Part of the Wibblyverse Continuity.
Part twelve of Doctor Whooves: Friendship is Wibbly Series 1
Previous Story: Fall of Empire
Next Story: Mind and Matter
When the Doctor's latest invention backfires spectacularly, it sidelines some of the biggest heroes and most powerful ponies in the world. It falls to the recently reassembled Crusaders to brave Gallifrey's Death Zone and save the day, but how can they do that when they can't even get along like they used to? Can they even save themselves?
Warning tags for themes including major character death, temporary character death, graphic depictions of violence, quite a lot of swearing, body horror, torture (both physical and mental), and some severe self-loathing.
Chapters (56)
Wait, Ruler of Everything? Like, the Tally Hall song?
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Indeed!
A link, for those unfamiliar with the song
This one flew under the radar somehow. Well, at least I caught in time to enjoy the first chapter.
"Brinner," said the Day Kitchen.
"Dinfast," replied the night shift.
Huh. I can't tell if Pound has a crush on Dinky or just a stutter.
You'd think she'd know better than to tempt fate like that. I suppose it runs in the family.
In any case, looking forward to seeing how this unfolds. Doom for everyone!
(Though my word, those content warnings. I always enjoy your writing, but this definitely won't be the most fun read you've ever put to virtual paper.)
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Pound just has a stutter. No romance for Dinky, not in this story anyway.
I've openly wept like five times writing this, and only one of those was because this is also the longest thing I've ever written.
Fair enough. But what will he do once he has that wealth?
I can only imagine how Cadence feels about that one.
Also, I do appreciate a bit of earth pony necromancy. Quite literally in this case. No shame in speaking with the dead. It's when they start talking back that you have to start watching yourself.
Yeah, I figured Gilda would be either the ambassador or the head of the new regime.
These two dorks deserve each other. The question is how they're ever going to confess.
Plus, he recognized a key item when he got one.
At this point, I suspect the inevitable malfunction will be caused by everyone bringing too much baggage onto the TARDIS.
The pieces are moving into place. Looking forward to the opening plays. And I do appreciate how Sombra's integrated himself as the awkward friend who likes to brood in corners.
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Twilight: Now, what do we do when we're feeling sad?
Sombra: Sit in a dark room and floss to ballads.
Twilight: No.
The first thing my mind goes to is that this is Dream Lord. But the specifics don't match. So this is probably something else and I look forward to figuring out what it is.
This is art.
I am deeply concerned...
I get the feeling that Rumble's going to need to work his talent into overdrive before the proverbial day is done. (Goodness knows what the actual timeline of this story will look like to an outside observer.)
This bodes. Probably ill, but I can't be certain quite yet.
Everything's relative.
I'm sure the temporal confusion is just a case of friends losing track of time and not indicative of any kind of ongoing shenaniganery.
After the third time something sucks the thaums out of you, you start to notice a pattern.
Why are they still allowed to sell those?
Ohhh dear.
Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping. And soon it'll slip completely out of control. Looking forward to more.
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Nopony is really sure -- the Crown has tried many times to regulate their sale, but they just keep turning up in comic book shops, unordered and undetected. If only they could find the mysterious publishing company who makes them, Dr Disco Press...
Hate it though she may, Dinky is her father's daughter. And sadly, she's lost the element of surprise.
Everything's coming together into a wonderful assembly of dread. Looking forward to more.
But of what?
Hmm. Come to think of it, what does Paradox think of all this? Assuming she's noticed.
No one asked you.
The mystery thickens like the substance of time itself. The story description makes it clear that no one's going to figure this out before it's too late, but I hope whatever will happen will be largely reversible.
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Paradox, much like all the deity OCs I have that have yet to be introduced in canon, is... otherwise occupied at the moment. It wasn't only Discord and Luna who vanished for a thousand years, after all. Some were imprisoned, and others went of their own volition.
As for Caramel... well, we'll get to the 'what' fairly soon. The 'why' is a story for another day.
Directly conferring with Twilight to get direct data on the time loop might be a good idea... but she does need to convalesce. Plenty of capable ponies are on the case even without her testimony.
Also, I have a number of questions about Pinkie's Pinkness. And the Doctor's current mental state. The latter is more pressing at the moment, but we may need to come back to the former when existence doesn't hang in the balance.
