Epilogue: All Worth It?
Epilogue: All Worth It?
Books and Branches Library
Ponyville, Everfree Province of Equestria
31st of Summer, 1001 C.R. (Celestia's Reign), 11:28 p.m.
By the beginning of the third century of Dame Dawn’s Reign, the Order of Justice had succeeded in breaking the grip of the unicorn-led Arcane Hierarchy throughout the disparate provinces of ponydom. In the months following the official cessation of hostilities however, the continued prevalence of the controversial practice of Unicorn Gelding by some members of the Templar threatened a new resurgence of violence. Rumors of the magic dampening glyphs being used as punishment for trivial offenses or without any reason at all widened the schism between the unicorn nobility loyal to the Dame of the Morning and the recently empowered earth pony Templar. Unicorn nobles who had remained loyal to Dame Dawn throughout the rebellion argued that the use of the permanent brands, which were, and even into modern day continue to be, proven impossible to remove by any means known to mortal ponies, was an act of vengeance against all horned equines. The Templar countered with the debate that the danger of abused magic used against those without horns that had been suffered since the Wild Era by the common earth pony was just as much a violation of their rights.
This debate brought forward the remarkably complex issue arisen by a simple question: What rights did members of the three pony races share? Dame Dawn spent much of her reign codifying and laying the foundations of laws that would provide a solid answer not only to this question, but to how it related to thinking creatures that were not ponies, or the treatment of creatures considered "animals." By the end of her reign and the rise of Lady Astrolia, Dame Dawn had set the groundwork of the shared power of the Three Noble Pony Houses of Earth, Sky, and Magic. Each was empowered to tend to the needs of their species while the Order of Justice, reformed from Warrior Templar of the Hierarchy Rebellion into what would eventually become the modern Arbiter’s Court, were granted authority to maintain balance between these three powers under the supreme rule of the Alicorn Monarchy.
Twilight Sparkle swallowed as she drew back from the tome that floated in front of her, one particular line striking her as hard as anything she had read before and causing her to look down at her coat.
A visit to the spa that morning had erased the lines that had been left behind, the rest of her fur bleached ever so slightly, lightening her tone to match. But even in their absence, she couldn’t shake the terrible feeling she had been made to endure of being bound and powerless.
After a lifetime of honing her internal magic… to have it stripped from her like that. And then to learn that she had been mistaken about the Arbiter’s Court being capable of removing the markings.
After the spa, she had made an appointment with Arbiter Squeak, a stallion from Trottingham who had been selected as the High Arbiter of the Everfree Province just over a year ago. Of course, being the protege of Celestia probably had a great deal to do with him dropping everything to answer her questions. But when the conversation turned to Gelding Marks, she suspected the Arbiter had grown concerned, citing an important meeting with Mayor Mare, and offered her this history book from his early days studying law rather than explain in person
Twilight swallowed a bit, her eyes returning to the passage to make sure she hadn’t misinterpreted.
…use of the permanent brands, which were, and even into modern day continue to be, proven impossible to remove by any means known to mortal ponies…
Twilight rubbed her hoof against the top of her snout, her eyes shut as she tried to go over what had happened in the glacier caverns under the plains of Zebrica…
*knock-knock*
“Spike, the door,” Twilight said absently as she looked to the book again, trying to keep her train of thought running.
There was a moment of silence.
*knock-knock*
“Oh, right.” Twilight sighed, her thoughts sufficiently derailed as she remembered that her assistant was snoring away in his basket bed up in her loft above the library. It was late, after all, and as Twilight pulled herself up, the aches in her muscles reminded her that she too was rather tired from the events of the past couple of days.
She wasn’t in quite as bad a shape as Fluttershy, keeping her from grumbling against her soreness as she moved to the door. It would have been petty to complain after all of Fluttershy’s flying and racing around had put the mare in the hospital, but at least the she'd been allowed to return home that afternoon with the doctors stating she needed to rest and take it easy.
“Just a moment please. Sorry, can I…” Twilight opened the door and her eyes widened as she realized who stood on the other side.
“If this is a bad time, I can always return.” A pleasant smile on a striped face stood in the starlight outside Twilight’s door, golden rings around her neck covering the green wound that lay there as she stood with an easy grace. “You must be tired after your long sojourn.”
“Zecora!” Twilight grinned, opening the door all the way and moving up to put one leg up around her friend’s shoulder in a light hug, which the zebra returned. “It’s so good to see you up and about.”
