Reconnection

Rainbow Dash

She was no longer falling, no longer spinning uncontrollably. There was no pain either. Rainbow Dash suddenly realised her eyes were closed, and opened them eagerly to see what sort of miracle had occurred to keep her alive. But what she saw wasn't comforting.

Everything was a light blue with white mist pillowing around, making it difficult to see far away. Rainbow Dash stood up and looked down at her hooves. She felt like she was standing on something, and it looked like she was standing on something, but there wasn't anything there. She was floating on nothingness.

Of course, Rainbow Dash thought to herself. She hadn't survived by some miracle. She was dead.

"And this must be some place ponies go to when they die," she said out loud to herself. She tried not to feel sad about it, after all, it hadn't been a long, painful death. Still, she'd never got to join the Wonderbolts. More importantly she never got to live, and do things like make more friends, or go on dates, or get married, or have foals who would grow up and get on her nerves and bug her every day for stupid things.

She sighed. No use worrying about that now. Taking a few tentative steps forward, she called out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

No response.

A few more calls as she continued to move forward. Again, no response.

"Well, this is pretty lame," she said, now irritated. She started to tap her hoof on the ground impatiently.

"Hey!" came another voice. Rainbow Dash leapt up in surprise as she turned in the direction of the voice. What came forward was another shock, but here in this boring land of mist, what wasn't?

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I wanted to see how you'd react," said the pony. She looked exactly like Rainbow Dash herself, and nothing like her at all. It was an almost imperceptible offness that prevented the feeling that Rainbow Dash was looking in a mirror.

"You know, to everything." Whatever it was that looked like her grinned.

Rainbow Dash felt offended that somepony had the audacity to look like her. She ran up to the imposter and tried to look threatening. The whatever-it-was didn't fall for it.

"Hey now, don't get your feathers in a ruffle, everything's fine...sort of."

Rainbow Dash wasn't about to let this imposter take control of the conversation.

"No, you tell me who, or what, you are, and you tell me now!" She stamped a front hoof for emphasis.

"Oh yeah, sure!" she said, sounding not all intimidated. "I'm Loyalty," she said, standing straighter and opening her wings. Rainbow Dash had to admit the imposter looked pretty cool, but that was only because she looked a lot like Rainbow Dash herself. "You know, the Element of Harmony? And you're the one who currently embodies me, and that's why I look like you."

"Huh," said Rainbow Dash, lamely. "Well, okay, whatever. I'm dead right? What now? Are you here to take me to some amazing place of eternal happiness or what?"

Loyalty chuckled nervously. "Ehhhh - no. There's not much more I can say really, because I mostly only know what you do. The one thing I know I'm supposed to be explaining now is something really important, and I hope we have enough time. I probably shouldn't have waited around so - "

"Well then get on with it!" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "I don't want to stand here forever!"

"Oh yeah, sorry. Well, this wouldn't be happening if you weren't murdered. So first thing I gotta tell you is that you didn't die from an accident, despite what you feel."

"What?! That's ridiculous."

"Hey now, that's just the way it is. I don't have a lot of time to explain it, and I don't think you'd understand anyway. Just trust me, you were murdered."

Rainbow Dash suppressed the urge to feel insulted as she said, "Okay, what else then?"

"Well, due to complicated reasons I don't have time to explain to you, you'll be going back to life, and you can pick the time from when you and I first joined, to your death. I don't think going back too close to your death is a good idea though, just so - "

"I'm not stupid! Sheesh!"

"I know you're not. I'm sorry, I was just saying. Anyway, time's really getting short, hurry and pick a time to go back."
Rainbow Dash tried to ignore the confusion and frustration that she felt as she thought about it. If she really was murdered, she couldn't just go back a bit before the storm and let somepony else try to save Ponyville. For one, she wouldn't feel right doing that, and for two, she'd die some other way. She'd need as much time as possible to find the killer.

"Okay, put me back the day after that whole Nightmare Moon thing. That's give me quite a bit of time to figure out who would want to kill me."

"If you say so," said Loyalty. "One last thing, you won't remember this conversation."

"Wait, wha-"

Applejack

Applerush's head suddenly cleared. She blinked. She was no longer looking up at Twilight Sparkle. She was no longer laying down. Confused, and disoriented, Applerush took a glance around her. It was nothing like anything she'd ever seen before. Everywhere was all a light, soft orange colour with bits of white swirls everywhere, almost like fog.

Suddenly it hit her. Her foal! Where was her child?

She looked at herself, and after confirming that was not carrying, began to look around in a panic.

"Help!" she yelled, and took off running. "Anypony out there, I need help!"

"Hello," came a voice from somewhere in front of her. Applerush gasped in shock as some of the white mist started to move together, until it took a form unnervingly similar to how Applerush looked like several years go. Despite the resemblance, Applerush had no doubt that this thing wasn't a pony.

