“By the time this reaches you, I’ll be dead. The ship’s been hit by an asteroid or something which tore off the engines. We-we’re caught in the gravity well of a black hole and are approaching the event horizon as I record this, so it’ll be too late to do anything.” Aurora said, her normal cheer and clumsiness replaced by a deathly calm. “I-I’m...” Her eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “I’m so so-sorry, Aura... I ruined your b-big day...”
My ears slowly fell as the recording cut out. It had come on everything that had a screen, including the minister leading the ceremony. I shook my head in disbelief, my sight blurring as tears welled up. I-I couldn’t go through with this. I turned and ran out the chapel, my white dress tearing as it caught on the pews and other things.
I heard Mom calling for me but was already on my custom bike, starting it up and flying away. Aurora.... My sister, my mentor... Was gone... I-I had to find somewhere I could- the library. It was supposed to be closed like everything else on the planet to everyone that didn’t have the clearance.
My bike’s transmitter beeped a few times showing a little hologram of Mom before I shut it down, accidentally frying the circuits and pushing my bike to its limits. It took only seconds to get the rest of the way and I had to jump to avoid crashing with my bike. I didn’t care, I could always build a better one. Limping over to the door, I set- wait, that isn’t the pad. There it is. I set my hoof on the pad and hastily overrode the security.
It opened and I hopped inside in a swift motion, holding back a sob that tried to make it’s way out of my throat as a heavy weight settled in my heart. I staggered over to the foal section, flopping down on one of the bean bag chairs.
I slid closer to the floor, dangling off the edge. “Hurry Aurora! I’m about to fall into the lava!”
Aurora’s little horn glowed in her cyan aura that enveloped me, “No y-you don’t! I ain’t losin a-another m-m-mate! Pfft!” She adopted a pirate accent that she couldn’t hold up that well with her giggling.
Aurora and I were almost completely alike. The only difference was that she had a cutiemak and I didn't. We were both unicorns, had a light blue coat, a white mane and tail, and almost completely white eyes.
I giggled and clambered up onto the table with her help, and motioned to the gap between the table we were on and the next. “How do you think we’ll get across this?”
Tapping her hoof to her chin, Aurora sighed. “If either you or me were a Pegasus, we’d have no problem… Aha!” I saw her soul leaving her body, which then traveled to a chair that was sitting in the corner of the room and faded into it. The wooden appliance floated over to me. “A rescue party?”
I gasped and threw my hooves up. “No, it’s our archnemene- archnenem-”
“I think I get it...” Aurora giggled, “Well then, try and hide!” The chair made some funky movements.
I glanced around and caught sight of a pile of bean bag chairs. “Over here! we can hide in that cloud!” I placed Aurora’s body on my back and jumped over, digging in and placing a few over us. “They won’t be able to find us in here,” I whispered.
“Nope,” Aurora said after she returned to her body, “They’ll never find us… Heheh…”
Just then, I felt someone’s teeth grab the tip of my tail and start pulling me backwards. “Halp! They found me!”
“Son of a buzzkill!” Aurora yelped. She sparked her magic, causing an electrical discharge to go through me and whoever held me by the teeth.
The pony yelped and pulled me out completely as another pulled Aurora out the same way. I twisted and said, “Aw, Moooom! Aurora and I just got to the best part!”
Mom was a Thestral, same as Uncle Mun who had pulled Aurora out. They were supposed to be twins, but for some odd reason they looked completely different. Mom had a light yellow, very soft coat, with a white and gold mane and tail. Her eyes were a shade of purple I've only ever seen in a sunrise. Uncle Mun, however, had a midnight blue coat, with a black and dark purple mane. His eyes were black and slightly cold even though he tried his hardest to seem friendly and approachable.
“Every filly for herself!” Screamed Aurora after she realized who she shocked. She decided her body wasn’t worth it, and chose to abandon it, but failed. “I hate my powers… Hey miss Sol, mister Mun...”
Sol set me down and smiled as she said, “I know you were playing, but it’s time for your baths.”
Aurora looked to me, before sighing. “I accept my punishment with minimum enthusiasm.”
Mom shook her head and chuckled. “It’s almost ten in the morning, you two should’ve been done with your baths and in bed two hours ago.”
“Correction, we should have been ready at nine.” Aurora snickered, “Hey, Aura, I think we were caught by our arch nemesis anyway.”
I gave Aurora a devious grin and said, “Nope, we caught you! I was working for the other side this whole time!”
