Chapter Four: The End
A breeze stirred Colgate from her slumber. Well, it was less the breeze, and more the tiny grains of dirt that managed to get under her eyelids that woke her up. She jumped to her hooves, blinking madly, trying to get it out of her eyes. It took a few moments, and a few tears, but eventually it all came out. With that out of the way, she did as all good ponies would do. She took a look around.
There was, nothing; save under her hooves was solid dirt. The sky was black. No stars. No sun. Nothing. She lit her horn, causing a bit of light to appear, and what she saw startled her. She saw the land around her fall away as though she were standing on a large sphere. What ground she saw was barren, cracked, and desolate. There was a strong, persistent breeze that blew about, picking up dust and throwing it into the void, as though the wind was trying to wear away the ground under and around her.
“You still exist?” came a voice. “How?”
Colgate looked around in alarm. “What?!”
“Though, I should not be surprised. You were always a clever opponent.” it said, a hint of irritation to its voice. “But that matters little. You are all that remains of your reality. And even you will, in time, vanish.”
Colgate paused for a moment, trying her best to remain calm. “Who are you?” she asked.
“You do not remember? This I do find surprising. You once called me Entropy, a name I despise, for names are meaningless.” the voice was both heard, and felt. It seemed to fill the void, and yet, cause it.
“What did you do?” she asked, looking around once more.
“Can you not tell? I have won. You fought against me, tried to prevent the very thing that I have done, and you failed. I have erased everything. Time, space, reality as you knew it. All of it I have undone.”
Colgate was, well, in shock. She wanted to feel anger, fear, anything. But she was unable to. It was too much to handle. After moment, she finally asked, “Why-”
“You know that answer, for it is why you gave me that name.”
"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes darting around, hoping to see the source of the voice, but seeing nothing.
"You once told me that I was a force of evil. You told me that I was evil, for I wished to unmake all things. You said that you would call me 'Entropy' for that is what entropy is; the eventual decline of all things, into nothing."
“How ... how could you have done this?” she asked, some semblance of emotion finally breaking through her shock.
“It is my nature, and my desire. All I lacked was the power to do it all at once. All things would eventually dissolve into nothing, for such is the fate of all. But I was impatient, and desired to do it at once.”
“But you'll dissolve as well!” she objected.
“How can nothing dissolve when I am that nothing?”
“I-”
“And if it were possible, that would be my wish.”
“You want to die just like everything else!?” she cried. “Then why?! Why not just leave us alone?!”
“Because to unmake is my nature. It is what I am. And I embrace it.”
“You MONSTER!” she cried.
“You called me that once before, and I will say what I have said each time: I care not for your words, for they, just like all things, are meaningless. You will vanish soon, and if I have my wish, I will as well. Then all will be as it should be: nothing.”
“No! That can't be true! I exist! There must be some way to stop you!” she cried.
“How? How can you fix what no longer exists? Or ever existed? It is impossible. You are beaten. You are done. You are, undone.” the voice said, as Colgate suddenly felt something envelop her. It felt as though it was trying to break her apart, but she fought, and fought hard. “You may have stopped me before, but this time you cannot!” it cried. Whatever was happening to her intensified, and she saw the tips of her mane begin to vanish, but she still fought.
“GET OFF OF ME!” she cried as she let out a surge of magic, shoving the horrible sensation away from her.
“It matters little. We need only wait, for time will undo you.” she felt the voice retreat, as though it had left her alone in the darkness.
She sat down on the ground. What could she do? She had no great magical power. She was no different then any other unicorn in Equestria, though at this point she supposed that didn't really matter.
All of it? Gone? She couldn't believe it. How? How could Entropy, or whatever it was called, be so powerful? What could she do? Was there nothing she could do? Was it really just a matter of time? She sighed and looked up. There weren’t even stars to comfort her. She had always felt some sense of comfort from those things. Almost like she was looking at a glimpse of home.
Wait, time. Entropy said that it had undone everything. That would mean that it would have undone time was well, yet even it said that it was only a matter of time until she vanished! That must mean that time still exists. That must mean it's not as powerful as it thinks it is! That means that there must be someway to fix everything, but how? Oh, she really wished Time Turner was here, perhaps he could help!
