A Paradox of Sabotage and Regret

Waking up with a start, Twilight was startled by the last thing she remembered. Flames. Lookign around, and at herself, she saw nothing scorched, nor her own coat or body scorched. Standing up with a sigh of relief, she looked around for the circle of time she had created.

"Ok, that wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a controllable vessel. It wasn't. Something went wrong."

Feeling a slight warmth around her leg, she looked down to spot a small fox curled around her hoof. It sniffed at the ground around it's small body, then stared forward.

"Uhm, hey there little guy...er...gal?"

The fox looked up at Twilight then back forward, shaking it's head as it sneezed. The sneeze was cuit but the results of the sneeze were nto. A blast of small flames came fromt he fox, scaring Twilight.

"What creature are you?!", she cowered.

It let go of her hoof then stood tall, staring at Twilight. Climbing up her right foreleg, it quickly assumed a position atop her head.

"You're...not really dangerous are you?"

Giving a small yip, the fox huffed, giving off a small flare of fire.

"Thats so amazing. You're a fox, but, you breathe fire."

Laying down, Twilight let the fox off of her head, then looked down at it.

"What else can you do?"

As if answering her, it assumed a hostile stance, sticking it's hair up. After a few seconds, it's coat seemed to blaze intensely. Backing away fromt eh fox, Twilight ran into something big, and turnign around she was releaved.

"Back away slowly, miss!", the stallion warned.

"Why?"

"It's a fire fox! they're deadly!"

"Wait a minute. If it's so deadly, then why am Is till alive?"

"Because you haven't provoked it! Now it's clearly mad!"

Standing between the fox and the stallion Twilight sat down.

"Well, it seemed quite fine till you came along."

"Wh-what?! They attack anythign bigger than them, and they don't get much bigger than a mouse!"

"Well, seems you're wrong. Why don't you stop being so loud, and calm down? Maybe the "fire fox" will calm down too."

Grumbling the stallion sat down, "Fine, I'm quiet, I'm calm..Now what?"

The fox calmed down, but didn't stop watching the stallion as it climbed up Twilight's back to her shoulders, where it stared at the stallion like he were a predator to the dangerous creature.

"It's taunting me, yeah, definitely taunting me..."

"We've just met and you're already making a bad impression."

"What makes you think that we're even going to become any closer than acquaintances, miss?"

"Because you never know when a new friendship starts. And my name is Twi- I mean, Star Shine. My name is Star Shine."

"I'm Red Hoof. I've been trying to decide what I'm going to do for the rest of my life, but still no luck."

"What do you liek to do?"

"Well, I like to work. Not paperwork like the bank does, hard work that would be seen when a pony paves a road or something."

"What about farming?"

"Huh..."

Another image flashed in ehr head, something changeing which deeply affected what happened in the beginning of her friendship in Ponyville.

"Are you okay miss, I mean, Star Shine?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Actually, on second thought, I'm not one to make good decisions fo others at all, maybe you should follow up on what you like to do most, start looking there, see what you like the most."

"Maybe you're right. I shouldn't rush it."

Her head stopped throbbing, her new memories reverting to old memories. It was relief to her.

"Well, I have to get going.", Twilight stood up, the fox climbing to her head again.

"Well, I have to get back to...my business, I'll say. I thank you for the advice though. And be careful with that fire fox. They can burn down entire castles."

"I will, but as long as he's not provoked, he won't hurt anyone, now would he? Er...Is it a she?"

"He. You can tell by how their tail looks."

As Twilgith began walking, she finally noticed the forest around her, and the clearing she was in, as well as a few other things, like the small camp on the other end of the clearing.

"Wait, where am I?"

"You're in the middle of nowhere in the Everfree Forest."

"But...Where is Ponyville?"

"Who?"

"Oh, thats right. allow me to make more sense of this. I'm clearly a unicorn and I'm not in Canterlot, can you help me go in the right direction atleast?"

"Canterlot? Oh, you mean that new castle that was built just recently by Princess Platinum, and Commander Hurricane. They said something about Canter, but I thought of something different, whatever. It's plain as day, you can see it if you get high enough."

"Where is the nearest...settlement?"

"That would be a few miles north, and even then, they're in the air, on a cloud. Called it cloudsdale, the mayor said."

"I know of both, but I haven't been here so early int heir creation before."

"What?"

"Just point me in a direction towards either of em."

"Well...", the stallion thought, pointing to his left, then in another direction upward with his other hoof.

Canterlot and Cloudsdale. Know any Pegasi?"

"Not now, I don't."

"I don't quite understand."

"Listen, there are some things I can't tell anyone, you're no exception."

Galloping off towards the direction of Canterlot, Twilight passed several clearings befroe she realized soemthing.

The year.

Canterlot and Cloudsdale are just being created. Ponyville Would follow shortly after. Which means...

"The castle of the Royal Sisters must still be standing!"

Turnign around, Twilgiht began running in the direction which should be to the path to the ancient castle, and sure enough, found it. Continuing down the path, she soon came to a few familiar places, then soon, she was at the moat which surrounded the castle. Though, she remembered it as a large chasm with a rickety old bridge over it.

"Finally! Maybe I can get some help!"

Approaching the heavily guarded castle, Twilight stopped at the entrance in front of the two guards, both staring onwards.

"Excuse me, is this the castle of the royal pony sisters?"

"Affirmative, state your business."

Thinking deeply to her historical studies, Twilight came up with somethign perfect.

"Star Swirl the Bearded is in, no?"

"How do you know of the great wizard and his private meeting with the King and Queen?"

"I am his assistant."

Both guards looked at one another, then opened the doors for Twilight, who ran in, the doors closing behind her. Remembering the lay out of the castle from the ruins, she ran through the bottom floor room, stopping just outside of the throne room. The doors swung open slowly and Star Swirl stepped out, a smile on his face.

"Star Swil the Bearded!", Twilgith began.

"Ah, this is very unsatisfactory. I had told the guards not to let anyone in."

"Well, I have something that you must know, and only you."

"Well, aren'y you atleast going to tell me your name?"

The doors behind closed with a creaking sound.

"It's Star Shine."

"You're lying to me, I don't like when ponies lie to me."

Casting a spell on twilight, Star Swirl repeated hsi question, "What is your name?"

"Twilgith Sparkle. Wait...You cast a truth spell on me."

"Smart mare."

"Well, I'm here under the impression of your assistant."

"Well, if you want to even have that title, then give me a good reason. If not, I call the guards."

"I have a perfect reason. I need your help with magic."

"I don't help with petty magic, dear. guards!"

"No, this isn't normal magic. I just survived a trek through over two thousand and five hundred years of time travel to get here."

The guards entered, each ready for anything.

"Well, you are quite interesting, but..."

Turning to the guard, Star Swirl smiled.

"Take this mare away. To my quarters. And make sure that she gets an attire for the galloping gala tonight."

Twilgith smiled but then realized something that she should have earlier. She'd be under his wing, under his care. While she was particularly excited that the Star swirl the Bearded was taking her as his student, she wouldn't be able to keep the time stream and the future, a secret.

Nonetheless, she followed the two guards,