Doctor Whooves: Nightmare in Old Equestria

by sgamer82

Part Four

“There you are!” the Doctor proclaimed.

Immediately, around the Doctor the the image of the Whinnychester throne room filled with greater detail. It was evening, and the Doctor saw a half-moon shining outside the window. On the throne sat Princess Luna, one of her hoofmaidens, a dark blue unicorn, at her side. They looked down upon three ponies. None of them looked like the Doctor as he did now, but he knew which one he was.

Regeneration, the ability to be essentially reborn as an entirely new pony, was a trademark among the Time Lords. There were, naturally, ways for a Time Lord to recognize one another that did not rely on appearance. Because of that, while he obviously would not yet know the orange pegasus nor the pinto earth pony, the Doctor immediately recognized himself despite the difference in appearance. This regeneration was especially young looking. He also noticed that this version of himself was a pegasus pony, wings coming out through slits in a tweed jacket. The Doctor grimaced, the last time he'd been a pegasus he had been particularly... flighty. He'd never fully understood afterward why he'd needed such a long scarf back then. The Doctor couldn’t quite decide if the bowtie this version had was an improvement or not.

As if on cue, the Doctor’s future self adjusted the bow tie with his hoof.

“Bowties are cool,” he said.

In the throne room of Winnychester's past, the Doctor watched his future self in earnest. What he needed above all else was confirmation. He needed to know what he was up against. He knew that, and would remember, so his future self was sure to maneuver the conversation to get him the information he needed. His future self looked right at the direction the present Doctor stood, and gave him a wink.

“Doctor,” the Princess of the Night said from her throne. “We are to understand that Our hoofmaiden aided thee in thy endeavors against dreadful creatures called…”

“Cyberponies,” the future Doctor said, when Luna appeared to be grasping at the name. “Rather interesting plan really. Y’see, one of the tools of their trade, which is converting other ponies into creatures like them, are little things called Cybermats. They bite you, infect you, and you become mindless slaves and-or more susceptible to cyber conversion.

“The Cyberponies here were looking to use a bit of the local fauna, Parasprites, and convert them into a new kind of cybermat. Parasprites are naturally driven to consume and bite anything around them, so they probably seemed like a good idea at the time.”

During this whole conversation the Doctor paced around the room, hovering or otherwise flapping his wings from time to time.

“At the time?” Luna asked.

The Doctor stopped his pacing and spun in a near full circle to face the Princess and gestured to the pony at her side.

“At the time. Your clever little hoofmaiden here was able to charm the Parasprites, normally hardwired to eat anything organic, into pursuing strictly inorganic matter.”

“So… they ate the Cyberponies?!” Luna asked in surprise.

“Most of them,” the Doctor answered. “And by ‘most of them’ I don’t mean ‘they ate some of the Cyberponies and others got away.’ I mean ‘they ate most of all the individual Cyberponies and left the parts of them that were still organic behind’... wasn’t pretty.”

Luna’s hoofmaiden shuddered just a bit.

“Your maid’s charm should wear off before long and local predators should help bring the Parasprite numbers back under control. I would recommend your nature watchers keep an eye on them nonetheless. I’ll be glad to go over all the specifics before I go, but it’s going to be long dull, and boring. Also, I think your maid, Meanderly was it?” the pony nodded. “Meanderly’s still a bit shaken by everything. Really wasn’t pretty. So how about we let her go over here, like so, perfect, and she can have a nice chat with my companions while we get on with business.”

During this last bit of ranting, the Doctor had pulled the dark blue hoofmaiden Meanderly away from Luna’s side and positioned her next to the orange pegasus. The pegasus looked confused but didn’t resist. The pinto male, however, opted to join the Doctor with Luna.

The Doctor of the present watched this and surmised his future self was telling him of important information these two had. He moved himself over to the two mares to listen to their conversation, making a mental note that the Princesses had to have very acute hearing if Luna heard this conversation. The two mares stood awkwardly side by side before the pegasus tried to strike up a conversation.

“Um, nice Cutie Mark,” she said, noting the unicorn Meanderly’s Cutie Mark of a jumble of lines and paths, one noticeably a different color than the rest. The Doctor noticed this different color line was also, in fact, the shortest of them.

“Thank you,” Meanderly said. “It represents my ability to find the right path I need no matter where I am at any moment.”

“Nice. The Doctor could probably use that once in a while.”

