Chapters A Spell Gone Wrong, But Ment to Be.
Chapter I --- Have I been here Before?
Chapter I
"I used that spell a hundred times before, how did I mess it up? It's so simple" Twilight thought to herself as she awoke in a dark damp cold lifeless room. The sound of water dripping echoed throughout the room. "ugh... Where am I?" she looked around for anything to help answer that question, but it was to dark to see her own hoof in front of her face, let alone were she was.
"I might as well use a spark spell to give me some light" with that said, her horn glowed and a small orb of light appeared next to her. It dimly light the features of an old brick tunnel with the same purple hue as her magic aura. Algae and moss covered many of the stones while a small amount of water pooled at her hooves. Confusion swept across her face as she studied her surroundings trying to make sense of it.
Confusion gave way to a confident smirk "I'm must be in an abandon sewer line under Ponyville" she chuckled "glad it's not in use, or the smell would be unbearable!"
She pondered some more "strange, Ponyville isn't that old, yet these seem like this hasn't been used in over a hundred years" she took her hoof and studied the plant growth on the wall. The orb or light dimly light the features of the plants with the slight purple hue.
"Well, I must return to this later with my tools and figured out how this got here. For now I must find my way out.... I'm starting to talk to myself already." "she began to trot down the down the old sewer tunnel, the orb of light floating just behind her. She looked for any little shards of light in the darkness that would mark a hatch to the surface. As she trotted a glimmer of a metallic object caught her eye. It was a rusty old ladder, barely noticeably with the orb of light she had cast.
"Finally! A ladder to the surface, strange I don't see any light at the top." A worried look overcame her face. "how long was I out, or down here? It can't be night already? Everypony must be worried sick about me." With that said she quickly scampered up the ladder eager to get out comfort her friends with the realisation she was fine. Reaching the metal cover her horn glowed and the orb of light disappeared as a purple hue enveloped the sewer cover. Her face strained as she tried to lift the object. The sound of rust breaking away from years of neglect gave way to moon light pouring in as the cover began to rise. On top of the cover lay several creates that fell off the moment she moved the cover aside.
With a soft thud she put the cover on the ground. "Oh no..." she gasped in horror as she looked upon the town, it was far older than Ponyville. Half the buildings were boarded up while the rest lay in disrepair. This did not look like the Ponyville she knew, but did have the same construction methods as her home.
"Where in Tartarus am I?" she wondered. The moonlight now bathing her in a gentle glow, illuminating the dirt and grim she had pick up within the old tunnel. She looked around for somepony to give her answers, but the streets and alleys were vacant of life. "Why should anypony be up?" She thought, "it's the middle of the night." She moved out of the small street onto the main road, no lanterns were lit, only the moonlight gave light to the empty town. But she noticed a pale orange glow of lanterns coming down from one of the roads, and trotted towards it.
She arrived at a what appeared to be an old tavern. "The White Pegasus" the sign read above the door. "Maybe somepony in her can tell me were I am."
She place her hoof on the door and opened it to see only two other ponies in the tavern. The Innkeeper, a tall, pale orange pegasus stallion with a grey and black mane. Off in the corner was another unicorn, pale blue coat, like that of Rainbow dash or Trixie, but with a raven blue mane. She did not seem interested in the tavern's new guess as she just stared at her drink in hoof.
The innkeeper spat into a bow and piped up while eyeing the dirt on Twilight's coat "Ye better not be another runner miss, I've got a business to run and I ain't gonna have my bar torn up by the guards again!"
Twilight stood back with a bit of shock at what the inn keep said, but then trotted up to him. "Good evening sir, My name is Twilight Sparkle and..." The inn keep interrupt with a hearty laugh and the unicorn in the corner raise an eye slowly at her. "That's a good one miss Twilight Sparkle, how many folks fall for that ol' con? Being a mythical hero of old? whadda ya tell 'em? You've found the fountain of youth?"
