Chapters “There must be some way, but how, HOW!”
she was pacing back and forth her mind in a fluster of thoughts and ideas her quill in engulfed in her magic.
“Oh for Celestia sakes I’ve tried everything! from scrolls to incantations... no I can’t give up, not now I’ve come this far and I will not fail!”
Spike, who was in his bed was awoken by all of Twilight's frustrating moans and groans. His groggy body sat up rubbing his tired eyes. He clumsily walked downstairs to the source of all the commotion.
“Twilight, what in Celestia are you doing up so late it's two o’clock in the morning! Your so loud I wouldn’t be surprised if you woke up everypony in Equestria!”
Spikes gaze fell upon Twilight's unkempt mane and bloodshot purple eyes. there were coffee stains on her pale lab coat and a plethora of assorted scrolls, books, incantations and papers scattered across the wooden floor and table.
“uhh, Twilight, are you alri...”
But before he could finish his sentence Twilight teleported with a flash of purple magic and appeared seconds in front of Spike just inches from his nose. Spike fell over startled by Twilights spell.
“Spike, Spike! I’m so glad you're awake! I need you to pick up some things for me in the Canterlot Star Swirl the Bearded wing it's really really really important that you do this for me. I would go myself but I’ve been far too busy to get around to it.”
Spike looked into Twilight's eyes her pupils growing to an impossible size, her face now centimeters away from his nose her snout blowing short quick bursts of warm air onto his face.
“Twilight what exactly are you working on? Have you been getting any sleep lately?”
Twilight look at Spikes Puzzled face analyzing every emotion, every facial flinch. She then trotted over to the organized chaos of assorted papers on the table. She surrounded a vial with her mage and began to swish it around observing the bubbling concocton.
“Sleep? I don’t need sleep, I’ll sleep when I’ve finished this experiment.”
Twilight set the vial down and quickly galloped onto the next vial of bubbling fluids.
“You still never told me what you’re working on, can’t it wait till morning?”
Twilight stared down at Spike her eyes pierced through his very soul.
“I’m on the verge of the most important scientific breakthrough that ponykind has ever seen and I have no time to explain it to you now Spike I just need you do do this task for me so I can proceed to the next phase of this experiment.”
Spike sighed and walked over to the door picking up his rucksack along the way.
“Anything else you need me to get Ms. Demandy Pony Pants?”
Twilight glanced over at spike.
“Oh yeah, could you get some more coffee from the shop next to Sugar Cube Corner? I’ve run out and I’m running on empty.”
Spike was unamused seeing that Twilight never discovered what being sarcastic really was.
“ugh! Fine i’ll be back in an hour or so, but when I come back I want answers!”
As Spike walked out the door Twilight spoke.
“Don’t worry Spike everything will become clear soon”
Spike was out of breath, his arms carrying a large bag full of scrolls and blueprints. He came up a couple inches short of the door then collapsed in exhaustion.
“Twilight! I, I got... got what you wanted...”
Spike was out of breath barely able to get his words out. Then there was a click, the door was surrounded by magic and it swung open. Twilight stepped out and looked down and the panting Spike.
“Spike there you are what took you so long I thought you said you were going to be home in an hour!?”
Spike frowned.
“Oh I’m so sorry that I had to carry a huge bag full of YOUR supplies for YOUR experiment! I carried that thing all the way to Canterlot train station and from Ponyville station, and what do I get not even a thank you or a rewa...!”
But before Spike could finish his sentence Twilight used her magic and picked up three gems and shoved them into Spikes mouth. Spike who was startled by this quickly calmed down drooling over the gems he was devouring.
“There’s your reward Spike you can thank Rarity for that later”
Twilight opened up the bag and using her magic, levitated all the blueprints she needed onto the wall in her study room and pinned them up. Spike who was greatly enjoying the snack that Twilight had given him still had one question on his mind that wasn’t answered.
“Uhh Twilight you still never answered my question on what you were doing with all this stuff.”
Twilight teleported over to spike, he noticed that her mane was now groomed and kempt and her eyes were no longer full of red veins.
“Spike, I’m on the verge of creating a time portal that will us travel to other time periods!”
Spikes expression looked puzzled but was very intrigued by what Twilight was about to accomplish.
“Alright well atleast you have a good reason for making me travel so far, well I’m going to bed I’ve been up all night.”
Spike made it up the stairs with barely enough energy to make it into bed. Within seconds he was fast asleep. Twilight however, was hard at work looking through her Schematics and plans for her portal, then there was a knock at the door.
“They're here!”
Twilight teleported to the door and using her magic swung open the door to the six ponies each with their element of harmony on their necks.
