Doctor Whooves Episode 7: The Good, the Bad, and the Derpy

by Doctor Perseus

Attack of the Timberwolves

Chapter 4: Attack of the Timberwolves

Timberwolf Territory, Everfree Forest, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

The timberwolves continued to glare at their prey as Thalia announced her presence. Opal gasped and Caroze took a few steps back.

"Thalia!" Opal snapped. Thalia cocked her head and gave a small smile.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" she asked.

"Apparently not, but I know you."

"Whatever. I have no interest in you or the zebra, little pony. All I want is the Doctor!"

The Doctor leaned in towards Opal and whispered, "Does your Sonic Screwdriver work against wood?"

"Sadly, no," Opal whispered back.

"Damn! I was hoping that after all this time and with all the improvements, my Screwdriver would be able to take on wood!"

"Don't worry, Doctor! We'll think of something!"

"Well?" Thalia asked as she cleared her throat. "Are you coming, Doctor?"

The timberwolves growled some more as the Doctor took a step forward.

"I'd be much more...comfortable of going with you if you didn't have a bunch of wooden wolves growling at me," he said. "Why don't we make a deal? You let my friends go in peace and I'll come with you without a fight."

Thalia laughed and the wolves seemed to snicker along with her.

"You're not really in any sort of position to make deals, Doctor. You're surrounded and, last time I checked, your little screwdriver doesn't work with wood, does it?"

"I'm trying to cooperate here."

"Well I'm far beyond the stage of cooperation, Doctor! If there's one thing I learned from our last encounter, it's that your companions can be just as annoying as you if they're set free. I'm not making the same mistake twice. How about you come with me and I'll give your friends a ten second head start before my wolves chase after them? If they're lucky, they might make it out with only one lost limb."

"Sorry! But I don't like that plan!" said Opal as she jumped out and grabbed Caroze's lantern. She then flung it towards the timberwolves. The lantern smashed on the ground and the flame instantly drew towards the wooden attackers as if a magnetic force was acting upon it. The timberwolves broke up as Thalia gave a relatively calm look of annoyance. Darkness fell as the Doctor, Opal, and Caroze made a break for it. Thalia, meanwhile, stomped her hoof on the ground, resulting in all of the wolves instantly returning to their calm state.

"I suggest that you follow them. Kill the mare and the zebra. Bring me the Doctor alive," she ordered. Some of the timberwolves looked a little disappointed. "That doesn't mean you can't take a limb or two."

The wolves' excitement returned. The leader of the pack gave a loud howl and led his followers after their desired prey. Thalia continued to smile in delight...but her smile quickly changed into a look of frustrated fear as she turned towards the dark woods and continued on her way.

Forest Depths, Everfree Forest, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

Fluttershy bumped into Derpy as a series of howls emanated from off in the distance.

"Timberwolves," said Applejack.

"They don't sound too friendly," Spike gulped.

"It's best that we stay out of their way," the New Doctor suggested.

"Good idea, New Doctor," said Derpy. The group fell silent again. Derpy looked at the New Doctor and could see him eying her with a comforting stare. It made her feel uncomfortable but in a way that didn't really bother her. This Doctor seemed to know her very well and she had the urge to learn everything about him, or at least the present Doctor. More howls echoed through the woods and Rarity accidentally lost concentration over her illumination spell for a few seconds.

"Rarity, could you try to keep the light on?" Fluttershy asked as Rarity gained control over the spell.

"I'm trying my best, Fluttershy. Don't worry. I won't leave us in the dark!" the unicorn announced proudly. Derpy looked back at Pinkie Pie to see that she wasn't her usual, bouncy self. She was probably worrying about Twilight. The pink earth pony certainly loved her friends. It wasn't until now that Derpy realized just how out of place she was in this group. Before today, she hadn't really made any sort of contact with Twilight and her friends. Sure, she had come across them occasionally and had helped Rainbow Dash with the weather from time to time but she had never gotten the chance to know them. It was also at this moment that she realized just how alienated she was from the Doctor. She didn't know him that well and had been wondering about him constantly for five months. Her encounter with the mysterious Matilda had obviously been a driving force behind most of the questions she had.

"This is certainly different from the last time we walked through this forest, isn't it?" Pinkie Pie asked with a forced smile.

"It certainly is," Rarity replied with a nod.

"We had barely just gotten to know each other at the time," said Applejack.

"It feels like it was almost yesterday," said Fluttershy.

"I was asleep at the time," Spike said with a grin. The four mares laughed as Pinkie Pie kindly patted Spike on the head. Derpy sighed. Her eyes began to invert again and she quickly corrected them.

"Is there a problem, Derpy?" asked the New Doctor as he began walking closer to her.

"Don't worry. I'm fine," the gray pegasus replied. The New Doctor raised one of his eyebrows and Derpy sighed again. "I guess there kind of is."

