MLR Miniseries 3: Just Look at the Time

MLR Miniseries 3: Just Look at the Time

That's right, a new episode of My Little Realities Miniseries is happening and this time, hold on to your butts because it's [spoiler]probably going to be lame[/spoiler] an EKITEK PLS STAHP special!  If you haven't read all of My Little Realities (the 32 chapter story in my pastebin) and the two previous installments of MLR Miniseries, you probably don't want to read this 'cause it won't make much sense.  Not that this episode makes much sense either way...  With that said: [spoiler]Implying I’ll have any readers for this since it’s such a specific story now and requires all the previous reading[/spoiler]

I hope you all like it at least a little.



>you are Twilight Sparkle
>it's a brilliant morning and you're starting a refreshing walk across Canterlot's bustling streets
>you think about planning for your departure to New P0nyville was being constructed and put together at a rather impressive rate
>you see Anon walking backwards in his old armored expedition gear
>you remembered how he was supposed to have been on another world to gather more resources to save the Changelings
>so why was he walking backwards towards you?
>he turns around and waves, as if he knew you were going to be there
"Yeah, Twilight, just fine.  Gotta go!" he says
"Uuuhhh... Anon?  Are you feeling okay?" you ask
>his visor was down, you couldn't see his face or his eyes
>it reminded you of the first times you saw him
>however he was definitely acting weird
>there was a short pause
"Oh, I think...  I think Tan...  Yeah Tan said it would wear off by yesterd- I mean…  Tomorrow or something.  I'm just a little disoriented.  It's a little strange, going over this again..."
>you're getting even more confused
"Going over what again?  What's wrong with you anyways?"
>he pauses again
"Relax, Twilight. Like I said earlier...  Wait, nevermind.  I have the helmet on because you wouldn't really understand me if I didn't, and I don't think I would either"
>there was another pause
>was something wrong with the translation spell?
>you've never heard of it wearing off before...
"I'm just having a strange day, like I said.  Everything is fine, it’s not the translation spell, and I’ll be back to normal before you know it." He continues, still with a pause at every sentence
>wait, how did he know you were suspecting the translation spell?
"Anon, can you just tell me what's wrong?  You know that if there's anything I can do to help, I'll try my best..." you say
>he just walks off
>backwards
“Hey!” you call, a little miffed that he just left you when you were trying to tell him that you’d be there for him
>you do not know how he managed to evade a cobblestone step and two fillies playing around behind him
>you sit there for a few seconds, dumbstruck
>Anon finds himself a seat and calls to you
"Oh, wait up!"
>you can't help but stare at Anon like he's completely lost his marbles
>last time you saw one of his kind, it had been a half-naked, muscle-bound humans that had chased you around
>perhaps Anon’s species were prone to mental illness
>you canter over in a daze, now slightly weary of Anon
>you don't think he could ever hurt any of you
>but he had taken a hard hit at the Battle for P0nyville
>the memory was still painful to you too
>maybe his medication stopped working?
>was Anon still confused?
>imagining enemy Roots?
>it would explain why he was wearing his old suit and carrying a rifle
>you swallow nervously, sitting down next to him
>you're at a loss
>you wanted to help Anon, even if he didn't realize he needed it
>for a second, you notice a familiar face behind the counter
>it was a little place, a rectangular building with a canopy
>benches lined side by side in front of the counter
>why was nurse Redheart wearing an apron and serving customers at this little diner?
>she turns towards you and freezes
“Well thanks, it was nice to see you again Mrs. Nurse” says Anon, sounding cheerful
"Oh no…  I knew I shouldn't have covered for Hot Pot today..." she mumbles, eyes locked on Anon
>you can tell she just knows something will happen
>at this point, waiting for what Anon will do to her is almost as bad as what might be coming
