//------------------------------//
// Blast into the Past 
// Story: The Master Game 
// by WanderingPhysicist 
//------------------------------//

        Pipsqueak fidgets as he sits on a couch. Beside him, Dinky Hooves watches the romantic movie she picked out for them. The young mare sighs happily and leans against the young stallion next to her. Pipsqueak nervously puts a foreleg around Dinky. It has been several long years, but tonight is the night for him to make his move.
        ‘Um, Dinky...’
        ‘Yes, Pip?’
        ‘Well, uh, we’ve been dating for a long time now and, well, you know I care for you deeply, and I believe it is time we should.... How do I put this delicately?’
        The young mare tackles Pipsqueak and gives him a big, sloppy kiss. ‘You are so cute when you ask the silliest things.’
        ‘Y-y-you mean you don’t mind if we maybe...’ He gasps. ‘You’re touching it!’
        Dinky laughs and leans in to kiss Pipsqueak again. Suddenly, the door is kicked open. The Master jumps in and slides a pad into the middle of the room.
        ‘Finally found you, Doctor!’ The Master laughs. ‘Now, I will... WHOA! Put that away!’
        Pipsqueak screams and covers himself, knocking Dinky to the floor.
        The unicorn picks herself up and charges a spell on her horn. ‘Who are you? What do you want?’
        ‘Oh, please don’t bother defending your beloved Doctor, Miss Derpy. You have already lost.’ Dinky fires a magic bolt that is absorbed by a force field. ‘The pad creates a field preventing magic as well as acting as a bit of a transmat... with some added additions, of course. Give up, Doctor. You lose. The Master wins.’
        ‘Doctor? Who are you talking to?’ Pipsqueak asks, standing.
        ‘Don’t play dumb, Doctor. I recognize your silly accent anywhere. Not to mention your raggedy appearance.’
        ‘Silly? Raggedy?’ The young stallion moans.
        ‘What are you going to do to us?’ Dinky demands.
        The Master snorts arrogantly. ‘My dear Miss Derpy, I intend to eliminate you as interference from my’ -- he giggles -- ‘master plan.’
        ‘That pun is as dumb as you are,’ Dinky groans. ‘Besides, what threat do two young ponies pose?’
        ‘Like you don’t know.’ The Master points at Pipsqueak. ‘He is a meddler! He always meddles in everypony’s plans. Release a horde of zombie dinosaurs on a planet, he interferes. Create giant robotic spiders that spit fire while I turn a planet’s inhabitants into my personal army of mindless slaves, he mucks it up. Torture that damn, whiny pet of his, and he steps in to help. Not today. Today, you won’t be able to do a damn thing to save your precious Wanderer now.’
        ‘Mr Wanderer? But he left seven years ago.’
        ‘Yes,’ The Master sighs. ‘You may have been able to save his wedding, but you won’t be able to save his friends and family.’
        ‘What did you do to them? What about his wedding?’
        ‘Like you don’t know about the wedding.’
        Dinky sits beside her confused coltfriend. ‘Enlighten us.’
        ‘Oh, right. This is after he abandons you. Poor stupid Derpy.’
        ‘Why does he keep calling you..?’ Pipsqueak begins.
        ‘The wedding wasn’t my doing.’ The Master smirks. ‘It would have been delightful if it were.’ He starts pacing. ‘The planet was threatened by a Dalek invasion that day. The Doctor here and his companion battled them and won, making him late for that disgusting display of romance. Oh, if it only turned out like that other universe.’ He smirks evilly at Pipsqueak. ‘You know the one. The one his tiny brat is from. Correction: was from. The Daleks should have’ -- he mocks a Dalek voice -- ‘EX-TER-MIN-ATED(!)’ -- he returns to normal -- ‘her by now.’
        ‘Miss Rei is a saint! She will pull through!’ Dinky yells.
        ‘ “Was” a saint. Was.’ The Master turns away. ‘Your Doctor failed that day in that universe. He failed. That unicorn died.’ He grins. ‘That... worthless waste of a Time Lord died, and we got Discord in his stead.’ He sighs. ‘Oh, how a second Discord would have made this world beautiful. Lands torn apart by chaos. The pathetic princesses dead. Ponies living in fear. It would have been perfect.’
