//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Perfectly Normal Meeting // Story: Temporal Disequilibrium // by Wild Wire //------------------------------// My slow mode stopped working on it’s own a while ago, so it seems that there’s a time limit to it. I experimented with the ability a bit and it seems like when I hold time to be one tenth of normal speed, I can only hold it for about a minute, Freezing time I can hold for half a minute, and I can rewind time at full reverse speed about fifteen seconds. The list said stealing events makes me more powerful, and being more powerful should probably increase the time limits. I also double check the first note and it said it had a list of a few of my abilities. A few. I might have more that I don’t know of. Since I don’t know yet, I decide to check the box one more time. Searching through, I find some blank paper and a pencil. I copy down the contents of the first note so I don’t have to do it later, until I realize I can’t send it back in time until I find a box identical to the one I was given. If I just send back the box I was given, over time it will eventually decay from age and that would mean a future past me wouldn’t receive a box and that would change the timeline. I have to find a brick sized cardboard box exactly like the one I already have in my hands. These powers are becoming damn annoying much quicker than I originally thought they would. Although I guess I don’t have to worry too much. If I received this box from my future self, then I will also inevitably become him because it has already happened, so I also am inevitably going to find a box to send back like he did. Man, time travel can be kind of complicated. I lose my focus as I hear a rustle in the nearby bushes. I turned toward the bush, ready for a manticore to pounce or something. Everything stays still for what felt like minutes, before I get tired and decide to try something else. I freeze time, and check behind the bushes. Huh, guess I’m gonna meet a changeling first. Neat. If that didn’t give it away, there was a changeling spying on me from behind the bush. I grin. Walking behind the changeling, I unfreeze time and wait for his or her reaction. “Huh? Where’d it go?” The changeling whispered to itself, not knowing I was close enough to hear it. Female I note from her voice. “Hi!” I say, making sure I say it LOUDLY. “GAH!” She jumps, flies straight up right into a branch, and falls limp. “Damn, now I have to help you.” I sigh at myself, and check my map to see if there’s anything nearby that can help. Pacing around in large circles, I scan the Everfree forest, and I see a little note and a drawing of a cave. “As soon as you look up from pacing, there’s a cave straight ahead. Bring them there.” I read out loud. I look up from pacing, and blink. “Oh, that way then.” I say to myself. I lift up the changeling, and, surprised at how light they were, I decide to hold her up with just my left arm, her neck reaching over my shoulder. It’s now I also realize just how tall I am, compared to everypony here at least. If I had to guess, I’m probably just above eye level with Celestia herself. That’s kind of cool. I march into the direction I was looking at before, and sure enough, after a few minutes, I found an empty cave. I metaphorically pat myself on the back for my future self’s good work. I set the changeling down on a flattish part of the cave floor, and set my belongings, that being pretty much just the box, nearby. I sit myself down on the floor as well. Now quite some time has passed, nearly night, an I realized I wasn’t tired, or hungry, or thirsty, or anything really. Might be a part of the whole not aging thing. I had already copied the note, so no matter what I’m going to have to send it back without that information. I sigh again in boredom. But then I remember I can also fast forward time. I speed up time to be five times faster for just a few minutes, and already the changeling can be seen slowly awakening. I cut off my power, and wait for her to wake up fully. “Mnugh, what happened?” She mumbles. “You hit yourself on the head with a tree branch.” She shot up at my voice. “Whuh!? Where am I!?” Her head was looking around frantically. “Some cave I found.” I simply reply, hoping things don’t turn south here. Her eyes finally settle on me though, and her gaze toughens slightly. “Who are you?” She asks, her voice much more calm. “My name is Turner Youth, but you can just call me Ty for short.” I say, trying to sound as nice as possible. “What’s your name?” “Uhhuh, ‘Ty’-” I could hear those air quotes and the suspicion in her voice. “Why should I trust you?” “Well, you don’t have to trust me, in fact, you can leave whenever. I just brought you here because you were knocked out, and maybe I could make a friend.” I say calmly. “Why, why would you want to be friends with a changeling?” She asks me. Her voice was suspicious still, but her face was just oozing with confusion and curiosity. “Well, you see, I don’t have many friends. Actually, remove that M, I don’t have ANY friends. I’m kind of lonely. Also ponies are afraid of me, so I can’t make friends with them. Plus you look really cool.” I explain. She just stares at me for a few moments, before she sits back down and sighs. “I can’t sense any deception from you, so I’ll stay for now.” “Great!” I say. ... Now what? “Now what?” She asks. “I don’t actually know.” I pause. “Do you need anything? I kind of just found this random cave and I don’t really have much, but if you need something I could probably find a way to get it.” “Well, I am kind of hungry.” She says. “Wait, you eat love right?” I quickly ask, as if I wasn’t certain. “Yeah, but I doubt I’d find any love here.” “Do hugs work? I can give hugs if that works.” I say awkwardly. She just slowly nods, so I quickly open my arms and pull her in before she actually expects me to. Her eyes widen and I chuckle. “Oh my gosh, just how much love do you have?” She asks in surprise? “What do you mean? I’m not exactly a very loving person, I can actually be pretty rude without realizing it sometimes. Although with the way emotions work, I should have infinite love in me. That or it’s a side effect of my, uh, condition.” “Condition?” “Basically, I have some strange abilities. I’ll keep a few of them a secret for now, because that’s my ‘I win’ card, but I don’t age at all, and so far I haven’t had to sleep, eat, or drink anything.” “I’ve seen you disappear, can you turn invisible?” “It’s not invisibility, nor is it teleportation, but what it IS, is useful.” “Huh.” ... “You full yet?” I ask. “Changelings are never full.” She replies. “Uh, yeah, because you don’t have friends... Wait, is that rude? Are you changelings friends with each other?” “Yes, that’s a little rude, and no, we changeling aren’t exactly the friendliest with each other.” “Huh, that’s a little sad.” “...Maybe.” “But I guess we’re friends now!” “Pssh, no.” “We are literally hugging right now.” “Fine, we’re friends, but only on two conditions. One, you tell me how you got behind me, and two, you come with me to the hive.” I thought about it for a moment. “Deal.” “Okay, how did you do it.” “I froze time.” She went silent after that, and I had no idea what she was thinking. Was she scared? Did she even believe me? What happens now? “Show me.” Oh. “Well, I could try. Never even thought if I could share my power, but I guess I could try. I’m gonna fast forward time a bunch instead though.” “Okay, prove it.” “Look outside the cave.” I had already started speeding up time, and I was mentally telling myself to pull her along. I could tell it worked because her speech was normal. Looking outside, the grass was moving much faster, and it was already nearing a new day. Her jaw dropped and I chuckled as I shut down my power. “You weren’t lying.” “Alright, now show me the way to the hive.” “Y-yes, I’ll do that now.” She stuttered. “Awesome.”