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Something New3,226 words
Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 12,764 words
Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 23,252 words
Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 33,807 words
A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 12,877 words
A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 23,167 words
A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 33,418 words

Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 2

Derpy Hooves walked out into the main console room of the TARDIS. The Doctor was right where he was when she had gone to bed that night, the only difference being now he was wearing what appeared to be a suit jacket. The Doctor recommended she get some sleep because they were about to have a face a particularly interesting challenge, though now Derpy wasn't sure the Doctor had taken his own advice.

Now he just sat there, staring at a screen Derpy couldn't see from where she was, his mouth a straight line, his eyes focused on whatever it was he was looking at. Everything about his expression told Derpy he was focused, and Derpy didn't want to interrupt him but given the circumstances she didn’t have much of a choice.

“Good Morning Doctor, what time is it?” she said with a smile. “And did you even sleep at all?”

“Hmm? Oh hello Derpy, it’s a quarter till nine. Yes, I slept. I’m not a pony, I don’t need as much sleep as you do. But you’re awake now so you can help me” The Doctor began enthusiastically.

“Help you to stop Nightmare Moon, right?”

“That is correct Derpy. And I already know what to do!” The Doctor announced.

“Already, how can you have thought of something that quick?” inquired Derpy suspiciously.

“I've been thinking inside the box!”

“But Doctor, I thought the saying was to think outside the box?” Derpy informed the Doctor, giggling a little as she did so.

“Nope, we think inside the box because it’s bigger in here” The Doctor told her playfully.

“Speaking of which Doctor is there a word for that? For how this box is big and little at the same time?”

“This box is dimensionally transcendental. Now, are you ready for what waits outside those doors, because if you aren’t you are more than able to wait here until it is safe?” The Doctor asked. His face growing more serious as he did so.

Derpy was somepony the Doctor wanted to come away with him in the TARDIS, but she never actually agreed to go along with him, she just kind of got roped into this. The Doctor didn’t want Derpy to feel obligated because she wasn’t, but he silently hoped she would come along with him.

Derpy looked the Doctor in the eye with a very serious face. She slowly made her way over to him, not saying a word. The Doctor kept a normal expression and waited patiently for whatever she was planning on saying.

Derpy got about a yard away from the Doctor, leaned in and then, cracking the widest grin the Doctor has seen her make she said “Allons-y Doctor!”

“Ha ha!” the Doctor exclaimed as he turned around and ran towards the exit of the TARDIS with Derpy right on his trail.

The Doctor flung open the door and stepped out into the morning air. Only instead of being greeted by the warm rays of the sun the two were met with the darkness of night.

"I thought you said it was almost nine Doctor" Derpy accused.

"It is, but on the bright side it looks like we are on the right date," the Doctor offered optimistically.

Derpy looked towards the Doctor and asked “so where do we start?”

“Well I was thinking going back to the throne room is as good as any place.”

“To talk with princess Celestia?” asked Derpy.

“Might as well, see if she has any idea how to approach this problem.”

“Alright then Doctor, lead the way,” Derpy said cheerfully.

The two made their way through the large castle of Canterlot towards the throne room to speak with Celestia. Though the halls that were once quiet, dimly lit and empty were now brightly illuminated and loud with the busy movement of dozens of ponies in uniform barding. Almost immediately a few of the guard ponies dropped what they were doing and quickly had the Doctor and Derpy surrounded.

The guard directly in front of them looked at the Doctor and said “You’re not supposed to be in here.”

“Yes, we aren’t, but we seriously much need to speak with the princess. So if you would be ever so kind as to bring us to her we would appreciate it.” The Doctor replied.

“As tempting as that is I think we’ll just throw you out” came one of the guards behind the Doctor.

“You could do that, sure. But if you do you’ll never find out what this is,” the Doctor quickly pulled out what appeared to be a small length of brushed steel and raise it in the air.

