A Decade Lost

by Neonz

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Big Macintosh, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad, Princess Luna, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 58646

Twilight teleports herself ten years into the future without realizing her spell was a one-way trip. Now stuck in a world that hasn't seen her in a whole decade, she's forced to see how her friends' lives have fallen apart. DECADE LONG HAITUS OVER!

Twilight's fears over becoming a princess convince her to attempt a spell to glimpse the future. Unfortunately, she ends up doing a bit more than glimpsing; the spell turned out to be permanent, meaning she never returned back to her own time, and therefore didn't exist for ten full years.

Her absence caused a fall-apart of the elements of harmony, and Twilight is horrified to see how they've changed without her. She doesn't know how to teleport back, so she instead tries desperately to figure out what happened and piece everyone's lives back together.

Published 2013-02-26 02:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2023-12-02 21:30:00 UTC

2. Appleless Trees

Applejack and Fluttershy lived at opposite ends of Ponyville, but Twilight decided to visit Sweet Apple Acres first. There was a better chance of Applejack still living in Ponyville, since Fluttershy could potentially look after animals in a different town.

Twilight hadn’t seen any animals around, anyways.

As she approached, she could see that ten years had done a lot to the old apple farm. More than half of the trees were leafless and bent as if weary of standing. The ones that remained looked far from healthy, and the few that still had apples were bearing fruit that was substandard to what Twilight remembered.

The orchards were eerily quiet, and Twilight wondered if anyone still lived there. The Apples leaving their farm for any reason couldn’t be possible. Applejack had the same pride for her trees, rolling fields, and often replaced barn as she did for her family. It was a part of who she was.

Twilight stopped in her tracks as she spotted the pony she’d been looking for. Applejack was curled up underneath one of her apple trees and looking forlornly into the distance. Twilight knew that her friends were now a bit past their prime, but they shouldn’t yet be old enough to be considered middle age. It was the little things that set Twilight’s heart on edge – the way she had her left hind leg extended just a bit too far behind her, how her mane was a touch shorter than Twilight remembered. She’d never seen Applejack lie down on the job before.

She looked… old.

Twilight thought she hadn’t been heard until Applejack’s ears flicked and she glanced over her shoulder. They held eye contact for several moments before Applejack got to her hooves. She walked with a heavy limp, avoiding placing weight on her left hind leg. Her expression was one of pain and confusion. Twilight hurried to meet her halfway.

“Applejack…” Twilight wasn’t sure how to react, so she waited for the orange earth pony to fill in the silence.

There was a long pause. Applejack stared at Twilight, as if trying to gauge whether or not she was real. “Twilight Sparkle?” she asked, her voice a bit weary, but otherwise unchanged. “Is that… is that really you?”

Twilight wasn’t sure if Applejack had ever called her by her full name. It was odd, and Twilight didn’t like it. “Yes, it’s me. Well, a younger me than who you know… I time travelled to the future.”

Applejack’s mouth was slightly agape. “You… you look exactly the same, Twilight.”

“Really?” Twilight asked. Time must had been kinder on her than on her poor friend. “Do I live nearby? I haven’t seen any ponies around town, and I thought it was really odd that I didn’t see any of our - ”

“Twilight,” Applejack interrupted, staring anxiously into Twilight’s violet eyes with her emerald ones. “You’ve been dead for ten years.”

A pang of horror flowed through Twilight’s body. “No… no, that’s impossible!” Twilight argued, her eyes widening. “From the time-travelling spell I just did? No, even if my magic was powerful enough to literally send me to the future instead of simply look at it, I should have returned to Canterlot as soon as the spell wore off.”

Applejack just stared at her with tired eyes. “You vanished into thin air, far as your records are concerned.”

Twilight waited for Applejack to elaborate, but she didn’t. It was painful seeing her stubbornly independent friend looking so weak. “Applejack... what happened?”

Applejack closed her eyes. “They sent search parties out, Twi, but after weeks of nothin’ we assumed ya’d done a spell badly or somethin’. After they called them back, Ah kept hopin’, but…” She let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Ah’ll be honest, Twilight. Things went bad once you left.”

Though Applejack had yet to elaborate, Twilight already felt as though she was living in a terrible nightmare. What if the spell had been permanent? She’d already done it improperly by teleporting herself here, after all. The lavender unicorn said nothing, her silence urging Applejack to continue.

“At first, the five of us stayed close. Didn’t want to separate in the wake of such a tragedy.” Applejack shifted her hooves slightly. It was a subtle movement, but Twilight had never seen her make it before. “It wasn’t long before the stress got to all of us… affected us differently, Ah suppose.” She shifted her weight again, struggling to remain comfortable. “Let’s go sit under that tree, Twi, and Ah’ll finish there.” She gestured to an apple tree that was no longer bearing fruit, and started limping toward it.

Applejack curled up underneath the tree, and Twilight slowly imitated her movements. She couldn’t help it anymore; she needed to know. “Applejack… what happened to you?”

Applejack bit her lip and hung her head. The comment had stung her. “It’s… it’s an old injury, Twilight. A few weeks after you… died or disappeared or whatever you did, Rainbow couldn’t handle her grief. She created the biggest thunderstorm in Ponyville’s history, and told nopony beforehand. Knocked down ‘bout a quarter of our trees, and left the rest without fruit.”

“Rainbow…” Twilight murmured, tears pricking at her eyes.

“It came on real suddenly. Apple Bloom and her friends were outside playing… Ah had to go try gettin’ ‘em, but the winds were awful heavy. Broke off a large tree that crushed mah back left. It was months before Ah could walk more than a few steps without help, and a year before Ah could start workin’. Honestly, it was manageable until a few months ago. Ah’ve been overworkin’ myself, and Ah’ve put too much strain on the injury.”

“What about your family?” Twilight probed desperately. “Apple Bloom? Big Mac?”

Applejack’s expression hardened. “Ah don’t want anythin’ to do with either of ‘em.”

A chilly wave of horror rushed through Twilight’s body. “I…” Twilight forced herself to come up with more words. “…Granny Smith?”

“Died a year after you left,” Applejack said, her voice obtaining a hollow tone. “She was old, and the year had been stressful. We knew what was comin’. Didn’t make it much easier.” In the silence that followed, a gentle wind played with their manes and rustled the remaining leaves on the trees. “Apple Bloom got her cutie mark not long afterward. Know what it was?” More silence. Twilight didn’t want to hear anymore. “A hammer and a few nails. Not an apple. Not even close. Apple Bloom wasn’t meant to be here; she was never meant to be here on the farm, and it took Granny’s death for her to figure that out. Left for Manehatten without a backward glance.”

Twilight let out a shaky breath. “What about Big Mac?”

“He comes ‘round occasionally. Doesn’t live on the farm, though.”

Twilight knew that the silence was deliberate, but she couldn’t help herself. “Where does he - ”

“With that good fer nothin’ pegasus,” Applejack threw the name of the subspecies as if it were an insult. “Fluttershy.”

“F-Fluttershy?!”

“Yeh.” Applejack stared bitterly away from Twilight. “They were datin’ before you were gone, did y’know that?” Applejack turned her glare to the purple unicorn, who hesitated under the icy gaze.

“No… no, I didn’t.” Twilight said honestly. Applejack’s expression softened.

“Figures. She lied to everyone. After Apple Bloom left, they announced they were gettin’ married.” Tears were pricking at Applejack’s eyes now, though her voice remained steady. “My family was bein’ taken away from me one by one. Big Mac said he’d always be there to help with the farmwork, but he slowly stopped comin’ by too. Spent more time with that… with that…” Her voice finally broke, and she hid her face with her hat. “…Can’t believe Ah considered her a friend when you last saw me, Twi. It’s been so long since then…”

Twilight went to her, wrapping a hoof around her neck and pulling her close. Applejack sobbed, years of pain finally spilling out of her and onto Twilight’s neck. Twilight comfortingly ran a hoof over her friend’s mane and down her back, feeling the groove of every single rib as her hoof brushed over them.

Applejack had always been the rock in their friend group. Twilight remembered when Spike had accidentally caused a fire in her library; Twilight had quickly put it out with an extinguishing spell, but the damages to half a shelf of books were irreversible. The cost of replacing them was hefty, but she didn’t own the library, so legally speaking it had to be done.

A small issue, now that she had so much in comparison to think about.

Still, after she couldn’t take Spike’s excuses and desperate attempts at check-balancing anymore, she’d gone straight to Sweet Apple Acres. The concern in Applejack’s emerald eyes flashed through Twilight’s memory. She’d explained her predicament to the other mare by collapsing and sobbing heavily on the ground like a little foal. Applejack just smiled sadly and stroked Twilight’s mane until her tears were exhausted. “Sugarcube, y’know Ah’m always right here. Ah’ll help you pay for the books, if it’s really that much of an issue. Heck, Ah’m sure the others’ll help out too. So don’t you worry, Twi; it’ll all be okay.”

A gesture that she couldn’t possibly accept, but its notion was so reassuring and so valuable: she’d be okay. As long as her friends were standing by her, she would be okay.

Twilight flattened her ears and hugged Applejack tightly. She wanted so badly to tell Applejack the same thing, but she knew so little about her situation. She wasn’t sure if it was worth the risk of lying to the most honest pony in Equestria.

“Thanks, Twilight,” Applejack sniffed, but made no move to separate. “Ah wish so badly that things were still as you left ‘em…”

“This is my fault…” Twilight murmured, the painful guilt clear in her voice.

There was an awful silence where a childish part of Twilight was expecting to be comforted. It was Twilight’s doings that destroyed everything the earth pony held dear. She felt stupid for thinking Applejack didn’t hate her for it.

“It was a domino line, sugarcube…” Applejack broke off from Twilight and let her blonde head rest on the ground. She shut her eyes tightly. “Ah can’t take many more of ‘em fallin’, though.”

Twilight straightened. “I’ll get you help. I-I… I know I can fix this…”

Applejack didn’t look up. “That’s kind of you, but there’s no point. It’ll take years for the orchards to grow back. Can’t sell what Ah have now… Ah can barely eat what Ah have now…” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but Applejack raised a forehoof to interrupt her. “Don’t tell me to leave, Twilight. Ah’ve already been a huge failure in the eyes of mah family. Destroyed centuries worth of work… but if one thing’s fer sure, Ah’m gonna follow in their hoofprints and go down with the orchard.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “I can’t let you live like this, Applejack. Come with me; I’ll get help.”

Applejack stared defiantly at the ground. “Ah ain’t budgin’.”

Twilight pawed at the dirt anxiously, and tears pricked in her eyes. She couldn’t stand seeing Applejack like this any longer. “Please, just come with me.”

Applejack looked up, and Twilight could see tears running down her face. “Ah can’t. Ah can’t, Twilight.”

“I… I’m not leaving you here to die!” Twilight exclaimed in a high pitched voice. Some fire returned to Applejack’s expression, and the two ponies glared at each other.

“Where would Ah go, Twilight?!” Applejack yelled and rose to her hooves. The outburst startled Twilight, who winced. “Fluttershy and Mac hate me, and with good reason, too! Rarity’s dug herself a hole so deep she can’t see out of it, Apple Bloom’s gone down the wrong path in more ways than one, Celestia knows where Pinkie is, and Ah don’t give a buck whatever happened to Rainbow Dash!” Applejack took an aggressive step forward, and Twilight cautiously took one backward. Applejack panted for a few moments, then sank back to her haunches and sighed. “Just… just go, Twilight. Go like all the rest of ‘em.”

“A-Applejack - ”

“GO!” Applejack screeched, then stood and started limping away.

Twilight watched her leave, and couldn’t bring herself to stop her. Her heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces.

What had she done?

4. Vague Memories

Twilight awoke to the sound of chattering animals and splattering rain. She blearily opened her eyes, and through the darkness could see several animals shaking rain out of their fur and trying to settle themselves around the living room. Realizing that she probably wasn’t going to get back to sleep until they quieted, she sat up and looked around. The sun’s morning glow was just barely starting to peek through the window.

“Oh, Twilight. I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you.” Twilight followed the sound of Fluttershy’s voice, and could see that the pregnant pegasus was dripping wet. Fluttershy moved her sopping mane away from her face, and gave a weak smile. “The weather patterns are erratic now that the pegasus ponies don’t service Ponyville as much anymore. I had to get up and take the little ones inside.”

Twilight glanced at the grey seal, which she was surprised fit through the doorway, and gave a small smile at Fluttershy’s word choice. Twilight’s horn started glowing to cast a drying spell on her friend, but she stopped herself. Magic had the potential to cause unwanted effects on unborn foals, and she didn’t want to take any risks. “Jeez, it must really be raining,” Twilight noted, then rolled out of bed and walked to Fluttershy. “Hold on, I’ll get you a towel.”

She turned to walk up the stairs, but Big Mac was already walking down with two white towels draped over his back. He went to his wife and wrapped one around her body, and gently used the other to dry her mane. “Ya should’ve woken me up, hun. Too rough for you to be outside, ‘specially before daybreak.”

Fluttershy took the towel from his grasp with a small laugh and began drying her mane herself. “Don’t be silly: it’s my job to take care of the animals, Mac.” She rewarded his thoughtfulness with a peck on the cheek anyways. Big Mac gave a small grin before repeating the gesture on her lips.

Twilight looked away and decided to busy herself by making her bed. She pulled the covers into position with her magic, then slowly started to put the pillows properly at the head of the cot.

“Twilight?” The unicorn turned around to see Fluttershy walking toward her. “Mac’s making breakfast, but why don’t you come with me in the meantime?”

Curious, Twilight nodded. “Alright.”

She followed Fluttershy up the stairs and into her bedroom. Twilight couldn’t recall ever being in there before, and was surprised to find that it was quite spacious. Wooden furniture adorned most of the room, and a few birds were sleeping on top of an empty coat rack. Twilight heard Fluttershy sigh, and looked over to find the cause. Fluttershy was frowning at a small table in the corner of her room, and Twilight noticed that it was covered with pictures. Specifically, pictures of the six of them.

The largest picture in the center filled Twilight with longing. It had been taken not long after she’d moved to Ponyville. Pinkie Pie’s beaming face took up the entire bottom of the photograph, as she had been the one holding the camera. Twilight herself stood in the center above Pinkie’s curly mane, and Rainbow Dash had a foreleg wrapped around her neck. The cyan pegasus was airborne, and her wings were flared out proudly. They were both smiling, but not at the camera. Their attention was focused to the right at Applejack, who was laughing at Rarity. The white unicorn was fussing with the cowpony’s hat, trying desperately to make it stay perfectly in place for the photograph. Fluttershy was on Rainbow’s left, watching the scene across from her with a concerned frown.

Twilight remembered that photograph vividly. Rarity had demanded that they retake it, but it embodied their friendship so perfectly that nopony else would agree with her.

Twilight tore herself away from the scene, and looked to the other framed pictures on the table. There was only one photo of a pony she didn’t recognize, so it caught her attention immediately. It displayed a very young unicorn colt with a white coat, deep blue eyes, and a light blue mane. His colours actually made him look quite a bit like Shining Armor as a foal, and Twilight smiled. “Fluttershy, who’s this?” She gestured to the picture with a hoof.

“That’s Blue Jasper.” Fluttershy giggled. “Rarity’s son. Isn’t he cute? I think he’s just turned seven, but this picture is a few years old.”

Twilight blinked several times, trying to register what she’d just been told. “Rarity has a son?!” she exclaimed, looking between Fluttershy and the photo frantically. “But Rarity doesn’t even like kids!” The words had tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Fluttershy gave an amused smile. “She has a daughter, too, but I don’t have a picture of her.”

Twilight’s mouth hung open. “Is she married? Who’s the father?”

Fluttershy frowned, but nodded slowly. “Yes… actually, you might be a bit surprised. It was a huge controversy, because he’s an older high-class stallion, and he was already married…”

Twilight’s eyes widened considerably and she turned to stare at the picture of the colt again. “...Oh Celestia, did she marry my brother?!”

Fluttershy looked surprised for a moment, then her expression softened and she laughed. “No, no, Twilight, calm down. His name is Fancy Pants; he’s a really well-known stallion, a bit of a celebrity.”

“The one Rarity was flirting with during Shining’s wedding?” Twilight remembered him from her birthday too. She’d always thought that Rarity was less in love with Fancy Pants and more in love with Fancy Pants’ social status, but it had been ten years since then. Things change, as Twilight was starting to know all too well.

Fluttershy gave a nod. “Yes.”

“Wow…” Rarity was married with foals. A sudden surge of emotions nearly brought Twilight to tears, and it took her a few moments to understand where they came from. “I… I always thought it would be Applejack…”

“What do you mean, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked sweetly, her teal eyes holding concern.

“Sorry… just, of all of us, I thought it would be Applejack that would get married and have kids.” The words sounded so innocent coming out of her mouth. It made Twilight acutely aware that Fluttershy was a decade older than she was, and that she probably sounded like a whiney little filly to her.

Fluttershy gave a small smile. “I’m sure she would have loved that.” Her smile broke, and she stared at the ground.

“Sorry, I…” Twilight decided to change the topic by pointing at the image of Pinkie’s head in their group photograph. “I noticed Sugarcube Corner was gone.”

Fluttershy nodded. “The Cakes sold their land to a small business owner. They tore down the house to make room for it, but with the state of the economy, I guess they decided not to build anymore.”

“Where do they live now?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, Twilight. The last time I saw Pinkie…” She paused for several moments. Twilight wasn’t sure if she was going to continue.

“Fluttershy?”

“I… sorry…” She closed her eyes for a few moments, then continued in a tone that was barely above a whisper. “I… I was pregnant once before, but we lost the foal a few weeks after we found out…” Fluttershy sniffed, tears glistening in her eyes. Twilight put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “A few days after… after that happened... Pinkie Pie showed up.”

Twilight quizzically raised an eyebrow. “At your cottage?”

“Yes, in this tiny little party car. It was the first time I’d seen her in years.” Fluttershy wasn’t looking at Twilight, but was instead staring at the picture of Pinkie. “She didn’t say hello, just bounced in and hugged me.” A small smile appeared on Fluttershy’s face, and she sniffed again and reached to touch the picture. “She explained that she’d learned to use her Pinkie sense to tell when ponies need to be happy, and so that’s what she does now. She travels around Equestria and goes where she’s needed.”

“That’s… interesting.” Twilight had long accepted Pinkie’s strange abilities as just being a part of who she was, but something about Fluttershy’s story seemed off. “Why… why doesn’t she keep in contact with you?”

Fluttershy removed her hoof from the photograph and looked at Twilight. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

Twilight bit her lip, but decided to drop the topic. Her eyesight landed on a photograph of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy laughing together. Rainbow Dash had a Wonderbolt’s outfit on, minus the goggles.

“That was the last time I saw Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy must had followed Twilight’s gaze. “She’d just been accepted onto The Wonderbolts.”

Twilight felt happy that her friend had finally accomplished her lifelong dream of joining the elite flying team. Her initial emotions were countered by the upset look on Fluttershy’s face. “What happened?” Twilight asked carefully.

Fluttershy sighed. “I think the fame wasn’t all she thought it was. The reporters said good things about her, but they also said really mean things. Sometimes they wrote about how she was lazy, or how she skipped practice a lot. They said she wasn’t a team player, that she wasn’t fit for it.” Fluttershy picked the photograph of the two of them off of the table, and looked at it longingly. “The stress got to her. She… she was arrested four times on counts of FUI.”

Flying Under the Influence. Twilight hadn’t known Rainbow to be much of a drinker. “That’s… wow, that’s a lot of times…” Twilight’s brain worked in overdrive, but she failed to comprehend Rainbow’s behaviour. “Is that just a fine? Or…?”

Fluttershy shook her head, causing Twilight’s heart to clench in horror. “It is for the first three times, but after the fourth it’s four months in jail. She was found guilty of property damage as well, so…”

Twilight hung her head. “I-I can’t believe…” Twilight had never even met another pony who’d been sent to jail before. “That must really have affected her…”

“I guess so, yes…” Fluttershy said, causing Twilight to shoot her a confused look. “All I really know is from newspapers, Twilight, back when we still got them. I haven’t seen Rainbow Dash since that photograph. I know she lost her place with The Wonderbolts, but I don’t know what else happened to her.”

Twilight turned away from the table and bit back her emotions. “I think I’ve heard enough, but thanks for showing me, Fluttershy.”

“…Twilight?”

Twilight started walking toward the stairs. “Let’s go eat.”

…

The enticing scent of eggs and toast wasn’t quite enough to stir Twilight from her thoughts. The three ponies ate in what would have been silence if not for the constant bickering of the animals in the other room. Their caregiver was constantly on call, and left the table frequently to solve quarrels.

“That was delicious, Big Mac. Thank you.” Twilight smiled her appreciation once all three of their plates had been emptied.

“Yer certainly welcome, Twilight,” he droned in his deep voice. “What's yer plan for today, then?”

Twilight stood up and used her magic to lift the plates into the sink. “I’m going back to see Applejack.” The anxious look on Fluttershy’s face was enough to tell Twilight that she shouldn’t elaborate. “I’ll be fine. I just want to make sure she’s okay… you know, because, uh, seeing me yesterday must have been a shock.”

Fluttershy still looked concerned. “The rain is awfully heavy, Twilight; you shouldn’t be outside. Right Mac?”

“…Applejack’ll appreciate your company, Twilight.” The gratitude in his tone was unmistakable. “How ‘bout you take her a basket from us? Some eggs and apples and such.”

Fluttershy stared at her husband. “A-are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Big Mac stood up and passed an already filled basket to Twilight. Twilight accepted it with her magic. She stole a look at Fluttershy, who looked very confused. “I’ll make sure to give this to her.” Twilight smiled, trying to seem lighthearted. Beneath her happy expression, her heart was beating rapidly. This was her first chance to try and fix this mess she’d caused.

And she would fix it. If it took her whole life, she would fix it.

“O-okay, Twilight…” Fluttershy stood up and wrapped her in a hug. “Be safe. And… thanks for coming back.” Her last words were spoken in a rushed, embarrassed whisper, but Twilight was accustomed to Fluttershy’s tiny voice.

“I’m so sorry. I caused you so much pain, all because of a stupid mistake…”

“It’s okay. You’re welcome to stay the night again, if need be.” Fluttershy smiled warmly.

“Be careful, Twilight,” Big Mac called after her. Twilight recalled the conversation she’d had with him the day prior, and understood his meaning.

“Thanks Fluttershy, thanks Big Mac.” Twilight smiled back at the couple and turned the door handle with a hoof.

She immediately regretted it. The winds roared into the house, blowing her mane straight back and sending any animals unfortunate enough to be standing nearby squealing as they retreated further into the cottage. Twilight floated the basket to sit between her teeth, and used all of her magical will to create a small forcefield around herself. “’Ee? O ‘ig ‘eal…” Twilight said, her attempt at communication blocked by the basket handle.

“Bye, Twilight!” Fluttershy called as a well-protected Twilight delved into the storm and back toward the dead apple farm.

5. One Last Try

Twilight walked through her hometown, her vision tinted purple due to the force field she was hiding behind. The rain whirled past her, though the cloud cover was erratic, making the sun visible through the grey storm clouds.

Conjuring a force field wasn’t a particularly difficult task to Twilight, though carrying it with her was proving to be taxing. Still, Twilight had decided not to teleport in favour of getting another look around what she remembered as a bustling little town. The once occupied buildings now stood aged and forgotten. The wind was causing roof shingles to fly off and window shutters to slam helplessly against their houses. She paused for a few moments to catch her breath, the wicker basket clutched between her teeth impeding her breathing a bit, and stared around Ponyville with frightened eyes.

Had her disappearance really caused all of this trauma? Certainly Ponyville took advantage of Rarity’s growing fame to get attention for their own businesses. Without her being there, it was certain many organizations using this tactic would have given up. Barring that possibility, most of the social activities relied on Pinkie’s party planning. Whether Pinkie was aware of it or not, she was the one who kept the strong sense of community running.

Nopony truly relied on the librarian. They’d done fine without her for years before she’d moved in. But still… if she’d caused Rarity and Pinkie Pie to leave…

Twilight pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She had no proof. Fluttershy had mentioned an economic downturn, after all... which was probably caused by the collapse of the biggest supplier in Ponyville: Sweet Apple Acres.

Twilight hung her head and continued walking until she reached the fields of dead apple trees. Their knarred branches moved stiffly in the wind, and just thirty feet ahead of her, one tree gave into the wind’s power with a loud crack and collapsed onto its side. Twilight moved cautiously, her breath coming in short pants from magical exertion.

She reached the farmhouse and ceased her force field in order to pound at the door. The rain attacked freely without her shield. Twilight floated the basket out of her mouth and knocked again. “Applejack? Applejack, are you there?” Twilight closed her eyes tightly as the chilly winds tore through her body. “Applejack!”

The door opened and Twilight rushed in without waiting for an invitation. Applejack stared at the newcomer in disbelief as Twilight groaned and resisted the urge to shake herself like a dog. “T-thanks… it’s pretty bad out there…”

“Wait a bit. It’ll be sunny, mark mah words,” Applejack said bitterly as she stared suspiciously at the floating basket. “What’s that? And what are you doin’ here, anyhow?”

Twilight cast a quick drying spell on herself, trotted into the kitchen, and levitated the basket onto the counter. “It’s from your brother. I just came to visit, and he said I should bring it to you.” The Apple Family kitchen’s stovetop and cabinets were outdated even by Twilight’s standards, which gave the room a homely feel. Movement caught Twilight’s eye, and she turned to see Winona curled up on a pillow in the corner. She didn’t move to jump on Twilight like she usually did, only watched. The only part of her in motion was her tail, which thumped slowly against the pillow.

Applejack scoffed and limped over to examine the basket. “Ah don’t want nothin’ from him. Lazy colt couldn’t even come himself. Ah haven’t seen him in months, y’know.” She peered into the basket, which caused her stomach to growl loudly, though she didn’t acknowledge it.

Twilight smiled. “I can make breakfast, if you want.”

Applejack frowned at her. “You mean to say you haven’t eaten? Ah know that ain’t true. Mac wouldn’t…” She cleared her throat. “Doesn’t matter. Ah don’t need to eat now.”

Twilight tried her best to keep smiling against Applejack’s bluntness. “Are you sure?”

“’Course Ah’m sure. Now…” Applejack gave Twilight a hard look. “Was there somethin’ ya needed?”

Twilight slowly shook her head. “I just… I just wanted to visit…”

Applejack was quiet for a few moments, then she sighed. “Ah’m sorry, Twilight. Ah know this must be hard for you, too…” She sat back on her haunches. “But… why did you come back?” She sounded genuinely confused, which made Twilight’s heart clench. Big Mac was right: she was accustomed to abandonment.

“I was worried about you.” Twilight looked into the basket she’d brought, and pulled out two eggs and an apple. “Everything’s so different… I need to help.”

Applejack didn’t say anything. She didn’t stop Twilight from turning on her stove. She didn’t try to argue that she didn’t need Twilight’s help. She just sat and watched as Twilight cooked an apple omelette. Winona’s nose was sniffing frantically, and finally she pulled herself onto all fours and moved slowly, unsteadily toward the scent. She whimpered before settling down halfway between her pillow and Twilight, and Applejack watched her with a frown.

“Applejack?” Twilight asked as she levitated a plate of food and a fork in her direction. “You were right: I’ve already eaten. It’ll be a waste if you don’t take it.”

Applejack didn’t look Twilight in the eyes, but still accepted the omelette. “Ah never took you as much of a cook, Twi…”

“I’m… I’m not, really…” Twilight watched as Applejack ate her first couple of bites rapidly, but her appetite dropped off before her breakfast was even a third gone. Twilight knew it wasn’t her pride holding her back any longer: it was her health.

Applejack watched her mostly-filled plate for a few moments, but seemed to decide she was finished. “Thanks, Twilight… you… you really are a good friend…”

Twilight forced a smile, though her throat burned with the desire to cry. “O-of course.”

“Hope you don’t mind if Ah give the rest to Winona… she needs it…” Applejack settled the plate in front of the old dog, who sniffed at it curiously.

“I understand.” Twilight’s voice was becoming quieter every time she spoke, her confidence in her ability to appear strong quickly diminishing.

“Twilight…” Applejack looked over with sad, defeated eyes. “Ah’m sorry Ah couldn’t hold things together for you…”

Twilight couldn’t take it anymore. Tears spilled down her face, and just like she had all those years ago, Applejack hobbled over and patted her back gently. “W-w-what do I-I do?” Twilight’s voice shook with her sadness, and she looked pleadingly at Applejack. “Please… just tell me a-and I’ll do it… I-I promise…”

“Sugarcube… Ah dunno what to tell ya…” Applejack’s voice was filled with warmth, but it did nothing to ease Twilight’s anxiety.

“Why don’t you and Fluttershy like each other?” Twilight blurted out. “You two are friends! You need each other!”

Applejack frowned. “We hurt each other…” Applejack looked away. Twilight couldn’t see her face. “She lied to me, and took Mac away, and Ah know she always tried to make up for it… but… Ah dunno what happened, Twi. Ah guess Ah gave up.”

“…What did you do to her?” Twilight felt daring asking it. She wasn’t expecting a response.

Applejack was quiet for several moments. “Can’t tell ya, Twilight. Ah barely even remember what happened… blind rage… you’d… you’d hate me, too…” She was still facing away from Twilight, but she sniffed audibly. “A week later… that was the last time Ah saw Pinkie.”

“Pinkie Pie?” The abrupt topic change had Twilight intrigued. From what Fluttershy had said, Pinkie only visited those that needed it, but Applejack seemed to need a friend more than anyone. “Why?”

Applejack was quiet for a few moments. “Sorry… shouldn’t have brought it up…”

“Applejack?”

Applejack wasn’t looking at Twilight. She was staring silently at the brown and white collie lying on the floor. Winona gave a soft whine. She hadn’t touched the plate in front of her. Applejack moved to floor level and softly stroked the dog’s greying fur. Winona’s tail thumped weakly in response to the attention. “Twilight?” Applejack’s voice was strained, her eyes still focused downward. “Can… can you do me a favour?”

“Anything,” Twilight reassured with a small smile.

“Can… can you…” She wrapped her forelegs around Winona’s body, and hugged her close. “Can you take Winona to Fluttershy?”

Twilight hesitated. Applejack buried her head into Winona’s coat. “I... Of course. Of course I will.”

Applejack nodded and squeezed Winona tighter. The old dog looked at Applejack, seeming confused by the increased pressure. She moved her head to be close to her master’s, and gave Applejack a comforting lick.

Applejack moved away, but smiled. Tears were streaming down her face. “Ah know you can’t hear anymore, girl, but Ah’ve already told ya all Ah’ve needed to. You deserve to go peacefully…” Applejack’s gaze lingered for a few moments before she tore herself away to look at Twilight. “Fluttershy won’t turn down an animal in need. Ah don’t think there’s much she can do ‘sides keep her comfortable, but she’s a vet and… and Ah just want Winona to die peacefully. Ah can’t let mah best friend suffer anymore.”

“I understand.” Twilight watched for a few moments as Applejack quietly said her goodbyes to the only friend she’d had for several years. It filled Twilight with fresh guilt. “I’ll take a walk, and then I’ll teleport Winona with me to Fluttershy’s cottage. Okay?” As Applejack had predicted, the rain had stopped, and the sun peaked through the erratic cloud cover, giving Twilight a good excuse to leave the pair to their last moments.

Applejack nodded without looking up. “Thank you, Twilight.”

…

Twilight appeared inside of Fluttershy’s cottage with a bright flash of purple, Winona clutched tightly within her forelegs. When Twilight had returned back to the farmhouse, Applejack wordlessly handed Winona off and disappeared into another room. Twilight hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye. Now the collie whined, startled by the unfamiliar method of transportation and confused by the new surroundings. Fluttershy whirled around the corner, a foreleg shooting to her chest. “Oh, Twilight, you startled me...”

Twilight shook her head lightly to clear it; teleportation was exhausting magic. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, I would have aimed to appear in front of your house, but…” She glanced down at Winona, who was panting heavily and staring around the room anxiously.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Is that… is that Winona?” She quickly trotted over for a better look, and frowned. “Oh, you poor thing, how could Applejack let you get in such a state?” Anger, something that Twilight rarely saw in Fluttershy, flashed across her face. “I don’t understand her. I really… I just don’t.”

Twilight released Winona to Fluttershy, who stroked her softly as she looked her over. Big Mac, who seemed to have heard the commotion, appeared and stared in shock at the old dog. “Winona…” he muttered, quickly going next to Fluttershy to pet her. “Is she alright?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “She’s in a lot of pain. I don’t think there’s anything I can do… I’m sorry, Mac.”

Big Mac hung his head and nodded. He glanced at Twilight. “Can’t believe Applejack would give her up…”

“She said she didn’t want to see her best friend suffer,” Twilight explained.

Fluttershy stared at Winona with a hard resolve. “Too late for that…”

“Now, love…” Big Mac sounded a bit nervous. He gave a sideways glance at Twilight. “Y’have to understand mah sister’s predicament…”

Fluttershy sighed. “I… I know. I’m sorry.” Twilight couldn’t tell whether it was meant as a genuine apology, or just a means of quieting her husband while she had company. Either way, an outburst, even a quiet one, was rare for Fluttershy. Twilight’s desire to know what exactly had happened to cause Applejack and Fluttershy to dislike each other was piqued, but she knew better than to pursue her curiosity.

She had more a more urgent issue to figure out, anyways.

Twilight turned toward the door. “Thanks for your hospitality last night, but I need to leave.”

“Twilight? Where are you going?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight hesitated and looked backward. Fluttershy and Big Mac were giving her concerned looks. “I’m going to Canterlot. I want to find Princess Celestia and see if there’s any way I can go back to my time.”

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but I don’t think that’s possible…”

Twilight paused and turned around. “Why not?”

“The trains from Ponyville stopped runnin’ years ago,” Big Mac explained. “No way t’get to Canterlot unless ya’ve got wings.”

Twilight took a few moments and thought back to what Princess Celestia had told her before she’d decided to go to the archives. “I can teleport there.” She was barely sure of her own words, for she’d never attempted such a feat before. Still, if that was the only way to get there, then she would have to give it all she had and hope for the best.

“All the way to Canterlot? Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked, surprised. Twilight’s friends knew very little about magic compared to Twilight’s own knowledge of the subject, but even earth ponies and pegasi knew how difficult long-distance teleportation could be.

Twilight nodded and closed her eyes. “I think so. I have to try. If I don’t see you soon, good luck with the foal, but I will see you again. I promise.” She focused energy into her horn, and grunted slightly at the effort. She concentrated as hard as she could on Canterlot – the better her focus, the better the result.

And then, with another flash of purple light, she was gone.

6. A Change of Scenery

“…on now…

…up…

…Wake up… Miss? Miss?”

“W-wha…” Twilight groaned and became aware that she was slumped on cold, hard pavement. She dizzily looked up into the unfamiliar face of a powder blue unicorn mare adored with an over-zealous hat and a frown.

The mare gave an irritated sigh. “Well, it’s about time! I was about to flag for paramedics. Come on now, up you get!” She had a Canterlot accent. Twilight’s ears twitched.

“C-Canterlot?” Twilight asked as the mare pulled her to her hooves, where she swayed but did not go down again. “Am I in Canterlot?”

The blue mare scoffed. “Of course, child. Where else were you expecting to be?” Twilight was barely listening, her head swiveling to take in more of the city. Familiar beautiful multi-storied buildings surrounded the wide streets, though the castle towers that loomed over top made them seem tiny in comparison. Unlike Ponyville, Canterlot was as busy as ever, and the sun shone without a cloud in the sky. A few ponies gave her curious looks as they passed, but the majority seemed too focused on their destination to pay her any mind. “Gracious, I know teleportation spells can be difficult, but honestly, where were you coming from? The other side of town? Practice small-scale first, or you’ll end up hurting somepony, hmm?” the blue mare chided.

Twilight gave a small grin. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for stopping.”

The mare turned to leave. “Oh, not a problem, dear. If you’re all right, I best be on my way. I’m late for a mane appointment!”

As the blue mare trotted off down the busy streets, Twilight smiled giddily. She’d done it. She’d actually done it! She felt as though she’d been run over by a royal carriage after staying up for three nights straight, sure, but a teleportation spell of this magnitude was unheard of being performed by a simple unicorn.

Twilight now set her sights on Canterlot Castle. If there was anypony that would be able to help her out, it would be her mentor, Princess Celestia. Twilight took a few wobbly steps forward before settling into a more normal pace. She’d be able to rest at the castle.

Twilight walked down the streets while looking curiously at the shops her hometown had to offer. A few of them she recognized, but the majority she had never heard of. It was actually a familiar name that caused her to stop and stare in disbelief: “Carousel Boutique”.

Twilight went to it automatically, her mind filled with a mix of surprise and joy. There was always the possibility that it wasn’t the same Carousel Boutique she was familiar with, but her anxiety to find Rarity pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she walked in.

