The Time Ponies and the Cutie Mark Thief Vs. the Queen of Hearts

by My name is R

11 The Castle of the Two Sisters

After Minuette finished telling the origin story of Nightmare Moon, they climbed back up the staircase and worked their way slowly around the hole, careful not to have anypony fall in. After several minutes they made it to the castle. Starlight looked up to the sun, and then shook her head wearily. I wonder if these ponies got used to it, or if the frozen sun still messes with them too, thought Perfect.

“Hey, Derpy?” Perfect Timing spoke up as they reached the stairs leading to a doorway. The others stopped to give them time before the party split.

“Yes?” Derpy tilted her head quizzically.

“You know that spell Inky and I use to communicate sometimes?” Derpy nodded. “Would you be okay if I use it to talk to you, in case we spot something? If you’re not comfortable I can send a flare or shout into the castle, but if you don’t mind it would be easier to warn you without alerting anything out here of our presence.”

“Sure!” Derpy saluted.

Perfect lit her horn and set it on Derpy’s forehead. Then she closed her eyes and focused her thoughts. Can you hear me?

“Yep!” Derpy chirped.

“Good enough. Good luck; I’ll see you soon.”

Derpy turned back to the rest of the group and they headed off. There was a pile of rubble where the doorway had no doubt once been, but Starlight and Minuette simply started clearing it with their magic. Perfect turned back to watch the path that led to the bridge. With the storm gone, flight was no longer a hazard, and they couldn't assume that enemy changelings wouldn't wander nearby any more. A thought she wished she had had before saying they should get rid of the vines. Hopefully no changelings that had seen the storm dissipate would feel inclined to investigate.

“So, read any good books recently?” asked Sandstorm.

Perfect stared at her and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Look, I don't understand why you're embarrassed, there's nothing wrong with not liking a story whose main character has a similar job to you.”

Perfect sighed and continued scanning the horizon. “That's not the problem. I let myself get so swept up in our discussion I forgot everypony else. I let my guard down, and could have missed something important. We all need to stay observant in this land.”

There was a pause. “You didn't just decide somepony should stand watch to keep me safe after my injury, did you?” Sandstorm asked, although Perfect couldn't tell if it was rhetorical or not. She glanced at Sandstorm briefly before returning her gaze to the trees. “I thought you were just trying not to make me feel left out when you offered to join me, but this job really is more than just a way to keep me busy, isn't it?”

“I had already been planning to post a guard when I learned we would be entering the castle,” Perfect lied. “And since pegasi have good eyesight I thought you, or Fluttershy, should be on watch. I'm not going to pretend to know how the Elements work, but I figure the bearers should be with the group looking for them. Maybe they'll be the only ones who can open the vault, or they'll have some sort of sixth sense for finding them.” Perfect held her breath.

“What about Derpy?”

Perfect relaxed. “Three, two, one…”

“Oh, right.”

“Don't get me wrong, I love that mare like a little sister, but spotting duty? I may no-”

Just then Emerald’s voice cut through the air. “Are you kidding me!?”

“Wait here. I’ll go see what that's about.” Perfect hurried off to make sure Emerald didn't do anything else to draw attention to them.

It turned out to be a shorter trip than she had expected. The doorway had been cleared and the others were gathered around a giant stone mobile sitting about the length of her and Inky's house straight ahead of the doorway. “Excuse me, Emerald; why are you shouting in the middle of a forest full of things that want to eat us?”

“Sorry, everypony,” said Emerald to the group at large. Then she turned to Perfect. “Minuette said that these,” she pointed at the mobile, which consisted of four forelegs and a central pillar each holding a large stone sphere, “are the Elements of Harmony.”

“I suppose the Elements appearing to be dead after placing them as our best hope to fight the changelings is a bit shocking,” Perfect admitted.

Emerald looked down. “I, uh... I was upset that after working to be on the castle exploration we didn't even make it past the first room before finding our goal.” She tapped her hooves together nervously. Then she took a sharp breath. “Wait, are they not supposed to look like that?”

