Barcelona, Anypony?

by A Wise Pony

Noseless Dogs and Pegasi Statues

The library appeared exactly where and when Twilight had intended it too, on the edge of a city. Five ponies and one dragon stepped out, marveling at their sudden change in location. Twilight followed and locked the door behind her. "Just a second," she said. She cast a quick spell over the whole building.

"What was that spell?" Spike asked.

"Just a Somepony Else's Problem Spell," Twilight said. "It'll make sure nopony bothers the ARCHIVE while we're away."

"What a marvelous place!" Rarity exclaimed, taking in the view of the city. "Just look at it! Isn't it lovely?"

"Something's not right," Rainbow said. "Look at the sky!" The others turned their eyes to follow the pegasus' pointing hoof. Above them, the clouds swirled in the breeze, with not a pegasus in sight.

"Maybe they have weather like the Everfree?" Twilight suggested. "I mean, it's not Equestria."

"Well, at least some things are the same everywhere," Applejack said. "Look at Fluttershy!"

A number of small animals had gathered around the yellow pegasus, who was talking to them happily. One of them, tail wagging, had raised its head and perked its ears when Applejack spoke.

"Well, hey there, little doggy," the farmer said. She trotted over and held out a hoof to the critter. "What's your name?" The animal turned around and gave the earth pony's hoof an affectionate lick, but Applejack recoiled. "Yah! What the hay is that thing?"

"It's a dog, Applejack," Twilight informed her.

"It's got no nose!"

"Barcelona dogs don't have noses."

"Whaddya mean, they don't have noses? Who ever heard of a dog with no nose?"

"That's what Barcelona's known for: it's the planet where dogs don't have noses."

Everyone but Twilight gaped at that. "PLANET?!"

"Well, yeah," Twilight said, puzzled. "I mean, what did you expect?"

"So what you mean is that when you said Barcelona," Rarity began, "You thought we all expected a different planet?"

"Well…this is the Barcelona that popped into my head."

"How in Equestria did you know about a whole planet named Barcelona?" Applejack demanded. "Shoot, I didn't know there was even a city called Barcelona till about five minutes ago."

A loud gasp interrupted the argument. “A whole planet where I haven't met anypony!” Pinkie Pie leapt forward into the city. “I've got to meet everypony I can!”

“We'd better follow her.” Twilight suggested, trotting after Pinkie.

“Alright,” Applejack said. “But you're gonna have to explain how you knew about this place sometime soon.” The group trailed after the bouncing pink pony.

***

Ten minutes later, Pinkie's increasingly slow bounces finally stopped. “I don't understand,” she said, frowning. “I still haven't met anypony new!”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Where is everypony?”

“I don't know, but something's not right.” Twilight raised her voice and called into the empty streets. “Hello-o?” Echoes were the only answer.

“Can we go home now?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight glanced over at her. “Maybe we-” She stopped suddenly. “Fluttershy? What happened to all the animals?”

“They ran away,” the pegasus answered nervously. “Something scared them.”

“Oh, my!” Rarity exclaimed. “I've never seen such a detailed statue! Why, you can almost see the individual hairs of this pegasus' coat.”

“A pegasus statue?” Twilight trotted over to where Rarity had stopped to admire the art. A grey marble pegasus was placed in an alcove, it's hooves over its eyes. A shiver ran down the purple unicorn's spine.

“Yes, isn't it just the most elaborate masterpiece you've ever laid eyes on?” Rarity continued. “Though it's strange that they had it placed in the middle of the entryway.”

“Entryway?” Twilight looked past the statue, and saw the hall beyond. A hall decorated by several other statues of similar appearance, all posed slightly differently.

“Oh, look!” Rarity had noticed the other statues as well. “Why, they're all unique!” She started to trot past the lone statue to get a better look at its fellows.

“No!” Twilight exclaimed. “Rarity, come back here!”

“But Twilight, whatever for? They're just statues.”

“No, they're not. And I know what happened to whoever lived here.”