>her lower lip trembles and she looks like she's in front of an angry manticore
>Anon doesn't seem to notice
>although you can't see his eyes, his head seems to be turned away from the nurse
"Honestly, this place has the best flan in town" he states out of the blue, taking his helmet off
>he looks normal enough, you’re still wondering why he was wearing the helmet while around town
>you are about to open your mouth when he just picks up a spoon from a table and starts chewing
>he brings the spoon to his mouth
>the utensil departs his lips with a perfect looking chunk of flan
>your jaw makes a "clunk" sound when it hits the countertop
>he produces an entire lump of the jelly-like substance and pushes it towards nurse Redheart
“How…  Just…  I don’t even…” you manage to utter
>your eyes cross and you shake your head
>you are unable to process this information
>mind has stopped responding
>you notice that the poor nurse is now trembling and she seems to be tearing up
>she looks at Anon like he's the devil incarnate, like he caused all of the world’s hardships
>not only that, there is another layer of emotion on her upset face
>she looks at him like he's just completely insane, on top of it all
>he puts the helmet back on
"Oh, it's on the house?  Thanks!" he replies, pushing the perfect, seemingly untouched flan frustum towards her
“Mmmh, flan…  Looks good” he says, looking at the truncated cone of gelatinous matter he made
>the nurse steps back
>she just stares at Anon and the desert like they are both diseased and possessed
>you suddenly feel like Pinkie's special sense isn't that strange after all
>this is the first time that you have no clue of what could be wrong with Anon
>at this point, you weren't as worried that Anon would fly off the handle
>from what you knew of him when he had been troubled, it was less "acting strange" and more "I’ll fucking kill everything"
>could it be the work of Discord?
>was Anon affected by Discord, somehow?
>you had seen Applejack eat an apple backwards when the mischievous curse of the draconequus had taken over her
>you wonder what Anon could become under such a spell
>you get off the seat
>getting to Spike might be a good idea; rounding up the rest of your friends and the Elements could be a good precaution
>Anon gets up and starts walking again
>this time, you follow him closely
>if he was really under Discord's influence, this could go from bad to worse very quickly
>you decide to remain silent, lest you set Anon off or something
>at least he was walking towards his apartment, it would be easy to coordinate the girls and you if he was at his place
>still going backwards, attracting a few strange looks
>did Anon have implants in the back of his head?
>you still can't say much
>more out of confusion than weariness
>Anon is still walking backwards, facing you as he heads towards his apartment seemingly without a care in the world
“Ummm…  So…” you say, unable to think of something to talk about
“Yeah!  Sure is nice out today, would be a good idea to go back and get Rainbow”
“Go back where?  Get Rainbow?” you ask, wondering what he’s on about now
>he just turns around and opens the door to his quiet little bachelor pad
“Bye Dash.  Ha, yeah, help yourself to my fridge if you’re hungry again” says Anon as he walks in
>Rainbow is like half inside the fridge, cheeks full of elderberry pie
>she looked like a blue chipmunk
>you chortle
“Dash, get a plate at least…” you say
>she chews, looking at Anon with a cheeky grin over her puffed out cheeks
>her mouth is too full for a reply, so she sits there for a few seconds, blushing a little before swallowing
“Sorry, it just smelled so good…” she replies, wiping her berry-stained coat with a hoof
>Rainbow shuts the fridge, sighing contently
“Good thing you shut that game off, you have been playing it a lot” says Anon
>Dash just looks at Anon
>she walks over, slowly, looking at him as he opens the fridge
“Hmmm…  I guess flan good if my pie is probably not going to survive this afternoon…” he seems to mumble
“Twilight, what’s wrong with Anon?” says the feathered filly, coming next to you
“I’m not sure, Rainbow…  I mean he said he was fine, but then I saw him eat a something backwards…”
>the multicolored mare’s eyebrows raise
“He what now?”
>you rub your temples with your hooves
