Kahli prepared to select the third, yet untwisted timeline. She could see it glowing under her big left foot, and Froufrou was squelching with anticipation. The Supreme Time Protector, however, seemed unhappy, and indeed was clearing their throat an awful lot.

"What is it?" asked Kahli, looking away from her foot for a moment to address the cloaked figure in earnest. "You seem perturbed."

"Who, me?" asked the Supreme Time Protector cheekily.

"What, do you see any other people here other than you, me, and Froufrou in this timeless void?"

"...No."

"Seriously, what are you so upset about, Supreme Time Protector?"

The Supreme Time Protector sighed and sat down on the cold, nonexistent floor of the endless void. "Kahli, do you truly understand how the timelines in your [checkpoints] work? From a time level, I mean. Let's be real, you're a [Time Manipulator] now, so people will expect you to know regardless. People who have systems, at least, and indeed if you ever run into another [Time Manipulator] you'll make a complete ass of yourself if you don't at minimum have some awareness of how this stuff functions. Are you at all amenable to going over his with me, please? It's... honestly, it's painful to me to see how badly you botched that twisted timeline, and it almost comes close to an ethical dilemma."

"An ethical dilemma?" Kahli asked. Froufrou squelched in a similar tone.

"Yes, yes, an ethical dilemma. Now, some [Time Manipulators], it takes years before they get to the point where they're violating something like this. However, you're clearly progressing at a bit of an accelerated rate."

Kahli looked in her purse at Froufrou with a smile and a wink. "Sounds like something from your prophecy scroll!"

"I'm... going to pretend I didn't hear that," said the Supreme Time Protector with a sigh. "Look, maybe the best way for me to explain this to you, is for me to tell you how I learned about Time Ethics."

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It was many, many centuries in the past, or in the future. The important thing to grasp was that the present was timeless, and even though it was in the past for the present version of the Supreme Time Protector, indeed this time was also technically future, and present as well.

It was in the Realm of Eons, a strange in-between space that consisted of an odd sort of joining between all states of time. the Realm of Eons was, understandably enough, an ideal locale for folks such as the Supreme Time Protector to learn to ropes of Time Protection and, indeed, all other aspects of being a lawfully good [Time Manipulator].

So it was back when I was just a wee Junior Time Protector, and I was getting my concentration in Time Studies. Most of my classes were indeed quite dry, but one of the most compelling courses with one of the best professors I ever had was on Time Ethics. I thought it was going to be the worst, most boring one - and indeed, sometimes it was, but sometimes it wasn't, too.

I'll never forget the day I learned one of the first - some might say only - tenet of Time Ethics. And that is to realize that, when you're performing [Time Manipulation], every act you perform is real. What does this mean?

Well, for one, it means that there are an endless infinity of timelines and different multiverses, first of all. Surely you probably already are aware of that, but it bears repeating and reiterating, because it is key to this tenet of Time Ethics that we be on the same page there.

Anyways, I'll get out of my own way here and tell you what happened.

So, I had a crush on this other Junior Time Protector in my class. They had a name, as we all did, but they preferred to be called Junior Time Protector - also as we all did, believe it or not.

So there it was that I was sitting next to Junior Time Protector that day, which was all well and good except for the fact that I would've much rather sat next to Junior Time Protector, whom I had the crush on. Unfortunately, they in turn were instead sat next to Junior Time Protector. Ironically, the Junior Time Protector sitting beside me had a crush on the Junior Time Protector who was sitting next to the Junior Time Protector that I had a crush on.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

All that said, we hatched a bit of a scheme to manipulate timelines so that I could end up sitting next to Junior Time Protector, and Junior Time Protector would sit next to Junior Time Protector. This seemed like a surefire plan to work, as we all wore the same uniforms that covered our faces, hands, pretty much our whole bodies - so with that, our instructor certainly wouldn't be able to tell as long as we didn't speak too loudly to one another or anything.

