The Sequel to Number 12. The Doctor and Twilight leap into the future, though it may be a far darker place than they envision. In the mean time somehow the Doctor keeps crashing around Ponyville, something to do with Fluttershy, but what?
Fluttershy sat in her house looking out into the garden. Small woodland creatures frolicked about as usual around a myriad of colorful flowers. It was the end of spring, and all the blooms were having their final hurrah. She sighed, she enjoyed these quiet moments in her house more than almost anything else. A cool breeze wafted in, it smelled pleasantly of spring. She inhaled deeply.
A large boom shattered the calm. Animals scattered in all directions to get away from its source. Fluttershy looked around wildly in the confusion. Out of the sky a large blue something hurtled downwards.
She stared up in bewilderment before she realized where it was plummeting.
“Eeep!” she skidded backwards seconds before the thing crashed into the window, splintering the wood and sending various objects flying inwards. It was a blue box, above it the words “Police Public Call Box” sat in glowing letters. The double doors swung open. A brown stallion poked his head out.
“What time is it!?” he yelled.
Fluttershy stood there in shock for a moment.
“Well?! It’s very important! Hurry up!” He urged.
“Um...well...I-I-It’s one in the afternoon...Um...sir.” she paused. “Oh, m-my house...Um, sir, if you don’t mind my aski-”
“Drat! Too early!” he interrupted. His head vanished back inside the box.
“Oh, but, but sir...um...my windows, um...Sir...” Fluttershy tried again.
The box began to make one of the strangest sounds she’d ever heard. Yet it was oddly familiar. A light at the top began to glow, and a strange wind ruffled her mane. She yelped and dove behind a chair, peeking out to look at the strange thing.
It slowly became less and less visible as she looked on. Then it was gone.
She stared at the gaping hole in her wall where the window used to be. A few small animals peeked in to check on her.
“Oh my.....”
*Theme music*
Twilight Sparkle walked through the town square, since spring was ending there was a small festival to celebrate the last of the blooms before the weather ponies ushered in summer. Every building was adorned with colorful flowers and decorations. The smell of various Ponyville delicacies wafted through the air, fresh sunflowers on sticks, candied dandelions, oat and hay cake, along with a variety of other dishes sat in colorful displays to attract customers.
“Howdy Twi!” called a familiar voice.
“Applejack!” Twilight greeted the orange earth pony with a smile. “Sure is a lovely day for the Bloom Festival isn’t it?”
“Darn tootin!” Applejack said happily. “I’m making a killin with my lavender apple cakes! Wanna try one?” She pushed a small cake over.
“Oh, I’d love to; I’ve never been one to turn down your cooking. Could you give me one for Spike? I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”
“Sure thing, Sugarcube!” she placed the cakes in a small bag, which floated into Twilight’s saddlebag. “You tell that ol' dragon not to go eatin both though, ya hear?”
The purple unicorn chuckled warmly. “I sure will! Thanks again!” “Y’all take care now!” Applejack waved. As Twilight walked away she inhaled deeply. “Ahhh.” she sighed. “Those cakes do smell good.” she looked back at her saddlebag. “I suppose Spike wouldn’t mind if I had just one bite without him...” One of the cakes floated from the bag until it was in front of Twilight’s nose. She inhaled again. “Mmmhhh, this smells delicious!”
Fluttershy barreled into her at full speed. Both ponies went tumbling into some nearby hay bales.
Fluttershy was on her feet first. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Twilight Sparkle, are you alright?” she asked quietly.
Twilight spit out some hay. “I’m alright, Fluttershy.” she looked down to see her cake squished on the ground. “Well....mostly. What’s got you in such a hurry anyway?”
“Oh!” Fluttershy remembered. “Well it’s my house...it’s um...”
“What?”
“Well, I was sitting by the window, watching the animals enjoy the last day of spring. They do love today you know.”
“Yes, yes?” Twilight urged.
“Well...um...I was sitting there, when suddenly I heard a large boom, and this blue box crashed into my home.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “A blue box!? Did it have any writing on it?”
Fluttershy looked down. “Um....I don’t know...something about police...you do believe me, don’t you?”
Twilight’s face darkened. “Oh yes, I believe you. Where is it now?”
“The box? I-it disappeared.” the yellow Pegasus replied sheepishly. “I know it sounds crazy, but I think I’ve seen it once bef-.”
“Not at all.” Twilight said. “Wait right here, I need to have a word with someone.” she raced off in the direction of the library.
“O-okay then...” Fluttershy was left standing in the square.
“Okay, now press that knobby thing.” said the Doctor, ordering Spike around the TARDIS controls. “No, no, no, that’s the lever-y bit. The knobby thing is over there!”
“Okay, okay! Have you ever thought of different names for these things?” the small dragon complained.
The Doctor stared blankly. “Why would I?”
The TARDIS doors swung open as Twilight barged in. She paused for moment, she never ceased to be a bit awed by the small box with the large inside, but she quickly regained her composure.
“You’ve got some explaining to do.” she marched up to the Doctor.
“I do?” He asked bemusedly. “Well that’s good, I can explain a great many things, except perhaps how they get the filling in the cakes in this world....you all have hooves...”
“What?” Twilight shook her head. “Never mind! What I want to know is what in the world were you doing crashing into Fluttershy’s house?! Is that how you say ‘hello’ or something!?”
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “My dear Twilight, I have no idea who this ‘Flutterby’ is but I’ll have you know I haven’t done any crashing lately”
“What do you mean? Fluttershy told me a few minutes ago that a large blue box fell out of the sky and smashed into her house. There’s only one thing in Ponyville that fits that description, and that function.”
“That function?!” The Doctor said aghast. “I’ll have you know that this is the single most advanced piece of technology in the universe! Its functions extend far beyond simply ‘smashing into things’”
“Well, I’ve yet to see them!” Twilight said crossly. “This thing’s been down here doing nothing since you arrived.”
“She’s resting.” The Doctor said mildly. “That fall through the Abstract Plane took a lot out of her.”
“Her?”
“He’s been calling it that all day,” Spike said flatly “He dragged me down here to help, and even though it’s been oodles of fun, can I go back up to the festival now? ”
“Sure,” said the Doctor. “If you’d rather go out to some silly festival than work on the most astoundi-”
The door closed.
“Well, that was rude.”
Twilight chuckled slightly. “Looks like you lost out.” her smile faded. “Wait, he said you’ve been here all day...Then what happened to Fluttershy’s house?”
“Hmm?” the Doctor went back to fiddling with the various instruments of the control panel for a while. “Oh, I don’t know, has she been feeling well lately? I’m sure she can sort it out.” he paused as he felt Twilight staring daggers at him. “Oh! Fine! I suppose there’s no harm in checking it out.” he hopped down to the door. “Come along, Ms.Sparkle.”
The festivities were still in full swing when the two got back to the town square, a dance had begun, and various ponies swung and bopped along to the music. The Doctor and Twilight looked around.
“So, what does, Flutterby look like?” The Doctor asked.
“That’s Fluttershy, Doctor, what is it with you and names anyway?” Twilight said, exasperated. “Well, she’s a yellow Pegasus pony with pink hair.”
“Really, I must say the genetics of this world must be quite something, Twilight.” The Doctor mused. “A Yellow and Pink equine, how strange.” He looked Twilight over “Purple one’s notwithstanding that is. Though I suppose, looking over this crowd it’s not it’s not all that uncommon in this world” A pallet of ponies in every color imaginable danced around them, greens, blues, pinks, and everything in between seemed to be out and about, eating, dancing and laughing. The Doctor chuckled. “I guess parties are the same in every universe. I used to do a bit of dancing myself you know.”
“You? Really?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, don’t look so shocked, you learn a lot in nine hundred years. Though I wonder how well they translate to four legs.”
“Wait, what?”
“Four legs, I’m not sure how one does the Charleston with four legs. It seems maybe if I kicked just so-”
“No, nine hundred years, what did you mean by that?” Twilight interrupted.
“Oh, that! Just my age is all.”
“What?”
“My age, I’m nine hundred.”
“What!?”
The Doctor looked hurt. “Do I look older? I really thought I was taking care of myself, I’m really nine hundred and three, or four....maybe twenty it’s so hard to keep count. Perhaps I should try some lotion, I like lotion.”
Twilight stared for a moment. “You’re almost as old as Celestia! How is that possible!?”
“Oh, I’m not huma-” he paused. “Sorry, Equine. Starting over is always so strange. Anyhoof, you know that.”
“Well, yes, but I didn’t know you were nine-hundred! Anything else you want to tell me?”
“Who’s that anyway?”
“What? Who?”
“Celestia.”
Twilight looked at him like he was a child. “You don’t know who Celestia is?”
“What!? I’ve only been here a little while, remember?”
“Sorry, it’s just not often I get the upper-hoof on you, I’m just surprised to be honest.”
“Well, go ahead; bestow your knowledge upon me.” The Doctor said with a deep bow.
“Well, Celestia is the princess, she rules all of Equestria, you se-” “Wait; doesn’t that make her the queen?” Said the Doctor. “What?” “You said that Celestia rules all of Equestria, yeah?” “Yes.” Said Twilight carefully. “And yet you call her the princess.” “Well she is the princess.” “So there’s a king then?” “.....No” “A queen?” “No.” “Then doesn’t that make her the queen? Why do you call her the princess?” Twilight thought for a moment. “Oh it doesn’t matter!” she shook her head. “She rules Equestria in any case.” “And she’s older than me?” “Well, if you really are nine-hundred, she turned a thousand just a while back.” “Oh, how exciting!” the Doctor did a little jump. “I’ve haven’t met someone who’s my elder in the longest, we shall have to trade stories!”
“Aren’t you trying to keep a low profile?”
“Well, I suppose, but that’s never really worked well for me.” He put a hoof to his chin. “I tried to keep a low profile in San Francisco once, some time around 1906, it didn’t turn out well.”
“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked, baffled.
“Oh, I suppose that one didn’t happen here. It’s so hard to keep track. In any case, I suppose keeping a low profile is important. I shall try to stay as inconspicuous as possib-
There was a loud boom, followed by the sound of smashing wood. Twilight and the Doctor turned their heads to the direction of the noise.
There was a lot of smoke spilling out of a nearby storefront, the owner, a white and orange stallion, stood outside looking on in shock.
“Well that’s interesting.” The Doctor remarked. He dashed over to the owner. “Sir, it’s very important you tell me what just happened.”
“What?” He said, still in shock.
“I’m....The crash inspector, I inspect crashes.”
Twilight walked up. “Doctor, I don’t thi-”
“And this is Twilight, my plucky young assistant.”
“Plucky!”
“Now now, Ms.Sparkle, you’ll never make head crash inspector with that attitude.” he turned back to the owner. “So, Mr.....”
“Tinker.” The owner finished
“Really?”
“Um...yes?”
“Alright then, Mr. Tinker, what exactly happened here? Tell me in exact detail.”
Mr. Tinker looked at the gaping whole in his shop.
“Isn’t it obvious? Something crashed into my store!”
“Well yes, I know that! I’m a crash inspector remember? Tell him Twilight.”
“Oh yes...number one crash inspector in the country.” she said.
“So, I know, something crashed into your house-”
“Shop.” Twilight corrected. “Your shop. Just look at this wood!” he poked a jagged edge with a hoof. “It reeks of crashery! What I want to know is what crashed into your shop.”
“Oh, well, um,” Mr. Tinker began, flustered. “I don’t know, I was making toys, same as always, trying to get the new summer line completed for the kids, when boom! I’m knocked off my hooves and my shop is totaled!”
“Hmm...Totaled yes, it certainly looks totaled. Completely totaled, completely and utterly totaled. Come along, Twilight!” The Doctor hopped over the remains of the window.”
“Where are you going?” Asked Mr. Tinker.
“To see what did the Totaling of course.”
Mr. Tinker stood there as he walked into the dark.
“Sorry about that....it’s a crash inspector thing, been in one too many crashes I should think.” Twilight said. “Sorry about your shop too!” she hopped off after the Doctor.
The dust was still settling after the crash. Toys lay in disarray, small wooden horses, and small flying streamers lay in tatters.
“There are few things creepier than a destroyed toy shop.” The Doctor remarked.
Twilight waked gingerly after him. “I’ll say...” she said, eyeing a small pony figure whose hair was on fire. When she looked up the Doctor was gone.
“Doctor!?” She called. “Doctor!?”
The Doctor came barreling out of the darkness. He pushed his nose right up against hers. “What time is it?!” he yelled.
“What?” Twilight asked, bewildered.
“It’s very important, what time is it!!” he asked again.
“I don’t know, a quarter to seven?” Twilight answered, backing up slightly.
“Darn, too early.” He dashed off, back into the darkness of the shop.
“Wait!! What’s going on!?” Twilight ran after him, jumping over toys and debris. “Doctor!!”
“What?” said a voice behind her.
She tried to stop, but she tripped over a small windup toy, and flew headlong into some boxes.
“You know, it’s really not a good idea to go running around in a dark toy shop.” The Doctor remarked.
“Then why were you!?” Twilight yelled, attempting to disentangle herself from the pile.
“Me?”
“Yes, you, you came up screaming about the time, then dashed off, what was that all about!?”
“I’ve done no such thing! I’ve been walking thank you very much. I save the running for later. I like the running.”
“Well, explain what just happened, then, are there two brown ponies with an hourglass mark running around?”
Suddenly a blue light lit up the shop.
The Doctor threw up a hoof, momentarily blinded. “No...I don’t think there’s two.”
The TARDIS stood at the far end of the shop. Slowly vanishing.
“Doctor!” Twilight exclaimed, running to where the phone box had once been. “That was the TARDIS!?” “Yes, yes it was, that makes things a whole lot more interesting.” “But, how could it be the TARDIS? You’re here, and it still hasn’t moved since you arrived!”
“Well, yes,” the Doctor said, “but it is a time machine.”
“What!?”
The Doctor looked at Twilight in his usual way, like she was several steps behind. “A time machine, I thought I’d explained this?”
“You never said anything about a time machine! How is that even possible!?”
“Says the girl with the magical forehead.”
“But even some of the strongest magics can’t traverse time!” Twilight protested.
“Mine can.”
“And what’s yours?”
“Science, try to keep up, I’m getting Déjà vu.” “Sorry, it’s just it’s starting to seem like every time I get used to you, you’ve got something else up your sleeve.” “You’ll find I’m full of surprises, Ms.Sparkle.” He strode forwards and surveyed the area. “In any case, that’s one of the problems of time travel, things don’t always happen in the right order. But!” he paused to lick the tip of his hoof and stick it in the air. “We do know this, at some point, I am going to crash into both Flutterby’s house, and this toy shop.”
“But why?”
“Now, that’s the fun bit, the bit we need to find out, the mysterious fun bit.” He dashed over to a table. “And it starts, with the pony hiding under this table.” he turned around and kicked it over. There was a squeak. “Hello there, Flutterby.” Said the Doctor.
Fluttershy lay on the ground with her hooves above her head, shaking slightly. She peeked out at the Doctor, and jumped back with a yelp.
“It’s perfectly alright.” the Doctor said reassuringly, “I’m friendly, I promise!” he took a step closer. “Now, I’m going to need you to tell me what happened this morning, and just now.”
“I-it’s you! You’re the one who crashed into my house this morning...oh....w-what do you want?”
“I don’t know, could you tell me?”
“W-what?” Fluttershy squeaked.
“Well, I haven’t crashed into your house, or this shop yet, so I don’t know what it is that I hope to gain from doing so. But I do know, it has something to do with you.”
“M-me! Why?”
“That, my dear, is the question. Now, tell me, in the last few days, has anything strange happened?”
Fluttershy looked at the ground.
“Besides me that is.”
Fluttershy shrank back a bit. “N-no, nothing I’m sure...”
Twilight walked over to the yellow Pegasus. “Don’t worry Fluttershy, just tell him anything you’ve noticed, anything at all.”
Fluttershy looked up at her friend. “Well, a few days ago, some bunnies did go missing from their burrows.” Fluttershy frowned. “I’ve looked for them everywhere, and they’re nowhere to be found!” she looked at the Doctor and deflated slightly. “B-but, that’s not all that strange...I...I don’t know.”
The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “How do you know they didn’t just run off?”
“Oh, they wouldn’t do that, I keep careful track of their movements, they’ve been in those burrows since their great, great grandbunnies dug it. They’d never just up and leave.”
“Mmhmm,” the Doctor nodded. “so, they haven’t abandoned their borrow, are you sure they haven’t been eate-”
“Doctor!” Twilight exclaimed.
“What!? Circle of life and all that, it’s bound to happen to some bunnies isn’t it?”
“Oh, no, no, no, my bunny habitat is fenced in, I checked for holes, no predators got in, I make sure of it.” She looked at the two ponies questioning her. “B-but I could be wrong.”
“No, quite the opposite I suspect.” the Doctor turned around and started walking out of the shop. The two ponies followed close behind. “If no predators got in, and no bunnies got out that leaves only one distinct possibility!”
“Which is?”
“The predator is already in the bunny habitat.”
“W-w-what!?” Fluttershy Squeaked.
“It’s quite simple really.” said the Doctor. “But if you like I can do a small diagram, I’ve got these little stickers that would be just perfect to represent the bunnies an-”
“No! She means where would something like that hide? Twilight quickly interrupted.
“Oh, now that, my dear Twilight, is the question!”
“And how do you intend to answer it?”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now!” Twilight yelled.
“Oh, well I’m not going to answer anything at all.”
“What? But Doctor, what about Fluttershy’s bunnies?”
“I’m dealing with it as we speak.” Said the Doctor, jumping over some debris.
“What?”
“Well, I’m crashing around Ponyville for some reason, correct?”
“Correct.”
“That means I must already know what’s happening and am currently trying to remedy it.”
Twilight paused. “If you know what’s going on, then why don’t you just fix it so you don’t have to go destroying perfectly innocent buildings!”
“Well I wish I could do that Twilight, but there’s a lot more to it than that.”
“Like?”
“Well,” the Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “look at it this way. I’ve just found out about our little Flutterby dilemma, but I haven’t figured out everything yet. All I do know, is that for some reason it is gravely important that I stop it. Folllowing?”
“Yes.”
“The only reason I know that in the first place, is because of today’s earlier crash into your friend’s abode. Still following?”
“Yes!”
“Okay. So let’s say that right this second, I go over to the bunny habitat, and using my brilliant skills of deduction-”
Twilight’s coughed. The Doctor shot her a look.
“Using my brilliant skills of deduction, I figure out the problem, and everything is jiminy Christmas.”
Twilight stopped herself from asked what jiminy Christmas meant. “Yes, that sounds perfect!”
The Doctor sighed. “You weren’t following.”
“Huh?”
“Okay, so, to put it in plain terms, if I solve the problem right this second, because of knowledge I have only because of my future self’s intervention. Then the problem would be solved already, and my future self would have no reason to travel into the past.”
“Thus saving Fluttershy’s house, and this toyshop from your special brand of destruction!” She tilted her head to the side. “What’s wrong with that.?”
“Oh my...”
Both the Doctor and Twilight turned, they had forgotten Fluttershy was still there. She was staring at something.
“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?”
“B-behind you.”
The Doctor and Twilight turned, to see a swirling red hole floating inches from where they were standing.
“What’s wrong, my Dear Twilight,” said the Doctor. “Is that, that, would cause a paradox.”
“What in Equestria is that!?!” Twilight yelled.
“That, I’m afraid, is the least of our problems. The way I see it, we have about two minutes.”
“Till!?”
“Till the thing on the other side of that hole comes out and sees its lunch.” he whirled around. “Flutterby, I need you to run to your house and stay there, understand?”
The yellow Pegasus let out a frightened squeak, and nodded, running towards the shop’s exit.
“Doctor!?” Twilight yelled. “What’s going on? What is that thing!?”
The Doctor looked around wildly. “It’s a door, a very old door to let something very nasty from point A to point B, the problem is, when it gets from point A to point B, there won’t be a B for very long!!”
“What do you mean!?”
“Reapers, Twilight, they’re like the antibodies of time, they come to ‘infected areas’ to disinfect ‘wounds’, like paradoxes. The main problem is, they see me as a very nasty virus.”
“I thought you were trying to avoid causing a paradox!?”
“I was!! But it seems the fact that I now have information that I discovered, because of my own actions, in the time stream is enough! In my world such a small infraction would be ignored. But here it seems this universe needs to be worn around.”
“Worn around!?” Twilight yelled over the swirling vortex as it whipped wind throughout the shop.
“Ever worn a new pair of shoes? If you go running in them the same day, you get blisters Same thing.” he noticed Twilight’s bewildered face. “Horse shoes.” he said resignedly.
“Oh.” said Twilight. “Anyhoof! The rules have been broken so few times, it seems to draws a lot of attention!” The Doctor yelled over the din of noise as the wind grew stronger.
“What’s it going to do!?”
“Well, the way I see it, it will devour every sentient being in the immediate area in an attempt to sterilize the ‘infection’. After that it will probably move on to inanimate, dessert if you will. It might not stop till the whole planet ceases to exist.”
“What!?” Twilight exclaimed.
“You’ve been saying that a lot lately.”
“Doctor!” Twilight yelled. “On task! What do we do!?”
“Right, sorry.” he turned to face Twilight head on. “I’m going to do something really quickly, you have to trust me for a moment.”
“Doctor I-”
“Just for a moment, don’t worry, I’m the Doctor, what could possibly go wrong?”
Twilight opened her mouth.
“Don’t answer that.” the Doctor interrupted. He ran around the shop, picking up toys in a seemingly random order, setting them in front of the vortex, until he had a fairly large stack of dolls and plushies. “I need you to animate them!” he yelled
“What!?”
“There’s that word again.”
“Doctor, that’s advanced magic! I can’t do that!” Twilight cried.
“Yes you can! You’ve got the power! Just use it! The wind grew yet stronger, a table next to them went flying. “I’ll help you!” the doctor galloped over, and pressed his forehead against Twilight’s. “Concentrate!”
“Doctor, what are you doin-” suddenly, in her minds eye she saw what to do. Her horn glowed purple. The toys began to stir.
“A little bit more!” The Doctor urged.
She focused her power. There was a large boom as slowly the tip of something brown emerged from the vortex.
“Hurry!”
Suddenly the toys began lifting themselves from the pile, shaking and moving their newly animate limbs.
“Oh you are magnificent, Twilight Sparkle!” The Doctor cried happily. He attempted to pull away from the purple unicorn. “.....Twilight?”
Twilight’s horn still glowed brilliantly, casting the whole shop in a harsh purple light. She opened her eyes, they glowed like burning coals.
“I can see....so much....” She said dreamily.
“Twilight!” the Doctor tried frantically to separate from her, but found he was stuck fast. “Twilight! If you’ve ever listened to me, I need you to listen to me right now.” he grunted with exertion. “You’re seeing the inside of my mind, and I know that it’s very tempting, but I’m telling you it’s like the sun, look too long, get too close, and it will destroy you. I need you to let go, right now! Look away!”
“I-I can’t” Twilight said softly. “There’s more....more than I...”
The brown tip emerging from the vortex slowly revealed itself to be a long, scythe like claw. It sliced through the air eagerly .
“Twilight!” the Doctor yelled.
The unicorn was silent.
“Ohhh...” the Doctor looked back and forth between Twilight and the emerging creature. “She’ll never forgive me for this.” he pushed forwards, and kissed Twilight dead on the lips.
The resulting wave of magic knocked the Doctor several feet into the air. Every toy and trinket in the shop suddenly sprang to life, dancing and wandering aimlessly. The worktable at the far end, unsure what to do with its new found life, set about chasing after the small objects, acting very much like a large dog. In the corner, the wind up toys, who had no other means of locomotion, set about trying to wind one another before quickly chattering away. The sound was deafening as every music box, talking doll, and singing robot gained a will of their own, blaring their respective voices as loudly as possible.
Twilight stood dazed for a moment.
“Wha....what happened?..”
The Doctor struggled from the grip of a large stuffed dog, running over to the purple unicorn. “Twilight! Are you alright?” he asked, looking her over.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m alright, I just feel a bit faint is all.” she replied drowsily. “Wait a second....” her eyes shot open wide. “Y-you kissed me!”
Behind them something roared.
“This is really not the time Twilight!” he said giving her a shove. “We need to be somewhere that’s not here, very quickly! Just follow me, don’t look back!”
Twilight looked back.
A head had separated itself from the vortex, it was brown and scaly in appearance. She was confused for a moment as to where the roar had come from, as the creature appeared to have no mouth. That is, until she noticed the small opening in the area that could be called the beast’s chest, it let out another roar, which showed that it was filled with very many, very sharp teeth. She screamed.
“I told you!” The Doctor gave her another shove. “Now come on!”
The two ran towards the shop’s exit trying to avoid trampling over the small army of toys that walked and bounced around their legs.
The creature shook itself violently, its bulk shaking the whole shop as toys darted away in fear. A beam from the ceiling came crashing down in front of the two fleeing ponies.
“Doctor!” Twilight yelled.
“This way!”
The two dashed off deeper into the darkness of the shop. The Reaper gave a mighty heave, and wrenched itself from the vortex.
“Quickly! Behind the counter.” the Doctor whispered urgently.
Twilight dashed over, and lowered her head. Peeking ever so slightly over to gaze at the thing floating around the shop.
“It’s like a seahorse..” she whispered under her breath.
It levitated a few feet off the ground, waving two long appendages that ended in cruel looking scythes. Behind it waved a long tail, to which another scythe was attached. On its side was what appeared to be a broken fob watch cutie mark.
“Really?” the Doctor whispered aloud. “Even the Reapers in this universe. Really??”
“Doctor!” Twilight hushed. “What are we going to do?”
“Oh, yes. Well the toys you brought to life should keep it busy for a while. I thought the small bunch I rounded up would occupy it for a few minutes, but I never imagined you’d bring the whole shop to life. That gives us at least an hour.”
“What are the toys going to do?”
“Make a tasty appetizer.” said the Doctor.
Twilight looked horrified.
“Oh, don’t worry, they have animation, but not sentience, feeling bad for them, is a bit like feeling sorry for a bit of lettuce that’ll one day be a salad. Anyhoof,” he said crouching down “when you brought them to life they were infused with a bit of this worlds power, or ‘magic’ making them prime targets for the Reaper. It’ll finish them all before moving on as long as nothing more interesting shows up.”
“Interesting?”
“Like a pony shaped Timelord, or a unicorn with a very large store of magic.”
“Oh.” said Twilight.
“So we have to make sure we’re not seen, and make it back to the TARDIS, as quickly as possible.”
“How do we do that? Our exit is blocked, and that....thing, is sure to see us before we can find another way out.”
“Hmmm....that’s a very good question, Twilight.” as the Doctor spoke the Reaper descended upon a small rabbit plushie. A scythe swept downwards, as the small toy tried to run away. The blade met its target, ringing through the air, and with a sudden burst of light, the rabbit was lost, with no trace it had ever been there to begin with.
Twilight gulped. “A very good question, which needs a very good answer, very quickly!”
“Alright alright! I’m thinking!” The Doctor whispered.
The beast roared again, the sound resonating everywhere, once again shaking the shop to its foundations.
“Doctor.” said Twilight quietly.
“Not now, Twilight, I’m thinking.”
“But, Doctor, lo-”
“Shhhh!” The Doctor rubbed his forehead with a hoof. “I need quiet to figure a way out of here.”
“Doctor are you coming?” Twilight asked. The wall behind the counter had fallen, she stood several feet outside looking back at the brown earth pony.
The Doctor looked surprised for a moment. “....Just as I planned!” he said. hurrying to join the purple unicorn.
“Sure....”
“No time for your pluckiness, Twilight, we have to get to the TARDIS, now.” He raced off in the direction of the library.
“Right!” Twilight started to follow, but she paused. “Wait, I am not, plucky!!” she yelled after him, then raced to catch up.
As they hurried to the library, Twilight noticed a small crowd had collected around the Toyshop. The ponies looked on fearfully, wondering what could produce the sounds resonating from within the building. She stopped short, planting her hooves in the dirt and skidding to a stop.
The Doctor noticed this, and stopped as well. “What is it, Twilight?” he asked.
“What about those ponies? What if they go inside?”
“Oh yes! Right!” The Doctor ran past Twilight towards the growing crowd.
“Wait! Doctor!” Twilight yelled.
The Doctor stepped into the middle of the crowd, holding up a hoof. “Attention, ladies and gentlemen!”
There was some confused muttering from the collection of ponies.
The Doctor sighed. “Fillies, and Gentlecolts....” he corrected.
Everyone gave him their full attention.
“Really?” He said under his breath. “Anyhoof, nothing to be worried about! Just a test of the.......new summer toy line!”
“New summer toy line!?” said a voice from the crowd. There was a roar from inside the shop. The ponies backed up several feet. “I’ve never heard a toy that sounded like that!”
“Who are you anyway?” said a blue Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane. She flew up and pressed her nose against the Doctor’s. “What’s going on in there?”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled, catching up with the Doctor in the crowd.
“Twilight?” Rainbow turned around to see the purple unicorn panting and out of breath in the crowd. “You know this weirdo?”
“Yes, she does, thank you very much.” Said the Doctor. “I am the Do-”
“Clockwork!” Twilight interjected. “His name is Clockwork, and yes, I know him.”
“Clockwork? What kind of name is that?” Rainbow landed next to the purple unicorn, still eyeing the Doctor warily.
“He’s....um....from Hoofiny, you know, they love clocks over there!” Twilight said hurriedly. “I thought he was from Hoofdale?” Rarity walked through the crowd. Twilight faltered slightly. “Rarity! Um...yes...he’s from-” “Both! The Doctor interjected. “My family hails from....Hoofiny,” he cringed slightly. “but I emigrated to Hoofdale a while back. Changed my name and everything.” “Really! You never told me that!” Rarity’s eyes lit up. “A foreigner, how exotic!” her eyelashes fluttered slightly. “Um...yes....quite.” The Doctor took a step back. “What did your name used to be?” asked Rainbow Dash. “John Smith.” The two ponies paused. “Wow, Hoofin names are strange.” A roar from inside the toyshop ended the conversation. The crowd back further away as building as it rattled in shook. “Okay, I don’t care where he’s from, that is not a ‘new toy line.’” Rainbow flew towards the shop. “I’m going to check it out.” “No!” Twilight hopped in front of the Pegasus. “Move, Twilight, I have to know what’s going on in there!” “It’s the summer line of toys, really!” Twilight groaned as the Pegasus tried to push past her. “Nothing at all to worry about.”
“Are you hiding something, Twilight?”
“What! No! It’s just that toy making is dangerous, you could get hurt!”
“It’s true you know.” said Pinkie Everypony turned to find Pinkie pie sitting in the crowd She looked over at the Doctor and shot him a wink. “What do you mean, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash drifted over “The new toy line, silly!” Pinkie did a little jump. “Mr. Tinker is making Screaming Mimi’s.” There was silence. “He put in too much scream, not enough Mimi. Duh.” There was a mummer of agreement from the crowd, they began to disperse. The Doctor walked over to the pink earth pony.
“Pinkie my dear you are wonderful!”
“I know.”
Rainbow Dash and Rarity stood, looking in wonderment at the leaving ponies. “Fine, whatever Twilight. We’ll catch you later” Said Rainbow. They quickly got back to dancing and singing around festival.
“Pinkie, can you make sure that no one enters this place?” Twilight whispered. “The Doctor and I have to take care of something right now.”
“Okey dokey lemon smoky!” Pinkie yelled happily.
“Does that mean yes?” Asked the Doctor.
“Yes, that means yes.”
“Good, then come on, we’ve wasted enough time here!” The Doctor raced off. “There’s no time to lose!”
“Coming!” Twilight turned to Pinkie. “Now, no one must enter this building, it is of the up most importance. But, if something comes out, I want you to run, run fast, warn everyone. Got it?”
“You can count on me!” Pinkie did a salute.
“Good” Twilight hugged the pink earth pony. “Thank you.”
Then she was off the catch up with the Doctor.
She raced down the steps into the library basement, she could hear the sounds of the Doctor mumbling to himself as she descended.
