Chapters Twilight was confused by the stallion that had just disappeared in a blue box and even more so that he had given her what appeared to be an invitation with a seal she didn't recognize. "Spike take a letter" she said, "Dear Princess Celestia, I have just had an encounter with a weird pony who gave me an invitation to something called a 'millenniual immortality conference'. I am even more perplexed by the fact that Spike was also given one. I am suspicious of this considering that it is supposed to take place at the third castle of the royal pony sisters. Considering you're living in your second castle I am inclined to believe that this is a trap of some kind.
She looked out a window, "you got that Spike?"
"Yup" the dragon responded and rolled up the parchment he'd be writing on and blew fire onto it. They waited a few moments for a reply. When it came back Spike read it aloud for Twilight and her friends to hear.
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
First let me assure you that the conference isn't a trap and I encourage you to come. The strange pony you met is my good friend, the Doctor. As per why Spike was given one I do not know, the Doctor knows many things and refuses to tell them to most ponies.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
"Sooo..." Rainbow Dash started, "it's for real."
"The invitations allow us to take a plus one" Spike pointed out.
"So who you going to take?" Rarity asked.
"I don't know." Twilight answered.
"I do!" Came a familiar voice, and in a flash Discord appeared, "now my dear Fluttershy, I honestly can't think of a better pony to bring with me to the conference." He said picking her up.
"You were invited to this thing to?!" Apple Jack asked with a shocked look.
"Of course I was, it is a conference for immortals after all." He said, "now Fluttershy I'll pick you up at eleven a.m. the day after nightmare night, don't worry about getting dressed it's nonformal, like always. Now I must be off, I need to prepare myself." He said then opened a door that had not been there before and walked through it.
There was an explosion behind him, "get to the T.A.R.D.I.S.!" He shouted as he ran for the blue box grabbing his companions hoof. He pushed open the door and yanked her in then slammed the door shut as the explosion engulfed the T.A.R.D.I.S. "That wasn't so bad" he remarked.
"I was almost killed!" She shouted at him.
"Ah yes, well, it could be worse, no pony died at least. Only the automated crew." He retorted with a smile.
She gave him a look of annoyance, "you didn't have to blow up the ship though."
"Of course I did they had grown sentient and ponies aren't supposed to figure that little bit of tech out for at least four hundred years. Just imagine if they had figured it it out early, the consequences could be disastrous."
"Just get us back to Equestria so I can see my kids." She said walking away from him.
"As you..." He began but was interrupted by a alarm sound coming from the consul he rushed over to it, and his companion's eyes went wide in horror.
"What is it? Are we under attack?" she asked hunkering down.
"It's worse." He said grimly, "it's time for the conference." He said as he pulled up a list on the screen. "Ok this one happens at the third castle of the pony sister. Derpy prepare to meet some of the most important beings in your timeline."
"But I thought that I already had, what with the Beast, Rassolon, Chronos, and..."
He interrupted "No those are beings you met with me, I'm talking about beings that exist at the same time you do."
"But I already met the Princesses"
"True, but that was several years after this event" He said as he imputed the coordinates into the consul.
Celestia had ordered for a large round table to be made for the event when Shining Armor entered the room, "Princess, Cadence sent me a message saying that there was a odd pony that gave her an invitation to something called a 'millenniual immortality conference' and she asked me to ask you about it, with me being in town for the Equestrian Defense Summit."
"Tell her that the pony was a friend of mine and the conference is in fact going to happen here at the castle, and I encourage her to come."
Shining Armor smiled and saluted then dismissed himself.
Author's Note
Please don't get mad at this "filler" chapter, I only wanted to give some reactions to the Doctor's odd appearance.
"Is the conference room complete?" Luna asked her sister.
"Yes, the team removed the throne and got the round table in last night" Celestia answered.
"Good, are our dresses prepared?"
"Yes, Rarity finished them several hours ago." Celestia answered.
The sisters took there place at the table facing the door. There dresses emulating them. Celestia's was white with a gold trim, and Luna's was a dark blue with a silver trim.
Discord, Fluttershy and several ponies with trumpets flashed into the room. "Now entering Lord Discord and lady Fluttershy" one of the ponies called out.
Discord was wearing a tux and Fluttershy was wearing her gala dress. "Thank you my good stallion." He said patting him on the head.
Celestia gave him a weary look, "Discord!"
"What? You insisted on making us dress up for this event, we've never had to before. I figured I go all out" He complained.
"I'm tired of the Doctor always complaining that we under dress for the occasion." Celestia explained.
"Very well. How long till the other princesses get here?" he asked pulling out a seat for Fluttershy to sit in.
"Thank you" she said taking a seat. Discord sat next to her.
Cadence and Shining Armor entered the room, "See I told you they'd have it in the throne room" Cadence said to her husband.
"You were right" Shining Armor said giving in.
"Great now all we have to do is wait for princess friendship herself." Discord commented as Cadence and Shining Armor took their seats.
"It's not like her to be late." Cadence retorted.
"Indeed" Celestia agreed, "I'd imagine the train is late, or perhaps one of her friends wasn't on time."
"You let her invite her friends!" Discord said in dismay, "it's always just been one!"
"She is the Princess of friendship after all." Luna pointed out, "we couldn't let her come without them."
"I'm sorry I'm late." Twilight said bursting in. Her friends weren't far behind her.
"It's my fault," Apple Jack explained, "I was tending to the orchard with Big Mac and lost track of time."
"Well you're here and that's all that matters." Cadence said cutting Discord off before he could say anything.
"Well then we all seem to be here" Discord said clapping his hands together, "should we get started, who wants to go first."
There was an annoying gasping wheezing sound as a blue box appeared by the doorway. "Oh no you don't!" Shouted the voice as the Doctor stepped out, "why do you Draconequuses keep trying to ignore me at these conferences?" the tan stallion asked as he stepped out. Soon after a grey pegasus mare stepped out.
"Doctor Whooves? I didn't know you were an immortal!" Twilight remarked.
"I should hope not, it's not like I go flaunting it around like you lot do. I see you all dressed this time. Odd I could have sworn when I delivered the invitations it clearly said not to dress all fancy like. But what do I know that was over a thousand years ago." He said as he and his companion were seated.
"But you didn't deliver the invitations that was some crazy old grey stallion." Cadence pointed out.
"Oi it was only ninety-seven at the time, that's still young, especially considering the ponies in this room."
"You changed faces?" Twilight asked.
"I think he's lying!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"Yes, and I'm not lying, I simply was killed a few times and needed to change bodies to survive."
"You switched bodies?" Cadence asked, "does that count as immortality, if you enter somepony else's body."
"No I regenerated, I made this body right before I died. Now if we're done talking about my physiology could we get to the real meat and potatoes of this conference?"
"I just have one question." Luna said, "how is it that a pony with a time machine is always late to these things?"
"Timey-wimey, now if you don't mind can we get on with it."
"I agree." Discord chimed in, "I'm tired of talking about him."
"So what do we talk about then?" Twilight asked.
"We share our experiences, the names of ones we've outlived, the epic tales we were apart of, and the lessons we learned." Celestia told her, "I realize you, Cadence, and Spike are young compared to the others who were invited so if you wish you may pass on telling your tales this time."
"Why was I given an invitation anyways?" Spike asked looking at the Doctor.
"Oh no! I'm not about to change the course of Equestrian history by telling you! I've already seen that future pan out and I don't like it."
"How could you have seen something that hasn't happened yet?" Twilight asked.
"Yes...Well...You see...time travel."
"But if you've seen it then it's must happen, just like when I time traveled."
"Oh! So now you're the expert on time travel! Well I'll have you know that time is in a constant state of flux and because of that I can change whatever I please, more or less!"
"Can we just get on with it?" Discord asked rolling his eyes.
"I agree, as much fun as it is to tell you you're wrong princess, I do think we should begin. After all I've got places to be." The Doctor said as he got up and went into the T.A.R.D.I.S., "I almost forgot the memory weave" he said as he brought out a holographic projector with a helmet attached to it by cord. "Borrowed this thing from some Shansheeth should make the stories a bit more lively this time."
"What does it do?" Celestia asked.
"Well it's supposed to make matter out of memories but I tweaked it a bit so it would only just project images of memory, of course you'll still have to narrate."
"Impressive, but who shall go first?" Luna asked.
"I will!" Discord cheered, "Oh I know, I'll tell you the story of the only pony who has ever really earned my respect, except Fluttershy. Oh and don't bother with your silly machine I'll take care of images for me."
"It was a long time ago during my first reign of chaos..."
Author's Note
Now that I've got them all in one room...it's story time!
Chapter 5: Celestia's Story
Life was good as it could be for the ponies of Equestria, Canterlot was finally finished and the nobles of this fair land had begun moving in. The train was invented and several wealthy ponies were laying some tracks from Canterlot to Manehatten. It was also the year that I appointed my youngest ever advisor Rolling Thunder, a young grey blue pegasus that was calm most of the time but could be a little... lets say protective. My story begins on the day that there was an attempt on my life...
