//------------------------------// // 12: Pair O' Docs // Story: Crossed Gears // by TheFoxern //------------------------------// There was no mistaking it. He looked so different, but the color was similar. And that expression. He knew that expression so well. That look in his eyes. “Doctor...” he breathed. He could hardly believe it. But after a second, he regained his composure. The two officers seemed quite satisfied with what they had seen and the pony watched them go. When he looked back at Copper, he stood up straight. “You are late, Doctor,” he said, folding his arms. “Mmm and who might you be?” The Doctor moved up to him, looking him up and down. “I mean honestly.” He did not answer the question as he moved behind the counter. “I don't like to think what would have happened if we'd not intervened. Scootaloo, would you be so kind as to pour the Doctor some tea? There's a lot to discuss. And it still stinks down here.” “Yeah yeah,” she said as she lowered the gun. “Do you want sugar or something?” They moved upwards into the room. “Oh yes, two sugars please.” “I'm very glad that you showed up. Saves us the trouble of looking for you.” Copper moved into the room and sat down on the chair. “Doctor! You did come.” Roseluck was smiling now. “Of course. They sent me a personal invitation,” he said as he sat down beside her. His attention turned to Copper. “Well, as you know who I am, could I know who you are?” “Sorry,” he said, leaning back in the chair. “Not used to people not knowing me.” He cleared his throat. “Copper Feather. Private Detective.” “So, who hired you to find me, then?” the Doctor said, as Scootaloo returned with the tea tray. She was used to serving tea it seemed. “No one. This isn't about anything like that.” He took up his now full teacup and took a sip. “Where to start...I find that's always the problem, don't you Doctor?” “Mmm it is a trouble. But the basics would be nice. Like, why you're here.” He took up his tea as well. “Ah, simple then.” He took a sip of his tea. “This world and my world-” “Your world?” Roseluck interrupted and Copper gave her a slight frown. “Or, my other world I should say. Since I don't think I can rightly leave this one permanently- But I'm getting off topic. The worlds are going to essentially crack apart and shatter. I was told by-” he paused, slightly annoyed. “Damn them for not giving me something to call them by. They said a part of them was the Pony of Gears? It exists here as well I've come to find.” “Ah...yes...them. Them I know of. So you say that this world and your...other world, are going to break?” He was taking it quite well, as far as Copper was concerned. “Shatter. They're going to shatter.” Copper sipped his tea. Oddly enough, he was very calm about the situation as well. He guessed it must be the tea. “The world is going to shatter,” he repeated, taking a sip. Everyone else in the room seemed too stunned to speak. “Probably the whole universe, reality in its entirety if I were to guess.” There was something about the way he was looking at him that gave Copper the impression he believed every word. “That is quite a problem then. What exactly did they tell you I could help with?” He was pouring himself another cup of tea and it looked as though Scootaloo had brought out a bowl of sugar cubes. “They didn't. Honestly they're very unhelpful.” He sipped his tea. He had quite a lot remaining and it was almost getting colder than he'd like. “Yeah. They're not. I've dealt with the Pony of Gears, who claimed to be an agent of theirs. Unhelpful is an understatement. They do nothing but cause more and more problems.” Copper nodded, relaxing further into the chair. “So. What happened?” He finished his tea and set the cup down, then steepled his fingers. “Part of it was their fault. Part of it was mine, though it was subconscious and instinctively.” He took took a deep breath, resting his hands beneath his chin. “There's someone in this world, who wants to end it. They wanted my help stopping it. So they tried to pull my soul into this world, putting it into this body. But I fought back. In the other world they gave me power. The power to crack and shatter things... I don't know what the power is, but I used it apparently and created a crack between this world and that.” It was odd expressing his thoughts out loud. It seemed to help him work things out at a faster pace. He should probably do it more often. “And though I've figured out how to switch back and forth and keep myself from switching without my consent...I think the switching back and forth is the problem.” “Sounds like it,” he said, taking a sip of tea. “Well then...sounds like we need to figure out how to close the cracks you've made.” Copper nodded. “I haven't been switching since I found out. I wasn't going to until I talked with you and found out your opinion and what you think I should do. From what I understand, you deal with this sort of thing all the time.” “Quite often. But you can't close it from this