{"sf1_id":554220,"sf2_id":"q1x5rEpe","title":"Chapter 08 - Thyme After Time - part 18","author":"Radical Gopher","words":1787,"posted_at":"2013-06-22T10:19:00.000Z","tags":["Fantasy","M/F","Science Fiction","Violence (Not In Yiff)","ponies"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/554220-chapter-08-thyme-after-time-part-18","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/q1x5rEpe","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=554220\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"#25 of My Little Powerpuff Ponies\n\nSorry for the delay on this episode. There was a whole lot of data I had to recover, but here it is now, enjoy.","content":"THYME AFTER TIME\n\nReaching the front of the formation the pegasus held up her hooves signaling them to stop.\u0026nbsp; She was approached by two alicorn princesses who seemed to be in charge.\u0026nbsp; Cassia quickly explained why they couldn't directly attack the machines, not for at least the next twenty minutes. The white alicorn with the multi-hued, pastel mane understood immediately.\n\n\"I can't say I'm comfortable with using biological warfare, magical or not, but we can discuss it later,\" Celestia said.\u0026nbsp; \"The important thing is to defend both Ponyville and Equestria.\u0026nbsp; Do you have a way of communicating with anypony in town?\"\n\nCassia nodded.\u0026nbsp; \"Twilight Sparkle is using Cinnamon's communicator to keep us posted.\"\n\n\"Fine.\u0026nbsp; My sister and I will assist with the secondary defenses.\"\u0026nbsp; With that, the two alicorns wheeled left and led the army back towards Ponyville. Cassia rejoined the others.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFrom the hilltop they watched the gigantic machines as they began advancing on Ponyville again.\n\nThe pegasus looked at the professor.\u0026nbsp; \"How long until that virus of yours takes effect?\"\n\n\"Ten, maybe fifteen minutes tops.\"\n\n\"Fifteen minutes will put them at the barricade,\" Clover pointed out.\n\n\"I think I'm feeling a little better,\" Cyanide suggested weakly over the communicator.\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe we can make another attack run?\u0026nbsp; Slow them down more?\" The alicorn groaned, then sneezed violently several times in a row.\u0026nbsp; He laid back down on the blanket.\u0026nbsp; \"Or not!\"\n\n\"Maybe I could try,\" offered Cassia.\u0026nbsp; \"The dust cloud has already dispersed.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I wouldn't recommend it,\" said Cymbalaria.\u0026nbsp; \"The outside of those machines must be coated with the virus.\u0026nbsp; An attack could expose you to the disease.\"\n\n\"It will expose Ponyville if we don't stop them,\" Cassia said.\n\n\"Not if we can help it,\" the Professor muttered.\u0026nbsp; He tapped his communicator.\u0026nbsp; \"Twilight... Are you still there?\"\n\nThere was a brief hiss of static then the voice of the lavender unicorn came on line.\u0026nbsp; \"Can I help you professor.\"\n\n\"Listen, Twilight... Is it possible for your pegasus ponies to make another thunderstorm attack, say in the next ten minutes?\"\u0026nbsp; As he listened he could hear the librarian consulting with someone else.\n\n\"Rainbow says there aren't enough thunderclouds around to do that again.\u0026nbsp; Besides, we only have three or four pegasi on hand.\u0026nbsp; The others are busy moving Cloudsdale out of the line of fire.\"\n\n\"What about the Royal Guard?\u0026nbsp; Can they help?\"\u0026nbsp; Is there any other kind of weather that can be dropped on these things without getting too close to them?\"\u0026nbsp; There was another long pause before Twilight called back.\n\n\"Rainbow Dash says to sit back, relax and hang on to your manes.\"\n\nAs they watched a line of several dozen gleaming, armored pegasus ponies rose from ground and began flying in a circular column, rising and falling in a coordinated spiral.\u0026nbsp; They were led by a cyan blue pegasus.\u0026nbsp; As they accelerated a cone-shaped vertical mist began forming, the narrowest end reaching just a hundred feet off the ground while the upper half towered nearly a half-mile into the air.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What the heck are they doing?\" Cassia asked.\n\n\"I think they're pulling a Pecos Bill in reverse,\" the professor said, smiling.\n\n\"A Pecos who?\"\n\n\"Just watch.\"\n\nThe pegasus ponies flew faster and faster, causing the funnel of mist to coalesce into a darker, more solid column of high pressure air.