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy leapt forward, having drawn her own conclusions. “Oh, I'm so sorry for you,” she said to the statue. “Don't worry, I'll find the nasty cockatrice that did this to you.”

“No, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, keeping her eyes fixed on the statue. “It wasn't a cockatrice.”

“But how can it not be?” the yellow pegasus asked. “What else could turn all these ponies to stone?”

“Think about it. If it was a cockatrice, they wouldn't have been able to cover their eyes. These aren't ponies.”

“Then...what are they?”

“Something bad. Now get away from it!” Twilight waited until Fluttershy was away from the statue, then cast a force field around it, blocking the door as well. “I'm not one hundred percent sure, though. Everypony, form up on me. Keep looking outwards, but not at this statue. Don't close your eyes if you can help it.”

“Ooh! Like a staring contest!” Pinkie said.

“Sort of,” Twilight agreed. Only if they lost this one... “Okay, everypony circled up?”

A chorus of affirmations came from the group. “Alright...” Twilight kept staring at the statue, and then, slowly, she deliberately blinked. Almost immediately, she felt something slam against her field. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw the snarling visage of the 'pegasus', frozen with a hoof raised to strike the field again. “Oh no...oh no no no no no...”

“What?” Applejack asked. “What is it?”

“They must've already gotten everypony here,” Twilight muttered. She lowered her field, then cast a new one around the group. “Okay, it should be safe to look away for a moment. But keep an eye out. I doubt that these are the only ones.”

“The only what?” Applejack turned towards Twilight to demand an explanation, only to see the twisted face of the 'statue'. “Yah!”

The others turned to see it as well. All of them screamed as they saw it, except for Pinkie, who bounced over to peer smilingly at the statue. “Wow! Hi there, I'm Pinkie Pie! I've never met a statue that could move before, only I guess you only can move when we're not looking at you. Are you made of rock? I used to live on a rock farm, and I never saw a rock that could move, well except for Rocky, but that was kinda in my head, and-”

“Pinkie, cut it out! And don't look at its eyes!”

“What are they?” Applejack demanded. “Are they the ponies who live here?”

“No,” Twilight said. “They're why nopony lives here now. Weeping Angels.” She furrowed her brow, confused. “Though why do I remember them as looking different than this?”

“Forget that!” Rainbow said. “How do we stop them?”

“We can't,” Twilight told her. “It's too late for this town. We need to get back to the ARCHIVE.” The now slightly orange sky drew her eyes to the sinking sun. “And soon. Once it's dark, they'll have the advantage as they hunt.”

“Hunt? How? It's a statue!”

“No. They're only statues when you're looking at them. But when you're not, they move incredibly fast. Like this one just did.” Twilight started to move, and the others followed her. “If they touch you, they send you backwards in time and then use the time you would have lived from the present on as food.”

“Oh, is that it? Well, that's a relief,” Rarity said. “If one of us happens to be taken, then you can just use your time machine to find us again.”

“No, I can't,” Twilight replied. “Remember, no crossing your own timeline for important things. Once you're sent back, you're part of the events that led to now. I can't bring you back without causing a paradox.”

“Silly Twilight, what's a pair of socks have to do with time travel?” Pinkie said.

“Simple: if I cause a paradox, then I don't. Things reset so that it's how it was before I caused it. It's impossible to sustain a paradox...or at least really, really difficult. More than the ARCHIVE can handle without a temporal implosion.”

“Ooh...that sounds bad.” Rainbow said.

“It would be.” Twilight glanced back. “Any of them following us?”

“A few,” Applejack said. “Two on the rooftops, one on the road. Still cryin', though.” She scratched her head, pondering. “Why are they doin' that?”

“To make sure they don't look at each other,” Twilight said.

“Why?”

“Because then nopony would win the staring contest!” Pinkie interjected.

“Exactly, Pinkie. They'd be stuck. Forever. Or until something blocked their views.” Twilight looked up. Several more Angels were peeking over the rooftops ahead too. But over a low building, she could see the branches of the library. “There it is! We're almost-” She stopped suddenly as they came around the corner. “Here...” The base of the library was surrounded by Angels.

***

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