The Doctor ran to the console and did his usual thing. The TARDIS started moving again. After a while, the usual shaking slowed down, though it didn’t stop completely. “Okay,” the Doctor said, “we have a lot to do and I’m not sure what most of that is. I’m going to need everyone’s brains in a state of pure thought. Any ideas?”
Everyone was still trying to collect themselves after all that had happened. Shining Armor looked especially frazzled; he had only just escaped from what he could only describe as captivity and forced labor, and now he was twitching his head every direction throughout the TARDIS.
“Um,” he finally said, “would I be pointing out the obvious if…?”
“Yes,” the Doctor interrupted. “And we don’t have time for that right now. We need to focus.”
Shining turned to Twilight. “Twily, what have you gotten yourself into?”
“I’m still trying to figure that out myself, actually,” Twilight replied.
“What we really need to do is review all the important information,” the Doctor continued, seemingly unaware of the siblings’ sidebar. “What do we know?”
“That a volcano’s gonna blow and take a heckuva lotta towns with it,” Applejack said.
“And by my calculations,” the Doctor added, “we have maybe fifteen minutes before the temperature reaches critical.”
“Is there any way to stop the volcano before then?” Twilight asked.
“We’d have to find a way to lower the temperature,” the Doctor answered. “If we can just get it to a certain point, the whole mountain should return to a normal, stable internal pressure.”
“Where are we now, anyway?” Rarity asked.
“What kind of question is…?” Shining started.
“We should be hovering a safe distance from the volcano,” the Doctor interrupted.
“That’s ridiculous,” Shining replied. “We’ve just been in here the whole time.”
“Then open the doors and prove me wrong,” the Doctor said. Shining went to the doors and pulled one of them open. He was met by a view of the outside of the volcano from more than 800 feet up. “How else do you think we managed to get inside a volcano?” the Doctor asked rhetorically.
The other mares looked outside as Shining just stood there frozen. Smoke was starting to flow out of the top of the mountain. “So how do we cool down an entire volcano?” Applejack asked.
“I can see a bunch of clouds around here,” Rainbow said. “Fluttershy and I could huddle them around it and make it rain.”
“A good starting point,” the Doctor replied, “but it won’t be enough.”
“Couldn’t we just block the lava?” Pinkie asked.
Shining finally broke out of his trance and said, “I already used up too much magic powering one heat shield. I don’t think I can attempt it again.”
“And we could only do so much on our own,” the Doctor added. “In the end, we’d either fail to get the proper protection in time or just stave off the inevitable.”
“I’ve got an idea!” Twilight said. All eyes turned to her. “I could cast a cold spell over the volcano. That combined with the rain might help lower the temperature.”
“A cold spell?” the Doctor asked.
“It makes the area a little cooler,” Twilight explained. “I mostly use it during the summer to keep from sweating too much, but I think I can decrease the temperature even further.”
“Will that work?” Rarity asked.
“Either way, we don’t have much time,” the Doctor said. “Rainbow, Fluttershy, you two get those clouds ready; we’ll need all the cooling power we can get.” Rainbow saluted and took off out of the TARDIS. Fluttershy, surprised at the sudden directions given to her, took a few seconds longer to do the same. Both pegasi flew up to the clouds and started gathering them around the opening of the volcano.
“Now, while they’re doing that,” the Doctor said, “Twilight, get that cold spell up and running.” Twilight nodded and her horn lit up. She went to the edge of the door and pointed her horn at the volcano. The Doctor went to the console and pulled up an image on the computer, like a pair of thermometers.
“Okay,” the Doctor started, “the area around the volcano is starting to drop in temperature. Are those clouds in place?”
“Dashie’s getting the last cloud,” Pinkie said. Everyone could see a blue figure pushing a cloud into a much larger one above the mountain. Once it was ready, Rainbow turned around and gave the new, larger cloud a swift buck. There was a loud rumbling and rainwater poured out of the cloud.
“That’s it,” Applejack said. “Now what?”
“All we can do is wait,” the Doctor said. “If you have any deities, now would be a good time to pray.”