“Girls I’m so glad you came!” (LOL that's whats she said!!!)
Apple Jack stepped forward from the group of ponies with a confused look on her face.
“Howdy there Twilight I didn’t think yah needed everypony for this here experiment of yers.”
Twilight lifted a hoof to her head rubbing it with embarrassment.
“Yeah about that haha, I must have left out that little detail.”
Twilight opened the door letting all five mares into her home. The five looked all around the room, every inch of Twilight's floor and wall was filled with papers and schematics.
“What in the name of Celestia happened in here Twilight, and I thought I was the one who fancied organized chaos”
Asked Rarity while carefully stepping over the hills of papers.
“Sorry for the mess girls I really haven’t had the time to clean up around here being that I’m so busy and all.”
Twilight using her magic stacked all of the scattered papers and scrolls into neat stacks on her table.
“Alright everypony I know you're all wondering why all you are here with your elements of harmony, I need the power the elements to power the portal that I am about to make. Spike already fetched the necessary materials in order to build it and It’s finally finished.”
Fluttershy who was looking shy as usual raised her hoof to ask a question.
“Umm, I have a question, if it's alright with you Twilight”
Twilight looked at Fluttershy and smiled.
“Fluttershy this isn’t a classroom you can ask me anything you want, actually all of you probably want to know how this machine works right?”
everypony nodded and asked their questions. Pinkie Pie however was much too enthralled with the massive structure that stood in Twilights Laboratory.
“Pinkie please don’t touch anything It took me weeks to build it let alone get the schematics on the parts necessary to work it.”
Twilight surrounded Pinkies pink tail and pulled her away from the giant structure.
“but its super duper shiny can’t I just have one press at those buttons?! c’mon I’ll give you a cupcake!”
Twilight dragged Pinkie away from the Laboratory and pinned her tail against the floor.
“Pinkie this machine isn’t something to be taken so lightly it's very dangerous and somepony could get seriously hurt.”
Pinkie frowned but shook her head in acknowledgement.
“So how does this weird doohickey portal thing work Twilight?”
Rainbow said as she was hovering above the machine eyeballing every nook and cranny it had.
“I was just about to get to that, is everypony ready?”
Apple Jack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie all nodded their heads and they all trotted over to the massive machine admiring the shiny chrome plating and size.
“This machine's purpose is to allow ponies to travel through time as far back as they want as well as travel as far into the future as they want. Instead of using the time travel spell that only sends you through time that only lasts a few seconds, this device sends you to any time period in Equestria for however long you want.”
All five mares looked at twilight all each of them an intrigued expressions on their face. Twilight led the group to the Laboratory and pressed and pulled the necessary levers, buttons, and knobs and prepped the machine for activation.
“Alright girls were going to need all the power we can get out of the elements, I need all of you to concentrate and focus your power on that target over to the left of the Portal gate.”
Twilight pointed to the power input hole to the far left of the machine.
“Now girls it's extremely important that we all are in complete sync and keep our power at a steady level, if my calculations are correct we should be able to get enough power to open the time portal.”
“But Twilight, how do we know when to stop powering the machine?”
Rarity asked with a curious yet confused look on her face her element glistening around her neck.
“I’m glad you asked Rarity, there's a gauge that I have in my hoof that Is magically connected to the control module inside the internal motherboard and is fed into a magical input beacon. So I can see what the magical power input is when we have to stop.”
Rarity’s looked at Twilight with a confused look on her face.
“ahem, could you by any chance speak in a tone that everypony here can understand Twilight, no offence of course.”
Twilight’s rolled her eyes and face hoofed.
“Oh for Celestia sake the thing in my hoof will tell us when to stop using the elements of harmony okay?”
Rarity nodded.
“Thank you dear that makes everything much more clear.”
Twilight took her position in the front of the group, the mares close behind her in the correct formation.
“Alright girls on three!”
everypony’s element began to shine, little sparkles of light were being emitted a glow of a light white and yellowish hue. Twilights crown began to do the same but it was much more brighter than the rest of the mares. Twilight’s body began to float inches above the ground her crown syncing in power with the other five mares.
“Alright girls 1... 2... 3!”
A beam of rainbow light shot out of the six mares glowing circle of light into the hole where the target was. Not long after the beam was shot, the machine erupted with clanks and dings as it came to life. Twilights eyes eyes widened as she watched the portal gate started to become visible, first the portal was a dot, then it grew, and grew until it became a full three hundred and sixty degree circle that reached the full length.
“Yes it’s working keep it up girls just a little more and we will have enough!”
The six mares were giving it all they had.
