Derpy Meets The Doctor

by Heavyhauler75622

Chapter Eleven: The Hunt Begins

Steward Lance walked the youngsters around the castle, giving the usual tour information; the tapestries, artwork, historical events, the litany of facts he learned to guide the tour. Normally, a Docent would conduct the walkthrough, but Lance took pride in being able to do any of the jobs his people did. He even knew how to do some simple canapés, learned from the Head Chef herself.

“…and here is Princess Celestia’s very own “Shaft of Light”, Her Highness’ halberd she used in the conflict with King Sombra against the King himself. There are various nicks in the shaft and blade from Sombra’s Crystal Scythe, though the Armorer has repaired the weapon from the most egregious damage,” he said, gesturing toward the halberd, as they stood in the castle Armory.

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof.

“Yes, Mistress Belle?” Steward Lance asked.

“Mister Steward Lance, sir,” she asked earnestly, “…are there any more fights? Fights where they use things like that?” she asked.

“Mistress Belle, the Shaft of Light has not left this display other than for cleaning or maintenance in my entire lifetime. In fact, my young filly, this weapon has not been couched, meaning put into use, since Her Highness brought it back to the Armory herself, for many hundreds of years.”

Steward Lance laughed internally as he watched the wide eyes in front of him. To the small fillies and colt, he probably appeared at least as ancient as Starswirl the Bearded, which would make the halberd somewhere around one third of the age of the universe itself.

“Wow,” Button Mash said, terribly impressed.

Wilf Lance smiled. “Exactly, Master Mash. We shall now leave for the Royal Garden. Please, attend me.”

---

The group was walking through the Gardens, admiring the statues, as Steward Lance related the stories behind the various statuary and some of the individuals represented by them. He also had voluminous information on the strictly art pieces, the names, artists, representations, all that sort of thing.

They came to a particular statue. And for once, Lance’s encyclopedic knowledge failed him completely.

“Hmmm…” he said, contemplatively.

“Sorry, Steward Lance?” asked Dinky, concerned. That’s very odd, she thought. He knows everything on just about everything. Why would a silly statue confuse him?

“I don’t remember this one, Mistress Dinky. In point of fact, I do not recall this particular piece at all. There are two hundred forty-two pieces of statuary for the Gardens, which are usually rotated every year for even weathering of all of them, as well as keeping the views fresh. I am unsure where this particular piece came from.”

“Why would somepony rear it up and make it with its legs over its eyes? It makes the face hard to see…”

“I do not know, Mistress Bloom,” the Steward said.

“It’s like its crying,” came from Scootaloo.

“I don’t like it,” declared Button Mash haughtily.

Dinky had an opinion as to why. Button was a bit younger than the girls because of how his birthday fit into the school year, and he was kind of coddled by his Mom. Every once in awhile, something would go wrong around him, and instead of shaking it off and trying again like Dinky’s Mom taught her to do, Button would start crying. He probably didn’t like being reminded about that.

Dinky never understood why Sweetie Belle liked him, but that was okay, because, well, Sweetie Belle liked him. She acted a lot like her older sister Rarity whenever Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon decided to pick on Button. Sweetie Belle was the master at mind burns; she had a real talent at twisting things around and putting it back on the two spoiled girls. It was fun to watch.

Steward Lance stepped back in. “In any case, we shall proceed to the Palace Labyrinth hedge maze. I shall do some research later on this piece and let you know what I discover. This way, please…”

---

“‘John’…what is a Weeping Angel?” she asked, confused, as they took a break in between tasks. She was contemplating the small entry in the repair manual; warning of, ‘unforeseen circumstances’ where the time movement vector wasn’t sufficiently buffered. Especially in the light of the discussion over at Fluttershy’s home.

He looked at her with trepidation. Drawing a deep breath, he began…

“They’re hunters, luv. Psychopaths. Humanoid, or in this existence, probably would be ponyoid. Been around almost since the beginning of Time itself, supposedly.” He sat down on the platform.

“Only creatures in existence that for the most part will kill you nicely,” he sighed. “They take their victims into the past and live off their time energy that they give off as they live out the remaining time of their life. Usually the victim is in a solitary existence, never gets to be with another ever again. The fear of always being alone makes the energy taste better, I suppose.”

