Future Warrior in Past Timesby Silver Octave
Chapters
Prerequisite
Beep-beep-BEEP-BEEP My eyes shot open, my head pounded. Damn suit. I look around, and saw Twilight waking the other guards from hibernation. When my capsule opened I fell onto the floor.
"Sir, welcome back. Did you have a nice sleep?"
My head was fuzzy. When was this voice, she sounded nice. What was her name Aile, no...Oh right! "Hey A.I.L.E.T.A., it was alright." I said using my suit's motors to help me stand up. I look at the other guards, some of them were throwing up, others were shaking from their deep freeze.
"Sir, you have been asleep for ten months. Your vitals are stable, and no signs of biological and mental decay. You are clear of any checkups."
"Can you enhance my visuals with anything?" I asked. "My vision is still foggy."
There was a loading bar in my suit's headgear visual monitoring system or the VHMS. Then I felt a needle stick into my side. I winced in pain, but then I saw my vision clear up. When I could see again, I saw princess Twilight look at me with a smile on her face.
"Everytime I wake you up Spectrum, you always greet your AI, and not me."
I bowed in respect. "Princess Twilight, it is a pleasure serving you. If I may ask, why have you woken us up?"
"Well, I had to wake all of you up, to wake you up. There's still that glitch."
"I understand, so what do you need me for?" I asked her as she lead me, and a couple other guards down a long hall colored purple with neon blue lights lighting our path.
"I found another fragment of the time crystal, and found a way to expand it. However I just need you four to stand by incase if anything comes out." She explained.
"Sir, there is a high magical frequency imitating from chamber 88324. Please proceed with caution."
"Thanks Aileta..." I said walking on.
After turning down several halls, and going up a few dozen floors only to go down more long halls we managed to find ourselves near the room my AI warned me about. Lab room 88324, created to contain anything explosive, and could contain the blast of six hydrogen atomic bombs. It was fairly impressive, and was made to house Twilight's most insane experiments.
I took a deep inhale as I felt my heart race, something about her bringing me to this room. It made me worry whenever I got close, like something bad was about to happen. The door opened with a long hissing sound as it revealed a large prismatic crystal that was glowing brilliantly. I pressed a button on my helmet that activated my VHMS's hud to dim any light.
"This is it!" She said in a cheerful tone. "The last crystal of time!"
I approached it with the princess. I watched as the crystal made a slight hum that became more noticeable the closer we got to it. My AI was freaking out at the amount of energy that was coming off of it. I lowered the volume on the alarms, and soon the sound of them stopped all together.
"Amazing princess, but is it safe?" Another guard asked.
"It should be-"
"Should? So you aren't even sure?"
"I've watched it for two weeks, so nothing has happened yet." Twilight defended herself. "Gezzz, you sound like Rainbow Dash."
"How is she anyways princess?" I asked.
"She's taking her time in the Skylands to talk to the Griffins about a treaty to end a small fight between them and the Phoenix colonies." Twilight said. "No good word yet though."
I laughed to myself. "Is that right?" I asked. "My mom does have a way with words, but I wouldn't expect a treaty to come to play any time soon."
"Sir, energy is building up, please vacate-" I muted her before she finished.
"So what do you plan to use this for princess?"
She shrugged with a soft smile. "It's giving off massive amounts of energy. Maybe we can use it to power Equestria forever."
"Please! Spectrum! Leave now!" Somehow my AI turned unmuted herself right as a crack formed in the crystal I inspected it, and felt like I was being tugged closer to it. I began to back up, and pulled the princess with me away from it.
"Princess, some bad is about to-" There was a large sound of exploding air that was rushing into the room I pushed Twilight out of the room and held onto dear life to the edge of the door. My wings barely helping me. Twilight tried to teleport me as the other guards fell into a black hole that was forming from the crack in the crystal, but I appeared right were I was.
"Hang on Spectrum!" She cried trying to pull me in.
By then I realized I was losing my grip, and my wings were tired. "Princess, tell my mother I am gone..." I said. "Dead maybe, it was my soul duty to make sure you survive. When I let go, close the door, and never open it again!" I was slipping more. I turned up my AI and huffed. "Sorry Aileta, it was great working with you."
