Chapter 1: Suspicious Ponies
Sunny Inn, Sunny Island Port, Elmheim, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
To say that Colgate was stressed out and extremely confused to boot was an understatement. On the outside, she remained calm and quiet but, on the inside, she was screaming like a madpony and flying up and down the walls. So many questions were zooming about her thoughts. Where was she? Who was the strange mare that had sent her here? How had the mysterious mare teleported her away? And why did these two random ponies that she ran across look so much like the Doctor and his friend Derpy Hooves?! Colgate hadn't told the ponies known as Clockwork and Bright Eyes much information about herself. All she told them was her name and, despite being on her guard, accepted their sudden invitation to join them for a quick meal in a bakery that was located within a nearby inn known as the Sunny Inn. When will I get a break?! I get terrorized by a creature from another universe for months on end, which turns out to be my father, and now I've been sent away to Celestia knows where! Colgate thought angrily as she entered the bakery alongside her two new acquaintances. Well, I might as well learn as much as possible about where I am...as well as try to learn why these two look so much like the Doctor and Derpy.
Clockwork led Colgate and Bright Eyes over to a table before heading over towards the counter to order a small collection of beverages and sweets for them. While he ordered, he mostly focused on thinking about the mare known as Colgate. She seemed nice enough but Clockwork could tell that she was hiding something. He was especially interested in learning about how she ended up here in the country of Elmheim. The way she had appeared didn't resemble the normal teleportation process of a unicorn, and Clockwork had plenty of experience with unicorn teleportation thanks to his late wife. While Clockwork was mostly suspicious of Colgate and made a promise to himself to keep his guard up, it would be a lie to say that he wasn't feeling a tiny bit excited. He and Bright Eyes hadn't been traveling in this alternate Equestria for that long following their departure from Ponyville and they were already stumbling across something that Clockwork assumed the Doctor would have been more than happy to look into.
When the order was done, Clockwork took the tray of sweets and drinks and brought it over to the table. "Here we go," said Clockwork with a smile as he placed the tray on the table before sitting himself down.
As Colgate eyed the sweets, she suddenly found herself becoming very hungry. She had hardly eaten anything at Pinkie Pie's welcome party for Donna Noble due to her mostly thinking about leaving Ponyville. Now, with all these new situations of drama coming up, her stomach was more than eager to have something sweet inside it. "Thank you," Colgate said as she took a cookie with blue icing and began munching on it. Bright Eyes grabbed a muffin and began to lovingly nibble on it. She loves muffins like Derpy! Colgate thought. If I didn't know better, I would say that this "Bright Eyes" and Derpy were the same pony!
Bright Eyes let out a loud mmmm before taking a few more larger bites out of her muffin. "That zebra on the boat was right! These muffins are to die for!" Bright Eyes exclaimed. She then proceeded to give a somewhat guilty look. "I wish Derpy could try some of these too."
Colgate's ears shot up and her eyes grew wide. She knows Derpy! she thought in shock.
"When we're done here, we could package them and take them with us," said Clockwork. "We could give them to Derpy the next time we're in Ponyville." Bright Eyes nodded in reply. Clockwork turned towards Colgate and quickly noticed her shocked expression. "Are you okay? You look like you've heard something impossible."
Colgate forced herself to relax and her ears drooped down. They know Derpy. Perhaps they know the Doctor as well, she thought. Still...I can't be entirely sure if I can trust them yet. I don't want them to know that I know the Doctor until I'm sure that I can trust them. Playing dumb might work for now. Colgate cleared her throat and gave a small, albeit forced, smile. "I'm fine," she replied. "That name that Bright Eyes said just sounded odd to me."
"You mean Derpy?" Bright Eyes asked with a tilted head.
"Yeah! That! It's such an odd name. Never heard anything like it."
Clockwork raised his eyebrow in suspicion for a few seconds. "She's a friend of ours. Derpy Hooves is her full name," Clockwork explained.
"With a name like that, she must be quite an interesting mare," said Colgate with a chuckle.
"Actually, she's a lot like me!" Bright Eyes exclaimed.
"Really? Well that's nice."
That mare's definitely hiding something, Clockwork thought. I have a feeling that this isn't the first time that she's heard Derpy's name. I think it's about time to ask you a few questions, Colgate. Clockwork sat up a bit and took a sip of his coffee. "So, Colgate, where do you call home?" he asked.
Colgate froze. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell them my hometown, she thought. "Hoofston," she replied.
"Hoofston, huh? So what brings you all the way over to Elmheim?"
So that's where I am! Colgate thought with relief due to now knowing where she was. Elmheim. Come to think of it, I don't know much about it. I think I remember my mom mentioning it to me once and telling me that it was mostly a jungle-filled country that had an economy based around tourism. That would certainly make sense with all the shops and inns that are scattered all over the place. And...that mare mentioned it to me before teleporting me here! "A desire to see the world, I suppose," Colgate lied.
"Did you teleport here or take the boat like Bright Eyes and me?" Clockwork asked.
"A little of both." Colgate raised her shoulders a bit.
"That was certainly an odd teleportation spell you performed when we met out on the beach."
"Yeah." Colgate gulped as she remembered Clockwork mentioning her teleportation earlier. This stallion may just be as suspicious of me as I am of him! she thought. "It was a...new spell that a friend of mine was working on."
