If somepony had told me when I was a blank flank
that one day I'd give a speech to a class at Celestia's school of magic
I wouldn't have believed it, but…
I hope that I've been up to the task.
Because I can tell that all of you are.
And that the future of Equestrian magic is in good hooves.
Wow!
It was even better than the first eleven times.
I don't know, Spike.
I'd like to be able to get to the whole speech without looking at the cards.
Come on, Twilight!
You can't be nervious about giving a speech to a bunch of magic students!
I'm not nervious, Spike.
But I do have to set a good example.
Especially for magic students.
That's why this speech has to be…
Perfect?
Exactly.
Let's go through it one more time.
When Princess Celestia asked me to speak to you today
I was honored
to have the opportunity to talk about my favorite subject
magic.
Obviously, the long term effects of the simultaneous acquisition of cutie marks has yet to be determined, but…
Next slide please.
I can speak from my own experience
that the power of cutiemark magic is very real.
And in the instance of my friends and I
it can be traced to a single event.
Without Rainbow Dash's race to defend Fluttershy's honor
this Rainboom wouldn't have happened.
Fluttershy might never have discovered her love of animals.
Applejack might never have realized that she belonged on her farm.
And Pinkie Pie might never have decided to leave hers.
It might be hard to imagine Rarity without her sense of fabulousness.
But it's even harder to fathom what my life would be like.
Without this rainboom, I might not have gotten into magic school.
Celestia wouldn't have taken me on as her pupil
or sent me to Ponyville to meet my friends.
And the most powerful thing about Cutie Mark Magic
that I found is the connection I share with them.
But, um…
The real question about… Cutie Mark Magic is…
Who it seems to affect.
Starlight Glimmer?
I was sure I saw her, Spike.
But when I looked again, she was gone!
I'm just worried what she could be up to.
Nothing good, I bet.
I heard she wasn't very happy the last time you saw her.
Forcing everypony in her village to have the same cutie mark wasn't right.
We had to do something!
And now she's coming back for revenge.
Or she was just really interested in your speech!
Honestly, Spike, I am not really sure what I saw.
But as long as I have my friends, I know everything will be all right.
Maybe I was just more stressed about that speech than I thought.
Yeah.
That sounds better than Starlight Glimmer coming back with an evil plot for revenge.
Well, when you say it like that, it does sound kinda silly.
Or it's totally true!
Welcome home, Twilight!
What are you doing, Starlight?
I'd tell you, but I don't wanna ruin the surprise!
Won't be needing that anymore.
Where'd she go?
I don't know, Spike.
But I think we better find out.
I guess we could start with this.
Spike, no, don't touch that!
Cloudsdale?
Starlight doesn't even have wings,
why would she come here?
I don't know, Spike,
but it looks like she could fly with just magic.
Keep your eyes open.
We don't know what she has planed.
Isn't that Rainbow Dash?
Did Rainbow Dash look really young to you?
And I didn't see a cutiemark,
you don't think…
We travelled back in time to when Rainbow raced the bullies
who made fun of Fluttershy and performed her first Sonic Rainboom?
Spike, only Starswirl the Bearded could do something like that
and even his spell just went back a week.
How could Starlight do more than the greatest wizard in Equestria?
With this.
Starswirl's spell, oh no.
Come on, lets go!
Go where?
To watch the race,
I don't wanna miss the Rainboom.
Later, Rainbow Crash.
Oh, sorry about this.
Hey, what gives?
What did you do?
You are about to find out.
I don't know what Starlight's up to yet,
but we'd better figure it out before it's too late.
Twilight?
I think…
it already is.
Twilight,
where is your castle?
The map pulled us back,
but whatever Starlight did in the past changed things here.
But why?
And how did we get here?
And where is here?
More like when.
What do you mean?
Starlight altered Starswirl's spell,
then somehow used it on the map to travel into the past and change something.
Once she did, the map pulled us back to the present.
So we're back where…
I mean… when we started?
Not exactly.
Everything is different, look!
The map doesn't even make sense anymore,
The Crystal Empire takes up half of Equestria.
Plus there's a whole missing castle thing.
Right.
This is too big to handle on our own.
You think?
We need to find our friends and get help.
I'm getting a bad feeling about this, Twilight.
I know, Spike,
but this is Ponyville.
How bad can things be?
Is that Sugarcube Corner?
I don't understand.
Rarity?!
I don't think she's here, Spike.
I'm not sure anything we know is the same.
But I know one place that could never change.
Applejack?
What can I do for ya?
It's so good to see you.
We couldn't find Pinkie, or Rarity,
or Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash.
But I just knew you'd still be here.
Of course I am.
This is my home.
But, who in tarnation is Pinkie Bow and Flutter Dash?
Or you, for that matter?
You… don't know who I am?
Nope.
Honestly the only name I recognise is Rarity, but
she left for Manehattan years ago.
Probably to become a world famous in fashion designer I bet.
Not that I know of.
