Chapter 3: A Cup of Tea
Chariot Warehouse, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
"And that's that," said Oswin as she concluded her tale. The five ponies stood in silence as they allowed the events detailed in Oswin's story to sink in.
"That's...insane," Trixie said in shock.
Oswin cocked her head in agreement as she worked on another set of wires in the jet bus's dashboard. "That's fair to say."
Opal and Monty turned towards each other. "It appears these Cybermen are much more powerful than the ones we've faced in the past," Opal commented.
"Ah, don't forget. The Cybermen we've faced did some pretty terrible things too," Monty added.
"True...but none of them had a dark version of the Doctor as their leader."
"Fair point."
Trixie took a few steps towards Oswin. "So, if what you say is true, there's really no place in Equestria that's safe," she said.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Oswin replied. "Did you already forget about the jet bus we're inside and how it ended up here?"
"Yes. That rift generator thing you talked about."
"I'm pretty sure the Princess Luna from my universe was smart enough to not just teleport us over here without any extra protection or defense." Just then, Oswin crossed a final pair of wires and the vehicle roared to life. "Ah! There you are! Awake and ready to go! Just how I like it!" Oswin closed the dashboard and hopped into the driver's seat.
"So where are you taking us?" Opal asked.
"Manehattan," Oswin replied. "That's where our last base was. If that doesn't work then we can always try my hometown and use the old base there, in the case that it's popped up."
"And where's that?"
"Trottingham."
"I knew it! Only somepony from Trottingham could have an accent like that!" Monty concluded.
"Don't forget about England," Opal chuckled.
"Oh yeah."
Suddenly, both Francis's and Julianna's ears twitched. "Something's coming!" the siblings said simultaneously.
"What is?!" Monty asked.
"What do you think?" Oswin asked in reply as she grabbed the controls. At that moment, one of the walls of the warehouse burst open and a cluster of Cybermen stormed in. Bright light filled the previously pitch black chamber and Trixie diminished her lit horn in response. "I suggest that you all hang on. It's going to be a bumpy ride!"
Oswin slammed her foot down on the accelerator pedal and the vehicle shot forward while simultaneously lifting itself into the air. Some of the Cybermen remained on the ground and aimed their weaponized arms at the bus while some took to the air with help from rockets in their feet.
"THEY CAN FLY NOW?!" asked a shocked Opal and Monty.
"Oh they can do a whole lot more than that. Hang on!" Oswin replied as she made the flying bus enter a sharp turn. The right wing grazed the side of the warehouse as the vehicle turned and was aimed at the new, large hole in the wall. "Here!" Oswin reached for her belt, grabbed a metal disk, and tossed it at Monty. "Take this!"
Monty caught the disk and examined it. "What is it?" he asked.
"Your weapon."
Suddenly, the disk folded out into a full-fledged futuristic gun. "Holy Sunbutt!"
"Montague!" Opal snapped. "Not in front of the kids!" Francis and Julianna snickered a bit.
"Get ready!" Oswin warned.
Trixie looked forward and gasped as three flying Cybermen grabbed onto the front of the bus. They flexed their arms back and punched the windshield with frightening strength. The glass didn't break but it did shatter a bit. Trixie grabbed onto a nearby seat as Oswin dipped the vehicle into a sharp descent, which was followed by a hard ascent. One of the Cybermen slipped off while the other two remained clinging to the bus's exterior.
Suddenly, one of the Cybermen punched a small hole through the windshield with its fist and began to swing its arm around in an attempt to grab Oswin.
"Monty!" Oswin called.
"On it!" said Monty as he stood up and aimed the gun.
"Honey, please be careful with that!" said Opal.
"Opal, I'm a clown. I've used many water guns in my life and have fired lots of things at lots of creatures. These Cybermen won't know what hit them!" The stallion aimed the gun at the attacking Cyberman arm and fired. The arm vaporized instantly and the injured Cyberman tumbled off the front of the bus. Now only one remained clinging to the far left side of the bus's front. Monty groaned. "I don't think I can aim at that one!"
"Don't worry! I'll take care of this!" said Trixie as she leaned forward. The blue unicorn focused on the Cyberman. Her horn began to emanate a bright, blue light. Then, suddenly, a stream of blue fireworks emanated from her horn, zoomed through the hole in the windshield, and smashed into the Cyberman. The Cyberman let out a robotic screech as it fell to the warehouse floor far below.
"Nice!" Oswin complimented.
