//-------------------------------------------------------// A chance at change... -by OMEGA9350- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// CHAPTER 1: Rendezvous... //-------------------------------------------------------// CHAPTER 1: Rendezvous... "So here we are..", says Aron as we reach the Old Library, "Doc Whooves said the rendezvous point is here Light...I don't trust him though....". "Come on Aron, he says the prototype is pretty much complete, he just needs the last piece of the blueprints....", I reply with belief. Hope remains silent, obviously afraid, but remains quiet about it. "Come on Hope, we'll make it, we've always have, don't think like that... your cutie mark stands for faith... have some....", I say holding my spear at my side. Hope looks over and nods shyly, blushing a light tint of pink. Its not hard for me and Aron to know that she likes me. I don't mind her efforts, the only problem is she just doesn't understand that I don't accept her advances. I have someone set on my mind, a certain pony from the past. Yeah, even though she technically doesn't exist by now, I don't care, that's my second reason why I plan on finishing the time machine if it's not that obvious already. I discovered her on some old news headlines and famous postings in the Library Archives from YEARS ago... she performed the infamous Sonic Rainboom apparently... she's been stuck on my mind for some time now.... I hope I get to meet her... sooner... or later... "Wow, this place is FILLED with ancient artifacts...", I spoke as I walked in with Aron behind me, Hope trailing behind. Aron's been my closest friend since BEFORE the disaster, He's gotten his mark in categorizing. Yeah yeah he worked in a library, so what, he's still always been my best and closest friend I've ever had. Hope, her story is different, apparently Aron found her on her own, he's told me he's had something for her, yet she's had something for me... strange. "You got 20 minutes before I'm getting back to Sanctuary!", said the driver of the vehicle that transported us here. "Yeah I got it!", I yell back, hearing him, awakening from my little daydream. Sanctuary is our home, one of the last survivor towns that existed in this time. I hear something, or somepony in the next room. "Hold on guys...", I whisper to Aron and Hope as I pull out my spear... I listen carefully as I hear a voice of somepony mumbling to himself. "Eeergh, where are these kids, I need that last component, the last piece, the final piece de resistance, I can't finish my masterpiece without it!!!" Heh, of course. I open the door, revealing an old withered pony with what seems to be a large white beard around his face, "Ah, Doctor Whooves, a pleasure to meet you sir." I salute as I acknowledge Aron and Hope in, to which Aron walks in with the last blueprint as Hope follows subtly and quietly behind. "Ah FINALLY! You... Little ones took FOREVER, Do YoU kNoW hOw LoNg It ToOk FoR yOu KiDs!?!", he looks away grasping his head, "I-I'm sorry... p-please forgive me, and place the blueprints on the counter over there...", he says as he points to a small table on the other side, still not looking back at us. I nod and walks over to the counter, Poor Doc... He was one of the few that helped create the serum that caused all this mess... after all this shit went down, Doc went into hiding and he lost his marbles from there due to suffering from a severe case of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Yeah I know, he's one of the original scientists that created this serum, but come on, he's an old pony that went into hiding due to fear while the others rose into power, but how could I hate this guy... I take the papers and place them on the counter and look around while Hope and Aron take a look at the schematics. I trot slowly away, looking around dazed, I take a quick glance and see an article on the Sonic Rainboom. I look over and read the Headlines to myself as I slowly read from the top to the bottom, "The Sonic Rainboom, A legendary feat that filled the skies with its beautiful color, done by the amazing..." "Heh, Rainbow Dash, I see you have a little interest in her old chap", says Doc as he looks over at the article, I can't help but blush a little due to seeing that Doc found out so quickly. He laughs and returns to the article. "Eeyep, see I was around to hear about that, sure I wasn't at the show itself, but it's sound waves were astonishing and beautiful to watch from a big distance... Anyways, let's finish out this machine." I nod and take a quick glance at the photo of Rainbow Dash doing the Sonic Rainboom, then return to the group. "Let's see, this little doohickey, goes into this little piece, and this goes here, and that goes there...", I smile as I watch Doc talk and mumble to himself, decoding the ancient texts as he finishes off the machine. I take a look over at Aron and see him laying his hoof on Hope's and Hope blushing brightly, heh, finally, it seemed it took forever for Aron. However, I should've chosen the right word, because forever... Never truly lasts forever.... After about five maybe fifteen minutes of Doc's constant mumbling and tinkering, he finally flips the switch, activating the machine, the glow was intense, but it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. "EUREKA!", Doc