//------------------------------// // A Rude Awakening // Story: Source Material // by _Medicshy //------------------------------// Nebula looked over at the only other occupant of the bridge, nervously tapping a hoof on her arm rest as she hoped for conversation. Unfortunately, all she saw was the cobalt blue of Starcall's mane, the rest of her occupied as she diligently checked and double checked the asteroid avoidance and atmospheric interference adjustment algorithms, preparing the ship for its upcoming landing. The autopilot had already been engaged, the planet below filling the entire window. Up in the corner a timer ticked away the last twenty minutes before touchdown, a second counter tracking the seventeen before hitting the atmosphere. Nebula sighed inwardly, the cables tying her to her chair weighing on her mind even as they let her co-pilot run her calculations. They made for a wonderful power source and a good computer, but they didn't make for a good Captain. Not in times of peace, and definitely not in times of stress. She could still feel that dark spot slipping around inside her, distorting the readings in the vent and just making her feel disgusting inside. That brass menace needed to get out before it ruined everything. Further out she could sense the others on the ship, The Doctor, Fi and Steelheart all talking with Ink Well and Spanner in the Library under the Statue of the First Arbiter. That whole thing was rather amusing, really. Grandfather would never have wanted something like that built in his name, not any more than Luna liked her statue in the Terrarium. Nebula had taken some flak for them when designing the ship, but it was well worth it. Not honoring that which had brought them there was no way to start a colony. Making the Princess uncomfortable was just an added bonus. Curiosity getting the better of her, Nebula tapped into the comms, listening to what she could only sense. What she heard troubled her. “Fantastic!” came The Doctor's voice, stern and furious as it scolded Ink Well. “You just thought you'd go in there and save her, hmm? Just go for a friendly romp with the robot trying to kill you? Maybe you could just blow the whole ship up while you're at it!” “Mr. Smith, he was only trying to help your friend! He didn't mean to cause any harm. If anypony is to blame for shutting off the room, it's me, and I accept full responsibility.” Ink Well wasn't going to like that, Spanner defending him. Especially not against the pony he'd trusted enough to get dragged into this whole mess. “No, you stupid ponies don't ever mean to cause harm, but it's all you do! You try to help one another and keep one another nice and happy, never thinking ahead, never thinking of the possible consequences! Friendship will always save the day, won't it? It will always pull you through! Don't think about it! Well my closest companion is stuck in there with a deadly machine and friendship hasn't gotten her out yet!” This was definitely not the Doctor Nebula knew from all those years back. Setting aside appearance, he was much more emotional, and with the danger his companion was in, much more furious than he had been before. Nebula wasn't sure she liked this Doctor. Where was hers when she needed him? The Doctor gave out an exasperated sigh. “No, no, I shouldn't have expected anything different. This will all work out, mind, it's just... give me a moment. I need to be clever.” He walked away from Ink Well, moving over to Fi and holding out a hoof. “Fusebox, may I borrow your earpiece for a moment?” Fi hesitated, but complied, not saying a word. “Thank you.” said The Doctor as he put it in his ear. “Lieutenant Fire! Can you hear me?” “What are you doing on our comm channel, Mr. Smith?” Rapid Fire and Derpy stood at the door to the Colony Sector, standing behind that pain in Nebula's wing with their two passed out companions. The entire scene hurt Nebula, the actual pain of the disconnected door combined with the thought of her fallen and trapped friends... it was best not to focus too hard on it. “Such a boring question, Rapid, I was expecting so much more from you. Give me over to Derpy, I need to tell her something.” “She's right next to me Smith, I can tell her any message she may need. Just... what?” Derpy leaned a little closer, asking something that didn't pick up on the mic. Rapid nodded back. “Hm. Mr. Smith, did Ink Blot make it out there okay?” “Yes, Ink Blot is here getting looked over by Steelheart, fit as a fiddle. Now could I please speak to Derpy, it's a bit of an emergency.” “Anything you can say you can say through me.” “You thick... Ugh, fine. It's a simple message, shouldn't get too garbled. That door is locked down, it won't be moving until after we land on the planet. Tell Derpy to get to the TaRDiS. She'll know what to do from there.” “I'll tell her.” Rapid's comm clicked off. The Doctor removed his earpiece, giving it back to Fi with a “Thank you” before walking a little way from the group, talking quickly to himself as he did. Unable to hear it, Nebula stopped focusing on the comms, nostrils flaring as she did so. Even if he was worried about his friend, he had no right to be belittling her crew like this. And that rant against friendship? Who did that Time Lord think he was? Nebula stopped herself, breathing deeply. Getting angry now wouldn't help anything. The energy surge would just damage the wiring. She shifted position in her chair, sliding into a more comfortable one and nudging the book tucked into her chair with her flank. Looking at the blue cover, she frowned. This can't be all there is. Grandpa wrote about a hero, that stallion had better deliver. Leaning on the arm rest of her chair she let her mind sink away from the room around her, reaching out into the calming depths of space. She sent out a ping with her magic, immediately receiving a multitude of readings in everything from Radio to X-ray, a panorama painted in colors invisible to pony eyes. With her sensors she could watch the asteroids spin, calculating their trajectories on the fly, while behind them she could see the orbit of this planet around its sun. Beneath her the giant planet turned, storms and areas of calm floating across its surface, the ship feeling little more than a gnat next to it. Yet, despite her miniscule size, even the planet felt tiny as she got readings from the surrounding dust cloud. While her tiny ship came in for a landing, so focused on everything before them, new stars were building deeper in the Pony Head Nebula, greeting them with bright flashes filtered through the rose tint of the space dust. And further still, light years away, their home galaxy shone out, just another light in the darkness. Somewhere back there Celestia's sun was beaming at them, and from Luna's own moon somepony was looking at the stars, waiting to catch word one of their arrival. The importance of their trip was immense, the future of the pony race in the universe firmly on her shoulders. She was making history. Again. She should've been enjoying it... Pain shot through Nebula's shoulder, a searing whiteness that burned through her calm and forced her mind to collapse from the stars into herself. The bridge was bathed in red, a siren blaring as sensors throughout picked up on something wrong. It was her ship! That parasite was damaging her ship! The whole cruiser rocked to the side, throwing Nebula across her throne. She landed hard, unable to brace her own fall, distracted as she was by the continuing assault, like a flaming blade slowly pressing through her skin. Unable to hold it in Nebula cried out, met immediately by Starcall at her side. “Captain! What's going on? Are you hurt?” Hearing her second in command at her side, she tried to sit tall, wanting to be strong for her crew. It was just pain, not even a real one, just a feedback from her connection with the ship. She could do this. She could handle it. It was nothing. Nothing at all. Tears streamed from Nebula's eyes as the agony continued, the burning moving slowly around the base of her wing and spreading, reaching every fiber of her being. Doing her best to hold them back, she tried to connect it to the ship, to get in contact with somepony to stop the beast or begin repairs, but her best efforts just resulted in her losing concentration, a tortured yelp escaping her lips before she could stop it. Gritting her teeth, she looked over at the worry on Starcall's face, and her heart sank. She was being weak. If she could just endure, just get past the mental, then it wouldn't matter in the least. But it wasn't just mental, she realized as she shifted her wing, this pain was physical. Through tear stained eyes she managed to look over her shoulder at her wing, and the sight unsettled her. There was a line appearing, as though it had been cut with a searing knife, blood forming and cauterizing immediately. The sight seemed to intensify the agony, pushing it to absurd heights. She couldn't focus, her mind running as fast as it could to stop this. The feedback was past anything it should have been able to do, past anything she had encountered before. It was impossible. There should have been no chance that damage to the ship could appear on her, yet here it was, right before her eyes. She literally was her ship, it's pain hers. And her ship was about to lose a wing. Fear clutched her chest at what would happen when the wing came off, none of the possible outcomes doing anything to lessen the burning in her shoulder. To lose the ability to fly... She couldn't even bare the thought. She had to stop it from happening. There was only one option, the true last resort. Teeth still clenched tight to keep a scream from escaping, Nebula spoke to her second in command. “Disconnect the cables.” Starcall shook her head, trying to comprehend too many things at once as the ship threw her to the side, another bump destabilizing it. “Disconnect the cables? If something goes wrong, you might go into shock. We might lose you to the computer. There's no telling what damage may-” A spike sent itself through Nebula's shoulder, piercing her wing and the last of her defenses, spurring her to act on instinct. She reached forward, grabbing Starcall's neckerchief and forced her to look into her eyes. Molten agony shot through Nebula once more, only adding to the torment her watery eyes were projecting. Starcall looked deep into them, the message immediately clear. Fearfully she nodded, running back to her post to begin the ejection process. Nebula fell from her seat, writhing on the floor as every muscle locked up on her, trying to keep her from being injured. Her mind was filled with white, a blinding light trying to steal her consciousness, but she forced it away, determined to at least be strong there. The source of the pain had moved, the front and back end of the slice nearing a perfect ring around her shoulder. As they did, a new pressure was put on her wing, a slow rending twist. The wing moved on its own, agony lighting up her entire side as the wing threatened to snap itself in half, or worse, rip itself free. The sirens blared louder as the ship listed heavily to the side, sliding Nebula further from Starcall, who tapped madly at the panel before her. Nebula looked across the room to her, whimpering, begging for an end to it. “Just a moment! It's almost done. Hold on Captain!” Nebula shut her eyes, curling into a ball of torture and tears as her wing bent further, creaking, right on the breaking point. Unable to even cry out any more, she held herself tighter, screaming in her head. Make it stop! Make it all stop! Her plea was heard. One moment there was pain, sirens screaming, lights flashing, tapping and whimpering and crying out, the whole world rocking too and fro. The next there was a hiss, and in the following moment, nothing. Not just the removal of pain or noise, the removal of everything. Nebula floated in a dark abyss, suddenly infinitely small. It was all gone, the constant input of data from the ship's sensors, from the heart beats of the ponies she held within her to the burning of the millions of distant stars constantly bombarding her