Chapter 2: The Prophecy of Donna Noble
Town Square, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
"Take this, you metal-heads!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she smashed into two metallic faces with her hind legs. One of the robotic monstrosities fell back into the snow while the other stumbled about in a daze.
"YOU WILL SURRENDER OR YOU WILL BE DELETED!" shouted another robot as it approached them.
"Not happening!" said Applejack as she swung a rope back in forth. With a swift flick of her muzzle, the approaching robot was caught in a tight lasso.
"Get back! I said GET BACK!" ordered Rarity as she used her magic to fling wads of snow at the monsters, which had next to no effect on their metallic bodies. Suddenly, two more appeared behind Rarity and the white unicorn quickly found herself surrounded. "Oh! Why didn't I ask Twilight to teach me how to teleport?!" She then let out a loud scream as the four monsters reached for her.
"She doesn't want to go with you!" snapped Pinkie Pie as she aimed her party cannon and fired.
Rarity ducked just before the four robots were blown off their feet by a powerful gust of confetti. She then stood up, brushed the snow off her coat, and turned to Pinkie with a relieved smile. "Thank you, Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie beamed back at Rarity with a large grin. "Don't mention it!"
Rarity looked to see several ponies running about the town ducking for cover, hiding in buildings, or attempting to fight back. However, the attackers were proving to be more than a match for them and more were on the way. "Girls!" Rarity stated loudly. "I think it would be a good idea to move on to a safer place!"
Applejack looked at the oncoming attackers and gulped. "I think I'm with ya on that one, Rarity," she said.
The five mares drew close to each other while clusters of robots started entering the town square from all sides. "Where do we go from here?" Fluttershy gulped.
"The hospital!" Rainbow Dash said.
"No thanks! My checkup's not for another two months!" Pinkie replied.
Rainbow groaned and shook her head. "No! I heard somewhere that the hospital's built with some of the strongest materials anypony can find. I can definitely remember how hard it was for me when I broke in that one time."
"She's right," said Rarity. "I remember hearing something like that; and if that's true then the hospital is the safest place in Ponyville right now."
"Right! The hospital it is!" said Applejack.
The mares made a mad dash in the direction of the hospital only to find themselves blocked by an oncoming cluster of robots. "MOVE!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"YOU WILL SURRENDER OR YOU WILL BE DELETED!" shouted the robots as they advanced. The five friends looked around to see that they were quickly being surrounded on all sides. "YOU WILL SURRENDER OR YOU WILL BE DELETED!"
"Why couldn't you have learned a teleportation spell from Twilight, Rarity?!" Rainbow Dash snapped.
"Are you really trying to make me feel worse in this current situation, Rainbow Dash?!" Rarity snapped back.
"Quit it, you two!" Applejack ordered. "We need to think of a way out of this!"
"Well we better do it quickly because they're getting a bit too close," said Pinkie.
"Uh...Pinkie?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah?"
"Where's your party cannon?"
"I left it over by the town hall."
"...WHY?!"
"Because it's not safe to bring a cannon into a hospital. Duh! Didn't they teach you that in school?"
"YOU WILL SURRENDER OR YOU WILL BE DELETED!" ordered the attackers as they circled around the mares.
Rainbow Dash stood on her hind legs and swung her forehooves around wildly. "Just try to take us, metal-heads!" she snapped. "You'll never take us alive!"
"But I like being alive," said Fluttershy.
The robots raised their weaponized arms upwards and aimed them at the mares. "DELETE! DELETE! DELETE! DELETE!" they shouted.
"These guys sure like deleting stuff," said Pinkie. She then brought her voice down to a whisper and leaned towards the others. "I think they have a problem!"
"Really? I didn't notice," Applejack deadpanned.
Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to lunge straight at the robots nearest to her when a streak of blue electricity seemed to surge through the heads of each attacker. The robots froze and appeared to shut down for a brief moment, leaving the mares confused. "Uh...what just happened?" Rainbow asked.
