A Matter of Time

by hexFBit

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Adventure
Length: 3786

When Ponyville is inexplicably plagued with earthquakes, Twilight prepares for the worst. But the worst is actually far, far worse than what she prepared for.

What Twilight expects to be an uneventful week takes a dangerous turn when Ponyville is subject to unprecedented seismic activity. The town prepares for natural disaster as Twilight investigates, but the situation goes from bad to worse when she discovers what's been causing the earthquakes. Can she prevent calamity, or will Equestria need another hero?

Published 2012-12-22 23:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-28 22:28:56 UTC

Chapter I

All was peaceful as dawn broke over Ponyville. Birds twittered as the light autumn fog evaporated, leaving the last of the clovers and dandelions in a light morning dew. Spike vainly attempted to stifle a yawn as he waited for the coffee to percolate. When it was finished, he poured a cup for himself and took a deep quaff before filling Twilight's mug. With a candle in one hand and the mug in the other, he climbed the stairs into the darkness of Twilight's cavernous nook. He placed the candle on her nightstand before nudging her.

"Twilight, it's time to wake up," he sing-songed, forcing himself not to yawn again. "We have a lot to do today."

Twilight groaned and rolled away. Spike approached the window and drew the curtains back, flooding the nook with golden beams. Twilight responded by bolting upright, covering her eyes, and hissing at the sun. If only night could last a few more hours! she might have thought, were she cognizant. Spike brandished her mug, and tried to blow the steam towards her. The rich, caffeinated aroma quickly calmed her into a more typical morning state, and she levitated the mug out of Spike's grasp. After a quick sip, then a long, thoughtless draught, she mumbled a weak thank-you and climbed out of bed. Spike went back into their small kitchen as Twilight began washing in the basin. He was putting bread in the toaster when she sat at the table, and while she didn't appear as though she'd just rolled out of bed, her mood hadn't improved by much. With another gulp from her mug, she conjured a small leather-bound journal--a birthday gift from Spike. The merchant who sold it to him said it was enchanted, but the only enchantment it appeared to have was reducing the amount of parchment Twilight used.

"What's on the agenda today?" She idly asked, opening the book to the last filled page.

Spike sat at the table with a couple plates of toast, pushing one to Twilight. "Grocery shopping this morning. We need eggs and milk."

Twilight nodded. "Dusting the library, no plans for lunch... afternoon tea with Cheerilee..."

"And butter. We're almost out of butter."

Twilight frowned. She looked at the calendar on her wall, and her frown only deepened. Unless one of her friends had some sort of existential crisis or catastrophe struck somewhere near Ponyville, the coming week was going to be quite uneventful. She shrugged. This week, Celestia would have to settle for another chapter of her steamy romance novel-in-progress.

Settle? She thought. This is the chapter where Berry and Lumen consummate their love... again! "Lumen gently caressed Berry's skin, elliciting a delightful gasp. As he looked into her eyes, he could tell she was ready to beg for his touch..." She noticed she'd began staring into the space behind Spike, who was meeting her gaze and munching his slightly-burned toast.

"Something wrong, Twi'?" He asked, reaching for his coffee.

"N-no, nothing." Twilight blushed a little and drank some more. The remainder of breakfast passed without incident.

Twilight hummed merrily as she walked to the market, and Spike followed closely, journal in hand. As they approached the edge of the market, Fluttershy swooped down and greeted them, beaming.

"Hello, Twilight. Hello, Spike. How are you this morning?"

"Hey, Fluttershy, we're doing great," Twilight answered. "How's it going?"

"Well, Macintosh said he was going to come by today, and that got me thinking; today's exactly five months, three weeks, and two days since we, you know, really met."

