The air was cold and the atmosphere was rightfully dull. The grieving ponies, all dressed in black, took their places to start the solemn ceremony. In the middle, the recently diseased. It was a cream colored mare with flowing hair, greyed from age, with a paintbrush cutiemark that signified her talent as an artist. Today, her few friends and family were gathered to pay their last respcts do the dear old artist who had passed away in her sleep.
A young colt stood and took his place in front of the row of ponies, ready to deliver the gentle mare's eulogy.
"It is truly a... tragic moment for all of us." he began. "One of our most beloved friends has passed away today..." there was a great air of sorrow among all of them.
"She was a kind, helpful friend, good with foals..." he continued. "But most of all she was like a mother to us. Like a loving, caring, mother... so generous, self sacrificing... and even in her dying days she still remained so... so... so full of life." the coffin lid flew off open. The mare whom they had all thought dead rose to a sitting position, her eyes filled with ghastly blue mist. She let out a blood curdling scream as the ponies began to flee in terror...
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
RAINBOW DASH
AND
PINKIE PIE
in
My Little Pony
DOCTOR WHOOF
MAWDRYN UNDEAD
By Elaine Spitzer
PART ONE
The pink earth pony quickly cleared up the mess on the kitchen. She neatly arranged a set of plates, cups and a pitcher of cloudy lemonade on the table. She held up the little blue envelope in her hoof and smiled. Pinkie Pie hadn't seen Twilight and Rainbow Dash since they left with that mysterious brown colt with the weird clothes into that blue wooden box. She had always wondered how they all fit inside. The thought of it made her giggle as she put the envelope back onto the table.
The letter she had received was signed by Dash and Twilight, who announced their intention to come visit. The clock on the wall ticked away as Pinkie continued to wait.
After about 2 minutes had passed, a very strange mettallic grinding and heaving broke the silence. Soon, a blue wooden box began to take shape in the corner, the sign above it's door read 'Police Public Call Box'. Pinkie remembered the box from when the two had first left. A brown colt popped his head out the door and looked at Pinkie. The earth pony cocked her head to the side in confusion.
"Ah." The Doctor said before going back inside. The door opened fully and the colt walked out followed by Twilight and then Rainbow Dash.
"Twilight, Rainbow Dash! It's been soooooo long! I got your letter and I was so excited to hear you were coming back today and so I made something for you guys!" Pinkie said, bouncing up and down in excitement.
"It's good to see you too, Pinkie!" Twilight said smiling.
"Where are the others?" Dash said.
"Oh right... Applejack couldn't make because she had to look after Granny Smith, she's been feeling sick lately... Rarity is off in Hoofington displaying her latest line of dress designs and Fluttershy has caught a cold from all the rain and cold we've been having recently. So I guess it's just us." Pinkie said.
"Poor old Apple-Fine Smith..." The Doctor said.
"Well, that's unfortunate." Twilight said sympathetically.
"Who is that?" Pinkie said looking at The Doctor.
"Ahh, how rude of me, I'm The Doctor! You must be Pinkie Pie! I believe we've met before. You remember me from last time I was here?" The Doctor said, shaking her hoof enthusiastically.
"But... what happened to that colt you left with 2 weeks ago?" Pinkie asked.
"Uh... it's kind of a long story. He can like... change his face when he's closing to dying..." Rainbow Dash tried to explain.
"Quite correct! I'm a time lord, I'm from the planet Gallopfrey in the constellation of Kasterborus. I'm 923 years old." The Doctor put on a wide grin.
"Uh... ok I guess." she said. "Well, let’s eat before these delicious cupcakes go cold!" she said. The group settled down at the table and began their meal.
The grey earth pony frowned. "Another boring nightshift at this Celestia-forsaken morgue. I should have finished high school..." he pushed along the metal tray and left it in the corner. He walked back to a little office with a small yellow light and sat down. He picked up a newspaper and skimmed through the headlines.
Nearby, the pipes began to rattle, loosing a small portion of the metal tube. Out of it however, poured a wispy blue mist. The stallion in the office continued to read the paper, scanning the sports section lazily. The mist continued until it was above one of the exposed bodies and filled the dead pony's nostrils. Suddenly, the corpse rose, it's eyes cold and dead. He proceeded to walk slowly over to the office where the stallion looked up. He tried to scream but not before the walk corpse had a chance to wring his neck and strangle him...
"Ugh..." The Doctor rubbed his head. He found himself sleeping on the couch. "Well, that was a good rest." he sprung up and began to wake the rest of his companions who had fallen asleep over a boring game of scrabble the previous night.
Rainbow Dash got herself up, wiping the saliva from the corner of her mouth.
"Oh, good morning Doctor..." she said. Twilight was already wide awake, heading upstairs to quickly brush her mane without saying a word.
"Had a good sleep everypony?" The Doctor said, picking up the newspaper which had been slipped under the door.
"Sure did! We should do that again!" Pinkie said. "So... when will you guys be off?"