Just then, the robots appeared to come back to life. They looked straight at the mares and their eyes suddenly glowed bright blue. "ELEMENTS OF HARMONY FOUND! SECURE IMMEDIATELY!" they all shouted in sync.
"I guess they decided to not delete us!" said Pinkie with a huge grin.
"Yeah but this isn't that much better," sighed Applejack.
"Okay! You guys make a mad dash to the hospital! I'll hold them off!" said Rainbow.
Applejack shook her head. "Ain't happening."
"We're staying together!" said Fluttershy.
"That's right," Rarity agreed.
"Together forever!" Pinkie said with her forelegs spread out. She then raised an eyebrow and looked at the others. "Was that too cheesy?"
"SECURE THE ELEMENTS! SECURE THE ELEMENTS!" shouted the robots as they lunged for the five friends.
Just then, out of nowhere, something wrapped around one of the robots and pulled it to the ground: a whip.
"GET DOWN!" ordered a familiar voice. The mares followed the order and dropped to the snowy ground just before a blast of energy soared through the air and smashed into the cluster of robots standing around them. Some fell to the ground, some were thrown through the air, some broke apart in areas, and some had parts of their bodies disintegrate into clouds of silver dust.
Derpy, with Spike holding tightly onto her back and a blaster held tightly in her forehooves, landed softly in the snow a few feet away from the others with Daring Do coming down right next to her. "Nice shot, Derpy!" the adventurer complimented.
Derpy blushed. "Well, I had enough practice on my way here," she said.
"Tell me about it," Spike scoffed as he jumped off Derpy's back. "No offense, Derpy, but I think I'll take the train from now on." The little dragon looked over at the five mares crouched in the snow, jumped, and rushed towards them. "Oh my Celestia!" He ran towards Rarity and extended a claw. "Rarity! Are you okay?!"
Rarity looked up at Spike and smiled. She then stood up and wrapped the dragon up in a big hug. "Oh! I'm so glad to see that you're okay, Spikey-wikey!" she cooed.
"Nice to see that you're in one piece, Spike," said Applejack as she stood up. "We were a bit worried when we tried to call you and the others and nopony responded." Applejack gave a deadpan look when she saw that Spike was still hugging Rarity tightly. "We're fine too, Spike. Thanks for asking."
Rainbow Dash flew over to Derpy and landed in front of her. "Did you just blow those things away?" she asked.
"The Cybermen? Yep!" Derpy replied.
"Cybermen? That's what they're called?" Rainbow Dash was silent for a second or two. "Meh. Could be twenty percent cooler."
"As long as we can defeat them, I don't care how cool their name is," Daring stated as she took a step towards Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow looked at Daring. "And who in Celestia are yo-" She stopped once she got a full look at the mare standing before her. That coat. That mane. That face. That shirt. That hat. That whip. No...it can't be. It's not possible! she thought before slowly turning back to Derpy. "Uh...Derpy. Who's this?"
"Oh! This is Daring Do!" Derpy replied. "I know she's just a character in a book here but this Daring was taken out of an alternate universe and it's a long story so I won't go into it now."
Rainbow's jaw nearly dropped to the ground as she turned back to Daring. "You...you're the Daring Do?!"
Daring sighed and rubbed the back of her neck in anticipation for what was to come. "Yep. That's me. Daring Do. The one and only," she replied.
A shrill shriek of fangirly pleasure escaped from Rainbow's mouth and echoed through the air. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"
Daring cleared her throat and stared straight into Rainbow's wide eyes. "What's your name?"
"Rainbow Dash!"
"Listen, Rainbow Dash. I'm happy that you're a fan of me, but there's more to focus on right now so can you save the questions and whatever other fan-based stuff you have in mind for later?"
Rainbow quickly collected herself and gave a salute. "Yes sir! I mean ma'am! I mean Ms. Do! I mean-"
Daring stretched a forehoof forward. "Daring or Daring Do will work just fine."
