Sleep is for the weak - Prologue
The purple sky shimmered in the window of Twilight Sparkle's study room. The room was organised chaos, as Rarity would put it, books everywhere though not a single one out of place in the eyes of Twilight. It was odd how chaotic she could be. And on the occasion she studied for three days straight, that was very chaotic. The amount of floor space covered by books was only beaten by the area covered in scrolls, actual visible floorboards were at a minimum. A checklist on top of one of the piles read:
Requirements:
None of the boxes were checked but the rest of the parchment was covered in hasty equations, diagrams and notes. As did most of the (once) blank parchment in the room. Twilight Sparkle herself was reading. Her eyes had bags underneath them and her mane needed to be brushed about ten times, off hairs point in every direction. Maybe she smelled a little, but it was the smell of science...
...or the smell of a pony who had been researching for two days and two nights without washing.
Unappreciated, but no less magnificent despite the lack of attention it was receiving from the sleep deprived pale violet alicorn, the sun began to rise. It cast bright rays of orange and pink into the sky around Ponyville, Celestia was welcoming her little ponies to enjoy a new day.
Twilight sparkle however, still wasn't finished with the day from two days ago: She was on a roll and refused to sleep until she won her prize, a fully functional time travel spell. One that you can use more than once and doesn't just last a few measly seconds.
Ever since the time she drove herself crazy trying to prevent a disaster that wasn't coming, it had been irritating her a great deal. Sure, she told spike she would stop worrying about the future, but how could she if she was so confused about the past?
Great unicorn mages across the centuries had tried to craft a spell that would allow free travel across time but all fell short. It was uncanny how they had all failed at the same point in their research. They lacked a focus point, an object that would let the time magic flow perfectly. A geometric masterpiece she had discovered two days ago. The only thing left was to figure out what material the focus would be crafted from.
Twilight sighed a tired sigh and stood up shakily, she had been reading the same paragraph for the last 10 minutes and decided it might be time for some food, and maybe a nap. Taking a rest may seem like a sign of defeat, and she was all for non-stop science, but she knew from experience when her brain stopped helping and started hurting her chances of success. Letting out a groan (not too loudly so she didn't rouse Spike who was sleeping in the bedroom across the library) she started through the ocean of words to reach the kitchen.
The construction of the focus point, probably her biggest contribution to science ever, was titled the octotrigonal-hexaspherical-hexahedron. Pinkie Pie, however had dubbed it the "Squar-cle-angle" due to it looking like a square with circles and triangles jutting out of it. To Twilight's horror, the name had stuck and now there was no point in even trying to address it correctly. She couldn't complain really, it did roll off the tongue quite nicely and you can't fault Pinkie for being herself. Besides if her time travel spell became a common occurrence you couldn't be writing down its full name in textbooks everywhere. It was a bit of a mouthful.
In any case it was a piece of junk (though beautifully mathematical) unless it was made out of the perfect substance to aid the spell. A substance she was no closer to finding even after researching for three day straight. It had to have the perfect density to allow the magic through, but not too brittle or it would shatter under the strain. It had to have the slightest bit of magical radiance to magnify the flow, but not so much that it would take control of the spell and cause an explosion or worse. It was driving her nuts.
She reached the kitchen and started making a sandwich, her bed seeming more and more appealing as she buttered the bread and picked out fillings. Her brain however, not one to give up a train of thought, continued.
Isn't it strange how nobody could ever find the right material for the center piece? Really, the shape is the hard part, especially when you have nothing to make prototypes out of in order to test them. Many tried to find the right substance after realizing the shape would be easier after it's discovery, but none had found success. This made Twilight worry.
She was starting to think, as much as she wanted to believe otherwise, that no such element or compound existed. Surely someone would have found the answer if there was one to find! Even her hero Star Swirl the Bearded being supervised by Celestia herself had failed in this regard, although Star Swirl's research on the angles of the focus point helped her a great deal with her breakthrough.
The strangest thing was that there were traces of crude time magic from old pony culture. How did they manage it? It's not like there's some kind of substance that existed and then up and vanished from the universe about 1000 years ago! That just didn't happen!
she had moved into the main room of the library to eat the sandwich and it was helping. Not with her problem but with her hunger. She eagerly took a few more bites and then sighed. Of course she had asked the princesses, who were actually around that long ago, but unfortunately they had no clue, time magic was a mysterious study lost in, well, time. To put it simply, Twilight thought, the whole problem made no sense.