The interior was absolutely enormous. In the center, what appeared to be an actual carousel was slowly making a constant rotation. The plastic mannequin horses attached to it displayed glittery designs that Twilight was now certain must have come from gem-loving Rarity. Aside from that display, there were also several dozen designs displayed in glass cases that were placed in such a way that they made the room look even larger than it already was. Several ponies, mostly comprising of the Canterlot elite based on their exquisite clothing choices, were chatting with each other and watching the mannequins spin with interest.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chique, unique, and magnifique!” The voice didn’t belong to Rarity, but Twilight was still disappointed when she turned and found a young pink unicorn mare smiling at her instead of her white-coated friend. “Is there anything I can help you with today, ma’am?”

“Oh, hello.” Twilight smiled and walked to her. “Do you know where I can find Rarity?”

The pink mare looked startled for a moment before giggling. “Oh, Mrs. Rarity doesn’t come here very often. She works from home. Do you have a business inquiry?”

“Oh… no, I’m actually a friend of hers who’s, uh, visiting from out of town…” It sounded far more plausible than her time-travelling fiasco. “I don’t know her address, though.”

“Hmm…” The pink mare thought for a few moments, seeming stumped by the predicament. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to visit the customer service desk. I don’t think I can help you.” She pointed in the direction of a long desk that was made of glass and encrusted with actual diamonds.

Twilight nodded. “Thank you.” She approached the desk, where a yellow unicorn with a bright-blue updo was chatting fervently on the phone. A nametag identified her as “Sunset Polish”.

“No, I’m sorry sir, but we don’t make exceptions. We are a designer clothing company, not a custom jewellery factory.” Sunset rolled her eyes and gestured for Twilight to wait a moment. “Uh huh. Uh huh. No, sir, but I would be happy to direct you to Jeweller Sophisticates, it’s right across the…” She sighed. “Yes, sir I… Okay, I’m going to have to put you on hold for a moment. I have customers to attend to.” Twilight could faintly make out an angry stallion before she clicked the phone off. “Yes, how can I help you?” Sunset asked, the irritation still prevalent in her tone.

Twilight forced a smile. “Yes, I’m looking to get in contact with Rarity? She’s a friend of mine.”

Sunset looked her up and down and then laughed. “You’re not the first who’s tried that story.”

Twilight wasn’t sure what she meant. “I’m not?”

The yellow mare shook her head. “Who wouldn’t want to be friends with one of the biggest celebrities in Canterlot? However, dear, I am not authorized to give out personal information, especially not to somepony who’s just wandered in off the streets!”

Twilight’s ears flattened. “O-oh… I honestly didn’t realize. I really am a friend, I knew her back from Ponyville - ”

“Unless you want to talk business, in which case you have thirty seconds to explain which modelling agency you’re coming from, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Sunset explained with a hard look.

Twilight hesitated. “Can’t you give me a phone number, anything?”

Sunset picked up the phone again and placed a forehoof over it. “Sorry hun, like I said, I can’t give out information like that.” She cleared her throat and removed her forehoof. “Yes, hello sir, thank you for waiting…”

Discouraged, Twilight turned to leave. She was almost at the exit when a pink hoof tapped her shoulder and stopped her from moving.

“U-um, ma’am, if you have a minute…” The mare who had first greeted her snuck a few anxious looks around before leaning in close to Twilight’s ear and speaking in a low voice. “I want to help you, but the only thing I can really say is… Go to The Moonlit Tavern tonight.”

“The Moonlit Tavern?” Twilight repeated quietly for conformation. The pink mare nodded.

“I think you’ll find somepony who can help you,” she whispered before another customer walked in. She immediately perked up. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique!”

Twilight exited, relieved to have at least found a lead. The sun was already starting to set, but she still had time to pay Princess Celestia a visit before she ventured into the nightlife. Now that Twilight thought about it, it was likely that the princess would be able to give her Rarity’s address and save a trip to The Moonlit Tavern altogether.

There were two pegasus guards stationed outside of the castle entrance, but this was nothing new. Twilight didn’t recognize them. She gave them a smile and moved to walk onward, but they extended their wings and prevented her from entering. Twilight’s smile faltered. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle,” she introduced, though the guards were staring stoically ahead. “Uh, I know it’s been a while, but I’m Princess Celestia’s personal protégée, and I’d really appreciate it if you'd let me into the castle.”

“We cannot let you pass.” Neither of the guards moved, but the one on the left spoke. “Not without formal consent of a royal party member.”

Twilight pawed at the ground, frustrated by this delay. “I wish to speak to your captain, then.”

“Dusk Sword is unavailable.”

“No, I mean…” Twilight paused, suddenly realizing she hadn’t been misunderstood. “What happened to Shining Armor?!”

Both of the guards’ eyes finally shifted to focus on Twilight. “You know Shining?” This time the one on the right was the one who spoke.

“Yes, he’s my brother,” Twilight explained. “Can you send him down here, please?”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” the guard on the left said, emotionless. “He moved to the Crystal Empire several years ago.”

Right. Cadance was the princess of the Crystal Empire. It would make sense that Shining Armor would move to be with her. She realized that not knowing the whereabouts of her acclaimed brother was making her look very suspicious, so she decided on another tactic. “Okay, well, how about Javelin Tosser? Fireshield?” The two guards didn’t respond to those names like they had with Shining. Twilight groaned. She was on a first-name basis with half of the royal guard, and she wracked her brain to come up with more names. “Uh, Star Crosser? Sacred Light? …Oh come on… Pigeon Feather? Night Striker?!” It didn’t seem to be any good. She was only receiving blank looks.

“If you would like, I can request a form to be filed for a meeting with the princesses, though I make no guarantees,” one of the guards said.

Twilight perked up. “How long will that take?”

“Considering the backup, probably about two to three weeks if your meeting is short.”

Twilight made an annoyed noise. “That’s not soon enough! I need to see Princess Celestia right now!”

“Princess Celestia is on errand in the Crystal Empire and won’t be back for several days.”

“Several… days?” Twilight gaped. Since when did Princess Celestia leave the castle for that long? Twilight couldn’t remember being apart from her for more than a day when she was a filly. “Okay, well, Princess Luna, then!”

“We will put in a request. Have a good day, Ms. Sparkle.”

Twilight groaned and turned away from the guards. The sun had vanished in the time she had spent arguing with them, and Twilight could faintly see Luna raising the moon on her balcony. Twilight had half a mind to send out a magical flare, but didn’t want to risk alarming the royal guard.

Her most immediate concern now was her own well-being. She hadn’t eaten since morning, and her stomach was starting to ache with hunger. The exhaustion from her teleportation spell had died down somewhat, though she would not object to an early night. And now, as she stood in the middle of the darkened streets of Canterlot, she realized how alone she was. She didn’t have the energy to teleport all the way back to Fluttershy’s cottage, so if she couldn’t find Rarity…

Twilight wandered the streets of Canterlot, keeping her head uncertainly low as she looked around for the tavern. It was around the time of night that the more extroverted ponies flocked to the bars in hopes of having a good time that they likely wouldn’t remember. Twilight held a hoof out to stop one such pony. “E-excuse me, could you tell me where - ”

The mare giggled and ignored her before staggering in the opposite direction. Twilight gave a frustrated sigh.

She walked for another block when the sound of a familiar, if more mature than she remembered, singing voice flowed through the night air.

Twilight immediately whirled around and realized she’d nearly walked past the bar. It had its name on the side of the building, but it was obscured by the amount of ponies walking by: The Moonlit Tavern.

Twilight pushed her way past the crowds and through the door. Twilight looked toward a small stage where the pianist and singer were slightly elevated above the floor, and her jaw dropped.

It was Sweetie Belle, but the tiny filly she remembered had grown into a gorgeous young mare who easily rivaled Rarity in beauty. Her perfectly curled pink and purple mane and tail hovered mere inches above the floor, and her stunning green eyes surveyed the crowd with a seductive gaze.

Easily her most beautiful feature was her voice. Twilight remembered her being talented, but she’d clearly had lessons since then. She hit the high notes with ease, her vocal squeaks far behind her.

However, the biggest change, in Twilight’s opinion, was the image that now rested on her flank - a pink heart overlapped with two black beamed eighth notes.

“Soft summer rain, our last goodbye,
you held me close, said not to cry...”

Twilight listened in awe. There were a few other ponies either watching or singing along with smiles on their faces, but the majority were ignoring her, drinking and talking loudly to their friends.

“Ponies tell me I made a mistake,
not worth the pain, not the heartache,
Soft summer rain, and though I have tried,
I’ll never forget the tears that I…”

Sweetie Belle broke off suddenly, her eyes widening as her gaze landed on Twilight. The stallion sitting at the piano gave her a concerned look. Sweetie noticed and quickly grabbed the microphone. “Uh… who wants to see some solo piano?” she shouted, which received mixed reviews from the drunken crowd. Twilight noted that she had acquired a slight Canterlot accent. “C’mon everyone! He takes requests! Give it up for my good friend, Mr. Jazz Hooves!”

Twilight watched as the unicorn at the piano gave a humorously dramatic bow before assaulting his instrument with a sheer passion that finally drove the crowd into wild cheers.

“Excuse me?” Twilight turned and was surprised to find Sweetie Belle standing directly in front of her. “Do I know you from somewhere?” Her face was scrunched up as if she was thinking hard.

Twilight frowned. “Sweetie Belle, it’s me, Twilight!”

Sweetie Belle gave her a blank look for a few seconds, then she gasped. “Oh my goodness, it is you!” She beamed widely for a few moments before obtaining a look of utter confusion. “Um… aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

“I messed up a spell. Sent myself ten years into the future.”

“Oh…” Sweetie Belle watched her with wide eyes, as if fearing Twilight might accidentally explode. “Does Rarity know?”

Twilight shook her head. “Can you take me to her?”

Sweetie Belle’s ears flattened. “I’m kinda working right now. Jazzy might kill me if I skip out on him again.” She perked up, and smiled over at Twilight. “You were listening to me, right?”

Twilight nodded and smiled warmly. “You have a beautiful voice.”

“Aw, thanks…” Sweetie Belle blushed. “Yeah, I guess it made sense that it took us longer to earn our cutie marks. My special talent isn’t just singing: it’s singing love songs.” She shifted slightly, showing off the heart and eighth notes that comprised her cutie mark. “Love isn’t something you know much about until you’re older, right? That’s why it took so long. And Scoots had to learn to fly and Apple Bloom had to… well, realize that sometimes the path you’re set on isn’t always the one you’re supposed to end up on…” She scratched her head, her own words seeming to confuse her. “Huh. That would make a good lyric.”

Twilight nodded absently and looked around anxiously. For it being so early in the night, there were a lot of ponies gathered around the bar. “Sweetie Belle, listen, I - ”

“Heyyy Sweets!” A brown unicorn stallion barged in between them and wrapped a forehoof around Sweetie’s shoulders. “I gotcha somethin’…” He winked and floated a martini glass with some sort of pink liquid to her, and Sweetie accepted it with her magic.

“Aww, well aren’t you just adorable!” Sweetie Belle fluttered her eyes and moved her head close to his. The stallion tipped his face downward to meet hers, and grinned. “You’ll stick around to watch me sing some more, hmm?” she purred in a seductive tone that Twilight was shocked would come out of the little filly.

No, wait. Not a filly. She already knew that Rarity was eight years older than Sweetie Belle, which technically meant Sweetie was now two years older than Twilight.

“Wouldn’t miss it for nothin’. You drink that, and I’ll getcha something stronger,” the stallion promised huskily. Sweetie Belle closed the gap between them, and a few patrons sent out wolf whistles as their lips connected.

It didn’t last long, and Sweetie separated and rolled her eyes as the stallion staggered back to the bar. “Ugh, it’s way too early for this,” she commented and sipped at the martini. “Hm. Raspberry.”

Twilight looked pointedly at the brown stallion. “Is that your coltfriend…?”

Sweetie Belle looked confused for a moment, then she giggled. “I have no idea who that was…” She glanced around, and moved in closer to Twilight before speaking in a hushed tone. “They pay me way more if I flirt with the customers. I don’t have to do anything too crazy, just gotta watch my drink and make sure I’m not too smashed by the end of it to sing.” She sighed and moved back. “Speaking of which, I really should get back up there…” Sweetie turned to look at the stage, where the crowd was starting to lose interest in the pianist.

“Wait, Sweetie Belle,” Twilight called, causing the other unicorn to turn around curiously. “I feel terrible asking, but I… I kind of don’t have anywhere to stay tonight, and I don’t have any money… or food…” Her stomach growled, and she internally scolded herself for the reminder.

Sweetie Belle looked shocked. “Oh my gosh, are you serious?”

Twilight nodded, feeling increasingly pathetic. “I was planning on staying with the princesses, but the guards wouldn’t let me in. Do you think you could direct me to Rarity’s house?”

“Rarity?” Sweetie Belle thought for a few seconds. “Well, she’s probably already put the kids to bed, and she has to work in the morning… and I know she’d be really happy to see you! But I don’t want to give her entire family a heart attack.” Sweetie Belle smiled. “You can come stay with me and Jazzy tonight, okay? We share a flat not too far from here. I’ll tell Jazz and I’m sure he’ll let me off early. And hold on a sec, I’ll get you something to eat. The food’s okay here, don’t worry.”

Twilight let out a long breath, relief flooding through her. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem!” Sweetie Belle trotted over to the bar and leaned in close to the male bartender, one hoof supporting her head, and she smiled as she spoke to him. Twilight couldn’t make it out, but the bartender nodded and disappeared out the back. Sweetie Belle hopped away and winked at Twilight before gesturing her over to the bar. “He’s got you covered.”

Twilight smiled gratefully and took a seat well away from the crowd. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle had already climbed back onto the stage, and the pianist ceased his solo act, looking very relieved that his singer had joined him. “Alright everypony!” Sweetie Belle called into the mic, earning cheers from the crowd. Her eyes connected with Twilight, and she grinned. “This song’s dedicated to an old friend of mine…”

Author's Note

The carousel from Carousel Boutique was inspired by Lauren Faust's original designs.

Thanks so much for all of the wonderful comments, guys! I get so excited when I see I have a new notification. :)

7. Innocence

“…Angel, angel, wherever you are,
Look to the sky and we’ll see the same stars,
Angel, angel, you’re loved and you’re missed,
If I had wings, I’d grant you one last kiss,”

Sweetie Belle was singing passionately into the microphone, all the while smiling in Twilight’s direction. Meanwhile, tears were streaming down Twilight’s face. Her emotions were brought on from a variety of factors: nopony else seemed to know the song, Sweetie Belle had dedicated the song to her, but mostly because it was a song about death. From these three things, Twilight could conclude that Sweetie had written this one herself.

“Innocence ignored, new paths defined,
Angel, angel, you left us all behind,
Life isn’t fair, but neither is death,
Nopony was there to see your last breath,
But, angel, one day…
One daaaaay!”

Sweetie Belle fell into a stunning fermata that caused the crowd to applaud and scream their appreciation. Sweetie Belle finished the note and paused for a moment. Her next words weren’t sung, but spoken in time to the piano.

“One day… I’ll see you again.”

The crowd let out a series of cheers and yells, many of them already requesting different songs. Sweetie Belle put a forehoof to her eyes, and Twilight realized that she’d been crying as well. “Sorry, I just… that song was called “Angel”. It was one of the first songs I wrote when I was still a little blank flank. I’d just lost somepony very close to me - ”

“SING “TRAIN TO CANTERLOT”!” a drunken voice interrupted, prompting the crowd to burst into laughter at the inconsideration. Sweetie Belle smiled sadly, then put on an expression of mock offendedness.

“Aw, c’mon, you don’t wanna hear more of what I wrote when I was little?”

“NO!” The crowd shouted and then immediately laughed.

Sweetie Belle pouted, but her pianist had already begun the introduction to the requested song, causing the crowd to go into hysterics. Sweetie Belle looked back at the black-maned unicorn, and turned her adorable expression on him. “Jaaaazzzyyyy!” she whined, but Jazz Hooves only paused when he’d hit a long note, then gave her a cocky grin before ploughing onward. “Ugh, fiiine. If you guys want this song so badly, you’re gonna have to start it! Ready everypony?!”

“ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR,
WE’RE CANTERLOT BOUND NOW, ALL ABOARD!”

Twilight sniffed and quietly watched as Sweetie Belle joined cheerfully in with the crowd. “I thought it was beautiful…” she murmured, though her thoughts were interrupted by a loud clang and a scent so amazing that she momentarily forgot where she was.

“Here’s your food, ma’am.” Twilight whirled around, her eyes widening as they landed on an absolutely enormous pile of hay fries.

“OhmyCelestiathankyouthankyou,” Twilight managed to get out before diving into the meal. To her hungry body, it was heaven. The nutritional benefits to hay fries were slim to none, but Twilight’s mind was too occupied to care.

She ended up eating the entire plate much too quickly, and her hunger was soon replaced with a dull stomach ache. She suppressed a groan and stole a look at the stage, hoping that Sweetie Belle would keep her promise to take her home early. Now that her belly was filled, she was starting to feel sleepy. Watching the others in the room jumping and dancing and singing and laughing was making her even more tired; she’d never been one for late-night clubbing.

“Whoa, you guys are really good singers!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed into her microphone, causing the crowd to cheer. “I hate to make you stop, but it’s time for my break. Don’t forget about the specials going on tonight! Two dollars off all highballs, and two-for-one jager bombs until twelve!”

Twilight wisely leapt off of her barstool to avoid the massive wave of ponies suddenly coming toward her. She trotted away from the crowd, and curiously looked at the stage. Sweetie Belle seemed to be in an argument with her pianist.

“C’mon Jazzy, I don’t have a choice!” Sweetie Belle whined, her eyes staring pleadingly at Jazz Hooves.

The unicorn pianist, who was ash grey with a black mane and a rather long tail for a stallion, shook his head fervently. “No. No way. I’m not letting you leave early for the third night in a row.”

Sweetie Belle’s ears flattened. “I’m not even drunk this time, though!”

“That’s not the point,” Jazz Hooves groaned, his blue eyes glaring at her through dark-rimmed glasses. “Point is, we need money for rent, and they barely pay anything when it’s only me performing! And rightly so! We’re replaceable, Sweetie, and I’d rather prefer to keep my job!”

Sweetie Belle thrust a hoof in Twilight’s direction, though kept her eyes focused on Jazz Hooves. “She’s all by herself in a scary new world! I’m not making her stay in this stupid place more than she needs to!”

“I’ll take her back home, then. You need to stay here,” Jazz Hooves suggested with a sigh. “You’re the star here, Sweetie, not me.”

Sweetie Belle gaped at him. “No way! I can’t let you do that! Who’s gonna listen to solo vocals?!”

Jazz Hooves chuckled. “You know how to play piano perfectly well, Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “I’m hardly as good as you. That’s, uh, not really the point anyways. Twilight wouldn’t feel comfortable going home with you.”

Jazz Hooves snorted. “What am I going to do? Seduce her?”

Sweetie Belle was becoming increasingly flustered. “Your sexuality has nothing to do with this! You’re a stranger to her!”

Twilight approached and cleared her throat loudly, causing two heads to swivel in her direction. “I’m really sorry you two. I didn’t want to be a bother.” She looked guiltily at the ground.

Sweetie Belle quickly shook her head. “Oh, no, no! That’s fine, I’ll just - ”

“I’ll,” Jazz Hooves interrupted, glaring at Sweetie Belle, “take you back to our home. If that’s alright with you, Ms. Twilight?”

Sweetie Belle gave him a pained look. “Jazzy - ”

“That’s fine.” Twilight nodded. “I don’t want you to get in any trouble because of me, Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle sighed. “If you’re sure, then I guess it’s okay… just for tonight…”

Jazz Hooves gave a relieved smile, but his expression soon hardened. “Right then, make sure you’re watching your drink, don’t take anything from strangers, don’t - ”

Sweetie Belle waved him off. “I’m not a foal; I’ll be fine. You need to take Twilight home.” She turned to Twilight. “Guess I should formally introduce you… this is Jazz Hooves, he plays piano, although you probably already knew that… we went to school together when we were little foals. You can trust him, I promise.”

Jazz Hooves nodded politely at Twilight, then gave Sweetie Belle a hard look. “Don’t you dare come home drunk. I’ll be asleep.” Jazz Hooves gave his final warning, then smiled. “Good luck, Sweetie.”

Sweetie Belle waved as Twilight followed Jazz Hooves out the door. “Right then, it’s not too far from here. Bit small… you can sleep in Sweetie’s room for the night,” he explained as he expertly dodged out of the way of the oncoming crowd. Twilight had to fight to keep up with him.

“I appreciate you taking me back,” Twilight said, her eyes flicking around as ponies dove in and out of bars. “But, I mean, you don’t have to stay with me. I’ll probably just fall asleep, anyways.”

Jazz Hooves chuckled and glanced back. “You’re absolutely right, but Sweetie Belle’s getting what she deserves… maybe next time she’ll think twice before leaving me alone, hm?”

Twilight smiled for a moment, but her expression fell as soon as he turned around again. “She’s really good, though… she seems to know how to work the crowd.”

“Mhmm, a talented actress, among other things.”

Eventually, the pair came across a small, rather run-down looking complex. Jazz Hooves brought out an identification card and swiped it. The door clicked open, and he held it open for Twilight. “We live just up the set of stairs. It’ll be the first door on your right.”

Twilight followed his directions, and waited as he unlocked his apartment and turned on the lights, which flickered briefly before settling into a dull glow.

It was an unimpressive apartment size-wise, and it was apparent that Rarity did not help them with the décor. The gaudy floral wallpaper did not bode well with the brown carpet, and none of the furniture pieces seemed to be from the same set. The entryway led directly into a mid-sized living room that hosted a small kitchen in the corner, and from there it branched off into what Twilight assumed were two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Jazz Hooves closed the door behind them. “It’s not much, but the rent is low. Sweetie’s room is on the far side; feel free to make yourself at home.”

Twilight took a few cautious steps inside. The floor squeaked under her hooves. “Thank you… but if I take Sweetie’s room, where will she sleep?”

“She can take mine. I’ll sleep on the couch.” He trotted to it and patted it with a grin.

Twilight surveyed him skeptically. “I can take the couch, if that would be easier.”

He shook his head. “It’s alright; I’d rather be in front of this old telly all night anyhow.” The television he was referring to was modern by Twilight’s standards. “We don’t sleep normally in this line of work. Now, I know you’ve already eaten… very impressive, by the way. I’ve never seen anypony eat a plate of fries that quickly.” Twilight blushed and shuffled a hoof in embarrassment. “You must be exhausted, at any rate, so just let me know if you need anything.” He curled himself onto the couch, flicked on the television, and sighed in contentment.

“Okay… well, goodnight. And thank you.” Twilight opened the door to Sweetie’s room. It was an okay size, and exceptionally tidy. It was covered in purple and pink, including the bedspread. A small keyboard and a microphone stand were tucked into the corner, and a full-sized mirror covered with hearts and lipstick kisses stood against the dresser.

Twilight curled herself on top of Sweetie’s covers, feeling that going under them would be intrusive, and was asleep within minutes.

…

“JAZZY!”

Twilight jerked awake and blearily looked around herself. It was still dark, but from the faint moonlight Twilight could tell that she was still by herself. There was a loud thud from the other room, and Twilight flipped herself around to stare at the door.

“JAZZ HOOVES YOU GET OFF OF THIS COUCH RIGHT NOW!” Sweetie Belle’s voice screeched.

There was a drawn-out groan. “Sweetie, you’re drunk.” Jazz Hooves' voice sounded as tired as Twilight felt.

“W-whatever, I wanna sleep on the couch. I wanna be here when Twilight wakes up!” Sweetie’s voice was a bit slurred. “You… you go to bed, you fucking… shit. I’m drunk.”

“Mhmm. Well, you’re home at least. Why do you want to be here when Twilight wakes up, sweetheart?”

“C-cause…” Sweetie hesitated. “I… I forget.”

“Because of your sister, Sweetie?”

“Yeah! I need to take Twilight to see Rarity… do you think… do you think I should warn her cause… cause of…?”

“Let Twilight make her own assumptions, Sweetie. I would warn Rarity, though I doubt you’ll be up to doing that tomorrow morning.”

Sweetie Belle started giggling. “You’re so smart. I’d marry you if you weren’t gay.”

“Mhmm. Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch?”

“Um… yes. You’d make a really good husband, I think. Not for me, though.”

“How in Equestria did you make it home… well, no matter, just get some sleep. I’m going to bed. Be quiet as not to wake your friend, though I highly doubt she’s still asleep after all of this.”

“Night Jazzy!” Sweetie Belle chirped as the sound of a creaky door opening and shutting echoed through the apartment.

The house returned to dead silence, and Twilight had no doubts that Sweetie had already fallen asleep. Twilight stared at the ceiling and sighed. She pictured Sweetie Belle in her mind as a tiny, carefree child with so much potential that she had yet to discover.

Twilight never imagined that cute little filly would end up like this. The familiar feeling of guilt flooded through her as she rolled over and tried to get back to sleep.

…

Twilight awoke to several loud knocks. She instinctively started to move toward the door to Sweetie Belle’s bedroom, but she quickly realized that the noise was coming from somewhere else.

“This is the Canterlot Royal Guard. You have twenty seconds to open this door before we take further measures,” a rough, male voice announced.

“Sweetie Belle!” It was Rarity’s voice. Twilight’s heart nearly stopped. “Sweetie Belle, please open the door, this is an emergency!”

Twilight burst out of the room. Sweetie Belle was sitting up on the couch and wincing every time the guards banged on the door. Her mane was a mess and she was squinting toward the door, looking very disoriented by the situation. Jazz Hooves had also peeked his head around his doorframe. His eyes connected briefly with Twilight’s before he walked across the room and opened the door to the apartment.

There were four white royal guards in full armour, two unicorn, two pegasi, and they walked in as soon as the door was opened. Rarity followed them inside, her eyes desperately trying to see around the four stallions in front of her.

“Ma’am, where is your sister?” one of the guards asked.

Rarity’s eyes landed on the couch. “She’s right there… oh, darling, you look awful, I’m so sorry…” The guards moved aside, which allowed Twilight a better look at Rarity. Her mane was shorter, and parted entirely on one side, but it looked dishevelled. Mascara was running down her face, and her eyes were puffy and red.

“S-sis?” Sweetie Belle asked, staring at the newcomers in utter confusion.

“Rarity?” Twilight couldn’t help herself anymore. Rarity’s head whirled around to stare at Twilight, and her mouth dropped open.

“T-Twilight… oh my stars, you boys weren’t lying…”

“Ms. Sparkle,” one of the unicorn guards barked, and Twilight tore her gaze away from Rarity to look at him. “I’m going to have to ask you to come with us.”

Twilight hesitated. Rarity attempted to move closer to her, but the pegasus guards flared their wings and prevented her from moving. “No, please!” Rarity tried to find a way around them, but they held fast. “Please, you don’t understand! Twilight!” she called, her eyes wide and frightened.

“Twilight Sparkle, you have been summoned by Her Highness, Princess Luna. I’m going to have to ask you to follow us,” the other unicorn guard announced.

Twilight took an uncertain step forward. The four guards surveyed her with a hard expression. At the side of the room, Jazz Hooves stood frozen, uncertain on what he should be doing. Rarity had started sobbing, and Sweetie Belle finally stood up. The pegasus guards allowed Sweetie through to comfort her sister, but Rarity was still trying to get to Twilight.

“Twilight!” Rarity cried. “TWILIGHT!”

Twilight turned, but the unicorn guards were quick to block her movement and keep her moving forward.

“Let me through! Please, please don’t leave me!” Rarity begged.

“Rarity, I’ll come back!” Twilight yelled as she was being ushered out the door. “I promise!”

The door slammed shut behind her, and tears were pricking at Twilight’s eyes as well. She stared at the two unicorn guards for further instructions. The guards didn’t say anything, but walked in silence out of the apartment complex. Twilight had no choice but to follow them as they headed back to the castle.

8. Of Moonlight and Moonstones

The castle’s interior was unchanged. The same grand tapestries hung on the walls, elaborate carpets covered the marble floors, and guards were posted at every corner. As Twilight was led up the stairs into the royal chambers where she would usually expect to find Princess Celestia, she noted that the stained glass windows that depicted her and her friends defeating countless foes still stood strong. Twilight had been hoping that these historical windows would tell tales of the decade she had missed, but she was left disappointed; there were no new additions to the collection.

Luna was waiting for her at the end of the hallway, her gaze set at an unreadable neutral. The unicorn guards leading Twilight sunk to the floor in a show of respect before taking their leave. Twilight took a hesitant step forward. “Princess Luna…” Twilight wasn’t sure what she had expected, but she was still a bit shaky from the less-than-warm welcome.

Finally, Luna gave a heavy sigh. “I was afraid this would happen…” Her tone was bitter. She bowed her head.

“What do you...?” Twilight trailed off as Luna looked back up. Her midnight blue eyes were heavy, defeated. Twilight proceeded with a bit more caution. “P-Princess?”

“I feared you would return, Twilight,” Luna said, her voice as strong as ever despite her weakened appearance. “Do you not wonder why everyone believes you dead?”

It was something Twilight had wondered since she’d first came across Applejack. “Why couldn’t I go back?” Twilight asked, her voice faltering as she realized where this conversation was heading.

“We tried to protect the time spells, Twilight,” Luna explained, her expression hard-set. “Believe me, I did everything in my power… but even a monarch’s power has weaknesses. When you vanished, word travelled quickly. Bearer of the element of magic herself, future princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle… defeated in an attempt at doing the talent she was put in the world to do.”

Twilight winced. “I wasn’t, though!”

Luna nodded. “Celestia believed in you, but she didn’t think your powers would ever allow you to travel further than a few weeks. Still, she gave you a year… when you didn’t return, she was forced to destroy all of the time spells in the archives to quell legality issues as well as our citizens’ outrage.” Luna’s furrowed brow kept focused on Twilight. “You cannot return, Twilight. If you could, we would already know it. Nopony knows the time spells anymore… I’m sorry.”

Twilight nodded shakily.

She would never return home.

Twilight already knew that, of course, but hearing it spoken aloud was a hard blow. It was if Luna’s authoritative tone had physically trapped her in this strange, unfriendly new world. Twilight sunk to her haunches, feeling dizzy. “…I… E-excuse me…”

“Take your time, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight nodded gratefully. This was it, then. She knew what she had to do. “I need to help my friends.”

“A noble, though near impossible goal.”

Twilight frowned. “Where’s Princess Celestia?”

Luna looked away, her gaze landing on a clear window. “…Vacationing.”

“…Come again?”

Luna’s head turned, her expression suddenly enraged. Twilight flinched as if the fire in Luna’s expression had physically burned her. “Do you not understand exactly what you’ve done, Twilight?”

Twilight took a step backward. “I-I - ”

“You were meant to be her successor!” Luna yelled, her scolding sending shivers down Twilight’s spine. “One thousand years without a retirement… because of me, of course…” Twilight’s ears flattened, intimidated by the larger and much more powerful alicorn. Luna paused and inhaled deeply. “Forgive me. You have been punished enough…”

Twilight shook her head and stared at the ground. “I deserved that.”

“Twilight…” The apology was in Luna’s tone. Twilight appreciated it, but knew that Luna was right. She had already seen the crumbled remnants of Applejack, the shallow closed-off life of Fluttershy, the broken innocence of Sweetie Belle. Celestia must had been devastated.

But Twilight was here now.

“This is my fault.” Twilight looked into the eyes of Luna, a fierce resolve in the younger unicorn’s gaze. “I’m going to fix it. If it takes everything I have... then that’s what will happen.”

Luna surveyed Twilight with interest. “I see. I will send notice to my sister.”

Relief flooded through Twilight. Finally, she would get to speak to Princess Celestia. “Should I wait here? Or at least nearby?”

Luna finally cracked a smile. “Give her time, Twilight Sparkle. She will find you, so do not hesitate to do what you must do to help your friends.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you. I have one more question, though…”

“Anything, Twilight.”

“Where’s Spike?”

Luna hesitated. “I… do not know.”

Twilight closed her eyes. She had been terrified to hear those words, but had been half-expecting them.

Spike…

Her number one assistant. Twilight had no idea what she would do without him. Likewise, Twilight served as an older mentor and a caregiver. They relied on each other for so much…

“But,” Luna continued. Twilight’s eyes snapped open. “I think there may be somepony nearby better suited to answering that question than me.” Luna gestured to the doorway. “Please, Twilight. Don’t let me keep you any longer. Go find your friends.”

Twilight’s eyes widened: Rarity. Possibly the only other pony Spike would trust completely, and Rarity would never turn him away. Twilight nodded. “I will… thank you.”

“Good… good luck, Twilight Sparkle.”

…

Twilight exited the royal chamber and descended down the stairs. At the bottom, flanked by two pegasus guards, was Sweetie Belle. She had heavy bags under her eyes, and her mane was no longer perfectly curled as it had been in the evening, but she still managed a big smile when she caught sight of Twilight. “Finally…” Sweetie approached Twilight cautiously. “How did it go?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not well.” She stared at the ground. “Nothing’s really gone well…” She felt a foreleg wrap around her neck, and turned to stare into Sweetie’s green eyes.

“I’m sorry Twilight, really, I can’t even imagine…”

Twilight sighed. “I’m glad you’re here and everything, Sweetie, but why exactly…?”

Sweetie Belle blinked a few times. “Oh, right.” She giggled and backed off. “Sorry. Rarity wanted me to meet you here to take you over. Knowing how her house looked when I left, she’s probably cleaning.”

Twilight managed a smile. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle. And thank you for last night too… I’m so sorry about this morning.”

Sweetie Belle waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. We don’t work for another, like…” Sweetie paused and scrunched up her face in concentration. “Uh, ten days? …Not until next Wednesday. We only get four nights every two weeks. So it’s whatever. Rarity wakes me up early all the time, so don’t feel bad. Anyways, follow me!”

Sweetie led Twilight off of the royal property and back onto the large main street Twilight was on when she had first teleported. “It’s a bit of a walk. Sorry.”

“That’s fine.” Twilight thought back to what Luna had told her, and felt determined to use this time to her advantage. “So you and Rarity are still close, right?”

“Eh, yeaaah,” Sweetie Belle said, her tone wavering. “I mean, we don’t see eye to eye, but when have we ever seen eye to eye?” She giggled. “We’re sisters, even if she is a rich entrepreneur and I’m a stupid bar singer…” Her ears flattened to her head.

“About that – the Carousel Boutique seems to be doing really well.”

Sweetie Belle groaned. “You have no idea. Ask Rarity about it and she’ll chew your ear off.”

“I have a lot of things to ask Rarity, it seems.”

Sweetie Belle was quiet for a few moments, then she turned to look at Twilight with such a serious expression that Twilight stopped walking out of concern. Sweetie Belle moved closer. “Twilight…” she whispered. “Listen to me… you need to be careful with her, okay?”

“With Rarity?” Twilight surveyed Sweetie Belle with a mix of curiousity and worry. “Why do you say that?”

Sweetie bit her lip. “You really scared her, Twilight. She went crazy. A month after you died, she boarded up her shop and moved to Canterlot. A year and something after that, she was married, and a couple of months later? Pregnant. She was my age now!” Sweetie exclaimed, her eyes wide. “And now she has two kids and marital issues and she’s busier than ever with work…” Sweetie shook her head. “Sometimes I’m glad I’m not her.”

Twilight directed a pained look at the ground. “So fast…” she murmured, more to herself that to Sweetie Belle. Rarity was, in Twilight’s opinion, the most mature of the six of them. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Rarity had taken such huge strides in the years that Twilight had been absent. Twilight still had to adjust.

“I just don’t want to see her like that again,” Sweetie Belle continued, “especially now that she has a family to look after.”

“I understand.” Sweetie Belle gave Twilight a grateful smile. “…But Sweetie Belle? I have something else to ask you about,” Twilight said, keeping her tone casual.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Uh huh, go ahead?”

“It’s about Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.”

Sweetie’s smile faltered. “Oh, uh…” Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and then hesitated for a few moments. “Scoots is doing great. She lives in Cloudsdale so I can’t visit, but sometimes she comes over here…” Sweetie Bell frowned. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect you to ask about them, I guess…”

“Oh, I’m sorry if I - ”

“Anyways, we’re here!” Sweetie Belle smiled widely and gestured in front of her. Twilights train of thought was immediately lost as her vision landed on a jewel-encrusted security gate. The bars looked to be plated in actual gold.

Twilight laughed. Only Rarity would take the appearance of her security system into heavy consideration. Beyond the bars was a very modern-looking home. It was built on the edge of the Canterlot cliffs, facing toward what was once Ponyville. Twilight knew for a fact that real estate like this would only sell for an incredible amount of money.

