//------------------------------//
// The Impossible Begins 
// Story: Doctor Whooves Episode 22: Black Sun 
// by Doctor Perseus 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 6: The Impossible Begins


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Princess Luna the human had never felt colder; not even during her thousand year banishment. Everything about her felt disconnected and lost. She wasn't in a body but rather a gaseous state of existence. What she saw spread out before her could only be described as a void of miscellaneous particles going off in every which way. A soft light emanated from what she could only describe as her body within this realm. Floating a foot away from her was her alicorn duplicate. Her eyes were open as well.
She wanted to ask how long they had been there. She couldn't remember how much time had passed. Time didn't seem to be a working factor in this strange void. A strong force was pulling both her and the other Luna in one direction. Luna very much wanted to relax and go with the flow; but another part of her was telling her that she needed to fight and go back the way she came.
"I...I don't have the strength," Luna the human sighed.
"Nor do I," Luna the alicorn concurred with a depressed expression.
Suddenly, a spark of blue lightning shot between the heads of the two Lunas. Their faces contorted into a determined stare.
Luna the human turned in the direction the force was pulling them away from. She couldn't see anything but she was sure that was the direction she needed to go in. "But we need to try." She reached over and grabbed one of the alicorn's forelegs. "Stay with me."
Luna the alicorn nodded. "I plan to."
The two Lunas proceeded to begin fighting against the current. Random sparks shot between their heads. The longer they fought against the force, the more their heads hurt. "Keep going! Keep going!" they chanted together as they trudged forward towards what they could only hope to be the right destination.

Outside Ponyville Hospital, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

By some miracle, Trixie and the others had managed to find their way out of the hospital and were now running towards the outskirts of Ponyville as fast as their legs could carry them across the snowy ground. Trixie looked back to see humans and ponies alike running away from the hospital with the terrible monsters close behind. A pack of the beasts wasn't too far behind Trixie and her friends.
"Where to now?!" asked Trixie as she continued to carry the unconscious mare on her back.
"We need a place to hide!" said Monty.
"I believe there's a place nearby that could work!" stated Oswin before turning to Trixie. "Can you teleport us to Golden Oak Library?"
"Isn't that Twilight Sparkle's home?" Trixie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You got it!"
"But that's the first place they'll look!"
"Or maybe they won't! It's better than being out in the open!"
"My magic's still worn out!"
"You've got to try!"
Julianna suddenly screamed. Trixie looked back to see what she could only describe to be a dog and a beaver smashed together charging towards them at high speed.
"Everypony gather around me!" Trixie ordered. Everypony in the group followed Trixie's instructions. Trixie focused on Golden Oak Library as hard as she could. She could hear the monster coming up behind them. Her heart jumped as she heard it scream and leap into the air. Her eyes became wide and a blast of magic erupted from her horn.

Outside the Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Trixie felt something bite into her as the teleportation process ended. Julianna screamed again. "It's eating her!" she shouted.
Trixie fought with all her might to get the creature off her. She turned around and punched the monster in the face. Oswin raced to Trixie's aid. In a swift motion, she pulled out a pocket knife and drove it into the beast's skull. Trixie expected to see blood splatter over her and Oswin. Instead, the monster's eyes dimmed like a dying candle and a few sparks shot out of its mouth. Its body grew limp and Trixie swore she could see...wires protruding from the wound in its head.
"Come on!" cried Oswin as she helped Trixie to her hooves. Oswin grabbed the unconscious mare and slung her over her shoulders. "Can you walk? That wound looks bad."
"I'm fine," Trixie grunted. "Some bandages would be nice though."
Monty raced to the front door and was happy to find it unlocked. "Hurry! Everypony inside!" he announced as he guided Francis and Julianna through the threshold. Zecora followed close behind. "Come on, you two!"
Oswin and Trixie didn't waste any extra time following the others into the library.

Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

"This way!" said Oswin as she made her way over to the basement door.