side, as you don't have that power.” He stood up suddenly, which made Scootaloo jump and almost point the gun at him, if Copper hadn't grabbed her wrist. “Easy Scootaloo. Sorry, she's jumpy when she's got a gun.” He pat her on the head and she relaxed. “Lead on Doctor. Since you know what you're doing.” “Yes, well...what we're going to have to do, is isolate the crack and make it visible from both sides. Which means you need to find your Doctor. Which I assume you know, since you so easily recognize me.” “Quite so. Though that is quite the problem,” he said as he stood up. “He disappeared. And I've no way of finding him.” He rubbed his face. “No clues. No hints. No nothing. He just...vanished.” “Ah...yes...I- erm...” He glanced at Roseluck. “I've a habit of doing that. But I'm also good at showing up when I'm needed.” “When you're not late,” Copper said with a stretch. “I wasn't late. Not yet. Rose was bait. They weren't going to do anything to her, until they were sure I'd come.” The Doctor moved towards the stairs and they all followed. Roseluck, or Rose apparently, had kept silent. Though now she wanted to talk. “Where did you go? Honestly, you said you'd be right back and it's been months.” “Ah, well...right back can mean all sorts of things,” the Doctor explained. “In this case, it meant a few months.” He opened the door and looked down the street. “I see,” she said as she stared at the ground. Copper knew that look. It was the look of disappointment. But the Doctor seemed to have other things on his mind. Which, honestly, was to be expected at this point. They didn't go far, before there was something that Copper had not seen at first. It was a large blue thing. “I...what is that?” Everyone looked at him and then at what he was pointing at. “Oh? That is very interesting,” the Doctor said. “I wonder why she let you see her...” he mumbled. “It's a police box,” Rose said as they approached, Scootaloo stared at it as though she could just now see what everypony was talking about. “From a long time ago. You used to see them quite a lot, but...not anymore.” “And why are we going to a police box?” Scootaloo said, staring at it as if daring it to disappear again. “That,” the Doctor pointed at it. “Is what's going to let us see the rift as it appears.” “Rift?” Copper said, touching the side of the box. Tenderly. He could swear it had...something. Something. It shuddered. “How interesting...it's a machine.” Again, everyone stared at Copper. “How-” the Doctor began, but he stopped. “You're quite amazing. Would you like to see inside?” The sheen in Copper's eye would terrify the average pony. “How could I say no?” The Doctor opened the door and offered him entrance. And it left him silent. For the first time he was stunned. It was immense. His heart beat heavy in his chest. He could feel it. Feel everything. Feel every ounce of it. Every inch of it. The taste of the air. The smell of it. He had no words. The panel shuddered under his touch. There was feeling there. And words burned into his head and at last he spoke. “Pony of the Gears That Turn.” The lights dimmed and then everything seemed to turn on at once, lights flashed, things turned and everything went on at once. “I think she likes me.” “Well that's new,” the Doctor said as he peered around and everything calmed down. “Yes yes. Now just settle down.” “Doctor. It seems we've moved,” Rose said as she looked out the door. “Moved? Moved where?” Scootaloo looked out. “Oh bloody hell. Where is this? Africa?” “Australia I think,” the Doctor said as he looked over their heads. Everypony but Copper stared outside. “Oh you know more than all of us...don't you...this is the time and the place...you know exactly what you're doing...incredible.” He ran his hand over the console slowly. Deliberately. “Right now. Stop molesting my ship,” the Doctor said, giving his hand a swat. Copper chuckled softly, holding up his hands. He had not thought of it that way, but that's what it must have clearly looked like. “Sorry,” he said as he walked outside. He took a deep breath, looking around. This looked like... “Is this the Badlands? Why would I go there? No...it doesn't work like that, does it? No it doesn't...” There was something...speaking to him. “It couldn't...” “It does.” He was aware of the Doctor beside him. “So, what's next?” “You don't know?” Copper said, glancing at him. “Nope. Never done this before. Only know that if this fails, we'll trigger the rifts and they'll probably destroy everything.” He looked back at the ship. “As far as my calculations go.” “Well, that'd happen anyways if we didn't try. So, who the hell cares if we do it early.” He flexed a bit and heard his neck crack. As well as other parts. He sniffed. “Right then. So we can't see it from this side, but if I do it on that side, it'll show here when I come back. If I come back.” Scootaloo stood in front of him. “I don't know what's happening...but I know it's not good. Have you ever saved the world before?” “Just another day