Doctor Whooves - The Series: Episode Three - Along Came a Spider

by Loyal2Luna

Ch. 8: Whom the Gods Fear

Chapter Eight: Whom the Gods Fear

Pranceton Plainsboro Memorial Hospital, Courtyard
Ponyville, Everfree Province of Equestria
30th of Summer, 1001 C.R. (Celestia's Reign), 2:53 p.m.

The overcast sky seemed to reflect the mood that held sway over Pranceton Plainsboro this afternoon, as if the weather schedule had coincided perfectly with the terrible duty that had befallen several members of the hospital’s staff as they moved silently out into the grounds. As one of his fellow practitioners held open the door, Doctor Stable moved into the open with a straight, practiced face, hiding any concerns or disagreements with what he saw as a terrible mistake made on behalf of a pained -- although still clearly competent -- patient.

Behind him was Big Macintosh, the red giant of a pony moving with his head bowed and his tail hanging limply. In spite of being well known across Ponyville as a stallion of few words, his silence now seemed forced, as if he was biting his tongue to hold back his own objection to the wishes that had been made quite clear to him.

Nurse Redheart came out last, bringing up the rear of the morose procession, awkwardly and slowly moving on her hindhooves as she maintained a firm grip on the wheelchair carrying her patient.

And seated in the wheelchair, stripped of her hospital gown, was the grey-striped zebra whose entire body was covered in a web of pulsing green lines, gritting her teeth as she contained her cries of pain. She hardly seemed aware of her surroundings as her limbs twitched in spite of herself, feeling a sensation like crushed glass being ground across every inch of her skin while the venom in her veins sapped whatever moisture was left in her body.

For the majority of her life, Zecora had prepared for the possibility of falling prey to this third and final stage of her condition. She had heard tales of the sort of pain that came with it from Toian, the only zebra to her knowledge that had reached and endured the third stage of the Bite and yet survive it. The same colt that she had so recklessly rushed to save with a potion she wasn’t even sure would work at the time. Unbidden, the events of the day that she had earned her cutie mark came to the front of her mind, causing her to shudder yet again. For years, she had thought that was as prepared as a mare could be, both physically and mentally, should the day come.

She fought to maintain herself, using the techniques of meditation and mental fortification that she had learned in her more youthful years of travel across Equis; bringing together the pain and unpleasant sensations into a dark, faraway corner of her thoughts and walling them off from her conscious mind, distancing herself from the physical world.

It was just barely enough to keep her from incoherently gibbering and wailing like a day-old filly.

The wheelchair stopped, the zebra jarred from her introspection as she drew in a ragged breath and opened her eyes, which had been clenched shut for the duration of the trip.

The sun was obscured in overcast, and for that she was glad. At least she didn’t have to contend with the midsummer glare as she craned her neck, the terrible shock of her initial, swollen bite wound lost in the sea of pain. The circling feathered figure overhead reflected in her watering eyes, filling her with a dread that was as instinctual to a zebra as breathing.

“Y'all sure ‘bout this?” came a soft accent-laden voice at her side, clearly taking note of her reaction.

“H… help… meEEEee…” Zecora couldn’t contain a whine as it forced its way into her voice, confusing the stallion for a moment before she tried to move forward, holding out one hoof.

Swallowing hard, Big Mac reached out, gripping her as gently as he could and wincing when his touch elicited a muffled gasp of pain. Every brush against her skin was akin to knives digging into her as she was softly drawn off of the wheelchair and down onto the perfectly maintained and manicured grass.

She wanted nothing more than to flop down on her side; to surrender and just let the end come down to her. But after all she had endured, she was determined to live up to her own expectations and maintain her composure, even now.

Drawing her legs underneath her, she lay on them in a forced, dignified manner and brought her head up through sheer strength of will as she looked up to Big Macintosh.

“Now… get back,” she told him.

“Zecora…” Big Macintosh started.

“Whatever… h-happens… now…” She caught her breath, fighting to keep the whine out of her voice. “Do… not interfere.”

The red farm stallion opened his mouth to say something, but found no words. Even if he could not understand her customs or her need to do this, he nodded, respecting her wishes as he drew back.

She followed him with her eyes. The physician, a pony of medicine, and the nurse, a mare with a well-earned namesake, stood back as they had been bid. One, a picture of professional discipline, the other, barely keeping back her tears.

But the yellow filly with the bow and her friends were nowhere to be seen. Zecora wasn’t sure if she should be grateful or disappointed in that, but as she had stated before, it was their choice.

Fighting back the agony, Zecora turned and looked skyward again, her Roc’s circle growing tighter as it prepared to dive, clearly watching for signs of unexpected trouble.

“Here I am. You have found me,” she uttered under her breath, her shoulders and chest shivering uncontrollably as she fought for every lungful of air. She had waited twenty-six years to learn how this story would end. “...So, what are you waiting for?”

The zebra’s heart raced as her Roc pulled its wings back and wheeled around, throwing itself into a dive with obsidian talons outstretched.

————————
Stone-Water Village
Zebrica Plains
71st of Spring, 975 C.R., 2:48 p.m.

*CRACK*
*CRRRSSSHHHHH*

The zebra herds watched in terror as Thunder Drum shuddered, the sound of crashing thunder enough to send chills into the heart of the bravest of equines.

Some ran away, seeking shelter in the huts of the village, while others broke down pleading for the aid of spirits long uninvoked. And still more stood their ground, entranced by the Plains’ shaking display of power that unfolded before them as the ground vibrated under their hooves and the Rocs screeched overhead.

But all of that paled in comparison to what came next.

*THOOOOOM*

The pointed peak of Thunder Drum exploded upward, a billowing cloud of white rushing up and into the sky.

The ground shook violently as the zebras clung to one another, trying to keep their hooves.

And then... there was silence.

Teaka looked about, trying to get her bearings as many of her herdmates also stood, looks of confusion on their faces. One colt and filly in particular drew her attention: the recently bite-recovered Toian and the filly Evoria holding each other in their forelegs.

“What…?” Teaka began before she felt a shockwave wash over her fur, the impact making the surrounding huts groan and creak, and knocking some zebras clean off their hooves.

An instant later...

*BOOOOOOOOOM*

It happened miles away, but on the horizon, a spectacle unseen by any creature in living memory unfolded, the sheer shock and enormity of the explosion drawing every set of eyes to the south.

The Plains were rippling, thrown up at sharp angles in some places as other areas fell. And bursting forth, sculpting the very face of Zebrica’s southern plains, the subtle hills ripped open as massive geysers of white mist tore the barren landscape asunder with power on a scale unfathomable by the equine mind, devastating everything for miles out towards the horizon.

"SCREEEEEEE!"

Teaka’s eyes went wide as she tore them from the overwhelming display to see the murder of Rocs overhead begin to break up. Shafts of pale sunlight began to penetrate the mass of black feathers as the densely packed birds swiftly dispersed outwards in all directions, even as their frenzied motions were swallowed up in the billowing mist. In a matter of moments, the cloud-like layer of black doom that hung over the mountain was completely replaced by one of thick, dreary grey.

*drip*

The zebra mare gasped as something struck her in the eye, making her recoil with shock for a moment as she blinked away the sting. She stood there, confused, as her vision cleared, and then gaped upward again in stunned realization...

...as the sky itself began to weep.

————————
Thunder Drum Mountain, Foothills
Zebrica Plains
3:05 p.m.

Cold, pure water streamed down Twilight Sparkle’s body as she began to stir, her eyes opening slowly and her mind reeling. There was no headache this time, which was a nice change of pace, but then again, she supposed that being dead might put her beyond the reach of empirically measurable pain.

Wait, was it supposed to rain in the afterlife?

Twilight raised her head, her coat and flank soaked and messy as she realized a good inch and a half of standing water was pooled on the muddy ground, an downpour was streaming from the white cloudy sky.

The sky? She was back on the surface?

The final moments she'd experienced before she blacked out rushed back to Twilight, causing her to twist and look around. Only a few feet away, her yellow pegasus friend was also stirring, blinking in surprise as she tried to wipe away the mud that was clinging to her front. And two now familiar zebras, a mare and a stallion, were trying to help a third young zebra stallion to his hooves. The cold water was evidently doing little to ease his pain as she noted the green tracks from his multiple bite wounds had grown, nearly encompassing his entire body.

How long had they been out? Twilight couldn’t be sure, but it must have been some time for Zulu’s symptoms to have developed so quickly.

“Um… Twilight?” Fluttershy stated timidly, looking about and blinking as she set her hooves to her head. “W…what happened?”

Twilight turned about with a puzzled expression a moment before sparing a look at her forelegs and gasping as she took note of a lighter pattern of fur that spiraled around her coat following the path that had been occupied by black bands the last time she had checked.

Her mind reeled, trying to wrap her brain around Fluttershy’s question, though the only possible explanation was, according to everything she knew about magic and the unicorn body, completely impossible.

“I…” Twilight looked at her hooves a moment before standing, the rain running down her now flattened mane and washing the mud from her fur, looking back to take note of the mountain and village that were perhaps half a mile from where they were now. “I don’t know…”

“Zecora?” Twilight and Fluttershy turned to see the dangerously emaciated Tagati moving about, splashing around wildly with her searching eyes wide with concern. “Zecora!? Where is she!?”

Fluttershy gasped, turning about before lifting off the ground, her wings beating frantically as she scanned the area calling back down with a tone that matched the expression in her face. “She’s gone!”