“I can get you working, I’m sure of it.” He said. “Well, technically I already have done, but how did I do it?”
She walked in to find the Doctor twisting knobs, and pressing buttons all over the TARDIS. Trying to get the machine to do whatever it was he was planning.
“Doctor, any luck?” she asked.
“Not a lick.” he said crossly. “Not even a nibble, not even nugget.”
“What are you trying to do anyway?”
“Well, the way I see it is, until I’ve solved Fluttershy’s problem, whatever it may be,” he grunted as he pulled a stubborn lever. “we remain at a point in time at which I am a small paradox, this universe doesn’t like even the smallest wrinkles in the fabric of reality, so it is tying to remedy the situation.” The Doctor disappeared down a hatch in the floor.
“Yes, I know that, what do you plan to do about it?”
“I have to figure out what’s wrong, while staying relative to the causal nexus.” he popped back up with a cord in his mouth. “Mould mou mhelh meh wihp mish?”
“Um...sure.” Twilight went over and helped drag the lengthy cord out to the control panel. Where the Doctor connected it into one of the many jacks. “But what do you mean?”
“I mean, I have to be very careful to accomplish things in the order in which I did them. I have to preserve that moment in time where I found it necessary to go back in time, crash into various things, and alert myself to my own problem.” “Won’t that still be a paradox?” “No, not exactly, that’s just highly unlikely. It’s only a paradox if I make it so the trip back in time, that alerted me to the fact I needed to go back in time, doesn’t occur.” He flipped a few more switches. “Are you following?” “Hardly.” “Don’t worry, you’re doing well for your second time out.” he ran over to a monitor in front of the control panel. “Basically, if I accomplish that, the vortex will snap shut on itself, taking the Reaper with it.” he beat a hoof against the side of the screen. “But none of that will happen, if I can’t get her to fly!” Suddenly, in the very back of her head, Twilight had an idea. “Doctor......have you checked that thing over there?” she pointed to a grate in the floor. “What!?” the Doctor spun around. “Why?” “I’m not sure, it just seems like you should have.” The Doctor hopped down from the main controls. “I have not checked over there. I have been flying this machine for several life times, and in that time, it has broken down more times than there are planets in this sector of the universe. There has never once, been a problem, ‘Over there’” “And you can’t fix this problem?” Asked Twilight raising an eyebrow. “Well...not right now bu-” “Then you haven’t seen this issue before?” “Well..no bu-.” “Then wouldn’t make sense to check the one place there’s never been a problem before now?” The Doctor was silent for a minute. “Fine.” he picked up his sonic screwdriver and had the grate off in a few seconds. His head disappeared into the hole. There was a little click, and suddenly the TARDIS began to hum. The Doctor’s head slowly came out of the grate, he stared at Twilight for a long time, with eyes that looked extremely old. “How did you know that, Twilight?” he said slowly. “I don’t know....just a lucky guess I suppose...” He stared at her for a while longer. “Yeah...just a lucky guess.” He clopped a hoof against the floor. “Well, in any case, we’re in business!” he hopped back up to the controls. “Now, all we have to do is go somewhere, and let history play out as it’s supposed to. Then we’re in the clear! Easy!” The TARDIS lurched to the left, tossing Twilight and the Doctor against the opposite wall. “What are you doing!?” Twilight yelled as the noise from the console grew louder. “I’m not doing anything!” The Doctor dragged himself up, shakily making his way to the monitor. “It started all on its own!” Numbers and symbols flashed wildly across the screen in a jumbled mess. “We’re heading into the future!” “The future?!” “”Yes, ten.....thirty...forty...what!?” The Doctor yelled out loud.
Suddenly the shaking stopped.
“Where are we?” Asked Twilight softly, rubbing her head.
“According to this....fifty years in your future, Twilight Sparkle.”
“My....future?” Twilight said slowly.
“Yes, right out that door.”
The two were silent for a moment.
“Do you have any idea what we’ll find out there?”
“New universe, no idea.”
“So it might be dangerous?”
“Might not.”
“We don’t know.”
“Do you want to stay in here?”
Twilight paused. “No.”
The Doctor smiled. “Good.” he walked over to the door. “Onwards and upwards, Ms.Sparkle.”
The TARDIS doors swung open with a slow creak. The Doctor and Twilight peeked out, it was pitch black, there was a smell of damp age that lingered, and made the air thick and heavy.
“Where are we?” asked Twilight.
The Doctor ducked back into the TARDIS, grabbing his coat. “We’re still in the library basement, we’ve moved in time, but not space.” He reached his head into his pocket, popping out with the sonic screwdriver.
“But it seems like no one’s been here in years.” Twilight looked around into the darkness.
“A very likely possibility.” The doctor said around the small tool. “A lot can change in fifty years, Twilight.” he pressed the button on it’s handle, with a ringing sound it sent a small beam of light into the dark.
Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, worktables sat in various stages of decay, half opened books lay open atop them and in piles at various intervals along the floor. Cobwebs hung from everything making patterns against the wall as the light hit them.
“I’d say it’s less a few years, and more a few decades.” the Doctor remarked. He returned the screwdriver to his pocket. He walked over to one of the worktables, running his hoof across the surface, he inspected it, then gave it a lick. “About forty years is a good estimate.”
“Yuck....” Twilight said under her breath.
“Did you say something?” The Doctor raced off before she could answer. “Ah! The stairs, shall we go?”
Twilight hesitated. “Are you sure about this, Doctor?
“Are you?” He asked raising an eyebrow.
“No. I’m not.”
“Good, never be sure about anything, that’s what gets you in trouble.”
“For what?”
“For being sure you wouldn’t get into trouble in the first place.” he hopped up the stairs. “Onwards and upwards Ms.Sparkle!”
She sighed resignedly, and followed him up the stairs.
They climbed through the dark for a while, the Doctor taking the brunt of the cobwebs for having gone in front. Motes of dust floated up around their hooves as they made their way upwards, the old stairs creaked and groaned under their weight. In places Twilight was unsure they were stable, but nonetheless they held.
“Ouch!” the Doctor yelped as they reached the top. He stopped abruptly, Twilight to bumped into him in the dark.
“What is it!?” She said.
“Well,” the Doctor rubbed his forehead with a hoof. “if my skills of deduction haven’t failed me, It appears to be a ceiling.”
“A ceiling? Where’s the door!?”
“One of your many, very good questions.” said the Doctor, grabbing the sonic screwdriver from his pocket. “It appears to be tile, so I should be able to loosen it just enough to...” there was a scrapping sound. “There!” he pushed upwards and the large stone tile popped loose, light spilled down into the stairwell. “Ladies first.” the Doctor ushered Twilight forwards.
She gulped. “Nothing ventured nothing gained.” she stepped forwards, and peeked her head out into the the library.
The first thing that struck her was the size. The library ceiling reached up for several stories into a glass dome, surrounded by the foliage of the large oak in which it was housed. Bookshelves stretched off in all directions, filled to the brim with tomes of all sizes and shapes, they whizzed and fluttered through the air, much like butterflies, re-shelving and organizing themselves faster than Twilight could track. Ponies milled about everywhere, many of whom she did not recognize. The majority of them wore a small wooden box around their necks, from what she could see it was intricately carved with symbols she could not decipher. Each was slightly different from the next, there was a small opening in the front with a glass cover, from which emanated a slight glow. She wondered the reason for the strange boxes before the Doctor shook her from her thoughts.
“Haha! Wow! See what you lot can accomplish in fifty short years?! Amazing!” he hopped out and spun with a flourish. “Smell that, Twilight? Progress! Wonderful!”
Twilight climbed shyly out of the hole. The Doctor remained completely oblivious to the fact everypony in the library was now staring at them. She tapped him on the shoulder.
“Doctor, we’re in a library, shhhhhhhh!!”
“What’s that Twilight, speak up!” he said loudly.
The Doctor jumped slightly at the torrent of shushing that followed.
“Well fine, excuse me for being excited.” he said quietly. “Come along, Twilight, why don’t we take a look at things?” He set off in a random direction. Twilight hastily followed.
They earned a few odd stares from passing ponies, wary of the newcomers who came from the ground. Though they did not voice any objections they may have had. The library was deathly quiet.
“Doctor, are you sure it’s safe here?” asked Twilight.
“What did I say about being sure? In anycase, just walk like you own the place, most of the time, no one questions you.”
“If you say so.” Twilight gazed around the building. It had not only gotten bigger in her absence. Where the floors and walls were once wood, tile and metal now dominated the architecture. “Doctor, what do you think has happened since we left?”
“You’re on fire with good questions today Twilight.” the Doctor remarked. “Let’s find out.” The Doctor darted off down a hallway.
“Wait! I-” Twilight was cut short by shushing ponies. “Sorry...” she said sheepishly. She dashed off after the Doctor.
“You there!” he said walking up to a red unicorn, her mane was white and somewhat unkempt, she stared at him rather blankly.
“Yes?” she asked.
Twilight caught up with them. “Doctor! Don’t run o-”
“Oh yes you’re right! How rude of me!” The Doctor interrupted. He turned back to the red unicorn. “I’m the Doctor, and this is my companion, might I ask you some questions?”
“Hello, I’m Lore, I’m the daytime librarian, I know every book in this place, ask away...Doctor.” said Lore, frowning slightly at the name.
“Wonderful! First, to test a theory. Do you happen to know the date?”
“June 20th.” she rattled off automatically.
“Good, good” The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “And the year?”
“The year?”
“Yes, the year, just, you know, to test my theory.”
“Well, last I checked it was thirty eight.” She turned and walked towards a nearby shelf. “What was this ‘Theory’ of yours anyway? Are you a scientist?” she asked, sending several books flapping to their appropriate shelves.
“Of sorts,” he said. “It’s really nothing, just a small idea concerning the calibration of certain temporal eleme-” The Doctor paused. “Did you say thirty eight? “ “Yes, it’s Spring, June 20th, 38.” she walked further down the hall, re-shelving books as she went.
The Doctor and Twilight followed.
“Wait, by my calculations it should be 1050!” The Doctor said walking up to look her in the eye.
“Oh, you’re not from around here, are you? Are you from the colonies? I’ve always wanted to go to the colonies.”
It was Twilight’s turn to speak. “Colonies!? What do you mean colonies!?”
Lore looked at Twilight. “Oh, hello, I’m Lore.” she smiled
“Yes, hello Lore, it’s very nice to meet you.” Twilight said hurriedly. “What this about colonies?”
“The Equestrian colonies, of course!” Several books floated from shelves around the library. “Here, there’s one in Equinopia,” a heavy tome landed on Twilight’s back. “Hoffiny, Lassonon, Clydesland, and...well...everywehre!”
Twilight strained under the weight of the books. “B-but why!?”
“Well,” she leaned in close to Twilight. “I personally don’t like the idea, but according to paragraph five of the third section, line 23, subsection 4 in the Way of Equestria, it is to spread our knowledge and beauty throughout the world.” She shrugged. “Everypony knows that.”
“I’m not everypony!” yelled Twilight. “Why would the Princess do such a thing!?”
“The Princess?” Lore made her way down the hall again. “Oh!? You mean Celestia? Really, where have you been?
“What do you mean?”
“Celestia hasn’t been in power for more than forty years now.”
Twilight froze mid-step. “Then who....”
“Lore!” called the Doctor.
“Yes?”
Twilight noticed the Doctor had stopped following them. He sat a few feet back staring out of a large window.
“Lore,” the Doctor said carefully. “you said you were the daytime librarian, correct?”
“Yep, that’s me, professor.”
“Doctor.” he corrected. “Well, Ms.Lore, if you’re the daytime librarian....then why is it dark outside?”
Twilight looked out the window. It was dim, but not completely dark, the sky was a deep blue, there was no moon or sun to speak of. There was a street leading into the shopping district, along it lights hovered in midair, illuminating ponies of all shapes and sizes milling about, going into to shops, laughing as though it was the middle of the day.
“Maybe it’s just really early in the morning.” Twilight said hopefully.
“Early!?” said Lore, “It’s three in the afternoon!” do you live underground or something? It’s always been like this”
“It’s twilight.” said the Doctor quietly.
“What’s me?”
“Not Twilight as in Twilight the pony, twilight as in the time when the moon is setting and the sun is rising.” He turned to look at the purple unicorn. “It’s an eternal twilight.”
“Of course it is!” Said Lore shelving a few more books. “It’s been like that since year one. Seriously, where are you from? Even the colonist know that.”
Twilight stood in stunned silence. The Doctor took over.
“Oh, us? You were right earlier, we do live underground! Yep, ground ponies, that’s us, we don’t get out much! We just decided to come to your lovely library! We’ve heard a lot about it.” He swung his hoof around. “It’s really....big!” “Oh, thank you!” Lore replied. “I’ve never met ground ponies before.”
“Like I said, we don’t get out much.” He nudged Twilight, who was still staring out the window. “In anycase, we’re rather uneducated underground. Really, our history classes are terrible. Last I heard, ape descendants ruled the planet’s surface, watching things called sitcoms and googling one another.”
Lore looked terrified.
“But of course, I know now that that’s just silly.” The Doctor smiled. “But if you could point us poor ground folks to some of the....highlights of....oh say the last fifty years, we would be most appreciative.
“Oh of course, you poor things! Follow me, the Hall of History should get you up to speed.” Lore paused. “Is she alright?”
Twilight’s mouth hung open, she was still at the window, staring off into space.
“Oh she’s fine, just a bit overwhelmed, normally the only living things she sees are earthworms. Overstimulated, the poor dear.” He gave her a little shove. “Twili-...er.... I mean, Digger, come along now.”
Twilight snapped out of her stupor. “What? Who’s Digger?” she asked blearily.
“You are silly!” The Doctor said quickly.
“No, my name’s Twili-”
“Haha!” he put a hoof to her mouth, leaning over to Lore. “Too much rock dust, not good for the head. Isn’t that right, Digger?” he shot Twilight a meaningful look.
She nodded, and the Doctor removed his hoof.
“Now, what were you saying about this hall of history?”
“Oh, it’s right this way!” Said Lore, turning on her hoofs. “Follow me!”
The three of them set off towards the front of the library. Twilight and the Doctor fell back out of hearing distance.
“Digger? Doctor, I thought you had my name down by this point. And what is going on around here?” Twilight whispered.
“I called you that because, if my suspicions are correct, we’re going to find out what’s going on here, and you’re not going to like it.”
“I’ve already worked it out I think.” Said Twilight worriedly. “Oh....well, I’m sorry, Twilight.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve defeated Night Mare Moon before, we can do it again.”
“It might not be so bad, being a dictato-” the Doctor paused. “Who’s Night Mare Moon?”
“The mare responsible for all this of course! She’s Celestia’s sister, she was in charge of the moon. That is, up until she became too jealous of he sister’s power. She tried to bring eternal night to Equestria, and for it she was trapped in the moon for a thousand years. She got out earlier this year, a bit before you arrived. The others and I defeated her, but she’s the only pony I know who could do something like this.”
The Doctor stared at her for a while. “I see I’m not the only one with busy weekends. But, Twilight, I’m sorry to say I have a different theory. And I really am sorry, so very very sorry.”
“Why? What are you talking about?”
“We’re here!” called Lore cheerfully as they arrived at the the door to the large ornate hallway. “The Hall of History! And of course first up we have a picture of our kind and gentle ruler,” she pointed to the opposite wall with a flourish. “Queen Twilight!”
On the wall hung a large painting of a purple pony, with both the wings of a Pegasus, and the horns of a Unicorn. She wore an lavish dress, covered in runes and gems, she looked out at the trio with the same purple eyes Twilight had, except these were much deeper, much older, and much much darker.
“Excuse us for moment, Lore.” said the Doctor, “It seems this....great painting of our apparent monarch is a bit too much for poor Digger.” he pointed to the unicorn, who was staring up with what could only be described as an expression of either pure horror, or massive amazement. “Let me take her out to get some air before we continue our tour.”
“I completely understand.” said Lore. “Go right ahead.”
The Doctor nudged the shocked unicorn out into lobby.
“D-doctor......” she whispered slowly.
“Yes, Twilight?”
“That can’t be me can it?”
“I’m afraid it can.”
“But I’m right here! How could I be around to grow up into...this?”
“Time is not linear, Twilight,” the Doctor explained. “I took you here, to the future, on accident, but that doesn’t mean you disappeared from the timestream until we reached this destination. I take you back home at some point, then, in around ten years or so, you decide that this country isn’t dictator-y enough and install yourself as monarch. Next thing you know, there’s never a day or night, and everyone’s eating breakfast for eternity.”
“But I would never do that!!” Twilight yelled. Both she and the Doctor jumped slightly as they were shushed from all sides. “I mean,” Twilight whispered . “the most I ever wanted to do was read my books, and study magic. I would never do....this! Colonies? Eternal twilight? This is madness. I wouldn’t...”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Said the Doctor. “I’m a way better judge of character than that.”
“Doctor!”
“Fine.” he leaned in close, looking into Twilight’s eyes. His own, old blue one’s darted around quickly, looking for something. “I’ve seen darkness Twilight, I’ve seen more of it than you, or I for that matter, would care to believe. I know how it sits inside, makes a person hard and cold. The eyes are how you can tell, they become deep, dark eyes, the kind of eyes that freeze with a look, and set terrible things in motion. The kind of eyes that have seen the worst of the world, and barely flinched. The kind of eyes I’ve seen too many times, Twilight Sparkle, and I can tell you, that your eyes, are nothing like the ones in that painting back there. Something must have happened between now and then, something terrible, something to give you those dark eyes, and I intend to find out what it was.”
“How are you going to do that?” Twilight asked.
“Well, a tour’s a good place to start!” The Doctor did a little spin and headed back to the Hall of History. “Lore, Digger’s feeling much better now! Onwards and upwards!”
The three set off once again, down the opulent hallway. Twilight paused at the painting of what was apparently to become her. She looked into it’s eyes, and vaguely, just for a second, she thought they looked like the Doctor’s.
She quickly banished the thought and raced to catch up.
“I’ll start from the beginning.” said Lore, pointing to a large tapestry that hung on the wall. “This is the story of Twilight, and how she rose to power.” she pointed to a large white pony. “Around fifty years ago the princess of the sun, Celestia, was the ruler of all of equestria. She was in charge of both the sun and the moon, and had at that time been so for a little over a thousand years. But, around the year 1005 C.R -Celestia’s Reign- she began to act strangely.” She dragged her hoof over to a smaller, purple pony. “Twilight, being her student at the time, was the first to notice. Celestia started making irrational decisions, leaving the sun up longer than usual, and sometimes refusing to let it set at all. She had lanterns put up around her quarters every few feet, and the castle covered in lights. She would never tell anypony why. Her subjects began to fear she had gone mad. Her sister, princess Luna, stepped up to help her ailing sister and made sure the night came when it was due while her sister stayed inside, apparently terrified of the dark. But soon she too began to act erratic. Full moons when there should have been none, talking to herself and refusing to be alone at night. The fear of the public grew steadily more with each passing day. And in time, Luna too moved into the Lantern covered castle. So, in 1012 C.R Twilight convinced the two of them to give some of their power to her, so that she could take some of the burden. They agreed, and it became her job to make sure the two celestial bodies ran on time. Over time Twilight took on more and more of the royal responsibilities, as Celestia and Luna began to degrade further. It was soon after that, in the year 1 T.R, that the two sisters became completely shut inside the castle. Never leaving the light of the lanterns they had come to see as the only things that mattered.Too terrified to leave, and no longer sensible enough to rule, Twilight had no choice but to use a spell to take their powers away before they could do any harm. Thus installing herself as Queen of Equestira, as it has been for almost forty years now.” She looked at the Doctor and Twilight expectantly. “Any questions?”
Twilight was silent.
“What about the eternal twilight?” asked the Doctor. “When did that happen?”
“Oh!” Lore slapped her forehead with a hoof. “Of course! I forgot that part of the story. That’s embarrassing, normally I’ve got stuff like that memorized, I’ve got half the library up here you know. I’m not daytime librarian for nothing!”
“Yes....” said the Doctor patiently. “Now about the twilight?”
“Oh, of course.” said Lore, getting back on track. “That happened when Twilight took away the powers of the previous rulers. Nopony is quite sure why, but after that the sun and the moon were struck still. They haven’t moved since that day, placing Equestira in a state between day and night.”
“Twilight...” The Doctor said softly.
“Now you’re getting it!” Lore said happily. “Now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to work. Nice to meet you, Doctor, Digger.” she gave them a little nod, and vanished among the books.
The Doctor looked back at Twilight. “Well, now we know what happened at least. Now, do you perhaps know wh-” he stopped when he noticed she was crying. “Oh....” he said. For a while he wasn’t sure how to proceed. He listened to her sob for a while, then sidled closer. “Twilight?....I’m really quite sorry..” he began
She cut him off, grabbing him in a hug and crying into his shoulder. For a moment, he was taken aback. Unsure what to do, he put his hoof on her back.
“It’ll be alright, Twilight. I promise you that. It’ll be alright.”
“This is an awesome party, Carrot!!” Called a mauve earth pony around her braces, over the loud music of the dance hall. Lights flashed on and off around them as lasers arched through the air. She wore a checkered handkerchief, and several glow rings around her neck and hooves, they jangled and shook as she danced.
“Yeah! I know, it’s totally tubular!” replied Carrot, a yellow pony with a orange mane. “These are some pretty fly beats!”
The pair bopped and jammed along to the music, dancing and bumping into other ponies on the crowded dance floor as they went.
The music cut out abruptly.
“What? Hey! Who cut the tunes?”
There was a strange sound humming over the complaints and whinnies of the dancers. A sound somewhat like a key being dragged across some piano wire.
“What’s that noi-” Carrot was interrupted as a large blue box hurtled through the opposite wall. Ponies scattered as chunks of plaster went flying in all directions, the box toppled several of the large speakers in corner, which landed with tremendous crash on the dancefloor. The DJ leapt to safety before it went careening into the turntables, throwing up sparks as the machinery hissed and spat. The box finally landed in the middle of the floor. Slowly, several ponies peaked their heads out from their hiding places.
“What in the hay!?” Carrot said from behind an overturned speaker. “Are you seeing this?” he turned to find his dancing partner wasn’t there. She was in front of the blue box, dumbstruck.
He was about to call out to her when the doors to the box swung open. A brown stallion poked his head out.
“What time is I-”. He paused looking the mauve pony up and down. “......What are you wearing?”
“I-”
“And what are those things on your teeth!?”
“Braces, but I-”
“Braces!? Now why would a equine need braces!?”
The pony was getting annoyed. “To keep my teeth straight you square!”
“Square?” the stallion put a hoof to his chin, thinking for a moment. “Let’s see, overly loud clothing, bright flashing lights, obnoxious music, period lingo...” His eyes shot wide open. “Oh for peat sakes no! It can’t be. Really!? I mean, honestly!?” He tossed his hooves in the air.
“What’s your dish, lame brain?”
“Must every universe have an eighties!?” He cried, exasperated. “Even one populated by by pastel miniature horses!? I mean they got it wrong the first time, why do it again!?”
“What are you yakking about?”
“Hmm?” he looked at her blankly for a moment. “Oh, nothing, in any case, it seems I’ve really overshot my landing. But out of curiosity, could you tell me the year?”
“The year? You must have gone to some wicked party bro.” she sized him up. “It’s 985.”
“I knew it!” he yelled. “I just knew it! Even the numbers correlate. Astounding! ” He vanished back inside the blue box mumbling to himself about the logistics of pony parachute pants. The doors shut behind him and the box began to glow.
The mauve pony turned to run away. Suddenly the glowing stopped, and the doors swung open again.
“Sorry, before I go, I’m the Doctor, and you?”
“Cheerilee.” she said quickly. Then joined Carrot behind the overturned speaker.
The Doctor popped back into the blue box. The sound started up again, and slowly it disappeared into thin air.
There was silence in the dance hall for a while as everypony slowly came out of their hiding places.
“Wow....that was wicked loose.” Carrot whispered.
38, T.R
Twilight dried her eyes as followed the Doctor, looking for a way out of the large library.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked softly. “I can send you home if you want. You don’t have to be here for this.”
“No.” she replied. “I want to know what’s going on here, no way I’m leaving this alone. I just can’t understand what’s happening. What would make the princesses so fearful? Why would I do this? Taking powers? Building colonies? I can’t even imagine....and in the painting... my eyes are so terrible...”
The Doctor was silent for a moment as they walked. They made their way around bookshelves and displays, most of which, Twilight noticed, incorporated purple in some way.
Eventually the Doctor spoke.
“If you’re going to stay, and note, that you still don’t have too. then we need information. If you’re anything like I suspect, books will be of little use. Probably censored of anything useful. If we’re going to get to the heart of this, we need to hear things straight from the horse’s mouth.”
He noticed Twilight’s expression.
“Oh, you know what I mean! Either way we need to be a lot faster than this!” he hopped forward, landing in front of a rather startled earth pony. Twilight noted that he wore the same wooden box a lot of ponies seemed to wear. “You, sir!” his head dipped into his pocket, returning with a wallet. He flashed it in front of the stallions face, then quickly returned it. “Random survey!” “What?”
“That’s what intend to find out! What do you think?”
“Huh?”
“We’re getting nowhere fast, sir.” The Doctor walked around the blue earth pony, assessing him. “Quick, what’s your name.”
“Uh, it’s Peanut, mister.”
The Doctor made a choking sound, but quickly stifled it. “Um...Good name...and your last name?”
“Butter.”
The Doctor paused for moment. He was about to say something, but Twilight shot him a warning glance. He held his tongue and continued “Okay....Peanut Butter, how are you enjoying life under the Queen?”
“Under Queen Twilight?” he looked apprehensive. “Well, things are good....She certainly put a lot of work into the library at least.”
“Yes, it’s quite big isn’t it?” the Doctor replied. “But what about you? You personally. Any troubles, Mr.Butter? Anything you’d change if you could?”
“Um....” his eyes shifted nervously. “No, nothing really, everything’s great! She’s made the town is more prosperous than ever! Yep....wouldn’t change a thing!”
The Doctor took a step closer. “Really Mr.Butter? Nothing at all? Because I think there’s something you would change. I think you’re hiding something.”
“No! Certainly not, sir!” said Peanut Butter, flustered.
“What do you do for a living Mr.Butter?”
“I-I make sandwiches, at a shop just down the road.”
“Hmm, sandwiches, yes,” The Doctor glared at the poor stallion. “and, are you sure, that there’s nothing you would change, so that you could do your job better?”
“Well....I suppose...” Peanut butter started tentatively.
“Suppose what?”
“Well I...it’s just that I sort of....”
“Go on.”
“Well when I first opened the shop...”
“Out with it man!”
“I miss real ingredients!!” Peanut Butter yelled. They all had become acclimated to being in the library, so the resulting shushes were hardly noticed.
“Ah,” said the Doctor. “Care to elaborate on that?
“Well...I miss real bread, and tomatoes and lettuce. Since this darkness settled in, nothing grows. No plants, no wheat for the bread, no seeds for the mustard, no vegetables for the toppings. I have to use magically replicated ingredients.”
“Magically replicated?” Twilight chimed in.
“Yes, and it just doesn’t taste the same.” Peanut Butter grimaced, growing bolder. “There’s an aftertaste of magic to everything. You know, like the flavor of burnt almonds.”
“I think what my companion means is,” the Doctor interrupted “what kind of process does one go through to get magically replicated ingredients?”
Peanut Butter raised an eyebrow. “You just cast a spell depending on what you want of course. Like with everything else.”
“Oh, so you’ve got a unicorn in the shop?” asked Twilight.
“Hmm? Oh, you mean Pumpernickel? Yeah, he works for me, but he couldn’t cast anything to save his life.” Peanut Butter pumped his chest out proudly. “I make all my ingredients myself, even if we don’t have the genuine article anymore.”
“You do? But you’re an earth pony! You shouldn’t be able to use magic!”
Peanut Butter sized up the purple unicorn, raising an eyebrow. “Are you one of those Cloppish folk?” he asked. “Always with this ‘Earth ponies shouldn’t do spells junk. I’ll tell you now, you ain’t converting me!”
The Doctor interjected. “What we mean to say is could you show us a demonstration of how you go about making your ingredients?”
Peanut Butter relaxed slightly. “Oh, well if that’s what you wanted, all you had to do was ask!” He smiled. “Follow me, magic isn’t allowed in the main building, the study rooms are this way!” He marched off proudly. The Doctor and Twilight followed closely behind.
A Pegasus climbed out from behind a nearby bookshelf, watching the three ponies leave. He quickly flew behind a stairwell, and spoke softly into the box around his neck.
“You were right mam,” he began. “It is her, we’re sending them in.”
He turned quickly, and flew off into the dark corners of the library.
“Here we are!” Said Peanut Butter, opening the large oak door to the study room. It was a small area made of thick granite stone, in places the walls were charred and burnt. The smell of magic emanated strongly from inside, a sweet nutty odor.
The Doctor hopped inside. “Okay Mr. Butter, show us your sandwich making prowess” He sat on his haunches and waited expectantly. “Come along, Digger, I think this will be fascinating!” Twilight joined him and waited for Peanut Butter to begin.
“Okay, then, I’ll give you the full run down!” He said proudly. “First, I picture the ingredient I want. For the sake of showmanship I’ll go ahead and make a whole sandwich. What kind would you like?”
Twilight thought for a moment. “Anything is fine I supp-”
“Chocolate covered daises with custard!” yelled the Doctor.
Peanut Butter stared at the brown earth pony. “Um...How about we do PB&J, it’s my specialty.” he grinned nervously.
“Well, you did ask.” said the Doctor.
“Okay, first thing we need is my favorite ingredient! Peanut butter!” he laughed at his ownjoke.
The Doctor and Twilight were silent.
“Er...well...yes, on with it then.” he closed his eyes and concentrated. “I need to focus on the ingredient, remember everything about it. How it tastes, it’s texture, it’s appearance, everything.” he strained.
Slowly, a glow began shine from inside box around his neck, growing brighter through the small hole in the front. It was green, and sparkled in the light, concentrating into a beam of energy . The glow grew brighter and brighter, until the Doctor and Twilight had to shield their eyes. It arched and crackled as the beam grew larger and larger. Peanut Butter strained and grunted in concentration as the sound grew to a crescendo . Then, in a flash of light, everything stopped.
A small jar of peanut butter landed on the floor with a click.
Peanut Butter panted a bit, exhausted. “Okay,” he wheezed. “I might have put a bit more into that than than I should have. But that’s basically how it’s done. I’ll be less showy with the rest of it.”
Several short flashes of light later a jar a jelly and a loaf a bread sat on the floor next to the peanut butter. A knife popped up next to Peanut Butter’s head and expertly cut the bread, and rationed out the ingredients. Two perfectly made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches landed in font of the Doctor and a stunned Twilight.
“There you go, nothing to it!”
Twilight stared at the food, amazed. “How....how is that possible!?” she asked softly.
Peanut Butter looked puzzled. “Come now, even if you are Cloppish, you shouldn’t act to surprised. Where are you from anyway?”
The Doctor took a bite of his sandwich. “Oh, very far away, ground ponies and all that stuff, am I the only one getting déjà vu?” He smacked on the food, walking over to Peanut Butter. “I think the real question is, what is that box around your neck?”
“This?” he looked at the small device. “It’s my horn, every non-unicorn has one these days.”
“Ah, yes...your horn.” said the Doctor. “And would you happen to know how that works?”
“Well, as far as I know, it-” Peanut Butter was interrupted by a knock at the door. “That’s weird, no one uses these rooms much anymore.” he remarked.
The Doctor walked over. “Who is it?” he asked.
The knocking continued, louder. The Doctor opened the door slightly, peeking out. He quickly shut it, staring at Twilight.
“Doctor?”
“Yes, Digger?” He asked taking out the sonic screwdriver.
“Is everything alright?”
“That depends, is it normal for living stuffed ponies to be asking to use the study room?”
“No.”
“Well, I don’t want to frighten you, so I’m going to lie.” He raced over the opposite wall scanning frantically. “Yes everything is perfectly alright.”
