Last Mare on Earth

by Coyotek4

Welcome to Canterlot

“The first time I met Twilight Sparkle, she was new to Ponyville, so of course that meant I had to throw her a party! She was so surprised, but then all of us were surprised when Nightmare Moon returned …”

“… and the changelings overran Canterlot, which was super-scary, but then Cadence’s love conquered all …”

“… and that’s when Twilight became an alicorn. Then she went to some alternate dimension to retrieve her crown that was stolen, but that’s a whole other story …”

“… now Starlight Glimmer is Twilight’s student; can you believe that? And that really mattered when Starlight and Discord helped save all of Equestria from Chrysalis again …”

“… I never taught before, unless you count my time foalsitting for Mr. and Mrs. Cake, but they’re so young and now I have more grown-up ponies and other creatures to teach …

“… and now Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow are all turned to stone and are on display in the Royal Gardens where Discord used to be … and, I guess that’s about it. But seriously, I’ve gone on about myself long enough; now it’s your turn, Sans. Where would you like to begin?”

“Perhaps later, Ms. Pie,” Sans says, “but look!” He points a hoof directly ahead; a stylized sign reads ‘Welcome to Canterlot!’

“Oh … well what do you know? Time really flew by there, didn’t it,” Pinkie admits.

“So which way to these ‘Royal Canterlot Archives’ you mentioned?” Sans asks. “I assume that would be where Twilight had spent her time.”

“Follow me,” Pinkie replies as she takes the lead, Sans following closely behind.

What once was a bustling hub of activity was now a ghost town. Storefront after storefront, business after business; no boarded windows, no broken glass. Restaurants … boutiques … the type mattered not. Pinkie inspects the desolation as she and Sans make their way through the city proper.

“It’s like a giant playset, and somepony forgot to buy action figures,” Pinkie comments.

“Truly, this whole scene is surreal,” Sans adds.

“It’s too real for me,” Pinkie counters. “It feels like forever ago when Rarity opened up her second boutique right here, or when she and I went sent here by the Cutie Map to help out a father and daughter. But now …” she shakes her head forlornly.

“I can only imagine what Manehattan looks like right now,” Sans says in awe. “But in all honesty, I’ve never even been to a town this large.”

He waits for a reply, but Pinkie quietly presses on, her head down and eyes barely open.

“We’ll find a way,” Sans reassures. “From what you’ve told me, Twilight is more than capable of finding a solution; there’s a strong possibility that what we need to do is already laid out for us once we arrive.”

“I really hope you’re right,” Pinkie finally answers. “But walking through this town … it’s just really hard now.”

“Keep hope,” Sans says. “These streets will be crowded once again.”

Pinkie turns to Sans. “OK seriously, when did you become this super-hopeful stallion?”

“I am merely trying to strike a balance between hope and despair. I am sure that I will have my moments of weakness, and I am equally sure you will be there to boost my spirits when that time comes. But right now, it appears that you are the one in need of healing, so it is my turn to be strong.”

“Gee … I never thought of it that way,” Pinkie remarks.

“Let us focus on the task at hoof. How far away are we from the archives?”

“Not far,” Pinkie replies, her mind more at ease.

“The last time I was here, I was sneaking in through a window with Twilight and Spike,” Pinkie remarks upon reaching the steps to the Royal Canterlot Archives. “I guess it does make more sense to use the doorway.”

“I must have missed that part of your recollections,” Sans admits. “Tell me, why did you and Twilight ‘sneak in’ to this building?

Pinkie laughs at the thought. “Oh, Twilight was just Twilighting her usual self. She got it in her head that something terrible was going to happen in the future, so she found a way to travel back in time to warn herself. But all she succeeded in doing was giving herself enough stress to totally freak out for an entire week!”

Sans blinks. “Let me make sure I understood you correctly, Ms. Pie … you said that Twilight found a way to travel back in time?”

“Well sure, this is Twilight Sparkle we’re talking about!” Pinkie replies in an offhoof manner. “Nothing surprises me anymore regarding her.”

“But don’t you see?” Sans asks with greater urgency. “This may be what Twilight was trying to tell you. Do you remember where in the archives we need to go?”

“It was the Starswirl the Bearded wing. It’s easy to find; follow me.” With a renewed spring in her step, Pinkie pronks her way up the stairs and into the building, with Sans following. Once through the doorway, they travel partway down a corridor towards a room that had been roped off; a partition dangled to the side of the doorway, leaving the room free to enter. They cross the threshold of the doorway and inspect the room.

“Everything appears so organized,” Sans remarks. “All the books and scrolls are stacked neatly upon the shelves, as if nothing had happened. Surely there would have been some chaos, right?”

Pinkie utters a ‘meh’. “Maybe nopony had time to react before the disappearing began.” She notices a pair of scrolls and a quill on the floor next to an empty lantern. “At least one pony wasn’t kind enough to put scrolls away.”

Sans rushes over to the scrolls and inspects the area. “Pinkie Pie, this must be what Twilight was studying. Come.”

Pinkie trots over and inspects the two scrolls. “One of these definitely looks familiar; it’s what Twilight used to go back in time. And the other scroll is in her hoofwriting.” She starts to read Twilight’s script: “ ‘Wait thirty seconds, then repeat this incarnation … should allow for non-unicorns to travel back in time …’ ” She looks up at Sans. “Classic Twilight! Looks like she found a way to get anypony to do magic!”

“That’s incredible!” Sans shouts. “You can use this to go back in time and warn Twilight of what’s to come! She would surely be able to find a solution given enough time for preparation! Tell me, how far back in time does this spell send you?”

“A week …”

…

Pinkie’s comment causes the color to fade from Sans’s face. “Yeah, maybe I should have come here sooner. Uh … ‘whoopsie’?” she asks with a resigned smile.

“It’s OK,” Sans reassures. “You couldn’t have known. We’ll … we’ll find some other avenue.”

Sans gives Pinkie a consoling embrace.

While in that embrace, a thought comes to the pink pony. “Saaay, now I got a longershot of an idea. What do you say, Sans …” She turns her head toward Sans’s face; her eyes grow as she notices a transparent hue upon him. “No,” she pleads, “not you too!”

“It’s quite all right,” Sans reassures. “It sounds like you’ve made a breakthrough on your own; you won’t need my help anymore.”

“But … but …”

“I’ll see you again … I promise …”

A second later, Pinkie Pie is alone.

I will see you again, Sans Smirk … and you, Twilight … and you too, everypony else!

Comments

[Switch Swap]

Now pinkie is truly alone

[Nitro Indigo]

Is she going to go back to rescue Sans Smirk?

[Switch Swap]

10163036
I don’t think that this is something that can be prevented like the time loop from “It’s about time”