yells in joy as he pulls back up his goggles. I smile and stare at the machine, a small pod opens up, the size of a small pony to fit in. "It's got room for only one pony, unfortunately...", he said as he looks down and his ears flip down, "with only so much power and so much stress on this machine's parts, it wouldn't last after one pony..." I look over at Aron and Hope, they only smile at me, I perk my eyebrow at them, "Uhm, Hope? Aron? Something you wanna tell me?" They simply walk over to me and simply smile, Aron's the first to break the silence, "Light, pal... I've already found my joys of life here, you go, change the future for a world where it's better for you, and for me and Hope. Hope blushes a little more and nuzzles Aron, he simply smiles at her then back at me, "Change the future for the good of the world, and for the good of us.." I stand there with my mouth agape, "No Aron, I-I can't leave, not without any of you guys... its always either all of us or none of us..." Hope shakes her head and keeps her smile, "Not this time Light, it's your time to make the mark on history, change the world." At the very moment, an audible scream from outside is heard, Doc runs over to the door and bolts the door shut, he looks back at us, worried and panicking, "W-We're locked in, that was the only entry, the Changelings must've heard the machine's activation..." Aron nods and goes to the nearby table, pushing it over, sooner enough Hope follows suit and pushes it over as well. Aron looks back at me, smiling a little. "D-don't worry about us, just remember, if you change time... all this never happened..." I shake my head angrily. "N-no, I'll never know any of you, Aron, we'll never meet, and without you, Hope won't..." Aron shakes his head. "Don't be silly Light, I've been friends with you since we've been Colts, don't worry about it, we'll see each other again, count on it". He smiles after finishing the table and Hope comes over, hugging me gently."Just promise you'll never forget us, okay?" I nod and hug back as I look over her shoulder, seeing a few changelings break a crack into the door, Aron runs over and pushes the table into the door even more, bracing the door shut as Hope runs over to assist him. "N-now g-go Light, GO NOW!" I nod and step into the pod as the clear glass closes around me, watching as Doc punches in some codes through some unknown glowing buttons with unreadable text and blabber. "Now Light, you might feel a slight tingle, but other then that, you'll be perfectly fine", I nod and he steps back as the power starts to turn on again, steam starts to bellow from the bottom of the pod and the lights slowly start to engulf me. A changeling breaks through another hole in the door and bites onto Aron's hoof, he yells a little in agony and continues bracing the door shut. "Nooo!!!", I couldn't take it anymore, I pound on the glass with my hoofs as the light slowly envelops me. "Aron, Hope!" I watch them one last time as the light reaches the peak of the glass. Aron looks back at me and says something, I couldn't hear him over the whirring noise of the machine, but I could read his lips, "I'll see you around, old friend....", he salutes with his other hoof as the door gives in and the changelings start to storm in. "Noooo!!!", at the very moment the light fully envelops me in its warmth, and I'm taken away, I fall into a strange prismatic bunch of colors in a tunnel that make me think I'm losing my sanity for sure. I fall endlessly through the narrow tunnel and see a white light at the end, I yell as I fall through and black out... ******************************************************************************************** I awaken slowly to something or somepony pushing against my chest, I open my eyes to see a little filly with a bow in her head in her mane, hopping on my chest with her hoofs. She smiles and looks back at her flank, and frowns. I realize there are two other ponies over beside her, An orange one holding a towel in her mouth, and a white one carrying a backpack with a Red Cross on it. "Aaawh well, I guess being a Nurse isn't what our cutie marks are either..", says the one with the bow in her head at the other two. "Yeah, well, I didn't want to be a nurse anyways, he seems already dead", says the orange one with the purple mane. Obviously, she didn't look at me fast enough to see me open my eyes already. "I thought being a nurse was gonna be fun... oh well", replies the white one with the purple-pinkish mane. "Well don't worry Sweetie Bell, We'll find a funner, AND better thing to do!", says the one with the bow at the white one. "Really Applebloom? Like what?", said the orange one at the one with the bow. "We won't know until we try Scootaloo!", said Sweetie Bell with a smile at the orange one, heh, cute little fillies. "Uhm, excuse me, uhm girls?" They look at me, realizing I'm awake. Scootaloo suddenly screams. "Aah! He's a zompony!", exclaimed Scootaloo as Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom follow suit in the screaming and run off. I sit up confused and call out to them. "Hey! Uhm, girls?!? Tell me, Where am I!", I look around and realize I'm under a tree. I stand up and look around as I sigh, remembering what happened to Aron and Hope and.... NO, what's done is done, I will NOT