Spike tried hard not to roll his eyes as Fluttershy prattled on about her coltfriend. It wasn't that he disapproved of her relationship with Big Mac. After all, he couldn't think of anyone better for her. He didn't even care that their relationship dominated almost all conversation for the last five months, three weeks, and two days. What bugged him was the fact that he had no real place in their friends' conversations. Sure, he had his own opinions on most topics, but Twilight did most of the talking when they went anywhere together, and when Twilight wasn't around, it was usually because she'd left Spike at the library to tidy up. Ignored, he slowed his pace, and sighed as they walked ahead. He idly scanned the market as Fluttershy continued to talk Twi's ear off, noticing familiar faces and waving to a few that recognized him.

A strange stallion stood at a vegetable stall--Spike couldn't tell if he was a Unicorn for the black bowler he wore--and something about this guy had caught Spike's attention. Ponyville was a pretty big town. Ponies came through all the time for all kinds of reasons. Logically, seeing a stranger shouldn't be a big deal at all, but for whatever reason, he stood out. Spike opened up the journal and scribbled his observations under the grocery list. In market, saw gray stallion. Black mane, bowler hat, possibly Unicorn. He glanced up to note the subject's cutie mark and saw the stallion was looking back at him. Embarrassed, Spike quickly looked away. A moment later he tried to sneak another glance at the stallion, but he'd disappeared into the crowd. Before he could think about any of this much, Twilight called him. She and Fluttershy had covered quite a bit of ground, and Spike hurried back.

In the kitchen, Twilight levitated the groceries out of her bags, sorting and storing them in the cabinets. Before hanging her bags, she produced the journal from one and magicked it onto the dining table, crossing out "grocery shopping." She noticed Spike's scribbles about the pony he'd seen, and decided to investigate. "Spike, please come here," she called.

He entered a moment later. "What's up, Twilight?"

She pointed out his note in the journal. "Is there any... particular reason you wrote this down?" she asked, sounding worried.

Spike shrugged. "Well, that line was marked for notes, and I thought the guy was pretty noteworthy."

"Was he acting... suspicious?" Twilight inquired. "Did something about him stand out?"

Spike scratched his chin, thinking. "No, he wasn't suspicious. I don't know what it was, he just seemed... different, somehow."

Twilight's brow creased with concern. She pulled him into a hug. "Spike, no matter what you do, you'll always be the dragon I know and love. If there's ever anything you feel like you need to tell someone, you know I'm always here for you."

Spike was quite uncomfortable with this. "Uh, sure. You're the first person I'll come to."

"I just wanted you to know that, Spike," Twilight said, releasing him. "I know your age was difficult for me to handle, even with both my parents' support, and it must be even harder being a teenage dragon when you're surrounded by ponies, but I'll always be here for you."

"Right... uh, thanks." Spike responded, then left the kitchen. Her matronly tone was unnerving, and he had a library to dust.

"...I mean, barring Rarity, he hasn't shown any interest in anybody. Except his crush on her, there's no evidence he isn't homosexual," Twilight said between sips, "and I don't have any idea what health risks there might be in a sexual relationship between a stallion and a drake. Then it hit me: I have no idea what health risks there might be in a sexual relationship between a mare and a drake!"

Cheerilee nodded in acknowledgement before sipping her own tea, and glanced across the schoolyard to make sure the foals weren't getting too rough.

"Given the size of a fully grown dragon, I can understand why no one's bothered to conduct a study, but realizing that the subject is a scientific frontier and not just a personal one is terrifying." Twilight stated, making an effort to keep her voice down.

"I see where you're coming from, Twilight, but what's more important is that he knows you're there for him." Cheerilee replied. "As a sort-of maternal figure to him, that's worth more than anything else you could do."

Twilight sighed. "I can't even tell him in good conscience to use a condom because I don't know if they even make condoms for adolescent dragons. I just hope he'll tell me if he gets into that kind of relationship."

"You don't need to worry so much. Spike's a reasonable, responsible young drake. If there's anything he needs to tell you about, I'm sure he'll talk with you about it before doing something that might end badly." Cheerilee assured her, "If it would make you feel better, I could go over the sex-ed lesson with him, and--" Cheerilee paused, gaping at her teacup, which had started rattling on the saucer. A moment later, Twilight could feel the chair under her shaking. The two looked onto the schoolyard, where most of the fillies and colts had fallen silent and were looking around. Moments later, the tremors ceased, but a dead silence hung over the yard.