I had thrown a party to celebrate the completion of Canterlot, I was in the middle of greeting the guest when I heard a loud booming sound. I ran to investigate with several guards accompanying me. I found a hole in the wall of the new palace, there were scorch marks around it. Immediately several of the guards moved the ponies away from the hole, and began to question them.
Then the second explosion happened, the blast knocked me several feet and though the hole left by the first one. As I lay in the short grass all I could think of was that my left foreleg felt weird, but as my vision slowly returned I saw three ponies, one from each of the three tribes. The earth pony was wearing heavy polished armor and helmet, the unicorn was wearing a hood and cape with a shadow over his face, and the pegasus was wearing a flight suit and mask that covered her hair.
The unicorn addressed the other ponies with a bow "Greetings and salutations my fellow ponies! We are the Trio! And we stand here to proclaim the truth about 'our' Princess! For you see you have been foaled by her, and what is this deception you ask?! Nightmare Moon wasn't..." He was stopped by the guards starting to attack.
As the guards rushed them the earth pony jumped in the way and managed to knockout all of my guards. Then the pegasus tied them up with the drapes. The unicorn continued, "now that they've been taken care of, I can continue..."
"Halt!" Several more guards yelled racing into the room.
"Oh what now?!" The unicorn asked.
By this time I had gotten up, "You use their name but you do not understand what they were" I said.
"We know what we're doing!" The pegasus spat at me.
"You have warped history!" The unicorn yelled as he teleported the three of them away.
"Your highness are you alright!?" One of the guards asked joining me outside.
"I'll be fiahh!" I yelped as pain shot through my leg.
"What's wrong?" The stallion asked as he gestured for me to lean on him.
I obliged and told him, "my foreleg is hurt." then I gestured to my left leg.
"Don't worry mam, we'll get you a good doctor." He assured me.
One of the well-dressed ponies ran over to us, "you need not worry, I had the guards escort all the ponies out of the room" the grey blue pegasus told me.
"Why did you move them all Thunder?" I asked not seeing his point.
"Surely you're in shock," he assured me, "we don't want word to get out that you were hurt. Especially since the ponies who attacked you are clearly trying to destroy your image and you, just imagine what they could do to you image if they were to learn you can be hurt. After all, my family didn't go through all the trouble of playing you up as a god just for you to be knocked down to our level in less than a day."
I nodded my head and the guard helped me out the room. He led me to my chambers where several doctors had been waiting, along with several jewelers and silversmiths. It turns out the landing the way I did left caused me to sprain my ankle, so the jewelers and silversmiths worked together to make me a new set of shoes that would double as a splint. Rolling Thunder had made sure that all these ponies wouldn't let loose the information of my injury.
The next day Thunder already had wanted posters spreading across Equestria. Over the next few weeks I didn't go out much, other than to make speeches, and it didn't help that I work from home. The ponies understood why I had to take such precautions, especially after Thunder began to spout anti-Trio propaganda for about a week before I caught him.
But after two months and no attacks I was getting restless and thought it might be nice to go to a party that one of the nobles were throwing. After picking my dress I was about to head out when Thunder ran up to me, "You can't go out, what if the Trio tries to kill you again?!"
"It's been two months, besides the guards will be with me."
"Forgive me Princess" he said, "I'm just a bit paranoid."
"Don't worry I've faced worse threats than the Trio, you need not worry."
"You say that now, but I can't wait around here forever, if I don't go then they'll say I'm not a god..." I trailed off to let him draw his own conclusions.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "you are right, besides it's not like I could keep you here anywise" he sighed and walked away.
I went on my way, with a guard escort for protection and made it to the rather done up party. It was a wonderful evening as I caught up on the local gossip. The pony that had thrown the party had spared no expense, even having cider brought in from the unicorn valley. The cider was a bit too good, it seemed as the night went on the ponies around me were becoming more and more out of control. It was then that a blue unicorn came up to me, "Hiya beautifullill," He started, "Ya know if Ia could put the alphia alphabat tha way I wanted I'dd put i and u togater." He managed to get out, then he fell over, asleep.
A red unicorn came up and bowed to me, "Poor old champ," he said shaking his head, "He never did know how to hold his cider. Forgive my friend Princess." he picked him up and placed him on his back. Then he took him out the door grumbling something about how his friend was going to live this down.
When I got tired and just a little tipsy I decided to return home. Once I got there I was greeted at the door to the palace by a distraught pegasus, "You're here!?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked and tried to get in.
"Well um...I figured that you might have taken all night at the party." He said stepping in my way.
I smiled, "I didn't. Now let me in."
"Well since the night is young I think you should get back to the party." He said sort of nudging me.
"The party's over and I want to get to sleep! Now let me in!" I shouted my patients completely lost.
"Is that an order?" He shouted back.
"Yes!" I glared at him.
"If it is an order then I can't argue it." He said grimly, "Sorry mam, but I quit!" He flew into me and knocked me back. The guards tore him off of me and held him down.
"Have you lost your mind?" I asked him as I got up.
"I'm not allowed to say."
"The guards could make you." I pointed out.
He smiled, "Oh princess...I know you, and you won't condone the interrogation of me."
He was right, "You're trying to call my bluff?"
"It's not trying if it actually works." He said.
"Fine! I'll deal with you in the morning." I said as I entered the castle.
The guards put him in his sweet and I went up to my chambers. As I stepped through the doorway I felt the the net lift trap pull me up. I was caught in a golden net, and I heard laughing, "You know 'princess' you should have heeded Rolling Thunders warning." A hooded figure said lighting a candle.
I charged my magic, and he laughed some more, "It's a magic proof net, the only thing that you can do in there is waste your magic."
"Uni! Let me down!" I ordered glaring at him.
"Who?" He asked.
"That's the name of the unicorn you're impersonating." I told him.
"Really now, Uni? That's what he called himself?"
"Yes! He embodied everything about unicorns..."
"It's a stupid name."
"Do you even know anything about the Trio? They would be disgusted at how you conduct yourselves, all this skulking around in the shadows. They would have accumulated a great deal of political power by now. All you've managed to do is ruined the names of some good friends of mine, and make a few holes."
"Oh you're not foaling me princess, I know about the Trio. I may not have known their names but I know that they hated you and your sister..."
"They hated the idea of us! Not us personally! They saw us as figure heads more than anything else, they believed that we weren't fit to actually rule. You claim to know them and yet all you've proven to know is a warped version of their doctrine!"
"It doesn't matter I still have you and you can't escape."
"'I'? Where are the other two?" I asked just know noticing their absence.
"Dealing with your guards..."
"Yet another thing that the original would never do. The very thought of hurting or restraining another pony of the three tribes would bring them to nausea, despite there training."
"Then it's a good thing we aren't the original" He said as he began to leave the room, "Hope you can go a long time without water 'princess' because I have a feeling that you won't be getting some for a long time."
He was gone and I was alone, suspended about a foot above the ground, in a golden net. "You know one day I will succeed in having all of these destroyed" I spoke to myself aloud.
I spent five hours in that net calling for help. I preoccupied myself by counting the things in my sweats, looking out the balcony window, and playing memories in my head. After the fourth hour the sun rose to my horror, and I called out significantly louder.
My throat was sore when and I could barely get out any more words when a grey blue pegasus opened my door, "Oh thank...um well...you, I was starting to think that I was alone and old Nightmare Moon came back or something" Rolling said short of breath.
"Pl...Pl...Please...cut...me...do..." I tried to get out.
"Very well Princess" He said as he walked over to the support rope. He released the rope and I fell to the floor.
"Tha...thank..."
"Don't worry princess I'll get you something for your throat" he said helping me to my hooves and leading me over to a couch.
He left me for a few minutes to get me that 'something for my throat', I couldn't help but notice that he was the only pony left in the castle. But then again the unicorn had only said that they were taking care of the guards, not my advisor. I still wondered about the other staff.
When he returned he had a mug of a red syrupy liquid that smelled awful. As I took it from him he said, "There you go Princess, an old family remedy."
"What...is...it?" I asked flinching at the smell.
He must have seen the look on my face because he said, "don't worry it taste better than it smells. Now, you should just drink it straight, no sips, you need to down the whole thing at once for it to work."
I did as he said and I found out quite quickly he was lying as the vile liquid touched my tongue. I put down the half empty mug as I gaged from the mixture, "what is this?"
"Good it's working, but you need to finish it or its effects will wear off." He instructed.
"You didn't answer my question."
"That's only because you definitely won't take another swig if I did."
"I won't take another sip if you don't."
"Are you sure? You know what they say after all, ignorance is bliss."
"Tell me!"
"Fine! Frog mucus, rainbow extract, timberwolf eye, pegasus down, elk antler shavings, salt, and a sprinkle of hoof clippings".
I gagged at the thought of ingesting such things.
