Zero Room

by FiveyWhooves

Two is One

"Whatcha think it really is, Momma?" asked Dinky as she followed her mother into the Doctor's TARDIS, still sitting in her living room like an orphan. Ditzy trotted up the steps of the main console room and to the controls.

"I'm going to scan this other. . .whatever it is," Ditzy told her daughter. "I think I know how to use the TARDIS scanners to determine what exactly the object is. If we're lucky, it's something I might possibly know about."

"Isn't it another box-ship like Doctor's?" asked Dinky. "The funny pony said so."

"The 'funny pony' also said that he was the Doctor," said Ditzy, shaking her head at the incident. "I"m not going to believe that the object he flew in was some kind of TARDIS. It doesn't even look like one." The grey pegasus began tapping and messing around with various buttons and levers.

"It sounds like one."

"Maybe a dying one." That's when a vague idea popped into Ditzy's head. What if it was a TARDIS, the Doctor's TARDIS, dying? Maybe that would explain the noise, and possibly, the strangers who were controlling it?

"Hum. . ." Ditzy thought aloud.

"What, Momma?" spoke Dinky as she pattered up the TARDIS interior stairs.

"I don't know," the older mare shook her head. "But I'm about to find out." With a flick of a final button, a screen on the TARDIS console buzzed from static to life. A picture on the screen showed the Doctor's TARDIS scanning picture for the stranger one. A cylindrical shape outlined in light blue on the darker screen. Faster than Ditzy knew, the TARDIS's database already could pinpoint what it was.

Ditzy focused her wall-eyes to the screen, but even then she thought she was seeing things. The Doctor's TARDIS had pulled up the strangest information, not only solidifying Ditzy's stomach-dropping regret, but also sealing in Dinky's unwavering and trusting innocence.

* * *

The Doctor's body flinched in agony as an electrical surge flew through him. When it ceased, he gasped for air once again, and with his determined eyes faced the Master, still controlling his presumably old TARDIS.

However, the Master said nothing for the longest time. He stood in his dark cloak, his rumbling snicker sounding from his devious grin. During this longest time he had taken the honor of torturing the Doctor through electrocution and mild but stinging poison and all other sorts of beatings. Courtesy of the Hadron Web, of course. The Master didn't need to lift a hoof.

It was finally after this last electrocution that the Master stepped away from the controls of the TARDIS and slunk toward the Doctor. The moral Timepony forced himself to keep his eyes open, even if one of them was extremely swollen.

"How are you feeling, Doctor?" taunted the Master. "You seem a little deficient in your health." The Doctor dared to answer, but couldn't get anything out of his mouth but a forced exhale.

"In speech as well, I see," the criminal added, his grin slowly seeming to cement itself further in his face. "However, you need not worry about your sufferings much longer, Doctor. The process will soon be complete and the venom of sickness in your hearts will fade to a. . .restful resolution." He chuckled in the back of his throat, turned suavely back to the controls, and began to regain his work position.

The Doctor couldn't stand anymore confusion. He didn't know the full story on why the Master had him, nor why he was there for certain. Most importantly he couldn't let the corrupted Timepony was trying to end his life. . .wait, scratch that. The Master was always trying to kill him. But he didn't know why he was torturing. . .wait, yes, that too the Master always. . .ah, never-mind.

The Doctor just wanted answers.

"Why. . .are you doing this?" the suffering Timepony moaned through his grit teeth. Constantly his urged himself to feed more strength to his mouth, his words. "What's your. . .motive. . .this time. . .M-Master?" The Master, slightly shocked, or more amused, that the Doctor had forced speech, turned back to face his opponent.

"Oh, how you forget what I want," the villain grinned. "I want you dead Doctor, I want you to watch, feel, and soulfully believe your own demise. But-" And for this the Master leaned in toward the Doctor, like he was telling him a secret. "-I want something out of it. Something tangible, more than the spiritual satisfaction of your suffering." The Doctor looked at the Master's wretched face and strained to think about when he was younger, when this Master was his Master. Before he wanted mere drumming sounds out of his skull. When he wanted more. . .something that every Timelord on Gallifrey had that he slaughtered in his span of living.

Regeneration.

The Doctor wasn't sure at this point if the Master was being so unconsciously stupid or if he was freakishly dark in intentions.

"You want a full life cycle again. . .don't you?" The Doctor replied, slowly gaining the strength to speak again. The Master's smile widened.

"You must be a fool to think you'd get them from me, like this," stated the Doctor in his rival's face. "I've almost used up all my lives as well. Probably got two or three left for all you know. Why waste your time on me?"

