MLP: A Battle Through Time
Disclaimer: "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" belongs to DHX Media and Hasbro, while Stardust Balance is owned by the Warrior of Twilight, and FanficFan920 is the one who created Beck.
Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Reunion
"Hello?" Twilight asked, as the lavender alicorn made her way inside the castle. "Are you in here, Casey?"
Once she closed the doors, Twilight heard the sound of someone coming down the main staircase and she began to smile at the sight of her approaching special somepony. "Yup… and now that you're here, I can finally show you the special surprise that I've been working on almost the whole day."
Unaware of a certain small box that was inside one of Casey's coat pockets, the young mare began to follow him in the direction to what she assumed was the library. "It isn't another one of your cooking attempts, right? I told you, I don't mind being the one in this relationship that makes food-"
"First of all, I am a little hurt by that statement," interrupted Casey with a mocking frown whilst Twilight bore a playful smirk. "I have been improving a little in that department… second, this is actually a lot more better than the wonderful lunch we had in Canterlot today at that one restaurant."
Seeing that he'd definitely caught her attention now with that statement, the light-orange stallion felt more comfortable and less nervous about the question that he would soon be asking Twilight in a matter of moments. Just say what's in your heart.
Much to the alicorn's pleasure, they were now getting close to the library but she became surprised after seeing that the doors were closed, along with Casey now standing in front of them with his forehooves on the knobs. "Is everything okay?"
"Of course, Twilight. Never better," replied the smiling stallion, who then started to slowly open up the doors carefully while keeping his eyes on her. "I just thought you'd like to see something that'll be really special for the two of us."
"Casey, please just tell me… what it is…" Upon entering the library, Twilight found herself becoming speechless for a moment as she saw how clean and organized the grand room looked from the last time she remembered being in here. Usually it only looked like this whenever she and Spike spent a day or two cleaning and reorganizing. "Sweet Celestia… I… wow… I mean, I'd planned on… you did all this for me?"
With his girlfriend's focus now where he wanted it to be, Casey let out a deep sigh before he began to get down on one knee and started reaching for the special box. "I wouldn't have done it for anypony else, Twilight… including what I'm about to ask you right now."
WHAM!
Suddenly, the young stallion found himself getting back up as quickly as possible and putting his forehoof at his side after hearing an unexpected guest enter the castle. "HEY! Casey, Twilight! Anyone in here?!"
"We're in the library, Beck!" Twilight called out to their friend, and looked at her special somepony with a curious expression. "Is he also a part of the surprise?"
Casey shook his head, but before he could respond to her question, a familiar green Earth pony quickly entered the library and Casey couldn't help cringing a bit at the slightly disheveled appearance of their friend.
"Forgive me for how I look.. I forgot to fly with my night goggles and there was a tree involved on my way here, but that's not the point right now!" Beck exclaimed, with his next statement making Casey regret not having locked the front doors after Twilight had arrived. "I asked Tempest for her hoof in marriage at our favorite spot… And she said yes!"
Twilight squealed in child-like excitement and quickly hugged their friend whilst Casey did his best to hide the oncoming pain beside a warm smile and congratulating nod. "Wow, that's great news! Oh, my goodness, where is she now?! I've got to talk to her! Take me to wherever she is right now!"
"Yeah, it's right by the - okaayyy!" Beck found himself being pulled by Twilight as she flew out of the castle like a speeding train, leaving Casey by himself in the library.
Well that didn't go as planned, thought the young stallion, walking over to the nearby reading chair and collapsing in it whilst a familiar unicorn entered the room a few moments later. "I can't do it tonight now, Starlight… not when she'll spend the rest of tonight talking to Tempest about being Beck's fiancé. And I was just seconds away, too."
Feeling sorry now for the stallion she viewed as a brother, Starlight placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder and replied, "Don't let it get you down, 'kay? Your time to ask Twilight will come soon. I just know it will."
Letting out another sigh, Casey nodded in agreement and embraced the pink unicorn for a bit before getting out of the chair, walking now out of the library to head over to the room he shared with Twilight. "Thank you, Star… and I know that, but I just wish it'd been tonight that I had been able to ask her the question."
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A few hours later...
How long 'til I stop pretending
What we have is never ending
Oh, oh, oh
If all we are is just a moment
Don't forget me 'cause I won't and
I can't help myself
I think about you every moment, every day of my life
You're on my mind all the time, it's true
I think about you, you you, you you
I think about you, you you, you you
"I think about you…" finished Casey, who'd been continuing his work on a song that he wanted to do for Twilight when the time was right. After writing down the words in a small black book, the young and tired stallion returned it to its special hiding place, and made his way over out to the nearby balcony to look up at the sparkling stars.
A couple of moments later, Casey sensed his special somepony entering the bedroom and soon standing beside him. "I'm so sorry about tonight. I know how hard you must've worked in the library, and both of us certainly didn't expect Beck to tell us his news regarding Tempest."
Casey shook his head and turned around to look at Twilight before rubbing the back of his neck, followed by taking a glance up at the starry night sky. "It's not that I'm not happy or anything for him… It just makes me think sometimes that even though I finally took care of Xenos, he's still finding ways to interrupt parts of my life involving you." He paused to let out a sigh. "I mean, I have gone into and survived dimensional limbo… traveled to about 10 or more universes… combined forms with someone… had to get unknown substances removed from my body twice… almost turned to stone… like, there's an entire list of stuff like that… ugh, all I want to know is when I'll be finally able to just rest."
