Chapter 7: Memories of the Future
Outside Town Hall, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.
Thalia landed on the ground with a soft thud. The smile on her face grew as she examined the carnage caused by her own hooves. Some of the ponies attempted to fight the hordes of her army but most attempts proved fruitless. Her mind was filled with a thousand and one screams pleading for orders and commands. She happily, mentally ordered the commands and watched as her thoughts quickly became a reality. Ponyville was burning and she was ecstatic about being the cause of it.
The Doctor, the New Doctor, Twilight, Derpy, and Opal rounded a bend and caught sight of Thalia making her way towards Town Hall. She had already begun setting fire to the building.
"So what do we do?" Opal asked the New Doctor.
"Let's see. Let's see. What happens next?" the New Doctor pondered as he ran. "Oh! I remember! Opal! I suggest you not step in the water!"
Opal looked forward to see a massive puddle of water before her. She jumped over the puddle but a long, watery arm grabbed her tail.
"Derpy and I will help her!" said Twilight. Twilight began using some of her magic to fend off the Aqua Incarnate while Derpy grabbed hold of Opal and proceeded to pull her out of the living water's grip.
Thalia was about to enter the burning Town Hall when she noticed the two Doctors approaching her.
"Isn't it wonderful, Doctor?" she teased as she glided towards the approaching stallions.
"Honestly...not really," the Doctor replied.
"The flying is a nice touch though," the New Doctor added.
"Who are you?" Thalia asked.
"I would tell you but I don't want to spoil the surprise."
Thalia frowned as a group of vines shot up from the ground, surrounding the Doctors.
"It doesn't matter who you are. You're friends with the Doctor and any friend of the Doctor is an enemy of mine!"
That's when the vines attacked. The two Doctors aimed their Sonic Screwdrivers at the vines. Some of the vines were weakened by the effects of the Screwdrivers but most were able to stand their ground.
"She's got a lot of power inside of her!" stated the Doctor.
"No doubt about that!" replied the New Doctor.
"Is it safe to assume that a fair amount of that is unstable energy?"
"I would say so!"
The Doctor's eyes trailed up towards the horn on his future regeneration's forehead. More vines attacked but the Doctors managed to keep them at bay. Twilight, Derpy, and Opal tried to run over to help the Doctors but Thalia summoned a group of dolls to attack them.
"Do you practice magic often, being a unicorn?" the Doctor asked the New Doctor.
"Not usually," replied the New Doctor as he caused one of the vines to become inanimate.
"Would it be possible for the two of us to perform that trick that we used with Twilight to ward off the dolls and Chrysalis?"
"I'd say that it's possible."
The New Doctor winked at his past self as they both turned towards Thalia. Thalia was becoming annoyed and she began gliding towards them quickly.
"I grow tired of this. I guess I better end this myself," she said with a slightly-annoyed tone. The two Doctors nodded at each other and broke into a run at the same time. They rushed past the vines and ran towards Thalia. The Doctor aimed his Sonic Screwdriver while the New Doctor aimed both his Screwdriver and his unicorn horn. Thalia aimed her horn at the charging stallions. There was a second in which the world fell completely silent. It seemed that the only beings in the world were the two Doctors and Thalia. The silence dissipated as the Doctors and Thalia fired at each other.
The Edge of Town, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.
"FLUTTERSHY!" cried Applejack as the manticore bore down on the yellow pegasus. The animal-loving mare had attempted a peaceful method to warding off the manticore but peacemaking was impossible when dark magic was involved. Fluttershy's pupils shrunk as she just barely managed to dodge the manticore's attacking claw. Fluttershy took to the air and the manticore began waving its scorpion tale back and forth, attempting to stab the pegasus with its poisoned tip. Applejack ran with lightning speed towards the frightening beast and managed to kick it square in the face with her hind legs. The manticore stumbled back for a bit but, upon regaining its senses, growled and charged at its attacker. "Uh oh!"
Applejack broke into a run as the manticore proceeded to chase after her.
