Family Reunion

Chapters

Is Evil in the Blood?
I'm Related to Who?!
Only a Matter of Time
The Stallion Who Leapt Through Time
The Power of Love
Leaving Your Mark
The Truth Comes Out
Gotta Get Back, Back to the Past
Days of Future Past

Is Evil in the Blood?

A bead of sweat trickled down Starlight Glimmer's forehead and without taking her eyes off of the house of cards, she carefully levitated the next card and gently placed it atop the structure. It was an exact replica of the Canterlot Opera house and had taken her two and a half hours to get to this point. Normally something like this would take a split second but Twilight Sparkle was keen on teaching Starlight patience so the house had been painstakingly put up card by card. One card. Only one more card and the building would be complete. The anticipation was practically maddening!

Ignoring the perspiration, Starlight lifted the very last card from the pile and gradually floated it over to the house, her breath coming in little whistling bursts. She licked her dry lips, her mouth clamping shut to prevent her breathing from accidently knocking the house over. The card was hovering over the front right corner. Starlight's chest was pounding. Slowly, the card slid into place and Starlight released her magic, feeling herself deflate like one of Pinkie Pie's balloons.

"Finally...all done..."

"Whoa, nicely done Starlight!"

She looked over to see Spike inspecting the opera house with appraisement. It stood proudly atop the Friendship Map, a four-foot monument to Starlight's perseverance and dedication. Plus, with the holographic magic background, the opera house just popped in the light.

"Thanks Spike! It took two and half hours and six-hundred playing cards but my masterpiece is finally...-"

A burst of raspberry energy erupted nearby and the house of cards came tumbling down.

"...done."

Twilight Sparkle, oblivious to the devastation her teleportation had wrought, pulled a scroll from her saddlebag and unfurled it, no doubt ready to launch into one of her exposition dumps.

"Starlight, Spike, I'm glad you're both here! I just got back from...-"

"Dang it!"

The two watched as Starlight powered up her horn and a bolt of light turquoise blasted the piles of cards, completely incinerating them. Little pieces of burning paper littered the room like raindrops and Spike scrambled to catch them before they hit the floor. Twilight quickly cast a repair spell, creating a swirling river of playing cards that zoomed across the room and landed into several neat piles. She wiped her brow and turned her attention to a heavily-panting Starlight.

"What was that about?"

Starlight's head snapped up, her eyes darting around the room as though she were only now realizing the implications of her actions. Her eyes widened in epiphanic understanding , her hooves clamping around her mouth as she gawked at the princess.

"Twilight...I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me."

"You freaked out and set a bunch of playing cards on fire!" Spike incredulously reminded her.

"Spike, you're not helping." Turning back towards Starlight, Twilight took a moment to stare at her apprentice. "Starlight, what's wrong? I doubt you got worked up over a spilling house of cards."

Sighing deeply, Starlight apologetically met Twilight's gaze. "I'm so sorry. I don't know, I guess I'm feeling a little unsure of myself. I mean, I'm not happy with how my reformation is coming."

Twilight was stumped. "But you're making such progress! You're doing so much better than how you were."

"That's just it. I don't like how I was. I was terrible!" Starlight was practically shouting. "Am I just evil or does it come from somewhere else? Do I come from a line of criminals or what?"

Seeing her friend and pupil so distraught made Twilight's heart sink. Starlight was making a real effort to try to make up for her past mistakes and could use a confidence boost. Thinking long and hard on the matter, a lightbulb suddenly and metaphorically went off. "That's it! Starlight, have you ever thought about looking into your family's history?"

The unicorn cocked her head. "My family? Not really. They were small town types so the thought never occurred to me."

Twilight wrapped a wing around Starlight's shoulder. "Well, I'm giving you an assignment. Research your family's genealogy and give a presentation at the end of the week."

"A genealogy report? I don't know..."

"Think about it! You don't know about your family's origin. Who knows? You could come from a background of really nice ponies, like architects or entrepreneurs."

"Or a background of miscreants," Starlight mumbled.

"You never know! Just give it a try."

"I think it's a great idea!" Spike patted Starlight on the foreleg. "I know I'd jump at the chance to find out where I come from. Maybe this could be therapeutic."

Starlight glanced between the two and finally nodded. "Okay, I guess I could give it a try."

"That's the spirit! I'll write to Sunburst to ask him for assistance." Twilight was on her way out when she said over her shoulder, "You could try contacting your family."

"Um, yeah...I could definitely do that," Starlight replied with a nervous faux-laugh.

Spike raised an eyebrow at this. "What's the matter?"

Starlight rubbed the back of her head. "You see, my dad still treats me like a filly and it's irritating."

"Well, you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I only hope so," Starlight mumbled.

~*~

Sire's Hollow was a nice little hamlet tucked away in the westmost region of Equestria. It was your typical small town and due to its relative isolation, it was one that nopony had ever heard of. Amongst its residents, Sire's Hollow was famous for how un-famous it, a truly unremarkable place. No great philosophers or playwrights were born there, no politicians visited or died there. The only significant events that occurred in Shire's Hollow were the town's own local history.

Firelight finished his paperwork and signed his name, satisfied that it was finally done. Said paperwork was a proposal for the restoration of the town's original windmill, which had sadly fallen into disrepair. As head of the Shire's Hollow Preservation Society, it was his solemn duty to conserve the town's history. Meanwhile, that loathsome Stellar Flare would try to have the windmill torn down to make a new smoothie restaurant...as if they needed another.

He peered down at the picture on his desk, which contained a younger version of himself alongside a mare and a filly. Ever since his divorce from Guiding Star, Firelight did the best job of raising Starlight as best as he could, which meant working long hours and not seeing his precious Starry-Warry as often as he would've wanted. Was his absence what caused Starlight to run away? He often wondered if he'd failed at being a proper father.

An envelope slipped through the door mail slot and curious, Firelight magically tore it open and read the paper inside. It was a letter from his Li’l Glimmy-Wimmy! He was so happy that he started dancing with joy.

Dear Dad,

I know it's been a long time since I last wrote to you but please don't take it personally. I had a lot of private matters to attend to and I needed to do it on my own. At the moment, I'm doing pretty well. I'm actually the student of Princess Twilight Sparkle! Right now, I'm living in Ponyville, which is a pretty nice place and I have a lot of friends. So there's no need for you to worry about me.

Anyway, the real reason that I'm writing to you is that I've recently become curious about our family's history. As the head of the town's Preservation Society, I was hoping that you could send me some genealogy reports or family trees, just anything that could clear things up. Even if you don't find much, it'd still mean a lot to me. Hopefully, I'll see you soon.

Love,

Starlight

Firelight wiped a tear away. "My little Starlight wants to learn about the family's history. I'm so proud!" Books, scrolls and documents flew around the room. His daughter wanted answers and by Celestia, he was going to give them to her!

I'm Related to Who?!

"I'm so glad we could get to do this, Starlight!"

Starlight beamed at Sunburst as they headed towards the Canterlot Royal Archives. Thanks to Sunburst's connection with the Royal Family, who were more than happy to help, they could find out all they needed and more. Firelight had sent what he could and while it wasn't much, covering only the last six generations since their family had arrived in Sire's Hollow, it had gotten the proverbial ball rolling. According to the Sire's Hollow archives, Starlight's family had originally moved to the town from within the city itself, so if there was anywhere that had answers, it would be in Canterlot.

"Me too! It's so nice that we're back together again!"

Starlight was thrilled to be reunited once more with her foalhood friend, who also happened to be the best researcher in Equestria and the smartest pony that she knew...second to Twilight, of course.

"You said it! By the way, what did your dad find out about your family?"

Starlight's trot slowed. "Not much, to be honest. My great grandfather was the town's postmaster and his father was the mayor. My great-great-great grandmother served as the head of the Sire Hollow's Ornithological Appreciation League and her brother was the town barber. Other than that, they were all just ordinary ponies."

"What's wrong with ordinary?"

"Well, nothing. It's just, I don't know, I hoping for...more."

Sunburst laid a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "Well, with any luck, the answers are right through these doors," he smiled, gesturing towards the Royal Library.

"Let's do this."

Two Hours Later...

"Let's not do this," Starlight groaned. As it turned out, the Royal Archives were much, much larger than they'd anticipated, the Genealogical Section containing more records than the whole of the Crystal Empire and Ponyville combined. Then again, given the size and longevity of Canterlot since its founding, there had been a lot of ponies that had been born here. Nevertheless, Starlight was adamant in her search for answers and wouldn't stop until she found something interesting or nothing at all. Even if the search was super, super boring.

They picked up where Firelight's records left off, with Torch Bearer's exodus from Canterlot. He was an aspiring farmer and as he owned no land, he was determined to find his own. Before him, there were his parents, Firebrand and Jubilee, a steelworker and nurse respectively. It was almost a relief how ordinary and non-evil Starlight's family was but now it was ridiculous how mundane they were. She was Tartarus-bent on finding at least one of them that was noteworthy.

"Let's keep going," Sunburst yawned. "I'm sure we'll find something."

Determined to get things done faster, Starlight poured magic into her horn and let out an arrowhead-shaped missile that flew through the stack of documents.

"What are you doing?"

Starlight watched the papers being stacked into smaller and smaller piles. "I cast a spell that searches for the oldest documents. Right now, its sorting through the records and dividing them up based on age."

Finally, the arrowhead stopped in the heart of the smallest stack, hovering above the paper like a beacon before sinking into the pile and vanishing with a puff.

Intrigued, Starlight floated the pile over to her and began to sort through it.

"Whoa, this goes back a thousand years! Let's see...horseshoe thief, that's bad but not evil. Alewife, whipping colt...an admiral in the Royal Navy? That's better! Thief-taker, alchemist, teacher at the school of magic!" Starlight flipped over paper after paper, her excitement mounting with every new discovery.

She paused. "I can't read this last name; the ink's been smudged by what looks to be a wine-stain. Looks like it starts with an 'S.' Anyway, she was one of the founding members of Canterlot's Thaumatology Committee and a powerful enchantress as well as the eldest daughter of..."

Sunburst sat up. "Of who? Come on Starlight, don't leave me in suspense!"

Starlight didn't reply, her jaw hanging open in astonishment. "This...can't be right..."

"What? What is it?!"

"It says here that her mother was Gusty the Great and her father was...Clover the Clever."

The stallion held up a hoof. "Wait a minute, are you telling me that you're the descendant of Clover the Clever? The Clover the Clever? One of the founders of Equestria, creator of the fiducia compelus spell, student of Star Swirl the Bearded, defeater of the Djinn of Solomob?!"

"A-apparently," Starlight stammered, her mind still in the middle of processing this information. To think, she started out under the assumption that all of her ancestors were boring, ordinary ponies. Now it turns out that one of them was one of the biggest figures in Equestrian history and the other was a bona fide war hero and as well as the vanquisher of Grogar the Cruel. Now all Starlight could about was how amazing her genealogy presentation was going to be!

"Sunburst, is there a word that means incredible and unbelievable?"

"Um...'incredilevable'?"

"Yes..." Starlight stood triumphantly atop the table. "This is incredilevable!"

~*~

"So Twilight, what was in that scroll you had earlier?"

"Hmm?" She peered down at Spike. "Oh, yeah, right! I was at the Castle of the Royal Sisters when I came across this hidden room...-"

The doors of the map room burst open revealing a hopping Starlight, her over-stuffed saddlebags bouncing alongside her. "Guess what, guess what, guess what?!"

The two looked at one another.

"You took whatever it is that makes Pinkie Pie...Pinkie Pie?" Spike offered up.