Everyone waited nervously, except for Rainbow and Fluttershy, who were hovering a safe distance from the volcano. All anyone could see was the rain falling on top; the only indication that anything more was happening was the slow drop in temperature due to Twilight’s spell. Beyond that, no one could truly tell what was happening. After what seemed like hours (in reality, only five minutes), the Doctor went back to the console to check the temperature readings.
“No no no, this can’t be right,” he whispered.
“What’s wrong?” Rarity asked.
“It’s still rising,” he replied. “All we’ve managed to do is just slow it down by a few minutes at best.”
“I’ll try amplifying the spell,” Twilight said. Her horn started to glow more violently. Everyone could feel the coldness intensify. The thermometer for the outside temperature read just above freezing levels.
Suddenly, Twilight gasped as her legs buckled under her. “Twilight!” Shining yelled. He turned his body so that he could try to lift her up.
“What happening?” the Doctor asked.
“Twilight’s a skilled magic user,” Shining said, “but even she has limits. Too much magic and she could collapse from the strain.”
The Doctor looked back at the thermometers. “The volcano’s levels are still rising! There’s got to be something we haven’t tried yet. Something we haven’t realized.” He hit himself on his forehead with his hoof in aggravated thought. He looked around him for any source of inspiration. His eyes stopped on the sonic screwdriver.
“Applejack! Rarity!” he suddenly shouted. The mares almost jumped at the sudden call “Keep Twilight upright. Mr. Armor, try to keep her conscious. Pinkie, look at that screen, keep your eyes on the left side, and tell me if anything happens.”
Realizing the Doctor might have a plan, everyone went to their stations, although Shining took a while to realize what was happening. As soon as Pinkie was at the Doctor’s station, he grabbed his screwdriver and went to the others. Rarity and Applejack were already on either side of Twilight, pushing against her slightly to keep her from falling again. Shining was holding her head up toward him.
“Twilight,” he said, almost in a whisper, “keep focusing on me. You can do this. I’ve known you all my life and you’re not a quitter. You never let something like sleep stop you before and I don’t expect that to change now.”
“I’m trying, Shiny,” Twilight replied. She sounded weak. “I really am. But I don’t know if I’ve got enough strength left.”
“If we’re lucky,” the Doctor interrupted, “we can keep that from being an issue.” He held the screwdriver at Twilight’s horn.
“Doctor,” Rarity said, “what are you doing?”
“When you were measuring me for that suit,” the Doctor explained, “I studied your magic energies and I’ve been formulating hypotheses all day. If we’re lucky, this one may be right.”
“And that is?” Applejack asked.
“I’ll let you know in a minute.” He turned on the screwdriver. It started whirring. “Okay, Twilight,” he said, “I’m going to have to ask that you keep this up just a little bit longer. I wasn’t lying when I said you ponies have plenty of potential, so now’s as good a time as ever to show me that potential.”
Twilight grunted. “I’ll… I’ll try.” Her head was bobbing up and down sporadically like she was trying to stay awake; Shining had to put a hoof under her chin to stabilize her.
“Pinkie!” the Doctor called. “How are things looking over there?”
“You wanted the one on the left?” Pinkie replied.
“Right!”
“Oh, I thought you wanted left, because that one’s still going up.”
The Doctor ignored Pinkie’s random statement and focused instead on the sonic. “Come on, come on. I am not going to let this happen.” He adjusted the settings. “Not now, not ever!” He pointed the sonic back at Twilight’s horn. The whirring noise was now at a higher pitch.
The Doctor noticed the aura around Twilight’s horn was beginning to become more opaque and bright.
“Doctor!” Pinkie shouted. “Are you still wanting the left or the right? Because the left is going down.”
“It’s working,” the Doctor said quietly. “Twilight, you’re doing great. Keep it up.” Twilight, through her tired state, was starting to look more determined than before.
“Doctor,” Pinkie said, “the red bar just passed one of the big lines.”
The Doctor quickly ran through the numbers. “Okay, that means that… carry the two, exponent of negative three, so… Just a little bit more, Twilight!”
The atmosphere of the TARDIS was turning from fear to excitement; if the Doctor’s current mood was anything to go by, things were starting to look better by the second.
“Hey, um, Doctor,” Pinkie continued, “the red bar just turned blue. Does that mean anything?”
