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, heheh. That was even
better than the first eleven times.
Mmh, I don't know, Spike.
I'd like to be able to
get through the whole speech
without looking at the cards!
Come on, Twilight,
you can't be nervous
about giving a speech
to a bunch of magic students!
Oh I'm not nervous, 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...!
Ahem, next slide, please.
Huh? Huh!
I can speak from my own experience
that the power of cutie
mark 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 must 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.
Uh, or she was just really
interested in your speech!
Honestly, Spike. I'm 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 want
to ruin the surprise!
Won't be needing that any more.
Where'd she go?
I don't know, Spike,
but I think we better find out!
I guess we could start with this!
Why would she come here?
I don't know, Spike, but it looked like
she could fly with just magic!
Keep your eyes open,
we don't know what she has planned!
Isn't that Rainbow Dash?
Did Rainbow Dash look
really young to you?
And I didn't see a cutie mark...
You don't think...
We traveled back in time to when
Rainbow Dash raced the bullies
who made fun of Fluttershy and
performed her first sonic rainboom?
Spike, only Star Swirl 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.
Star Swirl's spell! Oh no!
Come on, let's go!
Go where?
To watch the race.
I don't wanna miss the rainboom!
Heh. Later, Rainbow Crash!
Hey!
Aww, 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!
Um, Twilight?
I think it already is.
Uh, Twilight? Where's 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?
Where's here?
More like when.
What do you mean?
Starlight altered Star Swirl'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's different, look!
The map doesn't even
make sense anymore!
The Crystal Empire takes up
half of Equestria!
Plus there's the 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 gettin' a bad feeling
about this, Twilight...
I know, Spike, but this is Ponyville!
How bad could things be?
Is that Sugarcube Corner?
I don't understand!
Rarity?
Ngh, 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 you?
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 Flutterdash?
Or you for that matter?
You... don't know who I am?
Nope. Honestly, the only name
I recognize is Rarity,
but she left for Manehattan years ago.
Probably to become a world-famous
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 w*r 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 somethin'?
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 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 this has to do
with you and I bein' friends.
Another pony named Starlight
Glimmer used this map
to travel through time and
change things in the past!
For some reason the map's here
but everything else is different!
Different how?
Well for one thing, where we come from
there's no w*r with King Sombra.
Maybe you could tell us
how the w*r 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 every one of his subjects
to fight for him against Equestria.
And even with Princess Celestia
leadin' the charge,
it still takes every last pony
in Equestria doin' their part,
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 cannin' those apples.
Thank you.
We're 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 that the map's 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's 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 Star Swirl'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 links you with your friends!
My village was a
sanctuary of equality,
where nopony's cutie mark 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
cutie mark bonds!
Cutie marks for cutie marks!
Sounds like a fair trade to me!
Twiliiiiiiight!
Oops!
Thanks!
No problem, Spike.
At least now we know
exactly what we have to do!
Okay, keep your eyes peeled.
Right!
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 could pop up anywhere!
Like over there?
Just remember how you'd feel
if someone said those things to you.
What's going on here?
Oh, I was just reminding
these two colts
how hurtful teasing can be.
Well, don't!
Huh?
I mean... you were?
Of course! In a world where
everypony is unique,
some are bound to feel
more special than others.
But that isn't a license
to be cruel, is it?
No, of course not...
Oh, isn't it a shame
we don't live in
a world where everypony is equal?
No one would ever tease anyone there!
Wouldn't that be nice?
Mm-hm.
No, it wouldn't! I mean,
it'd 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, that's 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!
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 want to 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!
Uh, 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!
O-kay, I'm gonna go 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 want to live in
that awful future we saw!
I don't think you'll have to!
Pinkie? Fluttershy?
Silence, changeling!
All servants of Queen
Chrysalis found in
these woods must be destroyed!