And so it was that we split our timelines open like eggs, eggs with runny yolks. This was actually Junior Time Protector's [skill], and believe you me it was a very cool way to control timelines indeed. You could watch as time ran out through the yolk, you could even change - or, heh, 'twist' - the timeline by frying the white, or the yolk, or the whole thing. Main thing was to just be sure you didn't burn the timeline, but nobody ever told me why at first, and really it didn't seem like a huge deal to me because just like in twisting timelines through [Seismic Sense], this egg cracking [skill] only gave you a choice of timelines, it didn't force one upon you.

That being said, as you could probably guess, we burnt the timeline. We burnt that yolk and egg white so bad it was absolutely blackened, and when Junior Time Protector realized what we'd done, well... Let's just say that I knew they'd never see me the same way again, and I don't mean that in a good way.

So they showed us what happens to timelines you burn through that [skill]. And by the gods, I hope you never have to witness such a thing yourself. Countless multitudes of worlds were contained within that timeline - differing versions of our own existence, all with their own wildly different and infinite possibilities. This myriad of multitudes was but scorched to ruin. Everyone burned alive, every planet, sun and star snuffed out like a candlelight. Charred and ashen ruins were all that was left of what could've gone on existing had we not seen fit to meddle in something that, in hindsight, seems completely unnecessary at its most base level. Indeed, it was the most shameful thing I think I've ever done. Well, okay, there was that one other thing, but that's none of your business...

Regardless, what we learned in that moment the true cost of meddling with timelines unnecessarily. It was all too poetic that our instructor was giving a lecture that day on the establishment of the golden rule of timeline modification - don't do to a timeline what you wouldn't want done to yourself, because indeed every timeline your base consciousness is not currently occupying that still contains your presence is inhabited by a consciousness akin to your own - some might even call this a 'soul sister' - and as such, you ought not send them into a world of torment if you can help it. Of course there's also the ethical implications of dooming a whole universe - and indeed the many other timelines that could've spawned off that universe - however our ethics professor stressed that we consider ethics from a selfish perspective first, and an altruistic perspective second, ironically enough. This is because, they explained, people - whether lawfully good or not - are predisposed to consider themselves first, and others second. Thusly, the only way to be an effective altruist from a Time Ethics perspective is to consider your own perspective first, and then extrapolate that to everyone else. It is a very common and important topic in Time Ethics, and indeed I assure you we all felt quite perturbed when we learned of this.

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"So what you're telling me," said Kahli as she squinted at the Supreme Time Protector with focus, "is that I ought not have created that timeline in the first place? I mean, that's kind of what it sounds like. Because you're telling me that what happened is, I created that timeline and now all the untold suffering tied to that timeline is in all essential my fault? And you're telling me that I ought to feel bad about it because you burned an entire universe by, um, overcooking it? Am I missing anything here?"

Froufrou squelched.

"Oh, and yes, you equated it almost to some form of self harm, too. Is that correct, Supreme Time Protector?"

The Supreme Time Protector cleared their throat. "Erm. Essentially, yes."

"Well, then I've got a question for you. Is it my fault when I manifest into a scenario in one of my [checkpoints] that literally kills me?"

The Supreme Time Protector kind of grumbled to themself, not really answering Kahli's question at all.

"See, you're telling me to think of myself, and then of everyone else, but you're not exactly considering my lived experience. In your story, you're unequivocally an asshole - you yourself said that all your classmates were indecipherable from one another, so manipulating time with your [class] was wholly unnecessary. But me? I get thrust into [checkpoints] against my will as long as I keep my [skill] enabled. By your own position, the only ethical action for me to take would be to disable my [skill] and never use it again. Of course, if I were to do that, I could very well die in an instant. I don't know how obvious it is to you, Supreme Time Protector, but Nomachiato seems to have broken out in apocalyptic scenarios like hives, and I need every chance I can get to stay alive. So, it is out of preservation that I will be continuing to twist timelines whenever I damn well need to, without feeling even a speck of guilt."

The Supreme Time Protector stood there in silence, unsure of how to respond.

"Come on, Froufrou, let's blow this endless void already," said Kahli as her [paired] companion squelched angrily at the Supreme Time Protector. She looked down at her big left foot again, and the timeline lit up. It was time.