He ran a hoof along the edge of the console. “It’s why Discord and the Princesses are in such danger from the things, luv. If an Angel were to find Discord, It could take him as far back as near the beginning of the universe. And Discord may live all the way to entropic death of the ‘verse as well. The energy produced by that…it would be near unlimited. Same goes for the Princesses, just not as much; although the difference between ‘All’, and ‘Well, Not Quite All, But a Fair, Close Second’, hardly matters much in that case.”

“The danger applies to me as well. Plus, my ‘hoofprint’ is both wider and longer. I’ve been to the Start and the End of existence. I’m not exactly a hors d’oeuvre platter. More along a twelve-course meal. The TARDIS is a tasty treat, too. Though that’s harder. The old girl has defences against creatures like that. Plus, she can shift in time and dimensions both laterally and forward as well.”

Derpy was dumbfounded. A killer that used time as a weapon?

“How do you stop them?” she asked quietly, concerned.

“More important. What do you do when you see one? Don’t blink. Blink, and you’re dead. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink,” the Doctor said emphatically.

“They’re unique, see?” he continued. “None have ever been seen moving. Don’t even know what that looks like, because of ‘quantum locking’. You look at them; they freeze into the statue form. They can’t even look at each other, because they freeze in the lock and may not ever move again. They’re extremely resistant to physical attack. Very strong. And staring in their eyes can infect your optic nerves, eventually turning you into an Angel. Video doesn’t prevent it; they can infect the eyes even through that.”

“Time paradoxes poison the time nourishment. Living after you had died, for example. It’s possible to burst one with a Sonic Screwdriver, but it takes time. Time a victim usually is not likely to have, much less the tool. And like other living things…starvation. Without energy, they weather and fall apart. They’re not just limited to time energy for food; starship engine radiation can be used, or electricity, though that’s a poor substitute. I’ve no idea on magic, luv. If they could consume that, they would absolutely destroy Equestria. The next to fall would be this entire existence. Then, everywhere, like parasites; an infection that can’t be stopped.”

He smiled at her. “S’not like they’re common, Derpy. Rare things, those. Circumstances work against them, mostly. Having to not be seen. Plus, they don’t exist here; astronomical odds just for me to pop in. Even higher hurtles for an Angel. I’d not worry, luv,” he said reassuringly.

She turned away. Yet, here you are, she thought to herself.

---

Steward Lance spoke to the Guard at the entrance of the maze as the fillies, laughing, ran into it. “There is a statue out of place just outside the Heroes Walk, near Clover the Clever’s plinth. A rampant pony-sized enrobed Pegasi I’ve never seen before with its forehooves over its eyes as if weeping. It’s not one of the Royal Museum’s statuary. If it’s a new commissioned work, I wasn’t informed, and I want it back in storage until it’s been properly cataloged and added to the rotation. Notify the Curator or her representative of the error, take their name, and then return to report to me. Go.”

The Guard saluted, went to carry out her order.

Lance turned back to Button.

Steward Lance looked on the brown colt reproachfully. “Master Mash, this hedge maze, the Palace Labyrinth, has been around for a very long time. Most ponies sooner or later visit it, and most of those will attempt the challenge of it. You do not have to do this; it is an elective activity, but you might want to reconsider. Most find the experience memorable.”

Button wavered a bit. ”I’m not good at things like this, Mister Steward. And everyone will laugh at me.”

Lance smiled. “Colt, I was never good at these things, either. I had to work at it. Just like video games; you have to work at it to get better. It’s what makes a pony strong; meeting challenges, then overcoming them. After the Guard returns, you come with me, and I’ll show you how to do it.”
As he turned with Button toward the entrance, he froze. There was a statue in the entryway. A familiar statue.

“Sir, that looks like…” Button started to say.

Lance’s eyes narrowed. The hooves were away from the face on this one, but the form was almost identical to…

The hackles of his mane started to stand up. To Lance, that was a familiar feeling he trusted.

Danger.

His horn glowed as his aura materialized around a tubular holster on his belt. A cylindrical object with a nonslip grip appeared, raised in front and a little to his right. It flicked sideways with a nudge of his aura, and a long metal baton extended with a threatening ‘CLACK’.