        Dinky shakes her head. ‘You are the sickest mother bucker I have ever met.’
        ‘Don’t care. I win. Say goodbye to your world. You won’t be in it for much longer.’
        The Master presses a button on a control pad. Pipsqueak starts screaming. The two trapped ponies fade and disappear.

        Pipsqueak's scream echoes throughout a jungle. Dinky groans as her coltfriend grabs and shakes her during his freak out. The young mare pushes herself free and stands. She scans the area, pondering what to do next.
        ‘Dinky,’ Pipsqueak sobs. ‘Who was that? What did he do to us? Are we dead?’
        ‘Calm down, Pip. We have to find a way to contact The Doctor and get back to Equestria.’
        'Who is The Doctor?’
        Dinky giggles. ‘Exactly.’
        ‘What?’
        ‘Nothing.’ The young mare starts trotting through the jungle. ‘The Doctor is mom’s alien friend. Well, one of them. Mr Wanderer is the other one.’
        Pipsqueak follows Dinky. ‘What do you mean “alien”? Mr Wanderer looked like a normal pony.’
        ‘Technically, we look like them.’
        ‘I don’t get it at all.’
        ‘That is usually a good start. Anyway, I think we are on another planet. We just have to figure out when and where we are to leave The Doctor a message.’
        Pipsqueak stops Dinky. ‘This way.’
        ‘How do you know where to go?’
        ‘You know I help at my family’s antique shop and work with Miss Do on occasion. My talent is for adventure and archaeology. This direction has my archaeologist’s instincts tingling.’
        ‘Archaeologist’s instinct? That was the same excuse you used when I caught you in my closet.’
        ‘I was looking for precious artefacts!’
        ‘You were...’ Dinky shakes her head. ‘No. I don’t even want to think about what you were doing.’
        ‘You used to make me wear your dresses when we were kids!’
        ‘We were playing! Geez! You used to be smaller than me.’
        ‘Well, I am much bigger now!’
        Dinky steps back, looks away and blushes. ‘I noticed earlier...’
        Pipsqueak blushes. ‘I-I-I’m sorry.’
        The young mare sighs and kisses her coltfriend. ‘When we get out of this, we can pick up where we left off.’
        Pipsqueak’s blush increases. ‘Right. Shall we?’
        Dinky nods. Both ponies take a step... in opposite directions. They turn and look at each other.
        ‘This isn’t going to end soon, is it?’ Dinky sighs.

        The two ponies sit beside a campfire. Pipsqueak makes a map in the dirt. Dinky stares up at the stars.
        ‘I don’t think we are on our planet anymore,’ the unicorn comments.
        ‘How can you tell?’
        ‘The stars all all different. I help Apple Bloom with the astronomy club sometimes, and this is nothing like Equestria.’
        ‘Could we be in a different part of the world? Thaigerland or something like that?’
        ‘No. I know enough constellations to know we are somewhere completely different.’
        ‘Damn. I was hoping we were just in the Everfree.’ The young stallion sighs. ‘I mean, those mountains sort of look like the ones near Chrysalis’ castle.’ He smiles stupidly. ‘It would have been nice to see her again.’
        ‘Do you have a thing for Chrysalis?’
        ‘Luna might be best princess, but Chryssy is best queen.’
        ‘I thought that was you after you raided my closet.’
        ‘I only tried on your dress for science!’
        Dinky groans. ‘My coltfriend, the crossdresser.’ She snorts. ‘Not to mention, you’re into older mares.’
        ‘I only had that one dream about Luna!’ Pipsqueak scratches the back of his head. ‘At least, I think it was a dream.’
        Dinky groans.
        ‘Dinky... You know I love only you. I ditched school every day when you were suspended for your magic duel against Sweetie Belle. That was the sweetest thing anypony has ever done for me.’
        ‘I remember your mother yelling at you for missing all that school.’ Dinky smiles. ‘You said it was because you love me. That was the first time you said that.’
        ‘And I mean it.’ Pipsqueak takes Dinky’s hooves in his. ‘I would do anything for you.’
