//------------------------------// // First Verse // Story: Space-Time Requiem // by Red_Eyed_Mynx //------------------------------// Chapter 1 A nice summer day in Ponyville, nothing out of the ordinary. The sun’s out, birds are chirping, the grass is green and well watered, and all the ponies are out enjoying themselves. All ponies but one. “ Come on, Twilight!” Spike, Twilight’s ever faithful assistant, shouted from the front door of the library, “ Let’s go! Everypony else is out there having fun! We should go and join them!” at this point he was wearing sunglasses and standing outside the door, “ Not now Spike, I’m busy writing this report to the Princess! And after that I’ve got to catch up on some studying I missed last week!” Twilight responded with a notable tone of annoyance in her voice. “ Whatever you say.” Spike said as he left with a disappointed wave and tone. “ Finally!” Twilight exclaimed, “ Now I can actually start the letter. “ Dear princess Celes...ti...a?” Twilight slowly cut herself off in confusion as she looked out her window, “ Is that a... black... hole!?” sure enough outside her window in plain sight was what appeared to be a black hole growing rapidly over Ponyville. However, by the time she was able to comprehend this, everything was black and dead. Beforehand she heard screams everywhere. Chapter 2 “ Take this mispleasing do I.” An unknown entity quietly states to itself, “ Unappealed this world’s fate has done as to me. Mayin accord by I be me to peer account of witness the end to of exist wherein be this world.” it pondered to itself as how to prevent this foreseen end of a world it itself found practically perfect. “ Out I figure must be he who is me. May haps in of this I think a solution found has it. I need not instigate to be of cause in panic, in the case of happenstance me of three be shall use one of I corrupters.” and so with its usual grin it sent three corrupters to gather those suited to be its messengers from Equestria. “ He he he he he... Three be me.”. Out on the town was a light purple unicorn who goes by Twilight Sparkle. She had just left her home in the town library to do some grocery shopping, blissfully unaware the black, hand-like form reaching for her from her shadow... “ Hi Twilight!” a pink pony had unexplainably shown up from nowhere at best explanation, “ Whatcha doing?” the hand was already gone, “ WOAH!” Twilight shouted in surprise, her mane also getting messed up, “ Oh, hey Pinkie Pie. I was just out to get a loaf of bread and such. Spike was up late last night doing some snacking I told him NOT to do.” She explained while still fixing her mane, “ So what are you doing? Pinkie! Piiinnnkie? Heeellloooo?” Twilight asked waving her hoof in front of Pinkie’s face who at the time was fixated on Twilight’s shadow. “ Sharper then let on be she of name Pinkie Pie.” thought the unknown entity to itself, “Messenger two of my possess found is now.”. “ You know what Pinkie? I’m just gonna go this way now.” Twilight somewhat nervously states while slowly starting to walk away from Pinkie Pie, “ Wait Twilight!” Pinkie suddenly burst out, thrusting a hoof in Twilight’s direction to signify that she should stop where she is, “ There’s something... weird about your shadow.” She points out to Twilight, “ It looks normal to me.” Twilight questioningly responds, “ Here! Let me show you!” Pinkie pie offers and immediately peels her shadow off the ground and slaps it over Twilight’s, “ See?” one shadow over the other it was easy to see that Twilight’s shadow was much darker than others, “ Pinkie, how did you...? How is it...? Uh, never mind!” Twilight loudly blurts, dumbstruck. “ But I do see your point Pinkie.” Twilight admits, giving a good look at her own shadow with Pinkie’s on top, “ Okay I’m gonna need that back now.” Pinkie Pie as-a-matter-of-factly demands, “ Then take it!” Twilight readily agrees. In the same method as before she peels her shadow off of Twilight’s and rolls it back out next to herself, “ Aw great! Now mine’s all dark and weird!” Pinkie exclaims, very much annoyed, “ Do you know how much it costs to clean these?” Demands the pink pony, “ Uhhh... no.” a very much so confused Twilight admits, “ Well I have to go now and get this thing cleaned up! I mean seriously, it’s so unsanitary now!” Pinkie Pie shouts as she runs off. “Well that was strange.” Twilight mumbled to herself as she watched her friend run off, “ Now what was I doing again? Oh yeah!” and on that thought Twilight started off again to her shopping trip. However, as soon as she rounded the corner she felt something grab her leg and pull her down. Right through her own shadow. Chapter 3 “ Awaken in time that is now, delay of amounting pointlessness no longer how.” a voice called Twilight that she didn’t recognize, “ Eyes open now you may achieve. No harm of form physical may be attained.” the voice almost seemed to float into her