Chapter 43: Time Eater's return
Corolla walked next to her husband, "And what could you be possibly hiding?" Eggman snickered.
"That I'm not doing, any of it." he held his arms up. And at the same time, a figure from inside the grey was moving, black and purple. All the ponies gasped, JetStream shriveled.
'It's a lot bigger than when I last saw it... And it was only that much time...' It was rising from the Bell Tower, its arms were fully spread, it seemed to have cogs and gears spinning around it as well. Everything was bad, but JetStream can think it could get worse, of course it can get worse, 'Where are they?' he looked right of him, 'I assumed there'd be after Eggman... Either they haven't found him yet, or... or...' JetStream got the idea, but it wasn't time for it, they wouldn't do that sort of thing, not now, not ever. The Time Eater suddenly shifted, wanting to spread its madness, a ball of bright darkness grew over its head, over half of the ponies started to back down, almost like they'd know what would happen if that hit them. The ball was ready, as the Time Eater swung his arm toward the crowd, the ball of unknown energy was flung at the innocent population. As soon as it happened everything was in a fury of panic, screams started to break, hoofsteps could be heard ears-closed. Just before the sphere hit the ground, Myriad grabbed JetStream and galloped out of the square to hopefully not to be noticed, Corolla followed directly afterward. Myriad headed to the alleyways, where it's thick and hard to tell where you are. Myriad let go knowing JetStream would follow.
"Come, this way." Myriad and Corolla vanished behind a building heading to an alleyway, JetStream stopped to see what this monster is just doing, and as he did, the sphere hit the crowd all at once. There was no explosion, no sound to differentiate it at all, it ended up being the blank grey space as it surrounded the Tower. JetStream was shocked, seeing those caught in it, looking like a statue.
'They're turned to Statues?' Myriad noticed JetStream wasn't following them, he turned around quickly.
"JetStream! What are you doing, Hurry!" Corolla turned around as Myriad did. JetStream noticed that as he was staring, the Time Eater shot another right at him, JetStream noticed it right away, ducking for the alleyway.
"Ah!" thanks to his speed, he quickly turned and dashed for the alleyway, the sphere ended up hitting the end of the thin path, right behind him, JetStream stopped to look at it, "There's no going back..."
"JetStream!" He jumped and galloped to his parents.
"Don't do that."
"Sorry."
"... Apologies later, we need a way to hide..." JetStream looked back as Myriad and Corolla started to walk, he looked back and paced himself to catch up again. He now had that horrible image of all those ponies trapped in whatever that was, he closed his eyes and shook his head, Corolla looked back and walked next to him.
"You all right?" JetStream looked up, trying to maintain a smile.
"Of course, yeah I am. Hey Dad, you think we can somehow try to make it back home?" Myriad softly shook his head.
"I don't know..." they all came up to a four way, they crossed it and ending up looking back, seeing more ponies galloping for their lives. It was nothing but horror, seeing them cross like that, with them standing right there, as if they couldn't care in the whole world. Next up was another path crossing, except this one had a normal path on the left, so it was wider. JetStream trotted ahead to see what was that way, he turned the corner, only to jump in scare.
"Ah!" luckily his parents could see him stepping backwards from the path.
"JetStream? What is it?"
"... It's them..." Myriad and Corolla got to the corner and looked, they got shock on their faces.
"My friends..." JetStream was not lying, there his friends were, already caught in the same grey sphere, "No..." he walked up to it.
"JetStream..." Corolla didn't want him to get any closer.
"Be careful..." Myriad warned. Luckily they were on the rim of the Sphere, so close that JetStream could.
"Could I pull them out?"
"What!?" Myriad and Corolla jumped in shock just before they looked at one another, "Are you crazy?" JetStream lost his courage.
"I don't know, I just want to save them..." as he finished, he ever so slowly moved his hoof toward the grey sphere, fearing anything that could possibly come out of it. Out of all intensity, JetStream's hoof touched the sphere, "..." his parents waited cautiously.
"... Is it doing anything?"
"I don't know, but it's cold, and very hard to push through..." after some more time going through the drain, he ended up touching Knuckles on his glove, "..." JetStream thought it through, he lifted his other hoof and pushed into the sphere, he tried to grab his glove with patience alone, as soon as he was ready, he pulled his glove toward himself. Doing so caused Knuckles to float to the edge a little, JetStream kept going, suddenly he stopped when Knuckles's glove was out of the sphere, "I can't, my strength..." Myriad was surprised to see his thought actually work out in a situation like this.
"Don't worry, we'll get your friends out of here." JetStream knew with strength like his Dad, they'd be able to get it done quicker, because they need the time, as they'll probably be no more of it.
~~~Chapter End~~~