//------------------------------// // I can fix this! // Story: Five Minute Difference // by carefreedude //------------------------------// I can fix this! I can fix this! The purple unicorn ran through the destroyed streets of Ponyville. All around her, ponies ran in a panic from their burning homes. One plum-colored earth pony sped by screaming; flames searing thought her shoulder-lengthed mane scorching fur as it went. The unicorn did her best to avert her gaze from the sight of it. I fixed it before! I can do it again! She zoomed by the local bakery, Sugarcube Corner. A scrawny yellow stallion with an orange mane limped out of the half-demolished building carrying an infant. He gave the unicorn a pleading look, in hopes she would stop to assist him. She didn't. But it wasn't this bad before. I think I made it worse! She passed by city hall, to see the entire top half smoking in pile of rubble next to the once-proud structure. Underneath the wreckage was an old grey mare who was barely conscious. She was laying in what was probably a pool of her own blood, but the poofy pink tail sticking out from of the stone nearby, suggested otherwise. The unicorn tried to hold back her tears as she continued to charge forward. No! No! No! Why is everything so different?! It shouldn't have made this big of an impact! A rainbow suddenly crashed into the street ahead, causing her to skid to a halt. A blue leg extended from the crater the rainbow created. The unicorn approached the hole to see a what looked like a fusion of a cyan pegasus and a black bug. It's pupils slowly rotated to look up at the unicorn, one a rosy pink, the other a harsh emerald green. "T-t-twi-light. He-he-elp meee." It spoke painfully, it's voice raspy and sour. Twilight could only look on in horror of the abomination before her. With tears now fully streaming down her face, she dashed around the crater towards her destination. She continued to run through the carnage, passing ponies being burned, maimed, and being converted by the black creatures flying about. She did her best to ignore it. She couldn't stop. She had to get back to the library; only four words rang through her head the entire time. I can fix this! She finally saw her home approaching as she ran. Just like the rest of the town, the great tree was aflame, and just like the rest of the town, she tried to ignore it as she dashed through the open door. Everything she held dear was quickly being engulfed by the inferno. Her books, her photos, everything. Her entire home had become her own personal circle of tartarus. To top it all off, the body of her favorite assistant lay unmoving in a crimson mess. Twilight choked back more tears as she sped past his lifeless form and into the basement. She had seen his body like that more times than she cared to remember, but the sight still brought her to the breaking point. As she slammed the door shut behind her and locked it, several changelings entered the library in pursuit of the unicorn. They individually started ramming the basement door, in an attempt to enter. She didn't have much time. The basement was filled with scrap parts and discarded blueprints. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. Twilight ran to the end of the basement to where a large machine stood. The chrome behemoth was decorated with flashing lights and hummed slightly. Nearby, was a stool with a strange helmet resting upon it. The helmet was the same color as the machine with it's own set of flashing bulbs. It also had a hole in the front for a horn to fit through. Twilight quickly pushed several buttons on the machine's keyboard at a frantic speed. She then quickly sat down on the stool and levitated the helmet onto her head. At the same moment, the changelings finally busted down the door and scrambled into the basement. With a panicked breath, Twilight pushed one last button as a changeling lunged at her. A bright light was suddenly released from her horn, brighter than it had ever cast before. The unicorn clenched her eyes shut and let out a violent and painful scream as light enveloped her. After what felt like an eternity of pain and suffering, she opened her eyes again. Everything around her had changed. She was no longer sitting her basement, but instead in her loft with a book in front of her. Her home was no longer a deadly inferno, but how it was always meant to be; peaceful and serene. A look out her window showed the town was also how it should be. The skies were clear except for a few pegasi flying by. The buildings were still upright and intact. Any signs of the changelings were completely gone. It looked like whatever happened before never occurred. This didn't stop Twilight from breathing heavily and sweating. She knew this was how it always started. She was brought out of her mild panic when something put a claw on her back. She tuned to see her faithful assistant Spike standing next to her with a confused and worried look. "You okay Twilight? You were just talking to me about Starswirl, and then suddenly you froze up." He moved a claw to scratch the back of his head. "Granted I wasn't really listening but-" He was cut off by Twilight wrapping him in a hug. Tears once again began streaming down her face as she held him. "Geez Twilight. What's gotten into you?" She refused to respond. She was just glad to see him like this again, even if it was for a short while. No. Not for a short while. I can fix it this time.