The Timepony’s Journal

by Penny_Shavins109

Chapter 20 - Time to Smell the Roses

The phantom of Radiance’s past gracefully trotted ahead of her. It was a strange experience, yet a somewhat familiar one. The halls became older and older, her TARDIS no doubt twisting the architecture to their advantage. It all felt like a dream to her.

“You’re nervous and scared, I understand. But we must always continue to move forward” said Hedley.

Radiance looked down, different thoughts and questions swimming within her mind. Hedley definitely sounded different than from their first meeting, a lot less uptight and regal and much more whimsical and childish. This was likely due to not only the further progression in her memories but also her change in how she viewed her past self.

Hedley seemed to be guiding her down into a more organic area of her TARDIS, her own home. Something inside of her mind was trying to click, to reach out and latch on only for it to miss. The floors were made more of soil and grass than hardwood while the yellowed wall rounders were wrapped in vines. The closed and constructed hallway gave way to the inside of a large tree, causing Radiance’s jaw to drop as she stared out at the beauty before her.

A large field of the same luscious pink flowers that combed across the first world she visited stood before her, surrounded by a kind of tree that she also recognized yet couldn’t recall the name. The roof extended so high that it appeared to have its own clouds, above a room so big it had its own wind current.

“Feel familiar?” Hedley asked as she lightly danced across the field as to not trample the vegetation.

“I-I... it’s just like-“

“Just like the garden on Provia. All it’s missing is something special.”

Hedley lead her towards the center of the grove where a circular platform with ancient Gallophreyan symbols carved into and around it. It was her name made out of stone, spanning nearly twelve feet left and right. Placing her hoof on the center circle, the very middle of her signature, she began to cry. Hedley trotted up to Radiance and gave her a hug, beginning to sing a soft and sweet tune to the melody of the wind blowing through the trees.

“What’s once was lost may be found
The sailing sound of time.
The stories leather bound
In the library of my mind.

Sailing across the river into the forgotten known
I want you to know that you’ll never be alone.

You have yourself, and you have me.
You can still recover all your lost memory.”

Radiance wiped her tears and took the hoof that Hedley offered.

“B-but what does this all mean, why is this here? Why can’t I remember?”

Hedley only smiled and continued her song.

“This is the start, where our story began
But it’s not the end, there’s still more to be said.
Reach into your heart before your head, this was the place that you called home.”

“I... lived on Provia?”

“Yes, as Equuis was to the Doctor, Provia was to you. Time and time again between your own adventures, you’ve returned to this very place as your sanctuary.”

“I...I remember... I don’t know how I could ever forget this place. But there’s more here, more than just a place...”

Radiance’s eyes widened with shock as the image of not something but someone returned to her mind. How could she have forgotten even them, the first friend she had ever made during her travels.

“PRISM!”

---

A long long time ago Hedley was messing with the controls on the TARDIS console, setting the destination to Provia once again. Her hooves were dancing across the controls like a master pianist until she stopped, her hooves shaking. She’d been trying to distract herself from this for the past few hours, the memories of the home she left behind. Nothing good ever happens to those that leave Gallophrey behind, especially as she did. But there was nothing she could do now, the decision had been made.

The ship was now landing on Provia as planned with what seemed like no intervention from the Time Ponies. The fact that her TARDIS was “off the grid” and marked for decommissioning wouldn’t protect her for long. This place especially since it was the first place she’d ever visited. Even if she was just a sitting duck Hedley had to at least see this place one last time.

Suddenly the ship rocked back and forth as it landed. Something didn’t seem right, but all of the readings were showing that she was in the clear. Upon opening the scanner she saw just what had caused such a rough landing.

“Oh… woops”

---

Violet Scatter Prism was and is just an average pegasus in the city of Celadius. It was one of the many settlements created in the sixth wave of exoplanetary exploration, thus the micro city had been named after one of the moons from the sixth planet, Enceladus. Prism had a white coat with a curly rainbow mane full of pastel colors. She served ice cream in the local reserve for viewing species of wildlife and plants that existed before the colonization.

Today would’ve been an ordinary day, watching the other colonists pass by while the two moons rose into the sky. But suddenly while she had her back turned a small pink gazebo similar to the ones on the reserve grounds appeared out of nowhere and crushed her ice cream stand.

