//------------------------------//
// Fun Times in Ponyville Pt. 1 
// Story: Time is of the Matter 
// by munomana 
//------------------------------//


Time is of the Matter



Fun Times in Ponyville.










It hurt.

It hurt a lot.

I couldn't ignore the immense pain that surged through my head. It stung like hell, continuing to hurt every second I waited. I attempted to focus on other things as a leeway for the pain, but it never stopped. I don't think I had ever experienced such pain in my life. It felt like someone had ripped open a large portion of my skin and shoved a thousand splinters in there.

Actually, that's what happened in reality, but you get the point.

I tried to open my eyes, but the blinding light prevented me from doing so. I was too afraid to try turning my head away from the sun, in fear that I cold damage it any further. The trickle of blood from the crack continued to leak slowly but surely. I wasn't sure as to how much damage I actually received, but I could tell that it was bad nonetheless. I chalked it up the probably a few stitches.

I tried to remember what happened, but it had all gone by in such a flash that it escaped my mind. I could only remember-

Then it struck me.

'I'm still in Equestria...'

I let out a large sigh. It wasn't a good realization, but at least I didn't cough up blood like every other action hero. 

I didn't necessarily care so much about being here, but it was more of one fact about this scared me more:

Being alone.

I shook off the thought as a sharp surge of pain washed through my body. It felt like a sudden shock in my body. I wasn't sure where it came from, but it stung. the shock caused my body to violently raise itself into the air before coming back down.

'Wake up!'

I couldn't help but hear something familiar. I couldn't necessarily pinpoint it, but it sounded familiar. It sounded sincere. It seemed like I had known it for a long time, maybe even a life-time...

As my body came to a rest, I could only think but feel around my body. I felt grass. I felt warm sunlight embracing my body. I felt a large, wooden bucket.

'Oh yeah...'

I slowly opened my eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light. The pain stopped in my eyes before re-directing to my head once again. It didn't hurt as much as I had originally thought it would. It felt like a big sting, but it really wasn't as bad as my analogy from before took it as. 

My hand reached behind me before coming into contact with the area of my pain. A sharp flood of pain flooded through my head before subsiding. I winced for a second before reaching my hand back to in front of me. My hand was stained a crimson red, reminding me of my stupidity to eat in a tree.

I looked around: Tree, tree, apple, bucket, son, baffled red stallion, and barn.

I glanced back at the stallion, slightly confused as to why he was baffled.

'Well, you're an alien who fell from their tree and is now bleeding profusely onto the grass in front of him.'

I really didn't care so much about my location right now, but more of what to do. If I didn't find medical attention soon, I'd probably pass out and bleed to death. I normally wouldn't care about it in Equestria, but I wasn't sure if it was real or not, seeing as how it freaking hurt like hell.

'Let's see... I ran for a while getting here, have no clue where the original ponies I met lived, and have NO IDEA WHERE THE HOSPITAL IS.'

I ran over my options. 

'I could die, beg the stallion right here, aimlessly sprint around Ponyville, travel back in time, learn to fl-... wait...'

I had completely forgotten about my power to manipulate time. 

'HOLY SHIT! I'm an idiot for not knowing that one! I just hope this works.'

There was a small problem for our protagonist, though. One that impeded his successful common sense usage.

The fact that he had no idea how to reverse time.

'Aw crap.'

I thought on it for a few moments, trying to figure out how to do it. Sadly, after thirty seconds of mulling, nothing came to mind.

'If mental power doesn't help me here, I'll have to try hands-on...'

The bones in my body all cracked as I attempted to stretch. They didn't hurt, just relieved in a way I had never felt before. I started to feel a tad bit better, but that wasn't enough to distract me of my head pain.

I planted my hands to the grass before pushing my back off the ground slowly, causing the red stallion to take a precautious step backwards. As I rested on a full sitting position, reached my left hand back to cover the wound. I then used my right arm down, allowing my feet to rest flat on the floor. I then pushed myself up into a standing position.

Without warning, I began to feel light-headed. I wasn't sure if it was because of the blood or the sudden standing, but it didn't matter.

I reached my hand to my eyes to confirm of the blood. Luckily, my hand wasn't soaked, more like covered. 

'Alright, don't fail me now!'

My eyes closed gently, trying my best to keep my mind awake simultaneously. My mind reeled as I began to think. I thought of the past moments. I thought of backwards. I thought of the moments from now, only in reverse. 

It was unusual, though. Normally, when I attempted to play a scene in my head, it tends to do a, "fast-forward"-esque thing. It would play 5 minutes within 10 seconds. Instead, the scene displayed at real time. Sort of like a television set re-winding. It felt weird. If I turned around, the scene continued to play, only missing... me.

