Keepers

The cockatrice stared directly into Aevum's eyes. Aevum stared back just as intently. The two of them stared at eachother unmoving. In fact, the cockatrice didn't even blink. Any moment, Aevum expected to feel his body turn cold as its gaze transformed him into a stone statue.

However it didn't happen. They just stared at each other.

The wind had stopped blowing, the birds had stopped chirping, everything was completely silent, except for Aevum's own breathing...

wait a second... Aevum thought to himself. It was true. All he could hear was his own breathing. Not even the cockatrice seemed to breath.

Aevum moved his head to the side. The cockatrice remained where it was, and continued to stare. Aevum frowned at the creature, a hybrid between a serpent and a chicken. It really was a funny thing, and now it was even funnier, staring harmlessly into space.

Aevum looked up into the sky. The clouds weren't moving, and the sun stood high in the sky. It must be around 2:15. He thought to himself.

Aevum turned back to the paralyzing creature and began circling it. A mischievous grin crossed his face as he thought of something. Using his magic, Aevum picked it up off the ground and placed it face down in a mud puddle. The mud seemed to hardly move in response, just form around the creature.

Aevum decided he had better head back to the settlement. He didn't want to be gone too long.

As he was walking back, everything was unnaturally silent. His footsteps didn't even make noise as he moved. It cast an ominous feeling of loneliness over him as he walked through the silent forest. There were bugs along the way just as frozen as the cockatrice, that would not move unless Aevum made them move.

Something was very wrong here, and Aevum knew it. A cockatrice doesn't just freeze up like that. He should have been turned to stone that instant. Same with the bugs, they're always moving. They don't just float on spot like that.

Aevum walked out of the forest and into the settlement, expecting a greeting, but he found none. Looking around, to his alarm Aevum noticed that all the ponies were frozen too! "Oh no..." He said aloud.

He ran to the building he was supposed to help build, and found it hadn't progressed really at all since he left, just a few more beams and such in place.

He ran over to one of his friends, who was helping build the house. "Come on, wake up!" He said to him with no success. "Just move, I know you're alive in there!" Aevum began shaking his friend. When he stopped, his friend seemed to float in the position he had shaken him into.

Aevum was starting to panic now. He ran to his fathers house and slammed the door with his hoof, but it only went as far as he pushed, as if it had no momentum at all. He pushed the door all the way open and ran in side.

He came in to a bizarre sight. The fire in the pit didn't move. It didn't flicker, didn't flow, even sparks were frozen in their places. He looked to his father to see him reading a book, in a middle of turning a page.

Aevum turned and ran out of the home. Everypony was frozen, in fact, everything was frozen! The air didn't blow, living things wouldn't move, the only thing that made a sound was Aevums breath.

Finally, Aevum realized what had happened. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it earlier.

Time had come to a complete standstill.

The sun was still in the same position, as well as the clouds, and there was a bird up in the sky in mid flight, hanging there in the sky.

"Oh no, no no no no no, how is this even possible?" Aevum muttered to himself. And why am I the only one not frozen? He thought. "How do I unfreeze everything?" Aevum shouted to the sky angrily.

Suddenly several things happened at once. He was hit by a furry of sounds, from wind to birds. He felt the breeze blowing against him again, and shivered. His friend fell over onto his side like he had been pushed over, and everyone started moving and doing there jobs again.

Aevum stared bewildered for a moment as everything resumed like nothing had happened. "But... I... How?" He stuttered as he stared at everything. The word magic came to mind, but not even the king and queen could controlled time.

Aevum shook his head. Did... did I do that? Did I unfreeze everyone? Aevum thought to himself. It had all happened after he said "unfreeze." So it must have been. Then Aevum wondered if that meant he had caused it in the first place.

Aevum retraced his steps within the last our. He noticed something strange around the cockatrice encounter. Yes, the cockatrice was alive and moving until their eyes locked, then it froze. That must have been when it happened, but why and how?

