//------------------------------//
// The Battle of Ponyville 
// Story: Doctor Whooves Episode 23: Hour of the Doctor 
// by Doctor Perseus 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 4: The Battle of Ponyville


Town Square, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Snow flew everywhere as Firefly landed. Donna listened carefully as Firefly stood still in the center of Ponyville. There were no terrified screams. No horrified gasps. No shouts. No hooves pushing against the snow. Everything was abandoned.
“It looks like everyone’s evacuated,” Donna observed as she stared into the white oblivion. The sound of wind slightly began to pick up. No doubt a blizzard was on its way.
We won’t be alone for long.
Donna felt a hard shiver course through her bones. A bitter taste appeared in the back of her mouth. The air around her felt thick and overbearing.
She looked up. The sky was filled with large, snow-drenched clouds for as far as the eye could see. Donna couldn’t help but feel like she was in the middle of a gargantuan ice tomb.
 Pat. Pat. Pat.
The sound of slow hoofsteps in snow reached her ears. Firefly looked forward. The robot dragon’s eyes glowed brightly with rage. Donna could feel her stomach twisting like a knot. Sweat rolled down her face and promptly turned into tiny patches of ice against her cheeks. She tried to keep her composure in spite of her teeth desperately wanting to chatter.
The outline of a lone stallion appeared on the edge of the town square. It didn’t take much imagination for Donna to guess who said stallion was. The familiar, arrogant laugh that suddenly broke through the silence like a knife was the last clue that Donna required.
“This is certainly…unexpected,” Discord Whooves commented with a smile. He strolled a few more feet forward before coming to a halt a couple yards away from the town square statue. His cold, detached eyes examined Donna and Firefly like robotic scanners. “I believe you have something that I want, Donna.”
Donna tightened her grip on the box in her lap. “Sorry but you’re not getting this box,” Donna snapped back.
“Let me make this simple for you.” Discord Whooves continued to slowly make his way in Donna’s direction. “I’m going to get those Elements one way or another. You can either give them to me now, or I can rip them from your bloody fingers after I’ve killed you and all of your friends.”
At the far end of the town square, the meeting was being carefully observed by Trixie, Oswin, Monty, and the others. “This doesn’t look good,” Trixie whispered.
Oswin pulled out a scanner of sorts from her bag and looked at the screen. “Shit!” she gasped. She looked towards Monty, Francis, and Julianna and blushed. “Sorry.”
“What’s wrong?” Trixie asked.
“According to my readings, the whole town is surrounded,” Oswin replied.
Monty gulped. “By what?” he asked.
“Cybermen. Mutant monsters. Whatever else Discord Whooves has under his control.” Oswin stashed the scanner back into her bag and focused on the town square once again.
“Do you understand me, Donna?” Discord Whooves continued as she came to a stop at a point between Firefly and the statue.
“Loud and clear,” Donna replied. “But I’m willing to bet that you’ll try to kill me and my friends regardless of whether you have the Elements of Harmony or not.” Donna glared down at Discord Whooves from her seat on Firefly’s back. “If you want this box, you’re going to have to get past my robot dragon first!”
Firefly looked at Discord Whooves and roared. A plume of gold and red fire shot forth from its open mouth and flew towards Discord Whooves. There was a bright flash as something flew down into the town square and landed in front of Discord Whooves. The fire plume split apart into various trails of fire and smoke as it collided with the new target. The fire plume disappeared to reveal none other than Black Sun standing before Discord Whooves, a shield of black magic emanating from her horn.
Discord Whooves snickered from behind Black Sun. “You’re right, Donna,” he said. “You’re all going to die today no matter what you do.” He waved one of his hooves at Black Sun. “Rip her head off.”
Donna had no time to react. Time seemed to slow down as Black Sun, moving faster than the speed of sound, flew straight at Donna. The bloodthirsty and sharp claws of the robot-human hybrid reached for her neck. But before Donna could begin seeing her life flashing before her eyes, a shield of blue appeared between her and Black Sun. Some of Black Sun’s fingers made it through the barrier but she was ultimately stopped in her place. The sound of cracking bones rang out as Black Sun fully collided with the barrier. Her fingers bent at sickening angles. The barrier shattered into dust as Black Sun fell back. In the time it took for her to fall away from Donna and hit the snowy earth, a few small clouds of black magic had already successfully healed Black Sun’s broken fingers.
Trixie ran out into the town square like a maniac. She had no plan. She didn’t know what she was doing. All she knew was that she had to help the mysterious human and her robot dragon. She flinched slightly as her magical barrier was broken. Remnants of her last great magical feat were still wearing on her mind.
Oswin took off after Trixie, a blaster at the ready. Discord Whooves looked at the whole situation and raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Didn’t see that coming,” he admitted with a grin. Oswin shot at the stallion but her attacks were quickly deflected by Black Sun.
Firefly suddenly let out a roar and stomped two of its metallic claws into the earth. A powerful shockwave spread out, knocking everyone and everypony in the vicinity backwards. Another roar pierced the disturbed silence as Firefly aimed upwards and shot towards the ominous, white sky. “WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!” Donna shrieked as she was once again forced into flight against her will.
Discord Whooves pointed after the dragon whilst glaring at Black Sun. “After them! Get the Elements!” he barked. Black Sun nodded before rocketing after Donna and Firefly.
The once-still air suddenly began to swirl and reek of metal and ash. Trixie coughed at the sudden aroma as she slowly picked herself up. “What’s that smell?!” she gasped while clutching a hoof against her muzzle.
“His army’s closing in,” Oswin coughed as she approached Trixie. A loud beep began emanating from the scanner on Oswin’s bag. She pulled the scanner out, looked at the readings on the screen, and gave a sigh of relief. “But so is the other.”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Other?”
Just then, a pulse of magical energy shot through the air and missed Oswin and Trixie by mere inches. Monty and the others ducked into the snow as the projectile shot over their heads and smashed into the side of a nearby house. Trixie and Oswin looked up, their hearts once again beating wildly, to see Discord Whooves aiming his own blaster of sorts at them.
“Darn. I missed,” Discord Whooves said with a roll of his eyes as he reloaded the weapon.
“RUN!” Oswin ordered as she grabbed the back of Trixie’s mane and made a mad dash towards the others.
Discord Whooves chuckled as he aimed the blaster, only to curse with pain as an unexpected magical blast soared past him and collided with his weapon. The blaster crumpled the dust while a loud crack emanated from his hoof. Discord Whooves turned to see Princess Luna the human rushing towards him. “I thought Black Sun killed you,” he said with a deadpan glare.
“You thought wrong, Whooves!” Luna announced as, with a wave of her wand, she sent another attack his way. As the magical orb raced towards Discord Whooves, a flash of purple appeared next to him. Thalia jumped in front of Discord Whooves and quickly conjured a magical shield. Luna’s attack bounced off and soared into the sky. A loud clank ran out and a burnt Cybermen fell to the ground from above the clouds.
“Nice timing, Thalia,” Discord Whooves stated with a smirk. Alberta, Renet, Pansy, Flora, and Regina appeared by his side as well. “Keeping together as planned. Good job, everypony.” He slowly stepped forward. Thalia increased the size of her shield as he moved. He flexed his injured hoof forward. A spark of golden dust emanated from the tip. After a few seconds, the dust disappeared and Discord Whooves gave a satisfying roll of his head. He flexed his now healed hoof and stomped it into the snow. He then smirked at Luna and tilted his head ever so slightly. For a split second, his pupils grew wide and glowed a slight tinge of red. “Everyone, move in.”

