Chapters Twilight Sparkle thought she could move past it, but she just couldn’t.
I mean, Pinkie Sense is one thing, but how in the hay…?
She furrowed her brow and sighed. It was the middle of the night – early morning, really – and she hadn’t slept at all. Yesterday, she and Rainbow Dash had reminisced about Pinkie’s birthday a few years ago, when they had been trying to throw her a surprise party. Rainbow had laughed as she recounted fleeing from Pinkie as fast as she could, only to find her already waiting in the spots she’d choose to hide, no matter how remote or inaccessible to earth ponies. Twilight had not known of this part, however, and was in logic shock – an all too common occurrence for her since she moved to Ponyville. Such a thing made no sense, even by magic standards.
An earth pony, even one as… interesting as Pinkie Pie, simply should not have the ability to travel that fast. She couldn’t have been flying, or teleporting… That’s it; I have to go see her tomorrow. I need to figure this out! “Aaaaugh!” Twilight groaned in frustration.
“Aaaaugh!” Spike responded. “Oh man, I was having the best dream! Sapphires and emeralds everywhere… Thanks a lot, Twilight.” He rolled over, attempting to mumble himself back into his dream. “Nnn… rubiiiies…”
“Sorry, Spike,” Twilight said flatly. “I’m gonna figure you out, Pinkie Pie… mark my words...”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sugarcube Corner was practically deserted for the middle of the afternoon. Pinkie Pie was working the counter. She gave a young pegasus the chocolate chip cookie she asked for. “That’ll be one bit, Whisper Wing! Thank you! Enjoy, I know I will!” With that, she scarfed five of the cookies at once.
Twilight Sparkle burst in suddenly and shouted “All right Pinkie Pie, I want some answers!”
“Mm kfthh bthh thmdm!” Pinkie beamed, cookie bits flying out of her mouth. Twilight gave her a look indicating she was not impressed. Pinkie quickly swallowed. “Sorry!” She giggled. “What answers do you need, Twilight?”
Twilight scooted right up and stared into Pinkie’s bright blue eyes. “I need you to tell me how you… how you… well, how you can possibly do any of the things you do!”
Pinkie giggled again. “Oh, Twilight. We already talked about my Pinkie Sense, remember? You were following me around all day and you said ‘You don’t make any sense, Pinkie Pie!’ and then I was all ‘But Twilight, you just don’t get it!’ and then YOU said-“
“I REMEMBER, Pinkie!”
“Good! I’m glad your memory came back, Twilight. La lala lala…” she started to bounce off, but Twilight nabbed her tail with her magic and stopped her.
“That’s NOT what I meant. I understand your Pinkie Sense. Or, actually I don’t… Whatever! The point is…” She closed her eyes and her horn glowed, and suddenly she and Pinkie Pie were up in Pinkie’s room. Gummy paused his dedicated chewing of a knotted bit of rope that looked like it was intended for dogs, but only momentarily.
“The point is that I know you’re hiding something, something that explains everything about you!” Twilight realized from Pinkie’s expression that she was pressing a little too hard, and she turned away. “Look, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been losing sleep over this. Rainbow Dash…” She faced Pinkie Pie again, who still wore a look of confusion. “Rainbow Dash told me about a time she tried to run from you, but you always knew where she was headed and you beat her there every time. This is Rainbow Dash we’re talking about… Pinkie Pie, please, I have to know…”
Pinkie had been ready to lightheartedly brush off Twilight’s question again, but somehow the sincerity of it all cracked her façade. Twilight was too smart; she couldn’t hide it forever. Now seemed as good a time as there would ever be.
Pinkie Pie sighed a long sigh. The silence was deafening. When at last Pinkie spoke, it was very unlike her natural tone – slow, low, and calculated.
“Twilight… do you ever get the feeling that none of this is real? Like, it’s all a dream?”
“Pinkie Pie, I don’t-“
“When I was young… hah, I’ve never told anyone this… when I first moved away from my parents and came to Ponyville, on the way, something happened to me. Something that changed my life… changed me, forever.”
Twilight was silent.
“I was walking down a path, when I spotted a tall rock. I thought it would be fun to climb up on top of it, but when I tried… Twilight, when I tried my hoof went right through it. Like it wasn’t there at all. But that’s not the worst part.” She turned to face Twilight, her eyes starting to brim with tears. “The worst part is that it disappeared. It disappeared, Twilight! My hoof went through it and then it was gone. I thought I was going crazy.” She started to approach Twilight, who was still speechless and more than a little unsettled about how Pinkie was acting. “But other… things kept happening. I saw a butterfly go right through a tree. I saw a bird whose head was floating next to its body, and it was flying around like nothing was wrong.”
“Pinkie Pie, if this is some kind of joke, it’s not-“
“IT’S NOT A JOKE!” Pinkie’s nostrils flared. She closed her eyes for a moment and calmed herself. “It’s not a joke, and I can prove it.”
Applejack had just finished dumping today’s harvest into barrels to be taken to the market the next day. She took a quick look around before letting loose a tremendous yawn. “Hoo-ey! What a day.”
Suddenly, she spotted two familiar colors at the edge of the orchard. It appeared as though Pinkie Pie and Twilight were coming to visit. Applejack was more than ready for a familiar face after a long day of applebucking, but her friends didn’t seem to be approaching the barn. Instead they turned off the path and headed toward a remote corner of the orchard.
“What in tarnation…?” Applejack was tired, but this strange behavior piqued her interest. She wouldn’t put a prank past Pinkie Pie any day of the week, but Twilight’s presence on this late night excursion didn’t make much sense. Applejack made up her mind to check things out – not that she didn’t trust her friends, but what in Equestria were they doing here if not coming to visit? She adjusted her hat and trotted off in the direction her friends were headed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Twilight had some doubts about Pinkie’s story – very strong doubts, in fact. They ran through her head as she ran behind Pinkie Pie through Sweet Apple Acres, but she elected to keep them to herself for now.
“This way! No…. this way!” Pinkie was taking them on a zigzag path through the trees, and Twilight was losing patience. They were nearly at the edge of the Sweet Apple Acres property. The farmhouse and barn were rather distant and barely visible over the trees and hills.
“Pinkie Pie…”
Pinkie stopped suddenly, skidding to a stop as if at the edge of a cliff. “This is it…!” Pinkie whispered in awe. Her eyes threatened tears again, wide with apprehension as she cautiously approached one of the myriad apple trees. She gave Twilight a very serious look, one that would have been comical on any other occasion. “Please come here, Twilight…”
“Pinkie, you’re kinda creeping me out...” Twilight forced a nervous laugh. “It’s just a tree…”
“Please.” Her voice was barely audible.
Twilight held back a sigh and came to sit next to Pinkie.
A moment later, any ideas she had about this being some elaborate practical joke vanished. Pinkie had tremblingly raised her front left hoof and pressed it to the tree… but it didn’t stop. Her hoof phased through it like it was merely a trick of the light that a tree was there at all. She quickly retracted it and fell backwards, then gave Twilight another serious look. Twilight didn’t see it, however, as her eyes were locked onto the apple tree. She crept toward it, her face a picture of horror and confusion.
The two ponies didn’t hear the rustling behind them. Applejack was hiding behind a tree a few rows back. She couldn’t believe what she had just seen. It had obviously been an illusion, probably caused by the dim moonlight. She had been planning to leap out and catch them in the act of whatever they were up to, but this…
Before she knew what she was doing, Applejack was sprinting back to the farmhouse. “Nope… just been workin’ too hard today, is all. You’re workin’ too hard and seein’ things, Applejack…” Once inside she ran straight to her bedroom and jumped into bed. She forced thoughts of what she had just seen out of her head, convinced herself she hadn’t seen it after all. Before long, blissful sleep found her.
