//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Doctor Who and the Voice of the Shadow // by spartiecat //------------------------------// Applejack and Fluttershy were busy near the river at the edge of the forest. Fluttershy had enlisted her friend to help get food down to the animals that made their homes near the river. Spring flooding on the banks had washed away a lot of the soft grasses and other marshy vegetation. Fluttershy was worried about their health as spring wore on, and convinced Applejack to donate a few bushels of apples to feed the animals for a little while. Applejack was reluctant to part with too many apples, as the early crop was still a few weeks off. “Thank you for all your help, Applejack. If it weren’t for your apples, a lot of those poor creatures would have gone hungry.” “Ah dunno about that.” responded Applejack, as she emptied out the last of the apples near the riverbank. “Don’t the forest animals usually fend for themselves?” “But it would be so hard to find food” said Fluttershy in a sweetly sympathetic voice. “They really like the marsh grass. But that’s all gone now. It’s not like they can say what they want to eat instead." Applejack was annoyed by Fluttershy’s impracticality in giving food to animals so early in the growing season, but she couldn’t help but smile at her kindness and consideration. The two were walking to Ponyville to relax after a long morning of work, when they saw Twilight charging up the road. Twilight came to a screeching halt in front of the two ponies. Fluttershy and Applejack were stunned to see friend so visibly shaken. She was breathing heavily. Her mane was dishevelled, and she looked like she had been crying. “Oh dear, Twilight! What‘s wrong?” said Fluttershy, trying to sound calming. “Rarity! Rainbow! Shadow! Pinkie! Gone! All gone. Sweetie mind eaten!” The two ponies could not make any sense of Twilight’s incoherent babbling. Applejack put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and pulled her in for a calming hug. “Slow down, sugarcube”, said Applejack in her most calming tone, as she patted Twilight on the back. “What’s got a spur in yer side?” The Doctor, Zoe, and Jamie were close behind. Fluttershy spotted them running up the path, and let out and uncomfortable squeak as she backed away. Twilight took a step back from Applejack‘s comforting embrace, and took a deep breath. “Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie have disappeared. We saw some sort of shadow thing take Rainbow Dash and disappear! That thing took Sweetie Belle’s mind too” “Shadow? Took her mind? What in the hay are you talking about?” Applejack was genuinely confused. Just then she spotted The Doctor and his companions as they caught up to Twilight. “You must be we” said Applejack. “Well, I’m The Doctor. This is Zoe and Jamie. How do you do.” His tone was polite and calm. He gave Fluttershy and Applejack quick bow of introduction, before his tone changed in an instant to one of nervous urgency. “There is quite an serious matter! A number of your friends have disappeared! One of your friends. The flying one. What’s her name…” “Rainbow Dash” Zoe chimed in. The Doctor’s problem with urgency was that his mouth never could coordinate with his mind. Luckily, Zoe’s photographic memory was always at the ready. “Yes, thank you Zoe.” said The Doctor calmly, before switching back to a more forceful tone. “Some sort of entity captured her! She just vanished!” “Oh my!” Fluttershy was shocked and frightened. She wanted to help find her friends, but her instinct told her the best course of action was to run home, hide, and hope for the best. “Well we did see Rainbow flying around earlier today” she muttered. “And Sweetie Belle!” Twilight shouted, having regained her composure. “Whatever it was did something to Sweetie Belle. Spike is with her now." Twilight made the startling realization that if whatever took her friends was not after the rest of them, it might go back for Sweetie Belle and Spike. “Oh no! Spike! We have to get to Rarity’s as fast as possible” Fluttershy was trying to slink away quietly, but Applejack spotted her. She let out a soft yelp as Applejack grabbed her by the tail. “You best be comin’ with us, Fluttershy. If Twilight’s right and there is somethin’ stealin’ pony folk, then we oughta stick together.” Fluttershy gulped nervously as she and Applejack set off after Twilight and her strange looking two-legged friends. Twilight slammed open the door at Rarity’s boutique, startling Spike as he sat with the catatonic Sweetie Belle in the back room. “Spike?” Twilight called out. “Right here!," Spike shouted as he ran out to greet the group. “Any news on what’s happened?” asked the dragon, relieved that he was once again in the company of friends. “It’s a bigger problem than we thought." said Twilight. “It seems that ponies all over town have gone missing. Pinkie is missing too, and we saw Rainbow Dash get taken by some kind of flying shadow!” The fear was apparent in her voice. “Indeed," The Doctor said thoughtfully as he pulled out his flute-like instrument. “They’re all connected, you see. I’m sure of it. The same creature that took the younger one’s mind has taken your friends.” The Doctor began to pace around the room, and played ’Three Blind Mice’ slightly off key. “What’s that you got there?” asked Applejack. “Oh, this is my recorder. It helps me think while I play," and The Doctor continued his rendition as the rest of the group went to check on Sweetie Belle. Fluttershy winced as she saw Sweetie Belle. She knew whatever did this was powerful, dangerous, and scary. She turned to Twilight. “Can we move her? Maybe get her to a safe place?” “I don’t know," said Twilight, “but we might have to. No telling what might happen if we leave her alone." The Doctor stopped playing and turned to Twilight “Is there some sort of information repository near here? Like a library, or a central brain control?” “Spike and I live in the library," said Twilight as she tried to think what book might have information on strange pony-stealing shadows. “We must get there quickly, and try to prevent any more of your friends getting hurt." The Doctor said in a serious tone. “Right!” said Twilight. She turned to the others in the group, who were still circled around the catatonic Sweetie Belle. “Applejack! You and Jamie bring Sweetie Belle out front. Fluttershy and Zoe, you look for a cart to put Sweetie Belle in. Spike, Doctor, we will head to the library. The rest of you meet us there. We can’t afford to be alone, or else we won’t stand a chance if that thing attacks again." “A…and what if whatever it is does come back?” asked Fluttershy in a hushed and terrified voice. “We better hope it dinna, else we get took. That shadow’s quick as a shot." said Jamie. Jamie and Applejack gently picked up Sweetie Belle and carried her to the front, as Zoe and Fluttershy went off to find a cart. Twilight picked up Spike and tossed him on her back as she dashed out the door, with The Doctor close behind.