Chapter 1 There's No Time to Explain! World Destroyed: 0 Times
"Boy am I glad that's over with!" Spike walked through the doorway to the library and headed straight upstairs to his little wicker bed. He climbed in and pulled the covers over his head. "Remind me of today the next time I make such a fuss over not coming on more adventures with you and the girls."
Twilight Sparkle's horn glowed briefly, illuminating the interior of the library with pale violet light as she used her magic to pull the door shut behind her. She shrugged off her saddle bag, which landed on the floor with a thud, then lumbered upstairs and flopped face-first onto her bed with a heavy sigh. There was a moment where she contemplated staying in that position and falling asleep then and there, but she still hadn't finished her book on the subtleties of dragon vernacular, and it certainly wasn't going to read itself.
She tucked her wings in tight and rolled onto her back, where she studied the shadows that danced across the ceiling. "Oh, Spike. I really enjoy it when you're able to come along with us, but after today I must say I know how you feel." A violet aura surrounded one of the books on her desk as it drifted through the air and into Twilight's waiting hooves. She opened the book and flipped through the pages until she reached the spot where she had left off, then started reading as she talked. "There are some nights when it feels like Equestria's in mortal peril pretty much every other day." She took a moment to readjust one of her wings before continuing. "It's like I can't go a single minute without having to do something that can't wait until later."
A series of gentle snores was the only response Twilight received. She moved the book down and peered over the top of it at Spike. The little dragon was out cold, lying on his back with one leg hanging over the edge of the wicker bed, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of envy. Oh, to be a foal again, where the only real worries were what spells you were going to study, and making sure your books were returned to the library on time.
Twilight closed her book and set it on the bedside table.
Why not? she thought. Though the detailed speech patterns and social complexities found within the book fascinated her, there was no rule that said she had to finish reading it tonight. She really should complete it; she wanted to complete it. Her body and mind just needed to take a bit of time off. Just one night getting to bed at a decent hour should be more than enough to rejuvenate her, and besides, she was a princess now. She was pretty certain she could take a night off to relax if she wanted to.
Maybe she should ask Princess Celestia first, just to be sure.
Twilight was contemplating some way of getting a message to the princess without having to wake Spike up when a brilliant burst of light illuminated the interior of the library, momentarily blinding her, followed by a quiet pop.
"Twilight Sparkle!" an authoritative voice boomed. "There's no time to explain, you must travel immediately to the Everfree forest if you are to save Equestria!"
Twilight tried to blink the spots out of her eyesight. "Princess Luna?" she asked hesitantly. She couldn't see the Princess of the Night, but she most certainly heard her. "What's going on? Why are you in my bedroom?" Her ears perked up as she realized something. "Did you say Equestria is in danger?"
Princess Luna grimaced and raised a hoof to her forehead. She then sat slowly on her haunches and gazed at Twilight with a patience born of a thousand years of isolation. "An Evil Lord has stumbled across an ancient magical spell that will destroy the world once it is cast. For reasons beyond my understanding, he has decided he wants to cast it. If you do not stop him, everyone you know and love will die."
"I... what!?" Twilight exclaimed. She sat bolt upright in her bed and stared at the princess. "Does he know how to cast it? How much time do we have to stop him?"
"Yes, he is casting it as we speak, and we have thirty seconds from the time he started."
Twilight blinked. "How long have you been here?" she asked meekly.
"Twenty-seven seconds."
"Oh." Twilight only had a moment to allow that knowledge to sink in before the night sky was illuminated by a brilliant flash of white-hot light that ripped through Equestria and destroyed the world.
Twilight had always had a sense of curiosity when it came to the knowledge of what actually occurs when one's life has come to an end. There were plenty of books that outlined various theories, but there was nothing quite like experiencing it for yourself, and as she slowly opened her eyes and tried to move her aching body, she understood then that it was something she really didn't want to have to go through again.
"Welcome back, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight carefully raised her head at the sound of Princess Luna's voice. What she saw didn't make any sense. She was back home in her library, safely tucked into her bed. Near the foot of the bed, Luna sat watching her expectantly.
"Wait," Twilight said. She glanced around the room and noticed Spike still sleeping peacefully. "Was that all a dream just a moment ago?" she asked. It was the only logical explanation, and Luna was known to visit ponies in their dreams from time to time.
"No," Luna intoned. "My sister and I have turned back time to the moment when I first appeared in your bedroom."
"You can do that?"
"We can," Luna said. "It requires an enormous amount of energy and concentration, and could prove disastrous if extreme caution is not used."
Twilight had used a time travel spell in the past, but it had its limits. She had also learned of the many dangers of trying to manipulate the past, so the situation had to be pretty serious if the princesses were relying on this kind of solution. She was pondering this when her eyes widened suddenly.
"He's casting it again, isn't he?" she asked.
"Indeed."
"Time left?"
"Six seconds."
Twilight breathed in slowly and sighed. "Well, then," she said. A moment later, the world disappeared in a searing flash of light.
Twilight awoke to the smell of singed hair. She opened one eye and wasn't surprised at all to see that her tail was blackened in spots. A thin wisp of smoke rose from its very tip. Dying a second time only reinforced her conclusion that it was a situation best experienced only once, though she wouldn't have minded if she had never had to experience it at all. It was this reinforced unwillingness to die that found her leaping out of bed and spinning around to face Luna.
"Enough!" she shouted. "If you can turn back time, then you can also stop time. Thirty seconds isn't long enough to come up with a solution; I need some time to think!" It was around that moment when she realized that she hadn't jumped out of bed, and that she wasn't shouting at Luna at all.
"That is precisely what we have done, Twilight Sparkle," Princess Celestia said. She was standing about a meter away, wings spread in welcome, on what looked to be a road or pathway made out of some kind of glowing spheres. The pathway was suspended in midair over a shimmering, seemingly endless sea of stars. Twilight had seen this place once before.
"This is where I became a princess," she breathed. "Before the actual coronation. But I don't understand–" she looked at Celestia and tilted her head "–why are we here?"
Princess Celestia smiled down at her former student. "It is only in this place where my sister and I possess enough strength to both maintain a time stoppage and have a few moments to discuss strategy."
Princess Luna appeared from behind Twilight and walked over to stand beside her sister. They looked at one another, then back at Twilight, who had a feeling that she was finally about to receive a proper explanation of what was going on.
