Author's note: I hate goodbyes.

Chapter 22: Departure

(Day of the Gala)

It has been nearly a week since I have received the threat from that pony. I don't want to leave, but I have to. The only thing that is keeping me going is the red book.

I reread the first page again after so many times.

"Hello Daniel, I am you. I know what you are feeling what now, but you will return one day, but in order to do that, you must follow everything I have written. But there are a few things you need to be warned of. One: The book will show you what you need to know when the time comes. Two: You must leave behind the name Chrome; it will attract too much attention if you return. Three: Don't let anypony read this book."

I have flipped through the rest of the book before, but found nothing but blank pages. The book didn't tell me anything, until today.

"Daniel, you need to collect the following things before you leave: two of your own bones, one bag of gems, three bags of the old gold, and a vial of rainbows."

My own bones? I don't want to know what I need those for.

I put the book into my suit, and let my house to fly towards the Everfree. Luckily it is still early in the morning, so no one can see me.

It takes me only a few minutes to find my body; I have come here often enough.

I stand over my remains, only the bones are left now. It is always just a weird feeling looking at your own body.

I bend down, and pick up two bones: one pinkie finger, and the jaw bone. I don't know what I will need these for, but I trust myself. After I put them away in my suit, I return to the Ponyville, but make a stop at the library. I need to write something.

I arrived just as Spike and Twilight woke up.

"Hm? Morning Chrome," Twilight said tiredly, noticing me.

"Hello Twilight," I said. "I need some paper, and something to write with."

Twilight absent mindedly magiced over what I asked for, not asking any question due to her currently asleep mind.

I take the quill, and paper provided, and sat them down on the main table in the library.

After I finished writing the letters, I nicked one of Twilight's empty ink vials. I hope she won't miss it.

I then flew over to the only place I knew where to find rainbows around here: Rainbow's house.

When I arrived, I was lucky that Rainbow wasn't here, she tended to ask the right questions. I quickly filled the vial with rainbow, and tucked it away in my suit, and flew back home.

It only took me a few minutes to reach it, and noticed that Nyx was awake in the kitchen eating a muffin.

"Oh, hey daddy," Nyx said when she saw me. "What were you doing out so early?" she asked.

"I had to run some errands," I told her as I continued upstairs to my room. Once inside, I moved to my bookshelf. If I am going somewhere, I am taking some books with me. I pulled out 2 books: Discord's book, and a book on myths.

After I put those two away, I move over to the closet and removed 4 bags from the few dozen in there. I only have one outfit, so the closet made a good place to store my things. Once I had them tucked away I had to go find the girls… I had something to give them.

I was about to leave my room when I stopped and just stared at it for a bit.

What if I never do come back? This may really be my last time being among them? No! I will come back! I will not leave them for good!

With that thought, I left my house to go find the girls.

I found the girls outside at Rarity's. They were all dressed up in the outfits that Rarity designed.

As I approached, Pinkie was the first one to notice me, and bounce over.

"Hey Chrome!" Pinkie said happily.

"Hello Pinkie," I said simply. "I have something for you," I said and help out one of the letters.

"Oooh. What is it?" Pinkie asked looking at the letter at multiple angles.

"It is a letter I want you to hand to Twilight after the Gala," I told her. "Can you promise me that only Twilight will be the one to read it?"

"Yep! I promise. Crosse my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie said happily as she put the letter in her mane.

"Thank you Pinkie," I told her, and began to walk away. "I hope you have some real fun tonight." I call back to her.

"Yep that's the plan!" Pinkie replied, bouncing back to the girls.

With that, I walk back towards my house. Once I reached it, I went to the living room, and just sat with the red book open. Waiting for something to happen.

After waiting for a few hours, and the sky to turn dark, the book finally gave me something.

"Find the Doctor."

Find the Doctor? He is back in Ponyville? Great, this will take some time.

I pick up the book, but I don't leave just yet. Instead I walk up to Nyx's room, and open the door. There I find Nyx asleep in her bed. I moved to her dresser, and placed down my hat, and my letter to her.

