the cider stand. "Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are still a few ponies from the front. Do you think Applejack has prepared enough cider for them?"

"Don't worry," said Spike, waving a claw. "Those two got here right after sunrise. There's no way the Apple family didn't make enough cider for them."

Twilight bit her lip. I don't remember if I made a comment about this, but I do know they don't have enough cider. Any minute now AJ's going to make that announcement. And just as before, Fluttershy got her mug of cider. Rainbow Dash gave up her bits and waited eagerly, mouth open in anticipation. It was hard to watch the spout sputter and fail to relinquish any of the precious liquid.

The orange mare came around the the front of the stand. "Heh. Sorry, everypony. That's it for today!" Groans and moans rose from the crowd and Rainbow Dash flew over to her friend.

"Surprise, surprise! You ran out again!" she declared.

"Yeah, you always run out!" shouted an angry Caramel.

It was just as before. Everything was playing out the same, and that was of course to be expected. The changes would come later. Twilight wasn't sure if she could have brought herself into the day later or not, but she would have to consider that idea the next time she made a trip like this.

Twilight saw Pinkie Pie talking with a still frustrated Rainbow Dash and proudly proclaiming "I'll never forget the cider I just drank! It was a moment in time that will never exist again..." The blue pegasus' brow furrowed as she let out a growl.

Then there it was. Right on cue. Honking and whirring and steaming as it approached the scene. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. Of course Twilight would never forget the name, as the brothers were about to sing about it for the next few minutes. A part of her wished she could skip past this part. While their song was sort of catchy she hadn't really bought into their whole bit. At least not at first. She now remembered that she had started to go along with the crowed toward the end. It would probably be best to just play along for now. Her new role in all of this would come right after the brothers' introduction.

The machine again knocked over the Apple's fence and the brother's again rose out and began to sing their song. A part of Twilight still could not get used to the bizarre sensation of repeating this part of history. It was much longer than her previous visits to the past, or at least it felt much longer. Maybe it's because I don't want to be here, or maybe it's because I don't want to change any of this? She wasn't sure, but either way she did her part in the musical number.

Following that, an eager Applebloom slid forward to declare "You got a deal!" The crowd began to speak amongst themselves excitedly until Granny Smith shouted "Not so fast!" and the Apples gathered to deliberate amongst themselves.

Twilight now made her move. "I'm gonna go see what's going on," she said to Rarity and Spike. The purple pony prepared to take off and fly over to the group, but then realized her wings were missing. Oh, right... So the unicorn started walking in toward the huddle. She now was in view to see that Flim and Flam had joined the Apples, possibly without their noticing. Twilight didn't remember that moment, but perhaps she just hadn't made note of it at the time. It was hard to hear what was being said over the other ponies in the crowd, but she could listen clearly enough when the discussion was nearing its close.

AJ spoke as she returned to her family from speaking with the brothers. "Cider sales keep our business afloat through the winter. We'd lose Sweet Apple Acres if we agreed to this."

The brothers then asked in unison, "So? What'll it be?"

Big Mac literally put his hoof down as he said, "No deal."

Alright, now I need to go in, thought Twilight. Her horn began to glow.

"Hmphf, very well," said Flim. "If--" Twilight blinked herself in between the two sides, stopping Flim mid sentence.

"Hang on," she said. "Maybe we should talk about this a bit more."

"And who is this?" asked a confused Flam.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle," she said, matter-of-factly. "I'm one of Applejack's best friends. And I know how important her farm is to her, but I also know that you ponies could really help each other out if only you reached a deal. The Apples could use more cider sales to help make it through the winter, and you two are clearly interested in making money here. I think we can work out an agreement that's good for everypony!

"Rarity, could you come over here?" Twilight called out across the sea of ponies and the white mare looked confused as she walked over. Twilight turned back to the group. "Rarity has years of experience working out contracts for her fashion clients. I'm sure she can help you all come to some kind of a compromise."

"Well, I suppose we could budge a bit on the deal," said Flim.

"But we still need to be able to make good profits from our magic and machinery!" declared Flam.

"Just look at all these ponies lined up to buy cider," said Twilight, pointing to the crowds. "I'm sure you've noticed how popular Sweet Apple Acre's cider is. Even if you only made 30% you could still turn a huge profit."

"Unacceptable!" shouted Flam. "We need at least 60% of the sales!"

"After all, without our machine that cider isn't even being sold. If we don't sell it then nopony gets any cider and the Apples don't make any money."

"We've made enough to get by in the past without y'all's help!" Applejack scowled.

Big Mac gave a hearty "Ee'yup!"

Twilight shook her head. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea. I made it this far, I can at least see if Rarity can do anything. Worst case is, they do the competition like before. She turned to her other friend. "Rarity, could you help the brothers and Apple family work this out?"

"Well, I suppose we can try." Rarity cleared her throat and looked to the Flim Flam brothers, "Well, I can see that you two gentlecolts are quite savvy. And clearly you have a lot of technical know-how since you were able to build that machine. How could anypony argue that you deserve a fair share."

"Yes indeed," Flim smiled. "So glad you noticed."

"It would seem, though," Rarity continued. "That the Apples do in fact have the one thing you lack.

"And what, pray tell, is that?" asked Flam.

"Their namesake apples, of course. Without those your machine is just a fancy cart."

"But without our machine the apples can't be made into cider quickly enough to meet the demand," pointed out Flim.

"That is true," Rarity conceded. "Yet the Apples have been able to get by nicely without your help for years. It would seem to me that you need them more than they need you."

"This town needs cider!" declared Flam. "Isn't that right?" he directed his question to the crowd, who gave a hearty shout of approval.

"See? The ponies of Ponyville are anxious for more delicious cider. Do you really want to disappoint them?" asked Flim.

Rarity shook her head. "Of course not. But we need to come to a fair deal. What would you propose?"

"60-40!" the brothers shouted.

"We get the 60," added Flam.

The white unicorn gave a sigh. "You're going to have to do better than that," said Rarity. Her tone was interesting. It was a sort of sad indifference. It was like she genuinely wanted the brothers to see reason, but she was comfortable if they did not. After her words, she was simply silent.

"You drive a hard bargain," said Flim. "But you seem like a nice mare. We can settle on 55-45." It was a statement, not a question.

Rarity ever so slightly raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She was just looking at the brothers. The mare stood there for nearly a complete minute. Then for more than a minute. Twilight almost interrupted to ask what was going on, but then she realized what her friend was doing. It was a tactic. She was letting the silence build intentionally.

And it was working. The two brothers were at first composed, but now they were sweating. They then began to whisper back and forth. Flam's head emerged. "50-50?" he asked.

Rarity shook her head.

The brothers whispered some more, then both turned to face the fashionista. "Okay," said Flim. "We'll take 40-60, but that's our last offer. If you can't take that, we'll have to walk away."

"I'll see what the Apple's have to say about that." Rarity walked over to the Apple family and began to discuss things with them. Twilight couldn't hear them, and so she was sure the brothers couldn't either. Then, Rarity returned. "The Apple family will accept your proposal, on the condition that they be allowed to continue selling their own cider."

"What?!" cried the brothers.

"Your cider will be sold separately to reach unmet demand."

"Unacceptable!" Flam put his hoof down.

"We need to be compensated for our machine!" said Flim. "We put hundreds of bits into this thing!"

Rarity started to think, but Applejack came forward. "Thanks for all yer help, Rare, but I can take it from here." Rarity graciously stepped aside and Applejack spoke to the brothers. "How 'bout this: Ya'll can have 100% a those profits 'til you've paid for that machine. After that, we go back to 40-60. My family'll provide all the apples and help you need to keep the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy goin'. All y'all need to do is power it and take in the money from the sales."

"So our costs will be completely reimbursed?" Flam clarified. AJ nodded. The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, having a wordless conversation. Finally, Flam spoke again, "That sounds like a pretty good profit margin to me, brother."

Flim smiled. "I'd have to agree. No costs, no fuss. But I have one more condition."

Twilight bit her lip. What now?

"If the Apples can still sell their cider, then I want our name to be on the cider we make."

"A fine idea, brother," said Flam. "How about..."

"Flim Flam's Fantasti-Cider!" they said together.

Applejack looked back at her family. Big Mac shrugged. Granny Smith nodded. She turned back. "Okay, sure. Y'all can name yer cider."

Flim then abruptly put out a hoof. "So do we have a deal?"

The crowd around the discussions had grown quiet by this point. Everypony was watching Applejack intently. Then the mare reached out and shook Flim's hoof. "We have a deal!" The townsfolk cheered in delight at the news. Hoofshakes were exchanged between the brothers and the rest of the Apple family, even Applebloom.

"So, where do we start?" asked Flim, getting back atop their machine.

"You can use our south field," said Granny Smith. "The apples there'll make great cider. We usually can't harvest them all before the winter's done."

Applebloom came forward. "But now that we have the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy those apples can make enough cider for the whole town!"

Applejack chuckled. "You hear that?" she declared to the crowd. "We're gonna have cider for everypony!" The town gave another cheer and Rainbow Dash actually did several loops in the air.

Twilight beamed. She'd done it! She'd found a way to get a compromise between the Apples and the Flim Flam brothers. Or, more correctly, Rarity had. Regardless, the agreement should mean that the Apple family would have a lot more money in the future. They won't be scraping by through cider season anymore.

The brothers brought the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 over to the south field and began to collect apples for their cider. The town began to line up again at the stand and Twilight laughed as she saw that Pinkie was already the first in line having beaten Dash by half a second. She wasn't worried though. I'm sure there will be more than enough cider for Rainbow Dash today.

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Twilight awoke to find herself still in Rainbow Dash's cloud house. The blue mare was snoring next to her on the floor. So whatever I did didn't affect Rainbow or I in the future. But I bet it did something to Applejack. Standing up, Twilight looked out the window at the sun barely rising in the east. She walked over and stood there for a few moments, taking in the view. She heard a yawn and turned to see Rainbow Dash stretching. "Good morning," she said to her friend.

"Morning, Twilight," said Dash through another yawn. "That was a good night's sleep. How about you?"

The alicorn couldn't help but laugh a bit at the question. "Oh, it was interesting, but good."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "What are you laughing about?" Then a look of realization struck and the pegasus grinned. "Did you go to the past again?"

Twilight could only manage one thought. I guess something did change for Dash and I...

Author's Note

I've had a lot of stuff going on these last few weeks, so sorry this took so long. Also, I'm sorry that the chapter itself is pretty long. I didn't want these breaching 4000 words, but I also promised that I'd have the dream in here and I've been putting that off long enough.

I could have shortened it a bit by not including the Soarin'-Dash fluff, but I enjoyed that part of the story and it won't really fit in the next chapter. I already have enough planned for Chapter 6. :twilightsheepish:

Chapter 6: Unexpected Sunrise

“We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it.” - Rick Warren

Twilight Sparkle's life had been full of unexpected moments. She'd have to give the request from the Princess to travel to Ponyville and make friends the top spot. Second place needed to go to finding out that her brother was getting married the week before the wedding. She wasn't exactly sure where "Rainbow Dash knows about my time travels" would fit on her list, but she knew it was in the top ten.

Something that happened in her last trip had given her the confidence, or worse, the need, to share her changes to the past. It took quite a while for all of this to register in Twilight's mind.

"Uh, Twilight? Are you alright?" asked Rainbow Dash, getting up off the cloud floor.

Twilight shook her head to clear it and then cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just, well, how did you...? What I mean to ask is: When did I tell you...?" Twilight stopped and took a deep breath. "Rainbow. When did I tell you that I have been traveling to the past?"

Dash raised an eyebrow. "Uh, last night. That was why you came over to my house, remember?"

"I remember that, but I don't..." Twilight didn't want to admit she hadn't told the past Dash, but that was unavoidable at this point. "The thing is, in my version of events, I never got up the courage to actually tell you. We went to sleep on the floor talking about Soarin' and I never mentioned that I'd changed the past."

Rainbow Dash gave a wide smile. "This is so cool."

"What's cool?"

"You just changed history again, that's what! So what did you do this time?" Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. "Did you give Rarity that job working for Sapphire Shores?" Twilight shook her head. "Hmmm... did you give Fluttershy the courage to help finish that hurricane to get water to Cloudsdale?" Another shake. "Oh! Oh! Did you help Pinkie Pie become friends with that donkey?"

"No," said Twilight. "I went back and changed Applejack's past. I made her become business partners with the Flim Flam Brothers."

After seeing Dash's reaction to that statement, Twilight wondered if she needed to do more reading on pony anatomy. She never knew how wide somepony's mouth could open until Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped at the mention of what she had done. "You?" said a flabbergasted Rainbow Dash. "You were the one that got AJ that deal? I thought it was Rarity!"

"I convinced Rarity to help them, but it was my trip to the past that made it happen. In my version of events the two brothers got driven out of town and everything went back to normal. Is that a big deal? What happened to Applejack?"

"It's just..." Rainbow looked for words. "Okay, you know how Filthy Rich used to be the richest pony in Ponyville?"

"What do you mean 'used to be?' He..." Twilight stopped herself. Then a grin rose on her face. "How rich is Applejack?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "However rich the Riches were compared to everypony else, the Apples are that much richer than them."

Had Twilight had a mirror, she would have also been prompted to check up on how wide a pony's eyes could open. "I did that?"

"Yeah, you did!" Dash gave Twilight's shoulder a push with her hoof. "Doin' more good work. I gotta hand it to ya Twilight: you really know how to make the most of this time travel stuff. First making yourself an author, then making me a Wonderbolt. Now you make AJ the most successful apple grower in Equestria. What are you gonna do next?"

"To be honest, I haven't really thought that far," said Twilight. This was a much different reaction than she was expecting. AJ had been quite cautious, but then again, Rainbow Dash was a bit of a dare-devil when it came to physical stunts. It also then seemed reasonable that she would be a bit of a dare-devil when it came to magical stunts. Twilight made a note not to let Rainbow near any of her experiments in the future.

"Well, I'd love to work on that with you," said Dash, looking out the window. "But I need to get ready to go practice for the Equestria Games. Spitfire would make me run a hundred laps if I showed up late after my day off."

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, and I should get back to Ponyville and check up on AJ." She imagined all the awesome changes that could have taken place on the farm in her absence. That saggy old roof and plow were probably sparkling new. Not to mention how Granny Smith could probably walk well again on a replacement hip...

"Uh, aren't you forgetting something?" said Rainbow Dash. Twilight looked at her, confused. "You said you were gonna go visit Princess Celestia today."

"I did?" Apparently my conversation with Dash went to more places than I thought.

"Yeah, you said you wanted to make sure that she got those spells safely."

"You mean, Spike already sent them?" Could this future really be that different?

Dash nodded. "You said he sent them before you came to visit me."

Twilight gave a "huh," then said, "Well, I guess I need to go to Canterlot then... It was good to see you, Rainbow Dash."

"Good to see you too, Twilight." The pegasus gave her a salute and then flew up her stairs to get ready.

Twilight heaved a long sigh. I guess a lot changed in this trip. I wonder how my changes to AJ affected so much of what I did with Star Swirl's spells... Well, she would have the entire flight over to Canterlot to think about that.

<> <> <>

During the trip, Twilight was able to make some conclusions about why she would have sent the Princess those spells. She thought that Applejack may not have been in the marketplace selling apples like before, so then she would have returned to the library and asked Spike where Rainbow Dash was. She imagined that Spike would have bothered her to send the spells to the Princess and, considering how she was feeling then, she probably would have agreed to it. Obviously Twilight would need Spike himself to fill in the details, but that assumption seemed reasonable.

Whatever happened, it doesn't matter for now. I've got to go see what Celestia knows about these spells. It may have only been a day, but Princess Celestia was not the sort that would leave something this important to wait. In a way, she was probably just as intrigued by these spells as Twilight was. She'd even known Star Swirl personally, and that probably made it all the more exciting.

Upon arriving in the shining capital city, Twilight made her way to the Princesses' castle and was again met with a royal greeting. She landed at the top of the staircase leading to the front doors and the guardponies atop the walls on either side bowed to her. One of the captains then made his way forward.

The dark gray earth pony bowed yet again and Twilight gave a polite head bow in response. He then spoke. "Princess Sparkle. How may we be of assistance to you today?"

"I am here to see Princess Celestia."

The captain took a breath and did not respond immediately. Twilight had gotten used to what that meant - it was him buying time to think of the best way to say "No." She sometimes wished that they would just tell her a straight "No," but it would be improper for a pony of his station to directly refuse a princess. Still, it didn't matter how polite he was. Twilight would not be speaking with Celestia today.

"The Princess may not be available at the present time," he began. "She has many things to attend to today." But as he thought about how to explain, a large white pony with pastel rainbow hair and wings emerged from the double doors. This elicited another bow from the captain. "Your grace, I was just explaining to Princess Sparkle that your schedule today will not permit a visit."

Celestia gave a graceful nod. "I did ask not to be disturbed today." Then she turned her eyes to Twilight. "But I always can find time to talk with Princess Sparkle."

The guard gave a deep nod and stepped aside, allowing Twilight to approach her former teacher. "Princess Celestia," she said. "If you're busy today I can come back later." While she did want to know about what happened with the spells, Twilight was still quite curious to see what happened with Applejack. Besides, is she had been that busy there was even a possibility no work was done with Star Swirl's trove of spells in the last day.

But Celestia shook her head. "There's no need for that. On the contrary, you are one of the ponies with whom I need to speak. I was just about to send you a letter when I noticed you flying into Canterlot."

So she does have news about those spells. "What did you want to talk about?"

Celestia held a hoof toward to the doors and the two walked in together. They shut silently behind them and the two began to walk toward Celestia's chambers. As they walked through the halls, Celestia spoke. "I was quite surprised by your last letter and all of the scrolls that accompanied it. To think that Star Swirl the Bearded would have left behind more spells is something I've often suspected. Yet as time wore on and nothing was discovered, I will admit that I had begun to believe that his legacy was complete with the spells found in Canterlot's archives.

"I have commissioned a team of historians and magicians to examine the documents. In just this one day of study, the team has found several promising spells. Most are too incomplete to make attempts at casting them for now, but one of the spells did seem to be finished."

"One was finished?" Twilight attempted to sound surprised. The two entered Celestia's bed chambers at that point. It was a simple room. Somepony might have expected it to be covered in exotic paintings and other decor, or to overflow with shelves of books. Instead, it held a simple lectern on one wall with a fireplace on the other wall and a cushioned mat near the center of the floor for a bed. Sometimes Twilight wished her mentor would give herself more comfortable quarters, but usually she just admired how a Princess was willing to live with such a modest arrangement of furniture.

Celestia walked over to the lectern and Twilight saw that one of the scrolls was resting on it. She recognized it immediately and gave a gulp as Celestia spoke. "This seems to be another time spell. I have been examining it personally."

Examining it personally... "So, um, what have you found out about it?" asked Twilight.

"Some of our best unicorns have examined the spell but, while it might be finished, it does not appear to be functional."

This statement concerned Twilight. "How long ago did they test the spell?" What if they just haven't gone to sleep yet?

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "They did so yesterday. Why do you ask?"

Twilight froze, but only for a moment. "I read that one. From the wording of the spell and the description it sounded like you might need to fall asleep for the spell to work."

Celestia's mane flowed continuously as she thought about Twilight's words. She raised up the scroll and looked it over again. "I see. Although it is not explicitly stated, I can understand why you would think this. However, none of the researchers noted any affects this morning, and they believe the reason is because the spell requires too much power."

"Too much power? You mean the spell requires multiple unicorns?" Do I really have that much magical ability?

Celestia shook her head. "No. They believe that the spell requires alicorn magic to function."

"Alicorn magic?" Twilight said. No wonder I could cast it. "But Star Swirl never became an alicorn."

Celestia nodded. "Yet he still constructed this spell. A spell that, considering Star Swirl's experience, he would have known required an alicorn to perform." Celestia placed the scroll back on the lectern. "I am now afraid that perhaps the only reason Star Swirl so strongly pursued becoming an alicorn was to allow him to use this spell."

"That doesn't seem right," Twilight said. "Star Swirl was interested in all kinds of magic. Everything I've read suggests he wanted to become an alicorn so he could experience more magic."

"Until I read this I would have agreed with you. Perhaps that is the case. But this line here concerns me." The white alicorn brought the scroll to face Twilight and pointed to the middle of the spell. "He wrote 'And I will not press through.' It seems to be a reference to a conversation I had with him. A conversation where I gave him advice about his past.

"Star Swirl would come to me from time to time in his efforts to learn more about magic. One day, he came to me speaking about his past. He said that he wished he could have been able to save someone. A friend he lost. He said that he needed to be able to correct his past mistakes. He needed to be able to go back in time. I told him that this desire was misplaced. That he should focus his energies on his present and future, not his past. That he needed to press on and press through.

"But this line... It shows me that Star Swirl was attempting to undermine my advice to him. Despite my best attempts at persuading him, he came back to me several weeks later, upset about another failure. He had created a time spell - one that would allow him to go back for a few moments, but only once.

"You, of course, are aware of Star Swirl's first attempt at a time spell. The letter you sent to me a year ago where you detailed your own experiences attempting to correct a mistake involved using Star Swirl's spell. As you found out, it was not a particularly successful spell."

"It didn't change anything," Twilight said. "If anything it just made things worse for me."

Celestia nodded. "Star Swirl had a similar problem. I again told him to press through toward tomorrow. That this was not worth the pursuit. When he left, he seemed to understand. I had assumed that, following this failure, he had learned his lesson about tampering with the past. I truly believed he had, but upon reading this, I was sad to discover he had not. Evidently, my words of advice were not enough for him." Celestia levitated the scroll up to herself, looking at the lines again. She then set it back atop the lectern. Celestia closed her eyes and faced the floor, her expression somber; something that Twilight was not used to seeing there.

She isn't excited about these spells at all, thought Twilight. All they do is remind her of Star Swirl; of a friend that she lost. "I'm sorry these spells upset you."

Celestia opened her eyes and shook her head, although she did not raise it up. "It is true that looking through these spells of his has brought back much of the heartache I felt for Star Swirl. Yet I am not sorry that you sent these to me. Sometimes we may feel upset about our past - loss is always particularly painful - but a sad past does not prevent us from moving into a joyful future. I will not forget the very advice I gave to Star Swirl all those years ago.

"No matter how badly I want to, I cannot change yesterday." Then Celestia looked up at Twilight and gave a broad smile. "And that, my faithful student, is where you came in." Celestia had not referred to Twilight as her "faithful student" since the day of the coronation. Twilight felt the warmth of those words resonating through her body. "You, Twilight, were the future I was looking toward. I pressed through to that day in the upper room of the castle where you unleashed your raw magical abilities. And there I saw a young filly brimming with potential. Yet it was not until later that I saw your potential beyond magic.

"When I sent you to Ponyville I was putting the fate of Equestria on your shoulders. You did not realize it at the time, and even I did not truly understand how lost I would become upon Nightmare Moon's return, but you did not fail to see what Star Swirl had missed. You found friendship. You found love."

Twilight smiled at that. She thought of her friends and remembered their group hug from a few days before. She almost forgot that it had never happened. Almost... Her smile weakened slightly.

Celestia looked back over at her lectern, shaking her head. "I knew that Star Swirl was frustrated at the end of his life. Frustrated by his failure to master alicorn magic mostly. He did not understand that alicorn magic is about more than simple magical ability. I had hoped he could learn from his friendships and become an alicorn as you did. I fear that the desire to use this spell may have been a key reason that his judgement was so flawed. Whatever the reason, it was not meant to be."

Those words affected Twilight. The idea of what was and was not meant to be was clear in her mind. What was not clear now was the practical side of that idea. She held in her the potential to choose what could and could not be. What was actually meant to be did not matter--at least, it didn't have to.

Celestia turned back to Twilight and continued. "I am so proud of you, Twilight. How much you've learned. And more than that, how much you've grown! I am so grateful for your continued pursuit of what truly matters. You no longer seek things like magic and organization that crumble during the first signs of trouble. Instead, you seek the joys of friendship that last for a lifetime."

It was as if somepony had taken a wrecking ball and smashed it against Twilight's heart. Does Celestia know? Is she saying these things to me because of what I've already done?

"Whether Star Swirl pursued alicorn magic for its own sake or for the sake of this spell, I do not know," said Celestia. "But it is part of the past now. What matters is today. And today you are standing before me having achieved Star Swirl's dream. Yet you did so in the right way and for the right reasons." Celestia then came toward Twilight and gave her a hug. Twilight of course returned it, but was not sure she deserved it.

When they parted, Celestia said, "Thank you for being my student, Twilight. And for making the friendships that you have."

"Thank you for believing in me." Twilight graciously said. Then she thought, But I'm more like Star Swirl than you might think...

Author's Note

I am sorry for two things. 1. That this chapter took so long to get out and 2. That it ended up getting split into two chapters. I fought that decision, but considering how distinct each chapter became and considering how long they are it felt like the best choice.

If it helps, I got to add some more content to this chapter that I originally was not going to include since I had more time to work on it and more room in the chapter.

So now we know more about the history of this spell and a bit more about how it works. Since chapter 7 is basically just the end of what became the whole of chapter 6 it will be out shortly.

Chapter 7: The Truth of the Moment

“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” - Henry David Thoreau

The flight back to Ponyville was not long. Twilight made it there well before sunset. She and Celestia had discussed several matters beyond Star Swirl's spells. Plans for the Equestria Games, progress on discovering the purpose of the box from the Tree of Harmony, and just the general goings-on in each others lives. It had been an enjoyable visit and Twilight found it refreshing to get lost in this timeline she'd made. By the time she left Canterlot she'd almost forgotten about visiting Applejack.

The sight of the town, however, immediately brought her back.

The town of Ponyville could be described in several ways. "Cozy," "quaint," "simple," "rustic," and "down-to-earth" were good choices for descriptors. Even the busier part of town - the market district - did not break from that mold. At least, it didn't used to. This Ponyville's business district had lost its right to claim those basic adjectives. Where small shops once dotted the main street, larger storefronts now dominated. While the marketplace before held a gentle trickle of ponies, this street housed a flowing mass. It was not quite Manehattan, but perhaps it could rival one of the city's less popular locales.

And there were two icons that were found on every billboard, sign, and flyer in view: the Sweet Apple Acre's apple and the Flim Flam Brother's silhouetted faces. Rainbow Dash wasn't kidding, Twilight thought as she flew toward AJ's farm. This is enormous! That grocery store makes Barnyard Bargains look like a lemonade stand!

The family farm was also much less modest than before. As Twilight approached she looked around and saw it seemed to stretch on in all directions, filling the hills with apples of all types. Workers could be seen bucking trees everywhere. Yet the farmhouse at the center seemed to be mostly unchanged - except for a nicer roof. After landing, Twilight walked up to the gates of what was now proudly named "Sweet Apple Acres Incorporated." And Twilight was proud too. This is way better than I imagined. There's no way Applejack has any financial problems now. Then a fear met her. She'd always been told that money changes a pony. But she quickly dismissed that fear. This is Applejack! She wouldn't let money change her.

Of course, finding Applejack on this now enormous farm could prove to be a bit of a challenge. So first Twilight approached a caramel colored stallion who was bucking a tree near the entrance. "Hi Caramel."

"Howdy, Twilight," he said, turning to buck another tree. "What brings you round to Sweet Apple Acres today?" His kick landed and most of the apples fell from the branches into the baskets on his back.

"I wanted to talk to Applejack. Would you know where I can find her?"

Caramel stopped and turned to face Twilight. "Sorry Twilight, but I can't tell ya that."

"You can't tell me?" This was not something Twilight expected could happen. "Why can't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry," Caramel's face scrunched up in embarrassment and he looked to the side. "Applejack don't see guests until after hours. You'll have to come back later."

Sure, she'd known Caramel for a few years, but this was not how most ponies treated her since the day of the coronation. It had been a long time since she'd been given a flat "No" to a request. Twilight didn't like pulling the princess card, but she needed to know how Applejack was doing. Today is just not my day. First the royal guards, now Caramel. Still, it wasn't that unreasonable to wait and she could always go and talk with Spike to find out what happened yesterday. I guess I can just come back later... "Okay, Caramel. Sorry to bother you. I guess I'll just have to come back this evening."

She prepared to leave when a strong voice said "Don't be ridiculous!"

Twilight and Carmel turned to see Applejack coming over a nearby hill. Her stetson hat still adorned her head and she was still carrying apples in baskets on her back, but her step had a spring in it that Twilight rarely saw. As the orange mare approached, a wide grin came on her face. "Howdy, Twilight," she said, nodding to her friend. She then turned to the stallion. "It's alright, Carmel. I've been expectin' Twilight to stop by. And besides, I've always got time fer her."

Part of Twilight wondered why Applejack was expecting her, but another part was just happy that she was going to get to talk with her friend. Immediately she saw the parallel between AJ and Celestia. Both didn't care about how busy they were - once Twilight arrived, they both just wanted to see her. I knew money and busy schedules could never get between us.

Carmel went back to harvesting and Applejack came to give Twilight a hug. When the two broke apart, she gestured to the farmhouse and she said, "So, what did y'all find out about that spell from the other day?"

As the two began to walk to the house, Twilight thought about how best to respond. She started with "Well, I talked to Princess Celestia today."

"What is it? Somethin' I can help with?" asked AJ. Her tone was anxious. Clearly she was thinking Twilight had bad news.

"No, no," said Twilight, shaking her head. "It's not like that. I just sent her the spells yesterday and went to see what she learned."

"And what'd she find out?" AJ stopped and looked at her friend. "No need to sugar coat it sugar cube. I can handle the news. And whatever happened, I know we can take care of it."

"Actually, she thinks the spell requires too much magic for a single unicorn to use." Twilight didn't want to confess anything out in the open. Besides, she also wanted to know how different things were in this version of events. I'd told Applejack everything before. Did I still tell her in this future?

"Oh, so there ain't no danger." Apparently not... "Alright, glad that nothing's gonna happen as a result of y'all usin' that spell." The two continued their walk to the farmhouse. "So, why'd y'all come here? Did Blueblood finally get back to y'all about given ma farm more of the Everfree Forest?"

"Uh, I haven't heard anything about that." I barely even remember that Blueblood is the Grand Veneur. I guess he and Applejack have been doing some negotiations about the size of her farm. And I'm some sort of intermediary between them?

"Um, beggin' yer pardon, Twi, but what are y'all here for then?" The orange mare seemed moderately peeved. As if she was somehow upset that Twilight hadn't come bearing important news.

