Timekeeper

by Zaphod

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6
Length: 17482

Twilight is tasked with testing a device that helps a pony find his or her soul mate.

Love is a tricky business. Twilight knows this, and the subject has always fascinated her ever since she saw its raw power at her brother's wedding. She is fully prepared to study it in depth... some day. But when Cadance asks her to take part in an experiment that could revolutionize love in Equestria, Twilight realizes that day has come sooner than expected.

If you had a clock that could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?

Cover art courtesy of Jondor. Go on his page and tell him he's awesome!

Published 2014-11-13 20:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2017-01-30 23:44:11 UTC

Chapter 1

Princess Cadance stretched her wings wide as the door to her throne room thudded shut once more. The Crystal Court was interesting, sure, and she was proud to serve her nation wholeheartedly, but it had the unfortunate side effect of being a very passive event. Hours upon hours of listening to bureaucrats and entrepreneurs talk her ears off always left an uncomfortable crick in her spine, and she itched for a flight to just get some fresh air. She spied the sun hanging low in the sky outside, a clear indication of just how long she had endured sitting on that blasted throne.

Cadance gave a wistful sigh, knowing that this week was going to be a long one for the Court. It was to be expected, of course, after the announcement she had made to her people a scant few days ago. The thunderous applause and intrigued faces of the crowd had elevated her spirits at the time, but she should have known that it would be a long and arduous process before her creation could be provided to the public. There would have to be testing, ethics committees, council meetings, and no doubt several long-winded rants from stuffy idealists before any steps could be made toward production.

“Still,” she said to herself as she idly preened a couple of feathers that had become misplaced as she sat. “I have a chance to revolutionize Equestria. To think of all the good that could be done for the ponies of this land… It’s well worth the headache getting there. Someday, I’ll be able to introduce everypony to–”

The door swung halfway open as one of her crystal guards entered. The pegasus saluted. “Apologies for bothering Your Highness during your daily monologue, but Princess Twilight Sparkle is here for your appointment.”

Cadance straightened herself, glancing regally at the guard. “Thank you, Private Cuttjoff. Please send her in at once. Then, head down to Research and Development and inform them that we shall be arriving within the hour. Also, if it’s not too much trouble, could you stop by the barracks and–”

“Alert the prince of your meeting with Princess Twilight?” He saluted once more as the princess nodded the affirmative. “Of course, Your Highness.”

As he left the doorway, Cadance relaxed her pose and smiled to herself. If anyone would be willing to help pursue her project, it would be her sister-in-law. Cadance knew for a fact that Twilight’s predilection for learning about new things was undoubtedly matched only by her love of her studies in friendship.

It was the latter point in particular that convinced her that Twilight would be cooperative.

“Cadance!” Twilight Sparkle’s cheerful voice rang out from across the room as she pushed the hefty stone door swung shut behind her. Cadance stood, glad to give her rump and back a bit of reprieve from the seat. She kept telling herself that she would get more comfortable cushions one of these days, but there were more important matters to tend to right now.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!” The duo went through the well-rehearsed greeting step by step. “Clap your hooves and do a little sha–whoa!” Twilight gasped as Cadance changed up their formula with a quick twirl. She let out a giggle as she wobbled a bit on her hooves.

Cadance stifled a giggle with a hoof. “Sorry. Sometimes you just get the urge to be a little spontaneous, you know?” She held out a leg to steady the other mare before she toppled over.

Twilight shook her head to clear it as her vision returned. “We’ve been doing that same dance for fifteen years! Who are you and what have you done with Cadance?” Her hearty laughing was stopped abruptly. “Wait…”

A feathered limb flicked her in the back of the head before her theory could go any further. “I’m going to stop you right there before you start looking for my doppelganger in the castle dungeons.” They shared another laugh at the absurd situation. “Besides,” Cadance continued, “I think you’ll enjoy what I’ve been working on even mo–”

She stopped dead in her tracks as a low growl echoed through the high ceiling of the room. Cadance scoffed, "You know, this is at least the third time I've been interrupted. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something."

"Yeah, or maybe it's your stomach." Twilight gave the pink belly a cautionary poke. "When's the last time you ate, string bean?"

"Hey, you're one to talk!" Cadence rolled her eyes. Twilight stuck her tongue out; there was no use arguing, after all. It was true that she herself hadn't had a bite to eat since before she hopped on the train to the Crystal Empire. "What do you say to some daisy sandwiches? I've instructed our chef to make them just how you like."

"Four flowers, no crust, cut diagonally, toasted for precisely 40 seconds, and with a dab of honey mustard on top?"

“But of course. What, you thought I forgot your favourite lunch as a filly? Puh-lease.” Cadance laughed and beckoned Twilight to follow as they left the grand throne room. “I had it down by the end of the first week.”

Twilight folded her ears back with an embarrassed chuckle. “Come on, I didn’t have them that often,” she said.

Cadance said nothing but whistled innocently as they trotted down the hall.

Twilight felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. That was never a good sign. “Cadance?”

The tuneless whistle carried on, its musician maintaining her course wordlessly. They rounded a corner down another carpeted hallway. Two pegasus guards further down the hall noticed their approach and saluted the princesses as they passed. Twilight gave a wave of acknowledgement in return.

“Come on Cadance,” she whispered pleadingly as they passed through another tall archway on their journey to the kitchens. “Please tell me I wasn’t that bad.”

“Three words, Twilight,” Cadance replied, not bothering to lower her voice in the slightest or to hide the mirth from her curling lips. “Bulk order daisies.”

Two distinctly stallion-sounding snorts came from behind them, and Twilight whipped her head around. The guards remained as still as always, the perfect picture of professionalism, and she let out a huff of annoyance as her cheeks lit up. She trotted up to Cadance’s side once more, pointedly ignoring the resumed snickers.

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Cadance said as she bumped Twilight’s flank. “I think I owe you some teasing after I had to spend a week as ‘Princess Crystal Blueberry’ after my shower water somehow got mixed up with the royal blue mane dye!”

“How awful!” Twilight cried in mock horror, putting a noble air in her tone. “What miscreant would dare to defile the royal shower? Why, I’ll bet it was that ruffian Rainbow Dash. Her inborn pegasi magic must have been put to nefarious purpose!” She stuck her nose in the air indignantly.

“It’s a mystery, all right.” Cadance threw a deadpan glance toward her guest. “I even had this crazy notion that it took a unicorn’s magic touch. Perhaps even a joint effort! Crazy, right?”

"Eh heh heh." Twilight gulped. "Yep, that's crazy alright. Crazy, crazy, crazy! Hahaha, oh look, the kitchen! I'm starving, race ya there!" She bolted ahead of the other princess, dashing through the doors and instantly falling victim to the delicious, wafting odour of her favourite sandwich. She wasted no time in levitating the nearest sandwich to her waiting hooves, taking a voracious bite. Whether her taste buds hadn't evolved or daisies were simply Celestia's gift to palates, Twilight didn't know nor did she care. All that mattered at that time was the fluffy, tangy taste blossoming in her mouth, putting to rest her own grumbling tummy.

"Same old Twilight Sparkle. You may have grown up, but your appetite sure didn’t." Cadence chuckled as she made her way to the counter and took her own seat.

"Tho," Twilight sputtered before giving a mighty swallow to clear her mouth. "Care to tell me about this special project you've been working on? From your letter, you made it sound downright revolutionary. Have you been working on it long? What are the research teams like? Do they–"

"Patience, Twilight," Cadance said as she laid a hoof on Twilight's own. "All in due time. For now, I'd much rather hear about how you and your friends have been doing."

"Oh. Uh, well, they're all doing fine. Fall is right around the corner, so I know Applejack’s getting ready for applebuck season." Twilight took a much more manageable second bite of her lunch. "I meant to ask, but you're not still mad at Rainbow for that prank, are you? I mean, it was just as much my fault as hers and I don't want her to be the sole blame. I think she might be nervous of coming back here in case you toss her in the dungeons."

Cadance waved a hoof reassuringly, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "I got over it ages ago. In fact, some of the crystal ponies dyed their own manes out of some twisted form of respect. I rather enjoyed the additional attention, even with the nicknames. Besides, we don't even use the dungeons in the castle." She paused. "Much."

Not sure I like the sound of that… Twilight thought as she swallowed another bite. “Much?”

“Well, once a month Shining and I get the fancy saddles and riding crops, we go down to the dungeons and–”

“Nope, nope!” Twilight threw her sandwich at Cadance, pressing her hooves tight to her ears. “Nope, I didn’t hear that, nope! Not getting those images in my brain, absolutely not!”

“Not getting what images?” As if by some cruel prank by Celestia, Shining Armor chose that moment to enter the kitchen, levitating his own half-eaten granola bar. Oh no, now she was imagining him with a well-worn whip made of gooey, malleable granola, lashing it back before... argh!

He leaned in to give Cadance a peck on the lips, casually picking a stray daisy petal off of her nose. “Hello, honey. What did I miss?”

“Not much, dear,” Cadance chuckled as she glanced at Twilight. The purple princess had chosen this moment to regally hide beneath the counter, shuddering and gibbering incoherently. “Twilight’s just learned that you don’t mess with the Crystal Princess.”

After much coaxing and some lighthearted, girlish giggling at the expense of the perplexed stallion, Twilight rejoined her family at the table to finish the last remnants of their lunch. Shining explained that he had just come from an exercise session, training with the royal guards of the Empire. Twilight vehemently berated her mind before it could dwell any longer on that thought, distracting herself with another bite.

"Jeez, Twily, you must have been starving to eat all of those. What, don't they feed princesses on the trains these days?"

"I wasn't really that hungry at the time," she admitted. "I spent the trip preparing notes about the Crystal Heart after you mentioned it in your letter. I checked out every iota of useful information!"

"I'm glad you're so excited," Cadance said as she sipped the last of her tea. "And I think the wait was probably torture enough for today. Shall we go, Shiny?"

He nodded and the group stood to leave. Twilight thanked the ponies working in the back of the kitchen before they headed out and down a nearby staircase. Obviously, the Research and Development lab must have resided somewhere secure and underground. Shining turned to face them as he led the way, saying, "You're going to love it, Twilight. We have the brightest minds in the Empire working on Cadance's project, and I'm sure they would love to show a scholar like you exactly what's going on."

"I certainly hope it's worth the wait!" Twilight said, practically bouncing her way toward the steel door ahead of them. "I feel positively bubbly right now! I think Pinkie Pie might be rubbing off on me a bit.”

