Chapter 16
Applebloom whispered to Scootaloo
"Is he goin' to save us ?"
Scootaloo put her hoof to her head
"I think, that we are equally safe and screwed".
Mysterious stallion popped out of the box. Now he was wearing weird, two-coloured glasses and holding some buzzing and beeping device in his mouth. He looked around and exclaimed
"Oh look at that !!! Now that is fascinating, all of this room simply floated with subtemporal chronomolecules. Bizzare."
He turned around and noticed Sombra and Daybreaker. Fury in Daybreaker's eyes could literally melt the hardest of gems in Equestria.
Chesnutt coloured pony waved at them
"Oi, Sombra ! How are you ? I didn't see you around in a centuries...literally. You are still in good shape I see ? But let me repeat... did any of you noticed jumps in time or some...errors that may alarm of the occurrence of the temporal schism ? The TARDIS brought me here to find and..."
He suddenly shook his head and look around, moving the gaze from the Crusaders to the dark (and light) duet. Then he gasped and shouted.
"Oh right, this is it !! I understand ! You three here... that means...oooooooohh!!!!"
He ran back to the box and went inside. After a while...
HUUUUUUUUUUUUU-HUUUUU-VREEEP-VREEEP-HUUUUUU...
and box disappeared.
Applebloom twisted her head in confusion
"What the..."
But before she could finish...
HUUUUUUUUUUUUU-HUUUUU-VREEEP-VREEEP-HUUUUUU...
The box reappeared and the stallion came back
He started slowly moving forward. When he was in the line with Crusaders,he hissed " You. Into the box. Now".
Sweetie Belle protested, pointing at Princess Luna. Immobilized alicorn was struggling with the ropes
"We can't just leave Princess here. They may kill her... or do something worse. We have to help her"
The earth pony looked at Sweetie Belle, who saw in his eyes... sadness ? compassion ?
Before she was able to figure it out, Daybreaker landed at front of the mysterious pony.
"Enough of this ! If I were you, I wouldn't interfere in this, son of time. If you will continue trying to protect those fillies, I will roast both of your hearts and eat them."
Crusaders look at each other, slightly shivering.
"Wait... did she say... hearts ?" whispered Applebloom
The pony twisted his head, looking at furious alicorn
"Interesting... I do not recall meeting you and I have good memory, trust me... so you are saying we met before ?"
Daybreaker's eyes lightened up even more " In my old castle, so many centuries ago. You tried to make a trap and..."
The pony covered his ears
"Shhhhhhhussssshh!!!! If this is going where I think it is going, you are creating a fixed time. It is cross-timeline interference and from my point of view, it is not happened yet. The less we talk about it, the better."
Daybreaker laughed maniacally
"As you wish ! I wasn't planning on chatting anyway ! Prepare for your ultimate demise. You've tricked me last time but now... I have company !"
The wave of darkness pressed the chestnut coloured stallion against the ground. He let the beeping device out of his mouth. It rolled almost to the front legs of Scootaloo. When the pegasus looked at pony suffocating by darkness, she could swear that he gave her a wink.
Scootaloo spotted the note on the device "LUNA.GO.PRESS". When did he stick this ?Scootaloo felt very confused, but she had to put her doubts aside . She had a princess to save. Scootaloo started crawling quietly in Luna's direction, trying very hard to be unnoticed.
Luckily, Sombra and Daybreaker were too busy torturing Crusaders’ rescuer, suffocating him in the dark cloud.
Scootaloo heard Daybreaker's laugh
"I know what your kind is capable of, but even you have to breathe, Doctor"
Scootaloo froze few meters from Luna. Doctor... she knew that pony. He was some kind of Ponyville's crazy scientist. He was the one who invented those awesome fireworks for Cranky and Mathilda's wedding. But why was he here ?
Scootaloo had to quit thinking once again. Her destination was so close. Finally she got close enough to the princess. Holding the device in her mouth, she pressed the button on it. After series of buzzing and beeping, Luna moved and spread her wings. She was free.