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

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her intact home through the open TARDIS doors. “Now be careful out there,” the Doctor said to Opal as she made her way towards the door. “The armies are closing in so all hell’s going to break loose.”
“I’ve seen wars before, Doctor. I’m no rookie,” Opal said with a smile.
“Besides, she won’t be alone,” Clockwork chimed in. Bright Eyes and Colgate nodded.
“I might as well come along with you lot as well,” Matilda said with a wink. She turned back to the Doctor. “Sorry, sweetie. They’re my teammates after all.”
“I don’t think I need to tell you to be careful,” the Doctor said as he chuckled.
Matilda laughed and nodded. “You’re right. You don’t.”
Jenny stepped forward, one of her various weapons at the ready. “I suppose you all could use some of my firepower,” she said before looking at the Doctor. “Or maybe I should stay with you.”
“They could use your protection, Jenny,” the Doctor said. His eyes grew wide and warm as he approached his daughter. He took one of her hands in his hooves and smiled. “I’m not losing you again. So if anything takes a wrong turn, you can bet that I’ll be there to help you.”
Jenny smiled back. “Same for you. If you’re in over your head again, I’ll come running.”
The Doctor raised an eyebrow and scoffed. “What’s this again business?” The father and daughter simply laughed and gave each other a quick hug.
“Don’t worry about the Doctor,” said Derpy. She looked back at Twilight, Spike, and the rest of her friends. “I think he’s got more than enough protection.”
“He sure does,” Jenny agreed.
The Doctor turned back to Opal. “Good luck. I can assure you that this ends today, Opal. You and your family will be happy and safe again,” he said. Opal walked over to the Doctor and suddenly wrapped him up in her forelegs. “Whoa! What’s this for?”
“We didn’t really hug much, Doctor. Usually when we did, there was some horrible war or catastrophe going on,” Opal explained as she slowly stepped back. “You were always willing to comfort me during my earlier days of traveling. I’m just returning the favor.”
“After all this is over, maybe I’ll take you and your family somewhere nice for a vacation. You look like somepony who could use one.”
“I think we all could use a vacation after this,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Can’t argue with that,” Applejack agreed.
“See you soon, Doctor,” said Opal. The Doctor smiled at her and nodded. Opal then nodded at her small group before exiting through the TARDIS doors.
“Game on then,” Colgate sighed as she marched out alongside Matilda, Bright Eyes, Clockwork, and Jenny.
Twilight turned to Twi and her group. “What are you all going to do?” she asked.
Twi stepped forward. “I need to find Flash. I need to learn the truth behind what’s happened to him,” she answered.
“What makes you so sure that he’s here, darling?” Rarity the human asked.
Twi looked back. “He’s here. I can feel it.”
“Well, we’re with you every step of the way,” said Shining Armor as he placed a robotic hand on Twi’s shoulder.
“Yeah!” proclaimed Spike the human as he took hold of one of Twi’s hands.
A few tears rolled down Twi’s cheeks. “Thank you, everyone,” she said.
“Just be careful out there,” Twilight said as she took a step towards her dimensional double.
“Don’t worry yourself about her or us,” said Applejack the Cyberman.
“Yeah! She’s with us and is a total badass!” said Rainbow Dash the Cyberman. “What could possibly go wrong?”
Everyone and everypony instantly flinched. “Did you really just ask that?” asked Spike the human.
“That’s among the top five things you shouldn’t say during a war,” Spike the dragon added.
Rainbow Dash the Cyberman sighed. “Point is we’ll keep Twilight here safe.”
The sound of explosions and gunfire began to echo from the distance. “We better hurry then,” said Shining Armor.
“Right,” said Twi with a nod. She turned to the Doctor, Twilight, and everypony else one last time. “Thank you. For everything.”
“Don’t mention it,” the Doctor replied.
Twi nodded and then dashed out of the TARDIS with Shining Armor, Spike the human, Rarity the human, Fluttershy the human, Applejack the Cyberman, and Rainbow Dash the Cyberman by her side. The Doctor flipped a switch and the TARDIS doors swung close.
“We better hurry and find Donna,” said Twilight.
“Shouldn’t be too hard to find a human flying through the sky on a robot dragon,” Spike stated.
“Twilight?” the Doctor asked.
“Yes, Doctor?” Twilight asked back.
The Doctor presented a bag to Twilight and flung it over her shoulder. “Can you keep this safe for me, for the moment?”
“Sure. What is it, if I may ask?” Twilight glanced inside to see a video camera sitting within its depths.
“It’s one of Discord Whooves’s Paramae.”
Twilight gasped. “Paramae?! You mean-”
“Yes. I hope you remember the briefing I gave you about the subject earlier. I found it in Manehattan. We’ll have to keep it with us until we’re able to destroy it.”
Derpy suddenly glanced into her own bag to see the mysterious silver box from Jenny shining back at her.
“I’ll look after it as long as you need me to, Doctor,” Twilight said with a nod.
The Doctor smiled at Twilight. “But first we need to get Donna and the Elements to safety.” The Doctor began working the controls. “Hold on, everypony. This is going to be a very bumpy ride.” The Doctor pulled a final lever and everypony held on as the TARDIS became airborne.