As they neared the door, Shining’s horn lit up. He fired a series of quick bursts of magic, hitting the door in specific spots that seemed random to Twilight. Sure enough, after he finished his barrage, a green light lit above the steel door and it slid open with a dramatic whoosh after a few seconds. Twilight gasped as they passed into the expansive area. The entire room glowed brilliantly as light bounced off the walls, refracted by the large crystals embedded throughout the room. The lab was populated by fewer than two dozen crystal ponies, all dressed in the same lab coats and goggles, but the equipment spread from wall to wall. Beakers, hot plates, monitors, and so many more instruments dotted each of the tables across the room. In the very center sat a glass cylinder protecting the magnificent Crystal Heart gem, and this was also where the bulk of the scientists were gathered. A lab assistant noticed their entry and made his way over to the group. He raised his goggles, letting them rest in the crest of his mane.

"Welcome, Your Highnesses. We ask that you kindly put on the proper attire before we begin our demonstration," he said as he pointed to a nearby receptacle of coats and goggles. "The lab coat is enchanted and will protect you from any and all magical outbursts that may occur in this room. It's reinforced with state of the art protection spells and woven from minotaur hair."

"I see." Twilight did as she was told and slipped the coat over her back. She grabbed a pair of fluorescent yellow goggles. "And what do the goggles do?"

The assistant grinned. "They complete the nerdy scientist look, you know? We have an image to keep up, after all." The group gave a hearty laugh at that. They all snapped their goggles into place and made their way to a nearby desk.

Twilight glanced toward the center of the room where the Crystal Heart lay suspended on its pedestal. "So why is the heart here? Shouldn't it be, you know," she said as she gestured above them, "up in the city like normal?"

"We've had to relocate the heart after a few vandals tried to make off with it in the dead of night," Shining explained with a frown. "We put it in the city during festivals and events, but otherwise it's down here in the lab."

"Which works out well for our research teams, as a matter of fact. With the Crystal Heart down here constantly, we've been able to study its inherent magical signature.” Cadance gestured toward the glass cylinder. “Imagine the secrets it holds, Twilight, and the secrets we've already managed to uncover!"

Twilight noted that her tone was proud, but not quite arrogant. She leaned on the desk, trying to get a closer look as to what the gaggle of ponies at the main table were fawning over.

Cadance cleared her throat. "Excuse me, doctors. Is the presentation ready?"

An older mare hissed a few more commands at her colleagues before she separated and she made her way toward the newcomers. She carried herself well, with an auburn brown mane tied into a tight bun and a coat that Twilight would call a warm foamy vanilla. She stood confidently as she approached. "Good afternoon, Your Highnesses. We’re thrilled you were able to join us to learn about the project."

"I'm Twilight Sparkle. Or, well... I guess it's Princess Twilight now. Or Princess Sparkle. But really, please just call me Twilight." She stood there silently before thrusting a hoof forward. "I'd love to hear about your work, Doctor...?"

"Juniper Culpepper. Call me Dr. Pepper," she answered, shaking Twilight's outstretched hoof. Her shake felt firm, but almost calming. "Celestia knows that the rest of these knuckleheads are more than happy to do so."

“We’re ready when you are, Doc,” said the same stallion who had greeted them at the door.

“Right, then.” Dr. Pepper stepped toward the center table, beckoning the rest of the group to follow. “Let me start with a simple question, Twilight. Do you know who created the Crystal Heart?”

“It was Starswirl the Bearded, the esteemed unicorn magician,” Twilight answered confidently. “He created the Crystal Heart not long after the unification of the three pony tribes.”

“That’s correct.” The doctor sat back on her haunches, straightening up and clearing her throat audibly. It was a pose Twilight recognized from her many classes as a filly, and one that she had dubbed ‘lecture mode’. “Shortly after the founding of Equestria and the unification of the tribes, Clover the Clever had returned to the unicorn homeland to share stories of her adventures with Starswirl. He took a particular interest in what she described as ‘the fire of friendship’, which had ignited and warmed the hearts of the tribe leaders enough to put aside their differences and come together in harmony.”

Twilight had raised her hoof, patiently waiting for a break in the tale. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt, but doesn’t that assume that the Hearth’s Warming Eve story is true?”

“Spot on, Twilight,” Dr. Pepper said. “The solid fact is that Starswirl created the Crystal Heart after visiting the cave that Clover had mentioned, but whether the fire of friendship had actually occurred is a question for another day. For the sake of the story, we will assume that the traditional tale is true.”

She began trotting around the room, glancing occasionally at the scattered experiments on each table. “Much like all of us, Starswirl was devoted to bettering the lives of his fellow ponies. When he and a small team of researchers reached the cave that Clover had mentioned, they set up a basic laboratory and began their research. Day and night, they toiled over energy readings and equations... until one day, they had a breakthrough. The Crystal Heart was a result of that: an artifact that harnessed the latent but powerful magic of the area into tangible form.”

“And I’m sure you remember what happened with King Sombra,” Cadance chimed in. “When he took the heart and hid it away, he robbed the Empire of its inherent magic.”

Twilight nodded thoughtfully. She noticed the team of scientists shifting uncomfortably; clearly, they were still disturbed by the memory of the tyrant king. “But all of that’s in the past. We saved the Crystal Empire and returned its magic to everypony!”

“Yes,” the doctor replied with a smile and a thankful hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “And it’s thanks to you and your friends that we are able to continue our research today. That’s why we’re eager to share our discovery with you. Think of it as thanks for everything you’ve done for us.”

“O-oh, really, it was nothing.” Twilight waved her off with an embarrassed blush. “We did what anypony would have done.”

“Modest to a fault. That’s my Twily, all right.” Shining ruffled her mane playfully.

Dr. Pepper grinned before stepping over to the center table. She grabbed an edge of a cloth laid over the experiments. “Quite. In any case, are you ready?”

“Oh, yes!” Twilight nodded vigorously, leaning close to the table. An anxious silence fell over the lab, disrupted only by the occasional beeps and whirrings of nearby machinery. Her eyes remained glued to the cloth as the doctor quickly whipped it out of the way, revealing…

“It’s…” she began before stopping herself. Before her on the table lay an identical set of metal devices, devoid of colour and lacking the small noises emitted by the rest of the lab. Each one was so small, much smaller than she was expecting, and there was nothing entirely remarkable about them other than what appeared to be two small indentations on either end of the device. In fact, the best she could come up with at a glance was, “It looks like just a metal hair clip.”

A small spattering of laughter came from the rest of the team. Dr. Pepper hushed them quickly before turning back to the curious princess. “Its appearance may be simple Twilight, but I can assure you that they’re so much more than that. Here,” she said as she gingerly lifted one of the devices, flipping it over. “Take a look.”

On the other side, Twilight noticed it had a plastic screen covering what looked like a tiny clock display. “It kind of reminds me of a digital clock. Only… not quite the same.” Whereas Twilight had seen a hoofful of digital clocks in Time Turner’s shop in Ponyville, this device was different. “Where the time of day would usually be displayed, it just has a series of zeroes and letters on the clock face. There’s no indication of morning or afternoon. You wouldn’t be able to tell the the time with this, which leads me to believe that this is not a clock at all.”

“Very astute.” Dr. Pepper passed the one she held carefully to Cadance and Shining Armor, and lifted another from the table into Twilight’s hooves. “There’s a reason I brought up the Crystal Heart when you first arrived. You see, back when you and the other bearers of the Elements found the heart and restored it to its proper place in the Crystal Empire, you sort of… activated it, you could say.”

“I remember,” Twilight murmured, turning the device over in her hooves a few more times. “When the heart was returned and the crystal ponies focused their love on it, I felt a wave of energy wash over me; it was like going under a waterfall, only without getting wet. And I saw the energy destroy Sombra and cast that rainbow of lights into the sky!”

“Well, it turns out that wave of energy wasn’t the only one.” The doctor gazed upon the Crystal Heart in the middle of the glass tube. “Every day since then, we’ve witnessed the heart giving off energy spikes. By moving it down here, we thought it might stop affecting the crystal ponies up on the surface, but no dice. Sometimes the waves are powerful, and sometimes they’re weaker, but we’ve noticed a consistent trend in how it affects ponies.”

Twilight looked up at that. “If the heart is affecting ponies, then does this device counteract whatever happens? I mean, I understand that we can’t have the heart causing daily problems for the crystal ponies.”

“Not exactly. In fact,” Dr. Pepper said as a smile made its way back onto her face, “perhaps you can see for yourself. Take a look at the Crystal Heart.”

Twilight turned her head, following the gaze of every other pony in the room. The Crystal Heart had begun to glow, and the machine attached to it hummed louder than it had been moments ago. She hoped it wasn't overheating, though nobody in the room seemed particularly worried about what was going on. Before she could ponder this further, the heart flashed a brilliant blue and a familiar wave of energy pulsed outward from the gem. Twilight flinched instinctively, but as the magic washed over her fur, tickled her wings, and passed across everyone else in the room, she couldn't help but feel a sense of... euphoria. It wasn't a lethargic bliss, but more of a tickly giddiness that spread from her ears down to her hooves. "Wow. I feel... good."

"That, my dear princess, was a wave of pure positive energy. It triggers some of the body's pleasure sensors and, in every case we've observed, leaves the targets in a better mood overall. Plus," she said with a wink, "it's done wonders for morale around here." Dr. Pepper and the rest of her team seemed to have felt something similar to herself, as they all sported giddy grins, faces awash with elation, and one was even performing an impromptu dance by herself. Shining Armor and Cadance held each other close, whispering sweet nothings and trading breathy kisses. Twilight would normally have stuck her tongue out in mock disgust at the mushy display, but she was too excited about the device to care.

"You see, the Crystal Heart doesn't just boost feelings of happiness, Twilight. It amplifies feelings of love in ponies, much like our Princess Cadance can with her magic." Dr. Pepper took the device back from Twilight and placed it on the table with the display facing up. "And we believe we've found a way to harness those feelings into these devices that we like to call timekeepers."

"I still don't understand the importance for the timer. What’s it counting down to?"

"That's the beauty of it, my dear. We've spent months fine tuning and modifying the frequency that the timekeepers run on, and we believe that our research has paid off. These devices, when attached to a pony's forehoof, will calibrate and begin a countdown to a very important moment."

Twilight was taken aback. "It calibrates itself? What, to that specific pony who's wearing it?"

"Exactly," the doctor affirmed with a nod. "It will determine the moment in time that the pony will meet his or her soul mate."

“Soul mate?” Twilight repeated with a giggle. “What, like in a fairy tale? Your one true love? Maybe you should have called my friend Rarity up here instead. She’d go nuts over something like this.”

