I'm jolted awake by a loud crash that sounded like it came from somewhere outside the library. Wiping my eyes, I sit up in my bed, wondering if I had imagined the noise. Another crash encourages me to get up and check it out.
Rounding the last step of the staircase I see nothing out of the ordinary. Letting out a sigh I blame the noises on somepony outside, turning around I'm about ready to return to my bed when the door is practically torn off its hinges as a stallion barges in.
He looks completely awful and not just by Rarity's standards. His coat is so filthy I can barely make out that his coat is supposed to be some shade of purple. A pair of darkly tinted shades set crookedly on his face but still his mane is worse. It's half burnt and completely matted. He spots me immediately and runs straight over to me.
"I'm so glad that you're awake! It would have taken more time if I had had to have woken you. Listen to me, I haven't got much time but I have a very important message for you." By now I had recognized his voice and was worried enough to interrupt him.
"Dusk Shine! What in both of our Equestria's are you doing here? What is going on over there? Why-" Dusk interrupts me by sticking his hoof in my mouth and he then lifts his shades using his other hoof. His eyes widen as he takes a good look at me for the first time.
"This is not good! It's nice seeing you again Twilight but I really needed to talk to myself..." He then looks around worriedly, biting his lip, obviously trying to make a decision. "Okay I have a message but it was meant for me, not you. But I'm running out of time so I'm going to tell it to you so that you can relay it myself. This is very important. Do you promise that you'll tell me." I nod my head.
"I promise."
"Bubble Berry Promise?"
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." I recite the promise to Dusk, doing to movements along with it, careful to close my eye before placing my hoof over my eye. Dusk nods approvingly.
"Alright. So I'm from the future where all of Equestria is in ruins. Both Lord Solaris and Lord Artemis have fallen and I haven't heard anything from Prince Caden or Gleaming Shield. I've lost contact with the other elements; I however believe this can all be averted. The only way I know of is to Save Jubilant, Save Equestria." I know that he probably would have said more if he hadn't started glowing. "I'm sorry that you have to deliver this message but I'm forever in you debt for doing so. And remember; Save Jubilant, Save Equestria."
"I Pinkie Promised. I'm not going to let you down." As soon as I said this he disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. For a few seconds I stand there not doing anything. After they pass I shake my head, clearing my brain. That's when it hit me. Dusk Shine probably just got an unexpected from a very stressed me and is in the same situation that I'm. Immediately I start heading back towards my bedroom. I wasn't planning on going back to bed, that was probably the thing farthest away from thoughts right now.
Right now I'm set on contacting Dusk to deliver the message I Pinkie Promised to give to him even how grave the message was. I just really hoped that I was wrong and that he hadn't also gotten the wrong message. By my bed side was a mirror, one that Princess Celestia gave me to allow me to keep in contact with Dusk and the others on his side of things. Concentrating I power up my horn, tuning it to the frequency that connected our two worlds. The image in the mirror flickered from mine to one almost identical to mine.
As the image comes into focus I can't but smile, even if it is a little creepy to see yourself as a stallion. The stallion in the mirror smiles back.
"Hey, uh, Twilight. I just had a very distressed visitor. They left a message for you." I let out a sigh and the smile on his face disappears.
"Same here Dusk."
"It wouldn't happen to have been a party loving pony, who can't find a party, would it?" Dusk smiles weakly as I just shake my head and the smile disappears again. "Didn't think so. So what's your message?"
"Well mine was from yourself, from some point in the future. You didn't really mention when. You just said that Equestria was in ruins, Lord Solaris and Lord Artemis had fallen and that you hadn't heard anything from Prince Caden or Gleaming Shield. You also said that you lost contact the other elements. You said that you believed that it could be averted if you saved Jubilant. Save Jubilant, Save Equestria were your exact words... Your message?"
"From a future you, Celestia and Luna down, Cadence and Shining Armor are a nota, the elements, unheard from. So pretty much the same except you had to save Cheerful. Save Cheerful, Save Equestria." I let out a sigh and silence fell between us only to be broken a few seconds later by me.
"I was really wishing that this was a dream but I don't believe it is. So now what? I'd guess that we'd head off and look for Jubilant and Cheerful." In the mirror my counterpart simply nods his head. "Do you have any leads on Jubilant and Cheerful? Are they ponies, new elements, I have no clue."
