//------------------------------//
// Count the shadows 
// Story: Doctor Whooves - The Dark Side of the Moon 
// by MrPengu1n 
//------------------------------//

	Luna watched in horror as the massive black planetoid object neared the planet's surface. it struck it's first tower, then suddenly collapsed upon itself, spilling shadows all over the surface of the planet, settling and then slowly fading from view.
Rosebud made a confused face, "Well that was a bit anticlimactic,"
"Doctor," Truman said quietly, "Do you have any idea what that was?"
"There's only one thing in the universe that fits the bill," The Doctor said, "Only one organism that accumulates in vast swarms, capable of traversing light years within the hour, whose presence interferes with technology, like the lights shutting off, or the door getting stuck." The Doctor paused dramatically, looking down on the surface of the planet apprehensively, "The Vashta Nerada."
"The what?" Luna asked.
"But that's impossible," Truman said.
"I know," The Doctor responded, "The Vashta Nerada live in forests, sticking to the shadows, not accumulating in such a massive swarm, and definitely not travelling across space! I don't get it! Why are they here?" He demanded no one in particular. snapping out of his funk, he stood back up straight and said, "Right then, I've got a plan. Now, I don't know why they're here, they were never here before, but I can fix this, and make it so it never happened. I just need to get to my TARDIS."
"Your what?" Rosebud asked, snapping out of her shock as well.
"It's, like, my ship, my time machine," The Doctor explained quickly, "I left it parked down at the bottom of the Congress tower, if I can get to it, I can fix this, all of it."
"So we have to get to the bottom of the tower," Truman inferred, looking back apprehensively at the door to the radar room, "All the way down to the ground floor, passing through hallways and corridors that are probably infested with Vashta Nerada by now."
"Yup," The Doctor confirmed, "Or...we could do this instead," and he proceeded to pick up a large object that was placed nearby and threw it through the window, causing it to shatter on impact. he turned back to Truman and said, "You're got a pair of wings, haven't you?"
Truman started with a jolt as he realized he did in fact have wings, "Oh yeah," he said, looking back at his wings, "I do have those, haven't I?"
"Carry Rosebud down to the ground, and Luna," The Doctor instructed, turning towards Luna, "You carry me."
"Alright," Luna nodded, flapping her wings once to get airborne. after a moment of awkward flapping, they were all out in mid air, slowly flying down to the ground several hundreds of feet below.
"Doctor," Luna started, "What exactly are the Vashta Nerada?"
"Yeah," Rosebud agreed, clutching tightly to Truman's legs, "I've never heard of anything like that."
The Doctor paused to gather his thoughts, then said, "Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. Except...it's not irrational. The Vashta Nerada are swarms of creatures that live in the shadows, devouring every and any other form of life that crosses their swarm."
"You mean...they EAT ponies?" Luna confirmed apprehensively.
"Not just ponies," The Doctor corrected, "almost every form of intelligent life. but I don't have a shred of any idea what they're doing here, they usually live in forests. well," The Doctor corrected himself, "One time I found a swarm living in a Library, but this...this is different."
With that last ominous note, they reached the ground safely. "Right then," The Doctor said quickly, steadying himself, "I left my TARDIS over here," and he dashed off towards the front of the Congress building. Luna and the rest of them followed.
The Doctor rounded a corner, only to be met with an empty lot, "No, no, no, no, no!" He said, dashing this way and that, searching for his blue box, "It's not here! what could have-" he stopped, fell to his knees, and clutched his head in despair, "Oh, how could I have been so stupid!"
"Doctor, what's wrong?" Luna asked, getting scared.
"Truman," The Doctor said, "Can you please tell me what happens when a state of emergency is invoked on the citadel?"
Truman thought for a moment, then said, "Uh, a sweep is made for any foreign objects, and if any are found, they're taken into storage."
The Doctor nodded with a sigh, "They took my TARDIS!" he explained, "That's just great!"
"What do we do now?" Rosebud asked.
"We have to go back inside," The Doctor explained, getting back up on all fours, "and find the TARDIS in storage." he turned towards the massive building once more, which was now eerily silent.
"W-we have to go...back in there?" Luna confirmed apprehensively.
"there's no other way," The Doctor nodded, "Its our only hope. but," he turned towards the small group that was now huddled together, scared out of their mind, "before we do that, listen to me, and listen good. when we go inside, you must stay out of the shadows. the Vashta Nerada could not be in every shadow, but in any of them. If the Vashta Nerada are trying to take you, you'll know, because you'll have two shadows. so, remember, stay in the light...and count the shadows."