Chapter 21: Back to the Future

In the Castle of Friendship, Twilight and Starlight were looking up spells for a one way portal back to the future for the New Mane 6 and Sparky. Aaron, the Young 6, the rest of the Mane 6, the New Mane 6 and Sparky were all waiting in the Throne Room. The New Mane 6 were all checking out the Cutie Map.

"So, this map basically calls out for somepony and sends them someplace to solve a Friendship Problem?" Sunny asked. "That's amazing!"

"That's right, Sunny," Aaron said. "Although, in Season 9, there wasn't much of a Friendship Problem."

"Huh," Rainbow Dash said. "You're right. Ever since Princesses Celestia and Luna announced their retirement to us, there wasn't much of a Friendship Problem for us to solve. Or anypony else."

"Interesting," Zipp said. "I guess friendship has been a lot stronger during that time."

Then Sparky jumped up onto Aaron, tackling to the ground, making him cry out, "Whoa!"

Sparky giggled and hugged Aaron, saying, "Dada!" That broke Hitch's heart.

"Sparky," Aaron said. He then got up, still carrying Sparky. Aaron then walked over to Hitch and gave the baby dragon to the stallion. "He still doesn't understand."

"Yeah, I know," Hitch said. "It just breaks my heart that Sparky would want to be with you and Smolder here in this time than back in our time in Maretime Bay."

"Hitch, we both know that Smolder and I aren't old enough to be parents," Aaron said. "We're starting High School when the summer is over. Maybe... when we're old enough to actually have kids, you, Sparky and the others can actually find a way to us in our world."

"Hopefully," Hitch said. "We'll ask the Twilight of our time to do so." He then looked down at Sparky who was still looking towards Aaron. "It's also gonna break my heart that Sparky has to be separated from his birth parents."

"Ah'm sure that one day, he'll understand," Applejack said, walking up to them. "This li'l fella will understand."

"I'm sure he will," Sunny said. She then thought about something. "Did you seriously lift up a giant boulder and throw it over a hill?"

"Eeyup," Applejack said. "Earth Pony magic is based on their strength and endurance. How come ya never knew that before?"

"When they were foals, magic had been dormant for decades," Aaron said. "And somehow, all the other pony types believed that they were going to attack each other."

"Now that don't make sense," Applejack said. "Equestria was literally founded upon the three pony types that started off as enemies and eventually came together in harmony."

"Really?" Sunny asked. "I need to know more about this."

Aaron then brought out a series of books and put them in front of Sunny. He then said, "Here's the story of how Equestria came to be. In fact, you should make a movie out of that in the future and have it come to theaters by November."

"Why November?" Hitch asked.

"A lot of movie theaters are releasing Holiday Movies in November nowadays," Aaron said.

"Good point," Hitch said.

"Twilight knows the story of Hearth's Warming like the back of her hoof," Aaron said. "You should have her in the future be a part of it. Like her sitting in a comfy chair with a library background, reading one of those books, a fireplace keeping her warm, and, if needed, a cup of hot chocolate." Misty was standing next to Sunny and Hitch, writing down what Aaron was saying on a notepad.

"That's actually a good idea," Misty said. "I'd want to see that." Just then, the door to the room slammed open and in came Twilight and Starlight.

"Okay," Twilight said. "We found a way back to your home time." The two mares walked over to one side of the room and prepared to fire the spell. "The portal will stay open for only a couple of minutes. So, you all better say your goodbyes."

"It really has been fun seeing everything that this time has to offer us," Sunny said. "But now, it's time for us to go."

"Yeah, it is," Pipp said. "I have like so many pictures of this place, and I can't share with them when I'm back here. I don't have any service!"

"You should've seen her reaction when she found out that cell phones haven't been invented in Equestria yet," Smolder said. "Ocellus."

"On it," Ocellus said before she transformed into Pipp. She then gave the same reaction Pipp did a few chapters ago. "What did you just say to me?!" That made everyone in the room, except Pipp, laugh at that.

"That was hilarious!" Rainbow Dash said. "I guess she got that type of reaction from Rarity."