Last I heard she went to help with the Cause like everypony else.
The Cause?
The war against king Sombra and the Crystal Empire.
What?!
Where have you two been?
Actually, it's "when"!
I know this is hard to believe,
But you and I and those other ponies I mentioned are friends!
Did you bump your head on a crate of cider or something?
I'm telling you the truth.
And if you come with me, I'll prove it.
Well, I'll admit,
I've lived in these here parts my whole life and I've never seen this before.
There's also supposed to be a castle that goes with it.
I still don't see what it has to do with you and I being friends.
Another pony named Starlight Glimmer used this map to travel through time
and change things in the past.
For some reason the map is here, but everything else is different.
Different how?
Well, for one thing, where we came from, there is no war with King Sombra.
Maybe you can tell us how the war started,
then we can figure out when everything changed.
That's easy enough.
When the Crystal Empire returned,
it brought King Sombra back with it.
And it didn't take long for him
to force everyone of his subjects to fight for him against Equestria.
And even with Princess Celestia leading the charge
it still takes every last pony in Equestria
doing their part
working day and night
to keep up the fight.
I just can't believe it.
We stopped King Sombra.
You and me and all of our friends!
But we aren't friends.
At least not here.
Right.
Look, I hope all this helped, but…
I really need to get back to canning these apples.
Thank you.
We are going to set things right.
I hope you do.
So, how are we gonna set things right?
I don't know!
The only thing we know for sure
is that Starlight stopped the Rainboom.
And the map is still here.
Spike, that's it!
The map is connected to the Tree of Harmony,
it must sense that something isn't right.
That's why it's still here!
I'll just use Starlight's version of the spell and go back a little earlier
and stop her before she even knows we're there!
All we have to do now is find Starlight and…
Well, finding her will be easy,
but stopping her is gonna be harder than you think.
Sorry to disappoint you,
but I created that spell to send myself back in time.
So even when you cast it
I still get sent back here.
It wasn't difficult to change Starswirl's spell.
He'd already done the hard part.
But figuring out I could use the Map to go to any time or place
and pull you along with me?
I even impressed myself with that.
I knew you'd try to stop me.
You're so predictable.
Why else would I leave the scroll behind?
Touching it triggered the map to whisk you here.
And watch me erase the one thing that linked you with your friends.
My village was a sanctuary of equality
where nopony's cutiemark allowed them to feel superior.
It was a special place.
And you and your friends took it away!
Now it's my turn to take something special from you!
Without the Rainboom,
you and your friends will never form your special cutiemark bond.
Cutiemarks for cutiemarks!
Sounds like a fair trade to me.
Twilight!
Oops!
Thanks.
No problem, Spike.
At least now we know exactly what we have to do.
Okay.
Keep your eyes peeled.
Great.
We have to stop Starlight
as soon as Rainbow Dash and those bullies race by.
Um, Twilight?
So be ready!
I know, but…
Because she can pop up anywhere!
Like over there?
Just remember, how you'd feel
if someone said those things to you.
What's going on here?
I was just reminding these two colts
how hurtful teasing can be.
Well, don't!
I mean, you were?
Of course!
In the world where everypony is unique
some are bound to feel more special than others.
But that isn't license to be cruel, is it?
No, of course not.
Ah, isn't it a shame we don't live in the world
where everypony is equal?
No one would ever tease anyone there.
Won't that be nice?
No, it wouldn't.
I mean, it would be nice not to be teased, of course,
but that's not the same thing.
Come on, Fluttershy,
maybe I can help you get through the course this time.
Well, I… I sure could use the practice.
I know you only convinced those bullies
to not tease Fluttershy to stop the Rainboom.
Oh, thats not true.
I convinced them not to be bullies
because everypony should be equal.
Stopping the Rainboom is just a bonus.
Look!
This isn't over yet!
If you say so!
Hi!
U-um, hi?
You think you can stop for a minute?
Sure.
I hear you're pretty fast.
Pretty fast?
Please, I'm even faster than that!
Okay, so, um…
Hey! You wanna race?
Um, that wouldn't really be fair.
I mean, you're a full grown pony, and…
Wait, are you an alicorn?
Come on, I thought you were fast.
A-a-actually, I just remembered I have somewhere I need to be.
Okay, listen.
You don't have to race me.
I just need you to fly fast enough for a Sonic Rainboom.
What?
I can't do that.
Nopony can.
It's not even a real thing.
It's just an old mare's tale.
But it's not.
I know it's not,
I've seen you do it!
In the future!
Okay.
I'm gonna now.
No! Wait!
Gee, Twilight.
What's the matter?
Couldn't convince her to do the impossible?
That's too bad.
Well, that didn't work.
This is gonna be harder than I thought.
We'll have to try again.
Hey, Twilight.
I don't wanna live in that awful future we saw.
I don't think you'll have to.
Pinkie?
Fluttershy?
Silence!
Changelings.
All servants of Queen Crysalis found in these woods
must be destroyed!
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