mind, “ W-who are you?” she asked, her eyes still shut, “ Ocular atunement is request by he who be me. compliance be asked morlific, and mine a face you perceive.” there was no aggression in the voice, so she decided to humor it, “ What is this place?!” she shouted in amazement, everything around her was pitch black as far as she could see, yet there seemed to be a solid plane that acted as ground as she wasn’t just floating there, “ Be my realm in form of consciousness.” it answered, “ May as you be amazed, below gaze should one who is you.” it suggested, and as if peering down through a glass floor twenty stories up she cautiously looked down to her feet to be greeted by the “face” of the voice whispering to her this whole time, and at least a little frightened she asked, “ I-i-is th-that you?” and the only answer she got in return from the “face” which was nothing more than a single glaring eye with a deep red, jagged line crossing it, presumably a scar, was “ In current of now be it moso.” immediately the eye closed and disappeared, “ For the reference into future time convenient be for you, The titular perceptive of by me he Mynx.” it cryptically stated, “ Do you mean your name is Mynx?” Twilight asked, still shaken by this erie display, which was answered with loud maniacal laughter followed by, “ Answered right done now have you! Spelling from the world be you from... M... y... n... x. Would rather you I spell it language not yours? Rucsyeu... anmina... akusyeu... laomina. May form of italia... bad my be I ramble now do so. Habit old from extend chronic lack company of me.” Mynx sounded a little apologetic and Twilight picked up on it, “ Hey it’s alright. I can’t blame you if you’re lonely. But loneliness is no excuse to kidnap somepony!” immediately after those words left her mouth, a large, sharp toothed grin materialized right in front of her face accompanied by the statement, “ Ha he ke! Think you now that bring you here me for kinship? Bother less could mine self! Laugh make me one who is you if possible being that become!” he sounded pretty annoyed at the thought of making friends. After a few moments the “jaw” of the disembodied grin opened wide and disappeared, behind it a good distance was a humanoid figure with his back turned to Twilight clad in a light gray business suit, white gloves, black leather shoes, and jet black hair of medium length. “ Why hello Twilight.” the man nonchalantly said as he turned around to reveal the face of someone in their twenties, with eyes as dark as night with crimson irises, the left one scarred deeply, “ What? Don’t you recognize me?” he asked calmly, “ Forgive me but uh... no. Who are you?” She replied, “ Why Twilight. I’m soooo huurrt.” the mysterious man began to slowly approach Twilight, hunched forward and arms out to the side, “ It’s me, your GOOD FRIEND Mynx!” he loudly declares to her now madly grinning, “ You’re Mynx?” Twilight questioned in response, “ How can that be? I was just talking to Mynx, and what I saw of his face was nothing like what I see now.” she adds, and in response his eyes and grin became even wider, “ Oh I’m so sorry that I forgot to mention...” his face now right up against hers, he then snapped his fingers to make her blink. When she opened her eyes an instant later, they were both standing on the side of an enormous tree, Twilight looking up, the man claiming to be Mynx was sitting on a chair looking down, a gentle breeze was sweeping by, and the entire place was surrounded by a view of an endless sky in every direction, even looking down there was no visible ground. The man now continued, “ ... that I am a dimensionally wandering, freeform being! But I know what you’re going to ask next...” he snapped his fingers with a grin and a swarm of leaves began surrounding him and when they dissipated, he looked exactly like Twilight, and in her voice he asked, “ How can something like you exist?” and returning his previous voice, he approached her answering, “ I just do. If this confuses you I’m surprised. Haven’t you had any experiences with time travel or chaos energy?” he was walking past her now, “ According to the aura of this world, incidents related to both of those have happened in this world.” after a moment he added, “ Your world. Not this place.” he said pointing to her then tapping the tree, he then gave a look in her direction as she was staring at him slack jawed, “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Twilight then shook her head a few times and asked, “ Why are you here?” and in response he stomped the tree and generated a bright flash showing the event he foresaw earlier... the end of this world. “ Now do you understand? I can foresee the fate of a world and when it’ll happen.” they were now back in the pitch black room, “ So does that mean you’re here to help?” Twilight inquired, and Mynx no longer in the guise of a man or pony but rather a wraith formed of shadows, answered, “ Be case may that so, assistance need he who is me of three pony at least that count.” Twilight looked on in disbelief, “ I don’t know. How can I trust you?” and with a casual grin he states, “ You don’t. Need of I have for is now messengers. Until you and accounted of others equals three minimum. When accept willing are be you who are thee, returned to world your’s shall is be case. When accept are you in state of, come here I be in.” and with those words the darkness began melting away unveiling Ponyville behind it, “ Your books entry keys to other worlds are they be. Find mine when you want to save the world.”