All Is Relative
By The Midnight Stalker
It All Seemed Simple Right? At Least That's What I Thought. Now I Know Time Is A Poorly Understood Concept, Yet We Experience It Daily. Then We Tried To Manipulate It And That Didn't Work. So Now We Just Travel On Through As Tourists. The Trade Is Good Too, But Much More Tricky.
Were To Start. At The Beginning I Suppose
Year 981 Celestia's Rein: First Timeline
I had a simple life. Not much To say about it. So I wont go into details. You do need to know that I was a Clocksmith, and that's what led to everything that followed. You see I wasn't content on simply making clocks, I wanted to understand time itself. So I delved into all the books I could find. Then I started to take courses at The University of Canterlot. Thankfully my folks were willing to fork over cash needed to go.
Long story short I wound up getting a Bachelors in Temporal Science. Turns out I was better at that than Clock Making.
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Year 1006 Celestia's Rein: First Timeline
I Had Done It.
Nopony had thought it was possible. That and the fact I was the only one working on it. You see Temporal Science tends to focus on the 'what' of time, not the 'how'. And That's how my research differed from that of my colleges. Anyway I had done it. I had created a sustainable form of time travel. Sure there were spells and what not that you could use, A rather famous incident involving Twilight Sparkle a few years back comes to mind, But they aren't practical for non unicorns and they are short lived. No, mine was better. Anypony could use it, and you could stay as long as you wished, if you have enough batteries that is. It runs on 6 AA batteries. It's economical as well.
All the preliminary testing was done, now all I had to do was just to turn it on. I threw the switch and FLASH!!!!
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Year ? : Second Timeline
I wake up. Looking around I realize that I'm still in my lab. That was a big wast of time. Oh well, back to the drawing board. I look at the clock.
" I think I'll go get lunch" I say to myself.
There is a diner just down the road from the University that most of the Faculty likes. I normally don't like crowds, but I'll brave anything for some of their cider and fries. Hell I'd even take on a dragon just to get there. Okay Maybe not a dragon, but you get my point. As I walk down the road I notice things aren't quite the same. Nothing major, just small things. They aren't wrong, just different some how. Then I get to the restaurant. Or where it use to be.
I looked around for somepony to ask. I spotted a dark brown earth pony with a rather interesting mane color ( Hint it was puck green).
" Hey where did the resturaunt go?"
" Um excuse me sir?" He just stares at me.
" Yeh there was a pretty good diner here yesterday"
" Sir there wasn't any diner, just this designer's shop."
" Oh."
At that he gets up and trots away. I then begin to panic, not sure what to think. I ran all the way back to the lab.
Once there I study the device looking for a sign that something happened. Then I notice that the batteries are drained. So it did do something. I run over to my equations and check them, sure enough in the third line I spot a mistake. Then it hits me. I didn't travel through time, I traveled into another Time stream!!!
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Present: Second Timeline.
So I freaked out some. Then I collected myself and popped in another set of batteries. By reversing the magnetic field produced by the Device I hoped to return home, but things are rarely that simple. Instead I wound up in yet another Timeline. I stayed just Long enough to see what was different. Not much.
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Now I've been hopping, that's what I call it, for going on 10 years now. I'm still trying to get home, but I doubt I'll ever see it again. I've met some interesting characters and Seen some interesting places. Did you know that There even a Timeline where everything is reversed, not just genders or or physical traits; personalities, loyalties, etc. It was still odd seeing a female Discord in charge of everything. I asked her about the Princesses ( or Princes), but she didn't go into details. It was also kinda odd being a Mare. You know I have never met myself either.
Now I've had a few companions along the way, but none were as interesting as Zeek. He was unique at the least.Now if you haven't guessed Zeek wasn't a pony. No he wasn't a human either, everypony knows that they are a myth. Anyway, Zeek claimed he was an Android. I don't really know, but he looked like a Zebra to me. He was shiny too, and always
spoke so formal. Man I really miss him.
I met Zeek at that diner I mentioned earlier. I was glad it showed back up. Although the food isn't always the same, It's still a good place to eat.
