//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 - Rainbow Time // Story: The Scrapper // by J8ck78 //------------------------------// In the night sky above Canterlot, joyful laughing could be heard. If one looked, they could swear they could see stars darting in and out of clouds, almost as if they were dancing. If only they knew who it really was. ---- Colgate turned around to see a similar pony shaped creature walking up to her. It's eyes were that of a bug and also that of a regular pony, but yet she still couldn't see exactly what it was. It had three horns, one of a ram, one of a Unicorn, but the one in the middle looked eerily like that of the Changeling Queen's horn. But this thing was far from a changeling. What really got her was the fact It's tail reflected the moonlight brightly, as if it was made out of metal. It stayed in the darkness, swinging his tail around. "You know some things we want, and you are going to give it to us." The creature spoke. "Or what?" asked a scared Colgate "Either Bruturr there is going to squeeze you like a tube until you pop, or your friend there gets eaten." Colgate looked over to Berry to see a eight legged creature standing above her, it's jaws dripping, ready to feast. Colgate trembled in fear. Sweat was running down her face. The thing in front of her smiled darkly, revealing a set of razor sharp teeth. "So, what will it be, you have three choices." It's mouth was brimming with teeth. Colgate looked at each individual tooth. They formed a similar set to that of a normal pony, but were much more deadly. Colgate was still trembling, but she couldn't speak. Then, from Berry's direction, she heard an object falling. Before anyone could react, a rainbow coloured blur took out Bruturr, who was still standing behind Colgate. They both looked on in confusion before Bruturr landed in between them, bruised and unconscious. The creature look surprised as the rainbow blur made it's way back into the room before swirling around the spider like creature on the floor. Colgate and her would be assailant stared at Bruturr, who was now tied up in it's own web. Whilst all this was happening, Berry Punch still lay on the floor, still snoring. Colgate and her attacker looked around trying to catch a glimpse of the blur again when the sound of hooves stomping and a angry snort sounded from the doorway. "Rainbow Dash!" cheered Colgate "Yep! That's me!" announced Dash, beaming with pride. "Now, I don't like freaky ponies coming into Ponyville and bullying others. I'll give you one chance to surrender! Or else!" She moved into a attack stance before the two, and aimed towards Colgate's attacker. It simply looked at the two ponies, lit all three of it's horns causing it, and Bruturr to disappear. Rainbow and Colgate looked on in shock before Dash commented in surprise: "What was that?" Colgate could only shrug in answer. "Why were they after you?" Dash asked before flying up to Colgate's face, "Do you know something important?" "Uh, maybe." Colgate said sheepishly "Hmm, well, it's not safe for you here, and you're not a Pegasus so-" "No, no, no. I don't think it's too big of a deal." "Too big of a deal!?" yelled Dash, "Come with me!" She picked up Colgate and began to fly. After a short journey, they landed in front of the Ponyville Library. The place had been ransacked. The windows were broken, the doors flung wide open. A few candles inside were still lit and Colgate could see some books strewn across the ground. The area was closed off with police tape, but there was no pony to be found. "Good thing Twilight went to Canterlot." Commented Colgate with a shocked expression on her face. "Yeah it is. Spike got lucky he was at Fluttershy's house delivering some books. Now they're after you? What do you know? What do they want from you!" "I don't know what they want!" cried Colgate "Oh yes you do!" said a angered Rainbow Dash bringing her face within millimeters of Colgate's, "I have been chasing these guys all day, they're not idiots! If you have something they want, you'd better tell me right now!" "Maybe, maybe it's the gem! Yes, that's it!" "Gem? What gem? Where is it?" "My Uncle Scrapper has it, he's in Canterlot." "You have a uncle?" Rainbow asked. "It's complicated." answered Colgate, "Very complicated." "Well, either way, you got some questions to answer! Starting with what this gem is!" "Naw hold on there Dash. I know y'all want to find those idiots who trashed Twilight's house, but I doubt Colgate has the answers for ya." From afar, Applejack walked up, having been looking for the very creatures Rainbow had attacked, but had lost her high flying friend when she spotted them at Colgate's house. She walked onto the scene seeing nothing there except Rainbow Dash grilling Colgate. Rainbow sat Colgate down in front of Applejack, making sure she kept an eye on the unicorn at all times. "I doubt that." Dash replied, "Go ahead Colgate, tell Applejack here about the gem." "Gem? What y'all goin' on about?" Applejack turned her attention to Colgate. "Look, all I know it holds some great and powerful enemy, that's it." "What? You're not makin' any sense." "Start making sense now!