For now, I'll just have to sit and worry. I can definitely empathize with both Luna and Spike.
At which point, you can replace one with the other! Or stick the book on a handle and turn it into a hammer.
Excellent atmospheric creepiness. I just hope that ring can come off Twilight's horn when she wants it to; I see some issues down the line otherwise.
I do appreciate Button criticizing the sloppiness of the virtual environment. Professionals have standards.
Speaking of sloppiness...
Oh goodness. Age regression to zero is one of the things that really makes my skin crawl. Here's hoping Dinky can dismantle that before it's too early.
The tension's rising fantastically. Looking forward to more.
Highly understandable.
That is one theory for how they work. Babies' instincts think they're predatory birds.
Exactly the bit of lightheartedness the story needed at that point.
I get the feeling that's going to come in very handy. A shame Bloom can't easily use it on herself.
Relationship goals.
"The hour of our apotheosis is nigh" certainly ranks high on the list of sentences to be concerned about. Though at least we're getting a better look at just who we're dealing with.
That's a legitimately disturbing image.
Getting closer to the heart of the matter, and some of our heroes' issues are coming to a head in the meantime. Today is going to leave a lot of heartache in its wake. Hopefully it'll be worth it in the end.
I blame Emperor Norton. He knew what he was doing; it's just that no one else did, does, or will.
Pieces are coming together, along with an interesting hope spot. I suspect this will go horribly awry, but the specifics worry me in their uncertainty.
I imagine business will be booming after this story's done.
The Mjolnir Principle. You throw the spell and hold onto the figurative strap.
Oh, Ditzy... She's trying, bless her, but this calls for a pickaxe, not a bubble.
Welcome?
And yeah, you've done a magnificent job of establishing just how nasty this is going to be. The fall of the hammer will be quite the sight.
Ya'know, I should've seen it coming, it's been those two this entire series. They also make sense since the only one who probably hates The Doctor is busy being the dead I think based on where we saw TV version of The Doctor is in his life during Fall of Empire and thus hasn't been involved.
Yeah, there's no way that could have gone any differently. And I mean that literally given the Night-Vale team-up's ability to save-scum. I can only imagine how many times they tweaked the timeline in this chapter. This is a truly terrifying adversary to face; there has to be literally no possibility of their victory for them to lose. And even then, the Nightmare might just kill someone.
Still, the good guys have one and a half Time Lords and a full party of Crusaders. That's not nothing. Though this will take a truly heroic effort to pull through.
And that widening circle of death can't mean anything good...
"Some" may be the operative word, sadly.
That could be very good or very, very bad. And you have to know the option is there before you can use it.
The question is whether this is deliberate reverse psychology.
Ponies die when they're killed, Sweetie.
At terrible cost, yes. It's far from a sustainable solution.
And they're in. Sadly, this isn't the kind of Matrix where you can download kung fu, a trenchcoat, and enough guns to make the NRA blush. We're getting into the part that led to the story page's content warnings. This will most assuredly be rough, especially if the Valeyard's Zalgofied avatar is still wandering around Equestria.
Earth ponies have an... interesting relationship with the fourth wall.
Low blow, Doctor.
The Valeyard's made an interesting tactical decision in keeping his audience in the same place. There are quite a lot of potential counterarguments to be had against his continuing denunciation of the Doctor. I suppose he thinks his victory is already assured. And, based on the prep work, he might be right... save for the Crusaders.
And yes, that last bit was fantastic. Maybe one of those things even held onto the duct tape.
The Valeyard may have played his hand too quickly. Tuning out the Hannibal Lecture's easier when you know it's coming... though harder when it's delivered by someone unafraid to include psychic influence in his verbal takedowns. (Indeed, that may be the one reason why Rainbow Dash hadn't punched him two words into the monologue. Seriously, guys, no need to pay him that much courtesy. He's outright said he isn't going to advertise his evil plan.)
Hmm. Six is a magic number in this setting, even if the Crusaders are anything but harmonious at the moment. still something to keep an eye on.
Meanwhile, looks like Applejack's going to give the Doctor a much-needed talking to. Hopefully the Valeyard won't pop in at the worst moment. (So, you know, even odds there.) Definitely looking forward to more.
Something, something, Artax.
Something, something, Olórin.