Outside Café Hay, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The scent of burning plastic and hay attacked Discord Whooves’s nostrils as he raced down the street. Renet was running right alongside him. The outside eating area of the nearby café was coated with random patches of fire and smoke. A few Cybermen flew overhead. Discord Whooves was a little caught off guard when he realized that the others had vanished. “What happened to everypony else?” he asked as he looked back.
“I don’t know!” Renet replied as she shook her rainbow mane. “We must have gotten separated when the princesses showed up!”
“No matter. We don’t have to be together to get the Elements.” Discord Whooves looked towards the sky just in time to see the familiar blue police box rise towards the clouds. His eyes glowed green with envy as he stared at the rising TARDIS. “Tell me, Renet, do you think you could catch up to that?”
Renet glanced up at the TARDIS and snickered. “No problem.”
Discord Whooves took one of Renet’s forelegs and flapped wings. “Good to know.”
Renet nodded and looked upwards. With forelegs locked together, they took to the sky.

The TARDIS, Above Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

“Looks like the action’s already begun,” said Rainbow Dash as she, Applejack, and Fluttershy looked at one of the console’s scanners. The scanner depicted a map of Ponyville with seemingly thousands of dots scattered about.
“I’m fine being in here,” said Fluttershy with a shiver.
“You’d think we would have found her by now,” said Twilight as she glimpsed at the screen.
“I’m working as fast as I can,” said the Doctor as he worked the controls. 
Suddenly, the entire TARDIS shook. Fluttershy shrieked. Rarity gasped. Pinkie Pie jumped high into the air and slowly drifted back down to the ground like a piece of paper.
“What was that?” Spike asked with a gulp.
“Cyberman?” Derpy guessed.
“No. That didn’t pack the punch of a Cyberman,” the Doctor said as his eyes fixed on the doors. A loud groaning began to emanate from outside the threshold. A soft siren started to whale off in the distance from deep within the TARDIS.
“That definitely doesn’t sound good,” said Rarity.
“It almost sounds like…the TARDIS is crying,” Twilight said as she turned to the Doctor.
“That’s because she is,” the Doctor confirmed. “Ready yourselves.”
The doors to the TARDIS suddenly flung inwards. The whaling siren grew louder. “Oh dear!” gasped Fluttershy. She quickly stepped away from the familiar, dark stallion standing in the doorway.
Discord Whooves kept his composure as the harsh winter winds flapped against his wings and mane. He took a deep breath and sighed. “It feels good to be home,” he chuckled.
Twilight acted quickly. She sent a magical blast at Discord Whooves.
Renet appeared from behind Discord Whooves, raised her wings, and took the full force of the attack. “That all you got, wimp?” Renet teased.
Twilight snarled. “How could you even get in here?!”
“Honestly, Twilight. Do you really think I don’t know the secret to opening a TARDIS?” Discord Whooves asked with his signature grin.
“But you’re clearly an idiot,” Rarity stated. “In case you didn’t notice, you’re outnumbered.”
“YEAH!” shouted Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash in unison.
Discord Whooves raised an eyebrow. “Am I?” he asked. Through the open doorway, the outlines of several flying Cybermen could be seen. The Doctor quickly moved towards a special lever underneath the console. Discord Whooves cleared his throat. “Fire!”

Above Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

“Slow down!” Donna shouted as Firefly shot through the cloudy sky.
 Look back. Do you want to die faster?
Donna glanced back to see Black Sun hot on their tail. Donna looked forward again. “This is fine.” Up ahead, Donna could make out several figures in the clouds. “I don’t think we should go that way!”
 My sister is in trouble.
“Your sister? What are you-” Donna’s voice left her as the TARDIS came into view. It was surrounded by a circle of armed Cybermen.
Hold on!
Donna tightened her hold on the seat as Firefly flew towards the Cybermen. Their blasters were preparing to fire as the duo plowed through the perfect circle. Several Cybermen were sent spiraling down to the ground below. Some managed to fire but only two Cybermen managed to make a solid hit. Unfortunately, one of the blasts soared right through the open TARDIS entrance. Donna could hear screams from within. “We have to help-” Donna didn’t get to complete her sentence as Firefly took a sharp dive. She looked back to see Black Sun knock a damaged Cyberman out of her way. She then kicked off the side of the TARDIS and dived towards them. “Go, Firefly! Go, go, go!”

The TARDIS, Above Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

An endless shower of sparks rained down from the damaged console column. Smoke began to fill the air. Everything shook as a powerful force collided with the exterior of the ship. The Doctor just barely managed to make out the outlines of Black Sun and Firefly disappearing into the clouds. The TARDIS suddenly leaned at a very dangerous angle. The Doctor grabbed onto the nearby railing but his hearts nearly stopped as Twilight fell past him. “TWILIGHT!” the Doctor called.
“I got her!” said Derpy as she flew towards the falling Twilight. Renet suddenly reached out and kicked Derpy straight in the face. The blind-sighted Derpy lost her aim and proceeded to crash right into Pinkie Pie, who was holding onto a nearby railing. Derpy and Pinkie fell out through the open TARDIS doors alongside Twilight.
“DERPY!” cried Fluttershy.
“PINKIE PIE!” cried Rarity.
“DAMN YOU!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew down towards Renet and punched her square in the jaw. Rainbow Dash and her clone proceeded to fly out through the TARDIS doors as well.
The TARDIS quickly rebalanced itself and everypony fell back onto the floor. “That’s it. Enough games!” snapped Discord Whooves. He grabbed his bowtie and ripped it off. Instantly, the bowtie transformed into a sleek, black sword that was clasped perfectly in Discord Whooves’s forehooves.
“A bowtie sword?! Really?!” asked Rarity.
Discord Whooves turned to Rarity and charged at her, sword raised high in the air. Rarity shrieked as the sword came down towards her. A loud clang rang out as another sword appeared out of nowhere and blocked Discord Whooves’s attack. The Doctor pushed Discord Whooves away and raised his own sword.
Discord Whooves smirked. “Haven’t seen that sword in a while,” he commented before raising his own sword once again. Sparks continued to fly down from the center column as the Doctor’s and Discord Whooves’s swords clashed again.