Pinkie Pie and Twilight were still sitting outside. Pinkie had stood up and was now watching Twilight expectantly, who was still focused on the tree. Twilight circled the tree a few times, glaring at it intently, occasionally looking back at Pinkie, who gave her nothing. She used her magic to pull an apple from the tree, and after careful inspection, took a bite. It seemed normal. Twilight eventually grunted and charged the tree, throwing her legs behind her to give it a solid bucking. She sailed right through the tree and was skidding through the grass on her tummy and chin a moment later. After a minute of Pinkie looking at her sadly, Twilight began to cackle crazily. “This isn’t possible! I must be dreaming.”
Twilight suddenly shot up straight and ran to Pinkie. “It’s a dream! You’re a dream! Wake up, Twilight. Wake UP!” She conked herself on the head with her hoof. “OW!”
Pinkie gave her a long, tight hug. At length she whispered, “You’ve always been dreaming, Twilight. Now… you’re awake.”
The three days that had passed since the night at Sweet Apple Acres had been the longest of Twilight’s life. She had decided to follow Pinkie’s lead and pretend like everything was completely normal, but it turned out to be a lot more difficult than she had anticipated. Even after what she had seen, she still wasn’t completely convinced – or at least, she wasn’t ready to be. There just had to be an explanation for it, and she thought she knew where to find it.
“Spike…”
At the sound of his name, Spike came running. “What is it, Twilight?”
Twilight hesitated. “I’m leaving in the morning… for Canterlot. I’ll be gone for a few days.”
“What about?” Spike asked innocently.
A baby dragon doesn’t need this burden, especially when I don’t have any answers to give.
“I… want to do some research on strengthening telekinetic magic. The books here don’t really cover it as completely as I’d hoped, sooo... I’m off to the Canterlot Archives.” Twilight smiled wearily, in what she dearly hoped was a sincere manner.
Spike appeared to buy it. “That’s fine. I’ve been meaning to catch up with Rarity, anyway.” He looked up at the skylight, a dreamy look in his eyes.
This time she didn’t have to force a genuine smile. She laughed and scratched his head with her hoof. “I think it’s time for bed, my little Casanova.”
Spike yawned in agreement, as if on cue. “Good call. G’night, Twilight.”
“Good night, Spike.” As she watched him climb the stairs to the library’s loft, her face fell. Going into the Everfree Forest alone was definitely not the smartest decision – she’d barely made it back last time – but there’s no way she could ask anypony to come with her. Not even Pinkie Pie. Twilight could never forgive herself if she was responsible for one of her friends being hurt, or worse. If she was very careful, though, she doubted there would be any obstacles she couldn’t overcome with a little brainpower and a little magic.
Twilight’s thoughts buzzed in her head like a hive, and it took some time to calm them and earnestly try to fall asleep. Eventually the tempestuous seas of her mind calmed. For the last time, Twilight fell into a deep sleep in her bed at the Ponyville library.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Applejack was meandering through the orchard as the sun went down. Applebloom was off playing with her friends somewhere, and the day’s work was done. AJ had been working all week and had earned a day off to relax, and it started only minutes ago when she shut the barn door.
Time to relax,AJ… She grinned and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. But all she could see in her mind’s eye was Pinkie’s hoof going right through that tree. She got the sudden feeling she was being watched and flung her eyes open. All alone, of course.
Applejack found herself moving toward the spot where she had seen… thought she had seen that strange incident. Outwardly she laughed at herself for even bothering, but she had to know. She swallowed hard as the tree came into view, no different from the rest save for that one thing.
Yeah, maybe.
“I ain’t afraid!” She yelled to no one in particular before charging the tree like Twilight had. She flung her strong back hooves out in front of her, and… THNK! Her hooves connected solidly with the tree bark, chipping a bit off and knocking half a dozen apples to the ground.
Applejack smiled knowingly, finally shaking off the nervous feeling that had plagued her since she started her walk. She picked up an apple with her teeth and munched it.
“Just as I thought, ‘tweren’t nothin’ but a trick o’ the light.” Applejack strolled back to the house, confident and beaming. As she turned her back, she never noticed one of the apples had rolled against the tree and disappeared soundlessly into it.
“Yep. Just a trick.”
The stars were still out in full effect when Twilight awoke. After a few moments she remembered the grim task she had assigned herself. She climbed out of bed and yawned mightily as she magic-grabbed her saddlebags and made her way downstairs.
She would need a few choice books. Creepy Creatures and Enigmatic Entities might come in handy, she figured. While retrieving So You Want to Be a Hydra Tamer, however, she bumped a precarious shelf of books with the surprisingly large tome and every book on it came crashing to the floor. It was so loud that Twilight froze up and squeezed her eyes shut, heart racing, waiting for Spike to wake and catch her. Her imagination ran wild as she tried to remember what she had told him she was doing, but panic had set in, she was drawing blanks.
Seconds passed like hours as she waited. At long last the rip roar of a baby dragon snore graced her ears. Twilight had never been so grateful that Spike was a heavy sleeper. She carefully put her books into her bag, adding a few apples before silently making her exit.
When the library’s front door had latched, Twilight let out a long, slow breath. A look of determination crossed her face as she looked out at where the edge of the Everfree Forest met the land around Fluttershy’s cabin. She didn’t want to risk upsetting any of the animals in that area, so she’d have to pick another angle of approach.
No one else was on the streets of Ponyville at this hour. Twilight’s thoughts turned to Princess Luna as she navigated Ponyville alone. The night really was so beautiful; how it must have pained Luna to see her efforts go all but unnoticed for so long. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt a sudden surge of empathy for the Luna of that ancient day when she became Nightmare Moon. Twilight wondered how much control Luna really had over her transformation and her actions afterward. She wondered what she would have done in the same situation, and quickly elected not to think about it anymore. Her focus had to remain on the task at hand.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Pinkie Pie shivered a little as she sat on the cold stone floor. She had been trying to count the fireflies she could see from the balcony. By the time she had counted 941, she started to get sleepy and bored. The cold and her sense of purpose kept her awake, however, and she dutifully started over at one.
After counting to 639, she got bored again. “Come on, Twilight, where are you? It doesn’t take THAT long to get out here, sheesh!” With an indignant sigh, she started her firefly counting again. “One, two, three, four… no wait, you were two. Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven…”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Fluttershy?” Rarity called sweetly to Fluttershy’s front door as she gingerly gave it a knock. “Are you home, darling?”
The door opened after a moment of shuffling from within. “Oh, hello Rarity! What brings you all the way to my cabin?” Fluttershy smiled broadly.
“I hope you don’t mind if I come in? The wind today has been dreadful to my coiffure.”
“Of course! Can I get you anything? Some fresh lettuce?” Fluttershy stepped aside to let her friend in.
“Oh I couldn’t, darling. Fluttershy, have you seen Twilight today? I went to visit her and both she and Spike were nowhere to be found. Nopony I’ve spoken to has seen either of them.”
“Um… no, I’m sorry, I haven’t.” Fluttershy looked at the ground sheepishly, as if it were her fault. “I’ve been spending all day with Angel. The poor thing’s come down with a summer cold.” A rapid succession of bunny sneezes came from the other room.
“Then I shan’t keep you another minute. You’ll tell me if you hear from her, won’t you?”