Twilight paused, pulling away as the zebra’s smile grew more mischievous, memories of what Dr. Stable had said about keeping her for observation returning to her mind.
“Should you be up and about?” Twilight mirrored the mare’s bemused grin, realizing the answer before another word was said.
“No, but I had to get out, for my own good. I have had quite enough of hospital food.”
Twilight took a step back, a hoof beckoning the zebra to come inside. “That rhyme was a bit of a stretch,” she commented casually.
“For near three decades, I have trained my speech. I know just when a rhyme is within reach,” the zebra said slyly. “Though, not lightly do I come to see you this day. There is something I have waited many years to say.”
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions about what happened...” Twilight nodded, closing the door and moving out of the library, leading the zebra mare to the small kitchen attached to the main study.
“I have much to ask, that is true,” Zecora agreed, taking a seat, as the unicorn quickly went about boiling water for tea. “But I have a feeling that so do you.”
Twilight looked over and nodded slowly, continuing the prepare the tea as Zecora continued to speak.
“Then I will say it first to ease your mind, the events that unfolded after you left my kind.” Zecora sat back, clearly hitting the nail on the head as Twilight watched her, eager to find out what had come to past after they had rushed away. “The herds soon recovered, as did the Plains. All was well, until my sire began to show his pains.” The zebra’s eyes fell. “That most valiant of zebras, all he had done, such a ride...” Her tone turned morose. “T'was a year from our salvation when he faced his Roc with pride.”
Twilight bowed her head respectfully. “I’m so sorry, Zecora.”
“The only regret he spoke that I know, was that he did not have the chance to thank you, though.” Zecora nodded with a steadying breath. “After he passed, Zulu recovered, and to a new day he has led. With Teaka behind him to waylay the herds’ dread.”
“And Tagati?” Twilight asked.
“My mother has slowly regained what she had lost. She earned back the herds’ trust, though not without cost.” Zecora sighed. “I have not seen them in years, though I try to stay in touch. But when father passed on, I could not have remained as such. So I wandered; traveled the land. First the Plains, then the southern jungles, then camel sand. It was then that I realized how little I knew, so I traveled on a pony’s ship west, and my knowledge, it grew. For twenty years, I traveled the global stage. Adventures were had as I grew to a sage.”
Twilight was smiling as she moved to the table with a tray of piping hot tea, offering the zebra a cup as an expression of reminisce passed over her face.
“With age I grew wiser, but my hooves soon grew sore, so I settled in Everfree to see what the forest had in store.” Zecora looked up to Twilight. “I was considering leaving my hut, that I had been wrong… the day you approached me, Pinkie singing her song.” The zebra let out a halfhearted laugh. “When I saw you across the field of poison joke, I managed my warning before into a run, I broke. I spent that whole night debating what I was to do, and the next day, the prophecy you told me came true. That you were the same mare, I dared not assume, until your name was spoken by young Apple Bloom.”
Memory of that day played back in Twilight’s mind, and she remembered literally butting heads with the zebra a moment before Apple Bloom came back into the room, a saddlebag of herbal ingredients on her back. It was only after the filly had referred to Twilight by name that Zecora’s expression had changed, she realized. The unicorn couldn’t help but let out a giggle as she sipped at the hot tea.
“I told you we were being idiots.” The unicorn nodded, then set herself back, growing more serious. “But… there is one thing that I still don’t understand, Zecora. Your life depends on that potion, I mean… how could you not keep a supply of Ashmed on hoof for emergencies? How did you end up in that state in the first place?”
Zecora’s expression likewise drooped.
“I settled in the forest for just this reason, you see. A secret that I thought was known only to me,” the zebra brewmaster tried to explain. “I survived for years with my brother sending what I need, but only in the Everfree could I grow it from seed. No other place save Thunder Drum would it sprout. The magic of the forest lets anything thrive, from within or without.”
Twilight nodded. “Of course… The forest is teeming with flora from all over the world, and specimens that can’t be found anywhere else. I knew you lived there because there was a steady supply of potion ingredients, but I never realized that you were there because you needed your own.”
