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Next floor: The Past2,642 words
Time paradoxes and pink party ponies2,361 words
From The space time continuum with love2,296 words
Past noponies and future celebrities.2,699 words
Can you rewrite time with a broken pen?2,062 words
Purple velvet in the fabric of time2,312 words
I bought some apples in the future!2,616 words
We just met tomorrow!2,904 words
Zap to the future.2,191 words
Gotta get zap in time2,172 words
Next floor: The Future1,045 words

Gotta get zap in time

Snips in Time

Wednesday morning
Celestia's and Luna's reign
Year 0

"What do you mean ""There ain't no zap apples here sugarcube"" "? Snips asked while he imitated the country mares famous accent.

"Thats just what it means, all zap apples were squashed to jelly and fed to Pinkie a week ago, I understand zap apples are mighty good but why do ya need it so badly?" Applejack said while she bucked some trees. "Careful, here they come."

Snips was running around with a basket on his head, he was meant to catch the apples in the basket yet it wasn't as easy as it sounded, so he busted out the levitation magic and the apples flew into the basket with no effort.

"Huh? That's convinient! Maybe I should hire a unicorn assistant here someday, say... ya'll interested?" said Applejack with a nod of her hat.

"Not really, all I wanted was the zap apple...I need it." Snips said defeated.

Applejack sighed and walked over to him "Look, sugarcube, if I could help you, I would, after all you've done for us, it's the least I can do." she said and gave him a hug "Thank you."

Snips was confused once again, and he realised that he had been confused a lot lately. "...uhh...what did I do?" he said sheepishly.

"The lottery! Ya gave us that whole price even when you didn't need to!" Applejack said "and we could finally pay all our debts to Filthy Rich and his company, the farm belongs to family again..."

"Oh...I saved the farm that wasn't supposed to be saved?...thats bad" Snips thought.

Then Applejack let go of him and put her hoof on his shoulder. "And you're always welcome in the Apple family, Timey."

Snips smiled and blushed, well maybe it wasn't that bad "always?" Snips asked.

"Always" Applejack said without knowing what that meant to time travelling Snips.

"Well!" said Applejack breaking the moment "I heard that Twi was looking for ya, something about ""first kisses"" but I'm not sure, she's always over reacting!" Applejack chuckled.

Snips suddenly remembered his quest and what Luna had said. He shouldn't get too attached to this time he would have to leave. Twilight must never find him!

"Applejack, I beg you! I'll do anything for a zap apple! anything!" he said in desperation.

"Anything? Even risk your life?" asked Applejack. "cause...well I shouldn't probably tell you this, but I think you'll find out eventually anyway so...OK" she said and pointed at a direction of a looming forest. "Many, many years ago, my granny went into that forest and found the first of zap apples...now...I'm not sure, but I think you might find some there yourself too, even tough the season is over."

Snips looked at the direction of the forest, it was dark, uninviting and had an atmosphere of utter horror. "That forest?" he said and he could remember what the forest was called only he hoped it was not so "what's it called?" he asked.

"The Everfree forest." said Applejack.

Of course it had to be that forest, that same place Luna had said was "a cursed forest full of memory and anger, of the souls of the many ponies that had perished there." man, she sure was one fancy talker.

"I have to go in there?" he asked in fear.

Snips stood at the entrance of the forest, the time machines AI had been nice enough to give him some saddlebags so he could collect the apples.

It didn't make much difference to the fact that the forest was, simply put, cursed! He could feel eyes watching him at all times as he walked past the first of the trees that led inside the woods of terror, Snips knew that this is where The city of Everfree had stood and this is where the armies of Nightmare Moon and Celestia had fought for the freedom of Equestria.

All that remained was supposedly wandering souls of the dead, full of regret and anger, and more then happy to make living ponies join their ranks. He trotted deeper and deeper into the forest all the while eyeing the treetops for those darn fruits he needed, yet the further he went the harder it became to see as the forest became dark and the trees became taller.

After a while he could swear that he saw shapes of ponies moving between the trees, whispering in the wind as they went, he immediately thought that coming here was the worst idea he had ever had.

He looked around desperately for the apples so he could leave as soon as possible but all he saw was ruins, large old ruins of marble stone and he quickly went inside. It was a white palace where large pillars of marble stood to support a large dome like ceiling, and the walls were covered with writings of the alicorn language, and in the glass paintings, faded yet stil distinquishable, were pictures of heroic deeds of old.

At the other end, opposite from the door, was a throne of dark blue stone and on that throne sat, hanging on a silver chain, a white horn shaped like that of a crecent moon.

As Snips saw the horn he felt a sudden urge to take it and blow on it, he could not explain it but the horn drew him near and as he reached out to touch it, the horn was unaturally cold, still as if he was moving against his own will, he put it around his neck, lifted the horn, closed his eyes and blew on it and the sound it made echoed through the empty halls.

Snips opened his eyes, he could see something he did not expect, it was daylight!

He looked around himself and saw that the palace seemed new, like it had been rebuilt in the few seconds he kept his eyes closed. "What...is this?" he said out loud.

Then he trotted over to the newly appeared door and opened it.

Outside was a city! A white city of marble where majestic towers stood tall and on top of them, banners of Equestria fluttered in the wind. The streets were filled with ponies walking around minding their own business, Snips couldn't remember getting into the time machine yet here he was in Everfree city!

"How...how am I here?" he said.