The home itself was modestly-sized, though the architecture was truly breathtaking. The house was built on a slight angle, which allowed large water fountains to flow water thinly across a glass roof and over the side of the cliff, which created a huge rainbow effect. There didn’t seem to be any actual windows on the house, rather entire panels of one-way glass replaced large sections of the wall. The remainder of the house was pure-white. Twilight wondered how they were able to keep such a colour looking so clean.

“…Wow.” Twilight finally said, her mouth slightly agape.

“I know right. Check this out.” Sweetie Belle closed one eye and focused the other into a small dot of glass. A drawn out beep was shortly followed by a click, and the door swung open.

Twilight looked back and forth between Sweetie Belle and the gate. “Uh… what just happened?”

“Eye-recognition software. It’s state of the art technology…” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Gee, you should see the look on your face, Twilight!”

Twilight blinked, a bit stunned. “I… I guess I’m a bit behind on the times…”

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t laugh…” Sweetie Belle continued to grin regardless. “Well, come on, follow me!”

Sweetie Belle led Twilight right up to the front of the house and didn’t bother knocking before she opened the door. “Rarity! Guess who’s here!”

Twilight didn’t have to wait for more than a few seconds before she was engulfed in pair of white forelegs. “Oh, darling, you don’t know how shocked I was this morning – honestly, you should have come straight here! Of course, oh you must have been so lost, you poor thing…”

Twilight closed her eyes and hugged Rarity tighter. “I… I’m so sorry…”

“No need to apologize!” Rarity separated and held Twilight apart from her, and the two old friends took the moment to look each other over.

Rarity’s mane was pulled back into a loose violet updo. She’d gone heavy on the makeup, with multiple shades of blue eyeshadow creating a smoky effect, and her eyeliner going a bit off of her eyes in a traditional Canterlot effect.

She’d definitely cleaned herself up since morning. “You look really good,” Twilight said honestly. For having two kids, she’d still managed to maintain her shape, and her coat was as glossy as ever.

Rarity smiled at the compliment, but waved a hoof dismissively in the air. “Oh, pish posh, you youthful thing, you!” Rarity gushed. “What I wouldn’t give to be ten years younger!” Rarity turned and started walking out of the room. “Come here, Twilight. I’ve prepared lunch for us!”

Twilight followed Rarity into the kitchen, a bright room due to the large sections of glass, adorned with spotless marble countertops and filled with appliances that Twilight could only assume were modern and could definitely guess were expensive. A long kitchen table at the end of the room was absolutely covered in quarter sandwiches. “Oh my gosh…” Twilight stared at the amount of food in disbelief. “You didn’t make all of these, did you?!”

Rarity laughed heartily. “Oh Twilight, darling, you flatter me!” She walked over to the table and magically floated a plate over to Twilight, who accepted it carefully as the gold trim along the edges suggested it was very valuable. “As a matter of fact,” Rarity said as she floated a plate over to herself. “I picked these up from the store this morning. I was hoping to save time so that I could clean a bit before I went to fetch you, but I ran into Rosaline on my way there, oh and she’s a very lovely client of mine, and we got talking about the dress I made for her birthday last month. And once I managed to step in to the bakery, wouldn’t you know I ran right into Lemony Gem! Her daughter is in the same class as Jasper, so of course I had to chat a bit with her, oh and then the order was delayed and well… point is I sent Sweetie Belle instead, but it all worked out just the same!”

“Jasper…” Twilight mused. Rarity frowned, but Twilight was busy wracking her memory. “He’s… he’s your son, right? Blue Jasper?” The little colt from Fluttershy’s picture flashed through Twilight’s memory.

“Y-yes! Of course, Sweetie Belle must have told you…” Rarity forced a laugh and gestured to the sandwiches. “I’ll be sure to introduce you. He must have poor Sweetie Belle occupied at the moment.”

“You have a daughter as well, right?”

Rarity’s eyes widened and for a moment Twilight feared she had said the wrong thing. Rarity’s mouth bent upward in an attempt at a smile. “Oh, yes, little Moonstone… still a toddler…” She eyed Twilight. “I suppose Sweetie Belle told you that as well.”

“O-oh, no, actually - ”

“I know she loves my children to death, but that really gives her no right to talk about my personal life,” Rarity huffed, her eyes narrowed. “Especially given the way her own life is shaping out - ”

“It was Fluttershy,” Twilight interrupted desperately, confused by Rarity’s distress but intent on stopping it anyway. “I visited Fluttershy and she had a picture of your son on her bureau. Sweetie Belle didn’t say anything to me.”

Rarity froze. “Oh… oh, of course, I’m so sorry, Twilight.” She stared off into space for a few moments. “I haven’t seen Fluttershy in ages. We used to write each other, but she can’t receive normal mail and it’s expensive to send, so we’ve drifted apart…”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but the shrill sound of crying foal ripped through the house. Twilight winced and flattened her ears to her head.

Rarity sighed and stood. “Well, speak of the devil… she was up all night, so she’s probably still cranky. I’ll see if I can’t settle her. Help yourself to the sandwiches.”

Twilight watched Rarity start to walk out of the kitchen, but a familiar singing voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Walk me through fields where rare orchids grow,”

It was a slow, hauntingly beautiful melody. Twilight smiled as the foal’s crying died down almost instantly. “Your sister’s really talented,” Twilight commented.

“And your wings will lift you in time,”

Rarity nodded mechanically. “Yes… yes, she certainly is.”

“Experience tells you which way to go,”

Rarity walked back over to Twilight, but her gaze was set elsewhere and her mouth turned downward. “Is everything all right?” Twilight asked carefully.

“You’ll always be a filly of mine,”

Rarity nodded again. “Sweetie Belle hasn’t sung this lullaby in ages. She wrote it herself when Moonstone was born…”

“Your beauty will be of such high demand,”

Rarity’s eyes filled with tears. “I… I think she wrote it more for me than for my daughter…”

“And your wings will lift you in time,”

Wait.

“Rarity?” Twilight questioned. Rarity did not look up. “Is your daughter a pegasus?”

“Though you’ll plant the seeds from faraway lands,”

Rarity’s brow furrowed at the table. “Yes… my great-grandfather was a pegasus, actually…”

It was unusual, but not impossible for two unicorns to produce a pegasus offspring, given they both carried recessive genes. In Canterlot where the demographics were almost one-hundred percent unicorns, however, it was nearly unheard of.

“You’ll always be a filly of mine,”

Sweetie Belle’s voice echoed around the home. Tears dropped from Rarity’s eyes and landed on the golden plate beneath her. Twilight took a deep breath. “I thought your husband was a unicorn?” It was a genuine question, but Rarity winced as if she had been attacked.

“I’ll guide you through hardships, anguish and pain,”

“He is,” Rarity stated. Her gaze turned icy. “I suppose Fluttershy told you that as well.”

“And your wings will lift you in time,”

“That’s right,” Twilight said.

Rarity sighed. “I… I can’t blame her… she…”

“You’ll fly me through clouds, above all the rain,”

“Oh Sweetie Belle, why this song…” Tears continued to pour down Rarity’s face, and she finally stood. “Give me a moment.” She left the room, leaving a confused and hurt Twilight.

“You’ll always be a filly of mine… R-Rarity? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I-I…”

“Let me see my daughter, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity’s voice was hollow from tears, but firm at the same time.

Twilight stared at the mountain of sandwiches in front of her, willing her mind not to jump to conclusions. Sweetie Belle had mentioned that Rarity was having marital problems.

Twilight just hadn’t expected it to be over something like this.

“Excuse me?” A young voice piped, abruptly breaking Twilight out of her thoughts and causing her to jump. Twilight turned toward the voice, and found a small, white unicorn colt staring at her with huge, blue eyes. Rarity’s eyes. “Auntie Sweetie Belle said I could have a sandwich…”

Twilight stared back at him, entranced. “You must be Blue Jasper,” Twilight noted. His mane was the same light-blue as Fancypants’, but other than that, he had inherited Rarity’s features. He was still without a cutie mark, but Twilight estimated him at an even younger age than she remembered Sweetie Belle, so it was to be expected. Twilight was meeting the son of one of her closest friends. It was a surreal moment, and she wished she could have shared it with Rarity.

“Yes, that’s me.” He puffed out his chest and stuck his tiny square muzzle into the air. “But you can just call me Jasper.” His accent was different from Rarity’s, but was typical of those native to Canterlot.

A smile slowly spread across Twilight’s face. He looked absolutely adorable, which Twilight was certain wasn’t the effect he was going for, making him even cuter. “Okay, Jasper, then.” The two stared at each other, and Twilight was getting the feeling she was missing something. “Uh, can I help you with something?”

“Yes… I’d like a sandwich.” He pointed at the table. “Please. It doesn’t matter what type; Auntie Sweetie said I’d like all of them.”

Twilight looked between him and the plate of sandwiches, not quite understanding why he couldn’t get one himself, but also realizing that she shouldn’t expect any less from a child of Rarity’s. She levitated a sandwich into midair, then grinned as an idea came to her. With a flash of magenta, she removed the crusts, levitated it onto a golden plate, and descended it toward a wide-eyed unicorn colt.

His composure was momentarily forgotten as he gave Twilight an amazed grin and hopped up to sit at the table. “How did you know I don’t like the crusts?”

Twilight chuckled and put the plate in front of him. “I happen to know a certain fashion-designer who doesn’t like them either.”

“Thanks Miss Twilight!” Jasper tucked into his meal, and Twilight levitated a sandwich for herself as well. The first bite was enough to tell Twilight it was daisy and daffodil. Rarity still remembered it was her favourite…

Twilight’s ears flattened. All was silent in the other room. Twilight ate slowly, silently. Jasper was finished long before she was.

“Miss Twilight?” Twilight looked over at Jasper, and struggled to manage a small smile. “You look sad.”

Leave it to a child to point out exactly what you hoped they wouldn’t. “I-I… I’m not sad, Jasper, I’m just…” Lost. Confused. Frightened. “Jasper, can I ask you a question?”

“Uh huh!” He nodded eagerly.

“How do you know my name? I don’t think I introduced myself, did I?”

Jasper shook his head. “No, but I know you ‘cause Mummy talks about you a lot. She always points at your picture and says that I need to remember that magic should be used with caution.” He rolled his eyes. “I can’t use magic yet anyways.” He stood and trotted to the left, where the kitchen connected to a sitting area. “Do you want to see?”

“Okay.” Twilight stood and followed the colt into a small room filled with plush furniture, a round central table, and mountains of photographs. Some of the pictures on the walls were actually paintings of abstract scenes that Twilight was sure Rarity could appreciate more than she did. Other, smaller photos depicted ponies. Twilight walked over to a small collection. There was an outdoor wedding photograph of Rarity and Fancypants, with Rarity dressed in an absolutely beautiful flowing white dress, and her hair decorated with flowers and a long wedding veil. The two of them laughed for the camera, and Twilight smiled sadly, filled with fresh regret at having missed seeing this moment for real.

Above it was a picture of Rarity’s parents, Sweetie Belle, and a few ponies Twilight didn’t know but could guess were from Fancypants’ side of the family. Beneath them were two baby pictures. The one on the left Twilight recognized as an infant Blue Jasper, and the one on the right…

Rarity’s daughter: there she was. A baby pegasus stared intently at the camera, showing off bright green eyes. They were much brighter than Sweetie Belle’s paler green eyes, and Twilight likened them more to Applejack’s. Her coat and tiny feathers were a very pale shade of blue, and a small sprig of deep purple hair – Rarity’s hair - was tied with a bow at the top of her head.

She didn’t look like the offspring of two white-coated, blue-eyed unicorns…

“Miss Twilight!” Jasper called. Twilight broke away from the photograph and walked over to him. He was pointing at a small table tucked into the corner of the room. “Here you are, see?”

Twilight’s eyes fell onto a photograph of her and Spike in front of the library. Twilight recognized the picture immediately because she was used to passing it every morning when she went downstairs. This photograph belonged to Spike; he had a small table in the library where he kept a collection of photographs, and this was the one he had in the center. How did it end up here…?

Twilight looked away and curiously looked over the other photographs. The picture of the six of them that Fluttershy also had on her bureau was present. In fact, the entire table seemed to be a small dedication to the six of them.

There were two photographs that Twilight did not recognize. The first was a picture of Rarity lying in a hospital bed and smiling down at a bundled foal. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were hovering on either side of her, grinning ecstatically at the new arrival.

The second photo looked as though it had been taken inside somepony’s home. Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat next to each other on a couch. In Applejack’s forelegs rested a swaddled foal. Twilight could tell more clearly in this picture that his coat was white and his mane was blue. Applejack looked much healthier than Twilight remembered her, though the bags under her eyes gave sign that things were not perfect. Pinkie Pie was holding Jasper’s attention by sticking out her tongue and bulging her eyes.

There was somepony missing… Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. She felt as if she had missed Rarity’s entire life. Her marriage, her booming career, the births of her children… What was left?

Twilight shook her head. She remembered her conversation with Princess Luna; she was here now. There was still time. “Jasper?” Twilight asked, and the foal turned his head curiously. “Would you like another sandwich?”

Jasper perked up. “I can have two?!”

Twilight smiled. “I said it was okay if anypony asks.”

“Can you do the thing with the crusts again?” He asked, practically bouncing in excitement toward the kitchen. Twilight responded by levitating a sandwich and performing the requested spell. Jasper beamed at her. “Thank you, Miss Twilight!”

Twilight turned away. “I… I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay!”

Twilight left the room, this time heading in the same direction that Rarity had gone. She turned down a long hallway that held several doors. One of the doors was slightly ajar.

Twilight pushed it open, and two pairs of eyes latched onto her. Rarity was sitting at the end of the room in a rocking chair, cuddling a foal. She looked at Twilight for a moment, then averted her gaze back to her daughter. Sweetie Belle was standing at the other side of the room, her eyes shifting between Rarity and Twilight. Sweetie paused for a moment, gave a small nod at Rarity, then walked past Twilight and out of the room.

Twilight stepped forward. Rarity didn’t look up. “Rarity?” Twilight whispered.

Rarity sniffed. “Oh Twilight, what must you think of me…” She pulled her baby closer, holding her up to her shoulder so that their faces could touch.

Twilight moved closer and smiled. Rarity stared up at her with tearful eyes, lowering baby Moonstone into her lap. Twilight reached to the bundle, her hoof very gently touching Moonstone’s face. She looked down at Rarity, trying to gauge for any sort of resistance. She saw nothing. “Can… can I hold her?” Twilight asked, practically pleaded. They both needed this. Twilight knew they did.

Rarity’s face changed from somber to surprised. “You… you want to hold her?”

Twilight nodded and reached out. Rarity shifted, carefully maneuvering the little pony into Twilight’s waiting grasp. The toddler squirmed slightly, and though she was far from a newborn, she was a pegasus foal and was built lightly. Twilight had no problem lifting her. Twilight looked into the filly’s eyes, her own starting to tear up. “H-hi, sweetheart. I’m… I’m your Aunt Twilight, and I know I haven’t been around, but…” She stole a look at Rarity, who had tears running down her face. “But I’m here now, and I want to make sure that everything’s going to be okay for you. I want to be here for your mommy. I want to be here for my friends… no matter what the circumstances, I know we’ll figure it out. It’ll be okay, Moonstone, I promise.”

Twilight felt Rarity wrap a hug around both of them, and for several precious moments, neither of them moved. Little Moonstone snuggled closer to Twilight, who rubbed her back gently in response and leaned her head to rest against Rarity’s.

She could only hope that the words she spoke were the truth.

Author's Note

Sweetie Belle's lullaby is a modified version of "Scarborough Fair" and can be sung to the same tune.

9. Irreversible Growth

Twilight stared into the cup of tea that Rarity had made her. The silver spoon in it spun slowly and precisely under her magical control. Jasper’s laughter echoed from the next room over, where Sweetie Belle was looking after him. Rarity had settled herself on a red, plush couch, and Twilight sat across from her in a matching armchair. Both ponies were intently focused on the white mug sitting in their forehooves. Moonstone was sprawled across the floor, her attention being held by the stuffed animals that lay strewn across a large, intricate rug. Somewhere in another room, a clock was counting the painful seconds as they passed.

Tick… tick… tick…

The tea was very sweet, almost to the point of excess. Fluttershy loved sweet tea, and since it was Fluttershy who really enjoyed having others over for tea, all six of them had become accustomed to it. Twilight wondered whether Rarity had done it on purpose, or gotten her and Fluttershy mixed up…

Tick… tick… tick…

To be fair, it had been Rarity who had initiated the silence. Twilight simply wasn’t brave enough to break it; she had so many questions that she was terrified to ask. Rarity’s relationship with her other friends. Moonstone’s father. Spike.

Most of all, she feared talking about Spike. She’d thought for certain Celestia would have taken him in, but if Luna didn’t know where he was…

“Mummy!” Moonstone held up a plush cat and smiled widely, her bright green eyes shining with childish glee. Twilight was grateful for the noise, and watched the toddler as she tried to gain her mother’s attention. “Look!”

Rarity looked down with a small frown.

Moonstone waved the toy a bit more enthusiastically at the lack of response. “Mummy! Mummy!”

“Shh, darling…” Rarity smiled a little and scooped Moonstone off of the ground and sat her on the couch. “We have a guest.”

Moonstone squirmed out of her mother’s grasp and leapt off of the couch. Her tiny wings fluttered instinctively, but they didn’t affect her altitude. She landed on the ground and giggled in delight.

Twilight smiled down at the filly. “How old is she, Rarity?”

“Her second birthday was just last week.” Rarity laughed quietly as Moonstone trotted back up to the couch and tried to scramble her way back to the top by placing her forehooves as high as they would go and alternating legs to kick with. “Jasper’s was about four weeks ago. He’s seven years old.” Rarity relented and helped Moonstone back onto the couch. The foal did a 180 and jumped, squealing in delight as she touched down on the ground again.

Twilight nodded slowly. Foals were naturally born during the months of April through to June as mares typically went into season once summer started to hit, but modern magic could be used to provide fertility at any time of the year. Any mare trying to have a foal no longer had to wait in order to come into season – statistically speaking, most foals born during the traditional months were either unplanned or born to couples without access to unicorn magic. Within Canterlot, where magic was universal and highly obtainable, it was considered fashionable to have a baby smack in the middle of winter. Even Shining Armour had a noble birthdate early on in January – there was an unavoidable stigma that came with having a baby during the proper season.

Twilight would know, since she was born mid-May and was teased mercilessly in school. Shutting herself away to prove she belonged in the world as much as anypony else was an understandable response.

“It’s April the twenty-seventh, right?” Twilight asked, only partially for confirmation. She had an idea of how to start getting answers without directly asking questions.

Rarity paused and put a hoof to her mouth. “Er… I believe so… ” She levitated a pair of purple-rimmed glasses to her eyes, stood, and started peering around the room. “Calendar, calendar…”

“Never mind, Rarity.” Twilight knew for a fact that she left on the twenty-fifth, and assuming that the spell had transferred her precisely ten years into the future and two days had passed, Twilight was certain that they were sitting on the twenty-seventh. “I was just wondering because Jasper would have been born a little early, right?”

Rarity fiddled with her glasses, but did not remove them. “Oh… right, he… he, well, actually – ”

“Mummyyyy!” Moonstone cooed, her tiny wings buzzing as she tried to jump back onto the couch. “Mummmmyyyy!”

“Oh, Moonstone…” Rarity sighed and picked the toddler up. Moonstone fought to leave Rarity’s grasp and tried to jump again, but Rarity held fast. “I think you’ve had enough flying practice for one day, haven’t you? Mummy isn’t ready for you to start flying, that’s for certain…” Rarity chuckled and turned to Twilight as Moonstone became distracted by the plush cat she had previously abandoned and settled down with it. “I can’t believe she’s two already. How the time flies!”

Twilight managed a small smile. “You’re telling me…”

Rarity laughed. “Oh, you’re absolutely right Twilight, I’m sorry. Is your tea all right?”

“It’s fine, Rarity, thank you.” Twilight focused her attention back onto twirling her spoon. Perhaps the subject she was trying to guide Rarity onto was touchier than she’d first thought. She knew that she was going to have to be more direct, but Sweetie Belle’s warnings about being delicate were replaying in her head. She bit her lip, and decided to pursue. “It’s a bit surprising, you know? Seeing you with foals.”

Rarity laughed softly. “Oh Twilight, nopony was more surprised than I was.”

Twilight was so taken aback by the ease of the answer that she took a few seconds to come up with a reply. “Um… really?”

“Oh, yes…” Rarity smiled and started fiddling with the bow that held Moonstone’s mane. The foal didn’t even seem to notice. “Jasper was born at the end of March, so… yes, a… a little early, as you put it. They estimated him to be due in mid-April, as that would have been a more logical assumption, but despite that he was of normal birth weight…” She paused in doing Moonstone’s mane, and put a hoof to her mouth thoughtfully. “I suppose I came into season early and didn’t realize. It would have been during our honeymoon – very sunny, that would explain it, yes?”

“I guess so, yeah…”

Rarity smiled a little, her eyes staring away from Twilight and down at her daughter. “I had no symptoms with Jasper. An odd craving for strawberries – and I’m sure you remember how I hate the things, Twilight – but otherwise I simply couldn’t understand why I was putting on so much weight. I didn’t find out until I was about halfway through the pregnancy.”

“Wow…” Twilight said. “I guess when you’re that far along… well, your options are…”

“Exactly.” Rarity sighed and finished playing with Moonstone’s mane. The filly turned her head at the sudden lack of attention with an innocently confused frown. “I was so young Twilight, and I had my whole career ahead of me. Fancy really wanted the baby – he was older than I, and he had no foals from his previous marriage. I felt trapped, but at the same time… it just felt like the right thing to do, do you understand?”

“Of course – Rarity, I’m not going to judge you for anything I was absent for. You know that, don’t you?” Twilight smiled. “I’m just curious, that’s all.”

Rarity smiled sadly back. “I know that, Twilight. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through right now. I want to help in any way I can.”

Twilight grinned – that was exactly what she wanted to hear. She shifted her vision away from Rarity, and toward the small table that Jasper had shown her earlier. She concentrated her telekinesis on one of the photos, and levitated it over to Rarity, who despite looking a little surprised, accepted it into her own magical grasp. The photo Twilight had chosen pictured Rarity, mane rather disgruntled and eyes half-lidded, smiling down at newborn Blue Jasper from her hospital bed. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash watched gleefully from either side.

Rarity adjusted her glasses and squinted at the image. “This…” She looked up at Twilight, seeming a bit confused. “Well, I suppose that collection of photographs would have caught your attention.”

“Jasper showed them to me, actually.”

“Ah…” Rarity laughed a little and looked back at the photograph. “That doesn’t surprise me. The only things he can associate you with are these pictures and warnings about using magic…” She gave an over-zealous sigh. “I suppose I’m going to have to redo that particular lecture, now aren’t I?”

Twilight laughed. “Sorry, Rarity. In all fairness, you’d just have to omit the part that I died. I still messed up the spell and… and a lot of other things, too.”

Rarity shook her head. “Don’t say things like that. Now, this picture…” She paused for a few moments, as if debating whether or not to continue. She looked over at Twilight, then back at the photograph. “This was literally about an hour after I’d given birth. I look like a mess, don’t I?”

“Really?” Twilight asked, genuinely surprised, because that would mean… “So, wait, were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy there when you… uh, had him?”

Rarity hesitated, but then looked over at Twilight again and smiled at her bemused expression. “It was Rainbow’s fault I went into labour in the first place.”

“What?” Twilight grinned despite herself. “How did she manage that?”

Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “Oh, an argument over trivial things that ended with my water breaking. I really should have known something like that would have happened when I invited her. Er, it’s Rainbow, you know. Very brash.”

“Oh, yeah.” Twilight laughed. “I bet she didn’t handle that very well.”

Rarity laughed along. “She fainted in the delivery room.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re kidding!”

“I’m serious!” The two ponies laughed together, and little Moonstone smiled curiously at the two adults. “Oh, Twilight, it really is quite a good story, albeit a bit long. I’ll make sure to tell you it in full later.”

“Okay!” Twilight grinned, but then refocused herself. “Do you and Rainbow still keep in touch?”

Rarity’s expression fell and her ears flattened. Twilight opened her mouth to backtrack, but Rarity cut her off. “I knew you were going to ask that… I…” She shook her head. “No. No, you deserve to know everything that’s happened, Twilight.”

Twilight wished she was in a position to politely disagree to spare Rarity any pain. The necessity for more information over-road her feelings. “I hate to ask this, Rarity, but can you start from the beginning?”

“Of course… do you know much already?”

Twilight shook her head. “I know you left Ponyville at some point.” She paused for a moment; it was now or never. “And I know that you took Spike with you.”

Rarity closed her eyes and nodded. “Did Fluttershy tell you that?”

“No. I saw the picture on the mantle: I know it belonged to him.”

Rarity stared over at the tiny table. “That’s true. He brought that to Canterlot with him.”

“Rarity?” The white unicorn finally turned her head to meet Twilight’s gaze. Tears were already starting to fill her eyes. Twilight winced, but continued. “I need to thank you for taking Spike with you when I disappeared. I know he would have been really shaken, a-and I…” Twilight fought back tears and tried to continue. “I feel so, so guilty that I could have abandoned him… I was like his… his big sister slash boss slash closest friend slash… you know, I was like a surrogate mother to him. I was his only family.” Twilight hung her head. “And I abandoned him. You have no idea how guilty I feel, Rarity, he – ”

“Mummy!” Moonstone squeaked, displaying a tiny, almost accusing frown as she stared with wide eyes at her mother. “Why’re you cwying?”

Rarity hastily wiped at her eyes and hugged her filly to her chest. “Why am I crying, darling? Oh, Mummy’s not crying… um… why don’t you go play with Auntie Sweetie Belle, hmm? Sweetie Belle!” she turned her head and hastily called. “Could you take Moonstone into the other room, please?”

Jasper groaned. “I don’t want to play with her!”

Rarity’s brow furrowed. “Blue Jasper, you mind yourself, lest you want to lose dessert tonight!”

“…Y-yes Mum! Nevermind, Mum!”

Hoofsteps sounded briefly, then Sweetie Belle poked her head around the door frame. Her ears flattened as she took note of the expressions worn by Rarity and Twilight. “Um… yeah, sure sis.” She shook her head lightly as if to clear it, then beamed down at the tiny pegasus pony. “C’mon, Moo, let’s go play with your brother!” Moonstone was quick to jump off of the couch and follow Sweetie, giggling ecstatically as she did so.

Rarity sighed. “Don’t call her that. It makes her sound like a cow.”

Sweetie Belle smiled and picked up Moonstone. “Aw, I think it’s cute!”

“Better than “Louie”.” Jasper added from the next room over.

Sweetie Belle smiled. “Well, I already have one Jazzy in my life, and Celestia knows I can’t call you by your initials.”

Rarity flushed red. “S-Sweetie Belle!!”

Sweetie Belle turned tail, child in tow. “Just sayin’!”

“…I don’t get it,” said Jasper.

Rarity huffed and turned back to Twilight. “I’m so sorry about that, Twilight. Moonstone’s becoming very perceptive; I really need to watch myself…”

Twilight nodded. “That’s okay… it’s a good thing you have Sweetie Belle around to keep an eye on them.”

“Oh, you should know Twilight, I do pay her to babysit!” Rarity quickly explained. “She’s had trouble finding work, and when Fancy is out of town she’s an absolute life saver.”

Twilight looked down and nodded again. “Can we get back to where we left off, please?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, yes of course… er, where were we?”

“Spike,” Twilight said, “what happened to Spike?”

Rarity stared at the floor. “He grew up, Twilight. Just like before… except no matter what I did, I couldn’t stop it.” She bit her lip, then exhaled and faced Twilight with a frown and apologetic eyes. “It was my fault, Twilight. I was aware of his feelings toward me, but you have to understand that I… I would never be able to return those feelings.”

“He was upset over your marriage…” Twilight murmured, looking to Rarity for confirmation.

“Spike was gone before the marriage took place…” Rarity covered her face with both hooves and groaned softly. “Please forgive me… H-he was inconsolable. He felt as though he didn’t belong here, and if I couldn’t be the one to change that, I don’t think anypony could.” She lowered her left foreleg and looked over to Twilight. “Please, please forgive me… I-I…”

“Princess Celestia,” Twilight interjected, causing Rarity to lower her other foreleg and raise a brow. “Princess Celestia would never let Spike leave like that! It’s not right!”

Rarity shook her head. “I consulted her; she thought it was for the best. Even if he was able to reopen his heart and become something of an assistant to me or another pony, she felt it would be cruel to subject him to even more anguish when that pony, too, passed away.” Rarity looked quizzically to Twilight. “Interesting, though, that she only thought of that after you passed a – er, time travelled. Perhaps it was unwise to give you his egg in the first place, though trust me I feel awful saying that because he was such a sweet little thing…”

Twilight gaped at Rarity for a few moments. Of course; dragons had exceptionally long lifespans. Twilight was to become an alicorn – as far as Twilight knew, an immortal being.

Just how long had Celestia been planning her destiny?!

“Do you know where he is?” Twilight asked.

Rarity hesitated, then slowly nodded. “He’s with others of his own kind… according to Celestia, dragons live somewhere south of Equestria.”

“You’ve never gone to see him?”

Rarity averted her gaze, and paused for several moments. Twilight stayed quiet, fearful of prompting her. Finally, with her eyes still set away from Twilight, Rarity continued. “I wish I didn’t have to be the one to tell you this; I am so sorry. He… he isn’t Spike anymore, Twilight. He’s a monster.”

The breath caught in Twilight’s chest, and she was only able to whisper her involuntary reaction. “N-no…”

Dragons, when allowed to age at their proper speed, retained much of their ponylike intelligence, and their long lives made the eldest some of the wisest creatures known to ponies. Rapid growth was a defense mechanism related to stress and desperation. A last resort to save the body, at the cost of the mind…

“No! No, please, please not Spike!” Twilight cried. She trembled, feeling dizzy. Her mind was failing to comprehend what she was being told. “There… there must be a way to reverse it!” She had started shouting, and Rarity’s ears flattened to her head. “Like last time! There has to be!”

Fresh tears ran down Rarity’s face, and she couldn’t seem to bring herself to move. “Twilight, these circumstances were much different than his first bout of childish greed. He was in a lot of pain.”

Twilight suddenly stood, but another wave of dizziness found her sinking to the floor. “Spike… I-I…”

Rarity sat next to her, silent tears running down her face as she gently stroked her hoof along Twilight’s back. “Twilight, I’m so, so sorry.”

Twilight couldn’t speak. Her stomach hurt. She was certain she was going to vomit.

The Spike she knew was dead. His childish innocence torn from him and his mind tortured until his body needed to warp itself to compensate…

“I didn’t… I never thought…” She did this. Twilight did this herself. She killed her best friend, her assistant, her son. Twilight gritted her teeth as tears fell from her eyes to the floor below, and she let out an anguished cry:

“Spike, I’m so sorry!”

Rarity pulled Twilight close and held her as she curled into a ball and sobbed. Twilight felt like an idiot for believing she could fix everything. Spike was as good as dead, after all.

She would never see him. Never speak to him. Never tell him goodbye one last time or apologize for her rushed exit before she left for Canterlot. All she’d left him were hastily written instructions to keep her library clean. What a horrible last goodbye…

She was a failure.

Author's Note

In response to everyone wondering what happened to Spike, I decided to kill him. (I'm kidding: I planned this from the beginning and I love all of you who are reading this so so much <3.)

If you've made it this far in the fic, I'm going to recommend that you read the side-story I wrote for this chapter, Ignoramus Indeed. It basically details the birth of Blue Jasper, so if you don't like kind of thing, you can skip it. It's not necessary to read it. It's more lighthearted and a nice break from the heavy stuff, though!

10. Blame and Focus

To Rarity’s credit, it was only after several minutes of Twilight ignoring her soothing hugs and repetitive apologies that she finally gave in and left Twilight to her mourning.

Spike was dead.

Every time those words flashed through her mind, Twilight would shudder involuntarily and curl herself tighter into a ball on Rarity’s carpet. Dried tears matted the fur underneath her eyes together.

Spike was dead.

Technically, that wasn’t true. Twilight understood that he was alive in some form, but any memories of her were likely to have been erased from his damaged mind. Dragons in a forced-aged state were highly dangerous and territorial creatures. Visiting him could prove lethal without adequate protection, and would waste even more of her time in this world.

Not that it mattered how much additional time she wasted. All of her attempts to piece her friends’ shattered lives back together would be in vein, because there would always be one dragon-sized piece missing.

Spike was dead.

“DAMN IT!” Twilight shrieked at the ceiling and reared. Her front hooves landed heavily onto the floor, and she very nearly stumbled. Her breaths came in short bouts through her nose, and she glared at the couch in front of her. Sparks flew involuntarily from her horn, her cataclysmic emotions nearly causing her to set the couch in front of her on fire. As soon as she realized this, she took a step back both physically and metaphorically.

She could not allow herself to bring her own anger out on the couch’s owner. Twilight knew better than to listen to Rarity’s pleas for forgiveness; she had not done anything wrong. In fact, she had been the only one who had tried to help Spike in what must had been the hardest time in his young life. Applejack and Fluttershy hadn’t even mentioned him…

For the first time, Twilight doubted her friends. Did they honestly not know about this? Were they avoiding the topic to save her feelings? Hoping to pin the job onto somepony else?

Twilight sunk back to the carpet. It didn’t matter anymore. She didn’t care. There was no hope of salvaging what they had once had, and what reason would they have to remain friends with the pony who destroyed all of their lives with one careless, thoughtless, selfish mistake?

Twilight closed her eyes and hung her head. The spell had, at least, given her the answer she was looking for. “I would have made a terrible princess…” She spoke the words out loud, but her whispers were so soft that they blended in with the quiet room and were barely audible even to her own ears.

The message rang clear in her mind all the same.

Ding ding ding dong!

A pleasant melody played by bells echoed through the room. Twilight raised her head and glanced around in confusion, the oddity of the sounds enough to momentarily distract her.

A high pitched squeal came from the room over, and Twilight’s ears twitched to follow the sound. “Rarity, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle cried. “The gate, oh my gosh, Rarity look at the - ”

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity said sternly, which quickly silenced her younger sister. “Go take the kids outside, please.”

“Uh, a-alright! Wow, though, just… wow.”

Twilight could hear hoofsteps approaching the room, and she watched as Rarity appeared in the doorway. “Twilight…” Rarity frowned. “I know you aren’t at your best right now, but there’s somepony here to see you.”

Twilight looked away. “I… I dunno if I…” She sighed. “Well, who is it?”

“Twilight Sparkle?” The soft, motherly tone nearly caused Twilight to crick her neck as she spun her head around. Princess Celestia herself walked past Rarity and stared at the other side of the room in disbelief. She still had the same long, pastel flowing mane and the same necklace and golden shoes, but Twilight immediately noticed that she was missing her crown. “I… I thought…” Her stunned expression held for a few moments longer before she substituted it for a sad smile. “It has been a long ten years, Twilight, though I believe it’s been a much shorter timeframe for you. If you would like to meet with me at a later date instead, I understand.”

Twilight shook her head and stood up. Hope, she knew, was a dangerous phenomenon. It had gotten her this far in her journey for answers, only to leave her wishing she could take it all back and remain ignorant. Still, hopeful was what she felt as she trotted to Princess Celestia and nuzzled against her when she dipped her neck. She knew she was grasping at bits of hay, but Celestia was her last hope at reversing everything; she was the most powerful magic-wielder in Equestria, as far as Twilight knew. “I’m so sorry, Princess…”

“I’ll leave you two be…” Rarity said softly. Twilight looked over in time to see her violet tail disappear through the door.

“Twilight,” Princess Celestia said. Her serious tone was unnerving. “I cannot do anything to reverse the spell. You understand this, right?”

Twilight felt the last bit of hope leave her. She shifted her gaze to the ground, ashamed that she would allow herself to even think it could be undone… after all, then there would be two Twilight Sparkles running around Equestria. “You… you can’t do anything?” Twilight repeated, the words sounding much more frail coming out of her own mouth.

Celestia gently shook her head and frowned. “The spell you used should not have been able to trap you this far into the future. Even if we did have possession of the time spells right now, I don’t believe there were any that would allow permanent backward time travel to that degree…”

Twilight nodded glumly to show she understood. She mentally and disgruntledly tacked “time travel spells” to the “list of magic she was abnormally good at”. For the first time that she could recall, she resented her cutie mark. “What am I supposed to do now?” Twilight’s voice was shaky, and she stared up at Celestia with tear-stained eyes.

Princess Celestia simply watched her. “What do you mean, Twilight?”

“I mean… I’ve destroyed my entire life, and taken the lives of everypony close to me down with it…” Twilight stared up at her lifelong mentor. “How will I ever recover from that? How can I?”

Celestia continued to watch with a small frown. “Twilight, you have not destroyed anypony’s life.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Princess, Spike is… h-he’s gone. You know he’s gone!”

