Chapters Starlight breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the hot steam of the spa washed over her body. She did her best to relax but often so easily her mind drifted off and when it did, all that came to mind was the past few years. She had never expected she would have ever become a student of friendship, Twilight sure was a strange pony.
Even still things had been tough for her, pretending like her past never happened, like she hadn't almost destroyed Equestria. Sure Chrysalis had replaced Ponyville, but that was nothing compared to what manipulating time had caused. She truly had twisted Twilight's hooves to get her to tell her the truth, how bad the consequences of her actions had been. And for what? A single friend who abandoned her.
Meeting Sunburst again had also been a challenge, but she was pleased to have faced that shadow, now she simply had moved on. It wasn't that tbey weren't still friends, but she was a mature grown up mare now, with a dark past to boot. She just could not relate to him the way she did as a young fillly.
At least Fluttershy and her animal friends always made time for her if she needed somewhere quiet to escape the bustle of Ponyville life. And then there was the spa, she didn't have anytbing like that where she had been living before. She kinda missed her own village, all the ponies there had long forgiven her for essentially stealing their souls and forcing them to do her bidding, she really had gone mad with power, and no matter how many years passed that dark part of her was still there.
She had spoken with Luna quite a number of times, especially in her dreams. Truth be told at first it was extremely uncomfortable, having Luna peer into her private world, not that she had ever judged. On tne contrary Luna understood exactly how she felt. Everything she did was because she felt her sister had abandoned her, which in a way Celestia had. Of course neither her or Sunburst lived in Ponyville instead she had been forced by Twilight to face her fears closer to home.
Starlight could not help but let out a laugh at the friends that Twilight had tried so desperately to pair her up with. She had at least gotten along well enough with Big Mac, she suspected that stallion had greatly benefitted from her temporary manipulation of his vocal cords, but she could never say that out loud. Still seeing him and Apple Bloom's bond was a beautiful sight.
A loud bang could be heard on the door. "Are you going to be in there all day!" Yelled Cranky Doodle.
Starlight shot up from the bench as she realized her session must have come to an end. So much sooner than hoped.
"Sorry, Cranky" She said making sure her towel was fit snug around her before opening the sealed door.
"Sorry Starlight, I just need to be quick, Matilda and I are going away for the weekend and I need to have everything packed by tonight." Cranky Doodle said apologetically.
Starlight smiled and waved it away with her hand. The donkey might have appeared mean on the outside but really he had just had a rough past, losing Matilda, his soul mate for so long had been tough on him. It had been Pinkie that had reunited them, probably one of the most impressive things Pinkie had ever done, ruling out non magical teleportation.
She lived in the local castle with Twilight, even with her friends visiting most days the large structure was ridiculously oversized for the small town of Ponyville, She had learned that Twilight had lived in a simple tree home when first being sent here, which honestly she would not have minded. Spike did most of the cleaning work, but she helped out where she could, even if it was only magic. But still it seemed so silly to her, getting a giant castle to live in even after failing to take over the world.
She began walking toward her best friend in the world, one that truly understood her and always had time for her.
"Trixie, sorry i'm late!" Starlight shouted into the small wagon.
All she could hear inside was the sound of perhaps the most loudest snoring in Ponyville history. She simply turned around and with her hind legs kicked the wagon. The wagon rattled as tbe sound of snoring was quickly replaced with that of sudden fright.
Starlight turned around and froze and waited silently as the rattling inside continued despite the wagon now remaining stationary. A minute later a groggy but fully dressed Trixie exited the wagon with two steaming hot mugs of cocoa in each hoof.
"Good morning, Trixie." Starlight smiled brightly.
"Hello, Starlight." Trixie mumbled angrily through clenched teeth before handing her one of the mugs.
Starlight took a great big slurp from the mug and smiled brighter. "Glad to see you're up so early"
"Thanks to you." Trixie replied still unimpressed. "What's all this about anyway?"
"I told you, we're going to help out some of the others, especially Fluttershy. Learn some new magic skills and then if we have time we can do some shopping later."
"And this all involves me how?" Trixie replied sceptical about the plan for the day.
"Oh you are so lazy, comeon I'm sure you'll find something for your show." Starlight said placing the empty mug next to the wagon and galloping off.
