//------------------------------// // Smoke Signals // Story: Source Material // by _Medicshy //------------------------------// “The Battle of Ponyville?” said Ditzy, running next to Ink Well and looking out into the town. “What's that?” “Oh, come now Derpy,” said The Doctor, walking out of the alley and standing in the center of the road. “The Battle of Ponyville! You must remember it. It was the only large conflict to ever hit Ponyville during your time. Weren't you there?” Ditzy just shrugged, looking confused. “I don't think so. I might have already transferred. Was it a big thing?” “A big thing? The Enforcers, the army of a madmare named Viper, attacked the town in a revenge mission after her plot to overthrow Princess Celestia was discovered, sacking and burning a large portion of Ponyville. The townsfolk and the many visitors who were trying to get a glimpse of Twilight and her friends in the rush after the Gala rallied against the attacking force, defeating them so completely that the Enforcers surrendered to the Royal Guard upon their arrival.” He sniffed at the air for a moment, taking a deep breath before turning to face the burning town hall. “Ah! There it is; the start of something big. Come Derpy, Ink Well, The Doctor is on call!” The Doctor took off for the burning building, Ditzy on his heels, leaving Ink Well to stay locked in place, legs completely unwilling to move. His mind was working much faster than his body, however, and it was going to win out. Think about this. You have a chance to fix what happened back then. Even better, you don't have to do it with stitches and a broken leg. Fate brought you a second chance here, a greater one than any of your wildest dreams! Now shake your fear and take it! Bolstered by his own thoughts, he took to the sky, flying low and fast to catch up to The Doctor. As he did, he looked towards Sugarcube Corner, remembering where he'd been the original time. In fact, there he was again, flying behind Rainbow Dash and still unaware of the scope of the danger. Oh what today will do to you... Ink Well ignored himself, landing next to The Doctor in a gallop. Around them panicked ponies had appeared, flocking away from the fire to the best of their abilities. Yet the three didn't have any trouble pathing between them, the crowd parting ways for The Doctor almost subconsciously to let them through. They arrived within minutes at the stoop of the burning hall, the only ones keeping their ground as everypony fled in terror. Even the mayor was frantic, running back and forth and pleading for help, though she was unable to be heard over the stampede. Just as the The Doctor and his companions arrived, there was another commotion as a highly bandaged pegasus fell out of the sky, caught seconds from impact by a cream pony with beautiful butterfly wings. She grabbed him in her arms, carrying him a few meters to a safe place before putting him down. “Ink Well, are you okay? Snap out of it!” But Ink Well couldn't snap out of it. Tears began to well in his eyes as he beheld her, all the longing in his heart over the last what felt like an eternity threatening to escape at once. Even as she looked tired and worry worn, doting over the bandaged him's unconscious form, she was even more beautiful than he remembered her, especially with those shimmering wings. Unbidden came the memory of the storm over the Everfree, the moonbow, quite possibly the most amazing flight he'd ever been on. What I wouldn't give to let her have just one more flight with me... Unthinking, he moved to go to her, only to be pulled aside by The Doctor. “Where do you think you're going?” He turned to Ditzy, sighing heavily. “Now I remember why this was throwing up red flags, this is where Ink Well got his start.” He turned back, face the definition of serious. “I want you to go back to the TaRDiS and wait this one out.” Ink Well gave him a look one would give a mad pony. “What? Why would I do that? With my knowledge I could warn them. I could save somepony that got hurt!” “Yes, and every pony that you saved would cause a minor paradox, and who knows how many of those we could have before space-time begins to tear. And should you do something that directly affects you...” The Doctor blanched at the idea. “I will not deal with temporal phages again.” “So, what, you want me to just sit this out while my friends and town get attacked?” “Yes. That's exactly what I want.” Ink Well tried to push past him, only causing The Doctor to get angrier, pulling him aside and pushing him against a wall. “Ink Well, time is not linear, and it is not unchanging. Just my and Derpy's presence may be enough to change your past, and you would never be any the wiser. But if you were to do it, then we would have a paradox on our hooves, and nobody wants to suffer the wrath of paradox space. If that happens, every