I had just walked in to the diner to grab a bite to eat. Thankfully this Equestria was relativity the same as mine. Only notable difference was the fact was that instead of Celestia being in charge for 1000 years, it had been Luna. Luna is more liberal towards the sciences, so there were things like cars, hydroelectric dams, and other really cool stuff. Getting off track.
He was sitting in the back just observing everything. Not eating or drinking or anything. Instead of going to the counter to order my food like I had planned I wound up grabbing a seat and staring at him.
Then I realized he was staring right at me. So I got up and walked up to him.
" Hey, What's your problem?"
He slowly looked at me.
" Well?"
" Oh Sorry. It's that your different than everyone else. "
" Different how? Is it my mane?" I Scoffed. I did check it though.
" Oh no, You give off a slightly different spectral energy that everyone else. From the level of variation your at lease 10 Oscillations off from your own Timeline" Now to anypony nearby that was just a bunch of nonsense, but I had a good idea of what he was saying.
" So, you're Jumping Too?"
" Sorry I don't know what you mean, but I infer that you are referring to trans-spatial Teleportation. If theatis the case than yes I am."
I couldn't believe my luck! Someone who knew what was going on. Now maybe I could get home.
" Thank Celestia! Now maybe I can home." He just looked at me. " Please tell me you have a better idea of how to get home than I do."
" Sorry I do not. I was sent as an experimental Specimen. If I do not return within 5 years of my departure in my home Timeline than the experiment will be deemed a failure."
" Oh. So your lost too. How long have you been at it? I've been lost for 3 weeks." I was kind of depressed now.
" 23 years 6 months 3 day 19 hour 6 minutes 9.38 seconds." I thought 'and I've been at it for like 3 weeks was it? close enough.'
" Well how about we team up, I'm sure between the two of us well figure out something."
" I concur. Lets." He went to get his Device.
" Hold up! I need lunch first."
I ate lunch and then we left.
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3 Week Later: 5 or 6 Jumps later.
" Do you think this is it Zeek?"
" Probability based on prior encounters say 0.00673% chance it is either of our original Timelines."
" Well this one looks pretty cool lets stick around awhile."
Thankfully most versions of Equestria still use bits. So we went and checked into a cheap motel. At this point in my travels I started to notice that with each Jump things were shifting. I mean like locations of builds, even whole towns and even Manehatten! Anyway we had long since left Canterlot. We were in Las Pegasus at this point. I had decided that I may as well see the country.
Turns out staying was a bad idea. The local mob had decided it take to well to time travelers. You see sometimes we would slide forward or backwards in time as well as across Timelines. We were in the past. About 30 years from my point of Departure.
" Hey look Its a the old Highlands-Griffins game!" I had just went into a bar. This Timeline had something call ' Television ' and they had the game on. for those who don't know it's a famous Hoof ball match. There was a lot of controversy surrounding that game. So Anyway I had a good Idea who was going to win. I know not really ethical, but I needed some Bits
Well I bet on the Griffins. I put all my bits on them. The guy at the bar looked at me like I was nuts. Well they won like I expected. Then I Went to get Money
" What do you mean I can't Collect?"
" Simple, you had insider Information. There is no way the griffins won that Fair and Square. So ko Money"
When I refused to Leave They got Bubba.
Yes. Bubba. The biggest Earth Pony you ever saw An.d he was mean. I ran for my life.
They chased me clear across the city before I found time to stop and call Zeek. They had me trapped in an alley when he showed up in the nick of time. When he got there they just laughed.
" What are you gonna do? Your just a wimp. I bet you couldn't even whip old horn head behind ya!" Yeh, of course they made fun of me.
Zeek responded in his trademark monotone drone.
" If you insist upon bodily harm I will be forced to use excess violence."
" Ha! Ya right! Go Get 'im Bubba"
" Yea Sir! Gladly"
Well not even I Saw What was coming. When Bubba Charged Zeek, He didn't run or hide. He just stood there and got out a little laser looking device ( not to confuse with The Device). He pulled the trigger and a multicolored beam of light shot out and vaporized him. Needless to say they all took off.
Later we returned to the Motel. and I got a late dinner. In case your wondering, no I'm nevergoing back. In Any Timeline.