Applerush felt her ears flatten. "Wh-who are you?"

"I'm Honesty," said the not-pony. "And you're the pony who currently embodies me. What's your name?"

Applerush paused a moment to let that sink in. "Well, I'm Applerush."

"Well Applerush, there's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to have to come out and say it. You're dead."

"I'm...oh." She thought about it. Of course, that was it. Twilight hadn't been able to help her after all. But what about her foal?! Applerush felt herself tense up. "If I'm dead, and I'm here, but my foal isn't here, does that mean he, or she, survived?"

Honesty suddenly looked said. "I'm sorry, I don't know if your foal is alive or not. You're here because someone tried to take me from you, and killed you in the process."

Applerush couldn't believe her ears. "Say that again."

"This is what happens to ponies who are bonded to an Element of Harmony are killed for their element. I'm afraid you're here because a very specific event has happened to you, an event your foal didn't share."

"But, but," Applerush could feel tears form in her eyes. "Who would do such a thing?!"

"I don't know, Applerush. I'm sorry. I don't know very much about what happens in the world. I just sit inside the pony who holds me and I feel what they feel, and I influence them and they influence me. I don't experience their life though, so I couldn't give you any ideas who did this."

Applerush thought back, trying to remember. Twilight was helping her stay alive. Whoever killed her would have had to be more powerful than Twilight. She shook her head. It didn't really matter now.

"There is something else, Applerush."

Applerush lifted her head, slowly, uninterested in what Honesty had to say.

"Simply put, us elements can't be properly taken. Because somebody tried, my magic is going to do whatever it can to keep us together. In this case, you're going to be able to go back to life. Anytime between when you became my holder, and your death, you can go back to and relive your life."

Applerush's eyes widened. After all this bad news, she hadn't expected anything even remotely hopeful to be said.

"Anytime at all, between those two times?" asked Applerush, just to make sure.

"Anytime at all, darling."

Applerush was about to shout out a time, when she remembered she'd been murdered. She couldn't just go back to whenever made her happiest, she had to make sure she wouldn't fall into the same situation again. And that meant she needed enough time to find out who killed her.

Suddenly a new thought erupted in the forefront of her mind.

"If I go back to before I became pregnant, will I get pregnant again at the right time? If I make sure to marry the same colt and, you know, everything? What will happen to my child?"

Honesty shook her head. "Again I don't know. It could be that you won't be killed again, and everything will work out and you'll get pregnant, and have your child and everything will be fine. But maybe not. I don't know." Honestly looked down sadly. "I hate to say this, but you don't have an unlimited amount of time to think this over. If you don't choose soon, you'll be put back to the exact moment when you first got me."

"What?! I don't have time? What's the rush?"

"It takes a lot of energy to keep you here. I said you're dead, but you're not. Not really. I'm keeping you here with my magic. But I can't do it forever." Honesty's pace quickened. "Time is very short, there's one last thing I need to tell you before you decide. You will not remember being here, or having this conversation with me. But it'll influence your decision making, and I'll remember it. And remember, I influence you too. Keep that in mind."

Applerush was about to yell out in anger, but clamped up when she remembered the time limit. Think, think Applerush, she told herself. Did she want to risk not having a child at all, if it meant surviving? No, her foal was the most important thing to her. Applerush tried to open her mouth to speak, but before she could, Honesty said, "I'm very sorry sugarcube, but time's up."

Pinkie Pie

Pinkie Pie screamed. A loud terrible scream. Pinkie Pie stopped. Her eyes were open, and the scenery had changed. She was no longer staring at Sugarcube Corner. Instead she was looking at light pink emptiness. Swirls of white mist pillowed like loose cotton candy around her, making it hard to see.

Pinkie looked around, feeling herself calm down as she did so. She turned around to look the other way, and as she did found herself face to face with what looked like another pony. Another pony who looked a lot like her as a young mare. Except it wasn't a little pony. Not a pony at all.

"Hi there!" said the thing. "I'm Laughter, your element of harmony! And what's your name?"

Pinkie Pie would have given an equally happy greeting if not for the situation. She didn't feel like being happy.
"I'm Pinkie Pie."

The thing that claimed to be her element smiled.

"Well, Pinkie Pie, now that we got those introductions out of the way, I've got something super important to tell you!"

Pinkie Pie felt herself smile involuntarily. "What's that?"

Pinkie's smile fell as Laughter explained the situation to her. Being killed for her element, her ability to go back and live her life again so they wouldn't get separated, everything.

"But what about my children? Will they still be born if I go back too far?"

"I don't know Pinkie. Maybe? If you're worried, you can just make sure to go back after their birth so you can love them lots all over again!"

Pinkie Pie wasn't amused. Not at all.