“I heard that,” the future Doctor called from the throne.

“No you didn’t,” the pegasus challenged.

“Well, not now, no, but I did hear it.”

The orange pegasus rolled her eyes. Meanderly looked to the meeting of her Princess and the two stallions.

“Is your husband all right?” she asked. The Doctor glanced over and saw the pinto with a faraway look on his face as his future self and the Princess conversed.

“Oh, he’s always like that around Princess Luna,” the pegasus said with a grin as she watched the pinto. “She was his first crush.”

Meanderly laughed.

“My husband joined the Night Guard for that exact same reason.”

“So how are you holding up?” the pegasus asked after the pair had a good laugh. “The Doctor had a point. You do seem a bit out of it.”

“I’m sorry… what I did, I was not even really thinking at the time. I-”

“Yeah, I get it. You were just reacting. And now you’re reacting to your reaction.”

Meanderly shuddered.

“Those- those ‘Cyberponies’... they spoke of converting us. Making us like them. The only thing I could think of is what would happen to… to my-”

The Doctor and the pegasus both noticed the maid was looking at her midsection. The pegasus’ eyes went wide.

“Ohhhhh…”

Meanderly nodded.

“So you you were protecting your baby. I can definitely get that.”

“Do you have children? You seem so young.”

“A daughter. It’s… complicated,” the pegasus said, looking away. “Things tend to be that way when you travel with the Doctor. How about you? Hoping for a boy or a girl?”

“A girl,” Meanderly said promptly. “My family had a tradition regarding first-born daughters. I plan to revive it with my own.”

“That’s cool. What was the tradition?”

“Every first-born girl would be given two names. One special name they all share, and a second name with personal significance to the parents.”

“Does that mean you’ve got something thought up already?” the orange pegasus asked eagerly. Meanderly nodded.

“What is it?”

“Well, I can not say out loud just yet. It is going to be a surprise for the Princess.”

Meanderly glanced at the Princess, who appeared to not be paying attention, to them or to the Doctor, leaned in close to the pegasus and whispered in her ear. Luna, and thus the Doctor, did not hear what she said. But the Doctor read Meanderly’s lips and was quite surprised. The pegasus must have understood the significance as well, as her eyes went wide.

“No way!” the pegasus suddenly shouted, her eyes wide. All eyes turned to the pegasus.

“Perfect timing for an emotional outburst!” the future Doctor exclaimed happily. “We were just about finished and I was planning on doing something odd to break the monotony like juggle, or maybe break out some spoons.”

“You have a lot of nerve calling me odd,” the Doctor of the present replied. “Enlightening as that conversation was, I do hope you haven’t forgotten what I’m here for.”

“Not at all, not at all,” the future Doctor seemed to say to nopony in particular. “But that does remind me. Princess Luna, what’s happening right now at the Crystal Empire?”

“Subtle…” The present Doctor rolled his eyes.

Everypony seemed to be confused at the sudden non sequitur, but Luna eventually answered.

“We recently received a message from the Empire,” she said. “They claim to have found crystals with new magical properties and wished to see about trade options. We’ve sent Our personal student to look into the matter.”

“Student?” the future Doctor asked. “Well look at you, being all professor-y. I’d forgotten you had a student before, Princess.”

Luna seemed a little indignant at the Doctor’s “professory” remark but let it slide.

“Yes. He was a survivor of a griffon attack on his village years ago. The same village as Meanderly, in fact. He had such potential We could not ignore it.”

“I was afraid of that,” the present Doctor remarked. He feared he knew exactly where this was heading. “Let’s confirm the name and I’ll be on my way.”

“Ah, yes, I do remember now,” the future Doctor said. “Unicorn, black coat, am I right?”

“Thou art correct,” the Princess told him. “Sombra has been Our most loyal retainer, next to Meanderly and Our guard captain Edge Glimmer.”

“Yes, well, just asked because I was remembering the time period,” the Doctor said as he turned towards his blue box. “You should be hearing from him soon. You should be ready for a bit of a shock. Won’t be around myself, I’m afraid, but you won’t need me to handle it, in any case. I must be off now. Pop along, Pip! Scoot along, Loo!”

With that the future Doctor’s two companions bowed to the Princess, said their goodbyes, and walked back to the TARDIS. The present Doctor watched the TARDIS vanish off into its next adventure. As he did, he remembered his conversation with Celestia soon after his arrival here. He had asked what had changed to cause Luna such distress.

