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// Prologue Part 1: Time and CORE 
// Story: Guardians of Forever 
// by TheGreatEater 
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~Intro into the “History of Time and Time Mechanics. Yr.1” 


The nature of time is a complicated one. But for you, one of the few, the proud, and the bold. Whom have been chosen to become a member of CORE. It is one that you will learn about in time. For now this chapter shall be a crash course. Regardless of whatever division you’ve been or will be placed in. 

There are many philosophies and words used to describe whatever particular branch of the multiverse we are in. Some call it the timeline, or timestream. Both are inaccurate, but colloquially understandable, but take away from the beauty of the nature of time. For convenience we shall use timeline in the book. And remember any underlined words will be most definitely coming up on future tests. 

Now the Multiverse was formed by a point of origin billions of years ago. Nopony has ever managed to see the beginning of all creation. But it has been agreed that once it happened all core, or prime universes were formed. With preset laws of physics and magic that govern reality as we know it. And from those primes, all subsequent realities are formed. 

Time as we know it is never linear, there is no true point a to point b. For every action there are a finite alternative choices an individual can make. For the most part those small discrepancies have very little to no impact on others outside themselves. Thus, on the whole have no impact on the timeline in general. But as those variables line up, and those interactions affect the right entities at the right time. A timeline is chosen, and that individual and almost all individuals on that timeline are only aware of that individual timeline only. But there are timelines existing alongside that one were the other variables combine to alternate universes.

Alternate universes or AU’s are one of the many mechanisms in the Multiverse to ensure stability. They will be covered later on to show how certain temporal events that could cause said events don’t really change the starting timeline, as much as open up the things to that alternate series of events. Most notably the famous  “kill your own grandmother” paradox.

Because of this, while time travel to the past is simple enough, changing events is difficult. For the “butterfly effect” is false. Since it’s rarely if ever, one event that causes everything to become different, unless that event is pivotal to the futures and lives of many. But finding such an event is difficult. Rather it should be called the “Migration Effect”, for one butterfly flapping does very little unless it flaps very hard a majority of the time. But like with entities in a time line, if one butterfly alters its path slightly, it could alter the entire flight path of all others in its swarm. 

Same with ponies going into the past, changing one thing. It rarely if ever changes the future, but if a change was to cause a different outcome it would use that change as a variable for a pre-existing alternate timeline. Thus forming a stable loop. A timeline where it didn’t, and thus the traveler goes back, and a series of alternate timelines where that traveler would be in a totally different timeline that formed from those actions. Now before you go time traveling willy nilly it is hard if not nigh impossible to go to the original timeline after altering events. Since time likes to go on the path its currently on. 

This is also another mechanism to ensure that time runs stable. And now that the basics are under the way. I hope you shall enjoy the rest of this book. 






~Notes from Chapter 2, Rise of CORE.


It’s been said in the records of our previous incarnations. That’s when the princesses, when we had two of them, arrived. They noticed the Equine Races. Earth Ponies they saw had a deep connection to earth, were able to see meridians and ley lines, could sense connections, and could help things grow. Pegasi had mastery of air, weather, and water. As well as could feel the very currents flowing around them. While Unicorns were beings in tune with magic and while they could replicate the other races magics with training and loved pushing their limits of the dominance of reality their Cutie Marks represented to their whims. 

But amongst their little ponies there were ones that, like them, had a special connection to time. Their pony magics giving them access to temporal mechanics that others did not, or had no interest in training in. The Earth Ponies could feel the warps, fluxes, flow, and connection of time. And they could make physical use of those redundancies and mechanics. Pegasi could feel the winds of time, or the distortions that temporal events gave off, and could touch and mold them just as they could weather. And Unicorns could manipulate and touch it in ways most other pony races could only dream of.  

These early pioneers were the first ChronoOntologists, working with and touching upon the physical nature and state of being of time and time magics. The princesses saw a class of ponies that could be used to watch after and help the timeline, just as their less time orientated relatives could. They brought them together to help them in keeping stability as well as watching out for problems if they should arise. Thus the ‘Guardians of Forever’ were born. 

