You're Here!

by Arn

Aprehesion Between Walls

Author's Note:

Marigold has won a great victory, but in every battle there are wounds
Marigold is no exception!
Chaos magic has its own after effects
Seeing strange sights hearing strange sounds, leading to paranoia and.....

Apprehension.
Fear and doubt requiring wisdom.
...but knowledge puffs up leading to anger leading to fretting.
Nothing good comes from fretting.

Now advise, bringing balance.
"But a princess should be afraid. Of the paths in her forest or the hall of her castle, like a maze. Or a more twisted maze of the mind making enemy of friend she sees. Doubting them, bringing mistrust. These are apprehensions between the walls, the wall of the mind." Starswirl the Bearded, paraphrased from a conversation between Merlin and Author similar to Le Morte d'Arthur, written by Sir Thomas Mallory. (whether it is a paraphrase from Merlin isn't known but Starswirl has been caught making quotes from works from other worlds and times...as well has been Merlin!)

...but one must listen.

"At last!" Marigold panted." The entrance!"
No.

This wasn't the entrance! It was a pile of boulders stacked against the wall!
There was a picture above, depicting the symbol for pegisi. She looked at the top of the cyclopic cistern that same domed top grate she had seen from Celestia's back.

It was the wrong pen!
How she had gotten turned around!
She began to walk the circumference.

She moved on to the next structure close beside, joining. They stood together like three grain elevators of stone, or clay frozen in that moment the potter has created a cylinder on his wheel. This one had the symbol for unicorn! How far had she walked around?!

She tripped over what appeared to be mole diggings. More stones... This time piled against the lower part of the wall and buried.
"OH!" Marigold remembered the stories, gossip, from the campfires. "This was when the unicorn and earth ponies were trying to dig in to find a somepony!"

Marigold continued her walk toward the gate over the evidences of digging and excavations, her mind beginning to wander. All those stories at the campfires of ponies and unicorns and pegisi, especially the pegisi.
"Oh my!"thought Marigold.

Dark shadows in her mind, ponies milling about. Desperate: digging, chipping, clawing if they had claws, making their hooves ragged , blasting away with their horns, blasting away at the rock.

Marigold jumped back as a wall threw itself up before her putting her in total darkness!

Then a sundering and splintering of rock, a chip, a crack in the clay pot! The flakes, like filmica, flew around and past Marigold on every side.
A unicorn, stood in the hole, too impatient to get through the very last wafer thin layer between them and the males, used a pony as a batting ram! The unicorn galloped past Marigold into the embracing darkness that was the pens beyond.
The pony got up, shook the rock flakes out of her mane, and also started running in a sharp angle in another direction completely unfazed about the humiliation of being used as a battering ram to smash through!
"Come here you beautiful...!"squealed the unicorn.
"Heyup, doggie, doggie! "Yipped the earth pony, whatever that meant in the cruder parts of Ponyland!

Both voices were drowned out as a literal torrent of females pushed itself through the wall, making it even wider, with the sound of armor clad ponies galloping hard, following close behind! Their excavations had not gone unnoticed hence the rush!

Then images, like classical images one would see on reliefs of the Romane or Ponicians, movement body muscle and sounds: TERRIFING YELLING!
Ponies unicorn and pegisi with headlights eyes sweeping back and forth, dark shadows they, grappling other dark shadows with lamp eyes! Them the males, they, grabbed by unicorns or ponies as the mares popped out of the earth, a frightening jarring sight, scaring them.
The mares clinging round their necks, the helpless unicorn or pegissi, their prizes unable to shoo the mares off , inhibitor rings on the males horns and unfamiliarity with pegisi wings.
These females, aggressively, grabbing, lassoing the males, unicorns, pegisi out of the sky, squawking. Unicar using their magic to grab their
unicorn counterparts or snatch a hapless pegisi stallions, dragging them down, down as they scrambled in the air confused about their lack of lift, he crying out in fear!

"Halp!"

At every pairing, as one female grabbed a male, the guard in pursuit, behind, would rush by to try stop another female who hadn't.

"Stop it!"Marigold cried out as she saw a pegisi cry out in pain, they, falling hard to the ground, wings bound to back with either rope or magic, or falling from a female leaping into the air to tackle.
"Guards please stop them!"
Unicorns were drug past, whimpering, tearing at the ground, their tails alight with in magic or by rope or the teeth of a shadow of a mare. "They're hurting them!"

But it didn't stop! The storm grew worse!

