Derpy's heart was racing and her eyes tearing up from having not been closed the whole time. From what she could gather, she was blindly following the Doctor through what really wasn't a maze. It was more of just a windey hallway with a dangerous monster in it. The Doctor never really talked about the things he'd fought before today. That's how it was for most of the aliens she saw throughout their travels.
The second they hit the outside, a stone wall dropped down and cut the Angel off from killing them. Derpy dropped to the ground and just let her eyes shut, just to rest them.
"No time to nap Ditzy." The Doctor said feeling the Doctor's hoofs fumble at the knot she made in their tails. "We need to keep moving."
"Doctor, I really need a rest." she said whining.
"Nexus needs help."
"You said he was sent back in time or something. We can't do anything."
"We have to get to the end of the maze and shut down that machine!"
"But what if he's-"
"Ditzy," The Doctor said picking her up and holding her by the shoulders, "we're going to fix this. I may not personally like his profession but I'm not going to give up on anyone that I travel with. If it was you that got taken by the Angel I… "
"What?"
"Never mind, we've got to move." The Doctor said letting her go. "If we shut down that machine everything will be fine."
Even after that little pep talk, neither Derpy or the Doctor weren’t feeling any more chipper. They were still in slight shock from seeing not only the Angel but, for Derpy at least, seeing someone vanish and more than likely die. It wasn't her first time seeing somepony die, but the Doctor was keen on not killing unless it was the last resort. She'd only seen aliens and corrupted ponies from the future die, either by the Doctor's hand or their own hubris. This was even worse. At least with death she could've been certain his suffering was over, but he said he was sent back in time or something. Maybe to another place… maybe in a wall where he was suffocating!
She had to stop thinking about it. Worrying never solve anything. At least that what she heard from the Doctor when they met. She had to stay focused on getting through the maze and fixing the paradox. The Doctor said even if he was dead destroying the Paradox Machine would bring him back too. But rule one was that the Doctor lies sometimes….
"Doctor?" Derpy asked breaking the silence.
"Not now Ditzy I'm trying to figure out where to go now." The Doctor said waving his Sonic between the three way intersection in front of them.
"Are you sure Nexus is okay?"
"I told you I don't know but shutting down the Paradox Machine will fix everything." The Doctor replied not looking back at her.
"Doctor." This time the Doctor hesitantly turned around. "Tell me it'll fix everything."
"Ditzy, he'll be fine when we shut it down."
"Do you promise?" The Doctor opened his mouth to say something but stopped before he even could get the air to say it. "What'll happen when we shut down the machine?"
"The timeline will rewind until the moment when the machine was started. It'll be like it never happened."
"But?"
"Why does everyone say that? There isn't always a but you know."
"With you there is Doctor. Please don’t lie to me."
"To everyone in the eye of the storm… nothing will have happened. Time will have seemed to passed as normal and nothing will have changed." Derpy fell back on her haunches and leaned against the left corner. The Doctor was at her side quickly with his hoofs around her. "I'm sorry Ditzy. But I didn't completely lie to you. No matter what I'm going to fix this. All of it. I'll do whatever I can to bring Nexus back if he’s-"
Derpy shoved him off of her. "I know you have to lie sometimes but maybe you could give actual advice instead of lying to ponies to make them feel better. I've been traveling with you for years and you still lie to me! Why do you keep lying to me!?"
"Ditzy… I care about you. Anyone that's traveled with me I've cared about, even him. Worrying about him won't make it any easier. I lie to help. I'm not very good at life advice Ditzy and believe me, I am as afraid as you are."
"And what do you tell yourself?"
"That I can fix it. No matter what, I'll fix it."
"You're lying again Doctor."
"I know I am. But I know for a fact I'm doing everything I can do to fix this and I will get him back."
"No you won't." Derpy said getting up. "We will. You're not the only one here. Now no lying Doctor, will we get Nexus back?"
"We will. I promise you we will fix this and we will get him back. That's a promise."
Before the Doctor could go into another one of his grand speeches, a deep rumbling roar shook their bones. Derpy felt the sound resonating in her chest. Their heads snapped to the left to try and find what the source was. Derpy's mind flashed back to all those years ago when she had her first bout of nearly dying just from proximity to the Doctor. Down the left hall, taking the whole of the hallway on that side, the massive body and mane of a manticore sat in the way. It hadn't been there when she looked down the hall before, she was sure of it.
