//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Sands of Time // by Amaranthine Thought //------------------------------// The day after the next, I waited outside early, anticipating the meeting to occur soon enough. Mirage and the girls waiting with me. I did not have to wait long. They came together, the six of them alone. I waited as they neared, noticing Commander’s worried look, and Chancellor’s regretful one. They stop near me, and I watch them, wondering. Then Smart heads to me, followed by a nervous and fearful Private, and she smiles up at me before she hugs my legs, and gestures for Private to feel. I smile down at them, making Private squeak. “Big Gu, Kitty.” I hear, and I look to see Chancellor looking up at me sorrowfully. “I am very sorry for how I, and the earth ponies, treated you. I can’t believe how I was so blind, thinking I could use you like you were a big dog.” “The only question I have, Chancellor, is to wonder if Smart has returned to her rightful place?” “She has.” Chancellor tells me, and I smile at her. “Then you and yours are forgiven.” I tell her, and she smiles back, growing happy swiftly. Commander comes next to her, before Chancellor joins Smart near me, and I look at him. I cannot keep the faint frown from my face, seeing him again; I still recall his trying to attack Mirage. “…Kitty, I’m willing to make whatever amends you desire for my actions.” He says. “I thought you a beast, denied what was yours, and again attacked you, even after I knew better. I… I offer my regrets.” He says, lowering his head. I’ve already thought of what to say to him. “I offer my own regrets, Commander.” I tell him, Commander looking up, wondering. “I gave you no reason to not imagine me a beast, and when I defeated you that day, I took far too much pleasure in seeing you hurt and weak. If you feel you might owe me anything, your cooperation with Princess and Chancellor is far more than anything I might have wished from you.” “Now, enough of apologies and forgiveness.” I continue, looking between each leader in turn. “Enough of regrets and guilts. Let it be finished, and let us all enter this new dawn, free of the past.” “Here, here!” Chancellor agrees, and Princess nods, relief on her face. Commander hesitates before he nods as well, sighing. I smile in turn. It was done already, but now, all is said and they too, know it is finished. “Sooooo…” I hear Chancellor say next to me, drawing the word out. “…Future, huh?” I blink at that, and look to Clover, who suddenly has wide eyes. Seeing me looking at her, she winces a little, and weakly tells me, “I might have been a little… big mouthed. But only to Smart!” I sigh, to spot Smart, who looks a little guilty herself. “…Alright, I told her!” she yells, breaking without any action on my part. “But come on Kitty! It’s jus too much fer any mare ta keep secret, an Chancellor’s like a hound after a squirrel with secrets!” As I sigh, bringing my paw to my face, I hear Princess say, “Now that the important part is over with, Clover thinks that you have suffered from your own form of ‘horn numbness’, Kitty.” I look again, and Clover tells me, “It happens sometimes when a unicorn reaches full maturity; they find themselves not as sensitive to the magical flow as they were before, and can find themselves unable to use magic at all until they have grown used to it once again. I think you might have something similar, but how or why, I’m still not sure.” “Well, it is a start.” I sigh, lying down so as to allow the girls to climb atop me, soon joined by Private and Chancellor. “But I am still at a loss as to how I might regain the ability.” I see Smart hesitate, and then she wonders, and asks me, “How did ya used ta stop time anyway?” “I would roar, and would only have to wish for things to stop.” I tell her, finding it difficult to frown, what with hearing Private softly but happily talking with Chancellor, who is all too happy to be on my back. “…Kitty, stop time.” She tells me. I open my mouth to ask her what she is thinking before a sudden urge passes through me. I suddenly stand, to the surprise of the ponies atop me, and suddenly roar, not of my own will. And as I blink, they freeze, most of them mid-surprise. The collar… Mirage flies up, a grin growing on her face as she looks around at their frozen forms. “Kitty, you did it!” she yells, overjoyed. I smile in turn as Mirage flies back down, to stare wonderingly at the frozen ponies nearby. The collar can force me to use my ability. Why did I not think of that? And better, I felt something different in that roar. A few more times, and I think I might be able to recapture my own ability! Time soon resumes, and I hear the end of the yelps from behind me, and I turn to see before I hear Smart yell, and I look to see her recoiled from Mirage, before I spot her hesitate, think, and then smile. “It worked, didn’t it?” she asks, and Mirage nods, beaming at her. “The collar can force him to use his ability…” Clover murmurs, a touch stunned. “Kitty, did