//------------------------------// // A Meeting With Chronos // Story: Hour of Twilight // by Animegx43 //------------------------------// Hour of Twilight: Chapter 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since I made Twilight Sparkle my heir and wanted her to learn of some of the royal duties, I figured a good way to start would be by having her shadow me and observe how I handle things as they come my way. Since I had a particular duty that day that was unavoidable, it would be a perfect opportunity for such a thing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Talking to guests?" Twilight asked. "Of course. Ponies from all over Equestria come to visit me and spend a few minutes talking to me, and I will listen to them. They will often ask for help in some way, and if I feel that they deserve such help, I will personally help them." I explained to her. "Wow. That's so generous of you, Princess." "You are too kind, Twilight Sparkle. The truth is though, it feels like I can never help them enough. So many ponies out there with less then appealing lives compared to somewhere like Canterlot, or even Ponyville. And to make such an appointment and keep things organized and fair, they can sometimes have to give up so much to pay for only a few minutes with me. That's why I try to be as generous as possible, even at my own financial expense." "Well, you're still a great Princess for trying to help." "In time, you'll understand the differences between trying and accomplishing." I explained to her. Then I turned to the guards and said... "I'm ready for the first visitor!" Just as I ordered, the guard allowed the first visitor to enter. A farmland Earth Pony who normally wouldn't have any reason to be in a city such as Canterlot. Nonetheless, I was willing to listen to her. "Your majesty!" The Earth Pony said. "It is such an honor to finally meet you in person!" "It's my pleasure. Now what brings you to my home?" "Well Princess, I come here from the southern most area of Equestria, and we've been faced with a horrible drought as of late." "Ah, yes. I've heard of that drought." I said to her. "The pegasis weather ponies have been very understaffed in that area, so the weather has been awful there." "Yes, I'm well aware." My subject replied. "And it's beginning to have its toll on our farm fields. If we don't get more water soon, our food supply will become dangerously scarce when Winter comes. I plead that you help my home." The filly clearly traveled far to bring this to my attention, and as I told Twilight, she likely spent a lot of money just to hope that I could help her land. Normally, I would acknowledge her claim, then look into it to see how much I could really help. But since I wanted my pupil to see how I want things to be done... "My friend, I will gladly help with the drought plaguing your land. I will personally end it myself if I have to." "Maybe I can help." Twilight says. "Rainbow Dash is the best weather pony in Ponyville, and she normally has a lot of free time. I'm sure she would help if I asked, saying it would be royal business." I found it ironic how some pony who almost declined my offer of becoming a princess was already acting like a great one. I knew she was the perfect choice. "You see. We're already making plans to help your land." "Bless you, your royal highness. I will never forget this day." With the farmer pony done with her request, she took her leave. Normally, I probably wouldn't of been able to help the pony, but I never would've expected Twilight to of come up with a solution to the problem so easily. I thought that I was the one with good connections, but I guess Twilight had some connections of her own. "Well, that was easy. Who's next?" Twilight asked. "I'm sorry, but it's not always as easy as that." I told her. "I've seen pony folks like her come and go many times, in the past, and most of the time am I actually able to help. I've done this about once a week every week for the past 1000 years." "Gosh. I never knew so many ponies have so many problems." "And I feel useless for not being able to help. You at least brought a little hope to me." "I just want to help, Princess." While she would soon learn how hard being a princess actually was, the attitude she displayed was exactly what I wanted to see. Plus, she isn't the type who would give up so easily. I was already very proud of her. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a few more guests, some we were able to help and some we couldn't, we got a different kind of visitor. "You may send in the next guest." I said to a guard. And so, my next visitors entered the room. This time, it was a group. One earth pony, one unicorn, and one pegasus. One of them was even some pony Twilight knew." "Hi, Doctor!" She said to him. "Oh! Hello, Miss Sparkle!" He said to her. "Now then, Nostalgia, how long did you say we had with the princess?" "10 minutes. I thought I'd spring the extra money to make sure we have enough time." "For once, you did something smart." Clockwork said. "HEY! What's that suppose to mean?" "Okay, you two. Calm down." Doctor Whooves said. "We have very important business here, and the master doesn't want ANYTHING to go wrong." After the three ponies managed to calm down and got situated, the forth guest arrived. He was no pony, but a humanoid creature wearing a cloak. Walking slowly towards me, using his staff as a walking stick, the other three ponies bowed down to him as he walked past, something they didn't even do for me when they first arrived. That's how i knew right away that he was someone important. "Hey, I know him." Twilight said. "I bumped into him earlier today." "Indeed it you." He said as he removed his hood. "It's a pleasure to see you so soon." "CHRONOS!" I yelled as I saw his face. I was so surprised from seeing his face that I actually sprang up from my seat. "What are you doing here?" "Princess Celestia! I bring you urgent news." He said as he approached me. "In due time, disaster will hit Equestria." After hearing what he said, I started to get annoyed and sat back down on my seat. "Chronos, this isn't the first time you've warned me of such a thing." "Yes, but am I not usually right?" He asked me. "I warned you once that the draconequus, Discord, would make an escape, yet you didn't take my warning. Don't you remember?" "Yes, and I also remember you warning me that if I did not execute my sister, her return would bring chaos and fear." "I was not wrong, Princess. As short lived as it was, it was a dark hour." Chronos was always a stubborn one. He always felt that I should take his words seriously. But when it comes to Chronos, it always seems like a hit and miss. I suppose I should explain in a bit more detail. Although he was an owl man, Chronos is actually a very powerful force. He is the guardian and lord of time, and his job is to maintain it. He is capable of seeing into the past, present, and future, and he will occasionally bring me information that affects my own future. However, he never gives me full detail of what he sees, and as I said before, what he tells me don't always have the most dire of consequences. Again, taking him too seriously is a hit and miss. However, because of his history, it wouldn't be wise of me to completely ignore him. "Alright. I'll listen to what you have to say." I told him. "A wise decision." Chronos replied. "Now as you may have noticed, Arcane Tower has been...unstable, as of late." I'm no longer shocked by the things Chronos knows, even the more confidential details. The Arcane Tower he mentioned you will know in a moment. "Yes, it's part of the reason why summoned Twilight Sparkle here." "Excuse me, Princess? But what are you guys talking about?" Twilight asked. Before I could answer, Chronos beat me to the chase. "The Arcane Tower is possibly the only magical force more powerful then the Elements of Harmony themselves. It's a a building that your princess has been maintaining over a 1000 years. Or at least she's SUPPOSE to of been." "I'm sorry Chronos. But the Elements of Harmony are needed for me to go to the tower, and since I can no longer use them, I've been neglecting my duty to watch over it." "What, are the Elements keys or something?" Twilight asked. "Mmm...yes and no. You see, the tower itself is surrounded by a large, extremely powerful barrier, of which I myself am unable to break through. However, magic of the Elements of Harmony made it possible for me to go through. " "And why do you need to go in?" "The tower's magic grows unstable over time, and someone has to stabilize it. My intention is to send you in since I can no longer use the elements." "A foolish choice, Celestia." Chronos said. "And why is that?" I asked. "In due time, the tower's power will be abused. My predictions showed me that a terrible evil will try and gain control of all magic using the tower, However, the tower is not made to be used in such away, and will likely bring chaos and destruction to not only Equestria, but the world itself. While magic itself doesn't fall in my jurisdiction, time does. And if the end of the world comes, time itself will essentially end." "What is your suggestion to stop this?" I asked. "Since the tower is growing unstable, my prediction isn't expected to take place for quite awhile, I say to you...nigh, I'm TELLING you, do not allow Twilight Sparkle to restore the tower! We must allow the tower to fall!" I was horrified by what Chronos was asking me to do. It seemed as though he didn't know how important the tower was. "Princess, maybe it wouldn't hurt if we let something we most pony folks don't even know about to just disappear. Is it really that important." Twilight said. "Twilight, you do not understand how serious this is. All of Equestria is what it is thanks to the Arcane Tower. When it was first created, it spread magic throughout all of the land. It's how the ponies of Equestria, as well as other magical creature, have gotten their magic. Me and my sister created it knowing you would all make use of it. However, there's a theoretical concern." "A concern? Is it why it has be stabilized?" "Should the tower crumbles..." Chronos interrupted. "All magic in Equestria, even Celestia's own magic...will disperse!"