Aurora’s face showed surprise and ‘hurt’, “I don’t know whether I should be bawling or applauding your treacherous deceit.” She stopped herself, “Sorry, I used big words again…” Before giggling.
“Well, at least I have a dictionary for a big sister,” I giggled, hugging her and nuzzling her upside down chest. “You’re going to teach me what they mean eventually.”
I sobbed even louder as I pulled the other chairs over, recreating the pile from my memory. Once the ‘cloud’ was rebuilt, I stuck the end of my tail out as I clutched a toy that had been carried over unintentionally.
It was a plush version of Aurora, almost as big a filly. I knew because Aunt Max had put an enchantment on it herself millennia ago. Uncle Lance had won it for her from a carnival over in his universe and they had eventually decided to donate it to the library.
I don’t remember how long I had laid there but I do know that someone tugged on my tail, bringing me somewhat out of my stupor. I shifted around until I could peer out at who it was, feeling a faint prick of surprise that it was Nono, Aunt Max’s Displacer.
“W-what are y-you doi-ing in here?” I asked, not bothering to hide how I felt.
“I’m here to help you. I felt your sorrow deep in the Void, and couldn’t help but come,” The little moogle said softly, her fingers brushing the tears from my cheeks.
“M-my sister... She’s-” I buried my face into the plush, trying to muffle my cries of anguish.
“Yes, she is. But you could see her again.” Nono stroked my mane, causing me to look back at her.
“H-how?”
She gave me a small smile and held a book up. “You know how, you just need the means.”
I wiped the tears from my eyes so I could read the title, only to jolt upright. “The last one of those burned when Canterlot was sacked!” There, being held by Nono’s paw, was Starswirl’s The Art of Time. It was the only known book that had a permanent time traveling spell an- I could use this to go back to when Time Spinner found Aurora! I-I could spend even more centuries with her...
“I found this floating in the Void a long time ago-”
“I-I don’t care what you ask for it, I want that book!” I lunged forward, actually being surprised when I tore the book from her grasp.
Nono sighed and shook her head sadly. “I was going to give it to you anyways.”
I looked down in shame and gave her a hug. “Thank you... I-I don’t know how I'll ever repay you for this.”
“You don’t have to...” She said as she faded away.
I fell forward, not expecting her to do that. Pushing myself upright, I glanced at the book still in my hoof. I took a deep breath and steeled myself as I opened the book and started reading.
The first page read ‘Written By: Surging Storm’.
Surging Storm? I thought this was Starswirl’s? Oh well, it’ll have the same spell I need.
I woke to the feeling of rain pounding on my coat and the smell of rotten food assaulting my nose. “Ugh... Who forgot to...” I trailed off as I opened my eyes and inspected my surroundings. I was sitting in a dark alley. Cold, wet, and alone. Then I remembered. Nono finding me in the library, me reading the book... And then what? Did I actually cast the spell?
I looked around, trying to see if I could spot Aurora. Spying a cardboard box nearby I shot to my hooves and galloped over to it, only to run right into it and tip it over, falling inside of it in my haste.
The sound of someone walking by surprised me. It wasn’t a pony, I only heard one set.
“H-hello?” I called. “Wh-who’s there?”
I was answered as a tall bipedal wearing a white hoodie with black pants and pink fingerless gloves. His skin and hair looked bleached, while his yellow eyes showed surprise as well as his agape mouth which were lined with shark teeth. His confusion died after a few moments, taking more of a sympathetic stare.
He slowly closed in on me as if I were a deer, afraid I’d get scared and run away.
“Hello, I’m Stopwatch. What are you doing here?” He asked, sitting cross legged.
My eyes widened at that and I noticed I had only come up to his knee. W-what?! He-he can’t see only me! Why am I alone here? Aurora should be in this same alley as well! I glanced over myself, comfirming that I had indeed somehow turned back into a filly.
“Come on, I won’t hurt you.” He said with a chuckle, “Guess you’re alone too, huh?”
I-if I’m the only one... My vision blurred as that thought finished itself. I sent my younger self that message. I-I witnessed my own death...
I lunged forward, bawling into his shirt, trying my hardest to scream all of my pain away. I felt his cold hand caress down my head.
He whispered into my ear, “Everything’s gonna be alright. I won’t let you suffer… What is your name?”
That shocked me into silence and I looked up into his eyes. This was exactly how Aurora said she had met her father. “A-Aur-ora... S-Spir-” I buried my face into his chest again. I couldn’t, I just couldn’t accept that I was her. That... I... would end up being taken from myself because of a freak accident.
