Prologue: Chaos Through the Ages
Princess Celestia stood on the highest balcony of the Canterlot castle, looking over the landscape that was just now being lit up by the sun’s first rays. She focused on the sun, and with a great show of concentration, pulled it above the horizon for all of her subjects to enjoy. Slightly exhausted, she returned to her bed chamber and continued through it into the throne room. The high set ceiling complimented the extremely long red carpet that led from the twin thrones to the doors that marked the antechamber. Celestia took a seat in the taller of the two and started to take stock of the duties she had to do that day. She was so focused on planning her day out that she didn’t notice her sister enter from the opposite side of the room that she had entered from until Luna plopped down in the other throne. “Oh, hello, Luna. Did you get a good night sleep?”
Luna shifted around in the glorified chair until she was in a better position before answering. “Yes, I slept fine.” Luna looked away from Celestia, and her older sister sensed that something was bothering her.
“Are you sure? You seem distressed.”
Luna was silently still for a few seconds, then slowly turned to face her sister. “I slept well, but I just don’t feel well. It just seems that today will be… bad.” A slight frown formed on Celestia’s lips as Luna confessed her worries. “I can’t really explain it, but I just have a bad feeling about today.” Luna hung her head and again lost her voice. Celestia consoled her sister by wrapping one of her wings around her.
“Don’t worry, Luna, I’m sure today will be just fine.” Celestia gave her sister a reassuring smile, but behind it lurked Celestia’s own uneasy feelings. Celestia had also woken up with a presumption that the day would hold a few nasty surprises. She wouldn’t admit it to her sister, seeing as how Luna was feeling the same, but knowing that they both felt this way had sent a shiver of panic through her. When two omnipotent beings both felt that there was cause to worry, nothing good would come of the situation. “Let’s just focus on taking things one step at a time, and the day will be done before we know it. Besides, I’m sure that there’s nothing to worry about. We both know better than to worry about some silly feelings more fit for fillies, don’t we?”
Luna gave her an uneasy smile. “Yes, I suppose we do.” The two relaxed, having put their minds somewhat to rest. They sat higher in their thrones, hoping that the peace of the morning would continue throughout the day.
It was not to be, as a royal guard charged into the throne room, his exasperated voice echoing inside the empty chamber. “My Princesses, there have been troubling reports coming in from all over Equestria, but no pony can make heads or tails of them!” He produced a scroll and began reading down the list of bizarre occurrences that had been spotted. “There have been sightings of flying vegetables, blue trees that are growing potatoes, and creatures with the limbs and appendages of at least ten different animals!” Celestia had become increasingly taut as the list went on, and Luna had to prod her roughly to get her to respond to the anxious guard.
“Thank you for the report. Tell your men to contain the situation as best and as quickly as possible.” The guard gave a hasty salute and hurried back out of the throne room.
“Celestia, you don’t think-“
“We cannot take the chance. Stay here and deal with anyone else who comes in.” She noticed Luna’s apprehensive face. “Don’t worry, I’ll only be gone for a few minutes. I just need to send a letter.”
****************************************
Celestia closed the door to her chambers and locked it. The last thing she needed was a particularly curious younger sister poking around her room as she went about her business. She turned her attention towards a lonely bookcase and magically manipulated it to get at the ink and parchment she kept on it. She wrote a quick letter to her prodigy Twilight Sparkle, requesting that she come to the castle with the other Elements of Harmony as soon as possible and sent it away, the letter disappearing with a small ‘poof.’ She then enveloped the bookcase with a soft white glow and pushed it aside, revealing a portion of the wall. She tapped the wall in a very specific manner, and the wall magically receded, showing its true purpose as a hidden door. It revealed a dark passage that led deep into the castle’s depths. She lit the tip of her horn with magic and braved the darkness of the tunnel. The stone walls were covered in grim, but the princess took no notice. This was a passage she had hoped she would never have to use again, and as such wasn’t concerned with its cleanliness. She came upon a set of stairs that led down into pitch blackness, and with a gulp took the plunge down into the foreboding darkness. The stairs eventually leveled out, and after walking for a few more moments she came upon a simple door. It was made of the same brick that the walls were made of, and in the center was a small hole. Celestia tilted her head forward and pushed her horn inside, withdrawing as she heard a click. Each side of the door swung open, allowing her to step inside the small room that had been opened up. With a flick of her head, she lit two candles that were hanging on the walls of the small chamber, and the resulting light cast its glare on her objective.
It was a stone statue, one like no other. The pose the draconequus was in was the same pose it had taken when the Elements of Harmony had vanquished it. Celestia was both relieved and befuddled, as she had been expecting the statue to be gone. She slowly walked towards it until she was face to face with the compilation of animal parts that passed for its head. “You’re still here…” Celestia muttered to herself, tapping her chin with a hoof, unable to comprehend how the situation in Equestria was possible when Discord was still imprisoned. She was still deep in thought when a whisper quietly echoed through the chamber.
Celestia…
She flinched, startled by the sound and felt as though a pair of eyes were watching her. She had only halfheartedly meant that last thought, but as she gazed into the wide open eyes of her enemy, she felt a sudden, serious change in the gravity of the situation. “I must get control of myself… hearing voices in my head…”
Quite, Celestia. Voices in your head are the first signs of madness…
Her eyes widened, and she quickly backed away from the statue. “Discord!? Show yourself!” She eyed the statue, waiting for any sudden movements, but it stayed frozen.
Come now, Celestia, you really shouldn’t be talking to inanimate objects. Someone might think you’re… insane.
Celestia was shocked, unbelieving that the voice she was hearing was actually there. She pressed on, trying to figure out what exactly was happening. “You’re not here, Discord. You can’t be. You’ve been banished!”
Ugh, you are so droll Celestia, you really are. Here I am, trying to have a nice conversation with you inside your head, and you can’t even acknowledge my presence! Oh well, no matter. You’re not the one who needs to do the talking, anyways. You just have to listen to what I have to say.
“Fine, Discord. I’ll play your little game.” She was still unsure of the voice, but the more she thought about it, the more something like this made sense. At least, it did when Discord was concerned.