The door flew off it’s hinges and hit the opposite wall with a bang.
A large brown stuffed hoof entered the room, followed by the large stuffed pony it was attached to. It was a good three feet taller than anypony in the room. Its stitching was loose and threads hung off at odd angles, dragging behind it in a trail along with bits of stuffing as it lurched awkwardly, the thing’s head swiveled until it’s button eyes fixated on Twilight.
“Okay, I’m a terrible liar!” The Doctor yelled. “Things are most definitely not alright!”
Peanut Butter and Twilight screamed.
The Doctor pressed the sonic screwdriver against the wall. “Quickly! Over here!” he turned around and kicked against the granite. The wall fell over, landing outside the library with a crash.
The Doctor dashed out into the dark, Twilight and Peanut Butter quickly followed, as more of the stuffed ponies filed into the room. “What are those things!?” yelled Twilight as she hit the gravel path outside galloping away from the library.
“Raggedy Mares!” Peanut Butter yelled back. “I’m starting to doubt you two are Cloppish! There’s no way I want these things after me. You guys are on your own!” He turned and veered off into the trees. He didn’t look back.
The Raggedy Mares may have looked slow, but they were quickly gaining on the pair. They ignored the Fleeing Peanut Butter. There were three of them, each running full speed, closing the gap between them faster with every second.
“What do we do?!” asked Twilight, looking back at the things closing in.
“Remember about fifty years ago when I said I was saving the running for later?” asked the Doctor.
“Yeah.”
“Well, now’s the time to stop saving! Keep running!”
“Oh, well that’s a brilliant plan!”
“Yeah I know, I surprise myself sometimes.” The Doctor panted. “Just follow my lead!” He quickly swerved towards the shopping district.
Twilight followed. The Raggedy Mares kept running straight, the one in front caught on quickly and stopped, the other two bumping into it, their fabric stretching and sagging grossly as they lurched and shook, trying to disentangle themselves.
The Doctor galloped into a crowd of ponies, profusely apologizing as shopping bags and trinkets went flying, Twilight dodging them as she followed in his wake. The Raggedy mares weren’t stopped for long, and resumed their pursuit. The crowd panicked and dispersed in all directions as they saw the things coming. Chaos ensued, halting their progress.
“This way!” The Doctor called, dashing down an alleyway.
The two ran down the narrow path until they came to a dead end.
“Oh no!” Twilight yelled. Stopping short before she hit the wall.
“Don’t panic.” Said the Doctor softly. “It’s all part of the plan.” He walked over to a nearby dumpster and levered it open. He looked knowingly at Twilight.
It dawned on her what he wanted her to do. “Oh no.”
“Oh yes.”
“And there’s no other way?”
“Well we can see if we can outrun the creepy stuffed horses if you like.”
she sighed. “Oh alright.” she held her breath, and walked forwards.
The Raggedy mares peered down the alleyway, their button eyes searching for any sign of life. They shuffled forward in their odd limping manner. Nosing along walls, and scanning through the dark.
Twilight’s heart skipped a beat as one nosed around the lid of the dumpster. She squeezed her eyes shut and quietly willed the thing to go away. It stayed for several minutes, and for a tense moment she thought they would be caught. She could feel the Doctor nearby, his hearts beating as calmly as ever. She had the feeling this wasn’t the first time he’d hidden from monsters.
The thing eventually moved away. They waiting in silence for a while until the shuffling stopped.
“Do you think they’re gone?” Twilight whispered.
“Only one way to find out.” The Doctor slowly opened the lid of the dumpster. Peering out into the gloom. Seeing the coast was clear he opened it the rest of the way. “Yeah, they’re gone.” he said calmly. “You can come out.”
Twilight poked her head out of the garbage, taking a deep breath of the clean air. She turned to the Doctor, and couldn’t help but laugh.
“What is it?” he asked puzzled.
“You’ve got something on your head.”
He looked up to find a banana peel sitting there. “Oh.” he shook it off.
Twilight’s giggling subsided. She sighed. “What do we do now?”
“Yet another very go-” he paused.
“Doctor?”
The shove took her by surprise, the Doctor pushed her out of the way as the Raggedy mare reached out. She fell hard onto the ground, she could only look up as the thing grabbed the Doctor and dragged him into it’s fabric. He didn’t struggle. Just looked down and said.
“I’ll meet you outside the castle, don’t be late, it’s not polite.”
The seams on the front of the Raggedy mare opened up, and he was lost inside. They locked back in place as it got up from it’s hiding place behind the dumpster, and the thing was off before she had time to register what happened.
“Doctor?...” she said in disbelief.
The other Raggedy Mares came out of the shadows and walked towards her. She was backed against the wall. She looked around panicked.
“Doctor!!”
As the Raggedy Mares reached out to take her, she curled up, and closed her eyes. Just as they were about to grab her. There was a streak of rainbow.
The stuffed hoof closed around nothing.
Twilight Sparkle was gone, the rainbow streak racing out of the alleyway, and into the gloom.
Pinkie Pie sat in front of the toy shop, examining a firefly closely, it had been a little while since Twilight and the Doctor had run off.
“What’s taking them so long?” she wondered to herself over the loud crashes, bangs and occasional unearthly wail from inside the shop. But she was quickly distracted as a second firefly joined the first.
“Ooooh.” she whispered.
980 C.R
A small blue unicorn sat on a tree stump on the outskirts of the Everfree Forrest. A small wooden wagon sat nearby filled with a small amount of food, some flowers and a starry blue blanket. She noticed it was getting dark and, sobbing softly, she took the wagon handle in her mouth and ventured into the forest. The trees were thick, and even though it was only sunset it was almost pitch dark only a little ways into the forest. Strange sounds emanated from the thick grass as the cold wind blew the leaves along the ground. She’d been on the run for a while, but she’d never gone this far.
“You are great, nothing can hurt you.” she whispered under her breath.
A sound echoed above the trees.
She whispered harder. Scrunching her eyes closed as she willed herself forwards.
“You are powerful, nothing can hurt you.”
The sound grew louder, like the scraping of metal against stone.
“You are great, nothing can hurt you.”
There was a boom in the sky above. A great wind overturned her wagon and sent her flying into a patch of thick grass. There was a crash as the source of the sound slammed through the thick foliage, the leaves smoldering as it cut a path to the ground. The thing crashed into the dirt, and skidded for several feet before crashing on it’s side into the trunk of a large tree, the fine dirt of the forest floor turned to glass by the sheer heat.
The blue unicorn lay huddled where she had landed, her wagon on it’s side a short way away. She lifted a hoof from her eye and looked at the object that had caused such damage. It was blue, a slightly darker shade than herself, a box apparently made of wood as far as she could tell. But she knew no wood could survive a crash like that.
She shakily got to her feet, walking over to her overturned wagon. She righted it, collected her spilled things, and returned them to their place inside. Something was missing.
She looked around frantically to find her starry blanket caught on a branch several feet off the ground. She let out a little gasp and raced over to the base of the tree, beating her hooves against it’s trunk frantically. After a while she gave up. Sitting on her haunches, she began to cry.
The doors to the box swung upwards, a brown hoof reached up and grabbed the edge. Then quickly released it, it was still red hot. There was some mumbling from within, and the hoof returned with a handkerchief and had more success.
A brown earth pony in a coat hauled himself out of the overturned box. “Drat!” he coughed. “Over did it. I shouldn’t be running her this hard.” He surveyed his surroundings. “At least it’s not a building this time, I’m getting better at this.” he looked forlornly at the box. “Still, it’ll take at least a day for her to be ready again. Darn, I don’t have time for this!” It was at this point he noticed the crying filly. “Oh,” he whispered. “Hello?”
The filly continued to sob.
He walked over slowly, and put a hoof on her shoulder. She gasped and scooted away, curling up around the base of the tree.
“No, no!” he said. “It’s quite alright! Look, I’m a funny pony in a coat!” he danced around a bit. “I’m not going to hurt you.” the earth pony took a step closer. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
She opened her eyes, and relaxed a bit. “You’re on fire.” she sniffed.
“No I’m not.” said the stallion. “I’d know if I was on fire, there’d be smoke.”
A small trail of smoke began to billow from his coat.
“Okay I’m on fire!” he quickly removed the coat, he tossed it to the ground and stomped out the flames. They both stared at the resulting mess. “If you know a pony named Rarity several years from now.” he said quietly. “Whatever you do, don’t tell her what just happened.”
The filly smiled slightly. Then looked up and resumed her crying.
“Oh come now.” the stallion sat down next to her. “What’s wrong?”
The filly sniffed again. “It’s my blanket.” she pointed up into the tree. “I can’t get it down.” “Oh is that all?” the brown pony jumped up. “Well I happen to be a world class tree climber!”
“Really?” the filly dried her eyes a little.
“Well....no...” The stallion deflated slightly. “But still, I’ll have that blanket down in no time flat!” he backed up several paces. “Just need to get a running start...and!” he galloped full speed towards the tree, taking a great leap he snagged a low hanging branch. “Eee, othing oof eht.” he mumbled.
The stallion levered himself onto a stronger branch, and made his way up the tree towards the stranded blanket, carefully choosing the strongest limbs before applying his weight. He made his way higher and higher, the filly standing against the base of the tree hopefully.
“Almost there.” The blanket was only a few feet from the stallion. He stretched out his neck, trying to grab it with his teeth.”
“Don’t get your saliva on it.” the filly complained below.
There was a crack.
“Well that can’t be good....” mumbled the earth pony.
With a snap the branch fell out from under him, and he went tumbling to the ground.
“My blanket!” the filly cried, looking up.
“No, don’t worry, I’m fine.” The earth pony slowly tried to get up. “Ow, I’m really getting too old for this.” something fell and covered his face. “Oh, I got it. Just as planned!” he shook the blanket off of his head. The filly raced over and caught it before it hit the ground.
The Doctor smiled. “You’re welcome.” he stretched the soreness from his muscles. “What’s your name?”
The filly stopped snuggling the blanket and looked up. “Trixie”. Then her eyes shot wide. “Oh wait, no!” She tied the blanket around her neck and raced over to the wagon, quickly grabbing the flowers from inside, she tossed them into the air. Straining, her horn began to glow slightly, and a few small sparks shot out and sputtered in the air. She reared up on her hind legs and proclaimed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie!”
The stallion smiled bemusedly. “Okay then, can I call you Trixie for short?”
“If you must.”
“Okay then, Trixie, I’m the Doctor.”
“And what kind of name is that!?” asked Trixie. “I will not have my blanket saved by somepony named ‘The Doctor’. That won’t fit into my story at all!”
“Your story?”
“Yes, my story, the story of how the Great and Powerful Trixie bravely marched across Equestria, nothing more than a small filly, astounding people with her magic!” she looked the Doctor over. “Can you be a knight or a mage or something? That sounds much better.”
The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “Well, I was knighted once. By the queen of England, right before she started firing arrows at me.”
“What’s an England?”
“Oh, you haven’t got that one huh?” he put a hoof to his chin. “Well let’s just say it’s a place where knights come from.”
“Oh, well that’s perfect!” She walked over to her wagon. “Now...we just need to do something about that name.”
“The Doctor is a perfectly fine name I’ll have you know!”
“Yeah, yeah, fine for you maybe.” she rummaged some more. “Here it is!” she sat a book on the ground she quickly took a crayon in her mouth and scribbled something down. “There, the brave knight Sir Bluebox of the England helped the Great and Powerful Trixie retrieve her magic cloak.” she pointed to a crude drawing of the Doctor bending down while Trixie got on his back to retrieve a blue square, apparently the ‘Magic Cloak’.
“Charming.” the Doctor remarked. “Well now that the pleasantries are done with, would you happen to know the year, Trixie?”
“The year?”
“They don’t have calenders in ‘The England’.”
“Oh, well of course they don’t, I knew that!” Trixie scoffed. “Dear knight, we in Equestria do keep track of the dates, and I shall take it upon myself to enlighten you to the year. It is,” she cleared her throat. “980, the year the Great and Powerful Trixie set off on her great journey! Or at least that’s how history shall remember it.”
“Sure....yes, exactly...um. In anycase, this isn’t my destination either.” The Doctor glanced at the Tardis, still on it’s side smoking at the base of a tree.”But it looks like I’m not going anywhere soon.”
“Why would you want to go anywhere outside the company of The Great and Powerful Trixie?” asked the tiny unicorn. “It’s obvious I called you here to assist me with my ultra powerful magic. You should be in no hurry to leave.”
“Yes, I’m sure that’ just what happened. But Trixie, I’m on a very important...knight mission, to do...knight type things. I can’t waste time.”
“Ooh! Is there a princess involved!?”
The Doctor chuckled. “Yes, I suppose there are, two in fact, and an evil queen, an underground resistance, a castle of lanterns, living toys, monsters in the dark and a lost friend I have to save.”
Trixie’s eyes got big. “Tell me the story!”
The Doctor looked again at the blue box and sighed. “I suppose I may as well.” he sat on his haunches in front of the small blue filly. “I suppose I have to start at the beginning. It all started, not that long ago, but very far away when I was fighting some evil statues along the Abstract Plane...”
35 TR
Twilight’s stomach dropped at the sudden movement. She was shaken and bumped as she found herself suddenly speeding down the road, clinging to the neck of a blue pony, her rainbow colored mane whipping in the wind.
“Rainbow Dash?” She whispered.
“Quiet, Egghead.” said a deeper, but unmistakable voice.
Twilight gasped. “Rainbow Dash!” she held on tighter to her neck. “Rainbow, what’s happened!? Tell me please, I need to know, I’ve been gone, and the Doct-” she stopped when she noticed they weren’t flying. Rainbow’s back was bare. She didn’t have any wings. “Rainbow...what happened to you?”
“I said quiet. Now loosen your grip, you’re choking me. No more talking or I’ll drop you.”
There was silence for the rest of the ride.
35 T.R: Cantorlot
“You know, It’s very stuffy in here.” said the Doctor as he was jostled around the inside of the Raggedy Mare. “When was the last time you, washed this stuffing?” The stuffed pony continued on it’s course, unabated. “I can see you’re not one for conversation.”
The Doctor’s ride became a bumpier as his world shifted diagonally.
“Stairs?” he asked shakily. “Does that mean we’re close to our destination?
The mare said nothing.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
The stairs continued for quite some time. The Doctor breathed slowly, and listened to the soft footfalls of the living toys as they made their way upwards. The stairs ended and everything stopped moving.
“Ah, you’ve returned.” Said a voice, muffled by the thick stuffing. “Let him out.”
The Doctor was momentarily blinded as light spilled inwards. He spilled on to the floor in a river of stuffing and loose threads.
He rubbed his eyes as they adjusted. “Thank you.” he paused, looking up. “ You look well.”
“Thank you Doctor.” Said Twilight Sparkle.
35 T.R: Dragon Mountain
Rainbow Dash slowed as she approached the base of large mountain. Twilight recognized it. She had been here before, the day Fluttershy had stood up to the great dragon sleeping here. It had been called Dragon Mountain ever since. Seeing the familiar landmark was strange. She felt terribly disoriented.
“Get off” Rainbow said curtly
Twilight did as she was told, and got off the rainbow pony’s back. She noticed she was wearing the same box most ponies did, a horn apparently. As she took a few steps back, the now earth pony’s lack of wings was even more striking. She had become so used to seeing her flying through the air, that now, looking at her without her wings was jarring, even a bit disturbing. She opened her mouth to ask.
“Follow me.” Rainbow ordered, walking closer towards the harsh stone rock face.
The question died on Twilight’s tongue. She followed the earth pony that had once been her friend, towards the towering mountain.
Rainbow stopped at the foot of the mountain, turned around, and bucked sharply against it three times.
“Name?” asked a voice.
“Rainbow Dash.” she replied, glancing harshly back at Twilight. “I’ve got someone she’ll want to meet.”
With clicking noise, a large section of rock slid away to reveal an entrance. Twilight stumbled backwards in surprise, the effect was seamless, she would never have spotted the entrance had not opened in front of her.
“Don’t stand there gawking egghead. Follow me, and keep up.” Rainbow walked through the entrance at a small trot. Twilight quickly caught up.
It was dark inside, the occasional light tossed shadows onto the rough walls of the cave. The guard at the door nodded to Rainbow as she walked by, and stared at Twilight until she was out of sight. The tunnel led downwards, deep into the foundation of the mountain. Rainbow didn’t speak as they walked. The only sound was the clip-clop of their hooves as they made their way deeper inwards, echoing against the walls in the dark.
The silence was unbearable.
Finally they made their way into a larger chamber. A large light source in the ceiling illuminated the space, several ponies walked around, working on various projects at workbenches placed around the room. Most of them worked on small metal objects Twilight couldn’t identify. Almost all of them stopped what they were doing when Rainbow entered, and stared directly at her. The silence of the tunnel was nothing compared to the silence that fell over this chamber.
Finally, a young colt broke the spell.
“Is it..”
“Yeah, if we’re right, it is.” Rainbow cut him off before he could finish the question. “Now stop sitting there slack jawed and get to work. You’re here as mechanist, not to catch flies.” she marched towards a door on the opposite wall. “Come on, Egghead.”
Twilight followed, dazedly, staring at every corner of the large underground room. Everypony turned their gaze away when her eyes fell on them.
They were afraid of her. She realized.
As they left the room, she could already hear the whispers of conversation following them.
Rainbow paused as they came to a large wooden door. “Okay, when you go in here, don’t speak unless spoken to, you’re lucky we don’t just feed you to a manticore or something.”
The words stung, but Twilight nodded.
“Okay then.” the doors swung open. “Go in.”
Twilight stepped through. This area of the tunnels was different from the other’s, the occasional picture hung haphazardly on the wall, and as far as she could tell there had been some attempt to paint. As she walked, she came across photo that looked familiar.
“This...is on my nightstand.” she said under her breath.
It was a photo of her and the others, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, wings intact, Pinkie Pie, and...
“Howdy.” a voice broke her train of thought.
“Applejack...”
“That’s my name sure enough.” The orange earth pony stood a few feet away from her. Two guards placed on either side. She looked about the same, but her eyes seemed harder. The hat perched above her head sat there as always, though there were bits missing from the brim, and the fabric looked to be patched and replaced in several places. She wore a box around her neck, same as everpony else. She eyed the purple unicorn warily.
“You who we think you are?” she asked.
“Ye-”
“Don’t do no talking, do some showing, and I’d do it quickly if I was you.” She nodded to the guards, who advanced.
Twilight shrank against the wall beneath the photo.
Applejack nodded again and they guards stopped their advance. She stepped up between them, looking from the photo to Twilight and back again. “Matches sure enough.” she said. “You’re a spittin image. But that don’t mean nothing. No, not anymore. Could be a trick.” she backed up and cast a hard glare on Twilight. “Prove you’re her.”
Twilight’s mind raced. She need to prove her identity, seeing Applejack had been a shock, but she knew this was not the same pony she knew back home, the one she’d seen, it seemed, only this morning. A lot could happen in fifty years. Suddenly, a thought occurred. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her horn began to glow.
The Guards lurched to stop her. But a nod from Applejack stopped them short.
Twilight concentrated on her saddlebag. She’d left it on the floor of the TARDIS when she and the Doctor left. It was still there, she knew that what was inside could prove without a doubt that she was Twilight. She focused harder, she’d done teleportations before, but this was different. She couldn’t get a lock on it, as she focused, the bag seemed to be everywhere at once, in the library, in the cave right next to her, in the deepest corners of Equestria, and places she could not begin to imagine. She just strained and concentrated harder. It became clearer and clearer, she didn’t know how she was doing it, but it seemed natural, even obvious. If what she wanted was everywhere, she just had to think everywhere.
And for a moment, she did.
There was a flash of light, and the bag appeared on the floor a few feet away. Twilight fell over, exhausted. She thought for a moment, that perhaps that was what the Doctor thought like. That worried her.
“In...the bag.” she gasped. “Left corner pocket.”
The guards started towards it, but Applejack cut them off. She bent down, reaching in as Twilight directed. She came out holding a small cake, that smelled of lavender. She gasped.
“Is this....”
“Yes, it is.” said Twilight.
“But it’s still warm...”
“You gave it to me only a few hours ago.”
Applejack was silent.
“It’s not magically replicated, you know your own cooking, better than you know almost anything else. You gave it too me, two of them, during the festival, for you fifty years ago, for me a matter of hours.”
“Back when things grew...” Applejack said dreamily. She stared at the cake for a while longer, her eyes far away. Twilight looked up expectantly, and quickly, her faced hardened. “Alright, you’re Twilight. I believe you. We suspected, but we couldn’t be sure.” she placed the cake gently back in it’s pocket. “If you’re here, I reckon that means the that brown pony of yours is involved.”
Twilight’s eyes shot open. “You know him?”
“No.” said Applejack. “But when weird junk goes down he always seems to pop up. By your reaction I’m bettin I’m right. Where is he?”
“Oh...” Twilight looked at the ground. “He was captured...”
“Too bad, we could use an extra hand around here.” she remarked. She turned to the guards. “Send for Rainbow, I’m sure she’ll want to hear our guest’s story.” she looked at Twilight. “A lot has changed since you looked like that. You tell us your piece, and we’ll tell you ours. You’ve got a lot to answer for, Twilight Sparkle.”
35 T.R: Cantorlot
Twilight Sparkle laughed, it was a deep, booming sound, filling the throne room and shaking the windows. “I have not seen you in years!” she said happily, how have things been?”
“Oh, things have been very good.” the Doctor replied. “Well besides being kidnapped by living toys, you really should have better travel accommodations.” The Doctor looked up at Twilight, the future Twilight. Her coloring was the same as it had been, but her mane and tail now consisted of a deep blue mist, the same as Celestia’s. She was taller as well, she stood a good three feet taller than the Doctor, her wings stretching as she came down from her throne, a luxurious gown flowing behind her.
“You like?” she asked. “You’re the one who taught me that trick, life to the inanimate, oh so long ago. I thought you would be pleased I learned it so well. You taught me so many things that day. For one, that you’re not a bad kisser.” she chuckled stepping down in front of him.
“I’m a good teacher, though I think you missed the point of my lessons.” The Doctor gave Twilight a harsh glare. “That day in the toyshop, fifty years ago today, you saw a bit more than I thought when you looked into my head, didn’t you?”
Twilight chuckled again. “Oh yes, I saw such delightful things. It took me a while to realize. But eventually it bled through. Oh so many thoughts in the Doctor’s head, such beauty, such darkness, you haven’t been a very good boy have you?” Twilight pranced around the room, circling the Doctor, her smoky mane and tail flowing and weaving behind her.
“Well, there’s no fun in that, now is there?” The Doctor’s gaze didn’t change, looking straight ahead as the dictator danced.
“Well of course not.” Twilight said. “But we both know that. Oh the thoughts that started to come into my head. Slowly at first, but drip by drip, they collected into a pool of knowledge, I can think of so much now. How much everything really matters. How tiny everything is. ” her voice took a hard edge. “And how insignificant everything is.”
“That’s amazing!” announced the Doctor.
“Isn’t it? I’m glad you approve.” Twilight’s circle around the Doctor closed slightly.
“Where did you find it?”
“Find what?” Twilight stopped circling, her nose inches away from the Doctor’s, her eyes as almost as black as night.
“Something insignificant. I’ve traveled for a long time and never seen that. You’ll have to show me sometime.”
Once again Twilight’s booming laugh filled the throne room. “Oh you are funny, Doctor, so very funny.”
“I try.” said the Doctor. “Now, tell me what happened to you.”
“I just did.” said Twilight. “You filled my head with ideas, ideas I couldn’t ignore, thoughts I couldn’t dispel, they made me strong.”
“Yeah, you said that bit.” The Doctor’s gaze grew colder. “But what happened to you after that. What made those eyes of yours so dark?”
“Oh, a little darkness here and there adds up, dear Doctor.” she walked back towards her thrown, her misty tail flowing over the Doctor’s face. “We had so many little adventures before I called it quits. Perhaps you just showed me too much. And perhaps a tiny war here or a small colony there didn’t help.”
“Oh come now, Twilightwo.”
Twilight stopped her assent to her thrown. “What?”
“Twilighttwo, I need to keep this all straight in my head. You’re not Twilight, obviously. Twilight could never do all this, no matter how much she saw, so for the sake of keeping things simple, you’re Twilighttwo.”
“I am Twilight.”
“Maybe, somewhere in there, but right now you’re not. I’m going to find out what happened between back then, and right now that made that happen, and when I do, Twilighttwo, I’m going to see to it that whatever caused it knows it made a terrible mistake.”
“Are you now?” Twilight smiled. “And how do you plan to do that? I know your TARDIS is in the library, you won’t get back inside. There’s nothing you can do.”
It was the Doctor’s turn to smile “Doesn’t it always seem that way?”
Neither of them spoke for a while, they just stared at each other. The queen ascending her thrown, and the Doctor trying to stop her. She laughed.
“Ah, I see that cockiness of yours hasn’t diminished. But haven’t you wondered?”
The Doctor said nothing.
“Oh, so you have.” Twilight continued up the stairs until she was sitting on her throne, looking down at the Timelord pony. “What I’ve done to you? You didn’t go back home if that’s what you’re wondering.” her smile grew wide. “I would tell you, but you know. Spoilers and all that stuff.”
The Doctor smiled back. “Yeah, spoilers and all that stuff.” he walked up towards the throne, putting his hoof on the first step. “But let me give you two bits of advice.”
“I’m listening.”
“First, that time is in flux, normally only a little, but right now, oh right now it’s waving like a sea in a thunderstorm. Time can be rewritten, Twilighttwo. So if I was you, I’d make sure you have your life preserver handy.” he turned and faced away from her. “And second, if you’re going to kidnap anyone, make sure to check their pockets first.” He turned around, holding the sonic screwdriver, pointing it at the Raggedy Mares baring the door, the floor below them turned to mush, and they began to sink, struggling weakly. The door behind them swung open, and with a galloping start, the Doctor leapt out.
Twilight stood in shock for a moment, then that smile crept back onto her face.
“Oh, this will be fun.”
980 C.R
“You can’t stop there!!” Wailed Trixie, shaking the Doctor with her forehooves. What happened next!
“Sorry, Trixie, but even knights need their sleep.” the Doctor yawned. “Don’t worry, I won’t be able to leave till morning. I’ll tell you the rest of the story then.
“No, no, no, no!!” she yelled, pounding the Doctor’s side. “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands the rest of the story!”
Trixie noticed he was snoring.
“Wake up!! Wake up darn you! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, and you will obey me!”
After a few hours of this, Trixie grew tired. “Wake up...” she mumbled drowsily. “Story...tell me...” then she fell over, fast asleep.
The sun filtered down through the leaves of the Everfree forest, Casting specks of light upon a sleeping brown earth pony and the small unicorn filly using him as a pillow. The Doctor stirred slightly as the forest awoke. Opening his eyes, he looked around until his sights fell upon a blue box, now standing upright next to a large gouge in a nearby tree.
“Terrific!” he yelled. “I knew the old girl could do it-” he cut himself short when he noticed Trixie’s head lying against his stomach.
With great care he maneuvered himself out from under her, placing her head on the charred remains of his jacket. He walked over to the box, opened the doors wide and stepped inside. The TARDIS had repaired the damage sustained in the fall and was back in working order. He put his forelegs on the console, pulling various levers and knobs.
“Knight!?” The Doctor heard from behind him. “Oh knight!? Where have you gone?”
The Doctor’s eyes shot wide, as he began to work faster.
“Are you in here?” Trixie opened the door. “What is this? A closet where you keep your armor or someth-” She paused as she entered the large TARDIS interior.
“Oh, Good morning Trixie!” The Doctor said hurriedly. “Got up early to work on my...um..”
“I thought you said you weren’t a mage!?”
“What?”
“A mage! Surely only somepony of great magical power could do this!”
“Oh, well, no it’s-”
“This makes so much more sense! You were a crummy knight.”
“Hey! I saved your blanket didn’t I?” Said the Doctor indignantly
Trixie wasn’t listening. “Oh, this will fit wonderfully into my story! A mage masquerading
as knight because he’s on the run from an evil queen. Only the Great and Powerful Trixie could see through his clever deception, by discovering his magic box!” She ran around, taking in the scale of the thing. “This is great! Your powers must be immense!” she paused in thought for a second. “Almost as great as mine.”
The Doctor sighed. “Okay, you got me.”
“Really!?” Trixie asked, then caught herself. “I mean...of course I did.”
“Yep, that’s me, the Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box.”
Trixie grimaced “That’s a terrible name, far too many words.”
“Says 'The Great and Powerful Trixie'.”
“Yes, and that means it’s correct, we shall simply call you The Mage of the England.”
“Of course.....Now, about that evil queen bit of the story, I kind of have to get back to that
bit. It would be very un-magely of me to forget, don’t you think?”
Trixie deflated. “B-but you never finished your story.”
“Oh, the story.” The Doctor looked at the monitor. “I really have to go....”
“Can I come with you!?” Trixie asked hopefully.
“Well, the temporal vortex is already in chaos, and the causal nexus is hanging by a thread. I almost destroyed the universe with that stint in the mid eighties.” The Doctor sighed. “I was so tempted to stick around and see if they went though that whole ‘Madonna’ phase.”
“Huh?”
“Hmm? Oh yes, in anycase, for the sake of keeping the universe from collapsing in on itself like a balloon in a needlehouse, I’m sorry to say you can’t come with me.”
“Oh...okay...go then...like everypony else.” Trixie turned dejectedly to the door.
The Doctor continued his work “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, no pony likes being around me very much...they all leave at some point. Perhaps I’m too great and powerful, even for the Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box.”
The Doctor looked up. “I thought you said that name was terrible?”
“It is. But it’s your terrible name.” She hung her head as she neared the doors. “Feel free to forget it when I’m gone...”
“Oh, no, Ms.Great and Powerful.” The Doctor as he walked over. “That sounded like a challenge, and the Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box thinks he might be able to stick around. At least to finish the story. But then I have to go...Alright?”
Trixie’s face lit up. “Yes, yes, yes!!” she Squealed as she galloped over to the console and sat on her haunches expectantly. “Tell the bit about the Raggedy Mares again!”
“Oh no Trixie, I only have time to finish, no going back.”
Trixie pouted. “Fine.”
“So, Twilight was deep within Dragon Mountain....”
35 T.R Dragon Mountain
Rainbow Dash entered the room and stood by Applejack, both of them staring hard at Twilight.
“So, it really is her then?”
“Yep.” said Applejack.
Rainbow’s face hardened. “Then why don’t we just throw her into the smelting pits.”
Twilight pressed herself against the wall. She was scared; there was something more frightening about those words, coming from Rainbow Dash, than almost anything else.
“She ain’t done us no wrong...yet...”
“What do you mean yet?” Said Rainbow This is obviously a trick, some kind of trap to lure us out into the open. She’s probably some magical bomb or something.” Rainbow Dash took a threatening step forwards.
She was stopped by Applejack’s hoof. “Rainbow, it’s not a trick. Look, on the table.” The orange earth pony nodded towards the small cake sitting on a napkin.
“So what? It’s your lunch.”
“No it ain’t. Smell it.”
Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, but relented. She walked over to the table and inhaled deeply.
“That smell...it’s.....”
“Not magically created food, it’s real, it's apples, my apples.” said Applejack. “I made that cake.”
“But how is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but that proves without a doubt that this is Twilight, our Twilight, from before all this.”
The room was silent. Twilight felt terribly alone in that moment. Two of her closest friends were standing inches away, and she realized, she knew neither of them. She opened her mouth to say something
“I can expla-”
“Shut up! Just shut up!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “You, you’re the cause of all this!” she advanced once more, before Applejack could stop her. “I don’t know how, and I don’t care if you’re from the freaking moon. Give me one good reason, if you’re from before all this, that we shouldn't just get rid of you. Permanently.”
She’d backed Twilight into the wall, her nose inches away. Twilight could feel the anger radiating from Rainbow’s body. She meant every word.