with every wavelength of the spectrum, the sounds of the vacuum, the running of the computer in the back of her mind, the engine thrumming through her as her magic coursed through it, all gone faster than the blink of an eye. Even her body was no more, just her consciousness and the infinite nothing. It was as though she had collapsed into her own head. She felt for her wing, for her hooves, for that centuries old body she'd felt simultaneously inside her, a part of her, and outside her for ten straight years, but search as she might, it was nowhere to be found. She wanted to panic, but she couldn't even feel her heartbeat, couldn't generate the adrenaline to work her system into a frenzy. There was nothing but her own thoughts, floating vaguely in a void. Those would have to do. Alright Nebula, you broke it. You acted out of fear and self preservation, you were selfish, and this is probably a just punishment. But you can fix this, just take it one step at a time. First, a head. Remember your head. The flowing dusty mane, the burgundy fur, the Navy blue cap... Muzzle, ivy eyes. Horn, thin and regal. You can do this, remember it all. Slowly every so slowly, coaxed by her thoughts into being, her head formed, a fuzzy ball with a dust cloud around it. But as she concentrated, it condenced, forming details, becoming exactly what she saw in the mirror every time she looked. As soon as it was complete, her mind seemed to jump into it, going from everywhere to where it belonged. Now that she had an anchor point, the work could really begin. Perfect. Good start. We'll start big and go small. Next is the neck, ports in the back, connects to the big lump of a main frame for the torso, kept lean even while offered everything on a silver platter. Two wings, wide, underused but oh so loved. They got you into this mess, you better remember how they look. A tail, four legs, tall, thin, capped by four hooves. They all there? As she focused on each part of her form it came back into being, connecting to the previous parts, fuzzy at first, then defining more and more with each new part. By the time her hooves arrived, they appeared fully formed, slippers on the end and all. With her last question she flexed each limb in turn, smiling as she did so. With their confirmed arrival, she opened her eyes. Darkness, just an alicorn floating in infinity. A frown graced her face. This isn't where you were. This wasn't what was going on. Remember? A ship more important than any before it. Grandfather's ship, the bridge, a Captain honoring her nation and her family. Can't you remember? Slowly the bridge materialized around her, her chair beneath and a window to protect her from the dark beyond. Even the cables reappeared, trying to tie to her neck. She shook her head. No, that's not right. Much too peaceful. You weren't good enough to keep that ship going. It's not some resort from which you rule your kingdom. You failed them, thrown from your throne in the heat of the battle. The bridge tilted, the floor moving up to meet her cheek while the rest remained fuzzy. Nebula's brow furrowed. Come on! You can do better than this! Outside, the planet, so very near. Within, a red glow, alarms, sirens, and Starcall working away at her computer. Slowly they fell into place, able to see herself in position on the floor while still feeling it against her cheek. But something was still wrong. This still wasn't right. Ah! Of course. You cried, didn't you? You couldn't remain strong for your crew, couldn't handle the pain, couldn't keep Starcall from being frightened for you. Heck, it's a miracle you kept any dignity at all in the scenario. Let's add those in, shall we? The tears, the tearing wing, and the truth of the situation: A pitiful, useless mare who couldn't keep her ship safe. Who couldn't keep her crew safe. Who couldn't even keep herself safe. The tears immediately matted into her fur, which stuck out this way and that at odd angles. Beneath her eyes pooled wetness, while in her muscles appeared the dull ache from their clenching, all paling in comparison to the pain slowly receding from the ring around her shoulder. In that form Nebula nodded. So close. So very close. Now, remember the reality. Starcall standing over you, trying to wake you up. The others, still in the library, waiting for you to take command and solve the problem. All of the ponies in the pods, their faith in you prevailing through their sleep. Nebula's eyes closed, the ground feeling more real, the sounds becoming more prevalent. Slowly, very slowly, she was coming back. But she had one final thought to push her through. Your crew loves you. Right now they need you as much as you need them. Now get up soldier, you've got work to do! Nebula's eyes opened swiftly, looking up at a very worried Starcall, her running scanner ignored as she looked down on her Captain, nothing but concern on her face. “Captain! Thank the Princess you woke up! Are you alright?” Nebula looked around, seeing herself sprawled against the floor, the cables trailing from just behind her neck to the chair. The lights seemed to have dimmed, the siren fading as the active power source was removed from its spot. The ship was gone, space just a silent void outside, but she had herself, for once. Smiling, she nodded. “Yes, I'm fine Starcall. You made it in time.” Nebula placed her hooves beneath her, standing on shaky legs only to be immediately supported by her second in command. “Captain, you shouldn't move as you are. Take it easy. Who knows how your mind or body could react. There's no telling what might have happened.” Nebula ignored her advice, pulling away and walking, each step with a little more strength returning and a little more purpose in its gait. “I'll tell you exactly what happened. That brass punk that assaulted my crew and banged up my ship just succeeded in ripping it apart, and I am not going to take that laying down!” She glanced up at the main window, the countdown reading five minutes until the atmosphere was reached. “Starcall, you stay here. You're going to have to supplement the autopilot now that it's running on half its computing power and nothing but batteries.” “Ma'am!” Starcall saluted, but her confusion was betrayed in her face. “But where are you going?” Nebula stood at the door to the bridge, turning around with a look of sheer determination. “I am going to protect my crew and my ship. Everpony is landing on that planet alive.” With that she left the bridge, the door sliding shut behind her for the last time. ---- Thrown to the side as the ship pitched, both Derpy and Rapid Fire struggled to keep themselves upright and their unconscious cargo safe. It had happened a few times now, with red lights bathing the area and klaxons blaring in the background, and the worry was getting to both of them that they were in real danger. As soon as they had their footing once more they moved again, running to the back of the Colony Sector and ever towards the TaRDiS. It must be really bad if The Doctor wants us to hide in there. Derpy turned the last corner, the big blue box coming into view at the end of their row. Derpy pointed it out to Rapid, her face beaming as she did. “There it is!” Rapid eyed both her and the foreign object skeptically. “What, the blue wooden box? Doesn't seem all that safe to me.” “Oh, you'll be surprised! Just you wait!” Excited, Derpy ran towards the TaRDiS, causing her to be caught unaware when the room lurched again, throwing her against the cryopods. Rubbing her head from the impact she was oblivious to her slide across the floor, the heavy listing of the ship bringing her slowly closer to her destination. Beside her, Rapid walked unsteadily, her hooves barely managing to find purchase as she made her way to their goal. Rapid was just a couple meters away when suddenly she stopped sliding, neither she nor Derpy pulled to the edge anymore. Her next step sent her drifting away from the floor and into the ceiling, completely uncontrolled despite her flailing hooves. Derpy ended up having equal difficulty in the lack of artificial gravity, having just decided to stand up only to find herself floating upside down towards her box, Chip slowly drifting away from her. Derpy threw a hoof around Chip, securing the unconscious mare to her before she flapped her wings in an attempt to fly there. The process was not fast, the lack of any beginning momentum putting a damper on her efforts, but she persevered, arriving at the same moment as Rapid at the TaRDiS door. Rapid pulled herself against the box's frame, placing an arm around Edge's waist to keep her safe for the trip. Just as Edge was secured, a green wall of energy appeared through the wall, slowly constricting on the mares there. There was hardly a moment to register the surprise of its appearance before it passed through them with a tingle, followed by a torrent of wind matching the barrier's retreat. It flowed past them, sucking from the back of the room and buffeting Rapid against the box. Derpy and Chip weren't so lucky. Completely unanchored when the wind started, the two were slammed against the pods behind them, the air forcing them against the cool metal. Rapid struggled against the current, her one hoof wrapped through the door handle the only thing keeping her from flying off. She looked from Edge to Derpy and Chip, more than fearful that she wouldn't be able to hold on. That was when she glimpsed it. She tried to yell to no avail, the winds drowning her every word out. Yet Derpy got the message, standing on the dome she was slammed against to peer in the direction Rapid was facing. Beyond, standing firmly on one of the pods further down wind, the brass pony stared at her, its empty eyes boring into her skewed ones. Derpy turned back to Rapid, trying to signal that she should pull herself into the TaRDiS. Rapid just shook her head, her frightful expression unreadable as to whether she didn't understand or didn't think she could. Mustering up the strength, Derpy rose in the wind tunnel, pushing her way over the cryopod to where Chip had landed. She then bent down, grabbing Chip's hoof in her mouth, before looking up towards Rapid once more to see if she'd get the intention. Unfortunately, Rapid was much too focused on the brass pony, whose fiery jets were slowly bringing it closer to them. With one swift motion Derpy kicked off of the pod, getting extra height in the zero gs in spite of the wind fighting against her. As she reached the apex of her jump, less than a pony's length from the door to the TaRDiS, she flung her head around, swinging the unconscious Chip around in a hammer throw. Rapid's eyes widened as she noticed what the mare was doing, barely able to react before Chip's body hit the door, opening it and pulling Rapid Fire and Edge in with her. Alone in the rushing winds, Derpy contemplated how she herself would reach the door, her head starting to get light as her lungs strained to pull in air from the whirlwind around her. She braced herself once more against the pods, ready to launch herself forward, when the brass pony landed next to her, its flames whipped away in an instant. The two just stared at each other, the rushing air the only noise, until a sharp click pierced it, the following words stolen away in the wind. Then the brass pony launched forward, no tensing beforehoof or preparation, hurtling towards Derpy. In a flash she pushed off from the pod, the leap dampened by the force of the wind but still clearing the pony, which she then used as a platform to get a further boost. Beneath her lightning streaked across its form, the bolts slipping under Derpy's rear hooves as she managed to cling her front one to the door's handle. The brass pony did not give up, turning up to gaze at her menacingly before pushing up itself, leaping towards her with blade outstretched. Derpy swung herself flat up against the door, the blade slashing below and missing her by centimeters. Seizing her chance, Derpy kicked off of the wooden box, her full strength coalescing in her right rear hoof, which connected full on with the brass pony's head. The head crumpled in beneath the force