The Scrapper

by J8ck78

Chapter 9 - Paradoxum

The TARDIS landed a block and a half away from Colgate's home. Whooves opened the door and stepped out into the night air, Applejack and Rainbow Dash following behind him. Not far off they could see the library surrounded by other ponies. Applejack saw herself standing there and her jaw dropped while Rainbow could see herself barking out orders to the other Pegasi.

"Alright, sorry but we have appeared to arrive at about, oh, five to eleven? TARDIS is acting up a bit it seems. No matter!"

"Is, is, is that me?" asked Dash, unable to remove her eyes from the past Rainbow Dash.

"Yep. You four hours ago!" answered Whooves

"Yet, we're right here." commented Applejack

"Yes, well, that's the magic of time travel." chimed Whooves rather happily,

"Uh Doctor?" came Derpy, "Won't this cause the whole pair of boxes thingy since they are seeing themselves?"

"No! This is the past. Just so long as their past selves don't see us, we'll be good."

"Pair of boxes?" asked Applejack

"Oh he means Paradox!" sang Pinkie

"So what happens if I, I mean me, her, sees me!"

"Well, a big hole will be torn in the universe that will destroy everything!" explained Whooves

"How big a hole you talkin about?" asked Applejack

"Oh, about the size of Belgium I think." remarked Whooves, "Maybe smaller. Wonderful this time nonsense isn't it?"

"Oh." said Applejack a little nervous before

The ponies at the library all flew or ran off in random directions. Colgate walked over and looked around when she saw her attackers enter her house.

"There! There they are!" she yelled, "They are going into my house!"

"Oh no they are not!" yelled Rainbow Dash

She reared back to take off as fast as she could before Whooves grabbed her tail and took her off balance. Rainbow Dash fell back and into the TARDIS.

"No! You can't go out there!" he yelled

"Why the hay not!" questioned Rainbow angrily

"The pair of boxes, oh I mean Paradox!"

"What about it?" yelled Rainbow

"You can't go stop them because if you did then you wouldn't be able to stop them later, leading Colgate there to lead you to me, leading you back here with the TARDIS. You'll blow a hole in the Universe!"

"How big?" asked Rainbow

"The size of a cake?" asked Pinkie Pie from nowhere, seemingly oblivious to the whole severity of the situation

Whooves pondered on this before his eyes went wide with wonder, "Actually, Pinkie you're right!"

"Thank you!" she said skipping down the TARDIS

"Well, that's a risk I'm willing to take!" said Rainbow getting up

She tried to fly out again, but Whooves tackled her to the ground. Applejack tried to rush to her Rainbows aide, but Pinkie stopped her, popping out of the ceiling above. She shook her head with a stern look on her face, and Applejack sat down.

"Quick! Derpy! Sit on her tail!" yelled Whooves before being hoofed in the face.

"Okay Doctor!" said Derpy.

The grey Pegasus flew down, ungracefully landing on Rainbow's tail. Whooves quickly jumped away from Dash as she tried to take off. Derpy's buns of steel won out and Rainbow soon realised she wasn't going anywhere, any time soon. Whooves nodded and smiled at Derpy before running over to the central console.

"Alright! We're getting out of here before anything else happens! Why did I even think to show them the past!"

As he worked on the TARDIS, Applejack and Colgate looked on, ready to head back into the TARDIS when they heard a rather posh voice from behind them.

"Applejack, Colgate? What are you two doing that drab box?"

They turned to see Rarity standing there confused.

"I thought you were going to check your farm darling." she finished

"Well, Ah was, and I did, but..."

"How can you already have? I just saw you run off there a few seconds ago. What is this thing anyway?"

She looked inside, taken back by how large the interior actually was, and how it could fit inside such a small box.

"Wow, this is some interesting magic! I sure could use this at the boutique! Anyway, how did you get here, and... is that Ditzy Doo sitting on Rainbow Dash? I could have sworn I just saw her-"

She looked back to see the Rainbow Dash of this time fly past trailing her signature rainbow trail. A single hair sprung up on Rarity's mane, Panic crawling onto her face at the sight of a second Rainbow Dash.

"How, but, this, how can, that's not?" Rarity stammered.