The guards all pulled out their swords while several “he’s armed,” and “it’s a dagger of some sort,” echoed up the hall, causing several other guards to stop working and look on towards the scene the Doctor and Derpy were making.

“Oh you so wish. Derpy, cover your ears” the Doctor said with a smile as Derpy covered her ears. The Doctor made a quick movement of his hoof, causing the almost glass like tip of his device to illuminate a brilliant green and powerful sound that put Celestia’s royal Canterlot voice to shame. All the guards around the Doctor and Derpy fall drop their swords and knelt to the ground from the shock of the noise, letting out yelps of pain and surprise.

The noise had continued for another six or seven seconds before the Doctor pulled his hoof out of the air, stopping the noise and sliding the loud device back into his coat.

“Run Derpy!” The Doctor shouted.

Derpy didn't know much about the Doctor, but what she did understand is that when he told you to do something, you did it. And there wasn't always time to question it. The Doctor had made off down the hall towards the throne room, and Derpy was as she had been throughout the entire, right behind the Doctor. She and the Doctor were weaving in between guard ponies and the clutter in the halls, causing more guards to begin to pursue them.

The Doctor and Derpy finally made it to the impressive doors of the throne room. Only now there sat two guard ponies blocking their path.

“I've got this Doctor,” Derpy called out as they got closer to the doors, and the two door guards stood up as dozens of guards behind them began to close the distance.

Derpy hooves spread her wings and flew ahead of the Doctor and above the two guards and slammed her weight into the doors, causing them to burst open. The two guards turned around to stop Derpy and the Doctor shoved past them and into the throne room with Derpy.

They had nowhere to run now and the guards had them surround. The Doctor was panting from the obstacle course he had just run through. After a brief moment, the Doctor turned to Derpy and gave her a reassuring grin “Well we made it to the throne room at least.”

Derpy shook her head, still exhausted from the escaping they just did.

”ENOUGH!” the booming voice of Celestia causing the windows to vibrate. ”WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS. WHY ART THOU STILL HERE AND WHY HATH THOU FOUGHT THINE WAY TO OUR THRONE ROOM?!”

“We want to help you, but we need to know exactly what is happening to do that?” the Doctor offered.

Celestia raised an eyebrow before turning towards the large group of ponies by the door. ”LEAVE. GET BACK TO WORK PREPARING FOR THE TIMES TO COME!” Celestia commanded.

The guards reluctantly obeyed, eyeing the Doctor and Derpy as they all left. Celestia turned her head to the guards beside her throne ”THOU AS WELL AND CLOSE THE DOORS ON THOU WAY OUT!” Celestia commanded.

They obeyed and soon the three were left alone in the quiet throne room, a slight noise coming from beyond the large doors in the halls.

“Now Lord Time Turner, who art thou to think thou could help us?” asked Celestia.

“Yeah about that. My name isn’t Time Turner, it’s the Doctor. And I can help you because that’s what I do Princess. I help others.”

“What doth thou mean, thy name is Doctor? Doctor who?” Celestia asked.

The Doctor giggled a little before shaking his head and saying “no, no time, I need you to trust me. Now, what do you know?”

Celestia sat thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Derpy.

“What doth thou know of this stallion? How much doth thine trust of him go?” asked Celestia. The Doctor turned to Derpy and waited for her response.

Derpy knelt before Celestia before standing back up and saying “Princess Celestia, I don’t know a lot about the Doctor, in fact, I barely known him a day” Derpy smiled a little at that. “But what I do know is that all he wants is to help. It seems to me that all he wants to do is help and, if we listen to him, he’ll do just that.”

Celestia turned to the Doctor “Well we still don’t know whom thou is but given the circumstances we don’t have much choice.”

“Good, now please, I have to know what is going on exactly” the Doctor pleaded.

“Our sister has decided she will not make way for the light of day. She hath thrown the world out of balance, and worse, she hath lead her army of shadows into Equestria. We know not how much destruction she hath caused, but we fear war is imminent.”

