Stumbling through Time

"Time Turner, are you sure? You haven't even finished repairing the damage..."

"Yes, Golden! I am bloody well sure!"

"but-"

"No buts!" He snaps at the court jester, Golden Laughter. "I'm going, I have to, the fate of-"

"Yeah, yeah, the very fate of the time stream may depend on it. You've told me before, but you haven't ever actually explained it." She leans toward him, her blue-violet and golden curls bouncing wildly. "So, buddy, if you're leaving while your gizmo is still all broken, I want to know why!"

"Gold, please." He pleads, absentmindedly fiddling with his shirt collar.

"I haaaaave to know. I simply must know why my best friend if going forward in time in a broken magic doohikey, and never coming back."

Time Turner sighs, fighting back tears. "You simply had to play the best friend card didn't you?"

"Yes. You were being uncooperative, so I had to remind you why exactly you should tell me. Now, tell me."

"You wouldn't get it, Gold."

"I do not care. Tell me."

Time Turner sighs, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. I have to go because I know too much, and I'm afraid I don't have enough self control."

"... Huh?"

"I told you that you wouldn't understand."

"I have to go, Golden." he turns, opening the bronze-plated door behind him.

"Time Turner! Please don't!" She grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around, with tears streaking down her cheeks. "Please..." She pleads.

He shakes his head, fighting tears again. "I have to. I must..." He steps into his invention.

"I'll miss you Time." Gold says quietly to his back.

"I'll miss you too." He chokes out, tears finally slipping out as the door closes and the hourglass vanishes with a ripple of magic.

Ditzy Doo Hooves is awoken by a loud crashing in her backyard in the middle of the night. Slowly she trudged to see what looked like a wreck in her yard. Some big metal thing that is hourglass shaped is crumpled, laying on it's side, and smoking badly.

"T-time T-Turner?" She stutters running to the wreckage, and prying open the door on it. Inside a man wearing a long brown coat is laying against the wall in a very scary pool of blood.

"Oh, Celestia! Oh, Celestia! Oh Celestia!" She squeals, carefully pulling him inside. She gently sits the unconscious man on her couch and rushes out of the room and back with gauze bandages, which she starts wrapping around a large gash on his forehead.

"Wake up, Time Turner. Please..."

"Mommy? What was tha- Time Turner!" Dinky, Ditzy's daughter, runs over. "I guess the crashing was him?" She whispers, staring at him, her eyes filled with worry.

"Uh-huh."

"Mommy, he's hurt."

"Uh-huh..."

"Mommy, he needs to go to the hospital."

"I know. Go wake your sister."

"I'm already up Mom. Go, I'll watch Dinky." Her elder daughter Sparkler says from the doorway.

"Thanks a bunch!" She picks him up and flies out the door and as quickly and straight as possible to the hospital.

Time Turner's blue eyes flutter open groggily to see a speckled white ceiling. He groans, closing them again, shifting slightly under the white sheets.

"Time turner! Oh my Celestia, you're alive!" Ditzy shouts practically jumping to her feet.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Bloody Hell... Who are you?"

Ditzy smiles slightly. "Oh, I see. You haven't met me yet."

"Huh? Ow. Sound hurts." He hisses quietly. "As does light. Where am I?"

"The hospital. You have a concussion and a laceration across your forehead. The doc think you must of banged your head on something with a sharp, hard edge. He stitched up your forehead and you should recover from the concussion just fine if you get plenty of rest. You may suffer something like sensitivity to light and sound, memory loss, headaches, fa-"

"You don't need to quote off all the symptoms of a concussion that the doctor told you. I know what a concussion is."

"Oh. Sorry. Anyway, everyone here thinks you should know me since y-" The door opens and Ditzy falls silent. "Has he stirred at all, Ms. Hooves?"

"Actually, I am awake right now, and more than a little confused."

"Oh? Good to hear that you are awake Mr. Turner. Now, how are you confused?"

"I can sum it up in two words that are a symptom of concussion. Memory Loss."

"Ah. How much do you remember?"

"... I remember that my name is Time Turner. That's about all I've got."

"... That's slightly troubling, though not unheard of. Your memory should come back as you heal."

"Oh. You don't remember anything at all?" Ditzy asks.

"Nothing. Completely blank."

"Oh..."

"Don't worry, Ms. Hooves. His memory will return, I assure you."

"Alrighty, Doc." She chirps.