Trixie let out a relaxed sigh as the smell of books reached her nostrils. She looked back to see Monty locking the front door tight. She then proceeded to follow Oswin into the basement.
Once everypony had passed through the door, Oswin shut it and locked it. She then pulled out a roll of silver tape that sparkled like glitter and covered the cracks in the door with it. Once the tape had been placed, the door began to glow with a warm green color. "That should keep anything from passing through for the time being," Oswin breathed before walking down the steps and entering the main basement level.
"It's really dark in here," said Francis.
"Not for long," Oswin chuckled. She pulled out a pack of matches and began lighting the torches on the walls. Before long, the basement was illuminated with a golden light. "It looks like this basement is as well-stocked as the one from my world. We should be safe down here for the night." She looked at the various random ingredients scattered about and scratched her chin. "But, just to be safe, we could take some extra precautions." She turned to Zecora. "Is there a way for you to take the ingredients down here and turn them into some sort of protective paste or something?"
Zecora scanned the basement and rubbed the back of her head. "I will have to see what is kept down here," she responded. "But I will try my best so we can avoid sleeping with fear."
"Thank you, Zecora."
The zebra gave a nod and a small smile before walking over to the nearby cabinets to examine Twilight Sparkle's collection.
"So...now what?" asked Francis with crossed forelegs.
Oswin placed the unconscious mare on a nearby stack of sheets. "Now, we wait here for the night," Oswin explained. "It's been a very long and eventful day for all of us. I think some of us could use a bit of rest."
Francis groaned. "I've slept enough today!"
"How are we supposed to rest when the world is ending?!" asked Julianna.
Oswin walked over to the young ponies and knelt down in front of them. "The world is not ending. Not today," she said with a smile.
Julianna pouted. "How do you know?!"
Oswin continued to smile. "I just do. Do you really think the world is ending?"
Francis and Julianna looked at each other. After a few seconds of silence, they turned back to Oswin and shook their heads.
Monty approached his children and wrapped his forelegs around them. "I'm going to keep you safe. No matter what happens," he said. "Everything's going to be okay. We're going to find Mom and everything is going to be just fine." He kissed both of them on the forehead and led them over to another stack of sheets. "Now go to sleep. You're safe right now."
Oswin, Monty, and Trixie sat in awkward silence until Francis and Julianna drifted off to sleep.
Trixie finished caring to her wounds with some medical supplies she found as she asked, "Any plans for where to go after this?"
"We wait it out down here until tomorrow," Oswin explained. "Hopefully, by then, things may have cooled down and the Cybermen and hybrids will have moved on. Everyone and everypony is probably evacuating Ponyville as we speak. I'll try to signal for help and, hopefully, one of my fellow soldiers will come by to pick us up and take us to Manehattan." Monty and Trixie shared uneasy looks. "I know this may not be the safest of places and, yes, something could go wrong at any moment. But, right now, it's the best plan we've got."
Trixie looked around the basement. "I wonder where Twilight and the others are right now," she said.
"My guess is that she's with the Doctor; and, knowing him, he's probably out working on some master plan to take down the Cybermen," Monty replied with a smirk.
"I'm sure it'll be a damn good plan," said Oswin. "It better be."
Zecora was now spreading a strange paste at random spots on the basement walls.
"Hopefully whatever Zecora's doing will help increase our chances of staying safe here for the night," said Monty.
"Me too," Trixie concurred.
"You should get some sleep too," Oswin suggested. "You've worked yourself a lot today and those wounds could use some time to heal."
Trixie let out a long, loud yawn. "Yeah...I suppose you're right."
"I know I'm right. Now off to bed with you!"
Trixie, Oswin, and Monty shared a friendly laugh. Trixie couldn't help but let out a few groans as she made her way over to a warm corner of the basement. Her body was aching all over and a few hours of sleep sounded perfect. She rested herself on the floor a few feet from Francis and Julianna and closed her eyes. It wasn't long before the loving embrace of slumber took hold of her.