The Master just chuckled and left the Doctor unanswered. Instead, he turned once again back to the controls. As he did, the Doctor's mind hurled into a mental wind.

He was betting that whatever the Master planned was for his own intention to wholly win, once and for all, in any way. . .and any time.

* * *

"I. . .I don't believe it," Ditzy muttered as her mouth hung open. She had the urge to take a couple of steps back, but instead stood still and stuck.

"What is it?" asked Dinky.

"The TARDIS. . .it's either wrong or. . ."

"Or what?"

"That strange pony was right." Ditzy stared at the screen. There, in plain text, were the words that proved that the object sitting in Ditzy's kitchen was indeed a TARDIS similar to the Doctor's. Ditzy jumped to her hind legs and managed to barely peek over the edge of the TARDIS console.

"What's it say? What's it say?" she asked, bouncing and looking toward the screen. Ditzy looked at her daughter.

"It says 'Type 45 Gallifreyan TARDIS'," the mare replied. "'Most recent owner. . .the. . .'"

"The what?"

"'The Master'," Ditzy read.

* * *

"I'm surprised you haven't asked about the personal touches I've added to your TARDIS," the Master said to his captive.

"Asked, no. Noticed, yes," replied the Doctor.

"All of them?"

"What."

The Master laughed aloud.

"The Hadron Web certainly is the most flamboyant of my devices, Doctor," he stated slyly as he placed his hooves on the controls, "but certainly my plan wouldn't be complete without a couple of tricks up my sleeve." He tapped a couple of levers on the panel.

"I've noticed a lack of a specific piece of Timelord tech-"

"Pony," the Doctor interrupted.

"What?"

"You're a pony now, start using the proper terminology," the Doctor sassed. "Timepony if you please."

"Bumbling fool, you think I care?" the Master scoffed. "I suppose since you don't wish to know what I've added, maybe I'll just test it out on you myself and see what happens?"

"No no, I'd like to know," stated the Doctor.

The Master just grinned, holding his hoof over a golden button.

"Very well then," he snickered.

* * *

Ditzy thought back to earlier that day. She remembered the two mares with the mysterious stallion mentioning something about Timeponies and one specifically who went by "the Master". Surely this was a connection.

Dinky, being the younger pony, didn't see the connection right away, her mind moving at a slower pace. She opened her mouth to ask what her mother was talking about.

Look.

Dinky twitched her ear. She was certain she heard something.

Over here.

The little filly turned her head. There was definitely a voice. She couldn't tell if it was a colt's or a filly's. It echoed too much.

Look. Over here.

Dinky tilted her head to her right. Something shiny on the console caught her eye. There, on the dashboard, was a flashing golden light.

The time has come, the voice beckoned. Dinky had no idea what to do, but her mother was already so worked up and preoccupied with some "Master", so she shuffled toward the light that was seemingly talking to her and peered at it.

"The time has come for what?" she whispered innocently at the light.

Release me, the light replied, it's glow steadily flashing on and off.

"Why? Are you trapped in the box-ship?" asked the little pony.

Yes.

"Who are you?"

A friend.

"Doctor's friend?"

Yes.

"Did you say something, muffin?" asked Ditzy, pulling her face away from the screen.

She can't hear you, the voice said shortly. Only children's minds can hear my voice. Dinky glanced back and forth between her mother and the light.

"No," she covered.

"Okay," replied Ditzy as she went back to the screen and other buttons near it. "Maybe I can get more information-" Dinky turned back to the light.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered again at the console top.

Release me. Press the button.

"Which one?"

This one, the golden one, the voice replied.

"What's going to happen?"

I will be free.

"Okay," agreed the small filly. She stood on the very tips of her hooves and reached her arm to the lit, golden button.

Now.

* * *

The Master pressed the button.

* * *

Dinky pressed the button.

(It was at that moment in time a message was sent out, a message from the TARDIS and the conscious that was indeed trapped inside. It burst with a golden glow in all of the times and places it needed to escape, but most influentially, it flooded the TARDIS that the Master was in with a captive Doctor and the TARDIS that the unknowing Ditzy and Dinky were standing in. Light swirled around in both console rooms, and in the universe both TARDISes were in, and the cloister bells rang menacingly. The conscious took pony form, specifically, looked as if it were a golden, angelic alicorn. It was solid, there, but always shifting and transparent. Light beamed from its eyes as it spoke in a steady voice, one that held a youthful yet majestic quality.

Feelings fall upon the ground,
Sadness sinks, not to be found,
Sleep away, but don't assume
It's always safe in the Zero Room.

After that, each TARDIS felt a different effect from the being.)