"Okay...Daring Do." Rainbow shivered with excitement upon saying the name.
"Okay, Derpy," said Applejack as she walked over to the gray pegasus. "What the hay is going on? Where did these things come from? Where's the Doctor?"
"It's a long story," Derpy replied.
"Isn't it always?" Rarity asked with a sigh.
"It would be best if we could find somewhere safe to hide from the Cybermen," said Daring.
"We were just on our way to the hospital," said Applejack. "It's the strongest building in town and should hold up against these Cybermen well enough."
Daring nodded. "Alright! Sounds like a plan!"
Pinkie Pie began bouncing up and down vigorously. "Let's get a move on then, you silly fillies!" she exclaimed.
Suddenly, Fluttershy let out a frightened scream. "PINKIE PIE! LOOK OUT!" she cried.
Pinkie Pie looked up to see a Cyberman flying through the air and headed straight towards her with its arms stretched out. The pink pony was unexpectedly caught off guard and the others had little time to react to the fast, oncoming attacker.
In a moment of instinct, Fluttershy lunged through the air and smashed into Pinkie Pie, knocking the mare to the ground. Not a second later, the Cyberman grabbed Fluttershy and began to fly off. "ELEMENT OF KINDNESS OBTAINED!" it announced loudly.
"FLUTTERSHY!" cried Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack simultaneously.
Rainbow Dash kicked off the ground and soared after the Cyberman at a frightening speed. "I'm coming, Fluttershy! I'll save ya!" she shouted as she extended her forelegs straight ahead. Fluttershy stretched her forelegs in Rainbow Dash's direction as frightened tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Almost...there!"
Rainbow was practically inches away from Fluttershy's outstretched hooves when the Cyberman suddenly swung around and punched her right in the spot where her left wing connected to her back. Rainbow let out a pained scream as a sickening crack emanated from the spot. Almost instantly, the cyan pegasus lost her thrust and began to fall back down to the snowy earth far below. "RAINBOW DASH!" cried Fluttershy as the Cyberman flew off with her in its grasp.
Derpy flew up towards the falling Rainbow Dash. She was still tired from her long flight from Canterlot but her fear for her injured friend gave her enough strength to push on through the chilly air. After a few seconds of suspenseful, painful flight, Derpy managed to catch Rainbow mid-air and carry her back down to the others.
Rainbow groaned as she was rested on the ground. "Ugh. My wing...I think it's broken," she croaked. She looked up at the departing Cyberman and stretched her forelegs upwards. "Fluttershy."
"That...that could have been me," Pinkie said as her mane deflated a bit. "But she saved me...and that thing just went and took her." Suddenly, pure fury appeared within the party pony's eyes. "NOPONY HURTS OR TAKES MY FRIENDS AWAY! WE'LL SAVE YOU, FLUTTERSHY! YOU HEAR ME?! WE'RE GONNA SAVE YOU!"
"Now we definitely need to go to the hospital," said Daring as she carefully helped Rainbow Dash up off the ground.
"Yes," said Rarity with a lowered head. "Rainbow Dash is hurt now and we'll be taken too if we don't find safety."
"Yeah. What Rarity said," Spike agreed.
Everypony fell silent until Daring awkwardly cleared her throat. "Okay then...let's go," she said.
"What do those things want from us?" Rainbow asked suddenly. "What do they want to do to us? What are they...what are they going to do to Fluttershy?"
Daring sighed and lowered her head. "Nothing good, I can assure you. But we'll find her. I swear to you all that I will help you find and save your friend." Daring looked back at Rainbow and winked. "Now come on. Let's go. There's a lot that you need to know about who we're dealing with."