Princess Celestia’s mouth creased, and she began walking toward the center of Rarity’s sitting area. “Twilight, come sit with me.” Twilight had already begun following her. Twilight took the chair she had been curled in before, while Celestia took the red couch. There was silence for a few moments before Celestia continued. “Twilight… I cannot express how sorry I am to have put you and Spike through so much pain.”

Twilight frowned. “Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who travelled ten years into the future and left Spike here all by himself!”

“That’s not it, Twilight.” Princess Celestia sighed. “Tell me: what did you expect would happen to Spike when you aged and eventually passed away? Would the scenario have changed any? Would Spike, who would still be physically and emotionally very immature, be able to move past the deaths of the ponies closest to him?”

Twilight considered the princess’s words for a moment. “I… I never really thought about it before today, but… didn’t you plan it that way?” Twilight asked. “I would become an alicorn, and even when everypony else passed on around us, we would always have each other?”

“Twilight, you say that as if you would be alright with that situation.”

Twilight looked down. “I wouldn’t really have a choice…”

“That’s not true.” Princess Celestia said, and Twilight curiously looked back up. “Immortality is an option when you are an alicorn, but it is not a curse. If I had ever felt secure with the future of Equestria, I would have passed on long ago, but because of what happened with Luna, I refrained.” Twilight listened in amazement. “I’ve endured so much heartache watching my loved ones die before I would ever allow myself the same fate… when I look at you, Twilight,” Celestia stared over with heavy eyes. “I see a mare who cares too dearly for her friends to withstand the pain of long outliving them. This is not a weakness; you’ve taught me so much about friendship. Dying for your friends is the most noble and logical sacrifice you could have made.”

Twilight winced. “I-I… I would never abandon Spike, though!”

“But what of Spike, who would have no choice?” Celestia said softly. “I ask you again, Twilight: would the scenario really have played out any differently?”

Twilight gritted her teeth. Dragons surely weren’t built to endure such heavy emotional blows. “I… I’m not sure.” It was a disconcerting realization, but had she considered it ten years ago, perhaps it would not have been so definitive. “If I’d known about this, maybe I could have prepared him…”

“Sometimes it takes a tragedy for us to open our eyes, and by then it is far too late.” Celestia bowed her head. “Ponykind knows so little about dragons… If the answer was at all uncertain to me, it should have been my job to introduce Spike back to his own kind when I came across his egg. Instead I decided his long life span was abusable… this is my mistake, Twilight, and a terrible one at that. I am very sorry.”

Twilight hesitated, and then slowly nodded. “I’m still confused about something, though.”

“And what is that, Twilight?”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Why did Luna tell me she didn’t know what happened to Spike?”

Princess Celestia tipped her head slightly to the right. “She told you that?”

“That’s right. She told me to ask Rarity.”

“Ah.” Princess Celestia nodded. “Luna did not know Spike personally. She probably felt it wasn’t her place to explain something so big to you.”

It was an acceptable reason, but it still bothered Twilight. It was unfair to have so much information withheld from her. How much more was she missing? “I’ve hurt my other friends, too,” Twilight confessed. “Applejack’s whole life is pretty much in shambles, and it all started when I left! She said that Rainbow Dash destroyed her farm because she was trying to relieve her grief. And that’s had an effect on Fluttershy, even though she hates Applejack," Twilight's voice was slowly increasing in volume as she continued to talk, "and now she still has to live in Ponyville which is basically dead which I think I can attribute to the collapse of Sweet Apple Acres which if you refer back is my fault and it’s not fair because she has a baby on the way and - !” she practically shouted the last few words, which she only realized when she had to stop for a moment to breathe. She blushed at her loud ramble, but Celestia was still listening politely. “Sorry... and, um, well… Rarity and Sweetie Belle, too. I mean, I think Sweetie said something about Rarity leaving Ponyville because of me…” Twilight was choosing her words much more carefully now, as she knew Rarity could very well be within hearing distance. “And Sweetie Belle, I-I’m still struggling to fathom her life… this isn’t how she was meant to be living, she was such a sweet little filly…”

“Twilight…” Celestia said, regarding Twilight seriously. “How certain are you that those events are your fault?”

Twilight blinked. “Well… it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Princess Celestia smiled kindly. “Think back to your time, Twilight. If Rarity had decided to open a shop in Canterlot, would you not have supported that notion?”

“Well, I mean, yeah I’d support her…” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “It’s always been her dream to open a shop in Canterlot. But I don’t think she planned on having everything happen so quickly.”

“Plans can change, Twilight. Rarity has accomplished a lot in her short time; she has a lot to be proud of.”

“Okay, sure, but what about Applejack?”

Princess Celestia didn’t waver. “You were not present for any of those events. It is impossible for you to take the blame.”

“But Rainbow Dash destroyed Applejack’s trees because of me!”

Princess Celestia smiled a little. “Twilight, how are you so sure of something like that?”

Twilight sighed. “Applejack told me so!”

“And Rainbow Dash?”

“…I haven’t seen her. Not yet.”

“Then her motive is unknown. Regardless, she is responsible for her actions, not you.”

Twilight looked away. “I… I understand, but…”

“There is nothing wrong with wanting to help your friends, but doing so because you feel you need to fix problems you have not created is not fair to you.”

“I…” Twilight felt her emotions start to bubble over, and choked back tears. “Y-you think I can still fix this?”

Princess Celestia smiled knowingly. “I’m not sure if ‘fix’ is the right term, but I have hundreds of claw-written scrolls that tell in great detail everything a certain student of mine has learned about friendship.” Twilight looked over with a grateful smile. “I have no doubt that you will be able to help your friends through whatever troubles they are going through.”

Twilight nodded. Even if things couldn’t be put back to the way they were, maybe she would still be able to help… “Thank you, Princess.”

“You’re welcome, my faithful student.”

“…But I have a question.”

Celestia looked at Twilight curiously. “And what might that be?”

“Um… what happened to your crown?”

Princess Celestia chuckled and glanced upward. “Oh, I don’t wear it when I’m not on duty. Luna is taking care of the sun for me at the moment.”

Twilight quirked a brow. “Oh… It’s just, I’ve never seen you without it before.”

“You’ve never seen me take a break,” Princess Celestia explained. “Being a princess can be hard work.”

Twilight’s ears flattened as she was reminded of why she had attempted the spell in the first place. “O-oh…”

Twilight was worried that Celestia was going to try to steer the topic to Twilight’s once-imminent princesshood, but to her relief she did not. “I was at the Crystal Empire, visiting your family.” Princess Celestia said instead.

“Oh.” Twilight grinned. “Shining Armor? Wait, do my parents live there too? That would make sense, right?” Twilight eyes widened considerably as she took in this information. “My death must have been absolutely terrible for them…” Twilight looked away guility. Her poor parents, forced to metaphorically bury their daughter from a demise that they would have had no preparation for…

Princess Celestia nodded sadly. “It was a very hard time for everypony… but fortunately, it didn’t take long for you to re-enter their lives. In spirit, of course.”

Twilight gave Celestia an odd look. “What do you mean?”

Princess Celestia smiled. “Shining Armor and Princess Cadance named their daughter after you.”

“…What?!” Twilight was sent reeling from this information. “Why doesn’t anypony tell me these kind of things?!”

Twilight could already hear Fluttershy’s tiny voice in her mind: ‘Y-you didn’t know? I… I thought you knew! I thought Applejack would have told you… I’m sorry.’

Ugh. She mentally kicked herself for not being more direct with her questions.

“They named her ‘Twilight Skies’, though she prefers to go by ‘Skyla’,” Celestia continued. “She’s an alicorn like her mother, and a very bright child: just like her aunt.”

Twilight leapt off of the chair. “Well, that’s settled; I’m going to the Crystal Empire.”

Princess Celestia laughed softly. “I have a private chariot waiting outside for you.”

Twilight smiled sheepishly at her mentor. “You know me too well.”

“I’m sorry for saving that information for last…” Princess Celestia smiled for a moment before it faded into a serious frown. “Twilight, I will not lie to you; when I thought I’d lost you, I didn’t know what to do with myself. For three days, Luna had to raise both the sun and the moon because I needed time to grieve.” Twilight listened sadly. “Without the support of Luna and Cadance, I don’t know what I would have done. Just like I needed them, you need your friends and family to help you readjust; and you will readjust with time, Twilight. I will always be here for you.”

Twilight approached and the two exchanged affectionate neck rubs. “Thank you, Princess.”

The two of them exited the room, and Twilight looked around for Rarity before leaving. “Rarity?” she called.

Rarity trotted into the entryway. “Oh, Twilight! You aren’t going now, are you?”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you for having me over, but I need to go visit my family in the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh!” Rarity looked between Twilight and Celestia, seeming a bit flustered. “Right, of course! Er, but Twilight? Can you promise to come visit me again once you’re finished over there?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course I’ll come visit you again, Rarity!”

“Oh, oh good!” Rarity’s eyes flicked from Celestia to Twilight. “And, uh, promise to come back here before you go visit Rainbow Dash. I-I know that she would be the next one you would want to see! But er, please, please come back here first…”

“Um… okay, Rarity.” Twilight was a bit surprised by the request, but dismissed it and wrapped Rarity in a hug. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Tell Sweetie Belle and the foals I said bye.”

“I’ll be sure to do that!” Rarity turned to Princess Celestia and bowed hastily. “I hope my home was up to standards…”

Celestia gave her a gentle smile. “It’s every bit as beautiful as your clothing designs, Rarity.”

“Oh, that’s very flattering, thank you!” Rarity turned sadly back to Twilight. “Goodbye, then!”

Twilight magically opened the door and waved. “Bye!”

Waiting outside were two royal chariots, both headed by two pegasus guards, just as Celestia had described. “I’ll be going back to the castle if you need me, Twilight. The guards know where to take you.”

Twilight nodded and walked up to the smaller chariot in amazement. She turned back to Celestia before getting in. “Thank you for everything…” Celestia may not have given her the quick solution she had been hoping for, but she knew now it was too early to give up. It was painful to think of Spike, but she had other ponies that needed her attention. The thought of seeing her family again made her both excited and extremely nervous for their reaction.

Celestia bowed her head. “Good luck, my student… I wish you all the best.”

11. The Crystal Princesses

When Twilight had first arrived in Canterlot, she was more than relieved to see that, unlike Ponyville, its condition had remained relatively unchanged. As the pegasus guards soared her into view of the Crystal Empire, Twilight prayed that it too had managed to stay stable. Once Twilight caught a glimpse of the northern city, her jaw dropped; it looked completely different.

It looked better.

The city was quite literally shining in areas that were beyond its previous boundaries, and most of the old homes had been fully repaired and were sparkling with quality. Twilight knew she shouldn’t be surprised; the city was one thousand years due for a refurbishment, but how Cadance had managed to make an already gorgeous empire even more so was beyond her comprehension.

Twilight grinned; Cadance always knew what to do.

The royal carriage touched down not far from the towering castle. Twilight hopped out, and the two guards unhitched themselves. “Follow us,” one of the guards said. Twilight nodded and trotted behind them as they approached the castle.

Celestia’s guards chatted in low voices to the Crystal guard ponies, who were not-so-subtly stealing curious looks at Twilight. The guards exchanged nods, then Celestia’s pegasus guards stepped aside. A Crystal blue earth guard walked forward and bowed. “Miss Twilight Sparkle, please allow me to escort you inside.”

Twilight thanked the pegasus guards as they prepared to leave, and followed the Crystal guard through a set of gigantic doors and onward into the crystallised palace that Twilight vividly recalled Rarity swooning over ten years ago. She smiled a little at the memory.

They hadn’t walked very far inside when the guard held up a hoof to signal Twilight to stop walking. He turned his head around. “Please wait right here. I will be back with Sir Shining Armor.”

Twilight nodded and watched as he disappeared around a crystal corner. Tall, blue crystal pillars staggered themselves skyward to where shimmering skylights reflected the sun’s rays across the prismatic corridors. Twilight stared around the room in awe.

It was incredible to think that this entire palace belonged to her own brother. Not only that, but he was married to a princess – the nicest mare Twilight knew – and had a daughter. His life seemed to be perfect.

Her mind compared his life to her own, and wondered where she would be if she had not tampered with that spell. Would she, too, be the ruler of her own castle? Would she ever have found her special somepony? What about foals? These were all questions that Twilight had always dismissed as being too far into the future to know the answers to, but now that she was in the future…

“Turn around.”

Twilight recognized her brother’s voice immediately, but the seriousness of his tone was unexpected. Twilight turned slowly, and her eyes widened as Shining Armor approached her with a furious glare and a frightening crystal spear. “How dare you…” He was practically seething with rage. Twilight’s ears pinned back to her head. “How dare you impersonate my sister… who are you?! Reveal yourself!”

Twilight automatically moved backward as he jabbed the spear in her direction. “Shining Armor?” Twilight asked, her voice wavering fearfully. “I-it’s me, it’s Twilight! Where’s that guard? Didn’t Celestia tell you - ?”

“Silence!” Shining Armor barked. “My sister died ten years ago, almost to the day! I don’t know what you are, but I promise that you will regret stepping foot on family grounds, fiend!”

Twilight shrank away, unsure of what her best move would be. “Shining, you have to listen to me! It’s me, I swear it’s – ahh!” Twilight hastily dove and slid across the crystal floor on her side as Shining Armor rushed at her with the spear. Dazed and terrified, Twilight couldn’t react in time as her brother whirled around and jabbed the spear half an inch away from her neck.

“Tell me,” he said, his breaths coming in short bouts through his nose, “Who. You. Are!” The tip of the spear was now resting against Twilight’s throat. She was frozen, the stinging in her neck making her too afraid to risk even sparking her horn.

“I… I…” The spear dug into her every time she drew a panicked breath. She stared into the enraged eyes of her brother pleadingly. “I…”

“STOP!”

The spear moved a safe distance away from Twilight’s throat as Shining Armor whirled around to find Cadance, out of breath and magically holding a letter. “Stop it, Shining!” Her eyes shone with tears, and she was staring in Twilight’s direction. “I-it’s Twilight! It’s really Twilight!”

Shining Armor hesitated, glancing between his wife and his sister uncertainly. “That’s impossible, Cadance,” he finally spoke in a bitter tone.

“Read it! This is why Aunt Celestia left in such a hurry!” Cadance shoved the letter into Shining Armor’s face without looking over and trotted directly to Twilight, who shifted her gaze away from the spear that had every potential to end her and directed it at her old foal-sitter.

“Cadance, it’s me,” Twilight said as she shakily tried to stand up. “I-I… I messed up a time travel spell; all I did was teleport myself to the future. I never died.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shining Armor’s head turn away from the letter in disbelief.

“Twilight…” Cadance spoke softly, more to herself. She dipped her head, and a soft blue glow enveloped her horn and danced to surround Twilight’s body. Twilight held still, recognizing the spell as a way to confirm her identity.

The glow faded away, leaving Cadance wide-eyed. Twilight grinned and stuck out a hoof. “Sunshine, sunshine…?”

Both of Cadance’s hooves went to her mouth as tears flowed out of her eyes. “Ladybugs… awake…” she murmured, then reached over and touched Twilight’s outstretched hoof with her own. Their rhyme remained unfinished as Cadance suddenly enveloped Twilight in a sobbing hug. “I-I-I can’t believe it! It’s you! It’s really you!”

Twilight shut her eyes and buried her nose into Cadance’s mane. A loud clang startled her eyes back open, and she followed the noise to discover that Shining Armor had dropped his spear. He was standing in the same spot, his eyes fixated on her and Cadance and his mouth slightly agape. A silent tear escaped one eye and trailed a path down the side of his face.

Cadance realized where Twilight was looking, and released her. Both mares gave small smiles over at Shining Armor. Twilight took her first step forward, but she kept stealing wary glances at the spear beside him. Shining Armor noticed, and picked up the spear magically. Twilight hesitated with one foreleg raised, but Shining Armor grunted and tossed the weapon across the room as far as it would go before he ran and embraced her.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…” His grasp was far more powerful than Cadance’s, as if he was afraid that Twilight might disappear again if he dared to let go. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” He frowned and moved her away to inspect her neck. “You’re bleeding a little, Twilight.” His ears went flat against his head. “I’m so sorry… I-I thought…”

“It’s okay,” Twilight said and embraced him again. “It’s my fault.” The words hung in the air for a little longer than they should have, considering she was only trying to apologize for appearing so suddenly in his castle. She moved away, and winced as she looked at her brother’s expression.

“What were you doing with such complicated magic?!” Shining Armor shouted.

Twilight stared at him in surprise, but couldn’t handle much of his furious glare before she averted her gaze. Not everypony was going to let her off as easily as Princess Celestia. Twilight bit her lip; who was right? Was everything that happened her fault?

“How could you do this to us?” Shining Armor continued, but his angry tone had been replaced by somewhere far more painful; betrayal. “I know it was an accident, but why would you risk it? What were you even hoping to do?!”

“Sir Shining Armor!” The voice of the crystal guard who had left Twilight in the entryway hurriedly approached and bowed, and Twilight was grateful for the interruption. “I… uh, please accept my apologies, sir! I didn’t imagine you would be on duty, sir!”

Shining Armor’s eyes flicked to Cadance, who raised an eyebrow at him. “On duty?” Cadance questioned. “You promised me you were taking a break from that!”

Shining Armor sighed. “Being a guard is a part of who I am, Cady! It’s not that simple!”

“Not that simple?!” Cadance growled. Twilight herself took a step backward, childhood memories of Cadance’s lectures running through her own head. “You have a daughter, and you’re saying that your priorities are not that simple?!”

“Well, err…”

“You need to spend more time with her, Shining!” Cadance groaned. “No wonder she never gives me straight answers when I ask how much fun she had playing with you… The poor thing must be trying to defend you!” Cadance hesitated, a look of confusion washing over her. “…Although, why would she defend you?”

Shining Armor looked at the ceiling. “Well, err…”

Cadance’s eyes narrowed. “You bribed her.”

“…You know how much she likes cookies - ”

“SHINING ARMOR! YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AFTER HER RIGHT NOW! WHERE IS SHE?!”

Shining Armor hesitated, and the blue crystal guard cleared his throat. Three heads swivelled toward him. Twilight had nearly forgotten he was there. The guard looked sheepishly up at the attention before continuing. “She is having a, um, a tea party with a few of the royal guards, your highness,” the guard said in a serious tone. He coughed nervously. “…I, er, was looking for you and - ”

“Can you go find her for us, Varn?” Cadance asked with a sigh. “We will be waiting in the left rotunda on the third floor.”

The guard bowed. “Of course, your highness.” He gave a pitiful look to Shining Armor before rushing away.

Shining Armor smiled nervously. Cadance rolled her eyes. “Shining, take Twilight upstairs, please.”

Shining Armor tipped his head. “You, uh, aren’t gonna come with us?”

Cadance glared at her husband, who flinched away. “I’ll be by after I sort out the guard schedule.”

“O-okay… have fun!” Shining called after her. Twilight watched in amusement as Cadance huffed and walked off. Shining Armor nudged Twilight and grinned. “Don’t worry about her. I guarantee she’ll apologize as soon as she comes back.”

“She’s right, though…” Twilight said, causing her brother’s grin to fade. “Your daughter should come first!” Twilight narrowed her eyes as if angry, but a small smile betrayed her true feelings. “I mean, she’s my niece...” Twilight was smiling widely now and giggled. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I have a niece! This is so incredible!”

Shining Armor chuckled. “Skyla always comes first, Twilight! I just want to protect her so badly… that doesn’t make me a bad father, does it?”

Twilight shook her head. “No way.” She poked his chest. “…but you have other guards for a reason.”

“…I guess…” Shining Armor smiled over at Twilight sadly. “I can’t believe I’m talking to you right now, Twilight. We all thought you’d… you know. There was a funeral and everything. You have a gravestone!”

The mental image of her own gravestone sent shivers through Twilight’s body. “Y-yeah, I know… but,” she looked over at him with a determined expression, “I was talking to Princess Celestia, and I think that even though I’ve missed a lot, I’m here now, and I want to start making up for the missed memories.” She reached for Shining’s hoof and tugged it like she had when she was a foal. “So come on! I want to see my niece already!”

“Okay, okay!” Shining Armor laughed and took the lead. Twilight followed him up several flights of spiraling crystal staircases, then led Twilight to the end of the hallway. A guard stood posted at the door, but nodded and moved aside as they approached.

The room they entered was circular and spacious, with high ceilings and large windows that allowed the sunlight to stream in and reflect off of the crystal architecture. Twilight vaguely remembered being inside of a similar room during the games inspector fiasco, though she couldn’t remember if it was the same one.

“Pretty nice, isn’t it?” Shining Armor asked.

Twilight nodded eagerly. “It must be so amazing to live in a place like this. I mean, look at it! It’s a palace made of crystals, and you get to be the prince!”

Shining Armor smiled. “It is pretty incredible. Being able to help Cadance restore the empire was one of the best experiences of my life.” He sighed in contentment. “I love it here, Twilight. I think about you all the time, and I always wished you could visit.”

Twilight looked around the room in awe before turning her attention back at her brother. “Shining, do Mom and Dad live here too?”

Shining Armor slowly nodded. “Yes… yes, I should send notice to them right away.”

“…Daddy?”

The high-pitched voice made Twilight gasp and turn. Standing in the entryway, accompanied by the blue Crystal guard, was a young magenta alicorn. Her coat was a bit darker than Cadance’s, and her bright blue eyes mirrored her father’s. Her curly mane was a mix of yellow and purple, and a tiny golden crown sat perched atop her head. Her vision flicked from Twilight to Shining uncertainly.

“She’s an alicorn…” Twilight said slowly, and looked to Shining in confusion. Alicorns could not be born, only made. It was a privilege that was usually earned only under very special circumstances and years of proving themselves ready. “She was coronated this young?”

“I was born a unicorn like Dad…” Skyla took a few steps forward, but still seemed confused. “But…”

“She was born with very powerful magic, but as a unicorn she did not have the capacity to control it,” Shining Armor said, then gestured his daughter closer. “Skyla, how about you come stand next to me for a minute?” Skyla readily complied. “Varn?” Shining addressed the guard. “Can you please send notice to my parents that Twilight has returned?”

“Yes sir!” Varn gave a hasty salute before exiting and closing the door behind him.

“Anyways, Twilight, Celestia felt it was in Skyla’s best interest to be changed as early as possible. She’s one of the only foals known to be born from an alicorn, and since we know so little, it could have been dangerous to keep her as a unicorn when her magical potential matched her mother’s.” Shining Armor smiled and nuzzled Skyla softly. “Skyla, do you know who this pony is?”

Twilight watched as Skyla tipped her head curiously. “You called her Twilight, and she looks like my Aunt Twilight,” Skyla said, and Twilight’s heart leapt at how fast her niece had come to that conclusion. “…But I know that’s impossible, Daddy.”

Shining Armor nodded and smiled. “That’s right, Skyla; this is your Aunt Twilight. Do you remember when I told you Aunt Twilight accidently performed a spell that was too powerful for her, and it made her go away forever?” Skyla nodded. Both ignored Twilight flattening her ears in embarrassment at being used in lectures for two foals now. “Well, it turns out that while she went away for a long time, it wasn’t for forever.”

Skyla gasped and her eyes lit up. “You’re my aunt!” she exclaimed, and her tiny wings propelled her into the air. Before Twilight could fully register what was happening, Skyla had dove and both of them toppled onto the ground.

“Y-Yes…” Twilight panted for breath as she tried to regain her bearings. “That’s me.”

“Wow!” Twilight felt a weight lift off of her, and looked up to see the little beaming alicorn princess hovering in front of her. “You look just like in the pictures! You’re just like I imagined!” A few golden sparks shot from her horn, and she flew in figure eights around the room, giggling ecstatically.

“Skyla!” Shining Armor scolded with narrowed eyes. “That is not an appropriate way to say hello to somepony! Come down here right now!”

“No, no, that’s fine,” Twilight said, watching the filly with a smile. “It’s more than I could have asked for. Wow though, she’s a really good flyer for her age, isn’t she?”

“Thanks!” Skyla landed in front of Twilight and ran a hoof through her mane. “I practice a lot with Mom!”

“How old are you, Skyla?” Twilight asked.

Shining Armor’s ears flattened. “Uh, Twilie - ”

“I’m nine!” Skyla said with an innocent smile. “Well, nine and a half! I’ll be ten in November!”

There was silence for a few moments, where Skyla looked expectantly between the two adults for a response. Twilight didn’t need to do the mental math. She rounded on Shining Armor. “I’ve been gone for ten years… and she’s nine and a half?!”

Shining Armor looked at the ceiling. “Uh - ”

“Would you care to explain this to me?!” Twilight growled. “Were you seriously planning another wedding repetition?! ‘Announcing the birth of Princess Twilight Skies, daughter of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor… oh yeah, and the niece of Twilight Sparkle, but she doesn’t know that yet, so shhhh’?!”

Shining Armor perked up for a second. “You know her full name alre - ”

“Don’t change the subject!”

“Twilight…” Cadance’s voice flowed from the entrance of the room. Twilight hesitated, then turned to face her.

Cadance glanced between the three ponies in the room with a frown. “Twilight, I…” She sighed. “I know how this looks to you, but not telling you before you left us was one of the biggest regrets of my life.”

Shining Armor walked over to Cadance, and draped a foreleg over her back. “We don’t need to worry about that anymore, love. Twilight’s right here with us. I think Skyla loves her already.”

Twilight looked over at her niece, and smiled as she noticed Skyla was looking at her as well. The filly’s demeanor had completely flipped, and she now sat up straight and quietly, but she offered Twilight a small smile in return. Skyla then stole a glance at her mother and quickly averted her gaze to the floor.

“A few months after you left,” Cadance continued softly, “we held a private baby shower. We invited all of your friends, and almost all of them showed up. We made the decision not to disclose Skyla’s gender or name until her birth, but we did hint that we would incorporate your name into hers and they were very touched by our decision.”

“But she was born in November,” Twilight said, the hurt still clear in her voice. “You planned this. I didn’t even know you wanted to have a baby a-and…” Twilight sighed and shook her head. “No, ignore me. I know that you had reasons for why you didn’t tell me, and that should be enough.”

“Twilie…” Shining Armor wrapped a foreleg lovingly around his sister’s neck, and Twilight imitated him so that they were hugging. “Please don’t be mad at us. If we had known you’d be going somewhere, we would have told you, I promise. It’s…it’s just…”

“There were risks,” Cadance explained. “I was the first pregnant alicorn in over one thousand years. Nopony was sure if she would be born without complications, or if she would even make it…”

“But I did,” Skyla said with a wide grin.

“That’s right, kiddo!” Shining Armor moved away from Twilight and ruffled Skyla’s mane. “You’re a little fighter.”

Skyla wriggled away from Shining. “Daddy!” Skyla protested, and tried to fix her mussed mane with a hoof. She shot a glare at her father, which unfortunately for her was far too adorable to be taken seriously.

Cadance laughed softly. “If I could change the topic, Twilight… Celestia wrote that you were coming from Canterlot. How long had you been in Canterlot for?”

“Two days, one night,” Twilight said. “I spent a night in Ponyville, too. That’s where my spell landed me; I had to teleport to Canterlot.”

Shining Armor and Cadance shared a serious look that made Twilight feel a bit uneasy. “You stayed at the palace, with Luna?” Cadance asked.

Twilight shook her head. “The guards wouldn’t let me in until the next morning. I stayed with Sweetie Belle.”

“Sweetie Belle…?” Shining Armor asked. “Who’s Sweetie Belle?”

The question took Twilight off-guard, but she supposed that Sweetie likely never had the opportunity to meet them like her older sister had. “She’s Rarity’s younger sister.”

“That makes sense,” Cadance said. “Everypony knows how preoccupied Rarity is nowadays. Don’t feel bad that you couldn’t visit her, Twilight; I haven’t seen her since her daughter was born.”

Twilight opened her mouth to correct her, but Shining Armor spoke before she could. “Wasn’t there something wrong with her daughter?” Shining Armor asked. Twilight shut her mouth and looked to Cadance curiously.

Cadance nodded. “Some sort of terrible birth defect, according to her interviews. Rarity almost never allows her outside… I can’t even imagine, the poor little thing…”

Twilight tipped her head. “What do you mean?”

Cadance shook her head sadly. “Well, Rarity’s very well-known in the fashion world. The paparazzi have only managed to catch a few photographs of her daughter, but she’s always heavily bundled in hats and thick coats. Rarity claims she was born with some physical anomalies, and I think she’s trying to protect her. I have to wonder if she’s doing the right thing, though. Foals shouldn’t be made to feel excluded, or ashamed of who they are.”

Twilight felt a chill go down her spine as she recalled the little filly trying gleefully to leap from the couch. She was perfectly normal and perfectly healthy, guilty only of possessing wings in a unicorn-dominate city. “She really said that about her daughter?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

Twilight bit her lip. “N-nothing.”

Cadance quirked a brow and Twilight averted her gaze. Did Rarity truly believe that she could hide Moonstone for the rest of her life? Her own mistakes would wreak havoc on her daughter’s quality of life once the truth was revealed, and even before then she would be cut off from society: isolated for something she could not control.

It was… selfish.

“So you visited Luna today?” Cadance asked. Twilight flattened her ears at the memory, and gave a meek nod.

“I take it that didn’t go well?” Shining Armor asked. Twilight shuffled a hoof and shook her head.

“Oh Twilight…” Cadance went over and gently patted her back. “You have to understand that the past ten years have been really hard on her. With you not being able to ascend the throne, she - ”

Twilight jerked back in surprise, and Cadance moved aside as Twilight stared in disbelief. “You knew about that?!”

Cadance and Shining Armor glanced at each other. “About what, Twilight?” Cadance said.

“My coronation!” Twilight exclaimed and stared between her brother and sister-in-law. “How many ponies know about that?!”

“Just us, Twilie, I promise,” Shining Armor said. “With permission of Princess Celestia, I told our parents as well. Now, Twilight,” Shining Armor’s face hardened, “I need to ask you a serious question.”

Twilight was still shaken over the gossip about Rarity and the reminder of Luna’s anger. The last thing she wanted was to be asked a difficult question, but she bravely looked at her brother and nodded anyways. “Okay?”

“When you were playing with those time spells, was it because of your coronation?”

Tears immediately began pooling in Twilight’s eyes and she sank to the ground in defeat. Shining Armor’s expression softened, and he crouched down to her level. Twilight sniffed and covered her face. “I-I-I was so s-scared, I-I…”

“Okay, okay I get it…” Shining Armor sighed and looked away. “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have just sprung that on you.”

“Aunt Twilight?” To Twilight’s great surprise, Skyla had flown to her side and was staring at her with big eyes and a small frown. “Um… everypony makes mistakes sometimes, even princesses! But it’s how you learn from that mistake that matters more than anything.”

Twilight froze as a strong surge of déjà vu rang through her mind; she recalled herself as a filly after accidentally exploding Shining’s homework while practicing a spell that she wasn’t very familiar with. Cadance was looking after her, and after hearing the doubtlessly resounding boom, had rushed into the room to find the cause. Twilight remembered looking at the charred bits of paper, and realizing she was caught, burst into tears. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I was trying to make the homework finish itself b-but…’

Cadance had scooped her up and snuggled her. ‘Oh Twilight, everypony makes mistakes.’

‘Not you, Cadance! Princesses don’t make mistakes!’

‘Even princesses make mistakes sometimes, Twilight, but what matters the most is what you can learn from them. What do you think you can learn from this one?’

‘N-not to practice spells on important things before you test them first?’

‘Yes, that’s a good lesson. Is there anything else?’

‘Um…’

‘How about not crying over spilt milk?’

‘W-what’s that mean?’

Cadance had smiled and lifted Twilight above her head to squeals of laughter. ‘It means sometimes bad things happen, but you can’t do anything about it. If you can’t undo your mistake, then you need to look past it.’

‘But Shining will be really mad at me!’

Cadance had laughed and gave Twilight a wink. ‘I think I might have an idea…’

Shining Armor went to class the next day with a hoof-written note that his younger sister had literally blown up his assignment. Had it not been signed by the niece of Princess Celestia herself, he might have been in serious trouble. Instead, he got an extension, plus some one-on-one help from the apologetic babysitter…

Now that Twilight thought about it, that was probably the first time Cadance and Shining Armor had spent alone time together. That incident really had turned out for the better…

Twilight turned away from Skyla. Cadance smiled at her knowingly, and gave a wink. Twilight grinned back, then wrapped Skyla in a hug. “You know what, Skyla? I think you’re right. I think that this mistake is giving me a lot to learn from.”

Skyla giggled and hugged her aunt back. “Really? Like what?”

“Well, besides that I shouldn’t meddle with spells that I don’t know much about,” Twilight snuck another glance at Cadance, who laughed. Twilight blushed and looked back at Skyla. “There’s a lot of ponies I know who need my help. It’s just like you said before! If I can learn what happened to cause them to make mistakes, then they can learn and grow from it!” Twilight’s voice rang out confidently around the spacious room. Her friends had so far proven that while they may not trust each other, they all could trust Twilight. She wasn’t from this time period – she was neutral, unbiased. If she could use that to her advantage, then maybe this whole fiasco could prove positive.

It would be like putting together a puzzle, and though the reference picture was blurry, Twilight could already see parts of it coming together. Applejack has decided to live in solitude because all of her friends left her one by one – Twilight could see the logic. There was a glaring gap where the motives of the other ponies involved needed to go: Fluttershy, sure, she knew that something terrible had happened between them, and Big Mac had ultimately sided with her. But what of Rarity? Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie? Apple Bloom?

Twilight would find each of those pieces one by one, and once she had put the whole picture together, she would be able to devise a plan to inform each pony where they went wrong and how to resolve their individual issues.

A wide grin spread across Twilight’s face. Finally having a concrete reason to finish making a plan was very reassuring. She looked around the glimmering room to the three royal ponies that stood in it, and understood that as much as she wanted to stay here, this was not where she was needed.

“I want to see Mom and Dad right away,” Twilight said, directing her voice at Shining Armor, “and then I’m going back to Canterlot.”

Author's Note

Skyla's personality and birthdate are a reference to Princess Skyla Replies.

Thank you everyone for over 1000 views and 100 likes! :D

12. Admissions

In retrospect, it was all very short. Twilight watched the clouds soar by as Celestia’s pegasus guards pulled her golden chariot through the sky. She was glad that she managed to get to the Crystal Empire, but was anxious to see Rarity again. If Twilight knew Rarity like she thought she knew Rarity, then she would be in the center of all of this drama.

Twilight hadn’t seen her parents since Shining Armor’s wedding, so even for her it felt like a long time. She couldn’t imagine what her parents were going through, but their reunion was pleasant, if tearful. Cadence’s chefs outdid themselves with a five-course meal, and even little Skyla was able to find room for every morsel she was given.

Twilight had told everypony the same thing when she left the next day: “I’ll come back soon! I promise I’ll come back soon!” She knew that her family didn’t want her to leave them, especially not so soon, but, once again, they graciously allowed her to leave with little guilt. Just like when she was a little foal going to train with Celestia, or when Shining Armor left for Guard Academy, or when Twilight left for Ponyville. Her parents always trusted her to make decisions on her own, and for that Twilight was eternally grateful.

The guards made landfall in front of the golden gates to Rarity’s home. Twilight leapt out of the chariot and smiled at them. “Thank you so much for everything.”

The two pegasi bowed. “It has been our pleasure,” one of them recited. They didn’t take off right away, presumably to be sure Twilight was able to get past the gates without a problem. Twilight nodded back before approaching the gates. After looking over the eye scanner and magically-powered lock, Twilight found a doorbell and pushed it.

It didn’t take long before somepony came to answer the door, although the figure that appeared was much smaller than Twilight had expected. “Hello Miss Twilight!” Blue Jasper said happily as he bounded toward the gate and nudged the lock open with his white forehooves. His light blue mane blew gently in the wind, and he beamed at his visitor. “Did you come back to visit with me?”

Twilight laughed softly and trotted beyond the gates. She heard the carriage take off behind her. “I made a promise to your mother that I’d come back as soon as I could. Do you know where she is, Jasper?”

Jasper nodded eagerly. “Uh huh! Mummy’s inside! Do you want to come in with me?”

“Yes I would,” Twilight affirmed with a smile.

Jasper took off at a run. “Mummy! Mummy, Miss Twilight is here!” he announced as he bounded through the doorway.

He was intercepted by a bemused Sweetie Belle. “Whoa!” she laughed. Moonstone was hovering beside her in a cloud of green magic. “Your mom’s working, Jasper! You know that!”

Jasper tipped his head. “But Miss Twilight is here!”

Sweetie Belle smiled briefly at Twilight before her expression turned to a frown. “Did you go off and answer the gate by yourself?!” she peered nervously behind her, ears flat. “Uh, don’t tell your mom, okay Louie?”

Jasper huffed and put his nose in the air. “Yeah, yeah…”

Sweetie sighed. “Good. Rarity would wring me for that.” She placed a giggling Moonstone on the ground. “Watch your sister for a sec, Jasper. I’ll go get your mom.”

