//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Plan B // Story: The Monster that is Me // by Terrahex //------------------------------// o----[ Chapter 7: Plan B ]---------------------o “Welcome,” the Doctor greeted me as I reentered the box, “to the TARDIS. You should count yourself lucky. Only the best people ah ponies ever get to step hoof in her, so play nice.” Ditzy flew in behind me, landing on the balcony. She threw open a panel and began ruffling around inside. Beside her I spotted a doorway leading deeper into the TARDIS, tweaking my curiosity. “How large is this place?” “Picture the largest thing you can possibly imagine.” The Doctor said, flipping levers around on the low console. “Are you picturing it?” I nodded even though I wasn’t. “Well throw it out the window because the TARDIS is infinite.” “Great, does it have a first aid kit?” I asked, not truly believing him. Stallions are known to exaggerate in the presence of mares, though I’ll admit that infinity is a pretty large exaggeration. “Got it!” Ditzy exclaimed, yanking at a large red box from the panel that seemed to be stuck. It came loose without warning, sending her teetering backwards; she tried to regain her balance on her hind legs until she bumped into the guardrail. It snapped feebly and she crashed down onto a sunken section of the floor below. Ditzy! I ran to her, pain be damned. Concern consumed my features as I stood over the prone pegasus while the Doctor continued playing with the console. “Are you okay?” “Yeah.” Ditzy sat up, scratching the back of her head. Thankfully, she seemed completely unhurt. “That happens sometimes. More importantly...” She opened the latches on the red box, taking out a roll of bandages. I winced, inadvertently bringing back memories of when my mother, also a grey pony, had patched me up. The Doctor, seemingly satisfied with his controls, meandered over to us as I took a roll of bandages from ditzy and began wrapping them around a nasty cut on my foreleg. He took a metal cylinder about the size of a pen from his pocket. “What’s that?” I asked, as I realized I forgot disinfectant. I debated the merits of disinfectant versus the pain and effort it would take to unwrap my bandages, apply said disinfectant, then apply the bandages once more. In the end, I decided that not getting an infection would be much better than the alternative, especially since changelings are known to shift sporadically when they get ill. “A sonic screwdriver.” The Doctor answered my question. “Don’t worry, this won’t hurt.” He extended it at me and an annoying shrill buzzing along with a green light washed over me as I undid the bandage. “I wouldn’t have started worrying if you hadn’t told me not to.” I countered, squirming uncomfortably under the light of the glorified flashlight. Ditzy slapped a bandaid on my midsection suddenly and I jumped in pain. “Yow! Der-Ditzy!” I shouted. “What’d you do that for?” “Sorry.” She said. “It was stuck on my hoof.” Maybe somepony who can actually see straight should be fixing up the things I can’t reach. I thought spitefully, though I completely regretted it as the stinging in my midsection slowly ebbed back to its previous level. The annoying buzz of the Doctor’s flashlight mercifully stopped and the tip opened. Looking at the side, he whistled. “Your exoskeleton is fine, of course. It’s protected as long as you’re in this form,” he glanced at me, raising an eyebrow, “But you’ve gone and cracked three of your ribs. Smooth.” “Exoskeleton?” I squeaked, my mouth dry. “Don’t worry about it.” The Doctor slipped his screwdriver back into his pocket. “Your secret’s safe with us.” He rounded the console and pulled down a screen, studying whatever was on it as Ditzy continued to paste bandaids all over my back, most of which I suspected didn’t actually cover any injuries. An awkward silence was left in the wake. Well, I thought it was awkward. I hardly knew these two ponies, and one day they drop out of the sky claiming they were from the future and that they knew me well enough to know my worst secret. “Not that I don’t appreciate it or anything,” I started, trying not to sound rude, “but why are you two here?” I looked back at Ditzy as she was finishing. “You have to be here for a reason right?” “We’re here to help you. Isn’t that enough?” The mailmare responded. “I’d like to know why you’re so keen on