The very fabric of time is a very delicate and interesting thing. It is something only a select few beings could even look at. Once upon a time there had been a whole race of beings that were master time manipulators, all but one of them was even around anymore. So now the fabric of time was very seldom looked upon.

But Qilin, he saw it every second. To him is was like home, it was his palace. Each moment was his stepping stone, each century was but a room to the beast. To most it would be overwhelming, to Qilin it was just another moment.

Qilin looked upon the timeline he had created. Most would assume that changing something in time would have immediate ramifications on the timeline,, then again most would be wrong.

While he could see general events just by thinking about changing something, very minor things would not come to light until he actually changed something. Even then, he had to wait with the part he moved or changed, each second changing from the original, rewriting a moment that has already passed.

But major events, such as Nightmare Moon returning, he could see those clearly. The elements of harmony still prevailed, but in a very different way. Perhaps…if he focused on the moment, he could bring one of them here to discuss his changes wi-

“Well well well, look who muddled with things once again.” Just the mere voice made Qilin sigh. It wasn’t very often he was approached in this ethereal realm, but when he did something drastic…well, his twin brother always showed up.

Qilin turned around to look at his brother. Much like himself, his brother was a patchwork of different animals. But where Qilin’s form was elegant and beautiful, his brother’s was much more stilted. As if someone had jammed jigsaw pieces together rather than place them.

“I had to.” Qilin responded calmly. “I do not expect you to understand.”

“I quite liked that reality.” His brother snaked his way closer, his red eyes staying focused on some small moments that had yet to change. “Why did you have to go and change it? You just like putting me through this again and again, don’t you?”

“I had to prevent their deaths. You know they could not pass, Discord.” His brother used to be just like him, a guardian of time. A protector of the righteous, a true Qilin. Then..he was corrupted. He revealed himself to the world and used his powers to alter time so much that the very laws of reality changed. So, Qilin stripped him of his title and stranded him there…he assumed the moniker of Discrod soon after. Ever since then, only his ethereal form was allowed here, as his physical form was trapped in stone.

“And you know that is nonsense, my dear delusional brother.” Discord gave an insidious grin, his one fang gleaming. “Imagine it, a world without them. Imagine what would happen, imagine things running their actual course without your meddling.” He wanted nothing more than to see the world burn, to see time in jeopardy.

“I can. That is a world no one should live in, Discord. That is a universe in peril.” Qilin stood proudly as his brothers ghostly claw touched his chin and his beady red eyes glared into his stalwart blues.

“That’s a universe I want to live in though. That’s a universe where I am finally free.” Discord’s evil practically came off of him in waves, it radiated and poisoned any moment it touched, just like the creature himself.

“You gave up that privilege long ago when you revealed yourself.” Qilin pushed Discord from him and walked to the current moment that was in a state of transition. Ivy, the reindeer he left the elements with, was cuddling them in her sleep. The moment gave him a small smile. Families were always pleasing to watch…

“Even now you stare at them, wanting what they have.” The chaotic spirit sneered. “Even now you envy having someone to love, someone to hold, someone to share the journey of life with.” Discord’s lion paw touched the moment, as soon as he did so, the foals woke up and started to cry. “That’s all I wanted, all I ever wanted. Then I am persecuted and called a monster by them and you!”

Qilin smacked his brother’s paw away and reached out to the foals with his calming presence. As soon as it washed over them, they calmed down and fell back to sleep in their adopted-mother’s hooves.

“You wanted to change time for your own gain, you wanted to trick her.” It was a debate they had many of times, the biggest of them was when Discord was banished from the time realm. “You broke the rules, you were caught.”

“You know as well as I do that you loved her too, Qilin!” Discord’s form faded, but his voice remained. “You drove her mad! You did it with me!” The voice faded and Qilin was left with his own thoughts.

--1000 Years Ago, Canterlot--

“Wh-Who art thou, demon?” The dark blue alicorn retreated away from the mismatched beast that appeared in her personal chambers. He was a patchwork of many different animals, but it was not ugly. It was pleasing. “Are ye some sort of discordant vision?”

Dear Luna…” The beast spoke, his voice soothing. “I…I have been watching you for a long time.” He stepped closer to the Princess, who simply retreated further into her black marble room. “I-I have even saved you many times…”

Luna was beyond thought. Well, beyond rational thought. Who was this creature? Why was he here? What was he talking about? And most importantly: Why weren’t her guards in here?