Puzzled, twilight stepped forward a bit "what do you mean? con? Mythical hero? I am Twilight Sparkle, I just had a little spell trouble and ended up just outside your town."
"ooo, ya got moxy kid, sticking to your con like that, but it ain't gonna work in here." He glared down at her. His eyes clearly showing his dislike for her.
Twilight stood there, more complexed than ever. She didn't even notice the other unicorn had slowly walked up and now stood beside her. She said in a soft, but faded Vanhoover accent, "I think you should come with me, before we get into trouble, I have a safe place to help you." Twilight turned to her fellow unicorn and gave a smile "Oh thank you miss?" "Raven Sky, follow me." she whispered and hurried out of the tavern, Twilight quickly followed suit. She heard the innkeeper mutter "Unicorns, good riddance!"
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Twilight had followed her new friend through the winding but familiar roads. They arrived at an old house that was in bad shape, but compared to that of the rest of the street it was in superb condition.
"You know, not a lot of ponies around here follow a stranger to there home so easily. You are very trusting." Raven said in a curious tone.
Twilight didn't know how to reply to that, but before she could think of anything to say Raven Sky ushered her into the house with a quick gesture.
Twilight followed her into a study with many old books adorning the shelves and table. The room had a heavy musty book smell, but twilight had learn to love that smell. Raven walked up to the tattered old curtains and shut them, then proceeded to light a small candle with a match. Raven then carried over to one of the book shelves looking for a book that no pony dared to have. A diary of an another pony, one of which was even forbidden to speak there name in public. Twilight looked puzzled as she watched the unicorn pull the book off the shelf without the use of her magic.
She sat it on the table with great care, and opened it, flipping each page with her hooves as if it were the most delicate of flowers. Getting close to the end of the book she stopped, were twilight could roughly make out what looked like a sketch of a pony, but when she leaned in for a closer look Raven shooed her back and Twilight complied. She did not want to offend the only pony who was helping her. A look of astonishment fell upon Raven's face as she looked up, at Twilight she spoke very softly, as if not to let the world know what she had discovered. "Well Miss Twilight Sparkle, it is a pleasure to meet you, though you are over 200 years from your home."
A Spell Gone Wrong, But Ment to Be.
Chapter II --- Not Set in Stone
Chapter II
Twilight's jaw nearly hit the floor as what Raven said reached her ears. "That... that's... that's impossible! I was just using my teleport spell, not a TIME SPELL!"
"Well my ancestor thinks there was something more. To it, an outside force. But for now we need a much safer place to discuss your... fate." Raven spat out the last word hesitantly. she then walked over to another bookshelf, and reached for a dull blue book with black writing reading "In plain sight" and gave it a gentle tug with her hoof. The bookcase then slowly swung open. Behind it lay old cobblestone stairs worn down by years of use but covered in years more of dust.
Raven gestured for Twilight to go first as she stood next to the opening. Twilight stared down the dark passage way unsure. But remembering pinkies silly songs about laughing at fear she chuckled and proceeded by picking up the Candle with her magic.
Raven's face went white as she saw Twilight use her magic so willingly and effortlessly, but she said nothing. Twilight was not oblivious to Raven's reaction, but continued on down the dark passage way with out mentioning it. Raven followed suit after closing the bookcase behind them and the two trotted down the spiralling cobblestone stairwell. They reached an old decayed but still functional wooden door. The brass handle was covered in dust from rarely being opened within recent years.
"Trixie built this shortly after you disappeared. It was to be her secret study" with that Raven opened the door and welcomed Twilight to come inside. The room was fairly large for how deep underground it was. Nervously Raven whispered under her breath "Could... you perhaps light the lanterns on the wall, with... your Magic?" Twilight looked at Raven, speaking so soft, so quiet that anypony would have had a hard time hearing her if the stood next to her. But Twilight was use to picking up the faintest of words from Fluttershy's delicate voice.
"My pleasure" Twilight smiled as she conjured up a flame within each lantern and the room filled with light, the orange glow basking everything it could touch.