I then close the door, and left the house, and to begin my search for the infamous blue box, or its mad pilot.

I ended up finding the Tardis parked outside Sugercube Corner.

I looked around me, to see if anyone was around. Seeing that there was no one, I knocked on the door, and waited.

After a few minutes, and some odd sounds inside of the box, the Doctor opened the door.

"Oh, hello Chrome, what brings you here," the Doctor asked cheerfully.

"I am currently in a paradox, Doctor," I told him, and he gained a look of thought. "I received a messaged from my future self, and I was told to find you."

"Hmm, paradoxes are quite a tricky thing," the Doctor commented, the moved aside, "Alright, come on in, and let's see what we can find,"

I took a final look around me, and walked into the Tardis.

(Third Person's Perspective)

The girls were currently at Donut Joe's talking about what a great time they had. Even Princess Celestia had stopped by to visit her favorite student.

Suddenly, Pinkie remembered what Chrome had told her earlier.

"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie called out, getting Everyone's attention. Pinkie reached into her mane, and pulled out a letter. "Chrome told me to give this to you after the Gala," she said, holding it out for her.

Twilight lifted the letter from Pinkie with her magic, and unfolded it, and began to read it aloud so that they could all hear it.

"Dear Girls,

If you are reading this, then that means Pinkie delivered Twilight my letter. It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you I am… leaving Ponyville?" Twilight stopped reading, and reread the line again in her head. All of the other girls were staring at her in shock.

"There is somepony out there who knows what I am, and has told me to leave or you all will be harmed. I do not wish to leave you girls, but doing so is the hardest thing I have ever done. I don't know if I will ever be able to return without you being in danger, but I will do anything I can so I can return. Twilight, I want you to tell the girls everything about me.

Girls, I am not saying goodbye, I am just not here right now.

-Chrome

p.s. Please take care of Nyx, I know she will hate me for what I am doing."

When Twilight finished, she couldn't believe what she just read. She looked up, and saw that the others girls mirrored her face.

Without a second thought, the girls all quickly left and rushed towards their carriage.

But by the time they reach Ponyville, Chrome will already be gone.

(Chrome's POV)

The moment I crossed the door way, things went to Tartars. The Tardis's door suddenly slammed closed behind me, and the central console went haywire, and emitted sparks, and its usual noise for travel.

"What is this?!" the Doctor cried out, as he rushed towards the center, trying to calm down the Tardis.

"What's going on Doctor?" Derpy yelled as she came from one of the inner rooms of the Tardis.

"I don't know the Tardis is reacting badly to Chrome's presence!" the Doctor shouted.

Suddenly, the Tardis began to tilt, and rumble, flinging things everywhere. The Doctor continued in vain trying to get the Tardis to stop.

Suddenly, I heard the doors swing open behind me. I looked and saw the time vortex behind me.

"Chrome! Stay away from the door!" the Doctor yelled. I suddenly felt something pulling me towards the door. Before I could fight it, I was sucked out of the Tardis, and into the vortex.

I could only watch as the Tardis continued, as I was falling the other way.

What the bucking hell was I going to do! I was being ping ponged against the walls of the vortex, with no way out.

As soon as I thought that, I was suddenly out of there, but I was approaching something very large and green at an alarming rate.

I hit whatever it was at high speeds, and ended up impeded into it.

I climbed out of what I hit, and looked around me.

I hit the bucking ground that was it! You are an idiot.

"Now where am I?" I wondered, or in this case, when?

I looked up in the sky, and noticed that I was still on whatever those ponies call this place, based on the stars.

"Ok, I know the general idea of where. Know I need to know when." I said to myself, and then I remember the book.

I pull it out from my suit, and opened it up.

"Explore."

Wow, that was a lot of help.

I put the book back in my suit, and just floated off in a random direction, in the hopes of finding something.

Alright, I went north.

