Chapters Author's Note
This story was started on Google+. The first few chapters are copy/pasted from there. If for whatever reason you want to see the original Google+ colletion you're of course welcome to do so.
Edit: Obviously, this is outdated and Google+ no longer exists lol
Chapter 1
"Have a nice day, and good luck on your date." said the yellow unicorn with a wink. She released the flowers with her magic as the pony across the counter grasped them in his teeth.
"Thanks, Flower Love! You're the best!" he replied before trotting off.
"Another day, another satisfied customer." Flower congratulated herself flipping her green mane. She picked up the bits the other pony had left on her counter and floated them along with her as she walked back inside her flower shop, dropped them into a chest, and went back to continue her work. She picked up some flowers and began arranging them when she heard some familiar voices outside that seemed pretty urgent.
"Hurry up, Fluttershy!" said a brash, tomboyish voice "We need to get to the train fast if we're gonna make it in time!"
"Why did the map have to call us to the Dragonlands? You know how I feel about dragons, Rainbow Dash...." replied a soft spoken voice
"Look. I know you're scared of dragons, and all, but remember dragons and ponies are friends, now." offered the first voice "besides, you know Ember, right? We'll be meeting with her when we get there. She'll have our back. Don't worry."
"O-okay...."
"Now let's go! "
Flower went to her window and watched the two pegasi fly toward the train station. "I wish my life could be interesting like theirs." she sighed "I mean... don't get me wrong, I love my job, and I love seeing the smiles on ponies' faces when I give them the perfect bouquet....." she looked off in the pegasi's direction "but I'd still like to have some excitement in my life."
She turned away from the window with a heavy sigh and went back to work arranging her flowers.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. I stood in the empty room in my flower shop, mouth agape, trying to make sense of what just happened.
"There's some kind of magic at play, for sure, but.... time travel?" I finally spoke aloud to the uncharacteristically empty-feeling room
"I didn't pay that close attention in magic school, but I'm pretty sure only Starswirl was able to pull that off."
My gaze rested again on my bow, laying harmlessly on the floor. Just asking to be picked up. I shook my head. I'm not even sure if I can pick it up with my magic without something happening I thought.
"I know." I suddenly realized "There's only one pony I know of that knows more about magic than anypony."
I gave a half-hearted uncomfortable chuckle "I just.... never really talked to royalty before.... I hope she's nice."
I reached for my bow, but stopped. “Better not” I warned myself.
I looked around my shop for something. I saw the shawl I keep around in case the weather gets cold. I magicked it over the bow wrapping it up so I could carry it. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be affected. I sighed in relief.
I galloped to the door and nearly knocked somepony over as they were about to knock on my shop door.
“I am so sorry” I apologized “I have to go out. I’ll be back, I promise.”
She just looked at me like a muffin had fallen on the floor. I felt bad, but I needed to take care of this. I bolted down the street, and headed to the outer edge of Ponyville.
As I ran down the streets, I soon saw it peeking over the houses. The unmistakable star atop its spire, piercing the sky. As I approached closer, the castle came clearer into view. I remembered when it had first appeared. Tho I never ventured to really see it up this close.
The tree-like structure jutted out of the ground like an enormous, blue lightning bolt, atop which rested the purple castle in all its glory, capped with golden roofs.
I galloped faster and came up to the door. The castle was much more massive up close.
Author's Note
I know y'all want me to write longer chapters, but I'm just no good at that. I'm sorry. I tried lengthening this one, but I couldn't really do much.
Author's Note
This was originally written as two separate chapters.
Chapter 5
The door creaked open, and I looked inside. I was about to call out for somepony when a voice said “It took you long enough”
I looked down and there by the door stood a little purple and green dragon no bigger than a small filly.
“I mean” he continued “you only stood out there for about an eternity.”
I blushed “I’m sorry, I ju-“ I started
He laughed “it’s okay.” He comforted “I know the castle can look scary, at first, but we don’t bite, I promise.”
I looked at the cheerful little creature. “You must be Spike?” I offered, only knowing the name from hearsay.
“The one and only.” He proudly proclaimed
“May I request an audience with the princess?” I asked
“Oh, my” chuckled a new voice “that’s quite unnecessary.”
behind Spike came a purple mare carrying a large book in her magic. She had a horn, but she wasn’t a unicorn like me. On her sides were the proof. Wings. She was an alicorn. The princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. She walked up to the door to see me.
“Oh, Twilight” Spike started “did you already finish studying?” He queried
“No, I heard you talking to somepony, and decided to come see who it was.” She explained
I bowed low “I’m so sorry to interrupt, your highness. I-“ I began to apologize
“Please” she implored “it’s quite alright. You don’t need to be so formal.” She smiled
“What you got there?” Spike questioned referring to my still wrapped bow I was carrying, bringing my attention back to the matter at hoof.
“Oh, Celestia, of course.” I exhaled “There’s a reason I’m here. I need help, and I fear you’re the only pony qualified.”
“Why is that?” Twilight puzzled
“It has to do with time travel magic.” I replied urgently
Her face went serious “Come inside.” She said.
"And you say this is centred around your bow?" the princess asked after I explained my situation.
"Let me see it." she requested, sitting in her chair.
I magiked it over to her, and she unwrapped it and began examining. She seemed to be casting some kind of spell, but I couldn't be sure.
"You were right to think of Starswirl. The magic contained in this bow is very similar to his time travel spell." She observed
"You can tell that?" I inquired
She chuckled "That's actually what I was studying, just now. A spell that analyzes the magic contained in items. It could prove very useful. Tho, I've only scratched the surface of it's functionality."