Good. Now, I’m no doubt sure you’ve seen my handiwork up above. The nice blue sky, the fragile plants, even your shining sun all complimented by the chaotic little creations running around! Beautiful, isn’t it? Well I’m sure you’d like to know how I did it.
Celestia perked up her ears at the last sentence. Any explanation, even one coming from the disembodied voice of Discord was welcome at this point.
I’ve been planning this day ever since your little student and her precious friends stopped my fun last time. You see, you may have trapped my physical body, but I am the spirit of chaos! I couldn’t just let you win that easily, could I? No, of course I couldn’t, especially not since I still have so much fun planned out for Equestria!
“That still doesn’t explain how you could just conjure your chaos in the physical world!”
Have patience, my dear. I was just getting to that part. I have to give you credit where credit is due. You and your sister did an excellent job of trapping me in stone all those years ago, and you’ve certainly taught your pupil well. I couldn’t use my magic to influence anything under the protection of your magic, nor could I do anything while the Elements of Harmony still held strong. I was in a bind.
“How does that affect what your magic can and can’t do?”
Once again you’ve interrupted me! Honestly, once I’m free, I’m going to zip that mouth of yours shut. You see, the chaotic nature of my magic is balanced out by the goody two shoes nature of yours. Chaos and order must exist with each other, and for a reason I still can’t understand our universe has decided that order should take priority over my glorious chaos. That’s why I can’t simply break my bonds and go about reeking disorder. Your magic has been blocking mine for the past thousand years, ever since you and your sister imprisoned me. It just so happened that the disorder caused by the ponies you so preciously protect tipped the balance in my favor, and I was finally free to reign over my rightful subjects once again! Of course, my fun came to a conclusion when those six ponies trapped me in the same manner you had. Now their magic is blocking me, instead of you and Luna’s magic.
Celestia was trying to keep track of what Discord was saying, though she wasn’t having much success. She had heard theories about the temperamental nature of magic, but it was all pure speculation. Magic was still one of the great mysteries of pony life, even to an alicorn like her. “So you’re saying that my friends and I have been blocking you from using your magic.”
In layman’s terms, yes. But again, back to the chaotic nature of your ponies. They aren’t perfect, as much as you’d like them to be, and their little misadventures have supplied me with enough chaos to influence events, though I’m still stuck in this rather unflattering position.
“But you said that our magic was blocking you from using yours!”
Why yes, yes I did. And it still is.
“Then how can all of this be happening?”
Simple, Celestia. Since I can’t influence events that are protected by your magic, I’ve simply gone to places where you and your little ponies weren’t around to stop me!
The voice started to crack up, and Celestia got the feeling that it was laughing at the expression of utter bewilderment that had come over her face. “This doesn’t make any sense…”
Oh, no one ever had any fun by making sense, Celestia! That’s one lesson you really need to learn.
“How? Just how can this be happening? Everything you’ve said is contradicting what’s happening!”
There’s one bit of information you’re missing. You see…
I didn’t directly create this chaos.
Celestia had been toyed with enough, and she was at her breaking point. Discord was certainly living up to his name, and the princess couldn’t take his mind bending explanations any longer. She fell to the floor, racking her brain, trying to come up with some sense of rationality that would put her disorganized mind at rest. Discord had broken back into guffaws, explaining what he meant when he was finally able to catch his breath.
What’s happening right now are the results of the past! I’ve shaped events in the history of Equestria, events that took place long before your birth! Without your magic around to stop me, I could bend the timeline to my will, and the aftereffects have changed the very reality of Equestria! The past, the present, even the future of your precious lands have now become one giant playground of utter insanity, courtesy of yours truly! AHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Celestia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. If what this mad creature had just said was true, then the entire timeline of Equestria had been changed. Everything anypony thought they knew about the land they inhabited was now tossed out the window in favor of Discord’s new world. She noticed that he had stopped laughing.
But that’s not even the best part. With the Equestrian timeline in full out chaos, I’m going to have enough power to break out, even with your pupil’s magic holding me back. And once I’m free, there’s no possible way you can stop me again. But, I am nothing if not fair, and a fair game makes victory all the better. That’s why I’m giving you a chance to fix the damage I’ve caused. You see, there are three key points in this new timeline that are causing the most chaos. One point in the past, one point in the present, and one point in the future. Each point in time is giving me power, fueling me with its delicious absurdity. If these three points were ever corrected, well, I just might lose all my power. What you have to do is send the Elements of Harmony to each point, and leave it up to them to correct what I’ve done. Of course, they won’t succeed, but do you have any idea how much fun it’ll be to watch them try?
“You’re a monster…”
And you’re a stuck up little pony who doesn’t know how to have any fun. I must say, I’ve grown quite tired of our little conversation. I need my rest if I’m going to be in top shape for my return, but before I go, I’ll show you just how far along I’ve come.
With that, the eyes of the statue somehow moved, locking eyes with the princess. With a final, echoing cackle, Discord released himself from her mind, leaving the exhausted princess panting on the floor of the chamber. She got up on shaky hooves and slowly walked into the tunnel connected to the chamber, magically putting the candles out. As she reached the stairs, she heard the door sliding shut, and made her way back to her bed chambers. She levitated the bookcase back into position and heard the secret door grind its way back into the wall. She stumbled over to the door leading to the throne room and unlocked it, pushing her way past it. She was greeted with six ponies who all stared at her with nervous eyes as soon as she entered. Without a word, she motioned for all of them to follow her, leading them towards the castle’s archives.
****************************************
Celestia, Luna and the six mares that were the embodiments of the Elements of Harmony all stood inside the Star Swirl area of the castle archives. They stood in a circle, surrounding the huge hourglass that was the main attraction of the archive. Celestia had given them the details of their mission on the way over, and they had all been in a still hush as they processed what they had been told. Twilight Sparkle was the first of them to speak up. “So Discord’s escaped and changed Equestria’s history to what he wants it to be?”
Celestia gave a solemn nod. "He hasn’t escaped from the stone yet, but if we don’t act soon, there will be too much chaos for us to handle. That’s why it’s imperative that you all complete your missions as soon as possible.”
