//------------------------------//
// The Doctor sings (Prelude) 
// Story: Lullaby for a Princess [Doctor's version] 
// by neorenamon 
//------------------------------//

	Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia faced off in the throne room.
"AND THAT PRINCESS! SHALL! BE! MEEEE!!" proclaimed Nightmare Moon.
"Luna!!" replied Celestia, "It doesn't have to be like this!!"
"Once my reign begins," she said, "I shall get the respect that I deserve!"
"But... you're already Princess of Equestria!" she answered, "How much more do you need?!"
"A Princess in name only!" she retorted, "But ponies worship your day while they scorn and ridicule MY NIGHT!"
"I'm sorry," answered Celestia, "but only YOU can see in the dark! Other ponies fear the dark because of what they cannot see within it!"
"That's NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!" she hissed back.
"What do you think taking over the throne by yourself will accomplish?!"
"By taking away the day, there shall be NO CHOICE but to adore ME!"
"Are you MAD little sister?!" asked Celestia incredulously, "Without sun, surely all plants in the world shall perish! And then what shall the ponies eat from keep themselves from starving in the night?!"
"ENOUGH TALK!!" she hissed, "I shall take the throne by FORCE!!"
From her horn shot a black beam of energy that Celestia barely managed to avoid. The beam shattered the throne that was just behind her. Celestia's throne. Even though it was no larger than Luna's, it... just seemed more regal in it's gold and red silk fittings.
"I don't want to fight you little sister!" she replied as she fired a beam of white light back, "But you've given me no choice! I cannot let you ruin the day for your own selfish goals!"
Nightmare Moon avoided the attack easily as it smashed through the left side door to the throne room.
"FOAL!" she hissed, "Ruling since the defeat of Discord has made you weak! My righteous indignation has kept me STRONG!"
Celestia flew up as Nightmare Moon fired again. A clean miss that blasted a hole through the ceiling. Now the night shone through and she could see the powerful eclipse of the sun that threw the world into darkness. Without hesitation, Celestia raced upwards into the sky.
"Come back and face me!!" she hissed as she flew after her big sister.
The two began flying about the Castle of the Two Sisters as they fired beams at each other and used the Castle itself to give them cover from the others attacks. Walls ruptured. Towers fell. Everypony around them was fleeing for the gates. Soon the castle would be in ruins.
"WELL HELLO THERE!!" called a stallion's voice from below.
They looked down to see a unicorn standing in a doorway. He was tall, had a brown coat and very dark brown mane and tail which were both very tightly curled. His smile was broad and slightly unsettling. About his neck and shoulders was coiled a multi-colored scarf which was at least 30 hoof lengths all told.
The sheer audacity of his proclamation made the two of them stop fighting.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" hissed Nightmare Moon, "AND WHY MEDDLE IN AFFAIRS THAT AREN'T YOUR CONCERN?!"
"Because somepony has to stop you two from wrecking your own kingdom," he replied evenly.
"I won't ruin anything!" she hissed back, "All ponies shall be sheltered in MY ENDLESS NIGHT!"
"Oh really?" he asked, "How many ponies do you think can live on mold and fungi?"
"WHAT?!"
"In your endless night," he replied, "The only things that will grow without sunlight is various mushrooms and proto-algae. There won't be enough to feed the population, so starvation and chaos shall rule the night."
"I tried to tell her that," replied Celestia, "but she just won't listen."
"AND WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, FOAL?!" hissed Nightmare Moon, "STARSWIRL THE BEARDED?!"
"I don't rightly know who that might be precisely," he answered, "but I am called the Doctor. I'm from a land far far away from here called Gallopfrey. We might not be all that big on magic there, but we do have something we like to call Science."
"SCIENCE?!" she hissed, "What kind of nonsense is that?!"
"I know not what this science is either little sister," replied Celestia, "but his words ring true. If you promise not to bring Eternal Night, I shall concede the throne to you."
