Royal Pin was sweating bullets, for placement in the Academies, Chronomancy and Temporal Mechanist, classes. He had to pass not only with a certain grade, but had to give a three page report on time and or chronomancy. Looking at the blank pages before him he started to panic, taking deep breaths he closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. Okay Pins. Don’t freak out. Pokes is trusting me to pass this. Our folks have a lineage leading all the way back to Milky Fen. CORE members are in our blood, and while Piercey won’t tell me what his real dream is.
I’m going to pass and work hard to show him how much of a hero I can be. Since he for some strange reason is adverse to our families work.
He was distracted by the clearing of a throat, looking over he saw a wispy, waif of a unicorn mare looking at the clock showing he had an hour left. Giving a grin he said, “Just thinking of the amazing paper I’m going to write for you.” I’m the proud, the brave, and the bold! I’m going to be Super Pin! The most amazingest Power Pony ever! Saving the future-past-present verb thingie and everypony! So no freaking out over a test me!
And with that he dove into his paperwork with a furious vengeance.
~5 years before Corona’s escape~
Royal Pin couldn’t believe it. He was finally entering the hallowed halls of his lineage, and peers. He had finally gotten into CORE, it took a year for his parents to pull enough strings. All part of the process of bringing in kids, but one year out of the Academy, and he was moving on to the Technical College aspect of his training. As an undergraduate of the Agency, he wasn’t quite a full member, but one step closer to seeing his dreams coming into fruition. And knowing that his family was there for the special occasion as well as those of the other undergraduates who were getting prepared for a full time job in CORE gave Royal Pin the feeling of being a part of something bigger than himself.
He entered a large ornate auditorium, the size of Luna’s throne room. And standing upon the center dias was the biggest stallion he’d ever seen. He was a deep green Earth Pony, with a shock of black hair that looked like he was a victim of the lightning cloud prank with a very, full, bushy mustache. His lilac eyes scanned the ponies entering with family members upon rows of seats set up for them.
After everypony stood there waiting for the ceremony to start, the Earth Pony spoke, his deep, rich voice carrying throughout the Auditorium with crystalline clarity, “Hello my little ponies, I’m W, and the Head of Office here at CORE. All of you, have passed a strict vetting process to test your mettle, as well as have shown either the ability to work with temporal mechanics or sensitivity to causality.
“Most importantly you’ve proven yourself to those in the field, as well as those whom we interviewed of your character as well as the ability to keep a secret. Now I want all of you to look to your left, and your right.” He said, addressing everypony.
Royal Pin like everypony else looked around. To his left was a red pegasus mare with a golden mane and ‘stop your heart’ blue eyes, twitching nervously as wings fluttered anxiously at her sides. To his right was a lavender unicorn with a shockingly vivid neon green hair that looked, for lack of a better word, slept in. As if he rolled out of bed and however his hair landed was how it stayed. His teal eyes glinted merrily and he gave a friendly nod, before looking past him and whispering, “Chillout Glitterbug, I told you that nothing bad will happen here. You got me to protect you,” He said with a cocky grin.
“Time Saver! Don’t call me that around other ponies. They might start thinking we’re a couple or something,” she hissed with a shudder, that Time Saver copied.
“Yeah, you're too much like a sister to me. But it worked anyways, you stopped looking like Corona was about to come down and cook you or something,” He replied his grin going from cocky to sheepish.
“It’s okay. Just don’t call me Glitterbug, I’m not six anymore,” the mare to his side responded with an embarrassed blush, “Oh sorry, I’m Glint Spark, and that derpl is Time Saver.”
“Derpl?”
“Oh sorry, inside joke,” Glint Spark facehooved.
Before she could respond, W continued, “Now those ponies, are your new friends, extended family, and support group. Regardless of where you go, what missions, or paperwork you end up doing. All of you are to support one another and have each other’s flanks. So with that out of the way. I’ll start the introduction ceremony.”
There was a creak as he, from all appearances, pulled a lever. There was an explosion of light and color as large tapestries fell down from the rafters, and the flag of Equestria dangled above them, then he spoke up once the stomping of hooves in applause from the display, W waiting until it died down before continuing, “This I’ll admit is a thankless job for most. You won’t get your names in the newspapers for your work in the CORE, no pony will be singing your praises, or even know that you stood between them and death.
“The only ponies who know will be those among you that you just looked at just now. The very ponies in this room, and in this agency. But that makes the thanks I give to you ponies all the more heartfelt. If it was thanks, and recognition you wanted you could’ve could’ve been a guard, or a courier, or any number of other jobs where your name would be known to everypony. As a member of CORE we are and act as one.