“Yes… but three weeks ago, I awoke one night to a thunderous crash, and found that my Ashmed was now merely ash.” Zecora shook her head, a certain degree of embarrassment in her voice as she implied she had failed to store an emergency stockpile of the vital medicine. “I spent days to discover what had gone wrong, but I could not salvage even a single prong. So, I mailed letters home, and replies were sent… As for the promised supplies, I have no clue where they went.” Zecora took a sip of her tea and sighed. “What you brought in that gourd may last me a week. But when it runs out... the sight will not be for the meek.”
“Oh! That reminds me! Wait here!” Twilight got up and dashed off, the sound of a door opening and closing as the zebra did as bid. After waiting patiently for her to return, a wrapped bundle levitating beside her was set down on the table before a smiling Twilight bid her to open it. “He said to give this to you.”
Zecora’s heart all but skipped a beat as she peeled back the package’s wrapper, exposing a bushel of fresh grey prongs, less than a day old, it seemed, with a small note on the bundle, which she brought up in a hoof quickly before Twilight could catch sight of what was written on it.
It’s not everyday one sends a bouquet of poisonous ferns to try and make amends, but I suppose there is a first time for everything. I do not know how long you were standing there, and I’m sorry if what you heard that day scared you, but while I cannot honestly deny all of Anasi’s words, I promise that what she had to say was not the whole truth. If you ever want to talk about what happened, or if you ever need help, press the button. If not, then I can promise that you will never see me again.
I cannot express in words how truly, deeply sorry I am that events came to pass as they did.
I never wanted to frighten you.
Until next we meet, should you deem it to be so,
-- The Doctor
“What does it say?” Twilight asked, taking note of how Zecora folded the message, and looking into the package to find a device of metal and plastic tied to the bundle of Ashmed, half the size of a hoof. A large blue button was set into the front of it.
“It is not polite to… That is, I should not say,” the sagely mare caught herself, amazed that she had been thrown off enough to nearly run into a sentence without a prepared rhyme in mind. “How… did you meet him, anyway?”
“The Doctor? Well, he’s… obviously a very… unique pony,” Twilight answered, a small smile on her muzzle that told Zecora far more than the unicorn may have intended. “He just kind of… fell out of the sky… and life just hasn’t been the same since.” The unicorn student looked up to the elder mare, a sudden look of hesitation crossing her face before she seemed to make up her mind and steeled herself. “You could find out for yourself, you know. Travel again? I mean, like you used to.”
“Hypocritical as it may sound, Twilight, with words, do not play. Just please come out with what you wish to say.”
“Well… I mean… you know… I’m just saying that you could… come with us.” Zecora kept her expression blank as the younger mare continued. “I know you’ve already had to have some suspicions about what we’re doing with him. I mean, you have to… after what happened in Stone-Water all those years ago and what happened yesterday. And I doubt the Princess would mind. So… come with us; with him. We can explain everything.”
Zecora bit her lip, clearly conflicted. “Tempting… Very tempting… but I must decline all the same. Adventures like that are a young mare’s game.”
“But you’re not that much older than we are.” Twilight drew back, not wanting to push herself or reveal too much, but clearly thrown off by the scholarly zebra’s refusal. “And there’s so much that we could both learn… That we could both benefit from.”
“My days of adventure are in the past, Twilight. And, honestly, what you are doing… it fills me with fright,” Zecora explained carefully, finishing her tea and setting it down before scooping up the bushel of Ashmed and setting the package carefully over her back. “I am so grateful to you, my dearest horned friend. And you know if you need me, I will be there till the end. But this stallion you run with, charging into danger most dire… Be wary around him, for he is like fire.”
Zecora sighed, making her way back to the library foyer with Twilight following her, clearly distraught by the zebra’s answer.
“Thank you so much, for the tea and your care… but to follow him with you, this I do not dare,” Zecora stated, moving to the door and opening it. “And so I bid you farewell and goodnight… and ask you take to heart my warning, Twilight.”
“Zecora…” Twilight started, causing the zebra to pause at the threshold. “Yester… I mean, twenty-six years ago, in Stone-Water, you said you had something you had to tell me. Something about the Doctor.” The zebra looked over her shoulder, a troubled gleam in her eye as she appraised the upset unicorn behind her. “…What was it?”
Zecora lowered her gaze, her tone soft and dark. “All those years ago, when we first met? I am sorry, Twilight… but… I forget.”
And with that, the zebra departed for the forest that was her home, leaving Twilight Sparkle standing in the doorway of the Books and Branches, a sad expression in her eyes as she came to a depressing conclusion.