"I warned you. Now come on you need to finish it otherwise the effects won't last."
"Fine." I said closing my eyes and swallowing the rest of the putrid solution. "We have big problem to deal with now. The sun is up and I didn't put it there, the Trio must have somehow gathered enough unicorns to perform the ritual."
"Great! So now a huge amount of unicorns is standing against you." Thunder said throwing his hooves up. "I give up, we lost, and you can't go attack them. If you did your godly image would be ruined. Maybe I'll join the pegasus legion once it's reformed.
"Yes but there is another way to stop them. If I battle them for control of the sun, when they go to set it then I can interfere and grab it from them, I'll be able to feel where they are for a moment."
"Then what? I mean once you've taken the sun back it's not like you can just go and lock up all of the participants for treason."
"I plan to make an appeal to them to abandon the Trio."
"You can be very convincing but do you actually think that they're going to convince them to change allegiances...again."
"Do not worry, I will prevail in the end now go and free the guards. I'll need time to prepare myself it's been a long time since I've had to fight for control over the sun."
"I'll do that, all I have to do is figure out where they're being held." He he grumbled leaving. I began to prepare myself, I had no Idea how many unicorns they had I would need to be at top magical fitness if I was to ensure a win.
I spent the entire day in preparations and as the day was about to end I saw the sun start to move and I reached out to it with my magic. It was not as easy as I expected and once I had a hold of it I began to tug gently and they responded with a tremendous pull. I retaliated with my own pull and managed to get the sun out of their grasp. As expected I was able to follow their magical reach as it returned to them and I realized that it was one being. I shuddered as I felt the familiar power of the alicorn amulet and on top of that I felt it coming from Canterlot. The Uni impersonator had found that cursed amulet and put it on, he would lose himself if he didn't take it off soon and probably destroy Canterlot in the process.
I quickly set the sun and brought up the moon and I went to leave the castle, I knew where he was and I wasn't about to risk losing him. I took flight and went to the spot I had felt him at, I found the manner of one of the lesser nobles. I lit down and knocked on the door, then I realized that I had come without telling anypony that I was coming here. I thought of ways I could possibly get the guards attention when the door opened and a blast of red magical energy sent me flying.
The unicorn stepped out of the doorway, "how did you find me?"
"You know for a member of the Trio you sure don't care for the other two."
"Answer my question!" He demanded.
"I know the sun and it helps me whenever I need it to." I answered. "Now care to tell me where the other two are."
"No!" He shouted then shot a red wave at me.
I took flight to dodge it, "so where did you find that cursed amulet?"
"During one of my archaeological trips to the north." He answered shooting again and missing.
"But where? I've been searching for that thing ever since Sombra's banishment."
"I found it buried about a foot underneath the snow." He said grinning.
"You don't know what powers you’re meddling with" I told him and dodged another blast.
"I beg to differ, as I see it I have enough power to replace you..."
"And what of the other two! Have you forgotten what the Trio stands for?"
"Do you really think that I care at all about the Trio, I was using them to help me overthrow you? After all the unicorns aren't the master race for nothing. Once I had you out of the way I'm going to dispose of them and take everything for my own!" He shouted unleashing a barrage of energy.
I put up a shield spell, it faltered and I was hit causing me to fall to the ground. He stood over me, "Now Princess you die and I take your place!" He said his eyes glowing red.
"What about them" I said gesturing towards the earth pony and pegasus that had arrived in the middle of the fight.
"Hello pals" He said turning to them and smiling widely.
"So you never wanted to rule side by side?" The pegasus said crossing her hooves, "Rock, get him!"
The earth pony charged. The unicorn reacted by putting up a shield, but when the earth pony made contact he passed through it without hesitation. He hurled his heavy armor clad body on top of the unicorn placing a small ring around the unicorn’s horn.
"There if I couldn't break the necklace I'll remove your ability to use it." he said putting more weight on the unicorn.
The unicorn bore his teeth and shouted "Get off me you pathed..."
"Nope." The earth pony said putting more weight on him, "I'll get off when you take off the amulet."
"I can't even move! How the hey am I supposed to remove this amulet?!" The unicorn shouted.
"Figure it out smart guy."
The pegasus came up to me and helped me up, "Princess forgive us for all the trouble we caused you, all me and Rock wanted was to get rid of the remaining predigests between the races and that unicorn used us to get what he wants. I know we have to pay for our acts of terrorism but all we ever did was beat up a few guards."
I smiled at her, "He's not in control of himself, but if those were really his plans then he will be punished accordingly. But I suspect that he made most of it up on the spot...
"THERE I GOT IT OFF! NOW GET OFF!!!!!!!" We were interrupted by the shout.
"Was that so hard?" the earth pony asked getting up.
"Yes! it was!"
I rose into the air and faced the now standing unicorn "Unicorn! You have attacked me and you have challenged my right to rule. My judgment should be harsh, however with the new information that you have had the alicorn amulet on the whole time I can only conclude that the amulet's power was too much for you and made you act the way you did."
The unicorn looked down, "But I didn't..." he began but was interrupted by the pegasus hitting him in the side.
"Furthermore you did bring to my attention the fact that I wasn't treating all the races equally. Seeing how you can be reasoned with now, I propose that you three become like the Trio of old and perform the same duties that they had with my sister and I."
"You would forgive me for the attacks without consequence."
"Oh I wouldn't say that, you three will be working with less pay than you would usually start with but once you've earned my trust I'll restore your pay. I must also make you aware that one of your duties is to take on apprentices capable of performing your duties when you retire."
The earth pony leaned in to the unicorn, "I say we do it, it's better than the dungeon."
"I agree" the pegasus said speaking up.
"Majority rules, fine Princess we'll do it."
"There you go, what did everypony think." Celestia asked the group.
"Wait! I've never heard of the Trio before!" Twilight said before anypony could speak.
"I regret that they're usually glossed over in the history books." Celestia answered.
"That wouldn't be the group of ponies who are responsible for me turning into 6 would it?" The Doctor asked.
"No, those were their successors. After they caused that...incident I was forced to disband them, but as I understand there is a constant rumor that they still exist and operate in the shadows" Celestia answered.
"So I tell a story that shows how a mere mortal was able to defeat me without his own magic and you tell a story of how you defeat a bunch of foals." Discord said somewhat bewildered.
"Oh please Discord I told you your story was a bit unusual for these things." The Doctor said.
"'Oh please'" Discord mocked, "Watch! Soon all of you will be telling stories like mine."
"Chaos thought the same but it didn't work out for him either."
"Who?" everypony asked the Doctor simultaneously.
"Shall we get to the next story? We've got three princesses a dragon and well me to go so who's next?"
There was a silence, "Come on I understand that there are at least three newcomers and one who missed the last one for reasons but come on someponies got to go next."
"Why not you?" Cadence asked.
"Maybe after the next one but come on, how about you Luna surely you ran into trouble with those nasty beast up there on the moon. Or Cadence that cult give you any trouble. How about Twilight's little time paradox, yes the paradox that works, tell that story."
"What paradox?" Twilight asked.
"Oh yes, that's right when time reset you didn't retain the memories. Don't' worry I'll just set the machine to reintegrate the memories into your brain" He said twisting knobs and waving a humming piece of metal. "There we go, once you put on the helmet you'll get the memories back"
"Are there any side effects?" Twilight asked lifting the helmet and putting it on.
She just finished fastening the straps when he said, "Well your brain could explode".
"What!?"
"Don't worry it's completely reversible." He said looking away, "Just start and I'll make sure it doesn't happen."
"Ok" Twilight said looking hesitant.
"Well" Discord pressured.
"Not long ago when I was visited by my future self from next Tuesday we touched each other and it only lead to trouble..."
Author's Note
Wow that was a doozie to write, it's what I get for not wanting to split these stories into multiple chapters I guess.
Chapter 6: Twilight's Story
Once, not too long ago, before I was a Princess I received a visit from my future self, I was fascinated and began to question her about how she was even there. She put her hoof over my mouth to stop me from talking and she tried to warn me of something she started to light up and return to her time but the spell failed and a shockwave shot out knocking me and her to the floor.
"What happened? I should be back at Canterlot!" She said getting up and rubbing her head.
"I don't know" I said getting up and rubbing the back of my head.
"I don't understand, when I was you my future self was sent back when she was supposed to."
"So time has changed?"
"I don’t know. How am I supposed to get back to Tuesday? I don't know any spells that can take me to the future!!" My future self said starting to hyperventilate.
"Wait, calm down! All we have to do is to go to Starswirl the Bearded's wing of the archives and find the spell to get to the future." I said knowing how I can get.
My future self was calmed down by my reassurance, "You're right, we'll just head there and find the spell to get me home." She said heading out my...our door.
"Where are you going? The train for Canterlot doesn't even arrive for at least two more hours!" I called out after her.
"Doesn't matter! Found a 'Long Distance Teleport' spell when I was looking for the time travel spell!" She shouted back.
