A/N: This chapter I'm adding in Paradox's inner voices that the nightmare is empowering. Each will be a different color corresponding with the emotion they represent. Rage : Red, Sadness : Blue, Joy : Pink, Serenity : Green, and Nightmare in bold.
After the events of what the princesses named "Burning Everfree" the forest had changed drastically. It appeared the forest had not always been as dangerous as it was when Twilight arrived and most of the fauna were quite docile. The presence of the necromancer's and alike created an aura of negative energy that spread through the forest. The nightmare had only served to make the problem worse. The wave of positive energy that burst from the explosion dispersed the negative and began to return the forest to a more harmonic state.
Paradox was thrilled with the fact that he inadvertently healed a scar on Equestria. He was less thrilled with what the nightmare had done. When the nightmare infected Paradox it not only added another voice to his already cluttered mindscape. The biggest threat it posed was that the more he used his power the more his body started to look decayed.
In the two months that passed after "Burning Everfee" Paradox had discovered that the nightmare was cursing him with a spell called "The Truth in Weakness." When pushed to the limit Paradox took on the form of a full undead and losing some of his natural restraints. The ponies commented that losing some of his magical restraint could be a boon, but Paradox knew better than to believe that. His own weakness wasn't nearly at the top of his worry list yet though.
The Doctor and Princesses had been researching Chronos since they returned and after forcing Paradox to save Blueblood with the Tardis much to his chagrin. The only lead they had drummed up so far was an old Equestrian legend that coincided with an even older Time Lord legend. The legends spoke of a great beast in the form of a dragon made of sand with the body of a broken hourglass. The hourglass was said to have held the sands of time that birthed the first Time Lords and Temporal, Celestia and Luna's father.
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"When the sands felt the pain and sorrow that time brings all things it broke free from the hourglass. The sand then decided to erase all of time across the multiverse one dimension at a time," Paradox sighed and closed the book, "How does the nightmare even know this was gonna happen?"
We watched for the signs my brother.
Paradox shook his head and stood up from the couch. He walked over to the window and watched the girls as they planned for the upcoming Nightmare Night in two days. Paradox set down the book and started coming up with plans. Celestia had told him she would search for more occult magics in the forbidden archives but if he really wanted information on time based magic, he should search for the Poma.(Roma aka Gypsy -cough-) Paradox had thought that nomads would keep the old secrets but they were always elusive, no matter what dimension they were in.
Didn't Twi tell us about somepony like that before?
I doubt she would…
Paradox clutched his head and groaned. Ever since Nightmare had taken up residence in his mind some of the voices in his head had begun acting up. Paradox thanked the void that two of them were friendly at least and Joy always had a fun Idea along with Serenity's insight, but Rage and Sadness were starting to bother him. Paradox shook his head again and walked out to speak to the girls.
"DOXXY! What are you gonna be for Nightmare Night!? I'm dressing as a Applebloom this year since I was Scootaloo the year before!" Pinkie was energetic as ever.
"I was thinking I would go as a Vampony this year," said Rarity.
"I'm gonna stick with my Shadowbolts costume," said Dash.
"Ah lost a bet to Big Mac, so now ah gotta dress as Braeburn," Applejack was clearly disheartened by her loss.
"I..I haven't decided yet," Fluttershy mumbled.
"I bought a book on specific shapeshifting spells, but I haven't decided yet either." Twi said levitating the aforementioned book.
"Well, I had an idea."
I had an idea, silly
"I was just gonna turn myself into a dragon kinda like Spike only, yaknow, actually intimidating," Paradox could feel Spike's ego deflate from across town, "Oh, Twi didn't you tell me about a wandering performer pony or something awhile back?"
"You mean Trixie?" Paradox snapped his fingers and nodded, "Last time we saw her she had run off into the forest and nopony has seen her since."
"That was over a year ago too sugarcube," AJ interjected.
"Oh Joy…-"
What?
"- looks like I'm gonna have to find her."
