> Doctor Whooves Episode 18: The Mystery of Colgate
>  by Doctor Perseus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Visitor for the Doctor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Doctor Whooves: Episode 18


The Mystery of Colgate



Prologue: Visitor for the Doctor


Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Twilight was the first to step through the TARDIS doors. As she looked around at the books on the shelves, she felt a wonderful warmth spread throughout her body. "It sure feels good to be home," she sighed as she walked over to a nearby sofa and sat down. After spending so much time hopping around through time, space, and alternate dimensions she was ready for a long rest.
The Doctor and Derpy happily exited TARDIS after her and Donna was not too far behind. "Are you sure that you've taken us to the right place, Doctor?" asked Donna with a raised eyebrow.
The Doctor pointed at a nearby calendar hanging from the wall. "Right location. Right year. Right month. It's been a week since Twilight, Derpy, and I headed out but that's not too shabby, if I do say so myself," the Doctor stated with a grin.
"Better one week than five months," chuckled Twilight.
"Can we please put that behind us, Ms. Sparkle?"
Twilight and Derpy laughed while Donna took a quick look at the library. "So this is where you live, Twilight?" she asked.
"Yeah," Twilight replied.
"It's a nice place. Lots of books. Perfect for you, I say."
"Of course."
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps could be heard from upstairs. The four travelers looked to see none other than Spike the dragon running down the steps towards them. "Twilight! Doctor! Derpy! You're back!" he exclaimed. Twilight stood up and gave her assistant a big hug. "Can you warn me next time you decide to hop off into another adventure through space and time?!"
"Sorry, Spike. I guess spontaneous adventures are starting to become a bad habit of mine," Twilight said apologetically.
Spike turned towards the Doctor and smirked. "I think you're becoming a bad influence on her."
"Possibly. I tend to have odd effects on my travelers," the Doctor stated.
"That's an understatement," said Donna.
Spike turned his attention to Donna and froze. "Wha?! A human?! Who? Why? Huh?!" Spike gasped.
"So you're Spike." Donna knelt down and extended one of her hands forward. "Name's Donna Noble. Pleasure to meet ya. Twilight's told me plenty about you."
Spike awkwardly shook Donna's hand with one of his claws. "Wait a second. Donna Noble? Why does that name sound familiar?"
"Well the Doctor has mentioned her a few times to you and the others," replied Derpy with a cheeky grin.
"Oh, right! I remember now! Didn't you lose your memory and couldn't get it back due to the risk of having your head explode or something?"
"Yeah. Twilight fixed it," Donna stated.
"It's a long story," said Twilight.
"One that will have to wait!" Spike said quickly as he ran to a nearby bookshelf and grabbed one of the books. "Because there's two things I need to tell you."
"What things?" Derpy asked.
"One, I found you guys in a book." Spike opened the book up to a page that was taken up entirely by the picture of an old painting. The painting depicted an army of ponies and an army of changelings clashing over Canterlot. The Doctor was also able to notice that a battle ready Celestia, the TARDIS, himself, Twilight, Derpy, and Donna were also featured in the painting.
"Somepony painted us?!" asked an ecstatic Derpy.
"That tends to happen when you travel through time and save a lot of people," said Donna.
"That's...another long story," Twilight said as she turned towards Spike and blushed a bit.
"We'll be happy to tell you!" said Derpy.
"Wait a moment," said the Doctor. "Spike, you said that you had two things to tell us. What's the second piece of news?"
"Somepony new is in town and they dropped by here earlier searching for you, Doctor," Spike replied.
"Somepony came in search of the Doctor?" Twilight asked. "Who was it?"
"She said her name was Colgate."
"Did she say what she needed from me?" the Doctor asked.
"No. She just said that she really needed your help," Spike replied. "Of course, you weren't here at the time so I told her that I didn't know when you'd be back."
"Where is she now?"
"She said that she was going to stay in the Hay and Stay Hotel. She's really anxious to see you."
"Hmm...curious. Well, I best be off then."
"We'll come with you, Doctor," said Derpy.
"No, you stay here, Derpy. Twilight too," said the Doctor. "You two deserve a little bit of time dedicated to resting. Besides, I think Spike has earned an explanation of our recent travels."
"Then I'll come with you," said Donna as she approached the Doctor. "I'm interesting in seeing modern day, peaceful Ponyville. I'll come with you to meet this Colgate...wait a minute...Colgate?!"
"What's wrong with Colgate?" asked Twilight.
Donna rubbed her temple and sighed. "If this pony doesn't turn out to be a dentist, I'm going to seriously question the fact as to why a pony has the same name as a toothpaste brand."
Twilight, Derpy, and Spike shared confused expressions. "Come along then, Donna. Let's go meet my unexpected visitor before we get trapped in a filler conversation about toothpaste. Trust me. Been there, done that," said the Doctor as he grabbed Donna's arm and pulled her towards the door.
"So what did you guys do?" Spike asked Twilight and Derpy as the Doctor and Donna made their way outside.
"Oh gosh, where do we start?" Twilight asked in response.
"BronyCon of course!" Derpy exclaimed.
"What the hay is BronyCon?" Spike asked as the Doctor and Donna exited the library.

Hay and Stay Hotel, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Colgate sat on her hotel bed and stared at the wall. The air in her room was extremely cold and there was hardly a sound to be heard. She wished the heater of the hotel would be fixed at a faster rate but, on the other hoof, she was glad that it was silent. Silence was her friend now. This allowed her to focus and listen with no fear of distractions. She could listen and see whether it had caught up to her yet. She had been running for so long. She had been afraid and confused for so long. She desired answers. She wanted to know the truth behind the stalker she could not see. Colgate looked around the room and shivered vigorously from the cold conditions of the hotel. With haste, she grabbed a nearby jacket and put it on. It didn't make her stop feeling completely cold but it did make her feel a bit more comfortable.
Just then, the sound of creaking floorboards could be heard from the outside hallway. Colgate tensed up as she listened carefully. She knew what she was hearing was the sound of hoofsteps...but not the kind of hoofsteps one would hear from an ordinary pony. These hoofsteps sounded heavy and blunt. She had heard these hoofsteps all too many times. It was here and it was looking for her. "Don't find me. Don't find me. Go away. Go away," Colgate whispered under her breath as the hoofsteps drew closer and closer to her door. She wished that somepony else would walk down the hallway, for it was whenever somepony else was around her that Colgate felt safe. Her stalker could never reach her when she wasn't alone, for some reason. Colgate's ears stood up as the hoofsteps came to a stop in front of her hotel door.
Colgate froze. She didn't make a sound nor did she move a muscle. All she did was sit on the edge of her bed and wait. The hoofsteps didn't pick up again. She knew it was standing outside her door. Whether it could tell she was in there, she could not tell. Then, after a grueling few minutes of painful silence, three heavy knocks emanated from the door.
"Hello again, Colgate," said the voice it its usual calm and somewhat parental way. Colgate jumped up from her bed and backed up towards the window. "How long are we to play this game, child?"
"What do you want from me?!" Colgate asked. "Why are you doing this to me?!"
"I only wish to be with you. Is that too much to ask?"
"Why me?! WHY ME?!"
"You will only understand...if you come with me."
"Why would I come with you?! You've killed so many ponies to get to me!"
"The universe is a dangerous place, child. It is my obligation to keep you safe from said dangers."
"No! You're just a monster! You're the reason why I'm cursed!"
"Your gift...was not brought upon you by intentional means."
"This isn't a gift! It's a curse! A terrible, terrible curse! And you're a liar as well as a monster! Just leave me alone! I'm done dealing with you!"
"But I will never be done longing to be with you, dear child."
Colgate couldn't listen to this anymore. She had to escape her stalker. She quickly proceeded to open the back window of the hotel room. The light snowfall from outside began to pour into the room as Colgate hastily jumped through the threshold. She could still hear her stalker calling for her as she made her way towards the heart of the snow-covered Ponyville.
> Encounter in the Snow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1: Encounter in the Snow


Outside Town Hall, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor and Donna happily made their way through the snowy landscape that was Ponyville in the winter. Donna was thankful that she was wearing long sleeves and pants for it was certainly cold out. The citizens of Ponyville went about their daily lives but most stopped when they saw Donna. A few did double takes, others froze, some hid, some let their jaws drop, and others began whispering about what she could be. "I guess most of the ponies here haven't seen a human before," Donna whispered to the Doctor.
"They'll warm up to you," the Doctor replied with a smile. Donna came to a stop in front of a group of young ponies who had frozen upon noticing her. She smiled and waved at them but the ponies shrieked and dashed away into the snow. "Eventually."
Suddenly, a loud gasp broke the silence brought upon by Donna's presence. The Doctor and Donna came to a halt as a pink blur flew towards them and came to a stop right in front of them. "Oh my gosh! Doctor, you're back! I can't believe it! I've been wondering when you'd get back! Where did you go?! What did you do?! Are Twilight and Derpy with you?! Did you attend any parties?! AH! You've brought somepony new with you!" shrieked the ecstatic Pinkie Pie.
"Hello, Pinkie Pie. Pleasure to see you again," the Doctor said casually as Pinkie ran past him and up to Donna.
Pinkie stared happily up at Donna while Donna gave an awkward smile back. "Uh...hi," she said. Pinkie suddenly reached to the side and pulled a pink wagon seemingly out of nowhere. "Wait...where did that wagon come from?"
Pinkie smiled gleefully as she pressed a button on the side of the wagon. Donna watched as the wagon opened up to show a series of horns, flags, ribbons, and streamers while Pinkie began to bounce around to the music coming from the wagon. "Welcome, welcome, welcome; a fine welcome to you!" sang Pinkie Pie. Donna almost jumped as Pinkie placed a party hat on her head. "Welcome, welcome, welcome; I say how do you do?!" Pinkie then loudly blew into a trumpet that made Donna's hair shoot up for a moment. Donna only grew more confused as Pinkie pulled a large drum out of nowhere and proceeded to beat it. "Welcome, welcome, welcome; I say hip hip hooray!" Pinkie tossed the drum aside and continued to dance some more. "Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ponyville today!" Pinkie slid forward with her forelegs held up high. Donna simply stood there with her head tilted in confusion. "Wait for it!" A door in the wagon opened and a tray popped out with a cake sitting happily on top of it. This was followed by a shower of confetti shooting out of the horns in the wagon. Pinkie then did a hoof bump into the air. "Nailed it!"
Pinkie then continued to stare happily at Donna with her huge eyes. "I'm...not entirely sure how to respond to that," said Donna as she took the party hat off her head.
"So what's your name?! Are you friends with the Doctor?! How long are you planning on staying in Ponyville?! And when should I schedule your welcome party?!" Pinkie then handed the cake from the wagon to Donna and placed it in her hands.
Donna looked over at the Doctor to see that he was hardly phased from the odd musical number that had just occurred. "What was your name again?" Donna asked as she turned back to Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie Pie! Party planner extraordinaire!" Pinkie replied.
"Oh! I remember now! Twilight's told me a lot about you. Um...thanks for the cake...and the unexpected welcoming song."
"It's no problem! I love making ponies and other creatures smile!"
"It's nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie." Donna tried to extend a hand forward while keeping the cake in her arms steady. "I'm Donna Noble."
Pinkie jumped into the air and gasped with such force that her mane and tail stuck straight out for a brief moment. "Oh my gosh! The Doctor's told me about you before!"
Donna turned to look at the Doctor. "Have you gone and told everybody in this universe about me?"
"Not everypony. Just a select few," the Doctor replied.
"Now, let's get down to business!" Pinkie stated with a serious look. Donna yelped as Pinkie placed a foreleg around her and pulled her down to her level. "We must discuss your welcome party!"
"You don't need to do that. The welcome song and the cake were enough," said Donna.
"But I want to!"
"It's best not to refuse a party offer from Pinkie. Trust me on that one," chuckled the Doctor.
"Okay. But can we discuss the party later, Pinkie? The Doctor and I need to go and talk with someone," said Donna.
Pinkie looked down sadly. "I guess," sighed the pink pony.
"I promise that we'll have that party soon."
"Pinkie promise?"
"Uh...yeah. Pinkie promise."
"Cross your heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in your eye?"
"Yeah. That too."
"Okie-dokie-lokie! I guess I'll go and say hello to Twilight and Derpy! See you two later then!"
Donna and the Doctor watched as Pinkie bounced off into the snow. "Ah. I've missed that old Pinkie Pie randomness," sighed the Doctor happily.
"She's a lot more...bouncy than how you described her," said Donna.
"Well, one cannot really find the truly right description to explain the pony that is Pinkie Pie. She sometimes does things that are even a mystery to me."
"Let's save that can of worms for another time then."
"Agreed. Now, where were we heading?"
"The Hay and Stay Hotel."
"Ah! Right! Allons-y then!"

Hay and Stay Hotel, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

"Hello and welcome to the Hay and Stay Hotel. How may I assist you?" asked the pony hotel clerk standing behind the counter as the Doctor and Donna entered the hotel.
Donna walked over to the counter and placed Pinkie Pie's cake tray on top of it. "Here, have a snowy cake," said Donna.
"Um...thank you, whatever you are."
"Excuse me, but my companion and I are looking for a mare by the name of Colgate. Last I heard, she was checked into this hotel," said the Doctor. The clerk couldn't stop staring at Donna. "She's a human. No, she doesn't want to eat you. She might slap you if you keep staring at her like that, though."
"He's right about that," said Donna as she lifted her hand up. The clerk shuttered a bit and took a step back.
"Um...yes. There is a pony here by the name of Colgate. Might I ask as to why you wish to see her?" asked the clerk.
"I'm the Doctor. Colgate came by the library earlier in need of my assistance. Unfortunately, I was out at the time. But I'm here now and am ready to help her with whatever problems she has."
"The Doctor, huh? I've heard about you. Aren't you the one who kidnapped Twilight Sparkle a few months back?"
The Doctor snorted and rolled his eyes. "I thought everypony knew by now that the whole Twilight Sparkle fiasco was an accident on my part."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Doctor. Ms. Colgate is in room twelve on the first floor."
"Thank you very much."
The Doctor and Donna left the lobby and made their way into the first floor hallway. It was surprisingly quiet in the hotel and the air was abnormally cold. "The heater must be broken," said Donna as she rubbed her arms together. "They should have somebody look at it." They were halfway town the hallway when the Doctor unexpectedly stopped in his tracks. "What's wrong?"
"I think somebody, somepony, or something has already paid Colgate a visit," said the Doctor as he pointed towards room twelve. The door was kicked in and splinters of wood lay scattered on the floor. The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and carefully approached the door. Donna watched as the Doctor peered in. "Come along. Nopony's home."
Donna followed the Doctor into the hotel room and was surprised to see that the room wasn't really ransacked. The door was the worst part of the room. The only other thing wrong with the room was that the window was open and snow was coming in. "This is odd. I mean, wouldn't somebody or somepony who broke down a door search through the room next?" Donna asked.
"Whoever did this didn't come for valuables or possessions," said the Doctor.
Donna quickly put two and two together. "They were here for Colgate."
"Exactly, and, from the look of things, my guess is that Colgate made her escape."
"So is that it? Is she gone?"
"No. I have a feeling that she's still in town...and I think I have a basic idea as to what she needs my help with."