Raven stood there, speechless and dumbfounded. Twilight noticed this, then asked as politely as she could. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but can you perform any spells or magic of your own?" Raven seemed to snapped out of her daze just to softly shake her head in a no. "Magic is forbidden." with that said it was Twilights' turn to be shocked and dazed. She thought "Magic, Forbidden??? how could Celestia allow this?"
"Let me explain what happened, and try to keep you thoughts within you head." She smiled in a joking manner and Twilight had realised she had said her thoughts aloud.
"It all started a few years after you disappeared. Celestia had come out of Canterlot and greeted everypony, she had been grieving the loss of her praised student for almost two years, never leaving the castle room within the castle grounds. Luna ended up talking over most of the Royal duties." Twilight interrupted "She grieved for two years over me?" "Yes! Now don't interrupt again or I'll let you learn the hard way what happened out there!" Raven Snapped at Twilight with a quick irritation from years of hiding secrets. Twilight sat down like a scolded young filly and let Raven continue.
"As I was saying, Celestia had finally returned to the people. But in her absence a group of terrorist know as "Iron Hoof" got their little hooves on some Griffin black powder weapons... and assassinated the Princess." Twilight gasped in Horror, tears welled in her eyes as she tried to grasp what was said.
"From that point on, Equestria was thrown into civil war for three long years, until Princess Luna disappeared. With Luna gone the Iron Hoof quickly took over Canterlot. One of their first acts was the banishment of magic. Many unicorns went missing in the night while others fled." Twilight's face was still in shock, not able to over come what Raven was telling her.
"Trixie, my Ancestor, spent years studying what happened to you, and was able to learn that somepony or something tampered with you spell at the moment you used it to get rid of you." Twilight came crashing back down into the cold reality of what Raven was saying, all she could muster was "But why?"
"Princess Celestia loved you like a daughter, and with you gone, the Elements of Harmony were broken and could no longer protect the Princess, along with causing great pain in the Princess for an easy take over." The way Raven conveyed the words was almost soulless to Twilight, but were in fact just years of separation from Time points.
"THEN WHAT IN TARTARUS DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO!" Twilight yelled out, tears streaming down her face now, her cool reasoning mind flooded with emotions. The Room echoed with her words.
"Trixie wrote that time isn't set in stone, you have a chance to rewrite history as it were. She also wrote, if it is set in stone, then destroy it and rearrange the pebbles."
Silence fell on the room, the only movement came from the shadows as the flames in each individual lantern flicked as they burned.
Raven then pushed Trixie's diary toward twilight, "The book is yours now, Trixie wanted you to have it for when you arrived in the future." Twilight looked at Raven with tears still in her eyes, all Raven could do was smile. Twilight pushed back her emotions long enough to think, then replied "Why did Trixie do this all for me? Last I saw her, we had sent her running away and homeless."
"Simple, Trixie wanted to prove she was better than you." Raven said in a Joking manner and with a wink. The tension was lifted with that and the two laughed.
"Well, I still have no idea what to do."
"Easy" said Raven "Just A. Find out how to send yourself back to the moment you left. B. Collect information on the Iron Hoof to stop them in your time... Every cloud has a silver lining. Oh and I'd reframe from using any magic in public, unless you want the guards to take the Black Citadel Prison. So, it's all really an easy task"
Twilight, for once in her life grew tired of asking questions, the answers she got raised more questions she did not want and bad thoughts. She would ask again later, after she had processed this information.
"You are most welcome to stay in my home as long as you need."
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It had been three days since Twilight had arrived, 200 years in the future, to a less than stellar future she had dreamed of. It didn't take long for her curiously to take over and her to study Trixie's Diary the whole 3 days.
Something in the words Trixie wrote gave her hope, that this was just the worse possible outcome and that she could in fact, easily prevent it from happening. As she flipped through the 200 year old book, memorizing every word, Raven knock on the door. "It's been 3 days, I think some air will do you good. Plus there is someone I'd like you to meet."