Steward Lance, former Sar-Major of the Canterlot Equestrian Guard, nudged Button away gently, as he steeled his muscles, and his resolve.

“Get behind me, Button,” he ordered, turning to face the statue head on, the baton ready at en guarde, as he steadied it for the defense en quarte. He stared at the statue at the upper neck as he had been trained, and refined through skirmish after skirmish, his peripheral vision taking in the body adequately to catch motion early enough to counter it. Though he was confused as to exactly what was happening, his trusted his instincts explicitly, and they were fairly screaming something extremely dangerous was in front of him.

“Sir…?”

“Button…listen very carefully. Retreat to the castle, and speak to the guard at the gate. Tell him about this statue. Use my name, and tell him, ‘Hoofhold’. Remember that, it’s very important. ‘Hoofhold’. Tell him four children are in the maze, and the entrance guard is on a detail for me. I want the Security Detachment out here to lock that thing up in a dungeon until I find out EXACTLY what it is. Follow his orders. Go, now.”

“But…”

Lance turned his face to look at him from the corner of his eye. “Now, Button…”

He disappeared. The baton made a slight thump as it hit the ground.

Button stared at the stature that was now standing just behind where Steward Lance had been. It had a scary face, with terrible, long, frightening fangs…

He rounded toward the castle…and disappeared as well…

The Angel took up a new position inside the Palace Labyrinth, its forehooves back alongside its eyes, in an instant. The flow of energy picked up as it stiffened intentionally.

Such easy hunting, it thought to itself.

---

A few minutes later, the Guard returned. She frowned darkly when she found that the Steward wasn’t where he was when she left. He was a former Sar-Major, you’d think he’d be more motivated…

There on the ground, was an extendible security baton. Opened and deployed.

The Guard unlocked it and collapsed it against her armor. She then slid the fighting blades out on her shoes, pulled out a tube that had been clipped on the belt of her armor. Pointing it upward, she pulled the initiation cord on the bottom of it with her aura.

The red star launched upward, and then held over her position, glowing brightly. She called over her halberd next, and took up the First Position, the halberd couched and ready. She would remain like that until her Senior NCO of the Guard Mount arrived.

The first was the lead EUP Pegasus of the flight team. She saw the star, rolled left out of the holding racetrack, dropped altitude, then re-established a new racetrack with the marker at the center and above her new current altitude to keep it clear. Her hoof found the pickle switch of her launcher.

The orange and yellow maned mare took up her visual scan. Whatever was going on, she was ready.

The Sergeant of the Guard ran up with two other Guard ponies. Seeing the Unicorn with the halberd couched and set, the fighting blades on the shoes opened to the ‘ready’ position, he slowed to a walk.

“Six,” she challenged, her eyes narrowed, sleek muscles under the armor readied to engage in battle.

I need to remember to commend this soldier, the Sergeant thought to himself. The two of them knew each other for three years, even associated with each other socially off duty with friends, yet the Corporal was fully in her duty, even to challenging him with the password, though she knew him by sight.

“Three,” he said. The numbers added to nine, which was the password. Any number could be given, as long as the countersign and the challenge added up to the number assigned for the day.

She relaxed visibly, bringing the halberd up to parade rest.

“Report,” he said crisply.

“Sergeant, the Steward sent me on a detail to speak with the Curator of the Royal Museum or their representative regarding an unknown statue outside the Heroes Walk near Clover the Clever’s plinth. A rampant pony-sized enrobed Pegasi with its forehooves over its eyes as if weeping, he said. He also stated it’s not one of the Royal Museum’s normal statuary, possibly a new commissioned work he was not informed of, and that it was out of place. He wanted it back in storage until it’s been properly cataloged and added to the rotation. I carried out his order and reported back, but the Steward was not here. I found this, opened and readied for employment,” she stated calmly, as she handed the security baton to the Sergeant.

He looked at one of his companions. “Verify that statue, and report back,” he told him. The Guard took off.

“Was anypony with the Steward?” the Sergeant asked.

“The young brown colt from the group he was escorting was with him. The other four fillies were in the Palace Labyrinth.”

He turned to his other escort. “Go find them and bring them back here.” The other Guard left to carry out her order.

