//------------------------------//
// MMMystery on the Friendship Express 
// Story: Dusk Dawns 
// by AlphatheGriffin17 
//------------------------------//

Dusk stopped to breathe a sigh of relief when the precious cargo they'd been transporting was safely on the train. Even he had been surprised with the level of security and safety it had been given. It required the strength of a struggling Big Mac to lift it, a double layer of protective spells from himself and Twilight, Ray waiting on stanby to teleport it in case it fell, Fluttershy and Rainbow keeping it held up with ropes and Applejack and Rarity following with a trampoline.

On top of that, they needed to clear the streets for at least three blocks to get it to the train station and remove the wall of the carriage in order to get it onto the train. All of this to protect a cake, which the Cakes had been following with such tension that Mr Cake had fainted at the end. But they managed it.

Pinkie appeared relieved too, relaxing visibly while Big Mac replaced the carriage wall.

"Thank you all for helping me get the cake safely on the dessert car," she said to them.

"Thank you for inviting us all to go with you to Canterlot for the National Dessert Competition," returned Twilight.

"Indeed. It'll be rather nice to be back there for this," agreed Dusk. "Who knows? My parents might come along."

"I'm sure the festivities will be just lovely," put in Rarity.

"Phooey on the festivities, ah can't wait to try all those tasty treats!" said Applejack, her mouth-watering.

"What she said," echoed Ray, clearly drooling.

They both stretched their hooves towards Pinkie's cake, but she slapped away Applejack's and Dusk grabbed Ray's with his magic.

"Well the tastiest treat of all is sure to be the Cakes' Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness." She turned her eyes proudly to the dessert. "All that rich creamy goodness of the marzipan, combined with the tart tanginess of the mascarpone, blended perfectly with the smooth, silky sweetness of the meringue. That's why I call the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness the "MMMM"."

"MMMM," they all chorused. He couldn't help it really. The way she'd described the cake just made it look even more appealing.

"Exactly. It's the most delicious delectable delightful de-lovely cake in Equestria, and it's sure to win first prize," Pinkie said confidently.

"Zis is not so!" declared a new voice.

It was in the form of a very proud looking griffin, wearing a classic chef's hat and red neckerchief and a long black pencil moustache grew from his beak. His lion half had black fur, whereas his eagle half was adorned with grey feathers. This, combined with his beak size, made Dusk think he was less half griffin, more half seagull.

"For I, Gustave le Grand, do challenge your crude cake to a duel of delectable delicacies, against my Exceptionally Exquisite Éclairs!" He held them up, shining a spotlight on them. "They will undoubtedly strike down all ze competition, winning first prize and crowning me le champion."

"Not a chance le Grand," challenged a voice with a Manehattan accent.

"Donut Joe!" exclaimed Twilight, recognising the donut shop owner. "What are you doing in Ponyville?"

"Picking up the final all-important ingredient for my contest entry, "Donutopia!"" He presented a diorama of Manehattan made entirely out of donuts. "And with these super-sprinkles, my donuts are going to dunk all the other lousy desserts, steal first prize, and make my donut shop famous, forever!"

"Oh, Joe..." A snooty, naval voice laughed mockingly, seemingly coming from a moose made of choclolate being wheeled in through the door. "Your dippy donuts could never out-rival me."

"Hello. What's your name?" asked Pinkie, addressing the moose until a mule mare emerged from behind it.

"I, am Mulia Mild. Behold, my chocolate mousse moose. It will trample all your treats, be given first prize, and make me the greatest chef in Equestria," she declared.

Gustave rose to her challenge. "Madame Mild, you and your mousse moose are mistaken."

"Your frou-frou éclairs will never defeat my donuts," sneered Joe.

"The Cakes' Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness is going to win!" cried Pinkie.

"Your simple cake could never take my moose," dismissed Mulia.

They probably would have gone on, but at that moment the train whistle and chugging of the engine announced they were getting underway. Even as the train began to move, the four competitors all glared at each other. Sensing that something might break out, Twilight stepped in.

"Well it sure looks like we're in for a delicious competition tomorrow. Maybe we should all settle in for a good night's sleep," she placated.

Fortunately it worked. Apart from disgruntled mumbling and evident animosity, the other three departed to their rooms, slamming the doors behind them.

Once they were gone, Dusk looked around at their respective desserts. They all looked very appealing and mouth-watering to be sure and each were unique in how they were presented. Though he supported Pinkie, he knew she was going to have some stiff competition representing the Cakes with these delicious delights.

His gaze lingered longest on the moose, with its smooth chocolate surface and unfocused eyes. Though it did look delectable, he couldn't shake a small feeling in his mind. The longer he stared at it, the more he was convinced that it wasn't… quite right. He couldn't quite put his hoof on it, the feeling almost negligible, but it was there.

He stretched his hoof forward to touch it. He could almost feel a tingling from the hairs on it, a sense of growing dread.

He was snapped out of it when Rainbow yawned. "I gotta admit I'm pretty beat."

"Yeah, ah'm gonna hit the hay myself," announced Appplejack.

Feeling tired himself, Dusk made moves to follow them, only to have their path blocked by Pinkie Pie.

"Wait! Didn't you hear those chefs? We have to protect "MMMM.""

"MMMM?" asked Rarity.

"Mmm hmmm," she nodded. "I know for super sure that "MMMM" is the best dessert in all of Equestria, and I know that they know it too."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "So...?"

"So... one of them is going to sabotage the Cakes' cake tonight! You have to help me stand guard!"

They all exchanged looks with each other before Twilight voiced what they were all thinking.

"Pinkie... you're overreacting."

"Yeah, those chefs aren't going to do your cake any harm," assured Applejack.

Pinkie was unconvinced. "But they are! I just know it."

"Fine! If you want to stand guard, go for it. We're going to bed," said Rainbow, settling the matter and dashing by.

While he edged around Pinkie, he heard her still talking after they left the dessert car.

"I'll show them. I'll stay up all night and protect you. Nothing and nopony will stop me from keeping you safe," she vowed to the cake.

"Is there any point in trying to persuade her to just come to bed and leave it?" he asked Twilight.

She looked back. "I see where your concern is coming from, but if she really wants to stay up and guard MMMM then just let her. If it makes her feel better, there's not much point in trying to dissuade her."

"I suppose you're right," he agreed, opening the door to their compartment. "Best get comfortable then."

Normally, the journey would have only taken about an hour on the train. Unfortunately, the usual train route to Canterlot through the mountains was blocked by a tree on the line, so the train had to take a detour by an alternative route, one that would take them into the night from how long the journey would be.

As such, they had to book compartments to sleep in. Due to the size of their group and the fact that three had been reserved for the chefs travelling with them, two of them would have to share one. All eyes had turned to Twilight and Dusk who, with slight blushes at the implications, had accepted. It was only natural after all.

