In A Time Unfamilar

by Sumiye

A Different Outcome

Smart Cookie coughed as they reappeared in the Canterlot Castle, shuddering as she tried to forget the crazed experience. "Please, I don't want to visit anywhere again." She wheezed.

Princess Celestia's expression remained dull. "Please, bring Clover The Clever over to me this instant." The earth pony hesitated, but gently laid the unicorn down.

They all gasped.

"Why, she's paler than before!" Rarity cried, voice laced with horror as she took in the picture she was opened too. Clover's eyes were still closed, but her breathing worsened as her coat whitened with every second she laid still.

"What's happening!" Rainbow shouted, shaking.

"The Timberwolves must have been feeding off her magic to keep them energized to protect from intruders." Princess Celestia rubbed a soft hoof over her back. "Magic is mainly a pony's life force."

Her gaze hardened. "Guards!" A unicorn blasted into then throne room, saluting. "You must bring this mare to the Healing Quarters as quickly as you can." She instructed, the others watching intently.

The stallion nodded. "Yes, Princess." He softly levitated Clover, settling her alone his armor before losing himself to his magic waves. Smart Cookie started forward, but paused as Princess Celestia raised a hoof.

"She will be fine." The alicorn assured, but Cookie's form still held a nervous vibe. "You don't know that!" She suddenly yelled, soon after realizing whom she had spoken to. She slapped a hoof over her muzzle.

Rartiy's eyes narrowed. "Smart Cookie!" She scolded, stomping a hoof.

"I apologize." She spoke through a muffled voice. "I just...Clover was one of my first friends of my time. I can't imagine how I would feel if I lost her."

Pinkie Pie scooted closer. "I sure it'll be alright." She comforted, smiling warmly in her friend's direction. "She'll be prancing around before you can yell 'Bring the Cake!'"

She giggled at she stares she was recieved. "What?" She shrugged her hooves innocently. "When I find someone hurt, I bring cake." Cookie grinned as a single idea formed in her mind. "May I help you with baking?" She inquired.

Pinkie squealed back, waving her hooves excitedly. "Of course!" She grabbed her friend, hoisting the mare over her shoulders as she seemingly disappeared from the room, a trail of pink heading down the hallway.

---

Cookie sprawled on the ground as Pinkie came to an abrupt halt, back arching forward. Her stomach slammed into the wood as she groaned. "Please tell me when you're going to take me somewhere like that." She muttered. Pinkie chuckled as she ushered the cooks out from their postitions. "I'll try, but it's not that fun if you know!"

The pink pony then turned as a stallion lightly patted the mare in her back. "We have to keep working on our banquet for the Princess' thousandth sun raising. I will have to ask you to leave." He stated formally.

Pinkie Pie huffed as she swat a dismissive hoof. "We're here to bake a very special cake for a friend Princess Celestia just sent to heal in one of your quarters. I believe we have the right to come here, yes?"

The cook tapped a hoof on his chin. "I believe so." He finally murmured. Smart Cookie nearly bounced as she let out a silent cheer. "But do you have permission directly from the Princess?" Her form deflated.

Pinkie's joy never wavered as she held her smile. "Yes, she never gave me a no!" The mare knowingly winked at the other pony.

He backed away, but his suspicions held strong. "Alright." He stretched out the word, eyes narrowing. "We'll just take our leave. You have precisely an hour."

The stallion nudged the mare beside him.

"O-Oh yeah!" She stuttered, a pink blush beginning to form. "I'll set my watch, Custer." She bowed her head and moved away, hiding between the crowd that watched intently.

"No need!" Pinkie whistled, and her hair whipped, curling away as it placed a small object into her awaiting pink hoof. The clock ticked in sync with passing seconds. Pinkie eyes stared into the center as her brain spun.

"There!" She propped her head on the time item. "Now I can tell when a hour has passed!"

Smart Cookie couldn't resist the temptation and cocked her head. "How exactly?" She asked, the stallion nodding in agreement with her inquiry. Pinkie tapped her head as she sighed. "I may act crazy and forgetful, but my mind can handle more than you can think!"

She leaned closer in. "Did you know I can tell all the names of everypony in Ponyville?" Cookie shook her head, suddenly interested in what her friend had been speaking of.

Pinkie Pie suddenly gasped, causing Cookie to rear back at the sound. "But...but," her eyes shine with fear as she trembled. "What if I don't meet someone who visits there! Would they think I'm a bad friend?"

She gripped Smart Cookie's shoulders, jamming them forward and backward. "Am I a bad friend, Cooks?" She weeped.

Pinkie’s mane was rapidly deflating, and her eyes glistened. It made Smart Cookie's throat clench. Resolve entered her eyes, and she unlocked her body from the surprisingly strong grip the mare had. "I don't believe so, Pinkie."

Said earth pony sniffled, wiping away the spots of tears. "Really?" She questioned quietly, own throat tight as well. Smart Cookie gave a warm smile in return. Pinkie's demeanor morphed in a split second of passing time.