Twilight sighed, shaking herself as much in frustration as to cast off excess water as she had another insight. “And she’s not the only one.”

————————

The rain had begun to slack in the southern plains of Zebrica, rendered unrecognizable by the sharp ridges and craters now dotting the landscape. Wisps of white vapor still occasionally escaped from the breaks in the ground where the cryoclastic geysers had broken through, hurling pulverized bits of broken crystal into the air.

As it was to the north in Stone-Water, the sudden outburst of water vapor, condensing to its liquid form, had pooled on top of the parched soil, slowly soaking in from the top even as the natural process of saturation from below began anew, the glacial caldera freed from its confinement to provide much-needed moisture to the land above it.

But unlike Stone-Water, the devastation that had brought water back to the Plains was not without a visible cost… as the floating corpses of hundreds of cold, curled arachnids lay out in the open, brought up from the caverns that had been their home by the overwhelming waves of icy pressure.

It was through this standing water that four brown legs trudged, leaving slight wakes as he took care to maneuver the semi-sentient creatures out of his path with each step. But even then, he did not slow, drawing closer towards a chunk that had been torn from the earth, forming pointed ridges over a hollow trench.

The Doctor did not pause as he heard a rasping gasp, the pain in the creature’s voice more than apparent as he continued forward, completely intent on confronting the creature that had ended up in the pit.

There, on her back, legs curled up and trembling as a blackened goo ran from her mandibles, lay a broken goddess, clinging to life in a field of cold, watery death. Her reflective black eyes mirrored the brown pony in his vest, the tool that brought an end to everything she had done set behind his ear to prevent it from being dragged through the mud.

“Unnngh…” Anasi managed weakly, attempting to reach out one injured leg towards the stallion in a transparent attempt to inflict whatever vengeful pain she could muster into his psyche… and failing miserably as she gasped for breath, sputtering up water and bile.

“That’s the second time I’ve seen a mountain blow its top on account of the Eight-Legs,” the earth pony stated coldly.

Anasi shivered and twitched, but kept her eyes on the stallion. “It’s you… isn’t it?” she gasped, gurgling for breath. “It is you.”

The Doctor was quiet as he nodded, standing over the enormous arachnid.

“I… met you once… on Metebelis III… I was in the council chamber… that day. The day you… slew the queen on Earth… destroyed the Great One… brought our empire… crashing down… murdered all of my sisters…” The spider’s tone was soft, lacking in the authority that it had attempted to project before, but its reverberation still allowed it to be easily heard. “How… did you find me?”

“Honestly? I had no idea you were even here. Not until I recognized the structure of your psychic lattice. What happened on Metebelis III was so long ago… Centuries for me. I almost didn’t pick up on it,” the Doctor explained, his voice strangely somber. “But the patterns were there. After all this time, you’re still following the same destructive path of blind power and domination.”

“So… you… came back for me? To finish… what you started?” the arachnid accused spitefully.

“Your ‘Great One’ was mad with power,” the Doctor said, his tone even and disapproving as he attempted to explain. “She tried to expand her mind across the whole of the universe. The crystal web she created caused a positive feedback loop, and she destroyed herself, even as she tried to redirect the pain onto the rest of your species across the psychic link you shared.”

Anasi coughed again, gasping for breath as she chittered angrily. “You come to me now… after what you did today… to try and convince me of your ‘innocence’... in the destruction of my kind!?”

“I tried to save her.” The stallion shook his head, his memories of the last hours of his third life vividly playing before his eyes as he considered every misstep that had led to his second actual death and third regeneration.

“Keep your pity and nostalgic regrets to yourself, Time Lord… I do not care what you claim you tried to do… only what you did do.”

“As you wish…” the Time Lord acquiesced, steeling himself and dismissing the painful memories as he got to the heart of the matter. “How did you even get here, Anasi? Your kind had the ability to flitter across time and space, but you needed massive amounts of psychic energy to do that. And into a different universe? That was far beyond your species’ ability. Hell, even my people couldn’t do so, except for a few accidents, and those were under incredible circumstances.”

Anasi panted for a moment, staying silent as she seemed to gather herself. “...There were… cracks… in time...”

The Doctor felt both of his hearts freeze up.

“I fell through one of them in my agony… as the Great One died… and our crystal caverns were destroyed. I fell into the Void… into the great whiteness of the abstract between universes, where all is and yet is not,” Anasi continued, her gasping accompanied by harsh twitching. “And then, a great explosion cast me off… Like a leaf upon the tide… And I floated in the whiteness, where time was irrelevant, where distance was meaningless… until I fell... Pulled into this reality. I was brought here… to this world populated by these… pathetic Four-Legs.”

“Brought here?” The Time Lord stifled a gasp, managing to keep his stern expression. “By what?”

“I… do not know. It was a power… a mind… greater than any I had ever felt. It dwarfed even the Great One at the peak of her might.” The arachnid's voice betrayed her fear. “It... told me... that I could… that I could become as the Great One was… That I could have all I desired: my own brood, the powers of the mind, and slaves in the form of the four-legged zebra creatures... All I had to do... was follow instructions… Plant the crystals and tend to them as they grew… that my new kingdom would rise from their seeds.”

“And the other spiders?” The Doctor flicked his hoof to the side, making note of the bodies floating around in the standing water.

“Mutants… Hybrid offspring… between myself and the ice spiders that were native to the glacier caverns. Mindless wretches with no will of their own and a fraction of my abilities… I bore them over the past century with the local arachnids… different castes for different tasks. Biters and Webspinners and Hunters… Such a disgusting need… but they gave me the advantage I required… Enough to make contact with the striped creatures… to bring them into my thrall… to begin to rebuild my empire… to become… the new Great One!”

“Rebuild an empire?” The stallion barely restrained himself as his hearts rushed, his anger threatening to lash out and show a side of himself that he would prefer to keep locked away. “You destroyed their way of life, murdered their families and foals… You tried to enslave them, and for what!? Mindless conquest!?”

Anasi gurgled, her response cut off as she tried to expel the buildup of fluids in her throat. The injuries sustained during her forceful ejection from the caverns were quickly catching up with her.

“Well, it’s not going to happen, do you hear me, Anasi!?” The Doctor’s voice grew low and dangerous, a tone that had for so long struck terror into so many. “Not here. Not now. Not ever! This world is under my protection.”

“Oh, yes… Because you are… so very good… at protecting things.” The spider shuddered, chittering weakly. A sound that the Doctor was surprised to identify as a laugh.

“What’s so funny, Anasi?”

“You… 'The Doctor'… The last Time Lord. They all said you were… arrogant. Always playing... favorites. But this…?” Anasi spat, bile falling from her mandibles as she continued to chitter. “You have… no idea… what is coming.”

The Doctor’s anger faded as a new dread filled him at his former foe's words. “...The Time War was after your time… Long after. You can’t know about that.” The stallion’s voice became grave when as a more important realization struck him. “What are you talking about? What’s coming?”

“Did you think… that when I was called here… that I came through the void… alone?”

The spider coughed and shuddered painfully as a shadow passed overhead, drawing the Doctor’s attention upward, towards the large vulture-like bird that had been until now hidden in the thinning bank of white mist, turning in tight circles overhead. The Hourglass Stallion’s eyes widened with a terrible realization of the implications.

“Your time is almost up, Anasi. I implore you, take this chance to redeem yourself. Tell me what else followed you through the Abstract Plane! Tell me why they came to Equis! Why here!? Why this universe!?”

There was a moment of silence. Then, an angry, bloodcurdling hissing that could only be produced by the purest, most violent extreme of hate.

“R…redeem… How… how dare you… How… dare you!” Anasi nearly pulled herself over, but even her hate-fueled rage was not enough to overcome the damage done to her body, so she settled for shouting, bile and foam bubbling at her mandibles. “You have no business offering me… or any creature absolution! Do you think I have not heard!? Do you think I do not know… who you are, Doctor!?”

The stallion stood still, not retreating as he spared a glance skyward, taking note of the Roc folding its wings back and throwing itself into a dive towards them.

“You have the gall… to claim greater moral standing? You!? The creature that set a million worlds ablaze… who enacted the ruin of entire civilizations… the deaths of entire species at a whim… because they did not meet your approval!? The killer of his own kind!?”

“Anasi!” The Doctor splashed back a few steps as the Roc came down closer, but he plea fell on deaf ears.

“You… whose title echoes in eternity across the whole of the multiverse from the depths of the Medusa Cascade… Yes… I know who you are… Destroyer of Worlds!”

The Doctor flinched visibly at the title, a terrible memory jumping to the front of his mind; a memory from a bygone life, featuring the voice of the most vile, evil, hateful man he had ever encountered as he cursed the Time Lord with his final words.

“Don’t you dare… judge me... Doctor!” Anasi twisted violently.

"SCREEEEEEE!"

The Roc stopped short of the ground, pulling up suddenly with a precision that no organic creature should have been capable of as its talons ever so gently grazed over the sentient spider’s body, eliciting a loud, sharp gasp, but leaving her laying in place as the Roc took off again, its talons apparently empty.

“Don’t... you…” Anasi heaved, her legs twitching as she fought to draw in one more breath. But she failed, as her eight black eyes glazed over and a rattling sound escaped her mandibles. “...daaaaare…”

The enormous spider, the self-proclaimed Queen of All, went still…

...and did not move again.

The stallion released a breath that he had not even realized he had been holding. Sniffling slightly as he tried to still his hearts, he absently reached up to adjust his bow-tie in an attempt to steady himself, turning about… before he froze with a gasp.