“Well, that was most curious!” a voice near her said. She jumped a little and turned to see what it was. There, half lit by her horn, sat Time Turner with a very confused expression on his face. “Wher-”
“DOC!” she cried and hugged him.
“Ooph!” he said as the air was squeezed from him, before he suddenly shimmered; causing Colgate to fall through him.
“What?!” both cried in alarm. They stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what just happened, or who should speak.
“Are you okay?” Colgate asked.
“I, I think so? I don't really feel … huh! I don't feel! Well, how about that!” he said, looking at his hooves amused. He stomped the ground. “Well, I sort of feel, but its like I only feel it half-way, and it vanishes quite quickly. How strange!”
“What happened to you?” she asked.
“Well, near as I can tell, I was removed from time.” he shrugged.
“Wait, what?!” Colgate nearly shouted.
“It was the strangest thing. So, there I was, having been forced to drink that awful thing, and then suddenly I felt this thing come into my mind. It was looking for something, like a patron walking through a library. Well, I had no idea what it was, but I figured that strange things walking through one's mind is rarely a good thing. Particularly when that thing turns out to be interested in how time works!”
“That must have been Entropy!” Colgate exclaimed.
He shook his head. “I sincerely doubt a scientific theory has a personality, let alone a thirst for knowledge.”
Colgate shook her head. “I'll explain in a minute, what happened next?”
“Well, once I felt it tapping into that bit of my mind, I decided I needed to do something about it. However, since I'm no expert on the mind, I had no idea how to kick it out. However, I did get an idea. You see, I realized something about that drink when I tasted it. It's sentient! And it figures out what you most desire in life, and turns it upside down.” he said, as though he had made a most extraordinary discovery.
“We kinda figured that part out. Though the part where it's alive is new.” she said.
“Oh no, I never said it was alive! Just sentient! Anyway, what I've always wanted was to be able to travel through time. So, naturally, the drink wanted to do the opposite, and remove me from time. However, I think it realized that if it did so, it couldn't get what it wanted from me. So it pulled its punch as it were. Worked too, until I threw my face into its hoof!” he grinned.
“So, you intentionally let it take you out of time?” she said, awestruck.
“Pretty much.” he nodded.
“What was it like?” she asked.
“Have you ever existed, and not existed at the same time?” he asked in all seriousness.
Colgate blinked a couple times. “Can't say I have.”
“Oh. Well, it kinda felt like that. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself here. So, what happened, and where are we?” he asked as he looked around.
Colgate took a deep sigh as she tried to make sense of everything herself. Still, she manged just fine to get out most of what happened after he vanished. Not surprising, Time was somewhat troubled by the news, though he looked more deep in thought then disturbed.
“So, you thought about me, and I popped into being?” he asked. “Well, half into being anyway. Have you tired anypony else?” he asked.
“I...” she was struck dumb for a moment. Then she thought of Berry. Of all the ponies in the world, she was the one that she wanted to see the most. She needed her friend.
But, sadly, nothing happened.
Colgate opened her eyes hopefully, but was crestfallen when all she saw was Turner. “Well, I don't think I look THAT bad!” he objected.
“No! It's not that, I ju-” she stopped when she saw a small smirk on his face. She then shook her head. “Anyway, I just tried to think of Berry, and it didn't work.”
“Curious. Why did it work for me, but not her?” he wondered.
“Perhaps its because you were removed from time?” she ventured.
“That does seem possible. You know what. You said that Entropy undid everything, yes? But yet time still exists? Perhaps it only undid what existed at that moment.” Doc tapped his chin in thought.
“So, you're saying that the past still exists?” she asked. “Wait!” she said, her eyes getting large, “Is it possible to go back before this happened?” she asked.
“Possible. Though if he completely changed reality like you said, then the connection to the past might be severed.” he looked off into the distance, deep in thought.
“Connection?” Colgate asked.
