A story of time travel, with the most unlikely of heroes...
In the future of the great pony war all of Equestria is enslaved by princess Celestia. In order to stop this horrid future from happening a young cross-eyed filly named Doohickey leaps back in time. Armed with knowledge She and a mismatched band of heroes will save what everypony believes is lost.
The sound of hooves beating solid ground was cut through every so often by the crack of a whip and the shout of 'FASTER!' the desolate world had no colour aside from the ponies coats, no joy aside from the joking of the guards above, no pony wore a smile. It was into this world that Doohickey was born one evening just as the moon had reached it's height her father had been there holding her mothers hoof smiling those half smiles that took place of the real ones. Doohickey loved her mum and dad. They made her who she was. She got her blue eyes from both of them. The colour from her father the cross ness from her mother. And her mother predicted that if she saw more cheerful sunlight she'd have her father's coat as well instead of the dull grey brown. Her mane and tale were like her parents as well. Her father said it was like custard and burnt fish sticks
'A personal favourite of mine.'
'Dear… that's just… gross.'
'Don't buck till you try it my dearest.'
'Right, sure.'
Doohickey liked herself just the way she was. Many older ponies she met said she would have liked the times before the war, they say it would have been better for her to grow up then instead of the waste like state of Equestria now but Doohickey didn't know anything else, sure it was cold, dark, depressing and downright sad, but she could find a bit of happiness, she went home to loving parents each day. She saw the same people every morning and evening. Life was just fine for now…
Her life was about to take a drastic turn for the worse…
"You there!"
"Yes sir?"
"Where is your stallion and foal!"
"My daughter is sick sir, and I'm taking my husbands load today…"
"You did that yesterday! He has to come out like everypony else!"
"Alright… I'll go get him…"
"Good! You there! Pull that haul faster!" the blond mare cringed as she flew away fro the line of ponies hauling heavy debris to help repair Canterlot and increase the army. She heard a cry and looked back to see a small filly collapse under a barrel a purple unicorn stood over the fallen child
"Get up! You useless waste of space get up and haul that load!" the filly didn't move. "She dead" another pony, this time a blue Pegasus with a rainbow hued mane. She said these words plainly as if commenting on a broken tool
"Too bad, another pony will need to fill her place if we want to keep a schedule." An orange earth pony said behind both of them with a sneer. The small orange Pegasus next to her wore more of a grimace then a sneer but didn't shed a tear. The grey Pegasus watched this scene with tears in her crossed eyes. How many foals had to die before this ended. Suddenly there was a bright flash in the sky. Many ponies blinked at the light. There in the sky was queen Celestia followed by four empirical guards.
"WHERE IS THE CROSS EYED MARE AND THE STALLION WHO RUNS!" Celestia cried out in royal fury. Ditzy's eyes widened. With that she ran as fast as her crossed eyes and clumsy hooves would let her. At the guards flew after her she made a split second decision and took two corners. As the guards flew passed her she placed an eye patch over her wonky eye, one she had not worn in years, and whizzed passed the guards and fast, as her wings would let her. She burst through the door of a run down house.
"Doctor! Doctor, Celestia is after us! Doohickey! Where are you guys?"
Upstairs a brown earth pony coughed deeply. He moved his hoof away from his mouth and sighed at the droplets of red on his coat. He shakily leaned his forehead on the mirror and tied his green tie.
"One more day…" he said in a breathy voice. The door creaked open
"Papa? Papa what's wrong?" his daughter asked innocently. He smiled weakly.
"Nothing's wrong my dearest Doohick-" he coughed heavily and his legs wobbled.
"Papa, are you sure your alright?" his daughter asked worriedly. He looked at his daughter before turning away.
"Doctor!" his wife called on the floor below "Doctor, they're coming!" he pulled open his drawer and coughed again. He wiped his mouth and stared at his matted fur. He sighed.
"Doohickey… I want you to have something." The stallion turned and held out a strange key on a deep blue string. The filly looked at it in awe
"What is it for?" she asked excitedly. The stallion smiled at his daughter's curiosity something she most certainly got from him.
"It is the key to something very special. Ask your mother, go on." His daughter smiled and dashed for the door. She stopped and turned to her father.
"You are coming down right?" she asked innocently. He smiled sadly.
"I'll be right down. " she smiled and trotted off. A tear rolled down his check. "I'm so sorry Ditzy…" he coughed again a glob of blood falling on the floor. "You'll see it all Doohickey, all of space and time…" he collapsed to the floor with the light thump. "Sorry folks, the doctors out…" with this last thought the Doctor closed his eyes and took one last shaky breath. Downstairs Doohickey ran to the wall of the landing.
"Ow."
"Doohickey, what have a told you about flying in the house!" Ditzy scolded her daughter. She was so excited she didn't even notice.
"Look at what papa gave me mom!" Doohickey said showing her mother the key around her neck. Ditzy's eye widened and filled with tear. She pulled her daughter to her chest and cried into her mane.
"Mama? Why are you crying?"
"Doohickey, we're leaving."
"What about papa?"
"He… he can't come." Ditzy said sadly. Doohickey realized what her mother meant and her own eyes filled with tears.
"NO! Your lying, I just was talking to him, he's fine!" Doohickey turned to go see her father and Ditzy held her back.
"I'm so sorry Doohickey, but we have to go, it's our only chance." Ditzy lead her daughter out the back and the galloped towards the Everfree forest.
"We're going in there!" Doohickey cried out in fear
"We have to, it's where it's hidden." Ditzy said cryptically. They galloped through the under brush Doohickey not letting her straight eye leaving her mother, lest she get lost in the dangerous woods. At last Ditzy slowed to a stop and pulled a few bushes aside and walked threw a forth. Doohickey held her breath and walked through herself. As she entered the clearing her mouth dropped open. In the center on the clearing was a blue phone booth covered in vines, moss growing on one side, and more vines being cleared away by her mother on the front. There was a symbol on the front that read Celestia order of healers certified. And a sign that read 'toll free booth. Use for emergencies. Direct line to Canterlot guard tower. Pull to open'. Doohickey held the handle and pulled. Nothing happened. She held up the key on her neck to the lock. She put it in and turned. It clicked. She smiled and tried the door again.
"Urrrgggg!" her hooves slipped and she fell backwards. Her mother leaned over her.
"It's a push door." She said with a sad smile.
"But it says pull to open." Doohickey said. Ditsy pulled on the small handle on the panel with the sign. It opened and revealed a telephone. "Oh…" she pushed open the door. And her mouth dropped open again. "It's… it's b-b-bhaaa…"
"Bigger on the inside?" Ditzy asked smiling with tears in her eyes. Doohickey was so shocked her only nodded. Ditzy let a single tear fall from her eyes. Doohickey walked forward and looked at the console.
