“I’m sorry… WHAT?!” Sour shouted out. His mind instantly going to Cluttered. “But they’ll all perish!” Sweet then added on, almost seeming to protest what he knew Harmonous was inevitably going to say, also thinking of Duskfall and Soundwave. “We have to go and help evacuate them all!” Acidic then immediately added on even after that. “There’s no time” Harmonous then whispered out. His words seeming shaky. With Dallasite flying behind the three as he almost tried ushering them to a portal that Arcane decided to create for the six of them. “We’ll move to our cave. That’ll be safe at least” Arcane then muttered to Harmonous. Sour, Sweet and Acidic however, weren’t too happy about what was happening to say the least.
“We can’t just… Leave them all!” Sour began, with a protest in his tone. Sweet and Acidic standing side by side as they resisted the ushering from Dallasite. “Oh yes, because you can stop an interdimensional catastrophe…” Dallasite then sarcastically responded. Sweet however, spoke up. “We’re not trying to stop it, we’re trying to get them out of there!” he shouted out, prompting Harmonous to turn around. Annoyance in his eyes. “The three of you will end up perishing. I won’t allow such a thing!” he shouted back. His voice echoing in the caves behind the six. But the three were unmoving in their positions. Stubborn would have been one word used by some. Determined would have been one word used by others.
looked at the three as he noticed their positions. Completely still. Completely resistant. “You know… We could give him a little time… This is only the beginning of the end for that town. He could try to get those four out…” Arcane suggested, slightly amused, although amusement seemed heavily concealed. Dallasite looked at Arcane with some anger, before looking at the three infront of him. Rolling his eyes, he gave in quite suddenly. Almost like a silent argument that had been cut short. “Oh fine… I agree. It’s not like we can’t just get him out when we know it’s closer and closer to that end point” he then added onto Arcane’s previous suggestion. Harmonous, who’d heard both of his associates opinions, thought carefully. Mainly about the time allotted if he did allow for such a thing to happen. “The tear will widen within three minutes. Then in another three minutes… It will start widening again. Until the last three minutes when the reaction will fully happen…” he muttered aloud. Glancing behind him as he nodded to Arcane.
Arcane nodded back, in understanding as the portal seemed to change in landscape. Before, the portal Arcane had made showed the innards of a dark cave of sorts. One that the regular ponies didn’t know of. But one the three alicorns knew well. The cave changed to Buckgrove. Specifically, near the coast. Facing the ocean, but showing the square the library and mayor’s hall were in. With his magic, Harmonous lifted the three. Before he flung Sour, Sweet, Acidic and the crown holding the Sardonyx of Soul through the portal. The three landing roughly as Harmonous seemed to say one more thing through the portal connection. Something that was spoken through their minds rather than aloud. “Eight minutes” his voice echoed, as the portal behind the three closed. Sour getting up, putting the crown on his head and looking at the portal as the last remnants of it closed behind them. Whisps of pale blue magic flying off in an almost grid pattern. Looking down as the other two stood up, Sour picked up the golden crown that he'd received at the Spring of Soul.
When he turned around to view the ocean, the three just stared for a few seconds. Taking in the storms around the rift they were seeing. From their view, it looked rather small. But the twisters and lightning around it certainly spoke for themselves. Violent aquatic and electric storms conquering the sea near the town. Winds from the storms passing across the town. Gusts and Blustery winds trying to lift the three up from their standing spots. Around them, they saw a number of ponies frantically galloping about, entering the various buildings around them to try and get some semblance of shelter. Back out in the oceans, rain had also started. From the twisters funneling water up and then spitting out through the clouds. “We might want to start with the library!” Sweet suggested over the blustery winds. Sour and Acidic nodding as they took a very short trip to the library. Trying to enter, they found the doors were locked. Trying to shake them open, the effort was made useless. “Maybe their houses! But those are at least ten minutes away!” Acidic then said, speaking over the wind once again. They seemed stuck. Until Acidic looked at the purple gems on the Sardonyx crown.
