//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: Hide and Zeke 
// by Cruz Oscar 
//------------------------------//

	It was a city, bigger than any of the known cities he has visited. But while those cities embraced images of stardom, regal, or just basic life. This city image was pure pain and misery. Thousands of towers reaching for the skies might had looked impressive years or even centuries ago, but now they could only be described as bones marking untold graves to all sides, attempting to reach the skies to avoid their fate. From the streets ponies with chained harnesses walked around as in an eternal trance. Running towards them Zeke only though was to removed those accursed chains and get them as far away as possible. A few slashes from his wings should have done it, but to his shock the chains regrew and the ponies didn't even reacted to his presence, looking at their eyes all he could see was a glooming sadness. Grabbing the harness of the nearest pony turned out worst, for as soon as he got a firm hold of it his mind was assaulted with images of constant agony and those unforgiving glaring down at him, Zeke flew backwards in fright. These ponies have completely given up all hope. Feeling desperate he flew upwards to the skies, just to know where they were going, the view was worst. Fire pits marked locations where Diamonds Dogs were found making rounds, torturing them, whipping them. And the ponies continue their endless march in a endless circle. Miles and miles of fertile land wasted and left to rot. 

Looking over the horizon he could see several gates and pillars marking the edges of this kingdom. However those towers looked more crooked and unstable than the buildings and the houses he passed by. A change in the wind was all the warning got to dive for cover in one of its many towers as a dragon made a pass were he just was. Fallowing the dragon's flight path Zeke finally saw the center of this decayed city. By anyponies else view they could call it a castle. For Zeke it looked more like a giant skull holding a torch with dark flames at the top like a lighthouse all the shape of a castle. 'How can this be?! Where ever this is Celestia would have cleansed this whole place withing the next sunrise!' how is possible is irrelevant, he cant act to save the prisoners and what ever is doing this for what ever reason probably has found a way do continue without Princess Celestia or Princess Luna's knowledge.

The answer is clear, he needs to find that doctor and head towards Canterlot as fast as his wings can take him. It didn't took him long to find the Doctor, he found him examining the marching ponies. His smile completely gone from his face, Zeke could not blame him, seeing this is depressing enough but if he also saw what Zeke did by touching it...Zeke needs to get them out now.
"Doctor! Come with me, I need to get you to safety-"
"Not going"
"I understand you wanting to help them, but right now what we can do is contact the royal guards and the Princess, and I can't do that while protecting a civilian"
"Protecting me? Why the heck for?"
"Doctor, whatever your name is; we need to get out and look for higher authority. I maybe a royal guard, but even i can't help these people as we are. And even calling yourself a doctor, all I've seen you do is acting like a mad pony!" 
":sigh: This is why I hate working with the military. Oh I hate doing this, Zeke lets go to basics first history background"
"Now what are you-Owwwww!!"  The Doctor takes hold of Zeke's head and head butts him.
"Owwwwwww!!!"
After slowly recovering from the head drama, Zeke is bombarded by images from monsters, planets, creatures, and worlds of all forms and kinds. Before he fully opened his eyes, he finally understood whit Who he was talking with. This pony in a strange box is in fact a Time Lord.
"!!! You-!?"
"Yeah number 12, long story short new universe could not resist, so I said 'What the heck!' And now here we are, any questions No Great now look at this! Its completely Brilliant! Its been twisted sure but the possibilities!" Illuminating the streets and the chains with his screwdriver. What he revealed where the same roots that lead us from the sewers to the surface "Whoever designed this kingdom made it so that it worked like a living body; Gathering and consuming anything that its discarded and turning it into energy for not just for the city but for every souls born within" Looking at the marching ponies Zeke could have sworn that his eyes grew older and colder "Ah but theres must always be a master circuit, something that keeps all of it together, something to push it and mold all of this into their own designed; and to make it permanent who ever it is its using the ponies as a conductor to keep changing it to their model version of home" 


Shaking off his dizziness Zeke tried to see what was he talking about "O-okay putting the fact that im speaking to a alien, what are you saying exactly? Their are making them experience pain and fear in order for the city to change into a image of pain and fear?"
Suddenly turning with a half grin than before the Doctor nodded "If it helps then yes thats one way to sum it all up"
Now Zeke felt like a new recruit back in the academy, asking every change he gets for pointers "Okay so now that we know how this all work then how can we stop it? The security is less tight here than underground but we are still outnumbered here, do you have a plan?.....why are you looking at me like that?" Zeke asked the Doctor as the time lord turned to him with the same mad grin he had on when all of this started.
"Well thats a pickle you see, I do have a plan, but it all depends on your next answer" 
'Why do I feel like im going to regret this?'
"Okay, then what do you have planed"
Placing a hoof on his shoulder the doctor dragged him to one of the empty towers
"Do you mind wearing a cape?"