The obscured room was lit in a soft blue light from the moon outside, and a lonely melody was heard in the night. Some toys that seemed to be unused were carefully placed on the toy box by the wall, next to an unmade bed; the sheets were lying on the floor making a track to the window on the wall in the far end of the room.
There was a unicorn, a young colt with his gray fur tousled, his wine-red mane struggled, and his clear blue eyes glimmering in the moonlight behind the lenses of his big, black, rounded glasses. His eyes were wet and filled with tears while he gazed up on the moon above him. He curled up and took his eyes off the limpid saucer far up there in the sky, as a small sigh slipped out of his mouth and he gently dried his wet eyes.
The little pony hummed. He hummed on a song which his mother used to sing for him when he was a foal. He didn’t know why it had stained his mind; nor did he know why it made him sad. He had no further memories about the song but he could recall a feeling of being left alone every time he heard it, a feeling that he highly disapproved of.
He carefully glanced back up to the moon again. “I miss you, mom…” He stared down at the ground outside and imagined a white mare answering him in the night: "I Love you too honey.~"
You guessed it, the little pony is me.
It had been months since I last saw my parents; they were both involved in the rebellion against Discord. Ever since princess Celestia and Luna had turned against Discord’s tyranny there were a lot of ponies who joined their ranks and my parents were among the very firsts to do so. There were a lot of things happening back then, a lot of strange, busy ponies running around by our house, school was dismissed very early and everypony had to hide in a soggy cellar that made sure to give me the cold each and every time. I was very confused back then, but I was very young as well so that was only to be expected.
So one day, it was bedtime for the little colt and I fell peacefully asleep to my mom’s comforting lullaby.
I fell asleep…
The rest was nothing but flashes and fractured pieces from a faded memory mixed with a broaden view of imagination and the only thing I remembered for certain was that one of those strange ponies that used to be around took me away from there. He carried my slack, benumbed body until we reached the Princesses’ capital which existence only remained because Discord temporarily allowed it to, I was taken to an orphanage and so I ended up where I was now. I didn’t know anypony around; I didn’t feel like knowing them either, I just wanted to be alone for a while…
“Are you still awake?!” I quickly turned around at the voice; it was the head mare on the orphanage with her purple fur and blue mane. My heart sank down to my stomach; I knew this would be ‘really’ troublesome. “It is way over bedtime for you, mister!” She trotted in and lifted me to my unmade bed. She then bowed down and picked up my scattered sheets, she turned back to my bed and wrapped the sheets gently around me. She laid a hoof on my forehead and smiled gently at me, “Sweet dreams, Time Spinner.” I just groaned at her, turned away and forced myself to not cry until she had left, then I began to breath erratically.
“I miss you mom, so much…”
The fillies and colts were out playing and laughing in the yard, they ran around trying to catch each other, going down the slide over and over again, playing soccer, and rocking the seesaw. Everypony was enjoying the sunny day with laughter and funny games.
Everypony but me.
I didn’t feel like playing that day, or any day for that matter. An aura of loneliness shone by the swings where I sat alone on a small spot of green grass, resting my head on my hoofs watching the other ponies playing their silly games. No, I didn’t want to join them; I didn’t even want to know any of those stupid ponies! You know what?! I was actually happy that he didn’t know them, who would ever want to have such backward friends like that?!
Oh, how many times didn’t I lie to myself back then? I assume I did that because of my faint vision on the life and on what I wanted back then. I didn’t realize my longing for things like friends, or maybe I was just ignoring it? I’ll probably never know.
“Silly ponies,” My lips mumbled inaudibly. I lay down on the grass with my hoofs behind my head and closed my eyes. My eyes filled with tears, 'I don’t need them', I thought to myself when a tear suddenly slipped out from my eye and dripped down the side of my head.“I need nopony…” I thought and swallowed a sob.
“Hi! Are you crying?!”
My eyes flashed up in less than an instant to gaze into two brown eyes above me. My face turned pale and my cheeks red, I sat up fast as lighting. “WHOA! What?! NO…! Of course not…!.” I managed to gasp out regardless that I was too shocked to think clearly.