To Casey's surprise, Twilight let out an amused chuckle and he looked at her with a confused expression. "Oh, I'm just surprised to hear you talking about resting after having spent months seeing you practically leap at the opportunity to visit these alternate worlds or hearing you talk every day about wanting to do something with Stardust Prime… I'm almost shocked by this, actually."
"Ah, right. Fair enough, I suppose," replied the young stallion, taking one more look at the twinkling stars before focusing on his smiling special somepony. "Twilight, do you ever think about-"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Uh, guys? There's someone really important here that wants to see you both."
At first, Casey was about to become annoyed with Starlight's interruption, but he and Twilight could tell from the concerned tone in her voice that something wrong was about to happen… and their thoughts were confirmed after following the pink unicorn back to the library to find another Twilight Sparkle that looked very concerned but also a little relieved to see them.
"This is, uh, certainly a surprise," said the young stallion, recognizing this alicorn as the one who belonged to Stardust Prime that his Twilight was referring to moments ago by the special jewelry she wore with a book charm. "Is everything okay with you and Stardust?"
"Yes, but unfortunately it's not like that for other worlds with a version of Jack," replied the alternate Twilight, sighing heavily before giving her other self a pleading look. "We need Casey to come with us… the strange occurrences that I've been writing to you about? They're all becoming reality."
Before Casey could ask either alicorn what she meant by strange occurrences, his Twilight said, "You need to go with her. They'll explain everything once you arrive in their world." She then placed a forehoof softly on his turtledove necklace that he'd kept since around the time they started their friendship. "I'll see you soon."
Knowing that he didn't have much of a choice now to deny their friend's request, Casey embraced his special somepony, then nodded in Starlight's direction before following the alternate Twilight into the Crystal Mirror.
"Twilight… is something bad about to happen?" asked the pink unicorn out of concern, and her former teacher hung her head down for a moment before turning to look at Starlight with a similar expression.
"I honestly don't know… but I really hope that what I think might happen doesn't become reality."
(Setting - AJBS Universe)
A few moments later
The walls of the Friendship Castle appeared peaceful, but were in actuality laced with tension. The echoing sounds across blue corridors from four golden hoofs and two human feet striding with purpose, both holding their intense expressions. One adopting a navy blue cape elegantly swaying in match to the alicorn's pace. The other... A blue dressing gown.
Best not question that.
And upon arrival with loud opening to double clean doors into the throne room housing six comfy chairs around a circle table displaying the magical map, Stardust wasted no time in catching up with his beloved Princess, whereas EG Stardust himself spotted someone unseen for quite a while now for him by the side.
"Casey!" Grinning quite widely then and reaching forward with an offered hand-to-hoof shake.
"Hey, I haven't seen you since… well, you know what happened," Casey said, shaking his hand and giving a warm smile, but looking a little tired at the moment. "How is Twilight doing?"
"Couldn't be better." EG Stardust quipped a warm low grin. "While she's pretending not to be so nervous about the upcoming wedding." Casey's eyes widened with surprise after hearing those words come out from this version of his close friend. "You're invited, by the way, in case my pony hasn't been so inclined to-"
"We'll have to catch up on matters later." The regal British tone, more commanding than the human's own, interjected as Stardust took his seat around the table, motioning for the others to follow suit. "We have more pressing concerns, I'm afraid."
"Jack's right-"
"Well that is my last name."
"Mine too."
But the Princess of Friendship, becoming more radiant while aging to her twenties, was in zero tolerance for jests right about now, while the human Jack took his own seat as the alicorn walked around the table with severe concentration, frowning. "Over the past few weeks, reported by specialists that even Princess Luna had to investigate and have confirmed to us, many stars in plain view of our world have begun going out. A similar occurrence in Casey's world by addition."
Before the young stallion could respond to Twilight's statement, there was a loud commotion being heard now from outside of the throne room and the closed doors suddenly bursted open to reveal a non-Equestria Girls human version of Stardust, who looked rather upset and irritated.
"Mom, Dad! I tried to keep him away for as long as I possibly could but…" Spike started to say, the young dragon giving an apolgetic shrug.
"Uhhhh, which version of us is this again?" EG Stardust began to ask, but before anyone could answer his question, they all became alarmed after the father of Sunshine tackled the light-orange stallion to the ground.
"This… is… ALL… YOUR… FAULT!" exclaimed Jack, trying to get his hands around Casey's neck but Casey was blocking them with his forehooves. "Why… do you… still… exist?!"
Remembering which version that this was, Casey couldn't help himself by saying what came out of his muzzle next. "So this is the thanks that I get for helping you save Sunset all those years a-gaaah!"
For a quick moment, Jack was able to put his right hand around part of the stallion's neck and Casey saw that his eyes were now boiling with pure anger. "You don't get to say her name, you undeserving son of a- hey, let go of me!"
Anti-Starlight grabbed ahold of Jack from behind and pulled the young man off of Casey whilst EG Stardust helped him up, then stood in front of him in case Jack tried to do another tackle attack. "Look, pal, if you got a problem with Casey then you've got one with me as well!"
"Oh, don't get me started with you, Scarface!" Jack growled, referring to the young man's facial scars. "I haven't forgotten what you and the friend of Pink Rock over here did to her back in - aagghh!"
Anti-Starlight tightened her hold on Jack, violet orbs starting to show sparks of fury. "Go on, I dare you to talk bad about him. Just give me one damn good reason and I will-"
While this was going on, a certain pink Earth pony sat comfortably in her throne with a bucket of popcorn on her lap, which she offered to Stardust and Twilight. "You guys want some?"