The Timeless

“The winner of the Friendship Games' first event is Twilight Sparkle and Crystal Prep!” announced the home team’s vice principal as the Academic Decathlon came to a close. The uniformed winner beamed at her solid, and surprisingly hard fought victory. Her smile, however, vanished as quickly as it had appeared, for none of her prep school classmates cheered for her. The public school students of Canterlot High rallied around their defeated champion, complimenting her for her efforts. Among the uniformed students of Crystal Prep Academy, though, only one round of applause could clearly be heard.

That applause belonged to a lone freshman, way at the back of the crowd. None of the other students joined in, and some gave him annoyed, even threatening looks. He didn’t notice them, though, as his eyes were locked on the purple-skinned beauty who had just won the match. Only his school’s Dean appeared to share any of his enthusiasm as she announced, “After a careful tally of the points, we'd like to present the students moving on to the Friendship Games' second event.”

In his excitement, the brown-skinned freshman pumped a fist into the air and let out a “Woo-hoo!” upon seeing his champion pass the elimination round. At this, everyone around him turned to stare. Sensing his apparent faux-pas, he lowered his hand onto the back of his conservatively cut blue and green hair, smiling awkwardly, before clearing his throat and readjusting his taped glasses. With the situation passed, and the event over, the students of both schools began filing out of the Canterlot High School gym, for an intermission before the next event.

He was about to do the same, until the Dean called him back, “Aaron, could you wait a moment please?”

“Yes, Dean Cadence?” He replied tentatively.

“I found this in one of the girls’ bathrooms. I take it it’s yours?” The pink-skinned Dean held by her thumb and forefinger a bookbag, with the symbols אהרון sewn on the front. The bottom of the bag was wet as if someone had dropped it in a toilet.

Blushing a little, Aaron replied, “Yes, it is,” while he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to safely claim his lost property.

“I don’t suppose you know how it got there?” Cadence asked, with a look of concern on her face.

Aaron couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes, “No ma’am, no idea.”

Knowing she wasn’t going to get anywhere, Dean Cadence placed a hand on Aaron’s shoulder, “Well if you do find out, you know you can always tell me.” She then turned and followed the rest of the faculty out, leaving Aaron alone.

“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled to himself once the Dean was out of earshot, “If I want to spend the rest of these games stuffed in a locker.”

Retiring to one of the, now empty, Crystal Prep buses, Aaron had put away a disinfecting wipe before drying his embattled backpack when the door to the bus squeaked open. In a panic, he ducked under the seats, hoping to avoid whoever had just climbed on board.

“Aaron,” called out an orange-haired, brown skinned freshman, “Come on Aaron, I know you’re in here,” the uniformed boy called again. “It’s just me, Button Mash.” Button stood at the center of the aisle as Aaron cautiously peeked around the corner of the seats.

Once he confirmed the boy’s identity, he let out his held breath in a sigh, and stood up to greet his friend, “Hi, Button.”

“Up for a battle?” Button Mash asked the depressed kid before him.

Aaron took his hands from his pockets to open his bag, “If my game survived its dunking.”

“Again?” Button Mash inquired incredulously.

“Why do you think I have my mom sew my name on my stuff?” he snapped back.

“Whoa, easy,” Button held up his hands defensively, “You know I didn’t mean anything like that.”

Aaron scowled, “Then what are you here for?”

“For a Pokemon battle, just like I said,” Button stated as he sat down next to his irritable companion, “I thought you could use some cheering up. I mean, what are friends for, right?”

“Sometimes I think I’m starting to forget the meaning of that word,” Aaron moped.

“Hey now, don’t start that again,” Button chastised, “Or I’ll just have to remind you.” At that, Button gave his depressed friend a playful punch on the upper arm. This, at least, got the boy’s attention.

Aaron sighed, “Yeah, you’re right. Besides,” he said as he reached up and spun the copter on top of the beanie Button was wearing, “Us dorks have to stick together.” His frown finally breaking.

“Yeah,” Button agreed, “Who’d have thought there’d even be ‘nerds’ at a private school that makes as big a stink about academics as this?”
“No kidding,” he replied, his mouth breaking into a much-needed smile, “This school sucks.”

“Why’d our parents even send us to this hellhole?” Button mused.