"You too sir. I hope what you told me about your heaven comes true for you." I thought I heard sadness in her voice. It sounded off, but it may have been from the air rushing inward.
"You will be honored as the loyalist pony in the guard." Twilight was beginning to cry. "Goodbye Spectrum Dash."
I let go, and it was though time was slowing down. I saw the door close, and Twilight watched from the room window as I fell in.
"It was a pleasure working with you Aileta." I said when things went black.
I had kept my eyes open as I saw my fellow guards tumble around in a reddish tube that swirled around. We all screamed in horror as a guard touched the edge of the tube, and turned into red dust. Another gone, then my friend Lumitius. I used my wings to stay from the edges, but there was a sudden drop.
Before I knew it I touched the edge, but I began to see a different place. It was night time, and I emerged from the tube to there in a single blink. I noticed I was falling, and my wings didn't want to work for some reason.
"Oh buck me!" I shouted. "Aileta if you can hear me activate the shields!"
"Right away!" I heard her reply. I saw a white barrier form over my head which was pointing to the ground. "Sir estimating speed, and angle, I'll need to use all remaining energy to keep you alive on impact. Thus shutting me down until solar recharge. Do you understand?"
"Got it!" I said before I hit the ground. "This going to-!"
THUUUUUMMMMMMMMM!!!!
Event 1
Celestia had just finished up with her day court, ready to tag in her younger sister. A rough day called for some heavy drinks. She thought about it, then changed her mind after realizing her next day would be rougher. She sat down on her throne as she made the sun set.
Luna must be waking up by now... She thought to herself, hoping her sister would come to greet her before she went to sleep. They didn't need to sleep, being Alicorns why hardly needed to, but it was something they knew they couldn't live without. It made it easier to change between courts, so there wasn't much debate over their schedules.
The doors opened from Luna's tower, and a smile grew on her face.
"Good evening Lulu!" She said. "How was your sleep?"
Luna shrugged. "We slept well sister, thank you, how was your day?"
"Tiring unfortunately, Money Bags keeps trying to monopolize Canterlot." Celestia pressed a button on her chair, and a servant came out with a bottle of wine. "Would you like any?"
Luna nodded as she approached her chair on the throne. "I would, thank you sister, you are very kind." There was a hint of distress in her voice.
"Is something wrong Lulu?" She asked, pouring a small thin looking wine glass.
"Just waking up...tis the only trouble of this wonderful habit of sleeping." Luna sighed. "You don't look so good yourself Tia, are you okay as well?"
"Have you ever wondered if we were being watched?" Celestia started, taking a small sip from her glass filled to the brim with wine. "Like someone from the future was looking back on us, and laughing at our mistakes?"
Luna nodded, "I think about my mistakes from my past Tia, I know what you mean." Luna said.
The sat in silence, drinking their wine, and both were looking out the window. Celestia stood up, and walked out onto the deck that over looked Canterlot and Ponyville. She let her body take in the solar rays, welcoming them as if she were receiving a warm hug to say goodnight to the sun to await for another kind day.
Then her wings erected as she began to jump off the deck. She flew upwards letting her momentum carry her upwards with the help of her wings flapping in the wind, pushing her body. She gazed at the sun, and raised her horn into the sky. Once she was high above the city, her body lit up as she dove downwards, and the sun hid under the horizon. Celestia did another ascension, and flew around the castle. Soon Luna joined her flight, and the two princesses began to laugh as they turned around one another.
They touched hooves as they flew upwards, and so did the moon. Once they were done they landed back in the throne room, laughing.
"I love it when we play sister!" Luna laughed.
Before Celestia could reply there was a wave of extreme magical energy. Celestia bowed her head in disappointment, and looked outside. Appearing over Canterlot, there was a massive wormhole that spat out a red object that looked as though it was a pony. It flashed white as it fell downwards. The angle it was descending made it hit a few buildings before bouncing off again, and then hit another building. Ponies ran out screaming in sheer horror.
"Is it an attack Tia?!" Luna asked.
"I don't know...Contact the elements, inform Twilight that she may need to prepare to use their elements to defend Equestria." Celestia said, sounding almost calm.