"It's like papa's old nursery rhymes isn't it. 'Turn the knob and twist the thing, flip the switch and pull for a ring' he was teaching me how to use this… what is this?" Doohickey said sadly.
"It's called the Tardis… it's a time machine." Ditzy said. Doohickey turned to her mother in shock. Her eyes brightened, I can go back in time and save papa!" she ran around the console.
"No Doohickey." Her mother said firmly. Doohickey stopped and looked at her mother. "Your father didn't teach you how to use it so you could save him, he taught you so you could run away."
"But!"
"No, you take this and you go somewhere far away, somewhere safe." Ditzy said. Doohickey looked sad but nodded and looked for the controls.
"Three quarter turn counter clockwise. Twist this 25 degrees to the right. Now where's the switch. Oh here it is." As her daughter fiddled the controls Ditzy waited. "Okay mom, we're all se… mama! What are you doing?" Ditzy closed the door as her daughter tried to open it.
"I'm sorry Doohickey, but some one has to stop them from finding you." Ditzy said before flying to the sky as the Tardis below her began to fade. The sky was dark and moody but as she flew a few rays of sun broke threw the clouds lighting her up. I'm so sorry Doohickey. Our torch is too big for you "hey you big lumps! Come and get me!" she screamed at the guards who were below her searching through the underbrush. They whipped into the sky chasing her all over the forest. Doctor. She did a few loop de loops to throw them off Doohickey. At last she flew over Ponyville her friends turned their eyes to the sky and watched her. Fluttershy covered her eyes. And all of Equestria, know that we loved you. She stood still for a fraction of a second and was slammed into the ground by rainbow dash.
"Thank you commander rainbow dash." One of the guards said
"Don't mention it." She said holding Ditzy down even though she wasn't struggling. Celestia walked up to her.
"The cross-eyed mare, I saw your husband, but where is your daughter?" she asked. Ditzy smiled.
"She's gone." She said happily. Celestia's eyes widened.
"NO! YOU'RE LYING!" Celestia said slamming her hoof into Ditzy's face. She rolled over a few times and laughed.
"Things not going according to your plan Celestia?" she said smirking. Celestia's face and eye twitched in madness.
"Twilight! This pony is to be executed immediately to set an example for every pony else!" she screamed.
"Yes your highness." Twilight said restraining Ditzy with magic. She was brought to a guillotine on the edge of Ponyville as all of the citizens were gathered. Many were in tears as Ditzy was placed in the frame. An orange Pegasus guard stood by the lever.
"Do you have any last words you wish to speak?" he asked sadly.
"…Avante…" was all she said. The guillotine shined as it whizzed down the frame.
"Eek! What is this anyway?" Doohickey focused both her eyes " 'Italian to English dictionary'… why is this even here?!" she shouted tossing it away. The Tardis had not been used in a very long time; as such certain things were taking awhile to turn on or had been turned off to save energy. One of those things was the artificial gravity.
"AHHH!" an anvil BANG!"WHAT! Uh-oh!" a flower pot SMASH! "That was close… oh come on…" a piano CRASH! "THIS PLACE IS DANGEROUS!" suddenly a huge wave of water rushed her way "I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" Doohickey screamed before dashing o the console and pushing random buttons, the door shut
"Okay calm down Doohickey, use that intellect your known for. It can't be that hard…" she looked at the many buttons and knobs and switches. "Then again maybe it is." Suddenly the Tardis tipped over and everything began sliding downward. Suddenly a book she had not notice in a compartment that had passed her eye slid out of it's holding but a chain attached to the console kept it in hooves reach "what's this?" the cover was covered in circles and triangles yet as Doohickey's eyes focused she could clearly read it. "Instruction Manual, glory to Luna above! Thank you!" she quickly flipped through the pages before slamming her hoof down. She felt a bit dizzy with all the things she'd read. She shook her head banishing her thought and quickly read over the page she had stopped at. She rushed over to the console book in hoof. "This switch," flick "this button," boop "that button," beep "and pull." She pulled down on the switch that looked like a lever. There was a whirling sound "oops… actually, that noise is kind of neat." She laughed before opening the inner doors again. A puddle of water rushed in. "ah man." She said looking at the waterlogged state of the hallway. There was a thumping sound followed by another whirl. The light outside flickered on and off before settling on a bright yellow colour. Doohickey stared at it in wonder. She went back to the console. She put the book away in its place. She took the key her father had given her and weaved it into her braid and tightened her bow. She walked up to the things that had tumbled all over the floor. She straightened them out, leaving them where they were as she was no strong enough to move the anvil, flowerpot, or piano. She picked up the dictionary and looked at the page that was opened, one word jumped up at her
Andiamo- (An-Dee-yah-Mo)
Verb. (Let us go, Let's go!)
1An exclamation of joy, adventure, and curiosity.
"Let us go have an adventure!"
2An exclamation in intimidation
"'Let's go!' he said angrily brandishing his boxing gloves"
3A command
"'Let's go, son!' the mother said dragging her son by the hand."
She Smiled as she thought of the word. She walked up to the door after putting the book away.
"… Andiamo." She whispered before opening the door. She squinted at the light and walked through the door. As she closed it the screen above the console went red. The lights began to flash red as well.
"Paradox Imminent. Paradox Imminent "
Outside Doohickey was too preoccupied with what she was seeing to notice the Tardis shuddering ominously. Hundreds of ponies were walking around her, all of them smiling. The sun was shining and Doohickey could her a light twittering the background. She realized that t was birds. BIRDS! She had heard stories about birds from aunty Fluttershy. She looked up to the sky and saw shimmering purple and yellow top on pearly white towers, white fluffy clouds and pegasi flying freely.
" I'm in Canterlot," she said excitedly. "I'M IN CANTERLOT! Whoop!" she screamed before flopping on her back happily. She laughed and let her eyes fill with joy. Suddenly a shadow fell over her
"'ello! What are you doing on the ground small child?" a British voice called out happily. Doohickey's eyes whipped open
"Papa?" she asked excitedly.
"Oh I'm sorry, no I'm not your father… are you lost little one?" the brown stallion asked worriedly. Doohickey stared up at her soon to be father. She smiled sadly.
"No, I'm just excited. I've never been to Canterlot before." She was telling the truth too. In her future Cantelot had been renamed Celestlana, in honor of their 'fair' and 'just' queen.
"Oh! Well neither have we… wait, yes we have! With the cyiiider mishap, yes, cider." The doctor said smiling weakly. Doohickey could see her mother waving her hooves back and forth very quickly shaking her head. Doohickey turned slightly.
"Why are you doing that?" she asked. Ditzy saw her crossed eyes.