Twilight looked up in curiosity, but only wanted to study the book. And prepare herself for this her future endeavour. Raven interrupted her thought with cleaning her throat "*ahem* Come on, it won't take long and I suggest you Hide that book in the study." Twilight followed Raven to the study and place the dairy on the shelves, hidden in plain sight but within hundreds of books. Before they left the house, Raven handed twilight a old brown clock to hide her face.... and cutie mark.
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The Two had trotted down the Street and in the light Twilight realised something about the town. She whispered softly to Raven "Is this..." "Ponyville? Yes." Raven said, not batting an eye at the thought. Twilight just followed, she studied the abandon buildings for details, and the Ponies who stared at the new unicorn. Each one of them a keeping there distance and trying not to be seen staring at Twilight.
They arrived at Carrousel Boutique, Still standing after all these years, yet just barely. The Roof had been boarded up in a patch work fashion, and the windows suffered of age being warped in there frames. They opened the door and the bell above rang out in a little charming and familiar sound to Twilight. She wondered why they had come here, Rarity couldn't have lived for over 200 years now.
"Welcome To Carrousel Boutique, the Oldest clothing store in Equestria." A voice rang out from a top the stairs. The Welcoming wasn't as catchy as Rarities, but times Change.
"Oh Raven, my dear, what brings you here? And who's your new friend? come to get them some "Clothes "" The unicorn said accentuating the last word. She Stood in a proud and regal stance like Rarity. Her coat a soft yellow, her mane golden long and flowing in the same style as Rarity, Her cutie mark was three topaz gems. Upon noticing this pony's cutie mark, Twilight noticed she had never seen Raven's mark, and for good reason, she had none.
"We don't need "clothes "" Raven brashly said "The day has arrived." And this new pony's eyes lit up. "Well then, are you sure? Then come upstairs and flip the sign to closed would you?"
A Spell Gone Wrong, But Ment to Be.
Chapter III --- Old but new Friends
Chapter III
All three of them trotted up the stairs into the room where rarity once made glorious fashion designs for the elite of Equestria.
"So are you really... Twilight Sparkle?" The golden pony whispered.
"I am, and here to stop this unjust timeline from happening." Twilight confidently said and Raven looked upon Twilight as if she were a whole new different pony from the one she met only a few days ago.
"My word, but you'll excuse me if I do not entirely believe you... it is just so hard to find hope these days." the gloomy tune of her voice was interrupted by her own voice again, but in a much happier tone. "Oh, were are my manners though, My name is Sunset Topaz, but my friends call me Sunset. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Please to meet you miss Sunset Topaz, My name is Twilight Sparkle, but you already knew that. Mind if I ask you a question?" Twilight held a curious face. But before Sunset could answer a voice budded into the conversation. "Yes, she IS the descendent of Rarity, she's also a member of the Guardians." with that Raven had stepped forward between the two and continued. "She's responsible for giving any unicorn a new look before we send them off in hiding from the Iron Hoof." Twilight this time sat back eagerly and awaiting the new information.
"The Guardians are protectors of the old ways and the secrets that the Iron Hoof would like to destroy. We also help those in trouble start new lives as far away from Iron Hoof's control." Raven's face lit up with passion and nobility as she spoke the words.
Sunsets voice sang in "Well... Now that we have the boasting out of the way." Raven's face traded the nobility and passion with annoyance while sunset continued "why exactly did you bring her here Raven? Shouldn't you have called a meeting at your house or a safe house and we could all have discussed this all together?" Twilight sat still, but study the question and then Raven's face for the answer. "Well, she's already been her 3 days in my house, hidden away. But I know that rat of a Tavern owner Evening Cloud will probably tell the Iron Hoof guards he had a runner come through his Tavern and that I took her away. Which leaves us, with oh about half a day or less till they get here and that means I didn't want to risk the others."