Aevum didn't think there was anyone who could answer that question. Besides, these ponies didn't even seem to notice time had stopped. They went about their business like normal. Who would believe him when he told somepony time had stopped?

"I might be able to answer your question." A sweet, soft voice spoke from behind him. Aevum turned around to find a dark green unicorn with a navy blue mane standing there. Her mane was somewhat puffy, but styled and curled at the ends.

"What, I never asked a question...?" Aevum responded. She giggled at this. She seemed to act awfully young for how old she looked. "Sure you did, you were wondering how time had stopped right? That's what you said!" She told him exactly what he had thought in his mind earlier.

Aevum's eyes widened. "Wha- But I never said that out loud..." He responded. The cheerful expression on the girls face disappeared. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I let myself wander again." She said embarrassed.

Aevum stared at her a moment in confusion. "Sometimes I just wander into people's thoughts and I can hear what they think. I didn't mean to really!" She tried to explain herself.

"Wait hang on, you said you could answer my question, do you know about time stopping?" Aevum asked her. "Yes, of course I do. I could feels everything around me come to a stop. Even ponies thoughts were frozen."

A pony that can read minds, that is a very unusual kind of magic... Aevum thought to himself. "I know that's what I said when I found out about it!" She suddenly blurted out. Aevum stared at her for another awkward moment. "Oh, I did it again didn't I... Sorry..." She said, once again embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter. If you weren't frozen either maybe we can both figure it out." Aevum suggested. She cocked her head at this. "Why would I want to do that, I've already figured everything out!" She told him.

Aevum shook his head. "What? No that can't be. How could you figure it out already?" He responded in disbelief. "Well you see, I also have unusual dreams. They often have hidden meaning. To be honest, and this may creep you out a bit, but I saw you in a dream, and you had stopped time!" She quickly explained.

Aevum was speechless. He tried to process everything, but she interrupted. "Is that what your cutie mark represents?" She asked.

Right then it hit Aevum like a hammer on a nail. Looking at his cutie mark, it was an image of a clock, with gears poking out from behind it. It can't be... Is that what it's meant all along? Aevum thought.

Aevum wasn’t creeped out at all. He was downright terrified. Magic just didn’t work this way.

“So let me get this straight, you can answer all my questions about this unusual stuff?” Aevum asked. The green unicorn nodded energetically. “Yes, I can answer just about anything! Well, as long as I know about it.” She explained.

Aevum was about to ask a question when she said something. “Actually, I want to go sit down somewhere. I’ve been standing and walking around a lot and I’m tired.” She told him. It was only then that Aevum realized he was tired too. “Alright then where should we go?” Aevum asked.

Only moments after he finished asking though she responded. “Oh don’t ask me that I already know where we’re going to go. Right there by that log see?” She pointed with her hoof towards a log on it’s side by the edge of the forest.

Aevum didn’t bother asking why and how she would know that, so he just followed her to the log.

When they got to the log the two of them sat down. It felt a little awkward, but Aevum wanted answers.

“So first things first, who are you and what’s your name?” He asked. “Well, my name is Madia. Some people just call me “Mad” though, if you know what I mean.” She explained. “Anyways, I have the ability to read minds, and sometimes dreams. My own dreams even tell me things.” She continued.

"So that's how you knew I had stopped time?" Aevum asked. Madia smiled. "Yes that's exactly how!" She responded gleefully.

Aevum decided to move on and ask another question. "How come you weren't frozen in time like everypony else?" He asked. Madia thought about this for a moment, and hesitated. "Well... You see I don't really know. I just felt a strange sensation flow through me and then everything stopped moving around me." She told Aevum.

"You have to admit though it was pretty neat seeing things like that!" Madia said energetically. Aevum smiled a little. "I guess it was quite an experience, sure gave me a scare though." Aevum said showing his own perspective.

"Alright, so what else do you know about me." Aevum questioned. But Madia seemed to be distracted. She was looking past Aevum, but didn't seem to be focusing on anything, like she was staring off into space.