“Did you try to find him?”

“No, Sergeant. Orders are to maintain my post on watch, and to relay to the senior non-commissioned officer of the Guard Watch of any incidents outside of my standing orders. I believed the Steward would have waited until my return, maintaining the watch before leaving, especially since he ordered me to pass on to him the name of the pony at the Royal Museum I gave the information to. When I found the baton on the ground, deployed…” she gestured, “…I sent up the alert.”

“I agree, Corporal. Maintain your post; I’ll assume the responsibility regarding this from now on. And good work,” he added, smiling. He hoofed over a new signal launcher.

“Thank you, Sergeant,” she said, as she again took up her post outside the Labyrinth.

He stared at the baton as he turned it over in his hoof, noting the initials ‘WL’ on the pommel and the EUP crest engraved above them.

He recalled that night a few years ago when his troops presented the baton to Lance at his retirement ceremony. The regiment had all chipped in to buy him the usual memorial ceremonial crop, but just before getting it, they all heard of his impending appointment to Steward. Slightly drunk, the more senior Non-Coms decided that the Steward didn’t need a goofy, gilded mini-whip to carry around inside the castle, especially around his two new bosses; and so they decided to get him something eminently more practical. He could always use it to point at things needing doing while he bellowed, just like he could with the riding crop. Not that Lance needed anything to convey authority; he had a stare that would stop Queen Chrysalis in her tracks.

No, he thought. Something was wrong. Lance was bothered enough by something that he felt he needed to take out and deploy this baton. And now both he and the colt were missing.

He was interrupted by a returning Guard. “Sarge, there’s nothing different in the statues, and nothing on the Heroes Walk that doesn’t belong there.”

He sighed deeply. Lance wasn’t anypony given to exaggeration or histrionics. If he said something was a way, it was that way. What could be making a statue appear and disappear, and why? To what end?

A few minutes after that, the second Guard returned with four bewildered fillies in tow. She brought them to the Sergeant.

The Sergeant raised his eyebrows. Without a word he asked the question…Where was the Steward and the colt?

The Guard, a Sergeant of lower rank, shook her head. He nodded.

“Kids, have any of you seen the Steward or your colt friend since you went into the Labyrinth?” he asked, a little stilted. He wasn’t all that good with youngsters.

He had his answer as the girls all looked at each other, confusion on their faces. He shook his head.

“Okay. Fillies, please follow me, we’re gonna head on back now. Claymore, on my authority, go fetch the duty platoon and bring them here. Get them organized and on search for that colt and the Steward. Charlie sweep first. If they're not found, go directly to an Alpha sweep. Call in extra troops if you need them. Mark and move,” he said.

As he reached up with his aura and pulled down the magic flare, extinguishing it, the fillies all looked at each other again. All of them were thinking the exact same thing as Spitfire changed altitude again and went back to her standby racetrack.

What happened?

---

The Sergeant of the Guard Watch walked into the Throne Room; saluted crisply. “Your Majesty, the Steward and the young colt visiting for Gamer Night appear to be missing. After a cursory primary first search, which assumed the missing ponies were only injured, incapacitated, or ill, and wanting but unable to seek help, they have not been found on the grounds,” he said factually as he reported to Celestia. He handed her the Steward’s baton. “This was found deployed at the Labyrinth post. A full in depth search is now underway.”

“Does anypony remember what the Royal Steward spoke of when he was last seen?” Celestia asked. Her voice was calm and composed, but the Sergeant noted she turned the baton over and over in her hoof nervously.

“Majesty, the Steward was investigating a new statue out of place in the Royal Gardens, one he had not seen before. He wondered if it was a new commission. The Guard on duty reports being detailed by the Steward to find the Museum Curator or a Docent to have the statue removed and retained at the Museum until it could be properly be entered into the rotation,” he continued.

“New statue? We have not commissioned new works. What did this statue look like?” Celestia pressed further.

“It was not of the scale of the Heroics, Majesty…more pony sized. According to the order given to the Guard, it was a rampant enrobed Pegasi, but posed in an unusual way; the forehooves were made so they were over the eyes, as if it was blinded or weeping.”