of the blow, the entire body flying down the row as Derpy lost her grip on the door, her own momentum pulling her away. The last wisps of air floated past her, taking all sound and the sparking robot with them. In the absolute still of the room Derpy gently landed, quickly pushing off of the pod beneath her. She drifted for a moment, struggling to keep the air in her lungs from rushing out, before her hoof connected with the TaRDiS door. She grabbed onto it, swinging it open and tumbling inside. Derpy gasped for air, lungs gulping down the precious gas as she was pulled against the floor by the gravity of the interior. She took this moment to look around, noting the energy of the well lit bronze room. It felt as though the TaRDiS was waiting for something, some purpose not quite fulfilled yet. Shaking off the feeling, Derpy looked next to her, seeing both Chip and Straight Edge laying calmly, their breathing regular despite the difficulties outside and the impact of their entrance. Rapid Fire, however, had started wandering, awestruck as she stood at the control panel in the middle, hoof poised to press a button. “Wait!” Derpy called out to her, hauling herself up and flying over to the control panel. “Don't touch that one, that makes the sirens turn on, and they are really, really loud. Hit that blue one over there.” Rapid did what she was told, causing the display monitor before them to turn on, a picture of a sealed door filling it. It was the door to the main ship, The Doctor, Ink Well, and Spanner clearly visible through the window set in it, though they seemed very concerned at what they saw. Slowly the door grew smaller, the image twisting slightly as it pulled away. Around the door were exposed wires, glowing hot metal, and sheared ducting, the insides of the ship spilling out only to be stopped by the shimmering green shield that now tinted the display. Derpy's heart sank as the image kept growing smaller, full realization hitting at just what had happened. Their section had been disconnected from the ship. The Doctor wouldn't be coming for her now... In an instant her heart leaped back into her chest. “The Doctor!” Derpy ran around the console, turning a few knobs and pressing a couple buttons. “The Doctor will know what to do! He'll be able to fix all of this, if we can just contact him.” Derpy made her way to a small thing sticking out with a rounded head and a speaker grille, what The Doctor had referred to once as a 'phone,' and spoke into it. “Doctor, can you hear me? Are you there?” “Derpy! Good, you're alright. Now I'm going to need you to listen to me...” An electronic whine sounded behind Derpy, pulling her attention away from the console. “Derpy, you are alright, aren't you? Did everypony make it into the ship?” Derpy slowly turned around, looking first at Rapid Fire, then at what her weapons were trained on. “Did you take care of the brass pony? Derpy!” Derpy didn't make a noise, just stared at the brass monster in her doorway, her face resolute. Whir, click. “Source recovery moved to secondary objective. New primary objective: Capture the TaRDiS. Eliminate those in the way.” Rapid Fire leveled her cannon, the tip glowing red. “I'd like to see you try.” ---- “No no no no no no no!” The Doctor ran from the library as the ship pitched, running along the skewed corridor with a practiced ease. Ink Well and Spanner followed, flying through the tilted passage, with Steelheart and Fusebox stumbling behind. When he arrived at the sealed door, The Doctor just looked through its window helplessly, anger building on his face as he watched the hall beyond slowly drifting away, the melted remains of the edges dripping off into space. Around him the lights dimmed, garnering the attention of everyone but himself. He just kept looking into space, watching the green barrier slowly reposition itself just outside the door. The Doctor turned around, a calm smile on his face, which caught the others off guard. They were all expecting rage. Ink Well was the first to question his sanity. “Doctor, are you alright?” The Doctor's smile just deepened. “Of course! Everything is fine! I'm sure Derpy made it to the TaRDiS. She's a clever girl, she can take care of herself from there. Probably even land the whole wing safely if she figures out the controls. Shouldn't be too hard, just keep pressing buttons and flipping levers until something works. That's what I always do!” As The Doctor rambled, Fusebox galloped up with Steelheart, the shock on her face apparent the minute she saw the stars twinkling outside. “The colony sector is gone?!” She shoved past the ponies there, even knocking over The Doctor to replace him in the window, heart falling at the sight. “No, the whole wing is gone...” She stepped away, anger burning as she looked at The Doctor, who continued smiling. “How can you be so happy? Rapid was right, you had something to do with this, didn't you? All of this happened once you got here!” She stomped towards him threateningly, forcing him against the wall with her words. “He is not to blame.” From further down the hall came a voice, unsteady, its regal tone lost. “Over a thousand souls were sleeping in that section, now lost forever to the void of space.” Everyone turned to look at its source, saddened as the defeat entering it became readily apparent. “This close to our destination, and we failed them.” Nebula's appearance shocked everypony there, from simply being there to the disheveled appearance of her fur, outfit, and somehow even her ethereal mane. It looked like she'd just walked through Tartarus, and nopony knew how to react. Nopony, that is, except The Doctor, who held up a hoof, fixing his tie with the other as he stood back up. “Not to worry! They are all safe. My TaRDiS is on that section of the ship, and even better Derpy is in it. Once she contacts me I can make this whole thing right.” “Doctor, can you hear me? Are you there?” The voice rang out from Fusebox's earpiece, drawing all attention from the confident pony to itself. The Doctor just walked over, plucking it from Fusebox's ear and placing it in his own. “Derpy! Good, you're alright. Now I'm going to need you to listen to me for a moment, as I'm sure you've realized that your section is falling away from the ship. You're going to have to follow my instructions exactly, got that?” The Doctor waited a moment, confidence slipping as Derpy failed to respond. He glanced around at everyone, seeing their worry only growing, and spoke again. “Derpy, you are alright, aren't you? Did everypony make it into the ship?” The silence rang out once more, The Doctor's smile turning nervous as worry crept into it. “Did you take care of the brass pony?” This wasn't right. This sort of wait could only mean something bad. “Derpy!” There was a loud whir, a click, the sound of a laser firing, then static. ---- Derpy shielded herself from the sparks and the smoke coming from the main console of the TaRDiS, yelling at Rapid Fire. “It's already done that once, why do you keep shooting at it?” The console was a wreck from where the beam had pierced it, reflected from Rapid's cannon off of the brass pony's hull and right through the phone. “Didn't think it'd be lucky again. Guess I was wrong.” Rapid snarled, shrugging off her weaponry and staring down the brass invader. It hadn't yet moved, though a constant sound of churning gears could be heard coming from it. Rapid lowered herself into an aggressive pose. “It's time for something a little more visceral.” Pushing off of the grated floor, Rapid launched forward, leaving the ground and swinging a forehoof straight for the dent in the robot's face. At the last instant it moved, a blur of motion placing it behind Rapid in her flight. Missing her target, she shifted her weight to the striking hoof, planting it firmly and swinging her back leg down in. Again the pony dodged, inching to the side and causing the kick to hit the floor, the grating reverberating at the impact. It then raised its own forehoof, a hole sliding open in the bottom as it did. Looking down the barrel of the leg, Rapid jumped sideways, spinning through the air just as the shot went off, the loud bang followed by the ricochet of a bullet of metal. She used her momentum to try to strike again, the spinning leg sweeping down once more, this time to spark where the hoof slid down the brass pony's plating. Even though it had dodged too slowly, it did not react to the strike except to begin whirring once more. Rapid, however, smiled, taking the momentum of her hit into another spinning kick. The brass pony reacted much faster this time, moving far away from the attacking military pony. She frowned at it. “What's the matter? Not moving as fast as you thought?” Another shot rang out, flying harmlessly into the wall as Rapid deftly avoided it. “Only you get ranged weapons, huh? Well let's see you use them!” She put her head down, charging across the room and after the brass pony once more. As the battle raged, Derpy looked over the control panel, distressed by the fire starting on it. She ducked under it, reaching into the mess of wiring below the grating and pulling out the fire extinguisher The Doctor kept down there. It was far too big for a normal pony, with a strange mechanism that was almost impossible to activate with hooves. Normally she'd have his help at this, fires being surprisingly common on the TaRDiS, but today she was on her own, propping the nozzle next to the flames and running back to where the red body stood. She placed a hoof on either side of the firing mechanism, squeezing them together only for the hose to fly around, spraying white foam through the air. The nozzle danced like a snake, managing to douse the fire, but leaving much of the console and a large area of the grating covered in a slowly-dissipating slippery goop. The fire solved, Derpy pushed aside the extinguisher, turning her attention back to the fight. It was getting dangerously near the unconscious ponies on the floor. Bullets were firing sporadically, and while Rapid seemed adept at dodging them, the sleeping ponies certainly wouldn't be. Yes, Derpy had to contact The Doctor, but their safety came first. She flew over the tall railing, rounding one of the natural pillars as the brawl moved under her. The brass pony's blade was out again, swinging at Rapid. She ducked, causing the pony's blade, and the leg it was attached to, to get caught in the pillar. Taking the opportunity, Rapid made a flying leap, connecting solidly with the brass pony's body, sending it flying and snapping the blade. As she landed she taunted her foe. “Where's your weapon now?” An angered whir returned her question, and the fighting pair moved further around the room. Derpy took that chance to move to the downed ponies, starting by grabbing onto the zebra and pulling her up the central ramp. She then carefully moved her under one of the seats surrounding the central bulb, hoping the cushioning would provide cover and keep her safe. She then ran back over to Chip, pulling the orange pony under another seat to keep her safe as well. As it was done, she looked back to the fight. The dueling pair had traveled around the lower level, the brass pony leading with his retreat. Rapid followed, lunging forward with another swipe that missed its target. Her hoof came down, causing Derpy to gasp as it landed on the one spot of white left dripping through the grated floor. Rapid slid, losing her balance for an instant, stumbling to keep herself up. The brass pony was on her in a flash, bringing down its heavy hoof in a crushing blow. The hoof connected, impacting sharply, the noise of which resounded in the room. The brass pony stood above the motionless form of Rapid Fire, somehow seeming smug despite its emotionless mask of a face. It then turned slowly towards Derpy, whirring deeply as it changed targets. It took a few steps forward, its fore hoof rising as it slowly took aim. Derpy focused on the end of the leg, putting all of her energy into being ready to dodge when it fired. The room was silent as the two stared each other down, the sound of the last of the goop dripping through