Outside the Chariot Warehouse, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Oswin Oswald led Trixie, Opal, Monty, Francis, and Julianna through the barraged streets of Canterlot with her weapons at the ready. She could see her fellow soldiers fending off the Cybermen with help from the Canterlot guards as she went along. If her hunch was right, her ticket to getting this group of ponies to safety resided within the golden chariot building at the edge of the city.
"Okay, I have to ask," said Trixie suddenly. "What in the name of Equestria could be in the chariot warehouse that could possibly help us right now?"
"Yeah, I have to agree with the magician on this one," said Monty.
"Shush!" Oswin snapped as she turned back towards the ponies. She had a single finger placed against her lips, which were curved into a playful grin. "If I'm right, there is most definitely something in here that can help us."
"If?!" Trixie asked. "You don't sound very confident about this!"
"But who really knows all of the details? No one. So, for now, shush and help me help you!" Oswin turned around and slowly led the five ponies around the side of the building. They soon came across a door and Oswin made haste in opening it and leading the ponies inside.
Chariot Warehouse, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
"Wow. It's dark in here," said Francis as he and the others found themselves cloaked in total darkness.
"Hang on. I've got this," Trixie said just before her horn illuminated with a bright, blue light. Instantaneously, the darkness surrounding them vanished to make way for dim outlines of various chariots and pegasi guard equipment.
"So what are you looking for, exactly?" Opal asked.
"A jet bus," Oswin replied as she began to walk further into the darkness. The others followed close behind.
"A jet bus?" Monty asked.
Oswin nodded. "Yes. They're vehicles of transportation that were used by the wealthy of Canterlot as well as by members of the revolution back in my world. Based on how I've seen things work so far with that whole rift generator business, I think some of them may have been transported here."
The group continued to walk further into the warehouse until Oswin came to a sudden stop and took in a deep breath of air.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Trixie asked.
Oswin smiled. "Nothing's wrong. My hunch was right," she replied with a laugh before running forward.
Trixie followed Oswin's example and took a deep breath, only to let out a loud gag in response to the scent she experienced. "Gah! What is that?!"
Opal took a quick sniff. "Gasoline," she stated calmly.
"Come on! This way!" Oswin urged as she continued onwards. The ponies wasted no time in following their guardian deeper into the warehouse.
After barely a minute of walking, Oswin found what she was looking for. "Is that it?" Julianna asked as she stared at the object before her through the light of Trixie's horn.
"Yep," Oswin replied. "A proper, working jet bus."
The object situated before the group was several feet in length and about as wide as two normal chariots. It was gray in color and had two wings protruding from its two sides, both equipped with fair-sized jet engines. The exterior walls shifted from straight on the sides, roof, and bottom to curved at the edges. Its front was completely flat with a large, glass window and several lights decorating it. The vehicle was also donned with several square windows that ran along both sides.
Oswin led the ponies to the other side, where a pair of entrance doors was located. "And I'm guessing these doors are locked," Trixie sighed.
"You guessed right," Oswin replied with a smirk.
Trixie lowered her head in shame. "I knew I should have started working on that spell sooner."
"Don't worry yourself over it. I can get us in. Though, it might take a little bit of time."
"Now it's your turn to not worry yourself, Ms. Oswald," said Opal. She stepped forward, reached into one of her coat pockets, and pulled out the sonic screwdriver the Doctor had given her all those years ago. "I've got this." She aimed the screwdriver at the doors and activated it. A few seconds later, the doors popped open.
"I love it when you do that," Monty said.
Opal twirled the screwdriver around before storing it back in her coat. "Me too."
"Okay! All aboard!" Oswin announced as she strode in through the open doors.
Trixie was the last one to board the jet bus. When she entered the darkened interior, she saw her fellow ponies sitting down in the front rows of seats while Oswin was busy examining the controls with a small flashlight. "So, where are you planning on taking us?" Trixie asked.
"Right now, let's just focus on getting out of Canterlot," Oswin replied. "Sound good?"
"Honestly, I think we deserve an explanation. What in the name of Celestia is going on out there?! Where did those things come from? Why are we even in need of saving?!"