"Incoming!" warned Caroze as he tossed a lit lantern over Applejack's head. The lantern hit the ground, causing a medium-sized wall of fire to appear between Applejack and the manticore. The manticore growled as it came to a violent stop.
"How did that fire spread so quickly?" Applejack asked. Caroze smiled as he presented a small, amber vial in front of her.
"Fire Fluid. Never leave home without it," he replied with a smirk. The manticore took a few steps back and charged. It managed to jump over the fire wall with only minor burns in its fur. "Though I wish it created bigger fire walls when it needed to."
Both Applejack and Caroze froze as the manticore charged towards them. Suddenly, a yellow blur appeared and flew towards the manticore. Fluttershy landed on top of the manticore and pressed her hooves into various, specific places. The manticore's eyes rolled up into its head as it slumped over and fell onto the ground.
"There now. Everything's going to be okay," said Fluttershy as she petted the sleeping manticore's mane. "You just need some rest. When you wake up, everything will be alright again."
Fluttershy smiled as she jumped off of the manticore and approached the stunned Applejack and Caroze. Applejack smiled and laughed as she approached Fluttershy.
"You're quite a character, sugarcube! You're afraid of your own shadow and yet you can put a manticore to sleep!" she said with a friendly, laughing tone.
"It's not very difficult. As long as you know where the right pressure points are, you can subdue any beast...I just hope I didn't hurt him," Fluttershy replied as she blushed slightly.
"Look out!" called a familiar voice. Caroze looked up just in time to see Rainbow Dash fly straight into him. There was a cloud of dust followed by a few groans.
"Watch where you're going next time!" Caroze groaned.
"Sorry," Rainbow Dash replied with a nervous laugh. Applejack and Fluttershy helped Rainbow Dash and Caroze stand up. "Man, those flying dolls are really annoying!"
They looked up to see a swarm of pegasus dolls descending towards them. Their extending manes were reaching for them and their razor teeth were shining in the morning sunlight. A group of Ponyville pegasi flew in to fend off some of the dolls but there were just too many to take down in one fell swoop. Fluttershy turned around and noticed a group of possessed timberwolves slowly approaching them.
"Great," Applejack sighed. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."
Sugar Cube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.
Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity burst through the front doors of Sugar Cube Corner as a sea of dolls ran after them in hot pursuit. They ran into the kitchen and made sure to barricade the door.
"They just won't give up!" Rarity cried.
"Everypony grab a weapon!" ordered Pinkie Pie as she presented an egg beater alongside her party cannon.
"Wouldn't a kitchen knife work better?" Spike asked. Before Pinkie Pie could reply, the door flew open and in walked the dolls. One doll extended one of its hair arms towards Pinkie Pie but the pink pony managed to get the doll's hair caught in the egg beater. The doll began spinning around like a top before flying off and smashing into a nearby wall. "I guess that works too."
Spike shot another blast of fire at one of the dolls while Rarity used her magic to fling pots and pans at every doll that came close to her. One pan accidentally collided with the back of Spike's head.
"Sorry, Spike!" said Rarity as she lifted the pan and chucked it at an approaching pegasus doll.
"Don't worry! I'm fine!" Spike called back as he attempted to claw at a doll that had gotten too close for comfort. The doll seemed to snicker at the dragon as it proceeded to wrap its arms around its new prey. "Let go of me!"
The doll opened up its belly and threw the dragon inside of it.
"Unhand the dragon you dirty rag!" Rarity snapped as she send a rolling pin smashing into the doll's face. More arms began wrapping around Rarity but the unicorn wasn't giving up. The dolls stumbled and fell as a sea of rolling pins, pans, knives, and other various kitchen items was flung at them. Pinkie tried to free Rarity from the dolls by using her party cannon but Rarity was ultimately pulled inside the same doll that held Spike. Pinkie suddenly found herself alone.