for me,” the Doctor said, giving her a smile. “Saving the worlds not all that tough. And I find you get better at it with practice.” “Well, let's shoot for one and then go for a double later.” There was still the Other to deal with, after all. ~ The screech of train breaks could snap anyone from a sleep, except for somepony who spent their life around trains. And as much as he would like to, Copper didn't get to spend as much time around trains as he would like and so it woke him. “I need the Doctor,” he said as he stood up. Everyone looked panicked. “Why do you need a Doctor?” Twilight said hurriedly. He paused a moment. “Not a. The. The Doctor. Doctor Whooves.” He took deep breaths. The air smelled...what was this. This air was familiar. “Why did we stop? We're not Canterlot.” “Are we not?” somepony said, moving to the window. “No. We're a few miles outside Neighagra Falls.” He could smell the water in the air. It had been a while since he had smelled that. He looked out the window, tilting his head. “Welp. Time to go see what stopped us.” There was a lot of muttering and murmurs as they passed. There was a general consensus that this was his fault, though no one seemed upset. Everypony seemed grateful he was there. “What's going on, Copper?” somepony asked. “I intend to find out,” he said. With every step there was the clink of his metal hoof. It echoed and everyone paused when it did. He did not bother going to the drivers; instead, he got off the train, walking to the front. Ahead, the track was destroyed. “Any sign, Mr. Copper Feather sir?” With a glance back, he saw the conductor leaning out of the window. “I'll go and investigate. If you've locks on your door, lock them now.” He didn't want another blasted train robbery. He walked along the tracks at a fair pace. A glance behind him showed the only ones who followed him were Twilight, Gilda and Chestnut. Honestly he would have preferred none of them. He shook his head. “Well now, let's see what the problem is.” It was as if the tracks had been removed. A large enough chunk to be noticeable from a large distance. From over a small embankment, the head of a pony appeared. “Ah, just a moment! You're early.” Light glinted off large spectacles. “I don't bloody believe it. Vinheim, the hay are you doing out here?” Copper dropped down over the embankment. “Jeez you old pony, what in Tartarus are you up to now?” “Oh! Copper!” He adjusted the large...lenses in front his eyes. “My goodness, what in Equestria are you doing here?” “Nevermind that,” he said, looking at the...contraption, as that was the most fitting word for it; a large glass jar with quite a lot of things beside it, as well as inside. The rail tracks had been arranged on either side and wires ran from them into the jar. “The hell is this?” “Ah, you see...this,” he gestured to a large jar, filled with wires. “When the lightning strikes, this will use the railings as a conductor and this will store the lightning! Oh, Copper! Can you imagine the things we can do if we could harness lightning?” “Yes, I can. Now put the rails back. We're in quite a hurry,” Copper was speaking as though to a child. Vinheim shifted back and forth. “But...but...lightning, Copper.” “Train, Vinheim. We had this discussion last time. You cannot procure things that you need just because they're there,” Copper said as he looked at the railings. Just glancing at it he knew immediately that it...it would work. It really could work. It would eventually burn out, or explode, but it could trap it long enough to use it. Just like his shock glove. But lightning...lightning...that gave him ideas. Scary ideas. “Yeah...but it was so easy. And...” He stomped his hooves again. “Fine. Doctor? Could you assist me?” From the other side of the device came Doctor Whooves. “Afternoon Copper. Knew I'd find you if I waited long enough. What happened to you?” “Train wreck. But...find...me...you...” He pointed a hoof accusingly at the Doctor. “You! Where the hell did you go? You went out the window and just...” “I went out a window?” His brow furrowed slightly. “Doesn't sound like me.” Words were hard. For the first time, he was without words a second time. But he found them a lot quicker. “You...” Thoughts clicked into place. “Time travel...you...this is...this! This is when you left to find out more information...and...and...” Thoughts continued to click as the Doctor nodded. “You mean to tell me, the only reason we know that it wasn't technically Celestia causing all this and-” he stopped. “What do you mean, technically not Celestia?” The Doctor moved towards him in a hurry, suddenly fairly serious. “You didn't...oh Celestia what...this...this is...this is a freaking paradox!” he exclaimed. “Sh sh. Shush. Shush. Don't bring attention to it.” The doctor looked around quickly. “It's fine as long as you don't bring attention to it.” “But you-” “Shush. None of that. What did I just say?” He was in front of him now. “Do. Not. Bring. Attention. To. It. I'm serious Copper. If