Chapter One: A Series of Unfortunate Occurrences
Welcome to Ponyville, a quaint town, inhabited by ponies, ponies, and, well, more ponies. The outskirts of town, just before the Everfree sits a light blue house made of waddle & daub, on it hangs a sign with now words, and no pictures, just a plain brick red sign. The windows are always shut on this house, and the door is always locked, without any locking mechanism. This is the house of the First and the Last, as it's come to be known by the ponies of Equestria. On the door are inscribed three words and nothing more, "Knock three times" and none of those in the town can see this lest a strange event occur or grave trouble be arisen. Suddenly the door flies open, and out comes the House of Insanity. Echo Montana Juliet, Jules Hotel Lima, and the latest edition under the decent of Echo, Hotel Echo Lima, and his sister Hotel Echo Alpha Victor, who prefers her signal name "Lambda".
"What's on the agenda today Jules?"
"We have an agenda? The hell do you mean agenda?"
"I'm just kidding, I suppose we'll just hang around here for a while, see what the castle has to offer."
Echo looks behind him, to his children. He refers to them by their signals, Sigma & Lambda.
"So, I suppose you two will be off on an adventure?"
"Roger dodger."
Sigma smacks Lambda upside the head.
"Yes, we'll be heading off. We agreed to just spin the wheels and see where they take us."
"Okay try not to cause too much trouble Sigma. Come back in time for dinner."
"What time?"
"Whenever you get back."
Lambda rolls her eyes. Sigma plants his hoof in such a way as to create a smacking sound upon being applied to his face, while exhaling a deep breath. The two walked back into the building and left their father and uncle to their own devices. They walked over to the dimensional wheels, and proceeded to spin them wildly. When they stopped, the two didn't bother checking the dimensional identification set, before walking out. The sight that meets them leaves them speechless. Wasteland as far as the eye can see. The ground is scorched, the trees are shattered and burnt. The Everfree forest is the greenest thing around, and even then, the tree line isn't alive until 30 yards in. Then, they heard a strange sound in the silence, a whizzing sound. They looked over by some craters and discovered an unlikely thing, something of legend, something that they'd ever only heard of, the TARDIS. When it finally came to a stop, the doors opened, and out came a stallion, light brown fur, and a messy mane. He grimaced, and then saw the siblings and began to walk over.
"Hello, any idea what happened?"
"No we're just as clueless as you are Doc."
"How do you know who I am? Have we met before? Think I'd remember your face."
"Nope, just your a man of legend Doctor."
"Who's your lad- I mean, mare friend here?
"I'm his sister, my name is Lambda, pleasure to make your acquaintance Doctor."
They shook hooves.
"So, how are you out here? According to the TARDIS, there's a high level of nuclear radiation in this area."
"We could ask you the same question, but we won't because we respect your secrets."
"Got'cha. Hey, who's that over there?"
The group looked towards the Everfree forest and saw a red stallion walking towards them. He dropped to the ground five meters from them. They rushed over and saw it was Big Macintosh. The Doctor scanned him with his Sonic Screwdriver.
"He's suffering from radiation poisoning. i might have something in the TARDIS, but it'll be too late."
Sigma looked to Lambda, she nodded. She held her hooves over Big Mac and a light began to emit from them, then light particles began to interchange in the space between her hooves and Big Mac. The light particles stopped and she took her hooves away. Sigma changed forms into a human and picked up the stallion and walked towards the TARDIS and brought him inside. The Doctor was silent the entire time, until they set down the scarlet stallion. The Doctor grimaced again.
"How did you do that?"
"Ask no questions, tell no lies, Doctor."
"What did you do to him?"
"I healed him, removed the radiation from him and gave some extra energy, he must've made quite the pilgrimage. I wonder what for?"
"Who are you?"
"I told you ho I am, I am Lambda."
The Doctor grimaced and shook his head. Today clearly wasn't his day.
"What are you? Is the question, I should be asking, I suppose."
Sigma frowned, then shook his head.
"You can clearly see we are ponies, can't you?"
"I've been here long enough to know the limitations of the ponies here, and I'm pretty sure earth ponies can't use magic. Especially healing magic. I haven't seen any of the ponies here use healing powers, and they certainly can't turn into humans. None of the inhabitants here can do that."
"Well, you'll just have to take us on faith, just like those before us? Your companions that is."
The Doctor was shocked by this statement. He recovered quickly, but it was still evident in his glare.
"Who said you were my companions? Who said I ever had any companions? Who said there were any before you?"