The pegisi! Bursting out of the sky, out of the clouds like tendrils, pursued by pegisus guard, showering the open pen with tools and instruments and armor and weapons and junk! The poor stallions below scrambling for cover. Those pegisi, chasing the earth ponies around and round the arena, snatching them up! Those "mud ponies", the pegisi, caring them as wasps with loads of mud, to build nests on walls.
Now, flying at high speed toward walls!
At the last moment, pulling up barely clearing ,clearing with cries of delight, echoing whinnies, as guard would duck dropping spear and clutch the ground, then glare after.
That guard watching, intently, through beady eyes, where they went, hid and landed, signaling with a mirror sompony out there, under cover, in wait!

"Brutes!"Marigold shivered as she spoke. "Over, through and under the walls, leaping up into the sky, entering and exiting those big places, through revolving doors, those huge cavernous endless spaces!" Indeed, intense and hurtful images to see!

At such sights: her head hurt and throbbed, her body clutched together. She became even more feather, headed if that were possible,begining to pant and perspire.
"No."Drawing in a deep breeth, she stops. She licks her lips and swallows, embarrassed and ashamed. She stands tall and proud, indignant.Her breath catches in her throat as realization slogs its way to the front of her mind.
She knows, she is caught and must look directly!
This is not the best of Equestria! Not the best of the cities or town or villages! This not the best of museum or culture or even a well run party. Nor is it he best of the stores, or the market. It is not the best of the field or the orchards. Or the best of the artisans, or of the laborers tor the miners deep below ground!
She would never condone to let a child to see this bedlam let alone a race from another world!

This:
is what mares whisper and snicker in hearing of others they consider lesser bred! To illicit blushing embarrassment and laughter together as they say to themselves, "Everymare does it." As if that makes it right.
She stops again and thinks, thinks of her father and the lost springs and summers. Him, held up, the family house like a prison or a tomb. Before she can stop the words "I would never hurt him."
It hits her.
Her continuance falls into slouch, her ears lay back and pupils shrink in horror, "Am I like that?" she asks. "Like...mustanga?"she gasps. "Like one of them??!"

She then understands, she is one!
She is!
Just like her sisters.

"What...wha...what made me think I was better?"
She closes her eyes and weeps.
Mortified.
Trying to hide.

In her weeping, she does not notice the stampeding thundering herd about to engulf her. The moment it reaches her, the flood parts.
She, to grieved to notice as the ponies tear up the ground, diving around her.
To grieved to feel a connection to the ground beneath her or hear the roaring sound they make as they roll past.

The males, a brief storm, of their own.
They, a wild of t heir own.
Mustang.

"Celestia!" a vision of Celestia appears before her eyes, sitting on her haunches before a closed door.She run to her to have some reasurance fron her noble face.
Her face! Stopping short. Her hair askew, her eyes wild...that face on another stupid pony, but not on her!
As Marigold watches, the princess's face begins to harden.
"No..."she says through proud lips."It's not my fault, it's theirs!"She says through clenched teeth."It's yours!"a deep growl in her voice that vibrates the ground as she stares at the door."You're just like all the others!"

Marigold was angery.
"What right did Celestia have to rip these beings from their world?" Her brow furrows to a scowl. "A princess should now better!"
She begins coughing to dust as a few stragglers from the herd run past.
Dust as dry as anger.

Then beyond the door she hears it.

"Hear us!
Peace to your leaders,
Appointed, we ask, you forgive!

Us for Him made, was sent, voluntered,
He came, like us made, the peace, only He gives.

His servants: lightning and flame!
Ask peace from disorder, for younger and older,
His spirit.
Please come over,
Luna: restore her,
Her sister: uphold her!
For the stewards and leaders, he holds, are His!

For Celestia: We ask.
Forgive, her,
Our father
please forgive."

"What a strange song."her anger leaves.