you listen to anything I say, this one is important.” His brow furrowed. “Why wouldn't I listen to you? I- oh. Right.” He shifted a bit. “Yeah...sorry about that. I know I was a jerk, but...oh jeez. I don't want to talk to you. But I need you to help me. But...arg.” “Easy Copper. Just...don't think about it, don't say anything about it. Just...ignore it. Put it out of your mind.” There was a pause. “Why do you need my help?” He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. “No. Too much needs to be explained and I can't risk any more paradoxes. You need to go back, tell me- er...us...” He sighed. “And then come back here and talk to me.” The Doctor frowned at him. “Well, all right. Won’t be that easy though...I'm sure there's quite a lot I have to do before I can come back...might take me a few minutes,” he said with a smile. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right. Thank you, Doctor.” There was a look of confusion on the Doctor’s face. “You called me Doctor.” “Yeah.” A pause. “Oh right. Just...get going. You'll understand. And just...” He hesitated. But he had to say it. There was no way things could have been otherwise. “My plan...just...go along with it. I knew there was some reason you were so compliant...but...it works.” He hesitated again. “In the end.” He gave him a quizzical look, but in the end he nodded. “All right. I'll...be right back.” He turned and trotted off. “What's going on?” Twilight popped over the edge. “Ah, Twilight. Could you help me? We gotta put the tracks back together,” he said as he clambered up the edge. “Could you, please?” “Oh. Yes.” Her horn glowed and the tracks lifted up and after a moment set back into place. It only took a few minutes and they all got on the train. All but Copper. Twilight stared at him as he looked back. “What are you doing?” “I'll meet you there,” he said, staring in the distance. “You're...you're not coming?” Twilight moved a bit closer. He shook his head. “I gave my ticket to Vinheim.” The head of the old pony poked out the window. “These seats have cushions!” He took a deep breath of the air. Neighagra Falls was quite lovely. There could be worse places to wait. “But I'll catch up.” “This has something to do with the Doctor, right?” He could tell she was thinking of staying with him. “Yes, but no. You can't stay.” He took a deep breath. She actually looked frustrated, staring at him. “But Copper...” “Nothing to it. This is important. And-” he paused. “Just...” He stared down at the ground. “If...if things start to go bad...” Was he crying? “Tell...tell everyone I'm sorry...there should be...should be enough time...at least for that...” He wiped his face. “Copper...what's going on?” She was moving closer to him. “Just...please, get on the train.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe they would actually be safe? He could succeed. Right? “Please.” He heard the train kick, as the engine began to turn the wheels. “Copper...you better explain later.” “I will,” he said and then took a deep breath. He stared at the ground and muttered, “If this works...” He took a deep breath. She could not hear him over the train and he could not hear what she said over it either. But the train pulled away and he watched it go off into the distance. The insanity was ebbing away. There was a familiarity to it all. Tears were also becoming something he was very familiar with. Perhaps it was the years he spent not doing it, trying to catch up with him. He moved down over the ledge again. He slipped and landed in the dirt at the bottom. Here he threw himself a pity party. Sobbing in the dirt. A line popped in his head from a book he had looked over. It had been in a drawer in his desk. The line had stuck with him and though he did not understand where it came from, or if it applied to ponies here, or just there...but it came to him. “From dust we come and to dust we shall return.” It seemed fitting to lay in the dirt. But at least he stopped crying. Misery returned. Where had the happiness gone? Where was the bliss of insanity? He did not like the seriousness. “Do you think I find it entertaining?” “How could you?” he muttered. “Honestly it beats dying,” he grumbled. “I mean honestly, how many times have I saved our life? We're alive because of me.” “Yes, I am aware,” he said. “And you just pushed me down. She pushed me down. But you and I know best, that I get up.” “But I'm miserable.” “Miserable and alive. Life is pain. Nothing but pain. Especially for us.” “But what if I don't want that?!” He slammed his hoof down on the ground as he got up. “I don't want pain. I don't want misery! I want to be happy!” “And you think I don't?!” The metal hoof crashed into the ground this time. “I want so badly for it to end. I want you to not need me. I don't want to be needed. Don't want to be necessary. I would be more than happy to just live out a peaceful life. To be wanted.” “Why can't we have it? Why can't we live like we want.” He ground his hoof into the