Main Grounds, Rainbow Falls, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor was quite pleased with himself when he managed to park the TARDIS without making a sound. Everyone and everypony looked around with confused looks on their faces.
"Did we just park?" asked a surprised Donna.
"Yes we did!" the Doctor replied with a wide grin.
"What happened to the sound?"
"Learned how to park without it. I figured that would be best. Don't want to alert Discord Whooves about our arrival."
"So he's here in Rainbow Falls?" asked Flash.
The Doctor nodded. "Yes! Didn't I already explain this to all of you back in the caverns?"
"Sorta. You talked so fast and we were running so quickly. It's all a blur, to be honest," Clockwork replied.
"Discord Whooves has a laboratory set up underneath Rainbow Falls," the Doctor explained. "It teleported here when he sent everything here with the rift generator."
"Rainbow Falls. So that's where his second base was. We always figured he had another hidden somewhere," said Colgate.
"Now it makes sense why Celestia disappeared there," sighed Twi.
"So what's the plan?" Donna asked.
"Firstly, I think it would be wise for only some of us to go into the lab," the Doctor explained.
"You're suggesting we split up?!" asked a surprised Flash.
The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Some of us will stay in the TARDIS with the Elements while the others will sneak into the lab to rescue Twilight, Derpy, and the others."
Flash shook his head. "I have to disagree with your plan, Doctor. There's safety in numbers. We have a pretty huge group right here," he stated.
The Doctor pointed a hoof at Flash and said, "Exactly my point! There's too many of us. A huge group will most likely draw a lot of attention. We're not here to defeat Discord Whooves. We're here on a rescue mission."
"Why don't we just take him out when we get the chance?" asked Spike with a raised eyebrow.
The Doctor groaned with annoyance. "Weren't any of you listening earlier?! We need to destroy Discord Whooves's Paramae first!"
"I remember that," said Matilda with a smirk. "They're basically an Equestrian version of Horcruxes, right?"
The Doctor's eyes widened. "Yes! That's why they sounded so familiar!"
Matilda rolled her eyes. "And it was bad enough when Voldemort did it. I still have scars from that battle."
"What?" asked Donna.
Matilda waved a forehoof. "Long story." She took a few steps towards the Doctor. "And how many did you say there were?"
"Three," the Doctor replied. "A video camera from Amy Pond." He pointed at Twi and her friends. "Your world's Pinkie Pie." His face became a bit darker. "And Black Sun."
Twi grabbed Spike's hand and held it tightly. Spike moved in closer to comfort her.
"And that's all?" Matilda asked.
"As far as I know," the Doctor replied. "I hope there aren't any more." He clapped his forehooves and moved towards the doors. "But we can focus on the Paramae later. Right now, we need to rescue the others. Obviously, I'll be part of the group that goes."
"I'm definitely going," said Donna. "They're my friends too."
"You know I'm going," Matilda stated with a smirk.
"Me as well," said Clockwork.
"Me too," said Colgate with a step forward.
"And me," Twi said.
"Six. That's good enough," said the Doctor.
"Twilight," Spike started.
Twi turned to face her number one assistant. She brought him in for a big hug. "I'll be fine," she said. "I need to go. In case we run into Discord Whooves, I want to be the first one to punch him in the face."
"Be careful," said Shining Armor. Twi turned to her Cyberman brother and hugged him.
"What he said," Flash concurred with a teasing smirk.
Twi brought Flash in for a hug. During the hug, she couldn't help but notice how cold Flash was. "You cold?" she asked as she broke the hug.
Flash rubbed his arms. "It is winter," he replied.
Twi chuckled but the uneasiness she had felt around Flash since reuniting with him only grew stronger. She turned her attention to Rarity and Fluttershy and hugged them both tightly.
"Stay safe," said Fluttershy.
"And don't be reckless!" Rarity ordered.