“Oh my,” Derpy said, a mixture of fear and worry in her voice. Sure all those guards getting ready had to have been getting ready for something but hearing out loud that Equestria is on the brink of war. Never in her life has Derpy ever thought of a war, and now she seemed to be looking it in the face. Everything had just gotten very real for Derpy, and she was afraid.

The Doctor turned over to Derpy and saw the terrified expression and walked over to Derpy “are you all right Derpy? I can walk you back to the TARDIS is you want. You’ll be safe there, I promise you that.” The Doctor offered softly.

Derpy took a deep breath in and in the exhale let out the word “no. No, I’m fine Doctor, just give me a minute.”

“Of course” The Doctor said as he backed up and gave her a little space. He then turned to Princess Celestia and asked “Do you know where she is, your sister? Do you think there is any chance we could stop this before anypony gets hurt?”

“It may be too late for that, but we may still be able to prevent any more damage from being done” Celestia offered.

“Where is your sister ‘Tia? We need to answer that question first, maybe we can still talk some sense into her.”

“Do not forget who thou speaketh to Doctor. We are a Princess of Equestria and we will be spoken to with respect.” Celestia’s stern voice told the Doctor that it may be a little early for nicknames, and he got the message.

“Very well Princess, but do you know where we could find her?” Asked the Doctor.

“We think she may be hiding herself away in the forest just to the south, at least that’s where her forces seem to be gathering around” Celestia told the Doctor.

“But that’s the Everfree Forest,” Derpy said.

“We have not heard that name before, Everyfree. Is that what the ponies of Equestria call it?” asked Celestia.

"I get the feeling it is now," said the Doctor looking at Derpy then back at Celestia. “But whatever the case I think I know where we’re going next. Thank you Princess Celestia.”

“Doctor, the way is dangerous and full of our sister’s forces, she will see thou coming a mile off.”

“Don’t worry I know a way Princess” the Doctor told her with a smile.

“We are going with you Doctor, she is our sister, and we need to talk with her. But, how art thou planning on getting past the gathering masses?”

The Doctor smiled and turned to Celestia “Princess Celestia how would you like to go straight to your sister without her ever see us coming? And be there before your guards have time to ask where you've gone?”

“We’d say thou were mad Doctor.”

“Well maybe I am but it’s not a bad thing to be right now. Princess, Derpy, follow me!” The Doctor ordered as he trotted out the doors of Celestia’s throne room and out back into the gardens until he was right at the door of the TARDIS. Princess Celestia grabbed a small chest from her throne room and swiftly followed behind the Doctor and Derpy without saying a word, not yet entirely sure she could trust them.

The Doctor turned around before opening the TARDIS and said “here it is Princess, our ticket to the, what did you call it Derpy? The Everfree?”

“Yes Doctor, the Everfree Forest” Derpy confirmed.

“Okay Doctor, you had our curiosity, now you have our attention. Explain” Celestia commanded.

“Derpy, care to do the honors?” Asked the Doctor as he held out the key to the TARDIS.

“Sure Doctor,” Derpy said as she lightly hovered over to him, grabbed the key and opened the TARDIS, then stepped back to allow Princess Celestia to take in what she was about to see.

Celestia stepped forward and poked her head into the TARDIS. Then back out with a confused look on her face as she dropped the chest she had grabbed. She walked around the TARDIS and then back into the TARDIS, grabbing the chest on her way in. The Doctor turned his head to Derpy and winked.

Celestia was in the center of the main room before she called out to the Doctor “Doctor, thou box. It’s bigger on the inside.”

The Doctor mouthed the words as Celestia said them before calling back to her. “Is it? I hadn't noticed,” the Docter said nonchalantly.

Derpy giggled, and the two walked into the TARDIS after Princess Celestia.

"This must hath been enchanted by a very powerful magic indeed," Celestia said in awe, mostly to herself.

