//------------------------------// // II - Coming to an agreement // Story: Down Winding Paths // by Wolfie 03 //------------------------------// “What has liking muffins have to do with anything?” Gold yellow eyes stared inquisitively at the brown earth pony who seemed overly giddy at the pegasus' food preferences. “Why, it has everything to do with it! Ma'am, I need your help!” Time Turner turned to face the blue-gray pegasus head on with pleading eyes. “What do you need help with, exactly?” Derpy watched the stallion as he shifted in place before taking a deep breath and diving just into the explanation. “I need your help to get a time machine working so I can go into the past and record what happens.” In an attempt to appear sincere, Turner remained still and stared into the mare's eyes which slowly grew concerned and bewildered at what was described. Derpy started to edge away from the stallion as she became uneasy as to whether or not he was feeling better. “Right.... Time travel... I think you're still a little confused, I'm going to find someone to help, ok?” Time Turner's jaw dropped slightly in shock; she thought he was still discorded! “Ma'am, I'll have you know that I'm perfectly fine! I can prove it, if you would just follow me?” The earth pony moved his hoof to wave Derpy inside but she had thought it was an effort to grab her and spread her wings to take off; before she could continue the flap, nausea and dizziness struck, much like when she was discorded. Her wings contracted sharply in fear and in an almost blind panic, Derpy took a few frightened hoof-steps back. Time Turner noticed and flinched back as well, trying to present a calm and soothing air. “Woah there, everything's ok... Why don't we go find others and figure out what happened instead....” The stallion stayed still as Derpy took shuddering breaths before nodding and heading to where she could hear others talking and cheering. The two ponies soon found themselves in town square where everyone had gathered to hear what had happened. Everyone faced town hall, where on the porch was the residential librarian and her five friends; Derpy knew them mostly due to her postal service job, though the two pegasi she personally knew from the time she lived in Cloudsdale. Twilight scanned the crowd and gave a pleased nod when everypony settled down and waited for the announcement. “Hem-hem, as I'm sure everypony has noticed, there was a large disturbance within the last day; yes, only a day has passed since the being known as Discord broke free.” A shudder ran through the crowd at the name, which Twilight had paused for; once she ascertained that there were no issues, she continued her explanation of the events. “We know how he escaped from his prison and have corrected it; my friends and I used the Elements of Harmony and re-imprisoned Discord. Everything has returned to the way it was before due to the magic of the elements. A similar notice is being told all around Equestria, and Princess Celestia has invited any and all to come to a presentation that will be held in a few days' time at Canterlot Castle. “Please come see myself or any of the doctors and nurses if you are hurt or in need of help. It may take a few days to readjust from this experience, but I'm sure we can make it!” The lavender unicorn stomped a confident hoof as she looked at the milling ponies who shared worried glances before dispersing. The blue-gray pegasus frowned slightly as she watched the crowd regroup into family and friends before heading towards town hall by hoof; a fact not lost on the earth pony who followed behind (though not close enough to cause another panic attack). Rainbow Dash focused on the on-coming pegasus and frowned worriedly. “Hey Derpy, you doing ok?” The mailmare nodded slowly before stopping just below the six friends with inquisitive eyes. “Yeah, I just want to know if you guys know what happened with any of the foals? I tried to find them but Discord got to me before I could.” The six friends shared uneasy looks before the majority of the mares on stage looked at the farmer and fashionista, both of whom looked sheepishly towards the muffin-loving pegasus. “Yes, the Cutie Mark Crusaders decided that the Everfree Forest was a safer place than Ponyville during the day of chaos....” Rarity barely contained her rolling eyes while Applejack scuffed a hoof along the ground. “Well, they did protect them; but they went back intah town tah fight Discord...” Derpy frowned at the comment and stepped forward slightly in worry. “They're ok right? And the others got back alright?” The friends smiled reassuringly at the interest as Applejack nodded. “Yeah, they're alright, don't you worry sugarcube. We found them quick as can be an' brought the rest of the class back. The girls are at home right now, restin'.” The blue-gray mare relaxed slightly before turning to find Time Turner waiting nearby with Nurse Redheart who were looking at her in concern and interest. “Oh, yes, uhm, I met this stallion who may still be effected by the Chaos magic; could you check on him really quickly?” Twilight frowned at the words and followed Derpy to meet the brown earth pony who nodded acknowledgment of the lavender unicorn. “Hello Time Turner, hello Nurse Redheart. How are you doing today?” Derpy looked at the studious mare in confusion before staring at Time Turner in shock. “Just