"Unfortunately neither do I. Of course if I get any plausible leads I'll tell you right away. Simply because of the nature of the relationship between our universes."
"And if I get anything I'll tell you too. My only concern is whether I should bring in the others or not."
"That's what I was thinking about too... I think we should tell them, who knows, maybe one of them knows something about Jubilant or Cheerful." I nod in agreement to what Dusk was saying. Suddenly a thud came from both behind me and behind Dusk. Smiling we say in unison.
"Sounds like two baby dragons fell out of their beds." I smile wider and start to laugh a little bit.
"That's still weird, no matter how many times it happens. I'll talk to you later. Bye Dusk." I wave at him and really wish that I could give him a hug right now.
"See ya Sis." I smile one last time and then the connection breaks up. Letting out a sigh I turn around and pick Spike up off the floor from where he fell out of his bed. I roll my eyes as I realize that he's still asleep. Returning him to his bed, he yawns and turns over, dragging his covers over him as he does so. I can't help but yawn too and I decide that telling the others could wait until the morning.
My eyes flutter open as I wake up, this time on my own and not by a time traveling alternet reality version of myself. Yawning as I stretch, I then climb out of bed, ready to talk to my friends about last night. Walking down the stairs I spot Spike at the bottom.
"Hey Twilight! How'd you sleep last night? Smiling at him I tell him the truth but not the whole truth.
"Not as well as I would have liked." Spike narrows his eyes at me.
"Did something happen last night?" I let out a sigh, slightly annoyed at how well he knew me.
"Yes Spike. And I promise that I'll tell you, but not now. Right now I have to find the others so I can tell all of you at one." I start to head to the door and realize just how big a mess the library was. "Hey, uh, Spike? Will you please clean up the place a little bit while I go find them?" I see the little dragon's shoulders sink a little so I smile at him. He lets out a sigh.
"Sure Twilight. I'll have everything cleaned up by the time your back." I nuzzle him quickly on the head before lifting my saddlebags onto me.
"Thanks Spike, I owe you one." Leaving the library I close the door behind me and immediately spot Pinkie Pie playing with the Cake's foals; Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake. Trotting over to them I smile slightly as I see Pumpkin Cake levitating one of her favorite toys even though she's just a few months old. Pound Cake flew by, stopping to hover and wave at me for a few seconds before grabbing his sister's toy.
"Hey Twilight! What's up? You seem a little distracted."
"Hi Pinkie. You're right. I am distracted. There was a visitor at the library last night." I would have said more except she interrupted me.
"Really! Who was it? Do I know them?---" This time I cut her off, knowing the pink pony's intendeds to keep asking questions and eventually starts to jump to conclusions and it never ended well when she started jumping to conclusions.
"Yes Pinkie. You know them. And I promise that I'll tell you about it but this is something that all of the elements need to hear. So I'll meet you with the others in the library at ten. Okay?" The pink pony nods and turns back to the twins who are playing tug of war with Pumpkin Cake's toy.
"Uh oh! This looks like a ball emergency." Pinkie then turned back around to face me, quickly reaching behind my ear, a ball in hoof when she brings it back into view. "Pound Cake! Let's play some catch." She then throw the ball to the Pegasus colt who immediately drops his hold on his sister's toy. I just stare at Pinkie, wondering where the ball had come from.
"How---?"
"I told you I have balls stashed all over the place just in case of ball emergencies." I open my mouth to say something and think better of it, deciding that this was one of those times when I should just let Pinkie Pie be Pinkie Pie. Turning around I decide to see if I could find Rainbow Dash. "See you at ten Twilight!"
Walking down main street I smile and nod my head to the ponies that I see. Waving at the Mayor a blue blur wizs by behind her. Smiling to myself I follow the blur with my eyes, spotting it fly into Sugarcube Corner. Picking up my pace I hurry into the café. Rainbow Dash stood at the counter, talking with Mrs. Cake.
"Hello Mrs. Cake, can I have a blueberry muffin and a coffee? Thank you." Mrs. Cake nods and smiles before heading back into bakery. I take this chance to walk up to her.
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" She jumped slightly before turning to look at me.