\n\n\"Did they just make a... cyclone?\" Cassia asked.\u0026nbsp;\n\nContinuing to watch, they saw the ponies suddenly pull away from the funnel in a single, high speed line, almost as if they were playing snap the whip.\u0026nbsp; Like a top sent spinning when you yanked on the string, the funnel cloud roared forward towards the advancing machines.\u0026nbsp; It touched down just in front of them and plowed into the mechanized formation, scattering it across the open fields.\u0026nbsp; Several war machines were scooped up and spun around the inside of the funnel before being ejected from the top.\u0026nbsp; They rose high into the air, lost momentum and fell back to earth like cannon balls.\u0026nbsp; The first three face planted themselves in the ground.\u0026nbsp; The fourth slammed down on top of yet another machine which began lurching around madly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Not bad,\" Cymbalaria observed as the funnel cloud faded away.\u0026nbsp; \"That cyclone not only bowled over our opposition, but it probably dissipated your virus into the upper atmosphere.\u0026nbsp; By the time it settles back down, it will be inert.\"\n\nThe majority of the war-bots began picking themselves up off the ground and making a weak effort to reform.\u0026nbsp; They staggered about dizzily, bumping into and tripping over each other.\u0026nbsp; The three that had face planted themselves quivered feebly and flayed their legs, but otherwise did not move.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAs the professor and the others watched, the movements of the war machines became lethargic.\u0026nbsp; One by one they began grinding to a stop and toppling over like dominoes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I think the virus is working,\" said Cymbalaria.\n\nWithin about ten minutes all the machines had ground to a halt.\u0026nbsp; Hatches popped open and a number of bulky creatures with head-like torsos, beaks and tentacles sitting or lying on the ground.\u0026nbsp; The sound of violent, alien hooting, which could have been sneezes, wafted over the now quiet countryside.\n\nThe professor studied them with a telescope he'd pulled from his canvas saddlebags.\u0026nbsp; \"Herbert... You magnificent bastard... I read your BOOK!\"\u0026nbsp; Cassia looked at him in confusion.\u0026nbsp; He grinned.\u0026nbsp; \"Sorry, I just couldn't resist.\"\n\n\"So now what?\" asked Cassia.\n\n\"We get Twilight and her friends to herd those 'Martians' somewhere that they can be taken care of and won't be any trouble.\u0026nbsp; Then we find your Maestro Thyme and get this whole cross dimensional business sorted out.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"I'm curious to know exactly how the Maestro was able to open up a portal and bring those machines in from another world,\" said Cassia.\u0026nbsp; \"All her instrumentality is back on the chrono-sphere with Rekooh.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"That's the sixty-four dollar question right now.\"\u0026nbsp; The professor looked at Cymbalaria.\u0026nbsp; \"How are our patients doing?\"\n\n\"You were right about their recuperative abilities,\" the android pony said.\u0026nbsp; \"Clover's already past the worst of the symptoms and Cyanide should be back on his hooves in a couple of minutes.\u0026nbsp; I'd say give them about ten minutes and they'll be as good as new.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Maybe,' said the black-furred alicorn, scratching at a rapidly vanishing purple spot.\u0026nbsp; \"But getting there hasn't exactly been fun.\"\u0026nbsp; He gave off one last, extremely violent sneeze that echoed off the hills.\n\n\"If we're not having fun, I almost feel sorry for those Martians,\" Clover mumbled, sitting up on the blanket.\u0026nbsp; She looked at the professor, her bloodshot eyes slowly clearing.\u0026nbsp; \"Are we still contagious?\"\n\nThe blue-gray unicorn closed his eyes and used his horn to magically examine them.\u0026nbsp; \"No... Once the spots start vanishing you can't infect other people... I mean ponies.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe communicator crackled in their ears.\u0026nbsp; \"Can you hear me...? Hello, professor?\"\n\n\"We're here, Twilight... How can we help?\"\n\n\"It's hard to tell from here, but it looks like those metal monsters have stopped moving.\u0026nbsp; Can you confirm this?\"\n\n\"Yes... I can confirm.\u0026nbsp; All the machines are now down and out of commission.