Rainbow Dash wasn't quite sure how to treat this piece of information. Her first reaction was to laugh, but something told her not to. Rainbow was the oldest pony in Ponyville, and she had never seen a pony that could fly. She turned around to face the valley, losing contact with Whizzer in the process. Immediately the rainbow became less supporting, and she picked up her pace to compensate. She spotted Minty dashing across an open field. From her trajectory, it looked like she was aiming for Pinkie Pie.

Whizzer stood by, watching patiently. Of course she hadn't thought Rainbow would believe her immediately. But then, why did she even bother telling her? Perhaps she just wanted to make a friend. And it was certainly unusual to see another pony on the rainbow. Other pegasi flew over it, not on it. For some reason, they never saw her when she was traveling, even though she stayed physically in the same place, sometimes for hundreds of years at a time as she watched history unfold. Perhaps, she mused, Rainbow Dash was special. Or perhaps it was just these new ponies.

Whizzer trotted up to where Rainbow Dash paced on the spot. She, too, caught a glimpse of a green pony tearing across the valley. An idea struck her. As the runner neared its victim, Whizzer gently nuzzled her companion.

Rainbow was slightly startled at Whizzer's intrusion into her thoughts. She had been watching Minty with half of her attention while the other half considered Whizzer's words. When the pink pony touched her, however, she immediately noticed a change. Like before, the rainbow became more solid, but now she was able to see the rest of the valley, and the change was startling. Minty had slowed down so much that Rainbow could see each individual footfall. She had nearly reached Pinkie Pie. When she was only a few yards away, she tucked her head down between her forelegs, while giving one last kick with her back legs. Rainbow watched in amazement as Minty rolled head over hooves twice before colliding with Pinkie Pie, and sending both of them tumbling slowly down a hill and out of sight. Rainbow Dash had just seen what she had always, inwardly, wanted a chance to see: Minty's double roll attack, at half speed. More to her amazement, though, was that the strange pony that had just nudged her had the uncanny ability to alter time.

You can slow down time! Rainbow gaped at the pegasus beside her. If she could control time, she could certainly travel through it forwards and back as she pleased.

Whizzer thought for a moment before replying. I didn't slow time down, she said in a way she thought the other pony might understand. I sped you up. The look on Rainbow's face showed that she didn't see how that changed anything. Look... you know how if you run fast, you get to where you want to go in less time? The blue pony nodded. Well, if you go fast enough, you can get there in negative time. You can go backwards!

Rainbow Dash looked slightly confused. You mean... you can go backwards in time just by being really fast? Whizzer nodded. Rainbow remembered the storytelling session of the previous evening. What an interesting coincidence, she thought to herself. Does that mean you know all of the history of Ponyville? I was kind of wondering how everything happened...

Whizzer laughed. It reminded Rainbow of warm wind on a summer evening. Yes, I know the history of all ponies. I've been there! She looked at Rainbow Dash seriously for a moment. The blue pony was the only one she'd ever seen on the rainbow, and she had gone quite a few places in time. Perhaps she really was special. The fact that she could pull Rainbow into her time stream, which didn't seem to be possible for the other ponies in her time, only proved it. If you want, Rainbow, I think I can take you with me. Would you like to see the beginning of time?

The blue pony's mind boggled. It was one thing to talk to a time traveler, but it was another to be invited along for the ride.

I think I can take you along, but you should know a few things first. You can't leave the rainbow except in your own time for one. I think it's so that we don't change history... though that doesn't explain why I can interact with you. Second, it's a little uncomfortable and very difficult. You'll see what I mean. And third, we can only see what happens in this valley. I'll have to explain things to you from what I've pieced together. I'll try to give you the quick version, since it's very tiring and I'm sure you don't want to be gone long. Of course, you'll be back here the instant you left.

Rainbow wondered if that information was supposed to help her present state of bafflement. But despite her misgivings (she was agreeing to do the impossible with an impossible creature that she had met while doing something that was, apparently, impossible), her curiosity overwhelmed her. Er, sure, all right. But is it safe?

Of course it's safe! Whizzer exclaimed. It's just a little uncomfortable and a bit tiring. But as long as you hang on to me, you'll be fine. And even if you do let go, I can come back for you. She considered the question some more. Although... I don't know what would happen if you fell off the rainbow. If I stray while I'm traveling, I feel intense pain the farther away I go. If I move even a few feet to the side or down, I simply have to return. If you fell, I don't know what would happen to you. I can't tell you because at the moment you and I exist in a different time stream than the rest of the world. The fact that we will have existed then was unknown to me... She continued on this thread for a while before Rainbow interrupted.

Then let's go! She was getting tired of being confused. If it was as simple as Whizzer said, she would be perfectly safe. She had no fear of falling.

All you have to do is grab my tail and follow my lead. Whizzer walked a few paces in front of her and swished her blue and green tail. As Rainbow grabbed, she noticed the butterfly slowly approaching them. She realized that the reason it had looked odd earlier was the incredibly slow flap of its wings. She watched in fascination as it made a lazy arc over her nose. Are you ready? Start running!

Whizzer in front of her started to walk slowly. Rainbow only watched, fascinated. As her guide's hooves touched the surface of the rainbow, it was as if she was walking on air. Instead of the rainbow giving under her feet as it normally did, there was no sign of disturbance. When her hoof made contact, the only clue was a soft sound. Her hooves swept backwards instead of carrying her body forwards. She was running on a friction less surface. Come on, Whizzer shouted before her. Rainbow picked up her hooves in response and began to run. As with Whizzer, her hooves only made a sound as they slid across the cold surface. The rainbow had become hard and chill as ice.

The pair picked up speed on the frozen rainbow, and the air around them became chilly as well. If time had seemed to be going at half the speed of normal, then the ponies must have been going twice as fast as they seemed. Rainbow realized that they must be going very fast indeed. In front of her, the butterfly had frozen in place just above her nose. You've got to go faster, shouted Whizzer in front of her.

This is as fast as I can go, returned Rainbow Dash through a mouthful of tail. She now knew what Whizzer meant when she said it was tiring.

Whizzer grinned. What slow ponies you are! It takes as fast as you can run just to stay in the same place in time! We'll never get there at this rate. Run faster!

Rainbow increased her determination at the mock insult. She threw her weight into the run, lowering her head into the nonexistent wind. The two were thundering now, and if they had been moving, Rainbow mused, they would be halfway around the world by now. Slowly the butterfly began to fly backwards in front of rainbow's eyes. That's it! Faster!

With the knowledge that she was now a time traveler, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and threw every ounce of strength she had into speeding towards her goal. She could hear Whizzer's hooves make impact on the rainbow's surface and she marveled inwardly at just how fast they were going. The air became more and more frigid and despite the enormous amount of blood pumping through her system, her feet began to go numb from the impact and the cold. Nevertheless, she kept running. She ran for what seemed like hours, her endurance never failing her. All the while, her guide shouted for her to go faster. After an eternity of running, just as she thought she would need to slow down or die, she heard a whisper in front of her. You can stop now. We can't go back any farther.

Rainbow slid to a halt, and the cold instantly dissipated. She resumed her habit of pacing on the spot in order not to fall, as the rainbow had again begun to give under her weight. She was still standing on the rainbow. But in front of her was a great, black expanse of nothingness. Whizzer said solemnly, to the beginning of time.