The Great Conspiracy

by YoungQuillMaster

The Background Papers: Part 3

“So you’re saying that there are disturbances all over this place?” The Professor asked, swinging the monitor away from the Doctor, taking a good look at the blips on the map of Equestria that we constantly popping up. “Well this certainly is interesting. Any ideas on what might be causing it?”

“Nothing that you don’t have already I’m afraid.” The Doctor replied, galloping around the side of the Tardis’ console, pressing a few buttons, winding a few lever, flipping a few switches before pulling back on a yet another lever, causing the machine to jolt, and all the ponies inside to give a yelp.

“Did we really have to bring all of them?” The Professor asked, looking towards the ponies that had been dropped off of the ship with her and Blunder.

“Of course, you know we do, so let’s just see if we can get you all back before anything else…” The Doctor began to reply before a blast shot up from the control panel, directly into the Doctor’s face, causing him to stumble backwards into the handrail, which since the advent of no hands and all hooves had become quite useless until it suddenly decided to be there when the Doctor took a tumble.

“Whoa girl, what’s wrong?” The Professor asked, rushing over to the sparking panel, taking her screwdriver out to scan it. “Hmm…”

“What happened, Doctor, are you alright?” Derpy asked, kneeling by the Doctor, looking over him with one of her eyes.

“Eh, mostly. I’ve been better, but it doesn’t matter.” He replied, getting back to his hooves and walking over to the console. “The Tardis seems to not want to work properly.”

“You mean that we’re all stuck here again with now way back like before?” One of the ponies shouted in an exasperated tone.

“Well, sort of… let’s see if maybe it’s just those coordinates that aren’t functional.” The Professor said to nopony in particular while resetting the target coordinates. She threw the lever and in the typical fashion, the Tardis vanished from a dark alley and Equestria all together.

The Professor swung the Tardis door open and looked out on the cratered surface of the moon. She closed the door once again and walked back to the console, setting in another set of coordinates and flipping the lever was again. She opened the door and saw the sun through a shaded filter down below them. She repeated the process several times, each time popping up somewhere farther and farther from Equestria, each time met with the expected amount of success. She then once again set the coordinates to her side of Equestria, but the Tardis once again reacted violently.

“Well, I suppose that we aren’t getting you lot back home.” The Doctor commented, looking around at his Tardis, trying to find something, though not entirely sure what to look for. “Well, perhaps you all could keep yourselves entertained while the Professor and I try to figure out went wrong.”

“Alright, Doctor, you got it. I got just the thing to do while you figure out what to do. Come on everypony, follow me.” Derpy shouted, charging off with Blunder and everypony who was on the ship following, though the other ponies followed at a more reserved point.

“So, what do you think it might be? Maybe we actually have some problem with some unknown alien force.” The Professor suggested, looking at the monitor closely.

“Maybe, but with a place like Equestria a beetle might be responsible for the disturbance. All this magic can really get you confused, especially when trying to figure out what is possible and what isn’t.” The Doctor commented.

“Maybe we should head for the one area with the highest concentration of disturbances. It might be the point of origin for all of this.” The Professor stated.

“Trust me when I say that if such a point existed that I’d have us go there right now.” The Doctor replied while flipping several more switches. The Professor looked at him and then pushed the monitor along, causing it to spin around the track that encircled the main console. The Doctor caught the monitor, a hoof stuck between the main body of the computer and one of the handlebars.

“You’ll see what I mean.” The Professor stated simply while continuing what the Doctor had been doing.

“Huh, I guess there is a point of higher disturbances… are you setting coordinates?” The Doctor queried, leaning back from the screen to look at the Professor, who replied in a nod. “So we’re just going to go without even thinking twice.”

“Since when did we ever think twice?” The Professor asked, twisting a nod as best as she could with her hoof. “It never was never any fun thinking more than once, it only complicated things more than we cared for; wouldn’t you agree?” She asked, swiping her hoof across one of the panels, flipping all the switches on it at the same time.

“True enough I’d suppose. Now, should we wear a winter jacket or a summer blazer?” The Doctor asked, looking at the monitor, twisting one of the knobs to focus on the point of interest.

“How about a fez?” The Professor asked with a smirk, throwing a lever. The Doctor chuckled slightly while leaning against the console.

“Oh wow, that was… what was it? Three regenerations ago?” The Doctor reminisced. The Professor stopped messing with the console and started thinking.

“I’m getting two… unless you count the last human form and this one as separate ones.” The Professor stated. “Personally I can’t really say if they’re separate or just different forms of the same. Either way,” She continued, throwing another lever and flipping a few more switches, “We’ve got business to attend to at the moment.”