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Oh wait! I know!" said Colgate in a Epiphany, "The Doctor!" "The Doctor?" Rainbow asked, looking at Applejack. "Doctor Who?" ---- "TEN HUT!" called Sylver The five Royal Guards went to full attention. Behind them sat an armored wagon that looked as though it had been designed to survive shots from the biggest of the guards cannons. Their silver armor shone brightly in the moonlight, giving way to their name of the Silver Guard. The personal and elite retinue of Shining Armor, the Royal Guard's Captain. All of them had seen combat in defending Canterlot and the Palace from Nightmare Moons comeback, to the Changeling rebellion, to a few other incidents intheir service. Their leader was Captain Quick Sylver, personal Unicorn Body guard to Shining Armor, his left eye gone and his face slightly disfigured from a steaming hot pie thrown at him during a riot. From their right walked in Shining Armor himself, dressed in his full Guard Armor, ladened with enchantments to give him maximum protection against whoever was foolish enough to cross him. "Alright, listen up! Princess Celestia herself has informed me we are taking a very important and potentially life threatening object to Tartarus. I don't know what it is, and I don't want to know. We have our orders, now get ready move out! Charger! strap yourself onto the cart." "Sir!" said a Pale green Earth Pony He ran to the front and hooked himself up to the cart. "Crescent, cover us from the air." ordered Armor A white Pegasus nodded and took off, hovering over the cart and scanning the horizon. "Flower, Starlight, cover the rear," Ordered the Captain. The two Unicorns were quick to respond, "Spirit, Sylver, on point with me." The two Captains ran into position behind Captain Armor, dropping into a V formation. Guard Captain Armor, confident that everything was ready, opened a large wooden door guarded by two Lunar Guard, who saluted to them as they passed. "It's a four hour trip to Tartarus from here." said Spirit, "Seven hours until sunlight." "We have time." said Armor "This is going to be a long night." grunted Charger as he pulled the cart ---- There came a pounding at the door, followed by a pony falling down the stairs and crashing to the floor. Despite this, the knocking still continued as Derpy stood up and strolled over to unlock the door. Before her stood Colgate, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. "Hello, what are you doing here?" greeted Derpy, a happy expression stuck on her face. "Derpy? Derpy is the pony who is going to answer all the questions?" asked an irate Rainbow Dash. "I think you want to speak to the Doctor." said a sleepy Derpy. "Yes. That's who." answered Colgate, "Is he still awake?" "Who the hay is this Doctor y'all speakin of?" Asked Applejack in a rather frustrated tone, "Why are we at Derpy's house anyway? Ah though we'd be goin to the hospital if we wanted to see a Doctor!" Derpy nodded yes and pointed outside to the back. Colgate lead the two through the house as Derpy fell to the floor asleep. The three stepped through the back door to see a police box standing there in the dark, the lights on and flashing inside. A violent crashing sound could be heard inside, causing the door to open slightly ajar, allowing them to hear everything going on inside the box. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to look into the box before a voice sounded. "Ooh, look at all the lights!" It was Pinkie Pie. Applejack and Rainbow stared on, both in shock, and in silence. "You mean to tell me this Doctor is Pinkie?" asked Applejack "What else do I not know about her?" asked Rainbow "It's not Pinkie." Colgate told them, "It's someone else." "Pinkie!" came a stallions voice, "I told you not to touch that purple flippy lever! You touched it! In fact, you touched everything!" "But everything in here is sooo cool to touch! Look here!" came Pinkie. "Pinkie, what did Twilight and I tell you about touching things?" "That I may accidentally open a black hole in Ponyville......again." "Exactly." the Stallion replied, "You're lucky I was there to stop it when it did!" He continued on about the dangers of messing with the TARDIS as Applejack looked to Rainbow Dash confused, but Dash wasn't doing any better than she. "Now then Pinkie. Go outside and point this device at the moon." "Why Doctor? What does it do?" "Well it's solar powered, and the moon reflects the light on the of the sun, although it may not work considering where I am, oh not to worry I'm sure it will work!" The door opened further to reveal Pinkie Pie holding a large triangular device in her hooves. Upon seeing Colgate, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all stood outside, confusion crept onto her face. "Oh! Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Colgate! What are you doing here?" she asked, setting down the device before angling it to towards the moon. "We came to get answers." started a shocked Rainbow Dash. "But, Ah think we got more questions than answers." finished Applejack. "Hmm, well, you can go ask the Doctor! He has a answer for everything! Even things that don't have answers!" "Huh?" "Wha?" Rainbow Dash and Applejack stood in front of Pinkie looking dumbfounded. "Pinkie, we need to see the Doctor about the gem." "Why?" Pinkie inquired with a curious tone, "The Library and my house have been attacked! I think they want the gem!" "Are you sure?" Pinkie looked closely into Colgate's eyes, with the eye closest to Colgate bulging out of it's socket, a Pinkie Pie signature special. She stared for a few seconds before the TARDIS door opened again and out stepped the Doctor. "Perfect job there Pinkie, it's working better then I-" He took one look at Applejack and ducked in behind the TARDIS door. "AH! It's the apple sellers sister! Please don't hurt me! I was going to buy those apples eventually!" "Hey! Ah know you! You're that one pony who Apple bloom sold them apples to!" "Yes! I'll buy more, just please leave me alone!" said the Doctor, the fear showing in his voice. "And aren't you the one pony who flipped the hour glass when the Flim Flam brothers challenged the Apple Family farm?" asked Rainbow "That's just a part time job so I can get some extra bits!" "Colgate, Pinkie, what's the meanin' of this?" asked Applejack "I don't know?" said Pinkie, "What is the meaning?" "You brought us here to this joker?" Rainbow shouted pointing at Whooves, who was still cowering behind the door looking fearfully at Applejack, "What is he going to do? Tell us what time it is?" "Doctor, they need to know about the gem!" yelled Colgate "What?" Whooves stuck his head around the door. "You know, the green gem that has the evil cloud that Scrapper sealed away and is now in Canterlot." answered Pinkie. "You know of this too!?" came a shocked Rainbow Dash. "Uh-huh!" answered Pinkie. "N-n-no Apples?" asked Whooves. "Does it look like ah want to sell you mah apples?" "I don't know, do you?" inquired Whooves. "No." Applejack snorted at Whooves. "Alright then." said Whooves standing up, "Right this way then. Inside the TARDIS, I'll answer all your questions." "Oh no! We do this out here in the open!" ordered Rainbow Dash, "Not in that cramped little police box." "It's allot bigger on the inside!" said Pinkie. "What? How is that possible?" asked Applejack. "Come on inside and see!" said Pinkie skipping into the TARDIS Rainbow and Applejack were unsure of what to do as Colgate strolled in after Pinkie. With no other option to get what they needed, they walked in. Their jaws hit the floor. It was massive. The main room was several times larger than the outside, with hallways branching off nearly every direction. The center held a console that shone with bright lights and vented steam out of several pipes, all surrounding a blue column in the center, finishing the room of rather nicely. "Wha-wha-wha-" stammered Rainbow Dash "What is this place?" "A TT type forty Time and Relative Dimension in Space, mark three of course, or TARDIS for short. Capable of flight, and time travel across the know universe! In some cases Universes! But then it gets all complicated and only under special circumstances..." Whooves noticed that his two new visitors were completely taken aback by his wondrous machine. "I don't understand, is this all magic or somethin'?" "Not at all apple sellers sister! It's technology! Technology far more advanced than anypony on this planet could fathom!" "Mah names Applejack." "Very well then Applejack. So, you had a few questions about the gem?" "Yeah!" Interrupted Rainbow Dash, "What is it, and why did these thugs trash Ponyville just to get it?" "Thugs? Trashing Ponyville? I don't know what you're talking about." "What? They trashed the Library not too long ago!" yelled Rainbow Dash "Ooh, Twilight's gonna hate that." mumbled the Doctor before Rainbow Dash flew in his face "Where have you been all day?" "Oh Canterlot, Canterlot a thousand years ago, Canterlot again, here. So, mainly Canterlot." "Wait a minute?" Applejack spoke up, "Canterlot a thousand years ago, I thought Twilight already used that spell!" "Oh, that's because this machine doesn't work on magic. Here I'll show you! When did you say that the Library was trashed?" "Ah didn't. But it was at 10:30 tonight." "Alrighty then, 10:32 it is!" "Ah said 10:30!" "Yes but then we wont see them leaving!" said the Doctor, "Pinkie! Yellow wobbly button and the main gear lever!-ah, will someone get Derpy" "Uh, why?" pried Rainbow Dash. "Who knows when you may need her!" Colgate lit her horn, and moments later, a still sleeping Derpy floated in surrounded by Colgate's magical aura. The light from the TARDIS stirred her from her rest. Looking around seeing she could see that she was back in the TARDIS. As Colgate put the Pegasus down, Derpy stood up tired, but ready to go on another adventure and closed the TARDIS door. "Welcome back aboard Derpy!" cheered Pinkie Derpy was still too tired to answer. "Yes! Pinkie! Squiggly-jibbly pushy button!" "You got it Doctor!" The TARDIS whirred to life and slowly disappeared from sight altogether.