My Little Pony: Lands of Time

by Lolsternater

Preparing for games with chaos

So now the group was being used to find Cadence’s brother, and yet none of them but Cadence knew he was what they were after. After they had gone to bed, she stayed up; listening to the city noises and thinking of home.

'Was this really a good idea after all?' though Cadence, 'Shining Armour would be all over the place trying to find her, not to mention the princesses having a fit. There wasn’t a lot they could do from where they were though.'

Cadence had chosen to come alone, because she knew she would have the best chance of getting close to Spell Bound, without having her guts spilled on the walls. After getting nowhere with her thoughts, she decided to call it a night. With heavy eyelids she laid her head on the pillow, and drifted away.

Morning came with the usual routine. Wake up, lie there for a few more hours, then finally getting up. I rolled myself onto the floor and got up again, then making my way to the kitchen. The next thing on the routine was the kettle, which floated over over my head, boiling on the way. I turned to find Cadence already making the cups of tea without even leaving the bedroom. OK, magic was pretty cool.

Not having any real reason to hang in the kitchen, I walked into the bedroom and grabbed my cup from the air. “Well that’s a handy trick. I almost envy magic, but still wouldn’t trade it for my wings.” She gave an appropriate nod and gestured towards the a spot on the bed.

I took the spot next to her and watched as she took a few deep breaths. “He is my brother, the one who caused the chaos in the park. The one we have been assigned to find.” Cadence collapsed into her fore hooves and cried, tears leaking everywhere.

At first I just sat there, digesting this new information. “Is that why you are here?” I asked. Cadence just tilted her head slightly to look at me in the eye, then when back to her hooves. I figured that I was right.

The silence sat around us as we thought our thoughts. Cadence spoke again, muffled from behind her hooves. “His name is Spell bound. He is the son of an evil creature called Discord. He’s a draconequus, and the spirit of chaos. Spell bound is stuck in his Draconequus form and has been completely corrupted by the natural chaos magic he was born with.

“We could never figure what caused him to turn, but it is linked to a power currently unknown to us. The only way we know of turning him back, are these powerful artifact's called the Elements of Harmony. They are still in Equestria, and we have to get them or get Spell there in order for them to work. Without those we don’t stand a chance.”

All the chirpiness I had this morning was drained out of me with each sentence. If this guy was as bad as he sounds, then we might all die. But sulking over the future was pointless, it has yet to happen. We might still have a chance at beating this guy.

“No use sulking over it yet. We are still alive and moving aren’t we? Come on, I need something to eat.” I stood and headed back to the kitchen. That was enough doomsday talk today.

While making breakfast Flame flew off her perch and came to get her own food. “You shouldn’t be hard on her.”

I snorted, not really caring for more talk. “Her brother is now a raving lunatic. Surely you must-” I slammed my hoof on the bench, silencing her.

“Why should I care? Did anyone care for me when my family went crazy and died? You don’t know what you are talking about, so shut up.” She was baffled. I had never exploded like that before; but I wasn’t going to apologize. No one knew what I had suffered through, and I was sure no one cared.

Later that day we found ourselves back at the training room, Bull Force wearing an maddened looking expression. His head was wrapped up in bandages from our previous encounter, the bump almost comically poking out from the back. This was sure to be a fun day.

“Right. Since yesterday we had, ‘a slight mishap’, today we are going to ‘try’ and see what you can do.” Flame gave him a raspberry which made his face redden even more. Bull’s face was now stuck with a constant frown with his teeth nearly breaking form pressing against each other. “Anyway, we shall start with a simple obstacle course. Make it to the end in the given time and we shall see what we do from there.”

We followed Bull through some double doors and into a large arena shaped dome with huge brick walls covering the floor in the shape of a maze. Flame and Cadence took to some seats at a higher point and got comfortable, eager to enjoy the show.

Bull was standing over a table with a large amount of maps and drawings of detailed traps and weapons. “Your first obstacle is the maze. Once through that we will put you through some natural setups to give you a taste of the wild. After that it’s all surprises. To get through each area you must find the flag and post it in the corresponding holder.” Bull turned to face me, a hint of excitement in his eyes. “I hope you brought some bandages today boy; because you’re gonna need them.”