What happened next made even less.
A breeze blew through Twilight's mane. She stopped chewing and swallowed. The breeze intensified until there was practically a gale in the library, pages swirling everywhere like a paper hurricane. In the center of the room fizzling blue-white sparks began to fly. Sweet Celestia, Her heart stopped, I've seen this before.
Just like last time, the point of light where the sparks were coming from grew to a pony sized ball of light. The light shimmered and grew until after one blinding flash it solidified into a tired looking (but completely ecstatic) purple pony, magical residue sparking around her body. It worked! future Twilight realized to her glee.
"It worked!" She yelled, causing present Twilight to wince at the volume. Unfazed by her own reaction to herself, future Twilight continued: "It worked! I'm scientifically possible! It's scientifically possible!". She was trotting on the spot unable to stay still due to her excitement.
Present Twilight was speechless. Then a thought crossed her mind and her eyes wandered down to the shiny object in front of her future self. "Sorry, no peeking!" said future Twilight quickly, snatching it up and hiding it in her mane before she could get a good look. "If I give you too much help it won't really be your discovery, will it?" she continued and then her thoughts wandered. "Who's discovery would it be if I did that?" she muttered absentmindedly.
"So, I guess you just came to boast then," present Twilight managed, grumpily interrupting future Twilight's train of thought. "Well," started future Twilight, "I needed a time to travel to to test the centerpiece and I knew now would be a good time because I was you and I've already had this conversation!" This thought made future twilight giggle. "Did you know I haven't slept in four days?" She asked with a manic look in her eyes. This made present Twilight sigh. "Can't you just tell me what it's made out of?" present Twilight implored, "Please, please, please, pleeeaaase, I'm stumped," her head drooped.
"Did you know I haven't slept in three... oh. Right."
"Yes! I knew that because I was you! heeheehee! I can't believe I did it! I can't wait to get back and tell every-"
Present Twilight was making a grumpy face, sitting on her plot, forehooves crossed.
"Aww, listen, I'm sorry." she held out her hoof to help herself up. "I guess I was kind of a jerk. Or... am being a- hmm." she looked off to one side again. "It's alright," present twilight said her frown softened.
I can't stay mad at myself.
"I'm sure I'll understand your reasons when I'm you." she said sadly. She took the hoof, though she was still a little annoyed her she hadn't offered herself any assistance with her problem. "Oh yeah I guess you will!" future Twilight replied, oblivious to her own feelings.
Then she grinned, her horn starting to glow, "Don't worry, I helped you more than you think," a second light was emanating from her mane where she had stashed the squarcleangle. "You figure it out soon enough!"
And with one last cry of "I did it!" and another blinding flash, she was gone.
Twilight was alone again and feeling many emotions. She had found the right material or at least would find it soon.
But what was it that she had told herself? "I haven't slept in four days" she muttered, remembering. Then she smiled, unable to contain her excitement. Her bed was no longer looking so good and she still had plenty more coffee.
Who needs sleep anyway?
~~quick note ~~
if you didn't just read the first chapter you should probably read it again because I changed it quite a bit after I first published this story. Enough of my rambling.
"YES!"
Quills and paper flew everywhere, launched by the enthusiastic scientist. It was mid afternoon now, a good seven hours or so since she had been visited by herself.
"Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!"
Yet more books and writing supplies were kicked aside (gently, she's a librarian) as the happy purple pony pranced around in a circle to celebrate her discovery. Hearing the commotion, spike came to the door to see if Twilight had finally found success. "I guess you found the- whoa!" spike began before he was taken in Twilight's magical grip.
"I did it, I found it at last! The crystal empire Spike! It was the crystal empire all along! Well I'm 99 percent sure... Oooh I can't wait to test it!" she exclaimed, still spinning, now with a small purple dragon along for the ride.
"That's great Twilight but-" spike retched a little, "Could you please put me down?"
"Oh right, sorry spike," Twilight apologized though unable to wipe the ear to ear grin of her face. She dropped him onto a pile of books with a thump and then turned to look out the window "But I finally did it!"
Then she laughed to herself. "I'm starting to sound like future me already." Dusting himself off, Spike managed "What?" but Twilight was already off down the hall with a few choice scrolls. He sighed, and ran to catch up and see what she was doing now.