"You had a reaction like that when you heard that AK Yearling was retiring because of a certain situation," Aaron said.

"Hey, he's right!" Pinkie said.

"AK Yearling?" Zipp asked. "Who's that?"

"She's the author of the Daring Do series," Sandbar said. "I don't know why it takes her so long to do all of that."

Aaron and Twilight looked at each other and Twilight asked, "You think we should tell them?"

"Meh, the G4 series ended in 2019," Aaron said. "I think it's time." Twilight nodded.

"The reason why it takes AK Yearling to write those books is because... AK Yearling is Daring Do," Twilight said. "She does the adventures and then writes them into her books when she's done."

"Yeah, right," Gallus said. "Like an Author can actually be an adventurer."

"Oh, yeah?" Aaron asked, pulling out his laptop. "Watch this." He then pulled up a clip of the MLP G4 episode "Daring Don't".

That made the Young 6 jaw dropped. All of them couldn't believe their eyes after seeing what they saw on Aaron's computer.

"That would explain why your picture was on the cover of that one Daring Do book," Sandbar said.

"That's right, Sandbar," Rainbow Dash said.

"Well, it's been fun seeing all of this," Izzy said. "And I can't wait to show these medals off to everypony." She pointed at the medal around her neck. "Hopefully we'll meet again, Aaron."

"You as well, Izzy," Aaron said. The Young 6 said their own goodbyes to the G5 Mane 6. Twilight and Starlight then used their magic and opened a time portal, which led them to the Crystal Brighthouse the day after Crunch ambushed them at the Treehouse of Harmony in the future. There, Future Twilight, Alphabittle, Queen Haven and Grandma Figgy were all there, astonished by the sudden Portal opening.

"Oh my hoofness!" Queen Haven said.

"Mom!" Pipp and Zipp both said in unison. Then they ran through the portal, the two pegasi returning to how they looked in their time.

"Dad!" Misty said. She ran through the portal and changed when she got through. Izzy followed and changed when going through the portal. She then headed over to her crafting corner and pulled out seven Friendship bracelets and went through the portal again, changing back to her G4 form.

"I almost forgot," Izzy said. "I made these for all of you." She then placed the friendship bracelets on the wrists and hooves of Aaron and the Young 6. "So you'll never forget our time in the future." The Friendship Bracelets had the Cutie Marks of the G5 Mane 6.

"Thank you, Izzy," Aaron said. Izzy then went back through the portal.

Sunny and Hitch looked at each other and said, "Let's go home." Hitch nodded. He then noticed that Sparky wasn't with him.

"Sparky? Sparky?!" Hitch asked.

Aaron and Smolder were standing next to each other, and both of them felt something pushing them from their legs. They looked down and saw Sparky trying to push them towards the portal.

Sparky pointed at the portal and said, "H... Home."

Aaron smiled at that, picked Sparky up and said, "I'm sorry, Sparky. But that's not my home." He then walked over towards Hitch and gave Sparky to him. "Take good care of him."

"I will," Hitch said. "Don't worry, Sparky. You'll see 'em again." Sparky was sad at this. He looked towards Hitch. Hitch then sighed and said, "How about one picture to remember them?" Sparky smiled at that, jumped out of Hitch's grip, and ran over towards Aaron and Smolder. They caught him and Sparky looked towards Hitch, who got out his cell phone, and took a picture of the three dragons. Smolder then carried Sparky over to Hitch and then he carried Sparky through the portal.

Sunny then transformed into her Alicorn form and said, "I'll make sure Equestria is well taken care of in our time. And I hope we do see you again."

"Don't worry about us, Princess Sunny," Aaron said. "I'm sure that we'll meet again." Sunny was already walking towards the portal. She went through and changed back into her normal form. She then looked back through the portal.

"I'm not a... I'm not a princess!" Sunny said.

"Technically, you are!" both Twilights said in unison as the portal was closing. All of the creatures in the Castle of Friendship looked towards where the portal was with smiles on their faces.

"So, who's hungry?" Twilight asked.

"Yak very hungry," Yona said.

"Then let's go," Smolder said. All of them headed out of the room to get something to eat.