"It's Rainbow Dash's job to be reckless," Twi responded. The three friends shared a quick laugh. Twi then turned away from them and walked towards the doors. The Doctor, Donna, Matilda, Clockwork, and Colgate were waiting.
"Everypony ready?" the Doctor asked.
"It appears so," said Matilda.
"Right." The Doctor turned towards the doors. "Let's go."

The Doctor was quick to put the TARDIS a second out of sync once he and his group were outside. It didn't take long for them to notice how oddly calm the town of Rainbow Falls was. Snow was gently falling onto the various buildings and surrounding grounds. The rainbow waterfalls and rivers sparkled in the slowly dimming lights of the alpenglow. The sky was open and held a mixture of light orange and deep red light.
"This is more...peaceful than expected," Clockwork stated.
"Stay alert. There could be danger hiding anywhere," Twi warned.
The group fell silent as they made their way through the center of town. It was clear that the residents had cleared out hours earlier. Though a fresh layer of snow covered the ground, it was easy to spot the areas where encounters with Cybermen had occurred. The occasional burnt tree, shattered window, and collapsed wall would make an appearance as they continued on.
Donna walked closer to the Doctor. "So where's the lab?" she asked.
"Weren't you listening, Donna?" the Doctor asked with a sigh. "It's beneath us."
Donna glared at the Doctor. "I know that! I'm talking about the entrance!"
"Right. No idea."
Donna's glare intensified. "Really?"
The Doctor nodded. "Really."
Twi suddenly stopped walking. Her attention was drawn to a bright orb of golden light floating a couple feet off the ground several yards away. Instantly, she recognized it and was drawn to follow it. "This way," she said as she walked towards the light.
Donna looked to see a hazy patch of air several yards away. She silently followed Twi.
Colgate turned to Clockwork and asked, "How does she-"
"I don't know," Clockwork replied.
The others in the group silently followed.
Twi followed the light over to what appeared to be one of the oldest and largest trees in the town. "What are you?" she asked as the light faded into the trunk. She pressed her hand against the wood and a loud click rang out. The side of the trunk opened up to reveal a dark staircase that led down into the underground.
"You found it!" exclaimed Donna as she approached the new threshold.
"How did you know it was here?" asked a curious Matilda.
"I don't know," Twi lied. "A gut feeling."
Matilda, Colgate, and Clockwork shared looks of suspicion. Donna gave a sympathetic smile. The Doctor pushed himself forward.
"We can discuss this later. Let's get in and get out as quickly as possible. I don't think we want to spend more time in Discord Whooves's lab longer than we need to," the Doctor said.
"Agreed," Colgate concurred.
Twi pulled out her wand and a bright light appeared at the tip. The group then began their slow descent into the earth.

Discord Laboratory, Beneath Rainbow Falls, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The length of time it took to get from the surface to the true entrance doors of the laboratory wasn't nearly as long as expected. The doors reflected the light from Twi's wand like two ghosts in an ancient tomb. Everypony was silent. Their minds were buzzing with plans pertaining to how to move forward.
"There could be a group of Cybermen guards waiting for us right beyond those doors," said Colgate.
"Way to be optimistic," said Donna in response.
"So who wants to go first?" Clockwork asked.
"That's an easy answer," the Doctor replied as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and approached the doors. He pressed his hooves against the exterior handles and pulled on them slightly. "Unlocked." He slowly pulled one of the doors open and peered inside. Beyond the doors stood a medium-sized room that appeared to be decorated like the waiting room at a doctor's office. His eyes quickly focused on the nearby security camera. "Too easy." He pointed the screwdriver at the camera and activated it. After a few seconds, the camera drooped and died. "The coast is clear, but be very cautious!"
"No need to tell us twice," said Matilda as she carefully slid through the doorway. The others followed and the Doctor made sure to quietly shut the doors behind them.