"But why are you running?!" I shouted trying to catch up with her.
"The spell needs us to be moving fast in the direction I need to teleport!" she shouted back.
Her horn started to glow and soon her body began to glow and so did mine. I felt myself go through a teleport and before I knew it I was in the canterlot archives. "Wow! You don't even look tired!" I said astonished.
"I know, this spell is so much easier to cast. I honestly don't know why we weren't taught it." My future self said as she began to loft books off the shelves, "Ok these are all the books that pertain to time magic."
"So let’s get down to business" I said as we started a long study session. We worked hard and read all forty-two books, but after several hours we found nothing that could send her forward, not even for a few seconds. We decided to ask the Princesses if they knew a way to send a pony to the future. We wandered the halls of the castle and made our way to the throne room.
"Princess Celestia we need your help!" I shouted as we entered the room.
"We need to know if you know any spells that can return me to the future!"
"Oh" she said looking distressed as she saw me and my future self. "Twilight Sparkle You used time magic? Please tell me you didn't touch each other!"
"We might have..."
"Oh no! If you've done that there's no telling what could happen. At least for the moment it seems that all it's done is make you stranded here. That problem should solve itself when the present Twilight travels back in time."
"But none of this happened to me!" My future self-pleaded.
"As I understand such things it doesn't matter if you come from an alternate timeline all that matters is that the present Twilight travels back in time to the same point you did, dressed as you did."
"But that doesn't make sense, if she is from my future then she has to happen"
"I honestly do not know, you see time magic is incredibly complex to the point where only one pony in all of existence understands it."
"Who" my future self and I sad in unison.
"He is an old stallion..." She trailed off.
"Oh..." my future self said lowering her head. “So all we can hope for is that your speculation is right"
"Did he leave a journal?" I asked.
"That mad old stallion isn't dead" Princess Celsetia said.
"But you said he was old." my future self said.
"Old not dead, however his understanding of time has allowed him to travel through it and I fear that he is lost."
A guard rushed into the room, "Your highness, there are monsters attacking Ponyville" he said after bowing.
"What sort of monsters, do they come from the forest?" The princess asked.
"I do not know. But they are winged and seem to have long barbed tails and large claws! We are sending ponies to help defend the residences."
Princess Celestia looked at my future self "Twilight were you in Ponyville when you came back in time?"
"Yes."
"Oh no! I'm afraid that the paradox you caused has attracted some very unwanted attention." She turned towards the guards, "Guards! Prepare Canterlot for an attack by air."
"Yes Princess we'll alert the Captain immediately to prepare his shield spell" the pegasus guard said beginning to depart.
"Tell l Captain Shining Armor to begin a search for a blue box with the words 'Police Public Call Box' across the top"
"Yes mam" He said taking off.
"Why do you need a box?" I asked the princess.
"That box is owned by the only pony that could help us.
"Is there anything we can do?" my future self asked.
"No, well not necessarily. I believe these beast are here for the two of you, they match the description of monsters I have faced before. As I know them they exist to fix the problems in time, such as the same pony existing in two places at once and even touching each other."
"So what do we do?" I asked.
"We have only on option, you must stay here in Canterlot behind your brother’s shield. I don't want to even chance that you'll be destroyed."
"But we need to help our friends, we can't just leave them to face those monsters alone." my future self pleaded.
"They are not their target, if you were to go they would only be put in more danger."
"But if you expect them to come here next then what's the point. We'll just be putting you in danger!" I said stomping my hoof.
"If these are the same creatures then I have little to worry about" The Princess said turning to look out the window at the smoke coming from Ponyville.
"What do you mean?"
"He told me not to say." She said giving a small smile, "It's funny the one time we really need him and he's not here."
"Who?"
"He calls himself the D..."
A guard rushed into the room, "Princess one of the guards deployed to Ponyville spotted the box you described."
"I must depart immediately!" Princess Celestia said her horn starting to glow. There was a flash brighter than the sun and Princess Celestia vanished.
"Wait!" me and my future self shouted.
"We have to get to Ponyville!" My future self told me.
"She just told us to stay here, and we shouldn't disobey her."
"Normally I'd agree but I caused this problem and I intend to fix it." She said.
"But what if she sends us back to magic kindergarten for disobeying her."
"True but we did earn more than a few favors for what we've done."
"I guess" I said.
"Well by next Tuesday it'll be more than a guess, now come on."
"Ok"
"Good" She said grabbing me with her telekinesis.
She began to run lifting me as she did, I landed on her back as she cast the teleport spell and we were back in the library. Immediately we crashed into Rainbow Dash, "Twilight! Where have you b..." She stared at us clearly confused.
"No time to explain! Where's the Princess?!"
"She's out there keeping the monsters from coming in and getting all of us." Rainbow Dash said motioning he hoof to all of the other ponies that were corralled into the library.
"Why are you all in here?"
"The princess says this is the safest place, duh!" Pinkie Pie answered coming out of nowhere.
"We need to get to her" My future self insisted rushing for the door with me. She pushed it open and we saw a deep red pegasus stallion with a leather jacket and short brown mane.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"No wonder they've been more energized lately you two been toughing", He said. He knocked me off of my future self and then stared at her closely, "You're changing!" Was all he said.
"Twilight Sparkle!" Came the booming voice of Princess Celestia, "I told you to stay in Canterlot!"
"Does anypony on this rock know how to stay put, I mean it's pretty simple, all you have to do is not move."
"Who are you" My future self glared.
"I'm the Doctor, one of Princess Celestia's worst kept secrets."
"What?" I asked.
"I told her not to speak of me to anypony who I wouldn't approve of and well she is really bad at figuring out who I'd approve of."
"You tell every other pony you meet your name! How am I supposed to figure it out when you clearly have no reservations of hiding yourself?"
"That's only because it's me telling them! No back to the matter at hoof we have two... Purple ponies in the same point in time and I don't have my T.A.R.D.I.S. So easy solution feed them to the lions for meddling with something they never should have even been allowed to see, not to mention there tearing holes in space as well with that bloody long distance teleport that they should have never had access to."
"Doctor is there no other way" Princess Celestia asked him.
"Oh yes! We kill them outright and the reapers take their bodies."
"That's not what I meant, I want to be able to keep her at the end of this Doctor."
"Well there's this he said pulling out a key, I can use it to call my ship and I can stop this time line and miss born of war over there." He said pointing at my future self.
"What do you mean?" My future self glared at him.
"Oh your time line being corrupted and as of right now you've been running from these things and probably seen us all die and maybe even yourself."
"What? But I...Ah" my future self fell to the ground writhing in pain.
"There are the memories coming to her now, see." He said.
I rushed over only for Princess Celestia to grab me with her magic, "You cannot help her." she told me.
"Oh that is fantastic!" The Doctor exclaimed.
"What!?" Princess Celsetia and I asked.
"My key is glowing!" He yelled.
"So?"
"That means I can do this!" He said miming as though he was putting it in a door and then suddenly a yellow aura appeared and formed the outline of a large, tall box.
"Isn't the T.A.R.D.I.S. on the other side of town?" Princess Celestia asked.
"No they stole her right from her shell and I'm bringing her back. It'll only take a moment, I hope. We just need to wait till she gets here. For now do another pass they're getting a little too close for comfort."
Princess Celestia nodded and took off flying close to those things. "So when this Tardis gets here what will you do?" I asked the Doctor.
"I'm not sure yet, but trust me when I say we'll be safe inside."
"That's reassuring" My future self said getting up.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." He said smiling.
A weird sort of wheezing-gasping noise started to come from the glowing box as the outline started to fill with the color blue. Several of the monsters began to get closer as the box filled in. "Oh no you don't this is far too old for you to even touch!" He shouted at the monsters and they backed up a little."
The box was completely filled in and he opened the doors, "Quick! Before they drag it away again" he motioned to my future self and I We ran into it and he closed the doors behind us and leaned up against it.
"Wow! It's bigger on the inside! How is this even possible?" I asked him.
"Yes, yes now I you're going to feel a little pain as I erase you future!"
"What?!"
Started to hit several buttons on the main consul. Then he shouted "NO!!! You've got a fixed point in your timeline, dang alicorns, you lot get me every time!" He moved over to another part of it, "I've got it a Destiny Paradox!"
"What's that?" my future self asked.
"It's a paradox that operates on a very simple principle, 'you can't change history if you're a part of it'. If I can generated on of these then all of the other paradoxes would be ignored."
"Why?" I asked.
"It would take ten years for me to teach you in a way you could even begin to comprehend how it works. So all you need to know is that it should fix everything." He told me hitting different buttons.
Suddenly, all at once my future self flashed and disappeared, I ran over to where she was. "What happened to her!?" I shouted.