For the first time since she had known the zebra... Zecora had just lied to her.
————————
Fluttershy’s Cottage
Outskirts of Ponyville
11:30 p.m.
Fluttershy yawned, eyes half-lidded as she maneuvered several bowls around the floor of her living room and filled them, ignoring the sting coming from the bandage on her arm where the hospital had stuck her with an IV while she had been passed out.
“There we go, everyone...” she muttered sleepily as the last bowl was filled, letting her replace the bag of pet food in her cabinet while several of her nocturnal animals, a few possums, a pair of owls, a honey badger, and a fox, move up and began to munch away happily.
Then, a soft squeak brought her attention up towards a perch where a few small bats were watching her, though they seemed hesitant to impose.
“Oh, right. Sorry, girls. Just one moment, I have a nice mango here for you,” Fluttershy told the fruit bats, her tone kind but worn as she moved into the kitchen, returning with a split bit of tropical fruit. Standing on her hind legs to set it into the bat’s food dish, she removed the pit of the large plum she had given them the night before last, and replaced it.
As tired and sore as she was, Fluttershy knew that these poor critters had been waiting for her to come home, since she had neglected to leave any notes for anypony to come and take care of them while she was...
The yellow pegasus shuddered and winced, her heart suddenly racing as she moved away from the animals happily munching away, finding her couch in the dimly lit room. There, a snow-white bunny watched her, concern in his eyes as he had clearly noticed something was off with his owner since she had come home earlier that day.
It was clear as she lay down on the chaise lounge, Angel moving to snuggle against her chest comfortingly, that he had been expecting something like this to happen all day.
It was there, in the middle of a mundane, completely normal task that she carried out just about every single night, that everything hit her at once. Everything she had seen, all the pain and suffering, the frightening, terrifying things...
Fluttershy gritted her teeth as tears welled up in her eyes.
Twilight had explained it all away as the result of intense study, finding an obscure reference to Zecora’s hidden affliction deep in the library’s collection. And while she was laying on the hospital bed, she had nodded along as the unicorn boldfacedly lied to the doctors that her state was due to having been up all through the night brewing up the treatment that had drained the venom from Zecora.
Fluttershy didn’t think that they believed Twilight at all, but they also didn’t press the subject. Nopony wanted to talk about what had happened in front of the hospital or the reason why a section of the grounds had been reduced to a dry, blackened husk of earth. No, they had let her go home after they had made sure she was hydrated and informed her to take it easy and get plenty to eat over the next few days.
And that was supposed to be that.
“...I was so scared, Angel.” Fluttershy grasped the little white bunny close to her in a tight, affirming hug. “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I didn’t... I didn’t know that...”
——
“Now, if you want to come with me, I should warn you. It’s not for everybody. It won’t be quiet. It won’t be easy. It won’t be safe. It won’t be calm… If you come with me, it will change. Your. Life.”
——
Didn’t she?
Fluttershy took a breath.
He had told them, that night when they had first really met him. He told them it would be dangerous. He had given her a chance to walk away, but she had chosen not to.
She could have stayed at the hospital... but she had chosen not to.
She could have stopped at the entrance of the secret tunnel into Thunder Drum... but she had chosen not to.
She could have remained in that corridor after watching her friends fall into the blackened pit... but she had chosen not to.
And if she had... If she had just once given in to the terrible fear in her heart... she would have lost them.
*knock-knock-knock-knock*
Fluttershy gasped, looking around for a moment before recognizing the knock at her door. Drying her eyes quickly and easing the still concerned-looking Angel from his spot, she moved to the door, unsure who would possibly be visiting at this hour.
Grasping the handle, she pulled it open, and promptly froze in place.
“Hello, Fluttershy.”
“...Doctor?” The yellow pegasus shook her head, trying (and failing) not to show how surprised she was that the Time Pony had come out. He didn’t have his goggles or his vest on, just the hoofband with the watch and the sonic screwdriver that she promised herself she would never ever touch again.
It was strange now to see him in the fur like this, like any other pony, almost, particularly after watching how he handled the likes of a monster such as Anasi. She leaned her head to the side slightly, taking note of the blue police box sitting behind him before eyeing him suspiciously as he ran a nervous hoof through his mane.