"Oh wow! You have disscycrose myopia too! Wow I've never met another pony with the same eyes as me, my name is Ditzy, what's yours?" she asked Doohickey smiled completely forgetting about the hoof waving.
"My name is Doohickey."
"Aw well that's adorable! I'm the doctor!" the Doctor said smiling. Doohickey eyed him with a smirk, now she could get her answer.
"Doctor Who?" Doohickey asked. The Doctor laughed
"Just the Doctor!" he said bouncing around happily. Ditzy just rolled her eyes. Doohickey stood there with her mouth open. Seriously! That was it! She puffed out a breath of air angrily.
"You just chuffed! Ahaha!" the doctor said holding his stomach. She pointed her nose I the air and walked forward a few steps, where she ran into a lamppost.
"Ow." She said rubbing her nose.
"Oh gosh are you alright little one." The doctor asked suddenly feeling bad. Doohickey stared at his sudden mood shift. She rubbed her nose
"I'm okay." She ran her hoof under her nose.
"Oh gosh! Your nose is bleeding!" Ditzy said nervously. Doohickey looked at her hoof.
"Oops." She said before holding her hoof under her nose to catch the blood.
"Hold still I'll be right back!" the doctor shouted running around the corner.
"DOCTOR! Wait up! And he's gone… ugh." Ditzy said with a huff sitting next to Doohickey. "He is so confusing, one minute he's an adult, marveling at the attention to detail in a piece of architecture or a painting, the next he's a little kid slurping soda through a straw and colouring outside the lines. It's exhausting… god I love him." She looked at Doohickey who was smiling wide and blushed like a tomato. She looked as the doctor galloped around the corner holding a purple cloth.
"Here you go, wipe up your nose with that. Don't worry the jacket was horrible tacky." he said Doohickey noticed there was a pocket on the piece of cloth. Doohickey shrugged and wiped her nose. "So! How is it that you came to Canterlot? Where are your parents?" Doohickey suddenly got very quiet and sad. Ditzy and the doctor looked at each other. The Doctor suddenly looked very sad as well. He sat beside Doohickey. "I don't have a family anymore either. " suddenly he was holding an armful of young Pegasus. Doohickey cried silently into the Doctor's shoulder. Ditzy looked at Doohickey with tears in her eyes. When Doohickey was done crying she pulled away and wiped her eyes.
"My…eccentric aunt is here, she's seeing her psychiatrist, she gave me a bunch of bits and said to go have a day."
"Oh I see, and what do you have planned for this day of yours?" the doctor asked quietly making sure to be properly mature for the young filly.
"Well… my mother was always telling me about the times her and my papa went to Canterlot. She said my papa would buy one of those disposable cameras and they would take pictures every where, then they would buy ice cream." Doohickey said smiling at the memory of her mother animatedly talking about those days waving her hooves in the air as her papa laughed and laughed smiling at her mother with so much love. Then her face screwed up "course then they would start making cow eyes at each other because they would go up to one of the Canterlot gardens and kiss while the sun set. yek" Doohickey said sticking out her tongue.
"Yuck, and they told you that, parental omission thank you very much." The Doctor said shuddering. Ditzy sighed.
"That sounds very romantic." She said. Looking at the Doctor dreamily. The Doctor didn't even notice. He was in deep thought.
"You know what Doohickey my young friend, I say let's go have one of your parents days! With out the kissing at sunset of course. Uuk." The doctor said shuddering. He stood and looked at Doohickey. "What do you say?" Doohickey's eyes filled with tears and she hugged the doctor again
"Thank you…" she whispered against his chest.
"Alright enough crying, no more tears! We've got an adventure to begin! Avante!" he said happily before galloping off. Doohickey's jaw dropped again
"Did he just speak in Italian?"
"Yep, he says it's his catch phrase, but I don't know what he's catching." Ditzy said sighing. Doohickey giggled
"He's catching laughter! Andiamo!" she shouted before galloping after the Doctor. Ditzy blinked before smiling and zipping after the filly and stallion. The Doctor and Doohickey where now engaged in a race. Doohickey was winning because she could weave through the legs of the grown up ponies fast where as the doctor had to hold back and let others pass before he could catch up. By the time Doohickey got to the tourist stop the doctor was gasping for breath
"Goodness gracious…huff… and here I thought I could run fast…whew… no dalek could catch you… uhh."
" What's a dalek?"
"Hmm, what are you talking about, ooh look! Postcards! I've always loved post cards! Excuse me miss, how much for one of those disposable cameras?" he said reaching into his pocket
"Four bits." The teen pony said chewing on a piece of gum. The Doctor smiled and threw the bits on the counter
"Thanks a bunch." he said picking up one of the camera's. He took a picture of Ditzy and she flew around the corner. The flash made her blink rapidly. She stumbled slightly bumping into a fruit stand and two ponies walking by. There was fruit all over the ground and the two ponies were sprawled over. Ditzy looked around and winced.
"Oops."Ditzy said, mirroring Doohickey's earlier words. The Doctor winced too.
"I think we should get going, come one Ditzy!" He shouted before him the Doohickey galloped away. Ditzy squeaked and flew after them. When they got far enough away. Doohickey started laughing. As her laughter drew on the Doctor joined her. Soon the two were rolling on the floor guffawing with joy. Ditzy put her hoof to her face and shook it. Over the course of the day decorum became a 3-syllable word and mischief was lifeblood. Doohickey had never had so much fun, the doctor felt more like a child then usual and Ditzy swore that BOTH of her eyes were spinning. She was also sure that there may or may not have been a warrant out for the two foals arrest by the end of the day. Which, Ironically, was ending with a trip to the castle.
"…and over here is the hall of history, named so because the windows in the hall each show a different chapter in equestrian history." The guide pony said smiling.
"Would you look at that! Oo! Look Ditzy! Remember that?! That was fun!" The Doctor said gesturing to the window that pictured nightmare moon being defeated by princess twilight and her friends. He turned to Doohickey, who was no longer in Canterlot. She was staring at the empirical window in Celestlana. The window in Canterlot showed the two sisters controlling the moon and sun in a symbol of peace. In Celestlana it showed Celestia, coloured white and gold, surrounded by red and yellow as every pony bowed down to her. Above her was the sun the moon and the stars. Below her the words
'The just ruler of all things, may she shine her light upon us all.'
'Long live Celestia, the one true queen.'
Doohickey had seen the window only once; she had been forced to watch as her father was whipped for attempting to flee by Celestia herself. To save herself the trauma Doohickey had watched through her rolling eye instead and had gazed the empirical window until the sound of the whip stopped. She memorized every detail of it, and seeing where it would stand reminded Doohickey of the horrors this world would face.
"Doohickey…" The Doctor said snapping Doohickey out of her stupor. Suddenly there was a bang like a explosion and the whole castle shook. The three ponies dashed out to see what was happening.