pony here could cease to be, this whole time period swallowed by the void.” He let Ink Well down, looking very seriously into his face. “I will do everything in my power to make sure as many of these ponies are safe at the end of the day, but I need you to sit this one out. Do you understand?” Ink Well raised an eyebrow at him, an anger boiling up inside him as thoughts collided in his mind. “If you can go back in time, if you can change all of these horrible things that have happened before, why do you still let bad happen? Where were you for Nightmare Moon? For Discord? And if you were there, the ponies affected didn't look too saved to me. Sorry if I'm not entirely convinced by your words.” The Doctor looked taken aback, almost stumbling over his next sentence. “Time is... Events are... Some events are fixed, they must happen the same way every time or there are terrible consequences. So long as those happen correctly, the rest of the mess of time will generally sort itself out. Both the return of Nightmare Moon and Discord are fixed, though the time around Discord's return is thrown into such a disarray that, were it not fixed, everything past it would be in such a constant flux the future wouldn't even exist in a similar form from one moment to the next.” The Doctor could see Ink Well's distrust and couldn't help it, putting the last efforts into his voice. “Please, Ink Well, just go.” Ink Well looked past The Doctor to where the past him stood, bandaged and motionless, before the burning building. The rest of the group had just arrived, and Twilight was talking to the mayor. Around all of them were the throng of ponies: members of the town, visitors, fillies and colts, all scared out of their minds and running every which way. He could save them. He knew what happened. He could stop it. He could save Rose and the others all the trouble they would go through. But he would put them all at risk. He didn't understand what The Doctor was talking about, but it sounded like everypony's lives would be destroyed. He couldn't do that to them. He'd already done enough of that the first time this day happened. “Alright. Fine. I'll go to the TaRDiS.” He started to walk off, then turned back to The Doctor, a hint of pleading on the edge of his voice. “Just try to help as many as you can, could you?” The Doctor gave him a nod, then returned his attention to the burning building, leaving Ink Well to walk away amongst the frightened crowd. Not ten seconds later, Ditzy landed in front of him, a look of concern on her face. Ink Well tilted his head, not entirely willing to be kind right now. “What is it Ditzy?” “I just wanted to try to explain The Doctor's actions a little more. He doesn't want to send you back, that I can promise. It's just that we... I have caused him a lot of problems with paradoxes. Sometimes they worked out, because that was how it was supposed to be all along, or sometimes they're so small that they don't matter after The Doctor nudges a few things, but... more than once I have almost broken reality because I wanted to fix something, and a lot of ponies were hurt in the process. The Doctor has been extremely understanding of everything, especially when I messed up, but there's only so much one pony can handle, even if he is a Time Lord. Because of this, it is something we now avoid at all costs. There's just no telling what could go wrong.” She kicked the dirt and looked at him with her crossed eyes, frowning slightly as her words seemed to have the opposite effect on Ink Well. “I know how hard it is to let this go past, and how much harder it is to wait it out. It's even worse not knowing what will happen to you when you are sure you can help, but a wise stallion once told me that, even when times are bleak, all it takes is one pony in the right place at the right time to change the world for the better.” Ink Well looked at her, her words easing his mind and bringing a smile to his face, but inwardly he was confused. Why does that phrase seem to follow me everywhere? Ditzy just saw the smile and continued, confident in her words. “I know today must be really bleak for you, but The Doctor and I won't let anything happen, alright? We'll do everything in our power to make it better for you.” Ink Well looked at her, his smile deepening slightly. “Thank you Ditzy. It means a lot.” Ditzy smiled back. “Good. I won't let you down, Ink Well, that I promise!” “I'll hold you to it.” Ditzy flew back to The Doctor's side once more, again leaving Ink Well to his own as he began the long trek back to the safety of the TaRDiS. Ink Well walked slowly down the Ponyville streets, torn in his decision. If what The Doctor said was true, then of course it was the best idea for him to sit out. Tearing the universe apart would be horrible, the exact opposite of anything he'd want to accomplish. But