She was not disappointed.
"About five minutes ago, my sister and I suddenly sensed that an artifact of great power was nearby," Princess Celestia explained. "We assume that, until very recently, there were protective spells placed upon it to hide its existence from those who might misuse it. Unfortunately, that means we were unaware of its existence until now."
Princess Luna continued for Celestia. "By the time we narrowed down its location in the Everfree forest, the Evil Lord was already casting the spell." She frowned and stamped a hoof, though it made no sound on the glowing pathway. "We needed to move fast. We must both concentrate together in order to turn back or stop time. This means we had to choose between risking the fate of the world by fighting the Evil Lord by ourselves without a safety net, or bringing in somepony else who is strong enough to face him while we prepare the time spells in the event of a failure."
That explained why neither of the princesses had directly confronted the Evil Lord, and why Twilight had to be involved. It wasn't difficult for Twilight to figure out that Luna would have had to teleport to her immediately to let her know what was going on. But it didn't explain why they simply hadn't stopped time after the first time the world was destroyed, and then explained things to her instead of allowing it to be destroyed again. She asked the princesses why this was so.
Celestia's voice was serious as she looked down at Twilight. "It is crucial that you fully understand the consequences of failure, my former student. By experiencing them firsthand on multiple occasions, I feel you are much more aware of what is at stake. We do not have the power to just stop time for as long as we wish, and even now our grasp on the magic is slipping. Even with time manipulation there is still a very real chance that we could fail." Celestia frowned slightly. "Permanently."
Twilight sat down and stared at the glowing path below her. It was a lot to take in, and there were still plenty of questions to ask. Who was this Evil Lord? Did he have a name, and how did he obtain such a spell? For that matter, why would anypony create a spell that could destroy the world in thirty seconds in the first place? Seriously, why? Even if somepony was bent on getting revenge for one reason or another, such a spell would still kill–
"Oh dear, it looks like our time is up," Princess Celestia said, breaking Twilight from her thoughts.
Twilight raised her head up and stared at the princesses. "Do you mean–"
"Our apologies, but we lost our grip on the magic five seconds ago," Luna explained. "We had better get you back to the library."
Twilight's jaw dropped. "Wait, this can't be happening!" She watched in horror as Luna prepared to teleport them back. "You mean you're just going to send me off to save the world again without so much as a 'Good luck, Twilight!'?"
"Good luck, Twilight," Princess Celestia said with a smile. Twilight tried to think of some kind of retort, but before anything useful came to mind she found herself back in her dark bedroom with Luna and a completely unconscious, and therefore oblivious, Spike.
"Couldn't be bothered to teleport me to the Everfree, I see," Twilight muttered as she sat down and crossed her front hooves with a scowl. She knew she shouldn't resort to bickering with the princesses, but she figured she had already died twice for them and had earned the right to complain.
Luna sat down and regarded Twilight, unblinking. "I would explain why it must be this way, but I'm afraid time isn't on our side."
Twilight suppressed the urge to yell and, instead, felt her lower lip tremble as she realized the inevitable was only seconds away. "I don't want to die again!" she cried.
"You're not doing much to prevent it," Luna said.
"Auuugh!" Twilight couldn't hold her anger in any longer. Evil Lords, spells of destruction, the look on Princess Luna's face at that moment. It was completely ridiculous! Thirty seconds to stop an Evil Lord? How was that even possible? Oh, but she had better succeed or else she would be treated to death after death after death, because that's all her life consisted of now, right? Thirty seconds to live, Twilight Sparkle, and then you get to die! To make matters worse, Spike over there was just sleeping through the whole thing like it didn't matter.
"Spike! Wake up!" Twilight shouted gleefully.
Spike sat bolt upright in bed and rubbed his eyes. He only had a second to see the blinding burst of light surge towards him before the world ended.
Unfortunately, Twilight discovered that you just never could get used to dying, even when it happens about every thirty seconds. That didn't stop her from learning from her experiences, though.
"Spike, wake up!" she shouted before teleporting the baby dragon onto her back. Spike only had enough time to reflexively grasp Twilight's mane and keep himself from falling before they were out the door and into the cool night air. Twilight galloped as fast as she could. Occasionally, she'd teleport them both to a spot further ahead in order to save time.
"Uh, Twilight?" Spike asked from his perch upon her back. "What are we doing?"
"Saving the world," Twilight replied. She was a bit too busy trying to save the world to waste time discussing saving the world.
"At this hour?" Spike asked groggily. He yawned and stretched his arms. "You could've just let me stay in bed this time."
"Oh, no," Twilight said. She teleported them again before continuing. "Not this time. This time we're all going to die in about twenty seconds, and you have a front row seat!" Her left eye twitched slightly and her voice became strained. "Isn't adventuring fun?"
Spike didn't answer, which was probably for the best. Twilight had been... strained in his presence before, so she could only imagine what he was thinking. Not that it mattered much, because odds were they would both be dead in a few seconds and he wouldn't remember a thing. It wasn't a good excuse for her behavior, but dying had a way of bringing out the worst in her.
Twilight made it to the Everfree forest in record time. She stopped in a small clearing and scanned the area from left to right. It was then that she realized something.
"What does he even look like?" she muttered to herself.
"What does who look like?" Spiked asked with a shrug.
Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. "The Evil Lord who's casting the Spell of Destruction that will annihilate the world in the next–" she made a mental calculation "–ten seconds. I don't even know what he looks like, let alone where he's located within the Everfree!" She dropped to the ground and covered her head with her front hooves. "How am I supposed to save the world without crucial information like that?"
"Hm," Spike said. He tapped a claw on his chin for a moment, raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Nah, I've got nothin'." He then laid down on Twilight's back and used her mane as a pillow. He stared up at the dark, leafy canopy high above their heads. "You were just joking about the whole 'end of the world' thing, ri–"
Spike's words were tragically cut short as a surging inferno of pure energy ripped the world asunder for the fourth time in just over two minutes.
Chapter 5 Time to Change Strategies World Destroyed: 4 Times
Princess Celestia closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. She was preparing to send her sister back to Twilight's bedroom when Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder to stop her.
"Hm?" Celestia asked. She looked at Luna and raised an eyebrow at the look of mischief on her sister's face.