The group stood awkwardly in the center of the room for several long seconds. Two hallways connected to the room and proceeded out to connect to different parts of the underground base.
"Which way now?" Clockwork asked.
Twi looked around for any sign of the mysterious light; but, unfortunately, it was nowhere to be seen.
Just then, the Doctor noticed that his screwdriver was beginning to light up and vibrate. "What do we have here?" he asked as he examined the screwdriver. After looking over his tool, his attention turned to a nearby desk which would normally be home to a receptionist. He slowly approached the desk and began to move his screwdriver over the various closed drawers. The screwdriver suddenly shone brightly as it passed next to a drawer close to the floor. The Doctor slowly opened it and was shocked by what he saw in there: a sonic screwdriver with a tip that was alternating between green and red. It calmed down when the Doctor picked it up and settled with being just green.
"Is that...another sonic screwdriver?" Donna asked.
"Yes," the Doctor replied.
"Does it belong to Discord Whooves?" Colgate asked.
The Doctor shook his head. "No. I know who this belongs to." A red orb of light suddenly shot out of the tip of the green screwdriver and began to float down one of the hallways. "And it looks like the screwdriver knows too." The Doctor hastily followed the orb with the others close behind him.
As they followed the orb down the hallway, they couldn't help but notice how quiet and still everything was. The Doctor was ready for an ambush at any moment but it never came. The orb took care of each security camera they passed with little sparks occasionally shooting out of it. The orb eventually brought them to a door that almost resembled one that would lead into a little girl's bedroom. The orb phased through the wood and a soft click emanated from the lock. The Doctor stepped towards the door and opened it slowly.
Once inside, the eyes of everypony in the group were attacked by bright shades of pink. It took them a few seconds to adjust to the bright conditions of the room. When the Doctor's sight cleared, he instantly noticed the sleeping Twilight Sparkle in the bed at the other side of the room.
"It's Twilight!" exclaimed Clockwork.
The Doctor instantly put a hoof to his muzzle and silently ordered the others to stay quiet. Something was off here. He distinctly remembered seeing Twilight trapped with the others. Yet, here she was in a pink bedroom. It didn't make any sense.
"Doctor?!" whispered a familiar, surprised voice.
The Doctor turned to his immediate left to see a bed pushed against the wall. In the bed was none other than Opal herself. "Opal!" the Doctor exclaimed via a whisper. "My hunch was right!" He approached her and quickly took notice of her injuries. "Don't take this the wrong way but what happened to your face?!"
"Discord Whooves," she replied. She pointed at the chains restraining her to the bed. "Do you mind?"
The Doctor presented his screwdriver. "Not at all." He aimed at the chains and they came undone. He then pulled out Opal's screwdriver and presented it to her. "I believe this belongs to you."
"Thank you." Opal took the screwdriver with a smile.
"Not only me. You should thank that as well. It helped us find you here."
"Probably some of those special security features you included on it...or rather what you will include on it."
The Doctor nodded before presenting Opal to the others. "Everypony, this is Opal. Opal, this is Donna Noble, Matilda, Colgate, Clockwork, and a Twilight Sparkle from another dimension."
"We've met before," Opal and Matilda said together.
The Doctor rolled his eyes before turning back to Opal. "So why are you here?" he asked.
"Long story. Let's go before she wakes up!" Opal hissed.
Everypony's attention turned to the sleeping Twilight. "Why?" Colgate asked.
"That's not the real Twilight Sparkle," Opal explained. "It's a clone of her that Discord Whooves recently created. A clone that...you and I know very well, Doctor." The Doctor's eyes opened wide. "Yes, Doctor. That's Thalia."
Matilda's, Colgate's, and Clockwork's eyes also went wide. Donna and Twi remained completely in the dark.
"We need to find the others and get out," the Doctor said quickly. "Move out! Quickly!"
The group was quick to exit the bedroom. They quietly closed the door behind them.
"Others? What others?" Opal asked.