"A friend, hmm?" Clockwork took another sip of his coffee and Bright Eyes simultaneously took a bite out of her muffin. Colgate followed suit and finished eating her cookie.
"Thank you for the food. You didn't have to do this."
"It's no problem at all. Just trying to be a nice pony."
"Again, thank you. So...are you two staying at this inn?"
"Yep! We're looking forward to discovering all the secrets that Elmheim has to offer!" said Bright Eyes.
"Are you going to be staying here as well?" Clockwork asked.
Colgate's eyes moved over to her luggage, which was standing next to Clockwork and Bright Eyes's luggage, before looking back at Clockwork and Bright Eyes. I'd much rather get back home...but I'm definitely interested in learning a bit more about these two. Besides, that mysterious mare sent me here for a reason. Hopefully I'll run into her again and I'll be able to get some answers out of her, she thought. "Of course," she replied. "Hopefully the three of us will be able to discover the secrets of Elmheim together!"
"Yay!" Bright Eyes cheered as she clapped her hooves. Colgate got uncomfortable flashbacks to Derpy as Bright Eyes's eyes began to invert slightly.
"A toast...to the truth," said Clockwork as he raised his cup of coffee. Colgate followed suit as she raised another cookie from the tray and tapped it against Clockwork's cup. Clockwork proceeded to take a sip of his coffee while Colgate bit into the cookie. I've got my eye on you, Ms. Colgate, thought Clockwork as he glared at Colgate.
I've got my eye on you, Mr. Clockwork, thought Colgate as she glared at Clockwork.
Sunny Beach, Sunny Island Port, Elmheim, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Daring Do rubbed her head as she stood up. She dusted the sand from her mane as she took in her surroundings. Damn! I'm back at Sunny Island Port! she thought angrily. Now I'm going to have to trek back through the jungle again in order to continue my exploration of the temple!
"You seem to have a lot on your mind," Matilda said with a giggle.
"How would you be able to know that?" Daring asked bluntly.
"I know ponies. Besides, you've got a look on your face the quite clearly spells it out." Matilda stepped forward and shook Daring's hoof. "I must say that it's quite an unexpected pleasure to meet you, Ms. Do. I'm Matilda."
"Nice to meet ya, and please don't call me Ms. Do. Daring Do or just Daring will work."
"Okay, Daring."
Matilda smiled at Daring while Daring began frantically looking around the beach. That crazy mare isn't anywhere in sight, Daring thought. What was her name again? Rainbow Crash or something like that?
"Looking for somepony?" Matilda asked.
"You could say that," Daring replied. "Have you happened to see a mare with a cyan coat, rainbow mane, and wearing a black cloak?"
"I can't say that I've seen a pony that meets that exact description today."
"Well, if you see her, watch your back. She's dangerous."
"Thank you very much for the warning, but I hope you're not planning on running off just yet."
"Why would I not? Not meaning to be rude or nothing, but I have things to do."
"Oh, I have no doubt about that. But whatever you were doing prior to arriving here can wait a bit longer. There are much more important things at hoof at the moment than finding some old temple in the jungle." As Matilda examined her vortex manipulator for a moment, Daring gave her a wide-eyed stare.
"How...how do you-"
"Know that you were just searching for the Elmheim Temple? You're Daring Do. That's what you do. I only took a guess that it was the Elmheim Temple specifically because Elmheim is where we happen to be."
"Okay. Spill it, lady."
"Spill what, exactly?"
"The beans!"
"I'm afraid that I have no beans to spill at the moment."
Matilda grinned at Daring while Daring gave a loud, annoyed groan. "You know what I'm talking about! You know something about this!"
"About what, I might ask?"
"How I ended up here! You know something about it!"
"I'll admit that I'm definitely interested in finding out how you ended up here but, sadly, I have yet to acquire the right information to answer the questions that both you and I have."
"I know ponies too, ya know."
Matilda smiled and waved her hoof in front of Daring. "Ah! But not as much as I do!"
"Whatever. But I can definitely tell when somepony's hiding a secret!"
"We all have secrets, dearie. How well we keep them and how well we hide the fact that we have them in the first place is what matters."
"Well you're doing a pretty bad job at hiding the fact that you're hiding something."
"Don't think you've solved me just yet, Daring Do. I may or may not have more secrets to keep than any other pony on this beach." Matilda winked at Daring and began making her way across the beach. "However, if you truly wish to uncover the secrets that you are so sure that I'm hiding from you, why don't you follow me over to the Sunny Inn? Besides, I definitely have a few questions for you. You try to solve me, I try to solve you. Should be a nice way to spend one's afternoon!"
I'm getting all of the odd characters today, aren't I? Daring thought as she took a few steps forward. "Sure," she replied. "Why not?"
"Excellent!" said Matilda happily. "This way then! Oh, and try not to attract too much attention."
"Why would I attract too much attention? Last time I checked, I wasn't really that well known."
"The answer for that is for another time and another place. This way please!"
Daring groaned and grudgingly followed Matilda towards the Sunny Inn. This should be fun, she thought sarcastically as she walked alongside the teasing mare.
This should be fun! Matilda thought happily as she walked alongside the confused pegasus.