Starlight Glimmer's excellent plan
Step 4: study the interface
Previous ChapterNext Chapter[Excerpted from Starlight's personal diary]
This is confusing. What even is this???
It went without saying, that the interface was tricky. Starlight bit her lip. Then groaned and slammed her head upon the desk. It was hopeless. Although it was so not entirely: if anything was possible with time travel, Starlight hoped for a visit from the future.
Alas, no one came... No one to rely upon, except for herself.
Starlight sighed. Only herself to have around. Saddening.
If only... Sunburst had been there... Starlight felt tears coming. Oh, if only!.. If only she could have changed the past!.. She would have undone everything!
Yeah, but how would she have undone that cutie mark's appearance? No, it was impossible. Starlight clenched her eyes shut, and liquid escaped.
It had been their fault. But it had even more been Twilight Sparkle's fault! She had thwarted Starlight's attempts at rectifying the situation! At fixing what cutie marks had been responsible for!.. How Starlight would avenge!..
If only she could have time-travelled!
Starlight rose, leaning upon the desk. She would do it, she thought. Come on, where was that scroll?!..
She retrieved it and stared at it once again. That was her time machine, and she needed it to work. Come on! It could do it! It could fling Starlight into changeable past! And it would!.. do!.. it! Because Starlight said so!..
Starlight stopped for a second after that outburst, panting. Stupid spell! Let's try this again... "Predict caster's behaviour between pt 1 and 2..." She wondered what that was. "Pt", huh... Starlight scratched her head. Again, like earlier, she felt it was important. She felt it was connected to everything. Let's see... "Invoke time machine"... She could do that. Maybe, if she didn't try contextualising the spell and just used the interface explicitly... She could try that.
So she scribbled a sample spell on a new piece of paper and cast it. Since it was simple, nothing particular happened, but Starlight felt it! The possibilities were unlocking.
And then just like that she saw it. The future was branching every moment, and she was moving down random paths!
Wait... Every... moment... But that meant...
The choice points are everywhere!!!
Now she knew what to look for. She proceeded to analysing the original spell again. With every passing minute she understood more and more...
And that was what she understood.
I do not just "walk the branches"! Instead I jump points! That's how I time-travel! Oh my gosh!..
So far I can only see into the future. That means, I can't jump back -- but I think I know, how to bypass that...
Apparently, this interface allows to mark choice points for later usage... I must see...
This is a triumph. I'm making a note here: huge SUCCESS!!!
It is hard to believe, because there is no evidence, but I have found the one function that does it! Using it, I can jump to the previously marked choice point. This doesn't look like time travel, since I don't meet my past (or future) selves any more, but I get back!!! I undo things! I have seen it so many times! I've written in this journal, cast the spell, and then...
Everything I've written disappears! It rolls back, gosh darn me!!!..
I can also reset the point to later! This way I can keep my findings. Alas, until I've learnt true time travel, I can't preserve my notes. But it's some progress!
Huh, that was sudden... How had it worked so fast? Starlight hadn't even left a proper explanation! It couldn't have worked so fast, no, there had to be research: the spell was complicated!..
But, ugh, apparently, that was how it had worked: Starlight had indeed "time-travelled"... sort of. It was hard to tell, because she was the only one, who remembered. But it had been so indeed.
Of course, once she learnt to do that, at first she exploited the heck out of her new ability. For example, she waltzed into Poniville, where that good for nothing Twilight Sparkle resided. Starlight was discovered quickly and apprehended by one Rainbow Dash, who had a huge bone to pick up with Starlight. The latter didn't even resist her capture. She smirked snidely at Rainbow Dash all the way through, and then, when Rainbow dragged Starlight to the others, Starlight simply used the spell to revert to her previous "choice point" -- that was what she called those points in time for herself -- and that was apparently the way it operated, given the spell she had retrieved from the archives also mentioned "pts", no doubt meaning "points".
Starlight then did that again. And again. And again! And again... And... Ugh, she couldn't get enough! As long, as the spell was with her, she could escape any consequences. She could reshape reality, until she got it right.
It was only a matter of time she got to the past and changed it for the better. But that was the problem. No matter her attempts, she couldn't physically meet her past self. Well, unless she wanted to enter another one of those stable loops. But that seemed not to be meant to happen: no signs of her future selves appearing so far... And that was vexing.
But then, when Starlight once again reverted to the previous choice point, something really weird happened.
As light engulfed Starlight, time seemed to go backwards for her, but that only meant she'd jumped from point to point. Now she could start over whatever she wanted. And she wanted to go commit some bigger crime, and then to see, if she could avoid consequences yet again. But she didn't expect to find another...