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The next day Paradox took off into the forest. He would have preferred to use his improving flying skills but the dense tree cover would have limited him to much. His speed on land, however, was unmatched with his magic assisting him. He sped through the forest with his sonic in hand scanning for traces of unicorn magic he hadn't encountered. He found one and followed it to gem filled cave only to find the skeleton of a long dead unicorn and a den of Diamond dogs. Paradox quickly dispatched the dogs and went back to his search.
Paradox found another more promising source. The trail led him to a spot near the edge of the forest on the side by where the ruined castle had been. Paradox cursed himself as he sped through the burned portions of forest that had begun to regrow. 'I probably scared her off if this is her trail,' he thought as he reached clearing. In the clearing stood a shabbily repaired wagon and nearby was a blue mare doing… laundry? Not once since he had been here had he seen anypony doing laundry, hell he didn't even do it with magic and death prone nature his clothes stayed good as new.
Paradox silently moved into the clearing using his mist-form to appear as fog. Trixie stopped running her cloak over the washboard and turned to the mist. Paradox could feel her stare at it intently before she huffed and stood.
"Trixie knows you are there undead, she can feel your presence."
"How can you sense me and don't call me undead," Paradox reverted back to normal.
"Hmmmm, you are… the strangest undead Trixie has ever seen. Tell Trixie why you are here."
"I hear you know a thing or two about time magic."
"Hmm, yes mother taught Trixie plenty of the old magics. Why would you need them, aren't intelligent undead were masters of the occult?"
"I. AM. NOT. LIKE. THEM."
"T-trixe a-apologizes… but still why?"
"I need to find a being in time that may or may not exist."
He exists brother.
"Well, Trixie knows the correct spell but it will take some time to prepare."
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Paradox and Trixie set up the ritual until the mid-afternoon of Nightmare Night. They had begun speaking freely with each other as they worked. Paradox had even persuaded Trixie to apologize for being such a braggart, so she didn't have to live in the forest anymore. Paradox and Trixie looked at the ritual circle and smiled at each other.
"Shall we begin Paradox?"
"Hold on let me change into my costume. I mean if this thing looks like a dragon maybe a dragon can speak to it more civilly."
Paradox stepped back from Trixie and his body began to convulse . His skin began to change into thick black scales and hard plates on the immobile parts of his body. His clothes dissipated as the claws grew from his fingers and toes. Black wings grew from his back along with a long nimble tail. His head changed the most as it elongated into a shot muzzle, with fanged teeth filling his mouth, and long black horns extending from his temples along the back of his head and up.
Paradox stood as a humanoid dragon. 'I'm starting to like this natural armor,' he thought. He strode over to Trixie who stood in awe of his transformation. Paradox nodded at Trixie motioned to the circle.
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In ponyville the festivities for Nightmare Night had already begun. The girls gathered around princess Luna and chatted. Twilight had used her spell to make her look like a Windigo and Fluttershy had dressed as Angel Bunny. Luna was very interested in Paradox's whereabouts.
"So he is off in the forest then?" Luna asked.
"Yes, Princess, he sent me a message the day he left saying he was working on some ritual with Trixie," Twilight explained.
"I feel as though we should find him. He is missing all of the fun,"
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"Sweet velvety Jesus, Its actually working!" Paradox was dumbfounded.
"Trixie is not surprised, after all Trixie did prepare the spell!"
"I'm more worried about the fact that this thing exists!"
I told you so.
The wind created by the spell whipped past the pair as they yelled. Slowly the wind died down. The ritual circle filled with the image what appeared to be a massive amount of sand writhing around. Paradox and Trixie cautiously moved towards the spot but stopped as blood red eyes opened in the sand.
"Ah, the void son. We have waited for you for some time," the sand spoke with many stolen voices.
"I can't believe its real," Paradox stood there mouth agape, "The mad god of time is real."
"Hahahahaha," the sand bellowed, "We are real and we come bearing a gift for you. A taste of what we have in store for this realm."
Some of the sand burst from the circle and rushed towards the burnt part of the forest. The sand bellowed in laughter again as it disappeared from sight. Trixie and Paradox looked at one another and then towards where the sand went. A bloodcurdling roar came from the ruined castle.
