A Journey Unthought Of

by Hustlin Tom

Chapter 28 REVISED

The soldiers took positions around the blue box, aiming their war saddles' guns directly at it, mouths on their triggers.

"Steady," Lieutenant Swiftfeet called out as he strode through their ranks towards the box, no trepidation in his steps, "Steady, everypony."

Bunsen Burner was not far behind, and he came to a stop just beside his second-in-command. "What do you make of it, sir," the soldier asked as they looked the box up and down, taking in all its details.

The light at the top of the box was strobing slowly until it finally remained completely on, and a deep *thoom* resounded across the Floor's concrete walls and floor. The soldiers adjusted posture, taking even closer aim.

Initially silent, the scientist shouted out, "Corporal, nearest to the box: teleport inside!"

"Yessir," the young lad called out, his horn lighting up even as he barked out the words. With a flash he disappeared from the spot he'd been in, only to reappear three feet in front of the box. Perplexed, the corporal tried to teleport into the box once again, but all that happened was a flashed appeared around his unmoving form. He looked back to the Director and shook his head, mystified, "I don't get it! There's an empty space inside, but something's keeping me out."

The doors to the side of the young unicorn were pulled inward gently, and a voice called out to him, "That's because if I wanted to let you in, I'd let you use the door like any normal, sensible being would!"

The unicorn soldier leapt backward, and the other soldiers nearest him shouted, "Contact!" The entire group of soldiers' mouths twitched around their triggers, but still they held, awaiting orders.

"Don't shoot," the voice called out from the box, "We have no weapons. My friends and I only want to talk! We're stepping out now."

The Lieutenant silently cocked an eyebrow, while Bunsen frowned suspiciously. What angle were these interlopers playing? All present were offered quite the surprise when out of the box stepped a biped, one with wild spiky brown hair and in a blue suit with red tie. At his side was a grey pegasus with a blonde mane and tail, and just after her processed out the Elements. Almost as one all soldiers stood down without taking orders, each bewildered in their own way. Bunsen's eyes widened, but the frown remained on his face. Another Ruined One? The assembled Elements? What in Tartarus' flames was going on?

"I suppose now that I think about it, I probably should have taken my own advice on the front door business," the man said as he surveyed the damage his box had done with a wince, "Glass houses and all that." He gestured to the unicorn he'd spoken to and gave a quiet, "Sorry," all the while the young stallion just looked up at him with eyes like saucers. "Now then," he said with a slap of his hands, and a swiveling of his head, "I'm looking for a Mr. Bunsen Burner. Would the real Mr. Burner please step up?"

With a quiet growl the stallion in question began to push forward towards the intruder, his soldiers now parting for him; he would not be simply summoned like some sort of pet. "You are trespassing on government property," he declared firmly, "as well as being a potential enemy of the state: tread carefully."

"Ah, there you are," the Doctor said nonchalantly as he locked eyes with him, "Grumbly, grim, ominous threats; just the pony I'm looking for."

"Identify yourself and state your intentions, Ruined," Bunsen snapped, "I will not have time wasted, not when I can have you arrested here and now to be sent to a cell next to your compatriot."

"Just call me the Doctor, and I'm not feeling ruined," the man said, ignoring the threat, "I feel just dandy in fact! Well, that's not entirely true: I am concerned. I've just stopped by to pick up my 'com-pat-riot' as you say and be off."

"Please just do what he asks," the grey pegasus declared, "He's only trying to do what's best for everyone."

"That will not be happening," the stallion said as he stepped closer, looking up angrily at the man, "You will not be leaving this facility, now or ever. As for you," he said as he looked to the Elements, "You would have been wise not to interfere in state business."

"Oh stop it," the Doctor said in frustration, "You're just angry somepony caught you with your hoof in the cookie jar. Let me take Adam away and we'll call your abuse of power resolved."

"Even if I were in a 'giving mood', what possible reason would justify his release, hm," the old stallion snapped, "I will not have two threats to Equestria's security out in the wild. Now identify yourself! Who are you?"

The man looked down at him, now suddenly very quiet, his face taking on a harder, much less jovial shape. "I'm the only man capable of understanding that your entire planet is in danger of annihilation, and I'm the only one who can stop it."

The Floor was silent for a brief moment, as the Elements started to look up at the man worriedly.

"Bah," Bunsen replied, "Empty threats. You should've tried harder if you actually wanted to convince me."

"Please," the grey pegasus desperately blurted out, "You must believe him! There's an anomaly in the Everfree Forest. If it's left open any longer it will soon cascade, and we are all put at risk for it swallowing us into the Void!"

