Doctor Whoof: Time of the Hourglass

by Muleicous

(Part 6) Time of the Hourglass

Time of the Hourglass

The Mayor of Ponyville walked onto the stage, her knees visibly trembling as she got behind the podium. It had been almost a week since she had hired The Keeper to find out what had happened to her town’s former hero, but Mayor Mare hadn’t heard a word from the strange pegasus after she had left town hall. Now, she had received a letter only moments ago from an unknown pony. The grey maned mare could had memorized it down to the last period...

To the Mayor of Ponyville,

I wish to address the colts, foals, and mares under my protection at exactly 3:33 PM today. You have three hours to call as many of the citizens of Ponyville to town hall, that is all.
Sighed,
M.M.D.W.

It hadn’t taken long for Mayor Mare to figure out who the author of the letter was, after all who else would have so many initials in their name? She had tried various times to contact her detective, and even went so far as to try and find the blue box that The Doctor lived in but to no avail. The Mayor had nearly asked her assistant to bring in a couple of mugs of cider, but she knew it would only make the ponies fear even more to see their mayor tipsy on stage. She looked out to the crowd and could see so many familiar faces: from Big Macintosh, to Miss Cherilee. In fact, Cherilee’s presence is what scared the old mayor the most. If word got out that an important, and upstanding member of Ponyville was attacked by what many believed to be the town’s greatest hero... Well, who knows what would happen!

Mayor Mare looked to the side of the stage, then gasped as she spotted Choppin’, the Green Wonder, staring right back at her. If Mare-Do-Well’s animal sidekick was here, that means the masked pony was sure to come soon.

“Attention... um... Hello?” Mayor Mare spoke into the microphone, causing the group of ponies to stop chatting among themselves and focus on her. “It’s time to tell you all why we’re here, but... It’s a bit difficult for me to explain. A few nights ago, Miss Cherilee... Could you come up here dear?” The mayor paused to let the school teacher trot up to the stage, “Miss Cherilee was attacked by, what she describes as, The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.”

The crowd gasped in shock, many of the foals went wide eyed, but Big Mac didn’t move from his spot. “Miss Mayor,” the red pony said, “Are ya’ll sure it was Mare-Do-Well? That don’t sound like her to me, and everypony’s thinkin’ the same thing. Even you, Miss Cherilee.”

“That’s true Big Macintosh,” The mayor continued, “but we cannot rule out that it was her... Now, this meeting was actually organized by Mare-Do-Well herself. I’m sure she’ll have an answer for everything.”

“Oh believe me, I do.” said a deep, yet obviously female voice from the back of the crowd. Everypony turned, and their manes all stood up on their ends as the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well made her way to the stage. She stood next to Mayor Mare, who seemed to be guarding a shaking Cherilee. “First off, I would like to apologize to any and all ponies whom may have been hurt within the past week.” the hero began, then turned to the teacher pony, “Especially to you Miss Cherilee. You see, there’s an imposter pony running around our fair Ponyville, dressed as me. My plan today, is to prove to you all that I am the real Mare-Do-Well.”

“How’re you going to do that?!” a voice in the crowd called. Once more, everypony turned, but this time they saw The Doctor and River Song step into view. “If you’re the real Mare-Do-Well, why don’t you fly? Or use your magic?”

The masked mare on stage didn’t move, instead she just leaned forward towards the microphone. “Because, I cannot perform magic. I cannot fly... The ones who could do that where my allies in the battle against the disharmonious forces that plague Ponyville from time to time, but please mares and gentlecolts believe me. I AM The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well!”

“A truly pathetic turn of events Doctor!” yet another voice called from behind the crowd, but this time nopony tuned. “Hello? Didn’t you all hear me?!”

“Yes,” Big Mac called out, “but we’re sick of turnin’, so please just walk to the stage. Thank you kindly.”

“Fine! Useless pony ingrates...” The Rani mumbled, as she and the TARDIS-Do-Well approached the stage. “Now as I was saying, this Mare-Do-Well is the fraud! I am the master of the true Mare-Do-Well, and you shall all see her power and fury! Mare-Do-Well, I command you to unmask this lair... Then, unleash the power of Purple Fear onto all of Ponyville!” Slowly, the false hero pulled the other masked pony close, its horn at the bottom of the first Mare-Do-Well’s mask. “Now, see as I unmask this fraud... Who I’m sure is none other then Pinkamena Diane Pie!”

The horn of the TARDIS-Do-Well sliced off it’s foe’s mask, but instead of a poofy cotton candy mane underneath it... There was a shinning, silky purple mane. Rarity smiled slightly, the sort of smile everyone gets when they’re scared out of their minds. “He he... Hello darling, who does your mane?”

The Rani just stood there, her mouth nearly dropping to the stage floor. Suddenly, there was a whistle of fabric on the wind, and a figure landed on stage. She had a purple and dark blue costume like the others, but with no hat her horn showed. Her wings flapped under the billowing cape she wore, and the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well charged at The Rani’s TARDIS. Cutting the mask of the machine off, the crowd of ponies gasped once more as their eyes took in the green metal, and even The Doctor had to admit his plan almost failed.

