Your Friends From Across Time

Something was on your chest.

You could not tell what it was, but it was definitely a bit heavy --- perhaps the size of an filled-up grocery bag or similar. But whatever it was, it was no inanimate object, as you quickly opened your eyes once you felt it move and poke into your flesh.

While lying on the couch on the mezzanine of Izzy's home, you found yourself staring into the purple eyes of some type of little green lizard, who also had a lime-green underbelly and four slightly dark-green horns on its head. But once you saw its most noticeable feature, a pair of green wings embedded with pink membranes, it became more clear to you just what this creature was.

"A dragon?"

Hearing your first words of the day, the baby dragon smiled at you with its single bottom tooth, a smile that seemed to disregard the possible danger that the dragon was upon a stranger much larger than it. But of course, you were not going to lay an unkind hoof on the dragon, who soon began to let off a long string of incoherent coos and babbles.

Whether it was due to tiredness or your still-present surprise, you just remained still as the infant stared at you with wonder, all while spouting out hyperactive gibberish.

"Um... Hello to you, too?"

Though its ramblings did not cease to be, the cheerful dragon crawled up your chest to place its claws on your snout. For whatever reason, you allowed it to pat your face, as if it was playing with clay. Its tiny little hands had no real impact on you, so you felt no discomfort.

"Sparky!" you heard a male voice rang out.

Before you could reply to see who it was, you got your answer when a familiar yellow earth pony stallion with a green mane came up the ramp of the mezzanine. The stallion's eyes scanned the area for a bit before they finally resigned on you and your new companion.

"Hello, [Y/N]," Hitch calmly greeted as he walked over to the couch. "Sparky!"

As soon as he was at the couch, the sheriff used a single forehoof to gently lift the baby dragon off your face. Once its claws slipped off your snout, the creature donned a frown and desperately flailed its small, chubby arms in an attempt to reconnect with you --- anxiously babbling as it was brought into an embrace against Hitch's chest.

"I'm sorry about this little guy," the earth pony apologized with a grin. "Can't let him out of your sight for even a moment, you know?"

With that scalie weight lifted off your chest, you were able to sit up straight on the couch and stretch your forelegs.

"Hey, Sheriff Hitch," you said through a yawn. "I'm guessing that's Sparky. I heard a little bit about him."

"You did?" He chuckled, looking down at the dragon. "Yeah, he's definitely a handful. But anyway, are you doing okay? You know --- after disappearing from the cave and all that? The girls told me what happened when they got back."

You removed the blanket that Izzy had given you the night before and hopped off the couch.

"I'm alright. Nothing bad happened, at least physically. I was just brought back to my past by a few unicorns I know."

"But now you're back here again. Why?"

"Well, it has something to do with what's going on in the present. I have to try and---"

"Actually," Hitch interrupted, "it's probably best if the whole gang hears about it. I mean --- we know that's something going on in the past, but Izzy didn't say exactly what in her text. We tried to send a few more messages, but the reception hasn't been good lately."

"Right. Well..., are the others nearby?"

Hitch nodded. "They're all outside with Izzy. I don't think there's a rush, but just come down when you're ready. We were all a bit worried for you."

Your eyes were already on the ramp. "I'll go ahead and follow you down."

Still carrying Sparky, Hitch began to turn away from you. "Well, if that's what you want to do."

Soon enough, the three of you headed towards the ramp, leaving the mezzanine. You all descended towards the front door of Izzy's home, which was already opened and letting in several yellow rays of sunlight.

When you went through the frame while behind Hitch, you saw in front of the tree house two wagons, one was filled with lanterns that Izzy and Violette had finished crafting yesterday, and the other with a green canvas cover must have been the one that Hitch and the others had brought with them for their journey.

Speaking of the others, you quickly spotted Sunny, Zipp, and Pipp beside Izzy's wagon. They were conversing with the purple unicorn herself.

"So, you're camping night was alrighty?" Izzy asked the mares.

Zipp sighed. "Aside from the critters taking our breakfast... yeah, you could say so."

"Well, if you want, you guys can have breakfast here before we leave."

"Are you sure?" you heard Sunny say. "I know it wasn't our fault what happened, but it doesn't seem right to take whatever food you have left."