"Thank You!" She yelled out, jumping forward as she hugged her comforter. Cookie gasped at the lack of sufficient air she was earning. "Pinkie!" She choked. The mare's grip unexplainably became tighter.

"Pinkie Pie!" She muttered, the earth pony freezing at her name called. "Oh!" Cookie fell as she found oxygen. "Sorry." Pinkie apologized as she bonded to a small cabinet near the exit. "Now, you ready to get working?"

Cookie's eyes spun. "I guess." She said. Pinkie spoke no words but in a moment threw a large pot into the musky air. "Catch!" She called. Smart Cookie scrambled to her hooves, lifted her body to the metal object.

I rammed into her head, sending her sprawling back onto the ground. She giggled crazily. "Help, please. The icing ran away and fishes took my coat."

Pinkie nodded at the statement. "I know," she gently picked the pot from her friend's head, setting it down on the center table. "It happened to me last week. Just wait a few hours and they'll appear on your bed to give it back."

Smart Cookie shook her head, coming to her senses. "What?" She mouthed as she stood back up, careful not to lose her balance.

"Can you lend me a hoof and shoot me the butter?" Pinkie shouted, beginning the mixer. The sliced through the fruits she had pulled easily, Pinkie swiping them before they could be abolished. Cookie nodded, tracing her hoof through the cupboard.

"Coming your way!" She tossed the stick up, it bouncing off her bad and into the sky.

Pinkie darted her own hoof back without turning, the butter falling simply into her grasp. Smart Cookie gaped. "Thanks!" The party pony said, smacking it onto the marble. She then flipped the crushed food into the bowl, using her mane to bring the spoon into the pot.

---

The gentle beeping from the hospital monitor sent chills through Rarity's spine as she shuffled closer to the Princess. Every way she shifted there were mares and stallions, either workers of residents. She winced as a mare stumbled back, clearly disoriented. A few ponies decked in gear came soon after.

"How many ponies come here, Princess?" She asked, again moving closer. Princess Celestia draped a wing over the unicorn, smiling as she felt the mare spontaneously relax.

But that didn't delete her own nervousness that sat inside her soul. "More than you would imagine." Her tone was soft, and it made Rarity's skin crawl. "Ever since the last Summer Sun Celebration, beasts have been attacking on almost a regular basis."

She tilted her head as she caught Rarity shifting out of her hold. "Why would it be since then?" She murmured. Princess Celestia stiffened; she knew why.

Luna.

The Alicorn coughed, staring in all directions. "I am not sure." She lied, hoping her guest would not spot the recognizable untruth. The odds went in her favor as Rarity showed no reaction. "But we know if it continues most of Canterlot will be injured or likely de-dea-" she swallowed. The mare could barely stomach the dark word, let alone speak it.

Her own subjects, attacked ruthlessly by beings her sister had been able to send. With each day she grew stronger, and Princess Celestia knew she could do nothing to stop what would come.

What she had caused.

She swallowed the lump invading her esophagus and straightened her posture. "Excuse me, Madame Heill?" The pegasus mare set her paperwork down, eyes brightening considerably when she saw who had spoken. "P-Princess!" She lightly bowed. "What have you come here for?"

"A unicorn mare was sent earlier, under my orders. May I know what room she has been sent to?"

Madame Heill reached her violet wing back, folding around an envelope that sat alone. "Ah," she said, scanning the recent occupants. "Room #618, third floor." She looked up. "I trust you can find your way?"

"Of course." Princess Celestia grinned back, a warmth forming in her heart at the familiar teasing of the one she had known for so long. "Oh, and Heill?"

The pegasus perked. "Yes?" She questioned, leaning forward. Princess Celestia smiled. "I would talk to Professor Stitch during your break. He appears to be to excited about your answer to his very personal inquiry."

Madame Heill shrieked, wings spraying as her muzzle turned sunburnt, overpowering her normally violet coat. "What?!" she shouted, grabbing the attention of a passerby, who stared at her for a moment before moving along.

She lower her voice, but her embarrassed blush remained. "May I have my break now, Princess?" She asked.

Princess Celestia thought. "I see no reason not to veto your request." She spoke, chuckling as Heill almost whizzed from the room, speeding down the hallway

Feathers piled along the edges of the narrow passage. Rarity's magic enveloped one in a soft glow, and the unicorn held it close, inspecting it thoroughly. "Sweet you!" She told Princess Celestia. "Her feathers hold not a single spot of dirt!"

She rubbed it up against her cheek. "And so soft!" She squealed, her voice closely relative to a filly's. Princess Celestia gathered the others, placing them on the stand before the table. "Well, of course." She motioned for Rarity to follow her down the hallways to the right. "Our Nurses and Doctors are kept in top condition, since their line of work requires maximum handling."

Her own eyes widened when Rarity tugged on a small feather along the line of her own wing. The unicorn shuffled as she received a raised eyebrow. "I just wanted to compare, darling." She defended.

