//------------------------------// // Part 8: "They Call Me Devil, And You Should Be Afraid..." // Story: Once a Time Lord... Well, actually still that, but now a Pony as well... // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// Canterlot Castle: Ballroom “So… Now what?” Shining asked, finally breaking the unwelcome silence that had invaded the room after Celestia had rendered the Weeping Angel to nothing but ashes. He had to admit, even if only to himself, that Celestia had turned absolutely terrifying in that very last minute of the Angel’s existence. That was the only way to describe it, really. Not that he was going to go about mourning the Angel’s demise or anything but as soon as everything went the way it did, with the room temperature skyrocketing, and Celestia’s eyes and mane seemingly turning into the sun itself he honestly felt pity for the stone creature. To be frank with himself, Shining had to wonder what was going through the Solar Princess’s mind at the time. Revenge for the loss of Raven maybe? If Shining hadn’t seen Celestia’s fury for himself, he never would have believed it. But honestly, that probably was the only solution he could think of. Revenge… loss… pain, he knew those feelings all too well, and how he sometimes wished he could take all of that power he had and use it. But he kept those feelings under wraps because he knew of the old phrase “An eye for an eye leaves everypony going blind”. But then, he had to wonder… If Princess Celestia herself wasn’t above those feelings, and she’d had over 1000 years of self-control, and yet one little thing could unleash those feelings in one single moment, what could happen next? Would she start dispensing justice to anypony who wronged her in any way like some crazed vigilante, burning them to crisps just for the smallest crime? “No, no she wouldn’t,” Shining reminded himself, taking a few deep calming breaths. “Like you said yourself, this was just one moment in over one thousand years of her lifetime. She’s probably seen death more times than anypony should be allowed. Equestria, it was forged in the fires of turmoil. King Sombra… Tirek… Celestia’s seen more monsters than I have hooves on my body. I suppose everypony has a breaking point, even her…” But all the same, he’d be keeping a closer eye on Celestia from now on. “Life goes on, as it always does…” Celestia says, shuddering at what she had just unleashed. She’d long had feelings, temptations if you will of just letting loose all of her power in one single instance and feeling what it would be like. Whispers in her ears, dark desires. Celestia knew everypony had them, even her. She was just terrified that she’d let her self-control slip for just one moment in time, give into that power. Sure, it was for the greater good, stopping that Angel from taking any more lives, but what if it happened again? What if a situation, one so terrible, arose that she was forced to take action and unleash every last ounce of power she had, take that risk of turning into that same monster that had claimed her sister for her own? “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” the ancient laws set down by the founders of Equestria, long before she had been born, went. It was a violent time, the three tribes at war until they came, the Windigos. They’d forced everypony to unite, but even then it was an uneasy alliance. Her mother, Lady Faust had told her that there still lingered distrust amongst the tribes, despite their leaders and advisors trying to build up that trust. It was a dog eat dog world in those days, to use the old expression. Assassination attempts had occurred, on each leader of the three tribes, by those who thought they could lead better. Celestia had long suspected this rampant insanity was what led to the rise of Discord, the literal embodiment of chaos himself. It was only after that Celestia and her sister, two beings with the powers of all three tribes did everything finally settle. “I’m sorry,” Shining gaped in disbelief. “Life goes on? Celestia, my marefriend and your niece are still displaced in time somewhere, along with one of my men!” His sea-blue eyes pierced into Celestia’s own lilac colored own, glaring hard almost as if he was peering into Celestia’s very soul, judging her. “Shining Armor…” Celestia replied sadly, shaking her head. “Do you think I am not aware of that? But the question remains, how would we be able to find them? The Angel can obviously offer us no evidence.” “Ah!” the Doctor said, suddenly speaking up. “That’s where you’re wrong, I think! Well, partially wrong! Or, well half and half wrong,” “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Shining asked, whirling around to face the Doctor. “Remember that little message your marefriend left us in the stone?” the Doctor remarked and Shining nodded, as a dawning realization came to Celestia’s face. “Well, I’m willing to bet that message still has trace elements of whatever the Angel left behind on Cadence and Flash. Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey particulate stuff, you know!” “Er… no, I don’t…” Shining muttered, not quite following. “Basically, I believe what the Doctor is trying to say, in his own way, is that we can track Princess Cadence and Flash using whatever the Angel left behind on them,” Celestia explained. “Exactly!” the Doctor exclaimed before smiling at Celestia with a pleased expression. Although Celestia was trying her hardest to hide it, she was blushing through her fur. Even if said blush wasn’t obvious at first glance, it was still there if you looked hard enough. Celestia thanked the gods that nopony seemed to notice. “So nice to have somebody who finally understands me!” “Somepony,” both Shining and Celestia corrected. Of course, they were ignored even as the Doctor dashed off down the hallways. The Doctor had to stifle a chuckle, there he was, running again. “One constant in my life, no matter who lives or dies, or who leaves me or who I turn into… I’ll always be running from or to something,” the Doctor thought to himself. “Ever since that day on Gallifrey, when I just stole the Old Girl… Sexy, I was running,” The Doctor smiled when he reached the message and pulled out his Sonic. He began scanning every last letter of the message, every piece of the stone it was etched onto for just a trace and then he let out a cry of triumph. “HOHYES!” the Doctor exclaimed, laughing in joy. “Just today, just this once, life wins out for me! Sure, there’s been death, but this time I save more people than I lose them! To whoever’s listening out there, thank you, thank you! This is a godsend! No… That’s not right… This… This is absolutely fantastic!” He shouted to the heavens just as Shining and Celestia finally caught up with him. “What… What is it?’ Shining asked, not daring to hope that the Doctor would give them one more victory today. The Doctor beamed and cupped Shining’s face with his hooves. “I know where to find your marefriend, and your man,” the Doctor said giddily, barely able to keep himself still like he was high on something unexplainable by science. “Now come along Armor, to the TARDIS! Allons-Y!” 999 Years Before: With a wheezing and groaning sound, the TARDIS reappeared on the grounds of the still being constructed Canterlot Castle, Celestia emerging from the Police Public Call Box’s doors in wonder. She led one slipper covered hoof touch the grass, making sure this wasn’t some sort of surreal dream she’d stepped in. It would have been nice, for all of this just to have been a dream. The death of Raven, the disappearances of Cadence and Flash and who knew how many more, and the terror she’d felt of unleashing her full power for the first time since she could remember. But when she felt the cool grass tickle her hooves, Celestia let a tear slip from her eyes as she shut them. It wasn’t a dream. No, this… This you couldn’t fake. She hadn’t walked in Canterlot, not this version of it in centuries. A more peaceful time, when all she had to worry about were Equestrian threats, not ones from the heavens above. And yet here all of it was, right in front of her. “Something wrong, Princess?” Shining asked, noticing Celestia’s forlorn expression. “No, nothing wrong Captain… Nothing wrong at all…” Celestia whispered, blinking away the tear she’d shed. No, she couldn’t let her subjects see her like this, she had to be the emotionless Princess, the one who seemed implacable in the face of any threat, the one who let nothing get to her. “And yet I’ve already broken that mask several times today…” Celestia thought sadly. Just then, the Doctor ran up. “Uh, Celestia… You might want to get back inside the TARDIS, just in case… Well, you show up. I don’t want to have to deal with any potential paradoxes,” the Doctor said before sucking in a breath. “Reapers. Nasty business…” He muttered to himself. “Yes, I suppose that would be a wise choice would it not?” Celestia asked before heeding the Doctor’s advice and stepping back into the TARDIS. Then, Shining saw Cadence running towards him, and embracing him in a hug. Shining sobbed in relief and began kissing her over and over. “I… I thought I’d never see you again. After that Angel got you, zapped you back here, I…” “But you stayed strong, that’s the main thing,” Cadence replied. “I assume you got my message, and the Angel’s been dealt with?” “Yeah…” Shining said sadly, a tear slipping from his eye. “But not without losses,” “Who… Who did you lose?” Cadence asked worriedly. “Raven… She sacrificed herself to keep the Angel from killing us and getting to the TARDIS. Bought us some time for us to dispose of it…” Shining replied and Cadence gasped in shock, barely able to believe it. “Oh Raven… Loyal to