//------------------------------//
// The Bad Wolf Returns 
// Story: Doctor Whooves Episode 5: Before the Chaos 
// by Doctor Perseus 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 7: The Bad Wolf Returns


Courtyard, Castle of Equestria, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 146 P.C.E.

Queen Lily's mind was racing with thoughts. She couldn't believe what she was about to do. Most of what Matilda had told her sounded utterly impossible. She was incredibly scared and was fearing the worst about the action she was about to commit. However, if it meant saving Equestria and keeping the peace that she and her husband had fought for then it was worth it. 
The icy snow burned against her skin as she ran across the white courtyard. Her dress billowed in the fierce wind and all she could hear was the sound of the wind piercing her eardrums. She could hear yelling and fighting in the distance but she didn't want to think about it. Matilda was a few feet in front of her. The mare ran calmly but Lily could tell that she felt as uneasy as she did. Lily looked as the blue outline of the TARDIS greeted her from the white oblivion. The two mares came to a stop at the front door.
"How are we to get inside?!" Lily asked frantically. "There's no key!"
"Don't worry!" Matilda replied as a key popped out of the top of her peculiar hat. "I've got it covered!"
Matilda quickly shoved the key into the slot and pushed the door open. Lily followed Matilda into the TARDIS and Matilda quickly shut the door behind Lily as she entered. Lily sighed happily as warm air encased her body. She looked in awe at the massive control room that greeted her. 
"Incredible!" she exclaimed as she followed Matilda towards the main control console. Matilda smiled at the Queen as she began examining the various knobs, levers, buttons, and switches. 
"Looks like she's almost completely healed. I think she's healed enough to open herself up to you," said Matilda. Matilda turned to see that Lily was looking at her sadly. "I know this is a difficult sacrifice for you and King Discord. Trust me, if things could work out another way then the Doctor and I would use every last bit of our power to make sure that you two got a happy ending. But, sadly, the universe is against you on this one."
"Is it true?"
"Hmm?"
"Is what you told me true? Involving the fate of my husband? Will he really go on to become such a despicable creature?"
Matilda approached Lily and placed one of her hooves on the Queen's shoulder.
"It won't last forever. Trust me, I know what the future holds for this land. Even a little bit more than the Doctor. But I guess he'll catch up with me eventually."
"Is the future of Equestria bright?"
"Yes. Sure it'll have its rough moments but, in the long run, Equestria and all of the worlds connected to it will be peaceful and happy in the end. You were a wonderful queen, Lily. I've read all about you and have even observed you and Discord before."
"Ah yes. You're mysterious time traveling technologies. I'm still finding that particular concept incredibly difficult to grasp."
"You're not the first and your certainly not the last to feel that way. It looks like the TARDIS is ready."
"I guess this is farewell then, Matilda."
"I guess it is."
"Promise me to help spread happiness and peace throughout this land in my absence."
"I already have been but, from now on, I will do so in your honor."
"I hope you, the Doctor, and Tar-I mean-Twilight Sparkle find happiness in your respective futures."
"I promise that we will."
"Thank you. May we meet again on the other side."
"Good luck, Queen Lily."
Matilda tapped a few buttons and a part of the control console moved aside. A bright, golden light emanated from the hole. Matilda turned away and closed her eyes as Lily approached the opening. The Queen took one last look at Matilda and at the interior of the TARDIS, took one, final, deep breath, and stared deep into the Time Vortex.

Battlements, Castle of Equestria, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 146 P.C.E.

Twilight rushed to the Doctor's side as the possessed Discord continued to freeze the world around them.
"This can't be it, Doctor! This can't be the end!" she cried. The Doctor felt a sudden pulse of energy rush through his body. He recognized this energy.
"Yes, Twilight Sparkle. This is the end...but not for us," he replied. Just then, a golden light brighter than the sun shone through the white storm. The possessed Discord and the windigos turned to face the light. The Doctor and Twilight also towards the light source.
"Is that the TARDIS?"
They watched as a figure enveloped in golden light emerged from the TARDIS down in the courtyard. The figure took flight and sped towards the possessed Discord and the windigos. The figure came to a halt just a few yards away from the windigo family. 
Twilight examined the figure and gasped, "Is that Queen Lily?!"
The Doctor looked at the radiant alicorn in horror. Her eyes were emanating a light of complete power and ribbons of light particles were spreading out away from her body. The storm around her seemed to dissolve, as if she existed in a completely different plane of reality.
"What is this?!" asked the possessed Discord. Queen Lily looked at her opponents with a cold stare. Then she spoke.
"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself," she replied. The Doctor nearly fell back into the snow when he heard the Queen's voice, for out of her mouth came not the voice of Queen Lily the Gorgeous but the voice of somepony else. Actually, it was the voice of someone the Doctor had been incredibly close to.
"Rose Tyler," the Doctor breathed. Twilight turned to look at the stunned stallion.
"What? Doctor, what's happening?!" Twilight asked.
"Rose. She was...she is the Bad Wolf. The Bad Wolf has extended herself here, to this very moment. Rose, the Bad Wolf, exists throughout all time and space. She's inside Lily right now!"
"Doctor! I don't understand!"
"You dare challenge me?!" the possessed Discord snapped as he raced towards Lily. Lily raised one of her hooves and Discord froze in his place.
"I am sorry to do this, King Discord of Equestria, but you leave me no choice," said the Bad Wolf. The windigo leader began to phase out of Discord's body. Discord looked in shock at his glowing wife.
"Lily?!" asked the stunned king. The windigo leader tried to force himself back into Discord's body but the Bad Wolf was preventing him from doing so. The Bad Wolf spoke again, but this time both the voices of Rose and Queen Lily were heard.
"I am sorry, my love. Some things are more important than happy endings for a king and his beautiful wife. I love you, have always loved you, and will continue to love you throughout all of time and space. Rose Tyler is the Bad Wolf. I am the Bad Wolf. We are the Bad Wolf, and you, sadly, have a harsh future ahead of you. Everything becomes dust. Everything dies but from death a new world is born. The death of our reign together marks the beginning of a new dawn. I will wait for you, my love, at the edge of existence. I will wait for you throughout all of time and space. I will wait for you. I will love you. I will love and wait for you for all of eternity."
And with that, there was a massive explosion of light. The windigos instantly dissolved into nothing but blue ash. The Doctor managed to see one windigo fly off towards the horizon. Whether it had managed to escape or the Bad Wolf had simply let it live was beyond his knowledge. The storm instantly stopped and all of the ice disappeared. The Doctor and Twilight watched as Lily's body dissolved into golden dust and Discord's weakened body fell to the ground below.