“Absolutely. Have a good day, Rarity!” Fluttershy gave another wide grin as she walked Rarity to the door.
“Toodle-loo, Fluttershy!”
As soon as the door was shut, Fluttershy sank to the floor, her knees finally giving out. She began to sob quietly. Angel bounced over to her and consoled her with a paw on her knee. She reached out suddenly and took him into a huge hug, the tightness of which he could just barely tolerate.
Pinkie Pie walked out from the room where Angel had just been. “Wow. Talk about bad timing, huh?”
Fluttershy gave no response but more tears.
Pinkie Pie mustered her brightest smile. “It’ll be okay, Fluttershy! I Pinkie Promise we’re gonna save them all.”
More sobbing, but finally a reply. “Cross your heart and hope to fly?”
“Stick a cupcake in my eye!” Pinkie did the gesture, and her heart warmed when it coaxed a giggle from the pegasus. “Just do what we discussed and everything will definitely, definitely work out. Okay?”
“Okay, Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy sniffed. “I’ll do it.”
Spike awoke with a long, luxurious yawn. He scratched at the scales on his back and sleepily shuffled over to the window. He yawned again, taking in the beautiful sunrise. Even at this early hour the sun was strong enough to warm his scales, and he smiled.
Suddenly he remembered his conversation with Twilight the night before. “Hey Twilight, you awake?”
There was no response, so he walked over to her bed, only to find it empty. Her saddlebags were missing as well.
“Huh, she must’ve gotten up already. Twiiiiliiiight!” He called as he descended to the library. He stopped dead in his tracks upon finding the overturned shelf and the pile of books it now rested upon in the middle of the floor. “This pony…” he sighed, walking to the shelf. Spike rubbed his claws together and pushed with all his might, but the shelf was far too heavy for him to even budge. After a few more attempts, he decided this would be a job better suited for future Spike. “How did this not wake me up?”
A thought crossed his mind suddenly. Perhaps Twilight was still at the train station and he could see her off! He felt a little insulted that she didn’t wake him up to say goodbye, but opted to cut her some slack given what he had just slept through. Putting the bookcase matter aside for now, Spike hurried out of the library and headed toward the Ponyville train station.
There was practically nopony on the street this early in the morning, save for a few elderly ponies who regularly rose with the sun and a couple young fillies who were on their way to school. Spike did not consider himself to be a morning dragon, and as such found it difficult to be conversational with the occasional pony who said hello. He simply soldiered on in a half-asleep daze peppered with yawns until he finally reached the train station.
Spike approached the yellow earth pony standing behind the counter. “Hi there. Can you tell me if Twilight Sparkle’s train has left yet?”
The attendant gave him a blank stare.
“Purple unicorn? Straight cut bangs? A little uptight? Stars for a cutie mark? Element of Magic?”
“Ain’t seen nopony like that today, kid.”
“Well… can you at least tell me if the train to Canterlot has left yet?”
“Nope. But we’re gonna have trains runnin’ to Canterlot all morning. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” The attendant closed the blinder on the counter, revealing a sign that read ON BREAK.
Spike facepalmed. “Thanks for the help.” He slumped away, looking around carefully for Twilight. She was nowhere to be found, and nopony he asked had seen a trace of her at the station. Wracking his brain for an explanation, he figured she had made an extra stop before coming, and once again felt insulted that he, her number one assistant, was not clued in to this errand. Spike elected to simply sit and wait for her to show up.
After about two hours of waiting and roasting rocks out of sheer boredom, Spike heard a conductor shout “All aboard the last train for Canterlot! All aboard!”
If Twilight hadn’t shown up yet, this would be her last chance. Certainly someone as organized and punctual as Twilight wouldn’t miss the train completely. Spike ran over to observe the ponies boarding the train. She was not among them.
As the last pony boarded the train and he heard the ponies in the front of the train call for locomotion, Spike grew more confused and exasperated than ever. “Where in Equestria are you, Twilight?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The long, decrepit hoofbridge Twilight and her friends had crossed to reach the Elements of Harmony was still intact as far as she could tell, but she decided to reinforce it with a telekinetic hold as she crossed, just in case. As she cautiously made her way to the other side, she noticed a glow coming from above her. What must have been thousands upon thousands of fireflies floated above her in their lazy swarming circles; each tiny bioluminescent light fading for a moment, only to relight again the next. They flickered above her, and from where Twilight stood, it seemed as though half the stars in the sky were suddenly alive and swirling about in the cosmic dark. She enjoyed a quiet moment of reflection at the sight before remembering how much attention her hoof placement required.
When she at last reached solid ground again, she regained her purposeful composure and pressed onward. As she passed through the twisted, overgrown trees, Twilight almost thought she could hear a voice on the wind, blowing coldly from the direction of the ruins. Her heart raced a bit, and she pushed the idea aside. Nopony in their right mind would be out here, right? She couldn’t help but immediately laugh at the irony of such a thought.
She was very near the old ruins now, and could see the ancient granite stairs, still leading up to the entrance hall. A voice on the wind again, but this time there was something familiar about it. Twilight couldn’t make out what the voice was saying, but it was very repetitive, and female… and rather high pitched…
It couldn’t be.
Twilight broke into a full run, tearing her way up the stairs and into the ruins. The voice continued as Twilight ran, becoming more and more clear as she made her way through the stony halls and around the debris and collapsed columns. She caught a glimpse of the stars and ran out onto a balcony.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting here?!”
Twilight spun around frantically, her heart leaping out of her chest. Now face to face with Pinkie Pie, Twilight’s mind was blank. She was trying to process what was happening and it wasn’t working.
“I… I don’t-“
“I’ll TELL you how long! I’ve been passing the time counting fireflies, and now, thanks to you, I’m a little hoarse!”
Pinkie could only hold an angry glare at Twilight a moment longer before bursting into a smile. “Get it? Little hoarse?! HAHAHAHA!!” Pinkie exploded with laughter, startling Twilight just as much as her initial appearance. “Come on, nothing?” She laughed again and elbowed Twilight’s ribs, which finally seemed to snap the unicorn out of it.
“Pinkie Pie, how did you know I was going to come here?” Twilight demanded.
“Because you asked me to meet you here, duh!”
“I did NOT! I didn’t tell anyone, especially you!”
“Oh, that’s right. You haven’t done any of this yet.”
“I… wha…”
Pinkie put a hoof up to Twilight’s mouth. “Don’t worry, Twilight, I’ll explain everything.”
Much to Twilight’s surprise, Pinkie actually proceeded to sit down and take a deep breath. Twilight joined her.
“Okay, Twilight, here’s the deal. Equestria… that is, where we are right now… this Equestria isn’t real. Everything we-”
“What do you mean it isn’t real? How could you possibly know something like that?”
“Remember the tree I showed you?”
Twilight nodded solemnly. She figured she would remember that tree as long as she lived.
“That tree is what I call a glitch. See, I found out that there are places in… in this Equestria, that you can-“
“You keep saying ‘this Equestria’, but what does that mean?!”
“I’m getting to that, Ms. Interrupty! There are places in Equestria that are…different, like that tree. Some of them are a lot more different… too different. I don’t use those places. But some of them are okay, like the tree. That one seems stable. Hah, stable!” She giggled with a snort and continued. “Anyway, you can use these places like a box to store toys in, or you can go into them and come out someplace else. It’s actually pretty fun!”
“You mean you… go into these ‘places’, as you call them, and they move you around all over Ponyville?” Twilight could not hide her skepticism, even after everything she’d seen. This was all just too strange, even for Pinkie Pie. “I think I’d like to get to the bottom of this.”
