//------------------------------//
// Nightmare of E-Space 
// Story: The Clock with Three Faces 
// by Sixes_And_Sevens 
//------------------------------//

One by one, the party looked up at the source of the light. After a long moment, Applejack said, “Well, Ah dunno ‘bout you, but Ah can’t see a darn thing.”
“That’s probably good,” the Doctor muttered from around the screwdriver in his mouth. “Means whatever’s behind the light probably can’t reach us just yet.”
“So, uh, how’s that repair work coming?” Caramel asked, voice taut like a stretched rubber band.
“Give me a minute. If I get this wrong, and we try to use it, there’s a good chance that we’ll wind up with our component molecules scattered across the Time Vortex.”
“Ah always feel so much better after these li’l talks,” Applejack droned sarcastically.
Rarity peered closer into the light, squinting slightly. “What in the— how terribly peculiar. I believe that there’s a mirror or something back there!”
The Doctor tensed. “What.”
“I— yes,” Rarity moved forward. “Yes, I believe I can see myself in there.” She wrinkled her nose. “Though I look terribly washed out.”
“Rarity, get back,” the Doctor warned, his serious tone somewhat hindered by the garbling effect of his sonic.
Rarity turned, frowning. “It’s only a mirror…”
She saw Caramel gaping in open terror, staring at something behind her. The Doctor’s face was a mask of focused rage. Applejack’s eyes were wide. “Uh, sugarcube,” she managed. “Ah think ya might wanna look again.”
Rarity turned back to her reflection. She let out a shout, falling back. It was closer. Clearer. More real. It was not alone. Six ponies, one for each of the travelers, stood side by side, glaring dully at their counterparts. As the unicorn watched in horror, they seemed to draw ever nearer, despite the fact that they were as unmoving and apparently as emotionless as statuary. And all of them were washed out, so colorless as to be nearly white, with dull red eyes. The fashionista stumbled backwards into the group. “What are they?” she asked, her voice a tad higher in pitch than normal.
“Doppelgangers. Sort of,” the Doctor replied. “But they shouldn’t be here. Only one man used ‘em. And he’s not a threat anymore.”
“So, they aren’t going to hurt us?” Caramel asked, looking dubious.
“Didn’t say that,” the Doctor said, glancing up. All of the doubles were perfect mirrors of the originals, except one. A stallion stared back at him, lined red eyes glaring out from beneath a black skullcap. “Looks like there might be some truth behind Calco’s ‘Voidmen’ after all. Hold on. And stop wriggling!”
Meanwhile, the copies were drawing ever nearer. The ponies all backed up, but it was if they weren’t moving at all. They could see them all clearly now, right to the whites of their dead eyes. Caramel whimpered. Applejack snorted and planted her hooves, ready to fight if need be. Rarity closed her eyes tightly and screamed as her double reached out a hoof to touch her. “Got it!” the Doctor cried. “Everypony over here!”
Applejack spun and touched Caramel’s shoulder, pulling Rarity away from her double in the process. The Doctor grabbed Calco and Rarity hastily picked up Colgate. The clones were still closing in. There was a flash of light, a momentary feeling of disorientation and—


