The Traveler plummets through the fabric of time, to a destination in the past. This is not his first journey, nor is it likely to be his last. He has seen many strange sights and been to many strange times, but nothing has ever destroyed his love of his Home; he has never found anyplace better to hang his hat.

The one thing that most do not realize about time travel is that it doesn't guarantee that the time traveler ends up on the same time line that he started on. To the degree that, if he is particularly unlucky, he ends up in a time line, a universe, really, where the laws of the nature unfolded differently from the Primal Singularity, which isn't always a Bang. In some very few time lines that have been visited and warned by these nomad time travelers, scientists have devised ways of tethering the time machine to the point it leaves from, preventing sideways drift across time lines.

The Traveler does not pilot a tethered time machine. He has been adrift for a very long time. How long, he couldn't say. He wiped the date from the computer years ago. Decades ago. Perhaps even centuries. Having travelled into a set of time lines without increasing entropy with his first unfortunate jump, his body does not decay, his longing for home does not fade, and his time machine does not wear out.

It would be a lie to say he has never despaired, but even despair eventually becomes hollow in the face of the loneliness he suffers. A Universe without entropy, he discovered, never produces life. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is a blessing to all living things and makes them possible. Life is an inherently entropic process, building a pocket of great order and using it as a catalyst for increasing disorder all around it. This is, in part, why he was sent to the past.

The Traveler hails from a world that, when he left it, was groaning under the stresses of near-maximum entropy. Seeing stocks of convenient resources running down, and facing severe rationing before new energy technologies could be implemented, the Traveler and his team of physicists went to the government with a proposal. Time travel without affecting the observed present, they said, was possible. Their plan was to send an agent to the distant past to set a nanomachine in motion that would begin replicating itself and stockpiling energy resources in unexplored locations, out of sight from civilization. On his return, they would go to where the nanomachines had hidden their treasures and claim them.

The Traveler, however, never returned. Now on his way into the unknown past of an unknown universe, the Traveler stares into the intricate blankness of the space between spaces, the time between times. This trip, though, is unlike his previous journeys. That is, except for his first.

A sensation, a churning of the gut, a pressure on the mind, the body. A change in the texture of the blankness from what it always will be to what it always was.

Outside the machine, entropy was increasing.

---

Ponyville, Equestria 3:42 AM February 15, 2 Anno Regis Filiae

In an unobserved alley, a wind began to stir. Sweeping up nearby debris, the wind picked up strength. As it did so, bolts of energy began popping and fizzing out and away from a spot slightly above a trash can. Most of the bolts dissipated harmlessly, but a few did not. Where they touched, it seemed like the ravages of time were undone. Stone took the appearance of being freshly set, wood looked freshly hewn, and paint became wet again. One of the bolts grazed the trash can's lid, and years of tarnish disappeared from its path. This would turn out to matter very little in the long run, however, as a large box appeared in a flash of light atop the can.

The weight of the box proved to be too much for the old can, and it crumpled as if had been made of aluminum foil. As soon as the box made contact with the ground all traces of the light show vanished.

The box was large, almost ten feet long on each side and nearly as tall. Its surface was a smooth metallic finish that seemed to refract all light that hit it into all colors of the spectrum. Curiously, though, the surface seemed to reflect light an almost imperceptible fraction of a second before it actually encountered the box, but as time passed this discrepancy faded to into imperceptibility.

Inside, the Traveler listened to the Time Machine's computer feed him a status report as his body adjusted to the new universe. He and the Machine had arrived safely in the new timespace, the only changes to physical laws being the subtle tweaks in a few minor constants. This was, however, enough to mean this universe had net accumulation of entropy. This universe would eventually proceed to total disorder, unlike the ones he had been traveling through.

The Traveler skimmed the report again and sighed. One way or another, barring an unfortunate slip back into the hell of perfect order, his trip was near an end. He would either find his home or die of old age before he reached it.