Trixie gave a smug look and brushed her front. "It was no difficult feat for the Great and Powerful TRIXIE!" The unicorn then let out a burst of excited laughter.
Oswin aimed the bus at the hole in the warehouse wall and flew forward. "Here we go! Manehattan, here we come!" Oswin stepped hard on the accelerator as the jet bus flew through the threshold and aimed up towards the wintry skies of Equestria.
Canterlot Castle, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Princess Celestia and the two Princess Lunas stood in solemn silence as they sent the last of the generals out. "That's all of them," said Celestia with a sigh. "Hopefully, we've got enough of the land covered and protected."
"Don't lower your defenses," Luna the human warned. "They always strike when you least expect it." She then looked away from the alicorn sisters and made her way over to a nearby window, which gave a wide view of Canterlot proper. The two sisters watched the human princess from afar, their minds tossing and turning with questions and insecurities.
"Sister, is it strange that I still find it odd to be in the presence of an alternate version of myself?" Luna whispered to Celestia.
Celestia chuckled and smiled at her little sister. "Not at all. I'd reckon anypony would feel the same," she replied. Her face then became serious and concerned. "However, I must admit that one particular detail is nagging at me; and I'm sure you know what it is."
Luna nodded. "Yes." She began to approach her dimensional double but was kindly stopped by Celestia.
"I'll ask her," Celestia said. Luna sighed in agreement and stepped back. Celestia inhaled and exhaled slowly before approaching the human Princess Luna.
Luna the human was almost frozen in a trance as she looked out upon the invaded city before her. She had always thought about her memories of the first day: the day of Discord Whooves's arrival. But now, the memories had never been more vivid.
"Sister! The city is under attack!" she remembered herself screaming whilst looking out upon the carnage.
"No, the whole land is under attack," she remembered her elder sister stating in response. At that moment, three Cybermen had flown over to the castle. The sisters had then proceeded to enter their first battle with the Cybermen.
Luna the human clutched her throat. "And we never stopped fighting," she said as she reached into her shirt collar and pulled out a locket that had been hanging around her neck. It was gold in color aside from the surface of its front, which was a swirling mixture of white, yellow, dark blue, and silver.
"It's beautiful," said Celestia as she appeared at human Luna's side.
The Princess of the Night was a bit startled by the alicorn's appearance but hastily regained her composure. She returned her gaze to the locket. "Yes...it is," she replied.
"May I ask who gave it to you?"
Luna the human was silent for a moment. "My sister." She turned to face Celestia but quickly lowered her gaze after only a few seconds of meeting the Princess of the Sun eye-to-eye. "It is...one of the few belongings I have from before my banishment. My sister had it made for me following our defeat of the great sorcerer Discord. I...was still wearing it when I betrayed her; and it remained on me when I lost the final battle. Ironically, it was one of the few things that helped me keep my sanity throughout my time on the Moon. At the time, I thought it merely acted as a instigator of my anger and jealousy. My drive to return to Equestria and finish what I had started. But, now, I realize that it kept me sane because it reminded me of all the good times I shared with my sister."
Celestia figured this was a better time than any to ask the dreaded question. "Where is your sister now, if I may ask?"
Luna the human raised her head and looked Celestia dead in the face with dark, determined eyes. "She's missing but I'm going to find her. End of story."
Just then, there was a knock on the nearby door. "Hello? Your majesties?" echoed the voice of the Doctor from the other side.
Luna the alicorn used her magic to open the door. The Doctor entered and he was followed by Donna, Matilda, Colgate, and Clockwork. "What news do you bring, Doctor?" she asked.
"Eh...it's more of a request rather than news," he replied.
"And what sort of request is it?" Celestia asked as she and the human Luna approached them.
The Doctor cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "We need access to a restricted part of the castle. It's a place where we believe we may find the secret to defeating Discord Whooves."
Celestia gave a rather intrigued expression. "So which place is it?"
"The Crystal Caverns."
Quinn Park, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Twilight felt as if she had been punched straight in the face while simultaneously having somepony tug hard on the root of her tail. She fell backwards and found herself landing in a mound of snow. Her eyes opened slowly to give her a view of a white, smoky sky decorated with swirling clouds and bordered by leafless tree limbs. A groan escaped her lips as she sat up to get a look at her new surroundings.