let their sacrifices be in vain. I take another quick glance around and walk onto the nearest path. "Well, I guess I'll find out where I am soon enough..." //-------------------------------------------------------// CHAPTER 2: Crashlanding //-------------------------------------------------------// CHAPTER 2: Crashlanding "Okay, guess they're no help at all", I think to myself as I watch the trio run off screaming in fear. I look down at the ground and see instead of a dark gray cracked pavement of a road, the roads here are dirt, and they seem to be filled with luscious green plant life and bushes and flowers. "This place is... beautiful...", I say as I look around, obviously very surprised. I walk down the road, looking around for about a couple of minutes till I hear a zoom and someone yelling from behind me. "LOOK OUT!" I turn around in time to see a mass of an assortment of colors before I black out entirely from the impact from that certain somepony... I wake up startled as I feel around, feeling a bunch of blankets and bandages. I sit up to see someone who seems to be a nurse, "Now now, easy, you took quite a hit there, luckily she was nice enough to pick you up and carry you here to Ponyville's Hospital, she said she found you at the outskirts of Ponyville, are you okay son?" I nod and feel my head, I got a bad headache from the impact, and feel some bandages from my head. I notice a light blueish color in the corner of the room from the corner of my eye, I'm guessing thats is who the Nurse is talking about, that color seems familiar to me... I just quite can't put my hoof to it... "Alright well, take it easy son", she walks off after writing some things down, before she fully walks out she looks back at me, "By the way, I never got your name." I nod, "My name's Light Rain ma'am" She nods, writes it down on the clipboard, and continues walking out, leaving me with the blue pegasus. "Uhm, uheh, sorry for the crash landing there, I'm Rainbow Dash, future flier of the Wonderbolts", she says as she talks to me with a smile. The moment she said "Rainbow Dash", my memory came back in a flash, The Future, Aron... Hope.... Sonic Rainboom..... my MISSION..... "Uhm, well nice to meet you, I'm Light Rain", I reply back, smiling as well. "Pfft, well duh, don't think I heard you tell the nurse? But oh well, sometimes my awesomeness makes people lose focus a bit, but I don't mind", she speaks proudly of herself with a bright smile. "Haha, fair enough", I can't help but chuckle at how cute she is of being so full of herself, its adorable watching and listening to. It's like seeing a young colt or filly come up to you, proudly speaking of how well they can count to ten, or say the alphabet, or do math, the moment that all you can do is just laugh and smile. She perks an eyebrow and looks at me. "So, are you new here to Ponyville?" I nod, "Yeah, how'd you know that?" She smiles and hops back onto a chair, "I didn't, you just told me." I frown and chuckle, she only laughs in response. "Well, do you have anywhere to stay?", she asks tilting her head. I think a little and shake my head. "Nope, got no bits either." She laughs and I frown again. "Really? How'd you get here with NO BITS?" I shake my head and chuckle a little, "Don't ask, its a LONG story..." She shrugs and sits back up against the chair. "Alright, you can tell me another time I guess then, can you still fly?" I get off of the bed and crack my neck, I nod at her and she nods back as she starts walking out to the front door. "Alright, just remember though, I fly fast, but I'll go a bit easy on you cause you're injured, okay?" I nod and she turns back around, she pivots and flies off in a matter of seconds, the only thing I catch onto her is a large rainbow trail coming from behind her. "SHE CALLS THAT BEING EASY!?!", I stand there with my mouth agape and take a running start. I run forwards and leap as my wings start flapping and soar, I increase my flaps irritatingly as I fly after her, upwards into the clouds and beyond. //-------------------------------------------------------// CHAPTER 3: 1st day in a new time //-------------------------------------------------------// CHAPTER 3: 1st day in a new time After awhile of intense and tiring flying, I watch as Rainbow lands at a home among the clouds, betting it was hers I flew and land onto the doorstep, breathing heavily, "Geez... Take it easy would ya Rainbow?" She only laughs in response as she opens the door, revealing her fairly large home. I look around at the home with my mouth agape, stunned by the beauty of her home. She nudges my shoulder and walks upwards to the stairs, where I simply comply and follow. Reaching the top I see a bed and a large window, revealing the beauty of Ponyville all around. I look at the time, revealing it to be at least 8:30 as the sun slowly sets. I turn around hearing Rainbow yawn and she hops onto her bed, covering herself in her covers and snoring quietly. I frown and walk up to her, poking her gently. She looks at me with a perked eyebrow and an annoyed face, "What do you want! Just cause you're the new stallion in town, doesn't mean I'll ALWAYS be nice to you you know." I look at her bed, "Well, where do I sleep then?" She sits up, blushing brightly and looking at me with a rather large grit of her teeth and