“I know it may sound a little farfetched, Twilight.” Cadance approached her side, still smiling warmly from the effects of the magic. “But the research team here has been working on this for a very long time and this is a huge breakthrough for them. I wouldn’t have called you here if I didn’t think it was important.”

Twilight blushed as she realized what she had said. “I’m sorry, Dr. Pepper. I didn’t mean how that came out. I wasn’t making fun of your work.”

“Oh, think nothing of it, Your Highness. If I didn’t have thick enough skin for a little skepticism, then working with this team would have driven me bananas ages ago!”

“But… why me, anyway?”

“Well, in truth, we were actually hoping that you would help us test them.”

A pause. “W-what?!”

“It’s perfectly safe, I assure you, Twilight,” Dr. Pepper said quickly. “I personally guarantee that absolutely no physical harm will come to you if you do choose to participate.”

“But- I don’t- Why me?!” Twilight blurted out. “Why not Cadance, or Shining, or anyone else? Surely there would be better candidates for this!”

Shining Armor chuckled. “Nice try, Twily, but we’ve already tried doing it with ourselves. Doesn’t quite work with us. Watch.” He and Cadance each levitated a timekeeper from the table, extended a foreleg, and pressed the device near their fetlocks. Twilight heard a muffled click as the latches held tight to their forelegs.

“You see, Twilight, even connecting the device to yourself is without pain,” Dr. Pepper pointed out. “When the timekeeper registers a connection with a pony, it will begin a calibration phase. It’s during this time that it will tap into the user’s magical signature by using the unique energy given off by the Crystal Heart.”

As if on cue, the screens on both Shining and Cadance’s timekeepers lit up and began flickering through numbers. Cadance sat beside Twilight to give her a better view. “This step usually takes a minute or two.” They both watched as the numbers stopped flicking around randomly and began spinning down. Before Twilight could blink, 1300 days had plummeted to 700, and the number just kept falling. As it rocketed through the final days, Twilight wasn’t sure whether she expected it to stop or to somehow fizz out. The timer struck zero across the display and emitted a triple beep, which it repeated every few seconds. A few feet away, she heard the same beeps coming from Shining’s timekeeper, signalling that his had reached the limit too.

“As you can see,” the doctor cut in, “the counter will drop to zero if the pony using it has already met their soul mate at some point in time. After all, if they’ve already met, then there isn’t much point in counting down to a first meeting.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Twilight admitted, “but then what’s the point of the timekeeper in those cases? If, like Cadance and Shining, the pony has already met their soul mate, then there would be no point to wear it at all.”

“An excellent observation. You know, I could really use somepony so perceptive on my team!” She winked at Twilight. “You’re absolutely right. A device that counts down to first meeting your soul mate would be useless for somepony who has already met their own without knowing so. It was a huge problem for us early on, after we discovered the primary function. How could we help as many ponies as possible if the timekeepers could only affect a specific demographic, and even then were limited in scope?”

“And that’s when I thought of you, Twilight,” Cadance said with a smile.

“Me?”

“I’m sure it’s no surprise to you now that Cadance and I were friends long before we started dating, Twily,” Shining chimed in over the sounds of his device. “Although I always had a feeling that you knew what we were up to back then. You always were a sharp little filly.”

Cadance continued, “It got me thinking about your studies in the magic of friendship in Ponyville. The love we share between friends isn’t all that unlike the love we share as partners, after all. Shining is - and has always been - my best friend in life. So I came to the lab one day to share my thoughts with the research team.”

“Together, we were able to come up with a brilliant solution!” Dr. Pepper exclaimed as she gestured toward the devices still attached to the two royals. “I’m sure by now that you’ve noticed that those marvelous little gadgets have stopped beeping.”

Twilight was suddenly and acutely aware of the silence left by the absence of the beeping. She quickly glanced at Cadance’s wrist again, face gleefully alight. “It’s counting down again!” she cried as she spotted the numbers once again sliding along the display.

Dr. Pepper gave a wistful smile, looking at the rest of her team proudly as they tended to other experiments. “It’s really quite remarkable that all those centuries ago, Starswirl lay the foundation of our research project almost entirely as he studied the cave where the fire of friendship had ignited. He infused the Crystal Heart with the traits of friendship, and now, more than a thousand years later, we are able to put his work to use for the good of ponykind.”

“Think of it this way, Twilight,” Cadance said as she wrapped a comforting wing over Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’d agree that two ponies who have just met for the first time wouldn’t already be falling head over heels in love with each other. The primary countdown is to incite this meeting between what we’ve been calling soul mates, but it doesn’t create love on its own. In that sense, I think of it as the first countdown being responsible for finding the friendship.”

Twilight mulled this over. It made sense, of course - Cadance’s plans usually did - and the timekeeper would then have a secondary function. “Then what you’re saying, and correct me if I’m way off the mark, is that there’s another countdown that will determine when the ponies actually fall in love?”

“Close, but you’re definitely on the right track. Like I said, the timekeeper can’t create love any more than my own spell can,” Cadance explained patiently. “But much like the way my spell works, it will work on feelings that are already there. Things that the target might not remember or fully realize yet.”

Twilight wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure I follow. Wouldn’t that be the same thing?”

“Well… yes and no.”

A sharp and familiar tone of three beeps sounded from both devices. The numbers had once again reached zero, flickering on and off the screen repeatedly. "So," Twilight said with a huff. "They didn't start a countdown because you two are already meant to be together."

“Thank Celestia for that,” Shining Armor said with a grin, leaning into Cadance's other side as he lifted his timekeeper off. "And believe me when I say that I wouldn't have it any other way."

“You charmer,” Cadance teased, jabbing him with a wing tip. She grabbed her timekeeper in her aura, removing it from her foreleg and levitating it back to the table. “We’re still putting the device through its paces. As you saw, the countdown doesn’t start for Shining and I.”

“We’re wary to test them on ourselves,” Dr. Pepper admitted. “The last thing we want at this point is to debase our project with personal bias from somepony on the team. Our end goal is to be able to offer the timekeepers to every Equestrian citizen, and there will be a long process between then and now.”

Twilight felt another hoof on her shoulder as Shining moved to sit on her left. With Cadance still to her right, a smile washed over her face at being surrounded by her family. “I’m glad you invited me here today. The timekeepers are fascinating; I can’t wait to see what Princess Celestia thinks about them! Ooh, and my friends will love to hear about it too!”

Cadance hesitated a moment, chewing her lip. “I’m glad you think so, Twilight, because we actually have a question to ask you.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Dr. Pepper stepped forward, holding another timekeeper in her hoof. She passed it to Twilight, who looked at it for a moment before looking up quizzically. “We would like you to test a timekeeper for yourself when you go back to Ponyville.”

“W-What?!”

Author's Note

And here we are again. There are a few things I should point out:

Firstly, a huge thanks to Cryosite and Timaeus for pre-reading for me. I couldn't do it without them.
Second, I'm not going to be posting the entire story in consecutive days as I have been previously. This story is going to be much longer than the oneshots and short stories you've come to expect from me. As such, updates are on a rolling schedule.
Lastly, and probably most important... Thank you all for reading. It really does mean a lot to me, and I'm hoping to spark some intelligent discussion as the story progresses.

Chapter 2

"Twily, take it easy."

"Easy?!" Twilight whipped around to stare at Shining, her heart already beginning to hammer in her chest. "Shining, this is one of the biggest inventions in recent history, and you just drop a request like that on me like it's nothing!"

"I assure you, Twilight, that we know what risk we are taking," Dr. Pepper spoke calmly. "And we wouldn't ask you to do this if we weren't absolutely certain that you were the best pony for the job."

"Oh no, no, no," Twilight huffed, freeing herself and pacing the area. "I-I couldn't. I mean, this is such an honor that you would consider me, but I really can’t."

"But why not?"

"There are procedures!” She stomped a hoof in emphasis. “Processes! I didn’t even know about the project until today; I can't be the right pony to put it through its paces. I don't even know where to start!"

Dr. Pepper gave a warm smile, shaking her head knowingly. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Twilight. Princess Cadance has told us how devoted you are to learning, and I'm sure you're familiar with experiments you've performed yourself. I daresay that there probably isn't a better pony we could count on!"

"You don’t get it!” Twilight cried. She ruffled her wings; for some reason, they were agitating her and twitched without warning. Excuses flew through her mind, but most were lost on the tip of her tongue. “I just– I don’t–"

"Twilight."

At Cadance's voice, her objection died on her tongue. When she turned back to look at the mare, she found herself quickly wrapped in a tight embrace by both Cadance and Shining. She heaved a sigh, willing her heart rate back under control and wrangling her rampant thoughts in. “Sorry.”

“You’re right, Twilight. This is a huge responsibility that we’re asking of you,” Cadance admitted. She ran a hoof through Twilight’s mane soothingly, still holding the mare between herself and Shining. “But you must understand that we would never think to force you into something if you were uncomfortable with it.”

“It’s not that,” Twilight replied. She didn’t move from the embrace. “It’s hard to put my hoof on exactly what it is, actually. Normally I'd be all for helping with an experiment, but this is so..."

"Personal?" Shining offered.

"Exactly. This would hinge upon my emotions and my experience with the timekeeper." She stared at the tiny device still in the doctor's hoof. "To have such a crucial project rest upon such subjective data worries me, let alone the fact that the data will be about me!"

"We did consider the possibility that the data gathered wouldn't be what we wanted," Dr. Pepper said. "But the fact of the matter is that it will be difficult to gather useful information without field tests. We can theorize until we're blue in the face, but it can't compare to a true experiment."

Twilight bit her lip. "The last thing I want is for the project to be compromised because of me. I don't want to mess it up."

"How about this, Twilight? Take the timekeepers with you back to Ponyville and give it some more thought. If you don't want to go through with this at any point, just have Spike send me a letter," Cadance said with an understanding smile. "I can come to Ponyville and retrieve them."

"Well... I guess that–" she froze mid-sentence, glancing at the other princess. "Wait. Did you say timekeepers? Plural?"

"Well, you did say that your friend Rarity would be most interested in one. I see another good opportunity for field data. And don't worry, the same rule applies if she wants to stop."

"Cadance, I don't know about this..."

"We trust you, Twilight. No matter what you choose to do, we'll understand," Shining assured her. His hoof still rested comfortingly on her shoulder. For some reason she couldn't explain, that hoof suddenly felt like it was made of lead.

"I..." Twilight took a deep breath, steeling her resolve. "Okay. I'll bring the timekeepers back to Ponyville and give it some thought. But no promises!"

"That's all we ask right now," Cadance said, gathering both her and Shining in another embrace. "Thank you, Twilight."