Above Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Derpy tried to regain balance as she fell through the air. Her bag was smacking her in the face every few seconds. Wind was ripping through her body like a sharp knife. She looked up to see the TARDIS disappear into the clouds. She looked around for any sign of her friends. “Twilight?! Pinkie Pie?!” she called as she attempted to turn over and fly once again.
“Over here!” cried the sound of Twilight’s voice. Derpy looked to see Twilight appear a few feet away from her through the blanket of clouds. An unconscious Pinkie Pie was held firmly in her grasp. Twilight reached out one of her forehooves. “Take my hoof!”
Derpy tried her best to regain control. Everything was spinning around her. The blanket of clouds vanished and a clear view of Ponyville appeared. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising from every other direction. Cybermen were either flying around or moving about the grounds. Various soldiers could be seen taking on the Cybermen in both the air and on land. Other mutants and creatures could also barely be seen charging out from the depths of the Everfree Forest. Derpy turned back towards Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Managing to catch a bit of balance with one of her wings, she flung herself over to her friends. Derpy wrapped her forelegs around Twilight and a flash of purple enveloped the three mares.

Outside the Schoolhouse, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Twilight didn’t teleport exactly where she wanted. She hit the roof of the schoolhouse hard and rolled off the side like a ragdoll. A mound of snow managed to soften her fall but her body still felt incredibly sore. Pinkie Pie rolled off the roof as well and landed a couple feet away. 
Derpy landed on the roof but came to a stop above the rain gutter. “Are you okay, Twilight?” Derpy asked as she leaned over the edge of the roof, her vision still slightly fuzzy.
“I’ve been better,” Twilight groaned in response. She slowly stood up and brushed the snow out of her mane. She walked over to Pinkie Pie as Derpy descended into the snowy playground.
Derpy shuffled her hooves nervously as she approached Twilight and Pinkie Pie. “Is she okay?”
Twilight glanced at Derpy and nodded. “She’ll be fine. Just a little bump on the head.”
Derpy lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Twilight had an incredibly stern look etched into her face. “Don’t you dare start blaming yourself.”
Derpy took a deep breath, exhaled, and gave a small smile. “Okay, Twilight.”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes slowly opened. She placed a hoof on her forehead and looked up at Twilight and Derpy. “What’d I miss?” she asked with a weak smile.
Twilight and Derpy shared a relieved laugh. Suddenly, Twilight’s eyes went wide. She began feeling and looking around for something. “Where is it?!” she asked.
“Where’s what?” Derpy asked.
“My bag!”
“Your bag?”
“Yes, my bag! I was looking after the Paramae that the Doctor found, remember? Oh I hope I didn’t lose-”
“There it is!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. She stood up and pointed at a brown bag lying in the snow a few feet away.
“Thank Celestia!” Twilight sighed with relief as she ran over to the bag. As she picked up the bag, however, her dread returned. “It’s…empty.” Just then, she saw a video camera lying in the snow about a foot away. Relief returned once again. “Nevermind. It just fell out.” Twilight reached towards the camera. As she did, she noticed that the flip screen was now open and facing her. Twilight expected to see her reflection in the screen. Instead, she saw a pair of deep green eyes. “What-” A blast of green energy shot forth from the camera, knocking Twilight through the air and into another bank of snow.
“Twilight!” cried Derpy and Pinkie Pie. They ran over to where Twilight had landed.
“What the hay just happened?!” Derpy asked.
Twilight groaned with pain as she stood up. “I don’t…” Twilight trailed off as a new sight caught her attention. Derpy and Pinkie Pie followed Twilight’s gaze. They too fell silent.
A human woman with flowing red hair was levitating inches above the ground a couple feet from them. Her eyes were deep green, black tears rolled down her cheeks, her entire body was somewhat transparent, and the snow and earth beneath her floating form appeared to rot into an ugly tar.
“That…doesn’t look good,” Pinkie gulped.