"She returned to her own time, the spell she used finally brought her back. The Destiny Paradox will take effect of you the moment you step outside. I'll be putting you in right before you meet your future self and then the Destiny Paradox will take effect." He walked over to me and put his hooves on either side of my head, "There can't have you remembering the time travel spell and for good measure the tear holes in space spell." He said then he opened the doors and I saw my library, "Go on and don't worry I believe I've fixed everything just don't go messing with time again.
I stepped out and the box began to vanish I immediately began to work on my checklist when a wind blew papers everywhere and a flash of light revealed my future self...
Twilight took off the helmet and set it down, "Wow that was interesting!" She said.
"Yes very" Princess Celestia said turning towards the Doctor, "Mind explaining why I remembered those creatures then but don't now?"
"Well timy-wi..."
"I want a real explanation please."
"Well time is in a constant state of flux and I may have changed it a little. But that's beside the point we should get to the next story after all..."
"AAAAAAHHHHAHHAAHHHHAHAHAHHAH!!!!!!!!!" Twilight started to scream loudly.
The Doctor ran over to her and scanned her with his sonic screwdriver, he checked the results, "Don't worry she's just remembering her future selves version of the events." He announced. "So who's next?" he asked over her screaming.
They waited for here to settle down then Princess Celestia said "You."
"No, how about Cadence..."
"No. And I know the story you're going to tell us, right Luna?"
"Yes, we wish you to tell us what happened to the others."
"Well as you know Discord destroyed the seaponies..."
"Not those other... We want to know what happened to our parents..."
"Are you sure you don't want to go Luna?"
"No! You have kept it from us for over two thousand years now!"
"Fine! Fine! Longer ago than anypony can remember there was a war..."
Author's Note
I thought I wrote myself into a little hole with Twilight, considering she's the main character of the show and all. But then I remembered the episode of Doctor Who Father's Day, (Spoilers, I guess) where time was reset and figured why not.
Chapter 7: The Doctor's Story
It was the first, and only, real war ever seen on this little planet, the Alicorns of old and the Draconequii were fighting to destroy each other. I never really knew the whole story, but from what I could gather was that the Alicorns' had attacked Chaos himself. At the time I was an earth pony and had a weird obsession with a long multicolored scarf.
I was flying the T.A.R.D.I.S. when it began to shake violently, "Silver Gem hold onto something!"
"Got it Doctor!" She shouted back grabbing into part of the main consul, "what's going on!?"
"I don't know, it's like we're being pulled towards a point in time and space! I'm going to try something!"
"Whaaatttt!!!!" She yelled at me.
"I'm going to turn on the stabilizers!" I shouted back and hit several blue buttons on the consul.
"Why didn't you have them on to begin with?" She asked me glaring.
"They make the ride boring, don't you agree?" I said smiling.
"No!"
"Well it's a good thing that we've landed then."
"What does that have anything to do with this?"
I looked into the monitor "No idea, but come look at this Silver Gem," the screen that should have shown us our surroundings was totally black, "now what do you make of that?"
"Well we must be in space."
"Nope, all the instruments say we've landed on a planet, just not which planet."
"So it's night?"
"But where are the stars, the moon, and the ground. Look I'll even turn the brightness up as high as it can go, and nothing."
"I don't know, maybe your instruments are wrong."
"No. No! I'm going out there." I said extending an oxygen shell around the T.A.R.D.I.S. "Stay inside." I told her as I opened the doors and placed my hoof on what felt like grass. The moment I stopped touching the T.A.R.D.I.S. it vanished into the blackness. I reached out to where it was and it reappeared with a touch. "Interesting..." I said moving around the T.A.R.D.I.S. and played around with the shadows.
Suddenly I heard a scream and I rushed towards where I figured it was coming from, in the darkness the only thing that was visible was a single female Draconequus with yellow eyes and green pupils holding Silver and streaking her like a cat. "Silver Gem Smith! I told you to stay in the T.A.R.D.I.S.! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"Doctor! Is now really the right time?" She yelled back at me.
"Of course it is! She won't hurt us, after all were invading her prison. Isn't that right?" I asked smiling kindly at the Draconequus.
"Perceptive, you're not like the others I've found. Usually all I get is screams."
"You'll find I'm very different than many ponies. Let's make a trade, Silver Gem for a jelly baby." I said taking out a white paper bag.
"Is that all I'm worth to you!?" Silver Gem yelled at me.
"Shush, the really old ponies are talking." I told Silver then spoke to the Draconequus, "What do ya say?"
"You've met my kind before haven't you?" She said squinting at me, "Fine." she said with a snap and the bag of jelly babies disappeared and Silver Gem appeared next to me, only to immediately disappear. I through part of my scarf at where she was and it caught on her head.
She whispered to me, "Doctor why did she let me go for a bag of jelly babies?"
"Because it was unexpected." I told her, "She's a being not designed to make any sense. She will almost always do the unexpected.”
“Oh, so that’s how you knew she would give me up for them?”
“Well I didn't exactly know…”
“What?!”
“Why are you imprisoned in this lightless void?!” I asked the Draconequus.
“I’m in the middle of an interrogation” She said dawning an orange jumpsuit with chains around her wrist.
“And who imprisoned you?”
“No I get to ask a question first… Who are you?”
“I’m the Doctor.”
“You wouldn't happen to be the one who travels through time and got away with beating Chaos at checkers, would you?”
“That’s the one...” I said before I was rudely interrupted by her.
“Then you can free me from this infernal prison!?”
"No! No! No! I'm afraid I lost my ship..."
"Then it is hopeless." she said looking down. "Oh well at least I have another immortal to keep me company for the rest of eternity!" She said wildly grinning. She snapped and my scarf and jacket turned into whipped cream, then a snake and goat, then a chain and strait jacket. "I like this one it looks the best" she committed, "after all I've heard it's best to restrain you whenever the opportunity arises."
"Of course it is, if you didn't then I might just have saved you from your prison. But if you don't want to leave I understand..."
"What! You said you lost your ship! How are we going to leave without that!?!"
"I may not have the best grasp on magic but come on, don't you see the one thing that your captor overlooked? You're a being of pure magic, can't you feel it?"
"What? No!" the Draconequus said with half her face looking confused and the other half contorted in anger.
"Well we're outside, and the ground is slightly warm to the touch..."
"So it's daytime? How does that help?" She said now more confused than anything else.
"It means these shadows are an illusion, a magical one. This unfortunately means that I'm utterly useless when it comes to being part of the solution but you on the other hoof are not. I hope it's a bright day out..." I trailed off hoping she would get what I was trying to imply.
"Oh! All I need is to bring some light here, don't I!?" She said now looking like she was just hit with a cannonball, for some reason.
"Not quite wha..." I never got to finish that sentence as she lit herself on fire and a small shockwave emanated from her. The shadows began to twist and stretch, several outlines began to form around us.
"What's going on" Silver asked me as the outlines started to fill in with color.
"Well the spell was weak because it was spread over a large area, she's breaking it with just a little light." I told her as things began to settle down.
"But why didn't she think of that" Silver asked as the spell finished breaking.
"There was a low level psychic field over this area and it was suppressing any idea that has to do with creating light."
"So how did you come up with the idea then?"
"Well you know how my particular species have a weakness to magic?"
"Yes, because you came before magic was introduced into the universe or something like that?" She said cocking her head to the side trying to remember.
"It's because we came before it was dispersed through the universe, it was always there it just wasn't always accessible. But that's not important, the psychic field was set up and powered by magic, strong magic but none the less magic so it had a very little effect on me, and what effect it did have I was able to counter pretty easily."
"I have to thank you doctor for helping me escape my prison, and for putting it in a way I could understand" she said disappearing in a flash.
"Really though I didn't expect her to get it so quickly... Well shall we be off there's a Lord of Shadows I need to scold for imprisoning a Draconequus, if I've got the year right then there should be a treaty that keeps him from doing something like that." I said as we walked to the T.A.R.D.I.S.
"Who's that?"
"Celestia's Father" I said opening the door for her.
"I'm going to meet Celestia's dad!?"
"Yes" I moved the T.A.R.D.I.S. to where I remembered the castle to be. “Ok we should be here” I said stepping outside into the broken remains of the once grandiose castle.
Silver stepped out and rolled her eyes, “One day you’ll learn how to fly this thing, eventually.”
I spoke in a monotone “Were exactly where I wanted to be.”
“Well then you must have got the time wrong.” She said playfully.
“No we only moved through space, not time. This should be the most beautiful throne room in pony history, not a pile of rubble.”
“What?”
“Yes something isn't right, it shouldn't end up like this. This palace is supposed to stand for hundreds of years. Not crumble away in only…” I sniffed deeply, “Two hundred and seven, maybe eight.”
“So what happened then?” Silver said kicking a rock that accidently hit a pillar and causing it to fall over, “Sorry.” she said cringing.
“I don't know, and I don't like not knowing.” I said as I walked over to some of the rubble and examined it. “Feels like magic, Silver Gem come over here.” I told her and she came, “What do you make of it.”
“Feels weird, not normal, but at the same time familiar. What does it mean?”
