The Future They Didn't Want

Shining Armor has searched through every book in Twilight's library. He has found nothing on what he is looking for. Perhaps he needs a bigger library. He thinks as he looks around at the piles of books on the floor and up at the empty shelves. He plops down on the floor in the center of the piles of books a sigh escaping his lips.

Shining Armors horn glows books flying up circling around him. He rubs at his eyes reading the titles of the books as they pass by. When the right one floats around he sends it back to the right bookshelf. He isn't a huge fan of book organizing even with the help of his magic but he knew Twily will appreciate not having all her books all over the place.

~*~*~*~

Big Mac awoke bright and early, as usual, his head foggy as the memory of his vision from last night came swimming into view. He remembers the smell of smoke and blood. The feel of grime and sweat mating his fur. As he watches Applejack screaming pulling at her restraints anger a fire in her eyes. Being taken away along with her friends and there was nothing he could do.

He shakes the images from his mind. His stomach, knotting up and twisting, making him feel sick. The voice had told him that it was showing him the inevitable future. That unless he did something their fate was sealed. Every bit of him wanted to deny it. He would never, could never let anyone hurt AJ like that. But the truth was, in that future, he wasn't himself. Whatever evil thing had crawled up from the depths of Tartarus was controlling him to punish Applejack and to punish her friends as well.

With a grunt, he forces himself out of bed, pulls on some clothes, and heads downstairs. He sits down at the breakfast table. Applejacks worried eyes boring into him from the kitchen.

"Sorry about last night AJ. I don't know what came over me" Big Mac apologizes.

"It's okay just glad ta see ya back to your normal self" Applejack smiles kindly setting a stack of pancakes down in front of him.

Big Mac thanks her before pouring syrup over the pancakes and tucking in. Applejack nods, smile fading a little, as she sits down joining her siblings at the table with her own stack of pancakes.

"So ya gonna tell me what happened last night like ya promised?" Applebloom questions looking from Big Mac to AJ in turn. Her eyes widened with curiosity.

Applejack sighs before recounting the events from the night before. "And that's ah'll I know" She finishes looking over at Big Mac with hopeful eyes.

"Ah don't remember much myself beyond a strange voice calling me down to the barn. sayin it wanted ta show me somethin" Big Mac says shrugging. Trying not to worry them too much

"That's like super weird" Applebloom comments her pretty face screwed up in thought.

"Eeyup" is all Big Mac said before returning to his pancakes.

Applejack looks like she wants to say something more but decides against it. Applebloom, who has inhaled her pancakes hops up and runs out the door. Most likely to go play with Winona before school.

After they're done with breakfast Big Mac gets up to put his plate in the sink. Applejack follows after him, placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Yeah?" Big Mac asks, turning to face Applejack.

"Do you remember what the vision was?"

Big Mac shakes his head, "I don't, sorry AJ."

"It's okay," Applejack says a look of concerned concentration creasing her features.

Big Mac smiles softly ruffling her mane as he places his plate in the sink and steps past her. It's time to get to work. Applejack raises her hand to her head-turning to watch her brother leave. She knows he is still hiding something from her but at least he's okay. She never wants to see that look of pure agonizing sorrow on his face ever again.

~*~*~*~

Twilight awoke still feeling groggy and unrested. She slips out of bed blinking the sleep from her eyes squinting at the clock on her nightstand.

"Twelve o'clock" she mumbles.

Twilight walks across the hall to the bathroom where she brushes her mane and teeth. Then returns to her room and dresses for the day. Heading downstairs she finds Shining Armor asleep on the floor.

Twilight places a hand on Shining Armors' shoulder, "Shining get up. You shouldn't be sleeping on the floor"

"Good morning Twily" Shining Armor mumbles rolling over, looking up at his little sister with a tired smile.

"Good afternoon Shiny" Twilight laughs patting Shining Armor on the shoulder.

"Did you stay up all night?" Twilight asks making her way into the kitchen.

Shining Armor stands up following her. "Yeah"

Shining comes up behind Twilight as she opens the cupboard to grab the oatmeal. Her fingers are only able to graze the bottom of the container. She sighs, stretching up on the tips of her hooves to reach it.

"Spike you jerk" Twilight grumbles under her breath.

Shining Armor chuckles as he reaches forward grabbing the oatmeal. His chest presses against Twilights back.

"Here ya go Twily" Shining Armor says handing it to Twilight. "Could've just used your magic though" he says through a yawn.

Twilight grins up at Shining as she takes the oats from him. "I know and thank you"

"Anytime" Shining ruffles her mane stepping away back into the main library section of the house just as Spike comes downstairs.

His large purple tail thumping down the stairs, alerting everyone to his presence. It drags across the floor as he is too tired to bother holding it up. Spike greets Shining with a tired nod as they pass each other and slips into the kitchen.

"Gems" Spike mumbles scratching at the white scales on his chest. His pajama pants hanging low on his hips.

"No gems, but there's bacon in the fridge" Twilight responds from the stove where she is making her oatmeal.

Shining makes his way up to the guest room flopping down on the bed. Falling immediately back to sleep. His dreams are filled with images of the vision. The voice had given him. The sky blackened by smoke. Lit up by flames that come from the husks of broken, burning buildings. The ground is barren of life. Each step he takes kicks up clouds of dust. A cacophony of screams and crying fill his ears.

The scene shifts to a dungeon. The walls already coated in all sorts of bodily fluids. The majority of which is blood. Twilight hangs from shackles around her wrists. The tips of her hooves just barely touching the floor. Cuts from whip lashes marr her flesh most crusted with dried blood. A few still freely wept. Her head lolls to her bare chest. Her friends are strung up in similar positions on either side of her. All naked all wounded in a similar fashion. Shining holds the whip in his hand. His body is no longer his own.

The scene shifts once more to a calm hill overlooking ponyville. Shining stands with Big Mac, and another hidden in shadow. Their form seems to constantly shift. The voice, however, is the one that gave him the visions in the first place. Smooth and masculine with a sort of wispy air. The image of another floats before them conjured up by the formless being. It's somepony he'd never met before but who also seems so familiar. This is the one that will cause the calamity and send Equestria spiraling into chaos. He wishes to remember something significant when he awakes.