//------------------------------//
// A Bumpy Return 
// Story: Doctor Whooves Episode 13: Clockwork and the Doctor 
// by Doctor Perseus 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 6: A Bumpy Return


Grounds of the Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

Rainbow Dash groaned as a pile of snow smashed into her, sending her flying through the air. She flapped her wings frantically in order to prevent herself from smashing into the ground. With luck, she managed to avoid a nasty collision with the snow. A twister of snow was circling around diamond Twilight. Her green eyes shone through the white flurry and her laugh echoed around, making it appear like she was everywhere. Rainbow was tempted to dive-bomb the twister but she figured that following through with that plan wouldn't end well for her. Rarity tried to control the snow with some spells she had recently learned from Twilight but her attempts bore no fruit.
"I guess offensive spells aren't your cup of tea, Rarity," said Pinkie Pie, whose face was caught somewhere between hyper excitement and terrified confusion. Diamond Twilight took a few steps forward and the twister moved with her. Rarity, Pinkie, and Rainbow backed up slowly. They couldn't attack this evil Twilight head on. 
"Where's Twilight when you need her?!" asked Rainbow.
"In her library, usually," Pinkie replied.
"Too bad her library decided to go for a walk today," Rarity gulped. Diamond Twilight laughed as she broke into a run. The snow twister around her grew larger as she ran. Rarity's horn began to glow as the twister sped towards her. "It's worth another try." She focused as much as she could...but her attempt once again failed. Rarity screamed as a powerful force picked her up and pulled her deep into the furious winds of the magical twister.

Home of Twilight Sparkle, Orbit of Q, Clockwork System, Space, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

"And what gamble are you taking this time, Doctor?" Twilight asked.
"I would say about the same one I took the first time," the Doctor replied.
"What do you mean by that?" Clockwork asked as a look of fear appeared on his face. 
"You're still connected to the rift. That means that you, and you alone, have the power to bring us back to where we belong."
"What about the TARDIS?" Derpy asked. "Couldn't you use that to bring the library back to Gaia?"
"I'm afraid that particular plan isn't a possibility at the moment. Sure, I've used the TARDIS to bring objects through time and space before, an entire planet and an immortal captain just to name a few, but the TARDIS isn't up to that at the moment."
"And why not?" Clockwork asked.
"You and the TARDIS don't seem to be cooperating with each other at the moment."
"What does that mean?!"
"You're the one who brought us here, Clockwork. You have an other-worldly connection with the walls of the universe that is rarely, if ever, seen. You brought not only the library and us but the TARDIS with you as well. Your little...trip has messed things up with the TARDIS temporarily. It's still trying to comprehend what the hell has happened."
"You speak of the TARDIS as if it's alive...and how do you even know this? You've been up here since we arrived in space!"
"First of all, the TARDIS is alive. I assumed that you knew this as you've had dreams of my life in the past; in a way, you've been me. Certainly you know that the TARDIS is in fact alive?" Clockwork rubbed his temple and nodded.
"Yes. I remember now."
"Secondly, the TARDIS and I have a, for lack of a better word, connection. Not a mental connection or something like that but for of a...connection of existence. At times, we can sense each other. This connection has improved greatly since I arrived in this universe, for the magical workings of this world have done wonders to the TARDIS, my belongings, and myself. It's opened up doors that were not even fathomable back in my home dimension. I can, in a sense, feel what the TARDIS is feeling at the current moment and, from what I'm sensing right now, she's not a happy phone box."
"Now it's a she?"
"If a captain can call a boat a she then I can damn well call my spaceship/time machine a she!" The Doctor stomped his hoof on the ground. 
"Okay, we get it. The TARDIS can't help us out of this," said Twilight as she walked away from Spike and stepped in between the Doctor and Clockwork. She turned towards Clockwork. "I guess it's up to you, Clockwork." Their eyes met again. He looked so much like the Doctor.
"I...I don't know if I can even do what I did again," he said. 
"You can. I saw you do it once. You've just got to focus with great intensity."
"But, how can I?"
"How did you do it the first time?"
"I focused on what the Doctor was saying and, for a moment, pictured myself as the Doctor."
"Then why not do it again?" Clockwork shuffled his hooves and lowered his head. "I see."
"Hmm?" Clockwork raised his head.
"You do believe that you can do it again, it's just that you're afraid of what's waiting for you back in Ponyville."
"You mean the diamond Twilight?" Derpy asked.
"The very same."
"It frightens me," said Clockwork as he looked straight into Twilight's eyes. He refused to acknowledge the diamond Twilight as a he or a she. It was nothing. It was nothing but some universal anomaly that didn't even have the right to exist. It had his wife's body but it had Sombra's soul. It was his nightmare, his monster, his own worst enemy. An enemy that came from nothing but had power over everything. Twilight placed a hoof under Clockwork's chin and lowered her head a bit until their eyes were once again meeting.
"She...it's a part of you. It should be afraid of you, not the other way around. You're it's creator, so make it go away the next time you see it."
"I...I believe I can defeat it, and yet I don't think I have the strength to." It was too tempting. Twilight figured that there was only one way to give Clockwork enough strength and courage to fight his demon. She raised his head up and pushed her face forward. Their lips met. The Doctor coughed awkwardly. Derpy stood there in shock. Bright Eyes made a long aww sound. Twilight and Clockwork pulled their lips apart.
"Can you face it to save my friends and I?" Clockwork was silent for a moment. He then gave a small smile and raised his head.
"You may not be my Twilight, but thanks. I think that's exactly what I needed," he said. Twilight took a few steps back as Clockwork began to focus. 
"Focus on Ponyville. Focus on where the library was just before we left. Focus on that with all your strength."
As Clockwork frowned in concentration, the Doctor leaned in towards Twilight and whispered, "Are you going to start kissing everypony in order to get what you want?" Twilight turned and faced the Doctor, who had a childish grin on his face. His remark was met with a quick slap across the face. "I'll take that as a no."
The library began to shake and so did Clockwork. Sweat trickled down the stallion's coat and heavy breaths escaped through his lips. A white light began pouring in through the windows of the library. The Doctor yelped in surprise as Bright Eyes grabbed onto him.
"I suggest that we all hold onto each other," she said.
"I was just about to suggest the same thing," said Derpy.
"Dimensional duplicates think alike!" Derpy and Bright Eyes smiled and giggled. Twilight grabbed onto the Doctor and Derpy grabbed onto Twilight. Everything was shaking now and yet everything seemed to remain in place. Clockwork's eyes opened. They were pure white again. 
"Ponyville," said Clockwork. His voice sounded as if several others were talking with him. Then an explosion of light filled the library and they were off again.