"Sunny, please," you heard Pipp beg as she repeatedly tugged on her friend's foreleg. "If Izzy's said it's okay, it's okay. I don't know about you, but I get really hangry in the morning if I don't get something to eat."

You saw an unamused frown emerge from the orange earth pony as she yanked back her leg. "Yeah. I'm starting to notice that."

"It's alright, Sunny," Izzy reassured with a giggle. "I have enough. But do you guys need to head to the stores before we leave? With so many unicorns heading to Canterlot, some of them might be closing early already."

Zipp shook her head. "We should have enough of everything. Luckily we only lost our breakfast for today, so we're good on food for the rest of the trip. As for anything else, I don't think we need to---"

The white pegasus stopped her sentence, which puzzled you, until you saw that she was making eye contact with either you or Hitch and Sparky --- though you knew that it was likely the former. Following the white pegasus' eyesight, Izzy, Pipp, and Sunny looked over at you as well, with the latter pony starting to run over to you.

"[Y/N]!" Sunny cried out as she galloped.

You froze in place, uncertain of what was happening right now. Even the sheriff, when you looked at him, seemed confused about his friend's sudden action. Without so much of a verbal warning, the orange earth pony lept off her hindlegs and wrapped her forelegs around your neck --- embracing you into a tight hug.

"We were so worried about you!" Sunny then put some space between the two of you, though her grasp remained. "Are you okay?"

Though you could not see your own face, you were certain that you had a most bizarre expression of surprise. "Um... I'm good. Sorry for... disappearing like I did. It wasn't exactly my choice."

To your comfort, Sunny eventually let go of your neck and returned her forehooves to the ground, but her face was still etched with worrisome wrinkles. By now, Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy had come over to crowd you as well.

"What happened to you in the cave?" Zipp asked in a lively manner. "I mean, one second you were there talking to us, and the next you were just gone. Did you happen to find a way back to your timeline or something?"

You scratched the back of your head. "Yeah, I did. Headmare Glimmer from the Friendship School managed to bring my mind back to the present. Turns out my body was still stuck in my time while my... essence, if you can call it, traveled to the future. So I was never really here to begin with."

Gasping, Pipp brought a hoof over her mouth. "So you're like a ghost --- but without the whole actually-being-dead thing that ghosts have going for them."

"Well, given the fact that Sunny was able to touch them," said Hitch, "we can't really exactly call them a ghost."

Zipp continued on with her questions, leaning her head in closer to you. "So Izzy texted us saying that you're back here on a mission or something like that --- right? I mean, why else would you be here if you already found a way home?"

You stepped back a bit from the energetic mare. "Do you remember that monster attack I told you about back at Ponyville? The one before I got sent to the future?"

Zipp nodded without taking her eyes off of you.

"Well, that attack wasn't the only one. There were hundreds of more monster attacks all around central Equestria. Cities were damaged, and most monsters used magic to drain creatures' consciousness."

"That's horrible!" said a shocked Sunny, speaking for everyone else who became wide-eyed --- except an oblivious Sparky. "Is that still happening? You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No, I'm okay. And the monsters were taken care of, but we think that more could show up soon. It's a bit complicated, and the headmare doesn't really fully understand it either, but I think I have to do something in this timeline to save the past. There was a voice that spoke to me before I woke up outside Posey's house that told me I had to understand the value of hope if I want to save Equestria."

"But why do you have to save Equestria?" Hitch asked with confusion. "I don't mean this with offense, but you're just a kid. And you're not even a unicorn that can do all sorts of magic."

You bit your bottom lip. "I know, but it can't just be a coincidence that the moment those attacks went down I just happened to be sent to the future. Especially with that voice talking to me about how I need to be in the future."

"Wait. What do you have to do here, again?" Sunny asked.

"I have to learn about the concept of hope --- likely from like a magical perspective. That's why Izzy's taking me to Canterlot with you guys. There's three places in the city where I could study all about that type of magic."

"Study?" Zipp said as a grin began to crack on her face. "Like doing research and investigations?"

You frowned, not knowing what she was so happy about. "I guess so."

"Well, maybe I can help you. I mean, I wish I'd thought about it sooner, especially with that evil pony out there, but now there's an actual good reason to go to Canterlot besides just for the Gala. Where exactly do you plan on starting?"

