(Commission)- Keys to the Missing

by DuskShadowBrony

1- Chapter 1- Key 1: Mayor Mare

Chapter 1- Key 1: Mayor Mare

“Who the hay are you?” Rainbow Dash asked aggressively, starting to fly towards the stranger.

“Easy there, partner.” Applejack stepped in front of Rainbow. “I’m sure we’re all wondering that.”

Fluttershy had chosen to hide behind one of the counters, peering over slightly.

“My name? You can call me Timeline.” the Unicorn answered. “Please relax. I’m just here to help.” He trotted forward. “Tell me, what do you think happens when a pony is forgotten?”

“What do you mean by that?” June asked, raising an eyebrow at the newcomer.

“Exactly as it sounds. Where do ponies go when they’re forgotten?”

“They don’t go anywhere.” Twilight stepped up. “It sounds like you’re implying they go to some faraway place. That’s just illogical.”

“Correct, Princess Sparkle.” he gave them a mysterious smile. “They don’t go to some faraway place. They… simply vanish.”

June laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. That’s not possible. Ponies don’t just vanish into thin air.”

“How do you know? How would anypony know if a forgotten pony vanished or not?” he countered, staring at her with his oddly clear eyes.

“So what you’re saying is that our existence is only verified by others.” Twilight frowned a little.

“Now you’re getting it. Think, Princess Sparkle. Can you name some ponies that aren’t here?”

“Of course I can!” Twilight gave a confident smirk, but it soon faded. “N-no way… I can’t.”

June shook her head. “But I can. Carrot Top, Golden Harvest, Roseluck…” she continued to rattle off the names of her neighbors and friends.

Timeline looked a little surprised, then smiled. “Good. Then you are the only one who can bring the missing ponies back. I saw it in you. You pay attention to the details of everything. You don’t forget a thing. That is why you are still able to recall them.”

“Me?” June took a step back. “I have to bring… everypony back?”

“Was I unclear?” Timeline took a seat on a nearby chair. “Yes, June. You must bring them back. As for the Spirits of the Elements... they must have some sort of protection around them, allowing their existence to continue.”

“Hold up, partner.” Applejack stepped forward. “They weren’t just our neighbors, they were our friends! There’s no way we would just forget them!”

“Of course not.” he replied. The entire time, he had not blinked. At this point, it was getting creepy. “But what if something made you forget them?”

“A-are my animal friends okay?” Fluttershy finally spoke up in a tiny whisper.

“It would appear so.” Timeline answered, looking over at her, causing her to hide once more. “You do not need to worry about them.”

“We have to bring our friends back!” Pinkie bounced over to him. “Without them, I can’t throw enough parties!”

“This has got to be some awful nightmare.” Rarity muttered to herself. “No ponies means no clients…”

“Then allow me to tell you where to start.” Timeline followed Pinkie’s bouncing with his eyes. “Town Hall is in the center of Ponyville. You’ll find what you need there.”

“How do you know all this?” Twilight demanded, stepping over to him. “You want us to just listen to some random Unicorn that came from nowhere? How do we know what you’re telling us is true?”

“Believe me, or don’t.” he shrugged, getting up again. “It’s not my place to make you do these things. I simply make you aware of it, and what to do to fix it. You want to bring back a pony? Verify their existence. Everypony has something to represent them. Their key in this world. You’ll understand soon enough.”

Without a further word, he walked out the door and vanished into the night.

------

“Well… here we are.” Twilight looked up at the tall building. “Town Hall. I can’t believe that I don’t even remember any names.”

“Mayor Mare would probably be the one who would have a key in this place.” June opened the doors to an eerily empty entrance hall.

“These names… they sound familiar, but I just can’t think of why.” Twilight shook her head, closing her eyes. “We better act quickly. I don’t know if this is a Ponyville-centered event. I sent a letter to Princess Celestia, I really hope that she replies.”

The group of mares cantered through the darkened building, eventually stopping at the mane office. The nametag usually on the door was gone. June cautiously pushed the door open, the old wood creaking in complaint as she did so. The room was dimly illuminated by the moon, an empty chair but packed desk and shelves glowing softly in the moonlight. Twilight’s horn lit up with an Illuminate spell, allowing the group to see more around them.

“There’s got to be something.” June sifted through the desk’s contents. “What would be most significant to Mayor Mare?”

The other ponies searched the shelves, not entirely sure what they were even looking for. “Come on, girls, just grab anything that looks important.” Twilight encouraged, trying to dissipate the uneasy feeling in the air. It didn’t help much.

June’s sharp eyes roamed the desk and drawer, looking for something, anything. Her hoof stopped as she reached a certain item in the drawer, pulling it out. It was the Mayor’s bow tie. “Of course! This must be it! The Mayor received this as a gift after she won the election- it was from Princess Celestia herself! Woven from Skyworm silk!”

“Well done.” a familiar voice made them jump. They turned to see Timeline standing in the doorway,watching June. “But I’m afraid not everypony will be that easy.” his piercing gaze made June feel a bit uncomfortable. “I think the Mayor will be wanting that back.” he nodded at the chair, the group turning to look.

The elderly Earth Pony was there, stirring slightly as she woke up from what seemed like sleep. “W-what happened?” she mumbled, looking around in confusion. By the time they had looked back at Timeline, he was gone once more.

“Long story.” June passed over the bow tie. “Come on, we should walk and talk.”

“Good to have you back, Mayor.” Twilight sighed in relief. “We’ll explain everything on the way.”