"Don't be silly, Spike. She clearly found something exciting about her family tree. Go on, tell us."

Starlight nodded madly. "It turns out that my great-great-great-times-fifty great-grandfather is none other than Clover the Clever! Can you believe it!"

If Twilight's jaw hadn't been firmly attached, it would've dropped to the floor. She stared dumbfounded at Starlight. "You're wh-what? Are you sure?"

A thick stack of papers wrapped in turquoise light flooded out of Starlight's saddlebags and thudded onto the Friendship Map. "Go ahead, take a look! It's all there!"

Skimming through the documents, Twilight's eyes bulged out of their sockets at the last few pages.

"Even with the proof in front of me...I still can't believe it..."

Spike waved a hand in front of Twilight's unblinking face. "I think you broke her."

Twilight snapped out of her trance. "This is huge! You see, I told you there was nothing wrong with your family tree. Just imagine how everypony's going to feel when they see your presentation!"

Starlight froze. "'Ev-ev-everypony'?"

"Yeah! Myself, Spike, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie. Oh, I know! The whole town could be invited! Just think, everypony's going to hear this amazing discovery!"

"Riiiight, of course...everypony. Great."

What am I going to do?!

Only a Matter of Time

"No, no, no, no! A presentation in front of the whole town? How can I do this?"

After Twilight's "genius" idea, Starlight retreated to her room to think, where she was rejoined by Sunburst. In her excitement to break the news to Twilight, she'd raced out of the train station and left Sunburst behind to carry the luggage. Not that he had a problem, mind you but still, it was the thought. Now he was watching his best friend having a mental breakdown right in front of him.

Sunburst watched the madly-pacing mare with equal parts concern and optimism.

"Come on Starlight, it can't be that hard-..."

"Not that hard?!" Starlight shouted, her nose smooshed up against Sunburst's. She shrunk back upon noticing their close proximity and cleared her throat, her cheeks tightly pressed into her hooves to hide the blush. "I mean, you're serious? It'd be fine if it was just Spike and the girls. I at least know them. But the whole town? They're all practically strangers and they'll be sitting there, judging me, waiting for me to mess up!"

"Starlight, please. Calm down. You're going to be great!"

The mare shook her head. "No, I don't want to be great. I want to be astounding. I want to wow everypony." She planted herself on the floor and sighed, curling her tail around herself. "If I don't, then how can I ever be accepted?"

Sunburst took a seat right up against Starlight and nuzzled her, which she happily reciprocated.

"Don't worry about what they'll think of it. Just be yourself and I know you'll knock it out of the park. I mean, it's not like they're expecting you to be Clover the Clever or anything."

Starlight pulled away so fast that Sunburst slid and collapsed against the floor.

"That's it!" Starlight beamed, oblivious to her friend laying stunned and nursing a bump on the noggin. "What's better than hearing about Clover the Clever? Why, hearing something from Clover the Clever! Sunburst, you're a genius!"

Dusting his cape off, Sunburst straightened his glasses. "I don't know what you mean-..."

Whatever he was going to say next fizzled up when he felt Starlight's warm lips on his cheek.

"I'll see you later, Sunburst!"

"Wha-what just happened?"

~*~

Kissing Sunburst had been something to scratch off of Starlight's bucket list for quite some time. Ever since they were foals, she'd often wondered what it'd be like and by Celestia, did he not disappoint. Not only was his cheek the right amount of soft and scruffy but he smelled terrific, like freshly-sliced pomegranates. Now if it'd been his lips, Starlight would've likely still been back there to enjoy the experience. Sadly, there wasn't any time to dwell on that as she had a presentation to prepare for!

Starlight feverishly searched through her saddlebags until she found her notebook. It was the same one that she used during her whole travel-back-in-time-to-get-revenge-on-Twilight-Sparkle scheme, which contained all of her notes on the subject of chronokinetic magic. She flipped through the notebook until she found her earlier recordings, detailing the proper spell to bring somepony through time. Said spell had come from a badly-worn notebook she'd discovered in a yard sale over in Manehattan, one that she had to transcribe into her notebook so that the information wouldn't be lost.

"If the summoner uses something of theirs, like a hair or a hoof-filing, in conjunction with something belonging to a blood relative, then he or she may bring forth that pony through the gates of time. The connection ensures safe passage for the summonee; this being the safest route for time-pulling and the most guaranteed for success."

So if the pony casting the spell used a sample of their DNA, plus the DNA of the one that they wished to transport, then the one being summoned could be safely transported to and from their original time via shared blood connection. The only problem was how could Starlight get a sample of Clover's DNA? The only personal belonging of Clover the Clever's that was still around was his famous cloak and that was locked away in the Canterlot Museum of Magical Antiquities. She racked her brain to come up with the perfect plan but alas, nothing even close to satisfactory came up.

This is hopeless! So far, none of my ideas are realistic, let alone make any sense!

"Wait...make sense. By Star Swirl's beard, I've got it!"

~*~

Starlight ambled across the field near Fluttershy's house, feeling the sun's warm rays lightly toasting her back. She hoped and prayed that he'd be there. It was his favorite spot; she remembered Fluttershy bringing it up once during lunch. Peering out from under her raised hoof, Starlight looked to where two lone trees stood and quickly found her quarry. Discord was laying in between the two trees, his neck and tail wrapped around their trunks and swinging as though he was lying on a hammock. It looked uncomfortable but then again, looks were always deceiving with him.

"Excuse me, Discord?"

The draconequus lowered his sunglasses. "Oh, if it isn't the Mary Sue of MLP. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

There he went, speaking in nonsense. "Um, hi? Listen, there's something very important that I could use your help with-..."

A second Discord appeared right beside Starlight, dressed in a red bathrobe and holding a cup of coffee.

"No, no, no, no, let me ask you a question. When you came trotting up here, did you notice a sign out in front of the field that said, 'Discord’s Helping Service'?"

Starlight looked at the new Discord. "No but-..."

"Do you know why you didn’t see that sign?"

She sighed, "Why?"

"Because it isn’t there, because helping ponies isn’t my business, that’s why!" Discord answered indignantly, as though he were offended by the very concept. "What kind of Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony would I be if I went around helping out random ponies? The very idea!"

The second Discord vanished, leaving the first one to slide his sunglasses back on.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some rays to catch," he said while shooing her away with his bird talon and then muttered, "Helping out ponies, who does she think I am?"

Starlight, though slightly baffled, was not deterred. Despite Discord's legendary craftiness, he was susceptible to manipulation just like everypony else. All it took was knowing what buttons to press and how to press them. An idea quickly formed.

"Well, that's a shame because I needed your aid in stealing something from the Canterlot Museum of Magical Antiquities." Discord's ear twitched and that's when Starlight knew she had his attention. "I mean, imagine the looks on the guards' faces when Clover the Clever's cloak suddenly vanishes. It could cause quite the pandemonium. Oh well."

With a shrug, Starlight adopted a mock-crestfallen expression, rotated and started to go back the way she came. She made it three feet before Discord emerged in a cloud of silver sparks.

"Now, now, now, let's not be too hasty! Pandemonium is my middle name!"

"It is?"

"I have many middle names. Now then, you said that you needed the cloak of Clover the Clever?"

SNAP!

A light blue cloak floated above his upturned lion's paw.

"Boo-yah."

Starlight reverently reached for the garment only to have Discord pull his arm back.

"Hold your horses!" Discord tutted with a finger. "Quid pro quo. It's going to cost you."

Ignoring the smug expression, Starlight swallowed her annoyance. "What do you want?"

"I want..." Discord started, leaning forward. "...a shrubbery!"

"A what?"

"I'm just kidding! Although, a shrubbery would look rather nice on my front lawn...anyway! What I want from you is a favor." He then puffed his cheeks out and said in a nasally tone, "Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, consider this cloak a gift."

Now, anypony with half a brain cell would know to never make a deal with Discord but Starlight wasn't about to let this opportunity pass by. She retrieved the cloak and held it up to the light, her chest welling with a sense of awe. Sure enough, there were strands of hair still clinging to the interior of the hood. Carefully pulling them out and shoving them into a plastic baggie, she passed the cloak back to Discord.

"Thank you."

"Sure, sure," Discord waved her off and sent the cloak away with another finger-snap. "Don't forget, you still owe me a favor!"

~*~

Back at Twilight's castle, Starlight was putting the finishing touches on the conjurer's ring and stood back to access her work. The ring was one large circle, exactly eight feet in diameter, and filled with several smaller circles containing various interlacing geometric shapes and incantations. It had been painstakingly drawn in chalk, every last detail requiring precision lest the spell either failed or horribly backfired. Terrible consequences laid in store for many careless magical adepts that toyed around with chronokinetic spells. So far, everything matched the ritual described in Starlight's notes to a T.

Sunburst wiped his brow and rose from his knees and hocks, having finished the final part of the ring. Thanks to his aid, it'd been accomplished in half the time. "All done!"

"Excellent! Now that the ring is finished, all we have left are the final touches!"

Carefully fishing some of Clover's hair from out of the plastic baggie, Starlight lightly placed it on the left side of the circle before repeating the process on the right side, only this time substituting some of her own hair. She took a deep breath. Even if the spell was a success, she still had to contend with meeting her ancestor, an actual hero and legend. The pressure was incredible and there was a fleeting moment where Starlight considered canceling the whole thing.

No, I'm going to finish what I started!

Starlight's horn flared with swirling turquoise light, building up power that created a small vortex around the unicorn as it flowed and ebbed. She threw her head forward, striking the conjurer's ring with a column of crackling energy. The ring hummed as magic flowed into it, alighting the shapes and inscriptions. Glowing vistas pooled around the two clumps of hair, surrounding them in scintillating auras before shooting twin beams into the air. An eddying portal opened up, its interior a seemingly-endless tunnel of mystic lightning and nebulous, bursting spheres.

A shape came careening out of the portal and landed in the center of the ring. It stood up as the portal slowly closed itself up, the ground around the new arrival's hooves crackling with leftover electricity. Starlight and Sunburst watched anticipatingly as the figure turned to face them. He was a mustard-yellow unicorn stallion garbed in a light blue hooded cloak, which flapped around him in the tempestuous remnants of the magical energy surge. He faced them, dark green eyes brimming with questions.

"Where am I?"

The Stallion Who Leapt Through Time

Both ponies gaped at the stallion and he in turn stared at them as if they were mad.

"Doth thou speak the Common Tongue?"

"Urm, der, aherm…" Starlight stammered before slapping herself. "Are you...Clover the Clever?"

The stallion flipped his hood over. He seemed to be middle-aged though his round cheeks and freckle-clustered face gave him the appearance of being coltish. His eyes were those of an older stallion, one that had seen incredible stress and hardships and combined with his young-looking face, gave him a paradoxical visage that almost bordered on the comedic. Short, shaggy chestnut-brown hair made up his mane and a tuft of white fur dominated his chest.

"I was ne'er fond of that particular designation but yet aye, Clover the Clever I am."

"Starlight...I'm two seconds away from geeking out," Sunburst murmured out of the side of his mouth.

"I might just beat you to it," Starlight murmured in kind. She then cleared her throat. "Greetings! My name is Starlight Glimmer and let me be the first to welcome you to the future!"

Clover stared around at his surroundings. "The future, thou say? Say to me, how far along am I?"

"A thousand years, to be precise!"

"A thou-..." Clover paused in mid-sentence. He approached Starlight and she realized that he stood a foot taller than the average pony, with longer limbs and a slimmer body. "Surely thou jest!"

"Actually, M-mister the Clever, Starlight is being completely serious. You have, in fact, traveled a thousand years forward in your time."