Twilight still had her doubts. “I’m just having trouble wrapping my head around this whole situation… I mean, it’s obvious Discord has done something. When we left Ponyville, there were carriage sized muffins flying around.
Pinkie Pie decided to chime in, obviously excited by the events of the day. “Yeah, and they looked like good muffins, too! I bet Derpy’s chowing down on them while I’m stuck here.” She made a small ‘hmmph’ sound and gave no one in particular a surly look.
“We have much larger things to worry about, Pinkie. Try to stay focused.” After the chiding, Twilight turned her focus back to Celestia. “So we have to travel to points in Equestria’s history where Discord has affected the timeline the most, and stop whatever he did.” Another nod. “Alright, this shouldn’t be too hard with the six of us working together.”
The six friends were all looking willing and eager, (Well, five of them. Fluttershy had been slowly backing away from the hourglass.), when Celestia brought them back down to the ground. “I’m sorry, but you cannot all go with each other.”
Their spirits seemed to drain, and Rainbow Dash took flight as she criticized Celestia. “What do you mean we can’t go with each other!? Have you forgotten who we are? How are we supposed to kick Discord’s flank if we can’t do it together?”
Celestia had been expecting this, but it wouldn’t make it any easier having to explain to them. “I know you want to stay together, and I don’t want to do this anymore than you do. But we’re running out of time, my little ponies, time we never had in the first place.” All eyes were on her, a wide variety of emotions on each of their faces. “You have to split up into three groups, one for each of the time periods that are under Discord’s rule. How you split up is up to you, but I need you to hurry.”
The mares trotted over to a corner of the archive while the two alicorns awaited their decision. Rainbow Dash took charge of the discussion. “This stinks! We can’t just split up! I still say we just go together and fix whatever Discord’s done to Equestria!”
Applejack reprimanded her rash thinking. “That ain’t gonna work, Rainbow. Ah don’ know what y’all have seen, but mah apple trees were dancin’ around and had blue leaves, not to mention the potatoes they left behind. That kind of stuff only happened when Discord was at his full power, and we ain’t got the time to be foolin’ around with shenanigans like that.”
Twilight agreed with her. “She’s right. Discord already has a head start on us, and if we stay together, we won’t be able to stop him in time.” Rainbow crossed her front legs, but seemed to accept that she had been beaten. “Now that it’s been decided, we have to figure out how we’re going to split up.” She stared vacantly at the ground with a wrinkled brow, deep in thought until she was struck with inspiration. “I’ve got it. Three teams, each with one unicorn. Each team will need a unicorn because, well, I wouldn’t want any of you to be stuck without magic.”
Rarity saw a flaw in her plan. “Dear, the only unicorns are you and I. That means only two teams will have magic at their disposal, and in case you didn’t notice, I’m a lady, not a fighter. I only know basic spells, like levitation. And my gem finding spell, if you can count that.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of that. You see, you and I will most definitely be going to the past and future because there are already plenty of unicorns that we can count on here in the present. We don’t know anything about how the other time periods have been affected by Discord’s tampering, so we have to go by what we know as fact. And having some magic is better than no magic at all.”
Twilight was feeling quite proud of herself and her plan as Pinkie Pie spoke up. “But what about a pegasus? Their flying could come in super-duper handy!”
“Well, there’s a problem with that.” She gestured towards the corner of a bookcase, and the four of them followed her hoof. A pink tail was sticking out, shivering slightly. Rainbow groaned and hovered over to it, tugging on it and pulling out a yellow pegasus who was covering her face with her hooves. She raised one tentatively and quickly put it back, making a quiet ‘meep’ sound as she did so. “Fluttershy, it’s okay. You can stay here in the present with the others.” Fluttershy nodded, her face still hidden. “Now, I think I should be one of the two to go into the past. My knowledge of ancient Equestria should at least be somewhat helpful, even with the changes Discord’s made. Rainbow Dash, you’re fearless. You should go to the future. I have no idea what to expect from it, so I need someone who won’t be afraid of whatever’s waiting for them.” She raised her hoof to her head in a salute as Twilight continued. “Rarity, since I’m going to the past, you need to accompany Rainbow.”
“Me? With her? Not that I have anything against you, Rainbow, but do you really think we’re a good match for each other?”
“You’re calculating, she’s dashing and courageous. You can keep each other in check.”
“Alright, if you say so, Twilight.”
“Now, that just leaves the two of you.” She said, looking at Applejack and Pinkie Pie. “Honestly, I don’t know where to put either of you. We’ve got the future covered, so it comes down to whether you want to go with Fluttershy or me.”
Applejack answered her. “Shoot, when ya put it like that, it sounds as though we’re choosin’ which one of you we like better. Ah’m fine with either of ya, whether it’s the past or present we’re goin’ to.”
Pinkie Pie was consoling Fluttershy, trying to get her to relax, but that didn’t stop her from throwing in her two bits. “I want to stay here with Fluttershy. I’m sure I can get her to cheer up, and besides, I still have to pay those huge muffins a visit!” Twilight made a mental note to call on Pinkie Pie whenever there were killer muffins on the loose.
“Then it’s settled. Applejack, you and I will fix whatever Discord’s done to the past, Rainbow Dash and Rarity will head to the future, and Pinkie and Fluttershy will help out here.” They all nodded in agreement and made their way back to the anxious princesses.
Twilight explained the plan, and Celestia approved. “I’m sorry you have to be separated like this, but it really is the only option we have.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we can handle ourselves out there. It’s not like any of us are going alone.”
Celestia gave them all a soft smile and endearing look. “I’m so proud of you, all of you. The Elements of Harmony couldn’t be in better hooves.” Her accolade seemed to energize the six, and they were now as ready as they were ever going to be. Celestia directed Twilight and Applejack to one side of the hourglass and did the same for Rainbow Dash and Rarity, putting them on the opposite side. She, Luna, Pinkie and Fluttershy stepped back from the huge time keeper as Celestia instructed them on what was about to happen. “This hourglass isn’t just for show. It’s actually one of the most advanced magical items in all of Equestria, created by Star Swirl the Bearded himself. It can transport the user to any point in time. This device has detected the chaotic changes Discord has made, and it’s pinpointed where each of the anomalies are. However, even though it can detect when and where Discord changed history, it cannot detect how. I have no idea what to expect, and neither will you. Be careful, for anything is possible now that Discord has taken control.”