Standing not ten feet away, a disheveled-looking zebra filly watched him with eyes wide open, the green mark bleeding through the bandage on her neck and an expression of pure, abject horror written across her face.

“Zecora…” the stallion started, his tone as soft as he could make it as he fought back the rising flood of sadness that the look in her eyes brought him. The cold, hard look in his own blue eyes gave in to a softer edge, but not quickly enough. The filly took a step back as he extended a hoof slowly. “It’s alright… Please…”

*SPLASH*

The filly dove away at full gallop, not looking back as she charged to the north as fast as her short legs could carry her.

The brown stallion stayed behind, now alone as he watched that remarkable, valiant young zebra mare flee from him in terror.

“…Please… don’t be afraid of me…” The Doctor bowed his head, falling back on his rump in the pooled water as he tried to push down the knot that had formed in his throat and block out the flood of terrible memories that threatened to overwhelm him.

The cycle of events had come full circle.

————————
Waiting Room
Pranceton Plainsboro Memorial Hospital
30th of Summer, 1001 C.R., 2:45 p.m.

“Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo moved up as the yellow filly shuffled into the waiting room, her head low and the redness in her eyes doubtfully a good sign. “What happened!?”

“They’re… they’re gonna take 'er outside. Out in the open,” the farm filly told her friends, her voice cracking and indicating that she had likely been spending much of the last half hour shouting in opposition of this decision while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle (neither of whom had an adult’s permission to be there) were swept out to the waiting area by one of the less "cheerful" nurses.

“For a stroll?” Sweetie Belle asked hopefully. “To get some sun?”

“No! They’re puttin’ 'er out fer that stupid bird ta swoop her up!” Apple Bloom stomped a hoof, her eyes clenched shut. “An’ she’s hurtin’ so bad that she’s the one tellin’ 'em ta do it! The shape she’s in, they might as well throw some garnish an' lemon juice on ‘er!”

“We gotta do something!” Scootaloo nodded in determination, tapping her chin. “But what?”

“I got it!” Sweetie perked up. “A brilliant idea!”

“YEAH!?” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom leaned forward, eager to hear what their unicorn friend had come up with.

“That’s what we need: a brilliant idea,” the white unicorn deadpanned, causing both of the other fillies to fall back.

“Oh! I know!" Scootaloo jumped to her hooves. "Maybe if we cover her in something smelly, the Roc won’t wanna eat her!”

“It’s a giant vulture, Scoots. Ah don’t think we can gross it out.” Applebloom shook her head. “Wait, maybe we can call in the Wonderbolts! They might know how ta deal with a giant bird!”

“They’re in Trottingham on their Equestrian Summer Tour,” Scootaloo informed her friend quickly. “Not even Rainbow Dash could cover that kind of distance quickly enough.”

“Trottingham? Oh! Wait, wait, I know!” Sweetie bounced slightly. “Pipsqueak’s dad! He’s a law pony for the Arbiter’s Court, right!? Maybe he can file some legal paper whatsit to tell the hospital they can’t take her out of here until she’s better!”

“Can Arbiters do that?”

“Yeah! Rarity told me that you never wanna make an Arbiter mad. Give them some time and they can sue the Princesses themselves if they get cranky. That’s why she never turns down a date offer from one.”

“Great idea… except that they’re gonna be wheelin' 'er out in, like, ten minutes! We don’t have time to wait fer Red Tape at City Hall!” Apple Bloom shook her head.

Sweetie cringed a bit. “Hey, don't bust down on Red Tape. I mean, cut the pony some slack, he’s just an intern. It’s not his fault the legal system in Ponyville is so slow.”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“Rarity also never turns down dates from aspiring Arbiters, just in case they might hold a grudge later.”

“Ugh, forget I asked. Okay, come on, girls. Crunch time! We need a clever plan!” Scootaloo struck her hooves together.

“Wait! Ah think Ah got one.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s fling a big rock at it!” Applebloom smiled, clearly taken with the idea of causing the bird some discomfort.

There was a moment of utter silence.

“...Let’s call that Plan B,” Scoots finally said. “Jeez, this planning stuff is harder than I thought.”

“What would a smart pony like Twilight do?” Sweetie asked, pacing back and forth.

“Twilight? Don’t get me started!” Apple Bloom huffed angrily. “She bailed out yesterday and never come back. We waited all this time thinkin’ she would come back with sumthin’, but…”

“Wait…” Sweetie stopped pacing, turning to Apple Bloom. “Twilight knows about this?”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom grunted. “Hay, she was Zecora’s prock-see when she first got here, back before Big Mac came in last night. Then she an' Fluttershy up an' disappeared and Ah ain’t seen hide nor hair a' neither of ‘em since!”

There was a silence between the three fillies.

“Apple Bloom, we’re talking about Twilight ‘Element of Harmony, Smartest Pony in Equestria, Student of Princess Celestia’ Sparkle," Sweetie pointed out. "Do you really think she’s gonna just skip out on a friend? If something's wrong with somepony, where is she gonna go?”

Apple Bloom’s eyes widened in realization. “The library!”

“My scooter’s parked outside!” Scootaloo nodded, a sense of urgency in her voice.

————————
Stone-Water Village
Zebrica Plains
71st of Spring, 975 C.R., 5:15 p.m.

The cauldron bubbled with actual water inside it for the first time in years, its owner moving busily around as he carefully set several gourds in the blackened pot just outside the large hut that had been set up for those in need of medicinal attention. Aside from Zulu and two other zebras who were still suffering from the Bite, many of the zebras of the village had more mundane concerns ranging from treatment of physical injuries sustained during what was quickly becoming known as the "Anasi Cataclysm," to the care of those that were teetering on the edge of meeting their Roc due to illnesses before that morning.

Also, in spite of protest from many, Zilaka had set up beds for the former Anasi Warriors, who had been stripped of their weapons and were all clearly beyond traumatized. A few of them settled for whimpering in makeshift cots while others were suffering of pain from injuries that had been endured while possessed by Anasi, but never treated or properly healed.

But by far the worst of the cases was Tagati herself, as even those zebras who were outraged at her return winced with a mix of sympathy and pity just looking upon her. Barely more than skin and bones, the shamaness was a shell of her former self, both physically and mentally. After being led back to Stone-Water, she had managed to make it past the crowds of zebras watching her with weary eyes, gone to lay down on one cot, and was now barely responding to anyone.

It was clear that Zilaka wanted nothing more than to find his remaining, still missing filly, and be with his reunited family after so long apart.

But as the only sage left in Stone-Water, a village still reeling from the impact of the day’s events, his responsibilities had to come first, as no other zebra could manage as he could.

Still, he definitely couldn’t argue with the help.

“That’s two more portions of Follybloom and Moon Tears…” Twilight swept a set of diced flower petals off of a cutting board and into two of the mixing bowls that had been set out with her magic. The knife she used floated up and to her side, wrapped in a magical aura as she continued to tend to the preparations with an ease that made Zilaka feel as if she had some knowledge of his methods already. “That should be enough to account for everypony that’s come forward so far, but Teaka’s herd is still trying to find zebras that might be hiding in their huts or might have been too weak or injured to come.”

“Why do I get the feeling that you have done this before?” Zilaka asked.

“I learned from the best.”

“That would be me,” Zilaka attempted to muse.

“And she learned from you.”

The zebra stallion huffed in amusement, unsure how much Zecora could have taught her in the hours between when he and the earth pony had been captured and when they had been liberated by the ingenious sleep grenade brew that Twilight and his filly had cooked up.

“The first two gourds of Ashmed potion will be ready in a moment,” Zilaka informed the unicorn, keeping a close eye on the bubbling cauldron and amazed to realize he was actually missing the pungent smell of the Mau Root juice. “Those are the most immediate concern. And you are certain it was two leaf prongs per mix?”

“That’s what Zecora used when she whipped hers together. I’m sorry we couldn’t find the gourd she made earlier for Toian.”

“That was a terrible risk she took, using such a dangerous brew without testing it. Particularly after only having the smell and touch of the original.”

“She’s just that good… But anyway, chances are it got washed away in the flooding.”

“Yes, I am going to be up to my crest in hoof-rot within the next few days, of that I am certain. Thankfully, I have a generous supply of dried Hearth Leaf, which is not something I had a great deal of call for before.” The zebra tried to lighten the mood and failed miserably as his own concerns overwhelmed his professionalism. “I still do not think it has sunk in, what happened down there... To think that all this time, under our very hooves, there was another world waiting to tear this one apart.”

“There was no way you could have known, Zilaka.” Twilight shook her head as the zebra moved to scoop the ingredients she had cut up into his latest mix. “And besides, it should be safe now. The pressure that had built up was all released at once, and when the mist hit the warm air up here, it condensed into liquid water quickly. Now that it’s settling, it should sink into the soil and soon the natural saturation process will be restored.”

“But, should it happen again?” The stallion sounded worried, his eyes darting up to the mountain that he had always lived in the shadow of with a new concern and respect.

“That’s not at all likely. The glacier would have to be incredibly stable to have been where it is for so long, and it will last for tens of thousands of years yet. An event like this is once in maybe fifty or a hundred lifetimes. And it only happened this time because of Anasi. I mean, the eruption that created Thunder Drum was so long ago that the zebras didn’t even have records of it.”