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Luna and the mane six stood on the edge of the clearing as the wind died down. They had used a tracking spell to find Paradox. They stood in awe of not only his costume but of the creature they had summoned. When the roar came from the castle they rushed into to clearing.
"What in Equestria is that!" Rarity called out in fear.
"I have no idea but-"
Paradox was cut off as the beast in question. A huge amalgamation of pony and monster parts crawled over the treetops. The monster looked like a giant centipede made of bones and flesh with giant maw made of skulls. The creature also had two large arms and appeared to be filled with the sand from before.
Paradox to no time in assaulting the beast. He launched a jet of black fire at the beast as it lunged towards them. The creature reared back and swung its hand towards Paradox. A large bone spike launched at Paradox and imbedded on the plate on his chest. Paradox scowled as he ripped it out and hurled it back. The creature reeled from the impact again and Paradox speared himself at the creature's body. Paradox gripped it and dragged it around to slam it into the dirt.
The creature pulled its bone tail around and threw Paradox at a tree by his neck. As Paradox connected with the tree the beast took off towards the girls. Paradox saw it slap Luna to the side and grab Twilight. Twilight Screamed and the beast took off through the forest towards Ponyville.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Paradox roared at the heavens.
Paradox dropped onto all four limbs as his eyes turned black. He bounded off into the woods with a flap of his wings for extra speed. The remaining girls looked at the opening where the two had gone in shock. Luna, however, stared at Trixie intently.
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The creature stormed into ponyville with Twilight still in it's grip. She screamed again and the townsponies scattered. The creature barreled down on the fleeing CMC. Paradox had other plans. Paradox sped through the air and severed the beast's arm with his scythe. He grabbed Twilight and set her down so she could flee. Paradox turned back to the thrashing beast and started focusing his positive magic on the creature. It screeched as it burst into golden flames. The ashes of the beast mixed with the sands and rushed towards Paradox.
Just as the sand was about to hit him it darted to Paradox's left. The Doctor stood clenching an hourglass in his teeth as the sand flew into it. The Doctor capped the hourglass and ran over to Paradox.
"Are you alright Paradox?"
"Ya… I'm fine now, but its real Doctor I saw it."
"I assumed so…"
The other girls emerged from the forest and came up to Paradox and The Doctor. Twilight returned with the rest of the townsponies. They stared at Paradox in his partially decayed dragonoid form. He righted the decay and smiled to the crowd.
"Well, didn't y'all like our prank? Lets get a round of applause for the crew!" Paradox played the battle off as a prank not to scare the ponies. The ponies looked skeptical then started stomping their hooves and cheering.
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The ponies and Paradox partied late into the night after that. Paradox bested all the records for the games, and even saved Pip when he fell in the apple bobbing tub again. Pinkie and Paradox (with a little help from a friend on the outside) pulled a good prank on Dash. Paradox used his powers to changed the two of them into Spitfire and Soarin. "Soarin" kept hitting on Dash for a while until we drunk on punch. Once she was drunk enough she kissed him and mid kiss he turned back into Paradox. She pouted for some time after but finally came around after Paradox brought her a hoard of candy.
Paradox couldn't help but wonder where Luna and Trixie had gone to. He got that answer just before heading to bed. Spike burped up a letter as Paradox was setting him in his basket.
"Whats it say?" Twilight asked seeing the Lunar seal.
"Dear Paradox, we thank you for your findings but it seems that the magic young Trixie used was forbidden by normal standards. Celestia and I took it upon ourselves to punish this transgression against the aware party and not you. She will be locked in the magical deprivation dungeon deep in Canterlot Mountain."
Twilight gasped and looked at Paradox. He scowled at the letter and crumpled it. Paradox put on his black robe and prepared to leave.
"You're going to rescue her, aren't you?" Twilight asked from the stairs.
"It is my fault love. Don't worry, I'm taking The Doctor with me."
A/N: I smell a prison break brewin and maybe some Luna conflict. Stay tuned.