She was sitting in the center of a snowy park filled with various trees and dead shrubs. A frozen pond could be seen a few yards away. Members of her group were scattered about the immediate area. Her parents, Shining Armor, Cadance, Flash, and Cyberman Shining Armor were picking themselves up. Meanwhile, Twi lay unconscious in the snow.
"Twilight!" gasped Flash as he ran to Twi's side. Twilight followed suit and ran over to her human duplicate. Flash examined Twi for a few seconds before letting out a relieved sigh. "She'll be fine. Should only be out for a little bit."
"Teleportation can cause a lot of strain, counting on the distance," Twilight informed. "Believe me, I know." She looked over to Shining Armor and Cadance, who were slowly approaching. "Are you okay? What about Mom and Dad?"
"I think we're all okay. Not sure if the house will be though," Shining Armor replied. "How about...the other you?"
"She should only be out for a little bit."
A look of recognition suddenly appeared on Shining's face. "Wait a second...isn't this Quinn Park?"
Twilight looked around. "Yeah...I think it is."
"We haven't been here in years!" Shining let out an amused chuckle. "We used to come here all the time when we were young."
Twilight giggled. "Yeah...I remember." I also remember when Queen Chrysalis attacked you and I here but that's neither here nor there, she thought.
"Sorry to interrupt your trip down memory lane but I suggest that we get out of here as quickly as possible," said Cyberman Shining Armor.
"Okay, I have to ask. What are these things attacking Canterlot, why are they attacking, and why is this one not attacking us?" Shining Armor asked.
"They're called Cybermen," Twilight replied. "They're attacking because...it's a long story; and the reason this one isn't attacking is because the person behind the suit was able to keep their emotions and conscience." Twilight froze. She wasn't sure if she should tell her brother that the good Cyberman was actually his alternate self.
Shining looked like he was about to ask more questions but Cyberman Shining quickly cut him off. "We can save the details for later. Right now, we should really get going," he said.
"He's right, more Cybermen could appear at any moment," said Flash as he stood up and held the unconscious Twi in his arms.
"It's not just that." Cyberman Shining looked straight at Twilight. "You're in real danger, Twilight."
"I know that. We're all in danger."
Cyberman Shining shook his head as he approached her. "No. I mean you are in danger. Your friends too."
Twilight gulped. "Why?"
"When we were in your parents' house, I received an order. Due to me being a Cyberman, I'm sometimes able to hear the orders that are sent out to the rest, though I tend to receive them a little while after the initial sending of the order. Usually, they're only the more important ones. The order I received in the house was to find the representatives of the Elements of Harmony in this world and capture them."
Twilight was silent for a moment. "That means my friends are in even greater danger than how I first thought!"
"Yes, and it also means that you are in greater danger."
"What does Discord Whooves want with them?" Flash asked. "Where does he want them brought?"
"I don't know. The order I got was a bit scrambled so I may have missed parts of it," Cyberman Shining replied.
"I guess that settles it then," said Shining Armor as he approached Twilight. "I need to get you, Cadance, Mom, and Dad out of the city."
"What about you?" Cadance asked.
"I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard! I need to stay with my soldiers."
Twilight was silent for a moment. "I understand," she said with a nearly emotionless tone. "But how are we to get out of the city? The Cybermen are everywhere."
"Me and my fellow soldiers were ordered to help get as many civilians to safety as we could manage," Flash replied. "I have no doubt that some of our vehicles were brought over as well."
"Hold on a second," said Night Light. "What's that over there?"
Twilight followed her father's gaze over towards a cluster of trees. Through the leafless limbs, she could make out a small crowd of ponies huddling around a large, metallic object. "Let's go find out," she suggested as she started to walk in the direction of the crowd.
Shining, Cyberman Shining, Flash holding Twi, Cadance, Night Light, and Twilight Velvet all kept close to Twilight as they made their way past the cluster of trees. Once on the other side, Flash let out a relieved laugh. "And there you go!" he exclaimed. "A jet bus!"
The entrance doors to the jet bus were open and ponies were being led inside by a fair-skinned woman with orange hair; light green eyes, and orange camo clothing. "Come on! Everyone inside! Move it, move it, move it!" she barked. The woman quickly noticed the approached group and waved. "HI FLASH!"
"Carrot Top," Flash replied with a nod.
She proceeded to give an impressed smile. "It looks like you found some ponies of your own to save."
"And it looks like you have as well. Would you happen to have room on that jet bus for a few more ponies? Twilight will be fine and we've still got some work to do here."