“Not a clue, sometimes I wish Gallifrey had waited a little longer before forming, a universe full of magic and the best I can bloody do is feel it.” I complained. Then we heard some of the rubble begin to shift.
Then we heard some of the rubble begin to shift. “Who’s there!?” I shouted and slowly walked towards the sound.
That was when we heard a weak voice, it was high, but not high enough, “Get back” it said.
Silver Gem inched forward, “its ok, we’re here to help.” She said softly.
“Yes that’s us alwa…”
“Doctor this isn’t the time” Silver Gem said glaring at me with eyes that could stop a Manticore in its tracks.
“Fine” I said raiding my hooves defensively, “it’s your show”
“Why don’t you come out from behind that rubble?” Silver Gem said with a kind smile.
A young colt no older than twelve stepped out from behind the ruble holding a spear in his wing. The other one hung limply by his side, and he had a strip of cloth covering his right eye. “Stay back.” He tried to command, “I don’t want to hurt you”
“It’s okay there’s no need…”
“NO your one of them in disguise!” He shouted and tightened his grip on the spear.
“Who?” Silver asked.
“The monsters!” He shouted at her and did a quick jabbing motion with the spear, “But you already knew that!”
“We’re no monsters…just calm down, we can help.” Silver said softly and looked him in the eyes.
“You’re not?” he said lowering his spear a little. Then quickly knocked himself in the head with his hoof, “No I won't let you inside my head!”
“We don’t want to get into your head.” Silver Gem said sitting down, “We just want to help”
“Can you describe the monsters?” I asked coming up by Silver.
“There enormous, they have long horns and large wings.” He said backing up slowly.
“Are they the Draconequii?” I asked.
“They’re here too!?” He shouted in horror then tried to run only to trip over the pillar that Silver knocked over.
Silver rushed over to him and rolled him over, he began to shake, “Doctor! What’s wrong with him?”
I walked over to him and placed my hooves on either side of his head and closed my eyes. I sat there for three minutes, once I broke the link I said, “I’m sorry lad, I can’t help you.”
“Why?” Silver Gem asked.
“His mind has been warped by magic, all I could get out of it is that there was a war.” I explained. I turned back to the boy and spoke softly, “Your mind is too jumbled, so I need you to tell me who did this to you.”
“The Lord…” He said weakly right before passing out.
Silver began to tear up, “Will he be okay?” She asked me.
“I don’t know, but some Lord is going to answer for this!” I said walking towards the T.A.R.D.I.S.
“Where are you going?” Silver Gem said running after me.
“I’m going to find the ‘Lord’ that caused this destruction, and I have a suspicion of who it is.” I said entering the T.A.R.D.I.S.
As I started to scan for strong magical entities an alarm went off, “Not know I’m busy.” I complained.
“What is it Doctor?”
“A meeting, scheduled for two years from now. The worst part is, I have to go.” I said allowing the T.A.R.D.I.S. to take me to the meeting place. It landed and I went to step out into a grand hall. Its sealing was at the very least forty meters tall, the white marble was glistening as the light streamed in from the windows. There were pillars in-between the windows adorn with a gold trim.
“Oh my Celestia…” Silver said taking in the décor.
“Not really, it’s too white.” I said, and promptly got a kick in the rump.
“Stop, just stop. This place is too beautiful for you to degrade.” Silver scolded.
“You're late again Doctor.” said a voice from behind the T.A.R.D.I.S.
Silver Gem and I walked around my T.A.R.D.I.S. and we're faced with six Alicorns and five Draconequii, I noticed one of them had red eyes and yellow pupils. “Ah yes Chaos, Lord of Discord and Disharmony.” I said bowing.
“Good to see your doing well Doctor” said a large black Alicorn.
“Same to you Lord of Shadows.” I said smiling. I walked over to the seats and Silver and I sat down, “What’s this I heard about a war?” I asked.
“The Alicorns' attacked me." Chaos answered.
"So you decided to destroy everything?!" Silver Gem asked, glaring at him.
"No" Chaos simply said.
Silver Gem was about to ask him something but I cut her off, "So your minions attacked?"
"No, I claim no dominion over my fellow Draconequii." He said leaning back in his new recliner.
"You should" Mister high and mighty Lord of Shadows said. I really don't understand why he and his wife insist on being called the Lord of Shadows and Lady Light. I mean who buries their name in history and only goes by just a title.
"Then I would bring order to my kind." he said, downing a pair of sunglasses.
"Well perhaps you need order, because last I checked this war is getting out of hoof." Lady Light said placing both of her hooves on the table.
"You're the ones that started it!" The female Draconequus that we had freed from a shadow prison shouted.
"And you got your revenge on Beatitudine! Now end this" Lady Light demanded.
I pulled out my sonic screwdriver and a bit of metal, by pointing the screwdriver at the metal I was able to create the most irritating sound, "Stop!" I yelled after the sound, "This tradition has been going on for longer than anyone in here, except me and Chaos that is, but that doesn't matter! When Chaos and Lord of Shadow's father Coelicola came to me and told me to organize this thing I was elated! This is supposed to be a way for you to connect with each other not a bickering match! So as of right now you lot are going to make your piece and we're going to get down to business!"
There were a few moments of silence before a slow clapping began, "I applaud your determination Doctor, but we both know how this is going to end." He said with a snaffle toothed grin.
"What?" I asked.
"You can't feel it coming? Oh well you'll feel it soon enough."
"What's coming? You're making less sense the usual."
"He mean his attack" The Lord of Shadows declared.
"Quiet boy! There's something else at work here!" I said getting up to pace. "Can you at least give me a hint?" I asked Chaos.
He snapped his talons and two pegasi statues appeared pointing at each other with their hooves. "Good luck."
"The Pegasus legion?" I blurted out.
"No"
"The Sisters of the Wing?"
"Nope"
"The Cloud Consort?"
"Wrong again."
"Doctor, they're just statues stuck pointing at each other" Silver piped up.
"Yes but there's something more to it than that, something that I'm missing...oh" it turned to Silver Gem, "repeat what you just said, exactly as you said it." I ordered.
"Um...Doctor, they're just statues stuck pointing at each other" she said cocking her head off to the side.
"That's it!" I exclaimed, "Golems!"
"No, not at all." Chaos said rolling his eyes.
"Silver say it again" I told her.
"Doctor, they're just statues stuck pointing at each other" she repeated looking off to the side.
"Statues? Pointing? Stuck? Other?" The Doctor said.
"Well while he thinks about that, I want to talk" Chaos said turning to the Lord of Shadows.
"You wish to tell your story first?" He asked.
"No. I want to declare a truce" he said interlocking his claw and paw.
"No!" Lady Light said before her husband could answer, "You killed seven Alicorns!"
"Yet I've had to escort forty of my children back to the void! All I want is peace!" Chaos said. Shadows began to cast into the room, making the Chaos appear menacing and he slammed his clenched paw onto the table, "I want to stop!"
"You yourself said you couldn't control your Draconequii" Lord of Shadows said in retaliation.
"They will follow." He said glancing at the others, "or they will lose their power."
"Tyrant!" an Alicorn with an especially large set of wings shouted.
"Quiet feather head! Or I'll pluck youbare!" Chaos commanded and the Alicorn flinched.
"Despite Caelum's outburst, you still dominate your race with fear and power." Lady Light started, "And we've had enough of your presence."
Chaos burst out into laughter, "You have neither the power or intellect to dispose of me! So I offer piece."
"No you will die and we will bring harmony to our ponies!"
"I was afraid of that." He said turning to me, "Have you figured out what's coming yet Doctor?"
"Unless it's either the royal family of Chal V or the dread warriors of Celios... other the that I have no idea."
"Can't you feel it happening?"
"I don't feel anyth... Oh my god... you can't, but you will. Oh Lady Light, Aqua, Amant, Lord of Shadows, Caelum, and Crystallum, I'm sorry, I really am," I said remembering what will happen.
"Doctor...what's going on?" Silver Gem asked.
"Yes why don't you enlighten us?" Lady Light added.
"I know what's going to happen here, this is one of the most important moments in history. This is where the magic gets out and I won't be able to stop it... I'm so sorry."
"What do you mean?" Lord of Shadows asked.
"In the next few minutes...something very bad is going to happen and I can't stop it."
"Yes and I must act to save my children." he said with his mouth in a hideous grin.
With a snap of his talons all of the magical beings in the room started to glow, including Silver Gem. Not two seconds later came the screaming began, all the Alicorns and Draconequii were convulsing as the magic was being ripped out.
I grabbed Silver Gem's forelimb and yanked her up onto my back, I ran into the T.A.R.D.I.S. and sat her down near the wall. I put the T.A.R.D.I.S. into flight so we would be out of Chaos's range.
Silver Gem stirred, "What are you doing, we never leave."
"Oh Silver Gem, I'm afraid we couldn't do anything."
"Why not?"
"Because this is how that moment always happens."
