What if....

“Rise and shine ponies!”

Twilight sat up and noticed that she was covered in a blanket. She gazed around and noticed her friends were all just getting up as well.

“Ugh, feels like I slept on a rock.” Rainbow exclaimed while she straightened out her back.

“Well, it doesn’t help that we slept on the floor.” Applejack said while she glanced at the floor. A sudden loud growl rumbled through the room. Everypony looked at Spike, who was rubbing his stomach.

“I’m starving, you girls want anything to eat?”

“Oo-ooo, I would really like some pancakes!” Sweetie Belle, who was already up, yelled.

“Grass pancakes, coming right up!” Spike began a stroll towards the kitchen, but he suddenly bumped into a leg. He looked up and smiled.

“Oh, good morning Charlie, how was your night?”

“A bit slow, but I fell asleep eventually.” Charlie responded.

Rainbow looked down at the floor, then up to Charlie. A question rose up in her mind.

“Uh, can you remind us why we fell asleep on the floor?” She asked.

“Oh, you don’t remember?” Charlie asked back. Everypony shook their heads.

“Well then, I’ll give you a hint. What were your dreams about?”

Everypony’s faces lit up as memories of their dreams returned to them. Twilight was the first to recover and speak up.

“Wait a second, so that dream was all your memory?”

Charlie nodded.

“Then why did we fall asleep?” Twilight asked.

“The book puts you to sleep if you want to view the memories.”

“But Rainbow and I viewed the memories while we were awake.”

Charlie suddenly frowned.

“Oh, well, I…”

Everypony gave him a skeptical look, to which Charlie gave in to.

“Oh fine, I put you guys in a spell, a sleep spell, but it was only to make the experience feel like you were actually there.”

“Ok.” Everypony seemed happy with the answer, Applejack, however, was not convinced. She got up and stretched, then glanced over to Charlie with a skeptical look.

“Oh, but how can we be sure if yer telling the truth?” she asked. Everypony nodded in agreement, and then looked back to Charlie. He didn’t seem fazed, however.

“I can show you a memory of my mentor telling me that putting you to sleep enhances the experience.”

“Alright, go ahead and show us.”

He walked over to the centerpiece of the room and grabbed the book. He opened it to the second page and placed his hand on the book. It began to glow and soon a light shone in the room. Two people showed up, one young and one older.

“Mentor, why did you put me to sleep?”

Charlie’s mentor smiled.

“Because, being asleep enhances the person’s experience of the memory.” He placed a hand on Charlie’s back.

“Do you wish for me to show you the sleep spell?”

“… Yes please mentor!”

Charlie’s mentor moved his hand from Charlie’s back.

“Come on then, you can test it on one of the guards.”

The projection suddenly disappeared, leaving a confident looking Charlie.

“How’s that?” He asked Applejack.

Applejack thought about it for a moment, then turned back to Charlie.

“I suppose it’ll do.”

“Mmm, these are good!” Rainbow Dash took the last bite of her pancakes and put down her fork. She rubbed her belly and looked at Spike, who had also finished his meal.

“Spike, you really do make a good pancake!”

Spike pushed his plate away.

“Thanks Rainbow, it really is my pleasure.”

Applejack looked over at Spike.

“Ah agree, these pancakes are quite tasty!”

“Aw, it’s no problem.”

Soon after Applejack spoke everypony save Fluttershy and Rarity finished their meals. Twilight glanced over at Charlie, who hadn’t touched his meal.

“Uh, Charlie, are you going to eat?”

Charlie moved his head up.

“Oh, yeah, I was just thinking of something that was all.”

“Well, do humans eat grass?” Twilight asked.

Charlie frowned.

“Well naturally, no.”

“Well then what is a human’s natural diet?”

“Well,” Charlie began. “humans eat a mixture of fruits, vegetables and… meat.”

A gasp resounded throughout the room. Fluttershy hid under the table and Rarity frowned.

“How barbaric.”

“Well, I don’t eat meat.” Charlie answered back.

Everypony breathed a sigh of relief, so Twilight glanced over at Charlie once more.

“Well, are you going to eat then?”

Charlie nodded, and then picked up his fork. He looked at it wearily, and then picked up a knife.

Twilight sighed as she watched him.

“What’s wrong now?”

Charlie put down his fork and knife.

“We don’t traditionally eat with forks.”

Rainbow Dash began to laugh out loud, causing Charlie to frown. Rarity, however, wouldn’t have any of it.

“Rainbow Dash, stop laughing at him. He just needs some adjusting and needs to be taught proper etiquette, something that I will be able to teach him.”

