Prologue: Start the Countdown
At the edge of a small town sat a unicorn foal and a cloaked unicorn stallion. The stallion’s horn started to glow with a bronze aura and storybook-like illustrations projected themselves between the two. “Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there lived a regal princess of friendship with her two prince sons,” as he spoke the picture of three ponies appeared. In the center was a violet equine with a horn and wings. To the alicorn’s right was a golden unicorn and to the left was a cerulean unicorn. “One son presided over the vibrant day and the waking world, while the other governed over the night the land of dreams. However, above them was the high princess Twilight Sparkle. Twilight embodied friendship itself and heralded the land into a time of interspecies cooperation. Together the three brought almost universal harmony.” Suddenly the picture started to come alive as changelings, hippogryphs, rams, and griffins from across the world joined the three and began to frolic with one another.
“However, not was as it seemed,” he said as the happy faces faded away, leaving only the original three. With an exacerbated sigh he said, “Since the two sons’ birth Twilight had feared that they would share the same fate as the last bearers of the day and night. She feared that the night would fall to their darkness and seek out their kingdom's ruin. Desperately she tried to avoid this outcome, but the hands of fate are beyond even an alicorn's control.”
Again, the image changed to show a large black alicorn, its wings engulfing the golden unicorn. All the while the purple alicorn lay on the ground as tears streamed down her face. Suddenly the stallion’s horn lost its glow and the images evaporated. “I believe that is enough for now,” he spoke in a neutral tone.
The colt groaned, “Oh come on mister! There has to be more to the story than that!” With a whine, he asked, “Will the moon prince turn all mean as the Princess thinks, or did she manage to change his future?”
A slight scoff escaped the stallion’s throat at the colt’s mention of the future. “You mistake fate and the future for the same thing my young friend,” he said, his tone taking on a more annoyed tone. “The future is malleable, ever-changing with each choice we make. Fate on the other hoof is something much more ridged. While fate can also be changed the process is much harder, often is brought about in the attempt of avoiding it.”
The colt’s eyebrow raised in confusion as he tried his best to follow what the stallion was saying. “Is that a no?’ he asked.
“Don’t you have someplace to be?” the stallion asked with a groan. Using his head to gesture to the west.
Curios the colt turned his head to the West to see what the stallion was gesturing towards. His eyes shot open, and his heart sank. The sun was getting close to setting. “Oh crap,” he anxiously exclaimed while springing to his hooves, “I didn’t know it was so late! Man, Mom and Dad are going to kill me!” Prancing in place for a second, he said, “Thanks for the story mister, see you later!” He quickly turned around and started to run towards the town.
“Yes,” the stallion said as he rose to his hooves, “You and I will meet again soon my young friend. Mine and your fates are intertwined after all.” His horn once again shined with is bronze glow that grew brighter and brighter until fully enveloping him. After a second the shine vanished along with its source. The hill where the mysterious stallion once stood was now empty. However, the green grass that he was standing on had turned into barren earth.
The colt ran through the town, bobbing and weaving past the town's citizenry that littered the streets. As he ran, he hoped that by some miracle he would get home before his parents got back from their latest job. After about five minutes of running, it finally came into view, the dinky gray house that lay at the northernmost edge of town. He smiled not seeing any light coming from any of the windows. Maybe luck was on his side for once?
Slowing down as he reached the front stoop he started to huff from exhaustion. Taking a moment to compass himself he gently pushed the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. As the door only just started to open it was suddenly swung wide, causing the colt to jump back in fright. “And where have you been young stallion?” a venomous feminine voice asked.
The colt started to shiver in fright as he was greeted by an angry slender, bleached almond-furred, mare that was a little over twice his height. Her copper eyes glared daggers into the boy as if asking him to lie to her. Her black mane and tail almost seemed to float and writhe like snakes. This mare was Mother Tomb Raider, and she looked seething.
With a gulp the colt stammered, “W-well, you see, I-I was talking with this stallion on the other side of town and…”
“You were what,” Tomb screamed cutting him off, “what have I told you about talking to strangers! You are in so much trouble!” Stomping outside the house she quickly grabbed the colt’s ear with her teeth, using it to drag him inside the house. Once inside she practically threw him. “You know that you're not supposed to go out when me and your dad aren’t around! And what about your quota for the day huh, did you take care of it before you decided to disobey us?”