"So you wish for me to change her look and hide her while you take the beating again for being a traitor?" Sunset said with a worried face. Before any of them could continue on with there secret meeting there was a pounding on the door below.
Shock and horror crossed their faces, "Quick, you might have been follow, into the closet!" Sunset hissed.
Twilight and raven hid in the closet but could hear Sunset Topaz walk down the stairs and announce "I'm terribly sorry but we are closed for cleaning." "Oh cut the silly scripted lines and let me in! It's me Pinkie!" A voice yelled from the other side of the door.
Raven let out a sigh of relief and open the closet "It's alright, it's our lookout." With that they went downstairs to meet this lookout.
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From the other side of a door stood a nervous and twitchy pink pony with a large curly pink mane. "Hurry up! hurry up sunset! I don't want anypony to see me." she whined.
Sunset opened the door and the pink pony darted in with such speed it would make Rainbow dash jealous. She glanced around the store and noting Raven and Twilight walking down the stairs. Upon looking at twilight she gasped and at the same time Twilight looked at her and gasp. "PINKY PIE!" "THEE TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" the two ponies yelled at each other in excitement.
"Wait... how do you know my name? oh wait, that's right, My great great great grandmother was Pinkamena Diane Pie, the First! and I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie the third! Man, you'd think the writer of this story could have come up with a better name than that. unless...." Pinkie rambled on. Twilight stood there, processing what Pinkie Pie had said, then noticed that she may look and act like the Pinkie pie she knew, But sadly she wasn't, the hint was a her cutie mark, a Rainbow Pie.
"Yes it is a rainbow pie instead of balloons, I like parties but baking is so much more fun! And I just love making the pies all different colours!"
"PINKIE! you came here for something I assume?" Raven interrupted.
"Oh ya, sorry, umm, you need to get Twilight out of here ASAP! The Iron Hoof is sending a whole legion over as we speak, they heard somepony was going around saying she was Twilight Sparkle and they're going to be here within the hour!" She finished her sentence with a large sarcastic goofy smile, as if to lighten the mood.
"This is very bad, Sunset can you change Twilight's look that quickly? And Pinkie, get word to Orchard we got a VIP that needs to be rushed out on the railroad now!" Pinkie pie saluted and dashed out the door while a worried look crossed Sunsets, "An hour isn't much time, this won't look pretty"
"Just do it! and Fast! We've waiting to long for this!"
Twilight politely interrupted "I could use my magic to help the process, I've been learning about some illusion spells that might help."
"Not a good idea Twilight, the Iron Hoof would sniff you out in an instant, they have devices that can detect magic in use." Raven said in protest while stomping her hoof down.
"Well then, how about I teleport myself outside Ponyville and give myself a headstart" inquired Twilight as she flashed a magic aura around her horn.
Raven looked on intrigued "If you can do that. It would by us more time, but I don't think you can."
"It's easy" with that twilight concentrated on the spell and she poofed as if it worked, but then she reappeared in the exact same spot. Twilight looked over the room and notice she hadn't move and try the spell again but again remerged on the same point.
"It's as Trixie feared. That spell was tampered with and can only be undone by the one who sent you here." Raven stared at the floorboards, hopes dashed. "So the same Spell that sent me here, keeps me from teleporting? That complicates matters." Twilight looked over at Sunset who had the same look as Raven when she first viewed Twilight using her magic. "Well darling, now if we can't use real magic, I'll just have to work my magic in disguises then." With that Sunset began grabbing dyes and hair products.
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Forty-five minutes had gone by, and Sunset had never worked faster in her life, she had temporally dyed Twilights coat a dark blue, and redone her hair in a messy long ponytail. She made Twilight look like a nobody unicorn that had it's dreams stomped on by the Iron Hoof. She had also made Twilight a cloak and giving her some old saddle bags to complete the disguise.