“I didn’t wake you, did I? I’m still not entirely used to this idea of sleeping according to a schedule,” he offered apologetically. “Goes with the territory of only needing two hours of sleep a day. Rather throws off all concept of scheduling around it, especially when you have to set up that schedule based on linear diurnal cycle. Of course, I guess it makes sense that you wouldn’t be up as it’s almost midnight and... am I rambling?”
“A little.” Fluttershy nodded, leaning against the door, unsure of herself. “But no, I wasn’t sleeping. I was feeding my animals, the nocturnal ones.”
“Right... I, um...” The brown stallion huffed, clearly thrown off, although by what, Fluttershy couldn’t say. “I... have something I want to show you.” Fluttershy looked past the Time Pony again, towards the blue box that was sitting next to her fence. “Something I think you really need to see.”
“I don’t know, Doctor.” Fluttershy brought one hoof up to rub the side of her leg, looking away bashfully. “I don’t think I’m cut out for--”
“Just one last trip, if that’s you want... There doesn’t need to be any more if you don’t want to go,” the Doctor interrupted. “I know that giant spiders and crazy possessed zebras were not what you signed up for. But you dealt with it, and you did so very well. It takes a special kind of courage to do what I watched you do yesterday... And I wasn’t lying when I said that I was impressed.”
Fluttershy looked up to the stallion’s eyes. So sad... but from what she could judge... sincere.
“Will it be dangerous?” Fluttershy asked, looking to Angel for a moment, the bunny shaking his head frantically, trying to convince her not to go.
“No.”
“You promise?”
The stallion’s eyes softened, a small, kind smile playing over his snout as he offered his hoof. “Trust me.”
Fluttershy stood still for a moment, watching his hoof... before reaching out to take it.
————————
The TARDIS
-In Transit-
There was no violent shaking this time as the Doctor moved around the console in the center of his time machine, and for that Fluttershy was grateful, looking around as she considered the inside of the TARDIS closely for the first time.
She had never been in here with him alone before. There had always been somepony else, Twilight or the other girls, to distract her, talking about this or that. But as she didn’t want to disturb the Doctor while he worked the console, its lyrical breath-like sound echoing throughout the chamber, she did have to admit that the inside of the TARDIS was... remarkably beautiful.
“We’re here,” the Doctor stated after a moment, his tone still neutral and subdued as if he were trying to keep from frightening her.
“It didn’t shake,” Fluttershy voiced aloud, looking around. “Why didn’t it shake?”
“Because we didn’t go all that far, and we didn’t move in time, only space,” the Doctor explained, stepping up past her towards the door. “After all that you’ve been through, and after the lengths you took to save Zecora, I just thought that it would be a good idea for you to see this.”
“To see what, Doctor?” The yellow pegasus hesitantly moved up towards the doorway.
The Time Lord turned to her, standing up on his hind legs as he took hold of the handles. “What you helped make possible.”
And he moved back, pulling the door inward as bright sunlight filled the TARDIS interior.
————————
Zebrica Plains
31st of Summer, 1001 C.R., 12:00 p.m. (local time)
Fields of golden grass swayed in the warm, gentle breeze as Fluttershy emerged from the doors of the TARDIS, a look of shock playing over her face as the majestic fields seemed to roll on forever. A small lake was perched off to one side, lined with various creatures the likes of which she had never seen before outside of books, from house-sized orange and brown-coated giraffes, to rounded hippos, to smaller meerkats that darted quickly around at the edge of the waterhole.
In the distance, a set of large acacia trees could be seen, their tops green and full of life as the landscape was suddenly given a context that Fluttershy’s brain still took several seconds to recognize.
“This... this is where we landed before... when we first came to Zebrica...” She sounded stunned, her memories of the dry, desolate wasteland nearly impossible to accept as she watched the breeze ripple in the grass.
“Twenty-six years later.” The Doctor smiled, more interested in watching her reaction than the scenery, although she did not notice as the dullness in her eyes gave way to an amazed sparkle.
With one hoof, the Doctor waved towards the grassy fields, his sonic screwdriver giving a short, curt buzz. Immediately, the grass erupted with motion as hundreds of birds rushed forth, taking wing as something disturbed them from their hiding place. Their bright white feathers rippled in the sun as Fluttershy squealed in delight, her hooves shooting to her mouth in wonder.
The Time Lord smiled warmly, saying nothing.
————————
Everything happened so quickly after that moment that Fluttershy felt herself caught in a haze, like a dream that was too good to be real.