“Yeah, it was like that time Discord would do things like drink glass off chocolate milk.  Except he just ate this jelly flan in reverse…”
>she looks at Anon, with confusion and concern
“He doesn’t look all that different or sick or anything…” she replies, looking back and forth between Anon and you
“Come on you guys, I’d tell you if there was something wrong” he says, walking over to the couch
>Dash looks at you, shrugging
“I guess he’s okay, I mean if he said it would pass…” says Rainbow
>she canters over and throws in Ace Combat in the console next to the projector in Anon’s little living room
>you head to the kitchen to get a glass of water
“I’m good” he says, right before you were about to ask
“Anyone want anyth-“
>you stop
>did he just answer before you asked if he wanted anything?
“…  Anon, how…  What?” you say
>you groan in frustration and confusion
>Rainbow Dash has her eyes locked on the menu for Ace Combat, having missed both Anon’s reply and your question
>she really liked that game
>she liked it too much, actually
>you wanted to talk to her about it…
>you’re still trying to piece together the situation
>how did he know what to say before you said it?
>could Anon read minds now or something?
>you pour yourself a glass and hold it on a hoof
>you have no concentration to spend on magic at the moment
“Wait, that’s not right.  Don’t worry about it though” he says, his helmet facing you
>this startles you out of your hypothesizing
“Oh, nice catch!” says Anon as the glass just slips from your hoof and splashes all over the carpet
>you freeze
>Anon had startled you into dropping the glass
>but he said “Nice catch” as if he’d seen you catch the glass instead
>if he had not said anything, the glass wouldn’t have fallen from your hoof
>but…
>but causality
>your precious SCIENCE!
>WHERE WAS IT?
>okay
>that’s it
>this was too much for you to handle
>your ears shoot a stream of white steam and you throw your head up, groaning in exasperations
>with bare, grit teeth you turn your head towards the problematic Anon
>he seems to have missed your outburst completely as he’s starting at the game Rainbow is playing
>you sit back on your haunches in front of the damp circle in the carpet
>one thing was for sure
>you were aware of Dash spending way too much time on Ace Combat
>the pegasus was practically living here
>you canter over, shaking your head
>Anon is messed up and Rainbow is an addict
>you needed to make a list of what to do, and you needed to do it quickly
“Guys” you say, trying to get their attentions
“Pffft, don’t flatter yourself.  Oh, good one, he never saw it coming” says Anon
>a few seconds later, an incoming Mig gets its shit rocked by Dash’s AAMRAMs
“Heh, I am the best player in Equestria” she says, too engaged with the game to notice how Anon replied to her lack of modesty before she’d even said anything
>you shake it off, you have friends to help
“Guys!” you say again, louder
>Anon is at the edge of his seat as Dash mashes her controller madly
“Awww, why didn’t you cut thrust, pop chaff and slam your airbrakes?” says Anon
>Rainbow looks at him, surprised
>then gets strafed by a couple rounds of autocannon fire
>she tries to evade but her opponent cut speed during her distraction, allowing him to stay on her tail and follow up with a missile
>Dash is violently ASRAAM’ed
>ouch, right up the engine nozzles
“Damn it Anon!  My score…” she cries
>your eyes burn with fire at the complete absurdity at both Anon giving Dash advice before it happens and Rainbow not even caring
“Twilight, what’s wrong?” says the plastic armor-clad human, turning to you in a very startled motion
>he then jumps out of his seat
“Whoa!  At least nothing caught fire…  Sorry, I’ll be quiet now…”
>this is the last straw
“GUUUYS!” you yell, hovering in mid-air, your whole body erupting in flames
>Rainbow puts the controller down, looking in awe and fright at your apparent self-combustion
>you land back down, grinding your teeth, but back in control
“Dash, Anon, we need to talk!”
“Sorry…” says Anon, helmet pointing down
“STOP.  DOING. THAT!” you hiss venomously at him
>another pang of crushing anti-logic smashes your mind like a baseball bat
“Rainbow, how much time have you spent on that arrow-plane game?” you ask, hoof firmly tapping down
