The air was cold and the atmosphere was rightfully dull. The grieving ponies, all dressed in black, took their places to start the solemn ceremony. In the middle, the recently diseased. It was a cream colored mare with flowing hair, greyed from age, with a paintbrush cutiemark that signified her talent as an artist. Today, her few friends and family were gathered to pay their last respcts do the dear old artist who had passed away in her sleep.
A young colt stood and took his place in front of the row of ponies, ready to deliver the gentle mare's eulogy.
"It is truly a... tragic moment for all of us." he began. "One of our most beloved friends has passed away today..." there was a great air of sorrow among all of them.
"She was a kind, helpful friend, good with foals..." he continued. "But most of all she was like a mother to us. Like a loving, caring, mother... so generous, self sacrificing... and even in her dying days she still remained so... so... so full of life." the coffin lid flew off open. The mare whom they had all thought dead rose to a sitting position, her eyes filled with ghastly blue mist. She let out a blood curdling scream as the ponies began to flee in terror...
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
RAINBOW DASH
AND
PINKIE PIE
in
My Little Pony
DOCTOR WHOOF
MAWDRYN UNDEAD
By Elaine Spitzer
PART ONE
The pink earth pony quickly cleared up the mess on the kitchen. She neatly arranged a set of plates, cups and a pitcher of cloudy lemonade on the table. She held up the little blue envelope in her hoof and smiled. Pinkie Pie hadn't seen Twilight and Rainbow Dash since they left with that mysterious brown colt with the weird clothes into that blue wooden box. She had always wondered how they all fit inside. The thought of it made her giggle as she put the envelope back onto the table.
The letter she had received was signed by Dash and Twilight, who announced their intention to come visit. The clock on the wall ticked away as Pinkie continued to wait.
After about 2 minutes had passed, a very strange mettallic grinding and heaving broke the silence. Soon, a blue wooden box began to take shape in the corner, the sign above it's door read 'Police Public Call Box'. Pinkie remembered the box from when the two had first left. A brown colt popped his head out the door and looked at Pinkie. The earth pony cocked her head to the side in confusion.
"Ah." The Doctor said before going back inside. The door opened fully and the colt walked out followed by Twilight and then Rainbow Dash.
"Twilight, Rainbow Dash! It's been soooooo long! I got your letter and I was so excited to hear you were coming back today and so I made something for you guys!" Pinkie said, bouncing up and down in excitement.
"It's good to see you too, Pinkie!" Twilight said smiling.
"Where are the others?" Dash said.
"Oh right... Applejack couldn't make because she had to look after Granny Smith, she's been feeling sick lately... Rarity is off in Hoofington displaying her latest line of dress designs and Fluttershy has caught a cold from all the rain and cold we've been having recently. So I guess it's just us." Pinkie said.
"Poor old Apple-Fine Smith..." The Doctor said.
"Well, that's unfortunate." Twilight said sympathetically.
"Who is that?" Pinkie said looking at The Doctor.
"Ahh, how rude of me, I'm The Doctor! You must be Pinkie Pie! I believe we've met before. You remember me from last time I was here?" The Doctor said, shaking her hoof enthusiastically.
"But... what happened to that colt you left with 2 weeks ago?" Pinkie asked.
"Uh... it's kind of a long story. He can like... change his face when he's closing to dying..." Rainbow Dash tried to explain.
"Quite correct! I'm a time lord, I'm from the planet Gallopfrey in the constellation of Kasterborus. I'm 923 years old." The Doctor put on a wide grin.
"Uh... ok I guess." she said. "Well, let’s eat before these delicious cupcakes go cold!" she said. The group settled down at the table and began their meal.
The grey earth pony frowned. "Another boring nightshift at this Celestia-forsaken morgue. I should have finished high school..." he pushed along the metal tray and left it in the corner. He walked back to a little office with a small yellow light and sat down. He picked up a newspaper and skimmed through the headlines.
Nearby, the pipes began to rattle, loosing a small portion of the metal tube. Out of it however, poured a wispy blue mist. The stallion in the office continued to read the paper, scanning the sports section lazily. The mist continued until it was above one of the exposed bodies and filled the dead pony's nostrils. Suddenly, the corpse rose, it's eyes cold and dead. He proceeded to walk slowly over to the office where the stallion looked up. He tried to scream but not before the walk corpse had a chance to wring his neck and strangle him...
"Ugh..." The Doctor rubbed his head. He found himself sleeping on the couch. "Well, that was a good rest." he sprung up and began to wake the rest of his companions who had fallen asleep over a boring game of scrabble the previous night.
Rainbow Dash got herself up, wiping the saliva from the corner of her mouth.
"Oh, good morning Doctor..." she said. Twilight was already wide awake, heading upstairs to quickly brush her mane without saying a word.
"Had a good sleep everypony?" The Doctor said, picking up the newspaper which had been slipped under the door.
"Sure did! We should do that again!" Pinkie said. "So... when will you guys be off?"
"Oh I don't know..." Dash said. "We might stay a few days longer... see what's changed in Ponyville..."