fine, considering recent events. I believe Mr. Turner was saying you were experiencing some slight issues Ms. Hooves?” Turner raised an interested brow at the last name before looking back with slight concern which was returned with a pensive frown by the pegasus. “I-I'll be ok, I just wanted to be sure that HE'S feeling ok. He was talking about rather impossible and improbable topics....” Redheart and Twilight stared curiously at one another before examining the one they were brought to inspect. “So Time Turner, what improbable and impossible things were you talking about?” “Ms. Hooves, please watch this light with your eyes only.” “I was merely telling Ms. Hooves that I needed her help with the time machine I've been working on that require a certain set of conditions to function completely.” “I'm fine, really; there's nothing wrong.” The nurse then put down the flashlight and started to inspect the rest of the pegasus as the two scientists spoke; when she got to the wings and pulled them gently open, Derpy gasped as nausea coursed through her and she hunched towards the ground. The sudden panic from the gentle mare drew everypony's attention and they watched curiously as she stood wearily after ascertaining that nothing was wrong. Nurse Redheart looked at the mare with a disbelieving brow, which earned a sad smile. “Well, uh, maybe I'm just little dizzy....” As the white earth pony began a more intensive inspection of the pegasus, Twilight turned back to the brown coated stallion with questions burning in her eyes. “So, a time machine? What are you using to power it? What's the mechanics of it? How would it function safely? You would want to return from the past, correct? How does that work?” Time Turner smirked at the inquisitive scientist and waved a reassuring hoof. “Well, I would show you, but it's currently out of commission what with the recent events....” The lavender unicorn frowned briefly in confusion before tilting her head as she posed her next question. “But if it's no longer functional, why would you need Derpy's help?” The brown earth pony paused as they both looked over to where the white nurse was running more tests on the blue-gray pegasus, realization flashing across his face at the state of his machine. “Ah, yes, I had momentarily forgotten that. I suppose it would present a better case if it was functional before putting it on display to prove my sanity.” Twilight nodded in agreement as Time Turner nodded in farewell before stopping by the slightly frazzled mare who was listing what she felt and had experienced during Discord's reign. “.... I couldn't keep balanced nor see properly, which made me slightly nauseous....” Nurse Redheart nodded as she listened before both mares noticed the stallion waiting nearby to speak with Derpy; they turned expectantly to Turner who smiled slightly at the sudden attention. “Erhm, sorry to disturb you but I'm going back to my shop to continue my work on the machine. I would appreciate it if you could come by in a few days so I can prove my sanity and innocence to you.” Derpy blushed at her accusations of the stallion and nodded silently, unable to meet pleading blue eyes. “Uh yes, well, I'll see you later then, ma'am.” Time Turner dipped his head to the pegasus before heading back to his gadget shop to salvage what he could of his machine. Derpy watched the retreating figure briefly before turning back to the nurse. “Ms. Hooves, I think you may still have some residential fear of what Discord did which is causing your body to react to the stress. I recommend you go home and rest, if you still are feeling any of these side-affects, please visit us at the Hospital.” The blue-gray pegasus nodded demurely and turned to head home. Derpy could feel that it was much too soon to try and fly home, so she slowly made her way through the almost completely empty town. Most of the other ponies were already shut up tight in their homes as they spoke with family to recuperate from the disaster, leaving the streets almost too empty. The blue-gray mare didn't pause nor slowed her trot, wanting to get home and have some soothing tea to try and calm her nerves. She made quick work of heading home, not stopping to say anything to the few ponies who were going home as well. Never before had she wished that her single floored cottage was closer to town, but knew she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. As the blue-gray pegasus stepped up to the thatched roofed cottage that had a clear front yard while having a large backyard that continued into the forest on the east side of town. She passed her personal mail box she made as a foal with her parents which no longer rested straight on it's post after having been used as a means to learn to fly (though it was an awful good stopping point). She pushed open the wooden door into the living room that was separated from the rest of the house by a hallway leading to three small bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen which were on opposing ends of the hall. The nerve-racked mare didn't stop until she was in the kitchen, and pulled out the blue kettle to start a batch of soothing camomile tea. While Derpy didn't want to eat only to feel the need to puke it up later, she knew it had been a while since she ate and pulled out a banana muffin from the fridge to nibble on as she waited for the water to boil. As the