"Oh I don't know..." Dash said. "We might stay a few days longer... see what's changed in Ponyville..."
"But... it's only been 2 weeks since you left. Haha, what could have possibly changed?" Pinkie said, giggling.
"Oh..." Dash said.
"Hmm..." The Doctor broke the silence, inspecting the newspaper closely.
"Uh oh... it's that face again..." Dash said, looking at the worried expression on The Doctor's face.
"What face?" Twilight said as she came down the stairs with a newly groomed mane.
"You know what face I'm talking about..." Dash said as Twilight came closer.
"Listen to this... morgue worker found dead last night in his office... strangled. One body missing from the Stallion Island Local Morgue..." The Doctor said, putting on a grim expression.
"Oh Doctor, that's in Stallion Island not in Ponyville..." Twilight said in a weary voice.
"This is just too weird..." The Doctor said, stroking his chin. "Has there been any strange happenings lately?" The Doctor asked Pinkie.
"Well... there was this weird meteor shower last week. It was off in that direction." Pinkie said, pointing out the window and over the hills in the west.
"Just as I expected... Stallion Island. A meteor shower that's wasn't meant to be, stallion killed under unusual circumstances, a dead body vanishing from a morgue..."
"Does this mean..." Twilight's face suddenly change to one of fear.
"Let's go! Let's go there now!" The Doctor said, suddenly smiling again.
"Oh well..." Dash said. "I guess it is pretty exciting. Don't you want to see what the fuss is all about?" Dash asked Twilight.
"Dead bodies... morgues... mysterious falling stars... I don't really think so but... what choice do I have." Twilight sulked.
"Hay Doctor!" Pinkie said. "Can I come?"
"What?" The Doctor asked. Pinkie put on a nervous smile. "Sure why not. The more the merrier I guess!"
"Woohoo! I love going on adventures! Especially if it's with my two best buddies!" Pinkie said, putting her arms around Twilight and Dash.
"So... into the TARDIS!" The Doctor said, pointing toward the blue wooden box.
"In there? Hahahah! That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. I mean... how are we ALL going to fit inside?"
"Trust me! Just... trust me. In fact, why don't you go in first!" The Doctor said, motioning toward the door.
"Okie dokie lokie..." Pinkie said, walking inside.
"Hahaha, I can't wait for her reaction!" The Doctor said, smiling.
"Oh my!" Pinkie said in surprise. "Look at all this cool stuff!" The Doctor frowned gestured for his two companions to follow him inside.
"Well?" The Doctor said.
"It's.... nice!" Pinkie said, prancing around the mane control unit.
"Just... nice? Aren't you going to tell me it's bigger on the inside?" said The Doctor
"You dimensionally transcendental?" Pinkie asked.
"That's... but how did you... never mind... that's right, it is." The Doctor said putting on a childlike look of frustration. "But I like it better when ponies tell me it's bigger on the inside..." The Doctor headed back to the console.
"Ooh... what are you doing?" Pinkie asked, eyeing The Doctor's movements carefully.
"Setting the time-space coordinates for our destination..." The Doctor pushed a button, adjusted a valve and finally pulled down the dematerialization lever.
"What's this spinny thing, oh and what's that, and that and..."
"Shoosh..." The Doctor put a hoof to his lip. "This is the dimensional stabilizer, this is the dematerialization lever, this is a monitor, this is the dampening adjusters, the vector calculator, vortex shield manipulator, this is... some... kind of... red... button I forget what it does, this is an espresso machine. Way over yonder, that's a scanner, over there are the doors, these are seats, handrail here, over there is a coat hanger and this thing in the middle is the time rotor. Now my dear, please stop badgering me." The Doctor took a deep breath and smiled. "Ok?" Pinkie smiled and quietly took a seat.
The trademark metallic grinding of the TARDIS' engine broke the silence.
"Ok, we're here!" The Doctor said. "But first I want to check the outside weather conditions..." he pressed a button on the console and brought up the monitor.
"Oh my..." Twilight looked at the grey, misty town in the monitor. "Just as I expected it to look. Grey, dark and cold! This day just keeps getting better and better..."
"Looks spooky!" Pinkie said excitedly. The Doctor headed over to the coat hanger and pulled out a grey tweed jacket and a multi-colour scarf.
"Yes indeed!" The Doctor said. "I suggest you three find something to wear! You see that door over there? Go through it, down the hall, turn left, take the third door on the right and down the stairs and the first door you reach should be the wardrobe. It's impossible to miss." The Doctor said. The three ponies went off as The Doctor took a step outside.
"Oh my... rather chilly." The Doctor said, white puffs of vapour coming from his mouth. The TADIS had materialized at a train station skirting the edge of the island. No one seemed to be on the platform and the only light source was a series of gas lamps.
Rainbow Dash opened the door and joined The Doctor outside. She wore a dark navy blue sweater and a woollen Stalliongrad ushanka.
"Ah Dash, where are the others?" The Doctor said. Twilight and Pinkie came out as soon as the words left his mouth. Twilight prided herself with a burgundy colour jacket and Pinkie wore a simple brown scarf.