With that final cryptic warning, Celestia activated the hourglass. The sand inside started to swirl around the figure, gradually gaining speed as the seconds passed. The four ponies standing next to it began to worry as a vortex formed inside the glass, the sand now encompassing the entire space inside it. Sparks of magical light began to envelope the outside of the hourglass, and a sudden flash of light similar to lightning struck out at Twilight and Applejack. They didn’t even have time to react before they were hit, and in a bright flash were gone, nothing left to indicate that they had been standing there just a few seconds earlier. Rarity and Rainbow had the misfortune to see what was about to happen to them, but before they could take any preventative measures, the light flashed once more, sending them into the uncertain future of a chaotic Equestria.
It’s objective complete, the hourglass began to wind down, the sands inside returning to their dormant state. The four remaining ponies were shocked by the spectacle they had just been witnesses to. Celestia had never actually used the hourglass before since the scrolls in the archives had always been enough to take care of any time troubles she had come across before. The shock wore off as she remembered that there was still work to be done. “Pinkie, Fluttershy, are you ready?” Fluttershy was doing her best impression of the statue that housed Discord, but Pinkie had regained her senses and was bouncing around the room.
“Where’d they go!? Are they okay!? Tell me, tell me, tell me!!”
She nearly bounded into Celestia, but was held back by a dark blue aura that had surrounded her. Luna had been lurking by herself since they had entered the archive, but she had finally taken action when she saw that her sister was about to be assaulted by the frantic pink pony. “Pinkie Pie, calm yourself. They’re fine. This great device was created by one of the finest minds Equestria has ever seen. No detail would be overlooked by such a great pony.” She released Pinkie. “They can take care of themselves, but you and your friend also have much work to do.”
Pinkie calmed down and hung her head, making her way over to Fluttershy. Luna was concerned that she had been a bit too harsh and walked over to the two, trying to improve their depositions. “Please, you two mustn’t be discouraged. We’re counting on you, the ponies of Equestria are counting on you. Your friends are counting on you.” At the word ‘friends’, Fluttershy snapped out of her catatonic state, and she was suddenly overcome by anger.
“I’m not going to let my friends down, no matter what. We’re going to stop that meanie Discord if it’s the last thing we do!” She suddenly flew up and rushed out of the room, heading off to stop the chaos which now threatened her friends. She was so pumped up that she was going to fight it even though she had no idea where to find it. Pinkie Pie rushed after her, leaving Celestia and Luna in a confused silence.
Celestia was the first to regain her voice. “Luna, I want you to follow them. Make sure they get to Manehattan, for that’s where the hourglass pinpointed the center of the chaos in the present. Watch after them and make sure that they don’t get in too much trouble, for my sake.” Luna gave her a quick nod and hurried after the two. Celestia was now alone in the archive, having just sent her sister and six of the brightest mares she had ever known on the quest of their lives. The fate of Equestria, a fate they had previously bore, had been escalated to include the fate of not only the ponies of their own time, but the fate of every pony that had ever lived, was living, and ever would live. She was so overcome with the notion that she didn’t even notice the books of the archive snap open. She only noticed them when they started to spray ink everywhere. Under the shield she quickly casted, she thought back to the morning when she and Luna had shared a bad feeling of the day ahead of them.
I hate being right…
Chp 1: A Strange Old Land
Twilight awoke with a start. For a brief second, she was unsure what had happened to her, but as she came to, she remembered the flash from the hourglass that had struck her. She would have to pay Celestia a visit once this was all over and have a nice little chat concerning the importance of warning ponies about a time machine that shot lighting at the travelers. She got to her hooves and gained her bearings. She was in a small clearing at the edge of a forest, and a thin stream bubbled a few yards in front of her. She seemed to be on the top of a small mound of land, and the entire scene struck her as strangely familiar. She also noticed with a pang of worry the lack of a certain orange coated cowpony.
She had no idea where she was or what Discord could have done to the past. The only thing she knew for certain was that Applejack wasn’t here, and without her, Twilight had lost the only familiar thing in this new world. A multitude of explanations for Applejack’s disappearance ran through her mind, each one grimmer than the last. She was so caught up by it that she didn’t notice the stomping of hooves or the shouting until an extremely dark blue stallion with a lighter blue mane crashed through the forest and into the clearing, pursued by three other stallions in strange armor that vaguely resembled the royal guards of Canterlot. Twilight stood back, watching the odd spectacle. The guards were quickly gaining on the lone stallion, and with an amazing jump, the lead guard tackled the offender to the hard ground. Twilight was content to watch the scene play out without her interaction, but the feeling was not mutual for the guards. The two not busy with the prisoner started to march towards her. She was put off slightly by this, but she had always trusted the law, so she saw no reason to regard this as anything but a simple explanation about the prisoner.
This was not a simple explanation; rather, it was an attack. Twilight had the quick reflexes to jump out of the way of the guard who tried to tackle her. “Hey, what did I do?” The guard didn’t respond, preferring instead to rush her, trying to get her down on the ground. Twilight held him back with her magic as she desperately questioned him. “Why are you attacking me!? I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“Every unicorn is to be captured upon sight on the orders of Judge Fairweather.” The talkative guard behind her took a swing at her head, but he had given up the element of surprise and Twilight was ready for him. She ducked and juked out of the way, putting distance between herself and the two.