"Oh, thank you so much dear Scootaloo." The Princess of the Night looked at orange pegasus" now we must prepare ourselves for an oncoming struggle with the forces of evil"
Luna was speaking using "royal we", which was a certain sign of her fright and desperation.
Then she touched her horn.
"Forsaken Sombra disabled our magic" muttered the blue alicorn "but I know one trick he couldn't block"
She raised her hoof into the air. A scythe materialised in a flash of a indigo light. When Luna swung it around, the blade shone like moonlight itself.
Sombra didn't have much time to acknowledge what hit him. The furious Luna charged at him with full speed, holding the scythe in her mouth but somehow spinning it with incredibly fast.
Sombra grinned
"Ahhh, that scythe... it is the same one, isn't it ? The one that you used against me thousand years ago, when you and Celestia fought with me in your castle. I planted the seeds of doubt inside of your heart. It turned out that I was right, wasn't I ? Look at your sister, what she has become ? You cannot trust her..."
He was silenced by the scythe swinging dangerously close to his neck.
"U are a liarh. U hef alwaysh been a liarh, Shombra. Thish ish all your fault for the very beginning. Nightmare, Celeshtia. U will pay for thish" muttered Luna
Suddenly Luna was hit by the spear of fire. She shouted and began to back away when she repelled both fire and darkness.
"Sadly, it is all true ! I never should let you live, Luna. You are just pitiful excuse for a princess, so weak and sentimental. A vermin , separated from the real world. There is no place in our new kingdom for you" exclaimed Daybreaker.
"We are doinh thish for our shishiter. I will afenge hew " Luna mumbled back.
Meanwhile, Crusaders gathered around the Doctor who looked at Luna with an expression of pain on his muzzle
Luna shouted, trying to sound as clearly as possible, when you are spinning scythe around to avoid being roasted to death.
"Doctor, take them away from here. Show them the truth. Explain. They are our only hope"
Doctor lowered his head
"I am so sorry Luna. I..."
Luna started shivering. Her foes didn't stop attacking her even for a moment and amount of strength needed to protect herself, Doctor and the Crusaders was simply too much, even for an alicorn goddess.
"Doctor... I forgive you. I know what you have to do. I accept it. It was truly an honour to meet you. And Sweetie Belle..."
Sweetie rushed forward
"Yes, princess ?"
Luna's body started to shake hardly
"I am sorry for my life mistakes. Try to be better than that. And always... always follow your heart. Now gooooooooooooo!!!!!"
Doctor looked at CMCs
"I can save you. All you have to do is go to that blue box with me."
Applebloom proudly shook her head
"I am not goin' to some tiny boxes with a stallion I jus' met"
Doctor tried his best to remain calm
"Box or being roasted and... shadowed. Trust me. Just follow me into the box."
Hesitantly, Crusaders started galloping in the box's direction. The door was opened once again and the Doctor swiftly got inside, following three fillies.
Inside, three friends were frozen in shock and disbelief. That box... it was so tiny. It shouldn't... no, it couldn't be true. But it was right in front of them. Behind the door there was an enormous room, almost as big as grand hall in Canterlot Castle. The walls were shaped in form of a sphere, like a half of an egg. The room had also some.. coral structures, looking like something between arcs and columns. In the middle of the enormous space was some kind of console full of levers, buttons and switches and a big column emanating gentle, greenish light.
Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's simply couldn't explain what they were seeing.
"What in tarnation ?... How...?" Applebloom scratched her mane
"It must be fake..." muttered Scootaloo, looking for anything what could demask the trick.
Sweetie Belle's eyes lightened up and for a moment she forgot why she entered here and about all of the terrible things she and her friend have been through. She looked in amazement at the majestic chamber in front of her.
"It's... It's bigger on the inside... This is so amazing" unicorn swirled around, singing with joy " I don't know how it works but this place is... so magical."
Doctor galloped to the console and started to press various buttons.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders, welcome to the TARDIS. Normally, I would give you a time to compliment her, but I am afraid we have to hurry" he said, still working on something by the console
Sweetie Belle slowly calmed herself down and examined the surroundings
"So Doctor... are you sure we are safe here ?"