“Are you crazy?! This balcony is too high up, you’d never make it!”
Twilight pressed a hoof to her forehead. “I think I’m getting a headache.”
Pinkie ignored her comment and went on speaking. “I’ve noticed that not everypony can interact with the glitches the way I can, and I’m not really sure why. I saw you go through the tree just like I did, but to Applejack it’s just a regular tree.”
“How could you possibly know that? Did you watch her?”
“Yes. Well… no. Not yet.” Pinkie saw the look on Twilight’s face and frowned. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I know this must all be very confusing.”
“You’ve got that right, but I expected no less from you, Pinkie Pie.”
Once again Pinkie ignored the comment, and a sly smile crossed her face. “Want me to show you how it works?”
“Um…”
Pinkie lurched out and tackled Twilight, tumbling them both over the side of the balcony. Pinkie’s laughter and Twilight’s scream were cut short by a quiet zap as they vanished into thin air. Above the balcony, countless fireflies drifted noiselessly, and the winds blew through the old halls like they had for centuries.
“Toodle-loo, Fluttershy!” Rarity called sweetly, trotting down the path back toward Ponyville. Poor Fluttershy was stuck nursing her pet rabbit all day, and Twilight was nowhere to be found. Who was she going to get to give her opinions on a possible new fashion line? Rainbow Dash couldn’t be bothered, and the same surely went double for Applejack. Rarity was in the middle of a melodramatic sigh, when a sudden scream and the sound of laughter from a nearby bush made her scream as well, recoiling in horror from the noisy bush.
After a moment she peeked from between her hooves to see none other than Twilight, clumsily climbing out of the bush in a frenzy, her mane an absolute mess, with Pinkie Pie happily trailing behind her.
“GIRLS! Why would you scare me like that?! And, uh… what were you doing in that bush? Ah, nevermind! Forget I ever asked! I’ll… catch up with you later, Twilight Sparkle.” Rarity blushed hard and left in a hurry before Twilight could get a word in, not that she had much of an explanation to offer.
“Bye, Rarity!” Pinkie shouted cheerfully. Rarity kept on moving, and appeared to speed up a little.
Twilight spun around furiously, clearly a little unsettled. “What in the hay was that?! You could’ve gotten us killed!”
“No way! I know what I’m doing, Twilight.”
“Oh, definitely.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Wait a minute…” Twilight looked around at her surroundings. “Rarity… Fluttershy’s cabin… We were just in the Everfree Forest! What did you do? What did I do?” Twilight started to get that unhinged look in her eyes again. “We can’t be here, because we were there. This isn’t possible. What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything, Twilight! I just used one of those places I told you about!”
“So they’re… they’re like portals?”
“Sort of, but you don’t just move from place to place.”
“What…. What do you mean?”
“Well, you know how time and space are… tied to each other? And… you know how you found that spell that lets you travel through time?”
Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. She already knew where this was headed.
“When you use the pla- the portals, you don’t just move through space. You move through time, too. That’s how I always found Rainbow Dash that day. I just found her, then went back in time and hid in the spot she was headed to. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.”
Twilight felt like it was a good time to sit down. “So this is… the past? Or the future?”
Pinkie licked her hoof on one side and held it up in the wind, then sniffed the air a bit. “Hmm… definitely the past. I’d say about two hours, maybe three.”
“How long does it last? I mean, how long do we have here in the past?”
“Oh, we stay here. Unless we go through another one. Otherwise stuff happens like it normally would.” Pinkie flashed Twilight another devilish smile. “Or, if you wanna change something…?”
“But you can’t change the future, I tried! I did… did everything I could…” Twilight felt a cold sweat coming over her, and her heart began to race.
“Pfft! I do it all the time. How do you think I knew how to get rid of the parasprites? THAT took plenty of tries to get right, let me tell you!” She punctuated each of the last four words with a hoof press to Twilight’s chest. “Um, are you feeling okay?”
“Plenty of… ugh…” Twilight’s vision began to go white, and she collapsed to the ground. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness was Pinkie shouting her name. She dreamt of soaring through white clouds against a bright sapphire sky.
The wind blew gently through a nearby window, carrying with it a faint scent of flowers. Twilight was starting to wake up. She kept her eyes closed and breathed slowly, embracing the simple momentary bliss one experiences when waking up naturally to a pleasant smell. Although she was lying still, her head felt like she was spinning in circles, and this soon led to her stomach garnering a similar feeling. Suddenly the flowery smell made her feel sick in a sense she was not awake enough to handle properly. She held her eyes closed as she let her upper body slump off the bed and onto the floor, groaning. No sooner had she met the floor than she remembered what she had been up to before this nap and her sickness finally manifested itself in an unpleasant manner.
“Oh no, you poor thing!” Fluttershy’s voice made Twilight groggily open her eyes. Her pegasus friend was already after her mess with a wet rag between her hooves. Twilight let her eyes close again and groaned again what she hoped would serve as both a thank you and an apology.
“Let’s get you out of this mess. There, there, you’ll feel much better now. Um… Pinkie Pie, would you please help me with Twilight again?”
“Sure thing, Fluttershy!”
Within seconds, Pinkie and Fluttershy were each under one of Twilight’s forelegs and pulling her back up into bed. Twilight cracked one eye to look at Pinkie Pie, who only winked at Twilight. Twilight pressed her eyelids shut and groaned loudly.
“Oh Twilight, you must be very sick!” Fluttershy was extremely concerned for her friend’s wellbeing. “I’ll be right back!” She ran out into the kitchen in a hurry.
“N… no, I’m feeling okay now,” Twilight stammered unconvincingly to Fluttershy’s retreating backside. “I think I got it all out of my system.”
“Did you eat something icky that you shouldn’t have eaten? A rotten worm-infested apple, maybe?” Pinkie Pie suggested, trying to help. Twilight only gagged in response. “That was it, wasn’t it? You’re way too smart to be eating rotten worm-infested apples, Twilight.”
Twilight latched onto a moment of clarity through her still-dizzy vision. “Pinkie, I didn’t eat a wo-URK!” Twilight suppressed the feeling successfully. “I didn’t eat anything bad for me. You know exactly what I was doing.”
“I do? Are you sure? ‘Cuz it sure doesn’t feel like I know.” Pinkie sat back on her haunches and tapped her chin thoughtfully.
Fluttershy came running back into the room with a canteen of water on a rope around her neck and a pill bottle in her mouth. She set down the pill bottle and pushed it over with her hoof, revealing two large pills inside. She took one in each hoof and held them out to Twilight. “Okay, Twilight. Do you want the red pill or the blue pill?” Fluttershy asked, looking worried.
Twilight glanced at Pinkie Pie, who was apparently still deep in thought. She looked at each of the pills and then back at Fluttershy.
“What do they do?” Twilight asked skeptically.
“Oh, um, well… this blue pill is good for headaches and general pains, and the red pill helps with nausea, but you- oh…. um, you… shouldn’t…”
Twilight had grabbed both of the pills and swallowed them at the same time, then magically grabbed the canteen, popped it open and chugged until it was empty, gasping a little as she finished.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I don’t know what you were doing, Twilight,” Pinkie shrugged.
Twilight spun around to glare at Pinkie. “What do you mean you don’t know?! We were… together, remember? We were having that private conversation ?”
“Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy spoke up, meek as ever. “Pinkie Pie has been with me all afternoon… she actually spotted you out the window, lying all alone on the path, and she helped me carry you back here. I hope this is okay to ask, and I don’t mean to intrude, but what were you doing out there? Did you eat something bad, like a rotten ap-“
“NO, I didn’t eat any rotten apples today!” Twilight cut her off, a little too loudly.
“I’m sorry…” Fluttershy shrunk back, hiding her eyes behind her mane.
“No, it’s okay. I’m the one who’s sorry.” Twilight made sure to speak more gently despite her aggravated mood. “I’m just trying to figure out what the hay is going on, is… is all.” Twilight reached up and scratched her ear with a hoof. “Listen, girls… thanks… thanks for the help, but I have to, uhh… I have to get going.”
Fluttershy shot an alarmed look at Pinkie Pie as Twilight made for the door, stumbling a bit as she moved.
“Um, Twilight, I was trying to say, those pills…” Fluttershy started, but it was already too late. Twilight had fallen face-first, already snoring loudly as she hit the floor. She promptly curled up in her sleep and went on snoring. “Those pills knock you right out if you take them together. Pinkie Pie, can you…?”
“Already on it, Flutterbutter.” They grabbed her and hauled her back to bed yet again.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As Twilight slept, she dreamt again, but this time it was a nightmare. The queen of the changelings was there – Chrysalis – and she had Twilight and her friends all captive in cocoons similar to the one Princess Celestia had been in during the changeling occupation of Canterlot. She was hanging upside down, which was very disorienting, even in a dream. Twilight was unable to move her head, but she could see Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Rainbow Dash clearly in front of her. They appeared to be asleep in their cocoons, but otherwise appeared unharmed. Twilight tried to scream but found she could only exhale softly. With great effort, dream-Twilight managed to turn her head and saw that her friends were not the only ponies in this place. She saw the faces of nearly every pony she had ever seen in Ponyville, including the mayor. Even Sweetie Belle was a prisoner of the changelings. Twilight tried once again to scream, and once again could only manage to breathe harder. It occurred to her that Applejack and Fluttershy were nowhere to be found, and she started looking for them in a panic, although it was not as if the sight of their imprisonment would bring her any comfort.
As she struggled within her own horrifying prison, her gaze met with that of the changeling queen, who appeared to be patrolling the area. Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at Twilight and stalked over to her like a wolf about to pounce on a deer. Through the translucent green outer shell of the cocoon, Twilight thought she could hear the muffled sound of laughter coming from all around her. It was the laugh of a bully, full of resentment and spite. When she was practically face to face with Twilight, the Queen’s voice resonated through the cocoon and chilled Twilight to the bone. She thought she heard it more in her head than with her ears.
“You have made a terrible mistake, my little pony, and now you will pay dearly for it. I’ll be watching you, Twilight Sparkle.” The queen opened her eyes wide and hissed loudly at Twilight, who could only try to scream in vain once again. This seemed to amuse Chrysalis, who joined the terrible laughter and carried it to a loud, cruel cacophony. Twilight shut her eyes to block out the horror around her, and tried her best to wake herself.
Wake up, Twilight… please, this is all just a bad dream. Celestia, help me! Wake up. Please…
Rarity magically placed the last book on the now upright shelf. It took all the magical strength she could muster to get the colossal thing back in its proper place.
“There we are. I cannot believe Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies, could leave her home in such a state!” Rarity exclaimed, not bothering to hide her disdain. “Well, perhaps I can believe it. She usually leaves her books scattered all over, but this...!” She gasped abruptly as a thought crossed her mind. She recalled her strange encounter with Twilight and Pinkie Pie earlier that day and concluded the hyperactive party pony must have been involved in the making of this mess. She dared not pursue that line of thought any further, and scanned the room for any overlooked messes. Satisfied with finding none, she grinned, and headed to the library’s front door.
“You’ve done your good deed for the day, Rarity!” She opened the door and strode out into the bright sunlight, immediately bumping into Spike, who had been staring unhappily at the ground as he returned from the train station.
“Pardon me… oh, Spike! Where have you been all day?”
Spike’s face lit up at the sight of his crush. “Trying to find Twilight. Have you seen her, Rarity?”
“As a matter of fact, I have.”
“You did?! Where is she? She was supposed to leave for Canterlot today, but she never showed up at the train station. No one knew where she was… I was getting pretty worried.”
“Yes, yes, she’s just fine. She and Pinkie Pie were near Fluttershy’s cabin a few hours ago. She told you she was going to Canterlot, hmm?”
“Yeah. But… why would she lie to me?” Spike felt a pang of sadness at this thought.
“Oh, Spikey-wikey, I’m sure she’s just… planning some sort of surprise, perhaps? I can’t imagine she would mislead you for no good reason. I suppose we’ll have to ask her ourselves, won’t we?” Rarity flashed him her most charming smile, and it worked.
Spike smiled back at her. “Yeah, I guess we will.”
“Right! Now then, would a strapping young dragon mind escorting a lady through town?”
Spike bowed and attempted a civilized tone. “But of course, m’lady.”
As they set off together toward Fluttershy’s cottage, Rarity posed a question. “Oh Spike, I’d like to know, what was the cause of that huge mess in the library?”
“I know, right? Ridiculous.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Fluttershy’s list of things to do was short and the items on it were all very strange, specific activities. She didn’t understand the purpose of dragging three mattresses out into the middle of a flower field and leaving them stacked on one another, and it had been no picnic doing it in ‘absolute secrecy.’ She also had no idea why Pinkie Pie had insisted she turn down Rarity’s request for an opinion on her fashion line, but she supposed if she had gone there was no telling what might have happened to Twilight. She thought back to the strange talk and even stranger experience she and Pinkie had shared that afternoon - Twilight suddenly appearing from a bush along with Pinkie at the exact moment Pinkie had described - and as an another level of weird, it all happened while Pinkie herself was already in Fluttershy’s cottage with her. And the things Pinkie told her… It had shaken her to the core. She had no reason to doubt Pinkie’s word after that. Fluttershy would do whatever it took to save her friends. There was a lot she still didn’t understand, but that didn’t make Pinkie’s requests any less strange.
The next thing on the list was just as weird as the rest. ‘Go to Sweet Apple Acres and tell Applejack what she saw that night was real. Don’t let anypony else hear you talking.’ She didn’t understand what this meant, or why it had to be her who did it, but it seemed harmless enough. She frowned and took flight, making a bee line for the orchard. It was a lovely day, and the sun felt good on her outstretched wings. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile at the feeling.
The Apples spotted her before she landed, and Big Mac and AJ came out to greet her warmly. “Howdy, sugarcube! What can I do for ya? You look like you could use an apple muffin. Big Mac?”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac gestured to a conveniently located plate of freshly baked muffins atop a barrel.
“Oh, no, that’s… thank you.” Fluttershy accepted the muffin as AJ thrust it at her anyway, knowing the Apples wouldn’t take no for an answer. She was happy to see her friend, but the reason for her visit was prominent in her mind. “Applejack, I have to tell you something,” she mumbled.
Applejack smiled and winked at her pegasus friend. “Shucks, you know you can tell me anything! What’s on yer mind?”
“It’s… private.”
AJ looked a little confused. “Sure thing, Fluttershy. Right this way.” The farm pony led her friend behind the barn so they could have more privacy.
After a moment or two, Fluttershy began. “I’ve been asked to tell you something.”
AJ looked at her, waiting. “Well?”
“I’m supposed to tell you… what you saw that night was real.”
“What I saw? Which night now? Who told ya to say this?”
“Um… Pinkie Pie did. That’s all she said.”