he couldn't just run away and leave his friends to the day he remembered. The state they were in the next morning, Rose with all those bandages, the bruises on all the others, the injuries on the nurses and the ponies in the crowd... They'd been missed in the excitement of the Princess's visit, but now, looking back, they were so very apparent. You could stop it all from happening, every bruise and cut and wound, if you'd just stay and fight. With the options before him, the danger he knew or the danger he didn't, he just couldn't make up his mind. As Ink Well was lost in thought, a tingling appeared in his ears, followed by Twilight Sparkle's voice magically transmitted directly to his ear. “Everypony listen up! It's not going to do you any good to run! We need to...” her voice continued, but Ink Well was already speaking his own thoughts. “'It's not going to do any good to run'...” He shook his head, continuing on the path. “No, The Doctor said to get to the TaRDiS, and he knows best.” Ink Well stopped, sitting down with a frown on his face as his thoughts flowed. “Just like he knew all about friendship when he was ranting against it, or how he knew all about today, forgetting my involvement entirely. Or how he knew so much about those plants that he just had to go tell Ditzy about, leaving me flapping in the breeze on a space ship. Or how he knew how to give me a back story and reason to be there for Nebula, not let me fend for myself...” Ink Well stomped a hoof down, talking to the street around him. “What does The Doctor know, exactly? All he does is solve problems that only appeared when he did! And the whole time he's abrupt and rude and cheeky and amazing-” Ink Well shook his head, not wanting to let his own argument derail. “-only one of which is an attribute a hero should have! If he thinks he knows about ponies and still thinks I'm just going to leave my friends to get hurt, well, he's got another think coming!” As if to affirm his resolve, Twilight's voice returned, sounding in his ear at full volume. “Let's move it ponies, time is of the essence!” Ink Well pivoted on the spot, ready to help out. Time was of the essence! And this time, he was going to use it right. Ink Well took to the sky, eyes sharp and ears open for any sign of Enforcer activity. Instead, he was amazed at the flurry of activity to go up after Twilight's speech. The air was abuzz with pegasi, all flying to collect every cloud they could find, while the streets beneath him were a hive of activity. They were no longer panicked ponies running every which way, but now ponies with a purpose, converging on the Town Hall as they returned from their collecting of buckets and hoses. It was in this flow that two ponies stuck out like an injured hoof: Rose and himself, her glorious wings arched over him protectively as they limped and struggled to a safe location. Ink Well's gaze lingered on her, the shimmering from her wings tantalizing to the eye. Oh look at you... Those were amazing! Twilight did a real wonder with them. To think you're going to lose them tonight. He frowned, stopping himself in the air. But that's why I'm here, isn't it? She's going to get to fly. Determined once more, he turned his gaze to move on, but as he did, he spotted them. Two suspicious pegasi trailing along the roof above Rose, one red with a brown mane and shades, the other yellow with a green mane and a matching bandana on his head. Both of them had a red kerchief covering their faces, the Enforcer's mark making them stand out further against the sea or ponies moving the other way. Ink Well dropped down onto another roof, watching them like a hawk. Neither of them seemed to see him, too focused on the labored movements of the target beneath them to expect any interference. They were the attacking force, not expected yet. Who would there be to stop them? Ink Well tailed the two for a couple buildings, watching them follow Rose's movements down the busy street before she cut into an alley, one of her favorite shortcuts on the way to Rosewater. He kept his distance, unsure what he was going to do to actually stop them when the time to act arrived. Rose stopped in the alley, the bandaged him below seizing up, refusing to move. He saw the two of them pull out blackjacks, readying themselves to pounce. Without thinking, he shot forward, fueled by both a protection and a self-preservation instinct. He collided with the chest of the pony with the shades, causing both of them to crash through the thatched roof of the building the Enforcers were perched on, slamming into a supporting beam inside before falling to the floorboards. Ink Well landed safely while his target flopped limply, having lost consciousness in the impact. Ink Well looked up through the hole he'd left, just in time to see the pony with the bandana peeking into it, shock in his