"Once again, the magician's got a point," Monty added.
Trixie stretched a foreleg in Monty's direction. "Thank you!"
Monty waved a hoof. "Don't mention it. Us entertainers need to stick together!"
Oswin suddenly let out a short burst of laughter.
"Is something funny?" Opal asked.
"Sorry," Oswin said as she wiped one of her eyes. "It's just that, over a year ago, I never expected myself to end up in a situation like this: hot-wiring a jet bus to save a group of ponies in an alternate version of my home from the powerful armies of some lunatic. It's certainly a far cry from my days of baking souffles and being a nanny."
"You're a...nanny?" asked Monty.
"I try to be sometimes. In a world full of sad children, it's good to have a nanny there to cheer them up."
Everypony was silent for a brief moment. "What happened, Ms. Oswald?" Opal asked.
"Please, call me Oswin," Oswin replied. "And I just realized that I don't know any of your names."
Opal giggled. "Yes, well, we were all a bit preoccupied earlier. My name is Opal, this is my husband Monty, and these are our two children: Francis and Julianna."
"And I'm Trixie," stated the magician.
"Nice to officially meet all of you. Opal. Monty. Francis. Julianna. Trixie," Oswin said with several, polite nods. She turned her attention back to the front controls of the jet bus and began to tinker with them. "I may be an expert hacker but it will still take some time for me to gain control of this jet bus. So I suppose I have time to explain everything to you."
"You're a hacker too?" Monty asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What? Being a nanny and baking souffles aren't my only talents, you know." Everypony in the room shared a quick laugh. "Anyway, I best start at the beginning." Oswin pulled a panel off the front controls and continued her work. "It all started a little over a year ago, when the sky opened up. In fact, it was a lot like what's happening today."
Starlight Avenue, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Random pieces of fiery junk rained down from the vortex in the sky and smashed into various buildings and objects throughout the city. Ponies ran for cover in an attempt to avoid the falling debris while simultaneously escaping from the clutches of the advancing Cybermen.
Twilight, Twi, Flash, and Shining Armor the Cyberman weaved their way down the cracked street before them. Ash and sparks rained down from the sky while a strange mixture of vaporized snow and dirt filled the air. The cries of ponies and the shouts of Cybermen reverberated around them. Human soldiers appeared via flashes of light and hastily rushed into battle to take on the Cybermen and protect the city's innocents.
Twilight focused on a purple and blue, three-floor house located halfway down the street. "There it is!" shouted Twilight and Twi simultaneously.
"Huh," Twi added with a giggle. "It looks like our homes are in the same spot after all."
"SURRENDER OR BE DELETED!" ordered a Cyberman as it approached them.
Twilight aimed her horn, Twi aimed her wand, Flash aimed his gun, and Shining Armor aimed his weaponized arm. All four fired at the attacker at once. In a bright flash of light, the Cyberman was reduced to a mound of liquid metal lying on the surface of the snowy street.
"Let's move, move, move!" ordered Flash as he kindly pushed the others along in the direction of Twilight's childhood home.
Twilight pushed her legs to carry her down the street as fast as they could manage. Despite it being fairly cold out, a few beads of nervous sweat rolled down the sides of her face as she raced towards the front door. "Mom?! Dad?! Shining Armor?! Cadance?!" she cried as she reached the wooden barricade.
"I got this," said Twi. With a wave of her wand, the door unlocked with a soft click and swung inward.
"We better make this fast," Shining Armor suggested. "Before more show up."
"Agreed," said Twilight as she turned towards the open threshold. "Mom?! Dad?! Shining Armor?! Cadance?!" She rushed inside.
Childhood Home of Twilight Sparkle, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Twilight was met with the relaxing scent of gingerbread as she entered the front hallway. It appeared to be emanating from the kitchen at the end of the hallway and it certainly brought back fond childhood memories for Twilight.
