The Alliance of Chaos

Chapter 3

He stared at the figure, a distressed look on his face.

“Does.... anypony happen to know what this is?”

“Question registered. I am Centurion.” The figure said, with no visible change of shape.

“Okay Centurion.... What are you?”  Said Twilight.

“Question registered. I am a construction animated through magical means and granted intelligence. I am the custodian of this library and museum.”

“Museum? What of?”  Said Luna, intrigued.

“Equestrian Museum of Natural History.”

“Hmm. Is there anyone else here?”

“Question regist-”

“You don’t have to say question registered.” Said Rainbow.

“Command regis-”

“RGHH!”

“I am the only one here. I tend to the books and displays. You have brought a changeling here.” The ponies looked at the changeling.

“Yeah.... what about it?”

“The Heart of Whiteshell is here.” The changeling gasped.

“What is it doing here?” He said with a look of disbelief.

“What is that?” Asked Twilight.

“The changelings were once a race that did not have to leech the love from other ponies. Queen Whiteshell’s heart was the only changeling that could emit real, pure love for the entire horde. When she passed on, her heart was bound to a crystal, that could always radiate the love forever. When the Omegas got greedy, we had to lock it away. Apparently, we locked it here.”

“If you are no longer in a state of war, then I have been set with a standing order to return it to the changelings.”

“We are in a state of war. My loyalties.... recently shifted.”

“With whom? I may be able to provide advice.”

“Umm. ponykind. I’m no longer a part of it.”

“You threaten public safety?” The aura of the figure reddened slightly.

“No! No! Please don’t kill me!”

They were guided through the museum. The figure walked with a mechanical gait, regularly putting one hoof in front of the other. Twilight was poking her head around the form, considering it. She took notes. It was fascinating magic, a long dead art. She tried probing it, but every time she reached out with magic, sparks rained from chinks of its form. It shuddered.

“Don’t do that.”

“Where are you taking us?”

“You’ll see.”

“What do you know, you’re talking normal!” Said Rainbow.

“Comment registered.”

“.... *sigh*”

The figure lead them on. He stopped at a door. It had flowing designs, and inscriptions all around it. They did not seem to have any meaning. Centurion inserted his horn into a hole in the door. The carvings glowed, and the door opened. Centurion’s horn had become a complex key system, gears and other mechanisms working. The shells closed, and his horn went back to normal. Apparently, he was a clockwork of sorts. Twilight scribbled down a note in the book she summoned from upstairs. He faced them.

“Follow me.”

He stepped through the door, darkness enveloping him. They followed.

Apparently, a magical shroud covered the contents of the room. As they cleared the darkness, a large chamber opened up. A large pentagon with a sixth point in the middle had strange gemstones at each point. They were large, rotating orbs of varying colors. Each one had a blue aura.

“What.... is that?” Said Twilight, awed.

“The Crystal Calendar.” Each orb was rotating slowly, magic working like a clockwork, elegant metal wisps identifying dates, star formations, phases of the moon, meteor showers, and various other information.

“This was made as a gift from the Crystal Empire long ago. It was near the time of the Intrusion.”

“The Intrusion?”

“Information not found.” The aura around the automaton flickered spasmodically.

“What do you mean?”

“Question not understood.”

“Huh?” Centurion seemed to be glitching. Twilight decided to leave it alone. But, this ‘Intrusion’ interested her. She took a note.

“Most ponies recognize it only as a calendar. However, its true purpose is much different.”

He sprouted a pair of mechanical wings, and flew up to the center. He pressed a hoof to it. The metal wisps moved to one place, and pieces of iron moved around. A ring formed, and energy coalesced in the middle. The crystals glowed, and energy jumped from the center to the crystals. Gems set in a circle glowed as energy filled them. The whole thing became a disk of swirling energy. The energy swirled as the parts moved about. As the metal moved around, shredded images could be seen. They stopped. The image cleared. The Crystal Empire sprawled out in front of them. It was black and miserable. The empire seemed to recently have been invaded by Sombra, and he stood in front of the portal. He did not notice the swirling vortex at his back.

“Well, Crystal ponies, you have been defeated!” He said triumphantly, strutting around a raised podium.

“This is when Sombra conquered the Crystal empire. Soon, Celestia and Luna will come and thwart him.”

“Is it just me, or is this a time machine?” Said Twilight.

“Sharp mare. Starswirl the Bearded was involved with this. He was one of the best sorcerers ever. While nopony knows where he came from, he came during the Intrusion.” When he said that, he flickered and spasmed.

“The Intrusion again.” Said Twilight. The mere mention of the Intrusion, whatever that was, seemed to be messing with him.

“You may need this if you are to defeat Discord.” Go back, and stop him from escaping. Suddenly, a voice sounded from the vortex.

“Bad idea!” And a blue blur flicked across the portal.

“That happens every once in a while. Sometimes, I hear another pony with him. I can imitate her.” He was silent for a moment, and then said in a different voice, “Doctor! What’s going on?” Twilight was surprised, for this was the voice of Ditzy Doo. She shook her head. This was the most maddening day of her life. The other ponies were also surprised by this. They all ignored it.

“I take it he means that is not the best course of action. He seems to be an intelligent, yet eccentric, pony. Every time he says something, it’s usually true. Now I think on it, if we do that, ponies that died in the past would be alive in the future, and that would cause a paradox.”

“That may be a coincidence, you know. Said Twilight. The other ponies agreed.

“He’s alway’s right.”

Centurion moved the indicators around. A golden figure, not a pony, was vaguely visible, but no details could be made out. Suddenly, the indicators snapped to a different place of their own accord.

“That period is time-blocked.” Centurion stated. “I’ve worked at it for a while now. I was thinking I may need a real pony here to figure out the puzzle- I’m only an automaton.”

“I couldn’t do anything. I’m sorry. Luna?” Said Twilight.

“This magic is long before our time. The other princesses before us were the ones that would be involved. We have no idea.”

“Well, isn’t that a shame?” Said the changeling. His voice was suddenly different.

“Twilight, I need you to know something.” He turned to her. “There are things I didn’t tell you.”