the grating and the clank of the brass pony's hooves deafening in the heavy atmosphere of the room. “Hold it right there, shiny. You aren't done with me.” The brass pony stopped in its tracks, whirring in confusion as its bent face turned to look to the source of the interruption. The voice rang out again, the tone clear and familiar, but tinted with a chittering quality. “You thought that was enough to take me down? You have another thing coming.” The rest of the brass pony's body shifted, turning back to the one who accosted it and giving Derpy a clear view. Standing up strong and tall was Rapid Fire, part of the right side of her olive face replaced with a jet black carapace, her eye suddenly a smooth, shiny blue. She smiled, baring a fang that sprouted newly from her lip, and stared down the brass pony. For a moment, it paused, whirring angrily before its surface erupted with electricity. Rapid worked the stiffness from her neck before returning to her aggressive stance, grin deepening. “Let's settle this.” ---- Ink Well turned from the stars outside, worried as he looked at The Doctor, whose own face was an unreadable mask. “Doctor. Are you alright?” The Doctor remained stoic, his face seeming dark in the light of the hallway. “Is everything okay? How about Ditzy? Will she be fine?” The Doctor turned on him, a manic smile plastered onto his features. “Oh yes she will! I promised her I would get her home to see her daughter, and she is bloody going to see her daughter! And as for whoever created that brass beauty? Putting it on my ship was the last mistake they'll ever make.” Immediately he set off down the hall, calling to all of them as he went. “Come on! Crew to the bridge! This bird's coming in for a landing.” He ran past the crew, each of them following him to the bridge as he made his way past Nebula and in o the connecting corridor. The others ran past her, all eager to be landing the ship, but she remained looking down the hallway, a resolute look to her face. As Spanner passed, he turned around, trotting in place. He looked to her, unsure whether to follow The Doctor or his Captain. “Captain?” Nebula just smiled at him. “Go on ahead. Follow Mr. Smith and start the process without me. I want to stretch my legs a bit more before going back there.” Spanner nodded, still not completely convinced. Seeing this, Nebula stood tall and commanding, brimming with confidence despite her disheveled appearance. “We'll land this ship safely, right soldier?” Spanner saluted, feeding off of his Captain's courage. “Right!” “That's right! Now get to the bridge. Starcall and Mr. Smith will take over until I get there.” Spanner finished his salute, then turned, taking wing down the hall to catch up with the rest of them. This left Ink Well and Nebula alone in the corridor, both standing silently, looking to where The Doctor had just left. Slowly Nebula approached Ink Well, smirking slightly as she spoke. “You're not following him. Is the bloom off of the rose already?” Ink Well looked at her, mind drawn from some far off corner by her words. “What? Oh, no, it's just-” “You don't wish to be here anymore, do you? All of this danger just a little too much? Somepony you need to get back to?” Ink Well looked at her, confusion spreading over her face as she partially read his thoughts. Nebula shook her head. “Oh, I know all about him. Brought you here in a magical little blue box, right?” Ink Well nodded, causing Nebula to smile. “You know, I actually met him before, centuries ago, though I suspect he hasn't had that honor yet...” She turned back to where The Doctor had just run off, her smile turning sad. “He tried to do to me what he's done to you, and I had the same reaction. In that first moment he captivates you, promising so much and just so sure of himself. Then you get out there and somehow everything goes wrong, trouble just waiting to greet you at every turn. And it's then that the truth comes out: he's just this crazy little lonely pony in an amazing box, this sad hero hiding behind a manic smile...” Ink Well continued to say nothing, his mind flashing to the lecture he'd received earlier. The Doctor had been genuinely worried for him, the first time the entire trip, and it had shown. Sure, he had been angry, but it was because he hadn't wanted Ink Well hurt. It was like a father taking care of a child, angry on the outside, but fear and worry within. And all the smiling and all the talking, all of the flourishes and attention grabbing... What was that saying? Those who smile the most have endured the most pain? If that's true, The Doctor must have died five times over. Ink Well turned to thank Nebula for clearing up his thoughts only to find her no longer at his side, having moved to the locked door when he was lost in thought. She was concentrating, with an ivy green glow surrounding her horn and a matching one enveloping the door. Beyond the glow he could see the stars, burning brightly behind the shield. “What are you doing? There's nothing but space out there now.” “I know.” Nebula kept concentrating, her magic spreading from the door to the walls as she tried to move the mechanisms keeping it shut. Ink Well watched the light show, still puzzled by what she was trying to accomplish. “It doesn't really matter anyway. That thing's stuck tight. It's the whole reason we're in this mess. Well, apart from that brass monster.” Nebula nodded, answering automatically. “True.” Her magic slid through the wall, find the machines keeping the door shut immoveable. Frowning, she took a step closer, her magic centering on the door again. “But I feel it is high time we removed the problem, don't you?” The glow around her horn tripled in intensity, her face showing the barest hint of strain as she shoved the door with both her body and her magic. The door twisted, the metal around it bending and crying out before it gave way with a terrifying screech, rending the door and its frame clear from the ship. Nebula tossed the twisted remains of the problem through the shield, breathing heavily from the exertion, but satisfied with the result. Ink Well nodded in wide-eyed approval. “Very nice. But this doesn't get us any closer to bringing Ditzy back, does it?” Nebula snorted, smirking playfully at the writer. “You always were a bit of a pessimist, weren't you?” “Hmm?” Nebula shook her head, smiling. “Don't worry, she and all the ponies asleep in that sector will be meeting us on the surface. I'll make sure of that.” She then walked out to the very edge of the melted metal, looking through the shields in an attempt to locate the floating piece of her ship. Ink Well looked dumbfounded, taking a few moments to take in what Nebula had said and was doing before he realized her plan. She's gonna jump. “You can't be serious. All of the studies have shown that there's no air in space. You'll die if you go out there!” Nebula's smile deepened as she looked towards him, starting a list on the wall with her hoof. “Sixteen hundred years of study has revealed more than that, Ink Well. There's the many types of radiation, wandering asteroids, super fast dust particles with the kinetic energy to pierce solid steel, burning up on the atmosphere we are entering... just all sorts of horrible things waiting for me past that shield. A lack of oxygen will be the least of my worries.” She returned her gaze from the tally she'd marked on the wall to the stars outside. “It's not going to stop me though. I owe it to my crew.” Ink Well took a step forward, trying to put himself between her and the glowing shield outside. “But your crew is waiting on the bridge. They won't be able to land the ship without you.” Nebula shook her head sadly. “As soon as I was disconnected I became dead weight. I cannot for the life of me remember how to fly this thing. I was just a battery, a tool to keep the others going on their flight. But even then, my crew isn't just the ones awake for the journey. Every one of the two thousand ponies and gryphons packed into the pods on this ship is my responsibility.” She turned to him, deadly serious. “I'm not losing half of them because of some robot.” Ink Well took a step forward, trying to talk down the determined alicorn. “But this is suicide! It would be one thing if you'd be safe, but under these conditions, how could you possibly survive?” Nebula stared at him, as if puzzled by his question. “Still worried about me, and you hardly even know me yet...” She laughed, looking slightly sheepish as she avoided his gaze. “To tell you the truth, all I have to go on are two facts: One, I am immortal, and so far that has meant I'm pretty hard to get rid of, and two, Princess Luna was imprisoned for a thousand years on the moon, which operates under fairly similar conditions, and she survived alright.” She shrugged. “If she could last that long, I think I can probably take a few minutes.” Rapidly running out of ways to talk her out of it, Ink Well fell back on his weakest argument. “Do you at least have a plan? Or are you just thinking you'll rush out there and be a hero?” Nebula looked out into space stoically. “Sometimes ponies need a hero to rally around. Be it peace, war, safety, or freedom, all it takes is one pony in the right place at the right time to change the world.” She looked back at him, glad to see him accepting her statement, and dropped the stoic look, favoring a more playful one. “As for a plan, I've got an idea, but I won't know if it works until I get out there. If it doesn't, I'll wing it.” “Well, that's all I usually do.” He walked back, away from the opening and from the pony ready to exit it, and looked to the floor, shame eating away at him. “Look, I'm sorry about this whole mess. That thing came chasing me, and when I went to stop it I just-” Nebula cut him off with a hoof. “Don't you dare blame yourself for this. I saw the warning signs, literally had something telling me this would happen in my hoof, and didn't look at it because I don't like spoilers. If anypony is at fault, it's me. And that is why I am going to make it right, whatever the cost.” Ink Well nodded, watching Nebula prepare herself for the leap. One last thought tickled his mind. “What should I tell your crew when I get to the bridge?” She stalled for a moment, just long enough to look back at him and flash a smile. “You're good with words. I'm sure you'll think of something.” She then spread her wings wide, the tips brushing against the walls, and took off, great strokes propelling her through the void beyond. After a few minutes she became indistinguishable from the night, the glow of the shield hiding her dark rose form from Ink Well's eyes. Hoping she'd feel his encouragement, he saluted her. “Good luck, Nebula.” As the moment passed, he turned, galloping from the corridor and making his way to the bridge. When he arrived, he saw the others in a flurry of activity. Starcall was tapping rapidly at her screens, with two sets of equations running there and a third on her monocle. Fusebox and Spanner were working diligently at their own stations on the opposite wall, while Steelheart was standing on the Captain's chair, a ship's wheel in his claws as he did his best to make himself useful. Finally, The Doctor was running between, monitoring and correcting everyone else's actions. The door slid shut behind him, drawing The Doctor's attention from Starcall's screen to him. “Ah! Ink Well! Just in time!” The Doctor ran over, shepherding Ink Well to the center of the room and talking as fast as his mouth could go, smile still present on his face. “Go help Steelheart keep the controls steady. One of the engines was on the wing that had the colony sector, and now with the lack of balance and the lack of the main portion of the computer or new energy to run the calculations, the autopilot is over correcting and needs manual override. Just hold onto the wheel all the way to the right and wait for further instructions.” The Doctor pushed him next to Steelheart, pointing out the controls with a hoof as he talked, before suddenly stopping, his face popping up between Ink Well and the ship's wheel. “Speaking of the Captain, when is she