"Later!" yelled Applejack

She grabbed Rarity's tail and dragged the shaken Unicorn in whilst Colgate closed the door. The TARDIS whirred into life and slowly disappeared from view.

Upon landing, Whooves checked his instruments and other devices, confirming this was the right time, and patted the central spire of the core.

"Alright, we're back where we belong!" said Whooves turning around seeing Rarity, "When did she get here?"

"A few seconds ago." answered Colgate, "Applejack dragged her in."

"Are you insane!?" yelled Whooves "Are you ponies actively trying to destroy the Universe?"

He ran over to double check the consoles, scanning for signs of any unusual activity. Surprisingly, nothing had changed, everything seemed right.

"When was the last time you saw Rarity?" inquired Whooves as he continued to work over the TARDIS console

"This morning." sang Pinkie sipping by,

"Yesterday." mentioned Derpy with Rainbow still trying to get out from under her tail

"A few days ago." commented Colgate

"No I meant Rainbow Dash and Applejack."

"When we started the search." said Applejack

"Yeah." seconded Rainbow Dash, "She was going to check out her shop and that was the last we saw of her. Will you get off my tail!"

Derpy smiled nervously and stood up, freeing Rainbow Dash. Rainbow herself dusted off her tail before continuing.

"After that we didn't see her."

"What does all this mean?" asked Rarity who was completely lost at the situation

"Well." exclaimed Whooves, "It seems the TARDIS sent us there because it knew Rarity was supposed to be picked up by us. Fancy that! Incredible! Well, no harm done here. I guess we can go on about our day, or night." Whooves began to ramble on, debating what time they should be using before Rarity interrupted his train of thought.

"I don't understand!" She Rarity

"Well, if it will help,"Whooves started, "You're now four hours younger than you should be."

"Ooh, really?" said Rarity happily, "I'm actually younger now?"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash rolled their eyes.

"Yes. Now then, if you will please, LEAVE MY TARDIS!"

"Doctor!" scolded Derpy, "That is no way to treat guests!"

"Well, I want them out before they break something!"

"Yet, you keep her around?" asked Applejack pointing to Pinkie Pie

The pink pony skipped out of one hallway door and into another. The doors closed to that hallway before a violent crash was heard.

"I'm okay!" yelled Pinkie cheerfully

"You have a point." noted Whooves

----

In the Canterlot Royal palace, a strange unicorn mare walked through one of the many palace courtyards. To those who had seen her, she seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and just walked along. Her skin was black, almost like a changeling, but there had been no changeling reports since the Royal wedding. Plants seemed to wither away at her very presence and animals quickly hid from sight as she walked by. The doors opened with the mere flash of her horn, revealing a large hallway decorated with several statues and pictures of the Royal Guard. The aura about her made the pictures lose color and the statues almost turned away from her. At the end of the hall sat a desk with a single Royal Guard Pegasus reading a paper. She smiled, knowing this would be too easy. With a flash of her horn, a black bolt of magic shot out and bee-lined at the unsuspecting brown Pegasus, stallion. Or did it? Just as the bolt was about to hit, the guard pulled a hand mirror from his desk and sent it back towards the shocked mare. The spell now affecting her, she floated up into the air and was stuck, trapped by her own magic. The Guard flapped his wings and flew up next to her with a smug smile on his face.

"Well Howdy Ma'am. Seems you got yourself stuck." said the guard sarcastically

She glared at him intensely.

"Just a bit of warning next time, do not force open doors in an open hallway when there is only one guard present."

She tried her hardest to attack him, but her new prison prevented that.

"So, what's your name?" asked the guard.

Obviously the mare didn't answer him. He knew it, but he was not going anywhere any time soon.

"Fine, I'll break the Ice. Names David. Staff Sergeant."

"Why would I waste my breath on a low rank grunt like you?" she sneered

His reaction was not what she expected, Instead of a show of anger or belittlement, he smiled a very unsettling smile.

"You know, I could just go directly to the top and report you to Celestia. Be allot less stress for me."

"What is your prissy Princess going to do? Banish me to the moon for a thousand years?" laughed the mare.

"Well, with the Changeling attacks, and a score of other incidents recently, plus the fact Luna would never let you deface her glorious moon, she'll just banish you to the sun for a thousand years."