Dinky had jumped back when the button reacted and the golden figure's spirit filled the room. Ditzy had looked at her daughter in with a startling fear and had protected her under her wing. The supernatural pony had appeared, spoken, and left, yet it's golden presence kept swirling around the room.

"Dinky, what did you do?!" asked Ditzy, trying to figure out what happened.

"I let it go," replied the filly, feeling extremely guilty.

"Let what go?"

"The. . .that!" Dinky pointed at the golden swirl. The mass of it almost reacted to Dinky's reply and stopped. It came closer to her and Ditzy.

"I thank you for letting me free," it said. It seemed a little more peaceful and collected, yet the glow was still intimidating.

"Who are you?" asked Ditzy. "Or what are you?"

"A combined conscious," it replied. "The Bad Wolf has taken over me. My spirit is fused."

"Bad Wolf?" asked Ditzy. "Is that what you are?"

"Yes. No. It is both," the conscious replied. "You will understand in the future. I see us meeting again."

"Again?"

"Yes. I fly through time. I appear when I must. I find the Doctor and assist him as his companion to the end. I regain my identity and soon, at the proper moment, I will see you again." Ditzy was at loss for words.

"You. . .you know the Doctor? I still don't understand!"

"You have no need to," said the conscious. "I'm not talking to you." As suddenly as it came, the conscious left, fading quickly into thin air. The final echo of the cloister bells finished its song. Both ponies stood, amazed and confused.

And then Ditzy looked at Dinky.

"The conscious," she said to her daughter. "Was it talking to you?" Dinky looked at her mother and nodded obediently.

"Yes, Momma," she stated.

"Why would it talk to you?"

"Because it told me so; it can only talk to little ponies. Maybe it wanted to talk to you too."

"But it makes no sense! No sense at all! You don't understand-"

"Yes I do," said Dinky. Ditzy looked at her muffin's face. The little pony smiled.

"You do?"

"Of course I do."

"What do you understand, muffin?"

"I know what it is."

"What is it?" Ditzy almost exclaimed, her mind whirling. Dinky gave her mother an innocent grin.

"It said it was Doctor's friend." Ditzy blew a sigh of relief, knowing what her daughter was thinking in her small and comprehensible mind.

The little filly was just being a child.

* * *

For once, the Master was taken aback from his plan. When the strange being had entered the room and spoke its words in a mysterious chorus, he jumped back and almost cowered away from it. The Doctor was just as fearful, knowing that something coming out of the TARDIS with such an appearance was certainly no normal instance. What was more strange was the words. . .the Doctor had no idea what they were about or who was saying them. Certainly it wasn't the TARDIS alone. There was definitely a conscious of something else.

Also, both he and the Master were confused on why it was mentioning the Zero Room, and old piece of Timelord technology that was best used for stabilizing the health of a Timelord after he or she regenerated. The Master was because it was actually what he was planning on using secretly for his unknown plan; the Doctor, because he hadn't heard of such technology since his planet had been vanquished.

As the Master stood against the wall and away from the golden mass, the Doctor watched from the Hadron Web. He noticed the glow was messing around with the controls of the TARDIS, and shockingly, was flying it, overriding the cloister bells' warnings and maneuvering the ship who knew where. The TARDIS started to a hum before moving through time and space.

The conscious then turned toward the Doctor.

He felt it stare into his eyes. It looked familiar, like a ghost from the past. Like it had seen him before.

Like it knew.

In a windy flash, the golden mass shot down on the Hadron Web, shattering it to pieces. The Doctor fell to the floor with a painful thud. He gathered up the strength to stand. The Timepony was finally free; he didn't want to waste time.

The Doctor stood at the old-fashioned console, the golden glow slowly fading. As it did, the TARDIS stopped, and as it left it flicked the red-topped lever that opened the TARDIS door. It then vanished.

But the Master was still there.

"You won't win, Doctor!" he yelled at his foe as he jumped back from the wall and lunged for the Doctor. The imprisoned Timepony dodged the Master and flung himself out of the TARDIS door. He then scrambled to his hooves as the Master cursed behind him.

The Doctor took a speedy look around. Equestria. He was still in the pony universe. That conscious somehow knew where he wanted to go, even specifically down to the outskirts of Ponyville. However, that wasn't as important to the Doctor as the clatter of the Master behind him.

Picking up his legs to a rapid speed, the Doctor ran. He didn't know if the Master was going to follow him on foot, or if the TARDIS was going to take off under his control once again.

He. Just. RAN.

Comments

[Starkvenger]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
finally.....
yesssssss.....
my life is complete.....
:D :D :D :D :D :D