The colt shrank as his mother berated him. With a squeak he said, “Y-yes ma’am, I took care of everything this morning. They are all the correct age and ready for you.”
“At least you can at least do one thing right.” Tomb said in a sarcastic tone. Turning her back to her son she started walking towards the kitchen that was directly connected to the front room. “Straight to bed, you get no dinner tonight. Oh, and Sand Dial,” she said, stopping dead in her tracks, “don’t ever disobey me again or you will get much worse than simply being sent to bed without dinner.” Her tone was prickly and left no room for argument.
Sand Dial looked at the ground in shame and weakly said, “Yes Mom...I won't disobey again.”
Tomb didn’t acknowledge his words and just started walking towards the kitchen.
With a sigh, Sand Dial walked to the back part of the house where his room was. Pushing open the bedroom door he looked at the tiny room where he spent the majority of the day. The room was sparse, to say the least, the only pieces of furniture in the room being an old dresser, a simple box spring mattress, and brass brass-rimmed full-length mirror. Honestly, if he didn’t say that was his room no creature could tell.
Steeping inside the bedroom, using his back left hoof to close the door behind him, he mumbled, “It’s not fair, I did my stupid job so why can’t I go out like everypony else?” Stopping as he was about to pass the mirror, he turned to look at his reflection, wanting to try and see what made him so different.
As Sand Dial looked at his double, he thought he couldn’t see anything. He was about normal size for a colt his age, maybe a little bit small at worst. His fur color was slightly different, his muzzle to his right past front legs was sandy brown while his back half was white with small flakes of that sandy brown dotting it. Okay, he didn’t see many ponies with multi-colored coats, but he knew they existed. What about his mane or tail? No, he had seen several ponies in town with brass manes and tails. Looking at his white curved horn he wondered if that was it. Yeah, there weren’t many unicorns that lived in town, but surely that can’t be it alone. Through the process of elimination, he could only think of two things that could be the source of why he wasn’t allowed to be like everypony else, his cutie mark and eyes.
Positioning his pony to more easily see the infinity symbol plastered to his flank he scowled. It was after he got this thing that his mom started acting so weird. It also didn’t help that after he got his mark his eyes changed color, which he doesn’t remember ever hearing about happening to other foals when they got their cutie marks.
Sand Dial glared at his mark for a few moments before tearing his gaze away from it. “Stupid special talent,” he gruffly said. The colt’s eyes started to sting as tears formed. With a whimper he sat on the ground defeated, tears streaming down his muzzle. He wanted to escape, to have a normal life. “Please, won’t any pony save me from this hell?”
Author's Note
Well, a new adventure begins. I hope you all enjoy the ride, for as long as it may go.
Chapter 1: Sands of Time Carried by the Winds of Fate
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Chapter 1: Sands of Time Carried by the Winds of Fate
Lost in an endless ocean of sand. The dunes grew higher by the second as billions of grains of earth fell from the heavens like waterfalls. Truly, this place seemed to be a death trap for any who were foolish, or simply unlucky, enough to find themselves in this place.
This was what Sand Dial would always see when he slept. While others would dream of their deepest wants and desires he was there. It has been this way since he earned his Cutie Mark.
Night after night he wandered the dunes. There was never a goal he was trying to reach. He was just walking, trying to kill time until he finally woke up.
Though after the prior night, he wouldn’t have minded staying in this sandy ocean for a while.
Honestly, he could never understand it. Ever since that mark appeared on his flank his parents have been so different. Yeah before they weren’t the most present in his life, but at least they didn’t lock him up in the house all day 24/7.
They say it’s because they want him to be safe, but he doesn’t buy it. All they want is for him to use his special talent to make their lives.
Every day they would bring him a bunch of old and new junk and have him work his magic on it, literally. For some reason, he could mess with time. You want something to look like a thousand-year-old artifact, done. Want a broken vase fixed up like it never happened, no problem. Time was his plaything, whether he liked it or not.
Heck, the only reason their crappy little house hadn’t fallen in is because of him. Any new cracks or paint chips he would revert to before they ever happened.
Now while being able to control time sounds like a dream come true, it is not.
Ironic, the ability to time itself at his hoof tips and all it has done is cost him his. The last three years of his life, his foal hood, lost forever. Those precious moments were stolen by his parents and this dumb skill.
In this place though he never had to do anything. He was finally free, if but only for the night. This night was different than the others.