Celestia flinched. The baton clanked to the floor, before Celestia used her aura to pick it up and set it gently upon a cushion there on the throne dais.

I’ve never seen the Princess flinch before, the Guard Sergeant thought.

“Sergeant…we require the Officer of the Guard forthwith. In the meantime, you are directed to establish and maintain security level two in Canterlot immediately. All ponies not directly involved in essential daily operations are to be calmly, gently, and discreetly escorted from the grounds, the tunnels closed, and the drawbridge raised. What particular groups are currently on the grounds at our invite?” Celestia asked.

“None, other than Princess Luna’s Gamer Night group. The Ponytones were re-scheduled for late next week after the event conflict was found, so Princess Luna could still attend after her on-site inspections of the Night Guard in Manehatten on Monday and Fillydelphia Wednesday. I would have to arrange special transportation for the children; they are minors,” the Sergeant replied.

“No. For the time being, and until we learn more, maintain the children at the guest dormitory, but increase the security presence by a platoon. Ask Our Sister to attend to them and reassure them against their fears regarding their missing friend at her convenience. Brief the Guard to be watching for this statue during their search for the missing ponies. Should it be located, none are to approach it, but to put it under direct observation at a discrete distance with as many Guards as are necessary. Be prudent, Sergeant, and detail enough Guard to maintain the observation without failure or error.”

“As you wish, Majesty. Any further orders?” he asked.

“Not at this time, Sergeant. The Officer of the Guard may make changes once we speak with her. You are dismissed, and may leave our presence to carry out your orders forthwith.”

“As you wish, Majesty.” He straightened to attention, saluted, then left for the barracks to fetch the Officer of the Guard first.

Celestia stared at the floor pensively as she thought. Could their greatest fears be true?

She came to a decision. Once she discussed the situation with the Officer of the Guard, she would seek out the one pony that could shed some light on this.

---

“Whadya think happened?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t know, but everyone looks pretty worried,” Scootaloo said, a foreleg over Sweetie Belle’s shoulder. She was crying softly.

Dinky thought rapidly. “Something happened that has everypony upset. Something they never had happen before.” She stood up from her cushion.

“What happened to Button?” Sweetie Belle sobbed.

Dinky came over, picked up her hoof, and looked into her eyes. “I don’t know, Sweetie. But Mom and Mister ‘John’ are here; I talked to them. They’re both very smart. They can help.” He stroked her mane reassuringly.

Scootaloo spoke up. “We could…”

“Scoots, that’s not a good idea. We should stay here, not do something that might interrupt them,” Dinky said.

“But Dinks…”

“Nuh-uh. They don’t need the Cutie Mark Crusaders acting like Leeroy Jenkins. We need to help them. That means we have to stay out of their way.” She smiled kindly. “Besides, Sweetie Belle needs us more,” she said, as she stroked her mane.

---

Button Mash’s Squire was distressed. Granted, the Steward had taken possession of the children for the Grounds Tour, but the Squire, like most of the ponies assigned to Canterlot, took great pride in his responsibilities. The fillies’ Squires still had things to do for their nervous and upset charges, but he was suddenly displaced from his duty. And he didn’t care for it one little bit.

He walked out of the dormitory, and joined in the search. He felt his responsibility lay at least with trying to help. If the Guard found him useless or obtrusive, they could always order him away. In the meantime, another set of eyes certainly wouldn’t hurt.

And he’d been getting away with it fairly easily, too. No pony really challenged him until he was fairly deep within the Palace Labyrinth.

He had just finished looking in a dead end and was on his way out, when he almost tripped on a pair of Guards coming the other way.

“Hold!” one of them commanded. The Squire stood calmly as they approached.

The other blurted out first. “Hey, I know you! You’re Quarterstaff’s kid, Kary…Kamby…”

“Kali, sir. His eldest.”

“That’s it, Kali! What are you doing running around by yourself in the Palace Labyrinth? Everypony’s been put into lockdown.”

“I know I’m not supposed to be out here…but the colt kid. He was my charge, until the Steward took them all around on the Tour. Kinda feel responsible about it, thought I’d try to help look.”

“Fair enough. I wouldn’t bust a croup on somepony trying to help find somepony missing. But you have to stay with us, we’re in the ‘no lone zone’ mission profile; means everyone has to be accompanied. You see anypony back there?”