“W-what the hay!? My livelihood! Who even dumps these stupid things around here?”

A door on the front of the gazebo opened and another mare poked their head outside.

“Uhm, hello? I’m sorry about- ouch!”

Hedley fell to the ground as the inflatable rubber carnival bat hit her out of nowhere. Prism repeatedly bonked Hedley over the head , the bat making a squeaking noise every time.

“What’s the big idea, dropping your placebo on my stand?”

“Gazebo” Hedley replied, still dazed and confused.

“Hush, that stand was expensive!”

“If you’d just give me a second-“

Hedley grabbed the bat with her magic, making sure it was out of reach. That didn’t stop Prism from trying to nab it back.

“As I was saying, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do necessarily but I can try and fix it if you want. I can’t fully uh, control where I put my gazebo. Still an odd thing to say, but I didn’t intentionally want to crush your… stand.”

Hedley looked at Prism clinging to the inflatable bat like a foal clinging to their favorite stuffed animal.

“You’re a very strange mare.”

“And you’re even stranger, you look like you’re going to a Galactic Gala from a hundred years ago.”

Prism let out a little oof as she and the bat were dropped. Hedley wasn’t sure how to act. This strange pegasus mare was completely different from anypony on Gallophrey. No high up nose-in-the-air attitude or regal attire. For the first time in her current life, she had no clue on what to say or do.

“Uh… what’s a Galactic Gala?”

“Only the biggest celebration from ages ago, part of our ancient history. It’s kind of a big thing to not know about. Where are you from anyway?”

“Uhm uh, not here. Off world, though I’m pretty certain you haven’t heard of the place.”

“Right, I don’t even know your name. Maybe I’ll send the coppas on ya for squashing my stand.”

“N-no! No, that won’t be necessary. My name is Hedliaellfrolithene of the Arcadian chapter house, at your service madam.”

Hedley stumbled a little bit, realizing that she had once again fallen back into her formal ways. Prism was staring at her strangely again as she repostured herself out of the reflexive curtsy.

“That’s quite the mouthful, you don’t have any nicknames or for-shorts or anything?”

“No, w-where I’m from it’s tradition to call one by their full Gallophreyan name.”

“So you’re from Gallophrey? You’re pretty right when you said that I’d never have heard of it. I’mma call you Hedley for short. Is that okay?”

She hadn’t even caught the slip of her home planet’s name. She felt like a fish out of water, or a pony off of her planet for a better description. Hedlia thought about it for a second before smiling and nodding.

“Yeah, you can call me Hedley.”

“Coolio! Then you can call me Prism, everypony does.”

“Well then Miss Prism, it’s a pleasure to be meeting your acquaintance. I also believe that I owe you an ‘ice cream’ stand. Though I am good at mechanical construction, I may need some assistance on cultural and mechanical clarification.”

“It’d be my pleasure your majesty.”

The two of them laughed as Prism bowed, happy to meet each other for the very first time. Over the following days Prism helped Hedley get acquainted with the local society. She was able to fix the stand, but as it didn’t have a quantum flux drive the concept was a bit harder to grasp. In fact any form of leisure appeared to be quite new to Hedley.

Reminders of what it felt like to be home in her childhood, playing in the orange grass and getting all dusty. Back then everything felt so simple, but now her eyes had been opened to a whole new world of possibilities. As a sort of reward Prism decided to show the new mare around town. The two of them were sitting down at an outdoor patio that was part of the local cafe.

“So, what exactly are you doing here of all places? A winky dink planet in the middle of nowhere isn’t exactly the best tourist destination.” Prism asked, continuously sipping on a milkshake somehow without getting a brain freeze.

“A very good question. I’m not too sure honestly, I was here a long time ago. I’m not sure where and I’m not sure when, but it’s always seemed special to me. This is so far the first and only place I’ve traveled to. I don’t know why, but the flowers amazed me and dragged me in. So tall and vibrant, it’s a color I’ve never even seen before.”

“You don’t have purple on Galloway?”

“Gallophrey.” Hedley chuckled after correcting her.

“That’s what I said… Odd, I thought it was supposed to be sunny today.”

Upon looking up at the sky the two of them saw dark and looming clouds much unlike those on a stormy day. The difference was subtle but the clouds had a sort of sea foam green and lavender tint to them. Other denizens of the town crowded around outside , looking up at the sky before them. Hedley was panicking the most, falling out of her seat and trembling.