"Yes Tia!" Luna turned and ran inside as Celestia flew through the path of destruction.
It was clear it was moving quickly. Near perfect holes in the buildings it crashed through, and the first impact crater wasn't too big, big nonetheless. She flew farther, and saw the building it landed in. The smoke from the crash was thick, but with the help of her magic it cleared away quickly. In a shallow crater was a figure that reassured her assumption that it was a pony. A pegasus do doubt, but it was wearing something metallic.
She leaned in closer but a image of a blue pony with white eyes appeared, cutting her off from the pegasus.
"This is AI unit AILETA, Artificial Intelligence and Living management and Experienced Technological Adviser. This unit is programmed with an emergency power for one message, and one only until solar recharge is complete. This solider is a pegasus, caption of the Twilight Empire Royal Guard Regimen. You have entered the field of danger and should back away. If you do not comply you will be terminated. Because this unit is unable to defend himself this suit has gone under level ten lock down until Princess Twilight presses the emergency protocol button on his forehead. Until such time a magic beacon has been activated so she may track him down. Have a nice day, and remember, Friendship is Magic."
"What?" Celestia asked herself in sheer shock. Was her student secretly plotting her downfall? Celestia shook the thought away. "She cares about me too much to do that."
Celestia then had a great idea, if this pony had the ability to 'recharge' it's energy through the light of the sun...She used her horn to mimic the sun's rays. A small beep assured her plan was working, and the blue pony appeared again.
"Can you explain what you are?" Celestia asked. "Can you understand me?"
"This is AILETA, I understand you princess...what is your name? I do not have you in my data banks?"
"I am Princess Celesita, can you tell me something? Where did you come from?"
"Temporal break down of the time crystal named Gamma 1023-1 caused a shift in time in a radius of ten feet. Causing this unit to be sucked in after saving our ruler Princess Twilight. However, my sources tell me that you, Princess Celestia, have died five hundred years ago. As such, my data requires me to ask of you when Lord Discord was turned to stone?
"Lord Discord?!" Celestia asked. "He was turned to stone a thousand years ago! By me and Luna!"
"Understood, Princess Celestia, hello, I am AILETA." The blue transparent pony bowed in respect. "It seems as though we survived the time vortex, and landed exactly one thousand years before our time. As noted I may not answer any questions from the future without the consent of my master. However, any other questions maybe asked."
Celestia nodded as Luna landed next to her. "Sister what is this?"
"Information gathered, hello Princess Luna, I am AILETA, Artificial Intelligence and Living management and Experienced Technological Adviser. Unit one of series ten.
"What is this...ghost?" Luna asked.
"I am not a spectral entity Princess Luna. I am merely a projection of the AI that guards this pegasus unit. I am using as little power to speak to you, as Princess Celestia is powering me as of this point. When the sun is up, I will be able to wake this unit from hibernation."
"Can you explain what this 'hibernation' is AILETA?" Celestia asked.
"Biological lifeforms slow down all biological processes when they are dormant. As such I am keeping my master asleep until Princess Twilight activates him to extend his life."
"Is he alive?"
"Affirmative, this unit's vitals are stable, and was kept from harm from his magical shielding which has drained my power supply.
Celestia sighed in relief. "That is good."
"Affirmative, this life form is my partner. Without him, I would have no ability to learn what life is." There was a slight giggle coming from the figure. "He has taught me so much about life. What it means to live, to protect the things he cares about. I have adopted these feelings to help better understand life."
"You are not alive?" Luna asked in shock.
"Affirmative, Princess Luna, I am an AI, meaning I have no biological systems. My systems have 12,523 terabits of space for storing memory. I run on six quantum core processors that allow me to read data at twice the speed of his mother's top flight speed."
"His mother?" Celestia said, looking at Luna. "Who is his mother?"
"This question is blocked, please ask another."
"Can you tell me what year you are from then?"
"Affirmative, year 2045."
"TIS NOT POSSIBLE!" Luna shouted.
"Now Luna wait, calm down. AILETA is it?"
"Affirmative."
"You said earlier about a time crystal. Can you tell me what that is?"
"Loading data on Time Crystal Gamma 1023-1...Time Crystal Gamma is a crystal that mimics the time vortex in a semi-physical state. Princess Twilight was saved from the suction from this unit."