As he wandered the dunes like he had done thousands of times before he started to notice what looked like ruins poking out of the sand. At first, it was just a brick-like stone protruding out of the grains, but as he moved further more and more started appearing. Single bricks turned into pillars, then walls, and finally full buildings.
Soon the ocean of sand was replaced with an abandoned city.
At first, he was slightly scared about the sudden shift in his dream. However, that fear was soon replaced with curiosity, especially as he reached the middle of the ruined mecha. At what he thought to be the city's square stood a massive rectangular structure with a large pair of stairs that led up it. From what he saw there were four different layers of the building, with the top having what looked like an enormous hourglass sat.
Hesitantly, he started to inch closer to the structure. However, just as he was about to reach the first step, grains of sand started to whip around him. Second, by second, his vision blurred, growing darker in the process. Faintly he could hear what sounded like distant knocking.
As the last vestiges of light dimmed, and he inched closer to the waking world, the young colt couldn’t help but grow frustrated. He wanted to know what this place was. But looks like he will have to wait until tomorrow night for that.
Knock. Knock. Knock. “Wake up Sand Dial. Me and your mother have something we need to discuss with you,” a voice said behind the colt’s bedroom door.
With a groan Sand Dial slowly started to stur in his bed. He rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them before sitting up. Groggily, he turned his head to look out the cracked window the was on the wall next to his bed. The slight oranges of dawns early light piercing through the glass. Oh, how he hated this this part day.
Mornings only meant yet another stack of work he had to do for his parents. If he didn’t get the job done would get in deep trouble. The last time he failed to meet his parents expectations he ended up going three days without any food. On top of the hunger, he was still expected to get his assigned work done.
With a grunt he rolled out of his bed and stretched. A chorus of pops rang out from his spine as he bent. Standing up he shook his head before heading out of his room. No sense in putting it off, time to see what awaited him today.
Slowly, the colt exited his bedroom and walked towards the kitchen. Suddenly, a weird scent hit his nose. What is that, vanilla he thought. No, that couldn’t be, that particular spice hadn’t been in this house sense before he got his cutiemark. Curious, he poked his head into the kitchen and was shocked at what he saw.
Standing in front of the stove was Tomb Raider, making what looked like haycakes, There was a stack of at least ten already made sitting on a counter next to the stove. Without turning around she said, “I know you’re there Sand Dial. Go and sit at the table with your father while I finish up, you know how I hate anypony just standing in the doorway.”
Still in shock at seeing his mom cook Sand Dial started to walk to the small, square kitchen table in the right corner. His mom rarely ever cooked, always saying that she hated doing it. The only meal she would ever choose to make are dinners. However, those dinners were always very simplistic, never this.
Jumping into a chair he looked around trying to see what could have his mother in such good spirits. As he scanned all he could see was his father Lost Riches reading the daily newspaper. Something always bothered him about his old man. The shabby, sandy unicorn stallion never really spoke much. Heck, the only time the two ever really talked was when a job needed to be done.
“Um,...good morning father,” Sand greeted, nervously. “How are you doing this morning? Do you know whats got mom in such a cooking mood?”
Lost turned the page of his paper before saying, “Just wait.”
Good talk dad. Sand thought. Honestly, he had no idea what he was expecting from his dad. Looks like he would just have to do like he said and wait to figure out what was going on.
After five minutes, Tomb Raider walked over to the table holding a plate of ten haycakes. Setting it in the middle of the table she said, “Alright, foods ready.”
Sand Dial looked at his mother quizzically, still very confused by the whole situation. However, the scent of vanilla that radiated from the fluffy disks. Hestiently, he reached out his right hoof out to grab some of the cakes, but was cut off by her mother’s hoof setting itself between the food and himself. Yeah, that make sense. Sighing he asked, “Yes ma’am?”
Tomb Raider smiled a little before saying, “Before you dig in, me and your father have a special favor to ask you.”
“Which would be?” Sand Dial asked wearily.
“Well, yesterday your dear father managed to get his hooves on a fragment of an ancient scroll,” Tomb Raider said before tapping on the table three times. On cue, Lost Riches folded up his paper and lit his horn. With a pop an old wooden rod appeared in her waiting hoof. “We need you to restore it to its pristine condition.”
‘Pristine condition’, okay that doesn’t sound to hard to Sand Dial. Several times he has had to use his skill to restore a pot with nothing but a fragment. Yeah, it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, but it was doable. With a nod he said, “Alright, I can do that. How far back am I needing to go?”