Outside the Clock Tower, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Twi exited the clock tower alongside Spike. Fluttershy, Rarity, Shining Armor, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were waiting for them. “Any luck?” Shining Armor asked.
Twi shook her head. “No. I couldn’t see him anywhere,” she replied.
The battle was in full swing now. Soldiers were fighting Cybermen and abominable mutants all throughout the town. Not a second was passing without the sound of distant screams, shouts, bursts of magic, and gunfire.
“We should get away from the Clock Tower,” said Applejack. “We’re just a bunch of open targets here.”
“I don’t mind that. I’m itching to kick some real Cybermen butt!” Rainbow Dash laughed.
“You can have all the fun for us, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said with a wave of her hand and a smirk.
Spike looked at Twi and grabbed her hand. “We’ll find Flash, Twilight. Don’t worry,” he said with a warm smile.
Twi smiled back at Spike. “Thank you, Spike.”
Rarity glared at Shining Armor, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. “Can’t any of you use some sort of scanner to locate him or something?” she asked.
“Not really. We’re not connected to the hive mind so our internal GPS systems aren’t working all that great,” Shining Armor explained.
Rarity smirked again. “Some use you all are-”
“LOOK OUT!” shouted Applejack. Applejack lunged at Rarity and pushed her out of the way. A massive Cyber-Gorilla came plummeting out of the sky and landed right where Rarity had been standing. Applejack picked herself and Rarity up before looking at Rarity. “You gonna finish that?”
Rarity whipped out her wand. “Nevermind!”
Two more Cyber-Gorillas fell out of the sky. One landed next to the first while the third crashed through the clock tower, causing half of the structure to collapse. Dust filled the air from the destroyed clock tower as the Cyber-Gorillas sprang into action.
Twi and Rarity shot various spells at the monstrosities. Shining Armor fired some projectiles while Applejack and Rainbow Dash engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Cyber-Gorillas. Spike shot some fire from his hands before grabbing Fluttershy and pulling her to safety.
“Those poor gorillas,” Fluttershy said as she followed Spike. One of the Cyber-Gorillas pushed its way past Rainbow Dash and flung itself at Fluttershy and Spike.
“NO!” Twi shouted as she sent a spell flying. The spell missed and Twi’s heart jumped as the beast reached its massive hands towards Spike. Then…it froze.
Twi watched in confusion as everything around her seemingly froze in place. Everyone and everything stopped moving. The sounds of battle instantly silenced. Time itself had come to a halt.
As Twi tried to comprehend what had just happened, a blur shot across her field of vision. In the blink of an eye, the three Cyber-Gorillas were gathered up and thrown off into the distance. Twi’s heart skipped another beat as the blur came to a stop in front of her. Her eyes widened as she realized that the figure now standing before her was Flash. Patches of his skin appeared to be chipping away to reveal a metallic skeleton, his eyes were fading between their signature blue and a harsh red. His entire body was shaking.
“Hello, Twilight,” he said with a somewhat robotic echo in his voice.
Twi took a few steps forward. “Flash…how-”
Flash spread his arms out and smiled. “Crazy, right? It’s some ability I have now, I suppose. But I can’t hold it for long.”
Twi pointed at a patch of exposed skeleton on Flash’s neck with a shaking finger. “Flash…what-”
Flash rubbed his exposed metallic bones and sighed. “Yeah…this is new to me too.” He took a few steps towards Twi. “Listen, Twilight, I don’t have a lot of time. So while I still can, I want to tell you the truth.” He grabbed one of her hands and Twi silenced her heavy breathing. “I was on a simple mission a little while ago. We were ambushed. Everyone was killed. I thought I was done for. Then I blacked out. While I was out, I had a…vision of sorts. For a while, I thought it had just been a nightmare. But I can see now that was just me being delusional about it. I didn’t want to accept what it could mean. In the vision, I saw you enveloped in gold fire. You…you burnt to a crisp.” Flash paused for a second. “When the vision ended, the next thing I knew I was running back into headquarters and you had mysteriously disappeared.” Twi felt a knot form in her stomach. “That’s what my problem was. I think…I saw your death.” Flash paused again. “Maybe you know what it really meant. Maybe there’s a way to prevent it. I don’t know. But I have a feeling that…it may have something to do with how this all ends.”
“I’ve been seeing things recently,” Twi said suddenly. “Weird visions. Golden ponies. Golden people. Golden wolves. I wasn’t sure what it all meant. Hell, I still don’t completely understand how it all works. But…now I have an idea.”
“Follow the Bad Wolf,” Twi and Flash said together in unison. They looked at each other in stunned silence.
“Whoa. Where did that come from?” Flash asked.
“I don’t know. But whatever it is, it may hold the key to finally defeating Discord Whooves,” Twi answered.
Flash tightened his grip on Twi’s hand. “Then you do what you have to do. I believe in you, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twi grabbed Flash’s hands with both of her hands and tightened her own grip. “You’re coming with me!”
Flash chuckled sadly. “I can’t, Twilight. Look at me. I’ve been turned into some weird tool like Shining Armor, AJ, and Rainbow Dash. I obviously didn’t turn out as planned right away but…I’m losing control. I can hear another voice calling to me.”
“I can help you, Flash! We can all help you! We managed to help prevent Discord Whooves from controlling Shining-”
“Discord Whooves didn’t do this to me, Twilight.”
Twi’s eyes widened again. “What?”
“This isn’t the work of Discord Whooves. It’s not his voice that I hear in my head.”
“Then who-”
Flash vigorously shook his head. “I don’t know.” He stared deep into Twi’s eyes. “It could be something or someone bigger than Discord Whooves for all I know. But I can tell that they didn’t do this to me for good reasons.” Flash paused. “And I’m not going to let them have me.”
The knot in Twi’s stomach grew bigger. “Flash…what are you going to do?”
Flash suddenly pulled Twi forward into a deep, passionate kiss. It felt like it lasted a lifetime though it was only for a few seconds. Flash broke the kiss and stroked the side of Twi’s face. “I love you, Twilight Sparkle. I always will. Help the Doctor win this war. Defeat that son of a bitch Discord Whooves. If worse comes to worst…I’ll be waiting for you.”
Flash began to part away but Twi held on. Tears were beginning to roll down her face. “No! I…I don’t want you to die! Don’t you dare die, Flash Sentry!”
Flash gave a sad laugh as he looked straight at Twi. Time began to slowly move again. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that, Twilight.” His eyes turned bright red and a single oil tear rolled down his face. “I’m already dead.” Flash smiled and closed his eyes. His entire body then began to dissolve into a cloud of ash. Twi could only watch in horror as Flash Sentry faded away into nothing. The spell was lifted and time began to move again.
“Where did the gorillas go?” Applejack asked.
“Aw man! I was about to get a good hit in!” Rainbow Dash groaned.
“That’s horrible, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy scolded. “Those poor gorillas couldn’t control what they were doing!”
“Twilight? Are you okay?” Spike asked. Twi had wrapped her arms around her torso. A thick stream of tears was rolling down her face. However, not a single sound was coming from her mouth. She was frozen in place. Spike approached Twi and grabbed her sleeve. “Twilight?”
Twi looked down at Spike and instantly pulled him into a hug. “He’s gone. He’s gone,” she stammered into Spike’s shoulder. All Spike could do was hug Twi back. Twi looked over Spike’s shoulder to see a golden wolf staring at her. The wolf turned towards a moving black mass hidden behind a cloak of clouds in the distance. It then took off at a brisk sprint. Twi wiped her tears away and ended the hug. “Come on!” Twi began to race after the wolf.
“Twilight? Where are you going?!” Rarity called. Twi didn’t answer. She just kept running.
“Come on! After her!” ordered Shining Armor as he raced after his sister. The others followed quickly behind.