The light blue unicorn filly with her dark blue mane raised her eyebrow with a questioning look. She walked up to me and poked my face where the tear had gone. “So, what do you call this then?”
My head was panicking; I wasn’t prepared for such an sudden interaction at all! “Erhm. Um, it’s the sun. Yes, the sun!” I pointed upwards to prove my point, “It flashed into my eyes! Yes it did! I couldn’t see a thing! It was horrendous! You should have been here!” I fluttered my front legs to express how terrible it actually had been, “My eyes were all filled with tears and I couldn’t see a thing! I was blind I tell you! BLIND! Did I say that I couldn’t see a thing?! I wa–” I stopped when I realized that the filly was about to break apart in laughter. “Are you…? Alright down there…?” I wondered what I had done that was so laughable.
She glanced up at me with amusement. “Among all the bad liars I’ve ever heard, you take the prize!” She rose slowly and reached out a hoof to me. “I am Aqua by the way! What’s your name?”
I snorted unpleasantly, turned away and began to walk. Whatever that pony thought of me, I wasn’t in the mood for socializing.“Nopony.” I looked forward with determination and tried to ignore Aqua’s inquiring gaze.
She trotted up next to me and continued the conversation. “My, that’s a strange name! Which parents would give their child a name like that?”
I squinted when I heard that she spoke about parents, it was like stabbing my heart when she brought that subject up. I shook my head lightly. “It’s… Not my name…”
She walked up in front of me forcing me to stop and looked at me with a slightly tilted head and a curios face. “So what is your name then, you strange pony?”
I glared at her, who did she think she was?! I wondered if she couldn’t see that I obviously wasn’t in the mood for talking. “Time.” I finally uttered, turned away and began to walk in another direction but Aqua came along.
“Well Time, why were you crying back there?” I tried to ignore her but this pony was obviously hard to turn down. “Are you sad because of a particular reason?”
My eyes were turning wet again and my chest stunned when I accidentally thought of my parents once more. 'No! Don’t think of them! Not now!' I thought to myself. I cleared my throat and tried to keep my voice normal, which I barely managed to do. “No. There is no reason.”
We had now reached the top of a green hill in the yard and I took a seat there. Aqua made herself comfortable by my side and looked at me with an inquiring gaze. “ Then let me just throw a guess then; is it about parents?” she asked with a gentle smile.
My ears perked, how can she possibly know about my parents?! “How did you–?” I began, my voice filled with astonishment.
“Know?” She smiled at me and pointed out at our surroundings, “I don’t know if you have noticed but we are at an orphanage’s yard, it’s a pretty common problem around here.”
I realized that I had been pretty stupid in my way of spreading out judgments to these ponies, and it would not be the first time that had happened. They were probably all sharing similar experiences as the one I had. “Oh. Yeah, you're probably right.”
Aqua smiled widely at me, obviously glad that she had managed to get me to talk with her. “You tell me when you are ready to talk about it. I would gladly help you feel better!” She laid a hoof on my shoulders and shook me friendly.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Sure thing, but it won’t happen.”
Aqua shrugged as well and an awkward silence settled down between us. A quietude which Aqua naturally made sure to put to an end. “Hey! Wanna go try the swings?!” She hopped up on her hoofs and smiled broadly at me before she reached out her hoof to me, “I betcha haven’t tried those yet!”
I smiled indolent at her. “Yeah sure, I’m all fed up with sitting around anyway.” I swiftly dried my eyes before I allowed myself to be dragged up on my hoofs. She kept smiling when she turned and began to walk towards the swings and I was just about to follow her when suddenly something else drew away my attention. I froze on the spot when I looked beyond the yard, past the ponies, and the street to a spot on the other side of the street.
There was a peculiar stallion. Gray coat, well-kept burgundy mane and tail, black rounded glasses and an amulet around his neck that appeared to be some sort of a pocket watch. The pony’s head was slightly tilted and his face showed me that he was sad, for reasons unknown to me back then. Our eyes met and I shivered when the pony’s sad gaze seemed to force itself into my mind. My pupils were shrunk and my face paled when I suddenly heard a heavy-hearted, devastated voice inside my head.