No matter, he thought to himself, I must continue as I always have. He went to gather his survey tools from the storage locker. As he did so, he took stock of the shape he took in this universe. His essence had been translated into many forms over his centuries of wandering. Every universe had its own rules for what intelligent life would have to be for it to function, and the way the Machine traveled always faithfully converted his body and thought processes to work in the new environment.

The form he had currently assumed was one unknown to him, but some of the elements the computer told him were similar to life in his home time. The fur was certainly a common thing, he distantly remembered having some before he left. Or maybe he was misremembering a form from one of the Limbo worlds? He couldn't remember any more, and didn't want to know more from the computer about similarities. The best thing, he had decided ages ago, would be to stumble upon Home and be pleasantly surprised. Until that day, he would let the computer keep watch on his form.

It was time to determine what his body was capable of in this universe. The computer after running a brief analysis proposed that there were three main modes of travel available to him. He could use his four limbs in any of several gaits, of which the computer suggested "walk" was the most energy efficient. He could use his wings for flying or hovering, which the computer recommended against for safety purposes. The gravity on this particular planet was strong enough to injure his new form from most flying altitudes. The third mode of travel suggested, and it was listed as hypothetical, was using a biological wormhole generating array he seemed to have on his forehead. He decided against using that one almost instantly. It was bad enough that riding the Machine separated him from his own world, he didn't want to try anything that might separate him from the Machine now.

After finishing collecting his sensor pack, which had been conveniently reconfigured to rest on top of him between his two flying limbs comfortably. He also noted that this version seemed to be entirely controlled by vibrations in the air as compared to the direct neural link he had had with it in the last universe. He hadn't tried talking since... Four hundred, sixty eight worlds ago, the Machine supplied. He might need some practice.

The Traveler turned to the door of the Machine and steeled himself for disappointment. He knew he likely wouldn't find any signs of his world in this one, but it was worth the time to look. Any clue that another time traveler had disturbed this universe would be valuable information.

In the predawn light, Equestria's newest Alicorn stepped out of his otherworldly craft, and bumped straight into Pinkie Pie's Welcome Wagon. Back inside the Time Machine, a crucial bit of information sat waiting in the computer's memory banks, unreported.

“Universal entropic accumulation is positive,” the report stated in the part the Traveler had perused. Further on, though it continued, “Localized entropic accumulation of Traveler's body is negative.”

Starswirl the Bearded Wing, Canterlot Archives
Canterlot, Equestria 5:52 PM February 21, 2 Anno Regis Filiae

“The Archives will be closing in ten minutes,” the archivist stopped to tell Twilight Sparkle and her companion.

“Thanks for the warning Mr. Spark,” she replied. Turning to her study partner, “Sounds like that's our queue to wrap things up here. We should take what we can back to the castle, no sense wasting good study time now that we've got you talking and reading.

Traveler began collecting the research materials they had been referring to, scooping them into his saddle bag. He had had a very complicated week, starting with his arrival in Ponyville. It had turned out that whatever law of dimension hopping converted his body to breathe the air and operate with new laws of physics stopped short of giving him knowledge of the local language. Being confronted with the most talkative and extroverted of Ponyville's residents had been... interesting.

---

Ponyville, Equestria 3:47 AM February 15, 2 Anno Regis Filiae

“Oh my gosh! I've never seen a pony appear out of a box that appeared out of thin air before, but you totally just did that!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. The Traveler regarded her with a blank expression. He could hear the words, but their meaning was entirely lost on him. He instructed the Machine to begin recording her words to dissect later.

While he was giving commands, Pinkie Pie had continued to run at the mouth, mostly oblivious to his apparent lack of comprehension. However, it was not for lack of noticing. She knew she had that effect on ponies, and it was usually good enough to just toss them in the verbal deep end and wait for them to catch on.

She was surprised, however, that she had gotten past the mention of her pet alligator and how much he would just love the Traveler and into talk of what recipe she was going to use for the punch without a single interruption from her audience. He hadn't even objected that the party be held aboard an airship. He just stood there, staring at her. Slowing down her rapid-fire party planning, she put down the fondue kiwis and looked into his eyes.