AJ searched her memory to try to connect these dots, and it didn’t take long. The realization spread across her face like a cloud covering the sun. “Pinkie Pie says… what I saw that night was… real.” Thunderstruck, she sat down, staring at her friend yet clearly seeing something else in her mind’s eye.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I don’t know what it means…”
Applejack returned to reality and stood again, speaking calmly as she did. “You didn’t do nothin’ wrong, sugarcube. Thanks for tellin’ me.” She cast her still-distant gaze to the ground and walked back around the barn without another word, leaving Fluttershy just as confused as ever.
Fluttershy wanted to go and speak more to Applejack, and find out what any of that strangeness meant, but time was not on her side and there were a few more things to cross off the list before the end of the day. Unsure of how to make a good exit, she simply took off and flew back toward town. Where in Ponyville was she supposed to find a super deluxe potato launcher or a mega-size Bounce-Master trampoline? She furrowed her brow as she flew, trying to work out the logistics of obtaining such things.
Beneath her, Applejack was headed back to the tree that had plagued her nights since she first saw what it was capable of. Her own test had seemed to show everything was normal, but for some reason this message from Pinkie Pie didn’t sit well with her. She didn’t know what to believe, but the memory still left a pit in her gut and a chill in her spine. The feeling strengthened as she got nearer and nearer to the tree. Focused as she was on the intense thoughts brewing in her mind, she didn’t see a small rock beneath her and tripped. She landed face-first on the ground, whacking her snout unpleasantly against the ground. Her hat flew off and caught on a light breeze. She looked up in time to see it drift right into the very tree she had come to see, and utterly vanish like it had never really been there. The wind picked up and ruffled her now exposed mane. The whisper of the leaves was the only sound as she remained still and stared in disbelief.
Pinkie Pie gently nudged her sleeping friend. “Come on, Twilight, get up! Rise and shine! Up and at ‘em!”
Twilight groaned in response. It seemed she was doing a lot of that lately. She peeled her eyes open to reveal Pinkie grinning her usual giddy grin.
“Good morning, Twilight! I mean, good afternoon, Twilight! You’ve been asleep for a while. I think you were just having a nightmare.” She giggle-snorted. “Night-mare ! Get it? Oh! Except it’s the day time, so I guess it must have been more of a day-mare. I think I had one of those one time. Or maybe twice-“
“Pinkieeeee…” Twilight cut her off, an annoyed edge already on her voice. Amazingly, Twilight had time for a pleasant deep breath in silence. This felt like a victory in any conversation with Pinkie Pie, and she decided it was time to open her eyes and sit up. She’d had enough of picturing that dream. She was still in Fluttershy’s cabin, though Fluttershy herself seemed to be gone. “A nightmare? I do remember feeling-”
trapped
“-a little freaked out by something. Oh well, it was just a dream, whatever it was.” She definitely remembered the dream; she could recall every detail. She recalled that her idea about what was and wasn’t real had recently been flipped on its head and shuddered.
I’ll be watching you
“Okay, Twilight. Now that you’re awake we can get down to business. We have lots to do and not a lot of time to do it.” Pinkie looked around conspiratorially. “Well, technically we do. But still!” Before Twilight could respond, Pinkie continued. “Fluttershy is still out doing us some favors. If I remember right, she’ll get done just as the sun is setting. That’s when you and I need to be at Sugarcube Corner.”
Once again, just as Twilight was about to ask a question, Pinkie gave the answer. “There’s a portal there we need to use to go three weeks into the future. There’s something we have to get there that we desperately need. The only trouble is, it’s really hard to reach the portal we need to come back to today. Well, actually, we’ll be coming back to last week. In order to get to THAT portal, we have to use another one, which is over by Ponyville Tower in three weeks. That portal leads to… well, I’m not entirely sure. But the good news is that the portal is a lot easier to reach in that time. We just have to get to it and we’ll come back to last week. We actually arrived here last week, and everything went well, but in order for us to have done that we have to do it now. It’s a little confusing, but you understand, right?”
To her credit, Twilight did understand. It was certainly confusing, but nothing she couldn’t handle. Her inquiries into time travel spells had yielded a lot of speculative literature about the nature of time and space, as well as those precious few practical applications that the ancient unicorns dared to attempt and record. None of those books had ever expressed the notion that persistent time-space portals, usable by anypony, could possibly exist, let alone that they always have. It seemed very strange that such a thing never piqued the interest of any academics throughout Equestrian history, at least as far as she could tell, and Twilight was no stranger to Equestrian history.
The two ponies stepped out of Fluttershy’s cottage and carefully closed the door behind them before starting off down the path toward Ponyville. Pinkie had more to say, which did not surprise either of them. “Before we do all that, there are a few stops I gotta make. Spike and Rarity are on their way here to find you, so you stay here and meet them. Tell them you and I were planning a surprise for Spike, and he can’t find out what it is until the day comes. That should keep ‘em busy. After I show up in a few minutes, we’ll leave together, okay?”
Twilight had long since suspended her disbelief about the strangeness of Pinkie Pie, and merely nodded her consent to this plan. She was ready to go along with whatever came next, but once again she felt the question bubble up inside her and once again it burst out.
“Pinkie Pie, would you please tell me what’s going on here? Not a single thing has made any sense for far too long and I don’t know how much more of this I can take.” She suddenly felt that now was the time; she didn’t want to lose this momentum. “Now tell me exactly what we’re doing or I’m not going any further.” Twilight sat herself sternly and made a show of getting comfortable. She grinned competitively at Pinkie, daring her to defy this.
Pinkie Pie happily conceded. “It would be a lot more fun just to show you, but if you insist. We’re going into the future to get a super deluxe potato launcher Fluttershy is ordering for me, but won’t arrive until then, and we’re gonna need it super-duper soon, so we gotta go get it and bring it back, because Twilight, you’re gonna be glad we had it, and on top of that- OH! It’s time, Twilight! They’re coming!” Pinkie suddenly galloped away, leaving Twilight with more questions than answers yet again. A quiet zapping noise came as Pinkie ran behind a tree some ways off the path.
Twilight turned to see Rarity and Spike approaching on the path. Upon seeing her, Spike shouted Twilight’s name and began running down the path to see her. Twilight smirked and used her magic to transport him to her and save him the sprint. She exchanged knowing glances with Rarity, who followed hers up by silently mouthing “What happened?” Twilight soundlessly responded “Tell you later.” Rarity looked a bit insulted but smiled anyway and, seeing Spike safely back with Twilight, started to make her way back.
Spike spoke first. “Twilight, am I glad to see you! I went to see you off at the train station but you never showed! What’s the deal?” He frowned, clearly hurt.
“I’m sorry Spike, I never meant to hurt you. You see, Pinkie and I were planning a surprise for you, but you can’t know what it is or it wouldn’t be a surprise. You understand, don’t you?”
“Yeah, in that case, I guess I do. What kind of surprise is it?”
“Spike!”
“Hey, can’t blame a guy for trying.” He climbed onto Twilight’s back and yawned. “I’ve been walking all day, Twilight. Can we just go home? I could really use a nap.”
“We sure can, Spike.” Twilight knew she was supposed to wait for Pinkie Pie to return, but Spike was a bigger priority at that moment. She couldn’t just leave him alone again without warning. Spike curled up on her and began trying to nap. Twilight began taking smoother steps to keep from shaking him too much.
