For the Empress!

For the Empress
Chapter 4: About Time...

Speaking now, as the author, I found something rather peculiar. Time is both very open-minded and yet very finicky.
Let me explain – if I wanted to go back in time and kill Hitler, I could. I could take his place, work as he had but without the mistakes – I could change history so that A. Hitler, leader of Germany, won WW2. No holocaust even.
But that wouldn’t lead to a Nazi state today.
I could change the outcome of the American Civil War so that the Royalists, the English troops, won. America never reached its true state of independence, no declaration, nothing.
But the British Empire would fall, and with it, the colony of America would become independent, rife with poverty and a corrupt government, but it would be free. And the Empire WILL fall. Count on it.
Time isn’t worried about the HOW, it’s about ensuring the occasional little thing DOES happen. Even if Obama cheats his way into office, what matters is that he gets there. And in Equestria... Well, how about I show you?

“They’re right there! In the middle of the chamber!”
Rainbow Dash gestured to Fluttershy, who grabbed a stone from a pedestal and began lowing it to the floor. Twilight looked at it and closed her eyes.
“Rarity, are you..?”
“Nothing. Perhaps it’s a puzzle?”
Twilight nodded at her friend’s suggestion. Looking around the base of pedestal, she rubbed off years of moss and vines to read the text underneath.
“Spark...Ignite... I think I need to hit the rocks with a spark, and that should make all the gems turn up.”
“But there’s only five rocks for six gems!”
Pinkie Pie bounced over to the pedestal, squinting at the text Twilight had uncovered.
“I don’t know if this means normal magic Twi’...”
“It’s all we’ve got. I’m going to need to concentrate.”
“Come on ya’ll,” Applejack sighed, heading towards the door to the abandoned castle, “Ya know what that means.”
Grumbling a bit, five ponies left the room, leaving Twilight to try things on the stone orbs. In any other circumstances, maybe they would never have met. Or perhaps it was meant to be.
Twilight was a purple unicorn. Wearing the light cloth armour of battle mages everywhere, she was the group’s leader and researcher. Her family were from a long line of exiled nobles, who had only one or two generations ago been accepted back into society. Twilight still found it hard to stay in the same place, and that was why she was here now.
Applejack was the group’s tank. She was no healer, but her own innate magic had been boosted by years of meditation and forced practice, leaving her with the ability to heal from life-threatening injuries in mere hours. Her family had been farmers for years, but she had found some escape and comfort in travelling with her friends. Her steady mind meant that she took over while Twilight was otherwise engaged.
Rainbow Dash was wild. She didn’t really follow any restrictions if she could help it, she fought with any and everybody, and (Much to the others chagrin) wasn’t fussed with her orientation. But she was a strong fighter, a brilliant flyer, and she listened to her friends enough to respect what she needed to do. She was from Cloudsdale originally, and no one but her knew why she was here, except maybe Fluttershy.
Rarity... In her turn, she was a fine armoursmith, and her special spell, which tracked gems, had saved the group’s lives before. A snow white unicorn with a taste in the extravagant, it seemed to be a love of money which brought her along. But she was happy to give – it was her actions that brought the group to the castle – and of the group she was the most selfless. Her family often came up, but other than brief mentions of her sister...
Fluttershy and Rarity were as thick as thieves, as the saying goes. Neither were particularly good at the exploration themselves, but Fluttershy was a very skilled medic. Often she dealt with the ‘clingers’ of the group at dangerous times, but it was her compassion that held the group together when times were really tough. She had become close friends with Twilight at one point in her early travels, and they had begun travelling as a three with Applejack when they were very young themselves. Seven years of being the best team out there had done a lot for her mostly timid personality, but she was much quieter than the others.
And then there was Pinkie Pie. No one understood Pinkie Pie. Even Pinkie Pie. But she had a brilliant insight, and Twilight trusted her, so that was good enough for the others.
Damn fine baker too.
Now, Twilight closed her eyes to look for something inside her. Pinkie had said more than normal magic. Twilight tried to find something inside her. A spike. A bulb. A...
A glow.
It was a warm feeling inside. She touched on it as she found something about... Applejack. Twilight sifted the emotion to one side. The gems – Elements of Harmony – perhaps there was more to them than just one pony. She looked for the feeling again.
Another glow. This time from Fluttershy. It was likely-
Twilight frowned as shouts came in from her friends. She was busy, they would have to deal with it themselves. She wanted to be back in town before the Summer Sun Celebration finished.

“The sky, look at the sky!”
Pinkie watched the moon with a look of horror. Rainbow Dash squinted.
“I don’t get it, what’s so big?”
“The stars! She’s getting the help of the stars!”
“Who is? Twilight?”
“No! Nightmare Moon!”
A stream of stars hit the castle where Twilight was standing. Pinkie Pie wailed and ran in.
“Twilight! Look out!”

“You have rather... Interesting friends, I see.”
All that Twilight felt was a sense of panic. She had never panicked before. Not even during her accidental spell burst on that day-
No, focus, find the elements.
Twilight reached into the magic around her – thick, sickening stuff, which made her feel like fainting – and grabbed the five rocks. As she was forced to manifest again, she kept the elements, which clunked to the ground around her.
“Though I suppose it was supposed to be this way. Things are planned far beyond what you know, little pony.”
Retching from the taste, Twilight stood up and began to gather her magic. She looked at the pony in front of her.
And all her resolve to cast spells shattered. It was another spell, she was sure, but her breath caught in her throat, and then a headache began, followed by a twisting pain in her heart-
“You’re just so easy to play with! My word, this is the most fun I’ve had in years. Such a stoic child, aren’t you? Trying to play so hard to get!”
“You... Who are you?”
“Who am I! Does royalty no longer count for anything?!”
The black pony reared up, striking a pose against the moon.
“Have over a thousand years of imprisonment stopped me from my place on the throne?!”
“A thousand... You’re Nightmare Moon!” Twilight gasped, regaining her composure, “I won’t let you take the Elements!”
“The elements of harmony cannot be wielded by a pony that is not pure of heart. Only someone who represents the virtues of our society can use them, and that’s definitely not you,” Nightmare scoffed, “So you may as well give them to me.”
“...No.”
Twilight shook her head, and grabbed the stones in her magic.
“Even if I can’t use them, their worth is immeasurable. I’m taking them with me!”
Nighmare spluttered. “But in their dormant state they’re nothing more than rocks! Trash!”
“Still got worth! Goodbye!”
Twilight belted.

The group of six, (having met up on the stairs) charged back across the bridge and into the Everfree proper. Twilight sprinted in front, focusing her magic.

“My... Sister... And... Brother...”

A chorus of affirmative grunts came from behind her. Twilight dropped back and let Applejack lead.