The white slowly faded away to reveal a grassy plain, and I could feel the wind blow gently. “Where are we?” Scootaloo thought aloud, and then the sky seemed to blast. Like it was repelling something, sealing something off.

“We must be near the dragons, they said the Ancient Sages came after Rabil was sealed away.” I said, and Sweetie Belle gestured towards a small hill.

“This must be where they were originally.” Sweetie Belle said, “Come on, let’s get moving. If they try anything weird, I got us covered.”

We walked over the hill and sure enough down beneath us was a small amount of dragons, much less than that we had previously seen. “Well, let’s get this over with.” I said, and walked down, and almost as soon as we did that, one of the dragons eyes snapped to us.

“Why are you ponies here?” This one asked, while others heard it.

“It does not matter, they can make a great meal.” One of the others said, and the dragon’s eyes glared at the perpetrator.

“Hold your tongue, Xenius, lest it be covered in the blood of your own. They are obviously different, for no ponies come in this short of number, and to disrespect them by turning them into our sustenance would dishonor their courage.” The first dragon said, and I was hoping we weren’t about to be turned into what the other had suggested. The dragon turned back to us, “What brings you, we know of the Accursed Enemy’s defeat, that much was apparent not moments ago.” he asked.

“We’re the three Sages.” Sweetie Belle said, and I knew we were probably going to make up half the stuff we were about to say. “We have come here with an important message that the world will rely eons into the future.”

“You surely cannot believe their fantastical stories, Corinth.” One of the dragons said, and the dragon Corinth responded by holding a claw to the dragon’s belly.

“For now, Rabil has been sealed away, but in the future, there will be a land named Equestria, ruled by two alicorns, who raise both the sun and moon. Their names will be Celestia and Luna, both princesses. But after a half-year the changelings will try to invade Equestria, and fail, Rabil shall return.” Sweetie Belle said, and Corinth seemed to be taking it in. “He will be just as powerful as he was now, if not more, but he will be able to be stopped.”

“Pray tell, how will he be stopped, for his brothers have given themselves to the essence of all, for we have felt that in our minds for moments.” A dragon asked, seemingly suspicious.

“Three young fillies, who are all eleven, but will appear to be twelve when they come here, will be able to stop him. They are called the Noble Three. You must do one thing to ensure their victory, otherwise they won’t be able to stop Rabil.” Sweetie Belle explained, and I was just amazed at how well she played this out, and I could tell Scootaloo was thinking the same.

“What is this one task?” Corinth asked.

“You must construct the Great Chamber of Their Trials, with which they shall gain a weapon to defeat Rabil, and within it, the central chamber must have a pedestal with the inscription of ‘Three ways lie ahead, three ways for The Noble Three. But take heed, The Noble Three, one leads to misery, and another to ridicule.’ You must also make a chamber filled with the guilt of those lost to the Noble Three, and another with the demeaning of them, and the last chamber must have a pedestal, but have nothing upon it, for their weapon shall be their Talent Marks.” Sweetie Belle told them.

“If it was from any other than you, I would not believe your tale, but a group who would unwisely walk with such small number would mean that you tell the truth. I shall make sure the task is completed, and you shall not be disappointed.” Corinth said, and bowed. The other dragons looked for a moment, then did the same, and I heard a sort of fizzling.

I looked behind me, and a tear was there. “Well, onto the next place.” I said, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded. We went through the tear, and after a moment of white, we appeared near a mountain.

“This must be for the crypt.” I noted, and near us I could see a fire.

“No time to lose, figuratively, of course.” Scootaloo said, and we laughed. We walked towards the fire, and we saw crowded around it a number of earth ponies, and I spoke up.

“Hello there.” I greeted, and they turned around, looking at the three ponies they had not seen before.

“Who are you, and what do you want? We have little to spare, for Rabil ensured that.” One of them asked, and I could see bags under his eyes.