“I’m waiting.” Twilight looked into the Once-Pegasus’s eyes. She could tell Rainbow Dash had seen some terrible things, those eyes were hard and cold, the kind of eyes she'd seen too many times since she'd arrived. She saw something else too and, in that moment, she pleaded to it.
“Because I’m your friend...” she said softly.
Rainbow was taken aback by that. She was silent, Applejack stepped in and gently pushed her away from Twilight. The rainbow pony’s face flashed through several emotions, anger, sadness, fear, and for a moment, ever so slightly, happiness. It was quickly gone, and the Pegasus regained her composure.
“Alright Rainbow, we’ve established she’s who she says she is. Let’s hear her out. Tell us your story Twilight”
35 T.R Cantorlot
The Doctor raced out into the hallway, leaving the throne room far behind as he galloped forwards. He could hear the sounds of the Raggedy Mares tearing themselves from the floor as he darted around corners looking for a way out.
“Why is the throne room of megalomaniacs never near the exit? It’s only common courtesy.” Said The Doctor out loud, sharply turning another corner. He could hear a louder sound now, The sound of the Mares running after him, a kind of shifting sound, like old teddy bear hitting the floor over and over again as their cotton filled hooves hit the floor. He dashed through a door to his left, and found himself in the kitchen. Several chef ponies stopped and stared at the strange pony in a suit who’d interrupted their preparation.
“Sorry!” he paused reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a black wallet. “Royal Kitchen Inspector at your service.”
Everypony in the room straightened up. A large white stallion with a blue mane and a frying pan cutie mark stepped up and saluted.
“We’ve been expecting you, sir!” he barked. “You’ll find everything in perfect working order, sir, you’ll find nothing to report to the queen, sir!”
“Um...thanks...yes...expecting me.” The Doctor paused. “Well, everything seems to be ship-shape! So much so that I don’t even need to do a full inspection.”
“Are you....sure sir?”
“Quite, now stop saluting. I can't stand saluting, and the logistics of a pony pulling one off raises enough questions as it is.”
“Sorry sir!”
“Good. Now, I’m in a hurry, I have...more...inspection..type... things to do, but can you answer one question for me?”
“Anything, sir!” The stallion had to stop himself from saluting again.
“You’re an earth pony correct?”
“Um....yes sir?”
“And you’re a chef right?”
“Of course sir! Best in the kingdom.”
“Well I’ve wondered this for a while...”
“What sir?”
“How do you get the filling in your cakes?”
The Kitchen doors exploded inwards.
The Doctor ducked as bits of wood flew in all directions. “It appears you’ll have to tell me later. Still, clean kitchen, great job and all that, must be off!” He dashed through the back door.
The Raggedy Mares dragged themselves through the crowded kitchen as ponies went screaming and running in all directions, impeding their path.
“Drat. Hold onto that thought.” said the Doctor, ducking out a side door.
“What? Wait! Sir!” The chef called after him, but he was quickly knocked out of the way by the pursuing Raggedy Mares.
The Doctor leapt out into the hall way, wondering which way to go.
“Right or left?” He held up a hoof. “Eeny meeny miny mo....”
There was a crash from the kitchen.
“Left it is!” he started down the hall as the door behind him burst into splinters.
The Raggedy Mares lopped after him, gaining fast. He came to a fork in the hall and went left again, the cloth creatures close at his heels. As he turned the next corner he grabbed a statue standing the in hall and tipped it over. The Raggedy Mares went stumbling into each other, their fabric ripping and tearing in places.
The Doctor looked back as he pulled ahead.
“Ha! Who says modern art is useless? As he turned back, he ran smack dab into something white, purple, and incredibly well groomed.
35 T.R Dragon Mountain
“So, let me wrap my head around this, this friend’a yours, the ‘Doctor’, has got a time machine?” said Applejack as Twilight finished.
“Yes. We were in 1001 back when Celesta was Princess,” Twilight replied. “we came here on accident, trying to stop something else.”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes shot wide. “Then we could stop all this! Go back before it ever happened. Do things right, make sure none of this ever happens!”
“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Rainbow Dash. That’s what we’re trying to stop.”
“What?”
“A paradox. Back in the present-”
“Past.” Rainbow said huffily.
“Sorry. Back in the past, the Doctor did something to cause a parodox. It called forth this creature, a terrible thing called a Reaper. A creature that, as the Doctor put it, in time could destroy the world.”
“It’s already destroyed as far as I’m concerned. Can’t get much worse.” said Applejack.
“I’’m confused,” said Twilight. “I’ve told you what happened to bring me here, now you tell me. What happened here? Why are things so different? “Things are bad I kno-
Before the word left her mouth Rainbow Dash had her against the wall.
“Of course they're bad, you made them that way. You’re the reason for this. Don’t you dare tell me how things are.”
Twilight struggled against the rainbow pony's hold. “Then tell me, Rainbow, tell me how things are. What did I do?”
Applejack tapped Rainbow on the shoulder. “Let her down, she’s told us her piece, now it’s only fair we tell her ours. Come off it.” She pulled her back. “But let’s tell her what she will do.”
35 T.R Cantorlot
The Raggedy Mares turned the corridor to find a purple and white unicorn blocking their path.
“Oh it was horrible!” she cried. “Some vile stallion attacked me! Accosted in my own home! Can you imagine!?”
The Raggedy Mares stared blankly at her.
“Well, don’t just stand there! I sewed you for Celestia’s sake! Off with you! Catch him! He went that way.” She pointed down the hall. “Shoo, shoo!”
They ran off after the intruder. After she was sure they had left, she let herself exhale.
There was a knocking sound from the door behind her. The Doctor poked his head out.
“What are you made of!? Ow, I mean really, it was like running into a brick wall, bumping in to you.”
“Shh!” She put a hoof to his lips. “I didn’t turn you in and if you’re who I think you are I was right not to, ‘Clockwork'. Or should I say, Doctor.”
“Come to think of it, that’s a very good question, what are you lot made of? I mean I thought it was just normal horse biology, but after being around a while I’m not so sur-” he paused. “Wait, you know?”
“I know lots of things.” said Rarity.
35 T.R Dragon Mountain
“It wasn’t all bad at first.” Applejack began. “You and the ‘Doctor,’ as you call him, came out of that Toyshop you mentioned. I don’t know what you did in there, but the howling finally stopped. That’s when everything started,far as my memory goes. After that, you were a changed pony, Twilight Sparkle. It wasn’t all that noticeable at first, just your eyes. They seemed so much darker than they had that mornin, when you’d bought that there cake from me.” Applejack nodded towards the table.
“I thought nothin' of it at first, but It began to show after that, things changed. The Princess started acting strange, but I guess you already know that bit. You didn’t seem concerned, although we were all terribly worried as Celestia declined, You just shut yourself away, in your library, with your books and Spike. Said you was working on something big, something that would change Equestria for the better, we were worried, Twilight. Spike tried to talk to you, but you’d become cold, distant, you wouldn’t answer his questions and got real angry when he persisted. He confided in us that you were acting strange, and he was more worried than all of us. But you know Spike, loyal to the last. He stayed by your side. I remember you came out on occasion, to get supplies, and we’d try to talk to you, get you to come to parties, events, everything. You just turned down anything and everything.”
Twilight nodded soberly. “Go on.”
“Soon, Celestia was beyond anything anypony could do. That’s when you finally came out. You’d invented something, a box, that would allow anypony to do magic.” Applejack nodded to the boxes she and Rainbow Dash wore around their necks. “The HORN, as you called it. Suddenly, magic was available to anypony willing to learn it. It was your greatest achievement, no more was the ability to cast spells closed off to earth ponies and Pegasi. You made one for anypony who asked, cranked them out like a machine. Nopony was quite sure how they worked, but you knew your stuff. I remember the day I got mine, each one is carved special.”
Applejack displayed the small box. Twilight could see it was covered with apples and trees, with a small house in the corner.
“I picked apples fives times as fast after a few lessons. You started talkin again after that, personally instructing anypony that would listen in how to use your fantastic invention. Ponyville was changed forever. We thought you’d gotten over whatever had happened in that shop. Not a moment too soon neither; Celestia was too far gone, and Luna was fading fast. We begged you to do what you could, and for a while you did, takin' charge of the sun and the moon in their stead. But your eyes were still dark, Twilight Sparkle, so very dark, and getting darker every day.” Applejack paused.
“Go on.” Twilight said softly.
“What?” Applejack looked around distantly. “Oh yes sorry. Not soon after that, it happened. You betrayed the princesses.”
Rainbow Dash held up a hoof. “Wait Applejack, let me tell this part.” she said. She turned to glare at Twilight.
“The Princesses had shut themselves away in a castle covered in lanterns in the Everfree forest. Said it was the only place they felt safe, where the light was brightest, and 'The Shadows wouldn’t hear’. They hardly came out, you basically ran the country at that point.”
Her scowl grew harsher than Twilight thought possible. “But that wasn’t enough for you. Almost forty years ago today, at twilight, you marched to the castle, saying you needed to confer with the princesses on some royal duty or something. No one questioned you. Oh no, who would bother? You were the ‘Revolutionary pony who brought magic to the masses’, you could do no wrong. Ponies kissed the ground you walked on, Twilight Sparkle. We fell for it hook line and sinker.
“But on that day, oh on that day I’ll never forget. You had to go and see the princesses. You stepped into that castle, and ripped their powers away. The mare that taught you, that practically raised you, had her heart torn out that day. Ooh, we thought she was mad before, but we hadn’t seen anything yet. She and Luna lost it, they stopped making any kind of sense, just jabbering, and lying in bed, that’s all they do now. Their horns are gone, and their magic is dead.”
Twilight gasped.
“Oh, you’re surprised now are you? Didn’t think you were so heartless huh? Well, neither did we.The five of us who knew you better than anyone else, felt something. Something wrong. So we came to see you in Cantorlot. That’s when you really changed. You looked just like the princesses once did, tall, regal, I thought you were beautiful. We thought for a moment you had been gifted, perhaps changed naturally, but oh no, that would have been too good to be true, wouldn’t it? Still we wanted to believe in you. I wanted to believe in you. There was one small thing you didn’t share with the princesses, one small detail you needed to add to make yourself complete.
“No...” Twilight whispered.
Rainbow Dash took a step towards her. Her voice getting louder “Yes, go ahead, accept it. I stepped up to you, on that day, the first time I saw you like that, before you had wings, Twilight Sparkle, right before you got those lovely wings of yours.”
“No.....”
“Don’t you dare deny what happened!!” Rainbow grew shrill. “I stepped up onto those stairs, and you did to me what you did to the princesses! You ripped out my heart! You took my wings, and made them your own!”
“No! I wouldn’t do that! I couldn’t do that!” Twilight yelled.
“Well you did! You did it Twilight. You took the best part of my life away from me. Now give me one good reason, and not friendship this time, because you tried that once, it won’t work again. That’s dead, dead and gone. Just one good reason I shouldn’t toss you off the highest mountain I can find!”
“I wouldn’t do that!” Twilight cried. “Not me....not me!” She looked imploringly at the Rainbow colored pony. “Look into my eyes, tell me, tell me if I could do such a terrible thing.”
The two stared at each other for a long time. Rainbow Dash’s eyes burned at Twilight’s, hard and full of rage, rage that had built up for decades. She looked into Twilight’s, and she saw none of the darkness she’d hated. Nothing of that cruel glare she’d given her before she’d torn her wings from her back and left her flightless. They were not the same. She could see in those eyes the innocence of fifty years ago, and she was the first to look away.
Applejack stepped up. “Calm yourself Rainbow, our Twilight’s done a lot that needs payin' back, and I intend to collect with interest. But this Twilight ain’t done nothin yet, and I ain’t hurtin' an innocent pony. Maybe she can help us.”
“I’ll do anything I can,” Said Twilight, still quite shaken.
Applejack smiled slightly. “There’s the girl I knew. Now, is there anything you’d like to
know?”
“Yes...” Twilight said hesitantly. “So far I’ve only seen you and Rainbow Dash here. I’m
scared to ask, but...where at the others?
Applejack frowned. “I haven’t talked to some of them in years, Twilight. After you became queen we drifted apart. Rainbow and I stuck together. When you started building the colonies we built up this resistance. We try our best to stop you.....” She paused. “Her, whenever we can, but we can only do so much. She’s strong Twilight, and she’s got plans I don’t think I wanna see come true.” Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “As for the rest, they ain’t cut out for fightin. As far as I know, Rairy works for her, the royal seamstress. She wouldn’t hire anypony else, so she ain’t have no choice in the matter. Perhaps she’s better off there. Can’t imagine Rarity doing much of anything besides sewing. She makes her clothes, and those creatures Rainbow saved you from.”
“Rarity...made those things?” Twilight asked, this was all too much to take in.
“Not by choice. She makes a new bunch every five years or so. Our Twilight is practical if nothing else, commands the old ones until they’re nothing but string.”
“What about Fluttershy and Pinkie?”
Applejack’s frown deepened. “Pinkie, you know her. She can’t see the darkness in any situation. She still believed in you, and probably still does I reckon. I don’t know where she is right now. She was the royal event planner for a while, then the jester, then she just fell off the radar. You searched high and low, but you never found her far as I know. Our Twilight used it as an excuse to invade Equindor.”
Twilight’s head swam. “And Fluttershy?”
“Another non-fighter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. That filly wouldn’t harm a bumble bee if it stung her in the behind. She lives in the castle of lanterns, taking care of the princesses as their nurse.”
Twilight felt exhausted from the strain of everything she’d been through. She couldn’t quite remember the last time she’d slept; technically it was fifty years ago. She felt like it. She was drained. Applejack walked to a large wooden door at the back of the room. “Twilight, there’s one other person you should see. You can talk to him.”
“Who?” she asked softly.
“Someone who’s been waiting to see you for a long time.” she said. “I think Spike would like to say hello.”
35 T.R Cantorlot
The Doctor was ushered into the sewing room by Rarity.
“So wait, you made those things?” he asked.
“I simply sewed them together, Twiligh-”
“Twilighttwo.” The Doctor interrupted.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Twilighttwo is the one who brings the horrid things to life.”
“Okay then.” said the Doctor. “Next bit, and this is a really important bit, an extremely really important bit.” He looked dead at Rarity. “How do you know I’m called the Doctor?”
“Wow, you’re an early model aren’t you?”
“What?”
Rarity smiled. “I traveled with you for a time, Mr.Doctor.”
“You?” The Doctor asked, astonished
Rarity’s smile vanished. “You don’t have to act so shocked!”
“Sorry, it’s just...you always seemed so....”
Her eyes narrowed “So what?”
The Doctor floundered a bit. “So...tea on the lawn..”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Tea? Oh nothing, tea is wonderful, but tea on the lawn with chairs and parasols, nowthat’s a different story”
Rarity’s smile came back. “Same old Doctor,” she said distantly. “Twilight and I were there, a small while before all this. When her eyes were dark, but not quite black. There was something in my shop, a shadow. I thought it was nothing, but no. You came in, always the gentleman, and told me to run, and run we did Doctor. I stumbled into the TARDIS, quite on accident. You kidnapped me, you and Twilight, and we went a few places before you got us back. That planet with the crystal moon and the pink sun, oh how I wish I could have had just a small chunk of that moon.”
She noticed the Doctor glaring.
“What! It was so perfect! But of course the locals needed it to defeat that evil something or other...still, I suppose they wouldn’t have missed a small piece.”
The Doctor glared some more.
“Oh fine, you’re the same old Doctor alright.” Rarity pouted. “But we did have such fun the three of us. There was that time with the miniature super ponies made of living clay in the early 600’s, the adventure with the human and that time I became a God. Oh we were so lost, the best kind of lost. You did get us back eventually though.
“Did I? Well, good for me then.” Said the Doctor quickly. “Don’t tell me too much, that may still happen. I’ve got enough paradoxes on my head right now. I have a much more important question to ask”
“What would that be, Doctor?”
“Twilighttwo said she’d done something to me. If she’s here in the future then I’m here too. You traveled with me. So tell me, Rarity, what happened?”
Rarity looked away. “I’m sorry to say I don’t know, Doctor. You went missing, right before she headed to the Lantern Castle in the forest. Nopony’s seen you in decades. I hardly remembered what you looked like.”
“Hmm....Well, that doesn't bode well, now does it? The Doctor said mildly. “Oh well, I’ll figure it out I’m sure. In that case I have two more questions for you.”
“Okay then...” The Doctor stepped back slightly. “Question one, it’s been fifty years, why don’t you look any older?”
“Why, Doctor! Flattery will get you everywhere...” Rarity advanced.
“No! I don’t mean like that! I mean literally, you don’t look a day older than the last time I saw you.” He reached into his suit pocket, taking out the sonic screwdriver. “You aren't!” he said as he scanned her. “You aren’t much older than you were when we last met! How’s that possible?”
“Oh, that, it’s been like that since those HORN things popped up. Nopony seemed to age after that. ” she paused. “Still...I like to think I look rather young, even considering that. Wouldn’t you, Doctor?”
“Hmm? What’s that? Oh yes, you look like a regular Marylin Monroe.” He waved the question away.
“Who?”
The Doctor sighed. “Never mind. On to my second question.”
“What’s that, darling?”
“Darling, really?” The Doctor said under his breath.
“What’s that?”
“Oh, nothing, anyway, tell me about the shadow in your shop...”
Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Oh! The first time we met! Gladly.” She cleared her throat. “Well it all started when I got home from Fluttershy’s house...”
35 T.R Dragon Mountain
Applejack led Twilight through a large tunnel with Rainbow Dash bringing up the rear, torches lighting the way every few feet, casting shadows along the cave walls. Twilight could hear the sound of machinery working ahead of them, the grinding of cogs and the shifting of metal echoing around them. The temperature rose, getting steadily higher as they walked through the tunnel.
“He’s down here.” Said Applejack. “Our base is in the heart of Dragon Mountain as you know. Our Twilight’s factories are above, carved into the side. Spike lives there, he helps to hide us. The one place you’d never suspect us of being, right below the empire’s powerhouse.”
Twilight was silent for several minutes as the heat rose and they neared the end of the tunnel. There was a door, made of iron bolted into the rock, a small peephole placed in at the top. Applejack looked through it.
“All clear.” she turned to Twilight. “Are you ready for this?”
Twilight stared at the door, steeling her nerves. “Yes.”
“Alright then. Help me get this open Rainbow.”
Both ponies braced themselves against the ground and tugged against the door’s great handle. It opened with a great creak, sending a blast of heat rushing back towards them.
“I’ll go first, you come when I call” Said Applejack as she stepped forwards into the cavern.
The cave was dark, and Applejack was quickly lost in the gloom. Twilight could hear her hooves as they clicked against the stone floor.
“Spike, we've got someone here to see you,” Applejack said softly. Twilight heard the sound of something large shuffling in the dark. “Come on,” Applejack continued, her voice loosing it’s soothing tone. “Wake up you lazy dragon, we ain’t got time for this. I got a feelin something big’s going down. Go on! Get!” There was the sound of a hoof hitting something that sounded a bit like an old carpet.
“Applejack?” Twilight jumped as a deeper voiced boomed down the tunnel. “What do you want?”
“Like I says, we got someone very important to see you. Now get up,” Applejack
chastised.
“Five more minutes,” Said the voice.
It was those words that got her. Twilight knew that voice, no matter how deep it may have gotten.
She stepped forwards into the dark. “Some things never change. You always want five more minutes.” she chuckled in spite of herself. “Fifty years, and you’re still a lazy little dragon.”
The sound was deafening as something huge moved to the edge of the cavern. Pressing itself against the wall.
“That voice....” Suddenly Twilight was blinded as a great tongue of flame shot out into the air, lighting the whole cavern. It was gone as quickly as it came and they were submerged back into the darkness. “It is...” The voice continued. “It’s you...”
“Enough of this stumbling around in the dark,” Applejack interrupted. She whispered something and a small ball of light floated from the box around her neck and attached itself to the ceiling. “That’s better.”
Twilight got a good look at Spike for the first time. He was immense, at least as big as the other dragons they’d seen before, if not larger. His purple scales were worn and peeling in places, but he still looked the same, just bigger with one subtle difference.
“You wings grew in...” Twilight remarked.
The dragon shrank back further, still staring at the small purple unicorn. Twilight stared at his large purple wings, just as worn as his scales, with a few holes here and there. The two stared at each other for a while. Eventually Spike built up the courage to lean closer. His head was massive. When it got close enough his eye was almost bigger than Twilight, she could see her reflection in his green iris as it focused on her. They were the same eyes she knew, though they were large, she could tell they had seen a lot in her absence.
“You know it’s me Spike.” she said.
He leaned back again, exhaling sharply. “I know, you look the same, the same as you used to. It’s been a long time since you looked like that.” Spike turned to Applejack. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t rightly understand it myself.” Said Applejack. “Apparently some Doctor fella has pulled one heck of a miracle.”
“The Doctor!?” Spike exclaimed. He turned to look back at Twilight. “The Doctor’s involved?”
“Yes, he’s here too, but he’s been captur-” she was cut short as she was lifted into the air by a giant claw.
“That means it really it you!” Spike held her up to his face. “Twilight! My Twilight!”
“Yes Spike, it’s me. I missed you.” she said softly.
“I’ve missed you too. I haven’t seen that face in a long time.”
“I haven’t seen that face, so....large...”
Spike smiled. “I bulked up, told you I would.”
“Who knew you were right?” she looked around the cavern. It was even hotter in Spike’s hand near the ceiling. In the light Twilight could see several doors spaced around the room. Beyond them she could hear the sound of machinery working. “What is this place?”
“She calls it my office.” said Spike. “I work here.”
Twilight noticed all the doors were pony sized. “More like trapped here.”
“Oh, no! She treats me well enough, I can’t leave, true, but, I’m her oldest friend, I do what’s best.”
“What does she have you do?”
“I can’t tell you, she has me under a spell, I can only do what’s best for her.”
“Then why do you help them?” Twilight nodded to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
Spike smiled again. “Because, I’m her oldest friend, I do what’s best for her.” his smiled vanished quickly. “Ruling wasn’t good for you Twilight. It made you worse, you need to be dethroned. Maybe then you’ll....” Spike trailed off.
“It’ll be alright Spike. I’m here now, and I plan to set things right. This isn’t my future, I’m going to find the Doctor, get back, and make sure none of this ever happens.”
Spike stared at the small unicorn in his palm for a while. Then gently set her down. “You’d better hurry then. Applejack is right.”
“About what?”
“Something big is going down. I’ve heard things, you’d be surprised what people are willing to tell a large scary dragon.” Spike got down on all fours and walked towards one of the many doors. “It’s right outside that one, use your magic to unlock it. I’m too small, but peek out and you should see what I mean. I can’t tell you, but if you see it yourselves It’s no fault of mine.” he winked.
“Now we’re getting somewhere!” said Rainbow rushing over.
Twilight focused on the lock. It opened with a small click. The three of them walked through, and looked at the large cylinders of metal that lay before them.
“Oh no...” said Twilight.
35 T.R Cantorlot
Rarity finished her story, smiling wistfully. “Ah, such good times, wouldn’t you say, Doctor?”
“Yes! It makes so much sense now!” He exclaimed.
“It does doesn’t it, how we were meant for one anoth-”
“The princessses, Twilight, everything makes sense!” The Doctor paced around the sewing room. “Why couldn’t I see it before! Oh I’m getting old, it’s so obvious!”
“What?” asked Rarity, slightly put out.
“Come with me, we have to find Twilight. If I’m right she’s still in ponyville. Where are we now?”
“Cantorlot.”
“Camelot?” asked the Doctor raising an eyebrow.
“No, Doctor, Cantorlot, Camelot is in Equypt, you know, with the pyramids and things, we don’t get camels here.”
The Doctor stopped pacing and stared at Rarity. “You’re completely serious right now aren’t you?”
“Why yes, I know basic geography, Doctor.”
The Doctor sighed. “Why do I even bother.” he walked over to the door. “Fine, what’s the fastest way to get back to ponyville?”
Rarity put a hoof to her chin. “Well, the train I’d say, it takes supplies to Twiligh-”
“Twilightwo’s”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Twilighttwo’s factories. There’s nothing faster.”
“Then that’s where we’re going. Lead the way.”
Rarity looked appalled. “Well wait a minute! I have to get myself ready, I’ll need my saddlebags, and I can’t go out looking like this!”
“Rarity! We haven’t got time for this! You look fine!”
“But Doctor, if I’m to represent all of Cantorlot, I have to look my best, no matter what the circumstance! I haven’t even got my-”
“Rarity!!” The Doctor cut her off. “You always look fantastic, now come on.”
Rarity stood still for a moment. “Really? You really think that?”
“How could I not? You’re only the most fashion forward pony in all of ponyville, you don’t need any bloody saddlebag to look your best.”
Rarity’s face little up. “Oh Doctor!” she marched towards the door. “You’re right! I always look fabulous. Now come on! We’ve got a train to catch.” Rarity dashed out into the hall.
“Tea on the lawn,” The Doctor whispered to himself. “always tea on the lawn.”
He followed her down the hall until they came to some stairs. Rarity turned back to, putting a hoof to her lips.
“This way.” she whispered.
As they descended, the Doctor noted several smells he hadn’t come across since his arrival in Equestria, the smell of oil and coal burning, the smell of industry. It got stronger the closer they got to the bottom floor. They could scarcely breath by the time they reached the doorway. Rarity opened it slowly and she and the Doctor peeked out. He could see it, made of steal and iron, sitting on one of several tracks. The train was prepped and ready to leave,smoke had already begun billowing from the stack above the engine. Several guards ushered workponies forwards. They clustered around large pieces of machinery hidden under tarps lifted by magic into place.
“There’s the train, we haven’t missed it yet.” Rarity said quietly. “I should be able to get us aboard without much trouble. The guards are putty in my hooves.
The Doctor said nothing.
“Doctor? Doctor are you listening?” Rarity complained.
“Those things, those things they’re loading onto the back.” He said shakily. “They shouldn’t be here.”
“What are they?”
“If they’re what I think they are, then this whole world is in danger.”
“Doctor, what is she planning to do!?”
“She’s planning to do her worst. No sun, no moon, Twilighttwo is planning to plunge the whole planet into darkness...”
“Doctor, why did you stop?” asked Trixie, still sitting in front of the brown stallion waiting for the end of the story. “What were the things on the train, tell me!” The Doctor was silent.
“Doct-”
“Ssshhh!” He put a hoof to her lips. “Do you hear that?” The Doctor looked around the TARDIS. All Trixie could hear were the sounds of the console whirling and dinging as they normally did.
“Doctor, I don’t hear anything...” Trixie whispered, pushing his hoof away. “What is it-”
“EXTERMINATE!” A cold robotic sound rang out from behind her.
The Doctor tossed her to the side and dived away as a beam of dark light arched across the air with a fizzing sound. “She got one inside!” he yelled. The Doctor bent his head down and hefted Trixie onto his back, turning at a full gallop into the TARDIS interior. She was jostled and bumped as she hung on for dear life.
“What is that thing!?” the small filly shouted, looking back into the control room as he ran. The thing behind them gave chase, gliding rapidly across the floor towards them. It looked like a large salt shaker with spherical bumps spaced around the bottom. The design looked bulky and awkward, but it propelled itself with surprising speed. The upper portion looked like a horse’s head with a large, single eye stalk jutting from where it’s face should have been. It swung wildly around, searching.
“EXTERMINATE!” It called after them.
“No time!” The Doctor yelled. She hung on tightly as he made a swift turn the right. “It must have been hiding, charging it’s power cells for an attack! We need to get away from it, quickly!”
Trixie screamed as another beam of light whizzed through the TARDIS, barely missing them as they made their way inside.
“EXTERMINATE!” The sound echoed after them once more, closer this time.
The Doctor made another sharp turn, diving into a hallway. Trixie, despite her fear, marveled at how large the inside of the box really was. The control room was only a small part of a much larger interior. The thing gave chase, turning just as sharply as they had close at their hooves. Trixie saw a pair of large metal doors coming quickly to meet them. The Doctor barreled forwards, galloping faster and faster, the doors remained shut as they closed the gap. Trixie shrieked, throwing her hooves over her eyes, sure they were about to crash.
She suddenly found herself airborne as the Doctor bucked her off to the side. The door swung open and he, along with the creature, went stumbling through.
Trixie landed with a thud against a wall as the doors snapped shut behind them. Mildly disoriented, it took her second to get her bearings.
“Doctor?...” she asked, shakily getting up. Her eyes shot wide. “Doctor!!” Trixie raced over to the doors, which remained shut. She pounded her forehooves against the cold metal, but they did not shift. “Doctor!” she yelled again. “Open up, The Great and Powerful Trixie demands it! Open I say!” She pounded harder, but still they refused to yield. “Doctor! Doctor, what’s going on!? Come out at once! Come out this instant!” Her hooves began to hurt from beating against the unforgiving doors. “Doctor!” Trixie called again. “Come out.....Doctor?....” she hung her head as her vision became clouded by tears.“Doc..ter...”
Suddenly there was a sound, muffled from behind the doors. Trixie’s head shot back up as it echoed down the hallway. She pressed her ear against cool metal, straining to listen.
There was the fizzing noise she had come to know as the creature’s weapon firing. The sounds of crashing and banging followed shortly afterwards, progressively getting louder louder. More shots were fired, the sound loud in Trixie’s ears dispite the thick door. The din of noise carried on for several minutes, escalating in scale. Trixie heard several strange noises and bangs as whatever was going on became more and more intense. Then, as suddenly as it had begun there was a large splash and everything was silent.
Trixie leaned against the door, straining her small ears in an effort to hear anything at all, but the silence remained. She waited for what seemed like a very long time. Then hung her head, and turned to walk away.
The door shot up open and a sopping wet Doctor flopped out, landing on the floor with a plop. “Well,” he gasped, “that was eventful.”
“Doctor!” Trixie yelled, rushing over. “You’re alright!” She wrapped her forehooves around his neck.
“Yes...it would appear so. That’s very lucky.....But you’re choking me.”
“Ew...” She whined as released him. “Why are you all wet?”
“The swimming pool.” he said flatly.
Trixie raised an eyebrow.
“Darlocks can’t swim.” The Doctor said, as though this explained everything.
“What’s a Darlock?”
“Ah yes,” The Doctor got shakily to his hooves. “I was just getting to that part, wasn’t I? But first, I’ve always wanted to do this. I’d back up if I were you.”
“Wh-” Trixie cowered suddenly as the Doctor shook himself, much like a large dog, sending water everywhere. “Doctor!” Trixie yelled plaintively.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” He started back towards the control room. “Come along, we’ve got a story to finish, haven’t we? The Mage in the Magnificent Magic Box keeps his promises after all. Now, where was I?”
“The part with the metal cylinders,” Trixie reminded him, trotting after him.
“Ah yes! Okay then, so, Twilight and the others had just stumbled upon something terrible in Twilightwo’s factories, deep in the caverns of Dragon Mountain....”
35. T.R Dragon Mountain
“What are they?” asked Rainbow Dash walking into the large room. It was filled with strange machines slightly smaller than she was. The upper portion resembled the head of a horse, like a chess piece. From it’s head protruded a singular eye on the end of a long stalk. The lower portion was surrounded by bronze bulbs spaced around the bottom. “There’s a hundred at least.” She observed turning to Applejack. “They’re kind of funny looking. Do you think they’re weapons?”
“I haven’t got the foggiest idea Rainbow, but I get the feeling they certainly weren’t made for the fun of it.” She walked over and poked one with a wary hoof. “You know anything about this, Twilight?....Twilight?” Applejack turned to find the purple unicorn pressed against the side of the cavern, terrified.
“Those things...shouldn’t be here,” she whispered.
“You’ve seen them before?” asked Applejack. She stopped examining the machines to stare at Twilight, who was shivering at this point.
“No, I-I’ve never seen them before in my life. But, I know they shouldn’t be here.” Twilight tried to press herself further into the wall closing her eyes. “They’re evil.”
“You’re not makin’ sense, Twilight.” Applejack took a step closer. “Do you know what they are or don’t you?”
“I-I don’t know, it’s like, I can see them in my head. I’ve never seen them before, but I know what they are, at the edge of my mind.”
