//------------------------------// // Let's Do The Time Warp Again (Surprise): It's just a jump to the left... // Story: Awkward Conversations And Other Stories // by No one is home //------------------------------// If you haven't yet you should go check out whats going down in the rest of the universe. The moment the tavern door closed behind her, Surprise could feel something was off. She turned for a moment and considered leaving, but a kindly feminine voice interrupted those thoughts. “I wouldn’t do that dear,” a caramel colored earth pony smiled from behind the bar, “Williams expecting you. Down the hall, at the bottom of the stairs, doors to the right. Just let yourself in.” “Okie-doki-loki?” Surprise cautiously made her we to the indicated door. -=-=-=-=- “I thought you said Pinkie Pie was coming!” a cute burgundy lunar pegasus with a red mohawk sulked as Surprise peeked her head into the goats room. “The voices between the walls never lie, but they can Surprise us,” the goat winked an unfocused eye at the green party pony, “Come in, come in. You picked a bad day for a reading, I’m afraid. My cards are otherwise occupied, keeping the lines of fate secured to the Belfry.” “”Uh, hi,” Surprise smiled nervously, “I was hoping maybe you knew what was going on. I woke up this morning and my shop was empty and boarded up, and almost no pony's out on the streets, and I saw a paper that said Equestria’s at war with the Crystal Empire, and that Sombra’s a big evil meany-pants again. I thought Silver convinced Sombra to play nice?” “The Princess of Bits,” the goat laid out a quite mundane tarot card on the table, only to be interrupted by Sweet Tooth. “Billy! That’s your stage deck!” the young mare protested. “Do you think my only talent comes from a cursed deck of cards?” the goat sounded hurt. “You know that’s not what I mean,” Sweet protested, “But if you're gonna used a stacked deck of normal cards, why not just tell her what’s what?” “This is exactly why I don’t let you sit in on readings with the real cards,” the goat responded flatly, leaving his marefriend to sulk as he continued, “This card represents a mare who calculates the odds. She tries to confound fate, and to that end she tries to change the course of prophecy. However, it is not fate she moves against, it is destiny.She must confront her own fears. She moves against you not in malice.” “Uh, thanks,” Surprise gave a confused smile, “Doesn’t all answer my question, but it is really helpful and relevant in a creepy kinda way.” “I’m glad I could be of service Miss Pie. Now if I could ask a favor in return,” the goat smiled warmly, “I have been tasked to set right knot in the twines of fate. However, outside of the Belfry the paths of time itself are unraveling. Destiny will put itself right with time. Time itself has become undone. You have been in the places between time and space, and are thus unaffected.” “Okay,” Surprise cocked her head one way, then the other, “That actually does answer my question but then ask another question. You’re a tricky one alright.” “I need to give you two cards,” The goat fetched a bottle of bitter ale and took a heavy gulp before continuing, “The first is the Monkey’s Uncle. The second is the Seven of Parasprites. One card goes to a human, the other to a changeling. Each has a connection to your past in a way you do not realize. Both are very dead in the original time path. Give each their appropriate card and take them to the end of the world.” “Oh, is that all,” Surprise said with smile then did a sudden double-take causing her face bounce on her head for a small moment, “You want to do WHAT?!?!” “Both are in canterlot, or will be at the appropriate time,” the goat explained, “You're the only pony aware of what’s going on who isn’t already tied by destiny to all of this whole mess. You are free to refuse. Nopony under this roof would turn you out. If you choose to remain here, you will be safe until this is over and when you return everything will be as it was before.” “Buuuut,” Surprise rolled her hoof expectantly, “If I can pull it off…” The goat flipped a card casually, “The Three of Skulls, three smiling faces. One smile you had no way to save, one smile you extinguished, and a third at the end of the world.” “I- How do you know about that?” Surprise took a step back, she hadn’t even told Silver or Night about the human in the hospital. Nopony knew about the wedding. Not even Maud. The goat just sat expectantly, until she whispered, “I’ll do it.”