"I, well, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

AJ shook her head. "I'm doin' fine," then she gave a sigh. "Well, I s'pose I best be gettin' back to work." Applejack then began to head back to the fields. "Thanks for stoppin' by, Twilight."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Twilight put her hoof down, both figuratively and literally. "What's with you?!"

The orange mare groaned and turned around. "I'm sorry Twi, but this is ridiculous. First y'all come here a few days ago complainin' about some spell that did nothin'. Now ya just wanna see how I'm doin' when I ain't been fussin' to ya about nothin'. Don't you know how busy I am right now? If we don't get these trees harvested by Saturday then we'll never get that order shipped out to Fillydelphia in time!"

"I thought you said you'd always have time for me!" At least, in the old timeline you did.

"But it's the middle of the day. I've got work ta do! Can't talkin' about me wait 'til later?"

Twilight shook her head. "I guess it can." Oh Celestia, what have I done to Applejack? She'd finally done it. She finally really did it. She'd blown it up and ruined something irreplaceable. She'd turned a loyal and honest mare into a pony who cared more about money and work than her own friends. Oh, Applejack. I'm so sorry.

Twilight didn't want to cry in front of her friend, but she couldn't help it. A couple of tears formed in her eyes. She tried to cover them up with her hoof and a cough, but Applejack did notice. "Twilight?"

"I guess I'll get going then," Twilight gave a sniff and unfurled her wings.

Applejack moved toward her friend and reached out to give her a hug. A hug that Twilight quickly and gratefully returned. "I'm mighty sorry, Twilight. I don't know why I was gettin' upset. It's been so busy 'round here... I guess I forgot how to treat ma friends." Twilight broke down a bit more at that. "I'm sorry, sugarcube."

"It's okay," said Twilight. "I forgive you." After all, it's not really your fault. It's mine.

"Come on, let's get you inside." As they resumed their trip to the farmhouse, Twilight prepared to tell her friend everything again.

"Applejack," she began. "When we get inside I need to talk to you about something..."

<> <> <>

The inside of the farmhouse was surprisingly unchanged. Clearly Applejack hadn't been using her newfound wealth to indulge in lavish spending. And Twilight hadn't expected her to. Yet obviously she was much more busy.

The conversation went much like their conversation before. Applejack even asked most of the same questions. This time, however, Twilight needed to reveal an additional truth.

"Last night," she started. "I went back and I changed your past."

AJ cocked her head to the side. "Beg yer pardon?"

"Do you remember the day the Flim Flam brothers came to Ponyville?"

Applejack nodded. "How could I forget? That was the day everythin' changed around here. I was..." her words came to a halt. "Wait. Did you bring those two into town?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, remember how I broke up the conversation between you two and invited Rarity to help you negotiate?"

AJ's eyes went wide. "That wasn't supposed to happen?!"

"Well, no." Twilight still wasn't convinced that "supposed to happen" was the best way to look at these changes, but now was not the time to debate semantics. "In my version of events you ended up getting into a competition with the brothers. Instead of being business partners you ended up having to drive them out of town just to keep your farm. So I thought it would be a good idea to have you guys end up working together. And I think I was right; look at all the things you've accomplished."

"Yeah, it sure is impressive." Applejack stood up from the couch and exhaled deeply. "Woo wee!" She looked back at her friend. "Twi', y'all've done a lot of things since you came to Ponyville. Us six have been through more in the last couple years than most ponies will go through in a lifetime." Something about these words were familiar to Twilight. "This is a lot to take in. I don't know what ta think yet, and that's just the truth a' the matter. From ma perspective, nothin' changed. I don't remember you havin' an owl. I can't imagine Dash still bein' grounded here in Ponyville. And I don't know where I'd be if my farm still wasn't successful. That was my life both yesterday and today."

That's why this sounds familiar, thought Twilight. Because Applejack said this to me before!

"But I do believe ya. I have no doubt y'all changed all this from whatever once was."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Twilight asked. She wanted to see if the response would be the same as before.

"I don't know. I can't figure that out quick. I need time ta think for maself." AJ walked back over to the couch and sat down next to Twilight. "This is big. Real big. Bigger than me and bigger than you. If you was some random pony who found that spell I'd be right scared. Changin' history. It just ain't natural." Applejack gave her friend a hug. Exactly like last time... "But you ain't a random pony. And I trust you."

The words still felt as true and they seemed to comfort Twilight all the more because it proved that Applejack was still the same pony. Even if she'd become more successful and had less time for her friends, that didn't make AJ different on the inside. She really is still my friend. I didn't screw that up. "Thanks, Applejack."

"I just got one more question."

"Anything," said Twilight.

"Why did y'all do this?"

Twilight smiled. "I wanted to do something for you. You've been such a good friend and I know how hard you work. I just wanted to give you the success you deserve."

AJ chuckled. "Well, I think this is a might bit more than I deserve. I never imagined in all my life that the farm would look like this."

"But it really hasn't changed all that much," said Twilight. "This room is still the same. And you're still out bucking trees. I mean, sure, a lot more ponies are enjoying your apples. And I'm sure you have a lot more money than before. But, really, you're still the same mare and this is still the same farm."

"That's by design," said Applejack. "When we started gettin' more successful, I told everypony that I wouldn't let it change anything. I do the same amount of work as my employees and I live in the same kinda house that they could afford." Then Applejack frowned. "But it has changed some things... it feels like I never get to see y'all anymore."

Twilight nodded. "I suppose there is that." I wonder how often she does see us. Did she come to Rainbow Dash's birth-a-versary party? Actually, we probably didn't even host that here now that Dash is a Wonderbolt. But... Then Twilight realized there was a more important question to ask. "Applejack," she said. "Are you happy with the way things turned out?"

Her friend grinned, "How can I not be? This is my dream. Even if it's been months in the makin', sometimes I still find it hard to believe. But this is everything I've ever wanted since I was a little filly. So I'm mighty pleased with how this all worked out."

"I'm glad."

The two remained in silence for a time. It was a good silence, the kind that arose not because they didn't have anything to say, but because they didn't need to say anything. When the two mares made eye contact after a while, they smiled. This is how I remember AJ. I'm glad money didn't change her.

It was AJ who broke the silence. "Thanks for comin' and talkin' with me, Twi."

"Yeah, this was good."

Then Applejack took a deep breath and prepared to leave. "Ta be frank, I've got to get back to ma orchard fer now. Ya mean the world to me, Twi'. If I thought there was anythin' I could do fer ya now, I'd do it lickity split. But I can't think a' nothin' and apples don't buck themselves."

Twilight continued to smile. "I know. And I'm really grateful that you took the time to talk to me."

AJ tipped her hat to her friend. "No trouble at all, Twi."

And they left it at that.

<> <> <>

Twilight decided to walk back to her tree house. It wasn't so much that her wings were tired--even though they were. It was more that she wanted to have time to think. Her trips to the past were doing a lot and she needed to evaluate the changes objectively.

The pros seemed obvious. She was now an author, Rainbow Dash was now a Wonderbolt, and Applejack had finally become insanely successful. They were all living their dreams of academics, athletics, and affluence respectively. And there were side benefits as well. Rainbow Dash was in a happy relationship with Soarin' and the Flim Flam brothers were now making an honest living instead of being con artists.

Yet there were cons to her changes. Owlicious being gone was difficult. Rainbow Dash never got involved in Daring Do's life, nor did she become a huge fan of the books. Biggest of all, Twilight wouldn't get to see Rainbow Dash and Applejack as much as before.

But her friends were happy. And wasn't that the most important thing about friendship? Making sure that your friends were happy? Even if I can't see Rainbow and AJ as often as I used to, that doesn't mean our friendship is ruined. They're both having the times of their lives - I should be happy for them. And I am happy for them. The smile that rose on Twilight's muzzle was not artificial. She was genuinely glad that her friends could lead such successful lives. Not to mention her own joy of knowing that she was responsible.

In fact, she then began to wonder more about Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. With how powerful this spell was, there must be something for each of them. And after how much they've given me, they deserve all the happiness in Equestria. Anything I need to give up is a small price pay.

This time was also better than before. Unlike the previous accidental trips that had multiple negative outcomes, this one seemed to have been perfectly executed. If she was able to replicate that through more careful planning then she could give the same kind of future to all of her friends without messing up the past. I can do this. I just need to take my time. And really she had all the time in the world...

Nodding to herself, Twilight opened the door to her library. She saw that Spike was busy dusting off the center table. He was on a step ladder and facing toward the door. Upon her entry, he gave a wave. "Hey Twilight! I didn't see you come home last night. Did everything go okay?"

"Sorry I forgot to send you a note, Spike," Twilight was sorry about that. She knew Spike was prone to worry, but she was glad that he hadn't gotten too distressed while she was gone. "I ended up spending the night at Rainbow Dash's place in Cloudsdale and then stopped by Canterlot to talk to the Princess about those spells we sent her."

The dragon flinched slightly at the mention of the scrolls they had found in the old castle. "So, what does she think about them? Is everything alright?"

Twilight was honest to a point. "She thinks most of them are incomplete, but a couple might be worth study. The spell I cast is one that's going to be investigated further."

Spike was still slightly tense. "So we don't know yet."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Spike," she said. She was about to lie and say something about how they would have noticed changes if the spell worked, but instead she just went with another honest to a point statement. "They said the spell requires more power than a unicorn can generate."

"Really? That's good news. I've been kinda worried for the last few days."

"Well, there's no need to worry." Twilight said. "So, what have you been up to while I was gone?"

"Not much," said Spike. "Just doin' my chores. And I was about to start on dinner. Do you want that now?"

Twilight smiled. "That sounds alright to me. I'm pretty hungry after the flight back here."

"You got it. I'll go get it started," Spike then turned around and hopped off the step ladder to go into the kitchen. When he did so, Twilight let out a scream, causing Spike to quickly face her again and ask, "What's wrong?"

"Spike!" Twilight shouted. "What happ-- Where's your tail?!" For when the dragon had turned she noted that his purple tail was missing.

Author's Note

One might note that these last two chapters had a similar flow. This was intentional because they were going to be one chapter and I wanted that one chapter to have parallels between the two halves to give it a more cohesive feel. Now it might just be awkward; I'm not sure. I did like the idea before so I decided to keep it.

I will not spoil what comes next, but I am looking forward to it. And I've already begun writing it. Hopefully it comes out faster than these chapters.

Chapter 8: Heading into Dusk

“Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by. The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting.” - Haruki Murakami

A blank stare was all Spike had in response to Twilight's revelation. He'd been missing his tail for a long time now and, while it was news to a lot of ponies at the time, he hadn't had someone be surprised about his condition for months. More perplexing still, Twilight had been the first of his friends to be informed about his injury.

This Twilight, however, had never been told. She had only discovered this a moment ago and was fighting to keep her face from contorting in strange ways. Shock was the best way to describe Twilight's feelings at the moment. The emotions ranged from spine-chilling fear to gut-wrenching sadness. It was only her lack of a large lunch that kept her from throwing up on the spot. She didn't want to distress Spike, but she was probably going to break down any time now. With each discovery of timeline differences, Twilight had needed a moment to adjust. The problem was, she wasn't adjusting at all. And she didn't want to have to adjust to this change.

"Please, Spike," she said. "Tell me what happened. How did you lose your tail?"

The dragon blinked twice. "Why don't you remember?"

Twilight galloped over to her assistant and put a hoof on each shoulder. "Please, you have to tell me!" She first looked Spike in the eye, but her head soon fell in shame. What am I doing? I did this to Spike. It's all my fault. And now I'm scaring and interrogating him.

Spike was growing concerned. He had always tried to be quick to respond to Twilight when he knew the answer. He did know the answer, but it wasn't one he should have needed to give. Nevertheless, the dragon put his claws on Twilight's face, holding up her head and making her face him again. "Twilight, I..." The two stood holding one another for a moment while Spike composed himself.

Twilight didn't use the time for anything quite so productive. Her mind could not relax, instead it was concocting twisted and terrible ways that her poor Spike could have been maimed. Was it another dragon? Did we not handle his trip on the dragon migration well? Did it somehow happen when he took care of our pets? Oh Celestia, was it something I did?! Some kind of lab experiment gone horribly wrong?

Finally, Spike spoke. "It was the timberwolves, remember? A few months ago I followed a run-away hot air balloon into the Everfree Forest. I got surrounded by a pack of timberwolves. I thought I wouldn't be able to escape, but I was able to run past them toward Ponyville. I tried everything I could to get away, but one of them caught me by the tail..."

Twilight was mortified. She thought her own imaginings were bad, but hearing what actually happened somehow made the experience that much more real. And that much more appalling. "It bit your tail clean off like that?!"

The dragon shook his head. "I honestly don't know how I managed to pull myself free. I thought I was a goner for sure. The nurse said that it was the sharpness of my spikes that made it let go. It couldn't hang on to my tail through them." Then Spike looked away from Twilight and to the ground. "But, well, my tail was... too badly damaged."

The tears had been bristling, but now Twilight couldn't hold them back. She grabbed Spike and pulled him close as the drops fell from her eyes and onto the baby dragon's purple back. "I'm so sorry, Spike! I just..." First she drew in a shuddering breath and then there was nothing dignified about the waterworks that started. Twilight gasped for air between sobs and tried to convey all her emotions to Spike. She tried to tell him what she had done wrong. She tried to say that she would do anything to make it right. She tried to beg for his forgiveness. She couldn't muster any of it. Instead, after exasperated breaths and a stream of half-formed words, Twilight wept.

Spike returned his friend's hug, but his confusion only increased. Why was Twilight being so emotional about something that happened months ago? And why didn't she remember it? It was scary to see someone he loved so upset without knowing the cause. That terror didn't phase the young dragon, however. He continued to embrace Twilight and run his claw up and down her back, patting occasionally as she continued to cry. Whatever had happened, whatever was going to happen now, Spike would be there for Twilight.

Thoughts raced about in Twilight's mind. How had this happened? What could she have changed that would have put Spike in such danger? And she remembered: Spike had been put in that dangerous situation before her changes. She remembered him telling the story of being attacked by timberwolves and getting away safely... thanks to Applejack. Twilight gasped in the midst of the tears. Applejack didn't save him this time. Whatever I did changed Applejack's life enough that she didn't go and save him.

Spike noticed Twilight had suddenly stop crying. He looked up and saw her staring off at nothing, a look he had seen many times before, but never in this kind of a situation. "Twilight?" he asked. "What's going on?"

The alicorn didn't respond. She was lost in her thoughts. Applejack saved Spike, but now she couldn't do that. I can go back and not make that deal with the Flim Flam Brothers, but that would be like taking away Applejack's success. I have to think about this. I need more information so I don't mess something else up. She looked down at Spike, but upon seeing him again without his tail, Twilight could not ignore what she had done. I need to fix this. Twilight let go of the dragon and raced toward the library's exit. The situation couldn't wait--she couldn't wait.

"Twilight!" Spike yelled, reaching toward her as she left. "What's wrong?"

The mare paused for a moment after opening the door. Spike deserved answers. She began to come back inside, but stopped. No, Spike deserves to be whole again. I'm sorry, Spike," Twilight walked out. "There's just something I need to take care of."

"Where are you going?" shouted Spike, following after her.

There was no waiting for the dragon, however. Twilight took off the moment she got outside. She needed a place where she could be alone for a few hours while she slept, and she knew right where she could go. Banking left, she headed toward the Everfree Forest and the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. All she had to do was change history again.

The solution was obvious. She simply needed to prevent Spike from leaving the library that day. It was supposed to be a day off for him, but given that his safety was at stake, there were any number of chores and tasks she could preoccupy the dragon with. Twilight knew she had all the facts, but her analytical mind needed her to go through the details once more. Applejack was the one who saved Spike from the timberwolves months ago. Now that she's been so busy with her farmwork she couldn't be spared to follow that balloon into the forest with Spike. She probably never even saw it. Twilight tried to think about this cause and effect relationship. Was there a way Twilight could have known this would happen? Was there a way she could have predicted that this change would lead to this result? She started to work on that train of thought, but shook her head. I can worry about analyzing this later, she thought. After I fix all of this.

The castle appeared before her and she began her decent, aiming for one of the holes in the roof of the abandoned library. Once landed, Twilight moved to the lounge room, casting the time spell as she walked. By the time she said "To be a dream come true" she had laid down upon the couch and focused her attention on the day Spike was attacked.

She couldn't wait for nightfall. This had to be taken care of at once. Besides, her day with Rainbow, the Princess, and Applejac had been long enough that she wouldn't even need to cast a sleeping spell. A yawn came to her and she rested her head upon one of the pillows. All she had to do was relax enough to fall asleep and remember that weekend Celestia gave her all those books to read.

<> <> <>

Twilight floated in her study above the main library. She saw herself reading and a large stack of books rested at her side. This is it, and she again descended into herself.

"Spike," she called out immediately. Placing a bookmark down on her book, she trotted down the steps into the main room of the library. "Spike!" she called again. There was no answer. He already left! But that didn't mean she was too late to save him. Hopefully she could catch him before he went after that balloon.

Twilight threw open the door and bolted from the tree into the streets of Ponyville. She tried to open her wings and get a bird's eye view of the town, but there were no wings to be opened. She was a unicorn in this part of the past. So from her spot on the ground, Twilight looked to the skies, hoping to see the hot air balloon hovering over Ponyville. To her horror, she saw that the purple balloon was already in the woods. I can't be too late. She couldn't fly, but running into the forest would take too long. Through the shear force of her will and magic Twilight teleported into Everfree.

There was no sign of the balloon. She hadn't gotten the location right, but hopefully she was close enough. She felt a little strained from the large distance of the teleportation spell, but she couldn't worry about that now. If Spike's already in here, I will get him out. Moving through the trees, Twilight shouted "Spike!" Her heart pounded in her chest and she could feel blood growing hot under her face. The forest was fairly quiet and she strained for the faintest rustle of leaves in the hopes that it might be Spike wandering after the balloon.

Unfortunately, when she found evidence of Spike's location it was not that subtle. A high pitched scream met her waiting ears. Her pulse didn't slow down at all when she heard it, but her blood did go cold.

Galloping in the direction of the scream, Twilight was fully focused in that moment. There was no over-thinking, no deep analyzing. Just running. Running and searching.

As Spike made his way through the forest he let out a scream. He pushed his way between branches and fallen logs, a pack of three timberwolves following close behind. The undergrowth didn't seem to phase the creatures. If anything it slowed him down more than them. The dragon managed to make his way into a clearing, but soon found himself face-to-face with a shear cliff. Turning, he saw the wolves beginning to bear down, moving closer and surrounding him to make sure he didn't run off again. It was unclear how he would escape, or even if he would. The timberwolves were close enough that he could smell their rank breath and he frantically searched for an out.

Then a flash appeared in front of the dragon and a purple unicorn emerged from the burst of light. Spike could hardly believe it. How had Twilight known he was in trouble? Whatever the reason for her appearance, Spike had never been more relieved to see his best friend.

The timberwolves hesitated, startled by the sudden arrival of the unicorn, but soon the lead wolf was again preparing to jump. Twilight was having none of that. Her horn ignited sending a violent magenta stream at the wolf that sent it flying back into a nearby tree. The creature shattered on impact.

Twilight had hoped that show of force would make the others back off. But its friends were unphased. They began to reposition themselves for another attack. If they charged together, Twilight wasn't sure she could stop both. "Run!" Twilight ordered Spike and he followed that command.

When Spike had moved off a few feet the timberwolves made their move. The wolf on the left darted forward at Twilight, but she waited. She didn't move an inch until it was right on top of her, and then she teleported onto the top of the cliff. The wolf crashed headfirst into the rock face and broke apart.

Two down, but where's the third? Twilight looked around from her new vantage point. The wolf on the right had run off somewhere. She assumed it had fled after seeing two of its companions destroyed. Twilight looked off in the direction Spike had gone, but saw that the timberwolf had gone after her dragon. The wolf had not caught Spike, but it was getting closer. Twilight considered how to handle the situation, running through her mental list of spells for a way to save him.

But when she saw that the timberwolf was reaching for Spike's tail, Twilight lost it. "Not my dragon, you brute!"

From that large distance she grabbed the wolf in her magic. The beast kept up its running motion for a moment, not realizing it had left the ground. By the time it knew what was happening, it was too late. The timberwolf was lifted higher and higher into the air and then sent sailing off into some unknown part of the forest. Twilight exhaled. She didn't need to see the wolf land to know it wasn't going to be giving them any more trouble.

After allowing herself a moment to breathe, Twilight teleported in front of Spike. The dragon came to a halt at her side and quickly turned around, breathing heavily and looking in all directions for timberwolves. "Spike," Twilight said, putting a hoof on the dragon's shoulder. He looked back at her, panic still filling his face. "It's alright," she reassured him. "We're safe now."

<> <> <>

Entering the library, Spike was still talking about how epic Twilight's magic was. "The way you just shot a full blast of magic into the timberwolf's face like that! Kapow! It was more amazing than anything in any of the comic books I've ever read. The Masked Matter-Horn's got nothing on you!" Twilight paused for a moment at that comparison, remembering the events of their journey into Spike's enchanted comic book. Then again, maybe that never happened now. Would Rainbow and Applejack have been in town for it?

Twilight couldn't focus on that now. She could ask Spike when she woke up. She looked down at the dragon now at her side. On impulse, she gave him a hug. "I'm so glad you're alright, Spike. You have no idea how bad I would feel if anything ever happened to you."

Spike returned the hug and the two held each other for a few moments. When they separated Spike said, "You're the best Twilight, and I need to do something to repay you. Oh! How about I bake you a pie? Or maybe I could finish all my chores early today?"

Twilight shook her head. "How about you go rest for now? I think you've had enough excitement for one day."

Giving a light laugh, Spike replied, "Well, to be honest, nearly getting eaten by a timberwolf takes a lot out of you."

I'm just glad they didn't literally take something out of you... thought Twilight. "Then you should go take a nap. I'll be upstairs in a bit, I just need to get a couple more books from here."

Spike gave a salute and made his way across the room. Twilight heaved a sigh of relief as she watched Spike make his way up the stairs. He was whole again and this disaster had been narrowly avoided.

Next time I'll need to do a lot more planning. The changes for Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie will need to be considered for a few days at least before I jump into the past. This could have been so much worse... Then Twilight remembered what she had told herself about the timeline's integrity when she'd arrived. Nodding to herself she went over to the stairs to return to her studies. As long as she got right back to work, she would still be able to finish the books by the end of the weekend.

There shouldn't be any negative side effects this time.

Author's Note

I am back. This chapter took longer than I hoped for many reasons. I do apologize. :twilightsheepish:

Real-life stuff was definitely a factor, but another problem was my own indecision about the ending of this chapter. I had two ideas that would each set a different tone for the next chapter. In the end, I just had to pick one and run with it.

Chapter 9: An Unsettling Evening

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol

Sir Isaac Hoovton had noted that for every action, there was an equal and opposite reaction. Twilight knew this. She lived her life with an excellent understanding of the laws of motion in space. Of course, Albert Einstallion had realized that space and time were really one in the same thing. Twilight had not considered how changing Applejack's past would effect Spike because that reaction was not obvious. Still, events were not affected by her understanding, but only by her actions.

If Twilight pushed on the past, the past had to push back, in a sense. Thankfully, there was a limit to how much one trip changed, because she could only get out what she put in. Her fear was that the sum of her changes might someday catch up to her. Future trips would need to be planned in great detail to prevent catastrophe.

When Twilight awoke, she was in a different place. That made sense to her: since she changed Spike's past she would have no reason to go back to the abandoned castle. If anything, she had expected to wake up somewhere else. But where she woke up was strange. It was a bedroom in Canterlot Castle. It took a minute, but the reason became obvious. I must have stayed the night after my conversation with Celestia. I guess saving Spike affected this somehow. It was a little disconcerting that Twilight hadn't considered how this trip to the past might effect the future before she made it, but she needed to help Spike. He was her responsibility and she couldn't just leave him maimed if there was anything she could do about it.

Lifting the covers off herself, Twilight arose and saw that Spike was in a small bed not far away. She smiled as she watched him sleep. It was good to see her dragon whole again. While she wanted to let him keep sleeping, she also needed to talk to him. She just had to be sure that he was okay. The drapes on the window across the room were still shut, so Twilight used magic to open them up and let in Celestia's sun.

The reaction from Spike was exactly what she expected, which also made Twilight smile. The dragon groaned, rolled over to face away from the window, and then sighed, saying, "Alright, alright. I'll get up." Yawning and stretching, the baby dragon got to his feet.

"How are you feeling, Spike?"

The dragon looked at her with bleary eyes. "Tired."

Twilight let out a sigh and a small laugh. Yep, her baby dragon was fully back to normal. But something occurred to her... "Spike, why did you come with me to Canterlot?"

Spike raised an eyebrow. "I guess because I didn't want to be alone in Ponyville. I mean, I thought the deal was that I would be with you wherever you went."

Closing her eyes and scrunching up her face, Twilight faced the floor. Oh great! Because I saved Spike, now he thinks he needs to be with me everywhere I go! He's got some kind of separation anxiety. I bet he hasn't left my side for months! Then Twilight's eyes opened. Sweet Celestia! Did he do the whole "slave for life" thing with me like he did with Applejack? Is he making sure he's always around me just so he can feel like an honorable dragon? She couldn't jump to conclusions, though. She needed more information. Unbinding her face, she looked back at Spike. "Does this have anything to do with those timberwolves that attacked you?"

Spike's look of bewilderment grew. "What would that have to do with it? I've lived with you ever since I was born."

Now a look of confusion appeared on Twilight's face. "What do you mean you 'lived with me ever since you were born?'"

"Well," said Spike, holding up his claw and counting on the fingers. "First, I was born out of an egg when you hatched me with your magic. I lived with you in Canterlot for a while. Then, when you got that assignment to study friendship in Ponyville, I moved into the library with you. And I guess I just wanted to live with you for a third time, now that we're back here in Canterlot."

"Back here... in... Canter..." Twilight trailed off, looking out the window at the city of Canterlot. She attempted to use the breathing exercise that Cadence had taught her, but even that was unable to calm Twilight. Something big had changed. But how? What could saving Spike's tail have possibly done to the timeline?

"What's going on, Twilight?" Spike asked. "How come you're asking me all these questions?"

Twilight looked to her dragon. He seemed more than just uneasy: he seemed scared. It had been hard for Twilight to tell Applejack about what she had been doing, and even harder to tell Rainbow Dash. She had been afraid that Spike couldn't handle the idea of her messing with time. He has a right to know, thought Twilight. I messed with his past. Technically, now that she thought about it, she had changed Spike's past twice. Preventing him from burning her book was the first thing she did. While that one was not intentional, and the results not as dramatic, it did impact Spike. Additionally, it would make getting the answers to her questions a lot simpler.

She had to tell him.

Sitting down, Twilight lowered herself so she was eye level with the dragon. "Spike," she said. "I need to tell you what I've been doing." Twilight took a deep breath as she continued to prepare herself. "I know I told you that the Star Swirl spell we found was just a dud, but the truth is that I've been using it. Every night, for the last four nights, actually."

Spike went from scared back to befuddled, his head leaning slightly to the side as Twilight talked. "What are you talking about?"

Twilight blinked. "Those spells we found in the abandoned castle earlier this week. Remember the one I cast?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Spike, scratching his head. "The abandoned castle? You mean the one in Everfree?"

"Yes," said Twilight. "We went there to see if we could find any information about the chest from the Tree of Harmony."

"I remember the chest," Spike acknowledged, a look of recognition on his face. "And I know we've been trying to find out stuff about it," the dragon then shook his head. "But I don't remember ever going to that ruined castle for stuff."

Twilight flinched, and then facehoofed. Great. In this timeline I never even found those spells! Twilight laughed for a moment. The whole situation had become so ludicrous that she couldn't help herself. I need to go figure things out, she thought. It'll take all morning to explain this to Spike if he doesn't remember those spells. Not to mention she was still nervous about revealing her mistakes to him. So she came up with a lie. "Oh, wow," she said. "I guess it was all just a dream. It just seemed so real there for a minute."

"What was a dream?" asked Spike.

"That I found some old spells in that castle, and um, used one to do stuff," said Twilight, laughing again, this time nervously. "How ridiculous does that sound?"

Spike gave a light chuckle. "Yeah, I guess that is pretty crazy." Twilight gave another fake laugh and smiled at her assistant. Spike then asked, "Are you sure you're alright? You seem, I don't know, off somehow."

"Of course I'm alright!" declared Twilight. "I'm doing great. I just, uh, need some breakfast." The mare began to move toward the door. "Yep, getting some food in me will help clear my head." Then, worried that Spike might follow her, Twilight added, "And, if you want, you could actually get back to sleep. I probably won't need your help for a bit."

The dragon smiled. "Well, I can't say 'no' to that," turning around, Spike crawled back into his bed.

"So, I guess I'll see you after breakfast then," said Twilight, opening up the door with her magic as she backed out of the room.

"Alright," said Spike through a yawn, waving his claw dismissively from beneath his blanket.

After she had shut the door, Twilight turned to face into the corridor, only to be met by Rainbow Dash. The pegasus mare was wearing something akin to a Wonderbolts officer's uniform. "Good morning, Twilight," she said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I suppose so," Twilight came back with a question of her own. "Were you waiting for me outside my room?"

"I guess you could call it that."

"Is everything alright?"

Puzzled, Rainbow looked to the left and right before answering. "It's just that this is my shift. I don't think this schedule is any different from last week. Were you expecting somepony else?"

Twilight was freaking out a bit too much to play this situation cool. She just found out that she now lived in Canterlot. And that she never found the time spell. She didn't have the patience to play twenty questions with Rainbow Dash. "But why does your shift involve waiting for me to wake up?"

"I suppose it wouldn't have to, but it's kinda hard to be somepony's guard if you don't know where they are. Just be glad we don't have to actually stay with you in your room at night." Dash laughed at her own joke.

I have a guard? Twilight thought. Her brain kicked into high gear as she tried to piece everything together. I live in Canterlot and have a guard. Am I a more important princess now? Did my change somehow make Celestia give me more responsibilities? Taking a deep breath, Twilight politely smiled to Rainbow. "Right, well, I guess I'm going to get going now. Thanks for watching over me."

"No problem," said Rainbow Dash. "It's, like, literally my job."