"Let me guess. You're feeling out of place. You feel left out. You feel like you don't belong, as if you're an extra in a much bigger story."

"Wow. You're good."

"I know."

The New Doctor smiled teasingly and Derpy giggled a bit.

"You seem pretty calm about all of this."

"I shouldn't feel calm but I do. I guess it's because I know how this is all going to end."

"How does it end?"

"Spoilers, Derpy. Don't want to spoil the ending for you."

"Come on, New Doctor! Can't you at least give me a hint?"

"Haven't I already given you one?"

"Huh?"

"I'm here aren't I?"

"Yes."

"That means my past self, your present Doctor, is going to make it out okay. As long as I'm here, Derpy, you should have little to fear."

Derpy couldn't help but smile. She was slowly finding out that the Doctor, whatever version of him, had a peculiar effect on her. She suddenly had the urge to hug the New Doctor like a stuffed animal and nibble on his ear like it was a muffin. She then shook the thought out of her head, quite literally, and returned to focusing on the task at hoof: stopping Thalia.

Suddenly, a loud crack emanated from the woods. The group stopped it its tracks. Everypony fell silent. Derpy held her breath. The New Doctor pointed his Sonic Screwdriver towards the trees.

"Why do I have the feeling that whatever's in those trees isn't good?" Spike whispered. That's when a large group of timberwolves emerged from the brush. Blood dripped from their wooden bodies and their teeth glimmered brightly in the light of Rarity's illumination spell. Derpy felt her heart rise into her throat. She couldn't breathe and neither could the others.

"Looks like you were right, Spike," Pinkie Pie squeaked as more timberwolves appeared. "This isn't good!"

Riverside, Everfree Forest, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

Opal would have fallen into the river if the Doctor had grabbed her at the last second. The timberwolves were still chasing after them in hot pursuit and they quickly found their escape route blocked on all sides. Walls of thick vines and limbs stood to their left and right and a swirling river lied before them. Without Caroze's lantern, it was incredibly dark aside from the light from the moon and stars.

"Our only means of escape is the river!" said Caroze grimly.

"Are you crazy?! That water will tear us to bits!" Opal argued.

"Like I said earlier today, would you prefer the alternative?" the Doctor asked. Opal looked back at the approaching group of hungry timberwolves and rolled her eyes. She then wrapped her front hooves tightly around one of the Doctor's legs.

"Don't let go of me," she said as she looked up into his eyes. The Doctor smiled and looked back into her eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't."

The Doctor then extended his other leg and Caroze grabbed a hold of it. The timberwolves howled as they closed in. The Doctor, Opal, and Caroze each took a deep breath as they jumped into the raging river below.

The water tore and ripped against their bodies like an army of liquified knives. Rocks and other pieces of debris swept past them and large, underwater plants grazed against their bellies and legs. The Doctor attempted to keep his head, as well as Opal and Caroze's heads, above water but only managed to do so for a few seconds at a time. The current was strong and the roaring of the water was loud. It was so loud that the Doctor could barely make out the angry calls of the timberwolves in the distance. Opal and Caroze held onto the Doctor's legs tightly as they continuously bounced above and below the water's surface. It wasn't until they had spent two minutes of riding through the harsh waters that they began their attempt to make it back to shore. This was certainly easier said, or thought, than done. The water was vicious and it constantly pulled the trio underwater and then spat them back to the surface. Opal tried to yell something but she refrained from doing so for fear of water pouring into her mouth. A floating log came into view and Caroze attempted to pull them away from it. The Doctor and Caroze made it past the log without a scratch but Opal hit the log head first and lost consciousness. The Doctor frantically tightened his grip on Opal's legs and tried to keep her head above water as often as possible. Suddenly, a current stronger than any of the previous ones pulled the trio deep into the dark belly of the river. The Doctor and Caroze attempted to pull themselves and Opal towards the surface but the current was too strong. The Doctor's vision began to become blurred and his lungs burned with a desire for fresh oxygen. He was about to give in when a large hand wrapped itself around him, Opal, and Caroze. The Doctor slowly blacked out as he identified the color of the large hand: purple.

Forest Depths, Everfree Forest, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

The timberwolves slowly began advancing towards Derpy and the others. Derpy had never seen a timberwolf up close before but they were certainly ten times more frightening in the flesh than what she had heard about from her teacher.

"At least we have fire on our side," Rarity gulped as she looked down towards Spike.

"Right!" Spike said bravely as he took a few steps forward. The wolves growled and some whimpered as Spike appeared before them. "Stay back and I won't have to burn any of you!"

Some fell back but most continued advancing. Spike prepared to blast them with a warning flame.

"STOP!" cried a familiar voice. The timberwolves and Spike froze in place. Derpy and the New Doctor turned around to see Fluttershy with one of her hooves raised.

"Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie asked. Fluttershy put her hoof down and began approaching the timberwolves.