“We’re the Sages, we have an important task.” Scootaloo said, “You must build a crypt for your dead within the mountain.”

“With respect, Sages, we have little supply to do such a task, much less knowledge of why we should do it.” The stallion asked, and Scootaloo huffed quietly.

“Rabil will return eventually, but this Crypt shall aid his eternal defeat. We have foreseen amongst our travels, and know this to be destiny.” Scootaloo said.

“If you speak the truth, may I ask, how Rabil would return, for he has been sealed away.” The stallion inquired, and Scootaloo seemed to be getting a little irritated.

“The seal shall break eventually, and he will return. Now listen, within this crypt, there must be a chamber that has a chest, with a paper that says ‘Not all that appears corrupted is evil, and not all that appears pure is good.’ It also must have upon its entrance, the message ‘Beyond this entrance, lies... to another... beyond our own... may only be entered... by those chosen.’ This is of the utmost importance.” Scootaloo said, and the stallion seemed to think it over.

“We shall do the task, if you may do one thing for us, Sage.” The stallion said.

“What?” Scootaloo replied.

“Shall our kind live to that day?” The stallion asked.

“Yes, the earth ponies will.” Scootaloo answered and the stallion smiled.

“Thank you, Sage, we shall accomplish the task.” The stallion said, and the fizzling was heard again. I noticed they weren’t moving, so I realized that it must have paused time, except for the Crusaders and I. We walked through the tear, waiting for our next place.

Now we were in a desert, and I vaguely recognized it as the area Appleloosa was in. I could see a small train station and I realized this was where my father would not return for years. “Sweetie Belle, ya know anyway to make sure he can’t see yer face?” I asked, and Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened.

“I guess, but I’m not that comfortable doing this...” Sweetie Belle said, gulping a bit.

“Nor Ah, but it’s gotta be done.” I replied and she took a breath and hummed something, and for some odd reason, I couldn’t focus on her face.

“There, he shouldn’t be able to remember what I look like.” She said, and I noticed a stallion walking onto the train platform. It was my father, I barely recognized him, his coat was brighter, and he had a bit of a grin that seemed to always be there. This served to only rub salt in the wound that was already forming. No, not even salt, hot coals.

Sweetie Belle walked up to him, and we stayed around the corner, listening. “Golden Apple, I presume?” She asked, and I looked around the corner seeing my father look oddly.

“I’m sorry, have I met you before?” He asked, and Sweetie Belle noticeably tapped her hoof on the ground, definitely uncomfortable.

“No, not anything you would remember, but I am here to tell you that you can’t go back to Ponyville.” Sweetie Belle said, and my father frowned.

“And why is that? I have every right to do that.” He asked, and Sweetie Belle tapping on the ground quickened.

“Because if you do, I will make sure to kill every single member of your family.” Sweetie Belle said as angrily as possible.

“You wouldn’t do that!” My father shouted, clearly furious, “I have a foal that needs me! And how do I even know you will do such a thing!”

“That foal won’t need you for now, and I can do such a thing quite easily.” Sweetie Belle hissed, and she hummed something, and the mesa nearby exploded, then it reassembled itself. “Except for your family, it won’t come back together.”

He looked both angry and ready to break into tears, “You sick, twisted pony.” He said, and Sweetie Belle held out a hoof.

“Give me the ticket.” She stated, almost as if a fact. My father hesitated for a moment, and then he held out a small sheet of paper.

“Don’t you dare hurt them, or by Celestia I swear I will kill you, no matter what it takes.” He demanded, and Sweetie Belle looked at him, putting the ticket away in her saddlebag.

“Oh don’t worry, I won’t.” She said, and the fizzling started once again. She looked at me and burst into tears, “I’m so, so, sorry.” She said, “I... I’m a monster!”

“It had tuh be done, Sweetie, Ah don’t blame ya.” I said, looking at her. “Now come on, we still have work tuh do.” We walked through the tear yet again, and Scootaloo huffed.