She and the Doctor moved along the Plains, the soft grass underhoof springing under their steps as they walked to a path worn with travel. They followed it a short distance to a camp-like village out in the open, amazed at the sight of dozens of zebras out in the sun. Fillies and foals of all ages were playing freely while the tents were occupied with older black-striped equines going about their business.
A single sentry, a toned stallion armed with a spear and a hoof-mounted dart gun, stopped them as they approached, but quickly bowed out of the way upon what was clearly recognition of the Hourglass Stallion, who explained to Fluttershy that he had visited earlier to check on things there.
Almost immediately upon entering the village itself, rather than receiving the cold shoulder like before, the two ponies were set upon by a dozen friendly young foals, who were all eager to meet and make friends. Taken and amazed by the pegasus’ wings, Fluttershy soon found herself the center of attention and much to her own shock, did not mind as the Doctor was approached by a familiar-looking older stallion.
His grey stripes were jagged across his body as a large shawl-like cape was set over his back, covering him from withers to dock and down his sides. The large mohawk identified the now past middle-aged Zulu to Fluttershy, realizing that, like Zecora, he covered up the marks where he had been bitten. She then found herself gripped in a powerful surprise hug from another Ash-Stripe, an elderly mare quick to explain to the gathered foals that they were in the presence of the one who had saved her life and all of their parents. Amazed at how much healthier she looked in spite of her now advancing age, Fluttershy soon after embraced Tagati like a lost sister.
As Fluttershy was introduced to Tagati’s grandfoals and all of their friends, each eager to show off as only children could, Zulu stood next to the Doctor.
“I almost did not believe what you say,” Zulu stated, his voice having grown deeper and wiser over the years that had passed. “But like yourself, she has not aged a day.”
“Oh, I don’t know... a day seems about right.” The Doctor couldn’t help but smile as Fluttershy was shown how to call the glittering white birds from hiding, one moving to land on her shoulder while another was drawn to perch atop her head.
“I did not expect to see you again so soon. But I suppose the magic of your kind allows such a boon.”
“Weeeeeell, you know, figured you'd want an update on things, and the mailing system seems to be all bungled between here and Equestria at the moment.” The Doctor nodded. “She’s fine, by the way. I’m sure Zecora will be writing to you soon. That package of Ashmed you gave me last time I was here should do the trick until she can grow her next crop. Way I figure it, she should be getting it just about now, if she hasn’t already.”
Zulu let out a relieved sigh, watching as one of his daughters, only ten years old, moved onto Fluttershy’s back, inciting the others to plead for a tale of the pony’s part in heroism. While Fluttershy finally seemed a little overwhelmed by the attention, she was saved by a clear intervention by Tagati, who quickly moved to corral the rambunctious foals.
“It does my heart good to hear she is well,” he said. “I was fearing the worst, when we learned she received not our mail. Her distance from home disturbs me still...” The zebra looked to the Hourglass Stallion, his expression clearly one of concern. “Can you say if she will come home from this ‘Ponyville’?”
“I rather doubt it, Zulu.” The Doctor shook his head. “To her, Ponyville is home. She has a life there and friends who care deeply for her.” His tone dropped, watching in muted awe at something so simple as a kind yellow pegasus laugh as she played a silly game with the foals, all of whom owed their lives to her actions. “Friends that would do anything for her,” he finished, his tone bordering on nostalgic.
“Doubt this for not even one moment, I do.” Zulu took in a breath, smiling as he watched on, clearly taking pride in the accomplishments made possible by the stallion at his side. “Fortunate your friends are... to know a pony like you.”
The Doctor’s smile faded, causing him to look to the side and away while Zulu continued to watch his children pester and play with the Fluttershy.
“Yeah... a friend like me...” the Doctor said weakly, his mind clearly not in the moment.
————————
Inside the TARDIS, up the stairs, down a set of twisting corridors and behind a small, unassuming door fitted with a triple-deadlock, was a heavy strongbox, in which three documents lay: An opened envelope with its message folded inside, a quickly jotted down paper on which was transcribed a message blown to kingdom come, and a scroll which was laid open, its faulty clasp apparently broken at precisely the right moment for its reader to take note of it.
Although their meaning was unknown, as was the mysterious circumstances of their delivery, there was no doubt in the mind of the TARDIS’ owner that they had some terrible significance that he just could not yet make out.
The most recent message remained open in the box, its words exposed for any who might see...