The came across a spiral staircase. "After you." Rarity politely told the alicorn, standing to the side as the Princess began to climb.

They each moved with complete silence. Each step clicked against the pale flooring. Rarity whimpered as the room seemed to become grey. "Sorry." Princess Celestia apologized. "The sun appears to have passed over clouds."

Rainbow Dash crept behind, inching forward as she stalked her prey, Rarity. Her eyes shone as she neared, and she licked her lips, leaning forward;

"Boo."

The unicorn screamed, doubling onto Princess Celestia's back as she ignited her horn. The room returned to a flashing light. Rainbow laughed as she rolled along her step, flailing her hooves. "You should've seen your face, Rares! Priceless!"

"Rainbow Dash, please refrain from childish pranks. This is not the time." Princess Celestia said, her tone sharp. The pegasus suddenly beheld a sense of timidity, her laughs fading out. The alicorn breathed as she levitated the pony she had acquired to the ground.

Rarity took shaky breaths as she tried to readjust herself, but her legs continued to burn in an uncanny way. "Just like Nightmare Night..." She spoke.

She shot her head to the culprit of her fear. "You wonder why I rarely participate." She snapped. Rainbow shrugged, laying back as her wings pulled her high. "I thought you were too chicken." She replied.

Princess Celestia silence them both with a single stare. "We have come here with a purpose." She reminded.

They both hung their heads, slinking behind their leader. "Yes, we did." Rarity agreed. "and I, for one, will not have to scalawag ruin it."

Rainbow Dash's gaze narrowed. "Excuse me?" She held a hoof to her chest. "If you can remember, I was there when we found both Smart Cookie and Clover." She humphed, flying ahead.

"I am deeply sorry, Princess." Rarity said. "She can be quite tough to handle, and she never listens since these last few days have rolled arou-"

"It may not seem to you," Princess Celestia spoke, interrupting her reason. "But she is very much upset over this new problematic situation. She is expressing her emotions through anger. It will soon pass."

"But this has been going on for weeks now!" Rarity countered.

Celestia sighed. "I know," she complied. "But we can't risk making it worse. If I could ask this of you, try not to aggravate her in this time frame."

Rarity scoffed. "Me? But she's the one who had started this!"

"And you keep retaliating." The unicorn went quiet, eyes downcast. "Oh..." She whispered, guilt beginning to form. "I never meant to do any harm." Princess Celestia shook her head. "I'm surprised you never noticed the many times Smart Cookie had to comfort Pinkie Pie when you two had conflict."

Rarity's eyes widened. "What?" She asked, slamming a hoof to her muzzle. Her eyes glimmered with tears.

"Guys!" Rainbow came barreling back down, bumping on a few steps before skidding to a stop. "I found the room!"

Rarity forgot the earlier statement and raised a questioning eyebrow. "How did you know what room only we had been told?"

The pegasus winked. "I've been following you guys for quite some time and you never noticed." She explained. Rarity growled at the truthful statement. "So what I believe your saying is that you lied to us both, saying you were going to check out the Canterlot Archives?"

She then slapped herself. "Of course you lied! You hate reading of any sort!"

"Hey!" Rainbow yelled. "I've been going to the Ponyville Library. That's gotta count for something!" She defended her honor.

Princess Celestia halted. "We have arrived." The bickering came to an abrupt halt, and Rarity gazed at the pristine white door, the handle a sickening black. "A dreadful color combination." she commented.

"Who cares! Let's go!" Rainbow shouted, her anxiety getting the best of her. The grimaced as Princess Celestia shushed her. But the approving nod brought her back as she placed her hoof on the door, the hinges creaking as she pushed it open.

They all came through in single file, and Rainbow grunted as she found both mares in front of her line of vision. "Hey." She mumbled. Rarity gasped in front of her. "She looks dreadful!" The unicorn stated clearly.

"Can't see." Rainbow pointed out. She grinned as Princess Celestia nodded. "The workers have been doing all they could to help, but she has no sign of waking." Rainbow's hopes dropped. Her wings flapped as they prepared to bring her up, but froze as Princess Celestia switched to her.

"Rainbow, please no flying in the room." She requested. Rainbow let out a sputtering squawk. "But I can't-" the alicorn had already turned away. "Fine!" The pegasus busted forward, ramming into Rarity as she went through;

And her front hoof connected with a tangled wire, whipping the air mask straight of Clover The Clever's muzzle.

Author's Note:

Have any of you played the game Agar.io? Oh my Celestia, it's so addicting I think I was going to never stop.

At least, until I got high enough to reach first place. The feeling's so amazing! To be on top it made me feel invigorated! Though I don't think I'll be doing it again for a while. Messes me up with my writing and all. Sorry about this, I know it isn't my best chapter.

Always With Ya~Star

Comments

[The Yaoi Mistress]

My guess is that RD does read everything they were told to read, that's why she is nervous about and is pretending not knowing.
just my guess. :P