“Yeah. They look like ancient magic rocks to me,” added Pinkie. She hopped over and set her ear on one, tapped it, then licked it. “Yep, definitely a rock. Trust me, I grew up on a rock farm. We had tons of 'em around. Only less magic-y and round. Too bad Maud isn't here to see this; we're gonna save Equestria with rocks.”

“The Elements should be necklaces with a gemstone in the shape and color of the bearer's cutie mark,” said Minuette.

“What's wrong with them?” asked Fluttershy.

“This is what they were like when Pinkie first saw them in our world. Then she and her friends did something that woke them up and turned them into necklaces, but I don’t know what.”

As the others tried to work out what to do, Perfect headed back to the stairs and sat down next to Sandstorm.

“What was it?”

“Apparently the Elements were in the very first room, and Emerald had her heart set on exploring.”

“So why are they still in there?”

“Well you see…”

---

Minuette examined the mechanism the elements sat on, which Starlight thought looked oddly like an orrery. “I can’t tell which is which,” said Minnuette before turning to the others. “Pinkie, Fluttershy, why don’t you see if any call to you?”

Both of the mares approached the elements and tested them, Pinkie by tapping them and listening to the noise—though thankfully without any more tasting—and Fluttershy by running her wings over them. But after a minute or so, neither appeared to have felt a ‘call’ and they stepped back.

“Could it be they only awaken when the bearers demonstrate their Element?” suggested Driver.

“Or understand it?” asked Emerald.

Minuette shrugged. “Those might work. I don't think I know anything else about how to get these running.”

“Okay, let’s try it,” said Starlight. “Fluttershy, you represent Kindness. Try ‘tapping into’ your inner kindness, or something. I'm going to be honest, I don't think anypony knows how these things work.”

“I always want to protect my friends, is that Kindness?”

“No, that's really more of a loyalty thing,” quipped Minuette. “I think you'll do better focusing on what you feel when patching ponies up.”

“I thought you said you didn't know anything else?”

“About the Elements silly!” Minuette started to laugh, but then stopped short. “Sorry. I don't know anything else about the Elements, but I do know the bearers, at least second-hoof. And I know our Fluttershy can't fight, but she is a healer, so that seems like a good place to start.”

“Is she injured?” There was an awkward silence after Fluttershy's question.

“No, it's more mental than physical. Occasionally she'll get into a shouting match and stared down a dragon, but normally she's so afraid the wind can make her faint. At least, that's what I gathered from our Pinkie.”

Fluttershy stared at Minuette. “Are you sure we don't simply share a name?”

Minuette took a step to the side and cooked her head. “Is your cutie mark three butterflies?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Alright, I’ll try to recall all my feelings like when I heal somepony.”

“Ok, while she does that, Pinkie, why don’t you try to call up Laughter?” asked Starlight.

Pinkie grinned. “Okay… So, did you know I used to have an ant farm?” Starlight blinked and started to reply, but Pinkie kept going. “But I had to get rid of it because... I couldn't find tractors that small!” Minuette started snickering.

“The other day, I spilled spot remover on my dog... and now I can't find him!” This was met by a bit of laughter from the crowd. Pinkie looked at the elements. “Ok, now what?” Nopony seemed to have an answer to that.

Fluttershy reached out and picked up one of the Elements, which had started to glow a soft pink. Its glow swelled until the details became impossible to make out, and when it faded it was no longer a spherical stone, but a necklace. It was golden with a pink gem in the shape of a butterfly at the center. She smiled. “I think it worked.”

“What were you thinking?” asked Minuette.

“I was remembering my mission. ‘To help others until all rise together.’ It came together from an encounter with a unicorn when I was a filly in Cloudsdale. She talked to some bullies who were teasing me and shared some lessons with all of us.” Fluttershy looked directly at Starlight. “And I can’t say for sure, since it's been so long, but she looked a lot like you.”

Starlight coughed. “You remember that?”

“So it was you. I was trying to help bring about the world we sought-”

“Don’t!”

Fluttershy took a step back, startled by the sudden outcry. “Don’t? Why not?”

“I was wrong. I tried to force ponies to be the same, to give up what made them special. But deep down I think I just hated cutie marks enough to think a world without them would be better, and I was willing to do anything to get there. Don’t make the mistakes I did. I… I don’t think I could bear causing another pony to do what I did.”