Outside the Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Twilight stepped outside, armed with her jacket and boots. She had decided to take a quick walk around town while Derpy finished explaining everything to Spike. She took a few steps forward and instantly got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't a feeling of sickness but rather a feeling of...unsureness. An odd tingling sensation moved down her spine and her hairs seemed to stand up as if she had just been electrocuted.
"Twilight!" exclaimed a happy voice from nearby. Twilight turned and was immediately met with a faceful of pink hair.
"Ah! Pinkie Pie!" Twilight gasped.
"I'm so, so, SO happy that you're back!"
"I'm glad too, Pinkie. Now can you please stop crushing my ribs?!"
Pinkie giggled as she released Twilight from her hug. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I'm just so happy that you're home! Is Derpy back too?"
"Yeah. She's busy explaining to Spike about what we did with the Doctor."
"So what did you do?!"
Twilight let out a great yawn and stretched her legs forward. "Can I tell you along with the rest of the girls later? I'm currently in the mood for just a relaxing walk around Ponyville right now."
"Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. You've probably been on a bunch of wild and crazy adventures so I should just let you relax."
"Thank you, Pinkie."
"Ooh!"
"What?"
"You can tell me and the girls all about your adventures at Donna's welcome party!"
"Donna? How do you know about Donna?!"
"I ran into her and the Doctor a few minutes ago. They were going to talk to somepony."
"Oh. Okay."
"I gave her the welcome song and everything!"
Twilight giggled at the thought of Pinkie Pie placing a party hat on Donna's head and blowing a trumpet next to her ear. "Well that was nice. I guess I'll fill you and the girls in at the party then."
"Great! And I'll be able to work it in before the Hearth's Warming Eve party and everything!"
"Hearth's Warming Eve?"
"Yeah! It's only a couple days from now! Aren't you excited?!"
Twilight had completely forgotten about Hearth's Warming Eve. Granted, she had just spent a couple weeks traveling with the Doctor, Derpy, and Donna so thinking about Hearth's Warming Eve back in Equestria hadn't been her top priority. "Well I'll be looking forward to that party as well, Pinkie." Just as the two friends were about to head in their separate paths for the day, Twilight saw somepony running towards them through the snow. It was a unicorn mare with a white and blue mane, blue coat, and hourglass cutie mark.
"Doctor?! DOCTOR!" called Colgate as she approached the library. She noticed Twilight and Pinkie and came to an abrupt halt. "Please...is the Doctor here?!"
"No. You just recently missed him," Twilight replied.
"Oh no! No, no, NO!"
"Wait a moment...are you Colgate?"
"Yes! And I really need the Doctor's help!"
"You can come inside the library and wait for him there. He just left to go find you," said Twilight.
"No! I can't stay here!" cried Colgate. "I have to keep running until I find the Doctor. It's after me!"
"What's after you?!" asked Twilight.
Just then, a chillingly calm voice began calling out. "Colgate, please stop running. We have to stop playing this game sooner or later," called the voice.
"Creepy," Pinkie whispered to Twilight.
Colgate began to shiver fiercely as she turned towards the direction of the voice and started backing up towards Twilight and Pinkie. "I have to get out of here! It's coming for me!" Colgate shrieked.
"What's coming for you?!" Twilight asked. "Pinkie and I can help you and keep you safe from whatever's out there until the Doctor comes back." Colgate was still shaking as she continued to back up towards Twilight and Pinkie.
"Yeah! We'll keep you nice and safe!" Pinkie chimed in. "Ooh! And I can make you some cupcakes! Cupcakes always help me feel better when I'm scared. Or I can make you whatever else-"
Colgate yelped as she bumped into the two ponies behind her. Then, with no warning at all, they were gone. There was no sound. No reaction. Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were just...gone. Colgate looked back towards the spot where the two ponies had been and began to shake even harder. "NO! NOT AGAIN!" she cried before running back into the snowy landscape.
A moment of silence passed before the door to the library opened and Derpy Hooves stuck her head out. "Hello? Anypony there?" she asked. There was no response. "Hmm. I could have sworn that I heard somepony talking or yelling. Whatever. I guess it was my imagination." She then innocently closed the door, completely oblivious to the events that had transpired.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

"-you want to make you feel better!" Pinkie Pie stated with a smile. However, her smile was quickly replaced with a look of confusion when she realized that she and Twilight were no longer standing in the snowy pathway outside Twilight's library. They were now standing on the pathway outside of Sweet Apple Acres in the middle of a hot, early autumn day. "Uh, Twilight, weren't we just standing in front of the library...in the winter?" Twilight looked up at the sunlight pouring in through the leaves of the apple trees. "Did you teleport us or something?"
"Pinkie...I didn't have anything to do with this," said Twilight in a surprised manner. Twilight took note of what had occurred. One moment, they were standing outside the library on a snowy day and now they were standing outside Sweet Apple Acres on a sunny, autumn day. Twilight then quickly thought over how she and Pinkie had been teleported. There had been no sound, no reaction, no...anything. The transition had taken place literally in the blink of an eye. It was completely and utterly baffling...and, yet, Twilight couldn't help but feel that she had done something like this before.
"Howdy!" exclaimed a voice from behind them. Twilight and Pinkie turned towards the fence that was situated between the pathway and the apple orchard to see a mare leaning against it. She looked to be only a couple years younger than them. She had a white, braided mane; a green coat; an apple pie cutie mark; and a red bonnet tied around her mane. "I've never seen y'all before. Ya new in town?"
"Kinda? This is Ponyville, right?" Twilight asked.
"'Course it is! Home to this here apple orchard. The best apple orchard in all of Equestria, I say. But, I can't say that I've seen either of you in this here parts. What's your names?"
"Well I'm Pinkie Pie and this is my friend Twilight!" Pinkie replied as she wrapped a foreleg around Twilight.
"Pleasure to meet ya! Name's Granny Smith, but I prefer to go by Annie. I'll save that Granny business for when I'm older."
"Wait a moment. Granny Smith? You're Granny Smith?!" asked a shocked Twilight.
"Yep! I reckon y'all have heard of me. Stinkin' Rich sure loves going around and advertising my zap apple jam. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he does. The more the word gets out, the more business for dear Sweet Apple Acres and more ponies for Ponyville!" Twilight and Pinkie stared at the young Granny Smith with their mouths agape. "Well y'all look dry to the bone! Why don't you come on down to the farm and I'll get Momma to whip up some of her famous apple juice?"
"Sounds good," said Pinkie with a half excited, half surprised smile.
"Well come along then!"
"I think we could use the Doctor right about now," said Twilight under her breath as she and Pinkie followed Granny Smith to the farmhouse.
> An Unexplainable Dilemma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: An Unexplainable Dilemma


Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor and Donna entered Sugarcube Corner to find a collection of Ponyville citizens sitting down and enjoying a wide variety of goodies. Donna had grown accustomed to the strange stares by now so she didn't react much to the odd expressions that the ponies gave upon seeing her. "What's this place again?" Donna asked as the Doctor led her to a table towards the back of the bakery.
"Sugarcube Corner. It's a bakery as well as a popular meeting spot for the ponies in town," the Doctor replied.
"Fitting name, I should say."
"Pinkie Pie actually works here and lives in the apartment upstairs."
"That doesn't surprise me. She should be right at home here. Anyway, Doctor, why are we here again?"
"To see if this Colgate will show up."
"So we're just going to wait here and hope that, by chance, she'll show up?"
"This is a popular meeting spot in town. If my hunch is right, Colgate will eventually end up here. Safety in numbers is what they say."
"Speaking of Colgate, you think somepony's following her?"
"That's what I'm assuming, based on what we saw in her hotel room."
"But why wouldn't she go to the police? There are police in Equestria, aren't there?"
"Yes and no. The 'police' here are usually soldiers and guards. There usually isn't a high crime rate so there isn't that much of a need for a police force. Twilight and her friends normally end up being the police force here in Ponyville."
"So, basically, Equestria mostly works with volunteer police."
"You could say that, sure."
"But, if that's the case, why wouldn't she go to any of these volunteer police? Why go searching for you for something as simple, albeit terrible and unnerving, as being stalked?"
"I'm going to take a guess and assume that this isn't any ordinary case of stalking."
"Howdy, Doctor!" said a familiar voice. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity were approaching them.
"Ah! Well this is a nice surprise!" exclaimed the Doctor with a smile.
"Nice to see that you're finally back in town," said Rainbow Dash.
"I'm very happy that you're back," said Fluttershy.
"You simply must tell us where you went this time!" said Rarity with a wave of her hoof.
"But, first, could you explain as to why there's a human with ya?" asked Applejack.
"Oh! Yes! This is my friend Donna Noble," said the Doctor.
"Hold up there! Donna Noble? As in-"
"As in the Donna Noble who lost her memory and had to stay that way at the risk of her mind burning up," said Donna with a smile. "Yeah, that's me."
"But how-"
"Long story. Twilight fixed it. She can tell you about it later. Now let's see if I've got this right." Donna pointed her finger at Applejack. "Applejack!" She then brought the finger over to Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash." She turned to Rarity. "Rarity." Finally, she came to Fluttershy. "And...Fluttershy!" The four ponies looked at each other before turning back to Donna. "I've heard plenty about you from the Doctor, Twilight, and Derpy. To be honest, it wasn't that hard to guess who was who."
"That's odd," the Doctor stated suddenly as he scratched his chin.
"What's odd?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Donna and I ran into Pinkie Pie a little while ago. I expected her to go and tell all of you about me returning as quickly as possible."
"We haven't seen Pinkie Pie all morning," said Applejack.
"You haven't?"
"That's actually why we came here," said Rainbow Dash. "Pinkie Pie agreed to meet me earlier to hang out but she never showed up. It's not like Pinkie Pie to miss hanging out with a friend so I came to see if she was here. I ran into Fluttershy, AJ, and Rarity on the way and they decided to come along."
The Doctor looked around the bakery. Strangely enough, there was no sign of the pink party pony. "Well she's not here from the look of things," he said.
"It's not like Pinkie Pie to just go up and vanish like this, especially when there's big news to tell to everypony," said Rarity.
"Maybe she's at the library with Twilight and Derpy," Donna suggested.
"That might be it," said Rainbow Dash. "Pinkie Pie would want to know every detail about what you guys did."
"Well, I'd be happy to tell you but now's not a good time," said the Doctor.
"Oh! It isn't? I'm sorry," said Fluttershy as she took a few steps back.
"What's going on? You've got that something's going down look on your face, Doc," said Rainbow Dash.
"I'm looking for somepony who's looking for me," the Doctor replied.
Applejack's eyes seemed to grow a bit wider. "Is this somepony who's looking for you happen to be a mare named Colgate?" she asked.
"Yeah! How'd you know?"
"I was at the library with Spike when she came by. Was she not at the hotel?"
The Doctor beckoned the four mares to sit down and lean in close. They proceeded to do so. "Donna and I visited her room and found the door kicked in," he whispered.
"Smashed in is more like it," Donna corrected.
"Somepony broke into her room?! The nerve of somepony to break into somepony else's room!" snapped Rarity.
"Was the room torn apart?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"No, and that's the really suspicious part," replied the Doctor. "I believe that whoever broke into Colgate's room wasn't after anything she owned but rather Colgate herself!"
Fluttershy brought her hooves up to her muzzle. "Oh my!" she gasped.
"So somepony's trying to capture her, you say?" Applejack asked.
"That's what I believe," the Doctor replied.
"And if she's coming to the Doctor for help with something like this then it must be very serious," said Donna.
"So where is she? Was she captured?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"The window to her room was open so I think she escaped into town," said the Doctor.
"I could send out a few teams to find her."
"Thanks for the offer, Rainbow Dash, but there really isn't a need to cause a ruckus. If Colgate is being followed by somepony, the last thing she would want is a lot of attention from being found by a group of pegasi."
"So...are you currently searching for her?"
"Yes. We're waiting for her to show up here."
"You really expect a frightened, stalked mare to randomly show up in Sugarcube Corner?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Like I told Donna earlier, this is a popular meeting place in Ponyville that I'm sure would provide safety and comfort for Colgate. I predict that she'll show up here at any moment."
"Hey, Doctor. What was the description of Colgate again?" Donna asked.
"Oh! I can answer that one for ya!" replied Applejack. "She was a unicorn with a blue coat, a white and blue striped mane, and an hourglass cutie mark. Why'd ya ask?"
Donna tilted her head and gave an impressed smirk. "Looks like you were right, Doctor. Tell me, Applejack, is that Colgate?" Donna pointed towards the entrance of the bakery. Standing there was a unicorn mare with a blue coat, a white and blue striped mane, and an hourglass cutie mark. She had a look of fear on her face and was shaking something fierce.
"Yep. That's her," Applejack replied.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