"Oh, hi Twilight. What brings you in here? Don't you normally eat in the library? And if you're looking for Pinkie Pie I believe she's outside the library playing with the Cakes' foals."
Actually I came in here because I saw you come in. I need to talk to you." She nods and right then Mrs. Cake comes back from the back, a small paper bag and a cup of coffee are balanced on her back.
"That'll be two bits honey." Rainbow Dash places the two bits she owes on the counter. "Thank you Rainbow Dash. Twilight, we don't normally see you in here, need anything? Or are you looking for Pinkie Pie?"
"Actually I do. I asked Spike to clean up the library this morning and I told him I owe him one. So I guess I need a cupcake for Spike."
"You got it. It'll be done in a little bit." With that Mrs. Cake disappeared behind the counter again. I call after her.
"I'll be back sometime before ten to pick it up." I then turn back to Rainbow Dash and find that she disappeared.
"Twilight, over here" Turning, I spot her sitting outside at one of the tables. Walking over to her, I sit down while she takes a bite out of her muffin. Swallowing quickly she asks. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Well there was a visitor at the library last night. He had a really important message and it affects all of the elements, so I wanted to ask if you'd stop by the library at ten. I'll explain more then. Think you'll be there?"
"No problem, I'll definitely be there. You have me intrigued. I'll see you at ten." Rainbow then swallowed the last bite of her muffin, grabbed her coffee and took off towards the sky. Standing up I decide to stop by the Carousel Boutique and talk to Rarity next.
arriving outside the boutique after a few minutes of walking, I knock on the door.
"Enter. I'll be with you in a few minutes." Walking in, the lobby is completely empty so I sit down and wait. After a few minutes Rarity appears at the bottom of the stairs, Fluttershy right behind her.
"Hi Twilight. What brings you here? Do you need a dress patched, like Fluttershy?" As she says this Fluttershy pulls a corner of her Gala dress out of her saddlebag.
"No, sorry. I actually just needed to talk to you."
"I'll leave then..." Fluttershy starts to head towards the door.
"Actually I need to talk to both of you. There was a visitor at the library last night. He had a really important message. I'm having a meeting of the elements at the library at ten. Will you guys come?"Both Fluttershy and Rarity nod their heads. "Okay, see you then. I have to go tell Applejack about the meeting. See you at ten." Even before I had finished talking I stood up and made my way to the door. Finishing my sentence I leave the boutique and start towards Sweet Apple Acres.
It takes several minutes but I arrive at the gates of Sweet Apple Acres, only to be almost run over by a filly on a scooter and a red wagon.
"Whoa there, Scootaloo. You really should be more careful while driving that." I notice Applebloom and Sweetie Bell looking a little dazed in the wagon. "Hey girls. What Cutie Mark Crusading are you doing today?" As I say this all three of the young fillies perk up and say in unison.
"CUTIES MARK CRUSADING SCUBA DIVING!!" I just let out a sigh, knowing that nothing could stop them from trying.
"Okay girls. Just be safe. And Applebloom. Do you know where your sister is? I need to talk to her." Applebloom smiles and then says.
"Ah believe that ma sis is takin' a break in the barn. You'd better hurry tho, she don't take very long breaks." With that the trio takes off, racing towards town. I set off towards the barn, picking up the pace as I see Applejack exiting the barn.
"Applejack! Can I have a word with you?" As I call this out the mare stops in her tracks, looking around until she spots me.
"What do you want to talk to me about sugarcube?"
"I was hoping that you'd come back to the library with me and attend the meeting that I've called to tell the elements about the visitor last night."
"Well, shoot, sugarcube. Ah was hoping that Ah'd be able to get the west fields bucked by the end of the day but Ah recken that this is more important. Sure, Ah'll come.
"Thank you Applejack. We'd better go now though. I've been telling everypony else to meet at the library at ten and I have to stop by Sugarcube Corner to pick up a cupcake for Spike."
"No problem Sugarcube. Let's get goin'" Applejack then started off towards town. I fall into step with her and walk through town with her, stopping at the bakery to pick up Spike's treat. Arriving at the library the other four element bairers are waiting outside, talking excitedly. I get all of their attentions by calling out.
"Alright, let's get settled down inside and I'll explain everything." I then open the door to the library and everypony filed in.