Outside the Schoolhouse, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Twilight, Derpy, and Pinkie Pie slowly backed up as the ghastly phantom woman glided towards them. Twilight looked at the camera, which was now surrounded by a bright green aura. “We need to destroy that thing!” Twilight said. She aimed her horn at the camera and shot a bright beam of magic at it. The spell simply bounced off and collided with the side of the schoolhouse, causing part of the wall to break apart. Twilight gulped. “Cheerilee’s not going to be happy about that.”
The phantom woman laughed. “You destroy me?” she mocked. Two voices could be heard, one of a young woman and the other of Discord Whooves. “What a riot! The failure student who allowed an all-out invasion of her home dimension. Oh my, how disappointed Princess Celestia must be of you!”
Twilight felt a cold shiver run down her spine. “Shut up!” She sent another beam of magic at the camera. Once again, the spell bounced off and lit a nearby tree on fire.
The woman laughed like a maniac. “Oops! Another mistake. How many does that make?”
Twilight stepped forward. “SHUT UP” Twilight shot a more powerful spell at the camera. For the third time, the spell was rebounded and it broke several of the schoolhouse’s windows.
The woman’s smile grew as she glided closer to the three mares. The snow and earth beneath its ghostly form bubbled and twisted into black rot. “Can’t do anything right, Twilight Sparkle. Can’t destroy a simple camera. Can’t protect her friends. Can’t even win the affection of the stallion she adores.”
“SHUT UP ALREADY!” Twilight’s eyes began to glow bright green.
Derpy grabbed Twilight. “Twilight, calm down!” she cried. “Don’t you see? It’s trying to manipulate you!”
Twilight turned around and blasted Derpy and Pinkie Pie with her magic. The two mares flew several feet back and crashed into the side of the playground slide. “YOU SHUT UP TOO! I NEED TO DESTROY IT! I MUST DESTROY IT!” Twilight proceeded to shoot a flurry of spells at the camera. Each one rebounded and destroyed another part of the schoolhouse. With every spell, Twilight appeared to grow weaker and weaker.
The ghostly woman moved closer and closer to Twilight, her arms outstretched. “Come here, Twilight. I turn all failures like you into winners,” she said.
Derpy turned to Pinkie Pie. “We need to destroy that camera!” she said.
“Why are you looking at me?” Pinkie Pie asked. “I don’t know how to do it!”
“You’re telling me that you don’t have some sort of ultimate weapon hidden in your mane or something?”
“I have many things in my mane.” Pinkie reached into her mane. “Confetti, party cannon, leftover cake from Donna’s welcome party…no ultimate weapon.” Pinkie pulled her hooves out of her mane. “Sorry.”
Derpy’s heart began to race as Twilight began to be surrounded by the ghost woman’s bubbling tar. Suddenly, her eyes turned downwards towards her own bag. “Wait a minute.” She reached into her bag and pulled out the silver box that Jenny had given her and Twilight earlier.
Jenny’s words floated through Derpy’s mind. “He just said that you'd know the right time to open the case.”
“Is it time?” Derpy asked herself. She looked up to see the woman reaching out to Twilight. Derpy nodded. “It’s time!” She quickly flipped the latches and opened the lid. Inside the case, which appeared to be somewhat bigger on the inside, sat a huge white fang. “A…fang?”
Pinkie suddenly gasped. “Where did you get a Basilisk fang, Derpy?!” she shrieked.
“Uh…long story.”
“That thing can definitely destroy the camera!”
Derpy paused. “How do you know that?”
Pinkie stood up and pulled Derpy up along with her. “Trust me, Derpy. I read about it in a children’s fantasy book.” Derpy’s eyes inverted slightly. Pinkie pushed her forward. “Go! I’ll distract the mean lady!” Pinkie bounced off towards Twilight and the woman while Derpy began to sneak her way towards the camera.
The woman reached for Twilight’s neck. “That’s it. Just give in, Twilight,” the woman cooed. Just then, Pinkie jumped right next to the woman. The woman turned to Pinkie and her smile widened. “Eager to join your friend?”
Pinkie took a huge breath…and began to sing. “When I was a little filly and the sun was going down, the darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown!” Pinkie sang.
The woman’s smile faded. “What are you doing?”
“I'd hide under my pillow from what I thought I saw, but Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all!”
“Stop singing.”
“She said, ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall! Learn to face your fears! You'll see that they can't hurt you! Just laugh to make them disappear!’” Pinkie began to bounce around the woman. “Ha! Ha! Ha!”
“You can’t defeat me!”
“So, giggle at the ghostly!”
“Quiet!”
“Guffaw at the grossly!”
“Silence!”
“Crack up at the creepy!”
“You can’t win!”
“Whoop it up with the weepy!”
“Just give in!”
“Chortle at the kooky!”
“Shut up!”
“Snortle at the spooky!”
“Enough of this!”
“And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...” Pinkie got right up in the woman’s face. “Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!”
The woman suddenly hit Pinkie across the face, sending her flying into a nearby tree. “I’ll deal with you after I’m done with Twilight here!”
Pinkie looked up, a large burn mark present on her right cheek. She let out a few pained laughs as she pointed past the woman. “Joke’s on you!”
“What?” The woman turned away from Pinkie. Derpy was standing over the camera. The Basilisk fang was held tightly in her forehooves and was aimed right at the camera. The woman flew towards Derpy. “STOP! NO!” Derpy brought the fang right down into the open flip screen. The woman came to a halt and let out a terrible scream. Her entire form began to dissolve and break apart like burning paper. A blood-like substance began to ooze from the stabbed camera. Derpy stepped back as the camera suddenly erupted into a ball of green flames. The woman then also exploded into a cloud of dust and ash. As the smoke faded away, a ghostly image of Discord Whooves’s angry eyes could be seen fading away into thin air.
Derpy let out a huge sigh of relief before running over to Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie! Are you okay?” She helped Pinkie stand up. Derpy flinched upon taking a look at the burn mark on Pinkie’s face. “That looks bad.”
“It’s okay. I’ll live. Believe it or not, I’ve had worse burns at Sugar Cube Corner,” Pinkie said with a smile.
Derpy and Pinkie then turned to Twilight, who was sitting silently in the middle of the now frozen tar. “Twilight!” gasped Derpy before running to her side. “Twilight? Are you okay?”
Twilight looked at Derpy and Pinkie. Her eyes were normal again but were now filled with anger and embarrassment. “I’m a failure,” she sighed.
“No you’re not!” Derpy argued.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course I am. Look at me. That…thing easily manipulated me. I gave in so quickly.”
“Twilight Sparkle!” Pinkie Pie snapped as she grabbed Twilight by the sides and stared straight into her eyes. “You are no failure! You are an excellent student and an amazing friend. So what if you got somewhat possessed by some dark magic from another dimension? You’re still awesome! And if you ever stop thinking that you’re awesome, I…I’m going to bake your least favorite cupcakes for your birthday!”
Twilight slowly smiled and chuckled. “I thought it was Rainbow Dash’s job to be awesome.”
Pinkie Pie nodded. “It is. But now it’s your job too!” Pinkie leaned in and brought her voice down to a whisper. “Just don’t let Rainbow Dash know. She might not like sharing awesome status with you.”
Twilight laughed. “Thank you, Pinkie Pie.” She proceeded to give quick hugs to Pinkie and Derpy before standing up.
“So what now?” Derpy asked.
“We try to help the Doctor as best we can,” Twilight replied.
“As always.”
Twilight nodded. “Right. As always.”