coming? She didn't seem the type to keep us waiting.” Taken aback by his appearance, it took Ink Well a moment to steady himself, but he used that time to find the correct words. He could feel the ears of the whole bridge on him, not just The Doctor's, but what to say just flowed to him as soon as he was resettled. “She said to carry on without her, and she'll meet us all down on the surface. She said she had a promise to keep.” The Doctor's smile faded for a moment, eyes gaining a far off quality, suddenly deeper than any ocean could hope to be. “I see.” The two words carried a defeat, as though he had just lost something precious. Then he was back in an instant, the fast talking pony he'd always been. “Fantastic! Let's make sure she's got a crew to meet, shall we?” Behind him the counter on the window ticked down, the smaller showing nothing but zeroes. “Entering the atmosphere now.” Came Starcall's voice, her attention not moving for an instant from her screens. The Doctor moved to the center of the floor, beaming. “Fantastic. Hold on everyone, this is going to be a bumpy ride!” ---- The instant she left the shields everything changed. She had not taken a deep breath, exiting mid-inhale to keep what air she had from expanding and hurting her lungs. It had happened before, when her module had lost pressurization during a training run, and she did not want to repeat that experience. Instead the air was ripped from her lungs, sucked irretrievably into the vacuum of space, and she could feel the sweat that had lingered in her fur begin to boil away, unable to stay a liquid in the vacuum. The sun's rays pounded into her, super heating one side of her body while the other felt a chill colder than any she'd experienced before. For an instant she contemplated returning to the ship, but it was immediately apparent that was not an option, as the lopsided vessel was long gone, entering the atmosphere and leaving her behind. She knew from memory that she should have about thirty seconds before she lost consciousness, so she counted them down, looking around her for any sign of the detached wing. At fifteen she spotted it, a bright silver cylinder drifting gently away from the planet. She shifted her wings, causing her own course to slowly correct. At five she flapped her wings again, expending her magic to give her something to push against. She accelerated towards the chunk, but there was no hope she'd make it in time. At one she still had over two thirds of the distance to travel. She closed her eyes, ready to begin the struggle for consciousness. But the struggle never came. Her lungs still ached, crying out for the air they were so used to, but otherwise she could feel nothing hindering her. Whatever magic held her immortality made sure of that. In fact, if anything, her mind felt clearer, the lack of oxygen just one less barrier to work through. And in this state, she could feel everything. She could feel the distant stars, the radiation pouring off of them making pinpoints of warmth on her fur, while areas with only void developed a small layer of frost. She could see the dust cloud of the Pony Head Nebula surrounding them, for many millions of miles around, glowing a deep rose red, with orange and yellow bursts where new stars were born within. It was as though she were the ship again, without the huge bulk of metal and circuitry blocking herself from what she felt. This... this was amazing. How had she let her fear stop her from trying this before? This was why, sometimes, you just winged it. Sometimes it paid off. Probing out with her magic, she could feel the asteroids surrounding her, one in particular coming her way. With just the simplest flick of her wing, she avoided it, trotting along its cold surface and using it to propel her towards her target, growing ever larger in its slow drift. She sped up, accelerating with her magic. She was calm, a kind of calm she'd never felt before, and in her zen state her mind zeroed in on its one focus: the ponies she had to save. She banked, using her slow drift and the slight spin of the ship's wing to arrive cleanly in the narrow passage opening, right where the door would have let out. Slipping into the cool cover of the ship, Nebula stood at the entrance for a moment, musing on how simple it had been after all of the drama of earlier. With a gentle push she drifted down one of the hallways, looking into pod after pod. Inside the ponies and gryphons continued to slumber peacefully, their cryogenic stasis not interrupted for a moment in all of the commotion. She sent a magic pulse, testing what remained in the system. The emergency generators were functioning, keeping all of the pods from being little more than glorified coffins, and there was even some residual magic rattling around, primarily within the engine. Satisfied with her check, she tipped off one of the pods and moved to the central hallway. She stopped herself and pulsed her magic once more. Beneath her lit up like a candle, and all around her the magic resonated perfectly. It was from here, the center of the wreckage, that she would take them home. She used her magic to magnetize her shoes to the floor, letting her stand firm as her magic power built. Her horn glowed a strong ivy green, a matching aura faintly drifting from all around her. She let her magic spread, a stronger glow beginning at her feet and seeping slowly outward. As it did, information flowed back to her; the structural soundness of the ship, the integrity of the engine, the life force of those around her, faint, precious, safe. It then spread further, creeping over every inch of the hull. Suddenly the outside was revealed once more, stars, asteroids, the planet, coming into focus and painting a clear picture in Nebula's mind. Keeping it all in check, new sweat boiling off of her fur as she maintained the magical field, she focused on the engine, feeding it power to get the wing moving. Beneath her the engine hummed, the entire hull stopping its rotation. A little more finesse turned the colony sector towards the planet, and then, with a weighty push, it was sent on it's way, just enough momentum to get it into the planet's gravity. Sighing breathlessly from the strain, Nebula let her power slide from the engine and equalize over the whole wing. So far so good. Ice crystals formed on her brow, which she wiped away with a hoof before starting her next task. She closed her eyes, the glow on her horn doubling in intensity so that its brightness bled through her eyelids. She extended her influence from the hull, creating a magical bubble to hold the section safe for landing. She was pushing herself after everything that had just happened, she knew it, but there was no chance to take it safely or carefully. Pressing onwards, the shield hardened, a solid wall of magic just barely free of the wing. As the glow in her horn dimmed slightly, the energy to maintain a spell less than the energy to cast it, she allowed herself a smile. Now all you have to do is keep this up and wait. She felt the edge of her shield begin to heat, making first contact against the atmosphere. She just stood tall, sending it a little more power. Let's just hope you're ready for a hard landing. --- The two armored ponies exchanged blows, brass and chitin colliding in hit after hit. Sparks flew from each of the brass pony's punches, each of which slid past Rapid's nimble dodges, but the sparks would jump, causing fur to recede and reveal her changeling form wherever they landed. For her part, Rapid was even more vicious, going all out in flurries of strikes that dented the brass pony's plating, the electricity coursing over it not hindering her in the least. But the effort was getting to her, and with every passing moment her moves were slowing down, misses becoming glancing blows against her exoskeleton. As the fight raged behind her, Derpy's hooves ran over the TaRDiS's controls, flipping levers, hitting buttons, spinning spinners, and flitting across keyboards in a display that would put Equestria's finest typists to shame. While it all looked very impressive, and while the ship was certainly rattling and making a lot of noise as she worked, nothing seemed to be coming out of it, and the worry that created was apparent on Derpy's face as she smacked the central bulb. “Come on! The Doctor just presses buttons and all sorts of things happen! He'd have that thing out of this ship in a wink, or sent it to the moon with nothing more than a smile! Why won't you work for me?” She ran around the central console, coming up to what she knew were the space and time controls. These were the one thing she didn't want to touch. She had possibly less knowledge of how they worked than everything else, and one wrong move could land the TaRDiS literally anywhere. But they were the only thing she hadn't tried yet. Maybe if she just... A loud crackle came out from the other side of the console, drawing Derpy's attention as she looked past the crystal in the center. Rapid Fire staggered back, a shower of sparks flying from a charred point on her shoulder, her uniform sporting as many holes as her legs. “That all... you got?” she wheezed, breathing deeply from the hit. She shook her head to clear it while the brass pony walked closer to her, electricity still skipping over its body as it raised its front hoof, readying another shot. Derpy looked at the controls, then her dazed friend, indecision pulling at her. The right button would save her instantly, the wrong one... Rapid shook the fuzz from her mind, her shoulder aching from where the electricity had discharged into it. As she did she opened her eyes, her blurred gaze showing a closer brass form standing against a similar colored background, walking ever closer. She knew she had to move, sending the messages to her legs, her wings, something to get her away from her attacker, but they just weren't responding. As she kept looking, her vision cleared. A hoof was pointing at her, electricity leaping over it. In the center, a dark spot, perfectly circular. Oh no. Come on, move! She closed her eyes, willing herself into motion against the ache, much too slow to react. The shot rang out, and pain lit up in Rapid Fire's body, though not from her chest, where it was expected. It was her arm, the bullet lodged somewhere within. Her eyes leaped open with it, ready to counter strike when they caught a confusing sight. The brass pony was flying to the side, electricity arcing from it to a grey mass slammed into its side. Her heart pumped, another spike of pain and adrenaline clearing her vision, letting her spot blonde streaks on the grey lump, a tangle of hooves trailing behind it. Two skewed yellow eyes looked at her, worry lighting them even as their owner's face froze in a silent scream. Pain ignored, Rapid was up and running immediately, following the monster and Derpy as they smashed into the wall near the door. Derpy fell away, sparking and shaking, leaving the brass pony to slide slowly away from the wall. Before it could even move, Rapid was upon it, catching it and smashing its head against the wall once more. “You hurt my friends.” Pain lit up her arm, neon green blood leaking from it, but she pushed past it, bringing the robot's head back just to smash it in again. “Chip, Edge, Derpy, you hurt them all.” She smashed the pony's head again, feeling it start to give way beneath her hoof. “Nothing, and I mean nothing, hurts my friends. Do you understand?” Each hit bent the dented face further, until it was almost unrecognizable. In that state, the brass pony whirred and clicked, whatever it was about to say lost in the crunch of machinery beneath Rapid's hoof. Energy was suddenly being pulled in around her, ionizing each of her breaths. As the feeling built, sparks appearing on everything from the brass pony to the grated floor and even tickling across her horn, she pulled the crumpled heap to the door, bringing it up to her fanged sneer as she looking into the remains of its cold eyes. “Now get off of her ship.” Rapid opened the door, tossing the brass pony outside like a piece of trash. It drifted out into the zero