Twilight didn't know if she could correct Rainbow Dash on her use of literally, because watching Twilight might have literally become the ex-weathermare's job since her last foray into the past. She needed more answers, so she made her way down the corridor looking for a landmark that would tell her what part of the castle she was in.

Walking around the first corner, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Rainbow Dash was floating along behind her. Twilight sighed. "Look, I think I can find my way around the castle. Don't you have to go train for the Equestria Games?"

Dash's eyes narrowed. "Alright, what the hay is goin' on? First you don't remember that I'm on guard duty, and now you don't remember that they cancelled the Games. What gives?"

Twilight's jaw dropped. "The Games were cancelled?!" Twilight coughed and cleared her throat. "Oh, um, right. Of course, I just forgot. My bad." She attempted to get away from Rainbow Dash, but the cyan pegasus flew in front of her, barring the path.

"Hold on! I'm not letting you go until you talk to me."

"Rainbow, I know that Luna has her bat ponies that come with her sometimes, but even they don't have to follow her around constantly."

Rainbow shook her head. "This isn't about my orders anymore, this is about you. What's with you today?"

"Well, what if I order you not to follow me?" asked Twilight. Even though she'd been a princess for a while, Twilight still didn't like to give orders to guards. That said, she also didn't need to be babied.

"We've been through this before. I'm a Wonderbolt. That means I'm duty bound to serve Equestria. Luna ordered us to guard you, and unless you suddenly become a princess, you don't outrank Luna. But even--"

"WHAT?!" Twilight quickly looked at her back and unfurled her wings, only to see and feel that there were no wings to unfurl. How? Why? Saving Spike couldn't possibly have done this! Yet she could not deny her lack of wings. She was not an alicorn, nor a princess. Her mind locked up and only one solution presented itself--the only solution she'd ever had for unsolvable problems during her time in Canterlot. "I need to see the Princess." She tried to run past Rainbow, but the mare again blocked her.

"No!" said Rainbow Dash, firmly. "You need to tell me what's going on. Why are you checking your back like that? And why don't you remember anything?"

Twilight barely heard Dash. The unicorn began to shake in fear and bewilderment. How had she not realized that she was missing her wings? Because I spent all last night without them, she thought. Every time I went to the past I didn't have them. I guess I just got used to that. But what connection could that possibly have to saving Spike. Unless... I never finished my studies! That whole weekend had been killer for her without Spike's distractions, and she had barely finished on time in her version of events. With getting a later start, and Spike being around the house, it seemed clear that she could not have finished reading her assigned books. And without those being read--

"Hey!" shouted Rainbow. Twilight looked at the pegasus, momentarily escaping from her thoughts. "I asked you a question: Why don't you remember anything?"

"I do remember things, Dash," she replied. Twilight sighed and looked to the floor. "I just remember them differently..."

"What do you mean?" Dash asked. It was clear that the pegasus was not going to be letting up anytime soon.

Twilight looked around and saw one of the rooms that was connected to the corridor. It housed one of the castle's many meeting spaces. The large hall could seat dozens of dignitaries around its table, but it would also work well for the pair of ponies to talk in private. "Let's go in there," Twilight pointed to the hall. She was still dazed, but was able to follow her friend into the room and close the door with magic. She found the strength to look up at Rainbow Dash, only to find her friend's face had switched from frustration to deep concern. It took Twilight a moment to collect her thoughts, but Dash gave her the time without interrupting. Twilight wondered if that was her military training keeping her from interrupting others or if the pegasus somehow understood the gravity of what Twilight needed to say.

While Twilight had told Rainbow about her use of the spell yesterday, that probably never happened anymore. If I never found those spells, I'd have nothing to tell anypony about. Besides, she wanted to give the reason for this trip so that Rainbow might understand. "Did I ever tell you about the time that Spike was attacked by timberwolves?"

"I don't know that you told me," Dash said. "But Spike sure did: He said you teleported in out of nowhere and kicked some serious timberwolf butt! He said you were shooting out spells like you were a superhero! It sounded awesome!"

Twilight bit her lip. She had hoped she could start by telling Rainbow Dash the story of that attack. At least then she could delay admitting what she'd done. Still, that was only delaying the inevitable. Besides, if the reaction from Rainbow Dash yesterday was any indication, the pegasus would be more impressed than angry. Taking a deep breath, Twilight began to share the story. "Last night, I changed history."

"You mean, like, time travel?"

"Yeah, I mean time travel." Twilight went on, "In another version of events, Spike lost his tail to those wolves before somepony was able to help him. I went back in time to save him from that attack, and I succeeded."

"Wow!" Rainbow was forming the same grin as yesterday morning. "This is so awesome! You really are like a super hero!" Then she gasped. "So that's how you knew Spike was in the forest!"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I wondered how you did that. I thought it might have been related to the whole Mare-Do Well thing--like if you knew some sort of danger detection spell. When I went to ask you about it, you said you didn't know how you knew. You just remembered going and saving him."

That was interesting. Twilight had not considered what would happen to her past self's memories of the events after she returned to the future. If she didn't desperately need to get to the Princess, she would have tried to get more information about the phenomenon.

"Way to go!" Dash gave Twilight a fairly tough shove on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Twilight rubbed the spot Dash had hit. "But I didn't consider all the consequences. Other things changed. I'm not supposed to be living in Canterlot; I'm supposed to be back in Ponyville."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Twilight nodded. "And that's not all: I know it might sound crazy, but I am supposed to be a princess. I was transformed into an alicorn a few months ago."

Rainbow's magenta eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Whoa! But why would saving Spike change that?"

"I don't know," admitted Twilight. "But that's why you have to take me to see the Princess as soon as possible."

Dash gave a quick salute. "On it! Let's go!" She took to the air and made for the door, holding it open as Twilight still stood in the meeting hall. Twilight simply cocked her head and stared at the cyan mare. "What are you waiting for? Come on!"

"Why did you believe me so quickly?" Twilight said. "I just told you that I rewrote history!"

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Because it's you." She gestured toward the door. "Now let's go see the Princess."

<> <> <>

Rainbow led Twilight to the Throne Room, but Twilight didn't want her friend to come in with her. Dash wanted to join Twilight, but the unicorn was able to convince her to wait with the other two guards by the door. This was a conversation better had with Celestia. Celestia was the one who gave her the alicorn spell to begin with, and was perhaps the only pony who knew of its whereabouts. She needed to speak to her former teacher first.

Twilight stepped into the room, only to find Princess Luna seated on the throne. That was unusual. It was more common that Celestia would be seated in the throne during the day while her sister would take the throne during the night. Still, she supposed Luna had every right to be there in her sister's absence. Walking in, she bowed before the Princess of the Night.

"What do you desire, Twilight?" Luna asked.

Twilight stood up. "I need to speak with Princess Celestia. Do you know where she is?"

Luna frowned. "I may not understand modern humor as well as I should; I fail to see the humor in this joke."

"Joke?" said Twilight. "What joke?"

Luna's lip twitched. It looked like she was becoming angry. She then shouted, in the Royal Canterlot Voice, "What is this thou doest? Do you come here to mock our sister's memory?"

"Her memo..." Twilight's blood went cold. A shudder ran down her spine. That wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible.

Chapter 10: Languishing at Sundown

“Regret is not a proactive feeling. It is situated in disappointment, sorrow, even remorse. It merely wishes things were different without an act to cause a difference.” - Monica Johnson

It should never have been allowed to happen. She needed to be more careful. She could have been more careful. And worst of all, she had known that fact before she went back in time. How many times had Twilight tried to preserve the timeline in her trips? Yet still, she was careless this time. She thought saving Spike was straightforward and safe. Her years of scientific training had taught her that she needed to observe a system before she could understand it. The timeline she had found herself in was foreign to her, and Twilight should have done her due diligence of looking before she started leaping.

Twilight didn't want to admit what had happened, but she could not deny it. Saving Spike's tail had destroyed everything. She never found Star Swirl's spells. She no longer lived in Ponyville. She wasn't an alicorn. And Princess Celestia--her teacher, her friend--had somehow not survived this trip into the past. This change had set about a string of events that unhinged her future.

How could setting something right destroy everything? What was the causal link? How could her past form this version of the future?

Looking at it now, her actions seemed so foalish. Her life was like a house of cards, and she had just been a filly playing with it. Moving cards and prodding to see if she could make it look nicer, not realizing how fragile the whole thing was. So naive. So excited about the good things she was doing. She had ignored the instability being created. Just when Twilight thought she could safely add another card, the whole thing came crashing down.

Now Twilight found herself in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, cowering before an angered Princess Luna. Twilight's eyes went to the carpet beneath her hoofs. "Celestia's... memory..." her mouth dropped the words onto the floor in a raspy puff. She thought there would be more. What was it that she even wanted to say? What could one say when they discovered that a flesh and blood friend was now as far away as memories?

Luna lorded over Twilight from upon her throne. The Princess of the Night was upset, yet she spoke in a normal tone. Luna asked, "What do you have to say for yourself, Twilight?" The lack of shouting was haunting, somehow more alarming to Twilight's ears than the screech of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

She thinks I'm disrespecting Celestia. "I..." Twilight began, weakly. She wanted to say "I'm sorry," but she could not find the words. I need to apologize. That thought was futile. Instead, tears fell from the unicorn's eyes as she begged. "Luna, please." Twilight's lungs rattled as she fought to claim enough air for speech. "Please. Tell me that Celestia isn't gone." It was a hopeless plea, but the only one she could muster.

The Princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I see." When Luna opened her eyes, her expression had softened to a look of pity. "I was wondering when you would enter this phase of grief."

Luna stepped down from her throne and walked over to Twilight. "You have behaved stoically in the face of this loss, but that could not last. You can pour yourself into your work. You can try to carry on as normal. But grief will always find you. And today it has found you in the form of denial." Luna lifted Twilight's chin to look her in the eyes. "I understand that this is hard to hear, but Celestia is gone. Even I sometimes find myself in denial of the truth. You must begin to work through this grief, for your own sake, and for the sake of Equestria."

"The sake of Equestria?"

Luna nodded. "Equestria needs another princess."

Twilight's mind fought to gather any information it could, anything that could make sense of this horrifying reality she found herself in. That's why I'm in Canterlot. I came to finish my training and become a princess. Yet her remorse was so great that it did not allow her to think productively for long. "This is my fault," she said. "I could have prevented this if I'd just--" Twilight's muzzle clamped shut violently and involuntarily. Why was it so hard to speak words? Was her pain truly that deep?

"It is impossible to know what the past would be like were things done differently," stated Luna. "You must not blame yourself for Discord's sins."

Twilight wondered what Discord had to do with it, but she couldn't ask Luna. She fought to speak; tears brimmed in her eyes; her muscles seized up. Had saving Spike somehow changed his reform? Had he begun another reign of chaos after he was freed?

"It was he who planted the plunderseeds centuries ago," she said. "Not you. Not I. There was no way to foresee this. We could not prevent it. This was destined for a thousand years. The outcome was inevitable."

Twilight shook her head. It wasn't inevitable. She knew that for a fact. She remembered saving the Princesses from those vines. She remembered going with her friends into the Everfree and surrendering the Elements of Harmony. She remembered Zecora's potion that showed her the history of the Elements leading them there.

Now none of that had happened. It was all an idle fantasy for all this world cared. It might as well have been a dream.

Hopelessness crashed down around Twilight's shoulders and she could no longer remain standing in front of the Princess. Tears burst forth from behind the dam of her eyes as she fell. She wept for her lost teacher and her lost life.

Luna sat down beside Twilight and hugged her with a wing. Twilight was gratefully for the gesture. Knowing that Luna cared did help. "I know it hurts," the Princess said. "It is okay to hurt. Let it out."

The tears would continue for some time, and Twilight thought of little besides her grief and regrets.

<> <> <>

When Twilight finally left the throne room, she simply walked past Rainbow Dash without acknowledging her. This was not to show any disrespect; Twilight had honestly forgotten that her friend was there. Her muzzle was still stained from her tears and her walk reminded her pegasus friend of a zombie. It would be a fair comparison. Being a member of the walking dead was about as good as Twilight felt.

"Twilight," said Rainbow Dash, following close behind on hoof. "What happened in there? Did you tell Princess Luna about the time travel?"

Twilight shook her head.

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash touched her friend's shoulder, but Twilight pulled away.

"Not now, Rainbow," Twilight continued to walk. "I can't talk to anypony right now. I need to be alone." Rainbow Dash continued to follow her friend, but she did back off slightly and she said nothing else. Twilight wasn't sure if she liked Rainbow being so easily silenced. It didn't seem like the friend she remembered. Any number of variables could have made her behave differently. It could have been her training or Celestia's passing or something else insane that I messed up without realizing it. Yet Twilight was sure that she did like Rainbow's company. She said she wanted to be alone, but she knew she needed a friend.

After wandering the halls of the castle for some time, Twilight ended up in the hall outside of Celestia's chambers. She remembered going into that room and talking with Celestia like it was yesterday. Of course, that was actually true for her. Was it really only yesterday? How could Celestia be gone for months when Twilight had spoken to her yesterday? Applejack was right. Changing time isn't natural.

"I talked to her just yesterday," Twilight said aloud to Rainbow Dash.

It took a minute, but Dash registered what Twilight was saying. The pegasus sighed. "Did you go and see her after saving Spike?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Twilight snorted out a quick laugh. She thinks I mean last night. She thinks I went to go see my late teacher in the past. She doesn't realize that Celestia is supposed to be alive. "No, Rainbow," Twilight stated bluntly. "I mean yesterday. Saving Spike took her away. The timeline wasn't supposed to be like this."

"What?!" Dash walked closer to Twilight until the two were muzzle to muzzle. "Let me get this straight: before you went to the past Celestia was still alive?"

Twilight nodded.

"But how? How did saving Spike make the plunderseeds grow?" Then Dash gasped. "Oh no! Was it the magic you used to save him? Did you accidentally activate them in the forest?"

"No, Dash. It's because I'm not an alicorn. The plunderseeds were supposed to start growing anyway because the Tree of Harmony has gotten weaker. But we found out about all that sooner thanks to Zecora. She gave me a flask of potion that showed me the past. The problem is: it required alicorn magic."

Dash's face filled with recognition. "That's what Zecora meant! She told us she had a potion that might help us if we could only have a Princesses take it. I got all mad at her about how stupid it was to need to find someone lost to use a potion to find them. But it just needed an alicorn to work."

"That's why all this is my fault." Twilight declared. That was it. That was the problem. If Twilight wasn't an alicorn, it would have taken days to find out about the Tree of Harmony and how to save it. Why didn't Celestia give me the alicorn spell? We would have saved her. But something about what Twilight did convinced Celestia to postpone her ascension. Or, perhaps, what Twilight didn't do. Did I not finish those books on time? Did a lack of study really destroy all of this?

"Twilight, this isn't your fault," said Rainbow Dash. "It was an accident."

"So whose fault is it then? Owlicious' fault?" Rainbow looked confused by the name, as Twilight knew she would. "Oh, that's right: I got rid of him too! He was my pet owl, but I apparently traded him for becoming an author, so I guess he wouldn't have had anything to do with Celestia.

"Or maybe it's your fault? I bet it happened because you're a Wonderbolt now!" Rainbow Dash was taken aback by that revelation. "That's right!" shouted Twilight. "You're not supposed to be a Wonderbolt. I changed that too! You're supposed to be stuck in Ponyville. You know what the world says you're supposed to be? A pathetic weather mare. Self-proclaimed top athlete of a town without a single shred of athletic talent. A pegasus with her head in the clouds, filled with pointless dreams of grandeur destined to go unfulfilled for Celestia knows how long! And--" Twilight cringed at her own mention of Celestia's name, cutting off her rant. She was silent for a brief time, and when Rainbow raised a hoof toward Twilight, the unicorn turned away. "I'm sorry," she said as her horn flared and Twilight teleported from the hall leaving Rainbow Dash alone and deeply concerned for her friend.

<> <> <>

Twilight found herself standing in the gated garden of the palace. She had not specifically chosen this location--a dangerous thing to neglect when teleporting--but she was glad to be anywhere other than the inside of the castle walls. She wasn't sure why she wanted to leave. There was no logical reason for her to abandon a caring friend without warning. But Twilight just wanted to be away.

Away from what? Everything. Away from the castle. Away from the guards. Away from anything that would remind her of Celestia or time travel or any of the terrible things she had discovered in the last few hours.

Finding a patch of grass to rest on, Twilight watched as blue jays, red jays, green jays, and even pink jays flew around the plants. The sun had just risen above the roof of the nearby ballroom and the shadows cast by its light danced through the leaves and needles of the trees and shrubs. It was a truly beautiful place. At least I didn't mess this up, Twilight thought. It was the only positive thought she could have about her life at the moment.

At first, Twilight tried to be productive. She tried to think about what had caused this catastrophe. It seemed reasonable to her that a lack of magical study had destroyed the past this time. Saving Spike obviously could have had that problem; Twilight had been worried about that in the past. The hours spent in the Everfree would have delayed her during an important weekend of reading. Beyond that, the other changes may have had the same problem; each change putting her further and further behind. Fixing that would not be easy. Twilight would need to...

The unicorn looked to her back. She touched her mane where a crown had once rested. I'm not an alicorn, she noted. The time spell... requires alicorn magic... How could she cast it if she was now simply a unicorn? Canterlot's best magic users--even Star Swirl the Bearded himself!--had determined that only an alicorn could use the time spell. Twilight had thought this change was bad. Now she realized it might even be permanent.

Twilight didn't want to think about those things anymore. Her brain resisted the thoughts because they were too much to handle. She didn't want to consider the past or the future. She didn't even want to think about the present. She just wanted the world to stop.

So for a long while, Twilight sat in the gardens. She didn't think much and when she did think she kept her thoughts on pointless matters relating to what she happened to notice in the garden. For how long do lilies bloom? What are the distinctions between beavers and muskrats? She thought she might doze off once or twice, but that didn't happen either.

Twilight was simply in limbo, as if she was waiting for something to happen that would change her circumstances. She knew that nothing could help her. At least, nothing that she would find out here. She would need to return to her problems eventually. Yet when she did, what could she do? Why do trees have bark? she pondered, moving her thoughts back to useless things. To safe things.

After a time, Twilight began to wonder when somepony would find her. She imagined ponies would be out searching, or at least Rainbow Dash would. That pony could cover miles in a matter of minutes during a search. However, the sun did seem to have moved a lot during her time outside. That was when a horrifying thought gripped Twilight and would not let go. What if Dash isn't looking? she thought. I was so mean to her. What if she doesn't care that I'm missing? What if she wants me gone? Twilight tried to move away from those thoughts, but nothing else could hold her attention. The mare stood up and began to pace. Maybe I should go back inside to see if I can find her? Or should I stay out here? Aren't you supposed to wait and stay in one place if you're lost? But that's if ponies are looking for you.

Thankfully, a familiar male voice rose from just beyond the nearby hedges. "Twilight?" The stallion fluttered over the shrubbery to land next to her. "Is everything alright?"

Twilight shook her head. "Everything is not alright, Soarin'. I literally ruined everything. I can't fix it, but I blamed Rainbow Dash!"

"So you teleported out here." It was not a question. Soarin' clearly understood the situation to a rudimentary degree. Twilight wondered if he was searching for her. Or maybe this was not the first time she had escaped her guards and he had simply stumbled upon her. "What happened?"

"We were by Celestia's cham--" Twilight sputtered and coughed, a few tears falling as she tried to finish her statement. Thankfully, her half-word was enough for Soarin'.

"I see," the stallion put his leg around Twilight's shoulder and gently led her toward the castle doors. "Let's get you back. Dash is really worried about you."

<> <> <>

Once inside, Soarin' led Twilight to her room. Rainbow Dash was waiting by the door. "Twilight!" said Rainbow, flying over to Soarin' and her friend. "I'm glad you're okay. She is okay, right?"

Soarin' nodded. "Just shaken up. Let's get her inside." Rainbow held open the door to Twilight's room and the three ponies entered together. Spike was no longer in his bed. Twilight hoped he hadn't heard that she'd run off. She could only imagine how nervous her dragon would be upon hearing something like that.

The first thing Twilight said upon entering the room was, "I was worried you might not come looking for me."

"Why would you think that?" asked Soarin'.

"I was afraid Dash was too mad at me because of what I said..."

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Not a chance, Twilight. We're friends! There's nothing you could ever say to me that would change that."

A spark of joy ignited in Twilight's chest upon hearing those words, but the flame died quite rapidly. In her time alone, Twilight had decided she couldn't vent her emotions through angry yells. However, she still had plenty of emotions to get out. All that meant was that she began to cry. "I'm sorry, Rainbow." Twilight dropped to the ground and curled up, hugging her hind legs with her fore legs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She continued to repeat the phrase as she cried and rocked slightly.

Rainbow Dash brought herself down to her friend's level and wrapped a leg and wing around Twilight in a tight hug. "Come here," she said. "It's okay." Dash gave a nod to Soarin' that told the stallion he should leave the two alone. He obliged and Rainbow gently stroked Twilight's mane as she let out her emotions.

The first coherent thing Twilight was able to speak was a question. "Why is she gone Rainbow?" she cried. "Why is this happening to me?"

"I don't know." It was all Rainbow Dash could say. She wished that she had more to add, something more comforting, yet nothing came to mind except for the common axiom her friends had come to expect from her in all situations. "But I'll be right here with you through all of this."

"What do I do?" asked the teary-eyed Twilight. "What can I do when I ruined everything?"

"We'll figure it out," said Dash. "Together. You, me, Soarin', and Rarity. We can even go get the rest of our friends in Ponyville. We'll get through this just like we've gotten through everything else."

The bit of revelation lodged in Rainbow's affirmation was not lost to Twilight. "Rarity's here?" she asked. "In Canterlot?"

"Yep. She's just a few streets over. You wanna go see her?"

Twilight sniffed and gave a nod.

"Alright," said Rainbow. "We can go see Rarity when you're ready."

Twilight was glad that Rainbow had added "when you're ready" because Twilight wasn't sure when that would be. It's not fair, she thought. The spell says it will make your life a dream. How is this a dream? It was certainly the worst dream Twilight had ever had.

Then again, Twilight supposed, even nightmares are technically dreams...

Author's Note

More chapter splitting has occurred. This chapter was looking like it might hit 7000 words, so I have cut it in twain as I do with chapters that long. This means the next chapter should be out soon - although I have to find another quote now. :derpyderp2: Apparently I'm releasing these in two chapter spurts.

I can't make any promises on when the story will be finished, but I want to get it done before the year is out. That will mean spending some extra time on writing over the holidays, but maybe I can give a nice Hearth's Warming Eve present to you all. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 11: Struggles of Twilight

"...it was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice. I was anxious to deal with this shadow by myself alone—and to this day I don’t know why I was so jealous of sharing with any one the peculiar blackness of that experience." - Joseph Conrad

It took about half an hour for Twilight to finish crying and be ready to visit Rarity. As Twilight brushed her mane to look more presentable, the first question she asked Rainbow Dash was the obvious one: "Why is Rarity living in Canterlot?"

Dash responded with a question of her own. "You know how all those vines spread out over Ponyville? Well, they kinda kept spreading while we were looking for the Princesses. And they might have destroyed the Carousel Boutique before we saved the Tree of Harmony."

"Oh," Twilight paused in her brushing. That answer did not make her feel better. "Well, how did Rarity end up in Canterlot then?" She started brushing again.

"That was Princess Luna's idea. She wanted to give Rarity a way to make money while the store was rebuilt, so she rented a storefront in Canterlot for a few months. But Rarity liked living in Canterlot so much that she decided to sell the boutique and move here permanently."

Again, Twilight's brush froze. She didn't know how to feel about this. So far every change in this timeline had been worse, but here was the silver lining in an otherwise ominous black thunderhead. Rarity has always loved Canterlot, Twilight thought. In fact, had Twilight put more thought into how she could help her fashionista friend, that might have been the desired result. Still, the cost of this, even when coupled with Spike's tail being well, was too much. Twilight was sure her friend and dragon would trade away high society living and limbs in exchange for having their Princess back. Twilight would at least. Her magic began to pull the brush through her mane once more. "Well, I'm glad Rarity likes it here in Canterlot. She was still living in Ponyville during my timeline."

Dash nodded. "I guess that makes sense. I'd probably be living there too since you said I wasn't a Wonderbolt. Did anything else change?"

Twilight sighed and her brush stalled. She hadn't told Dash that multiple trips to the past had been involved. That was not something she wanted to talk about at the moment. "I'll explain more when we get to Rarity's place." The brushing resumed as a clock on the wall chimed, telling them it was two in the afternoon.

"That reminds me," said Rainbow. "I better go out in the hall and tell Soarin' that he doesn't need to come on his shift today. Unless you want him to come with us to Rarity's?"

"No thanks," then Twilight registered what Dash had said. So she decided that she had finished with her mane, set the brush down, and began to follow Rainbow toward the door of her room. "Wait, Soarin's part of my guard? But doesn't that mean neither of you guys get to do aerial shows now?" Twilight didn't like the idea of crushing her friends' dreams just to spend more time with them.

Rainbow Dash looked around and shook her head. "You really need to catch up on the times. Luna fully reinstated the E.U.P. Guard after what happened with her and Celestia. When Luna said you needed to have a personal guard to keep you safe, you requested us. But the Wonderbolts haven't been an aerial act for months. So you just brought us over from doing guard shifts in Cloudsdale is all."

Great. I destroyed the Wonderbolts too. Is there anything this trip to the past didn't ruin?

<> <> <>

Rarity's new store, Gemsational Fashions, was not much larger than her shop back in Ponyville. However, Twilight understood what that meant. Her parents had complained about property values and cost of living in Canterlot since she was a filly. A storefront the size of Carousel Boutique was somewhat expensive in Ponyville, but the same location would cost a fortune here. And they were in the upper business district near the castle, so this place would cost even more than a typical Canterlot property. Clearly, Rarity was doing well for herself. The price tags on the extravagant dresses in the front window showed Twilight just how well.

Like with her first two changes, Twilight had unknowingly made somepony's dream come true. Herself an author, Rainbow a Wonderbolt, and now Rarity was the high society fashion designer that she had always aspired to be. She just wished it hadn't involved taking away Celestia...

The sound of the bell above the door was almost identical to the one from Ponyville. Twilight wondered if it had even been salvaged from the previous boutique. The inside was as stunning as would be expected from Rarity, except that the more rural pink and white tones had been lost for regal purples and golds that felt completely Canterlot. The curtained-off project areas were also gone. Instead, mannequins were placed throughout and each wore a complete ensemble. There was not a fitting tent toward the back, but instead a couple of proper fitting rooms. Apparently Rarity's business model had moved more toward retail than custom-made outfits as her clientele changed. Although given how much these clothes cost, Twilight was sure that each customer received tailoring with their purchase.

"Rarity!" shouted Rainbow Dash, looking around.

"One moment, please," called a voice from the back of the store.

"Do you want me to try to explain things to Rarity first?" asked Rainbow.

Twilight shook her head. Rainbow hardly knew anything at this point. She didn't know that Twilight had made multiple trips to the past. She didn't know how Twilight stumbled upon the spells in the abandoned castle. Rainbow didn't even know that Twilight had already told her all of this once! Although to be fair, I don't even remember telling Rainbow Dash. The situation was complicated enough without somepony messing up on explaining the details. Twilight wasn't even certain that she could keep it all straight at this point...

Not much later, Rarity entered the room. The alabaster mare was bedecked in a vibrant, short, cattleya frock rimmed in amethyst and sapphires that accented her mane, eyes, and cutie mark. It was stunning even by Rarity's standards, which told Twilight that the unicorn had only improved her craft since arriving in Canterlot.

"Darlings!" she declared as she entered the room, hurrying over to hug each of her friends. "It is so good to see you both! What is the occasion?"

Rainbow Dash looked nervously over at Twilight, who was looking at the tiled floor. These look like they're genuine Saddle Arabia imports. And do some of them have actual diamonds in the center? Twilight was wrong. Rarity was not doing well, she was rich.

"Twilight wanted to talk with you about some stuff," said Rainbow Dash, giving Twilight a light push on the side with her hoof.

Looking up at Rarity, Twilight sighed. It was time. "So, I know this is going to sound crazy," she began. Always a great way to start a story... "But last night, I changed history."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Changed history? What do you mean?"

"I mean I went back in time and, well, changed stuff. Do you remember when I saved Spike from those timberwolves?"

"Vaguely," Rarity held up a hoof. "One moment, dear." The unicorn moved to the front of the store and began shutting the drapes with her magic, finally hanging a "Closed" sign on the front door. "Good, now nopony should disturb us. I have a feeling this is not going to be a quick story."

"We could come back after hours," Twilight offered. She didn't want to disturb her friend's business. It was the only thing that was good about this timeline so far.

"Absolutely not!" Rarity shook her head. "I will not hear another word of it! You are my friends and I would drop anything for you. So, you were telling me about saving Spike."

Nodding, Twilight continued, "The problem is, Spike wasn't supposed to get away unscathed. He was supposed to... well, something bad was supposed to happen. So I used a time spell to go back and help him."

Rarity smiled, "Oh, that's wonderful, darling! I'm so glad you were able to help little Spikey. I'd just hate it if anything ever happened to him."

Twilight sighed. "I wish that was all that happened. There were some, well, unexpected consequences..."

"Consequences? What kind of consequences?"

Now Rainbow Dash came in, "Ya know how Twilight's here in Canterlot so she can become Equestria's next Princess?" Rarity nodded. "Well, before she saved Spike, Twilight was already a Princess!"

"What?" Rarity gasped.

"That's not all," Twilight cut back in. "You weren't living in Canterlot and Prin--" Twilight shut her mouth and closed her eyes. She still couldn't bring herself to say it.

Thankfully, Rainbow Dash could. "Princess Celestia was still alive too."

"Oh my!" Rarity brought a hoof to her forehead and fell back onto the floor. "How could this happen?" she asked, her hoofs covering her eyes.

"Twilight said how: she went back in time," Rainbow said. "Who knows what might have happened?"

Sitting up slightly, Rarity said, "I'm just amazed that one change to Spike's life could do all that!"

It's not just one change... Shaking her head, Twilight confessed. "Actually, this wasn't my first time going to the past..."

Her friends were taken-aback by this news. And so Twilight told the whole story to both of them.