pegasus stared at nothing in particular, her thoughts turned to the strange stallion she had met earlier. (I just don't know if he was serious or not... If Twilight was correct and everyone should have returned to normal, then he should have been telling the truth... But a time machine? Really...? What would he even need me for? I still have trouble with some things, especially if I'm already frustrated..... Sigh... Come on Derpy, calm down have some nice soothing tea and muffins... I think it's time to break out the triple chunk chocolate chip muffins!) With a brightening look to the fridge, the blue-gray mare pulled out her special recipe of muffins that she reserved for very certain dire occasions. Just in time for the sharp whistle of the kettle sounding the alarm; with a grin already growing at the mere thought of the muffins and tea, Derpy prepared her favorite mug with bubbles across it and returned to the living room where she sat on her light red couch with a sigh. “At least the children were safe during this mess... Except for the Crusaders; I don't think those girls will ever stop getting into trouble. I should try and make sure they are ok... Perhaps later, I think I need a nap....” The normally bubbly mare calmly finished her drink and savored the chocolaty treat before putting the dishes into the sink and going to the first bedroom where she settled down into the orange sheets of her bed; the tea and stress of the day sent the pegasus into the land of dreams rapidly, the visions presented fitful and constantly shifted tone from positive to darker and back again. That evening, Derpy woke to a darkened house and almost evening outside her windows. She had managed to rest relatively well and woke content for the first few moments before she remember that she had a job; one that wouldn't take kindly to tardy or even being absent altogether. The mailmare sat up quickly before realizing that just as she needed a day to collect herself after the trials of the previous one, it was likely so did the rest of the town; maybe even the whole land. After debating for a second longer, Derpy decided that she would just hope that things turned out well and not worry about her job at the Ponyville Postal Service. She got up from the bed and set out for the kitchen once more, planning to cook new batches of muffins to restock what was low and to provide a means of relaxing. The yellow maned pegasus was at her most relaxed with the cozy cottage smelling of wonderful baked goods. Making sure that the five different kinds of muffins was put away into their proper places, the mailmare went to her garden that her best friend was coaching her to care for. In an attempt to branch the hobby-baker from making only various muffins, Carrot Top helped to plant carrots, cucumbers and peas; plants that were hard to bake, though the orange maned earth pony couldn't help the carrots since it was her specialty. The pegasus used the green watering can placed nearby to make sure they were well watered and intact after the crazy behavior the land went through the day before. Derpy had just enough time left in the day to inspect the plant life before having to call it a night again. After the relaxing baking and gardening work, the pegasus had an easier sleep than in her nap; her optimism giving her hope that the next day will be much better and making it so she went to bed with a smile on her face. For the next two days Derpy stayed home and made sure she was the definition of relaxed with baking and gardening; all the extra muffins she made were given to friends who luckily didn't mind all the baked goods. As she made her slow way home from passing the muffins out (she still couldn't bring herself to fly as she normally would), Derpy heard a familiar voice call out to her; one that made her flinch and almost tempted to try taking to the skies despite her fear. “Ma'am! Miss, may I have a moment!” Time Turner quickly trotted up to the pegasus who turned slowly with guarded eyes. “... Hello... How are you doing?” The brown stallion noticed the hesitation and stopped a few paces away to give her space. “I'm doing rather well, are you doing better yourself?” Derpy searched the blue eyes to find only sincerity and concern for her and smiled sadly. “Yes, in a way... I suppose you've come to talk to me about helping with your 'time machine'?” Turner nodded slowly as he pointed towards his shop. “Yes, I would appreciate that greatly, but I do not want to make you nervous again... I tried to find you yesterday and had been looking since early today as well. It's rather important that you are the one to help me with this. I can explain and show you why, but you have to be willing; I can't and won't force you to do anything you don't want.” Derpy looked at the sincere stallion before hanging her head with a sigh; she had always given ponies a second chance as well as the benefit of the doubt, even if she did think the earth pony was an odd one indeed. “Alright, I'll listen to your explanation; I won't guarantee that I'll help you, but I'll listen at least.” Time Turn grinned happily before leading the way towards his shop. He had managed to clean the place up since Derpy had last seen it, and she spent a moment getting a proper look at the displays that she made sure to stay well away from. Time Turner glanced back and proudly smirked at the awed look on