It's the classic Discord Dilemma. If you're fighting an omnipotent being and you aren't already dead, either they're not quite as omnipotent as they claim or they're keeping you alive for a reason.
I do love these little moments of self-awareness in walking egos. I usually see them in Trixie, but Dash works well too.
And ominous beings lurk in the dark, both physical and psychological. This will be very interesting going forward. Hopefully Applejack will organize a more comprehensive intervention than fall prey to the Wile E. Coyote Fallacy (i.e. anything that doesn't work the first time isn't worth ever trying again, no matter why it didn't work.)
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I quite agree. That's probably why I love the Sixth Doctor so much, especially in the later stuff. It can be rather endearing for one to be a little self-deprecating about their self-importance.
Also, I more or less know who Olórin is, but what's Artax from?
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Atreyu's horse in the Neverending Story, who literally sank into the Swamp of Sadness. I like to use him as a tragic figure in Equestian mythohistory.
Yeah, she's one of the Doctor's alright.
Blueblood getting through to Lord Snootybottom was both amazing and the exact tension release the story needed.
That explains so much.
I'm trying to escape from these Daleks, but...
As for Discording the Doctor... Well, I'm somewhat concerned, based on my past experience with pony Tumblr blogs, but we already basically have Discorded Hooves in the form of the Valeyard, don't we? Still, I don't see that ending well. Hopefully it won't come to that point... but you just put Chekov's Mind Whammy on the mantlepiece. We'll see what happens from here.
Which one is this? I can't quite tell. I think it's either the Eighth or the Shalka Doctor. I don't remember how Eight was described before but the attire does call to mind Shalka which would also fit the infinite Doctors thing.
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It's Eight. I do have a design for Shalka, and plans to eventually include him, but not in this story, alas.
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Ah, cool. The Shalka doctor is actually my favorite un-numbered Doctor. So that's something to look forward to.
Ooh, cover art, nice, very BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures.
Ah, The Crusades, a classic story that... I... remember nothing about. Like, completely drawing a blank. You know, I might have actually skipped that one, now I think about it. Probably should go back and listen to that at some point.
On a completely unrelated topic, it only just now occurred to me that genderfluid characters would have shifting pronouns in narration. And now I'm wondering how pronouns would work on like, a wiki page or something. Do they shift based on time? Do you just use them/they? Now you've got me thinking about logistics.
The Web of Fear. Featuring the introduction of everyone's favourite millitary man, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, as well as an arguably even more staple aspect: London being invaded only for everyone to completely forget so that the show can keep continuity with reality. At least we eventually got UNIT out of it, so there was more of an impact than most invasions.
And of course Sombra's good with stairs. Now that's a joke I haven't actually seen in a while.
The Time Monster, now there's a classic. It's got everything you need! The Third Doctor, The Master (complete with a fake name that's just "master' in a different language), UNIT, incredibly inaccurate 70s understanding of temporal mechanics, and yet another explanation for the fall of Atlantis. What's not to love?
Ooh, forget disruptions in the Time Vortex, looks like there's trouble afoot in the Plot Continuum. Annnd it seems the Doctor has fallen victim to... himself. This can't end well.
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That's what inspired me, thank you for noticing!
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That's a really good question. I haven't delved too deeply into the subject, but I've learned from one of my favorite history podcasts, Queer as Fact that one acceptable method is to use pronouns interchangeably -- there are multiple biographies of genderfluid and otherwise genderqueer individuals that are written this way.
Full Circle. First of the E-Space trilogy (which I think really needs a return in the show) and introduction of Adric, local boy who'll never know if he was right (and potential Scorpion King). Also, I think it's an allegory for society, or something. Most serials were in one way or another.
Time is contracting, expanding, and looping all over the place, that is certainly not good. Something wibbly wobbly is afoot.
I also can't help but feel like attempting to stage an intervention for the Doctor is a bit of a fools errand. Not that they've never needed one, but moreso I can't imagine getting them to listen.
I really don't remember much from The Awakening, apart from the pressense of a giant face. I guess when you watch all these serials so close together it becomes hard to remember all of them, especially ones you don't find as interesting.
Holy crap you actually went there. Well, not fully, but even still, I was not expecting references to Alien Bodies. I even joked about the subject in an previous comment. Questions remains though: Why that dream? What does it mean? Surely nothing good...