"Uh...help?" she gulped as the dolls advanced on her. One of the dolls in the back crumbled to the ground as something came down on its head. Pinkie watched as a group of ponies began making their way through the dolls, taking them out one by one. When all of the dolls were defeated, Pinkie looked to see that her saviors were the Cakes, Lyra, and Bon-Bon. The Cakes were holding frying pans, Lyra held a lyre in her hooves, and Bon-Bon had a rolling pin in her mouth.
"Told you these dolls were easy to defeat! Element of surprise is all you need," Lyra boasted with a smile. Bon-Bon helped pull Spike and Rarity out of the doll they were trapped in. Both of them were breathing heavily once they were freed.
"I...never...want...that...to...happen...again!" Rarity stated.
"I...agree!" Spike responded.
"Is everypony okay?" asked Mrs. Cake.
"Peachy," Bon-Bon replied sarcastically. That's when a massive explosion shook the ground beneath their hooves. They proceeded to run outside to see a shower of blue, red, and purple sparks raining down from a geyser of magical energy shooting up into the sky.
"What the hell is that?!" asked Lyra.
"Fireworks?!" asked a hyper Pinkie Pie.
"I don't think those are fireworks, Pinkie," said Rarity.
"I think the Doctors have something to do with this," Spike stated. Pinkie Pie and Rarity nodded as they continued to watch the shower of sparks rain down from the multicolored geyser.
Outside Town Hall, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.
Twilight, Derpy, and Opal were knocked back by the force of the explosion. When they regained their balance, they saw that the two Doctors and Thalia were caught in the middle of a bubble of pure, magical energy. A geyser of energy shot high into the sky and began showering sparks over the town.
"Doctor!" Twilight cried. It was obvious that none of the ponies within the bubble could hear anything that was happening on the outside. Opal tried to approach the bubble but found that the mere energy of the magic being produced was too much for her to get within any close distance to the Doctors.
"Please be okay, Doctor!" Derpy prayed. "Please be okay!"
The Doctor felt as though he were standing in the middle of a star. The heat was intense and the light was blinding. All he could make out were blurry visions of his future self and Thalia. His future self wasn't doing so well either. Tears were streaming out of his eyes and his horn was emitting a whistle-like wail of pain. Thalia's eyes glowed of black fire and a white light began coming out of her mouth.
"I will not fall! This town shall die!" Thalia cried as she continued to fight against the power of the two Doctors. Her voice sounded like three different entities were speaking through her. The ground beneath the Doctor's hooves felt like hot glass and all of the hairs on his body tingled with enchanted excitement. His suit and tie stuck to his coat like glue and rivers of sweat were pouring from his pores.
"Now...I...remember!" groaned the New Doctor. "I...remember...this. I...remember...how...much...this...hurt!"
The Doctor's vision was becoming blurred. He could feel energy emanating from his body and then being absorbed back in. He looked to see that the vines that had been attacking him and the New Doctor were now nothing but ash. A white light began to appear in the middle of their connecting energy streams and Thalia began bleeding from her nose. The Doctor could feel that he was winning.
"No! NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Thalia cried. The Doctor could feel the world around him disappearing. His body was being destroyed and yet it was perfectly fine. It felt as though he were leaving his body and traveling somewhere else. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
There was an explosion of light and the two Doctors and Thalia screamed in pain. Visions began flashing in front of the Doctor's eyes like a sped-up home movie: Twilight and her friends were strapped down to separate lab tables, Matilda was looking at something in surprise, Twilight was lying on the ground and was covered in cuts, Opal was calling for the Doctor, a Cyberman was advancing on a group of ponies, Derpy was locked in a cell, Spike was being knocked out, a human girl was waving a wand, a stallion in a lab coat was emerging from the shadows, and Thalia was crying and screaming with a mixture of sorrow and anger.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" yelled Thalia as the visions vanished. A small explosion erupted between them and the three ponies were flung back. The Doctor hit the ground hard and the New Doctor landed right next to him.
"This certainly wasn't fun living through a second time," groaned the New Doctor.
"Doctor!" cried Derpy as she flew over to them. Twilight and Opal followed behind her. Derpy lifted the Doctor's head up. "Are you okay?! Is anything broken?!"
