Sapphire and Steel: Assignment Equestriaby Bemused FoxChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1‘Remind me again sugarcube, when the Princess said she would drop Spike off personally, did she actually specify completely redecorating the library before she arrived?’ Twilight Sparkle grinned sheepishly as she poured the tea. ‘Not in so many words, no…but you know, the place did need a bit of sprucing up and, well…’ She gestured round the dishevelled library. Teetering stacks of books were testament to her flurry of activity earlier that day, while a sad little patch of paint on one of the empty shelves bore witness to the extent of her decorating prowess. Painting an entire library, Twilight had reluctantly decided, was not actually the kind of task anypony could do alone in one day, no matter how organised she was - or how many pre-painting checklists she drew up… ‘I really appreciate you girls helping out, but are you sure I’m not keeping you from anything? I mean, this is going to take all day, and…’ Rarity gently put a hoof to Twilight’s mouth. ‘Now darling, not another word of protest – if it’s important to you, then it’s important to us. Besides, I’ve always thought I may have a flair for interior design, wouldn’t you agree?’ She sipped delicately at her teacup and gestured languidly at the open magazine in front of her. ‘Now…how do you feel about raffia wall-hangings and driftwood? It’s very much the in thing this season. Of course, you’d have to lose some of these dusty old bookshelves…’ Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. ‘Uhh, Rarity – this is a library, remember? Bookshelves are kind of a necessity!’ ‘But darling, minimalist is so stylish at the moment, I’m sure the library doesn’t need quite so many…’ A knock at the door interrupted the good-natured bickering. This had to be Pinkie Pie, Twilight decided - only Ponyville’s most dedicated party pony could make a simple knock at the door sound so happy. Sure enough, as soon as she magicked the door open, Pinkie hopped merrily into the library, carrying a large covered basket. Behind her…..Huh? Twilight blinked in surprise. Behind Pinkie Pie was, in fact, a ghost. As the ponies watched in astonishment, the apparition floated across the threshold, raised a white-shrouded hoof and said ‘Umm…..boo? If you don’t mind being booed, that is?’ It was enough to make the friends crack up completely and, in Applejack’s case, spray tea across the library floor. Still laughing, Twilight levitated the dust-sheet off Fluttershy, while Pinkie was rolling on the floor in hysterics. ‘Were you scared, Twi?? That was my idea!! But Fluttershy made a much better ghost than me because I can’t fly!!’ Fluttershy looked concerned. ‘Oh…I hope I didn’t really scare you, Twilight?’ It was all the unicorn could to to shake her head without bursting into giggles instead. At last, Pinkie composed herself and started rummaging through her basket. ‘Ooh….we’ve got everything we need for the party!’ ‘Party?’ asked Twilight warily, regarding the stack of items Pinkie was busily unpacking. ‘The painting party, of course! I’ve brought cakes, dust-sheets, some liquorice, jam-jars to put the paintbrushes in, a rubber chicken, and even the music to paint by, yay!!’With a flourish, Pinkie pulled her gramophone from the basket and set it triumphantly on an errant encyclopedia. Twilight couldn’t help feeling a little impressed. But on the other hoof….Pinkie’s musical tastes? ‘Not the Pony Pokey, is it?’ Twilight regarded the gramophone with suspicion. ‘No silly, this is completely different! It’s the Pony Polka! It’s on the ‘B’ side of my Pony Pokey record!’ ‘Ahh…entirely different, then…’ Pinkie cranked the gramophone enthusastically. ‘Now, watch me do the actions, then you can copy me!’ As she lowered the needle onto the record, the cheerful strains of an accordion crackled from the brass horn, joined after a few bars by the voice of a jolly baritone stallion. ‘Please place your pony partner in the pony polka pose Don’t stop the song, just sing along and this is how it goes. I’ll be doing the pony polka from my hooves up to my nose, If there’s one thing that I’m good at it’s the pony polka pose!’ Pinkie finished her dance routine by sliding across the library floor toward the basket of treats. ‘Taa-daa!! And you end the dance with jazz-hooves! And with cake, mm-mmmm!’ The other ponies shared a look. ‘Umm, sugarcube – it’s a nice song an’all, but…’ ‘It’s hardly a repetoire for divine décor inspiration , darling. Haven’t you anything less….energetic?’ Pinkie scowled. ‘Aww….but I know for a fact you said this was one of your favourite records, Dashie!’ Rainbow looked up in surprise from the new Daring Do book she’d purloined from the New Arrivals shelf. ‘Uh, yeah….when I was three!’ The pink mare beamed.’See? I knew you said you liked it! Just let the three-year-old you listen to it!’ Rainbow shook her head in amusement. ‘Pinkie Pie, you really are so random sometimes!’ ‘I was always a Sapphire Shores girl, even at that age,’ mused Rarity. ‘I used to spend all the bits I got for chores to buy her records, and dance round my bedroom to them. Ahem…with grace and style, of course!’ Fluttershy nodded emphatically. ‘Oh, me too - my parents even took me to one of her concerts in Cloudsdale once. I cheered so loud…’ She looked mildly embarassed. ‘Well, loud by my standards, I mean...’ Applejack slurped down her tea and grinned. ‘Never had no fancy gramophones growing up on the farm, but Granny Smith always taught me all the rhymes and stories she knew from when she were a little-un.’ She cleared her throat. ‘One apple, two apple, three apple, four, Five apple, six apple, seven apple, more! Nine apple, ten apple….’ ‘Eleven apple, by any chance?’ remarked Twilight, reaching for another cupcake. Applejack grinned ruefully. ‘Reckon you’ve heard it before! Good rhythm to sort apples to though! So how about you, sugarcube? What songs did they teach you at that fancy unicorn kindergarten?’ Twilight glanced awkwardly at the ground for a brief moment, before forcing a smile. ‘Oh, I never really learned any…..too busy studying. You know how it is.’ Applejack gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ‘No worries sugarcube, guess there wasn’t much room in that big old magical brain of yours for silly filly-rhymes, what with all the spells you were learning!’ Twilight looked thoughtful, raking her memory. ‘Well, I do actually remember one, but…’ She paused, looking uncertain. “I didn’t like it as a filly, but here goes - as I….as I was trotting up the stairs, I met a mare who wasn’t there. She wasn’t there again today, How I wish she’d go away.’ A cold shiver crept round the room as Twilight finished reciting. ‘Oh my…’ murmured Fluttershy after an uncomfortable silence. ‘That’s a bit, umm….’ ‘Urgh, creepy!’ finished Applejack. ‘Let me guess, your brother teach you that one to scare you? Big Macintosh was always trying to spook me with ghost stories growing up.’ Rainbow scoffed, holding up the adventure book she was reading. ‘That’s nothing! You want to know what creepy is? Being buried up to your fetlocks in a pit full of scarab beetles, that’s creepy! But nothing’s too creepy for Daring Do! Why, she..mmph!’ A well-aimed cushion cut her off mid-sentence. ‘Twi’s not read that one yet sugarcube, don’t go spoiling it!’ ‘Umm. Beetles aren’t creepy, they’re actually creepy-crawly…and they really don’t like being piled up in pits…’ Rarity smiled at Twilight. ‘So, did your mare on the stair have fabulous hair?’ ‘Eat a pear at the fair? remarked Applejack drily. ‘While flying in the air?’ Rainbow soared round the room to demonstrate. ‘Meet a bear? Or a hare?’ giggled Pinkie, making bearclaw gestures with her hooves and hopping like a hare at the same time. Fluttershy cringed a little as five pairs of eyes turned to her expectantly. ‘Umm…umm….use the Stare?’ All six friends fell about laughing, the brief moment of unease passing as quickly as it had arrived. As the ponies polished off the tea and cakes, Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to skim over a few more paragraphs of her book As much as she loved her friends, she couldn’t help but feel that the fearless adventurer Daring Do would never be called upon to do a spot of redecorating. Eventually though, her friends’ voices filtered through the literary haze - ‘So, are we going to get started or what?’ ‘Twilight dear, we’ll start with your bedroom first. Proper decorators always start at the top and work down, you know.’ ‘Proper decorators, Rarity? Like a certain unicorn that painted herself into the corner of her boutique and had to scream for help…?’ ‘I thought we were never going to speak of that again…’ Pinkie bounced eagerly up the stairs, somehow managing to balance the gramophone, records, painting supplies and surplus food on her back. ‘Dashie, Shy, you two coming? We’ve got sandpaper with your names on it up here! And liquorice!’ ‘Oh…coming Pinkie, I’m just clearing up the tea things.’ ‘Up in a moment, just let me finish this chapter!’ Daring struggled against the ropes that dug into her flank, but it was no use. She was bound fast and in the clutches of the tribe of zebra cannibals. At a gesture from the cannibal chief, two zebras in ceremonial wooden masks hoisted the bamboo cane to which Daring was tied onto their shoulders and began dragging her toward the ominously bubbling cooking-pot. Thinking fast, Daring began to – ‘Rainbow darling, did you see where I left that purple paint?’ Her concentration broken, Rainbow sprang up, flexed her wings and glanced around the library floor. Lets see….the paint tin’s by that shelf there, Rarity’s up there…ha, ten seconds flat! With a determined beat of her wings, the pegasus skimmed in a low-flying loop round the room, grasped the paint with both hooves and surged upstairs toward the upper floor with wings nearly folded, relying on her momentum to negotiate the narrow cluttered staircase. As she emerged in Twi’s bedroom she spread her flight feathers to slow herself down, deposited the tin of paint in front of a startled Rarity accompanied by a mock salute, twisted in mid-air and hurtled back downstairs, bouncing slightly as she hit the couch in a reading position, grinning from ear to ear. ‘Nine seconds….yeess!!’ As she picked up her book again she noticed Fluttershy looking at her in confusion. ‘Ahem…just timing myself, Shy! Gotta keep practising if I’m ever going to make the Wonderbolts!’ Still grinning to herself, her gaze returned to the page. At a gesture from the cannibal chief ,two zebras in ceremonial wooden masks hoisted the bamboo cane to which Daring was tied onto their shoulders and began dragging her toward the ominously bubbling cooking-pot. Thinking- ‘Rainbow, Fluttershy, could one of y’all lend a hoof up here?” Rainbow sighed in exasperation and put the book down yet again. “Coming, AJ,’ ‘Oh, I’ll get this one’ smiled Fluttershy. ‘I know how it is when you get stuck into a book…Angel-bunny does so love his Stephanie Mare romances.’ Rainbow glanced up as her friend trotted happily up the library staircase toward Twilight’s bedroom, squeezing past the neat stacks of books on every step. She shook her head in amusement – she’d never even consider using stairs if there was an opportunity to fly instead. Of course, not everypony can be as awesome a flier as me! Settling back against the cushion, she picked up her book once more. Right, she thought, let’s see how Daring gets out of this one! At a gesture from the cannibal chief… Rainbow frowned, blinking in confusion. The page blurred in front of her, the words fading and reforming as she watched. At a gesture from the cannibal chief, two zebras in ceremonial wooden masks strode forward into one of the mud huts. Moments later, they emerged, carrying between them a bamboo pole, tied to which was a yellow pegasus. Her long pink mane dragged in the mud as she struggled in vain to free herself. Daring watched in bafflement – was this a member of another expedition? A rival archeologist?Her cutie mark was three butterflies – an entymologist perhaps? Whoever she was, the poor mare’s mind had clearly gone and she was babbling incoherently. ‘Please, there’s been an awful mistake…I don’t belong here…Rainbow Dash, Rainb- Rainbow snapped the book shut, her heart pounding. A bare second later, a frightened scream rang out from Twilight’s bedroom. Chapter 2From the summit of a grassy hill, a solitary form surveyed the town with disdain. This was neither the assignment nor the location he’d been expecting, and the frivolous architecture of the settlement below did nothing to improve his mood. Behind him, a twig snapped underhoof as somepony approached. He didn’t turn around. After a moment, the newcomer spoke. ‘Hello Steel. It’s been a long time.’ He gave a curt nod. ‘Sapphire. I’ve been waiting.’ He stood up, stumbling forward momentarily as he did so. Sapphire smiled. ‘Four legs, Steel. Takes a little practice. You would appear to have incarnated as a pony.’ She paused, familiarising herself with her new form. ‘And I’m a unicorn, how delightful! But not exactly our usual corner of reality.’ ‘Hmm. So where are we?’ The blue unicorn’s eyes glowed for a moment, retrieving the information. When she spoke, her voice was distant. ‘Equestria. The rules are…different…here. More pliable. Utilisation of focused psychic energy - magic, for want of a better term. Our talents may seem less…impressive…to the natives than we’re accustomed to.’ She raised an eyebrow in amusement. ‘You may just have to get by with your charm and dazzling personality, Steel.’ Steel glowered at her, but said nothing in response. Unabashed, she continued. ‘Equines are the dominant species in this paticular land, but sentience is common to most creatures in this world to a greater or lesser extent. A peaceful culture stretching back over two thousand years. Benevolent monarchical government. Technological advancement is….erratic. Economic system is-‘ The grey pony stamped his hoof impatiently. ‘Irrelevant details. We’re here to do a job, Sapphire. The same job we always do – they break Time, we fix it before it can get loose. Now, can you tell where we're needed?’ The unicorn nodded toward the town. ‘There, I believe. Ponyville. The library. An old building, filled with very old books. There have been - ' she closed her eyes and concentrated - 'two deaths in the building. Both natural, none within the last forty years.' Steel frowned. 'Is that relevant?' She shook her head. 'I don't think so. Just a trace of lingering sadness. One of them was a new-born foal. The issue we're facing is much more recent. I can feel it - a fissure ripped in Time, not more than a year ago. A small one so far, but…’ ‘What was the trigger?’ ‘An instance of time-travel, I suspect. It feels like that, at any rate. But… ‘Time-travel!’ Steel muttered. ‘Wherever we end up, the same reckless creatures making the same stupid mistakes, never thinking about the consequences. Why do we even bother, Sapphire?’ She smiled briefly. ‘You know why, Steel. And don’t pretend you’d ever not intervene. But there’s something more here, it feels….’ The unicorn turned to her companion with a look of alarm. ‘Steel, something’s already come through. We’ve arrived too late. It’s already started.’ Chapter 3With a trail of flapping books in her wake, Rainbow Dash hurtled through the library, barrelling into Applejack and knocking her to the floor. Spitting the book from her mouth, she spluttered, ‘She’s….Fluttershy….in…..story…Daring Do…cannibal zebras…’ Rainbow stammered. She shook her head and took a deep breath. ‘Is this a prank? Did Twilight magic the book? Because if you did, I didn’t fall for…it…’ It was then that she noticed Applejack’s tear-stained face. ‘Rarity’s gone. And Twi won’t wake up. I’ve been waiting hours, Rainbow. Where were you? I sent Pinkie to get help, but nopony came.’ ‘What do you mean, gone? And what’s happened to Twilight? And…hours? What?’ ‘Fluttershy’s where? Are you and Pinkie pulling another joke?’ The two ponies stared at each other in confusion. ‘I…..’ ‘Uh…’ ‘What the hay is going on here?’ Rainbow roughly shoved past toward Twilight’s bed. The unicorn lay on her side, her eyes closed. The blanket gently rose and fell in time with her slow, steady breathing. She laid a hoof on Twi’s forehead, feeling the warmth of her friend’s fur. ‘She’s just sleeping, isn’t she? Twi? Twi! Wake up!’ She made to shake the sleeping pony’s shoulder, but an orange hoof gently restrained her. ‘It’s no good, sugarcube, I’ve tried. I tried to make her comfortable as best I could. She just pitched over without a sound, right in front of me, and when I looked round for help, Rarity just faded and went. Pinkie and I moved her here and-‘ Applejack paused, and looked curiously at the pegasus. ‘Just what did you say about Fluttershy? Where is she?’ Wordlessly, Rainbow trotted to the discarded book and picked it up. ‘Thapther Thor’ she mumbled, her words muffled by the pages. She set it down on the bed,it’s cover falling shut. ‘Chapter four. I was reading it and then she was….she was in it.’ Applejack gave her friend a disbelieving look. ‘It’s true AJ, it really is! Look!’ ‘I wouldn’t open that book if I were you.’ The two friends turned in surprise at the voice. An unfamiliar unicorn, with blue fur and piercing blue eyes, regarded them with a friendly smile. Beside her, a grey earth stallion glanced at them indifferently, his smoky grey eyes seeming to take in every detail of the library. ‘Who the hay are you two? Steel glanced sideways at his companion, sending her his thoughts. Are they real? Yes, they’re corporeal. Three ponies, one unconscious. All young adults, female…and frightened. She frowned. Steel…there are three other ponies. They’re…they’re not here, but they should be. I can feel their specific absence. Two separate timelines? No, it’s not like that. I’ve not felt this before, Steel. Something’s very wrong here. ‘I said, who are you? Did you do this to our our friends?’ The two ponies stood protectively in front of the bed, eyeing the pair with suspicion. ‘My name is Sapphire. My colleague is called Steel. We’re here to help. And you are?’ ‘Don’t tell them, Applejack!’ Applejack rolled her eyes in exasperation. ‘Real smooth, Rainbow.’ The orange mare clapped her hoof over her mouth, her face flushing. ‘Applejack and Rainbow? What delightful names. I assure you, we’ve done nothing to your friends. But something has, and we’re here to help. We’re…experts, you could say.’ Steel glanced around the library, before fixing his gaze on Applejack. ‘Where is it, then?’ ‘Uhh…where’s what?’ ‘The time machine!’ Applejack frowned, nonplussed. ‘Thyme machine? You mean the herb grinder? In the kitchen, I guess, but….’ He waved a hoof dismissively and turned back to the unicorn. 'See if you can get anything relevant from these fools. I’m going to look around. Don’t let any of them leave.’ Applejack glared after him. ‘Friendly sort, ain’t he? Just who the hay are you two, anyhow? Did the Princess send you?’ ‘A princess? No. We work for a…higher power. Your authorities could do nothing here anyway. Now, please do tell me what-‘ ‘Do nothing?’ Rainbow Dash echoed incredulously, her hackles rising. ‘I don’t think so! The Princess needs to know! Twi’s her student –I’m going to tell her, now! You’ll see if she can do nothing!' ‘I don’t think that will be necessary. Please, just tell me what- ’ Rainbow flapped into the air, scowling at the newcomers. ‘I don’t give a flying feather what you think! I’m going to fetch Celestia and you can’t stop me!’ Hooves outstretched, she launched herself at the nearest window. Sapphire closed her eyes and concentrated. As Applejack looked on in confusion, the library seemed to blur momentarily and- Rainbow flapped into the air, scowling at the newcomers. ‘I don’t (huh?) give a flying feather what you (what’s) think! I’m going to fetch (happening?) Celestia and you can’t stop me!’ Hooves outstretched, she launched herself at the nearest window and- -flapped into the air, scowling at the newcomers. ‘I (this is) don’t give a flying feather what you (wrong!) think! I’m going to fetch Celestia and you (help me) can’t stop me!’ Hooves outstretched, she launched herself at the nearest- ‘What the hay are you doing to her?’Applejack snarled, squaring up to the newcomer. Sapphire smiled at her. ‘She’s in a closed time loop. A little talent of mine. I can manipulate Time to a limited extent, as your friend has just found out.’ She blinked, and behind her Rainbow dropped to the floor. ‘I can keep that up all day, if I have to. And I’m sure our time would be better spend helping us get your friends back, don’t you think? Now, please tell me everything that’s happened. And don’t miss out a single detail.’ Steel stalked round the library floor. Kitchen. Basement. Shelves. Desk. Books and busts, astronomical equipment, scientific glassware. Fresh paint half-covering the faded hoofprints of long-dead library patrons. Dust comprising decades-old pony hair and skin cells. The forgotten bones of a foal, buried under the floorboards. Sandpaper made from millenia-old sea creatures. The psychic echoes of a thousand personal dramas. Rage, joy, love and despair, all stained in the very fabric of the building. So many potential triggers, he thought. So many relics of accumulated Time, yet none seemed relevant. His attention drifted to the conversation upstairs. Sapphire was performing her role well, he considered. ‘…and when I looked down again, she was in the book. Part of the story, I mean – they were going to cook her in their cauldron!’ ‘Well, yeah, we were just sharing nursery rhymes, most of us. You know? Just talking about when were were fillies, nothing weird.’ He sighed. Children. It nearly always involved children. ‘Twi’s was about a mare on the stair that wasn’t there – she said it used to frighten her, but she’s a bit of a nerd, you know? I’m not scared by anything like that, it’s just words, isn’t it?’ Just words. If he were given to laughter, Steel would have been laughing heartily at that. ‘Just’ words…such naïvity. ‘She frets about stuff, you know? Like that time-travelling spell – she spent days worrying about absolutely nothing because of it.’ A spell. That would make more sense that a physical machine, given the nature of this world. It would not, he considered, make their job any easier. ‘You can wake her up, can’t you? I…we want her back. Her and the others. Rarity, Fluttershy – you’ll bring them back? You can do that, can’t you?’ Steel shook his head in irritation and stalked back up toward the bedroom. The winged pony was hovering over the bed, the orange one standing by the slumbering unicorn. Both looked more relaxed than their original near-hysteria –Sapphire’s calming aura had performed as expected. All three turned to him as he approached. ‘Bah.! So, your friend poked a hole through Time, in a building full of old books and old objects then you all decided to sit around reliving old memories.’ Steel shook his head in disgust. ‘Did you consider gift-wrapping it as well?’ Steel! They weren’t to know. They never do, Sapphire. Ho spoke out loud. ‘There are…creatures. Things that live outside of Time as you know it. Sometimes, they escape into the present. Sometimes,’ he looked meaningfully at the sleeping Twilight, ‘blundering fools practically send them an invitation to come and ravage their world.’ Sapphire shot him a glare. Not helpful, Steel. She turned back to the ponies and said brightly, ‘Whatever it is, it’s taken your three friends. And we’ll need your help to bring them back. You want that, don’t you? Taken or killed, Sapphire? We need these two lucid and functioning, Steel. They’ll be no help to us if they’re busy grieving. Besides, I told you. Three ponies who should be here. I might be wrong, but don’t think I’d sense that if they were dead. Applejack spoke up. ‘Now hang on, Pinkie Pie went to get help, nothing took her. She should be back any moment, just you wait!’ ‘Really. Did either of you actually see her leave?’ He looked questioningly at his companion. Sapphire closed her eyes for a moment then said ‘No. Nopony’s left the library since it happened.’ Steel regarded the two ponies thoughtfully. ‘So…was your friend Pinkie Pie reminiscing about being a filly too?’ The two friends glanced at each other briefly, then Applejack said carefully, ‘I don’t think Pinkie had much of a childhood worth remembering, if you take my meaning.’ ‘Her parents were abusive?’ Applejack looked shocked. ‘No! Nothing like that, they’re decent folks in their own way, just…you know.’ She glared at them. ‘It ain’t my secret to tell, okay?’ ‘That’s quite all right Applejack,’ Sapphire smiled pleasantly. ‘You’ve both been very helpful.’ She opened her thoughts to her companion. What did you find downstairs? He responded silently. Little of relevance. There are hundreds of potential physical triggers, but I don’t believe any of them were responsible. Your assessment? There’s a lot of damage here, Steel. The main fissure was on the library staircase, but… ‘Was’? It’s not there now? Not now, no. That’s where it came in, where Time cracked, but it’s focussed on the purple one on the bed, I can tell that much. The time travel weakened Time enough to let it in, and all these old books might have been a catalyst, but it’s definitely tethered to the pony and not the place. And it’s getting stronger, Steel. Hmm. Where are it’s weaknesses? Hard to say. Whatever we’re dealing with, it’s creating localised Time distortions around the library. I can sense them – small, specific, but definitely still connected to that unicorn on the bed. The book? That’s one of them, yes. But I can feel others. I believe I can find them. If I can, we might - might – be able to recover the missing ponies. You say the purple one is it’s anchor , if we were to- Sapphire looked at him sharply. As a last resort, Steel. We’re operatives, not executioners – sometimes I think you forget that. He matched her gaze. We do what needs to be done, Sapphire. Remember the railway station. Remember the pier. A few short lives for the good of the many. Innocent lives, Steel. Irrelevant. If they, or you, or I, need to be sacrificed, I shan’t hesitate. And I fully expect the same from you. ‘Uh, I’m sure y’all can swap loving looks later…?’ Sapphire said nothing, but stepped carefully around the bedroom,regarding each object carefully before shaking her head. At the top of the stairs she paused , head tilted, as if listening for something. The grey stallion looked up sharply. ‘Have you found something?’ The blue unicorn nodded, standing by Pinkie’s gramophone. ‘Another Time distortion, concentrated here.’ Steel regarded the brass horn dubiously. ‘Hmm. A music box, I surmise?’ Sapphire nodded. ‘Close. It’s a gramophone – a device for replaying captured sounds on engraved discs.’ Her horn glowed briefly. ‘Made around twenty years ago in a place called….Canterlot? The wood in its construction is older – around forty years. Nothing unsual. The disc is pressed resin, also twenty years old. Played several hundred times, slightly worn. The Pony Pokey on one side, The Pony Polka on the other, both sung by Max Haygraze.’ Applejack raised an eyebrow. ‘Y’all needed magic to tell you the singer?’ ‘No, I read the label. Is there any significance to this record in particular?’ Sapphire gingerly placed the needle at the edge of the record and released the brake. The turntable began to revolve as the clockwork whirred. Rainbow shrugged. ‘Pinkie brought it. I’d told her I liked it as a filly, you know?’ The pegasus looked down at her hooves, blinking back unexpected tears. ‘She remembers little things like that about everypony. It’s important to her.’ As the cheerful strains of the song began, Applejack and Rainbow exchanged an incredulous look. ‘Is that...is that Pinkie singing?’ Please place your pony partner in the pony polka pose Don’t stop the song, just sing along and this is how it goes. I’ll be doing the pony polka from my hooves up to my nose, If there’s one thing that I’m good at it’s the pony polka pose! The two friends turned pale – there was no mistaking the pink party pony’s singing coming from the gramophone. As they watched, the needle lifted, returning to the start of the record. As it did so, it dropped a little, scoring a scratch across the disc. Please place your….Don’t stop….how it goes, I’ll be doing…hooves…thing that…..good Please place….stop….how it….I’ll be…that…good Please…stop…I’ll be….good Please stop…I’ll be good Please stop…I’ll be good Please, stop….
