Ponyville, 4:37 p.m., Year 2011... 2 Days before Discord's Awakening
"And that's why a cupcake should never mix with a pancake!" The pink fluffy earth pony stated with such fervor in her voice as she bounced right next to a purple unicorn. "Indeed, indeed," the unicorn said as she walked calmly.
It seems both Pinkie Pie and Twilight are walking to... somewhere...
"So, Ouro, can I call you that? I can call you that right? But maybe you wanted something cuter, hmm, how about... No, that wouldn't work..." Pinkie said as she pondered what to call her new friend, Ouros. It had been a while since Ouros talked to her about "the secret", and it had been a few days since he came out again. Honestly, when she first heard that an immortal alien time god possessed her new friend Twilight, she didn't know what to do. That was, like, one of the biggest revelations of all time, even beating the biggest cookie of all time, and no one ever beats the biggest cookie of all time, which is ironic because it really isn't a cookie cookie, per se, but, the biggest thing to ever happen in Equestria!
"Pinkie, you can even call me Oreo if you wish," Twilight chuckled as she walked with a calm and leisurely pace. She had opted to talk to Pinkie about "the secret" along with certain... individuals who would probably know more than her.
"Oookie Dokie! Wait-" Pinkie said as she halted her bouncing mid-air, a feat of defying gravity at her own pleasure. "What the hay is an Oreo?"
Twilight chuckled at Pinkie's antics as she gently pulled her down with her magic. "An Oreo is a type of cookie that you dunk in milk. It's chocolate with a cream spreading in the middle." Twilight then glanced at her as she continued to walk. "Super tasty, perhaps you can make some for your next birthday parties?"
Pinkie gasped as she saluted, pronking alongside Twilight. Twilight then stopped right beside her as she stared at a certain bar. "Ah, this would do just fine," Twilight said as she walked inside, much to the confusion of Pinkie. After all, they were talking about secrets, and what better place to tell a secret than in a super secret place? Pinkie simply shrugged as she followed Twilight inside.
"Welcome to the Salted Caramel!" A voice rang from inside the bar. "We aren't open yet," the voice, a young mare if Pinkie was right at her assumption, said with a cheerful tone. "If you would maybe come back here at 7 in the evening, that would be most appreciated."
"Oh, don't mind us. We're simply waiting for our friends, who said they'd meet us here. We'll be off your bar real soon," Twilight said courteously as she waved her hoof, smiling softly at the young mare.
Confused, and a bit flustered, the young waitress retreated back towards the kitchen.
"So... why exactly are we waiting at a yet to open bar in the morning? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm normally one for waiting and being excited for new friends but... isn't this a bit too much?" Pinkie said, confused at the whole thing. Who were they waiting for and why here of all places?
"You'll see, my dear. You'll see," said the unicorn as she drank tea from a cup that wasn't there a while ago.
Pinkie looked down, smiling as she had her own cup of chocolatey goodness. In one gulp, she finished her drink. Knowing Twilight, er, Ouros, the cup would be refilled the moment she plopped it down. It was, only this time, it was a vanilla smoothie.
"Silly billy! Vanilla smoothies should only come as a desert!" Pinkie said, who still drank the whole thing. Twilight chuckled at her antics, rolling her eyes with a smirk as the door opened.
"Bloody hell... this isn't the time vortex to Agalon 12 Major!" said the mysterious stranger. He had a brown, spiky mane, blue eyes that matches the sky, and a green necktie.
"Ah, hiya Time Turner!" Pinkie waved as the stallion looked over at them. He was... eccentric to say the least, but confused nonetheless. He waved back, smiling a bit, only to frown as he brought forth a small contraption the size of a pen, well, bigger than a pen at least, along with a rectangle framed glasses. He then proceeded to scan the doorway, the small object beeping for a bit before he inspected it.
"Strange, this sort of anomaly rarely happens, but it happens nonetheless. Further research needed on that," he said, closing his contraption, "I do apologize for barging in like that, Pinkie, Twilight."
"Pay it no mind, - - - - -, I mean, Doctor," Twilight then shifted awkwardly. "Or, well, Time Turner, I guess."
"You're not Twilight," the Doctor said, narrowing his eyes. He then scanned Twilight, only to find that biologically, it is her.
"What-"
"Something something, we'll have to wait for another to answer your questions," Twilight smiled as she offered him a cup of green tea along with a culmination of different foods such as seaweed truffles and pudding. Quirking a brow, the Doctor sat down, observing the self-filling cup of random assortment. "Right, that isn't the weirdest thing I've seen in this world."