"Can you tell me what his name is?"
"Caption Spectrum Dash, of the Twilight Empire Royal Army."
Celestia began to laugh. "Looks like I know who his mother is."
Luna began to giggle. "We wouldn't expect Loyalty to mate either Tia."
"OH DAMMIT!" The AI screamed. "DAMMIT! YOU BIOLOGICAL ASSHOLES!"
"What seems to be the problem? I'm not allowed to know?"
"I hate you! I really REALLY hate you!" AILETA said. "Seeing how you now know, it is no longer against the rules to confirm your suspensions. Princess Rainbow Dash, ruler of the Skylands, and defender of the skies. Spectrum Dash was born 2000, and has spent twenty years total in Cryogenic Hibernation. His age is twenty-five.
"Well, please rest, tomorrow Twilight will be here, and might want to ask two billion questions."
"Fine, but I already hate you Princess Celestia. The figure vanished, and Celestia tried to suppress a laugh.
"Rainbow Diana Dash, you be surprised when he get here." Celestia said placing the sleeping pegasus on her back.
"We shall stay up for this sister. We wish to see what transpires next."
"We have the future Prince to take care of as of the moment."
"I can take perfectly good care of my master!" AILETA's voice said in a harsh tone. "I have tanks of materials that can be used to feed him, and can use his waste to recycle them!"
Celestia sighed as they walked up through the wrecked streets. "You can't take care of him like that AILETA. I understand that you are made to prolong his life somehow, but even having you, he'll feel lonely."
"I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"Being lonely is something EVERY living creature feels when they aren't around civilization. When they can't talk to anyone other than themselves, and because you aren't another living creature like us, you don't fully understand what he is feeling."
"i was programmed to understand how the pony brain works, and can read the levels of chemicals that are produced. When a surge of dopamine is detected, I can tell he is happy. When I read his brain waves I know what he is thinking. Like now, he is dreaming of his first years as a foal, living with his mother."
"Even we have trouble reading minds, but what this AILETA is taking about is true." Luna said. "I can see how large Rainbow Dash becomes in thousand years time. Her mane is long, and shines like clean silk."
Celestia smiled. "How nice." Celestia said. "I wonder how the elements became princesses."
Event 2
The elements approached the pegasus laying on the ground in between them and the princesses. Twilight looked over to her fellow princesses, when Celestia was just smirking while she sat on her throne.
Earlier Celestia explained that he came to see her, but that was only half the truth. She gazed at the red metallic pony with great interest.
"So..." Twilight started, to move closer to the pegasus. She jumped back when a blue translucent pony appeared with a large grin on her face. She bowed without saying anything. "Who are you?"
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, I am AILETA. I am this pony's personal AI, and you are my creator. As such I may give you permission to approach my master." She stepped to the right. "This button behind his ear is what you need to press to unlock the suit."
Twilight raised a brow in confusion, and pressed the button. There was a beep and a whirls as the suit began to make the pony stand.
I felt the touch of a pony behind my ear, and my hud turned on. I could see six ponies in front of me, the figures anyways. Once I could deal with the blinding light that was shining through stained windows scripting events. It took me longer than it was supposed to recognize Twilight standing in front of me.
"PRINCESS!" I lunged forwards, and hugged the princess tightly. "Princess Twilight! Did you use an age spell again on yourself? You look so young!" I pulled back, and saluted. I then saw the other princesses, but they looked different. I also saw my mom, and I jumped over to her. "Mom!"
Rainbow Dash pulled away, and looked at Celestia. "Hey! I'm no pony's mom, and I plan to keep it that way!"
I looked up at her with confusion. "Ma? What happened to your horn?"
"Did this pony hit his head, THAT hard?" She asked. "Hey, bud, I don't know why you're calling me mom, but I don't even have a special somepony!"
Celestia chuckled. "Perhaps I can help explain. From what I was told by your partner Spectrum, you are from a thousand years in the future. Rainbow Dash hasn't become what you thought her to be, yet."
I looked over to the solar princess. "So, they haven't figured it out yet?" I asked, turning back towards the elements. "Because I fear that I may cause events to happen sooner...I can't stay here." Aileta, activate protocol 56. I thought.