Jasper rolled his eyes at Moonstone, who smiled innocently at him as Sweetie Belle hurried away. “I hope to Celestia I don’t have to look after kids when I’m older,” he said matter-of-factly.

Twilight frowned. “Why do you say that?” she asked gently.

Jasper flattened his ears. “Because they’re a lot of work!” he said, looking at Twilight as if this should be obvious. “Aunt Sweetie has to spend all of her time looking after us! I want to be like Dad,” he continued, his eyes shining with ambition. “I want to travel everywhere and make lots of money – ugh Moonstone!” he groaned as the toddler grew bored and ran into the kitchen. “You are not to go in there alone!”

Twilight caught Moonstone in her magic and carried her back to them, but wasn’t sure how to respond to Jasper. It was an odd thing for a foal to say. Granted, it did sound like something Rarity would say. She lowered Moonstone back to the floor, pondering over his words. Surely he wouldn’t have gotten that idea from his parents…?

Moonstone took off giggling as soon as Twilight released her, as if they were playing a game. Twilight realized her mistake and went to pick her up again, but a green glow engulfed the little foal before she had a chance. “Twilight…” Sweetie Belle said seriously, her expression unreadable. “Rarity’s going to wait in the living room… I’ll take the kids outside.”

Twilight was taken aback by her lackluster tone of voice. Clearly Jasper was as well, as he eyed Sweetie Belle nervously before running ahead of her out the front door. “O-okay, thank you.”

Rarity was pacing the room when Twilight entered. She recoiled slightly when she spotted Twilight, and shook her head lightly. She smiled weakly. “I’m truly glad you came back, but I was expecting you to visit with your family longer. Is everything alright?”

Twilight blinked at her. She really wanted to ask Rarity the same question. “Oh, yes, of course!” she insisted. “I had supper with my parents, Shining Armor, Cadence, and my niece Skyla,” she recited. “But I couldn’t stay long. I still have so many ponies I need to visit, so much I need to understand…”

Rarity eyed Twilight uncertainly, but nodded slowly. “Please, have a seat…” She herself sat on the couch, while Twilight settled herself in a red armchair.

“Rarity,” Twilight asked hesitantly. “What’s going on?”

Rarity smiled sadly. “I may have just scared the life out of my poor sister. That really wasn’t necessary of me; I know I can trust you with this. I don’t believe I can help you any unless I open up about the secrets of my past, and there’s really only one logical place to start.”

Twilight sat up. “What is it?”

“It concerns my children…” Rarity sighed and was quiet for a few moments. A ticking clock echoed around the house, with which two young children occupying it was doubtlessly an unusual noise. “Twilight,” Rarity said, and surveyed Twilight with a hard look through her glasses. “What I am about to tell you is… very personal, but I do think you have the right to know. I would like to think if you hadn’t vanished that I would have felt comfortable confiding in you. Nothing has changed.”

“I appreciate that.”

Rarity nodded and held a smile for a few moments before giving up and staring at the floor. “…Moonstone is not my husband’s daughter. He is aware.”

Twilight closed her eyes and nodded. “You’re one hundred percent sure he doesn’t have a recessive gene?”

Rarity nodded and bit her lip. “We haven’t performed a paternity test for risk of hurting Moonstone in the eyes of the public if such information was ever released, but we did do a thorough background check. If there are any pegasi in his linage, then they’re back further than records show. It’s very unlikely.”

“Do you know who the father is?”

Rarity flattened her ears and stared at the floor. “It was only one time, I-I swear. I… I have reason to believe he’s a pegasus.”

Twilight gaped. “You don’t know?!”

Rarity covered her face with her hooves. “It’s not what it looks like, praise Celestia, it isn’t!” She sighed and put her hooves down. Her expression looked tired and defeated. “…There was a Wonderbolt’s derby a few years ago. We were both invited to attend, but Fancy Pants stayed home to look after Jasper.” Rarity groaned. “I’m so awful, Twilight! He was looking after our child while I was… ugh!”

“You think it was one of the Wonderbolts?”

“There was an after-party at the Moonlit Tavern. The same one that Sweetie works at now, though fortunately she did not at the time… an odd choice for an upper-class party, but according to them it’s a Wonderbolt’s tradition. I remember going there after the show and socializing a bit with the other ponies. It was a mix of the Canterlot elite and the entire fleet of Wonderbolts pegasi and their trainers. I ordered a few drinks and…” Rarity broke off and gave Twilight a heavy look. “That’s about all I can remember from that night.”

Twilight frowned. “What’s the next thing you remember?”

Rarity sighed. “Waking up in some hotel – an expensive one, mind you – with no recollection of the previous night. My head hurt terribly; it was a world beyond any other hangover I’d experienced before. I think I might have still been drunk because I was still rather dizzy and disoriented. You can imagine my confusion at having woken up somewhere unfamiliar.”

“And the stallion wasn’t there?”

Rarity shook her head. “He, er, wrote a note. It…” Rarity blushed deeply. “It thanked me for a good time and explained that whoever it was had a practice to get to. It was signed with a hoofprint. If I had been in a right state of mind, I would have kept it, but I was so appalled and terrified that I burned it right there in the hotel room with my magic.”

Twilight coughed nervously and touched her forehooves together. “And… you’re, um, sure that you had… relations?”

Rarity gave Twilight a blank stare for a few moments before laughing. “Oh Twilight, how do I put this… well, just trust me, the evidence was all there. There was really no doubt that we had unprotected sex. I could go on, but…”

Twilight flushed and looked away. “Oh, um, I see…”

Rarity smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, darling. You always were a little prude, if I may say so.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and waved a hoof. “It’s fine.”

There was silence for a few seconds. “Twilight... I’m surprised that you aren’t questioning any of this. Surely you must be skeptical on a few details?”

Twilight knew that she should be, but she wasn’t. It was as if her mind had simply given up on trying to comprehend everything. “I… I dunno…” She put a hoof to her head. “It’s just so much to sort through.” Twilight thought for a few moments, then lowered her hoof and looked at Rarity. “I don’t want to offend you, either.”

Rarity smiled sadly. “Sweetie Belle has already exhausted the list of delicate questions. I’m sure anything you can think of I’ll have heard already.”

“Okay.” Twilight was quiet for a few moments. “How long did it take you to realize you were pregnant?”

Rarity chuckled. “That’s hardly an offensive question.”

Twilight flattened her ears. “It has implications behind it.”

“Just shy of two months is when I performed the spell, I believe,” Rarity said, putting a hoof thoughtfully to her chin. “Unlike with Jasper, I was horribly ill for the first few months of the pregnancy. That, and I was worried because of…” She gestured a hoof in the air. “You know.”

Twilight nodded and ran a hoof in circles on the edge of the chair.

“You want to know why I didn’t have an abortion, yes?”

Twilight didn’t look up. “Well… that would have solved a lot of problems…” she murmured.

“Twilight, I told you not to be afraid to ask me questions.” Twilight finally looked up, and Rarity was smiling warmly down at her. “It’s perfectly reasonable to question why I didn’t just terminate the pregnancy and be done with it. The answer is more complicated.” Rarity fiddled with her purple glasses. “I considered it with Jasper as well, though I was so far along with him that they recommended I just carry to term and put him up for adoption. I wondered… what if I had done that?” Rarity’s gaze was confident and determined. “Jasper meant and still means everything to me. To break a potential connection like that... I-I… I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life, regardless of the circumstances. I will never wish to take back that decision.”

“No, I get that,” Twilight said, and resumed staring at the ground. “But why go to all of that trouble only to hide her from the world?”

Rarity stiffened. “You know about that.”

Twilight nodded once and looked up. This time her gaze was not shy or hesitant. It was steely. “I know you’re trying to protect her, but you’re only going to hurt her in the end. What if there was a medical emergency? What about her education? What will happen when…” Twilight sighed. “When she starts questioning her lineage?”

“She’ll assume Fancy Pants has a recessive gene - ”

“If you can figure it out, then so can she.”

Rarity bowed her head. “Jasper’s already asked me about it; they’re learning the basics of genetics in school, of course. Pegasi are dominant over earth ponies, earth ponies are dominant over unicorns, and unicorns are dominant over pegasi. I’ve had to stress to him not to bring his sister up in class, and for now he can be content with the fact that I have a pegasus close in my lineage, but I know it won’t last forever. The thought of my children looking back on my actions with shock and betrayal pains me to no end.”

“Pony genetics can be tricky,” Twilight offered. “Take the Cakes for example; earth ponies can’t carry recessive pegasus genes. It should have been impossible for them to have a pegasus baby!”

Rarity rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Yes, because their marriage ended so swimmingly,” she deadpanned.

Twilight stared at her. “W-what?”

“The twins shared a mother, but were fathered by different stallions,” Rarity said. “It was all over the headlines once it was found out, of course, because it’s highly unusual. Not impossible, though, clearly. Pumpkin Cake was Carrot Cake’s daughter – proven through genetic testing, and of course she’s practically the spitting image of him – but Pound Cake?” Rarity shrugged. “A recurrent stallion, apparently. My theory is a slip up with him caused a ‘slip up’ with Mr. Cake...” she blushed and cleared her throat. “Though that may be, er, personal experience talking…”

Twilight flattened her ears. “I-I didn’t even consider… poor Pinkie Pie…”

“Yes,” Rarity nodded. “Poor Pinkie Pie indeed. The Cakes sold their land and went their separate ways – Cup Cake only received custody of Pound Cake, by the way, so the twins were separated as well – and Pinkie Pie was left jobless and homeless. I’ve seen her twice since then.” Rarity turned to the small table in the corner and levitated a picture of Applejack and Pinkie Pie playing with a newborn Jasper. “Immediately after the births of my children… actually, she was nearly present for Moonstone’s birth. We downplayed my pregnancy as much as possible and even decided on a homebirth, so how Pinkie managed to be there at the right time is still beyond my comprehension.”

Pinkie Pie had always been beyond Twilight’s comprehension, but there were more serious matters that needed to be addressed. “When did all of this happen?”

“Around a year after you vanished, I believe. I had already moved to Canterlot at that time.” Rarity stared at the photograph, and a tiny smile finally managed to win its way onto her face. “I had almost forgotten what it was like to have her around, but I suppose that’s the purpose of photographs, no? She was such a bundle of energy!” Rarity laughed and placed the photograph carefully aside. “Oh, but I suppose that’s all beside the point isn’t it? I’m more optimistic with Moonstone. Fancy Pants treats her no differently than Jasper, even though he’s fully aware of the difference. That’s the key, I believe.”

Twilight managed a brief smile before it fell back into a frown. “You’re saying it hasn’t put a strain on your relationship…?”

As Twilight expected, Rarity winced, but fortunately was quick to counter. “Yes, yes of course it has… I won’t lie to you, Twilight, it indeed has. But we will always be parents and, for the time being, business partners.” She sighed and looked at the floor. “I-I’m trying my best… he… he’s gone on business often. He’s been the frontpony for Carousel Boutique since Jasper was born. When we’re together I feel like we talk more about financials than anything else… and when I say ‘talk’, I of course mean ‘argue’…” Her ears sunk down against her head, and she stole a glance at the door. “I’m trying so hard, but I-I…” She grimaced as tears pooled in her eyes. “I know I’m being unfair to Moonstone. I’m being selfish – you know that’s not me, Twilight! I just… I feel so… stuck.”

Rarity sniffed and looked away as a few tears began to roll down her face, but what Twilight saw in front of her was not a broken mare. The Rarity she remembered was a pony who would completely melt down if any small thing did not go according to plan. This side of Rarity still had yet to show itself, and Twilight was beginning to think that she had matured out of it altogether. Although Twilight had never quite been able to fathom the sheer velocity of Rarity’s emotions on the occasions they got out of hoof, the need for perfection was something they could both relate to.

“Let me help you,” Twilight said. Her expression was still serious, but there was a softness in her tone. “We can figure this out together. I’m sure there must be another pony in the historical records with a similar situation. We can compare them with you and work on a plan from there.”

Rarity dabbed at her eyes. “That means a lot to me, Twilight, but I already have a plan in motion.”

Twilight perked her ears, intrigued. “Oh?”

Rarity sighed heavily. “I’ve been trying to protect Moonstone from the public eye by keeping her out of it. I know this won’t work in the long run, but the only reason she’s in the spotlight in the first place is because of me…” Rarity’s voice faded off until it was barely more than a whisper, and she stole another glance at the door before continuing. “Twilight, I’m planning on selling Carousel Boutique and retiring from the fashion industry all together. Within the next year, I’m hoping.”

“O-oh, wow…” Whatever Twilight had expected Rarity to say, that wasn’t it. “Are you sure? I mean, it’s your life’s work!”

“My children must come before it. As with all things, though, there are complications…”

“Such as…?”

“Well, er…” Rarity flattened her ears. “As it happens, I actually had the Carousel Boutique incorporated. I only own thirty percent of the company.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “That doesn’t keep you from selling your shares and exiting, though, does it?”

Rarity shook her head. “No, technically speaking. I could be done with it if I wanted to be, but it’s privately incorporated. As in, most of the shares are all owned by my immediate family members.” She paused and put a hoof to her chin. “Fancy Pants owns thirty percent, his parents and my parents both own ten, Sweetie Belle owns ten, and the remainder is divided among various family and friends.”

Generous percentages, especially from a booming business, but it came as a relief to Twilight, who would have expected nothing less. “I still don’t see how that’s preventing your exit, though.”

Rarity sighed. “Twilight, my parents and Sweetie Belle depend on those dividends. Sweetie Belle almost exclusively, given her rather pathetic annual income. Considering I’m the lead designer, head of management, and either me or Fancy get the final say on almost everything that happens, well… I’m sure that my leaving would very negatively affect profits. As such, the price of the shares will drop. Even if I can sell to a respectable competitor, I doubt I’ll benefit financially from the transaction, and I really can’t see the Carousel Boutique ever reaching the same heights that it once had.”

“Even with all of that,” Twilight said, “you still think it’s the best solution?”

Rarity shook her head. “It’s my preferred solution, but I do have another. Or, at least, I had another until yesterday…”

Twilight tipped her head. “What do you mean?”

“The other option is to send Moonstone far away to where the paparazzi cannot reach her… Twilight, don’t look at me like that, I’m being serious! Allow me to explain!”

Twilight quirked a brow. “Alright. Go on.”

“Thank you. My plan was to send her to live with Fluttershy and Big McIntosh.” Rarity smiled and her eyes glazed over. “Couldn’t you imagine it? Growing up with two of the most loving ponies, the fresh air of the countryside, all of the cute little animals… it’s any child’s dream, Twilight! But…” Rarity shook her head. “I don’t think I could do it. You understand why, I’m sure.”

“…Besides the legal issues, you mean?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “I’m certain we could figure something out without the public catching wind. We’ve been very secretive of her, after all. I could say I was sending her to a medical institution far away!” Rarity smirked. “They’d never know. Not once has a rumour circulated revolving my infidelity. Not once! But Twilight, to give up my little filly…” She frowned. “That would be the ultimate sacrifice. However, I would have been willing to do it if I truly thought it would be best for all parties involved.” Rarity looked at Twilight with heavy eyes. “You said something yesterday that I think disproved that.”

“What did I say?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well… believe me, Twilight, I was trying to leave you and Princess Celestia in private, but during your conversation there was a moment where you… you began shouting,” Rarity explained and looked away.

Twilight blinked and tried to recall what Rarity was talking about. There had been a point when she was trying to explain her friends’ situations where her emotions got the best of her, but Twilight knew she had quieted before saying anything about Rarity. “Okay, go on?”

“Fluttershy is with foal?” Rarity stared anxiously at Twilight. “Is that true?”

Twilight opened her mouth and then closed it again to rethink her choice of words. “I… I thought you kept in contact with her?”

“I try, but she hasn’t responded in quite a while…” Rarity sighed and flattened her ears. “You see, Twilight, this plan I had for Moonstone hinged on the fact that Fluttershy and Big Mac are both very lovely and very family-oriented, but unable to carry a child to term. She experienced difficulties getting pregnant, and the two times that she did both ended in miscarriages, unfortunately.”

Two times… Twilight mused this new information over in her head; Fluttershy had only mentioned the one. Regardless, Fluttershy was very obviously close to a successful delivery, and it was hard to argue that Rarity, who already had parenting experience, wouldn’t have been the most obvious choice for her to confide in. So why didn’t she?

“Ironically, I only pronounced her a godmare of Blue Jasper, as well a-as… well, Sweetie Belle actually holds the title over Moonstone, but she’s flat out refused the plan herself… that being said, she still doesn’t know of the alternative. For the better, really,” Rarity continued, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts. “And look at me, Twilight, going off and having two accidental foals when Fluttershy would give just about anything to have one herself! It’s really no wonder that she wouldn’t want to speak with me, is it?”

“That can’t be the reason…” Twilight muttered, mostly to herself. Fluttershy was far too kind to hold a grudge against another pony, especially under circumstances that they couldn’t control. Almost as soon as that thought ran through her mind, Applejack startled her as she remembered the exception.

“Er, Twilight? Are you all right? You look - ”

“You still keep in touch with Applejack.” Twilight spoke her words not as a question, but as a statement.

Rarity bit her lip. “Of course I do. More often than Fluttershy as of late, though I still haven’t heard from her in a few weeks. I’ve been getting worried, to be honest.”

“They must have thought you’d tell Applejack if they told you…” Twilight stood up and started pacing. “They didn’t want Applejack to know there was a strong chance they’d be leaving because of the foal. But… why? Why leave her in the dark until the last second?” Twilight paused and looked over at Rarity. “That’s cruel, isn’t it? Just up and leaving with no warning whatsoever?”

To Twilight’s surprise, Rarity rolled her eyes. “Indeed Twilight, but I think they felt there were more dire consequences on the line than Applejack’s life.”

Twilight quirked a brow. “What could possibly be more important than somepony’s life?”

Rarity sighed. “Their child’s life, clearly.”

Twilight’s confused expression did not let up. “What do you mean? How would an unborn foal’s life be on the line if they just told Applejack the truth?”

“Twilight…” Rarity groaned and gave Twilight a hard look through her glasses. “Well, I’m not surprised that they didn’t tell you. Applejack doesn’t fully understand the situation and Fluttershy is too blinded by sorrow to see the truth.”

Twilight ran an agitated hoof along the carpet. “What are you talking about?!”

“Fluttershy feels that Applejack is responsible for her second miscarriage,” Rarity said. Twilight blinked but Rarity swiftly continued. “She isn’t, of course. She claims Applejack attacked her, and while that may or may not be true, there was a one-week delay between the confrontation and the actual miscarriage. Given Fluttershy’s track record, I believe it was simply an unfortunate coincidence.”

Twilight was quiet for a few moments before deciding to sink back into the chair. “That…” Twilight’s ears flattened against her head. “Explains a lot.”

“So… you’ve just sort of… fallen out?” Twilight asked, her voice a bit hollow.

“Well…” Fluttershy looked away from Twilight. “There’s more to it, but…” She hesitated, tears forming in her eyes.

Twilight was certain now of what Fluttershy was referring to. There were very few things that Fluttershy’s kind heart would consider unforgivable, but this situation would certainly be one of them. And Applejack…

“…What did you do to her?” Twilight felt daring asking it. She wasn’t expecting a response.

Applejack was quiet for several moment. “Can’t tell ya, Twilight. Ah barely even remember what happened… blind rage… you’d… you’d hate me, too…”

Fluttershy was the only pony who could vouch for what actually happened, and her view on the matter was solid. Now, years later, the truth was irrelevant.

“It’s difficult not to feel horribly sorry for Applejack,” Rarity continued, her voice firm. “Her family was everything to her and they’ve left her one by one, but I have offered my friendship and wealth many times and she has been quite resolute in her decision to refuse help.”

“Her pride is all she has left…” Twilight sighed. “I need to go back to see her again. I’m worried.”

“I would very much appreciate that, Twilight. I… I should go with you, but…” Rarity looked away. “Well, I suppose Applejack should come before my work, shouldn’t she? I have a lot on my plate, but you’re right to be concerned.”

Twilight offered a small smile. “I’m sure Applejack would really appreciate that.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right.”

“We could go see Rainbow Dash first - ”

“N-NO!” Rarity screeched. Twilight flattened her ears and winced, prompting Rarity to blush. “Er, excuse me, I… no, I cannot see Rainbow Dash.”

“Why not?”

“…Twilight,” Rarity said, speaking slowly as to emphasize each word. “Rainbow Dash must not know anything about Moonstone. If she asks, feign ignorance.”

“Moonstone…?”

“Well.” Rarity fidgeted in her seat. “Their mutual connection to the Wonderbolts worries me is all…”

Twilight had already put that together, but the bigger question was why Rarity preferred not to know anything about the father of her own child. Twilight supposed that it wasn’t her place to ask. “I wasn’t planning on visiting Rainbow to discuss Moonstone, you know.” Twilight offered a smile, but Rarity refused to make eye contact. “There’s lots of other things to talk about. I wouldn’t even mention it.”

“…”

“…Rarity?”

“…TWILIGHT I’M A HORRIBLE PONY!” Rarity erupted into violent, wracking sobs and curled into a ball on the couch. “I’M A COWARD! I’M TIRED OF THESE SECRETS, BUT THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO WITHOUT MAKING IT WORSE!”

Twilight leapt out of her seat, and Rarity practically threw herself onto Twilight as she joined her on the couch.

This was the Rarity that Twilight remembered. Twilight stroked Rarity’s back and gently shushed her, but her mind was racing to figure out what had caused her to crack. Rainbow Dash was undoubtedly more involved than Rarity was willing to let on…

“…I’m scared, Twilight,” Rarity whimpered and separated herself from her friend. “I’m sorry, but I… I don’t even have the right to look Rainbow Dash in the eyes after what I’ve done – and to be perfectly frank, I don’t think she’s even aware of it.” Rarity’s ears drooped. “That only makes it worse. And to think that we were once so close… I’m so sorry.”

“Rarity?”

Both mares turned to see Sweetie Belle poking her head through the door. She hesitated, then took a few steps into the room. “Rarity, you should go with Twilight.”

“S-Sweetie Belle…” Rarity protested and glowered at her sister. “Were you eavesdropping?! Where are the kids?”

“I think all of Canterlot could hear you, sis,” Sweetie Belle said with an eyeroll. “Moonstone was asleep – not sure if she still is – and Jasper’s still moping around outside. I just came to get supper started, but…”

Rarity groaned and waved her away with a hoof. “Forget about that. No offense, but I will not subject Twilight to your cooking.”

“Louie likes my cooking.”

“Jasper likes everypony’s cooking. And don’t call him Louie!” Rarity snapped. “You know he hates that.”

“Ugh…” Sweetie Belle glared back. “Rarity, you need to go with Twilight.”

Rarity tore her furious expression away from Sweetie Belle and softened it before her eyes landed on Twilight. “I’m so sorry, Twilight, but I… I can’t. Please understand…”

Twilight glanced between the two sisters. “Um… that’s fine, it was just a suggestion - ”

Sweetie Belle pawed anxiously at the carpet with one forehoof. “This could be your chance to sort everything out!”

“I am resolute on this matter,” Rarity huffed. “You will not change my mind. Now, if you will excuse me, I must check on Moonstone and Jasper – somepony has to, after all – and then I will get dinner started.” With that, she rose from the couch and marched straight out of the room.

As soon as her sister was out of earshot, Sweetie Belle’s ears drooped and she took Rarity’s spot on the couch. Twilight resettled back on the chair. “She’s always like that,” Sweetie Belle said bitterly, glaring at the door from which Rarity left. “Ever since Rainbow served jail time, things have just been weird between them. I can’t even mention her name if Rarity’s in the room.”

“Hmm…” Twilight mused. Was it really something to do with Moonstone? It seemed like a weak excuse from a mare who tended to over-embellish. “Do you know why, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle’s eyes flicked to the doorway, then she snuck closer to Twilight. “I think I know why,” Sweetie Belle whispered. “I don’t want Rarity to know I know. I’ll tell you later.”

Twilight nodded, starting to wonder if this was something she would regret finding out. It was painful enough just knowing how much all of her friends had come to dislike each other…

“Twilight?” Sweetie Belle asked, her green eyes shining with excitement and a small smile playing on her lips. “Um, can I ask you something? A favour?”

“Uh,” Twilight hesitated, a bit surprised. “Well, I guess so?”

“I want to come with you, to Cloudsdale,” Sweetie Belle announced. “If Rarity won’t go, then… I can take her place, sort of. Scootaloo lives there, and, well… I’ve never actually been there because, y’know, no wings.”

Twilight smiled. “Of course you can. I’d appreciate the company.”

“Yes!” Sweetie Belle cheered. “Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash are still friends, you know. I bet we could get loads of dirt off of her.”

It wasn’t the way Twilight would have liked to put it, but any information was good at this point. “I was planning on leaving tomorrow morning, if that’s okay with you?”

“Oh yeah.” Sweetie Belle laughed. “I don’t work for, like, another two weeks. Eee! Jazzy’s gonna be so jealous – I don’t even know another unicorn who’s been to Cloudsdale!”

“Oh, so you’re going to Cloudsdale too, are you?” Rarity’s voice cut across. She had re-entered the room carrying Moonstone in her magic, but the foal squirmed at the sight of Sweetie Belle and Rarity gently released her onto the floor. Jasper stood quietly beside his mother, clearly picking up on her emotions.

Moonstone squealed excitedly and launched herself into Sweetie Belle’s waiting grasp. “Aw, hey Moo!” she cooed, then flattened her ears and stared at Rarity. “Well… yeah. I mean, you weren’t gonna go, so…”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “It matters not. Do what you’d like. I don’t care.” The tone of her voice suggested that she did care, so Twilight proceeded with caution.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you and Rainbow Dash – or anypony and Rainbow Dash, actually,” Twilight said. “But I’m determined to get to the bottom of everything so that I can fix this mess I caused - ”

“My life doesn’t need fixing, Twilight…” Rarity spoke her words very calmly, very clearly. “I know where you’re coming from – believe me, I would be absolutely distraught if it were me in your hooves – but… well, what’s done is done. The choices I’ve made in my life may have been influenced by your disappearance early on, but they were my choices and my choices alone.”

Twilight shook her head. “You two were friends. You were all friends. It isn’t that I want to fix your life, but I still feel obligated to help you remember our friendship – us, the six elements – maybe you don’t need help, but Applejack and Fluttershy do.”

“Rainbow Dash will not help you, nor will she take kindly to your reappearance, I can assure you.” Rarity glowered at her, but Twilight refused to break eye contact. “Let me give you some advice, Twilight… Go back to the Crystal Empire.” Rarity sighed. “Be with your family. They are your essence. They will help you heal. You don’t need to worry about us. None of this was your fault.”

“Rarity - ”

“That’s all I have to say. Dinner will be ready in ten.”

Rarity turned tail and swiftly disappeared back into the kitchen. Blue Jasper hesitated, his little ears flat to his head. He looked anxiously at Sweetie Belle for a moment, then ran after his mother.

Twilight watched him go, then drooped with an exasperated sigh. “Just great…” She felt like she had finally been getting somewhere with Rarity, but one mention of Rainbow Dash and she was back to square one. She looked sideways at Sweetie Belle. “…do you think she’s right?” Twilight asked, a pang of worry in her voice. “You’d know better than I would, Sweetie Belle. Should I just leave everyone be…?”

Twilight was surprised when Sweetie Belle furrowed her brow and huffed her annoyance. “No! I’m tired of seeing my sister like this! This isn’t her and it isn’t right!”

“Sweetie Belle…”

Sweetie Belle met Twilight’s gaze firmly. No longer was it filled with the shy respect of a foal, but with the steely determination of somepony who had been pushed beyond her limit. “We need to figure this out, Twilight. I know Scootaloo feels the same way.”

Twilight nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude and relief. She wasn’t alone in her anxiety. This was support that she desperately needed. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

Author's Note

Hey all, it's been exactly ten years. One decade. This chapter I wrote eight years ago. Short explanation: I fell out of the fandom, and by the time I'd finished the chapter, I worried it had been too long since I last updated and wasn't sure if I had time or interest in finishing it. I've been steadily continuing this fic and feel comfortable now publishing chapter 12. I did always want to finish it and regretted leaving it where I did. If anybody is still around all these years later - I am amazed and humbled, and hope you don't hate me.

13. Cloud Walking

Dinner wasn’t as tense as Twilight worried it would be. Rarity had pulled out all of the stops – golden-trimmed dishes, sparkling silverware, and wine that Rarity insisted was bottled before Twilight’s disappearance. Rarity and Sweetie Belle both had plenty of lighter stories to share. Twilight particularly enjoyed hearing the rather dramatic recounting of Blue Jasper’s birth. Jasper pitched in on the story a few times, clearly having heard this several times before. Rarity dropped Rainbow Dash’s name easily during her recount. Sweetie Belle seemed to be correct in saying things only became tense between them after Rainbow had spent time in jail…

Rarity had prepared a daisy salad for a starter and a cauliflower gratin for their main course, and all of them were stuffed by the end of it. Even little Moonstone had eaten a fair share from her highchair. Twilight had wondered in the back of her mind where Fancy Pants was, and fortunately, Jasper eventually asked the question for her. “Mummy? When’s Daddy coming home?”

Rarity glanced over as she began clearing the plates away with her magic. “Five more sleeps, love.” She turned toward Twilight. “Fancy has been attending a business conference in Manehatten. He left just a day before you arrived, Twilight.”

Jasper’s ears drooped, and he sulked out of the dining room. Sweetie Belle followed him with a smile. “Where are you going, mister? Don’t we have some math homework to get started on?”

“Aww, Auntie Belle…” Jasper sighed.

“Thank you, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said gratefully. Plates cleared, she began leading Twilight out of the kitchen. “Well, I’d best show you where you can sleep for the night and get cleaned up, no? Come, we have a guest room just down this hall.”

It was still pretty early for bed, but it wasn’t Twilight’s place to argue. “Thank you.”

The guest bedroom was very white. White walls, carpet, bedsheets, and even white lampshades. A brown wooden bureau and a painting of the Canterlot air harbour provided the only colour variation in the entire room. Twilight was irrationally afraid of somehow staining it when she entered. “The washroom is just across the hall, you won’t have to share it with anypony else unless Sweetie Belle stays over. Which, now that I think about it…” Rarity sighed and rolled her eyes. “She may. I still cannot believe she wanted to go to Cloudsdale with you!”

Twilight smiled gently. “I think she was just curious because she’s never been. I don’t think she meant to offend you.”

Rarity huffed. “Yes, well, she's made her motives quite clear to me in the past. She is always checking if I'm keeping in touch with Applejack, and won't stop trying to convince me that I should be on speaking terms with Rainbow Dash again.” Twilight hesitated as Rarity's expression furrowed as if that were the most ridiculous suggestion in the world. “I suppose I must warn you, though I'm sure you've gathered as much already, but Rainbow has changed a lot in ten years.” Rarity frowned. “I know we never seemed it, but we were quite similar, me and her. We both passionately chased our dreams after you departed, and found fame and success alongside them. But, well... no, I suppose I shouldn't tell her story. I can tell it won't change your decision to visit her anyhow.”

“It won't,” Twilight said firmly. Rainbow Dash was the element of loyalty, and Twilight owed her a dose of it. “And if I still don't have any leads on Pinkie Pie, I'll circle back to Applejack and Fluttershy. They could both really use a friend right now.” Her expression was pointed, and Rarity shifted uncomfortably.

“Y-yes, well, if you do, certainly let me know. Perhaps if Fancy is back by then...”

Rarity departed down the hall, but the insincerity in her voice continued to ring through Twilight's ears.

...

Twilight awoke the next morning having slept better than she had the last few nights. Sweetie Belle was bright and alert for how early it was, and already had a purple saddlebag emblazoned with the Carousel Boutique's logo draped over her back when Twilight emerged from the guest room.

The royal pegasus carriage arrived a little behind schedule, which was a first. The two guards looked a bit flustered as they touched down. “So sorry, Ms. Sparkle,” they hastily greeted. “Bit of a disturbance at the castle last night. Apologies for being late.”

“Everything alright?” Twilight prompted with a frown.

“Yes, yes, everything is fine now,” one of them answered. “Just a security breach. Happens every once in a while – that's why the Royal Guard exists, after all. Let me get the door for you and your friend.”

Rarity, Jasper, and Moonstone waved from the ground as Twilight and Sweetie Belle climbed higher and higher into the sky. Twilight quickly forgot about the event at the castle. Sweetie Belle's mood continued to lift along with the carriage, the unbridled glee reminding Twilight of the young foal trying so desperately to find her cutie mark.

The pegasi touched down in Cloudsdale. At a glance, Twilight couldn't tell any major differences from ten years ago, but Twilight had also only been here a small number of times. It bustled with busy pegasi, who weaved expertly around each other in mid-air and darted in and out of buildings made of clouds. Sweetie Belle gleefully crouched as if to jump off, and Twilight abruptly turned. “Sweetie, wait!” Fortunately Sweetie hesitated, allowing Twilight a chance to actually perform the cloud-walking spell on both of them.

“Oh, right,” Sweetie Belle said sheepishly. She stepped out of the carriage more cautiously the second time, poking the cloud ground as if to test it first. She quickly gained confidence and was soon bouncing up and down like Pinkie Pie after a dozen cupcakes. “Whee! This is so fun!” Twilight jumped out after her, and waved at the pegasus guards as they departed. “How come we didn't go to Cloudsdale more often back when you owned that hot air balloon?!”

Twilight laughed. “I guess we just didn't have any reason to. There was always so much going on in Ponyville.”

Sweetie Belle grinned. “We'll make up for lost time. Literally.” She looked back and forth across the city. “Scootaloo works in the weather factory. I um... don't actually know where that is.” She smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head.

“I think I remember,” Twilight replied, gesturing upward to a large rainbow that enveloped the city. “We went there once before. This rainbow leads to it. It's at the very edge of Cloudsdale.” She gestured to where the rainbow ended and turned into a rainbow-coloured waterfall. Above the building were several newly-made dark clouds.

“Great!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, already trotting in the direction Twilight had pointed, before turning abruptly and widening her eyes. “Oh, wait, before we go – there's something I should probably tell you about Scootaloo.”

Twilight frowned. “What is it?”

“Oh, it's, well, it's really not that big of a deal, but...” Sweetie Belle hesitated. “Well, it would have been after you died – er, left – she was diagnosed with a bit of a problem with her wings. They never grew much as she got older. She figured out how to sort of fly, but not to the level of any normal pegasus. That's why she works a desk job.”

“Oh...” It was disheartening to imagine that little filly, who looked up so much to Rainbow Dash's incredible flying abilities, never being able to properly fly herself. “I'm sorry to hear that.”

Sweetie smiled and continued walking. “Nah, don't be. She never let it stop her. Her life's way more together than mine is. She's got a marefriend, a house, and a good job, and she's really happy.”

Eventually the pair reached the weather factory. Several pegasus ponies looked curiously over at them as they entered, clearly intrigued on how two unicorns managed to get up here in the first place. Sweetie Belle trotted confidently over to the receptionist, who lowered her glasses at the sight of them. “Hi! We're here to see Scootaloo? We're friends of hers!”

The receptionist paused, not finished looking them up and down. “Um... well, alright, then. I'll buzz her.”

In the meantime, Twilight and Sweetie Belle looked curiously around the factory. Pegasus ponies were flitting every which way, all adorned with cutie marks in the shape of clouds, or suns, or snowflakes. Many of them carried buckets filled with snow, water, or sometimes even liquid rainbow.

“Sweetie Belle?!” Sweetie Belle turned and squealed in excitement as a blur of orange ran to her and wrapped her in a hug. As Sweetie had mentioned, Scootaloo's wings were the size of foal wings, which looked odd on an adult frame. Her purple mane was slicked upward and forward slightly, and her cutie mark appeared to be a dark cloud with the sun poking out behind it, though there was an odd white outline over top of it that looked sort of like a shield. “What are you doing here?! How did you even get here?”

“Twilight brought me!” Sweetie Belle smiled over at Twilight.

Scootaloo turned quizzically to where Sweetie was looking. She smiled politely. “Oh, friend of yours? My name's Scootaloo - ”

“Scoots, she knows who you are!” Sweetie Belle interrupted, and Scootaloo frowned. “It's Twilight! Twilight Sparkle!”

Realization slowly dawned on Scootaloo's face, and her jaw slowly dropped. “What? No way. Aren't you dead?”

Twilight sighed. “No. I teleported myself ten years into the future and wasn't able to return back. I just arrived three days ago.”

“Whoa.” Scootaloo's amazed look dissolved into pity. “I'm so sorry. That mega sucks. So you're like, the same Twilight from ten years ago? Like... jeez, you haven't aged or anything.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes.” She smiled kindly, hoping to alleviate the dip in mood. “Last I saw you, you stood about this high,” Twilight raised a hoof to shoulder level, “and you didn't have a cutie mark.”

