Chapter One: Nivath's Final Hope
Nivath: Two Thousand Years Ago, Five Years After the Founding of Equestria
Lord Turinhoof quickly galloped down the hall with a scroll clutched between his teeth. He was an Earth pony with a white coat and a navy blue mane. His cutie mark was a single grey cog and his eyes were the colour of dark yellow. He wore a royal blue cloak that had the symbol of Nivath pinned on the front. The symbol of Nivath was a simple design, it looked like a silver circle with three lines spread throughout the middle. It was in fact modeled after the Empress' own cutie mark.
The reason why he was moving so quickly was because his Empress had specifically requested for him to retrieve the scroll, since it apparently contained within the necessary information for her to complete her latest creation. Nopony knew what she was making. Not even her own personal adviser knew and he was the only one that Empress Niv still trusted in. Personally, Lord Turinhoof was honoured to be her adviser, but this secrecy had left him worried. The scientist who wrote the scroll Lord Turinhoof was currently carrying was executed only a few days ago when the Empress discovered what he had written.
Now that I think about it... executions have been occurring a lot more frequently than what I am accustomed to, Lord Turinhoof thought. That scientist was a good friend of mine... I only hope that whatever he had wrote will help put a stop to the uprising in a peaceful manner. A sudden boom rocked Castle Tempus, causing Lord Turinhoof to stumble but he quickly recovered and carried on. Blast it! Those fools are merely heading straight to their own demise if they continue their assault. I only wish for there to be peace... they'll never be able to break through Castle Tempus' shields.
Not very long ago, the Nivathians had discovered a unique material which they soon called Tempus Stone. This material allowed Empress Niv and the Nivathians to greatly expand their empire and create advanced technology that allowed all of them to live the way they do today. However, the Empress let the power of the Tempus Stone get to her head, which in turn caused a small group of ponies to form who opposed her rule. Over time, Empress Niv began to make horrible, horrible decisions, and as her paranoia grew about others wanting to steal her rightful place as ruler, so did the rebellion. The rebellion clearly believed that she had to be stopped before she did anything that they would all regret. By executing the scientist, the rebellion finally declared war and they attacked Tempus City, Empress Niv's seat of power where she was caught by surprise. Lord Turinhoof had questioned his own loyalties multiple times, but he believed that his Empress would make the right decision in the end.
As Lord Turinhoof passed through the throne room, his pace turned from a gallop to a walking speed. He could already hear noises coming from within Empress Niv's room as he approached her door and gently knocked. The noises suddenly became silent and a blue hologram of Empress Niv appeared before him.
"We stand united as one, a nation greater than any other," the hologram said and Lord Turinhoof knew that was his cue to finish the phrase.
"Our bond shall forever stand against the test of time, for we are the ponies of Nivath," Lord Turinhoof replied, successfully completing the phrase. The hologram nodded and faded away just as Empress Niv opened her door and revealed herself for the first time in days, much to Lord Turinhoof's surprise. Her mane and clothing were a mess and dark bags had formed underneath her eyes, but despite all of that she surprisingly was still able to keep her beauty. She was a Unicorn after all. Niv had a cherry red coat and her mane was naturally aqua green, although she had dyed parts of it aqua blue. Her eyes were the the same colour as that of the blue glow the Tempus Stone gave off due to being exposed to it for extended periods at a time.
"Ah, Lord Turinhoof, it's wonderful to be able to see you with my own two eyes once again," she said just as another boom rocked the castle. "And it looks like you've brought the scroll like I asked. Excellent. Please come in."
Lord Turinhoof simply nodded his head and went inside, followed by Empress Niv. At first, Lord Turinhoof couldn't see anything in the darkness except for multiple blue glows, but that problem was solved when Empress Niv pressed a button, causing the door to hiss shut and the lights to hum to life. Various gadgets whirred and hummed throughout the room, all giving off the same unique blue glow due to the material it was being powered by. Tempus Stone. Lord Turinhoof looked around the room in awe, having never even seen half the gadgets that he could find.
