Silence reigned after that last statement. Then, suddenly, the silence was shattered. Panicked sobs filled the air from some ponies, while others paced furiously, trying to think a way out of the predicament. The guards crowded the princess, attempting to formulate a plan.
The four time-travellers stood in one corner of the room, watching the chaos unfold. “These are the ponies we’re gonna have to fight with?” Derpy asked, voice uncertain.
Tick Tock stated flatly, “We’re dead.”
“Oh, come on now!” The Doctor shot Tick Tock an encouraging grin. “I’m sure we can come up with something!”
“Doctor. Top Hat.” A regal voice suddenly broke in, drawing attention. Celestia herself stood before them, and her expression made it clear that she knew them all.
A grin broke out across the Doctor’s face. “Ah, greetings, Your Highness!”
Celestia gave him a grim smile. “Greetings, Doctor. As you can see, we’re in the middle of a little bit of a crisis here.” Turning her gaze to the entire group, she asked, “Have any of you ever encountered these creatures before?”
Top Hat, Derpy, and Tick Tock all shook their heads as one. The Doctor, meanwhile, muttered something under his breath. Looking at the princess, he explained, “I’ve encountered them before, but…”
“Not here, yet.” Celestia nodded in understanding. “Well, any information you could volunteer about them would be well appreciated.”
The Doctor grew serious, his eyes clouding over with that same darkness that both Derpy and Tick Tock knew better than to ask about. “They’re called Sontarans, as you may have picked up,” he said. “They’re a race of clones, designed to do war - it’s their only joy. Their only weakness through the armor is a valve on the back of their necks.”
“So the only way to defeat them is to attack them from behind?” Tick Tock asked.
“That’s not very honorable,” Top Hat observed.
“Yes, well, it’s better to fight with reason before honor,” Tick Tock responded irritably. Derpy shot him a bemused glance. Had he known someone in Neighers who had tried to fight with honor before reason and gotten themselves killed? She couldn’t imagine any other reason that comment would have upset him.
“Regardless,” the Doctor said, drawing attention back to himself, “we need to come up with a battle strategy to protect the civilians and defeat the Sontarans. I think if I can get through to talk to their leader, I might be able to get them to leave, but it’ll be dangerous. We’re going to need as many ponies to fight as we can get - do you think any of the attendees would volunteer to fight along?”
Celestia glanced over her shoulder at the guards hesitating there, and one immediately turned and headed towards the crowd, calling for recruits. Turning back to the Doctor, she asked, “So how do you propose we manage to hit them in the back of the necks, then?”
The Doctor hesitated, thinking. “I’m not sure. Sontarans weren’t a common enemy I faced where I came from.”
“I think I may be able to offer a service,” Top Hat broke in. Four pairs of eyes turned to him as he explained, “During my travels, I’ve invested a lot of time in studying advanced magic, and I believe I could teleport a few soldiers to the back of the room. We’d only have seconds to strike before they realize what we’d done, of course, but we hypothetically could take out at least a few…”
“And when they turn to fight you, we could attack them from the front!” the Doctor exclaimed. “Brilliant!”
“But wait,” Derpy asked, confused. “Wouldn’t they notice you and turn around before you had time to run up and hit them? How will you attack before they notice?”
“Ranged weapons,” Tick Tock answered. “We’ll send a few sharp-shooters to the back of the room with crossbows, and each could fire a shot or two before being noticed. The largest concern would be making sure the bolts hit - we couldn’t afford a miss in this situation."
Celestia hesitated. “I only have one or two guards present with any particular talent for crossbow accuracy,” she admitted.
“I’m fully trained in crossbow utilisation,” Tick Tock offered. “I’d be happy to help.”
“I’d like to help, too,” Top Hat said. “I might not be the best shot, but I’ll still be there after executing the spell, so it couldn’t hurt to try.”
“I think that’s an adequate number,” the Doctor declared. “After all, you’ll mostly be serving as a diversion to get the Sontarans to turn around and make themselves vulnerable.”