you feel anything different about that time? Was there something new?” “There was.” I tell her, smiling. “Does that mean you’re better!?” Sweetie yells, and I look to see the three of them with their eyes sparkling. “Can we go back now?” Scootaloo asks. “We’re all set an ready ta go!” Applebloom adds, all three excited and eager. “Wait, wait!” Princes yelps, realizing something. “The collar! Clover, if it reaches a point where Kitty cannot be ordered, wouldn’t it,” “Malfunction.” Clover says, suddenly realizing before she turns worried. “Kitty, Smart, don’t do anything just yet!” “I heard, I heard.” Smart says, frowning. “How would it mal… whatever that was?” “It might even explode.” Clover says, which was enough to have several of those gathered gasp. I frown in turn, the gathered ponies in varied states of concern, thought, or worry. If that would happen, then how might I prevent it from, “Can’t ya jus come wit us if it’s so important?” Applebloom asks, and we all hesitate and look to her. “…If Smart came, then nothing would happen, right?” Sweetie asks. “Wai, wait jus a second.” Smart says, wide eyed. “Ya can’t be suggestin that I go… go with y’all.” “I think you may have to.” Clover says. “So as to safeguard Kitty from the collar and to ensure that he can fully recover from his ailment.” “If I may.” Princess announces, her voice loud. We all look to her, and she looks up at me with. “Kitty… You once told me that you cannot tell me much about the future. But… but if Smart must go with you anyway…” “I’d so dearly love to see something, anything, to tell me that what we’re doing here succeeds.” she finishes, and I spot the glimmer of the same start to spread through them. “…Can we, Kitty?” Chancellor asks me. “You know, just a peek?” “…If anypony else is going, I’m going.” Commander says. “Who knows what might happen out there, or then, or whatever. Private, with me!” As Private timidly flutters to him, I sigh, thinking about it as they all look at me. …It couldn’t be so bad if I did so from my den, and they only looked outside, right? Only for a brief while couldn’t possibly hurt, and they’d only be able to maybe see Ponyville. I nod, and tell them all, “Very well. A brief visit, and no more. Come into my den, and we can go.” Chancellor cheers as the girls rush that way, swiftly followed by Mirage, and then by Chancellor. I smile as they go, and the rest follow after me into the den. Then I move into the center, and sit, readying myself. They all gather around me, the girls clustering in front of me as Mirage alights atop me, the other six arranged in front of me. They are all eager, even Commander, who is trying to hide it. “I warn you all.” I begin. “Keep what you learn to yourselves, and do not tell any other. Stay within the den as well, and do not exit.” “Got it!” Chancellor tells me as the others nod. “Ready to go?” “Ready!” the girls chorus, and I look at Smart. “Ready, Kitty?” she asks me. I nod, and she nods in turn. “Alright. Get the fillies back ta their time, an bring us all wit ya!” I roar, and feel the power moving in me. Unlike the first time, I feel the strain, but it is not beyond my endurance now; perhaps because I have gathered more power, maybe. From one day to the next, we go. In order to avoid some confusion, I should mention this here. My time travel is slightly inaccurate; the longer the time span, the more likely it is that I’ll ‘miss’ by just a little. I returned to the present three days after I first left, within my own den. The bearers had followed me after my first crash, along with the elements, recalling the pegasus they saw me trying to get, and easily noticing that I disappeared with her after our first encounter. They were warned by Celestia about my pony-eating past, and Twilight had felt I was highly magical as well, which had them bring the artifacts, just in case. They hadn’t known the girls were with me then up until I roared, and they screamed. They had burst into the place, only to see our swiftly fading forms, and then nothing as we left. At first, they hadn’t been certain that the girls had been with me. That hadn’t been determined until they got back to Ponyville, and turned the place upside down looking for the fillies until they had arrived at the conclusion that I had somehow taken them without anypony noticing me doing so; the broken fence was enough to assume that the girls hadn’t just wandered off on their own. Suffice to say they worried. Twilight had gone in search of something, anything, to try and tell her what had happened, what I was, and where I had gone. She finally found something the next day. My den survived the ages, but at some point, it had been buried in a landslide. Uncovered a few years before my breaking free, my writings and old home had been discovered by ponies. They thought the writing was of one long dead in their culture, but as nopony could decipher my language, everypony more or less forgot about it after a few years of useless attempts, save for those who loved to