"Well, it seems we've arrived in a train station of sorts. I think we best look around... before the sun goes down." The Doctor said, noting how dark it was getting. "I always wondered why it was so cold here... we're not even that far north..." The Doctor said, treading along the platform.
"Beats me... I've never been this far out of Ponyville... except that time we went to Appleoosa with AJ." Dash said.
"Oh well... look, there's somepony now!" The Doctor said, walking up to the pony in the coat. "Hello! I'm The Doctor."
"Doctor? Ah, yes." the pony said. "Master Edward has been expecting you!"
"I've been expected?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes, yes indeed! And... who might these be?" the pale yellow stallion asked, adjusting his cravat.
"Oh, these are my companions. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie." The Doctor said.
"Strange names... I take it they're from the mainland." the stallion said.
"They are! Now... what was that about me being expected?" said The Doctor.
"Ah yes. If you'll follow me down to the Master Edward's office... it's not far from here."
"Certainly; come on fillies..." the trio followed The Doctor and the stallion off into the distance.
"I'm telling you, I don't know what to say! Sorry ma'am, you're dead son woke from the dead, murdered a morgue employee and then walked off?" said a frustrated Edward Longstride. "It's ridiculous! And I'm not sure what good some raggedy Doctor from Manehattan or wherever the hay he comes is going to do!" the aged stallion took a sip from his wine.
"We all don't know what to do... remember that incident two days ago? Where that supposedly dead mare walked out of her own funeral? Suddenly she just dropped right dead again 20 minutes later?" said Patrick Lawmane, the chief of Stallion Island Constabulary.
"As if that's any comfort..." Edward said. Suddenly, there were several quick knocks on the door.
"Master Edward... the Doctor's here." came the voice of a middle aged stallion.
"Hello!" said The Doctor followed by his three companions.
"Oh my, I didn't know you'd be bringing company..." Edward said. "Uh, please, if you don't mind, Chief Lawmane would like you to have a look at a recent body we found." Edward said, signalling The Doctor to follow him.
"Right… ah, you fillies stay here. Don't get into too much trouble..." The Doctor said.
"What do you think's going on..." Dash asked.
"I have no idea..." Twilight said looking out the window.
The Doctor followed Edward and Patrick into the opposite room where a body lay.
"Looks like this body's been dead for..." The Doctor prodded the deceased pony's skin. "At least a week..."
"Exactly. And the thing is... you probably won't believe this but... it was found in the hallway of the local morgue and the night shift worker dead." Patrick Lawmane said.
"Well..." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan the dead ponie's body.
"I say... what is that gadget?" Edward said, eyeing the device curiously.
"It's an um... biological scanner... thingy... uh, yeah." The Doctor smiled and inspected the screwdriver. "Well... his body is full of a very rare, very strange compound lining his throat, nose and lungs."
"What's that supposed to mean? asked Edward.
"It means that some kind of gas has been circulating his body. And this night shift worker, how did he die?" The Doctor asked turning to another body on a separate table.
"That would be him Doctor. Uh, he died of a violent strangulation." Patrick said, frowning.
"This is certainly very curious..." The Doctor said.
"Anyway, you mentioned something about gasses? What methane and carbon dioxide?" asked Edward.
"Yes... you see, he's been dead a week. Any residual gasses should have left. The rigidity of his body and the fact he's not even close to being decayed is strange." The Doctor took a seat and began to take it all in.
"Twilight..." Dash said looking out the window. "Look at that!" Twilight and Pinkie joined Rainbow Dash at the window. Outside something seemed to be moving out in the darkness.
"What is it?" asked Pinkie "I don't see anything..."
"I could have sworn I saw something move out there..." Dash said, squinting her eyes to see past the gloom and the fog. Outside, a shape did indeed shift and dance in-between the shadows of the gas lamps.
"There it is again!" Dash said, pressing her face right up against the glass.
"Rainbow, I'm sure you're just imagining things." Twilight said.
"I'm telling you I..." Dash was interrupted by a ghastly apparition in front of the glass. Dash jumped back from where she was at the sight of it. "DOCTOR!!!" she yelled at the top of her voice. The stallion who had lead them in quickly ran upstairs, the sound of a door slamming shut could be heard after.
"What is it?" said The Doctor, bursting into the room. "Oh dear me..." The undead pony rammed a hoof through the window, smashing the glass.
"It's happening again!" cried Edward, backing into a corner.
The creature had now found its way inside and was approaching the group of ponies.
"Not so fast!" cried Patrick, swinging a fire poker at the pony. Easily, the creature pushed Patrick into the nearby wall hard, causing a painting to fall of its hook.
"Patrick!" The Doctor cried, running over to check on him. "Dead... he's dead..." The Doctor said, looking up at the slowly approaching beast. Blue mist coursed through his eyelids and mouth, giving the fiend an otherworldly appearance.
"ZOMBIE PONIES!!!" Pinkie cried, holding on to Dash tightly.