"Adam is part of the problem, and he will be part of the solution," the Doctor declared, "We need your help to save the lives of everyone on this planet, but you must listen to me. Let me help you!"

"Sir," the Lieutenant whispered as he came up to his superior's side, "Shouldn't we consider the possibility they're telling the truth? What if there is something out there?"

"Based on just their word," he asked at regular volume, "I think not." He then turned and walked away, "We're done here."

"If you won't stand aside I won't let you stop me," the man said with a warning tone in his voice.

"I'd like to see you try," he yelled over his shoulder before calling out to his ponies, "Detain the ponies. Open fire on the Ruined, non-lethal."

"Step away from the box," a soldier called out to the ponies.

"Doctor," Ditzy Doo asked worriedly.

He looked down to her, and then sighed. He reached into his coat pocket, and brought out his blue tipped device, "I wished it didn't have to come to this."

Several things happened at once. "Weapon," was yelled out, and an instinctive bolt of magic was fired, then several more. Twilight was about to raise a shield against the magical assault, but she heard Pinkie yell, "Cover your ears and get down!" Immediately the Ponyville residents hit the floor and stopped their ears. The bolts of light that were aimed for the Doctor were suddenly absorbed by a bright flash near where he stood and vanished. He pointed his device not at the crowd of soldiers in front of him, but above them at the nearby wall, and activated it. The PA system shrieked an incredibly grating tone. All the standing ponies were forced to their knees, their screams of pain and discomfort drowned out by the still droning sound. The Doctor looked on grimly without a word, no triumph or smugness on his face, his ears uncovered but seemingly immune to the noise. At last he released his hold on the device's button, and the high-pitched sound ceased. He brought his hand down to help Ditzy Doo off the floor, who quickly took it. "We need to move now," he said to the others as they rose, "That pulse will only keep them distracted for so long, and we need to be long gone before they all come to."

The Elements all looked around at the collapsed soldiers, each amazed at how the small army had been incapacitated so quickly, and all by a magical little metal stick. The Doctor made his way to the closest wall, making sure to not step on anypony underneath, then jogged to the nearest door, forcing it open. He waved the others through with a quick encouragement, even now seeing some of the soldiers were starting to get up. He pulled the door shut behind him and pointed his device at the number pad next to the handle, causing it to fizzle and spark.

"There, deadlocked," he declared, "They're not getting out to come after us."

"But our only means of escape is in there," Rarity pointed out.

"Shshshsh," he exclaimed at her in a loud whisper, "Don't think that far ahead! We've still got to set the captives free and round out our shopping list!"

"Shopping list," she replied in bewilderment as the Doctor drew a pocket notepad out of his suit pocket and give it to Ditzy Doo, "Down that hall behind you. Take the stairs through the third door on the right, and go down two flights. Get into the room behind the fifth door on the left side of the hall: there's a smorgasbord of goodies we can use."

"On it, Doctor," she replied, then turned and bolted off.

He then turned back to the others to find Twilight staring at him intently with a quiet anger. "We're going to have a long talk when we get out of here," she declared simply.

"Oh, inevitably," he replied, then waved his hand down the other end of the hallway, "Now, let's get going!"

Deep below in Discord's chamber, the statue's eyes almost seemed as if they were looking upward to the situation above. Though the guards' attention was locked on the statue, they were certain somehow that the stony prison was not moving. From out of one of the spines on his frozen back appeared a tiny, blood red point of energy which trickled down his form unseen onto the pedestal. From there it speedily darted to the wall and wiggled into the most minuscule of cracks where it began a quick ascent to the chambers above.

Someone new is here, the imprisoned Lord of Chaos thought to himself, Someone interesting: messy, dark, unpredictable.

The spark appeared in what nominally was a sealed room, where lay the unconscious body of Lyra.

Oooh, but there's a pony here, just asking for a little...inspiration.

The spark paused for a moment, then slipped up the bed the unicorn slept on and slipped into her ear. Viewing her memories remotely, the draconequus paused as he recognized something in her most recent thoughts.

How- But I-

He paused in thought, mentally drumming his paw against his chin.

Hmmm. Perhaps I'll tell her the truth about them, he thought to himself for a moment, and in the silence one could practically see his malevolent grin, Oh yes! Sometimes the truth is more interesting than fiction.

Comments

[Hustlin Tom]

And we're back! I've got a modest little bundle of chapters with me. I hoping this new method of publishing smaller batches more quickly is more effective than pushing out a bigger batch less frequently.

[Luckyfanisaac]

spiky brown hair and in a blue suit with a red tie.