“Oh, but we do!” The potion maker shook his head, pouring his mix into a gourd for brewing. “We named the mountain after it: Thunder Drum. That is what it revealed itself as today, the crashing, beating heart of the Plains themselves. And the Ash-Stripes of old, my ancestors, named this village for the very source of the Plains' life: Stone-Water. It must have been known to the Sages of History and Lore…”

The stallion set the new gourd into the pot, his head hanging low.

“And now, they are gone... as is the knowledge of so many of our ancestors. My father used to say that knowledge was power. For centuries, wisdom was kept in family lines, usually passed from sire to colt, with each generation adding its own lessons." At this, Zilaka sighed, preparing to make an uncomfortable admission. "We kept that power from the rest of the herds... I once championed the practice, believing it made the Ash-Stripes of Stone-Water the most valuable of the Plains. But now, I see that it nearly destroyed us. With the wisdom of our ancestors gone, our herds were easy prey for the likes of Anasi. The oral traditions of the Ash-Stripe sages have failed.”

“Then you find a new way,” Twilight stated, drawing the zebra’s attention. “Back in Equestria, where I come from, there are many repositories of knowledge. Places where we put our ideas and histories to parchment with ink and quill. We call them libraries, and they store the wisdom of the ponies that came before us, so that anypony can have access to them.”

“If any of your people can have free access to knowledge, then do you require academics or sages?”

“Sure do,” a new voice entered the conversation as a familiar brown stallion came around from behind the hut. “We call them doctors.”

“Doctor!” Twilight perked up, moving up and throwing her forelegs around the earth pony, much to his surprise.

“Oh, hello, Twilight…” The Doctor shifted awkwardly, clearly having no idea how to respond to the purple mare nuzzling the side of his neck. “I… missed you, too. Did you do something with your coat?”

Almost as if she suddenly realized what she was doing, Twilight recoiled, running her hoof back over her mane and looking away with a very embarrassed expression.

“Oh... Just, uhh… making sure you didn’t have any spiders on you. They’ve found a few of them around the village -- the little ones that cause the Bite. And, yeah... the Gelding Marks... I’m not sure, but I think that whatever happened must have washed them off, or something. It’s all kind of fuzzy. ”

“Well, that’s good news. So you've got the magic back? That’s very good. And as for the Biters, I suppose that it was too much to ask that they all were down in the caverns.” The Hourglass Stallion shrugged, turning to Zilaka. “You’ll probably have some stragglers around the Plains, both those and the bigger ones that were lucky enough to get out of the caves. But without Anasi to guide them, they're just like any other animal. Probably not even that smart, but--”

“Zecora!” Zilaka moved forward suddenly. “We thought she was with you! Where is she!?”

“Oh, she’s completely fine. She’s on her way here right now, actually. Should be here any minute.” The Doctor nodded, turning to the unicorn as she regained her composure. “And we have to go.”

Twilight recoiled as Zilaka furrowed his brow. “Go? Now!? But, Doctor, the zebras need help! Things are crazy around here and--”

“Twilight...” The stallion’s tone was stern, cutting her off before offering a smile. “We’ve done what needed to be done, and now we need to get out of Zilaka and Teaka’s way.”

“What needed to be done?” Zilaka gave the brown stallion a curious look. “What do you mean?”

“Twilight, would you be a dear and fetch Fluttershy?”

“Doctor, I don’t understand the sudden--” Twilight was cut off as the earth pony moved up next to her, speaking softly in her ear.

“Twilight, as we speak, I am currently running to the west to get the TARDIS, and when I get there, I am going to see that the Temporal Anchor has shifted forward and we’ve been gone from Ponyville for almost a full day,” he whispered quietly. “Then I am going to come back over six and a half hours into the past to right now because if we don’t get you girls home soon, the very cure we came here to get will find itself without a patient.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide with realization, and Zilaka regarded them oddly as the Doctor pulled back.

“Okay?” the Doctor asked quietly, nodding.

“I’ll go get Fluttershy... She’s looking for you and Zecora along the outskirts. I have my teleportation spell back, so it should only be a minute.”

“I’ll be down behind that hut getting ready. Just knock four times and I’ll let you in,” the Doctor instructed, to which Twilight nodded. “And Twilight, I shouldn't need to remind you: no bringing anyone along. As much as I hate saying it, we just don’t have time for that. Get Fluttershy and get back here, alright?”

“Got it.” Twilight nodded again before closing her eyes, her horn glowing with a flaring light that the Doctor got the feeling looked quite dull after what he experienced earlier.

*Vrrrrmmmm-BAMPH*

Zilaka’s jaw fell as he watched Twilight teleport away, having never before seen a living being simply vanish before his eyes.

“Alright. Now, Zilaka, about our agreement from earlier.”

“What?” The zebra shook his head before a vague recollection of an insane deal came back to the front of his mind. “Oh... yes, yes, of course. I... I suppose you have lived up to your side of it, have you not?”

“Anasi is gone. That’ll be a huge help for the zebras.”

“Are you sure that she’s--”

“Trust me.” The Doctor’s eyes seemed to lose all humor, the flatness of his voice enough to unnerve the zebra stallion completely. They were such old eyes that he was looking into now. “She’s gone for good... I made sure.”

“There was a time I did not believe any living creature, not even the most aggressive of hyenas, deserved such a fate... But that... monster...”

“Take my advice, Zilaka: Don’t dwell on it. Now, those look like they're steaming so I'm guessing they’re ready.”

Zilaka turned, having been so distracted that he hadn’t noticed that the first two gourds that he had placed into the cauldron were piping with steam. Moving quickly to the side of his cauldron, he grabbed hold of them with a set of tongs and set them on the makeshift workbench outside his medicine hut.

“I noticed that Zecora’s wound was beginning to bleed green again,” the Doctor mentioned. “I thought this was a cure.”

“It is not a cure, but a treatment,” the potion maker stated, pulling the cork from each gourd and sniffing at it as he moved around the bench. “The Ashmed works because it attacks the envenomed flesh that is causing the change in the blood, and draws it out without actually getting inside the wound. But the mixture has to be precise. Too little, and the venom is not drawn out properly. Too much, and the Ashmed will seep down under the wound and get into the body itself. And should that happen...” He left that statement hanging.

“The leaf goes up in flames?” the Doctor finished, getting a confirming nod from the zebra. “So it requires daily doses, then?”

“Yes.”

“And the rhyming?”

“An apparently unavoidable side-effect. Toian, the colt that my daughter saved, has shown that he suffers from it, too. Although, apparently, he is not quite as well spoken as my Zecora, as he has chosen to cease talking completely rather than find couplets to speak in. I am not sure what causes it yet. Perhaps with more time...”

Zilaka was quiet for a moment before plugging the vent and the main spout on one of the gourds and passing it to the Doctor.

“This will help your friend.” The potion maker nodded. “Now, if you will excuse me, I must tend to my family.”

Zilaka turned to move into the hut where the injured had gathered.

“I think we both know time is something you don’t have in great supply, Zilaka,” the Doctor said unexpectedly, causing the zebra to pause.

The potion maker took another breath before turning on the smaller brown stallion. “The magic stick does not miss much, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t,” the Doctor told him, sympathy deeply ingrained in his voice. “You have a year. Two years, at the very most... But I have a feeling you know that already.”

Zilaka nodded, his expression somber. “My sire met his Roc under the same circumstances. He was younger than I am now. I knew nothing of it until the day it came for him. And my foals...”

“Zecora is clean. She’s not even a carrier. I checked her in the medicine hut as soon as I realized it was hereditary.”

Zilaka sighed in relief. “And Zulu?”

The brown stallion moved up past him, taking a look into the hut before bringing one leg up, unnoticed by the ill and injured inside.

*click*
*whirrrrrr*

The earth pony stepped back, looking at his metal device for a moment. “He shares it, but if he starts the treatments you’re already subjecting yourself to, while he’s still young, he could live to be twice your age.”

“...I have spent years finding the right combination of herbs and remedies to fight back the symptoms.” Zilaka lowered his head. “If my son can reap the benefits, then it was well worth it.”

“Are you going to tell them?”

“...Should I?”

“That’s something you have to decide.” The Doctor shook his head sadly. “I try not to give out advice, but this time I'll make an exception: Do what you feel you must. We all have to face our Rocs at some point, so ask yourself: Would you regret it if that day were tomorrow?”

The Doctor turned to leave, setting the gourd of medicine in his side satchel.

“Will we ever meet again, Doctor?” Zilaka asked the Impossible Stallion as he moved away.

The Doctor didn’t look back, not wanting to meet his eyes or consider what the academic and altruistic zebra he had come to respect might think once he heard of what his beloved filly had witnessed.

“No... we won't.” And with that, he departed without another word, more than ready to leave this place behind him.

————————

“Twilight!” The unicorn heard the shocked voice of her friend the moment she came out of her teleport, a bead of sweat running down the side of her face from the exertion of the multiple jumps she'd taken already in the search for Fluttershy.

Twilight looked up to take note of the yellow pegasus, who was about ten feet off the ground, looking fairly exhausted, herself. She was pointing a hoof towards the south.

“I see Zecora! Come on! We can get her and bring her back to--”

“Fluttershy, the Doctor’s brought the TARDIS back to Stone-Water. He says that we have to get back to Ponyville right now if we’re going to get the medicine to our Zecora.”

Fluttershy nearly dropped out of the air. “But...”

“There’s no time, we have to hurry! He says we’ve already been gone from Ponyville for almost a day!”

“But the Bite takes at least that long to work, and she was already... EEP!” Fluttershy gasped, realizing the implications.

“The TARDIS is in an alley behind the hut where Zilaka set up his cauldron. Go, I’ll catch up.”