“How many more of these things are we going to go through?” She asked, clearly irritated.

We next were in Ponyville, and it seemed to be early morning. “I think we’re going to drop the book off.” Scootaloo said, and Sweetie Belle got the book out. “I’ll take care of it.” She said, taking the book under her wing. We walked to where the library was, and Scootaloo knocked on the door.

“Can ya make sure to get rid of that spell, Sweetie? Ah’m getting a little annoyed.” I whispered, and she hummed something.

“Sorry.” She spoke barely.

“Hello!” I looked to see Twilight look at Scootaloo. “What are you doing here this early? Much less, who are you, I don’t I’ve seen you before, although you do look kind of familiar.” Twilight said.

“Just take this.” Scootaloo said in a really deep voice, probably to make sure she didn’t recognize her. She tossed Twilight the book, and before she could even react Scootaloo was back by us.

Twilight looked for the pegasus who had just been there, but she was greeted by nothing. She shook her head, and we heard her say “Some ponies...”

Another fizzle and tear later, we were in Manehattan. “Looks like its time for some fireworks!” I said, and grabbed the fireworks from my saddlebag, and we found the building where I would probably be shortly. “Come on, let’s go upstairs.” We went up the flights of stairs, and we stopped at a floor that was under construction.

“Looks like this is a good spot.” Scootaloo said, and I got out the fuses, and set up the fireworks. I heard steps downstairs and made a gesture to be silent. After a few moments Scootaloo gestured that everything was placed correctly, and then tripped over a firework. I winced as she slammed into the ground.

“Scootaloo, ya need tuh be -” I started saying, but Sweetie Belle put a hoof over my mouth. I remembered I had to remain silent, and sheepishly smiled. My blood ran cold when I saw Rabil materialize, and I resisted the urge to go and kill him right then and there. He started to talk to Cadence, and I decided it was as good of a time as any, and lit the fireworks. As soon as they launched off, a tear appeared once again, and we went through it, again.

“This should be the last place.” I said as we saw we were in a jungle. “Sweetie Belle, do yer spell thing.” I told her, and she hummed. Eight more ponies appeared, and she also got some larger leaves to cover our faces.

“Wouldn’t want anypony to recognize us.” She said, and a few moments later, we were headed through the jungle. As if to greet us, the changelings flew in.

“Why have ponies come here?” A changeling asked.

“Just kill them.” Another suggested.

“Ah wouldn’t recommend that, we need tuh relay a message tuh yer Queen.” I said, and the changelings laughed.

“We are so scared of ponies who come in small number and think they can murder our Queen.” One said sarcastically. Sweetie Belle got angry and hummed something, and fire started within a radius of at least fifty hoofsteps, but we were okay.

“We’re not joking, nor are we going to kill her, we need to relay a message to her, now!” Sweetie Belle told them, her anger seeming to make it clear it was required.

“We will do anything! Just do not burn down our home!” A male voice said, and I saw it was none other than Cocoon. As much as I wanted to greet him, I knew I couldn’t.

The fire stopped, and the plants regrew as I said quite simply, “Take us to her then.”

After a hike through the jungle, with several changelings looking at us with both fury and fear, we arrived at the giant cocoon, and went down to where Chrysalis was. She looked horrified, and stammered, “What do you want?”

“All we need to do is say that there’s gonna be a group comin’ in a couple of weeks, and they are not to be harmed. The world is at risk, and if you don’ help them, we are all going to die.” I informed her, and she seemed surprised that was all we wanted. “There are gonna be three fillies there who are important, their names are Apple Bloom, an earth pony, Sweetie Belle, a unicorn, and Scootaloo, a pegasus.”

“I will make sure it is done.” With that a fizzling came emanated, and I said something that Scootaloo and Sweetie seemed to agree with.

“This better be the way home.” I said, and they nodded. We walked through the tear, and I for once after a great while, would have some peace.