helping me. I barely even know you two.” “Because you are very important.” The Doctor said seriously. “And because you asked us to be here.” Without warning, the Doctor yanked a lever and the entire place shuddered and shook. I tumbled sideways, hitting the most bruises possible as I did. “What in the name of Celestia is going on?” I asked, struggling to my feet as the world shook itself all around me. I grabbed onto a handrail and hung on for dear life. “We’re moving!” The Doctor shouted followed by a healthy laugh. “We’re not going to get to Twilight if we’re not going anywhere!” He had a point there. “Maybe next time you could give us some warning.” I muttered as Ditzy tried her hardest to collect all the first aid stuff that was skittering about the floor as the TARDIS jumped around. The thought of the Doctor’s blue box vaulting around the countryside until it reached its destination brought a small smile to my face. “Stop being such a downer, Midnight. Honestly, I’d say you get better with time, but really, you’re always just a stick in the mud aren’t you?” The smile fell off of my face. Jerk. The TARDIS halted all of a sudden; the rumbling stopped; the groaning stopped; and, most mercifully of all, the shaking stopped. Death to the rumblies. “Are we there?” I tentatively asked. The Doctor shrugged. “Give or take an hour or two.” “The Everfree Forest is out there, huh?” I nodded in the direction of the door, hardly able to believe it despite how many unbelievable things had happened to me today. “Yes, that was our destination after all.” The Doctor . “It’s perfectly safe. Just a forest. Out you go.” “Yeah,” Ditzy agreed, “It’s just a forest full of manticores, dragons, timber wolves, and giant bears made out of pure cosmic energy.” She paused for a moment, her eyes traveling in opposite directions. She blinked once and they realigned themselves. “And snakes. Lots of snakes.” “And you’re just going to leave me here?” I pouted. The Doctor sighed, his ears slouching. He turned to Ditzy. “Care to accompany the lovely shape shifter and I on a romantic walk through the woods?” “Better not risk Twilight seeing the two of us together.” Ditzy responded. “I’m hardly associated with you right now. I don’t want her asking me about you later. I won’t know what the hay she’s talking about.” “Well then.” The Doctor grinned at me. “I suppose it’s just you and me then.” “Don’t get any weird ideas.” I said, stepping away from him. It’s funny, earlier today I was willing to confront a serious phobia just to get Lyra to like me, but the Doctor already seemed to like me despite my ‘stick in the mud’ nature. “What? No!” He insisted, exasperated. “Let’s get moving. Believe it or not, but Ditzy and I are actually very busy ponies.” I nodded, opening the doors. Half of me expected us to still be in Whitetail Woods, but the blackened, twisted trees with gnarled limbs proved the contrary. The Doctor stepped out behind me. I returned my gaze to our vehicle. It was still as small as it always was. “How does it work?” I asked him on a whim. “Pocket dimension.” He responded cheerfully, acknowledging the question but not really answering it. Fine. I didn’t expect him to answer anyway. Besides, a different, more pressing question needed to be asked. “How do you know I’m a changeling?” “Because you told me.” The Doctor replied. It unsettled me how comfortable he was as he said it, like it didn’t matter at all that he knew a secret that would drastically change my life, likely for the worse, if anypony found out about it. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m not a pony either.” “What?” He certainly looked like a pony to me, and to the best of my knowledge, changelings were the only things that could emulate the appearance of a pony. The not-pony I saw in the crowd earlier during that fight with Trixie came to mind. I didn’t really know what to do about that, and there was no way that he didn’t notice me. He was looking right at me, and even if he wasn’t, I was right in the middle of a fight. He would’ve seen me and noticed what I was. Our species can’t fool each other after all. “I’m a timelord.” The Doctor continued, oblivious to my inner conflict. “In my universe, I resembled something called a human being. In this universe, I’m a pony apparently. Strange how the world works, huh?” “A human?” My mind caught on that subject. This