"TAKE US NOT FOR A FOAL, BIG SISTER!" she hissed, "AS SOON AS YOU ARE OUT OF MY SIGHT, YOU SHALL PLOT AGAINST ME AS I HAVE PLOTTED AGAINST YOU!!"
"So you're going to destroy your own sister, are you?"
"That's the only way to make sure I fully replace Celestia in the hearts of the ponies!"
"Do you really think that ponies starving in the dark will sing your praises?!"
"They have torches and other means of light!" she hissed back.
"Until they run out of wood and coal to burn my dear," he replied, "and there's the whole psychological issues about being trapped in an eternal night..."
"STOP TRYING TO CONFUSE US, DOCTOR!" she hissed, "I'll take care of my big sister and THEN I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU!!"
"Then you leave me no choice," he replied as he used his horn's power to remove a short silvery rod device from his scarf. His horn glowed with a golden light.
"Be the first to fall then!" she called as her horn began to glow black.
The device emitted a high-pitched whine that neither sister had ever heard before. It rang in Celestia's ears, but she knew it must have been much worse for her sister as the device was aimed right at her. She screamed and fell to the ground with her front hooves over her ears.
Celestia watched as from the doorway emerged the Elements of Harmony under the glow of the Doctor's horn.
"You MUST use the Elements to banish Nightmare Moon to the Moon before she recovers!" he commanded.
"I cannot," she begged, "If I use the Elements without Luna..."
"JUST DO IT!!" he commanded.
Celestia took control of the Elements from the Doctor and brought them before her. The gems glowed as the five smaller gems converged their beams on the mane Element of Magic. Then a rainbow beam shot from the Element of Magic and struck Nightmare Moon. With a howl, she vanished as the surface of the moon became oddly like a shadow of Nightmare Moon herself.
"What have I done?!" she cried in dismay.
Then the Element of Magic evaporated into smoke. The other Elements became inert stones and fell to the floor around her.
"Don't worry," he said, "I've been to the future and she will again be free one day. The stars shall aid in her escape."
"But... what will I do then?!" she replied, "This... was all for NOTHING!"
"I can't say too much without causing paradox," he said evenly, "but I can say that in 1,000 years, there will be a new pony and they shall have friends. They shall take up the mantle of the Elements of Harmony and make things right with your sister."
"How can I trust you?!"
"Does this look like the face of a con or a liar?" he asked with a broad grin.
"So what must I do?" she asked as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"The legend of Nightmare Moon must be kept alive in books," he said, "but with no more detail than I've already given. You must also write a reference guide to the Elements of Harmony. Mention five of the Elements, but the last one... Magic... must become the Unknown Element. The stars shall aid in her escape, but only mention the Elements of Harmony as the only thing that can stop her from her dream of Eternal Night."
"What will this do?!"
"The one you can trust in the future," he replied, "She believes in books. She believes in her own magic. What she needs to come to believe in... is friendship. That little thing that Starswirl never quite understood either... or so I've heard."
"What is their name?!"
"I can't tell you because more than one pony may well have that name," he replied, "and you will know who they truly are in time."
"What if I choose the wrong pony?!"
"You have to trust my words," he replied, "You have to trust in your own judgements."
"I see..." she replied as she looked up at the moon. Her horn glowed as the moon began to lower leaving she shining sun back in its proper place.
"Now I may well see you once or twice in the coming thousand years..."
"You will live that long?!"
"Well we are long lived," he replied, "but that's not the point. I travel through time itself. When the time comes 1,000 years hence, I shall be there to help the one who's going to take over the Elements of Harmony and use them to defend Equestria."
"Can't you stay here with me?!" she begged.
"I cannot," he answered, "I... have my own obligations..."
"I see..." she said as she looked down.
"But I promise I'll visit every century or so... to see how you're doing," he said with a renewed smile. Then he turned and started to walk away.
"But... there's so much I need to know about the future!"
"Can't say any more," he sighed, "Paradox and all that. Don't bother looking for me. No pony can find me unless I will it so."
Soon he was soon out of her sight.