"Discord Whooves has Twilight, Derpy, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie trapped somewhere in this base," the Doctor explained.
Opal gasped. "Oh no!"
"I suggest we find them quickly," said Clockwork. "I have a bad feeling creeping up on me."
"Me too," said Colgate.
"Me three," Donna added.
"Then let's hurry!" said Matilda as she started to walk down the hallway. The others followed close behind.
They rounded another few turns and continued down a much longer hallway. They examined each door with the hope of finding some sign of the others. Then...they heard voices.
"COME ON, DISCORD WHOOVES! JUST COME ON!" shouted the voice of Rainbow Dash.
"Stop it, Rainbow Dash!" snapped the voice of Rarity. "Shouting isn't going to do us any good!"
The Doctor couldn't help but smile before running towards the nearby pair of metal doors and bursting through.
Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Derpy Hooves, and Spike all looked on in disbelief as the Doctor sped through the doors and slid into the room like a rock star. "Miss me?" he asked with a cheeky smile and a wink.
"Doctor!" exclaimed Twilight, Derpy, Spike, and Fluttershy joyfully.
Rainbow Dash turned to Rarity with a gloating expression. "Looks like shouting helped after all," she stated.
"I don't think I've ever been happier to have been proven wrong, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied.
"How did you find us?" asked Twilight as the Doctor walked over and used his screwdriver to release her restraints.
"Simple: I'm the Doctor!" he replied.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "That doesn't answer my question."
"I dunno. The magic of friendship. What do you want from me, Twilight Sparkle? An essay?"
"That would be nice."
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh as he brought his friend close for a big hug.
"Let me help you all down," said Opal as she used her screwdriver to free Fluttershy and Applejack.
"Opal?!" gasped Fluttershy.
"What happened to ya, sugarcube?" asked Applejack.
"Discord Whooves gave me quite the welcome," Opal replied as she freed Rainbow Dash.
The Doctor proceeded to free Rarity. He then rushed over to the cage and freed Derpy and Spike. Spike ran to Twilight and the two hugged. Derpy lunged at the Doctor and wrapped him up in her forelegs and wings.
"You found us! You found us!" Derpy exclaimed as she hugged the Doctor. She then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Derpy's and the Doctor's cheeks suddenly glowed bright red and they quickly ended the hug. "Um...thank you, Doctor."
"My pleasure...Ms. Hooves," the Doctor replied.
Derpy smiled as Donna approached her. "Donna!"
Donna laughed as the two hugged. "You're all okay!" she stated joyfully.
"Come on, Donna," said Rainbow Dash with a smirk. "We're a bunch of tough ponies...and a dragon. We can handle anything!"
"Wait a minute," said Colgate as she approached Derpy. "Where's Daring Do? Wasn't she with you?"
"She was. I last saw her before we were abducted from Ponyville Hospital," Derpy replied. "She's probably still there."
"I hate to interrupt but I suggest that we save the rest of the reunions and catching up for when we're back in the TARDIS," said Matilda.
"Right," the Doctor agreed with a nod. "Let's go ahead and get out of here."
"I'm afraid none of you are going anywhere," said a familiar, sinister voice.
Everypony turned to see Discord Whooves standing in the doorway. He was joined by the human Pinkie Pie, Thalia, and a group of Cybermen behind him. The Doctor glared deep into the eyes of his duplicate. Things had changed since their last encounter. He now fully understood and knew the stallion that was Discord Whooves. He knew his past. He knew his secrets. He knew his sins. And he absolutely despised him.
"Discord Whooves!" Twi snarled as she raised her wand. Colgate and Clockwork worked together to prevent her from approaching the Cyberman militia before them.
"How did he find out we were here?!" Donna asked.
"He knew from the moment we entered," the Doctor answered.
Discord Whooves laughed. "Did you honestly think your sonic screwdriver could prevent me from knowing about intruders?" he asked. "Especially when one of those intruders is you, Doctor? I just wanted to see how far you'd get."