. With that cryptic message he vanished, and Twilight found herself lying in the same spot she got dragged in from... but there’s no way that something like that just happened, it’s nearly the same time as before and it felt like she was in there for hours. Shrugging it off Twilight continued her trip to the store. Chapter 4 When Twilight got home with her groceries and stationary kit, Spike was waiting in the main room, a confused look on his face, “ Hey Twilight. You know how Celestia’s the only one who can send us letters through me?” he asked her, “ Yes I do Spike. Why wouldn’t I?” she quickly answered putting her things down, “ Why bring it up?”. Somewhat hesitantly he revealed what he was hiding behind his back, a letter. “ See?” he asked hastily holding his free hand out towards the letter in a “look at this!” fashion, “ See what?” asked Twilight unimpressed, “ Read it!” he demanded, and with a sigh she took it out of his hands and began reading it, and with a somewhat belittling tone said, “ Let’s see what’s SO special about this letter that you had to freak out over it!” and immediately she knew why. The first words in it were, “ Greeted you I be so.” and with a gasp she lifted her face from the message and looked to Spike who requested her to keep reading, “ Cut my message you me from off in surprise no? Just know to let remind be ye, I real be me.” and with a blank expression she looked away from the letter and to Spike who with a worried expression told her, “ Keep going, it gets weirder.” so with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety she continued reading the letter, “ Last look letter away mine that be was. Distractions inexistent be they. Know you be she Twilight Sparkle that I he me be held not grudge you against. My book in find library your’s should want see me once addendum. Book mine be located world saved shall beginning. Remember me-____” Where the name should have been were four indecipherable symbols which Twilight knew could only mean, “ Mynx!”. “ Mynx?” Spike asked, utterly confused, “ Yes Spike! Mynx!” she answered with great urgency, “ How do you know this pony? I can’t understand a thing he’s trying to say.” he replied, to which Twilight answered, “ I met him while I was out shopping today. And he’s not a pony!” she was beginning to freak out, “ He’s not a pony? What is he then? A zebra? And he’s already sending you letters... through ME!” Spike said, “ He’s not a zebra!” she answered, “ A cow?” he asked, “ NO!” she replied, frustrated, then Spike gasped, “ Is he... is he a dragon?” he asked cautiously, “ No, he’s... uhhh something else entirely.” was the answer she gave. “ Spike! Search the library for any unusual books and books that weren’t there before.” and with an “Aye-aye captain!” salute and a, “ I’m on it Twilight!” Spike ran to the nearest bookshelf, and Twilight used her magic to take every book off the shelves in the room (except the one Spike went to) and examine them one by one. “ Not this one... not this one... not this one... nope... nope... no...” Twilight rambled to herself as she looked through her books, “ Spike! Find anything yet?” she shouted over to him, “ Nothing strange over here.” he shouted back, “ Wait a second.” he added, looking across the room, “ Twilight! Over there!” he shouted pointing at what had caught his eye, “What?” Twilight reflexively answered, simultaneously dropping all the books on the floor, “ Where Spike? Where?” she asked still looking among the books on the floor, “ I don’t see it!” at that point it occurred to her to actually LOOK at Spike to see where he was pointing, and doing so realized that he was pointing across the room at a strange black book that was still on the shelf, “ Oh. Thanks Spike.” she said, mentally face hoofing herself, “ It’s what I do Twi.” he stated giving himself a triumphant thumb to the chest, “Good job Spike. Now all we have to do is open this book and...” she said trying to use her magic to pick up the book, which even though her horn was glowing had no effect on the book, and after many failed attempts she angrily asked, “ Why can’t I pick it up?” to which Spike quickly responded with, “ I got it Twilight!” but Spike, forgetting he was on a ladder in his haste, face planted on the floor with an audible