“Alright girls that’s it we did it.”
But something was wrong the gauge went haywire, the needle violently shot up and down, Twilights heart skipped a beat.
“Everypony stop theres something wrong with the gauge!”
In an instant all six mares let go of their concentration and fell with a thump on the floor one on top of the other. Twilight was the first to hit the floor, then Rarity, then Rainbow Dash and so on.
“ugh... what happened”
asked Rainbow Dash her body sandwiched between Rarity and Fluttershy.
“I don’t know, my calculations should have pinpointed the exact power outage that the Portal needed”
Spike who was getting a drink from the fridge heard the thumps and moans of pain from the other room and quickly ran into the Laboratory.
“Are you guys alright I heard a noise did something bad happe...”
Spikes eyes widened looking at the the six mares on top of one another hind legs spread, each pony was sweating and panting from the effort they had just displayed. Thoughts were racing through his mind, one can only imagine what he was thinking and it wasn’t filly rated. Twilight Poked her head out of the sweaty pony pile.
“Spike wait this isn’t what it looks like we were just...”
Spike cut her off.
“You know what... I don’t even wanna know... I’m just gonna go back to sleep and uh... leave you to your “experiment””
Spike said with a disturbed look on his face as he walked out the doorway Spike never thought that twilight was into “those” types of experiments before. Twilight watched as spike stumble back into the library.
“he didn’t think we were...”
Rarity asked with a shocked expression.
“Don’t worry”
said Twilight.
“I’ll just use the memory erase spell on him and he will forget what ever he saw even if it wasn’t what it seemed.”
Twilight and the rest of the mares marveled at the spinning vortex of what looked like plasma and magic swirling together, they all stepped forward.
“Is, is it safe, it looks really scary and umm dangerous.”
Asked Fluttershy her mane covering one eye slightly trembling at the massive creation.
“Of course it’s safe Fluttershy, the magical aura from the Elements of Harmony protect us and allow for a safe passage in between the space time continuum.”
Rainbow Dash flew over to Twilight and landed in front of her.
“I don’t know Twilight, why did your little gauge thing all of a sudden go a waco on you, didn’t you say the needle would reach the the required amount of power and then we would stop?”
Twilight put a hoof to her chin thinking hard on why the gauges needle all of a sudden shot violently up and down. After a few moments, she spoke.
“I don’t really know why it did what it did, but the portal seems to be stable and it looks exactly how the schematics said it would look. There was probably a glitch in the gauge.”
Rainbow raised a suspicious eyebrow to Twilight.
“Well, I guess that makes sense, I mean there wasn’t any explosion or anything so...”
Rainbow hovered over to the entrance and of the portal and prepared to step into the dark void.
“Excuse me Twilight but where exactly is this machine taking us?”
Asked the curious Rarity.
“I’ve pinpointed the year and, If my calculations are correct we should be transported to the cavepony era before Princess Celestia ruled over Equestria. Now will be able to research how these archaic ponies evolved into the modern era of Equestrians we are now.”
Said Twilight with confidence.
“Last one in's a rotten cupcake!”
As if out of nowhere Pinkie Pie galloped knocking over Rainbow Dash and went straight into the portal and vanished. There was a moment of silence, then, Pinkie came flying back out knocking down Rainbow Dash again just as she stood back up and was recovering from the first blow.
“ugh... what happened? Is this the cavepony era cuz it looks soooooo the same as the present.”
Pinkie said still dazed by the impact. Rainbow however was on her stomach, eyes derping. She was clearly stunned by the second blow by Pinkie.
“I don’t understand, I followed everything to the book and It doesn’t work? Why?”
Twilight now pacing back and forth in deep thought as to why the portal was denying entry. Then, there was a tremor in the ground.
“Earthquake!!!”
Shrouded Pinkie as she galloped to the nearest table and hid.
“Pinkie get a grip.”
Said Rainbow Dash eyeing the shaking pink mare.
“Its probably Vinyl testing out her new wubbs.”
Said Twilight a gentle smile on her face. She was wrong, only moments after Twilight spoke, the ground began to tremble beneath the mares feet. They soon found out that the source of the quake was from the Portal Machine. All six mares watched in horror as the portal launched a series of electrical discharges that scorched the Laboratory burning books from shelves left to right.
“Shut it down Twi!”
Yelled AppleJack as she dodged a lightning bolt. Twilight galloped as fast as she could running and ducking under every incoming Bolt of electricity occasionally blocking a few with a magic shield she would conjure. She was close, only a few feet away from the power lever, but just as she was about to reach for it the machine exploded sending Twilight and the rest of the mares into a bookshelf that collapsed on impact.