"Doctor what do we do?" whimpered Twilight, as the creature let out a terrifying screech...
TO...
BE...
CONTINUED...
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
RAINBOW DASH
AND
PINKIE PIE
in
My Little Pony
DOCTOR WHOOF
MADWRYN UNDEAD
By Elaine Spitzer
PART TWO
The creature moved closer, its eyelids blank and unfocused.
"Hmm... I don't know if this will work or not but... stand back everypony." The Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. The device's green tip began to glow and emit a harsh buzzing noise. Suddenly, the blue mist which seemed to fill the pony's body dispersed out the window, the lifeless corpse collapsed before them.
"What just happened?" said Edward, still fearfully cowering the corner of the room.
"We were just attacked by a walking pony cadaver, reanimated by... something. I think it has something to do with that gas..." The Doctor said, inspecting the lifeless corpse on the ground.
"Are we... still alive?" Pinkie said, hiding her face in fear.
"Yes, Pinkie, we're still alive... for now I guess..." Dash said.
"Doctor I don't know what's going on in here, but..." a phone rang nearby. "One moment Doctor..." Edward picked up the phone in his hoof and answered. After a brief moment of silence his gaze drifted across The Doctor and his companions.
"Really... well... thank you for letting me know." Edward put the phone down. "Tell me Doctor, who are you really? Because you aren't Doctor Mint, I'm pretty sure..."
"Look it's... it's too late for that now. All you need to know is I can help you." The Doctor said defiantly. Edward sighed.
"Well... it's not like a medical doctor would be much help anyway. Still, you must tell me your name? Doctor... who?"
"Just... The Doctor. Call me The Doctor. It's what everypony calls me." The Doctor said.
"So you prefer to go incognito eh? You don't happen to work for the feds down in Canterlot do you?" Edward asked.
"Oh no... it's just a personal preference." The Doctor replied. "Anyway getting back to business, I must ask you, were there any... meteor showers? Or... shooting stars? Or any form of atmospheric activity?"
"Hmm... come to think of it there was a very peculiar meteor shower. Somewhere here... but... what does that have to do with all this?" Edward asked.
"Meteor... blue mist... reanimated pony cadavers... that can only mean..." The Doctor's eyes shot open. "That's it! That mist you saw... it's actually a series of very small creatures called Madwryn. They must have been brought here by one of those meteors..."
"Wait... are you saying this is the work of some... aliens from another planet?" Edward said.
"Another galaxy! They're able to take over the neural functions of a dead pony... or a pony in a coma..." The Doctor explained.
"What can we do?" Twilight said, looking out the window. "There's bound to be more somewhere..."
"Indeed. If I can where that meteor landed... I may know what to do." The Doctor said.
"I... I may know something..." the grey stallion from before poked his head around a corner. "I... I saw it when it landed but I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like a dream... in the morning I forgot about it. Now that you mention it... I saw it land somewhere on the north end of the island.'
"You mean across the forest? In that direction?" Rainbow Dash said, looking out at the thick fog.
"Well... we have no other choice. We'd better get moving." The Doctor said. "
"It'll be just like old times!" Pinkie said. "Like... in the Everfree Forest!"
"Though I'm pretty sure we'll need to do a lot more than just giggle at these ghosties..." Twilight said, hesitantly following The Doctor out the door.
"Hmm... The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, inspecting it carefully. The green diode blinked once then off again.
"Blimey... I knew that would happen eventually... Dash, Twilight, do you mind going into the TARDIS and fetching me a spare one? Just catch up with me and Pinkie... you see that large hill waaay over there? That's where we'll be. We'll wait for you guys at the entrance now hurry!" The Doctor said.
"Sure thing." Twilight said, rushing off to the train station with Dash.
"Come on Pinkie..." The Doctor said.
"Uh... Doctor, I've always wondered why Rainbow Dash ran off with you as well... is because... well you know... something going on between them?" Pinkie asked, a mischievous grin appearing on her face.
"That... is for her to know... and you to find out." The Doctor said, giving her a knowing wink.
"Oh..." Pinkie said as they ran off...
"Here it is... right where we left it." Twilight said, pushing the key into the lock.
"Aaaaah! Nice and warm in here..." Dash said, throwing off the jacket onto the nearby coat hanger. "So, where did the Doctor say his spare was?"
"Hmm... actually... he didn't say..." Twilight said, looking around the control room.
"Maybe he left it in the library?" Dash said.
"Ugh... there are hundreds of rooms in the TARDIS, he could have at least told us where to look." Twilight said.
"Hay what's that..." Dash said as the room began to shake. "Did you press something?"
"No... I didn't..." the shaking started again.
The two of them were silent, listening closely for whatever was making the noise. All of a sudden, the lights went out, leaving them completely in the dark.
"I don't like this... I don't like this at all..." Twilight said.
"It feels like we're not alone..." Dash said, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.
"T-that's nonsense... nothing can get into the TARDIS..." Twilight said shakily.