the end…” the Princess of Love whispered before she crossed herself with a hoof before murmuring “Possa il tuo corpo trovare la pace in Skyhaven sopra, la pace che non ha mai trovato qui…” as she looked skywards. It was then Shining caught sight of Flash Sentry, and he blinked, unable to believe his eyes at Flash’s aged state. The grizzle on his beard, the lines on his face and the fact that he was wearing a Captain of the Solar Guard’s armor of all things. But then he smiled in understanding, and Flash returned it when a mare, light grey in coat color with a purple and white streaked mane wearing a brown cloak walked up to him and gave him a quick nuzzle. “Good on you Flash… Good on you…” Shining whispered as Flash walked off with the mare towards the nearby town. Canterlot, still in its infancy but in some ways, it still hadn’t changed at all. “Let’s go home, shall we?” Cadence asked as she gestured to the TARDIS and Shining nodded. He’d had enough of time travel for one day. Early that next morning, just as he was preparing to leave Canterlot to see what the rest of Equestria had to offer, the Doctor found Celestia idly pacing back and forth through the throne room via a peek in the doors which had been left opened just a crack. Curiosity overtook him, and he trotted up to Celestia, who by now was staring at a particular stained glass window. The window depicted her, surrounded by six -or maybe seven, it was hard to tell really- gems circling her as she fired a magical blast at a dark Alicorn in blue armor with a crescent moon and stars for a Cutie Mark with a striking resemblance to Celestia herself in some ways. “Something wrong?” the Doctor asked, and Celestia staggered back in shock. “Oh… Doctor, I didn’t hear you come in… No, nothing’s wrong. Just… reminiscing, that’s all…” The Doctor shook his head as he chuckled. “Oh Celestia, don’t lie to me. I’ve seen that look on your face before, God knows I’ve worn it so many times I can’t even begin to count. Hell, I’ve seen a lot of the looks you’ve been putting up lately. False happiness, a mask to reassure your little ponies that everything’s alright with their ruler. But that’s not the case, is it?” he questioned. “Doctor… I assume you saw the power I unleashed at that Weeping Angel right?” Celestia asked and the Doctor nodded. “I also assumed you’ve lost those near and dear to you, right?” “Oh… Far too many times to count, really…” the Doctor trailed off as he remembered the faces and the names before a look of dawning recognition reached his features. “Oh, Celestia. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” “You can spare me the sympathies Doctor, that part of the past is behind me,” Celestia replied. “Is it?” the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow. As he predicted, the Princess of the Sun avoided the question entirely. “You saw that power I unleashed. I’m always afraid that one day I’ll just say “Damn it all!” and give in to that power, and what would come out… I honestly don’t want to even think about. For centuries, I’ve had whispers in my ears, just telling me to use that power against anypony or anything who stands in my way. But I never listened… Until today, that is. Today, it was the closest I ever came to just giving in and showing the whole of Equestria the power their ruler holds. Can you imagine what it’d be like, just giving in like that and letting power overtake you, no rules or anything standing in your way?” “Yes…” the Doctor admitted sadly. “I have imagined, not letting any of the rules I’ve set up for myself stand in my way. Just ignore the laws of time, not just bend them… Break them. Hell, there’s even one version of me out there -The Valeyard- who’s done exactly that. It could happen one day, just as it could happen to you. Good men don’t need rules. We are not good men, or ponies. So yes, I think we could easily succumb to our own desires. But you know why I think we won’t?” “Why?” Celestia asked curiously. “Because of the oldest thing in the universe… Love. We love who we watch, and there are those that keep us in check. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Celestia chuckled. “Who watches the watchers? Yeah, I know what you mean…” She trailed off. “Well, I suppose I’ll be heading out. Whole new world to explore, and I don’t want to miss any part of it. I’d ask if you or Shining would want to come along, but I can’t take you away from either of your duties here. I don’t have the right,” “Don’t worry Doctor, I’m sure you’ll find somepony to keep you on your path.” Celestia replied with a knowing smile as the Doctor stepped into his TARDIS. Inside, the Doctor smiled as he pulled a switch and let all of time and space become his to enjoy. But even as he did so, his smile quickly changed to a frown. If somebody like Celestia could succumb to her powers, what did that mean for him?