"Um, well, there's the Library of Magic. The name is kind of self-explanatory. Then there's the Canterlot Archives, which has a bunch of magical spells and records. And finally, another place I wanted to visit was the School for Gifted Unicorns. There could be textbooks or notes there about hope-based magic."

You managed to spot a twinkle in Zipp's light blue eyes. "Excellent! Looks like you already got a good list! The Gala won't be happening until nighttime, so I'll have plenty of time to help you out."

"I'm sure the rest of us can all pitch in, too, [Y/N]," said Sunny with a smile. "If ponies --- I mean --- creatures are in danger like you said, then you shouldn't mind five pairs of extra eyes scanning through books with you."

"Besides," continued Zipp, "maybe we could find something related to the evil pony that Twilight was talking about. And for all we know, this could be the same pony that tried to separate the three races that Discord mentioned. "

Hearing that former name made your ears stand up straighter than they already were. "Twilight? You mean Princess Twilight Sparkle? Is she still around?"

Hitch shook his head. "No. Not really. There was this incident a while ago where the Unity Crystals showed a message that the princess left behind before she vanished."

"Yeah," Pipp chimed. "It was all garblely and staticky and stuff, but Twilight warned us about an evil pony that tried to steal magic a long time ago. And now that magic's back, that evil pony might be coming back, too."

Your spirit faltered somewhat. You never saw yourself as a royalty fanatic, but the mere thought that a princess could help you with your task made you confident for just a second in the certainty that things in the present would be resolved rather quickly. Though you appreciated the offer of help from Izzy, Sunny, and Zipp, you really would have liked a divine or magical intervention.

"Sadly, we didn't get the name of the pony because of how damaged the message was," Zipp added. "Other than her being a mare, we don't know much about this threat." Her eyes widen in realization. "Say... There wouldn't happen to be a mare in your time right now who wants to steal magic, is there?"

You looked up at the sky while rummaging through your thoughts, before returning back to face Zipp.

"The only pony I can think about that matches that description is Cozy Glow," you answered. "She was just a filly when she tried to steal all the magic in Equestria for her own gain. But that happened before I was born, and she's no longer a threat."

"Okay. Well, even if you don't know anypony who is trying to steal magic in your time right now, it doesn't mean that such a pony doesn't exist. For all we know, maybe this pony is behind the monster attacks. You said it yourself that the monsters sucked the magic out of creatures, right?"

You shook your head. "No. I said that the monsters can take away a creature's consciousness, not their magical abilities. But... I guess it wouldn't be far-fetched if it turned out that the victims got their magic taken, too. It's only been five days since the attack, so we probably don't know that much about these monsters."

"Either way, it might be important for you to at least tell the princess in your time about this evil pony," Hitch asserted. "Even if she's not the one behind the monsters, Equestria needs to be on guard against someone who could steal magic and cause division between other ponies."

"That makes sense. I'm sure the headmare would want the princess to know."

A low yet loud rumble thundered out amongst the nearby space, startling you and everyone else.

"What was that?" Zipp asked, in which she was met by a nervous laugh from a sheepish, blushing Pipp.

"My bad. That was me. I'm still a bit hungry since those animals took our breakfast."

Izzy laughed in a wholesome manner. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. We should probably go ahead and get you guys something to eat. Sunny, if you want I can help you with the cooking. We got a while before we have to actually leave anyway."

"Well, if you're okay with it, I guess I can get to it," said Sunny.

"Do you mind if I get something quick, like cereal if you have any?" asked Pipp.

Izzy's smile remained unmoved. "Of course you can. You can have whatever you want! It's on the house!"

Donning a grin of her own, the pink pegasus spread her wings and floated away from the group, making a lead for the house. Hitch, still carrying Sparky, went over to the cart with the green tarp.

"It's probably best for this little guy to get something to nibble on, too," the stallion declared. "Luckily the critters didn't take any of his baby food."

Soon enough, Izzy and Sunny headed in the same direction that Pipp went towards. You too were about to take foot, but Zipp stopped you with the words that came out of her mouth.

"So, when we get to Canterlot, where do you want to go to first?"

"I... guess we could go to the Library of Magic."

"Do you think that's a good first step?"