Twilight and Pinkie Pie followed the young Granny "Annie" Smith into the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. Twilight was still trying to work out how she and Pinkie Pie had suddenly ended up in the past but she kept being distracted by how different Sweet Apple Acres looked. The orchard was much smaller than what it would grow to be in Applejack's time and both the farmhouse and barn were smaller as well. Twilight had quickly removed her winter clothing during the walk to the farmhouse not only to stop Annie from eyeing her weirdly but because it was quite warm out.
Upon entering the farmhouse, the strong scent of spiced apples met Twilight's nose. "Gah!" she gasped. "That's strong!"
Annie turned around and laughed. "Yeah. Uncle Prairie Tune sure loves his spiced apples," she said with a giggle. The three mares entered the kitchen where an older mare with a red mane, creamy white coat, and sewing machine cutie mark was washing some dishes at the sink. "Momma! I've brought two guests who are eager to have some of your famous apple juice!"
Annie's mother turned around with a kind, warm smile on her face. "Oh hello there! New in town, I assume?" she asked.
"Uh...yes!" Twilight replied quickly as she sat down at the table and hid her winter clothing under the chair. "My name's Twilight Sparkle and this is my friend Pinkie Pie."
"Pleasure to meet y'all. I'm Golden String. I can see that you've already gone and met my daughter Annie." Annie gave a wide, childish grin that reminded Twilight of the older Granny Smith a bit. "Don't you worry. I'll have that juice ready for y'all in no time."
As Golden String walked over to a wooden box that Twilight identified as an old timey refrigerator, Twilight noticed somepony looking in through the kitchen window. It was a stallion with a black mane and a dark blue coat. Pinkie Pie smiled and waved at the stallion, who proceeded to walk away. "Who's that?" Pinkie Pie asked.
Golden String looked out the window at the stallion, who was revealed to have a map cutie mark. "Oh! That's Map Maker! He's one of our workers. Been working for the farm for about...three months or so." Golden String pulled out a chilled container of apple juice and poured it into two large, metal cups. She then placed the cups on the kitchen table before putting the apple juice back into the old timey refrigerator. "Well, drink up then!"
Twilight brought the cup to her lips and let the cold refreshment fall into her mouth. Her tongue seemed to sing with joy as the delicious drink gushed over it. "Oh! Wow! That's good!" Twilight exclaimed.
"No surprise there. Nopony's disappointed by Momma's apple juice," said Annie with a grin.
Golden String smiled and giggled. "Well, I'm glad that you enjoy it," she said.
"How could anypony not enjoy it?!" asked an ecstatic Pinkie Pie with her eyes nearly as wide as dinner plates.
"Exactly mah point," stated Annie.
"Well, you fillies go and make yourselves at home. You've certainly come to Ponyville at a right time. Zap apple season is in full swing!" said Golden String.
"Oh!" gasped Twilight. She remembered how busy zap apple season was for the Apple family. "I hope we're not intruding. I know that harvesting zap apples takes a lot a work."
"Oh, don't you worry one hair in your pretty little mane, darling. The main harvest doesn't start until tomorrow."
Twilight looked out towards the orchard to see the zap apple trees covered in big, black leaves and glowing teal flowers. "The meteor shower's this evening! Y'all can stay and watch it if y'all are interested," said Annie.
"Ooh! We'd love to! Wouldn't we, Twilight?" exclaimed Pinkie with her gigantic, saucer eyes.
"Uh...sure," Twilight replied.
"Yay! It's been a while since I've watched the meteor shower with anypony," said Annie.
"What about the rest of your family?"
"Aw. They're always too tired to stay up and watch the meteors with me."
Twilight's eyes trailed off to the orchard again, where she saw Map Maker tending the fields alongside a stallion that Twilight assumed was Annie's father. "What about Map Maker?"
"He doesn't like to watch the meteors either. Let me tell ya, he's an odd one."
"Why?"
"Well, when he first arrived in Ponyville, I thought he was insane. He kept going on and on about how everything was wrong and that the year was 1002 or something like that. Crazy, right? I mean, 1002 is decades away! Why, I'll be an old pony by then. Maybe even a real granny!"
"No doubt about that!" Pinkie chimed in just before Twilight placed a hoof over her mouth. Annie gave a suspicious look at Twilight and Pinkie.
"Would it be okay with you if we took a look around the orchard?" Twilight asked.
"Nah. It's no problem," Annie replied. "I've got some stuff to do around the house anyway to prepare for the harvest."
"Okay. Thank you."
Twilight and Pinkie quickly finished their apple juice and headed out into the orchard. "Whatcha thinking about, Twilight?" asked Pinkie as they walked.
"What?" Twilight asked in response.
"You've got your I don't understand what's going on so I'm going to angrily think about it over and over until I find an answer look on your face."
"I don't have a face like that."
"Yeah you do. You did it all the time when you first found out about my Pinkie Sense."
"Anyway...I'm just thinking about how we ended up here. We were talking with Colgate, she backed up into us, and then we ended up in the past. My gut is telling me that Colgate has something to do with this but none of it makes any sense. Colgate didn't perform any magic on us. Heck, I don't think there's even a spell that can cause what happened to us. She just bumped into us and then...here we are."
"Maybe she can send ponies into the past by touching them!"
"But how could a pony have a power like that? The only creatures that I can think of having a power like that are-"
"Hello," said a sudden voice. Twilight and Pinkie jumped as they noticed that Map Maker was now standing next to them.
"Gah!" Twilight gasped.
"Oops. Sorry about that." Map Maker smirked a bit as he walked in front of the two mares. "Didn't mean to frighten ya."
"You didn't frighten us."
"He frightened me a bit," said Pinkie.
"Name's Map Maker," said the stallion as he extended a hoof forward. Twilight proceeded to shake it.
"Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Twilight Sparkle and this is Pinkie Pie."
"Hi!" chirped Pinkie.
Map Maker politely nodded his head. "So, you work on the farm?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah. Going on three months now," Map Maker replied. "Why don't we just cut to the chase then?"
"Huh?"
"You look like you've got something to ask me. So ask it."
"Uh...okay. Annie told Pinkie and me that when you first arrived in Ponyville you kept going on and on about the year being 1002."
"Yes, it's true. I'm in the same situation as you, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight was taken aback a bit. "Of course I know who you are. You two just came from 1002 as well."
"How did-"
"I was walking through the trees by the edge of the orchard and I saw you two appear. Right out of thin air. No sound. No light. Nothing. I then recognized you from some old pictures that I saw in a Canterlot newspaper."
Twilight and Pinkie turned to each other before looking back at Map Maker. "So you're from 1002 like us?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah," the stallion replied. "I was on my way into Ponyville when I bumped into somepony. I didn't see who it was but I remember it being a hard shove. My guess is that whoever bumped into me was running fast. Anyway, somepony bumped into me and I found myself here: Ponyville, at the beginning of the summer of 930. I can't even begin to tell you how confused I was. Ponies around here thought I was crazy when I said that I was from 1002."
"It's no mystery why. Anypony would think that somepony was crazy if they said they were from the future."
"Yeah. I eventually gave up that story and, by some stroke of luck, found myself a job and a home here on the farm. Golden String was really kind in hiring me."
"Annie doesn't seem to like you that much," said Pinkie Pie sadly.
"She still thinks I'm a nut, and I don't blame her."
"So you were bumped into by somepony before ending up here?" Twilight asked.
"Yep," Map Maker replied.
"And you're sure that you didn't see them?"
"They came up right behind me. I didn't have the chance to turn around and face them." Twilight and Pinkie Pie looked at each other again. "I'd suggest finding a job on the farm. It looks like it's going to be a while before we catch up to where we left off."
"It's not over yet!"
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say that I know a certain somepony who's good at getting ponies out of problems like this one."
"But, Twilight, the Doctor doesn't know where or when we've ended up," said Pinkie.
"There's got to be a way to send a message to him. But how?" Twilight pondered.
"And we can't leave right now!"
"Huh?"
"We promised Annie that we'd watch the meteor shower with her!"
"Right. This'll give me some time to think up a way to get a message to the Doctor."
"Well we've certainly got plenty of that at the moment," chuckled Map Maker.
"Hey, Map Maker! Back to work! The harvest starts tomorrow!" snapped Annie's father from the other side of the orchard.
"I better get back to work then."
"Why don't you come watch the meteors with us?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Map Maker sighed.
"I'm sure she doesn't think you're that crazy. She probably won't mind...that much!"
"Besides, if she can handle Pinkie Pie then I'm sure she can handle you," Twilight added.
Map Maker scratched his chin. "Okay. I'll see you later this evening then," he said. The stallion then returned to his work while the two mares continued their exploration of the Sweet Apple Acres of the past.
> Colgate and the Doctor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: Colgate and the Doctor


Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor stood up from the table and calmly approached the shaking mare known as Colgate. "Colgate, is it?" asked the Doctor as he came up to her. Upon hearing her own name, Colgate instantly turned in the direction of the Doctor and gave a frightened yelp. "Sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you. I believe you've been looking for me."
Colgate took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Are you...the Doctor?" she asked.
The Doctor smiled and winked at the mare. "Oh yes! And I'm here to help you with whatever problems you have. From the look of things, I can assume that this problem is rather serious." Colgate nodded. "Come. Let us talk."
The Doctor led Colgate to an isolated table away from everypony. Donna, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack all watched attentively from their own table. The Doctor then made a quick trip up to the counter and came back with a mixture of pastries from cupcakes to danishes. "Here you go," said the Doctor warmly as he handed Colgate a plate with a blue and red cupcake, a cream cheese danish, and a yellow cookie.
"Thank you," said Colgate as she took a bite out of the cookie. The Doctor and Colgate sat in silence for a few moments as Colgate carefully consumed the sweets before her. Every few seconds, Colgate would look around the bakery for any sign of her undesirable companion.
During this time, the Doctor found himself examining Colgate's cutie mark. An hourglass, it was. The Doctor looked down at his own hourglass cutie mark and couldn't help but find it odd how they looked so alike. Both cutie marks were at the same angle and there were no differing features between the hourglasses. "Strange," the Doctor commented. Colgate turned to look at the Doctor. "Your cutie mark is exactly like mine. So I guess you have a talent pertaining to time as well?"
Colgate sighed and shook her head. "I don't know what my cutie mark stands for," she replied.
"But how can that be? Based on what my pony friends have told me, a pony gains their cutie mark when they learn that certain special talent that separates them from everypony else."
"And that's how it works...normally."
"Normally?"
Colgate rubbed her temple and looked like she was about to cry. "I have so many questions, Doctor. My life, my existence, is a complete mystery to me and everypony else I know."
The Doctor reached a hoof over and grabbed one of Colgate's hooves. She looked straight into his eyes before pulling her hoof away. "I have a lot of questions too, but I'm fully willing to help the both of us find the answers. Now, this problem of yours that you need my help with...does it have anything to do with somepony stalking you?"
Colgate gasped. "How did you know?!"
"My friend Donna and I went to your hotel room earlier to find you. We found the door smashed in, the back window open, and the room almost completely untouched. It appeared to me that whoever broke into that room wasn't after any of your belongings but rather you yourself."
Colgate shook upon looking around the bakery again. "It started a few months back, almost immediately after my eighteenth birthday. I was walking home when I heard somepony following me. I think they even called out to me a few times. I ran home but they followed me. For several nights after that, they stalked the outside of my house and called for me to come out and go with them. Eventually, whoever this was grew impatient with me and broke in. I fled. Ever since then, I've been running from town to town just hoping that they won't find me again...but they always do."
"Do you know who this pony is?"
"No. I'm not even sure if it is a pony. The most that I can guess is that they're male, based on their voice."
"You've never seen your stalker?"
"No. He's always out of sight, but I can feel when he's near me."
"Odd." The Doctor noticed that Colgate was lowering her head a bit and rubbing her forelegs together tightly. "I can see that there's more to tell."
Colgate nodded sadly. "Whoever's following me...I know is connected to why I am what I am," she replied.
"And that is?" the Doctor asked.
"Cursed."
The Doctor fell silent for a few seconds. "Cursed, you say?"
"I'm not a normal pony, Doctor. Something's...wrong with me. There's always been something wrong with me. Like my cutie mark."
"You mean as to how you don't know what your cutie mark means?"
"There's a reason why I don't understand my cutie mark. Everypony gains their cutie mark when they discover that thing about them that makes them special. That's not how it happened to me. I...I was born with my cutie mark."
The Doctor found himself falling silent yet again. Is it possible for a pony to be born with a cutie mark? he thought. According to Twilight and the others, it isn't. This Colgate is becoming more and more interesting with each passing second!
"Born with a cutie mark?" the Doctor asked.
"Yes. I've tried to understand it since as far back as I can remember but I've never been able to! And then there's...there's-"
Colgate fell silent and began to shake again. The Doctor tried to reach over and touch one of her hooves to comfort her but she quickly moved away from his grasp and shook her head as a sign that she didn't want to be touched. "There's...what, Colgate?" the Doctor asked.
Colgate looked straight into the eyes again. "This curse...what it's done to me...what it's allowed me to do...I...I-" she stammered.
"Colgate, please calm down and explain this to me. What has this curse done to you?"
Colgate gave a few more, deep breaths. "It's turned me into a...a-"
"A what?!"
"A murderer."
Suddenly, the blinds on the bakery windows slid down on their own and locked into place. The lights on the ceiling of the bakery began to either turn off or explode. Everypony in the bakery gasped as they suddenly found themselves cloaked in darkness. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, placed it on the table, pointed it upwards, and activated it. A dim, blue light began emanating from the metallic device which managed to illuminate the Doctor, Colgate, and their table but no further. Colgate's eyes widened as soon as the sonic screwdriver began producing light and her body froze in a state of absolute fear.
"Colgate? What is it? What's wrong?!" asked the Doctor upon realizing Colgate's frightened expression.
"Oh my Celestia! What in the name of Luna is THAT?!" Colgate cried as she pointed behind the Doctor. The Doctor slowly turned his head around and found his muzzle only a few centimeters away from the muzzle of a stone pegasus, gnashing its teeth angrily and staring at him and Colgate with its cold, pupiless eyes.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

Evening came faster than expected and Twilight and Pinkie Pie returned to the farmhouse just in time to see the members of Annie's family heading off to bed to prepare for the harvest that was to come the following day. Annie had set up a little picnic area on a hill a little ways from the house. It appeared to be the perfect place to watch the meteor shower. "I'm going to go and find Map Maker," Twilight said to Pinkie. "Why don't you go over and keep Annie some company?"
Pinkie gave a serious stare and saluted Twilight. "Aye aye, Captain Twilight!" Pinkie said with a giggle before bouncing over to where Annie was sitting.
Twilight began to walk around the farmhouse for any sign on the blue stallion. The sun was now mostly under the horizon and the air had turned from warm to surprisingly cold. Twilight rubbed one of her forelegs a bit and shivered slightly as the cold air pressed against her coat. She was relieved to eventually stumble across Map Maker, who was busy putting the farming tools away in the shed. "Hope you're not too tired to watch a few meteors," Twilight giggled.
Map Maker smirked as he turned back to Twilight and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Please. I've walked for miles on end all my life. A little manual labor isn't going to tire me out," he replied.
Twilight and Map Maker began making their way over to where Pinkie Pie and Annie were sitting. "Walked for miles on end? What did you do back when you were in 1002?"
"It was at an early age that I took an interest in directions, locations, landmarks, and maps in general. I love making them and discovering new areas. That's what I've done for most of my life. I've traveled all over Equestria and beyond and have constructed many maps during that time. And if I ever return to 1002 I shall continue my trek."
"Don't worry, Map Maker. We'll get back to our own time."
The sun had just finished setting when Twilight and Map Maker arrived at Annie's picnic area. "The meteor shower should be starting any minute now!" Annie exclaimed happily. Her face fell a bit when she realized that Map Maker was there as well. "Oh...hello, Map Maker."
"Hello, Granny," Map Maker replied with a smirk.
"It's Annie."
"Whatever you say."
Twilight could feel the air grow as thick as a knife. She decided to turn her attention away from this by thinking of a way to send a message to the Doctor. I could try sending a message to his psychic paper, she thought. But I'm not sure I can even do that. The only other method I can think of is to write him a letter but how can I ensure that it'll make its way to the Doctor seventy-two years from now? Twilight's eyes drifted over to Annie, who was quietly munching on a green apple and avoiding eye contact with Map Maker, who was now whistling a catchy tune that Pinkie was bobbing her head to. Hmm...that just might work.
"Ooh! It's starting!" exclaimed Annie. Twilight looked towards the sky, which was now dark and filled to the brim with stars, as a massive collection of white, sparkly meteors began soaring through the darkness.
"Ooh! Ah! Eee! Oh!" Pinkie declared as she twisted her head at several, odd angles to view each meteor that soared through the sky. As the meteors fell, sparks of blue electricity moved above the zap apple trees. Twilight watched in awe as the blue sparks moved about the teal leaves and turned them into gray apples.
"It's beautiful," said Map Maker. "I've always heard about the signs of the zap apples but I've never seen them in person until now."
"It truly is a sight to behold," said Annie.
Suddenly, Twilight noticed something odd. Her eyes moved away from the meteors and focused on a spot of air above the electrified zap apple trees. The air was rippling like a pond and little blasts of white light were shooting out of it every few seconds. Twilight noticed that she was the only one there who noticed this, for everypony else was focused on the meteors. Twilight knew what this patch of air was. A rift! she thought. And that means...something's coming through. Twilight watched as a stone, humanoid arm suddenly poked through the rippling air. Her eyes widened and her heart rate increased. Just then, sparks of electricity from the zap apple trees moved up towards the rift and wrapped around the stone arm and the rift itself. The arm glowed white like hot metal and hastily retracted back through the rift. Sparks continued to pass into the rift before the rift disappeared altogether. Twilight quickly found herself confused. Something had tried to come through the portal and the zap apple sparks had sent it away. Based on what she saw, Twilight had an idea as to what had attempted to pass through the rift and she was extremely relieved that it had failed to do so. Still, that didn't mean there wasn't a chance that it could attempt it again.
"Ooh! Look at that one!" cried Pinkie Pie as she unexpectedly placed her forelegs on Twilight's shoulders and pointed her muzzle up towards a surprisingly large meteor. The large meteor, however, didn't take away Twilight's new feelings of anxiety and she returned to thinking about getting a message to the Doctor.
I can't help but feel that something really bad is happening in 1002, she thought. And now I think it's trying to worm its way back here to 930! Twilight and the others remained silent as the remaining meteors fell through the dark, autumn sky.

Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

"Colgate, whatever you do...don't blink!" the Doctor ordered as he kept his eyes frozen on the ponified Weeping Angel before him.
"What is that thing?!" asked Colgate.
"I'll explain later! Just don't blink!" The Doctor took quick glance into the darkness. "If there are any unicorns in here, it would be really nice if you could shed some light!"
Instantly, the bakery was filled the the lights of illuminated unicorn horns. The Doctor looked over at the table where Donna, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity (whose horn was lit) were sitting at. The four mares gasped upon seeing the ponified Weeping Angel but Donna looked confused. "What's wrong? It's just a statue," Donna said. "It is creepy, I'll give it that."
That's right. Donna and I never dealt with Weeping Angels. How have I gone so long without at least mentioning them to her? the Doctor thought. He hastily turned his attention back to the Weeping Angel, stored his screwdriver away, backed up, and tried to take a hold of one of Colgate's hooves.
"No! You can't touch me!" she cried.
"Why not?!" the Doctor asked. Colgate fell silent. Suddenly, all of the illuminated unicorn horns began to flicker. "Oh no. Colgate, run!" Colgate listened to the Doctor and followed him over towards the front door of the bakery. All of the illuminated horns became dark for a second. They came back on and the Doctor looked to see that the Weeping Angel was already halfway towards them. "Whoa! He's fast!" The Doctor tried to open the bakery door but found it to be locked. The lights flickered again and the Angel was now a few feet away from them.
"Doctor?! What is that?!" Colgate cried.
"Just keep looking at it!" the Doctor ordered as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. The lights flickered again and the Angel was now a foot away from Colgate. 
"Doctor!" Donna cried.
"Donna! You and the others meet me and Colgate at the library!" said the Doctor as he opened the door of the bakery. A blinding gust of snow poured through the open door. Colgate shrieked as she felt a stone hoof prick her rump. The Doctor and Colgate ran as fast as they could into the snowy Ponyville. The Doctor looked back to see the Weeping Angel making its way towards them with each blinding swirl of snow.
"It's him! That's him! That's the one that's been following me!" cried Colgate.
"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked.
"I can feel it! That's him!" Colgate and the Doctor picked up their pace as they hastily ran in the direction of the library.

Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Derpy let out a great sigh as she finally finished explaining the adventures she, the Doctor, Twilight, and Donna had recently finished to Spike. "And that's what we did," she stated.
"Wow," said Spike. "At least I finally understand this picture in Twilight's history book."
"Speaking of Twilight, where'd she go off to?"
"I think she went out for a walk. She should be back at soon." Just then, there was a knock at the door. "That might be her now." Spike walked over to the front door, opened it, and found not Twilight but Granny Smith standing outside. "Oh! Hi, Granny! What brings you over to the library?"
"Uh...oh fingle fangle! I've gone and forgotten why!" she sighed with her usual, toothy grin.
Spike suddenly noticed a cardboard box being held in her foreleg. "Does it have anything to do with that box?"
"Huh? Oh! Why, yes it does!" Granny handed the box to Spike and he took it. It was quite light. "That's for the uh...um...what's his name? The Professor? The Nurse? The Master?"
"The Doctor?"
"Yes! That's it! That's for the Doctor! Thank you, kind youngin'! Have a nice day!"
Spike gave a confused look as he watched Granny Smith walk off into the snow. "Who was that?" asked Derpy as Spike closed the door and placed the box on the coffee table.
"Just Granny Smith. She gave me this box to give to the Doctor," Spike replied. "I wonder what's inside."
"Well, if it's for the Doctor, we might as well wait for him to come back."
"Speaking of coming back, where in the name of Celestia is Twilight? I remember her saying that she wouldn't be gone that long. You know, I'm going to have a talk with her later about randomly disappearing."
"Well the TARDIS is here, Spike. It's not like she's gone off to another time or something."
"Yeah. I guess you're right."
> The Curse of Colgate
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4: The Curse of Colgate


Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

Twilight awoke with a loud yawn. She was happy that Annie had allowed her and Pinkie Pie to spend the night in the farmhouse and the couch had proved to be surprisingly comfortable. The morning sunlight was pouring in through the nearby window and it covered the room in a warm, loving glow. Twilight turned over to see that Pinkie Pie was still asleep in her little bed of sheets, pillows, and quilts on the floor. She quietly got up and made her way over to the nearby coffee table. Twilight had written a letter to the Doctor the previous night after coming in from watching the meteors. She picked the piece of paper up and silently read it.
Doctor,
Pinkie Pie and I have been mysteriously sent back in time. We are at Sweet Apple Acres and the date in which I am writing this letter is October 5, 930 C.E. If you get this letter, Pinkie and I would appreciate it if you could use the TARDIS to give us a lift back to our time. I pray to Celestia that we'll see each other again soon.
Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle
It was a simple enough letter. After rereading it a couple more times to check over for any grammatical errors, she sealed it into an envelope and placed it neatly on the center of the table. "Now I've just got to talk to Annie about this," Twilight said under her breath.
Just then, Annie burst into the room. She was bouncing up and down like a child who had just heard that they were going to the toy store. "The zap apples are coming! The harvest is beginning!" she cheered happily as she bounded outside.
"Wait! Annie! I need to ask a favor!" Twilight called but the farmmare was too excited to pay any attention.
"Come on, Twilight!" cheered Pinkie Pie as she unexpectedly grabbed onto Twilight's hooves. "We don't want to miss the beginning of the harvest!"
Twilight yelped as Pinkie tugged her with all her might through the front door. The two mares were instantly hit with a powerful gust of wind upon stepping outside. The blue morning sky was quickly filled with thick, dark storm clouds. Annie, Map Maker, Golden String, and the other members of Annie's family were already outside and preparing to start the harvest. Lightning and raindrops fell to the ground around the zap apple trees and made the ground shake something fierce. Through the dark clouds, Twilight caught a few glimpses of small rays of white light. A few minutes of this passed before the clouds hastily dispersed, leaving a massive rainbow standing high above the orchard. Bursts of electricity coursed throughout the trees and Twilight's and Pinkie's eyes grew as the gray apples magically transformed into the rainbow striped, ripe zap apples. "Yeehaw!" cried an ecstatic Annie as she jumped high into the air. "Them zap apples are ready to be picked!"
Annie, her family, and Map Maker grabbed a series of barrels and marched into the orchard to begin harvesting the apples. "Ooh! That was so exciting!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced up and down.
"Yes, but I think now's the time for us to be getting home," said Twilight as she presented the envelope to Pinkie Pie.
"What's that?"
"A letter to the Doctor."
"Oh! So...how are you going to get it to him?"
"I've got an idea." Twilight turned towards Annie and waved her hoof in the air. "Hey, Annie! Can I ask you something?"
"Sure thing!" replied Annie as she made her way over to where Twilight and Pinkie were standing. "Whatcha need?"
"I need you to do a small favor for me."
"Sure. What's the-" Annie fell silent and proceeded to freeze in place. "What in tarnation?"
Twilight noticed that Annie was focused on something behind her. She and Pinkie turned around to see a patch of air a few feet away from them rippling like a pond in a thunderstorm. The electrical sparks and rainbow beams of the zap apples were moving about the rippling spot of air. "Twilight, is that what I think it is?!" asked Pinkie Pie.
"Yeah...it is," Twilight gulped.
"What are y'all going on about? What is that?!" asked Annie. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and something fell out of the rift, which proceeded to quickly disappear. When the light faded away, Twilight and Pinkie gasped. Standing before them was a stone pegasus with its wings extended, its teeth gnashing, and its pupiless eyes glaring angrily at them. "And what the hay is that?"
Pinkie Pie and Twilight widened their eyes as they took a few steps back. They then simultaneously replied to Annie by saying, "Don't blink!"

Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Donna kicked the snow off her shoes as she entered the library with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity close behind her. She quickly looked for any sign of the Doctor or the mysterious Colgate but the only inhabitants of the library were Derpy and Spike. "Oh! Rarity! Rainbow Dash! Applejack! Fluttershy!" gasped Derpy. "I see you've met Donna."
"Yeah, we've met her. Hey Derpy. Nice to see you're well and good," said Rainbow Dash quickly as she flew over to Derpy, gave her a wing bump, and began zipping around the library like a bee.
"What's going on?"
"Has the Doctor and a mare named Colgate come by here?" asked Applejack.
"No. It's just been Spike and I since Twilight left," Derpy replied.
"Twilight's gone? Where's she gone off to?" Rarity asked.
"A walk, but she's been gone for some time," Spike replied.
"Oh my, that's not good. We could really use her help right about now," said Fluttershy.
"What's wrong?" Derpy asked.
"There's a Weeping Angel in Ponyville!" said Rainbow Dash. Derpy and Spike gasped simultaneously.
"Uh...what's a Weeping Angel?" Donna asked.
"What?! The Doctor never told you about them?!" asked Rarity.
"No. Never heard of them."
"Basically, they're statues that move when you're not looking at them," said Applejack.
"Yeah! And they can send you back in time if they touch you!" stated Rainbow Dash.
"They sound like a friendly bunch," Donna said sarcastically.
"So where's the Doctor?" Derpy asked.
"We got separated at Sugarcube Corner when the Angel attacked," Fluttershy replied.
Rainbow Dash looked outside at the small snowstorm that was blowing through town. "Where the hay did this snowstorm come from?" she asked.
"Twilight should definitely be back by now," said Spike. "She wouldn't stay out in a snowstorm."
"Well ain't this a pickle. Twilight's off somewhere, Pinkie's up and disappeared, there's a Weeping Angel wandering through town, and that strange mare is at the center of all of it," said Applejack.
Just then, the door to the library opened and the Doctor and Colgate ran inside. "Lock the door!" cried Colgate.
"Already on it!" said the Doctor as he slammed the door behind him and hastily locked it. "Besides, I think we lost our dear stalker in the snow."
"It won't be long until he finds us again. It won't be long until he finds me!"
Donna suddenly cleared her throat and the Doctor and Colgate turned their attention to Donna and the others. "Oh! Hello everypony...and Donna!" said the Doctor.
"I think I speak for everypony here when I say this: answers, please, now!" Donna stated sharply.
Rainbow Dash flew up to Colgate and eyed her closely. "Yeah! You could start by explaining as to why a freaking Weeping Angel is chasing after you!" snapped the pegasus.
"I don't know! I don't even know what a Weeping Angel is!" Colgate snapped back. Rainbow Dash continued to eye Colgate suspiciously.
"Colgate, you were explaining something to me before the Weeping Angel, your stalker, appeared," said the Doctor. "You said, if I remember correctly, that this curse of yours has turned you into a...murderer. Could you elaborate on that?"
Colgate sat down and wrapped her forelegs around her head. "I can't help it. I can't control it! It just...happens!" she cried.
"What happens?"
The Doctor tried to place a hoof on Colgate to comfort her but she slid away. "Don't touch me! If you do, you'll die too! You'll die like the others!" Tears were beginning to form in the mare's eyes. "You wanna know what this curse does to me?! I'll tell you! Sometimes, especially when I'm experiencing a really powerful emotion, when I touch somepony...they vanish."
"Vanish?"
"Yes. Poof. Gone. I can't control it! It's completely random and all it takes is a simple nudge!" Colgate's eyes suddenly fell upon a picture of Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity sitting together. "Oh no!" She began looking at Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. "I...I'm so sorry!"
"About what?" asked Applejack.
"Your friends! The purple unicorn and the pink earth pony!"
Everypony looked at each other. "What...do you mean?" asked Rarity with a nervous tone.
"I ran by the library earlier," Colgate explained. "That...thing was following me! I ran into the unicorn and the pink pony outside! I bumped into them and...they were gone! Just like that! I couldn't control it! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"
A deathly silence fell amongst everypony in the library. "No...it can't be true. Twilight and Pinkie...can't be gone," Spike croaked.
"They've been missing recently, haven't they?" Colgate asked.
Spike, Derpy, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack turned to look at each other. Sad expressions of denial were etched onto their faces. "Twilight and Pinkie...gone?!" cried Fluttershy softly.
"It...can't be true," said Applejack.
"No, Twilight, NO!" Spike cried as he backed up into the table. The Doctor's ears perked up as a cardboard box fell off the table and spilled open onto the floor.
Derpy's eyes went wide as she saw the contents of the box. "Wait a second...are those...Twilight's winter clothes?" she asked as she pointed at the box. 
Spike turned around and looked at the clothes that had spilled out of the box. "They...they are! Those are Twilight's clothes!" he exclaimed.
"So? What's that supposed to mean?!" snapped Rainbow Dash as she struggled to hold back her tears.
Spike turned towards Colgate as he picked up a purple jacket. "Was Twilight wearing this when she vanished?!"
Colgate stopped shivering with guilt as took a close look at the jacket. "Now that I think about it...yeah. She was wearing that! And the boots too!" Colgate replied.
"Where did that box come from?" the Doctor asked as he walked over to Spike.
"Granny Smith came by earlier and dropped it off," Spike replied. "She said it was for you, Doctor."
The Doctor's eyes were suddenly drawn to an aged envelope lying next to one of the boots. "Hey now. What's this?" He quickly grabbed the envelope and opened it. An aged letter was situated inside.
"A letter?" asked Donna.
"Yep! And, based on the scent, it's about...oh...I say a little over seventy-two years old." The Doctor looked at the letter and read the contents aloud. "Doctor. Pinkie Pie and I have been mysteriously sent back in time. We are at Sweet Apple Acres and the date in which I am writing this letter is October 5, 930 C.E. If you get this letter, Pinkie and I would appreciate it if you could use the TARDIS to give us a lift back to our time. I pray to Celestia that we'll see each other again soon. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle." A giant smile appeared on the Doctor's face. "Oh! Oh, oh, oh! Things have certainly gotten interesting!" The Doctor turned to the others and gave out a wondrous laugh. "Fear not, my friends! Ms. Sparkle and Ms. Pie are not dead! They're merely time displaced! A quick trip in the TARDIS is all that's needed to bring them home!"
Spike fell back onto the table and let out a great sigh. "Oh thank Celestia!" he exclaimed. Everypony else in the library followed Spike and let out deep sighs of relief.
"Colgate, based on this piece of evidence, you don't cause ponies to simply disappear," said the Doctor as he approached the confused unicorn. "You send them back in time."
"I...I send ponies back in time?" she asked.
"Yes. You have, what I like to call, a temporal touch. And there's only one other creature in the whole of space and time with that ability...and it's the species that your stalker belongs to."
"You mean...Weeping Angels?"
"Exactly. Weeping Angels sends ponies, people, or whatever else back in time to feed off their potential energy: the energy left over by the lives they could have lived if they had never been sent back in time." The Doctor placed Twilight Sparkle's 72-year-old letter into his suit pocket and began scratching his chin. "Tell me, Colgate, have you caused a lot of ponies to vanish?"
"A lot. More than I can count. It's been happening ever since I was a foal."
"And, tell me, did you ever feel a bit stronger after causing them to disappear?"
"Actually...yeah. I do. Always."
"Colgate...how easily can you get injured?"
"What?" asked the confused unicorn.
"It's a simple question," said the Doctor. "How easy is it for you to get injured? Cuts, bruises, broken bones, the like." Colgate looked towards the ground and fell silent. "Or...have you ever been injured at all?"
"Doctor, where are you going with this?" Donna asked.
"It's true," Colgate said suddenly. "I've never been injured."
"What?" asked Rainbow Dash. "There's no way that's possible! You must have gotten at least a paper cut at some point!"
Colgate simply shook her head. "No. Never. I've come in contact with lots of sharp objects, fallen over several things, and have been at the receiving end of certain, flying objects at one time or another. I've never been cut, never received a bruise, and have hardly felt any sort of pain from any of these accidents."
"How is that possible? What, are you related to Superman or something?" Donna asked.
"Who's that?" Colgate asked.
"Nevermind."
"Interesting. Very, very interesting," said the Doctor as he turned away from Colgate and approached one of the bookcases. He grabbed a random book and examined it for a moment. "Think fast!" The Doctor suddenly spun around and threw the book at Colgate. Colgate had no time to react. The book smashed right into her face, spine first. Everypony watched in amazement as the book broke apart while Colgate's face was left untouched.
"What the hell, Doctor?!" snapped Donna. "What was that for?!"
"Don't worry! I'm fine!" Colgate said. "It didn't hurt!"
"I think I'm starting to piece this together," said the Doctor as he walked towards Colgate. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small paper clip. He then bent the paper clip until it was completely straight. "Now, I want everypony to close their eyes. That includes you, Colgate, and me as well."
"I'm confused," said Derpy as her eyes began inverting again.
"Doctor, what are ya trying to prove?" Applejack asked.
"I'll explain in a moment. Now, everypony, close your eyes," the Doctor replied. Everypony stood in confusion for a moment. "Trust me." Everypony sighed and did as they were told. Now, only the Doctor and Colgate had their eyes open. "Colgate, close your eyes. I promise that I won't make this hurt that much." He then carefully took one of her hooves. "Try not to send me back in time."
Colgate didn't pull away this time. She instead stared deep into the Doctor's old, sad eyes and nodded. She then exhaled calmly before closing her eyes. A few seconds of silence passed as she found herself in a world of darkness. Then, out of nowhere, she felt a sharp pain rush up from her hoof. She jerked a bit but not too much. "Ow," she stated. She expected the Doctor to say something, but he remained silent. She felt the Doctor place her hoof down and heard him step back.
"Okay. Everypony open your eyes," he said suddenly.
"So...what was the point of all this, exactly?" Donna asked.
"To prove my theory...and it's correct. Look at her hoof."
Colgate looked at her hoof and saw a small cut on it. "You...cut me," she said in disbelief.
"Sorry about that. I just needed to see if my theory was right or wrong."
"What theory?" asked Rarity.
"I throw quite a large book at Colgate and it hits her square in the muzzle," the Doctor explained. "The book is destroyed while she doesn't even get a bruise or a paper cut. Everypony closes their eyes and I'm able to cut her with an ordinary paper clip." Everypony began looking amongst each other. "Colgate, you have the ability to send anything back in time and you're as invincible as the toughest and strongest of stone statues as long as a living being...is looking at you."
"Doc...are you saying what I think you're saying?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Yes." The Doctor looked straight into Colgate's eyes. "I don't know the reason behind this or how it's even possible. Colgate, you're not just an Equestrian unicorn pony...you're also a Weeping Angel."
> The Angel's Voice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5: The Angel's Voice


Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

Annie was obviously confused by Twilight's and Pinkie's reactions to the statue before them. A smile grew on her face as she gave Twilight a friendly slap on the back. "Ha! Is that one of them there fancy unicorn tricks? It's a mighty good one, I must admit," Annie giggled.
"This is no joke, Annie!" Twilight snapped back. "That statue is extremely dangerous!"
Annie's attitude didn't change. Instead she wrapped her forelegs around Twilight and Pinkie and began pulling them towards the orchard. "Come on now. I think a good cycle of zap apple harvesting is just what y'all need at the moment."
Twilight tried to keep her eyes on the Weeping Angel as she and Pinkie were pulled away by Annie. However, both she and Pinkie ultimately found their gazes turned away from the statue. When Twilight looked back, she expected the statue to be closer to them. Surprisingly, the statue had remained firmly in place. Not one inch of it had moved. Strange, Twilight thought. What game are you playing, Mr. Weeping Angel...or is it Weeping Pegasus now? Twilight's focus on the Angel was hastily interrupted by Annie shoving a barrel in her face and giving her instructions to go harvest a particular collection of zap apple trees. When Twilight looked back at the statue a few minutes later, it was still in the same place and still had yet to budge an inch. I've got my eyes on you.

Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

"Say what now?" Applejack asked upon hearing the Doctor's deduction about Colgate.
"How can she be a Weeping Angel? It doesn't make any sense!" Rarity stated.
"You gotta admit that the similar powers are still there," said Rainbow Dash.
"Then how come she doesn't freeze in place when somepony looks at her?"
"Well...she does become as tough as a statue," Fluttershy answered.
"My head hurts," said Spike as he rubbed his temple.
"I'm right there with you on that one," Donna added as she too rubbed her head.
"There are definitely still a few questions to be answered," said the Doctor. "But I have an idea as to where we can get the answers we seek."
Colgate gulped as she took a few steps back. "I hope you're not saying what I think you're saying, Doctor," said the shivering mare.
"I'm afraid so." The Doctor approached Colgate and carefully placed a hoof on her shoulder. "We're going to need to question your Weeping Angel stalker."
Colgate looked at the Doctor's hoof making contact with her dangerous skin and then back up into the Doctor's determined eyes. "You're a very dangerous stallion. You know that?"
A gleam appeared in the Doctor's eyes as he smirked childishly at her. "You bet I know that. In fact, you could almost call me a...madpony with a box."
"Madpony with a box? That's a new one," Donna chuckled.
"Yes it is. But I love the sound of it. Madpony with a box. I'm a madpony with a box!" The Doctor let out a joyful giggle that made him look like a child caught in the middle of a sugar high. "Anyway, back to business. Colgate, Donna, Derpy, Applejack, and myself are heading out." The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, pointed it at the TARDIS, and activated it. The TARDIS then vanished into thin air. "The rest of you stay here and guard this spot. I don't want any Weeping Angel getting anywhere near my TARDIS. Even if it's a second out a sync, a desperate Weeping Angel can find it. If there's any problems...just scream...loudly."
"I guess the rest of us can count on Rarity then," Rainbow Dash chuckled.
"Are you implying something, Rainbow Dash?" asked Rarity with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe."
"Um...could we maybe talk about that later?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Don't worry, Doctor. We'll keep the TARDIS safe and sound!" stated Spike with a salute. "Just don't forget to bring Twilight and Pinkie home when this is all over."
"Oh come now, Spike! How could I ever forget about Midnight Sprinkle and Berry Cake?" the Doctor asked with a sarcastic grin. Spike laughed and rolled his eyes simultaneously in response.
"So, what do you need me for?" Applejack asked.
"I need somepony who's good with ropes, knots, and lassoing rough creatures."
Applejack smiled and tilted her hat. "Well you've certainly got the mare for the job!"
"Great! Now, my companions, off to Sweet Apple Acres! We've got us a Weeping Angel to catch!"
"This should be interesting," said Donna. Derpy giggled in response.
"Madpony in a box. Madpony in a box. Ha ha ha," the Doctor sang as he trotted towards the door.
Donna turned towards Derpy. "I hope that's not catching on because I'm gonna slap him if he keeps this up."
"What was that?" The Doctor turned back to Donna.
"Nothing!" Donna gave the Doctor an innocent smile. The Doctor shrugged his shoulders and continued to sing. Donna turned back to Derpy and waved her hand. "The palm is ready."

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

The Weeping Angel was still in the same place it had been when it arrived when Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and the others finished the harvesting for the day. It had been a long day of work and yet they already had tons of barrels filled to the brim with zap apples. Annie was currently busy making her zap apple jam while Twilight continued to observe the statue through the farmhouse window. "Still watching the statue?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"Yes. I've been observing it every chance I've had," Twilight replied. "None of it makes any sense. Why has it been staying still all day and why has it taken the form of a pegasus? Last time I checked, Weeping Angels came from the Doctor's universe and were humanoid."
"The Doctor would have a field day with this."
"You're right about that, Pinkie." Twilight's eyes suddenly became as wide as dinner plates and she quickly gave herself a hard face-hoof. "Oh! I completely forgot! I was so busy working with the apples and worrying about the Angel that I forgot about the letter!" Twilight turned towards the table where she had set the letter down hours ago before working and picked it up. "I better get this to Annie."
"Oh no, no, no!" Pinkie warned as she grabbed Twilight's shoulder. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"
"And why not?" Twilight asked.
"'Cause Annie's in the zone!"
"The zone?"
"Yeah! She's making zap apple jam right now! She's already scolded the bottles for getting out of line!"
Twilight walked over to the open doorway between the living room and the kitchen and took a quick look at what Annie was doing. The young Granny Smith was busy walking around the kitchen with a green helmet on her head. Barrels of zap apples lined the walls and the table was covered from end to end in large glass bottles. "Y'all think ya got what it takes to hold zap apple jam?! Do ya?!" asked Annie as she stared at one of the bottles. A small crack appeared on the bottle and Annie snorted as she picked it up. "You, sir, are dismissed!" She then tossed the bottle into the nearest trash bin. "Now who's next?!"
"Okaaaay," Twilight said under her breath as she slowly retreated back into the living room. Twilight turned back to Pinkie, who was busy rubbing her chin in deep thought. "I see what you mean, Pinkie."
"Maybe it's just biding its time," Pinkie said suddenly.
"Huh?"
"The Weeping Angel. What if it's waiting for the perfect moment to strike?!"
Twilight took a quick glance out at the statue. "If that's what it's doing then why would it wait so long? It's had multiple opportunities to slip away and try to take us and the others down. What's stopping it?"
"Well, when it arrived, everypony was outside working during the daytime. Maybe it's waiting for when it's dark out so it'll-"
"Be harder for us to see it." Twilight and Pinkie gulped simultaneously.
"So what are you two talking about?" asked Map Maker as he walked in from outside.
"Pickle barrel kumquat!" Pinkie replied with wide eyes.
Twilight turned to Pinkie with a raised eyebrow while Map Maker gave a confused look. "What?"
"Oh, wait. That's what I was thinking about. No, Twilight and I were talking about the Weeping Angel."
"The what?"
"Don't tell me you didn't notice the odd, stone pegasus standing outside," said Twilight.
"Oh! That thing!" Map Maker looked out the living room window. "Wait a moment...where'd it go?"
Twilight and Pinkie felt their stomachs turn over as they both ran to the window. It was true. The Weeping Angel was no longer in the spot it had previously been. In fact, it was nowhere to be seen. "Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no, no!" Twilight cried. "This is bad! This is very, very bad!"
"What's wrong?" asked Map Maker. "Somepony must have moved it. Was it one of you? You two have been eyeing it weirdly all day."
Twilight and Pinkie turned back to Map Maker and gasped. "MAP MAKER! BEHIND YOU!" shrieked Twilight and Pinkie Pie together.
Map Maker turned around to see the Weeping Angel standing immediately behind him in the front doorway of the house. "What the hay?!"
"Map Maker! Get away from it!" Twilight ordered. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blew into the room and the lamps illuminating the room blew out. "No! Turn the lights back on!" Twilight felt her nerves twitch as a sickening snap rung through the air and was followed by a weak groan of pain from Map Maker. Twilight quickly conjured up an illumination spell, bathing the living room in magical light. Twilight gasped at the scene before her. Map Maker was lying on the ground. His head was twisted at an impossible angle and the front of his neck had been torn open. Twilight's eyes eventually traveled up to that of the Weeping Angel, whose eyes were locked on her and Pinkie. "Oh my Celestia! Map Maker!"
A frightening silence followed but it was soon broken by a chilling, but familiar, voice. "Hello, Twilight Sparkle," chuckled the voice of Map Maker. Twilight was now as confused as she was frightened. Map Maker was obviously dead...so where was his voice coming from? "No, it is not the stallion who is speaking. It is I." Twilight's ears deduced that Map Maker's voice was coming from none other than the Weeping Angel.
"What?! Weeping Angels can talk?!" Twilight asked in shock.
"I thought they just slept when they were stone!" said Pinkie.
A chilling laugh echoed through the air. "No, we do not sleep in our stone states. We merely wait...as I have all day," said the Angel. "I have watched you, learned your names, and have learned fractions of information about this new world that I have stumbled into." Even though the Angel was still frozen in its statue state, Twilight felt as if its eyes were moving between her and Pinkie. "I am pleased to see that I am not alone in this world. There are more of my kind. I can smell the Angel's touch on you both. You are not of this time." The Angel's voice suddenly became even colder and more threatening. "But I also smell something else. Something powerful...and ancient. I smell...time."
"Time?" Twilight asked. She kept getting the urge to puke each time she looked down at Map Maker's body.
"Yes...you two are no strangers to traveling up and down the stream of time. You have a deadly friend...don't you? A friend who goes by the name of the Doctor perhaps?" Twilight felt her legs begin to shake. "Oh yes. I know of him. All of my kind do. We know of what he has done and what he will do. The Time Vortex is as much our pathway as it is his. So...where is he?"
"I'm sorry. But he is not here at the moment," Pinkie stated.
"You're lying. I know he's here in this world somewhere," chuckled the Angel. "I do wonder what the Doctor would do to keep his companions safe. Perhaps...he'd even risk giving up his delicious TARDIS. Oh yes, I would like to have that very much."
Twilight hastily turned around, magically locked the door leading upstairs to the bedrooms and Annie's sleeping family, and turned back to the Angel. "Sorry. That's not happening," Twilight said as she grabbed Pinkie and pulled her into the kitchen. She then quickly locked the door just before the Angel could follow them.
"What in tarnation is going on?!" Annie snapped. Twilight looked and was surprised to see a few batches of zap apple jam already being made. "I was just about to come in there and see what all that there fuss was about."
"Um...Annie...we've got some really bad news," said Twilight.
"Spill it out! What's happened?!"
"There's a creature from another dimension known as a Weeping Angel in your house right now, it's killed Map Maker, and now it's going to try and hold us ransome so that the Doctor will save us; but the Doctor is currently in Ponyville seventy-two years in the future and the only means we have of him knowing where and when we are is through that letter that Twilight is holding," Pinkie replied in a long ramble.
Annie's eyes became extremely wide with a mixture of confusion, fear, and sadness. "Map Maker's...dead?"
"Do not feel sad, young Annie. I can take the pain away," said the Angel's voice through the door.
"Isn't that his voice?"
"That's not him. That's the Angel," Twilight replied with a gulp. Suddenly, the lanterns in the kitchen blew out and Twilight felt the illumination spell on her horn dying away. "Oh no." The light from Twilight's horn then disappeared. A second later, the three mares heard the sound of splintering wood. "Come on!" Twilight's horn illuminated again. The Angel's hooves were all the way through the door. Twilight's horn flickered. More splintering wood. The light returned and the Angel was now mostly through a large hole that was now in the center of the door. Twilight's horn quickly got into a cycle of flickering on and off. Each time, the Angel drew closer and closer.
"Y'all were right about that statue!" Annie cried. Twilight's horn continued to flicker and the three mares found themselves being backed up into a corner.
Pinkie suddenly grabbed one of the pans that was being used to cook the zap apple jam and threw it at the Angel. "Take that!" she cried. The light faded away just as the pan smashed into the Angel's head. A loud scream of pain suddenly reverberated through the air as several blue, electrical sparks lit up the kitchen for a few brief seconds. Twilight listened as the Weeping Angel ran through the kitchen, smashed through the window, flapped its wings, and took off. 
Twilight quickly illuminated her horn and ran to the window. "It's gone!" she said.
"I wonder what drove it off," said Annie as she breathed deeply.
Twilight walked over to the stove where Annie was cooking the zap apple jam. "Zap apple jam? That doesn't make any sense." She then began to stroke her chin in thought. "Or does it?" The three mares were silent for a moment. "Annie, I need you to gather up all the zap apple jam that's being made right now."
"What for?"
"We've got a Weeping Angel to deal with." Twilight's eyes sadly moved over towards the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. "And a stallion to avenge."
> The Answer to the Mystery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6: The Answer to the Mystery


Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor, Donna, Colgate, Derpy, and Applejack carefully trudged their way through the snow and through the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. The leafless apple trees blew softly in the cold, winter winds. The Doctor led them over to the barn, Applejack opened the doors, and the group slid inside. The Doctor made sure to leave the entrance door cracked. The Doctor turned to Derpy. "Derpy. I need you to fly up onto the roof and keep a lookout. Give us a sign if you see the Weeping Pegasus," said the Doctor.
Derpy nodded. "You can count on me, Doctor!" she exclaimed with her usual, cross-eyed grin as she flew outside and onto the roof of the barn.
"Weeping Pegasus?" Applejack asked.
"Seemed like a fitting name to give it considering that it's a pegasus now," said the Doctor.
"Yeah...how'd that happen?"
"That's one of the questions that I hope we get an answer for. I think it'd be best for you to prepare yourself, Applejack. Get all the ropes you can find and get ready." Applejack nodded and began running around the interior of the barn and gathering up all the ropes, twine, and such that she could get her hooves on.
"What do you want me to do?" asked Colgate.
"You, Colgate, are to stand in the middle of the barn and wait." The Doctor placed his hooves on Colgate's shoulders and walked her into the middle of the barn.
"So, I'm basically bait."
A sad look appeared on Colgate's face. "What's so bad about being bait?" the Doctor asked. Colgate looked up at the Doctor with a confused look on her face. "If you ask me, being bait is just as important as any other job. It makes you special. You're the target of a powerful creature. One must have to be quite important for a monster to go into the line of fire in an attempt to capture them. And you, Colgate, are a very important mare." Colgate gave a small smile. "Only you can lead the Weeping Pegasus into our trap. You said that you can sense when he's near. Well I'm sure that he can sense you as well. Otherwise it would be quite a mystery as to how he was able to follow you all over the place." Colgate gave another sad look. "I'm going to end this today. I promise."
"Thank you, Doctor," said Colgate. The Doctor smiled before walking off to the side of the barn with Donna.
"I don't think anyone or anypony will have a relaxing day as long as they're near you, Doctor," Donna chuckled as she sat down on a large, cube of hay.
The Doctor laughed as he sat down next to her. "Yeah. Maybe you're right," he responded.
"So what do you need me to do?"
"Just stay here with me and keep me laughing." Donna smiled at the Doctor but noticed a sad look appear on his face. "I hope you know that it wasn't easy for me to do what I did."
Donna tilted her head at this sudden change in mood for the Doctor. "What do you mean?"
"When I took your memories away. It wasn't easy."
"I know it wasn't. Why are you bringing that up all of the sudden?"
"I don't know. So much has been going on recently that I guess the two of us haven't had much time to just...chat."
Donna turned away from the Doctor and watched as Applejack continued to gather up loads of rope while Colgate stood awkwardly in the center of the barn. "You're different from how you used to be. Have I told you that yet?"
"No. But I think that goes without saying."
"I'm not talking about you being a pony now. I'm talking about you." The Doctor turned to look at Donna. "You're different. When we first traveled together, you were usually really cut off about your past. Now you seem to bring up past friends and events all the time if what Derpy and Twilight have told me is true. You barely mentioned Rose and Martha when we traveled together but you mentioned me, Rose, and others a lot when you came here to Equestria."
The Doctor leaned his head back and sighed. "Regeneration changes me, Donna. It may not be death but it sure feels a lot like it. I regenerate and the person I was before dies and disappears in a violent flash. From that flash, another person walks off. Same Time Lord, same hearts, same memories...different person. The Doctor you first met on that crazy Christmas Day in 2007 is gone. Parts of him live on in me as I was him...but the rest of him is gone." A sad smile appeared on the Doctor's face. "There are moments...many different moments where I find myself missing every single person I've been. I find myself missing the days in which I walked in the shoes of those different people. It never gets any easier."
Donna reached her hand over and placed it on one of the Doctor's hooves. Suddenly, the sound of hooves hitting wood emanated from the ceiling. "It's here!" Derpy cried from the roof. 
Colgate began to shiver and she froze in place. "I...I can feel him," she stammered. 
"Applejack! Get ready!" the Doctor ordered as he and Donna hid behind a pile of hay. Applejack ducked behind another pile with her ropes at the ready.
Everything fell silent. Colgate tried her best to relax and remain calm. However, she couldn't help but shiver a bit as the sound of the barn door sliding open reached her ears. Colgate closed her eyes and gave a few deep breaths as she heard a series of calm hoofsteps drawing closer and closer to her. "Are you done running, Colgate?" asked the voice of the Weeping Pegasus.
Colgate kept her eyes closed as the hoofsteps began to circle around her. The warm, stagnant breath of the Weeping Pegasus rolled over her face and back like an army of tentacles. "I'm not afraid of you anymore," Colgate stated.
"I never wished for you to be afraid of me. I only wished for you to come with me."
"Well you've definitely done a terrible job at convincing me."
That familiar, parental laugh echoed through the air. "Probably so. But are you ready to come with me now?"
Colgate exhaled deeply. "No."
"No? I thought you were no longer afraid of me. Why not come then?"
"I'm not sure how I feel about you anymore. Am I scared? I don't know. One thing I am sure of, however, is that I'm ready for some answers."
"Answers?"
Colgate remained still as she felt a wave of warm air wash over her muzzle. "Yes. Answers." Colgate then opened her eyes. The Weeping Pegasus was standing immediately in front of her with their muzzles barely a centimeter apart. "NOW!"
Applejack jumped out from behind her pile of hay and proceeded to run around the Weeping Pegasus and tie it up with a mixture of rope and twine. Within a minute's time, Applejack had a numerous amount of ropes and twine binding the Angel to various parts of the barn. "That's how ya get her done!" Applejack exclaimed. Derpy flew into the barn through the open doorway while the Doctor and Donna emerged from their own hiding spot.
"Don't take your eyes off it," the Doctor ordered. "The ropes will only be able to hold it for so long when it moves."
"You smell...familiar, stallion," stated the Angel.
"I didn't know Weeping Angels could talk," said Derpy.
"I didn't even know they were awake while they were stone," said Applejack.
"They're always awake. They know what's going on even in their stone states. As for the talking, Weeping Angels normally can't speak the languages of others...unless they steal the vocal cords from somepony else," said the Doctor. The others gulped and took a few steps back.
"You know much about us, stallion. Yes, I acquired my equine voice from a stallion I came across on this very farm around seventy-two years back," stated the Angel.
"So you were here before?"
"Yes. This farm is the location in which I arrived in this universe. It was here that...ah...I remember your scent. The scent of time. I smelled it upon two mares that were here when I first arrived. Your scent. The scent of the Doctor."
"Two mares?"
"Yes. Companions of yours. Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were their names, if memory serves me correctly." Derpy let out a gasp while the Doctor continued to stare the Weeping Pegasus down. "It looks like I managed to find you after all, Doctor. After all these years."
"What about Twilight and Pinkie Pie?!" Derpy asked suddenly. "What did you do to them?!"
"He didn't do anything, Derpy," the Doctor stated with a grin. "They managed to outsmart you, didn't they?"
"How can you be so sure, Doctor? I might have defeated them and sent them further back in time...or maybe I might have snapped their necks for good measure," chuckled the Angel.
"I don't believe that. I don't believe that for a second. They beat you. I can see it all over your stone face."
"Believe what you wish, Doctor."
"So, now that you've found me, I assume that you're going to try to get to my TARDIS."
"Seventy-two years ago, that was my goal. Now, however, things have changed."
"I can certainly see that. Last time I checked, Weeping Angels didn't resemble pegasi."
The Angel gave an amused laugh. "Yes. A strange change brought upon me by an odd and unexplainable magic from this world."
"What sort of magic?"
"The magic of the zap apples."

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

Twilight kept her horn illuminated as she, Pinkie, and Annie ventured out into the dark apple orchard. She kept her eyes peeled for any sign of the Weeping Angel. She knew it was still in the orchard somewhere. Pinkie had a big bag slung over her back and in the bag was a series of smaller bags containing fresh zap apple jam. Twilight was still surprised that zap apple jam of all things proved to be this Weeping Angel's weakness, but she was carefully putting the pieces together to find a reasonable possibility as to how this all came about.
A twig snapped nearby and Pinkie jumped high into the air. The three ponies raised their guards but were relieved to find that the source of the noise was an innocent squirrel. "Are ya sure that thing's even here? It could be long gone by now," stated Annie.
"I have a feeling that it's still here," Twilight replied. "Keep your eyes open and your guard up at all times."
Suddenly, the light on Twilight's horn began to flicker. "Twilight. Not meaning to be rude or nothing, but this is not the time for a light show!" Pinkie said as she crossed her forelegs. 
"I'm not doing this, Pinkie." Suddenly, the light went out and the mares found themselves lost in darkness. 
Pinkie screamed. "AHHH! Turn the light back on! Turn it back on!" 
Twilight struggled for a moment but she managed to illuminate her horn once more. Twilight shook her head as she turned towards Pinkie and Annie. "Keep your eyes open! The Angel's near!" Twilight ordered.
Pinkie and Annie froze in place and their eyes became as wide as saucers. "I don't think we have to look far," said Annie. Twilight followed Pinkie's and Annie's gazes and turned around. She gasped as she found her face barely a foot from the face of the smiling Weeping Angel. She gasped again as the light from her horn turned off once more.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

"Zap apples?!" asked a surprised Applejack.
"Yes. That perplexing rainbow fruit," replied the Weeping Pegasus. "I was in my normal form when I fell into the crack between space and time."
"A crack?" the Doctor asked.
"Yes, a crack. I fell through and began to enter this world. However, something attacked me before I could enter. It was very powerful and very foreign to any amount of energy I had yet to come in contact with. I remember it resembling electrical sparks and, through the rift, I could see these sparks wrapping around apple trees as well as meteors raining down through a night sky. These sparks attacked every inch of my body and changed me. When I finally finished my passing through the rift, I had a new form."
"That sounds like what occurs the night before the beginning of the zap apple harvest," said Applejack. "I always knew that zap apples had an odd and powerful magic to them...but I never knew that they could do that."
"Mix powerful magic with a rip in the fabric of reality and anything is possible," said the Doctor. "But now let's get back to the main point, shall we?" The Doctor turned towards Colgate for a moment before looking back at the Angel. "You said that, when you first arrived here, your goal was to get to my TARDIS. Now, however, things have apparently changed." The Doctor took another quick glance at Colgate. "I think the new thing on your agenda isn't that difficult to guess. Perhaps you could explain to me why you have such a desire to take Ms. Colgate with you."
"I don't believe I need to explain myself to you, Doctor," the Angel replied.
The Doctor smirked as he noticed something hidden within the Angel's words. It was a certain feeling he sensed. It didn't matter that the Angel was a frozen stone statue at the moment, the Doctor could see the emotion etched all over the its face. "Do I detect...shame in those words?"
"Shame, Doctor?"
"Yes. Shame. That's not a common emotion seen in Weeping Angels. Do tell us as to why a Weeping Angel would feel shame in relation to chasing down a unicorn. Granted, Colgate is no ordinary unicorn. She's also part Weeping Angel; but you, of course, know all about that."
"Yes...I know of Colgate's gifts."
"These powers I have are no gifts! They're a curse!" Colgate snapped.
"Perhaps...they are gifts," the Doctor said suddenly as he scratched his chin. "Unintentional gifts, I would say." The Doctor looked back at the Weeping Pegasus. "Gifts from you."
The Angel was silent for a moment. "I do not deny...that I am responsible for Colgate's gifts," it eventually stated. The Doctor gave a gleeful, yet sad, smirk. He was finally putting the pieces together.
"I want to know why. Why did you give them to me?!" Colgate asked.
"He didn't make you the way you are intentionally, Colgate," the Doctor stated. He then looked at the Angel again. "I can understand why you didn't want to admit it. You feel shame for what you did...but you're trying to make up for what you see as a mistake."
"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Derpy asked.
"The answer, Derpy. The answer behind the mystery of Colgate." The Doctor took a few steps towards the Angel. "I understand why you didn't tell her. I can understand why you're refusing to acknowledge it here with the rest of us around to hear you admit it. But the truth must come out one way or another."
"You...you can't possibly know! You don't know what you're going on about!" snapped the Angel.
"Oh I bloody well know what I'm going on about. It's all so simple when you think about it. Unicorn that's part Weeping Angel. A ponified Weeping Angel chasing after her following her entrance into adulthood. I understand everything clearly now," the Doctor stated.
"Doctor?" Colgate asked.
The Doctor quickly turned back towards Colgate. "Tell me about your parents."
"What?"
"Your parents. Come now. Everypony has them. A mum. A dad. Tell me about them."
"What do my parents have anything to do with this?"
"Everything."
Colgate could feel her legs growing shaky for some unknown reason. "I lived with my mother until I moved out when I was seventeen."
"And what about your father?"
Colgate fell silent and lowered her head a bit. "I never knew him. He left before I was born."
"Oh, Colgate. I don't think he ever left." Colgate looked up at the Doctor with a confused look on her face. "No. I think he's been with you since you were born. You never knew it but he was always watching you...and he waited until the time was right to reveal himself."
Colgate's legs grew a bit shakier. "Doctor...what are you going on about?" Her voice was even shaky now.
"The answer to your mystery, Colgate," the Doctor replied as he looked back at the Weeping Angel. "When the magic of the zap apples changed you into a pegasus, it did more than just change your form. It gave you a few pony traits to go along with it. So you disappear for a while. Assumedly following your defeat at the hooves of Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, yes I still believe that they defeated you. So you eventually stumble across a beautiful mare. Your pony traits kick in and you can't control yourself. Sparing the details, your new pony genetics allow you to unintentionally conceive a child with this mare...and it's a girl. You quickly sense this not too long after and spend the next several years watching over her. Then when she's finally out of the house, when she's finally of mature age...you decide that it's time for you two to reunite. You wish to form a bond with her in order to make up for the troubles you gave her by simply passing down your genes to her. Suffice it to say, it doesn't go as planned. Now, here we are." The Doctor stared at the Angel again before turning back towards Colgate with a sad look on his face. "Father and daughter...reunited at last."
Colgate's eyes darted between the Doctor and the Angel. "No. That can't be it. It can't be!" Colgate cried.
"Doctor," Donna said. "Are you saying-"
"Yes, Donna, I am," the Doctor replied.
"No. I refuse to believe it!" Colgate snapped. "That thing can't be-"
"It's true," said the Weeping Pegasus. Colgate froze in place. "I only wish that I could have told you myself, my child. Sadly, there was no time that previously proved appropriate."
Colgate couldn't accept it. She couldn't. With a simple raise of her eyes, she fell back onto the barn floor and blacked out.
> The Orchard and its Angel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7: The Orchard and its Angel


Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

Twilight jumped back as soon as her light went out. She could hear the Weeping Angel running towards her and she quickly forced her light back on. Her horn illuminated once more but Twilight had to use a greater amount strength to keep it lit. She could feel a powerful external force pressing against her horn with the desire to take away the light forever. The Angel had turned to stone a foot away from the three mares. "NOW!" Twilight cried as her light flickered again. As the light flickered and the Angel began drawing closer, Pinkie reached into her bag and pulled out one of the bags with zap apple jam. Pinkie blindly tossed the bag through the air as darkness fell again. The sound of plastic and jam hitting stone-turned-flesh echoed against Twilight's eardrums and was followed by an explosion of blue sparks.
The mares took a few steps back as Twilight tried to bring her illumination spell back to life. She could hear the sound of running hooves and flapping wings. Pinkie tossed another bag as Twilight's horn illuminated once more. The bag smashed right into one of the wings of the Weeping Angel, who had been about to take flight. Blue sparks shot off the jam and attacked the wing like a pack of hungry timberwolves. Twilight watched as the stone skin of the Angel's wing turned slightly black. When the sparks faded away, the jam seemed to harden into something resembling that of a cocoon casing. "That's for Map Maker!" Pinkie snapped.
Twilight expected the Angel to respond but it remained silent as it continued to move towards them with each flicker of Twilight's horn. It wasn't wasting any time talking to them or threatening them. It was trying to take care of them as quickly as possible. It must see us as an actual threat, Twilight thought with a gleam in her eye. We're beating it! Only...I'm not quite sure how this is all going to turn out. Pinkie and Annie continued to throw bags of zap apple jam at the Angel as they walked backwards with each flicker of Twilight's horn. Sparks were shooting off the Angel's skin in showers and the cocoon casing brought upon by the jam appeared to be both expanding around the Angel and slowing it down. Suddenly, Twilight tripped over a raised root as her horn flickered. The second before she lit her horn up again, she felt a strong force press against her chest as well as a hot liquid drop onto her neck. When the light returned, Twilight found herself pinned underneath the Angel. Its hooves were pressing down on her chest while its mouth was open and aimed directly at her neck. It's trying to finish me off like Map Maker! Twilight tried to break free but the Angel was extremely heavy and extraordinarily strong. She focused every ounce of her strength into keeping her horn lit. She knew that as soon as her light went out, it was over for her.
"Get off her!" Pinkie yelled as she threw two more bags at the Angel, which struck its face. Pieces of jam filled with electrical sparks dripped onto Twilight, slightly burning her. Annie quickly ran to the side of the Angel and kicked it hard with her hind legs. Twilight sighed with relief as the Angel fell off her and landed on its side. She quickly pulled herself off the ground as her light flickered once more.
When the light returned, Twilight noticed that the Angel had hardly moved. Its body was caked in so much hardened jam that it appeared to be growing a second stone skin. Pinkie was going crazy now and consistently lunging bags of jam at it. With each flicker of Twilight's light and each toss of jam, the Angel moved slower and slower. Twilight could hear panicked breaths emanating from the Angel through its stolen voice of Map Maker. Twilight also began to feel the force working against her magic growing weaker and weaker. Eventually, Twilight had full control of her magic once more without the external interference of the Angel. By this point, the entire body of the Angel was covered in the hardened jam. The Angel was stuck...permanently. Perfect timing. I think we just ran out of jam, Twilight thought as she saw Pinkie rummaging through the big bag to look for anymore jam. 
"What in tarnation?!" Annie asked suddenly. Twilight looked up and noticed more blue sparks moving down from the trees around them. Through the ruckus of what had been occurring, none of them had noticed that they were now in the middle of a collection of zap apple trees. All of the trees were lit up with electrical sparks and the sparks were moving down the trunks, along the ground, and towards the Angel. The ground began to shake and Twilight gasped as the earth beneath the Angel's hooves began to open up. 
"What...what is this power?!" asked the Angel as it began to sink into the earth.
"It's the magic of the zap apples," Twilight replied. Twilight couldn't fully understand it. She knew that zap apples had a strange, foreign magic of their own, which made sense for their origins lay deep within the Everfree Forest, but she had never heard of them conjuring magic such as this. She knew the magic of the zap apples had a hoof in transforming the Weeping Angel into a Weeping Pegasus during its trip through the rift and had concluded that this is why the zap apple jam had such a deadly effect on it. But, now, the zap apples were using their magic to have the orchard consume the Angel. As Twilight stood in surprised horror while the Angel was eaten by the hungry earth, a part of her felt sorry for it and wished to help it. She felt an indescribable rage at the Angel for it murdering Map Maker and stealing his voice...but being buried alive was still such a cruel way for one to meet their end.
"The magic of the zap apples," the Angel stated as the only part of its body still above the earth was its head. "I do not understand it...but I shall defeat it one day. I will return. Now, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, go and run to your Doctor." With those last cold words, the Angel was completely eaten up by the earth. The ground stopped shaking, the electrical sparks disappeared from the trees, and everything became still and quiet.
The three mares stood in silence for a brief moment. Eventually, they gained the strength to leave the area and head back to the farmhouse. They remained silent as they returned to the farmhouse with the thoughts of what had happened moving about their minds. They thought of the Angel and its final words, the strange and surprisingly vicious magic of the zap apples, and an unfortunate stallion who now needed a proper burial.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

"So...what now?" Donna asked awkwardly as she picked up the unconscious Colgate, whom Donna found to be surprisingly light.
"Now, with the truth out, I think I'll take my leave," replied the Weeping Pegasus.
"Yes," said the Doctor. "I certainly believe that would be the best for-"
"With what I came for."
The air instantly grew very tense. Donna increased her hold on Colgate while Applejack simultaneously grabbed one of the ropes that was binding the frozen Weeping Pegasus. "I can see that you feel much guilt for what occurred. But I think it's sadly clear that your daughter does not want to be with you. If you take her, she will continue to fight to get away from you. How long are you willing to play this game of cat and mouse with her?"
"As long as we both can manage, Doctor. I have many years of life left in me and I've seen Colgate send a great deal of ponies back through the time stream. She and I both have long lives ahead of us. I spent many years buried in the earth, lost in a strange world, and painfully watching my unexpected child grow up with a series of gifts that are not common amongst her kind. I am the only one who can help her with her situation."
Derpy, Donna, and Applejack could see the Doctor struggle to keep his cold, serious face. They could sense that he had some painful words to say. "I'm sorry...but a Weeping Angel is not the type of parent that a unicorn needs. You're definitely a bit different from your kin in wanting to bond with a child that you never intended to help create, but that also doesn't change the fact in relation to what you've done to try and get to your daughter."
"What gives you the right, Doctor, to keep a father from his child? What gives you the right to determine what is right?"
"Your daughter came to me for help. I promised that I would help her. Your presence in her life will not help her. I, on the other hoof, can help her deal with these uncontrollable traits of hers. Every parent wants the best for their child. Believe me...I know. If you truly care for your daughter...then you'll allow her gain the help that she truly needs."
The Angel, as well as everybody and everypony else, was silent for a few seconds. As Donna held tightly onto Colgate, she suddenly began to hear the barn groaning around her and the others. The wind began to pick up outside and snow started to fly into the barn through the cracked door at quicker speeds. "I know what's best for my daughter, Doctor. I've known for the past eighteen years."
Suddenly, the door to the barn swung open and a storm of snow blew in. The Doctor and the others were caught off guard as they quickly found themselves blinded by a torrent of snow. The Doctor could hear the ropes snapping and wood crunching. "He's breaking loose!" cried Applejack's voice.
"Donna! Get Colgate out of here!" the Doctor called into the snow.
Donna heard the Doctor's orders and began to blindly make her way towards the exit. "Already on it!" she called back. Snow and hay crunched under her shoes as she power-walked through the miniature storm. She heard footsteps (or hoofsteps?) all around her. She didn't know who they belonged to but she sure as hell didn't want to get caught by the Weeping Pegasus. She fought against the raging snow and struggled to keep Colgate in her arms. 
The exit has to be around here somewhere! Donna thought as she tried her best to find her way out of the snow. She yelped as she bumped into a post and nearly fell over. She moved away from the post and continued to walk in a straight line. As she walked, she heard a series of quick hoofsteps running towards her from behind. Not taking any chances, she made a blind beeline for the exit. However, after a few heart-pounding seconds of running, she tripped over something made of metal and hit the ground hard. The snow partially broke her fall but it still hurt for the barn floor was not too far beneath it. Donna gasped as she felt Colgate fly out of her arms and slide a few feet away from her. Donna tried to reach for Colgate but something ran past her and picked up the unconscious unicorn. "No! Wait!" Donna cried.
"Humans...so easy to steal from," chuckled the voice of the Angel. Donna could only listen with horror as the hoofsteps of the Angel moved further and further away.

Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Things had become quite still and boring in the library. Rainbow Dash was looking through a collection of old Daring Do books, Rarity was caught up with sketching a few fashion ideas in a notepad, and Spike and Fluttershy were leaning against the window and looking outside at the snowy Ponyville. "Do you think they've got the Weeping Angel yet?" Rainbow Dash asked as she finished skimming through the most recent Daring Do novel.
"I certainly hope so," Fluttershy replied. "Celestia knows what trouble a Weeping Angel could cause in Ponyville."
"I'd rather not think of it," said Rarity as she placed down her notepad. "I just hope that the Doctor takes care of this soon so that he can get Twilight and Pinkie back home."
"Hey, they're probably safer than us right now," said Rainbow Dash. "It's not like they have to deal with a Weeping Angel like us."
"Don't jinx it."
"Don't jinx it? Are you turning into Pinkie Pie now, Rare?"
"I most certainly am not! It's just better to be safe than sorry."
"I agree," said Fluttershy with a small smile followed by a cute nod.
Suddenly, the ground beneath the library shook slightly. "What the hay was that?!" asked a surprised Rainbow Dash.
Spike turned back towards the window and his eyes went wide. "Holy Luna!" he exclaimed as he pointed outside.
Fluttershy followed his gaze and gasped. "Oh my!" she said.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity approached the window and were also shocked. "Holy cow," stated Rainbow Dash.
"That...really doesn't look like a good sign," said Rarity. Through the window, they could see a massive swirling cloud of snow filled with blue, electrical sparks circling around Sweet Apple Acres.
"I think it's safe to say that the Angel found them," said Spike.
"Uh-huh," replied Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy simultaneously.

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor listened carefully at the sounds circling around him. His ears perked up as he heard Donna shout something a little ways away from him. He took off in the direction of her voice and quickly stumbled across her as she was picking herself up off the ground. "What happened?!" asked the Doctor.
"I tripped and the Angel made off with Colgate!" Donna replied as she pointed in the direction that the Angel had gone. The Doctor and Donna ran in said direction and soon found themselves outside. Donna looked up and her eyes widened. "Oh my God."
The Doctor looked up to see that a massive vortex of electrified snow was circling around the farm. "I've seen Weeping Angels perform horribly great feats but this is...just not normal," said the Doctor. 
"Doctor! There it is!"
The Doctor looked to see the Weeping Pegasus standing a little ways away from the barn with Colgate slung over its back. Due to the flying snow, it was quickly fading in and out of sight and thus getting further and further away. The Doctor and Donna proceeded to run as fast as they could. As they grew close to it, the Angel turned around to face them and began to circle around them with each wave of blown snow. "Beautiful, isn't it, Doctor?" asked the Angel. "I spent many years trapped within the grasp of this orchard and its powerful magic. But, I eventually learned to defeat it...and now I can control it!"
The Doctor looked towards the zap apple trees and realized that the electrical sparks moving about the snowstorm were coming from said trees. "Please! Do what is right for your daughter!" the Doctor pleaded.
"But I am, Doctor. We can finally be together. Allow me to leave and I won't bring harm to this farm and the surrounding town."
"Don't do this!"
"I don't have to. Just say the word and I'll leave."
"We can't let him take Colgate!" Donna whispered to the Doctor.
"I know we can't!" the Doctor whispered back. "But I also can't let him destroy Ponyville in the process."
"Make your choice, Doctor! I shall win either way! You better do what you think is best for those you care about!"
The Doctor's hearts were pounding. He couldn't fail Colgate...but he couldn't fail Ponyville either. Suddenly, a familiar voice said, "You...are a terrible father." The Doctor and Donna watched as Colgate rolled off the Weeping Angel's back and took a few steps away from it. "I'm not coming with you! And you're not going to hurt anypony in this town!"
"Do you wish to continue to play our game, child?! Haven't you grown tired of it?! I most certainly have!"
"Yes. I have grown tired of it! That's why this ends today!"
"I do not wish to hurt you; but if I must use force to make you come with me then I will!"
Electrical sparks began bouncing off the zap apple trees and moving towards Colgate. "Colgate! Look out!" cried Donna. Donna tried to rush over to Colgate but the Doctor stopped her. "Doctor?! What are you doing?!"
"She can face him, Donna," said the Doctor before clearing his throat and staring at Colgate. "Colgate! You have nothing to fear! You have gifts! Today's the day to use some of them!"
A spark of strength flashed in Colgate's eyes. "This ends today!" Colgate snapped as her horn began to illuminate. The Angel's sparks flew at her but she hastily deflected them and sent them in other directions.
"Impossible! How can you control the zap apple magic?!" asked the shocked Angel.
"You're my father, right? You gained control over the magic. I think it's clear that's one of the gifts you handed down to me." The Angel screamed angrily as he sent more shocks at Colgate. Colgate quickly managed to redirect every single one. 
As the fight between father and daughter continued, the Doctor noticed something odd about the air above the two fighters. It began to visibly move and bubble. No, he thought. It can't be.
Quickly growing tired of the fighting, thanks to a large gust of blinding snow, the Angel lunged at Colgate. Through the storm, Colgate and the Angel struggled. Colgate's glowing horn constantly struck the Angel's skin as it changed between stone and flesh. Electrical sparks from the trees continued to dance around and the Doctor noticed that they were all focusing around one particular location: the patch of bubbling air. "Colgate!" the Doctor called. "Look out! Above you!"
As soon as Colgate glanced upwards, the bubbling air ripped open and turned into a massive rift that was emanating an incredibly bright light. Donna and the Doctor could feel a powerful force grabbing onto them and attempting to pull them through the rift. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, pointed it at the ground, and activated it. The sonic attached to the ground and kept the Doctor in place. The Doctor grabbed onto Donna's shirt with his free forehoof and she proceeded to wrap her arms around his body. "What...what has happened?!" cried the Angel.
"This is the place where you first arrived in this dimension all those years ago," said the Doctor. "Your extreme use of the zap apple magic in this very spot has opened the rift up once again. It's time for you to go home."
The Angel struggled to stay on the ground while Colgate used her magic to keep herself attached to the earth. The Angel moved forward and grabbed onto one of Colgate's forelegs. Colgate was already feeling a large amount of pain due to using her magic to fight against the pull of the rift, but now her senses were on fire as the rift pulled against her Weeping Angel father and, by extension, her own body. It felt like every cell in her body was being stretched, burned, and returned to normal as her magic fought against the pull of the rift. Tears of pain washed down Colgate's face and she let out a pained scream as loud as a banshee as the Angel tried to hold onto her legs. Mustering her last bit of strength, she violently and quickly shook the Angel loose. The Angel yelled angrily in denial of defeat as he was pulled up towards the rift. There was no escape for the Angel. Within seconds, half of the Angel's body was through the rift while it used its forelegs to hold onto the edge of the rift in a last attempt to stay in this universe. Then, surprisingly, the Angel's cries stopped. 
Colgate looked up at the Angel to find him staring down at her. But...his face was different. No longer was it a sinister, angry, or frightening face. It looked calm, sad, and...fatherly. From its expression, Colgate could see the Angel expressing its realization and acceptance of defeat as well as a great, great sorrow. For once, the face of the Angel didn't frighten or anger Colgate. It instead made her feel a sense of sadness as well as that of familiarity. The face the Angel was giving reminded Colgate of the faces her own mother would give her upon telling her something disappointing or depressing. As the last part of the Angel began to get pulled into the rift, it let out a sad sigh and said one, last phrase to Colgate. "I'm sorry...my child." And, with that, the rest of the Angel was pulled into the rift.
The rift closed with a surprisingly loud bang. The snowstorm stopped and the snow began to fall back towards the ground calmly and smoothly. The electrical sparks from the trees disappeared and the zap apple trees returned to looking like ordinary, leafless winter trees. The Doctor placed his sonic screwdriver away while he and Donna stood up. Colgate seemed frozen in place. Tears were rolling profusely down her cheeks and her body was shaking something fierce. Then, without warning, Colgate fell to the ground and began cry loudly with a mix of happiness, sadness, relief, fear, pain, and anger. The Doctor walked over to her, sat down, and let her cry into his shoulder. He placed a hoof on her back and began to move it back and forth. "Just let it out," he said in a calm, parental fashion. "It's all over now. It's all over."
Donna looked back at the barn to notice a dizzy Derpy and Applejack making their way over the snowy farm towards them. They stopped upon noticing the crying Colgate being held by the Doctor. The Doctor continued to repeat his parental message as Colgate let all of her pain and happiness out in one, long cry. As Colgate cried, Donna couldn't help but feel her own sense of relief. She turned away from the Doctor and Colgate and began walking towards Derpy and Applejack. "What happened?" Derpy asked as Donna walked up to them.
Donna quickly glanced back at the Doctor and Colgate before turning back to Derpy and Applejack and sighing. "It's over now. That's what matters," she replied with a sad smile. Donna, Derpy, and Applejack then began heading over to the farmhouse while Colgate continued to cry into the Doctor's shoulder.
> The Grave and the Mysterious Mare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8: The Grave and the Mysterious Mare


Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Autumn, 930 C.E.