“Without going into great detail, mostly because to understand it all would require a life-long study of temoralology, time is both incredibly complained and simple. For over simplification’s sake, we'll say that time and reality are more or less connected. One can almost exist without the other, but if either is changed drastically, the other is affected as well. In this case, the past as we knew it doesn't exist, so there's nothing to go back to, but at the same time it hasn't been completely destroyed. It's like pages ripped out of a book, rather then being erased and written over. Does that make sense?” he asked, looking at her.
“Kinda.” she said. “So, where are those pages, and can we put them back?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. If I had magic, I'd try try out a theory or two, but-” he then paused and looked at Colgate. “You, however, do!”
Colgate looked up at her horn. “But I don't know anything about time! And I'm not powerful enough to mess with that stuff! I'm just a dentist!”
Time Turner cracked a huge simile. “But you see, that's just the thing! Time magic isn't as hard as ponies believe it to be! It's an assumption that one needs to know complicated or powerful magics to use time magic, and, to be fair, for those who know little about it, that's true. But I know more about time then nearly any other pony alive!"
“Really? But I was always told-”
“That is was impossible and that one should never try it? Correct. I helped to write that warning. You see, time magic is not something one can simply fool with. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm an Earth Pony, or was...” he looked himself up and down, “Am I still technically a pony? Anyway, it was because of the fact that I can't use magic that the Princesses allowed me to study it to the degree that I have. That, and a certain natural talent for it. I don't know why, but ever since I was little, I've always kinda known about it. In fact, I never felt like learned anything new, just that I was relearning things I'd heard before. Then again, I've always been a curious case. After all, I'm the only pony I know who was born with a cutie mark!” he said with a huge grin.
“Wait, you were born with your cutie mark?” Colgate said, astonished. “Let me see it!”
Doc looked at her strangely but presented it all the same. Colgate gasped, and turned to show him hers. “We have the same cutie mark!” they both cried.
“Tell me, were you born with your mark as well?” Time asked. Colgate nodded. “By Jove! What does it all mean?!” he looked at her mark with wide eyes. “Tell me, do you feel like you're half there?”
“No,” Colgate shook her head. “I don't think so anyway. I'm not sure what that feels like.”
“Let me see something...” He reached out a hoof and pressed it onto Colgate. She felt his hoof press on her, but after a moment, it shimmered and his hoof passed into her. “Ah!” she cried in surprised as he quickly pulled his hoof away.
“Fascinating!” he said.
“Personal space?” she asked, looking at him a little alarmed.
“So you're all there, and I'm only half there. We have the same cutie mark, and we were both born with it..." He tapped his chin.
“You don't think...” Colgate began.
“That we're actually two parts of a whole?” Time raised an eyebrow.
“No, that's not possible, is it?” She asked.
He shrugged. “I have no idea. I don't use magic, so I fear much of it is a mystery to me.”
“But you know a ton about time magic.” Colgate pointed out.
“I know THEORIES about time magic. I've read, theorized, and even hypothesized many things, but lacking magic, I've never been able to actually apply it. And that's only one very specific field of study. Magic, if I understand correctly, is a very broad field.” He explained.
“That makes sense.” Colgate said more to herself then to him.
“Anyway, if we were, I suspect that I am actually apart of you, rather then us being equal parts.”
“What? No way! I'm sure that's not the case!” Colgate objected.
He shook his head. “Let's look at the facts. You exist, I half do. We have the same mark, and we both were born with it." He paused. "Tell me, have you ever had knowledge that you couldn't explain?”
Colgate thought for a moment. “Yeah. When I was really young, I was really good at Astronomy. Like, everypony was sure I was gonna be an Astronomer, but I ended being a dentist anyway.”
“Really? Why's that?” he asked, rather curious.
Colgate shrugged. “I like helping ponies. Plus it pays better.” Time rolled his eyes. “What? It was the smart choice!”
“Nothing. I've just heard one too many ponies say that. But that's not the point right now.” he waved a hoof.
She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, why do you ask?"
"Well, I have a sneaking suspicion that there's a reason both of us have knowledge that we can't account for knowing." he said eyeing her with eyes deep in thought. Colgate was beginning to suspect what he was thinking, and she wasn't sure she was comfortable with where he was going.
"So, are you thinking that perhaps we're supposed to be the same pony? Like, we're supposed to combine or something like that?" she asked, worry rising in her heart.