Soon, the light came back on, but the reassuring yellow lights changed to an eerie dim-green.
"What the..." Dash said, looking around.
"Ah, it seems I have caught my first victims..." came an unseen voice.
"Who... who are you?" Dash said, her eyes darting all over the place.
"Excuse me... for being so rude. I am Vakarios... of the Mawdryn..." the voice said.
"What are you doing... how did you get in here!" said Twilight, backing away toward the door.
"Not so fast!" cackled the voice, locking the doors.
"By Celestia... he's in the system!" Twilight said.
"I familiar with the technology of the Time Lords. A long time ago, during one of the first Great Time Wars, we were almost wiped out... we barely escaped with our lives. Our ship had been travelling thousands of years until we reached this planet..." the voice trailed off.
"What are you planning on doing?" Dash said.
"While you're here... I thought I might have some fun... and when the Time Lord comes back to look for you... I'll kill him as well!" the voice burst into mocking laughter.
"You don't know The Doctor! He'll never let you get away with this!" Dash shouted defiantly. "He'll find us, and save us! He always does!"
"Ahh... Rainbow Dash of Cloudsdale... always the brash one aren't you..." the voice said. "And Twilight Sparkle from... Canterlot. You met this... Doctor... when you were 8... and you spent the next 11 years hoping you'd see the strange pony in the blue box didn't you..." voice burst into another fit of laughter.
"He's good pony, and while we may not always understand him... he understands us..." Dash said.
"Hahahaha, well... let's see if he'll come and save you now!" green gas began to pour in from the floor and ceiling.
"Come on, this way!" Dash said, grabbing Twilight's hoof.
"Heheh, let the games begin my little ponies..." the voice said.
"Are we there yet?" Pinkie said.
"There it is!" said The Doctor, pointing toward a very large cave mouth.
"Looks pretty empty..." Pinkie said, walking up to it.
"Hmm... where is Dash and Twilight... they sure have been gone a long time. I left my hat on top of table in the third dining room..." The Doctor said looking mildly annoyed.
"Oooh... maybe they're..."
The Doctor put a hoof to Pinkie's mouth. "Spoilers!" he said, giving her a wink. Pinkie only nodded before let out a small snort of laughter.
"Now... to find this... meteor..." The Doctor said, inspecting the area around it.
"Doctor!" Pinkie said, motioning for him to come and look at something. "Could this be it?" Before them was a medium sized all-metal sphere with strange symbols plastered all over it.
"I see... seared black... it must have been burnt up when it went through the atmosphere." The Doctor said. "Definitely of Mawdryn origin... though that reminds me... whatever are they doing on this planet?"
"Maybe they got lonely... how did they fit into this anyway?" Pinkie said, circling the ship slowly.
"They're like... shape shifters... though this planet's gravity, combined with its mixed air compound leaves them in that state of being a blue mist. Actually, they're normally a sickly kind of green colour... like those ghosts from Ghost Busters." The Doctor said.
"Ghost... Busters?" Pinkie asked.
"Yeah... Ghost... oh never mind, you wouldn't understand." The Doctor said. "Anyway, let's go inside and see what we can see... but move slowly."
"Hokie..." she said, following The Doctor closely.
The two of them moved slowly into the cave. As they went deeper, the path began to get more and more narrow, and the roof, lower. Eventually they reached a perfectly circular hole near what was the back of the cave.
"I think... this is it." The Doctor said looking down into the blackness.
"What's... down there..." Pinkie said nervously.
"Hmm..." The Doctor reached into a pocket in his tweed jacket. "Oh wait... my spare one is right here... poor Dash and Twilight... huh..." Pinkie laughed and gave him a nudge.
"I'm sure they're fine." she said.
"I guess... as for what's down this hole... we'll have to find out." The Doctor said.
"Ooh, I love surprises!" Pinkie said.
"Alons-y!" The Doctor shouted, jumping into the hole.
"Wha..." Pinkie asked, hesitating.
"It's French... means let's go..." The Doctor said.
"French? Never heard of it... sounds fascinating..." Pinkie said, smiling to herself.
"I admire your curiosity, but now's not the time, let's go!" The Doctor said, pulling Pinkie down with him.
"What should we do now?" said Dash, the two of them hiding behind a large bookshelf.
"Uh... that's it! We need to find the Cloister Room." Twilight whispered.
"Cloister Room?" Dash asked.
"Yes, the Cloister Room. Inside is something called the Cloister Bell. It's like... an alarm that warns the pilot if the TARDIS gets into serious trouble, or the occupants are in danger." Twilight said.
"Ok, but where is it? There are hundreds of rooms inside the TARDIS..."
"Hmm... we'll check the TARDIS Index File, which we can access somewhere in here..." Twilight said, poking her head around the corner. "Over there!"
She walked slowly toward the computer terminal, Dash looking around cautiously.
"Ok... Cloister Room..." Twilight tapped the words out onto the keyboard. "Level B1, Room 87... according to the map there should be anti-gravity lift somewhere to take us to the lower level."