"Madia?" Aevum said. He waved his hoof in front of her face. "Madia, hello?" Aevum tried to get her attention. "Madia!" He said once more clapping his hooves together in front of her.

Madia jerked out of her trance and stared at Aevum for a moment. She blinked once or twice and then turned and looked towards the ground embarrassed. "Oh, sorry. I don't have much control over my thoughts. I guess I slipped off and started thinking about something else. Or was somepony else thinking about something and I just wandered again..." Madia half said to herself.

Aevum shook his head. "Never mind. So, what else do you know about me?" He asked the question again.

This time he got an answer. "Well I know you are good with time in general. What time is it right now?" She responded. "That's easy, it's 2:36." Aevum said quickly.

"You see? I certainly couldn't tell you that! You also saw some runes earlier today right before you stopped time, but I don't know any details." She went on.

"Well if you want the quick summary, it looked like some powerful alicorn, similar to the king and queen, coming to equestria and causing destruction." Aevum told her what he had seen in the cave. Madia looked a little nervous. "Oh dear, that can't be good at all!" She said in response.

"Definitely not. I doubt anyone will think it means anything though. They were really vivid images, and ones that had already happened were glowing green." Aevum described his situation.

"Well I believe you." Madia responded. Aevum shook his head. "Are you sure about that?" Madia nodded. "Positive. If anypony knows a prophecy when they see one it's me! I see them in my dreams all the time!" She explained. "Then again though I have no control over when those dreams happen, they're kind of random." She then began to go on.

“Anyways, do you have any idea how I might have stopped time?” Aevum asked her. “Well I know that right when you saw the snake-chicken you seemed to panic.” Madia started. She paused then, staring directly into Aevum’s eyes.

She looked at him like that for about a minute. Aevum shifted uncomfortably. She sure has a habit of making things awkward... He thought to himself. “Oh I know, I’m just trying to feel what you felt when you saw that creature.” Madia suddenly said breaking from her trance.

She resumed the awkward stare, but this time didn’t take as long. “Hm, your heart skipped a beat when you saw the snake-chicken. Right then time stopped. Maybe it’s connected to your heart or your feelings?” Madia suggested.

Surprisingly, Aevum realized that made a lot of sense. Aevum had heard of magic being really strong in moments of fear. Something about adrenaline according to his father.

“That makes sense.” Aevum said his thoughts out loud, even though she probably already knew he had said it.

“So do you know anything about this magic? Any details you seen in your dreams?” Aevum asked Madia. Madia shook her head. “Not really. The most I can tell you is that there are two others, besides use, that have unnatural magic abilities.” She explained.

Aevum smiled slightly. “Well it’s still something. Any details about these other two? I want to learn more about all this and get some answers. Maybe they know things we don’t.” Aevum wondered. “Well one we’ll meet in a city, and the other we’ll meet in a forest. That’s about all I’ve got.” Madia explained.

Aevum nodded. “Alright then, let’s head to the forest, maybe we’ll find somepony there.” Aevum said. Madia nodded and they both began walking towards the forest, when suddenly Madia yelped and stumbled to the ground.

Aevum turned around quickly. Madia was on the ground, struggling. Her eyes were blank and clear as if she were blind, and she stared off into space like she had before.

“Madia! What’s wrong?” Aevum said running over to her. She seemed to be trying to say something, and was shivering like she had just jumped into an ice cold pool of water. She was breathing quickly and kept squeezing her eyes shut like there was something she didn’t want to see.

After what seemed like a couple minutes though, she stopped. Her natural purple eye colour returned, she stopped shivering and breathed heavily and slowly.

“Madia, what happened? What’s going on?” Aevum said. Madia’s eyes were wide with fear as she caught her breath. “I... I saw him... I saw all of it... Just like you said...” She managed through heavy breaths.

“What? You saw who, and what?” Aevum said confused. Aevum looked around and noticed everything had frozen again. He swore under his breath as he realized his panic controlled him again.

Madia shivered and looked up at Aevum. “I saw him! The Alicorn you talked about... He’s coming! He has an army... And they’re on their way!”