no_vampires_plz | It's About Time, part 6

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It's About Time, part 6

The evening express train from Ponyville to Canterlot arrives precisely on schedule. Tonight, there are only three passengers getting off at the platform: two ponies and one dragon hatchling, all dressed in form-fitting black jumpsuits. They move away from the station and into the almost-deserted streets of Canterlot quickly and stealthily, for they are Ponies (and a Dragon) On A Mission.

...well, one of them is. The dragonlet is more interested in his ice cream cone than anything else.

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Pinkie follows along at Twilight's heel, happily bouncing her way down the street in her stylish jumpsuit. She simply followed Twilight here in the hope that she can stop her friend from accidentally hurting herself.

Edited 2012-07-26 05:39 (UTC)

"Okay," Twilight whispers. "The Canterlot Archives are right over there. Let's move!" She slinks down the street, keeping as low to the ground as possible and ducking behind every possible piece of cover she can find.

"...uh, I don't think we need to sneak around, Twilight," remarks Spike. "It's not illegal to walk around Canterlot?"

Twilight pays him no mind; she's more concerned about the silhouette she sees coming around a corner up ahead. "Guard!" She jumps up onto a dias next to a marble statue and strikes a pose, hoping that in the dim light she'll blend in with the sculpture. "C'mon, you guys," she hisses out of the corner of her mouth.

Edited 2012-07-26 05:50 (UTC)

Pinkie instantly freezes herself into an elegant (so she thinks) statue pose. She totally looks like an awesome statue, right Twilight?

The guard trots past without even glancing at them. Twilight lets out the breath she's been holding. "That was close."

"I don't know why we have to wear these things either," Spike grumbles, tugging at his jumpsuit where it's riding up on his rump.

Edited 2012-08-05 00:52 (UTC)

"...Aren't we wearing them for fun?" Pinkie's having fun!

"No, there's nothing 'fun' about this!" Twilight snaps.

"Oh...." Hoof to chin. "Are you sure?"

Twilight whirls round to glare at Pinkie. "Focus, guys! The only way to prevent this disaster is to stop time. Time spells are kept in the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, the most secure section of the Archives. That's why we're sneaking around."

"AWESOME!" She grins. "That sounds like fun!

"No, it's not fun."

"Awww..." Pinkie's expression melts into a sad frown.

No time for disappointment; they're on a mission. Twilight dives into a nearby bush for cover.

Dubious Pinkie is dubious. "I still don't know how sneaking into the archives is going to help her find out about her birthday present..." Pinkie asides to Spike as they walk past the bush, ignoring Twilight's recon tactics.

If she can just... there! That back window is unguarded! Twilight dashes across the lawn, eases the window open, and peeks inside.

"The coast is clear," she whispers. "Now, slowly lift me into the window so we can--"

And suddenly, Twilight is shoved over the windowledge. While she's stuck sprawled onto the rug, Pinkie prances by, followed by Spike, who's licking a cone of ice cream

"Ugh. Let's get this over with?" he asks.

The corridors of the Canterlot Archives are dark and silent, save for the hoofsteps of the guards on patrol and the gleam of their light spells. Avoiding both is no easy feat, but Twilight is confident that they've made it through the complex undetected, in spite of Pinkie and Spike being no help whatsoever. (Twice now she's had to go back for Spike because he'd stopped to lick up the ice cream he spilled on the ground.)

"Alright. If my calculations are correct, the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing should be right...here!" She looks up at the double doors in triumph.

"Uh, Twilight?"

"Yes, Spike?"

"...isn't this where we came in?"

Up pops Pinkie on the window ledge. "COOL!" Pinkie waves her arm. "Can we climb in the window again? That was SUPER fun!"

Oh, you've got to be kidding. They're right back where they started?!

"I don't understand," murmurs Twilight to herself, pacing in a small, frantic circle in the corridor. "It's supposed to be right here! How are we supposed to find it now??"

Pinkie gestures to a spot just behind Twilight's head. "Maybe we should ask somepony in the Starswirl the Bearded Wing?"

Edited 2012-08-05 02:11 (UTC)

Twilight looks where she's pointing... which happens to be a locked gate covering the entrance to the chamber in question.

"Huh. How'd I miss that?"

She walks over to get a better look at the shelves and shelves of scrolls and codices contained therein. "Look at all these priceless magic scrolls," she breathes. "There are more than I ever imagined..."

Poke. POKE! POKE!!!

"Twilight, the guard!"

Twilight gasps as she sees the shadow of the guard preceding him down the corridor. "Whatdowedowhatdowedo--??"

But it's too late to do anything. He's turning the corner and there's no cover in sight. Twilight cowers on the carpet, praying that he'll be merciful.

The guard walks right up to her... frowns... then brightens. "Hey, Twilight! Haven't seen you in a while. Let me open that for you--" His horn glows briefly as he casts the Unlocking spell, and the gate creaks open.

Twilight looks sheepish. "Oh... uh, thanks."