"DO NOT FORCE MY HOOF LUNA!" Celestia bellowed in fury.
"YOU ARE THE ONE FORCING MY HOOF CELESTIA!" Luna shrieked back. Suddenly Celestia roared and fired a blast of magic at Luna, throwing her across the hall, where she skidded to a halt and struggled to stand.
"As of today, you are no longer welcome in Canterlot, Luna. You are a traitor of the state." Suddenly three guard ponies flanked Celestia. Luna looked at them all in horror before Luna turned to Celestia, tears welling in her eyes.
"Tia…"
"Enough, Guards, finish her." The all fired their weapon at her, but she was displaced from that spot in seconds. She flew down the hall of history The Doctor and Ditzy watching from a hiding place while Doohickey watched from the hall. Luna blasted the widow of peace; the symbolism not lost on Doohickey, and flew out the window. From her perch Doohickey could see Luna's mouth moving, it looked like she was apologizing to Equestria, before she turned and flew off to the horizon. Doohickey's eyes widened in horror, as she remembered her mother's words
"The war really started with Luna's banishment." Ditzy said looking sad "your father and I were just to foalish to see that…"
"WHAT! The Tardis was supposed to take me away from the war, not to the beginning of it!" Doohickey said hitting her hoof with her face, annoyance dominating her emotional spectrum. Suddenly she was lifted from the rubble by a guard pony.
"Er, your highness, what d'ya want to do with this one?" the guard pony asked holding her up she smiled weakly.
"Just toss her out with the other two." Celestia said glaring at her. Doohickey looked over to see the Doctor being held up by two Pegasus guards. He waved at her. Ditzy was being held by to unicorns. She looked a bit annoyed at the Doctor but did nothing else. They were all tossed out by the guards unto the front path.
"Well, that was certainly unexpected." Ditzy said
"Most definitely, worth looking into too."
"Definitely, I just don't see what they could have been talking about to make Luna so upset."
"Well, perhaps she was over-reacting a bit."
"Well, yeah, Luna is known to over react." Ditzy said recalling the nightmare night festival
"But still Celestia banishing her sister, it doesn't add up, she wasn't even attacking."
"True, Celestia was the one with all the fire power."
"Luna is attacked for nothing at all and is banished… why do I get the sickening feeling I've heard this story before…" the Doctor said sadly looking at the sky the sun was setting. Wherever Luna was she was still in control of her magic, because the stars were beginning to appear and the dark was growing. "Well, the day is done, best get going back to your aunt Doohickey." He turned to see she wasn't there any more. Ditzy gasped
"Doohickey! Where are you?!"
"Doohickey!"
Blocks away, a mare and her foal stopped to look down an alley; she could have sworn she saw a bright flash of light out of the corner of her eye.
"Come ON!" Doohickey slammed the console as the Tardis shook again. The red lights were flashing and the female voice was repeating the phrase
"Paradox Imminent. Paradox Imminent."
"I know this already! Tell me something I don't know!" Doohickey cried trying to steady her self on the rumbling floor. She took out the manual. "In case of Paradox, turn off Temporal engine and switch to emergency power…That only works if I'm not traveling threw space and time. UGH!" she tried to throw the book but the chain held strong. Suddenly the Tardis gave an almighty shudder and the whirling noise sounded. Doohickey took the chance and waited just as the light out side stopped fading she slammed down two switches. The Tardis gave one last shudder before the entire system shut down. It groaned out in a lonesome call before Doohickey was plunged into semi-darkness broken only by the grey light coming from the twelve windows on the front door. She sighed and walked up to it. She opened the door and was instantly sorry she did. She was definitely still in Canterlot, but the sky was filled with grey clouds and the spattering of rain painted a gloomy picture. Her ears drooped. " Isn't this just the picture of cheer…" she walked out into the street. There were fewer ponies on the street then the last time she was here, and the ones that were out and about seemed shifty eyed and worried. She stopped at a new stand. One headline caught her attention.
TROTTINGHAM MASSACRE
Hundreds of Innocent Ponies Killed
Guards Claim it to be the Work of Luna
Doohickey's eyes widened in horror. Above the article was a picture of the city of Trottingham in ruins with the corpses of ponies strewn about. Doohickey squeezed her eyes shut.
"Good Galiphrey! Doohickey?" a familiar voice said above her. Doohickey turned and saw the Doctor and Ditzy. They both looked Shocked and worried.
"Hello Doctor…" Doohckey said quietly
"Whatever are you doing here this time?" the Doctor asked as Ditzy came over and held her umbrella over the three of them
"My aunt and I moved here… she didn't feel safe in Fillydalphia anymore… if Trottingham was attacked, why wouldn't Fillydalphia be attacked too."
"I see…" The Doctor said. Doohickey Sneezed, the Doctor held out an orange scrap of fabric. Doohickey blew her nose, and then looked at the fabric.
"Hang on… is this from the same tacky jacket?"
"Yes… I don't know why I even had the jacket made, it was garish, and honestly none of the other me's had taste…" Ditzy punched the Doctor in the side, hard. "OOF! Ouch! Ditzy what was that for? I think you've bruised my ribs." The Doctor said holding a hoof to his side. Doohickey looked at the doctor strangely
"Other you's?" she asked
"What? Whatever are you talking about?" the Doctor asked. Doohickey glared a bit. Suddenly something out of the corner of her crossed eye caught her attention. She turned and looked at the sky.
"Is it just me, or are those clouds more ominous then the others…" the Doctor and Ditzy turned to the clouds. The Doctor gulped
"Oh dear…" Suddenly a shape burst out of the clouds. It rose into the sky and hovered as the clouds cleared Princess Luan was visible in all her glory. Her eyes were glowing like Lamplights and she was not happy.
"CELESTIA! TOO LONG YOU HAVE HIDDEN IN YOUR CASTLE, CAUSING TERRIBLE CRIMES AND BLAMING THEM ON US! TOO LONG YOU HAVE MURDERED INNOCENT PONIES FOR THE SAKE OF POWER! TOO LONG YOU HAVE GONE UNGUDGED! YOU HAVE ONE HOUR TO COME MEET US AS EQUALS! IF YOU DO NOT APPEAR BEFORE US BY THAT TIME WE WILL BURN CANTERLOT TO THE GROUND!" with that said she dived beneath the clouds again and disappeared from sight
"OH DEAR!" the Doctor said again loudly before galloping away. Ditzy and Doohickey followed.
"What's the plan?" Ditzy called out. The city of Canterlot was in chaos; ponies were in the street fleeing from their homes and the city, screaming in terror.
"Find Celestia, convince her to meet Luna, divert the attack!"
"And if that doesn't work?" Ditzy asked as a crazed citizen knocked over a fruit stand, which she narrowly dodged.