“Do those gems seem more colorful than before?!” he asked the other two. Sweet using his magic to lift the crown from Sour’s head and looking at it. Then, lifting his horn ring from his own horn and placing it next to the crown. With Acidic taking his necklace and letting Sweet use his magic to place the necklace next to the other two items. It was true. Their colours were practically blinding as the orange from the Beryl, the blue of the Moonstone, and the purples, yellows and blacks from the Sardonyx of Soul all shone brightly. As bright as the sun itself. With some energy being shared between the three items, making a white ball of magic. It was small, but as soon as it formed, a tiny white line shot from it and off into the oceans. Toward and at the rift that seemed to have formed. “You’re kidding. Of all the times to direct us these things do it NOW?” Sour asked with frustration. Sweet looking toward the rift as an idea came into his mind. “What if… What if it’s taking us to Stardew?” he asked, fighting the wind’s loudness. Acidic trying to keep himself steady as he responded with “I think those three alicorns let us know the answer to that! Obviously! But, why’re you asking?!”.
“Because we should follow the light! Of all times, this could be the time that we could find Stardew!” Sweet retorted back, practically shouting at the growing loudness of the winds as he noticed the rift. Which seemed to be entering it’s first enlargement. Widening and ripping through the skies ever so slightly. With the weather getting ever so fiercer. “HOW’RE WE EVEN GOING TO SWIM OVER THERE WITH THIS WEATEHR!?” Sour then protested, shouting this time as the wind had gotten so loud, that nothing else worked. “WITH A BOAT! COME ON!” Sweet responded, also shouting as the three quickly made their way to the shore. Sweet carrying the gems. Where the water had begun rising about halfway from where it usually sat. With the flicker of his horn, he seemed to try and summon something. Something big, and something that splashed within the water. Without any time wasted, Sweet grabbed the other two and plopped them on it. “HOW DID YOU MANAGE THAT?!” Sour asked, the winds so strong that he could barely be heard. Which was proven when Sweet didn’t respond. Instead, getting on and using his magic to push the boat forward into the sea. His magic being the thing leading the boat through the storm.
Meanwhile, the gems behind Sweet as he took the frontside of the boat sat just infront of him. With the twisters starting to move in a circular motion. Seeing one of them heading towards the boat, Sweet seemed to steer the boat somewhat. At least, that’s what the other two thought until Sweet let out a large burst of energy just as the twister encroached on the boat. Lifting it, but the boat landing some distance away from the twister, advancing as it landed. Wet rain spitting from the twister at the boat, but the boat avoiding the wet as it continued. Waves beginning to challenge the boat before the three experienced the lightning. Which was now storming down into the sea and creating temporary craters within the oceans surface. “SWEET COLTNEY! IT’S LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD!” Sour shouted out in shock as he seemed to be fearful of a possible capsize.
At this point, the three were almost there. Waves becoming so fierce that Sweet had to lift the boat above them to try and continue on. But it was clear that whatever magic Sweet had, was fading. And fast. As Acidic looked around, he saw the twisters beginning a move onto land and merging with the sands of the shore. Becoming a hybrid between a twister and a sandstorm as they fattened up. Sour looking forward as he noticed the lightning growing in strength, and Sweet seeing the rift widening for the second and final time. “WE WON’T MAKE IT!” Sour screamed out, with Acidic using his wings to try and fly before he was pulled back down quickly by the sheer force of the wind itself. As Sweet looked up however, he noticed something from the rift. From the bluish, empty gray of the rift, somepony was falling. They were charging something. They had wings, a horn and… Which was when the three knew exactly who it was. “HE’LL DROP INTO THE SEA! QUICK!” Sour shouted out. The Sardonyx crown glowing white as Acidic and Sour readied to seemingly jump. Sweet instinctively doing so as well, with the other gems glowing white. Until they made the leap of faith.