“What art thou, creature?” The Princess of the night let her horn erupt in an blue glow, obviously threatening the intruder. “Speak the truth or face my wrath.” Luna was not known for her kindness, nor her tact. Very often she would threaten foals or even say something she was not supposed to, it very negatively impacted the public’s view of her.

“I am a Qilin.” The creature spoke, his voice reverberating throughout the room even though an echo was not present. At the mention of his name, a ripple spread across the room. “I am a being that exists outside of time, my brother and I are saviors to all those that are righteous…including your sister and yourself.”

“Why have we never seen you, Qilin?” Luna’s stance relaxed, if only a little. The creature, the Qilin, he was cooperating. If he intended to attack her, he would have done so already. “If you have saved us, why are you not heroes?” The Qilin sighed.

“Because…we are not allowed to reveal ourselves. To do so is a crime most heinous…it would mean revealing our work…” Almost as soon as he was done talking, a sharp pain went through the alicorn’s head, flashes went through her mind.

In an instant, Luna saw it all. Deaths that never happened coming to light, her Celestia being torn to shreds by a dragon, herself falling into a fissure before she could fly, a pack of griffons picking them off on the early plains of Equestria, and numerous other visions that would haunt her…then she saw something else. A future, a giant statue of Celestia towered over the Canterlot gardens, a smaller statue of herself stood in the shadow. Ponies flocked around the statue of the elder sister, her own was left alone and unkempt.

Luna felt it, a primal surge of power surging through her entire being. It was more than she had ever felt before, it was so powerful that it hurt. Every muscle, every bone, every nerve was set ablaze with immeasurable pain. She could feel it…every death, every consequence coming back to get her. This wasn’t right! This wasn’t how it was supposed to be! The princess looked down at her hooves, only to see them disappearing, she screamed.

“NO!” The roar shook the room and completely stopped the flow of time completely. The doors to the Princess’ chambers were being pushed open by guards, now they were halted by the power of Qilin.

Right next to his brother, Qilin appeared. They were nearly identical, save for the fact that the Qilin that had appeared first had a goatee. The anger on the new creature’s face could be sensed throughout the cosmos, if only for that split-second in which they existed.

“What are you doing?! You are killing her!” With a toss of his head, his younger brother was sent flying away from the regent of the night. Qilin approached the frozen goddess , a look of pure horror was splayed across her face. One could almost feel the pain she was going through, the gauntlet of emotions was palpable.

His eyes softened for the dark alicorn. She was so beautiful, so…pure. She may have a bit of a temper, but she had never been spoiled by war. She had never caused a death, nor seen one occur…not until now, that is. She was the picture of a righteous and goodly creature if one ever existed.

“I can stop this! I know I can! I just have to-” As his brother approached, Qilin tossed him away once more.

“Stay back! You have done enough! You have brought discord upon this creature, you have corrupted this time stream and polluted the very future!” Qilin spun around, righteous fire in his eyes. “By the laws set forth by the Creator, I strip you of your powers! I strip you of your status and I strip you of your duty!” A magical maelstrom was forming around the younger Qilin, it was a typhoon of pure energy from the beginning of all things.

“No….NO! I-I can save her! I can change this! I CAN BE WITH HER!” The trapped creature was fighting, his magic was attempting to prevent the stripping of his powers. But every spell he put forth was torn apart, peeled back as if it was an onion. The more he attempted to combat the change, the more violent the storm became.

When the screams finally died down, another creature was left in his brother’s place. This creature was a serpentine patchwork of chaos. Qilin no longer recognized him as a brother, he was not supposed to by law.

“I am sorry…but as it is written, you are given the shameful name of Discord and are to be imprisoned in stone to prevent any more chaos…” Qilin conjured the spell and was ready to cast it, when the newly anointed Discord spoke.

“No! I will save her! I will prevent this!” He put one appendage to his chest and raised the other. “If chaos caused this, chaos can fix it! I-” Qilin sent the spell careening towards his brother, as soon as it struck a blinding light enveloped the room. When the light subsided, a statue was left in its place. A statue he now had to place in this timeline…

--

Qilin sighed. He had fixed the mess…he implanted memories in Celestia and Luna, explaining how Discord was an evil spirit who they fought and triumphed over. It was a lie, but it was necessary…then he had to deal with Luna. He could not alter his brother’s actions, it was not possible. So he simply used the energy that consumed Luna and channeled it back into her safely. It created Nightmare Moon, because absolute power will always corrupt absolutely…