“Shh, shh, it’s okay…” Stopwatch whispered, rubbing my back up and down, “It’s okay…”
No, it wasn’t... I-it wouldn’t be for years. B-but I had to calm down. They-... We. We didn’t stay here all night. I nuzzled into him, sniffling.
“I’m guessing you don’t have anywhere to go, huh?” He asked again solemnly.
I shook my head accidentally rubbing my snot into his clothes, though he didn’t seem to mind.
He lifted me up in a close embrace as he stood up, “Then you don’t mind coming home with me, Aurora?”
I sniffled on last time and gave him a smile. “T-thank you... Thank you so much.” This was it, I was on the path to my doom. I-I don’t know if I’ll ever accept it, but I was now Aurora Spirit, Time Spinner’s daughter. I gave him as big a hug as I could and nuzzled his chest.
He sighed, “No, thank you…” He whispered as he started walking out of the alley and into my new life, “I’m not alone anymore…”
That’s right, before Au- I came into his life, he was lonely... I’ll be the best daughter for him that I can.
I was finally with my Mom again... After losing myself and actually dying, I was finally going to be born with myself. It’s... Weird, knowing you are the reason you had been born.
Ah, Mom was settling down to sleep. I knew that tonight was the last time I would be able to do this, I could wait until... the day before, but no. I had to do this today. I-I didn’t want holding onto this secret to force me to lie to myself.
Good, she’s asleep now. I had to do this. Not just for myself, but so Mom would know why I disappeared.
I slid out of my new body, giving my younger self a caress as I went by. I knew exactly where Mom’s hull was and wasted no time getting there and jumping in. I felt Mom stir a bit, but not wake. I had less time than I had thought.
I called up the camera app and set it to record before diving into it. I sat in the middle of the screen and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out as Twilight and Cadence always did. “Okay, here goes,” I said, opening my eyes and giving the camera a sad smile. “Hi Mom, It’s me, Aurora. Or I should say, it’s us. Mom... When this recording is brought to your attention, Aurora will be dead and Aura will be gone.” I looked down, trying to figure out how I would say this. “Mama... W-when I ran from the church to the library I was... lost. M-my sister had been taken from me and I... I couldn’t think straight, so I went back to where we had most of our adventures and...” I wiped the tears from my eyes and sniffled. “Nono found me there and gave me the book you picked up and I used the spell. I-I thought I would’ve been able t-to spend more time with Aurora if I went back to when D- Time found her. I... I hadn’t even thought about the chance that I was Aurora Spirit. I love you with all my heart and please... Forgive me.”
I stopped the recording and placed it under every single firewall and protection I knew, putting everything into a small ghost drive that would switch over to being fully accessible once I was dead and the knowledge of my younger self - designated Aura - disappearing was realized by Mom. I had held onto this secret for years, but now... I could finally start enjoying the time I had left.
And so days turned into weeks, weeks turned to months, and years to millenia. Time’s death hurt, but I soldiered on. On until the fateful day…
I… Felt okay strangely. Like I had accomplished so much in such a… Strange life. Heh, I guess Aunt Max’s favorite saying was true... Life is Strange.
I felt... happy. Kind of a bittersweet enjoyment… I had a loving mom, and dad, a bunch of sisters and cousins, friends, and rivals. It felt almost surreal… It only made the message harder…
I recreated my death message. Telling Aura goodbye was harder than ever.
Author's Note
BP: Hello! I’m Bronyparasite, Author of Displacer Tales: Cold Storm and creator of Aurora and Time Spinner.
MF: And you know who I am. (The one who broke BP’s mind with this idea.)
BP: Oh yes, he did break my feeble mind. He came up with this idea, and tried to make it canon. My brain went ‘Whaaa?’ but I found it too crazy to implement. I did however agree to this joint fic with MF… And I have him to thank for my new codename: Gutterbrain!
MF: And because I broke his mind, not once but twice, he gave me the code name: Mindbreaker. But back to being serious.
BP: Yes… Quite. I think most of the credit goes to Mindbreaker for the story, and the majority of the characters. I just played Time and Aurora(during back flash only). So props to Moon for this! If you found problems, please don’t dislike and run off before telling us what’s wrong.
MF: I hope you enjoyed this, we’ll be writing a sort of ‘good end’ some time within the next few days. Hell, with how we got this done in under two hours, we might finish it before the story is approved.
BP: Wouldn’t that be cool! Anyways, I had fun writing this and hope to collab with MF again. Till next time! Buh-bye!
MF: I had fun as well, and here’s to hoping we’ll be able to work together again! Have a Scratch on Vinyl!