gs, bouncing off of a wall before it collapsed in on itself, disappearing in a silent flash of light. “Good riddance,” Rapid Fire snorted before turning back to Derpy, who coughed where she lay, woozily raising her head. Rapid ran over, leaning down next to her. “Derpy, are you alright?” The tips of her mane, tail, and wings were singed, her eyes slightly more disoriented than they normally looked. Derpy just smiled at her. “Yeah. Of course. Not the first time I've been struck by lightning. Are you?” Her eyes traveled down Rapid's leg, stopping at the fluorescent green trail running down it. “Oh no! You got hit? I knew I thought too long...” Rapid waved her worries off, pulling Derpy up onto her hooves. “You saved me. But why? I'm a changeling.” “A life is a life. Be it a changeling, a dragon, Cerberus, or my own daughter, I would never let a life end if I could stop it.” Derpy smiled warmly. “And that goes double for a friend.” Tears began to form at the edges of Rapid's eyes, unseen by Derpy as she walked to the central console, still talking as she tapped a few buttons and looked at the monitor. “By the way, why were you hiding your changelingness? Weren't they recognized fully into the Alliance... oh, when did The Doctor say it was... it was over a thousand years ago, that much I remember.” Rapid took a few moments to compose herself, keeping her voice steady as she responded. “Yeah, we were, but a lot of ponies still don't like how changelings look. We still scare ponies, and a lot of us still are more aggressive and greedy than most ponies, so we have a bad reputation.” As she talked, she walked over to where Chip had been set down, carefully removing her from under the seat and looking at her surprisingly tranquil form. “I didn't want to scare off anypony or bring up bad old memories, so I hid.” She picked Chip up, laying her on the seat cushion, in an attempt to let her be more comfortable. “It let me get closer to them, become more trusted by them, and thanks to that, I was accepted by this incredible crew.” She began to idly run a hoof through Chip's mane, wincing when she felt the bump on the back of her head. That would take some time to heal... She really should have been there to stop that. “I didn't want to lose any of that... guess it's too late to worry about it now.” Derpy finished her tapping, turning to face Rapid as the monitor loaded on its own. “I shouldn't worry too much about it. I'm sure they'll love you just the same.” She saw Rapid looking so lovingly at Chip and just smiled, turning back to the monitor. “Maybe even a little more, now that you saved them.” When she saw what the monitor was showing, she frowned. “Huh, that's odd.” Rapid looked over, about to question Derpy when she caught the image herself. The ship outside their box was glowing a familiar ivy green. After a moment, the picture changed to an outside view, the whole detached wing enveloped in a magical aura. Rapid left Chip's side, looking at the screen as it changed to a third angle: the Captain, sweating, disheveled, with her horn glowing brightly. “What is she doing out there?” Derpy shook her head. “I don't know.” The camera angle changed again, showing a shield forming around the wing. Immediately Rapid understood. “She's trying to land us! She disconnected from the ship and flew all the way out here just to save them. To save us...” She watched the screen flit back to Nebula as she concentrated harder on her magic. The sweat boiling off her brow said it all. “I should be with her, not stuck in some box watching.” Derpy looked at the controls, then the determined look on Rapid's face, her own face mirroring it as she ran through her experiences with The Doctor in her mind. A few seconds later, she smiled, running around the console tapping at it again. The Doctor could wait a little longer to hear from her. Rapid watched, perplexed and about to say something when Derpy cut her off. “Go to her.” “What?” Derpy just smiled, pointing to the TaRDiS door. “I'll take care of everything from here. Just go to her. She needs all the support she can get.” Still confused, but ready to trust the grey mare before her, Rapid went to the door. In its frame she looked back, only to get an encouraging nod from Derpy. She nodded back, trepidation setting in as her gaze moved to Chip. It was a vacuum out there... She steeled her resolve, opening the door and setting out into the broken ship. --- Warning sirens in several different pitches blared within the confines of the bridge as it rattled and shook, the reentry process giving the ship a pounding. Those gathered on the bridge, however, were doing their best to tune it all out, instead listening for The Doctor's instructions. “No! Keep the speed on the engine low. We don't need to be spinning when we land.” He tapped the engineer ponies on the back before running to the Captain's chair. “All the way to the right Ink Well! If the ground is flat ahead you aren't pulling hard enough! Follow Steelheart.” With a skip he went over to Starcall, keeping an eye on all of her screens. “Yes, that's it, you're good at this. Just keep at it, and don't mind me one bit.” He ran further down the wall, pointing his sonic screwdriver at it until a panel fell off halfway down. All of the crew ponies spared a look at him, wanting to make sure he didn't do anything to their ship, but in return he just smiled and waved before shooing their eyes back to their own works. Taking no more than a cursory glance at the bundle of wiring running past the wall, he grabbed one in his teeth, ripping it free and causing a huge spark. The sirens cut out around him, much to everyone's relief. Seeing this sabotage, Fusebox started to run towards him, horn glowing as she prepared to stop him in his tracks. “What the hay do you think you're-” The Doctor held up a hoof, spitting the cable into the other one. “Back to your position, Fusebox! Merely manual adjustments!” Without watching to see if she returned, he reached back into the wall, tearing free three more heavy wires and shutting off the warning lights around them. In the process, a shock visibly ran through him, sending him flying back to crash into the floor a meter away. Ink Well turned just in time to see him stand back up, mane sticking out on end. “Fantastic!” he said, an even more manic grin on his face as he ran back to his post. Turning back to the ship's wheel, Ink Well noticed something out of the corner of his eye. At his feet was a small blue book, well worn with age rather than use, obviously Nebula's reading material. He was about to dismiss it when he noticed two things. First, the design on the cover, looking for all the world like the TaRDiS, the blue background having with white signs on it and small latticed windows along the top. Second was the title, replacing the words that normally ran along the TaRDiS's top sign. The Time Traveler's Tales, A Collection from Across the Ages. Curious, he kicked open the front cover, landing on the dedication page. “For all of those who travel. Our dreams travel with you. -Ink Well.” He was about to see if he could open it further when The Doctor popped up next to him, shaking his head and trailing a pair of wires behind him. “Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I? Steelheart, I thought you'd be keeping a better eye on him.” Steelheart made to speak, but was cut off as The Doctor grabbed the book, tossing it over his shoulder and into a far corner of the room. “Spoilers, Ink Well. They ruin all the excitement. Now then, further right, I'll tell you when to let up.” Starcall piped up from her station, voice wavering. “One minute to landing. Velocity is too high. Fatal crash likely.” She swallowed a lump in her throat, hooves working the board before her frantically. “Maximizing braking thrusters, redirecting-” “Hold that thought Starcall!” The Doctor called as he hopped down from the Captain's chair, running with his cables to stand before the window, less than a minute left on the landing timer. From what Ink Well could see, the ship was going much too fast, rocketing into the verdant planet at a very odd angle. The ground was on their right, the sky on their left, and a large red mountain was looming on the horizon and growing every second. “Starcall, ready the brake systems, but do not activate them until I say so. Spanner, Fusebox, keep the engines steady, they're going to hate what we're about to do to them. Ink Well, Steelheart, as hard as you can left, right...” The Doctor held up the two cables with his hooves and the sonic screwdriver in his mouth, he brought the cable's ends very close, though not touching. Seconds passed in terrified silence, the mountains growing larger, the trees growing nearer, the shaking reaching terrible heights and jostling all of them around. “Now!” cried The Doctor, slamming the two edges of cable together and turning on his screwdriver, causing sparks to fly from the connection. Ink Well and Steelheart slammed the wheel to the left, Starcall poured everything to the brakes, and all of them hoped beyond hope for a safe landing. --- Nebula could feel her magical reserves draining as she maintained the shield, every moment fighting the atmosphere far too much for her weakened state to be keeping up. At this rate, she feared what would happen upon the actual landing. The wing could not be slowed, it would land on the surface at terminal velocity, the only thing stopping it from destruction her magical abilities; the same ones that had been being pulled from for ten years to power the rest of the ship. Not counting her weakened physical or mental condition after disconnecting as a factor, she had left the ship with perhaps half of her full magical power available. What she was doing now was far beyond a stretch for her powers. It had taken three days to generate the shield on her ship. Trying to do it all at once, she could feel her magical reserves straining. If she didn't land safely, it would be sort of fitting, though, wouldn't it? The captain, making the ultimate sacrifice, giving everything she had trying to be a hero and save her crew only to die in the process, failing all of them. Maybe that would prove alicorns weren't some all-powerful being, were just ordinary ponies like anypony else, with flaws like the rest of them. Huge ones, like being unable live up to the responsibility given them, yet not refusing it when it became to much. Truly, she wasn't worth all the titles and commendations they had given her. She was about to fail the biggest mission of her lifetime, fail thousands of lives, fail the crew that had been by her side the whole way. The glow on her horn faltered, her thoughts pulling her mind away from the spell and causing a wave of heat to rush through the wing as the shield briefly fell. She tried to pull it back together, managing to put up a weak shield again, but the ground was getting ever nearer. There was no way she could stop it... they were all going to die. All of the ponies around her, gone. They would have been better off in space. Or even better, never trusting their lives to my hooves... She closed her eyes, pushing the last of her magical power into the shield. Just as she was about to run out, she whispered one final message to the ponies around her. “I'm so sorry. I'm a terrible Captain. I've failed you all.” She nearly jumped when a comforting hoof was placed upon her side, a response coming to her message. “You aren't terrible at all, Ma'am. I am honored to have served under you.” Nebula opened her eyes, looking down to the source of the contact. A changeling stood beside her in a singed and torn uniform, its blood staining its leg and tears in its eyes. “You, Nebula, are the best Captain a pony could ask for, and I would follow you to oblivion and back.” Tears appeared at Nebula's eyes too, not boiling away, but sliding down her cheeks to the floor. “Rapid Fire, what are you doing here? You would be much safer in the TaRDiS.” “When I started this flight, I promised I would be by your side to defend you no matter what. There is no place I'd rather be at the end of it than by your side, Captain.” Rapid