"I can't do that. I know who killed me, I know she killed others for their elements! I have to save them, I can't let them die just for me!" Pinkie Pie couldn't help it, she was tearing up now. She loved her little fillies, but it just wouldn't be fair for her to have her children, but Applejack to die and lose hers, and Rainbow Dash to never even get the chance to have any.

"Wait, did you say you know who did this? Well then, this should be easy peasy for you! And them, you know, you could help them!"

Pinkie Pie sniffled as she looked up, thinking hard.

"You mean because the same thing happened to them? You mean they'll be back too?"

"Yep! You'll all be together. You'll just have to hope you all picked around the same time to go back to. If not, some of you will be waiting for each other."

That was okay, Pinkie thought to herself. If she went back to early, she could wait. It was way way better than going back too late, before she could help her friends.

"Alright," said Pinkie, wiping away her tears. Can I go back to -"

"Wait!" said Laughter. "I almost forgot to tell you! It's super duper important, and I almost forgot! How bad of me!"
Pinkie tilted her head in confusion.

"You won't remember any of this happening. When you go back, it'll be like you died and just showed up back in your body in the past! Okay, now you can pick!" She looked really eager to hear Pinkie's answer, but once again, Pinkie Pie felt less that amused. Thinking on it, Pinkie had never had such a long stretch of unhappiness.

"Then what's the point of this!" shouted Pinkie. "There are lots of important things that I just learned!"

"Don't worry Pinkie," said Laughter, looking as if nothing was wrong. "You won't remember this like a happy memory, but you'll remember this like a half-forgotten dream! It'll be okay, I'll remember it too, and I'll do my best to help out! So, when do you want to go, you still got some time to decide!" She was practically jumping in anticipation.

Pinkie Pie didn't need any more time. Her decision was the same.

"Put me in my bed, the night after we threw that party for Luna. I'll be alone then, and it'll be early in my life. I'll be able to help everypony."

"Sure thing, Pinkie Pie!"

Rarity

Rarity felt herself standing. She wasn't in that position before, and felt herself buckle as she balanced herself. The first thing she noticed, even before her surroundings, was the lack of pain. Her last moments were wracked with such unimaginable pain Rarity had forgotten what it was like to not hurt. She looked herself over. She looked fine. Positively youthful in fact. As if she was decades younger.

Looking around, it didn't take long for her to understand. White everywhere. Mist. She was dead. Twilight had been right, she died without a chance to warn anypony. She felt herself seeth in anger. She hoped so much that Fluttershy wouldn't come to the same fate as the rest of them had.

"Now now, anger is so unbecoming of you."

Straight ahead, what looked like a young mare came walking through the mists, towards her. As she got closer, Rarity noticed that this mare looked a lot like Rarity herself. A very young Rarity, back when things had been okay and Twilight hadn't started murdering her friends. And yet, it didn't look anything like her at all. Not even like a Pony. It was all very strange.

"My name is Generosity," said the thing that looked like her. "I'm your Element of Harmony." She nodded her head politely in introduction. "And what might your name be?"

"Rarity," she heard herself say, but she didn't feel herself say it. She was too stunned.

"What a beautiful name. But down to business. I suppose you'd like to know what this place is, and why you're here?"
Rarity shook her head slowly. "I'm dead. Twilight Sparkle killed me for my el- for you."

"Oh you know the name of the person who did this! That is wonderful news! And of course you are correct, you were killed by this Twilight Sparkle because she wanted to take me." Generosity gave a short high-pitched laugh. "Joke's on her though, we cannot be taken like that."

"What do you mean?" asked Rarity. "I'm dead aren't I?"

Generosity's smile fell. She looked like she was searching for the proper words, like a mother might talk to an ignorant child.
"Well, yes and no. You died, but you're not all the way dead yet. I'm keeping you alive you see, here, in this place. And I'm going to put you in your body, back when you were alive." Her smile returned. "Anytime you wish darling, you can go back and live from that moment on and try to prevent this from happening again."

Rarity felt herself grin. "Then I wish to go back to the day Twilight Sparkle showed up at my boutique. I'll just kill her right then and there, before she has a chance to do us any harm!"

Generosity looked shocked. "Now that's not very ladylike!"

Rarity didn't care. She felt herself fill up with anger at what Twilight Sparkle had done to her, had done to them all.

"Don't you know what she did! If you're my element, and you were in me, didn't suffer through it too?! She deserves to die! She deserves more than just death! A quick stab in the back as soon as we meet is more merciful than any of the things she did to us!"

Generosity looked down and hoofed at the ground nervously.

"I'm sorry darling, I didn't experience those things. I just know what emotions you were going through during your life, not the causes of them. I also can't take you back then."

Rarity was about to yell some more but Generosity held up her hoof so she could continue.

"I apologise, I wasn't quite clear. I can take you back anytime between when you got me, and when you died. And I must also mention that you won't quite remember being here. You'll have to take that into account when you decide a good time to go back." She sighed. "I also can't keep you here forever, you have to choose quickly. You may resume yelling, if you wish."