In that one moment, the energy of the world came together in one perfect moment. One moment of concentrated determination. One moment of pure adrenaline and love for the one falling as the three ponies also began to glow white. Until it happened. With a massive white explosion from the three, they certainly caught the one they were attempting to save. With the last thing the three saw before they blacked out, being the rift, and the stallion they had saved. They had saved their cousin. Stardew. As the white light engulfed the four of them, four became two. With their true form finally coming back together. Sour, Sweet and Acidic had refused into their alicorn body as they blacked out. Although, they could’ve also have sworn they saw their front legs gain greyish armbands of sorts. Very temporarily.
Then, time passed. He didn’t know what had happened as he woke up in a familiar bed. In a familiar room. One he knew well. Moving within the bedsheets, he groaned and stretched his wings somewhat. With the morning light drifting in from the curtains he knew all too well. His eyes opening thanks to the light shining on his face. His natural instinct was to stay in bed. He didn’t want to immediately get up as he enjoyed the soft, relaxing mattress that he’d sunken into. But, he had been in the ocean, hadn’t he? Curiosity took over as he arose from his bed. Almost jumping out and startling the one in the room with him. Quickly, he turned and prepared himself for a fight. Until he noticed who was sat in a chair beside his bed. “Y’awlright?” they asked, as the one in the bed gasped. “Stardew!” they then shouted out, flying out of bed and missile hugging his brother. Tackling him to the ground as tears fell from his eyes. Unlike other times however, his tears were those of happiness. Of relief.
Stardew, however, seemed very annoyed at the sudden hug. Fighting it until he couldn’t any longer. “Yeah, yeah oi’m ‘appy yeh safe too, bu’ gimme some space!” He protested as the other alicorn flew back on the bed and sat. Staring at Stardew as he flew back into his chair. “Yeh friend… Uh… Cluttuh’d… Is that ‘is name?” Stardew then asked, as the other alicorn nodded and then confirmed into his head that he hadn’t gone back to Manestralia. “Well, yeh should thank him. He noticed yeh and me on the shaw aftah what’d happened” Stardew then finished off. Prompting the alicorn to ask “So, it’s closed? The rift?” to which Stardew nodded in confirmation. “Yep. Closed it Moiself” he then said, with the door creaking open. The one at the door being Cluttered, as he seemed to let out a huge sigh of relief. “THANK CEYONAIT YOU’RE ALIVE” he then loudly echoed. With himself taking a few moments before looking at Stardew and then asking “Who’s gonna tell him then? Me, or you?” as Stardew summoned a mirror. “Oi’ll do et” he simply replied, with the mirror pointing at the alicorn. Where orange laid on his coat beforehand, a pale blue coat sat. His inner mane had gone from dark purple to dark blue. The middle of his mane had turned from gold to pure gray and his outer had a muted, lighter blue than the dark blue.
As soon as the alicorn saw this, he seemed confused. “But, I’m orange. Not blue” he said aloud, visibly with confusion. “Yeh, that’s what oi said. Entil summa ahr pals…” Stardew paused as he gritted through his teeth. “Entil summa ahr pals dropped ohn bah… They’n cawled yah Bounded Time… Or wha’evah… Yeh still Covet to me though…” He then finished off, the last bit of the sentence being that of stubbornness. “Right… Well, for now, I suppose I could go by the name Bounded. We still need to make it back to Manestralia… Right?” the alicorn then asked Stardew, with him nodding as he then seemed to smile. “And et’ll be easieh than oi thought!” Stardew then exclaimed. His face seeming to beam more and more. “Oh? And why’s that?” the alicorn then asked, with some curiosity peaked in his voice. That’s when Stardew answered. With something that greatly appeased the blue alicorn.
“It’s just across the ocean!”