ground, glaring at it. “It's not fair.” “No. It isn't fair. But who else can do what we do? Who would do it? Shall we simply let the world end so that we can have peace for what little remains?” He rubbed his face, removing the dirt, or at least as much as he could. “No. We have to...we have to...” “Save everypony. Yeah. That's what we do best. We save ponies. We do our best to save everypony and hopefully save the world.” “And then...then what...” There was a long, drawn out silence as he thought. “Then, we save ourselves.” “Sounds like a good plan,” the Doctor said and Copper turned. “Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt.” “I...” He looked at him. There was no hint of a sneer. Not the slightest sign of malice. All that was there was concern. “I have issues.” The Doctor nodded slowly. “Yes, quite so. But at least you're aware of it. Many have worse issues and deny it. But, you seemed urgent and I came as soon as I was thrown out of the window.” Copper could still see glass fragments in his hair, yet he had not a scratch. “So that's why you disappeared...I asked you to.” “Well, you mentioned I vanished, so obviously I had to come. Can't really change the past. Well you can, but in this case I thought it best not to,” he said as he moved into the pit with Copper. “Now...what happened. Short version.” “Well, Celestia is bedridden-” “I know that bit. I want to know what happened when you left for the Crystal Empire,” he said, waving his hoof vaguely. “Pots blew up the train under Burrasca's orders. I spent a bit of time as a hostage. Gilda tried a coup, but Burrasca escaped. I met something in the empire that was hiding in the Crystal Heart, calling itself What is Left.” He took a deep breath. “I found out that I can shatter things. And I...I had a fight with Madam Raven and I used it to try to shatter a spell. Didn't quite work well enough and I injured my leg badly. I still can't figure out-” “It's called The Shattering,” the Doctor said. Copper gaped at him. “It's...old. Ancient even. Back when there were wars between types of ponies, earth ponies developed a technique for breaking spells using sheer force of will. It's been gone for a long time and I've never heard of a Pegasus being able to use it.” “The Pony of Gears gave it to me,” Copper said as he took a deep breath again. “Ah. That explains it. It did have that ability as I remember it...but I don't know how it could pass it on. Maybe...awakened it is more like it.” The Doctor was sitting in front of him. “Very interesting. How did the fight go?” “I...” He paused a moment. “I think I won? She ran away. And I...shattered her arm.” He nodded slightly. “So, what was it that you needed my help with?” “Ah. Well, you interrupted me before I could get to that part. Not that it wasn't important and you'll have to tell me more, but...well, you know about the Other?” He nodded slightly, frowning. “Yes...always trying to destroy worlds. Had a couple run ins.” “Well, whatever it is that fights the Other...pulled me into another world.” And so he explained. He told him everything that he thought was relevant, which wasn't a lot of it. “That...” He paused and nodded slightly. “Yes...I think I understand. Come with me. If you can program the Tardis there, then you can do it here.” The Doctor stood up and began walking. Copper followed him, watching him. “The Tardis? Is that what she's called?” He glanced back at him and nodded. “Yes. And she's right over here.” It was the same. Somehow, it was the exact same box. He moved up to it, unable to stop. Did it exist throughout all realities as the same entity? Or were they just similar in these two? It shuddered at his touch. “Hello again...” he whispered. “You feel like an old friend...” “Please do not flirt with my box,” the Doctor said and once again Copper realized that is what it looked like he was doing. He laughed as he went inside. It was so odd. Did the Doctor feel threatened by him? He had an odd feeling that the Tardis cared more for the Doctor than he could possibly imagine. Some sort of deep affection that surpassed love. “Perhaps I will feel that way about somepony someday and they for me...” he said as he ran a hoof over the console. It shuddered once again under his touch. “What?” The Doctor closed he door. Copper cleared his throat and smiled at the Doctor. Or perhaps, he smirked. “Now, I must molest your ship.” The Doctor gave him a very, very confused look. “That is one of the oddest things anypony has ever said to me.” “I've heard stranger...” he said as he ran his hoof slowly and deliberately over the console once more. Lights flickered and the entire thing shuddered. Someday, he would like to know more about it. More about the Tardis. But he felt he would never live long enough to discover it all. Or be allowed to, with the look the Doctor was giving him. “Should be there now. Deep in the badlands.” The Doctor gave him a quizzical look as they both went outside. “How did you know?” “It's where she chose,” he