The Timeless

Twilight Sparkle walked through the hallways of Crystal Prep Academy, dodging and weaving through the dense forest of her fellow students. Expressions of pain and fear dominated her face as she tried to avoid the students’ touch. Her efforts failed however, as one after another of her classmates elbowed her upper arms. Somehow, each strike hit the exact same spot, bruising her more and more with each blow.

Twilight wanted to cry, but desperately held back her tears. If she cried, her classmates would only attack her more. If only she could reach her lab. There she could be safe. Turning the corner, she saw the door leading to it down the hall. It opened, and Principal Cinch stepped out. She closed the door and took a key out to lock it. Once the latch was sealed, the door vanished. Cinch turned to Twilight and scowled.

“That is not your lab, Twilight Sparkle,” Cinch said, walking towards her. The students in the hall all cleared out, making way for the principal. “It is our lab, just as it is our school. We only let you have use of it to do what we wanted. Now, you have betrayed us to the enemy.”

“Enemy?” Twilight stammered, “You mean Canterlot…”

“Silence!” Cinch shouted. Twilight could only squeak in response, “You have turned against us Twilight Sparkle, and so you are no longer welcome here!”

Twilight backed away, only to run into a door that she didn’t remember being there. The door opened, revealing a black hole on the other side. Twilight gasped.

“And now, piece by subatomic piece, you will die.”

Cinch shoved Twilight through the door, and into the black vacuum of space. Twilight clutched her throat as she crossed the threshold, her chest burning in pain as the air was sucked out of her lungs. Her body turned sideways, aimless in the microgravity of freefall. Her eyes bulged in horror as her capillaries began to burst, bruising her skin. Her vision faded, until she saw nothing but black.

Suddenly, she hit something from behind, stopping her. Barely conscious, Twilight felt herself being spun around, and a warm sensation on her lips. At once, the pain in her chest was gone. As her feet touched solid ground, she swung her arms around whatever had saved her, and sucked in all the precious air she could.

Her vision began to return, and the image of a boy came into focus. He had brown skin, freckles, and hair of green and blue. Twilight’s mind swam, still recovering from its recent deprivation, “Aaron?” she asked, “Is that really you?”

The boy smiled at her, love and compassion in his eyes, “Yes, Twilight. It’s me.” He held her close, warming her space-chilled body with a full embrace, “Don’t you worry about anything my love, I’m here.” Looking over his shoulder, Twilight saw a beautiful meadow, with birds fluttering and singing in the trees. The sun shone brightly over the two of them, it’s light and warmth soothing her. The only pain left in her body was from the bruises left by the other students.

Aaron then released the hug and held Twilight at arm’s length. His hands were over the bruises, and the pain in them melted away. “No one can hurt you anymore, Twilight. You’re safe now.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile, as the tears she’d held back earlier fell from her face. Those tears of pain however were quickly replaced by tears of joy, for Twilight could not remember the last time she had ever been this happy, or ever felt this much peace.

Behind her, far overhead, sat a wispy cloud, the only one in the sky. Beyond her notice, the cloud shifted from white to blue. It’s border became more pronounced, as if it were more liquid than gas. Light speckles appeared within, as its membrane began blowing in the breeze. Silently, it shot upward, higher and higher, until it was gone.

Aaron sat taking notes at his desk, listening intently to the teacher at the front of the classroom.

“Remember students,” the instructor lectured, “Your hormones must be resisted. Your academic achievement is paramount. Whatever ‘protection’ you might have heard of online will not work. If you give in to your animal instincts, even for a moment, then one thing will lead to another, and you’ll find yourself catching a disease, or having a baby, or both.”

Aaron dutifully jotted this down as he heard something behind him.

“Psst.”

“Your life, and career, will be ruined. Your base passions will burn you.”

Aaron looked back to see that it was Twilight Sparkle trying to get his attention. Her hand was on her lap, with a folded piece of paper hanging from it.

“They will consume you.”

Aaron reached into his backpack to grab an extra pen, so the teacher wouldn’t think he was passing notes. He reached back to make the covered trade, and palmed the note before placing his hand on his desk to keep the note out of sight.

“You will become nothing but a hollow shell of what might have been.”

As the health class teacher turned to write some more points on the blackboard, Aaron took the opportunity to open the note.

“I love you” it read.

“Case in point, Aaron?”

Aaron looked up, stunned and confused, “Yes, sir?” he tried to keep up appearances, and keep a straight face. The light scent of smoke reached his nostrils.

“What did I just say?”

Aaron quickly read notes and recited, “That giving in to your passions, even for a moment, will burn and destroy you.” The smell of smoke grew stronger, and his hand started to sting.

“You heard me, but clearly you weren’t listening. Were you?”

Aaron tried to formulate a response, but couldn’t think. The pain in his hand increased. When he looked down at it to see why, it was burning.

“I was quite specific, young man; I said that you would be consumed, and become a hollow shell of what might have been.”

Aaron screamed as his whole hand caught fire, followed soon by his wrist, and his arm. As the flames reached his shoulder he cried out, “Nurse! Bathroom! Something! Help me!”

“You will sit and stay where you are you dog,” the teacher retorted, “Class, pay close attention. This is what happens if you allow yourself a moment’s weakness.”

Aaron didn’t even notice the stares and scoffs of his classmates as the fire spread to encompass his entire body. All he could do was scream in agony as the flames consumed his flesh. The room fell silent as his eardrums expanded, folded, and tore in the heat. Ashes fell to the floor as his tissues disintegrated. The screaming stopped as his lungs ruptured. A pool of smoldering ash formed beneath him, made up of what was once his flesh and tissues. With no musculature to support them, Aaron’s charred bones fell and scattered around his desk. His skull skidded and turned towards Twilight, who looked into the eye sockets and giggled.

“Was it worth it?” she asked, and then laughed openly, louder and louder. The room faded to black, save for a single clump of blue, shimmering like the stars. That too vanished, and all that remained was Twilight Sparkle, pointing and laughing at the blackened skull that had once been Aaron.

Aaron sat up from his futon and screamed, his face coated in a cold sweat. He started feeling around his face, torso, and arms, wondering if they were still there. He then looked to his hand, and found it unmarked. He heard something across the room, and turned to see that Twilight had been startled awake from the makeshift bed she’d made on his chair. Quickly looking away, he saw his quarters in Nightmare Castle. His breath and heart rate finally stabilizing, he remembered where he was.

“Ah good, you’re awake.”

Aaron and Twilight blinked and turned to see Lieutenant Dash and three of Nightmare Moon’s guards standing at the door to the meager quarters.

“The Princess has requested you and your... mate’s presence, immediately!”

Lieutenant Dash appeared to choke at that word and, for the first time, Aaron could completely relate. Feeling Twilight’s hands on his shoulders as she hid behind him was not helping ease the dread he felt. This feeling intensified as the guards surrounded them, two flanking on each side, one more taking point and the Lieutenant herself bringing up the rear.

“Now march!” Lieutenant Dash ordered.

Aaron obeyed, forcing one shaking foot in front of the other. He didn’t know what made him feel worse, the girl clinging to his arm for dear life, or the spear poking at his back, driving him and Twilight forward to her first meeting with the dark monarch.