Applebloom was the first to speak up. "Did you feel that?"

"Of course we felt that!" Scootaloo confirmed. "That was an earthquake!"

"Can we get our cutie marks for this?" Sweetie Belle joined in.

The three of them suddenly shouted, "Cutie Mark Crusader Earthquake Survivors! Yay!" and began chattering once more. Though the three fillies largely reflected the quick return to normalcy at the yard, Twilight and Cheerilee were quite unsettled. Ponyville had only rarely been subject to any natural seismic activity, and the last time Twilight checked, the princesses hadn't taken up random terraforming as a hobby. She pulled the journal from her bag and noted the earthquake under the "tea with Cheerilee" heading.

Twilight woke at daybreak the next morning to the sound of her furnishings and a thousand books rattling and rumbling in the sonorous chamber of the hollow oak. Spike came climbing up the stairs with a candle.

"Twilight! Should we stand under a doorway? Or should we get in the closet, or hide under the mattress? Why don't we have disaster plans specifically for ponies living inside trees?!" He climbed back down the stairs. He was panicking, and the only thing keeping Twi' from doing the same was probably her early-morning stupor.

"Out! Out of the library, now!" She cried, vaulting down the stairs after him. She'd have broken down the door if she hadn't magically opened it, crossing the library faster than most would expect from such a bookworm. Outside, Twilight saw some ponies were standing in the streets, looking around. She could hear a few screaming in their homes. Window panes here and there shattered, causing more frightened screams, and then the only things shaking were ponies' knees. Silence rang throughout Ponyville, and Twilight walked around, observing the damages as ponies gathered themselves. There was no real structural damage; the only things it seemed the quake had caused were fear and broken windows.

When Twilight returned to the library, Spike had a scroll and quill ready. "We should write to the princess about this."

"Agreed," she replied. "Spike, take a letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I don't know if you're aware, but there has recently been unprecedented seismic activity in Ponyville. To my knowledge, there are no fault lines or active volcanoes for hundreds of miles, at least. If there is any known cause for such, or any counter-measures I and the rest of Ponyville can take to minimize damage in case of future earthquakes, please let me know as soon as possible.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle"

Spike rolled the parchment and lit it with his magical breath. With the letter sent, Twilight headed to the broom closet. As she swept the glass, she heard Spike's fiery belch outside the library again. He entered, unrolling Celestia's prompt response and read it aloud:

"My Faithful Student,

I am indeed aware.We have also felt the tremors in Canterlot. I have already sent for Equestria's top geologists and seismologists, for I cannot be sure of the cause without proper academic insight. Let all residents of Ponyville know they should secure any loose objects in their homes and store fragile posessions close to the floor. If any windows have broken, simply clean up the broken glass, and do not yet replace the panes.

I have instructed my guards to place seismographs around Canterlot, and I highly suggest you do the same in Ponyville. I have included schematics for a seismograph with my letter, as I know from your previous letters Ponyville is quite lacking in disaster-analyzing equipment. The devices can be assembled quickly, and with common materials. Be quick, Twilight, as I fear worse may come.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia"

As the princess had written, a second page detailed all the parts they would need, and how to put them together to build one of the seismographs. After disposing of the glass, Twilight examined the page, then rolled it, putting it in one of her saddlebags. Spike followed as she exited the library.

"Spike, I need you to find Pinkie and Rainbow Dash," she said. "We need to get everypony together if we're going to tell them what the princess has told us, and those two are a lot faster than anyone else."

Spike nodded. "Got it. Should I fetch Fluttershy, too?"

"Yes. Tell them to bring everypony to the town square." Twilight replied. "This is going to be big."

Chapter II

Noon was drawing close as Twilight watched the last ponies enter the square. She glanced at Mayor Mare, who nodded.

"Whenever you're ready, Miss Sparkle."