"Wait... look at that!" Dash said, pointing toward a small opening in the ceiling. Out of it came a round glass object. The two of them overturned a table and hid behind it.
"I think it's a security device..." Twilight said.
"Only one way to find out..." Dash pulled out a book from a nearby shelf and tossed it in the middle of the room. Predictably, an arc of electricity incinerated the book almost instantly.
"Hay!" Twilight said. "You ruined a perfectly good book on quantum physics..." she frowned.
"Well, better the book than us! Anyway... look, over there's the power box for all the electricity in the room. I may not know as much about this place as you, but I'm sure if we shut off it's power supply we can get out of here." Dash said, looking rather smug.
"Oh, you learn fast don't you." she smiled.
"Ok, here's what we'll do. We're going to have to push this sideways, at an angle." Dash said, nudging the overturned table. "Ok, help me." slowly but surely, the two eased the table sideways, careful not to expose any limbs to the defence turret's scanner.
"Ok, I'm going to throw my jacket out there, and you have to quickly hit that switch over there... the on in the middle..." Dash said, pointing toward the switch on the wall. "Ready? Three... Two... One..." Dash tossed the jacket over the table. Predictably, the turret fired upon, by which time Twilight had sprung to action, hitting the switch.
"Clever ponies..." came the familiar deep voice... "Watch your step... it won't be as easy as you think..." the voice trailed off.
"Don't worry Twilight, we can make it through this one..." Dash said, putting a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. Twilight could only smile at her friend's optimism. She wished she could be more liker her... brave...
"Thanks Rainbow..." she said.
The two of them took off down another corridor where a what appeared to be a elevator was located. Rainbow Dash hit the down button and immediately it opened, revealing a plain grey shaft, big enough for two ponies to fit comfortably. They stepped in carefully.
"Ok... B1." Dash said, pushing the floor's respective button.
A steady humming broke the silence, as the elevator began to slowly travel downwards. In a few short seconds, it stopped and the doors reopened, revealing an intersection.
"Huh... well one of these has got to lead the Cloister Room... let's try... this one...." Dash said, pointing to the door on the right. "Come on..."
Dash pressed a button the side of the door, opening it. The moment she had stepped through the other side however, the door closed before Twilight herself could get through it.
"Dash!" she yelled, banging on the door.
"Uh... I don't know, I can't open it from this side, wait there! I'll come back for you..." Dash said, her voicing trailing off as she sped down the corridor...
"Hurry back..." Twilight said...
"Look at this..." The Doctor said, pointing toward a massive crack in the cave. He had landed with Pinkie amongst a high crevice, overlooking a wide chamber. Green gases swirled inside the crack like a mass of clouds, circling and wafting through.
"Gross..." Pinkie said, sniffing the air. "And it smells like a wet dog in here... and... rotten cheese or something..."
"Sulphur... anyway, let's get down there and take a closer look..."
"Not so fast..." boomed a voice from within the crack. A column of gas shot through the crack, forming into a vaguely humanoid being, with a featureless face. "How dare you enter into the land of the Mawdryn."
"Land of the Mawdryn? This isn't your land!" The Doctor said defiantly. "This planet belongs to these equines!"
"Our planet was laid to ruin by the Time Lords, and most of our kind wiped out... we are the last of the Mawdryn... and we will do WHATEVER it takes to survive."
"Listen, I can help you! I can take you far away, to some similar gas giant planet... Jupiter perhaps, or maybe somewhere further away..." said The Doctor.
"Indeed... a ship was found.... that was... not of this world..." a circle of gasses began to form nearby, showing an image the TARDIS.
"No..." The Doctor said.
"Twilight and Rainbow Dash are in the TARDIS!" Pinkie said, realising the grim implications.
"You are now our prisoner... Time Lord... and we will have our revenge..." behind them, several ponies had dropped from the ceiling of the cave, covered in slime and with the tell-tale blue mist swirling around them.
"Kill them!" cried the sentient mass of gasses.
"Come on Pinkie, this way!" The Doctor cried, pulling Pinkie by the hoof.
"But what are we going to do? They're like... ghosts!" Pinkie said, looking behind at the group of reanimate corpses.
"Luckily I don't believe in ghosts..." The Doctor said. "Follow me, we need to get out of here and rescue Rainbow Dash and Twilight..."
"Catch him!" cried the gaseous figure looming over them.
"Pinkie, I suggest you go take cover behind those rocks over there. This isn't going to end well for them..." The Doctor said.
"There he is, we have him now!" the undead nightmares began to circle The Doctor, inching closer and closer...
"Oh well, you have me. But let me say one thing... Spectorax gas, right? A very volatile gas..." The Doctor said, slowly pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "Well known for being explosive when in contact with... a certain... frequency..."
"It matters not what you know, you will be dead soon!" cried the spectre.
"I think I'll take a miss!" The Doctor said, pointing the sonic screwdriver upwards. The gasses burst into flames, the undead too, became engulfed in the fire. The Doctor swiftly joined Pinkie behind the rock. In seconds it was all over, the creatures had all been burnt up.