Chapter 1‘Remind me again sugarcube, when the Princess said she would drop Spike off personally, did she actually specify completely redecorating the library before she arrived?’ Twilight Sparkle grinned sheepishly as she poured the tea. ‘Not in so many words, no…but you know, the place did need a bit of sprucing up and, well…’ She gestured round the dishevelled library. Teetering stacks of books were testament to her flurry of activity earlier that day, while a sad little patch of paint on one of the empty shelves bore witness to the extent of her decorating prowess. Painting an entire library, Twilight had reluctantly decided, was not actually the kind of task anypony could do alone in one day, no matter how organised she was - or how many pre-painting checklists she drew up… ‘I really appreciate you girls helping out, but are you sure I’m not keeping you from anything? I mean, this is going to take all day, and…’ Rarity gently put a hoof to Twilight’s mouth. ‘Now darling, not another word of protest – if it’s important to you, then it’s important to us. Besides, I’ve always thought I may have a flair for interior design, wouldn’t you agree?’ She sipped delicately at her teacup and gestured languidly at the open magazine in front of her. ‘Now…how do you feel about raffia wall-hangings and driftwood? It’s very much the in thing this season. Of course, you’d have to lose some of these dusty old bookshelves…’ Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. ‘Uhh, Rarity – this is a library, remember? Bookshelves are kind of a necessity!’ ‘But darling, minimalist is so stylish at the moment, I’m sure the library doesn’t need quite so many…’ A knock at the door interrupted the good-natured bickering. This had to be Pinkie Pie, Twilight decided - only Ponyville’s most dedicated party pony could make a simple knock at the door sound so happy. Sure enough, as soon as she magicked the door open, Pinkie hopped merrily into the library, carrying a large covered basket. Behind her…..Huh? Twilight blinked in surprise. Behind Pinkie Pie was, in fact, a ghost. As the ponies watched in astonishment, the apparition floated across the threshold, raised a white-shrouded hoof and said ‘Umm…..boo? If you don’t mind being booed, that is?’ It was enough to make the friends crack up completely and, in Applejack’s case, spray tea across the library floor. Still laughing, Twilight levitated the dust-sheet off Fluttershy, while Pinkie was rolling on the floor in hysterics. ‘Were you scared, Twi?? That was my idea!! But Fluttershy made a much better ghost than me because I can’t fly!!’ Fluttershy looked concerned. ‘Oh…I hope I didn’t really scare you, Twilight?’ It was all the unicorn could to to shake her head without bursting into giggles instead. At last, Pinkie composed herself and started rummaging through her basket. ‘Ooh….we’ve got everything we need for the party!’ ‘Party?’ asked Twilight warily, regarding the stack of items Pinkie was busily unpacking. ‘The painting party, of course! I’ve brought cakes, dust-sheets, some liquorice, jam-jars to put the paintbrushes in, a rubber chicken, and even the music to paint by, yay!!’With a flourish, Pinkie pulled her gramophone from the basket and set it triumphantly on an errant encyclopedia. Twilight couldn’t help feeling a little impressed. But on the other hoof….Pinkie’s musical tastes? ‘Not the Pony Pokey, is it?’ Twilight regarded the gramophone with suspicion. ‘No silly, this is completely different! It’s the Pony Polka! It’s on the ‘B’ side of my Pony Pokey record!’ ‘Ahh…entirely different, then…’ Pinkie cranked the gramophone enthusastically. ‘Now, watch me do the actions, then you can copy me!’ As she lowered the needle onto the record, the cheerful strains of an accordion crackled from the brass horn, joined after a few bars by the voice of a jolly baritone stallion. ‘Please place your pony partner in the pony polka pose Don’t stop the song, just sing along and this is how it goes. I’ll be doing the pony polka from my hooves up to my nose, If there’s one thing that I’m good at it’s the pony polka pose!’ Pinkie finished her dance routine by sliding across the library floor toward the basket of treats. ‘Taa-daa!! And you end the dance with jazz-hooves! And with cake, mm-mmmm!’ The other ponies shared a look. ‘Umm, sugarcube – it’s a nice song an’all, but…’ ‘It’s hardly a repetoire for divine décor inspiration , darling. Haven’t you anything less….energetic?’ Pinkie scowled. ‘Aww….but I know for a fact you said this was one of your favourite records, Dashie!’ Rainbow looked up in surprise from the new Daring Do book she’d purloined from the New Arrivals shelf. ‘Uh, yeah….when I was three!’ The pink mare beamed.’See? I knew you said you liked it! Just let the three-year-old you listen to it!’ Rainbow shook her head in amusement. ‘Pinkie Pie, you really are so random sometimes!’ ‘I was always a Sapphire Shores girl, even at that age,’ mused Rarity. ‘I used to spend all the bits I got for chores to buy her records, and dance round my bedroom to them. Ahem…with grace and style, of course!’ Fluttershy nodded emphatically. ‘Oh, me too - my parents even took me to one of her concerts in Cloudsdale once. I cheered so loud…’ She looked mildly embarassed. ‘Well, loud by my standards, I mean...’ Applejack slurped down her tea and grinned. ‘Never had no fancy gramophones growing up on the farm, but Granny Smith always taught me all the rhymes and stories she knew from when she were a little-un.’ She cleared her throat. ‘One apple, two apple, three apple, four, Five apple, six apple, seven apple, more! Nine apple, ten apple….’ ‘Eleven apple, by any chance?’ remarked Twilight, reaching for another cupcake. Applejack grinned ruefully. ‘Reckon you’ve heard it before! Good rhythm to sort apples to though! So how about you, sugarcube? What songs did they teach you at that fancy unicorn kindergarten?’ Twilight glanced awkwardly at the ground for a brief moment, before forcing a smile. ‘Oh, I never really learned any…..too busy studying. You know how it is.’ Applejack gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ‘No worries sugarcube, guess there wasn’t much room in that big old magical brain of yours for silly filly-rhymes, what with all the spells you were learning!’ Twilight looked thoughtful, raking her memory. ‘Well, I do actually remember one, but…’ She paused, looking uncertain. “I didn’t like it as a filly, but here goes - as I….as I was trotting up the stairs, I met a mare who wasn’t there. She wasn’t there again today, How I wish she’d go away.’ A cold shiver crept round the room as Twilight finished reciting. ‘Oh my…’ murmured Fluttershy after an uncomfortable silence. ‘That’s a bit, umm….’ ‘Urgh, creepy!’ finished Applejack. ‘Let me guess, your brother teach you that one to scare you? Big Macintosh was always trying to spook me with ghost stories growing up.’ Rainbow scoffed, holding up the adventure book she was reading. ‘That’s nothing! You want to know what creepy is? Being buried up to your fetlocks in a pit full of scarab beetles, that’s creepy! But nothing’s too creepy for Daring Do! Why, she..mmph!’ A well-aimed cushion cut her off mid-sentence. ‘Twi’s not read that one yet sugarcube, don’t go spoiling it!’ ‘Umm. Beetles aren’t creepy, they’re actually creepy-crawly…and they really don’t like being piled up in pits…’ Rarity smiled at Twilight. ‘So, did your mare on the stair have fabulous hair?’ ‘Eat a pear at the fair? remarked Applejack drily. ‘While flying in the air?’ Rainbow soared round the room to demonstrate. ‘Meet a bear? Or a hare?’ giggled Pinkie, making bearclaw gestures with her hooves and hopping like a hare at the same time. Fluttershy cringed a little as five pairs of eyes turned to her expectantly. ‘Umm…umm….use the Stare?’ All six friends fell about laughing, the brief moment of unease passing as quickly as it had arrived. As the ponies polished off the tea and cakes, Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to skim over a few more paragraphs of her book As much as she loved her friends, she couldn’t help but feel that the fearless adventurer Daring Do would never be called upon to do a spot of redecorating. Eventually though, her friends’ voices filtered through the literary haze - ‘So, are we going to get started or what?’ ‘Twilight dear, we’ll start with your bedroom first. Proper decorators always start at the top and work down, you know.’ ‘Proper decorators, Rarity? Like a certain unicorn that painted herself into the corner of her boutique and had to scream for help…?’ ‘I thought we were never going to speak of that again…’ Pinkie bounced eagerly up the stairs, somehow managing to balance the gramophone, records, painting supplies and surplus food on her back. ‘Dashie, Shy, you two coming? We’ve got sandpaper with your names on it up here! And liquorice!’ ‘Oh…coming Pinkie, I’m just clearing up the tea things.’ ‘Up in a moment, just let me finish this chapter!’ Daring struggled against the ropes that dug into her flank, but it was no use. She was bound fast and in the clutches of the tribe of zebra cannibals. At a gesture from the cannibal chief, two zebras in ceremonial wooden masks hoisted the bamboo cane to which Daring was tied onto their shoulders and began dragging her toward the ominously bubbling cooking-pot. Thinking fast, Daring began to – ‘Rainbow darling, did you see where I left that purple paint?’ Her concentration broken, Rainbow sprang up, flexed her wings and glanced around the library floor. Lets see….the paint tin’s by that shelf there, Rarity’s up there…ha, ten seconds flat! With a determined beat of her wings, the pegasus skimmed in a low-flying loop round the room, grasped the paint with both hooves and surged upstairs toward the upper floor with wings nearly folded, relying on her momentum to negotiate the narrow cluttered staircase. As she emerged in Twi’s bedroom she spread her flight feathers to slow herself down, deposited the tin of paint in front of a startled Rarity accompanied by a mock salute, twisted in mid-air and hurtled back downstairs, bouncing slightly as she hit the couch in a reading position, grinning from ear to ear. ‘Nine seconds….yeess!!’ As she picked up her book again she noticed Fluttershy looking at her in confusion. ‘Ahem…just timing myself, Shy! Gotta keep practising if I’m ever going to make the Wonderbolts!’ Still grinning to herself, her gaze returned to the page. At a gesture from the cannibal chief ,two zebras in ceremonial wooden masks hoisted the bamboo cane to which Daring was tied onto their shoulders and began dragging her toward the ominously bubbling cooking-pot. Thinking- ‘Rainbow, Fluttershy, could one of y’all lend a hoof up here?” Rainbow sighed in exasperation and put the book down yet again. “Coming, AJ,’ ‘Oh, I’ll get this one’ smiled Fluttershy. ‘I know how it is when you get stuck into a book…Angel-bunny does so love his Stephanie Mare romances.’ Rainbow glanced up as her friend trotted happily up the library staircase toward Twilight’s bedroom, squeezing past the neat stacks of books on every step. She shook her head in amusement – she’d never even consider using stairs if there was an opportunity to fly instead. Of course, not everypony can be as awesome a flier as me! Settling back against the cushion, she picked up her book once more. Right, she thought, let’s see how Daring gets out of this one! At a gesture from the cannibal chief… Rainbow frowned, blinking in confusion. The page blurred in front of her, the words fading and reforming as she watched. At a gesture from the cannibal chief, two zebras in ceremonial wooden masks strode forward into one of the mud huts. Moments later, they emerged, carrying between them a bamboo pole, tied to which was a yellow pegasus. Her long pink mane dragged in the mud as she struggled in vain to free herself. Daring watched in bafflement – was this a member of another expedition? A rival archeologist?Her cutie mark was three butterflies – an entymologist perhaps? Whoever she was, the poor mare’s mind had clearly gone and she was babbling incoherently. ‘Please, there’s been an awful mistake…I don’t belong here…Rainbow Dash, Rainb- Rainbow snapped the book shut, her heart pounding. A bare second later, a frightened scream rang out from Twilight’s bedroom.
Chapter 2From the summit of a grassy hill, a solitary form surveyed the town with disdain. This was neither the assignment nor the location he’d been expecting, and the frivolous architecture of the settlement below did nothing to improve his mood. Behind him, a twig snapped underhoof as somepony approached. He didn’t turn around. After a moment, the newcomer spoke. ‘Hello Steel. It’s been a long time.’ He gave a curt nod. ‘Sapphire. I’ve been waiting.’ He stood up, stumbling forward momentarily as he did so. Sapphire smiled. ‘Four legs, Steel. Takes a little practice. You would appear to have incarnated as a pony.’ She paused, familiarising herself with her new form. ‘And I’m a unicorn, how delightful! But not exactly our usual corner of reality.’ ‘Hmm. So where are we?’ The blue unicorn’s eyes glowed for a moment, retrieving the information. When she spoke, her voice was distant. ‘Equestria. The rules are…different…here. More pliable. Utilisation of focused psychic energy - magic, for want of a better term. Our talents may seem less…impressive…to the natives than we’re accustomed to.’ She raised an eyebrow in amusement. ‘You may just have to get by with your charm and dazzling personality, Steel.’ Steel glowered at her, but said nothing in response. Unabashed, she continued. ‘Equines are the dominant species in this paticular land, but sentience is common to most creatures in this world to a greater or lesser extent. A peaceful culture stretching back over two thousand years. Benevolent monarchical government. Technological advancement is….erratic. Economic system is-‘ The grey pony stamped his hoof impatiently. ‘Irrelevant details. We’re here to do a job, Sapphire. The same job we always do – they break Time, we fix it before it can get loose. Now, can you tell where we're needed?’ The unicorn nodded toward the town. ‘There, I believe. Ponyville. The library. An old building, filled with very old books. There have been - ' she closed her eyes and concentrated - 'two deaths in the building. Both natural, none within the last forty years.' Steel frowned. 'Is that relevant?' She shook her head. 'I don't think so. Just a trace of lingering sadness. One of them was a new-born foal. The issue we're facing is much more recent. I can feel it - a fissure ripped in Time, not more than a year ago. A small one so far, but…’ ‘What was the trigger?’ ‘An instance of time-travel, I suspect. It feels like that, at any rate. But… ‘Time-travel!’ Steel muttered. ‘Wherever we end up, the same reckless creatures making the same stupid mistakes, never thinking about the consequences. Why do we even bother, Sapphire?’ She smiled briefly. ‘You know why, Steel. And don’t pretend you’d ever not intervene. But there’s something more here, it feels….’ The unicorn turned to her companion with a look of alarm. ‘Steel, something’s already come through. We’ve arrived too late. It’s already started.’