“Sure you could call it that. Now hang on Princess because we are going to take a quick trip,” the Doctor said as he ran over to the center console of the TARDIS and began to adjust dials and levers.

Derpy walked up behind the Doctor as princess Celestia continued to look around the inside of the TARDIS awestruck.

“Doctor are you sure you can aim this thing in the right direction? The last time you said we were taking a quick trip we ended up almost one thousand years in the past” Derpy questioned.

“Of course I’m sure Derpy, unless I’m not but I am so we are good.”

“What?” asked Derpy “How can you be sure Doctor?”

“Well that was her first flight after some major repairs she needed to be calibrated. And with a trip like that under her belt it’s a cake walk. That’s what I’m doing now, calibrating” The Doctor said with a smile as he cranked a wheel around in a circle.

“Alright then Doctor,” Derpy said before stepping back to check on Celestia.

“Princess Celestia, what do you think?” asked Derpy.

“We do not understand who thou or the Doctor are or where thou comest from but perhaps we were right in trusting thou.” Celestia said.

“Well I’m glad we can help Princess.” Derpy said with a smile.

“Whom art thou Derpy, where doth thou come from to have such wonders in thine life?” Celestia inquired, looking towards Derpy, her face serious and demanding despite her pleasant tone.

“Uhh” Derpy didn’t know what to say, what she could say. Derpy turned to the Doctor for support. The Doctor had looked up and gave Derpy an approving nod to let her know it was alright to tell her.

Derpy breathed in, then out to collect her thoughts.

“I am from the distant future. I don’t know about the Doctor, but this is his machine and I accidentally came here with him. We didn’t come here on purpose, it was a bit of an accident” Derpy explained to princess Celestia, not really thinking she’d believe her.

“If thou art from the future then tell us, how doth this turn out? What happens to our sister?”

“She couldn’t possibly know” the answer came from the Doctor as he continued to work, not looking up.

“What?” asked Derpy.

“History is in flux, and certain points can be changed, time itself can be rewritten” the Doctor explained. “Even if it is just small details maybe you can make certain events more pleasant for all involved, no matter how slightly they may be.” At that the Doctor stopped what he was doing and looked up “But if we tell you then it becomes fixed and you can’t change it, it wont matter how much you try.”

Celestia nodded “we understand.”

“Molto bene. Now let’s finish this thing,” the Doctor looked down at the console and pulled one final lever down, and the whole TARDIS suddenly began to shake violently and just as quickly as it started it stopped. The Doctor turned a monitor towards him and said “Good, I think we’ve hit the target dead center.”

“Are you sure Doctor?” asked Derpy.

“Absolutely, there can be no doubt this time” the Doctor said confidently. “Come on everypony, she’s waiting for us.”

The Doctor ran over to the TARDIS door and flung them open. At first everything was black, but the shadows slowly began to recede to show a tall alicorn mare with a coat as black as the shadows that had only moments ago engulfed her. Her mane as ethereal as Celestia’s but a blue as deep as the night sky itself. On her body was well crafted and extravagant barding. There was no doubt, this is whom they were looking for.

Celestia walked out to face her sister, the small chest on her back. The Doctor and Derpy walked out behind her and closed the doors behind them.

“Ahh Celestia, we thought thou would come to face us. Though we didn’t expect thine way of travel to be so” she paused to think of the appropriate word she wanted to use “unique.”

“Sister, please stop this, we doth not wish to harm you” Celestia pleaded.

“We are no longer thine sister, call us Nightmare Moon for all shall feel what we are capable of.”

“Listen to your sister, you can still stop this before any pony else gets hurt.”

“No, we don’t think we will. In fact, we think we’ll let our shades take care of you.” Nightmare Moon turned her head to look somewhere behind her and nodded at the darkness. In that instant shadows from every possible direction engulfed them and the TARDIS.

Then everything went black.

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