"That was awesome!" Pinkie said. "Do it again!"
"Uh, I think we better get moving and finding a way topside, we need to get back to the TARDIS..." The Doctor said, ushering Pinkie along.
"Twilight... Twilight..." Dash called out. It seemed as if she had been wandering the corridors for hours...
"Poor Rainbow Dash is lost..." came the eerie voice of the Mawdryn.
"Shut up, just shut up..." she said, trying her best to ignore the voice. She chanced upon another door, and another... seemingly going nowhere. "Twilight..." she called out again... "Twi..." she had suddenly found herself back at the start of the first intersection. But... how? She ran as fast as she could to the door where Twilight had been waiting.
"Twilight? Are you..." Rainbow dash stopped dead in her tracks. She felt a lump in her throat as she took in the sight before her. "T...Twilight?"
"Dash... how could you?" came the voice of Twilight... "I waited for you... for 80 years!" she lashed out at Dash weakly, her body thin and frail, her greyed...
"But... that's impossible!" Dash said, her chest becoming heavier and heavier. "That's impossible! No, I don't believe it!" Dash cried, hitting the button on the side of the door and going through once again.
"I don't believe it..." Dash said. Picking herself up, she walked off into the same direction as she did last time, following the path closely. She kept walking until she found herself in that same intersection again. Her heart began to pound... what would she find this time? She was scared... slowly she walked up the left branch, and...
The tears were already streaming down her eyes. Now, it felt as if her heart had been forced through her ribcage. In front of her, no longer Twilight Sparkle... just a pile of dusty old bones...
"No it can't be!" Dash wept, falling to her knees. "It can't be, it can't be, it CAN'T!!!" Dash's hold body went numb... the coldness of the TARDIS' corridors didn't even factor in to her emotions...
"What are you doing?"
"What?" she knew that voice... slowly she turned around... "Twilight??? But I thought... but..." Dash looked forward but... the skeleton was gone...
"Dash... that... thing has been using the TARDIS to play tricks with your head... anyway no time to talk, I found the Cloister Room..." Twilight said, grabbing Dash by hoof.
"Twilight wait..." Dash said, struggling to keep up. "I know this isn't the best time but..."
"Go on, we don't have all day... what is it?" Twilight said, slowing down her pace.
"Umm... look I just wanted to tell you something for a long time... and... in case we don't make it out of this alive, there's something you need to know."
"Come on Dash, don't say that... what happened to all your optimism?" Twilight said, giving Dash a warm smile.
"Yeah... anyway... I just wanted to say... " the two of them stopped in the middle of the corridor.
"Well, go on! Say it!" Twilight said, impatiently.
"I... I love you." Dash said... turning her face away a little.
"Oh Dash... I know you do." Twilight said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Now, let's go!"
"Uh..."
"Let's go!" Twilight said, pulling her friend along.
"It's this way let's go..." The Doctor said. "Come on Pinkie..."
"Just... wait... I'm not used to all this running..." Pinkie said, panting.
"Just a little further."
"Hay, what's that noise?" a sound like a ringing gong could be heard, far off into the distance.
"That's the Cloister Bell... oh no! Twilight and Rainbow Dash must be in danger..."
"Alons-y!" Pinkie said, giggling.
"Right, you catch on pretty fast Ms. Pie" The Doctor joked.
"I do try!" the two of them ran off as fast as they could, passing small houses in the seemingly abandoned streets of the village.
"There he goes..." came the voice of Edward, watching quietly as the duo ran off. "I always wondered how they got onto the island... the weather's been terrible on the coast..."
The Doctor came to a stop in front of the TARDIS. "Key... key... ah yes..." he pulled out his own key and unlocked the door to the TARDIS.
"My, my, my... the Mawdryn changed the color scheme... ugh, green is most certainly not my colour." The Doctor said, approaching the console. "Now, what has the bad alien done to you?"
"Doctor... ah, the last of the Time Lords... finally you're here." came the voice of the Mawdryn. "Your friends were harder to kill than I imagined."
"Ah, well I suppose they learn quickly. Anyway, what do you want?" The Doctor said, calling out to the invisible creature.
"Well... for a start, I can go back in time and restore my ponies and destroy the Time Lords once and for all!"
"Yes, a bit like what your companion said... you won't succeed."
"You seem to forget Doctor, I'm in control of the mane systems... I can delete rooms at will... rearrange them, launch them into the time vortex..." suddenly the control room flashed and it was gone.
"Doctor?" Twilight said, looking in surprise at the sudden appearance of The Doctor.
"He deleted the control room..."
"Hahahaha, exactly, and now I have all you in one place, now I can kill you all!" the Mawdryn cackled.
"Well... you've got us fair and square... let's give the alien a round of applause." The Doctor said, slowly backing up.
"What is this?" said the creature.
