Author's Notes:

Well here it is. Some of it may seem familiar, that because the first few paragraphs were original in the previous chapter. Anyway Thursday I'll post the next chapter.

Twilight stood perplexed by this creature, pony, or whatever he was. She was still unsure, but Flash seemed to trust him. After all, he had said ‘mentor’.

“So, Twilight, do we have somewhere to sit in there?” asked ‘F’ as he stood there. “My bones are not what they use to be,” he moved his right arm forward revealing a cane in right his hand.

Twilight looked to see the cane, and also what appeared to be a wrinkle-up gray coat hand. It seemed so old. Impossibly old. Who was this unknown, ‘F’, and who was he to this timeline’s Twilight?

“Well, speak little filly. Is there a place to sit in the cave?” said ‘F’.

“Hey, what do you mean ‘little filly’? I’m no little filly,” Twilight retorted back.

“Alright Twilight, calm down. ‘F’ calls everypony a child,” said Flash as he walked forward. “Now, please Twilight is there a place to sit inside? ‘F’ isn’t as young as he used to be.”

Twilight calmed down and spoke, “Yeah, there is a place in the living quart-- ” Twilight grabbed her mouth close mid-sentence upon remembering that Spike and Rarity were currently ‘busy’ in that room.

“What was that Twilight?” asked Flash, as he looked at her with confusion. She tried to hide the embarrassment on her face.

“Nothing,” she blurted out. Flash didn’t seem too convinced. He tried to ask again, but Twilight stopped him. “Hey, how about we sit out here?”

Then ‘F’ chimed in an answer. “But other Twilight there is nowhere to sit.”

‘Darn it, this isn’t going well,’ thought Twilight. ‘What am I supposed to tell them?’

Before she could muster up an answer, a diamond dog approached them. “Are you Twilight?” asked the diamond dog. Twilight turned to see him. He was covered in sweat, had a flustered looked, and distinct red slap mark on his face. Twilight answered back with a yes and he said, “I am Strax. Lady Rarity said that you might have wanted another place to sit. There are other living quarters in the cave. I will show you.”

******

The diamond dog led them down to other living quarters. There they met up with Soarin and Rainbow Dash, who had been set free. “Huh, how did you two get out of your cells?” asked Twilight.

“Well no thanks to you, Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash. “You kept abandoning us.”

“No I didn’t,” said Twilight, as she got slightly annoyed at herself that she had actually almost forgotten about them being in those cells. “And you still didn’t answer me.”

Suddenly Soarin chimed in with the obvious answer. “Sweetie Belle let us out.”

Rainbow Dash cocked her head back. “Hey, you weren’t supposed to tell that we got rescued by a filly.”

“As far as I am concerned you are all fillies and colts,” said ‘F’ as he slowly stepped into the room, his cane swinging about as he walked.

As soon Rainbow Dash and Soarin saw ‘F’ enter the room, they instantly bowed in respect. “Oh sorry sir, we didn’t realize you would be here too,” they both said in unison.

Twilight looked perplexed. She had only ever seen Rainbow Dash bow to the princesses. Did the old stallion, creature, or whatever he was, do something truly deserving of that kind of respect? The old creature finally sat down on a lazy-colts chair. He stretched back his arms or arm as Twilight realized he only had one arm. His right arm seemed to be the only one that moved, while the left sleeve just hanged there.

“Twilight, sit down and tell me what you know about Starlight Glimmer,” said ‘F’. This caught Twilight totally off guard. He knew of Starlight Glimmer,? But how?

“She is the one that me stuck in this timeline, but how do you know her?”

“As I suspected,” said ‘F’, not answering Twilight's question. He moved on. “Starlight used Starswirl’s spell, am I correct?” Again she answered ‘yes’. It was then he spoke in some unknown language to Flash and Flash replied back in the same language.

Twilight stood there confused. They were speaking a language that she couldn’t understand? That was impossible? She remembered back to her first days of being an ascended alicorn back in her timeline. Celestia had told her that as an alicorn she would be fluent in all languages. But these two were speaking in an unknown language. This confused her, but she pushed the thought away as she realized they were done talking.

