The six of us were on our guard, but the draconequus didn't seem...interested, in us. Or at least, not overtly so. "If you'll excuse me," he said, "I have a pony to bury."
We slowly parted for him, and the spirit of Chaos whistled as he left. As he slowly left sight, the six of us turned to the building itself, wondering what could lay within. I pushed the door open and held it there for my friends.
The inside revealed a highly advanced laboratory, littered with notes and diagrams and flickering screens. At the far end, there was a space that reminded me of the door we'd seen in Vis. Once we'd looked around the main room enough, I held up the Gate Key to the door, and it melted away. What was revealed beyond it was a simple book and a path leading deeper into the building.
I picked the book up and began to read aloud.
To you that has opened this door...
If you are here, then you are this world's last chance. I arrived in this desolate future and began to learn what happened to cause such devastation. The answer surprised me.
Lavos, that great and powerful parasite that feeds on the earth itself to grow strong. That same being we of Vis used as a power source. It is he that has destroyed the world.
In the year 2000, he was ready, and decimated this planet. Even now, he rules from atop Mount Canterhorn, and his spawn flood this world. They grow to massive size, then leave, to start the cycle anew.
So to you, you that has opened the door, I leave you my greatest invention. There is only a small chance that you can stop Lavos, but it is still a chance. Only if you bring together all the hopes and dreams of the world, from all people that have been and are yet to be, will you stand a chance against the great parasite. So I leave you the means to transcend time itself.
My greatest invention.
The Wings of Time...
The six of us neared the door at the other end of the hallway, and once we arrived at the other end, we saw the invention that the inventor had spoken of.
The first thing that came to my mind was that he'd made most of an airplane. At least, it looked like it. I walked into the back and noticed that there was a pilot seat, and six passenger seats. And the pilot seat had a steering wheel and all manner of dials, but I couldn't imagine how it would move.
My friends marveled at the creation, each one taking a seat in the passenger section and looking out the closest window. "This certainly is something," Copper said. "I didn't know ponies could still make something like this in this era."
"He wasn't exactly from this era," I quipped before sitting in the pilot seat. None of the gauges were lit up, and I dared not push any of the buttons. I didn't know how it worked, after all.
"Oh hello!" I heard from in front of us. Looking out the window showed me that the draconequus from earlier had returned. "I see you've managed to find his invention! Just let me up, and I'll tell you how it all works."
The spirit walked up the ramp in the back and stood next to me. "Right, so this switch," he said, flipping it, "raises and lowers the ramp." The whirring noise from in back signified that the ramp was now in the upright and locked position. "Never, ever jump with the ramp open. You could lose somepony to Time Itself."
"Got it," I said.
"Now over here," the draconequus said, pointing next to the wheel. "Is where you need to insert some sort of object that will help pry open the barriers between different eras."
Already, my hand had pulled out the Gate Key and inserted the item into the appropriate slot. The machine whirred, and several dials started to come to life, displaying readouts about the Key...and what looked like images of the Gates it was linked to.
"Fantastic!" the spirit said. "Now all you need to do is use the wheel here to choose where and when you'd like to go. It can take you to any weakness in the fabric of Time easily. But first of all, everypony buckle up!"
There was the sound of five sets of seat belts clicking closed from behind me, and I found my own set and strapped myself in as well. The draconequus nodded and opened the ramp up again, before pointing at a big, red, obvious button, as well as a smaller, green one.
"Now, once you've selected your destination, push the green button to lock your position in. A gauge will appear, telling you when you'll be clear to jump. And once you are, push the red button, and you'll jump through time and space to arrive at your destination. And with that, you are now the proud owner of your very own time machine!"
"Thank you Discord," I said to him reflexively. He stiffened before sighing.
"That...was my name. Once. So very long ago, when I had friends that mattered...when there was life to call me by my name." The draconequus looked at me and actually glared. "All I ask of you is that you do your best...to make my name matter again."
I nodded, and he pat me on my shoulder a few times before leaving the machine. I closed the ramp again, before turning the wheel to select the sealed gate back in the era of Vis. Pushing the green button showed me the gauge Discord had spoken of, and it wasn't a minute before it was filled up.
I gave the spirit in front of me a salute before pushing the red button labeled JUMP, and the world around us...
Dissolved. Into streams of light and fire. Sounds of amazement and disbelief came from my comrades as we traveled through Time and Space, to reach the era we'd been so unceremoniously ejected from...
Once we arrived, after a time that was both far too long, yet seeming to be short as well, the six of us disembarked from the machine. Justice beeped before turning in a direction. "The Skyway is in this direction," he informed us.
"Look for signs of life down here," I said. "I get the feeling the Floating Mountain Lumina was talking about is down here somewhere."
The robot whirred, before turning in the opposite direction. "There are signs of life over here," he said, leading us into the raging blizzard. The five of us followed him into the storm, wondering what he would show us next.
It didn't take us long before we reached an opening in the earth, one that Justice fearlessly walked down into. I quickly followed, glad to be out of the storm, and was amazed at what there was to see within this cave.
Torches illuminating the darkness, revealing an underground city, filled to the brim with non-sparkly ponies. The amount of civilization in this place, despite the raging cold outside, was astonishing. There was even a pony to greet us at the entrance to the cave.
"Welcome," she said. "To Terram, home of the earthbound ones. Here, all are equal, all are loved."
"This place," I said, nearly lost for words. "This place is where all of you...live?"
"Yes," she said simply. "We may not have the same sort of magic as those of Vis, but we have our own powers, and can scratch out a living here. It is not easy, but it is something we can do."
Once again, I was a little lost for words. Gregory covered for me, though. "We are looking for the Floating Mountain," he said. "We seek the Guru of Life, we were informed he was being held there against his will."
"Ah yes," the mare said. "I know the place. There is an entrance at the back of the village, through the den of monsters meant to dissuade us from going there. It is a prison designed by those of Vis. Those who go there...do not return."
"Well, we fully intend to," I quipped before leading my friends through the village. All these ponies...laughing, playing, and enjoying themselves here...
Soon, I remembered. Soon they would have to retake center stage once again.