"Don't think you're stopping us from getting out of here!" Twi snapped.
"I think I have more than enough Cybermen with me to kill you all before you even escape this room," Discord Whooves sneered. He looked at Twilight and her friends. "And, yes, I mean all of you. I no longer need any of you." He tilted his head slightly. Human Pinkie Pie began to laugh as five figures emerged from behind the Cybermen.
"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
Clones of Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity stepped forward and came to a halt next to Thalia. Discord Whooves cleared his throat. "Regina," he said. The Rarity clone nodded. "Alberta." The Applejack clone nodded. "Pansy." The Pinkie Pie clone nodded. "Renet." The Rainbow Dash clone nodded. "And Flora." The Fluttershy clone nodded. "They, along with Thalia, are to be the new wielders of the Elements of Harmony!" He pointed at the Doctor. "And Black Sun called me to let me know that you have them. In your TARDIS, I assume."
Suddenly, Twilight burst into a fit of laughter. Everypony was surprised by the unexpected outburst.
"Uh...Twilight? I don't think this is the right time to laugh," Pinkie Pie the pony said.
Twilight focused on Discord Whooves. "Wow. You're not as smart as you claim, Discord Whooves!" she mocked. "You really expect to control the Elements of Harmony with clones of us?! The Elements will never work for them! They don't have what we, the originals, have: what allows us to wield the Elements!"
Discord Whooves was in shock for a few seconds but this soon faded away into his usual smirk. "A fair deduction, Twilight; but I do indeed have a plan to enable the Elements to bend to the will of my versions of you and your friends. A plan that, unfortunately, you will not live to see," he explained.
The Doctor entered a brief moment of deep thought. He examined every word Discord Whooves had spoken carefully. His eyes widened the moment everything fit together in his head. "Paramae," he said suddenly.
Discord Whooves's attention quickly shifted to the Doctor. "What was that?" he asked.
The Doctor looked straight into Discord Whooves's black eyes. "That's your plan, isn't it? You're making more Paramae. You're turning the Elements of Harmony into Paramae! That's how you'll be able to infect them! By putting pieces of yourself in them!"
Discord Whooves was now truly in shock. "How do you-"
"I know all about you, Discord Whooves! I know all about what happened to Amy and Rory!" One of Discord Whooves's eyes twitched. "I know about Derpy! I know about the Truth! I know about Jack and Warden and the Valeyard and especially the Paramae!"
Discord Whooves was now shaking slightly. "How-"
"You shouldn't leave your past lying around in crystal caverns. Somepony may find it and learn all your dirty secrets."
"I see. You found my TARDIS."
"I can see why you want mine so badly. You've betrayed your TARDIS to the point that it'll never work for you again!"
"It betrayed me. The Time Lord controls the TARDIS. Not the other way around."
"And then you cannibalized it! Turned it into a Paradox Machine!"
"That's all it's good for now!"
"Wrong! I met Discord there! The Discord from your Equestria! He's the one who helped me learn your past! Now I know what it'll take to stop you!"
"Well good for you, Doctor! You've delved into the mind of madness and have unwoven its plans! But I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye, Doctor. It's time for you and your little, pathetic friends to die!"
The Cybermen behind Discord Whooves raised their weapons.
"Any ideas?" Matilda whispered to the Doctor.
"I'm thinking!" the Doctor replied.
Suddenly, the room shook as if the entire planet were being inflicted with a giant earthquake. Everypony in the room was stunned and caught off guard. That is...everypony aside from the Doctor. He took in every vibration of the quake. He felt it move through his body.
"This isn't an earthquake!" the Doctor stated. "It's something different!" The quake stopped and everypony tried to regain their balance. "Something's trying to break through!" The Doctor knew he had limited time before Discord Whooves ordered their destruction. His eyes fell on the right side of the room, near the cage that had previously held Derpy and Spike. "There!" The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Opal!"