He nodded, causing her heart to sink. "I do. I think that we're supposed to be one. But how?” Doc asked.
Colgate sat and thought for a moment. “What...” she paused, “What if you try walking into me, and just stay there for a moment? That might work.”
Time shrugged. “Seems as good an idea as any.”
Colgate stood up and let out a sigh. “Okay, let's do this.” Time nodded as he walked right into her, accidentally headbutting her. “Ow!” she said rubbing her forehead. Yep. If they get out of this, she's putting a helmet on, and never taking it off, ever.
“Sorry!” he said. “Let's try again.” This time he walked slowly, and they pressed their foreheads together. He gently pushed, and she gently pushed back. The soft deadlock lasted a moment, until he shimmered as before, and then he walked into her. He stopped as his front hooves matched her rear ones, making it look as though Colgate had a brown tail popping out of her chest.
“Uh, could you turn around? This is kinda weird.” Colgate asked.
“Think so? I think this is simply fantastic! This has to be one of the strangest things I've ev-” he was cut off as Colgate suddenly pivoted 180 degrees, matching their bodies. "This is so strange!” he proclaimed.
He wasn't kidding. There were moments when she could see inside his head, literally. Well, at least she now knew all of those anatomy classes she had to take were telling the truth about what's inside a pony's head. This only made her wonder if he could see the same.
“Now what?” they both asked. They paused.
“You first.” Time said.
“Okay. Now what?” she asked.
“I have no idea. Try using a spell.” he offered.
“Okay.” she focused for a moment, and a small bit of dirt levitated from the ground into the air. “Feel any different?” she asked.
“Can't say I do. Do you?” he shook his head, which played all kinds of weird havoc with her vision.
“Not really, and could you please stop that? It's really weird.” she asked. Then she got an idea. “You said you knew time spells, right? What if I try and cast one of those?”
“How could that possibly help?” he said, rather confused.
“I don't know, I just got the idea. Worth trying, right?” she said, and if she could have, she would have looked at him with hopeful eyes.
“Fair point. Very well, this spell is very simple. It's for stopping time on an object for 2 seconds.” he explained.
“Stopping time is SIMPLE?!” she said in surprise.
“I said this spell is simple. Now, pick an object. That clump of dirt you grabbed might work.” he pointed a hoof at it. “But you must first set it down. Good. Now, think about how it looks right now, and try and think about it looking that way 2 seconds from now. Now think about the temporal diff-er-never mind. Just think about what I told you, and, uh, do magic!” he said.
“What?” she asked.
“I don't know how that part works! Just, I don't know, smash the two things together!” he fumed.
“Okay, okay! Sheese!” She turned and looked at the small lump, that, at this point, was nearly gone; for the wind still blew, making their world all the smaller for it. She focused her magic, and focused her mind on the mental image of what it looked like, and in her mind's eye, she imagined it looking exactly that way 2 seconds into the future. Then, she reached out, and grabbed it.
Several interesting things happened at that point. The first was that she saw the space around the lump of dirt distort and warp in ways that were a bit nerve-wracking to witness. Second, she felt a surge of magic that she had never felt before, but yet, she knew better then any other kind. Finally, she heard a yelp of surprise from Doctor Time Turner, and saw him whip out of her and get sucked into her horn.
“DOCTOR!” she cried.
Then her mind exploded. Almost like a burst of light, her mind suddenly flooded with knowledge. Temporal Anomalies, Time Resistance, Warp-Bending Differentials; it all filled her mind.
And none of it was new to her.
Her mind filled with secrets that she had never known she knew. Things and theories that she would have never been able to grasp suddenly became simple and almost foal's play. And all of it she knew was hers to begin with. It was as though she had opened a door, and walked into a home that had been long forgotten.
She was no Dentist; she was a Time Mage. Well, technically she was still a Dentist as well, but that was taking a back seat for the moment. Finally, she had regained that which she had never known she had lost. But…
“Doc?” she asked, looking around. “Doctor Time Turner? Are you there?! Answer me!” she cried as she looked frantically about. But still, there was nothing.