“I don’t want to hurt you, but if you don’t stop, I’ll be forced to defend myself!” The guards looked at each other and laughed, obviously not impressed with her defiance. “You asked for it…” The two split up, trying to surround her as best as two ponies could. They slowly made their way into position until they were on each side of her, and both charged. “This again?” Twilight stood her ground, looking back and forth between the two rapidly approaching guards. She waited until the last possible moment, and teleported out of the way. There was a sickening crack as she reappeared a few feet in front of where she had just been, and in her place were the guards. They had smashed together in a head on collision and knocked each other out. She stifled a small laugh at the sight and was promptly bashed upside the head by a large stick. She was unconscious before she hit the ground. The third guard spat the stick out of his mouth and stood over the pony he had snuck up on, a conceit grin on his face. He walked over to his two underlings and smacked them around until they woke up, still in a daze. They sheepishly got to their hooves and picked up both Twilight and the other pony, following their leader to the small village in the nearby valley.
****************************************************************
Applejack felt a poke. “Just a few more minutes, granny.” She mumbled and scooted away from the offending hoof. Another poke. “Alright, alright, hold yer horses, Ah’m getting’ up.” She raised her eyelids to find two huge, lime green eyes staring back at her. She gave a surprised yelp and jumped to her hooves as the filly imitated her. Applejack took a quick look around and found herself inside a shoddily constructed straw cottage. She appeared to be in a bedroom, though the only thing that could’ve passed for a bed was the pile of hay off in one corner of the room. A small hole that passed as a window was set in the middle of the wall, and by the glare of the sun, it looked to be around dusk. There didn’t seem to be a floor to the house, only ground where the floor should have been. There wasn’t much in the way of personal items besides a primitive dresser and a few toys scattered around. On top of the dresser was Applejack’s hat. “Hey, y’all shoulda left mah hat alone,” She reprimanded the unicorn filly as she trotted over and put it back on its rightful place.
“I was just taking care of it for you is all. I wasn’t gonna steal it.” The dark green filly with the golden mane and tail was putting on her best pouting face, a face that reminded Applejack all too well of Applebloom.
“Oh, Ah can’t stay mad at you. What’s yer name, little filly?”
“Clover!”
“Nice to meet ya, Clover. Ah’m Applejack.”
“Applejack, huh? That’s a nice name. What’s with your accent? Are you not from around here?”
Applejack adjusted her hat. “Ah guess you could say that. Ah’m here to stop a mean fellow named Discord.”
Clover looked at her curiously. “I’ve never heard of a Discord before. Is that some kind of animal?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s a bunch a different animals, actually. And it’s caused all sorts a chaos that me an’ my friend are tryin’ to stop. Ah don’ really understand all of it, but mah friend Twilight could tell you all about it.” She smiled at the filly before realizing that Clover couldn’t ask Twilight about it because, as far as Applejack knew, Twilight wasn’t there. “Hey, speakin’ of Twilight, have ya seen her? She’s a purple unicorn, quiet, bookish type. Sound familiar?” Applejack was hoping for at least a hint, but the look of fear Clover had was the last thing she wanted to see.
“She’s a unicorn? That’s bad. I hope she didn’t go into the village.”
“What do ya mean it’s bad that she’s a unicorn? You’re a unicorn, and you don’t seem all that troubled.” As the words left her mouth, she took a look around the bare room, and wondered if that was really the case.
“If the guards catch her, she’ll be put on trial, and no pony has ever been spared Judge Fairweather’s guilty verdict.” She mentioned the judge’s name like it was taboo, afraid to even utter its name.
Applejack was now fretting considerably as she continued questioning Clover. “Are ya sure you’re not confused? There’s no way that could be possible, judges are supposed to be fair to everypony. How could there never be an innocent verdict?”
Clover pawed at the ground, avoiding Applejack’s eyes. “It’s always been like this. Ponies who don’t obey the rules get a trial, are convicted, and are never seen again. It’s especially bad for unicorns, though. The judge has never let us live inside the village, and yesterday he decreed that all unicorns should be rounded up and thrown in the dungeon.”
“But you’re a unicorn! How come you haven’ been rounded up?”
“My dad and I aren’t living in the village, we’re living in this house.” Clover motioned her hoof around the room. “No pony knows we’re living here, and we grow our own food, so we get by.”
“Your dad’s here? Can Ah meet him?”
“Sure. He’s outside, working the crops.”
“Thanks, sugarcube.” Applejack saw that there wasn’t a door in the room, only an empty space where a door should have gone. She made her way through it, finding herself in the only other room of the house. It was nearly as bare as Clover’s room had been, the only striking feature being a small table with two chairs. There was more hay scattered about, and three windows on differing walls let what remained of the afternoon sun into the empty house. She saw a rudimentary thatched door next to one of the windows and pushed her way past it, emerging to find a forest surrounding the house on three sides, the fourth side showing a narrow path. Applejack made her way over to the path and realized that the house was situated on a large hill. There was a similar hill that rose up in the distance, though it wasn’t quite as big as the one she was on. She gazed down on a small, clear cut area of land that was surrounded by trees, rows of vegetables springing up in the area that was available. She was struck by déjà vu as she observed the landscape, certain that she had seen it before. There was a pony near the end of the field tending to the produce. Applejack made her way down the dirt towards the pony, and as she got closer, she could see that he was a large, dark brown earth pony, his dirty blonde mane hidden by the straw hat he was wearing. A picture of a cabbage was set on his flank. He saw Applejack approaching and stopped what he was doing, waving her over. Applejack quickened her pace, and the pony called out to her.
“Hoy, there! I see you’re finally awake.” He spoke with a firm yet gentle tone, one that put Applejack at ease. “I found you sleeping in the fields and brought you up to the house. If you were looking for a bed, all you had to do was ask.”
“Hehe, Ah wasn’ lookin’ for a place to lie down, but thank ya kindly for the offer.” She tipped her hat as a sign of respect, and he returned the gesture. “Mind if Ah ask your name?”
“Harvester at your service, ma’am. And you?”
“Applejack.”
“Pleasure to formally meet you, Applejack.” They shook hooves and he went back to his chores, picking up a sickle between his teeth. “What brings you out to this neck of the woods?”
“Long story short, there’s some bad apples round here, an’ Ah’m here to put a stop to ‘em.”