The only thing I remember from The Twin Dilemma is the Sixth Doctor getting up post regeneration, putting on the universe's most garish coat, and then attenpting to strangle Peri to death. Although, apparently this is considered the worst story of the classic era, so maybe I'm not missing much.
I know that it's been implied that a lot of time passes off screen, but... ten years. Considering that these days, one season of the show is about one year of in universe time (as much as time can be said to pass linearly in Doctor Who, anyway), having a whole decade pass is a massive change of pace. Also, it gives you room for piles if side stories if you're so inclined, so that's a nice plus.
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It was always going to come up eventually; the day I'm not thinking about Best Eighth Doctor Adventure is the day I die. No shade to Trenzalore -- well, perhaps a little -- but I've always found Quiescia a much more interesting concept for the Doctor's final resting place.
Dragonfire! Ace, Sabalom Glitz, the uncreatively named Iceworld, and... it is becoming increasingly apparent that I remember much less than I thought of most of these serials. I'd rewatch them, but that would involve rewatching all of Doctor Who.
Looks like a lot of things are happening all at once, most of them bad. Time loops, alternate counterparts, a disturbance in the Plot™ and, at the center of it all, the malevolent force in the TARDIS that may or may not be the Valeyard. The Crusaders have their work cut out for them.
Yeah, in a realm formed from thought, the psychological hazards are so much worse than the physical ones. (Not to say that those aren't dangerous, but they're not the greatest danger.) I get the sense this will get worse before getting better, especially for the Doctor.
Also, very interesting tidbit with Discord's older sibling. Now isn't the time to look into it, but it is worth bearing in mind...
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The problem I have with Trenazlore is that the "The Doctor has a fixed point death" storyline had literally been done the previous season, so going in it already feels like a rehash, and the payoff honestly could never be as good as we could imagine it, where as from what I can tell about Alien Bodies (I'll fully admit I've never read it and and only skimmed the wiki) not only is it a surprise and kept mysterious, but it exists as a set-up, rather than a payoff, which plays to Doctor Who's ability to have non-linear overarching story lines.
Easier said than done. Let's just hope the Doctor listens to themself.
I see Jim plays Warhammer.
I believe we have our Generosity.
I'd argue both are present. It's hard to fall with nowhere to go and no time for gravity to do its thing.
One of the better places for it, in my experience. Far easier to line up all the actors, to say nothing of the special effects budget.
I do love the Gallifreyan translations of the Elements. Some carry over better than others.
And the penny drops. Multiple pennies, really. Now to see how they bounce.
Reckless Engineering is one of the Wildness Years novels. I never read it. I have nothing to say.
Time is skipping, huh? At first I was reminded of Midnight, but I think this is even worse.
I'll admit that while I thought it was strange that Thirteen was there (After all our pony Doctor is still in his tenth, technically eleventh, technically twelfth incarnation and when we checked up on the Doctor in the other universe he was still traveling with Amy.) But I didn't catch on that she shouldn't've been there until Twelve showed because in an earlier story he mentioned that he hadn't been a batpony before. But I'll admit, I love that the Valeyard's attempt to bring down the Doctor and make him the Valeyard was foiled by the Doctor's other potential futures.
The Empty Child introduced the world the sheer majesty of Captain Jack Harkness, meaning it ranks as one of the best episodes in the history of Docto Who be default. Also "Are you my mummy?" That's cool too. And so is the episode itself, it's just not as important as Jack.
Things are somehow consistantly getting worse for Ponyville. I don't know how. At this rate the whole town is going to shift diagonally upwards in time and end up stuck in a reversed non-linear looping paradox, or something equally absurd, dangerous and obscenely complex.
I have a sort of unexplainable soft spot for Tooth and Claw, I don't really know why. I really like the Doctor and Rose's chemistry, I like how David Tennant gets to use his real accent, I dunno, I just really like that episode. I don't know how other people feel about it, but it's one I've gone back to more than once.
Well, this is deeply concerning. Not only is the Valeyard who is also the Watcher who is also a pony going around causing trouble, but it seems like he's been inside the TARDIS since at least the events of the TV movie, which means he's been there for two Time Wars (one of which I think never actually happened becuase of time shenanigans?). And not only that, another sinister presence
who is probably the Nightmareis there too? The TARDIS now retroactively feels a lot less safe...