From the Ruins

by Doctor Derpin

Taking sides

Chapter 11
Taking sides
--Rainbow Dash--

The captain of Ponyville's police/security force, Rainbow Dash, shook her head in adamant disapproval of her friend's request. She knew it was a necessary risk, without her medicine Fluttershy wouldn't be able to do her job. Still, Flutterhshy was one of Rainbow's best friends and if she got hurt it would be her fault. "It's too dangerous and you're just too important to go and risk getting hurt." She decided.

"I have to," Fluttershy pleaded, "I need to make more medicine, and I can't do that without these plants. Besides, there's not much you can do to stop me."

Rainbow sighed, her friend was right and she knew it. The thought of Fluttershy getting lost or hurt out there was just unbearable. "Alright," Rainbow said, "but I'm coming with you."

The mare's green eyes lit up with gratitude, "Oh, thank you Rainbow! Hang on, I just have a couple things I need to do before we can leave."

Her friend ran off to gather Celestia knows what supplies, leaving Rainbow Dash alone in the makeshift police station. Before becoming the source of order in this chaotic wasteland, it had been a small general store sitting just across the street from Sugar Cube corner. In the initial chaos after the destroyers, most of the buildings in the city that hadn't yet been damaged or destroyed were taken up in important government uses. This building had been one of them. It had everything a police station should: it was central, had a store room that served as a jail cell from time to time, and was reasonably close to the new town hall (the library). All this, and yet, the cyan pegasus that spent most of her time there hated it. Not for the building itself, but for the building it stood across from.

Almost everypony thought that Pinkie was dead, but the cyan pegasus that looked out at the old bakery knew better. If the party pony had died, the place would have collapsed long ago without the subtle repairs that had been made. Nopony else would waste their time on it, the Cakes had moved to canterlot just after the destroyers arrived. The dark irony of the situation still stung, they moved to keep the twins safe, but Canterlot turned out to be one of the worst places to be. Somepony had to live there. Otherwise, the storm earlier today would have reduced it to rubble with the wind.

Weather, she scornfully thought to herself yet another thing you can't seem to keep safe enough for your friends. Rainbow's brooding was interrupted by a sweet yet timid voice, "Umm, Rainbow Dash, are you ready to go?"

When did she come back in? I guess I just wasn't paying attention. Rainbow thought to herself as she shook her head.

Fluttershy looked concerned "Are you okay Rainbow?"

"What? Oh, yeah...I was...I was just thinkin'." Rainbow answered with her voice trailing off into barely more than a mumble.

"Great, I know exactly where we need to go. We'll be back in no time at all." Fluttershy promised as she turned to lead the way.

It was about a thirty minute walk to the field where the specific plants Fluttershy needed grew. whole way there, Rainbow Dash couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. You're just being paranoid, it will be just- her inner monologue was suddenly interrupted by a terrified scream.

"R-R-R-RAINBOW!!" Fluttershy called from a couple of meters ahead.

She was surrounded by a group of ponies, each wielding various weapons. Panic began to fill the prismatic maned mare as she watched the group edge closer to her. Dash felt for the hilt of the dagger she kept with her at all times,getting ready for a fight. As she pulled the blade from its scheath, a familiarly irrtating mare's voice echoed through the field. "Stand down gentlecolts, your Commisar, Trixie, wishes to speak with these two!"

The group of stallions parted revealing the same show pony whose over inflated ego had been deflated by Twilight a few years ago. She hadn't changed very much, in fact she seemed to be in a better position than before. "So, Ponyville is still surviving?" She asked.

Fluttershy was paralized with fear of the brutes that were still closer to her than Dash would've liked, so the cyan pegasus called out, "Why do you want to know?"

"Because we, the Equestrian Sepratists, wish to speak with the pony who leads you." She said in a dramatic tone that was already grating on Rainbow Dash's nerves.