"Excellent!" Dr. Pepper motioned toward one of her assistants, who returned a moment later with a second timekeeper and what looked like a small jewelry box. "Before you leave, and should you decide to go through with the experiment, you should know how to put on and take off the devices. It's remarkably simple, but better to be safe than sorry. As you saw with the prince and princess, all you must do is place the device near the end of a foreleg and apply a bit of pressure." She gave a grin, placing , the two timekeepers inside the box. "You'll know it's attached when you hear a click. No fuss, no muss."

"Well, my friend will certainly be happy to hear that," Twilight replied. "She's a bit fussy about cleanliness."

"She can rest assured, then. Oh, one last thing," she said as she passed the box over. "Once a timekeeper is attached, only that pony may remove it. It grabs hold of that magical signature and doesn't let go easily. Just something to keep in mind for the future."

Twilight stared down at the box in her hooves, her mind already running a mile a minute. She might be holding the greatest invention in recent Equestrian history, and they were just letting her walk out the door with it. It was a bit overwhelming, if she was honest with herself. "...I won't let you guys down."

"Come on, Twilight." Shining nudged her to her hooves as the trio made to leave. "We can get you on the next train to Ponyville. Something tells me you'll need the extra time to think."

"Right," Twilight agreed, levitating the box along as she stood. She stepped forward, extending a hoof toward the doctor. "It was nice to meet you, Dr. Pepper."

"A pleasure, Princess Twilight." She grasped the offered hoof boldly. "I hope the future leads our paths to cross again."

Twilight nodded, following her brother and sister-in-law out of the laboratory.

The lush fields surrounding the Crystal Empire sped past outside the window as Twilight lay in her seat, silently observing the scene. She was a bit upset that Cadance and Shining had practically shooed her back onto the train without even giving her a chance to visit for a while. Of course, they were probably busy with running the Empire, but an afternoon with their sister couldn't hurt, could it? At the very least, it might have distracted her a bit from her responsibility.

It would still be an hour or so before the train rattled its way back into Ponyville's station and, unfortunately, she had brought nary a book to read. Her academic notes lay inside her saddlebags, but they were hardly suitable reading material for the train ride. Distractedly, she let out a sigh and let her vision wander from the countryside, instead focusing on the box on the seat next to her. It was such an unassuming package for the wonder that rested inside, and she didn't know why she had yet to open it.

“This is ridiculous,” she mumbled, picking up the box in her hooves. She held it in front of her, but didn’t move to remove the lid. “I’m afraid of opening a box, for pony’s sake. I swear, all of this soul mate talk has made me paranoid.”

"You look troubled, dear."

“Ah!” Twilight jumped in her seat, fumbling the box in her hooves. She placed it carefully back on the seat next to her before looking up, glaring in the direction the voice had come from. Her expression softened as she saw the owner to be an elderly, periwinkle stallion, smiling sheepishly back at her from across the train’s aisle.

“Sorry about that, young lady,” he chuckled. “Didn’t mean to spook ya, but I noticed that look of consternation on your face. Something tells me that you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“Yeah,” Twilight sighed. “You could say that. I was given some news today that I’m still unsure about, and it’s been weighing on my mind for a while.”

“Well, I could lend an ear if you need it. The name’s Brave Blade,” he said as he shifted in his seat to better face her. “Forgive an old stallion for eavesdropping, but I heard you mention something about a soul mate. Troubles in love, hmm?”

“Not… exactly,” she hesitated, fully aware of the blush that rippled across her cheeks. “More that I’ve been tasked with a sort of research project surrounding the idea of a soul mate. It’s in an area that I’m unfamiliar with, and I’m not even sure where to start.”

He stroked his beard with a hoof. “It’s a tough nut to crack, for sure. Love has a way of making you feel as light as a cloud or as low as a snail.” He glanced out the window pensively. “To tell you the truth, I had lost faith in it for a while.”

“You did?”

“Yep.” He nodded, a twinkle in his eye as if the memory was fresh in his mind. “When I joined the Canterlot Royal Guard in my youth, my life was going through a rough patch, to say the least. There were nights that I would silently cry myself to sleep, despite the fact that I had many friends in the guard to support me. I would feel so incredibly alone, longing for that special somepony to hold and cherish, but my wishes were left unfulfilled for a long time.”

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows as a thought came to her. “But… you said you had lost faith, past tense. What changed your mind?”

At that, he brightened up instantly. “Why, I met my very own soul mate, of course. My guard unit was on duty in Baltimare, and we had the night off after a long day of work. I was walking on a sidewalk on my way to a bar with the guys, and suddenly I bumped into somepony, causing us both to fall over. As we stood to our hooves to apologize, I just about froze on the spot.” He sighed wistfully. “It was like I was hit by lightning; my hooves tingled and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t even know this pony’s name, and yet, at the same time, I felt like I was greeting an old friend.”

Twilight sat at rapt attention, stunned into silence. It crossed her mind for a moment that she could be taking notes, but she knew this wasn’t something she would forget any time soon. In fact, an eery feeling of deja vú passed over her at those last words. Almost like she had felt something similar, many moons ago when she and five strangers had saved the world from eternal darkness. “Did it feel… like a spark jumped into you, and for some strange reason you just knew everything would be alright?”

He gave a hearty laugh at that. “And here I thought you didn’t have any experience with the feeling! That’s precisely how it felt. We talked for a few minutes, and it turned out the pony I bumped into was also from Canterlot. We promised to meet up when we got back, and the rest is history. We’ve been married for nearly forty years now.”

“Wow,” Twilight breathed. “I’m sorry, it’s just… Thank you for sharing that with me. It was really touching.”

“It was no problem, miss. I hope I helped you with your problem.”

A smile spread across her muzzle, and she nodded in response. “You know, I think it did.”

”Attention, passengers. We will be arriving at Ponyville Station in approximately ten minutes. Passengers departing at Ponyville Station should gather their belongings and make their way to cars three and four as soon as possible. Thank you!”

“Well, this is my stop.” Twilight stood to her hooves and stretched out a crick in her back before grabbing the box in her magic. “Thank you for your company, Brave Blade.”

The stallion gave a friendly wave as she made her way toward the car’s door. “You’re quite welcome, Princess Twilight. Look us up if you’re ever in Canterlot on leisure; we’d be honoured to have you for lunch. I can’t wait to let Arrow know I met a princess face to face today. He’s going to be so jealous!”

She paused at that, glancing back at the old stallion for a moment before smiling resolutely, waving goodbye to the grinning old-timer before continuing to make her way through the train.

The sun dipped near the horizon, casting Ponyville in a warm orange glow. Ponies in the market began to pack up their stalls for the day, thankful for what could be one of the last warm days of the season as autumn crept ever closer. Leaves on the trees were already changing hues, and the annual Running of the Leaves had to be right around the corner. Atop a nearby hill, a trio of fillies could be seen setting up a trampoline, no doubt using what little time remained of their summer vacation to the fullest.

Of course, none of this mattered to Rainbow Dash as she lay on her back atop a particularly fluffy cumulus. Normally, this would have been the perfect time for her scheduled midafternoon power nap, but sleep just couldn’t seem to overcome her today. She stared wordlessly at the sky above her, knowing full well that at a moment’s notice she could be soaring away from the town, exploring part of the countryside, and yet she didn’t feel like doing that either. It was really annoying, actually, she thought to herself before rolling lazily onto her stomach.

As soon as she did, she noticed the plume of smoke coming from the north. Looks like the train from the Crystal Empire is back. Wonder how Twilight’s doing out there. Her eyes wandered, staring into the distance.

She lifted a hoof to her chest, patting the area where a familiar necklace would lie. Rainbow knew she was probably worrying for nothing, but it still nagged at the back of her mind. Something was up, and she just hoped Twilight would tell them all about it when she got back.

The train below slid to a halt with a grinding hiss at the station, and the doors opened a minute or two later. Rainbow sighed restlessly, watching the assorted ponies mill out of the train cars before she suddenly spotted a splash of lavender coat. Curious, she manoeuvered her cloud down a bit, keeping an eye out, and sure enough, Twilight Sparkle walked out of the front doors of the station.

Rainbow grinned, jumping off the cloud gracefully. If Twilight was back already, then surely it couldn’t have been that bad, right? She let herself glide to the ground, calling out as she got close. “Hey, Twilight!”

The mare in question glanced upward, smiling in obvious appreciation of the awesome company that had just blessed her presence. "Hi, Rainbow. I didn't expect to see any of you girls here to greet me already."

"Heh, well I was in the middle of some killer acrobatics, but I figured I could give you a shout." Rainbow laughed, tossing her mane back proudly. "So, what's up? I thought you were going to be in the Crystal Empire for a few days, but now you're back already."

Twilight bit her lip and looked at the little box she was levitating. "It's kind of a long story, so I'd prefer to tell the whole group at once. If you're not too busy, Rainbow, could you let the rest of the girls know that we're gonna meet at the castle? We have a lot to talk about."

Call Rainbow crazy, but Twilight seemed a bit off. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but there was something funny going on. Still, she had promised to tell them all what was going on, so that was good enough. "Uh, yeah, no problem. I'll send them over as soon as they can."

She braced herself as Twilight leaned forward into a thankful nuzzle. "Thanks, Rainbow. I'm gonna go check on Spike at the castle and get ready. See you soon!"

"Yeah," Rainbow replied with a swallow. "See ya, Twi." She tried not to stare as Twilight walked away, glancing away quickly before her gaze dropped too low. A shake of the head set her mind straight as she took to the air, banking toward the familiar cottage on the outskirts of town.

A minute later, she touched down on the well-worn dirt path leading up to Fluttershy’s house. Fluttershy didn’t seem to be outside, though; maybe she was just feeding a bunch of her animal friends inside. Rainbow trotted to the door, rapping on it sharply with a hoof. “Fluttershy! You there?”

“Oh, just a minute, Rainbow Dash!” Her voice floated from somewhere inside. Rainbow tapped a hoof impatiently while she waited. She was just considering preening herself a bit when the door swung open to reveal a flustered Fluttershy, her mane frazzled and fur messed. “Sorry to make you wait, Rainbow. What do you need?”

“Uh, is everything alright, ‘Shy? You look a little… busy.”

“I-It’s nothing, really,” she insisted as she ran a hoof through her mane distractedly. “Some of my animal friends are just getting ready for the hibernation season early, and they asked for a bit of help with stockpiling food.”

Rainbow shrugged. It sounded as plausible as anything else. “If you’re sure. I just came to tell you that Twilight’s back in town and she wants us all to meet at the castle.”

“Oh, she’s back already?” Fluttershy asked. “But wait, wasn’t she supposed to be in the Crystal Empire for a couple of days?”