The Clock Strikes Three: Friendship will Fail
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beautiful.
Very good! Keep it up, looking foreward to more.
Looking forward too the trailer. Guess Rarity is one of the next companion's? The season-trailer showed Pinkie and Rarity together...hope that's the next one. The trailer comes 1 September according to your blog-post, is that still correct (this chapter arrives on the 30st, instead the 31st...)
So instead of The Silence, the Doctor has to fight The Friendship? That's weird...
He is like fire, burning through time; As old as forever, but fast in his prime...
1186536 Nope. Friendship doesn't fall... it 'fails'. At least that's what the note says.
"He is like Fire and Ice and Rage... he is ancient and forever... and.. he's wonderful."
A lovely ending to the episode!
Gosh, that ending isn't ominous at all. I'm sure it means something completely innocent.
Or something horrible is going to happen!
Great fic! I can't wait for more and salute you greatly sir and/or ma'am. Three cheers for you, you magnificent person. Or three hurrahs, if you'd prefer.,
*hits the fast forward to see what happens next*
... And we have a returning enemy from the 3rd Doctor. Coincidence? I think not!
Good God that was excellent.
I had a hard time believing you could equal 'Game of Stones' with this story, but I'll be damned if you didn't manage it and then some.
I have read, and even enjoyed, published authors who don't have your skill.
Well done, indeed.
A very lovely ending to the episode indeed. It helps to add to the suspense about what all these messages are really for, and that's something I rather enjoy; helps to make it seem more like a real DW episode (saying this as I watch one right now).
1186885 I couldn't agree more. You, ma'am, are brilliant.
1186552
My bad. Also, I was referring to the Chameleon Circuit song Awful Lot of Running.
NEXT TIME ON GAME GRUMPS : We travel through time...and space...and seven asses.
CMOH right here!
So Twilight accomplished something that should be physically impossible for anyone... troubling
Something sinister is approaching!
I must say, you are a master of writing.
This surpassed Game of Stones, which was friggin' amazing. You are a god at writing crossovers.
He's like fire and ice and rage
a friend of mine wrote that i thought it was amazing
He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun
He Burns at the center of time and can see the turn of the universe
What Twilight found about the gelding was indeed frightening and makes the matter more serious because that means that the one who put it on her knew that. What says on the last letter, that friendship will fail............oh dear. For what I get the meaning is not that the friendship will breakup but that despite it's there it will not be enough. Man that's gotta be awesome. Keep up the good work ^^
Everytime a character reads a book (not out lound) and the Setting Markers appear, I keep hearing them in Morgan Sheppard's (the narrator from Civ V, I think) voice and the Law and Order sting for the Setting Markers. I still see 'incomplete' so I guess that means we get a preview like in a Doctor Who episode? Oh, and you made the Doctor knock four times at Fluttershy's cottage...
Brilliantly done Loyal. Brilliantly done indeed.
So, Twilight didn't manage to set off flags by showing up covered in arcane symbols in front of the arbiter and asking about the gelding?
The Doctor knocked four times.
bad karma
1189964 She had them washed off in the chapter when the "ice-volcano" explodes.
1190064 They don't wash off. She overwhelmed them with incomprehensible levels of magic, which bleached her fur in the patterns instead. Even with a bleaching at the spa the discoloration was still there.
1189964 Her meeting with Arbiter Squeak was 'after' her trip to the Spa, where she had her fur 'bleached' to lighten her color, thus, no evidence of the gelding remained. It does stand to reason she did that 'specifically' to avoid sending up red flags... but when the personal student of the powerful and wise Princess Celestia walks up and starts asking about what would likely be a morally ambiguous, scandalous, and controversial form of punishment... well, that's enough to make any law maker concerned.
Especially considering that it's a punishment inflicted onto Unicorns 'by' earth ponies (implied that Arbiters are more or less all Earth Ponies)
1190136 Ah, I see. I misread where you said it, thought that the discoloration still remained slightly.
1190155 No, except to say that her ENTIRE coat was slightly off color. She's a bit of a lighter shade of purple. A PERCEPTIBLY PEERLESS PERIWINKLE PONY!
BRILLIANT, MY GOOD FELLOW!
1190178 Alliteration is best writing form.
You know, I think Moffet and Davies would be proud if they read these, to say nothing of how giddy Tennent and Smith would be. Their grins would be most formidable 
If any one of those four people... or anybody like Billie Piper or Karen Gillian were to even BOTHER to read something by a nopony like me, I think I would die of heart failure.