But even though they had been dating for seven months now and they were used to spending long hours getting close to each other, Dusk was still a little nervous at the idea of sharing a bed with his marefriend all night. He still blushed and stammered when the subject was brought up, while Twilight acted a little jittery.

They were probably just being silly about it, but it was still a new aspect of their relationship they had to explore and was greeted with uncertainty from both of them.

"Right… okay then," Twilight breathed, standing before the bed they were to share. "This is it then."

"Y-y-yes," stammered Dusk. "Seems… y-y-you were r-r-right? Yesterday, I mean."

"About what?" she asked quickly.

"About us. Having to sleep together." His face burned brighter. "I um… I don't mean uh… in the usual colloquial sense but… just the literal, I mean. Y-y-you know how it's usually meant to mean-"

"I know, I get it," she snapped. "This is just a necessity, that's all. Nothing to it."

"Of course," he replied quickly. A moment of silence passed between them. "So… w-w-who should slip in first?"

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

"Into the bed, I mean! Sorry, poor choice of words."

"Of course, of course." She took a few deep breaths. "I don't know… do you want to go?"

"I believe um, it's mares first?"

"You're not just saying that because you're nervous?"

"No, no, not at all. I… I'm not nervous."

"Right. Good to know."

"Why, are you?"

"Me? Of course not, what would I have to be nervous about? There's nothing to be nervous about, so why would I be nervous? I'm not nervous at all."

"Right. So, n-n-neither of us are nervous?"

"I don't think so, no."

"Good. Glad we established that."

"Me too."

Another long, drawn-out silence passed.

"I think we should both climb in together," Dusk suggested.

Twilight nodded stiffly. "That's… that's a given, yes."

"That way, neither of us are… left waiting."

"Makes sense."

"I… I hoped so."

"Yes…" She sighed and turned to him. "Dusk, there's really no reason to be tentative about this, is there?"

"I um… no, I suppose not," he nodded.

She started to approach this logically. "We're both mature, adult ponies who've been in a good relationship for a great deal of time, most of which has been spent in close proximity to each other. We should be able to handle sharing a bed, I mean, we've shared a couch plenty of times with no problems."

He felt a small degree of comfort from those words. "That makes sense, yes."

"Exactly. This isn't so different, we're just reacting to it because of… you know, the usual implications of a mare and a stallion sharing a bed," she said, with a blush. "But we've made it clear we're not going to do that, haven't we?"

"Of course, not until… we're ready," he mumbled.

"Right…" That was still a sensitive subject at the moment. "Let's just go for it then."

Before he could respond, she crossed over to the bed and climbed in under the covers. She budged up a little, patting the space next to her. His body still felt rigid and stiff, a small trickle of sweat trailing down his head.

"Come on, Dusk. I'm getting lonely without you," she added to ease him into it.

"Well... far be it from me to keep you waiting," he returned. He swallowed and rather awkwardly climbed in with her.

"There we go. Hold on…" She closed the distance between them, putting a foreleg around him, placing a hoof on his chest and resting her head on his shoulder. "There, does um, that feel better?"

Almost the instant she moved closer, the nerves he had before began to dissipate. Instead, he felt the same sense of comfort and rightness he always felt whenever he was with her. The softness of the blankets, the comfort of the mattress and the warmth of her presence just served cement it.

"Yes… it does." He moved in closer too, wrapping a leg of his own around her and pulled her in gently. "This is… rather nice."

"I think so too." She started to play a little with the fur on his chest. "You know, I could get used to this."

"The feeling is mutual," he said, running a hoof through her mane. "Your mane smells nice…"

She smiled up at him. "Thanks for noticing. I started using a new shampoo."

"Lavender, isn't it?"

"Would it be anything else?" The silence that passed now was more comfortable than before. "So, living statues, an empire of crystal and a time travelling stallion."

"Well we've had stranger days," shrugged Dusk.

"Indeed," she giggled. "Are we planning on telling the others about that at any point?"

He chuckled. "I'm still trying to comprehend it all myself. I'd rather get that out of the way before we even consider mentioning it to them."

"I'm pretty much the same." She pursed her lips. "I'm actually regretting not seeing what was inside that box now. I could practically feel the power coming from it."

"Me too. It was like something from another world, which it probably was." Another thought occurred to him. "Do you think the Doctor might be an alien?"

"I hadn't considered that," she admitted. "I suppose if we believe he's a time traveller and that he's fought those creatures before, that wouldn't be so farfetched."

Dusk nodded. "From some stories I've read, there are plenty of examples were some aliens do look a lot like ponies."

"But we can only assume if that's the case," said Twilight. "He didn't actually tell us himself."

"No… he didn't." Another thought occurred to him. "That's something else though, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Have you ever heard the expression of saying so much, yet saying so little?" he asked, to which she responded affirmative. "I felt that a lot with the Doctor."

"I see what you mean," she agreed. "He never seemed to say much about himself and he didn't seem keen to whenever it was brought up. He almost felt… lonely."

"You got that too? You could tell how disappointed he was when we didn't want to look inside that box of his." She frowned slightly. "What did he say it was called…? TARDIS, right?"

"I think so, yes. Wonder what it means." He shrugged again. "I suppose we'll never know."

"Yeah, just like with that crystal place." She shook her head. "All of our books on history and next to no mention of a city made of crystal, apart from some myths and nursery rhymes."

"Both of which have some basis in fact."

"But not nearly enough to answer our questions," she countered. "Maybe we should ask either Princess Celestia or Luna when we have the chance. They might know."

"They might, but then they might also ask where we came by it," he reasoned. "That might raise awkward questions we might not be able to answer and the possibility of those Pegasi getting free."

"We don't want that," she said. "Do you think the Doctor will be able to find the one that got away?"

"I hope so, just so long as we never have to hear from them again," he hoped, yawning afterwards. "Sorry to sound rude, but I think we need some sleep."

"Not at all, I think so too." She rested her head back down, closing her eyes. "I've got a feeling that I'm going to have a very good night's sleep."

"Me too." He kissed her forehead and stroked her mane again. "Goodnight, Miss Sparkle."

"Goodnight, my dearest Dusk," she murmured, their necklace halves glowing faintly in the dark.

With the comfort of each other all through the night and the soothing presence of her magic in his mind, it was needless to say that Twilight's words rang true and they both had a very peaceful sleep. When they awoke the next morning, they were both a little drowsy, but also rested and content.

Dusk opened his eyes, blurry because he wasn't wearing his glasses, to make out Twilight's purple irises already gazing up at him.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she greeted softly.

"Good morning to you," he returned, levitating his glasses on. "How long have you been awake?"

"About five minutes."

"It's hardly fair for you to call me a sleepy head then."

"I think it is. It's been a very long five minutes." She stroked his chest gently. "I had to just lie hear, watching you just snooze away and feel the gentle rise and fall of your comfy, warm chest. I thought I would die of boredom."

He rested a hoof on the one on his chest. "That does sound very tedious, I have to admit."