The TARDIS, Above Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor leapt out of the way once again to dodge yet another sword attack from Discord Whooves. “Is this all you’ve got, Doctor?” Discord Whooves laughed. “Dodging and blocking?”
“I’ve got plenty of moves!” the Doctor replied before lunging at Discord Whooves and pushing him towards the open doorway. Discord Whooves kicked back and swung his sword at the Doctor once again. Spike stepped in and sent a small plume of flames his way. Discord Whooves dodged the fire and went for Spike. The Doctor jumped between Spike and Discord Whooves and, one again, blocked the attack. Discord Whooves spun around the Doctor and raced toward the control console, which was still spewing out sparks.
“No you don’t!” said Applejack as she twirled around the console and kicked Discord Whooves with her hind legs. Discord Whooves fell back and suddenly let out a scream of pain. Applejack gave a smug grin. “Guess I have more kick than I thought.”
“This isn’t you, idiot!” Discord Whooves hissed. He clutched his chest tightly. His wings began to flap wildly and his eyes grew wide. “I’ve lost one. I’ve lost one. How could I lose one?!”
The Doctor charged at Discord Whooves. “I think it’s time you left my TARDIS!” he shouted. Discord Whooves lunged for the controls and grabbed a random lever. A new shower of sparks rained down as the TARDIS suddenly leaned at a dangerous angle and began to shoot towards the ground. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike screamed while holding on to each other. Applejack grabbed on a nearby railing. The Doctor and Discord Whooves aimed their swords at each other while Discord Whooves laughed madly. The Doctor glared at his evil duplicate. “You’re not destroying my TARDIS too.”
“Okay. Stop me then, Doctor!” Discord Whooves jeered. The Doctor and Discord Whooves were about to swing their sword again when the TARDIS collided with something tough on the outside. The TARDIS doors flung around like crazy, one of the railings broke, more sparks fell down, and one of the columns caught fire. The Doctor reached forward and grabbed Discord Whooves. Another huge jolt sent the two stallions falling through the open doors.