She had to start all the way back at the beginning this time, as both Rarity and Rainbow were not familiar with how she'd acquired Star Swirl's spell. It was strange telling her friends how they had behaved in a different timeline. Twilight ended off that part of the story with their group hug and then began to explain how she entered the past in her sleep that night.

She recounted stopping Spike from ruining her book. Then the next day's changes. Again, she told Rainbow Dash about their conversation involving Daring Do and writing a book together. Dash was particularly surprised by this.

"You mean I was really that into Daring Do?" Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded. "Are you sure? Or are you just making that up to try to get me to read those more?"

"I'm not making it up," Twilight said flatly. And then she continued with how she changed Rainbow's future, including how not going to the hospital had affected her love of reading. The events of the next day with AJ and going to Cloudsdale. Then the changes to Applejack's life, including how she convinced Rarity to help with that change.

"Now it all makes sense!" Rarity said. "I know I've done my share of negotiations, but you coordinated it all so quickly. It seemed strange that you planned it all so fast."

"That's because I planned it out over the course of hours while I was in Cloudsdale," Twilight said. "And the next morning Applejack's farm was a huge success."

Twilight then talked about going to visit with Celestia. That part took some effort. She tried to detached herself from emotions while explaining the facts, but instead it was only her friend's patience that allowed her to get through it. Twilight explained the discoveries Celestia's magicians had made, noting that the spell required alicorn magic to function. Finally, she discussed returning to Ponyville and discovering Spike's missing tail.

"I went off and used the spell again. I fell asleep in the abandoned castle and woke up the day Spike was attacked. I couldn't stop him from leaving in time, but I did make it into the forest so I could fight off the timberwolves. After that, I took him home and went back to work on reading. When I woke up, I was in Canterlot and Dash was guarding my door."

"So what about today?" asked Rarity. "What have you done since you came back to the present?"

"I feel so stupid," said Twilight, shaking her head and looking down. "All I've done all day is cry. I haven't done anything useful."

"Twilight," Rarity said sternly. "I can tell you from personal experience that a mare cannot spend too much time crying. She cries for exactly as long as she needs. And considering what's happened, I wouldn't be surprised if you cried the rest of the day." Rarity lifted up Twilight's chin. "You must take care of your emotional needs. And we'll be here for you as long as it takes."

While Twilight could certainly appreciate her friend's concern, she just didn't want to keep sobbing. She wanted to get back to solve this. Assuming the problem could even be solved... "If it's all the same to you, Rarity," she said. "I'd like to talk about how to fix this. I think that would help my emotional needs a lot more than crying."

Rainbow Dash was clearly eager to move on to planning, also. "Now that's what I like to hear!"

"Well," Rarity said. "I was going to offer you some ice cream too. But we can certainly help you figure this out. And I can always give you some ice cream later if you need it." Twilight smiled at that and Rarity smiled back.

"So what's the deal?" Dash asked. "You said you did this spell a bunch of times. Why can't you just do it again and fix everything?"

"Because the spell requires alicorn magic," Twilight said. "So I can't cast it again."

"Well, have you tried?" Dash asked. Twilight and Rarity both looked to her like she was crazy. "Hey," she said. "I may not have a horn on my head. And I may not know much about magic. But I now about getting things done. You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take. What's the harm in just trying?"

Twilight sighed and looked to Rarity, who shrugged. "We might as well try," the white unicorn admitted. "Who knows? Maybe there's still some alicorn magic left in you from that other timeline?"

Everything Twilight had read, learned, seen, or done with time travel, magic, and alicornship, told her this idea was ridiculous. Still, it needed to be tried. Twilight thought back on the spell and planted her hoofs on the floor. "Alright," she said, taking a breath and reciting the spell from memory. "Life's mistakes will not define me." Nothing seemed to be happening, but that wasn't uncommon for the first line of this spell. "And I need not press through." She still felt nothing. "For through my dreams I shall shape my life." Her horn remained stubbornly unchanged. "To be a dream come true!" Twilight spoke the last line with gusto. Even so, the result was exactly as expected. Nothing had happened. Not so much as a sputtering spark came from the tip of her horn.

Rainbow Dash looked between Rarity and Twilight for a moment. "So, I'm guessing that means it didn't work?"

"Ya think?" Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Well, have you got any bright ideas?" Rainbow asked.

"How about we do a bit of brainstorming?" Rarity suggested. "That always helps me come up with great ideas for new fashion lines."

Twilight nodded. She actually already did have an idea. It was one that she'd thought of earlier that day, but one that she didn't want to use unless necessary.

Her friend's alternative options, however, were not very promising.

After some thought, Rarity proposed the possibility of using multiple unicorns, but Twilight was able to rule that out. She had learned some things about alicorn-specific magic. Adding more unicorns would be like getting a bigger hammer to force a square peg into a round hole. It just wasn't sensible and you were likely to break something in the process. Rainbow Dash asked if maybe Zecora would know some sort of potion that could give Twilight alicorn magic. Twilight assured her that no such potion existed.

"What if we used that spell from the Best Young Flyer's competition to give you wings?" asked Rarity.

Twilight shook her head. "That wouldn't make me an alicorn. Besides, those aren't even the right kinds of wings. Did you suddenly become a princess when I cast that spell on you?"

"Maybe not," then Rarity grinned. "But I certainly felt like a princess with all the attention I was getting."

"Wait, I've got it!" Rainbow Dash beamed and took to the air. "Princess Luna! She's an alicorn, right? So she's got alicorn magic! You can tell her how to do the spell. Then she can go back and fix everything!"

"A splendid idea, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity looked over to Twilight. "Do you think you can explain the spell well enough for Luna to cast it?"

Twilight nodded. This was the thought that Twilight had been avoiding. She just couldn't imagine going back to the castle and explaining the terrible things she had done to Luna. Luna was so mad when I just mentioned Celestia. How's she going to feel when I tell her I'm the one responsible for her sister's death?

"Awesome!" Rainbow lifted herself up and headed to the door. "Let's go!" Rarity began to follow Dash. Twilight stood still.

When the two were about to leave, they noticed that Twilight was not with them. "What's wrong?" asked Rarity.

"Actually, could I get some sleep first?" Twilight asked. All Twilight wanted to do was lie down and forget all of today. This had been the hardest day of her life--bar none. And the last thing she wanted to do was talk to Luna again.

"What? The sun hadn't even set yet!" complained Rainbow.

"Now, Rainbow," Rarity shook her head. "If Twilight says she needs to rest, she can rest."

"But Twilight said you need to cast the spell before you sleep. Luna's not a nocturnal Princess anymore. If we want her to use it tonight, we gotta go now."

"Luna will sleep again tomorrow," said Rarity. "Just look at Twilight." She held her hoof in the direction of the purple unicorn. Twilight didn't need to see herself in a mirror to know how disheveled her mane was. Not to mention how bloodshot her eyes would be after so much crying. "She's clearly in desperate need of some sleep," continued Rarity. "We can take care of this whole situation later."

"Ugh, fine," Rainbow crossed her arms. Rarity scowled at the pegasus, who corrected herself. "I mean, yeah. We can worry about this later. After all, it's not like the past is going anywhere, right?"

Twilight nodded, although she guessed the question was rhetorical. Her brain was mostly running on auto-pilot at this point.

"Come along, Twilight," Rarity came over and put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Let's get you to bed. You'll be sleeping in my room tonight. No buts! A lady does not invite her guest to sleep on a couch."

Twilight wasn't going to complain either way, but she was grateful that Rarity was willing to sacrifice her bed. While Rainbow Dash did seem disappointed at the lack of action, as the trio left the room the pegasus held open the door for Twilight. And although Twilight didn't need the help, Dash and Rarity gently laid her down in the bed. They even tucked Twilight in and put out the lights as they left. They didn't say a "good night," but Twilight didn't mind. It didn't need to be said. My friends really do care about me. It was small comfort, but Twilight was thankful for that small amount of comfort.

Unfortunately that comfort was soon eclipsed by Twilight's thoughts. As the unicorn laid down in the bed, she felt the weight of all her exhaustion and frustration and the feelings of hopelessness that surrounded her day.

<> <> <>

For the first night in many nights, Twilight had a dream. A real dream.

She stood with her friends, all five of them. Well, no. She was standing opposite of them. The five of them were standing together and she was standing alone. "What's going on?" she asked. "Where am I?" The room she was in was unfamiliar. It was generic, colorless, and somehow seemed to lack substance.

Her friends stood quietly. They watched her. They smiled at her. Sometimes one of them would laugh at an unspoken joke.

What's wrong with them? Twilight walked over to Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie?" she said. "Can't you hear me?" Twilight reached out to touch her friend. When her hoof made contact on Pinkie's shoulder the earth pony evaporated. Her pink hair and mane became a thin mist, and lifted out of sight.

Twilight gasped. "Fluttershy!" she shouted, running over to her other friend that still looked at her and smiled. "Did you see that? Something happened to Pinkie, we have to..." As soon as Twilight was near to Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus faded away as well.

She looked to her other friends and, one by one, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash dissolved out of existence. Twilight couldn't feel herself breathing. She couldn't even feel her own heartbeat. All she felt, her whole experience and existence, was fear.

Then Twilight saw her. Princess Celestia approached. Her glorious sun at her back, and it obscured her visage, yet the silhouette of her alicorn body was unmistakeable. "Princess!" Twilight called, running to her former teacher. "A terrible thing happened. My friends are all gone!"

"I know," the Princess said. "I saw you erase each one of them from existence."

"What?" Twilight breathed the word out.

"You went back in time. You made sure that none of them would ever exist. That way, you would not destroy me."

"But my friends hold the Elements," Twilight said. "We need them to save the Tree of Harmony; we need them to save you!"

"To save me? The Elements are what destroyed me!" Suddenly the moon arose and eclipsed the brilliant sun. Then Twilight saw clearly. The Princess before her was not her beloved Celestia. It was Nightmare Moon.

"No," Twilight backed away. "No. This isn't real. This can't be happening!"

Nightmare Moon laughed manically. "Foal! You know how real this is. It was you who went back! You made this world. You knew this would happen."

"I didn't!" Twilight insisted. "I swear, I never knew that I would hurt my friends. I wanted to help them!"

"The road to Tartarus is paved with good intentions, my dear." The wicked mare of darkness cackled fiercely as she began to drift away from Twilight.

The scene changed.

Twilight was now sitting in the castle hall. Ponies were all around her. They were angry at her. They were a mob at her back. In front of her was a high throne and Princess Cadence was sitting upon it. "Order!" she cried. "We will have order here!" The room became eerily silent. "Are you ready to proceed, Sweetie?"

"Of course, Dear," Shining Armor stood. He was across from Twilight, facing Cadence on the throne. "This shouldn't take too long. The evidence is pretty clear. We can still make it to dinner later."

Cadence gave a good laugh at the remark, as did the ponies observing the scene. "Twilight Sparkle," Cadence began. "You stand accused of the murder of Princess Celestia. What plea do you wish to use? Culpable? Liable? Responsible? Or just plain, old guilty?"

There was, of course, only one option. Twilight closed her eyes. "Guilty, your Highness." The crowd cheered.

"You weren't wrong, Honey," Princess Cadence smiled. "That was fast. Does the prosecution have anything to add?"

"We all know what she did," said Shining. "Let's just make sure she's locked up long enough that she can't do it again."

"Agreed," Cadence stepped down from her throne and moved toward Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle, you are guilty as charged. There is only one punishment worthy of this crime. You shall be imprisoned within the gates of Tartarus where you belong. For one thousand years you will see not sun nor moon nor stars. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Twilight shook her head and faced the floor. She deserved this. There was nothing to say. When Twilight looked up she was in a cage sitting atop a great stone spire. Far below her, she could see the mighty three-headed Cerberus standing watch. Her cage was mostly barren, but there was a plaque on the ground in front of it. She looked at the engraving. It read: "Twilight Sparkle - Princess Slayer" for all who saw her to read. Anyone who looked at her could now know just how terrible she truly was.

How did it come to this? One day Twilight was Celestia's faithful student, the next she was responsible for the Princess' death.

"STOP!" a roaring voice boomed forth from far away. Twilight looked out over the mountains. A dark blue form rising in the distance. It flew at impossible speeds toward her cell. Before long, Twilight recognized her Princess of the Night. "Twilight Sparkle," she said. "Do not be afraid. It is I, Princess Luna. And I am not a product of this horrific fantasy your mind has constructed."

It took a moment for Twilight to understand what had happened. She had never been visited by Luna in one of her dreams, though she had read about the experience. "Luna?" Twilight asked. "Why are you here? I thought you weren't a nocturnal Princess anymore."

"Nowadays, I am usually not," admitted Luna. "But I sensed something more was amiss about you. So I looked into your dreams, and saw that I was correct. I can see that you did not tell me everything."

"What do you mean? I talked to you." Twilight tried to get out of the situation by feigning ignorance, but she had a feeling that would work no better on Luna than it used to work on Celestia.

"Clearly a deep pain is troubling you," Luna said. "I am not mad that you would not share this with me. I understand that you and I are not as close as my sister was to you. But you should be able to confide in me your struggles. Come see me in the morning. For now, I will quiet your dreams so you may find the rest you need."

The world around Twilight was now a large field. Her friends were there and having a picnic. Applejack waved her over, offering some apple pie. Twilight felt relief wash over her and turned to thank Luna. But the Princess was gone.

Author's Note

Is there a double meaning in that chapter title? Never! :rainbowwild:

Fun fact: Coming up with the name for Rarity's new store took half an hour. I considered far too many options, browsed a thesaurus, and debated quite a bit. "Gemsational Fashions" barely beat out "Vêtements avec Bijou" (French for "Clothing with Jewels"). I also considered "Simply Rarity" and "Rare Looks." Those felt too self-absorbed for the unicorn. :duck:

Chapter 12: Wandering by Moonlight

“You realize that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past.” - Chuck Palahniuk

When Twilight awoke, the sun had not yet risen outside. This was not a product of restlessness. Far from it, since Luna's intervention her sleep had been quite pleasant. Instead it was a result of her going to bed early and the feelings of resolution she now held about going to speak with the Princess. Twilight sighed and pulled herself upright. Rarity's bed was quite luxurious, but she missed her own bed in the library of Ponyville. Is it even there anymore?

Celestia had more recently revealed to Twilight that the tree had never been lived in before. Prior to Twilight's arrival in Ponyville, the upper room was simply an archive space. The normal proprietor of the library simply worked there during the day. The kitchen, bedroom, and other living places were created for Twilight's arrival. It was obvious, then, that the Princess had known all along Twilight would be living there. It was as if she had planned everything out from the beginning.

Where did the plan go wrong? How did I mess it up? Twilight shook her head. Now was not the time to get lost in self-pity again. She needed to speak to Luna. As she walked toward the door, Twilight heard a low roar followed by a whistle. She stopped and listened. The noise repeated. And then again. She smiled as she realized what the sound was. Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep in the hall outside her room. Twilight could hardly blame her, the mare had been up for at least 24 hours. It was about time she got some sleep.

Instead of risking waking her friend, Twilight decided to teleport into the street below Rarity's boutique. The roads were flecked with the occasional pony, but Twilight didn't see anypony she knew as she made her way to Canterlot Castle alone. A part of her didn't like the idea of leaving Rainbow and Rarity behind, but another part simply wanted to get this meeting over with. She would have to admit everything to Luna now. All the things she had done, or more precisely, the things she had undone.

Of course, having seen her dream, Luna probably already had a fairly good idea of what had happened. If not exact details, she at least knew that Twilight was guilty of causing Celestia's death. Yes, this was better done alone. She'd hate to have her friends watch her be thrown into exile.

<> <> <>

Fate, however, did not want to give Twilight any breaks. Shortly after walking past the guards into the main hall of the Castle, Twilight ran into Soarin' who was accompanied by a small dragon. "Twilight!" the two shouted in unison, running to meet their friend.

"I've been so worried since you ran off yesterday!" shouted Spike, jumping up and hugging Twilight around her neck. "What happened?"

"Where's Dash?" asked Soarin'.

Explaining all of that was the last thing Twilight wanted to do, especially when it might be the last thing she ever did as a free mare. "I don't have time now," Twilight said. "I need to go speak to the Princess."

"Why?" asked Spike. "Is everything okay? What's going on?"

Soarin' simply gave a salute and began to lead Twilight to the throne room.

"We can talk later, Spike," said Twilight, who removed the dragon from her throat.

The throne room doors were gold. Guards stood on either side. The hall's carpet was the same shade of crimson red. It was just like yesterday, only this time Twilight would not be surprised by who was inside the room.

"After you?" asked Soarin', gesturing toward the doors.

Twilight sighed. "Not now, guys. The Princess only asked to see me."

Spike, however, prepared to enter. "Well, if the Princess needs to talk to you, she can talk to me too!" A gray-blue hoof was the only thing that held him back and Spike turned to look up at Soarin'. The stallion shook his head.

Twilight knelt down and touched her forehead to Spike's, giving him a hug. "This is something I need to tell her myself, Spike."

The dragon slouched and hung his head, but allowed Twilight to enter the throne room alone. Soarin' gave her a nod. Twilight wondered if she would ever see them again without chains around her hoofs.

<> <> <>

"Good morning, Princess Luna." Twilight gave a bow before her Princess' throne.

"Twilight Sparkle," Luna said. "Thank you for coming to me on such short notice. Did you sleep well?"

"Thanks to you." Twilight took a breath. Was she just supposed to start in on her story? Or was Luna going to ask? The two simply looked at one another for a few moments. The look from Luna was different from the look Twilight had grown to expect from Celestia. She didn't feel as if her soul was being peered into, or as if some type of deep calculation was being performed to deduce her true intentions. Instead, it was as if Luna was listening to the silence that Twilight generated.

While the experience was different, the effect was similar. Twilight began to speak. "I suppose you're wondering why I had that dream last night."

Luna shook her head. "That is not what I wonder. I know why ponies have nightmares. What I wonder is why you didn't tell me. I have kept out of your dreams these past months out of respect for your privacy; even when I felt you had nightmares in the past I would not look. Yet last night I felt a particularly disturbing nightmare being produced. That, accompanied by your outburst yesterday, made me certain that something was very wrong."

Twilight hung her head. "So you know..."

"That you blame yourself for Celestia's death?" Luna asked. "Yes, now I know. I might have suspected as much, but you never said this to me before. Why have you kept this to yourself for so long? Why did you not trust me?"

Looking back to Luna, Twilight's mane shook as she denied this, "No! I did kill Celestia!" she insisted. "If I didn't go back and change things, Celestia would still be alive. That makes me as good as guilty."

Luna's brow knit together as she frowned. "'Change things?'"

For the fifth time in as many days, Twilight explained the entire story of her time travels to somepony else. From finding the spells to her failure to return to the past the previous night. Luna listened without much expression. Twilight watched her face for hints of rage or malice, but found only slight nods and a gradually growing look of concern. Upon completing her tale, Twilight fell prostrate and declared "I'm at your mercy" before going silent.

Standing up at her throne, Luna looked down at her student, her subject. "Twilight Sparkle," Luna spoke. "With all these things you say you've done, what would you have me do?"

"Whatever you see fit," Twilight said. "Stop training me, throw me in the dungeons, banish me to the moon. I deserve any of that, maybe all of that." She looked up into Luna's eyes. "Before that, though, I want you to use Star Swirl's spell."

"Why?"

"I would do it," Twilight pleaded with the Princess. "But the spell needs alicorn magic. You're an alicorn. You can go back and save Celestia. Prevent all these terrible things from happening."

"Twilight," Luna shook her head and sighed. "Yes, Celestia is dead. It is neither your fault nor--"

"She doesn't have to stay dead!"

"Twilight!" Luna's tone was firm, bordering dangerously close to harsh. "This is no longer acceptable. It is one thing to suffer denial, but to actively pursue wild fantasies of changing your circumstances is another. I have ventured down this road, Twilight Sparkle. You must not follow it to the end."

Of the all possible reactions, this was not one Twilight expected. She doesn't believe me... What could Twilight say now? How could she convince Luna that her story was real?

But before Twilight could respond, Luna spoke again.

"I have told nopony else what truly happened on the night I was found." The Princess closed her eyes and slowly breathed. "But if understanding the true nature of my loss is all that will make you see the truth, then so be it." Luna seemed to be building a will to speak. And when she did talk, her mouth formed a lethargic, monotonous speech.

"Just as the plunderseeds were draining the Tree of its magic and life, so too were they draining us. Any magic we used in an attempt to free ourselves only weakened us. We were doomed to wither away beneath the Tree of Harmony. For three days we rested there, attempting to preserve our strength. It was all we could do, but it was a fearfully temporary solution.

"It was on the night of the third day that I heard Celestia call out to me. I do not know if it was her actual speech, or if she had found some other means to communicate. She said that we could not both survive this. She said that we needed more time for you to find the Tree. She said that there was only one way out. And that she was going to take it for both of us." Luna began to breath slowly again. For nearly one minute she was silent, simply consuming and expelling air to gain strength for what she wanted to say.

She continued, "Ponies speak of the brilliance of Star Swirl the Bearded. Celestia was perhaps even more brilliant. She found a different way to use her magic. A way that most ponies would never conceive of." Luna's face was set in stone. She looked lifeless but for the water resting on the brim of her eyes. "She used the vines as a conduit. They absorbed her magic, and, with some guidance on her part, delivered her magic and life into me."

Twilight couldn't help but gasp at the horrifying, loving genius of Celestia's final act. It was borne of an uncommon necessity: a need to be selfless. Celestia's need to save her sister. Twilight wanted to say something, offer some consolation. All she could come up with was, "Words can't describe how sorry I am for you, Luna. You should never have had to go through that."

"That is where you are wrong," Luna said. "I did need to go through that. It was inevitable and destined that this pain rest upon my shoulders for all time. It is the only fitting punishment..." Luna turned and looked over at the stained glass window which showed herself being transformed by the Elements.

Punishment? Certainly Luna couldn't mean what Twilight thought she did.

A tear fell from each of Luna's eyes and new ones quickly took their place, resting above her cheeks. "I felt her die, Twilight. I felt the flow of magic end. With every breath I took from that moment on, I could feel Celestia inside of me. It was her life that made my heart beat. Her life that allowed my lungs to take in air. I still feel it today. Even after all this time.

"This feeling is a dreadful comfort. A constant reminder of both my sister's love and my sister's death. I must live with it every moment of every day. To speak of any other past denies everything that I know in my very bones to be true."

These revelations rocked Twilight to her core. She could not imagine the pain that Luna was experiencing now--the pain that she had been experiencing for months. But she had come here with a purpose. If Luna uses this spell, then all of this will go back to normal. She'll have her sister back. "I don't mean to deny what you feel, Princess," Twilight began. "And I can't hope to understand your loss. But that's why I want to fix this. I want to make things right. This spell can do that if--"

Reverting to her Royal Canterlot Voice, Luna shouted. "We are through exploring useless roads to save our sister!" Then, after two breaths, she growled her next sentences at Twilight. "Do you think I have never considered such things? That I never explored deep into the Canterlot archives late into the night in the hopes of finding some way to undo what Discord did? If such a spell existed, I would have found it. There is no such spell!"

"But I can prove that it's real!" Twilight insisted. Star Swirl's spells may not have been found in this timeline, but they were certainly still in their hidden compartment. Upon looking at the time spell herself, Luna would have to accept her story.

Luna let out a snort. "Alright then, prove it to me."

Twilight made her request. "Come with me to your old castle in the Everfree. I can show you Star Swirl's spells myself."

Luna shook her head. "No, Twilight. I will not go there."

It was hopeless. That's my only real evidence. What else can I say? After a few moments of thought, Twilight was simply honest. "The problem is," admitted Twilight. "I don't think I can convince you without those. I don't have any proof except those spells. If we don't go to the Castle, you'll just have to trust me."

"Alright. Let us assume," from Luna's tone Twilight could tell even toying with this assumption would be a stretch for the Princess, "that you are correct. That you have changed the past and that I could use the same magic to go back in time to save my sister. Tell me, Twilight: where would I go? The plunderseeds captured me as easily as Celestia and left me powerless to help her then. Returning to the night of her death would only force me to relive a terrible memory."

"You could go and talk to me," Twilight said. "Tell me what I need to do to become an alicorn. That way I'd be able to save Celestia when the time came."

Luna considered this for a moment, but shook her head again. "How can I be sure that I would find you in the past? And even if I did, you said you only made small changes. Yet you also say your changes had these disastrous results. A Princess leaving Canterlot for a full day could make quite an impact on the timeline. We may be trading one destroyed future for another."

Twilight had not considered that possibility. Her situation was even more broken than she'd realized.

"Furthermore," continued Luna. "What would you have me say to you? What could I say that would both motivate you and convince you that I had really come as a messenger from your future?"

Again, Twilight felt regret mounting as she thought back on her failures. "Tell me to study magic more," she said. "I already understand the value of working hard for what you believe in. Just tell me I need to devote more time to reading. I'm sure I'd listen to you. You're a princess, and I've always respected you."

One of Luna's eyebrows rose. "And you believe this will correct the future?"

"Well, if I'd been a better student. If I'd just studied magic more..." Twilight didn't finish her thoughts out loud, but she still had them. Then Celestia would have given me the spell, and I would have been able to save her. Twilight could not let the present remain this way. "Please, Luna," she said. She begged. "Just follow me to the castle. I can show you Star Swirl's spell and you can read it for yourself."

Luna sighed, shaking her head. "Twilight, when I sent you to the castle after Celestia's death you told me yourself there was nothing there. Why now--?"

"Please." Twilight fell to the floor, bowing before the Princess. "Please."

It took a moment for Luna to respond, but she eventually said, "Alright, Twilight. I will go with you to the old castle. If you can show me these spells, I will consider your proposal."

<> <> <>

Leaving the room, Luna set out to make arrangements for the pair to leave. Twilight talked with Soarin' and Spike. In the end, she told them everything. Soarin' took in all of the information without hesitation. Spike actually handled things better than Twilight could have hoped. He seemed more determined to help than mortified to have his own history rewritten.

Twilight asked them why they took the news so easily. Soarin' explained that Dash had mentioned something big had happened. She hadn't mentioned specifics, but he knew that it must be important. Spike simply said that he would never doubt Twilight. She wasn't so sure she deserved such confidence.

<> <> <>

After acquiring a large chariot and a complement of guards, Luna, Twilight, Soarin' and Spike set out toward the Everfree Forest. It was still early, and Luna rose the sun on their way out of Canterlot. It continued to rise into the sky as they were flown out toward the abandoned castle.

The Castle of the Two Sisters had rested mostly undisturbed for almost 1000 years. Considering the harsh conditions of the Forest, it was a miracle that any of the walls were left standing. Twilight had been surprised to find whole rooms of furniture and libraries of books during her more recent visits. Perhaps the nearby Tree of Harmony had provided it some form of protection? Or maybe the Elements resting inside were responsible. Whatever the reason, the mare had been able to walk through its halls on many occasions. This, however, would not be one such occasion.

The building was now well and truly a ruin. Not a single roof rested atop the walls any longer. Gone were the tall towers and broad battlements. What still stood was a sad shadow of the former structure. A wreck deteriorating beyond disrepair.

"Where is it?" asked Luna over the dull roar of the wind. Twilight pointed toward the room, or what was left of it. She was still in shock as the team of pegasi lowered them down into the last vestiges of the library.

Jumping out of the chariot, with Spike following close behind, Twilight asked, "What happened to this place?"

"I asked you to examine it, did I not?" Luna stepped down from her chariot. "This is just as your report described. It is 'ruined beyond recognition' and a 'hazardous place to enter' given how weakened the remaining walls are. In your own words: 'There is nothing salvageable.'"

Of course, Twilight had no memory of writing those words. But she was sure that some version of herself did. It was exactly how she saw the situation. The library was no longer a treasure trove of knowledge. Instead, her eyes met wreckage, dust, and rot. Twilight shook her head. "This can't be. I got the spell from behind a shelf in this room."

"There are no shelves," Luna stated plainly. "Shelves have not stood here since the vines overran this place months ago."

The unicorn could not accept that. "I know it's here," said Twilight, rushing over to the former location of the bookshelf. "Right here! There was a secret compartment at the end of the shelf." Her horn began to glow as she shoved boulders and debris out of the way. She shouted over to the others, "Come on, help me!"

Spike quickly followed and began to move rocks out of the way. The Royal Guard, including Soarin', moved forward, but Luna held out an arm and shook her head. The Guard stopped and instead she stepped forward herself. "Twilight," she said.

Twilight didn't look up, but continued to move wreckage and rocks. "I know it's right here."

"Twilight," Luna touched Twilight's shoulder, but she pushed the hoof away. Spike had already stopped.

"If we can just dig up the bookshelf, or even just the compartment behind it, I know--"

"Twilight!" Luna barked.

The purple unicorn looked up to the alicorn.

"Enough," Luna said. "We have come here. We have seen this castle and this library. I will not have us risk our lives digging about in these ruins, just as I must not risk using strange magic in a futile attempt to rewrite history."

"But Princess--"

"No, Twilight." Finality filled the statement.

Looking to the ground, Twilight shook her head. I know I'm telling the truth. Why won't she just trust me? Then she said, softly, but still loudly enough for Luna to hear: "Celestia would have believed me..."

The Princess' eyes narrowed. "How dare you?" She walked toward Twilight, looking down and taking full advantage of the pairs' height difference to command attention. "I did not wish to come to this place. Yet still, I followed you. This castle holds three of my most terrible memories. The night I became Nightmare Moon, the night I attempted to imprison my sister and destroyed the Elements of Harmony, and just below this castle sits the Tree of Harmony where I was held and forced to experience my sister's death. The fact that I entered this building at all should show the faith I had in you. But this is enough. There is no bookcase. There are no spells."

"But they're here! I know they are! Spike found them! I used them. If you would just let me teach you--"

"No!" Luna repeated her refusal. "I have had to deal with this pain for long enough. I am trying to move on. You must as well." She turned away from Twilight. "Guards!" she commanded. "We're leaving." Her guardponies nodded and hooked themselves to the chariot again. Soarin' simply stood at attention.

Twilight let out a sigh. What now?

"And Twilight," said Luna as she entered her chariot. "Perhaps it would be best if you remained in Ponyville for a few days. Some time away from the castle and with your friends would do you some good."

Twilight tried to keep Luna from leaving. "What about Rainbow Dash and Rarity? They're still in Canterlot."

"I will tell them where you are. I am sure they can join you by tomorrow."