I stepped into the starting area of the maze and a giant cover blocked out all light. the darkness was quick to attack my mind and I saw movements and shapes that weren’t really there. The maze had started, and the first challenge was darkness.

Keeping close to the walls, I made my way with the wall always on my right. By only taking small steps, i made sure that I wasn’t going to tumble down some unseen hole or chasm; but this also made it take a lengthy amount of time. This place seemed to have no mercy for those who like the light and the more i searched for anything that could produce a loving beam; the darker it got.

From above, Flame and Cadence watched Dream slowly make his way along the side of the wall, not seeing the darkness he was in. “What is he doing? Surely he should be getting through this with ease.” Cadence said with concern.

Flame gave her a worrying look. She wasn’t sure if the princess heard the argument from that morning, but was sure that Dream had left a mark; Cadence had opened up to him and told everything, and he just shunned her. Flame’s thoughts drifted to the others who were apparently training as well in different parts of the grey beehive.

Clean Beam skimmed through another book, still hoping to find what she hoped might solve her questions. Alas, not even the ‘Universe’s guide to kick ass ponies’ had anything about the strange pink Alicorn. If she really was a princess, she would have to have come from the other side of the world to not be mentioned in any of the books Beam had gathered in a swaying tower.

“You won't find anything.” Beam turned to find Nitro, the main speaker from the council. “That Alicorn isn’t from anywhere near here. I don’t know why you even bother.” His tone was one of boredom, as if he was only doing this in hopes of finding something to do.

Beam was confused with his statement. “I’m... sorry? But how did you know she was even an Alicorn? She always keeps a cloak on outside.” She knew this because of a simple spy eye spell she used to keep an eye on Cadence and Dream. She didn’t trust them just yet.

Nitro just snorted. “Oh please, do you think we just leave spy eyes laying around? We hijack them for ourselves if the need arises. Don’t think little cloak spells can keep things hidden from us.” Nitro flicked his tail in Beam’s direction, sending a soft breeze past her. “Oh, and clean up that mess, I like to keep this place tidy.”

“What- OH!” Beam started before her tower of books shook from the breeze and clasped on top of her. She fought her way back to the top only to see the door close, leaving her with a large mess.

“And with the hum of the breeze and the song of the wild, I go whoop, whoop, whoop!” String Lyrics sang as a group of pegasi zoomed past him, missing thanks to his gifted dance moves.

“Will some pony hit that great, big, lump of worthless lungs?! Just get him to shut up!” A very mad looking blue Pegasus with green strips in this mane groaned loudly. This had been going on for about half an hour with String prancing on his hoof tips.

“I’m sorry my dear commander, but when the song comes; it must be sung! You can’t simply stop the flow!” String only stopped for a quick moment, but that was enough for the pegasi to close the gap. However, String just sidestepped and caused them to crash into each other, rendering them all unconscious.

The commander just stood at his fallen stallions, those he had hoof picked out of hundreds, and joined them in the land on unconsciousness.

String levitated them onto some benches and headed towards the mess hall. “I hope these fine chaps like tea.”

An old earth pony watched from behind a one-way window as String left the room. “They seem to be more impressive than we thought.” He thought out loud. He turned to his assistant who stood in the corner. “Make to note to plan a surprise for them once this is over.” His assistant just nodded and scribbled down some notes. One of them being, ‘Swirly Puddle is a plot hole’.

This routine became the daily life for this team. Each one going to their lessons and training, slowly becoming more skilled in combat, survival skills, dancing, information noting, and origami. Soon, days turned to weeks and the ponies became perfect in nearly everything they could do. But they had been separated from each other the whole way, only seeing each other when eating or after training and they were headed home.

The first month had passed and to celebrate all they had learnt, the team decided to get together for a meal. It was a nice restaurant in the heart of the city called Tommy's dough.

I brought a simple suit and tie, while cadence stuck with her cloak. Flame went as she was, mainly because anything she put on would burst into flames. The restaurant had an opening almost as grand as marble entrance they had been going through over that month, so no pony stood and gazed.