“Yeah, I don’t get it, either,” Rainbow admitted. “She’ll probably tell us what’s up when we all get there.”

“Goodness.” Fluttershy’s eyebrows creased worriedly. “I hope everything’s alright.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore the fact that she thought the same thing just a few minutes ago. “Twi usually has things under control, y’know? I wouldn’t worry too much.”

Fluttershy nodded, calming down a bit. “You’re right. Are you heading over right now? I still need some time to finish helping the animals…”

Rainbow waved a hoof, dismissing the thought. “Take your time. I’ve gotta round up the rest of the girls, anyway. Can you swing by Applejack’s and let her know, too?”

“Of course. Tell Pinkie Pie and Rarity I said hello!” She waved goodbye, closing the door behind her. Rainbow took that as her cue, leaping back into the sky with a powerful set of wing beats. She gave a quick thought to her options: Pinkie Pie would likely be at Sugarcube Corner at this time of day, but Rarity was probably also closing up her shop. Sugarcube Corner, or Carousel Boutique… when she framed it like that, it was an easy choice. Rainbow swooped low through the center of town, beelining for the telltale gingerbread building on the far side of the square.

A wave of delicious-smelling warmth washed over Rainbow as she burst through the doors, skidding to a halt on the hardwood floor. “Ta-da! Have no fear, Rainbow Dash is here!”

“Woohoo!” Pinkie Pie cheered, jumping on the counter gleefully. “Nice moves, Dashie! Though I think you moved the placemat a smidgimeter out of place. Eight out of ten on the landing.”

"A mere eight? Oh my, how the mighty have fallen," Rarity giggled from her booth, where she sat sipping a cup of cocoa. "I can't believe you would settle for anything less than perfection, Rainbow."

"Yeah, yeah, yuk it up, Rares. It's actually good that I caught you both here," Rainbow said. She swiped a sugar cookie from the plate Pinkie had set on the counter, biting a corner off. "Twilight's back from her trip and wants to see all of us in the castle pronto."

"What!? But I thought she wasn't going to be back until Saturday!" Pinkie cried. "Aw, now I'll have to cancel the mareiachi band I hired for her welcome back fiesta."

"Yes, well, music aside," Rarity began wearily, "I'm also surprised that she made it back days ahead of schedule. You know how Twilight is when things don't match up with her timetable precisely."

Rainbow shrugged, popping the rest of the cookie into her mouth. "Yeah, but what can you do? She looked kind of distracted when I met her at the train station, to tell you the truth."

Rarity quirked an eyebrow at that, glancing at her friend. "Really, now? You just happened to see her when she got off the train? That's awfully convenient."

"Betcha she was being all mopey-dopey on a cloud again," Pinkie said cheerfully. She hooked a leg around Rainbow's shoulder comfortingly. "Dashie doesn't like letting ponies see her being sad."

"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow hissed.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Rarity dropped the teasing tone, concern etched on her face. "You know you can talk with us if you're having a problem with anything, right?"

"Fine! I'm fine!" Rainbow shrugged Pinkie's hoof off and rose to her hooves. "Look, we don't want to be late to the meeting, right? Let's just head out."

Pinkie gathered up a few sweets in a basket before merrily bouncing out the door. Rarity followed suit, pausing only to glance at Rainbow once more. Her eyes darted across her face, searching for any sign of weakness, but the pegasus simply turned the other way. Rainbow let out a sigh as she heard the door swing shut behind Rarity. "I can't tell you girls what's wrong," she mumbled. "Not until I'm sure of what's going on myself." She set out to catch up with her friends as they made their way toward the towering castle in the distance.

“Twilight!” Pinkie bounded into the throne room of the castle, wrapping the startled mare in a bear hug. “You’re back early! Sorry about the mareiachi singers, though.”

“Um, what?”

“Never mind.”

Twilight sighed, exasperated, before looking over Pinkie’s shoulder at the other newcomers. “It’s good to see you, Rarity.”

“Likewise, darling,” Rarity waved back before trotting over to the center of the hall where the ring of seven thrones sat imposingly. “Though it was hardly a day ago that you left. Did Princess Cadance and Shining Armor have to cancel their plans with you?"

"Quite the opposite, actually. As soon as Fluttershy and Applejack get here, we can... wait, where's Rainbow? I thought she would have been with you," Twilight noted.

"Huh?" Rarity turned toward the doorway, surprised at the empty hall behind her. "I could have sworn she was right behind us when we arrived."

"I'll go find her!" Pinkie declared, letting go of her death grip on Twilight to trot toward the entrance hall.

"Speaking of that, Twilight," Rarity said as she took her place on the cushion in front of her own throne, "Rainbow appears to have been out of sorts lately, according to Pinkie. It could be that something is bothering her."

"Really? She seemed alright when she met me at the train station today. Are you sure?" Twilight asked, putting a hoof to her chin.

“No, and to tell the truth, I can’t quite put my hoof on what it is. It’s just sort of my intuition.”

"Alright, I suppose could talk to her after our meeting and try to see what's up."

"Thank you, dear. It may be nothing, but you know Rainbow as well as the rest of us do. She tends to hide when things get under her skin."

"Get in there, you yellow-belly!" Twilight and Rarity both turned to the distinctive accented voice coming from outside the room. A moment later, Applejack and Fluttershy appeared, holding the doors open while Pinkie Pie nudged a reluctant pegasus forward. Twilight squinted as the trio made their way over; Rainbow almost seemed to be fighting against Pinkie by dragging her hooves sluggishly. She underlined that note in the back of her mind to have a chat later.

"Knock it off, Pinkie! I told you guys, I was just taking a breather! Practicing all day still takes it out of me, you know." Rainbow huffed as she reached the center area, plopping down on her own cushioned spot.

“Yeah, I’m sure you spent a lot of energy rolling over on that cloud,” said Applejack with a snort. “Don’t think I didn’t see ya lazin’ about when I was heading home from the market, sugarcube.”

“Psh, whatever.”

Applejack rolled her eyes, reaching her own seat in the circle of pillows. “Good to see ya back so soon, Twi. ”

“Oh yes, welcome back, Twilight,” Fluttershy added as she took the final unoccupied seat. “So, um, sorry to bring it up, but why are we having this meeting? I hope nothing bad happened in the Crystal Empire.”

“Heh, I doubt it,” Spike said as he entered the room, carrying a plate of cookies and juice boxes with him. “Twilight’s practically been on cloud nine since she got home. If this turns out to be bad news, I’ll eat my basket.” He set the plate gingerly on the floor between the group, grabbing one of each for himself.

Twilight cleared her throat and straightened her posture. “Right. Now that you’re all here, we can get started.” She turned toward her throne, levitating the box into her hooves. All eyes followed the small package, even Rainbow had perked up at the sight. “I guess I should start from the beginning. Cadance called me out to the Crystal Empire because she wanted me to help take part in an experiment. I met a team of scientists out there who brought me up to speed on their project.”

“Ooh, I bet that was fun! I can see it now.” Pinkie began rocking back and forth excitedly, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere. “Test tubes and beakers and gases, oh my!”

“You must have felt right at home, egghead,” Rainbow quipped with a wink.

“It was rather astonishing. In the year since the Empire has returned to Equestria, those ponies have really come a long way,” Twilight said excitedly, building momentum on her ramble. “They’re studying the Crystal Heart and its latent magical properties in response to outside stimuli, and how it affects the thaumatological processes of ponies and–”

Applejack cut across her. “Sugarcube, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that I didn’t understand a darn word that just flew out of your mouth.”

She grinned sheepishly. “Heh heh… sorry. Anyway, to make a long story short, they want to test the experiment in a live social environment and they asked me to be the one to perform it.”

“Well, at least they’ve got their heads on straight!” Rainbow proudly declared, thumping the alicorn on the back. “If there’s ever a pony that could out-test a bunch of scientists, it’s our Twilight!”

“That said, I’m surprised they just let you take their experiment all the way to Ponyville,” Rarity noted thoughtfully. “One would think they would prefer to keep it close at hoof to monitor.”

“I thought the same thing at first. What’s even more interesting is that they want one of you girls to help me with it.”

“Oh, my,” Fluttershy said, shrinking a little into her cushion. “That sounds like an awful lot of pressure.”

“Argh, come on, Twilight! Don’t keep us in the dark any longer!” cried Spike as he leaned forward, imploring her to get on with it. “What’s in the box?!”

“Patience, Spike,” she scolded him. An expectant silence fell over the group as Twilight focused her attention on the package in her hooves. Slowly, delicately, she pulled the lid off, revealing its contents. She carefully lifted the two devices out, levitating them in front of the group so that they could all get a look. “These are called timekeepers. They’re magical devices that–”

“Ooh, ooh, I know this one!” Pinkie raised her hoof high into the air, practically vibrating in her seat. “They’re watches! Time Turner has a whole bunch of them in his shop! I tried using one once, but it told me that it was L:16 in the morning. Whoever heard of it being L o’clock?”

Applejack shook her head at her friend’s antics. “It’s a mystery, alright. How’s about we let Twilight finish talking first?”

Pinkie stuck her tongue out. “Party pooper.”

“As I was saying,” continued Twilight, “these are called timekeepers. Dr. Pepper, the lead scientist, claims that they tap into a pony's magical signature to determine when that pony will meet their soul mate. It will start a timer and count down to zero."

"Dr. Pepper? Sounds tasty!" giggled Pinkie. "That sounds super awesome! A pony could wake up and look at the watch thingy and say 'Oh, I'm gonna meet somepony super special today!' And they would be in such a good mood all day. It's like happiness in bracelet form!"

"Cadance let me choose whether or not to help with the experiment. She’d come and take them back if I decided not to... but I've made up my mind. I'm going to test a timekeeper for myself. If I have the chance to be part of something great for Equestria, then I’m all for it," Twilight said with a resolute nod. She turned to Rarity, who had remained silent as she stared at the tiny gadget. "Rarity, Cadance gave me the second one for you to wear. I know you’ve always shown a lot of interest in finding a special somepony, but I won’t force you into anything you don’t want to do. What do you say?"

If her silence was notable before, it was downright deafening by that point. Rarity had yet to say a single word, leaving the rest of the group to fidget awkwardly. "Isn't that what you've always wanted, Rares?” Applejack ventured, trying to break the tension. “This doohickey can tell ya when you'll meet your prince charming."

"...No."

“Okay.” Twilight replied, but she couldn’t help recoiling a bit at the cold tone of her voice. She took back the proffered hoof. "I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought..."