bright blue eyes. Ink Well moved quickly, leaping up and wrapping his arms around the pony's neck. When gravity took hold once more, the Enforcer was pulled with him into the building, flipping over and landing hard on his back, knocking the air out of the invader. Ink Well then brought his hoof into red kerchief in a sharp jab, knocking out the winded pony immediately. The fight finished, Ink Well popped his head out of the hole in the roof, looking down to see Rose still standing next to the him below, a worried look on her face. “Hey, once this is all over, we're going to go for a nice flight, alright? That storm is still swirling over the Everfree and last night was just so magical, I would love to see if we could top it tonight. But you have to snap out of it, okay?” He could hear her pleading, speaking with the voice he remembered pulling him through that horrible nightmare that trapped him below. Every word coming from her mouth was so familiar, the words he had drawn strength from when he needed them most. That voice had been nothing but supportive the past year, helping him so much, belonging to simply the best mare a guy could ask for, especially some two-bit writer like him. Suddenly he felt a pang in his heart. No matter how much he cared for the Rose beneath him, she wasn't his. At least, not yet. His was so very far away, waiting for him to return by her side and finish watching the show. But... would she even be there? Worry wormed its way into his mind, a nagging fear taking over. What if you just messed with time? What if she was supposed to get attacked there? He shook his head, frowning. No, she was on the bucket chain, nopony attacked her until Viper... right? He couldn't be sure. Between when he had his breakdown and when he met her again, Rose refused to talk about what happened. Was it because she didn't want him to feel bad? She hadn't looked bruised when he'd met with her later, but that didn't mean anything, did it? For all he knew, the Rose he wanted to return to was forever changed because of this little fight... No, that's impossible. And even if it's true, it will only be for the better. Yeah, you could fly all around town trying to stop the attacks, but how many were there? Fifty, sixty separate incidents? How many could you stop, even with The Doctor and Ditzy's help? He ran the numbers for a second and sighed. It didn't look good. They promised they'd do their best, and so will I. I will make up everything I owe Rose now, before she has a chance to be worried about them. He looked down on her from his post on the roof, smiling as his plan fell into place. You'll just make one pony's day better, the most important pony in this town right now. Really, isn't that all you wanted? Ink Well hopped back down into the building, looking at the two unconscious Enforcers before a smile crept on his face. And she won't even know. A short time later Rose finished talking to the unconscious Ink Well below, taking to the air and heading towards Town Hall. As soon as she was gone, the returning Ink Well popped his head once more from the hole in the roof, his eyes blocked by the shades and his mane hidden under a green bandana which, luckily enough, matched the green of his tie and the trimmings on his torn jacket. Seeing her on her way, he took off, cutting straight to the lake bucket chain. There was one section on the chain that was a steep, rocky hill, and while going around it was an option, lengthening the chain was wasting valuable time. Since all of the pegasi in Ponyville had been sent to deal with clouds, the task of surmounting the hill had fallen on some unicorns at the bottom, who were using their magic to move the buckets up and down. It was working, but the strain on their face was obvious and buckets full of the much needed liquid were piling up around them. Ink Well touched down next to them, grabbing three buckets without a word and taking off. The unicorns around him were confused but pleased to have the help. Even laden as he was, he was moving as fast as their buckets, meaning three came up and down for every one of theirs. He kept his eyes open for anypony who may have been skulking about, but, seeing none, focused on the task at hoof. As he landed at the top for the third time to swap full pails for empty ones, Rose flew overhead, spiraling down to the bottom of the hill. Ink Well dived after her, passing her on the way up, a bucket in each of her hooves. He grabbed another three, taking off once again in pursuit of the pony he would guard. At the top of the hill she was taking off right as he arrived, the worry on her face apparent, differing from the determination the other ponies held. He quickly swapped his buckets for empties again, sure he'd catch up to her on the way down. The two landed simultaneously, and Rose gave him a curious look as she