Small Changes

by SvenFoxx

1. The Chrono Journal

Chrono Journal Entry #1,

I have only just begun my research into this subject, and already one thing has become alarmingly obvious to me. Notes, notes, notes, and more notes. If I do not chronicle my research and discoveries beyond my own memories, I have no hope of mastering the theoretical art/science/headache of time travel.

That’s right, you read that right. I’m researching time travel. There’s a lot of data, but I will be keeping the raw stuff in a separate journal. Security and all that hogwash. This journal is to chronicle big discoveries and events pertaining to my research.

My hoof already hurts...

---

Chrono Journal Entry #2,

Time travel. A, currently, theoretical concept. The concept makes a lot of assumptions about time. That it’s a line to be navigated, that it can be traversed in any direction besides “forward”, and that it can be changed.

The theory that time is pliable enough to be altered isn’t a new one, and is in fact very popular in many fictional stories I have encountered during my travels around Equus. That’s just it though. It was considered by most of the world fictional. I have my mind set on proving them wrong on that.

I presented my research on time travel, such as it is, to the Unicorn Council. My goal was to garner funding for further research. After all, money may not be the answer to life, but it certainly makes things easier.

I was laughed out of the castle.

Unicorns believe they know everything there is to know about magic, that they are almighty because of this. The fact that Alicorns exist proves them wrong, but often have I underestimated just how far one can go on ego and hubris alone.

I suppose this shouldn’t surprise me. Unicorns are almost all egotistical in one way or another. It’s just usually focused on magic. I, of course, include myself in that generalization. I’m well aware that I have my moments of being arrogant and egotistical. After all, if I’m going to tackle something like time travel, I have to have at least a large opinion of myself.

Onwards.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #9,

Alcohol. Alcohol is a must for this kind of research.

Seriously, I haven’t had a migraine this bad since I ran into that strange albino Pegasus that could bend space in odd ways. Surprise indeed.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #10,

So… getting piss drunk and ranting about crazy Pegasi and time and space bending in the middle of town was, in hindsight, a bad idea.

On the plus side, I seem to have caught the attention of a midnight blue Alicorn with my drunken ravings. She approached me as I was sitting in my cell, and inquired if what I spoke of was truly madness from the drink, or something serious. Once she understood that the topic of time travel was something I was heavily invested in researching, she paid my bail.

I showed her my research, and… well, I’m not sure what she did, but suddenly the Unicorn Council was tripping over themselves to offer me a rather generous budget for research.

I turned it down.

Call me a prideful fool, but I don’t want my research in the hooves of a group that would do nothing with it but let it gather dust on a shelf somewhere.

For some reason, that seemed to please the Alicorn.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #21,

Ever since I met that Alicorn, Luna she calls herself, she has been keeping tabs on me and my research. She refuses to elaborate on why, only that she finds it interesting and, if nothing else, I am a better conversationalist than the stuffed shirts in the capital.

I, of course, completely agree, but still. Having an Alicorn watching me work over my shoulder is not a comforting thought or feeling.

Oh well, at least she doesn’t just automatically shoot down my theories as “impossible” the moment I speak them. She instead goes out of her way to poke holes in them. I appreciate the help, but her grin every time she does winds me up something fierce.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #43,

The latest experiment, sending an apple ten seconds into the past, is going… somewhere. Ten seconds exactly before the timer would activate the spell, the apple explodes. Violently.

I need new lab equipment.

Luna, however, laughed herself sick once I explained to her what was happening. She refuses to say why. She says she’ll tell me if I haven’t solved this conundrum by next week.

On a side note, I have an abundance of applesauce now.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #50,

For the past hour I have been smashing my head into the wall. My horn hurts.

Luna revealed to me why the apples keep exploding ten seconds before we send it back. Really, it was very simple. I’m ashamed of myself for not realizing it immediately.

What happens when two objects occupy the same space? Well, suffice to say, I’m glad I led this experiment with apples and not ponies. That would have been unpleasant.

There is good news to be had though! This means we have successfully been sending the apple back in time. This is great! With solid proof that time travel is possible, maybe now we can get somewhere!

---

Chrono Journal Entry #...buck it, I don’t know,

Lab was vandalized again today.

Ever since I revealed the proof of time travel to the Unicorn Council, I have had to deal with some unicorns protesting against this research, claiming it as an affront to the laws of nature.

Magic alone is an affront to the laws of nature, you hypocritical little shits.

