"All right, let's begin." I was facing off against Twilight in my second, ordinary basement. "The first thing to understand is that time does not exist."

"But that's absurd! Of course time exists!"

"Oh really? What is time then? Define it for me."

"Time is the indefinite, continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole."

"Those are terms used to define points in time. THey are therefore undefinable without time. Try again."

"Um..." Now I was challenging her knowledge. I could see her brain kicking into gear. ...Whoever said smart girls weren't hot had never seen this simple action. "It is also a point of time as measured by hours and minutes past midnight and noon."

She looked so proud of herself... I almost hated to point it out, but I was the teacher here. "You can't define something with itself, Twilight. You know this." Her disappointed face could have broken a heart. "I am impressed you could just list off two definitions of a difficult word like that, however." She looked back up, smiling, and I returned it, continuing on. "So, we are unable to define time without the term, and thus we are left with the simple fact that time does not conceptually exist. It is simply a pony creation to explain the effects of entropy. Now, what is entropy?"

"A lack of order or predictability. A gradual decline into disorder."

"Precisely! Thus, entropy is chaos. This is the first thing to realize about the magic you will be learning that it is not to be used."

Twilight frowned, confused. "But, you use it."

"I am... naturally suited for it. And even for me there are dangers. However, for you, it is far more prohibitive of a risk. A mistaken spell could result in far worse than an orange-jay." I paused, blinking at her. "I assume that was your work?" She blushed deeply, nodding. "Precisely. That is why lesson one is restraint. Knowing a spell, or casting it right, is less important than knowing when or where, or especially why to cast it. Let us use your orange spell as an example."

Twilight hrmphed. "Lantra, I've been Celestia's personal pupil most of my life. I don't need the basics. I need to learn. Look, if you just have a book I could study, or-" I turned and walked to the basement door. "Where are you going?!"

"Our class is done."

"But you haven't taught me anything!"

"No, nor will I." I turned back, giving her the kind of hardened look military training and killing gave a pony. "You are unwilling to learn." She started to talk, but my face stopped her. "You already know everything you need to. Just listen to yourself- 'just give me a book'. That is discovery, not learning. Yes, sometimes we have to learn on our own that way. But that is not the attitude of an open student. A student questions. A student thinks critically. A student does NOT, however, have the answers. That is what they are seeking, and the teacher shows them the way."

"I want the answers! But basics aren't answers, they're, well... basic!"

"And without that basic foundation you cannot learn and understand. Could I teach you a spell right now and could you perform it right now? Yes- your level of skill is high enough. Would that skill prevent you killing somepony with that spell? No. That is what understanding gives you. That is what you lack. Think that over. Look at your own studies metacognitavely for a while. Then, and only then, will we try this again. Farewell." Without another word, I went upstairs and left with all the dignity I could. That snooty little high class... Wait a second. Why was I the one leaving my house to end the lesson!? I was about to march back in and demand she leave when something caught my interest. There was a lot of chaotic, excited energy in the main town.

I arrived to find an event being finished being set up. What on earth... ...A parade. I shivered, slipping my blades partway from their sheathes. Nothing good ever happened at parades...

"Feeling a bit paranoid are we, Lantra?"

I spun, staring up the hood of a familiar mare's cloak. "Princess? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check on my order."

"Who else is with you?"

"No pony. You asked for anonymity, and so I am here alone, in disguise."

I blinked. That was not what I had expected. No princess since my Luna had treated me with such consideration... "Thank you. This way to my house."

I was more than happy to leave the parade- a fact that was apparently obvious to the princess. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

We both lapsed into silence as we walked, leaving my mind free to wander...

I looked up over the heads of the crowd, watching the floats travelling down the main street. Those poor unicorns who got levitation duty... What a relief to be on crowd control. I glanced up to the big chair to catch little Luna winking at me. I grinned, winking back. She giggled, closing her eyes and covering her muzzle with a hoof. ...I felt them moving before I saw them.

