The halls of Canterlot Castle never felt so long before. Walking this long path towards god knows where, that horrible sense of foreboding hung in the air like a nasty smell that wouldn’t go away.
To my left, I had Twilight, AJ and Rarity walking alongside me. To my right, I had Rainbow, Pinkie and Spike doing the same. Holding my hand was Fluttershy, who was hovering next to me, leading the way.
The sounds of carnage echoed in from outside causing all of us to wear expressions of fear and grief. I was surprised to see Fluttershy keeping her demeanour and not hiding away at the loud noises but I knew she had something else on her mind, something troubling.
We turned a corner to end back up in the main foyer of the castle. The Royal Guard were frantically rushing back and forth, ushering ponies left, right and centre and barking orders at each other.
“Um...excuse me…” Fluttershy meekly called. The guards paid her no heed as they continued to go about their frantic business. “I was wondering if you could…”
“General Cog! Get the Third Battalion to the outskirts of the city!” a familiar guard ordered.
“Yes Sir!” the General saluted before rushing off out of the main doors.
The familiar pony noticed me and immediately lowered his head. His horn glowed which lit up his throat. “ATTENTION ALL GUARDS!” he bellowed. “NIGHTMARE MOON IS INSIDE THE CASTLE! REPEAT! NIGHTMARE MOON IS--”
“STOP!” came the almighty Canterlot Voice. This time, it was Celestia who used it. Shining Armor ceased his spell and immediately threw his hooves over his ears. “NIGHTMARE MOON IS NOT IN THE CASTLE!”
Shining took his hooves down and shook his head. “Your Highness, she’s right there!” he shouted, pointing a hoof at me. “I heard that Nightmare Moon took over--”
“Owen’s body, yes she did.” Luna finished for him. “But he is free of her now. Unfortunately, Nightmare Moon is still out there and she must be stopped.” Luna briefly caught view of Canterlot as it smoldered in flames. “Do what you need to do, Captain.”
“As you wish.” He saluted the Princesses before looking over to my left. “Good to see you Twiley.” he said with a small smile before galloping off.
Twilight looked heartbroken as she watched her older brother go off to risk his life. “He’ll be fine. I know it.”
“Come on Owen, he’s this way.” Fluttershy calmly said, leading me towards a small room at the back of the Foyer. “OK, what you will need to do is--”
“I know what I need to do.” I firmly said. “He’s just lost his Dad. I did this before for someone back home so I know what I need to say.” I rested my hand on the door handle. “Only it’s going to be difficult as I’m the one who did it…”
“But Owen…” the cream pegasus continued.
“Come along dear...leave him to it.” Rarity quietly said, pulling the pegasus away.
My eyes remained firmly locked on the door handle as my hand refused to push it down. Gripping it tightly, I closed my eyes and tried to think of the best way to start talking. ‘Start with an apology. No, he’ll be so angry. What about asking for forgiveness? No Owen, he’ll...’
“I can’t do this. I...I just can’t.” I mumbled, hanging my head and clutching my forehead with my hand.
I heard someone approach me from behind and rest their hoof on the back of my shoulder. “Just do what you think is right. This is not going to be easy but he needs someone to console him. Be the friend that he needs right now.”
I nodded slowly. “Thanks Pinkie.” With the new-found courage, I pushed down on the handle and slowly opened the door, moved inside and shut it again.
A few torches lit up the small room as there were no windows. There, in front of me, sat Time Turner, looking over his father’s body. The body was placed on a large cushion which was covered with a white blanket. Time Turner was motionless, the only thing that I could hear was his soft breathing.
I stood at the door, scared to talk or even move. I just stared. Stared at what I had done. I gave a few shuddering breaths as the atmosphere got to me. I felt my eyes starting to water as I continued to look upon this heartbroken pony. I had to do something. Anything at all.
“Time...Turner?” I whispered.
His ears instantly pricked up and his head slowly rose. Turning slightly, he caught a view of my face and his eyes widened in shock with a look of pure rage evident on his face.
“You…” He growled at me and started to grit his teeth. “You killed my father.”
I held up my hands. “I know. But you have to understand, it wasn’t me. It was--”
“LIAR!” Before I could even react, Time leapt up and threw his hoof right into my left cheek. I fell to the floor, clutching my face as Time stood over me. “Everypony said it was you!” He hit me once more but on the other cheek. “YOU KILLED HIM!” Once more on the left. “WHY?!” Another on the right. The pain was excruciating. I saw his hoof coming down again and lifted up my arm stop him.