the pegasus' face and waved a hoof in a general manner. “This may seem impressive, but what I have downstairs is ten times better, if I do say so myself.” Derpy stared at the stallion in bemusement at the statement before continuing after her guide as they went down the stairs at the back of the store. Derpy tried to contain her fear of going underground as they went further than she thought they would before reaching the large room where a circular machine stood predominantly in the center. There were tables lined along the walls covered in pieces of metal and papers and next to the machine was a pedestal that housed three different colored stones in a glass case. The brown earth pony stepped into the center of the room, next to the light blue machine with black highlights, turning to face the pegasus with a proud smile. “See? Ten times better. This is the time machine, Time And Relative Dimension In Space; or TARDIS for short.” Derpy took a few hesitant steps forward, staring at the large machine that had knobs and switches in odd places on it's circular build. “Right, and it does work?” “Indeed it does!” “How?” Turner looked sharply at the mare who still gazed at the various things jutting off the machine as she posed her question. “How?” Derpy frowned pensively as she glanced at the stallion who thought for a moment before stepping over to the glass case. “This is how; these three stones power the whole machine, which is built using both science and magic.” The pegasus cast a quick glance at the earth pony in confusion before resting her gaze on the stones once more. “Magic?” “Yes, while my entire family has no trace of unicorns in it, we have managed to make science that is just as powerful as magic and that could produce the same effects; so for simplicity's sake, we call it magic even if it's not accurate.” Derpy frowned once more at the so called 'simplicity' before nodding along. “I see; so these stones are the power source?” The tinkerer carefully lifted the glass box and set it aside, grabbing the red stone on the far left. “Yes, each stone represents a different aspect of time with an encryption written on them stating this. This is Lapis Praeterita; the stone that represents the past.” The earth pony placed the stone onto a panel on the right side of the time machine, where it fit into its slot with ease; Time Turner then turned back to the pedestal and reached for the second stone. “This one is Lapis Praesens, representing the present.” He placed the smooth light blue rock into it's place next to the red one, going in just as easily as the first. “This last one is Lapis Futurum, the stone of the future.” With reverence, the stallion carefully placed the stone next to it's brethren in the blue panel; as he stepped back, both ponies watched as the whole machine lit up starting from the panel and spreading outwards. “Ooooh! This is wonderful!” Time Turner couldn't help but whisper as his eyes followed the light-blue strips of lights as the TARDIS powered up. Derpy barely glanced over in shock at the words before looking forward once more as the blue machine started to make a gentle humming sound. “What?! I thought you said this worked? Wouldn't you have started it before?” Time Turner turned with awe still shining in his face as he face the mare beside him. “Hmmm? Oh, well, I knew it would work, on a theoretical standpoint. But my Clan has an old, erhm, prophecy, if you will; in order to successfully travel back in time, a stallion of my Clan would need to have all three Lapis stones, make the machine and have the help of a pony who loves muffins and bubbles.” The pegasus stared sharply at the earth pony and took a worried step back. “What? You thought it would work and brought me down here?! Your Clan has a 'prophecy' about this!? It almost sounds like a bad science fiction story.... Sigh... Well, it does work, I'll give you that; but that doesn't mean I'll help you.” Turner frowned at the tone and held out a hoof to make the mare pause in her attempt at leaving. “Wait! Don't you want to know WHY we want to travel back in time?” Derpy blinked a few times before trying to recall some of the things he had said previously but dismissed as utter nonsense. “Wasn't it because you wanted to record history as it happened?” Time Turner frowned thoughtfully before remembering his previous attempts at convincing the blue-gray mare. “Oh, I guess I did say that before; but yes, the true history hasn't been written because others have erased periods of history from the records, leaving blank spots and only myths and legends to be passed by word of mouth. The Tempus Clan has always wanted to record what truly happened in an age when it would be acceptable for the truth to be known. Wouldn't you like to help ponies and foals of all ages know exactly what happened before?” Derpy paused at who he wanted to learn of the 'true past' before shaking her head. “A pony shouldn't be able to go back in time, it's too much power in one pony's hooves.” The brown earth pony gazed back in surprise at the words and stepped forward to present his case. “I wouldn't use it for anything but recording what was going on! Maybe even read a book or two from that time so we wouldn't need to stay in that time period to know what happened.” Derpy shook her head no and headed for the stairs, unwilling to listen to the 'mad scientist' and his insane