"Let's send the pink one this time," Luna suggested.
Celestia stared at her sister open-mouthed. Of course: send in the pink one when the one pony who was probably the world's only hope had just failed four times in a row. Surely that would solve the problem. It's not like literally everything depended on the choices they were making at this very moment.
Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Luna resorted to trying to reason with her.
"Come now," Luna said. "What is the worst that could possibly happen? Oh, that's right, dear sister, the world could be destroyed." Celestia frowned at her, but she kept at it. "It has already happened four times. What harm could a fifth time do us? We'll just watch her fail spectacularly and then reset time like we've been doing."
Celestia let a long sigh out through her nose and looked down at the world below. She had a feeling they were in for a long night as it was. She stood still for a moment longer just to allow for more tension, then turned back to Luna.
Chapter 6 Ain't Got No Time For This World Destroyed: 6 Times
"She had thirty seconds to save the world, and yet she somehow managed to destroy it in three." Princess Celestia brushed soot from her tail with a grimace, then eyed her sister. "Never. Again."
Princess Luna laid her ears back upon her head and gave a sheepish grin under her sister's glare. "Ah yes, well." She took a moment to compose herself as she extinguished a small fire that had broken out nearby. "Truly, neither of us could have predicted how much damage she is actually able to create," Luna reasoned. She frowned slightly and shook her head. "How did she even set us ablaze, I wonder?"
"It's Pinkie Pie," Celestia stated bluntly. She sighed and looked out over the world. "Such an innocent creature, and yet she was able to destroy the world faster than an Evil Lord can."
"Twice, actually," Luna said.
"Hm?"
"She destroyed it two times," Luna said. She turned to preen her feathers, many of which were askew. "You were unconscious for a second." She looked up to see Celestia staring at her. "She's fast, you know."
Celestia closed her eyes. A small, but persistent, throbbing in her head told her that she was about to experience a migraine for the ages. Having to watch the world disappear in a blast of blinding light over and over again wasn't going to make matters any better for her, so she needed to speed things up. She turned back to her sister.
"I believe it is time to power up our newest princess," she suggested. She couldn't help but smile at the look on Luna's face. Things were about to get interesting.
For some reason, Twilight Sparkle wasn't entirely convinced that what the princesses suggested was a good idea. Maybe it had something to do with the glint of mischief she saw in their eyes when they explained their plan, or perhaps it was just the fact that everything they tried ultimately led to her death. Whatever the reason, she wanted as many answers as she could get before she was sent back down to Ponyville for another attempt.
"Yes, Twilight. Now you're beginning to understand." The way Princess Celestia smiled at her reminded Twilight of how a mother might react to a foal who finally stops putting her hoof into a fire because it is, in fact, hot.
"We've granted you the ability to sense the Spell of Destruction," Luna chipped in. "You will be able to hone in on the location of anyone who tries to cast it. We've also boosted your magical abilities so that you can better handle the Dark Lord."
Twilight blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked, frowning. "All I have to do is interrupt the spell, right?"
Princess Celestia and Luna looked at each other, then back at Twilight.
"The Dark Lord is quite powerful," Celestia explained. "We've had a few minutes to study the magical traces he leaves, and we now believe that the very act of casting the Spell of Destruction increases his power to untold levels. You probably wouldn't even have been able to make him blink before now."
"Oh," Twilight said. "So I was basically destined to die all those times anyway." She lowered her eyelids. "Good to know."
Princess Luna caught Twilight's eye. "Your new powers will also help you deal with all of the monsters."
"All the what, now?"
Twilight was certain she had just heard the word 'monsters' mentioned, but that couldn't be right. She certainly hadn't run into any monsters the past few times she'd tried to save the world. What, had the Dark Lord decided that ending the world wasn't enough, and now he had to throw monsters into the mix?
"Oh, how could we forget to mention that?" Princess Celestia mused. Twilight had a feeling that the princesses hadn't forgotten at all, and were somehow enjoying this. "Yes, Twilight, there are monsters now. Quite a few of them." Celestia used a hoof to indicate the world below. "Look closely and you can see some of them now."
Sure enough, there were monsters down there. They were frozen in time, but they also looked as if they would be roaming in areas that would almost certainly be directly in Twilight's path to the Dark Lord. Of course.
Twilight sat down and bit her lip. She then looked up at the princesses, and back down at the world below. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again and seemed content to remain in that position.
"She disapproves of the monsters," Luna quipped, "and yet none of them are capable of destroying the world in thirty seconds." She stared at Twilight. "I should think they would rank fairly low on your list of priorities."
"But why would a Dark Lord who can destroy the world just like that need monsters!?" Twilight shouted, stamping a hoof for emphasis. She grinded her teeth together and glared at the tiny beasts far below.
"Those were actually the pink one's fault," Luna said flatly.
"The pink one?"
Princess Celestia quickly stepped between Luna and Twilight. "It's best if we never mention that again," she soothed. "The fact remains that there are now monsters to deal with, and we've run out of time once more." She looked Twilight in the eye. "Are you ready?"
Twilight frowned. "As ready as I'll ev–"
Twilight appeared in her bedroom once more, but she wasted no thoughts on being cut off in mid-sentence. She had an entire world to save, and a life that she had no intention of losing once again.
"Spike, wake up!" she shouted before teleporting the baby dragon onto her back. Spike only had enough time to reflexively grasp Twilight's mane and keep himself from falling before they were out the door and into the cool night air. Twilight galloped as fast as she could. Occasionally, she'd teleport them both to a spot further ahead in order to save time.
"Uh, Twilight?" Spike asked from his perch upon her back. "What are we doing?"
"Not dying, Spike," she stated firmly. "Not this time!"
Spike didn't respond, which was probably for the best. Not because he had seen her in stressful situations before and was probably remembering them without much fondness, but because there was a giant, pulsating mound of living slime the size of a giant boulder directly ahead of them, and they were heading straight for it.
"Bring it on," Twilight growled, gritting her teeth and charging up the magical energy within her horn. The slime shimmered in response. Spike whimpered in despair.
Before Twilight knew it, they had collided with the creature in a burst of concussive force that sent slime flying in all directions. The battle hadn't slowed her down in the least, and they were quickly closing in on the Dark Lord's location. As they rounded a bend, two more giant slime creatures barred their path, and they, too, were targeted and disintegrated into tiny pools of muck.