Without missing a beat, Scootaloo grinned. “My wings are about the same size though, huh?” Twilight's smile faltered, and Scootaloo laughed. “Don't worry about it. They just didn't grow. Didn't stop my cutie mark from being weather-related like half of the other pegasi in this place.”

Sweetie Belle squinted at Scootaloo's flank. “What's up with your cutie mark, anyways?”

“Oh, you mean the white thing?” Scootaloo shrugged. “Dunno, doesn't hurt or anything. Been meaning to get it checked out. Just woke up like that a few days ago.” The receptionist gave them an annoyed look, and Scootaloo laughed awkwardly. “Uh, okay, maybe we should move to my office, or we'll have an audience before long.” Twilight looked up and noted there were a few curious pegasi hesitating in their work to whisper or point down at her, but they quickly flitted off when spotted.

The floor of the weather factory looked like it was made with clouds, though it felt too solid for that to truly be the case. Still, cloudlike patterns swirled through the halls that Scootaloo led them down, until she eventually turned into an office that had her name inscribed. It was modestly sized, with a window that looked out into where the weather factory was pumping out clouds, and a desk with several stray papers and a large panel board on it. Also on it were several photos: an orange pegasus and brown earth pony smiling and leaning gently on one another; Scootaloo laughing with a mint green pegasus with a short, light blue mane; and what appeared to be a staff photo in the weather factory which included Scootaloo and a few dozen other pegasus ponies.

“This is where the magic happens,” Scootaloo joked, hopping into her desk chair and leaning back in it. “Sorry I only have one chair.”

Twilight looked around the room curiously. There was a diploma hanging on the wall. “What is it you do here, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo grinned at the question. “Basically I manage the weather teams and help organize the weather for certain areas. Obviously I'm not the best pony for actual weather team work,” she flapped her small wings to emphasize the point, “but I'm the brains behind the operation.”

“She's really important!” Sweetie Belle added excitedly. “She had to do, like, years of study.”

Scootaloo laughed softly at the praise. “But you two didn't come all this way to ask me about my job, did you?”

“I did!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with a giggle. “I've always wanted to see the weather factory! But Twilight came for Rainbow Dash. And, well, I guess we both kind of came for Rarity's sake.”

Scootaloo nodded absently. “Yeah, I figured... “ Scootaloo looked at Twilight. “Rarity probably gave you the details, right?”

“Rarity wouldn't tell me anything,” Twilight said bitterly, though given how biased Rarity was, that was probably for the best. “Nobody would tell me anything about Rainbow Dash, other than she went to jail and is like a different pony now.”

Scootaloo's brow furrowed. “Yeah? Did anyone mention that those charges were bullshit?”

Twilight glanced at Sweetie Belle, who looked equally quizzical. “The flying under the influence charges?” Twilight pressed.

Scootaloo nodded fervently. “Me and Mist are building a case around it – Misty Way, my marefriend.” Scootaloo nodded at the photo on the desk. “She's a lawyer.”

“I thought you dropped that because you couldn't get any evidence,” Sweetie Belle said, quirking a brow. “Literally nopony except you thinks this, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “There's a huge history of drugs in the Wonderbolts – Dash isn't into that. We just have to prove that the police didn't do thorough testing, and I know they didn't. It wasn't alcohol – at least, not the first time. Somebody drugged her.” All these years later, and Scootaloo's steadfast loyalty to Rainbow Dash hadn't wavered. Maybe there were some bonds in this new world that were too strong to be broken. Sweetie Belle scoffed but didn't say anything. Scootaloo grinned at her. “We've got some new evidence to back it up – gotta run it by Dash before I tell you, though.”

“I hope you're right, Scootaloo,” Twilight said, offering a small smile. “How... how is she, nowadays?”

Scootaloo sighed and looked at Sweetie Belle, who frowned but nodded to urge her to continue. “Not good...” She hesitated, gauging Twilight's reaction. “Really, she's not been good ever since you vanished. It took her a really long time to accept it, but work was like her rock. No matter how she felt outside the stadium, she always put on an amazing performance when it was time to fly. But then after the first “FUI” got her kicked off the Wonderbolts, she went into a spiral. I could pull strings and get her old job at the weather factory back, but she won't go for it.” Scootaloo sighed. “From your perspective, Twilight, she'd be unrecognizable. A completely different pony. It's hard to have a conversation with her without it ending in a yelling match. I hate it, but I try my best to stay in her life, no matter how much she doesn't want me to.”

Twilight nodded slowly. None of this was really new information. It was the details that would be hard to hear. “Can you tell me what you mean, Scootaloo?” Twilight asked. Scootaloo flattered her ears and looked away. “Please. Everything in my life has changed. Nothing will shock me anymore.”

“She's a drunkard,” Sweetie Belle filled in. Scootaloo glared over at her but didn't say anything. Sweetie Belle's face softened. “Sorry Scoots, but Twilight deserves to know, and better she find out from us than seeing for herself.”

It wasn't exactly a surprising revelation given the multiple FUI charges, but it still stung to hear it said out loud. Scootaloo was still looking away – it looked like it hurt her even more. “Scootaloo,” Twilight prompted, “please, I want to help her. I want to be there for her, even if nopony else will.”

Scootaloo cracked a small smile. “Yeah. That's what everyone said at first. All your other friends gave up on her one by one.” The bitterness in tone caused Twilight to frown. “Applejack cut off ties first, before any of the Wonderbolts stuff went down. I know she had her reasons, but that hurt Dash the worst. Fluttershy should have tried harder, being a pegasus herself, but I think she was too afraid to do anything. Rarity...”

“I know it's not an excuse,” Sweetie Belle said nervously, “but her life just got too hectic and public to be able to do anything to help. She sends letters to everyone still, as far as I know, but Rainbow never writes back.”

“And Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked.

Scootaloo shrugged. “Still visits sometimes, but Dash hates it. I think it reminds her of the old days. She comes on this crazy flying bicycle contraption thing - I dunno how else to explain it. But, it's Pinkie Pie, is anything really that weird with her?”

The old days... Twilight's heart panged. Rarity's warnings were replaying in her head. “Do you think she'd even want to see me?”

Sweetie Belle frowned, but Scootaloo smiled sadly. “No, probably not – but that doesn't mean it's not the right thing to do.” Scootaloo stood up and trotted to her office door. “I should go and warn her you're coming. Got today's work done early and have some personal time I need to use up. She's in the same house, but it's been moved to Cloudsdale. It's not far from here, just take a left out of the factory and go straight.”

“Thanks, Scootaloo.” Scootaloo nodded at her and departed.

Sweetie Belle turned to Twilight. “Guess we should just hang out for a bit. I'll stay back and give you and Rainbow Dash some privacy.” Sweetie Belle's ears flattened. “Given everything that's happened between Dash and Rarity, she might not appreciate me being there.”

Oh, right. “Sweetie Belle, you said you thought you knew what was going on between Rainbow and Rarity...”

“Yeah...” Sweetie Belle sighed. “Well, it was a while ago, but Rarity agreed to have Carousel Boutique sponsor the Wonderbolts – specifically Rainbow Dash, back when she was still on the team. She did it as a goodwill gesture, wasn't actually expecting anything in return. But then all the FUI stuff happened, and Rainbow's picture was plastered all over the papers, so Rarity withdrew the sponsorship.” Sweetie Belle shrugged. “I figure that's gotta be a big part of why Rainbow's mad. I don't think the money mattered, just the lack of support.”

Lack of support seemed to be a recurring theme. Was Twilight really the glue in their friend group? Maybe she was the reason they were friends in the first place, but they had all seemed so close. Twilight thought for a moment, nearly dropped the subject, then decided to continue with “Rarity told me not to mention Moonstone to Rainbow Dash.”

Sweetie Belle blinked at her. “Moonstone?” Her voice dropped to whisper. “...Because of the Wonderbolt affair thing?”

The confusion on Sweetie's face was enough for Twilight to change topics. “Yeah, I guess so.” She shrugged at the exit. “We could go tour Cloudsdale for a bit, if you want.” Sweetie brightened and nodded, and the two headed out.

...

Aside from being in the wrong location, the cloudominium looked very similar to how Twilight remembered it, though the rainbow rivers that used to flow through the multiple stories and cascade off clouds around the edge were no longer present. Twilight had rarely been inside of it due to the impracticality, but she knew Rainbow used to take great pride in maintaining the exterior.

Sweetie Belle had stayed back; she'd quickly made friends with some locals and was insistent on not seeing Rainbow Dash. So Twilight approached the door alone, her heart picking up pace. She hadn't had as much to think about before meeting her other friends. “Ignorance is bliss” - a proverb Twilight had heard before, but profoundly rejected until the last few days. The pony on the other side of this door had been arrested multiple times, spent time in jail, lost her career, and wasn't on speaking terms with Applejack nor Rarity.

...Was this pony really Rainbow Dash anymore?

Twilight took a deep breath, then knocked twice.

Author's Note

I sincerely appreciate the support left on the last chapter regarding my decision to revisit this story after ten full years. I was a little worried it wouldn't be well received after all this time, but I'm glad I was wrong. :yay: I've dove into writing this fic full force again and it feels like the old days. That said, this is the first chapter that was partly written in today's era, so I could sprinkle some of the post-season 3 canon into it with Scootaloo.

For the time being I'm only going to be updating on this site, as fanfiction.net is broken right now and I don't think anybody even realized I updated there, lol. I've edited a notice into the last chapter to come here instead.

14. Stale Cider

The door swung open, and Scootaloo silently gestured for her to come inside with a reassuring smile and nod. Twilight entered, noticing first that the room looked relatively put together, or at least certainly more than Twilight was expecting based on everything that had been said about Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo subtly stuck a broom in the other room. There was a lingering smell of old cider in the air, not quite hidden by the scent of cleaning spray.

Rainbow Dash hesitantly stepped forward, but stopped a good distance from Twilight and stared wide-eyed at her. She'd put on weight since Twilight had last seen her; sleek, toned muscles no longer showed through her coat. Twilight was used to Rainbow's mane and feathers being in a constant state of windswept, but now they just looked unkempt – a few feathers stuck at odd angles, begging to be preened, and her mane had been chopped unprofessionally. Twilight's eyes drifted back up to meet Rainbow's, and she noted they were tear-brimmed. “It... it's you... it really is you...” she croaked. Twilight had never heard that much emotion in Rainbow's voice before, and she fought to keep tears out of her own eyes.

In that moment, Twilight forgot everything she was worried about when she'd knocked on the door, and ran to her. Rainbow buried her face into Twilight's neck and sobbed. Twilight pulled her closer with one hoof, using the other to brace from falling over as Rainbow sunk all of her weight into the hug. The smell of old cider increased tenfold. Twilight had never witnessed Rainbow breaking down like this before. In fact, none of her friends had reacted this violently to her reappearance, save Rarity, but Rarity could be like that when she was caught off guard. Rainbow Dash was always the tough one. The one who didn't need help from anyone; the one who always needed others to know she was confident and sure about everything she did.

Twilight wasn't sure she'd ever seen anypony so unlike Rainbow Dash in her life – the irony being that this was Rainbow Dash.

Just when the hug was getting awkwardly long, the weight lifted, and Twilight noted Scootaloo gently pulling Rainbow Dash off of her. “C'mon, let's go sit down, okay?” Scootaloo urged, directing her out of the entryway and toward the couches. Rainbow nodded and continued on her own. Twilight followed, trying not to let the overwhelming worry show on her face.

From what Twilight could remember, Rainbow Dash's home used to be decorated with Wonderbolts memorabilia. The ripped corners of old posters were the only things that still hung on the walls. The room seemed very empty, save the couch, a few chairs, and a table in the middle. There was a side table with a few photos on it. One was a young Scootaloo showing off her cutie mark with tropical trees and sand in the background. The white outline that currently rested on her flank wasn't present in the picture. Twilight also noticed a picture of herself, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie outside of Sugar Cube Corner. Their other friends weren't represented in photographs.

Rainbow Dash sat upright on the couch, still staring at Twilight as if afraid if she looked away, she would vanish. Scootaloo and Twilight settled themselves on opposite chairs. Twilight was glad Scootaloo had decided to stick around. She wasn't sure she could handle this new Rainbow Dash on her own.

“So...” Rainbow said, looking back and forth between Scootaloo and Twilight, before focusing back on Twilight. “Y-you weren't dead? Just... messed up a spell?”

Twilight's ears flattened. “Yes. I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

Rainbow flattened her ears too and looked away. She exhaled sharply. “It's cool. I-I mean, I'm fine. I just kind of missed you, that's all...” The flippant dismissal of a complete breakdown wasn't going to fool anyone, let alone two of her best friends... if Twilight could still count herself among them.

There were a few angles Twilight could try to approach this from. She wasn't sure how much Scootaloo had told her, outside of the reason Twilight was here. Maybe she should just start from the beginning. “That's good to hear...” Twilight said as Scootaloo frowned over at Rainbow. “What... what happened since I was gone?”

Rainbow drew circles into her couch with a hoof. She was quiet for several moments. Twilight waited patiently. “It was hard when you just left all of a sudden, you know?” Rainbow finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I... well... I hurt Applejack real bad, we aren't friends anymore...” Rainbow hung her head. “It was an accident. But I had to leave Ponyville.” It was a very rough description compared to Applejack's side of the story. A quarter of the trees at Sweet Apple acres gone, and Applejack left with an injury that would hinder her to this day. But because Twilight already knew the story, she didn't press it. “So I moved to Cloudsdale, near the weather factory. I worked there back then. And then I made it into the Wonderbolt's recruit training, and then the reserves, and then became an actual Wonderbolt. But then I got kicked off.” Rainbow describing reaching and then destroying her life's goal in such a brief and casual way was hard to listen to. Rainbow continued to look away. “Then I did some bad stuff Twilight. And I went to jail for it. And now I just do community work through the rehabilitation program... and... that's it.”

Ten years summarized in a handful of sentences. “What about our other friends?” Twilight pressed.

Rainbow still wouldn't meet Twilight's eyes. “I dunno. You'd have to ask them, I guess.”

“You don't talk to them anymore?” Twilight tried very hard to sound curious and confused rather than judgmental, and it seemed to have worked, because Rainbow just shook her head.

“Nah. Well, I can't leave Cloudsdale because of – uh, because I've been busy,” Rainbow hastily cut herself off and paused awkwardly, but Twilight didn't call her out on it, so she continued. “Not that they'd want to I guess, but none of them could visit me anyways. They aren't pegasi.” For the first time, Rainbow Dash paused and looked Twilight up and down. “Wait, how are you even here right now?”

“Cloud walking spell – like during the Young Fliers competition, remember?” Rainbow tipped her head but didn't question it further. Maybe she really didn't remember. “And what about Fluttershy? She never visited you?”

“Fluttershy...” Rainbow Dash scoffed at first, but Twilight watched quietly as her ears and wings drooped and her gaze fell to the floor. “I-I haven't heard that name in ages... I... I miss her. She never visits... why doesn't she ever visit?”

“I'm sure she'd love to see you,” Twilight said kindly as Rainbow Dash sniffed. “Why don't you visit her?” Scootaloo immediately caught Twilight's eyes and shook her head no. Rainbow looked up at her, brow furrowed. Twilight frowned and tried to backtrack. “We – we could go together - ”

“Why the buck is it my job to visit Fluttershy, huh?” Rainbow challenged and began hovering, her wings beating furiously but unevenly. She swayed from side to side in midair. “Because I'm the element of loyalty? Is that it?” She edged closer to Twilight, and Scootaloo stood up. “You think it's my fault nopony likes each other anymore, right? That's what you think, isn't it!” Rainbow was so close now that Twilight could feel her breath as her voice increased in volume. She flinched at the scent. “Well, it's not! I've... I've...”

Scootaloo reared onto her hind legs to pull Dash back to the floor, where she collapsed and began sobbing. Scootaloo and Twilight shared a concerned look, and Twilight hesitantly walked over and crouched down. Rainbow flinched as Twilight gently tried to stroke her back, and immediately stood and walked back to her chair. “...It's not my fault...” she muttered, no longer meeting Twilight's gaze.

“I... I never said...” Twilight stuttered, no longer confident in leading the conversation. She looked desperately at Scootaloo, who had just resettled herself in the opposite chair.

“Twilight already knows about the FUIs, Dash,” Scootaloo said, prompting a glare from Rainbow. “Why don't you tell her your side of the story?”

Rainbow huffed. “Why does she know? You told her?” Scootaloo shook her head, and Dash hesitantly met Twilight's eyes. “I-I'm sorry Twilight. You probably think I'm such a loser... I guess I kinda am...”

“No,” Twilight insisted, “I just need to know what happened when I was gone. I won't judge you. I promise.”

Rainbow Dash was quiet for a moment. “Well...” She was quiet for another moment. “Well... after I got accepted onto the Wonderbolts, I started going to their parties and stuff. They were... awesome. Like, out of this world awesome.” A smile snuck its way onto Rainbow's face and she sat up, flexing her wings at the memory. “Any time they perform on the road they invite local celebrities and stuff. Anyways, it was just another party, me and Soarin were chilling with all the upper-class Manehatten ponies. Wish I remembered more of it...”

Twilight tipped her head. “Who's Soarin?”

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash gave a small laugh. “Well, he's my ex-coltfriend now. But he was part of the Wonderbolts until a little while ago. Maybe you remember him – he was at your brother's wedding, part of all the Wonderbolts shows, stuff like that.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “He's this big blue guy. Total jerk.”

Rainbow Dash scowled back. “Soarin wasn't a jerk! He helped me through everything with the FUI charges and getting kicked off the Wonderbolts. We just kinda drifted apart after the jail thing, that's all.”

Twilight was more inclined to believe Scootaloo at this point, but it wasn't worth pursuing. “So you... got drunk and left the party and got arrested...?”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “No idea. Woke up in the hospital. Never been that hungover in my life. Apparently my blood alcohol was over the limit and I crashed through some big important building. Had cuts from the glass all over me.” Twilight winced. “And it went super public.” Rainbow frowned. “That's what did me in. Not like a Wonderbolt had never gotten an FUI charge before, but usually they could keep it a secret. It was so embarrassing.”

Twilight opened her mouth to ask about the other charges, but Scootaloo cut her off. “It wasn't alcohol, Dash. It was drugs. And I have proof!”

Rainbow Dash quirked a brow. “Uh, hate to tell you squirt, but doesn't matter what kinda influence it was – an FUI is an FUI.”

Scootaloo glanced over at Twilight. “Yeah, it does matter – but I'll tell you later, after Twilight leaves.”

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. “Eh, tell me now. If it's really that good, maybe Twilight should hear it.”

Scootaloo looked back and forth between Twilight and Rainbow Dash, her expression serious. “Dash, Soarin got arrested. He's in jail right now.”

Rainbow's eyes widened. “What? Why? Same as me?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No. It... Rainbow Dash, it was sexual assault charges,” she said carefully, but firmly. Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “It's not public knowledge yet, but Misty Way told me about it. Nopony came forward about it until recently. They're expecting more mares to pile on once it gets out. The ones who did so far all had the same story – they went to a Wonderbolts party and woke up the next day with no memory of what happened.”

Twilight's ear twitched in recognition, but Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Ah, come off it, Soarin isn't like that. There's no way that's true.”

Scootaloo couldn't hide her disgust. “Some of them he even left notes, Dash. It was an open-and-shut case. Guess he was getting with upper-class mares thinking they wouldn't want to risk the public's view of them if they ever came forward. He got away with it until now, but there's some evidence it started three years ago – right around the time you went to jail.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as Twilight's widened. “Soarin didn't need to drug me to get with me, so why would he? Besides, I ended up through a building, not in a bed.” Dash crossed her forelegs. “Seems unrelated.”

Scootaloo was saying something in response. Something about how the motive was different – he probably wanted her off the team because she was the best flyer they'd ever had – probably realized how easy it was which set off the attacks. Twilight couldn't hear it clearly over the sound of her heart beating in her ears. Rainbow was yelling something back.

“He... he was your coltfriend?” Twilight squeaked out. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash paused to look at her.

“Yeah, exactly, he was my coltfriend!” Rainbow growled to Scootaloo. Something about how he was always there for her. How she'd never doubted him. He'd loved her, so why would he hurt her? Both of them were yelling. It was loud. Scootaloo probably should have waited to mention it. These were all secondary thoughts to Twilight, who could see Soarin in her mind's eye now. The reminder about the wedding was helpful. Rainbow Dash was dancing with him back then. Pale blue coat, bright green eyes...

This was what Rarity didn't want Twilight to mention. Twilight felt sick, her hearing replaced with a dull buzz. She muttered that she needed air and left, though Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash's argument had turned tearful and neither of them paid her much mind.

Twilight curled herself onto Rainbow's front step, trying to settle her breathing. Rarity had played the affair off as a drunken one-night stand, but really it was a targeted attack that had driven a wedge in her marriage, produced a bastard foal, and was set to end her career. It was awful. It wasn't fair. Rarity must have concluded that she'd cheated on her husband with her friend's coltfriend. Somehow, that made it even worse. What would unveiling the truth bring?

“Twilight?” She froze, slowly looking up to see Sweetie Belle walking toward her with a concerned frown. “Uh, sorry, I was trying to stay within eyesight so I knew when you were done – are you okay?”

Twilight stared at her. She couldn't talk to Sweetie Belle. Not right now, and certainly not about this. “I...”

There was a loud thud from inside. Sweetie Belle hurriedly reached to open the front door. Rainbow Dash hovered unsteadily above Scootaloo, who was resetting a chair that was overturned. “Just go...” Rainbow muttered, staggering back to the floor and turning her back. “I want to be alone...”

Scootaloo caught Twilight's eye and came over. She carefully closed the door behind her. “Sorry about that,” Scootaloo said quietly. “She was doing really well with you; I thought maybe she wouldn't totally freak out...” Scootaloo trailed off, concern creasing her expression. “Are you okay? I didn't even notice you left.”

Twilight forced a smile. “Y-yeah, I'm fine.” Sweetie Belle fortunately didn't say anything to the contrary, just looked between Scootaloo and Twilight with a frown. Twilight leaned in closer to Scootaloo, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You need to tell Sweetie Belle what you just told Rainbow Dash. Gently, and somewhere private.” Twilight doubted that Scootaloo knew the full drama, and maybe Twilight shouldn't be getting her and her lawyer marefriend involved in Rarity's affairs, but this needed to come out, and it needed to come from a friend.

Scootaloo at least grasped the seriousness of Twilight's words, and nodded slowly. “Got it. You want to talk to Rainbow Dash alone.” Scootaloo smiled at Sweetie Belle. “How about we go back to my place for a bit, give them some space?”

Sweetie Belle brightened. “For real?! Yeah, totally!” She hesitated, turning to Twilight. “You sure you're okay if we go?”

“Of course,” Twilight said, as if she wasn't holding back tears. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo trotted away, and Twilight released a sigh. If Sweetie Belle was in the loop about this, she would be able to warn Rarity before the media got a full hold of the story. Maybe this would be a good thing. The truth could smooth over many of Rarity's problems. This was what Twilight was trying to accomplish, after all – helping her friends recover from the mess she'd left them in. Step one of anything could be difficult.

She kept telling herself that as she gently opened the door to Rainbow Dash's house again, and doubled down on the mantra as she spotted Rainbow Dash on her floor with a bottle of cider in her hoof. She was consuming it at an alarming pace. Rainbow's love for cider had never struck Twilight as worrying ten years ago, but seeing the end result so blatantly made her feel stupid for ignoring it. She didn't think the Apple family's cider had much alcohol in it, but then again, there was no way the cider Rainbow was drinking came from Applejack.

Twilight closed the door behind her, and Rainbow Dash's ears flicked. “I told you to go away,” she growled, but dropped her glare when she turned and saw Twilight standing there instead of Scootaloo. Her ears flattened. “...You came back,” she muttered, eyes quickly averting toward the floor. “Sorry about before...” Rainbow Dash said slowly, still not fully meeting Twilight's gaze. “Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Everypony I trust leaves me eventually. Soarin's just another on the list.” She forced a short laugh, and Twilight frowned.

“Not everypony,” Twilight insisted, though Rainbow just rolled her eyes. “Scootaloo is still here for you, right?”

Rainbow Dash pondered this for a moment while taking another swig of cider. “Yeah. She's a good kid, I guess. But it's just a matter of time before she finally stays away when I tell her to.”

Twilight approached cautiously. “Scootaloo told me she could get you your job at the weather factory back. Maybe that's a good idea to start fresh. Meet some new ponies, reconnect with old ones...”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Can't do it. I can't fly anymore.”

Twilight's heart sank. That was impossible. “What do you mean you can't fly anymore?”

Rainbow finally met Twilight's gaze, then shifted it down to the cider bottle. She flicked it with a hoof. The hollow ring across the room suggested it was nearly empty. “Legally, I mean. I'd have to get clean or I'd just end up back in jail.”

Twilight closed the gap between them and gently reached out a hoof to the cider bottle. Rainbow relinquished it, though there indeed wasn't much left in it. “Flying is who you are, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight insisted, shaking the bottle lightly in front of her. “This isn't you.”

Rainbow's gaze snapped into a glare. “Yeah? What the buck would you know about me anymore? I haven't seen you in ten years! Nopony has!”

“You're one of my best friends...” Twilight insisted, sniffing as Rainbow groaned and looked away. “The Rainbow Dash I know would never lose touch with everypony, no matter what.”

Rainbow Dash gave Twilight a look that could only be described as pity. “Damn, you're really out of the loop, huh?” Twilight hung her head. She wasn't. She'd heard these recounts from four other ponies now. But each was as hard to take as the last. “Look, I... I tried with Applejack for years. I ruined her life, Twilight. I can't even forgive myself for that, let alone expect her to. Rarity it's more of an image thing.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Her company, whatever it was called, cut my sponsorship and basically put a restraining order against me. I'm not even legally allowed to see her, Twilight.” Rainbow gave another short, forced laugh. “She sends letters still, I don't know why she bothers. Guilt, I hope. And I haven't seen Fluttershy since I got recruited as a Wonderbolt. She never reached out to me after the FUI stuff, maybe she was scared, I dunno... but I know her relationship with Applejack was... tense. I didn't want to make it worse by forcing her to keep in contact with me.”

Rainbow quieted as Twilight waited for her to talk about the last pony in their friend group. “What about Pinkie Pie?” Twilight prompted after the awkward silence suggested the topic wouldn't come on its own.

Rainbow Dash sighed. “Maybe a few times a year she comes by. I think she sees me more than she sees the others, but I guess that's not saying much.”

Twilight again waited for Rainbow Dash to elaborate, but that was all she had to say. “Do you know where I can find her?”

“Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked, surprised. “She doesn't live in one place. I found her ages ago before by following sighting rumours, but it would be a lot harder without wings. She moves really fast. I wouldn't worry about Pinkie Pie, though. She did the right thing and removed herself from all the drama once Ponyville started collapsing. Her talent ties her down a lot less than the others.”

In theory, Rainbow Dash's talent tied her down the least, yet she seemed to be the only one of the six who had completely abandoned it. Rainbow Dash never flying would be like Twilight never using magic. It had to be slowly killing her. “So... if you can't fly, what do you do here?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Odd jobs, like stocking shelves or moving trash. Whatever they tell me to do. Pays the bills and gets me out of the house. Not like it's impossible, I mean, Scootaloo gets around fine.” Twilight could not imagine Rainbow Dash having the patience for that. “It just sucks because everyone knows me here. Nopony will look me in the eye. It's like I'm invisible.”

“...Have you considered moving?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and gestured to the bottle that Twilight had set on an end table. “How do you think I got here, Rainbow? I could fly you wherever you wanted to go on the royal chariot.” Getting Rainbow clean would be the better solution, but that might not come until Rainbow went somewhere she could thrive. And Rainbow actually perked up at the offer, putting Twilight's excitement to help into overdrive. “We could go to the Crystal Empire! They're pretty disconnected from other cities, nopony would know you there – I could settle back down with my family, and we could make new friends together!” And apple trees didn't grow there, so there wasn't much in the way of cider. It was perfect.

Rainbow Dash slowly grinned. “That does sound pretty cool... I'll think about it.”

...

The meeting went better than Twilight had expected. Rainbow Dash was difficult to keep on topic and easy to provoke, but she'd always been a bit like that. Twilight would not describe her as a different pony, just one who had been severely let down by her friends and her society. Scootaloo eventually came to collect her, and Rainbow waved them off pleasantly.

“This is gonna sound weird,” Scootaloo said as they walked off, “but that was the most coherent I've seen Dash in a while. I'm really glad you went to see her.”

Rainbow hadn't touched a second drink the whole time Twilight was visiting with her. Twilight smiled. “It went well. Rainbow Dash was open to moving to the Crystal Empire with me.”

Scootaloo chuckled. “She really needs to go to rehab first. Betting it will be a lot easier to get her to go now that she has a goal for when she gets out. Thanks so much, Twilight.”

“So... how did it go with Sweetie Belle?” Twilight asked.

Scootaloo was quiet for a moment. “I had no idea about Rarity. I've never seen Sweetie Belle that angry before. She asked where the Cloudsdale jail was so she could kill Soarin. I think she was serious. Figured I'd give her a few minutes alone to cool off.”

Sweetie Belle still looked set to kill somepony when they approached her. She was waiting in the same space in Cloudsdale where they'd been dropped off, her ears flat and shoulders hunched, staring intently into space. “You okay?” Scootaloo asked quietly as they approached, though Sweetie Belle jumped as if she'd yelled the question.

Sweetie Belle huffed. “No. I'm still trying to figure out how I explain this to Rarity.” She looked anxiously at Twilight. “Please don't say anything to her about it until I do.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I won't.” The longer Twilight processed the situation, the more she felt that Rarity had to have at least wondered if something less innocent than a few too many drinks had gone on that night. Scootaloo was probably right when she'd suggested the upper-class mares didn't want to take the risk of coming forward. Rarity still may not.

When the Canterlot royal carriage pulled up, the three of them hopped in. It took Twilight a moment to realize what was odd about that. “Are you coming with us...?” she asked Scootaloo, though the carriage was already starting to take off.

Sweetie Belle looked pointedly off the side as they soared away from Cloudsdale, her ears still flat. Scootaloo nodded at Twilight with a grin. “Yeah – I got kind of inspired by you, actually... going to all of your friends to try to help them is super cool.” Scootaloo nudged Sweetie Belle, who pretended not to notice. “And we have one friend we haven't checked on in ages.”

Sweetie Belle sighed, turning to glare at Scootaloo. “I told you Scoots, you can't just go see Apple Bloom. She's... I don't even know how to explain this...”

“I don't care what she became,” Scootaloo insisted. “She was our friend. I never gave up on Rainbow Dash. Apple Bloom left her family and we never bothered figuring out why.”

Sweetie Belle groaned. “First of all, we tried, but she stopped writing back, remember? We were only ever friends because we all didn't have cutie marks. She got hers and left. Newsflash Scootaloo, foals grow up!”

“And you're still one of my best friends, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo implored.

“It's different!” Sweetie Belle yelled. The pegasus ponies flying the carriage glanced backward at the outburst, then quickly looked away when they saw Twilight had noticed them. “She's... she's just...” Sweetie Belle was starting to tear up. “She's an awful pony, Scootaloo... there's nothing more to it than that...”

Scootaloo frowned. “I don't care. I need to do this.”

“Fine!” Sweetie Belle screeched. “Go without me then – but don't say I didn't warn you!”

...

The carriage dropped Sweetie Belle off at her apartment, where she offered a halfhearted “good luck” and was gone.

Scootaloo sighed after her. “I thought maybe she'd have a change of heart... but that's okay. I'll just go on my own.” The guard ponies looked back at them. “If you could just drop me off at the train station, that would be awesome. Can't exactly ask you to fly me all the way to Manehatten.” They took off again, and Scootaloo looked curiously at Twilight. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“Back to Ponyville,” Twilight said. “I'm really worried about Applejack, and I want to check on Fluttershy, too.”

“Yeah?” Scootaloo deadpanned. “And how'd your meeting with Applejack go the first time?” Twilight looked away with a frown. “Yeah, I figured.” Scootaloo offered a sad smile. “I know how all of Dash's attempts went. Listen... why don't you come to Manehatten with me?” Twilight blinked up at her. “Maybe it didn't seem like it, but Apple Bloom really looked up to you when we were foals. Maybe between the two of us, we can convince her to go with you to Ponyville.”

It wasn't a bad idea. The Apples needed each other – Apple Bloom had to feel that way, too. And Applejack wasn't Apple Bloom's only relative in Ponyville. Twilight wasn't sure of the relationship between Big Mac and Apple Bloom. He hadn't mentioned her, but then again, he hadn't said much. “Alright,” Twilight relented. “I think it's worth a shot.”

16. Far From the Tree

It felt like they had been in the tiny, dusty room for an hour by the time somepony rapped on the door and cracked it open. Babs stepped inside, shouting behind her, “Bullet, man the stairs – Juice, stay outside – ”

She continued barking instructions, but Twilight stopped listening as another pony stepped around her into the room. Twilight did not immediately recognize her, especially given the dim lighting. She had the same yellow coat as Apple Bloom, though as she stepped into the light of a torch, Twilight could see a gruesome tattoo of a skull floating above a grave that took up most of her neck and chest. Her left ear was torn, and her right sported multiple piercings. Her red mane was shorn into spikes, and her tail was short and tied with a black elastic. She wasn't as large as Babs, but muscles shone through her coat. Her orange eyes looked Twilight and Scootaloo up and down, widening slightly as recognition set in. “You...” she muttered, then turned back to the door. “Babs, get in here!” Her accent was marred by a Manehatten one, though the country twang still sounded clearly through it. “Who sent them?”

Babs stepped in and closed the door, glancing between the three ponies in confusion. “Uh, you did, genius.” She pressed the letter that Scootaloo had shown her earlier into Apple Bloom's hooves and turned to lock the door.

“No point lockin' it,” Apple Bloom growled, her eyes lifting from the letter to Twilight. She gestured to her with a hoof. “This one here could teleport out any time she wants.” Her eyes shifted to Scootaloo. “Is that why ya brought her?”

Scootaloo flattened her ears. “A-Apple Bloom - ”

“Apple Pounder,” she spat, rolling her eyes and setting the letter aside. “You ain't seriously saying you're in charge of Manehatten's weather?” She turned abruptly back to Twilight. “Unless that's where you've been this whole time – hidin' out in the clouds, watchin' as the world went to shit?”

“Apple - ” Scootaloo caught herself and hesitated. “This is Twilight Sparkle, remember? The world thought she was dead until a few days ago!”

“Few days, huh?” Apple Bloom looked Twilight up and down. Behind her, Babs was looking at them in wide-eyed amazement. “Where've you been?”

Twilight hesitated, the hatred in Apple Bloom's eyes throwing her off guard. “I performed a spell wrong ten years ago and sent myself ten years into the future.”

Apple Bloom scoffed, strangely quiet for a few moments as she paced the floor. “Y'know what you did to my family...?” she muttered, abruptly shifting a glare in Twilight's direction. “Ain't got no right comin' here. Ain't got no right at all.” She paced close enough to brush against Twilight, sending chills down her spine. “Know why they call me Apple Pounder, now?” Apple Bloom whispered into Twilight's ear. She turned abruptly and sent a back hoof into the wall where one of the nails was sticking out. The sudden, resounding thud sent Twilight's already nervous heart into overdrive, and her horn sparked up automatically.

“Down!” Apple Bloom shouted, and tackled Twilight into the back wall. Scootaloo yelped and Twilight blearily tried to locate her. A hoof smacked her horn, startling her out of a spell, and Apple Bloom grabbed her head. Her gaze was forced in the direction of Scootaloo, who was being held by Babs on the opposite wall, a knife at her throat. “Cut the magic bullshit and nopony gets hurt,” Apple Bloom growled. Babs shifted her green eyes to Scootaloo with an apologetic frown. Her large frame put virtually no effort into pinning her victim.

“Okay, okay,” Twilight squeaked out, and Apple Bloom released her to the floor.

Scootaloo was at Twilight's side in the next moment. “Are you okay?” Twilight didn't trust herself to speak. Scootaloo released a shaky sigh and turned back to Apple Bloom. “Look, you were the one who wanted to see me, remember?” Scootaloo said, an irritated edge to her voice.

Apple Bloom tapped the letter. “Alone.”

Babs hesitantly stepped forward, looking at Twilight with a frown. “You're the pony who went poof one day? As in, Celestia's student? Element of harmony crap?” Twilight glanced between Scootaloo's nervous expression and Apple Bloom's scowl, then nodded slowly. Babs nudged Apple Bloom. “Yo, AP, you gotta think smart about this. Head, not heart. Twilight could be useful to us.”

Scootaloo cleared her throat. “Can we get back to me, here? Were you the ones who hurt the Manehatten weather team?”