grabbed a new pair of buckets. “I thought all of the pegasi were helping the weather team?” Ink Well gave her a friendly smile, only grabbing two buckets so that he could converse. At the last second he caught himself, covering his voice with a bad, stereotypical Manehattan accent. “I, uh, I'm not all too useful with those clouds, so they sent me to help out with the buckets. They figured I'd be more helpful here.” Rose smiled back, a bit of relief edging her words. “Well, I'm glad to see another flier here. I don't think I'd have been much help on my own.” Ink Well shook his head. “I'm sure you'd've done fine on your own, but glad I can give ya some peace of mind.” In unison they took off, flapping their way to the top of the hill to set their cargo down, then zipping back to the bottom with the empties to start the process over again. After the cycle had been repeated a few times, Ink Well turned to Rose, seeing her begin to calm as the routine kicked in, though the worry on her face never left. Leaving his body on autopilot, he tried to lighten the mood. “I'm surprised those pretty little wings have so much strength in them. You're really moving fast.” Rose raised an eyebrow at him as she picked up the next two buckets. “Do you really think this is the time to be complementing me? I think we have more important things to worry about, don't you?” Ink Well flapped his wings, taking off in sync with her. “Whoa, whoa, didn't mean anything like that, ma'am, just never seen a pegasus like you before.” Rose passed the halfway point of the hill, distrust still on her face as her wings fluttered away. “That's because I'm not one, scruffy. These wings are magic, a gift to me from a dear friend.” Ink Well thought for a moment about the proper course of action to go from there. He could leave it be, but just being this close he could feel the tension in her. She had something heavy weighing on her mind, and he had a hunch he knew what. All he needed was to get her to talk about it. “Wow, he must be some unicorn to cast a spell like that. I couldn't do anything that special for my girl no matter how hard I tried.” Rose set down her buckets, grabbing the two waiting empties and turning to head back down. “Even more surprising, considering he's a pegasus, not a unicorn. Still, even if it was just a favor, it was something special...” She flew for a couple seconds in silence, talking only when they landed and were back at work once more. “But I don't think he's actually... no, never mind, it's stupid to worry about right now.” Ink Well's smile slipped a little as he looked at her dejected face. Seeing her sad, he couldn't even hardly keep up the happy act. “What's wrong? Troubles with the guy?” Her eyes screamed that she wanted to say more, but didn't think it was right. He'd have to be the one to get her talking. “Need somepony to talk to?” Rose sighed. “No, I don't want to bother you with it... It would just weigh you down too.” Ink Well smirked at her. “The only things weighing me down right now are these buckets and my need for a tailor.” He looked into her eyes, smirk softening into a comforting smile. “Words are just thoughts and air, but if they could take some of the weight off your chest, I'd be more than happy to listen to them.” Rose gave him a slightly inquisitive look. “You're not going to go blabbing about it to anypony, are you?” Ink Well shook his head, his smirk returning. “Look, I'm not even from this town. Horrible time to pick for a vacation, but what can ya do? Even if I wanted to tell somepony, who would I tell?” Rose seemed to consider it, thinking the entire way up the hill. At the top, she conceded. “Alright, I guess it won't hurt... But I hope you're in for a story.” They swapped buckets once more, then she began. “I met him just a month ago. He was a reporter, in town on assignment, and I was the first pony he ran into when he was asking around. I tried to make it seem nice. You know, show him around, be friendly. I even got him a special at the spa, and in return he was great for conversation the few times we talked, always having something witty or interesting to say. Apart from his weird self-esteem issues he's a great guy, just enough faith and fantasy while still keeping his hooves on the ground. And he was famous for a while, but he didn't get snooty or anything, like so many other ponies do.” Ink Well nodded politely, slightly uncomfortable hearing himself described in such a positive light. “Yeah, I know the type. But I've met enough of the normal type of celebrity. Not worth being friends with, in my opinion.” “Yeah, well... Something went wrong with the story he was working on, and he kind of yelled at me, which was for the best, because it made me see the light about what I'd been doing... But he did something bad, and it got the attention of some very bad ponies. He