Celestia spoke up. “I think I could help as well. I know a spell that would allow me to catch and hold at least five in place at a time, to make accessing the valve easier.”
Turning back to the princess, the Doctor grinned as he said, “I think we’ve got a pretty good strategy charted out here. It’s probably about time we start working on putting it into execution.”
“A fair point,” Celestia said, nodding. Turning back to her guards once more, she ordered, “Run to the armory and fetch a set for each volunteer. I won’t be sending my subjects into a battle under-equipped.”
Beside her, Derpy heard Tick Tock mutter something indistinguishable under his breath. He looked annoyed, but she could tell that he was mostly just sad.
Within minutes, the room was filled with bustle. The few nobleponies who had volunteered to help were suiting up in the armor they’d been lent and taking up borrowed arms, while the rest were being escorted to rooms deeper in the castle and away from the approaching fight.
Tick Tock cursed quietly when he dropped the armor’s girth midway through tightening it. All the work he’d done to make it fit was undone, and the armor itself, built for a normal-sized pony and not a scrawny refugee, sagged to the side. He blew a frustrated sigh between his teeth and began resettling the armor to try again.
“Want some help?"
Derpy was standing beside him. She’d ditched the torn-up dress to allow for greater mobility during the fight to come, and her mane was partially wrecked from her fall on the ballroom floor. However, unlike the noble mares, who’d pitched a fit if a spot of mud got on their dresses, she’d simply shrugged and tossed the garment aside in order to help.
She brought him back down to Equus with a gentle comment. “It’s really a two-pony job.”
Tick Tock hesitated, unused to being offered help. Then he flicked his ears towards her, admitting, “Some help would be appreciated. They didn’t really have armor in my size.”
As Derpy helped him to get his armor properly settled, Top Hat trotted over. His normal hat had been replaced by a gilded helmet, and he almost didn’t look like the same unicorn that way.
Voice lowered, he asked Tick Tock, “Are you sure you wish to take part in this fight? You’re not fully able - nopony’s going to judge you if you don’t."
Tick Tock’s eyes flashed with anger at Top Hat. “Excuse me, but I’m a fully trained soldier. If anypony deserves to be in this fight, it’s me. Not that I’d expect some foalish time traveler to understand that.”
“Tick Tock!” Derpy, shocked, let go of the girth, and once again Tick Tock’s armor almost fell off his lean frame. Ignoring it, the pegasus mare stood, staring at him in surprise and some amount of outrage. “He’s trying to be nice!”
Tick Tock turned to Derpy, and she stepped back, startled. He looked angry. He’d never looked angry at her before.
“Of course you don’t understand,” he snapped. “After all, I’m sure you were completely taken in by his ‘charming’ act before. I hadn’t expected you to be the type to be so swept up in that, though. How many coltfriends do you go through in a month?”
Derpy’s jaw dropped in shock - she couldn’t believe he’d just said that. For a moment, she tried to come up with a rebuttal. But then tears welled up in her golden eyes, and she turned and ran, not noticing when Tick Tock called out after her, surprise at his own actions and regret written in his gaze.
Head tucked down, vision blurred, the gray mare had no idea where she was running to. She just barreled along, any nearby ponies scrambling out of her way.
Suddenly, a hoof reached out, stopping her. “Derpy, what’s wrong?” It was the Doctor.
Derpy didn’t answer or look. She just stood still, head still hanging, shaking. Then suddenly, she whirled, almost tackling the Doctor with a hug. He nearly fell over, surprised, but caught himself before he hit the floor. Wrapping his hooves around her, he hugged her back as she explained what had happened through her tears.
When she was finished, he was silent for a minute. Derpy sniffled, asking quietly, “Why would he say something like that?"
The Doctor sighed. “Derpy, I’m sorry that he reacted that way. But before you get too mad, you have to remember where he came from. Everyone in Neighers bullied him, remember?”
Derpy sat back, blinking away the moisture in her eyes. “Yeah, I know. He kept trying to push us away when we met him for the first time - refusing my thanks for watching the TARDIS, not wanting my help picking up his things… but what does that have to do with this?”