***

The first thing Rarity noticed was the smell. It was earthy and wet. Petrichor. Not altogether unpleasant, but rather strong. The next thing she noticed was the fact that she was standing in a pool of water. She cracked open one eye. Trees. Mud. Vines. Water. Mud. Grass. Mud. Mud. Mud. She let out a shriek and leapt to drier land. The next thing she noticed was that, apparently, Calco had turned into some kind of giant cat. The unicorn stared around in befuddled wonder and terror. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Applejack were trying to support a dazed, floundering Colgate while Caramel staggered under the suddenly massive dead weight that was Calco. “Where are we?” Colgate gasped. “What’s going on?”
The Doctor glanced up. “Greenish sky. Swampland. Sparsely populated, apparently. Yes, and judging by the smell, I’d say we’re on the planet Alzarius, in E-Space.”
“Say again?” Applejack said.
“Alzarius,” the Doctor repeated, drawing the word out. “Swampy sort of place, home to a race of amphibious life forms, but they all left. Had a friend from here once.” He gazed off absently.
“Lovely, we know where we are,” Rarity huffed. “Now, how do we get home, exactly?”
The Doctor frowned. “Ah. Well, that's a bit of a puzzle, really. I'm not actually sure how we got here to begin with.”
Caramel gaped. “You— you what? Yes you do, you're the one who fixed the Vertex Manipulator!”
“Vortex,” the Doctor corrected. “And, yeah, I souped it up a bit. But I didn't have to put in coordinates, they were pre-programmed. Why they took us here, I've no clue.”
“But you can get us back,” Rarity said, her voice tinged with concern. “You must know!”
The Doctor nodded. “Well, probably, yes. We'll need Calco to wake up again, so we can get back to the proper timestream, but yes. However,” he continued, “I’m rather more interested in this.” He lifted Caramel’s front hoof off the ground, causing the candymaker to stumble under the weight of the transformed Tharil on his back.
“It’s all rather convenient, isn’t it, that pre-programmed set of coordinates?” the Doctor asked. “Particularly since I’ve been here before? Bit of a coincidence, eh?”
“So, what d’ya want t’ do ‘bout it?” Applejack asked, laying the semiconscious Colgate down on the island Rarity had leapt upon.
The Doctor examined the manipulator. “There’s a few other sets of coordinates in here,” he said. “What say we follow them?”
Rarity scowled. “I’d rather go home,” she said flatly. “Particularly if all the other places you intend to visit are as filthy as this!”
“Oh, look, I think that one’s… Paris?” the Doctor said. “Yep, Paris. City of Lights. Beautiful place. Fashion, food, art...”
Rarity nibbled at her lower lip. “Ah. Well. Perhaps I was a tad hasty…”
“Aw, Ah dunno what yer on ‘bout, Rares,” Applejack said. “Fer a swamp, it ain’t bad.” It was true. The water was more or less clear, and the plants seemed surprisingly well-kempt.
“You’ll have to get used to it for at least a little bit, anyway,” the Doctor said. “The manipulator’s taken a bit of a soaking, and I’ll have to dry it out before we can take it anywhere.”
Rarity groaned, flopping backwards into a convenient patch of grass. It was no chaise longue, but it would suffice. “Of all the things that could happen,” she began, “this is—”
“Prob’ly better than whatever those clones woulda done to us,” Applejack interrupted.
Rarity paused. “Point,” she conceded. “Still, Doctor, how long will it take to repair the device?”
“Hard to say,” the Doctor replied, slipping the band off of Caramel’s hoof. “Still, let’s work on getting some supplies together, food, shelter, clean water. We may have to stay the night.”
“The NIGHT?” Rarity shrieked. “But— but— my boutique— and Spikey— and— and—”
“Don’t worry,” the Doctor said. “Time machine, remember? It’ll be like we never left. Now, Applejack, why don’t you and your cousin try to find some edible plants? The rest of us will stay here building shelter and starting a fire.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Applejack agreed. “‘Cept, Ah ain’t never seen plants like these before.”
The Doctor paused. “Oh. Right. Well, just gather up some grasses, that should be fine. I must say, I rather wish the TARDIS was here now, that’d make things much easier. I wonder what’s become of her?”
“You don’t seem too worried,” Caramel noted.
“Nah. The TARDIS is a tough old bird. She’s been around the universe a few times. I’m sure she can take a bit of a joyride.” His face hardened. “Mind, if the paint job gets scratched, I won’t be held accountable.”


***

Meanwhile… The Sphinx took a swipe at the TARDIS. The box flew across the room, scratch marks gouged into its side.
“Well,” Trixie muttered. “That’s going to be Tartarus to sand out.”