"What are you doing?!" Derpy hissed nervously. Fluttershy didn't look back. She simply approached the wolves and began examining them.

After a moment of silence, she turned around and said, "It's okay. They're not here to hurt us."

"Come again?" asked Applejack.

"They're not here to hurt us. They're here for help."

It was then that the group took a closer look at the timberwolves. The blood on them hadn't come from past victims but was actually flowing from cuts and bruises on their bodies. Their faces weren't growling with hunger but were groaning with pain. Some of the wolves' teeth had been shattered and some had been charred by fire.

"What happened to them?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Thalia. That's what happened," replied the New Doctor as he approached the wolves.

"Why would Thalia injure a group of timberwolves?" Derpy asked.

"Thalia has powerful magic but all magic has limits. It's obvious that Thalia currently has a lot of creatures under her control: the living dolls, the Aqua Incarnate, the timberwolves, and probably some other creatures. She can't control everything so some creatures were able to resist her control."

"Let me guess. Those who don't get taken over are made into prey for the others," Spike guessed.

"You got it."

Fluttershy stomped a hoof on the ground and said, "She's a monster! She's attacked our town, kidnapped our friends, created horrible creatures, taken over our own wildlife, and has attempted to kill the wildlife that doesn't obey her! She makes me so mad that I could just scream!"

Fluttershy then raised her head and let out a scream that was so low that a cool breeze could produce a bigger force.

"Poor scream. Good argument," said the New Doctor as he began tending to the wolves with his Sonic Screwdriver. "Can't defeat wood but can help it. Sonic Screwdriver, you still perplex me."

Derpy smiled as she watched the New Doctor and Fluttershy tend to some of the timberwolves.

"Shouldn't we continue on our way to find Twilight and Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked.

"We probably don't have much time left," said Pinkie Pie. The New Doctor patted Fluttershy on the shoulder and led her away from the wolves.

"Don't worry," he said. "We'll hide the wolves away until the drama has passed and then we can tend to them."

"Good idea," Fluttershy replied. The group quickly found a small cave for the wolves to hide in. Once all the wolves were successfully hidden, the New Doctor continued to lead the group towards the ruins of the Castle of the Regal Sisters.

Castle of the Regal Sisters, Everfree Forest, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 1002 C.E.

Thalia stormed into the decomposing main room with a frustrated look on her face. Splinters of wood were caught in her mane.

"Stupid timberwolves! They make such a mess when they're ripped apart!" she complained as she brushed the splinters out of her hair. Twilight and Rainbow Dash remained quiet in their little corner of the room. It was obvious that Thalia had no interest in them at the moment. One of the living dolls strolled into the room and began talking to Thalia with a mouse-like voice that neither Twilight nor Rainbow Dash could understand. "If the zebra's taking too much then tie her muzzle shut! Sweet Celestia! Are you dolls completely clueless?!" The doll lowered its head and Thalia proceeded to smack it. "Get out there and keep that damn zebra quiet! I'm not in the mood for gibberish and rhymes!"

"Zebra? Rhymes?" Rainbow Dash whispered. "You don't think-"

"It looks like it. Oh I hope Zecora's alright," Twilight whispered back.

"Sharing secrets, are we?" Thalia snapped as she approached her prisoners. Twilight could tell that her future clone was not in a happy mood.

"Something wrong?"

Thalia snorted, rolled her eyes, and punched Twilight in the nose. Her nose was already bruised from the previous punch but now it was even redder than it was before. Rainbow Dash began struggling against her constraints violently.

"Punch her again and I'll make you sorry that you ever attacked Ponyville!" she snapped.

"Oh shut up, Rainbow Crash," Thalia sighed as Rainbow Dash suddenly found her muzzle glued shut by magical means. Thalia looked straight into Rainbow's eyes and chuckled. "I'm not in a really good mood at the moment. You have no idea how satisfying it would be for me to watch you bleed out onto this stone floor and die an incredibly slow and excruciatingly-painful death. But I don't want to spoil any of my future fun." Thalia then stepped away from her prisoners and began making her way towards the door. "So long, you two. I'll be back eventually. It's time that I began heading towards town. By the time dawn rolls around, this will be over and I can finally have peace."

Thalia then walked out of the room and slammed the doors behind her, leaving Twilight and Rainbow alone in a tense and silent darkness.

Comments

[MariusIoannesP]

She suddenly had the urge to hug the New Doctor like a stuffed animal and nibble on his ear like it was a muffin.

Looks like Twilight isn't the only one.

Fluttershy screams like in Green Isn't Your Color! And Thalia is just vicious. This story and its first part are reminding me how fun the references to My Little Pony are in these stories too.

[Spirit Shift]

She suddenly had the urge to hug the New Doctor like a stuffed

animal and nibble on his ear like it was a muffin.

Crap i nearly had a heart attack when i imagined that just to much D'awww in that scene