“True, now let’s see.” He scanned the area, finding a castle nestled in a ridge of hill surrounded by hundreds upon hundreds life signals. “Well I’ll be… it’s almost like it’s a large family reunion of something. Let’s get a better look, shall we?” The Professor nodded and pulled the final lever. The Doctor opened the door and looked out and saw said castle with ponies all around it and in it, with ponies flying through the skies while other ponies seemed to be avoiding them while other ponies on the ground seemed to be doing the same motions with another group of ponies.

“Very interesting indeed…” The Professor mumbled. “Want to get a closer look?” She asked, turning to the Doctor, who was no longer there, but at the main consol, steering the Tardis down into the outlying forest.

“We’ll get inside, see how things are and what’s going on, get out once our curiosity is satisfied and be on our way.” The Doctor stated. The Professor shut the door and walked back up to where her counterpart was continually fiddling with knobs, levers, and buttons while looking at the monitor occasionally.

“Since when did we stop at just that?” She asked with a smirk. The Doctor looked at her while shaking his head as he tossed another lever.

“It’s not fair having someone… I mean somepony that knows me so well.” The Doctor said. “I can’t get away with saying sensible things anymore.” The Professor shook her head, heading back towards the door. “Landing in…three…two…” Suddenly the Tardis shook violently; causing the Professor steadied herself, attempting not to fall out the doors. “I guess that’s one, now let’s go.” The Doctor quickly grabbed his overcoat and slipped it on before descending the stairs and heading towards the door.

The Doctor and the Professor walked up towards the castle’s front gate, immediately received by several guards that held their spears directly towards them. The Doctor would’ve put his hands up, but being as he had a certain lacking in those appendages, he didn’t.

“State your name and business here!” One of the guards shouted, eyes fixed on the two new comers. The Doctor quickly took out a slip of physic paper and presented it, one of the unicorn guards taking it in their magic.

“I think you’ll find everything in order.” The Doctor stated with a smirk. The guard moved his head, signaling his unicorn comrade to send it back. The guards raised their spears.

“Very well, Counselor Timeturner, You may pass, but remember that Sire and Majesty no longer rule.” The guard stated, stepping aside, allowing the ponies to go through. “And, whatever your name is,” The guard began, directing his speech towards the Professor.

“Oh, you mean me; I’m his reflection, Clockwork.” She stated with a small smile, displaying the same level of confidence as her counterpart.

“I guessed as much, just remember to stay in line and keep your reflection doing the same.” The guard stated. “Keeping each other in line is how things work.”

“Of course, I’ll be sure to keep him in line as well as I keep myself in line.” The Professor stated. “And I’m sure you agree as well, Timeturner.”

“Hmm… What? Oh, yes, of course, I agree completely.” The Doctor agreed, returning from looking over the castle around them.

“Very well, just keep it that way. There are quite a few loyal supporters of Inkpot and Quill Scratch, and if you show so much as an inkling of disloyalty or insubordination they’ll doubtlessly have you expelled from the Alliance and directly to the bottom of the sea.” The guard cautioned.

“Of course, we’d never think about being disloyal. The Alliance is our home; we owe them… well… everything.” The Professor said with a smile. The guard nodded slowly, watching as the two ponies strolled past.

“Keep a guard on them.” He whispered to his lieutenant, “I have a feeling that they might have forged those papers. If they so much as take one miss step I want to know about it.” The lieutenant nodded and walked over to another guard to give the task.

The Doctor and the Professor looked at the stonework around them, inspecting each and every detail about it. The Doctor sniffed at a bit of moss he had scrapped off of one of the cracks in the wall.

“I’d say…” He murmured before taking another sniff, “Ten, maybe fifteen years old.” He said with pursed lips as he continued to look at his surroundings.

“I was thinking of more like twenty, but that doesn’t make much of a difference.” The Professor stated. “More to the point is why it’s here, and why the security is so tight. Are they expecting trouble or do they really not like house guests.”

“Maybe they’ve had some trouble recently and are just becoming a bit more alert in response to it.” The Doctor replied. “Or maybe that guard stalking us could tell us something, he’s getting awfully close.” Suddenly a clatter hoof came from beside them, followed by metal clanging and some shouting. The Doctor and the Professor looked behind them, watching as their follower was chased out of the kitchen by an angry chef that had a splattered pie on top of his chef’s hat that was starting to drip on the ground.

“That was quite interesting, don’t you think?” The Professor asked as the chef returned in a mess to the kitchen, grumbling something about clumsy guard and extra security measures. “A bit of an overreaction to being found out.”

“I think it might have to do with him being only a corporal. Really, they should’ve sent a sergeant if they wanted somepony to keep their cool after hearing that they’ve been found out.” The Doctor commented. “Either way, it doesn’t matter.”

“Quite agreed. Moving on.” With that, both ponies turned and continued walking down the hall. As they turned a corner, the Doctor ran into another pony, which fell to his haunches upon their contact.