“Okay, okay, alright!” Fluttershy stumbled a bit, rushing back towards the inner area of the village, clearly in too much of a rush to ask why Twilight didn’t just teleport both of them there.

Which Twilight was grateful for as she turned to look to towards the broken and hilly area that was once the southern plains, her horn lighting up again.

*Vrrrrmmmm-BAMPH*

“YIPE!” Zecora nearly fell over as the lavender unicorn suddenly burst into being directly in front of her. She ground to a halt immediately, her hooves sliding in the muddy topsoil. “Twi... hah... light,” the filly gasped as she tried to compose herself, the adrenaline of her run so far masking the fatigue she was feeling due to both hunger and exertion. “Have... to...”

“Zecora, I have to leave and I don’t have much time. There’s something I have to tell you.”

“But--”

“Listen, this is important.” The unicorn’s mind raced, trying to balance what she knew had to be said with the caution of knowing every word could have an effect.

If the Doctor knew, he would be livid at what she was about to do.

“Keep doing what you’re doing. Keep learning and keep pushing boundaries. Don’t let anypony or zebra tell you different. Now, there will come a time when all of this makes sense. Not today, not tomorrow... but one day, your Bite wound will get worse and you’ll have to trust two very good friends to help you. You have to tell them where to find it, but you can’t tell them anything about what happened here over the last two days,” Twilight related frantically, driving the point home by moving up and keeping her eyes locked with the filly's.

“But... I do not...”

“I know you don’t understand, but you will... Trust me.” Twilight nodded. “And... also, if at some point, a bunch of really stupid ponies ever... kinda... barge into your home and start tearing the place apart without any good reason, please don’t be mad with them, they're just being idiots.”

“Wha...?” Zecora shook her head violently, completely unsure about what was going on as she tried to remind herself of what she had to say. “Listen to me, Twilight! I have to tell you about your friend, the Doctor! He--”

“Not now. He’s waiting for me, I have to go. There will be come time when you can tell me, but it has to wait. You’ll know when that time is. Now, you will meet me again… but the next time it happens... I won’t know you.”

“Why not?”

“Because for me, none of this will have happened yet.”

“I... I do not under--”

“Your family is at the large hut in the center of the village, the one with the red clay roof. Go to them.” The mare leaned forward and gave the filly a small kiss on the forehead and a reassuring smile. “I’ll see you soon, I promise.”

“But, Twilight...”

*Vrrrrmmmm-BAMPH*

After watching her unicorn friend disappear as quickly as she'd arrived, Zecora just stood there, panting for breath in the middle of a muddy field on the outskirts of Stone-Water, suddenly alone and terribly confused.

————————
Mane Street
Ponyville
30th of Summer, 1001 C.R., 2:55 p.m.

*BBBBZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT*
*KER-THUMP*

“LOOK OUT!”

“GANGWAY, EVERYPONY!”

“AHHHH!” Sweetie and Apple Bloom held onto one another, bracing their hooves into the sides of the wagon as they both came to the startling realization that helmets were not nearly enough protection for this wild ride, considering just how much time the wagon was in the air with the orange pegasus fighting to maintain speed in spite of every turn, road bump, and obstacle that was in their way.

And there were plenty of obstacles, ranging from elderly ponies who seemed to have taken the opportunity to go for a very leisurely walk, enormous potholes in the road, and even a close encounter nearly running over a pair of very distraught older sisters fresh home off the train from Yokelahoma, shouting after the fillies as Scootaloo refused to stop.

“Hurry! They’re probly haulin’ Zecora outta the hospital by now! We’ll never make it!” Apple Bloom gasped as she looked up towards the clock tower at the center of town, a serious concern in her face.

The way that Apple Bloom figured it, there was only one chance for their zebra friend right now, and that was if Twilight had somehow magically come up with either a cure or a way to put a stop to a giant buzzard that had a very picky diet of sickly, near-dead zebra.

“GOING AS FAST AS I CAN!” Scootaloo shouted over the sound of her own wings, which were beginning to cramp. She had never moved this fast before, at least not without crashing, but she had a friend in need and the reflexes to make it happen as every slight twist of her handles sent the trio of fillies careening around a new path-blocking obstruction.

As the library came into view, Scootaloo came to a horrible realization as she jammed on the brakes... and nothing happened.

She didn’t stop to ponder how that could be possible, since she methodically checked her scooter for problems every morning and the brakes had worked just fine earlier that day on the way to the hospital.

“GIRLS, I CAN’T STOP! JUMP!”

“ARE YOU CRAZY!?” Sweetie Belle shouted, her voice cracking and her her eyes wide as Apple Bloom looked up to where Scootaloo had aimed the scooter, right towards the table outside of the library.

“YEP!” Apple Bloom shouted, grabbing her unicorn friend and reaching up her other hoof just in time to snag a low-hanging branch as Scootaloo dove off the out of control vehicle, the forward momentum nearly enough to swing both fillies up and around the branch.

*POP*
*CRASH*

The blue scooter and wagon were wrecked at high speed, the metal bent and twisted by the sheer velocity of the impact. Off to the side, Scootaloo rolled to a stop, her wings tucked back as she panted for breath and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle fell out of the tree.

“Ooowwwwwwww...” Tears welled up in Apple Bloom’s eyes as she tore off her helmet and immediately cradled her right foreleg, which she had used to grab the branch.

“Bloom, are you...?”

“No time! Get Twilight, Ah'm behind ya!” Apple Bloom pulled herself up to three legs, keeping her right foreleg up against her chest as Sweetie did as bid, rushing for the library door.

As the Cutie Mark Crusaders rushed to the library’s door, none of them noticed the wisp of black smoke rising from the wreckage of the scooter and wagon... nor did they hear the soft cursing on the wind as the three friends ran into the Books and Branches together.

————————

Spike the dragon was pacing around on the floor, biting his lower lip as he kept looking up at the grandfather clock.

“They’ve never been gone this long before...” the dragon mumbled aloud as he seemed intent on wearing a groove in the library’s floor. He was starting to get worried.

He had some idea of where Twilight and the Doctor had gone, and judging by the note on the table telling him to tuck in all of Fluttershy’s pets and critters the previous night if they weren’t back yet, the dragon deduced that the timid pegasus had gone too, much to his surprise.

But as he waited, memories of the Doctor’s many and varied stories were starting to eat at his mind, considering the dangerous situations that he claimed to fall into and thinking that, while he did have Twilight as backup, the Hourglass Stallion also had Fluttershy to worry about.

“Who do I tell if they don’t come back? The Princess? What if they don’t--”

*SLAM*

His thoughts were torn from him as he jumped several feet in the air with a cry, turning and landing on all four claws as three familiar fillies rushed in, the one in the middle limping on three legs.

“Oh... uhhh... Hi, girls.” Spike gave them a toothy smile, attempting to hide his earlier worries and doing a fairly poor job of it as he repeated the much used welcome phrase that Twilight had become enamored with since becoming the primary librarian of Ponyville. “Welcome to the Books and Branches, where knowledge is at your hooves. How can I--”

“Where’s Twilight!?” Sweetie Belle demanded, her tone accusatory as she pointed a hoof at Spike.

Taken off-guard by her sudden and direct inquiry, the dragon stumbled. “Uhhh... Oh, Twi? She’s... uhhh... Out at the-- GUH!”

“MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH! WHERE IS SHE!?” Scootaloo grasped the dragon with her hooves, nose to nose with him as she glared the dragon down.

To be fair, Spike was about the same age as the three fillies and was probably a bit stronger and tougher with his scales. But a lifetime -- even a short one like his -- lived among ponies had taught him one very valuable lesson.

It was not a good idea to lie to an angry filly.

“Uhhh... I-I don’t... know... exactly...” Spike stammered.

Unbidden, his eyes darted over towards the basement door; a gesture that Sweetie took note of and followed his gaze. “There!”

“H-hey, hold on a minute! Nopony’s allowed in there!” Spike called out as Scootaloo let him go and the three fillies moved towards the door. “I said hold on!”

Spike growled slightly, leaping forward and onto Scootaloo’s back, his weight causing the young pegasus’ hind legs to buckle and sitting her down as he grabbed hold of her mane to keep from falling. The resulting yank on the filly's hair was not met with a good reaction.

“Uh-oh...” Spike managed to get out before the orange filly turned on him with very angry eyes.

“Oh, no you did not!”

“Scootaloo, stop!” Sweetie urged, rushing towards the two as they erupted in a dust-cloud of conflict, dragon and pony pushing off of one another as hooves flew and a scaled tail swung in self defense. “I don't think Spike's supposed to bend that way!”

In the frantic fighting match, the dragon and filly knocked into a table set just off to the side, sending its contents of papers and letters and a single scroll that had come in the mail that day rolling off and onto the floor with its clasp breaking open like it was nothing.

Apple Bloom saw and heard none of it, moving towards the door as fast as she could limp. This was their last chance, and she knew that time was almost out.

She reached up for the hoof-shaped handle...

*click*

...just in time for the door to turn and swing inward, causing the yellow filly to stumble as she fell into a set of dusty brown legs.

“Oh, hello, there,” came the lilting accent of the Doctor as Apple Bloom fell back, her mouth wide as she looked up in startled realization of who was standing in front of her. The fight between Scootaloo and Spike halted in an instant with the dragon’s tail in Scootaloo’s teeth and the dragon attempting a choke-hold on an orange hind leg.