lost his house in a fire and got badly hurt, flying all the way out to me for help. Of course, I was worried about him and did everything I could, but after that fiasco, something else went wrong, and all I seemed to be doing since then was run around for him. I hardly knew the guy, but I was his errand girl. Honestly, it was a little annoying.” Ink Well didn't really know what to say to that. It was the confirmation of all of his worst fears. I've always just been some burden on her. From the very start... He tried to keep himself indifferent as they worked, but he could feel the sadness breaking the mask on his face. Luckily, she didn't seem to notice as she continued. “But then, when I came back, he was just so worked up trying to help the others, trying his very hardest even though he was injured and just making it worse. And he was beating himself up, acting like he was alone and the world was on his shoulders... I didn't want to feel that way. He was sad and lonely and hating himself for every action and...” She teared up a little, having to wipe off her eyes before picking up the empty buckets beneath her. “He gave up, and it was possibly the most heartbreaking thing I ever saw. And I know he feels like he's been pulling everypony down and saying the wrong thing, and I lost my temper with him when he got his flight back, with everything going on. And in return, to make up for a little temper snap and the things I was doing out of my worry for him, he got another friend to give me these wings, promising something he really didn't want to do. He then went a step further, showing me the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced, and he was still so sad through it all. So when all of this was happening today, I just... I couldn't just...” She stopped at the bottom of the hill, tears flowing freely. Even so, she tried to work through them. Ink Well put his buckets down, walking over to her and hesitating. He wanted to throw his arms around her and comfort her, but, in his disguise, that would be horribly inappropriate. Instead he just patted her on the shoulder, trying to do the best he could with the gesture. The unicorns working looked at him, but seeing the moment, decided it better not to intrude. Rose kept talking through the tears, her words edging a full breakdown as all the fatigue of the last few days caught up to her. “I left him out there! Alone, hurt, scared, not even acting like himself, and I just left him to help with the bucket chain!” She was beating herself up over it, so much hatred for her actions coming through her words... Ink Well had never seen her do that to herself. It broke his heart. He hugged her, fully expecting it to cause her to freak out, but instead it calmed her, letting her keep talking it out. “I tried everything to cheer him up and even more to keep him going, and nothing I did seemed to work. I'm certain he thinks this is all his fault. He might even be partially to blame, but he's killing himself, and I don't want to see that happening! I want him to just be happy for once, but I'm here instead, making you miserable. What kind of horrible pony am I?” Ink Well shushed her gently, pulling her slightly closer to comfort her while fighting back tears of his own. All this pain she was already holding onto, and I was the cause of it all. Ink Well, you truly are the worst. “There, there. It's alright. You have been put through a lot, and you have been strong through it all. I don't know how much you'll believe me in all of this, but I think it was just what your friend needed. I'm sure he knows you're doing your best, going far beyond the call of friendship. I'm positive that, right now, he would just feel worse if you were worried about him and fussing over him instead of helping. He probably thinks he's not even worth the effort.” Rose tried to hold back the tears to little avail, looking at Ink Well with an almost broken look to her face. “But I just left him in an alley! I couldn't get him to move any further, and he's all alone and exposed and... and...” “Now I'm sure it's not as bad as that. You did everything you could to keep him safe, probably even explaining the situation to him even though he wouldn't understand. You cannot blame yourself for whatever happens to him.” Ink Well stepped in front of her, looking her in the eyes through his stolen shades, the only thing really masking his identity anymore as his accent dropped away long ago. “You have been the most amazing friend anypony could ask for, going through so much and being strong through it all, and he knows it. Right now, I am sure that he is fighting back at whatever is ailing him thanks to your help, just to get back to you. I may not know the guy, but I think he cares for you just as much as you care for him, that he would do anything to be by your side. I think