"Plan B." the Doctor said skidding around a corner.
"What's Plan B?" Ditzy asked
"Still working on it!" the Doctor cried out as they ran towards the castle.
"How can I help?" Doohickey shouted. Both the Doctor and Ditzy skidded to a halt in shock.
"What! Why did… oh never mind, the only way you can help is by finding your aunt and leaving Canterlot!" the Doctor said.
"But!"
"No buts! You're too young to be fighting this fight. You need to go home." Ditzy said putting a hoof on Doohickey's shoulder. "Besides, the Doctor and I have too much to worry about with out adding your safety to the list."
"She's right. Go on, off you trot… ha I just said off you trot! That's hilarious!"
"Doctor! Stay on topic!"
"Right!" the Doctor and Ditzy turned and ran a ways to the castle gate before two white Guard ponies stopped them.
"No pony is allowed in by order of Princess twilight."
"Oh! They're here! Well that's good… alright Plan B!" the doctor said as both he and Ditzy galloped off.
"What is Plan B?!" ditzy cried out in fear
"Find Luna, and convince her not to destroy Canterlot! Oh what a great day this is turning into!" Meanwhile. Doohickey had decided to do some investigating of her own. She bypassed the two guards and flew to the palace windows; she looked in each one before she found the room where Celestia was meeting the Elements of Harmony.
"I don't Like it Twilight… It just ain't right… I don't think we can just blindly follow Celestia no more. She hasn't really been making the right decisions." The orange earth pony, Applejack said uncertainly
" She's the princess, and she has been the princess for a long time, she knows what she's doing Applejack." The purple Alicorn, Twilight said angrily.
"I am going Down and Talking With Luna, Some pony ahs to go talk some sense into her!" the White Unicorn, Rarity said before strutting out of the room and closing the door. Celestia turned her head a fraction of an inch. She was listening intently t the sounds of the ponies in the room with her. She could see them all reflected back in the window.
"Oh twilight, do you really think that Luna will burn down Canterlot?"
"I don't know Fluttershy… but it didn't sound like she had her reservations, besides an hour is plenty of time for the citizen to flee, I don't think she means to hurt anypony."
"That's right, every time we've seen her, she's never meant fur anypony to be harmed, heck, she's been helping them. This Attack is fur Celestia and Celestia alone." Applejack whispered. With this whispered comment they all turned to Celestia, it appeared as though she hadn't heard them. Suddenly a Guard Pony burst in.
"Princess twilight, there's a… er… Delegate her for you."
"Coming, I'll be right back girls." Twilight said before trotting after the guard. Suddenly Luna's voice boomed through the city like thunder.
"CELESTIA! I SEE YOU HAVE SENT A PONY TO SPEAK TO US! OR DID SHE COME OF HER OWN VIOLITION? EITHER WAY IT MATTERS NOT! YOUR HOUR IS ALMOST UP! COME BEFORE US LEST THERE BE WAR!" Everypony turned to Celestia in worry. She appeared unshaken by her sister's words. Doohickey shuddered at the queen's stillness. In her time it always precluded the most horrible acts of violence. Doohickey turned her head towards the windows of history and saw that the window of peace had been boarded up as apposed to being replaced. She breathed out a sigh of relief. It was immediately followed by a scream. Doohickey looked to see Applejack being held up by Celestia's magic as she drained a smoky orange substance out from the earth pony's mouth and nose. Rainbow dash was on the ground being held down. Fluttershy was cowering in a corner while pinkie pie stood off to the side, her hair completely deflated with furious tears streaming down her face. Doohickey couldn't tear her eyes away, even as fireballs fell from the heavens and bat ponies descended upon the city killing the white guards with ease. Celestia had moved unto Rainbow Dash, draining an equally smoky red substance from her as Twilight returned, galloping into the room with fear.
"Luna is attackin…" she gasped as Celestia turned to her, lavender eyes flashing evilly. Doohickey watched as Twilight was incapacitated, held against the wall with magic. Applejack was beginning to stir, and Doohickey could see that her eyes were a dull lifeless grey, before they slowly returned to a normal, if not slightly darker, hue. Suddenly there was a sound as the doors were beaten down. Luna burst into the room with rarity and a legion of dark coated guards and bat ponies. They all froze and flattened their ears as the watched. Celestia suck a smoky pink substance from Twilight. There was a flash of light and Twilight's wings vanished off her body. Celestia spread her own wings and opened her eyes, which now featured cat like slits, and turned to Luna. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie fled from the room in tears, Pinkie in anger, Fluttershy in fear. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and a newly Standing Twilight Sparkle turned to the intruders.
"Get them." Was all Celestia said before the three ponies took attacking stances. Luna took one look at the scene and said one word.
"Run." With that she and the rest of her company ran. Doohickey too, fled from the scene, she flew as fast as her growing wings could carry her, know that this was only the beginning.
Below The Doctor and Ditzy were helping civilians escape. More fireballs were falling from the sky.
"Doctor!" Ditzy was interrupted by an explosion "Doctor we have to go now!" the doctor tuned to her. Suddenly a legion of Luna Soldiers including Rarity ran by, followed by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, Followed by Luna herself.
"Doctor! Celestia has gone mad! Flee, before she find you as well!" was all Luna cried before jumping onto one of the carts rigged to bat ponies. They carried her away.
"Doctor, please can we go to Ponyville, I want to save my friends!" ditzy cried.
"Alright!" the doctor and Ditzy dashed into the Tardis. In five seconds they were in Ponyville, which was already being harassed by white guards. Luna's guards appeared seconds after they did brandishing spears running at the white guards "wow are they ever quick!"
"Doctor!"
"Right! Who are we looking for?" the Doctor asked
"ugh never mind!" Ditzy said before shooing the doctor back into the Tardis "Lyra! Bon Bon? Where are you guys?"
"Ditzy!" the teal unicorn and cream earth pony came running over
"Oh thank goodness, get into the phone booth I'll explain everything later."
"Got it!" Lyra said before galloping into the phone booth
"Lyra! Wait!" Bon Bon whinnied before galloping after her. Ditzy looked threw the crowd of ponies everywhere. Suddenly a yellow Pegasus stuck out
"Fluttershy! What are you doing here?!" Ditzy cried running up to her
"Oh I was trying to save the animals! I let them all out into the everfree forest, I hope there okay…"
"Everything's going to be fine, head into the blue phone booth, it's safe."
"Oh thank you!" Fluttershy said before galloping towards the Tardis. Ditzy was running through the chaos looking for her friends when a whimper caught her ear. She looked under an apple cart and saw applebloom shivering in fear.
"Applebloom? Why are you here?"