The first iteration of CORE was rather unorganized. Being in the Paleopony Era, they had very few needs to write things down, or deeper organization with such a small world. They simply tended to the world’s most beautiful force of nature. When problems arrived, they were reported as needed, and if they could help then they did so with an eye always towards the future. 

It was sometime during this first iteration that ponies from the future came into the past and while investigating, left behind items. Some of these were rather harmless, timeline appropriate cloth, paper, the like. But others were careless and either on purpose or by design left behind things that the timeline wasn’t and in some cases still isn’t ready for. Things like advanced technology, metallurgical alloys, notes or even spells. 

They came to the princesses with these tidbits. The princesses decided that they should hide them. As the Guardians of Forever started recording what they found, reporting to the princesses more often, and took a less passive approach to their love and duty. COOP was formed, standing for ChronoOntologists On Patrol. 

COOP from that point forward made it a duty to collect all forms of prophecy, things left behind by travelers, and actively explore, monitor, and map all parts of the multiverse they could get their hooves on. And in this came alongside it a greater amount of paperwork, more accurate recordings, and a safe spot deep under Canterlot’s mountain where they could do their work in peace. Unfortunately they were formed just as Equestria was founded, so that iteration was not to last for long. For in the madness of Corona’s imprisonment many COOP members went into hiding, and even more than a few lost their lives in the twelve years between Corona’s final battle, and Luna’s grief. 

It was Greybeard the Wise, Newton, Milky Fen, and Mad Prophet. They gathered what little of COOP that could be recovered after fourteen years from the members to the gutted building that once belonged to the Guardians of Forever, and from the ashes came a new group. Merging the sciences that had been developed. Of map making, machinations, and relativity, and newer states of chronomancy. To form CORE, or Chronotopologist Ontologist and Relativity Ensemble, although their start was filled with rocky stumbles, such as the Mad Prophet running loose and fanning the flames of a Celestia freed from the sun and reborn. Which we now know as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza rather than Corona’s actual freedom.

Although the Mad Prophet said that the prophecy was unfulfilled, and after leaving behind his collection of prophecies disappeared. From then 16 LR onwards things slowly became what they are today. 






~ 10 years before Corona’s escape~

Royal Pin sat with the book of the CORE members open before him with a thick pile of notes beside him. His family had raised him and his younger twin for great things for the future of Equestria’s temporal stability. Their family had been members of CORE since its inception after the founding members rebuilt the organization. Even though Pokey Pierce didn’t have an interest in it, he still sat beside his brother poking his ribs, “So Pinhead, any other points of interest we need you to go over before your big test? You need to be sharp as a tack if you want to get into the advanced placement.”

“No Piercey, I think I’m good. But why aren’t you taking the tests? I’m sure you could get into CORE like mom and dad?” Royal Pin asked his twin who was now sharpening his horn on the edge of the table. 

“But it’s so boring, and they always get so busy with work, and can’t abuse time travel to have more time with us. That and I don’t know …” Pokey Pierce said rubbing his horn with a fetlock, “I think I’d be happier not having to worry about time. You know just live life to the fullest, and know that you’re looking out for me like Wonder Stallion, or Supermare … but a colt not an icky filly,” Pokey said sticking his tongue out in disgust. 

“But fillies aren’t that bad,” Royal Pin said with a blush.

“Uh-huh! They have cooties! And if you had cooties then I couldn’t be your twin and who’d always be looking out for me and making sure I don’t get stuck horn first in something?” Pierce said in genuine panic. 

“Fine!” Royal Pin said with an eye roll before giving his brother a hug, “I’ll be like a Superstallion than. Wish me luck lug head.”

“I’ll lug your head for you,” Pokey said pulling back from the hug to give a noogie before going back for the hug, “Good luck, Pinhead, I’ll be sure to have a foalhood you can live vicare-ee-ously through.” 

“Vicariously, Piercey. And thanks, ” Royal Pin replied as he fixed his hair. I’m going to make all of you proud of me. Just like a superhero. You, Mom, Dad, Gran-gran. And I got your lucky noogies, so there’s no way I can fail.