Timeless

by palelordhiphis

I can save her

It had been nearly twenty years since she'd died, no, not died, since she'd been murdered, but he could finally set everything right again. He'd stolen the key to the Door of Temporas from Twilight's study while she slept. She'd gone into great detail about the legends of how it had been used after finding it buried deep in a corner of Starswirl's wing in Canterlot's Great Library.

After taking the key, he had spent the night making the long climb up mount Kairos. The large stone door was finally in front of him. Some magic held back the ice and snow allowing every intricately carved detail to stand out in the light of the rising sun. On it were deeply carved swirls, galactic clusters, scenes of everyday pony life, dragons, minotaurs, and so much more. If he stared long enough he felt that a few of the figures shifted and moved every so often, but he knew he didn't have time to be amazed.

He had grown over the years as most do. He stood a little over six feet tall, his legs rippled with muscles, and his arms bulged with strength. He was a far cry from the soft, round, boy he'd been when she was ripped out of the world. He wondered if she'd recognize him.

He moved slowly towards the door, shaking with thoughts about what he was going to do, and pulled from his vest pocket a large, dull, silver key.

"Stop right there," Twilight called out as she landed a few feet from him, "No one is allowed to open that door. You know that, Spike."

"You don't understand," Spike shouted above the wind howling over the mountain peak, "she was never supposed to die! I let her die! And she was never supposed to-"

"I know you blame yourself, Spike, but-"

"No! You don't understand! Someone killed her. Somepony went back in time and killed her! He works in your office! He works for you!" He shouted back with all the rage and loss that he'd felt all these years.

"I don't- Spike, maybe you just saw someone that looks like him. He'd be a lot older now-" she tried to explain, to keep him talking. If she could keep him talking, then she could resolve this without anyone getting hurt, she hoped.

"That's just it, he hasn't aged. Hasn't changed at all! Don't you see? He killed her. He killed her and now everything is wrong. None of it is supposed to be like this. She's supposed to be alive." he said with the desperation rising in his voice to a near panic.

"Spike, let's talk about this. Think it through, it doesn't make sense. Why would he work for me? If he's changed the past, wouldn't he stay away from the Temporal Control Agency?"

"Maybe he hasn't gone back yet. Maybe he doesn't go back now, because he already did and changed everything. I don't know. Talking about time travel gives me a headache. All I know is that it's him. He did it and I'm going back to fix it!"

"Listen, Spike.... I can't let you go back. I have to stop you," the violet Alicorn said flatly.

"But I can save her!"

"I know you can, that's why I can't let you go through that door," she said as she pointed her glowing horn towards him, "now step away from it."

"Don't you want to save her?" Spike asked, his voice cracking with disappointment. He'd hoped she might help him when she realized what he was up to, but she'd grown cold over the years. She did her job with intensity and accuracy, but never with heart anymore.

"Of course I do, but I have to think about more than just what I want. If you go back in time and save her, then everything will be changed. Ponies that are alive right now might never be born. I can't let that happen," years ago she would have delivered that speech with passion, but now it sounded like so much practiced rhetoric.

"It's not supposed to be this way. I'm just going back to set things right," he said as he inched towards the door, but flinched back as a burst of magical energy from Twilight's horn blasted the rocks near his head.

"It doesn't matter if someone has changed the past or not. This is the present now. This is the way things are and it's my job, my duty, to keep things stable. It's my job to make sure no one goes back."

He looked at his friend, the closest thing to family he'd ever had, and let out a deep sigh. His massive shoulders slumped downward and his hands went slack at his sides. He seemed to keep only the slightest grip on the key.

"Okay, I understand," he said, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Spike. I know you're still hurting, I should have paid more attention, but we'll get you help now. The important thing is that-" but her words were cut off as a cascade of green fire spread over her and she vanished from the mountain.

"Have fun in the Crystal Empire," Spike said as he turned and pushed the dull looking silver key into the keyhole of the great stone Door of Temporas.

Twilight had said that the door would be directed by the thoughts and emotions of the one entering it, that the traveler would go to where he or she felt. She'd said that she thought that kind of control system would be very temperamental, and pointed out a few stories in which ponies had gone to completely different points in time than they had intended. However, this was his only chance to save Rarity, so he concentrated on the day that he and Rarity had spent together a week before she'd been killed. Tried to feel the warm sun on his scales and the grass under his feet as he'd set up the picnic for her. Held in his mind the brightness of the gem he'd given her. The smile on her face and the kiss that had felt so hot on his cheek and then cooled to shivering sweetness a moment after. With every detail he could summon in his mind he stepped through the doorway into the blinding white light within.

Comments

[Level0Hero]

You have my attention. Please continue.

[John The Dragon]

Spike reminds me of much more badsss version of obito uchiha from naruto

[SparityLoveisForever]

Hmmmm I get the feeling even if she gets written out of direct existence due to Spikes changes in the timeline that Twilight will still be very with Spike. Also messing with the time stream is very risky business Spike. Now however if you're right and that other guy changed things for the wrong reasons first congrats because true timelines tend to be more beneficial to result in continued existence over false ones. Just be careful you don't find yourself having to go back and tackle yourself from your initial meddling otherwise . Interested to see where this goes.

[Neutrinos are Magic]

Future Spike: Come with me if you want to live.