smiled up at her, her teary, fanged grin full of confidence and hope. Her horn started to glow as well, the power from it feeding directly into Nebula. “We're going to see this through to the end.” Nebula smiled, invigorated and encouraged by her Defense Officer's presence. “That we are, Lieutenant. And let it be said, whatever happens, it was an honor serving with you too.” A few moments passed in silence, the two mares readying for a very likely demise, before Rapid turned to her Captain again with a question she couldn't leave unanswered. “How long have you known?” “I have always known, Rapid, though I don't think any of the others do.” She nudged Rapid's side, smiling. “But I'm glad I could see the real you, and I'm sure the others would be too.” Rapid nodded, determined like never before. “Then let's make sure they get that chance.” The two went back to standing in silence, side by side, eyes closed and horns glowing, ready and willing to face anything. --- The fireball of orange and green streaked through the sky, skimming the tree tops on a collision course with the mountains. It listed heavily to the right, rotated so far that the cylindrical wing was the lowest thing to the ground, the remains of the hall leading to the other one sticking up in the air. Trees were catching fire behind it, and at the speed it was going the mountain would pulverize it for sure. At the last possible instant thrusters roared to life on the underside, spinning the entire thing like a horizontal top as it banked impossibly hard to the left. The whole ship turned, sliding in midair and decelerating incredibly fast. In a maneuver completely contrary to the burning violence of its entrance, it gently glided to a stop on the mountainside, depositing itself perfectly with only the slightest bump of a collision. Shortly after, the green shield fell, six figures exiting from a door in the rear of the ship. Ink Well stumbled from the ship and straight into a bush, struggling to keep his lunch after the roller coaster that was the landing. Behind him came the crew, each of them in varying states of unwell, though Steelheart seemed to be combating it the best by checking on the others. Last came The Doctor, smiling away as he walked from the ship and out to the edge of a nearby outcropping. “What was all that screaming right at the end? I told you all it would work, and none of you believed me. I'd be hurt if I hadn't not believed me either. But look at this! First planet outside your galaxy colonized by The Great Equestrian Alliance, and by the New Lunar Republic no less. The youngest nation of the ones to form the alliance, but it really has some drive. I mean, look at this view! It's brilliant! All those new trees and rivers and mountains, untouched by ponies or any sort of advanced life if I have my planetary history correct. Oh, just think of all the adventures you'll have! I'm almost jealous, I'll have you know, but one shouldn't interfere with the actions of-” “Shut it.” Fusebox smacked him on the shoulder, causing The Doctor to be quiet for a moment as she looked over the view. Slowly all of the others did as well, forming a line along the edge of the ledge, the morning breeze blowing through their manes as they took in their new home. A lush forest spread out beneath them, as far as the eye could see, with a river running through it that originated somewhere in the mountains, passing through a gorge to greet the trees and then leaving them into a set of rolling plains, eventually getting stopped by another line of trees just on the edge of sight. Behind them ran some mountains, the rock showing an ancient red, but largely covered with grasses and trees much of the way up to the peaks, which looked as though they may see snow in the colder months. Yet the air was warm and crisp, not too humid nor too dry, completing the almost textbook definition of an idyllic setting. Ink Well stood at the edge of the cliff, realizing with the others just what this moment meant. They, all of them, were standing on an alien world, in a galaxy that wasn't their own, the first ever to do so. It was an experience Ink Well committed to memory, not even attempting to get out his notebook for fear of ruining the perfect moment. Even so, he found his mind wandering as it had before the crystal tree, wishing just one pony could be added to the scene. Starcall was the first to break the spell. “It's beautiful. I knew that stats, but it never said it would look like this.” Steelheart concurred, looking over the landscape warmly. “I shouldn't think we'll need to access the ship's food stores for quite a while in a land like this.” Spanner looked over to the forest, a frown coming over his features. “It's a shame about the trees, though the flaming trail where we came down is a nice touch.” Fusebox was the last to speak, her voice much more dejected than the others. “But we are missing so many, Rapid, Chip, Edge, the Captain, that whole wing of the ship... They're all gone.” Spanner walked up next to her, smiling as he did. “Don't give up yet. She said she'd meet us down here, and she's never let us down before. She wouldn't start now.” Fusebox turned on him, a hurt expression on her face. “What do you mean 'she'll meet us down here'? Where would she go, huh?” Behind her, a bright green cylinder became visible in the sky, streaks of orange pulling off of it. Everyone else's attention was drawn to that, but Fusebox kept going, a point to make. “It's not like there's some other ship to ride or some way to walk it. That was space! The great, cold, dark void, and she didn't even have a suit on when she left, I counted!” Slowly the invading body grew larger, a low rumbling coming to the ears with it from very very far off. “Even if she could somehow survive that, she'd go drifting out into the nothing, and if, by some miracle, she did manage to find the missing piece, she couldn't move it.” The rumbling had slowly grown louder, to a point where the others were sure Fusebox would hear it, but she just raised her voice to match, speaking over it. “It had no power, no shields, nothing but a bunch of pods slowly burning through their emergency power.” “Fi.” said Starcall, unable to remove her eyes from the incoming ship piece. “If we're lucky, then maybe it will get caught in the planet's gravity well, or an asteroid will be kind enough to bump it towards us so we can salvage what remains-” “Fusebox.” said The Doctor, a grin spreading across his face once more. “-but until that day, I'm afraid they're just lost, gone forever,-” “Fusebox, look.” said Spanner, pointing out the now massive missile with a hoof. “-and we're just going to have to accept that WHAT IS MAKING THAT RACKET?” Fusebox said, turning around to try and find the source of the deafening rumbling around them. It didn't take long, as just seconds after she did, the missing wing from the ship crashed into the nearby plains, spewing a shower of earth high into the air and creating a deep crater. Dirt and rocks rained down even on the bluff they all stood on, and none of them could help but stare at the ensuing dust cloud filling up the sky. Oddly enough, Ink Well was the first to respond, taking flight as the rocks stopped falling and shooting down the mountain. The Doctor went right behind him, followed by ground by Starcall while both Spanner and Steelheart joined Ink Well in the sky. Fusebox stayed behind, backside fallen to the ground and jaw hanging open, stupefied even as a small chunk of grassy dirt fell from the sky, landing delicately on her hat. ---- When they had arrived, Ditzy was waiting for them at the entrance to the severed wing, both Chip and Edge laying gently on the ground next to her. The ship piece itself had landed surprisingly softly, barely indenting the ground on its own as it sat within the huge crater, the shield having cushioned most of the fall. As the others approached, Ditzy flew from the ship, colliding with The Doctor in a tackling hug that sent them both into the dirt, laughing merrily. Ink Well, as glad as he was to see Ditzy safe and well, went with the crew ponies inside, as curious as they were of the state their Captain would be in. Inside the ship was dark and silent, only the dim emergency lights offering the faintest of glows, so Spanner gave out flashlights to continue the search. Starcall was the one to come across them, calling the others to the center of the downed section. There they looked in confusion on the scene, an unknown changeling in a tattered uniform and their Captain resting against each other, sweat on their unconscious forms and a smile on their faces. Everyone was able to make the guess that the changeling was Rapid except for Ink Well, who had never encountered one of the jet black species. He decided not to ask about it once Steelheart arrived and began his medical examinations, though, in case it would be rude. The Doctor could fill him in later. A few minutes later he was enlisted to help carry Nebula and Rapid outside, their condition being safe to move them in. Spanner, Starcall, and he brought out Nebula, while Steelheart alone carried Rapid out, her leg already bandaged and the bullet removed. When all were safely outside, Ink Well sidled over to The Doctor, asking what the 'changeling' was and where Rapid had gone off to. The Doctor returned his question with the strangest gaze. “What? You don't know what a changeling is? I thought for sure nopony could forget them after the whole incident at the Royal Wedding.” This just confused Ink Well more. “Royal Wedding? What Royal Wedding?” “Oh yeah, that hasn't happened for you yet... Well, won't you be in for a surprise!” Ink Well tried to question further, but The Doctor dismissed him, going inside to check on the TaRDiS with Ditzy. Not moments later the crew members perked up, grins on each of their faces as something happened Ink Well was not privy to. Spanner was the first to notice his confusion and took off his earpiece, giving it to Ink Well. As soon as he placed it in his ear he heard Fusebox's voice, sending a transmission from the ship. “...ll has landed and I managed to get the long range communications working. None of the ship's systems appear too damaged, and we are good to open the pods as soon as I get the go ahead from the Captain. She is alright, isn't she?” Steelheart's voice replied, echoing in his head as he heard it from the earpiece and his location near Nebula. “She's doing wonderfully, just some minor fatigue and strains. She'll be right as rain within the hour.” Fusebox's voice came back, sounding very relieved. “Good. Have her call me when she is up for it. Fusebox out.” --- An hour later all four of the unconscious ponies were on their hooves and everyone was in full swing. Starcall, Steelheart and Spanner had gone back to the ship to oversee the unloading and unfreezing process for all of the ponies, while off to the side Rapid Fire and Derpy were telling Chip and Edge everything that had happened. Edge wasn't looking too impressed, but Chip was enraptured by the tale, and the more she got involved, the more Rapid added to the story. No lies or embellishments, just her being more willing to talk to her audience. The Doctor and Ink Well were standing at the opening to the wing, The Doctor having come out once he'd finished repairs on the TaRDiS. “Well then, with everything solved here, I think it's time we headed off, isn't it? We've still got your mystery attacker to find, after all.” Ink Well hesitated a moment, sticking a hoof into his pocket. “Yeah, Doctor, about that... I-” “Doctor, a word with you, please?” Nebula interrupted, walking up to the broken opening, the raise from the ground putting her at eye level with The Doctor. “But of course.” Ink Well made a motion to continue speaking, but was cut off with a gesture from The Doctor. Ink Well snorted, a final straw breaking his patience. “Fine, I'll be in the TaRDiS if you need me.” With that he walked into the crashed wing, grumbling all the while. Both The Doctor and Nebula watched him leave, Nebula the one to continue the conversation. “I suppose you'll be off then? You wouldn't