The guard started talking as soon as the door opened, sounding rather worried, "Miss Sparkle, I have to report that the subject is gone. Thomas is missing."

o.O.o

Thomas

Good grief, if I keep doing this to myself, this isn't going to be a pleasant stay," I thought to myself, as the dreams started again. I had just fallen asleep. And was now dreaming of what I had been. And given the place I was from, they weren't particularly good ones. Only… this one seemed different somehow. And it was. I was standing before the town library? Why on earth would I be here? Regardless of my subconscious motives for torturing myself, I gave in and looked around. It was truly horrific. Buildings were burning fiercely, and the sky appeared like nothing so much as a lake of blood. There was ash everywhere, and I felt a strong urge to find the people responsible and kill them with my own bare hooves- who would do such a thing to so peaceful a nation? I looked at the library and entered, if only to get away from what was starting to look horrifying familiar to my eyes.

As soon as I entered the library, I stopped in surprise. I was standing right there. My other pony self was looking at me with concern etched on its -my- face.

I slowly questioned, "okay, what's this? Why am I talking to myself?"

He answered, saying calmly, "you've just time traveled. This is what might happen if you don't bond with the elements of harmony. It's also what happens if you don't develop your magic enough. You are a special pony. This world will need you. Now, they should be arriving in your lockdown cell soon. You should be there by then. Oh, and if you don't succeed? They die. Everyone. Even you. Even John dies in the end."

As he spoke this, I felt the air shift around me, and my vision suddenly shifted, accompanied by the feeling of falling off a cliff. Oh well, I guess that's just the price of time travel.

Twilight and crew rounded the corner just as I recovered from the falling sensation, crashing forward against the magically warded bars of the cell. They all jumped back, and Twilight immediately turned around to the guard.

We opened our mouths at the same time, but I beat her to the punch, asking, "how common is time travel for a pony to be good at?"

She shook her head, looking confused. "Not very often, that's for sure. As far as I know, that Doctor Whooves is the only- please don't tell me you've been flying around time. Please don't, I don't want an accident like the last time."

I nodded grimly, "it won't happen again though." I fell into my cot, not caring about the light tap I received to my head from the wall. "It was something awful. Everything was on fire and... Everpony was dead!" I started wailing hysterically. The bookish unicorn looked rather taken aback by this sudden display of emotion. "You were dead, and it said- it being a future version, a possible version of me- that that's what would happen if I didn't develop my magic fast enough. And more besides," I added darkly.

Apparently, I need to form a bond with the Elements of Harmony. I wasn't sure that they needed to know that yet.

She teleported inside the cell, looking sympathetic. "With any luck, we can train you up so that that doesn't happen."

I buried my face in my hooves, saying as I did so, "I don't want to kill again. I changed when I snapped. I'm not him. I'm not Thomas anymore. Please don't use that name. I'm not him. I was him. Now, I am Sam Phoenix." Having concluded my speech, I extended both hooves, in the universal gesture for 'wants hugs.' Twilight moved forward to embrace me, and I noted a small purple dragon that had been behind her?

Well, first that awful dream, and now dragons. Well, the day certainly was looking up: a girl was giving me a hug. That had happened so rarely in my past life it wasn't funny.

I held for a moment more, then let go. "Thanks Twilight. I'll try to keep the time jumping to a minimum, ok?"

She gently responded, "Thanks. Oh, and I don't believe you've met my friend and assistant Spike?" We waved to each other, and I said,"hey. I'm Sam. Nice to meet you Spike."

She teleported out of the cell, saying as she did so, "you should get some rest, we are seeing Princess Celestia in the morning."

I nodded, falling back to the bed.