Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #26: While (MonsterAlive==1)

Twilight raced through the streets of Ponyville, a trail of books and parchment trailing after her, encased in her magical field.

“No no no,” she cried to herself, “how could it be here already? I thought that I’d have a few more hours. I must have gotten wrapped up in the research.”

Twilight skidded to a stop just in front of Sugarcube Corner. She knew that Pinkie Pie would be there now. Pinkie Pie was always there around now.

“Oh hi Twilight!” chirped Pinkie, from her position behind the sales counter as Twilight opened the door quickly enough to rip it from the hinges.

“Pinkie, no time to explain. I need an eyepatch and two, no three bowling balls and a balloon. Pink, preferably.”

“Okie dokie loki!” said Pinkie Pie, produing the requested items, and pushing them towards Twilight. Twilight grabbed them in her magic, and slid the eyepatch over one eye. The balloon, she tied around her tail.

“Twilight, is this about the encroaching evil that at this very moment is coming ever closer to destroying Equestria?” asked Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle paused for a second.

“Yes, Pinkie,” said Twilight, “yes it is. And one more thing, Pinkie?”

“Yes?”

Without saying anything more, Twilight Sparkle darted forwards, and pressed her lips against Pinkie’s. She tasted like cotton candy and rum. Twilight decided that it was a good taste, and then teleported out of the bakery.

******

Forty-two minutes. Forty-two minutes to save the world. She had to be precise about this, but precision had always been a strong suit of Twilight’s. Her plan, such as it was, was ready.

She took to the air, flying straight up, and her magic shot the first bowling ball forwards, using it to absorb the first of the falling fireballs. She dodged left, then left again, and teleported past a chunk of rock the size of Ponyville Town Hall.

The second bowling ball, she imbued with an almost ridiculous amount of magical energy, turning it into a crude bomb, before she launched it straight up. The ball shattered a second chunk of rock, and with unnering accuracy, Twilight wove through both the fading explosion and the scattering fragments of rock.

Her foe was in sight now, a giant monster from the depths of space. It had far too many tentacles and teeth for Twilight’s liking. She didn’t know why it was coming to Equestria, but she knew that it would destroy it in less than twenty minutes if she didn’t succeed.

She had one bowling ball left, and manoeuvred so that the creature was between her and the sun, casting her into shade. Twilight slipped the eyepatch over to her other eye, and pushed herself to fly faster. She had to be close for this.

Ten minutes left, and Twilight was almost in range. The creature was turning as quickly as its bulk would allow it to.

Five minutes, and Twilight began charging her last bowling ball with magic, the same way that she had done for her second.

At two minutes left, Twilight launched her third bowling ball, aiming straight for the creature’s opening mouth. She watched as the ball appeared to soar straight past the majority of the incoming debris and exploded.

Prematurely.

Twilight, however, did not have time to ponder this, because shortly after that, something knocked her unconscious, and her horn flared up, and she vanished.

*****

Twilight Sparkle woke up with the cold floor of her castle under her body and looked up at the clock.

“Right,” she said, “twenty-four hours to save Equestria starting now. Again.”

She had been so close that time, she was sure of it, and was just lucky that whatever had gone wrong the first time she’d tried to give herself more time had somehow trapped her inside a stable time-loop. Now she effectively had all the time that she needed to research and learn how this creature behaved.

She just wished it didn’t involve dying so often, sometimes.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #26: “The End is Neigh”

The prompt: There’s only one day. One day, before Equestria ends.

You get no internet points if you predicted a time loop from the title of this short.

Comments

[Malandy]

Oh! Interesting...

I guess she'll succeed next time?

Didn't read fully...

Yay! I get internet points!

Missing capitals:

"how

"yes