“Twilight,” said Flash as he turned to her. “It’s all right if you don’t understand us. The original you couldn’t understand what we're saying in that language half of the time either,” he smiled. “It’s just something only I and my mentor can speak. He learned it during his time in the Cult of Lig-- ”

“That’s enough Flash,” ‘F’ interrupted him. “She doesn’t need to know all my secrets.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, so I’m not allowed to know everything,” said Twilight. “But can you at least tell me what's going on here? What do you know of Starlight Glimmer?”

“If you must know I ran into her when she went back in time,” said ‘F’. This got Twilight’s attention.

“You were there during the Shadow Rainboom?” asked Twilight.

“Yes, but that’s not the time I met her in,” answer ‘F’. “I met her over 900 years ago,” this threw Twilight's theories completely out the window. “I am not sure what change was made when she went back, but that’s when I encountered her.”

Twilight was now even more confused. How could he have been alive for over nine hundred years? Twilight just jumped to the obvious conclusion. “Wait how could you been around for that long? Are you an alicorn of some sort?”

‘F’ just let out a small, short laugh. “No, but that would have been a blessing for this curse.”

‘Curse?’, another unknown secret about this creature. Twilight was even more puzzled now. She wanted more answers, but realized she had already asked too much, as she saw Flash had a distinct look of ‘don’t ask’.

“Anyway, Twilight, tell me exactly what is different in your timeline compared to ours.”

“All right. I will try,” said Twilight as she got ready to tell her tale.

******

An hour later back in the other room. Rarity was laying beside Spike on a crystal bed that she had summoned. Her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and he had his right arm wrapped around her waist. They were just snuggling together now, enjoying each other's embrace. Their clothes were just tossed to the side, Rarity completely exposed under a makeshift blanket.

“Mmm, that was incredible Spike. We need you to laugh like that more often,” said Rarity with a giggle. She let out a happy hum as she snuggled into Spike’s chest. “Did you enjoy yourself, too?”

Spike indeed had enjoyed himself as much as Rarity had, which he showed affectionately as he kissed her on the head. They knew they didn’t need to answer each other on that question, but either always felt like asking that question after they were done with their ‘moments’. They thought they had these urges under control, but apparently, Spike being so happy after so long, they just couldn’t help themselves today.

It hadn’t all been complete enjoyment. When Strax had tried to sneak a look, she stopped long enough to slap him across the face. Afterwords, the diamond dog had left and they had went back at it.

******

Spike laid there in contented with Rarity by his side. His kiss had made her snuggle in closer. She climbed back on top of him almost about to go for another round, when Rarity stopped for a moment. Something was off. She fell back to her spot and just laid beside him.

She had had enough. Usually, it was him that would be the one that usually would have enough, but the last few weeks Rarity had seemed different during their moments. Sure she enjoyed them, but she was the one usually wanting more.

This was one of many reasons why Spike had begun to think the fear that he had been sensing in her was because of him. ‘Maybe she starting to regret being eternally bound to me? Twilight said she would never be afraid of me, yet I need to know,’ Spike thought as he laid there. He had to get answers, so he decided to finally ask her.

“Rarity,” he spoke with hesitation. She looked up at him. “Why are you scared?”

Rarity looked at him with utter confusion, words going through her head. ‘Does he already know?’ She pushed that thought aside and spoke, “Spikey, whatever made you think I was afraid?”

“Rarity, we can sense each other's emotions remember? Why are you afraid?”

“Me afraid? Are you sure you are not sensing your own fear,” Rarity retorted back.

“Rarity, you know what my fear is,” said Spike as he turned his face away. “I fear my flames. They make me a monster.”

Rarity pulled his face towards her and spoke. “Spike, don’t you dare call yourself that. You are no monster!”

“Then why are you afraid of me?” asked Spike.

Rarity was caught off guard by this. “You think I am afraid of you?” said Rarity as tears started to well up.

Even though they shared each other’s emotions, it was not the same as reading each other’s mind. Sure they could figure out each other’s thoughts like a normal couple. But there were still some thoughts that were blind each other.

Rarity’s eyes were welling up with tears as Spike’s eyes did the same. “How could you dare think I am afraid of you?” said Rarity.

“Then what is it? Please tell me,” said Spike.

Rarity looked away this time. ‘He can’t know yet, he would just blame himself for more things,’ Rarity just pushed it aside and didn’t answer him.

Spike wasn’t going to wait anymore for an answer, “You are afraid of being bound to me forever, aren’t y-- ” but he stopped as she slapped him.