"I can do it!" Twilight shouted gleefully before teleporting once again. "I'm going to stop the Dark Lord!"
"The Dark what now?" Spike asked.
A flurry of branches and leaves burst outward as Twilight and Spike broke free from the forest and entered a clearing. There, huddled near a small fire and chanting ancient words of unholy power, dressed in a dark robe that obscured all features, was the stunted form of the Dark Lord.
"Your world-destroying days are over!" Twilight howled.
She charged up an enormous amount of magical energy and unleashed it at the Dark Lord, who looked up just in time to be struck square in his hooded face. The impact flattened every tree in the immediate area, and sent him hurtling through the air high into the sky.
"You'll pay for this!" the Dark Lord shrieked as he soared into the distance, shaking a tiny fist at his vanquisher. He eventually became nothing more than a tiny speck in sky.
Twilight and Spike watched him disappear, then sat in complete silence for a few minutes. It was then that Twilight realized the significance of what she had just done.
"Ha... ha ha!" she cried gleefully. She had a weird, nagging feeling in the back of her mind, but she ignored it. "I did it, Spike! I've gone more than thirty seconds without dying! Ha ha ha, I did it, I did it, I did it!" She pranced around in a circle, oblivious to the deeply concerned look Spike was giving her. She wasn't finished, however. "Did you see how far the Dark Lord flew?" She levitated Spike off of her back and brought her face to within inches of his, her eyes and mane wild. "Just how much power did the princesses grant me, anyway?"
"Um..." Spike began, but in that moment, they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a midnight blue alicorn.
"Twilight Sparkle!" Princess Luna boomed in her authoritative voice. "There's no time to explain! You must travel immediately to Canterlot if you are to save Equestria!"
Twilight's head spun around so fast that she hurt her neck. "What!?" she cried. "Oh no no no, I've just saved Equestria. The whole world, even!"
Luna snorted and kicked at the dirt with a hoof. "Did you not learn anything from all of this?" she asked, her eyes wide. She looked as if she were going to further berate Twilight, but instead she sighed and said, "There is another who is casting the Spell of Destruction. The spellbook must have been blasted from this area only to land back in Canterlot. Now, there is a new Dark Lord and the world is about to end. Again."
Twilight groaned. "Another Dark Lord? How do we even know who's casting it?"
Luna regarded Twilight with an impatient stare. "Anyone who casts a Spell of Destruction is a Dark Lord."
"Time left?" Twilight asked, lying down and patting Spike on the head.
"Three seconds."
A moment later, the world was torn asunder by the thunderous burst of energy from within.
Chapter 8 Time and Time Again World Destroyed: 7 Times Dark Lords Defeated: 1
"Spike, wake up!"
"Uhh, I am awake, Twilight. At least, I think I am."
Twilight Sparkle blinked and looked around. She had just died for the seventh time – oh, yes she was absolutely keeping score – and was prepared to teleport blindly if she had to. Anything to keep from experiencing an excruciating demise at the hands, hooves, or claws of another Dark Lord.
Thankfully, she was back in the sky with the princesses, and this time Spike was with her.
"Welcome back, Twilight," Princess Celestia said warmly. "I knew you could defeat the Dark Lord."
Twilight forced herself to smile. "Yes, well. I suppose just about anypony could have defeated him," she said. "Given enough chances," she added under her breath.
"We only have a few moments, so we should make this quick," Princess Luna said. She walked over to Twilight and wrapped a wing around her shoulder, then pointed towards the ground with a hoof. "Do you see him, Twilight?"
Twilight peered down into the darkness. At first she wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she eventually found it. There, hovering a few hundred feet above the Everfree Forest, was the original Dark Lord, fresh off being blasted by Twilight. His robe was burnt in places, and his tiny fist was raised defiantly in the air.
"The Dark Lord..." Twilight whispered.
"Yes," Luna said. "He has been defeated, but I wouldn't put it past him to cause more trouble in the future. You must get to Canterlot as quickly as possible and retrieve the Spell of Destruction. If you don't, I fear this Dark Lord will make copies of the spell and spread it all throughout Equestria." She used a hoof to raise Twilight's gaze to her own. "We'll have Dark Lords sprouting up all over the country!"
Sure, why not? Twilight thought. Obviously, defeating a Dark Lord within thirty seconds wasn't difficult enough. Why not throw some monsters into the mix, and then while we're at it we can turn everypony into a Dark Lord. Yes, that sure sounded like fun.
"Uh, Twilight? Are you okay?" Spike asked. He backed away from her when, grinding her teeth, she turned her glare in his direction.
"Suuuure!" she said, barely moving her mouth. "Everything is just peachy!"
"If you say so..."
Princess Celestia stepped forward. "Once we restart time, it will still be a long way to Canterlot from your position in the Everfree forest. My sister and I have come up with a way we might be able to assist you."
"Does it involve turning Spike into a Dark Lord?" Twilight grumbled. "Because that wouldn't be very helpful."
Celestia's tinkling giggle only further annoyed Twilight. "Oh, no," the Princess soothed. "Our plan is to give you some more time to accomplish your task."
Twilight blinked. "Really?" she asked. There had to be a catch.
"Yes, really," Celestia said. "As it is, it would be almost impossible for you to reach Canterlot within thirty seconds. This is obviously a problem."
You don't say, Twilight thought.
"But then," Luna chipped in, "we remembered how much we like cake."
"Cake?"
"Yes, Twilight. Cake," Celestia said. "Though chocolate will do, too."
"Hey, alright!" Spike said. "I like cake, too!"
"That's nice," Celestia said with a smile. "Now, there is bound to be cake–"
"Or chocolate," Luna interrupted.
"–or chocolate somewhere between your current location and the Dark Lord." Celestia put a reassuring hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "All you need to do is find us some, and we'll temporarily stop time for you."
"It's a win-win situation," Luna said. She sat down and stared at Twilight expectantly.
The next twenty seconds were completely silent as Twilight stared at the princesses. Did they really just bribe her for sweets? It was Spike who broke the silence.
"Can I have some cake?" he asked.
Princess Celestia's smile widened. "Only if you survive." Spike looked ready to reply, but Celestia cut him off. "Oops, we're out of time again. Don't let us down, heroes!"