“Uhhh…” she answers
>the saved games menu is blinking and showing just how many games she played and how much time she’s spent here
>not even counting the scroll bar for the many other pages
“Not that much?” she says, looking meek
>the cyan hoers’ eyes are red and puffy with dark bags under them, indicating just how much sleep she’d lost
“Rainbow, I haven’t seen you all week…” you say
>you hear your voice going quiet
>it had started with Rainbow playing after her flight practice, three weeks back
>seemed like a cool deal, she was hanging out with friends, she’d come over to your house after to read
>then she stopped coming to your house
>Anon fidgets, helmet pointed down
“Have you even gone out to fly in the past three days?”
“I…  I…“ she replies, rubbing her tired face with a hoof
“When I was younger, I used to get addicted to video games all the time…” says Anon, but then he clamps his hands over where his mouth would be on his helmet
“I’m not done with you yet, and don’t say anything or I’ll go insane!  Why have you been letting Rainbow stay here an-…”
>you drop to your haunches as you seem to feel a resounding shattering of logical structures crumble in your mind
>this was crazy
“No, Dash. You’re going cold turkey.  I know what it’s like…  To miss…  Those things.  Like the internet…” says Anon, sounding very, very depressed
“Sorry you guys…  I guess you’re right…  Thanks Anon, I just wanted to keep playing forever, you know?  Maybe we could play just one game later?” she asks, sneaking peeks at the console
>Anon doesn’t say or move
>Rainbow looks down awkwardly, rubbing her left foreleg with a hoof
“Listen Twilight, thanks for waking me up.  Sorry I got so addicted, I never even realized how time went by so fast…” she then admits
“I’m fine, thanks for asking” he then says
“Anon, what’s wrong with you anyway?” she says
>shaking her head, she turns to you
“I think Anon needs your help, egghead.  I don’t think I’ll be much good if he’s gone off the deep end…” she says jokingly, elbowing you amicably
“I’ll be out, I need to stretch my wings.  Honestly though, give me a shout if I can do anything to help” she says, looking sincere, her eyes shifting to Anon
“Oh hi Rainbow, what’s up?” says Anon as the little multicolored pegasus heads for the door
>the psychedelic p0ny stops for a second before sighing and finally leaving, deciding to simply ignore Anon’s comment
“Seriously, I haven’t realized how sore I am for not working out a little.  See you guys later!”
>you turn to Anon
“Rainbow should be here soon…” he says, looking at the clock
>you just hold your head in your hooves
“I know it’s a little weird, but it’ll pass.  I’ll be fine, honestly” says Anon
>you hang your head
>nothing made sense anymore
“So you get it right?  It all started later today, depending on your point of view.  I think to you guys it would be morning, I guess.  It’s still hard to think a little…  Well anyways, I think that I just came from my expedition…  That’s what I imagine anyway.” starts Anon
>you look at him
>why was he doing this to you
>you were a friend!
“It probably happened on the planet, Tan will say it has something to do with time…  We’re going to a strange planet to get something for the Changeling cure, and it must be changing how I see time, or how you see me…  I KNOW it’s weird, think about how I feel…” he finishes
“But…  That doesn’t make ANY SENSE!” you cry, holding your temples
“Please listen, Twilight.  The weirdest thing is going on!” he says, looking more agitated
“You can say that again” you mumble
“Ah, right, how’s this?  Now I can hear you and speak to you!  I just needed to have the helmet record and reverse my words, then play them through the speakers” he then says
>you were beyond talking at this point
>you lie down and hope this is all a bad dream
>suddenly, Anon starts talking in some strange language
>you look up at him
“Anon?” you say
>speaking in tongues was never a good sign
>he did say it had something to do with time or time travel
>but how could that be possible?
>Anon then waves and runs backwards out the door, shouting
“!thgiliwT iH”
>you rest your head on the floor with a “thunk”
>you have officially given up on trying to figure this out