he's just afraid to show it.” Rose looked at him, the tear tracks down her tired face shining in the afternoon light. “You really think so?” Ink Well smiled at her, putting every bit of reassurance into it as he could. “I'm positive. In fact, he's probably going to be waiting for you when this whole fire mess is dealt with, just you watch.” Rose wiped the last of her tears away, smiling back at him and nodding resolutely. Calmed down, she began to return to work when a voice came rolling down the hill. “The fire is put out! We did it! Everypony to the Town Hall!” A cheer went up throughout the chain, and immediately everypony ran around or up the hill to get back. Rose stayed behind for a second, however, just beaming and looking at Ink Well next to her. “Thank you for letting me talk it out, Mr... I never even got your name.” Ink Well smiled back at her, holding out a hoof to shake. “Call me Pen Stroke, Ms...?” “Rose,” she said, shaking his hoof. They both took to the air, heading towards Town Hall when Rose looked at him curiously. “You know, it's the funniest thing, but I swear you and him have the same smile. Do you have any brothers or anything?” Ink Well faltered for a moment in the skies, nerves jittering as he feared recognition was imminent. “Nope, just a coincidence, I guess. You have a good day, Ms. Rose, I have something to take care of.” He dove into an alley after that, leaving Rose to shrug and continue to the Town Hall. From his position on the ground he watched Rose leave, a warmth in his heart to know he'd helped her out. But there's one more thing you could do, isn't there? With one simple action. One that would improve both this day and so many ones to follow. Smiling to himself, he removed his shades and bandanna, walking out of the alley- -and straight into the frizzy pink mane of Pinkie Pie. “Hi there Ink Well! How are you? You look a lot better than you did when I last saw you.” Ink Well jumped back, mouth flapping as he tried to figure out a way out of this one. “Or, wait, you're not normal Ink Well, are you? Hmm... Nice clothes, scarred hooves, startled expression. *Gasp* Are you from the future? Did you come here with The Doctor?” If anything, this left Ink Well more stunned, the leap in her logic landing so flawlessly sending his mind reeling, utterly failing to put together a coherent sentence. “I was wondering if The Doctor would show up! He always is here for the really important stuff. Like when Nightmare Moon showed up, or the night of star bear attack! Do you know where he is? Can I see him?” Ink Well ran over to her, covering her mouth with a hoof so he could get a thought in edgewise. “Pinkie, could you calm down? I don't think you should be saying my name so loud. I might hear you!” His brow furrowed as he looked at her, hoof coming free of her face. “Wait, aren't you supposed to be at the Town Hall? I thought you were there.” Pinkie nodded, a huge grin on her face despite how serious she sounded. “I was! But after I told Twilight about the disappearances and filled in the chain, I thought I'd hop in the hot air balloon and see what I could see!” “You have a hot air balloon?” Ink Well shook his head, going for the more important information. “Don't do that, I'm about to suggest a storm, and that isn't safe weather for ballooning. Just keep yourself with the others and safe tonight, alright?” Pinkie saluted him. “You got it Mr. Future Writer Pants!” Ink Well's face turned grim. “Good. I've got a score to settle.” “Oh! Is it in connect four? Because I love that game! Though you don't take score in that... Pin the tail on the donkey? Or mahjong?” The flat stare Pinkie received caused her to calm down, ears drooping a bit. “Okay, I'll just go back with the others. But you need to cheer up! In fact, the next time I see you, I am going to give you a cupcake to do just that!” She galloped back towards Town Hall, waving after him. “Have fun storming the castle!” Ink Well waved back, regaining his composure as he turned to his destination and flew down the street. There was just one thing he had to change to make everything better, one pony standing in his way. And he knew just where to find her. Minutes later he landed outside of Rosewater, the perfumery a bastion of calm considering the troubles the town was about to face. He could already see the smoke rising from the second fire, and faintly, just on the edge of his hearing, he swore he could hear the sound of his cast striking metal ringing out from town hall. He didn't have much time... Flying up to the second story, he pulled open a window and slipped inside. The interior of the house was empty, a heavy silence weighing it down. There were the two beds, Rose's cushioned one stained from his staying in it, while beside it was the cloud the earth pony had slept on the night before. From all around him came