Apple Bloom raised a hoof and focused her attention on that instead of on Scootaloo. “Maybe,” she dodged, glancing at her sideways. “Still not convinced you're the one in charge of 'em.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “I got my cutie mark by redirecting a storm just south of the Hayseed Swamps. I studied at the weather management school for three years, interned at the weather factory for another three, got my designation, and now I'm a fully-fledged manager for Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Baltimare. I extended the management for Ponyville until a year ago, too, for your sister.” Apple Bloom's glare deepened, but Scootaloo's expression was matching it. “This is all stuff you would know if you ever bothered reading the letters I sent you!”

“Fine. Let me see your mark.” Apple Bloom stood and circled around to look at Scootaloo's flank. She was quiet for a few moments, then turned around to show her own mark against the light of a torch. A hammer and two nails – outlined by a white shield that mirrored the one on Scootaloo's flank. Scootaloo stared back. Apple Bloom tapped her cutie mark. “You got anything to do with this?” She glared over at Twilight. “You done some kind of magic thing?”

“N-no,” Twilight said honestly.

Scootaloo shrugged. “I dunno what it is. Just woke up with it a few days ago.”

“It appeared six days ago, at night,” Apple Bloom recited. That would line up exactly with when Twilight arrived, but she didn't want a reason for Apple Bloom to distrust her even more, so she kept quiet. “You seriously expect me to believe you have no idea? I blackmail you and we both just happen to get the same mark on our flanks?”

It was odd. Twilight idly wondered if Sweetie Belle had the same mark and she just hadn't noticed. It would be difficult to spot on a white coat. But there was no reason she would, other than Twilight's association of the three of the crusaders as a trio. It was certainly too far-fetched to be true.

Scootaloo shrugged again. “How would I even do that, and why?”

Apple Bloom scowled at her. “Fine, whatever. Got more important shit to talk about, anyways.” She smirked and nodded at Babs, who walked back over to the desk. “We was thinkin' – got some difficult clients, see. Don't like the price increases we're putting up. But we got a business to run. We provide an important service for Manehatten – protection.” Babs walked back over with another lit cigarette, took a long drag, then handed it to Apple Bloom, who continued smoking it while she talked. “Here's what we was thinkin' – save some bloodshed, threaten 'em with the weather instead.” Apple Bloom grinned as Scootaloo looked quizzically at her. “Doesn't have to be anything big, mind – though I wouldn't say no to the odd tornado. Just, say, a thunderstorm on their product launch day. Maybe some wind focused enough to cause their roof to leak. Real innocent. That's all I'm askin'.”

“Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo started, and while Apple Bloom's torn ear twitched, she didn't interrupt to correct her, “I can't do that. I'd lose my job. The ecosystem is sensitive. The higher-ups would notice.” Apple Bloom's glare deepened. “Here's what I can offer,” Scootaloo continued, and Apple Bloom perked up. “I can let you know the weather in advance. Before anypony else catches wind. Would give you enough time to make decisions around it.”

Apple Bloom clicked her tongue. “We got weather reports in Manehatten, Scoots. That ain't much of a help to us.” She exhaled smoke. “Wouldn't be often. Even ponies who go to school their whole lives for something make mistakes sometimes.” She smirked over at them. “Ain't that right, Twilight?”

Twilight flattened her ears. Scootaloo sighed. “What do I get out of it?”

“Protection,” Apple Bloom said nonchalantly, taking another drag off the cigarette. “From us, and from any rival gangs. Nopony will touch the Manehatten weather patrol, and I'll make sure of it personally.”

“How do you get away with this...?” Twilight asked, and both Apple Bloom and Babs turned toward her. “I mean, you even signed that letter with your cutie mark. Isn't that a dead giveaway?”

Babs chuckled. “Ain't no job as well payin' as a corrupted cop. We got plenty of 'em in our ranks. The Manehatten police force is a joke. They pretend to be onto us, but money will override morals every damn time.”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “So go ahead, tattle on us. I dare you.” She drove another nail into the wall with a sharp kick, then flicked her short tail at Twilight and circled back around to Scootaloo. “So how about it, Scoots? You and me in cahoots, just like the old days?”

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. “Yeah,” she deadpanned, her voice laced with sarcasm, “just like the old days – the two of us, extorting Sweetie Belle's family.”

Apple Bloom laughed quietly. “Alright, alright – I'll cut Fancy a break if it means that much to ya. Show of goodwill 'n all.”

Scootaloo nodded slowly. “Then fine, I'm in – on one other condition.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and glanced backward at Babs. “Let me guess – money?”

“No,” Scootaloo continued, causing both Apple Bloom and Babs to raise their brows curiously. “I want you to go with Twilight and visit Applejack.”

Silence hung in the air for a few moments. “Why?” Apple Bloom finally asked, as if the request was to check on the state of Pinkie's family rock farm.

“She needs help,” Twilight supplied, ears flattening. "She isn't going to last much longer on her own. She's dying, Apple Pounder." The name felt odd on Twilight's tongue, but it was important to respect it.

Babs's brow furrowed in concern, but Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Then go ahead and help her. Weren't you best friends?”

“We've tried,” Scootaloo implored, “we've all tried – she needs her family!”

Apple Bloom laughed quietly and shook her head. “I'm not family to her. She kicked me out the day I got my cutie mark and won't talk to me anymore.” She tapped her cigarette against the doorknob. “But don't think that means I'm not helpin' her.”

Babs nodded. “Apples stick together, no matta what – even if AJ's forgotten that!”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Well,” Apple Bloom said, “why do you think Fluttershy and Big Mac are still in Ponyville, after literally everypony else left? I pay them to stay there.” Twilight's eyes widened. “Not like they could make a living otherwise. I send supplies down too and they share with Applejack.”

“That's not all,” Babs continued, “we cut some sucker a break on his fees, but in exchange he buys all of Applejack's crops. Garbage apples, last I saw – ain't nopony buyin' em otherwise.”

“Reckon it makes her feel needed. Gives her a purpose.” Apple Bloom huffed her annoyance. “So don't go sayin' I don't look after my family. I look after Applejack better than any of your friends ever did! Not my fault Mac's slackin' off.”

“It's not a substitute for a real relationship,” Scootaloo insisted.

“And Fluttershy and Big Mac are planning on leaving,” Twilight continued. Apple Bloom and Babs both whipped their heads incredulously toward Twilight at that news. She flattened her ears and immediately wondered if she'd overshared.

“Like hell they are,” Babs hissed.

“They can't leave, and especially not without tellin' me,” Apple Bloom said, eyes narrowed. “Why do you think they're leavin'?”

Twilight hesitated, and Apple Bloom tapped her hoof impatiently. “They...” Twilight started. There wasn't enough time to decide if telling them was a bad idea or not. “They have a foal on the way... they wanted to leave after he or she was born.”

The Apple cousins looked at each other. Apple Bloom sighed loudly and Babs just shrugged. “Well, AP,” Babs started, her voice resigned, “that was the deal, yeah? They only had to stay until they started themselves a family.”

Apple Bloom glowered at her and then looked curiously at Twilight. “Suppose it is foal season – reckon Fluttershy's close, then? Not another dud baby like the last time they told me?”

That was an awful way to put it, but Twilight nodded anyway. “Should be soon.” It had been five days since she'd left Fluttershy's cottage – the foal could even be here already.

Apple Bloom crushed the remnants of her cigarette on the floor and shrugged. “Well, alright then, Scootaloo. You've got a deal.” She smirked sideways at her. “I'll go to Ponyville with Twilight.”

Scootaloo gave Twilight a concerned look, then turned back to Apple Bloom. “To visit Applejack – not Fluttershy!”

Apple Bloom scoffed. Babs nudged her. “Ey, maybe you should visit Applejack. These two, they seem real concerned. I don't like that. We don't leave any Apples behind, Pounder.” She turned to Twilight with a frown. "Don't suppose they ever made amends with Applejack? We always kinda hoped they would..."

Twilight solemnly shook her head. "No."

“...Hmph...” Apple Bloom skirted around Babs and left the room. Scootaloo and Twilight glanced at each other nervously.

Babs chuckled at their expressions. “Don't worry 'bout Pounder – Mac and AJ practically raised 'er. Even with their differences now, that ain't a bond that's forgotten easily. And she thinks the world of Fluttershy after she took 'er in when Applejack kicked 'er out.” She smiled, though that did not do much to ease Twilight's anxiety. “I'm glad youze came. Always thought it was best we left Applejack be – Apple Pounder's siblings don't want this life, and can't say I blame 'em – but now I can see it's gotten out of hoof.” She gently punched Scootaloo's shoulder. “And happy to have ya in the family, new partner.” She grinned as Scootaloo scowled.

The door opened again, and a pony draped in a black cloak walked into it. Apple Bloom poked her spiky head out from underneath it and shrugged them to the exit. “Well, c'mon then. Train leaves the station soon.”

“The trains don't go to Ponyville anymore,” Scootaloo said, brow raised. “You can't seriously tell me you didn't know that?”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Well, duh, but it ain't that far from Canterlot. Maybe a half day's trot if you keep a good pace.” Scootaloo's skeptical expression didn't let up. “What?” Apple Bloom snapped. “You two so fragile you can't handle a little exercise?”

“No,” Scootaloo argued, huffing at her. “I just don't want to leave you alone with Twilight for that long.”

Apple Bloom gave a low laugh. “If you don't trust me, then feel free to join.”

Twilight thought for a moment. “Do the trains still run to Appleloosa?” Apple Bloom slowly nodded. Twilight grinned. “Then I think I have an idea.”

...

A flash illuminated the dreary fog around the Ponyville train station. Apple Bloom, still cloaked in black, stumbled onto the platform, and Twilight grinned back at the train as it whizzed past them. Teleporting ten feet out of the moving train was a lot easier than teleporting all the way from Canterlot.

Scootaloo had left at the Canterlot station, with a promise to check on Sweetie Belle before she went back to Cloudsdale. Apple Bloom had smirked and said she would send weather suggestions to her shortly. As much as Twilight was glad Scootaloo didn't feel the need to babysit her, Apple Bloom hadn't been much of a conversationalist after Scootaloo had left. Despite the awkwardness, it did give Twilight precious time to think about her plan once she got to Ponyville. She'd decided it would be more productive to visit Big Mac first, which Apple Bloom was all too happy to oblige. The meeting with Applejack needed to go perfectly, and any information she could gather from Big Mac and Fluttershy was a crucial prerequisite.

Apple Bloom pulled her cloak off and stared outside of the train station in awe. “Wow... it's gotten real bad here.” She hid the cloak in the corner of the train station, sheltered under an old bench. The skull on her neck followed her gaze as she looked upwards. “Ain't the clouds supposed to be above the ground, not on it?”

“At least it isn't raining...” Twilight muttered. She trotted to the edge of the train station and glanced back at Apple Bloom. “Listen, I don't think you should show up at Fluttershy's house unannounced.” She'd already given Fluttershy the scare of her life when she showed up last week, and Twilight didn't want to take more risks this late into her pregnancy. Apple Bloom turned and quirked a brow. “I'll go ahead and warn them.”

Apple Bloom huffed. “You think you can tell me what to do?” Her eyes flicked into a glare.

Twilight sighed. “No, I can't. But if you want this meeting to go well, then let me lead it.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “Why do you care so much, anyway?”

“Because,” Twilight said, looking back sadly, “a week ago you were a sweet little foal who loved her family. My memory is a lot fresher than yours, I know, but if there's anything I can do to help Applejack and Fluttershy, I'm willing to do it.”

Apple Bloom held her steely gaze for a few more moments, then dropped it and stared at the ground. “...You know, Twilight...” Her volume had dropped significantly. “While we're in Ponyville, it's okay if you call me Apple Bloom. I know it would piss off Applejack if I used my new name, and Big Mac was never able to get it straight anyways. Besides...” She looked forlornly out at the boarded-up town. “It just... kinda feels right, here.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, Apple Bloom.” Twilight turned to continue walking. “Just give me ten minutes, then follow behind me.” Apple Bloom waved her off, another cigarette already in her hoof.

The weather was a lot tamer than last time she'd navigated the streets of Ponyville. She'd never actually seen fog in Ponyville before – surely it wasn't normal this far inland. Probably just a result of the lack of pegasus ponies around to lift the clouds higher into the sky. She was lucky she knew the town so well, or she would have significant issues finding her way back to Fluttershy's cottage.

Twilight was nearly within what would have been eyesight of the cottage if the fog hadn't impeded her vision when a loud voice startled her into stopping:

“TWILIGHT!”

The voice didn't belong to Fluttershy, Big Mac, Applejack, Apple Bloom, or anypony else she could imagine would still be in Ponyville. It was so jarring it took her a moment to place it.

Twilight turned, and out of the fog, a pink figure bounded toward her. Pinkie Pie, her mane as curly and bouncy as ever, smiled widely and waved as Twilight's jaw dropped open.

17. New Hope

Twilight had nearly lost hope of ever finding Pinkie Pie. Nopony knew where she was, most not even seeing her for several years. With nothing to go off of, and nopony left to ask, searching for her should have been arduous and time consuming. And yet here she was, just outside of Fluttershy's cottage, beaming widely and waving at Twilight as if it had been ten days and not ten years since she'd last seen her.

Pinkie Pie bounded over and wrapped Twilight in a hug. “I missed you...” she said softly, then separated, still smiling. “Go figure huh, the minute I stop looking for you, I find you!”

“You were looking for me?” Twilight asked, blinking in surprise.

Pinkie Pie nodded vigorously. “Uh huh! I came to visit Applejack a couple of days ago. I sensed she was sad, and she said you came back! You really came back Twilight, after all this time!” She bounced a little in place. “Anyways, Applejack told me you went to visit Fluttershy and Big Mac, and they told me that you'd already gone to Canterlot.” She gestured behind her, to where the castle would normally be visible, save for the fog. “So then I went to Canterlot. I figured you'd have gone to the castle, but when I visited Princess Luna, she had no idea you'd come back!” Pinkie frowned at her, wide-eyed. “I was really worried, I thought maybe you weren't able to teleport to Canterlot, but then the guards said you did try to visit. Luna thought you'd probably gone to see Rarity, so she sent the guards to her place.” She shrugged. “Guess you weren't there, but they found you eventually!”

That explained why Rarity showed up with the Canterlot guards at Sweetie Belle's flat. “Why didn't you come see me in Canterlot?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “I'm a busy pony, but Rarity's busier, and the guards said she took seeing you again really hard. So I thought it would be better if Rarity visited first. Princess Celestia came to see me, then said she wanted to cut the visiting-Twilight line.” Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes with a smile. “By the time it was my turn, you'd already gone to the Crystal Empire. Then you went back to Canterlot, then to Cloudsdale.” Her forelegs tangled around each other as she tried to point at all the different places Twilight had been in the last few days. “I was about to go to Cloudsdale to find you, actually I was halfway there, but then I had to go to Ponyville first.” She beamed again. “I really didn't think I'd see you here, Twilight, but I'm so glad I found you!”

“Pinkie...” There were a million things to ask. “Where were you, before you went to see Applejack?”

“Hmm...” Pinkie tapped her chin. “I thiiiink I was in the Fillydelphia suburbs, cheering up some school ponies.” She smiled. “That's what I do now, Twilight. I travel town to town and find ponies who need cheering up! I throw a lot of parties and try to make everypony happy!” She gestured Twilight to follow her, then trotted into the fog. A crazy pink contraption slowly came into view – it looked like it had bicycle pedals connected to a large fleet of wheels, a propeller, a steering wheel, and multiple pull handles. Pinkie's famous blue party cannon sat on the back of it. “This is the Party Mobile!” Pinkie cheered, gesturing to it. “This is how I get from place to place. Cool, huh?”

“Wow...” Twilight circled the vehicle curiously. “You built this yourself?”

Pinkie giggled. “Oh, not all by myself, no. Cheese Sandwich helped me with it, and some other ponies, too!”

“Cheese Sandwich?”

Pinkie waved a hoof dismissively. “Long story – the short version is I have a lot of new friends who I guess you'd never have even heard of, Twilight.” She stared at Twilight with wide eyes, her expression slowly drooping into a frown. “Twilight...” she said quietly. “I know you left because you did a time spell, but...” Her huge blue eyes filled with tears. “Why? I thought we agreed never to ever mess with time again!”

Twilight hesitated, realizing with a pang that this was the first time any of her friends had actually asked her about her original motive. Pinkie had done it straight away. “I...” Twilight sunk to her haunches, staring at the ground in shame. “Well, the spell was just supposed to be to look at the future. I never intended to actually time travel.” She sighed. “Basically, Princess Celestia wanted me to do a really important job in Canterlot. I'd have to move away from Ponyville, and I-I guess I was worried what everypony would think, and how they would do without me...” Twilight gestured around the foggy Ponyville outskirts with a hoof. “Guess I got my answer,” she said flatly.

Pinkie nuzzled her head against Twilight's neck, and Twilight sunk into her. “Twilight,” Pinkie said slowly. “You know moving to Canterlot isn't the same thing as disappearing off the face of Equestria, right?” That was true, but it had felt close enough at that time. Since the spell implied glimpsing the future, not travelling to it, it had seemed low risk, even if it wasn't perfect. “I mean, really – 'a future without you', 'a world where you've long been forgotten', I don't think any of that would have happened if you'd just moved to Canterlot!” Twilight's mind struggled to remember why those lines were so familiar as Pinkie Pie kept talking. “Rarity moved to Canterlot, and I know she's too busy now to hang out with me, but that wasn't always the case - ”

“Pinkie Pie,” Twilight interrupted urgently, breaking away from her so she could face her directly. “Were you... reciting lines from the time spell I used to get here?”

Pinkie frowned at her. “Yes...” Twilight stared at her and Pinkie met her gaze with equal gravity. “Twilight, there's something you should probably know...” Pinkie trotted around to the Party Mobile and gently picked up something in her teeth.

“Is that...” Twilight gasped. Pinkie Pie nodded and unrolled a scroll in front of Twilight. 'Time travel – seeing the future'. The same title that had attracted Twilight to read it back in the Canterlot archives. She read through the spell again, careful not to say a single word out loud. ‘If what one seeks is a clearer view, speak these words aloud to see a future without you. Past to present, and onward from there, seek what is sought; be not unaware. Concentrate now on a place and a time, and you shall then go there with the help of this rhyme. Leave your worries and abandon your caution, as you are now in a world where you have long been forgotten.'

This was it. This was the same spell that had landed her in the future. “Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said in disbelief. “I don't... why do you have this? I thought all of the time spells were destroyed!”

Pinkie nodded. “Yes – they were all destroyed because this one,” she tapped the scroll with a hoof, “was missing.” She stared at it intently. “That's how they realized you'd messed up a time spell, after all! I remembered about it and went back to the Canterlot archives just to check. Caused a bit of a kerfuffle with the guards.” She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I didn't let them know I took it, though. It was too important to get it to you – I mean, what if they destroyed this one, too?!” She flipped the scroll around and pushed it closer to Twilight. “The interesting part is on the back, though.”

Twilight flipped the scroll around. She had read the spell up and down before reciting it, and hadn't noticed anything on the back, but like Pinkie said, another several lines were now etched into the worn parchment. She read them quietly, her eyes widening at every line. 'Now that the future without you is clear, you must understand that you don't belong here. For better or worse, this is not your fate; you belong to another time and date. When you are ready and learned all you can know, simply say these words, and then you can go. You have seen the future and paid the cost, now return to your time before a decade was lost.'

Twilight slowly smiled. “Pinkie... this... I can go back!” she exclaimed, giddy with excitement. “All I have to do is say this spell, and - ”

“No, wait,” Pinkie said, and Twilight's smile faltered. “Twilight, you told me you came here for a reason,” she continued seriously. “You wanted to know how we would react if you moved back to Canterlot, right? Not how we would react if you died.” She stared at Twilight intently. “You can't go back until you figure that out – otherwise you did that spell for no reason!”

“I-it doesn't matter,” Twilight protested. “I should have done what the Princess told me to do in the first place and go back to Ponyville and tell all of you there. Now I can do that!”

Pinkie Pie was quiet for a moment. “Twilight, this whole place, everything that happened...” She looked around, though there wasn't far they could see with the fog. “Do you... do you think it's real? ...Am I real? If you go back... what happens to us?”

It was a good question. Twilight had originally assumed she was permanently stuck in the future because if she had gone back, there would be a second version of her in this universe who was ten years older. But the entire point of the spell was to see a future without her in it. It had seemed good enough in that moment – in a vulnerable moment when she'd equated becoming a princess with leaving her friends forever. But Pinkie was right – that wasn't the same thing. It was impossible to imagine abandoning her friends in their time of need, no matter what her royal title was, especially after everything she'd witnessed in the future. “I think parts of it are real,” Twilight said, thoughtfully. “I didn't travel to the future; I travelled to an alternate timeline. A timeline where I didn't exist for ten years.”

Pinkie watched her worriedly. “So even if you go back, everything here would still have happened...” Twilight nodded. Pinkie gave a small smile. “I guess you don't belong here, then – you altered the altered timeline... but, you know, everything that happened, it's all real, in some sense.”

“I guess so,” Twilight said, pulling herself back from her initial excitement. Her friends were still struggling and still needed her help. “And in my timeline, parts of it may still have happened even if I was in Ponyville, or in Canterlot.” Twilight realized something with a start. “But if I go back with that knowledge, I can use it to fix things in the past!” Not everything, but Fluttershy and Big Mac's relationship could be in the open – she could prevent Rainbow's drinking problem – and Spike – she could prepare Spike for her ascension to the best of her ability, or re-rehabilitate him with his own kind if that wasn't possible.

Pinkie Pie bounced in place. “Exactly! But I still think you can fix things in the present, too!” Pinkie Pie hopped to the back of her Party Mobile as Twilight quirked a brow at her. “Okay, so, don't get mad – this is kind of a long story, so...” Pinkie slowly pulled out the tiara of the element of magic, encrusted with a shining magenta star. She offered it to Twilight, who accepted it with a hoof, staring at the artifact wondrously. It looked exactly the same.

But then Pinkie Pie pulled out the other five artifacts. The gemstones within them had dimmed to a grey, and the elements as a whole had lost their bright golden hue, paling significantly. Twilight gaped at them as Pinkie set them on the ground. “What happened to them? And why do you have these, Pinkie?”

Pinkie tapped her hooves together guiltily. “Welllll, I don't know about your first question, but when the guards caught me stealing the time spell, they asked what I was doing in the archives. I really wanted to protect the time spell, Twilight, because I was worried they might destroy it if they found out they missed one. So I told them I was looking for the elements of harmony!” She smiled, putting a hoof sneakily to her mouth as if to shield it from prying eyes. “You know, as a cover story.”

Twilight doubted the time spell was in any further danger given she had safely reappeared, though she appreciated the extra care Pinkie Pie went to for her. Twilight glanced between Pinkie and the elements. “And they just... gave them to you?”

Pinkie shook her head. “Oh no, silly! The guards took me straight to Princess Luna. She gave them to me – she thought maybe with your reappearance, they could be restored.” She beamed and slipped her own balloon-encrusted element over her neck, where it hung lifelessly. Twilight imitated her and placed the tiara on her head. Nothing happened – Twilight half expected something to react to the elements being worn by their bearers for the first time in over ten years. She supposed there were still four others to distribute.

Now Twilight had multiple tasks to juggle – she had two timelines of ponies to help, elements to restore, and her own destiny to sort out. All wasn't lost. Twilight removed the tiara from her head and floated it magically in front of her. “Strange that this one looks normal.”

Pinkie Pie smiled at it. “It didn't used to be like that. They all faded when you left.”

That meant there was a way to fix them. Twilight shifted the element of magic around in her magic, then set it down and moved closer to the faded element of laughter around Pinkie's neck. The six of them were connected directly to the elements, so it made some sense that the element of magic had faded when she left, and restored when she returned. And perhaps Rainbow's betrayal, Rarity's selfishness, Fluttershy's intolerance, and Applejack's stubborn refusal to accept the truth could have affected the elements, too. But she couldn't understand how Pinkie, who stood there giggling like a foal as Twilight shifted the element around with her magic, could have lost connection with the element of laughter. If anything, she seemed to have embodied it. “I'll have to read up on the elements, see if I can find anything that might help.”

Pinkie Pie nodded eagerly. “Sounds good – after all, you have lots of time now.” She giggled. “Get it? Time?”

“Ha ha,” Twilight offered with a smile and an eye roll. She waved a forehoof through the fog, though that didn't do much to dissipate it. “Uh, anyways, Pinkie, what are you doing in Ponyville? I'm visiting Fluttershy and Big Mac, if you were heading there.”

Pinkie Pie squealed and bounced excitedly. “Yes, me too!” Twilight watched her with a bemused expression. “Isn't it so exciting? A new little foal!” Pinkie turned back to her Party Mobile and grabbed several dozen floating pink and blue balloons out of it. “Good thing I always keep emergency balloons, right?” She tied them around her tail. “I was halfway to Cloudsdale when I got the spinny tail, bouncy leg, twitchy neck combo! And you know what that means, right?”

Twilight stared at the large array of balloons. “Uh... no?”

Pinkie Pie scoffed at her. “Well duh Twilight, it means there's a baby on the way!” Twilight's eyes widened. “Good thing I was so close by, right? Took me a whole day to get to Canterlot when Blue Jasper was born – but then Moonstone's birth Rarity told me I was a little too early, so I've just been kinda waiting outside.” She crouched down with a giggle. “They don't know I'm here yet,” she said in a whisper.

Twilight hesitated, glancing back at the cottage through the fog. All seemed quiet to her, though the lack of animals outside did make it seem a little too quiet. “Wait, Fluttershy had her foal?”

Pinkie nodded eagerly. “Uh huh! Well, probably. Doesn't usually take long after I get the baby sense.”

“...How long, Pinkie?”

Pinkie tipped her head to the sky as she thought. “Hmm... the foal is probably about an hour old. Could be more, could be less, I guess possible it still isn't born – but I sense absolutely no sadness or anxiety, so I think it must have been born healthy already.” She smiled widely.

Twilight groaned and dropped her voice to a whisper, as if they hadn't been talking at full volume the entire time they'd been outside. “Pinkie, we can't go in there, that's way too soon! Fluttershy needs time to rest, and bond, and - ” Twilight broke off with a start as she realized - “Pinkie, have we been talking for longer than ten minutes?”

Pinkie pulled a timepiece out of the Party Mobile, glanced at it, then tossed it back in. “Yep, dunno how long, but definitely more than ten.”

“Oh no – Apple Bloom,” Twilight muttered, and burst out of the fog toward the cottage. Pinkie followed, tugging a huge trail of balloons behind her.

The air stilled and then whipped up sporadically as Twilight sprinted to the front door. Pinkie squealed with delight as the balloons momentarily tugged her into the air. There wasn't a single animal in the yard – no eyes peered at her from the bushes, no birds were chirping on the trees, and not even the chickens were clucking around the coop. Twilight couldn't believe she hadn't noticed this when she'd first arrived, though in fairness, Pinkie Pie was really distracting. Though as she rushed up the path toward the entrance, a cacophony of growls, squawks, and bleats reached her ears from within, as well as the sound of two ponies yelling.

Twilight burst through the front door, panting. Several raccoons, ducks, and rabbits immediately surrounded her, chattering angrily. Pinkie Pie bounced in moments later, her smile falling as she took in the scene around them. A large bear was blocking the stairs to the bedroom, flanked by weasels, beavers, and other larger creatures. The smaller animals had formed a circle around Big Mac and Apple Bloom, who although were likely the source of the yelling Twilight had heard, had paused in their arguing to stare at the newcomers.

Pinkie Pie skipped over to the bear, who tilted his head at her. “I brought balloons,” she announced, wagging her tail to show them off. The bear glanced at the weasels and the animals collectively shrugged and moved aside to let her past. Pinkie Pie bounded up the stairs, and the security critters quickly resumed their positions.

Twilight instead walked to Big Mac and Apple Bloom, the latter of which flattened her ears and rolled her eyes. “Good job warnin' them,” she spat.

Twilight's ears went flat. “I'm sorry, I...” There wasn't time for excuses. It didn't matter. “I'm here now – is everything okay? What were you yelling about?”

The mice and rabbits gathered on the ground glanced at each other in confusion. Big Mac looked back and forth between Twilight and Apple Bloom. “So... it was true, then? You brought my little sister here?”

“Yes,” Twilight implored, bowing her head. “I'm so sorry, I had no idea – I meant to come and warn you – I would have told her to wait – ”

Big Mac stepped forward and embraced Twilight in a hug. Twilight froze in confusion, eyes flicking to Apple Bloom, who looked equally perplexed. “It's been years since she's visited,” he mumbled, his voice choking at the end. “And today of all days...” He separated from Twilight, eyes watering as he looked back at his sister. “Ah'm sorry Apple Bloom, just the timin' of everythin' had us on edge...”

Apple Bloom stared away. “I probably didn't explain the best when I said Twilight told me about your foal... didn't mean it as a threat...” She nodded at Big Mac. “Just wish you'd told me sooner. I don't have any arrangements for when ya leave.”

“We weren't gonna leave right away,” Mac continued with a sigh. “But let's not talk about that right now. Got the animals all riled up and Ah'm not the one who's good at corrallin' 'em.” He nodded toward the stairs and gave Twilight a smile. The bear lumbered out of the way, and the other animals skittered next to him. “Go on. Ah'll meet you up there.”

Twilight smiled back, but hesitated as Apple Bloom scoffed and beckoned Mac in the other direction. “C'mon. You and I need to discuss AJ.” She glared at Twilight. “Alone.” Big Mac met Twilight's eyes and nodded reassuringly before pointing Apple Bloom to the couch.

Twilight tore herself away from them and quietly made her way up the stairs. There was somepony else who needed her more.

Dozens of white bunnies, colourful songbirds, and even several butterflies surrounded the bed, where Fluttershy lay with her wings unfurled and draped beside her. Pinkie Pie, whom Twilight had never seen so quiet and still, sat up straight in front of the bed with a giant smile, her eyes wide and teary. A few birds had taken nest in her mane. Fluttershy met Twilight's gaze with a tired smile, and gingerly moved her wing as Twilight approached.

A tiny foal wrapped in a pink blanket blinked at the sudden light, looking momentarily like she may fuss, but then her bright green eyes focused on Twilight. Her coat was a pale red, and the start of a soft yellow mane peeked out from the blanket. Tiny wings had freed themselves, waving of their own accord. “Oh Fluttershy...” Twilight gasped, taking a seat beside Pinkie Pie, both of them transfixed. “She's gorgeous...”

Fluttershy shifted, and Twilight stood to hug her. She could feel tears welling. The foal's eyes followed Twilight curiously as she sniffed and settled back beside Pinkie Pie, who leaned her head against Twilight's shoulder. “This is our daughter, Autumn Crisp,” Fluttershy announced softly. The animals surrounding them chattered excitedly. Autumn Crisp squinted at the light, and Fluttershy extended her wing again to shield her. The newborn's eyes slowly fell shut, and she curled against her mother with a tiny sigh.

In that moment, Twilight's stress melted away. Even if just for one fleeting precious minute, the beauty of this world that she didn't belong in sang to her. Pinkie Pie was right – she owed it to herself to find the original answer to her question, and she owed it to her friends to help them in both the past and the future. But for now, as the songbirds in Pinkie's mane chirped gleefully, she was content to stay in the present.

Link to the image for Autumn Crisp

Author's Note

This chapter allows me to finally address all of the comments on the time spell, which I've had to ignore for over ten years now to avoid spoilers lol. I read a recent comment on this fic that said they headcanoned that Twilight would teleport back to her own time once she had "seen" all of the future fates of her friends. Funnily enough, that was VERY close to the original plot of this fic. The original plan for this scene was basically Pinkie would tell Twilight that everything she'd witnessed wasn't real, and that would trigger her to teleport back to her own time, where she would help her friends by sharing what she learned about their future selves.

Back in April 2013, I submitted this fic to Equestria Daily, and gave them the plot summary which included that ending. They critiqued the fic overall as being more of an elaborate description than an actual story, and were concerned that the ending did not effectively solve the original conflict (which was Twilight's fear over becoming a princess). My logic was the original conflict would be solved by doing what Celestia had told her to do in the first place and just ask them about it in the past. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought this really robbed the reader of a satisfying conclusion (nobody likes the "it was all a dream" ending, let's be real), and I gave it a lot of thought and weaved together a more complicated, more satisfying ending for this fic.

(Equestria Daily gave me a "non-strike" rejection and said really all they wanted me to do was rewrite the first chapter and promise to take their conflict suggestions in mind, as in the original version of the first chapter, Twilight jumped to using the time spell quickly and unnaturally. I did completely redo this chapter, but I never did resubmit the fic.)

In other news, I could not get the image uploader to work, so I included a link at the end to the image for Autumn Crisp.

Thanks for reading!

1. Seeing the Future

Twilight stared into the eyes of her mentor, her mind struggling to comprehend what she’d just been told. “I… I don’t understand… how…?” Her voice echoed around the otherwise empty royal chamber, where the stained glass images that painted Equestria’s history adorned the walls.

Princess Celestia simply smiled. “You’ve learned many things, met many ponies, and over the years you’ve grown into a capable and intelligent mare.” Twilight watched the princess speak with her own mouth slightly agape. “It’s time for you to fulfill your destiny, my faithful student. I want you to ascend the throne and stand beside me.”

“A princess…” Twilight hadn’t considered applying the word to herself since she was an imaginative, naïve little filly. “I… this is such a big responsibility…” She stared at the ground, unable to think of anything else to say.

Princess Celestia lowered herself to Twilight’s level and gently lifted her chin up with a hoof. “Twilight, I can think of nopony more deserving of this title than you. You’ve certainly earned it.”

“I… I guess so, but…” Twilight looked anxiously at Princess Celestia. “What about my friends?”

“They’ll be present for the ceremony. I’m sure they’ll be happy to stand right beside you.” Princess Celestia smiled. “You can teleport back to Ponyville and inform them beforehand. I know your magic is fully capable of such a task.”

Teleporting all the way to Ponyville from Canterlot might be a bit of a stretch, but it was true that Twilight’s magic had improved miles since she'd first moved to that tiny town. The magic of friendship had accelerated her powers far beyond that of any normal unicorn. She would never want to draw attention from it, but she could admit to herself that she was almost equal to an alicorn, only without the…

“You’ll be gaining your wings at the ceremony,” Princess Celestia informed her. Being her personal student since she was a foal had made Twilight easy for the princess of the sun to read.

Twilight gave a small nod, feeling very overwhelmed. “I-I understand…”

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Princess Celestia reassured, placing a hoof on her student’s shoulder. “I’ll give you a few days to let your head settle before anything drastic happens.”

A few days was absolutely nothing in the life of an immortal alicorn…

“Like I said, Twilight,” Princess Celestia spoke gently, “I would like you to teleport to Ponyville and speak with your friends. They are the reason you’ve grown so much, and they deserve to know of your fate before the rest of Equestria does.”

“I will. Thank you, princess. This is truly an honour,” Twilight said before turning to leave.

“Goodnight, my faithful student.”

Twilight walked out of the royal chamber and into the castle halls. The sound of her hooves hitting the marble floor echoed through the tall structure. Twilight opened the door to go outside. Celestia was beginning to lower the sun, but Luna had already put out the stars while Celestia was busy with Twilight. The fresh evening air tugged at her mane, and the distant stars gave her something to stare at while her mind wandered elsewhere.

“An alicorn… a princess…” Twilight murmured to herself. Of all ponies, Twilight was the one Celestia had chosen to befit with the biggest responsibility imaginable. She shifted her gaze away from the stars, and back at the similarly-shaped marks embedded into her flank.

Was this really her destiny?

How could it be? She was a simple librarian. Talented at magic, sure, but that didn’t translate into being a good leader. If it was her destiny, surely she should feel confident, or at least excited.

Instead, she was practically shaking with anxiety. This would be a huge change. She would have to move to Canterlot. She wouldn’t be able to see her friends as often.

Her friends…

What would they think of all of this? Pinkie would probably be the easiest. She seemed to go along with just about anything. Then again, moving away to where Pinkie couldn’t invite her to parties and hang out with every day would be a major downer to the pink pony.

Rainbow would probably make fun of her amateur flying skills. Twilight hoped that being an alicorn didn’t put her above the natural flying abilities of a pegasus, because she much preferred being made fun of to being envied.

Rarity would be jealous. It was the fashionista’s dream to move to Canterlot, and becoming royalty was a fantasy to her. Twilight hadn’t asked for this; this wasn’t what she wanted out of life. It almost seemed a waste when compared to Rarity’s desires.

Neither Applejack nor Fluttershy dealt with change very well. Twilight could see Fluttershy putting on a brave face and pretending to be happy for her, but Applejack would just tell her how she felt outright.

And Spike… her number one assistant. Twilight’s heart ached the most thinking about him. She remembered how the tears streamed down his face, how he cried out in terror for her not to leave him when King Sombra had trapped him in his worst nightmare: not being needed. Would that nightmare become a reality? What would she need Spike for when she no longer had books to stack, no longer had letters to send?