---

The morning earlier…
>day [spoiler]expedition[/spoiler] in Equestria
>you are Anon
>you just were not able to wait another minute before putting on your old gear
>your apartment was now rather well organized and furnished, walls lined with shelves
>it finally had a couch
>for some reason, it still felt good to throw on the protective suit, LBV and looking at yourself in the mirror
>implying expedition day wasn’t an excuse to dress up, te he he
>awww yeah, the R&D department made this thing right and had a good sense of cool
>you didn't get to put it on as much these days, your life was relatively quiet from day to day
>was often just hanging out with your friends; something that still brought you a warm fuzzy feeling you never had back on Earth
>there had been interesting people on Earth, but you had always been more into the "interesting" than the "I want to hang out with this person because it's fun"
>it was a welcomed change
>today however, it was going back to "interesting” for a little while, at least
>you were setting out to explore another reality with Tan and Dr. Graphs
>hopefully it would be exciting
>maybe not "electromagnetically inclined half-invisible creatures that mind control" exciting but something more than sand and mossy rocks
>you flex your gloved fingers, checking the suit's seals and functions
>good to go
>SR-15 on a one-point sling against your chest, you feel alive and ready for anything
>you open your apartment door with enthusiasm, taking in a breath of fresh Canterlotian air, even if Canterlotian probably wasn't the right word
>Canterlottan perhaps?
>in any case, it was a great day outside when your face, stomach and left arm weren't throbbing at the drop of a hat
>it had taken you like two weeks to get back to 100% after the little "accident" with Luna
>good times
>the wind was cool, a slow, steady refreshing breeze
>the sun wasn't too warm, hanging high in the early afternoon sky
>Canterlot's streets were alive with Equestrians going about the business, enjoying the weather and generally being their adorable, soft plush-toy p0ny selves
>you were going to miss this place; you had plans to move to New P0nyville in the summer
>you would rather miss a good town than have to go on a train every time you wanted to catch a movie with your best pals or do anything in the style of this relatively new-found entertainment that were "friends"
>felt a little bad leaving Canterlot when you’d finally squared out your apartment, but oh well
>the departure point was before you
>it was just a quiet spot near the middle of town, behind one of the water fountains
>when you arrive at the designated location, you are met with Dr. Graphs and Tan
>they're already setting up the alien phase-shift device
"Hey guys, I hope I'm not late" you ask
>Graphs looks up at your, saluting courtly
"Oh not at all, we were simply here to double-check everything, just to be sure"
>Tan has not said hello, probably because he had three hands inside a pumpkin-sized mass of plant-based variable reality travel technology, antennas twitching away
>you decide not to bother them further
>after a few minutes, the alien you've grown to trust reassembles the bulbous vines that seem to make up the strange machine and turns to face you
"Hello Anon.  We should be ready to go now, but I must inform you both of the special nature of what we're seeking over there and how it will affect Equestria" he states, the synthesized voice as calm and collected as he probably was
>not that you really knew; he wasn't exactly possible to read his face as he had no facial muscles
>also, the computer on his back was unable to process some of the information his antennas were trying to communicate; information that was most likely related to his state of mind or emotions
>you had promised to look into working on his translation systems when they were done with the Changeling infertility cure, as the latter was time sensitive
"You are both aware of how the Changeling cure's development process is temporally affected" he starts
>"speaking of the devil" you think, nodding in reply
"Apart from how some steps require aging and growth time to properly mature and form the right genetic carriers to save the Changelings from extinction, the step we're about to perform with today's expedition is even more critical, and will have an observable effect on Equestria from our point of view"
>you do not like where this is going
>you wanted to keep Equestria safe in every way, and this was filling you with a strange foreboding
"I have already explained this to Princess Celestia, and she has agreed to allow us to continue with the development of this cure" continues Tan
>Celestia had agreed to this?
>she was even more protective of her little p0nies than you were
>now you were more intrigued than weary
"What we're going to gather today is not dangerous by itself, I assure you both.  Dr. Graphs and I will recover a piece of temporal energy, using the phase shift device as a container.  It will not be able to escape the phase-shift device's containment, this I know for a fact" he finishes
"Uhhh Tan, if this energy you require is contained, why would it affect Equestria?" you ask
"I didn't say it would affect Equestria; I said it would affect our perception of Equestria.  Equestria will be safe no matter what" he replies
>that does comfort you somewhat
"Mr. Tan, if I may ask...  How will it change our perception?" asks the Doctor, now looking a little nervous
>you feel like teasing the ol' Doc by asking him if he forgot his balls in the lab
"I will be honest; I'm not sure what will happen when we come back here.  I know Equestria will be safe and I know the effects of the transport on us will be benign and temporary, even if they could be disorienting.  We will actually emerge one or two days from now if this trip goes according to plan." he replies with his polite, stoic voice
>oh Microsoft Roberto Generation 6: Suave Edition
>its dulcet tones were always soothing
"If it's safe, I say we should get it over with.  I'm not going back to that other place with the electromagnetic ghosts when we have to take more of their crystals after you guys mess up the Changeling cure because we took too long with this part of the process" you say
>plus you were getting tired of sitting around
>it was time to explore, damn it
>perhaps it was a longer trip than usual, but you had enough MREs for two days
>you couldn't wait to find some cool-looking place that might even have strange new life forms on them
>coming to Equestria had really awakened the explorer in you and you wanted to eventually meet some other new and interesting species
>possibly have sex with them, the usual
"Of course, I am ready" says Graphs, it seems that he found his spare set of testicles
>Tan looks at you
>with a wave of your hand and a slight accent, you give him the signal
"Engage"