“He was trying to push us away because he was suspicious - he’s not used to ponies being nice to him,” the Doctor explained seriously. “And now… I think he’s just scared that if you make friends with Top Hat, you’ll be distracted and you won’t like him as much.”
Derpy gave him a confused look. “What? But that’s ridiculous! Having more friends doesn’t mean you like your old friends any less!”
“He doesn’t know that, Derpy,” the Doctor pointed out.
Her eyes widened as realization hit. “So… he’s just upset because he’s scared I won’t want to be his friend anymore.”
The Doctor nodded. “And sometimes when you’re scared, you sometimes do things that don’t make sense, like yelling at somepony you care about.” He smiled one of those smiles that never touched his eyes he was so good at, ruffling her mane. “So, you think you can find it in your heart to forgive him?”
Derpy nodded back, brushing at her eyes with a hoof and smiling. “Yeah.”
*o*o*o*o*
Stupid. Stupid!
Tick Tock closed his eyes, berating himself yet again. What a stupid, stupid thing to do! She’d been the first one to be kind to him in years, and now? Now he’d be surprised if she didn’t hate him.
He sighed, opening his eyes, gaze centered on the floor. No wonder nopony in Neighers had liked him. He didn’t exactly make it easy.
“Something the matter?”
He huffed out a mirthless laugh, demanding bitterly, “What, you mean besides the fact that we’re headed into battle hopelessly outnumbered, with only lazy, arrogant nobles to depend on?” He flicked an ear, annoyed, as he glanced up to see who was speaking to him - and froze.
Mouthing off to his brother was one thing. He’d just done it to the princess.
If Celestia was bothered, however, she didn’t show it. With a small smile, she settled herself on the floor beside him, simply answering, “Yes."
He looked at her for a moment. “Judging by your conversation with both the Doctor and ‘Top Hat’ earlier, I take it you know…”
“That you’re time-travelers, yes,” Celestia responded in a friendly tone. “I am also aware that, from your perspective, this is the first time you have met me, though I have encountered you before.”
“Hm.” Tick Tock remained disinterested. Too much else was on his mind.
“I hope there’s not going to be a problem between you and Top Hat,” Celestia said, a gentle reproach in her tone. “You’re going to have to fight beside one another.”
Tick Tock huffed again. “Trust me, I can work alongside ponies I don’t necessarily enjoy the company of.” With a sigh, he said, “It’s just a stupid argument, nothing more.”
For a moment, there was silence. Celestia, once again, was the one to break it. “I’m sorry, by the way.”
That startled him. “W-What?” Tick Tock hadn’t pictured the monarch apologizing to him.
Celestia blew out a slow breath. “I mean for what happened in Neighers. The Doctor mentioned it the last time we met - from my perspective, anyway - and also told me that it was a fixed point, and nothing could be changed.” Glancing at him, magenta eyes saddened, she added, “It was horrible, knowing the kinds of losses you would suffer… and not being able to act on it. So, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I couldn’t send help.”
Tick Tock blinked at her, processing. Then, glancing away, he muttered, “N-No apologies necessary.”
Celestia gave him a small, sad smile. “You’re really not used to it, are you?” When he looked at her, confused, she clarified, “Other ponies caring.”
Tick Tock hesitated for a moment. Then he shook his head, admitting, “No, not really.”
He started slightly as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. She was still smiling the same sad smile when she said, “You remind me of my student.”
“Your… student?” Tick Tock questioned. He’d never heard of Celestia taking on a student.
Celestia nodded. “Her name is Twilight Sparkle. She’s always been pretty well accepted, but she’s just never had an interest in forming friendships. I hope she learns as much about it, though, as I know you will.”
Tick Tock blinked again. What did that mean?
Celestia offered no further clarification. She stood, opening her mouth to speak again.
Suddenly, a resounding boom echoed through the room from the doors. It was too loud to be created by any sort of knocking. Only one thing made that kind of sound.
A battering ram.