Sweetie simply gasped. “Doctor Clockwork?” The white unicorn looked puzzled, “Wh-what are you doing here?”

“Just 'Doctor' is fine, Sweetie. And it’s a library, where else would you expect a doctor to stay?”

“Girls? What are you doing here?” Fluttershy moved up from behind the brown pony, followed by Twilight, who quickly closed the door behind her and locked it with magic.

Apple Bloom stumbled for a moment.

All three of them were disheveled and looking like they had run through a storm, covered in dried mud. Fluttershy looked about ready to pass out and Twilight had a bizarre pattern running over her fur which was a shade or so lighter than the rest of her coat. All of their manes were an absolute mess that would have made Rarity faint at the sight of them.

Shaking her head, Apple Bloom took a deep breath.

“Y'all disappeared yesterday and nopony knew where you went to and then Zecora got worse an’ worse an' Big Mac came in an’ the doctors made him her prock-see an’ then she was screamin’ an’ cryin’ in pain an’ told the doctors ta put her outside an’ let that evil over-sized vulture get its claws on ’er an’ Big Macintosh said ‘Eeeyup’ an’ the nurses wouldn’t listen ta me an’ they’re rollin’ her out of the hospital so the Roc can get a hold a’ her an’ put her ta rest an’ it’s all happenin’...” AppleBloom ran out of steam just before taking a wide, gasping breath. “Right now!”

The two mares and stallion stood still for a moment, and much to everypony’s shock, Fluttershy was the first to react. She reached over and pulled open the Doctor’s side satchel to withdraw what looked like a hardened gourd by the stem in her teeth, before charging forward to the door with a speed that surprised even Scootaloo, who had spent hours watching Rainbow Dash go from zero to Mach One in no time flat.

The Doctor was as stunned as any other pony as Fluttershy burst from the library door and took off, the sudden cry of a southern accent keeping the attention of the gathered ponies and dragon. He was the first to recover, though, and while the others still stood speechless, his own eyes happened to wander over to the floor, where the earlier discarded scroll lay open and in easy view.

*GONNNNGGGG*
*GONNNNGGGG*
*GONNNNGGGG*

The grandfather clock chimed thrice as the Doctor quickly brought a leg up and rolled the scroll at his hooves, his eyes darting around to assure himself that nopony else had noticed.

————————

“When Ah get mah hooves on those reckless lil’ fillies...” Applejack started as she marched on, following the trail of destruction that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had left in their wake and going from merely sore to chomping at the bit when she saw the wreck of the three filly’s wagon and scooter next to the library. “Not back in town fer ten goshdarn minutes an' Ah almost get run over like we’re in the streets a’ Manehattan.”

“While I disagree on the Manehatten comment, I do agree that such dangerous and reckless behavior is certainly unbecoming of anypony who--”

Rarity never got to say what the behavior was unbecoming of as the door to the Books and Branches flew off its hinges, a blur of motion causing the rodeo pony to dive for cover based on pure survival instinct. Meanwhile, the fashionista froze up, her eyes wide as she was grazed on the shoulder by a hoof going faster than anything she had seen barring a sonic rainboom, sending her into a tornado-like spin for several seconds before she crashed to the ground in a dizzy wreck.

“Wha... What in tarnation?” Applejack pulled herself up. “Rainbow?”

“What the hay was that?” the raspy voice of Rainbow Dash came from overhead, having seen something moving like greased lightning as she worked on the patchy overcast sky above. Applejack merely looked back and forth between her and the fast-disappearing yellow blur in disbelief.

————————

Pranceton Plainsboro Memorial Hospital, Courtyard
Ponyville
3:00 p.m."SCREEEEEEE!"

The sound was muffled as Zecora sat waiting, the whole world slowing down around her.

She wasn’t sure if it was an effect of her final moments dragging out, or if her brain was slowly shutting down, causing everything around her to move slower in her perspective. But as she looked up, she could make out the details of her Roc coming down on her, feel her heart struggle to beat, hear every ruffling feather.

She would have laughed if she had the strength.

Zulu had told her once that part of the thrill of battle was that a zebra never felt so alive as it did on the edge of death. Perhaps this was what he meant. If so, then she didn’t care for it. She didn’t like drawing this out; that her mind was clinging on when all she wanted was to let go, to end the pain.

The extra time allowed her to reflect in spite of herself. She had gotten complacent. That had been her mistake. She had become so set in her ways and comfortable in her routine that it stopped occurring to her that this could happen.

In spite of the warning. In spite of years of managing to keep her condition in check. In spite the discoveries she had made and the advances that she had built upon her father’s work. In spite of all she had experienced, traveling the world before finally settling down in the motherload of all natural alchemical resources.

In spite of that last promise of a unicorn from so long ago, fate had found her.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked up, counting her heart beats like the last seconds of a clock winding down.

*Ba-bump*

A moment longer, and the pain would end... forever...

*Ba-bump*

She could rest at last...

*Ba-bump*

She could see her father again...

*Ba-bump*

Her eyes opened, and she looked up, the Roc’s talons only a few scant few feet away... and a blur moving across the hospital field like a yellow and pink bullet.

*Ba-bump*

——

The little filly was scooped up suddenly and pulled into a powerful, desperate hug as the freakish yellow equine with wings grabbed hold of her, bringing the young zebra to her chest and setting a tear-soaked cheek against her ear, making the filly cringe awkwardly.

“It’s okay, Zecora. Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright... I promise.”

——

A memory played back for the zebra as her eyes slowly widened. That was the moment that everything she thought she had known about the world had changed.

*Ba-bump*

That was the day she learned that some promises, no matter how hopeless or impossible, could never be broken.

*THUMP*

Time resumed its normal course as the zebra mare was impacted by what felt like a runaway cart, a sharp talon grazing the very top her mohawk before she was sent into a flying roll to the side. Her vision was suddenly obscured by the tufts of grass and dirt that were thrown up in the air as well as a shock of pale yellow.

*KA-FLUMPH*

“MOVE!”

It happened so fast that two of the three ponies standing in the Mourning Line were reeling, unsure what had taken place as the enormous black bird slammed into the ground, clearly stunned and sliding towards them. Only Big Macintosh, with a lifetime of keeping up with two athletic fillies that had attuned his sense of danger, was able to react, turning to dive tackle the physician and nurse out of the way as they themselves froze. Where they had all stood just a scant second earlier, the Roc tore a deep trench into the lawn, every blade of grass it touched turning black and withering.

“AGGHHH!”

Zecora lay on her side, the pain utterly overwhelming as she felt a hoof on her head, holding her still. One eye forced open to look up, tears stinging, she saw the face of a panting, determined creature that hooked one hoof onto the handle stem of...

It... couldn’t be...

The pegasus used her teeth to pull the cork free, spitting it out messily to make absolutely sure none got in her mouth, and then poured a clear liquid out onto the bandages wrapped around the zebra’s neck.

The Roc, clearly furious beyond all mortal understanding at touching solid earth, pulled itself up, every spot of the ground it had touched leaving nothing alive as even the dirt underneath it became dead at the microscopic level.

Big Macintosh’s eyes went wide as he saw it turn towards the two mares. “SHY!”

Fluttershy turned towards them as the enormous condor-like creature started forward again, sending itself rocketing ahead with a powerful beat of its wings. Gritting her teeth, the pegasus stood firm, doing the only thing she could.

"SCREE--"

She Stared.

“--AAARK!”

Another powerful beat brought the Roc to a halt, inches away from the pegasus as she Stared it down, her disheveled state mixing with her expression to give her an air of savage fury.

“No,” she said, a single word into which Fluttershy placed everything she believed in.

*Fzzzzzzzzzzt*

“AAAGGHH!”

Zecora writhed on the spot as a familiar, welcome pain burned in her neck, the shock to her system drawing her attention away from all worldly matters. Instinctively, her hooves pulled at the bandages stemming the gushing flow of venomous pus, turning onto her front as it drained from her.

All the while, Fluttershy didn’t break eye contact with the Roc, Staring down death itself until the zebra’s screams stopped, replaced by exhausted panting.

“You. Can’t. Have her!” Fluttershy managed through gritted teeth.

Then, the Roc did something that no living creature had ever managed before. It tore itself away from Fluttershy's unnatural power, looking past her with a stoic, almost bored expression as it regarded the zebra behind her... and completely lost interest.

The Roc took off into the air in utter silence, its powerful wings sending it hurtling into the sky where it quickly disappeared into the thick cloud cover, and the beat of its wings growing steadily quieter until they had gone altogether.

The danger now passed, Fluttershy let loose a held breath as she wobbled on weak legs. Big Mac, Nurse Redheart, and Doctor Stable were all staring at her before she looked over her shoulder at Zecora.

“I knew you would be there, when I needed you most,” the zebra panted, her eyes half-lidded as she smiled warmly. “One second slower, and... heh... I would have been toast.”

With a tired chuckle and a soft moan of relief, Zecora collapsed on the lawn as Fluttershy gave a weak smile in return, turning back towards Big Macintosh and the two medical ponies.

“Does anypony... have anything to...” Fluttershy’s eyes rolled to the top of her head as her last word escaped in a wispy breath, her legs giving out from under her. “...eaaaat...?”

*Thud*

————————
Princess Celestia's Private Chambers
Canterlot Palace
31st of Summer, 1001 C.R., 10:42 p.m.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It’s easy to be a friend when things are going good and life is like a barrel of fresh-picked apples.

Zecora opened her eyes slowly, her surroundings silent as she looked around the room she was in, clearly no longer in the Intensive Care Ward. A fresh bandage had been wrapped around her neck and the pain was, mercifully, gone.