The Guard's sarcastic demeanor changed midway through the sentence, and a sadistic grin on his face was not one of the joking variety. The mare looked around nervously, a little unsure what to make of his threat when he instantly flew around behind her.

"You're right. Wasting your breath on me is pointless. Let's go meet my Prissy Princess."

"No, no! Wait!"

"Too late. I'm already pushing." said David.

"Rrr.... it wont matter! Once the light hits that gem! It will be all over!"

"What?" yelled David flying around to face her, "What about that gem?"

"Once the Queen is released she will descend upon Canterlot and nothing shall stop her from freeing the rightful true king of Equestria!"

"Yeah right! It takes the light of the sun to activate that thing." laughed David facing the mare to the window, "And as you can see, we have quite the moon tonight."

The Guard smiled, but the mysterious mare only laughed upon seeing this. A pit formed in his stomach as the mare finished with a evil cackle.

"Where does the moon get it's light? The sun! It doesn't matter!"

David said nothing as fear gripped every inch of his body. The mare laughed hard as the petrified Guard slowly floated to the ground as he realized what was about to happen, especially to the Guards who were escorting that thing.

"Oh, I am going to enjoy what is about to happen!"

She looked down to see the still and motionless Guard, but he was gone. Instead, he was flying next to her taking measurements with his hooves and wings.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see." answered David

He finished whatever he was doing before lining himself up perfectly with the back of the mare, rearing his legs for one heck of a buck.

"Send my regards to the Princess for me!"

"NO!" screamed the mare.

Her plea fell on deaf ears as the Guard bucked her down the hallway and off into the palace. David flew towards the doors and burst out them. He had to make it to that escort before it was too late.

----

Back in Ponyville, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Colgate, and even Derpy sat on a park bench underneath the moon light near a tree. The TARDIS sat not far off with its mad doctor working inside it. Derpy, Colgate, and Pinkie themselves were fine, while Rainbow and Applejack were troubled at the recent events. Rarity, meanwhile, after learning about all that had happened, was admiring herself and her new found youth.

"That was weird." commented Applejack, "And y'all go on time stuff with that crazy stallion all the time!?"

"Not all the time. Allot of the time, but not all of it." answered Pinkie

"I do most of the time." Derpy added

"So, there is a Stallion with a magic time box that travels around saving the world from aliens and time threats?" asked Rainbow

"That's the idea." said Pinkie

"That would be a interesting to watch." noted Rainbow, "Anyway! we need to find out where those mysterious things that attacked the library and Colgate's house went! Teleport spells can't take you that far!"

"Well, if I was such a awful looking creature," butted in Rarity putting her mirror down, "I would go to the one place where all the hideous thing lay, aside from Zecora, and hide myself away."

"Everfree?" asked Pinkie, a little nervous

"Yeah!" said Rainbow perking up, "I bet that's where they went, and I bet that's where they are now! Come on!"

She flew off, trailed by Derpy and Pinkie Pie. Colgate was a little unsure, adventures like these weren't really her thing. She started to back away when a orange mare stopped her.

"Scared there Sugarcube?" she asked

"A little. These things you ponies do, not exactly what I do in my spare time."

"It's okay, I'll be right there with ya in case things get hairy.”

Colgate was still a little unsure, but Applejack gave her a confidant reassuring smile, and the blue mare nodded. They were about to run off when they saw that Rarity was still sitting there with the mirror in her face.

"Ah don't mind her. She can keep that Doctor company." laughed Applejack

"Yeah, I guess she can."

Comments

[Mcyav]

Editors first again?

[J8ck78]

611383even if the editor wasn't firs tthe editor be first!

[Mcyav]

611399 Wha...?

[J8ck78]

611406 exactly

[Rayvinne]

Derpy's buns of steel?
Wut?

[J8ck78]

612498 Come on, we've all seen Over a Barrel! That Pegasus can really bring the town hall down .... literally

[Rayvinne]

613463

I thought that was just because of the muffins.

Buns of steel usually means they're toned.

[J8ck78]

613478 this is Derpy, also it's a reference by Mcyav to Doctor Whooves and Assistant

[Mcyav]

613502 Win!