"Oh yes, it was very boring," she said with a smile. "I can't believe I actually managed to put up with it."

"I'll try and wake up a little earlier then, if this is what's waiting for me when I do," he returned, tapping her nose lightly.

"See that you do." She kissed his cheek and nuzzled into his shoulder. "You know, I don't really feel like getting up. I just want to stay here all day…"

"I do too, but I'm afraid we'll have to." He nodded towards the door. "They might wonder what we've been doing in here."

"They probably won't be awake yet," she whined playfully. "Come on, just five more minutes?"

"Twilight, are you getting lazy?"

"Of course not. I'm just enjoying your company, as I know you are," she winked.

"I don't deny that, but we also need to check up on Pinkie," he reminded her. "She must be really tired from staying up all night."

"I guess you're right." She sighed reluctantly, but didn't move. "Well? Go on then. I'm not moving until you do."

"Looks like Spike's starting to rub off on you." Levitating his hat over, he rose up and stretched while yawning. "Come on then."

"Right behind you." They stepped outside and rubbed their eyes. She took a look at Pinkie's cake. "Whoa!"

"I know," said Pinkie, ignorant to what they could both see. "I think some congratulations are in order for a job well done."

"Um, you better hold off on giving yourself an award just yet Pinkie... look." She touched the plate and turned it around.

"Look at what? Huh?" Her eyes widened when she saw three, large chunks taken out of all three parts of it.

First she gasped. Then she screamed. Very loudly. Loud enough that everypony else present soon arrived.

"What is it?" asked Applejack.

"What happened?" chimed in Rainbow.

"It's the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness, it's been mutilated!" she cried, everypony else gasping. "Now we just need to find out who done it."

"You mean, who "did it"," corrected Twilight.

"Exactly. Who did-done-dood it."

His marefriend gave up on that. "Well, having read many mystery novels, I know that the only way to discover the culprit is to investigate."

"Exactly." She placed a Sherlock Hoof hat on her head and started smoking a bubble pipe into Twilight's face. "And as chief detective, that's exactly what I'm gonna do."

"Uh, you're investigatin'?" Applejack asked cynically.

"Yes! And Twilight shall be my lowly assistant who asks silly questions with obvious answers," she said, popping a Doctor Trotson bowler hat on her.

"What about me?" asked Dusk.

"Easy! You can be the well-meaning pony who tries to contribute to the investigation, but who usually ends up captured a lot of times by the bad guy," she told him, without giving him some item of clothing for that.

Dusk was thankful, because his next question was, "Isn't that role usually taken by a mare?"

"Come on, you've never heard of role reversal?" She shook her head in disappointment. "Honestly, Dusk, I never would have pegged you for being sexist."

"Yeah Dusk, be a little more open," piped up Ray with a snigger to Rainbow.

"Yes, I suppose you'd know all about open to being a mare, wouldn't you Ray?" he countered.

His eyelid twitched. "I thought we agreed never to speak of that again," he said through gritted teeth, prompting a titter from Rarity.

Twilight looked as ecasttic about this as he did, which was to say not at all. "Fine, Pinkie. Should we start looking for clues?"

"Perfect silly question, my dear Twilight. Because the obvious answer is..."

"Yes?"

"No! 'Cause I know who did it."

That prompted another gasp from everypony present.

"Pinkie, how could you possibly know?" asked Twilight.

"How could I possibly not know?"

"Perhaps we should investigate, just to validate it?" tried Dusk.

"Oh, Dusk, I know you mean well but…" She tutted and gave him some ropes. "Just tie yourself to the tracks now, save the villain some trouble."

"How thoughtful of you," muttered Dusk.

"Though it's funny I mention tying to the tracks, considering who done it," she continued. "Clearly this dastardly deed was done by the baker, who knew their dessert could not measure up to the mastery of the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness. I guess you feared your éclairs lacked flair, Gustave!"

Following this, she proceeded to accuse how she had tried to defend the cake from the villainous Gustave, who had tied her to the train tracks like a moustache twirling villain and set the cake on a slow moving conveyer belt to a saw blade like a Batmane villain.

"Thus, destroying the cake, and the Cakes' chance of winning the National Dessert Competition," she finished.

"But it makes no sense!" protested Twilight.

"What do you mean, lowly assistant?"

"Well first, if you were tied to the train tracks, how are you now here?" she asked.

Pinkie frowned thoughtfully. "Huh... guess that isn't a totally silly question."

"And second, the cake hasn't been sliced, it's been bitten. Just look at the teeth marks!" she pointed out.

Pinkie frowned thoughtfully. "Hm... you're right, my fine fellow. Gustave le Grand is clearly in the clear, which means the "MMMM" was destroyed by another baker. A baker who's donuts are do-nots. That's right, it was Joe! Or as he's known the spy world, Mane. Con Mane."

Portraying Joe as some kind of suave, classy spy, she painted a picture of how he had first knocked her out with a gas bomb, deactivated the laser security system surrounding the cake and sliced it up with the same system.

"Crushing the Cakes' chances to win!" she finished again.

Twilight set her straight again. "Pinkie! There is no laser beam security system. And Joe is not sleek, stealthy Con Mane! He's big, gruff, and messy!"

"Hey!"

"Although, you would look rather dapper in a tuxedo," put in Rarity.

"Also, again, bitten not sliced," reminded Dusk.

She frowned again. "Huh... you may be right, lowly assistant and helpless cohort."

"May be?"

"Now that I'm taking a closer look at these desserts, I see that one simply cannot look me in the eye." While she pushed against the moose, Dusk noted how rigid it remained. "Hmm, odd. That's pretty hard chocolate."

"Pinkie, hard or not, that mousse is a moose!" cried Twilight.

"Yes, and the mule behind the moose panicked when she saw the mastery of the "MMMM"."

"So you're saying that the culprit is..."

"Mulia Mild!" she accused.

Now, another wild accusation, she had Mulia as a stealthy ninja, who snuck up behind her, knocked her out with a frying pan and sliced up the cake with a katana sword.

"Putting an end to the Cakes' dreams of taking first prize. Huh, I hope you're proud of yourself Mulia," she growled.

"Pinkie stop! This is ridiculous! Look at her!" The mule was trembling from the accusation.

"And again, bitten, not sliced." Dusk highlighted them with his magic. "Note the teeth marks, not sword marks. Bitten, not sliced," he went on, creating colour shapes for demonstration.

Pinkie sighed in defeat. "I guess you're right..."

"Thank you!" they said in unison.

"But I was so sure that it was one of the other bitter bakers that destroyed the "MMMM". That way, their delicious dessert would reign supreme. I mean, just look at Joe's Donutopia. It's a spectacular city of donutty delight, topped temptingly in sprinklicious sprinkles. And Gustave's éclairs look incredibly edible, with glistening glaziness. But then there's Mulia Mild's Mousse Moose. Hoh, why this mouth-wateringly marvelous mousse moose tempts the taste buds with its silky, smooth, yummy-nummy, chocolateyness."