She sat down, washed over with sudden grief. 'No Colgate', she thought to herself, 'I have to focus. I'm sure once everything is fixed, he'll be just fine. I just have to stay focused.' She stood up once more and looked around. He was right. Now that she knew what he knew, she saw that the option of traveling back into time to undo this was not there. But what else could she do? She didn't have the power to make things!
“I see. So that's how you persevered yourself. You removed part of yourself so that it was impossible for me to unmake you.” the voice came again.
“Can't kill a dandelion unless you get all the roots?” she smirked. “Besides, I know your power isn't as great as you say it is! You don't know the secrets of time magic! So that means, time still exists! Which means: YOU CAN'T DESTROY TIME BECAUSE YOU CAN'T UNMAKE CONCEPTS!”
“And what good will knowing that do you? Yes, my annihilation is not as complete as I would wish, but you will still perish in time, and that which I have undone will be forgotten. Nothing has changed. You have lost.” the voice said coldly, though Colgate knew that it was irritated. She could feel it.
“No, you're wrong, and you know it!” she defiantly said. She wasn't sure how he was wrong, but somehow she knew he was.
“What can you do? You have not the power of creation. You never have. In our many battles, I am always more powerful. It is only by trickery that you had delayed me thus far. But your tricks are at an end. And even if you could make, I could simply unmake.” it said.
“Not if it's a part of me!” she cried.
“What other parts could there possibly be?”
“My memories!” she cried.
It was then that Bon-Bon appeared, though not as the doctor had. Her form was constantly shifting, changing, but it was still Bon-Bon.
“How!? How can that be part of you as well!?” it cried.
“I remembered something!” Colgate said. “Back in the canyon, I remembered when all of those little wisps flew out of that cutie mark eating fabric. The fabric that not only took away the special talent of the poor pony, but, THEIR MEMORY!” she cried as the gears began clicking. “And I saw dozens, no, hundreds of them fly into Bon-Bon. Which means that she's not just a pony, but she must somehow be a repository of memories! Not only the memories of hundreds, if not thousands of ponies, but my memories!”
“How could you have possibly thought of that?!” it shouted.
“Because Time Turner knew too much for one pony to learn in a single life-time. It would have had to taken several life-times to learn all of that. And when we joined, I had no memories of learning any of that, which means, my memories must be inside of Bon-Bon!”
“I-I'm a repository of memories?” Bon-Bon said distantly.
“And if she's apart of me, that means her memories are a part of me as well!” she cried. “Which means that I can undo what you've done through her! I can bring everypony back!”
“Impossible logic.” it declared. “How can that make any difference? You tried to bring another, but you failed. How is your mind different then hers?”
“Just watch!” she shouted triumphantly.
“What are you going to do?” Bon-Bon asked.
“I-I don't know yet, but I have a good feeling! Bon-Bon, stand still!” she said as she walked over to her. Partly to her surprise, and partly not, she walked right through her, and aligned her body with Bon-Bon's. “Okay, let's see if this works!” Colgate closed her eyes, and cast a spell. Though, she wasn't sure which one, but she guessed that perhaps one that related to the soil might work (what with Bon-Bon being an Earth Pony). A little to her surprise, nothing happened.
“What are you doing?” Bon-Bon asked.
“I'm...” she paused as she thought of what happened to Time Turner. "I absorbed Time Turner's knowledge when I casted a time spell. So, I was hoping that if I casted a spell related to the ground or something that might work."
“What if you try remembering something? Like, something we have in common?” Bon-Bon suggested.
“Yeah,” Colgate nodded, “That might work.” She closed her eyes, and thought about Berry once more. She thought about her house, and the terrible smell. She thought about her at the castle, how worried she had been when she had seen her changed into a stallion. She thought of her lying there, on the floor of the Griffin's room, under his control. She thought of her, crashing through the swamp to warn them of Lyra's condition. Finally, she thought of her warm, happy smile.
Nothing.
“Well, I guess that didn't work.” Colgate sighed sadly.
“What did you think of?” Bon-Bon asked.
“Berry.” she said heavily.
“To be honest, when I think of Berry, I think of her breath.” Bon-Bon said casually.
“Bon-Bon!” Colgate chided her.