"I was tyrin' to help with the apple sellin', and when Applejack came back I was so excited a ran up to her and hugged her, but she doesn't recognise me no more, sumthin' happened to her, she ain't like herself no more." Applebloom sobbed
"Applejack is here!?"
"Yeah, Rainbow just pulled her and Twilight here, but sumethin's wrong, twilight doesn't have her winds no more!" Ditzy eyes widened. Suddenly Luna cried out over the din.
"RETREAT! All New Lunar Republic Soldiers! Retreat to the Chariots!" Ditzy ran back to the Tardis shielding Applebloom from harm. As she neared it she saw her friends Vinyl Scratch and Octavia running by
"Vinyl! Octavia! Over here!" Ditzy cried out. Vinyl stopped. She turned to Ditzy.
"Sorry Ditz… I'm not the one to sit back and let others do the fighting…" with that single comment Vinyl Jumped into the Chariot and helped Octavia up as they began to more skyward. Ditzy watched them go tears in her eyes. Suddenly spears where being shot at her as well as shot gun bullets from Applejack. She slammed the door of the Tardis behind her.
"This place is Amazing!" Lyra said enthusiastically. Fluttershy wrapped a hoof around Applebloom who was still shaking from shock.
"Yes yes! You've said that a lot already! Ditzy do we have everyone?" the doctor said slightly annoyed. Clearly Lyra had been highly entertained.
"Just go…" ditzy said sadly. The doctor looked at her worriedly, before he pulled the switch down. Ditzy listened as the whirling sound pulled her further and further from what used to be her home.
The ride this time round was even more disastrous then the last for Doohickey. Lights blinked rapidly and the Tardis console was sparking and there were explosions sounding deep into the Tardis's core. It was all Doohickey could do to keep her hold on the console.
"Quantum Bridge Failing. Switching to emergency power." The Tardis automated voice called out
"NO no no! You can't switch now that'll…" Doohickey was cut off by the console exploding a few feet to her right. She was thrown backwards and caught herself on the back railing. She flew over it back to the console and opened the instruction manual. "Well that isn't helpful at all." She threw the book off to the side. The chain snapped. The book sailed over the railing just as the console began to smoke dangerously. The middle pillars glass cracked. Doohickey stared at her fractured reflection in tears. Suddenly the Tardis gave an almighty shudder.
"Temporal engine failing… traveling to primary destination." Suddenly the screen that Doohickey hadn't been able to turn on and flashed with lists and list of co-ordinates. At last is settled on one co-ordinate. The screen showed a map of Equestria before zooming to the Tardis's primary destination. It was about a mile away from the southern bridge of Ponyville about three miles from the apple family barn. Doohickey waited before she heard the tell tale whirling sound. At that she tried to shut of the power
"Manual Override Failed." Doohickey's ear drooped and her eyes widened. The other side of the console exploded taking a section of the landing with it. "Temporal Engine Meltdown Imminent, Evacuate immediately." Doohickey gasped before galloping to the door. She was thrown into it by another powerful explosion, this time below the console. She push it open and slammed it shut. She gasped as she took in her surroundings. This was Ponyville… HER Ponyville.
"Oh no no no!" she turned to the Tardis only to see that the windows were flashing with red and orange. She jumped back as the Tardis began to shake and smoke ominously. Suddenly it was sucked into it self before disappearing with a pop, like one of the bubbles on her mother's cutie mark. Doohickey stood there in shock…until the whole gravity of the situation came down upon her and she collapsed into wracking tears. She sobbed and sobbed and sobbed until somepony above her cocked a shotgun.
"You've got ten seconds ta flap those wing o' yer's and get of my land before I tern ya into Swiss cheese." Applejack said pointing her shotgun at Doohickey's face. Doohickey could see that Applejack still had her hat and wasn't wearing her Empirical armor. She breath a subtle sigh of relief, it wasn't her time after all, then she realized Applejack was counting.
"Five…four…three…t"
"Wait!" Doohickey cried out. She hoped from the bottom of her heart.
"Ugh… what?" YES!
"Can I please borrow your phone…" Applejack looked at her in annoyance. Doohickey pouted that special way she did that got her extra deserts from the rations guard. Applejack winced
"Fine, then can I shoot ya?"
"Um, I'd like it if you didn't…" Applejack just grunted and led Doohickey to the apple ranch. Every so often Doohickey would try to stop and turn to talk to applejack, if only to make sure the orange mare didn't shoot her, only to be nudge forwards with the barrel of the gun. Finally they reached the apple family barn, the upper windows were boarded up and there were only shriveled up stalks in the fields by the house. Doohickey stared at the sight forlornly. She knew it wasn't her time now. In her time Applejack had administered the destruction of Sweet apple Acres. Most of the trees in the eastern end of the farm had been cut down and the barn and farmhouse had been dismantled. Doohickey remembered because she accidentally ran into one of the support beams on the upper floor and knocked the whole building down. She hadn't heard then end of that one… both in laughter and annoyance, the guards wanted to whip her within an inch of her life, her father just wanted to laugh… for what seemed like hours.
" What are you standing around for, waiting for grass to grow? Move it! The phones by the door." Applejack said. Doohickey cringed at the barren wasteland that once held grass. Not likely. She trotted inside and dialed` the six-digit number of the Tardis phone .3.6
"Come on… come on." Doohickey whispered a plea, as there was a single tone. Then the other tones of the numbers sounded before the phone rang twice. Doohickey waited. Finally there was a click. Somepony had picked up!
"Um… hello?" Fluttershy called out
"Is this the peace core?"
"Yes… um… what is you'd like from us?" Fluttershy asked motioning to Ditzy who was swinging on the bars upside down. Ditzy nodded and flew off for the doctor. The voice on the receiver sniffed.
"I need a pick-up."
"Okay dear." Fluttershy said sweetly before putting her hoof on the microphone as the doctor trotted in. "It's a pick-up."
"Alright, I'm ready, where are we going?" the doctor asked hoof on the ignition lever. Fluttershy blushed realizing she had not asked.
"Oh, um, I'm very sorry dear, where did you say you were again?"
"Sweet Apple Acres."
"Sweet Apple Acres!" Fluttershy nearly fainted. Only Ditzy holding her up kept her from doing so. The doctor took the phone.
"Alright little one, stay on the phone, don't you dare hang up until we're there okay?"
"…Doctor?" the voice called out questioningly. The doctor gasped and stalled his button pushing.
"Doohickey? But how? We thought for sure you were caught in the Canterlot fires!" the doctor said shocked. The phone was wrestled form his hooves by Ditzy.
"Ohmygosh, Doohickey! We thought you were DEAD! Are you okay! Oh no, of course your not your in sweet apple acres… Wait! Doctor she's in sweet apple acres! What are you standing there for? we have to rescue her! Move it!" she glared angrily at the Doctor who was shocked into action. They both knew the dangers of sweet apple acres, of the mare that called that barren landscape home. The whirling sound brought them closer to the little filly. Fluttershy stood by the door waiting for the Doctor's signal. As the whirling stopped the doctor nodded and Fluttershy opened the door.