Meanwhile, back in the future, Future Twilight and the G5 Mane 6 were all at the top of the Brighthouse with the Unity Crystals. All of them were remembering what happened in the past.

"I can't believe we got involved in the past," Sunny said.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Future Twilight said. "Izzy, I might have placed a tracking enchantment on those Friendship Bracelets you gave to Aaron and the others."

"You have?" Izzy asked. "So we will see them again?!"

"Yeah, but we'll have to wait," Future Twilight said. "After all, it might take a while for me to recreate a portal to Aaron's world." She then sighed.

"Oh, yeah," Hitch said. "Opaline destroyed the portal a long time ago."

"No... she didn't," Future Twilight said. "I did."

"What?!" the New Mane 6 all asked in unison.

"Why?" Sunny asked.

"To protect them," Future Twilight said. "Their magic was just as powerful as your own, Sunny. Along with your friends. They're stronger together than apart. When Opaline attacked, I gathered Aaron and Smolder's friends to the Treehouse. The last thing I said to them was a lie."

"What did you tell them?" Zipp asked.

"I told them to go get Aaron and Smolder so they could help with taking down Opaline," Future Twilight said. "But that wasn't what I wanted for them. Gallus was the last one to go through. But before going through the portal, he noticed what I was doing. I was gathering all the magical medallions that could transform them into humans. He asked why I was doing that. So, I put them into a sack and gave them to him. And that's when I apologized to what I did to him. I blasted him through the portal, taking the medallions with him. Then, I destroyed the portals and the communication books."

"You trapped all of them on Aaron's world?!" Hitch asked. "Then what was the point of sending them to get Aaron and Smolder if you were just gonna strand them there?"

"She would've taken their magic as well," Future Twilight said. "At least they're still together."

"You were just trying to protect them from Opaline," Misty said. She then sighed. "And that's where you were making your final stand against her."

"That's right, Misty," Future Twilight said. "But I know for sure that they're alright."

"And how would you know that?" Pipp asked.

Future Twilight then looked at Sparky. Sparky looked at Future Twilight, tilting his head in confusion. That's when the New Mane 6 all said in unison, "Ohhhhh!"

"Oh, that's right," Zipp said. "Sparky is Aaron and Smolder's son."

"Plus, Smolder was still pregnant at the time Opaline attacked," Future Twilight said. "And, apparently, whenever she gets pregnant, she's stuck in the form she was in until the baby comes out. And she was a human when she got pregnant."

"Yikes," Izzy said. "That had to be troubling."

"So that means that Sparky has an older sibling," Pipp said.

"Actually, Smolder was having twins," Future Twilight said. "That means Sparky has two older siblings. Maybe more. Who knows how many they have before Sparky?"

"Good point," Hitch said. "But, at least Sparky isn't an only child. So, how are we gonna find a way to see them again?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Hitch," Future Twilight said. "I might have given them a way back to this point of time in Equestria as a College Graduation."

"Well, what was it?" Sunny asked.

"It was actually..." Future Twilight said.

Back in the present, Aaron and the Young 6 all left the Castle of Friendship, breathing in the fresh air.

Aaron exhaled and said, "Well, we got about a week until Aunt Marissa and Liam get back from their trip to and from Salt Lake City. I hope that we can make the best of what we can while we're here." He then put his hands on his hips and asked, "So? Where should we go first?"

"How about a trip to the Dragon Lands?" Smolder asked. "You've never got to see them here in this time."

"That's true," Aaron said. "Alright, let's get going." Then they started walking towards the train station.

"So, how long will it take for your aunt and Liam to get married?" Ocellus asked.

"It might take months for wedding preparations to be prepared," Aaron said. "Location, budget, wedding planner, formality, tuxedos and dresses, even bands and food. Who knows how long that will take?"

"Hopefully, it'll be done," Smolder said. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I hope you're right, Smolder," Aaron said. "Hopefully, things will be alright." As they continue onward to their destination, Aaron realized something. "Shoot! I forgot to ask the unicorns why mayonnaise is bad luck!"

Author's Note

Well, the story's almost over. See you all next time.