“No, sir. I was just coming out to start a new place when I met you two.”

“Did you check the spyhole?”

“Spyhole? What’s a spyhole?”

“Sometimes, mazes like these have shrubbery die back in a dark corner,” he said, nodding his head at the alley entrance. “And until the groundskeeper can get in there to repair or re-plant, it makes an open spot behind the wall you can’t see unless you’re right up on it. Great place to stick yourself in until somepony you want to scare the hay out of walks by; then you pop out of it and frighten them half to death. I guard this thing pretty often, and one had started developing back along the inside corner in there.”

“Wow, I thought I looked,” Kali said.

“C’mon, I’ll show you,” the Guard said, smiling.

---

The three of them stood near the corner, as the Guard pointed a hoof. “See how from this angle, the wall looks solid, Kali?”

Kali nodded.

“Start moving to your right, away from this wall, and toward the side opposite.”

Kali spoke up excitedly. “Hey! Now I see it! It’s like a part was torn off or something…” he said as he walked up to it.

“Yeah. It’s still got a little growth across there, but you could easily…”

“Nuh-uh. There’s a pretty good sized hole here…I can almost…” he said as he pushed forward into it.

The Guard spoke to his teammate. “I really need to follow up on my report; the Groundskeeper or one of his assistants should have either rejuvenated the shrubbery in there, or put up a helio-reflector to direct the Princesses’ Sun into that spot. I was hoping they’d have it done already. They’ll have to do major removal and replanting now,” he said.

There was a small, unusual sound, like air displacing into an empty void.

“What the hay was that?” the second Guard asked.

“Beats me, but if that kid thinks it’s time to be a donkey, he’s about to find out different. Hey! Kali,” he said loudly, “…stop goofing off in there, we gotta finish our patrol!”

No response.

“Oh for the love of Celestia’s Sun,” groused the first. “Here, hold this,” he said, as he handed over his wicked-looking halberd to his teammate, and moved toward the opening.

“Wait, Spear, don’t you think…”

“If I take it with me, I’ll want to skewer him with it. Just give me a second, Morningstar. Besides,” he said, a little smile in his voice, “…I can’t push through this bush carrying that big wooden stick…”

“Suppose not. But keep an eye out; there’s some reason we’re all taced out besides a couple of wayward ponies. I don’t know what a statue has to do with that, but our orders were pretty exact.” Morningstar swung his eyes rapidly to the rear, checking behind him for anypony sneaking up…

Another quiet pop...

Morningstar swung back immediately, looking at the corner. “Spear?” he asked loudly.

Silence.

“Kali?” he tried again.

Again, no response.

“Oh, manure,” he breathed, backing slightly from the hole as if it led straight to Tartarus itself. He reared up, sliding his hooves along his halberd as he brought it down and couched it at his side. Spear’s weapon fell free for a second, then bounced slightly, the free end lifting up…

And jamming between his body and the halberd, fouling them. Morningstar glanced down to see what he needed to move or drop to get clear, as a second shadow appeared, slid near his.

“Spear, I’m gonna beat you like the office rug for…”

He disappeared.

The Angel calmly picked up the ridiculous weapons and jammed them parallel along the base of a maze wall. If all the life forms were so clumsy and slow here, it would have to slow down rapidly on taking prey. Engorging itself just after planetfall was a stupid waste. Better to take them slowly over time.

It was also time to move to a new spot, as well. There were soon to be too many to hunt efficiently, huddled up in a mass while looking for the others. Better to continue picking them off one by one.

It moved back into the hole for a bit as it considered its next move.

Comments

[WinterShiny]

Dang those pesky angels...

[Phoenix Nebula]

I see why angles fined it "tastier" for there victim to be alone. When they are sent back in time the angles feed off the future they could have had and the one they now have. But if some one else's future crosses paths with that of the one sent back then it changes the future of the one sent back. So if you are sent back in time by an angle you need to make allot of friends and change history as much as possible. This will poison the angles food source killing it and because its existence strung through the time line of the universe you are sent back to the place were you were sent back by the angle. In other word just create a paradox so large not even the doctor can fathom.