My Little Pony: Through Space and Time

by Magic Step

Loyalty and Serenity

The only remaining ponies were the two Rarities.

And Spike.

Spike was lying on the floor, very still.

"Spikey?" said non-Princess Rarity. "Something wrong?"

Spike just moaned.

Non-Princess Rarity rolled Spike on his back and gasped. A patch of scales on Spike's chest had turned gray.

"What?" said Princess Rarity. "How can this be? I thought you were from ten years ago!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" said non-Princess Rarity.

"Spike- our Spike- didn't start turning gray until a year ago! Why is your Spike doing it so fast?"

There was a pause.

"Maybe it's something in the future air," said non-Princess Rarity.

"Maybe... maybe Spike wasn't born with it after all!" said Princess Rarity excitedly. "I can't wait to tell... oh... where is Twilight?"

---

With a snap and a flash of light, the cotton candy cloud vanished.

The two Rainbow Dashes pulled away from each other and righted themselves quickly.

"Captain," said Princess Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, Princess, um..."

"Does this mean you've captured Rainbow Dash, or has Rainbow Dash captured you?"

"Er, both, um, actually, we were just chasing down Applejack to try and stop Discord because, uh, cotton candy, you know..."

"I'm not in a believing mood right now, Captain Dash, so I suggest you do something to show me your loyalty. I've already had to deal with Fluttershy..."

"Fluttershy?" said Captain Dash. "You... Twilight, you didn't..."

"Where's Applejack?" said Princess Twilight.

"I-I don't know, we lost the crusader we were following..."

"Don't tell me you don't know," said Princess Twilight Sparkle. "I know what you've been doing. I've seen you leave on those secret visits. I hoped I could trust you, but apparently Loyalty is failing... and you know about failure... Honesty will twist and warp, and it has. Kindness will seal herself in stone, and she has."

"Sparkie?" said Captain Dash.

"Do you know what Loyalty's betrayal will end in?" said Princess Twilight.

"No!" Captain Dash shouted. "Look, maybe I helped Applejack a bit, but I'm only loyal to you!"

"Oh?" said Princess Twilight.

"Hey!" said Rainbow Dash. "Who do you think you are, Miss Princess?" She flew up to Princess Twilight and poked her in the chest. "I don't care if you are the ruler of Equestria, Rainbow Dash has more than one friend! How can you make her choose between them like this?"

"Dash," said Captain Dash, "Please stay out of this..."

"Applejack is a criminal," said Princess Twilight.

"What was her crime?" said Past Rainbow Dash.

"Defaming royalty and-"

"You mean telling you and everypony else that you're a stuck up selfish manipulative jerk?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "Well, duh! That's not Applejack betraying her element! That's just Honesty's job, you blind old bat!"

"Rainbow Dash!" said Princess Twilight Sparkle, her horn glowing magenta. "Silence!"

And though Past Rainbow Dash's mouth kept moving, no sound came out.

"Captain," said Princess Twilight Sparkle, brushing the angry Past Rainbow Dash aside, "tell me once more: are you Loyalty?"

Captain Dash glanced at the ground for a moment, then raised her eyes with a bold look. "I will never betray you, Twilight Sparkle. Never. Never! Never!"

"Good," said Princess Twilight. "Now, let us recapture Applejack once and for all, shall we? Your soldiers are waiting for you."

Captain Dash looked over Princess Twilight's shoulder at the approaching pegasi. Scootaloo was leading them.

She took a few deep breaths. "Okay. Okay. All right! Let's do this!" and she zoomed off. The pegasi followed her in formation, and Princess Twilight majestically brought up the rear.

Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash followed... just to watch.

---

Fluttershy sat on a porch swing with Serenity in her arms, feeding her formula. Serenity hiccupped, and Fluttershy giggled.

"Such a special feeling," Aunt Jackie sighed. "Ah'm so glad she found you, Fluttershy."

"I'm so glad I found her," said Fluttershy. "I never really... well, of course I thought about being a mother before. It's hard not to think about it. But I never thought..." she sighed blissfully. "You are so sweet, Serenity..."

"Ah know how you feel," said Aunt Jackie. "Ah'd dreamed of being a mother, but Ah never thought Ah'd become mother to dozens of foals without their parents around. But now here they all are..." Aunt Jackie waved her hoof towards some fillies having a picnic. "Each of 'em oh so special, all of 'em needing my help. Each of 'em so precious."