Clover looked Sunburst over nonchalantly. "And who be yea? Her husband, I presume?"

"'Husband'?!" The two shouted and looked at one another.

"Me and her...?"

"Oh no, tha-that's crazy!"

"I mean, we've never even been on a date!"

"We're just friends and-..."

"Enough!"

Both ponies promptly shut their mouths. When Clover the Clever spoke, you bet your bottom bit you closed your pie-hole and listened. He circled them for a closer inspection and then analyzed the conjurer's ring.

"Thou both claim to hast brought me hither and that a millennium hath passed?"

"Y-yes...?" Starlight was feeling very nervous.

"For what intent, may I bid?"

"You see, I recently discovered that you're my ancestor and I wanted to meet you."

Clover halted, his eyes popping open with surprise. "Verily, is that so? Thou...thou are mine issue, my own scion?"

Starlight nodded happily. "Yes, that's how the spell was able to work."

Silence overtook Clover as he digested the news. He was quiet for so long that Starlight was getting incredibly anxious. Finally, the stallion nodded pleasantly and bowed his head. "Most well then! Starlight Glimmer, it is a pleasure and an honor to meet thou!"

"Please, the honor's all mine! Oh, and this is my best friend Sunburst!"

"Hi. It's really amazing to meet you."

Clover seized Sunburst's hoof and clasped him on the shoulder. "And thou as well, Sir Sunburst! Any suitor of mine blood is kin to me as well!"

"'S-suitor'! Wait, I think there's been a mix-up-..."

All three turned as the door was thrown open and Twilight came cheerfully galloping in before freezing in place.

"Um...what did I miss?"

Clover's horn glowed orange-gold. "Who art thou whom so brazenly enters the chambers of mine lady kin? Begone wench!"

"Actually Clover, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle, the owner of this castle."

Immediately the stallion knelt before Twilight, his hoof lightly holding one of her's.

"Forgive me, Thy Highness, for mine ignorance. I am thine servant."

"Erm, thank you?" Twilight then looked at Starlight. "What's going on?"

Starlight chuckled nervously. "Right. Twilight, this is Clover the Clever."

"'Clov-...'" Her head jerked from Starlight to Clover. "Clover the Clever? The actual Clover the Clever?!"

"Clover the Clever I am, Thy Highness. I be amazed at the longevity of mine discretion!"

"Erm, a-arise, Sir Clover!" Twilight then peered reproachfully at the other two. "Could you please leave the room? I need to have a private discussion with these two."

"Please, Thy Highness. Merely say the word and I shall obey."

Twilight waited until Clover left before turning to Starlight and Sunburst.

"What...were...you...thinking?! Bringing Clover the Clever to the present! Do you have any idea how much of a terrible idea this was?!"

"It was Starlight's idea! I just helped with preparing the conjurer's ring!"

"Seriously Sunburst?"

"I'm sorry. I don't do well under pressure!"

Twilight grumbled and rubbed at her face. "Starlight, please, walk me through your process."

Starlight wrung her hooves together. "I'm sorry! It's just that the presentation got me so nervous that I couldn't think of what to write or how to present it. I thought that if I brought Clover here, he could-..."

"...Do the presentation for you?" Twilight offered up.

"It sounds really bad when you put it like that, doesn't it?"

"Starlight..."

"Wait, wait! This is a huge opportunity! How many ponies get to say that they met and spoke to one of the greatest sorcerers in Equestrian history?"

Twilight tapped her chin in thought. "Alright, fine. He can stay for now but he's your responsibility."

Sunburst put a foreleg around Starlight. "Not a thing to worry about, Twilight! How much trouble could he be possibly be?"

The sound of an explosion suddenly roared in the distance.

"Twilight!"

"Spike!"

The three dashed out of the room but not before Starlight could label Sunburst as a "big mouth."

Their path took them to the kitchen, where Clover stood defensively in front of a burning pile of wreckage, his horn glowing as he glared at the smoking device. Spike, meanwhile, was huddled under the table.

"What happened?!"

Clover relaxed and bowed. "Thy Highness, I was speaking with the young drake when there was this terrible sound and he dupp'd up the white chest of unholy flames."

"I went to get the cookies out of the oven and he blew it up," Spike deadpanned.

"'How much trouble could he possibly be?'" Starlight mocked in a nasally, foalish voice.

"No need to rub it in," Sunburst said pitifully.

Ignoring the two, Twilight hid her irritation with a large smile. "Thank you for thinking of Spike's safety but he wasn't in any danger. That 'white chest' was merely an advanced version of an oven."

Clover shrank. "An oven? Oh my, don't I appear the blinking idiot. A thousand apologies to you, Thy Highness and to thy page as well."

"Yeah, sure, thanks." Spike climbed out from underneath the table and shuffled over to the closet for a broom and dustpan. "Just stay away from the refrigerator."

"Starlight, why don't you take Clover out for a tour of town while Spike and I clean up here?"

From Twilight's tone, it was obviously an order and not a request.

"Come on, Clover. Let's take a walk around Ponyville."

"Y-yes, Methinks an inspection of the kingdom sounds as a good imagining, Lady Starlight."

~*~

"And over there is the town hall, where all of Ponyville's most important meetings take place. You can usually find Mayor Mare there. Honestly, I think she works too much."

"Yet if Princess Twilight is royalty, then what use is there for a town hall or a mayor. Isn't she 'i charge?"

Starlight paused. "Actually, that's a really good point. I don't know how that works."

Sunburst decided to put his two bits in. "It's simple. You see, the way this system works is-..."

"Oh my Celestia! Is that a new pony?!"

A cart erupted, knocking its top off to reveal trumpets, flags, whistles and even a microwave. To nopony's surprise, excluding Clover, Pinkie Pie hopped into view as upbeat music started playing.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome...!"

Clover turned to Starlight. "This doeth befall a lot?"

"More than you know."

"Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ponyville todaaaaay!"

Pinkie Pie concluded the show with a power slide as flour and confetti burst from the microwave.

"Weeeeell, what do you think?!"

Clover chuckled, "Well, I shall say that I forsooth feel welcome now. Grammercy, kind jester!"

"Yippee! That's one new friend today!" Pinkie zoomed over to Clover. "My name's Pinkie Pie: super pony party planner!"

"Good day to thee, Pinkie Pie! I am Clover, Starlight's distant forbearer. I hast been brought hither to thy time period by mine issue so that we may get to wot one other."

"Wow, you're Starlight's relative! Funny, you're way nicer than I thought you'd be. How did you react when you found out about Starlight and Our Town and the time-travel-revenge-plot?"

"Forgive me, yet could thou repeat that?"

"Actually!" Starlight hastily interrupted. "We have to go. I was going to take Clover...over to Rarity's! Yep, taking a trip to the boutique. That's the game plan."

Pinkie leaned forward, her neck stretching impossibly long as she narrowed her gaze at Starlight. She then grinned toothily, "Okie-dokie-lokie! I'll see you later then! Come by Sugarcube Corner!"

She then bounced away with an audible ponk in her step.

Starlight waved. "Definitely! See you later, Pinkie!"

"That was strange to say the least," Clover commented and then smiled fondly. "Still, at least she was entertaining. 'I fact, she reminds me of Gusty."

This had Starlight doing a double take. "Really? How so?"

"Mine beloved was aye the type to hast a smile on her brow. She just loved meeting new ponies and ensuring that they were as fortunate as she was." His face then darkened. "Of course, this was ere the Great War."

"The Umbrum-Draconequus War?"

Clover stared out into the sky, his green eyes empty and listless.

“The most like. All of us whom fought ‘i it lost something. Everypony innocent whom went ‘i came out soiled ‘i one way or another. Mine wife lost her smile. ‘Twere not till the birth of our daughter that she rediscovered her joy."

For Starlight, it was like looking into a mirror.

"You said that everypony lost something. What did you lose?"

The life returned to Clover's face. "Join, allow us hie see this ‘Rarity’ that thou mentioned."

As the two made their way towards Carousel Boutique, it occurred to Starlight that she wasn't the only one keeping secrets.

The Power of Love

"What manner of business is this? Is it a gathering place for jesters and fools?"

Starlight snorted, "No this a place where ponies, mares primarily, go to purchase clothing."

"It is a tailor's shop? Times forsooth doth change indeed."

They passed through the front door, the bell jingling and causing Clover to momentarily freak out. It would seem as though bells on shop doors wasn't a practice in his time.

"Com-m-m-ming!"

The boutique's owner pranced down the steps and briefly posed.

"Welcome to the Car-...oh, hi Starlight!" Rarity then noticed Clover. "And who is your friend?"

"Rarity, this is my ancestor Clover the Clever. The short version is that I used time travel."

Clover took Rarity's hoof and kissed it. "Good day, my lady. A hundred benisons onto thy shop and a hundred moe on thy house."

"He wishes both your business and your family good luck," Starlight translated.

"Oh my, what a gentlecolt." Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Your wife must be a very lucky mare."

"Towards the contrary, it is I whom am the lucky one. Mine love is the morrow, noon and night. She outshines the stars with her radiance and turns the sun green with envy upon’r spirit."

In all honesty, Starlight was beginning to get slightly creeped out at the goo-goo eyes Rarity was making at her great-great-so-on-great-grandfather. Then again, the devotion and poetry with which Clover spoke about Gusty was actually extremely romantic. She could easily picture Sunburst speaking those words to her.

"Anywaaaay, since Clover is new to this millennium, I thought I'd show him around."

Rarity moved slightly closer to Clover. "Well, if you need anything, you know where I'll be, Darling."

"By Grogar's horns! The hour grows late and we might not but be going would we are to get to that meeting on time." Clover jerked his head towards Starlight, his eyes practically screaming with desperation.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot!" Starlight exclaimed, playing along. "I promised Pinkie Pie that we'd meet up for lunch at Sugarcube Corner."

"Aye! Till we meet again, mine lady. May fortune’s lips smile upon thou."

"Bye Rarity!"

They hurried out the door, leaving Rarity alone. She pouted, "All of the good stallions are either married, wanted criminals or from the distant past."

~*~

"That was quick thinking on your part, Clover. I didn't picture you as somepony that was so at ease with lying, especially to a lady."

Clover scoffed. "‘Twere not lying, merely the advantageous twisting of fact."

"That...still sounds like lying."

Clover stopped to bow and scrape as Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody passed by, causing the latter to blush and whisper excitedly to her companion.

"Is it? We assured thy friend Pinkie Pie that we would meet up again later, didst we not? Besides, ‘i mine experience, ladies don’t crave truth. They do lack empty, handsome words."

Sugarcube Corner was bustling with activity as per usual and for that, Starlight was grateful. The eatery was not just a place to get tasty treats but also to socialize with friends and receive warm service from its owners. Clover commented on the restaurant looking like something out a fairy tale and she had to agree with him. Truly there was no other business like it. They picked out a table and no sooner had they'd sat down did Pinkie Pie zip in to take their orders.

"Hello Starlight and Clover! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! What would you like?"

"Two medium chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream and cherries."

"You've got it!"

The pink mare zoomed back into the kitchen while Clover fixed Starlight with a puzzling expression.

"By your leave, yet for what hath thou decreed that thy friend shake milk and apply cream and fruit to it?"

"You'll see."

As if on cue, Pinkie appeared once more to deliver their order.

"Enjoy!" She saluted and was gone once more, leading to Clover to stare after her with the expression that everypony has when trying to figure out the mystery that is Pinkie Pie.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, this is what we call a 'milkshake.' It's made up of milk, cream, sugar and ice cream." She placed a straw in each glass. "Try it. It's really good!"