like to help with settling the colony in, would you? I'm sure a pony of your qualifications could do wonders for the place.” The Doctor just smiled, shaking his head. “No, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't do much of the cleanup. It's really best to interfere as least as possible with these sorts of things.” “Ah, so that's what what you're doing with Ink Well. Not interfering.” The Doctor's smile faded slightly, and before he could speak, Nebula continued with her point. “You do realize the importance of the pony you have with you, right? The danger in just having him on your ship? Were something to happen to him, be it a death, a physical injury, or even a changed view of the world that wasn't supposed to happen, the effects on Equestria's future would be unfathomable.” The Doctor looked taken aback that he would be challenged, a cocky smile hiding his annoyance. “Does this mean you don't trust me? Because I can assure you that I have had centuries of practice with this sort of thing and will do everything in my power to get him back home safely.” “Just as I did everything in my power to land my ship intact.” A breeze passed between them, a silent tension building. Eventually, Nebula went on, stepping onto The Doctor's level and towering over him. “I'm not saying I don't trust you, I merely had to make sure you realized the gravity of the situation. But since you don't seem to be taking this seriously, I'm just going to make one thing clear: If one hair on my grandfather's head get's put out of place thanks to you, I will personally come back from whatever paradox universe I reside in and make your life a living hell. You got that?” The Doctor's face hardened as he took a few steps away, all the bounce out of his demeanor. “Why must you military types always be so aggressive? What happened to that caring, loving, intelligent leader I saw on the ship? The one that almost threw her life away to make sure everyone reached the surface safely?” “Every rose has her thorns.” Nebula let her words and glare set her meaning perfectly clear before she turned away, tapping the earpiece she'd borrowed from Chip earlier. “Fi, begin the defrosting and get the drones to work on the housing. I want everyone up and sheltered before nightfall.” The response was immediate. “Yes ma'am!” The Captain nodded, glad to hear her crew still so loyal as she began her next order. “Starcall, send Princess Luna the letter. Notify her of what happened, and let her know that, while it'll never fly again, the N.L.R. Ink Well has landed safely.” Starcall's answer came as soon as the order was done. “Yes Captain.” And now it was time to drop the bomb shell. “To everyone listening, I'm not the Captain anymore. I refuse to be a higher rank than anyone else now that we aren't flying any longer, I'm just another pony in her new home.” Silence followed on the comms, holding steady for a long while. Nebula had feared this, and was about to ask for confirmation when a voice called out behind her. “If you say so, Nebula.” Rapid Fire gave her a wave from where she stood. Nebula waved back, going over to join the conversation. From the entrance to the ship, The Doctor called his companion. “Derpy, it's time to be off, let's go!” Derpy looked over at him, nodding before turning back to Chip and whispering something in her ear. After a confused look, a couple questions, and a gasp, she was still whispering. The Doctor just called again. “We don't want to leave Ink Well waiting, Derpy! Lot's of places to visit, only all of time to do it in!” “Coming!” Derpy tapped Chip on the shoulder, smiling at her before flying off, landing next to The Doctor and looking quite satisfied with herself. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at his walleyed companion. “What were you telling her, hmm?” Derpy rocked innocently on her hoof tips. “Oh, nothing. Come on, let's get going.” The Doctor turned inside, leaving Derpy for a moment as she glanced back at the ponies outside. Chip trotted over to Rapid and, without any warning, kissed her right on the tip of her chitinous nose. Derpy smiled at the look of surprise Rapid gained, and it was only reinforced further when Rapid kissed Chip back. With that, she left, cantering happily after The Doctor and leaving the new couple to sort things out from there. --- The Doctor entered the TaRDiS like a whirlwind, trotting around the central console flipping switches and spinning spinners as he spoke. “Right then! That's one lead down, but I think I can find the signal once more. Only a couple possible paths it could take, we'll find your attacker yet, Ink Well! Just say the word and we'll be off.” “No.” The Doctor stopped mid-press, a loud buzz hanging in the background as his hoof sat on the button. He turned to face Ink Well, a look of utmost confusion on his face. “No? What do you mean 'No'?” Ink Well looked at him, his demeanor as flat as the first answer had been. “No, we'll not be off after the brass pony. I want to go back to the theater.” The Doctor let off of the button, running to the railing and leaning on it. “But why? The search could send us to such wondrous places! It could be hiding anywhere in space and time! Doesn't the prospect thrill you?” “Not in the least.” This caused The Doctor's look of confusion to only deepen, a head tilt adding to the puzzlement. Ink Well looked around the ship, readying the words for what he had to say. The interior of the TaRDiS was spotless, or as close as he supposed it ever got. What evidence there had been of a battle had been removed, leaving only Ditzy's story to tell what had happened within the ship. But Ink Well could feel it in the air, like something had come and violated a sacred space. That feeling found the correct words for him. “If I go with you, those brass pony things are going to follow me, marring whatever place I land in with terror and trouble in their search for me. It already happened twice, once backstage at my opening, and again on that ship. They attacked me, or at least tried, and when they couldn't, the went for whoever got in the way. At the theater we were lucky enough to stop it with no casualties, but on that ship? I almost got two thousand ponies killed just by being there. If I hadn't been, the ship would have remained intact, landing without incident. Rapid wouldn't have been shot, Chip and Edge wouldn't have been knocked out, and Nebula could have stayed bored in her chair, reading her book all the way to the ground.” Ditzy walked up to him, concerned at what she was hearing. “You can't blame yourself for that, Ink Well. There was more to it than just going after you. There had to be.” Ink Well shook his head. “Even if there was, would it have changed anything? All I did was get you locked with it. It attacked you right here, where we are standing! Maybe you and Rapid were able to defeat it, but what if whoever it comes up against isn't? What would have happened if Chip and Edge had been left alone with it? I can't take that risk.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow at him, his signature smile still absent from his face. “So you want to lead it back to the theater full of ponies?” Ink Well nodded. “If I'm back in my own time I can at least find a safe place were nopony can find me and get hurt. I can make it so that the only pony in danger is myself.” He placed his hoof against the crystal flower in his pocket, a pain spiking through his heart as he realized what that really meant. I'd have to break my promise to Rose... But she'd understand this, wouldn't she? She understood before. He thought for a moment, gripping the flower even tighter. She didn't let me before... I'll have to leave without telling her. It's the only way to keep her safe. “Even if I don't like the math, losing one pony is much more desirable than putting a thousand in danger. Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?” The Doctor just stared at him, his eyes suddenly much older and deeper than they were usually. Eventually, however, he spoke, his voice dark and stern. “Yes... yes, that's preferable...” He turned back to the console, adjusting what he'd already input. “If this is what you really want to do...” “It is.” “Then that is what we will do.” The Doctor spun one more dial, readying his hoof against a knife switch. Ditzy took a step towards him, pleading. “But Doctor, we can't just-” The Doctor shook his head. “Derpy, Ink Well has chosen, and I think we should respect that. You and I will stop the attackers, and we'll get back to him as soon as we can.” He then threw the switch, immediately causing the room to shake as the otherworldly noise of its travel started at a discordant pitch. “Doctor, that doesn't sound quite right.” said Ditzy as she braced herself against the shaking. “No, no it doesn't.” The Doctor looked at the panel strangely, trying to see why his ship was acting so funny. “What is it girl? What's got you acting up again?” He moved a knob, causing the whole ship to bump heavily to the side, throwing everypony to the floor. An instant later he was back on his hooves, gripping the console and wrestling with the controls of the bucking ship. He tapped at buttons, pounded on the panels, and even tired to throw the switch again, but nothing would stop it. After a few more minutes of rocking it stopped on its own accord, one more almighty bump signaling the sudden end. In the silence Ink Well stood up, resolved in what he was about to do despite the bumpy arrival. He walked towards the door, ready to open it and begin his disappearing act. At the console Ditzy joined The Doctor, looking at the monitor in confusion. “Where were we trying to go, Doctor? Because that looks like Ponyville outside.” “Manehattan, but something drew the TaRDiS past it. We seem to have over shot, we're about a year early. There must still be something wrong from the laser. I'll just need to...” Ink Well stopped at the door, a chill running through his heart at what he'd overheard. A year ago? In Ponyville? But... no, we couldn't be... He pushed open the TaRDiS door to a bright and sunny afternoon, though far in the distance thunder could be heard, a storm brewing over the Everfree. The town seemed largely empty, odd for an average morning, and with the thunder came a tension in the air, a feeling something was about to snap. It was all so familiar to Ink Well that he stopped, heart speeding up as an unwelcome thought entered his head. It's not possible. Even if The Doctor messed up, there's no way we'd randomly end up there. It just wouldn't happen. The TaRDiS had landed in the back of an alleyway, hiding it well, but making seeing the rest of the town rather difficult. Ink Well decided he'd go to the end of the alley. If he just got a look around, maybe he could assuage his fears. It's all just a big coincidence. I'm just getting hyped up over nothing. He calmly walked to the end of the alley, peeking his head out to look around town. It was peaceful, nothing going wrong, the tension just a byproduct of the storm. Ink Well let himself sigh, feeling the adrenaline that had built up ebb as everything turned out alright. “See, nothing to worry about, just a weird little circumstance.” He stretched his wings for a moment, trying to work out some of the jitters that had built up as he walked back down the alley. “I mean, honestly, what was the likelihood that we'd come down at-” A scream echoed around the town, emanating from the center and voiced by dozens of ponies at once. Ink Well immediately shot to the end of the alley, looking towards the source of the sound. At the sight, his eyes widened, whole body locking up, just shaking as he relived what he saw. The Town Hall was in flames, ponies running every direction to escape them. One even bumped into him, bouncing off and continuing running without another look back. Behind him he could hear The Doctor calling out to him, though he couldn't have turned to acknowledge it if he tried. “Hey! Ink Well! Where'd we end up?” Ink Well let the words fall out of his mouth. They were only thought in his head, the one day he feared most. “The Battle of Ponyville.”