"I think I can squeeze in a few more ponies." Carrot Top looked at the ponies before her and grinned. "Move those flanks! The Cybermen could show up at any second!"
"Right," said Shining with a nod. The white unicorn turned around to face his sister, parents, and wife. "This is where we part ways for now. I love all of you but I have a job to do and I promise that we'll all be together again after this is all over." Cadance and Velvet began to tear up as they leaned in to hug Shining. Night Light followed suit.
"I...couldn't have said it better myself, Shining," Twilight sighed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shining asked as the hug broke apart.
"What you just said applies to me."
Shining's eyes widened. "Twilight-"
"You're not staying, Shining, and I'm not going. You need to go with Cadance, Mom, and Dad. I want you all to be safe. I have a job to do here and friends to help. I love all of you and I swear that we will be together again once this has come to an end."
"Now hang on just a minute! That's not what's happening, Twilight!"
"It's what needs to happen, Shining."
"These things are after you! You're in danger!"
"In case you haven't noticed, there have been many times where I've been in danger and I've survived them all! I faced Nightmare Moon! I fought against Discord! I saw through Chrysalis's disguise at your wedding! I've traveled to the past, the future, and everything in-between! As long as I have friends and family to fight for, I can overcome anything!"
"She's got a point, Shining," Cadance said suddenly.
"Yes. Your sister's quite a strong mare," Night Light commented.
"But," Shining stammered as he looked at his little sister. "I can't leave you here with those things hunting you!"
"She won't be alone," said Flash.
"We'll make sure nothing happens to her," said Cyberman Shining.
Twilight stepped towards Shining and pulled him into a hug. "You need to protect Cadance, Mom, Dad, and anypony else who needs your help. I need to help the Doctor protect all of Equestria," she said before stepping back. "And we'll both get through this and be absolutely amazing. Right, BBBFF?"
Shining gave a sad smile and nodded. "Right...Twiley." Twilight and Shining had one last hug before breaking apart.
"All aboard who's coming aboard!" shouted Carrot Top.
"I guess that's our cue," said Velvet. "Be careful, Twilight. Be safe."
"I'll try to stay as safe as I can," Twilight chuckled.
"You better come and find us as soon as this is all over," said Night Light. "You hear me?"
Twilight nodded. "I hear you, Dad."
Cadance walked over to Twilight and hugged her. "I'll keep an eye on Shining," she whispered.
"I know you will," Twilight whispered back. The sisters-in-law then stepped apart.
"I love you, Twiley," said Shining as he began to board the jet bus.
"Love you too, BBBFF," Twilight responded as her eyes began to tear up.
Shining, Cadance, Night Light, and Velvet proceeded to board the jet bus. Carrot Top winked at Flash before boarding the vehicle and locking the doors behind her.
Twilight, Flash, and Cyberman Shining proceeded to step back and watch as the jet bus roared to life and levitated into the sky. Twilight could see the faces of her family looking down at her from the windows. She smiled back at them and waved. A few seconds later, the jet bus zoomed off into the sky.
Barely a second after the bus left, Twi began to awaken in Flash's arms. "Did we make it? Did I miss anything?" she asked as she awoke.
"Just some goodbyes," chuckled Cyberman Shining.
Flash let Twi down. She regained her balance and stretched her arms high up into the air. Once she was done stretching, she took notice of her solemn, unicorn counterpart. "Twilight...is something wrong?" she asked.
Twilight shook her head. "No. My family's safe now. I'm happy," she replied before turning around towards her three companions. "Now let's go back to the castle. We need to speak with the Doctor and the Princesses. They need to know that Discord Whooves is looking for me and my friends."
"He's what?!"
"We'll fill you in on the way," said Flash as he wrapped an arm around her, which caused her to blush a bit.
"Okay. Let's go then!" she said. As they began to make their way back to the castle, Twi started to take in her surroundings. "Wait a minute...this is Quinn Park!" She looked at Cyberman Shining. "We used to come here all the time as kids. Do you remember?"
Cyberman Shining was silent for a couple seconds. "Yes," he eventually replied. "I remember."
Canterlot Castle, Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
"Now are you sure about this?" the Doctor asked Donna as they followed the three Princesses, Matilda, Colgate, and Clockwork down the hallway.
"It's the only lead we've got," Donna replied. "The Truth lies with the guilty below. The Crystal Chambers are beneath Canterlot. Twilight, Spike, and I got transported into the Crystal Caverns back in the other Equestria and I remember there being a lot of crazy stuff down there."
