//------------------------------// // Chapter XXVI: ...One Giant Leap For Ponykind // Story: Four Ponies & A Time Machine // by SkelePone //------------------------------// β€œTo die will be an awfully big adventure.” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OVER 800 YEARS IN THE FUTURE (AKA PRESENT DAY) "Sister, is something the matter?" Luna asked Celestia. The white alicorn princess was staring off into the distance, viewing the mountainous horizon with a bland look. "Do you know of Time Turner of Ponyville?" "The inventor?" "Yes." "Yes, I know of him. Why?" "Do you know of the Cockney Colt?" "Who?" "I believe he is also called 'Carnegie Porter'." "The former champion drinker of Canterlot?" "Yes." "Then yes, I know of him as well. But why do you ask me of this?" Celestia turned to Luna, and the princess of the night could clearly see in her sister's eyes that the elder was remembering something. Something incredibly important and incredibly incredible. "How old are they, again?" "I would not know." "When was the first time you met them?" "Oh, I've known them my whole li-" Luna paused. Something deep and heavy was dawning on her. Surely what she said next could not be true? Yet it was. She remembered, clear as day, meeting Carnegie Porter for the first time. He had told her what a 'skiddily boop' was. "My whole life." 1200 A.B. We're gonna die we're gonna die we're gonna die we're gonna die we're gonna die... Roseluck was in a panic as she ran side-by-side with her lover. Behind them, a still woozy Derpy and a limping Time Turner galloped after them. Behind her friends were some of her not-friends. The entire brute force of the Illumarenati was after them in a stampede. She wondered how so much had gone so wrong so quickly. Oh yeah. They had Porter to thank for that. They had managed to successfully sneak into the Illumarenati base within the Manehattan Town Centre. The four had made it all the way to the TROTIS. And then Carnegie Porter stole a bottle of beer, which he promptly dropped. The shattering combined with the echoing halls of the Town Centre attracted every Illumarenati member within or surrounding the huge building. And by every Illumarenati member, of course, that meant approximately ten thousand guards. According to Time Turner's calculations. And these guards didn't look like the type to take prisoners. Every so often, a guard would catch up to them, only for Carnegie to let out a battle cry and roundhouse kick them up the side of the head. This time, Roseluck decided not to waste valuable seconds where she could be running for her life wondering if the victim of Carnegie's crippling hind hoof was breathing. As they ran, Time Turner slapped a pair of bread slices (where they had come from, Rose did not know) on each side of Carnegie's face. The Doctor was somehow keeping up with them, walking on only his hind legs and backwards as well. "What are you, Porter?" "An idiot sandwich." "Why are you an idiot sandwich?" "Because I stole beer when there was plenty in the TROTIS." "And why did you steal the beer?" "Because I am an idiot sandwich." Time Turner removed the bread slices and tossed them away just as Carnegie delivered a deadly buck to the lower jaw of a lunging Illumarenati thug. Derpy was fluttering in the air. She was never the perfect flier, and Rose could tell that the pegasus was weakening. They couldn't keep running forever. After she voiced her concerns to the Doctor, Time Turner immediately started to formulate a plan. Carnegie Porter seemed to thoroughly enjoy this plan, which told Roseluck that the plan was possibly dangerous. They split up. Derpy latching onto the Doctor and taking him up so they could flee along the rooftops, and Carnegie leading Rose into a tunnel that led into the Manehattan sewers. Roseluck felt with contempt that she had gone into one too many sewers in these adventures of hers, but she did not complain to Porter. Mostly because they could hear the echoing shouts of thugs, who had unwisely followed the drunk and his mare down below. "Stay close ta me, love." Carnegie whispered through the darkness. Roseluck was pressed up against his side. Partially because she was afraid. Mostly because it was so dark that she couldn't see her own hooves in front of her. "You don't have to tell me twice," she mumbled, "how are we supposed to get out of here?" In the distance, they could still hear the violent threats and demands of the Illumarenati thugs. But they sounded like they were a long ways away, and seemed to be having trouble navigating the darkness as well. Meanwhile, Derpy and the Doctor were flying up among the clouds, Time Turner clinging helplessly as he desperately tried not to lose his grip. He enjoyed the, despite that and the current circumstances. "Derpy, have I ever told you how much I love the fact that you can fly?" Derpy flushed when he said he, and let herself give out a bubbly giggle. "No... But I'd love to hear about it." She replied while she touched down once more upon a rooftop. The skyscrapers of Manehattan had grown for a few stories to up to seven or eight. Had this occurred several hundred years ago, they could waltz across these roofs without a worry. Now, a stumble could mean a deadly plummet to the pavement below. They had to find the TROTIS. And then somehow find Porter and Rose. Something told Time Turner that the time machine would not be as easy to find as last time it had been stolen by the Illumarenati. And the society had had one hundred years to prepare for their return. The crew of the TROTIS had only but a few minutes. Time Turner could only hope that the Illumarenati's plan this time was not as intricate as he feared. Carnegie Porter cautiously poked his head out of the grate. He was met by a cool evening breeze. He inhaled deeply, eagerly welcoming the fresh air. For hours he and Rose had suffered through stale, disgusting air. Carnegie looked down to the filthy red-maned mare. She looked back, a face full of worry. "Is the coast clear?" "Yea, love. 'Ere, lemme give ya a lift." He back got down on all fours and gestured for her to step up onto his back. She carefully did so, and then pulled herself out of the tight hole. Roseluck then turned around and helped Carnegie out. He was a tighter squeeze. After many pained grunts and huffing, Carnegie popped out of the sewer. He slammed the grate back down onto the hole and observed the empty streets. Nopony had seen or heard the two crawl out of the literal shit. "So what now, Carns?" "I was gonna ask ya tha same thing, Rose." "I guess we try find the Doctor and Derpy?" "Or should we try an' find tha TROTIS first?" Both pondered for awhile before deciding together that they should find their friends first. They galloped down the street, avoiding large crowds and the gaze of passing ponies if possible. Every so often they'd spot a pony bearing a triangle-eye tattoo on their shoulder, chest, face, or even on their flank. When Carnegie spotted one, Rose would have to beg the angered stallion to focus on her and get away from them. Every time, the ugly face of rage on his face would melt away into a faint smile and they'd continue on their quest. They didn't know where to find the TROTIS. They didn't even know where to begin. Then Rose spotted two things at once. A familiar grey pegasus carrying a brown stallion across the sky, and then a blue carriage being loaded onto a boat at the dock not but a few blocks away. She was given a number of seconds to choose between getting home and finding her friends. She grabbed Carnegie by the shoulder and dragged him with her as she followed the descending form of Derpy and the Doctor.