“She’s cracked.” Rainbow scoffed.
“Quiet.” Applejack hushed her. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to do better than that, sugarcube.”
“I don’t know how.... all I do know is this is bad, very bad. I’m scared.” she said shivering. “Can we go? Can we go back to Spike please?”
Applejack reached out a comforting hoof. “Alright, it’s okay, Twilight. We’ll head back.” she turned to Rainbow Dash. “Come on, we’ve seen enough. Maybe Spike can tell us more about these things.”
The blue pegasus had already wandered off among the cylinders, her voice rang back towards them. “I’m not turning back because she’s too scared to investigate! for all we know she’s trying to throw us off!”
Applejack sighed. “Stay here.” she said firmly. She turned and was lost in the darkness.
Twilight stood alone in the cavern. The only sounds were the occasional clip-clop of hooves as Applejack pursued the rambunctious Pegasus. She looked around the expansive room at the neat rows of machines. Their cold dark eyes looking out into the darkness, unmoving. She could not place exactly why but at the moment those eyes scared her more than anything she could remember. She wanted nothing more than to put as much space between herself and them as possible.
“Applejack?” she called. “Rainbow Dash?”
There was no reply. Twilight got to her hooves and peered into the gloom. She strained her ears but she could no longer hear them in the dark “Hello?” she called again, a bit softer than she’d intended. “Are you there?”
Still no reply.
Twilight suddenly felt extremely vulnerable. She took a few tentative steps forwards, giving the cylinders a wide berth as she did. She couldn’t hear anything beyond the sound of her own hooves hitting the floor. It grew darker as she progressed, she could hardly see anything after while. Still Twilight felt those singular eyes staring at her in the darkness. She tried to ignore it, but the feeling persisted.
Suddenly something reached out of the darkness and grabbed her. Twilight tried to scream as she was roughly hauled into a corner behind the machines but she could only get out a small squeak before a hoof was placed quickly over her mouth.
“Shhhhh.” whispered Applejack, keeping Twilight’s mouth shut. She pointed somewhere out into the darkness. “Raggedy.”
Twilight stopped struggling and Applejack released her. She noticed Rainbow Dash huddling next to her looking terrified. They froze, being very quiet for several minutes, no one dared to breath, fearing the creature in the dark.
Eventually Rainbow Dash stood up.
“Maybe it’s gone?” she asked.
Twilight suddenly heard a familiar shuffling sound, followed by several more getting closer fast. “And maybe it just went to get friends.” she said quickly. “Run!”
35 T.R Cantorlot
Rarity sauntered over to the train’s guard, pushing a large wagon covered in cloth in front of her. She turned to him fluttering her eyelids. “Hello, Mr.Iron Hooves.”she said sweetly. “I need to go into town to pick up some fabric. Would you mind if I,” she stepped a bit closer. “came along for the ride?”
The guard looked mildly terrified, but quickly regained his composure. “Um.... No can do Ms. Rarity.”
“Really?” Rarity asked, pouting. “But you’ve let me on before, what’s one more time? ”
“Sorry Ms. Rarity,” the guard stepped back. “I’m under Twilight’s express orders to make sure that this train takes only the absolutely necessary. Ponies included.”
“Oh, I see..” Rarity said softly.
“Glad you understand Ms.Rarit-”
Rarity suddenly collapsed to the ground in tears. “You’re saying I’m unnecessary!!” she wailed. “I knew it! I just knew it! Nopony likes me! Why would they? I’m....I’m....” she sobbed. “Unnecessary!!!”
“No, no! That’s not what I meant at all!” said the guard looking around frantically. “I like you and the castle couldn’t get on without you!”
“You liar! You said it yourself just now! Nopony needs me, I’m not even useful enough to get on a train! You probably wouldn’t miss me if I just ran away to live in the forest! Then the animals might appreciate me. But why would they?” she sniffed. “You said it! You said I’m about as useful as a chipmunk! Less useful even! I’m a worm! A lowly worm! Why would anyone want me around?!” She broke into a new bout of sobbing cries.
“No, no!” The guard urged. “Please stop crying, Ms.Rarity! Please! You’re a great seamstress, I just can’t let you on tod-”
He was interrupted as she wailed at the top of her lungs. “Oh just never mind, I’ll just go up into my room and lock myself away! I’ll throw away the key. Who would care? No one would even notice I was gone! An exile doomed to die ugly and alone!”
“Okay! Okay! I’ll let you on, just please, stop crying.”
“Thanks darling.” Rarity was on her feet immediately. “Could you load my waggon onboard? That passenger car on the far end should be empty, yes? That would be just fine.”
The guard stood dumbfounded.
Rarity began to sniffle again. “Well....what are you waiting for?”
He grabbed the wagon and was off like a rocket.
“Works every time.” Rarity whispered under her breath.
She was quickly ushered into the passenger car she’d requested along with her wagon. The guard left as soon as he was able.
“Did you really have to do that to the poor man?” asked the wagon.
“Well, you wanted to get on board the train didn’t you Doctor?” Said Rarity huffily. “You’ll find I’m just as good as any psychic paper.”
The Doctor disentangled himself from the various fabrics and thread getting to his feet. “Psychic paper is a lot quieter though.” he remarked, shaking a loose of string from his mane. “In anycase, I’m glad we’re on board. Things are a lot more serious than I’d realized, and that’s saying something.”
“Quite, you’re ever so good at getting into trouble after all.” Rarity chuckled.
The Doctor looked offended “No, I’ll have you know I’m not just good at getting into trouble, I’m the best. Which is the reason why we need to hurry.”
“How so?”
“I’m also the best at getting out of trouble. But as I explained, Twilight’s here too.” The Doctor paused for a moment. “The good Twilight. She’s clever, I’m sure she can handle herself. But everything is starting to make sense to me now, and if I’m right, and oh I hope I’m not right, things have just reached a new level of bad.”
“How bad is that?”
“Think of the worst thing you can think of.” The Doctor waited a moment. “Got it?”
“Yes I think so.” Said Rarity
“Good, now forget it, because there’s no way it could possibly be as bad as this.” He trotted over to the cabin door, peeking through the circular window at the top. “Do you by any chance know how many ponies are on this train?”
“The guard said only the most necessary ponies were allowed onboard. I don’t know the exact number, but I only counted two.”
“Good.” The Doctor reached into his coat pocket, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. “I need to get a closer look at those things under the tarping. I’m sure they’re what I’m thinking of, but something’s...different.” Wind blustered into the cabin as the door slid open. “Come on.”
The two ponies cautiously made their way to the next car. Trying to remain unseen by the guard ponies on the ground. The Doctor quickly opened the door to the next cabin, ushering Rarity inside. It was dark. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant, like a hospital. They walked quietly inside, making sure there were no guards in the car. As their eyes acclimated to the darkness the Doctor saw the machinery from earlier, still under thick tarps nailed to the floor. He wandered over warily.
“The coast is clear.” he lit the gas lamps on the wall using the sonic screwdriver. There were tools spaced around the cabin rather messily on top of various work tables, and the floor was black with soot.
“Someone needs to do some cleaning in here” said Rarity. “It’s absolutely filthy.”
The Doctor eyed the silhouettes under the tarp. “The floor’s the last of our worries at the moment.” he grabbed the edge in his mouth and tore it away. Upon seeing the creatures underneath he paused for a moment. “Oh no. Oh this can’t be right.”
“Doctor! What are those things?” Rarity cried.
“You know...I’m not quite sure...”
“What!?”
“I thought they were an old enemy of mind, something called a Dalek. The most evil creatures in the universe.”
“Well are they?” Rarity backed up slightly.
“Well....If you look sideways and squint maybe.... Tell me, Rarity, In your time traveling with me, did I ever comment on the numerous improbabilities of your world?” asked the Doctor, walking over to one of the worktables.
“Constantly.”
“Well this is one of those times.” The Doctor found a notebook, he quickly nosed through and shut it with a sharp click. “Oh come on.” he sighed.
“What is it, Doctor?”
“They’re not exactly what I thought.” The Doctor took in a breath. “They’re called...”
“What?” asked Rarity impatiently.
“They’re called....” The Doctor strained to get the word out.
“Well, out with it!”
“Darlocks.” He said resignedly. “They’re called Darlocks.” He spun on his hooves to face one of them. Gas lamp’s flickering light cast shadows around its horse like head. Its eyestalk lay dark and dormant in the center of it’s face. “I bet she made them just for me. She’s taken my greatest fear, and made it into a joke.” He stared into its eye for a long time. “I’m sorry, I really am.” He whirled to face Rarity before she could ask what he meant. “Still, though it looks like a demented chess piece, according to those notes it’s just as dangerous as ever. She’s made an army of them at the factories.”
“An army?” asked Rarity “She rules half the world at this point, what does she need an army for?”
“A very good question.” The Doctor put a hoof to his chin. “I’ve heard a lot of good questions today. It’s time to get some good answers.” He examined the Darlock. “There’s a discrepancy in the notes about the firing mechanism.” He noticed Rarity’s confusion. “That tubey bit next the the plunger. In anycase, normally it fires a concentrated burst of enegy, instantly killing what it comes in contact with. In the notes it appears to have been modified for some other kind of energy. I can’t quite work out what it is though. This math doesn’t make any sense. It’s like they’re measuring something that isn’t the-”
The Doctor was interrupted as the cabin door swung open.
Two scientist ponies walked in, deep in conversation with one another.
“It’s amazing really!” said one. A blue unicorn stallion with thick glasses. “These creatures are almost completely self sustaining.”
“I know!” said the other, a pink earth mare. “They’re completely impossible! The one wh-”
They paused as they noticed Rarity and the Doctor. The four ponies stared at each other in silence.
“Ah, hello!” said the Doctor “I’m....Clockwork.” he cringed at the name. “And this is my assistant Glimmer.”
Rarity shot the Doctor a look, then quickly plastered on a smile. “Yes that’s me, Glimmer. It’s simply fabulous to meet you.”
“Now, now, Glimmer, we’re hear on business, remember? No time for pleasantries.” The Doctor walked over and examined the pair of exceedingly confused scientist.
“Who are you?” asked the stallion.
“A very good question! Isn’t it, Glimmer?” laughed the Doctor jovially.
“Yes, yes it is Doc-...I mean Clockwork!” She joined in the laughter, a bit too loudly. “Very good indeed!”
“They don’t know who we are? Isn’t that funny?” The Doctor laughed a bit louder.
“Hilarious!” said Rarity.
“Oh, that’s a good one. Really, you two had me going for a minute there!” The Doctor was practically in stitches. “Don’t know who we are! Can you imagine, Glimmer?”
“That would be simply too funny, Clockwork!” The Rarity laughed woodenly.
The scientist stared at the two ponies in front of them, more confused than ever. Then the mare began to chuckle. The unicorn stallion gave her a severe look. He couldn’t hold it long and he himself burst into a bout of giggling. Soon the four of them were rolling on the floor laughing.
“Wooo, that was a good one.” The Doctor wiped a tear from his eye. “But really,” he continued, his jovial tone gone. “I’m going to tell you who I am.”
The laughter stopped immediately.
The Doctor got up and walked towards the Darlocks. “But first, I want you to tell me a few things.”
The stallion got to his feet. “Hey, wait a minu-”
The Doctor was on him in a second, his nose inches away.
“You know what? No. I will not wait a minute, you’re quite lucky to have seconds at the moment, so take what you’ve got and don’t try my patience.”
The stallion gulped.
“First question, what is your name.”
“I-it’s Bunsen....Bunsen Burner.” He replied, trying to shrink into the wall.
“Very good, Bunsen,” The Doctor stepped away, looking towards the pink mare. “Second question. What is your name?”
“Delta...it’s Delta” she backed away, huddling beside Bunsen.
“Good,” The Doctor walked back towards Rarity. “now, Bunsen, Delta, it’s time for a third question, a very important question.” He turned to look at them over his shoulder. “These things, these Darlocks, are you responsible for making them?”
“N-no...” said Bunsen. “We’re just here to monitor them during the trip, make sure everything’s alright.”
“What do you know about them?”
Delta leaned forwards. “We don’t know anything. The Queen keeps them top secret.”
“Ooh, now don’t tell me that. You two are scientist, I’ve never met a scientist who wasn’t curious. No way ponies like you would let a mystery like that sit around un-snooped into. So tell me, did you ever look into something you weren’t suppose to? Poke it with a stick? Just take a peek behind that forbidden door?” asked the Doctor raising an eyebrow.
The pair looked at one another for a moment. Then Delta got to her hooves.
“Fine.” she sighed. “When I was working in the lab, I may have seen some shipping orders I wasn’t supposed to. I don’t know more than this, but these things aren’t created at the Queens factories.”
“So they’re not made there?” Rarity chimed in.
“No, they’re only completed there, according to the order they’re made somewhere else.”
“Where, and is there anything else you can tell me?” asked the Doctor, going over to the worktable and grabbing the notebook.
“As far as I can tell- I only took a peek- they come from somewhere outside of Ponyville, in the forest. I don't know anything beyond that. They come here to be checked out by the queen, then to the factories at Dragon Mountain to be....activated as far as I can tell. I coudn't see much, we've only been on the job a few days.”
“Well, now we're getting somewhere!” The scientists’ stepped back as the Doctor whirled to face them. “So, these aren't ready yet. There's another element, and someone else involved. Someone who knows things that definitely don't belong in Equestria.”
“Good! You've got what you wanted, now leave us alone!” Said the Bunsen, bolstering his courage. “Don't hurt us.”
The Doctor looked confused. “Hurt you? Now why in the world would I do that?”
The blue stallion faltered. “Well...aren't you with the resistance or something?...I've heard the stories!”
“Resistance? Never heard of them. Now come on.” The Doctor hopped over to the cabin door, Rarity fallowed close behind.The two scientist stood dumbfounded.
“Well come on then!” he turned back to them. “Don't stand there with you mouths open, are you going to help or not?”
“Help!? Why!?” Delta cried incredulously.
“Because you want to know just as badly as I do.”
Delta deflated a bit.
“Come on,” the Doctor chided. “A mysterious process involved in creating the most advanced machines you lot have ever seen? Don’t you want to know? Isn’t that why you signed up? That old scientific curiosity?” He gestured over to Bunsen, “Him I’m not so sure about.”
“Hey!” Bunsen got to his hooves incredulously. “I’m just a curious as her!”
The Doctor smiled. “Good.” He opened the door with the sonic screwdriver. “Then come on.”
“Where!? Why!?” Asked the scientists in unison.
“The head car of course. We're making a slight detour.”
35 T.R Dragon Mountain
Applejack leapt over a row of Darlocks, hitting the floor at the full gallop, Twilight and Rainbow right behind her. At the sound of their hooves running through the dark the raggedy mares converged on them. Twilight looked around wildly, there were at least five by her count, spaced around around the factory, gaining fast, their loping gait covering twice the ground they did with every step. Applejack risked a backwards glance.
“Quickly, back to the door!” she yelled.
“Oh really? Do you think?” Rainbow Dash overturned a table of equipment in an attempt to slow the pursuing creatures down. One of them stumbled, falling headlong onto the floor. The others quickly made up the difference, undeterred. “You’d better think of something better than that or there’s no way we’re going to make it!”
Applejack looked back at the pursuing raggedies. She stopped suddenly, turning to face them.
“What are you doing!?” cried Twilight skidding to a stop. “Run!”
Rainbow Dash held up a hoof. “Quiet you’ll break her concentration! Keep running!” Twilight noticed Applejack was whispering something. The orange earth pony concentrated and the box around her neck started to glow.
Suddenly the floor in front of her was covered in banana peels.
The Raggedies went slipping and sliding in all directions. Their fabric sagging and stretching grossly as they struggled to right themselves.
“Don’t just stand their gawkin’ Twilight, get a move on!” Applejack ran past the dumbfounded unicorn. “That won’t slow them down for long!”
Twilight regained her wits and quickly followed the two towards the door. “That was amazing!” she yelled. “Conjuring up so many things at once. You never told me you were that good at magic.”
“I’m not.” said Applejack. “But I’m a farmer. If there’s one thing I know, it’s fruit. Now stop flappin’ your gums and run!”
Behind them their pursuers had regained their footing and were coming after them with a fresh burst of speed. Twilight could hear their cloth hooves hitting the ground behind them. A sound she knew far too well. The door was still a ways off, and she knew they weren’t going to hold their lead much longer. She could hear Applejack and Rainbow Dash huffing beside her. Twilight’s own legs were on the verge of quiting on her. The door still seemed so far. She had to do something .
This time Twilight stopped.
“Girl! What’ere you doing!” Applejack yelled.
“I have a plan! It’s a long shot, but it might work!” She held her ground. The raggedies were only a few feet away. The one in the lead paused in front of her, rearing up its belly seams opened to take her inside.
As it descended towards her Twilight took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and yelled. at the top of her lungs.
“Stop!!”
The raggedy mare stopped mid lunge. The others’ stopped as well, tripping over one another as order echoed back. Soon it was completely silent.
Rainbow Dash stopped running. “Woah....”
Applejack trotted up to Twilight, who was still standing extremely still her nose almost inside the opening in the raggedy mare’s chest. “Why didn’t you tell us you could do that?” she asked.
“I didn’t know till just now.” Twilight sighed, slumping to the floor in a heap. “I wish I’d figured it out earlier. They’re this Twilight’s minions, so I figured they might listen to me, no matter the timeline.”
“Well, lucky thing you were right then.” Applejack gave Twilight a rough hoof on the back. “That was close.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash quietly. “good job egghead, your minions still obey you.”
“Hush now Rainbow!”said Applejack. “This girl just saved us. If she was evil, why would she do that?”
“Why indeed.” came a voice from the dark. “Oh well, a few lessons aught to fix any of that sentimental nonsense.”
The three of them froze.
“Lucky me,” the voice continued. Twilight noticed it sounded vaguely familiar. “I happen to come to the factory just in time to catch your little ‘Spy mission.’” the voice giggled. “That’s so cute. And will you look at that! I’m doubly lucky. You’re just the pony I was looking for, Twilight.”
Twilightwo sauntered out of the darkness. “We have so much in common.”
Applejack and Rainbow Dash stepped protectively in front of Twilight, taking up fighting stances.
“Oh, now that’s no good. I deplore violence you know.” said Twilighttwo sweetly. “You two might get hurt and I wouldn’t want that to happen to my closest friends.” she clicked her tongue. “But still, can’t have you two messing up my plans now can I?” Twilighttwo put her hoof to her chin and looked at the ceiling. “What to do...what to do...Oh this is a conundrum. Oh wait! I know! This is the perfect time to test out the new guys isn’t it? They are ever so eager to please.” The alicorn’s horn began to glow a dark purple. “Twilight, step away from them please. This could get messy.”
Twilight looked on, open mouthed at the pony in front of her. She was lovely, her mane and tail the same dark purple of the twilight sky, her coat perfectly groomed. Twilight was mesmerized. She stared in awe of her future self, powerful, intelligent, beautiful everything she could have hoped for. Until she looked into her eyes. They were the same dark eyes from the painting in the library, the same eyes that had haunted her since she’d arrived and the same dark eyes that kept the sun from rising.
“No.” she said quietly.
“What’s that?” asked Twilighttwo, putting a hoof to her ear. “I can’t hear you sweetie.”
“No.” she said again.
“Oh, Twilight, there’s no use fighting it. I’m you after all, who knows you better than yourself? Now come, let me show you your kingdom.”
“No!” Twilight shrieked.
Twilightwo’s mocking smiled vanished.
“You’re not me and I’ll never be you! You’re evil, vile, and nothing like me at all! I will not step away.” Twilight came up between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “These are my friends, something I would never forget.” She looked directly into Twilighttwo’s dark eyes. “And I’ll never abandon them.”
Twilighttwo scowled, but her smile returned immediately. “Fine, I see I’ll have to work with you a bit. In the mean time I’ll just have to tell my boys to aim very carefully. They are ever such good shots.” Her horn glowed even brighter and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of whirling machinery. “Last chance Twilight.” She smiled.
“I said no.” Twilight took a defiant step forwards.
“Very well then.” Twilightwo took a deep breath. “Wakey wakey boys! I have something for you to play with.” he smile grew wider than Twilight thought possible.
Suddenly the Darlocks started to shake. The three ponies threw their hooves over their ears as the cavern was suddenly filled with noise. It grew louder and louder as they shook ever more violently. The ground began to quiver beneath them as the force escalated. Rainbow Dash screamed.
Then as suddenly as it had begun everything stopped. Rainbow’s scream echoed in the silence.
“They’re awake.” said Twilighttwo sung happily.
The room was filled with blue lights, all of them fixed on Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
“You know what to do.” Twilightwo reached out a hoof an stroked the nearest machine.
“EXTERMINATE.” It said.
“Good boy.”
Then the world exploded.
35 T.R Dragon Moutain
The explosion knocked everypony off their hooves. Twilight and the others were tossed in different directions as the cavern wall burst inwards in a shower of rocks and debris. Twilight lost sight of Twilighttwo as she was knocked end over end into a wall.
Her body ached as she got up, shaking away the stars in front of her eyes. Dust hung heavy in the air. She stumbled forwards to find an eyestalk inches from her face. She yelped and backed away, tripping over a rock dislodged in the explosion. Twilight looked up, and realized that the rest of the Darlock had been crushed by a falling boulder.
“I thought you said you could drive a train?” said a voice in the debris.
“I in fact said we were taking a detour my dear Rarity. Technically that is still true.”
Twilight’s ears perked up as she heard the second voice. She quickly turned in it’s direction. “Doctor!”
“Twilight!?” called the voice.
“Doctor, I’m over here!” she raced off in the direction of the sound.
“I’m coming! Just keep talking, I’ll find you!”
“I’m coming!”
“No! Stay still, I don’t want t-” The Doctor was interrupted as they ran headfirst into each other. They both fell to the ground rubbing their heads. “Bump into you...” he finished.
“Ow...” Twilight moaned. She quickly regained her wits. “Doctor, what happened! There was an explosion! And there are these things! These robot things! I don’t know how I know it, but they shouldn’t be here, Doctor! How did you escape? Where are the others?”
“Well hello to you too.” Said the Doctor. “I’m glad you’re alright, you really should be more careful.” the Doctor examined their surroundings. “To answer those questions, I know about the ‘things’, you’re right, they shouldn’t be here. They’re called Darlocks. To answer the second question I have no idea where everyone is, Rarity’s here somewhere, but I lost her in the smoke. Oh! And Delta and Bunsen, I’ll have to introduce you later.To answer the third question of what happened here, I crashed a train into the side of the factory.”
“A train?! Are the rail-ponies okay?” Twilight looked around in the disaster.
“Rail-ponies?”
“The ponies that pulled it here. They’re probably hurt!”
“Twilight, your concern is wonderful, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “There were no ‘Rail-ponies’.”
“Then how did the train move?” asked Twilight, confused.
“Wait....let me wrap my head around this, you have trains in your time, right?”
“Of course.”
“But they’re pulled, by these ‘Rail ponies.”
“Yes, that’s how it’s always been.”
“So, just making sure I’ve got this straight. In this world, you invented the train....before you came up with the steam engine?”
Twilight looked at the Doctor, more confused than ever.
“And you see nothing wrong with this?”
“No....should there be?”
Twilight was surprised as the Doctor pulled her into a hug. “Oh I missed you, Twilight Sparkle!”
She returned the hug. “Yeah, I missed you too.”
Rarity walked up through the smoke. “Is now really the time for pleasantries?”
“Rarity!” Twilight yelled. It suddenly dawned on her that something was missing. “Applejack! Rainbow Dash!” she yelled. “Are you alright?”
There was a groan in the dark. “I reckon I’ll live.”
“I’m okay.” called another.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief. The two ponies wandered over to the group, a little unsteady on their hooves, but otherwise okay.
As the Doctor opened his mouth to say something, Twilightwo’s voice rang out through the darkness. “Get them! All of them! This will not stand!”
“Oops, looks like introductions will have to come later.” said the Doctor as a few damaged Darlocks activated again in the dark. “Time to run.”
As he finished the sentence, a ray of dark light parted the curtain of smoke, inches away from his face.
“Like I said, run!”
The five of them, galloped behind the Doctor, leaping over fallen rocks and pieces of the train. The Darlock’s fire whizzed through the air after them, sending flashes of deep purple light crackling through the darkness.
“EXTERMINATE!” Called several metallic voices in unison.
“Oh, well at least she got the catch phrase right.” remarked the Doctor.
“Shut up and run!” yelled Applejack.
They came to the hole in the cavern made by the train. Bunsen and Delta stood waiting by the wreckage.
“Hey where are you going!” asked Delta as they streamed past.
“EXTERMINATE!” she ducked as a bolt of light whizzed above her ears.
“Away from that!” called the Doctor. “Run!”
The two scientist were hot on their hooves as they followed behind. Twilight and the Doctor running in the lead.
“Where are we going?” asked Twilight breathlessly.
“There’s another train on the side of the mountain.” replied the Doctor. “I saw it before we hit the side. It leads into the forest, and I have a feeling I know where.”
“Where’s that?” asked Rarity.. “I hope it’s better than your last stop!”
“If I’m correct, those tracks lead to the Lantern Castle. In that case, I think we’ll find the answer to this whole mess.”
The five of them put on a new burst of speed as the Darlocks began to stream out of the cavern. A hundred calls of “EXTERMINATE!” chased them into the night.
“Well, did you make it?” asked Trixie, fidgeting with anticipation.
The Doctor chuckled. “Well, if you’ll let me finish I’ll tell you.”
“Fine, fine just hurry up! I want to know if you were okay!”
“One cannot rush the art of storytelling my dear, Trixie,” the Doctor chastised .
“I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie! I can do whatever I wish!”
“Oh is that so?” asked the Doctor raising an eyebrow. “Well then, let’s see if you can make me finish the story. Perhaps, if you’re so impatient, I’ll just go back to fixing up my magic box.” The Doctor got up and turned towards the control panel.
“No wait!” Trixie jumped in front of him. “Tell it as slow as you want! Just finish it, please oh please!”
“Oh, I thought the Great and Powerful Trixie wanted a fast story?”
“She will accept a slow one, just this once.”
The Doctor smiled. “Good, now let’s see. We were trying to outrun a small fleet of damaged Darlocks in an effort to reach a train, one that would take us to the Castle of Lanterns in the Everfree Forest.” He paused for a second, scratching his chin in thought. ”It’s only a few miles from where we are now, actually. You know time is a funny thing, people think it’s a linear progression of events but it’s really more li-”
“Doctor! Back on topic! Did you get away or not?” Trixie huffed indignantly.
“Hmm? Oh yes, very well. So, we were running, getting closer to the train with every step, while dodging Darlock lasers. We came to a bend where the mountain ended and the platform began when Applejack yelled....”
35 T.R Dragon Station
“I’m afraid you two are on your own from here!”
“What!?” cried Twilight, ducking as another purple ray of light whizzed past her head. “Where are you going!?”
“My ponies are in there an’ she’ll find ’em for sure now that she’s seen us! There ain’t no way we can leave them in there on their own! There’s a passage into the mountain around the bend, we’ll be fine! Come’on Rainbow!” She turned to look back at the galloping scientist in the rear. “Ya’ll are them sciencey types right?”
“Yes!” cried Bunsen. “We’re scientists! All I ever wanted to do was put things in test tubes, now I’m being shot at! By something I helped build! Where did I go wrong!?” he blubbered.
“Stop your whining!” yelled Delta. She turned to Applejack, “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know either of ya’ll, but if you’re on our side, we could really use your help.” Applejack dodged a stream of lasers, taking a sharp left. “These things are fast! We need some more hoofs on the defenses. You aught to know a thing or two about weaponry, since you were workin’ for Twilight, Right?”
“Anything that gets me away from him!” yelled Bunsen nodding towards the Doctor. “I’ve known him for thirty minutes and he’s almost killed us! Twice! He’s insane!”
“That’s half the fun, isn’t it?” the Doctor called back.
“I’ll help, too,” Delta added. “I’ve never liked where this whole ‘Empire’ was going anyways.”
“Come on then! The bend is comin’ up; follow my lead, and for the love of apples don’t trip!” Applejack looked back at Twilight. “Good luck. If this ‘Doctor’ can do what you say he can, maybe you can fix all this.”
Twilight nodded solemnly. “We’re certainly going to try.”
Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight for a moment. “Look, egghead... I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you back there. If you really can fix this... I mean set everything back the way it was...” she paused for a second. “Just... don’t screw up, okay?”
Despite their situation, Twilight smiled. “Okay, Rainbow.”
Applejack looked at Rarity. “It’s good to see you, fancy mane.”
“Likewise, I’m sure.” said Rarity with a smile.
“Here it comes!” yelled Applejack as they headed towards a fork in the path. “Ready? Turn!”
She and the others shot off to the side and, with a backwards glace, they were lost in the mountains. Some Darlocks split off and followed them, a few missing the turn and falling to their doom on the rocks below.
“Looks like it’s just you and me again, eh Ms. Sparkle?” The Doctor remarked as he galloped next to her. “Ah, yes, running for our lives once again. We’ve been doing a lot of that today, haven’t we?”
“Hey! What about me!?” asked Rarity.
“Oh!” said the Doctor. “I thought you went with the others!”
“Not a chance,” Rarity scoffed. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
“Well, I guess it’s just like new-old times then,” the Doctor remarked. “Oh well, back to the running!”
A Darlock’s beam arced through the air, taking some of Twilight’s mane with it. She screamed. “Yeah! And I think we’d better do it a bit faster!”
The train was only a few yards away and, they put on a fresh burst of speed to cover the remaining ground. The Doctor pulled ahead and yanked open the cabin door. Twilight and Rarity leapt through, landing haphazardly on their hooves. The Doctor climbed inside moments before another ray hit the door, leaving a perfectly circular hole in the metal.
“I knew their firing mechanism was different!” the Doctor exclaimed.
“Admire it later!” yelled Twilight. “We need to move, and I don’t know how this thing works!”
“Good point,” the Doctor admitted. “Follow me to the front car. We need to get the engine running!”
The Darlocks were closing the gap fast; Twilight could hear their shots striking the side of the car and, through the holes they created, she could see their metal chassis approaching. The Doctor raced forward, Twilight following closely behind. They weaved through the space between cars, covering the last few at a full gallop.
The Doctor skidded to a stop, whirling to face Twilight. “Can you start a fire?”
“Yes!” Twilight cried, looking back between the Doctor and the approaching Dalocks. “Tell me what you need me to do!”
“See that black stuff up there?” He pointed to the coal car behind them.
“Yeah...”
“Float it into the thing that looks like an oven.” He nodded to the coal burner. “When it’s half full, start a fire. And be quick about it! I’ll be in the lead car prepping the engine.”
“What can I do?” Rarity asked.
The Doctor looked her up and down. “Um... Tell you what, you stay with Twilight, and make sure she doesn’t get killed alright?”
“Yes, sir, Doctor.” Rarity huffed.
Twilight turned to the coal car, concentrating. Her horn glowed purple and lumps of coal floated into the burner. A hole appeared in the cabin wall a few feet away, and through it she could hear the Darlocks closing in, their calls of “EXTERMINATE!” ringing in her ears. She redoubled her efforts, filling the burner even faster with the black lumps of rock. In the other room she could hear the Doctor working, pulling leavers and prepping the engine. When she was finished, she backed up and concentrated even harder. The tip of her horn glowed red hot, a bolt of fire went sailing into the middle of the mountain of coal with a fierce crackle.
“Doctor, it’s ready!” Twilight ran full pelt into the front car with Rarity in tow. The Doctor was working furiously at the controls.
“What else can we do?” the two unicorns called in unison.
“You can sit back, and pray that this thing starts…” The Doctor gabbed a large leaver in his teeth and yanked it sharply. Twilight and Rarity stumbled as the train lurched forwards. “And we’re off!”
The Darlocks were mere feet away from the train as it slowly gained speed. Twilight gazed out the window to see their eyestalks peering back at her, all too close for comfort. Their shots marred the side of the train over and over again as they closed the gap. She turned back to the Doctor.