We were escorted to our seats to find String and Beam already waiting for us. “Hello my good sir and ladies! It brings such joy to see you again!” String nearly jumped out from his seat and dragged us into a bear hug. He was dressed in a conductor's suit, complete with bow tie.

“Nice to *gasp* see you too *choke* String.” Cadence was almost turning lavender purple before String had had enough. Clean Beam had her nose in a very old looking book, her dress was a simple one was a skirt covered in blue flowers. She turned my way and gave a nod. I returned the gesture and she returned to her book. Free Leaf sat in what looked like a dress made from plants themselves.

String took his seat again and clapped his hooves. “Right, shall we order now we are all here? I am completely famished.” As soon as our plots hit the chair we were surrounded by waiters who held open menus describing all sorts of fancy dishes. Half of them were only for griffons however as they contained meat.

We all placed our orders, Flame was disappointed to find rats were not on the menu, and waited for our order to return. We sat for a while, making small talk, when an eerie voice sounded from the table behind me.

“You should not of left him.” I faced the voice to find a small light green mare, who stared back with cloudy red eyes. “If you had not left he might still be here.”

The anger I had felt a month before was returning as she spoke those words. She knew me somehow, I didn’t know how but i didn’t care. A black stallion with teal and blue hair looked up from his menu. It was the guy I had hit before in the bar, a scar still healing just above his right eye from where I smashed him with the bottle.

“You,” He said simply, his eyes narrowing and his wings slowly extending. He would have pounded me right there and then had a silver hoof not tapped his shoulder. The silver mare String had meet back at the pub gave the black Pegasus a dark look and he slowly sat back down.

String, however, took to remembering her better than I did. “Why it’s Silver Moon! How lovely to see old friends here as well! It seems fate is friendly this day!” He would've given them a bear hug like the one we had received but was held down by Beam.

Luckily before we could start an awkward conversation with them, food appeared at both tables. “Your food has arrived, sir Long Jump.” said one waiter to the black stallion. “Your food has arrived, sir Dream Blizzard.” said another waiter in a perfect copy. Each table went to eating the food set before them but the tension continued to rise. I could feel Long Jump’s eye digging into the back of my head and it was driving me mad. I turned to stare back and we locked in a battle of will power.

At last, we both could not stand for it any longer and leap at each other, grabbing each other by the scruff of the neck. That was as far as we got however because a mare came screaming in being chased by a rat with wings.

All of us looked at each other recognizing the panic in the mare’s eyes. The flying rat was a good enough sign, but just then the sky turned a crimson red. Whatever first brought the chaos, had returned to power. And right on cue, the tables came to life, and ran off with our food, much to the dismay of String.

“I dare say! That horrid table just ran off with my boiled daffodils!” Everypony in our mismatched group of those who had been preparing for this, and those who were tagging along, so they could beat the hay out of me later, ran outside. We looked around at the chaos in complete and utter shock, while Cadence put up what looked like a defense barrier around us. “Cadence, why are you....” I began, but the question answered itself, as fire fell from the sky.

We could only watch in despair as buildings began to burn, falling debris trapping ponies, and the gardens beginning to mutate into purple plants once more. Ponies coats caught on fire, and several more were being dragged about by mutated vines. Seeing this Caused Free Leaf to break into tears, String to throw up what little of his food had had eaten, and Long Jump to stare in amazement.

I looked at Cadence who seemed to be lost in memories and reality at the same time. “Was it this bad back where you come from?”

Cadence simply nodded her head, then as an afterthought she added “But far worse and widespread. Not a single corner of Equestria escaped his anger. We need to get the elements of harmony if we want to end this for good.”

Suddenly a crazed laugh filled the city and in the sky, we could see a strange mismatched creature. He had a slim brown body, his head was that of a pony, his left eye was that of a dragon, while his right eye, horn, and left leg where that of a changeling. His right arm was a Tiger’s, his left some sort of bird’s. His right leg was a lizard’s. He also had mismatched wings, one being a normal pegasi wing, the other being much larger dragon wing. And finally, he a tail that halfway down split into two snake tails. He was truly a terrifying to look upon. But what shocked everypony was when Cadence said to herself, “Brother....”