But the time when you find out who your real friends are is when things are at their toughest and the world seems to be at its darkest.

Zecora turned to her side, the pain blissfully dull as she took note of the bed next to her, occupied by a familiar pinked-haired pegasus now dressed in a hospital gown, IVs running to her foreleg to counteract the extreme stresses her admittedly slight body had been run through.

Friends that you can trust may not always be right beside you all the time. But they will always be there for you when it counts the most.

The door opened suddenly, ponies surging into the recovery room as Zecora’s tired smile widened. The Cutie Mark Crusaders moved in first, with Apple Bloom bringing up the rear before showing Zecora the cast that had been put over her hoof, signatures and well-wishes already covering nearly every exposed surface.

Following her, Rarity rushed in, followed by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, all in a mix of obvious concern, wanting to know why they were not notified that she had taken ill, but clearly relieved at her recovery.

And while honesty is important, you also have to respect a friend’s boundaries and secrets, even when you don’t quite understand them, yourself.

Zecora shook her head, the smile not fading even as Twilight Sparkle moved into the doorway with a knowing smirk on her face. It was made clear that the zebra had no interest in explaining her "condition" beyond calling it an "old wound."

It sounds difficult, and believe me, it is. Like trying to get a ballet cutie mark while in a cast -- something which I might actually do before I get this thing off. But as with all the other hardships, disagreements, and difficult moments that come with friendship...

The Cutie Mark Crusaders stood together, each grinning innocently as they recounted a clearly exaggerated tale of their heroism, bringing more than a few smiles to the room, except for Zecora, whose own smile dimmed. An expression only Twilight noticed as a brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark moved away, attempting to stay out of sight and keeping his own slight smile to himself, content to leave his friends to celebrate the miracle without him.

In the end, in spite of all of the trials and tribulations that are part of making friends, it is weathering these rough waters that makes it all worth it.

Your Bravest and most Valiant Subjects, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle

The Cutie Mark Crusaders

Back at the scene in the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Clubhouse in Sweet Apple Acres, three fillies, one of which was in a cast, were opening and excitedly discussing a deepening mystery. On the table are multiple drawings and photographs of the elusive brown stallion with the hourglass cutie mark.

As Apple Bloom brought up a quill to add her own untidy mouth-scrawl to the bottom of the letter, she asked Spike to let her reread it before returning it to send the next day.

P.S.

There is clearly something strange going on involving a new resident of Ponyville, one Doctor Clockwork. While we don’t want to alarm you, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are now in unanamous unannimous

Apple Bloom pulled the quill from her mouth, turning to Sweetie Belle, who quickly pulls a dictionary from under the table, and the two consulted it for a moment before returning to the letter.

unanimously convinced that this earth pony stallion is not entirely what he seems. With your permission, we would like to explore this matter further. Please inform us if you wish for us to alert the Royal Guard of our findings.

-- Applebloom, CMC

Comfotably sitting in her chambers, Celestia giggled slightly at the letter, amazed that Twilight hadn’t bothered to proofread it before Spike sent the message off to her as a report on friendship from her young friends in Ponyville.

She was certainly relieved that the three fillies had managed to work out their differences, as she had long ago learned that small upsets in even the strongest of friendships could have lasting and devastating repercussions. And she knew that, as difficult as things were soon to become, she had to do what she could to be ready.

The Sovereign Diarchal Princess of Equestria considered the letter for a moment before her horn glowed, drawing a quill towards a fresh piece of parchment.

My Dearest Apple Bloom,

I greatly appreciate your bringing the situation involving this "Clockwork" (though I do not believe this to be his real name, as no record can be found of him) to my attention and ask that you and your friends continue to observe and ask questions regarding his presence and dealings in Ponyville.

I am hesitant to involve the Royal Guard, so, for the moment, I ask that you forward all information pertaining to this stallion directly to me via Spike. I shall inform him that you are on a very special assignment for me and that he is not to tell Twilight of the messages you send. In particular, please keep an eye out for any other ponies or suspicious characters that may develop an interest in this "Doctor" or the Elements of Harmony, and inform me immediately if you notice anything out of the ordinary.

While I know the Cutie Mark Crusaders to be brave and true, you must now act wisely and with subtlety. Get what information you can from your sister and her friends, but as Twilight may be too close to the subject of your investigation, I suggest you keep her unaware of your mission.

And above all other things, do not, under any circumstances, attempt to gain access to the basement of the Books and Branches Library.

Do not look so surprised my little ponies. You have to know these things when you’re a Princess, you know.

The best of luck,

Princess Celestia of Equestria

“Well, Philomena...” Celestia stifled a yawn, pulling herself up as she rolled the scroll and set it aside, intending to send it via courier to avoid an accidental opening by her curious student or an already suspicious Time Lord. “This is where it starts to get rough, I suppose.”

“Warrrrrrrk...” the Princess' beloved phoenix warbled slightly from her nearby perch, nearly bald as her golden feathers were still molting following an unfortunate brush with Death.

Celestia knew the fiery bird would recover soon, and took comfort in the pink ribbon that had become part of her nest; a token recovered as a reminder of a successful and critical mission.

Laying back in her bed, Celestia levitated her tiara from her mane and leaned back into her pillow before looking to the object on her nightstand.

Her horn glowed again and a dozen high-security magical locks were slowly undone, the door to the small, unassuming chest opening. And out levitated a raggedy, ancient blue book, its cover torn and faded and its pages curled with age, as she moved it over in front of her.

“So...” the Princess of the Sun asked no-one, the book opening towards the very beginning as passages she had read a million times before passed before her eyes. “...where are we now?”

Comments

[Tragicom]

Celestia's got her own River Song-style journal? Awesome.

I suppose now would be as good a time as any for the Doctor to spill the beans about the Time War to the others.

[SakuraAyanami]

I just know that the epilogue will be awesome! and I love how you pull a River Song at the end with Celestia, so here I am hoping that because of that, the princess will have an important roll on the story just like River did

[Sound Wave]

Oh.. My... :O

[Balancer]

Heh

[DarkeonWarlord]

I'm going to go ahead and guess that because of something that happens later, Celestia is actually a future version of Twilight. Or maybe River Song. The possabilities are endless!

[Jake The Army Guy]

Hello, sweetie.

[Rodinga]

great work again.
Its interesting to have celestia around, with her age provides a useful perspective,

As to what snuck through the Abstract Plane... Daleks, The Master (if he's still not dead), oh and Davros (or a local equivilent).

[cloudranger]

The Doctor plays around with time, setting events into motion (by his hand or informing his companions to do so) before even his "past" self can sense it. Where it may seem he's being manipulated, he's playing for the long haul (his future self is). Though being manipulated by your "future" self into a path you can't see, must be frustrating. In short "Wibbley wobbley timey wimey" stuff. As always you pull off the story of the Doctor with skill and poise, I imagine this as a Doctor who episode just replaced with ponies. Thank you as always for your stories, I look forward to the adventures of the Doctor and his companions, please never stop writing.

[AngelFreddy]

1167735 he did told pinkie about the time war, but left out a detail of the outcome

[Black Hoof]

Two more chapters I enjoyed reading, and who prove once again, to me, that this story like its arc, is among the best of the whole website. This last chapter came fast
I can't wait for the next parts.

[dangerousDoc]

Oh boy references galore. Lets see, Second Doctor's "Rock Plan", Fifth Doctor's enemy (although that was obvious before), Tenth's latest Title (although that one was pointed out to us) You're really packing them in.

[Lithl]

You have to know these things when you’re a Princess, you know.

Eeyup

1168133
Dølos, creator of the Dalexmoors!

Also: Doctor vs. the Nightmare coming up, I see.

But why does the Nightmare want to kill Scoots?

[DinoFlame]

Oh my. This just gets more and more interesting. Clearly, SOMETHING is going on/going to happen, and whatever it is, Celestia is apparently up to her horn in it.

1167735

True, it could be Celestia's own journal, but personally, I think not. Let's remember that back in episode 1 Celestia gave Twilight exactly such a style of journal (except brand new) in which to record her adventures with The Doctor. Given Celestia is, as I just mentioned above, clearly very much in the middle of what's going on, it seems VERY likely that the journal she's reading in this chapter is a future version of the one Twilight is currently writing.

[lucluigi]

Complete ?

[lucluigi]

1168444 Wait... What ??¿?

[DinoFlame]

1168597

Assuming the part of that you're referring to is the Nightmare part; take note of the black mist that keeps showing up and (apparently) causing things to happen. Then compare that to how Nightmare Moon tried to stop/slow the Mane six on their way to the old castle.

[Lithl]

1168617
Mm-hm. Even the Nightmare wants in on all the Scootabuse.

[dbanksischillin]

not cool. Celestia iss already overpowered and portrayed as clever as the doctor. Making her like River is just like saying humans can be timelords.

[BaelkazPony]

ILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is, in all honesty, the best series I've ever encountered. This beats the actual Doctor Who, as it beats the original MLP, because they're combined, and it's done so perfectly that you can't help but believe, cry, and laugh with the characters. I know it's soon, but please get to work on episode 4. (And the series finale where Twilight is haunted by the Master... you're giving us a lot of clues....)

ILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Time Turner]

I can't wait for the "I killed my entire race" speech. If it is on par with what Loyal2 always writes, you know it is going to be a brilliant, emotional scene on par with the actual series!