“Two things. The first was the Crystal Empire. Luna was injured during that battle. More than that, the whole thing... it was quite hard on her. Ever since her injury she's been pushing herself, afraid of being seen as weak or ineffectual."

Sombra, the pony who would crown himself king of an empire, was once Luna’s prized pupil. He could already imagine the scenario unfolding.

“Plenty of rrroom for resentment and bitterness to fester.”

He knew what happened. Now the question became what to do with it. Celestia would want to find some way to save Luna from the darkness that was overwhelming her. The Doctor hoped he could figure out a way to accommodate but, ultimately, felt Celestia would be forced into a horrible decision. One the Doctor knew had to happen.

He only hoped she would forgive him.

“Do I truly need you, sister? Am I so weak in your eyes?"

Celestia considered her answer very carefully. She understood better than ever before that a single misstep could lead to disaster.

“Not weak. Never weak. Only in pain. Something is using that pain to take hold of you. We, the Doctor, Edge Glimmer, and myself, we wish to help you. You suffered a betrayal I can only imagine, Luna. Your friends and loved ones are still here for you.”

“Help me? Wish to help your pitiful sister, because she is so weak she can not care for herself…”

“No, Luna-”

“Save your breath, Celestia. Do you honestly believe I have not noticed? You exclude me more and more from the duties of this kingdom, you prevent petitioners from approaching me over you, everypony would rather bask in your precious light than enjoy a beautiful night.”

“Luna, you have it all wr-”

“You tried to take the moon from me!” Luna cried out. “You claim it was simply assisting me while I was infirm. But I understand. If I do nothing you will raise both Sun and Moon. Even those few who still acknowledge me will praise your name over mine when the night sky appears. There have been times when I have wondered if two Princesses were needed in Equestria. It seems that you think this as well.”

“That’s not true!” Celestia screamed, this time putting the royal voice into her own words. “Luna, you are my sister! I love you! I would never wish to see you come to harm. Your pain is my pain. I know now I have not been very good at recognizing it. I see now your wounds are far deeper than I’d ever realized, but please believe me when I say my every action was born out of that love.”

“Enough!” Luna cried. “If your love requires you to usurp my place in our rulership then I shall reject it gladly!”

The grey room around Celestia and Luna began to grow dark. In an instant the room, the entire room including the dream-memory of the Celestia of the past, literally shattered into nothingness. Luna was going to attack any second now. Celestia knew this, understood it, and did not dare try to fight back. Instead, she remembered what the Doctor nearly always did in this situation. She turned and ran.

“Sister, please, I don’t want to harm you,” Celestia called out as she ran through the chamber doors. Luna’s response echoed all around her.

“You? Harm me? You forget your place, sister. This is the realm of dreams. The realm of my dreams! You may escape me, you may inconvenience me, but to think you can harm me here is to prove your arrogance!”

“Fortunately escape and inconvenience are all we rrrequire,” a new voice said.

“Professor!” Celestia called out.

“Get out of there, Ace! There’s a great deal to do.”

“I’m already running, Doctor,” Celestia replied. “There is, however, a sister on the warpath right behind me.”

“Is she in any state of mind to be reasoned with?”

Celestia looked back. A blast of dark blue magical energy hit a patch of blackness just behind her.

“No. No she is not.”

“Then follow the sound of my voice and get away from her for now.”

As she ran in the direction she heard the Doctor from, she saw the air before her start to shimmer. Soon a portal appeared, and Celestia recognized what she saw on the other side.

So it all comes back to the Empire… she thought as the portal closed itself behind her.

“Do you see, Our Captain?" she said to him. "Do you see what Our night has become? A place in which the weak are preyed upon. A den of evil. One which must be purged."

Edge Glimmer stared at the creature that resembled his Princess. Dressed in armor, and with eyes almost like a cat’s.

“Who are you?” Edge Glimmer demanded. “What have you done with my Lady?”

“Captain Edge Glimmer, your Lady stands before you. Are We not Princess Luna, the one you are sworn to protect?”

“You don’t look like the Princess,” Edge Glimmer countered.

“Neither does Celestia. If you recall she became younger, an adolescent. Even you, dear Captain, have changed at least some. Is it truly a shock that We do not resemble Our outer self.”

“I suppose not,” Edge Glimmer replied warily.

