//------------------------------// // This is Real Magic // Story: My Little Background Pony: New Neighbors // by comicfan616 //------------------------------// Bras watched as his subordinates worked the controls of the computers and apparatuses needed for the assimilation process. That stallion’s trick with the sonic device took him and the others by surprise. He knew there was nothing ordinary about that stallion from the beginning, but technology like his couldn’t possibly have been found on this world. He would need to be ready when they met next. “The scout’s still not back, Commander.” A Krillitane came up to him with information regarding the scout he sent to search the caves. “We’ll worry about that after we’re done here,” Bras replied cooly. “With all due respect, sir,” the other started, “why do we need to concern ourselves with them? They are nothing compared to us. They may not even be in the tunnels anymore.” “They are still here,” Bras said, surprising his cohort. “None of them, especially that stallion, strike me as the kind to leave their fellow ponies in distress. Besides, however unlikely it may seem to us now, should they escape, they will reveal our existence. Our purpose is infiltration and quiet subjugation. We can’t risk them telling anyone about our existence. We need them either in the dungeons or in the ground before that happens.” “Commander,” another voice called out. Bras turned to the Krillitanes at the main terminal. “The chamber’s ready, sir.” Bras smiled and walked to the open assimilation chamber. “Sir, before we continue,” the Krillitane continued, “I should warn you that you’ll be the first of our kind to have these features. There is no small amount of risk in being the first to advance our evolution; it’s possible your body may not be able to handle the mutation.” “Are you saying something will go wrong?” Bras replied. “I would hope that such esteemed scientists as yourselves would be a little more confident in your abilities.” “Just maintaining a realistic outlook,” the other pointed out. “No matter,” Bras said. “As your commanding officer, it my duty, my obligation, my privilege to take such risks for the Krillitane objective.” Having said his piece, he stepped into the chamber. The walls closed up, sealing him inside. The scientists carefully worked the controls at their station. The assimilation chamber hummed to life and light could be seen coming through the cracks between the walls. A muffled groan could be heard inside, like Bras was straining to keep himself alive. Then it all stopped. The humming died down and the lights faded. Once of the scientists pressed a button on the console and the chamber opened up. Bras stumbled slightly but made his way out just fine. He looked very similar to how he did before, with the addition of a dark brown unicorn horn between the pre-existing buffalo horns. “Commander?” Bras’ second-in-command stepped forward with an inquisitive look. “How does it feel?” Bras looked around and settled on a rock in the corner. He stared at it, almost like he was trying to scare it into submission. Finally, his horns, all three of them, became surrounded in a dark aura. The rock had a similar aura around it as it rose off the ground and flew from side to side. “Magical,” he finally said. “Oh, come on!” a slightly familiar voice exclaimed. “All the words you could have used, and you went with ‘magical’? I can’t decide if that’s stupid, cliché, or stupidly cliché!” “I had a feeling you were still here Mr.… Turner, was it?” Bras said before turning to the entrance. The stallion was, in fact, standing there. “Have to say, though,” Turner continued, “that was fascinating. I’ve never actually seen Krillitane assimilation before. I suppose that’s one more off the bucket list. And it’s simply amazing that you were able to master levitation and manipulation so quickly.” “Yes, well, as fun as it is listening to you ramble,” Bras said, his voice becoming darker, “I can’t have you running about. And we could always use a few more ponies for the assimilation. What’s a little more magic, right?” “You’ll have to catch me first!” Turner circled around and ran back through the cave. “All troops, move in and intercept!” Bras yelled out. As soon as Turner came back to the fork, he whistled loudly. That would be the signal for the girls to get ready. He then made his way down the only tunnel he hadn’t gone through yet. He didn’t know what lay at the end, but knowing was not important; he still had to lure the Krillitanes out of the girls’ way. He ran for what seemed like a long time. He was starting to tire, but the sounds of wings and hoofbeats behind him kept him going. Finally, he ran into a dead end. He almost didn’t see it due to the lack of a light source, but his eyes had gotten used to the darkness just enough to keep himself from smacking face-first into the wall. The tunnel had just stopped: no chambers, no forks, no exit point whatsoever. He was completely trapped. He heard something clicking its tongue behind him. “You should know better than to go running around unfamiliar territory.” Turner circled around and stared as confidently as he could at Bras. The Krillitane commander lit up his horns, most likely out of courtesy for Turner’s vision problems; the light was still minimal, however, due to the dark aura. “I’m touched by your concern,” Turner replied, “but shouldn’t you be more worried about finding me alone? I did, after all, have five other companions.” “If these companions are anything like what I believe them to be,” Bras returned, “They will not be too far away.” “Then where are they?” Turner asked with a smug grin. “And what are they doing in the meantime? You were right about ponies being a danger to your plans, but you still don’t give them enough credit.” Bras chuckled. “In saying that, now I’m even more curious. You speak as though you are something else entirely. And your sonic device is most definitely not of this world. You are more than what your appearance would claim. Who are you, Time