The Doctor looked straight into Derpy's inverted, sad eyes. Something about them comforted him. The gray pegasus made him feel that everything was going to turn out alright. He looked up at Derpy and said, "Don't worry. I'm fine."
Opal helped the New Doctor up while Derpy helped the Doctor regain his balance. Thalia was lying on the ground a few feet away. Her coat was slightly singed but her eyes were still glowing with black flames. The clone stood up and turned towards the Doctors and their allies.
"Is it just me or have things suddenly grown quiet?" Twilight asked. Everypony looked around and noticed that the sounds of attacking monsters and terrified ponies had stopped. It was as if all of Thalia's forces had disappeared. "What's going on?"
Thalia suddenly gave out a loud scream as a sea of energy began flowing into her. A beam of light shot out of her mouth and steam began emanating from her ears.
"We managed to break her magical connection with the other creatures. All of that energy is returning to her," said the New Doctor.
"I don't like the sound of that," said Opal. Thalia turned towards the Doctors and began gliding towards them.
"This isn't over! I'm not losing today! Not today! Not after what you did!" she snapped.
The Doctor knew it was a pointless argument but he had to try it anyway. He extended a hoof towards the furious clone and said, "Thalia, please. Let me help you."
Thalia let out a frightening roar and flew towards the Doctor. There was a gray blur and Derpy smashed into Thalia.
"DERPY!" cried the Doctor and Twilight. Derpy and Thalia flew up into the sky in a blur of gray and purple.
"You're not going to hurt the Doctor!" Derpy yelled. "You're not going to hurt Ponyville or anypony else anymore! This stops now!"
"Damn you, Derpy Hooves! GET OFF OF ME YOU WRETCHED PEGASUS!" Thalia ordered. Thalia attempted to throw Derpy to the ground but the pegasus was holding on tight. Thalia then shot a beam of fiery energy out of her eyes. Derpy was flung to the ground. The Doctor raced forward and caught her. Thalia flew towards the Doctor and Derpy. That's when the New Doctor stepped in. He ran forward and intercepted Thalia in her attack. The New Doctor wrapped his hooves around Thalia's head as a light began enveloping them. "No! NO! LET GO! LET GO!"
"Thalia...it's over. You're not going to win," the New Doctor said simply.
"AND WHY IS THAT?!"
"It's simple."
The New Doctor suddenly began to change. Thalia's raw energy swirled around him and as it disappeared he briefly looked like the present Doctor. He smiled, stared into Thalia's shocked face, and said, "I'm the Doctor."
Thalia screamed in anger and pushed the New Doctor away. Once out of Thalia's magical grasp, he reverted back to his original form. Thalia couldn't control her raw energy any longer. She let it all out with one last minor explosion. The Doctors, Twilight, Derpy, and Opal were knocked back. The Doctor watched as the vortex manipulator on Thalia's hoof began to activate. There was a bright flash of light and Thalia was gone. Instantly, the giant dolls surrounding the town disintegrated into mounds of rags and dust. The roars of confused animals echoed through the town as the once-possessed animals ran back into the Everfree Forest.
"What happened to Thalia?" Derpy asked weakly.
"She disappeared back into the time stream. We'll come across her again soon, no doubt," sighed the Doctor. His body still ached and the visions still haunted him. What did they mean? Were they meaningless like the visions created by the Foggy Abyss...or were they Thalia's memories, predictions of events to come? If they were Thalia's memories, and thus being the Doctor's future, he wasn't looking forward to it very much.
"Are you okay, Doctor?" Opal asked. The Doctor turned back to his future companion and smiled.
"Yes. I've saved my friends and this town. I'll run into Thalia again but at least I was able to stop her this time."
"You'll always stop her, Doctor," said Twilight.
"We'll always stop her," said Derpy as she wrapped one hoof around the Doctor and another hoof around Twilight. The Doctor looked at Twilight, Derpy, his future self, and Opal and smiled. The worst was over...for now.