“Take good care of her, Time. She will be worth the effort~”
I was shocked; I was not expecting to hear any strange ponies inside my head when I first entered the yard this very day. I tried to get a closer look of the pony but my sight was blocked by a big group of ponies passing by. And when the last cloud of dust finally settled, the pony was suddenly nowhere to be seen. The whole thing perplexed me and the pony’s words seemed to stain my mind, I shook my head to clear my thoughts and took a last look at the spot where the pony first appeared.
“You are falling behind, slowpoke!” Aqua was almost by the swings and I decided to push that pony out of I mind to further concerns.
I trotted down the hill, “No worries, I'll be right behind you, Aqua.” And I didn’t mind the strange pony for the rest of the day.
I never used to be impulsive. Never been at all actually, I am more of a thinker. I’m deliberating everything before I make a decision; it makes me slow but what does that matter? It makes my decisions elaborated and that might affect my future life. It would turn out that Aqua was a lot like me; she was clever on so many levels that I found myself stunned and clueless more often than I could ever have expected myself to be before I met her. And I wasn’t quite sure if I was annoyed by it.
We met up everyday, as soon as it was breakfast, we sat together, as soon as we went to school I walked along with her and sat with her by the bench, as soon as we were free we played in the yard or went to the hills out of town. She had found a beautiful, green hill which lay next to a clear, fast-flowing and splashy river that would surely sweep us by the hoofs if we weren’t cautious. There was that huge beech tree on the top of the hill in which shadow we rested our tired bodies after hours of tag, river wading for gems, and the famous competition between us two about who was the best tree-climber.
I shall be honest with you; she was ‘horrible’ at climbing. She’s probably the weakest pony I’ve ever seen, there was no way that she would bare to climb higher than I could do back then. She slipped and fell all the time in the tree, always on the same spot as the last time. That helped me know how much I needed to climb before she fell down. You may think that I used it as an advantage but then you’re wrong. It’s actually the other way around.
When I reached the spot right below her slippery branch, I dropped. Just like that. I let myself soar through the air towards the pitiless ground below. It hurts more than one thinks it will do, land on the back like that, it literally is a breathtaking experience and I wouldn’t recommend you to try it out yourself. If I’d ever make a list of all the stupid, impulsive things that I’ve done, this one would be in the top five.
Well, I promised to be sincere with you, didn’t I? Very well, my friend, honesty it is then.
I regret absolutely nothing!
When I laid there on my back and was desperately trying to catch my long lost breath, I glanced up in the tree and the sight I saw stunned me completely. Aqua smiled, the sun shone on her when she smiled the biggest, most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my entire life! Her brown eyes glistered in the sunlight just as bright and clear as the white gemstones on the bottom of our river. A hard breeze made her blue mane wave and glimmer as the big waves of the ocean. And so her smile, I could bet my life that it would bring the most bitter, cranky old mule to smile widely! I couldn’t help myself but smile back at her in the tree and my pain was long forgotten.
“I won, Time! I actually won!” She shouted with pure joy in her voice and her eyes’ glimmer increased with a significant amount.
I smiled broadly at her, if the victory made Aqua this happy; there were no doubts that I would do it again for the sake of her smile. “You sure did, Aqua!”
She carefully climbed down from the tree, cautious not to fall, and took a seat next to me where I laid by the tree. “Are you hurt, time…?” She asked with a worried voice.
Again, I couldn’t hold myself from smiling when I sat up. “Yes, but I’ve been worse." I chuckled at her. I didn’t need to be manly or macho around Aqua; we were the best of friends. It filled no function to lie to her, and she was always honest to me as well.
She smiled at me and leaned her head at my shoulder and my heart flew away and disappeared somewhere above the stars, “Promise me that you’ll never let me win like that again. I don’t want you to get hurt…”
I know that this is getting old but again, I couldn’t hold back the smile. One could never hide something from this pony. “I promise that I’ll never let you win again.” I answered.
She laughed at me. “I didn’t say that, Just that you won’t hurt yourself in the progress!”