[Impoxdragon]

It was either reading this or potentially being late for school. I'll sstill manage to make it on time. And did River pass by or was it just her book? That wouldn't make any sense actually unless either Celestia or one of the Mane 6 got involved in all of the Doctor's travels and is keeping a journal of them (though Celestia might be recording them so create a Stable Time Loop.)

[Trinary]

This story is beyond awesome!!! Oh wow, things from the Doctor's universe have fallen through into Equestria via the Void? Last time I checked, the Void was currently occupied by a couple of million Daleks.

And Celestia is playing a long game using the CMC to keep tabs on the Doctor? Oooh, she's being sneaky and that's never a good sign.

Can't wait for more!

[Black Hoof]

1168617
Some think the Nightmare is the villian behind everything, some think it's the Master, some think otherwise... I guess we'll find out who it really is in the next adventures.

[kirbuu]

1167919 Important role just like River Song? So she's going to marry the Doctor?dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/lolface_Celestia.png

[Breakfateschain]

Celestia = possible River Song... Wat

[DinoFlame]

1168698
How is this making her like River? Thinking about it for a bit longer, she's being VERY in-character; setting things up to happen and sort-of masterminding things behind the scenes. Basically, the same thing she did with the whole Nightmare Moon incident in the show, except in this case, she's also doing it with the aid of a future version of the journal she had Twilight start writing back in episode one.

1168757
No, it has (as far as we know) nothing to do with River. Take a look back at the first episode of this series where Celestia had Twilight start a journal of her travels with The Doctor. Presumably, the journal Celestia has is that journal, except it's a future version of it.

1168844
Given there's strong proof of both, I'm suspecting that, in some way or another, they're both involved.

[TTV_KingPhoenixEmbers]

And when the Doctor finally meets Celestial and asks a question, the first thing she's going to say is "Spoilers".

[2dextreem]

1168444
That line was all my doing. Everyone loves a good Monty Python quote.

[Lithl]

1168767
When the Doctor destroyed Davros' Reality Bomb, some of the Cybermen trapped in the void during the battle of Canary Wharf escaped, but everything else within it perished.

While the Doctor was (temporarily) erased from existence by the cracks caused by the exploding TARDIS, River claimed he was lost in the Void.

Chronomites are harmelss (but itchy) 4D creatures that live in the Void. Chronomites appear in a Matt Smith-era video game, so presumably not everything in the Void was eliminated by the destruction of the Reality Bomb. The fact that they're 4D creatures unlike the Cybermen and the Daleks probably had something to do with it.

President Rassilon is sometimes referred to as the Ravager of the Void. He's most likely not in the Void now (The End of Time wasn't exactly clear on what happened after the Doctor stopped the Time Lords from pouring into Earth, but presumably they returned to the Time War), but the title implies he, at least, had extensive dealings with the Void.

[4n4rchy]

Tick tock goes the clock
He cradled her and he rocked her
Tick tock goes the clock
Even for the Doctor…

I must praise you, Comrade, for you create such tales beyond my wildest expectations.
You introduce many old foes of the Doctor and make many references, but still make it possible for Whovians of the new series to follow along.
Marrying a children's show with a frankly complex sci fi is not easy, but you do it swimmingly, and once again I must praise you.
The eight legs were a pleasant surprise, as I wondered if any of the bastards (Sorry, I was quite fond of the third Doctor) had survived, and Anansi's final prophecy was anything but empty.
The most obvious villain that comes to my mind is the Valeyard, since not only is this the twelfth Doctor, but only the Oncoming Storm himself could create such a scheme; though I wouldn't put my money on it, as you are, I bet, full of surprises.

[kryxel]

1167735
of corse she would, she is one of the few ponies he would tend to meet again, and again, and again over the corse of equine history.

[Bridgebrain]

So I read this chapter over my lunch break at work. As i finished reading, it dawned on me that I was alone, and that lunch had ended twenty minutes earlier. It was totally worth it. Keep up the excellent work, cant wait for more

[thetravelingman]

am i to understand that the CMC are somehow like the equivalent of equestria's torchwood?

[Crim]

Ooooooooh intrigue I like it

[Frerichs0]

Everyone here is assuming that the dark mist is Nightmare Moon. Well how about you think for a second about who is Nightmare Moon? The answer is Luna. So if Celestia already knows about the Doctor and is guiding everything behind the scenes. What's to say Luna isn't helping?

[Impoxdragon]

Is it a coincidence that Anasi is alomst spelt like Anansi (the spider I believe?) I think someone else asked this... Everytime I read that ending, I can only hear the Tenth Doctor's theme.

1169978 Then all of time is doomed. Well, maybe just Ponyville. They'd need a leader; Pip could be Jack, all he needs is to become a time anomaly and they're set.

[Griffomo13]

What

[thetravelingman]

1170580 pip will also have to "dance" with anything that moves

[Impoxdragon]

1171265 Oh gods. Forgot about that...

[thetravelingman]

1171977i could see pip being the equivalent of jack

[Loyal2Luna]

While I will not comment on the many speculations about what is happening behind the scenes, I will clear up a few misconceptions.
1.- By this point in his personal timeline, The Doctor is long since a widower. His last date with River before she finally went to The Library for him to meet her for the first time was quite some time ago (Years or decades, there is no telling as he's deliberately obscured his age as 'over 900') before the events that led to Number 12.

2.- Whatever forces are at work here, they are not so much showing a tendency to go after Scootaloo alone, but clearly something is at work attempting to break the Cutie Mark Crusaders up.

3.- *unclear*

4.- PROFIT!
and most importantly:

5.- IF the CMC were the Ponyville Equivilent of Torchwood, then it is quite clear that their leader would have to:
a- Know the Doctor on a personal level.
b- Be attracted on a 'primal' level with anything, even things outside his species.
c- Be exceptionally long lived and difficult to harm.

Hmmmmmm... images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/28200000/Applejack-applejack-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-28263912-354-359.png

Nope, nopony's coming to mind there.

images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/28800000/Spike-spike-the-dragon-28819526-431-512.jpg

[Trowa]

I know what Twilight did with the gelding, but I REALLY hope there is a bit more in-depth explanation of what exactly happened. I mean it would be awesome for her to get credit for being the only unicorn ever to overpower one.

[Drwhooves-bestpony]

1172055
You mentioned how you weren't going any further than The MMMMystery on the Friendship Express, but how far are you going with Doctor Who? You could have left it flexible, I don't know, but if not, where?

[Loyal2Luna]

1173860
In reguards to the time-line, I meant that only in terms of what 'has' happened in the events of MLP:FiM as to what has happened in the past before the Doctor's arrival. When I made the time-line, before MMMMystery on the Friendship Express and the Canterlot Wedding Finale aired, my main goal was to be able to give dates in Equestria where those things happened and make a linear timeline of events that occured before the Doctor's inital arrival in Twilight's life (From her perspective) The episodes that were set aside from the canon were those that either would have contradicted events and the workings of Equestria from the fic's viewpoint (like the pre-existance of time magic in 'It's About Time') or that I am planning to have occur at some point after the Doctor's initial arrival (Return of Harmony and 'POSSIBLY' Canterlot Wedding'). When good episodes with world and character development show up in Season 3 and beyond, I will consider each of them as events that happen to the cast members between their trips in the TARDIS if I can make them work properly.

As far as Dr. Who canon, I am leaving that open so that references can be made. We know from various side episodes that it 'is' 11 who gives River her own special sonic screwdriver on the date before she goes to the Library. But while he's made references to many things, he hasn't told his companions the WHOLE story of what led to his battle with the Weeping Angels in the Medusa cascade. And while I am dwelling a bit on the 9th and 10th's 'Russel T. Davis' focus on the Time War, that is because our current Doctor is suffering from a form of memory Solipsism (Much like Thane from Mass Effect). Whereas his previous incarnations could keep their memories in check and ordered, 12 keeps having them flash in front of his eyes unbidden.BUT I've gone off topic here. So Basically (run ) this means in terms of Who-Canon that the Doctor is ready for series 7 and I can't wait to add to his memories.

[Loyal2Luna]

1172383 Still the epilogue to look forward to.

[Trowa]

Heh. Sorry. I have no complaints really. This series is awesome! I didn't even know anything about Dr. Who when I started to read this. I'm gonna end up becoming a fan of it by proxy.

[Loyal2Luna]

1178052 Nothing to apologize for, it is a fair observation you make after all and I always encourage my readers to point things out. It makes me think over how to portray or set up the story. As for the introduction to Dr. Who: Always happy to help. Oh, by the way, the ENTIRE new series is on Netflix. And much of the classic series is on Daily Motion.
Warning, your free-time will vanish in a flood of 'Fantastic'-'Brilliant'-'Bowties'!

[Crimson ONayl]

Soooooooo... This is where everything starts to get Wibbly Wobbly and Timey Wimey.
I must say that you are an exceptional writer, some of the scenes seem better than similar situations in the series... I don't think I'd be surprised in the slightest if you have written for Doctor Who before.

[DJ Majaro]

This story is fantastic.
I do, however, want to point something out. In Season 2 of Doctor Who, when The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey go to that parallel world, The Doctor says that when the Time Lords were still around you could hop from universe to universe and "be home in time for tea."

[Alondro]

1168741 I dunno what he's so angsty about. I mean, I killed my entire race. AND I'D DO IT AGAIN IF I COULD! I'D BRING THEM ALL BACK JUST FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF EXTERMINATING THEM ALL OVER!! HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!!!

(PS: Alondro is evil, just in case you were wondering.)