Trixie let out a long sigh of annoyance. "Fine."
"Are you sure this is right?" Trixie asked nervously.
"Relax, we're expected." Starlight said finding the arched wooden door already unlocked.
The building was quickly identifiable as a laboratory and was full of equipment that was so bizarre it'd make Twilight blush. Starlignt stood on her tippy hooves and trotted through the building in search of what she was looking for.
Trixie could tell something was not right here, the technology was like nothing she had ever seen before, nothing suitable for her show. Starlight refused to tell her exactly why they were here but it seemed important to her somehow.
A strange noise could be heard from the other side of the wall, likely another room. At first Trixie suspected it of just being more equipment but it sounded as if it was getting closer.
"Hey Starlight, I know that you're lost in your own fantasy right now, but something is coming." She whispered.
"Huh?" Starlight said turning around and speaking loudly without any regard for the danger.
"INTRUDERS DETECTED." Said a robotic voice as the machine entered from the hall.
"What is that?" Trixie cried ducking behind Starlight as her friend created a protective shield around both of them.
"You know you have to really teach me that one." Trixie said before clutching her head in her hooves.
The robot slowly approached them, inching forward. "INTRUDERS"
"K9!" Came an angered feminine roar.
Starlight and Trixie's gazes shot up to the door they had entered in from the street. A grey mare in a mail delivery uniform stood with hooves outstretched and a very cross expression on her face.
"MISS DERPY." The robot dog reversed away from them and approached the mare.
"Derpy? That robot is yours?" Starlight said in surprise before trotting up to her friend.
"It belongs to the Doctor, but we've become great friends. I told him to have the door open for you since I had a last minute special mail delivery to attend to, guess he figured it was an opportunity to scare you." Derpy petted K9 on his metallic head.
"Starlight, what are we doing in the mailmare's home?" Trixie raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, this isn't my home. Derpy smiled sheepishly. "This is the Doctor's laboratory, he studies and creates all sorts of things here, mostly from his home."
"Again, why are we here?" Trixie glared at the robot dog.
"Because." Starlight replied. Doctor Whooves is a master of time travel, and I want to know how to protect it."
"Protect it?" Trixie asked feeling very confused. "This doesn't happen to have anything to do with that whole spat you had with Twilight, does it?"
"That's right." Derpy smiled at Trixie. "Starlight here, she was looking for a way to stop what she did from ever being done again, by anypony."
"You know that is virtually impossible right?" You cannot control every pony and every creature that exists, especially not throughout all of Equestrias past and future." Trixie wanted Starlight to do whatever she needed to forgive herself but this was going too far.
"I tried explaining that." Came the voice of a stallion from the doorway.
"Doctor!" Derpy rushed over and wrapped her hooves around the large stallion and kissed his snout.
"Derpy, I have missed you so much." The Doctor said kissing her back just as passionately.
Starlight felt her cheeks blush red at the public display of affection. It was sweet to see but it was made even more embarassing when Trixie rolled out her tongue and made an over exaggerated gagging sound, one that did not go unnoticed by The Doctor.
The Doctor cleared his throat with his own hint of embarassment. "As I was saying, I was talking to Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia, both believe that the magic is almost impossible to keep secret forever. So, it has been decided that some machines are required to detect such abnormalities before they occur, or rather before the changes can ripple through our present time..
All three mares stared at The Doctor with exhaustive expressions. "Is he always like this?" Trixie asked.
"Yep." Derpy replied
"Well anyway." The Doctor pulled down a diagram paper from the ceiling. "To ensure time stability, we need defences and ponies able to use them."
Starlight smiled brightly. "That's where the teamwork comes in, with my magic and Doctor Whoove's technology and knowledge on time, we should be able to at the very least protect the last thousand years."
"Thousand years?" Trixie asked confused about the specific number.
"Well things get a bit sketchy if we go back to before Celestia, and even then we need to be very careful about changing the past." Starlight said.
"And the future." Doctor Whooves added. "The future is the past and the present of all future pony generations, we have no right to dsrupt that timeline."
"But aren't you known for disrupting timelines?" Derpy asked having been on many time travelling adventures thus far.
"Yes well, I am a Time Lord, so it is kind of in our nature." The Doctor replied hesitantly.