"Time Turner, I know you lied to the doctor. You remember that you're a time traveler because I met future you in the past, and you told me about losing your memory." Ditzy says to the squinting Time Turner that she's tugging behind her by his hand as they get to her house.

"I suppose that explains your comment about me not having met you, yet." He says dryly, slowly sitting on the couch.

"Losing your memory means you don't even have to pretend to have a clue who I am, at least."

"Way to look on the bright side." He sighs sarcastically.

"Stop being such a Debbie-downer. I have to go to work, but my eldest daughter Sparkler can watch after you."

"I'm a grown man. I don't need babysat."

"You're a grown man with no memory and a brain injury. Yes, you do. I'll go get her."

A few moments later, a girl, who looks about 10 years old with purple hair and a pink dress walks in. "Hi Time Turner."

"Hello... Sparkler?" He says uncertainly, staring at her.

"Yeah. Mom says you have a concussion."

"That's true."

"What's that like?"

"Painful." He says dryly, trying not to think about his pounding head.

"Your forehead was cut too."

"So I've been told, and the bandages currently wrapped around my head support that fact."

"You were bleeding a lot before mom got you to the hospital."

"Head injuries tend to do that."

"Oh. I don't get medical stuff. What are you supposed to do if you have a concussion?"

"Rest. Not do anything to agitate it."

"Oh. I should leave you alone then... I'll go check on Dinky." She walks out of the room and he closes his eyes, lays back on the couch and falls asleep almost immediately.

"Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime Tuuuuurneeer.Wakey Wakey. It's Lunch time."

"Dinky, leave him alone. He needs to rest."

"but-"

"No buts."

"I'm awake. Kind of." Time Turner mumbles almost incoherently

"Oh. Sorry if Dinky woke you."

"It's fine. I'm still knackered, but I am a wee bit peckish, so lunch sound good."  He pushes himself to sitting. "So, what is for lunch?"

"Nothing special. Just grilled cheese sandwiches. It's about all I can make." Sparkler smiles awkwardly and steps out of the room.

"Time Turner, do you really not remember anything?" The younger girl, Dinky, who looks an awful lot like ditzy asks.

"Nothing at all."

"Oh, I guess that's not a super big deal though, because you eventually go back in time so we can meet you, right?"

"Blast! You know that too? Do all of you?"

"Uh-huh. You were around for the first two years of my life. It's only been 2 years. I haven't forgotten you."

Tentatively he asks "Where's your dad?".

"Dead. He was part of the navy and he died out there. That's what mommy says."

He blinks, startled by the young girls bluntness. "I-I'm very sorry."

"Don't be. I never knew him. You were the one who was around."

"Umm..."

"Grilled cheese is all done!" Sparkler caries in a plate with a sandwich on it and hands it to Time Turner. "There you go!" She pauses for a moment, looking between Dinky and Time Turner. "Oh, Celestia. What did you say, Dinky?"

"Nothing..." Dinky smiles awkwardly.

Sparkler huffs. "I'm sorry if she made you feel awkward in any way, Time Turner."

"It's fine, really."

"What'd she say?"

"Doesn't matter."

"... Alright..."

"Let's eat, eh?"

Hours later Time Turner awakes to see a girl with blue hair and eyes, but otherwise looks surprisingly similar to Ditzy looking down at him.

"Hello Time Turner. It's sure been a while, hasn't it?"

He sits up, rubbing at his eyes. "I... know you? Sure,you do look remarkably like Ditzy, which would indicate that the two of you are most likely related in someway, but in all honesty, I haven't the foggiest who you are."

"Riiiight. I forgot about the amnesia bit. I'm Raindrops. We met the last time you crashed into Ditzy's backyard. As for us looking similar, you guessed correctly. I'm her sister."

"Sister. That makes sense. Wait-" He pause, his brow furrowing. "Are you telling me this isn't the only time I've crashed into Ditzy's backyard? I have already been informed as to the fact that Ditzy apparently met me in the past, while I had already known her, but I crashed then as well? Blast. There must be something wrong with the landing gears. For the life of me, I can't remember what could have damaged them, but-" Raindrops put her hand over his mouth.

"Please don't try to explain something you can't remember. You'll only hurt your head, and mine."

He smiles awkwardly. "I do suppose you have a point."

"Of course I do, Timey-boy. I'm the one with a fully functioning brain right now."

"Just shut up."