“Can this thing go any faster!?” she asked.
Rarity peered out the window. “Doctor, I concur with Twilight; we need to be out of here post-haste!”
“I’m trying, but a train needs time to gain speed!” The Doctor rushed around the conductor’s booth in a blur.
“Um... Doctor, must I tell you, time is something we don’t have!” Rarity screeched as an another round of fire rattled the side of the car.
“EXTERMINATE!”
“It’s okay, I’ve got a plan!” The Doctor looked around wildly. “We have to disconnect the rest of the cars. Less mass, more speed!”
“Good idea!” Twilight agreed.
The Doctor fidgeted slightly. “One problem though...”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “There’s always one isn’t there?”
“Oh, yes” said the Doctor, gesturing to the cabin door. “The couplings are on the outside of the cars, as is the standard design of every train. So, whoever unlocks them is going to have to get close, and by close I mean go outside.”
“Any good news!?” asked Twilight
“Actually, yes. There’s around fifteen or so Darlocks trying to kill us at the moment, so there’s only an eighty-five percent chance of ending up resembling something like swiss cheese.”
Twilight stepped up. “Let me do it. I can use my magic, so I don’t have to get as close.”
The Doctor shook his head. “You still have to see it to work any magic, right?”
“Yes, that’s true...”
“Then it’s just as dangerous for you. I’m the one that brought you here, and you’re in enough danger as is. I’m not going to toss you into more of it.”
The car shook again as the Darlocks continued their pursuit.
“Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Rarity looked at him for a moment. “Doctor, do you really want me to answer that?”
“No, Rarity, your silence is appreciated.” He walked towards the door. “So, that lever over there controls the speed of the train. It’s set to full blast, so when the cars are disconnected this thing is going to speed down the tracks like a rocket..” The Doctor reached into his coat pocket, clenching the sonic screwdriver between his teeth. “Try to stay upright. I’ll be back....Probably” he mumbled past the screwdriver.
“You’d better,” whispered Rarity.
“Be careful,” Twilight added.
The Doctor winked, then walked out the door.
35 T.R Dragon Moutain.
Applejack dove through the secret passage hidden among the rocks, Rainbow Dash and the two scientist ponies barely ahead while the Darlocks nipped at her heels.
“Close the door!” Rainbow shouted as she dived to avoid another round of Darlock fire.
“I’ll do a might better than that.” Applejack turned around and gave the passage wall a sharp buck. The walls began to shake, dislodging the loose rocks above. “Get clear!”
The four ponies raced forwards, dodging falling rocks as the entrance collapsed. Behind them they could hear the metal clanging against stone as the Darlocks near the avalanche were buried. With a whoosh of air the passage behind them collapsed.
Applejack skidded to a stop, peering back at the sealed tunnel. “We’ve gotta hurry. That may hold ‘em off on this end but, if I know Twilight, and I do, it won’t be long ‘fore she starts wondering how we got in there.” Applejack looked at Rainbow. “She’s never asked Spike directly about where we were, but once she figures it out he’ll have to tell her. We have to ready the troops.”
Rainbow turned to Bunsen and Delta. “You heard her! You two, we’ll need your help getting the artillery ready. Follow me.” The pegasus allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. “Applejack, get our secret weapon.”
Applejack returned the smile. “Can do.”
They came to a fork in the tunnels. The Pegasus turned, Bunsen and Delta following as they headed towards the armory. Applejack took the other path, running as fast as she could. When she came across a row of doors she stopped at the fifth one, stones scattering as she skidded to an abrupt halt. Her H.O.R.N. glowed and the door swung open. Inside was a sparse room, a bed of hay laid in the corner where a large red stallion lay sleeping.
“It’s time. Are you ready?” she asked.
The stallion stirred slightly, lifting his head. He shook the sleep from his body, yawning loudly.
“Eeeyup.”
35 T.R Dragon Station
The Doctor inched his way out the door onto the railing between the cars, the sonic screwdriver clenched tightly between his teeth. The majority of the Darlocks concentrating their fire on the head car and had yet to notice the brown earth pony making his way toward the couplings.
“EXTERMINATE!” The metallic voices called into the gloomy twilight.
The Doctor leaned forwards, inching his way around the protective railing. Below him the tracks flowed by, the iron wheels of the train clanking loudly as the lead car strained to pull its weight. He stretched his neck, pushing the tip of the screwdriver forwards.
The Darlock at the back of the pack whirled around at the sound, its eye stalk now fixated on the Doctor.
“YOU ARE THE DOCTOR!”
“Oh, so you can talk. I was starting to wonder,” the Doctor grunted around the screwdriver, still straining to get closer to the couplings. “You really need to expand your vocabulary. ‘Exterminate’ is getting old.”
“YOU AND THE UNICORN ARE TO BE TAKEN TO THE QUEEN.”
“Sorry, I met her once, and I have no plans on meeting her again.” The Doctor hooked one of his back legs through the railing, leaning as far as he dared. “She wasn’t very polite I must say.”
“THEN YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!” The Darlock’s eyestalk swung wildly through the air. “THE QUEEN WILL BE OBEYED. SHE WILL BE OBEYED! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!”
“You know something?” asked the Doctor. “I’ve had those words shouted at me so many times by something else, something very much like you, but very, very different. You know what I’ve noticed?”
“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOUR QUERY!?”
“I’ve yet to be exterminated.” The sonic screwdriver whirled to life, the couplings flew apart with a metallic clank. “Sayonara!”
“EXTERMINATE!!”
The lead car shot forwards, sparks bursting from the squealing wheels. The Doctor locked a forehoof around the railing, the sudden acceleration almost tossing from the train.
“EXTERMINATE!!” Rays of dark light shot through the air after the doctor as the train sped off into the distance. A neat hole appeared in the metal inches from the Doctor's head.
“Time to go!” He dashed back inside, slamming the door behind him as another large hole appeared in its frame. The train quickly chugged past the border to the Everfree forest, leaving the Darlocks shouting in the darkness.
Twilight and Rarity stumbled about, trying to find their balance as the Doctor returned to the conductors booth.
“Doctor, you’re alright! Thank goodness!” Twilight yelled as she leaped forward to embrace him.
He shrugged off the violet unicorn. “Of course. Was there ever any doubt?”
“Yes,” Rarity deadpanned.
The Doctor resolutely ignored her. “Look smart, ladies; we’re on our way to the Castle of Lanterns! Onwards and Upwards!!”
1001 C.R.
Pinkie Pie sat in front of the toy shop. The roaring inside had grown steadily louder since the Doctor and Twilight had left. She looked on in interest as the windows shook and the remaining walls strained to support the weight of the shop. The ponies' Festival of Blooms had come to a halt. No one in town felt much like celebrating anymore. All of them lay in their beds, trying to ignore the strange sounds that echoed through the alleys of Ponyville. Pinkie stood, unfazed, her thoughts for once centered on one thing; when her friends would return to silence the roaring and bring peace back to Ponyville.
35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Twilight's Factory)
Twilighttwo walked through the debris of the factory, surveying the damage the crash had caused. The entire east wall had caved in and now the gloomy twilight flooding inside, illuminating the wreckage of the train. Almost all of the Darlocks in that corner of the factory had been irreparably destroyed. She did not fret over this, since she could always make more. No, she had far more important things to worry about at the moment.
A few Raggedies had set about trying to clean the area, two of which were attempting to move a large bolder that had fallen on one of the control panels. Their loose, tearing fabric hides stretching and sagging as they strained to move the monstrous rock. Twilighttwo sneered; they were such ugly things, so inefficient. It was shameful she had relied on them for so long.
She looked around the factory at the remaining Darlocks, allowing a thin smile to creep back onto her face. She wouldn't have to worry about that for much longer. Soon she would have her army, and her plans would be realized.
One of the Raggedies strained too much. It's foreleg was torn from it's body with a terrible ripping sound. What little stuffing was left inside went flooding out onto the floor It flailed around for a several seconds before, its empty covering fluttered lifelessly to the ground. The other Raggedy stopped what it was doing, looked down at the flat pile of cloth, then up at Twilighttwo.
“Useless,” she said simply. Her horn glowed and, with a brilliant flash of light, the other was reduced to a pile of colourful ash.
“YOUR MAJESTY.”
Twilighttwo turned to find the Darlocks she’d sent out had returned. She smiled, until she noticed that the Doctor and Twilight were not among them.
“THE DOCTOR AND THE UNICORN HAVE EVADED CAPTURE.”
Twilightwo grimaced; it seemed this was going to be harder than she thought. “We know where they're going. Fetch the factory guards, have them ready a chariot.” She spun around, looking towards a door in the side of the cavern. “In the meantime, I’ve need to have a word with an old friend of mine.”
35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Rebel Camp)
Delta fiddled with a large metal ball in the rebel’s laboratory. The room was filled with tables, each covered with miscellaneous equipment. Bunsen hovered around her anxiously.
“What are we doing here?” He pressed. “Oh, Horseapples, what are we doing here!? When the Queen finds us it won't just be the dungeons, oh no! It'll be like Hoofton all over again!”
“Will you shut up?” said Delta. “I have to get this Applebomb ready.”
Bunsen whirled around to stare at the pink scientist. “You're not worried about this!? We could be hurt, or worse! A few hours ago I was on a train. I knew where I was going and I knew what I was doing! And then, out of the blue, some random pony waltzes in and now we're stuck here, helping to build bombs for the rebels!”
“It's been a very strange day, Bunsen.”
“Strange!? Strange doesn't begin to cover it! I've been chased by....by...Insane chess pieces! And for what?”
Delta rolled the Applebomb into a nearby supply bin. It fell with a loud thud.
“You're a smart pony, right, Bunsen?” Delta asked, raising an eyebrow.
Bunsen paused. “Huh? Well, yeah, of course. You know that; we've been classmates forever.”
“Well, how about you act like it.”
Bunsen blinked. “What do you mean?”
Delta looked at him, grabbing another bomb, and working on it fiercely. “Think about it, Bunsen. Everyone in Equestria knows it. It has been thirty-five years since the last time it was daylight. You, nor I, have ever seen the sun. We’ve never seen the moon either, for that matter. The Raggedies, stealing people away? Those… those... things that chased us here!?” She paused for a second and let out a long sigh before continuing. “It's not right, Bunsen. It's not something we can ignore anymore. It's this kingdom, it's Twilight. It's wrong. You may not want to do anything about it, but I know for sure you're thinking it just as much as I am. You can't want this to continue.”
She rolled another bomb to the container and continued working in silence.
Bunsen looked at the ground. Delta continued working in silence. Finally, he stuttered “I-I dont...”
“Don’t what?” Delta interrupted.
He shuffled his hooves. “…I'm scared. I don’t want to... to…”
Delta looked up, and smiled. “I know what you’re trying to say, and I don’t want to either. Well, that's a good thing. At least we have that much in common.” She looked up at the ceiling, her eyes far away. “I'm terrified.” She got up and locked eyes with her counterpart. “But, we're doing this anyway. Now, come on, we have to get these things finished and I don't think we have much time.”
Bunsen sighed. “I'm going to regret this aren't I?”
Delta gave him an awkward smile. “Count on it.”
35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Twilight's Factory)
Spike sat alone in his cave, pressing his ear against the wall. He'd heard the earlier commotion. Something was wrong. Twilight and the others hadn't returned yet. They should have been back long ago. He fiddled with his massive claws in worry. What if they were hurt? What if she'd found them? He couldn't stand the silence and quickly took to using his claws to gouge the rock, if only to distract his wandering mind from the possibilities he didn’t want to think about. He sifted and squirmed in the dark as he waited for something, anything to happen.
He didn't want to lose her again.
The door swung open. Spike jumped at the sound, swinging his massive head forwards.
“Twilight?” He called hopefully.
Twilighttwo strolled through the door, humming merrily. “Oh, Spike, how ever did you know it was me? I thought I'd pay you a visit, and it was supposed to be a surprise.” She pouted.
Spike's face fell. “Um...lucky guess, Twi? Just blame the old dragon sense, I suppose.”
“Mmmhhh, ‘Dragon sense’.” Twilighttwo nodded. “That would explain it.” She walked up to Spikes foot, putting a hoof on one of his claws. “Now, I have to wonder something…” she
Spike’s eyes shifted from side to side, as if he was trying to find a path of escape. “W-what would that be, Twi?”
“Well…” she began, casually examining her hoof, “This 'Dragon Sense' of yours knew I was coming, so perhaps it could help me find something else…”
“Um... n-no, I-I don't think it works that way. It's, err... in the Rules of Dragons, page 978. But, if you like, I could tell you abou-”
Twilighttwo cut him short “Spike, let's not beat around the bush. You're my friend, right?”
“Whatever's best for you.” Spike replied automatically.
Twilightwo smiled. “Yes. Now, is this the first time you've seen me today?”
“…No…” Spike grunted through clenched teeth.
“Hmmm, that's interesting. Well now, next question, have you seen our old friends Appplejack and Rainbow Dash today?”
“…Yes...”
“Excellent. Just one more Spike, then we're finished, okay?” Twilighttwo sang sweetly.
The dragon nodded mechanically.
“When they came to visit, where did they come from?”
Spike groaned.
“Come now. Just let it out. It'll be easier.”
Spike mumbled something quietly.
“I'm sorry, could you say that a bit louder?”
Spike was shaking, his eyes tightly clamped shut. “Don’t make me...”
For a moment, Twilighttwo’s face softened. Her dark eyes took on a lighter tone and, as Spike peered down at her, he thought she looked sad.
He thought she looked like Twilight. The other Twilight.
And then it was gone, disappearing as suddenly as it had come. Twilighttwo glared at him with eyes as dark as ever. “Tell me, Spike. Tell me now. No more games. Where. Are. They?”
He had no choice. Spike opened his mouth and began to speak.
35 T.R Everfree Rails
The train rounded a bend, the wind whistling through the holes sustained in the escape. Trees hung over the tracks, their gnarled branches looking like snatching hands in the dark, their thick foliage blocking out what little light there was. The Everfree forest was the closest thing to total night in Equestria.
Twilight and Rarity had gone into the workpony’s room at the back of the lead car, both sitting on the sparse beds as they waited for the train to reach its destination. Twilight stared at Rarity in curiousity; she hadn’t changed at all since she’d last seen her. The white unicorn still had the same purple curls, the same finely groomed coat and, judging by what she’d gleaned from Rarity’s talking, the same upper-class personality.
Rarity returned the look. “May I help you?”
Twilight snapped out of her thoughts. “Huh?”
“You’re staring at me like I’ve grown a second head.”
“Oh,” Twilight said, suddenly self-conscious. “I’m sorry. It’s just… you look the same.”
“Well, in my defense, so do you,” Rarity retorted huffily.
“Not like that. I mean, it was just yesterday. I was at your shop, you needed help with that large order, but after a while you said I terrible at sewing, so you just had me-”
“Organize the sewing tools.” Rarity laughed. “Yes, I remember that. It was fifty years ago from yesterday, actually. You were ever the organizer…” She sighed. “You’re still like that now, though I must say your manners leave much to be desired.”
“I’m sorry...” Twilight mumbled, downcast.
“Oh no dear, it’s not your fault... yet.”
Twilight brightened. “Thanks, Rarity. If we can work this out it never will be, too.” She stopped to considered something. “You know, you seem to be taking all of this in stride.”
“Well, you get used to it.” Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “I find that, after traveling with the Doctor, nothing surprises me any more.”
“Tell me about i-” Twilight froze. “Wait, you traveled with the Doctor!?”
“Oh yes, I suppose he didn’t have time to tell you, did he? Yes, you were there for that too, actually. Why do you sound so surprised?”
“Well... it’s just you don’t really seem like the type.”
The door opened and the Doctor stuck his head inside. “You two, stop bickering and come to the conductors booth. I think you’ll very much want to see this.”
Twilight let out a sigh of relief, they got up and followed the Doctor into the booth, where he pointed to a map on the wall.
“This shows the layout of the Everfree forest and, assuming my calculations are correct, and they most certainly are, we’re… here.” He stabbed a hoof at a section of the tracks. “That means that, around this next bend, is a tunnel and, through that tunnel, is the Castle of Lanterns! We’ll be arriving in a few minutes by my estimate.”
“If we’re that close then shouldn’t we be able to see it by now?” asked Rarity.
“You can see it, if you look closely,” said the Doctor as they rounded the bend, towards the tunnel on the map. “See the trees above?”
Twilight peered up at the tree line, trying to see what the Doctor was talking about. At first she couldn’t make out anything besides the trees, their tightly-packed limbs blocking out most of the light. However, through small breaks in the green cover, she could trace the faintest of patterns arching over an area of the forest.
“It’s a dome... a dome of trees,” she whispered softly. Against the backdrop of foliage it was almost invisible, but there was a collection of trees and vines that grew around the base of the tunnel, reaching upwards into the canopy.
“Grown that way on purpose, I’d imagine,” the Doctor explained. “Seems a bit too bright for Twilighttwo’s standards.” He stepped up to the controls. “Right through that tunnel is our destination, wherein we should find some answers to this little quandary. You ready?” He looking back as the tunnel approached.
“If it answers my questions, I’m ready for anything.” Twilight replied resolutely.
Rarity fidgeted back and forth on the tips of her hooves. “Oh this is exciting! It’s just like that time with th-”
The Doctor shushed her. “No revealing future...past...events! Now…” he said, looking through the windshield, “…Onwards and Upwards!”
The train sped into the tunnel, and the three were plunged into darkness.
It suddenly became deathly quiet, the only sound breaking the silence being the clicking wheels on tracks and the soft roar of coal burning in the engines. As the train propelled them forwards though the dark, Twilight found herself thinking about what Applejack had told her. In the castle ahead, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be inside. What must they think of her? Not to mention Fluttershy, their apparently appointed nurse, acting as their caretaker for the last thirty-five years. Did she really want to face them? Could she?
The Doctor interrupted her thoughts. “Rarity, Twilight, put these on. According to the map you might need them.” The Doctor shoved something plastic in her direction.
“What are they?” asked Rarity.
“Sunglasses” the Doctor answered flatly.
“And where in Equestria did you get sunglasses?” the unicorn asked as she spun them around with her magic. Twilight guessed that, from Rarity’s look of distaste, she was less than satisfied with them.
“Never underestimate the power of pockets,” said the Doctor. “Now, will someone help me get these things on? How people in this world get anything on their faces is beyond me.”
Twilight floated a pair onto the Doctor’s face, shortly followed by her donning her own pair. Rarity easily got them on by herself.
“Are you sure this is necessary?” she asked plaintively. “Sunglasses at night are terribly unfashionable.”
“Look for yourself” said the Doctor. “We're here.”
The tunnel abruptly ended. Despite the sunglasses, the three threw up their hooves as the blinding light flooded the cabin. Twilight couldn’t even make out the castle, only a fierce ball of light glowing in the center of the dome. Above them the trees and vines almost glowed under the force of it, tinting everything a vague green. Lanterns hovered above every few feet of tracks, their balloon-like form held up by their candle’s heat. However, in comparison to the castle at the center, the light they provided may as well have not been there at all. The same could be said for the walls, on which candle plates hung, seemingly at random in every available space. Enchanted, Twilight guessed, so as not to cause a fire, and to never burn out.
As they got closer, the light became more intense, something Twilight didn’t think was possible. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to not be completely blinded.
“Looks like we’ll need something a bit stronger.” The doctor noted. He reached into his front pocked and retrieved the sonic screwdriver. “Hold still,” he mumbled. He pointed the small tool at Twilight’s glasses. “There you go; I’ve upped the UV protection three-hundred percent. With those you should be able to see on the surface of the sun.” He did likewise to Rarity and, after some fine tuning, himself as well.
Twilight opened her eyes again. She could make out the castle now; it wasn’t nearly as opulent as she’d imagined. It sat there, covered in candles and lanterns, in various states of decay. It was a classic castle much like the one in Canterlot. Its top most spire was missing a good chunk of its masonry and leaned oddly to the left, threatening to topple over and take its neighbor with it. The bricks were dirty and old and there were few windows without holes, assuming they weren’t gone completely. More lanterns bobbed on strings attached to every railing and awning. The castle was so decrepit it was a wonder they didn’t carry it away.
“Well, that’s a fixer-upper,” quipped the Doctor.
“I don’t think even I could save this place, and that’s saying something,” Rarity commented. “I’ve heard legends about it, but I’ve never seen it in person. They made it sound so pretty, so opulent! A castle covered in lanterns, like something out of a beautiful fairy tale.”
“More like a nightmare,” Twilight said sadly
The Doctor pulled the brake as they came to the station. The wheels screeched in protest as the train stopped with a sickening lurch, almost tossing the three ponies to the floor.
The brown pony inspected the controls. “Hmmm, I might need some more practice at stopping trains....”
“A lot more practice.” Rarity said huffily.
“Hey! At least it was better than the last time.” the Doctor replied. “Now, let’s give this place a looksee, I have a feeling this castle is more than it appears. Onwards and Upwards!” He opened the cabin door, and stepped onto the platform. The stonework was just as dirty here as it was on the outside. In the corner near the door a wooden bench sat sadly, one of it’s legs had completely rotted away, leaving it to sag against the ground. Near the edge, a ticket booth lay in disarray the glass broken on the ground in long jagged pieces, a moldy chair lay on it’s side behind the desk beside a roll of tickets that had almost completely turned to dust. Along the stone roof, yet more lanterns hung on strings above their heads, one had fallen onto the ground near the Doctor’s hoof. He nudged it gingerly. “Twilight, Rarity,” he said softly. “Stay close to me.”
He walked towards the door, nudging it open slowly, Twilight and Rarity close behind. They stepped inside, and the door swung shut behind them.
Twilight didn’t like that sound.
35 T.R Dragon Mountain (Rebel Camp)
Busen and Delta shoved and pushed their way through the crowd of rebels which had collected around the center of the camp. In the middle of the circle Applejack stood next to Big Mac, who wore hastily made battle armor, to which was attached something that looked a bit like a catapult. Rainbow Dash stood off to the side, muttering something to one of the rebels.
Applejack cleared her throat. “I reckon what we always feared is upon us. It is only a matter of time until the queen locates us, and launches an attack.” Waves of panic spread the the crowd, several ponies began to shout, and yell, trying to be heard above the sudden din of noise. Applejack shushed them with a hoof. “Now I know y’all are scared. To be completely honest, I’m scared too. But we always knew this would happen, and we’re prepared.” she pointed to some random ponies in the crowd. “Thunder Jumper, you Sink, and Swim take Silver mane and Rose Catcher to the east and south entrances.” She stomped a hoof, and they were off to their posts. “Flashfire, and Wind Whistler, go the the armory and get the Applebombs ready for Big Mac, our newest members, Bunsen and Delta will help you.” she pointed to the two scientist. “I know we ain’t to keen on strangers in our ranks, but these two have done good work. Give them your full respect.” She turned to the blue Pegasus beside her. “Rainbow, you’re with me. The rest of you, line up at the north gate, that’s where we go to meet Spike, she’ll most likely come through there first. Ready?”
“Resistance!” the crowd roared.
“Then get the anchors off your tails and get to it!”
Bunsen and Delta turned and raced off back towards the armory, Wind Whistler, a light blue pegasus, and Flashfire, a read and orange earth pony, following in their wake.
As though to punctuate the speech, the cavern shook violently as they ran, the tremors emanating from the north gate, as Applejack had feared. Rock dust fell from the ceiling in clumps, clinging to manes, and getting into eyes as everypony readied themselves for what was coming.
Bunsen gulped. “We’re dead aren’t we?” the cavern shook more fiercely.
“Not if I have anything to say about it” said Delta. “Now come on! Double time, we have to get those bombs loaded up!”
They reached the door at a full gallop. Bunsen and and Delta quickly went inside hitched the weapons to a makeshift hammock between the two rebels. Flashfire strained under the weight. Bunsen came over and helped support the load. Quickly they ran back to Applejack and Big Mac, the two were looking worriedly at the north gate as it took a pounding from the other side. They quickly attached the heavy bombs to the contraption on Big Mac’s back, he carried the weight as though it was nothing. He and Applejack quickly turned to face the oncoming attack, shoving their way to the front of the collection of scared ponies preparing themselves. Delta stood defiantly, staring at the cracking face of rock. Bunsen could see her legs were shaking. He sidled up to her, and the two stood together in the crowd as the booms got steadily louder.
All at once the wall exploded inwards, sending rocks raining towards the rebels. In the dust, the metallic forms of the Darlocks rolled forwards.
“EXTERMINATE!”
35 T.R Castle of Lanterns
Fluttershy rooted through the sparse stores of the castle pantry. The last delivery of supplies had been months back. She moved aside various cans and boxes worriedly. The last time the train had come they’d only given her a few medical provisions, not much in the way of food. She had enough to last the next month or so if she was careful. But after that she was really unsure what she was going to do. She fretted and she worried as she cataloged what little was there.
“Oh dear...oh my...” she said under her breath.
Suddenly her ears perked up, she heard something outside, the sound of breaks screeching from station.
The train!
She packed everything back up, and rushed to meet the delivery pony. She ran quickly through the rather unkempt halls of the castle. She tried to keep them clean, but she was only one pony, and the castle was too large for it to make any noticeable difference.
She trotted through the ballroom, carefully avoiding the fallen chandelier and the candles that littered the floor, out into the hall, then through the servants quarters and into the station lobby. Maybe they’d deliver some tea. She thought happily. She hadn’t had any for weeks, and if she was lucky they might bring some of that mushroom soup Luna liked so much.
The door opened for she reached it. She froze. The Delivery pony never came inside. He always stopped the train, tossed out the crate of supplies, picked up those strange machines and left as fast as possible. This was somepony else. She saw a flash of brown, and with a panicked squeak she dashed back into the recesses of the castle.
The Doctor peered inside the station lobby. It was just as bright inside as out, candles sat on walls and windows. On the floor lay a sea of wax and light with various paths about one pony wide carved out in various directions. The Doctor heard a sound to the left. He turned to see a flash of pink and yellow disappear down the hall
“In here!” he yelled. “I think Its Fluttershy.” He ran after her. “Wait! I’m not going to hurt you!”
Twilight and Rarity raced after him in single file, trying to avoid the candles which filled the floor. Twilight could hear the sound of hooves hitting the ground in front of them as they galloped into the ballroom. The Doctor went tumbling over the chandelier in the middle of the floor, falling with a large amount of clinking and smashing. She crashed into him, tripping Rarity as well, the three of them lay tangled in strings of crystal and bands of metal. Twilight looked up to see Fluttershy halfway across the room running at full speed.
“Fluttershy stop!” she yelled.
The sound echoed through the large room. The yellow Pegasus stopped in her tracks. She turned slowly to look back at the tangle of ponies. “...Twilight?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Twilight said breathlessly.
Fluttershy took a tentative step forwards.
“I know I’m not the Twilight you were expecting. But please, listen to me, there’s a lot we need to explain.”
In a few minutes Fluttershy had the three ponies untangled. Twilight got up and stepped towards her with a smile. Fluttershy took a step back, shuddering.
“Don’t be afraid, please, it’s me.” Twilight said softly. “It’s really me.”
“I don’t know...” Fluttershy backed away further. “Rarity?” she asked, looking towards the white unicorn.
Rarity nodded, giving Fluttershy a slight smile.
“Perhaps I ought to explain.” The Doctor stepped up. “Fluttershy, we met once before if you’ll remeber. I-”
“Tick-Tock!” she yelled, she jumped up an threw her arms around the Doctor. “You’re out of the lab, I’m so happy! What are you doing here?”
The Doctor floundered slightly. “Well, It’s good you’re so happy to see me,” he said, extracting himself from the hug. “but what in the world are you talking about?”
Fluttershy shrank back, blushing heavily. “I-It’s me, remember? Fluttershy. I brought you dinner just last night.”
Twilight opened her mouth to ask something, but the Doctor held up a hoof.
“Oh yes, that’s me, silly ol’scaterbrained Tick-Tock. How could I have forgotten.”
“Of course,” the Doctor said smiling. “I took your advice and got out of that dusty old lab of mine. I found these two wandering around. They told me a fascinating story. Alas, I’ve forgotten my way back, why don’t I tell it to you while you show me the way?”
Fluttershy nodded turning towards the door. The Doctor and the others followed. The Doctor explained the situation as they walked through the large drafty halls of the castle. Paintings adorned the walls in between multitudes of candles. The paint was bleached and dull from the over abundance of light. Ponies from all eras leered down at them, pale and gaunt in the blinding halls.
Fluttershy led them down a pair of glass stairs. Inside each stair a small fire burned. Twilight wondered if there was an ounce of darkness anywhere within the castle as they descended. The entire building glowed at all corners, not even the vaguest of shadows persisted. She watched the Doctor as he continued to explain, Fluttershy listening intently to every word. What was he up to?
They came to a large metal door as the Doctor finished. It was one of the few unadorned by candles or lanterns. Fluttershy pressed a panel on the floor with a hoof and walked inside. The room was rather messy, though the walls were far more well kept than the rest of the castle. A bookshelf lay against the wall near a table, where various dog-eared books sat at random. A freshly made bed took up the right corner, yet more books sat around it in jumbled piles. In the center a stairwell led deeper into the castle.
“My goodness...” Fluttershy said slowly. “So...it really is Twilight? Not the queen?” she peered back at the purple unicorn.
“Yes, I believe that’s the gist of it.” The Doctor replied.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, Fluttershy, but it really is me. I’m so sorry about all th-”
Fluttershy grabbed Twilight, and hugged her tightly. “I’m so happy.” she said softly.
“What? What’s going on up there?” came a familiar voice from the stairwell. “Fluttershy? Are you alright? I thought I heard voices.” The sound of hooves coming up the stairs filled the room. Fluttershy released Twilight and looked confusedly from the Doctor to the pony coming up the stairs.
“Have we got visitors?” said the voice. A brown stallion poked his head up. “Hello, I’m Tick-Tock.” He walked the rest of the way up. His mane was a slightly darker brown than his coat, his blue eyes looked around at the three newcomers.
Twilight gasped. On his flank, the same as the Doctor’s, was an hour glass cutie mark.
The Doctor stepped forwards, examining the stallion. His double did the same, looking the Doctor up and down. He went stiff when he noticed the similarities.
“Sweet bouncing manticores....” he said under his breath.
“I couldn’t have picked better words...well...myself.” said the Doctor. “It seems we-”
He was interupted as Tick-Tock’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he fainted. Hitting the ground with a loud thud.
“Oh dear!” yelled Fluttershy, running over to him.
“Twilight? Rarity?” the Doctor said, still looking at his unconscious double.
“Yes....” Both of them said slowly.
“I think things just got a whole lot worse than I thought.”
982 C.R
“Wait! So there’s two of you now? That doesn’t make any sense!” yelled Trixie.
“As many things don’t.” said the Doctor. “But if you let me finish I may be able to make a bit more sense out of the senseless.”
“Fine, just go on! I must know what happens next!”
“Okay,” the Doctor looked intently at Trixie. “But listen closely, from here on out, things gets complicated.”
The roaring had grown even louder. The ponies of Ponyville could no longer ignore it, they peeked out of windows and collected around the collapsing toy store. Pinkie still stood, impassively smiling at the crowd that was gathering. For all the monster’s groaning and roaring, she was unafraid. Rainbow Dash floated nearby, eyeing the storefront warily above Applejack’s head. The pair of them wanted badly to go in and silence the noise. But she had told them that Twilight and the strange visitor were taking care of it. Pinkie looked on as parts of the store caved in and knew, that even though things seemed bad that they’d be home soon.
35 T.R Castle of Lanterns
“Get him on the bed,” The Doctor said, carefully directing Twilight and Fluttershy as they maneuvered his sleeping double. Rarity stood in the corner aghast, her head swiveling between the Doctor and the unconscious stallion.
“Doctor! Isn’t this dangerous?” She asked. “Won’t this cause a paradox? This breaks oh so many rules!”
“Well, that’s kind of the problem,” The Doctor said gravely. “There’s one already.”
Twilight hefted the heavy pony onto the bed, looking around worriedly. “Well, won’t this cause another? We cant’ afford to be fighting reapers right now!”