She opens her eyes.
The dust settles, figures emerged, creatures like herself, yet deeply faulted.
"You were singing?" she says staring in disbelief at the ponies before her.
"I never said, "stuttered a pony with a twisted question mark on his bum, "that I was better than any pone else! Pttt..."
"Of all the sinners, "said a pegisus with a book, chapters beside it, on his flank, "I am the worst."
Another Pegisus, muscular and dark,"Not perfect, I am week."
Marigold cried, "Let the strong say 'I am week!'"
"I was a steward," he continued, ignoring her as if she weren't there. "given a job, a talent," his head drops in shame." but I buried my talent. I went my own way." his face becoming acrid. "I slacked off!"
"I behaved badly, I yelled abuse at my fellow stewards.
Then I came to my senses!
I ran to the field where I buried my talent and tore the field to soil, turning it over and over, but the treasure, it was gone!" He fell on his haunches.
"He trusted me and I failed!
In fear...I worked and worked and worked, and still I barely had what was entrusted, me!" He eyed Marigold.
"Survival isn't enough! He deserves interest!" He pined.
"...and now I find myself here, even the little to pay back the original loan, gone!
I have to rebuild from nothing again." He turned his head to the sky." I'm so tired...I can barely stand!"
"Doing all you can to stand," Marigold swallowed. "Stand anyway." Then another though came to her.
Another pony bowed. "Please ma'am."he said. "I know you can get a lot of mileage from 'Stand when you can stand' but the context, has to do with the enemies schemes, you've met him...I terrible foe! Even the Lord says so!"
"Never tire of doing good." Marigold said to the pegisus trying to uplift him.
"I deserve to made a statue in that alicorn's garden, so many bad stewards!" He cried aloud. "But it is a debt I can never pay off!" At this he was rebuffed by the others.
"You are confused." said the other pony. "We are never to pay of that debt, we are not to take on others, at least none other that we cannot repay. We do our deeds with gratitude, not looking for pay, but because it is the right thing to do! But indeed, He promises He will pay wages, because He is fair!"
"Aye." said a unicorn. " Despite our faults we have been so ransomed! We live, we are not dead. Know, we, are not in torment so, we are not cast away, thus still alive we are loved! Those debts, we being here, are forgiven as there, but showing that very flaw in our base nature. 'Positional righteous but practically sinners.'"
"And that weakness, in life, is slowly melted out as dross, as we are purified." another unicorn spoke, a bell on his flank that suspiciously looked like the bell of Filly Delphi.
"But this? This is silly and laughable but is no image of purgatory I ever heard: where our race continue its willfulness and sinful defiance?" said another pony shaking his mane. "I am not in torment. This is not hell. Where are we?"
"'All fall short of glory?'"
"Listen to her!" said another pony, laughter in his voice. "Bringing us back to point! By the Spirit's leading! Dynamos! She hasn't even read and it is written on her heart! What a good choice for you! You'll need her more than she will need you!"
"We are not perfect. Hopefully, let us not be willful, Lord protect! Here, as there, we are moved by his will. His will, to a mold, to make us a more perfect, us mortals immortal, immutable! To join with Him as perfect reflection: imago dei." said a grey eyed stallion who tried to reach out to Marigold's face. As she withdrew, he instead took her hoof in both hooves and patted it smiling. "Take peace ma'am, and come upon a shady arbor as you climb the hill of Difficulty!"
"Ah...quoting classics?" said the pony with the question mark on his bum raising an eyebrow."Ya would quote from Bunion! Ah world! I'll say what I wish..."
"Don't do the raspberry again!" interrupted the stallion with tired grey eyes . He looked back to Marigold and spoke softly to her."Don't lose the promise in your heart." At last smiling he moved her mane of her forehead with his hoof, it was cool a refreshing. "Be assured, neither height nor depth can separate."
She closed her eyes.

There was a tickling on her ear.
"Stop it!" she laughed.
When she opened eyes again the stallions were gone and she found herself in a grove of willows, cool and calming,a complete change in her surroundings! Streaming sunshine.
"Sunshine, Sunshine!" She turned her eye to her ear, a ladybug perched at the tip. It jumped and flew. Marigold followed, through the willows. To her surprise it did a couple tremendous loops.
"You're so awake!"
she laughed again clacking her hooves and shaking her tail a bit. The she stopped.
Among the willows she spied a pony, a purple pony, taking a moments privacy, rubbing her temples as if trying to fight a migraine.

Marigold smiles. "Hello Twinkling Star!" she says.

Startled, the pony looks at Marigold shocked, lifting one leg, ears splayed back as if she is not meant to be seen! Luna walks between the two, carrying through. " This is getting out of hoof!" as she rolls her eyes turning and looking at them.

"Hi Marigold!" a pink pony cries from high above in the domed ceiling, flying, headlamp eyes, circling and rhythmically porposing.
"She's trying to take my place!" cried the purple one.
"That's not true!" came a blond pony out of the trees.
She had no face! The purple pony had only part of a face with one tired eye and the pink one? Her body was wrong missing muscles under the skin.
Luna comes forward, "That will never happen!" She says, "There is a greater place for all of you!"