Immediately, Tick Tock stood, eyes already searching through the crowd. He spotted a few other ponies heading towards Top Hat and quickly followed suit, preparing for teleportation. Across the room, the Doctor climbed somberly to his hooves, a concerned look on his face. Derpy took to the air, and a nearby pony held out a spear. He had an impressive poker face, but it was a young stallion, and she could see the fear in his eyes. With a grateful grin, she took the spear as another boom shook the room.
Apprehensive faces turned to look as, with a final crash, the doors were flung open.
Immediately, a golden flash brightened the middle of the room, gone as soon as it appeared, and was replicated behind the Sontaran army. As the alien satyrs realized what had happened, a lighter yellow glow enveloped several, freezing them before they could turn. With a twang, the ponies who’d teleported fired their crossbows, and Sontarans started to drop all around the room.
The remaining ponies sprang into the fight. Unicorns had been largely placed in charge of protecting as many ponies as possible with magical shields from the Sontarans’ lasers, while Earth pony soldiers tried to charge straight through the fray and to the ones in the back who were facing the other way, leaving themselves open to attack.
Derpy, as one of the few Pegasi involved in the fight, flew overhead. She dodged lasers, scanning the battlefield for opportunities to strike.
Suddenly, she spotted the pony who’d given her the spear. He was fighting bravely, but unbeknownst to him, a Sontaran stood directly behind him, rifle raised.
With a cry, Derpy swooped down, jabbing with her spear. By sheer luck, she was able to strike the valve on the back of the neck, and the Sontaran fell just as the stallion fought off the one he’d been dueling. Glancing back, he shot her a grateful look before diving headlong into the fray once more.
They were doing surprisingly well, the Doctor noted. Magic really was a useful tool to have. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a perfect battle, he amended as he saw a mare cry out upon being hit with a laser and fall. If anything, however, this redoubled the ponies’ efforts, causing them to fight even harder.
He had to admire their spirit.
“Tick Tock, look out!”
The scream drew his attention to the back of the room. A Sontaran had snuck up on the ginger unicorn, and he turned, a shocked look crossing his eyes. There was no way he’d be able to get clear of the laser in time.
Then, at the last second, a gray streak shot from the sky, slamming into the blue-armored figure. The laser shot wildly missed, burning a hole in the ceiling, as the gray mare slammed her hoof down once, twice, on the valve. The alien collapsed, and, snatching up her spear, Derpy shot Tick Tock a quick warning look and returning to the air.
“Enough!” cried Celestia suddenly. Everypony looked up at the call to realize that only a hoofful of enemies remained, all frozen by the solar princess’ spell. Celestia approached, her tone somewhat lowered as she asked, “Do you admit defeat?”
“Never!” cried one of the Sontarans, apparently the one in the lead. “We would rather face death than defeat!”
Silently, the Doctor stalked past the soldiers. His pace was slow, deliberate, and inexorable as he stopped before the one that had spoken. When he looked into the eye-holes of the helmet, the look on his face was such that Derpy was surprised when the Sontaran didn’t drop dead.
His voice was quiet and serious. “Do you know who I am?”
“You are the Doctor,” answered the blue-armored creature, “the Oncoming Storm, and the sworn enemy of the Sontaran race.”
“Yes, I am.” A dangerously manic glint had entered the Doctor’s eye, one that Derpy always hated to see. “And if I am the sworn enemy of the Sontarans, then that can only mean one thing.” He laughed aloud, a laugh that sent chills down the spines of everypony listening. “It means,” he added, tone lowering once more, “that I have defeated your kind in battle before. It means I can, and I will, do it again. And it means that this is the last chance you will receive.” Backing up a few steps, he fixed all of the Sontarans still standing with a cold glare.
“Run.”
*o*o*o*o*
Overall, it had been a pretty successful battle. Only three ponies had been lost - two soldiers and the mare the Doctor had seen fall before. Considering they’d been outnumbered four to one, it wasn’t too terrible of a loss.