“Yes, Pinkie,’ the Doctor replied. “It means that most of the magma has turned into solid rock by now, keeping the rest of the magma inside the volcano, where it belongs. Twilight, you can stop now.” The purple aura around Twilight’s horn disappeared and the sonic was switched off. Twilight sighed deeply and all but collapsed on the TARDIS floor.
“Twilight,” Shining said softly, “are you all right?”
Twilight breathed in deeply. “I’m fine.” Everyone released a sigh of relief almost at the same time.
“Okay then,” the Doctor said. “Someone call our feathered friends back inside. We’re heading back to Ponyville.”
“But what about Cadence?” Shining asked. “She’s probably worried sick by now.”
“Not if I’ve got anything to say about it,” the Doctor replied.
Rainbow and Fluttershy suddenly flew through the doors. “I’m going to need someone to take Twilight to one of the bedrooms; she can rest there. Down that hallway, two doors on the right, you can’t miss it.” Rainbow and Pinkie picked up the unicorn and followed the hallway the Doctor pointed at.
“Now then, Mr. Armor,” he continued, “when exactly were you kidnapped by the Autons?” Shining just stared at him blankly. “The mannequins?” he clarified.
“Oh, um, around 2:35 today?”
“And when did we meet up with Cadence?” the Doctor continued. “Anyone? Anyone?”
“I believe it was around a quarter to three,” Rarity answered.
“Then I think I can make this work. Granted, it’ll be cutting it close, but…” The Doctor once again hit seemingly random buttons and levers until the TARDIS started to shake and tumble.
Upon stepping outside, Shining Armor saw that the TARDIS was now in an alley in what looked like Canterlot. In fact, the area looked like…
“The tuxedo store?” he asked. “But why here?”
“Is there a clock nearby?” the Doctor asked.
Shining was surprised at the Doctor’s change in subject, but said, “Um, yeah, there’s a clock tower over…” He turned his head down the street and saw the tower he mentioned. But something was off. “Two forty-five?”
“Wait a sec,” Applejack said from inside the TARDIS. “Are you tellin’ me that…”
“We just went back in time?” the Doctor finished. “Yes. In fact, if Rarity is correct, our past selves are talking with Cadence as we speak.”
“Um, what?” was all Shining could say.
“Yes, time travel does have that effect on the uninitiated,” the Doctor said. “All you need to know is that Cadence will be here soon, but she’ll never know you’ve gone. Just don’t go anywhere near Ponyville for the next few hours; last thing we need is a time paradox on our ha… hooves.”
“Um, right.” Shining didn’t quite know what to make of the Doctor’s explanation, but he decided it would be best, for Cadence’s sake, that he just pretend today never happened. “Just take care of Twilight, okay?”
“You have my word,” the Doctor said. He closed the TARDIS door and Shining watched as it faded in an out of existence with a rhythmic whir.
Shining walked into the store. “Oh, Mr. Armor!” He turned and saw the clerk who was running the store at the time of his kidnapping. “Are you alright?” she asked.
“I-I’m fine,” Shining stammered. “It was just, uh, some of my old fraternity friends. Yeah, they were getting me back for something I did a few years ago.” The clerk looked confused. “A couple of them really tend to hold onto a grudge. You should’ve seen what happened at Junior Prom.”
“Ookay, sure,” the clerk said slowly.
“Oh, um, quick note,” Shining said. The clerk looked up at him expectantly. “Cadence may come by wondering where I was. If you could just not tell her about this whole thing? It’s kind of embarrassing,” he added, trying to pull off a sheepish look.
“O-of course, sir.” The clerk went back to her business, slightly skeptical but unwilling to pursue the matter further.
“Shining!” a new voice said. Shining turned to find Cadence coming through the door. “Have you really been here this whole time?” Her face wasn’t angry, but rather exasperated with a hint of amusement.
“Well, you know me,” Shining defended. “All these tuxes look the same to me. But I know they’re not that way to you, so I…”
“I’m aware,” Cadence said. “I just saw Twilight on my way here and she told me the exact same thing.” Shining was trying very hard to keep himself from thinking too hard about the time travel implications in that statement. “Come on, you,” Cadence continued with a smile. “Let’s find something that fits you.”