"You ask so many unanswered questions, Doctor. It's a shame you'll never get an answer."
While they discussed, Big Mac woke up. The group was still, more or less, arguing as Big Mac stood. He took a look around the transportation device. He kept a calm face, almost as if he had been inside the contraption before, maybe even on numerous occasions. While Sigma and The Doctor conversed in a argumentative manner, Lambda noticed Big Mac and walked over to him.
"Hello, my name's Lambda, what's your's?"
"I am Big Macintosh. Most folks call me Big Mac for short."
"How are you? Feeling alright, Big Macintosh?"
"Eeyup."
The angry conversation in the background had stopped when Sigma noticed Big Macintosh was awake. Sigma was still in his human form as he walked over to the semi-rested stallion.
"Hello, I'm Sigma. I suppose my sister has already introduced herself to you?"
Big Mac's face dropped as Sigma uttered that question. He began to point his hoof between the two of them, mouth opening and shutting, looking for a response.
"But-? How the-?"
"What is it? What's the problem?"
"You two, that's the problem. You two shouldn't be able to stand in the same room. This doesn't make sense!"
Sigma and Lambda looked to each other, then back to the speechless stallion.
"What do you mean, "...You two shouldn't be able to stand in the same room..." clearly somethings wrong here?"
"What I mean is, you two caused all the destruction outside because of some stupid dispute. I reckon you two haven't the slightest about what I'm talkin' about either, seeing as how you didn't know what I meant."
"Well we saw the destruction, but we didn't know how it had happened. I suppose you'll want to know why we don't know?"
"Eeyup."
"Are you familiar with the blue house across the way?"
Lambda gestured towards the door, the house really was just across, what is left of, the road, in front of the TARDIS's doors.
"Eeyup. Everypony this side of Equestria knows who's house that is. I suppose that's part of the reason you haven't a clue, isn't it?"
"Well, yes, it's because we aren't from this dimension. We come from a dimension similar to this, and we wanted some adventure, so we came here, and it looks like you could use some help."
"Eeyup."
The Doctor has been silent the entire time, he proceeds to take out his Sonic Screwdriver and scan Big Macintosh.
"Hmm... interesting... it's almost as if you never had the radiation in the first place. Curious methods and even more curious... whatever you two are."
"I feel insulted. We are just a couple of simple-"
Sigma didn't finish that sentence because he was laughing too hard. Lambda smacked him in the back of the head. The Doctor looked at the ground and shook his head.
"Anyways, it's a pleasure to meet you Big Mac. I am The Doctor."
The Doctor held out his hand, and Big Mac shook it.
"Pleasure to meet you too, Doctor."
When Sigma was done laughing, Lambda looked to Big Macintosh.
"So why did you come out here? You knew it was dangerous."
"Well, it had been a while since you two clashed, I was hoping to fine one of you out here. Little, did I realize the consequences of my actions. I bet if it wasn't for you two, and Mr. Doctor here, I wouldn't make it home. Thank you, for your assistance in my hour of need."
Big Mac bowed his head at the trio.
"So, who all is left? Clearly since this happened not every pony could have made the journey in succession."
Big Mac looked to each of them, then to the door. Keeping a calm expression, he sighed.
"Not a lot of them made it. We have about 30, or so, ponies in our little encampment."
"We should go back then, try to help."
Lambda started for the door, but Sigma stopped her.
"We don't know how they'll react, Lambda. For all we know, they'll try to kill us if we step into that forest. It might as well be a double-edged trap. We can't go in, and they can't come out."
"But Big Mac can convince them other wise. He can tell them we're not hostile. Besides, they'll know something's up when they see the both of us walking in the forest."
Lambda looked to Big Macintosh, and gave him the largest set of puppy dog eyes her face could manage. She threw in a couple eye lash flutters for extra precaution.
"You will help us, won't you, Big Mac?"
Big Mac nodded.
"Eeyup."
Sigma glared at Lambda. She didn't notice.
"Let's be off then."
Lambda started off towards the door, Big Mac followed, then came Sigma, with much reluctance. Lambda was half way to the door, then stopped. She turned around and looked at The Doctor.
"Will you come along Doctor?"
"Nah, I got a meteor show I want to see. I need to be on the moon to see it."
"Alright Doctor, but you'll miss all the fun."
"Oh, if I can guess correctly, your meaning of fun isn't mine."
Lambda gestured for the other two to follow and they left the TARDIS. While they walked away the craft began to disappear. Big Mac lead the group into the Everfree Forest, where they would meet up with the last of Ponyville.