"Hello?!" Twilight called into the depths of the house. "Anypony home?! It's me! Twilight!"
"Twiley? Is that you?!" called voice of Shining Armor from upstairs.
Twilight couldn't help but smile with relief. "Shining?!"
"Yeah! I'm up here! Mom, Dad, and Cadance too!"
"Thank Celestia you're all safe!" Twilight began to run up the nearby staircase. "Come on! I've got help and I'm getting you all to safety!"
As Twilight ran up the stairs towards her family, Shining Armor the Cyberman suddenly fell back against the wall and clutched his head. Twi and Flash instantly took notice of this.
"Shining?! Shining, what's wrong?!" Twi asked as she looked straight into the face of her robot brother.
An electrical surge passed through his head and shot into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. "Shining Armor?! Speak to us! What's wrong?!" Flash pleaded.
"Oh...no," stated Shining Armor the Cyberman with a hint of fear.
Twi gulped. "Shining...what do you mean by oh no?" she asked.
At that moment, Shining Armor unexpectedly pushed Twi and Flash aside and raced up the stairs after Twilight. "TWILIGHT! DON'T GO UP THERE!" he shouted.
Twilight glanced back down at the Cyberman Shining Armor just as she reached the top of the stairs. "What?" she asked with a look of confusion. She turned her attention forward and felt her body freeze.
Across from where she was standing was an open doorway leading into one of the second floor bedrooms. Inside the bedroom, she could see her parents and Cadance bound and gagged by a metallic substance. A Cyberman then appeared from within the room and stepped into the doorway, blocking Twilight's view of her parents and sister-in-law. In the Cyberman's grasp was a bound and gagged Shining Armor. Electrical wires of sorts were linked to both the Cyberman's and Shining Armor's necks. "We're here, Twiley. We're all here," said the Cyberman with its voice being a perfect copy of Shining Armor's. The Cyberman then disconnected the wires and let Shining Armor fall to the floor. It reached its arms forward and began to approach Twilight. "ELEMENT OF MAGIC FOUND! SECURE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!"
"Not a chance!" shouted Shining Armor the Cyberman as he raced up the stairs, past Twilight, and at the attacking Cyberman. He grabbed the robotic creature and tossed it down the second floor hallway. "Save your family! I'll take care of him!"
Shining Armor charged at the Cyberman while Twilight ran over to her Shining Armor's side. She vigorously tried removing the bonds but neither her magic nor her physical strength could get them to break.
Twi and Flash walked up the stairs and ran to Twilight's side. "We've seen bonds like this before. We can break them," said Twi. She and Flash shared a nod. Flash then ran into the bedroom to free Twilight's parents and Cadance. Twi waved her wand and a futuristic key-like device appeared out of thin air. She grabbed it and began to cut through the metallic binds.
Shining Armor the unicorn looked at Twilight and gave a confused look before swinging his gaze back and forth between the two Twilights. Twilight couldn't help but smirk. "This is basically me from another universe," she said as she tilted her head in Twi's direction. "Long story. I'll tell you later."
Eventually, Twi managed to break the last of the metal rope and Shining let out a pained cough. He then sat up and wrapped his forelegs around Twilight. "Twiley...what the hay is going on?!" he asked.
"Like I said. It's a long story."
Shining Armor gave a grim, worried look and sighed. "This wouldn't happen to involve that Doctor or yours, would it?"
Twilight rubbed her forehead and groaned. "What's happening now isn't his fault, Shining."
"But-"
"Oh Twilight!" cried Twilight's mother Twilight Velvet as she raced over to her daughter and wrapped her and Shining in a big hug. Twilight's father Night Light and Cadance weren't far behind. As the other two joined the hug, Twi stood up and looked over at Flash. For a moment, she took note of the sad and distant expression on his face when he stared at her. She was urged to confront him about it but she was quickly reminded that there were more important things at hand. Such as the fact that her brother was fighting a Cyberman at the end of the hallway.