"But if I don't have the Elements of Harmony, how can I even make Star Swirl's spell work?" Twilight asked.

"I do not know," admitted Luna. "That is something still to be explored. When it becomes necessary, I am sure you will find a way. For now, you should return to Ponyville and get some rest." The Princess gave a nod to her guards and the chariot began to take off. It moved up, past the ruined spires, and soon was lost over the canopy of the Everfree Forest.

Soarin' cantered over to Twilight and Spike. "I'm sorry," he said.

Twilight looked up at him. "Do you believe me?" she asked.

The first response from Soarin' was a sigh. Next, he said, "Well, I know Dash believes you, and I trust her. So, yeah. I believe you." He bit his lip, and Twilight noticed.

"What is it?" She wanted him to be honest with her. She needed someone to either support her saneness or confirm her madness.

"It's just... don't you see why ponies would have a hard time believing this?" Soarin' walked over to the remains of one of the library's tables. "I mean, look at this. This has been smashed for months now. Anypony can tell that from the moss and the decay. Clearly it's been exposed to the elements since those vines overran the castle. But you're telling me that yesterday this table was whole. You're saying that you could walk around this library to find books and scrolls, when all I can find are piles of ruin. Don't you see why it's hard for the Princess to accept your story?"

Twilight looked down at Spike, who was looking at the cracked floor. Then she looked around herself. In a strange way, everything in this library was evidence counter to her experience. Everypony in all of Equestria understood history differently from her. And wasn't that basically the definition of insanity? Believing something that nopony else did? Believing something even when all the evidence says it isn't true? Could I... could I really be going crazy? Is this all really just some fantasy? That morning Twilight would never have considered that possibility. Now it was hard for her to refute it.

"Do you think Luna might be right?" Twilight asked aloud. "Do you think I might really have made up the whole situation just to deal with losing Celestia?"

Looking back up, Spike shook his head. "Of course not!"

Soarin' walked over to Twilight and put a hoof on her shoulder. "No. I've seen you deal with the loss of Celestia over these past few months. It hurt you a lot. And you definitely needed the support of your friends to get through it. But you never failed to accept it. Something is different about you today, but I don't think it's because you're losing your mind."

"Thanks," Twilight was very grateful to have the confidence of her assistant and guard. She just wished she had as much confidence in herself.

Soarin' then leaned in and gave her a hug. This Twilight had not been expecting. She hesitated for a moment before she hugged him back. Twilight still hadn't adjusted to the stallion not being a member of the Wonderbolts. It was strange to have somepony she saw as a celebrity hugging her like an old friend. But I guess from his perspective we've been friends for months now.

The two broke apart and Twilight motioned for Spike to hop on her back as the trio began to head toward Ponyville. The walk was not all that far, and the sun was still barely on the horizon, but even Twilight had to admit that there was nothing for them here. There was, as she had apparently said, "nothing salvageable."

"And, hey, you can look at it like this," Spike said with a weak smile as they set out. "You've told me that if you think you might be crazy, it means you aren't."

It really didn't help. Twilight would have preferred it if the whole situation were some sort of crazy delusion.

Author's Note

Breaking 50,000 words...

That. That makes this novel-length...

:rainbowderp:

Chapter 13: The Long Night

“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.” - Shirley Jackson

Fact and fiction. Reality and imagination. Truth and lies. These things were not two sides of one coin, but stood far apart. There was a solid and clear line that separated them. Twilight was always quick to notice that line, pointing out flaws in logic and putting an end to illusions. But now, for some reason, she had difficulty finding it.

Facts were absolute, and Twilight loved them for that. When facts began to be met with doubt, she had always found a way to prove things for herself in the end. (Although Pinkie Pie's "Pinkie Sense" was perhaps a rare exception...) Fiction could be good for fun and amusement, but was not to be taken seriously. Fiction was where one went to escape reality. Could it be that she was trying to live a fiction?

The walk back through the Everfree Forest was, thankfully, uneventful. Twilight was grateful for that; she didn't know if she could handle any additional drama or problems at this point. Spike and Soarin' occasionally talked to each other, but Twilight kept out of the conversation. She was still thinking about what Luna had told her.

I can't have made this up, right? she thought to herself. I honestly don't remember any of the things everypony else was talking about. I remember saving Celestia. I remember living in Ponyville. How could I think up so many lies just to cover up the truth? Still, Twilight's mind had always proven to be a powerful thing. The possibility, while remote, could not be discounted. After all, the loss of Celestia would certainly be the most traumatic thing that had ever happened in Twilight's life. It was possible that her mind just couldn't handle the strain.

After emerging from the Everfree, Spike hopped off of Twilight's back and began to walk along beside the ponies. Twilight tried to decide if this was normal behavior, but soon stopped herself. She couldn't examine every little thing around her. If she wanted evidence of her sanity, it would be found in things of more substance than Spike's walking habits. She started to think of where else she could look for evidence of Star Swirl's spell. Golden Oaks doesn't have much on time magic. Maybe in Canterlot? No. I've looked through the time spells in Canterlot's archive. There's nothing like that spell in any of those scrolls.

Still, searching for evidence based on an already drawn conclusion was not science. Twilight was a mare of science, after all. If she was to start from a solid foundation, it would be best to apply the principles of Ockhorse's razor: the burden of proof should rest on the less likely option. Given what everypony else is saying, I'd need to start with the belief that I didn't change time. The rigidly logical part of Twilight's brain said that was right, but every other part of her being said that was wrong.

The three had walked into Ponyville unhindered, and Twilight was thoroughly lost in her thoughts. Spike could tell, and he wondered if she would snap out of her trance by the time they got to the library. Yet the trio hadn't gone two blocks into town before three young fillies, a unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony, quickly approached the dragon, stallion, and mare.

"Spike!" the unicorn called.

"Soarin'!" the pegasus cried.

"Twilight!" the earth pony shouted.

"Hey guys," said Spike as the Crusaders made their way to them. "How are you doing?"

"Great!" said Scootaloo. "We were just on our way to Fluttershy's place."

"We've been helpin' her look after the animals to see if any a that stuff will turn out to be our special talent," Applebloom explained.

"Although, we're starting to run out of options," admitted Sweetie Belle. "So far we've tried bird calling, seal training, goat fainting--"

"But today, we're gonna try snake charming!" Scootaloo seemed excited by that proposition. As did Applebloom. Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, seemed less enthused.

"You okay, Sweetie Belle?" asked Soarin'.

The unicorn's mane lightly bounced as she nodded. "It's fine. I know Fluttershy's gonna be there. She's good with snakes. It's just, not the activity I would have chosen..."

Scootaloo shook her head. "Come on, Sweetie Belle. I went squirrel watching with you guys last week. It's my turn to pick something!"

"Besides, just think how cool a snake charmin' cutie mark would be!" Applebloom exclaimed.

Twilight sighed. She knew the girls' attempts were futile. It had seemed somewhat clear to her what kinds of activities each of the girls were talented in shortly after she came to Ponyville. Still, the girls always tried ridiculous things to get their cutie marks. It was not a matter of discovering some new way to look at the problem, it was a matter of looking at what they already knew and loved. Twilight had wanted to find some time to take the girls under her newly formed wings and teach them skills that might actually help them learn something of value. Not that squirrel watching wasn't useful.

"Well," said Twilight. "I hope you girls enjoy your time at Fluttershy's. You can tell her I said 'hi' and that I'm in town for a few days."

"Sure thing, Twilight," Scootaloo then prodded at each of her friends. "Come on, Crusaders! We've got snakes to charm!" The trio ran off toward Fluttershy's cottage. Sweetie Belle the only one not grinning from ear to ear.

Spike was smiling as well. He was glad that something unexpected had happened to get Twilight to come back to reality. He didn't want to try resorting to some sort of prank to grab Twilight's attention. Looking up to her, however, the dragon frowned. The unicorn's eyes had already glazed over again. He'd lost her once more.

<><><>

Golden Oaks still stood tall near the center of Ponyville. From the exterior it was hard to tell that anything changed. Twilight was able to note the few small differences however. There was no telescope on the deck. Where tulips once sat out front were now daffodils. The hours of the library had changed.

Opening the door, Soarin' lead the group inside. An old earth pony mare was standing over the central table, reading a book. "Welcome to Golden Oaks Library!" she said in greeting. "Anything you're looking--" She stopped short. "Spike? Twilight?"

"Auntie Quill," Spike didn't seem surprised to see this pony in the library. "How've you been?"

"Oh, still working my old job. It's an honor to be looking after this library while you and Twilight are in Canterlot." She smiled at Twilight specifically. "It'll be in perfect condition when you get back. Just as I promised."

"Thanks... again," said Twilight, giving a weak smile. One more thing she didn't remember. Or shouldn't remember. She vaguely remembered seeing this mare in Ponyville before, but clearly their interactions had increased following her move. Just before her move? Twilight sighed. Does it even matter?

"Everything okay dear?" asked Auntie Quill.

Before Twilight could answer, her guardpony spoke up. "Would it be okay if we had some privacy?" asked Soarin'. "I don't want to tell you to leave your own library, but we have some official business to discuss."

The earth pony chuckled. "Never mind me. I'll be out of here in two shakes of a filly's tail. Besides, this is Twilight's library as far as I'm concerned." After gathering up a couple of books and stray items into a saddle bag, Auntie Quill left. Before leaving, the old mare approached Twilight and patted her on the shoulder. "Whatever the problem is, I know you'll get it figured out." She smiled at Twilight and then waved to the other two. "Good to see you boys."

"Bye," the two said.

"Bye," Twilight added a second later.

It was still a few moments before the three could talk. Auntie Quill's speed was similar to Granny Smith, but Twilight didn't mind. She was in no hurry to talk about anything.

In fact, as soon as the librarian left, Twilight said, "I just want to be alone for a while..." And began to walk up the stairs to her bedroom. Or, what was her bedroom.

"You sure?" asked Spike. "I could get you some lunch? Or maybe we could just--" He stopped himself as Twilight moved out of sight without so much as a glance in his direction. Spike looked to the floor and shook his head.

Yep, she was long gone alright. Spike wished he could break Twilight free of her worries. Sometimes that prison seemed more secure than Tartarus.

<><><>

Up in her old room, Twilight found that only the furniture and books remained. Her telescopes, pictures, and anything personal was gone. It looked exactly like it did when Twilight first came to Ponyville. There was a twisting in her stomach as she experienced the mix of disheartening from seeing her belongings gone and the oddly pleasant nostalgia of remembering her first night here. This place truly held a lot of memories--almost all of them pleasant.

She walked up the steps to her bedroom and remembered the nights there. Her first sleepover with Applejack and Rarity. Waking up early on Winter Wrap Up day. Twilight hoped she could return after this ordeal and live in this place for many years to come.

No, I need to be in Canterlot to finish my studies with Luna. Wait, that's not supposed to be happening. I'm already an alicorn. Or I was. I should... I should... Twilight growled and threw herself onto her bed. Or what was once her bed. Whatever!

Twilight began to punch one of the pillows that rested there until one of the seams popped and sent feathers flying onto the floor. She grabbed the pillow with her magic and launched it across the room. It hit the opposite wall and cascaded to the floor, sending feathers everywhere. She didn't care about the mess. Her desire for order had already been overloaded by everything else that had occurred in the last two days.

Laid down in the bed, Twilight felt the lack of wings on her back once more. Even though she knew it was futile, she still tried reciting Star Swirl's spell. She wanted to use it. She tried to make her horn ignite with magic. If anything else it would prove that she wasn't going crazy. Yet, no matter how many times Twilight said the spell, the result was the same.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

So what now? She had no evidence of changes to the past and no hope for a better future. All that existed now was the present moment, and it was hardly a comfort to Twilight. Wrapping herself up in her blanket, Twilight looked out into the study below the bed chamber. A single feather was still floating after all of the time she spent trying to use the spell. In fact, the feather was beginning to move upward. And toward Twilight.

She noted the occurrence with mild curiosity, wondering what kind of air currents could be involved, when suddenly a flash of light from the feather heralded the arrival of somepony--somebody--else.

"Discord? What the hay?" Twilight was bewildered. Why would Discord show up here, and now?

"You could have at least said 'hello' first," the draconaquis said with a frown. "I don't normally bring myself out of voluntary exile. It would be nice if I was shown a little courtesy."

With a sigh, Twilight said, "Alright. Hello, Discord. What brings you here today?"

"Well," a smile rose on his face. "I just had to know the source."

Twilight waited for Discord to tell her what he meant. Discord waited for Twilight to ask. Of course, Discord won.

"Source of what?" she asked, annoyed.

"Chaos magic, of course!" Discord declared. "Well, perhaps not precisely chaos magic, but certainly something in that general neighborhood. Perhaps in an adjoining village at the very least. But whatever you've done recently was certainly worth my personal attention." In a literal flash, Twilight was standing up and Discord was opposite her. He wore a ticketed hat and held a microphone to his mouth. "So tell me, my dear. Why is it that you decided to change the fundamental fabric of the universe? Beyond the obvious reasons of 'because I can' and whatnot." He moved the microphone next to Twilight.

Twilight pushed the microphone aside. "I don't have time for your games, Discord." At that moment, the impact of his words set in. "Wait? Chaos magic? You mean I actually did change things? I'm not just going crazy."

Discord nodded. "Yes, you did change things. However, as to the state of your sanity, well, I can't say." He grinned at his joke.

"Well, thank you for letting me know Discord." Twilight then walked past the draconaquis and headed down the stairs. "But now I'm going to go downstairs and see if I can figure out how to fix all this." She didn't care to waste any time with Discord today.

"I see." Discord's various accessories vanished. "Well, perhaps you could use the help of someone who has centuries of experience working with magic that rewrites reality." He stroked his chin. "But where in the wide-wide world of Equestria would you find somepony like that?"

Groaning, Twilight put her head in her hooves. "Fine. What can you tell me?"

"Well, that's just it. With all my years of experience with sensing magic, I've never encountered anything like what you did." Twilight looked up at Discord in surprise. "I know!" he said, feigning befuddlement. "I thought to myself, 'how on earth could anypony perform chaos better than the Master of Chaos himself?' Was I losing my touch after not actively spreading chaos throughout the land for so many months?"

"But you did sense that I cast a spell," she said. "And you knew that it changed reality."

"Yes, but you must tell me the rest!" Discord was suddenly wearing a school uniform and sitting in a desk. Twilight found herself randomly holding a ruler and standing in front of a chalk board. "Clearly, the student has surpassed the Master," he declared. "Teach me, oh mighty Twilight!" Then he started to laugh.

Twilight rolled her eyes. This was getting her nowhere. Unless... she had a thought, something she had wondered about her trips to the past and their impact on the timeline. Discord might be the only being who could answer this question. "Discord," she said. "How many times did you sense that I cast this spell?"

The draconaquis smiled. "Ah! So it was you every time. I'd hoped so." The school supplies vanished and Discord was now holding up a map of Equestria. "You see," he began. "I was in exile far to the south of Equestria proper." A little Discord image appeared at the bottom, just inside the map's boundaries. "I sensed a disturbance, oh, four or five days ago now? It was just after dawn, and I could feel that something in the world had changed. Something in Equestria." The image of Discord was scratching his chin. "I wondered who could be doing this and what the magic was. So, I began to travel back north to find out." The image moved until it was on the southern shores of Equestria. "Stopping to rest for the night, I awoke the next day to, again, sense a disturbance. This time it seemed slightly larger than before. And I could tell that it was coming from the central part of Equestria." The image moved again, until it was perhaps 50 miles southwest of Ponyville. "I set up camp here, and then again, upon awakening, I sensed another use of magic. This time, I felt sure that the spell was coming from Ponyville. I had, of course, suspected as much--and I truly hoped it would be you, Twilight.

"I arrived in Ponyville, later that day, only to find no evidence of any chaos magic. And no evidence of you either." The Discord image looked around inside Ponyville, ducking behind some of the buildings on the map, and then shrugged. "So I waited. I figured that there was no reason to assume the magic wouldn't happen again the next morning. And I was right." The Discord on the map ran towards the Everfree. "I sensed it coming from here! The largest burst of magic so far, coming from that abandoned castle! And, even from the distance of Ponyville, I was now sure that it was you." Discord, the actual Discord, grinned. "Not that anything about the magic identified you, but I think we both know that, of all the ponies in Equestria, you have a special affinity for magic. If any pony were to cast something like this, it would have to be somepony like you." The map in Discord's hand rolled up itself and vanished. The little image of Discord fell to the floor and also smirked at Twilight. "So," he said. "I searched around the castle, but you weren't there. I waited to see if i could sense more magic the next day. Strangely, nothing happened the next morning. Saddened, I feared I had lost the trail of this spell. Maybe I never really sensed anything? I was just about to leave when I found you and the Princess talking in that old library. After that, I waited for you to be alone so we could talk."

The story was certainly fascinating. The fact that Discord didn't find Twilight in Ponyville two days ago proved that Twilight was dealing with one, concrete timeline and not several branching ones. Somehow, her changes were impacting reality and that reality was being rewritten on the fly. It truly did sound like chaos magic. Twilight would have liked to have time to analyze the implications of Discord's observations, but she really wanted to find a way to fix the chaos she had caused. Or, perhaps there was another way. Discord said this was chaos magic. And he does know that magic better than anyone... "Discord," she said, without hesitation. "Can you undo what I did?"

The draconaquis laughed. "Oh, my dear. I fear I haven't explained myself well enough. Should I put on the school uniform again?"

Twilight almost asked why, but stopped herself. "You don't know what I did, do you?"

"Quite right, Twilight. Quite right."

Perhaps that was for the best. It might make things easier if Discord just helped her and didn't know the full story. "Discord," she said. "The spell I have to cast to undo this requires alicorn magic. Could you make me into an alicorn?"

"Oh, ho, ho," Discord's smirk grew impossibly large, probably due to his magic. "You know," he began. "this reminds me of something exactly like this that happened hundreds of years ago... What was it again? Oh, yes. It reminds me of the time that a pony came to me and demanded that I make him an alicorn. However, he had a bargaining chip." Discord suddenly became made of stone all the way up to his neck. "He offered to free me from Celestia's stone-suit prison in exchange for his alicorn-ship." Discord went back to normal. "You, however, have no such leverage. The Elements of Harmony are now back with the Tree, so you can't even threaten to turn me back to stone."

"That's the problem," explained Twilight. "I'd need the Elements to turn me back into an alicorn, but--" Twilight then facehoofed.

Discord's eyebrows rose. "'Turn me back' you say? So you used to be an alicorn? Oh, this is priceless! Pretty little Princess Twilight Sparkle!" A scepter and cape almost identical to the ones Discord summoned for her back in her timeline appeared and Discord laughed. "Are you suggesting that the powerful magic you've been using has removed your wings?" Discord continued to laugh and Twilight's cheeks turned red.

Through gritted teeth Twilight said, "Alright, I know this sounds ridiculous, but you have to listen!"

"Oh, no wonder that last one was such a doozy! Magic that can undo alicornship?! I never thought it possible. You must tell me how--"

"DISCORD!" Twilight shouted angrily. "Stop making jokes! This isn't funny."

"Well," Discord stuck up his nose at that outburst. "It seems somepony is being awfully grumpy today. Perhaps Luna was right: you need to get some rest."

"Can you help me or not?" Twilight asked point blank. She didn't want to go around in circles with Discord all night.

"Oh, alright, since you've been so patient with me, and since you answered some of my questions, I'll answer yours." Discord leaned in and motioned for Twilight to come closer. She stepped forward some. Discord motioned again. Another step. Finally, Discord's arm literally stretched out and pulled her so that her ear was only inches from his mouth. "I'll tell you a little secret about draconaquii. But you must never tell another pony for as long as you live."

"What?" asked Twilight, still annoyed.

"Even a Master of Chaos cannot grant alicornship." Discord then began to laugh uproariously causing Twilight to step back and rub at her ear.

"Come on, Discord," she said. "I saw you take away Rainbow and Fluttershy's wings. Couldn't you use the same magic to give me wings?"

"Oh, I could give you wings in an instant, but that wouldn't make you an alicorn. I have wings. I even have two horns on my head. But you don't see me sitting on a throne raising the sun and the moon at will."

"You did once..." Twilight pointed out.

Discord stopped for a moment. "Ah, well, I supposed I did. But you get the picture. Alicorn magic is something beyond my abilities. Although I am flattered that you would think of me as all-powerful." Discord then blinked onto Twilight's other side. "Now, how about some good old fashioned quid-pro-quo? I told you my secret! How about you share yours? What is this magical spell? And why do you need to use it so desperately?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. It couldn't hurt to tell him at this point. "It's a time spell, okay. I want to go back and save Princess Celestia."

"Oh! Time magic!" If Twilight didn't know better, she would say that Discord looked impressed. "That's a very special form of chaos magic. Even I don't mess with the delicate nature of time." The next expression on Discord's face was realization. "That's what happened! You've been using this spell already! That's why I couldn't tell what it was... Messing with time. Quite the trick. And here you thought I possessed the omnipotent powers!"

"So are you going to help me or not?" Twilight asked. It was going to be the final time she asked and then she was going to go back downstairs regardless of whether Discord left.

"Hmmm, I thought you were supposed to be a good listener. Isn't that why you did so well in school? Here, let me spell this out for you." Discord materialized a parchment and quill. He took his time, drawing out letters slowly, his tongue out. Then, he turned around the paper and on it stood, in bold, perfectly formed letters spaced out with dashes:

I C-A-N-N-O-T T-U-R-N P-O-N-I-E-S I-N-T-O A-L-I-C-O-R-N-S

"Is that spelled out clearly enough for you?" Discord started to laugh again.

Twilight snorted out a breath in frustration. "Like you would care," she said. "You were the one who planted those plunderseeds in the first place. I bet you don't want to help because you're glad Celestia's dead."

Discords disposition abruptly changed from amusement to anger. "Now you've gone too far, Twilight!" The draconaquis drew close and looked the mare directly in the eye. "You have no idea what the loss of Celestia means to me. And I wouldn't expect you to. If I had known what the seeds would do..." Discord growled slightly as he tried to think up words. In the end, he said, "Bah! You wouldn't understand anyway. Just know this, Twilight: believe it or not, I never intended to kill Celestia." And after a snap, the draconaquis disappeared from the room.

The unicorn let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. That reaction to her words was not one she was expecting. Twilight wasn't sure if she had ever seen Discord truly angry. She thought he was always joking around or messing with her whenever he displayed emotions. It seemed unlikely that anything could ever genuinely upset him. And yet, somehow, that seemed to be what Twilight just did.

Or maybe it was all some kind of joke and Discord was off laughing at that moment.

Either way, the only things Twilight knew for certain from that strange visit was that her changes were real and that Discord would not be helping her correct the past.

She had tried talking to the Princess. She had even asked for help from Discord. Those were, as far as she knew, the foremost authorities on magic in all of Equestria. What was left? Where else could she go when she had so horribly, terribly, brutally messed up her whole life with magic? Twilight then turned to the only thing that had ever been able to truly help her:

Books.

As far as Twilight knew, the only way to become an alicorn was with Star Swirl's spell combined with the power of the Elements of Harmony. Since the Elements had been returned to the Tree, that option was out. This meant she needed to do research. Ponyville's library was not as complete as the Canterlot Archives, but she needed to start somewhere.

Immediately rushing down the stairs, Twilight saw Soarin' sitting in a chair. Alert and on guard as would be expected of him.

"Twilight?" he seemed confused. "I thought you wanted to be alone?"

"No time for that," she said. "I need to do some research on magic. I just have to know if there's some way I can use that spell to undo all of this."

Soarin' shook his head and laughed lightly. "Well, at least now I know for sure you're the real Twilight, and not some sort of imposter."

Rolling her eyes, Twilight asked Soarin' if he could find a particular book. Spike, who was in the kitchen, heard the request and came into the room in his apron. "Why did you change your mind?" asked Spike. "What happened?"

"Discord happened," said Twilight. The jaws of the two boys fell. "He's been sensing the time spell changing the fabric of reality. That's evidence that what I've been doing was real. And if there's a way to change reality one way, there has to be a way to change it back."

Twilight moved to the central table and began to sift through books.

"How can we help?" asked Soarin'.

She looked to her friends. Soarin' was standing tall at attention as if awaiting orders. Spike was obviously ready for some late night studying. He had abandoned his apron and moved to get the ladder for gathering books. Somewhere in herself, Twilight found a smile. "Thanks guys."

The mare, stallion, and dragon gathered up information on time spells, magic enhancing spells, spells about growing wings, and anything else Twilight could think of that might somehow give her a solution to this problem. Bringing them to the desk in the center, Twilight settled in for a full day and night of reading. The others joined her as well, occasionally pointing out something that they thought was relevant.

The team looked through dozens of books; they read hundreds of pages. When Twilight was finally tired enough to go to bed, Spike had fallen asleep on top of a book, Soarin' was fighting to keep his eyes open, and she could already see the first rays of dawn outside. Yet she had found nothing worth the time they'd spent.

Author's Note

It took some time, Kichi, but I was able to fit the Crusaders back into the story. :scootangel: It isn't much, but my next multi-chapter story is going to be featuring one of the Crusaders.

After noting some of the comments from the previous chapter, I realized rushing myself was a bad idea. So I took my time with this chapter and will do the same with the following ones.

I may not have finished before the end of the year, but I expect to finish soon. The final chapter is actually complete - I just need to finalize what's in-between. :twilightsmile:

Oh, and happy New Year!

Chapter 14: Looking for Daybreak

"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light." - Helen Keller

Twilight tried to sleep for about three hours that morning. The sleep was certainly desired, her body clearly needed sleep, but she couldn't find it. The mare just couldn't feel at peace. All she wanted to do was get back up and study. So she eventually resigned herself to a night without rest, throwing off her covers and going back downstairs.

Soarin' had fallen asleep in his chair. He had said that he would stand guard until somepony relieved him, but Twilight told him to not bother. She was glad he'd listened to her. Spike was still sleeping in the main library as well. He had moved from the book to the floor, but otherwise had not strayed from where he'd fallen asleep. Slowly moving so as not to wake either of the boys, the mare made her way into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

The first glass of water did ease her parched throat, but it did little to ease her mind. Nothing she had learned the night before helped that. There didn't seem to be any information about how to become an alicorn. Very little was written about time spells. Yet worst of all, none of books explained why this was happening. She had read some of the greatest works ever written on time magic, from Star Swirl to Stallion Hawking. Everything she read suggested that the timeline she found here was not possible. Even taking into account the possibility of a "butterfly effect," the magnitude of this change could not be accounted for.

She had changed Spike's life only a couple of months before receiving the alicorn spell from Celestia. A decision of that significance could not be undone in such a short amount of time. Surely Celestia had been planning to give Twilight the spell for years. Certainly it would have been considered from the day Twilight and her friends began to bear the Elements. Perhaps it was even planned from the day she sent Twilight to Ponyville. Even if Twilight had fallen far behind on her magical studies, the momentum behind Celestia's decision to give her the spell could not have been delayed this much. To remove one event a matter of weeks beforehand could not unravel her future.

Yet it had happened. So Twilight had examined every possible trail of events leading from Spike's rescue. During the last hour or so of study this was all she worked on. And while attempting to sleep, it was this line of reasoning that kept her up. She was certain that if she discovered why saving Spike changed Celestia's mind so dramatically it would allow her to uncover what was needed to become an alicorn. Or at the very least might convince Luna to try her spell.

After drinking three full glasses of water, Twilight wiped her mouth and looked out the window. The sun was well into the sky now. Ponyville appeared as tranquil and inviting as always. Daisy was tending to flowers in front of her house. Wensley was pulling a cart of apples through town. She could just hear the bell in the schoolyard ringing to signal the start or end of recess. So little of all of this had changed.

Perhaps Twilight was overestimating the importance of her ascension.

Was my becoming a Princess that important? After all, Twilight had done little to nothing differently since her coronation. Celestia had not assigned her to any important diplomatic duties. Nor had she overseen any functions yet. The only one on the calendar was the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange in a few months. That was hardly a noteworthy service to Equestria.

But surely Celestia's death was substantial. The Princess had reigned in Equestria for centuries. Most ponies would wonder how they could ever survive without their Princess. Then again, what are months compared to a millenium? Perhaps it was egocentrism that led Twilight's calculations to assume her changes were significant. Celestia was her personal mentor. And obviously Twilight had been greatly impacted by her own ascension. But the rest of the world? The sun still rose and fell. Earth ponies still tended the land. Fillies and colts still went to school.

That's all we are: A straw in the haystack. A fleck of dust in the wind. While Twilight's cutie mark may have been a cluster of stars, she was hardly a spec of light in the night sky canvas of the universe.

She thought of her teacher. What would Celestia say to her now? If she had written to Celestia about this problem, what would the Princess have come back with?

And the words came to her: "Press on and press through."

Twilight hung her head. How could she press through into this future? How could she live with herself knowing she had cost Equestria everything? That couldn't be right. Celestia wouldn't say that to her. She said it to Star Swirl, Twilight reminded herself. That was because Star Swirl had lost somepony. And Twilight was in the same place. She had lost somepony. She wanted to use magic to bring this somepony back.

Was this what actually happened to Star Swirl? Had he become an alicorn successfully, only to destroy himself with this spell? Was history repeating itself?

Two things happened simultaneously that broke Twilight from her thoughts. A loud belch and a knock at the front door both coming from the other room. Walking into the room, she found Spike rubbing an eye with a claw. "That's not how you wanna wake up in the morning," he said, groggily. In his other claw, he held a scroll.

"What is it, Spike?" Twilight asked as she moved to the door.

"I- fro- the Pri-ess," his words were partially obscured by a yawn. He held up the scroll so Twilight could see the silver seal bearing a stylized L. It was rare for Twilight to receive a message from Luna directly. At least, it was in the timeline she remembered.

Twilight nodded absentmindedly as she opened the door. Luna probably was telling her to-- Before Twilight could even turn her head to see who was there, she found herself being tackled to the floor. The pony on the other side had jumped her at the first possible second. Twilight let out a scream that was quickly muffled by some sort of woven material in her mouth. She attempted to push whoever it was off, but found that her forelegs were being pressed tightly against her sides.

How could her life possibly be getting this bad? Whoever heard of a pony losing her mentor, her aliconship, and being kidnapped all in a matter of days?

"What's going on?" Twilight heard Soarin' say from the other side of the room. Thank Celestia he woke up!

