//------------------------------// // Loop 69 // Story: The Time Thief // by Reading4HalfMyLife //------------------------------// "You want me to what?" Eclipse asked blankly, staring at Astral. "I am going to Zebrafica" Astral said. "And I was wondering if you wanted to come with me." "Come with you?" "Yes." "You want me to leave behind my very cushy life to go trekking through the very hot lands of Zebrafica?" "Uh . . yes?" Eclipse grinned at her. "Wonderful. Let's do it." "You are an atrocity" Eclipse tells her when he spots the giant milkshake she's levitating behind her as they sit together on the boat. "Seriously, what have you become?" "A wonderful and respectable pony that deserves your love and affection" she answers promptly. Eclipse rolled his eyes , only to hiss at the bright sun beams that reflected in the water. "What are you, a cat?" "Yes" he rested his head on his paws, looking up at Astral. "Pet me mommy." The other passangers started at the sound of a table being flipped, and Eclipse smugly sipped the milkshake he had grabbed before that happened. Astral scowled at him. "Shut up." "Never." Astral and Eclipse both blanched when they stepped off the boat. If Appleoosa was hot, then there was no words to describe how hot Zebrifica was. The hot sand beneath them burned their hooves, and Eclipse silently pulled two sunglasses out of his mane, handing one to Astral. She quickly tied her mane back and slid on the shades before following the crowd down to what seemed to be the main town. There were zebra's everywhere. Astral had only seen Zecora, and Zecora's son and daughter, all of which were shads of grey and brown. But here, they were all different colors, just like ponies. And, like Valour and Essence but unlike Zecora, they all talked normally, chatting about thing in either Ponish or Zebrifican as they strode forwards on their long, skinny legs. Astral kept close to Eclipse, his cold body heat being a soothing presence in the stifling heat. Eclipse, for the most part, looked unbothered by the sun, instead choosing to stare at Astral. "Uh, you okay there?" "YES, PERFECTLY FINE, THANK YOU!" Astral said, marching forwards as if to prove it. ". . . .Right" Eclipse spotted a map and eyeballed it for a few moments, before brightening. "There's a beach nearby, if you wanna-" "Yes!" Astral grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him in close. "Let's go, now!" The beach was packed with ponies and zebra's alike, some playing in the sand, others frolicking in the sea. Astral and Eclipse fell into the latter category. The Unicorn was chest deep in the cool water, while the Pegasus was balanced carefully on a rock, looking down at her. "You should try it" Eclipse repeated, and Astral scowled at him, before the next wave went over the head and almost knocked her down. Fluffy hooves helped her up onto his rock, before continuing. "Rapid riding is really easy. All you do is relax and l the waves lift you." As if to demonstrate, he threw himself in, showering Astral even more. She spat out a mouthful of water and watched as her friend was guided back to the shore by the waves, before coming up for air and paddling back to her. "See? Easy." Easy. Astral eyed the water doubtfully. If Lip can do it, so can I. She threw herself in, only to panic at the feeling of her head going over the water. She flailed around desperately for a bit, before she felt a paw on her ribs. Eclipse! She relaxed slightly, and immediately found the water was less dragging her and more lifting her. Cutously, sh relaxed fully and was delighted to find it was a little like being levitated. Eventually she came up for air, turning to flash Lip a smile as he swam towards her. "So, what's next?" He asked her, a giant smile on his face. The ravine cut through half of Zebrifica, and was several miles deep, making it a very popular tourist attraction. The part Astral and Eclipse were on, however, was deserted since they had both teleported far away to avoid interaction. "I thought it would look cooler" Eclipse admitted, diguise dropped and his front paws curled around the edges of the cliff. "Yeah, well, it is a ravine. Not really much to look at." "Astral." "There's a palace we can check out if you want, shouldn't be so far to teleport." "Astral." "Or we could stop for ice cream-" "Astral!" "What?!" Eclipse, who had been slowly leaning more and more over the edge, pointed at the bottom of it. Astral had to strain to see what he was looking at. At the very bottom of the ravine, hidden by a large boulder, there seemed to be a mound of something white. White and brown. Fur. Oh, shit. Astral turned to Eclipse, whose wings were already unfurling. As he shoved himself off the ground, Astral teleported to the ground below, trying not to wince at the heat radiating from the stones. Eclipse landed just in front of her, crouching beside the mare- and it was clearly a mare. And she was very clearly dead. Dehyrdration surely. Astral could see her, falling down the cliff, with no way to get back up, too tired and injured to move. Eclipse stood stock still, floppy ears upright and quivering, before, suddenly, he flashed oforwards and dragged something out between the mares front hooves, holding it delicately between his sharp teeth. Astral's stomach dropped. Oh Gods, it was a foal. A little foal, barely bigger than her hoof, white with golden stripes and almost no hair on it's head, dangling limply from Eclipse's mouth. Dead. "Oh, Lip, Gods" she took a couple of steps towards him, but stopped when he growled at her. It was muffled, but she knew what a growl sounded like. "No" he said, setting the foal down. "We are getting her to a hospital, now. And then we are going to alert the authorities about this body, so her family can be alerted." His posture was perfect, his tone was lilted. He looked, for lack of a better word, like royalty. It was, Astral remembered, very easy to forget that Eclipse was still royalty, and was an older brother himself. Instead she nodded, and Eclipse relaxed, picking up the foal once more and teleporting the three of them back into the town. The little foal was, in fact, still alive, albeit barely. Had she been down there for even another day, she would of have died. "You saved her" Astral tells Eclipse later, when the police have been notified. Eclipse smiled, but doesn't acknowledge it any more than that. It takes ages for Astral to convince Eclipse to leave the hospital, only managing to do so after the hospital promises to get them if something happens. She catches a glimpse of the foal just before they leave, small and thin and sickly, but she opens one of her eyes to stare at Astral. She has to look away. Goals Get a cutie mark Help CMC get cutie marks See Alchemy Graduate from Beginner to Intermediate Beat Shining Armour in a duel Beat the Princesses in a duel Travel Be A Superhero