"Right..." Trixie said noting the hypocrisy. "So, you want to recruit ponies to time travel to stop ponies from time travelling.
"Trixie, it's to stop evil ponies from destroying Equestria, Twilight herself said my actions erased all life from Equestria, it isn't like it was a what if, everything was gone, it is only because she went back and stopped me that everything began to exist again."
"Well technically, both timelines exist kind of simultaneously and the way we travel through them is more like a vortex with diverging path-" Derpy shoved a hoof onto The Doctor's mouth to shut him up.
"...Timey wimey stuff." The Doctor quickly finished after Derpy pulled her hoof away and rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, Trixie, you can help too. Your knowledge of stage magic is bound to be useful."" Starlight said.
"How so?" Trixie asked sceptically.
Derpy decided to answer the question. "During the changeling attack on Ponyville, your tricks were quite effective even when Twilight failed, its situations like that ponies could end up facing."
"I see." Trixie grimaced. "I'll offer any knowledge I can."
"We best be going now, lots to do." Starlight said giving a small bow of her head.
"Starlight, you are way over your head with this." Trixie said as tney moved into Ponyville's outskirts.
"What do you mean?" Starlight asked with a blank expression on her face.
"I mean, this is not your responsibility. I'm not saying not to help but don't you have friendship lessons or something?" Trixie said worried for Starlight's sanity.
"Friendship will always be my priority Trixie, but this is important to me. Besides it isn't like there are a huge list of ponies experienced in time travel." Starlight said making a reasonable argument.
"Alright." Trixie said deciding not to say anything more for now.
The pair of them walked up to Fluttershy's cabin as Trixie was first to knock on the door.
"You know I don't think I have ever had a problem with Fluttershy, she provides me with rabbits all the time." Trixie said with a grin on her face. "Actually the spiders are pretty cool during nightmare night too."
"Hello?" Fluttersby said as her door creaked open.
"Fluttershy, its Trixie and I, may we come in?" Starlight asked.
"Oh Starlight, Trixie, please come in." Fluttershy said flapping her wings excitably.
Trixie likely had been to Fluttershy's cabin before but perhaps not inside. It was generally often like this, but tne flying table and chairs was definitely not normal.
"Ah, look who it is, more friends, splendid." Discord said before sipping more of his tea.
"Oh, it's Discord." Trixie said trying to hide her disappointent.
"Oh I hope you don't mind." Fluttershy said apologetically. "He has been around for such a long time and he is experienced in so many whacky tbings, who better to help protect friendship from time attackers."
"Time attackers?" Starlight giggled.
"Yes, ones such as yourself, or is that the past you? I forget what time I am in myself sometimes." Discord said.
Discord might have been only joking around but the pain stung deep within Starlight all the same. Her past self would always still be out there in the fabric of time, hurting countless ponies and enjoying every moment of it.
"I seem to remember a certain draconequus selling Equestria out to Tirek." Trixie shot back in Starlight's defence.
"At least I didn't get beaten by an Ursa Major." Discord giggled to himself.
"Discord, that's enough, I invited my friends over and you are going to treat them nicely!" Fluttershy failed to raise her voice loud enough to be scary but Discord knew better then to upset the pony he cared more deeply for than anything in the world.
Discord lowered his head ever so slightly. "I propose a truce and I offer my apology to both of you."
Starlight could not help but give out a small laugh. She could not help but find Discord's pressured humility to be adorable.
"Yes, well I am sure Discord has plenty to offer, I mean ponies were practically theorising for years that Discord was Starswirl himself." Starlight said using her magic to float her and Trixie up to the table.
"Hey, I happened to like that theory." Discord replied. "I mean whose to say I wasn't and those hack writers didn't just change their minds later, they do that you know."
Anyway, I have plenty of animals already interested in support of protecting time, but even Celestia's agents are often held up fighting bugbears, devoting Canterlot resources to a threat that doesn't exist yet seems like a waste." Fluttershy could not help but express her difference of opinion.
"Thanks Fluttersby but it is just a precautionary method." Starlight assured her. "It isn't like anyone else knows time magic."
"It isn't like time magic is any good anyway." Discord replied. "Who needs it when you can change all of reality with just a snap of chaos."
"Discord, no offence." Starlight said looking up at Discord's eyes guiltily. "But I don't think even chaos existed in the future I created."