“Because they think it’ll get us into better colleges to get better jobs.” Aaron snarked back.

“Pay to win, huh? More proof that real life is like the worst game ever.”

“Hey, at least it lets us help each other, even if it is at a cost,” Aaron joked, “Why, if it weren’t for all the time I’d spent helping you pass your entrance exams, I might’ve been able to skip a grade, just like Twilight Sparkle did.”

“True,” Button remarked, “But then you wouldn’t have such an awesome gaming partner.”

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Aaron stated, as he gave Button Mash a punch of his own.

“Hey,” Button yelped, rubbing his arm, “Save it for the arena.”

“Oops,” Aaron backed off, “Sorry.”

“You don’t know your own strength, do you?” Button asked.

“What,” Aaron dead-panned, “You suggesting I punch out whoever did this?” He said, holding up his backpack, “A fat lot of good hitting a girl will do me.”

“Yeah, bad idea,” conceded Button, “Still, what do you mean your name is sewed to your stuff? All I see are those weird symbols.”

“It’s Hebrew, Button,” Aaron explained, “Aharon, that’s my Hebrew name. You know that I’m Jewish.”

“Yeah, I do,” Button replied, walking on eggshells, “but why can’t you just use your given name, like the rest of us?”

“Get my old textbook back from that other Aaron who claimed it and maybe I’ll consider it.”

“Okay, okay, point taken,” Button said quickly, not wanting to draw any more ire, “Look, let’s just start the game. You really need to blow off some steam.”

“You know it,” Aaron replied, turning on his portable gaming console, “You think you can take me?”

Button smiled, “Bring it.”

“And another one goes to the B-Man!” Button exclaimed triumphantly.

“Oh come on,” Aaron protested, “You got lucky. That last Pokemon was infatuated, and confused!”

Button Mash grinned as he took a seat in the bleachers, “All’s fair in love and war.” Aaron just rolled his eyes in response. “So, when are you going to ask her out?”

“Who?” Aaron blushed, feeling a rare moment of gratitude for the noise around him. The upset loss in the second event had done wonders for Crystal Prep’s motivation. With their undefeated record now in actual jeopardy, they were roaring for a win.

“Why, Twilight Sparkle of course.” Button teased, “I saw the way you looked at her when she face-planted in the archery race and don’t think I didn’t notice you cheering for her after she won that math challenge.”

“Hey,” Aaron retorted, “That’s not fair! What if I changed my mind. Maybe I’m more into that Canterlot girl who helped her.”

“As if, I know you better than that,” Button argued, “Besides, I bet she only did that to cover that her team was cheating.”

“Oh come on!” Aaron yelled back, “Don’t tell me you actually buy that crap?”

“Seriously,” Button asked, “Then how do you explain that girl sprouting wings in the middle of the motocross?”

“I can’t,” Aaron sighed, “But you did notice that that girl never actually crossed the finish line, right?”

“Touche,” Button said, folding his arms, “But what about those crazy plant things?”

“That the winged girl was fighting off!” Aaron shot back, “Besides,” Aaron started as he turned towards the competitors below, “I don’t think that was Canterlot. Did you see that locket Twilight had around her neck?”

“I’m sure you did,” Button scoffed.

Aaron shot him a glare. “Not what I meant,” he scoffed. “That thing flew off of her when the speed skating started, and those plant creatures seemed centered around it. Not to mention that, as soon as Twilight got the locket back, and closed it, the creatures disappeared.”

“Wait,” Button Mash considered, “You mean the necklace that Twilight’s taking off right now?”

“What!” Aaron exclaimed, and quickly pulled out his smartphone. Activating his camera app, he zoomed in full magnification to get a better look. “Oh my God, she’s going to open it!”

“Really?” Button said, checking the camera over Aaron’s shoulder, “Cool!”

“Cool? Do you know what might happen if I’m right about this?” Aaron stood up, “I have to try and stop her!”

Button then grabbed Aaron’s holding him back, “Whoa, man. Assuming that even is some kind of power up, it could help us win.”

“Is that all you care about, winning the game?” Aaron asked Button incredulously, “I don’t have time for this; let me go!”

“No,” Button maintained, “I can’t let you mess with the event. Do you know what would happen if we lost because of you?”