Applejack had frogmarched Doohickey to the door when she heard the plan. She didn't appear to enjoy it but she wasn't resisting it either. Doohickey felt a general air of uncertainty surrounding Applejack, something she hadn't felt in her time. When the Tardis appeared Doohickey hung up the phone. Fluttershy flew out into the wasteland. A banging sound shocked everyone including Applejack, who fired a shot. It shattered the kitchen window. Fluttershy screamed and began crying. Doohickey's yelp reassured her though.
"Godangit!" Applejack shouted angrily putting her shotgun on the counter.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Ditzy called out. She had backed into the tractor and it had crumbled into rusted pieces
"What in! yer…yeh… GOSHDARNIT!" applejack yelled angrily, cocking her shotgun. "What in the hay is yer headless chicken doing here Fluttershy!"
"I'll have you know she's my headless chicken! Wait… is that an insult of some kind, I'm not good with those sorts of things…" Ditzy faced hoofed with the Doctor's comment, while applejack stared at the doctor in annoyance.
"Yeah, okay, 'm a gonna go back to sleep know, and stop sending yer ponies on my land…"
"NO!" Fluttershy screamed angrily. She flew right up to Applejack getting right into her face. "HOW DARE YOU! THREATENING A LITTLE FILLY LIKE THAT! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU! I'M ASHAMED THAT I EVER CALLED YOU A FRIEND!" Fluttershy turned to the doctor. "DOCTOR! WE'RE LEAVING!" she turned back to Applejack "GOOD DAY!" she then began herding Doohickey towards the Tardis. Doohickey went there at a full gallop, Ditzy beside her to shield her from harm. Fluttershy followed them. Half way between the Tardis and Applejack she paused and landed, before turning back to applejack, blushing. "Oh um, only if you want to, of course." she gave a strained smile before rushing into the Tardis. As the door closed, Fluttershy turned to the Doctor, who was gaping slightly. "What is it?"
"You…you yelled at her… dear lord Fluttershy I've never heard you talk over a murmur." The Doctor said incredulously. Fluttershy blushed and smiled again, squeaking.
"Now where did this adorable little filly come from? Here little one, have a bonbon!" Bon Bon said holding out a bowl of multicolored candies. Doohickey stared at this pony she'd never met before, she seemed some much more cheery then any pony she'd met before.
"Alright alright, clear off! Let me sound the roll call!" the doctor said. He went up to the Tardis and pushed a few buttons before holding another button and speaking into the microphone on the console "Roll Call! All of you lot, up to the control room then!" he released the button and walked up to Doohickey before leaning down "prepare for a bit of a stampede." He whispered in her ear. It certainly sounded like it. There was a deep rumbling some where from the hall beyond the door, before it opened and ponies surrounded Doohickey.
"Wow! A new filly!"
"A Pegasus too!"
"Hi, it's nice to-hey! Don't push!"
"My names is- I say! Get out of my way!"
"WILL YOU LOT STOP SHOVING ABOUT!" the Doctor shouted over the din. "Thank you! There's no need to swarm the girl, come on then, back up! One at a time now, if you please. Zecora." The doctor said nodding to the zebra in the line.
"For the first words I say thank you, it is nice to be first to meet some pony new. My name is Zecora, and I am a zebra you can see, I hope you are happy meeting me." The zebra said in her usual rhymes. Doohickey smiled. The Zecora of her time would always try and make silly rhyming phrases to make the foals laugh. She appreciated a glimmer of home.
"Nice to meet you, miss Zecora."
"I have never gone by miss, how have you come to know me as this?" Zecora asked with confusion.
"It's a common courtesy thing, Zecora, foals call old mares miss. Hey there little one, my name is Lyra! Lyra Heartstrings, a pleasure to be meeting ya!" the teal unicorn tipped her head to the little Pegasus. Doohickey stared at her. That was a name she hadn't heard in years! Her mum had cried at Lyra's hanging. Heresy they said, heresy against the queen. "Um, are you alright?" Doohickey shook herself out of her stupor.
"Oh, yeah, sorry, it's just… you remind me of somepony my mum talked about, somepony who died…"
"Oh, jeez, sorry." Lyra said backing away looking a bit sad.
"Hello, my name is Fluttershy, oh, but, um, you already knew that… um, welcome to the peace core, your safe here no matter what, I promise." Fluttershy said smiling sweetly. Doohickey smiled as well. In her time Fluttershy always worked really hard to make sure everypony was healthy and happy. It was nice to see her someplace more…free.
"Of course you already know the Doctor and I!" Ditzy said smiling happily before wrapping Doohickey in a big hug. "I am so happy to see you!" she flew around the Tardis. Everyone gave her a clear view. "Pretty neat huh! Bet you were pretty shocked too!" Ditzy said landing in front of her. Doohickey walked forward. Her Tardis, for lack of a better term, had been dusty and bare. This one was light and airy, there still wasn't anything in the room, but there were thing, doodads and whats-a-ma-jiggers, all over the console, plus the door to the hallway was open and Doohickey could see rooms in the distance. It felt like home, Doohickey realized. The console was like her papa's boxes and boxes of stuff. The rest of the space reminded her of her mum, or rather her mum's style. Simple and yet, warm and inviting.
"It's perfect…" Doohickey said smiling. Ditzy smiled too and trotted up to nuzzle Doohickey's ear. The Doctor smiled and ruffled Doohickey's mane. A streak of deep blue caught his eye for only a moment. His hoof flew to his pocket, where he kept the Tardis spare key.
"What's wrong doctor?" Ditzy asked finding his behavior strange. The Doctor put his hoof down.
"Ah, it's nothing! Thought I'd forgotten something, I'm alright!" he said smiling. He walked up to the Tardis console while the other's stepped forward to introduce themselves, and discreetly pushed a button.
"My name is Bon Bon. Sorry for scaring you earlier little one, I have been told I can be a bit, much, for the little ones." The cream earth pony said smiling sheepishly.
"Your alright! I was just a bit shocked, maybe a little overwhelmed." Doohickey said smiling.
"Here, now would you like a candy?" Bon Bon asked holding out the bowl again. Doohickey put her hoof in the bowl and drew out a blue and yellow stripped one. "Oo! Those are my favorite." Bon Bon said before winking and backing up for the last pony to introduce herself.