The sky’s horizon was getting more and more shades of gold as the sun lowered itself. An oblong cloud was colored red by the rays of the sun when I laid a hoof around Aqua, she tilted her head against mine and I sighed lightly. “I promise, Aqua. I promise.” And so we watched the sound go down the horizon.
Oh, how I loved us being together!
So, that’s how my life was back then, nothing quite out of ordinary. I was just a colt living a colt’s life, trying to be a good pony like everypony else did. I was fairly good at being nice, especially with thoughts on that I had lost my parents to an evil creature that wanted to have the world in his swirl of chaos. I mean, that’s a base for a horrible childhood if something. Still I didn’t turn out to be one of those depressed Youngers, and I give my thanks to Aqua. She took up so much room in my mind that there hardly was any space left for grieving about my parents and as a result; I'd almost forgot that I've ever had any parents.
Then something happened that would put my mind into an even larger cycle of thoughts. I’d say something but I clearly mean ‘the thing’ because my life would probably not be the same if it wasn’t for this single happening. I will jump just a few years forward in my life – two years actually to be frank – I was still a fairly young colt and all of the colts and fillies around me that was about my age had begun to gain their cutiemarks, only a few of us valiant ‘blank flanks’ remained. It is pointless to say that I was among them. Well, let’s just jump back into the story.
“Wake up sleepyhead! It’s Saturday and you’re about to sleep it away!”
The cheerful voice forced itself into my comfortable dream like a hobnail and snatched me out of its coziness. I opened my eyes to notice two brown, glimmering eyes being all up my face. “Aqua?! Is that really you who are sitting on my chest, forcing me to wake up when I obviously would rather like to sleep instead?” I asked doubtfully.
“Yup! Now get up before I make up my mind whether I should hide this pillow in the fridge or not!”
She held up a pillow with her mouth and I swiftly laid a hoof behind my head to discover the absence of my very own pillow. “....Fine! We’ll have it your way then,” I rubbed my tired eyes, “again.” I looked up at her and saw how she smiled her beautiful smile again, the pillow in her mouth mixed with her glimmering eyes made it impossible for me to turn her down. “So, where are we heading, Aqua?”
She smiled warmly at me and I smiled back. “You’ll see, Time! You’ll see!”
The sunlit streets were overcrowded with ponies everywhere, wherever we turned we bumped into a huge wall of busy stallions and mares blocking our way. I was thrown back and forward by the ponies, losing all control of where I was going. Then suddenly I had a heavy tackle from behind by a clumsy pony and I fell headlong to the ground and swallowed a whole lot of dirt while I tumbled to the ground. “What — cough, cough — in the name of Celestia, is wrong with everypony?!” My whole body was covered in dust from the bottom of my hoofs to the very tops of my ears where I laid on way of compacted earth, even my saddlebag was dirty.
“I’m terribly sorry, my dear squire! I didn’t quite see you there!” I was grabbed by my neck and lifted up on my hoofs before I had the time to look at the pony who spoke. There was an energy and enthusiasm in the stallion's voice that I’ve never heard before; it felt like I could be swept away by the hoofs by this voice as much as I would be by my and Aqua’s river. “You see, I was remarkably rapt by this wonderful town and its ravishing – may I add wealthy? – Inhabitants, that I in my fascination could not help myself but bump into the delightful little back of yours!”
Until now; I hadn’t been able to take a closer look at the pony. “Ehum, it’s okay I guess… But, who are you, sir?” I had to say, the earth pony certainly had a fitting outfit considering his voice. The first thing to draw my attention was that silvery-grey and slightly dusty top hat on his head, boldly tilted to his right. He wore a blue cape that reviled its inner red color during every sweeping movement he executed. Another noticeable object was the silver cane he wielded around himself like he was in the middle of a battle with some mythological creature or something. This wasn’t the strangest thing with this pony, nor was the blood-orange mane or the dark goldenrod eyes the most peculiar thing about him.
It was the tail, once I laid my eyes on it I couldn’t make myself look away for several seconds. It was orange like the rest of the pony but with a white tuft at the very tip of the tail making it look exactly like a foxtail. That was by far the strangest thing I’ve seen so far that day. Luckily, the pony didn’t seem to realize my stare and continued his talk as only he himself could do it.