"Don't be so modest, Twilight." Spike spoke up "She only started looking at that spell an hour ago. It's pretty high level stuff, and she's already got it down this good." He boasted.
Twilight blushed "I'm sure anypony with a good understanding of magic could do the same.
"I'm not so sure about that" I offered "It sounds complicated. I bet it'd take me ages."
"Well" she dismissed "In any case, I think this deserves a closer look. Something feels a little off about this whole thing."
She set my bow down on the table and it started glowing. "Oh shi-" I exclaimed, and picked it back up with my magic. "No, wai-" Twilight started, but it was too late.
The map lit up with the image of Equestria. Then it began morphing and changing into all kinds of different worlds that I'd never seen or imagined before. We all stared at it in awe.
"Twilight, what is it doing?" I trembled
"I-I don't know" she panicked "it's never done that before. It has to be interacting with your bow's magic!"
"What should I do?" I began to panic, too
"Try setting it back down?" she offered
I lowered the bow toward the table, but as it got closer, the room lit up with sparks flying about above me. I began to breathe faster than ever, sweating like a stuck pig. In my panic, I dropped the bow, and then the sparks grew into a circle glowing black from inside. I felt it begin to pull. I panicked and grabbed the first thing my hooves could find. The bow.
Twilight quickly grabbed it, too. The portal pulled at me even stronger now.
"Don't let go!" Twilight yelled
the bow unraveled into a ribbon, making me go further into the portal. The ribbon started to tear a little.
"It's gonna rip!" I screamed
She looked at the middle of the ribbon where it was ripping and looked back at me with a stern look in her eyes.
"Whatever you do." She warned "Don't. lose. the ribbon."
Just then, it gave way, and I was sucked into the blackness of the circle.
I woke up, groggily. My eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. I lay sprawled on the ground looking up. Trees towered above me huddled around like protectors watching over me. I looked about for a second before realization struck and I remembered what had happened.
"The ribbon!" I exclaimed
"O-okay...." I said to myself "So that's a thing...." I looked around and saw the ribbon on the ground a few feet away. I tried too pick it up with my magic, but nothing happened. I tried again, but nothing. I took a deep breath.
"Okay, magic isn't working either." I explained to myself "That's okay, I can still make due."
I trotted awkwardly over and picked it up in my mouth. My back legs were abnormally long and my hooves were sensitive on the forest floor. I sat down to look at them, and sure enough, my whole body seemed to be disfigured.
My yellow coat was completely gone, leaving my skin bare and pale. That's why it was so cold. I felt my head with my claws and breathed a sigh of relief.
I looked down. On my chest sat a couple round, squishy bumps. I grabbed them with my claws. "What are these!? " I exclaimed. My torso was long and thin like the rest of me. Between my legs, I saw the one bit of hair aside from my head. I reached down to feel it and stopped. I realised what it was and blushed. "Th-that's a little bit forward from normal."
"Hello?" called a voice "I heard a scream. Is anyone there?"
Another one of whatever I'd become came running on her hind legs into the clearing where I sat. She wore light clothes and a long jacket. She looked at me and turned her head.
"Oh!" she exclaimed "You're naked."
I quickly moved my claws away from between my legs.
"What?" she puzzled "J-just.... take this." she pulled off her jacket and tossed it to me.
I shrugged and slid the jacket over my shoulders. It fit nicely, but it was a little stiff and slightly uncomfortable. This girl seemed pretty uncomfortable with my nudity, tho, so I held the jacket closed.
"Okay, it's on." I said, confused why I was wearing this thing.
She sighed and turned back around "So." she started "Can you tell me what you're doing in the woods, why you screamed, and why you're naked?"
I raised my eyebrow "Well, I don't know how I got here, or where here is, I screamed because I've been horribly disfigured, and I'm naked because I don't normally wear clothes."
She just stared at me for a second. "What d'you mean you're 'horribly disfigured'?" she questioned "You look pretty ho- normal, to me." she blushed slightly
I looked at my claws, thought for a minute and said "Let's just say I'm not used to looking like this."
She gave me a quizzical look, and when she'd decided I wasn't going to elaborate, she spoke "Well, you can't just go around naked like that. Come with me. I'll get you some clothes."
I took it and she pulled me up onto my hind legs like her.
"Let me help." she offered and put my arm around her shoulder and walked with me "I just hope nobody sees you like this." she mused as we walked.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. "Hello? Is it working?"
Author's Note
I don't remember what I'd originally planned, but I realised this story is too easy to conclude, now (this chapter has been sitting here as is for months).....
She stood there, and stared at the bow. "This has to be in my head, right?" she thought to herself. She reached out to touch the bow, but was interrupted when somepony slammed the door open and ran inside.
She turned around, and there, standing in front of her was.... herself. "What in Celestia's name is going on?" she asked the new Flower Love who seemed just as dumbfounded as she was. Noticing she was missing her bow, she reached to get it.
"Wait! Don't touch it!" yelled the new one, but it was too late.
Everything went dark.
Flower Love blinked her eyes. She was back in her room again. She got up, and headed for the door, determined to find out what happened. She saw the door was already open. "So I've already left..." She said aloud to herself. Not wanting to be late, she galloped down the road to her flower shop.
She burst in the door, and saw herself looking at the bow on the floor. Old her looked up, and asked "What in Celestia's name is going on?" then, inexplicably, she turned for the bow "Wait! Don't touch it!" she yelled, but it was too late. Old her touched it and faded away.
"I don't know, Flower" she said to the empty room, beginning to panic "I don't know what's going on...."
Author's Note
I would've rather posted my chapters one by one, but with the 1,000 word minimum to submit for approval I had to get at the least these three before it could be submitted.
PS. Yes, I know, the chapters are short. deal with it. lol