try and crack impossible puzzles. Twilight was one such pony, and she found the book she had on it, and then, the image of the winged lion had far more meaning than it had before. She spent the rest of that day in research and ensuring beyond any doubt that the girls were missing, and the next morning, she and the rest had left to reach my den, and hopefully find some clue as to the girls’ fates. There, Twilight had begun looking at my writing and imagery, and the rest waited for her to come up with some result, upset and worn if not impatient and tense. It was then that we appeared, materializing amidst them, my roar heralding our arrival. My roar fades amongst screams, and I feel weak, and disoriented. “Contact!” I hear Commander roar, and I hear an odd shattering sound, followed by a yelp. Then somepony decides to flash a great spark, blinding and disorienting everypony present. Much yelling ensues, and I hear the sound of Commander’s armor being hit, and the distinct ‘clop’ when two ponies slam their hooves together, over the sudden cacophony. “Foxtrot, foxtrot!” I hear Commander bellow, and I make a sudden decision, and drop, so as to protect the girls from this chaos. “Clover, stop her!” “You get away from her!” “What do ya think ya’ll are!” Something soft splats against my face, and I carefully lick out. The taste is familiar. “Is that pie?” “My own recipe!” “EVERYPONY STOP!” is abruptly shouted, the voices unable to not be obeyed, and the chaos around me stops, suddenly. We all look, to see Private standing next to a yellow pegasi. “This is all a misunderstanding.” Private tells us, her voice soft and quiet. “Everypony, take a second look.” the other says, her voice too, soft and gentle. We do so, and I recognize the extra ponies. The same mares who came when I crashed into Ponyville, the bearers of harmony. I tense, realizing, but they are not carrying the rainbow power right now. After a moment, I see them suddenly startle, realizing something as they each look at the varied ponies who came with me. “It, it can’t be.” the purple unicorn breathes, shocked. “…Commander Hurricane?” the pegasus with the rainbow mane hesitantly asks Commander, once the two of them have ceased fighting with one another and gotten back on their hooves. “The same.” he says, causing her to gape. Smart has speckles of what I now know to be pie on her, and the orange earth pony near her asks, “Are ya’ll Smart Cookie?” “Ya know my name?” Smart asks, baffled, the other mare staring in a troubled confusion. “This is very good.” Chancellor says, she and another pink earth pony near one of my walls, Chancellor eating what is left of a pie. “Aw, thanks.” the other says, smiling. “Hey, are you Puddinghead?” “That’s me!” Chancellor says happily, and the pink one gasps and beams. “I always wanted to meet you!” she squeals, tapping her hooves. “Oh my gosh, really!? I have a fan!” Chancellor squeals, rearing up in near perfect mimicry of the pony next to her, both of them throwing their hooves open wide. “Wait, wait, wait!” the purple unicorn yells, shaking her head, Chancellor and the other pony looking at her as they embrace one another. “This, this doesn’t make any,” “Applejack!” “Applebloom!?” the orange mare startles, the fillies crawling out from underneath me before they each dart to a particular pony. I spot Applejack’s shock swiftly turning to joy as Applebloom leaps at her, tearing up in relief and joy. “Applebloom! Yer safe!” “Rarity!” Sweetie yells, running to the white unicorn, who gasps, seeing her. “Sweetie!” the mare calls back, before grabbing hold of the charging Sweetie in her hooves. “Oh my goodness, Sweetie… what happened to your mane?” “Oh, right. Kitty tries his best, but,” “Rainbow, Rainbow!” “Scoots!” the blue yells as Scootaloo runs to her, to stop nearby, nearly prancing in place. “We were history!” Scootaloo yells, near overjoyed, though Rainbow only returns a confused look, before again looking around her. “We, we even got thanked by Princess!” Applebloom tells Applejack, who was holding her a might too tightly in my opinion. That comment has Applejack lean back so she can stare, confused, at Applebloom. “And it’s all thanks to Kitty!” Sweetie finishes, Rarity staring at her, just as baffled as the others are. Princess looks around before she sighs. “Perhaps,” she begins, speaking to be heard by everypony, “It might be for the best if we were to all introduce ourselves, and to pretend the last few moments didn’t happen?” The purple unicorn hesitates, before she nods, taking a deep breath, and calming herself somewhat. “I am Twilight Sparkle.” She begins, looking to Princess. “And the white unicorn is Rarity.” she continues, Rarity hesitating as she hears her name, “The yellow pegasus is Fluttershy, and the blue pegasus is Rainbow Dash. The orange earth pony is Applejack, and the pink earth pony is Pinkie Pie. The fillies are,” “I already know them, Twilight.” Princess interrupts. “I am Princess Platinum of the unicorns, and this is Clover, my trusted