        ‘Oh, Pip... Get down!’
        Dinky shoves Pipsqueak down and falls on top of him. There is a rustling as three bipedal lizards in body armor and carrying odd-shaped weapons walk out of the jungle. The lead lizard studies the ponies carefully. Dinky growls and charges a spell on her horn.
        The leader stands back. ‘She is just protecting her mate. Let’s leave them be.’ She stares at Dinky. ‘Though, I have never seen an equine this size before.’
        ‘Dinky, I know you wanted to continue when we got back,’ Pipsqueak stammers, ‘but that doesn’t mean we have to make a whole new Equestria right now.’
        One of the warriors laughs. ‘Not “protecting”. More like “trying to”.’
        The other warrior laughs. Their leader glares at both.
        Pipsqueak lifts Dinky’s rear off of him ‘What’s going...?’
        The young stallion screams and pulls Dinky on top of him again. The young mare yells and hits her coltfriend. The warriors start laughing again. The leader helps Dinky to her hooves.
        ‘Mammals that speak. Equines no less. Very interesting.’
        ‘I would be surprised by talking lizards, but you are barely as tall as a teenaged dragon,’ Dinky counters. ‘Spike is way cuter and way tougher than you lot.’
        The leader laughs. ‘We apologize for interrupting your mating, but tell us, where are you from? Why have we not seen creatures such as you before?’
        ‘First of all, we were not mating.’
        ‘Then why were you directing your stud towards your reproductive organs? Are they not located there?’
        Dinky blushes. ‘Well, they are, but that was not what we were doing.’
        ‘They’re just mammals,’ one of the others says. ‘Give it a rest.’
        The leader bows. ‘Apologies once more. You were telling us where you were from.’
        Dinky takes a deep breath and starts telling the warriors about Equestria.

        The ponies sit in a dimly lit laboratory. More of the lizard creatures watch the strange visitors. The lead warrior and a scientist talk with Dinky. Pipsqueak nervously watches the others, fearing that he could become dinner.
        ‘Interesting,’ the scientist says. ‘A world entirely populated by ponies. Truly fascinating.’
        ‘We aren’t the only species,’ Dinky explains. ‘There are zebra and griffins and dragons and all sorts of things.’
        ‘And you use magic?’
        The unicorn levitates several items in the laboratory. ‘I think that is a “yes”.’
        The scientist taps buttons on a handheld scanner. ‘Thank you for supplying some actual data of magic! I never thought I would see it with my own eyes.’
        The warrior rolls her eyes. ‘You sound just like that “Doctor” you claim to have met.’
        ‘The Doctor? He is friends with my mom.’
        ‘You know him too? We have been trying to reach him.’
        ‘So have we. He is our way back home.’
        ‘Maybe we can help each other.’
        ‘How so?’
        The scientist paces around his laboratory. ‘Well, if you or your mother can contact The Doctor, you could pass on the message that we need his help.’
        ‘But we don’t have a way of reaching him...’
        ‘What about Mr Wanderer?’ Pipsqueak speaks up. ‘Rei has to have a way of reaching him.’
        ‘Mr Wanderer?’ the scientist asks.
        ‘He is like The Doctor,’ Dinky explains. ‘But we would still need to get home to try and reach him.’
        The scientist smiles. ‘I think I might have something to help you with that.’ He goes to a glass chamber. ‘I have been attempting to construct a quantum teleportation pad that can send anything to any point in time and space.’
        ‘Can you say it in a way that makes sense?’ Pipsqueak asks.
        ‘Remember how we got here?’ Dinky counters.
        Pipsqueak nods.
        ‘Same thing.’
        ‘Okay, then how do we know we will get back to Equestria and not end up somewhere else?’
        ‘That’s the trick, isn’t it?’ the scientist sighs. ‘Unfortunately, we have no way of locating where you are from.’
        ‘Um... My sister taught me a teleportation spell,’ Dinky says. ‘Would that help?’
        ‘No!’ Pipsqueak shouts. ‘It is too dangerous. You have never gotten the spell to work.’
        ‘This is important! We need to get home. This might be the only way...’
        ‘I don’t want to risk you. We can find another way!’