“I’ll admit most days you will be drowning in paperwork, and come home only to dream of paperwork. Other times you’ll have adventures that most ponies will never believe, but mostly what we do is ensure that time works. That the mechanisms of the multiverse and causality are working as they are supposed to. As well as do maintenance of the timeline. But if you think you can’t handle it. You can leave once the ceremony ends. Nopony will think less of you, and I wish you the best life you can possibly have. But if you stay, I can say that the job can be very rewarding.
“Now I’ve said my intro. Now a short talk from our special guest, then it’ll be time to talk to your families and get acclimated to our facilities. So without further ado, Princess Luna!”
He walked back, giving a bow. And from nowhere a mist formed, slowly stretching, twitching, throbbing. Forming moment by moment into a pony that became more discernible as Princess Luna.
Royal Pin’s jaw dropped, as he gazed upon the pinnacle of pony perfection that was the Princess of the Night. After all what straight/bisexual young stallion, or for that matter homosexual/bisexual young mare, didn’t at least once fantasize about the indigo alicorn who guided and helped their nation? But seeing her in the flesh was something entirely different. As he closed his mouth, he heard a resounding clicking of teeth of a multitude of mouths doing the same as himself. Followed by a mirthful grin of Princess Luna.
“Hello my little ponies. It has been a tradition since the Guardians of Forever formed oh so many millennia ago by my sister and I. That the Princesses, and now the Princess,” Luna said with a hint of sadness, “greet those members who are about to join and talk to them. Now it has been said that the world will not know of your work. And that to those who do not know what you do it is thankless.
“But know that I, your princess, am proud of you coming this far. Your gifts, just like those who came before you are every bit as important to our planet, as the Earth Ponies who make our crops to feed our nation, or the Pegasi who master the skies and control the weather for the land to flourish, and the Unicorns who assist and touch upon many facets of society.
“Your abilities, while they might not be the norm for others, have always been a source of great help to me. And to the planet, so never doubt that I am eternally grateful for you and the work that CORE does. Now onto some advice and warnings, to help prevent you from falling into the problems of your forebearers.
“When outside of this building, be careful of whom you tell what you do. When acting as field agents and others see the hourglass enchantment they will ask you what it means. Simply tell them you ‘work with time’ or another thing on the list of acceptable ‘special talents’. Also you may never interfere with events, unless given authorization to. Too many problems have cropped up from your forebearers trying to control events and causing us to go on branches that took ages to fix.
“As for the secrecy. Not every prophecy, future event, or even temporal anomaly is clear cut. Some such as the one made by Mad Prophet turned out disastrous, when he claimed and spread the rumor that my sister was getting freed from the sun and that she was being reborn. It turned out that it was Mi Amore Cadenza’s ascension. The problems that spreading of prophecy unchecked caused more anguish than I have ever experienced in many centuries.”
Luna took a moment to compose herself, and Royal Pin was torn in two. On one hoof he was honored that Luna was sharing this event with ponies at the expense of herself, but on the other, he would’ve loved not to have this example seeing her sad as she was.
“But that is one outcome of trying to manipulate events. What you see, such as that, which will never happen. It may be entirely different than what you think you saw. But on the other hoof, if others knew about the CORE’s foreknowledge they’d expect you to fix every wrong and would be angry when you can’t. After all even with the hundreds of thousands of collections even with our sight and skills we can’t know or even prevent everything.
“So keeping yourselves a secret, and being unnoticed is a way to save you from being a puppet of the nation’s pain and fears. Now for my last bit of advice. To those of you who either can’t stay for long and leave early. Or those whom this job is not meant for you. I want to say, I am still proud of you for making it this far. And all I wish from you, as I wish for all my little ponies is to be happy and true to yourself. If you can look back on your life in your twilight years and be happy with how you lived it. That’s all I can ask of you. Now with this ceremony done and over with. I bid you adieu!” And with that there was a flash of smoke, when it cleared. Luna was gone.
Royal Pin waited as everypony was walking off to either leave, or meet their own folks. When Time Saver and Glint Spark trotted over to him, Time Saver was the first to speak, “Wow! Talk about a rousing speech. As Glinty over there mentioned, I’m Time Saver. I actually talked that one into coming to CORE with me, she might not show it but she'd be useless without me looking out for her.”
“Time, I’m not Glinty either. I swear you’re as bad as a foal sometimes,” Glint Spark said, hiding her face in her mane.
“You wouldn’t want it any other way and you know it. Anywho, I’m the pony you’re going to want to go to when it comes to getting anything. If you need something, I more than likely know how to get it cheap or can find a way to get it done faster.
“Glint Spark here, she’s kinda stuffy and shy sometimes. But she’s dedicated and if your hay bacon’s in the fire, there’s no better pony to get it out before you’re cooked.” He said in lieu of an introduction.
“It’s nice to meet you two, I’m Royal Pin. I’m sure we’re going to be close co-workers.” He said with a smile.