was the second time today I heard that word after an entire life of never knowing it existed. What was it the Doctor said when he met me? He didn’t believe in coincidences? “They’re real?” The Doctor nodded, a smile on his face. “We have ponies in my universe as well, but not nearly so colorful and cuddly... And they’re not sentient.” My mind was still a whirl from the earlier revelation and the best I could manage was: “How can they not be sentient?” “Humans are the universal model there while ponies are the universal model here. With humans as the dominant species, all the other species got pushed to the side.” I was going to ask him more questions, but he interrupted my unspoken thoughts. “Ah! here we are. Ta-da.” If the Doctor hadn’t pointed it out, I doubt I would’ve seen it myself. Right in the middle of the Everfree forest was another gnarled, green-grey tree with murky leaves, but this one was different. Most obvious about it, of course, was the slightly lighter colored wooden door blending in with the dark wood. hanging from many of the branches were bottles fill with colorful liquids and resting against a twisted root was a large, red mask with green highlights. “What is it with ponies and living in trees?” I asked the Doctor. He shrugged. “It’s the economy.” He walked up to the door with me fol--- that mask was totally looking at me. Knock-knock. Stupid mask. Go look at somepony else. Knock-knock. No answer. I shifted uncomfortably under the scrutinizing gaze of the mask. I was about to tell the Doctor to knock again when the door opened and a zebra adorned with bands of gold that ran around her neck and fore legs emerged. “This is a surprise.” She said, an odd rhythm in her voice. “Two more ponies right before my eyes.” Her eyes fell on the bandage wrapped around my leg. “Hello, I’m the Doctor and this is Midnight. We’re looking for Twilight Sparkle.” Zecora invited us inside with another verse. The inside of her home unsurprisingly reminded me of the the library. The walls, like the library, were covered in shelves, but unlike the library, the shelves were laden with large beakers and bottles and bags full an array of strange liquids, sand or powder, or leaves. In the center of the room was a cauldron simmering over an active fire, and sitting around the cauldron was Twilight and a yellow pegasus. “Midnight?” Twilight shouted in surprise, concern filling her voice. “What happened to you?” “It’s a long story.” I dismissed. “But right now we have a huge problem.” “No, you’re hurt!” Twilight walked up and examined me. “I’m fine.” I moved away uncomfortably. “Last I checked, three cracked ribs isn’t fine.” The Doctor mused. I shot him a glare. “Three cracked ribs! What happened to you?” Twilight ran around me, fussing over the bloodstained bandages tangled around my leg. “It’s nothing.” “She and her friend tried taking on Trixie.” The Doctor answered, examining things on the shelf closest to the door so he wouldn’t have to meet my second death glare. He took his screwdriver out and that annoying buzzing played as he pointed it at a jar full of bubbling, blue liquid. Meanwhile, Twilight’s eyes got really wide. “You what?” “It’s not a big deal.” I pushed past Twilight, grunting as she gingerly touched my side. “Of course it’s a big deal!” Twilight exclaimed. “Look at how you ended up! Trixie went from banishing me to seriously hurting you and...” She gasped. “Who did you fight her with?” “Lyra.” I responded, sitting down roughly next to the yellow pegasus. “Hi.” I grunted. She squeaked something in return, her face going red. “The musician who plays in the park? Is she okay?” Something clicked in her brain then. “How did you take on Trixie?” A jar suddenly exploded. My head whipped around to see the Doctor, his buzzing screwdriver in his hoof, surrounded by the remnants of one of Zecora’s jars. “Zecora, you have some wonderfully explosive concoctions.” He coughed. The zebra gave him a disapproving look “Who are you anyway?” Twilight asked. “So many questions.” The Doctor ignored her question, picking up glass with his hoof. “Twilight, it’s a really long story, and we need to focus on the problem at hoof.” Twilight closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She released it slowly. She opened her eyes. Those eyes got wide. Her mouth opened. “When did you become a unicorn?” I tugged at my mane. “That’s