said as he moved away from the Tardis, to what he was sure was the exact spot he had stopped. “I've no idea how this will go. But here goes...everything.” ~ It was a rift between worlds, a large split in the air. And through it he saw himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself, looking at himself. His mind was there, yet it was over there. In two. One in two. Two taking one. Two fighting for one. Then it was over and he was looking at himself. “Detective.” “Negotiator.” The Negotiator was bothered that he had to look up to look at himself and the Detective was bothered that he had to look down in order to look at himself. “This is weird,” the Negotiator said. “Quite so,” said the Detective. “What now, Doctor?” Said the Negotiator. “Close it,” they both said. Which they then stared at each other. “Doctor,” they said in tandem, with a nod. The Negotiator looked at the stunned face of Scootaloo. He had to say it. He pointed a hoof at the Detective. “Be quiet and let me speak.” He knew what he was going to say. “Scootaloo...” She straightened up. He took in a deep, shaky breath before he spoke, “I will be with you every day. But I will miss you terribly. Every day, I will miss everything about you. You are the daughter I always wanted. The daughter I will never have. And I will always love you.” She was crying. That had not been his intent, but he had to say it. He was sure he was crying as well. “I will never leave you. And I will always miss you.” He pointed his metal hoof at the rift. All it took was a twist. Snap. “That was abrupt,” the Doctor said. Copper went to say something to him, but he could see the faint glisten in his eyes of tears being fought. “I had to get it over with...I could feel it widening...” “It was long enough,” he said softly. Copper looked at the faint line in the air as it slowly dissipated. “Yes. Long enough.” Just as a test, he tried to move back. It didn't work. He took a deep breath and moved back to towards the Tardis. “Time to go home...” The Doctor moved into the Tardis ahead of him, taking a deep breath. “Yes, I do believe it is time to go home...” The door snapped shut behind Copper, nearly catching his tail. “Ah! Hey now.” He looked up, glaring vaguely up, at what he wasn't sure. “No need for that now.” The Doctor looked up from what he was doing at the console and then back down. “Oh she's just being playful now. Be glad she let you get your tail in.” He frowned slightly as he sat down. “That's naughty.” “That's what I say,” the Doctor said with a chuckle. And then the Tardis shook. There was a moment of silence and then he looked outside. “Oh. Canterlot. Perfect.” He looked at the Doctor, smiling. “Yes yes, now, out. I have business,” he said with a smile. “Things to do. Lives to save.” Copper gave him an odd look, but he slowly stepped back out of the Tardis. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.” The Doctor smiled back at him and nodded. “Yes. Thanks for not splitting the world apart.” He laughed and moved back. “Yes. Quite happy about not doing that.” The Doctor waved and then the door seemed to...hesitate. Copper hesitated, too. “We'll meet again.” He pressed his hoof against the Tardis and ran it downward slowly. “I will miss such a beautiful machine.” It shuddered and the door snapped shut. It vanished with quite an interesting noise as it faded in and out, until it was gone. “A machine that can be embarrassed...a machine with a soul...” There was a noise behind him and he turned. He was at the train station and there was a train coming. No...I couldn't be... But as it came in and came to a stop. “I just don't understand-” Twilight stopped. “Told you I'd meet you here,” Copper said, smiling at her. Time travel was odd. “Even managed to beat you here.” “I...how is this even...” Chestnut hugged him. She actually hugged him. Had she ever hugged him before? “Don't you ever do that again...Twilight came back in tears...we all thought...” She stood in front of him. A hoof to the side of the face is never pleasant. Copper remembered his observation on Chestnut a long time ago, that she could hit hard and he was quite right. He rubbed his cheek. “I deserve that, I think...but...I wasn't sure if it was going to work.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I was either going to save the world from breaking apart, or make it happen sooner.” There was silence. “That's the short end of the stick, anyways. But it worked. So everything's fine.” He was still rubbing his cheek. “Glad it all worked out,” Gilda said, looking around. He wondered if she'd ever been to Canterlot. Probably not. “Quite,” he said with a smile. “Now then. I believe I need to talk to Chrysalis.” He breathed deep, as if he could somehow smell her in the air, or catch something of her. “You should see Princess Celestia first,” Twilight said sternly. He looked at her and hesitated. “You're...you're right...Celestia first...” He rubbed his face. Hopefully he could keep from crying this time.