Out of Time

by Lunarus Solaris Nexus

The Maze

The TARDIS shook and wobbled heavily as it went. The Doctor clung to the console while Derpy held on to a railing. Nexus on the other hand was enjoying a face full of glass as he did everything in his power to get his hoofs under him and get to the console as well. Unfortunately for him he kept sliding around on his stomach and face. The Doctor did what he could to fly around the controls before finally slamming the switch back down.

The same gong sounded when he first appeared and the rumbling stopped. The Doctor and Derpy looked around the room and the Doctor cracked a smile. "And that's how it's done."

"We on the ground?" Nexus asked rubbing his most abused cheek.

"We have in fact landed! Brilliant!"

"Is it safe outside Doctor?"

"You said there's nothing in space." Nexus began. "What about air?"

"You'd be right. There isn't any. Good thing there's an air bubble around the TARDIS. And besides, scanners are picking up a similar bubble around the walkway to… I'm not really sure what that is."

The Doctor peeled himself away from the console and ran straight for the door. He threw them open and Nexus wasn't sure what to expect. Nothing was the first option but anything would be equally possible. For all he knew there'd be a wave of space just flying in through the door. What would "space" look like anyways? Nexus pushed the thought out of his mind and peered over the Doctor's shoulder.

What was ahead of them wasn't much to speak of. It was a stone pathway leading into blackness with street lamps in the center of the walkway and an arch separating the path from the landing pad. It lead to what looked like the first story of a very large skyscraper just made out of gray stone. The walkway lead to an opening in the walls and it gave absolutely nothing about the inside. What was much to talk about was the beam of white light coming from deep within the structure and the swirling mass of black clouds lined in burgundy light overhead.

"That's a time storm?" Nexus asked.

"That it is… And that beam confirms it. It's a paradox machine."

"Do you know how to shut it off?" Derpy asked.

"I wasn't there when it happened the first time but from what I hear we just gotta smash it. Sounds simple enough!" the Doctor confidently strode out onto the platform.

Derpy wasn't far behind him but Nexus was much more cautious, taking his steps lightly. Or as lightly as a two hundred and fifty pound stallion could be. The stone under his hoofs were perfectly solid. Out of caution, he used his elemental magic to try and find out what they were dealing with. The ground underneath was only about ten meters thick. across the whole of the structure. Now that he could feel it, he knew it was gigantic! The walls were about… wait.

"Doctor!" Nexus called out to the Doctor, realizing how far ahead he and Derpy had gone.

Nexus sprinted through the arch and was suddenly engulfed by a bluish white light. The Doctor shouted to Nexus as the lights started swirling around him, slowly going up his head. As the lights closed in on the top of his head he felt his magical view of the ground fading. The lights finally formed several circles around his horn before closing around it and forcing itself to be absorbed. The grooves in Nexus' horn glowed as the spell took full effect. All feelings he'd had from the building ahead were gone and replaced by a shock through his whole body

"Nexus!" The Doctor slid to a stop as Nexus hunched over from the magical feedback. "You alright?"

"What was that?" Derpy asked putting a hoof on h his shoulder.

"Magical lock…"

"A what?" The Doctor asked.

"A magic lock. Basically means I can't use my magic anymore. They use them at sporting events so there can't be cheaters in the crowd."

"Well can't you break it?"

"Nope. Not unless you've been hiding a horn in that insane hair and the lock didn't notice, I can't use magic until we get out."

"And that's bad for you?"

"More for us. Means I can't see where we're going."

"What are you even talking about?"

"That thing over there," Nexus said nodding to the structure. "That's a maze worthy of Tartarus."

"A maze?" Derpy said confused. "What's a maze doing out here in the middle of space."

"Edge." the Doctor corrected. "And that is a good question. Nexus, start asking better questions if you want to keep in my graces."

"This isn't a competition Doctor. And I'm irreplaceable." Derpy said so cock sure of herself.

"Both of you shut up." Nexus said shrugging them off. We need to get moving. Sooner we beat this maze, the sooner my life's back to normal."

"Initiative, well done." The Doctor said. Nexus felt the Doctor was indulging himself in the idea of them competing to be better than one another.

Nexus rolled his eyes and started down the path. Towards the maze. Derpy and the Doctor were right behind him. Nexus could still feel the tension from both The Doctor and Derpy. Hell, even Nexus was afraid. The three reached the door of the maze and stopped. The Doctor pulled that Sonic Pen out of his hammer space and turned it on. The sound of the pen grew higher in pitch before it was nearly too loud to bear. He yelped in pain and dropped the pain, watching it bounce off some kind of invisible wall.

"What is it Doc?" Nexus asked.

"The Sonic doesn't understand magic." Derpy explained. "Makes it overheat."

"She's right." the Doctor said gingerly picking up his pen. "Doesn't happen often."

"So what were you looking for?"

"I was trying to see if there was some way to get a feel for the place. Magically protected."

"The floor isn't." Nexus said.

"How do you know?"

"I used Geomancy to scan the place. The floors are stone but the walls are enchanted steal. I could only see the creases in the foundation. When I looked."

"That's how you knew it was a maze?"

"Yup."

"Any chance you saw where the Paradox Machine was?"

"No. There's a few big rooms in there. No guarantee it's in any of them. It's only geomancy, not the infinite power of Faust."

"Point taken. Any routs then?"

"Only one for now. Right."

"Good enough for me."

"You sure about this?" Derpy asked.

"No. But I'm sure I'm willing to spend eternity in here."

"Careful with those words." The Doctor said glancing over to him. "You just might have it happen."

As the group walked through the door and a wall of light, not bright enough to obscure the TARDIS in the distance. Derpy turned and put a hoof against the wall before the Doctor could stop her. Her hoof touched the light as though it was solid.

"I guess we can't go back now anyways…" she said slowly taking her hoof off the wall.

Author's Note:

L: Our main guests have arrived. How close is our little friend?
M: Pretty far but from the course they're taking they should run into it soon.
L: Perfect. Would you mind? I need a refill. *shakes his empty pina colada*
M: Sure, it's gonna be a long wait anyways.
L: *stats humming Yes I like Pina Colada*