She steps up to Marigold."Do you have your promise?"
"I...."
"Do you have your promise?" the alicorn asks in earnestness.
Marigold touches her barrel confused, then she feels something, it is a scroll!
"Good," Luna says, "Bring it out only at the proper time, soon. Till then guard it!"

"Luna. You're in the moon."
"Yes..." she answers rolling her eyes.
"And discord he's in stone."
"Yes..."Luna answered petulantly.
"What's going on??!"

"Such questions!" Luna steps forward craning her neck to look into Marigold's face. "What is wrong with you?"

"I believe she's turned inside out." said that same scraggly pony with the question mark on his rump relaxing under one of the trees with a pipe, letting out bubbles. "The part that 'knows' is wandering around outside." the ladybug landing on his nose as he crossed his eyes to observe, next he looked to Luna. "Poor dear, the intense paranoia, taunted by shadows, you know what that's like." The ladybug took off, startled by a popping bubble from his pipe.

Luna was fronted at him. Then the ladybug demanded Luna's attention, landing on her rump.

"Backlog my dear," said the pony addressing Marigold "for Luna anyway." He let out more bubbles. "As for Discord? Consider that a mystery of Job...."he pronounced job funny. "As for you...my guess?" he tapped his lower lip with his hoof. "You're trying to re-calibrate and decompress."

He then looked to Luna. "I'm not in charge but does this whole thing need be so meta and new age?"
"Opinionated review?" as she gently ushered the ladybug away, it landed on the gold faceless pony ear, twitted its wings, causing Marigold to laugh. The ponies there, were more comical than terrifying.
"Would thou be my critic?" Luna grumbled, he shrugged, she sighed. "What can I say?" shrugged Luna. "You're right, indeed I do have a backlog. Dreams are timeless..."

"But this will not do." Luna said looking at Marigold garnering her full attention. "You must be joined to the outside again, you won't remember here. To the one that knows: You will be confused after that little stunt of Discord's." She then moved her wings and touch Marigold's shoulders.

Marigold felt a tugging like she was going to be pulled away.
"Wait! What about all those mean mares?"

"A warning." Luna said. "You are going to pass through an interrfase area, as your mind tries to assimilate all it has gone through. Think of yourself as one of the best guesser there ever was!" Luna smiled. "But take no stock in the visions. They are only mostly true...."Luna's stare was intense." When you get back," she licked her lips, "do try to hold your tongue, you'll want to tell everypony the wonders you see and do justice, but remember they are only shadows, and may do more harm than good."

Marigold faded away.
"In order to snap back. The bubble will need to be at the peak of field strengthen." said the pipe bubbler. "She'll need a terrible shock to her system."
Luna smiled. "Our good Doctor, when pressed, will take care of that."

Marigold saw a glimmer, at the end of a signaling mirror, every mare with her mate ended among a group of well armed guards, either as they flew or stopped running. The stallions were cataloged "bookmarked" with the sign, a necklace of each mare's cuttie mark and caused to fall into a deep sleep, all but one, the stallion of Goldened Sparrow.
They were busy.
The mares were all together brought into the court of Celestia. As she looked upon them all with Oden eye.
"I am very disappointed in all of you. "Looking over the mares. "This is not the way to begin relationships. It's like breaking a promise, he, your friend..."her voice rising."FOREVER! "it was loud, blowing many of the mares mane out of their faces. The princess regained her composure. "I'll do what I can, the sleep will cause a reado, but the rest is up to you!"
She looked at The Pegisi commander Silver Sheeves."Now. Where is your second, Golden Sparrow? Where is she that twerp?"Celestia snorted. "I want to talk with her along with the three caught, forher unladylike andundignified behavior as well as the injuries she gave to my guards."
"She avoided us ma'am."said a guard.
"With a stallion, at least three times her size?"Celestia raised an eyebrow.
"She had a plan.....A place to go."
"She was busy..."volunteered Silver Sheeves.
"What could have been so important...?"Celestia closed her mouth with a snap.
The other ponies were stunned, "But its only been an hour...."
Celestia rubbed her forehead, and sighed. Then, in a very motherly voice that could be heard across Equestria congratulated Golden Sparrow and reminded her to have all paperwork turned in by the end of the month. She then, however dented, reequipmented the pegisi, returning their livelihood and dismissed all ponies in the court graciously but for the three caught in the raid, reminding them of the necessary public service required of them in a month.