Clover stared dubiously at the straw before taking a sip. He swirled it around in each cheek and swallowed, smacking his lips and licking them. "This is amazing!" He attacked the milkshake with vigor, slurping and sucking on the straw.

"Wait, don't drink so fast! You'll get..."

"Ahhhh!"

"...brain-freeze. Are you okay?"

Clover massaged his temples and peered at her. "It is a naughty trick! It beguiles thou with its sweet taste then delivers pain to thy skull. Wicked, wicked milkshake!"

"I did warn you. Just try to take it slow..."

Once more, Clover was guzzling the beverage down. "And then it beckons thou to return for moe!"

Starlight shook her head as Clover let out another yelp of pain. The cycle, consisting of pain and curses and then more crazed sipping, continued on until his glass was empty and he patted his stomach contently. It was moments like these that Starlight wished that she had a camera. After paying for the milkshakes and thanking Pinkie Pie, the two returned once more to the streets of Ponyville. A nice walk would help them burn off the sugar after all.

"So say to me, Starlight, what is thy connection with Sunburst?"

"Sunburst? Well, I'm known him practically forever. We grew up in the same small town, the kind where everypony knows each other. He's my best friend."

"Doth thou would for there to be moe to thy friendship?"

Starlight skidded to a stop and spun around. "Whoa, wait, what? Me and Sunburst, Sunburst and me?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Clover smirked knowingly. " Thou hast romantic feelings for him, do not thou?"

"I...yes, yes I do."

Clover chuckled and patted Starlight's shoulder. "Thou hast naught to be ashamed of. It is natural for love to blossom from friendship. Gusty and I were foals together 'i the like town and from our closeness came love."

"Really?"

"Indeed."

"But...how do I tell if Sunburst feels the same about me?"

"Look with thy heart and not thy head. The answer shall become clear as day."

Starlight fell forward, her forelegs wrapping around Clover's neck. At first, the stallion stood as stiff as a board, unsure of what to do but slowly pulled her into an embrace.

"Thanks Clover."

"Thou...you art welcome, Starlight."

~*~

Clover's face hovered an inch away from the cutie map's surface.

"Amazing...forsooth amazing. Thou quoth that this was created by the Tree of Harmony?"

"Exactly!" Twilight exclaimed. "Along with this entire castle."

"The master craftsponies of the Crystal Empire could not hast built such a marvel. Then again, the Tree is a source of great mystery, its magic unlike any seen ere 'i this or any age." Clover lifted his head up. "Starlight, were thou present during the castle's conjuration?"

Starlight began to sweat.

"Actually, Starlight didn't arrive until a little later," Twilight answered. "The map actually brought us to her."

"Then fate decided that thou were to be friends." He placed a hoof on each of their shoulders and beamed proudly. "It is good to wot that two such virtuous mares were brought together for the sake of Equestria. I hast no doubts that it is 'i good hooves."

Starlight gently nudged herself out of Clover's grasp. "It's been a long day and I think that I'll have to go to bed. Good night, Twilight. Good night, Clover."

"Good night, Starlight."

"Good night, dearest Starlight. I shall see thee to-morrow."

Twilight led Clover through the castle's halls, stopping every so often to point out a key feature or two. She had to restrain herself to keep from skipping. How many ponies could say that they had a founder of Equestria stay over at their house?

"She is such a gentle mare, such a kind soul," Clover said softly.

"Um, Clover? How much has Starlight told you about herself? Her past, I mean?"

"Not much to be honest, merely that she and Sunburst grew up together."

Twilight looked away. "I see. Well, I should get you set up." They stopped at a guest bedroom, of which there was many. "This is where you'll sleep. The sheets are fresh and the bed is comfy."

Clover bowed. "Thy hospitality is beyond words, Thy Highness."

"Please, call me, 'Twilight.' I'm a little uncomfortable with titles."

"I wholeheartedly understand. Well, good night to thee, Twilight!"

The guest bedroom resembled the rest of the castle, being made out of a foreign multihued crystal. Other than a bed, it also had a nightstand, closet, desk and chair, over which Clover carefully draped his cloak over. Fishing through an inner pocket, he retrieved a hoofheld portrait of himself with Gusty and their daughter. Only a few weeks old and still unnamed, as the couple couldn't agree on what to call her. He smiled and kissed the portrait.

"Good night Gusty, my love. Good night my daughter."

~*~

Starlight laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. She felt guilty about not telling Clover the truth about herself but what could she do? What would he think once he found out that she nearly single-hoofedly brought about the end of Equestria? Petty, selfish reasons aside, the act itself would no doubt horrify the stallion and he'd no longer want anything to do with her. It was strange; Starlight had only known Clover for a few hours and yet held him in high regards.

Hero worship was off the table; the initial excitement about walking with and talking to Clover the Clever had worn out and now he was just another pony. Could it be their familial connection? Maybe but that was still a bit iffy. He died a thousand years before Starlight was even born and since their blood ties were newly discovered, she had no foalhood memories of being dazzled with the tales of her famous ancestor. It could be that Clover's quickness to insert himself into her life and be a positive influence on her was would had her feeling all twisted up.

She manually pulled the covers up to her neck and turned over onto her right side. As a child of an early divorce and growing up as a "latchkey kid," Starlight had quickly grown used to having no adult supervision and thus no guidance, learning how to become self-reliant. Sure, her folks made sure that she was well provided for and always made sure to greet her with a smile, but she still lacked that closeness that all of the foals had with their parents. Now she had her great-great-times-fifty-great-grandfather offering her advice and positive reinforcement so she could feel that old hole in her chest starting to fill in a little. Plausibly, she didn't want to lose that.

"Starlight..."

She threw the covers off and jerked upward.

"Princess Luna?"

The blue alicorn smiled at her.

"Hello Starlight. It's nice to see you again."

"Wait...am I dreaming?" Starlight looked around. "It doesn't look like it."

"Sometimes we fall asleep when we don't realize it and our dreams resemble our waking life."

"That makes sense. Not that I'm unhappy to see you but why are you here?"

Princess Luna climbed up onto the bed and curled up, an almost maternal smile on her face.

"I felt your guilt and shame through the Dream-verse. Would you like to talk about it?"

"Okay. So, I found out that I'm related to Clover the Clever and so I brought him here to the present."

"This I know. Twilight sent Celestia and I a letter detailing the situation. While we don't approve of the usage of chronokinesis, it is a rather impressive feat. Do go on."

Starlight sighed, "So, Clover and I have been getting to know each other and he's a really great pony. It's just that I didn't tell him about my past...about what I did in Our Town or what I tried to do to Twilight and her friends."

"Are you afraid of what he might think?"

"Yes."

Princess Luna wrapped a wing around Starlight.

"I understand. You feel remorse about your past and you're ashamed of it. You feel overwhelmed at Clover's accomplishments and you don't want him to think any less of you. But know this: if you keep this bottled up, it will only hurt the both of you and your relationship. Believe me when I say that secrets hinder us, not help us."

Starlight nodded, feeling herself becoming lighter with the offloading of her worries.

"Thanks Princess Luna. I'll tell him tomorrow."

Leaving Your Mark

Due to the unfortunate "Oven Incident," Clover was permanently barred from entering the kitchen and instead waited in the dining room while breakfast was being prepared. By now, all of the girls had arrived and each got a chance to greet and speak with the newcomer. As it just so happened, Clover's father was a stone mason and, due to the healthy respect he had for the working class, seemed to immediately hit it off with Applejack. Plus it helped that he liked apples. Celestia help the pony that admitted to disliking the fruit when an Apple was around.

"Mister Clover, ya ain't had an apple till ya tried a Sweet Apple Acres apple."

"By the way thou…you...describe ‘em, then I might have to sample one to sate mine curiosity."

Through conversation with the others, Clover's vernacular slowly included more modern phrasing, thus allowing him to better communicate his thoughts and feelings. Every now and then he slipped back into his Ye Olde Ponish dialect, but this was understandable and nopony faulted him for that.

"Is it true that you once took down a kraken all by yourself?" Rainbow Dash leaned forward excitedly. Twilight once went into a mini-lecture about Clover the Clever's contributions to Equestrian society on the train ride during their first visit to the Crystal Empire but the pegasus tuned much of it out, retaining only the information that she considered to be "awesome" or "cool."

"‘Tis true. I would be lying if I said that ‘twere an easy feat to accomplish."

"My, brave and humble," Rarity gushed. "Stallions in your time must be extraordinary."

"Nonsense, time and society have naught to do with one's worth. Tis experience and strength of will are what makes one extraordinary. Everypony 'i this room are proof of this."

Starlight was quick to steer the conversation back towards Clover's feat. "So a kraken, huh? How did you manage to defeat it?"

"You didn't hurt it too badly, did you?" Fluttershy wondered.

Clover smiled, "Fear not, gentle Fluttershy, krakens are known for their thick hides. After grappling with the beast, I applied a shrinking spell followed by a levitation charm, after which I hurled it into a net. The kraken was then relocated deep within what you now know as the South Luna ocean."

A mouth-watering aroma preceded Twilight as walked in with Spike on her back and a collection of steaming plates in her aura. She carefully laid the plates on the table and placed Spike in his chair before taking a seat herself. "Breakfast is ready!"

Clover poked at his food with a fork. "What is this?"

"Pancakes!" Pinkie cheered. She wrapped her tongue around the tower of pancakes and to Clover's disgust and astonishment, pulled the entire stack into her mouth and swallowed it whole.

"B-but how did-..."

"She's Pinkie Pie," everyone collectively stated and burst into laughter.

"Trust me, it'll be much easier if you just go with it," Starlight assured him.

Clover nodded and observed the others covering their pancakes with syrup and various fruit dressings before using their forks and knives to cut them up into small pieces. He choose a healthy dosage of syrup with cinnamon and strawberries before diving his pancakes into bite-sized chunks. From the way the mares and drake smiled and chewed with delight, he concluded that this must be a tasty delicacy and stabbed a chunk with his fork. Popping it into his mouth, he found it to be spongy but buttery, combined with sugary and sweet from the toppings. If only they had such a meal in his century!

"How are you liking your pancakes?"

Clover turned to Twilight. "Very scrumptious! My compliments to the chef!"

"Thanks dude," Spike grinned, which only widened at Clover's puzzlement. "It's a term of endearment."

"Ah, I see. Then you're welcome, my 'dude.'" Clover then noticed that somepony was missing at the table. "Where did Sunburst go?"

Twilight answered, "He was called away to the Crystal Empire by Princess Cadence to look after her daughter and my niece." This last part she said proudly while folding her forelegs.

"How many princesses are there?"

"Four: myself, Cadence, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. Well, five, if you count my niece Flurry Heart."

Clover shook his head. "Five princesses. I would love to see Princesses Celestia and Luna and how they are faring, considering how they are still fillies 'i mine era."

"Awww, I bet they were cutie-patooties!" Pinkie chirped.

"I'm more interested in the fashion," Rarity admitted.

"You have to tell me about Star Swirl the Bearded. What was he like?" Twilight nearly shouted.

Starlight interjected, "Now, now ladies, let's not overwhelm Clover."

The stallion chuckled, "It is quite alright. It is only natural that they would hast questions for me given the situation."

"Tha's mighty fine of ya," Applejack nodded approvingly. "Ah have just one question."

"Ask away."

"Wha kinda farmin' techniques do they use fer apples?"