Was it the Timeponies? She wasn’t too sure as she’d never seen any methods of dealing with those that had escaped their grasp and their rules. But this was different, clearly not Timepony technology as a large electric beam shot down from the sky and split the ground in two. Hedley was almost paralyzed with fear, only Prism’s voice breaking her out of the mental prison of panic.

“H-Hedley! What’s going on, are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help, like sleep or soup or a hug or- woah!”

Prism was suddenly jerked forward as Hedley grabbed her by the foreleg and began galloping towards her TARDIS. Prism was blatantly confused and scared as a hostile force was ripping the ground beneath her apart. She stumbled and tripped as another crack opened behind her, causing her to almost fall into the cavern beneath her. Hedley cried Prism’s name out in alarm as she clutched her hooves as tight as possible.

“H-hold on Prism, I can pull you up!”

“N-no, just let me go I’ll be fine.”

“But you’re going to fall into this big pit, are you crazy!?”

“Hedley, just let go I have-“

The ground shook again and Hedley lost her grip on Prism, watching her fall into the crevice carved into the ground. Hedley just sat there speechless, ready to cry as she’d just lost the only friend she’d made outside of Gallophrey. That is, until Prism flew upwards and out of the ground, completely fine and unharmed. Hedley just looked up in shock and confusion.

“You can FLY!?”

“Well duh, I’m a pegasus. Have you… never seen a pegasus fly?”

Hedley just shook her head no as her mind was completely blown. For the first time something so simple was so complex and baffling to her instead of the other way around.

“Still, rude to try and kidnap me.” Prism said before sticking out her tongue and blowing a raspberry.

“I-I wasn’t- you know what? Never mind. I still need to get to my Tar- er, gazebo? Never actually seen one until now, just a settings option.”

“Uh, why? It’s just a casino.”

“Gazebo. And it’s a little more… ‘special’ than that.”

Hedley trotted over the remaining distance and entered her TARDIS, gesturing a hoof for her to follow behind. Prism cautiously entered through the gates of the pink gazebo, entering into the larger and much more spacious console room full of a similar regal charm that Hedley seemed to be ingrained with. The roundels glowed a soothing shade of pink as Hedley once again danced around the hexagonal console in the center of the room, checking readings and getting an analysis of the cloud above.

“Ah ha, now I’m getting somewhere.” Hedley said with a wide grin.

Prism wasn’t paying much attention, instead repeatedly sticking her head inside and outside the doors.

“Prism!”

“GAH!”

Prism fell to the floor in shock as Hedley yelled from right behind her. Hedley smiled and apologized before lending her a helping hoof.

“I just got the details on what’s going on up there. They’re called the Grenish Weapons Expo and seem to be touring around the galaxy for a week long showcase.”

“And what does that have to do with the sky lasers? I’d rather not have my tail pew-pewed off.”

“Well, Provia just so happens to be one of the ‘lucky’ selected planets on tour that they decided to test their nifty little gadgets on.”

“So my home is just one big test run?”

“Precisely, which is why I’m filing a teensy weensy complaint on behalf of the locals.”

“So you’re gonna fly right up there and complain for their manager?”

“In a sense, yes. Now hold onto your feathers, because I’m still new to short hops.”

“What do you- WOAH!”

The entire room lurched back and forth as her TARDIS dematerialized again. Prism was clutching onto a hatstand for dear life while Hedley was quickly correcting their corse mid-flight.

“D-don’t you know how to fly this thing!?”

“I just got my permit last week and had it revoked the day we met.”

“You’re lying.”

“I wish I was, now hang on!”

Slowly but steadily the room had stabilized, though half of the room’s contents were not in their original placement. Hedley helped Prism up as she was still shaking and sucking her hoof.

“N-never again! Next time…” Prism paused as she huffed and took a deep breath.

“I’m flying or taking the bus.”

Hedley just laughed and helped her towards the doors. She was shaking a lot less but it was nothing like any other ride she’d ever been on.

“Ready to voice your complaints?”

“To the planet destroyers or to my horrible driver?”

Hedley smiled and laughed causing Prism to do the same. The two doors before them slowly opened up and allowed them to step outside into the dangers before them.