I was flying through a blizzard trying to find any kind of land markers, or to—

I just smashed into something. This blizzard is just bucking annoying!

I move closer to see what I hit, and see that is some stone building. I had found civilization! I then floated around, staying close to the wall, trying to find someplace to enter from.

I ended up finding what I presume to be the front door, and pushed it open.

What I saw inside reminded me of Twilight's basement. It was full of beaker, jars with odd things floating inside, an numerous books thrown around.

"Can I help you?" I heard a voice call out beside me. I turn to see a white unicorn, with a mane of two shades of green.

"I am sorry for intruding," I apologized. "I was just trying to escape the blizzard. I am… Spirit Chaser."

"Well then Spirit, I am Clover the Clever," Clover proclaimed proudly. "And you are currently trespassing on the home of Star Swirl the Bearded."

… Great, I'm a few hundred years away from home. Guess that means the girls won't find out for a while.

"What are those weird garbs you are wearing?" Clover asked.

Seeing as I was in the past, I decided to be honest. "It is the only thing that allows other ponies to see me."

"What do you mean?" Clover asked. "Why can't ponies see you?" At this, I remove my mask, causing Clover to gasp. "What manner of being are you?"

"I am true to my name," I said, giving a mock bow. "I am a Spirit through, and through."

"Master!" Clover suddenly shouted upstairs.

"What is it now Clover!?" A voice replied from above.

"I just made a large discovery!" Clover replied excitedly. Discovery? I just told her what I was.

"This better not be another experiment on one of the Pie folks," said a voice coming down the stairs. I looked over to see a grey unicorn, with an odd looking beard, and an odder taste in fashion. "Hm? What is this thing?" He asked.

"This is a spirit," Clover declared.

"Fascinating. Where did you find it?" He asked. I'm guessing this is Star Swirl.

"I found this place while lost in the storm," I said.

"And it can speak too." Star said as he got a closer look on me. "What function do these garbs hold?" He asked me.

"It is just a means to carry things, and to be seen," I explained, I suddenly felt his magic lifting up one of my arms to examine.

"Are there more of your kind?" He asked.

"No, I am the only one I know of," I told him, I've gotten use to this treatment from Twilight.

"What do you know spirit?" Star asked me.

I shrugged me shoulders. "The usual things; history, math, science, the tree of life, ect."

"Hmm, I take it you are a scholar from what you stated, but I never heard of the tree of life before." Star stated. Clover pulled out a quill and paper, and wrote down everything.

"When you are a spirit, most of what you do is read and explore. As for the tree of life, it is the formula for creation," I explained. Clover went wide eyed at that last bit.

"You claim to know the secrets of creation?" Star asked with his brow arched.

"Yes, it is far simpler then you ponies think. You guys just like to over complicate things," I stated.

"Can you explain it," Clover asked.

"No Clover, it is something need to be figured out by one's self to best understand it," I told her, and she looked down at the idea of not knowing. "That is begin to understand, you must see the tree of life." I continued.

"Can you show us the tree of life?" Clover asked hopefully.

"Hmm," I thought it over, and picked up some chalk off one of the nearby tables. I walked over to a clear patch of the wall, and began to draw the intersecting circles, till I completed the tree. "Well this is what the tree of life is, but its secrets you must find yourself," I said turning back to the two and they studied the wall.

"Interesting, I see many connections from this," Star stated. "I see biology, mathematical measurements, the magical path ways, and the 6 basic shapes. Fascinating."

"Quite impressive Star, it usually takes quite some time for one to understand just a fraction of what you saw," I commented, this guy really is a genius.

"You have shown me quite a good bit here Spirit, just this alone could keep me busy for most of my life," He commented. "As a form of thanks, feel free to read some of my works if you are interested," he offered.

Well, this pony knows a good deal, and I have absolutely nothing to do for the next few hundred years or so.

"Very well then, you got a deal," I agreed. "And if you have any more questioned about me, feel free to ask."

"Oh I will," Star said, as he went back upstairs.

Day one, and already found a home.