---

>well this was certainly different
>after the seconds-long trip through the realities was completed, you blink the last of the weird seasickness feeling in your eyes
>you don't think you can feel nausea in your eyes?
>think again
>indeed this phase shift travel was hard to get used to, unlike the flash-bang of your bubble generator
>you don't really have spares after you'd used yours to melon-ball a Root tank's face, so you didn't really have any options
>regardless of how awkward it was for a few seconds, you were now on a strange new world where no man has gone before
>and it was raining fiercely
>very, very fiercely
>holy shit it was like five people just dumping buckets of water on you every second
>the ground was flat, smooth stone with massive, rounded ravines cut into them
>this area you were in seemed to be in a constant state of rainstorms that eroded at the rocky ground
>the three hundred foot canyon behind you was starting to flood when the rain stopped
>the clouds were very heavy, it was practically dark out
>and then it happened
>you have only been here for a minute and it went from "can't talk because I would drown if I opened my mouth" to "Oh god, what in all that is fuck"
>Tan turns around to face you as the strangest sight is making your jaw drop
"Here it comes, we will be leaving shortly"
>past your Root buddy is the water that had been dumped from the blanket of clouds
>it was flowing up the rounded, gray rock surfaces
>flowing uphill
>what
>Tan just plops the phase-shift device on the rocky ground and fiddles with a few wire-like vines as water rushes back up the incline towards you
>you hold up your water-soaked gloved hands and see water drops just racing up your palms, up your fingertips and then rocketing up
>within a second, the rainstorm was back
>but it was raining upwards
>large water drops were flowing up from before your stunned eyes, splashing over your visor before leaping towards the sky
"Tan, just what in the world is happening" yells Dr. Graphs, completely soaked to the bones yet getting drier
>water was rushing in a stream at your feet, the surface was chaotic, turning into messy-looking spikes and splashes as drops formed in reverse to shoot upwards
"No time to explain.  Dr. Graphs, please infuse the device with your magic now, we're going back to Equestria as the shift-field is saturated"
>Graph's horn glows despite his confused face
>what
>you were going back already?
>you'd only been here not five minutes!
>this was bullshit
>you needed to see more of this shit
>you thought of the possibilities
>you'd be able to see and do incredible things here
"But you’d said we’d be here for like a day or two!” you pipe up, frustrated
“I said’ we’d emerge a day or two from now” he answers
>blasted Tan!
>his spoken exactitude would be the end of you!
>Tan just engages the device
>damn it, you didn’t get to do your Picard “engage” that time