"The entire armies tried to enter the TARDIS and they failed. No one can come here without invitation... well, except of some brides full of huon particles but that was a total exception."
Sweetie Belle slowly nodded. She then looked at the door
"And what about Princess Luna ? Is she going to be safe too ? " she asked.
Doctor didn't answer. Suddenly, they heard a loud, painful scream of Princess Luna and whole was shaken by the force of outside explosion.
"No..." whispered Scootaloo
"Luna !!!" Sweetie Belle started to running towards the exit but the Doctor was faster. He blocked the way out before she managed to leave
"I am sorry but I can't let you go there. I promised Luna I will keep you all safe " said the Doctor
"But why have you let her die ? " cried Sweetie Belle
Suddenly, Doctor shouted outloud
"You think I am not sorry ? They just killed the embodiment of one of the most important forces in this universe and... my friend. Not many ponies could understand my solitude and slow ageing. Without her this world may fall into the chaos and darkness. But no... this was the moment in which any of us, and especially me, couldn't do a thing. Some things cannot be changed. Fixed points in time, the curse of my race. I will surely miss her... very... very much. If I could, I wouldn't let her suffer so many times. But I couldn't prevent her banishment, I couldn't prevent her death..." a small tear slowly flown down the Doctor's cheek " Luna... I am so sorry..."
Sweetie Belle calmed down a little and put a hoof on the chestnut ponies back.
"But we should do something in her memory... Avenge her. Those monsters already took our sisters from us I can't bear loosing the Princess too. She helped me once with my... sibling issues."
Applebloom cleared her troth
"Eee...Sweetie Belle, she kinda helped us all"
Doctor galloped back to the console
"Yeah, and this is not a coincidence. Luna's last will was to took you away from our enemies and the best way to honour her memory is to do exactly as she said. So..." he placed his hoof on a big lever on the back of the console.
And then, the high-pitched, crazy laughter echoed in the room
"My dear ponies, I have a warning for you " Daybreaker's voice whispered in the silence " You can run but you cannot hide. No matter the time or place, I will find you and kill the last hope of Equestria. That includes you Doctor. I will be killing you until the end of your lives. And to assure you will come back..."
There was a moment of silence and four ponies heard another voice, tired and changed, but recognizable
"No girls ! I am not worth it ! Just run ! Jus..."
The message was suddenly cut in half
"Spike!!!" Cutie Mark Crusaders shouted in unison.
Daybreaker's voice came back.
"You are right, little Crusaders ! If you want your dragon friend alive, come for him. Especially you, sister of Generosity. Luna mentioned your little... affection. Don't blame her, it was Sombra's job after all. So ... see you !"
The voice faded away in the distance.
Sweetie Belle's turned from pale to red and then from red to pale. She opened her mouth but didn't say a thing.
The column in the middle of the room started moving up and down
HUUUUUUUUUUUUU-HUUUUU-VREEEP-VREEEP-HUUUUUU...
"Done. We are in flight" Doctor stepped away from the console
Sweetie Belle turned her face to him, her beautiful emerald eyes filled with tears
"How could you leave them behind ?" she sobbed quietly
"Yeah, you said you can rescue us but we don't even know you. Who said we can trust you ?" Scootaloo hugged Sweetie Belle, looking at the Doctor malevolently.
"Why we can't do anythin' ? Why are we runnin' away ?" asked Applebloom
"We are not running away !" Doctor protested " I simply bought us some time. I couldn't save the Elements or the dragon there, I have some limits. That situation is more complexed then you think and... Pfff!!!"
He sighed and collapsed to the floor, then continued.
"Since I locked us in a perpetual orbit of temporal stasis in the Time Vortex, we have some time in which I can explain some things to you. I have to admit that I owe you some explanation. Firstly, my name is the Doctor. And before you ask, yes, it is just the Doctor. I really enjoy when ponies ask " Doctor Who ? " but right now we have more important matters at hand...hoof...whatever. You might have recognized me since I visit Ponyville so often that it almost seems that I live there. But my home, my first and true home... it burnt long, long time ago. I am not really a pony. I am a Time Lord. I came here from another universe, through the rift between the worlds. Then I was found by a mare called Derpy..."