Here upon, they headlong beat to the door and clogged it up becoming stuck, as Celestia looked on in disbelief.
Had they learned nothing?

Bright lights.
"Oh no!" MArigold thought. "I'm coming down with a migraine again!"

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted.

"Halt who goes there?" A bright light shone in her face. "State your business!" barked the unicorn with the illumination spell.
"Please sir!" pleaded Marigold confused at her sudden lack of perspiration and cramping. "I'm her for the selections!"
"Bit late aren't you?" he guffled.
"Story of my day..."
"Need a number, what's your number?"
"Two thousand, three hundred, sixty four..."
"You are late, its already tomorrow!"he sniffed. "Should have been here this after noon," he paused."or you're lying."looking at her with distrusting eyes. "Let me see the number slip."
Marigold reached into the saddle bag and pulled out the card for the unicorn guard, floating over to him in his aura light. He scanned it, with eyes then horn then tasted it! Marigold protested to stop him.
"Part of the procedure ma'am.." he said. "Can't tell you how many Mares have attempted to trade stallions, or for whatever reason, trying to get more than one." He swirled his mouth and smacked his lips, turned the card and looked at it again. "Tastes like...Pentifors?"
"Really?" Marigold said nervously."I guess we all as foals get tempted by those lovely decorated flowers." she recited what countless parents taught their foals." Not for eating!"
He raised an eyebrow."I hope your not that young.."
"Nope...been of age for years, yup uh huh."
The stallion stamped the card gave it back to Marigold pointing her to the gate for the earth ponies who tucked it away.

"Almost there!" She begins a rapid lope. Sticking her tongue out licking her lips.
At last the entrance, just hooves away!

"Hello!"
"Gaa!"she falls forward. "Why am I tripping all the time??!"
"Are you ok, pretty lady like gold and iron and amber?" a dimond dog pup jumps over staring at her. "you have little hairs like asbestoses!"He tilts his head. "Mom and Dad say to stay away from asbestos, when I see asbestos, turn around, walk up wind, find an adulty. Asbestos is bad. Are like asbestos?"
Marigold had no idea what asbestos was. Grunting as she got up, "No. Not asbestos."

The pup then seized the door and proceeded to show the excellent work pony ship as he flapped it back and forth to the confusion of the guards inside peering out and Celestia who was with them.
"Little boy(closest translation.)"Marigold spoke her ire rising, beginning to grind her front teeth. "I appreciate the gentle colt behavior of you holding the door open for me." He didn't get the clue flapping the door back and forth.

"See how easy it opens, closes, opens, closes, opens, closes opens."

Marigold muzzle twisted into a sneer as her eyes locked on the door swinging back and forth.

"Dig Dug!" mother rushes forward, maternal instinct coming to play, glimpsing guards and Celestia and an upset mare ten times her sons height with heavy hooves. From far away, not knowing a pony would never intestinally hurt a youngling no matter how annoying. "What we tell you of wandering away?"
"Miss neat things, but door is very neat! You and papa made"
"Dust to dust in the morning!" Scolded mother to child. She then turd to address Marigold. "Very, very regretful." she says. "Such a naught boy. " She smiles. "Well past his sleeping time."
She then speaks to her son and lures him away with the promise of story time with all the youngling and a treat.
"Look have you ever seen such a thing?" she produces a lobster claw. "Pegisi have brought sea meats!" She tears out a chunk and gives it to her son.
"Yummy!" he says.
"Come, run ahead, back to father, fire and story time!" they playfully run back to the campfires, she catching up and then slowing down and holding her paw with a great yawn, she looking back at marigold nodding her head in apology.

Marigold takes a deep breath and enters.
There is a second wall, the obvious work of skilled earth mover ponies, a second door so well built cantilevered on earth pony cast rocks, making the first look so unprofessional.

"You're late."Celestia says. Then a look of concern on her face.
Coming up to her, taking her head in her hooves and staring deeply in her eyes, glancing at the bruise on her head.
"I see what Rose Water was talking." she said quietly.
"All the paperwork has been filed correctly, now all that is need is a quick exam..."she smiled, as if to take tension out of the air not taking her eyes off Marigold."Surely a doctor is available?"

"We have a full staff, we should be able to turn one up." said one of the guards. She trotted out. "I'll be right back."

"Are you alright?" Celestia asked Marigold.
"Just a little dizzy..."her eyes crossed. "Things just a little blurry with an after image..."
"We can do this later...." Celestia suggested.
"No!" Marigold cried uncrossing her eyes. "I'm fine!"