Twilight started walking. She knew that she should follow Princess Celestia’s directions and teleport back to Ponyville, but she was afraid. Afraid of what her friends would think. Afraid that they might confirm her own thoughts: she wasn’t ready.

Twilight headed slowly through the statue garden, her eyes looking around but her mind not paying attention. Procrastination was not a habit Twilight practiced frequently, and it was only serving to unsettle her further.

“Hey, Twilight!”

“Ah!” Twilight jumped and whipped her head toward a smiling unicorn stallion adorned with the golden-plated armour of the royal guard, including a long metal spear. “O-oh, hello Javelin Tosser… Sorry, I was just, uh…”

The dark grey unicorn waved her off. “Don’t worry, Twilight, you’re welcome to wander the grounds. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in Canterlot, is all.”

Twilight nodded, her right ear twitching as it always did when she was nervous. “Uhh, yes! Yes, of course… lovely day, er, night for a walk!” She forced a laugh. “Do many ponies come up here at night?”

Javelin Tosser shook his head. “Nah, the Canterlot Archives are usually pretty desolate. You were always the only one in here when you were younger, remember?”

“O-of course, ha, how could I forget?” Twilight stared up at the huge building. The last time she had been in the Archives was when she had tried to sneak into the Starswirl the Bearded wing with Pinkie Pie to find the time spells.

“Did you want me to let you inside, Twilight?” Javelin Tosser offered. “It’s no trouble.”

Twilight shook her head no. She had no reason to go into the archives now; what use would a time spell be in helping her realize her true destiny?

Twilight hesitated, her right ear still twitching as her mind went into overdrive. What if there was some way she could see the future? What better way to reassure her friends that everything would be alright, or explain to the princess that she wasn’t cut out for the job, then to tell them that she already knew for a fact what would happen? The future was a changeable time period, obviously, but if Twilight could just see what would happen if she became a princess… just make sure everything would be okay…

“A-actually, Javelin, do you think you could unlock the Starswirl the Bearded Wing for me?”

Javelin smiled. “Sure, no problem! Hold on a sec.”

Twilight watched as he fiddled with his keys. This was insane. Time spells were exceptionally dangerous, illegal but to the most powerful unicorns. One tiny change in the past could affect the entire future. She hadn’t been aware when she’d first travelled backward in time, but she could be getting herself in serious trouble by repeating the offense.

Of course, this was the future, not the past. And she’d only be looking, not actually travelling. Twilight repeated these words over and over in her head, willing them to calm her and allow her to do what needed to be done.

She was pretty much an alicorn anyway, right?

Javelin Tosser unlocked the heavily chained doors to the Starswirl the Bearded Wing and stepped aside. “I’ll just be outside if you need anything else, Twilight!”

“Thanks Javelin! Have a good night!” Twilight’s heart was beating furiously now, just like it always did before a test, whether that be a written test or a physical challenge befitted only for the Elements of Harmony themselves.

Element of Magic. She could do this. She could do this easily… she hoped.

The towering bookshelves made her feel exceptionally tiny. She trotted among the rows of books and scrolls, looking frantically around for one scroll to give her what she needed. She knew that if she had the power to send herself backward in time, then she should be able to simply glimpse the future with relative ease.

Twilight magically took down several scrolls from the last shelf and decided whether they were worthless based on the first line. ‘A document of forbidden torture spells’, ‘Incurable magical ailments’, ‘Alicorn power and its historical abuse’. Twilight made a mental note to read that last one later.

The row Twilight picked contained controversial and illegal documents. She knew she really shouldn’t be searching through them, but time spells fell under both of those categories. The potential to change events after they’d happened was too powerful for most ponies, anyways. Even she had only managed a minute or so the first time, but that was all she needed right now.

Besides, glimpsing the future was different from changing it.

‘Time travel – seeing the future’. Twilight’s heart leapt in excitement and she quickly read on. ‘If what one seeks is a clearer view, speak these words aloud to see a future without you.’ Perfect. It was exactly what she was looking for. Twilight scanned over the rest of the scroll, then read it out loud. “Past to present, and onward from there, seek what is sought; be not unaware." Twilight squinted to continue reading as her horn started to glow brightly. “Concentrate now on a place and a time, and you shall then go there with the help of this rhyme. Leave your worries and abandon your caution, as you are now in a world where you have long been forgotten.”

Twilight concentrated hard on Ponyville, ten years into the future: long enough for her to see the full effects of her crowning on her friends. There was a blinding flash of white light, and Twilight felt an intense pressure on her body.

Suddenly, she was sprawled on the ground. Twilight groaned and realized that she was now outside, although she wasn’t sure exactly where she was. Fearing that she had somehow failed the spell and accidentally teleported, she picked herself up and looked around.

Wherever she was, it wasn’t Canterlot, and it certainly wasn’t Ponyville. There were several very worn down buildings, and nopony else in sight. “Hello?” Twilight called. She didn’t receive an answer, so she took a few cautious steps forward.

As she took in more and more of the ghost town, she slowly started to recognize it. She could see the Carousel Boutique, though there were several wooden boards hammered over its entrance. There was an empty space where Sugarcube Corner used to be, and her own library tree was leafless and dead.

Twilight stared at it, her mouth slightly agape. She hadn’t expected the spell to physically bring her to the future; she didn’t think she was powerful enough for such magic. Then again, she was close to becoming an alicorn; maybe her magic was appropriately increased.

Regardless, if this worked like the spell to travel back in time, then she probably didn’t have more than a few minutes. She needed to figure out whether Ponyville was in shambles because she had become a princess, or because there had been a nuclear war in recent years. The second option seemed far more likely, though not much more comforting.

Twilight knew there probably wasn’t much point, but she knocked on Rarity’s door to be sure. The boutique seemed to have been long ago abandoned.

She went to the library tree next, and knocked there as well, though felt a bit silly doing so at her own house. The door creaked loudly as she opened it, and Twilight was at least pleased to see that the books were all neatly intact – just as she’d left them before going to Canterlot. “Spike?” she called, though it was mostly just wishful thinking. Her home clearly hadn’t been occupied in many years.

There was only one thing off about the room, and Twilight being Twilight noticed it immediately. There was a crumpled piece of parchment lying at the foot of one of the bookshelves. Twilight magically picked it up and unfolded it:

‘Spike:

I’m going to Canterlot for a few days. The princess said she had some important things to discuss with me. While I’m away, make sure to look after Owlowiscious, keep the books sorted, and do not eat too much junk food. I’m serious Spike, you remember what happened last time, don’t you? Anyways, I’m sure you’ll do fine on your own for a little bit.

Don’t destroy the library while I’m gone! (I’m just kidding, Spike. You’ll do great!)

Love,

Twilight’

There were tear stains splattered at the end of the letter. A cold chill ran through Twilight’s body. This was the note she had written just a few days ago. Why was it still here?

Twilight exited the tree and galloped out of town. Even if most of Ponyville was gone, she knew there were still two of her friends who wouldn’t be able to leave. Applejack – whose farm was permanently planted just outside of the town, and Fluttershy – who was in charge of Ponyville’s animals, and therefore could not leave… or so she prayed, because she desperately needed some answers.

3. Laden Butterflies

When Twilight left Sweet Apple Acres, the sun had nearly disappeared beyond the distant hills. By the time she’d arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage, completely out of breath, Luna’s beautiful moon had replaced it. Applejack might not like the yellow pegasus, but Twilight couldn’t even start to think of a bad thing to say about her. To Twilight’s relief, the cottage looked a bit worn, but it was far from uninhabitable. The bird feeders were still filled, and several little bunnies, ferrets, and other small woodland creatures were lounging around the property. There were a couple of apple trees growing around the home, all of which looked much healthier than the ones under Applejack’s care. Somepony definitely still lived here. Twilight had to set things right.

The unicorn approached the cottage door and gave it a gentle rap. If Fluttershy wasn’t home, then Twilight had no idea where she could be. There wasn’t much of a Ponyville for her to visit, after all.

There wasn’t a response, so Twilight knocked again. This time, she could hear voices from inside the house. The door slowly opened, and Twilight instantly recognized Fluttershy’s face as her teal eyes peeked out. Twilight smiled at her. “Hello, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy stood frozen in place. “T-T-T-Twi… O-o-oh… oh my goodness… MAC!” Fluttershy suddenly screamed and slammed the door in Twilight’s face. “GHOST! I SAW TWILIGHT’S GHOST!”

Twilight sighed. She probably should have realized this would happen; after all, she was supposed to have been dead for ten years.

The door opened again, and this time Big Mac was staring at her with an unreadable expression. He was married to Fluttershy, Twilight had to remind herself. She smiled sheepishly. “Uh, hey Big Mac!” The red earth pony blinked and continued to stare at her. “I’m not dead,” Twilight tried to reassure him. “Listen, I did a time-travel spell incorrectly and I think I ended up stuck in the future. If you haven’t seen me for ten years, that means I never returned back… and that’s why I’ve been gone.” It was a harsh reality that hadn’t quite sunk in yet. Big Mac just stared, and Twilight shifted awkwardly. “Uh, is it okay if I come in?”

Big Mac glanced over his shoulder. “Oh… o-okay…” Fluttershy’s soft voice floated from within the house, and Big Mac nodded before opening the door completely.

Twilight smiled. “Thank you. Now, I know it’s been a while since…” Twilight trailed off as her vision landed on Fluttershy. The lavender mare’s attention was diverted almost instantly to the pegasus’s stomach. She was heavily pregnant, likely not too far off from foaling. Twilight could barely believe what she was seeing.

Fluttershy blushed under Twilight’s gaze and curled on top of her sofa, allowing her swollen abdomen a place to rest. Big Mac walked over and placed one of his huge hooves on hers with a small smile, but then looked at Twilight with a stern expression. “Y’shouldn’t be startlin’ a mare in foal.”

Twilight frowned. “I’m sorry. I had no idea…”

“Twilight.” Fluttershy said in an anxious voice. “I… I just don’t understand how you’re here…” Both ponies were giving Twilight a look of uncertainty. Twilight understood it; they didn’t trust her. She tried to imagine herself in their situation, and could understand that seeing a friend that they had long accepted as being gone forever would be really disturbing.

“I know this is probably a bit overwhelming…” Twilight said slowly. The couple nodded. “But… I was never dead. I thought that the spell said it would only allow me to glimpse the future, but I think I underestimated my own abilities… and besides, it was illegal magic. I should never have touched it. I must have accidently trapped myself ten years into the future… but that still doesn’t explain why I never went back. Why couldn’t I have revisited the archives and tried a different spell to send myself back?” She realized she was chiding herself, and shook her head lightly. When she looked back up, she noticed that Fluttershy’s eyes had filled with tears. Twilight’s ears flattened. She had to remember that this wasn’t all about her. “Fluttershy… I’m so, so sorry…”

Big McIntosh backed off, allowing Twilight to approach and wrap Fluttershy in a gentle hug. Fluttershy hugged her back, and the two stayed like that for a few moments. Fluttershy sniffed and broke off with a small smile. “I missed you, Twilight.”

Twilight gave a weak smile back. “I just saw you a few days ago, so I guess I can’t really say the same.” To Twilight’s immense relief, Fluttershy giggled. “When are you due?” Twilight asked out of curiosity.

“Oh, in a few weeks… I guess it could be any day now, though…” Fluttershy gave a genuine smile that was absolutely heartwarming, especially given what Twilight had experienced back at Sweet Apple Acres.

“You two must be excited, then.”

Big Mac moved back to Fluttershy’s side, and the two exchanged loving nuzzles. Given that Twilight wasn’t used to seeing them as more than friends, let alone married with a foal on the way, the display of affection was a bit awkward for her to watch. “Eeeyup,” Big Mac droned as a response to Twilight’s question.

Fluttershy laughed and prodded the red stallion. “Come on, Mac, you don’t have to be so quiet around Twilight. She’s a friend.”

Big Mac looked at Twilight sheepishly. “Ah know. Ah was just lettin’ you two talk.” Twilight had to admit that they seemed to be good for each other. She’d never heard Mac string more than two words together before today.

“It’s funny…” Twilight mused, her mind starting a different train of thought. “Applejack didn’t mention your pregnancy when I visited her.”

The cheerful mood dissipated immediately. Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh no, you talked to Applejack already?” Her ears flattened to her head. “What did she say about me? Oh, she still hates us, doesn’t she? Twilight, I’m so sorry, I promise I didn’t try to hurt her - ”

“Shh, shh, darlin’…” Fluttershy silenced under Big Mac’s coaxing, but she continued to stare intently at Twilight.

“Was she… okay?” Fluttershy asked, her teal eyes begging for information.

“Um…” Twilight hesitated, and Big Mac caught her attention by silently nodding while Fluttershy’s gaze was still directed at the unicorn. He was giving her a pleading look that Twilight understood meant she should lie through her teeth. “She looked fine to me…” Twilight said slowly, watching as Big Mac gave a grateful smile.

“Oh… good. I haven’t seen her since…” Fluttershy put a hoof on her huge stomach. “She wouldn’t take it very well. She hates me.” Fluttershy looked distressed. “She thinks I stole Mac away from her…”

“We were datin’ a bit before you left,” Big Mac elaborated. “Ah wanted nothin’ besides mah own life, and a special somepony to share it with.” Fluttershy managed a smile at his words. “After AJ got hurt, well, what was left of the farm was entirely my responsibility. It was too much for me to handle all by myself.”

“What happened to Rainbow Dash?” Twilight interrupted. Applejack had skipped any details regarding the cyan pegasus, and though Twilight hadn’t felt comfortable asking her about it, she needed to know the truth.

Big Mac and Fluttershy shared a look. “I’ll tell you later, Twilight,” Fluttershy said meekly, which made it pretty clear that something bad had happened.

There was a pause, so Twilight nodded. “Okay. Sorry, you can keep going, Big Mac.”

McIntosh nodded. “Well… after Granny passed and Apple Bloom left, Applejack was still tryin’ to recover… Ah wouldn’t let her do any buckin’ or heavy liftin’; not good for her leg. Course, Ah guess that didn’t leave her with much to do.”

“She was sad and restless,” Fluttershy elaborated. “I thought… I thought maybe… if she knew that she could have more family to rely on…” The pegasus sighed. “Oh Twilight, it’s all my fault. AJ didn’t take our marriage announcement very well at all. Mac warned me she might not, but I was so anxious, a-and I thought it would be okay…”

“So… you’ve just sort of… fallen out?” Twilight asked, her voice a bit hollow.

“Well…” Fluttershy looked away from Twilight. “There’s more to it, but…” She hesitated, tears forming in her eyes.

“It’s okay.” Twilight quickly stopped her, since Fluttershy clearly didn’t want to continue. Twilight wasn’t sure if she wanted her to continue either.

Fluttershy smiled at Twilight through her tears. “Thanks. I’m sorry…” Several white bunnies came rocketing around the corner, and Twilight took a few surprised steps backward as they leapt eagerly onto the couch and gathered around Fluttershy. The pegasus wiped at her eyes and gave a soft laugh. “I know, I know, it’s time to get ready for bed. You poor little things must be sleepy. Do you want a snack first?” The rabbits responded with great enthusiasm, and Fluttershy glanced at Twilight. “These are Angel’s great-grandbunnies.” She giggled as they pushed themselves against her, and Fluttershy gently patted them.

“Do you need any help?” Twilight offered.

Fluttershy shook her head. “I’m okay. The animals have been so good to me recently.” She glanced out the window to the darkened sky, and frowned. “Twilight?” she asked, tipping her head to the side. “Do you have any place to stay tonight?”

Twilight shuffled a hoof. “I-I guess I could go back to my tree.”

Fluttershy looked concerned. “All by yourself?” She shook her head and gave a warm smile. “Why don’t you stay here for tonight?"

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked.

“Of course!” Fluttershy slowly moved off of the couch, and the white bunnies sped ahead of her into the kitchen. “Mac?” Fluttershy asked, looking over at her husband. “Can you set up the cot for Twilight? Oh, and can you give the chickens their last meal and check on the ferrets for me? They’ve been awfully lazy today, the funny little things."

“’Course, hun.” Big Mac said with a nod as Fluttershy smiled and exited the room. “Twilight? Do y’think you could lend me a hoof?”

Twilight was taken aback at first because she had expected him to suggest helping Fluttershy, but one look at his expression suggested that he had a deeper meaning behind pulling her outside. “Sure!” Twilight agreed, and followed him as he left the cottage.

They walked in silence to the bridge that allowed access to Fluttershy’s house over the river. Big Mac ducked his head underneath it, to where Twilight could see several otters and a large seal all fast asleep. Big Mac backtracked to where the birdhouses were, and checked inside those as well.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Big Mac?” The red stallion glanced over his shoulder to show he was listening. “Why is Applejack all by herself?” Her tone came out more hurt than she’d intended, but maybe he deserved it. He was all Applejack had left, and he was allowing her to suffer in a situation that was beyond her control.

Big Mac didn’t say anything, but walked over to an apple tree and glanced up to where the ferrets were sound asleep in the sturdy branches. “Cause she’s shut everyone in her life out. Besides her old dog, that is.” Big Mac finally answered as he started to circle around the house.

Twilight trotted to keep up with him. She couldn’t remember seeing Winona when she was at the farm. “Mac, I saw Applejack today.” He gave her a sideways look. “She’s injured. She’s starving.” Twilight let out a shaky breath as Big Mac reached up to get the chicken feed. “Why can’t you help her?!” Twilight exclaimed, her frustration at his lack of response finally showing in her tone.

Big Mac hesitated before he could grab the feed, and turned to face Twilight. “We’re still here, aren’t we?” he asked, and Twilight wasn’t sure what he meant at first. “We stayed in Ponyville when the town collapsed years ago. Ah couldn’t leave her, not by herself. Ah don’t think she was so much mad at me and Fluttershy; she was mad at the world. But she thought for sure we were abandonin’ her.”

Twilight may have been absent for a decade, but she knew Applejack well enough to understand what had happened without Big Mac telling her. “So she turned on you for it, and when she realized she’d made a mistake, she was too proud to forgive you.”

“Well, Ah reckon she still believes we’re about to take off on her. AJ doesn’t trust anypony now, Twilight; they’ve all abandoned her. That’s why Ah couldn’t let Fluttershy visit in her condition.”

“Why?”

“’Cause we’ll be leavin’ after the foal’s born,” Big Mac said with a heavy sigh. “Can’t let mah child grow up without other foals to play with. Ain’t right. Besides, it can get real lonely… we’ve had our rough patches, but we still love each other, and Fluttershy’s good friends with Zecora, though she travels often. But Ah miss the town life, Ah really do.”

Twilight was starting to realize just how much the earth pony had sacrificed. He’d given up his farm for Fluttershy, and he’d given up a better life for Applejack.

Well, until now.

Big Mac pulled the bag of chicken feed down and heaved it onto his back. Twilight followed him as he made his way to the chicken coop, but stayed outside when he entered it. Her mind wandered past the noises of the hens’ loud clucking and back to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack hadn’t pushed her away until she had suggested that she leave. Twilight realized now that she’d hit a nerve by mentioning it.

But Twilight was from the past, which made her pretty much the only pony Applejack could feel safe trusting. As Big Mac reappeared and went to put the bag of feed back where he found it, Twilight looked at him resolutely. “I think I’m the only one who can help Applejack. I’m going to fix this… I have to fix this.”

Big Mac looked at her, surprise etched on his face. “Ah’d be so grateful if you’d try… but… you need to be careful, Twilight.”

Twilight gave him an odd look. “Why do you say that?”

“She’s like a trapped animal; frightened and easily provoked.” Big Mac looked like he wanted to say something else, but then he paused and shook his head. “Just be careful.” He started walking away, and Twilight flattened her ears. Things were so different. Her mistake was so seemingly small; magic could be tricky sometimes. Errors weren’t uncommon.

This error just happened to cause her friends to suffer for the rest of their young lives.

Twilight followed Big Mac back into the cottage, and watched as he retrieved a folded cot and attempted to figure out how to unfold it in the living room. Twilight wordlessly picked the bed up with her magic and assembled it neatly on the ground.

Of course, she had no problem with that spell.

Fluttershy joined them with a smile. “That looks perfect. I’m sorry, Twilight, it’s been so long… you aren’t allergic to any animals, are you?”

Twilight shook her head. “No.”

Fluttershy frowned. “Are you okay down here by yourself? One of us could sleep on the couch?”

“I’m fine.”

Fluttershy and Big Mac shared a look. “Alright… Are you sure you’re okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, concern flooding her tone. “Do you want some water, something to eat?”

Twilight shook her head mechanically. “I just need sleep. Thanks for letting me stay, Fluttershy.”

“O-oh, that’s not a problem…” Twilight didn’t respond, so the couple took a few steps backward. “We’ll leave you be, then.”

Twilight watched them as they ascended the stairs, then she collapsed onto the cot. It complained loudly under her weight, but Twilight ignored the noise, curled up into a tiny ball, and squeezed her eyes shut.

“You can fix this… you can fix this…” she whispered under her breath, clutching her tail tightly for support. Tomorrow she would ask Fluttershy about what happened to Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. She would find out why Ponyville was gone, and why Fluttershy and Applejack both thought that the other hated them.

“They don’t hate each other…” Twilight murmured to herself. “They can’t… they’re friends…”

She would find Applejack. Twilight could make her see reason. If she couldn’t, maybe she could find a spell for a temporary solution. Just to get Applejack off of the farm and as far away from it as possible.

And then a whole decade of pain would be… gone?

Twilight curled herself tighter as tears poured down her face. “It’ll be okay… Celestia have mercy… it’ll all be okay…”

15. The Big Apple

The train exited the Canterlot station slowly, just like how it did ten years ago. Although, Twilight had never left in this direction before. She'd never even been to Manehatten. How they were going to find Apple Bloom in such a large, unfamiliar city was a mystery to Twilight, but Scootaloo seemed unconcerned.

Since it was an overnight train, they had a private cart with bunk beds set up for them to sleep, and they'd been served dinner. Scootaloo stared out of the window in wonder as the last of the sun descended over the horizon. The fading red sky reminded Twilight that she should ask Scootaloo some questions before they went to sleep.

“So...” Twilight said, and Scootaloo looked up with a smile. “How come you and Apple Bloom lost touch with each other? You were inseparable as foals.”

Scootaloo tapped her chin. “Well, Apple Bloom got her cutie mark first of the three of us. Me and Sweetie were so excited for her, but Apple Bloom actually wasn't all that thrilled. The year had been really hard, what with you leaving, her grandmother passing away, Applejack getting hurt...” Scootaloo looked back out the window to the fading landscape. “Applejack kind of freaked out at her because her mark wasn't exactly an apple. It was a hammer and nails – the hammer had a little apple on the handle, though. She was always pretty great at building stuff when we were trying just about anything else to find our special talents.” Scootaloo grinned. “The answer's right there in front of you sometimes. But anyways, she basically said she wasn't destined for farm work and took off to Manehatten.”

“And she never came home..?” Apple Bloom leaving for Manehatten reminded Twilight of how Applejack earned her cutie mark. It may have been a rash decision, but it did make some sense. Except, Applejack found out pretty quickly she wasn't destined for big city life. Maybe Apple Bloom found the opposite.

Scootaloo shrugged. “I'm not sure. I left Ponyville shortly after she did. My parents had kind of crazy careers, so they weren't around much. I love them, but looking back, they weren't the best at being parents. When you died, they got kind of freaked out at the fragility of life or whatever and took me to travel with them permanently. Apple Bloom was already gone, Sweetie Belle's parents were planning on moving to Canterlot because they were worried about Rarity, so it seemed like the right time for me to go, too.”

The news of the three young crusaders separating all because of what she'd done made Twilight's heart ache, though Scootaloo seemed unbothered. Twilight supposed where Scootaloo was so young, it probably felt like a lifetime ago. “And then you ended up in Cloudsdale?”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Well, there was a lot of in-between. Got my cutie mark by chasing weather patterns. I could tell a really dangerous thunderstorm was forming over the ocean, so I went and grabbed some local pegasus ponies and directed them on where to send it. I'd never have gotten the chance to take the lead like that in Ponyville, not when Rainbow Dash was so good at heading the weather ponies. Guess that's one good thing about my parents going to crazy dangerous locations and taking me with them.” Scootaloo shrugged. “Anyways, the only school for weather management is in Cloudsdale, so that's how I ended up there. Me and Rainbow Dash both worked at the weather factory for maybe a year together before she joined the Wonderbolts. That's how we reconnected.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “So, uh, do you actually have any idea where to find Apple Bloom in Manehatten?”

Scootaloo nodded slowly. “Yeah. Manehatten is one of the cities I organize the weather for, so I'm pretty familiar with it.” Scootaloo paused to drag out the purple saddlebag she'd taken along with her. “Didn't want to freak Sweetie Belle out by mentioning it – not when she had so many other things on her mind – but Apple Bloom's actually been looking for me.”

“Looking for you?” Twilight echoed, surprised. “After all this time? Why?”

Scootaloo started digging through the saddlebag. “Well, to be honest, I don't think she knows she sent the letter to me specifically...” Scootaloo pulled a scroll out of her saddlebag and offered it to Twilight, who levitated it closer to read it. The outside of it said “to be read only by the pony in charge of Manehatten's weather”:

“ We have a business proposition to discuss. Meet me at the Mane Event in Manehatten. This offer has no time limit, but you will find that the longer you wait, the more the weather team will pay for it. Come alone and tell nopony else, or there will be consequences.

Apple Pounder”

It was signed with the insignia of a cutie mark – a hammer and nails with a small apple on the handle. “Apple Pounder?” Twilight questioned.

Scootaloo shrugged. “Might be an alias, or she might have changed her name to match her cutie mark. But I swear, that is exactly what her cutie mark looked like. I wouldn't forget something like that.” Scootaloo sighed. “To be honest, the letter kind of freaked me out, but I thought it was better to ignore it – then Crimson Gust got his wing broken on the job last week. Freak mugging, I thought – Manehatten isn't the cleanest of cities – then the same thing happened to Cloud Sweeper just two days ago. I didn't tell anyone about the letter, but my crew is pretty shaken. I'm not gonna have anypony left to work Manehatten unless I go sort this out.”

Twilight read the letter a few more times over. “You think Apple Bloom attacked the weather ponies? But why would she do that? And how?” Twilight was having trouble envisioning that sweet little filly as anything other than the beloved baby of Applejack's family. The hostile words of the letter didn't line up with the image.

“I dunno...” Scootaloo admitted. “I find it hard to believe myself, but Sweetie Belle's always been weird when it comes to Apple Bloom. She obviously knows something that I don't. I trusted her and never pushed pursuing Apple Bloom after she stopped responding to letters. Well, until now. I tried to ask Sweetie about it today, but she still wouldn't give me any details, just insisted that I shouldn't go visit her. Maybe I should have just shown her the letter... but I didn't want to risk putting her in danger.”

Twilight glanced back from the letter to Scootaloo. “...But you're okay with showing it to me?”

Scootaloo shuffled a hoof. “Look, you're the strongest pony I know. I remember how crazy your magic was. And I was serious when I said Apple Bloom really looked up to you...”

Twilight groaned, flying the letter back into Scootaloo's hooves. “This is insane. You lied to me. I wouldn't have come if I thought it would be dangerous!”

“I'm sorry,” Scootaloo said, averting her eyes as she stuffed the letter back into her saddlebag. “It's okay if you don't want to, I'll go alone. Just, our goals overlap.” She looked back up pleadingly. “I really want to help Applejack, too. She saved my life, Twilight. Me and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle – and she was permanently injured doing it. I've tried before to reach out, but she pushes me away – she just thinks I'm trying to do a favour for Rainbow Dash.” She flapped her small wings feebly. “Really wish I could at least do something about the weather in Ponyville, but it's out of my hooves. Dash can't fly down there either. I got them to continue service until a year ago, but the mess there now has got to have destroyed what was left of the Apple's orchard.”

The gnarled, leafless apple trees flashed through Twilight's memory. Maybe a year ago they were healthy enough to sustain Applejack, but that wasn't the case anymore. “You shouldn't go alone,” Twilight decided. Although, that is what the letter insisted she do. “I'll go with you, but if things turn bad, I'm teleporting us out.”

Scootaloo smiled appreciatively and turned to the bunks. “Thanks Twilight,” she said before climbing into the top bed. “Should probably get some sleep. G'night.”

Twilight settled herself into the bottom bunk and stared out the window. If this was what she needed to do to help Applejack, then she would do it...

...

The unicorns of Canterlot talked of Manehatten as either a filthy haven for downtrodden earth ponies, or as the business haven of Equestria, where the best of the best could make the big times. That was really about all Twilight knew about it – it was so far from Ponyville that curious tourists usually chose the closer and grander Canterlot or the equally far and thrice as exciting Las Pegasus over it.

The towering skyscrapers, bustling taxi carriages, and flashing advertisements were an immediate assault to Twilight's senses. She trotted nervously behind Scootaloo, who was weaving in and out of the crowds while staring at the sky. She kept muttering things like “that cloud should be over the west end” or “the wind really should be more to the northeast”.

One of the recurrent advertisements popping up was for the Carousel Boutique. They passed at least one billboard, sign, or poster for it on every street they walked down. As they finally walked past the storefront, Twilight tapped Scootaloo to stop so she could openly gape at it – it was at least twice as large as the one in Canterlot. This was further emphasized by the two carousels that Twilight could see rotating through the transparent glass walls.

“Crazy, right?” Scootaloo affirmed as Twilight stared at the collection of dresses, hats, scarves, and any other article of clothing imaginable. “Hard to believe this is all Rarity's work. Although, Sweetie says Rarity's husband runs the Manehatten branch.” Scootaloo chuckled as Twilight tried to take in every gemstone, every high-class pony, and all of the security guards just in front of the entrance. “You want to go inside?”

“N-no,” Twilight said, tearing herself away, but smiling a little despite herself. “It just makes me happy that one of us is doing so well.” Maybe a little too much so, but it was better than the alternative that plagued the rest of her friend group.

Scootaloo shrugged her onwards. As they walked, the grand buildings slowly lost their sparkle. Buildings of marble transitioned to buildings of wasted brick, windows were increasingly boarded up, and ponies stopped smiling at them as they passed by. Far from it – most stared at them and then quickly averted their gaze when they made eye contact. It took Twilight several encounters before she realized they were staring at Scootaloo's tiny wings. Twilight wondered if she got that sort of treatment a lot, but didn't feel comfortable asking.

Scootaloo stopped at a street corner and glanced back and forth. “It's here. Corner of Brayberry and Marestone.” Twilight blinked and looked up. 'The Mane Event – Salon and Barber' – the name was twisted in unlit neon lights, though they blinked a few times while Twilight was trying to read it. She'd never have spotted it from the street. Scootaloo pushed the door open and led them inside.

The space reeked of cigarette smoke, and was so small and dark that it took Twilight's eyes a moment to adjust. Once they had, she started at the gaze of about ten earth ponies, eyes all locked on her and Scootaloo. “Youze lost or somethin'?” A purple, black-maned stallion asked, approaching closer. A few others in the back muttered amongst themselves. “Or youze need a manecut?”

Scootaloo bravely shook her head. “We're looking for Apple Bloom.”

“Apple who?” the stallion grumbled.

“Who said that?!” A gritty female voice exclaimed from somewhere in the back. Twilight looked up to see a pair of scissors be tossed onto a manedresser's workstation, to the irritation of the blue-maned mare sitting in the barber's chair. A large brown earth pony stepped out from behind the station. Her straight red hair was parted to one side, and she blew it out of her bright green eyes as she started walking over. Her cutie mark appeared to be a pair of scissors. “Yo, Bullet, Spite,” she grunted, and the purple stallion and a dark green mare obediently stood and flanked Twilight and Scootaloo. Twilight glanced behind her warily, then looked to Scootaloo for guidance, but Scootaloo's eyes had widened.

“Babs?!” she exclaimed, gaping at the brown mare. “Babs Seed?!”

The mare hesitated, looking Scootaloo and Twilight up and down. “Do I know you?” she asked, eyes narrowed.

“It's me, Scootaloo!” she implored, her eyes shifting from side to side at the two earth ponies on either side of them. “From Ponyville – I was best friends with Apple Bloom. We were cutie mark crusaders together!”

Babs looked stunned for a moment, then regained her composure and shook her head lightly. “Aye. Ya do look kinda familiar. How in the hay did youze find this place?”

Scootaloo pulled the letter out and handed it to Babs. “I recognized Apple Bloom's cutie mark. I'm head of the weather patrol for Manehatten.”

Babs accepted the letter and looked between it and Scootaloo, her expression finally settling into confusion. “You? The head of weather for Manehatten?” She flicked Scootaloo's wings with a barking laugh. “With those things? Can ya even fly?”

Scootaloo shrugged as the two ponies behind her guffawed. “Not well. I never said I maintained the weather. I'm just in charge of it.”

“Huh,” Babs said, giving another short laugh. “Well, ain't I seen it all now. And who's the broad with ya? Can't fly, but youze can read, I hope – says 'come alone'!”

Twilight raised a hoof uncertainly, but Scootaloo beat her to answering. “This is Twilight Sparkle. Apple Bloom will want to see her, trust me.”

Babs rolled her eyes. “Maybe youze really can't read – it's 'Apple Pounder', now. She ain't gone by Apple Bloom since she was a blank flank.”

“Ey, boss,” the stallion spoke suddenly, jabbing a hoof toward Scootaloo's flank. “Gonna want to look at this.”

“What now?” Babs walked around, her eyes widening at Scootaloo's cutie mark. “That mark, that's...!” Her expression sharply turned serious, and she whirled on the stallion. “Where is AP anyways, Bullet?”

The stallion shifted uncomfortably. “Still in negotiations. Bigwig from Carousel Boutique still giving 'er trouble.”

“Fancy'll crack,” Babs said with a grin. “He always does – you gotta go pull Apple Pounder outta there, tell 'er she's got more important shit to attend to.”

The stallion galloped out, and Babs shrugged to them. “You two, with me. Chopper, you take over my customer.” A beige mare trotted over to the blue-maned mare, who Babs led them past and down a creaky stairwell.

The hall beneath was unlit, and Twilight automatically cast a light spell onto the end of her horn. Babs squinted back at her and huffed, but didn't say anything. There were a series of rooms both underneath the hair salon and extended past it. There were more stairwells leading into what must have been different units, or possibly even different buildings. The ponies in the rooms stopped talking and watched them as they passed.

Babs trotted into an empty room, feeling around for something in the corner of the room. “Matchbox, matchbox...” she muttered. Twilight glanced at the unlit torches around the area, and with another glow of her horn, lit all of them simultaneously. Babs jumped at the sudden light. “That works, I guess.” Under the light of the torches, she located a desk and peered inside the drawer. “Just wait here, Apple Pounder'll be here in a few. Can I offer youze a dart?”

“A what?” Twilight asked, at the same time that Scootaloo said “no, thanks.”

Babs glanced between them, shrugged, then held the end of a cigarette to one of the torches and took a long drag. “This is gonna be one of those days. I can feel it,” she muttered, and held the cigarette in her mouth as she trotted to the door and exited, closing it loudly behind her.

Scootaloo paused a few moments, then cautiously approached the door and checked the handle. “Locked,” she muttered, causing a wave of claustrophobia to descend over Twilight, though she felt confident she could teleport them both outside if needed.

“You know that pony?” Twilight asked quietly while glancing around the room. It was small and dusty, with a rickety table and four chairs in one corner, a desk in the other, and torches alongside walls that had grey paint peeling from them. Several nails stuck out obviously from the wall.

Scootaloo nodded. “Babs Seed. She's Apple Bloom's cousin.” Twilight wasn't expecting that, but she could sort of see the resemblance now that she thought about it. She had the same eyes as Applejack, and the same mane colour as Apple Bloom. “I haven't seen her since we were foals, though. She's from Manehatten. Guess Apple Bloom must've reconnected with her when she moved here.”

“I knew Applejack had family here, but I didn't realize...” Twilight trailed off and Scootaloo nodded solemnly. “Applejack said they were high-class ponies. They had a lot of money and a lot of social influence.”

Scootaloo glanced around the room. “Guess you can see why.”

Twilight flattened her ears and started pacing the room. She wondered idly how deep the Apple family had encrusted themselves in whatever this was. It was hard to accept it as organized crime. This could at least explain why nopony from Applejack's extended family had come to her aid. Everypony for themselves in Manehatten... that was how the saying went.

But now Twilight was literally locked into a meeting – if not for Applejack, then for Scootaloo. She couldn't imagine what Apple Bloom would want with the weather ponies, but nothing seemed out of reach now.

Maybe Apple Bloom wouldn't be able to help them, after all – if they could leave Manehatten unscathed, that might be victory enough.

Author's Note

Forgot to mention in the previous AN that I'm sorry for doing Soarin dirty like that. When this fic was planned he was not a character we knew much about.