Guardians of Forever

by TheGreatEater


Chapter 1 pt. 2: The Corona Event

~Winter Solstice, Several Months ago~

Royal Pin, a greyish azure coated stallion, twin brother to the greatest brother in the world Pokey Pierce, sat at his oaken desk as the world around him came crashing down. It was another day at the Chronotopology Ontology and Relativity Ensemble, CORE for short. A government division that ages ago Luna had set up to ensure time worked as it was supposed to.

Ponies clocked in, the unicorns who specialized in Time magics ran their magic over a miniature globe, Sun and Moon to watch out for fluctuations, anomalies, and distortions. Various officials and civil servants who passed the tests Luna had set up centuries ago went about their business as usual. And for the most part it was the easiest job in the world. Then all of Tartaros broke loose.

“Sir! There’s a massive anomaly happening between the Sun and the Earth!” Glint Spark yelled.

“Alright, I need forms A-13U, P-100-B, and a message to those in the field to co-ordinate with any efforts the Guards take up! Also I need someone to tell the Prophecy Branch to locate any prophecy about the Sun, and whatever happens between now and then,” Royal Pin yelled.

“On it!” The mare in question said as several other employees went about carrying out his orders.

Lighting up the Scrying Viewer, the sun came into view as it rose above the sky. Clicking the intercom, and pressing the switch for PB, he waited to relay what was going on, and for his part he was as calm can be in the face of a major temporal anomaly. Then Corona showed up.

And everything dissolved into blind panic around him. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to just sit here, watch out for the few time travelers that pop in every now and then, usually from those students looking into Chronomancy. Ensure that the few temporal blips that happen are stable. Fill out the proper reports, and have a nice cushy job.

Not watch as the world gets consumed by Corona! I swear … wait!

As Royal Pin was about to speak a loud booming voice that could rival the Princess if she was a stallion roared, “QUIET! THIS HERE IS GOVERNMENT AGENCY! WE AREN’T NICKNAMED THE GUARDIANS OF FOREVER FOR NOTHING!” The light purple coated Earth Pony stallion yelled. His black mane and mustache jiggled furiously.

“W, sir! It’s Corona!” Glint Spark yelled.

“I don’t care if Tirek breaks out Discord and they decided to party in the Night Court, Glint Spark, paperwork doesn’t care, and even if Corona wins then burns us to ashes or feasts on our bones! By Luna’s beard we will at least die knowing everything was in order!”

“Yes sir, sorry sir,” Glint said dejectedly.

“Good, now has anyone checked out the Overlay of the sun and cross reference it to known types of magics?” W asked.

“It seems to be … Zebra? How is that possible?” Glint Sparks asked as the rest of the workers were a furious hustle of paperwork, communication, and panic.

“Don’t know, throw in a report to request to ask how a Zebra can do this. Not much is known about their magic,” W replied, “Pin! I need you to ensure that everything’s in order. I have several other departments that I need to calm down before they decide to cause a riot. Also that A-13 form better be a Z.”

“Yes sir!”

When Luna was banished to the moon the temporal anomaly that formed the bindings to her prison was a massive blow to CORE. Everypony stopped their work in disbelief, the rock that made up everypony's existence, the Goddess that protected them for as long as the agency had existed. Was gone. Sure there were prophecies alluding to that, but everyone of them was counting on it being a false branch one of the many thousands of probabilities that never came true because an event just didn’t happen.

That and with how vague prophecies could be, it was one of those things whose wording had been argued and for all purposes dismissed. Even if they had to collect it for the Repository of Prophecies that was part of their many jobs. But to see it in action was like a knife made of ice piercing their very souls.

“PB, I have news. Luna has been trapped on the moon. TA is similar to the one that happened when Corona was released. I’ll transfer you to a new pony. Keep us updated on necessary prophecies to ensure maximum survival of innocents.”

This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening! Not now! No! Pin, it’s time to stand up to the plate. Piercey’s counting on me. Even though that lug wouldn’t listen to reason and join the family legacy of serving, where he’d be safe-ish right now. Keep it together till this passes, one way or another then get utterly blitzed until I think two plus two equals fish.

Sure his puns and irreverent humor takes sometime to get used to, but he’s always been so full of life. That and not only were our folks last wish was for me to look after Piercey, but he’s always there when you need him. Other than when time work is involved. But he’s always counted on me, and it always made a nerd like me feel like a superhero. That’s what’s on the line here.

Pressing the button for the CT department, or the ChronoTopology Dept. he gave said in a shaky voice, “Listen I need you to go over all data and input on the nature of the release of Corona. I want to know if it can be replicated, and I want all spare Chronomages working on trying to assist with things on Luna’s end. She’s been placed on the moon, and I fear that we are all boned six ways to sunday.”

“Um … RP, I know that you like your jokes but now’s not the time,” A voice on the other end replied.

“THIS ISN’T A JOKE! LUNA’S BEEN BUCKING SENT TO THE MOON!” Royal Pin yelled, trying to keep the hysterics from his voice.

“Horse feathers! Alright, don’t know what we can do. Probably be only a drop of water in the ocean, but we can see what we can do.”

“Alright,” Royal Pin said as he clicked the button off. His job as an administrative co-ordinator was a rough one at times. But it had never been this bad. Even when Trixie was in Canterlot, and worked her way through five entire drawers of forms dedicated to the problems she created purely by being herself was nowhere near as bad as Corona entering the world. And it was a bad day indeed when one wished for Trixie over anything else.