(Really, Twilight, you're Celestia's star pupil and your brother is the Captain of the Royal Guard. Did you seriously think they wouldn't let you in if you asked nicely?)

Pinkie never doubted it!

The three happily bounce (and trot, and walk) into the archives.

Until Twilight spots herself in a conveniently placed mirror and pulls up short.

"Oh no! Look!" she moans as she looks over her torn and frayed jumpsuit. "I look just like Future Twilight--the last sign has come true!"

"Ugh!" Pinkie managed to bang right into Twilight when she stopped short. She comes around toward the other side of the mirror and glances up at Twilight. "And that's bad, right?"

"Come on!" Twilight dashes into the center of the chamber. "It's almost Tuesday morning. The disaster could happen at any moment!"

"But how do we find the time-stopping spell?" asks Spike worriedly. "There must be a million scrolls here!"

Twilight freezes on the spot.

"I. Don't. Know."

Edited 2012-08-05 03:19 (UTC)

A few moments later, they're rifling through every cabinent and searching every shelf for the right spell.

But the sun won't stop climbing higher and higher in the sky! Only Spike, closest to the window, seems to notice as the sky's bathed in amber light.

"Twilight!" Spike says, "it's over. It's officially Tuesday morning!"

Twilight gallops over to the window, and watches helplessly as the rising sun bathes Equestria in golden light.

"No! Tuesday morning! The disaster! IT'S COMIIIIIING!!"

She cowers on the floor, forehooves over her face, trembling in anticipation of whatever horrible event her future self went back in time to prevent.

For a long moment, everything is silent.

Then something pokes her leg.

It's Spike.

"I dunno, Twilight. I don't see any disasters. It looks like a pretty nice day."

And as if to drive the point home, Princess Celestia herself trots by casually, fresh from her morning's work of raising the sun. "Good morning, Twilight! Love the new hairstyle. Well, happy Tuesday!"

She walks off again.

"Why isn't anyone surprised to see me sneaking around in here?" Twilight remarks to no one in particular. ~~I dunno, because you go to school here and are a close friend of the Princess, maybe?~~

She stares out the window, lost in thought. Nothing they've done has changed the future, and yet... here they are, safe and sound. Nothing has happened.

"...is it possible there never was a disaster? That I've just been making myself frantic over nothing?"

"I don't get it," says Spike with a puzzled frown. "If Future Twilight wasn't trying to warn you about a disaster, what was she trying to tell you?"

Twilight... actually giggles. "I don't know, but I do know one thing: I look ridiculous."

"Yeah, you do!" Spike giggles back.

"And it's all because I couldn't stop worrying and let the future handle itself! Well, not anymore. From now on, I'm gonna solve problems as they come, and stop worrying about every little thing."

"That's great!" says Spike, toasting her with his ice cream cone. "Does that mean there won't be any more late night pacing?"

"No more late night pacing," Twilight promises. "If only I had learned this lesson a week ago, we wouldn't have had to go through all this..."

"Twilight! TWILIGHT!" Pinkie calls, hopping out from behind the heavy stacks of books. "I found something!"

What's this? Twilight levitates the scroll out of Pinkie's grip and reads it.

Pinkie's FILLED with glee "It doesn't stop time, but it lets you go back in time. It says you can go back once, and it only lasts for a few moments. Does that help?"

"...Pinkie, you're a genius!"

"WHOO HOO!" Pinkie bounces in place.

"Now," Twilight continues, "I can go back in time and tell Past Twilight that she doesn't need to go berserk with worry about a disaster that's never gonna come!"

She steps out into the middle of the floor and frowns in concentration. A brilliant, whirling aura of white light emanates from her horn, growing to encompass her entire body--and in a single blinding flash, she vanishes.

And in another blinding flash, she's back.

"--waste your time... worrying... about..."

Twilight trails off and facehoofs.

"I can't believe I just did that."

"Did you tell her about the cool birthday present?" Pinkie wonders, coming a little closer.

"Remember last week when Future Twilight tried to warn me about something? That was me trying to warn myself not to worry so much. Now I'm gonna spend the next weak freaking out about a disaster that doesn't even exist!" Twilight flops down on the floor of the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing with a frustrated sigh.

Pinkie pats Twilight gently on the back, her grin enormous. "Aww, don't worry about it! It's PAST Twilight's problem now."

Twilight chuckles a little in spite of herself. "I guess you're right, Pinkie."

A loud groan arises from the next aisle of books. Specifically, from the baby dragon lying on his back there, clutching his belly. "Ohh... my stomach... I... I think it's all that ice cream. I thought the stomachache would be Future Spike's problem... but now I am Future Spike. Ughhhhh..."

Twilight and Pinkie look at each other and burst into giggles.

"C'mon, Future Spike," says Twilight, levitating the baby dragon onto her back. "Let's get you home."

Edited 2012-08-05 04:36 (UTC)

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It's About Time, part 6

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