"Oh oh, I know Derpy . Her muffins are soooo good." Applebloom licked her lips
"That reminds me. Do you happen to have any food around here ?" asked Scootaloo, looking around the vehicle.
"Take those stairs, then enter the corridor, go left, trot straight for a minute, then turn right, pass the swimming pool and you will find the kitchen. You will find there bananas, fish fingers with custard (Yes, I know you don't really eat those...) and apples. I also left there a bag of jelly babies about... hundred years ago. But they are still fresh." Doctor instructed the pegasus " I am sorry that I won't go for it myself but I have to stay by the console just in case."
Scootaloo had a confused expression on her muzzle but slowly took the stairs down
" Scootaloo!!!" Doctor shouted
Scootaloo turned to face the Time Lord
"Yeah ?"
Doctor looked at all of the Crusaders
"I just want to reassure you, that I am on your side. I will keep you safe and I swear that I will find a way to save your friends. I know you may not trust me but right now, we only have each other. Can you believe me ? "
Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other and slowly nodded in agreement.
Sweetie Belle smiled at Doctor
" You saved us ! If after all we've been through we can trust anypony, we well trust our rescuer. You could just let us die"
Applebloom and Scootaloo nodded, agreeing with Sweetie Belle.
Doctor smiled back
"Good. Now go for our treats so I can finish an explanation. I hope that everything will be clearer then."
********************
When all four ponies had their bellies full, Doctor continued with his tale
" Derpy found me, took care of me and, as I have never been a pony before, taught me how to live as a pony. I discovered your culture and customs.
I was so grateful, that in return I offered her the endless possibilities of travelling through time and space. She became my companion and..."
“Hold on right there partner!!!" interrupted Applebloom
Doctor sighed and brushed his mane
"Oh for Rassilon's sake, what is it now ?"
Applebloom looked around her
" So you are sayin' that yer ship...
"It is called the TARDIS. It states for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space" added Doctor.
" ...can time travel ?" Applebloom finished the question.
Doctor proudly nodded
"Yes, it can indeed. In fact, it is its primary function. This is the gateway to everything that ever happened or ever will. TARDIS can take you to every planet in the universe and every time of this planet's existence"
"Cool!!!" Scootaloo did a flip in the air.
" Yes, as I was saying...Derpy and I started travelling together, exploring the wonders of time and space. But later she needed to have a break from adventuring. She felt that she needed take better care of her daughter, Dinky. I understood, of course. I was a father once too. So I was left on my own. You see, when you are a Time Lord, time can be very flux in your perception. Is like if you are waiting for the bell in school to ring but it just doesn't. I am an active individual so I quickly got bored waiting for Derpy to come back. I decided to learn more about the history of equestrian universe. I travelled back in time to witness the banishment of Princess Luna to the moon and foundation of Equestria. Then I landed in the middle of the changeling attack on Canterlot and was trapped with some poor mare and surrounded by changelings. Luckily, I set my sonic screwdriver..."
"Your what ?" asked Sweetie Belle
"That device that Scootaloo used to release Princess Luna " answered Doctor.
"Aaah... Crystal Empire clear " Sweetie Belle pushed her chest forward.
“I set my sonic screwdriver to the frequency that knocked the changelings out. After the royal wedding I travelled to Appleoosa during the conflict with buffalos. Then I found myself in the middle of the Crystal Empire when King Sombra was in power. I was the one who alerted the princesses about his tyranny.
Afterwards, I travelled to the point when the Elements of Harmony purified Princess Luna’s spirit from Nightmare Moon. I met your sisters. I was especially interested talking to Twilight Sparkle. She was the smartest non-Time Lord that I have ever met. Later, I realized why I found her so special. During my adventures with Derpy we were stuck for nearly two months in one period of time. During that time I met Nightlight and Twilight Velvet. I sotra... helped Nightlight go out with the mare of his dreams. He was so grateful that when we saw each other after six years ( from my perspective it was only a day later) he presented to me his newborn daughter. He told me that I can choose a second part of her name. I chose Sparkle cause the foal was so beautiful and yet so powerful in the same time that almost sparkled with light in my eyes.