Charlie shook his head.

“It’s alright Rarity, you don’t have to do that.”

“Ah-ah, you must be taught proper etiquette if you are going on a trip with us to see the princess on a yacht.”

Charlie made a face.

“What is a yacht?”

Rarity opened her mouth, but Twilight answered for her.

“An airship.”

Charlie changed his complexion to one of recognition.

“Oh, an airship, ok.”

Rarity glanced at Twilight with a slightly annoyed mood, but brushed it off and looked back at Charlie.

“So are you going to eat?”

Charlie moved his plate forward.

“No thanks, sorry Spike.”

“It’s alright Charlie.”

“Good,” Rarity suddenly said. “We have to leave at 2:00, no use in wasting time. Come along, Charlie, you have much to learn. ” Rarity looked back at the table. “Come on Sweetie Belle, let’s go.”

Charlie looked at Twilight with a pleading face. She giggled.

“Oh, you should really go, it’ll be good for you. Besides, I would really like for you to be at your best for the princess.”

Charlie let go of his pleading look and nodded in agreement. Rarity, Charlie and Sweetie Belle all walked out the door, leaving Twilight and her friends. Twilight thought for a few moments, then remembered something she forgot to ask.

I forgot to ask him about the memory…  I guess he can tell me on the train ride there.

“So, tell me more about yourself.” Rarity asked Charlie while she clipped his hair.

“Oh, what’s there to say, I grew up with my mentor and my leader Prince Richard.”

“You grew up with royalty, so how come you don’t know proper etiquette?”

Charlie smiled while Rarity magically pulled his hair.

“Oh, I know some things!”

Rarity let go of his hair.

“Oh, what do you?” she asked.

“I know how to properly greet someone… and such!” he said with a smile.

Rarity gave him an unbelieving look.

“Uh-huh, well I guess you might know a few things, but the only way to know for sure is to test you out. Let us begin shall we!”

“I suppose your right, you are good at that, but now we need to teach you about table manners.”

Charlie sighed discontentedly.

“Alright Charlie, you have officially passed my lessons and my expectations, congratulations!”

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you Rarity for your help.”

“No problem, shall we get going? We only have…” Rarity glanced at the clock.  “one hour before we leave.”

“Sure, let’s go.” Charlie began to walk towards the door.

“Oh wait!” Rarity called. She ran upstairs. Charlie waited as some loud noises came from upstairs, and then Rarity came back downstairs.

“Alright Charlie, follow me.”

Charlie obliged and followed Rarity upstairs. She brought him in a room where everything was color organized.

“Charlie, this is what I made for you!”

She magically pulled up something that was lying on top of a dress form. She gave it to Charlie, who took it in open arms.

“Wow Rarity, what is it!”

“It’s a tuxedo! I have the shoes for it over there. Go ahead, try it on!” Rarity said excitedly.

Charlie slung the tuxedo over his shoulder and grabbed the shoes. He then walked downstairs and into a room that gave him a little bit of privacy.

He came out minutes later, and right when Rarity arrived.

“Oh, you tidy up quite nicely if I do say so myself.”

“Thank you Rarity, but you really didn’t have to do this.”

“Consider it a gift, dear.” Rarity said before turning away.

“Now, let’s get going, I would really like to show my new creation to our friends!”

Rarity and Charlie walked towards the library, occasionally receiving a few hellos along the way.

“Wow Charlie, you really are quite an attention grabber.”

“Why do you say that Rarity,” Charlie asked.

“Oh, because everypony in town is staring at you.”

Charlie looked around and noticed that indeed everypony was staring at him, with pairs and groups whispering to each other.

“Oh, I didn’t notice that.” Charlie covered his face, but Rarity noticed.

“No need to do that dear.”

“Why, everypony is watching me.”

“Because we are already here.” Charlie removed his hand and noticed that they were in fact at the library.

“Oh, sorry.”

“No need to apologize darling. Here, let’s go inside.”

Rarity opened the door and walked in, Charlie following suit. As soon as they walked in they received attention from their friends, who were all inside the main room.

“Hey Rarity,” Rainbow greeted. She then glanced over to Charlie.

“Wow, what’s with the fancy tux?”

“He needs to be ‘fancy’ for the yacht ride with the princess.” Rarity responded.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”

Twilight walked over to Charlie’s side.

“Well, I think it looks fitting for a prince,” she said.

Silence followed, but it didn’t last long, for Rarity let out a small gasp.

“A prince, whatever do you mean?!” Rarity asked.