"We came over to see Twilight," said the familiar voice of Fluttershy from the doorway. "But I think Pinkie got a tiny bit carried away with her 'hello.'"

It took a moment for Twilight's brain to register what she heard. Once she understood, her eyes turned to the pink pony on top of her. Pinkie Pie was tightly hugging Twilight with all her might. "I'm just soooooooo happy to see you, Twilight."

Twilight spit Pinkie's mane out of her mouth. "I'm happy to see you too, Pinkie," she said, weakly. Of course it's Pinkie. Why would anypony want to kidnap me? I'm not even a princess anymore.

"Um, Pinkie," said Fluttershy, who had walked over to the pair of mares on the floor. "Maybe you should let Twilight stand up so that I can say 'hi' to her."

"Okie dokie!" Pinkie released Twilight from her bear hug and the unicorn took a deep involuntary breath. The earth pony then pulled Twilight up to her hooves and then proceeded to hug Twilight again, but this time without knocking her to the ground.

"Oh, um..." Fluttershy awkwardly looked around Pinkie to Twilight. "Hi, Twilight."

"Hi, Fluttershy." Twilight fought to get the words out. It was as if her lungs were constantly having the air squeezed out of them. Twilight wished that wasn't literally the case. Twilight attempted to move back from Pinkie, but the earth pony simply shuffled along with her. "Pinkie," she gasped. "Perhaps you should let Fluttershy give me a hug now?"

"Sure!" Pinkie moved one of her arms from behind Twilight and pulled Fluttershy into their hug. The pegasus gave an "eep!" as she was roped into the embrace.

"Pinkie," said Soarin', walking over to the group. "How long are you going to be hugging Twilight like that?"

"About 7 more minutes," said Pinkie, frankly.

Soarin' laughed. "Well, once you're done crushing her lungs, Twilight has something important to tell you."

Pinkie gasped. "Oh boy, I can't wait! Well, except for this hug to finish. I can always wait for a hug to finish!"

"Can I get you two anything from the kitchen?" Spike asked. "Tea? Water?"

"Some tea... would be... lovely," wheezed Fluttershy, her voice now also strained from Pinkie's tight hug.

"I'm good!" declared Pinkie. "At least for the next 6 minutes, 27 seconds."

<><><>

By the time Spike had returned with a tea kettle and some cups, Pinkie had let Twilight go and was sitting next to Twilight in eager anticipation. Fluttershy gave a light smile as Spike handed her a cup and poured some tea.

"Thanks, Spike."

"My pleas--" the rest of the word or phrase was obscured by a large yawn.

"Oh dear," said Fluttershy. "You seem exhausted!"

"He and I were up late last night helping Twilight," Soarin' explained. "I was actually wondering if I could go back to sleep myself. Not that I don't enjoy living on two hours of sleep."

"Of course," said Twilight. "And Spike should go with you."

"But don't you want me here to help explain things?" Spike asked.

"Spike, you need your sleep," Twilight explained.

"She's right," said Fluttershy. "You two should both go straight to bed. And we'll make sure to be quiet for you."

Spike raised a claw to protest, but when another yawn came from his mouth instead of an objection, he put the claw down. "Alright, I'll go to bed. But let me know what happens when I wake up, okay?"

"I will, Spike," Twilight promised.

"Wait!" shouted Pinkie. She bounced over to Spike and Soarin', pulling them into another hug.

"It's good to see you too, Pinkie," said Spike with a smile.

"Yeah, but I don't know if we should hold you guys up for another seven minutes," said Soarin'.

"Hmmmm..." Pinkie thought about this for a moment. "Okay." She let the two go. "But the next time I see you, you owe me a 6 minute, 38 second hug, plus interest!"

Soarin' laughed. "We'll even throw in a couple extra seconds for you."

"How much interest?" asked Spike.

"Spike." Twilight didn't want the dragon to dawdle, and she wanted to get talking to her friends over with.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin' to bed..." the baby dragon and Pegasus made their way across the room and up the stairs.

Before reaching the top, Soarin' asked, "Would it be okay if I used your bed, Twilight?"

The unicorn nodded and Soarin' thanked her.

Once Spike and Soarin' were out of sight, Twilight sighed and prepared to tell two more ponies about what she had done. Yet when she looked at Pinkie's beaming face and Fluttershy's calm smile Twilight lost all will to talk. How could she take away her friends' smiles like that? How could she admit to causing such pain and chaos?

I just need to be alone. Besides, what can my friends think of that I haven't already read about? Twilight just couldn't take it. "It was nice seeing you both, but you girls should probably get going."

"But didn't Soarin' say that you needed to tell us something?" asked Fluttershy.

"That doesn't matter. It's not important."

"But doesn't it matter to you?" asked Pinkie.

Twilight sighed. "Sure, I guess, but why do you guys even care?"

"Even if it's something that only matters to you just a teeny-tiny bit," declared Pinkie. "And it doesn't matter to anypony else in the whole universe, we care enough to hear it." Fluttershy gave a light nod.

They might care enough to hear about something from somepony that matters, but clearly the universe doesn't think I'm that important. Why should my friends be any different? Twilight shook her head and just said it. "No. I meant 'Why do you guys even care about me?'"

Fluttershy was mortified. "Twilight! You're our friend!" Pinkie nodded vigorously, her smile had changed to a look of shock.

"That's nice of you to say, but I think you have more important things to care about." All I wanted to do was help. All I wanted was to do nice things for my friends. I don't even deserve friends. Twilight's horn started to glow and she closed her eyes, preparing to teleport herself away. Where? She didn't care. Canterlot. Everfree. A cell in Tartarus. What difference did it make? Before she finished the spell, however, she felt a hoof fall on her shoulder. Twilight opened her eyes and saw Applejack standing beside her. Her horn dulled.

"Sorry I'm late," the mare said. "Pinkie told me y'all came into town and said I needed to get over here lickety-split. What's goin' on?"

"Twilight thinks we don't love her anymore!" shouted Pinkie, bounding forward and throwing her forelegs around Twilight in yet another hug.

Shaking her head in frustration, Twilight felt tears starting to brim. She could hardly believe that she still wanted to cry after how much sobbing she'd done yesterday.

"Hold yer horses, Pink," said AJ as she pulled the earth pony off of Twilight. "I'm sure Twilight knows we love her. She's just upset is all." Applejack turned to Twilight. "What's got ya down, Sugarcube?"

Twilight wanted to yell and scream and complain about her circumstances. She wanted to teleport far away where she didn't need to think about her problems anymore. This was now going to be the third time she had explained her predicament to Applejack. That last straw of a thought is what Twilight grabbed for when she started talking. "I've already told you twice," she admitted. "I told you three days ago and the day after that."

"Ah, darlin'," AJ said, slowly. "Not that I don't trust ya, but I don't recall seein' ya at all since Rainbow Dash's Birth-a-versary party a few weeks ago."

Upon hearing this, Twilight's ears perked up. "Rainbow's party? You came?"

Applejack was taken-aback. "Well 'a course I came. Why wouldn't I?"

"Well," said Pinkie. "Maybe it's because you haven't come to any of my parties except for that one in the last one hundred eight six days, ten hours, and fourty-six minutes?"

AJ sighed. "I told ya, I've been busy. I found time to come here today, didn't I? I can't just stop workin' every time you decide to throw one 'a your random shindigs."

"Random shindigs?" Pinkie scoffed. "I'll have you know that the Cake Twins' first birthday was totally a bonanza, and the party for Miss Cheerilee's 12th year as Ponyville's teacher was a regular old hootenanny!"

"Argh, I've already told you about my schedule. Besides, I don't even know the Cakes that well, and as for--"

"Stop!" Fluttershy yelled, landing between the two earth ponies. "Now is not the time for you two to fight about parties or schedules. We're here for Twilight!"

The pair looked to Fluttershy, then to Twilight, and finally to the floor. "Sorry, Fluttershy," they said together.

Fluttershy nodded, and then turned over to Twilight. "So, weren't you going to tell us what's wrong?"

All three friends were looking at Twilight. The unicorn attempted to judge their expressions. Applejack was showing clear concern. Pinkie was intently interested. And Fluttershy was sincerely sympathetic. This was genuine care. They aren't listening to me because they think they have to, they're doing it because they want to know if I'm alright. She just wished that she was actually alright.

And while she had little hope that her friends could help her, Twilight could certainly use the support of a few more friends. Trying to carry the burden of this crisis was obviously wearing on her. She just hoped that her friends would still care about her after they learned all the horrible things that her meddling had done.

<><><>

"So, do you girls have any questions for me?" When Twilight finished her story this time, she felt it was appropriate to field questions. She had never revealed this to three ponies simultaneously, and she was sure that each of the trio had their own thoughts on the matter.

"Makes perfect sense to me." Pinkie nodded.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know that I understood everything perfectly, but I think you did a really good job of explaining it."

Applejack, of course, was the most vocal about her confusion. "Alright, Sugarcube. Let's just make sure I got the basics down. So you're saying that nothin' that's been happenin' these past few months was supposed ta be happenin' at all?"

"Well," Twilight amended. "At least the big things, like you having a huge farm, Rainbow joining the Wonderbolts, and Celestia--" Again, that stopped her. She could deal with some of the unintended side effects of her magic. This was not a side-effect that she was willing to accept.

"Oh! That's right, you just found out about that yesterday..." Fluttershy said.

"How are y'all holdin' up?" asked Applejack.

Of course, Twilight's natural instinct was to say "It's okay" but, she couldn't bring herself to say that either. Things were not okay at the moment. She tried to collect herself to explain her emotions. It was hard for her to focus. Her mind was still racing with thoughts, but her body was begging for sleep.

It was during Twilight's contemplation that Rarity and Rainbow Dash entered the library. Pinkie let out a huge gasp and bounded toward the two mares.

"One moment, dear," said Rarity, holding up a hoof. Pinkie stopped in mid-air several inches from Rarity's hoof. "Before we get to our hugs. I need to have a word with Twilight."

"Does Rainbow Dash need to have a word with Twilight?" Pinkie asked, still floating.

"Uh, not really, but--" Before Dash could say another word, Pinkie had surrounded her in a tight embrace. Rainbow groaned. "Do we have to do this every time I come into Ponyville?"

"I told you," said Pinkie. "It's one minute of hugging for every three days I don't see you. Besides, who doesn't love long hugs with friends?"

As for Rarity, she swiftly moved to Twilight and cleared her throat. "And as for you dear..." The fashionista quickly approached Twilight until the two were muzzle to muzzle. "How dare you run out on your friends like that?! Rainbow Dash and I were worried sick. We looked all over Canterlot trying to find you, and we had no idea where you were or what had happened to you. It took us three hours to loop back around to the castle, only to discover that the lot of you had run off to those dirty old ruins without us. I understand that you've been under a lot of stress lately, what with your whole life falling apart, but could you at least show enough common courtesy to leave a note?!"

Twilight looked at the ground. She had known that sneaking off was wrong and that she should have trusted her friends more. Yet before she could explain herself, she found another set of hooves being thrown around her. This time, however, a sleek purple mane was being pressed into her face.

"I was just so worried about you," Rarity said. "After all we've been through these last few months, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." The white unicorn pulled back slightly. "Just promise me that you won't do this to me again."

Once more, Twilight was surprised by the response of her friends. Rarity had every right to be angry with her. She would be justified in doing anything up-to-and-including putting Twilight under a pseudo-house-arrest for being a flight risk. Yet instead, all Rarity cared about was that Twilight was okay. Looking at her friend, Twilight said, with all earnestness, "I promise, Rarity." And the two hugged for another moment before parting.

"Remember, that hug doesn't count toward your total, Rarity," said Pinkie, who was still holding on to Dash.

Rainbow Dash was hugging Pinkie back, but was not totally focused on the matter. Instead, she was looking around the room. At that point, she chose to ask, "Where's Soarin'?"

"Oh, he's upstairs asleep in Twilight's bed." said Pinkie, matter-of-factly.

Dash raised an eyebrow. "Why is he in Twilight's bed?"

"Well, Twilight hardly let him get any sleep last night," Pinkie explained.

Rainbow nodded slowly, then looked over to Twilight. "And what exactly were he and Twilight doing all night? In her room?"

"We were studying, downstairs, here in the library," Twilight assured her friend. "I wasn't able to sleep, so I let Soarin' use the bed." At the thought of sleep, Twilight yawned.

"Have you told these three why you two needed to be studying all night long?" Rarity asked.

Twilight nodded. "I actually just got done telling them before you came in."

"Okay, Rarity's turn!" shouted Pinkie Pie, flying across the room to give Rarity a hug.

With a couple of yawns, Twilight finished. "I was just... seeing if they had... any questions."

"I might have a few, but right now," said Applejack, walking over to Twilight. "Y'all need some rest." Nods and "mmhmms" rose from the rest of her friends.

"You guys just got here," Twilight objected. "Rarity and Rainbow came all the way from Canterlot, and you--"

"We'll all be here when ya wake up," AJ declared. "Promise." The rest of the mares again gave gentle affirmations.

It was certainly true that Twilight needed sleep; a part of her wanted to just fall asleep right there on the floor. Yet another part of Twilight felt guilty at the thought of sleeping when she hadn't figured out how to set the world right. It was the same nagging part that had kept her awake all night long reading book after book. "I can't sleep now. With your help, maybe we can work out a counter-spell or some sort of--"

Again, Twilight was cut off. This time by Rarity. "Twilight, surely you can't work out this without sleep. You've been through such a dreadful ordeal. Just the idea of all this makes me tired!"

"I can't even imagine waking up and finding out that my whole world had changed!" Fluttershy shuddered at the thought.

While there was logic in what the fashionista was saying, Twilight still wasn't convinced. So she worked out another excuse. "But I gave my bed to Soarin', so I don't even have anyplace to sleep."

"Way ahead of you!" Pinkie Pie bounced over to a bookshelf on the far wall and pulled down a large book. Opening it, she revealed that it had been cut into to make a hidden compartment. She pulled out something made of rubber or plastic from the inside. Taking a deep breath, she then blew into a tube on one end and the object quickly inflated into a bed. "I have inflatable beds stashed all over Ponyville. In case of bed emergencies. Or for floating on a lake, but I always make sure to dry this one out before I put it back in the fake book."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, then looked back to Twilight. "Twilight, you gotta go to bed. If I've learned anything from being a Wonderbolt, it's that you need sleep. Practicing until four in the morning only makes you bomb at your next performance. Trust me."

Twilight looked away sheepishly. "Well, I guess I could really use some sleep."

"And you shall have it!" Rarity lifted over the inflatable bed and set it on the floor next to Twilight.

Nodding, Twilight lowered herself onto the bed. It felt a bit like sleeping on Rainbow Dash's cloud floor, but made more squeaks when she moved.

"We'll be hard at work on finding a spell to fix all this," Rainbow Dash said with a salute. "Don't worry."

In all honesty, Twilight did find that she was less worried. Her circumstances hadn't changed one iota yet, but she knew that her friends cared about her. Knowing that they cared was what she really needed in order to finally get some sleep. And, within only a few minutes on the noisy emergency bed, Twilight was sound asleep.

Author's Note

Sorry this has taken so long. I've gotten a lot busier since the first of the year and I've had some writer's block.

The bigger issue, however, is that the end of the story is approaching and I am nervous what the response will be. This is my first large multi-chapter project and I know many have enjoyed it thus-far. I want the ending to be able to meet up with everyone's expectations. I know that's impossible, but this feeling has been holding me back for months now.

Today the first two episodes of season 5 aired. That has been long awaited, and the expectations were sky high for this season opener. I got to see it myself and see reactions from others and, yes, there were some who felt this didn't live up to their expectations, but most enjoyed the episodes. If the writing staff held up waiting for a perfect script that everyone would universally love, they'd never produce another episode. And, as someone waiting for that episode, I'd rather have the episode than some awesome idea of what the story might be.

So as they say, the show must go on. Hopefully I've really gotten over this fear so I can bring you the next chapter soon.

Chapter 15: A Welcome Dawn

"I had my chance, and sometimes in life, there are no second chances. You look at what you have, not what you miss, and you move forward." - Jamie Ford

While Twilight finally got some rest, her friends set about the task of researching in her library. While research was not their forte, the five did the best they could do. They definitely tried to make sure they were quiet for their friend. Pinkie Pie, as usual, ended up being quite helpful in collecting relevant books. Fluttershy had the patience to work through even the most dull reference materials. Rarity was able to pick out small details that the others would have missed. And while Applejack was willing to do this work, after a relatively short time, Rainbow Dash became antsy. So instead of staying in Golden Oaks, the two decided to go out and search the old castle in the Everfree.

It was a peaceful time as the three worked in the library, Twilight sleeping on her inflatable bed and the boys asleep upstairs. Fluttershy was surprised that Pinkie was handling the situation so well, but she had found ways to make this task more fun. When Rarity suggested they make a system to categorize books, Pinkie found construction paper and began to cut out bookmarks in various shapes and patterns to place on relevant pages. Still, while Pinkie made dozens of these, the three hardly found anything worth marking in the books. They hoped the other two were having more luck.

Rainbow and AJ were gone for several hours and, upon returning, had brought nothing with them but dust and grime, which Rarity insisted they clean off before they came back inside. At this point, the five wanted to give up, but when they looked at their friend, and thought of all the hardship she was going through, the decision to keep working was obvious.

<><><>

When Twilight awoke, the sun had past its zenith and was beginning to make its way down toward the western horizon. She stretched out and looked around the library. She soon saw all five of her friends reading and working. None of them had left. Just as AJ had promised. And Twilight smiled at that.

"Hey, glad you're awake," said Rainbow Dash, being the first to notice that Twilight had stirred.

"How'd the research go?" Twilight asked hopefully as she climbed out of bed.

Her friends looked to the floor.

"We really tried to find something to help you," Fluttershy said. "But it looks like nopony else has ever changed history before."

"Or if they did there isn't any record of it," Rarity clarified.

"And we didn't find any books that talked about alicorn magic," Pinkie added in.

Twilight nodded. That was about as much information as she was able to get the day before. "Well, maybe we could go back to the old castle. I know it seemed hopeless when I was there yesterday, but maybe we could find something."

The other five tensed up.

"What is it?" asked Twilight. Were they really that nervous about going into the forest?

"Sorry, Twilight," said Rainbow Dash, frowning. "We kinda already tried that while you were asleep..."

"Dash and I dug through every inch a that place's library." Applejack explained. "There ain't a single book or scroll left far as we can tell."

"Oh." Twilight hung her head and sighed. "I guess there's always Canterlot's Archives. They'd have more information than this library at least. Maybe Luna would..." Twilight's head sprung up. "Luna's letter!" Quickly running over to the table in the center of the room, Twilight began searching for the scroll that Luna had sent to her.

"You got a letter from the Princess?" asked Fluttershy.

"This morning, right before you guys got here." Twilight's magic moved stacks of books and papers, but she couldn't find the sealed message anywhere.

"Are you looking for this?" The scroll was suddenly floating directly in front of Twilight's face. The unicorn looked up to see Rainbow Dash holding Luna's letter.

"Oh, thanks," Twilight took the scroll and prepared to unseal it. A part of her was hesitant to open it for fear that Luna was still angry with her. Another part was hopeful that Luna had reconsidered her offer and would now perform the time spell. It was like Saddlinger's Cat - she wouldn't be able to know the nature of the contents until they were observed.

So Twilight opened the seal.

Dear Twilight,

The time has come for me to reveal why the alicorn spell was withheld from you. Yes, I have not been forthcoming with this information. The questions you have asked about this have always been dodged. This was intentional, as I'm sure you knew.

I wanted you to discover these things on your own, and in your own time. In that way, I hoped the lesson you needed to learn would hold more firmly. Still, I fear I cannot wait. I have had visions of a danger lurking within Equestria. We may not have time for you to uncover these secrets on your own.

You told me that you believed the reason you were not given Star Swirl's alicorn spell was your lack of magical study. You must not believe this. A lack of magic is not the reason giving you the alicorn spell was delayed. Far from it--you are one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria. Instead, my sister said you still had more to learn about friendship.

In particular, you lacked one crucial piece of understanding:

One must always support her friends when they are at their weakest.

Because you failed to demonstrate this, my sister felt you were not ready to be shown Star Swirl's unfinished spell. My sister wanted to see real evidence, for this is an important lesson. When she discussed this with me several weeks before the plunderseeds tragedy, I was of the opinion that you had learned this lesson already. I simply held that you never discussed such an understanding in your letters. For this reason, I'd hoped training you in Canterlot would be a swift process. I do not understand why it has taken so much time. I will admit, I have begun to fear that either my sister was wrong in her understanding of Star Swirl's spell, or that you will never learn this lesson.

Simply knowing that this is what you lack is not enough. Circumstances must align that allow you to exercise such skills. And until that time arrives, one cannot understand the fullness of this truth. It is this understanding that I have been waiting to see from you these past months.

Twilight Sparkle, I would like to request that you remain in Ponyville for the foreseeable future. Be with your friends. Learn all that you can about friendship. Stop seeking magical prowess and instead work toward an understanding of what it means to love and be loved. Only this magic can allow you to join myself and Cadence as a Princess of Equestria. Without an understanding of friendship, no amount of magic can help you.

Princess Luna

A key turned in a lock. As the tumblers fell, Twilight saw the cascade of events clearly. It wasn't just a link between saving Spike and losing her princess-hood. This change was a consequence of a vital link between everything she had done...

The first thing changed was that Spike didn't ruin her book. Which meant never getting Owlicious. Since that never happened, Twilight had never helped Spike learn to accept another assistant helping him without getting jealous. That jealousy had consumed Spike, putting him into a position where he felt running away was the only option. And Twilight had gone after him, in spite of what he did and in spite of the risk to herself. This proved Twilight could and would help her friend when he was at his weakest point.

Rainbow Dash's accident was another example of a time she'd seen a friend in a place of weakness. Twilight was never given that chance to help Dash get through her time in the hospital. For a pegasus athlete, being without her wings was like being unable to walk. And above all else, Rainbow Dash loved flying. Rainbow needed the support of her friends in that time. Twilight had hoped that the Daring Do series could give her more than just a distraction to pass the time. And she was right. So right that when she and her friends made attempts to be with Rainbow she rushed them out of the room in an attempt to finish the story.

Applejack's competition with the Flim Flam Brothers had driven her and her family to the limit. Twilight had been the one to recognize this and offer support on behalf of their friends. She had to put in 110%, working until she was drenched in sweat and fighting for breath. But she was willing to help. She wanted to help.

And then... I bet I had to help Spike a lot after his injury. He probably had a long recovery and I was there with him through all of it. That had been her last chance to learn that lesson. It was her last chance to demonstrate to Celestia that she had learned this lesson. So without that, Celestia couldn't believe that Twilight had learned this. Without that, the Princess was unwilling to give Twilight Star Swirl's alicorn spell.

That lesson would prove invaluable after Twilight received the alicorn spell. When she cast it, and her friend's cutie marks were switched, it was this understanding that saved her. Who could be more helpless than a pony without her own destiny? In that time, she knew that her friends could help one another, and that their bond of friendship could show them who they were. Before she could be given the responsibilities associated with being a princess, she had to understand that friendship could overcome even the worst times of a pony's life.

Twilight tried to look back on her friendship reports. She could see bits and pieces of examples where she thought that lesson would have shown through. Saving Rarity from the diamond dogs? Actually, Rarity saved herself, and that was the lesson I learned: a mare can stand up for herself! Her experience in the magic duel with Trixie? Surely that demonstrated the need for her friends. Although, I guess that lesson was really more about how to use magic than supporting your friends. And in a way, I was the one getting the support.

After considering several other events, Twilight realized that the point was moot. It didn't matter what Twilight thought of her past. It mattered what Celestia had thought of her progress. On top of that, a lot of Twilight's past was a past that didn't even exist. Maybe those events never even happened! Who knew what else would have changed?

"Come on! What's it say?" asked Pinkie Pie, leaning forward on the tips of her hooves.

Twilight looked up to see that all of her friends were staring at her, eager to know the contents of Luna's message. So Twilight gave them a summary of the letter, and explained her own thoughts about how the events she changed in the past may have been related.

"So, this is all happenin' 'cause we ain't been good friends to each other..." Applejack said.

"No way," scoffed Rainbow Dash. "We used to bear the Elements of Harmony. We're, like, literally the best friends in Equestria."

"But Celestia was waiting for Twilight to be a good friend to one of us and she never got around to it." Pinkie pointed out.

"That's not fair!" Applejack shook her head. "Ya can't blame this whole mess on Twilight not knowin' when we were upset."

"I guess we can look on the bright side," suggested Fluttershy. "We're all very lucky that we haven't had any of those kinds of tragedies since Twilight changed things."

"Well, maybe Twilight just wasn't paying enough attention," Rarity said in an off-hand way.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Twilight, defensively.

Rarity huffed. "Of course, you don't remember now, but last month I had that huge order for a Manehattan clothing boutique. I asked you and Rainbow Dash if you could help, but you said you were too busy with your training and studies. So I had to go and hire random workers off the streets just to get it done on time."

"Argh! That's not the kind of thing Celestia or Luna were looking for!" Dash argued. "Your clothes order wasn't some kind of life-changing crisis."

"Oh," Rarity's nostril's flared. "I see. And I suppose you learning to like a book is that much more important?"

"Uh, apparently it was. If I started reading Daring Do back then, Celestia would've still given Twilight the alicorn spell."

"No she wouldn't," insisted Pinkie. "You needed to get all smashed up in that crash. The book was just Twilight's way of proving that she cared about you as a friend."

"So is it just that Twilight is better friends with Rainbow Dash than with me?" asked Rarity.

"Hey!" Twilight shouted. "Don't say that!"

"Twilight is a good friend," said Fluttershy, then the pegasus added. "She still writes to me. You and Rainbow Dash just abandoned me here in Ponyville."

Dash was taken aback. "Abandoned you? How did we abandon you?"

"You were my best friend back in flight school," Fluttershy said to Dash. Then she turned to Rarity. "And you and I used to go to the spa and go shopping together and do all sorts of things here in Ponyville. But the second you two got a chance to leave, you just took it and didn't even say anything to us about it."

"Darling, you know living in Canterlot has always been my dream," Rarity said.

"And come on, it was a chance to be in the Wonderbolts! How can I pass that up?"

"I'm not saying to pass up your dreams, but maybe at least talk to your friends before you decide to leave town forever." Fluttershy snarled.

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "If Fluttershy wasn't still in town, I'd probably just go back to living on my family's rock farm."

"Hey, what about me?" AJ objected.

"Oh, you mean the pony who's so busy that she hasn't been around for any of my parties?" Pinkie retorted.

"That ain't fair! Yer oversimplifyin' things. I can't jus--"

"Please, stop!" Twilight shouted, covering over her face with her hooves.

The six were breathing heavily. Some had tears on the edge of their eyes. All had reddened faces. Months worth of pent up animosity was still boiling beneath the surface. Twilight could feel the tension. And it was all her fault. I didn't just ruin Equestria, she thought. I ruined my friends!

For a long while, there was silence.

"How did we let it get to this?" Fluttershy asked aloud.

"We all just got busy. It happens." Rainbow Dash said, flatly.

"We can't all be in two places at once," AJ pointed out.

"But if we don't have enough time, and we aren't together," argued Pinkie. "Then we should make time to get together."

"I wish it was that simple," Rarity sighed.

"But it used to be that simple." Twilight shook her head. "If anyone needs to be sorry, it's me. I was the one that changed everything without getting anypony else's permission. Here I thought I was doing AJ a favor, and instead I just made her whole life more complicated than it needed to be."

"Ya know," AJ turned to Twilight. "This ain't the first time ya changed up my whole life."

Confused, Twilight asked, "What do you mean? I only changed your past once. At least, I only did it intentionally once."

"Ya didn't need ta change the past, Twilight," said AJ. "Ya changed my life forever the day you showed up to check on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Before y'all came ta Ponyville, all I ever cared about was ma farm."

"I know," said Twilight. "And that's why I wanted to help you. You've been struggling to keep up with your work and all I've ever done is taken time away from that. Ever since you told me about your dreams for the Grand Galloping Gala I--"

Applejack shook her head and cut off her friend. "Oh, Twilight. Y'all're missin' the point! I ain't sayin' that ma farm is the most important thing in Equestria. I'm tryin' ta say that y'all, all of y'all," Applejack gestured to the entire group, "are the most important things in my life."

Rarity nodded, and then looked to Twilight. "We knew each other before you arrived, but I couldn't really say we were great friends. We were five ponies living in the same town, but separately."

"Yeah, who would've thought I'd ever become friends with Rarity? And Pinkie used to drive me crazy!" Dash smiled sheepishly. "No offense, Pinkie."

"None taken!" declared Pinkie. "I could never stay mad at a friend. I mean, I'm friends with everypony, but you guys are like my best-ever, super-fantastic, awesome-mazing, BFFs-forever friends!"

Fluttershy sidled over. "I know it might be tough to believe, Twilight, but before you came to Ponyville I was just too shy to be friends with anypony except Rainbow Dash. And she and I were only friends because we went to flight school together. When you showed up and took us on that adventure to stop Nightmare Moon, that was the first time I ever really got to know Pinkie or Applejack or Rarity."

"Exactly," said AJ. "Twilight, it's wonderful that y'all wanted ta do things fer me. But ya already gave me the best thing I ever got."

"What's that?" Twilight asked.

"You. Yer friendship. Yer leadership. They've done more fer my life than all the apple sales I'll ever get." AJ looked at the ground. "And ta be honest, I forgot that 'til just now." She looked over to her friends. "I'm sorry, y'all. I've been so caught up in makin' my farm a success that I forgot what really matters."

"It's okay, AJ," said Rainbow Dash, putting a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I'm the one who actually moved away from Ponyville when I wanted to go after my dreams. I had no idea how much I'd miss you guys. I mean, I'm supposed to be all about loyalty and here I was going off to Cloudsdale by myself."

"You just wanted to live your dream, Rainbow," piped up Fluttershy. "It's not right for me to stand in the way of that."

"And I certainly shouldn't take my friends' help for granted," insisted Rarity. "No matter how successful my boutique becomes."

Twilight nodded. She understood what it was like to let her passions get in the way of her friendships. Her books and magic studies were the most important things in the world to her at one point. That all changed in Ponyville... How could I have forgotten?