You groaned lightly. "It should be. At least I hope. The Archives might have magical protection spells still in place, so it could be harder to get into there. And as for the unicorn school, I figure that I could save that for last."

"So you're going to all three places?"

"If I have time. I still don't know when my mind will be back in the present."

In an act of reassurance, the white pegasus shot a confident grin your way. "Well, either way, we're all here to help, especially me. And even if you poof away again, I don't mind doing a little more research on my own until you get back --- if you need to, at least."

"Oh. Thanks. I... wasn't expecting that, but I'm not going to be ungrateful."

Zipp turned in the other direction towards the house. "Good to know. We should probably eat, too. We got a bit of a trek ahead before we camp for the night."

The only time you could ever recall so many creatures being in one place was usually in the streets of Canterlot during holiday events, particularly the Festival of the Two Sisters. And yet here you were amongst hundreds of ponies, as you all traveled along the dirt road and the grass fields to your old home upon Mount Canterlot. You were likely smack-dab in the middle of the caravan --- given the time that you and the others left Izzy's home --- which allowed you a good view of your fellow travelers.

The ponies present on the trip were of various races, though most seemed to be either unicorns or earth ponies, which made sense to you given that pegasi had the whole flight going on. Many dragged along wagons or carts underneath the blue autumn sky, surrounded by friends, spouses, and younger family members. A few travelers, mostly earth ponies who likely came a long way from Maretime Bay, were relaxing in the grass fields beside the road, having parked their vehicles nearby.

It had been nearly two hours since you left Bridlewood, so you did not know exactly how long the group could go on before a break would register in any of your minds. But so far, things seemed to be going okay. Izzy dragged her cart in front of the one that Hitch was pulling. While Sparky was on his the yellow stallion's back, Sunny, Zipp, and Pipp were in between the two carts, with the later two hovering in the air.

As for you, you stayed to the right side of Hitch's cart, not wanting to be in his way if you were to slow down for some reason. You had no need to say anything since leaving, but the atmosphere around you had been lively due to the endless conversations shared between your traveling partners.

"I wonder what Discord's going to be bringing to the Gala," you heard Izzy say. "I know he said that Fluttershy loved going to the palace garden to see the animals whenever she went to the Gala, so maybe he'll bring Reginald Fursome and a few of the other critters along."

A chuckle sprang from Zipp. "Maybe. Do you think he'll have them act like waiters or something? Holding oval trays carrying cider drinks and all that? I'm not sure if Reginald has the patience for that type of service."

"Mom's been messaging me about the Gala," said Pipp. "Since most of the workers from Zephyr Heights are taking care of things around Canterlot like clean-up and security, I'm certain that they'll be taking care of the catering instead." An excited gasp escaped the pink pegasus' lips. "I wonder if Chef Fabio will be in charge of the dining experience! Oh, I really hope so! His cooking goes good with nearly any type of event. Don't you think so, Zipp?"

"Fabio is always a nice addition to have, but I think there should be a few food carts sprinkled around the city now that I think about it. If fancy dining means an extra charge, then I think most ponies would just settle for quick, greasy food."

"Speaking of vendors," Hitch butted in with a smile, "are you sure you didn't want to bring your smoothie cart to Canterlot with us, Sunny? The Gala seems like a good opportunity to make a ton of bits, especially with lots of ponies eager to meet an Equestrian hero."

"We already have two carts with us," responded the orange mare. "It's best that we don't have more weight dragging us down. I'm not in a hurry for more money and plenty of ponies are likely to be buzzing around me anyway. Besides, I just want to spend these three special nights with all of you guys."

"You're darn right these nights are gonna be special!" Pipp exclaimed. "Especially with the first major song of the Gala being performed by yours truly. I just know that the crowd is gonna go absolutely wild --- as always."

"Well, hopefully not too wild," the sheriff added. "I'll be keeping an eye out for any trouble that could go on in Canterlot. I know I may not have much authority outside of the Bay, but I like this think this star here can help remind ponies to tame their excitement."

"I'm pretty sure Mom will have a handle on the law and order there," mentioned Zipp. "That leaves us with plenty of time to do our own things while at the old capitol. Aside from helping [Y/N] do their research, I'm definitely going to be touring the districts of the city for my online scrapbook. Looking for Discord and the crystal last time didn't really give us much time to explore."

