"I still can't believe you would do that, Rose."

All Rose did was giggle, apparently proud of herself for what she did.

Celestia knew it was coming, but that didn't make it any easier to handle. Everyone in the room was so loud, and not one of them would listen to her. Her eyes snapped shut. As if the silence wasn't deafening enough, she couldn't hold her composure, due to how emotional the day had already...

...Wait...

Silence?
'Ooh. She's good.'
She opened her eyes to see that everyone was still bickering, but... silently? A soft giggle to her side drew her attention.

"Oh, yeah. You turn invisible by 'muting' the mind. Your powers being based on sound is a show of your true talent in auditory manipulation." Rose Petal smiled at Celestia's compliments.

Hearing her voice made everyone in the room realize that they weren't making any noise. All of them sheepishly turned toward Celestia. She gave a soft smile.
'Oh, now they realize they aren't talking.'
"As I have said, these ponies are from nearly a thousand years ago. They once stood by my side in a special battle. The battle against Nightmare Moon."

Sharpclaw rolled his eyes. "Pfft! That silly fairy tale?"

Luna's wings flared open as she stomped on the table. "That, "fairy tale" was me!"
'I don't know if he realizes that. Even with you pointing it out.'
Pinkie was Pinkie. "Oh! Which of you was the Element of Laughter?"

The thought of a second Pinkie Pie terrified everyone who knew her. Celestia was thankful that it wasn't quite like that.

"Err, you mean the Element of Positive Energy? That was me." Suddenly, Pinkie Pie in Luau's face.

"Oh! Maybe you're my ancestor!" Luau took a moment to look away and think of a response.

"Maybe?" Rook and Rose were highly amused at the thought of Luau being nervous.

"There's actually no, 'maybe' about it. You are her ancestor." Everyone gave Celestia their full attention again. "The Elements were passed from generation to generation, exce-"

"Whoa, Celestia, WHOA!" Rook caught Celestia off guard. "I never thought... Oh, goodness! He must have been great to get your attention."
'Oh, this will be good.'
"Wha- I was going to-" Rose caught on to what Rook was doing.

"Don't be shy~"
'Really? She's getting in on this, too?'
"I- Rose! What are you thinking?"

"Wait, Celestia? You're my ancestor?" Unlike Rose and (probably) Rook, Twilight honestly believed that she inherited her Element from Celestia.
'No she's not.'
"Bu- Thanks, you two! Now look at what you've done!"

Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Good friends don't humiliate their friends. Great friends do it all the time, though."
'How I wish I knew.'
Celestia let out a huge sigh, thankful that someone finally gave her a break. Twilight stared at Dash blankly. "Did you say that to show how close they are to Celestia, how close you are to us, or to say that I'm not related to Celestia?"

"All of them." Rainbow looked right at Celestia. "Hey, princess? I don't mean to be insulting, but I don't think you noticed that two of them are missing."

"Yes. I did notice that, and it concerns me greatly. I-"

"Celly?" Susano cut in. "Are you okay? You don't normally show this much emotion."

"I'm fine. Just... lost my composure for so much of today, I think it deserves the rest of the day off." Celestia cleared her throat. "Anyway, I believe that they are in Equestria somewhere. They vanished at the same time these three did, so I have no reason to think otherwise."
"Do you have a pickle barrel?" "Kurow, What the hay?"

A sudden crash jolted Rose from her flashback. So much so, she darted under Rook, who blushed at the uncomfortable position he was suddenly in with the mare that was essentially his sister.

"What was that?"
'Crabapple.'
"It came from the library!"

"Sir! Please calm down!" Spike ducked to dodge another haphazardly thrown book, as Owlowlisious got to work collecting the books, leaving the psychopath to Spike.

"You don't know my name! You don't know her name! Shut up, you useless dragon!"

"S-sir-"

The colt's orange mane whipped around as his golden eyes locked on to Spike with rage. "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?" He went right back to tearing the library apart. "You should learn your place, you stupid-" He was cut off by a book hitting him squarely in the back of the head. "What the-"

There where three ponies behind him, all of whom he recognized. His rage quickly changed to surprise, then to glee. "Rook! Rose! Luau!" He quickly ran up to them. "Where's Willow? Is she safe?" Their shared look of pain told him everything in an instant. He made a sound that resembled a full grown dragon trying to imitate a cat. He was immediately back at the bookshelves, tearing books from their places. "I've found nothing on any of us! Not even a footnote!" He started to flip through a history book. "If I had even something small to go off of-" *THWACK!* "WHAT?"