"Quite the sight, don't you agree Lord Turinhoof?" Empress Niv asked and Lord Turinhoof quickly nodded. She walked over to one of the devices and lifted it from its pedestal. With the push of a button on its back, a pair of what looked to be eyes turned bright blue and it began to hover out of her hoof. It gave off a few excited beeps and nuzzled itself against Turinhoof's cheek. "There is so much we can do with this material Lord Turinhoof... we can create artificial intelligence..." She suddenly swatted the creation out of the air and crushed it beneath her hoof. "And take it away with ease."
Lord Turinhoof used the brief pause to take the scroll out of his mouth and placed it on a nearby table. He returned his gaze to Empress Niv to find that she had retrieved another device, but there was also something else that he spotted. Something big that was covered by thick, purple silk.
"And what we destroy... can be renewed." She aimed the rod at the shattered robot and Lord Turinhoof watched in amazement as blue lightning shot out from the end of the rod, quickly repairing the machine and returning it to its pedestal. "Tell me Lord Turinhoof, what would you do if you were in my hooves with access to such power?"
"I- I do not know," Lord Turinhoof stammered. "But what I do want to know is what- what you have been doing these last few days." Empress Niv chuckled and smiled at Lord Turinhoof, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Ah yes, I believe you have waited long enough my dear," Empress Niv replied and she returned the rod to its previous position before walking over to the object covered in silk. "Behold, the device that'll end this petty conflict and leave me as ruler of Nivath for eternity!" She took the silk off, revealing a large device that blinked and pulsed blue light. "Behold... the Eternity Bomb." Lord Turinhoof's eyes widened in shock and he took a step backwards. He could feel the power of multiple Tempus Stones radiating from within, power that should not be gathered all in one spot.
"E- Empress Niv! What are you planning to do with that!?" Lord Turinhoof exclaimed and took another step backwards. "This is... this is..."
"Yes, it is rather wonderful isn't it? So much Tempus Stone in one spot," Empress Niv replied and retrieved the scroll that Lord Turinhoof had brought from the table. "All I need to do now is power it up even further and use the information in this scroll to properly tune it. You are going to help me finish it. Together we shall show those rebels that we are not to be trifled with! It was I who led us here! It was I who saved us all! Those who do not wish to follow shall be eliminated! And you and I can rule this land... forever."
Lord Turinhoof gulped and nodded in agreement, his suspicions having secretly been confirmed at last. The rebels were right, the Empress had truly gone mad with power. He was a fool for believing otherwise, and now he was going to go down in history as the one who helped cause mass genocide... unless... unless he can stop her. Stop her before it's too late. He just had to play along for now.
"What is it that you wish me to do Empress Niv?" Lord Turinhoof asked and he bowed before her. A smile came across Niv's face and she gently patted his head.
"I always knew I could count on you, Lord Turinhoof," she said. "I want you to calibrate the bomb using the scroll you brought here. I'll begin to power the device by using the power of our shields."
"But Empress Niv! The rebels could break through!" Lord Turinhoof exclaimed. "We would be left extremely vulnerable."
"That will not matter once we detonate the bomb Lord Turinhoof. Let them come! The closer they are to the bomb the better. Now begin the calibrations!" Lord Turinhoof nodded and she gave him the scroll before she activated a hidden button on the wall, revealing a monitor and a microphone. "Attention all officers, divert shield power to my room. You will follow this order or suffer the consequences. That is all." A few seconds later, both of them heard the shields begin to power down outside and was shortly followed by multiple booms, much closer and louder than before.
Empress Niv quickly pulled a nearby lever which caused a spot on the ceiling to open up, revealing a giant device that lowered and attached itself to the bomb. Meanwhile, Lord Turinhoof had begun the calibrations on the bomb, following the scroll word for word. The scroll described how devices such as bombs can become extremely unstable if not wired properly. One small mistake and there was a chance you would die a horrible death. What caught his attention the most though was the fact that the scroll contained within the calculations for stopping time and time travel. It was right then that he realized why Empress Niv required the scroll, and why her device was called the Eternity Bomb.