"Like what?"
"Cyber-gorillas, a vat of blue fire, a scream alarm, Dalek corpses, shall I go on?"
"Sounds like an interesting place."
"Yeah. Interesting all right. But who knows what else could have been down there? And, so far, it looks like Discord Whooves has transported all of his armies and all of his stuff to this dimension with the rift generator."
"Yes. It appears so."
"Well?! Maybe some of the stuff in the other Crystal Caverns came over here!"
"It's possible; and it's a lead at the very least. That's better than having nothing."
The group came to a stop in front of a large, wooden door. "This is it," said Celestia. "The entrance to the Crystal Caverns."
"Are you sure you wish to go down there?" Luna the alicorn asked.
"Yes," the Doctor replied. "There's a chance that we may find something of use down there. I'm willing to take that chance."
"Don't forget about the rest of us, sweetie," cooed Matilda as she nudged Colgate and Clockwork.
"Of course. I could never forget about any of you. Verity, was it?" Matilda raised an eyebrow and the Doctor winked at her.
"Do you wish for any of us to accompany you?" asked Luna the alicorn.
"I don't believe that's necessary, your majesty. I wouldn't want to take any of you away from your watch over the city and your armies," the Doctor replied.
"Still, take this," said Luna the human as she reached into one of her pockets. She pulled out a small earpiece of sorts and tossed it to the Doctor. The Doctor caught it and hastily applied it to one of his ears. Luna, meanwhile, took a similar earpiece and applied it to one of her own ears. "Now we can communicate if we wish to."
"Excellent! Just don't drop yours through the open door of an inter-dimensional ship."
"I'll...try my best to avoid a situation like that."
"Fantastic!"
"Are you ready?" asked Celestia.
"As ready as we'll ever be, I suppose," Donna replied as she placed her hands into her pockets. Celestia proceeded to use her magic to open the door to the Crystal Caverns. A chilly gust of wind blew out from the land within. The Doctor, Donna, Matilda, Colgate, and Clockwork nodded silently to each other and then proceeded to pass through the threshold.
Ponyville Hospital, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.
Derpy stared across the hospital room, caught in a dreary trance. Her thoughts kept transitioning between focusing on the injured Rainbow Dash in the bed before her, to the Cybermen attacking outside, to the human soldiers and allies running about the hospital and the town beyond in an attempt to help those in need, to the rest of her friends sitting in the hospital room in an uncomfortable silence.
"Derpy?" asked Spike, who was sitting next to her.
Derpy shook her head a bit and turned to look at the dragon. "Yes, Spike?" she asked in reply.
"I was just making sure that you were alright. You looked like you were sleeping with your eyes open or something."
"I've gotten that before."
"Really?"
Derpy's eyes proceeded to invert. "Yeah."
Spike clasped Derpy's left forehoof with his right claw and held it tightly. "I'm really worried about Fluttershy."
"Me too, Spike. Everypony here is."
"We've both seen what the Cybermen have done to the humans in that other Equestria. What if-"
"Let's not think about that. We're all going to get through this. I believe that we and the Doctor will find a way."
Spike gulped. "I wonder what's happening back in Canterlot. Do you think Twilight and the others are okay?"
Derpy smiled. "Yes. I believe so. Twilight's a very smart, brave mare. She and the Doctor make a good team. They're...really good together."
Spike blew raspberries and slid down in his chair a bit. "Let me guess. You like him too, don't you?"
Derpy's ears stood up. "What?"
"The Doctor. You like him, right?"
"Well of course I like him. He's a great stallion and a loyal friend."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "You know what I mean. I have a knack for sensing stuff like this."
It was Derpy's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Think about it. Only somepony who has experience with unrequited love can identify somepony else going through the same thing." Spike glanced over in Rarity's direction and sighed. "On the bright side, that's just something else for me to relate with Twilight about." Spike chuckled. "She likes him too. She'll never openly admit it but I can tell that she has feelings for him."
Derpy sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "It feels like it happened ages ago, but I remember that there was a moment where I asked Twilight if she loved the Doctor. She asked me the same thing in return."
"What did you two say?"