“Yeah… Uh…” Cluttered faintly said, having moved from the door to the end of the bed. Stardew looked at him, before Cluttered continued. “Since the rift was closed, news has spread about a continent across the oceans. It’s a LONG sail across though… It’d take a few days at least. But you two are ALICORNS… You should be able to warp there!” Cluttered then finished off, with a shock in his voice. “I still can’t believe it, you’re still here” he then added on, with some relief and happiness slipping in. “Right… It does feel like those three are still here. But, they’re deep within my wings… horn and heart” the alicorn responded. Then, he asked a question. “I… Uh… What about the Spring gifts?” to which Cluttered replied with “We couldn’t find them. Who knows where they are? They could be in the oceans… Or they could’ve been erased from existence. Point is though, that they did their jobs, right?”. The alicorn thought about it. Indeed they had, but it would’ve been nice to have kept them. Wherever they were, he was sure they were out of magic. Finally being used in the critical moment. His thoughts were intruded on by Cluttered, who then said “Well, breakfast is in the living room. You two should eat, and then we can see the other three at the library” as Stardew nodded. Cluttered then left for the said room, as the alicorn got up. Before Stardew could leave the room however, he heard his brother’s question that was uttered. “I… Uh… Well… I don’t know how to ask this but… Do I still have to do the coronation?”.
Stardew took a moment, before turning around. “Eftah the mess yeh and oi made? Not for a whoile” he then replied. With a tricky sort of grin on his face as the blue alicorn playfully rolled his eyes and followed Stardew into the living room. Taking the hour to eat and fill their bellies. With the two of them seemingly happy, until the end. When the blue alicorn seemed to contemplate something. Stardew and Cluttered noticing, with Cluttered asking “What’s wrong?”. “Well… Now that I’m back together again. As… Me… I think… Would we have to head back right away?” the blue alicorn then asked Stardew. With Stardew shaking his head. “Nah… We desehve rest. We’ll go when we’hr ready” which made the blue alicorn visibly sigh in relief and loosen up somewhat. “I thought, after I became one again, that I’d be whisked off back to whatever life I led before…” he explained. “Well” Cluttered then began, with Stardew and the blue alicorn looking in his direction. “I’m sure you can continue to live whatever life you wanted to live as Sour, Sweet and Acidic… Just, make sure you let your dad know whenever you find him about that” he then finished. “Oh, and I’d go with the name Bounded. It fits” Cluttered then added on at the end, winking. With Stardew rolling his eyes and the blue alicorn nodding.
Which brought them to the end. The end of the meal. The end of the conversation. With Cluttered taking their plates into the kitchen and with Stardew getting up, Bounded and Stardew left Cluttered’s house with him. The three trotting down to the library. On their way down, Bounded saw it. Very far off, but he saw it. His home. “Manestralia…” he mumbled in awe. How come he hadn’t seen it before? He didn’t have time to wonder about it for now, but when he got a moment, he made sure he'd figure it out. At this point in time however, he had some good friends to reunite with. Which came soon as he entered the library with Stardew and Cluttered. Duskfall, Soundwave and Dawn all at a table. But boxes weren’t packed. It was very odd to see as Bounded, Stardew and Cluttered all sat down. “The saviors of our town have arrived” Dawn chirped. With Stardew and Bounded seeming somewhat annoyed as they both brushed it off. “You don’t believe us? You two did something amazing! Even Arcane and Dallasite were amazed at what you both did!” Duskfall announced, making Bounded surprised. “And Harmonous?” he then asked in his surprise. Which got the other three to look at eachother. “Yeah… About him…” Soundwave quietly replied. With Duskfall adding on “We haven’t seen him since before you left for the Spring of Soul. He seems to have vanished!” as Bounded added on one last thing to the conversation. “For now”.
“Well, for now is a very wide statement. Plus, you have as much time as you need and could ever want! We even managed to spend enough time convincing the Mayor that the library needed to stay! So all’s well that ends well, right?” Soundwave then replied. With Bounded simply responding with “Ohhhhh…. That explains the bookshelves still being lined up with books from the boxes they had previously packed up. “Oh! Here, by the way. The book you wanted to borrow” Duskfall then said, using his magic to levitate the book PENULTIMA: BOUND BY TIME over to Bounded. His eyes widening in glee. He didn’t question it or question the other books he borrowed, with Stardew looking over at the book with curiosity, and then the six of them spent the rest of their day chatting and chilling out. A fitting end to Bounded’s first adventure. Whilst more things awaited, the moment and current times were needed to relax. To rejuvenate the mind and to fully prepare.
After all, all’s well that mostly ends well. Especially for the little blue alicorn,
Bounded Time.