---

>you roll your seasick eyes and huff
>being back in Equestria after such a cockteasing trip was a little frustrating
>at least it wasn't as long and painful as last time
>exploring and finding new creatures to shoot wasn't that bad but you would pass on stabbing yourself again
>it’s not like you wouldn't be able to go back
>this thought calms you down
>okay, what now?
>the question was answered as soon as it had formed in your mind
>right now, you think that falling to the floor and going into a fetal position is a good idea
>why?
>because the world was spinning and you’re could not exactly control your limbs at the moment
>the first thing you notice after the nausea is that you remember puking but you haven't puked
>yet?
>you rip your helmet off and throw up
>looking at the contents of your breakfast on the ground, you feel confused
>your headache is going away but you think you will get another one because you have a slow foreboding feeling that you are beginning to understand your situation
>you can't exactly remember puking
>you don't really know that you have just thrown up; you just imagine that you did, like it's something that would happen, something you could foresee coming to reality
>however
>you somehow remember that you're going to stand back up soon and wipe your mouth
>you get back to your feet, feeling a little dizzy, wiping your mouth with the back of your plastic plate protected glove
>the theory of your retching is more distant, like trying to remember a dream
>everything feels so...  Backwards
>you hold your head in your hands after thinking that it would happen
>you notice two beings next to you
>you know they're not your enemies because of what they're going to do next; they're going to slowly stand back up, shaking themselves off and then they're going to try to talk to you
>you're not sure what they're going to say, but it will be concerned and thoughtful
>your head was swimming, everything in your mind was muddled
>it was like every memory was shadowed by other simultaneous memory, like there was another side of the memory that was going to happen soon
>everything you tried to remember had more than one version
>was the four-legged one going to stand up, or was the seven-limbed one going to get back on his appendages first?
>you seemed to see it in your mind, a fuzzy image, overlapping with variable possibilities of reality
>you couldn't remember things happening much more than a few minutes in advance, it was just too fuzzy and dim after that
>they end up both getting up at about the same time
>you can almost hear the four-legged one begin speaking
"Oh dear, this is so strange" he says
>you agree
"This is indeed a peculiar effect, but I remember us having work to finish over there.  We must both hurry, our tasks need to be completed soon" points the seven-limbed one
>you can't remember their names, but in your fuzzy memory, you know they're going to leave you and go work on something important that will help someone or something
>they two creatures nod at each other
>taking a strange device from the floor, they depart with it, leaving you alone
>you swallow nervously
>you walk in a familiar direction, but you aren't exactly sure where you're going
>you just see yourself walking down this road soon, but you aren't sure why or where you're going
>it was too hazy in your memory
>you were just so damn confused
>with a sense of understanding coming in to your head, you turn to the water fountain; you remember that looking at it contained answers to your current questions
>you turn around and see the water fountain flowing in reverse
>oh great
>now you understood what Tan meant with "your perception will be affected" and everything
>it seemed that being exposed to the time energy gathered by the phase-shift device on the other world has made you see Equestria as going backwards in time
>the water flowed up
>the sun was going in the other direction
>and you even lost memories of things that happened and gained memories of things that might come to pass
>you couldn't remember what happened in the past, since by your point of view, looking at your past was like trying to see the future, and looking at the future was like remembering the past
>all the while seeing shadows of pasts that could have been with a different action or choice
>it was a stunning realization
>your life seemed to flow from moment to moment right now
>you were simply aware of how the world was, regardless of what you’d forgotten
>living in the moment had nothing on variable reality time energy
>it was a little disorienting, not knowing what happened before the trip to the other world
>but you did have guiding feelings, like how memorable moments can have an impact on your decisions even if you don't remember them clearly
>you seemed to know at least on some level if you knew one of the equines or not
>they were familiar, and for the most part, would be kind to you
>you slowly start sorting your mind out
>the memories are becoming a little clearer, and there seems to be trends in some of the versions
>as if they were brighter and more defined than others
>however, the things you have just learned seem to fade into thin air
>you would have to just accept things as they went on
>that that it was difficult; you could easily remember how trusting current events and other sentient beings would affect you
>second by second, your memories stretched out forward in time
>your head started to hurt
>for some reason, you remember that your head will stop hurting
>slowly, you seem to adjust
>it's like you can remember more now
>you walk off, thinking how you needed to meet a p0ny down this road minutes ago as your memories gain crisper edges and vividness

Good is what today will be, you think.  Or will think, very soon.

---

>you are Twilight Sparkle and you are on Anon’s floor
>he just left his apartment, backwards, yelling gibberish
>you get up and start mopping up the water in the carpet
>not ten minutes go by and Anon burst back into the room
>he takes his helmet off
“Hi Twilight! I just had the weirdest day ever!  Honestly I can’t even explain it” he says, excited and frantic
>you lie back down
“Twilight?  Seriously, it’s like science or something.  Aren’t you interested?”
>that’s when you started hitting your head against the floor in utter despair and exasperation
>you raise your snout towards the ceiling and let out a long, mournful moan
“WHYYY”

Today was a day where logic and science died.

---

I'm really sorry to all of you that actually know time stuff; I know guns and things like that but [spoiler]Doctor Who is my knowledge source for time physics so I am sorry about everything[/spoiler] I was just trying to explore AiE+multiverse time, I guess...  Or something.  [spoiler] [/spoiler] >implying I even remotely know what I'm talking about in any way

Whatever, this was fun [spoiler]and confusing[/spoiler] to write.