goal. “And you would need my help for this? It seems like it works just fine now.” “The prophecy says the pony of bubbles and muffins has to come with me to help!” “I can't just up and quit my job so you can record history that was deemed dangerous for the public to know-” “For anypony to know!” “-For anypony to know about. I came and listened like I said I would, and find that you were telling the truth; sorry for doubting you and assuming that you were still under the influence of Chaos.” The brown earth pony dipped his head in acceptance of the apology before following after the blue-gray mare. “Thank you, but are you sure you won't -?” Before Time Turner could finish his question or Derpy to reply, there was a sound of a two-toned electric bell going off before a chipper voice carried through the store and down the stairs. “Hellooo in there! We need the Doctor's help!” Derpy quickly shot a confused look to the stallion who stared at the ceiling at the sound. “Who's this 'doctor'? Why are they here if they need a doctor?” Turner smirked and pointed to himself with a hoof. “A few of the goofier citizens call me the Doctor because I fix clocks and other machines like a doctor would a pony. Come on, I believe I recognize who's calling for my help.” The stallion led the way up the stairs to find a curious sight waiting for him just beyond the shop counter. Pinkie Pie was standing with a large grin on her face and four little fillies waiting next to her, staring at the various objects in the room before focusing on the two ponies that stepped up from the stairwell. At the sight of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Derpy gave a small start of surprise; she hadn't seen them since they had lied to her and made her cover for them without knowing what had really happened. Before she could say anything to them, the pink earth pony bounced forward and began to explain their mission. “Hey there Time Turner! Hi Derpy! The girls need your help Doctor, they want a secret laboratory.” Derpy quickly looked to the pink earth pony in surprise before staring at the Crusaders in suspicion; the girls tried to appear innocent as they looked pleadingly towards the brown earth pony. “We want tah be able tah talk with our friend when she goes back tah Manehatten. Can ya help us?” the olive-yellow earth pony pleaded as she looked up to the stallion; Derpy looked curiously towards the last filly that she hadn't seen before, assuming that was the one they wanted to communicate with later on. “What kinds of things did you want in it?” Time Turner rubbed his chin with a hoof as he looked to the girls in curiosity while Pinkie smiled at the promising look. “We want some computers!” The pale-gray unicorn bounced in place as she helped explain what type of things they were looking for. “And ways to get internet and email,” the orange pegasus nodded as she elaborated on what the computers would be able to do. “An' maybe some way tah watch out for ponies coming towards the Clubhouse...” Derpy started to frown at some of the things the girls wanted in their Clubhouse before focusing on the last filly, a green with purple mane and tail unicorn who wore glasses. “... And maybe... Some basic defense abilities...” The green filly stared off to the side as she practically muttered the request, unwilling to have either of the older mares hearing her while trying to ask for it from the stallion. By this point, Derpy was flat out frowning at the last request and was about to question them when Time Turner spoke first. “That sounds rather reasonable, but I need something from you guys in return.” Derpy shot a confused glance towards the brown earth pony but was deflected from saying anything by the pink party mare. “Oh, I can cover the cost!” Pinkie waved her hoof in the air to which drew indignation from the Crusaders about who would pay for all of the work to be done. “No way!” Scootaloo waved her hoof in a short denial as Sweetie Belle stepped forward. “Yeah, we can take care of it!” “We earned lotsa bits an' we can pay for our own stuff now!” As Apple Bloom proudly stated how they were financially doing, the last filly remained silent since it was their Clubhouse and their bits. “You can't expect a couple of foals to have to pay for a large amount of work, do you?” Derpy turned her frown towards the stallion who seemed slightly offended at the accusation. “Of course it won't be a large amount for the work; it will only cost four hundred bits and they must tell me four facts of history.” Turner smiled at the girls who seemed relieved at the cost to the confusion of the blue-gray mare. “Facts of history?” Sweetie Belle tilted her head as the others looked just as confused about the last part of the cost. “What kinds of facts?” Scootaloo asked with a slight frown. “Any kind of fact, whatever you can think about.” Turner smirked as the four fillies screwed up their faces in thought. “Uhmmm, Nightmare Moon had been trapped on the moon for a thousand years?” Sweetie Belle tentatively stated to which earned a nod from the stallion, emboldening the others to state facts as well. “The Elements of Harmony saved the day when Nightmare Moon came back.” Scootaloo firmly said to which earned a bit more of a smile from the brown earth pony. “Uh, the Elements of Harmony stopped Discord when he got free a few days ago.” Apple Bloom stated tentatively, uneasy