So when I realized that the Twilight I know from Ponyville is the same Twilight I was holding in my hooves, I became even more interested with this impossible mare. I attended her coronation and both battles with Tirek...”
Doctor became quiet when he noticed a shocked expressions on Crusaders faces. He then understood and apologized nervously.
“Oh, sorry for spoilers. Anyway, when I gathered same information, I started to live in Ponyville to meet Twilight. After time, when there was an alien crisis in Ponyville, me and Twilight had our first adventure together and she became my companion. I didn’t forget about Derpy of course. Their were both my companions in two separated points of the timeline. When wanted a break, I travelled back and forth. Recently, I wanted them to meet since it wasn't fair to keep it in secret. But, well...I am still have to do this if i survive this adventure.
And here is where you come in. After my trip with Twilight on planet Hippias V, I received intertemporal crisis alert. It’s like a time-space mail that only the TARDIS can receive. I locked myself into the source of the signal and materialised in the middle of your little chat with Daybreaker”.
“So you knew that we have a problem ?” asked Scootaloo.
“I didn’t know anything about the situation. When I noticed you three, I got back into the TARDIS and went back in time, scanning for biological imprints of our enemies. I heard them discussing their plans and I am almost sure that I know the truth about all of this. I then went back to the present. For you it was a second, but for me it was two days.
Those are the facts: King Sombra and Daybreaker are planning on taking over the world. They used their magic to create an illusion, a pocket dimension. It was all to give King Sombra a new body. You three have something inside of you. Something magical and powerful. Sombra wanted to kill you at once. But this isn’t making any sense at all. How did you broke up the illusion ? What is protecting you ? Why your energy is so off ? Why Luna knew things that only Sweetie Belle could know ? Hmmm...”
“ Don’t forget about me using dark magic!!!” shouted Sweetie Belle.
“And my weird strength” said Applebloom.
“And my moments of flying” added Scootaloo.
“Yes, yes, it is all odd. We must solve this mystery. You are my honorary companions from now on. Right now, we must break into the pocket dimension to find your friends and get some more clues.”
Sweetie looked at the Doctor
“ You know Doctor, now when I look at you for quite a long time, I think that I actually have seen you before. You were that stallion that splashed the mud all over me and Applebloom during Hearts and Hooves day."
"Oh yes. Sorry about that, I've been in a hurry to buy Derpy some flowers." Doctor said, embarrassed a bit.
"And you were turnin' the hourglass during our the battle agains' Flim Flam brothers" Applebloom winked to the Time Lord
"That was a close one, I almost met myself back then and caused massive paradox".
"And... I tried to sell ya some of our apples, a long time ago. You ran away" Applebloom added after a while, blushing a little.
"What ?"
" I know, I was so terrible back then... " Applebloom shuffled the ground with her hoof.
" No, no. I mean... apparently it's in my future. I don't know why I won't like to buy apples, but know I will have to act the way you told me. You said it and created a fixed time. But I still don't get it. I hate pears, not apples."
"Hey, there is nothin' wrong with Pears. I'm a half Pear" Applebloom exclaimed angrily.
Doctor got up, clearly wanting to avoid the confrontation.
"We are going to break to the illusion again and try (just try, I can't promise anything) to save your friends. It seems that each one of them is locked into a single timestream with the same level of probability. You see, there are many universes and many realities but in one certain place only one timestream can be dominant, only one can be canonical. Where we are going, all of the versions of reality are true and false at the same time. This was the problem that brought the TARDIS here. It may fracture the time and space if we won't fix the problem. So... Cutie Mark Crusaders, are you going to help me save the world ?"
CMCs looked at each other and smiled.
"Mr. Doctor, Cutie Mark Crusaders are at your service".
Doctor rolled his eyes
"In that case..."
He trotted to the "take off" lever and placed the hoof on it.
"Allons-y !!!" he shouted.
The TARDIS flew into the unknown.