the smell of lilacs, soothing, completely wrong for the fight that would be occurring there so soon. It was... odd, really. The only difference between the day of the battle and the house he left this morning, what seemed like forever ago to his tired limbs, was the scent of the room: lilac for his burns instead of the floral ones Rose usually kept around. That and the little divot in the floor where Viper's blade had fallen. A difference I aim to remove. Viper was in the house already. He could feel her, likely downstairs, readying for his entrance through the front door. Won't she be surprised to see me? He made his way to the stairs, careful to tread lightly, when he felt a presence behind him. He whirled and ducked, expecting a blade, but instead was greeted by a gleam of brass. He stood straight up again, face falling into annoyance. “Oh, it's you. Are you still chasing me?” This brass pony was bulkier than the previous two, extra battle plating covering its body and a horn protruding from its forehead. It's soulless black eyes fell on him, piercing him through as they seemed to scan his very being, a feeling he was growing annoyingly used to. This was followed by a whir and a loud click, the brass unicorn's booming metallic voice shaking the silence of the still room. “Scan complete. Source confirmed. Remain still and prepare for collection.” Ink Well felt his blood boiling. Across space and time, and even into his past they just wouldn't let him be! They were messing with everything, even this of all days. He was in no mood to deal with this right now. “I am about to go down there and preempt the fight of my life, and you think I'm going to stop for some fake like you? Quit following me! Get back to your master and tell him to stop messing with my life!” He turned back around, ignoring the brass beast to look down the stairs, making sure nopony was directly below. He was sure Viper would hear something, and if he weren't prepared... he wasn't dying now. The brass unicorn cocked its head, the whirring sounding confused as it took a few heavy steps towards him. Click. “You will be collected. Do not resist.” Its hoof swung around, landing upon Ink Well's shoulder solidly. Ink Well stared at the offending hoof, eyes narrowing. “You know, normally I would run from you, but right now,” he said as he whipped around, striking the brass unicorn across the muzzle with a back-hoof. “I don't have time.” The machine's head stayed off kilter for a moment before realigning, turning to him once more. Whir. Click. “Source resisting. Assistance required.” Sparks then danced across its hoof, reaching the end only to find Ink Well no longer under it. “Really, I am sick and tired of you guys and your little lightning show.” He flew back, pressing up against the wall with his hooves before springing off at full wing speed, forehoof ready to strike. “Back off!” The electricity visibly moved across the brass unicorn's body, centering itself on its chest just as Ink Well's hoof connected. He felt the electricity course through him, stiffening his muscles and shocking his heart, but he pushed through, completing the strike and sending the unicorn staggering back a full meter. He landed afterward, letting the electricity pass through him into the floorboards with an angry sigh. Even though he'd never been a weather pony, all pegasi were used to a shock from time to time. That didn't mean it didn't hurt, though. Ink Well looked at the staggered brass unicorn, it seeming so smug at that moment, so sure of itself, and glared. “You know, you bear quite the resemblance to Viper. One might almost call the similarity 'shocking.'” Before he could even chuckle at his own pun, Ink Well felt cold metal touching both of his flanks. He couldn't even think about escape before electricity coursed through both contacts at once, causing all his muscles to lock up and spasm where he stood. He held up under the combined jolts for what seemed like forever, his organs heating and straining within as they were forced into overdrive by the charge. Eventually the shock stopped and Ink Well still stood, stumbling forward with fur smoking on his body. He turned around woozily, seeing for the first time the two brass ponies behind him. One was strikingly similar to the first he encountered, while the other had magnificent brass wings sprouting from its back. Seeing the two interlopers, Ink Well moved his hooves beneath him, slowly turning to face them. He looked each of them in the eye before slowly, resolutely, raising a hoof and opening his mouth to speak. All that came out was a weak cough, a puff of black smoke filtering from his body. As soon as it left, Ink Well toppled over, crashing into the wood floor limply. The last sound he heard was the tinkling of broken glass, like a tiny bauble shattering. Then there was only darkness.