"I'm just accepting my defeat. You've beaten me... woe is me..." The Doctor backed right up the mushroom-shaped pedestal in the centre of the room. He sneaked his hoof under it, feeling for a button.
"What is this ruse!" demanded the Mawdryn.
"You should be very careful who you let back into the TARDIS..." The Doctor said. "Especially if it's the pilot..."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Everypony, hold onto something tight..." The Doctor pressed the button. Suddenly, the whole roof of the Cloister Room disappeared. "We're in the Medusa Cascade, home to one of the most powerful black holes in the universe... and now... you're going to say goodbye..." The Doctor pushed another button underneath he pedestal.
"Emergency Exhaust Purge, activated." came a scratchy metallic voice.
"No!!!!!" cried the creature, as the green mist was sucked from the air vents and into the black hole. Pressing the button again, the ceiling reappeared.
"Well everypony... danger's over." The Doctor said, brushing himself off.
"What about the control room?" asked Twilight.
"Don't worry about it, it's like... been AutoSaved. You know, like on Microsoft Word." The Doctor said.
"What's... Microsoft Word?" Pinkie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, forget it! I need to stop making obscure references you'll never get... system, commence control room restore." The Doctor said. In a blink of an eye, they were all back in the control room, the green lights replaced with the regular warm, yellow ones.
"What an adventure eh?" The Doctor said, pressing some buttons on the console.
"Yeah!" Pinkie said, energetically.
"It was..." Twilight looked up, thoughtfully.
"It was pretty awesome." Dash said, putting a hoof around Twilight.
"I see... “ The Doctor smiled. ”Hay, I was just curious... are you two a couple?" The Doctor gave Pinkie a wink.
"Uh... we... haven't... really discussed that." Twilight said, blushing a little.
"We just sorta... do things and that's it. But an actual romantic relationship? I dunno..." Dash said, nudging Twilight with her elbow.
"Ahem... maybe." Twilight said, giving Pinkie and The Doctor a mysterious smile.
"Well, I don't mind. Really. Love is such a fascinating emotion..." The Doctor said.
"Haha, I think so too... haven't really gotten a chance to study it..." Twilight said.
"We can study it... together." Dash said.
"Dash!" Twilight said, looking embarrassed.
The Doctor only laughed a bit as he exited the TARDIS.
"Where are you going?" Twilight asked.
"Doctor!" said Edward, watching The Doctor enter his office.
"Your problems are solved. Don't worry about them! They're all gone... no more dead mares walking out of their funerals." The Doctor smiled.
"Thanks Celestia! Doctor, you've done so much for us, why don't you stay, we'll have a reward ceremony and everything!" Edward said.
"No thanks... I just wanted to say my goodbyes, and well... bid you good luck I guess." The Doctor gave Edward a curt, salute. "Goodbye."
"But Doctor, however will you get back to the mainland? There aren't any boats travelling there at this hour..."
"I have my ways and means." The Doctor said, exiting the door.
"Doctor" Edward said, following him out the door. He watched as The Doctor entered into the TARDIS, closing the doors behind him. The grinding of the engines broke the night silence as Edward watched in fascination as the blue police box disappeared into the night.
"I need to lie down..." Edward said, closing the door...
"Well Pinkie, it was a pleasure having you." The Doctor said, shaking her hoof. "You were brilliant!"
"Ah, it was nothing. I had heaps of fun though!" Pinkie said.
"You know, why don't you come with us? See the stars, the universe, all of time and space... what do you say?"
"Sounds tempting Doctor but... I'm real busy... tomorrow is the mayor's birthday! She's turning 64..." Pinkie said. "I'd never a miss a party! So, sorry guys."
"Ahh... good old Sarah-Anne. Still as lively as ever, 43 years later..." The Doctor said to himself. "Anyway, goodbye Pinkie."
"Bye, Pinkie!" Twilight said.
"Yeah, bye Pinkie, tell Applejack I still need time to find the 50 bits I owe her..."
"Will do, Dashie." Pinkie said. The doors of the TARDIS closed, and the blue police box began to fade away.
"Boy, I'm hungry..." Pinkie said wearily, heading off to the fridge to find a snack...
The crimson red stallion placed the last box in the top shelf. It was a hard day's work but he felt accomplished, fixing the roof and moving up Granny Smith's old belongings to the attic.
"Big brother, it's time for dinner, hurry it up!" Applejack called, sounding quite annoyed.
"Eeyup." he mumbled. Though, something in the corner of the shelf had caught his eye. He always saw it when he was cleaning up in the attic, but never had the motivation to check it out. It was a golden fob watch, probably one of his parents or great grandparents, it didn't concern him too much until now. The urge to pick it up and open it had been building these few days... he couldn't quite figure out why. Slowly, he reached for it... slowly, slowly...
"Big Macintosh, hurry up! Food's gettin' cold..." Applejack cried.
"I'mma comin'... jus' wait..." his hoof relented, and returned to his side. He left, closing the door behind him. What he didn't see though, was the wisps of golden energy which came from it... and danced like flames in the darknes...
THE END