She could feel her heart changing again. Spells and books might be valuable, but presence; to know her friends were with her, to know that they cared. It was worth more than all the riches in the world. This future might seem hopeless, but as long as Twilight had her friends, it was one she was willing to live in. Tears began to fall onto Twilight's cheeks.

"Don't be sad, Twilight!" said Fluttershy.

"Yeah, sugarcube. We don't blame ya fer any of this. Y'all had no way o' knowin' this would happen."

"And we certainly don't want you to blame yourself!" noted Rarity.

Dash and Pinkie gave "mmhmms" and nods in affirmation.

"It's not that." Twilight laughed slightly as she wiped tears from her muzzle. "I'm just so glad to have you all as my friends. To see you and hear you and be with you."

"Oh, Twilight," said Pinkie. "No matter how horribly, terribly, brutally you mess up your whole life with magic, we'll always be there for you!"

At that, Twilight's friends all came over to her and the six embraced. The unicorn closed her eyes, experiencing the warmth of her friends' hearts. It seemed like so long ago that the six had shared a group hug beneath Rainbow Dash's house when she revealed to them the possible dangers of her casting the time spell. And it seemed all the warmer now.

This wasn't the alicorn magic she needed, but if Twilight had to choose any type of magic to experience, it was friendship. It was the magic that resurrected the broken Elements of Harmony. The magic that defeated Discord. The magic that united Twilight with her friends across all distances and times.

She could feel this friendship now as tangibly as the day the six had defeated Nightmare Moon. It was that same spark of joy. A spark beyond anything Twilight could ever create on her own. Twilight had also felt this spark on another day. The day she restored her friends' cutie marks and became an alicorn. From all of us together, together we are friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end. She remembered the words used to correct Star Swirl's spell. They were worthless without the Elements, but their meaning was still true. With her friends, Twilight had a source of magic that would never be lacking.

From all of them together, Twilight had magic without end.

Magic without end.

Twilight's eyes shot open. But, it couldn't be. The rhyming wording of the spell was just that, rhyming words. The exact phrasing only had a loose significance. Yet Star Swirl's time spell had been surprisingly literal. Maybe? No. Everything she knew about magic told her this was useless.

But from what Twilight knew of friendship...

Twilight spoke softly into Pinkie's mane. "Life's mistakes will not define me," her words were as uncertain as she was. "And I need not press through," Twilight could feel a change. Something moving inside her. "For through my dreams I shall shape my life," The last words she spoke with confidence. "To be a dream come true!" And there it was. Her horn shone brightly as the magic within her was released in that moment and her friends broke apart in confusion.

"What in the hay was that?" Applejack yelped as she backed away.

"It worked! It worked!" shouted Twilight, laughing and beaming and jumping around. "I cast the time spell!"

Author's Note

To anyone who thought the answer to this problem was going to come from books. I am sorry to disappoint you. :twilightsheepish:

That said...

:yay:

Chapter 16: Working Against Time

"It's amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday." - John Guare

Twilight's friends looked to one another, then to her. One moment the group had been sharing a hug. The next, Twilight was bounding around the room claiming to have been able to perform Star Swirl's time spell.

"But Twilight," said Rarity. "I thought you told us only an alicorn could cast that spell."

"And I might not know a lot of alicorns," declared Pinkie. "But I'm preeeety sure they have wings."

Twilight laughed, at her own wonderful sense of understanding, not at her friends' lack thereof. "I was told the spell needed alicorn magic. And an alicorn isn't just a unicorn with wings. She's the product of a deeper kind of magic. A magic that even Star Swirl didn't understand, but that you five taught me." Twilight beamed at each of her friends. "Being a princess isn't about the crown. The magic an alicorn uses is different because of what's inside her. I thought I needed the Elements of Harmony, but even with Star Swirl's spell they're useless by themselves. Your friendship is what let me become an alicorn in the other timeline. And so it was the magic of our friendship I used now to cast the time spell."

Each of the other ponies gaped at their friend's revelation. From the very first night where they had defeated Nightmare Moon the five had been forced to continually re-evaluate the power of their friendship. Now the group was trying to process the fact that together they had the power of an alicorn. Then Rainbow declared, "This... is... AWESOME!" The pegasus did a mid-air loop. "That means the six of us are like princesses!"

"I can hardly believe it," said Rarity. "All my life I wanted to marry royalty from Canterlot to become a princess, but what I really needed was in Ponyville all along."

"Does this mean I have to be a princess now?" asked Fluttershy, slightly curled up at the thought. "I don't think I can handle that kind of pressure."

"Ohmigosh!" shouted Pinkie. Bouncing around and then heading for the door at the end of the hall. "We need to throw a party, RIGHT NOW! I'll go get the balloons and streamers, oh, and cake! Lot's of cake, with extra frosting and--"

"Hold on!" Applejack grabbed the pink tail of her friend before she bolted out of the building. "I think we need to do something else, first." She looked to Twilight and the purple mare understood.

"Right," Twilight said. "I was able to cast the spell, but that doesn't mean this is over. We need to figure out how I can correct the timeline." She pondered for a moment. But only for a moment. In her mind, there really was only one possible solution. "I think I should go back to the day the Everfree went out of control and tell you all how to use the Elements to fix it. That way Celestia won't die and half the town won't get destroyed."

"Uh, aren't you forgetting something?" Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as she gestured toward Twilight's back.

Twilight shook her head. "I can't risk doing anything else. That might mess up things all over again!"

"Hold on," said Applejack. "I know ya made some mistakes before, but with all of us together, I'm sure we can--"

"I won't take this away from you!" Twilight shouted. Her breathing suddenly became heavy and her friends stared at her in shock. Taking a deep breath, Twilight continued in a low voice. "If I go back and tell myself not to use the spell at all, it'll ruin everything. Rainbow Dash won't be a Wonderbolt, your farm won't be a huge success, and Rarity won't be living in Canterlot. You'll all be in Ponyville living average lives instead of living your dreams."

The three tensed up at this. Applejack bit her lip. Rainbow Dash looked to each corner of the room without making eye contact with anypony. Rarity was frowning. Again, Twilight was feeling her friends pain, and she hated being the cause of it. I won't be the reason my friends are miserable.

"But Twilight, what about you?" Fluttershy reminded her. "If you do that, you might save Celestia, but you wouldn't become a princess."

"I'm willing to make that sacrifice," declared Twilight. "I won't let getting wings and a title stand in the way of my friend's happiness."

"Absolutely not!" yelled Rarity. "You becoming a princess is about more than wings and a title. It is the oppertunity of a lifetime!"

"It's a symbol of our friendship!" Pinkie Pie pointed out.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Come on, Twilight. You think we'd let you give up something like that?"

The unicorn sighed as she shook her head. "No, I guess not."

"So come on," said AJ. "Let's think! How do we get everythin' back ta how it's supposed ta be?"

"Just go back to the beginning," said Rainbow Dash. "Go to wherever Twilight found the spell and stop her from using it. Piece of cake."

"It isn't that simple," said Twilight. "In this timeline, I never actually found the spells."

Dash raised an eyebrow, "But if you never found the spell, how did you change time?"

"I made the changes at a point in the timeline before I'd found the spells. That changed everything from that point forward, and one of those changes was me not finding the spells in the first place. In the end that's what happened, creating a paradox. Before yesterday, I would have told you that that was a serious problem, but Discord's revelation to me proved that effect can never precede cause. The timeline never had an infinite loop of effect and cause because the timeline only holds true to its past, not its future. It's like the timeline isn't aware of what will happen tomorrow, because tomorrow hasn't happened. So it just works with whatever happens today. Am I making sense?"

Most of her friends were looking dazed and confused by this information. But Pinkie, who was nodding and smiling the whole time, said, "Yup! And I'm sure we all see the solution!" Everypony looked at her for that statement. "Well, isn't it obvious?" she asked.

"Pinkie," said Dash, annoyed. "If the solution was obvious we'd have already tried it by now!"

"Whatcha thinkin' Pink?" asked Applejack.

"I just thought that Twilight could go to the beginning before the beginning." Her friends looked at her quizzically. "You know, back to when all this really started." Pinkie seemed to believe this explanation was sufficient. The others did not.

"We're gonna need a might more than that, sugarcube," said AJ.

"Okie dokie!" Pinkie pulled a large easel out of nowhere and held up a pink marker. "So Twilight said that all of this is one big timeline." Pinkie drew two lines up the sheet running parallel to each other. "That means that the present is like a train running on a track." Pinkie connected the two lines with many little lines and drew a train with a small gift-box as its cargo. "See, this train has a present. Get it, like the present, but also like a present?" Pinkie smiled and her friends motioned for her to continue along with the explanation. "But a train is really big! Like so big that it takes a lot of horses or coal or hoof-bumps to move it. So usually it stays going straight, but Twilight pushed it a bunch of times! And eventually, it went on a different track."

"Hang on," said Rainbow. "If there's only one timeline, how can there be more than one track?"

"There isn't," said Pinkie, pointing to her diagram. "See, one track. And that track goes wherever the train does."

"But trains follow tracks. They don't make them as they move." Applejack objected.

"Well, the time train does. If it didn't then how could Twilight change the future?"

"The analogy isn't perfect," Twilight pointed out.

"Well, duh!" said Pinkie. "If it was a perfect analogy then I would be explaining all this timey-wimey stuff in terms of actual wibbly-wobblies! But that wouldn't make any sense! Unless you know the Rudimentary Quantum Dilation Distillation Relativity Time-Mechanic Hypotheses, but I don't think we want to go into the RQDDRTMH right now.

"So anyway, to change things back, you want to push the train when Twilight came to Ponyville! That's far enough back that none of Twilight's changes will have taken effect, but not so far that it'll change anything she hasn't already changed. So everything from that point onwards can be undone because the train won't get to the same stations it did when Twilight went back in time before." Pinkie Pie set down her marker and grinned at all of her friends.

"There are stations now?!" Rainbow Dash groaned and shook her head. "You know what, I'll let you guys figure that stuff out. I don't think my brain can work with time travel."

"I didn't understand most of it," said Fluttershy. "But I really liked your drawings Pinkie." Pinkie Pie smiled widely at that.

Twilight was often confused by how Pinkie's understanding of some subjects could combine with a lack of understanding for others. Time travel would not be a subject she thought Pinkie could handle, but the explanation was surprisingly sound.

Rarity then asked Pinkie, "What could Twilight change when she got to Ponyville that would prevent her from making all those other changes years later?"

"I don't know," Pinkie shrugged. "I'm just the idea mare. I'm sure Twilight can work out the details."

The five all looked to Twilight. The unicorn shook her head. "I'm not sure Pinkie's idea will work. I can't just set the timeline back to the way it was and hope things fix themselves. I'll still end up finding the spells and going back to the past later. Not to mention that I visited events that were supposed to happen anyway, like Spike ruining that book. So I'll still be able to go back to the past and change that. Then this will all start over again."

"I thought you said the future doesn't happen before the past. How can--?" Rainbow Dash interjected, then she shook her head. "Nevermind, just keep going. Sorry I said anything..."

"What about a time capsule?" suggested Applejack. "Ma family makes one every couple generations. We put all sorts a things in there so we can remember our heritage. Then, when we open it up, we can read old letters and see things made from back before we were even born."

"How would my past self know when to open the time capsule?" Twilight asked. "I apparently don't have very clear memories about anything I do while I'm in the past. And I don't want to mess up more of the timeline by knowing about time travel when I first come to Ponyville. So how can I get myself a message without telling myself that I have a message to give myself?"

A voice came from the top of the stairs, "You could give it to me." The six glanced over and Spike sheepishly walked down into the room.

"Spike, when did you wake up?" asked Twilight.

"When I heard all of you fighting earlier." The friends blushed slightly at that.

"Sorry, Spike," said Twilight. "We didn't mean to wake you. You should get back to sleep."

"I already got more sleep than you did!" Spike objected. "And besides, I can't just leave you! Every time you guys go on some sort of adventure I always sleep through it, but back in the Crystal Empire, you guys needed me. I'm not going to let all this happen without being here to help. And I can help." The dragon looked to Twilight. "You know you can trust me to do something important for you. I was with you the whole time you lived in Ponyville, and you even said I was there when you found those spells. If you gave me the time capsule, I could give it to you when the time comes."

Twilight considered this. It was a big burden to place on Spike. He was only a baby dragon, and he was even younger when they first came to Ponyville. I couldn't do that to him. It was just too much of a responsibility for him. I'm sure I can find some way to get the message to the past by myself. But just before she said this to Spike, Twilight stopped.

Trying to do things herself.

Not trusting in others and others' advice.

That was how the mare had ended up in this position to begin with. And how could she ever get out of this hole by continuing to dig as she had been doing? If she really wanted to set things right, she would have to trust somepony else--somebody else--to fix the mess she'd made.

Twilight took a deep breath, and smiled at her number one assistant. "Alright, Spike," she said. "I'll let you take the letter."

The dragon beamed and saluted. "I won't let you down!"

"But what if the change doesn't work because you still never find the time spells?" Rarity asked. "You might give Spike the time capsule, but he'd never know when to show it to you."

Twilight pondered this, but it was Spike who came up with the solution a few moments later: "Well, Twilight said the first thing she did was stop me from burning an old book, right?" he said. "So if she tells me that in the past, I can just destroy it anyway. The Twilight from the past future will understand and the Twilight from the past won't really remember much."

"Spike, you're a genius!" said Twilight, beaming at her assistant.

"Hold on!" Rainbow said. "I know why Twilight gets this stuff, and it figures Pinkie would know something weird, but Spike understands time travel too? How?!"

"When you live with a pony like Twilight," Spike stated proudly to the room. "You learn a thing or two about magic." The six ponies frowned at that explanation. "Okay, fine, it's from reading all my comic books," the dragon admitted. "The whole 'Crisis on Infinite Equestrias' arc had a lot of time travel and stuff. Not to mention the 'Mares of Future Past' series." He then turned to Twilight. "So you really think that'll work?"

Twilight nodded. "It sounds like it should. I didn't even mean to make the first change. So if you stop me then, I bet you'd stop me from making all the other changes."

"And that'd put time back ta normal, right?" asked Applejack.

"I think so," said Twilight. And, as strange as it was to be asking for time travel advice from her party-crazy, scientifically challenged friend, she asked, "What do you think, Pinkie?"

"Makes sense to me!" Pinkie declared.

Twilight sighed and looked back to the friends she was about to hurt. "Are you guys sure you're okay with this?" She asked Rarity, AJ, and Dash.

Rarity nodded, firmly. "Living in Canterlot may have been my dream ever since I was a filly, but I think I have more important things to attend to in Ponyville. My livelihood is not worth everything that's happened. It is your destiny to become a princess. Living in Ponyville is a small price to pay."

"She's right," said Applejack. "I couldn't live a life a luxury knowin' everythin' it was costin' Equestria. Besides, I've been missin' y'all a whole heap." She smiled. "If I don't have as much work ta do, I can spend more time with ma friends."

"Yeah, being a Wonderbolt is great and all, but I was the best chief weathermare Ponyville ever had," Dash reminded them. "And besides, I think Soarin'll like the food in Ponyville. He already loves AJ's pies, so I bet he'd like them even better fresh from the oven."

Twilight flinched. How did I forget to mention that? "Rainbow," she said. "In the other timeline, since you never became a Wonderbolt, you and Soarin'..."

Dash exhaled, a look of pain streaking her cyan face. "You mean I..." The mare looked to her friends. "But..." Her face scrunched in frustration and she turned her head away. None of the others spoke and, in a few moments, Rainbow was fighting to keep from crying in front of all of them.

"Oh, Rainbow," Fluttershy flew over and gave her friend a strong hug. "It's okay. We don't have to change that."

"But we do!" shouted Rainbow. "I can't be the reason Equestria loses two of its princesses!"

Pinkie also rushed over and threw herself around both of the pegusi, "Oh Dashie!"

"I just don't understand what I did wrong," Dash cried. "How can there be a world where Soarin' and I aren't together? And why is that the way things are supposed to be?"

"I can't say why that is," said Rarity, coming over to comfort her friend. "But I can say for sure that we'll be there for you." The others gave nods and "mmhmms" in agreement, AJ also moving closer.

Twilight kept her distance.

She hated causing this kind of pain in her friend's life. It was the reason she'd avoided telling Rainbow Dash about the changes to the timeline previously. Going back and resetting everything really was the only way to be sure this change worked. But knowing it was right didn't make it any easier to do. "I'm really sorry, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said with timid sincerity. "Don't blame yourself. Blame me."

Dash looked up, shaking her head. "No." She broke out of Fluttershy and Pinkie's hug, flying over to Twilight and touching down in front of her. "...Just how could I blame somepony? For bringing Soarin' and I together?” She sniffled, then cleared her throat as she continued. She choked up as she searched for the words to express herself. "This has been the best year of my life. So, if anything, I wanna thank you, Twilight. Thank you, for what you did, even if it wasn't intentional. Thank you, for all that came out of this. Thank you for my life with Soarin'." She tried to smile at Twilight between the tears, but Twilight looked on the edge of tears now. And she could only look away before she cried herself.

Why did fixing things have to mess up so much?

"I wish there was some way we could keep all the good things from this," Twilight said aloud.

Rarity shook her head. "It's just too much of a risk. If you try to change something else, we might end up making this worse."

"Well hey now," said AJ, hoping to lighten the mood. "That spell ain't gonna work 'til Twilight sleeps. So this don't gotta be over yet. We got a whole day ahead of us."

Pinkie gasped. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Applejack nodded. "Yup. We're having a party today."

The sadness in Pinkie's eyes evaporated as she grew a huge grin on her face. The mare bounded over to the front door of the library in a single leap. "Be right back!" she blurted out quickly as she flew out the door and shut it behind her.

"But, is there really any point in all this if we're just going to forget about it tomorrow?" Fluttershy asked.

"Are you crazy?!" shouted Pinkie, reopening the door and sticking her head in. "Spending time with friends is never pointless. It's the whole point. How can you have a pointless point?" And Pinkie shut the door again. Her friends could help but smile at one another.

Author's Note

If Rainbow's little speech to Twilight there sounds somewhat familiar, it's because I decided to give a nod to "My Little Dashie" and slightly reword the narrator's speech from the end of that story. I had written one earlier, but at some point I remembered that story and this just seemed appropriate somehow. Both speeches attempt to convey the same idea - thanking someone for an accident bringing two people together as the person works to fix that accident and, in the process, bring the two apart again.

It's actually sort of weird how similar the situation seems. And in both cases it involves Rainbow Dash as the one being separated. Why does this always happen to her? :rainbowderp:

Chapter 17: The Timeless Season

"If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world." - Mercedes Lackey

Twilight appreciated the sentiment behind Applejack's idea of spending this day together, but she wasn't certain it was wise. Sure, there was no reason the group couldn't spend the whole day having fun, but what difference would it make?

Besides, there was still more planning to do for tonight... What would she tell to Spike to correct the timeline? What exact moment in time would she go to? And where could Spike hide the time capsule that Past Twilight wouldn't find it? There was no way she could be fully present at a Pinkie Party when, in the not-so-distant future, Twilight had such an important mission at hoof.

Only Pinkie Pie would think of throwing a party when the very fabric of reality is about to be overwritten! And she clearly understands time travel, so she knows everything we do is going to be lost tomorrow. Twilight sighed. It was futile to waste time on this timeline. I need to go plan how I'm going to set things right with my friends. I'm sure... Twilight's thoughts came to a halt as she looked over at Rainbow Dash continuing to be comforted by her friends. Dash was on the floor, Fluttershy's wing around her. Applejack was sitting on Dash's other side as Rarity stood in front of them, continuing to insist that things were going to be okay.

But these are my friends. Even if they won't remember this tomorrow, they're still here today. And then it occured to Twilight how important being present here was... And after tonight, the only thing that's going to remain of this life, this world, this whole universe! Are my memories of it. How could Twilight afford not to be present in this moment?

True, for the rest of her life, whenever she spoke of this day, Twilight would be speaking of a fictitious Equestria. That's how the rest of the world would see it. And, for all intents and purposes, this was going to be a fake reality. Total and complete fic-- No. Twilight resolved. I can't let it fade away. This timeline is worth more than that. My friends are worth more than that.

To her friends, it would sound like Twilight was recounting a vivid dream, but it was a dream she wanted them to hear. Because it was more than just a dream. It was a dream that had come true! Only to be destroyed because of my mess-up... Twilight shook her head. She couldn't do anything about that now. All she could change was what she did next. Maybe her friends could do something with the information to help make their fulfilled dreams here a reality in the other timeline. At the very least, for her own sake, Twilight didn't want to forget this day. So she now had two missions: Reset the past to bring back the old present, and remember the present to try to save as much of this timeline as possible inside her mind.

"I'm gonna go wake up Soarin'," said Applejack, moving away from Rainbow Dash "I think you two oughtta talk. If you're up fer it, that is."

Rainbow Dash nodded. Her eyes no longer sprouted fresh tears, but her the hair on her muzzle was still stained where they had streaked down her face.

<><><>

When Soarin' arrived downstairs, he immediately went over to Dash and gave her nose a light nuzzle. The mare had managed to dry the tears from her face before her coltfriend showed up. Twilight was surprised that she could stay composed in front of him, but then remembered that, in a previous timeline, she had feigned composure in front of Twilight for a while as well. The unicorn knew it was only a matter of time before Soarin' had to know, but Twilight didn't want to tell him.

She did, however, break the good news. "Soarin'," she said. The stallion looked over at her. "The six of us were able to cast the time spell. I'm going to be changing history back tonight."

Perplexed, Soarin' shook his head. "So let me get this straight: somehow, six of you together were able to cast an alicorn spell, even though only two of you are unicorns?"

"Yep," Rainbow Dash grinned. "Your marefriend and her friends are just that awesome."

Soarin' beamed. "That's fantastic. That means that Twilight can fix everything now! We can have Celestia back!"

"Yessir! Twilight's gonna save Equestria. We'll have Celestia back, and Twilight will be a Princess. It'll be great!" Rainbow didn't show any obvious signs of discomfort. The mare did not bite her lip, nor did her eye twitch. There was no visible sweat on her forehead. Yet her eyes had betrayed her. For a split second, she had looked out the window instead of looking at Soarin'. A pony without years of experience making quick decisions based on subtle queues from his teammates would never have seen it, but that was the only hint the stallion needed.

His smile faltered. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Rainbow Dash lied. "Well, except that it's like the six of us are Princesses. Can you believe that? I know Twilight's the one that'll be an alicorn and all, but we... can..." Rainbow trailed off as Soarin's eyebrows rose.

"I know that look, Dash," said Soarin'. "It's the same one you used to give Spitfire when she asked you about a possible injury. Something isn't right. What's the catch in all this?"

Dash tensed up. She tried to open her mouth and let out the words, but, in the end, she turned away and tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder.

With solemnity, the yellow pegasus filled in for her friend. "Twilight's spell is going to bring back Celestia, but she's also going to have to undo all the other changes she made, and that means Rainbow won't become a Wonderbolt, which means that you two..." Fluttershy gestured between the two ponies, but couldn't bring herself to say anything more.

Soarin's eyes flitted between Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight, and finally rested on Rainbow Dash's back. "Is that true?" Soarin' didn't doubt Fluttershy, but he needed to hear things from Rainbow herself. When she turned around, one look into her eyes told him everything he needed. Soarin' let out a sigh. "Oh, Dashie," and pulled the mare into a hug.

The silence in the room was awkward and depressing. Twilight couldn't just let it hang. "If you two want to go be alone for a while, that's okay." Twilight insisted. The other friends nodded.

Soarin' and Dash looked to each other. They held a short, wordless conversation. Then Soarin' said, "I think we'd rather be here with you guys. All of us are friends here, and I don't think Dash and I would get anything more out of some alone time than we would spending the time with you." Soarin' smiled and Dash nuzzled her face into his neck. But after a moment, she stopped.

"Well, do you wanna spend a little alone time together?" asked Rainbow Dash, nervously, looking up at Soarin'. "Since, you know, we might not ever get to?"

It took a second, but Soarin' registered what Dash was suggesting and blushed. There was a moment where he seemed to seriously be considering the possibility, but then the stallion shook his head. "No." He then clarified. "It's not that I don't want to, but I don't think this is our last chance." He put his forehead against Dash's. "It was so effortless for me to fall in love with you the first time. I can't imagine that it won't happen again."

"But you didn't fall for me until I got into the 'Bolts," Dash objected.

Again, Soarin' shook his head. "I know we like to say that we both had that feeling during your first training day, but that wasn't when I first thought of you in that way." Soarin' took a breath before continuing. "At the time it was just sort of an idle fantasy, but really, I wanted to get to know you more the day you saved us in Cloudsdale. I had never seen a mare do so much to save somepony. Ponies say they'd do anything to help a friend, but you literally did something that other ponies thought was impossible, just so Rarity and the rest of us would survive. Then, just when I thought I might forget about you, you showed up at the Grand Galloping Gala and saved that apple pie for me." Soarin' chuckled. "It's not quite the same thing, but it definitely reminded me of Cloudsdale. Maybe what I felt wasn't love, but I was definitely crushing hard."

Rainbow's voice held confusion. "You hardly paid any attention to me that night..."

"That's because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. But here you were, this perfect mare that suddenly showed up in my life a second time. And you looked so beautiful in that dress. I know I was the celebrity and you were the fan, but I was the one feeling nervous."

Following this, Rainbow Dash was smiling and her eyes had slightly misted. Yet the smile on her face faltered after a moment. "But. But I didn't have a crush on you. I honestly didn't feel that way about you until training day. What if we don't get that kind of a chance again?"

"That won't be a problem," said Soarin'. "Why do you think I requested that trip to Ponyville in the first place? And why do you think I put myself down as your training partner on your first day? With the way I felt about you, I made sure we got chances." Soarin' pulled Rainbow into a hug.

Rarity let out a sharp gasp and the remaining ponies looked over to see mascara colored tears rolling down her face. After a moment, she noticed they were staring and looked back at them. "What?" she squeaked. "Isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever seen?"

<><><>

It was shortly after this heartfelt moment that Pinkie Pie burst back into the library. "I've got cupcakes!" she sang out. "And muffins and brownies and candy and..." This list went on as she set various deserts on the tables in the lower area of the library. Balloons appeared from behind her everywhere she went and, after moving on the the next table, the others could see that the one before had been given a makeover complete with tablecloths and starburst centerpieces.

"Well," said Soarin', trying to bring things back. "I guess you guys are having a party."

"Not just any party!" declared Pinkie as she jumped toward the ceiling to apply additional streamers. "It's a We're-All-Like-Princesses, Twilight's-About-To-Save-The-Future, This-Is-The-Best-Last-Day-Of-A-Timeline-Ever Party!"

Soarin' laughed at Pinkie's enthusiasm. "That's quite the name."

"Yeah, I almost couldn't find a banner long enough for it," said Pinkie, pulling out a roll of paper. "But I did!" She unrolled the paper in question and the name of the party slowly appeared as the paper trailed across the floor, stretching through the entire main hall of the library, and ending just inside the kitchen.

"Better not sneeze on that one, Spike," said AJ with a grin. "It'll take Luna all day to get out from underneath that scroll."

"And I won't be able to find another banner that long. Can you believe that Quills and Sofas only had one of those? Apparently they haven't needed to keep a regular stock of 40 foot scrolls since Twilight left!"

Twilight blushed at that; Spike laughed heartily. Clearing her throat, Twilight said, "Uh, thanks for doing all this, Pinkie."

Fluttershy nodded. "It was awfully nice of you to go through the trouble for this party."

"Yes, dear," said Rarity. "The place looks fantastically festive!"

"That's not the important thing," Pinkie explained. "The important thing is that I brought Mrs. Cake's double chocolate brownies and the chocolate fountain. So now we can have triple chocolate brownies!"

Spike smiled. "That sounds delicious! The only thing that would make it better would be if I had some emeralds to go with it."

"You mean like these emeralds?" said Pinkie as she pulled a trio of gems out from under her hair.

The dragon stared at this unexpected gift, a single tear coming to his right eye. "There are no words..." Bounding toward Pinkie, Spike pulled the mare into a hug. After several seconds, he attempted to let go, but Pinkie held him tight.

"Six more minutes," she said simply, and Spike gladly complied.

<><><>

The group settled in to Pinkie's party quite easily. Twilight drew on her own habits. In an odd way, it reminded her of the first night she ever spent in this library. Not just because they were having a party, but because she felt like she was running on auto-pilot. As much as she told herself that today was important, there was still a nagging part of her mind that was trying to focus on tonight. And it didn't help that her friends occasionally brought up the situation.

"It's so weird to think that all of this isn't going to be real after Twilight goes to sleep." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "This time travel stuff is so crazy."

"No matter what, though, we'll still be friends," said Rarity, firmly. The group nodded, even Soarin', who frowned at Rarity's thought.

"Sorry, Soar," Rainbow Dash fluttered over and put her wing around him. The two looked at each other. They were not trying to find words; they already understood.

"Oh, I wish I could say I won't forget you," said Fluttershy, looking over at the stallion. "You've been so nice to us."

"Same here," Soarin' put his head to the floor. "You guys have been like a second family to me."

Before this day, Twilight would have given anything to change back the timeline in a heartbeat. Now, as she watched her friends, she saw that the world she created was not such a terrible place. If it wasn't for Celestia's death, she probably could have lived with the other consequences. So what if she couldn't talk Daring Do with Rainbow Dash? And yeah, it would be hard for her to spend less time with Applejack. Owlicious was certainly missed. And being a Princess was certainly important. Maybe she could just tweak something smaller?

Twilight shook her head and herself. I have to do this. Everything has to go back. It's the only way to be sure.

Still. What about all that was gained? Dreams had come true for her and three of her best friends. Surely that was worth saving. I can't save it. She thought. There's too much risk. I mean, unless I--

"No," Twilight said aloud. There was nothing that could be done. This was the only option. Her friends didn't hear her, but she didn't even need to imagine how they felt about the matter. It was already there. It was in the sober expression they bore as they looked at Soarin'. This was a willing, if painful, sacrifice.

Besides, the world was not totally lost. Twilight would have her memories. Of course, they would only be fading memories of a faded existence. Odds were she'd never talk to Soarin' again in her life, at least not in a casual, unofficial capacity. Then again, what if...?

It has to be this way, Twilight told herself again, suppressing whatever thought was coming to the surface. It's for the greater good.

But why did acting for the greater good make her feel so bad?