While giving these descriptions, everypony else started to drool at how tasty they sounded. Even Dusk licked his lips a little.

"So why did this criminal devour the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness while leaving this trio of tasty treats untouched?" she asked.

Almost as soon as she said this, the train entered a tunnel and plunged them into darkness. Dusk heard movement all around him, munching sounds and another scream from Pinkie. But that wasn't all he could hear. There was a sound of screeching metal, the chugging of the engine becoming less frequent. That could mean only one thing.

They were stopping.

"What on earth is going on?" Rarity's horn started to glow, giving them some light. "Why are we stopping? We can't be there yet."

"We aren't there yet," affirmed Dusk, letting three orbs illuminate the dark and looking out the window. "We're still in the tunnel. Why has the conductor stopped us here?"

"Maybe they're having some engine trouble," suggested Twilight. "They might be stopping to check and make repairs."

"Seems a bit of an odd place to stop it though," he remarked.

Looking around, he saw ranging expressions from confusion to fear appear on the faces of his friends. The other chefs had apparently went at each other's desserts in the dark and seemed a little more preoccupied with them at the moment.

"Mulia, are you being out of your mind?!" snapped Gustave. "What is it that you are making your Moose out of? Biting into it she is, how you say, like stone!"

"What?! You mean you actually tried to eat it?!" she demanded.

"Of course! Madame Pinkie made it sound so tres magnifique, I 'ad to!"

"That gives you no right to-"

"Wait a moment." Gustave's words started to register in Dusk's mind. "What did you say it was like?"

"Like stone, monsieur," he repeated. "Hard and tough, I almost broke my beak!"

That sense of unease he'd felt upon seeing the moose had now grown. He didn't know how this was possible or how it had managed this, but his suspicions were growing as to what it might be. He exchanged a look with Twilight. She was looking fearful too.

"Okay, we need to find out what's going on," she said decisively. "Ray, Dusk, you two head up to the engine and see what's going on. We'll keep our eyes open for anything here. Be careful, okay?"

"By your command," he complied. "Come on, Ray."

"Right behind you, buddy," he affirmed.

"Ray, wait." Fluttershy shuffled nervously on her hooves. "You um… you be careful too."

He grinned back at her. "You know me, Flutters. I'll be fine."

Hoping he hadn't just jinxed himself, Dusk opened the door to the first carriage, letting his orb of light go before him. Their hoofsteps were alarmingly loud in the encompassing silence, their shadows stretching out in front of them.

Dusk passed his gaze around the carriage, his eyes focused on anywhere his light didn't quite reach. He knew all he had to do was to keep it in sight, if it was here and there were plenty of ponies to do the looking, but that didn't make it any less terrifying.

"Look at this." Ray indicated the windows in the carriage. "The blinds have all been pulled down here."

Dusk examined the bulbs in the lamps. "These have all been smashed. Give it the advantage of darkness."

"Do you know what's causing this?" he asked bluntly. "You look like you know something."

"I have a suspicion. Growing, but I still really, really want to be wrong about it," he said sincerely.

"Right, that fills me with confidence, thanks," he muttered. "Let's keep going then."

They continued on through the carriages, moving slowly and checking every inch of them. They were all in the same state as the last. Blinds shut, bulbs smashed, leaving them in complete darkness. Only now that the engine was no longer going to Dusk realise how quiet it was. That just made it even worse.

He flinched when he heard movement ahead of them. He raised a hoof to halt Ray and to keep quiet, to which he complied. Sending his light ahead, he stalked forward like a naturalist approaching a sleeping lion. His hooves barely made a sound, his ears strained to listen for anything. Only when he approached the door did he realise his legs were shaking.

His magic aura touched the handle. Slowly, he turned to open it, peering through the window of the door. He squinted into the dark, about to send his light ahead-

"AGGGGH!" He leaped back when something charged out of the dark and barrelled right into him. "Help me, help me!"

It wasn't made of stone, but flesh and fur. It also wore a striped white and blue hat and blue overalls. It was the train conductor and he looked positively terrified.

"Help me! Please, you gotta help me!" he begged.

"Sir, calm down," urged Dusk, working to slow his own breathing. "What happened? What did you see?"

"I… I don't know," he stammered. "I, I, I turned around and i-i-it was just there. Standing in front of the furnace. It… it did something, made the fire go out, right in front of me. Then… then it came for me. Turned out the lights. It's still coming!"

"What was it? What did this?"

"Please, it's coming! We need to run! Help me!"

"Just tell me what it was and I can help. What was it?"

His next words confirmed his fears. "It's… it's impossible. A statue o-o-of a Pegasus. It was moving… but how can a statue move?"

"Why don't you ask it yourself?" Ray suggested, pointing past the conductor.

Dusk looked and froze just as it did. Legs outstretched like a zombie, snarling in malice out of the dark, was the Weeping Pegasus. The one that had escaped them back in the Castle. It had come back.

"No, no, no! Don't let it get me!" screamed the conductor. Scrambling past Dusk, he bolted down the corridor.

Dusk barely turned to acknolwdge his departure, his eyes firmly fixed on the Pegasus. It might be dangerous, but there was only one now. All they had to do was to keep this one in sight and find a way to get rid of it…

"Dusk, go! I've got this!" Ray charged straight it, his horn glowing.

He blocked his line of sight of the Pegasus. He didn't know what he was up against.

"Ray, don't!"

It was too late. The Pegasus had already moved, the tips of its wings touching Ray's head. He was on his knees, screaming, his horn still glowing. The usual yellow aura changed, turning a deeper red. Something expanded between them, Dusk hurried forward-

Only to be knocked back when Ray shot straight into him, forced backwards by an explosion of magical energy. Landing on top of Dusk, his body glowed faintly with that same red glow before he groaned and slumped over. He didn't move.

"Ray? Ray, can you hear me?" No response, but he was still breathing. "Okay, you're just unconscious."

He looked over at the Pegasus, which had been blasted back too. It was frozen in a slumped position, its stone body showing some cracks in places. Whatever it had just tried to do with Ray had failed, stopped by some kind of magic he'd performed. It was still angry though and he had a feeling that it wouldn't stay down for long.

"Heavier… than you look," grunted Dusk, hefting the stallion onto his back.

Hurrying as fast as he could with Ray weighing him down, Dusk made his way back through the carriages. He made sure to look over his shoulder while he went and could see the silhouette of the Pegasus in hot pursuit. It still had some distance from him, but it wasn't taking long to catch up.

"Oh no! Ray!" Fluttershy hurried forward, propping his head up. "What happened? How did he get like this?"

"It's okay, he's just out cold and that would be the reason." He whipped his head back around and pointed at the snarling stone face in the doorway.

Three simultaneous high screams and slamming of doors told him that the three chefs had fled into their compartments. The girls all reacted with surprise and fear too, but having faced similar horrors, they stood their ground.