A few moments later, "Here we are doctor!" a brown pony with an hour glass on his rump ,wearing a tie brace, was carried into the room in the unicorns magic, looking uncomfortable (like the elderly family cat patiently bearing the affectionate cradling of a five year old), becoming increasingly nervous as he looked around, first at Marigold, then especially at Celestia, after being dumped on the floor.
A grey pegisus followed.

Celestia's concentrated on Marigold as she brushed mane from the mare's face in front of her. "Doctor, I need you to give this mare a through med..."she looked at the stallion, suddenly surprised. "Are you capable of doing a thurmatic wave examination?" Quizzed Celestia.

"Hmm? Thurmatic analysis? Oh yes! Work withem all the time." he turned to the pegisis."I need a unicorn, an intern, hopefully a medicine student, he'll be wearing a white coat jacket." the pegisi stared at him with crossed eyes. "Really. Now. Go!"

"Sorry. Yes Doctor!" she saluted. "Right away!" she disappeared out the door.

"Thermatic wave analysis?" asked the unicorn guard who brought him in, looking for anyway to advance her rank, improve her station."I can do that!"
"Sure..."said the doctor sarcastically rolling his eyes. "Making a fireball and leaving us skeletons before we turn to dust." he said all with a smile.
"Hmp!"she, the barded guard said.

Celestia moved from between them.

"What is so special about that earth pony mare anyway?" she said bitingly.
Now the doctor was angry. "You think your so much better unicorn?" he said. "I promise you'll long for the princess embrace when you stand before her, agony in your head and tears in your eyes as you explain how you totally failed. Your guard trampled underhoof as you lay there helpless...hearing the wail of the unprotected town!" the guard was taken aback by this. "Because your hubris didn't take the threat seriously."
"How you will completely crumble and cry when she puts her wing around you, finally understanding how very weak and powerless you were and are against the thundering flooding tide!"
"I am strong!" she growled.
"Well I tried." he sighed.

"Oops."

"Oh Celestia!"Marigold cried speaking rapidly. "Beware Nappy, and Carob! The ponies that worry for the loss of a world that never was when their books are burned that they don't care about anyway, writing over what's written! Beware the unicorn that gather and whisper thinking themselves superior! Beware the thundering herds! Beware the season, beware the unicorn the pegisi. Beware closing the door! Beware the dark red cloud! Beware the stone of strange glif.....and...and"
"And oh so much fun orbiting high above in circles, peering over the fence looking into the great beyond!" The doctor said looking at her through half lidded eyes." Just wanting to tell everyone the wonder of it all! What you think you've seen! Crying out a warning? Not even under standing one atom of it!" He stared hard at Marigold. "Knowledge only puffs up!" he said with a frown. "Now...little pink ball of fluff..."said the Doctor clearing his throat. "What good is it? How do you know such things?"

The pink pony floating at the dome of Marigolds mind blinked surprised and the other ponies inside laughed at her. She turned round inspecting herself eliciting more laughter.

"Help me...."said Marigold looking through glassy glazed eyes.
"Time will remedy..."said the doctor. "By the means predestined as well as the method." He circled his hoof in a loop in the air. "We need to let the field expand to its maxim, come to its peak before collapse and release.Like a bubble, or a blister. "Marigold cocked her head.

"Only what you know." said the doctor as he approached making tushing sounds,"Only what you know..." finally stroking the bridge of the nose, weirdly calming here down.
"If your ready I'll begin." said the doctor.
"Don't we need a curtain?"
"Non sense. You have somewhere you must be soon,"
"Yes! Yes!"
", and this is the quickest way to do it," he looked her over.
Celestia cocked her head looking at the stallion.
"Don't need a unicorn for a visual inspection." He moved so quickly they didn't know where he was looking. "Just a visual inspection. "He bent her head down looking at the bruise. "Yes I see.."

The pegisi returned with unicorn, who was expecting to treat the cross eyed mare, till directed over to Marigold.
"I need a thermatic pulse, of, this magnitude." the doctor showed a small card cover "Can you do it? I need it exact."
The unicorn began his stance exclaiming how decimally precise he could get it.

"I suppose that will have to do..." sighed the doctor, asking the unicorn to".... at least try to focus it at the twenty thousandth." Then reassuring Marigold that it wouldn't be harmful, no pony would see anything but it would be, "Quite evasive."