Everypony was silent when Map Maker's body was lowered into the earth. Annie's father had quickly built the wooden coffin and had cleaned up the body to the best of his abilities. Now it was the early evening and Twilight, Pinkie, and the Apple family were sharing a moment of silence following the burial of the unfortunate, time-displaced stallion. After the burial, a few members of the family spread out to do some harvesting. It was the best method for them to feel better. Twilight and Pinkie Pie walked over to the edge of the farm. It wasn't long before Annie joined them. "How're y'all holding up?" she asked.
"Better," Twilight replied as she looked between her and Pinkie. She then looked at Annie. "Annie...we've got something to say."
"Would it have anything to do with y'all being from another time?" Twilight and Pinkie turned to look at each other before turning back to Annie. "I was able to put two and two together from what that statue had said. I guess Map Maker wasn't crazy after all."
"He didn't even get to return home to his own time," Pinkie said sadly. The three mares sighed sadly.
"How about you, Annie?" Twilight asked. "How are you holding up?"
"Better, like y'all. I'll get over it but I'm definitely not going to forget what happened," Annie replied.
"Hey Twilight," said Pinkie. "Do you think the Angel's gone for good?"
"I'm not sure. As far as I'm aware of, there hasn't been any historical mention of strange statues in Ponyville." Twilight proceeded to rub her forehead with her hooves. "I certainly hope it's gone for good because I'm starting to get tired of all these Weeping Angels. First it was Fort Rice, then what happened with Trixie, and now this."
"Y'all look like ya could use a nice, long vacation," Annie chuckled.
"You've got that right."
"Vacation! There's no time for a vacation!" Pinkie snapped as she stood up. "Now that all of this is out of the way, I need to continue planning out Donna's welcome party!"
"Who's Donna?"
"A friend of ours," Twilight replied as she stood up. She proceeded to present the envelope, which held the letter to the Doctor, to Annie. "Speaking of that, I asked you for a favor yesterday, Annie."
"Oh yeah! I remember that!" Annie stated.
Twilight extended the letter to Annie. "This is it."
Annie took the letter and examined it. "What is it?"
"A letter to a friend of Pinkie and me. He's known as the Doctor."
"The Doctor? I remember that statue mentioning him."
"Yeah. Anyway, what I need you to do with that letter is keep it safe for seventy-two years."
"Come again?"
"Seventy-two years. Wait until three days before Hearth's Warming Eve of 1002 and deliver that letter to the library in town."
"Library?"
"I'm guessing there's no library yet. Well, there will be. And that's where you'll deliver the letter."
"Three days before Hearth's Warming Eve of 1002, seventy-two years from now, deliver this letter to the Doctor at the library in Ponyville."
"Yes. Can you do that for Pinkie and me, Annie?"
A confident smile appeared on Annie's face. "I most certainly can!" Just then, a familiar, alien sound began reverberating through the air. VVRROOMMPP! VVRROOMMPP! VVRROOMMPP! "What in tarnation is that?"
A large smile appeared on Pinkie's face and she began to jump up and down. "Our ride home," Twilight replied. The three mares watched as the TARDIS materialized in front of them. The doors flew open and out stepped none other than the Doctor.
"Hello, Ms. Sparkle. Ms. Pie. I hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long," he said with a grin.
"Just in time."
Pinkie flew forward and wrapped the Doctor up in a huge hug. "Oh, Doctor! You would not believe what Twilight and I have been through! Weeping Angel! Zap apples! Sinkhole! Jam!" she exclaimed.
"That's nothing. Wait until you hear what happened on my end of things," the Doctor chuckled with that usual gleam in his eye.
"Why do I get the feeling that you already know about the Weeping Angel?" Twilight asked. The Doctor winked at her. "You better start explaining when we get home."
"Don't worry. I'm planning on it."
Twilight and Pinkie turned back to Annie and each gave her a nice hug. "Well...see you in seventy-two years!" chirped Pinkie.
"Right!" said Annie as she clutched the envelope tightly in her hoof.
"Bye," said Twilight as she waved at Annie before boarding the TARDIS.
Annie waved goodbye to Twilight, Pinkie, and the Doctor and began heading back towards the farmhouse. It wasn't until she heard the doors to the TARDIS shut that she remembered something. "WAIT!" she cried as she ran towards the TARDIS. "TWILIGHT! YOU FORGOT YOUR WINTER CLOTHES!" However, Annie's words weren't heard for the TARDIS disappeared right then and there. Annie sighed, shrugged her shoulders, and once again began making her way back over to the farmhouse. "Oh well. I'll just put them in a box and deliver them to the library with Twilight's letter then."

Home of Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

"Twilight!" cried Spike as he lunged at her. Twilight happily wrapped her dragon friend up in a big hug. Pinkie shot out of the TARDIS and tackled Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
"There's no place like home!" she shrieked happily as she hugged the two pegasi madly.
"Good...to have you...back...Pinkie Pie," choked Rainbow Dash. Pinkie let go of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy with a huge grin on her face.
While Twilight and Pinkie began discussing what had happened with the others, the Doctor walked over to Colgate. She was sitting on a cushion at the edge of the room and was recovering from what had happened at the farm. The Doctor sat down next to her and she quickly moved away from him a bit. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.
"I don't really know how to feel," she replied. "So much has happened...I just don't know how to process it."
"That's to be expected. But, now that it's over, things will most certainly get better."
"It can't. Not with what I can do."
"You're talking about the temporal touch, right?"
Colgate nodded. "My f...that Weeping Angel may be gone but I still have this terrible power. There's still the potential of me unintentionally sending more ponies back in time."
"When I told the Angel that I can help you with your situation, I meant it. The temporal touch appears to be the biggest thing for you right now."
"Yes. I can deal with the invincible skin but I don't want to send anymore ponies back in time."
"I can help you get rid of it. Your temporal touch."
Colgate's ears perked up. "You...you can?! How?!"
"Call it a Time Lord thing. Normally, I wouldn't be able to remove a Weeping Angel's temporal touch. However, you're not a full Weeping Angel. You're also a pony and this can allow me to work my way inside and put a biological lock of sorts on your temporal touch. You'll never be able to send anypony back in time ever again."
A look of hopeful joy appeared on Colgate's face. "When can you do it?"
"Right this second. Are you ready?"
"Of course!"
"Okay then." The Doctor moved himself in front of Colgate. "I want you to close your eyes and relax." Colgate did what she was told and the Doctor placed his hooves on both sides of Colgate's head. He himself proceeded to close his eyes. "Just relax."
A warm sensation moved through Colgate's body as the Doctor entered her mind. She felt him working about her insides. Quickly searching for that spot that was in charge of her temporal touch. Then he found it. A slight burning sensation began to appear deep within Colgate's head. "It's starting to hurt," she gasped.
"It won't hurt that much. It's just like pulling off a bandage. Just relax," said the Doctor as he worked his way about the spot that was in charge of the temporal touch. Colgate felt every part of her body tingling with excitement. The Doctor's presence inside her made her feel comfort as well as fear. A lot of power was flowing within her to suppress another power that had been with her for all of her life. "I'm almost done. Just keep relaxing." Colgate's heartbeat started to increase and the pain grew slightly more noticeable. She began to twitch. "Just a few more seconds." Colgate focused on the Doctor's voice. She pushed the pain away and just focused on his voice. "Almost there." The pain reached its peak. Colgate was mustering up every ounce of strength in her body to keep still. "And...there!"
The pain stopped and Colgate's eyes shot wide open. The Doctor pulled his forelegs away from her and smiled. "Is...is it gone?" she asked.
"Not gone. Simply blocked," the Doctor replied.
"But...I will definitely never send anypony back in time, right?"
"From this point on, as long as you don't have me unlock that ability, you will never accidentally send anypony back in time ever again."
Colgate instantly lunged forward and gave the Doctor a big hug. She put all of her strength into the hug, both mentally and physically. She shook with joy upon realizing that the Doctor was still there. He hadn't disappeared. "It's truly over now," she said.
"Yes," said the Doctor. "It's truly over now."

Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

That evening, Sugarcube Corner was packed with ponies from all over town to attend Pinkie's welcome party for Donna. Music was playing, the air smelled of sugar, and everypony was having a great time. It was certainly a well welcomed change from all the drama and such that had been occurring lately. "Thanks for throwing this party, Pinkie Pie," said Donna as she took a bite of cake. "I think everybody needed this."
"It's no problem! Just wait until the next welcome party!" Pinkie squealed.
"For who?"
"For Twilight and me, silly! I've got to celebrate us returning to Ponyville!"
Donna happily rolled her eyes. Something tells me that's just her excuse to have more parties, she thought.
Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike were sitting at a table by the entrance to the shop. "Twilight, you've apologized like a hundred times already," said Spike as he munched his way through a bowl of jewels that Rarity and Pinkie had prepared for him.
"I know but I feel horrible that I just keep up and disappearing on you and the others all the time!" she said.
"I've begun to accept the fact that to know the Doctor one must be prepared for any unexpected surprises."
"Certainly words to live by." Suddenly, something caught Twilight's eye. She noticed Colgate walking in front of the bakery and pulling her luggage behind her. "Where's Colgate going?" Twilight and Spike got up and walked outside. "Hey! Colgate!"
Colgate stopped and blushed as she turned towards Twilight and Spike. "Where are you going?" Spike asked. "And what are you doing with that luggage? I don't remember you bringing it to the party."
"I sort of snuck out a little while ago to pack up my things," Colgate replied.
"You're leaving? Without saying goodbye to everypony?" Twilight asked.
"The Doctor was going to tell you later."
"The Doctor knows about this?"
"Yeah. I know this probably comes off as rude but I'm ready to just...head home. I've been running for so long. Now that the Angel and my temporal touch are gone, I can finally return home." Twilight fell silent. She recalled what the others had told her about Colgate, the Weeping Angel, and how what had happened back in 930 and what had happened in the present linked together. "I really want to see my mother again and learn the full story behind what happened. I want to enjoy what little part of my long life I have to spend with her."
Twilight couldn't help but find that one statement to be odd. "What do you mean by that?"
"You know about Weeping Angels, right?" Colgate asked in response.
"Definitely. I've had to deal with them three times already," Twilight replied.
"And you know how Weeping Angels obtain potential energy by sending others back in time, right?"
"Yes."
"Well...the same applies with me. The Doctor explained it to me after he blocked my temporal touch. With each creature I sent back in time, I gained a great number of years to my life. According to the Doctor, I'm going to look like this and be alive and well for centuries to come."
"I...I don't know whether to say congratulations on the long life or that I'm so sorry."
A somewhat sad smile appeared on Colgate's face. "Don't feel sad about me, Twilight Sparkle. Thanks to the Doctor, I've been freed from two horrible aspects of my life. I can start over." Colgate looked over at the Ponyville clock tower and cleared her throat. "Well, my train's leaving in a few minutes." Colgate extended a hoof. "May we cross paths again."
"We probably will," said Twilight as she shook Colgate's hoof. "That tends to happen when you know the Doctor."
"Yeah," Colgate chuckled. "Well...goodbye." Colgate turned around and began to walk away.
"Wait a moment!" Colgate turned back to look at Twilight. "Before you leave, can I ask you one last thing?"
"Sure."
"I've been wanting to ask this since I first heard about you coming to Ponyville to get help from the Doctor. How did you know that the Doctor was the one who could help you? How did you find out about him?"
"Before I came here, I visited Canterlot. I was looking for anypony to help me with my situation. This mysterious mare I ran across recommended the Doctor to me and told me about where to find him."
"Mysterious mare? Who was she?"
"She didn't give me her name. She had a red coat, a purple mane, and was wearing a large, pink, brim hat with a feather on it." Twilight's eyes widened. "Does that remind of somepony?"
"Yeah. In fact, I think I know who this mare was."
"Who?"
"Just an old friend."
Colgate's eyes drifted up towards the clock tower again. "I've really got to go now! Goodbye!" said Colgate.
"Goodbye!" said Twilight as she waved her hoof.
"Have a safe trip!" called Spike. Twilight and Spike stood and watched Colgate as she ran off towards the train station. "Do you think she'll be okay, Twilight?"
"Yes, Spike. I think she'll be okay."
"Well...you want to return to the party now?"
"In a minute, Spike. First I want to go and check something out." Twilight took a few steps and then stopped. "How about you come with me, Spike?"
"I'd be happy to."

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Night had begun to fall as Twilight and Spike made their away across the snowy apple orchard. "Where are we going?" Spike asked.
"A grave," Twilight replied as she came to a stop. They were deep within the orchard, particularly within a large cluster of zap apple trees. Twilight and Spike looked at a wooden cross nailed into the ground. The wood looked old but well kept.
"Is this where that stallion you told me and the others about is buried? Map Maker?"
"Yeah." Twilight sat down and Spike hugged her. The two of them sat quietly for a few minutes as they looked at the grave.
"I've waited a couple years to say this, but you haven't aged a bit," chuckled a familiar voice. Twilight turned around to see Granny Smith standing a few feet away. Her usual, toothy grin was plastered on her face but this time appeared to have an extra layer of depth to it.
Twilight smiled at Granny Smith. "Seventy-two years sure do fly by. Don't they, Annie?"

Ponyville Train Station, Ponyville, Equestria, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Colgate could see the train in the distance as she ran up onto the platform. There was nopony else there so Colgate figured that she would have a fairly lonely trip back to her hometown. As she stood on the platform, she couldn't help but think of how excited she was to finally be heading home to see her mother again. "Got places to go and ponies to see, right?" asked a voice from right next to her.
Colgate jumped a bit as she noticed a mare standing immediately next to her. It seemed that the mare had appeared out of thin air. Colgate only grew more unnerved when she realized that she recognized the mare. It was the exact same mare that she had met in Canterlot who had the red coat, purple mane, purple feather cutie mark, and large, pink, brim hat. "It's...it's you!" Colgate gasped.
The mysterious mare known as Matilda turned to look at Colgate. Her eyes flashed with their usual gleam of excitement. "I'm happy that you remember me."
"What...what are you doing here?!"
"Making sure that everything falls into place." Matilda gave a sad expression. "I know that you currently really wish to head home to your mother, Colgate, but today is sadly not that day."
"What are you talking about?!"
"A great storm is on the horizon, Colgate. A storm unlike which Equestria has ever faced! The Doctor and his allies are going to need to come together to help prevent this storm from bringing about the end of life as we know it." Matilda presented her vortex manipulator to the confused Colgate.
"What is that thing?!"
"I'll tell you and the others about it in Elmheim. Good luck."
"Wait! What are you-"
Matilda activated her vortex manipulator, waved it in front of Colgate, and the confused unicorn disappeared in a quick flash. "Good luck to you all."

Sunny Beach, Sunny Island Port, Elmheim, Gaia, Winter, 1002 C.E.

Colgate ended up getting a mouthful of sand upon hitting the ground after getting blinded by the flash of light. "What...where am I?" Colgate asked as she sat up. Her eyes first fell on her luggage, which was lying right next to her, and then moved upward. She gasped as she was realized that she was now sitting on a beach in the middle of a hot, sunny afternoon. A shipping port was situated a little ways down the beach and there were several buildings scattered about the beach's edge. Beyond the edge of the beach and the line of buildings was a vast, thick jungle. "Where the hay did that mare send me?!"
"Hello. Do you need some help?" asked a familiar voice. Colgate turned and gasped. A stallion and mare had walked up to her. They looked exactly like the Doctor and Derpy Hooves...and yet Colgate could tell that they weren't the Doctor and Derpy Hooves.
"You appeared in this bright flash of light! It nearly blinded me!" exclaimed the mare, who was wearing a mailmare uniform.
The stallion adjusted the black, square glasses situated on his face as he examined Colgate. "That didn't quite look like a normal teleportation that's usually seen from unicorns. My name's Clockwork and this is my assistant Bright Eyes. Perhaps you could start off by telling us who you are."

To be continued...