"I know right? I was thinking about it being as large of a revelation as the biggest cookie of all time, but then I remembered this really isn't a cookie, and more of a cup of random things I wanted!" Pinkie said with her natural burst of energy.
"Still, it begs the question: Does the cup know how to shuffle the liquid itself for the customer, or is there some sort of space for it? Most items like it depend on a separate dimension for it to work the way it works," the Doctor said, fascinated with never ending cup of random assortments.
It was then that Twilight spoke up. "It does, doesn't it? For a moment, most people tend to forget that there would always be something behind an object. Well, for the most part, it is a bit of both. A complex matrix using the higher forms of the arcane tend to be like that: both of the same time. Tend to look for an answer, and you can get both answers. For this, though, it's a simple spell that's quite underestimated."
"Desiderium cordis?" The Doctor asked, in which Pinkie looked at the both of them, baffled at what was happening. "You mean, my heart's desire?" Pinkie then said, rubbing her chin with her hoof.
"Precisely," Twilight said, taking a sip. "Of course, for the more complex stuff, one can always assume that something is making it. That, too, happens in yet another space, otherwise, it would only provide the raw essentials."
"Ah, yes, the arcane truly is a fascinating view point in most places I've been to," the Doctor said, smiling.
"You know, there are probably a lot of universes where they can read our thoughts. Perhaps, being called 'the Doctor', all the time would tire out the readers, no?" Pinkie said, nonchalantly as she continued to munch on her plate of strawberry doughnuts.
The Doctor merely chuckled. "Perhaps. Alright then, for this instance, Turner should do the trick? Or, hmm, maybe Time Turner. Alas, woe is me, having a hard time to consider a name!"
"Then 10th shall do it, no?" Twilight said, drinking daintily, careful not to spill a single drop of whatever she was drinking now.
10th hummed as he shook his head. "I'm afraid that wouldn't do. How about... Smith?"
"Ohhh how about TT?" Pinkie said, raising her hoof wildly.
"A conundrum, this is. Very well, for the most part, we will simply call you Time Turner, since you are here in Ponyville."
"Fair enough," Time Turner smiled. He took a bite and melted from the sweetness of the pudding. For a moment, all was peaceful, until the doors opened once more, revealing yet another stranger, this time, a human. Brown hair, goggles on his neck, a pristine white lab coat, there was no mistaking it, a Paradox was here.
"Good evening, or is it morning? I simply cannot tell these days," he chuckled as he walked towards the group. "Ah, Paradox, good to see you, as always," Time Turner said with glee in his voice. "How goes the Prime Universe of the Omnitrix bearer?"
Paradox smiled, only to frown for a bit. "Pardon me for a second, if you would be so kind, perhaps my form might frighten the residents of this town."
Twilight simply nodded, casting a spell to change his form from a human to a stallion. "Ah, excellent as always. Now then, I believe we were in a middle of a discussion. Quite frankly, it is and always will be interesting to see, though there are now quite a lot of versions with different people wearing it." Paradox chuckled as he thanked Twilight for the simple fish and chips on his plate.
"The Prime Universe do tend to shift, after all. Even now, there is a Prime Universe where... I believe her name is Gwendolyn, wears the watch instead." Twilight said as she looked outside the window.
"Now, that brings us to where we are. I am quite certain that not even the Celestial Sapiens would dare try and change the outcome of this world just because of you, my dear friend." Paradox said, raising his cup of black coffee.
Pinkie, for the most part, was just happy to there, looking at both Time Turner and Paradox. "Hi! I'm-"
"Miss Pinkie, of course I haven't forgotten you are there. In fact, I was waiting for you to say that... or did you already say it?"
Pinkie Pie gasped, yet another time pony in front of her. She giggled as she spoke. "No spoilers! I've always wanted to say that!"
Twilight, however, merely looked melancholic. "I'm making more of a mess here, aren't I?" The three then looked at her. "This really is the Prime Universe of this place, or well, I'm sure of it. After all, I'm the one who was supposed to guard all of it."
"Hmm, that is certainly true." Time Turner said. "I should've spotted it but it took me a while to figure it out myself. Ouros, are you alright?"
Twilight merely shook her head. "For all the things I've been doing, I have forgotten that it is my responsibility not to meddle much... and yet, here we are."