~*~

Breakfast came and went, with that time being spent asking a barrage of questions and patiently receiving detailed answers. Pinkie went to Sugarcube Corner with new ideas for decorations and party themes, shortly followed by Rainbow Dash, who had been regaled by Clover's tales of epic battles with dark sorcerers, pirates and vicious monsters. Fluttershy was happy just to listen, popping in every now and then with questions. Rarity was inspired to create a line of clothing that she dubbed, 'Past Nouveau' and lost herself in a creative daze. After Applejack left to tend to the fields, that left only Clover, Twilight, Spike and Starlight remaining.

"Ponies assume that Star Swirl lacks a sense of humor," Clover recalled fondly. "This is untrue. In fact, he once told me a joke involving a portly noble-stallion, a sharp-tongued peasant and the gates of Canterlot."

A loud belch and a burst of green flames interrupted Clover. Spike unrolled the scroll and glanced it over. "It's from Princess Celestia," he said, handing it over to Twilight.

Clover looked at Spike intriguingly. "Messages by dragon's fire? So very interesting."

"Let me see...oh! It says that she and Princess Luna will be visiting Ponyville tonight!"

"Whoa, we'd better get everything ready, huh Twi?" Spike then noticed Twilight's trembling lip.

"Everything has to be perfect!" Levitating a quill and notepad, Twilight began frantically scribbling and muttering to herself. "Have Pinkie put up decorations...sweep up the streets..."

Starlight put on a positive face. "Relax Twilight, everything will be fine."

"Starlight's right, There’s no cause for alarm. We shall help thou get the town prepared for the princesses long ere their arrival. Besides..." He pulled his cloak over his head and poised dramatically, his cloak flapping behind him. "Thou art not in this alone. Clover the Clever is at thy service!"

Twilight stopped scribbling, her expression hopeful. "You are?!"

"Of course I am. What, after all, are friends for."

"Count me in!" Starlight stood proudly beside Clover, the two turning and nodding in acknowledgement.

"Ditto!" Spike said, raising a fist.

~*~

By time the streets were swept and the decorations went up, Ponyville had never looked so pristine before, every doorknob, lamppost and sign sparkling clean. Not a single piece of trash nor a loose branch in sight, thanks to Clover enacting a spell that caused every paper-scrap, soda can, candy wrapper and bottle cap to direct themselves into the nearest trashcans or dumpsters. Starlight, meanwhile, created a parade of sentient brooms and dustpans that took care of any stray trash or dust bunnies. The scene was made even more comical when Clover enchanted up some floating instruments to play something head-bobbing for them to enjoy. The two laughed and danced down the street while the brooms rhythmically swept away the last of the litter.

This left the other townsfolk to help Pinkie with the decorations, Applejack with catering and Rarity with ensuring everypony looked their best. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ensured that the animals were well-behaved and that the weather was warm and cloudless respectively, seeing as how Princess Luna would want everypony to admire the night sky she always worked so hard on. Thanks to everypony's teamwork, everything was set up and ready to go with almost four hours to spare. Afterwards, Clover and Starlight settled down on a hill in the park, admiring both the town and their combined efforts in making it look presentable. Starlight smiled at her relative.

"Thanks for helping me clean up town. It was a lot of fun!"

"It was my pleasure, Starlight." Although his smile was genuine, Clover stared off troublingly in the distance.

"Thinking about your family?"

"My daughter. It feels so strange to say that aloud. I'm overjoyed beyond words but also...afraid."

"Afraid of being a father?"

Clover nodded and briefly shut his eyes. "I've survived famine, war, tempests, the biting cold and windigos. I've conquered warlocks, the Hiercosphinx of Cartnak, and barrow-wights. None of these compare to fatherhood. I be a wizard and a warrior. I don't know anything about foals."

Starlight shifted closer to him and placed a hoof over his cannon. "I think you're going to be a wonderful father. You love your daughter and you want to do right by her. So far, I think you're on the right track."

Surprise gave way to grateful joy. "Thank you, Starlight."

"There's no need to thank me," she playfully dismissed and then added softly, "We're family."

Their bonding moment was interrupted by a series of screams followed by a crash. Wordlessly, the pair jerked their heads in a quick nod and galloped across the field, tracking the sound of the ruckus until they came across what looked to be a large wooden box laying smashed on its side. Six wheels spun on one side and one snapping off and rolling away. As they stepped forward to inspect the wreckage, a top on the side facing upward swung open and three fillies slowly emerged. Flinging a rope out the door, they slowly descended the box and landed in front of the confused unicorns.

"Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo? What are you doing?"

The three froze before Sweetie Belle piped up. "We were testing out the rolling fort we built."

"Yeah, and it was going super fast!" Scootaloo beamed but then frowned when another wheel came off.

"Didn't you already earn your cutie marks?"

They nodded. Apple Bloom gestured to the box. "We did but we figured that since there's nopony ta help with a cutie mark problem, we'd do somethin' fun in tha meantime."

"That was quite dangerous, fillies," Clover remarked. He then looked over the wreckage. "Not bad craftsmareship. Still dangerous though."

"I don't mean to be rude but who are you?"

Clover lowered himself so that he was at Scootaloo's eyelevel. "My name is Clover and I happen to Starlight's...distant relative."

"He's in town visiting," Starlight added. "These three are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They banded together to earn their cutie marks and now they have them."

"Not just that, but we earned them at the same time!" Sweetie Belle cheered and the three fillies high-hoofed each other.

"The same time thou say?!" Magically reaching into his cloak's inner pocket, Clover retrieved an ash-wood wedge, which he flipped out to reveal a small magnifying glass. He scrutinized each of their cuties marks and then replaced his magnifying glass. "Fascinating! Three ponies not only earning their cutie marks at the same time yet they are also nearly identical in both shape and color."

"Is that...good?" Apple Bloom wondered.

"'Good'? Nay, that's brilliant! Completely unheard of! You three are extraordinary!"

"We are?!" The three shrieked in delight. "We're extraordinary! Yay!"

Starlight giggled. "Hey girls, why don't you tell Clover how you earned them?"

The adults took their seats as the CMCs recounted everything, from their first meeting and founding of their club to the business with Diamond Tiara and her mother. They chattered exuberantly on, sometimes switching who spoke, cutting in or overlapping the other in conversation. Regardless, Clover was quite amused by the display and awestruck by the time their tale ended. At the story's conclusion, the three fillies bowed and were rewarded by applause.

"Bravo!"

"Indeed! Now that is a tale worth telling!"

"No come on, stop it," Scootaloo bashfully murmured.

"What's yours?" Sweetie Belle pointed, noticing something glimmering half-covered by Clover's cloak.

Clover pulled his cloak to reveal a golden shooting star outlined in silver, three smaller stars trailing after the tail. A collective "Whoooooa" escaped the fillies' mouths, their eyes the size of dinner dishes. Starlight whistled approvingly, impressed by the cutie mark's shape and luminescence.

"How did yah get it, Mister Clover?"

Patting Apple Bloom's head, Clover snickered, "Excellent question! Would you like to hear the story?"

Three zipping sounds whooshed through the air as the trio rushed over and sat together in front of the stallion. Starlight merely hung back, equally intrigued and enamored at hearing such a tale.

"I grew up in a small town. My father was a stone mason, my mother a scullery maid-..."

"What's a scullery maid?" Scootloo asked.

"Erm, a cook's assistant," Clover answered. "The point is, I came from nothing yet I discovered that as a young colt, I was graced with great magical potential. I left mine home to find somepony to school me till I came across Sta-my teacher. He was a great sorcerer but there were many others that sought to fill the role as his apprentice. If I was going to earn that spot, I had to do something to prove that I deserved it, that I was better than the rest.

My chance came when he announced that all those that wished to learn from him each had to show him what they could do. Many of those that participated were delusional, tricking themselves into believing that they were good enough for a master as great as him. One colt shot off his horn and it accidently hit a passing shooting star, sending it plummeting towards town. The others fled, leaving only myself and the sorcerer. E'en with my teeth chattering and mine limbs shaking with fright, I chose to stand mine ground.

Channeling every last ounce of my magic, I grabbed the shooting star, turned it around and hurled it back to the void from whence it came. My task complete, I fell over and darkness took me. Whenin I awakened, I found mine parents and the sorcerer waiting for me. I discovered that not only didst I earn mine cutie mark yet that the great sorcerer chose me as his apprentice. And thus, little ones, is how the greatest adventure of mine life began."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, whooped, stomped and applauded. Starlight herself couldn't help but join in, considering it one of the best cutie mark-earning stories she'd ever heard.

"Wait, how come yah changed how yah talked midway through tha story?"

"Yeah, Apple Bloom's right," Scootaloo agreed.

Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin. "Sounds kind of like Princess Luna when she returned from her banishment."

Grabbing ahold of Clover with her magic, Starlight yanked the stallion up and pulled him alongside her. "I'd love to stay and chat but we've got things to do. Yep, busy, busy! See you later!"

Once they were far enough away, Starlight returned Clover to terra firma. "Sorry about that."

"It's quite alright. I understand the need for covertness." As he straightened his cloak, he noticed the mare smiling mysteriously at him, as though she were enjoying a private joke.

"What's so funny?"

Starlight's lips pulled back to show her teeth. "For somepony that claims not to know anything about foals, you are really good at handling them. Maybe you'll be a great father after all."

The Truth Comes Out

Clover and Starlight made their way into town just as the royal chariot touched down. Scores of ponies crowded around the two princesses as they descended from their chariot, waving hooves and flags in excitement. A large banner reading, "Welcome Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!" was erected by a team of pegasi and featured the princesses' cutie marks painted at each end. Tables and chairs had been set up, the catering was finished and the balloons and streamers hung with care. Celestia and Luna eagerly interacted with their subjects, exchanging kind words or shaking hooves.

While Twilight, Spike and the other Elements stepped up to greet the royal sisters, Starlight watched Clover's reaction to the pair. He was surprised at first, clearly startled over the transformation from filly to adulthood. He then picked up his jaw and gave his head a little tilt. A more inquisitive expression took surprise's place until inquisitiveness was left in the dust by mirth. Clover beamed with pride at Celestia and Luna.

"Let's introduce you," Starlight said, pointing her head in their direction. "Or, re-introduce, I suppose."

"Yes, I'd like that," Clover agreed.

They wove their way past the throng of cheering, animated ponies and before long, they joined the party of nine, who had congregated on a small wooden stage. Princess Celestia's famous motherly grin was replaced by astonishment while Princess Luna, being a little more stoic, was clearly just as stunned as her sister. Clover dipped and prostrated himself before the princesses. All this time, no one said a word.

"Clover the Clever," Celestia announced, her smile returned to its rightful place. A few members of the crowd whispered amongst themselves. "It's been far too long. We're so happy to see you, old friend."

"You look as strong and virile as ever," Princess Luna added.

Clover nodded gratefully. "You are both too kind, Your Majesties. It seems as though twere only yesterday that you were both fillies playing in the royal garden as your mother performed her queenly duties. Now you are both grown and rulers of Equestria."

"It is a tad weird, isn't it?" Celestia laughed. "And how are you finding our time period?"

"A bit strange, if I'm to be truthful, Your Majesty. The customs and technology are so different, it feels as though...I'm on a different planet, far off beyond the stars." The princesses both nodded but remained silent. "That being said, I see so much happiness and progress. Everything is cleaner and everyone is so healthy. A part of me is sad to see the old ways disappear but I am also happy at how far we as a nation have come."

An alabaster hoof dipped beneath Clover's chin and brought it up so that he could look Celestia in her pink eyes. "You're as wise as ever, Clover. I speak for Luna," she gestured towards the Princess of the Night, who nodded in agreement. "When I say that we are overjoyed to see you again old friend. Please, rise. You don't need to kneel. Not when you mean so much to us."

Clover glanced over at Starlight. She nodded and reluctantly, he rose to his hooves.