As she walked, she got lost in thought and decided to wander off the trail for a little while to clear her head. I could use a nap, too, now that I think of it. As she crossed a small clearing, she suddenly felt her hooves contact nothing but air beneath her. With a quiet zap, she and Spike fell clear through the forest floor and disappeared.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A potato suddenly materialized high above ancient Equestria, and began to free fall toward the ground. As it fell, it picked up tremendous speed, incidentally becoming the first potato to reach its terminal velocity in the history of the world, and it would remain the only one for millennia to come. Any spud, no matter how hearty, would certainly be mashed after such a fall. Just as it plummeted through some low cloud cover, however, it disappeared entirely without a trace, never meeting its all but guaranteed demise at the unyielding hands of gravity.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A moment after tripping, Twilight stood herself back up, chiding herself for walking with her head in the clouds. She looked around for Spike and found him sitting up on the ground, rubbing his eyes.
“What gives, Twilight? I was almost a… sleep.” His words slowed as he looked around and saw where they had landed. Twilight saw it too, if the terror and confusion in her eyes was any indication.
“Uh, Twilight? Where are we?”
The world around them was nothing like the one they had inhabited mere moments ago. Rather than gentle woodland, they found themselves standing in dense, dark forest not unlike the Everfree. There were unfamiliar noises all around them, from strange insect clicks to loud, peculiar bird calls, to the occasional and thankfully distant deep growls and screeches. A snake hissed somewhere behind Twilight and made her jump, taking a defensive position in front of Spike, her eyes wild in search for the danger. She saw nothing. She stooped down and trembled, horn glowing preemptively. It felt as though the trees were closing in on them, reaching out menacingly. She remembered what Pinkie Pie would do in this situation and tried to force a laugh, but she was interrupted by an alarmingly close vulture, cawing accusations at them.
“I don’t know where we are, Spike. Stay close.”
Pinkie Pie smiled and waved as the last patron walked out of Sugarcube Corner before closing. There were three unsold cupcakes with strawberry frosting and strawberries on top, and she knew exactly what to do with them. Approximately one second later there were zero cupcakes.
“We sold out again, Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie sang to the kitchen, pitching two bits into the register as she did so. She licked her lips and started up the stairs to her room.
“Thank you, Pinkie Pie! Good job today, dear!” Cup Cake called back as Pinkie reached the top.
Pinkie trotted over to her bed and sat down on it, sighing contently after a long day’s work. Suddenly she heard a soft zapping noise from downstairs, followed by the unmistakable sound of somepony climbing them noisily. Suddenly, Twilight ran up the stairs and into the middle of the room. She looked rough to say the least. She had twigs and leaves stuck in her tangled mane, sporadic bruises across her body, and her posture and the dark puffiness under her eyes indicated she was exhausted. Spike was on her back, one claw grasped firmly in her mane and the other brandishing a sharpened stick. He was sporting what appeared to be a sprained ankle wrapped in a large leaf for a cast. Twilight had a weary, anxious look on her face, but eagerly smiled and sighed in relief when she spotted Pinkie.
Pinkie was not expecting any of this. Twilight was in bad shape; Spike looked even worse.
“What happened, Spike? Are you okay?”
Spike shrugged and scratched his leaf cast with his weapon. “I’ve had worse.”
“You’re one tough dragon!” Pinkie said. Spike beamed.
“Uh, Twilight… what’s with the new ‘do? It looks good! It’s very… grounded.”
Twilight ignored her. “Pinkie Pie, listen, this is important. I need you to wait for me in the old castle ruins in the Everfree Forest in… what day is it?”
“Tuesday the fifth,” she said helpfully. “Wait, you need me to what?!”
“In two weeks and two days, then.” She looked out the window at the sunset. “Actually, make that two weeks, one day, and about ten hours.”
“Again, you need me to what?!” Pinkie was confused, but she was grinning as well. “It’s exciting in there! There’s creeeeeepy stuff and also some funny stuff, and there’s some weird stuff, and plenty of creepy weird stuff, but also some funny weird stuff, but strangely not a lot of creepy funny stuff. Why are we going in there, Twilight?”
Twilight could not hide the impatience in her sigh. “I thought you would understand. You told me I had to come and tell you to wait for me there at that time, or otherwise you won’t and I’ll never get to come back to tell you to wait for me there! Pinkie Pie, you will have told me that the version of Equestria we’ve been inhabiting or at least perceiving for some time isn’t real, and you absolutely MUST tell me all about the portals that lead to seemingly random points in space and time that apparently are all over the place. I’m not going to fully understand what you’re saying, but no matter what you have to take me into the portal next to the balcony!”
“I’m gonna tell you all that? And you… know about Equestria?” Pinkie was amazed to hear her deepest secret being shared so openly, especially in front of Spike, who seemed utterly unfazed by this information. How long had he known?
“Yes, you will. And I do, but when you see me there I won’t. I just need you to go there and tell me all about it and we’ll be fine. Got it?”
Pinkie simply looked at her and smiled. “Sure I got it, Twilight! I have to wait for you in the old castle ruins in the Everfree Forest in two weeks, one day and about ten hours, so that I can tell you that you have to go back and tell me to go there to tell you to go back and tell me to go there to tell you to go back and-“
“All right, great, you’ve got it!” Twilight was glad she understood, but had to cut her off before she got caught in an infinite loop. She’d had more than enough of those lately. “Let’s go, Spike, we have to go back to the future.”
“But, I’m supposed to just go there and just sit and wait for you by myself? It’s gonna be sooo booooriiiiing. What am I supposed to do?” She tossed herself backward onto her bed in exaggerated, flailing frustration.
“I don’t know, just… count the fireflies or something!”
Pinkie popped right back up at this. “Ooh, that actually sounds like fun! I might go and do that anyway.”
“In two weeks, one day, and ten hours.”
“Gotcha.”
“You go to the ruins in the Everfree Forest.”
“Yup.”
“And you tell me everything.”
“Yup.”
“About Equestria and the portals.”
“Got it.”
“We have to use the portal next to the balcony.”
“Jeez, Twilight, I got it!”
Twilight held her gaze on Pinkie, gauging it for herself a moment before nodding confidently. “Let’s do it, Spike!” Spike narrowed his eyes dramatically and held on to her tightly as she dashed down the stairs and ran out the door, luckily avoiding the gaze of the Cake family.
Pinkie Pie called out from the top of the stairs to her fast retreating friend. “Hey, did you just say you were from the future?! I’ve totally been there before! Oh, oh, tell me I said hi!”
“Why hello there, miss, what can I do for you today?”
“Yes, hello! I’d like to place a mail-order for item number 481-516234-2 in this catalog, please. If you have the time, I mean… and if you wouldn't mind.”
The elderly earth pony at the counter of Ponyville’s mailing center squinted through his thick lenses at the catalog Fluttershy had brought along. He brought his face right up to the paper. “Super de-luxe po… Hm. Are you sure that’s the one you need, young’n?”
“Oh, yes, please.”
“If you say so. Okay… I’ll get that order out right away.” He stamped a requisition form with his hoofprint and set it atop a precariously stacked pile on his desk.
“Thank you very much, sir.” Before Fluttershy flew away, she pulled her strange list from her saddlebags and mentally checked the second-to-last item. Just one more thing and she could go home, curl up in her bed and finally put an end to what had to be the longest day of her life.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The forest only seemed to grow darker by the minute. Twilight couldn't find the sun through the thick canopy of the trees, and there was no indication of any sort of path to follow.
“What do we do, Twilight? I don’t see any way out of here…”
“We should keep moving, and preferably away from whatever is making those noises.”
The two carefully combed their way through the brush, Twilight guiding the way with her horn light, and Spike riding on her back and keeping an eye behind them.