"I will not!" Aileta's voice blared in my ears. "Request denied!"
"Aileta active protocol 56! That's an order!" I shouted, the elements looked at me quizically.
"Explain what Protocol 56 is!" Twilight stomped her hoof on the ground.
I sighed, muting Aileta. "Protocol 56 is lock down, and destroy myself. Incase I am captured by something I cannot destroy, I am to lock down my suit, and it will blow up me with the suit. Don't worry though, the blast is concealed by a magic spell that protects the surrounding area." I explained. "However, I need to use it for a different purpose. I can cause time to alter, and could change history in thousands of ways. Just me being here is risking the future I come from, and I can be wiped from time."
"Well, you're still here aren't you?" Luna asked. "You explained to us what this protocol is, and your AI has already told us who you are."
"Still, I can't be here." I looked into princess Twilight's eyes. "Ma'am, please order my AI to destroy us both."
Twilight shook her head. "I can't do something like that!" She barked. "No! I order you to live!"
I sat down, with my face to the ground. "I cannot stay in this time princess, I don't belong here!"
Twilight stepped up to me, a soft, caring smile on your face. "Can you take your helmet off?" She asked.
"W-why? Princess, I was told never to take it off until I retire." I said.
"Well, if what Celestia briefed me was correct, I was your ruler, and because I am the same pony, I order you to take it off."
I didn't want to, I really didn't, but I had to. She made a good point, she was still my princess. I began to twist my helmet with my head as I sat down. After confirming with a long hissing movie, I lifted it up. The elements, and surely the other two princesses had their jaws dropping to the floor. Even aunty Fluttershy had her jaw hanging low.
I began to place it back on over my head, when it was pulled away from me by princess Twilight. Her eyes began to tear up as Rainbow Dash sat back in shock.
"What happened to you?" Twilight asked, surely noticing my scars across my face, and my half gone left ear. Under my chin had my burns when I faced a dragon.
I looked away from them, and sighed. "You made me this suit for a reason princess." I answered after a long silence. "I was the best of the best, my combat skills were unmatched, I could keep up with my mother for a short time." I paused, letting the information sink in. "A lot happens in a thousand years, and not all of it isn't good."
I could tell my mangled face shocked them all. "Why would I let you go though all of that!?!" Twilight asked.
"I was the only one who could ma'am." I replied. "After my squad was killed by a group of Griffin assassins set out to kill the top ranks of your army, I was the last who defended you. After getting these-" I pointed to the trio of claw scars across my face. "I killed them."
By now, Apple Jack had approached me. "If yer from da future, then how come ya ain't all fixed up?"
"You can heal magical wounds, even in the future." I said. "The Griffin had magic gauntlets."
Rainbow Dash was the next to approach me. "So, how did your ear...ya'know...get bit?"
"Spike..." I said, and there was a a chorus of gasps in the room. "When I was eighteen, Rarity was upset over her daughter's death, and let darkness swallow her soul. Spike, being loyal to her, also fell under darkness. I was able to liberate them both, and successfully managed to keep them alive. In the process, I fought Spike before Princess Rarity. That's how I got that."
"Are you saying we all had children?" Twilight asked.
"No, the rest of the elements had children, but you found yourself to busy princess Twilight to take care of a foal." I said. "And please, don't try to change history. Let time flow onwards so I have chances of not changing."
I grabbed my helmet from Twilight. "Just let me go alright?"
"How did we become princesses?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I really wanta know, because I know Twiliy is a princess! And you said we became princesses as well!"
"All my mom told me was, that you five did something with Twilight that involved the elements you held." I replied. "That's all I ever got out of her."
Rarity hummed as she thought. "That suit you're wearing, who made it?"
"You, Twilight, and my mom did." I said, folding my rainbow mane off to the side, hiding the scars. "Twilight made the tech, you designed it, and my mom had metals mined from her kingdom that were aerodynamicly strong. My face isn't the only thing that was damaged."
"Who else?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice was sharp. "Tell us!"
"I lost my legs in a castle fire. I managed to save everypony, happened when I was twenty-two." I rested my helmet over my head again, and sighed. I began walking away, when Celestia stopped me. She teleported infront of me, and it looked as though she was going to cry.
