//------------------------------// // Prologue: The Guilty Below // Story: Doctor Whooves Episode 22: Black Sun // by Doctor Perseus //------------------------------// Doctor Whooves: Episode 22 Black Sun Prologue: The Guilty Below Crystal Caverns, Beneath Canterlot, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E. The Doctor let out a loud yell and punched the metal cage surrounding the control console of what had once been Discord Whooves's TARDIS. "How could he do this?!" he shouted before punching the cage again. "HOW?!" "Doctor, please," said Matilda calmly. "Calm down." "Calm down? Calm down?! How can you expect me to do that now?!" He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a few deep breaths. "I know he's already done plenty of horrible things and God knows what else he's done that nobody else knows about. But...this was his TARDIS. This was the TARDIS! Throughout all my life, ever since I began running, the TARDIS has been there. I've seen many friends come and go. Sometimes they return but they always leave in the end. But, no matter what, the TARDIS was always there." The Doctor stepped back from the cage and looked at the trapped console. "I had no problem believing it when the Master did this to my TARDIS way back when. But...for me to do it. For any version of me to be so broken away from what makes them the Doctor that they could commit such an atrocity to their TARDIS...it's unthinkable." He leaned back against the railing and rubbed his forehead. "Why, Discord Whooves? What could have possibly driven you to this point?" Donna prepared to approach the Doctor but he simply gave a sad look in her direction and retreated to a far side of the console room. Donna tried to follow but Matilda grabbed one of her hands. "Let him go. I think he needs a bit of time to himself." Donna sighed and looked up at the paradox machine before her. "Looks like that Annabelle doll was right," she said. "The Doctor sure as hell didn't like what he found." "I hate it when the creepy doll is right," sighed Matilda. Donna raised an eyebrow as she glanced back at Matilda. "You say it like you've had experience with this before." Matilda chuckled. "You would not believe how many creepy dolls are out there in just this universe by itself." Donna shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "I don't doubt it. I've seen living darkness, robotic gorillas, and talking ponies with tattoos on their rumps. Sometimes I feel the multiverse is going to stop surprising me one day." "Believe me, that won't be happening anytime soon." Donna looked back to see that Clockwork was silently looking over Colgate, who was asleep near the console. She gave a small smile at the pair before looking across the room to see the Doctor leaning against a wall. He appeared to be deep in thought. Occasionally, his face would twitch in a way that almost signalled the beginning of another rant; but no such thing would occur. She then looked back at the paradox machine. "So...what exactly does a paradox machine do?" she asked Matilda. "It's actually very simple," Matilda replied. "Have you ever heard of the grandfather paradox?" "Sounds familiar." "It's basically a theory that states it should be impossible for someone to go back in time and kill their grandfather prior to the grandfather meeting the time traveler's grandmother. At first, you would think this would simply erase the traveler from existence. But, if that's the case, then who went back in time to kill the grandfather in the first place?" "...Yeah. I see how that could be a problem." "Normally, such a paradox would be impossible to bring about. A paradox machine, however, makes it possible. It causes the logic and rules of the paradox to be brushed aside. Thus, it's now possible for the traveler to go back in time and kill his grandfather without being erased from existence." Matilda glared at the paradox machine. "Of course, this isn't Discord Whooves's reason for doing this. As the Doctor said earlier, he's gone through many paradoxes and fixed points throughout his travels in this universe. Thus, it should technically be impossible for Discord Whooves to, let's say, destroy all of Equestria and kill everypony as that would prevent said paradoxes and events from occurring. But, with a paradox machine-" "He can do whatever the hell he wants." "Pretty much." Donna glanced back at the Doctor. "I agree with the Doctor. I would really like to know what led Discord Whooves to do all this." Matilda nodded and sighed in agreement. "The Cybermen, the rifts, and now a paradox machine. This version of the Doctor has definitely fallen pretty far." "You have no idea," spoke a booming voice. Donna and Matilda jolted with shock. Clockwork jumped up with surprise. The Doctor pushed away from the wall and ran up to the paradox machine. "Who said that?!" he asked. "Who's there?!" "Why don't you try to guess? I know you'll be able to figure it out." "This is no time for games, whoever you are!" "True. So you better hurry up." "We don't have time for this!" snapped Clockwork. "Wait a second!" gasped Donna. "Oi! Voice! You've spoken to me before, haven't you?!" "Have I, Donna Noble?" asked the voice teasingly. Donna's eyes widened. "Yeah! Yeah, you bloody have!" Donna made eye contact with the Doctor. "The weakness lies in the place of truth, past, and punishment!" She looked up again. "Sound familiar?" "Ah! You remembered my message! How-" Several loud, weak coughs echoed throughout the room. "C...charming!" "Ah!" Donna shrieked and grabbed her head. She pointed at the Doctor. "I'm not finished yet! I know exactly who you are!" "You do?" asked Matilda. "You do?" asked the Doctor. "Yes!" Donna exclaimed with a look of triumph on her face. "It all makes sense! The weakness lies in the place of truth, past, and punishment! The Truth lies with the guilty below!" The Doctor's face lit up. "Donna Noble, are you-" "Oi! Shut up, space man! I'm on a roll here!" The Doctor raised his forehooves in surrender, stepped back, and smirked with amusement. "This is the place of truth, past, and punishment!" She then pointed up at the ceiling. "And you, whoever the hell you are, are the guilty below!" She exhaled loudly and shook her hands with excitement. "This would be the perfect moment for a mic drop, don't you think?" "Eh...maybe," the Doctor replied. "That's some fine deduction there, DoctorDonna," chuckled the voice. "What?" asked the Doctor and Donna together. "Yes, I suppose I am the guilty below. But you still haven't guessed exactly who I am." "Well...who are you then?" Donna asked. "Two of you should know." "Two of us?" asked a confused Clockwork. Silence fell amongst the group. "Really?" asked the voice with a sigh. "You two can't remember my voice? Was the version of me you met that forgettable?" Silence returned again. Then, suddenly, the Doctor's and Matilda's eyes widened as they made full eye contact. "No," said the Doctor. "There's no way!" exclaimed Matilda. "Can it be?!" "Is it?!" "I suppose it is!" "But how?!" "I don't know!" "Well why don't you?!" "Because I don't! What's your excuse, Ms. I'm From Your Future?!" "So are you two going to tell us what you know or just keep on arguing?" Donna deadpanned. The Doctor and Matilda shrugged their shoulders and looked up towards the ceiling. "We know who you are," said Matilda. "Even though you being here makes absolutely no sense," the Doctor added. "But doesn't that make the answer all the more special?" asked the voice. A loud laugh echoed about the room as a large, red hologram appeared above the group. Donna and Clockwork jumped a bit in response to what they saw while the Doctor and Matilda looked on with stern curiosity. The creature depicted in the hologram appeared to be made out of several random body parts from different animals. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Doctor and Matilda." The Doctor and Matilda shared a concerned stare before looking back up at the holographic draconequus. "Hello, Discord," they said simultaneously.