***

“Alright!” Pinkie Pie said, saluting The Doctor, “I’ve got it, completely and undeniably! Every bit of info, right here.” The party pony pressed her pink hoof against her poofy perm, but paused quickly and looked at her friend once more, “So... just incase River missed it, can we go over it again?”

The Doctor rubbed one of his front hooves on his forehead, but smiled as he looked back at Pinkie. He knew it wasn’t her fault she had a hard time remembering the plan, in fact everyone did. So, the time colt took a deep breath and stated it again. “When the Mayor announces the Mare-Do-Well was the pony who asked for the assembly, you come in from the back of the crowd and get on stage. Then, River and I ask you to do magic and fly, and you say...”

“I can’t?” Pinkie asked, then saw the brown colt nod, “But I’m absolutely the real Mare-Do-Well.”

“Good, now...” The Doctor continued, “Spike has ‘accidently’ dropped a letter near Fluttershy’s home near the Everfree Forest, and loudly announces to nopony that he hopes he can find the ‘message for The Doctor’.” The time colt used his front hooves to gesture the air quotes to his allies, “After which, The Rani’s TARDIS will be bound to pick up any mention of my name, and steal the letter. The message will be a copy of the letter I sent to Mayor Mare just one hour ago. The Rani will order her TARDIS to unmask you, the machine will perceive you as a big threat to her mission, and while you and it are fighting River and I retrieve The Purple Fear. Any questions?”

“No sweetie.” River answered, loading another bullet into her cylinder gun and winking at The Doctor.

“Nopey-Dopey!” Pinkie replied.

“N...No.” Fluttershy said, happy that her eyes kept her from such a dangerous mission.

“MAGIC KINDERGARDEN!” shouted Twilight.

“Good! Then let’s go...” The Doctor began to make for the exit, but was soon stopped by Rarity. The fashion pony looked at her pink friend, then back to The Doctor.

“I want to help...” She said, her voice just a bit louder then Fluttershy’s, “I want to be the bait instead of Pinkie.”

“Ok... Why?” The time colt asked, his eyebrow cocked in confusion.

“Every time that Twilight, or Pinkie Pie, or... Or any of my friends put on the costume I designed they put their lives at risk.” Rarity looked away, wanting to hide the tears in her eyes, “My Element is generosity, yet... I havn’t taken the burden of defending Ponyville off my friend’s hooves at all.”

“What about the...”

“The Elements don’t count Doctor, you know as well as I that they need all of us to work their magic.” Rarity walked over to her pink friend, and took the purple hat from her head, “It’s as if... As if...” The tears welled up in the marshmallow pony’s eyes, but then she felt a soft hoof on her back. She turned and saw Fluttershy, her eye lids still fused together, rubbing the white mare’s back.

“Rarity,” the yellow pegasus began, “you made Mare-Do-Well possible... You made our costumes. If... If it wasn’t for you, none of us could’ve taught Rainbow Dash her lesson. None of us could help the town in secret...”

Rarity smiled at her pink maned friend, then hugged her tight. However, Fluttershy didn’t see the dress designer take the rest of Pinkie Pie’s costume... Nothing was going to stop Rarity from doing exactly what she felt she needed to do.

***

The TARDIS-Do-Well dropped Rarity, it’s horn breaking off as the marshmallow unicorn cut it with her magic. The mechanical monster then charged at the new Mare-Do-Well, making a sound that was like a growl put through a voice filter. Quickly, Mare-Do-Well flew into the air, but her wings where no match for the pony-shaped TARDIS. Meanwhile, on the ground, The Rani dove for the Purple Fear hidden in the broken horn, just at Rarity tried to do the same. However, the time mare beat her to it, and was now staring into the eyes of The Doctor.

“Finally... It comes down to this,” The Rani began, “an absolute victory over you, Doctor. Just think of it, an army of my experimental creatures invading our dimension’s Earth. Each one doing my bidding, without question or thoughts. Just my voice, ringing in their heads to find more of test subjects... Maybe I’ll start with the Ponds.” The Rani shot and evil glance to River, smiling as she saw the glare the pegasus gave her. “Now,” the time mare pointed the horn at the two time ponies, holding it tight with her teeth, “say good-bye.”

“DOCTOOOOOR!!!!” came the cry of Derpy Hooves as she flew at the stage, her normally crossed eyes now focused on one target: the evil looking mare on stage. The grey pegasus tilted her head down, and aimed her body at The Rani. As soon as the time mare saw it coming, it was too late. The mail carrier pony tackled the dark green mare down, causing the strange device in The Rani’s teeth to fall to the dirt below. There, The Doctor quickly smashed The Purple Fear with his front hooves, stomping it over and over until it became dust. Soon, another whistling sound echoed through the town square, as the fake Mare-Do-Well fell to the ground and shattered. The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well floated down after, but before the ponies of Ponyville could cheer for her, she was gone.

Comments

[Spirit Shift]

wait hold on i dont understand what happened during and after the flashback rarity jumped for the device but rani got it first and then she suddenly looking at the doctor and river just stands there NOT shooting her gun? i feel like theirs missing details that are needed in between these actions
EDIT: how does a TARDIS just shatter like that?