I am Paradox

by Msande

A nightmare in the castle

Chapter 03

Doctor Paradox sat down as he looked over the notes steal sword had recorded when the sound of trotting appeared behind him.

“You take a very different approach to magic than my sister does,” said Celestia as the doctor glanced back at her.

“I figure as much, why what does she normally do?” Paradox asked as he looked that the princess.

“We can talk about it later, I was wondering about something a bit more personal and pressing than my sister magical studies,” she admitted she paused as she looked at the Paradox before her. “I have this odd feeling I have met you before,” she said. “But that is irrelevant, the point being she hasn’t been acting odd has she?”

“Odd?” Paradox repeated, “I am afraid I don’t know what is normal for pony people,” he admitted. “But if we were to assume pony is like people from my dimension. Than yes there have been some odd things around.”

“Dandy,” she moaned as she sat down on the ground next to him. He reached over and handed her a Banana. She raised it to him as her magic pulled the peel away.

“So what’s up with the whole eye thing?” Paradox asked as he raised his hooves to his eyes and throwing them forward to emissive the question.

“Her magical studies, knowledge in this world is dangerous, especially to someone like us. She has learned far too much far too quickly. And it’s making her unstable.” Celestia stopped as she looked at the pony next to her. “Why am I telling you this?” she said stopping the conversation.

“I just have one of those faces,” he said smiling.

“Who are you?”

“I am the paradox,” he said smiling, “But I suppose some a better answer, come closer,” he said leaning in. Celestia leaned in close as he suddenly head butt her. “I always hat that part.” He groaned as Celestia shook her head in surprise of what he had done.

“Was that all real?” she asked still jarred from the recent sting of knowledge. Paradox nodded as she rubbed her head with her hoof. “So I take it you are going to start hunting, for your Tardis?”

“Maybe, But I went back to where I had arrived three different time today, and it was only the third time did I find this so I believe if I want to find my things I will need to visit that place. But a little help in finding a big out of place box would be appreciated.”

“I’ll have my guards keep a sharp eye out, you not much of a Doctor without a Tardis,” She smiled.

“It’s Paradox I am not suppose to exist, I am not even sure if I can regenerate or not. In fact there are a lot of things I am sure about. And I would rather not test it, oh boy I am late,” He realized as he got up to his hooves.

“For what?” the Princess asked,

“My dancing Lessons,” he said wiggling his eyebrow. The Princess fallowed him out of the library she really didn’t have anything better to do at the moment.

The Princess looked on amused as Paradox danced around the room and un-amused expression on his face. “Diamond Edge, I am going to say this wasn’t what I had in mind when I signed up for dance lessons.

“What’s the problem your doing a spectacular job,” he said with a smile. As the two danced around the ball room a few of the woman who had sunk in were now giggling even Luna was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

“Well I wanted to learn not teach,” Paradox reminded as He spun Diamond Edge.

“Well much who knew such a grumpy pony could be so light on his hooves.” Edge commented, Paradox could feel his tolerance for the pony slowly dwindling.

“I am not grumpy,” Paradox defended, “In fact I am rather pleasant when you aren’t nagging me like an old mare.”

“I am not old!” he shouted back, Paradox smirked, the man wore his button’s on his sleeve so to speak. The music finally stopped as he got back on his four hooves again.

“you know for someone who wanted to take lessons you are not a bad dancer,” Luna replied,

“I prefer to learn to dance after a regeneration helps me get use to a new body.” His said, “Seems I have gained back my motor functions,” He reached over to grab a glass only for it to slip out of his hand. “Crap!” he shouted only for Luna to catch it with her magic.

“You were saying,” Luna smiled,

“All the same, I think I will be heading back to the library, I will see you around Princess Luna,” he replied giving a curt bow and was about to leave.

“Luna is fine,” she said with a slight smile, Paradox nodded as he turned away. He walked into the hall way when the sound of galloping reached his ear. He turned around only to slam into a pony .

“Ouch, I am so sorry, mister,” came a voice a pony stood up she was a Pegasus grey blond and she had a few bubbles marked on her rear.

“I don’t think this will be good time to be apologizing,” Paradox shouted as a shadow loomed behind them. “I can’t go through twin doors without running into something dangerous,” he shouted as the creature loomed over them.

“It’s nightmare moon!” The mare shouted,

“Run,” Paradox shouted as the two bolted down the hall. “I don’t know why but I suddenly feel very nostalgic,” he said to himself. He glanced back to see the formless the creature had massive white eyes and the from seemed to be made up of stars.

He quickly raced around the corner only to be stopped by a few guards. “No running in the halls,”

“But Mister Guard we are being chased by nightmare moon,” the blond pony and Paradox as well as the guard looked around the corner. There was nothing but the tiles and a few torches.

“Right, this nightmare moon rumor is getting on my nerves no if you don’t mind. Fairy tales are no excuse to be running through the halls.

“Sorry steal sword,” Paradox apologized,

“It’s all right just don’t do it again,” He said with a sigh, Paradox grabbed the blond and dragged her off. “All right, wait how do you know my name?” he asked only to see the two ponies were missing.

“Um mister what are you doing,” asked the Pegasus as paradox kept sniffing around the hall.

“I can smell a lot off magic way to much magic for that to be an illusion,” he repeated. “So miss?” he said glancing at her.

“Derpy Whooves,” she replied, “What’s you name mister,”

“Paradox,” Paradox replied “well whatever it is I need to deal with this before it’s too late. You named it what do you know about this Night mare?”

“Um okay,” she said smiling. “Um it’s a creature of the night that foal naps ponies and eats them,” she replied.