<><><>

The night was coming to an end.

Balloons had begun to sink to the floor. The snack table had just run out of donuts and the chocolate in the fountain had run out over two hours before that. None of the friends had fallen asleep, but most had retired to cushions or the floor. The gaps between conversations were growing longer.

The mare had kept herself awake in spite of weariness. It was her duty to drink in as much of this reality as possible before its pool dried up. Yet she, herself, was running dry of energy.

"I wish this party would never end," said Pinkie, giving a sigh as she flopped her back onto the floor.

"But it has to," said Fluttershy. "We need Twilight to bring back Celestia."

Rarity gave a grin. "I do look forward to seeing her again."

"That's for sure," Rainbow Dash smiled as well.

Twilight let forth yet another yawn as Luna's moon fell below the horizon. Perhaps she could fight losing consciousness for a bit longer. But Spike prodded her side. "You should get to bed," said the dragon. Twilight glanced at him, then to the others only to see them nodding in agreement.

It was only a matter of time, Twilight snorted lightly at her mental joke. Standing up from her spot on the floor, Twilight prepared to go to sleep in her own bed.

No more delays.

"So," Twilight spoke with a grim determination. "I guess this is 'goodbye.'"

"All a this is gonna be different tomorrow, ain't it?" Applejack's question was really more of a statement.

Soarin' nodded. "Weird to think we won't remember this."

"Well, for what it's worth," Twilight said. The seven all looked her way. "I'll remember this day for the rest of my life. I promise." It was a small promise, but it was all Twilight had to give.

Ascending the stairs to her room, the unicorn focused her mind on the day after the Summer Sun Celebration. It had been a calm day, she remembered that. A brief break between taking on Nightmare Moon and dealing with the whole Gala ticket fiasco. The only reason she could recall it specifically was that it was her first full day in Ponyville. How could she ever forget something so wonderful?

This day was pretty calm too, she thought as she reached the top of the stairs. But I certainly won't forget it. And maybe they don't have to either. Maybe I could change something else.

When Twilight reached her bed, she stopped and rested a hoof on the covers. This was where this all had started. The first time she had changed history had been in this bed. The first thing that she had changed had been in this library. The whole adventure had begun here. Just like her first night in Ponyville when the girls had gathered downstairs to prepare for facing Nightmare Moon. With any luck, it would end here. Just like it had with Discord and finding the Elements back where she began.

No. That ended on this very bed, Twilight realized. It ended when I remembered my friends from the letters Celestia sent me. And it was only with her friends that Twilight was given this chance to set things right. She finally admitted defeat. I have to put things back. My friends are too important for me to mess this up. She hated the contradiction in that thought. After all, it was her friend's lives that she was messing up.

Pulling back the covers and resting her head on the pillow, Twilight again focused on her first day living in Ponyville. The day after the Summer Sun Celebration, she thought. The day after we defeated Nightmare Moon. Twilight's face scrunched up and a tear bit the side of her right eye. They day I ruined my friends lives and crushed all their dreams!

That would be her new reason to specifically remember that day.

Author's Note

So I wanted to get this chapter out within two weeks. I wasn't able to for several reasons, but the next one will be out in just a couple days. It is already written and simply needs final editing. Three days tops. :raritywink:

Chapter 18: Just Today

“When the past is forgotten, the present is unforgettable.” - Martin Amis

This time, when she arrived in the past, Twilight found that she had hardly moved. The other Twilight was sitting on her bed, and Twilight floated several feet above that. This Twilight was reading a book, a soft smile on her face. There weren't many specific details, but given the lack of personal effects around the room, Twilight was able to conclude that she had arrived shortly after her defeat of Nightmare Moon. And so she descended.

After successfully merging with her past self, Twilight went down the steps into her study and set her book down on the desk. Her assistant was nowhere to be seen, so she shouted "Spike!" Some scuffling could be heard coming from downstairs and, within a minute, the baby dragon had reached the top of the stairs slightly out of breath.

"I need you to take a letter," said Twilight, holding up a quill and paper from the desk.

"Who's it for?" asked Spike as he took the materials and prepared to craft the message.

"Myself."

<> <> <>

It had taken a surprisingly short time for Twilight to explain things to Spike in the past. The little dragon was clearly uncertain about the situation he had been placed in, but he was also certainly willing to help.

As Twilight dictated the letter to Spike, she found herself in a difficult spot of trying to share information without corrupting the timeline. Of course, she tried to be non-specific, but on the other hand, she wanted to give enough information for the other Twilight to understand. This was when she realized there was a fundamental bias in the information she was able to share.

She could describe the positive effects without fear, because these things were not supposed to happen. However, in order to explain the negative effects, she would need to talk about legitimate parts of the future. And she couldn't do that with this Spike. She thought about how she could remedy this, but, in the end, Twilight simply said that the other effects were bad. There wasn't much else she could say.

When Twilight was finished, she had the dragon read the letter back. "That'll have to do, Spike. Now keep it safe for a while."

"Not that I don't trust you, Twilight," said Spike. "But you didn't even want to listen to Princess Celestia when she told you to come to Ponyville. She's your teacher, and the Princess! How can you be sure you'll listen to yourself when you read this letter?"

At this, Twilight cocked her head to the side and put a hoof to her chin. That idea had never occurred to her. Sure, Twilight could be hard-headed at times, but certainly she would respect a message from the future. Because the last time I got a message from the future I behaved in a totally level-headed manner...

Twilight shook her head. "I don't know for sure that I will." Twilight didn't want this Spike knowing too much about future events, so she stuck to the basics and to things that were not supposed to happen again. I can't mess up Spike's future just to stop myself... "I guess you can add a post-script of 'Please, please don't use that spell,' but there isn't much else I can say. For now, I need to make sure I don't do anything else to impact the future right here. What was next on my schedule?"

The dragon thought as he scribbled down the last line, then said, "I think you were supposed to start reading some book called the Tales of Neigh-something. But you didn't have any other plans for today."

"The Tales of Neighowolf," Twilight confirmed this by looking back at the desk. That was, in fact, the book she had taken from herself earlier. "Okay. I'll get back to reading until I wake up. You put that note away and go back to whatever you were doing." Spike hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and went down the stairs.

Let's just hope Past Past me doesn't find that note before the Past Future me shows up. Shaking her head at the thought, Twilight grabbed the book off her desk and returned to bed. It was a great read and she didn't mind going through it again, but she would have liked to simply read the book. For the sake of the timeline she needed to read, but Twilight found her mind wandering about as she tried to focus on the old horse epic.

There was nothing to do now though. What was done was done.

The rest of the timeline was going to need to take care of itself...

<> <> <>

When Twilight awoke, she found herself in her room again.

Her room in Canterlot.

Bolting upright, she flung herself out of bed, looking around. Spike's bed was empty and the sun had just risen outside. How could she not be in Ponyville?

What have I done?!

* ~ * ~ *

"Achoo!" Spike's eyes closed involuntarily as he sneezed onto the book in his hands. He opened them to find that the book was gone. "Oh, no!" I must've sent it to Celestia. Quickly beginning to make his way down the ladder, he looked over to see Twilight standing in the doorway, the book floating by her side in her magic. "Twilight? When did you come in?"

"Right before you sneezed all over this book." Her tone was matter-of-fact. She did not seem upset.

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "You saved it! I was worried my sneeze had accidentally sent..." Spike's last word trailed off. Wait. Could this be the night that Future Twilight told me about? Is this the other Future Twilight?

"What's wrong, Spike?" Twilight asked.

"Okay," he said. "This is gonna sound weird." Spike chose his next words with care. "Did you know I was going to destroy that book before I did it?"

"Ye-yeah." Twilight sputtered. "I did. Spike? How did you know I knew?"

"You're from the future!" The dragon exclaimed. "It happened again. Just like you said it would."

Twilight froze. Her eyes widened. "The future." The spell worked? This isn't some dream? She could hardly believe it, but given how real things felt, that explanation seemed plausible. Yet somehow Spike knew. And... "Hold on. Happened again? Like I said it would?"

Spike nodded. "This isn't the first time I met you from the future. But your other future self told me that this was your first time in the past. She told me to tell you not to change history tonight. I need to destroy that book, and we need to go to the meteor shower like we were gonna do."

"And then you're just gonna hide the book from me until I find it?" Twilight asked.

"That's pretty much the gist of it. Although you weren't too clear on the details," Spike admitted. "You didn't have a lot of time and you didn't want to tell me anything that I shouldn't know about the future." Spike's eyes then widened as he remembered the letter and the dragon rushed off to the other side of the room where he began to rummage through some of the books.

Twilight's eyes darted back and forth as she considered this situation. So she had already been to the past. No, this was her first time in the past, but her future self had felt it necessary to preempt this visit with one of her own to undo this change. I guess saving that book had some unexpected consequences. Twilight then realized that Spike was standing in front of her again, holding forward a scroll. "What's that?"

"You told me to give you this letter. It's from you, well, the other you. I mean, it's sort of like a letter from yourself, except that it's not the same you as you are now..." the dragon pondered his words for a moment, but Twilight simply grabbed the scroll with her magic and began to read.

Dear Twilight,

Please listen to me. I know how easy it is to let yourself get distracted by questions, but I have to tell you what happened after you found those scrolls.

The first spell you came across was a time spell. It's able to change the past by using your dreams. After casting the spell, when you sleep, you will dream about the past. And you will be there for real.

In my version of events, I thought I could make the world a better place. At first, I thought I did. I finished those astronomical papers and became an author. Rainbow Dash became a Wonderbolt - she even started dating Soarin'! And Applejack's farm became an Equestria-wide corporation more successful than you could imagine. I had begun to make plans for all of our friends.

The problem is, in my attempts to fix mistakes, I made a big one. The results were bad. Equestria lost more than you could imagine. I can't explain them here, but just trust me that the results are catastrophic. I was so tempted by the prospects of this spell that I was blind to possible consequences. But I know now that the possibilities aren't worth the risk. The past is the way it is for a reason. Even if good things can happen, changing time isn't worth it.

Please don't try to get clever. Please don't use this spell. Just go on with your life and be happy for how things are, because I know from experience that they could get much worse.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Please, please don't use that spell!

"Wow. This is amazing!" Twilight gushed slightly over the significance of the self-sent letter. "I successfully changed history! My mind is officially blown!"

"But you're not going to do it again, right?" Spike asked. "You - well, the you from the future in the past - told me that you shouldn't." But Spike was unsure if this Twilight, the Present Future Twilight, would be as level headed as the Future Future Twilight in the past had seemed.

Twilight began pacing. "Applejack a national success. Me an author? This letter proves that you can do a lot with just a bit of time."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, nervously.

"This letter shows me that I can change the world!"

<> <> <>

Twilight ran from her room and saw a guard standing across the hall. And I even have a guard! Twilight shook her head, she could worry about that later. "Are my friends here?" she asked, a little too desperately, but she couldn't keep calm. The guard pointed down the corridor to the hall Twilight and Dash had met in two days earlier. Without even a word of thanks Twilight rushed onward toward her friends.

* ~ * ~ *

Spike was mortified at these words. How could Twilight be considering repeating all of these things again? "But your future self said that the spell would ruin your future!"

Twilight said, still pacing. "Don't you see the possibilities? Rainbow Dash could have a celebrity colt friend! We all make mistakes, and a spell like this proves that we don't have to let those mistakes define our future."

The baby dragon was exasperated. "But you... she... the other Twilight!-- said casting the spell is a mistake!"

"Mistakes are what this is all about. The mistakes I've made. The mistakes my friends have made. It's why I tried to cast that spell in the first place! Mistakes sometimes feel like they define who we are," Twilight smiled. "But they don't have to! I can make a better future!"

Falling at her hooves, Spike begged, "Please Twilight, don't use that spell again!"

"You don't need a spell to change the future, Spike."

The dragon looked up to Twilight with a raised eyebrow.

"All you need to have to change tomorrow is today." Twilight declared as she stopped her pacing. "I'm going to do something better than change the past.

"I'm going to change the present!"

<> <> <>

As Twilight threw the door open, her friends rushed over and threw themselves around her in a group hug.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked, confused. "Is everything okay? Why are we still in Canterlot? Did I decide to change the future back or not?"

Rarity laughed. "You said you'd be confused about why we're in Canterlot today, but it's not what you think."

"Then, what is it?" Twilight was desperate for answers.

* ~ * ~ *

Twilight's horn ignited as she roasted the Astronomer's Almanac with her magic. She then levitated the destroyed tome back up onto the shelf where it belonged. "Come on, Spike," she said. "We have a meteor shower to attend. Let's make sure all those cookies you made don't go to waste!" Twilight walked back into the main room of the library. Her assistant wiped his brow in relief and soon followed.

As the duo left the library, Twilight smiled and joked with Spike like they did the first time she had experienced this night. She had a lot of planning to do for tomorrow. Her tomorrow. But that could all wait. For now, she was going to enjoy an evening with her friends.

<> <> <>

"We're here coordinating for the Equestria Games!" shouted Pinkie.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" Of all the effects that trip to the past could have had, this was never one she would have predicted. Why do the results of time spells have to be so sporadic?

"Oh right," said Flutershy. "You don't remember because it wasn't really you who did it."

"Did what?" pleaded Twilight. She had to know what she had done.

"Y'all used your fancy-pants connections to help get us involved," AJ explained. "Sweet Apple Acres is doin' the caterin' for the athletes."

"I'm going to be helping set up a daycare for their pets," said Fluttershy.

"I've been commissioned to make ensembles for the guests of honor," Rarity announced.

"And I'm the party planner!" declared Pinkie. Then she cleared her throat and corrected herself in a hoity-toity voice, "I mean, I am the Master of Ceremonies."

"And I'm sure you will all do a splendid job." That voice came from behind them and Twilight gasped. She turned to see Princess Celestia, as regal as ever, standing in the door. Her sun was resting at her back and Twilight's friends released her so that she could hug her former teacher.

"Oh, Celestia, it's so good to see you."

"It's wonderful to see you too, Twilight," Celestia said, amused. "But we only saw each other yesterday. You make it seem like you haven't seen me in months."

"It's a long story," tears streaked Twilight's face as she looked up at Celestia. "You'll get to read all about it in my next letter."

"I see," she said, intrigued. "You haven't sent me one of those in a while. I look forward to reading it."

Suddenly, Spike came into the room, hidden behind a stack of books. "Is Twilight here yet?" he asked. "I've got those Equestria Games books she wanted."

Twilight laughed. "I'm right here Spike." She took the stack with her magic and rested it on the table. "And thank you," she said. "For giving me that letter."

The dragon blushed. "It was no big deal. Just doin' my job."

"Well, you did a great job," she said. Twilight glanced over at the books. Even in all her excitement, she couldn't help making note of the titles. There was one, however, she was surprised she overlooked.

"Spike," she said. "Did I not request 'Equestria Games through the Ages'? I know that's a good reference book."

"Oh," said Spike. "That's the one Owlicious is carrying." Right on cue, the owl flew into the room, a large book in tow.

"Owlicious!" she said. The owl set down the book and Twilight held out her forehoof for him to rest on. He gave a light "who" and when he did so, Twilight gently nuzzled his cheek with her own. "I missed you too."

Celestia gave a light "hmmm" before saying, "I definitely look forward to reading your letter, Twilight." Then she looked to the rest of the room. "I'll let you girls get back to your planning. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have breakfast with my sister." The mane six and Spike, and even Owlicious, gave a light bow as the Princess left. Twilight smiled. Luna had her sister back. More than that, Twilight imagined that both of the Princesses' schedules would be freed up quite a bit by this help. Now they can enjoy themselves at the Games without worrying about all the planning.

Finally, there was one more thing. Twilight looked to her back and gently attempted to unfold one of her wings. It was there, and so was the other one. She gave a soft sigh of relief and set down Owlicious on the desk, turning to her friends. Obviously she had told them all what was going on, but now Twilight wasn't sure exactly what was happening in this timeline. "It's great to see that Celestia and Owlicious are okay, but what happened? I thought I was going to change the past back to normal?"

"Ya did," said AJ. "Nothin' changed about the past. Ya just decided y'all still wanted to do somethin' nice fer us."

Rarity nodded. "You thought it wouldn't be safe to alter history again. So instead, you spoke to the Princess about letting us help with the Games."

"And that's why we're here in Canterlot," said Rainbow Dash, then she corrected herself. "Well, them at least. I'm just here because you guys are."

Twilight shook her head. How could she not have done something for Rainbow Dash too? I guess Dash is already in the Games, but isn't Fluttershy on her team too? Twilight tried to think of what she could do now, but as she did that, there came a light knock at the door. Turning, she saw Soarin', dressed in his Wonderbolt's uniform.

"Soarin'?" Twilight said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting," the stallion said, a hoof rubbing the back of his neck. "I just wanted to see if Dash could meet up for some more training today."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Sure. I just need to help the girls figure out this Equestria Games stuff. I can be there in an hour. Same place as yesterday?"

Soarin' smiled. "Yep. I'll see you there, partner." With a wave to the rest of the group, the Wonderbolt departed.

Turning back around, Twilight grinned at her friend. "Rainbow," she said. "Are you sure I didn't do anything for you?"

"What? You mean having Soarin' come in to town for the week?" Dash shrugged. "Yeah, I guess that's been pretty cool to hang out with him. And he's definitely been helping me train up for the Equestria Games."

An eyebrow raising, Twilight asked, "Haven't you two done anything more than just hanging out?"

"I mean, well, Soarin' and I have been meeting over lunch to discuss training, but that's it." Twilight said nothing to that, but continued to smirk at her friend. Rainbow Dash's eyes glanced left and right, then she admitted, "Okay, it was dinner one time, but it's not like a mare and stallion can't share a meal together." When she saw her friends grinning at that, Rainbow quickly tried to explain herself. "It's just we want each others' teams to do well, but we also need to eat. A pony's gotta eat sometime, so why not do both things at once? Ya know?"

Twilight and her other friends laughed. The pegusus spilling out all those words in 10 seconds flat reassured Twilight that she had done something good for Dash as well. But there was still one more thing the alicorn wanted. It was not for her friends, though, it was for herself.

"I know we kinda just did a group hug," said Twilight, timidly. "But could we do another one?"

"Uh, yeah! Duh!" shouted Pinkie. Her friends laughed and drew closer. The six again embraced one another.

Twilight happily soaked in every detail of the experience. The feel of Rarity's perfectly manicured hoof on her back. The view of Applejack's hat pressed against her face. The cotton candy scent of Pinkie's mane. The gentle, humming laugh of Fluttershy. And the sound of a jerking sniff as Rainbow tried to hold back tears. Every part of that moment she tried to hang on to. This moment was not a mistake. It was supposed to happen.

Even then, Twilight wasn't sure she was comfortable with the past she had, but she saw that everything was okay now. It wasn't okay because those things no longer mattered. There would always be regrets - this experience had even added new ones.

Instead it was okay because she knew with absolute certainty that no matter how horribly. No matter how terribly. No matter how brutally she messed up her whole, entire life, her friends would always be there for her.

Loving and being loved by her friends. That was exactly what Twilight wanted her future to be.

<> <> <> THE END <> <> <>

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."
- Muhammad Ali

Author's Note

If this story had credits, the background music would be PinkiePieSwear's "Giggle at the Ghostly - Simple Joy Mix". :pinkiehappy:

It's said a lot, but I really do want to thank you, the readers, for getting me through this story. It would never have been completed without your feedback and continued engagement.

You all have been too good to me.

I would say I regret not getting this done sooner, but that would mean I wasn't taking away a key lesson this story tries to teach. :twilightblush:

So instead, I will say: Thank you all very much for reading, and I hope, no matter what your past, that you all will have a wonderful future, starting from this present moment.

Epilogue: From Another Millenia

"We also need to forgive ourselves... For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done. You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened." - Morrie Schwartz

"Worthless draconequus," Star Swirl scowled under his breath as he made his way out of the sculpture garden. With that pointless chat, he had lost the last hope of using his time spell. At least for the foreseeable future.

It was soon going to be time to accept the fate that had befallen his friend. Yet before he could grieve properly, he had one more task to complete. Scorpan had left the day before so that he could return to his homeland. It had been hard to see a new friend leave so soon, but Star Swirl knew that Scorpan had not made the choice lightly.

Returning home was not being done for ease, but with a purpose. Scorpan was hoping that he could teach the people of his land about the peace and harmony of Equestria. That he could help them to learn the power of love and friendship. And Star Swirl certainly could not stand in the way of such a noble cause.

Yet before leaving, Scorpan gave Star Swirl a mission of his own. Star Swirl sighed again; he had sighed far too often lately. It was the hope of avoiding this that made Star Swirl desperate enough to seek help from Discord. Yet now, he had no choice but to see it through.

I'm sorry, Clover, he thought. I really tried everything I could... She deserved so much better than his best. So much more than her fate.

* ~ * ~ *

The cells of Tartarus sat perched upon tall mountain peaks. With three slabs of meat and a rub on the belly, Star Swirl was able to work past Cerberus. Celestia would need to consider getting a new guard dog. If she wasn't careful, he'd just wander off someday and then this whole prison complex was worthless.

Making his way up a winding path, Star Swirl did not look toward the cell at the top. He looked to his hooves and took his time. This was not a meeting that he wanted to have.

The prisoner spoke before Star Swirl had even arrived at the cell. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Star Swirl the Bearded. Come to taunt me over my defeat? Or perhaps you are here to examine me and discover how my magic works?"

"Neither, Tirek," Star Swirl insisted as he reached the summit. "If I had my way about it, I would never look at your face again."

"I don't see any spears at your back," Tirek said. "Nopony is forcing you to come here."

"No, not a pony," Star Swirl shook his head. "A gargoyle."

Tirek gave a "hmmph" and rolled his eyes.

He doesn't even care about his own brother. Star Swirl sighed. "Do you know what your brother said to me about you before he left?"

"I'm sure it was heartwrenching and wonderful. He was a lot like you ponies the last time I saw him..."

Star Swirl had to grit his teeth and take a deep breath through his nostrils so that he didn't go on a tirade against the centaur. "You don't even deserve to know what he said. You are cruel and malicious and I don't understand how you and Scorpan could even be related."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I promised Scorpan I would come." Star Swirl removed a golden triangular pendant from his cloak. "I'm sure you know what this is." He held forward the item and Tirek rolled his eyes. "Your brother wanted you to have it." Star Swirl tossed the necklace into Tirek's cage.

"Why did he want me to have this?" Tirek asked. "To taunt me with the knowledge that he is free to roam about this world? While I rot in this sad excuse of a prison?"

"No!" Star Swirl shouted his response. He'd had enough of Tirek's mockery. "Because, even after all of the terrible things that you have done. Even though you would have done worse than that if given the chance. He wanted to know that he still calls you his brother." Star Swirl snorted and shook his head. "He wanted you to know that he forgives you."

Tirek raised an eyebrow. "He forgives me?"

"You don't deserve it. I told him that he shouldn't. But he says he has to, because you didn't know what you were doing."

At this Tirek pulled back his head in laughter. "I didn't know? Ha! He and I both knew what we wanted the moment we set foot in Equestria. Or did he forget already that our purpose for being here was to steal the magic of these ponies?"

Star Swirl wanted to leave then. He wanted to declare Tirek unsavable and be done with this conversation. Yet he had made a promise. A promise between friends. I knew what you were asking of me was hard, Scorpan. I just had no idea how hard it would be. Holding firm, Star Swirl made one last attempt. "I'm going to say what your brother wanted you to hear. Nothing more or less:

"Scorpan says that he pities you. Not because your arms have ended up in chains of steel, but because you have placed your heart in chains of hatred. He pities that you were not able to see what friendship and love have to offer. That your lust for power has blinded you to joy and wonder beyond what can be produced from magic.

"I can't forgive you." Star Swirl looked away from Tirek. "One of my friends paid her life to end your reign of terror and as long as she remains dead I cannot forgive you."

Tirek laughed. "This is the joy you say comes from friendship? All I see is sadness and pain."

The anger in Star Swirl could be held back no longer. At that taunt, he turned his horn on Tirek and fired a beam of magic at the tyrant. Yet the magic surrounding his cage prevented Star Swirl from being able to reach him. And Tirek simply continued to laugh. When he had finished his outburst, Star Swirl declared, "I hope you rot in this cell for all eternity." And then, he teleported away from Tartarus.

* ~ * ~ *

Later that day, Star Swirl placed the time spell in with his other unfinished works. Someday, perhaps, he would find use for it. Celestia told me to press on and press through my losses. Star Swirl considered that again as he closed his secret library compartment. He again thought of Clover and it pained him to think how much the future would be lacking with her loss. She had shown so much promise in her life. How much could she have given to the world if she'd been allowed more time?

"No," Star Swirl said aloud. He turned and reopened the compartment. Looking around, he found the notebook. In it was his unfinished masterpiece. This spell was one he had worked on for months. It would allow him to experience magic in ways known to only a few in pony history. And it would allow him to save Clover as well. If I can become an alicorn, then I won't need to keep fiddling with that time spell. It will just work and I can finally fix the past.

Leaving the library, Star Swirl thought about what his spell could be missing. It would probably take him weeks of work, maybe even months, be he would do it. He would do it for Clover! He thought about what his friend would say. He imagined Clover standing there in her brown cloak and talking with him. She would probably encourage him; tell him that anything he wanted to do was possible.

Star Swirl paused at the door of the library, leaning on the frame. No, that wasn't her. More likely than not, Clover would scold him for ignoring Celestia.

He looked down at the book in his hoof. Could he really pursue alicornship for the sake of a spell that Celestia had told him was not worth his time? She was one of the first alicorns after all. If anypony in all the world understood the true magic involved in alicornship, it was Celestia. The time he had spent with her had demonstrated that beyond any shadow of a doubt. That pony is far wiser than I...

If Star Swirl ever wanted to move forward with the alicorn spell, he would need to stop looking back. But that would mean abandoning his time spell.

And his friend.

Pain shot through Star Swirl's chest. It was like he was losing Clover all over again. He fell to his knees. His notebook dropped to the floor. The tears burned his eyes. He couldn't let her go. He wouldn't! And he began to weep. His body shook. "Why did it have to be you, Clover?" he asked aloud. His tears dropped to the ground and wet the cover of his master work.

"Because it couldn't be you," said the voice of Clover from above him.

Star Swirl's head swung up and he looked into the ethereal form of his lost student. She hovered several feet above the floor, her brown cloak's hood resting gently on her back. "Clover?!" he gasped.

The mare gave him a light smile. "This isn't really me. It's only an imprint." Clover's smile faded and she looked to the floor. "I had a feeling that I would not survive the final battle with Tirek. So I came to this library and I performed the imprinting spell on your notebook. You said my name, so here I am."

The stallion gaped. He had attempted to teach this spell to many of his students, but even Clover hadn't been able to succeed. "When did you learn how to do this?"

Clover giggled gently. "Let's just say that, when you need to do something for a friend, you find a way."

"That's what I'm trying to do," Star Swirl explained. "I have a time spell. It will let me change history to save you. But I need alicorn magic for it to work."

"Are you bringing it to Celestia?" asked Clover.

"No," Star Swirl grumbled. "That mare would never cast such a spell."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she values the preservation of history more than saving the lives of those who fought Tirek..."

Clover frowned. "Is preserving history not important to you?"

Star Swirl smirked and let out a short laugh. That pony was always forcing him to question himself. It was one of the reasons he liked her as a pupil so much. Most of his students simply followed his instructions, but Clover thought about them. "Of course preserving history matters." He looked up at Clover. "But you matter more to me."

"Am I really so much more important than any of the other ponies who lost their lives that day?" Clover asked her question in such a plain way that it made Star Swirl feel foalish.

Yet he told her the truth, "To me," he said. "You are more important than any of those. Yes."

"I'm really not," said Clover. "And I'm also not more important than your work."

Star Swirl shook his head. "You are so much more important than that! You were my favorite pupil. I had such hopes and dreams for you."

"And yet you spent my last birthday in this library and only remembered about it a week later." Clover smiled.

Star Swirl frowned. "If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't miss a single one of your birthdays. I would spend as much time with you as possible."

"I'm not trying to guilt you," she explained. "I'm trying to help you. You used to be a pony full of life and laughter. You need to find that again."

"I don't understand."

"Star, we didn't stop the tyranny of Tirek so that you could live under the tyranny of your guilt," Clover said. "I don't want you spending the rest of your life stuck in this library. Not when there are plenty of living ponies who would love to spend their birthdays with you."

Star Swirl looked at Clover. "But should I really forget about you?"

"You don't have to forget about me," said Clover. "But don't spend the rest of your life living on my memory." Clover lifted her hoof and pointed to one of the high windows in the castle library. "I want you to go out there. I want you to live your life. I want you to make new memories and new friends." Then Clover walked forward. Her form moved to the floor and toward his body. "If you really care about me, then please, take care of yourself." She smiled. Her body had begun to fade away. "Now that I'm not around, I don't know anypony else who will." The mare waved as the rest of her form dissolved. Star Swirl waved back to her.

And she was gone.

The bearded stallion shuddered in his loneliness. For a moment, all was silent. He then looked back to the floor and lifted up his notebook with his magic. Could she really want me to give up on this? he thought. Then he looked out the window that Clover's imprint had pointed to.

"No," Star Swirl said, confidently and picking up his notebook. Placing the book inside his cloak, Star Swirl made his way out of the library and into the main halls of the castle. "But she certainly didn't want me to sit in this library for the next year trying to figure it out." Perhaps he would take the time to show some of these spells to Celestia. That could wait, though.

He had some friends to go and visit.

* ~ * ~ *

In his final years, Star Swirl the Bearded explored much of the world of magic and much of the world of Equestria. From unlocking the secrets of the Crystal Mirror to exploring the Caverns of Maretania. And all of these things he did for the sake of knowledge, and for the sake of his friends. He did eventually confide in Celestia about his alicorn spell, even leaving his notebook to her in his will. Yet he never told her about the second time spell.

He was not hiding this spell from her. Nor was he afraid of her finding it. Star Swirl simply never got around to bringing it up. This was not because he didn't think Celestia could help. On the contrary, Star Swirl knew she was amazing with magic. It was just that, as time went on, he saw less of a need for going back. And more of a need for moving forward.

Even as other spells entered his hidden store, that one remained untouched. It was a complete spell, sure. But also a completely unnecessary one.

A pony would only wish to travel to the past if they had forgotten about the hope promised by the future.