“Me? Oh, I’m nopony special really. In fact, you shouldn’t mind me at all! You should just turn around and walk away with the dazzling little mare you have there.” He pointed a hoof at Aqua and gave me a playful wink. Aqua gazed back at the pony with empty eyes and did not attempt to answer the pony. “But now when it appears that I have your attention, I will gladly present myself to you! You may address me as, Foxglove Foalfellow!” Foxglove spun his hoof in an advanced swirl before he lifted off his hat and executed an elegant bow in front of me. “Independent trader and by all means, the best merchant you’ll possibly find! And you my dear colt,” He poked my chest with the cane, “is the luckiest pony walking these paths!”
I was a bit stunned and confused by Foxglove’s sparkling charisma and wasn’t quite sure how to respond the stallion. “Am I? Why? What makes me so lucky?”
This foxglove was a strange pony indeed, but his words seemed to catch my attention somehow. I wanted to hear more about whatever this pony had to say about my ‘luckiness’. “Oh, that’s simple, you see! I just happened to get my hoofs on this particular book here about really powerful magic,” he pulled up a dusty old book from a hidden pocket in his cape which looked like it was about to fall apart by any moment soon, “but as you can see, I simply don’t have any use for it since I’m not a unicorn and all that.” He gave me another wink and I saw where this conversation was going.
“I don’t want to buy anything,” I said with determination. I’ve been taught that salesponies only wanted my bits and was never there for their costumers own best. I wasn’t stupid enough to let this pony have any undeserved bits from me. “I have zero interest.”
Foxglove laughed and shook his head, “You don’t see, do you? I know this book looks old and worthless but read my lips, the oldest books contain the most powerful magic!” He leaned towards me and whispered, “Your power will see no limits with this book in your hoofs, and guess what!” He lowered his whisper so only I could hear him talk, “I think I read about a spell in here that can show you if there’s love in a mare’s heart.”
That was more than enough to get my full attention, “How much did you say it costs?” I asked with a little more excitement in my voice than I meant to have.
Foxglove showed his glimmering teeth in a big smile before he answered, “Just because I like you, let’s say twenty bits!”
He reached out a hoof to me to accept the bits he wanted, but I just gaped, stunned by the price tag. I shook my head to get back to reality again, “That’s outrageous!” I reached into my saddlebag for my little money-bag and quickly counted my bits, “I only got ten bits!”
“SOLD!” Foxglove snatched away my money-bag with his cane and dropped it into a particularly heavy pocket in his cape. He quickly laid the book inside my opened saddlebag and proceeded with counting his bits.
“Time stop it! It isn’t funny!” Aqua suddenly spoke and I turned to her. “You know that I don’t believe in such things.”
I was totally confused by Aqua’s way to express herself, “Believe in what? What’s not funny?”
Aqua rolled her eyes; she was obviously not amused with my answer. “The whole thing that you’re talking with hot air is not funny! If you’re trying to scare me, I can tell you that it doesn’t work!” She squinted at me with a grumpy face and I was more than confused.
I pointed a hoof in Foxgloves direction, “But Aqua, he’s right h--!” I stopped when I realized that there really wasn’t anypony where I pointed my hoof. “Gone…?” How was that even possible?! Even if he really had left, how could Aqua simply ‘not’ have seen him? I mean, that outfit and tail would make anyone shine like a torch in a diamond dog den. “How…?”
Aqua rolled her eyes, “Nevermind! Let’s go already!” I was grabbed by my hoof and before I knew it I was dragged away from the street, I gazed back at the spot where I had seen the pony and realized that he was back on the same spot as before! A smiled a tricky smile at me where he leaned on his cane; he wiggled the hat in my direction before he blurred away in the crowd.
What in the sweet world of Equestria was that thing?!
I would lie if I said that the thought of that pony didn’t poke me in the back of my head. It was plain strange that a pony just appeared and disappeared like that, but still… it felt, somewhat… familiar. It felt like I experienced something I've dreamt about before the actual event. Something that I think is called 'Déjà vu'. I tried to think about other things but the pony always managed to sneak back into my mind. If I only could…
“What are you thinking about?”