“Button,” Aaron snarled, “You’re starting to sound like the rest of these preppies.”

Button was shocked, “How dare you? I’m nothing like them!”

“Oh, so you’re not going to just sit back and watch while a bunch of plant monsters tries to eat everyone or worse?” Aaron growled at his companion.

“Aaron, this is the Friendship Games. Crystal Prep always wins. I don’t want to be held responsible for our first ever loss!”

Unable to wait any longer, at that moment Aaron grabbed Button’s wrist with his free hand, hard, causing him to wince in pain, “Coward!” Aaron shouted. Button Mash fell backward from Aaron’s gaze. He’d seen his friend angry before, but the ferocity on his face, the fire in his eyes, made Aaron appear like a completely different person. “This isn’t a game anymore Button Mash!” He hissed. “This is Playing With FIRE!”

Button Mash could only sit and stare, stunned that his friend would direct such anger towards him as that same boy shoved him away and started down the bleachers as fast as his legs could take him.
He did not get far. One of the upperclassmen spotted him trying to clamber over him, and grabbed him, “And where are you off to in such a hurry?” he said with a sadistic smile.

“Let me go!” Aaron demanded. On the field below, Twilight had stepped forward, starting to open the mysterious locket.

“Oh I will,” the upperclassman chided, “After you pay the toll.” That was the last straw. With panic in his heart and hatred in his eyes, Aaron slugged his tormentor for all he was worth. “Ow!” He exclaimed, as his hand flew up to his nose. Looking upon it, he saw that this freshman had drawn blood. That just wouldn’t do. With both hands, he grabbed the kid’s ankle, forcing him to the floor.

“Oh, now you’ve done it,” he announced as he hung Aaron dangling onto the next row. His friends sitting there took their cue and commenced beating the snot out of the boy who dared to assault a superior. Aaron could just imagine his bones bruising from the attack, but could only look on helplessly as, down on the playing field, Twilight’s locket fully opened.

The beating soon stopped, as everyone present gasped in awe. From the locket emerged what looked like a sphere of pure energy, blowing off Twilight’s glasses and levitating her into the air as it grew as wide as Twilight Sparkle was tall. Aaron looked on in horror, as the sphere enveloped Twilight Sparkle. The energy looked to be consuming her! “Help me!” she pleaded, reaching her hand out as far as she could, seemingly towards him, but it was too late.

There was a blinding flash, and Twilight Sparkle was gone. In her place, flew a horrific, purple skinned monster, bearing a crooked horn, and demonic wings. “Twilight,” Aaron cried, blinking through tears.

The monster just laughed, “You were right,” she said facing the Canterlot girl that she’d beaten in the first event, “I didn’t understand magic before, but I do now!” With that, what looked like lightning surged up her horn, and into her hand, from which she hurled it at the school’s curbside statue. The charge smashed the marble as if it were Lego, and in its place, a circle of lightning grew, with a glimpse of a strange structure that Aaron had never seen on the other side.

This energy then sent spiderweb cracks along the ground, which the demon then used more of her power to widen into more holes. The energy spread, along the ground, up the walls, and even through the air. Space itself, it seemed, was being torn apart around them. Everyone, from Canterlot High and Crystal Prep alike, began running for their lives. Aaron struggled to his feet. His whole body ached, but he had to get down there. This demon had addressed the orange skinned girl as if they had spoken before. Maybe Twilight had spoken to her? It was very little to go on but, if there was anything of Twilight in that beast, he had to try and reach her.

He resumed his race down the bleachers, but where he’d expected to find a stair, his foot touched empty space. Another hole had opened up in front of him, this one seemingly pitch black. Before he could even react, he fell, but not before he felt something had grabbed his hand. “Aaron!” screamed Button Mash’s voice, “Hold on, I’ve got you!” Aaron tried to swing his other hand up to get a better grip, but Button was already using both hands just on the one arm. The force of Aaron’s swing had caused his hand to slip from Button’s grasp. His other hand managed to grab the sleeve of Button’s uniform, but his weight was too much for it. The fabric tore. Button, with tear-soaked eyes, thrust both arms into the hole trying to find a new grip. However, Aaron was already too far away, and could only watch Button’s face rapidly shrink as he plummeted into the abyss.