"But you said that the war didn't happen originally."
"How we get to the point isn't important, Chaos could have decided to do it for the fun of it, or he could have been forced to do it as a final act of revenge. There are endless ways for him to get to that point, and he will always do it."
Silver Gem could only get out one word "Why?"
"That's how things work."
"No, why don't you know what was going to happen?"
"Must be because I was part of it and you're not supposed to know your own future, so it was kept from me. Now where do you want to go? Anywhere but your planet please."
"Are you sure you’re okay?"
"No. But let's get going."
Everypony was speechless as the Doctor finished his story. The Doctor removed the helmet and placed it on the table. His expression was grim as he said, "There you have it, the day that magic was introduced into the greater universe."
"So they were doomed from the beginning?" Luna asked.
"Yes, fortunately for you two you had been left out of that moment."
"What about me?" Discord asked before Celestia or Luna could speak. "weren't all my kind destroyed then."
"You're Chaos's contingency plan, Discord that was the day you were born. You're all that's left of his power."
"But I'm older than any living Alicorn." Discord pointed out.
"Yes you are, but the princesses here were stored away from the war with time magic, and as you know they didn't get out of it for a few thousand years later.
"Why couldn't you save any of them, as you described it, Chaos's action was the 'Fixed Point'?"
"They were part of his action, Silver Gem was the only one who I could save."
"So magic has been on these alleged other planets for several thousand years?" Twilight asked quizzically.
"No magic has been around for billions of years, I didn't know it at the time but I leaving in the T.A.R.D.I.S. was part of the Fixed Point, I pulled the magic into the Time Vortex as I left and displaced the effect to several billion years earlier."
"Doctor..." Celestia began slowly, "Your hooves were tied... and...You clearly regret what happened that day...you did keep the truth from us for several thousand years...and if you want it..."
"Stop right there, I know exactly what you're going to say {sort of} and I don't want to be forgiven or pitied. But shall we move on!? We've got two Princesses and Pa...Spike, thought now that I think of it, he's not very experienced, maybe next time."
"I'll go." Princess Cadence volunteered, "If you don't mind Luna?"
"Go ahead."
"Okey, not long at all ago the Crystal Empire returned and Sombra with it. However once he was gone we learned that his influence wasn't. This is the tale of the Cult of Sombra..."
Author's Note
Yes Silver Gem Smith is the ponified version of classic who companion Sarah Jane Smith
Chapter 1: Invitations
Princess Celestia had just woken up and raised the sun. She was going to tell her sister "good night", no not good night , she thought, Luna prefers good light she reminded herself. Celestia made her way down the hall and heard a weird wheezng gasping sort of sound.
"Doctor you are her!" Celestia heard Luna exclaim from around the corner.
Celestia rushed to see an balding elderly white earth pony stallion in formal attire holding a scroll, "Doctor! How have you been?" Celestia asked pleased to see her friend again.
"Now now, my dear. You know I haven't met you yet." He said shaking he head, "ask me at the conformance and you'll get a better answer then I can give you."
"Is it time already?" Celestia asked him.
"Of course, now seeing how this isn't your second castle I'm going to need you two to pick a location for the one that is about to happen." He said pulling out a quill and ink well from his pocket and preparing to write on the scroll.
"Why not here, we can have it in the throne room." Luna suggested.
"Very well" he said writing on the scroll. "Okey I'll make copies and personalize them for delivery, I just have one question..." He trailed off giving the two of them a slightly confused glance.
"Yes?" Celestia prompted.
"Well the T.A.R.D.I.S. detected four Alicorn's this time and considering that your grandfather outlawed ascension..." He trailed off again allowing his words to set his implication.
"Our grandfather was afraid of the concept and we are not" Celestia said confidently.
"Very well." The Doctor said, "never really liked the idea of executing the ascended after all, I'm sure I'll have many heated debates with your grandfather about it later, or well I guess I've already have."
"When is the conformance exactly?" Luna asked him.
"It's secluded for three weeks from now just after all hollows eve." He explained to them both.
"It's called Nightmare Night now." Luna corrected him. And Celestia secretly was elated that her sister had defended the Halliday.
"That's good to know...for future reference of course." He said entering the T.A.R.D.I.S., he came out shortly and headed them two scrolls identical to the one he had just written of. The sisters opened them up and read.
Dear Princess Celestia/Luna
You are cordially invited to the twenty-seventh millenniual immortality conference. As per the usual you are aloud a plus one, the dress is standard, and it is to take place in the third castle of the royal pony sisters the day after all hollows eve. Nightmare night
Celestia looked up at him, "Do you ever change these things?" She asked.
"Well I got them in bulk from your great grandfather and I can't stand to waste them." He explained, "well I best be off to deliver the rest of them." He said stepping back into his T.A.R.D.I.S.
As it faded away the sisters looked at each other. "We've got three weeks for the conference..." She trailed off no sure what to say next.
"The I have plenty of time to sleep" Luna said with a smile. "Good day Tia" she said as she headed for her room.
"Good light Luna" Celestia replied as she walked towards her room.
Discord was perched in his thinking tree in deep thought, but he was interrupted by an all to familiar sound. He snapped his talons and he appeared I front of the blue box. He prepared a cotton candy cloud just for the stallion that was about to come out.
The door opened and he knocked on the cloud as the stallion stepped out, but to his disappointment the grey stallion had an umbrella ready. "Your mother was much more discrete then you." He said to Discord.
"Ruin my fun, why don't you." He pouted.
The Doctor held out a scroll to Discord, "as per the original agreement between the forces of Harmony and Chaos, here' stour invitation." He said as he quickly stepped into his machine and faded away.
Princess Cadence had been up for a while now and was listening to the various complaints and disputed of the line of crystal ponies. She heard a gasping wheezing sound and not long after an elderly grey stallion walked into the room. He walked past the line right up to her. Several ponies looked at him as he walked.
"Ah good your not busy," he said ignoring the ponies, suddenly out of nowhere several crystal guards grabbed him.
"Sir your going to have to wait your turn if you want to speak to the princess" the orange one barked into his ear.
"Unhand me!" He shouted, "I will not be roughed up by the hired help! In fact I have an important message for your princess and I must deliver it as soon as possible, relatively speaking."
"What is this message?" The orange one asked looking at him suspiciously.
The Doctor fished into his jacket and pulled out a scroll, "here it is, now if you don't mind I'm to deliver it to her personally." He walked past them and lifted the scroll to her.
"What's this about" Cadence asked.
"Oh just an important event coming up that I do t want you to miss." He said as she lifted the scroll out of his hoof. "Now I best be on my way he said walking out and disappearing behind tap corner. She heard the gasping wheezing sound again and was left ther utterly perplexed.
Twilight was walking around her new castle with her friends trying to learn the layout when the heard a gasping wheezing sound echo through the halls. Then some pony called out, "Hello is there a Princess Twilight Sparkle here?"
She called back, "we're here" as she wondered about the pony.
She saw a grey elderly pony turn a bend and smile at her, "good, I have an message for you" he said reaching into his coat and pulling out a scroll. He handed it to her. Then he looked at Spike, "Well if I had know you were here I would have brought you an invitation." He said and started to walk to where he came from.
"Why does he need an invitation?" Apple Jack asked following him.
"Oh I can't tell you that if you don't know, I'm not aloud to revile lost history unless I am." He said still walking.
"But that doesn't make any sense" Rainbow Dash said as he walked up to a blue box.
"hay Doctor Whooves has one of those!" Pinkie blurted out.
"No! He said abruptly, I'm not supposed to know. Now wait here and I'll be back." He said, and they did.
After a few moments he emerged with another scroll and handed it to Spike, don't burn it now I won't be able to give you another one like last time." He cautioned. And stepped back inside and the box faded away.
"Well who the hay was he?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Author's Note
The invitations are delivered.
Chapter 4: Discord's Story
I was relaxing on a cloud hovering over a settlement of unicorns, soon I became rather restless and lit down to begin to cause chaos. Not long after I started a young unicorn came out of one of the houses. "Stop it!" She yelled at me.
"Why would I? It's not like you're going to stop me." I mocked her.
"Watch me" she said quite confident in her power.
She shot a beam of energy at me and I easily deflected it, "My aren't you a brash little pony" I smiled and she shot another beam at me.
"I won't let you destroy our town" she said as she continued her 'onslaught' of energy beams.
I rolled my eyes "Why do you fight? You could join me or perhaps even take control of the unicorns by yourself, you don't need friends, you only need power." I said as I, for lack of a better word, discorded her.
"Get away from my apprentice, monster!" Said the elderly grey pony.
I couldn't help but laugh at the getup he was in, "Hahahaha...what are you supposed to be? Oh wait I know you're a clown, no I got it your a..."
"I am Starswirl the Bearded and I will not have you bewitching my apprentice" he said as though he was sure he was going to beat me. But then again, that was what I liked about him.