Chapter 3With a trail of flapping books in her wake, Rainbow Dash hurtled through the library, barrelling into Applejack and knocking her to the floor. Spitting the book from her mouth, she spluttered, ‘She’s….Fluttershy….in…..story…Daring Do…cannibal zebras…’ Rainbow stammered. She shook her head and took a deep breath. ‘Is this a prank? Did Twilight magic the book? Because if you did, I didn’t fall for…it…’ It was then that she noticed Applejack’s tear-stained face. ‘Rarity’s gone. And Twi won’t wake up. I’ve been waiting hours, Rainbow. Where were you? I sent Pinkie to get help, but nopony came.’ ‘What do you mean, gone? And what’s happened to Twilight? And…hours? What?’ ‘Fluttershy’s where? Are you and Pinkie pulling another joke?’ The two ponies stared at each other in confusion. ‘I…..’ ‘Uh…’ ‘What the hay is going on here?’ Rainbow roughly shoved past toward Twilight’s bed. The unicorn lay on her side, her eyes closed. The blanket gently rose and fell in time with her slow, steady breathing. She laid a hoof on Twi’s forehead, feeling the warmth of her friend’s fur. ‘She’s just sleeping, isn’t she? Twi? Twi! Wake up!’ She made to shake the sleeping pony’s shoulder, but an orange hoof gently restrained her. ‘It’s no good, sugarcube, I’ve tried. I tried to make her comfortable as best I could. She just pitched over without a sound, right in front of me, and when I looked round for help, Rarity just faded and went. Pinkie and I moved her here and-‘ Applejack paused, and looked curiously at the pegasus. ‘Just what did you say about Fluttershy? Where is she?’ Wordlessly, Rainbow trotted to the discarded book and picked it up. ‘Thapther Thor’ she mumbled, her words muffled by the pages. She set it down on the bed,it’s cover falling shut. ‘Chapter four. I was reading it and then she was….she was in it.’ Applejack gave her friend a disbelieving look. ‘It’s true AJ, it really is! Look!’ ‘I wouldn’t open that book if I were you.’ The two friends turned in surprise at the voice. An unfamiliar unicorn, with blue fur and piercing blue eyes, regarded them with a friendly smile. Beside her, a grey earth stallion glanced at them indifferently, his smoky grey eyes seeming to take in every detail of the library. ‘Who the hay are you two? Steel glanced sideways at his companion, sending her his thoughts. Are they real? Yes, they’re corporeal. Three ponies, one unconscious. All young adults, female…and frightened. She frowned. Steel…there are three other ponies. They’re…they’re not here, but they should be. I can feel their specific absence. Two separate timelines? No, it’s not like that. I’ve not felt this before, Steel. Something’s very wrong here. ‘I said, who are you? Did you do this to our our friends?’ The two ponies stood protectively in front of the bed, eyeing the pair with suspicion. ‘My name is Sapphire. My colleague is called Steel. We’re here to help. And you are?’ ‘Don’t tell them, Applejack!’ Applejack rolled her eyes in exasperation. ‘Real smooth, Rainbow.’ The orange mare clapped her hoof over her mouth, her face flushing. ‘Applejack and Rainbow? What delightful names. I assure you, we’ve done nothing to your friends. But something has, and we’re here to help. We’re…experts, you could say.’ Steel glanced around the library, before fixing his gaze on Applejack. ‘Where is it, then?’ ‘Uhh…where’s what?’ ‘The time machine!’ Applejack frowned, nonplussed. ‘Thyme machine? You mean the herb grinder? In the kitchen, I guess, but….’ He waved a hoof dismissively and turned back to the unicorn. 'See if you can get anything relevant from these fools. I’m going to look around. Don’t let any of them leave.’ Applejack glared after him. ‘Friendly sort, ain’t he? Just who the hay are you two, anyhow? Did the Princess send you?’ ‘A princess? No. We work for a…higher power. Your authorities could do nothing here anyway. Now, please do tell me what-‘ ‘Do nothing?’ Rainbow Dash echoed incredulously, her hackles rising. ‘I don’t think so! The Princess needs to know! Twi’s her student –I’m going to tell her, now! You’ll see if she can do nothing!' ‘I don’t think that will be necessary. Please, just tell me what- ’ Rainbow flapped into the air, scowling at the newcomers. ‘I don’t give a flying feather what you think! I’m going to fetch Celestia and you can’t stop me!’ Hooves outstretched, she launched herself at the nearest window. Sapphire closed her eyes and concentrated. As Applejack looked on in confusion, the library seemed to blur momentarily and- Rainbow flapped into the air, scowling at the newcomers. ‘I don’t (huh?) give a flying feather what you (what’s) think! I’m going to fetch (happening?) Celestia and you can’t stop me!’ Hooves outstretched, she launched herself at the nearest window and- -flapped into the air, scowling at the newcomers. ‘I (this is) don’t give a flying feather what you (wrong!) think! I’m going to fetch Celestia and you (help me) can’t stop me!’ Hooves outstretched, she launched herself at the nearest- ‘What the hay are you doing to her?’Applejack snarled, squaring up to the newcomer. Sapphire smiled at her. ‘She’s in a closed time loop. A little talent of mine. I can manipulate Time to a limited extent, as your friend has just found out.’ She blinked, and behind her Rainbow dropped to the floor. ‘I can keep that up all day, if I have to. And I’m sure our time would be better spend helping us get your friends back, don’t you think? Now, please tell me everything that’s happened. And don’t miss out a single detail.’ Steel stalked round the library floor. Kitchen. Basement. Shelves. Desk. Books and busts, astronomical equipment, scientific glassware. Fresh paint half-covering the faded hoofprints of long-dead library patrons. Dust comprising decades-old pony hair and skin cells. The forgotten bones of a foal, buried under the floorboards. Sandpaper made from millenia-old sea creatures. The psychic echoes of a thousand personal dramas. Rage, joy, love and despair, all stained in the very fabric of the building. So many potential triggers, he thought. So many relics of accumulated Time, yet none seemed relevant. His attention drifted to the conversation upstairs. Sapphire was performing her role well, he considered. ‘…and when I looked down again, she was in the book. Part of the story, I mean – they were going to cook her in their cauldron!’ ‘Well, yeah, we were just sharing nursery rhymes, most of us. You know? Just talking about when were were fillies, nothing weird.’ He sighed. Children. It nearly always involved children. ‘Twi’s was about a mare on the stair that wasn’t there – she said it used to frighten her, but she’s a bit of a nerd, you know? I’m not scared by anything like that, it’s just words, isn’t it?’ Just words. If he were given to laughter, Steel would have been laughing heartily at that. ‘Just’ words…such naïvity. ‘She frets about stuff, you know? Like that time-travelling spell – she spent days worrying about absolutely nothing because of it.’ A spell. That would make more sense that a physical machine, given the nature of this world. It would not, he considered, make their job any easier. ‘You can wake her up, can’t you? I…we want her back. Her and the others. Rarity, Fluttershy – you’ll bring them back? You can do that, can’t you?’ Steel shook his head in irritation and stalked back up toward the bedroom. The winged pony was hovering over the bed, the orange one standing by the slumbering unicorn. Both looked more relaxed than their original near-hysteria –Sapphire’s calming aura had performed as expected. All three turned to him as he approached. ‘Bah.! So, your friend poked a hole through Time, in a building full of old books and old objects then you all decided to sit around reliving old memories.’ Steel shook his head in disgust. ‘Did you consider gift-wrapping it as well?’ Steel! They weren’t to know. They never do, Sapphire. Ho spoke out loud. ‘There are…creatures. Things that live outside of Time as you know it. Sometimes, they escape into the present. Sometimes,’ he looked meaningfully at the sleeping Twilight, ‘blundering fools practically send them an invitation to come and ravage their world.’ Sapphire shot him a glare. Not helpful, Steel. She turned back to the ponies and said brightly, ‘Whatever it is, it’s taken your three friends. And we’ll need your help to bring them back. You want that, don’t you? Taken or killed, Sapphire? We need these two lucid and functioning, Steel. They’ll be no help to us if they’re busy grieving. Besides, I told you. Three ponies who should be here. I might be wrong, but don’t think I’d sense that if they were dead. Applejack spoke up. ‘Now hang on, Pinkie Pie went to get help, nothing took her. She should be back any moment, just you wait!’ ‘Really. Did either of you actually see her leave?’ He looked questioningly at his companion. Sapphire closed her eyes for a moment then said ‘No. Nopony’s left the library since it happened.’ Steel regarded the two ponies thoughtfully. ‘So…was your friend Pinkie Pie reminiscing about being a filly too?’ The two friends glanced at each other briefly, then Applejack said carefully, ‘I don’t think Pinkie had much of a childhood worth remembering, if you take my meaning.’ ‘Her parents were abusive?’ Applejack looked shocked. ‘No! Nothing like that, they’re decent folks in their own way, just…you know.’ She glared at them. ‘It ain’t my secret to tell, okay?’ ‘That’s quite all right Applejack,’ Sapphire smiled pleasantly. ‘You’ve both been very helpful.’ She opened her thoughts to her companion. What did you find downstairs? He responded silently. Little of relevance. There are hundreds of potential physical triggers, but I don’t believe any of them were responsible. Your assessment? There’s a lot of damage here, Steel. The main fissure was on the library staircase, but… ‘Was’? It’s not there now? Not now, no. That’s where it came in, where Time cracked, but it’s focussed on the purple one on the bed, I can tell that much. The time travel weakened Time enough to let it in, and all these old books might have been a catalyst, but it’s definitely tethered to the pony and not the place. And it’s getting stronger, Steel. Hmm. Where are it’s weaknesses? Hard to say. Whatever we’re dealing with, it’s creating localised Time distortions around the library. I can sense them – small, specific, but definitely still connected to that unicorn on the bed. The book? That’s one of them, yes. But I can feel others. I believe I can find them. If I can, we might - might – be able to recover the missing ponies. You say the purple one is it’s anchor , if we were to- Sapphire looked at him sharply. As a last resort, Steel. We’re operatives, not executioners – sometimes I think you forget that. He matched her gaze. We do what needs to be done, Sapphire. Remember the railway station. Remember the pier. A few short lives for the good of the many. Innocent lives, Steel. Irrelevant. If they, or you, or I, need to be sacrificed, I shan’t hesitate. And I fully expect the same from you. ‘Uh, I’m sure y’all can swap loving looks later…?’ Sapphire said nothing, but stepped carefully around the bedroom,regarding each object carefully before shaking her head. At the top of the stairs she paused , head tilted, as if listening for something. The grey stallion looked up sharply. ‘Have you found something?’ The blue unicorn nodded, standing by Pinkie’s gramophone. ‘Another Time distortion, concentrated here.’ Steel regarded the brass horn dubiously. ‘Hmm. A music box, I surmise?’ Sapphire nodded. ‘Close. It’s a gramophone – a device for replaying captured sounds on engraved discs.’ Her horn glowed briefly. ‘Made around twenty years ago in a place called….Canterlot? The wood in its construction is older – around forty years. Nothing unsual. The disc is pressed resin, also twenty years old. Played several hundred times, slightly worn. The Pony Pokey on one side, The Pony Polka on the other, both sung by Max Haygraze.’ Applejack raised an eyebrow. ‘Y’all needed magic to tell you the singer?’ ‘No, I read the label. Is there any significance to this record in particular?’ Sapphire gingerly placed the needle at the edge of the record and released the brake. The turntable began to revolve as the clockwork whirred. Rainbow shrugged. ‘Pinkie brought it. I’d told her I liked it as a filly, you know?’ The pegasus looked down at her hooves, blinking back unexpected tears. ‘She remembers little things like that about everypony. It’s important to her.’ As the cheerful strains of the song began, Applejack and Rainbow exchanged an incredulous look. ‘Is that...is that Pinkie singing?’ Please place your pony partner in the pony polka pose Don’t stop the song, just sing along and this is how it goes. I’ll be doing the pony polka from my hooves up to my nose, If there’s one thing that I’m good at it’s the pony polka pose! The two friends turned pale – there was no mistaking the pink party pony’s singing coming from the gramophone. As they watched, the needle lifted, returning to the start of the record. As it did so, it dropped a little, scoring a scratch across the disc. Please place your….Don’t stop….how it goes, I’ll be doing…hooves…thing that…..good Please place….stop….how it….I’ll be…that…good Please…stop…I’ll be….good Please stop…I’ll be good Please stop…I’ll be good Please, stop….