"I know, Twilight,” Rarity sighed at her own admission. She scuffed a hoof on the ground, distracting herself. “And I know you’re just looking out for my best interests. But as much as I am tempted, I want to meet that pony on my own terms, when I’m ready, and I don’t think this is right for me. I'm sorry."

“I understand,” said Twilight. “It’s not a problem, I can just have Cadance come pick up the other one and–”

Rainbow suddenly jumped to her hooves. “Woah, woah, hey. Let’s not be too hasty. You said this is a big deal, right? What’s wrong with one of us doing it instead?”

“What, like you, RD?” Applejack guffawed. “Since when are you interested in finding yourself a coltfriend?”

"Since none of your business, Applesmack!" Rainbow thwapped her tail across Applejack's leg, daring her to make a move. She couldn't hide the vibrant blush on her cheeks, though. "Twilight needs our help, so I'm gonna help her."

Twilight sat silent as she watched her friends squabble and bicker. Something was definitely up if Rainbow was agreeing so readily to something like this... although, now that she thought about it, it would give her an easy explanation for talking to the pegasus. Maybe she could hit two targets with one spell and get to the bottom of things.

"I think it could work," she spoke up as the two reached a lull in their banter. "Rainbow could provide some useful data from her point of view."

"Yeah, and I can tell you what I think about it, too!" Rainbow reached out a hoof for the second device. "I'm ready when you are, Twi."

One look into the fire in Rainbow's eyes told Twilight everything she needed to know. Rainbow was serious about this, and she was completely volunteering herself just to help. Twilight felt an inexplicable warmth spread across her chest... pride? No, that wasn't it. Appreciation, maybe? It didn't really matter right now.

"Alright, Rainbow," she said, passing over the timekeeper. "You know I trust you."

"So how's it work?" Rainbow asked, sitting down and turning the device in her hooves a few times.

"Place it face-up on your fetlock, then press down," she instructed, recalling the presentation from earlier. "Dr. Pepper said it should attach itself painlessly."

Rainbow did as she was told, pressing the device into her fur an few inches above her hoof. She stifled a giggle as it gave off a click, latching down. "Sure didn’t hurt me."

"Interesting," Twilight murmured as the screen on the timer's face lit up. “Perhaps they use a magical anesthetic to mask the sensation. I’ll have to ask next time I write to Cadance or Shining.”

All eyes were fixed on Rainbow as she held her leg in the middle of the group. The numbers on the timer began flickering, and a moment later began falling tremendously, just as Twilight had seen earlier. In the blink of an eye, seven hundred days had fallen to six hundred and the ponies were mystified by the spectacle.

“It just keeps going! And going, and going, and–hey! That would make an awesome slogan, dontcha think?”

“So what happens when it hits zero, Twi?” asked Applejack as leaned over while keeping her eyes fixed on the timekeeper.

“If Rainbow Dash has already met her soul mate at some point in time, then the counter will hit zero momentarily,” Twilight explained. “After that point, a second timer will begin its own countdown.”

“To what, exactly?”

Twilight bit her lip. “Well, to tell you the truth, I’m not entirely sure. Cadance told me that it works a bit like her love spell, whatever that means. I don’t quite understand it yet.”

“Hey, it’s stopping!” Rainbow said as the timekeeper began beeping on her fetlock. “So that means it’s somepony I’ve already met, right?”

“Mmhmm,” Twilight hummed with a nod. “Now, the real question is whether the second timer will work this time…”

“There it goes!” Spike shouted as he pointed a claw at the timer’s face. True enough, the numbers had once again begun their descent.

“Have you given any thought to this, Rainbow?” Rarity raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What would you do if it turned out your soul mate was out there somewhere?”

“Why worry about it, Rares?” Rainbow shrugged. ”I live life in the moment, put one hoof in front of the other, and put dresses on one leg on at a time.”

Rarity gave a very unladylike snort. “And I’m sure the rest of the legs are fighting to stay out of the dress.”

“Um, girls…”

“Hey! What’s your deal?” Rainbow puffed her chest out. “I wore your dress to the Grand Galloping Gala, and the one you made me for the wedding! Don’t act like I never wear dresses.”

“I seem to recall having to change those Gala dresses several times before you were satisfied, and don’t even get me started on the wedding. I swear, I’ve never seen a pony fidget about her hooves so much.”

“Rainbow, the timer–” Fluttershy squeaked.

“I told you, I don’t like just anypony touching my hooves!” She jabbed Rarity in the chest in emphasis.

“Girls!”

“What?!” They snarled.

Fluttershy pointed at Rainbow’s leg. “It stopped.”

Every head turned back to the timekeeper, which repeatedly let off pairs of long tones. The timer itself stayed lit, displaying the countdown for all to see.

“Four days,” Rainbow breathed.

“Nineteen hours,” Twilight read.

“Twenty-eight minutes,” Applejack whispered.

“And fifty seconds!” Pinkie cheered. “No, wait, forty-eight seconds! Forty seven! Forty six!”

Chapter 3

Twilight waved goodbye as the last bit of Pinkie’s tail bounced out the door after its owner. She gave a content sigh, turning back toward her personal study where Rainbow Dash was waiting for her, no doubt bored out of her mind. Well, maybe not, Twilight thought with a chuckle. She did just get a new toy, after all. The image of Rainbow playing with the timekeeper as a cat would a squeaky mouse made her smile and slightly nervous at the same time.

Although, there was also the possibility that Rainbow’s mind could be elsewhere. Twilight didn’t miss the pointed look that Rarity had given her when she had asked the pegasus to stay behind for a while. Whatever was eating away at her friend, Twilight was determined that she could figure it out. And sure enough, when she stepped back through the doorway, she saw Rainbow facing away from her, staring idly at a spot up on one of her shelves. She grinned, quietly stepping closer to the middle of the room. When she was a hoof’s length away, she leaned close to the pegasus’ ear, and—

“You know, you’re not very sneaky, Twi.”

Twilight huffed as she abandoned her light-hoofed approach and sat down next to her friend. “I’ll get you eventually! I’ve been practicing.”

“Yeah, Pinkie told me about that time you guys ‘broke into’ the Canterlot library.” Rainbow raised her hooves in air quotes. “You got into a catsuit, huh? Me~ow.”

“No! Future Twilight was wearing one, so, you know, I thought…”

“Ah, so that’s it. You were checking yourself out and liked what you saw,” Rainbow said, waggling her eyebrows.

Twilight shoved Rainbow playfully as the pegasus fell to the floor in giggles. “You’re one to talk! I seem to remember finding you during one of our sleepovers making kissy faces and flexing in my bathroom.”

“Filly, when you look as good as The Dash, you’ve gotta flaunt it!”

They laughed at themselves, reveling in the silliness of their situations. Twilight was the first to recover, straightening up as the last laugh petered out of her system. “You know, you’re taking this whole thing better than I thought. No offense.”

“Rares means well, but she worries too much. If she doesn’t relax more, soon we’re gonna start hearing about her grey hairs,” Rainbow said as she swept a hoof through her mane, holding it in a faux-styled position. “‘Grey isn’t in this season! This is the worst possible thing!’”

Twilight suppressed another giggle. “You know she only wants what’s best for you, even if she does get a little dramatic.”

“I know, but I can take care of myself without her fretting like she’s my mom.” She snorted at the thought. “I’m not a filly anymore.”

“We don’t think anything like that, Rainbow,” Twilight said, laying a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “We’re your friends, and we want to help you if we can.” As Rainbow fell silent at that, with her brow furrowing in concentration, Twilight knew she had the trail now. Looks like Rarity’s intuition was onto something after all, she thought.

Rainbow sighed. “That’s just it, though. I can’t put this feeling in my gut into words. It’s kind of like when I had to take that history test for the Wonderbolts, but different at the same time.”

“Like test anxiety, huh?” Twilight stared at an unnoteworthy spot on the polished stone floor beneath their hooves. “Does this have to do with the timekeeper? If it’s making you freak out, we can always take it off at any time.”

“No, no, this started happening a few days ago… maybe a week? Before all of the soul mate stuff anyway.” She shook her head, idly pawing at the timer on her leg. “I really do want to help you with this, Twi.”

“Well, if it’s not that, what do you think it could be?”

“Like I said, it’s hard to say. You know I’m not the best at talking about this stuff.” She paused at that, but Twilight said nothing to interrupt the silence before Rainbow began speaking again. “But I’ve been thinking about it all…”

“All what?” Twilight asked.

“That maybe I don’t want to be the cool loner all the time. That maybe it’s time for me to start looking for a special somepony. And hey, any pony that I’m gonna be with has to be just as awesome as me!” Rainbow continued, and Twilight noted that her voice held more confidence. “When you brought up this time thingy, I just felt like it was right, you know?”

“Oh really?” Twilight smirked. “Is ‘The Dash’ going soft in her old age? At this rate, it looks like you’ll be too busy to hang out with the group on Hearts and Hooves Day!” She extended her wing, tickling the side of Rainbow’s belly with the feathered tips.

Rainbow laughed, squirming away from Twilight’s hoof and the offending limb. “Come on, you know I’d never abandon you girls like that! We’ve been having picnics every year since you came to Ponyville!”

“I just want to make sure this is what you want, Rainbow. It’s going to be a big change in your life, and you’ll need your friends supporting you every step of the way.”

“Heh, I could say the same to you,” Rainbow countered as she turned her head to look at the other timekeeper on Twilight’s desk. “I’m not the only one who’ll be wearing one, after all.”

“Mine is more of a scientific curiosity,” said Twilight. “Cadance and Shining are counting on me to test it out to make sure it’s safe and functional for the average pony.”

“Twi, if I’ve learned anything since you first rode that chariot into town, it’s that you are anything but average.” She winked at her friend and saw a flustered blush rise on Twilight’s face. She rose to her hooves, stretching briefly. “I’m gonna head out and get some shut-eye. Gotta pull a double shift on weather duty tomorrow thanks to Thunderlane being out of town.”

“Of course.” Twilight pulled her friend into a quick hug before she left. “If anything comes up, or even if you just want to talk, you know where to find me. I want to document as much information about the devices as I can before I have to return them to Cadance.”

“You’ve got it. See ya, Twi!” Rainbow gave a swift leap into the air, and left through one of the large windows facing the gardens outside. Twilight watched her intently until the pegasus zipped around one of the castle turrets and out of sight.

Left alone once more, Twilight heaved another sigh. She had managed to get Rainbow talking, but the pegasus revealed little that she couldn’t deduce on her own. Simple jitters and anxiety wouldn’t spark this kind of reaction from her friends, and Twilight knew there was still something going on with her feathered friend.