"Huh?"
Standing before her with her back turned was... But she couldn't believe it.
The guest turned:
"Well, isn't this interesting... Hello, me! I trust it, you are from my past... That means I'm future you!"
Present Starlight sighed:
"Ugh... What am I meant to do now? Wait! I'll cast that thrice accursed, not working spell, will I? But why would I do that?!"
"Calm down, -- future Starlight tried. -- You won't, because I didn't. However I did something else entirely... and I can't believe it's working!.."
"Uh, what is it?" -- present Starlight asked in confusion.
Future Starlight unfurled a scroll and started excitedly:
"This is the modified spell. O-o-oh, you'll not believe it, Starlight! Look!.. See? There's a feature of the interface we've both missed completely -- but it's what allows for true time travel!"
"Yeah..." Starlight couldn't believe herself. True time travel? Right under her nose?? No way! She'd tried it so many times, when she was not screwing around with choice points, and nothing had worked! So now she was receiving a predestined tip from the future? But that would mean the past hadn't changed and that she'd failed! So it couldn't be true.
"You don't believe me, I know. But it's the truth, since I'm here".
"Ha! That proves nothing!"
"Fair point. However let's be reasonable. Look at our spells and compare them".
"No, this is simply another failed experiment!.."
"Starlight, look! It may be untrue, but you have to look!"
Present Starlight sighed:
"Ugh, of course I have... Time is against me..."
"You'll be surprised", -- future Starlight smiled.
"Wait. If this has worked, I can defy you..."
"Don't you dare, Starlight!.." -- future Starlight warned.
"And why not?"
"Because only I can change the past!"
Present Starlight thought about it. If the past was being changed... why was it starting with her? How was she experiencing the change and what was in the discarded present? In the one that wasn't changed? Hadn't been? Whatever.
"I know what you're thinking, -- future Starlight interjected, -- but don't expect me to answer that: I don't know myself".
"I don't believe you. How can you change the past, if it's my present?"
"I... don't know..."
"Maybe, this is all in vain, -- present Starlight sighed. -- Maybe, past can't be changed".
"Maybe, you're right", -- future Starlight agreed.
"Maybe... it is a conspiracy..."
"Maybe".
"Alright. What was it you wanted to show to me?"
Future Starlight smiled and offered present Starlight her scroll. The two of them compared the spells. And the more present Starlight compared, the more interesting it looked...
"Unbelievable..." -- she whoa'ed.
"Told you so".
After examination present Starlight turned to her future self:
"Shall I try it?.."
"Yeah, go ahead, I'll stay here: I have to be your future self, so I get to stay".
Starlight pondered that... Seemed fair.
"Alright. Here we go!"
To be fair, Starlight didn't really believe she would time-travel: the spells were almost identical, except for one small change. She expected it to fail. So, when white light engulfed her, it almost seemed as though she'd jumped from the future to the past in the same way she always had: by reverting to the earlier choice point.
So, when somepony suddenly said: "Huh?" -- she turned.
"Well, isn't this interesting... Hello, me! I trust it, you are from my past... That means I'm future you!"
That was incredible! The spell had worked! Wow! Did it mean she'd achieved true time travel?
"Ugh... -- past Starlight sighed. -- What am I meant to do now? Wait! I'll cast that thrice accursed, not working spell, will I? But why would I do that?!"
"Calm down, -- future Starlight tried. -- You won't, because I didn't. However I did something else entirely... and I can't believe it's working!.."
"Uh, what is it?" -- past Starlight asked in confusion.
Future Starlight unfurled a scroll and started excitedly:
"This is the modified spell. O-o-oh, you'll not believe it, Starlight! Look!.." She approached herself and showed the re-written spell, as her future (future future?) self had suggested. "See? There's a feature of the interface we've both missed completely -- but it's what allows for true time travel!"
"Yeah..." Starlight couldn't believe herself.
"You don't believe me, I know. But it's the truth, since I'm here".
Then they both proceeded to having the same conversation once again...
"Alright. Here we go!"
After finishing modifying her spell past Starlight disappeared in a flash of light. Present Starlight, or rather just Starlight, stayed in place. She felt she had not changed the past at all. She couldn't be sure, but it felt as though the conversation had been the same.
She had an idea.
Starlight lived in a secluded area, away from ponies: she couldn't risk being exposed by her former townsfolk. However there was a road near her dwelling place, and ponies passed by. Starlight got out and hid in the bushes, watching. Ponies passed, each having some business somewhere else. More ponies passed... Starlight got bored and yawned. Urgh...