"No chaos?" Discord's jaw hung open. "Anything you need, Starlight, just call."
"So which animals are going to be useful?" Trixie asked not wanting to waste more time listening to Discord.
"Well cockatrices are capable of turning ponies to stone, that stops them from time travelling." Fluttersby said.
"Stone?" Discord genuinely gulped.
"Until tbey can be redeemed, of course." Fluttershy added with an apologetic smile and rubbed Discord's head with her hoof.
Spiders make powerful nets." Added Starlight. And the Everfree forest is a great training ground for any applicants."
"I am told that eagles are quite good for time travelling with too." Discord joked. "But that one might go over everyponies noses."
"Still the best creature of all to stop time travel." Fluttershy moved over to her window and opened the curtain to reveal the animal on the other side as her mouth opened in joy. "The humble scroll eating billy goat."
Starlight smiled as she sat in her room reading an important historical document. Twilight may have been ahead of her in some ways but she had done well expanding her magical knowledge despite the lack of books from the Canterlot library. Even so, she had done a number of spells even Twilight had never done, whether that was because she didn't know them or was just morally against them was another question.
"Hey Starlight, what'cha doing?" The small dragon named Spike asked as he entered her bedroom.
"Oh, just doing some reading, and some thinking." Starlight answered.
"About what?" Spike asked sitting himself up on the bed next to her.
"Spike, how did you feel when I first moved into the castle?" Starlight knew Spike had almost perished just as much as Twilight due to her actions years ago.
"Well to be honest, it was kinda scary." Spike replied truthfully. "You were kind of a villain at the time."
"But you trusted Twilight enough to sleep under the same castle roof as me." Starlight sighed.
"Well I trusted you too, Starlight." Spike shook his head. "You don't think Twilight's lessons haven't rubbed off on me too, do ya?"
Starlight peered across at Spike and smiled. She knew that spike was every bit her friend too and would do anything for her, she'd always be grateful.
"I appreciated you giving me those eye witness accounts of what you saw running after me with Twilight, I'm really sorry about the part where you fell through the cloud." Starlight was glad Spike had been there by Twilight's side though, to help stop her plans.
"What do you think life would be like if I hadn't done my plan and gotten banished here?" Starlight asked him.
"Impossible to imagine, you're kind of like a second sister to me now." Spike said with a wide toothy grin.
"You really mean that, don't you?" Starlight said with a smile. "You know I appreciate that."
"Hey Starlight, you feeling okay? Trixie told me you've been really worried lately." Spike said changing to a more serious expression.
"I'm fine, just wondering how to protect Equestria as usual, you know, as one of the mane seven." Starlight said with an awkward giggle.
"You need to stop hanging out with Discord so much." Spike replied getting up from the bed. "But if you really need anything, let me know."
"Thanks, Spike." Starlight smiled and waved as she peered down at the historical document that once belonged to Starswirl himself, and his writings on time travel spells.
Trixie peacefully snored in her cabin as her head lay on her comfy pillow. She had just finished a stage show earlier that day and was now exhausted. She felt like she really wanted to do a Canterlot show next, or even a show further south, maybe a show for the griffons as some kind of charity event, she could really use the fame further east.
Suddenly she heard a loud crash above her head that frightened her so much that she shot out of bed, out of the wagon and threw herself face first into a patch of grass.
"Trixie, I'm sorry!" Twilight rushed over to her.
Trixie raised her head and spat the grass out from her mouth. "What's the big idea, Twilight?"
"Sorry, I panicked and miscalculated the spell." Twilight said helping lift Trixie up from the ground and using her wing to dust her off.
"Starlight's run away!" Twilight said extremely worried.
"Starlight's a great and powerful mare, she can take care of herself." Trixie said certain Twilight was overreacting
"No, she wrote a letter, she isn't coming back!" Twilight wiped a tear from her eye with her wing.
"Why would she do that?" Trixie asked as she realized this was serious.
"The letter, it says that she can't forget her past." Twilight grimaced. "That she is done trying to atone for her past crimes."
Trixie frowned. "Why would she feel that way now, she and I were having so much fun in our shows, or I thought we were."
"I don't know, but if you find her call me!" Twilight said before vanishing in a bubble of magical light.