She was packing a saddlebag, preparing for a trip. As she was rummaging through clutter spike heard her mumble, "I'll need that, no, no, not that, no, I guess so, oh this will be crucial..." As she muttered she was throwing stuff all over the room, less than half of it aiming for the bag.
"Twilight what are you doing? You can't go out like this, you need some rest!" Spike pleaded. "And a shower," he added quietly before twilight gasped and stared at spike with blood shot eyes. "Are you kidding me? How could I sleep now!?"
"You-" Spike was hit with a barrage of scrunched up parchment. Twilight had gone back to packing.
"Besides future me said she hadn't slept in four days so neither will I." Stupid future Twilight, thinks she's better than me. I'll show her! Then she paused realizing that would be her in a few hours (hopefully, If she was right and the crystal worked) so she shouldn't be mad at herself.
"Anyway!" Twilight exclaimed, abruptly standing up straight and levitating Spike on to her back along with her bags. "We've got a train to catch!" she shouted, and ran out the door, the dragon clinging for dear life.
***
The train station was anything but crowded. It was really nothing but a small ticket shed and platform next to the tracks and no one was there except for the ticket salesman who was leaning back, a book in his hooves. Twilight waltzed right past the booth by instinct. One of the more practical changes that came with her wings and alicorn-ness was free public transport. Princess perks! She had considered flying all the way to the empire but in her fatigued state she would barely make it a quarter of the way before passing out from exhaustion or something.
It's still tempting but Spike said if I follow his advice on anything today please let this be it and I do have to agree but Spike's other advice included sleeping and really who could sleep at a time like this?! I just invented Time Travel for Celestia's sake!
She was standing and tapping her hoof while waiting for the train, an impatient look on her face. The Crystal express was due at 3:00 pm and it's already 2:55! If our trains aren't running five minutes ahead of schedule equestria has gone to hay. Wait, no that's probably the sleep deprivation talking, I just cannot wait for this train.
Spike was looking bored, sitting slouched against the ticket shack with Twilight's stuff as she began to pace. But just then the one thing that could always cheer him up strode up onto the platform. Or should I say the one pony.
At the sight of Rarity, he immediately stood up and leaned against one of the saddlebags in a suave mannner. But his demeanor fell as the radiant white unicorn ignored him and headed for Twilight.
"Hello Twili- Uh! I mean... um, are you feeling ok?" Rarity asked, taken aback when she noticed twilights dishevelled state.
Twilight replied, "Oh! Hi Rarity! I'm great, I just invented time travel!" She saw Rarity's worried frown and continued "Why do you ask?"
"Well I hope you don't mind me saying darling, but your mane is a disaster, and last time you looked like you do now, you turned the whole town into an angry mob fighting over a stuffed toy. "Twilight coughed. "Ahem. Well, this is different. Remember the Squarcleangle? I finally figured out what to make it out of!"
"Oh, good for you Twilight, I knew you could do it" Rarity said giving her a friendly shoulder bump. "What is it?"
"It's a crystal that can only be found in the Crystal empire, that's why I'm at the train station."
"Oh, what a coincidence I happen to be traveling to the empire today as well, to meet with a huge client! He is so wealthy he payed for me to stay the night in a hotel tonight so we can talk over brunch tomorrow."
"Wow, sounds like you have a big opportunity Rarity."
"Uh, tell me about it, I swear I won't get a wink of sleep tonight, I'm so nervous. I have no idea what I'm going to do when I get there either. I mean, there's sight seeing but I've seen plenty of the crystal empire just as you have." Twilight thought for a second.
"You could stick with me and Spike if you want. I could use your expertise with gems and it might help take your mind off the important meeting."
"Oh could I? That sounds lovely Twilight,"
"We'd be happy to have the company." Twilight returned with a smile. "Right Spike?" Twilight said, turning her head in his direction.
"Absolutely," Spike said in a lovesick voice behind them, making both mares laugh carelessly.
When the train arrived, the trio boarded together, happy to have found a friend (or friends in rarity's case) to spend the train ride and evening with.
"You really should have a shower though Twilight" Rarity commented as they sat. "Your mane and tale are simply terrible!"
"I know Rarity, I heard you the first time. I doubt there are any showers on this train but if there are I promise I'll wash up."
"And you do smell a little as well,"
Spike said "A little?" and Twilight sighed.