"SECURE THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC! SECURE THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!" shouted the Cyberman as it grabbed Cyberman Shining Armor and threw him out of the way. The Cyberman turned its attention back to the group and charged towards them.
"You're not touching her!" Twi snapped as waved her wand. A vortex of air emanated from the wand's tip and sent the Cyberman swirling about the hallway, slicing some of the wallpaper and breaking a nearby decorative table.
Shining Armor the Cyberman raced down the hallway and stood next to Twi. "This one's different from the others," he said as the Cyberman stood up. "It's stronger and deadlier."
Twi raised her wand. "I don't care how strong they get. I'll destroy every one that attempts to hurt those I care for!"
The Cyberman's eyes started to grow bright red. "HAND OVER THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!" it ordered.
"Not a chance!" said Shining Armor the unicorn. "You're not getting anywhere close to my sister!"
Cadance jumped up, stood next to Shining Armor, and spread her wings. "We're ready for you! Just try to get past us!" she spat.
Twi noticed her Shining Armor awkwardly shift a bit as his gaze fell upon the alicorn Cadance. She grabbed one of his hands and held it tight.
The Cyberman let out a terrible shriek before racing towards the group. "Let's see it handle this!" said Twi as she swung her wand. Four separate attacks emanated from Twi's wand, Cyberman Shining Armor's hand, Shining Armor's horn, and Cadance's horn. The Cyberman charged right into the attacks and was blown back into the wall at the far end of the hallway. Its arms and legs broke apart and the bottom of its torso melted.
As it smashed into the wall, its chest opened up to reveal a frozen timer. "Oh crud," said Twi, Cyberman Shining Armor, and Flash simultaneously.
"SELF-DESTRUCT ACTIVATED!" shouted the Cyberman. "FIVE! FOUR!"
"EVERYONE GRAB EACH OTHER!" Twi ordered. Everyone and everypony did as they were told and quickly formed a human/pony/Cyberman chain.
The Cyberman continued its countdown. "TWO! ONE!"
Twi focused on a memory. A distant and happy memory. Something to get her and the others away from the danger.
The Cyberman exploded, everything was thrown back, intense heat licked Twi's skin, and the world shattered.
Canterlot Castle, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Donna stared down the long, empty hallway. She didn't know why she was staring down it. It was almost as if she were expecting something to lunge out at her. Something that could hold the key to keeping everything in this world from falling into the horrible despair that the alternate Equestria had been forced to experience. "The weakness lies in the place of truth, past, and punishment," she said under her breath. "What does that mean?"
"Doing some deep thinking?" asked the voice of the Doctor from behind.
Donna turned around to face the chestnut stallion in the blue suit. He had a confident grin on his face that helped her feel a little better. "I guess you could say that. There's a lot to think about."
"Heh. You can say that again."
"Wait a moment. I thought you went off with the princesses."
"They're capable of sending out their armies without my imput for now."
"So you're slacking off and letting them do all the work, is that it?"
The Doctor stomped a hoof down. "How dare you accuse me of such things, Donna Noble! I never slack off!"
Donna chuckled. "I know."
"Besides, defeating Discord Whooves doesn't lie in the battlefield."
"I think it kinda does."
"Well, yes, but there's more to the method of ending this invasion that just bang boom bang!" The Doctor scratched his chin. "I need to find his weakness. I need to know more about him."
"I'd hate to be the downer here but I don't think Discord Whooves is one to spill out his entire life story. He is an alternate version of you after all."
The Doctor cocked his head in agreement. "Fair point. Quite right."
Donna nervously rubbed the back of her neck and cleared her throat. "Doctor...tell me if this phrase sounds familiar to you: the weakness lies in the place of truth, past, and punishment."
The Doctor gave Donna a confused look. "Forgive me, Donna, but I never saw you as one for riddles."
"I'm not...but something else is."