Tears flowing, Rarity spoke, “Don’t you dare say that! I love you, I married you,” Rarity grabbed her chest. “It does not matter if we share the same heart. My love for you is what is eternal for me,” Now she was completely crying. “And that will never change. I love you.”

Spike finally relented as he had been trying to hold back the tears in his own eyes. Letting them finally flow, he gave in and laid there. “I am sorry Rarity, I’m sorry,” he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his shoulder for her to have something to cry on, repeating his apology over and over.

******

Back in the room where Twilight and the rest were, ‘F’ was trying to piece together what was going on with Twilight. “So the main differences you have noticed the most seem to be around your friends, am I correct?”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Yes, in my timeline, I have six friends and Spike who is like a brother to me. The six of us wielded the Elements of Harmony.”

“Yes, I know of the Elements of Harmony. I was there when the princesses used them on Discord,” said ‘F’.

“Wait, you were there over a thousand years ago?” Twilight was intrigued. “You have been around for a while.”

“Well yes I was, but it seems you been misinformed, Discord was sealed away over two thousand years ago, not one thousand years ago. Back then I was still,” ‘F’ then looked down, and whispered, “Mortal.”

Twilight had heard his words but felt that she shouldn’t push for answers that he wasn’t willing to give, so she felt it was time to ask her next question. “So, I got all the info I needed from Spike and Rarity. I feel they can handle themselves, so I was wondering if you knew where this timeline's versions of my other friends are.”

“Well,” said Flash. “‘SS’ is currently finding this Fluttershy. She lives deep in the Massive Everfree forest. She is actually second in command of the Forest Rebels, so finding her will be tough, but after what you had told him about her, he felt like he could handle it.”

“Hmm, okay. What about Applejack and Pinkie Pie?” asked Twilight.

“According to my old contacts, they’re families run two large factories down south of what is left of Equestria,” said ‘F’. “The Apple family works at the Flim Flam Farms. They produce food for the Empire’s ever-growing armies. And the Pie family works at Rock Labs, which is where the weapons of the Empire are manufactured.”

“Oh,” said Twilight, with a slight frown. “I guess they won’t be much help then.”

“Not quite. We could go asked them,” said ‘F’.

“How? That’s too far to travel,” said Twilight, confused.

“Don’t worry I have a way,” said ‘F’. Although Twilight couldn't see his face, she felt like she could almost see a clever smile under that hood.

******

Twilight walked outside with them ‘F’, and Flash, while Rainbow Dash and Soarin followed behind. “Wait,” said Twilight. She didn’t know how they going to get down that far south before next nightfall. It would take at least three days without the train systems she had in her timeline. "I said wait" But he didn’t answer.

They finally they came on a long piece of pasture. Standing in the middle was a big blue box. "Oh, our ride is still here, " said ‘F’.

Twilight looked in confusion. It looked no bigger than a portable bathroom. There was no way this could fit all of them. It looked like it could barely fit one pony, let alone four ponies and whatever ‘F’ was. “I present you the Titan Airship Retroly Developed In Style.”

“But this just looks like a big blue box,” said Twilight as she pointed out the obvious.

“Oh, this is much more than a big blue box,” said ‘F’ as he grabbed his cane and shook it. As he shook it, he spoke in that unknown language.

Twilight did her best to figure out what he was saying, but couldn’t. Flash noticed this and helped her out. "He's saying, ‘let the light be seen’."

He stopped the spell chant. The camouflaging cloak spell descended off the box, revealing a massive airship so big she couldn’t see the top at all. It was so wide the entire pasture was taken up.

The door opened up and out walked a brown earth pony stallion with a brown mane, mane all spiked. He had an hourglass cutie mark and wore a dark blue tuxedo and a brown long coat. Beside him was a gray pegasus mare with a blonde mane and bubbles as her cutie mark. She wore a black tuxedo, a bowtie, and a skirt. “May I present my pilots Doctor Whooves and Derpy?” said ‘F’. Then a tall muscular red earth pony stallion in viking armor came out carrying a massive war axe. “And this is Big Macintosh, our heavy weapons expert.”

Twilight looked at them, intrigued. Flash, Doctor, Derpy and Big Mac. These were the Dark Rebels elite four. The ones she would have to work with now.

******