The captain of Ponyville's police force sighed, There's no point in arguing, they've got me "out gunned" so to speak. She told herself. With that in mind she, looked up at the smirking unicorn, who clearly knew she'd won and was loving it, Rainbow Dash bit back her seething rage as she jestured for them to follow her. "This way Commisar." She said, the venom in that last word was clear.

"Thank you, commrade." Trixie said.

Rainbow Dash would have rushed them for that comment, right then and there. I'm not you commrade! You're just an annoying arrogant loser. The same one Twilight ran out of town, I'd never sink so low as to be your "commrade." She silently screamed at Trixie. But if she rushed them, there was no way to ensure that they wouldn't be able to hurt or kill Fluttershy before Dash could fend them off. So, she just turned and began walking toward the town; Trixie and her brutes in tow.

Dash noticed that her friend had caught up and was looking depressed. She sighed again, "I told you so."

---

--Galvanic Spark--

That was quite a storm last night, so relaxing. I can't remember the last time I've slept that well. Spark thought to himself as he slowly awoke, I should probably get up, but this bed is just so warm. Mabye I can wait a little longer... The warmth was comforting and secure. He felt at home in its kind embrace. This is the best blanket I've ever used, I'll have to thank Twilight for letting me borrow it when she wakes up.

While he rested, the grey unicorn allowed his mind to wander. His thoughts quickly drifted Twilight and the night before, 'I'm just so alone.' she'd said. That singular statement brought him to realize that, for the first time since his beloved Golden Shine had died, he actually cared about somepony. Simply thinking of the mare brouht a smile to Spark's face; after the emotional moment from the night before had passed, the pair got to talking and she was simply brilliant. Finally, he had thought to himself as they had conversed, somepony who I can actually have intelectual discussions with! Maybe he could have somepony like Shine again. As he thought, a lump began to form in his throat You've only really known her for about a day. One day! You can't start thinking about her like that already! He shouted at himself.

This inner monolouge was cut short by the sudden ambush upon his comfort launched by the cold morning air inside the library. Confused, Spark looked over the room to investigate. When he saw why, the conflicted unicorn came freightenlingly close to a heart attack. His hostess, the lavender mare that he had just been chastizing himself over, simly layed there, wrapped in the blanket's warm embrace that she had deprived her guest of. She was still asleep from the late night of intellectual discussion and emotional release the night before had brought. Did we?! No, wait, we were reading that book about the elements of harmony. Twilight was explainging how she and her friends had been bound to the elements and passed out from exhaustion. She must not have taken to long to follow suit. Get your mind out of the gutter!

With a relieved sigh, he stood up and streched his legs. He walked over to the book shelves and found an interesting title: The Doctor of the Blue Box, Fact or Fiction?. Using his magic, Spark levitated the book over to him and began to read.

Through out Equsetrian history, there are accounts of a strange colt with a blue box and near infinite power. This brown earth pony has been sighted in the Stalliongrad Revolution, the fall of Prance, the signing of the Griffon-Pony peace accord and even the final battle between Discord and the princesses. Is it possible that each of these accounts is not of multiple ponies, but of the same pony? The answer may be surprising.

With a chuckle, Spark read on about the ludicrous theories of time travel and a "Time Lord" who calls himself "The Doctor." Where do ponies get these ideas? he thought to himself. His stomach rumbled in responce.

"Time for breakfast, huh?"

Twilight's voice made him jump, which, in turn, made her giggle. "Um... yeah I guess." He said, trying to force back a blush.

"Alright, would you mind helping me make it?"

"Not at all, in fact I-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Who could that be?" She asked nopony in particular.

Using her magic, she opened the door to see a pair of nervous looking pegasai being followed by several colts and one blue unicorn. "What is this?" She asked in a startled tone.

"This," The blue unicorn pontificated, "is your chance to share in commisar Trixie's glorious victory over the tyrannical princesses!"

Comments

[moguera]

Let me guess, Trixie's victory over the princesses was as spectacular as that one time with that ursa major.

[deathtap]

Oh Trixie. Don't you ever learn...