At one point two ponies pulling heavily loaded carts almost collided while moving in opposite directions, since the road was somewhat narrow -- or were their carts too wide?.. Needless to say, they almost got in a fight, but since no damage was done, they parted their ways friends.
Starlight gagged from behind the bushes. Friendship had won once again! Curse you, Twilight Sparkle!..
That gave Starlight an idea. That was the opportunity for experimentation she'd been looking for. She could revert the time and try again -- or she could use that new function and allegedly time-travel. And if she could change the past, then she could cause the exchange between the two ponies to go down differently. For example...
Starlight smiled deviously. She could have broken something, so that the ponies had started blaming each other! They would have got in a fight, then stopped talking each to other, and then!.. O-o-oh!..
But, more importantly -- if that had worked, Starlight would have achieved her goal -- time-travel without predestination!
Starlight got to work. She thought for a minute, calculating her next steps. Then, satisfied, she nodded.
She teleported to the other side of the road and prepared to cast the time spell. She wasn't sure it would work, but she hoped the spell wouldn't move her. She double-checked the spell... Screw it, it still eluded her fully, she'd have to figure it out on the go!..
The spell was cast, and Starlight... hadn't noticed anything change. The scenery hadn't, of that she was sure. But wait. Who was it?..
Starlight gasped and ducked to hide behind the bushes: from the other side of the road was approaching... Starlight Glimmer!
No way...
Starlight watched, breath bated, as her other self approached the road and hid herself in the bushes... on the other side. That... had been exactly what Starlight remembered herself do! Only... in the past...
"Alright, -- she thought. -- Don't get excited yet, Starlight. This may be a stable loop. But if I can change it, then..."
Suddenly she thought about what her past self would think. How would her plan have changed, if she'd been to alter something? That was concerning, for Starlight was really starting to mess with time.
"Oh, why didn’t I think this through? Oh... What will my past self do? If I succeed, she may not have a chance to walk in my hoofsteps!.. But wait! If she rolls along with the plan, she'll just wait till another opportunity! Then I'm not changing much! But I'll have to see..."
Soon the two ponies from earlier repeated their journey step by step, trot by trot. Soon they would collide. Starlight prepared herself. She needed to act surreptitiously, so as not to attract attention from her past self, who, no doubt, was watching, bored. Okay... There went nothing.
As the carts almost collided, trying to pass each other on the narrow road, Starlight reached with her magic and broke off one wheel.
And the carts collided, and everything went spilling, and the ponies started shouting each at other, blaming each other and calling each other names; and nopony knew, what past Starlight was thinking, but hopefully she thought something other, than to cause this entire thing via time travel; and future Starlight stared in shock and disbelief, but mostly in shock, at what she had done:
"It works... I've done it!.."
She then remembered something and quickly teleported herself away. The last thing on her list was to meet herself, and if that detail hadn't changed, her past self was about to teleport... or was she? Maybe, she hadn't received the idea yet?.. Still, better safe, than sorry.
Starlight decided to watch, what would happen next, and carefully approached the road. Nobody paid attention: the ponies kept their arguing and were starting to push each other; and past Starlight... She was nowhere to be seen. Had she teleported already?
Starlight realised suddenly, that she might get seen by herself, and quickly teleported close to the road behind the bushes -- hopefully on the opposite side of the road.
And then she noticed the white light from behind the bushes. It was coming from the other side. She'd recognised it. She popped over to the other side, and surely nopony was there.
Past Starlight had time-travelled.
And the ponies were fighting.
It meant it had worked.
Time travel... had been achieved.
Alright, I've been thinking.
How is it possible to change the past like that? This spell has proven to have successfully re-written... something minor, admittedly, but still, how?.. Needs thought.
But of course!!!
All those branching paths! They keep existing in the past!
Time is like... a river! With multiple currents! Which keep dividing, whenever we choose! And they're all the same, except for minor details -- the consequences of our choices!
I really hope they aren't so insignificant. I want to do something big! To destroy Twilight Sparkle and her friends! To take away everything she took from me! Urgh!..
That was the next step: figuring out, what to do next. And Starlight thought she knew what.
Next ChapterI've tried to jump to the far past to see, if it is even possible. But I can't yet look into the past and thus don't see the choice points! Darn it! I need to research more.
Alright, this interface has the function of looking backwards... I could see myself at various points in the past... But... only myself. All the other places are hidden from sight! But if I moved around...
Oh yeah! I could see it!
Now... Where did that sonic rainboom happen? And when?
Time for an interview.