Twilight giggled, and then looked up at Charlie.

“Go ahead.”

Charlie sighed.

“Oh alright. My leader Prince Richard adopted me and made me next heir to his kingdom, and since he’s gone, well you know the rest.”

Rarity let out a loud gasp.

“What were you thinking? You could have told me something before…”

Charlie waved it off.

“Don’t worry about it Rarity, It is an empty title.”

“Nonsense! You are royalty, you deserve better than such.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“Jeez Rarity don’t spoil him.”

“How often do I get to create outfits for royalty, Rainbow Dash? Rarely.”

“Don’t worry Rarity, besides, we might be late if we don’t get going right soon.” Twilight interjected. Rarity glanced up at the clock. It read 1:50.

“Oh alright, let’s get going, then. Sweetie Belle, can you go back to mother and fathers?” Rarity asked. Sweetie Belle nodded and walked out, leaving the library. Rarity then walked over to the door and opened it. The rest of the group soon followed and left the library.

“So Charlie, that entire dream was a memory?” Twilight asked Charlie. They had arrived at the train to Canterlot on time and were already on their way there.

“Yes it was, it was my memory of the things that happened before the…”

“Hey Charlie, were you the one who yelled last night?” Rainbow Dash asked from the across the walkway.

“Yes, sorry if I woke anypony up.”

“It’s alright; at least I know who did it.”

Charlie looked back at Twilight, who was right in front of him.

“What else do you want to know Twilight?’

“Well, who is Dmitri?”

Charlie thought about it for a moment.

“Well, he was the arch mage of the north and the second best magician in the world.”

“Who was the first?” Twilight asked.

“My mentor,” Charlie responded. “He was the best magician I knew, until I met you, and then my perspective changed.”

Twilight blushed, and then remembered something.

“Wait, what was the Relic of the Sun and the Moon?”

Charlie shrugged.

“Don’t know, all my mentor told me was that it kept the balance of the sun and the moon. I don’t know how the north obtained it, but they did, and it brought humanity down.”

“What did it look like?”

Charlie once again shrugged.

“Well, I never actually saw it up close, even though I was near it. All my mentor told me is that it had six markings on the six bumps it had.”

“Hey, we’re almost there!” Pinkie Pie yelled. Charlie glanced out the window and saw Canterlot coming up.

“I’ve never been to Canterlot before.” Charlie said while watching Canterlot.

Twilight beamed.

“It’s going to be one of the most amazing sights you’ll ever see!”

Twilight and her friends were walking towards the shipyard, where they saw a few battalions of guards marching.

The yacht that they were going in was all ready. Standing on the bow of the boat was the Princess of the Sun herself. Twilight saw and began running towards the Princess. Four guards stationed on the loading platform saw and immediately dropped their spears in an offensive position. They began a slow approach towards Twilight, who suddenly stopped in her tracks. Princess Celestia saw and began walking towards the loading platform.

“Twilight Sparkle, my most prized student.”

The guards heard and lifted their spears, then began to walk back to their positions. Twilight Sparkle ran up to the princess and gave her a hug.

“Princess Celestia!”

“Twilight, how have you been?”

“Good princess!”

Twilight broke the hug as soon as she heard walking coming up from behind her. She turned around just as her friends arrived.

“Hello yer majesty.” Applejack, who was at the head of the group, said.

“Hello Applejack.” She looked up and noticed Charlie, who was at the back of the group.

“Hello Prince Charles. It is nice to see that you have acquainted yourself to Rarity, so how has your time been in Ponyville?”

“It has been wonderful your majesty. I feel like I am finally home once again.”

Princess Celestia smiled.

“That’s wonderful dear!”

A shout was heard from behind the princess. She turned her head and noticed a guard waving to the group.

“Well, looks like the airship is ready. Shall we?”

Twilight, the princess and her friends all headed out into the airship. Once they reached the center of the ship Princess Celestia turned to the group behind her.

“Alright, we shall head into the dining area for a meal. After that you are free to do as you please.”

Everypony in the group nodded, so Princess Celestia headed into the dining hall, with the group following.

“Ahhh, that was really delicious.” Spike said while rubbing his belly. He glanced up to Princess Celestia, who had also finished her meal.

“Thank you princess!”

Princess Celestia smiled and nodded, and then turned her head to Charlie, who finished his meal and was setting down his eating utensils.

“Charles.” Charlie looked up.

“How did you like your meal?”

“It really was an exquisite meal. Thank you your majesty.”

The princess nodded in an approving manner, then glanced over to Twilight.