"Everypony, in light of this historic circumstance, let us dedicate these festivities to mine and Princess Luna's good friend Clover the Clever and please be sure to show him what Ponyville hospitality looks like. Now let the party begin!"

Celestia's proclamation was met with thunderous applause, something that came as no surprise to anypony that had ever heard her speak. On the stage, a band started playing a lively jam and ponies began pairing up to dance. Starlight bobbed her head along to the music, smiling at the sight of her friends joining in and dancing, or trying to in Twilight's case. Clover, meanwhile, was tapping a hoof and watching with a smirk, looking like every elderly pony too old to dance. It was time for her to rectify that.

"Hey Clover, why don't you ask one of these lovely mares for a dance?"

"Oh, I-I be not sure about this. I haven't danced ‘i long time and-..."

"No more excuses!"

Starlight lifted him up with her magic and shoved him onto the dancefloor, causing him to lightly bump into a unicorn. He shook his head and was ready to apologize when he saw who it was.

"Clover, Darling! Care to grace a lady with a dance?" Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Well actually-..." Clover started, only for Rarity to stop him with a hoof to the lips.

Pivoting on a hindhoof, she twirled and swung her hips as she curled her forelegs, lifting them one at a time. Watching her, Clover quickly found his rhythm, bouncing and swaying to the beat. The two craned their necks forward, Rarity's head passing Clover's over his right shoulder and then repeating the action on his left. Taking Rarity's hoof, Clover spun her around and, holding her across her waist, the two leapt across the dancefloor. Starlight was speechless.

"Huh, Clover the Clever can dance!" She murmured in awe.

The music drew to a close and everypony applauded the two, who bowed and thanked them. Other than the princesses, nopony clapped harder or cheered louder than Starlight, who was genuinely impressed by his dance skills. It was so nice to see Clover happy and accepted among the modern-day ponies. To think, it was only yesterday that he'd arrived here from another time. Kissing Rarity on the hoof, Clover trotted back over to Starlight, who nodded her head at him.

"Nice moves out there. Careful though, I think Rarity's falling for you."

Clover stared back at the mare, who gave him a little wave. "Who knows? Another time, another place, I could've been able to make her happy."

Starlight fixed him with an impressed look. "You really love your wife, don't you?"

"She is the love of mine life and the mother of mine daughter. I hast a duty to her as a husband," Clover replied, taking a seat beside her on the bench. "Besides, she was there for me 'i mine darkest moments. To betray her trust like that would be akin to betraying myself."

Things grew quiet between them. Again, Clover bore that same haunted expression from earlier, the look of a stallion still grappling with his inner demons and not quite winning. For Starlight to find somepony that she could emphasize made her swell with joy and kinship-based love at the pony beside her. That joy, however, quickly turned to guilt when she remembered what she'd promised to do. If there was ever a moment to do this, now was the time.

"Clover, there's something that I have to tell you."

He stared perplexed at her, likely due to the unusual fluctuation of uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes, Starlight?"

"I..." Her chest ached and her eyes misted up. "I tried to destroy Equestria!"

"What didst you say?" Clover stared at her with wide-eyed shock.

Starlight sniffled, the tears now flowing freely. "I'm sorry but...I'm not the good mare you think I am!"

Unable to bear his answer, she galloped away from him, choking sobs escaping her throat.

~*~

Clover stood frozen in place, staring off in the direction Starlight had run off in. He'd gotten up to go after her but was now conflicted by the news, the revelation swirling around in his head like a thick cloud of smoke. To hear such a thing from Starlight of all ponies was baffling. Although he'd known her for only two days, he found that he genuinely cared for her.

"What happened?"

He turned, finding Twilight Sparkle standing across from him.

"She said..." Clover shook his head slowly. "She said that she tried to destroy Equestria." He peered at her confusingly. "What did she mean by that?"

Twilight sighed and lightly pushed his shoulder so that he was sitting back down.

"There is so much to tell you, but I think I can summarize it so that you can get the point."

~*~

"There you go, stupid!" Starlight admonished herself in between sobs. "You just lost a friend as well a pony who understands what it's like to be you. Now he hates me!"

She slumped down to the ground, the soft, cool grass on the hill doing little to soothe her. She remembered to earlier in the day when she and Clover sat in this very spot, just talking and getting to know one another. Across the park, the party continued to rage on, the music playing and ponies hooting and laughing. All of that merriment, combined with the memory of Clover on the hill only added fuel to the misery that Starlight felt. She covered her face in her hooves, muffling her crying.

"Methought I might find you here."

Starlight jumped, nearly toppling over. Clover was situated motionless a couple of feet away.

"C-clover?" Starlight sniffled and wiped her face on her foreleg. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled faintly at her. "I wanted to see if thou were alright. Thou were very upset at the party."

"Well that's the understatement of the year," Starlight mumbled. There was a period of silence before she felt the air shift around her as Clover sat down next to her. He didn't speak to her so she remained quiet. Instead of looking at her, Clover was watching the ponies off in the distance.

"I be not one for parties," Clover disclosed to her. Starlight merely looked at him. "Methought that this would be a great way to socialize with everypony else as well as to please some very old friends."

Starlight sniffled once more. "Everypony loves parties."

Clover shook his head. "Not me. Not since the War. Whenever I see celebration, I am reminded of all those who are no longer around to laugh and dance and be merry. Friends, allies, brothers- and sister-in-arms, all lost to a pointless conflict."

"What happened?"

Clover heaved a great sigh and turned his green gaze towards her mournfully, his face a sculpture etched with the grief and regret of a thousand lifetimes. "At first, 'twere us ponies, along with the dragons, griffons and draconequui against the umbrums, changelings, bat-ponies and sirens. King Solaris, Princess Celestia and Luna's father, later fell 'i battle and his widow Queen Concordia….she went mad with grief." He swallowed before continuing and for the first time, Starlight saw an expression she never expected to see: rage.

"Aligning ourselves with the umbrums, we betrayed and destroyed the draconequui. I personally witnessed the betrayal of their rulers. The look of pain 'i King Seth's and Queen Eris' eyes still haunt me to this day. Afterwards, under the Queen's command, we turned on the umbrums as well, leaving none alive. Not e'en the refugees were safe." Clover stopped again, letting out a shudder of disgust. "Now they're gone. We swept both races from the earth and they bid us 'heroes.'" He turned to Starlight. "What were we heroes of? What didst we accomplish?"

Starlight tried and failed to speak until she managed a weak, "You saved us from an invading force."

Shaking his head, Clover glanced once more towards town. "The Umbrum Empire was indeed powerful," he remarked ruefully. "Yet not all of its citizens were monsters or invaders. Those we disposed of on Dravite Hill. Stallions, mares...even foals."

A weight yanked on Starlight's heart. She didn't see a legendary hero or a mighty spellcaster. Instead, she saw a stallion that'd been forced to do unspeakable things in the name of his monarch and now suffered extraordinary guilt.

"Twilight told me what thou'd done, what thou tried to do," Clover stated and Starlight dreaded what his next words were. "The reason that I bring this up is because I wasn't angry with thou."

Starlight stared at him in astonishment.

"You're not?"

Clover shook his head. "After the War ended, I feared that mine..." His jaw clenched. "...Actions would taint not only myself yet my children, mine entire bloodline e'en." He placed a hoof on her shoulder and met her eyes. "I am...so sorry. You paid for mine sins and I can ne'r take it back."

"It wasn't your fault!" Starlight stated with finality. "You can't take the blame for what I did. I was stupid and selfish, only thinking about how I felt wronged and wanted payback, never stopping to consider the consequences of my actions. I don't blame you for what I did or for what you did in the War and neither should you." She pulled Clover into a hug and laid her head on his chest.

"Better than me anyway."

She felt his forelegs wrap around her, pulling her into his warmth. "That's where thou art wrong, Starlight. Methinks think that thou art a very good pony. A great pony e'en."

Starlight blinked up at him. "Wh-what do you mean? Haven't you been listening?"

Clover chuckled and rubbed on of her cheeks. "Indeed I hast been. Thou didst something terrible, yes. Thou attempted to try something e’en worst. That thee but recognize that thou didst wrong and are now trying to fix it. ‘I doing so, thou hast proven that thou learned from thy mistakes and now strive to be a better pony because of it. Many go their whole lives with such a level of personal insight and are poorer for’t."

Now Starlight's eyes produced fresh tears but no longer ones of sadness. Her smile broadened at the wisdom in Clover's words and in his faith in her. She hadn't lost a friend or family due to her past and in fact, revealing it made the two of them closer. Starlight chuckled and gently sniffled, unable to stop the tears of joy. Clover snorted humorously and gently dabbed her face with his cloak.

"There, there. All’s well. ‘tis all fine now," Clover murmured consolingly. "Now then, allow us to get thou all cleaned up and looking presentable. We hast a party to return to! Right?"

"Right!" Starlight cheered. The two cantered back to the party in high spirits, throwing in a light jab and flank bump on the way. For the rest of the evening, it was as though the momentary drama never took place. There was much eating, chatter, dancing and laughter for the both of them, with everypony agreeing they'd never seen anypony happier. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna filled Clover in on many of the things he'd missed, such as Nightmare Moon, Luna's banishment and subsequent return and the re-discovery of the Elements of Harmony by Twilight and her friends.

Of special note was the rise of King Sombra and the reign of Discord, both of which equally shocked Clover greatly. At the mention of his name, Discord literally popped onto the scene as a balloon sculpture of himself, nearly giving poor Clover a heart attack. Once the initial alarm had worn off, the two got along surprisingly well, although Clover was visibly uncomfortable with the draconequus' insistence on invading his personal space. Pinkie Pie convinced Clover to try a cupcake, after which he went on a binge and ate six before throwing up. Wiping his mouth, he then swore off sugary sweets, albeit while staring longingly at a plate of donuts.

The party continued late into the night and it wasn't long before Celestia and Luna had to leave to attend to their royal duties. Soon, it was down to just nine attendees: the Elements of Harmony, Spike, Starlight and Clover, all of them sitting around a table swapping stories. Clover, having discovered the oral nirvana that is Sweet Apple Acres cider, began chugging the liquid with wild abandon, even challenging Rainbow Dash to a drinking contest. Both contestants ended up unconscious, with the winner being undecided, mostly due to Applejack and Fluttershy losing count somewhere around thirty and forty-five. As Starlight hauled Clover's mumbling form to his room and tucked him in, she decided that that night was the best that she'd ever had.

Gotta Get Back, Back to the Past

Everypony gathered around the breakfast table, enjoying a meal of hash browns, wheat toast and scrambled eggs, all the while talking and laughing about the previous night's activities. After witnessing Clover's unexpected dance prowess, they'd each shared a dance with the stallion, ranging from a slow waltz to square dancing, although he had a little more difficulty with that style. Applejack nonetheless enjoyed herself and was more than proud at receiving a new customer of her family's cider. Unlike her usual, energetic self, Rainbow Dash had stumbled over to the table and sluggishly seated herself, an ice pack resting on her head. Spike gingerly laid out a plate for her.

"No, no...no food," she grumbled, pushing the plate away and resting her face in her folded forelegs.

"Come on, Dash, you have to eat," Spike insisted. "It's only going to get worse for you."

"Yeah! Pretty soon, you're going to get all woozy and barfy and-..."

Applejack planted her hoof over Pinkie Pie's mouth. "Ah think she gets tha picture."

"I had so much fun last night," Fluttershy admitted. "I had no idea Clover was so light on his hooves."