"But for now, we run!" The Doctor said grabbing her by the hoof.
She didn't need to really be grabbed, Derpy was on his heels the second he started running down the front hall. Behind them Derpy could hear and feel the monstrous paws slam into the ground as it gave chase. Derpy got one glance back and found it slammed into the side of the wall at the corner they'd just left behind. She didn't bother looking back again, the heavy creature's paws shook the ground beneath them and just the thud felt like it was throwing her heart out of her chest. That might've just been her heart trying to throw itself out of her chest in fear.
If it wasn't while being chased, it sure as heck was when she made what was possibly the greatest mistake in their whole endeavor here, she made a left when he made a right. Another major rule of traveling with the Doctor was unless he says so, never separate when in danger. Derpy often ignored that and it… sometimes worked. But being where they were now and getting separated was an absolute no no. She heard him shout for her but she knew if she looked back she'd risk the manticore looking at her and chasing her down. She wasn't totally sure why she figured it'd do that because it saw her, Derpy wasn't willing to risk it.
"Over here Fluffy!" The Doctor shouted at the beast as it got between them.
Derpy had to stop. There was no way she wasn't going to let the Doctor do what he was about to. "Not him!" She shouted. "Over here! I've got wings! I bet I taste like Chicken!"
"No!" The Doctor shouted. "I'm an alien! I'm exotic! I'm like your planet's Caviar, come get some!"
"You might not like Caviar. Good old reliable chicken dinner!"
She wasn't quite sure if that's what helped it make its decision but it made it. the manticore roared in Derpy's direction and began taking steps towards her. Derpy didn't need any more motivation to break into a sprint and soon flight. She knew she couldn't maneuver very well without hitting the walls and she certainly managed to do that but a few bruises were of little consequence of not being eaten.
The Doctor shouted at them, trying to get the manticore to come back after him but he was far too late. Derpy could hear him following them. Barely. Over the sound of the beast behind her she could hardly hear anything. The clop of his hoofs on the stone was nearly completely overshadowed by the thunderous pounding of the manticore's paws and claws on the ground. Then the second worst thing that day happened, she took a curve with her wings down and hitting the wall, wing first.
Derpy went into a quick spiral, before skidding a distance on her belly. The stone, though smooth wasn't perfect. Small imperfections caused a few scratches. The Doctor, not very far behind the Manticore, didn't bother to wonder why the thing he was crawling under was so fuzzy but he didn't care. His friend was in trouble and there was nothing he wasn't going to stand behind it no matter how dead he knew he'd be in front of it.
"Ditzy, get up!" The Doctor shouted.
Derpy tried but notice the elephant in the hallway. "Doctor!" She shouted hoping he'd have some kind of teleporter in his plot but she was holding out way too much hope.
"Hey!" a familiar voice shouted from behind the manticore. "Big fat and ugly!"
The manticore started to turn around and was met with a stool to the back of the head. The monster ducked as the wooden stool hit him and shattered. Over it's now slightly hunched shoulders, Derpy caught a glimpse of blue and silver. The glimpse got better as it hunched even further with the thud of the silver hoofs of the aggressor on the manticore's neck. The stallion let his momentum take him over the beast until he stood facing away from them with his fake wings spread.
"You know what's good for ya… RUN!!" Nexus shouted in his Canterlot voice.
The manticore flinched hearing Nexus' shout and backed up. With what looked like a grin, Nexus lunged forward slightly and the manticore started to turn around and start to run. Nexus turned with a cocksure grin on his face and chuckled.
"Miss me?"
"Nexus!" Derpy exclaimed with joy.
"Where'd you get the stool?" The Doctor asked.
"Where have you been!?"
"Statue thing could only teleport me I guess." Nexus answered.
"Yes but where did you get the stool?" The Doctor asked again.
"Why does it matter Doctor, we found him."
"Yes we did Ditzy and it's brilliant that he survived but I want to know where you got the stool."
"Come on, I'll show you." Nexus said motioning over his shoulder.
Derpy followed right on Nexus' heels while the Doctor kept his distance. He wasn't so sure of this miracle.