“What? It's her most distinguishing feature.” Bon-Bon said.
Colgate grumbled a little. Well, might as well as try it-
As she filled her mind with the memory of Berry's infamous breath, her horn suddenly glowed, and Bon-Bon splintered into hundreds of little shards that began to swirl around her horn. She watched in awe as they flew faster, and closer to her. Like a great disk, they surrounded and began to converge on her horn, yet they never touched. Colgate wanted to pull away; she didn't want another friend to vanish for her sake. The shards spun faster and faster, and she began to feel pain in her horn. She … didn't know what to do. She didn't want to lose anypony else, but yet she knew she must let it happen. What was she to d-
“Colgate, it's okay. I remember now, I agreed to this. Besides, I won't be gone forever. Go ahead, I'll be okay.” Bon-Bon said gently to her.
Colgate swallowed hard. Then nodded, and let down her guard. All at once the shards flew into her horn, and her mind to exploded once more as memories flooded her mind. She could see it all. She remembered when she began to discover time magic as a young foal. She remembered when she had gotten old enough, she would leap back to teach herself over and over again. She remembered when she had finally slowed time on her body, allowing her to live longer then many ponies combined. She remembered endless years dedicated to learning her craft, to study, and to experimentation. She remembered venturing out into the stars. Long had she dwelt there, in the far dark, learning all there was to know of time; until Entropy came. She had battled it many times, each time narrowly escaping, slowing its terrible advance. Then finally, she remembered their last great battle.
It had finally come to Equestria. With the princesses too weak from their battle with Discord, and Luna falling from grace, she had drawn it away from them, knowing that they would only be in danger. She faced it alone, far away, and there she had finally figured out to defeat it once and for all. To do so, she split it into three parts. One part she had planted into the soil of what was to become the Everfree. Another she had cast far into a far land, the land that would become home to the Zebras. The final piece she had sealed into herself. Then, upon her death, she had split herself into three. If she was incomplete when it had finally come together once more, then it could not unmake her. Yes, she remembered now that Bon-Bon's ancestors were the ones that had agreed to carry not only her memories, but the memories of nearly every pony that ever lived. She remembered that it was to Time Turner's ancestors that she had given her knowledge. And she remembered that it her own decedents that carried her mind until the day when she would be reborn.
But now she was whole. Now she knew what she had planned, and how to finally end this horrible battle once and for all. “Entropy!” she shouted, standing on her rear legs. “I remember now why I was never able to stop you! It was because you had too much power to draw from! So long as there was something to turn into nothing, you had power! But now that there is nothing that you can undo, you are powerless! And now that I have my memories, and my magic back, I, no, WE will put you down once and for all!” she shouted.
“We? You are alone.” it said.
“Not anymore!” her mind filled with memories, and faces that she knew. The good Doctor's face came into view, and she froze it with the very spell that he taught her. With a practiced motion, she yanked it from her mind, and Time landed on the ground next to her.
“HOW? IT IS NOT POSS-”
“Shut it! You can't destroy me, my memories, or time! And he is made of all three!” Memories flew through her mind until another face came. This time Photo popped into being. After that came Steve, The Hydra. Then came Twilight. Then came the Griffon, Zecora, Pinkie Pie, Lyra, Bon-Bon, then, finally, Berry. They all stood there, looking into the darkness beyond them.
“Very well. You are no longer alone. But that makes no diff-” it began, then suddenly stopped as a small flower popped up out of the ground. A flower that was very real.
Colgate smiled. “Yes. Yes it does, because now they have their memories. And from their memories will come even more memories.” as she spoke, the ground around her began ti fill with green, the land began to expand. “You see, I was always trying to fight you from the outside. Then, I realized that you consume everything. So, all we had to do, was get inside of you! And because we ponies are all connected, because we care enough to think and remember each other, we can fill your darkness with our light! It's not us that's beaten, it's YOU!”
As if on cue, the world around her exploded in light, color, and form. She heard a terrible cry from the darkness as the world around her filled with ponies, plants, colors, and everything else.
“And now, you are FINISHED!” she cried, as thousands and thousands of voices rose up in unison with her, filling everything around her with energy and life. Then, all at once, everything exploded.