“No, no, it doesn’t work like that.” The Doctor putting a hoof to his temple. “Remember back in Ponyville when I said this universe might be like a new shoe?”
Rarity look confusedly at Twilight.
“He means horseshoe,” she said. “Go on Doctor.”
“Thank you Twilight.” He looked at his sleeping doppelganger. “Well forget that, I should never make shoe metaphors. I was right, that small infraction wasn’t enough to draw a reaper of that size.” The Doctor stomped a frustrated hoof. “It’s so obvious, it’s a Paradox Circuit.”
“A what?” asked Twilight.
“It’s like this, I’m guessing you know a bit about electricity, there’s a small amount of it back in your time, right?”
“Well, yes, I’ve read about it in books.”
“Okay,” said the Doctor, he looked around the room. Spying a pencil, he quickly grabbed it between his teeth and raced over to the wall. “It’s like this.” The Doctor swept the contents of a nearby desk to the floor. Fluttershy jumped back in dismay but he continued, drawing a large circle then a smaller circle on either side. “A circuit connects a power source to something which requires energy. So, at some point, I will go back in time, and crash into both Fluttershy’s house,” he nodded towards the frightened Pegasus. “And the toy shop. This is where I will meet the past version of myself, which creates a paradox, and the current circle of events. Now, I believed that two Doctors existing in the same space was what caused the initial paradox. Normally the universe would simply compensate for the unforeseen variable. But I’m new here, so I figured the rules might be a bit stricter,causing me to related the situation to an unfortunate metaphor about shoes. What actually happened, is much worse. You see we have in fact, been causing paradoxes since our arrival in this version of the future, such as you meeting Twilighttwo in the factory.” he nodded to Twilight. “And ending with me meeting my future self who is currently unconscious. This,” he pointed to the circle on the far left. “Is the power source, the reaper feeds on these, but in fact, does not need to appear at the site of every infraction. It exist here.” he pointed to the circle on the far left. “At what is both the earliest, and latest infraction in the timeline, meaning that every consecutive paradox makes it stronger.”
“So that thing’s gotten even more powerful than when we first saw it?!” Twilight yelled.
“Sort of yes, it also means we have to hurry. We’re still relative to the beast in the causal nexus.”
“In English please,” said Rarity.
The Doctor sighed, looking at Twilight. “Okay, did you ever wonder how this future could exist while a creature with the power to destroy the world exist simultaneously in the past?”
Twilight nodded.
“Well, that’s because there’s a choice, this future is one outcome, but it is not solid.” The Doctor gestured around the room with a hoof. “If we do not find a way back to the past with a way to send the reaper back very soon, things will shift the other way.”
“...The other way?” Twilight asked warily.
“To a timeline in which we fail to stop the creature and it destroys the world in the year 1001. This future, and in fact any future, will cease to exist.” The Doctor paused. “This path may lead down a dark road, but the other runs off a cliff into a ravine”
The room was silent besides the light breathing of Tick-Tock as he lay unconscious.
“...What do we do?” asked Twilight finally.
“Well,” said the Doctor, taking on a slight smile. “We certainly don’t stand around gawking like lost chickens.” he turned, looking down the trapdoor Tick-Tock had come out of. “Fluttershy?”
The yellow Pegasus squeaked.
“Do you have any idea what’s down there?”
Fluttershy fiddled with her hooves. “Um...no you...oh..I mean he..well...he never let me go down there. It’s his work shop.”
“I see,” said the Doctor, staring down into the darkness. “Well, I don’t think he’ll give us any answers for at least an hour or so. Twilight, Rarity you can stay up here if you wa-”
Rarity was at the top of the steps before he finished. “I’ve been a cooped up in the sewing room far too long, I wouldn’t miss this for the world," her eyelids fluttered. “Doctor...”
“Um...Quite right!” he said quickly.
“I’m coming too.” Twilight stepped up. “Fluttershy, you stay here, tell us if he wakes up.”
“Oh...okay..b-but wait I’m so confused...Tick-Tock?” she looked at the Doctor hopefully.
“Um...” the Doctor looked uncomfortable. “Not exactly....Did you follow my earlier explanation?”
Fluttershy shook her head.
“Well....In that case, do you remember a pony crashing into your house a few decades back?”
She nodded slowly. “Well yes...I thought you looked similar..” she paused. “Both of you, but I never asked. Tick-Tock has...well he has trouble remembering things..”
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “I was afraid of that... Well in anycase, let’s just say that the pony who crashed into your house? That’s me, The Doctor. The one that you know, Tick-Tock, that’s him.” he nodded to the couch. “We’re....very similar, but not the same.”
“Oh...”
“Don’t worry.” The Doctor said reassuringly. “I’m sure he’ll wake up soon. Now, for the both of us, I need you to give us a shout if he wakes up, alright?”
Fluttershy nodded, looking at Twilight and Rarity. “Be careful...”
“We make no promises.” The Doctor turned to the stairs. “Well, onwards and downwards.”
The trio descended the stairs slowly. It was pitch black, the only place in the castle without a single candle to ease the darkness.
“Twilight, can you give us some light?” asked the Doctor.
“Sure” Twilight stepped into the lead. Her horn began to glow with a faint purple light. Deep shadows played along the walls throughout the tunnel as they progressed. Rarity leaned in close to the Doctor.
He stared for a moment “Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” she snuggled closer.
The Doctor jerked back a bit. “Oh!....here’s an idea. Why don’t you lead, you know, to help Twilight light our way?”
“I think she’s doing a fine job on her own. Aren’t you Twilight?”
“Actually some help might be nice.”
“Oh, fine.” Rarity pouted. She stepped forwards and focused on her own horn.
Twilight glanced back at the Doctor. He mouthed the words 'Thank you' and they continued walking.
Twilight’s curiosity got the better of her after a while. “Doctor, what do you think Fluttershy meant about that other you? You know, how he had ‘Trouble remembering things?”
The Doctor stopped, looking back towards the stairway, it was a dot in the dark by this point. “I think I know.”
“Well,” said Rarity. “Fill us in.”
“Think about it this way, you both know me right?”
“Of course,” said Rarity before Twilight could open her mouth.
“Well, if I’ve been here this whole time, wouldn’t I try to stop this?”
“If you’ve been trying I certainly haven’t notic-”
“What she means to say is yes,” Twilight interjected.
“Yep, that’s me, can’t keep my nose out of trouble for long. But you see, I don’t think that pony of there is me. Or at least not all the way.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not entirely sure myself, but the answer is down here. As they say, nowhere to go but down. Come on, time is of the essence.” He started off again.
The darkness seemed to get thinker as they progressed, the light of the two unicorns did steadily to relive it. Slowly it threatened to swallow them with each step Twilight concentrated harder on the light, but it didn't seem to have any effect. She saw Rarity was having the same trouble.
The Doctor took notice of this, and walked a bit closer to them. “Keep it up,” he said. “Whatever you do, don't put your lights out until we've reached the end of this tunnel. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Me too...” Twilight strained.
They walked for a while longer. It became harder to produce light, both Rarity and Twilight had to concentrate immensely to keep their horns from going out. When suddenly it stopped.
Twilight stumbled at the sudden lack of pressure, her horn glowing brilliantly for a moment before she reduced the magic output. Rarity did the same. They were in a large room which appeared to be a laboratory. Equipment sat in various stages of disorganization along several tables, a half eaten banana sat next to a pile of machinery that looked incomplete. Something that looked disconcertingly like an eye blinked at them warily. Twilight's light cast long shadows against the wall, they shifted around the room as they entered.
“Well, it looks like I've been busy.” The Doctor noted. A pair of goggles hung on a hook by the entrance. The Doctor peered through them.
They immediately clamped around his face.
“Doctor!” Twilight and Rarity yelled.
He wobbled briefly, before regaining his balance “Don't worry....it's just a mechanism. Probably to make it easier to take them on and off.....oh...now this is interesting....”
“What?” asked Twilight.
The Doctor turned, the front of the goggles glowed a faint green, their wide lenses made him appear a bit like a large insect. “I've invented night vision!” he said with a grin. “Oh, I am clever!”
“Doctor, back on task,” said Twilight. “What is all this stuff, and why is it so dark down here.?”
“Well,” said the Doctor, examining a hoof. “It appears I am an inventor here. A rather good one at that. As for why I feel the need to work down here.” He paused, his jovial mood vanishing. “Tell me Twilight...are you afraid of the dark?”
“Well, when I was little, but not any more, what has that got to do wi-”
She was interrupted as something blue shot out of the darkness and grabbed the Doctor. Tumbling into the opposite wall. Rarity screamed as it knocked over several test tubes sitting on the tables sending them to the ground in burts of glass.
Twilight quickly turned towards the thing that had grabbed the Doctor, leveling her horn in its direction, ready to cast a spell at a moments notice. She wasn't going to be taken off guard again. “Doctor! Are you alright?” she yelled.
Rarity's horn glowed brighter to illuminate the thing holding the Doctor. It was a Raggedy Mare. The fabric that made up its body was blue with various red patches along its the sides. Its tangled mane fell in disheveled locks across its face. It held the Doctor in its crossed fore hooves, sitting on its haunches. It lifted its head and looked questioningly at the two unicorns. Then it lowered its muzzle towards the Doctor.
Twilight gasped. She quickly tried to think of something, anything to get the Doctor from the creature's grasp. She saw a large metal pole leaning against the wall, she grabbed it, and brandished it at the creature. “Let him go!” she mumbled.
“Wait!” cried the Doctor. “No stop that tickles!”
Twilight dropped the pole, dumbfounded. The Raggedy Mare sat their nuzzling the Doctor like a teddy bear.
“Hahaha!!” the Doctor laughed. “Oh, what are you made of!? Feathers? L-Let me-Haha!-Go!”
The Raggedy obediently released him, setting him back on the floor and looking at the three of them expectantly.
“Doctor...what is that?” asked Twilight.
“That, my dear, is a Raggedy Mare, through it appears to be a slightly different model than the ones’ we’ve been facing. Isn’t that right?”
It nodded.
“By the looks of it, I’d say it’s an assistant of some kind....a very fond assistant,but one none the less. Rarity, would you happen to know anything about this?”
Rarity looked the thing over cautiously. “It’s not one of mine. Quite frankly it’s far too garish for that. I mean just look at that coloring. I mean blue? Honestly.”
The Raggety sagged a little at her comment.
“Hey!” the Doctor protested. “And just what is wrong with blue I might ask? It happens to by my favorite color.” He paused as something dawned on him. “Oh...”
The cloth mare perked up and reached for him again.
“Nonono!” he said quickly. “None of that at the moment...um...Raggedy. First I have a few questions.”
The raggedy stood at attention.
“Good, um...first question, and humor me here, are you my assistant?”
It nodded.
“Hmmm, yes, very good. Second question, did I create you?”
It nodded again.
“I didn’t know you could sew.....” Rarity remarked.
“Down Rarity,” said the Doctor. He turned back to the Raggedy. “So, if you’re my assistant, I believe that implies that I created you to assist me with something. So, hypothetically, if I did not remember what assisting I needed assistance with, could you, my assistant, show me what it was that was being assisted?
The Raggedy nodded a final time then turned on its heel, heading towards the back of the workshop.
The Doctor turned to Rarity and Twilight, his goggles glowing in the dark. “Follow me.”
They walked after the cloth pony, Twilight and Rarity at the Doctor’s heels so as not to bump into anything in the dark. They came to a wall at the back of the room. The Raggedy slumped awkwardly on its haunches.
“Well...what’s it waiting on?” asked Rarity.
“Hmmm,” The Doctor inspected the wall. “This is my workshop, so, I’m guessing that if
were working on some secret project, which I wouldn’t want anyone prying into, I would hide it some how.”
“So it’s a secret passage?” asked Twilight.
“Knowing me, yes.” the Doctor pressed various bricks along the wall. One of them compressed slowly. “There we go!”
The bricks slid away to reveal a stairwell, Twilight couldn’t see past the third step in the meager light of Doctor’s goggles. A strange smell wafted up from below, like motor oil and disinfectant.
“Well....I suppose we should go down,” The Doctor said slowly. “Twilight, Rarity, keep it well lit.” He turned to the Raggedy in the corner. “Melvin, you stay here.”
“Melvin?” asked Twilight.
“What? Its got to have a name hasn’t it? Can’t keep calling it ‘Raggedy’, it might get offended.”
The Raggedy turned its head to the side in confusion.
“I don’t think it can get offended.”
“Enough chit-chat!” The Doctor started down the stares. “We need to get to the bottom of this. Come along you two.”
They fell in line behind the Doctor as they descended yet more stairs. Thankfully these were shorter than the last and they soon entered a small room at the bottom.
Twilight had to struggle to keep her horn lit once again. The Darkness was worse than it had been in the hallway. Her head began to hurt from the strain. She looked over and saw Rarity was having similar trouble.
“Doctor....” she said through clenched teeth. “I don’t know how long I can keep this up...What’s going on?”
“Just a minute, Twilight....” The Doctor said quietly. “I’ll explain everything.”
He walked forwards into the room, out of the small circle of light Twilight and Rarity were able to produce. He was swallowed by the darkness in an instant.
The room was silent for several minutes. The two unicorns stood there staring into what may as well have been a wall. They couldn’t see anything beyond the light.
“Doctor?....” Twilight asked softly.
There was no reply for a moment.
“Doctor?” she asked again, a bit more urgently.
“It was me....This is my laboratory,” he said finally.
Twilight sighed with relief. “What was you? She stepped forwards, Rarity following close behind, illuminating more of the room. The Doctor was standing a few feet away. “Are you o-” she jumped as a Darlock came into view.
The Doctor turned to face Twilight. “She used me.”
The Doctor marched determinedly into the darkness. Twilight and Rarity followed, lines of Darlocks were illuminated as they progressed, there had to be at least a hundred each sitting inactive in the dark. Twilight shuddered.
“These things aren’t Equestrian. They should never have come here. It’s me, it’s me she’s using to build her army.” The Doctor practically growled. Twilight had never seen him so angry. “It’s my fault they’re here, she’s using my knowledge. My nightmares.” He came to a desk in the corner, filled with paper and books filled with various things. The Doctor placed his forehooves on desk, pushing away stacks of books and sending pencils and pens scattering to the floor.
“These are my notes, my drawings, everything!” The Doctor gazed over the various papers his goggles casting them in a pale green light. “I’ve fought them for years....and she has me constructing them.” The Doctor hung his head. “All of this is my fault.”
Twilight walked up behind the Doctor and gazed over the papers on the desk. For some reason she couldn’t quite point out they looked familiar. She place a hoof on the Doctor’s back.
“It’s not your fault,” she said softly. “It’s hers.”
“No, no Twilight you don’t get it,” he said, turning away. He marched back towards the lines of Darlocks, practically pressing his nose against their eye stalks. “This happens every time. Everywhere I go, everything time I land anywhere. I bring danger with me. I brought this knowledge. And now... she’s going to use it.”
Rarity walked up to him. “Doctor, if you’ll excuse the question. I don’t get it. She already rules the world more or less. What’s she going to use them for?”
The Doctor sighed. “That’s just it.”
“What’s just it?”
The Doctor began to pace. “She rules the world. There’s more than one. You said it yourself, when you traveled with me. You’ve seen what’s out there, all that wonder, all that life. It’s in danger now.”
Rarity gasped.
“She’s not just building Darlocks. There are other plans here. Something big under the castle in Cantorlot.”
“What is it?” asked Twilight.
“I don’t know, half the plans are missing. But this technology is way beyond Equestria.” The Doctor growled with frustration. “There’s enough power here to go anywhere in the universe. But there’s something strange. Something I’m missing.”
The Darkness suddenly seemed thicker. Twilight concentration wavered, her horn blinked slightly. She felt a creeping sense of dread.
“Doctor?...”
He continued to pace, oblivious. “It’s right in front of me. Theses plans are mine. What would I do?”
Twilight’s dread grew, she had to concentrate even harder to keep her light from going out. She backed further into the workshop, looking around warily. She jumped as she bumped into the desk in the corner, spinning around to face it, she caught another look at the paper littering its surface. The familiar feeling she’d gotten earlier felt stronger. There was a sketch of a Darlock pinned to the corner of the desk.
“Doctor...” she said again.
He stopped pacing. “What is it Twilight?”
“These plans...they feel...familiar.”
“Oh...” he looked at her very closely. “You’ve felt this way before haven’t you?”
She nodded. “Yes...since we came here...I’ve known things. Like when I knew what was wrong with the Tardis...”
“I was afraid of this.”
“Doctor, what’s going on?”
The Doctor looked at the sketch. “First, tell me what stands out.”
Twilight inspected it closely. “The firing mechanism. It’s...different”
The Doctor looked where she instructed.
“Oh my,” he said softly.
Rarity peeked over his shoulder. “What is it?”
“I missed that....I definitely missed that...”
“What!?”
“The guns...on the Darlocks. They don’t fire energy the way the ones in my world do.”
“Those horrid things?” Rarity looked appalled. “Those shots went clean through the metal of the train on the way here. What in Equestria are they firing?”
“Remember when I asked you if you were afraid of the dark earlier?”
Rarity nodded.
“And how it’s been getting darker as we got closer to this workshop?”
“Yes, Doctor will you get to the point already? I would very much like to get out of here.”
The Doctor glanced back at the Darlocks. “That’s what they’re using. The darkness.”
“How can you use darkness Doctor? It’s nothing.”
“Exactly,” said Twilight.
The Doctor turned to her. “You, understand?”
She nodded. “Yes, it’s fuzzy...but I think I know what you mean. It’s nothing. It cancels out everything it touches. It’s awful...”
The Doctor nodded gravely. “Indeed. But you missed one point.”
“What’s that?”
“It only cancels out non-living tissue.”
Suddenly the darkness grew even heavier. Twilight’s horn became only a pinpoint of light
“Doctor...” she asked, looking into the dark.
“Yes?”
“What does it do to living tissue?”
Her light went out.
35. TR Dragon Moutain
Ponies scattered in all directions the cave wall collapsed inwards, the eyestalks of the invading Darlocks glowed in the raining dust that filled the air.
“Attack!” yelled Applejack at the top of her lungs.
The rebels pressed forwards, Big Macintosh leading the charge, the twin catapults on his back primed and ready. Pegausi flew through the air in formation, meeting the enemy head on. The Darlocks wasted no time, pushing forwards through the mobs of ponies.
Bunsen’s knees were shaking. The noise was ringing in his ears as the battle started, all around him ponies were running forwards shouting and yelling commands. He tried to follow, but his legs refused to obey. He was jostled and bumped by the rebels as they fought. His mind reeled at everything going on in front of him. The Darlocks hadn’t fired a single shot, and still they were progressing steadily through the mass of ponies in front of them. Rolling unstoppably forwards, any attack by the rebels rolling off like so much water.
“We...can’t beat them...” he said softly. “We can’t...it’s hopele-”
A sharp hoof in his side cut him off. “We’ve got to try,” said Delta. She stared at him for a moment. “Good luck.”
Bunsen stuttered for a moment. “Yeah...you t-”
“Charge!” She galloped forwards and was lost in the fight.
He stared after her for a moment. Then at the approaching enemy. He sighed. “Yeah. We have to try.” he charged at the nearest Darlock. Screaming at the top of his lungs.
Big Mac spun on his back hooves, pivoting to face the largest group of Darlocks.
“Ya’ll ain’t welcome here,” he said, nostrils flaring.
He swung his head backwards, grabbing a rope on the catapult. With a sharp tug the applebombs soared through the air. They hit with a wet smack. Exploding over the Darlocks spreading hot, sticky sweet goo all over them. The leader fell to the ground, its wheels clogged by the strange substance. The ones behind it suffered a similar fate, or were stuck fast in the muck, straining to roll forwards.
Big Mac’s victory was short lived, more Darlocks poured into the cave to take their place, rolling determinedly forwards. With a gesture another pair of bombs rolled into place. He turned, firing hectically into the Darlock forces.
Applejack’s HORN glowed as she faced her own battle. A bolder from the corner of the cave flew through the air, smashing into several Darlocks as they entered. She continued to hurl them at the entrance, trying not only to destroy the Darlocks in front of her, but block more from coming through. More rebels got behind her, HORNs glowing brightly as they flung any debris they could find towards the gaping hole in front of them. The flow of Darlocks slowed to a trickle, then stopped completely.
A cheer went up from the ranks at this small victory. Applejack spun to face the remaining Darlocks already inside. She the others pounding on the cave wall from outside and knew that their barrier wouldn’t hold them long. They needed to take care of as many as possible before the rest managed to break through.
She whirled around to help, only to find an eyestalk an inch from her face. With a yelp She tried to back up, only to trip over one of the many rocks littering the cave floor.
The thing stared down at her unblinking. The Darlocks had yet to fire a single shot since entering the cave. But now the small gun on Darlock’s front began to glow a faint purple as it prepared to discharge the weapon.
“YOU DISOBEYED THE QUEEN. YOU ARE A PRIORITY TARGET. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!!” it shrieked.
Applejack looked up as it prepared to fire. A smirk snaking its way across her face.
“You think so do ya?”
There was a clang of metal striking metal as a wrench descended onto the Darlocks gun, bending it at an angle, sparks flying through the air.
“WEAPON SYSTEM DAMAGED! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD!!!”
“Come on!” yelled a yellow earth pony with a deep red mane. Her HORN glowed as she levitated a large wrench. Her cutie mark was a pair of cogs with an apple in the middle. “We ain’t got time to be sitting around on our flanks all day.” she returned the wrench to a pouch on her flank, and helped Applejack to her hooves.
“That’ya kindly sis,” said Applejack.
“Can’t have you gettin’ Extermi...whatevered now can I?” said Applebloom.
“FEEDBACK OVERLOAD! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD!!!”
“I think we’d better run now.”
Applejack nodded. “Good idea.”
The Darlock had begun to glow red hot as the energy inside built up.
“Get down everypony!” yelled Applejack, using her horn to amplify her voice. It echoed through the cave, over the cries of the fighting rebels. Those who could obeyed without question.
The Darlock turned its eyestalk towards the two sisters, its eye contracting to focus on Applejack. Its voice was strained and high pitched.
“THIS...CHANGES...NOTHING...”
They dived behind some fallen rocks as the pressure built to its highest point. With an earthshaking boom the Darlock exploded sending pieces of molten metal hurtling through the air. The Darlocks closest to the blast were destroyed in a chain reaction of destruction. Applejack heard a few of the rebels cry out as they too were hit.
When the explosion ended everything was deathly silent. Even the Darlocks had stopped their advance. Their mechanical eyes focusing on the rock Applejack and her sister were hiding behind. They peeked out, looking at the battlefield. Applejack was relieved to see that few of the rebels appeared badly hurt, being helped by others to get away from the field during this lull.
Still nopony spoke, the silence was terribly unnerving. It was broken as the Darlocks grating voices rang out in unison.
“MAJOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO DARLOCK KIND. THREAT DETECTED!! THREAT DETECTED!! RAISING ATTACK LEVEL, FULL MONOCROMATION OF NON-PRIMARY TARGETS!!! EXTERMINATE!!”
The Darlock at the front of the pack turned to face a large crowd of rebels. Its gun began to glow brightly.
“Get down!!” Applejack screamed.
Ponies scattered in all directions, as shots whizzed into the crowd. Among them Bunsen ducked as a beam of dark light whizzed past his ear. He looked around wildly.
“Delta!?” he yelled. “Delta where are you?”
“I’m over here!”
Bunen barely heard her over the pandemonium. She was on the ground, one of the
ponies struck by flying debris. There was a harsh burn on the side of her leg.
“Delta!” he rushed over, looking down at her injury. “You’re hurt!”
“Earning that degree of yours today aren’t you?” she asked, grimacing at the pain. “Yes, but it’s not too bad. Help me up.”
Bunsen ducked as another volley of Darlock fire ripped through the air. Amazingly nopony had been hit yet. He tried to help her stand upright. “Come on!”
Delta’s face twisted in pain as she got to her hooves. The pair slowly made their way off from the main battle field.
“How bad is it?” asked Bunsen.
Delta attempted to smile. “It’s just a scratch really. Nothing that-” her eyes shot wide. “Look out!”
Delta shoved Busen to one side, sending him sprawling onto the cavern floor. He turned just in time to see a bolt of black light hit her squarely in the chest.
“Delta!” he screamed.
She didn’t fall over. She stood there for a moment, eye still wide open, her irises as small as pinpoints. She stumbled catching herself for a second before finally falling to the ground.
Bunsen was on his hooves and by her side before he knew what was happening. “Delta!?” he placed a hoof on her side.
She turned stiffly to look at him. As he looked into her eyes, he noticed she looked different.
Her eyes were a lot darker.
“The darkness is falling,” she said softly.
“What? Delta what are yo-”
Delta’s head smashed into Bunsen’s nose. He went sprawling to the ground.
“The darkness is falling....The darkness is falling....” She got shakily to her hooves. “The darkness is falling...”
Bunsen groaned from the floor of the cavern. His vision swam as he tried to focus, the sound of several more shots ringing through the air hit his ears. Several screams followed.
“The darkness is falling.” a few more voices joined Delta.
Bunsen turned his head, Delta had begun to walk forwards. The darkness in her eyes had grown, they were large, dark circles, black as night.
“The darkness is falling...”
He stared in shock. There was nothing of Delta in those eyes, only darkness. She continued walking, Bunsen started after her, suddenly he was yanked away by the scruff of his neck
“Come on!” Applejack yelled. A beam of darkness whizzed through the space he had just been occupying.
He Stumbled to his feet, head still throbbing in pain, he looked back as he was pulled
away. Delta, along with other dark eyed ponies, had begun to walk towards the collapsed wall, the ones already there were steadily removing debris. They worked fast, he could already hear the Darlocks calling from the other side.
Delta didn’t turn to look back at him.
“Retreat!” called Applejack. “To the workshops! We can hold up in there!”
“Until what!?” Cried a rebel
Applejack was quiet for a moment.
“Until the end.”
35 T.R Castle of Lanterns
“No one...move,” said the Doctor.
The only light came from the Doctor’s goggles, and it was faint, so faint that Twilight had to focus to keep him from being lost in the darkness.
“What’s happening?...” asked Rarity.
“You’ve probably noticed this by now,” said the Doctor slowly. “But we’re not alone.”
“What!?”
“We haven’t been since walked out of the light.” turned to Twilight, his unblinking goggles staring at her. “Do you know why?”
She opened her mouth say no, then paused. At the back of her mind, just under her consciousness, Twilight knew.
“There’s something in the dark...” she said. “Something bad...”
“Vashta Nerada. The hungry darkness.”
Twilight felt Rarity jump in the darkness.
“Don’t move!” The Doctor yelled.
“How are we still alive!?” asked Rarity, her voice panicked. “I’ve seen these things Doctor, I’ve seen what they can do.”
“It’s a good question,” said the Doctor. “A very good question, and I have a very good theory.”
Twilight could feel Rarity shaking in the dark. “Care to explain it?”
“Well...Judging by the worktables I come down here often,” the faint glow of the Doctor’s eyes turned towards the Darlocks. “To work...on these.” he was quiet for a moment. “But!” he continued. “That means I’m safe. Something is keeping me safe. Not to say they aren’t trying, they’ve been attempting to put out our lights since we came down, but they’re holding back.... They’re literally the piranha of the air, hiding in the shadows on every world. But I’ve never seen them in this concentration, or with any kind of restraint. They’re not acting as they normally do.” Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m assuming they can’t harm you for obvious reasons.” he paused. “But why’s Rarity safe?”
“Well I’d hardly question it Doctor!” said Rarity.
“Ohhh, no my dear Rarity, questioning everything. There has to be a reason. This is my workshop, they won’t attack me, if so my double would have been dead a hundred times over and Twilight’s the queen, but why make provisions for anyone else?” Twilight could see his goggles scanning the room. “ Unless....There was someone else involved...”
Twilight heard the Doctor moving through the dark shuffling past the tables and tools, towards the back of the room.
“Stay there,” he said quietly. “Try not to move much.”
“Why?....” asked Rarity nervously.
“Because, if there are provisions for three ponies, then I think we’re testing that limit...Don’t make them any more excited than necessary.”
Twilight gulped. The only thing she could see were the Doctor’s goggles growing fainter as he moved throughout the room, looking for something.
“Ah! Here we go,” he said finally. “I’ve found something...they’re interfering with the goggles though. I can’t make out what it is, I’m coming ba-” suddenly The Doctor was silent.
“Doctor, what is it!?” asked Twilight.
“There’s a door back here. I didn’t notice it before.”
Rarity huddled in closer to Twilight.
“Don’t worry about it! Just come back, please Doctor. I don’t like this!”
“Just stay there,” he advised. “I’ll be back in a second.”
There was the sound of long rusted hinges creaking as the door was opened. Suddenly, light poured out from inside, Twilight and Rarity were blinded by the sudden change, tossing up their hooves in defence.
“No...” the Doctor breathed.
“What is it?” asked Twilight, still blinded.
“I’ve found the other person....” he said quietly.
Twilight squinted through the brightness. The door opened into a small chamber, in which there was a table surrounded by lights Twilight had never seen before. They didn’t appear to have bulbs of any kind, their entire surface just seemed to glow, cutting through the darkness like a knife. The entire workshop was illuminated by an eerie blue light, forcing the shadows against the walls and under tables.
Lying in the center of the room was a pony, Twilight barely recognized her, her coat was bleached blue in the harsh light, and her mane was straight and neatly combed, but there was no mistake.
The words left both her and Rarity’s mouths at the same time.
“Pinkie Pie....”
1001 C.R
Pinkie Pie sneezed.
“Hmmm....Somepony must be talking about me...” she said mildly over the noise. “I hope it’s something nice.”
“Wait....Pinkie Pie?!” yelled Trixie, staring wide eyed at the Doctor. “Rarity said she’d been missing for years! What happened to her?”
The Doctor shook his head sadly. “Nothing good I’m afraid, Twilightwo’s kingdom was a dark place...
35 T.R Castle of Lanterns
The three of them stood in shock. The pink pony lay on her side on the table, attached to medical wires and sensors Twilight didn’t recognize. The lights around the room didn’t leave a single shadow.
“I-Is she...” Twilight started.
“No, she’s breathing, but it’s shallow.” The Doctor examined her, removing his goggles. “She doesn’t even appear to be sick....” He took the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and scanned her. After a moment he frowned.
“What is it?”
“There’s nothing wrong with her. Nothing at all, she’s perfectly healthy, literally. Everything about her is just fine.” The screwdriver fluctuated suddenly. “Wait, wait a minute.” the Doctor squinted, scanning her again. The fluctuations were greater towards Pinkie’s head. “Something is different. Something in her brain.”
“Her brain?” asked Rarity. “What is it? What have they done to her!?” Rarity bristled as she spoke. “The poor dear’s been missing for years. Has she been in this horrid place the whole time?”
Twilight stepped up to look at her friend, lying unconscious on the table. It was rare to see the bubbly pony sleeping. It was strange seeing her here, knowing that the darkness of this future had even affected her.
“What is it, Doctor?” Twilight asked soberly. “What’s wrong with her?”
“I can’t tell,” he admitted. “But I think I know how we can find out.” He turned to Twilight, she noticed he somehow looked even older than usual, he nodded to a small book lying on the ground. He’d apparently dropped it when he’d opened the door. “It’s what I picked up, it appears to be a journal, my journal. We might find out what happened here if we read it.”
Rarity’s horn glowed, working better in the light, as she picked it off the ground. “This is your journal?”
“As much as I don’t like it...I might have had a part in this.” he looked at Pinkie soberly. “Knowing me, I would have written it down. It’s a habit.”
Twilight didn’t know what to say. She took the journal from Rarity’s grasp, and put a hoof on The Doctor’s shoulder. “Whatever’s in here, it’s not your fault,” she said.
The Doctor looked at her for a moment, then turned to Pinkie. “We need to get her out of here and back up to the castle.” He walked over to one of the buzzing blue lights, poking it with a hoof. “This’ll do nicely.” He began scanning it with his screwdriver.