"It's not prefect, but it'll get us passed any guards we might run into." Raven said eyeing Twilight's new look. "The dyes will fade in three or more days if you don't wash them out, and now that you look the part, you must acted it, 3 rules apply. Keep your Head low, Stay in the shadows if possible, and NEVER show any magic ability. The Guards will try to do things to trick any unicorns in using magic." The Proud and regal face of Sunset Topaz looked down on Twilight through old glasses and her eyes gave a comforting glimmer of Hope.
"We should go, now. Thanks again Sunset." Raven rushed to the back door.
"Were are we going to exactly?" Twilight asked and Raven replied "Ya know Sweet Apple Acres? Apple Orchard is now in charge, he's the last of the Apple Family here and still runs the farm. From there he'll give use the current and safest route out to our main base of operations in the Galloping Gorge. Now lets hurry, no more time to..."
The old Carousel Boutique began to shutter as if a herd of stampeding buffalo was running just out side. "Oh no, OUT NOW!" Raven hissed at Twilight and the two darted out the back and along the trees. They soon stopped on the Road into town. From there Twilight could make out what look like to giant metal boxes rolling toward Ponyville, and the were big, they shook the ground at Twilight's hooves.
"Keep low and act like we're coming back from the market, don't make eye contact with any of the soldiers, and if the push you out of the way, comply!" whispered Raven under her breath and the two walk into town center to take the road to Sweet Apple Acres. But Twilight was to intrigue in these giant metal boxes. she peered from the corner of her eye, studying them as they approached.
Large, with four metal wheels, and a smaller box on top with what appeared to be weapons of some sort, a pair of them. Twilight knew this was a machine of terror as it rolled along, and behind it followed about seven more.
"Rumblers, great." Raven muttered. "Damn those Griffins for sharing their tech with Iron Hoof. You don't want to get in the way of those, they'll either run you over or blast you away with their black powder cannons."
The two hurried along the road but by the time they reached the old town square the rumblers had passed and arrived in the center. They parked in the town square and doors fell open from the rear, with ponies marching into the streets.
"Iron Hoof is here to stop the Terrorist that hide among you! We received word that there is a great threat hiding in Ponyville, and the sooner we find them, the sooner we will be on our way." Boasted what seemed to be the Officer in charge. "YA!? And who'll stop you young whipper snappers from terrorising us?" shouted an old gentlecolt clearly fed up with their words. But those words caused a few guards to swoop down upon the old colt like birds of prey and batter the old colt to the ground with their batons. Twilight rushed forward to help but was stopped by a hoof holding her back. She looked over and saw Raven eye's convey the words "don't do it" without a sound escaping from her muzzle.
Frustrated Twilight looked away, and Raven pushed her along. As the two ventured out of the square a guard yelled "HAULT" but they acted as if they did not hear the word. "YOU TWO MARES! HAULT! By order of the Iron Hoof." Again Raven stopped Twilight and they stood there, still as could be.
Fear crept into Twilights mind, these were clearly soldiers who enjoyed unchecked power over others. And there was no telling what they'll do to Twilight if they found out. Her mind raced with possibilities and strategies of getting away when a calm voice broke her train of thought. "Stay calm, and let me do most of the talking, if you look nervous they'll push more questions."
With that a few of the guards walked up and forcefully removed there hoods while they trotted in front of their path. "Were are you two going?" Question one of them while another eyed Twilight.
"We don't mean to cause any trouble sir, we're just returning from the market and heading home." A weak a feeble voice spoke instead of that defiant voice Raven normally used.
The guard raised and eyebrow "Have you seen a strange Purple mare who entered this town about 3 days ago?" "Yes" replied Raven and the shock crossed both Twilight's and the guard's face "WHERE?!" "About 3 days ago she was hiding around the Tavern... that's all I know..." Raven acted almost like Fluttershy as she played herself as a weak nobody pony. "VERY WELL!" The Guard shouted with irritation and let them carry on then shouted to his comrades "Check that stupid Pegasus' Tavern!"
Twilight let out a sigh of relief as they walked off toward the farm. "That'll buy us only a little while longer." Raven cooed. "For now."