"But... it's only been 2 weeks since you left. Haha, what could have possibly changed?" Pinkie said, giggling.
"Oh..." Dash said.
"Hmm..." The Doctor broke the silence, inspecting the newspaper closely.
"Uh oh... it's that face again..." Dash said, looking at the worried expression on The Doctor's face.
"What face?" Twilight said as she came down the stairs with a newly groomed mane.
"You know what face I'm talking about..." Dash said as Twilight came closer.
"Listen to this... morgue worker found dead last night in his office... strangled. One body missing from the Stallion Island Local Morgue..." The Doctor said, putting on a grim expression.
"Oh Doctor, that's in Stallion Island not in Ponyville..." Twilight said in a weary voice.
"This is just too weird..." The Doctor said, stroking his chin. "Has there been any strange happenings lately?" The Doctor asked Pinkie.
"Well... there was this weird meteor shower last week. It was off in that direction." Pinkie said, pointing out the window and over the hills in the west.
"Just as I expected... Stallion Island. A meteor shower that's wasn't meant to be, stallion killed under unusual circumstances, a dead body vanishing from a morgue..."
"Does this mean..." Twilight's face suddenly change to one of fear.
"Let's go! Let's go there now!" The Doctor said, suddenly smiling again.
"Oh well..." Dash said. "I guess it is pretty exciting. Don't you want to see what the fuss is all about?" Dash asked Twilight.
"Dead bodies... morgues... mysterious falling stars... I don't really think so but... what choice do I have." Twilight sulked.
"Hay Doctor!" Pinkie said. "Can I come?"
"What?" The Doctor asked. Pinkie put on a nervous smile. "Sure why not. The more the merrier I guess!"
"Woohoo! I love going on adventures! Especially if it's with my two best buddies!" Pinkie said, putting her arms around Twilight and Dash.
"So... into the TARDIS!" The Doctor said, pointing toward the blue wooden box.
"In there? Hahahah! That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. I mean... how are we ALL going to fit inside?"
"Trust me! Just... trust me. In fact, why don't you go in first!" The Doctor said, motioning toward the door.
"Okie dokie lokie..." Pinkie said, walking inside.
"Hahaha, I can't wait for her reaction!" The Doctor said, smiling.
"Oh my!" Pinkie said in surprise. "Look at all this cool stuff!" The Doctor frowned gestured for his two companions to follow him inside.
"Well?" The Doctor said.
"It's.... nice!" Pinkie said, prancing around the mane control unit.
"Just... nice? Aren't you going to tell me it's bigger on the inside?" said The Doctor
"You dimensionally transcendental?" Pinkie asked.
"That's... but how did you... never mind... that's right, it is." The Doctor said putting on a childlike look of frustration. "But I like it better when ponies tell me it's bigger on the inside..." The Doctor headed back to the console.
"Ooh... what are you doing?" Pinkie asked, eyeing The Doctor's movements carefully.
"Setting the time-space coordinates for our destination..." The Doctor pushed a button, adjusted a valve and finally pulled down the dematerialization lever.
"What's this spinny thing, oh and what's that, and that and..."
"Shoosh..." The Doctor put a hoof to his lip. "This is the dimensional stabilizer, this is the dematerialization lever, this is a monitor, this is the dampening adjusters, the vector calculator, vortex shield manipulator, this is... some... kind of... red... button I forget what it does, this is an espresso machine. Way over yonder, that's a scanner, over there are the doors, these are seats, handrail here, over there is a coat hanger and this thing in the middle is the time rotor. Now my dear, please stop badgering me." The Doctor took a deep breath and smiled. "Ok?" Pinkie smiled and quietly took a seat.
The trademark metallic grinding of the TARDIS' engine broke the silence.
"Ok, we're here!" The Doctor said. "But first I want to check the outside weather conditions..." he pressed a button on the console and brought up the monitor.
"Oh my..." Twilight looked at the grey, misty town in the monitor. "Just as I expected it to look. Grey, dark and cold! This day just keeps getting better and better..."
"Looks spooky!" Pinkie said excitedly. The Doctor headed over to the coat hanger and pulled out a grey tweed jacket and a multi-colour scarf.
"Yes indeed!" The Doctor said. "I suggest you three find something to wear! You see that door over there? Go through it, down the hall, turn left, take the third door on the right and down the stairs and the first door you reach should be the wardrobe. It's impossible to miss." The Doctor said. The three ponies went off as The Doctor took a step outside.
"Oh my... rather chilly." The Doctor said, white puffs of vapour coming from his mouth. The TADIS had materialized at a train station skirting the edge of the island. No one seemed to be on the platform and the only light source was a series of gas lamps.
Rainbow Dash opened the door and joined The Doctor outside. She wore a dark navy blue sweater and a woollen Stalliongrad ushanka.
"Ah Dash, where are the others?" The Doctor said. Twilight and Pinkie came out as soon as the words left his mouth. Twilight prided herself with a burgundy colour jacket and Pinkie wore a simple brown scarf.