I gazed up at the sudden voice. “What?” I responded without giving it a though and Aqua sighed loudly.
“I’ve been talking to you for ten minutes without you responding. What’s on your mind, dream spinner?” She asked and tilted her head in curiosity.
I shrugged and thought that it would be best to tell her. “It’s just that pony back there…” I said and hardly managed to hide how bothered I was. “Am I crazy or something?”
Aqua smiled and laughed for a bit. “Don’t you worry about that. It’s hot today and I’m almost hallucinating myself during days like this.” She replied. I felt a bit better but I still couldn’t get that pony out of my head. It was like he wanted me something, like there’s something I’ve missed to check… “Tell you what!” Aqua finally said. “Let’s get something to drink there’s a nice café just ten meters ahead!” I nodded; I was actually pretty thirsty myself.
It was indeed a cozy café. It was lit by a lot of candles and two big windows with a view over the street. We took a seat by the window and bought some soda while we gazed at the street. It was a beautiful, hot summer day. We could see how the park on the other side of the street was crowded with ponies having picnic and enjoying the sun. A wind swept through the park and made the trees’ leaves dance before us. It was a beautiful sight. “Time, can I borrow a bit from you? I seem to lack one in order to pay for this soda.”
I laughed; it was typical for Aqua to forget a bit or two when she was going out like this. “Sure.” I answered and leaned down to pick up a bit from my saddlebag on the floor. I opened it and froze solid on the spot. Inside the bag laid an old, dusty book that I recognized all too well. There was a title on the side that I had failed to notice before. It said: 'I make time spin'. My head rushed away in thoughts, why was the book there? What’s with the title? Is it meant to be with me? My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“So what about the bit?” I picked up a bit that had fallen out of my purse an laid on the bottom of my bag and reached it to Aqua without taking my eyes from the book, afraid that it might would disappear. I picked it up and opened it on the table; the first page was blank, as was the second, and the third. Every page was blank except the last one which appeared to be a spell with the title: 'Time Spinner'. More questions passed through my mind as I tried to see what the spells purpose was. There was no explanation, just a word. So I decided to test it out. I glanced up and saw that Aqua was busy with her soda as I casted the spell out in the air and waited… and waited some more. Nothing happened. No weird feelings, no happening and no love saying from Aqua. Maybe the spell didn’t work, maybe Foxglove had lied to me, or perhaps even worse… Perhaps Aqua didn’t love me at all. The thought made me throw the book into the trashcan and Aqua glanced up. “What was that?” She asked.
“An old book worth nothing but to be thrown into the trash.” I responded and I was angry. I tried to find something or somepony to force that anger on but I soon came to realize that it was mostly my fault that I’d let myself be fooled like that.
“Okay.”Aqua replied and we proceeded to chat. We talked about whatever came to our minds, big and small things that had happened and things we liked or disliked. A scream was heard from the street and we both assumed that somepony had tripped which wasn’t impossible a day like this with all these ponies running into each other. We proceeded to talk but then we noticed a change of atmosphere on the street. The whole crowd began to move in the very same direction, and pretty fast too. The street was emptied within two minutes and we were both curios what on earth was going on.
Then we heard it. A loud thump, then another one, and many more muffled, loud thumps. I glanced to Aqua, she looked just as worried as I felt. “What do you think, Discord?” I asked her. Discord had left the town untouched for so many years that many thought that he might had forgotten about it. She bit her lip and shook his head.
“Whatever it is, it can’t be good.” She answered and I nodded agreeably.
“And it’s probably really b –. “ An overwhelming growl swept through the town, pierced my ears and went straight to my mind where it seemed to pull out all of my deepest fears at once, forcing me on my knees. It was most certainly nothing good.
I crawled out of the building with a lot of thoughts in my mind of what it could possibly be.
But I still wasn’t prepared for the sight that hit me when I gazed to the very end of the street.
Author's Note
I would appreciate if you would take the time to leave a comment and help me improve or just tell me that it's good, bad, or whatever. ^_^
This chapter doesn't contain as much action as the other chapters will do later on but it's still a pretty good piece of writing.
Love ya!