“IT WASN’T ME!” I shouted back at him. I continued to hold his hoof as I got a closer look at him. I could see he was so angry but at the same time, he wanted to cry, so much. I could see his eyes tearing up as I stared at him. “Nightmare Moon took over my body but she is gone! Look at me!” Time growled at me once more. “Do I look like Nightmare Moon?!”
He tried to push down with his hoof once more. I continued to push back but I could feel his strength starting to slip. “I didn’t mean it.” I said to him, blood dripping from my nose. “I couldn’t stop myself…”
Time Turner once again tried to push down on me but lost his strength and collapsed onto my chest. His hooves hung limply at the side of my head as his muzzle was buried into my chest. It wasn’t long before I felt him start to move again. He rose his head but this time, it wasn’t a look or rage, it was was one of sadness. So much sadness.
He’d broken his focus. I slowly raised my arms and put them around his body, holding him tight. “I’m sorry...I’m so sorry…” I pleaded with him as he continued to stare at me. He sniffled once before the floodgates opened and he buried his head into my neck, sobbing profusely. I stroked the back of his mane and held him tight. “I didn’t mean to...I’m s-sorry.”
The sounds of his cries was all I could hear for the next few minutes as he let all of his emotions out. I said nothing as I continued to hold him close to me. I was glad to see that he was releasing his bottled up emotions. He couldn’t hold them in forever...something I learnt from a great friend.
The sobbing slowly subsided and Time Turned raised his head to look at me, rubbing his muzzle with his hoof. “Sorry…”
“No need to apologise.” I helped him to his hooves before I say myself up. “You needed to let those emotions out.”
Time looked over my face and gulped once he saw what he did. “Your face…”
“Don’t worry about it.” I breathed heavily as the pain continued to emit. I took his hoof in my hand again. “I’m sorry about your father.” I said as I looked towards the covered up body. “I really am.”
Time still looked at me as if I were Nightmare Moon still. “What happened to you?”
“Long story. She took over my body but I got out. Now she’s out there, destroying the city.” I said. Best to give him the short version.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He then turned to his father and sat down in front of him. He slowly lifted his hoof and stroked the blanket, where his father’s chest would be. “Why...why him?”
I couldn’t tell him. How the hell was I going to explain it? How can I explain about that alternate timeline and him being an Earth Pony to begin with? All the things his father did. I couldn’t tell him and I wasn’t going to.
“I don’t know…” I said quietly as I sat myself down next to him. I put my arm around his shoulder and kept it there as he looked over the body. We stayed in silence for a minute as we continued to look.
“Tell me about him.”
“What?” Time Turner replied.
“Your Father, tell me about him. What was he like?” I had to say something. Something I learnt about losing someone. If you reminisce, you’ll be sad that they’re gone but the memories you have will make you feel happy forever.
“He…” Time leant over and pulled the cover off his father’s face. “He was an amazing father.” Time’s hoof slowly started stroking his father’s cheek as he smiled softly. “He would stop at nothing to get anything he wanted. He worked hard all of his life.”
I looked down upon the body. The whole of my body shook as I saw the terrible state I had left Minute’s body in. “Owned a watch-making shop, is that right?”
“Yeah.” Time turned to me and blinked twice. “How did you know that?”
“I met him once before, only the once.” I thought back to the day when everything went back to normal. “I woke up in an alleyway in the marketplace with no idea how I got there. When I was walking back to the castle, I bumped into him and we got talking.”
“I see.” He turned back to his father and sniffled once.
“What was he like? How did he raise you?” I asked with a smile.
“Perfectly. He taught me so many things, introduced me to watchmaking and he even sent me to a private school. He uh…” Time chuckled nervously. “He actually went to Princess Celestia before and asked for some money to help with our farm.”
“A-a-ahh…” This was getting to close for comfort. “So you owned a farm as well?”
“Dad used to grow potatoes for the local market vendors. Made quite a few bits.” He stroked his father’s cheek once again. “I could never grow them right...he was so proud of his vegetable patches…”
*BOOM*
“SWEET CELESTIA, WHAT ON EQUESTRIA WAS THAT?!” Time screamed as a resounding explosion rumbled the entire castle.
I jumped to my feet and opened the door. “What’s happening?!”
“WATCH OUT!” shouted Luna. Before we could have time to react, she levitated myself and Time towards her, away from the door. A cacophony of noise sounded behind us. Turning back, we saw the archway above the door had collapsed into rubble.