"I'm looking forward to some chocolate," Luna said, waving goodbye, her eyes sparkling. "Dark, if you can find it!"
With that, Twilight and Spike appeared once more within the Everfree forest.
Chapter 9 Halftime World Destroyed: 7 Times Dark Lords Defeated: 1
"Hang on, Spike!" Twilight yelled. Her horn glowed briefly as she teleported the baby dragon onto her back.
The two of them rushed through the Everfree forest, darting to the left or right to avoid trees and other obstacles. Every now and then Twilight would teleport them to a spot further ahead to save time, and the few slime creatures who stood in her path were dispatched quickly and barely slowed her down at all.
"Uh, Twilight?" Spike asked. "Isn't Canterlot in that direction?" He pointed a scaled claw off to the right.
"Mm hm," was Twilight's short response. She leapt over a rock, then squeezed her eyes shut with concentration before teleporting them to avoid the tree they'd been about to collide with.
"So where are we–" Spike began.
"Pinkie," Twilight said.
Spike frowned slightly and scratched his chin, but remained quiet. A few seconds later, they emerged from the forest at a full gallop. After a couple short bursts of magical energy, they had arrived at Sugarcube Corner. The proprietors of the shop, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, looked to be closing up for the night. They both seemed surprised to see Twilight and Spike appear from out of nowhere, but quickly put on welcoming smiles.
"Well hello, Twilight. Spike," Mr. Cake said. "Late for an appointment with the princesses again?" He chuckled nervously at his own joke, his eyes shifting back and forth.
Twilight knew that look. That was the look the Cakes had when they'd just had a long day and really didn't want to be bothered with another last-minute customer. She thought quickly.
"Can I have a sleepover with Pinkie?" She practically shouted the question.
The Cakes looked at one another uncertainly. Mrs. Cake lifted a hoof and shrugged.
"Well, I don't see why not..."
"Thank you!"
Twilight didn't waste another second. She teleported Spike and herself directly into Pinkie's room above the sweet shop, leaving the Cakes to just shake their heads in confusion.
"Hey, Twilight! Hiya, Spike!" Pinkie Pie cried the moment the two of them appeared in her room. She bounced circles around the room as she talked. "Are you two here to get some cake and chocolate so you can give them to the princesses, and then they'll stop time for you so you can have more time to go to Canterlot and defeat the Dark Lord, and then you can retrieve the Spell of Destruction and stop the endless loop of world destruction that happens every thirty seconds so you can finally go more than a few minutes without dying, because you're really tired of dying and it really, really hurts?" When she finished, she produced a platter full of cake and chocolate from out of nowhere and offered it to them.
Twilight's jaw dropped for a moment, but she remembered why she was there and shook her head to clear it.
"No, actually." She reached for the platter, which disappeared in a puff of yellowish smoke the moment her hoof touched it.
Pinkie held a hoof up and looked at the watch that was on it. "Well, you managed to stop time anyway. It looks like the princesses have their sweets." She then bounced away, humming a merry tune.
Spike looked up at Twilight. "But... we're supposed to be saving the world!" He held up both arms, his shock quite evident on his face. "If we're not doing everything that Pinkie just said, then what are we doing here?"
Twilight smiled and patted Spike's head. "The princesses said they'd stop time if I got them sweets, and I did. Though they didn't specifically say so, I believe time will remain stopped until we leave Sugarcube Corner." She trotted over to Pinkie's closet, opened it and, after some rummaging, found a blanket. "If time is going to remain stopped until we leave this place, then we simply won't leave."
Spike's eyes bulged. "B-but... that's not what we're supposed to be doing! Won't the princesses get angry? What if they're forced to restart time?"
Twilight gave a coy smile. "What's the worst that could happen, Spike? We all die?" She and Pinkie both chuckled at that, but Spike was quiet. "Come on, Spike. I told the Cakes we'd stay the night, and that's what we're going to do." She watched Pinkie bounce into her bed, then set her own blanket up on the floor and turned out the light. "It's time we had a well-deserved sleep. Sweet dreams."
Spike looked around at all the shadows in the room as if Princess Luna herself might emerge from one of them and strike them all down. After a moment, however, he shrugged, laid down, and went to sleep.
Chapter 10 The End of Time World Destroyed: 134 Times Dark Lords Defeated: 2
"That was very clever, Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight half-opened her eyes, then leapt into the air when she saw Princess Celestia's face just inches from her own. She landed in much the same way that a frightened cat might, with her back arched and the hairs on her neck and back sticking straight out. It took a moment for her heart to slow down, but she eventually was able to become calm enough to speak.
"What? Oh, this?" she asked abashedly, her eyes darting back and forth. It was far too late to hide the sleeping forms of Spike and Pinkie Pie. "Ehehe, yeah um... it's not what it looks like!"
Princess Celestia's giggle was disturbing in its genuineness.
"Oh, Twilight, we know that it's exactly what it looks like." The princess's words sounded as if they were meant to be reassuring, but somehow Twilight was instead filled with terror. Celestia continued. "My sister and I are not perturbed. In fact, we think it was a wonderful idea."
Twilight raised her head up hopefully. "Y-you do?"
"Oh yes," Celestia replied. "We were so impressed that when the seconds you were gone turned to minutes, and then the minutes turned to hours and our magic was utterly spent in a vain attempt to keep time halted so that you might have your rest, we decided that we would do the same as you have." The princess's smile seemed genuine, even in her eyes. "So we allowed time to flow once more and the world was destroyed as you slept. I'm sure you didn't even feel it."
"I did!" Pinkie exclaimed. If she had felt it, she certainly wasn't showing it with the big grin that was on her face.
"Oh, but that's not all," Celestia continued. "We were quite drained of our magic by then, you see. We had no choice but to allow the world to be destroyed again, and again, and again. Over and over until we felt that we were strong enough to stop time once more."
"You died again with each successive destruction of our world," a voice from behind Twilight said, frightening her all over again. She turned to see Princess Luna. "It pains me very much to admit that we have watched you die one hundred and twenty seven additional times."
"But who's counting?" Celestia mused. She smiled again at Twilight. "We do have a problem, however."
"Ooh, is it a math problem?" Pinkie asked as she made her bed. "Twilight is way good at those!"