She flicked her horn, sparking the fireplace to life with a burst of magic. Night was fast approaching, and the enormous castle would become unbearably cold until she figured out that large-radius space warming spell. She could call Spike down from upstairs, where she had asked him to stay while she talked with Rainbow, but he could offer little but his company at this point. As helpful as he was with practical matters as her assistant, he wasn’t yet at the age that she felt comfortable talking to him about romance, least of all Rainbow’s feelings on the matter.

And, after all, she had one last matter to attend to before turning in for the night: the remaining timekeeper still lying on her desk. She pulled open a drawer on the desk, levitating a notebook from its confines, and took a seat on the comfortable cushioned chair behind it. From the shelf behind her, a quill and ink well floated down in her magic, and she readied herself for her first report.

“70th of Autumn,” Twilight narrated aloud as the quill began to move meticulously across the page. “Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor have tasked me with testing the timekeeper, a magical device designed to predict and count down to the moment a pony meets his or her soul mate.”

Hours passed, and before she knew it, she had several pages of notes ready for formal documentation. She had written about meeting Cadance, Shining, and the science team, the minutia of the timekeeper that she had learned in the Crystal Empire, and even her interaction with the elderly stallion aboard the train. Amidst her detailed notes on the device, Twilight had scribbled some of her personal reactions and feelings in the margins.

As her recollection reached her return to Ponyville, however, she found herself distracted. She threw another log into the fire, which had since dwindled into embers, and glanced around the room. In many ways, the study reminded her a lot of her bedroom in Golden Oaks; several thick textbooks lay scattered on the desk tables around her, each bookmarked with notes for later use. Several trinkets and knick knacks adorned the shelves above the fireplace: souvenirs that she had taken to collecting when their adventures had led them to faraway locales.

Perhaps most familiar of all were the beanbag chairs nestled in a corner of the study. Rarity might have called them tacky, but Twilight had grown fond of them over the years. They were perfect for curling up with a book, a blanket, and a warm mug of cocoa for a quiet reading day. Next to the chairs, a pair of books lie stacked and ready to whisk their readers away to a land of temples, artefacts, and a certain adventurous pegasus mare.

“Rainbow Dash,” she mumbled aloud, turning back to the task at hoof, “has volunteered to test the second timekeeper. Upon connection to her left foreleg, with what she describes as a ‘ticklish sensation’, the timekeeper device was activated. She has exhibited signs of trepidation with the situation, but is eager to assist in the experiment.” Twilight chewed the tip of the quill in thought. She moved the quill to a spare sheet of parchment and scribbled a memo to herself. ’Consider asking Rainbow to keep a journal for posterity’. Twilight chewed the tip of the quill in thought. ’And invite her over to finish chapter 6’.

Content with her progress for the night, Twilight stretched wide, hearing the satisfying pops of her spine and wing joints loosening. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her that Spike was likely asleep by now, and that she should have been in dreamland herself more than an hour ago. She quickly gathered the notes into one pile and placed them in the top drawer of the desk. Another quick swish of her horn extinguished the fire as she locked the door behind her.

Her footsteps echoed through the dark, empty hallways as she made her way to the other side of the castle. Sure enough, when she walked past the closed door to Spike’s room, she could hear his telltale snoring from within. Twilight giggled to herself; if there was one thing better about the castle, it was that she would no longer be woken up in the middle of the night by a particularly throaty snore from her dragon friend. A few moments later, she passed over the threshold to her own bedroom and gently shut the door behind her. Without hesitation, she flomped face-down onto the bed, only bothering to pull the covers over her body as an afterthought.

I really needed this. Whew, what a day… Twilight thought as sleep overtook her. As she passed into the dream realm, her foreleg fell over the side of the bed and out of the sheets, devoid of any small devices attached to it.

Two hours. Rainbow Dash stared at the fluffy ceiling of her cloud house as she lay sprawled out on top of the covers. It had been two hours since she had made it back home, and yet she was utterly unable to fall asleep. She’d tried all of her known methods: counting cloud sheep, making herself a warm glass of milk, and staying as still as possible to try to trick her brain into powering down, but to no avail. Half an hour ago, she had thrown her favorite stuffed bear at the wall in frustration, but not even the miserable squeak it made could lull her into unconsciousness.

With an annoyed huff, she sprang off the bed and threw the window open. Perhaps a night flight would calm whatever nerves her brain insisted on keeping wound up and allow her to catch some shut-eye before her morning shift. The cool autumn wind whipped through her mane as she soared over quiet Ponyville below. Up here, Rainbow felt untouchable, unstoppable, and in her element. Nopony flew like she did, even when she wasn’t trying to show off, and nopony ever would. It was one part of her life in which she felt in complete, absolute control.

Rainbow took in the landscape below her. Many houses in the town were dark, and the few lights remaining were quickly winking out. A wry grin crossed her face as she thought of the warm bed waiting for her at home, if only she could will herself to sleep.

She banked wide, swinging a wide turn toward the outskirts of town. If she wasn’t going to get any sleep right now, then she could at least spend a while with a friend. She knew that while Applejack followed her ‘early to bed, early to rise’ mantra to a fault, Fluttershy tended to stay up late into the evening. More than that, Fluttershy was her oldest friend and Rainbow knew she could share anything with the pegasus in confidence.

Her touchdown outside of the hillside cottage was rougher than she’d intended, no doubt due to her drowsy state. She shook her head to quickly clear out the cobwebs before trotting up to the door. Sure enough, the lights inside were still on and Rainbow could hear the hoofsteps of Fluttershy moving around her house.

She rapped heavily on the front door, rolling her eyes when she heard the surprised squeak from inside. “Fluttershy, it’s me. Can I come in?”

“Rainbow?” Fluttershy opened the door slowly, relaxing as she caught sight of her friend. “Goodness, I was so frightened for a moment. I don’t usually get visitors this late at night. Of course you can come in.”

Rainbow nodded in thanks, following the mare into the living room. She collapsed onto the couch, letting her head loll back onto the cushions.

“Would you like some tea? I have a kettle that I could warm up a bit.”

“Nah, you know I’ve never liked the stuff.” Rainbow waved a hoof without looking. “I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I’d check in on ya.”

“Well, that’s thoughtful of you,” Fluttershy said with a smile. She moved behind Rainbow’s head to place a pillow behind her neck. “I was just waking up Mr. Owl and his family for their nighttime exercise.”

“Good, good…”

Silence followed their short conversation. Though she couldn’t see Fluttershy next to her—her eyes were still closed out of sheer exhaustion—she could feel the mare next to her shifting uncomfortably.

Fluttershy scooted a little closer. “I-Is something the matter? You don’t usually visit this late in the evening. Not that I mind having you, it’s just—I mean—”

“I know; I didn’t mean to just barge in like that.” She sighed as she thought of how to phrase her troubles. “Today’s just been a weird day for me.”

“Well, I can understand why,” Fluttershy replied. She glanced down at Rainbow’s foreleg where the timekeeper was attached. “Taking on such a big responsibility is very admirable, Rainbow.”

“Yeah…”

“But,” she continued, “there’s something else, isn’t there?”

Rainbow cracked an eye open to look at her friend. “You could tell?”

“Rainbow, you were practically fighting against Pinkie when she pushed you back into the castle. How could any of us not notice?” She lay a comforting hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Rainbow paused for a moment before nodding resolutely. “I know, Flutters. You’re my best friend, and that’s part of the reason I came over tonight.”

“I’m all ears, whenever you’re ready.” Her hooves moved back into her lap.

“This whole thing with the timekeeper has my head all messed up,” Rainbow said. She leaned back, closing her eyes once more. “You know how Twilight asked me to stay after everyone else? Said she wanted to talk to me more about the test?”

“Right.”

“Well, I think she could sense that something was wrong, too. She kept asking if everything was alright in that egghead way of hers.” When Fluttershy said nothing in response, Rainbow took it as her cue to continue. “But you wanna know the worst part of it? I couldn’t even tell her the whole truth. I just sat there, telling her everything was alright.”

“What didn’t you tell her?” Fluttershy leaned close as to not miss anything.

Rainbow hesitated. She took a deep breath, knowing that Fluttershy didn’t spread rumors, much less those about her friends. “There’s… kinda somepony that I’ve got my eye on.”

A knowing smile crossed Fluttershy’s face, unseen by the pegasus next to her. “Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Now we know why the countdown was so low to start with.”

Rainbow sat up quickly, causing the mare next to her to jump back. “No! I mean, yes, but… Ugh, I don’t know!” She lay her head in her hooves. “What if this doohickey doesn’t point to the right pony? I don’t want it to be another pony!”

“I think I see what the problem is. You feel that you have very strong feelings for this pony, but if the timekeeper points to somepony else…”

“Then everything would be wrong!” Rainbow shouted.

Fluttershy chose her words carefully before responding. “Rainbow, I know it might not be what you want to hear, but I think that right now, we need to trust in the timekeeper. Twilight assured us that everything would work out in the end. I’m sure you have nothing to worry about and it will point to the correct pony.”

“I don’t know. And I hate not knowing,” she huffed. “I hate not being in control.”

“If you want my advice, I think you should talk to Applejack,” Fluttershy said calmly.

“Applejack?” Rainbow scoffed as she rolled onto her side. “No offense Fluttershy, but that sounds like a terrible idea.”

“Now why do you say that?” Fluttershy said with a frown. “You two have been friends for years!”

“Yeah, but you know what we’re like. Every time we get together, it’s bickering or messing with each other.” She gave a barking laugh. “Other ponies probably see us as rivals more than as friends.”

“W-Well, this isn’t a competition, is it? You’d be going to a friend for advice, not for a challenge. You’d have nothing to bicker about.”

“Even if we’re not fighting, it sounds like a good chance for her to laugh in my face.”

“Applejack may be a bit blunt, but she’s not a jerk, Rainbow! I’m sure that if you tell her that it means a lot to you, she’d be more than happy to be serious about it.”

Rainbow sighed, mulling the idea over. “I don’t know. I’ve never asked Applejack for advice before… but I guess I’ve never asked anyone besides you for this kind of advice.”

“I promise that you don’t have to go into specifics if you don’t want to, but she might be able to help you see it from another side.” Fluttershy ventured a hoof forward to soothe her friend again. “There are a lot of things that you guys agree on. Maybe she can understand your point of view better than I can.”

“Hmm…”

“Just promise me that you’ll try. Please?”

“Alright, alright… I promise I’ll see her tomorrow.” Rainbow stood up from the couch. “Thanks for talking with me, Flutters. It means a lot.”