All she could see written on his face and reflected in his eyes, in how he held himself, betrayed his terrible loneliness. It was the countenance of someone who had lost hope so long ago, they could not remember how it felt. Pinkie had personal experience with what this pony seemed to be feeling. She had felt the same way when she thought her friends had abandoned her. Seeing this pony... seeing his pain... Pinkamena Diane Pie vowed that she would make this pony in front of her smile.

But first she would have to figure out what was wrong.

Calming down and shutting off the Welcome Wagon's music box, she took a hesitating step towards the Traveler.

What is she doing? Is she capable of hurting me? the Traveler asked the Machine.

Danger is minimal, it dutifully replied. Recommend no interference, study would advance cultural analysis.

Seeing no outward response from the stranger, Pinkie Pie slowly walked forward to within hoof's reach.

“Hey,” she said softly. She reached out a hoof towards him. “Where are you from, new friend?” The Traveler regarded her with the same pain-etched face, saying nothing. Pinkie began getting confused, normally a pony would have reacted to at least one of her antics by now. She placed her extended hoof on his shoulder and began petting it with slow, comforting strokes. The Traveler flinched each time she renewed her touch, but remained in place. Seeing his reaction, Pinkie changed tactics, rubbing in circles.

The Traveler's mind was racing. This was the first time another living being had touched him since before his trip began. He had forgotten how good the friendly touch of another felt. It was electrifying, as if he had been asleep the whole time and suddenly woken up just now.

He looked at the pink pony next to him with freshly opened eyes, the tiniest hint of a spark glittering in them. Pinkie Pie saw a subtle change in his expression, a brief twitch of a cheek muscle here, an eyebrow shifting there. She watched him intently, like one would study a closed flower just before sunrise.

Quite some time passed, the sky becoming lighter as dawn approached, the two ponies standing in the frigid predawn air. One stared at the other, waiting for the change she hoped would come. The other stared back, paralyzed with overwhelming nostalgia for days gone by. In his heart, something stirred. Pinkie Pie felt an itch in her ankles, a twitch in her tail.

Obeying her instincts, Pinkie Pie quit her rubbing and wrapped her forelegs around the Traveler in a hug. As if on queue, the first sliver of the sun peeked over the horizon, lighting the sky. The corners of the Traveler's mouth turned up a bit, leaving him with a weak grin. Pinkie Pie squeezed him tighter, and whispered in his ear, “Please don't be sad.” Though he didn't understand her words, he felt that he had understood their meaning.

I'm not home yet and I might never get there, he thought to himself, but I think I could be convinced to stay here for a while.

---

Embarkation Lab, Temporal Research Institute
Canterlot, Equestria 9:14 AM Trot 23, 2 Anno Regis Filiae

“Remember you two, if anything goes wrong tell us right away and we'll reel in the time car,” Twilight Sparkle advised the time-travelers-to-be. “If Traveler and I are right you won't be able to change the past, so you will have to be sure to do things carefully. We'll send you back, you'll grab the artifact, and we'll pull you right back.”

“Geez Twilight, how many times have we gone over this plan already?” asked Rainbow Dash with an exasperated roll of her eyes. “We just ride the box back to when Daring Do dropped the Queen's Crown, pick it up after she leaves, and come back. It couldn't be easier. Can we go yet?”

“Don't worry, Twi, I'll keep mah eye on her,” Applejack reassured the Unicorn. “I still don't half trust this time travel business, but I trust yah and it's for a friend.”

Twilight was still just a little on edge. She knew it was mostly unfounded. Rainbow had memorized the plan against all bets, and had even learned the message code they would be using to communicate. Applejack had agreed to, as she put it, “go mucking about trying to fix what ain't broke.” But still, Twilight Sparkle worried.

