Starlight Glimmer's excellent plan

[Excerpted from Starlight's personal diary]

The day is tomorrow. The day I pay a visit. If everything go according to the plan... Well, I'll be one step closer to my revenge. To that sweet, sweet revenge!.. But that is tomorrow. Tonight I prepare...

Tomorrow afternoon...

"Has anypony seen Rainbow Dash?" -- Twilight asked of her three friends, gathered in the Castle for a scheduled friendly activity.

Neither Pinkie, nor Applejack, nor even Fluttershy had. That was weird. Usually she would always hang around aforementioned Pinkie, seeking out pranks or something. Today she seemed gone.

"Maybe, she's preparing a surprise!" -- Pinkie exclaimed.

"Oh dear..." -- Fluttershy cringed: she didn't like unpleasant surprises. Others might be fine with that. But Fluttershy wasn't a fan of it in particular.

Twilight hummed in contemplation. If Rainbow was preparing a surprise... "Alright... And what about Rarity? Has anypony seen her?"

Again, neither Pinkie, nor Applejack...

"Um... She mentioned she would stop by a news agency to get the magazine", -- Fluttershy mumbled.

"Oh, that Rarity and her gossips!" -- Applejack shook her head.

"OK. The line must be long or something... So Rarity's coming, and it's only Rainbow Dash... Alright. We can wait. Now, in the meantime... Anypony up for some tea?" -- Twilight offered.

Nopony minded.

As tea with sweets was had and as time was passed pleasantly, all of a sudden Rarity stormed in, holding a newspaper and interrupting the tea party.

"Can you believe it?!!" -- she shrieked, face incredulous and... enraged?

"What is it, Rarity?" -- Twilight enquired.

Rarity showed the newspaper:

"THIS!!!"

"Huh?.. Green isn't in this season? What?"

Rarity blinked and looked at the paper:

"What?.. Oh! No..." In annoyance she flipped through a few pages. "THIS! Can you BELIEVE it?!"

Everypony looked.

On the page were photos of Rainbow Dash and her cutie mark. A large heading read: "Local hero a fraud? Cutie mark not what it seems?"

"Huh! Well, that isn't nice!" -- Pinkie protested the heading.

"It says here, -- Rarity continued in an incredulous fashion, -- Rainbow Dash must have committed an atrocity that earned her her cutie mark! Atrocity, I say! And after everything she told us!.. Oh-h-h!.. Of all the things that are disappointing this is the... most... disappointing... THING!"

"Calm down, Rarity! -- Twilight was quick to interrupt her wailing and gnashing of teeth. -- Rainbow is our friend. I... pretty doubt what the news says about her is true".

"Then where is she? -- Rarity demanded. -- I haven't seen her all day! I'm telling you, she must be hiding from the public!"

"Well, the day isn't yet over, Rarity. Rainbow is probably... Well, whatever she is doing, she..."

"Can't be hiding? Is that what you think?"

"I..." -- Twilight stammered.

"Girls, girls! -- Applejack butted in. -- I can't believe this is what we are discussing! Rarity! How can you have thought such a thing? Rainbow is our friend! I'm a might sure as can be she would have told us, if that were true!"

"Oh, Applejack... Thinking like the Element Of Honesty you are!"

"Rarity, -- Applejack deadpanned, -- this is ridiculous".

"This is scandalous!.."

"Girls! -- Twilight shouted. -- Calm down! Applejack is right: Rainbow is our friend. We have to believe this is not what it looks like and seek out a better explanation..."

And, just as she was giving her speech, a noise was heard, as though something was flying through the air, rumbling louder and louder. Everypony looked in confusion. Hm...

"Uh, guys... I don't like it", -- Pinkie informed with worry.

Fluttershy trembled silently.

"Alright, don't panic! -- Applejack called out. -- Twilight, what do we do?"

"Hide!"

The rumble was so loud it became unbearable to hear. Everypony ran and tucked herself somewhere safe -- and just in time: the ceiling burst open with a loud crack, and something hit the floor hard. With that the rumble stopped completely, but the reverberating, resounding smash deafened everypony, echoing throughout the now damaged Castle.

Everypony gasped out of shock, but only after time they were brave enough to get out of their hiding places and to look.

Lying sprawled on the cracked floor... was rainbow-maned pancake that was seeing stars twirling around her head.