I’m sorry. I’ve been drinking again to deal with the stress. I really should stop writing while drunk…

Anyways, the lab’s been getting protesters in front of it almost weekly now, and sometimes riots form that lead to the lab being destroyed. Thankfully my research is stored in a magically locked safe, locked by Luna no less. Nothing short of a rampaging Alicorn is getting in there, so the only thing I lost is easily replaced equipment.

Still… It’s upsetting to know that the people, or at least some of them, are so against this research.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #80,

Been a while since I last did some research. A lot happened, but I’ll try to summarize.

1. Ponykind damn near came to war with itself due to tribalism.
2. Hate between the three tribes brought the Windigos down on our collective heads.
3. The Alicorns were all but wiped out combating this threat.
4. A group of six ponies, two of each tribe, created a new magic that drove off the Windigos. I’m rather excited about this, for obvious reasons.
5. Windigos are only gone temporarily, so it’s time to move before they return.
6. We arrive at a brand new continent, only to discover it being ravaged by a self-styled god of Chaos. (Between you and me, after seeing him juggle the sun and moon in his hands, I believe it.)
7. The last two Alicorns, Luna and her older sister Celestia, somehow defeat Discord, the god of chaos, and save us all from insanity.
8. Luna and Celestia hailed as Goddesses.
9. Luna and Celestia take up the mantle of leadership for ponykind, becoming Princesses.
10. Continent is named Equestria, and the Princesses made it clear that cooperation and trust is mandatory. We don’t want the Windigos following us here after all.
11. Funding for time travel research was cut due to change in government. Despite that, I could not stop smiling at the thought of how those arrogant foals on the Unicorn Council must feel right now.

So, yeah. Busy. Funding was cut, but I’ve reached the point where I’m not burning through resources in experiments anyways. All I’m doing now is fine-tuning everything for the final experiment.

I’m going to send myself through time.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #126,

I’m a man of science. I live my life based on logic, reason, and the scientific method. Even magic falls under the scope of science, though granted it is an entirely different form of science.

So it was admittedly rather difficult for me to pinpoint why I’ve been in such a depressed mood lately. The answer was, of course, simple.

I miss Luna.

Somehow, I’m not entirely certain how, she became my friend during our many talks about time travel. However, with her rise to divinity in the eyes of the people, as well as her responsibility as a Diarch of Equestria, it has been months since I last spoke to her.

It’s surprising how much loneliness hurts after you’ve lived without it for so long.

Maybe I’ll go visit her at that new city they’re constructing on Mt. Canter.

---

Chrono Journal Entry #137,

This is it. This will be my final entry. I am about to begin the final experiment; travelling through time.

Initially, I have been unsure where, or rather, when I should aim for. I mean, all of time at my hooves! Think of the possibilities!

But after Nightmare Moon, and the prophecy that came to me, I know exactly when I’m going.

Still, there are some things to consider.

See, even though I’ve figured out how to travel through time, I have yet to figure out the consequences of such an action. There’s a lot to consider. What will happen if I change the past? Can I prevent myself from inventing time travel in the first place, creating a paradox? What happens to the timeline you change? Does it disappear and get replaced by the new one, or do both exist at the same time, separated by points of divergence like a Y?

Am I really travelling through time, or just travelling to other timelines that match my goal?

I suppose I’ll find out. Best to start with Small Changes.

Signed – Starswirl the Bearded

Author's Note:

Just a little something that cropped up after I gave some serious consideration to what Stainless Steel Fox said about my story, as well as my response to it.

Don't worry, Tartarus Forged is still the main project. I honestly don't even know what to do with this beyond vague thoughts.

Comments

[badninja]

Starswirl the Bearded you foal. Why do I think he will only make darker timelines by his incessant meddling. I wonder what he would think of Starlight Glimmer's attempts?

[Von Voctavia]

Very interesting. More pls :)

[Comickook]

Not much I can say beyond great job on the start of this story. I have to admit, some of Starswirl's rants were fairly funny (particularly the one about Surprise [who is almost definitely a VERY distant ancestor of Pinkie Pie] and the ones concerning the nobles) and, I also have to admit, some of the other entries were appropriately emotional. All in all, I am definitely going to be looking forward to seeing how Starswirl ends up messing up the time line. That should have a good mixture of action, humor and emotional content in all the right places. At any rate, while I'm certainly curious as to where this story will be going, I am also willing to wait. After all, I get that time and inspiration are not always easy to come by.

[Dlaf rferg]

This is an interesting concept.

Let's see where it goes.