* *squee*. As for what you say, I appreciate it. If only my original works could gain such support. 
yeah, I love Chameleon Circuit.
1186885 *JUST Realized who you are* OMGOMGOMG! THE AUTHOR OF DRESDEN FILLIES READS MY WORK!!!! *
1186798 Coincidence? What is this you speak of? The Doctor knows that there is no such thing as 'Coincidence'. It is a myth. Like the Loch Ness Monster... wait... you mean that the Doctor dealt with that one...with Sarah Jane?
1186536 'I saw his blue space-ship materialize... He looked out and said to me 'RUN FOR YOUR LIFE'.
1189176 Your friend was Dr. Who writer Paul Cornell? Who wrote 'The Family of Blood' Episode?
1190321
It's nice to be apprectiated, but, ya' know, you're one of my favorite authors as well. And while I love far too many stories to chose a single favorite, Doctors Whooves is my favorite series.
I just don't tend to comment on the things I like. A habit I am attempting to break.
I have the feeling I would be saying the same thing about my original stories if they were anything more than a few scribbled outlines and crazy dreams.
In regard to lady eclipse and Paul Cornell it's funny that she'd quote that episode because I was watching it just earlier today. Life's funny isn't it?
Well...... now we need MOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR
1190702 GAHHH! THE FANS! THEY ARE INSATIABLE!!! *attempts to work faster... then falls over in a classic rarity-faint*
1190755 We are the Fans. Your writing skills and charachter's shall be judged. Resistance is futile.
This. Is. WONDERFUL
It feels like the actuall seires, keep it up
Also I am very scared of this black writing
1190082 *re-reads*
The Wii tends to leave some parts out when it can't load more than 10k words. I've missed quite a bit in the last 3 chapters actually.
1190321 You forgot the last part of my comment, Loyal!
...seriously, someone commission ocarinaplaya or someone to make an animation and then have keiko-and-gilly and so e others voice the characters, and we have a soup á la awesome.
Excellent work, Madame. I do pray that you will continue swiftly.
I have no idea how you manage to craft such engaging stories, but for the love of gods don't stop! I eagerly await your next project.
1190755 If you get a moment, do check out the one little snippet I've posted. It's the epilogue to a story I have in mind. What's nice about it is that it doesn't reveal too much about the preceeding story idea, only a post-script which wraps up certain clues the Doctor would get in my narrative if I ever get the time (and patience) to write out the whole thing.
It follows in the vein of how I like to do things. Even a creature like Discord has a mortal weakness. It's just a matter of finding it. Only a few beings in my head canon are truly all-powerful. But they tend to be disinterested in such things as domination and conquest. They merely shepherd things as needed to keep the multiverse going. Really, when one is really omnipotent and omniscient, what is the point of being a jerk? The White Guardian I see as one of those.
very nice. and is this going to be like the 4 knocks thing?
WOOOO let us keep this marathon going
3 of your amazing stories in 2 days.
And thank you for the head canon addition, i never thought that Zecora could be so much older than the mane 6. But if my math is correct (which it usually isn't) she's about 10ish years older than them. I like it.
It has been an honor to read such masterful works, i wish you the best of luck continuing this astounding series.
You, madam le unicorn, are brilliant...
I could just kiss you right now, brilliant...
DONT STOP WRITING THESE!!!
Arrgh... I just read all 3 of these in a week, and I am now impossibly depressed that I need to wait for a new one. Well, for more chapters of the new one, at least.
The overlaying plot with the objects out of their time zone, and the notes is such a cliffhanger. Damn you, Loyal2Luna. But I still love you. Keep it up, ma'am!
1234230. I certainly hope so!
What is pootis?
1829587
Pootis? Ever played Team Fortress 2?If you have, try using Heavy Weapons Guy, and use the voice command Need Dispenser. He says "Put dispenser here", but his Russian accent makes it sound like "Pootis Spenser Here"
When I read 'he is like fire' I immediately thought of the song 'An Awful Lot Of Running', by Chameleon Circuit.
If you can not smile while reading this epilog... get help. while reading this, my reaction is [youtube=Rainbow Dash - I- I- I love reading!... I'm an egghead ]
Minus the horror of eggheadness
How you manage to keep the ENTIRETY of these stories an emotional roller-coaster is just...beyond me!