"I guess it would be nice to see some of the architecture again," said Izzy. "A city that big should at least have an art museum. I just hope there's no cobwebs around all the paintings and statues anymore."

"What about you, [Y/N]?" you heard Pipp ask.

"I'm sorry?" was all you said, caught off guard by the princess' question.

"Do you have any plans for the Gala? Like, are you excited for all the food or the music or all the fancy clothes that everypony will have?"

"I'm... not that eager to go. Besides, I'll be too busy with my research, so I won't have the time."

"Well, you can't be studying 24/7. You got to give your brain a break eventually, so you might as well enjoy yourself for a bit, you know? Especially if you've never been to Canterlot before."

"I'm actually---" You stopped yourself just in time. "I've never really been to Canterlot before, but I don't want to risk wasting time when I don't know what my limit is."

"If [Y/N] doesn't want to go to the Gala, we can't make them, Pipp," Sunny pointed out before turning to you. "But at the same time, as important as your mission is, you shouldn't burn yourself out. Breaks are essential after all, and the Gala could be a refreshing experience, especially with this one being the first in hundreds of years."

Pipp seemed to feel no need to argue further, as evident through a shrug before looking back at you. "Alright. But still, if you can't make it to the castle for the Gala, I hope you'll at least be able to view the livestream on your phone when the performances begin."

You frowned at the mare. "I don't have a phone, though."

Embarrassment registered itself on Pipp's face. "Oops! My bad. I'm so used to everypony else having one that I forgot that you don't have your own. I'll tell you this: I promise on my honor as a princess that I'll get you a phone as soon as possible --- free of charge! Think of it as a 'Welcome to the future" present!"

"Oh, wow...," you said softly, uncertain of how to truly feel. "I really appreciate that. But I'll still need help with learning how to use it."

Pipp smiled back. "Don't worry. I can totally help with that."

"Hey, [Y/N]!" you heard Izzy call out. "Can you come over here for a bit, please?"

You hesitated toward filling out her request at first, being uncertain as to whether or not you should leave your secluded island, until the purple unicorn looked back at you with a patient smile. Realizing there may be actual business to attend to, you trotted forward, moving past Hitch, Sparky, and the other mares to reach Izzy cart.

"Is everything alright?" you asked once you caught up to the unicorn.

Her beaming face remained static, though she lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "Of course! Everything is a-ok! I just wanted to tell you something before I forget again."

Confused, yet following suit, you also talked very low. "Well, what did you want to talk about?"

"I meant to mention it earlier this morning, but I guess it got kicked out of my head with breakfast happening and us trying to leave. But anyway, I just wanted to tell you thank you, for last night, I mean."

You raised an eyebrow. "Last night? Why?"

Izzy giggled. "Well, I know it was more helpful to you to just talk about all of your problems judgment-free, but I guess it also did something for me, too. With how in tune I am with everypony's flow, it was bugging me a bit with how down you were. But after that nice talk, my anxiety has dialed down by a lot."

"Geez, I didn't know I was bothering you that much."

"Heh. I wouldn't say you were bothering me. More so just worrying me. I can tell you're a good pony at heart. It just hurt seeing someone so young just downing on themself. But like I said, it's all good now, even if your sparkle is a bit grey still. Just remember not to be too hard on yourself for your past hiccups, okay? Take them as learning experiences."

Though you did not smile in return, you felt a warm spot radiate underneath the fur of your chest. "Thanks, Izzy. I really appreciate that."

She raised her voice back up to normal levels. "Sure thing, bud. You can go back to your little bubble of privacy now. That's all I needed to tell you."

You chuckled. "Got it."

"WOW! IT'S REALLY YOU! THE TIME TRAVELER!"

That random loud voice nearly spooked you out of your coat, causing you to jump in place involuntarily. With leg muscles sore from such unexpected movement, you looked over to your right where the direction of the booming noise originated from. As soon as your eyes laid sight upon the grassy field, a tall heavy-set earth pony stallion entered your vision as he ran towards you. He had a turquoise coat, a short side-swept orange mane, wore a white collar with a light-blue tie, and had a huge smile on his face that unnerved you.