Outside Sugar Cube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Monty kept Francis and Julianna close as he followed Trixie, Oswin, and Zecora to the side of Sugar Cube Corner. The group hid behind a pile of discarded delivery boxes as a group of Cybermen passed by. “This is insane!” Monty exclaimed. “We need to find a way out of town!”
Oswin turned towards everypony. “I promise that I’m going to keep you all safe. I promise,” she said with a warm smile.
“What the hay?!” gasped an unfamiliar voice. Zecora jolted as the once-unconscious mare on her back suddenly awoke and jumped up. Daring Do groaned as she lowered herself back down to the ground. Her bandaged areas still hurt. “Where…how?”
“Easy now, your wounds need time to heal,” said Zecora. “Unless pain is what you wish to feel.”
Daring Do sighed as she leaned against the side of Sugar Cube Corner. “Just…just tell me where I am.”
“We’re in Ponyville and all hell’s breaking loose!” Francis replied.
“Francis! Language!” Monty scolded.
Francis lowered his head. “Sorry, Dad.”
“You’ve been out for a while but we’re in serious danger,” Monty explained as he turned to Daring Do.
“I can tell,” said Daring as she looked around. “Cybermen are everywhere.”
Trixie awkwardly approached Daring. “I’m Trixie,” she said. “Um…so…are you…really Daring Do?”
Daring smirked. “Of course. Who else could I be?”
“Awesome!” said Francis and Julianna in unison.
Trixie and Monty looked at each other. “Honestly, I’ve seen weirder things,” said Monty.
“Weirder than a fictional character coming to life?” Trixie asked.
Monty raised an eyebrow. “You do realize that we are currently witnessing a robot invasion of Equestria, right?”
“Fair point.”
“Quiet!” Oswin hissed. “Someone’s coming!”
Everypony ducked as somepony came into view. Trixie looked over the boxes and was shocked to see Twilight Sparkle casually walking down the street. “It’s okay, everypony! It’s Twilight Sparkle,” said Trixie.
“What’s Twilight doing walking around on her own during all of this?” Monty asked. “Shouldn’t she be with the Doctor?”
“We could use her help.” Trixie stood up and approached Twilight. “Well, well, Twilight Sparkle. We meet again.”
Twilight jumped and looked at Trixie with a frightened expression. “Do…do I know you?” she asked.
Trixie was taken aback. “Uh…yes! It’s me! Trixie! Now’s not the time for jokes, Twilight!” Twilight awkwardly began to step away from Trixie. Trixie tilted her head in confusion. “Twilight…what’s wrong?”
Twilight looked down. “My name’s not-”
“LOOK OUT!” shouted Daring Do as she flew over the boxes and grabbed Trixie. The two mares just barely managed to avoid being sliced by a huge knife. Daring and Trixie turned to see a young woman with familiar pink hair land in front of them. Daring snarled at the woman. “YOU!”
Pinkie Pie the human giggled with glee as she branded two large knives. “I thought I killed you back at the hospital,” she stated with a sadistic tone. “Oh well. No matter. Looks like I’ll be able to kill you again!” Pinkie turned to Twilight. “Thanks, Thalia!”
Monty gasped, “THALIA?!”
Pinkie turned towards the others and laughed again. “More friends to play with!”
“Forget them! Fight me! I’ll take you on!” snapped Daring. She stepped forward but fell to the ground with a loud groan.
Pinkie smiled as she looked down at Daring. “My last present still hurts? That’s good.” She began to approach Daring but Trixie stepped in between them.
“Leave us alone!” Trixie ordered as she shot a small ball of magic at Pinkie. However, Thalia awkwardly stepped forward and placed a shield between Trixie and Pinkie.
“Thanks again, Thalia!” Pinkie said with a smile.
“Just doing my job. It’s what Mr. Whooves told me to do,” said Thalia.
Suddenly, Pinkie jumped to the side as a small projectile shot past her. Oswin aimed her blaster at Pinkie and shot several more times. All of her attacks were either dodged or blocked by Thalia’s magic. Pinkie raced towards Oswin with her knives. Trixie tried to send another blast of magic at Pinkie but her head raced with pain. Oswin dodged Pinkie’s knives but Pinkie managed to kick the blaster out of Oswin’s hands.
“Any good without your blaster?” Pinkie teased.
Oswin raised her fists and beckoned Pinkie to continue. “Come at me and find out,” Oswin replied. Pinkie swung her blades at Oswin like an unstoppable machine. Oswin quickly and expertly dodged the attacks. Oswin and Pinkie became a flurry of motion. Pinkie managed to cut Oswin’s left arm at one point and Oswin proceeded to kick one of Pinkie’s knives away. The others could only sit and watch the fight unfold.
“What the hay?!” gasped a familiar voice. The fight temporarily halted. Everyone and everypony turned to see Twilight Sparkle, Derpy Hooves, and Pinkie Pie standing a few feet away.
“Two Twilight Sparkles?!” asked Trixie. “And I thought one was more than enough.”
“Trixie?! Zecora?!” Twilight continued to gasp.
Pinkie the pony pointed at Pinkie the human and shrieked. “It’s the bad me!”
Twilight sent a blast of magic at Pinkie the human but Thalia was able to successfully block it. The unicorn and her twin locked eyes for the briefest of moments. Twilight was surprised to see a bit of fright in her duplicate’s eyes. But thoughts of her clone’s future came roaring back to her. Her evil acts. Her selfish ways. Her inevitable transformation. Twilight held nothing back as she sent a stream of magic at Thalia. Thalia quickly responded and sent her own stream of magic. The two magic beams collided.
“Hold on, Twilight!” Derpy and Pinkie cheered.
Twilight and Thalia dug their hooves into the snow as the massive ball of magic in the middle of their streams slowly moved back and forth. Powerful magical winds blew outwards from the point of collision. Oswin took her eyes off the magic duel just in time to dodge a new attack from Pinkie the human. Suddenly, Pinkie reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a mysterious vial filled with a black substance.
“What the hell is that?” Oswin asked.
“A special potion. A gift from the boss,” Pinkie the human laughed. “It what’s made me the wonderful woman I am today!” Oswin gulped. Pinkie smiled darkly as she removed the cap. “I wonder what it’ll do to someone like you.” Pinkie the human ran towards Oswin, laughing madly as she did. Oswin moved quickly. She ducked under Pinkie and gave her a solid punch under the jaw. Pinkie fell down but the vial in her hand flew up into the air. Oswin watched as the vial fell down towards Thalia. Oswin reached out but it was too late.
The vial smashed on top of Thalia’s head. The magic stream was broken and the ball of magic flew up into the sky, smashing into several Cybermen as it went. Thalia let out a terrible scream as the strange potion cloaked her body. Random bursts of magic erupted from her horn. Twilight watched in horror as the fear in her clone’s eyes was slowly replaced by that of anger and obsession. Thalia’s colors began to invert and change. A swirling cloud of magic appeared around Thalia. Everything seemed to freeze as Thalia let out what final scream. An explosion of magical energy erupted in the middle of the street. Thalia shot high into the sky and out of view. A powerful shockwave spread out and knocked everyone and everypony back. Snow flew everywhere. The windows of Sugar Cube Corner and other surrounding buildings violently shattered. Then…it was quiet.
Oswin dusted the snow off her as she sat up. Her vision cleared as she examined the current situation. She could see some of the others picking themselves up. Others had been knocked out by the magical explosion. Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie the human wasn’t one of them. Oswin felt her heart stop as she saw the human Pinkie raise a knife and slowly approach the downed Trixie.
“I’m not retreating without killing one of you,” giggled the human Pinkie Pie as she raised her knife above Trixie. Trixie weakly looked up. Her eyes widened.
“No,” Oswin said under her breath. She looked and miraculously noticed the knife she had kicked out of Pinkie’s hand earlier. “No.” She jumped up, grabbed the knife, and ran towards Pinkie. “No!” Pinkie was beginning to bring the knife down. Trixie prepared for the attack. Oswin raised her own knife. “I’M NOT LETTING YOU DIE AGAIN!” Oswin jumped between Trixie and Pinkie while putting all of her strength into one swing of the knife. In one fell swoop, Pinkie’s head was sliced clean off. The sadist’s face was perpetually frozen with a terrifying smile. The head and body suddenly began to burn and fade away like burning paper. Pinkie’s body finally dissolved into nothing, the faint angry eyes of Discord Whooves could be seen fading away in the smoke above the ashes.
Trixie looked up at Oswin and gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she said.
Oswin turned around and smiled at Trixie. “I saved you,” she exclaimed happily.
Trixie suddenly gasped and gave a horrified look. Oswin was confused for a moment. It was then that she realized how weak she was feeling and how blurry her vision was becoming. She looked down to see that Pinkie’s knife was driven straight through her heart. Oswin looked back up and collapsed. Trixie jumped up and ran to Oswin’s side. “No! No, no, no!” Trixie cried. She began looking around frantically. “Please! Hold on, Oswin! Somepony! Anypony! Help her!” Trixie turned to Twilight. “Twilight!”
Twilight ran over as fast as she could. “Oh Celestia,” Twilight said as she looked down at Oswin.
Trixie was beginning to shake. “You must know some healing spells!”
“Minor ones, but this…this is beyond me.”
“Please! Do something!”
Twilight tried to focus on Oswin. She tried to force any amount of magical energy she had left to come forth from her horn and heal Trixie’s friend. But it was to no avail. Tears of self-hatred began to roll down Twilight’s cheeks. “I can’t help her. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!”
Trixie’s breathing increased. A small trickle of blood began to drip from Oswin’s mouth. “No! Stay with me, Oswin! Stay with us!” Trixie looked around again. “Anypony?! Zecora?!” Trixie looked but, unfortunately, Zecora was out cold. “No. Please, no.”
“Hey,” Oswin breathed weakly. Trixie looked down. Oswin raised one of her hands and stroked Trixie’s cheek. “I…I saved you. I…I was able to finally save you.” Beside Trixie, Oswin saw the faint image of a young woman with silver hair and a playful smirk. “I was able to keep my promise.” The woman reached down and touched Oswin’s hand. Oswin smiled and looked at Trixie. Trixie couldn’t hold back her tears. Oswin stroked Trixie’s face once again. “It’s okay, Trixie. You’re going to survive. I know you will.” Oswin began to close her eyes. Her breathing slowed. Her vision was fading.
“Oswin!” Trixie cried. “You saved me…now I need to save you!”
“You already did.” The time was close now. Oswin gave one last smile. “If…if you really want to make it up to me…just do one thing for me. Just…one…thing.” Oswin could barely make out the outlines of Trixie and Twilight now. The darkness was overcoming her. Through the darkness, she could see that familiar woman. A man was standing next to her. They smiled at her and stretched their hands towards her. Using the last of her strength, Oswin gave Trixie her final request. “Run...run, you clever mare…and remember me.”