frown. "W-what!?! N-no!?! W-w-what g-gives you the thought of sleeping up here w-with m-me!?!" I try and stifle my laughter as I fall to the ground, laughing at her reaction. She replies by throwing one of her pillows at me, which hits me in the face as I fall onto my back. "You sleep on the floor you idiot! Geez! I just met you, don't get any ideas!" I smile and laugh as I lie on the pillow and slowly drone out to sleep... Closing my eyes slowly and taking deep breaths... Hearing Rainbow snore loudly behind me... ******************************************************************************************** I wake up to the sound of an alarm beeping and the bright shine of the sun in my face from the window. I sit up to see Rainbow walking out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and wet from an early morning shower, I blush brightly and look away, tightly closing my eyes as I stare out of the window at the sun. "Up already? I expect you to be at least still half asleep from the hit yesterday". She laughs as she dries herself off and turns off the alarm, "If you need anything, maybe you should come downstairs and get something to eat while I make my bed." I nod and stretch out my legs as I walk downstairs. I walk up to the sink and wash my face, feeling the cold water upon it. I dry myself and go to the refrigerator, finding a bunch of unused ingredients of eggs, cheese and many other foodstuffs. After about a few minutes of grabbing a bunch of eggs and cheese, and using the stove, I was able to cook a beautiful omelet and place it onto the plate on the table. "Alright so there's mine... Time to make one for rainbow..." I turn back to the stove and start to cook another omelet, I turn around with the pan to see and hear Rainbow chewing and eating on my prized treasure. "Noooooooo!", I frown and leave the pan on the table as I look at the remains of my beautiful creation. She giggles as she swallows the omelet, letting her cheeks go back to normal. "Oh don't whine, the one on the table seemed to look better then the one you were making, so I decided it was for me, thank you." She smiles brightly and pats my head, I just remain silent and keep my frown, I had to resist the urge to smile though, the way she smiled and she ate the omelet, with her cheeks all puffed and stuffed with the meal, it simply made my day. I smiled and chuckled as she walks off. I then sigh and place the omelet intended for Rainbow onto the plate and start to eat it as she comes up from behind me, seeing the omelet on the plate with a bright and adorable smile. "May I have some of that?" I frown and look at her with a bit of an annoyed look, she simply responds with a different tactic, making the most cutest puppy eyes I've ever seen. "D'AAAAW", the only words running through my head right now, watching her make puppy eyes and pout cutely. I roll my eyes and slice off half of the omelet, pushing the plate to her. "Here, take half." She happily giggles and takes it off of the plate with her mouth, eating it cutely as well. I just chuckle as she happily trots off to her room upstairs, obviously satisfied with her breakfast. I simply finish off the rest of the omelet and place it into the sink, washing it politely. After I put up the dish, I hear a door open and close quickly behind me, now with a note on the door. "Off to weather duties and to buy some food, hang around the house or explore Ponyville to pass the time if you're bored, Meet you at Sugar Cube Corner at 5 p.m. sharp for lunch." I shrug and check the time, 8 in the morning, huh. I walk out of the house and fly down to the town below, remembering a short phrase. "Meet you at Sugar Cube Corner at 5 p.m. SHARP." I simply stand there with my mouth agape. "Wait a sec, did I just get asked out?" //-------------------------------------------------------// Archive Zero: Prologue //-------------------------------------------------------// Archive Zero: Prologue My... My name is Light... Light Rain.... I... I remember a world where times were green... colorful... luscious of beauty... It was like those horror movies I saw in the archives... The Scientists caused it... saying it was the cure for "ANY AND ALL" diseases and illnesses... Heheh... what a prestigious group they were... so independent and so deep in believing the serum would work... That was... until they saw the answer on ponies... What fools... thinking us and the Test Animals have the same technical DNA.... what fools they were... My parents were the first subjects to become bucking mutants... how am I still alive... Heheh... cruel irony... buck my life... if my parents didn't make it... why me... Well... I guess that wraps up the little intro about myself... other than the fact I am with a little ragtag team of rebels in the slums of Manehattan... We're the "Subsiders", not only do we fight the government that defended themselves during the outbreak.... but we are also on the brink of creating a time machine... something to change the future... We found some blueprints in the old archives that could be proved useful... Something to change this ominous future from happening... we got help from a defected scientist... Someone by the name of Docter Whooves I believe... We are currently on our way to rendezvous with him right now as I speak... END PROLOGUE