She leaned toward the megaphone and addressed the crowd. "Citizens of Ponyville, I'm sure you're all aware of the recent earthquakes. Fortunately, they have been of low magnitude, so there has been relatively little damage. I have written a letter to Princess Celestia, who has told me how we can help prevent any further damage these quakes might cause in the future."

A nervous murmur washed over the crowd. Twilight picked out a few nervous laughs, and ponies here and there shouted in their disbelief that there would even be more quakes.

She continued: "We cannot effectively stop another earthquake from happening. However, I've printed flyers detailing the princess's instructions on how we can all help to minimize damage. The weather team will pass them out when I've finished speaking. In addition to these instructions, the princess has sent me schematics for a device that measures seismic activity. Three have been assembled, and in the event of another earthquake, we can locate the epicenter and send a team to investigate. One of the devices will be placed here, at the town hall. Others will be placed outside the town to aid measurements," She looked over the crowd. Though she had tried to be as concise as possible, most of the audience seemed to not understand. Perhaps it was simply the nature of the subject at hand. "Are there any questions?"

One pony raised a hoof.

"Yes, you there, with the orange mane."

"Did the princess say there would be more quakes?" he asked.

"She didn't say for sure. She only told me what we could do. And... that it might get worse."

The audience was filled with uncertain muttering. Twilight could physically feel the collective unease of the town. She cursed herself for adding that last bit. It was exactly what this skittish town needed to start a panicked frenzy.

"Any more questions?" No hooves raised. "That's all then. Be sure to collect a flyer from one of the weather ponies."

Twilight sighed as she dismounted the podium. Her friends were waiting at the end of the stage. Macintosh nuzzled Fluttershy, and Applejack tried to not pay attention.

"Well, that could have gone better," Rarity remarked.

"I know. Why is this town so prone to disaster?" Twilight asked, rhetorically.

"Wasn't there somethin' you needed us to do, Twi'?" Applejack asked.

"Glad you brought it up. I need someone to place the seismographs for me," she replied. "I'd do it myself, but they need to be placed pretty far away, and I'm not sure I could set them before the next quake hits."

Dash scoffed. "Seems like a pretty big deal to make over the ground shaking."

"Yes, it is a pretty big deal," Twilight sighed. "If we have just one big quake, Ponyville could be leveled. A thousand ponies would be homeless or dead. If we put these seismographs in place, we might be able to find out what's causing these quakes and put a stop to it before that happens."

Dash straightened up. "Alright, so, where are these things?"

"They're here, inside the municipal building. Applejack, Pinkie, I need you two to take one to Sweet Apple Acres."

AJ gave a kind of salute and Pinkie bounced as they voiced their acknowledgement.

"Fluttershy, you and Big Mac take another to your cottage. It's far enough from town that the seismograph will pick up tremors at a significantly later time."

Fluttershy nodded, and Big Mac gave a slow "Eyup."

"Rarity, Dash... I really don't have a job for either of you. I guess you should make sure your own homes are ready for the next quake."

Rainbow Dash looked quite disgruntled. "I live in a cloud."

"Then help Rarity quake-proof the boutique. You know how she tends to nitpick."

Rarity started to argue. "Well, I... no, that's rather accurate. Alright, then,"

"That's that, then," Twilight said. "The clocks inside the machines are supposed to start them at exactly one o' clock, but you'll need to watch them and make sure they activate. Hopefully, they'll be perfectly synchronous."

AJ, Mac, Fluttershy and Pinkie filed past her and into the hall, while Rarity and Dash left for the boutique, a dejected-looking Spike with his bag full of writing stuff in their wake. Twilight would normally have a task in mind for him, but...

"You can go with her, Spike."

He beamed. "You sure, Twi'?"

"I'm sure," she replied. "I can handle this. But first..." She levitated a little... something into his bag.

"What is it?" he asked, pulling the little square package out and examining it.

"No matter what you do, be safe. Okay?" Twilight's face turned a bit red and contained infinite maternal worry in the moment before she turned to follow the others into the municipal building.