Harvester suddenly dropped the sickle and rushed up to Applejack, speaking in a much harsher tone than he had before. “Don’t you even joke about that! There’s already been too many ponies with those kinds of dreams, and they all end up the same, sitting trial with that damn judge playing with their lives like some kind of sick god!” His brown face had turned nearly beet red, and Applejack was backing up, terrified by the sudden change of character. “If you try anything against that judge, you’re only gonna get yourself caught, or worse.” He picked up the sickle and went back to work.
Applejack was stunned by how drastic Harvester had changed, and she barely got out her next sentence, frightened that he might go off again. “All… all right, Ah won’t try anything…” He grunted, but whether it was approving or not she couldn’t tell. “Why, uh, why are you and your daughter living out here by yourselves?”
Harvester answered without looking at her. “This whole thing is the judge’s fault. I couldn’t let him get his hooves on Clover.” He viciously struck at the weeds between the vegetables, probably harder than necessary. “Ever since he gained power, unicorns have suffered. They’re treated like second class citizens. ‘Course, they wouldn’t just sit down and take it. The ones who couldn’t be pressed under his hoof were caught, tried, and then who knows what happened to them. I made the decision to move out here with Clover to protect her, to let her have the chance at a semi normal life.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “With the decree yesterday, all unicorns are being rounded up to be sent to the dungeons. Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long for Fairweather to make his move.” He seemed to have calmed down, and he looked Applejack in the eyes. “Now do you see why it’s a bad idea to go after him? He’s untouchable. He has the power to make anyone disappear, to make it as though you never existed.”
Applejack couldn’t muster a coherent response as she tried to comprehend what he had just told her. “Ah… Ah didn’ know it was like that…”
Another sigh. “No, I’m sorry. There’s no way you could’ve known about him. Please, just promise me that you’ll stay away from him.”
“Ah Pinkie promise.”
“Pinkie what?”
“Oh, don’ worry about it. Just somethin’ mah friend made up.”
“Right.” He looked up at the setting sun. “It’s about time I get back to the house. You know, if you don’t have anywhere to sleep tonight, I’m sure I could get out some hay for you.”
Applejack smiled at him. “Ah’d like that.”
“Then let’s get going.” She nodded and followed him back up the path to the small cottage, where Clover was playing with a doll near the door. She caught sight of her father and bounded towards him, throwing herself into an encompassing hug which Harvester returned.
“Dad, did you meet Applejack?”
“Yep. She’s gonna be joining us for dinner tonight.”
“Really?” She let her father go and looked up at Applejack, who had been standing back, letting the two share the moment together.
“Yep.”
“Awesome!” Clover started to jump around the two in unabashed excitement, once again reminded Applejack of her younger sister.
Harvester tried his best to calm her down. “All right, don’t suffocate the poor girl. Go on and get ready for dinner.” Clover obeyed her father, heading to the house. “Don’t mind her, she just gets a little excited when there’s company. It usually builds up too, since we rarely get anyone up here.” He and Applejack had walked to the back of the house to find three bales of hay set against the wall. Harvester pulled the first out of the way and Applejack helped him with the other two. The bales had been hiding a cellar door. He opened it and stepped down into the cellar, Applejack following him. They started to collect dinner as Harvester “It’s a lonely life out here, but it’s a heck of a lot better than living down in the village. I just… wish I could give her a better life. I want to see her play with her friends without having to worry about her horn.” They had gathered up dinner and made their way out of the cellar, closing the door and covering it back up with the hay. “It shouldn’t be like this. What kind of life is this when she can’t even be educated?” The sadness in his eyes matched the tone of his voice, and he fell silent. Applejack didn’t know how to respond to this tirade, so she didn’t say anything. Applejack was thankful for Clover’s hyperactivity as they entered the cottage.
“Oooh, those looks good!” She was eyeing the stalks of celery that Applejack had laid out on the table.
Harvester put the celery he was carrying on top of the stack. “They should, I tended to them for five months.” Clover giggled as Applejack watched the scene, certain that she had seen it before. The large buck working the fields, the small filly joking and playing around reminded her of her family, and she felt a pang of homesickness. Clover noticed her somber expression.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Huh, me? Ah’m fine, just hungry, is all. What say we stop all this chatterin’ and get to eatin’?”
“Okay!”
The three began to chow down on the food, Harvester using the ground as a third chair.
****************************************************************
Applejack and Harvester found themselves gazing out into the deep void of space, the stars shining like brilliant spheres of magic. They held mugs full of cider, a barrel of Harvester’s private stock between them. Clover had fallen asleep after dinner, and Harvester had invited Applejack to a drink outside. Their hats were stacked on top of each other in front of the barrel.
“Applejack, where are you really from?” He certainly wasn’t one for small talk, Applejack noticed.
“It’s… complicated. If Ah told you the whole truth, ya probably wouln’ believe me.”
“Oh, come on. I’m sure I can handle your story. I’m no stranger to those kind of tales.”
Applejack to a moment to think about his words before answering. “All right, but Ah’m tellin’ ya, you won’ believe me.” She sighed, and told her story. “Ah’m from the future. Ah came back with mah friend Twilight Sparkle to stop this fellow named Discord. He’s been messin’ with time, an’ Twilight an’ Ah are here to fix whatever he’s done.”
Harvester stared at her with a vacant expression. His brow went from a slight v shape to one raised above the other. He looked into his mug and took a sip, Applejack watching in a confused silence. “I didn’t think I grabbed the hard cider. I guess you just can’t handle it. At all.”
She merely shook her head and chuckled. “Ah told ya you wouldn’t believe me.”
“It’s okay; I wouldn’t want anyone to know where I was really from either.” They both took a sip of the cider. “Do you have any family Applejack, back home wherever?”
“Eyep. There’s Granny Smith, sweetest granny you could ever hope for. Then there’s Big Mac, strong and silent, emphasis on the strong. Mah little sister Applebloom, who can be a pain in the rear, believe me, but life would be a lot more borin’ without her. An’ then there’s the Apple family scattered all over the place, buckin’ apple trees an’ providin’ the good ponies of Equestria with fresh an’ delicious apples.” She was reminded of a particular time she and Big Mac had sat on the porch of their house, stargazing just as she and Harvester were doing. “What about you, Harvester? What family do y’all have? Besides Clover, Ah mean.”