"Will you stop ruining my library?" With his three friends were six mares he didn't know. "I take it you're Crabapple?"
'Yup.'
"Pfft! Whatever! I'm busy right now!" He continues looking through the book he held as the purple unicorn trotted up to the bookshelves.

"I think this one has a mention of one of your friends." Crabapple looked up and saw the book she had: Finance: Tricks and History. "Ah! Here!"

"Is somepony still trying to cheat the system?" He knocked her out of the way to get a better look at the part she mentioned;
'That would be the first thing to focus on.'
"The pony to develop the banking system, which, to date, has been the most successful method of ensuring a pony's keep is what they earn, is Balanced Budget. He created it under the orders of prime minister Crabapple, who is known as one of the first of the Apple family. He also acted to gain the attention of one of the prime minister's friends, a shy, gentle gardener. One of the biggest conspiracies- Wait, 'one of?' That's disturbing. -conspiracies surrounding both of them is their sudden, presumed deaths. One day, the prime minister and four of his friends, including the gardener,- And the the prime minister's wife, who was also the founder of healer hall, and the captain of the guards at the time, and don't forget his personal tutor, who was also an inventor well before her time, -vanished, with a town being wiped off the maps until somepony else made their own town there, coincidentally another Apple family member. Or, knowing Celestia, who I'm assuming is still alive, not so coincidentally. A few days later Balanced Budget vanished, leaving only a will. To this day-" He looked over to Rose, who only gave him a small, if tearful, nod. "-To this day, his fate is unknown. Some say he ended his own life in the ruins, out of despair of losing his wife. Some say he left to start a new life, ready or perhaps eager to move beyond his wife's disappearance. The ultimate truth is only known by his long gone spirit." Crabapple closed the book. "That's it. Nothing more."
'Why is reality so depressing?'
"Here. 'Rumors and Mysteries for the ages.' This will have something about you in it." The unicorn levitated the book in front of him.

"... No thanks. Not yet at least. I need to clear my head."

"And make sure Angel doesn't kick this one."
'Uhh...'
Everyone turned towards Fluttershy, baffled by her apparent non-sequitur. She looked at the rest of the room, and became quickly flustered.

"Um, I need to go. A birdie told me that there's a mare near my house."

"May I go with you?" Attention was turned to Crabapple. "I should go for a walk, and who better to do it with then the inheritor of my wife's Element of Harmony?"

"How...?"

"Ya know what? How about we all go? What better way to get to know someone then to spend time with them?"

Crabapple smirked. "Am I correct to assume that you inherited my Element?"

Applejack made a proud stance. "And a proud inheritor of the Apple family name! Name's Applejack. Introductions can continue on the road."
'Dang that's crazy!'

She was so happy. The animals there were so nice. She didn't know where she was, but to a degree, she didn't want to leave. It was a nice shift from the sudden loss she had just experienced. Very, very welcome.

Angel wasn't to happy with this sudden intruder, and intended to make sure she knew she was on his turf. He wound up a kick, and struck her hard in her white flank! None of the other animals liked how he tried to claim Fluttershy's turf as his own. But the biggest proof he screwed up came right before he flew, when she shot a death glare at him.

*SQUEAK!* *THUD!*
'O hai, Angel
Rose looked down. "Um... Rook?"

As they made their way to Fluttershy's cabin, Pinkie and Luau were talking about their inventions, while Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Crabapple talked about agriculture and economy. Rook, Twilight and Rainbow Dash spoke about flying teams. Rose hung behind for the most part. "So 'The Twisters' aren't around anymore? That's a shame."
'Of course he wouldn't notice.'
Rainbow Dash reflected pain in her face. "Yeah. Sorry about your daughter's team."

Twilight looked up in wonder. "Was Twister vain at all?"