No, it wouldn't be a math problem, Twilight thought. It would never be anything as easy as that. It would be something awful. Perhaps the princesses were completely drained of magic and could no longer stop time, and they had just woken her up to say goodbye. Or maybe they were about to demand increasingly larger amounts of cake and chocolate for their time stoppages, like some kind of inflating time tax. Whatever it was, it would most certainly not be a math problem.
"Actually," Princess Celestia said, "it is a bit of a math problem."
Of course, Twilight thought. Here comes the catch...
Princess Luna moved to stand next to her sister. "You see, when we were forced to take breaks to regain our magic, something unfortunate happened." Her face grew serious. "We originally hadn't planned on taking breaks, of course. It was only after we defeated the second Dark Lord that we were forced to take them."
Twilight's ears perked up. "Wait, what?" she asked.
Celestia put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "We hoped you would wake up and allow us to have a rest, but you never did. With our magic almost utterly spent, we weren't certain whether we could reset time again or not."
"Therefore," Luna continued, "we were left with no choice but to risk everything and fight the second Dark Lord ourselves. We couldn't just allow ourselves to become unable to reset time."
Twilight swallowed hard. She hadn't expected that her simple rest could have cost them everything.
"We were successful," Princess Celestia said. "But not before the Dark Lord had made copies of the Spell of Destruction and spread it around. Faced with dozens of new, unintentional Dark Lords, we had no choice but to allow the world to be destroyed again and hope that we were strong enough to reset time."
"As you can see, we were successful in that as well," Luna finished. "But we could only reset back to the point immediately after we defeated the Dark Lord. There are now dozens of Dark Lords, all simultaneously preparing to cast the Spell of Destruction."
"Ooooh, I get it. It's a math problem because the Dark Lords have multiplied!" Pinkie Pie grinned, satisfied with her comprehension skills.
Twilight stared straight ahead, past the two princesses. It was a complete disaster. She was ashamed of her selfishness in tricking the princesses into giving her a rest. Her actions had nearly cost the lives of every living being on the planet. Her friends, her family... even the two princesses who stood before her. They had put everything on the line to stop the Dark Lord in her place, and she had slept through every crucial second of it.
She hung her head, unable to meet the gaze of the princesses. A moment later, she felt a gentle hoof on her shoulder and looked up, blinking through tears, to see Celestia looking down at her.
"My dear Twilight," the princess said. "Do not think for one moment that this is your fault. Each of us have made mistakes this night. I am not proud of some of my actions, either, but pride is not what is needed at this time." She turned to look at Luna, who had just awakened Spike. She then turned back and addressed Twilight. "You can not possibly defeat all of the Dark Lords by yourself, even with time manipulation. If we continue on as we have, we will eternally be stuck within this time loop, forever battling the Dark Lords without ever having a chance of success." She looked up and addressed the group as a whole. "But if we band together, it may be plausible that we can get out of this mess and save the world once and for all."
"Wheeee! I get to fight Dark Lords again?" Pinkie asked excitedly.
"Yes," Celestia announced. "My sister and I as well. Even you, little Spike. We will need all the help we can get, and this is all the help we're going to get. Nopony else in Equestria knows what's going on, and we won't have time to explain. We won't get another chance, and we'll be unable to reset time again. Once time is restarted, we will have thirty seconds to decide the fate of the world."
Twilight looked around the room. The faces of the princesses were stern and serious; a sharp contrast to how they had acted earlier. Pinkie seemed excited, as always. She turned to look at Spike. The baby dragon's eyes were wide and staring off into the distance. He looked as terrified and alone as she felt.
She reached out a hoof and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm really going to need to rely on the help of my number one assistant," she said gently. "Are you up for the task?"
Spike looked down for a moment, but when he raised his face, his eyes were set with determination. "I'm at your service, Twilight!" he said proudly.
Twilight hugged him tight, then looked up at the princesses.
Chapter 11 (I've Had) The Time of My Life World Destroyed: 134 Times Dark Lords Defeated: 2
Princess Celestia hadn't been kidding, not that she would have joked about the matter anyway. From the corners of the Everfree forest to the outskirts of Canterlot, dozens of unintentional Dark Lords were preparing to read out a spell that would end their existence. Perhaps the spell itself was cursed, forcing the reader to complete the malediction whilst ignoring all other happenings around them. Whatever the reason, none of the Dark Lords took notice of anything other than the spell before them.
"Is that... Rarity?" Twilight breathed. As Spike peeked around her shoulder with wide eyes, her heart skipped a beat. Far below them, just outside Carousel Boutique, the delicate white unicorn was frozen in time. Her bright blue eyes were staring at one of many scrolls containing the Spell of Destruction.
"Yes," Princess Celestia said. "She, and many more of your friends, neighbors, and colleagues, have become unwitting accomplices in the Dark Lord's plan." She sighed. "We can not afford the risk of going easy on any of them. Do you understand, Twilight Sparkle? For the next thirty seconds, every pair of eyes reading from one of those scrolls are those of our enemies."
Twilight swallowed hard, but nodded. It was just one more problem she had caused, but she was determined to make things right again. She had died over a hundred times in the past hour or so, and it was an experience she didn't want any of her friends or family to have to suffer through any time soon. Especially not in the next thirty seconds.
"Twilight?" Spike asked quietly. Twilight turned around. "I-if we don't make it–"
"Spike!" Twilight interrupted. Spike looked up, but still seemed miserable. "Whatever you have to say, it can wait until we finish this."
"But–"
"I'll be right by your side when this is over. You can tell me then."
Spike looked at his clawed feet, then back up at Twilight. He gave a small smile. "Okay," he said dutifully.
Princess Celestia stepped in and addressed them then. "The time has come," she said. "My sister and I can not hold our magic any longer. We must begin." She turned and spread her wings. "Separate and take them out in groups if you can, but don't stray too far from one another. Are we all ready? There will not be another chance at this. It is now, or never."
"Ready," Twilight and the others said.
A moment later Celestia said, "Then it begins," and the spell holding back time vanished.
..o0o..
Luna Time
Princess Luna folded her wings behind her and dove towards a nearby group of Dark Lords. It had been far too long since she'd been in a real battle, and she was looking forward to this. Sure, she had just helped her sister defeat a Dark Lord earlier, but that really didn't count. Not much had been on the line then.