“The gondola is ready,” Traveler announced. From her vantage point on the command catwalk, all Twilight could see of him was his pale blue hindquarters, adorned with a broken hourglass, and his golden tail sticking out of the depths of the modified Machine. “I can have Machine begin the excursion at any time.”

“Right,” Twilight acknowledged. “Spike, can you hand me the pretravel checklist?” Spike obliged. “First things first, pretravel checklist. Check!” Twilight began making her way down the list, checking in with all the ponies staffing the assorted control and monitoring consoles in the room.

Even with the tremendous amount of processing power Traveler's Machine possessed, they would still be required in this capacity. When the gondola was pushed back in time, the whole of the Machine's processor would be dedicated to correcting potential drift across time lines. Any errors or delays in its corrections would result in the gondola taking a dangerous detour through another time line. Given that the Traveler had gotten to Equestria from Limbo in just one transit, it meant potentially dangerous universes were close at hand. For this reason, anything that could possibly be removed from Machine's responsibilities was removed. This meant life support, communications, air and water would all be handled by lines run through the gondola's excursion arm from the Embarkation Lab and into the cabin. When Machine applied the time travel drive correctly, the gondola would be pushed back in time while still leaving the vital link to the present for it to follow on the return trip.

The team had already experimented with cameras, but none of them volunteered to be the first to ride on it themselves. It wasn't until Rainbow Dash heard of it that anypony volunteered. Given the prospect to be the first time traveling Pegasus, she jumped at it. After a week of wheedling and cajoling she had eventually gotten Applejack to agree to accompany her.

The two prospective time travelers now sitting in the machine could not have had more wildly varying attitudes, however. Applejack had been slightly nervous at first, but as the preparations and briefing stretched from minutes into hours, she had grown bored. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, had shown up wearing a pith helmet and an ear-to-ear grin. The more she heard about it, the less she could contain her growing anticipation. She was nearly bouncing in her seat with excitement as Twilight ran through the final checklist.

“That looks like everything.” Twilight checked the last box off on her list. “Machine, we're ready for the transit. Give us a count down.”

“Understood, Miss Sparkle,” the cool synthetic voice of Machine responded. “Countdown will commence when the flux condenser is charged.”

“Very good,” Twilight replied. The time machine, Machine as a lot of ponies thought of it, was at the same time both a fascinating and unsettling thing to her. It had an intelligence that outstripped many ponies she knew, but it had little in the way of personality. Traveler had explained to her that Machine had not always been as smart as she, Traveler's pronoun, not Twilight's, was now. Over the course of his exile Traveler had made many modifications and upgrades, trying to produce a more useful companion for the situation he found himself in. The nanomachine payload he had originally carried had eventually been repurposed to this end as well. He had put the nanomachines under the computer's control, and directed it to use them to make itself more efficient. The result had been Machine, a near-sentient, self-repairing computer that existed to serve Traveler and anticipate his needs.

Twilight couldn't help but wonder, sometimes, if Machine might be more alive than machine, with how Traveler described her workings. Either way, in the last month or so that Twilight had been working with her, Machine had shown nothing but perfect loyalty and obedience to Traveler. If she did have a will or desires of her own, it didn't show.

“Flux condenser is charged, transit will commence in fifteen seconds,” Machine piped up. “Transit in ten, nine, eight...”

In the gondola, Rainbow Dash had quit fidgeting and was now grinning madly. Applejack was not so enthusiastic, however, and appeared to be sweating bullets. Her hooves were hooked tightly over the support bar in front of her seat, her earlier boredom forgotten.

“...five, four...” The hum of the time drive increased in volume and pitch as energy was poured into it. The gondola's arm extended outwards, and observers all around the room saw it bend and continue extending directly away from them, no matter where they were situated.

“...three, two...” As the end of the arm continued away from the observers' perspective, it seemed to fade into invisibility.

“...one, zero. Transit has begun.” As the countdown finished, the gondola lurched into motion along the arm, following the track away from the room, and into the past.