"I know right?" Upon strolling into the dining room, Starlight was more exuberant than any of them had ever seen her. "It looks like I got that from his side of the family thankfully. My mom's almost as bad of a dancer as Twilight."

"I heard that," said mare grumbled from the other end of the table and everypony laughed.

"Oh...mine head..."

Sans his cloak, Clover trudged up into the room and flopped down into an empty seat next to Starlight. "No cider is worth the pain," he moaned and rubbed at his temples. "Did I win?"

Fluttershy and Applejack looked at one another. "Ah'd call it a tie."

"Horsefeathers," Rainbow muttered. "I won and you know it."

"In your dreams," Clover countered groggily. "I was clearly the victor of our bout."

Starlight rubbed Clover's shoulder, barely able to contain a giggle. "Sure you were, champ. Are you okay?"

"If by 'okay,' thou mean it feels as though there's a hippopotamus dancing on mine skull, then yes, I would conclude that I be 'okay.'"

"I could fix that, if you like," Starlight offered amusingly.

Clover waved this away. "No, this is a result of mine hubris. I might not but deal with the consequences." His cheeks puffed out and he knocked his chair over in his rush to the nearest restroom. Puking sounds erupted from the other room.

"I won!" Rainbow moaned, raising a hoof in the air and let it flop back at her side. "Ow...."

~*~

From behind the stage curtains, Starlight was pacing back and forth, rehearing her speech as she sorted through her index cards. All of Ponyville had gathered in town square for Starlight's genealogy presentation, some more eager than others to hear what she had to say. Earlier that morning, Starlight, still invigorated from last night's events and in a particularly cheery mood, had the bright idea to hold the presentation today, marking it as the second dumbest idea she'd ever had. Starlight moaned aloud in frustration, At least time travel had been easy compared to this!

"Are thou ready?"

Starlight turned to Clover. She seized ahold of his cloak collar. "What was I thinking? I can't do this!"

"Of course thou can!" Clover replied, unperturbed by Starlight's outburst. "Just do what thou did during thine practice speech."

"But that was when it was just you and Sunburst! This...this is different!" Starlight parked herself onto a wooden stool and shook her head in her hooves. "I should just call the whole thing off."

"Indeed thou should."

She jerked her head in surprise. "What?"

Clover shrugged nonchalantly. "Thou should cancel the presentation and go on with thy life. Ne'r think back to this moment, ne'r dwell on the what-could've-been and instead seek comfort 'i giving up. Take the road of least resistance and confide ‘i the knowledge that thou avoided thy problem."

Starlight noticed the small smirk forming on Clover's lips. "Oh, I see what you're doing." She then shook her head. "And it's working."

"So what shall it be, Starlight?"

Exhaling deeply, Starlight rose from her seat. "I guess I'm going out there."

"That's the spirit! But before thou go out there..."

Clover's horn ignited and a orange-gold cloud enveloped Starlight.

"What, what did you do?"

"Fiducia compelus. How doth thou feel?"

Confidence poured through Starlight, filling her with a sense of self-assuredness. She felt as though she could conquer Equestria...not in a tyrannical way, of course. Starlight nodded at Clover gratefully.

"Ready to go out there and give them a presentation!"

"Then what are thou waiting for?"

Giving Clover a big hug, Starlight strolled out onto the stage to light applause. Her friends, along with Sunburst, were positioned in the front row, all offering her reaffirming smiles. She met Sunburst's gaze and he mouthed, "You can do it, Star." Approaching the podium, Starlight organized her index cards and took a deep breath before speaking into the microphone.

"Thank you everypony for showing your support by attending my presentation. As many of you know, my name is Starlight Glimmer and I've been living here for the past few months as Princess Twilight's student. I've learned so much, not just from her but my friends as well, both old and new."

She paused as Clover's words appeared in her thoughts:

"Look with thy heart and not thy head. The answer shall become clear as day."

She smiled and turned her index cards over.

"The truth is, I was so ashamed of my past that I felt inadequate to others, like there was something wrong with me. I wondered if maybe I was born bad or there was something in my bloodline. So I decided to research my family's genealogy and after an exhaustive search, I was surprised by what I found..."

The projector flipped on and the first slide appeared, showing a picture of Starlight and her parents.

"My search started with my mother and father, Guiding Star and Firelight ..."

For the next hour, Starlight regaled them with her family's history, no matter if it was interesting or mundane. With every new member spoken of, she felt her pride at her heritage expanding inside of her like one of Pinkie's balloons. The alchemist and the naval admiral received the most "ooh's" and "ah's" while Brass Tacks the horseshoe thief was given a healthy dosage of laughter. Starlight craned her head to find Clover smiling at her from behind the curtain. They shared an understanding nod before Starlight returned to the presentation, relieved that it was almost over.

"My great-great-great-et-cetera-great-grandmother was one of the original chair members and founders of Canterlot's Thaumatology Society, later stepping down to pursue a teaching career. And she was the daughter of Clover the Clover and Gusty the Great. Ladies and gentlecolts, please welcome to the stage my ancestor and friend...Clover the Clever!"

Orange-gold light burst onto the stage and Clover appeared dressed in his hood and cloak. The audience was standing now, their applause nearly deafening. He bowed and took his place alongside Starlight at the podium, stopping to whisper his congratulations. Lightly tapping the mic, Clover grinned at Starlight before starting, the crowd eager to hear what he had to say.

"Residents of Ponyville, words cannot express my gratitude at your kindness and hospitality. Further yet, I cannot properly voice my pride for my kin Starlight." He beamed once more at her. "'Family' is more than just a word. It transcends time, distance, blood even. When I look around, I see a community, a family. There is nothing more precious than that. Remember the friends you have made and bonds you have forged and never shall any of you ever lose your way. Thank you."

The two held each other's hooves high above their heads, the thunderous praise of their audience loud enough to be heard in Manehattan. Confetti burst from carefully-placed party cannons, raining little multi-colored squares on everypony in attendance. Throughout it all, Starlight was on top of the world. She leaned over and whispered in Clover's ear.

"Thanks for the pep-talk, Clover. Plus the Fiducia compelus spell worked wonders!"

Clover snickered and bent over. "I'm afraid that I had spoken a falsehood. Remember what I said about the advantageous twisting of fact?"

"Wait, that spell was a fake?!"

"Not necessarily. You were confident enough to give your presentation, weren't you?"

Starlight narrowed her eyes but her face was anything but angry. "You sneaky trickster you."

~*~

The ten passengers stepped off the train at Canterlot Station, finding the city as bustling and full of life as usual. Starlight helped Clover off of the train, the stallion still attempting to wrap his head around the concept of locomotion. As they approached the castle, he pointed out different locations and what used to be in their stead, giving out better facts and information about their surroundings than any tour guide. Concepts like neon lights and zeppelins baffled him but also intrigued him greatly and the others had to pull him along so they wouldn't miss their appointment. It was difficult for Starlight to kept a happy face, even with Clover's foal-like wonderment at the modern marvels around him.

"It's going to be alright," Sunburst promised Starlight while rubbing her shoulder, a gesture that did not go unnoticed. "At least you two will have Ponyville."

"I know. It's just...goodbyes are never easy."

Inside the throne room, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waited for them, a conjuring ring already set up and ready for usage. At the sight of the princesses and the ring, the reality hit Starlight like a tone of bricks, her eyes already watering up. Clover taking time to bid goodbye to everypony individually certainly didn't help the situation either. Sunburst pulled her against him and nuzzled the top of her head.

"Goodbye Lady Rarity," Clover bowed and kissed her hoof. "Remember, you'll find your prince. He's closer than you suspect," he added with a wink.

"Goodbye Clover," Rarity sniffled. Next, he turned his attention to Spike.

"It has been real, hasn't it? Incidentally, sorry about your oven."

Spike shook his hoof. "Forget about it. We've been meaning to replace it anyway."

Clover was suddenly hoisted into the air and squeezed in a grip that rivaled a grootslang's.

"I'mgoingtomissyou,Clover!"

"I...shall...miss you...as well...Pinkie..."

He was subsequently returned to the floor and after confirming that none of his ribs were broken, found Rainbow Dash waiting for him with her hoof held out. He took it and was about to kiss it when the pegasus yanked it back. Puzzled, Clover watched Rainbow roll her eyes and grab his hoof. She tapped it atop hers, repeated the motion with her hoof then tapped them together.

"It's called a 'hoof-bump.'"

Clover shook her foreleg. "Fascinating."

His hood, which laid down his back, was bobbing wildly before inflating. Out popped Discord, blowing his nose with a handkerchief. Yelping, Clover leapt away from the weeping draconequus, whose tears were forming pastern-deep puddles. Discord blew his nose, which curiously sounded like a slide-whistle and draped an arm over his forehead.

"Oh, how I hate sad endings! They always bring on the waterworks!"

"It...it was nice to meet you, Discord," Clover managed, offering a hoofshake.

As if on a dime, Discord abruptly went from blubbering to indifferent, turning away from the stallion with his arms folded and chin held up. "Oh don't get all sentimental on me. Anyway, I suppose I'll be seeing you in a few years' time."

"If you say so."

As Clover was saying his farewells to the others, including a hoof shake and one-limbed hug from Applejack, Discord subtly snapped the end of his tail tuft, causing an unseen object to appear in Clover's cloak pocket. He grinned and literally faded into the background.

Finally, Clover turned to Starlight and Sunburst, looking lost at them. "There's so much that I want to say. And yet, nothing adequate comes to mind."

"How about, 'It was nice to meet you?'" Sunburst suggested.

"That'll do, Sunburst. That'll do," Clover agreed and hugged him, stopping to whisper something indecipherable in his ear. "Remember that."

"I-I will. You bet!" Whatever it was, Sunburst was shaking, a heavy blushing covering his cheeks.

"Be sure that you do." Clover sighed and faced Starlight, who was looking worse by the minute. He held out his forelegs. "Starlight..."

She rushed him and wrapped herself around him. "I'll never forget you, Clover."

Sighing painfully, Clover caressed her mane. "I wish I could say the same."

Starlight broke the hug and stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"He can't go back to the past with knowledge of the future," Princess Celestia answered sadly, exchanging a sorrowful glance with Princess Luna. "Before we send him home, we must erase Clover's memories of his visit here. That includes his memories of you too."

Starlight dove in front of Clover protectively. "No, you can't! He-he doesn't have to tell anypony! If he promises to keep quiet-..."

"Starlight..."

She turned. Clover smiled sadly at her. "She's right. Any knowledge of the future, no matter how trivial, could alter the timeline in ways we can't possibly predict. Even the tiniest slip-up on my part could have drastic consequences."

Starlight blinked through her oncoming tears. "B-but..."

"I know," Clover murmured, wiping Starlight's wettened cheeks. "I don't want this either. I don't want to forget you or anypony else here." His eyes moistened but held back the tears threatening to spill out. "Sometimes, the needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few."

The dam burst. Starlight clung to Clover, sobbing into his chest as he held her tight. After a minute, he gently pushed her away and forced himself to smile. "Don't forget," he stated, placing a hoof over her heart. "I'll always be right here. Remember that and I'll never be far away."

Reluctantly, Starlight nodded, sniffling away the hurt. "Goodbye Clover."

"Goodbye Starlight. Be good, to yourself and to others." He kissed her on the brow and then turned to Princess Celestia, his demeanor like one on death row. "I'm ready."

Princess Luna retrieved Starlight's brush from her saddlebags, plucked the clump of hairs from it and laid them on one of the circles before placing some of Clover's hair on the other end. She nodded at Celestia, who repeated the gesture, her horn flaring with golden energy. Clover turned around, taking one last look at Starlight and the others and closed his eyes as a magical stream exited Celestia's horn and swirled around his head in a corona of fluctuating light. Flat squares shot out of the corona, each one a moving image depicting a different memory from recent events.