not important right now.” I tried. That didn’t remove Twilight’s scrutinizing gaze from my forehead. She was asking too many questions and she wasn’t getting enough answers. I could tell she wasn’t going to let this go without an immediate answer, of which I had none. I shifted next to the silent pegasus, looking around the room to avoid Twilight’s gaze, trying to come up with a suitable response. The Doctor picking up glass, depositing it into a deep pocket. Zecora grinded something with a mortar and pestle at her work table. Twilight didn’t really deserve to be lied to. I didn’t want to lie to her. The Doctor already knew I was a changeling, and he didn’t seem to care. Then again, he wasn’t a pony either. There was no telling how Twilight would react. In the end, I could the only response I could come up with was one that I knew was woefully inadequate. “Yeah... I’ve ah... I’ve always been a unicorn.” Twilight gave me a hurt look. “I’ll explain everything later, okay? Right now we’ve got to focus on the problem at hoof.” “I must agree with Midnight. Calm your mind and see what’s right.” Zecora rhymed. “If we are to win this fight, you must see past this simple slight.” Zecora approached me warily, holding a wooden cup full of a noxious green paste. “This will help your weary bones, calm your pains, and block your groans.” Trying not to be rude, I declined. “I have an easily upset stomach.” I rationed. Zecora shrugged in a way that suggested that she would’ve been impressed if I was able to keep it down even if I didn’t have an uneasy stomach. “Consumption is not the way to apply this medicine. Put it in your bandages next time you change them.” [it almost rhymes, okay] “Um... Sure thing.” I took the wood cup from her, having absolutely no intention of applying it to anything, least of all my bandages. “So, Twilight Sparkle,” The Doctor started, throwing a bunch of glass shards into his pocket, “Why don’t you tell us what you’re planning on doing about this problem.” Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “Fluttershy,” She gestured toward the yellow pegasus that had yet to say a coherent word, “made it out of Ponyville. Apparently Trixie is using the power of an ancient artifact called the alicorn amulet in order to boost her magical capabilities.” I nodded. “Lyra noticed that.” “It corrupts the wearer’s mind every time the amulet is used. Unfortunately, we can’t just run up to her and take it off. Only the wearer can remove the amulet.” “Of course.” I muttered bitterly. “It would have been too simple if I had actually been able to take it off.” Twilight paid my mutterings no mind. “I think that I know how we could get it off of her.” “Enlighten us.” The Doctor smiled. “Well...” Twilight told us of her plan. She told us how she was going to have Fluttershy sneak back into Ponyville. She told us how she planned to trick Trixie using a deceptive combination of fur dye and ingenuity. “Ingenious.” The Doctor mused. “Well, ingenious only if it works I suppose.” I nodded when the Doctor looked my way. It did sound like it could work if everything went right, but it also sounded like it had a million seems that could burst at any moment. “It’s not the most watertight of plans.” “I know.” Twilight acknowledged despondently. “but it’s the best of our bad options.” “Can’t you get ahold of the princesses?” “Princess Celestia is still in Saddle Arabia, and without Spike I can’t get a message to her.” Oh yeah. Well feathers. “What about the other princesses?” I heard myself say. Twilight paused. “I... didn’t really think of them.” “Great!” The Doctor said, throwing a hoof over my shoulder. “Midnight and I will go alert Luna while you, Zecora, and Flittershoot go and try out plan A.” I shrugged out from under the Doctor’s leg, giving him a scolding look. “Are you okay with that, Twilight?” “The trains can’t run if Ponyville’s station is still under the dome, and it’ll take days to get to Canterlot on foot.” Twilight shook her head. “You’re in no condition to go anywhere.” I opened my mouth to protest, but the Doctor beat me to it. “Don’t worry about transport. I’ve got that covered, and don’t worry about Midnight. She may be a bit rough around the edges, but she’s got a heart of gold.” I tried to stop myself from gawking. The Doctor didn’t seem like the type of pony who doled out compliments. That just made it weirder.