The Return to Years Long Past

by TheCrystalRing

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Dark
Length: 1106

What shaped Equestria to what it is today? And what would happen if it ran astray?

Equestria is a nation built upon Friendship and Harmony. But peacefulness like this cannot just form naturally; it has to be prewritten by beings even greater than the Royal Sisters themselves. And although strange, it has always been this way for the Equestrian nation. That is, until now.

When Equestria is, for the first time since its founding, given the chance to make a decision, the country will have to look into a past free from destiny for answers.

They may not like what they see.

Set in the LastUniverse.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-26 14:20:04 UTC

Prologue

“Seven. The number which formed our world. It was seven months that the Lady of Lilac traveled, and seventy years until she let go of the past. It was seven years more when the Earth was ravaged by the Beast of Flames. Seven months until the Savior appeared, and seven hundred years before she vanished. Seven years prior to her disappearance, an alicorn filly was born, and another seven years later. They would one day be named the new rulers of the la-”

“Is that a picture of you?”

“Hm? Oh, yes! The filly with the pink mane was me when I was a child.”

“Then who's the other one, the blue one?”

“...Well, she was a...um...friend.”

“Friend? Why would the princess of all of Equestria need friends? I don’t have any friends, and I’m fine.”

“Now, Twilight, you should at least give friendship a chance; there is more to life than books and magic. Besides...wouldn't I be considered a friend?”

“You? But...But you’re my teacher! Students can’t be friends with their superiors!”

“Now who told you that?”

“Uh...Miss Smarty Pants?”

“Oh, Twilight. What am I going to do with you?”

“Finish reading the story?! It’s really interesting!”

“But it’s way past your bedtime. Even little prodigies need a good night’s sleep.”

“Aw, can’t you please, please, please finish the story first? I’ll...I’ll make sure I wake up and be in class before all the other students, I promise! Please? Pleeease?”

“Oh, fine, you win. But on one condition.”

“What, what?!”

“You at least try to be friends with somepony, anypony. That’s all I ask from you.”

“Okaaay…”

“Now, where were we…? Ah, at the part when my ‘friend’ and I were named heirs to the Savior’s throne…”

“Hey Twilight!”

“Hm? Oh, what is it, Spike?”

“I found some book in the History section that I don’t think you've read yet!”

“Really?! Where, where?”

“Uh, right here? I just found it ly-Hey, don’t snatch things!”

“‘The Defeat of Nightmare Moon: A Picture Book’...? Why was this in the History section, when it should be in the Children’s?! Oh, if Princess Celestia heard about this...I would be in deep, deep trouble!”

“But you’re not even the librarian…”

“SO?!”

“Ugh, never mind. What about the other one? Didja read that one before?”

“‘Equestria: The Past Seven Millennia’? I...have actually.”

“Really? When was that?”

“Princess Celestia read it to me a week after I became her student...That’s odd, I thought she owned the only copy...How’d it get here?”

“Eh, I wouldn't look too much into it, Twilight; the castle’s full of old books and stuff. Besides, we need to go out and buy Moondancer a birthday present, remember?”

“Who?”

“Moondancer.  Y’know, the pony who was always trying to talk to you during our lunch breaks?”

“Uh…”

“...That one unicorn whose namesake was turned into a demon pony…”

“Oh, her! Why do you want to go to her silly old birthday party, when you could be here, assisting me?”

“I just thought it'd be nice, since she always tries to be friends with you all the time…”

“Oh, Spike, who has the time for friendship, anyways? Now, can you alert the Princess that her book has suddenly appeared in the Ivory Tower Branch of the Royal Library? And I’ll just go put this other book back where it belongs...after I read it, that is!”

“Wait, is that a no to getting her a present? Twi?!...Aaand she’s gone.”

“Dearest Sister, are you sure about this?”

“Of course, Luna. I would not be doing this if I did not think she was ready.”

“But how do you know that she is ready? Just last year she had a nervous breakdown that caused a disaster so great that only you could stop it. If you give her the wings of a pegasus and the strength of an earth pony...Tia, I am afraid that not even you will be able to stop her if things get out of hoof…”

“...I know.”

“What?! Then why are you still going through with this? Who cares what an old book says we must do; you must put the well-being of our subjects first. You know what happened when I did not think of them…”

“Luna. The book was written by the Savior herself. Even the Lady of Lilac approved of it. They knew - and still know - more than either of us ever will. And if what they foretold is true...Then we need to have a defense mechanism much greater than the Elements of Harmony in place…”

“But what of the Rainbow of Light? Surely our scholars have found something about its whereabouts?”

“Oh, don’t be foalish, Luna. Our ‘scholars’ have been searching for the Rainbow of Light for over a thousand years, with no luck. For all we know, the Savior took it with her when she left the land.”

“...You are right, as always, dear sister…But I just have to ask…Does she know about her ultimate destiny?”

“Twilight? No, and she is still not ready to know; she may never be. And when I do tell her the truth…I fear that she will not be the same…”

…

“...Isn't that right, Kismet?”

Please, Kismet, you must listen to me! You cannot mess with their world, or you will tear the very fabric of space itself apart!

Oh foalish Mother; do you honestly believe that I do not know that? That I am unaware of what I am able to do? That I am WEAK?!

I said no such thing. I just want you to consider what you are doing; to them, to me, to yourself…

Consider what I am doing? I have considered it, ever since this blasted planet came into existence! I have always had to sit by, writing out the lives of ponies who try, with all their might, to make the right choices. Well, what do I tell the mare in love with the alien? That he’ll ultimately leave her, heartbroken and bruised? What do I tell the princess who tried to earn the love of her subjects? That she’ll be locked away inside her namesake by the one she trusted the most?! WHAT DO I TELL THE DAUGHTER WHO CARRIES OUT HER MOTHER’S ORDERS WITHOUT A WORD, DESPITE KNOWING THAT SHE RUINS COUNTLESS LIVES?! THAT SHE IS DOOMED TO BE TRAPPED IN THIS ROLE FOREVER!?!?

No…I have thought about it, long and hard. I am tired of being your puppet; I’m tired of fulfilling your vision of a perfect world…So I have decided it is time for present to meet something from the past…

A choice.