"Surely you aren't ready to move about Spectrum." She said. "Please, I ask all of you to rest, and maybe you should explain how we die?"
"I was never told, mom and the elements kept that information to themselves." I said. "However, I can agree with you. I'm tired, and Aileta still needs to charge. She's only ten percent charged."
Celestia frowned, hearing my news that I didn't know, but nodded. "Alright, you eight can roam about the castle, and try to relax. Oh, Rainbow Dash?"
"Yes?"
"Talk with your future son. Learn a few things."
"Um...alright, I guess." She walked towards me. "Come on kiddo!"
I smiled, but I knew she couldn't see it. "Alright, let's go."
"So, who's the father?" It was the first question that came out of my mother's mouth.
"Well, he was a unicorn by the name of Shield." I said. "I don't know what happened when you two met, but the next morning he was gone for two years. When he came back, you hated him, but he made it up to you. Ended up marrying you, and a couple years after that you had me."
"So, I got a horn?"
I laughed. "Yeah, you use it more than you think you would."
"Why do you think I wouldn't tell you how we became alicorns?" She looked to me and smiled. "Geeezzzz, the more I look I you, the more I see me."
I took off my helmet after she twisted it. She grimaced at my face, and sighed sadly. "It doesn't hurt, the pain died off a thousand years from now." I joked. "But, sometimes, I feel it again, and I remember the causes of my burns and scars."
"I wouldn't let any foal of mine risk their life." She said.
"You need to in order to keep time on the right path." I looked down from the cloud we sat on. Canterlot looked so different from what I was used to. Two cities, upper and lower in built into the mountain side housing a half million ponies.
"Yeah, about that, so what if I say I promise to tell you how we really get our elements?" She asked. "Would that help?"
"I wouldn't." I replied. "It's the great mystery you told me that lead your lives onward. I never understood what it was like to be the element of loyalty, but somehow, I got that same gift. My cousins; Bucks, Cotton Candy, and Shyra, they too also got gifts of the elements." I sighed. "Diamond lost her life over her gift. She was too generous. I don't exactly know how she died, but I was six when I saw her in a coffin."
I could see that my mom looked disturbed. I always saw that face when she saw somepony act disloyal. It made her sick when she saw that everypony should put their trust in their companions, but one day I saw that same thing with her. I was five years old, and we were walking in a park. I was looking at something that looked like a snake flying in the sky, when I heard my mother curse infront of me for the first time. When I turned to look at her, she had this dark, sickening face. It frightened me to see such a awful scowl of general and utter hate.
I never bothered to ask her what happened so she wasn't remained of that face ever again. That and I kind of thing I just didn't want to see that face. But yet, I saw it for my own eyes. She wasn't loyal to herself, she hated how the future turns out, and there wasn't a thing she could do without drastically changing the future.
"I hate this..." She said in a darker raspy tone.
"Do you think I do?"
"He's not lying." Aileta said in a lighter tone.
"Woah! Who said that?!"
"You already forgot about me!?" Aileta shouted angerly, her voice still light.
I smiled. "Quiet down Aileta, she hardly knows who I am," I paused after feeling a sinking feeling in my chest. "and she's my mom..."
I could swear she knew then and there, that I was really her son from the future. I didn't get why, but she wrapped her wings around me in a warm hug. Her hooves were wrapped around my head, even in the past she was just slightly taller than me.
"W-why are you hugging me?" I asked.
"I don't know..." She moved back, looking in my eyes. "I just...feel...like you are...my son, but...I can't understand why I would...Just let you go though all of that?"
"Because I was banished from your kingdom." I replied. "I broke a law that couldn't be sentenced by anyother means other than death. I killed a pony. I snapped his neck with my own two hooves. I was defending myself, but I went over my limit. So the only way to keep me alive was to banish me to Equestria, to serve under princess Twilight."
"Drastic actions had to be taken. The pony he was fighting was armed." Aileta confirmed.
Rainbow Dash punched the cloud in anger. "Buck! Hey kid, if you are my kid lets race!" A grin formed across her face.
"Okay, sure why not!" He smiled. "You don't have your magic this time to beat me!"