Equestria Has Fallen

by ward282

R and R

Author's Note:

Sorry for the delay, but currently there hasn't been much of a demand in people reading this, but hopefully that will change soon. Anyway some more chapters are on their way.

Twilight Sparkle had wondered around The Grid for a while now, the entire complex was as large as the city above it. Time Turner had explained how the machine worked but she was still trying to wrap her head around it. Now that she'd had the time to wonder round Twilight was beginning to tire, she returned to Time Turner and sat on a couch that was placed looking at a clock. As her thoughts on The Grid began to drift thoughts of her friends and family entered her head. She knew not where her friends were only that they were not here. As for her family; she knew they were gone, never to return. Her time for crying was over she no longer had it in her, she remained staring at the clock its 3 hands turning faster than normal. As the lavender unicorn stared at the clock with unusually fast hands she was unaware that two pegasi had entered the room. She knew both of them but did not turn her attention away from the clock to properly recognise them. The grey one with a yellow tail and unkept hair placed something on the side table. The face of the pegasus interrupted her line of sight with the clock, Twilight saw through the mis-matched eyes that stared at her and continued to out-stare the clock before her.

---

As Thunderer returned from the war council a grey pegasus was already unlocking the door to their house.

"You're back home early" Thunderer said, catching the grey mare by surprise.

She dropped her keys and struggled picking her keys up, she constantly moved her head so she could spot them better.

"I wish you wouldn't do that Thunderer" she said scrunching her muzzle.

Derpy Hooves eventually found her keys and unlocked the door, the two of them both entered the hallway, where Derpy took her mail-mares' hat off and set onto the rack by the door. Thunderer followed her in and shut the door behind them.

"There's something you need to know first" Thunderer pipped realising Derpy didn't know, "I found the Bearer of Magic last night."

"That's good, Time Turner's said that having the Elements of Harmony would help him." Derpy said with a smile.

"Well you see... Princess Cadence has ordered that this..." Thunderer tried to recall the name, "Twilight Sparkle is to stay here to help Time Turner."

"Oh" Derpy said, she didn't seem to want to say anymore.

"Our rations are being adjusted, I just thought you should know seeing as you and Time Turner still aren't right together." Thunderer was now dreading the reaction.

There was an awkward silence as Derpy stripped her work shirt from her. She unknotted the tie with a sharp tug from her mouth and it fell to floor. With one hoof she then proceeded to unbutton her shirt, pulled one hoof out, used her wings to pull the shirt over her back and step out of the other sleeve. She gathered the shirt up from the floor and carried it through to the kitchen.

"It's been eighteen months" She finally said, "we're still together but I can't forget what he did. People still haven't forgiven you"

The last comment stung Thunderer. Derpy carried on by putting her shirt into the basin and filled it with water. She then hovered above the ground to get to the overhead cupboards, she opened one and pulled a brown bag from it. Thunderer remained grounded, it was harder for him to fly in confined spaces.

"I heard the report from Manehatten... Is it really that bad?" Thunderer asked looking to change the subject.

As Derpy landed her expression changed from angry to sad. Her eyes worked in sync for the few seconds it took her to place the brown bag on the table and try to hold back the tears.

"Yes, they reckon they don't have long, it was horrible, that thing... that dragon it just turned up and wiped half of the aerial fleet out. I only just got out with the messages." Derpy didn't want to continue any further.

Thunderer called the platform from The Grid. Derpy placed four stale muffins on a silver tray. She looked worse for wear. Being a mail-mare hadn't been easy before the war, and now if one went out they were lucky to return. Given that Cadence had just held a council it was likely that Derpy wouldn't be staying long. The platform arrived in the small walk-in wardrobe. It was a tight squeeze for both of them as they descended. Thunderers' armour didn't help with the space issue. The moved down in silence, below them Time Turner was working on a large blackboard while Twilight Sparkle sat on a couch staring into space.

---

Time Turner finished writing the last line of his calculation when Derpy and Thunderer arrived. He was pleased to see Derpy he trotted over and wrapped his hoof over her neck. The response was the same as it always was, she felt cold and distant from in, then she'd lean her head in and return the feeling but would never return the hug. As he left her side she walked over and placed the stale muffins on a workbench.