"Rainbow!"

Twilight was the first to approach the poor pegasus:

"Are you alright?"

Rainbow mumbled something unintelligible, then shook her head, the stars going away. She looked up at the ceiling and grinned in embarrassment:

"Oops... Did I do that?.."

"Rainbow, what's happened?" -- Twilight enquired with worry.

"And what's the matter, coming in crashing like that?" -- Applejack demanded in accusation.

"I have NOT crashed! I simply do not crash!"

"Sure you don't, Rainbow Cr..."

"Don't you DARE!" -- Rainbow bellowed.

"Heh-heh!.."

"Seriously! Ever heard of strategy? THAT was a strategical entrance!" -- Rainbow snipped.

"Through the ceiling?" -- Applejack raised her eyebrow.

"Look, who cares?! Guys, my life is in danger!"

And everypony gasped.

"In danger? -- Twilight couldn't believe it. -- How?"

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, this is a disaster!.." Rainbow couldn't explain, fidgeting furiously.

Pinkie immediately hopped to Rainbow and hugged her. "Here you go! -- she said lovingly. -- Don't worry; in fact, don't you dare worry! It's OK..."

Fluttershy went to hug her too, also whispering consoling words. Everypony else joined soon.

"Alright, enough! -- Rainbow sniffed. -- Stop it! Too much sap!.."

The hug was broken. Now Rainbow could talk. She started gingerly:

"Have you read the... -- she gulped, -- newspaper?"

Then Rarity's voice was heard:

"Oh, I've read it alright... -- Rarity said dramatically. Everypony stared at her. She looked hurt: "I have but one question to ask of you, Rainbow Dash... One question!.. How... could you?!.."

"Oh no... Y-you have, haven't you?.. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!.." Rainbow panicked. "N-no!.. This i-isn't what it looks like!.."

"Rainbow, calm down, -- Twilight tried to re-assure her. -- Whatever you say, we believe you".

"Besides, -- Pinkie intervened cheerfully, -- we haven't really read the newspaper yet!"

"Oh, thank Celestia!.. -- Rainbow sighed in relief. -- Good! Then don't even start!"

"Well, whoop-de-doo, Rainbow! What did happen and why did you... um... enter... like that?" -- Applejack asked, impatient.

Rainbow steeled herself for a couple of moments, so nervous she was, then finally found it in herself:

"I've fallen... victim to gossip..."

...

...

. . .

"OK, that's it?" -- Applejack asked, bemused.

"Ahem!" Rarity coughed to draw attention. "Applejack! If you'd read the news, you'd have known, how... scandalous!.. it is".

"Rarity! -- Twilight shouted. -- Would you stop the drama? Rainbow didn't do anything!.. Well, I think she didn't... And I believe her! We have to get down to the bottom of it, and for that we must know, what's happened. So, everypony, let's read the article together -- and please... don't be quick to believe it!"

And so Rarity read the full article to everypony.

It revealed the "true" story behind Rainbow's cutie mark -- a very dark tale indeed! She must've electrocuted the ponies before, which was what the lightning bolt represented!.. And many more speculations like that. Scandalous indeed!..

When Rarity had finished, Rainbow had her head buried in her hooves. Everypony else was speechless.

"How dare they?.. -- Fluttershy started. -- How... DARE they?!!" -- she erupted, but remembered herself and squeaked in embarrassment, shrinking momentarily -- but only momentarily, as she shook her head and stared resolutely. For Rainbow!

Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack voiced their support too. And Rarity was torn.

"Is that why you broke into the Castle like that?" -- enquired Applejack.

"I wanted to avoid being seen! -- Rainbow said defensively. -- I flew high above Poniville, then decided to enter the Castle as fast, as possible. So it got a bit... er... destroyed... So what? We can fix that! But..."

Rainbow lowered her head:

"Guys... -- she whispered. -- What do I do now?.."

"Don't worry, Rainbow! I've got it, -- Twilight said. -- I have a brilliant idea!.. If a newspaper did it, then the newspaper's gonna fix it!"

And as Twilight said, so it was.

The news agency wasn't too far away from the Castle. Twilight got there quickly. She entered the small building and was immediately greeted with a lone janitor, who bowed. On any other day Twilight would have cringed over the formality, but today she embraced her role as a princess and nodded royally, as if to her own servant.