***

“Wrrr…” Colgate muttered, sitting up. “Wha’s goin’ on?”
“Ah, darling, so good to see you awake at last,” Rarity cried, trotting over to embrace the dentist. “We were all quite worried about you, you know.”
Colgate stared blankly at the fashionista. “Oh… were you? Sorry.”
“Oh, not at all, darling!” Rarity gasped. “It was by no measure your fault! It’s just, well— you know, you talk in your sleep?”
“Uh, no. I did not know that. Why were you worried? What did I say?”
Rarity wavered. “It was rather indistinct, of course, but I do believe I heard you say something about… Leela, was it? And there was a mention of… vampire blood. The Doctor seemed particularly worried.”
While Rarity had been talking, Colgate had been letting her eyes wander around her surroundings. “What’s that big cat?”
Rarity followed her gaze. For the briefest of moments, derision flickered over her features. “Do you not recognize him, darling?”
Colgate slowly shook her head. “Should I?”
“That would be your receptionist, in his true form.”
The dentist stared. “My receptionist. Cat’s Paw. He’s actually a cat?”
Rarity hugged Colgate once more. “I understand that this may be something of a shock to you—”
“Big kitty,” Colgate said dreamily.
Rarity looked at her with concern. “Are you feeling well, dear? Perhaps we should get you to the fire.”
“No!” Colgate snapped. Rarity recoiled in shock, and the dentist quickly calmed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what came over me just then.”
The fashion designer quickly recovered herself. “Quite understandable, darling,” she consoled. “You’ve had rather a large shock, you know. Come along, have a bite to eat.”


***

The group around the campfire was quiet and solemn. Eventually, Colgate couldn’t take it any longer. “Great dinner,” she commented, if only to hear some voice in the void.
“Thanks,” Caramel replied, not looking up.
The silence returned in force. Colgate frowned. “Alright, what’s wrong?” she sighed. “Am I dying? Are we stuck here? Is Cat’s Paw going to be a lion or whatever forever?”
Applejack coughed awkwardly. “Well, while y’all were snoozin’, we-all had some time t’ talk about what exactly happened t’day. An’, well, some interesting things started turnin’ up.”
Colgate glanced between one face and another. “What?”
The Doctor shifted uncomfortably. “Dr. Colgate,” he began, “What do you remember about your childhood?”
The dentist frowned. “Well, uh, I grew up in Canterlot. My mom’s name was Starlight, and my dad’s name was Ivory Shield. I dunno, it was a pretty normal childhood. I loved candy, but I hated getting cavities, so I always made sure to take really good care of my teeth. That’s what made me decide to be a dentist. I liked to play pretend, like, knights and castles and adventures. Uh, I had a dog.” She trailed off. “Is there a point to this?”
“How well do you remember your childhood?” the Doctor pressed. “Can you remember your tenth birthday? The first day of high school? Any of your teachers? Your parents, what do they look like?”
Colgate’s face had slowly changed as the Doctor questioned her. “I— I don’t remember. I don’t know!” She looked at the tan stallion in horror. “I don’t remember my parents!”She set her face in her hooves. “How? Why?”
Caramel, who was sitting nearest to the unicorn, awkwardly patted her on the back. “Uh, it’ll be alright?” he tried. Even to his ears, it sounded unconvincing.
“There, there, sugarcube,” Applejack consoled, embracing the overcome dentist. “Th’ Doc reckons he knows what’s goin’ on.”
The Doctor himself looked rather less sure. “Well… it’s the only explanation I can think of,” he said reluctantly. “But it’s also utterly impossible.”
Colgate looked up at the stallion. “Doctor,” she said quietly. “Today, my office hallway turned into an infinite empty void. We were attacked by invisible beings. And now we’re in a swamp. Let’s not be hasty about judging what’s possible.”
“Point,” the Doctor conceded. “Alright, Colgate. Tell me what you know about… this.” He held out a faintly glowing pocket watch. The dentist stared. It wasn’t anything important. In fact, it looked like the most unimportant thing in existence. Yet, she couldn’t draw her eyes away from it. She swallowed hard, her mind throbbing with a sudden headache as her heart seemed to pound itself practically out of her chest and her eyes were burning and she was dying she was dying she was—

	In an office. Not a dental office. This room was plush and comfortable, almost to the point of being overbearing. It was like being smothered with a pillow. The desk looked to be of a dark wood. Tapestries hung on the walls depicting events that seemed to move when she wasn’t looking at them. Through the closed windows, she saw skies of orange, and below it a sprawling city in shades of red and brown, spires and spheres, cylinders and cones, perfect geometric structures. She felt stifled, trapped like a mosquito in amber, or a butterfly under glass. She was a tiger, pacing the walls of her too-small cage when she should be running through the trees of some wild far-away forest. She couldn’t move, she was suffocating beneath the responsibility and utter mundanity of her life, trapped in ennui and bound in red tape.
The door opened. “Hello, Romana.” Ice-blue eyes. Dark, fine hair. A smile, full of the wild. Freedom.