Trixie had remained sitting on the grass for an hour, but she didn't want to trouble Luna with her feelings. She found it hard to believe Starlight had truly chosen to just leave without even a goodbye. She looked up then as she heard a strange humming.
"Spike?" She saw Twilight's baby dragon approach.
"Trixie, spooky night, huh." Spike said mervously rubbing his shoulder.
"What are you doing wandering around here at tnis time of night?" Trixie knew that Spike was Starlight's friend too and rushed over to help protect him from the cold.
"Well partially looking for Starlight, partially I meant to give you tbis." Spike pulled out a letter and held it up to her.
"A letter to me from Starlight?" Trixie asked.
"She slid it underneath my bed." Spike replied. "Clearly didn't want Twilight to see it."
Trixie read over the letter. Basically explaining her gratitude for being her friend and that she will treasure her memory as long as time allows it.
"Time allows it?" Trixie asked out loud.
"Starlight has said a lot of strange things lately." Spike said considering the last time they spoke.
"Spike, you don't think?" Trixie asked hesitantly not wanting to jump to conclusions.
"That she would try to change time again?" Spike finished her voiced thoughts for her. "Trixie this is really bad, there's no telling what damage she might do!"
"No! My Starlight would never revert to evil." Trixie said having full faith in her friend.
And then it finally hit both of them like a wagon rolling down a cliff. There friend was doing it because she thought she was protecting them.
"What is that?" Spike asked curiously.
"It's a pendulum." Trixie replied gripping it in her mouth as it seemed to wobble in a certain direction.
"How does it work?" Spike asked continuing to examine it closely.
Trixie rolled her eyes. "It works lots of ways, it can detect water underground, it can locate treasure, it can even answer questions."
"It can detect Starlight?" Spike asked.
"Well, hopefully." Trixie said with uncertainty.
"Why do you even have that?" Spike asked.
"Well you try finding a spring in Saddle Arabia without one, a pony needs water, frankly i'm surprised everyone doesn't look into getting one." Trixie said holding her head up.
"Well I went into a comic book once." Spike said proudly.
"Good thing you didn't stay." Trixie smiled for a moment before continuing on to find Starlight.
"Discord?" Trixie asked as she found herself once again on the border of tbe Everfree forest.
"Ah, Trixie, Spike, how fair ye fellow adventurers?" Discord said with a low bow.
"Discord this is no time for games, Starlight is in trouble." Spike said sternly but keeping his voice kind.
"Oh I know all about what that pink unicorn is up to, frankly I should have known what she was up to from the beginning, it's so obvious practically the whole continuum knows about it." Discord said with annoyed agitation.
"So she is here?" Trixie asked hoping they weren't too late.
Discord sighed and flicked his fingers as the three of them suddenly appesred around a ghostly sight. Amongst the trees sat Starlight over a green bubbling cauldron as a vortex began to form in the sky above.
"I am not letting her destroy chaos without a fight this time." Discord threatened.
"Calm down Discord, Trixie you need to stop her." Spike said holding out an arm to block Discord.
"Me? I don't even know if she will listen." Trixie said with a gulp.
"Oh please, even I know you're her favourite." Discord replied. "Frankly i'm surprised you aren't out here helping her."
Trixie ignored Discord's whining and stepped toward the green shield, she could not help but feel Starlight was going to some great lengths to boost her power to achieve this.
Starlight, it's time to come home!" Sure enough Starlight ignored her.
"Okay, Starlight, I would really like it if you came home, for me." Trixie tried saying more honestly.
"Starlight stop being so selfish!" Trixie screamed.
"Selfish?" Starlight's head twisted around, her eyes glowing a vibrant green as her gaze pierced her soul.
"Yes, you have everyone, including me out looking for you, in the forest of all places, you don't know what's out here." Trixie said worried more about running into Ursa Majors.
Starlight cackled with hysterical laughter. "Nothing out here is as dangerous as I am." Starlight poured some strange green liquid into the cauldron as it began to expand tne vortex in the sky.
"I don't think Twilight's going to like you doing, whatever it is you're doing." Trixie said imagining the worst.
"I am doing what I should have done from the beginning, I am going to end this once and for all." Starlight said beaming ear from ear.
"How?" Trixie asked.
"By stopping my past self before I manipulate time." Starlight replied. "It is the only way to end this pain."