So this... this is why she had the scientist executed... so she could keep the secret of time travel to herself! She'll most likely kill me too afterwards then... I will not stand idly by and watch thousands of innocents possibly be murdered by this monstrosity, Lord Turinhoof thought. Now if I just cross the blue wire with the red wire... cut the yellow wire... press a few of these buttons... aaand there. That should do it. Lord Turinhoof took a step back to admire what he had accomplished when the lights suddenly flickered and dimmed.
"Do not worry Lord Turinhoof, I had to also tap into Castle Tempus' power supply in order to finish the charging process. It should be done in three... two... o-" She never finished the countdown since a large explosion suddenly blew up part of her room, sending the two flying against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Lord Turinhoof hit his head rather hard, causing his vision to become blurry. When he was able to see clearly again, he saw that a large smoking hole had been left behind from the shot. He looked outside of the hole to see that multiple places had been hit. The explosion had also caused his ears to begin ringing and it made him unable to hear what Empress Niv was screaming at him. Unfortunately the peaceful silence didn't last long.
"...the bomb is complete, it's time to end this silly charade," he heard Empress Niv say before pressing a button on the bomb and turning to face Lord Turinhoof. "Thank you for all of your help Lord Turinhoof, but I believe this is where we say good bye." A timer appeared on the front of the bomb and it began to count downwards.
"G- goodbye?" What do you mean?" Lord Turinhoof asked which caused Empress Niv to throw her head back and laugh.
"You still don't get it, do you?" she asked after she finished laughing. "You were never going to rule alongside me... for there can only be one true ruler!" She pulled out a weapon which Lord Turinhoof recognized immediately. A military plasma rifle which she aimed directly at his head. "It has been fun Lord Turinhoof. Thank you for sticking with me all this way, you will be quickly forgotten."
With the push of a button, a lightning blue shot was fired directly at Lord Turinhoof's head and he tried to dodge out of the way, only to have it clip his shoulder as he ducked behind a workbench. He yelled in pain as the smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils. It wasn't a pleasant scent.
"Come out Turinhoof! You can't hide behind there forever!" Empress Niv taunted and Turinhoof clenched his teeth in pain and anger. He quickly looked around for anything he could use and spotted the robot from earlier that hovered. He grabbed it when he was suddenly enveloped by a blue glow and lifted upwards. "Have you forgotten Turinhoof? I'm a Unicorn! I can still use magic when I can't use technology!" Turinhoof quickly activated the robot without a second thought and it beeped once before he tossed it towards Niv, causing her to drop him and allowing him to charge towards the bomb. "Get out of my face you dumb thing! I said get- Turinhoof? What are you- No! NO!" Turinhoof had pushed the bomb to the edge of the hole and it was he that was smiling this time. "Don't you move another inch Turinhoof! The Eternity Bomb must go off at this point!"
"Your reign is at an end my dear, no Empress rules forever, especially one such as yourself," he said before pushing himself and the bomb out of the hole. As he plummeted towards the ground. Empress Niv screamed in frustration and began to fire upon the rapidly descending pony and bomb.
"This isn't over!" Empress Niv screamed. "You haven't won yet!"
No, I have not, Lord Turinhoof thought. But you will be defeated. I just need... a little help is all. Lord Turinhoof closed his eyes as the countdown on the bomb reached zero just before he hit the ground. The following explosion was massive and truly a sight to behold. A light blue sphere quickly grew and enveloped most of the land of Nivath, either decimating it or curiously enough preserving parts of it due to Lord Turinhoof's modifications. There was no sound, no wind, everything had grown still. Those not destroyed vanished without a trace, even Tempus City and Empress Niv just simply disappeared. When the explosion finished at last, the great Nivathian Empire was no more. It was as if it never existed, save for a few ruined buildings and settlements left behind in the aftermath of the Eternity Bomb's destruction. A butterfly lazily fluttered about and landed on a ruined device. It beeped one final time before the blue glow in its eyes faded, resting forever more.