Turner?” Turner was silent. He could almost feel Bras' emotions within his accusations: curiosity, excitement, and just the slightest hint of fear. “You’re right,” he said at last. “I’m not what I seem. To you, and to everyone for that matter, I look like any normal pony. An earth pony. Not even special like a pegasus or a unicorn. But inside is a life that would make even the bravest of beings quiver with fear. I’ve seen and done things that most could only dream of. All of time and space is at my hoof.” He paused to look at the comprehension in Bras’ face. “That’s right. I’m a Time Lord. And not just any Time Lord, either. In war, I am salvation. In peace, I am the glue that keeps it there. To my enemies, I am the Oncoming Storm. My very existence led my own people to mistrust me. I am… the Doctor. And I will not allow you to conquer this planet.” Bras was silent for a moment. Finally, he started laughing again. This was more than a simple chuckle, almost more like an actual laugh. “Call yourself whatever you want, Doctor.” He spat out the name as though mocking him. “Time Lord or no, you are still just one pony against my entire company. Tell me how you have the advantage.” Turner didn’t answer; he was too busy looking at an aura of blue magic behind the Krillitanes. “Like this!” Bon Bon’s voice shouted. She held out the sonic screwdriver and turned it on. Once again, the Krillitanes buckled under the noise. “Timey! Get out of there!” Turner wasted no time following Vinyl’s voice past his former pursuers. He galloped over to his friends. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he said to them. “Where are the others?” “Derpy and Lyra are leading the prisoners out of the cave,” Bon Bon said. “And yes, we did get all of them out.” “We just wanted to make sure you were all right,” Vinyl added. “I’m glad for that,” Turner said. “But what is that?” He pointed to the object Vinyl was carrying with her magic; it was what alerted Turner to his friends’ presence in the first place. It looked like the salad bowl. “Leftover salad,” Vinyl answered. “Not enough mouths to feed.” Before they could continue, however, all three heard grunting from the direction of the Krillitanes. Suddenly, the air around them started to distort and wave, almost like water. Then, one by one, they started getting up, like the noise caused by the sonic wasn’t affecting them. “Hold on,” Vinyl whispered. “That’s a sound barrier! I’d recognize that anywhere.” “Wait, then does that mean…?” Bon Bon started. “Bras does have magic now, yes,” Turner finished. “I think it’s quite clear now that the advantage has fallen to us,” Bras stated. “You’re all out of tricks, Doctor.” “Then try this!” Vinyl said. She threw the bowl at the Krillitanes, causing the salad to spill out. The contents landed on the opposing army. The Krillitanes screamed in pain, some of them complaining about burning. “Nice move, Vinyl,” Turner said. “Looks like there was just enough oil. But we better get out of here.” Bon Bon quickly gave the sonic screwdriver to him and they all ran back to the outside. Bras, through his pain, glared at the retreating forms of the three ponies. With little else to comfort him, he could only scream, “Dooooctooorrrrr!” Suddenly, he and his entire army were engulfed in flames. Even with the number of Krillitanes, the explosion wasn’t big enough to even reach the trio. However, the shock caused the cave walls to crack under the pressure. It didn’t take long for the cracks to travel along the cave, causing the whole place to collapse. The cave-in seemed to follow the ponies as they ran down the final stretch of tunnel. They kept running until they finally saw light, and even then, they didn’t stop until they were outside and far away from the cave entrance. They turned back to find the mouth of the cave was completely covered by boulders. Turner sighed to himself out of relief before turning around. He saw a large crowd of ponies, all standing around and wondering if what had been happening to them was even real. Some were even looking back at the cave after the collapse. “You’re sure you got all of them?” he asked the girls. “Every last one,” Bon Bon confirmed. Turner held up the sonic screwdriver and turned it on. Immediately, the rings snapped in half and fell off the ponies’ bodies. The crowd barely had time to wonder what had happened before Turner shouted, “Oi! What are you lot waiting for? You’re free now! You’ve probably got friends and family waiting for you! Off you go!” The ponies were still confused by everything, but eventually, the crowd started to drift away. “Turner!” Turner was immediately squeezed by a set of hooves. The only way he knew it was Derpy was because of the shrill voice. “Thank Celestia you’re safe!” “Derpy…” Turner eeked out. “Do you mind?” Derpy realized what she was doing and immediately released him. “Sorry. I just got nervous when that cave-in started.” “What happened in there, anyway?” Lyra added as she and Octavia reunited with the group. “Long story short,” Vinyl answered, “those Krill-things really don’t like their leafy greens.” “Wait, you mean you blew them up?” Lyra asked in semi-hysterics. “What else were we supposed to do with that leftover salad?” Vinyl replied. “On the plus side,” Turner added, “that cave-in destroyed the Krillitanes’ laboratory, and without those computers, there was nothing to deadlock the assimilation rings.” He lightly waved the sonic in his hoof. “So is that it, then?” Derpy asked. “Are they gone for good?” “I figure that once the top brass notices their special ops forces have failed,” Turner pointed out, “they’ll decide to take their business elsewhere. No more jigsaw ponies for us.” “Then I propose we head back home,” Octavia declared. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but this mare needs her beauty sleep.” It seemed no one had realized how late it was. When Turner looked up, he saw that dusk was beginning to fall. “Perhaps we should turn in,” he conceded. “It’s been a long day for many ponies, especially us. Allons-y.”