“What are you doing?” asked Rarity.
“The Vashta Nerada have been disturbed by the light, they’re angry now; sick of holding back.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that if we walked out of this lit area we’d be reduced to very clean bones in a matter of minutes.”
Rarity blinked. “Oh.”
“Yes, ‘Oh’. But! Me, being as clever as I am, created these.” He gestured to the long, buzzing bulbs around the room. “As far I can tell this is pure light. None of that diluted stuff you get from the sun, or a flashlight. These shadows are densely packed and they’d be able smother almost any light, but not this. If I can...” he scanned around the edges of the bulb, waving the screwdriver around widely. “There!” Two long rods of light clattered to the floor. He grabbed the nearest and tossed it to Twilight, who caught it in a glowing halo of magic. “Ms. Sparkle, you’ll be leading the way. Make sure to keep that light as straight as possible, it is vitally important that it doesn’t waver or shake in the least. Got it?”
Twilight nodded.
“Good girl.” He turned and grabbed the other rod between his teeth. “I’ll be bringing up the rear.” he mumbled.
“Wait!” said Rarity, looking around the room. “What about me? Why don’t I get a light?”
The Doctor mumbled something.
“What was that?”
The Doctor leaned his light against the table, then hefted Pinkie onto his back.
“I said, because you’ll be carrying this.”
“Oh,” said Rarity. “Wait wha-”
She was cut short as the Doctor bucked Pinkie in her direction. Rarity grunted as she suddenly found herself carrying the weight.
“There we are! Onwards and upwards!” He ignored Rarity’s glare as he turned to look at the two mares. “Now, remember, you musn’t, not even for a second, step out of the light. It is vitally important. “Do you understand?”
They nodded..
“Good.” He picked up the light rod. “Let’s go.”
Very carefully, Twilight got in front of Rarity, and began to march forwards. The Doctor settled in behind them, walking backwards and eliminating any lingering shadows. Twilight felt the pressure of the darkness around them, pushing against her as they once again made their way out of the workshop. Darlock bodies gleamed and twinkled in the blinding light, holding a strange dark beauty when illuminated, and twice as threatening when once again swallowed by the dark.
It was slow going, but eventually they found themselves back inside the first laboratory where the blue raggedy stood waiting. It tilted its head to the side as they approached, its button eyes glowing in the light.
“Melvin, take her, will you?” The Doctor pointed to the unconscious pony on Rarity was carrying
The cloth pony nodded and effortlessly hefted Pinkie onto its back, waiting for further orders.
Rarity sagged with relief, but it was short lived as the Doctor started off briskly back towards the stairs.
“I think we need to have a meeting of the minds.” he said tersely, taking the stairs three at a time. Rarity and Twilight hurried behind him. Melvin, bringing up the rear, was simply happy to be useful.
Twilight quickly caught up, keeping pace at the Doctor’s side. “We need to find out what your other self knows,” she agreed.
“I’m more curious about what he doesn’t know. According to Twilighttwo, I disappeared shortly before all this happened. That pony upstairs didn’t recognize Fluttershy; she wasn’t even sure he was the same pony from the crash all those years ago. He may be me, but something’s happened to his mind, I can feel it.”
“What....what could do that?” Twilight asked slowly.
The Doctor paused as he neared the top of the stairs, Twilight almost bumped into his rear as he stood there. He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.
“Nothing good.” Without another word, he continued upwards.
The journey back to the small room in which the Doctor’s double lay sleeping took less time than the journey down had been. Twilight noticed that whatever dark force was laying in wait in the air seem to part as the Doctor walked forwards. From her position behind him she could almost feel it, something coming off of him. She had a feeling that the next thing that came too close, would burn.
They came back up into the small, cluttered room that made up Tick-Tock’s living quarters. Though the room was nowhere near as bright as the rest of the castle, they had to squint until their eyes grew accustomed to being out of total darkness. As Twilight climbed the final step onto the level floor, she felt as though the dark clung to her a bit, like water after jumping into a cold lake. She shook herself involuntarily and Rarity did the same.
The Doctor never paused. Fluttershy stood in the corner of the room fretting over Tick-Tock as he lay unconscious, the Doctor firmly pushed her aside staring at his double. She began to say something, but whatever it was died in her throat when the raggedy hauled itself from the stairs. First her eyes flashed in fear, immediately backing to the far wall, but as they fell upon the pink pony lying prone on its back, they flashed with something else, something old.
“Pinkie,” the word came out as barely a whisper. In a flash, fear totally gone, she was lifting her from the Raggedy’s back and laying her on the floor, checking every inch of the pale earth pony. “Oh my gosh...Pinkie...”
Twilight stepped up to her, placing a hoof on her side. “We found her...down below, in his workshop.” She nodded to the unconscious scientist the Doctor was examining.
Fluttershy froze. “She was....”
Rarity came up and nodded. “Lying on a table hooked up to some machines. There’s no telling how long the poor dear’s been down there...”
Fluttershy stared at her friend for a moment, then back to Tick-Tock. “But...he...he wouldn’t...” She looked at her two friends desperately. “He....I...I can’t believe he had any part in this...he’s sweet...and kind....and...and...”
Twilight put a hoof around the yellow pegusi’s shoulder. “It’s alright...we’ll get to the bottom of this..don’t worry.”
The Doctor let out a snarl of frustration from the corner of the room, his forehead pressed to Tick-Tocks.
Rarity gasped with fright. “Doctor stop! Don’t touch him, you’ll cause another Paradox!”
“We’re already too far gone for that.” He said with a sigh of resignation. “His head...someone’s been messing with it, periodically for a number of years if I had to guess...He...I...Don’t remember a single solitary thing about anything that happened before all this.”
Twilight walked over and looked down at the other Doctor breathing a bit fitfully in his bed. “Can you see what happened during that time?”
The Doctor shook his head. “Nothing, there’s some heavy duty blocks set up...probably by Twilighttwo.”
Twilight blinked. “Me?....I’d neve-”
“Stop there,” he said quickly. “None of this is your fault. Not even a little...” He said something under his breath, but before she could ask he whipped something out of his suit pocket. “I may not be able to see what happened, but we might be able to read it.”
Rarity trotted over, studying the small slightly beat up book the Doctor had produced. “What’s that?”
“Tick-Tock’s diary!” Fluttershy exclaimed, looked up from the sleeping Pinkie Pie. “I...where did you find that?”
“Kept it on him at all times.” The Doctor nodded, examining it. “Probably so nopony would stumble upon it. Curious nurses included.”
Fluttershy turned a brief shade of red, and quickly went back to examining Pinkie.
“By the looks of it it’s pretty old. Should be able to tell us a thing or two about what happened while we were gone from a unique perspective....my perspective.”
Rarity gulped. “Well...what are we waiting for?...As you say...Onwards and upwards...”
“Indeed....Twilight would you do the honors? As much as I’d like to I’m not greatly used to hooves just yet and turning pages is beyond me.”
Twilight eyed the tome for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. “Okay.” She cast a glance at the sleeping Pinkie Pie... “Let’s find out just what’s going on here.”
She began to read.
Good Evening Dear Diary,
My name is apparently Tick-Tock, I have no prior memories before this date, so I have decided to start chronicling my thoughts to prevent any further loss.
I currently find myself in a small town by the name of Ponyville. I am under the care of a mare by the name of Twilight Sparkle, by whom I was found a few days ago in the Everfree forest. She nursed me back to health and I have only recently awoken. I am very thankful for her hospitality, though at times she seems quite brash. There is something there, in those eyes of hers that I find quite unsettling. But it is not for me to say, she has provided me with room and board until my memory can be regained, I have no place for criticism next to such a generous offer.
She says I am a scientist, and I believe this to be true, I have a profound interest in the way things work. Even now I find myself wondering about the workings of this town, though I have no personal knowledge of my past my mind is filled with calculations and ideas that I itch to bring forth into the world. Hopefully when I am well I will be able to.
----------------
“Skip ahead a few entries,” said The Doctor, whatever happened it had to have been in recent years.”
Twilight flipped through a few pages.
----------------
Once again I must confide in you dear diary,
I have been under Twilight’s care for several months now, but as of late I have hardly seen her. She has locked herself away in the basement of this great library, and is hard at work on something. She has asked my help several times, but has never let me see the device she is attempting to build. I have asked her companion, a small dragon by the name of Spike, but he knows little more than I. We find ourselves in each other’s company more often than not. He is a pleasant if at times childish fellow. From what I gather he and Twilight were quite close at some point. I must wonder if perhaps there was some kind of fallout, as Twilight hardly says a word to either of us in the rare times when she comes out of the basement. Despite this he still seems loyal to the last. The eyes, as I have noted in many entries, have gotten even darker than my last. I worry there is something wrong with the poor girl, but she will not let me examine her. I am beginning to fear for her, though I am as of yet not sure if my worries are warranted.
----------------
Twilight flipped through the next few entries.
----------------
Diary I must cite an odd happening this evening,
There was a knock at the door as I was reading a tome of Equestria history. I have never answered the door, as Twilight has requested I not do so. While I find this an odd request she has been kind to me in her own, distant way, and it would not be right of me if I did not try to adhere to any rules put forth.
I tried my best to ignore this intrusion and continue my studies, but oh diary this visitor was persistent, for hours they hammered at the door until I could not take the noise any longer. I had been living here for nearly a year now, had I not? I thought myself entitled to a little peace, and what harm could it do?
So, emboldened by my annoyance, I opened the door to find a pink pony standing there. I had spied her from afar several times, normally from a window, or among those who visited Twilight every now and again. I opened my mouth to try and tell her that Twilight was busy, but suddenly found myself enfolded in one of the most constricting hugs I have ever endured!
The strange visitor began talking so fast I could hardly comprehend what she was saying. You’ve never heard such madness! Stories of stone angles, alternate dimensions and doctors, I do fear she is quite mad.
But this is not the strangest thing, dear diary. The strangest is...I find her madness contagious! For no reason I can describe I found myself incomparably happy to see her. As though we were old friends seeing each other anew. Does it have something to do with my lost memories? Even her ramblings seemed oddly familiar. Of course they are utter nonsense, but nonetheless I feel a connection, such a profound feeling that they are somehow important.
But alas, dear diary, before I was able to question her further Twilight came storming out of the darkness of her basement. You’ve never heard such screaming!
She was furious that I had dared to answer the door, or that this pink visitor should try to talk to me. As she was yelled at the poor girl she looked as though she’d been psychically struck.
Twilight slammed the door in a rage, and shooed me back up into my room, where I have remained for the last day or so. The door has been locked, I am afraid I have angered her quite thoroughly this time. It appears the door rule is to be obeyed at all costs.
----------------
Dear Diary,
It has been mere hours since my last entry, I find that I cannot sleep as nightmares plague my rest. I see such strange things! Stone Pegasus and animate dolls, aliens of all shapes and sizes! Mechanical dogs and bipedal creatures I cannot describe. But I feel as though I know them, that I know this world of dreams. Oh, curse my lack of memory! If only I could fathom there meaning, but alas I cannot.
----------------
The next few pages were filled with sketches, Twilight flipped through them slowly. Some she recognized, and others she did not. One of them appeared to be a Darlock, only without the horse shaped upper portion. It had been circled several times in red.
“Keep reading!” said Rarity.
Twilight quickly flipped through the drawings, and continued. The next few entries recalled fantastic accounts of dreams, and their significance, but nothing of particular interest. She continued through the journal until she found something.
----------------
Dear Diary,
I must apologize for my lack of entries the past few days. I have been busy. Twilight has been asking me more questions than usual, and generally requiring more of me on a day to day basis. I must wonder if it is because she really requires my assistance. Or is simply trying to keep me busy, if Spike is correct, then I have been talking in my sleep. This apparently has her worried, is she trying to fill my mind by supplying me with other tasks so my dreams will turn to other subjects?
I cannot help but wonder.
----------------
The page following the entry were filled with more Sketches, this time of a small wooden box with
glass in the front.
“The HORN,” said the Doctor. “Keep reading, we’re coming close to the big event that brought on your rule.”
------------------
Diary, something wonderful has happened,
I cannot remember my last entry, for I have been so very busy. You see, dear diary, Twilight has given me access to what she has been working on for all this time.
I have made several sketches, I am not sure of all of it’s workings, for sadly I am not a unicorn. But diary that’s the thing! Soon I will not have to be! The mechanics are complex, which is why she required my help, but I believe that with this device magic will no longer be reserved for those special few born with the talent! We have worked through the night and she plans to unleash this gift upon the world in mere hours. The excitement is palpable.
------------------
Dear Diary,
I apologize for being haphazard with my updates. It’s marvelous, there are several of the devices currently in operation around ponyville. While I myself have not had the honor, it is a wonder to see them in action. HORNs they are called, and such fantastic things they are. Magic for earthponies? A mere dream for many a young foal, now realized! I can hardly believe it. It seems my fears of Twilight were unfounded. She is an inventor after my own heart, and she has changed the world for the better. She has taken the invention to Cantolot, where I have heard there is trouble. Hopefully it shall be able to help. The princesses, from what I’ve studied, have been ill for some time. Twilight has taken to helping, making decisions by way of letter. Who knows, with this invention perhaps they can be cured? With this device anything is possible. It will be a golden age for Equestria! And I had a hand in it, though I can remember nothing of my past, I have bright hopes for the future.
----------------
Dear Diary,
I write this in fear, Twilight has returned, and she has changed. Her eyes have taken on the darkest color I have seen on any living creature. This evening I heard her talking to herself in the dark of the basement. I dared not intrude on whatever dark things she’s working on. Spike seems just as worried, he has grown, almost too big for the library at this point. I am worried for him as well as Twilight, he is tired as of late. It seems he has some part in the production of the HORNs, but he will not reveal to me what it is. For the last several days he has been more private than usual. When pressed he simply replies ‘It’s what’s best for Twilight.’ It is unsettling. I do not know what will happen next, but I feel in my heart that it shall not be good.
---------------
Twilight stopped reading suddenly. The Doctor a hoof on her shoulder.
“I...I think I can deal with the hooves...Would you like me to read the rest?” he asked softly.
Twilight nodded.
The Doctor grabbed the book from it’s place in the air, and placed it open on the table
next to the unconscious Pinkie Pie.
“Just remember. None of this is you, time is in flux, never more so than now.”
He continued to read.
------------- Dear Diary,
My worst fears have been realized. Twilight departed for the lantern castle in the Everfree Forest several hours ago, and even from here I can feel the shaking. Something dreadful is happening as I write this account. The entire town has been up all night looking, looking towards the flashes above the trees. It is now nine in the morning, and the sun has not yet risen, it lies on the cusp of the horizon, daring to go no farther. I know I cannot be sure Twilight’s hoof is in this, but it is as if I can feel that she is. That something is now wrong with the world, wrong with time itself. I feel compelled to go forth, to do something to stop it. But do not know how I can help. So I remain here, a coward. We can only wait until the noise ends, and hope for the best.
-----------
Things are grave indeed,
She’s queen now. Twilight has installed herself as the monarch of Equestria, she’s changed, I know not what happened to the princesses, but Twilight now shares their form. She is an alicorn, normally a creature of dreams, turned to a nightmare.
The sun still has not risen, as I stand here, several days from my last entry. It is twilight, it seems, for eternity.
I am packing what little I have. I received a letter stating I have been summoned to Cantorlot, where I am to live, Spike has already gone ahead. Who are we to disobey the queen?
We are no one.
--------------
I have arrived Dear Diary,
The opulence of Cantorlot is lost on me. I have never been far outside of the Library in Ponyville, Twilight never allowed me the pleasure, but in this darkness is there any point?
Alas, I must apologize for being so morose, dear diary, but things are in quite a state. Twilight rules with an iron hoof. It has been mere days since her take over, and already she has launched armies against the Griffin Kingdoms and the mines of the Dimond Dogs. I fear she has been corrupted beyond any help.
Sadly, my stay is not to be long here. Already I have been ordered onto a train that leaves in a few hours. To the Lantern Castle in the Everfree, what she plans for me there I have no idea.
-------------
The Doctor flipped the middle of the diary, many of it’s pages singed beyond comprehension, he frowned, and continued to nose through until he got to something legible.
------------
Curses, another failure, and it seems I have burned a large chunk of my records in the explosion. Years of writings, gone. Never to be replaced! Well, I have never been one to dwell on that which cannot be changed. According to what pages remain my last surviving entry is from before I arrived. To reiterate any lost knowledge, I have been here for the past...how long has it been? It is hard to keep track in this dark laboratory.The dark that makes you feel you’re not alone.
Day and night are meaningless in anycase. To continue, I have continued work on Twilight’s newest tool of war. They have been shipping out for months, and I am beginning to scare myself, but I have no choice but to continue. If I do not she has not only threatened to hurt me, but my only companion. A nurse by the name of Fluttershy, she is charged with the care of the Princesses, who have been in an awful state since Twilight came to power. She brings me food every now and again, and is a kind soul. I could not bear to see her hurt. But I must wonder dear diary, if I have been making the right choice all these years? I feel such loathing for my creation, the Darlocks. I look upon them now, their lone eyes staring back at me, a small bit of life in each.
I have at least done some good in that respect. I do not know how, but I knew what to do the second I began work on them so long ago, and what Twilight wanted me to do. To use ponies, to power these cruel machines....I could not bring myself to do so. So I have delved into deep science. Things which are new, and scary to me. I have grown them, from mere samples of myself. Bits of hair and skin. They are my children....which makes me loathe them even more. Alas, the alternative is unfeasible.
Still I am bothered, it seems my cells are not normal. they grow many times faster than that of any other creature I have encountered when cultivated, and are devilishly hard to kill. I have begun to wonder.
What am I?
---------------
Dear Diary
I have received new plans, plans for a machine under the capitol. It’s awful.
I know why I don’t feel alone in the dark. I know what she’s planning. Yet I have no choice.
Once again I find myself a coward. I dare not write further on the subject.
--------------
Dear Diary,
I have begun to understand the darkness better. Through study I have found that it is not one mass, but several smaller, almost microbial life forms feeding in the air. They make up the blackness around me. That is why my laboratory must stay in the dark. They are part of the Darlocks, but not only that, they are my guards, and her insurance, they could devour me in seconds. Or Fluttershy for that matter, should they get the inclination. I now know why the princesses were raving, why they constructed the castle above me, filled with lights to banish the shadows. I know why they are afraid of the dark. If only they knew what lay below them, it would scare them to death.
Yet I am unharmed. I must wonder how she controls them. If I can figure that out, I will no longer be in danger, perhaps then we can escape.
But where would we go? She cannot leave the princesses unattended and they are hardly in any shape to travel. Twilight would find us in a matter of days if not hours. It seems a hopeless task.
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Dear Diary,
Suddenly I feel as though Fluttershy and I are not alone in this castle. I have grown used to the Darkness’s intrusion, but it feels as though there is something new. I am cautious, it may be some new agent of Twilight’s power, sent to keep an eye on me. I am wary.
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Dear Diary,
Let me start from the beginning for the first time in many years I feel hopeful. My fears of a new threat have proven wrong, in fact we have a new ally. One that is desperately needed.
It happened yesterday. I had come out of the lab in order to have lunch, Fluttershy had scraped together something extra from the Princess’s meager stores in order to spice up the usual hay and oats. She does what she can to make our lives a touch brighter. It made me feel a touch poorly for taking lunch alone. My years of solitude seem to have left their mark.
In anycase, I was eating as usual when suddenly right behind me I heard laughter....Such a curious thing, not only for it’s abruptness, but because it had been so long since I’d heard any. I was badly frightened by this, spilling my lunch all over the floor.
But when I turned to find the source of the sound I saw her.
The pink pony from all those years ago. The one at the door who spoke of nonsense, she was standing right there, as smile on her face bigger than any I’d ever seen.
My fear was replaced by sheer amazement. How had she found me? Or gotten here? She wore the official clothes of the royal planner. I thought for a moment that perhaps she was here to deliver a message, or some news from the capital. Before I was able to voice any of my many questions I found myself once again in a hug which forced all the air from my lungs, apparently her customary greeting. She, Pinkie Pie, called me ‘Doctor’ and rattled on so fast I couldn’t understand a word after that.
Once she calmed down she informed me that she has run away from Twilight’s castle in Cantorlot, where she has been employed for the last couple years. Apparently because Twilight has ‘Become a meany.’ which is the single biggest understatement I shall ever write.
She apparently found me by way of ‘Pinkie Sense’ whatever the term may mean. She said she had the feeling that something big was about to fall, and pointed to her ever moving tail as a reference. I still understand little of this, but I am glad to have another friendly face. Her happiness is ever contagious, I find myself smiling as she dances about the room, talking faster than I can comprehend.
She says we must keep her presence a secret from Fluttershy. Ponies will come looking for her, and Fluttershy is far too sweet to lie, or at least lie well. So her ignorance is best for the time being. She offered to hide in my lab which I was vehemently against, knowing what darkness lies there.
Still she marched on, unafraid, to the edge of the stairs, where the light ended. She knew what was down there, and simply reasoned with it.
I don’t know how, or why this worked, but she said that there was only supposed to be one pony down there, so therefor if she was going down there with me willingly knowing what might happen, then she must not be a pony.
Then she stepped downwards. Into the dark.
And was fine.
I’ve often wondered, since discovering my cells seem abnormal, what I am. Now I find myself wondering....What is she?
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Dear Diary,
It seems Pinkie was right, Twilight has begun a massive search for her. A pair of those awful living dolls she employs searched the castle today. Fluttershy says she’s never seen the princesses so scared. Still, as Pinkie predicted, they did not look inside the lab, and left having found no trace of her. It seems she is safe for the time being.
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Dear Diary
I have told Pinkie of Twilight’s plans for what lies beneath the castle, and of my hand in it. She was just as dismayed as I to learn of this. We have begun to plan against it. We have nothing yet, but we must stop her terrible ambitions, lest everything we know, and in fact what we do not, be threatened.
While we worked she continued to tell her stories, the same ones from when we first met. Apparently this ‘Doctor’, whom she believes to be me, is some kind of hero. I am far from this. I have told her of this mistake, I am but a scientist, but still she persists. Saying I knew her, and Twilight before waking up with nothing all those years ago, saved Equestria. I wish this were true, it would explain the ever present gap in my memory. But it is simply absurd.
All they are is stories...
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Dear Diary
It has happened. She is here, to check on my progress, queen Twilight has come here, and she is even less the mare I once knew than ever. I have shown her the Darlocks, almost ready for her evil plans, while Pinkie hides among the Princesses. Fluttershy is still nonethewiser. This is perhaps for the best, Pinkie Pie was correct, the poor sweet hearted mare was almost in tears from the simplest of questions on the princesses’ status. Feeling guilty for giving me what food she could. I cannot imagine burdening her with such a secret.
But, hiding Pinkie Pie shall not be easy, Twilight appears to be staying for the next few days to monitor my work. I fear that she knows more than she is letting on.
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Dear Diary
I am not sure whether I should be happy, or sick to my stomach. Twilight is very pleased with my efforts towards creating her war machines. She plans to leave tomorrow night to begin preparations. I dearly fear what may happen, but at least we shall be rid of her, and we’ll have the time we need.
Time.
What a funny concept these days. After all these years, I, nor Fluttershy nor Pinkie has aged a single day....I believe the HORNs have something to do with it...but...I’ve never had a Horn. So I must wonder...what is my excuse? My theory must be flawed. In anycase, Pinkie and I have come up with a plan to stop her, a device which, when planted into the machine under the capital will disable it, and perhaps allow me time to make sure it never sees its terrible work done...for you see Twilight has ruined one world...I shall not let her ruin another.
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All that planning....to waste...She found us....She came...into the laboratory the night she was set to leave, totally unannounced....Pinkie Pie was hidden among the monstrosities, but I think we both knew something was off. She seemed a bit too happy....Twilight circled the lab like a shark, taking glee in my fear. She said she’d never seen the Darlock’s newest weapon in action, and that it would be nice to test it. She was cruel in her teasing...she offered to go and grab Fluttershy for a test run, and that was all Pinkie could take. She leapt out of the darkness with and offered herself to Twilight in the poor nurse’s place. I leapt to protect her, but found myself wrapped in the bonds of Twilight’s ethereal tail, forced to watch as she was punished for betraying the queen.
The funny thing is...Pinkie seemed happy to see Twilight, for all she had done...the poor girl smiled and laughed, even joking as the queen activated one of the monsters. And for a moment... just for a moment, Twilight’s eyes lightened, and she looked sad. Genuinely and properly sad. But, like anything in this horrid lab, it was quickly extinguished as the newly awakened darlock fired, striking Pinkie squarely in the chest. Her laughter stopped, and her color faded.
You see, the darlocks are not a forceful weapon...no...the darkness that permeates my workspace is part of them....and that darkness...that horrible...oppressive darkness can do more than devour...it can change. Smother the synapses and darken the mind as well as the air. Taking joy and happiness and leaving mindless drones...this is what she plans for Equestria....and worlds beyond...darkness, inside and out...eternal twilight of the body and mind. A ever feeding, ever growing stain upon the universe.
And I let it happen.
I sat there as Pinkie’s happiness was drained away in an instant.
Or at least as the darkness tried to.
You see, I think that some people are just happy...naturally...properly happy. They’re few and far inbetween...but if anyone is...it’s Pinkie. There is a light inside her so bright that it could outshine the hidden sun. And no amount of science or magic, could ever truly change that.
She fought, dear diary. Her mane and tail went straight as silk, but still, she smiled a bit at Twilight, and said she’d see her soon, in happier times. She danced about the lab like a filly, occasionally grimacing or struggling, but doing so nonetheless. Twilight was put momentarily enraged....but for some reason...she did not strike out against the pink pony...I think that light inside stopped her...that bit of good still fighting among the darkness as Pinkie did then. She simply left. Leaving Pinkie barely standing among the darlocks. She released me and vanished into the night to put her horrible plans into action.
I had little time to act....I gave Pinkie a sedative of my own creation, I have applied a dose every few hours. It slows the process going on in her head....but I wonder to what end? Hers is perhaps the fate that awaits us all....still I must...I must have hope. There is a light in her, and I think that perhaps that light, a light that is in every being that has ever known joy, may be the only thing that can stop the darkness. If I am wrong, then all is lost. I dearly hope some poor soul should figure this out, as I am too afraid to act further. If I do, I fear what may happen to Fluttershy and the princesses. I continue my work in my prison...alone.
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The journal entries ended, the Doctor closed the book with a sharp thud. He stared hard at the small journal for several moments, then down the stairwell. Twilight sat on her haunches, exhausted by all the information she’d taken in.
Rarity made a quite sound. “They’re...made from you....and Pinkie....Twilight she...”
The Doctor simply nodded his expression never changing.
Twilight took a deep breath. She looked back at Tick-Tock who’s breathing had grown more fitful as they’d read.
“I....did that...to you?”
The Doctor’s head whipped around to look at her, she didn’t flinch. He stared at her for several seconds, his deep blue eyes burning with something deep and old.
He was the first one to break away. “No...” The Doctor looked at the ground. “I was the one that did this to you...”
Twilight paused. “Doctor...what do you mean?...Did what?”
The timelord sighed. “You’ve known things...since the toyshop haven’t you? I’ve pointed it out before now, kept saying I’d explain later...But...perhaps I was hoping it wasn’t true.”
Rarity stared at the Doctor worriedly. “What...wasn’t true?”
“Back in our present, to stop the reaper I let you look into my head...but I underestimated you...and gave a lot more than I intended...You may have already guessed that much.”
Twilight nodded. “I’ve...been thinking about it since I knew how to fix the TARDIS...back before we came here.”
“Well, that alone was not enough to make you do all of this. Back then, way back, when we were looking for her.” He pointed to Fluttershy, who made a soft surprised noise. “She said her bunnies had gone missing, and I thought that the reason must’ve been some sort of predator, something that was already in the habitats.”
“Yes...” Twilight prompted.
“I didn’t have the time to think about it, but what’s in every rabbit hole? Every din and every burrow? A shadow.” He gestured towards the stairwell, the light stopping after the first step to be swallowed by the dark. “And in the dark, sometimes things go missing...the Vashta Nerada. So, in that chain of events, you, Twilight Sparkle, got a bit of timelord in your head, and I, put it there.”
“So lets say this timeline ran a bit differently. Let’s say that you and I solve this problem, or its a different one, or we somehow make it back home. Then we go investigate the ‘Strange creatures in Fluttershy’s little garden.’” The Doctor laughed almost ruefully. “And what do they find when Twilight Sparkle bumbles into the dark? A meal? Oh, oh no, they find something greater than that. You see, me? All that knowledge is safely locked up in my head, they could eat me if they like, it’d take’em a while with the regenerations and all, but they could, and nothing’d happen. But you...oh your mind is wide open. And as they set in...they find a spark of knowledge so great it inspires them...tells them they can do more than eat, more than just mindlessly feed...that they can rule. And oh here’s the perfect little vehicle to do it in. Just turn down the light in that mind a little, just a touch here and there, tiny things at first. Then they start to turn up the dark. Slowly and steadily altering you, microscopic spores of darkness in your head.” He turned to her, his face sad and lonely. “With all the darkness around us now, they might have started again already....a chain of events going round and round, I take you back, you run into them, they change you...you become ruler of Equestria and set out to spread darkness wherever you can. All because I was too stupid to notice.” The Doctor took Twilight’s head between his hooves, and planted a small kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry Twilight Sparkle. Very, very sorry. But this is not your fault. It’s mine.”
Silence filled the room, heavy and thick for several minutes. The only sounds the soft breaths of the two sleeping ponies on either side of them, each going through their own nightmares.
“How do we stop it.” Twilight said finally.
The Doctor didn’t say anything.
Twilight repeated herself. “How.Do we. Stop it.”
Rarity gave the Doctor a hopeful look, but he remained silent.
“Doctor?” Twilight said.
He managed, to look up, only for a hoof to meet the side of his jaw. He spun a bit before falling to the ground.
“Hey!” He yelled.
“You will not give up on me.” Twilight stood over him fuming. “You fall out of the sky into my house, get me kidnapped by evil statues, destroyed several reputable businesses around Ponyville, implant the knowledge of an ancient race into my brain, get me flung into a horrible future where half my friends are under my tyrannical rule, my mentor is half crazed, the sun never rises and there are living dolls roaming the streets, and you think I’m just going to let you sit there like an idiot?”
The Doctor looked up at her, totally stunned.
“If you do then you’ve got another thing coming. Now get off your flank, get that sonic screwdriver of yours, out of your coat pocket, and help me fix this. Now. I’m tired of being scared of everything, I’m tired of worrying that I’m going to be some horrible pony fifty years down the line. And I’m really sick of my friends being treated this way by someone who will never be me. I don’t care what you did, what you’ve done, or what you’re going to do. What you’re doing now is fixing this. Are. We. Clear?”
Both the Doctor and Rarity stared at Twilight mouths agape.
“Well,” The Doctor was the first to speak. “When you put it that way.” He hopped up and headed towards Tick-Tock. “Let’s get started. Melvin, pick up Pinkie Pie.” The Doctor hefted Tick-Tock onto his back, then flung the unconscious pony in Melvin’s general direction, despite Fluttershy’s weak protests. “This too, who knows, I might be useful eventually.” He headed towards the door out into the castle proper.
“That’s more like it.” Twilight joined him at his side, a still stunned Rarity bringing up the rear. “Where are we going?”
“We need to have a word with your mentor, and then we need to find transportation. Quickly.”
“So we can get back to canterlot and find the TARDIS?”
The Doctor nodded. “That and because if my ears don’t fail me, there’s a train coming.”
Rarity blinked. “There’s only one other train that comes this way...”
“Twilighttwo’s personal locomotive?” The Doctor guessed.
Rarity looked worriedly towards the nearest window. “Um...yes.”
“Figured that, with a full complement of fully functional Darlocks no doubt.”
Twilight stared at the two of them for a second, before quickening her pace. “Yeah...Let’s hurry.”
982 C.R
“Then what happened! Then what happened!” Trixie yelled, jumping up and down as the Doctor spun his tale.