“Twilight, may I speak with you for a minute, outside.”

Twilight nodded, so Princess Celestia looked back at Charlie.

“I need to speak with you as well, Charles.” Charlie got up and followed the sun princess, who was following Twilight outside.

Once they reached the deck Princess Celestia walked up to the edge. She glanced over the edge, where she noticed that they were flying close to the skies above Canterlot.

“Twilight, do you know what I had when you woke up?”

Twilight thought about it for a moment.

“Well, it was rather dark, but when we got into the library, I saw what it was.”

“What was it Twilight?” Princess Celestia asked.

“It looked like a pomegranate.”

Princess Celestia nodded.

“You are correct Twilight Sparkle, but do you know the way of which I collected it.”

Twilight shook her head.

“I thought pomegranates don’t grow here.”

“Once again you are correct, pomegranates don’t grow here.” Princess Celestia answered before turning her head to Charlie, who was right next to Twilight.

“Tell me Charles, do you think that you are the last human left?”

Charlie shrugged.

“I don’t know your majesty, although I do suspect something in the…” Charlie trailed off. Princess Celestia and Twilight both glanced up to Charlie, who was looking at something behind her.

Suddenly a shadow began to creep onto the ship. Princess Celestia turned and immediately frowned.

“Impossible… Twilight, tell the captain to turn this vessel, we must head back to Canterlot at once!”

Twilight turned and ran right away up stairs. Princess Celestia then turned back to the sky.

“Your majesty, what’s going on?”

“Discord…” she muttered.

“What?”

“Perfect.” Charlie suddenly felt a voice say. He heard running coming up from behind her and turned. Twilight was running with a worried look on her face.

“Princess, that sounded like Discord!”

“It was.”

“But how?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know Twilight Sparkle.”

The ship suddenly made a sharp turn and made a straight course for Canterlot.

“Ah-ah-ah, where do you think you’re going?”

Suddenly the sky began to grow darker. The pink fluffy clouds that where there earlier began to approach the ship.

Princess Celestia noticed.

“Twilight, I need you bring your friends out here.”

Twilight didn’t question Celestia and ran for the door. Once she entered, Charlie turned back to Celestia.

“What’s going on your majesty?”

“Discord, the chaotic spirit of disharmony, has returned.”

“Discord, who’s that?”

“I will tell you later, but right now I have to take care of this nonsense.”

Princess Celestia’s horn glowed, and at the same time a large amount of clouds began to glow as well. Immediately they began to disappear as Celestia’s powerful magic incinerated them.

She did this to many clouds, but more kept appearing. Princess Celestia frowned as her efforts were in vain. She then smiled, for something more efficient was on her mind. She suddenly shot up a beam into the air and created a force field around the airship. She kept a steady stream so the shield would move with the airship.

Ah Celestia, you are such a party pooper. I guess I have to do this the hard way.

Celestia frowned as sweat began to build up on her brows, as the shield began to crack despite Celestia’s steady input. The shield suddenly broke and Celestia fell to the ground with a gasp, right as the mane 6 emerged from the cabin. Twilight saw and ran to Princess Celestia’s side.

“Princess!” Twilight yelled right as she arrived by Celestia’s side.

“Don’t worry Twilight, I’m fine.” Princess Celestia got up. “We need to protect this vessel, as we’re very close to Canterlot. We then need to get the elements…”

“HELP!” Twilight and Princess Celestia turned around and saw Rainbow Dash holding on to a shoe with her teeth. They looked above Rainbow and saw the source of the voice, Charlie, stuck on a cotton candy cloud. He was being pulled by the cloud, and it appeared that Rainbow was losing.

“Charlie!” Twilight yelled. Her horn began to glow, but it was too late. Rainbow lost her grip on the shoe and it propelled Charlie into the air. He didn’t fall, however. He was lifted by the cloud towards Canterlot. Princess Celestia noticed and immediately took action.

“Gather around my little ponies!” The ponies and Spike ran around the princess. Immediately a bright light encapsulated them and they were teleported to the shipyard. Princess Celestia spoke up.

“Alright, you must find Charlie and Discord. I will retrieve the elements of harmony.” Princess Celestia took to the air while the mane six and Spike took off towards the statue garden.

They weaved through throngs of ponies and into Canterlot Castle. Once they arrived they headed through the castle and into the castle statue garden. As soon as they arrived they saw a sight that frightened them.

Fallen to his knees, Charlie was with the statue of Discord, who had his talon on his head. A bright light suddenly beamed, encapsulating the entire area.

“FREEDOM!!!”