Nivath: Present Time
Birds chirped in the trees and the sun shined upon the land of Nivath. The plants had reclaimed the land over the course of hundreds of years. Everything was peaceful and silent until an explosion shattered the silence, scaring the critters in the vicinity. A smoking crater suddenly appeared, leaving behind a single pony covered in soot. His mane was standing on end and his clothes were tattered, but he coughed, which meant he was alive.
"Ugh... my head... I'm aching all over..." he said out loud and slowly raised himself from the ground. At first he didn't recognize his surroundings, but everything slowly came back to him and he realized that he was standing in what remained of Castle Tempus' garden. "I'm... alive? I... I don't believe it! My modifications worked! I was successfully able to travel through time! But where... no... when... what year is it?"
He stepped out of the crater and began to travel to a place he knew would have the answers he needed. He hoped that a nearby monitor station survived the blast since it was built underground to keep an eye on the citizen's usage of power, as well as magic levels.
If my memory is correct, then the entrance should be right... ah here it is! A metal hatch had been covered by grass and flowers, but Turinhoof easily cleared it away and easily kicked the hatch in, causing it to clang against the metal floor below. He jumped down into the darkness to find a glowing blue monitor at the end of the hall. Excellent.
He quickly walked down the hall and sat in a chair that had seen better days. A touch pad laid in front of him and he was able to get the system up and running again, but just barely.
"Computer, give me a status report," Turinhoof said and waited for the computer to respond.
"Voice recognition confirmed. Welcome user Lord Turinhoof. Status report complete," a soothing female voice said. "Multiple errors found, system connection failure located in multiple areas. Year is currently 2005 E."
Turinhoof rubbed his forehead in disbelief and sighed. "2005 E? I can't believe I travelled two millennium into the future! And what's with the E? Grr... Computer, perform a sweeping scan of the globe, target any points with a high concentration of magic." A radar briefly appeared on the screen, followed by a map of Nivath which shrank, revealing other areas of the world. He watched as multiple dots appeared on the map to the far east, but eventually only narrowed down to five dots.
"Scan complete. High concentrations of magical energy have been located in five areas in the land of E.Q.U.E.S.T.R.I.A. Is there anything else you desire?" the computer asked.
"So that's where the E is from... I wonder when this... Equestria... was founded. Yes computer, could you please focus on the dot closest to Nivath? Give me any information you can." The computer hummed until it at last dinged, bringing up a picture of the one he was interested in.
"Results complete. Subject is known as Twilight Sparkle. Subject's race is known as Alicorn, the result of all three pony races combined," the computer said. "Currently the Princess of Friendship and the bearer of the sixth Element of Harmony known as magic. Currently resides in a place called P.O.N.Y.V.I.L.L.E. Is there anything else you desire?"
"Twilight Sparkle... curious name," Turinhoof said as he looked at the lavender Alicorn. "And yes computer, can you scan my vitals? I'm not feeling too well," Turinhoof replied and the computer quickly enveloped him in a blue glow.
"Scanning... Scanning... Scan complete. Anomalies have been detected in your system. Mass exposure to Tempus Stone has resulted in an acceleration in the ageing process. Injury detected on the upper right shoulder, I would suggest using these supplies to heal it," the computer said and a wall opened up to the right revealing medical supplies. The computer put an image of his body on the screen and targeted the areas where the anomalies were detected, which was pretty much his entire body "Is there anything else you desire?" Turinhoof shook his head and with a swipe of his hoof, he returned to the dots.
"No thank you computer, begin shut-down protocol three-two-zero-one-five," Turinhoof replied and the computer quickly went black. "I know where I must go... but first I must make them understand, and then show them the way... time to get to work before I run out of time myself."