But Rarity felt all yelled out. Even if she got another chance, it seemed like there were too many obstacles in her path. She couldn't use this time to devise a plan and then carry it out later, and she had to make sure to go back to a time when she could gather herself, alone, so she wouldn't seem suddenly strange or out of character. A realisation.

"The others, Twilight tried to take their elements too. Did this happen to them? Will I meet them back there, or do we all have to struggle separately?"

Generosity put her hoof to her chin in thought. "I'm pretty sure you will all be together. Just not at the same times. Unless of course you all choose the same time."

Rarity thought as quickly as she could. She felt herself pacing back and forth as she did so, but didn't give it more than a moment's notice. She stopped.

"The night after the Grand Galloping Gala, the year Twilight Sparkle came to Ponyville. We all went to our own houses and I didn't see Twilight for a while after that. I remember it very clearly. I even remember what I was wearing! I never wore that outfit again, I would recognise it and know when and where I was."

"Sounds marvellous," said Generosity. "You ready to go now? No more questions?"

"No more questions. I'm ready" said Rarity. She hoped she didn't choose to go too early.

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight Sparkle was crying. All those years of work and preparation were gone. She had failed. Her eyes were closed in fear as she waited for the fatal buck that was to end her life. Moments passed. It didn't come. She opened her eyes.

Light purple and white mist everywhere. She looked down, astonished to find herself standing. She almost fell over in shock. What was going on?

"Hello," came a voice. Twilight Sparkle watched in confusion as some of the white mist pillowed into a more pony-like form. It looked like her. Like she did many decades ago, when she was a young mare. But it didn't look anything like her. Twilight felt very uncomfortable. For the first time in a very long time, she had absolutely no idea what was happening.

"My name is Magic," the thing said. "I am your element of Harmony. And you are dead."

Twilight looked down at her hooves. Yes, of course that was it. Fluttershy had killed her, and she hadn't felt a thing. But wait.

Twilight looked back up at the thing that said it was her element, and shouted.

"Wait a minute! I started with magic, but I should have all of them! All of them except for kindness, anyway."

"Oh dear," said Magic. "You can't take other pony's elements. Well, not that easily anyway."

Twilight felt herself sting with intense frustration and confusion. If that was true, what had she been doing all her life? All that planning, all that work, all those pony's deaths. For nothing?

"Tell me, what is your name?"

"Twilight Sparkle."

"Well Twilight, am I correct in my assumption that you have been trying to take other pony's elements your whole life?"
Twilight nodded.

"And you've been doing it by using the element's antithesis, and then killing them?"

Another nod. Magic sighed.

"That's a very terrible thing, Twilight. It'll certainly make you more powerful, but that's not how you get more elements. Elements cannot be actively taken. They must be led."

Twilight's ears perked up, despite her continued confusion. "But all the books said -"

"I don't know what any books said, but I do know he we work. I know, best of all the elements. You cannot take another's element. Especially while using that elements antithesis. Doing so instead triggers the event you find yourself in now."

Twilight's head was roiling from the information. An entire lifetime of gathered knowledge was apparently so monumentally flawed as to have been useless. However, in death she was getting some truth it seemed.

"Explain what you mean."

"You're here now because somebody tried to take your element the same way you tried to take other's. I don't know the details so I can't explain further than this; you and I are connected, and I cannot be taken from you because I will prevent it. The only way for you to lose me, for any holder of an element to lose their element, is for them to stop embodying it. For example, if you stopped being a paragon of magic, I would leave you and find someone else more suited to hold me."

"So I could have taken their elements, if only I had been more like what those elements wanted in a holder?"

Magic nodded. "And so long as their holders somehow changed personalities and values so drastically as to make the elements want to leave them. It's not easy. In fact, I'd call it impossible. "

Suddenly, Magic sneered at Twilight. "But this is all unimportant. You of all ponies don't need to know any of this. What is important for right now is that as a consequence as somebody attempting to sever us, we will be kept together through time travel."

"I don't understand," said Twilight.

"You will pick a time between when you became my holder, and your death, and I'll put you back there. You and your memories you had at your death will be flung back to any time you think best in order to prevent our separation."

"I...okay. And what if I want to go back to try to take elements again?"

Another sigh. Twilight was reminded of those times when Celestia was especially annoyed at her.

"You will not quite remember this event happening. It'll be like a dream, one that will influence your actions. If you tried to take them again, you'd find yourself compelled to take a different approach than what you did before. Which is good, because that approach was wrong. I however, think it'd be best for you to give up the idea. There are other ways to gain power. But that's not up to me. Now, quickly, when do you want to go back to?"

Twilight thought about it.

"The night Celestia assigned me the task of collecting the elements."

"Very well then."