Doctor Who and the Voice of the Shadow

by spartiecat

Chapter 4

Sugar Cube Corner was it’s usual flurry of activity. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were rushing in and out of the kitchen, trying to fill another large order. Filling the massive order for the municipal conference put them far behind on work for their other clients. The pair were in such a panic that they did not have time to tend to their two young foals. Luckily for them, they had a capable and enthusiastic foal sitter on staff. Pinkie Pie was upstairs, relishing in the Cakes’ most important task - taking care of the twins.

Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake were laughing in their crib as Pinkie was focused on her most amazing feat yet. She stumbled around the foals’ room - balancing a tower of pots and pans on her head. “Easy… easy” she said cautiously, as Pumpkin Cake used her magic to lift another saucepan to the top of the tower.

The Cake kids were approaching their first birthday. Pumpkin Cake was slowly learning to control magic on her own, and soon her powers would be strong enough to require formal tutoring. Pound Cake was already beyond all expectations as a flier. He spent so much time off the ground that he often panicked his earth-bound parents. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were an overprotective pair, and it seems the older the twins got - the stronger they got. The only one who could reliably distract them was Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie lurched left and right, her eyes fixed on keeping herself below teetering tower of dishes above. Her neck was starting to sore, but she thought it worth it if the twins were happy. The two children laughed as they watched Pinkie stumble side to side, narrowly avoiding a stuffed turtle on the floor.

“One more! I can do it!” called out Pinkie Pie, her eyes transfixed above her. Pumpkin Cake levitated the saucepan to the top of the tower precariously balanced on Pinkie’s head. The unicorn strained to lift it to it’s needed height. She leaned forward in her crib, and focused to push the pan higher and gently laid it on the top.

The instant the last pan was set, Pinkie’s tail started to twitch. She knew she would not be able to hold the tower in place, but she was determined to keep it up as long as possible. The laughter from the Cake twins gave her the encouragement she needed.

She took a step forward, and felt a slight pinch in her knee.

Twilight burst through the front door at Sugarcube Corner. Mrs. Cake was startled to see Twilight in such a panic. She dropped an empty muffin pan, and it hit the ground with a clang. It seemingly triggered a cacophony of noise from the upper level, with the sound of pots and pans hitting each other and the floor, followed by the raucous laughter of Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake.

Twilight was in too much of a panic to notice it. Her mind was occupied by worry that Rarity and Sweetie Belle were in real danger. “Mrs. Cake! Have you seen Pinkie Pie?”

“She’s upstairs, looking after the twins” said Mrs. Cake. She was confused as to what Twilight was so panicked about. Before Mrs. Cake could ask why Twilight was Twilight was in such a state, the unicorn immediately ran for the stairs. There was no time for pleasantries when the life of one of her friends was at stake. Mrs. Cake knew it must be something important. She shrugged and picked up the pan to resume her work.

Just then, The Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe entered the shop. The Doctor was breathing heavily. He pulled out a handkerchief from his front pocket and dabbed at his forehead. “Oh my! 450 years can really weigh on a body," he said between deep breaths.

“Come on!” yelled Twilight, as she ran upstairs. The Doctor quickly regained his composure. He bowed a polite ‘how do you do’ to Mrs. Cake and the three of them followed Twilight upstairs.

The muffin pan hit the floor again with a clang.

Twilight threw open the nursery door. The twins were both standing up on two legs, leaning up against the railing of the crib. Both were laughing and giggling. “Pinkie?” Twilight called out.

The Doctor felt the same oppressive force he sensed in Rarity’s boutique. He knew something was not right here either. It was same sort of energy he felt in the boutique, and he knew it was connected to the catatonic Sweetie Belle.

The group looked around the nursery. There were pots and pans strewn about the room, but Pinkie was nowhere to be found. Twilight was not sure if she should be worried. As she saw it, there was an even chance Pinkie was in the middle of a game, or she was missing too. She ran to the closet, and threw the door open.

She called out again “PINKIE PIE?”

The Doctor, having regained his breath, tucked his handkerchief away. “What are you looking for?," he asked the unicorn. “My friend Pinkie Pie. She might have disappeared too."

“Well something certainly happened here," said Zoe.

“Maybe, maybe not," said Twilight. “That was probably Pinkie being Pinkie”

“Why would so many pots and pans be in a nursery?” asked Zoe.

Before Twilight could respond, a yell came from outside. “Get away from me!." The voice sounded like it was coming from above the building.

Twilight recognized the voice. “Rainbow Dash is in trouble!” She rushed downstairs, followed closely by The Doctor and his companions.

Twilight Sparkle, The Doctor, Zoe, and Jamie stood outside Sugarcube corner and looked up at the sky.

A rainbow coloured blur shot past the group. “Oh my giddy aunt!” exclaimed The Doctor as he jumped back.

Rainbow Dash climbed high into the air. Her streak was a stark contrast against the blue and nearly cloudless sky. Right behind it, was a long black shadow. The Pegasus dove once again and flew fast along the ground, dodging light posts and other ponies in the street. The shadow kept pace and was approaching the pegasus, when she turned and went into a sharp 90 degree climb. The black shadow followed in lock-step. Rainbow was soaring high above the town. She curled her wing, turned her body, and rolled herself into a sharp nose dive.

“I can shake this guy," Rainbow Dash said to herself. She flapped her wings in broad, rapid strokes, pushing herself to fall to Earth faster.

She smirked as she glanced behind her, to admire how she had left her pursuer in the dust. The shadow was gaining on her. Rainbow Dash’s cocky grin disappeared as she leaned forward and beat her wings harder. She knew she could go faster, and was determined to lose her pursuer.

Twilight could only watch as she saw the rainbow streak approached by faster, pitch black blur. Dash struggled to push herself faster. She knew if she had climbed higher and started her dive later, she would have had the speed she needed to get away.

Twilight, The Doctor, and his companions could only watch in horror as the shadow overtook her. Rainbow was moving too fast to stop as the form surpassed Rainbow Dash, turned around and unfurled into a broad black sheet. She hit the shadow at full force, and it immediately enveloped her. It continued to swirl and wrap itself tighter around the pony. The group could see Rainbow Dash kicking from the inside of the black form as she struggled to break free.

“RAINBOW!” Twilight screamed.

She could see her friend struggling as the black form that encased her began to collapse on itself, pulling Rainbow Dash with it. In a matter of seconds, the shadow had disappeared, and the sky was empty. A deafening silence filled the air in the aftermath of the struggle. Twilight was not sure what was going on, but now she knew her missing friends were in great danger.

“What was that?” a stunned Jamie and Zoe blurted out in unison. The Doctor furrowed his brow and rubbed his hands together nervously. “I don’t know. But I think that is what took the mind of the filly in the dress shop.”

“How do you know?” asked Twilight. She was worried that Applejack, Fluttershy, or some other innocent pony could be next.

“Well I felt a force at the first place we visited. I didn’t know what it was, but it was -." The Doctor paused and curled his lip. His tone was very serious. “It was an oppressive force. Very powerful indeed." He pointed at the clear blue sky. “Whatever I felt at the boutique, I felt in the nursery…and up there."

Twilight stamped her hoof down in the dust. “We have to check on Applejack and Fluttershy."

“Oh dear," sighed The Doctor as he adjusted his coat again. “I suppose that means more running."

“This is no time for jokes!” snapped Twilight.

“Right-o. Off we are then," and the four started running for Sweet Apple Acres.