"What the hay is that thing?!" exclaimed Rainbow. "Looks like some kind of freaky statue."

"That's exactly what it is," answered Twilight. "Pinkie, Rainbow, you two keep your eyes on it. Don't take them off it for a second, don't even blink."

"Ooh, staring contest!" said Pinkie brightly, standing next to Rainbow and staring straight ahead.

"Guess that means that y'all know what the heck this here gothic reject is then?" asked Applejack.

They affirmed this and proceeded to briefly explain the nature of the Pegasus and how they had come to encounter them. They didn't mention the Doctor, as that might be too much to take in, but they made it clear that the Pegasus's intentions weren't friendly.

"I could have guessed as much." Rarity glared at it. "Utterly distasteful thing, I wouldn't have it in my garden."

"But what's it doing here?" Rainbow asked, still keeping her eyes on their attacker. "Why was it pretending to be one of the desserts?"

"We were told that these creatures need potential energy to live, but from what I gather, they can feed off any kind of energy. There must be something in Canterlot that it wants, since it can't free its fellows," reasoned Twilight.

"Something that would require it to be in the competition." The answer came to Dusk in an instant. "Like being the winning entry! Pinkie, did you say that you were in here all night?"

"Yep, I never left the cake's side," she affirmed. "Not even when I was sleeping."

"Did you notice anything odd during the night?"

"There were a lot of bangs and noises and shifty shadows that made me leave to check and one time the lights went out in the whole place," she told him.

"It must have identified 'MMMM' as the biggest competitor and did what it could to knock it out of the running and hoping Pinkie would discredit the other chefs so that it would have the best chance of being the winner," he deduced.

"Hmm, who would have known scary statues would like meringue?" mused Pinkie idly.

"Even then, it wouldn't be necessary entirely for it to win, just so long as it's close to the Princess. It's tradition that the Princess gets the first slice of the winning cake at the end and she'd have to be there to look around at the others regardless," went on Twilight. "Either way, it would be in perfect striking distance when she would be completely unprepared."

"Guess now it's changed its plans," remarked Applejack, glancing at it. "Pinkie describin' the other desserts like that musta put a scupper in its scheme when Gustave tried ta eat it."

"Indeed," agreed Twilight. "Now that its cover has been blown, it must be resorting to desperate measures to make sure we don't reveal anything about it and find some other way to get the energy it needs."

Rainbow whipped her head round, looking furious. "Well, that thing can just forget it. No way I'm just gonna lay down while it chows down on the princesses!"

"Yeah, especially after what that meanie did to Ray!" added Pinkie.

"Exactly, but we need to…" Dusk realised something. "Wait, Rainbow, Pinkie? If you're facing us then… who's looking at the Pegasus?"

Rainbow and Pinkie froze in stunned realization. Their eyes all turned to find the doorway empty. The Pegasus had gone. A chilled silence descended upon them, as did a growing sense of fear.

"Nopony move, stay exactly where you are," ordered Twilight. "Face outwards in a circle, cover all directions. If you spot anything stone with wings, let the rest of us know immediately."

Dusk did as he was instructed, facing the right most windows. He kept his light hovering above them to provide the most illumination and watched with rapt attention the darkness outside. If only there was some way he could see further… well, there was, but it was a new skill to him that he had to hone.

Well, practice makes perfect, he thought. Concentrating as hard as he could, he reached out with his mind into the surrounding darkness. Even if his eyes couldn't penetrate the dark, he'd know if there was something close. It took a lot of energy though and he was already starting to feel the drain.

"You see anything?" whispered Twilight, her and the girls radiant in the dark.

"Hold on… give me a…" He felt something. A disturbance, making him turn his head. "There, rear cabin!"

They all turned, Dusk cancelling the spell. Almost like the creature that lurked within it, the darkness down the carriage was creeping closer towards them. Every second, there was the sound of bulbs smashing and blinds coming down, all serving to mask the approach of the Pegasus.

"Dusk, what are you waiting for?" hissed Rarity. "Light its approach!"

"Hold on, I have an idea…" He extinguished his orbs and waited.

"Dusk, what are you doing?!" Twilight looked at him like he was crazy. "Once it gets to the carriage, we won't be able to see it!"

"Just trust me." He didn't take his eyes off the coming dark. "We just need to wait until it gets a little closer…"

It had reached the third passenger car, making its way through the dining car. Was it his imagination or was it getting faster?

"Anytime would be good now, sugarcube," whispered Applejack.

"Little closer…"

Out of the dining car. Past the compartments. He could almost picture it, travelling with the dark. It was almost there, reaching the threshold of the dessert car. The blinds shot down, the bulbs exploded.

"Dusk, now or never!" shouted Rainbow.

"Now!" Light flared in the carriage, halting the silently screaming Pegasus right in its tracks, mere feet away.

"Red light!" Pinkie's eyes widened like saucers. "Now what?"

"Twilight, you teleport behind it. Get into the compartments and teleport the chefs out into the tunnel, then head for the exit," he instructed.

"What about all of you?"

"We'll give you ten seconds, after which we'll all start to leave one by one." He gestured with his head. "We can slip out of the gap in-between the couplings of this car and the next one and out into the tunnel. From there, we can make it to Canterlot on hoof and warn the princesses when we get there, because I have a feeling the Pegasus will be right behind us."

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"No," he answered honestly. "But it's the best chance we have."

She hesitated for a few seconds. "Okay, let's do it then. Stay safe, all of you." She kissed his cheek and teleported away.

Ten seconds. Dusk started to count down, trying his best not to be distracted by the sounds of Twilight teleporting. The blank, sightless eyes of the Pegasus never left them. Fixed like a predatory beast. Already, he could feel it starting to drain his strength, the light flickering a little.

He kept it up though, he had to keep them safe. Six times, one for leaving, one for returning for each chef. He reached zero by the time she had stopped.

"Right, our turn," he said the others. "Fluttershy, you leave first with Ray. Rarity, you go next and light the way. Applejack, follow and help carry out Ray, then Rainbow, then Pinkie and I'll go last."

He heard Fluttershy grunting from the effort. "Come on, Ray. You'll be fine, I'm here. I won't let it get you…"

It soon faded away completely.

"I must say, I'm used to staring for long periods, but it's usually at my own reflection," remarked Rarity, taking her cue to leave.

"Sure wish we had a mirror we could stick in front-a this thing," agreed Applejack, departing swiftly.

Rainbow growled a little. "Dusk, you go next instead. I can handle a little staring."

"Yes, but you also can't maintain my spell," he countered.

"I don't like this though. I don't like leaving you with this thing."

"Don't worry, I'll be with him," piped up Pinkie.

"Yeah, but then you'll be gone and he'll be on his own." He could hear the strain in her voice. "Guess this is what Twilight means when she says you can be smart and stupid."

"None more so than you," he countered. "Go now please… this is becoming a little taxing."

She lingered for a few more seconds before she left too, with only him and Pinkie left.