thud, but he recovered with an, “ I’m okay.” and quickly ran over to grab the book. When he got over there he got a boost on Twilight’s back and grabbed the book and opened it for Twilight to read, and the book had surprisingly few words despite it’s size as the only words in it were, “ Instructions mine followed by you be they. To darkness your’s look upon should you one be, show how darkness personal large how smile wide have ye.” in confusion all Twilight and Spike could do was stare at the book with these strange instructions, “ What do you think it means?” Spike wondered aloud, “ All I can get out of this Mynx guy is that he seems to be a complete quack.” he finished, “ No Spike.” she spoke in a defensive manner, “ When I talked to him most everything he said sounded like it was deliberately spoken.” she was thinking very hard now, “ Well the book mentions smiling.” Spike brought up and then continued, “ If it involves smiling I think I know the perfect pony for the job...” before he could actually finish the sentence a pink blur fell from above and flattened to the floor and bounced back up a few feet like it was made of rubber and landed back on the floor in the form of, “Pinkie?” Twilight asked, still trying to figure out where she came from, “ Oh hi Twilight! I was hanging my shadow out to dry since I just finished washing it and then all of a sudden I had this amazing urge to go visit you and see how your shadow was doing so I thought that I might drop in and say hi and tell you all about this and on the way here I thought of some new treats to sell at Sugar cube corner including “Baby cakes” bite-sized cake treats for babies, “Sweet Hearts” chocolate hearts with a strawberry cut vertically down the middle just for Hearts and Hooves day how romantic, and the “Sweetie Mark” little cookies shaped and decorated to look like the customer’s cutie mark amazing idea isn’t it? But as you can see right now I have no shadow because like I said earlier I hung it out to dry see?” she lifted one hoof and looked where her shadow would be to show her shadow was indeed absent and then continued, “ But enough about that, more about y-!” Twilight put her hoof over Pinkie’s mouth to cut her off and get her attention, “ Listen Pinkie.” Twilight asked slowly and seriously, “ We need you to concentrate and help us. Just nod if you’re up for it.” unblinking Pinkie Pie gives an “Ok” nod, “Alright. And you can do it without talking our ears off?” another affirmative nod, “ Ok, I’m going to move my hoof.” and slowly she moved her hoof from Pinkie’s face and waited, watching her face before continuing to make sure she wouldn’t interrupt her, “ Alright, Pinkie. This book here...” Twilight motions to the mysterious book left by Mynx, “...mentions something about smiling and knowing you we thought you would be a good pony to ask for advice.” Pinkie glanced at the book and adopted a confident pose and merely looked at the words on the page for a few seconds before shooting a look in Twilight’s direction that demanded she be allowed to speak, which Twilight allowed, “ It’s quite simple really.” the pink one clarified, “ Twilight. See your shadow over there?” she pointed to the wall behind Twilight, whose shadow now mysteriously covered most of, “ What this book is telling you to do is walk over to it, go on.” she urged Twilight to approach her shadow, which she complied with, a little perplexed and Pinkie walked alongside her, “ Now what you need to do is... SMILE as big you can! Right at your shadow!” she bursted back into her normal energy filled behavior, “ Here! I’ll smile with you to make it that much less awkward!” with that statement Pinkie began throwing out a plethora of smiles, “ Alright Pinkie, if you say so.” she agreed nervously and began giving a wide but awkward smile alongside her pink companion. With that Twilight’s shadow sent out a wave of white light along the walls which spread out and circumnavigated around the room back to the shadow and on contact with it caused it to solidify and darken to a pure black, which in turn seemed to create a suction into the shadow, notable by the fact that Twilight and Pinkie Pie’s manes and tails were flowing towards it accompanied by a gusting sound, and this seemed to put Twilight in a trance, almost entirely fading the color from her eyes and forcing her to walk towards and enter the shadow-portal, “ Wait for me Twilight!” Pinkie shouted who then jumped up in a cannonball position and flew through the portal, making it ripple, shouting “ CANNONBALL!”. Spike this whole time was too awestruck to say anything and just stood there slack jawed until he snapped back to reality when Pinkie cannonballed through the portal. He tried to follow them, but was stopped by the wall behind the shadow, so in a desperate fit of panic and unable to see either one he began shouting into the shadow, “ Twilight! Twilight?! TWIIIILIIIGHT!!!”.