He was going for another drink, but lowered the mug when Applejack asked the question and stared out into space. “Only child, moved away from my parents when I was barely old enough to get my cutie mark. As for Clover’s mother…” He choked on his breath. “She was the most stunning and intelligent mare I’d ever met. She had this special connection with nature, one I would have never thought possible if I hadn’t seen it in her. I swear, she could talk with the animals and get them to do anything she wanted. We met when I ran away from home. Turns out, she had done the same. She never did tell me why, just that she couldn’t get away from wherever she came from fast enough. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have survived in the wilderness.” He gave a small, dejected chuckle as he reminisced. “It’s amazing how much Clover takes after her mother. ‘Clover the Clever’ was the nickname she gave her. Heh. Couldn’t have found a better one. She’s just as smart as her mother, perhaps more so.”
Tears had started to run down his cheek. “She was the first one to stand up to Fairweather. He hadn’t even taken control when she spoke out against him, trying to warn everyone that he was no good. If only we had listened…” He stopped to clear his throat. “After she was gone, I knew Fairweather wouldn’t just leave us alone. He wanted to finish the job, wanted to make an example out of Clover and I. That’s why I moved out here to this cottage. Her mother and I had built it together when we were living out here, and we never told anyone about it. I figured we’d be safe out here.” He wiped his bloodshot eyes with his hoof, looking embarrassed that he had shown so much emotion in front of Applejack.
There was nothing Applejack could say to him, but there was something she could do. She reached over their hats and embraced him, and she could feel his legs tighten around her as he returned the gesture. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, until Harvester gently let go of her. “Thank you, Applejack. Even though this is for the best, it gets lonely up here with just me and Clover. And I haven’t talked about Rosebud in… well, forever.” He seemed much more relaxed and peaceful now. “You know, you kinda remind me of her. From what I’ve seen of you, you’re very honest, and you seem to want to do good…” He trailed off, eying her in a very peculiar manner.
“Uh, Harvester? Ah hope Ah don’t remind you of her like that.”
He snapped out of the trance, his cheeks reddening madly. “Oh, n-not like that, not at all! You’re m-much too young for me, a-and I have a daughter to worry about! I hope you didn’t take that the wrong way, it-it’s just, your personality is so alike hers, that’s all.”
Applejack laughed as the fumbling family pony tripped over his words. “Ah think Ah understand. Don’ worry, Ah’m sure it was just the cider talkin’.” She raised her glass towards him.
“Yeah, cider, heh heh.” They toasted and finished off their glasses, watching as the stars shone like diamonds against the dark night sky.
****************************************************************
For the second time that day, Twilight woke in an unfamiliar location. Her eyelids were heavy as she raised them, her head still pounding from the vicious hit the guard had given it. She scanned her surroundings and found herself stuck in a small, dark cell. The only light came from a torch set on a wall somewhere far off, leaving nearly none for her cell. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, and when they did, she realized that she wasn’t the cell’s only occupant. Inside with her was the stallion that had been chased by the guards. He was unconscious, and Twilight walked over to see if he was severely injured. There was a small gash on his head that had coagulated, but besides that, he seemed to be in stable condition. She was surprised by just how dark his coat was. If it wasn’t for the torch, she doubted she would even be able to see him. He was a unicorn, and he looked to be about Twilight’s age. However, the most curious thing about him was that it seemed he didn’t have a cutie mark, unless it was the same dark color as his coat, which Twilight doubted.
She softly prodded him with a hoof, trying to evoke a reaction from him. He groaned and shifted away from her. She didn’t want to be a nuisance, but she needed answers, and the longer the timeline was kept in chaos, the more power Discord gained. After another series of pokes and prods, the stallion waved her hoof away and got up on rickety hooves. The effort was too much for him, and he tucked his front legs into his body, resting on all four legs. Twilight broke the silence with a tentative introduction. “Uh, hello. I’m Twilight Sparkle. What’s your name?”
The stranger checked the cut on his head, answering her in a quiet tone. “My name is Star Swirl.”
Twilight rubbed her ears, certain that she didn’t hear that correctly. “Sorry, what’s your name?”
“Star Swirl.”
Had this pony claimed to be Star Swirl in present times, Twilight would have recommended he be sent to a padded room in the Ponyville hospital. But as she looked upon one of the greatest unicorns in Equestrian history, she realized that anything was possible when Discord was in control of time. She also realized that if this pony was telling the truth, then Discord had changed him for the worse. Star Swirl was, put bluntly, sickly looking. He seemed to be malnourished, as his body was much thinner than one would expect of a great sorcerer. His mane stuck out at random angles and his coat was dirty and disheveled. He was even missing the namesake of his moniker, not a single stubble of facial hair on his chin.
Twilight was processing this information in silence, and Star Swirl took the opportunity to question her. “Why are you here?”
She snapped out of her thoughts and went to answer him, but held off on it. She still wasn’t sure if Star Swirl was Discord’s only victim, and even if he was the only thing that had changed, she wasn’t sure how she could explain to him that she was from the future. “I’m a traveler. There’s something here that I need to find and stop.”
Star Swirl let out a condescending grunt. “So you’re a hero come to save us? Get in line.”
“What do you mean get in line?”
He shook his head. “You really aren’t from around here, are you?”
“No, but I told you, I’m here to help.”
Star Swirl was about to respond, but his ears perked up, and he put a hoof to his mouth. Twilight heard the hoofsteps on the cold stone of the dungeon, and saw the dim light of the cell become even dimmer, leaving them in near pitch blackness. A huge shadowy figure stood in front of the bars of the cell, and Twilight could feel a cold shiver run through her body. This pony was tremendously daunting, all of his features were hidden by the darkness. He looked to be taller and larger than even Big Macintosh. He addressed her with an extremely deep and gravelly voice.