“that is not good, this magic tastes much different than any other kind I have encountered,” he finally. “I think it would be a good time to have that tour of the palace.”

“You can taste magic?” she questioned a little confused. He started moving back down the hall inspecting the magical residue the being had left behind.

“What in the world was all the screaming about?” asked Luna popping into appearance in the hall.

“Derpy here ran into me when she was being chased by some creature called Nightmare moon,” Paradox explained. Luna rolled her eyes,

“Not you to,” she said, “Honestly I think it’s a rumor people use an excuse not show up for work.” Luna moved off in a huff but she wasn’t moving in her normal stride.

“Princess Celestia,” Depry said with a low bow but the Princess didn’t seem to notice she was looking at Paradox.

“Something wrong?” Paradox asked,

“Sorry Doctor, Paradox, it’s odd that she talk to anyone without using we.” She replied.

“What about this Nightmare moon thing?” he asked,

“I have that under control I ask you however to go with Luna, try to work her out of her shell if you can,” Celestia said. Paradox nodded, as he looked down the hall were the magical creature had been. “Don’t worry about, take care of Luna and I will take care of my subjects,”

“I am afraid that’s not how I work,” Paradox thought to himself, but the glare he was getting said otherwise as he and his new companion headed after Luna. He quickly found himself going up a small tower and into a rather large bed room with Luna laying on her bed.

“Poor Princesses Luna,” Derpy said her eyes getting a little watery. Paradox glanced over at her.

“So why bubbles?” Paradox asked he had read up on the Cutie mark but this one was a bit confusing.

“No idea,” She said smiling, “What about the busted hourglass on yours?” Plinking Paradox looked only to see a normal hourglass. Than after some time shifted into what she had seen.

“That is so cool It changes!” she exclaimed. Luna perked up at this surprised to see two ponies in her bed room.

“Why are you here?” asked Luna,

“I want to help,” Paradox replied, Luna rolled her eyes despite her faith in his mind. “So what about people using it as an excuse not show up for work?” he asked,

“There were a few people, who worked around me a few guards, a few servers who got me things that I needed. They just vanished from their jobs. As you can see I haven’t bothered replacing them,” she replied glancing away from them.

Paradox looked around the room. The ceiling seemed to glitter with constellations of the night sky. Her walls were filled with charts and she had a massive desk filled to the brim with papers. Walking over he looked them over, magic she had been studying a lot of concepts applications. And even some magical theory that wasn’t too far from what he had.

“Wow that is so cool,” Derpy said her eyes looking over the ceiling. Paradox smirked when he noticed all her work was signed by a star swirl the bearded.

“I take it this is where my name came from?” Paradox asked giving her a grin as she curled up away from him clearly embarrassed.

“Yeah,” she mumbled Paradox nodded,

“you know you may gain some recognition if you didn’t hide behind a pen name. I am sure scholars would be more than happy to debate some of these conclusions.

“Few study magic, after Discord took over most magic was forgotten to the daily survival of his chaotic tastes. So few people have gotten very far in studies, The study of magic and the other possible applications has latterly been forced to restart. In fact your one of the few people who seem to have a head for it.”

“So not many are ready to learn magic let alone talk about it on your level huh?” Paradox replied.

“Yeah, I want to start a university up, but there isn’t room and I don’t have the magical knowledge to make it worthwhile. That and My sister has little desire to rule from inside the forest there are too many Dangers, Paradox.”

“Still, it would do you some good for some public recognition, any more things you publish you should do under your own name if at least for the fact you desire it,” He replied. “Come on Derpy we should get going, lots to do.”

“Right!” she all but shouted, as he moved out of the room. The Door shut behind them, as Derpy looked down the stairs one eye going a-wall as she blinked and the eye returned to normal. “So now what?”

“We investigate start talking to some of the ponies around the Castle and see if we can get some facts. Maybe even the local town around the castle can give us some answers,” Paradox replied.

“Right, um I would love to mister but I got to find a friend of mine, he should be running around her as well.”

“Okay then, are you sure you can’t help me out I really could use a temporary companion,” He urged. She bit her lip and scrunched up her snout.

“Okay Mister you got me but just this once,” she admitted. He nodded it felt good to get back in the swing of things.

“Guess the Tardis set me up with a least one last adventure,” he said to himself. The mare tilted her head to the side.

“Tardis,” she repeated.

“Yeah Tardis, now then I think it’s time for one last adventure.” He said as his face pulled into a confident smirk. “Onward and upwards!” he shouted as he raced of down the hall.

“Doctor?” Depry said softly as she looked at the stallion that raced off.

“Doctor Paradox yes, now if you don’t mind we don’t have all the time in the world,” He said calling behind a corner as she took flight to catch up with him.

“well, um I know she is a princess,” Said one guard lamely. “As for the Night mare moon think could be ghost or something,”

“Princess, Luna this isn’t an investigation I haven’t done anything wrong have I?” one of the serving mares asked.

“She spends most of her time in her room or the Library, outside of that I don’t see her that much.”

“well she doesn’t seem to be helping her sister had done all the work bring order back to the land. But um don’t tell her I said that,” said an advisor.

“Nightmare moon, that thing stole my brother but what happened and were it took him I have no idea,” replied a sister of one of the victims.

Paradox looked over Derpy’s experiences neither got much Luna seemed to be a shut in the opposite of her sister in every way. “Let’s see here, the only place we haven’t investigated are the dungeons. The guards had said they weren’t even in use, a perfect place to hide some peo-ponies,” he corrected. So come on, we can’t take too long I got a few other responsibilities I need to keep up on.” He explained as he head down into the dark parts of the castle.