Tapping her chin Tomb Raider postulated, “About a thousand to a thousand and a half years.”
Blinking a couple times Sand Dial stammered, “W-what…” Over a thousand, that is just insane! The furthest he has ever reversed or accelerated any item was a couple hundred years at most. What she was asking was about five to to seven and half times anything he has ever done before. ”M-mom, I don’t know if I can do that, let alone with what little I have to work with,” he explained.
Tomb Raider slightly scowled at her son’s words. “Oh, I am sure that you can do it. You just need a little motivation is all. How does, three weeks locked in your room sound?” She asked, a smug smirk spreading across her muzzle.
Trying his hardest to think of a counter argument Sand Dial just sighed in resignation. There really was no use in trying to fight his mother when she gets like this. Better to just do what she wants. With a slight nod he relented, “Yes ma’am, I will get it done.”
Setting the ancient wooden rod in front of Sand Dial Tomb Raider beamed, “Good, now hurry and eat up. I put a lot of effort into those and don’t want you wasting them.” With a nod she turned away and walked back to the stove.
“Yes ma’am,” Sand Dial reluctantly said. Suddenly, he wasn’t feeling all that hungry. But, if he was going to attempt what his mother wanted then he was going to need all the energy he could get. Over the next thirty minutes, the colt made sure he ate as much as his stomach could handle. Jumping down from his seat he ignited his horn, a bronze light emanating, levitating the wooden rod into the air. “Thanks for breakfast mom,” he spoke, walking out of the kitchen.
Returning to his room he tossed the rod onto his bed. This was insane. Out of all the unreasonable tasks he had been given by his parents, this one took the cake. With a grunt he sat on he ground and bemoaned, “I knew today was going to suck. Well, might as well get this done.” Picking the rod up again with his magic, he moved it to lay on the ground in front of his hooves.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to center himself. His horn shinned brightly as he stamped his right hoof on the ground three times. Suddenly, a bright circle with the visage of a clock face appeared beneath the colt and the rod. Slowly, he opened his eyes which resonated with the same bronze light his horn did. As he did so the hands on the circle started to spin counter-clockwise. With each pass of the hands the remnant of the ancient scroll rewound in time.
With each second passed the rod slowly regained its former glory. After ten seconds ten years passed, causing cracks in the wood to patch and smooth out. Within another twenty small fragments of parchment started to appear. This process continued until the eight and half minute mark, approximately 510 years.
Half of the scroll was now visible, though any writing was faded and barely legible. He tried to force the hands to turn back further, but they refused. The more he tried to force it, the more he felt like he was pushing a boulder up a hill.
“Come on…just a little more,” the colt pleaded. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t, he really didn’t want to fail. Failing meant his parents were right, that he couldn’t do anything right. A stream of tears started to flow from his eyes, evaporating as they fell from his face. “Please…”
Suddenly, a surge of magic burst from his horn, causing it glow brighter than it ever had before. Once again the hands of the clock started to turn rapidly. With each rotation objects around the room started to rise up into the air and float. The floor beneath him started to root and decay. Soon the only thing on the ground was a now entranced Sand Dial.
In shock he watched as the scroll quickly reformed itself to its original state. The ink growing darker, much clearer. 600, 700, 800, 900 years passed in an instant. It was both terrifying, yet enrapturing for him to see. As the it reached 1,000 years a sharp pain suddenly struck his mind. Something was telling him to stop, not to finish restoring the scroll, lest something bad happen. However, it was to late.
As soon as the scroll was restored the parchment started to exude a golden light. In a flash, parchment propelled itself upwards, blasting a hole in the roof. Higher and higher it rose, until finally exploding in a massive golden orb.
Sand Dial’s eyes and horn slowly lost their glow as he gazed out the hole the scroll made. A wave of exhaustion hit him, causing the colt to collapse to the ground. Breathing heavily from exhaustion he stammered out, “The heck..was that..scroll?” As he uttered the last syllable, he passed out cold.
Meanwhile, the robed stallion from the day prior stood on the towns outskirts smirking as he watched as the golden orb shown. “It seems the sands of time have started to fall again,” he said with a chuckle. “Now to see if this time around thing will be different.”
Author's Note
Chapter one is done. Please feel free to give me your thoughts and opinions, unless they are mean/rude then please don't. Constructive criticism is okay and appreciated.