Eight ponies dressed all in white leapt out of the crowd, landing on the royal's grabbed Luna, tossing her down to the others while two more menaced the royal family with spears. Before any of us could react, Luna had been isolated at blade-point. Several guards were trying to step in to help, but the panicking ponies kept getting in the way.

"Tell them to back off." The pony with a spear in Cepheus' throat growled. The king gulped, nodding.

"Stand down. Please, my subjects- go inside to safety. We will work this-"

"They're not going anywhere! You'll do whatever we want and they'll watch."

"And why should I listen to you?" Cepheus growled in sudden defiance. He hated not being in charger.

The stallion gestured at Luna, surrounded by big, fierce looking ponies. "You wouldn't want to lose her in front of all those other ponies, would you?"

Several guards stepped forward again. "I said stand down!" Cepheus' voice was hoarse with anger and fear, but he had to be in charge of something. "What do you want?"

"Well, for starters, you're holding and torturing some of our operatives. Then once they're free, I think we can settle on the princesses- we want some alicorns of our own."

"Why you-"

"Step away from Luna." I could feel the cobblestones under my feet shaking loose in my anger.

"Hoo boy..." I heard Captain Discord muttering behind me.

"SkyTear, I said to stand down. What do we get out of this exchange, sir?"

"Father!?"

I took another hard step forward. "I sad Step. Away."

"Don't do it, Sky!" The twins muttered in unison, but I no longer cared. All my knives spiraled out of their sheathes.

One of the stallions around Luna snickered. "The foal wants to play, Kubaka."

"I SAID STAND DOWN!"

"Silence, you ignorant daughter of a stablemare." I glanced to my side to see a pure black stallion beside me. He stamped and his missing mane and tail burst out as flame. "And you call yourself a king."

"We will not abandon sweet Luna to the likes of you." On my other side, the armor fell from a pure white pony as he went etherial, leaving a trail of ice along the ground. Without a word to each other, we leapt at the float. Four of the guards jumped down at us, but they didn't expect us to fly. I had already shifted to pegasus, sending the surprised assassin hitting the ground. My blade found the top of his skull as the other two flew alongside me, leaving the three shocked stallions left alive on the ground.

Before the two still guarding Luna could react, the windingo was between them and their captive, swirling like an icy tornado. They turned to confront it. ...The wrong choice. The flaming pony and I each landed on one's back. It was hard to say which was worse off- the one with knives through his neck, or the one who's coat was now roasting him alive.

The remaining guards tried to jump back up, but we had the high ground now. One caught a blade in the chest, another twin longswords of flame through the eyes.

"You imbeciles!" The commander had turned and was shouting at the dead ponies and one long assassin, who was slowly backing away. "It was an easy job! All you had... had to... to do... was... w-was..." He dropped to his knees, his eyes rolling back to stare desperately at the queen. "W-what... are... you..."

"Do not presume to effect my children." She used the hoof resting on his shoulder to shove him over. He flopped heavily, not even trying to get up as she fully steamped down on him. His eyes flickered back up with his last berath, before flopping down as it escaped him.

Down on the ground, the last assassin turned to try to bolt. He was galloping full out, but his hooves weren't actually touching the ground. "Going somewhere?" Captain Discord walked up to the struggling pony, smiling. "We have some questions for you back at the castle."

I stopped paying attention to him as I turned, wrapping Luna in a tight hug. "Are you all right?"

"Yes... Thank you all..." She looked around at the three of us. "Thank you, my dearest friends."

"This is it."

"Oh, what an adorable little house!"

My eye twitched. "I know it's not a castle, but it is still-"

"Lantra, calm down. That was a compliment."

...Since when!? To insinuate I couldn't do any better was... Stop, Skytear. I had been gone a thousand years- things weren't the same. How could I yell at Twilight and then act like I knew it all against somepony who had only been kind to me? She knew, I was the student. "I'm sorry. I have been out of touch for a long time with my studies. Thank you for the compliment." She smiled happily, and followed me into the workshop. ...Maybe this new era wasn't all bad.