“Report,” Royal Pin said wearily.

“Well there are 4 prophecies on Corona’s entering Ponyville. Well 3 now they said. But PB’s saying it all falls down to whether Trixie makes it to the Everfree before a wave of the pony’s wrath descends upon her or she makes it in. If she makes it in, Corona can be … quenched?” A green unicorn asked the com, “yes quenched. Although that doesn’t mean anything if the 14 branches concerning Corona outside of Ponyville go udders up.”

“Tartaros! Okay. Streamline it for me, Time Saver. What do we need to do?”

“Well Canterlot must not fall. We need every available unicorn in the city to pump magic into it’s defender. If that shield breaks it doesn’t matter much if Trixie … Luna preserve us … succeeds or not. The heart of Equestria will fall and the land will fall with it.”

Giving a nod, he used the rarely used line to the outside. A line that was only to be used for extreme emergencies much like this one, he contacted the Royal Guards, “Hello! Hello! Answer the bloody thing already!”

“No time, we are in a state of emergency,” A gruff voice answered the other end.

“I know! That’s why I’m calling you. This is a member of Guardians of Forever, Represen .... well you know what! Now listen this is of great importance if you don’t want Equestria doomed!”

“What is it?”

“You need every available Unicorn that can generate a field to pump their magic into whoever’s defending the city from Corona.”

“Captain Shining Armor?”

“Yes! If that’s who it is! Every pony who can help needs to reinforce whatever he’s going to do if you don’t want Canterlot to become a crater! You have 4 hours if you’re lucky.”

“If we’re not?”

“Since we’ve been wasting time on pleasantries, twenty-five minutes.”

There was a click on the other end, and Royal Pin told himself to thank Luna for keeping their organization fitted with new toys. He would’ve hated to think of the old method of sending messages through a messenger in this mess. Now all he had to do was sit back and watch events unfold. All in all, this made up a majority of the job. Sit back and observe, don’t meddle unless you fill out the paperwork, help keep things stable.

It sucked now more than ever.

Time Saver and Glint Spark were having a discussion in a volume that spoke that Royal Pin was going to hate what was coming next.

“Sir?” Glint said in a tone that belied that she hoped he didn’t respond. Unfortunately for her, he had to.

“What is it?”

“Well now that Trixie made it out of the house while the town is demolishing it. And if she gets into the forest … well we have to put our fate in her.” She said.

“What? Well … PB’s gone through diagnostics, our residential prophets, and reviewed with our Time Scryers, and before things get fuzzy. They said Trixie’s most definitely the “Moon’s Chosen”.”

“So … all of our hopes, all of our lives are in Trixie’s hooves?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure that her living isn’t just to get those others into the Everfree and act as a meat shield?”

“I’m sure ... well they seem pretty sure.”

“Great! Wonderful! The Immoral and Catastrophic Trixie is who all of Equestria’s depending on. We are utterly boned!”

“I agree. And I’m out 60 bits,” she responded.

“I’m out a paycheck. I bet 450 that there was no way she’d ever be a force of good in the multiverse. But … buck it, get me a TP-6 … are we on drawer six yet?”

“I think we still only have five. I’ll have somepony check,” Glint said flapping out the door to check the Trixie Files.

“Now we wait to see how boned we truly get. I swear some ponies drop pebbles into the river, Trixie’s loaded with an army of boulders while metaphorically intoxicated. I’d hate to see what she does when she’s actually drunk. Other than that time she went to Oaton, now that was a wreck.”

Royal Pin couldn’t believe it. Not even with the Prophecy Branch keeping things up to date, and going through everything. Even with foreknowledge that if Canterlot didn’t fall things would work out. Trixie, that arrogant, selfish, stuck up, trainwreck of a mare not only saved the world with the five others, but did so through the power of friendship.

Although the CT Dept. worked their hardest to help Luna, it turns out that their help as guessed was little. Nonetheless Luna had returned, the event had only generated five hundred forms, and all members were pulling serious overtime. But at long last the event was done, and Royal Pin hoped that things would be a much weaker splash than today. Looking at the photo he started and ended every shift working at. He looked at the younger versions of him, his brother, and their parents right before Pokey decided to throw his future away living a ‘normal pony's’ life, “I hope you’re alright Pokes.”

The hardest part of his job was not the paper work, or ensuring the flow of time was stable or the very, very rare times the Princess needed help ensuring temporal stability. No the hardest was once out of this office he couldn’t tell ponies what he did, or what happened. Till the day he died. But thankfully he could still be vague in his letters he wrote his brother. Even if he rarely got replies back. Sitting in his hotel room, overlooking the city he put all the worries and fears of the last day onto paper.

Hey Pokes,

I just wanted to make sure you are alright. Work as you could probably guess was insane. I really wish that you’d embrace your lineage and come work in the family business. At least I would’ve known that you weren’t in danger. I promised mom and dad before they passed that I’d look out for you.

I know it’s a conversation that you don’t like having, and I might’ve been too pushy about that in the past. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you when Corona arrived. I saw it as it was happening. The shop was in a state of panic, but then so was all of Equestria. None of that matters though, I know we don’t see eye to eye on a lot any more. But please, I just need you to send me something to let me know you’re okay. We're all we have left in the world, and well just reply, and let me know that you are least happy.

KIT,

-Pins