//------------------------------// // Chapter 23 // Story: The Eighth Element?! // by PaisleyPerson //------------------------------// Chapter 23 “Everypony okay?” Ditzy and the Doctor jumped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor had parked them on the hill where everypony else had watched the Rainboom from. “W-Wha-?” “Lilac!” “Petti!” “Sugar cube!” “Son!” Torchwood bolted to catch up to Charcoal, Fink and Shift, who were regrouping in a circle of their own farther down the hill. The timeline had been restored, but evidently, these ponies still recalled the effects of the disastrous double rainboom. Thankfully, though, the ponies that had mysteriously vanished before were restored, though shaky and mildly scarred from the experience. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” Acrylic wept, coddling her baby girl. “Ya aren’t hurt, are ya?” “Come here, darling.” “What happened? You guys okay?” Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ were circling back after the Rainboom. “We didn’t see what happened- the aftershock made it hard to see. Gee whiz, you all look like you just lived through a massacre.” “We did,” Fluttershy shivered, releasing Thunder Cloud to her parents. “It was scary, Mom,” she cried, zooming into her mother’s open arms. “The r-rainbow hit us, and p-ponies started disappearing, a-and...” she just broke down in a mess of tears. Soarin’ and Rainbow exchanged worried glances, wondering exactly what had caused their friends and family to break down like this. “What in the hay just happened?!” Flash demanded, frantically stomping, snorting and pacing as if there were still some invisible enemy he had to fight. “The double Rainboom created an alternate timeline,” the Doctor responded, making his presence known now as he had been ignored before. “But don’t worry. We fixed it for you!” “Doctor?” Charcoal recognized him immediately, now rejoining the assemblage with his father and friends. “Wait, what do you mean, an alternate timeline?” Caramel scratched his head, still coddling Candy with the other hoof. Twilight shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around this logic. “Your Rainbooms must have split a crack in the fabric of reality. It rewrote time and created a parallel universe,” she guessed. “Well, duh. Isn’t that what he just said?” Pinkie piped. “Excuse me... I’m confused,” Fluttershy quietly whispered. “It was a timeline where Acrylic and Torchwood never married. Therefore, they never had children, and that’s why Charcoal and Lilac went poof. We didn’t stick around long enough to find out, but considering how all the other kids disappeared, their parents probably didn’t get married, either.” “But Thunder Cloud and Spectrum didn’t disappear,” Rarity reasoned, “so Soarin’ and Rainbow still must have gotten married.” “They were at the center of the Rainboom, so it would’ve had the least effect on them and their family,” the Doctor nodded. “Their relationship likely remained intact through history.” “Then what happened to us?” Shift spoke up, gesturing to Fink as well as himself. “If Acrylic and Torchwood never met, then Charcoal isn’t born, and he’s not around to reform Chrysalis, or any of her changelings,” Cheese elaborated. “That’s... er, exactly right.” The Doctor wasn’t used to ponies grasping the concept of time travel so easily. “Nailed it!” He and his marefriend high-hoofed. “Um, Mister? Because we disappeared... is that why we were all feelin’ sick before?” Candy Apple timidly asked. “Really? All of you were feeling sick before the Rainboom?” the Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Well... only the ones of us that disappeared, I think. Is that right?” The children and changelings all nodded. “Then that’s most likely correct, yes. Your bodies probably sensed the upcoming change in the timeline, and didn’t take the idea of being erased from history too well.” “Am I the only one that thinks all this sounds absolutely insane?” Acrylic was still visibly trembling from having nearly lost both of her children. “No,” Charcoal assured, “but it’s no weirder than accidentally piecing a timberwolf pup back together... or using an old siren pendant to grow a horn...” “Point taken,” his father sighed, curling his wings tighter around his family, just glad to have them back. “Wait. Why weren’t the two of you affected?” Twilight jabbed a hoof at the time-traveling pair. “We were in the Time Vortex when the Rainboom occurred,” Ditzy offered. “So we weren’t affected by the change in the timeline,” the Doctor went on. “Seems awfully convenient,” Flash narrowed his eyes. Completely oblivious to the soldier’s obvious suspicion, the Doctor cheerily walked up and slung a hoof around his shoulder. “Time travel does have its perks,” he agreed. “And you’re sure it’s all fixed?” Twilight inquired. “Well, I can’t guarantee that everything is the same in this timeline... there may be minor alterations, but you won’t know the difference, anyway. I wouldn’t worry about it. The tear in reality will take a while to heal, though, so NO MORE RAINBOOMS.” He glared at the pegasi family still hovering behind him. They all raised up their hooves in surrender. “Yeah, no Rainbooms. Got it.” “But other than that, all good,” he more calmly confirmed. “Well, in that case, thank you, Doctor.” “Don’t thank me,” he humbly shook his head. “Thank Miss Doo here.” “Me?” the mare’s wall eyes crossed even farther, mouth agape and wings ruffled in surprise. “But what did I do?” “Well, everything, really,” the Doctor winked. “I may have navigated the TARDIS, but you were the one that figured out what was wrong with the timeline. You were also the one that figured