The Doctor had rounded up the unconscious Sontarans and dragged them all back to the TARDIS, with the intention of dropping them off on their own world to be dealt with as according to Sontaran law. In the meantime, Derpy and Tick Tock were in the castle, awaiting the stallion’s return.
Derpy had begun collecting discarded weapons from around the room, to be brought back to the armory. Tick Tock saw the hollow look in her eye and was once again struck by the realization that she wasn’t used to seeing dead ponies. After years of constant fighting in Neighers, it seemed almost impossible that anypony wouldn’t be accustomed to the idea.
As Derpy added another crossbow to the growing pile of weaponry she balanced on her back, a sword was jostled out of place, beginning to fall towards the ground. Before it landed, however, it was abruptly enveloped in a shimmering green cloud.
“Need a hoof?”
Derpy glanced up to see Tick Tock watching her with the friendliest expression he could muster, floating the sword beside him. She smiled. “Sure.”
At first, as they worked side-by-side to clean up the aftermath of the battle, the air between the two was filled with awkward silence and tension. Then, finally, Tick Tock broke it. “I’m sorry."
Derpy turned to look at him as he continued awkwardly, “F-For what I said earlier. It was completely uncalled for, and-”
“It’s okay, Tick Tock,” the pegasus mare interrupted, smiling patiently. “I forgive you."
He blinked at her. “R-Really?”
With a nod, she answered, “We all say stupid things we regret sometimes. I’m not mad. But, Tick Tock…” She stopped walking for a moment, turning to face him. When he looked back at her, she met his gaze to the best of her ability. “I want you to know I’m never going to stop being your friend. Not for anything."
Tick Tock gazed at her, startled. Then he dropped his gaze as his face flushed red. “Thank you…”
Neither pony noticed as, about ten feet away, Celestia watched the two with a smile. “Good to see…”
*o*o*o*o*
The Doctor returned to the ballroom as the cleanup was wrapping up. Spotting his assistants, his face suddenly morphed into one of those too-bright smiles, his voice a bit too cheerful as he called out, “Ah, there you are!” Trotting over to them, he asked, “Ready to go? Lots to see, lots to do!”
Derpy smiled. “Of course, Doctor. Let’s -”
“Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?"
Top Hat was standing just behind her, offering a smile when she looked startled.
“Oh, Top Hat!” Derpy began, eyes widening. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
Top Hat waved her apologies off. “Oh, no worries, I understand. After all, three’s company…” He gave a warm smile to both companions. “I merely wanted to thank you. This likely wouldn’t have been possible without your contributions.”
“Oh, it was no problem, really,” the Doctor cut in breezily, ignoring the annoyed look the blue unicorn gave him.
“Look,” Tick Tock started. “I feel an apology is in order -”
“No need,” interrupted Top Hat, smiling once more at the other unicorn. “It was a rude assumption to make in the first place.” His air becoming much more businesslike all at once, he said, “Well, then -”
He was cut off by an unexpected hug from Derpy. “We wouldn’t have won without you here, too, you know,” she pointed out. “You deserve thanks too.”
Though initially startled, Top Hat’s face then softened to a more grateful one, and he chuckled quietly. “You’re welcome.” Gently, he wrapped his forehooves around her, too.
Derpy heard a quiet whisper in her ear. “Tick Tock does seem awfully fond of you, doesn’t he?”
Startled, she pulled back from the hug. “W-What?”
Top Hat grinned, tipping his hat to her. “Tally ho, then.” With that, his horn glowed golden, and he was gone.
The Doctor shook his head. “Always leaves that way,” he commented. “So dramatic, that one.”
There was some form of irony in the Doctor being the one to say that, Derpy decided.
As the trio headed back to the TARDIS, Tick Tock leaned over, asking quietly so as not to interrupt the Doctor’s stream of chatter. “Did Top Hat say something to you back there?”
His tone betrayed no jealousy, only simple curiosity. Even so, when Derpy recalled what Top Hat had asked her, she could only hope the evening hid her blush as she answered quickly, “N-Nothing. He was just saying goodbye.”