The Doctor drew in closer to Donna. "And what do you mean by that?"
"Would you call me crazy if I told you that I heard a voice in my head say that?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No. I'd take you very seriously, Donna Noble."
Donna smiled at the Doctor. "Thank you, Doctor, because that's what happened."
"When did you hear it?"
"A little while ago. Just before I came inside from the balcony."
"Whose voice was it?"
"I don't know."
"What did it sound like?"
"Well...it sounded like a man. A very weak man. A very old man. A very guilty man."
"Interesting."
Donna watched the Doctor continue scratching his chin until another strange feeling overcame her. It was different from the aura she had experienced when she had heard the voice. This one was much more powerful, much older, and much more frightening. A powerful chill cloaked her body and every part of her froze in place. She was losing control.
At that moment, Colgate, Clockwork, and Matilda circled around a corner and began approaching the Doctor and Donna. "I need to be doing something!" Colgate snapped to Clockwork and Matilda. "I can't lounge around inside a castle while a war is going on just outside!"
"Patience is a virtue, Colgate," said Matilda. "Believe me, I've done my fair share of waiting to come to terms with that."
"But I want to help! I want to take action! I've been through too much to just take a seat on the sidelines!"
"That you have," said the Doctor as he turned to the trio. "We all have our roles to play in this conflict. Sadly, they don't all come at once."
"Um...Doctor?" Clockwork asked suddenly. "What's wrong with Donna?"
The four ponies looked at Donna. A terrible chill passed down the spines of the Doctor and Matilda in response to what they were seeing.
Donna was shivering violently as if she were wrapped in ice. Her eyes were dark blue and icy, golden steam was emanating from them. Donna opened her mouth and spoke in a voice that resembled that of many people talking at once. "The Truth lies with the guilty below; friend returns as does foe. Fire and Temple face the Sun above; everyone fights and everyone loves. The tormented double chooses its fate; hurry to the Rainbow before it's too late. Through the Hour of the Doctor there will be nowhere to hide; a terrible choice will be taken in stride. The Night will rise and a matriarch will fall; the Element of Magic will heed the call. The time shall come for the battle to be won; but be careful for the impossible has only just begun." Donna's eyes instantly returned to normal and she took in a loud breath of air before falling forward onto the floor.
"Donna?! Donna?!" cried the Doctor as he ran to his friend's aid.
Donna sat up and clutched her forehead. "What...the hell...was that?!" she panted.
The Doctor looked Donna straight in the face. "I think...I think you just gave a prophecy."
Donna gave a dumbfounded expression. "What? Since when was I a bloody fortune teller?!"
The Doctor gave a quick chuckle. "Funny. That's exactly what I was just thinking."
"If I may," said Matilda as she stepped forward and knelt down next to the Doctor and Donna. "I think something may have been speaking through you."
"Like what?" Donna asked.
Matilda looked at the Doctor and the Doctor shook his head in response to her glare. "Impossible," he said. "Completely impossible."
"Weren't you listening to what Donna just said, Doctor?" Matilda gave a grim expression. "The impossible has only just begun."
"So what now?" asked Clockwork. "What did all that mean?"
"I'm not entirely sure but I know that we're going to find out. Most likely sooner than later," the Doctor replied.
"Again we ask," Colgate added. "What now?"
"We continue with what the Doctor was doing earlier," Donna said as she raised her head. "We find out more about Discord Whooves. We learn his past. We discover his weakness. We need to go to the place of truth, past, and punishment."
Clockwork and Colgate shared an awkward stare. "And...where is that?" Clockwork asked.
"Seriously, were any of you listening?!" Donna and Matilda snapped at the same time. The two then stared at each other and shared a short smirk of amusement.
"The Truth lies with the guilty below," Donna recounted. She looked at the Doctor, Matilda, Colgate, and Clockwork and clutched her temple in a moment of focus. She then slowly lowered her hand and nodded. "I know exactly where we need to go."