"Neither of us had the opportunity to answer. But now, when I look back on that moment, I think love may have been a strong way of saying it. I respect the Doctor and consider him to be a very valuable friend. I'm certain that Twilight feels the same way. But...I think a lot of my feelings for him come mostly from admiration. I mean, I'm not head over hooves for him and I don't get butterflies in my stomach when I talk to him. Mostly, I just find myself in awe of him. I see this brave stallion standing up against impossible odds and doing everything in his power to protect those closest to him. A stallion who brings out the best in others and encourages them to fight back. He's just wonderful."
"Do you think Twilight's the same way?"
"I can't speak for Twilight, Spike. But I can say that, whatever the case may, she probably feels a sense of awe about him as well."
Spike looked over at Rarity. "Do...do you think it could ever work out with me and Rarity?"
Derpy giggled. "Spike, I've only traveled to the future. I can't predict it."
Spike blushed. "Right."
Derpy proceeded to pat the dragon's head. "But who knows? A lot of seemingly impossible things have been happening since the Doctor crashed into our lives. Who's to say a dragon can't woo the heart of a unicorn?"
Spike smiled at Derpy and hugged her. "Thanks, Derpy."
"Don't mention it, Spike."
Across the room, Applejack was caught in her own train of thought. Her eyes were wide with worry and her mane was slightly strewn. "Applejack, darling, calm yourself," Rarity suggested from beside her.
Applejack took notice of her friend's words and nodded. "Sorry. I'm just thinking about Fluttershy," she said before glancing at the nearby window, which gave them a wide view of Ponyville. "And other things."
Rarity sighed. She already felt that she knew what else was inflicting the farmmare with worry. "I'm sure they're just fine, Applejack. Apple Bloom is a smart filly, Big Macintosh is a strong stallion, and Granny Smith is quite capable for somepony of her age."
"I know all that...but I still can't help but think about them. I haven't seen them at all since these Cybermen started showing up."
"I'm worried too, you know." Rarity and Applejack faced each other. "My parents and Sweetie Belle are out there somewhere. Or maybe they're somewhere in the hospital and I just don't know it. I can't say. But I have hope that they are safe." Applejack lowered her head a bit and fell silent. Rarity suddenly gave a small smile and lifted Applejack's head. "How about we make a deal, Applejack?"
"A deal?"
"Yes. I hope that your family will be safe while you hope that my family will be safe. If either of us starts to lose hope, the other gives them a little boost of encouragement; like what I'm doing right now."
Applejack smiled at Rarity. "I'm glad that I have you as a friend, Rarity."
"I'm glad to have you as a friend too, Applejack."
Pinkie Pie stared out through the window at what lay outside. A blue, futuristic force field of sorts surrounded the hospital. It had been set up by the human soldiers who had come to Equestria's aid. For now, it seemed that the shield was successful in its task of keeping the Cybermen away from the hospital. However, how long the defenses held was a mystery.
"Pinkie Pie, you've been staring out that window for ages," said Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie Pie turned away from the window and approached the side of Rainbow's bed. "Sorry," she said. "I've just been thinking about Fluttershy."
"It wasn't your fault. If anypony's to blame here, it's me. I wasn't fast enough."
"Now don't you go saying things like that now," said Daring as she approached the side of Rainbow's bed opposite to Pinkie. "You were fast enough. The Cyberman just caught you off guard with that punch." Rainbow groaned as she flexed her injured wing. "How's the wing?"
"Hurts," Rainbow replied.
"I'd be surprised if it didn't. It's been a long time since I last broke a wing but I can remember how much pain it brought me."
"I remember that. It was during your quest for the Sapphire Stone."
"Another one of my books, right?"
Rainbow nodded. "It's my favorite. It was the book that introduced me to your series."
Daring chuckled. "My series. I've seen some crazy stuff in these past few days. Alternate realities, doubles, dimensional rifts. Yet, the fact of me being a character from a book series in this world still makes me feel strange." Daring reached a hoof forward and patted Rainbow's shoulder. "But with fans like you, it makes the whole thing sink in a bit better."
Rainbow smiled. "Thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me to hear something like that from you."
Daring smiled back. "And, hey, at least you're not a crazy psychopath like the other Rainbow Dash I met."
Rainbow's eyes went wide. "Wait...what?!"
"You've met Wob Niar?!" Pinkie Pie asked suddenly.
Daring awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck and stammered, "Uh..."
"Anypony in the mood for some tea?" asked a cheerful voice. Everypony in the room turned to the doorway to see a fair-skinned, human nurse standing in front of the closed door. She was holding a metal tray in her hands. On the tray was a tea kettle along with seven empty tea cups.