"Dashie's right though," she noted. "I don't like leaving you with this nastie wastie, creepy weepy quantum lockey Pegasus either."

"I'm not very happy about it either." A slight flicker bought it an inch closer. "But, you know what they say about facing up to scary things? Giggle at the ghostly, guffaw at the grossly…"

Pinkie continued on while she headed out. "Crack up at the creepy, whoop it up with the weepy, chortle at the kooky, snortle at the spooky…"

The rest of it was lost as echoes down the tunnel. Now, he was alone with the murderous monster before him, his eyes beginning to sting and his strength still waning.

Dusk kept his eyes on it, putting as much energy as he could into the light. All he had to do was back slowly away to the gap and run as fast as he could. He started taking steps back, slowly and carefully, still keeping eyes on the Pegasus. It wasn't far, he could make it…

His hoof stepped on something slippery before he noticed. It was a fallen part of one of Gustave's ecclairs. Losing his footing, he slipped and crashed to the floor. He tried to scramble back to his hooves, turn eyes back to the Pegasus.

Something touched his head, cold as marble.



"My goodness, that face, that awful face!" Mulia was still trembling violently. "I've never seen anything so horrid in my life!"

"I know, but you're safe now." Twilight couldn't really offer her much sympathy, not while her friends and Dusk were still in danger.

"What about our desserts? My éclairs?" asked Gustave. "You cannot expect me to just leave 'zem zhere with zat zhing!"

"Right now, Mr Le Grand, there's more important things to worry about than your sweets," snapped Twilight, shutting him up.

She kept watching down the tunnel for any signs of them. She knew that Dusk's plan had made sense and for now it looked like it was working. Of course, looks could be deceiving and she wasn't going to feel like they'd pulled it off until Dusk was back at her side.

"He's gonna be fine, Twilight," said Joe comfortingly. "I gotta feeling that kid's tougher than he looks."

"More than you know," she murmured.

He shifted on his hooves. "Look um, I woulda stayed and helped, but um, I thought that I should stay with these two. Keep 'em safe, you know? Make sure they weren't scared or nothing."

"Of course, Joe." Despite herself, she giggled. "If I didn't know any better, I would say that you were just scared."

He chuckled. "Are you kiddin', Twilight? Nopony scares Pony Joe."

"Hey!" He jumped and yelled from the sound of Rainbow's voice while she approached down the tunnel. "You guys all okay?"

"We're fine. I thought that Fluttershy and Ray were leaving first," she noted.

"They did, but I flew on ahead to check on you and the chefs. The others are all right behind me," she reported.

Twilight nodded and could already see the growing dot of Rarity's horn in the distance. She began to feel relief as they trickled by, Fluttershy setting Ray down on the tunnel wall and trying again to bring him round. That relief quickly drained, however, when she noted one important member of the group missing.

"Where's Dusk?" she asked, her eyes darting around for him. "Why's he not here?"

Pinkie looked back. "He should have been right behind me. I thought he'd catch up soon."

"Now, hold on y'all, let's not start a panic here…"

"Something dreadful must have happened!" Rarity cut off. "He must be still trapped on the train with that thing!"

That was all Twilight needed to hear. "You all wait here, I'm going back for him. If we're not back in five minutes, go on without us."

"Twah, ya can't go back there by yerself!"

"I have to, Applejack." She gathered energy for another teleportation. "Don't try and stop me."

She saw them start forward, but the blinding flash and whirling of the spell had already transported her. The carriage may have been dark before, but now, even with her horn glowing and giving some light, she could barely see a few feet in front of her muzzle. It was everywhere, pressing down upon her.

Still, she wasn't going to let it scare her, nor the Pegasus that undoubtedly was waiting for her, even if fear was now starting to wrap its icy grip around her. Dusk was here somewhere and she wasn't leaving until she got him back.

As long as she could see it, she would be fine.

"Dusk? Dusk, where are you?" There was no reply. "Please tell me you're okay, please."

She yelped when her hoof touched something wet. Looking down, she saw that it was just a piece of cake that had fallen onto the floor. She breathed slowly, feeling her heart pounding against her chest. She needed to get a hold of herself…

"Dusk? If you're here, give me some kind of sign, please," she called. "It's not safe here."

"I know that."

She almost jumped again when his voice spoke, so close to her. She should have felt glad but… there was something wrong with it. Something nto quite right.

"Dusk? Is that you?" She still couldn't see him. It was too dark. "I came back to find you."

"I know and now you have." His tone was cold, almost mocking.

"Where are you?" She glanced over her shoulder. "We need to get out of here, before the Pegasus gets us."

"It's too late for that now, Miss Sparkle. It's already got me."

Those words chilled her blood. "What did you say?"

"The Pegasus already got me. It snuck up behind me in the dark and snapped my neck," he said, almost casually. "Very quick, very sudden. I didn't even have time to scream."

"No… no, that's not true," she insisted. "If you're dead, how can I be talking to me?"

"Perhaps you're not. Perhaps you've simply been driven to insanity and are now hearing the voices of dead ponies in your mind," he replied lightly. "Poor little Twilight, gone mad."

"No, no I'm not mad!" She could hear the break entering her voice. "I can hear you, I know I can. You're alive!"

"Or maybe you're dead and if you're not, you soon will be."

"Dusk, stop it! This isn't like you, this isn't funny!" She started to back away, eyes searching the dark. "Where are you?!"

"Here." She whipped around, saw blue in the dark as shadows slithered after her.

Before she could react, they had wrapped themselves around her. She couldn't even move her legs from how tight they had coiled around her body like snakes. Now, she could see Dusk. His face was blank and serene, his eyes cold and dead.

"I knew you would return, Miss Sparkle. Your love for me, it's so strong and pure."

A horrible screeching sound followed his words, like a thousand ravens cawing combined with hoof-on-chalkboard.

"Dusk, what are you doing?!" she screamed. "Why are you…?"

Something caught her eye, peeking through the dark behind him. She could see something behind his head. The stone feathered tips of two wings touching either side of his temples. Then she noticed how rigid his body was. Like a statue.

"It's you, isn't it? You're using Dusk like a puppet, using his powers and his voice."

"Once again, Miss Sparkle, your powers of deduction astound me," the Pegasus echoed.

"Stop doing that!" she yelled. "Stop sounding like him!"

"But I am him, Miss Sparkle," it replied. "I'm your sweet, loving Dusk. Why don't you embrace me, kiss me? Show me how much you love me."

"You're not him!" she growled. "You're just using him and I want him back!"

"Why would I want to give him back?" it asked. "He's always been willing to help others and now he is. He's helping me live. Doesn't that make you proud of him?"

"Not like this!" she argued. "You're manipulating him, controlling him!"

"He already has the power. I just had to take it," it said. "Such power he has too, it truly is. I can only imagine what yours will be like."

"Stop it, just stop it!" she cried. "Just leave us alone!"