aide.” “Commander Hurricane.” Commander says, looking at Private, who meekly moves to his side. “And Private Pansy.” “I’m Chancellor!” Chancellor exclaims. Smart sighs, and says, “I’m Smart Cookie, an she’s Chancellor Puddinhead.” “The g is sometimes silent.” Chancellor whispers to Pinkie, who nods as though she understands. “Now that introductions are over.” Princess says. “I am pressed to wonder what exactly just occurred? Because I would swear that you attempted to magically contain us all, I saw Rainbow Dash tackle Commander Hurricane once he had broken your containment, and Smart Cookie was the one who prevented Applejack from coming to Rainbow’s aid, in, apparently, attacking Commander.” “Pr, Princess Platinum.” Twilight begins, obviously uncomfortable with the name. “You… You all simply appeared here, and I hadn’t intended on containing anypony.” “Oh? Then what were you trying to do, Twilight?” “I was trying… trying to contain and stop the monster you appeared with.” Twilight explains. “Not agin.” Smart sighs, hanging her head. “What monster?” Princess asks, and I am certain she is doing so to pressure Twilight. It seems to be working, as Twilight gains a confused, worried look, and I spot her glancing at me a few times as though trying to tell Princess without actually telling Princess. But Princess is just watching Twilight, her face perfectly calm, waiting for an answer. Once she fails to get one after a few moments, Princess gives a gentle huff. “While I am certain that I do not know why you would consider Kitty a,” “Kitty?” I hear asked several times, Twilight one of them. I spot a small smile creep onto Fluttershy’s face as well, before she seems to suddenly realize I am looking at her, and she turns a bright shade of red and hides her face with a wing. “Kitty.” Princess firmly reiterates, “A monster, rest assured that your first assessment is wholly incorrect. Kitty is nothing save a humble, merciful, forgiving, and even kind great winged lion, who does not even begin to deserve such a title as ‘monster’.” Twilight simply stares, and I suspect she is entirely at a loss for what to say, or even do. The rest seem little better, and I can only guess what the collective bearers are thinking of right now. …I feel I must act. I think there might be a chance here… If I am to ever find peace in this time, I must reach them. All I have learned, all I have experienced… may it be enough. “Twilight.” I call, and I see the bearers startle. I slowly push myself back up, their gazes drawn to me, and I see curiosity and concern both. “I am greatly surprised to find you here, and I admit, even now, I would sooner you not have been here.” “You… you speak.” Twilight says, stunned, and I spot Princess give her a mildly upset look. “I do.” I tell her. “A thousand years, the family of Mirage taught me your tongue. When I first fled this time, I fled from you and yours. And even now, my heart beats in fear at the sight of you and the other five.” Twilight blinks, surprised at that, and I spot the others with varied expressions. I sigh heavily, and continue, “But I find myself here, and I face my fears, and I wonder: might I find peace in this age, as I have in the age long past by? Perhaps, but that lies not with me; it lies with you, Twilight.” “M, me?” she says, staring at me. I nod. “I may fear you, but far more I fear the power that stoned me; the power you and yours hold in this day. I fear that what came to be once will come once again: that again, I will spend a thousand years in stone.” I spot the ponies that came with me stop in shock at my words, but I focus on Twilight, and continue, “I wish I might not feel that fear, and it will be by your will if that fear is erased, or set in the stone I was once made of.” “I can but wait your judgement, bearer of the rainbow power.” I tell her, lying back down, watching her. Twilight stares for a long time, and I can only guess as to her thoughts. Then, after so long, she tries to say, “The family of… Ma… Meer…” “Mirage.” I say for her. Twilight nods, focusing. “Who was she?” “Mirage was the filly who saved my life.” I tell her, to her, and the rest’s, surprise again. “For that, I indebted myself to her, and cared for her as best I could in my ignorance. It was I who gave her the name ‘Mirage’, my word for illusions of desire, for I had thought I was seeing illusions of intelligence in her, perhaps reflecting my desire for companionship. She gave me the name I still hold dear, and I then realized that ponies were not the animals I had first thought them to be.” “For her, I swore to never eat another pony again. Even when they came, seeking vengeance for the two I had devoured, for her, I but escaped, and left them alive. I fled with her into the woods, where I was found by the twin lights. It was then I was stoned, and carried away. Mirage later found me once more, and she did her all to ensure that I might learn of her, and her kind. Her family in turn followed in her hoofsteps.” “The last of that line is