"So precious..." Fluttershy repeated as Serenity finished her bottle. Fluttershy nuzzled the baby pony gently. "Who... who do you think her mother is? I don't suppose you know?"

"What you saying?" said Aunt Jackie. "You're her mother. Nopony better. Her parents must have given her to you for a reason. And she's become your own now."

"My very own little filly," Fluttershy sighed. "I-I can't believe it."

"Keep her safe," said Aunt Jackie. "These aren't good times for a little pony. She needs you."

Fluttershy nodded. The two just sat in silence for a minute.

"Ah need to get dinner started," said Aunt Jackie. "You just stay with Serenity a moment."

She went back into the house.

Fluttershy just rocked Serenity back and forth a bit. "Hush, now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head," she sang.

Suddenly she froze. It was an entirely involuntary action on her part. She felt like she'd suddenly been encapsulated by metal and could no longer move a muscle.

A blue, white-maned unicorn in a fancy suit trotted out from behind a nearby wood pile. His horn was glowing. He crept up to Fluttershy, whispered, "Sorry," and snatched Serenity from her arms. Then, levitating the baby pony in front of him, he dashed off towards the nearby forest.

Fluttershy inhaled sharply. Of course she couldn't see the spell forcing her to remain still, but she felt like it had shattered to pieces. She launched herself off the edge of the porch and flew after Serenity's captor.

She paused only twice, to ask directions from forest creatures, and so it didn't take her long to find the blue unicorn. He was staring at a tree. Serenity was nowhere in sight.

Fluttershy dove on top of the unicorn and pinned him to the ground. Their eyes met, and she poured all her fury into her glare.

She'd never used The Stare on a pony before, but she could tell by his expression that it had worked. The unicorn went limp and just stared back at her, terrified.

"Where. Is. She?" Fluttershy growled.

The unicorn swallowed hard and stammered for a bit before he found his voice.

"Sh-she's gone," he said. "Y-y-you can't find her."

"Don't say that," said Fluttershy. "What have you done with her?"

The unicorn seemed to have difficulty breathing as he prepared to answer the question.

"You... you want her to be safe, right?" he said.

"Of course," said Fluttershy.

"You... can't keep... her safe if... you keep her," said the blue unicorn. "You will destroy her..."

"How do you know?" Fluttershy almost snarled.

"Can't... space time continuum... can't you just..." The blue unicorn touched Fluttershy as though he was going to push her off, but there was no force behind it. "She'll have a good home... good parents... everything you'd want for her, but you. Can't. Keep. Her."

Fluttershy sucked in her breath. "I will only ask you one more time. Where is Serenity?"

"If you wait too long, your... robot... thingy will find me," said the unicorn. "Do you think she'll hesitate to shoot me on sight?"

Fluttershy didn't answer.

"Keep me here," said the unicorn, "and you will become my murderer."

"That's not true!" Fluttershy half-whined.

"If I die," said the unicorn, "I can't protect her. And I want to keep her safe more than you can understand."

Fluttershy hadn't turned The Stare off voluntarily, but apparently it had worn off. Both she and the unicorn were blinking normally again, and he didn't seem to be in pain anymore.

Oh God, Fluttershy prayed, please don't let this be the wrong choice. Please keep Serenity safe.

Fluttershy slowly flapped her wings and rose into the air. The unicorn stood up.

"Thank you," he whispered.

He turned back to the tree, and his horn started glowing.

A shiny purple-blue portal appeared in the wide tree trunk.

"STOP!" a robotic voice called. "STOP THAT TIME GUARDIAN!"

The blue unicorn looked over his shoulder, then stepped through the blue portal, which closed behind him.

Apple Bloom, once again in full armor, skidded to a halt next to the tree. "You let him get away!" She shouted to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground and turned away, letting her mane hide her face like she used to do back when she was even shier. "I had to," she whispered. "For Serenity."

Apple Bloom didn't say anything for a while. Then she nodded.

"Ah am so sorry," she said.

"Don't worry," said Fluttershy, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She faced the tree trunk. "She's in God's hands now."

The two of them stood there for a while, then they slowly made their way back out of the forest.

They had almost made it out when Fluttershy heard a strange beeping noise.

Apple Bloom pressed a button on her shoulder. "That was my smoke detector," she explained.

There was a pause. Then Apple Bloom launched into the air and flew out of the forest at top speed.

Fluttershy followed as fast as she was able.

"No!" Apple Bloom was screaming. "No!"

As she emerged from the tree cover, Fluttershy saw the flames.

Sweet Apple Homes was on fire.