Twilight perked up at a sudden idea. “I know! Spike, if you can climb one of these trees, maybe you can see where we are!”
“Are you serious? Who knows what kind of stuff is living in these trees?!” He hopped off her back and faced away with his arms crossed – the message was clear.
“Don’t worry. I've got your back from down here. Come on, please? I promise you’ll be fine.” Twilight took a step toward him. “When you've reached the top and looked around, just shout and I’ll bring you back down safely.”
Spike gulped and stared up at the nearest tree. “N-not this one… not enough branches.”
Twilight gestured at another tree. “How about this one?”
“Too many branches.”
“Spike!”
“Okay, okay, fine.” Spike sunk his claws into the bark and began to shimmy his way up the trunk, quietly trying to reassure himself there was nothing to fear from the darkness above. Meanwhile, Twilight inspected the area surrounding the tree for edible plants and magically scanned the soil for gems. She couldn't locate any gems, but she recognized vines hanging from the tree which bore edible leaves. She happily ate a few and continued her search for gems.
After a little while, Spike began to near the thickest part of the canopy. A bird suddenly ruffled its wings noisily somewhere behind the leaves, and took flight out above the tree tops. The noise wasn't loud, but it was sudden and near enough to Spike that it shocked him into losing his grip. He immediately slammed into a dead branch and knocked it loose with a sharp crack.
Twilight heard the noise and looked up to see Spike falling toward her, along with the large branch. She had to think quickly. In a split second she managed to form a protective magic bubble around Spike, but the branch kept falling. Twilight was determined not to let her concentration break while Spike was still so high in the air, so she couldn't risk teleporting herself to safety. She tried to move out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough.
“TWILIGHT!” Spike was terrified. As the magic bubble drifted down to the ground at a painfully slow pace, he strained to see if she had been hurt. “Please be all right…” As soon as he landed and the bubble dispersed, Spike ran to Twilight, tears already forming in his eyes. “Twilight! Are you okay?”
She groaned, and managed to laughed a little to calm him, now able to use her magic to lift the large branch. “I think I’m gonna be okay. Are you hurt, Spike?”
“Well, my foot is pretty sore, but I’m fine, thanks to you…” He gave her a tight hug and wiped a tear away.
“I’m so sorry for making you climb that tree.”
“Hey, forget about it. Can you walk?”
Twilight had now gotten up and stabilized herself. “Yeah. Let’s keep moving.” She gently lifted her dragon friend and placed him carefully on her back once more. Spike reached out and snapped a stick from the branch that so rudely assaulted Twilight, and began to sharpen one end with his teeth as they continued on into the brush.
After nearly an hour of uneventful walking, Twilight felt the strangest sensation – that she had been in this part of the woods before. They had entered a small clearing featuring a small patch of curious blue flowers. Twilight’s gazed locked onto them. They seemed oddly familiar.
“Great... just great. That would explain the creepiness... and the spookiness.”
Twilight looked around carefully, trying to determine the best direction. She was trying to overlay her memory of the area on the landscape in front of her, but nothing was familiar enough to recognize. Every tree was a stranger.
“I would do just about anything to wake up in my bed right now.” Spike winced and gently rubbed his foot. “Ugh, it really hurts...”
“Ohh, I wish I had thought to bring Natural Remedies & Cures with me today, or at least 101 Common Ailments and Treatments. I’d even take Everfree Flora: A Guide at this point!” She scanned the area intently and spotted a plant with large, thick leaves. A sudden, unsettling screech from somewhere out in the darkness sounded too close for comfort, and it made her skin crawl. “All right... hold still, Spike.” She pulled one and magically fashioned it around his injured ankle, tying it gently but firmly. “There, does that help at all?”
“Yeah... thanks, Twilight.”
Twilight smiled, and picked a direction that felt promising. As Twilight kept walking, however, the trail she thought she had picked up on grew cold. She was just about to confess to being lost and recommend doubling back when another familiar sight came into view. It was the very same hoof-bridge she had crossed only a few days ago – at least that’s how long it had been for her. The bridge was better condition than she remembered. The ropes were much newer and the wood appeared yet unwarped by weather and time. It was the first solid frame of reference she had encountered since they had entered this strange world, and she was more grateful than she could express as she moved toward it.
“Don’t look down, Spike.” She began to cross very carefully – even if the bridge looked better than ever, she had an injured baby dragon in her charge and there was no room for error.
Spike’s curiosity overcame his judgment, and he looked straight down, to his immediate regret and horror. He clamped onto Twilight’s mane harder than ever and stared straight up at the sky in abject terror. “Twilight... I looked.”
She only sighed and shook her head with a grin as she safely touched ground. “Okay, Spike, it’s over.” He eased his iron grip and let out the breath he had been holding in.
The foreboding ruins were ahead, and Twilight felt apprehensive, though she wasn't sure exactly why. Spike had never seen them, something Twilight had forgotten until they came into view and he gasped. She was somewhat disappointed to see that despite the condition of the bridge, the ruins were as ruinous as ever.
“What is this place, Twilight?”
“This is the Withersford ruins... the ancient palace where the princesses lived over a thousand years ago. Well, over a thousand years before our time, at least.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean “our time?” Are you feeling okay, Twilight?”
Twilight stopped dead in her tracks. In all the confusion and stress of falling into this world, she had completely overlooked the fact that Spike had absolutely no idea what had really happened to them. She had been keeping her secret with Pinkie Pie closely guarded, and for good reason. Now that Spike had been pulled into the middle of it, there was no use in trying to cover it up.
Twilight magically lifted Spike off her and placed him down in front of her. “Spike, there’s something you need to know.” Spike only looked at her quizzically.
“This will be hard to hear, and even harder to believe, but it’s true. When we left Fluttershy's cabin, I walked into the woods and we fell into a, uh... a sort of door between different times and places. Spike... right now we’re somewhere in the past. We've gone back in time, but I don’t know how far or...”
Or how to get home. Or if home is even real.
“It’s also a possibility that Equestria is... not what we think it is. But I’m thinking... hoping we can find some answers in the ruins.”
Spike’s jaw hung open in silence for a few moments. “Wow. I can’t believe it... this is...”
Twilight blurted an apology. “I know it’s a lot to handle, and I’m so sorry for getting you into this, I just-“
“...this is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me!”
“It... what?”
“Spike the dragon, time traveler, hero of the past, present and future!” He swung his sharpened stick around, fending off imaginary foes. “Why didn't you tell me sooner, Twilight?!”
“Well, I didn't expect you to react this well.”
Nearby, on the outer wall of the palace ruins, a gecko climbing up the wall suddenly vanished with a tiny zap. It happened to luckily catch Twilight’s eye and ear. Could this be a way home?
She magic-lifted Spike and plopped him on her back again, and moved with purpose toward the wall. “Spike, this wall... it contains a portal, like the one that brought us here. I'm pretty sure I just saw a lizard climb into this one, or I wouldn't have known it was here.”
Spike leaned down to pick up a small stone and chucked it at the wall. It vanished into wall without a sound. “Whoa, that’s creepy.”
“The problem is, I have no idea where or when we’ll come out if we enter it.”
“I trust you, Twilight. Besides, anywhere’s gotta be better than here. I say we go for it.” Spike was showing remarkable courage for the situation he was in, and Twilight found herself feeling immensely proud of him.
“I hope you’re right, Spike.”
Spike held his stick aloft like a sword. “CHARGE!” To Spike’s disappointment, Twilight merely trotted to the wall and carefully stepped inside.