***

Colgate’s eyes shot open. Applejack was gently slapping her cheeks and Caramel had lifted her hind hooves into the air, saying, “She’s not getting enough blood to the head!”
“I’m alright, I’m alright!” the dentist said, pushing away the others. “Just a little dizzy.”
She looked around. The lion— Cat’s Paw? Calco? had woken up and was looking at her with concern. Rarity stood guard over the beast, her glare enough of a deterrent to keep him in place. The Doctor…
The Doctor nodded grimly. “You were yelling in your sleep,” he said. “Do you remember any of that?”
Colgate stared at him blankly. “Any of what?”
“Let me refresh your memory. Gallifrey. Arcadia. Romana.” He hesitated for a moment. “Leela.”
A face swam hazily back into Colgate’s memory. “I… yes, I remember something,” she muttered. She looked around. “I remember being here, I think. Twice? Yes. Never alone, always with someone. Once it was…” she frowned. “Him.” She pointed at the trussed Tharil. “And the other time was with… with…”
The Doctor said quietly, “Me?”
Her head snapped around. “With you!” she gasped. “And… and your box. And you gave me the dog!”
“K-9, yes,” the Doctor agreed. “Whatever became of him?”
The unicorn’s face fell. “I don’t remember,” she whispered. “Doctor, I don’t understand. Why can’t I remember?”
The Doctor inhaled sharply and sighed, “Well. You don’t remember because, for reasons unknown, you didn’t want to. You took out all your memories, your personality, all your Romana-ness, and you shoved it in this pocket watch. And thus, Dr. Colgate, DDS was born.”
“An’ in Canterlot, th’ day Ah met ya, ye’d jes’ arrived,” Applejack said slowly. “An’ ya hadn’t thought up a good name yet, so ya picked Minuette, or so Ah reckon. An’ then, Ah remember, y’all kept askin’ whereabouts Ah was from. Ya wanted t’ find some small town t’ live in, get away from it all.”
“But, but I didn’t!” Colgate said. “I lived in Canterlot for most of my life. I can remember that. I only moved to Ponyville a few years ago!”
Calco made a sort of sputtering, choking noise. Rarity, after a moment’s hesitation, telekinetically undid the gag over his mouth. “That’s not true,” he stated. “Almost as soon as I met you, we headed to Ponyville. That was over a decade ago.”
Colgate made a strangled noise. “What? No! I lived in Canterlot, in an apartment near the college. I had friends! Moondancer, Twinkleshine, Twilight Sparkle!”
Rarity hesitated. “That does ring a bell,” she admitted slowly. “I remember seeing pictures of the two of you together after Twilight’s little adventure in Canterlot. But I also remember the day Rainbow Dash and I had to get Scootaloo into your office because she’d chipped a tooth.”
“Lucky it was only a baby tooth,” Colgate agreed. Then, she frowned. “Wait. That was… six years ago. I was still living in Canterlot.”
“Well, all of this is speculation,” the Doctor sighed. “You can’t really be Romana.”
“Why not?” Colgate asked.
The Doctor looked down. “Because Romana is dead. Dead along with her home, my home. Gallifrey. She was the Lady President when the war started, but she was eventually deposed with the return of Rassilon.” When he said the last word, he screwed up his face like he’d bitten into a rotten apple. “She died in a Dalek raid.”
There was a long silence. “Still,” the Doctor said. “There’s something in here, I suspect. Shall we see just what’s making it tick?”
He moved to open it. “No!” shouted Colgate. Everypony froze. The dentist took in a long, deep breath. “May I?” she asked quietly.
After a long moment, the Doctor nodded. “Of course,” he replied, hoofing it to the mare. She held it like a fragile glass statue, turning it over and over in her hooves. After what seemed like an eternity, she pressed down on the catch.