"I will leave you alone. I will leave your lifeless carcasses alone once I'm done sustaining myself. It shouldn't be long now…"

If there were any doubts concerning the cruelty of the Pegasus, they were gone now. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I do what I must to live, to guide you on the right tracks to me so that I could achieve that," it answered. "I thought you would be clever enough to work that out, Miss Sparkle."

Something about how it said that made her figure out something else. Guide them on the right tracks…

"You blocked the train tracks!" she realised. "But why? Why extend the journey to your destination?"

"For the chance to make you all afraid, Miss Sparkle."

"But what for?"

"For fun, Miss Sparkle."

"Fun? You think this is fun?" Despite all she knew, this still shocked her. "How can anything consider this fun? You're… you're a monster!"

"Yes, I am and that's what is so fun. Being the monster, revelling in your true nature, is truly joyous," it said, almost with reverence. "Dusk knows this and soon, your other friend Ray will too."

"What does that mean? Dusk isn't a monster and Ray most certainly isn't either," she said firmly.

"But he is." She could hear the smile in its voice. "I have seen into his mind. I have seen the rage and the hatred that burns deep within, not dissimilar to the fire that once burned in mine. It longs to be free, to destroy and to burn all that it sees. Little lonely Ray holds the key to all of your destruction and you don't even know it's there."

That horrible screeching sound came again, making her clutch at her ears.

"Stop doing that!"

"Why? His power would see this whole world burn and is powerless to stop it. It's the most amusing thing that I've ever heard."

Then, she realised what that sound was. It wasn't any sound of anger or hatred. It was amusement. The Pegasus was laughing. Even laughter from this creature was the foulest, most evil thing she'd ever had the horror to hear.

From all that it had done, all that it planned to do, only one thought entered Twilight's mind.

"I'm going to destroy you," she vowed. "I don't know how or if I actually can, but I'll find a way. You're dust, Weeping Pegasus."

A moment of silence passed. "Now, it seems we are all monsters."

"Maybe, but I'll make sure there's one less," she countered.

"And I'll make it two, because guess what I've just remembered?" She started to feel weaker all of a sudden and it only increased. "You have your connection through your necklaces. Now, I can feed on you both."

She had to act. Twilight tried a levitation spell, just to use something in the room as a weapon, but even that was becoming too taxing. But she had to try… no, she couldn't. It was too much…

"You will both help feed me, together. Won't that be lovely?" When she looked, the Pegasus was actually smiling.

They were going to die, as food for this monster from the darkest reaches of time. She could feel it, crawling around inside her head like a spider. Sheer cruelty and superiority, fuelled by a will to dominate. To feed. It wouldn't stop here. It would feed off her friends, her family, her teacher, her home, all of Equestria, until there was nothing left. It would grow stronger and it would breed. Nopony would be able to stop them.

She and Dusk would die… together. But no. They'd faced worse. Vividly, she remembered that Paraserpent, when it had her and it was feeding off her, like this Pegasus was. Dusk hadn't given up on her. He'd saved her. Since then, they'd overcome threats just as evil and monstrous as this one and they'd never once given up on each other. Nor had their friends or the ponies whose lives depended on them. Their need to protect them… to protect each other.

They hadn't given up then and they weren't going to start now. He just had to remember that… and she knew just how to do it.

She kept her mind going, learning all she could in the time she had. The way it was feeding off her, that too needed energy. Just as much as her spells did. It was her only chance, a slim one, but she had to take it. Concentrating with all of her might, she followed the stream of energy flowing between her and Dusk, touching his mind even as it was in the cold mental grip of the Pegasus. She called to him, to come to her aid.

And he heard her. He responded. His head moved a fraction, his eyes flickered, but she knew she had him. Now, together, they followed the stream to the Pegasus, combining their magic, remembering that compared to them, they were strong and it was weak. She understood how it was doing this, how it was draining their energy.

And together, they began to reverse it.

"What is this? What's happening?" The Pegasus had noticed this. "What are you doing?"

Twilight ignored it. The more she siphoned back her strength, the more she could increase the spell. Dusk was doing it too, she could feel his mind working in time with hers. The stone grip of the Pegasus started to weaken, but they kept the connection open. They needed to finish this.

"Stop. Stop, whatever it is you're doing." Was it ordering or was it begging? "My strength is waning. If you keep doing this, I will die."

"I… know…" she growled.

"But you are hurting me," it protested, the voice growing weaker. "You're hurting Dusk by doing this."

Just as its coils left her mind completely, Twilight uttered the last words it would ever hear.

"You're… not… Dusk!"

It was gone. She sharply breathed in oxygen and collapsed to the floor, coughing when she hadn't realised she was holding her breath. Or maybe she couldn't breathe. The darkness in the car lessened significantly. His magic had stopped…

Dusk! As soon as she could stand, she hurried over to his prone form. She turned him over, pressed her ear against his chest and felt her knees give way with the relief that swept through her. She could hear his heartbeat, feel the rise and fall of his chest. Just like she had last night.

"Come on, sleepyhead," she whispered. "Wake up…"

There was nothing at first. Did his leg twitch, or was it her imagination? No, it did. She could feel it being placed gently, lovingly around her. His head shook a little as he lifted it up, so she repositioned herself, supporting the back of it until he would be strong enough to stand.

"How long… have I been out?" he asked weakly.

"Only about a minute," she answered quietly.

"Then… you can hardly call me… a sleepyhead, can you?"

"It felt much longer to me. You know something, Pinkie was actually right," she said, holding him close. "You mean well, but you always have to end up being rescued."

He laughed. "That's not such a big problem, just so long as you're always there to rescue me."

She smiled and brought up his lips to touch hers. It wasn't like she needed it, but it was times like this that she remembered how strong the bond between them was and that neither of them were willing to let it break.

Almost like an afterthought, she looked over at the spot behind him. Where the Pegasus had been, there was now a pile of gathering dust. There was a wing here, a leg there, but it was all gradually crumbling away. Like time had only now caught up with it.

"We did it." Dusk touched it with his hoof. "We beat it…"

"Yes." She blew it off. "Yes, we did."



They'd found the conductor cowering in one of the toilets further down the train, once they'd gathered the others back inside. It took more than a little convincing for him to return to the front and get the train going again, even after he had seen the pile of dust the Pegasus had become. Even then, he insisted that one of them stay with him to make sure it didn't come back. None of them really minded, they were all just glad it was over.

Once they arrived in Canterlot, the chefs quickly stowed away to a kitchen where they combined the pieces of their scattered desserts into one entity. Mulia even managed to place a new moose on the top for her contribution, though she made doubly sure that it was made of chocolate and not stone. They even managed to get first prize, though none of them actually got a slice of the cake before Pinkie at the whole thing in one go.

Wanting to get away from the crowds for a bit, Dusk managed to slip away with Twilight and they walked in comfortable silence through Canterlot's halls. He revelled in the joy and happiness her presence gave, her side against his while they walked. Everything that had attempted to come between them they'd always managed to beat off and come back stronger. Even Dusk was amazed at how often it had happened.