"Here we are. I've only finished about a fifth of the order, but things are well under way, as you can see."

"So much already?" She was staring around at the pieces, quite obviously pleased.

"I'll pack them up for you, and you can bring them back to Canterlot." I started carefully packing the glass into hay-filled boxes of various sizes. "I'll probably be starting work on some of the larger pieces tonight. Where would you like them delivered?"

"Hmmm... Is it too dangerous for you to place it outside the castle gates?"

How could it not be!? Celestia would notice! Guards would want me to explain myself! What a ridiculous idea!

"Sure, no problem." ...Why do I do this to myself? Thinking of places though... "How did you find me? I never told you what town I lived in."

"I felt your heartache intensify."

I blinked. The glass I was packing paused. "What?"

"I've been watching over you since I felt your heart break in Photo Finish's shop. My focus let me keep feeling you and watching over you when you left. I know why so much is done. You're pushing your anger and pain into continuous work. But you were safe, so I gave you space. But earlier, I felt your anger and pain. I knew you needed someone to rant to. A friend who understood. So, I went to the feelings. What happened?"

"..."

"Please, Lantra. I want to be a friend you can rely on..."

"...Pinkie threw a big party to get me out of my workroom... And Derpy was there..." Why was I telling her this!?

"Derpy... That new fashion star?"

"Yeah... She used to live here with me..."

"You love her."

"...I'm not sure."

"...That is true. You have deep feelings for her, and she betrayed them."

"Yes... ...He was there with her. There is... something wrong with him."

"Wrong?"

"He's controlling and manipulating. He is publicly licentious, and acts as if he can order anyone "lower class" around."

"...How out of touch with Modernity are you, Lantra?"

"..."

"I'm a friend. I'm trying to help."

"...What gave me away?"

"Most ponies are publicly lewd today."

"WHAT!?"

"How long?"

"... Will you still hold me anonymous?"

"Of course. I trust you. You need my help."

I watched her closely. ...She was lying. She would turn me over to Celestia. I would die. This was all a trap. "1,000 years." ...You deserve the death, you hell-borne moron...

"Will you tell me why?"

"Negative spell."

"Did you cast it?"

"No. Somepony wanted me gone."

"I see... What did you do to upset Celestia?"

I was instantly on guard, my blades out to point at her. "You've tipped your hoof, spy."

"No, it's just obvious. Your fear shows your enemy is still alive. The only ponies still alive from that long ago are Celestia, Luna, Discord, Sombra, and those in the Crystal Empire. Sombra and Discord are defeated, and notoriety in Canterlot would not get back to Cadence's empire. Luna is so kind nopony who really knows her would fear her. So, I can only assume Celestia banished you, and the thousand year time limits that seems to always go with these things has lifted."

...What had I been saying earlier about smart mares? Whatever it was, I was wrong!. Smart mares drove me up a wall! I glared at her, blades still out. "So... What do we do now? I like you, but if I let you go, I'm at risk from the tyrant."

She smiled slightly. "honestly, I'm more loyal to Luna." She raised a hoof and set it before her sideways.

I blinked at it, then slowly sheathed my knives, copying her gesture. "For the Lunar Republic." I whispered quietly.

"She told me all about the past."

"...Don't tell her I'm here."

"Why? She would be so happy to have her dearest friend returned."

"Because the more know I'm here, the better chance Celestia finds out. I don't want that burden on her shoulders..."

"Of course. My lips are sealed."

"Thank you... um... Could you please teach me more?"

"Teach you?"

"About the present."

"Of course. Let's start with the changes to the..." I settled down to listen. ...Maybe one day... Maybe I could live openly. Just wait for me in that day, Luna...

So, hopefully you all enjoyed a quick glance into Skytear's past again, and we see him intersecting the oficial timeline again. So, I'll get to work on the next chapter and if you enjoyed this one, feel free to review it. (or if not. criticism is always welcome for improvement.)

As always, I don't own MLPFIM.