Well, that isn't entirely true, she thought as she sent a focused beam of energy into the group of Dark Lords. They were hurled into the air, and the scrolls containing the Spell of Destruction were vaporized. The fate of the world had been on the line back then, but Luna'd had little doubt that she and her sister would vanquish the Dark Lord. All it took was a big enough distraction, really. Something like a searing beam of energy to the face.
This time, however, there was a bit of real danger. There were plenty of Dark Lords to defeat, and she wasn't entirely sure they would be able to pull it off. She sighed as she sent another Dark Lord hurtling through the air. If this might be her last few seconds alive, she was determined to enjoy them. She sent yet another Dark Lord skyward.
"Haha!" she giggled. That one had achieved the longest hang time yet. She wondered if she could double it on the next one. Success! Look at it fly! She flew from Dark Lord to Dark Lord, tossing them into the air. She was just preparing a massive blast of energy in the hopes of breaking her own record when she heard the baby dragon, Spike, scream.
..o0o..
Pinkie Time
The spell freezing time was released, and Pinkie leapt from her spot in the sky and did a swan dive to the ground below. She'd had a lot of fun the last time the princesses asked her to save the world, even if it had only lasted three seconds. And although she was certainly enjoying her current free fall that, if her calculations were correct, would land her directly atop one of the Dark Lords below, she understood that this time there was a lot more on the line.
As she got closer and closer to the unsuspecting Dark Lord below, she had some time to reflect on things. Almost her entire life had been dedicated to bringing a smile to those around her. Life in Ponyville wasn't all fun and games. There were dangerous beasts to deal with, natural disasters, and plenty of villains who needed to be defeated. It was a lot to expect anypony to handle, let alone the young fillies and colts whose lives were really just beginning. If she could make a fool of herself and get a few chuckles in return, it was effort well spent.
Tonight was different, though. If Twilight and the princesses failed, the party would be over. No more children's laughter, no more smiles from her friends. She couldn't let it end here; the party was just getting started!
"You are so not welcome in Ponyville!" Pinkie shouted as she landed on the Dark Lord's shoulders and drove his head into the mud. She jumped off his shoulders, did a somersault, and grabbed the scroll containing the Spell of Destruction in midair. Less than a second later, it had been torn into thousands of pieces.
One down, a few dozen to go. You've got this, Pinkie Pie, she thought. She pulled out her party cannon, climbed inside, aimed for a small group of Dark Lords, and lit the one-tenth of a second fuse. For Ponyville. For my friends, she thought.
For a little more laughter in this world.
..o0o..
Celestia Time
What have I done? Celestia thought as she surveyed the ground below. There wasn't time to reflect on her mistakes, but she couldn't help herself. As she flew towards a group of Dark Lords and set the scrolls they were reading ablaze, she continued to dwell upon them.
How could we have not known that such a dangerous spell was nearby? She adjusted her wings and banked quickly to the right, where she buffeted the group of Dark Lords below with a dazzling display of light and color, temporarily blinding them. The scrolls were immediately incinerated. She climbed back into the air and took a second to observe her former student. Twilight was teleporting with pinpoint accuracy, taking out Dark Lords even faster than Celestia could.
Celestia closed her eyes and smiled. She had spent a long time keeping watch over Twilight and the lessons she had learned. So long, in fact, that she had almost forgotten that she, too, was still capable of learning new lessons. Or re-learning old ones.
She was certain that Twilight was filled with her own self-doubt, but that wasn't stopping the newly-crowned princess from giving her all. In that moment, Celestia could not have been more proud of her former student.
Her determination renewed, she set off toward another group of Dark Lords. And there will be plenty more moments to be proud of in the years to come, Twilight Sparkle, Celestia thought.
..o0o..
Spike Time
Spike held on for dear life as Twilight teleported them to the ground below. He still wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to be of use. The princesses could fly, though Twilight still preferred teleportation, and Pinkie was... well, Pinkie. All Spike could really do was hold onto Twilight's mane and hope he didn't fall off in the middle of the chaos. He couldn't even attack any of the Dark Lords. By the time they were close enough to one for him to breathe fire on, the Lord was already defeated and they were moving on to the next.
Why am I even here? Spike thought. Princess Celestia had said they would need his help, but he knew she had only been trying to be kind. What help could he possibly offer when all he could think of was that the world would be ending in less than thirty seconds? He still had a hard time wrapping his mind around that idea, but he knew he didn't like it.
Twilight teleported them again and took out another small group of Dark Lords. Spike just hung on tight. There was really nothing else to do. He looked up and saw Luna air juggling a Dark Lord with her energy beams. A bit further to their left, Princess Celestia was unleashing massive magical bursts towards the ground. Somewhere off to their right, he could hear Pinkie Pie giggling as she did... whatever it was that she did. He looked up ahead, wondering how many Dark Lords were left. It took a moment before he realized what he was looking at.
It was a moment too long.
"Twilight, look ou–" Spike's words were cut off as a magical blast hit them with a large concussive force. He was hurled off of Twilight's back, hit the ground hard, and rolled to a stop in the middle of one of Ponyville's roads. He looked up just in time to see Twilight teleport out of the way of another blast.
"Where, and who, did that come from?" Spike wondered aloud. Whatever it had been, Twilight seemed to have seen where it originated from and had teleported to the source, leaving Spike behind. It was fitting, he supposed. He hadn't been much help anyway.
He turned around to find a good spot to sit down and watch the fate of the world, but froze in his tracks. Just ahead of him, her snout inches away from an old, worn scroll, a certain lovely white unicorn wearing a beautiful white and blue dress recited ancient words of power that would soon destroy the world.
"R-Rarity?" Spike gasped.
Rarity did not answer. She was completely absorbed with casting the Spell of Destruction, and paid Spike no heed whatsoever.
"Rarity, snap out of it!" Spike yelled. "You're not a Dark Lord, you're..." He looked up at her eyes and realized that she couldn't even hear him. Within a few seconds, she would complete the spell and destroy them both, along with everything else in the world. He stared into her eyes for a moment longer, then curled his claws into fists and fought back tears. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he gasped. "And I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, even from yourself!"