at mentioning the draconequus to the older ponies. Time Turner continued to smile as he looked to the last filly who stared resolutely back. “In the years right after the Princesses began their rule, many prophecies were made that have long since turned into old mare tales that few still believe in. One of which was the prophecy about the fillies of Justice and their constant struggle with a rising Red Beast.” Time Turner raised a single brow at the particular prophecy the purple maned unicorn stated and glanced to the Crusaders as the lines of said prophecy ran through his mind; the Tempus Clan had always kept track of all prophecies and he knew them by heart. The stallion had been taught that there was no such thing as coincidences and had a sneaking suspicion that the new filly was right in her belief of who the prophecy was about, meaning that they did indeed need all that technology they requested and perhaps even more. He nodded his agreement and waved the girls forward. “Alrighty then, you've met half of the agreed amount of the cost so I'll take a look and start to come up with some plans. Lead the way ladies!” The fillies smiled and took the lead out of the shop with the brown stallion and blue-gray pegasus following behind them; Pinkie Pie had done her part to help the fillies and she had a mare to meet for a tickle session, so she bounced her way back to the library, pleased that things were going so well. “Time Turner, you can't be serious about this...” Derpy whispered to the Doctor with a frown as she watched the girls who searched the surrounding area as they trotted along. “These girls are the perfect example of why my family has wanted to record the proper history; they only know of what has been dealt with or at least around the time of Nightmare Moon. Nopony knows the real history and if you help me we can find out what really happened all those years ago!” Turner tried to impart the importance of the pegasus helping with his project as they lagged behind the girls; Derpy rolled her eyes and shook her head at the insistence of the stallion next to her. “I still don't think it will work or that this is a good idea at all... But if you cut out the price for helping the Crusaders then I'll do it.” Time Turner stopped in his tracks and looked to the mare who had kept going for a little while before realizing that he had stopped. “Brilliant! Then let's get going, the sooner I set up the girls the sooner we can get started!” The stallion raced forward after the girls who hadn't stopped their trot through town. Derpy rolled golden-yellow eyes at how excited the earth pony could get at times and picked up her pace to keep up with the fillies as they continued to their clubhouse. However, just a few paces away from them there was a shout and commotion, resulting in the young pegasus running away from the group back into town; before the blue-gray mare could even question it, she was pushed aside by a gray earth pony who ran in the direction that Scootaloo had gone. “Girls, what was that about?” The remaining Crusaders shared worried looks before shrugging indifferently to the question. “Dunno, guess we'd better go without her.” Apple Bloom continued on the path towards the local orchard where their clubhouse was nestled in one of the fields. The blue-gray pegasus looked on in worry, knowing exactly how closely they were friends and that this behavior was very odd. The three remaining fillies didn't mention it at all as they gave a short tour of the clubhouse to the two older ponies; the green filly hoofed over a scroll with some of the things they wanted done, trying to hide it from Derpy who was slowly growing extremely concerned for the secretive fillies. After that the two older ponies were soon rushed out of the tree house and farm land by the girls who then went on their separate ways as well. Derpy walked next to Time Turner as they both went back into town, trying to figure out what the girls may have been up to when the mare was pulled from her thoughts by a question from the stallion. “I don't believe we've properly introduced ourselves....” The pegasus paused as her ears tipped back in surprise and embarrassment at the fact. “Oh, yes, I suppose we haven't... My name is Derpy Hooves, local mailmare.” The blue-gray mare held out her right hoof to the stallion who returned the shake with a smile. “Nice to meet you, I'm Time Turner, local mechanic and scientist.” Derpy nodded as they shook hooves and turning back to face the town. “... I said I would help, and I keep my word. When would you want to go?” Time Turner smiled in glee before coughing into his hoof and trying to keep a straight face. “Oh, uh, well, it has been turned on for the first time ever... Unless you have something you have to do right away? Remember, it is a time machine, we can return immediately back to when we leave.” The pegasus sighed theatrically at the not-so-hidden glee before thinking of anything she may have left undone should things go awry. After realizing that staying inside the past few days meant she got most of her errands around the house done already, the blue-gray mare gave a soft sigh before looking at the brown earth pony who watched for her reaction closely. “I guess I'm as ready to go right now.” The mechanic barely held back his unstallionly squee of joy and picked up the pace to start their time adventures.