Yet he couldn't help but wonder briefly… what if their luck ran out one day? It wasn't a pleasant thought, but it might… especially after what the Pegasus had said to Twilight when it had been in control of his mind.

Twilight seemed to sense his unease. "Are you feeling okay?"

"About as well as can be expected." They stopped at one of the windows, feeling the sun gracing their skin. "What do you think it meant, Twilight?"

"I honestly don't know," she replied. "We asked Ray about it and he said he doesn't know either."

"I know, but… he managed to keep that thing out of his head somehow, even knocked it back," he recalled. "Also, he didn't exactly say he didn't know. He just didn't say. Like he's hiding something."

"What do you think that might be?"

"I'm just guessing," he shrugged. "Whatever it was that let him do that, I hope it'll be on our side."

"If that something even does exist," she noted.

"Still prefer to have the facts?"

"You know me."

He laughed. "Even so, what about what the Pegasus said? That the world would burn… what does that mean?"

"You heard it. It was cruel, sadistic, it was just trying to scare me. It lied," she assured. "And if these Beasts do show up, we'll just do what we always have done."

"Dusk Noir, sir!" He stopped when he recognised those formal tones.

"Dreadwing?" He looked to see that it was indeed the former missing guard. "What… you're okay? Knock-Out too?"

"Affirmative, sir!"

Twilight too sounded amazed. "But we thought you were attacked by the Weeping Pegasi."

"Correct ma'am, but we were found and we were returned, ma'am! May I say that it is good to be back?"

"Yes, you may," nodded Dusk, smiling now. "So, what happened? How did you get back?"

"We were saved, sir, by a stallion Earth pony, sir! He waits for you both in the garden, sir and ma'am!"

Dusk exchanged a look with Twilight, thanked Dreadwing and they galloped straight off for the gardens. He'd had a feeling the stallion might show up in the wake of this, but he was still surprised regardless.

It didn't take long for them to spot him, leaning casually against the door of his time machine. His wooden, blue time machine.

"Fancy running into you two here," he remarked when they approached.

"We could say the same for you," returned Twilight. "I suppose you've heard about what happened?"

"I did indeed and well done to you both. Not many can say that they've faced a Weeping Pegasus and still be in the same time stream to tell the tale. You two are really something special," he noted with a smile.

"I guess we are," agreed Dusk. "I still wonder how it managed to disguise itself."

"The Pegasi are creatures of perception. I'm guessing it used a high level perception filter to disguise itself as one of the desserts. That would have been demanding on its energy reserves no doubt, but it must have thought it was worth it for the meal at the end."

"I'm just glad we stopped it in time," he said honestly. "It looks like we did a better job than you did at any rate."

"Hey, it wasn't like I didn't try!" he defended. "That thing led me on a wild goose chase… statue chase across all of Equestria. Scattering its signal, making it looked like it jumped a time trace. It's like trying to catch a drunken fly with a gin glass, which I did try."

"What for?"

"He was a foreign dignitary of his race. All it would have taken was one swing of a newspaper and there would have been an intergalactic war. A very delicate situation."

"So you used a gin glass?"

"It was all I had. It was either that or the blender."

Dusk just shook his head. "And you found the two guards?"

"Yep. Stroke of luck really, when I followed one of the residual time traces. It turned out to be them, gotten themselves into a bit of a scuffle in the fifth century when a pig farmer got some manure on Knock-Out's armour." He smiled fondly. "That's the third time there's been an arrow in the TARDIS door."

"I don't even want to ask about the other times," muttered Twilight. "And you brought them back in that?"

"Is that its name?" asked Dusk. "TARDIS?"

"That's her. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space," he explained. "My transport, home, constant companion."

Twilight glanced it up and down. "I'm still having a hard time believing it's a time machine."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Really? It vanishes right in front of you and you still doubt it?"

"It could just as easily be some kind of advanced magic."

"There's another way to find out." He pushed open the door. "Take a look. She won't mind."

Once again, Dusk was very tempted. He heard that humming sound, could see the glow shining through the doors and could make out a whole room in there. Just standing here, it felt like it should be impossible.

"Go on. You know you want to," winked the Doctor.

He glanced at Twilight who looked just as curious and tempted as he was. Reaching a kind of unspoken agreement, they stepped inside.

"Oh my…" Twilight froze like she was a Weeping Pegasus. "This is… this is…"

"Amazing," finished Dusk.

"I was going to say impossible but… that works too."

It was bigger. That was the first thing that hit him. Despite the small exterior, the interior was the inside of a small house. Tall columns rose around some kind of console that was set up in the centre, barely being able to make out what most of the buttons and switches on it were. He was almost tempted to go out and check again, but he believed what he was seeing. It was bigger on the inside.

He pressed a hoof to the transparent column set in the middle of the console. A faint vibration travelled up his leg from the contact. It was like it was greeting him. This whole place it was… it was…

Alive. That was the only word he could use to describe the interior of the TARDIS. The columns that grew from the floor up into the wall, the circular chamber they stood in, made from the same kind of rocky texture. He could actually see some flowers and small cracks growing from crevices, feel the humming of the energy that exuded from its very essence. It… no, she, was alive.

And she was beautiful.

"Quite a lot of space," he remarked to the Doctor when he stepped out of the doors. "But nopony to share it with?"

His smiled raised. "Are you offering?"

"No, thank you," he replied, Twilight nodding too. "I think our stance is still firm on that. Sorry."

"That's fine." He kept his smile though. "Don't you worry about me. I've actually managed to pick up somepony who's rather keen on travelling with me." He glanced at his watch. "Speaking of which, I should probably go and pick her up now. Don't want to keep a lady waiting, now do I?"

"I suppose not." He smiled sincerely. "I'm happy to hear that, Doctor."

"She said she knows you, actually," he remarked. "A wall-eyed pegasus by the name of Derpy Hooves."

"I've met her once before, yes," he affirmed. "Take good care of her, Doctor."

"Don't worry, I plan to," he promised. "You certainly know your mares, Mr Noir. Wouldn't be surprised if Twilight didn't start keeping a tighter hold on you."

"I think it's tight enough," she said, moving in close. "I trust him and he knows what would happen if he did try a double standard, I believe it's called."

"Nice to see somepony does," chuckled the Doctor. "Well, I'd best be off. Best of luck for your future, you two and just… be magnificent."

"You too, Doctor," returned Dusk.

"Good luck," wished Twilight.

"Onwards and upwards!" he proclaimed, stepping back inside the TARDIS.

The wind whipped around them once again and they watched as the Doctor left once more into time and space.

"So, on to the future then?" asked Twilight.

"On to the future, Miss Sparkle," he affirmed, taking his place by her side.

While they headed back to the competition, he looked over at the sky beyond Canterlot. It looked like they'd have to move it inside soon enough. A storm was coming…