Spike stood there a moment, looking at the... something and mulling over what she'd just said. Then he noticed how far Rarity and Dash had already gone, and stuffed it back into his bag, running to catch up with them.

Twilight fidgeted as the clock on the wall ticked. It apparently wasn't satisfied with passing the time at a normal rate, and wanted to force Twilight to endure an immeasurably long twelve minutes before the seismograph would activate. Twilight was wound tight with the anticipation of studying the new machine. Of course, she'd built them, but only by following Celestia's instructions; she didn't fully understand how they worked. She occupied herself mostly by examining and re-examining the schematics, but it would be so much more fun to watch the device in action. As interested as she was in the seismograph, she almost didn't notice when a pony entered the room, breaking her nerdy reverie.

"I take it you're Miss Twilight Sparkle," he said. Twilight quickly examined the stallion. He bore a striking resemblance to the pony Spike had described in the journal: gray stallion, black mane, bowler hat. Possibly Unicorn. A glance at his flank revealed his cutie mark to be a stopwatch.

"Uh, yep! That's me. What brings you here, Mister...?"

"Oh, beg your pardon. The name's Clocksworth, the third," he levitated his hat and dipped his head in a little bow, revealing his horn. "And if you would allow it, I am here to study this apparatus."

Twilight beamed at the prospect of another academic.

"You see, I make my living largely by crafting and repairing clocks, and so it is quite a nice coincidence that I've always had a fascination with machinery. But this," he gestured to the seismograph, "I've never seen anything quite like it. You call this, what, a seismograph?"

"Yes, it's supposed to measure seismic tremors in direct relation to time. I haven't seen it active yet, but I assume this needle would shake when a tremor occurs, leaving ink on the paper."

"Excellent. So, then, this paper reel is wound on these pegs, and the machine pulls it along, right?"

"Right, and since it moves at a constant rate, the length of paper corresponds directly to the time any activity occurs!"

"Does it draw power from standard machine-grade magick crystals?"

"Yes!" Twilight could hardly contain herself.

"You said in your address that there were others, and that together they could be used to locate the earthquake's epicenter. How does that work?"

"Well, if the three devices are far enough apart, the earthquake will reach each one at a slightly different time. Since tremors are sound waves caused by seismic activity..."

"...the tremors will occur at measurably different times at each location, and the three radii the quakes could possibly originate from only intersect at the epicenter!"

Twilight had to bite her lower lip to keep from squealing childishly.

Clocksworth removed his hat. "This is so simple, and so brilliant!"

"I know!" Twilight exclaimed, bouncing on the tips of her hooves. "Isn't it just great?"

"Indeed. But the machines must be perfectly synchronized for it to work. How did you solve that problem?"

"That was actually pretty simple," Twilight said. "To put it simply, I set a few alarm clocks, then stripped what I didn't need and attatched what I did to the power switch. Instead of ringing an alarm, the clocks will turn the seismograph on!" She was overjoyed. For once, a pony shared her love of knowledge, and he was even a stallion!

Clocksworth laughed, amazed at the sheer genius behind the whole scheme. "Just... this... I can't... words. Brilliant!" He grinned ear to pointy ear. "I can't wait to tell Merry Weather about this!"

"Merry Weather?" Did she miss something?

"Yes, she's my companion. She loves tinkering with all kinds of odds and ends."

"She--companion...?" Twilight stammered.

"What? Oh, no. It's entirely platonic, our relationship."

"Right, right." Twilight nodded vigorously.

An awkward silence followed, and was broken by the seismograph slowly whirring to life. Both Unicorns directed their attention toward it.

"Well, this is... fascinating," Clocksworth said.

"Yeah, it sure is fun studying this machine..." Twilight agreed, slightly less than half-heartedly.

Another silence would have followed, were it not for the steady hum of the paper reel turning.

Clocksworth decided to break the tension. "Would you like to have lunch?"

"I'd love to."