"Pain?" Trixie snorted. "You aren't the only unicorn to take a bunch of ponies prisoner and manipulate them into doing your bidding, you know."
"You think your little amulet mishap compares to me?" Starlight moved up to her own shield and peered into her friend's eyes.
"Twilight had to kick my flank too, you know." Trixie said hoping desperately that Starlight would stop this madness.
Starlight lifted up a hoof and rested it on the shield as it sizzled and sparked. "You're my best friend, Trixie, I'm sorry I'm putting you through this."
"That's okay, I forgive you Starlight." Trixie said smiling at her friend.
"I'm just grateful you won't remember me after I'm finished." Starlight then began to float up towards the vortex in the sky.
"No! Not again!" Spike cried out just as Twilight materialised in the vicinity with her friends.
"I am not losing a friend!" Trixie used all her magic to push through the now failing shield as Starlight vanished through the portal that had been created.
Trixie also was now being sucked upward and she in a last moment of uncertainty took off her pointy hat and did a proud bow to the others. At least now Twilight couldn't claim to have bested her at time magic anymore.
The first thing Trixie felt as she awoke was cold air washing over her as she shivered. She looked around and realized she had not just moved time but location aswell. She quickly decided to use what magic she had to change, instead switching to a white winter fur coat and ear muffs.
"Would it have been too much if you had picked a resort." She said annoyed by Starlight's inconvenient tantrum.
She began wandering what appeared to be a set of dsrk caves built into large mountains. She rarely visited mountains, hard enough to get her wagon through winter wrap up, nevermind an enormous mountain that could also potentially have dragons.
Her horn lit the way forward well enough but she still had no idea where she was going. She however got excited when she
"Whose there?" A familiar voice yelled out more out of fear than malice.
"Relax Starlight, it's just me." Trixie said approaching the Starlight who appeared to be shivering and turning as blue as she was from the cold.
"What are you, doing here?" Starlight asked shivering profusely.
"I'm here to save you, obviously, you and your crazy plans." Trixie summoned a warm blanket with magic.
"Thanks..." Starlight said still shivering undernesth it.
"Starlight, why didn't you just make your own blanket?" Trixie asked.
"I ran out of energy, mountains too high, too many creatures." Starlight shook from the memory of what she had gone through.
"Well don't worry Starlight. We will warm you up and then you can get us back, and we'll even fix up that mane of yours." Trixie just wondered where here even was.
"I can't go back, not now." Starlight said. "They took my friends from me."
"Who did, Starlight?" Trixie asked uncertain what Starlight was talking about.
"Twilight Sparkle and her friends!" Roared Starlight,
The great and powerful Trixie was no fool and she sighed as it had taken her this long to figure out that this was not her Starlight, or rather it was but an earlier version.
"Who are you anyway?" Starlight asked.
"Um." It took all of Trixie's will to just this once not announce her name. "Lula, Lula Moon."
"Lula, I'm Starlight Glimmer." Starlight replied slowly beginning to stop shaking as much.
"Glimmer." Trixie said the name aloud to ensure she did her best to not giveaway anything about the future.
"What are you doing here, you aren't from the village." Starlight said beginning to ask too many questions.
"Would you believe looking for you?" Trixie said with a disheveled sigh.
"Why me?" Starlight asked.
A disturbing cackling suddenly began to echo around them. Trixie straightened up ready on her hooves for anything.
"So the unicorn has come back in time to stop me, I wouldn't bet on it, it took Twilight everything she had to stop me last time." The voice of the future Starlight Glimmer echoed off the iced walls.
"What are you planning!" Trixie shouted demanding to know.
"Starlight must be erased!" The future Starlight Glimmer roared.
"Is... is it a monster?" Starlight asked aware enough that she had to run.
"No, it's a pony." Trixie said determimed not to be intimidated, she was after all well aware of how theatre worked.
"You think I am merely a pony." The future Starlight Glimmer appeared, her form surrounded by a green hue and her eyes burning green flames.
"One that likes to be difficult but yes." Trixie said considering her cadre of tricks.
"Stand aside and give me the pink unicorn." The Future Starlight Glimmer snarled.
"No please, don't let it eat me!" Starlight rushed up behind Trixie and hid behind her.