“Anytime,” she said as she pulled Rainbow into a hug. “Do you want to stay the night here? If you’re having problems sleeping, I could make up the guest bed…”

“Nah, I think I’ll be fine. I just needed some help clearing out my head.” She headed for the door, waving goodbye. “Tell the owls that I said hello.”

She saw Fluttershy return the wave as she opened the front door and stepped out into the cool night once again. A few powerful wing beats had her back in the skies and she made a beeline for her cloud house, desperate to get in a few winks while she could. As she passed by Sweet Apple Acres, she glanced down at the farmhouse, where the Apple family was no doubt snug and soundly asleep in their beds. Applejack could help, she heard the voice in her mind say. But it’ll have to wait.

Rainbow darted back through the open window and made a crash landing on the inviting fluff of her cloud bed. She was snoring before her head even hit the pillow.

Author's Note

Well, I have no excuse aside from endless procrastination. Hopefully you've all enjoyed the chapter enough and won't beat my door down!

Chapter 4 [Partial, Synopsis in Author's Note]

Twilight rubbed her bleary eyes as she rolled away from the open window. The intrusive sunbeams may have won the battle this day, forcing her out of peaceful slumber, but she was determined to win the war. Sluggishly, she gave in to their demands, tossing off the covers and climbing off of the pillowy mattress. A swish of magic set the comforter back into resting position, and she made her way to the door with a grumble.

“Dumb sun. You won’t be so smug and radiant when I put that Dark as Night spell to good use later,” she said to herself. The sunbeams did not respond, most likely because they were scared stiff due to her threat and not at all due to the fact that they were intangible rays of light and could not experience fear.

Though she was at least three long hallways away from the kitchen, she could smell the delicious telltale aroma wafting from that direction. Spike was no doubt up and about already, and if her nose wasn’t fooling her, he was making her favorite—blueberry pancakes. She quickened her pace, eager to chow down.

The first thing she noticed upon entering the spacious dining room of the castle was the setup on one end of the long table. Two plates sat adjacent, with aligned silverware and folded napkins occupying the space. Nearby, a vase contained a blooming tiger lily for decoration, completing the image of a quaint breakfast for two. Twilight smiled warmly at the gesture; after all of their years living together, Spike knew well how to cheer her up after a stressful day.

When she poked her head into the kitchen itself, she saw the dragon himself standing on a stepstool in front of the stove, still heating a pan with his own breath. As she approached, he flicked his wrist, tossing the pancake deftly into the air and flipped it onto the other side. It landed back in the pan with satisfying sizzle, and Spike pumped his fist in victory. She couldn’t help but giggle at the silliness, which inevitably caused him to jump in surprise.

“Morning, Twi,” said Spike with a cheery wave of his unoccupied claw. “You’re up just in time for breakfast. I made your favorite!”

“I could smell it all the way across the castle,” she admitted sheepishly. A quick stretch loosened up her back muscles as she sighed in relief. “I slept like a log after staying up late with my report.”

“Sure looks like it. Even your mane looks like it spent an extra hour trying to escape your head,” he said, pointing to the shiny refrigerator.

“Yeah, I should really go take a shower and clean myself up.” Twilight pulled at some of the loose strands experimentally, though her reflection did not improve. “Are you alright to finish cooking by yourself?”

“You know it!” Spike gave a salute. “Breakfast shall begin upon your return, Commander Sparkle!”

“At ease, Sergeant Spike,” Twilight said with an exaggerated roll of the eyes. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

After a quick stop at her bedroom to grab a few towels, she made it to the adjoining bathroom and stepped into the shower. The cool stream at first helped wake her up fully, but before long shifted into a soothing hot flow of water onto her back. She had done much more walking yesterday than she was used to, and it showed in her hooves as the water cascaded down them, loosening the aching limbs. She spread her wings, allowing water to flow between the feathers.

For a moment, she entertained the thoughts of flying between places instead of walking everywhere, but despite the lessons she had been receiving from both Rainbow and Fluttershy, her flying abilities were not quite up to par. Besides, walking everywhere helped her meet and greet some of the townsfolk who always greeted her back jovially.

“Plus,” she thought aloud, “it’s probably better for me to be on the ground so I can meet as many ponies as possible. Who knows when one of them could be my soul mate?” She chuckled, turning around to let the water hit the lower part of her back and her rear legs. “Well, I suppose that literally the timekeeper knows. It’s just a matter of time until—”

Twilight stared at her forehoof. Surely her mind was just playing tricks on her, the last vestiges of sleep blinking their way through her mind. Her right foreleg was not bare, and definitely did have the timekeeper on it. She lowered her leg, closing her eyes and rapidly counting to ten. She had to be imagining things, and when she brought her hoof back up, she’d see the little device ticking away to a final time of... She brought it up to eye level to check, yet still her leg remained bereft of anything but her wet fur.

”I forgot to put it on!” She shrieked, launching herself out of the shower and barrelling out of the bathroom. In moments, her bedroom was in shambles; the comforter lay in a heap on the floor, her pillows sat beaten and protruding feathers, and every drawer was thrown open, with several hanging precariously off their hinges. Just as she was leafing through every page of the Equestrian Economic History, volume 7 textbook on her nightstand, she was struck with an epiphany. She had never taken it out of the study!

Still dripping water with every step, Twilight gave a triumphant shout as the knowledge returned to her, and she bolted down the hallway toward her study room. The last thing she needed was to put it off and lose more research data than she already had! Using her magic to steady herself, she performed a precision slide around the final corner and sprinted the last stretch of hallway. As she slid to a halt in front of the locked door, she fumbled for the key above the doorframe, seizing it in her magic and shoving it roughly into the lock.

Sure enough, upon her entry she saw the timekeeper still placed on the desk exactly where she had left it the night before. Without hesitation, she levitated it into place before pressing down firmly on the device. A tingle shot through her body—perhaps more of a shiver—as the device latched itself to her foreleg. Twilight only let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding when the clock face lit up and began the calibration.

“T-Twilight!” Spike appeared in the doorway, leaning on the frame and huffing as he regained his breath. “What’s wrong? I heard you - hah - shout from all the way in the kitchen! … And why’s the whole hallway floor wet?” Upon seeing her still dripping water onto the carpet, he added, “Did you run out of towels? I could have sworn I just restocked your bathroom a few days ago.”

“Fine! Everything’s fine!” Twilight panted as she pushed the wet strands of her mane out of her face, catching her breath after her mad dash. “I never put on the timekeeper before I went to bed last night, so—”

“That’s why you got water all over the floor and made me jump out of my scales? Jeez, Twilight!” Spike slapped a claw to his forehead. “I thought you were in danger! Don’t scare me like that again!”

“Eheheh… sorry. I just hope nothing was disturbed by forgetting it overnight.”

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense now,” he said as he came to her side. “What’s it say, what’s it say?”

Twilight shushed him, silently watching as the numbers on the face of the timekeeper spun lower and lower. Before she knew it, the timer reached its end and beeped its success, just as Rainbow’s had done yesterday.

“That’s good, right?” Spike asked, tapping the clock face. “So you’ve already met your soul mate too!”

“Oh, how could I be so forgetful?” Twilight fretted, absently smoothing the back of her mane out of habit. “What if I could have met my soul mate in my dream? Then I would have known who it is for sure! Maybe I should send a letter to Cadance just to check procedures or see some of their calculations, or—”

“Twilight!” Spike grabbed her leg, forcing it to stop its increasingly frantic motions. “Everything’s fine. We saw the same exact thing happen with Rainbow’s yesterday, remember?”

“That’s true…”

“Besides,” he said with a snort, “whoever heard of someone falling in love during a dream?”

She shook her head with a sigh. “After what I’ve heard of these things, I’m not ruling anything out yet.”

Author's Note

I'm sorry.

Synopsis of the remainder of the story:

Twilight's second timer is a few days longer than Rainbow's had been. She thinks nothing of this coincidence, knowing that Rainbow probably met someone at the Wonderbolt Academy or elsewhere. She frets over what to do, inevitably deciding to tally up everyone she knows and start crossing them off a list.

Rainbow stops by often during the next few days. At first she is excited, but becomes increasingly more agitated and worried as her timer ticks down. In an attempt to calm her down, Twilight makes dinner for the two of them. They share a tender, platonic (in Twilight's eyes) moment. She emphasizes this, to Rainbow's chagrin.

Fast forward a few days. Twilight has gone on a few dates from the most likely candidates on her list, though all the while she feels like she's exploiting them, knowing that her timer is still days away from finishing. She decides to pay Rainbow a visit, knowing her timer was close to finishing. Rainbow has shut herself in her house, though Twilight reminds her that clouds aren't the best home security. (at this point, Rainbow knows Twilight's timer does not line up with hers)

She is evasive and quiet, deflecting Twilight's questions. Rainbow says she figured out who it was, but can't tell her. Twilight grows frustrated at this, trying to draw it out of her in increasingly personal ways. Rainbow lashes out, tears streaming, telling her how much it hurts, more than any training accident or physical injury. Knowing that the person you love doesn't feel the same way. Twilight pieces it together.

"It's you," Rainbow choked out. "It's always been you."

Twilight is silent. The words don't come. They can't. She knows her timer hasn't ended yet. The weight of it on her wrist is immense. Rainbow bolts out the window and flies off.

Twilight shuts herself in the library. Blinded by anger, she yanks off her own timekeeper, noticing with a huff that it hasn't stopped counting down. She throws it across the room, piling a bunch of pillows on it in a means to shut it out of her mind.

Her friends come by to console her. Fluttershy tries to avoid the topic but when pressed mentions how Rainbow is acting. Won't open up to anyone. Spends her entire time throwing herself into her weather job, taking double or even triple shifts. The group has a sense of what happened but wants to hear it from Twilight.

She explains what happened, beating herself up over not acting in the moment. "All because of that stupid clock."

Through encouragement, she goes out to find Rainbow. She finds her kicking the hell out of a particularly stubborn cloud. They talk after a moment of tension. Rainbow notices she doesn't have the timekeeper on her wrist anymore. Twilight says it doesn't matter anymore. No clock is going to decide her fate when her heart is screaming at her to do what she has to. They kiss.

Meanwhile, back at the library, Spike is cleaning up Twilight's room after she left. He finds the timekeeper under the pile of pillows just in time to watch it tick down to zero.

<I had no plan for the rest of the story after this point. Either it was going to end here, or I would do a few vignettes of their lives together in the future. I had at least one of these vignettes planned out:

Twilight and Rainbow are having a particularly bad fight. Rainbow is still not convinced that the timekeeper made the right choice. It is revealed later that she was worried about this device controlling her destiny, something she always took pride in blazing for herself. They reconcile.>