"Rise", -- she allowed.

The janitor rose and was about to continue his duty, but Twilight interrupted him:

"May I speak to the editor in chief?"

"Oh! I-I'm just a janitor here. You may want to ask further down the hall".

And that was what Twilight decided to do, since the janitor was useless. She walked down the hall, until she met somepony, who didn't immediately bow before her.

"Ahem... Good afternoon. May I speak to the editor in chief?"

"Well, I am the editor in chief".

What a coincidence!

"I am officially here to discuss matters, concerning my friend and you directly".

"Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing you can't fix. Let's cut to the chase: there is a problematic article, and I am here to solve that problem".

Twilight produced the newspaper she'd brought with her and opened it on the needed page.

The editor in chief looked. His eyes widened. "How... how was THAT approved??! Isn't Rainbow Dash one of the Elements Of Harmony?.. Alright, who thought it was a good idea?!"

"I see something is the matter".

The editor in chief bowed:

"Forgive me, Your Highness. This is a terrible mistake!"

"Oh, yes, it is a grave mistake, never graver, indeed".

The way Twilight said that horrified the poor editor:

"Please, Your Highness! What must I do?"

"Send out a reporter. Immediately! An interview awaits!"

When Twilight returned to the Castle, she was not alone. A reporter pony was following her.

Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and now Spike too were busy comforting an inconsolable Rainbow Dash, who was shivering on the floor over her ruined life.

"What's going on?" -- Twilight demanded.

Pinkie volunteered:

"Rainbow doesn't believe in success! We are telling her everything is gonna work out, but she doesn't believe us!"

"Urgh, Rainbow!.." Twilight rubbed her forehead, then shouted: "Good news, everypony! We can fix it!"

Everypony immediately turned. Even Rainbow stopped wallowing in despair and looked up.

"Rainbow! Meet mister reporter".

"Pen, -- the reporter introduced himself. -- Mighty Pen. I am here to interview you, Miss Dash".

"What? Oh, no-no-no-no-no!.. This can't be good!"

"Rainbow, what are you talking about? Now you can tell what really happened".

"Nopony's gonna believe it!" -- Rainbow cried.

"Oh, trust me, Rainbow, -- Twilight grinned. -- I've got this one".

Everypony cheered for Rainbow to stay positive and not to worry.

"Mister Pen, -- Twilight addressed. -- Proceed!"

"Local hero Dash redeemed! -- bellowed the newspaper colts. -- Read all about it!"

Ponies all around took interest and bought the newspaper. They were not surprised: they had trust in Rainbow, their hero. However to read the story of how she really had got her cutie mark was breath-taking nonetheless.

"May I?" -- a hooded unicorn mare enquired.

"One bit", -- the colt replied quickly.

The mare bought the newspaper and scanned it. "Very interesting..."

She then left the town, never to be seen again...

...That was in Cloudsdale about sixteen years ago. Perfect! Armed with this knowledge, I'll become unstoppable! Get it? Nothing's stopping me from preventing the rainboom from happening! And once I have!.. Twilight Sparkle will see!.. Oh, how she will see!

Perfect ideas! Perfect plan! Nopony has suspected anything! My plan has worked down to a T! The hardest part was to sneak the article in. But I had time itself on my side! Infinite retries! Infinite power!

Twilight Sparkle, here I come!

---

Alright, after rechecking the plan to ensure its perfection... for the past few hours I've been thinking...

So, if I time-travel and change the past, the time river will stay the same. I've tried time-travelling. The past wasn't changed. I time-travelled again and made a difference. But that was a separate time stream. The original wasn't affected. That's the only way.

Unless, of course, time travel erases previous time streams. That's how I rewrite history: by replacing timelines.

Of course, if that's allowed.

But in that case... won't I rewrite Twilight Sparkle herself? I'll prevent her from ruining everything, and so...

How will she notice, if she is rewritten?..

If I were to come to her, would she remember me?

Ah, I doubt she would.

For her it would be as if for the first time...

Well, then, what would be the point in revenge, if she can't see it? If she doesn't even realise I've ruined her life?

Then the plan has changed: I need to take Twilight Sparkle alongside me. She needs to time-travel to see that new time stream!

But how?..

Yes, as noted, Starlight was a smart pony indeed.