"Take the blanket and run, Starlight. I got this." Trixie promised as Starlight turned and ran.
What's a showpony got that can stop me?" Future Starlight Glimmer slowly began moving toward her prey.
"Um." Trixie tried to think. "Oh rope."
Trixie summoned a coil of rope as it wrapped itself around Future Starlight Glimmer's legs. She laughed in amusement as the rope deteriorated and collapsed in seconds.
Trixie then summoned a mirror and used it to blind her. Trixie took the opportunity to run for it herself, she had to find Starlight.
Starlight collapsed outside of a cave that ended at a cliff. Lucky her she had just chosen the worst possible escape route. She had escaped retribution from Twilight and her friends, only to now be chased by some monster posing as her, wearing her form. It just did not seem right that the village had abandomed her.
"If only Sunburst was here." She said immediately before the regret set in. Of course he was not here, nopony had been there for her since she was a filly.
"You want me!"" Starlight yelled back into the cave. "Come and get me!"
Trixie stumbled as sbe ran from the future Starlight Glimmer and for a moment all seemed quite lost.
"You alwaya were pitiful at magic, Trixie." She said as she approached, horn glowing brightly.
"You know, you always were a terrible friend." Trixie responded as she tried to think of something.
"I was?" Future Starlight Glimmer asked in surprise.
"You stole my wagon, sold it without permission, you allowed me to sacrifice myself to a bunch of changelings, I think once you even called me Twilight." Trixie shivered at the memory.
"Well, it wasn't my fault your wagon was never built for two ponies, and I was trying to save everyone including you, and you are both magical ponies whose name starts with t." Future Starlight Glimmer said trying to defend herself.
"But every time I forgive you, because you saved me from being swallowed by a manticore." Trixie said with a smile.
"Oh that, it was nothing just a little magic trick my best friend taught me." Future Starlight Glimmer smiled back.
"So whats with the glowing green eyes and stuff, I kinda like your blue eyes better." Trixie asked.
"It's a part of the spell, something to do with changeling magic combined with Everfree forest herbs, honestly I didn't study the ingrediets." Future Starlight said.
Trixie stared at Starlight in shock. Tney then both proceeded to laugh together.
"You know, I don't think erasing yourself is a good idea, I've become a far greater mare since I met you." Trixie said.
"You don't mean that. Future Starlight replied.
"No really... It's because I love you." Trixie said finally finding the courage to say the only magical words she'd never had the courage to say before.
"You what?" Future Starlight asked dazed by the confession.
"I really do, I can't handle the thought of losing you, I want you in my past and my future, Starlight." Trixie said nervously.
Future Starlight's eyes faded as they returned to their normal blue hue. "The spell is failing."
"What does that mean?" Trixie asked.
"It means... I will be forced to return back with you." Future Starlight said as the vortex formed above them once again.
"Take my hoof." Future Starlight said reaching her hoof out to Trixie.
"Hey wait! I'm not finished with you!" Starlight yelled as she attempted to charge into battle against Future Starlight.
"I am sorry for my actions here." Future Starlight said down to her earlier version.
"Find somewhere warmer, it'll be alright." Trixie offered her best advice too as the pair vanished into the portal.
Starlight simply stomped her hoof and looked down at the cave with a blank expression. "I absolutely hate what that monster did with my hair."
The pair of unicorns landed back in the forest with Trixie landing ontop of Starlight. Both groaned from both the exertion and the cold tney had both just gone through.
"Trixie." Starlight said looking up at Trixie.
"Starlight, are you okay?" Trixie said checking her friend for any wounds from their fall.
"Trixie, I love you too." Both of them froze as if time itself had stopped.
Starlight blushed. "Sorry, I guess now isn't really the right time-"
Trixie lowered down and pressed her snout against Starlight, the two of them finding eachothers mouths to be far warmer than the rest of their bodies.
"So how come you did all this knowing you wouldn't go through with it anyway?" Trixie asked.
"Well I didn't think it'd end up exactly like this." Starlight said wrapping her hooves around Trixie.
"Shows what good time travel is." Trixie said continuing to share the peaceful passionate moment with her marefriend.
"Should we tell them that we're here?" Spike asked.
"No Spike." Twilight said placing a hoof on Spike's shoulder as she grinned. "Let them have this moment."