Turning Back the Clock

by FlufferNutters

Breaking the Shackles

When they reach home Peanut Butter rushes up to his room and opens the closet door. He moves the rug and lifts up a loose floorboard and pulls out bags of snacks and boxes of cereal.

“Take some.” He advises.

Sunset takes a couple granola bars and eats them.

“So what’s the plan?” She asks.

“We hope Twilight can make a sort of anti toxin to at least save us and our friends, then we stop Prim and Proper.”

“How do you plan on doing that?”

“Not sure yet, depends on if we can get our real ages back or not.”

“Do you think we can?”

“I’m sure of it.”

The next day they arrive at the school. When they arrive at the classroom Applejack and Rarity wave at Peanut Butter and Sunset. They all meet up in the corner of the classroom and sit on the beanbag chairs.

“Good morning.” Peanut Butter greets.

“Mornin’.” Applejack responds.

“And a good morning to you as well.” Rarity responds.

“Anyone behind us?”

Applejack and Rarity shake their heads.

“Good, I may have a plan to get us to our age, but I’ll have to do something risky.”

“That is?” Rarity asks.

“I have to get a sample of that gas in condensed form and give it to Twilight to make an antidote.”

“That has to be the craziest idea ever.” Rarity states.

“Well what other options are there?” Sunset asks.

“Besides, I’m the only one that can really use any kind of magic, Rarity, try conjuring up a shield.”

Rarity holds out her arms and gives a focused look. Nothing happens.

“Sunset, grab my arm.”

She does so and the same result happens, nothing.

“Now me.”

Peanut Butter closed his eyes and his shoulders relaxed as a light breeze is felt. He opens his eyes and the wind stops.

“See my point?”

The three girls nod.

“We just need a distraction long enough for me to find the source and get a few samples.”

“Lunch maybe the best bet, a lot of people around, just have to have a big enough distraction.” Rarity suggests.

“How ‘bout a food fight?” Applejack suggests.

“It’s our best bet, but they may turn the chips back on.”

“It’s a risk we’ll take.” Sunset mentions.

Peanut Butter sighs.

“Very well, you three start it or get someone to do it and get it large enough and I’ll slip out, get the samples and come back.”

“Sounds like a plan P.B..” Sunset compliments just as the bell rings.

“Where is Twilight anyways?”

“She said she’ll be late today.”

“Okay.”

Everyone goes to their seats as classes start.

As the kids line up Twilight makes it to the classroom and goes in line in front of Sunset.

“Hey Twilight.” Sunset whispers.

“Hey Sunset, what’s up?”

“P.B. and us came up with a way to get a sample to change us back.”

“I thought I said no to that.”

“We know, but you’re the only one that can do it, I know you don’t want to be like this forever.”

Twilight brings her head down and sighs.

“You’re right, okay, I’ll help, what’s the plan?”

“Massive food fight.”

“Got it.”

They all sit in the cafeteria as soon as they arrive and pretend to eat.

A few minutes in Rarity taps a student on the shoulder and whispers to them along with pointing to someone else. The student picks up a handful of mashed potatoes and throws it at the other student, hitting them in the head, followed by them throwing more food, hitting Rarity and Sunset who returned fire. Just then another student stood up.

“Food Fight!” They shouted as everyone started to throw food.

The guards rush in, trying to stop the food fight. Peanut Butter gets under the table and heads to the doors leading into the hall. He reaches the end of the table and focuses enough wind at his feet before coming out and going faster than normal.

In the hallway he rushes through each hall, trying to find where it could be. At the other side of the school his eyes go wide as he dashes towards the maintenance door. He reaches it before taking out a paper clip and extending it. He puts one end into the lock and wiggles it while moving the handle.

A few seconds later it opens and he sneaks inside. He looks around and sees pipes, shelves, tools and equipment. He walks a bit further and sees the boiler with a box in the center of the cylinder. Next to it was a vat connected to a metal box and the vents. Peanut Butter takes out three beakers and goes to the vat. He manages to get the samples just as the sound of a turning doorknob is heard. He corks the last beaker and ducks behind the vat, out of sight.

“Dang kids, always making a mess.” A man complains as the sounds of wheels and sloshing water is heard.

The door opens again and closes. Peanut Butter puts the samples in his pocket and leaves the room as fast as he could and makes his way back to the cafeteria.

On the way back however he runs into Luna who rushes over to him and hugged him.

“Where have you been?, I got worried about you after I couldn’t find you.” Luna panicked.

“I got scared and hid somewhere.”

“Well it’s all over now, come on, let’s join the rest of the class.”

They both return to the cafeteria to find it in total chaos as all the students are cleaning it up.

“I found him, he got scared and ran off.” Luna explains.

“Have him sit out in the hall and wait for his class.” A guard instructs.

Luna sits with Peanut Butter in the hallway and plays soft music on her phone while holding him in a motherly embrace.

After the cafeteria was cleaned the classes lined up as Peanut Butter got behind Twilight.

“You okay?” Peanut Butter asks in a whisper.

“Yeah, they didn’t bother with the chips thankfully, we just played along, please tell me it was worth the mess.”

“More than worth it.”

“Good, slip them into my bag when we get in the classroom.”

“Okay.”

They all reach the classroom and spread out. Within the chaos of children coming in, Peanut Butter goes to the cubbys and slips the samples into Twilight’s bag before going back to his desk.

The rest of class goes by quietly as most of the students are writing lines as punishment for the food fight.

After school Sunset and Peanut Butter are taken home.

“Can Sunset and me go to our clubhouse please?” Peanut Butter asks.

“Yes you can, after Sunset gets cleaned up though.” Luna answers.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

When they get home Sunset is taken to the bathroom to be cleaned up and Peanut Butter goes to his room and puts his bag away. He sighs before heading downstairs.

A few minutes later Sunset comes down dressed as both got to a small wooden shed outside in the backyard and enter it. Peanut Butter shuts and locks the doors shut.

“Okay, we’re safe.” Peanut Butter confirms.

“Easy for you to say, I got grounded over that.”

“It won’t matter soon.”

“Why?”

“Got a few things I want to work on in here.”

“Is it really worth all this effort?”

“Yes.”

“As much as I want to help you stop them, you’re risking everyone else’s well being to do it, you’re obsessed P.B..”

“Hey, you guys signed up for it, you knew the risks.”

“Yeah, but we risked getting the chips back on, or worse.”

“But they didn’t, look, you don’t get what I had to lose the first time around, so don’t act like you know!”

“Will you just listen to me!”

Just then Sunset grabs Peanut Butter on his arm causing her eyes to glow and her vision goes white.