"Yes, Doctor?!" Opal asked in response.
"Do you know how to set your screwdriver to Setting 20 Apple 6?!"
"Of course! I know all of the settings! Spent a lot of time pra-"
"Set it and aim where I aim!" Opal hastily followed the Doctor's instructions. "Now!" The Doctor and Opal activated their sonics at the same time.
Discord Whooves glared at the Doctor and ordered, "Kill them-"
Before he could finish, a massive dimensional rift appeared in the wall. A loud jet sound emanated from the rift.
"STAND BACK!" the Doctor ordered to his friends.
Everypony could only watch in shock as a spaceship smashed through the rift and into the wall on the other side of the room, cleanly separating the Doctor and his friends from Discord Whooves and his soldiers. Dust, smoke, and ash filled the air as the spaceship's flight came to a sudden stop. The rift then closed as quickly as it had opened, leaving the spaceship embedded in the room.
"That...that's it!" Derpy exclaimed as she stood back up alongside the others. "That's the spaceship!"
"Yeah!" said Twilight. "The one we saw!"
At that moment, the door on the side of the spaceship of fair size opened with a loud hiss. The Doctor and the others watched in silence as the figure of a pony appeared in the doorway. "Glad that's over with!" exclaimed the mare in the doorway, who had an incredibly familiar voice. She proceeded to wave away the smoke and dust with her forelegs. As the dust settled, everypony was shocked to see a duplicate of Derpy standing in the doorway of the ship. However, there were a few noticeable differences. The Derpy in the spaceship looked a bit older, had a longer mane, had several scars, was dressed in what could best be described as old explorer clothes, and a simple item sat atop her head: a mailpony hat.
Clockwork slowly stepped forward. "Bright Eyes?!" he asked.
"Clockwork?!" asked Bright Eyes. She shot forward and wrapped Clockwork up in a huge hug. "Clockwork! It's really you! I've waited all these years!" She them proceeded to plant a huge kiss on his lips. The kiss ended after several odd, confusing seconds.
"Bright Eyes?! Years?! Kiss?! What?!" stammered Clockwork.
Bright Eyes then turned her attention to Colgate and hugged her tightly too. "Colgate! You're here too!"
"How?!" asked Colgate with a mixture of delight and disbelief. "So many questions...I don't know where to start!"
"I've been traveling through space for five years trying to find a way back to you!" Bright Eyes explained.
"Five years?!" Clockwork gasped.
Bright Eyes nodded. "Yeah! I ended up in the Doctor's universe!"
"Mine?!" asked the Doctor.
Bright Eyes nodded again. "Yeah! I ended up on a lonely planet! I was so alone and thought I was done for! Then I met someone who helped me and who I ended up spending the next five years traveling with!"
"And who would that be?" asked Clockwork.
Suddenly, a blast of energy shot out of the spaceship's door and smashed into the nearby wall.
"What the hay?!" gasped Twilight. Now lying on the floor was the upper half of a Cyberman. Its gun had been aimed at the Doctor.
Bright Eyes turned back to the doorway and held one of her forelegs up. "Her!" she exclaimed.
As if on cue, a young woman appeared in the doorway. She had caucasian skin and blonde hair that stretched just past her shoulders. She was dressed in a simple khaki shirt, black trousers, and black combat boots. In her hands was a big, futuristic gun.
The Doctor froze in place and all time around him seemed to stop.
Donna's jaw dropped. "No. Way," she said with disbelief.
A small smile of wonder began to appear on the Doctor's face. "That...that's not possible!"
"Doctor, what's wrong?" Twilight asked. "Who is she?"
A huge grin appeared on the Doctor's face and a giddy laugh escaped from his mouth. "She's my daughter!"
Jenny, the Doctor's daughter, cocked the gun and smiled. "Hello, Dad," she said. "Long time no see."

To be continued in the Doctor Whooves Season 1 finale: Hour of the Doctor...