\u0026nbsp; Tell your pegasus friends that the cyclone worked perfectly.\"\n\nTwilight passed the word on to the other ponies around her and within moments a dull roar could be heard emanating from the town as everypony cheered and stamped their hooves.\u0026nbsp; The unicorn's next few words were drowned out by the noise, but she was eventually able to make herself understood over the din.\u0026nbsp; \"Princess Celestia and Luna want to talk with you.\u0026nbsp; How soon can you get to town?\"\n\nThe professor looked over at Cymbalaria who held up five fingers.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"We'll be on our there in about five minutes.\"\n\n\"Good... the whole town wants to thank you guys.\"\n\nThe professor repacked his saddlebags, then quickly checked over Cyanide, Clover and Cymbalaria, making doubly-sure that the magical virus had completely been expunged.\u0026nbsp; When everyone was ready he looked over at Cymbalaria.\u0026nbsp; \"Mind if I get a lift to town?\"\n\nSmiling, the android pony bent down so he could grab onto her back.\u0026nbsp; \"Hang on,\" she cautioned as she once again ignited her rear rocket hooves and arched into the sky.\u0026nbsp; Cassia and Cyanide both spread their wings and followed while Clover trailed them on the ground, kicking up a high speed cloud of dust.\u0026nbsp;\n\nReaching Ponyville, the professor and the others landed in the town square and quickly sought out Twilight Sparkle.\u0026nbsp; They found her surrounded by her friends.\u0026nbsp; Pinky of course was jumping up and down yelling something about a victory party.\u0026nbsp; Next to them stood a somewhat bedraggled Cinnamon, her horn completely healed.\u0026nbsp; Cassia and the others trotted up to her.\n\n\"How are you feeling?\"\n\n\"Like I've been \u0026%$\\*\\*$# run over by a semi-truck that was carrying an Abrams tank... TWICE!\"\n\nTwilight's friend, Fluttershy, looked at the green-furred unicorn in shock and hid her face in embarrassment.\u0026nbsp; Cyanide just smiled.\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah, she's going to be fine.\"\u0026nbsp; He trotted over to where the professor was consulting with Twilight.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Yes... we can totally do that,\" the lavender unicorn said.\u0026nbsp; \"We'll just get some unicorns to levitate the... What did you call them?\"\n\n\"Martians.\"\n\n\"The Martians to an empty barn.\u0026nbsp; That way no one has to touch them until your magical illness isn't contagious.\"\u0026nbsp; She paused for a second.\u0026nbsp; \"You wouldn't happen to know what they eat, would you.\u0026nbsp; I mean if we're going to be caring for them...\"\n\n\"Well,\" said the professor.\u0026nbsp; \"If I remember Herbert's story correctly it was human bloo...\"\u0026nbsp; He paused as a shadow enveloped both Twilight and himself.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLooking up he saw two female alicorns standing side by side.\u0026nbsp; They were dressed in elaborate, silver armor with gold filigree and accompanied by more than a dozen armored pony guards.\u0026nbsp; Everypony in the vicinity became quiet and bowed to the regal figures.\u0026nbsp; Taking their cue from the others, the professor and the Power Puff Ponies also bowed, though not as deeply as the local residents.\n\nSmiling, Twilight looked up at her mentor.\u0026nbsp; \"Princess Celestia... Princess Luna, are we glad to see you.\u0026nbsp; Your pegasus guards arrived just in time to help us win the day.\"\n\n\"We came as quickly as we could and are glad to have assisted,\" the white-furred alicorn said, \"but it appears you had the situation well under control.\"\n\n\"Only thanks to the professor and his friends,\" Twilight gesturing to her new friends.\u0026nbsp; Celestia's gaze followed, but when she set her eyes on Cyanide her mouth turned downward and her brows furrowed.\n\n\"GUARDS!\u0026nbsp; Seize that imposter, IMMEDIATELY\"!\n\nWithin seconds the alicorn found himself surrounded by earth ponies armed with sharp spears, the heads of which ironically resembled his cutie mark.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Uh... Was it something I said?\" Cyanide muttered.\n\n  \n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"My Little Powerpuff Ponies","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/396804-chapter-08-thyme-after-time-part-17.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/555025-chapter-08-thyme-after-time-part-19.json"}}