The blood retreated, dissipating into nothing. The pain in my head slowly disappeared, along with the blood, cut, and bits of wood, all going in reverse. The unusual part was the fact that the splinters didn't just go back to the bucket. The floated a few feet before falling to the ground, similar to how I got up. It seemed that everything I moved while reversing time, like the splinters in my head, didn't reverse perfectly. The bucket pieces were put together, but the blood stain stayed. It was highly unusual. As it continued, the red stallion proceeded to go in reverse, even showing how I was knocked out of the tree, only without, well, me.

As the stallion picked up his bucket and reared out of site, I ran behind a different tree. It was only then that I realized I had visualized the whole thing in my head and my eyes were still closed. I opened my eyes, to see the the reverse effect voided as the stallion turned around a corner of the barn. He proceeded to replicate his actions up until he bucked the tree, where he then continued to nonchalantly walk to the next, and then the next.

'Is he the owner? I need to thank whoever owns this place.'

I mulled over it for a second. I was about to run out and thank him, but based on how he reacted when he saw me, he didn't seem to know what I was, seeing as how he might live on a farm all the time to work. 

'I'll have to find someone else... but who?'

Deciding on a plan, I snuck out from behind the tree, jumping to the next, watching and waiting until the farmpony was out of sight. Once he was gone, I ran right over to the side of the barn, attempting to find a pony in the distance or in the apple fields. The orchard expanded too far, so I decided to give up and check inside. 

I stared through a front window, no dice.

I sighed as I turned around. I sat down against the farm wall. It was an unusual experience, seeing as how I haven't had a REAL moment of pure rest. No worry. No pain. 

I thought about how I would cope in this place. It was too unreal in and of itself, but the physical experience was as real as any other. 

I truly was neutral on the whole situation. True, I missed my family terribly, but the rest of my life was spent sitting through tedious classes. They weren't the most exciting, seeing as how my brother always loved to teach me new concepts he learned. He was three grades ahead.

'Ahh, that day in second grade when I quizzed everyone on exponents... good times.'

I could feel a small tear form in my eye, but I quickly wiped it away. No need to get nostalgic now.

On the side of Equestria, it also had its pros and cons. For the pros, I had freaking time control power! I had always wanted that power more than anything. It was like all powers in one, only needing to find out ways to use it correctly. Also, I had met some ponies it wouldn't hurt to call, "friends", now. My life wasn't spent at a desk all day. I had felt more alive in these days than any other day of my life on Earth.

The biggest con was... Being alone.

I was afraid. Afraid of never seeing another family member, friend, classmate, or just human being. Now, these ponies are fantastic ponies, but they could never replace those ones I've had before. I was honestly afraid. Not a fear you experience in a scary situation. It was a new fear that I had never felt before. 

You know that feeling when you've lost a relative? You remember the good times, you cherish those moments. You also fear the future without them, how drastically your life will change without their love and company. Their emotions and characteristics.

That's what it felt like. 

I tried my best to change the subject just as I noticed I began to slightly hyperventilate. 

I slowly calmed down, trying to think of ways to fix this. To get back home. 

In the distance, ahead of the trees, I began to notice a small, orange speck. It grew larger and larger. As it neared, I noticed another small speck on top, fur color similar to that of the inside of an apple. 

As the pair neared, I instantly recognized the two; The orange one Applejack, and the pony on top was the one that caught me inside the barn.

'Perhaps she's Applejack's sister and told her about me.'

The clip-clop of her hooves were easily audible as she slowed to a halt in front of me. The upper pony continued to stare confusedly at me, seeing as how she had never seen me before. She didn't seem to be scared any more, more like intrigued. As if she wanted to... figure me out.

"Apple Bloom, it's okay. Roberto 'ere won't ever hurt ya'."

The filly seemed to soften at those words. She then jumped off of Applejack's back before trotting up to my face. She continued to stare for a few moments before running off into the distance, yelling something about, "Crusaders".

I turned my attention back to Applejack who turned from Apple Bloom back to me. 

"Hey, Applejack."

I lifted myself off the wall before looking around.

"Oh, hiya Roberto! Nice ta' see ya' awake now."

"I didn't know you lived on this orchard... Thanks for letting me stay the night, I was really confused."

Applejack then seemed to put on a smile. She lifted her hoof out to mine, which I gladly accepted.

"Yup, been raised here since Ah was a filly. Also, any friend of mine's welcome in mah' orchard."

I looked around hastily for a moment. I was slightly surprised to hear that she owned the orchard herself, but nonetheless, that didn't really matter at the moment. I needed to find my way into town.

"Sorry to keep this conversation short, Applejack, but could you point in the way of Ponyville? I want to talk to Twilight."

I rubbed the back of my head, trying my best to not be rude. The last thing I needed were enemies.

"Actually, partner, Twilight told me to bring ya' on over to her house once ya' woke up! Ah'll just walk ya' there. We can chat on the way."

I shot her a glance of appreciation. It's the little things like a chat on my way that brighten up my day.

"Thanks Applejack."

The two then walked away from the barn, headed towards Ponyville.