Then he noticed something quite weird, there was something wrong with all the ponies there, all of them lacked something they shouldn't.

All of them were blank flanks.

Then again, so was seemingly Snips at the time, his flanks had been covered with strong dye.

"Hello!" he said to the passing ponies.

They all turned to look at him simultaneously, death in their eyes and suddenly the sky darkened and the city began to decay, large black stones flew from the skies destroying everything in their path and the tall towers of the city crumbled to dust.

"It's Nightmare Moon! Nightmare Moon! Our doom has come!" yelled the ponies staring at him, and they too began to decay, taking a form that of black, oily, shadows, their bodies were riddled with holes and out of those holes poured red light that also covered their eyes.

"HOLY HAY!!!" Snips yelled in fear, he turned around and galloped back inside the palace, the monster ponies shambled after him, slowly but steadily.

Snips could smell the decay and death behind him that would take him too if he did not find a way out.

The citizens of Everfree poured inside and they approached him as he climbed on top of the throne.

"Stay with us!" they said "We would not like it if you leave."

A sea of red and black death below him, Snips realized that the cursed horn was still hanging on his neck!

He struggled to remove it "come on! COME ON!" he yelled in fear and just when one of the monsters caught his hind leg and pulled him down he ripped the horn off and he fell on the empty cold floor of the palace ruins.

The monster ponies were gone, the palace was in ruins once again and everything was, as if nothing had happened. Snips lay there for a moment, panting in fear and then he stood up on his shaky hooves. There on the floor next to him lay the white horn on a silver chain and he dared not approach it again or gaze upon it for too long. He had to leave now!

Snips galloped outside and kept running until he could not remember where the ruins had been, the forest was whispering to him all the while, and the shapes of ponies he thought he saw last time were now clear as day, rows of ghostly royal guards silently fought against thousands of batponies between the trees.

Finally after running for hours, he saw the exit! Light poured from between the trees and Snips almost had hope that he would live through the day after all! If only there was nothing waiting for him in ambush...

Then he was caught! A terrible yellow creature from the depths of tartarus, stood in his way and he fell over. "eep!" said the monster, not the most monster-like yell he had ever heard but this forest was evil and mysterious and nopony could tell what kind of horrors it held.

He stood up to look at the terror in the eye, it was a yellow pegasus mare with a pink mane and she did not seem terrible in any way, quite beautiful in fact, he thought. Yet nothing in this forest was as it seemed and Snips was already scared to the bone by his experience in the palace, this mare was no doubt, another trap!

"Stay back! Stay back you monster!" he yelled and made his horn glow threateningly.

The "monster" cowered in fear and hid behind her mane "I'm sorry" it whispered in a sweet voice. Then Snips noticed a familiar yellow filly with a red mane standing next to the "monster". It was nopony other than Apple Bloom.

"Timey! You're okay...Applejack told me you went to the Everfree forest, I convinced Fluttershy to help me find you, she knows this forest like her own backyard and..." she said but then she noticed how shaken Snips was.

"You saw...them...didn't you?" Apple Bloom asked mysteriously.

"Them?" asked Snips. "you mean crazy zombie ponies!? Yes, I saw them!"

Apple Bloom looked thoughtful "So...it wasn't a dream after all" she said and then her expression was that of fear.

Snips had had enough at that moment tough "zap apple! I need a zap apple, and I need it quick!" he said.

"Umm..." said the supposed "monster" who was named Fluttershy "I know where you can get that." she whispered in fear.

"Where!?" said Snips.

"In the Everfree forest?" Fluttershy said carefully.

"Oh no! I am not going back there, ever again and I mean never, ever again!" Snips said, his voice shaking.

"I can get it for you...if thats fine with you..." Fluttershy said.

"No! I am not letting you go there, or anypony else!" Snips said. "This place is pure evil! Fence it! Burn it! Seal it in a permanent force field!"

"..but my animals live in there.." Fluttershy said sadly.

"Live? Live in there?! Nothing lives in there! There is nothing in there, only death! There is no life in the void!!" Snips rambled on, Apple Bloom understood and she knocked him out cold with an, you guessed it, apple to the head.

"Apple Bloom! What did you do?" Fluttershy gasped.

"Trust me Fluttershy, this is the only way. Now let's take him to the hospital." Apple Bloom said.

Snips woke up in a bed of white sheets...sweet! He couldn't even remember what sleeping in a real bed felt like! Apple Bloom was there, and so was Fluttershy. Then he remembered what had happened "Whats going on?! Where are the monsters?" he said.

"Monsters?" said Apple Bloom "You uhh...you just passed out at the farm and we brought you here" Apple Bloom smiled innocently, Fluttershy shuffeled her hooves nervously and smiled as well.

"Wait...it was a dream?" Snips said.

"Yes!" said Apple Bloom "Just a dream, all the monsters, all of it."

"But...I didn't even tell you what the dream was?" said Snips in desbelief.

Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed "or did you?! Dun dun duuun!" she said while making the dramatic sound effect.

"No, I didn't" Snips simply said.

"Yes you did, Fluttershy hoof him over his saddlebags and lets go." Apple Bloom said nervously.

Fluttershy tip hoofed over and quickly gave Snips his saddlebags, then she left with Apple bloom. The saddlebags felt quite heavy it seemed, so Snips took a peek inside, only to be blinded with rainbow colored light.

It was a zap apple!

"To be continued in:

Next floor: The future"

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