“This change merely reflects Our epiphany. In this realm you have witnessed not just Our dreams but Our memories. You’ve seen the pain evil has used the night, my night, to inflict. Tell Us, Captain, what would you have Us do? We have tried Celestia’s way of punishing miscreants as they appear. However for every one struck down two more rise to victimize Our ponies. So instead We shall take a new approach. We will make anypony who exploits Our night fear it instead, so that they would not dare perform evil under Our watchful eyes. But We cannot do this alone. Captain Edge Glimmer, your Princess needs your help.”

Edge Glimmer’s eyes went wide as Luna said that last.

“Equestria is a large place, Our Captain. Even We can not hope to defeat the evil that taints Our night alone. We need Our guard, and Our guard needs you, its captain, to lead it. Edge Glimmer, will you help Us take back Our night? Will you lead Our armies?”

“I… you…”

“Why do you hesitate? Just look at the scene around us now. Remember the pain that your beloved wife endured this very night. Think on how the evil perpetrated in this village tainted even its victims and haunts us to this very day. Do you really wish to see another pony suffer the same way Meanderly did?”

“Of course not!” Edge Glimmer cried out.

“Then what stops you? Give Us your fealty, and we will ensure that nopony ever experiences such pain. What reason could you possibly have to deny Us?”

Edge Glimmer stood there, looking at the black pony. He looked at the frozen scene around him. Ponies futilely searching for survivors. Children like little Meanderly orphaned and mourning. Edge Glimmer knew he would do nearly anything he could to make sure nopony had to endure this.

Nearly anything.

“You’re not Princess Luna,” he declared at last.

“What?” the Princess was taken aback.

“You’re not Princess Luna,” Edge Glimmer repeated. “You very nearly had me, but I know my Lady. Everything you’ve said is true. The Princess has grown dismayed at how ponies view the night. She’s seen what you describe, the night being used for evil. However, you made one critical mistake. You failed to realize that which makes the Princess the one I admire above all others.”

“And what would that be?”

“The last thing Princess Luna would ever want is for ponies to fear the night. Her pain comes from feeling her nights are being abused and unappreciated. She would want ponies to see to see its beauty, and to want to make the night better. She would never condone what you suggest.”

Edge Glimmer did not anticipate what came next. The imposter began to laugh. It started out a low chuckle at first and grew into loud boisterous laughter.

“Loyal to your Princess’s ideals to the end, eh, Captain? Very well, if you shall not be Our ally, then you are declared Our enemy! Perhaps the rest of the Night Guard will prove more amenable to Our needs.”

With that the dark figure of the imposter princess vanished. The scene around Edge Glimmer began to fade out as well, leaving him alone among nothingness.

“Well done, Captain Edge Glimmer,” he heard a voice say.

“Doctor? Is that you?”

“It is. Excellent work resisting her compulsion.”

“Compulsion?”

“Yes. She was trying to influence your mind as she spoke to you. Just as you said, she did very nearly have you.”

“Doctor. The imposter! She said-”

“I know. I heard. Our time’s growing short. I have one more thing that must be done before we can leave this place. Follow the sound of my voice, and you’ll be able to join us.”

Edge Glimmer obeyed. Galloping in the direction he felt the Doctor’s voice had come from. As he charged he saw a hole appear in the sky. A doorway, almost. On the other side a land filled with structures of crystal.

I see. Edge Glimmer thought with a growl. The imposter spoke true. The past does still haunt us today.

He leapt through the doorway in the air and found himself in the land of crystal.

“Captain, are you all right?” a mare’s voice asked. Edge Glimmer looked up to see Princess Celestia, still in her patchwork jacket and looking young, watching him with concern.

“I am fine, Princess.”

“Good. I’m pleased,” she turned to the Doctor. “Professor, that… thing that was impersonating my sister, what is it? Do not try to evade the question, either. It’s clear you know what’s happening.”

“I actually know very little,” the Doctor replied. “No accounts exist of the events of this night. Instead they have become shrouded in the mists of myth and legend. That is the reason we’re here, in the Crystal Empire. We have long since passed through the realm of dreams. Now we are in the land of memory, and what we learn from the memories present here will, I hope, be invaluable.”

“To what end?” Celestia asked.

“To save Luna, if at all possible. But to do so we need information that won’t be found in the waking world. Only here in Luna’s dreams and memories will we learn what we need. Only here will we uncover the true origins of ‘Nightmare Moon.’”