out how to get Acrylic and Torchwood to realize they had feelings for each other.” “Wait, what?” The mentioned couple’s ears perked up. “Oh, yes. Didn’t I mention? To fix the timeline, Ditzy and I had to set Torchwood and Acrylic up to fall in love again.” “Ooh,” Thunder Cloud and Spectrum both snickered. Acrylic blushed a deep red, and Torch squirmed uncomfortably. “And they were awfully stubborn about it, too,” the Doctor jibed. “Alright, that’s enough,” Torch snorted. The rest of the group broke down in a bout of laughter. “Then thank you, Ditzy. You saved my- well, all of our lives.” Unlike his extremely formal tutor, Charcoal preferred to show his gratitude with a friendly hug. Since she had gotten to know Charcoal rather well on their last adventure together, she didn’t find the gesture weird at all. “Now if only he could hug Glitter like that without freezing up,” Shift whispered to Fink. Charcoal jerked away, face beet red. “Kn-knock it off.” Even after their reformation, Fink wasn’t usually one to show much emotion, but now the second destral and thestral both toppled over laughing. Charcoal leapt on them, attempting to knock their heads together or something of the like. Twilight’s magic split them up with a humorous roll of the eyes. “Oh, it was nothing,” Ditzy nervously smiled, watching the spectacle with great amusement. “It was something!” Cheese insisted. “He’s right,” Fluttershy agreed. “You saved all of us.” “I don’t know a lot about time travel or alternate universes- it makes my head hurt. But if that ‘alternate reality,’ or whatever the hay it is, was really as bad as you said it was, then it sounds like you saved all of Equestria,” Caramel contributed. “Ya done good,” Rainbow landed and gave her a ‘thank you’ pat on the shoulder. “Couldn’ta done it better ourselves,” Applejack nodded, eyes shut and chest puffed out with pride. “Oh, I’m sure you could’ve. You’re the Elements of Harmony,” Ditzy quickly declined, taking a couple of embarrassed steps back until she bumped into the Doctor. “That doesn’t mean anything, darling,” Rarity heartened with a dainty smile and slight roll of the eyes. “We may represent the Elements, but that doesn’t mean we’re invincible,” Twilight chuckled. “We need help sometimes, too. In times like that, we need brave ponies like you two to fill in.” “Hey, I have an idea!” Pinkie squealed. “Ditzy can be an honorary Element! Can she? Can she? Can she? Pleeeeeaaaase, Twi?” Pinkie danced around, jumping both over and on her friends before finally draping her upper half over Ditzy’s shoulder. “I think that’s a marvelous idea,” Rarity concurred. “Ditto.” “Mmm hmm.” Everyone in attendance nodded, the Doctor himself included. Ditzy blushed. “I don’t see why not,” Twilight beamed. “Ooh, okay. She can be...” Brow set in determination, Pinkie poured over ideas for the ‘Element’ in question until everyone thought she would surely bruise her chin from rapping it so often. “Oh! What about Time? The Element of Time?” “That’s my thing,” the Doctor quietly yet teasingly pouted. “And it really doesn’t have anything to do with friendship,” Rainbow agreed. “Well, okay then. What about...” Pinkie thought harder. “What about the Element of Love?” Fluttershy suggested. “LOVE?” The Doctor’s jaw dropped. “You did say she saved the day by getting Acrylic and Torchwood to fall in love,” Twilight pointed out. “Love’s one o’ the most important parts ta friendship,” Applejack nuzzled her husband. “I approve,” Acrylic giggled, noticing how the tables had turned: now it was the Doctor’s face going red. “On second thought... I think I like Time better,” he mumbled. He shouldn’t have been so concerned... it was just a title, and not even an official one at that, but considering their... unique relationship, he thought things might become even more awkward traveling with the Element of Love. “I like Time, too,” Ditzy smiled, seeming to read his thoughts. “Okay,” Rainbow doubtfully shrugged. “Your Element.” “Then thank you Ditzy, Element of Time,” Twilight formally addressed, slipping in a sly wink. “Thanks, everypony,” Ditzy waved. “Any time you need us,” the Doctor added with a slight bow. He tried backing up into the TARDIS for a dramatic exit, realized he didn’t know where he was going, turned and chased after Ditzy. He did manage to kick the creaky door shut with some coordination, to his credit. “So, the Element of Time, huh?” he waltzed up to the console. “It suits you.” “Well...” Ditzy joined him at the console, invading a bit too much of his personal space. His ears flattened and his cheeks glowed pink. “What are you-” Ditzy landed a quick, light peck to his lips before he could refuse. “M-Maybe the Element of Love would have been more appropriate.” Her face now as red as his, she took a few steps back. The two stood in shocked silence. “I-I still want to go get muffins. You want to come?” Did she just ask him on a date?! ‘No. No no no no no. She can’t be another Rose. I won’t let her be-’ “Yes.” What was he thinking?! “Great!” Ditzy’s eyes lit up, and suddenly, the Doctor didn’t regret it anymore. Still in a daze, he mechanically began operating the controls. “So... Sugar Cube Corner, then?” “Please.” The Doctor shoved the final lever into position, and the TARDIS wobbled to life. He leaned in to the ship’s movements, silently mulling things over. Thinking about her... about them. ‘It won’t be like that this time,’ he kept assuring himself, hoping that if he thought it enough, he might actually convince himself to believe it. ‘Well... at least it’s worth a shot.’ Looking at Ditzy’s elated face, dancing to the sway of the TARDIS, he finally smiled. ‘No... it’s worth every second.’