The look on Time’s face, it was too painful to look at. He rushed forward but I quickly grabbed him. “Time, no! It’s not worth it!”
“But that’s my father in there!” he screamed through collecting tears.
“And we will save him.” replied Celestia. “But right now, we need to save ourselves!” Another rumble shook the castle. “Nightmare’s forces are attacking the castle with very high level magic. We need to stop them and fast.”
I let go of Time and he stood still, staring at the rubble. “How the heck are we gonna be able to beat them? I mean, you three are the most powerful out of all of us…” I said, pointing to Celestia, Luna and Twilight. “I suppose I could use that spell you--”
The ring...it was gone.
“SHIT!” I quickly checked my pockets and the floor around me.
“What is it, what’s wrong?” asked Twilight.
“THE RING! IT’S GONE!” I shouted, holding up my hand to show her. “What the hell am I gonna do?!”
I was quickly caught in a yellow aura. Unable to move, I watched as Celestia walked closer to me, bending her head down.
“Sister, what are you doing?! You know that magic will kill him if he doesn’t have the ring to exert it!” Luna bellowed at her elder sister.
“I understand that. But giving a magical battle is going on right now, doesn’t it seem strange that Owen hasn’t been affected?” She leant her horn forwards and touched my forehead with it. After a few seconds, the aura dropped and I shook my head. “Peculiar…”
“What is?” I asked.
“Your body is no longer absorbing magic. There’s not a single bit of it in you.” Celestia replied.
“So I can’t use magic anymore?” She nodded. “Damn it...well there goes that idea then…” Luna gasped, catching my attention. “What? I’m feeling fine.”
“It’s not that...it’s…” Her eyes darted all over the place. She spread her wings out and took to the air. “Don’t follow me.” Giving me a resounding stare, she flew towards the main doors and blasted through them, flying off into the city.
“LUNA!” Celestia cried, as she took off after her sister.
“WAIT!” I ran to the castle doors but what lay in front of me shook me to my very core. Canterlot, a beautiful city, was partially in ruins. I could see collapsed building after collapsed building. Fires raged all over and the screams of ponies echoed all around. “Oh my god…”
“We have to get after them! Hurry!” ordered Twilight as her and the girls ran out of the doors and into the city.
Feeling a prod at my side, I looked down to see Time Turner and Spike looking at me with meaningful stares. “What do I do?” I asked them.
“You go after them.” Spike replied with haste. “You stop them from getting hurt.”
“I...I wi--”
“Make way, make way, casualties coming through!” a guard commanded. Moving to the side, I watched on as three guards flew in, carrying an assortment of ponies with injuries. “Take them to the medical wing and secure the entire section!”
“I’m going with them.” Time said. “I may be a watch-maker, but I’m a certified Doctor as well.” He looked down at the dragon. “I’ll take care of the little one.”
“You don’t have to...I know this is a horrible time for you.” I pleaded with him.
His horn lit up and I felt my face tingle. He handed me a mirror and showed me that my face was healed of it’s injuries. “That’s one down. There’s still more to go.” he said with a genuine smile.
“You’re a brave pony Time.” I leant down and gave him a quick hug. “Good luck.”
“You too.” He leant close to my ear. “If you find Nightmare...do what must be done.”
“I will.” I broke the hug, gave a quick salute to them both and dashed out of the castle, into the battlefield.
In the medical wing of the castle, the entire medical team, along with Princess Cadance was working hard to heal the injured ponies from the battle. Along with ponies, minotaurs and griffons were also caught up in the fray.
Wiping sweat from her forehead, Cadance sighed and shook her head. “I need to stop for a bit. My legs are about to give way.”
“That’s fine Princess. Please move out to the recuperation area and take a seat.” replied a kind nurse who hadn’t stopped all evening.
Making her way to the room, Cadance thought about her husband-to-be fighting alongside his Royal Guard to stop Nightmare Moon. Collapsing on a seat, she leant her head down and took deep breaths.
“Come on Shiny...I know you can do it.” She smiled softly. “Go and stop that horrible--”
*WHACK*
Her body fell to ground, struck on the head with a blunt object. The nurse from before stepped out from behind the seats and stood next to Cadance’s body. Using her hoof, she held it to her neck.
“Pulse is good. That’s good enough for me.” A sickening green flash lit up the room before the nurse cackled. “This is all too easy…”