"The damage to Twilight's psyche can cause a lot of problems in the near future, I'm afraid," Paradox said, as he sipped his coffee. As he did that, Twilight tapped her hoof in a pattern, making a circling gesture on the table as the world around them changed. Now, there they were, at a bar where they weren't the only people there.
"Ah, that should do it." They were everywhere and nowhere at the same time, the outside merely being a void with no stars in sight. No swirling galaxies, nor a beautiful mix of nebulas. They truly were nowhere, but everywhere.
"I know now why I cannot merge my mind with my host," she spoke with a solemn tone, "for it was truly a mistake in my part. There are no known timelines where I have done this, no known barrier to stop myself."
The three nodded, with Pinkie looking at Twilight sadly. She knew what she was going to say.
"I pity the timelines that exist, with grief and strife, to the point where even I had to interfere. Now I feel like the one with the reincarnation of a soul, transplanted to a new life, only to hurt more than I would ever know."
"Ah, are you perhaps talking of Ryoto from the Akamine clan?" Time Turner said gloomily. "Great man for his time. Once, I was tempted to help him, but in doing such a thing, I ruin more lives than I can ever imagine."
"Exactly that," Twilight sighed. "Or yet another world ruled by desolation."
"Thalion..." Paradox said, sadly. "I hate to admit it, but in helping him escape, a far darker being would lurk in the shadows."
"It pains me not that I am the first and last of my existence; no different versions, no casual changes, just me working for me. But now, now I fear my other timelines might spot the missing origin, and would abandon all efforts in an attempt to fix the mistake I have made."
Twilight then stood up and walked towards the window. "That is why I need help in maintaining this world's timeline... lest it all crumbles down due to the lack of... me."
Pinkie gazed upon Twilight, briefly seeing her friend and the one occupying her friend's mind.
"C-can I help out too?" Pinkie said shakily. She didn't want to see her friends being sad. And hey, the thoughts of different universes and timelines colliding with hers does sound fun... but what about the ones where there are no fun? Only sadness... only pain.
Twilight looked at her, no, Ouros looked at her. They smiled gently at her as they bowed. "Then I am in need of your services."
Pinkie giggled. It lifted the mood for a bit before another being appeared. The being was, to say the least, mismatched in every angle. Horns of different creatures, a long serpentine body with fur and scales, surprisingly no wings, yet having arms of a crab, an octopus, with the legs of a dragon.
"Heyyy, I said no spoilers!" Pinkie huffed.
"Technically, he isn't a spoiler now is he, Pinkie?" Paradox said.
"Aye, not really one if it doesn't fit the D-i-s-c appearance." Time Turner chuckled. For it was in fact, not a spoiler, if it wasn't the same creature, now was it?
"Ah, Mismatch, a pleasure to see you again, my friend," Twilight said as she bowed to the creature.
"Ouros, a pleasure to see you as well," Mismatch said, looking at everyone. "It appears you have arrived far too early, I'm not even open for business yet."
"We'd be honored to be your first customers then," Time Turner said. "Perhaps, a certain tavern would appear soon around the universe?"
"Oh, I do plan to. It's just hard to find the time, you know?" Mismatch said, polishing a glass with a dish towel.
"To a jolly cooperation then, in helping to maintain this world's Prime Timeline!" Paradox said, raising a glass high with what appears to be chocolate milk.
"You know, there's a joke around here somewhere regarding the title," Pinkie giggled soon after as she raised her glass high as well.
Indeed, the mood had brightened up.
After the meeting with two time-travellers (wow, who knew Time Turner was one?) both Pinkie and Twilight decided to walk towards the lake. Pinkie then remembered something.
"Hey, Oreo, what happened to the waitress in the other bar?"
Twilight looked at her as she smiled. "Oh, you know, time-y wimey, wibbly wobbly stuff."
Pinkie looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "That... doesn't make sense, and even I know how make or break a sense."
"Well, let's just say that she never saw us nor has she interacted with us the moment she entered the kitchen."
"Ohhh, like the Men in Black?"
Twilight merely laughed at the comparison. "Yes, exactly like the neuralyzer they used... or something else."
"Ohh! I get it now! So the moment she got inside, that's when you casted a spell in which she forgot that she had customers who weren't supposed to be there?"
Pinkie then stopped as she looked back. "Wow, must be hard for Warm Glass then, huh?"
"Well, not really. We simply weren't the customers she was looking for."
And Pinkie giggled as she pronked once more at Twilight's side.