Rook was baffled. "How did you know her name?"
'Because it's the same as the teams?'
"I read in a history book on flight that her team joined with a certain other team."

Rose was irritated. "Rook."

Dash rolled her eyes. "Let me guess; the Wonderbolts?"
'Naw! Really?'
"Yup!"

Rook flared his wings with a huge smile. "The Wonderbolts are still around!? Breakneck would be so happy to hear that!"

Rainbow whipped around, her spectra of a mane becoming one color for a brief moment. "You know the founder's name?"

Rook looked like a foal at Heaths Warming. "Heck yeah! He's the reason I got my cutie mark!"

Dash looked star struck. "Dude. That's so aweso-"

Rose had enough. "ROOK!"
'Pfft!'
Everypony froze and turned around. Rose levitated a bunny up beside her. "Hit you."

"Angel!" Fluttershy ran to hold her precious pet. "What happened? What are you-" Her mind put the pieces together. "You kicked the pony at my cottage didn't you?" Angel looked sheepish. At least, as sheepish as a bunny could.

Crabapple chuckled. "She sure must be strong."

"Well, we're almost there. It's just around this -" Rarity stopped upon hearing something.

It was a gentle voice, singing a tune so sweet. It was entrancing to listen to, as if it forced you to throw all your fears and sorrows away, letting happiness and peace enter your heart. So sweet. So gentle. So...
'Ah!'

Purifying.

'She doesn't notice her Quanta.'
Crabapple's eyes went wide. "Th-that voice..." He ran in the direction of the voice, with the rest following a short bit behind. The mare quickly came into view. Her coat was snow white. Her mane and tail, a braided leafy green. Her cutie mark representative of a tree. A willow tree.

As soon as the mare realized there was someone else nearby, she opened her eyes and looked at them. The tan, orange maned stallion, three crabapples on his side. She stood up, her green eyes meeting his yellow eyes.

"C-Crabapple?"

"Willow!" He charged towards her.

"Crabapple!" She charged towards him.

They met halfway, holding each other as if to never let go. Their friends, old and new, smiled and 'aww'-ed at the sight.

Almost all of them.
'What are you looking at, Dashie?'
One was too distracted by a nearby tree to watch them. Or rather, what was in the tree.

What happened next was swift, less then a moment.

Rainbow Dash darted between the reunited couple and the dark vial flying towards them, grabbing it out of the air with her wing, tossing it up, catching it with her hoof, and throwing it back at the tree. Or rather, whoever was hiding in the tree. Oddly, they didn't even make a slight effort to move, allowing the vial to break on them, spreading the contents on their garb.
'Hello again, Death.'
"Isn't that how it is? The hero stepping in to save the day at the last moment." Dash was too angry to soak up any sort of glory. "And here I thought sis already killed them."

"Wait, you?" Rook was baffled. "How are you still alive? You were supposed to die hundreds of years ago!"

The evil stallion chuckled. "My partner can manipulate time, and thus, it means nothing to me. A hundred years, an instant, it's all the same with her at my side. Now if you don't mind, it seems I have some planning to do in order to be rid of you all. Tata."

"Hey! Wait!"

In a moment, he was gone, proving his claim about time. The eleven ponies could only just stare at where their new villain was just moments ago. In the silence that followed their sudden introductions, Willow was able to think about something that was said.

"Hundreds of years?" Everypony looked at Willow.

"Oh, yeah. You weren't there for that, and you only just met back up with your husband." Luau's line gave Pinkie pause for thought.

"Wait, if the Elements of Harmony are inherited, and the old Elements of Honesty and Kindness are married, does that mean Applejack and Fluttershy are related?"
'Distantly'
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Distantly."
'Hey!'
Willow looked at her four friends, who had apparently befriended the six strange mares before her. "You don't mind catching me up on things, do you?"

Crabapple smiled and held her to him with a hoof. "Of course not. But I don't think you'll immediately accept things."
'I'd be surprised if she did.'

"We'll see about that."

Author's Note

"Geez, you has poor logic! How could his pardener having time manipulashon allow him to control time?" He didn't say he could manipulate it, just that it didn't mean anything to him. As for his disappearing act, his partner froze time, grabbed him, and left, meaning he still doesn't have control over time.