In 2259 a future version of Christopher Pike visited his younger self to show what would happen if Pike avoided his fate, revealing a disastrous war with the Romulans.
The older Pike used a time crystal from Boreth to show the captain a future in which he had escaped the accident he foresaw. In that timeline Pike still commanded the Enterprise during a tense encounter with the Romulans near the Neutral Zone, and his choices led to war and to grievous harm to Spock.
The future Pike explained that many paths led to the same outcome and that his sacrifice protected others. The captain returned to his own time and accepted his destiny.