You froze in place, and so did Izzy, although her reason for stopping her cart was more due to confusion than apprehension. Before it could register in your mind to move away from him, the jubilant stallion had already made his way upon the dirt road you were on and, being within three feet of you, began to trot in place with such excited energy that you were reminded of a child on a Hearth's Warming morning about to open presents.

"I can't believe I'm really meeting somepony from the past!" shouted the stallion. "Like, the actual past! Back when the princesses existed! I couldn't believe it when Pipp posted it on the Internet, but here you are!"

You opened your mouth slightly, with a faint hiss of nervous air being the first thing to escape from your lips.

"Here... I am?"

The stallion nodded enthusiastically, ceasing his trotting. "You sure are! Wow! I have so many questions to ask you. I know you answered Pipp's questions about pop stars and fashion, but I just want to know if---"

"Hey, Toots," Hitch called out from behind. "Do you mind leaving the kid alone? We kinda got places to be."

You turned around to see the sheriff, his baby dragon, and the other three mares in the middle of the road behind you, Izzy, and the hyperactive stallion --- the latter seemingly oblivious to the request sent his way.

"Hitch, do you know who this is?" he asked with a smile. "This is the pony from hundreds of years ago that was on the Internet!"

The sheriff failed to match the other stallion's heightened spirit, being able to only muster up a judgemental glare. "Yes, Toots. I'm very familiar with them, but we have to get going to Canterlot. So if you could---"

The stallion Toots returned his eager gaze back to you. "Did dragons used to give piggyback rides to ponies around the world for free? My grandma used to tell me stories like that when I was a colt, just like how her grandma told her, so it has to be true, right?"

You frowned. "I'm not entirely sure that all dragons did that, but I wouldn't be surprised if some did. Dragons are unique just like ponies, after all."

Toots inched his way closer to you. "But do you know where we could find them? It's been moons since Equestria's last seen one, but awesome beasts like that can't just disappear out of nowhere. Is there a place where they could have gone to once the ponies started fighting each other?"

Feeling crowded, you looked over at Izzy with pleading eyes, but the unicorn herself seemed to share the same curiosity, as displayed by the smile on her face.

"Yeah, [Y/N]," said the mare. "With how magical Sparky is, do you know if we could find any other dragons out there like him?"

"Well, I know that there's the Dragonlands southeast of the mainland, but you'd have to cross the---"

From the right corner of your vision, you saw Sunny approach Toots.

"I'm pretty sure we can talk about this another time, Toots," the orange mare mentioned calmly. "It's not the best idea to block the road just for a conversation."

The turquoise stallion pouted. "But I don't know when I'll be able to see you guys again until the Gala. And I'm too tired to keep walking. That's why I took a break under the shade."

You saw that Sunny's patience failed to waver, with her even being able to sport a small grin. "It won't be like that. I promise I'm sure we're all going to be camping at the same spot at the clearing tonight, so we can catch up when we--- Oh, no."

As quickly as it came, Sunny's beaming came to a halt, replaced by a look of alarm. You followed her gaze towards the field where Toots came from, and once you saw it, you too went into a state of dismay.

A stampede of nearly two dozen ponies had left their resting spot and were now rushing in your direction. Like Toots before them, they all had their own expressions of excitement at the sight of you. As much as you wanted to move, either a freeze response or a misguided hope for the opposite outcome happening kept you in place.

"EVERYPONY, STOP!" you heard Hitch cry out. "YOU'RE GOING TO CAUSE ROAD CONGESTION!"

But no one paid heed to the sheriff's warning. Instead, the crowd came upon you, making you press your rear end against the side of Izzy's cart. The small mob of mostly grown ponies, with some foals near or below your age as well, bombarded you with comments that mixed and clashed with one another into an incoherent chorus. Those who had phones either in their hooves or levitated in the air made sure to press them up to your face as close as possible.

"Do you know what happened to the alicorns?"

"How did you get here? Are you the only one that came? Are you here on like a secret mission?"

"Is the food here better than the food from where you're from?"

"Did the great Great Pony War happen yet? Are you here to make sure the earth ponies know how to win?"

"Since we're going to Canterlot, do you know why it's a dump now?"

"Are we like in a bubble or somethin'? Where are all the dragons and hippogriffs and yaks?"

One thing that was for certain to you now was that your journey --- and maybe even your arrival --- to Canterlot would not be so lackluster anymore as you had imagined.