        Dinky looks away. ‘Pip... If I can help in someway...’
        ‘But we will only get two shots. We just don’t know what will go wrong.’
        ‘Two?’
        ‘You’re using it on me first. If it fails the first time, you still have a chance.’
        The scientist clears his throat. ‘Not to sound crass, but that would be the best solution. If you fail the first attempt, you will have a chance second.’
        ‘What if the first attempt succeeds?’ Dinky asks. ‘How will we know?’
        ‘I’ll get in contact with Rei right away,’ Pipsqueak replies. ‘She’ll contact her father, and he’ll come to help you here.’
        Dinky frowns. She looks into Pipsqueak’s eyes. The young stallion stares back, resolute. The unicorn sighs, leans up and kisses her coltfriend. The lizards get uncomfortable watching the display. The couple breaks the kiss. Pipsqueak goes to the pad.
        ‘Let’s do this,’ the young stallion says.
        The scientist takes a breath and goes to his equipment. ‘Miss Unicorn, please come here.’
        Dinky goes to the scientist. He enters commands on a keyboard then gets out a pair of electrodes. He places them on Dinky’s horn.
        ‘When I give you the signal, start casting your spell. I will channel the energies through my teleporter and send your friend to his destination.’
        ‘Okay.’ Dinky nods. ‘I’m ready.’
        ‘Dinky,’ Pipsqueak calls. ‘I love you.’
        ‘I know.’
        The scientist activates his teleporter. ‘Now!’
        Dinky casts her spell. Pipsqueak braces for what is to come.

        Pipsqueak screams as he falls from the sky into a stack of garbage cans. The loud noise echoes around the surrounding neighborhood. A loud, high-pitched scream follows the crash. Dinky looks out of a nearby window and looks around.
        ‘Stop your screaming,’ she sighs. ‘It was probably just a cat or something.’
        The unicorn goes back into her house. Pipsqueak moans and picks himself out of the garbage. He looks around and goes Dinky’s window. He sees the unicorn setting up a movie on her television while another version of Pipsqueak stares at the mare’s flank. The peeping Pipsqueak stares for a moment before dropping back out of sight.
        ‘Okay. That was about a hour before we were ambushed. Gotta find Rei.’
        The young stallion turns and gallops into town.

        Pipsqueak reaches The Power Block later than he expected thanks to accidentally running into a dark grey stallion and having Sunshine stop him to ask if he saw any suspicious ponies about. The young stallion pants for a moment before rounding the building and pounding on the back door.
        ‘Rei! Inkie! Are you there!’ Pipsqueak calls. ‘We need your help! REI!’
        Getting no response, the young stallion goes back around the building and crosses the street to Neighponese Imports.
        ‘Scootaloo!’ he shouts, pounding on the door. ‘Daring! Anypony!’
        Nopony comes out to investigate.
        ‘Okay,’ Pipsqueak pants. ‘Think.’ He catches his breath. ‘Sweet Apple Acres is too far. Sugarcube Corner is closer. Okay. Time to... The closet! The sleepovers with Del. Mr Wanderer’s closet.’ He turns and looks at The Power Block. ‘This might hurt a bit.’
        Pipsqueak puts his head down, kicks the ground and gallops forward. He leaps and flies at the display window. A light purple aura catches him before he crashes head first into the window. He is tackled by Dinky.
        ‘You idiot!’ the mare shouts, hitting Pipsqueak in the chest. ‘You stupid idiot! You would have hurt yourself. Do you know how sad that would have made me!’ She stops hitting him and nuzzles his chest, crying. ‘You dummy.’
        ‘Did we find Rei?’
        Dinky nods. ‘The Doctor just dropped me off. We have to go to Canterlot to find Rei and contact her father.’
        ‘Let’s get to the train station before the last train. What are we waiting for?’
        ‘We’re waiting for...’
        Pipsqueak lifts Dinky’s head and gives her a big kiss. He breaks away and smiles. ‘I love you, but don’t ever scare me like that again. I was worried I’d never see you again.’
        Dinky smiles and lets her coltfriend up. ‘I love you too, idiot.’
        Pipsqueak laughs. The two ponies gallop away to catch the train.