"How has it been?" Thunderer said drawing Time Turner from his thoughts.

"It's been quiet, I still can't solve the power problems, I'm sure we need the Elements of Harmony to provide the power even then an overload is still likely."

"Just for overloading the shields or creating this time spell you want to cast?"

"Both" Time Turner replied disheartened.

While they'd been speaking Derpy had taken a muffin over to Twilight. Derpy was trying to talk to Twilight but she didn't speak.

"She's been like that all day." Time Turner looked at the clock; it was early evening.

"It's been a lot for her to take in, we need to distract her thoughts for a while." Thunderer said

"She owned the library in Ponyville, she was really into her books" Derpy said returning to the group.

"The only books we have are on time or war" Time Turner said.

"Yes, well you stallions could really benefit from a mares' touch around here." Derpy said wiping dust with her wing from a table.

"Well maybe if you didn't insist on relaying messages all the time you'd be here to make it" Time Turner said.

At that moment Derpys' wings flared out in anger, he expression changed so fast that as soon as the sentence was uttered Time Turner regretted it. Derpy sunk down on her forelegs as if she was about to charge and snorted.

"If I was around here more.... If I was around here more. Remind me, which one of us hid away here when they couldn't face the face that their daughter was a unicorn!" Derpy shouted.

The loudness of Derpys' voice was enough to turn Twilight's attention from the clock she was fixated on. Thunderer decided he still wanted to live and ducked away from Derpys' war path. He grabbed Twilights' hoof and dragged her away. Twilight tried to resist at first but gave up.

"You really don't want to be here" Thunderer said to her.

"All I meant was that you're always away on relay missions, I get few chances to see you." Time Turner said to his angry wife.

"I do what is necessary for the war effort as do you!"

"I know you help out, but is there a less dangerous way one where you don't get killed?"

"No there isn't! I learned to fight just like everypony but I don't because I'm not like Thunderer I cannot just take lives and feel nothing from doing it. And speaking of dangerous but correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this machine of yours responsible for clipping Thunderers' wings?!"

"It is, but we both knew the risks." Time Turner said defensively.

"And I know the risks too, I know I could die but I'm still here, you haven't left the city in nearly two years. Not everypony dies out there, there are those that survive just fine without magical barriers to protect them. Those ponies have lost ponies too, but they still live out there facing the risks each day." Derpy began to cry.

"I'm sorry my muffin but being outside of the city walls brings back terrible memories, even Thunderer tells me he suffers from them too. I have been outside the walls and I hate every minute of it."

Time Turner was used to these breakdowns, Derpy had them ever since their daughter died.

---

Twilight walked behind the lumbering stallion once more, they'd been following the pipeline for some time. Every section looked the same, she was surprised that Thunderer knew his way around but then he would be much more used to flying around here. Then turned down a narrow corridor which the largest pipe also seemed to follow. The entered a round room that was a bright white. In the centre of the room was a pedestal. On the pedestal were six stands, in one of them was a rock blue in colour and shaped like.

"Wait, is that what I think it is?" Twilight said in a high pitched squeal of delight.

She quickly ran over to the stand to look at the blue balloon. The Element of Laughter sat on one of the stands and seemed to be resonating some kind of magic.

"How did you? I mean where.."

"Your friend; Pinkie Pie arrived here in Trottingham several months ago, she had the Element of Laughter with her."

Twilight recalled Thunderer saying someone had arrived at Trottingham but then left.

"Where did Pinkie Pie go? Is she okay? Can we go and find her?"

Thunderer laughed.

"I had a meeting with Cadence and the war council. Time Turner and I believe that the Elements of Harmony can help us defeat Queen Chrysalis. I plan to lead a team to help you find all your friends as for Pinkie Pie. Yes she came here, but she wanted to leave to help her family on their rock farm, it's a couple of days travelling from here. As for her mood, I just don't know. The Elements are linked to their respective bearer and the magic given off from them is affected by their mood."

"If you're leading a team I want to come!" Twilight said adamantly.

"Of that I have no doubt I need you. I only came to show you this, we should go back now maybe I can find you a book if you're bored."

"You know what? A book would be great about now" Twilight said.