still with me, in Mirage the 39th.” I feel Mirage move atop me, and spot Twilight glance up at her. I see her eyes glimmer with recognition before she looks back at me. “…Why did you carry the past with you when you returned, and why here?” she asks me. “They desired I give them some glimpse of the future they seek to build.” I answer her. “I cannot grant them knowledge, but I thought a sight would be enough to have them know that their chosen path is correct.” “As for here, this is my den.” I tell her. “There is no place I felt safer to try traveling to, and I chose this place because I had thought it would be empty.” Twilight nods once more, and I spot her thinking. Then she looks to the others, likely seeking advice. They all look back to her, their expressions varied, but none of them seem worried or upset. Then Twilight looks back to me, and a moment of dread comes to me as I see her expression turn uncertain, even perhaps a touch sorrowful. “Kitty…” she begins, hesitant. “When I first saw you, I didn’t even know what you were.” She tells me. “Even when I asked the princesses, all they could tell me was that you were a beast from long ago who had once eaten ponies. Up until right now, the best I knew about you was just that and that you’d been stone for a thousand years; nothing else.” “When you reappeared, we only heard your roar, and saw you materializing like you had just been invisible this entire time.” she continues. “You brought historical figures along with you, returned with the girls and the pegasus we thought you had taken unharmed and well, and I…” “I still don’t know what to think about all this.” She says, distressed. “How can I even begin to rationalize you, traveling to Equestria’s past, and interacting with what might be some of the most influential ponies within our history, along with a young pegasus and three fillies? To then reappear, with those same figures, now of all times, when I was trying to learn more about you by studying this place where your image is carved into the walls, for you to then tell me about yourself and ask me, me, to decide your fate?” “It’s, it’s just too much.” she says, shaking her head. “I, I tried, but I, I just can’t!” she sighs again, taking a moment to take a deep breath and then look at me again with a slightly regretful expression. “…And in the end, I’m not even the one who’ll decide.” She says. “It’s going to be up to the Princesses to make that choice. I won’t promise you anything I don’t have the power to really promise.” … “Might it be enough,” I ask her slowly, “If the student speaks to the teacher on my behalf?” “Kitty… Kitty, I promise you, I’ll tell them everything you told me.” Twilight says, still looking distressed. “I don’t think you’re anything bad, and I’ll try, but I can’t,” Twilight stops suddenly as I softly purr, shutting my eyes. It is not what I had tried for. But from fear, to this, this hope, this little hope, that I might find peace now as well is so, so good. I feared when she didn’t immediately answer me. Worried as she talked about her confusion. That’s gone now though. I reopen my eyes, to find Twilight with a small smile on a tired face. Then I slowly push myself back up, and that seems enough for the bearers and the girls to gather near Twilight, and the past near me. “Thank you, Twilight.” I tell her. “In a few days’ time, I shall again return here, to hear an answer.” “…I want to hear more about you, Kitty.” Twilight tells me. “I don’t think the Princesses will say no.” “I think this is enough future.” I say, looking to those near me. “Smart, if you would?” Smart nods, giving a final look to the gathered bearers and the girls. Then she says, “Take us back, Kitty.” I spot the girls waving as I roar once more, and feel the strain return. It leaves me weak, and exhausted as my roar once more fades, and to my surprise, I hear yelling once more, and a sudden crash. I look, and find my den in near total darkness, save for soft lights from my eyes and the glitter from the crystals on the walls. I spot Commander, who seems to have flown into the wall, before I look, to perceive a number of rocks, burying the den’s entrance. I have a sudden feeling that I shall have to leave the den, and find another, preferably one where nopony will stumble across it. I will have to dig us out, and then rebury this place, but nothing hinges on the position of a boulder. But now, I am exhausted, and I lie down and shut my eyes, to the worry of those around me. “Kitty, this ain’t th time ta sleep!” I hear Smart yell. “I am too tired to even begin.” I manage to say as I feel sleep catching up to me. “Traveling from one age to another is difficult, and I’ve done so twice… I’m sorry, but I am soft and warm, and you are all welcome here with me…” I am soon drifting off, but before I manage to do so, I can feel them moving near me. After a few moments, a couple of warm spots come to my back, and a couple more by my side. I feel Mirage settle upon my head. I hear myself purring as I drift off.