Spike launched himself towards the oblivious unicorn mare. He wasn't sure if she'd ever forgive him, but he'd rather she be angry at him for the rest of his life than have their lives end here. He reached Rarity, lifted his sharp dragon claws up, and screamed as he slashed out at his beloved.
His scream was joined by that of Rarity, whose attention was no longer on the scroll, but was now wholly on the dress that Spike had just ruined by clawing it to shreds. She looked down at Spike, whose eyes were filled with adoration upon realizing that his plan had worked. Rarity looked back up at her shredded dress, then back down to Spike's outstretched claws, and over once again to the look in his eyes.
She then promptly fainted.
..o0o..
Twilight Time
Things were actually going well for once. The moment the time spell had faded, Twilight had teleported Spike and herself down into the middle of a decently sized group of Dark Lords and blasted them all. A second later, a second group of Dark Lords had been defeated. Time and time again she managed to teleport into just the right spot to allow her to unleash a quick spell, then teleport off to another location.
She was just beginning to think they could pull it off when a huge blast of energy blindsided her and sent her crashing to the ground. Poor Spike had landed somewhere further down the road, but she didn't have time to think about that. She could feel, more than see, another blast heading directly for her. With little time to react, she teleported herself towards the source of the magic.
"Oh, you are good," a voice said from nearby. Twilight looked up and saw the original Dark Lord, the first one she had defeated, staring down at her from atop a tree branch. His hooded cloak still obscured almost all of his features, and he held another scroll in his tiny little hands, or claws, or whatever they were. They certainly weren't hooves.
Twilight glared up at the Dark Lord. "Enough!" she cried. She sent a blast of energy his way, but it hit the air in front of him and bounced off, revealing a glowing blue sphere around him. It was a magical shield.
The Dark Lord's laughter was grating. "Nice try," he said. "But after seeing how you all dealt with the other Dark Lords, I came up with a backup plan."
Twilight looked around and it was only just then that she noticed there were no more Dark Lords remaining other than this, the original. They had succeeded! All they had to do was find some way to get around this Dark Lord's shield within thirty seconds from the time he started reading from the scroll. That shouldn't be too difficult.
"Yes, I can see you think you've all won," the Dark Lord said. By now, Pinkie and Celestia had joined Twilight. She wasn't sure where Spike or Luna were, though. The Dark Lord stood up straight, though it only made him appear slightly taller. "This shield will protect me from any magical attack," he boasted. "If you rush me, I'll just teleport away. Oh, and I can see you all eyeing this scroll. Well I can assure you that it is not the same spell that Dark Lords have been casting these past few hours."
Twilight looked at the others. If it wasn't the Spell of Destruction, then why did the Dark Lord seem so smug? What could be worse than a spell that destroyed the world in thirty seconds?
"No, this is an even better spell," he said. "This is the Spell of Imminent Destruction. Once I begin casting this, the world will end in three seconds!" With that little bit of information revealed, the Dark Lord burst into what was probably supposed to be an evil cackle, though it sounded more like a chipmunk coughing.
Twilight's jaw dropped. Three seconds? They couldn't possibly stop him in time, and there was no way the princesses would be able to reset time every three seconds.
"Why are you doing this?" Twilight demanded. It just didn't make any sense, and she was fed up with saving the world. "And how in Equestria were you able to find a spell that's even worse than the Spell of Destruction?"
The Dark Lord chuckled. "Oh yes, I bet you would love to know the answer to those. Any more useless questions before I destroy the world?"
"Sure!" Pinkie chipped in. "Is it just me, or does it sound an awful lot like Spike is screaming as he falls from a great distance in the sky?"
All eyes turned to Pinkie. It wasn't the first time she'd had all eyes on her after an odd comment, but this time the others stopped and listened, as if they, too, heard something.
Twilight swivelled her ears. "Y-you're right, Pinkie. That's definitely Spike, but where is he?"
The Dark Lord stomped a foot on the branch he was standing on. "It doesn't matter where your little friend is, your world ends in three seconds!" With that, he immediately opened the scroll and began reciting the spell.
It was the Dark Lord's ignorance of Spike that was his undoing. For even as he read the spell, Spike flew closer and closer to his target. Just as the Dark Lord reached the last few words on the scroll, Spike, screaming the entire way, came hurtling out of the sky and smashed directly into him, sending them both to the ground in a heap.
From the clouds high up above, Princess Luna shouted in triumph. "Huzzah! My most accurate toss yet!" She flew down to the ground and stepped in front of Celestia. "How many points will you award your favorite sister?"
Though all who were gathered were still rather shocked not just by what Luna had done, but by the fact that they had been less than a second away from permanent death, they were soon all laughing heartily.
..o0o..
Overtime
"Yeah, Luna knew that my tightly packed scales would protect me from harm, even from a drop of that height!" Spike said. He balanced himself carefully upon the ladder he was on, and patiently put a book away.
Twilight stopped dusting a bookshelf and looked at Spike out of the corner of one eye. "I still think it was rather reckless. Fate of the world notwithstanding."
"Aw come on, Twilight," Spike said. "You know as well as I do that dragons can suffer much worse falls and still be okay. Otherwise we'd never learn how to fly!"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "I know, but you're still just a baby dragon. I don't want anything to happen to my number one defeater of Dark Lords." She giggled at the look on Spike's face as she said that. "Still, I wish we could have found out more about that final Dark Lord."
Spike shrugged. "Yeah, who would have thought that it was really just an enchanted robe? I never saw that one coming!"
"But who enchanted it?" Twilight asked. She walked over to a globe and stared at it. "Why would anyone want to destroy the entire world? Where did those spells come from, anyway?"
"Who knows?" Spike said. "We saved the world again, and that's all that matters. If some other villain comes along and tries to ruin it for us, we'll just have to do it again."
Twilight smiled. "You're right, Spike. This–" she waved her hoof, indicated everything around them "–is what matters. It was a pleasure to have you by our side when we saved it."
Spike thought back to that night. Missing out on sleep, being killed multiple times, being thrown from Twilight's back, emotionally scarring Rarity for what would likely be months, being tossed like a ball through the air by the Princess of the Night...
"Yeah... it was the time of my life," Spike said sarcastically. Despite his response, he knew that if it came down to it, he'd be among the first in line to volunteer if the world needed saving once more. And it would need to be saved again, of course. It was only a matter of time.