“So you are the little unicorn that disposed with two of my guards. Quite a feat for only one pony.” Twilight was overcome with a sense of dread, not at the words, but at the way this frankly terrifying pony had said it. There was disgust in his voice, like he had much better things to be doing than concerning himself with the two prisoners in front of him. Twilight guessed that he wasn’t a pony with much patience, and that made her situation all the more uncertain. A rash pony didn’t make the best decisions, if Rainbow Dash was any example, and Twilight figured this pony also had a touch of malice to his repertoire. All of this put her and Star Swirl in a very bad dilemma. “I see Star Swirl has also been captured. Excellent. A grand day it is when two filthy magic users are apprehended side by side.” He broke out in a raspy laugh, one punctuated by fits of ragged breath. “Your trials are tomorrow. You will be charged together as you have been accused of the same crime. Consider yourselves lucky I have the common decency to grant scum like you a chance to present your cases in the first place.” With that, he left, a dark cloak flowing behind him that Twilight could barely make out in the darkness.
She had to fall back on her haunch before her legs gave out, they were shaking so badly. If the pony’s plan was to intimidate her, he had done a good job of it. Star Swirl cleared his throat, catching Twilight by surprise and sending her a good distance up into the air. “Sorry,” He said, as Twilight came crashing back down to the hard stone floor. “We’re in a bad spot. All the ponies who meet Judge Fairweather in the prison have a bad habit of disappearing off the face of the planet.”
Twilight stared vacantly at Star Swirl, still shaking from the encounter. “Oh, really? Well that’s great news. A huge, horrifying pony that sends other ponies to their doom. Just great!” She was losing her grip on her sanity, the day’s events becoming too much to bear.
“Hey.” Twilight ignored him. “HEY.” Still no response. “HEEEY!!” Star Swirl finally got to Twilight, and she whipped around to face him. “Get a hold of yourself. Going insane might help you, but I’m still stuck in here.”
Twilight shook her head, bringing much needed clarity to her mind. “Uh, thanks. Hehe. Sorry, when things don’t go my way, I... overreact a little.”
He merely shook his head. “So you said you were here to stop some all of our troubles, did you? Well, you just met it. Judge Fairweather has decreed that all unicorns be locked up. Doesn’t even matter why, I’m sure he’ll find some twisted reason that suits his needs.” He was now able to stand on his hooves without falling over. “So, do you still feel like saving us?”
When Twilight had first arrived in the past, she was certain that there was nothing that could stop her and Applejack. Needless to say, her resolve had been properly dashed since then. “I… I don’t know. I need to find my friend Applejack above all else.”
“Good luck getting out of the cell, then.”
Star Swirl was starting to get on Twilight’s nerves, as impossible as she thought that was, and she felt that it was time to show him what she could do. With a moment of concentration, she teleported herself out of the cell, appearing just on the other side. Star Swirl seemed to lighten up at the display, albeit by only a marginal amount. “Well, at least you’re better at magic than I am.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, pretty much every unicorn is better at it than me. I can barely levitate an object from one side of the room to the other.”
There was now no doubt in Twilight’s mind that Discord changed time. The most powerful sorcerer in pre-classical times, unable to levitate an object? This was worse than she imagined. “Ugh, what are we gonna dooo? If you can’t teleport out, then I can’t just leave you!” A few moments passed before she was struck with inspiration. “Wait a minute, I can just teleport you out with me!” A quick flash of purple light, and she was back in the cell, holding Star Swirl’s leg. He seized his hoof back, backing up from her.
“Twilight, if we escape, Fairweather won’t just admit defeat. No one’s ever even tried to escape because the consequences for it are assumed to be much worse than anything you could possibly imagine.”
“So we just give up and wait for the trial!?”
“Look at this rationally! It’s obvious you have no idea what’s happening here, so I can assume you also don’t know about the surrounding lands. If you escape, where will you go? Your friend, this Applejack, you have no idea where she is. You just don’t know anything, Twilight. If you stay here with me, I can at least fill you in on what’s been happening.”
Twlight was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, she couldn’t wait around while the timeline was in peril, but if she rushed out to face whatever Discord had done without a plan, she would only be doing more harm than good. She slumped to the floor, defeated, and gave Star Swirl her decision. “No matter what, I’m in a bad situation. You’re right, though. I don’t know anything about what’s happening here.” She groaned loudly. “I’ll stay. But I need you to tell me everything you know about this judge.”
Star Swirl nodded and began his story. “It wasn’t always like this, living under Fairweather’s hoof. When I was a foal, everyone got along just fine with each other. Unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies lived together in peace, at least until Fairweather showed up. No one knew where he came from, only that he was one of the worst ponies anyone had ever seen. It only took him a few months to hold complete power over everyone, and the ones who tried to challenge him were never seen again. Unicorns were hit especially hard. I remember being taunted in school, when I was still allowed to attend. Didn’t take long for that to go. Didn’t take long for all of our rights to go. Then the order went out yesterday for the capture of all unicorns in the village and outlying areas. I’ve been on the run since, well, I was, until those guards handed us our flanks.” He looked at Twilight and realized that he hadn’t answered her original question. “Like I said, no one knows where he came from. In fact, the only thing anyone knows about him is that no one speaks out against him and lives to tell the tale.”
“Wait, he… kills them?”
“He would never say it outright. No, he prefers the term ‘banishment.’ Don’t be fooled, he wouldn’t let them just walk away. Only he knows what happens to them, but a pony in the ground makes much less noise than one on it.”
Twilight thought back to her encounter with Fairweather, and knowing that he quite possibly killed the ponies that went against him made his speech all the more foreboding. Her thoughts turned to the upcoming trial, and her legs became shaky. Star Swirl noticed that she was about to pass out and walked over to her, setting her lightly on the stone. “Twilight, you should get some sleep. You’re gonna need all the rest you can get for tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Star Swirl.”
He trudged back to the other side of the cell and lied down. “Don’t mention it. And Twilight,” She looked at him, and saw for the first time a determined expression, his dark blue eyes lit up. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”
He shifted to face the wall, leaving Twilight to ponder his final words as she drifted off into a fitful sleep, her future, and by extension the future of Equestria, uncertain in the face of the trial and Judge Fairweather awaiting her.