"So, another pony to challenge me? You spend a lot of time studying don't you, perhaps you should make some friends, even in your old age you need companionship." I said as I tried to 'discord' him. But to my bewilderment he was able to resist my power.
"What was that?" Swirly asked me as he shaked his head in confusion.
I stared at him in disbelief "You should be discorded."
"Well it looks like years of study turned out to be a good idea after all." He said with a small smile over this very, very small victory.
"Oh don't think that's going to save you!" I said in disgust.
The following duel wasn't much of one at all, as I turned his robes into ropes. He used his levitation magic to lift a house from it's foundation and with a pained look he threw it at me. I turned the house into a cloud and then I turned the ropes into snakes. He changed tactics and began to launch fireballs at me. I turned each one into parasprites and had the snakes constrict around him. I removed his horn and teleported on top of him. As I sat atop him I said "You know you're actually pretty fun, I'm going to let you go."
"Why, I'd think you want to destroy me. Especially considering that I'm immune to your bewitchment, monster!"
I gave him my snaggletoothed grin "I can't destroy you Swirly, you're just too much fun. I may destroy you if you start ever to bore me" I said making shadows around my face.
And so with him tangled up in the snakes I destroyed his town and made him watch as his "friends" were turned into warped forms of themselves. I had the snakes release him when I left and I went on my merry way.
He would go on to figure out how to reverse my discording. After that he would travel equestria with his little band of misfits in hopes of finding a way to beat me.
He wouldn't come close his goal till the seventh year of my reign. For that was the year he would get his biggest victory over me. That was also the year that he found the only other pony that was smart enough to match wits with old Swirly, I still curse that blue and white unicorn to this day. He looked so stupid with his red coat and his puffy shirt too.
I always enjoyed eavesdropping on their little planning sessions. And on one such planning session was where he planned to do it "I've been doing research from whatever books I could find and I think I found our salvation."
"Really" one of the pegasus asked.
"Yes, we can beat him if we use something called the Elements of Harmony, as I understand it they can be found with the Tree of Harmony. There is a catch though we need six ponies who can work together harmoniously to use them."
"Well then I guess we're doomed," An earth pony in the back said.
A pegasus glared at him for a moment, then he turned to swirly and asked."And where do we find this Tree of Harmony"
"Not a single word Starswirl" the blue unicorn interrupted as he entered the room.
"And who are you?" Swirly asked him.
"I'm..." the blue unicorn took a moment to ponder, "Cult Smith. But you do realize that Discord is listening in" Smith said pointing directly where I was hiding.
"We operate under the assumption that he's alway listening in." the pegasus told him.
"Oh well lucky for you, you have me." Smith said as he walked over and knocked his head into Swirly's so furiously that I was surprised that there horns were still on there heads.
"Ooouuuuugh! Why did you..."
"Ssshhh, lets not." Smith told him.
"But you're the D..."
"I told you to shush! Now if you'll please continue..." he trailed off.
Swirly looked at Smith like he was a mad stallion "I've learned how to find the Tree of Harmony, you see I learned that the tree will sprout wherever chaos doesn't reign."
"I see, so then we need to figure out a way to reverse Discord's influence"
"Yes Smith. If we can make a spell that can remove Discord's influence we can attract the Tree and make it sprout."
"His magic is strong it's going to take more than just one unicorn to make the transfer. In fact we may need members of all three tribes to do so" Smith said aloud.
"Exactly! I know a few channeling spells and I can teach it to other unicorns. But we'll also have to figure out how to use the power to remove the chaos. Then we can make an area large enough to attract the Tree's attention."
"But what about Discord, he could be listening in" one of the earth ponies piped up.
"So he knows our plan,that doesn't mean that we can't beat him, it just means we'll have to leave some leeway for creative problem solving." Smith said rolling his eyes, "besides he's right there anyway." He said pointing at me.
"So you've discovered my counterpart" I said becoming visible.
"You see! I told you that he was there!" Smith told them acting a bit superior, "And all we let him know is that we know how to beat him."
"But we still have to deal with him!" Swirly yelled at Smith.
"What are you worried about? If he wanted to mess with us he would have when he first arrived" Smith said.
"Aren't you a perceptive little pony, that's right I have no intention of harming any of you... right now." I gave a 'playful' grin. "You see...I want you to try to beat me and I will enjoy seeing the look on your faces when you fail horribly!" I began to cackle as I flashed out of sight. I imagine they thought that I was still there but in reality I went to go mess with some other ponies in Cloud City, which would become Cloudsdale for those of us who are to young to know that.
I spent a good six months away just waiting for them to make their move. I almost was going to go back and torment them when I felt a huge burst of magical energy coming from the center of Equestria. I teleported to the source of the disturbance only to find that Smith and several other ponies were undoing my chaos, I quickly put two and two together and realized that they were trying to give my enemy a place to sprout.
"Just what do you think you're doing Smithy it took you six months to come up with this contrived little ritual to banish my magic?" I said as I easily reversed his spell with a snap.
"If the best you can do is create a small...Where's Swirly!?" I hadn't noticed that he wasn't here and I grew enraged, "You tried to trick me! Ha! You'll tell me where he is or I'll destroy you!"
"I don't fear you!" Smith announced to me.
"I know. But I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the others" I said as his eyes went wide. "Now, my little ponies mind telling me where he's hiding" I leaned in and my eyes began to swirl.
"He's in the dark..."
"No! Stop you foal!" Smith yelled at the unicorn that was telling me.
"Quiet him!" I told the other ponies and they piled on top of Smith preventing him from being able to talk.
The pony on top told me "He's in the dark forest performing a more elaborate ritual in hopes of attracting the tree."
I quickly teleported above the forest and searched for any sign of harmony, I found it in a cave. In that cave there was another gathering of ponies and at the front was Swirly, "So your great plan was to distract me with a small group of weak ponies desperately trying to make a place for the tree. All the while you would summon it in here, what kind of foal do you think I am?!"
"Well I had hoped..."
"You hoped! You hoped! It took you six months to come up with pathetic plan! I had expected great trickery, with false leads and fake outs! I gave you six months and you wasted it on hope!" I was furious.
Swirly walked out of the spell circle the ponies had formed and said two words, "no".
"No! No! You dare to bore me!" I flew into a rage and I started to throw bricks. But he put up a shield and protected the circle. I ripped him away from them and brought him close to me, as I looked into his eyes and made my eyes swirl.
"Your power doesn't work on me!" He yelled as I began to reach into his mind. It was hard at first but after I broke all of his mental walls I could see every one of his memories. Most of them were boring, mostly in a library studying or him teaching his apprentice. It was then that I learned his real plan, he had planned to make me mad and it had worked.
I turned towards the circle of ponies just in time for a blast of harmonious energy to knock me over as the ponies completed the spell. I nearly passed out from the harmonious energy but I managed to look up at my age old enemy, the Tree of Harmony. "How did you do this?" I asked turning towards Swirly.
"You didn't break all my walls, how could you, some of them have been up for my entire life, and Smith helped me make them stronger. Sure, I wasn't able to keep all of the plan from you" He coughed "But I was able to keep the part of the plan where I wasn't at all necessary for the spell to clear a spot for the Tree." Swirly said getting up on his hooves.
"But you always cast the spell" I said in disbelief.
"You wanted trickery and with Smith's help I delivered." Swirly said grinning at his victory.
"You did it! You beat me! I'm impressed..." My rage grew "and furious!" I snapped my talons and sent all of the ponies away. "You were supposed to stay gone!" I yelled at the Tree. "How dare you come back! However you know exactly what I'm going to do to you" I said as I poured my chaos into the surrounding area. I made it impossible for anypony to ever get near the Tree...or so I thought.
For the next three years I kept a close eye on Starswirl's little band so they would never find anypony who could come close to bearing even one of the Elements of Harmony. Of course I was so focused on preventing him from doing anything that I didn't notice two Alicorn's nab the Elements from the Tree.
"So after that did discord Smith? Seeing how Starswirl the Bearded credited him with helping in the plan." Twilight asked and the Doctor tugged at his collar.
"No, I never saw him after he helped Swirly bring the Tree into this world." Discord answered.
"Well it's not often that we hear stories about a failure from one of us." Celestia said. There was silence for several moments.
"So...Who wants to go next?" Luna asked.
"Well...I say we let the Princess of the Sun go next, or maybe we could learn of your exploits on the moon, or even hear of Cadences days in power over the Crystal Empire. Oh wait, maybe Twilight would like to tell you of the little paradox she caused. Or even..." The Doctor rattled on.
"I will go." Celestia announced saving the all from the Doctors ramblings.
"Good do you want to wear the helmet or are you going to provide the pictures?"
"Yes please" She answered as she levitated the helmet onto her head and the Doctor turned the memory weave on.
"About one hundred years into my solitary reign over Equestria an age old enemy of alicorns reared their heads, I speak of the Trio..."
Author's Note
Here's the first of the stories. Hope it keeps you around.