At the order, the unicorn released the thurmatic pulse.
Marigold blinked and shook her head, "I just saw the inside of my eyeballs, I am getting noid of unicorns."

"Well student?" the doctor said.
"Um, she looks in perfect health to me."
"Good. Confirmation." said the doctor. "Trust but verify. Now if you don't mind." he turned to Marigold," fill out the paperwork and you guards, give her something to eat from the leftovers from catering. I need to talk to the princess."

Suddenly Marigold leapt into the pony's face, "Are you married?" she asked ever so sweetly.
Derpy shot between them and stared down Marigold.
"Yes...."said the doctor."...to my work." the doctor said quietly.
The cross eyed mare looked back at him and smiled.
Marigold turned away disappointed as the guards asked for paper work number and had her sign the log book along with themselves. Ready to stands at the door she waiting to enter asked for a mane brush.

"What do you have to talk to Celestia about..."ask the grey pegisus.
"Oh. Nothing very important.."
Marigold was back again and grabbed the grey pegisus by the face and looked into her eyes, "Oh dear! What happened.." she cried a little ."did we not eat the right foods?" She then brought the mare into a tight embrace.
"Waaa?"said the Pegisus."She's hugging me Doctor..."
"Shhhh. Don't confirm anything. Its just the part that knows" the doctor spoke softly"..keep her busy."
"I will..."said Marigold.
"Make sure she has something to eat." said the doctor addressing the crossed eyed pegisus.

In a corner the pony and the alicorn talked.
"What do you have to say to me?" she asked.
"Permission to say what I need too." he replied.
"You may, but all my ponies can speak to me freely."
"Just as long as I have your word." he became serious "I will only tell you what you need to know." he said "You tread dangerous ground, Celestia."
"Who is this pony?"she thought.
"Even I would not dare this game: to go where you have gone, or to take what you have taken, or done what you have done. Understand; the consequences are all on you!"
Celestia snorted.
"Your word, your highness?"
"My word.."she grumbled.
"She is fit and fine."he proclaimed."Now. What I've said between these walls is what you need to know. Don't go picking at it for answers, they will come in time."
He cleared his throat. "The bruise on her head was caused by unstable, thumatic waves along the entire spectrum, there will be a harmless thumatic discharge."
"Chaos magic."Celestia flared her wings. "Discord!"
"Back on the ground your majesty!"the Doctor snorted. "Your ponies are watching, no need to upset them over nothing."
"But Discord..."
"Oyasa in charge of the sun!" That got her attention. Where had she heard that before? He stretched out across the ground a sign of supplication his hoof on the ground. "Can't you feel the fabric of time?"
She blinked. Then assured herself. To see time, common earth pony skill, like looking at earth manna, just slight adjustments to see once one learned the knack. She reached out and felt it.
"Ah," she said "I see. He came through, twice. First ahead, now before the second time, now gone, sealed neatly here."She closed here eyes tightly. "Then back again....there is a hole! No wait..."
"Will you look at the quality of that stitch!"exclaimed the doctor.
"Elemental harmonics?" she opened up her eyes and stared at the doctor. "But how?"
"Always faithful." smiled the doctor. "And a promise...well some pink strands fraying, allow the spirit back, but that's to be expected, won't he be a mess! They'll reintegrate into the fabric nicely..Marigold will keep him at bay."
Celestia towered over him. "One day, I will find out you are!"
"Ah, but temperal riddles atract me, as amoth to the flame..."The Doctor simply kissed her hoof." When you figure who the Reagan and the Thatcher were, and who held the winning card!" he smiled. She yanked her hoof back staring at him. "Borrowed names...Oayasa."he bowed low again rising. "Borrowed names, until we meet again Celestia. "Celestia wrapped her wings around herself as if they were a cloak and she was cold.

"Just a tick." the doctor trotted back over to the guards and Marigold who was playing a silly hoof game with apprehensive pegisus like a child daughter. "Didn't you get her something to eat?"
He addressed Marigold. "Have you had anything to eat?" He chewed his lip. "You have something to eat, or you don't go in!"