“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” The guard apologized. The Doctor helped the pony back up to his hooves, but when the guard looked at his, he almost seemed to freeze. ”You’re one of them too?” The guard mumbled under his breath, barely even recognizable as speech.

“Eh, what was that? Speak up, don’t mumble.” The Doctor stated, quite curious about this particular guard behavior in contrast to the others.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just that I recognize you, but I didn’t realize you were one of the members of the Alliance.” The guard stated. “Rather, I know your female counterpart, who, it seems, is standing right behind you.”

“Oh really, you two have met?” The Doctor asked with surprise. “I suppose that means I’ve met your reflection as well. Who was she?”

“Oh, um, well, I’m Nightshade, but…” The guard looked around, quickly making sure no other ponies were around. “Come with me, I believe the high council was looking for you.” The Doctor and the Professor looked at each other with a smile.

“Alright, lead the way, sir Nightshade.” The Doctor said with a goofy grin, surprise he had already been called to a meeting with the Alliance’s high council, only being a member for a few minutes. The Nightshade pony led them down several halls, taking turn after turn before finally entering a door, the Doctor and Professor right behind him. The door closed behind them in Nightshade’s magic, and the room beyond was quite the opposite of the long, lavish hall with a hardwood table and tall back chairs that they had been expecting; instead it was a rather dark room until Nightshade used his horn to light their surroundings.

“Isn’t this interesting. I never thought of having a high council meeting in a broom closet. Saving on space?” The Professor asked.

“I don’t believe that you two are parts of the Alliance.” Nightshade stated. “I know you two well enough, no matter how little that may be, to know that the likes of you wouldn’t join, especially without two other certain ponies right on your tails.”

“Hmm? What do you mean by two certain ponies on our tails?” The Doctor asked. Nightshade removed his helmet, his white coat and red mane shifting to dark gray and steel blue respectively. “Oh, is that a alternate appearance spell? Fascinating, I suppose it would work in place of having badges or uniforms even though you all already seem to have uniforms as well.”

“Look, I know that, for at least Clockwork, Blunder would be right behind her. I don’t know you’re follower’s name, but I know the principle of reflectivity, so I also know you have one.” Nightshade stated. “And I know Blunder very well, and he is the type of stallion to join such a thing like the Alliance.”

“Isn’t this interesting, I thought mutiny was stamped out. Well, at least the guard said that, but it seems we have a bit right here.” The Professor commented. “Are you actually mutinous or are you just trying to test us to see if we are?” Nightshade sighed before removing the necklace that had been dangling around his neck. Immediately, his coat and mane changed again, not only that, but his cutie mark changed and the bottom of wings poked out from the sides of the armor.

“Wait, an alicorn… no, no, wait, I mean, a second disguising spell? Isn’t that overly complicated? Do you happen to have a third or are you staying like this.” The Doctor questioned. “Also, you look remarkably like that Twilight girl, are you her reflection? I suppose you are since you said you knew my reflection and not me.”

“Also you must be on an espionage mission and are just as surprised to see us here as we are you.” The Professor chimed in.

“I’m here as an inside agent, yes, and so is Twilight.” Nightshade, or Dusk rather, said. “I suppose I am right about you two not being part of the Alliance. If so, how did you get in. Only ponies with identification can get it.”

“Let’s just say we can really make a good fake slip of identification.” The Doctor replied. “And yes, we are just as much as outsiders as you are in this case.”

“I suppose there’s no harm in having eyes and ears in both the guard’s ranks and the higher ranks.” Dusk said while slipping his necklace and helmet back on, both layers of his disguise fully working as planned. “So, did Celestia or Artemis send you?”

“Actually, no, we came here on a bit of curiosity, that and this place is the beating heart of disturbances that are echoing throughout the world as we speak.” The Professor stated.

“It makes sense that it would be, being as it is the main base of the Alliance who seems to not give a care about the delicate balance of the world.” Dusk rationalized. “So, how about we get out of the closet and into the hall before the janitor needs a bucket or something?”

“Sure thing, but you go first with a bucket in case some… pony thinks you coming out of a closet is a tad off.” The Professor instructed, stumbling a bit when she struggled to say pony instead of body.

“Alright, on disguise and forerunner coming up. I’ll knock twice when it’s safe to come out.” Dusk agreed, levitating a bucket and walking out, leaving the two ponies inside. Dusk immediately saw another guard coming down one of the halls, who quickly gave him a glance of curiosity, but walked on without any question. Dusk knocked his hind leg against the door twice once the pony was far away enough, and the Doctor and Professor quickly obliged the signal and came out.

“Let’s not hide in broom closets again, alright?” The Doctor asked hopefully. The Professor nodded, and both ponies walked on down the hall, leaving Dusk to throw the bucket back into the closet and walk his own way.