Fluttershy looked back, confused. “A world without cutie marks? Is that what you meant?”

Starlight was taken aback. “What did you think I meant?”

“I was trying to make sure nopony was left behind. To help those who couldn’t make it on their own. Before the changelings attacked I ran a shelter for ponies who didn’t have anywhere else to be. How would you even try to make a world without cutie marks?”

“A cutie mark removal spell,” Starlight admitted.

“Well, I was trying to end social inequality, not individuality. Though, looking back I can see how I might have misunderstood your intent. I was just a filly, after all.”

“I… I guess that’s okay then?”

“So will you help me bring about-”

“No! I’m not entirely sure if what you took my preaching to mean is okay, but it feels too much like my old propaganda. I don’t trust it.”

Fluttershy looked away. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“As… what’s the word,” muttered Driver. “Enlightening, as this conversation has been, should we be headed out now? I doubt hanging around the castle is going to help.” Starlight nodded and Driver grabbed one of the Elements and set it atop his back. “Pinkie, Starlight, Derpy, think you can each grab one?”

Pinkie slipped one into her mane… somehow. Derpy walked under one and used her wing to roll it onto her back, and Starlight picked one up in her magic.

“Won’t that get tiring after hours of walking?” asked Emerald. “Why don’t we send them back to Time Turner and have him pass them back when we need them?”

There was a long pause wherein Starlight and Driver shared a look that plainly said Oops. “Yes, let’s find a mirror,” Starlight said.

“A mirror?” asked Fluttershy.

“Doc said that mirrors make his machine work better,” Derpy answered.

Emerald lit her horn with a grin. “I’ve got this one.” She faced the wall and a section about 8 feet high by 6 feet wide lit to match her blue aura. Dust and dirt quickly began falling off the glowing portion. After it was clean, the wall started to gleam as though polished. Emerald turned back to the group. “My talent is restoration. Usually of books, but it works on other things.”

Starlight took out her beacon and activated it. Immediately the wall rippled almost imperceptibly.

“Not as flashy on this side,” Minuette observed. Driver stepped through and Starlight followed. The trip was as disorienting as always, but she was starting to get used to it. As her vision cleared she saw Time Turner’s basement just as they’d left it.

“Back so soon?” the Doctor asked. “I hope nothing went amiss?”

Driver shook his head. “No, we’re just here to drop off some relics so we don’t have to carry them across the countryside.”

“Whee!” Pinkie shouted as she flew out of the mirror. “That was great! Do you get to do that every time you visit?”

“What, pray tell, is she doing here?” Extra Time asked, both he and Perfect Pace eying Pinkie warily.

“Just dropping off this suuuper important stone. Unless I can make a party for you! I’ve never tried an ‘other world party’! What would the theme be?”

“No need for that!” Starlight interrupted as Derpy flew in. “Let’s just leave the Elements and be on our way.”

“Those are the Elements?” asked the Doctor. “I thought they were smaller than that.”

“That’s part of the problem. We’re trying to figure that out. Short answer is that they’re out of commission, at least for now.”

“My word, that sounds dreadful. Any clues on how to get them fixed up?”

“I’ll tell you three all about it when we get back.”

“Ah, of course. Cheerio.”

Derpy waved. “See you soon!”

And with that the four adventurers headed back through the mirror, ready to continue their mission.

Author's Note:

I planned on them crawling through the crumbling castle, using teamwork and all their respective skills to avoid falling prey to avalanching ceilings and collapsing floors, complete with a few of the booby traps we see in Castle Mane-ia. Then I realized the Elements were kept in the open in the first room. Emerald voiced my thoughts on the matter best.

Orrery: Noun. A mechanical model of the solar system.

Comments

[My name is R]

Sorry about the delay. I forgot to post this chapter yesterday. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

[Golden_Reflection]

This was a nice chapter. I’m a little late due to only recently having time to read it, but I liked the building of Fluttershy’s being drawn to one (presumably kindness) while also having originally misinterpreted Starlight’s maliciously gentle talking down of the bullies to be kinder than it was supposed to be.