A cloud of smoke filled the room almost instantaneously after the explosion. There was a dead silence for a minute until one little pony with a white and purple mane stuck her head out of the mountain of destroyed books.
“My hair! My hair! is it alright oh please be alright I spent twenty minutes on you this morning!”
Rarity’s “episode” woke up Fluttershy from her head on collision with one of the shelves. She got on all fours rubbing the spot where her head collided with the shelve. The dust cleared and Fluttershy gasped when she saw the calamity and destruction in front of her in front of her.
“Um Rarity, I’m sorry but, your hair isn’t the only problem.”
She pointed her left hoof to the gigantic hole the size of an Ursa Major in twilights Laboratory wall. Rarity paused a moment and looked in the direction her friend was pointed, her jaw literally fell to the floor.
“Oh my goodness gracious!”
gasped Rarity in horror. Suddenly there was a jolt from the mountain of books that Fluttershy and Rarity were half submerged in. Rainbow Dash erupted out of the mountain of books sending debri and books everywhere. Rainbow flew straight to an area where there was no debri from the explosion, on her back were Twilight and Pinkie. She set them down checking them for injuries.
“I’m fine Rainbow Don’t worry, thanks for the rescue.”
Said Twilight an appreciative smile across her face. As soon as she realized what had just transpired she swung her head to the gaping hole in the Lab wall.
“Oh no! The princess is not going to like this!”
Twilight said, a nervous expression on her face.
“She gave me this house and all this equipment... It’s going to cost me a fortune to fix everything.”
Twilight fell on her rump her hooves covering her face.
"Oh Twilight don't worry I'm sure the princess will understand."
Apple Jack slumped down putting a hoof on Twilights back.
"Yeah and besides it wasn't your fault, you didn't know that it would go kaplowie!"
Pinkie said as she hopped over to Twilight.
Twilight removed her hooves from her face and looked directly in front of her. She carefully inspected the rest of her now demolished creation. But there was something strange about it, the portal itself seemed to be sustaining some kind of electricto-magical energy even without the body of the machine there to keep it stable. Twilights gaze then fell upon something even more strange, there was something moving, she couldn't make out what it was though. It was covered in what looked like a cape, and a long pointed hat slumped next to it. It was moving, Twilight knew it was alive.
"What's that ove there!"
Said Twilight while pointing her hoof in the direction of the moving object slumped on the floor.
"Show your self! We can do this the easy way, or the hard way!"
Said Rainbow dash pounding her hooves together while hovering feet away from the object. Then all of a sudden, It stood up, staggering a bit but walking towards the light, emerging from the shadows. It looked like a stallion, with a long cape with bells attached around the rim. The stallion walked over to the slumped hat on the floor and carefully picked it up, brushed the dust off and put it on. As The stallion emerged into the light, Twilight noticed his beard in particular, it was long and fine, reaching all the way down to his hooves. He had shaggy eyebrows and a tail even longer than Fluttershy's.
"No, It couldn't be..."
Twilight said as she stared intensely at the stallion. She knew who he was, but she couldn't believe it. That hat, that cape, and those bells. There was no mistaking it. Then The Stallion spoke, his voice emitting a deep tone.
"Oh my stars! That was indeed a close call."
Twilights eyes widened as she couldn't hold her excitement in any longer.
"It can't be, Star Swirl the Bearded!?"
Star Swirl turned his head and looked at Twilight, his wise gaze seemed to pierce through her very soul.
"Indeed I am Star Swirl the Bearded, and you must be the mare I long to meet, Ms. Twilight Sparkle, am I correct?"
There was there was a moment of silence as the six mares stood in complete shock at the legendary unicorn. Twilight spoke.
"Yes, that is my name."
Star Swirl moved closer to twilight with long strides while speaking directly at her.
"Was it you Twilight Sparkle who created this calamity?"
Star Swirl stopped right in front of Twilight.
"um... yes."
Star Swirls gaze became a frightening frown. He spoke in a menacing low growl.
"Foolish mare, do you have the slightest idea you what brought upon this land?!"
Twilight only stared into his eyes terrified.
"Hey leave her alone you old colt!"
Rainbow Dash said as she raced at unimaginable speeds attempting to hit the stallion head on. Star Swirl didn't move as Rainbow dashed in for the strike. She was a few feet away from Star Swirl when suddenly, his horn lit up, and from it came a beam of light that shot straight at Rainbow Dash's wings instantly binding them to her side as she helplessly fell to the ground rolling over on her side struggling to break free of the spell.
"Cease you aggression, I am not your enemy, but an ally to her highness Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria."