Grounds of the Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

Rarity was beginning to get sick. She felt as if her head was going to pop off her body from the speed at which she was traveling. She could faintly hear Pinkie and Rainbow's screams and diamond Twilight's laughs over the sound of wind rushing past her ears. She could feel tears falling from her eyes and snow and ice pounding against her coat. It was unbearable. Then...everything stopped. The force disappeared and Rarity fell several feet to the ground below. The snow cushioned her fall but she was still dizzy. 
"Rarity!" cried Pinkie as she rushed to the unicorn's aid. Rarity allowed Pinkie to help her off the ground. 
"What's going on with her?" Rainbow asked. Rarity looked at diamond Twilight. She appeared to have frozen in place. Her body was becoming transparent and it began shaking. It was as if she were disappearing from and appearing at several places at once. Her eyes stopped glowing green and instead became entirely black. A dark smile appeared on the unicorn's face.
"So...he returns. Good. Good," she said in a voice that made Rarity's knees buckle. Then, diamond Twilight disappeared. A gust of wind spread out from the spot in which she had been standing. Suddenly, the crater in which the library had once stood began to shift and bubble. Rarity and Pinkie stepped back. 
"What's going on?!" Pinkie asked.
"Maybe...maybe they're returning," Rarity guessed. The three mares remained silent as the ghostly form of the library appeared before them. Rainbow smiled hopefully.
"I think you're right, Rarity!" she said. 
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"No reason." The library had almost finished materializing when a black cloud appeared out of nowhere above them. An evil laugh emanated from the cloud as bolts of green lightning proceeded to strike the library.
"Come, my dear Clockwork. It's time that you came home," cackled the voice.
"No! You leave them alone!" Pinkie ordered. There was an explosion of green light and the three mares were knocked back. When they stood up again, the library was back where it belonged. "Twilight!" Rarity, Pinkie, and Rainbow raced towards the front door. Pinkie pulled the door open with such a force that it nearly came off its hinges. They rushed inside.
The interior of the library looked intact. Spike was sleeping on the nearby sofa. But the strangest sight was that two Derpys were standing in the middle of the library, and they looked worried.
"What happened to them?!" asked the Derpy in the mailpony outfit.
"I don't know!" replied the other Derpy. The two Derpys noticed the presence of the others and gasped. "Pinkie Pie?! Rainbow Dash?! Rarity?!"
"See!" said Pinkie. "I told you that I saw two Derpys!"
"Actually, my name's Bright Eyes," said the mailpony Derpy.
"Uh...nice to meet you," said Rainbow Dash awkwardly.
"We'll explain everything later! Right now we need to find them!" said Derpy.
"Find who? Where's the Doctor and Twilight? What's happened to Spike?" Rarity asked.
"Spike's fine. It's Twilight, the Doctor, and Clockwork! They've disappeared!"
"Who's Clockwork?" asked Pinkie Pie. "Is he a new pony in town?!"
"Sort of," said Bright Eyes. Pinkie ran over to Bright Eyes and hugged her.
"Yay! Now I have two welcome parties to plan!"
"Pinkie, we don't have time for this! We need to rescue Twilight, the Doctor, and Clockwork!" said Derpy.
"Where did they go?" Rainbow asked.
"I don't know! Some green lightning struck them and then they were gone!" Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity all looked at each other nervously.
"I think the three of us have a good idea about who's behind this," Rarity gulped.