Bidding goodbye to everypony, Starlight's presentation, the party, talking to the CMCs. They all watched the memories pass by them and dissipating into crackling dust. Not a dry eye was in the throne room as they witnessed Clover's experiences vanishing like a candle's flame in the wind. Drinking a milkshake at Sugarcube Corner, meeting Rarity, Pinkie Pie welcoming him to Ponyville, all memories drawing tearful laughter from everypony, with Pinkie Pie and Rarity holding onto each other for support. Starlight clutched at Sunburst, her sobs worsening at the upcoming memories.

The accidental destruction of the oven, befriending Twilight after mistaking her for a wench, implying a romance between Starlight and Sunburst. That last one had the two both crying while chuckling at the hilarity of the recollection. Finally, Clover's discovery of his descendant, meeting Starlight and arriving through the time vortex, ending the montage with a final black square. Celestia deactivated the spell and the corona around Clover's head exploded outwards, leaving the stallion to land on his hooves and wobble as he fought to keep his balance. He swayed back and forth with his eyes still closed.

Meanwhile, Princess Luna filled the conjurer's ring with her own light blue aura, illuminating the runes and activating the time vortex, summoning a portal of spinning orbs and crackling lightning. Cradling the inert Clover in a golden sphere, Celestia directed him over to the portal and released her hold, allowing the spinning gateway to grab the stallion and violently yank him into its maw. They witnessed Clover launched backward and growing smaller and smaller until he disappeared from sight. After a few pops, the portal flashed for a few minutes before imploding and it too was gone. The throne room was dead silent.

Days of Future Past

Life returned to normal following Clover the Clever's departure, or as close to normal as the small town could achieve given its penchant for being under attack by various magical threats. Rainbow Dash realized her life-long dream when she finally joined the Wonderbolts, something that everypony was sure to know of, whether she was personally acquainted with them or not. It was a bit of a rocky start, with Rainbow attempting to show off to the team but eventually found her place among their ranks. Spike was called alongside his fellow dragons in participating in the Gauntlet of Fire and against all odds, won the right to be named Dragon Lord, though he gave the title to fellow dragon Ember and earned a friend in the process. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, meanwhile, attempted to have time apart in order to better understand themselves and dedicated themselves to helping others with cutie mark problems based on their own experiences.

The two months were a bit rough for Starlight but she persevered, intending to prove to herself that she was the mare that Clover believed her to be. She attempted to make friends but had some great difficulty before meeting Trixie, another reformed villainess who also knew the struggles of trying to repent while others continually questioned their motivations. Although a wedge was driven between the two when it turned out that Trixie was initially hanging out with Starlight to hurt Twilight, Starlight forgave her and the two made up. For the first time in a long time, Starlight felt at home.

The sun had just risen over the trees and building of Ponyville and from up on the hill, Starlight had the perfect view of the orange and yellow light streaming down upon the land. She often came to sit up here, either to think or just to enjoy the scenery. Every now and then, she'd remember the good times she'd had with Clover and would get a little sad at the thought. It was hard to lose somepony that had such a positive effect on your life as he did but she remained strong. In fact, while she missed him, a part of her was glad he was back home with his own family.

Princess Celestia told her that while the memory spell had erased all visual and auditory traces of Clover's visit to the past, it didn't remove the emotions he'd experienced, that those parts of him that stayed in his heart remained there. Starlight wasn't comforted by this but still hoped that wherever he was or whenever he was, Clover was happy. She rose to her hooves and shook her hindlegs, feeling the gentle tingling of pins and needles setting in. She'd been there long enough and had errands that she wanted to run. Life after grief was still live.

She trotted across the park, taking in the sights of foals at play when there was a flash of light and she bumped into something fleshy. It was a tail and it happened to belong to the town's resident Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Said spirit was glancing down at the mare with a massive grin.

"Hello Starlight! Fancy meeting you here!"

Starlight rolled her eyes. "Hi Discord. Let me guess: I still owe you that favor and you've come to collect?"

Discord's head changed into a pair of giant, snapping scissors. "No need to get snippy with me. After all, a deal's a deal." A quick snap and his normal-ish head returned. "We had a deal and it's time to honor it."

"Alright, so what do you want me to do?" Starlight was quickly dreading this.

"I'll show you!"

SNAP!

They appeared in what Starlight could only assume was Discord's house. The walls were a combination of wall paneling, drywall and brick, covered in upside down picture frames and windows that led out to nothing. There were stairs that went to a second floor and stairs that went nowhere at all. Furniture clung to the walls and ceiling as origami fish soundlessly glided through the air. Lava seeped through a volcano on the ceiling and a floor lamp with chicken legs was running through the kitchen. Starlight shuddered to think what would happen if Discord decided to become an interior decorator.

"So what do you think? I'm in the middle of redecorating."

A cobweb in the corner caught Starlight's attention. Stuck to it was a fly with a pony's head and foreleg. It turned to her and screamed in a high-pitched voice, "Help me!"

"It's, um...unique?" Starlight smiled weakly.

"Glad you approve!" Discord pulled out a tray of thin wooden chunks covered in melted cheddar cheese. "Care for a chip?"

"No thank you. Listen, Discord-..."

"Hold on!" He vanished, then reappeared with a stack of board games. "I have Hazard, Apology!, Cattle Ship, Scramble, Monopony and Hint. Although Monopony takes too long and Hint? What a bore!"

"Wait a minute!" Starlight rubbed her face. "You brought me here to play board games?"

Discord passed the pile to his right, where it remained in mid-air. "Of course! You owe me a favor!"

"You could've just asked!"

He took a seat on a floating recliner made of clouds and crossed his arms. "If I had, would you have come?"

Starlight held up a hoof opened her mouth but no sound came out. She then dropped her hoof and responded, "Well, no but-..."

"Well there you go! When opportunity knocks, accept the free pizza."

"That's not how that saying goes."

Discord opened a can of soda and guzzled it, causing the exterior to slowly vanish, leaving behind a liquified, soda can-shaped construct of dark purple. "Tomato, potato. Let's get our game on!"

~*~

As it turned out, game night with Discord wasn't actually that bad. Okay, he cheated nonstop, changed the rules and at one point even ate the board game when Starlight managed to win, but overall, wasn't as bad as she thought. It didn't necessarily mean that she'd want to go back there but at least it made for an interesting story. After that, Starlight didn't see too much of Discord unless it was with the others. Perhaps he'd gotten bored of hanging with her?

A few days later, Sunburst came to visit and Starlight got to spend the whole day with him, seeing as how the royal crystaller didn't have as many responsibilities as he would've liked. Still, they got to hang out more and there was no complaints there. After a picnic by themselves, they spent hours looking at yard sales and digging through trashcans. What? One pony's trash was another pony's treasure. The pair the arrived back at Twilight's, eager to take stock of their haul.

"You know, you still haven't told me what Clover whispered to you before he left."

Sunburst merely grinned, "That's for me to know and you to find out. Eventually."

"You're impossible!" Starlight groaned, though secretly loving his playful side. "Anyway, I think we have a great haul from today, don't you?" She magically hefted a stained-glass lamp from out of one of the paper bags. "This'll look great on my nightstand!"

"No kidding!" Sunburst pulled out a lion's head doorknocker. "I've been meaning to replace my old one."

The door opened and Twilight arrived with an old-looking envelope floating beside her.

"Hi Sunburst, Starlight! I'm glad you're here because I found something in the mail for you!"

"What is it?" Starlight took the envelope and looked it over, finding her name, address and the date scribbled in cursive. On the other side, she gasped when she saw a wax seal with Clover's cutie mark. "Where did you get this?"

"A pegasus mailpony had flown all the way from Canterlot with it. Apparently it's been in an iron chest in their office for the past millennium with explicit instructions not to retrieve what was inside of it until today."

Starlight retrieved a letter opener and gently cut the envelope open, slowly pulling out the letter it held within. She unfolded the piece of paper and began to peruse it. It was a birth record and the name written on it was...

"I don't...I don't believe it..."

A Thousand Years Ago...

Clover the Clever opened his eyes, his eyelids fluttering as the light struck him in the face. He stared around puzzlingly in the alleyway, unsure of how he'd gotten there. He was taking his daily stroll through Canterlot when he blacked out. Shaking his head, Clover left the alleyway and quickly found himself back on the way home. He glanced at a nearby sundial and to his relief, discovered that he'd only been gone for five minutes. Gusty didn't like it when he was gone for too long.

For whatever reason, he found an incredible sadness deep within his heart though he hadn't any semblance of an idea why. It felt as though he'd lost somepony recently-a group of someponies, actually-and would never see them again. An unfamiliar weight shifted in his cloak pocket and Clover retrieved a red notebook, one that he'd never seen before. The writing inside looked to be that of a mare's but what was interesting were the magical formulas inside. Flipping to the last page, he found a slip of paper tucked away:

As soon as you place your daughter's name on her birth record, make a copy, seal it in an envelope and write down the following name and address on it, as well as the date. Lock it up in a thick iron chest, give it over to the Post Office and instruct them not to open it until the day written on the envelope comes to pass.

-D

Clover shook his head and shoved both the paper and the notebook back into his pocket. A voice at the back of his head told him to hang onto the information and he never doubted his senses. Making a right at the bakery, he trotted up to his house, which was smaller than one might expect as befitting two national heroes. This was done on purpose as so the family could live in peace without harassment from the public. After all, everypony knows that famous ponies exclusively live in big houses.

"Gusty!" He called, shutting the door behind him. "I'm home!"

A unicorn mare rose from her seat beside a cradle to greet him. Taking her into his forelegs, Clover lightly pressed his lips against hers. She happily reciprocated, pressing against him before peeling back, her aquamarine eyes meeting his green ones. Her green mane was streaked with red and her coat was a light tangelo. Despite the wrinkles and stress lines, byproducts of the Umbrum-Draconequus War, Clover believed her to be the most beautiful mare he'd ever seen.

"I missed you," Gusty murmured and settled against his chest, delighting in the sound of his heartbeat.

"I miss you too, my love." He couldn't quite put his hoof on it, but Clover had this nagging feeling that he'd just arrived from a long journey, one that placed him far away from his beloved. He kissed the crown of her skull and they nuzzled their cheeks together, soft pleasurable hums emanating from the both of them. "How is our daughter?"

"Still strong and fair," Gusty said proudly. "Earlier she tried to steal my best ladle with her magic."

"Is that so?" Pulling away, Clover lightly treaded over to the cradle and peered inside. A cream-colored unicorn filly laid inside, kicking her hindlegs around until her dark blue eyes caught sight of her visitor. She smiled and held up her forelegs, hooves reaching for her father. Tenderly lifting her up with his magic, Clover placed the filly into his forelegs and settled into the nearby chair. He gently brushed her scarlet mane, humming and rocking back and forth as he did so.

It was still bothersome that she had yet to have received a name but the couple agreed that when the right one came along, it would be hers. Peering down at the cooing infant in his embrace, Clover was reminded of...somepony. Although he didn't have a mental picture, he knew that it was somepony that he'd helped in some way and had even been close to. The filly's eyes met his again. Over her left eye was a curious birthmark in the shape of a star, something that the midwife had declared was a sign of good fortune and a long, happy life.

He thought back to the name on the slip of paper, sounding it out in his head.

"Starlight..."

"What did you say?" Gusty wondered.

Clover turned to her and beamed. "I think that we shall name her Starlight."

Gusty snaked her forelegs around Clover's neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's perfect. Starlight."