"Well, it seems we've arrived in a train station of sorts. I think we best look around... before the sun goes down." The Doctor said, noting how dark it was getting. "I always wondered why it was so cold here... we're not even that far north..." The Doctor said, treading along the platform.
"Beats me... I've never been this far out of Ponyville... except that time we went to Appleoosa with AJ." Dash said.
"Oh well... look, there's somepony now!" The Doctor said, walking up to the pony in the coat. "Hello! I'm The Doctor."
"Doctor? Ah, yes." the pony said. "Master Edward has been expecting you!"
"I've been expected?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes, yes indeed! And... who might these be?" the pale yellow stallion asked, adjusting his cravat.
"Oh, these are my companions. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie." The Doctor said.
"Strange names... I take it they're from the mainland." the stallion said.
"They are! Now... what was that about me being expected?" said The Doctor.
"Ah yes. If you'll follow me down to the Master Edward's office... it's not far from here."
"Certainly; come on fillies..." the trio followed The Doctor and the stallion off into the distance.
"I'm telling you, I don't know what to say! Sorry ma'am, you're dead son woke from the dead, murdered a morgue employee and then walked off?" said a frustrated Edward Longstride. "It's ridiculous! And I'm not sure what good some raggedy Doctor from Manehattan or wherever the hay he comes is going to do!" the aged stallion took a sip from his wine.
"We all don't know what to do... remember that incident two days ago? Where that supposedly dead mare walked out of her own funeral? Suddenly she just dropped right dead again 20 minutes later?" said Patrick Lawmane, the chief of Stallion Island Constabulary.
"As if that's any comfort..." Edward said. Suddenly, there were several quick knocks on the door.
"Master Edward... the Doctor's here." came the voice of a middle aged stallion.
"Hello!" said The Doctor followed by his three companions.
"Oh my, I didn't know you'd be bringing company..." Edward said. "Uh, please, if you don't mind, Chief Lawmane would like you to have a look at a recent body we found." Edward said, signalling The Doctor to follow him.
"Right… ah, you fillies stay here. Don't get into too much trouble..." The Doctor said.
"What do you think's going on..." Dash asked.
"I have no idea..." Twilight said looking out the window.
The Doctor followed Edward and Patrick into the opposite room where a body lay.
"Looks like this body's been dead for..." The Doctor prodded the deceased pony's skin. "At least a week..."
"Exactly. And the thing is... you probably won't believe this but... it was found in the hallway of the local morgue and the night shift worker dead." Patrick Lawmane said.
"Well..." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan the dead ponie's body.
"I say... what is that gadget?" Edward said, eyeing the device curiously.
"It's an um... biological scanner... thingy... uh, yeah." The Doctor smiled and inspected the screwdriver. "Well... his body is full of a very rare, very strange compound lining his throat, nose and lungs."
"What's that supposed to mean? asked Edward.
"It means that some kind of gas has been circulating his body. And this night shift worker, how did he die?" The Doctor asked turning to another body on a separate table.
"That would be him Doctor. Uh, he died of a violent strangulation." Patrick said, frowning.
"This is certainly very curious..." The Doctor said.
"Anyway, you mentioned something about gasses? What methane and carbon dioxide?" asked Edward.
"Yes... you see, he's been dead a week. Any residual gasses should have left. The rigidity of his body and the fact he's not even close to being decayed is strange." The Doctor took a seat and began to take it all in.
"Twilight..." Dash said looking out the window. "Look at that!" Twilight and Pinkie joined Rainbow Dash at the window. Outside something seemed to be moving out in the darkness.
"What is it?" asked Pinkie "I don't see anything..."
"I could have sworn I saw something move out there..." Dash said, squinting her eyes to see past the gloom and the fog. Outside, a shape did indeed shift and dance in-between the shadows of the gas lamps.
"There it is again!" Dash said, pressing her face right up against the glass.
"Rainbow, I'm sure you're just imagining things." Twilight said.
"I'm telling you I..." Dash was interrupted by a ghastly apparition in front of the glass. Dash jumped back from where she was at the sight of it. "DOCTOR!!!" she yelled at the top of her voice. The stallion who had lead them in quickly ran upstairs, the sound of a door slamming shut could be heard after.
"What is it?" said The Doctor, bursting into the room. "Oh dear me..." The undead pony rammed a hoof through the window, smashing the glass.
"It's happening again!" cried Edward, backing into a corner.
The creature had now found its way inside and was approaching the group of ponies.
"Not so fast!" cried Patrick, swinging a fire poker at the pony. Easily, the creature pushed Patrick into the nearby wall hard, causing a painting to fall of its hook.
"Patrick!" The Doctor cried, running over to check on him. "Dead... he's dead..." The Doctor said, looking up at the slowly approaching beast. Blue mist coursed through his eyelids and mouth, giving the fiend an otherworldly appearance.
"ZOMBIE PONIES!!!" Pinkie cried, holding on to Dash tightly.
"Doctor what do we do?" whimpered Twilight, as the creature let out a terrifying screech...
TO...
BE...
CONTINUED...