Marigold was in his face again.
"How dare you!" she snorted."Taughntheaven sent stars who are only doing there job!" She scolded him as if he were I child. "If you're going to live among us I need to see a better attitude young mrnnn!"She then looked at him squinting."YOU!!!"she put her face in his. "I saw you!" She cried. "You were there! Always there! Always in the background with the sandbags!You!You walked with him over the horizon." She licked her lips. "At the temple of the moon, with that floating head of plaster to hide the ruse! And behind the scenes as all the animals rushed around piled of jewels and gold. As the squirrels and porcupines and hedgehogs in accounting hats negotiated exchange rates. "Her eyes went wild." Fly the ship, passed from carrier officer to another, a parade float, a chandler, a plate between two bread sticks, they say twirling their whiskers! Captain say, 'What did I do wrong for this command? 'Ship engines, Caught between the e-gap, like I! Charging through the fray. Rapping ramming the massive walls in the sky. Those insane brave mice , spinning like a ragged corkscrew. All a missing, till under the gun.! All in the name of the human...EMGAAAAA!"

"That's enough!" the doctor put a rattling stick like device with a blue light on the end to her head. "Not your story."

The pink pony fell to the ground hard. Her eyes normal. A shadow of authority came over her. The pink pony trembled with dread. The Alicorn rushed forward.

Celestia was at her side, caught her as she fell. Guards grabbed the doctor.
"What did you do?"Celestia asked.
"What needed to be." he loosed himself from the guards. "See?" he said pointing at the empty spot where the bruise had been."Done.

"Please!" pleaded Luna." There was no harm done."
The pink pony closed her eyes. Something curly and crackly fell about her eyes and head.

"How do you feel?"
"I feel I could run all the way back to capital city with my guy!" Marigold exclaimed.
"Well....Not before you eat something."said the doctor becoming quieter as Celestia overshadowed him.
Celestia dismissed the guard back to duties.
"Be out of my kingdom, before dawn, Doctor." growled the alicorn as Celstia took flight shooting into the sky. He wings making a mighty wump sound.

The pink pony looked back to the authoritative figure. "Your back to grocery lists again!" it said.
"Awww..."groaned the pink pony.
"I really must be going." said Luna.

"Should we leave?" asked Derpy.
"Nonsense! We have at least two hours before sunrise. What do you think give us thirty minutes?" The guard nodded.
"There is more leftovers than you or your families can eat before it goes bad. How about that food?"
said the doctor rubbing his hooves together.
The guard pulled up on a catering box, that folded out into a beautiful display then they all helped themselves, a little party with leftovers. Marigold grazed a little before discovering something that disagreed with her tongue.
"Yuch!"marigold said bringing a napkin to her mouth. "What was that?" she asked.
"Oh just a sardine..."
"If I never..ehhh, what a t taste.." she shook her tongue. "If I never have another!"
The doctor laughed. "But never is such a long time?"

Again, Marigold was in his face. "Are you sure you're not married?
This time the pegisus was between them. "He's spoken! If not by a blue box, then by the Queen of Eggland and if not by her, then me! My Doctor!"she caught him in hug.
"Yes.." as he twittered his wand. "You're a mess of hormones. Starting to go native, I need to get you back ."

As the pink pony sat with her ink pot, dabbing the end with her tongue to keep the ink running, the faceless gold pony came up to her.
"Come to scold me like the others?" she said.
"Oh come on." said the blond pony. "Heck, its not going to be forever." she swung her leg for emphasis."Maybe, someday you be running the shebang: here between the ears!"
The pink pony paused. "I really do like a good joke now and then, but that's not going to happen. I appreciate the effort but I'm just not in the mood for laughing right now."
The gold faceless pony looked over the pink one ignoring her, she never made jokes.

As Celestia ascended between the the inner and outer wall upward toward the moon and twinkling stars, she nearly swatted a thestral out of the sky. Regaining composure, she leveled out her flight and settled on a cloud colored salmon in the pink light.She circled around with high steps, turned and glared at the thestral."Don't you know she who does not enter by the door is a thief and a lair...worse?" she scolded.
Seeing the shame in the thestral, who had collided with cloud, a lighter shade of blue, showing her impact, its lamp bobbing up and down, as she bowed low to the uneven field of fluff making her look spider like, Celestia relented and sighed. She pulled out the paperwork from the thestral saddlebag abruptly in her magic "Fortunately, for you today'" having the sheets orbit her head as Celestia looked them over. "I am acting on behalf of the door," she initialed each page. "Medical in Capital city? good."

Signing the paperwork she let the testral go who sped ahead of her to a stallion waiting in the center of the pen under the moonlight, on his rump, alone, head bowed down, with other things, potted plants and playing cards scattered around, looking like a lost toy.

Celestia looked to large crack in the pen's wall. "Still in the wall I see. "Celestia huffed. "I though you were going to be brave." as she descended. "Little dormouse!"