Daring couldn't help but feel a bit creeped out by the nurse; and the fact that she had passed through the door and entered the room without making a sound was only one of several uncomfortable aspects. Everything above her nose was concealed by an abnormally large nurse's hat and not one strand of her hair could be seen.
"Now that you mention it, some tea does sound nice," Rarity replied.
"Great! Seven cups of tea coming up!" exclaimed the nurse with a mysteriously high voice. She placed the tray down on a nearby counter and proceeded to pour the tea out of the kettle and into each of the seven cups. Once the tea was poured, the nurse began to give out the tea to the seven inhabitants of the room. She first took care of Derpy and Spike, then Rarity and Applejack, and finally Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.
Daring was the last one in the room to receive her cup. "Thank you," she said with a look of suspicion as she took the cup in her hooves. "You know, it's pretty lucky that you had exactly the right number of cups for everypony here."
"I know!" giggled the nurse. "Gotta love the little things in life, right?"
Daring continued to eye the nurse intensely. The nurse turned around and slowly made her way towards the doorway. Daring looked down at the liquid within the cup in her hooves and brought it up to her face. Instead of consuming the beverage, she took a quick sniff. At first, she only smelled tea. But then her trained sense of smell picked up another odor. It was faint and incredibly easy to overlook. But it was there: an almost spicy scent that made the hairs around the nose curl up in fear.
It took a second or two but Daring managed to hastily identify the scent. She had smelled it before in her past travels. It was the scent of a special plant located on the borders of many jungles throughout Gaia. It was a plant laced with a natural toxin that could kill insects and make animals sick for days on end. For ponies and other higher-up species, it had a less fatal effect but an effective one nonetheless. If the leaves of the plant were ground into a liquid, they could be used as...a sleeping tonic.
"STOP! NOPONY DRINK THE TEA!" Daring shouted. Unfortunately, her shouts fell on death ears. Everypony else in the room aside from herself and the nurse had consumed the tea. Now, barely ten seconds later, they were all caught in a deep slumber. Daring threw her tea cup at the nurse, but she dodged with a simple lean. "WHO ARE YOU?!"
A cold, chilling laugh emanated from the nurse's lips. "Come on, Daring Do. Don't tell me you've forgotten me already!" cackled the nurse in her natural voice.
Daring froze as the voice bounced off her eardrums. "No." Daring pulled out her whip and charged at the nurse. "STAY AWAY FROM THEM!" Daring swung her whip but was caught off guard as the nurse jumped high into the air, grabbed her whip, and yanked it out of her grasp. Daring barely had time to react as the nurse came down in front of her and a sharp pain rung out from the center of her chest. The adventurer looked in shock as a massive butcher knife was driven deep into her body.
She could feel herself starting to go into shock. Every part of her was twitching or vibrating in one way or another. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the face of her attacker. The nurse's hat had fallen off, which allowed her long, pink hair to dangle freely from her scalp.
Pinkie Pie the human laughed coldly as she stared down at the stabbed pegasus in front of her. "Don't worry. I promise to take very good care of them," she giggled before pushing Daring back onto the floor, leaving the knife drilled into her.
Daring tried to react but found that she couldn't. She was too far into shock to do anything. All she could do was watch as the human Pinkie Pie gathered up the five mares and the dragon. "No," she managed to utter. "Leave them alone."
"I'm sorry, Daring Do. I would have brought you along to be a witness like Spike and...whoever the gray pegasus is but you didn't drink your tea. I hope you understand. Stabbing you was the only alternative." Pinkie rolled back the sleeve on her right arm to reveal a teleportation device of sorts wrapped around her wrist. "Well, time to head out. Mr. Whooves has big plans for the Elements of Harmony." She clapped her hands and jumped up and down a bit. "I can't wait! It's going to be AWESOME! And then we'll celebrate with my famous batch of cupcakes! Isn't that great?!"
"You'll...be...stopped. You...won't...hurt...them."
Pinkie blew raspberries and waved her hand with an annoyed glare. "Aw, you're no fun. Buzzkill!" Pinkie started adjusting the device on her wrist. "Well, time to go now. Sweet dreams, Daring Do!"
Daring suddenly pushed all of her remaining strength into her vocal cords. "STOOOOOOOP!" As she screamed that single word, Pinkie Pie the human vanished with her sleeping captives.
The last thing Daring saw before losing consciousness was a group of pony nurses bursting through the door and running to her aid.