"Heytheremyname'sApplebloomohit'srealynicetomeetyaIfinallygettohaveanewfillyfriendohthisissoexciting!" the yellow earth pony filly with the big pink bow said this whole sentence in one breath, shaking Doohickey's hoof quite rapidly before giving her a very tight hug. Doohickey was quite shocked. This was Applebloom, THE Applebloom? Miss, go-away-and-leave-me-alone-can't-ya-stop-being-a-kid-fer-just-one-second. Doohickey blinked in shock. This was the first major change from her time, aside from death. "Um, ya do wanna be ma friend… right?" Applebloom asked looking a bit said. Doohickey looked at her then flattened her ears.
"Um, I guess…" Doohickey said. Applebloom smiled.
"I see you don't have you cutie mark…" Applebloom began.
"It's doesn't really matter." Doohickey interrupted disregarding it with a wave of her hoof.
"We'll have ta…" Applebloom stopped and looked at Doohickey wide eyed. "What did ya say?"
"Having a cutie mark… it doesn't really matter." Doohickey said. Applebloom looked a bit shocked, then downcast.
"Ya don't… ya don't care?"
"Well it doesn't seem important in the grand scheme of things, I mean, we're at war, aren't we?" Doohickey said. Applebloom cringed. The rest of the ponies cringed as well, looking at each other. "What exactly do you do here? In regards to the war." Doohickey asked. Fluttershy shook her head.
"No no, your too young to be wrapped up in those things, Applebloom doesn't fight and neither should you, your too little, leave the fighting to the grown up." Fluttershy said surprisingly firm.
"But I want to help! I'm not too little I…"
"I think its time everyone younger then Ditzy should go to bed." The Doctor said quietly. Doohickey felt betrayed, her papa never made her go to bed early.
"I'm younger then Ditzy by three months doc." Lyra said.
"Fine then, younger then Lyra." The doctor said.
"Personally, I think we should all go to bed, rest up so we can get up bright and early." Bon Bon said. The Doctor nodded. With that the fillies were ushered away by Bon Bon and Fluttershy. The rest of the ponies followed them. Except for Ditzy and the doctor.
"Doctor, are you going to bed? Ditzy asked worriedly. The Doctor was staring a the console with a dark look.
"She has three heartbeats."
"What?" Ditzy asked confused.
"Doohickey, I didn't trust her right away, something seemed fishy, so I scanned her, and the Tardis picked up three heart beats." The doctor said turning the console to Ditzy and playing the recording. A series of six beats played in a steady fashion. Ditzy was shocked, and then she turned to the doctor.
"Are you sure you didn't pick up more them one heart beat, apple bloom was touching her for more then a whole minuet."
"Well I suppose that counts for one, but what about the other one, I'm fairly certain ponies have one heart."
"Doctor, the Tardis is very, uh, inaccurate when it comes to scans. Remember that muffin last week, it though it was a duck…"
" Yeah, and my butter was a soltaren, she was having an off week." The Doctor said. Ditzy looked at him.
"Maybe she's having an off day then." Ditzy said patting the doctor's shoulder.
"I suppose, but I don't know Ditzy, there something… off, about her… she seems, mores familiar then she ought… it almost feels like… like the Tardis is welcoming her home."
"Doctor, I think your tired… you should get some rest." Ditzy said holding out a hoof. The Doctor looked at the console and back to her face. He shook his head and smiled.
"Your right of course, ah, it's the war, making me all paranoid," the Doctor walked a little slower and round the console. Preparing to travel "war doesn't suit me Ditzy…"
"I know, it makes you… different… I can't wait for the day when we can smile and have adventures again." Ditzy said flying beside the Doctor.
"Someday." The Doctor said pulling down the lever for the ignition. The whirling sound of takeoff rang though every pony's room. In her designated room, Doohickey smiled a little, dreaming of flying through the stars beside her father. Ditzy smiled laying a hoof on the Doctor's shoulder. "Someday…"
Doohickey woke up early, just as Bon Bon had predicted. She started her first day on the Tardis with a nice breakfast, courtesy of Lyra. Ditzy also offered something, a large batch of blueberry muffins. Doohickey was a bit confused though, she was certain there was butter to put on the muffins in the tin when Ditzy opened it, but it was gone when she went to put some on her muffin. She spent the rest of the morning following the Doctor around. He spent a lot of it explain the Tardis's engine to her, she wanted to help fix it, but he told her she was too little. It irked her to no end. She decided to go work with Lyra. The unicorn was practicing spells in the judo with Bon Bon. Doohickey kept tripping over herself though. Eventually, Lyra and Bon Bon, looked at each other. Bon Bon smiled sadly
"Um, Doohickey dear, could you go play somewhere else, you're a bit too… clumsy, for this." Doohickey's eye twitched. She stomped off in annoyance. By mid afternoon Doohickey was bored out of her mind. Everyone was saying to go play somewhere else. She wasn't playing! She was trying to help! Suddenly a shadow loomed over her.
"Um, Doohickey, would ya like ta come listen to a story? Fluttershy's willing, it's kinda… boring ta listen alone." Applebloom said looking at Doohickey a bit uncertainly. Doohickey looked at her… over the course of the day Doohickey had been thinking about how different Applebloom was. She realised that Applebloom, this Applebloom, was her age and was more carefree then the Applebloom she knew. She was willing to start over, if Applebloom didn't spent all of their time together going on and on about cutie marks.
"Yeah, sure… it's nice to here that there's SOMETHING to do here…"
"Yeah, tell me about it, I don't think I've been this bored since Applejack grounded me for a month…" Applebloom trailed off, looking a bit sadder then usual. Doohickey cringed a bit flattening her ears.
"Applebloom, oh my goodness, are you okay, oh dear." Fluttershy asked hovering beside them. Applebloom forced a smile.
"Yeah, 'm okay, thank ya Fluttershy."
"Oh, good… well, um, today I'm going to read about Nightmare Moon…"
"Just like that?" Doohickey asked in slight shock
"Yes, it was very shocking." Fluttershy said finishing her recount of the element of magic appearing before Twilight Sparkle.
"But how? Was it a time-release spell? How did the element know?"
"It didn't, Twilight's magic made it reveal itself."
"But why?" Doohickey asked. Fluttershy looked at the pegasus.
"Well, I don't know… the element of harmony, maintain balance in Equestria, if they hadn't been revealed Nightmare moon would have plunged Equestria into chaos. I suppose they might have known that they were needed, twilight summoned them, and they let her manipulate them." Doohickey's eyes had widened when Fluttershy talked about balance. Her eyes glimmered.
"Balance? You mean like, stopping Equestria from being destroyed?"
"Most likely…"
" Really!" Doohickey asked smiling widely.
"Um, yes."
"YES!" Doohickey said leaping into the air. She did a few loop-de-loops. "Can I have any books about the elements of harmony?" she asked still smiling. Fluttershy looked at her and sighed.
"Doohickey… um, we can't use the elements of harmony any more." Fluttershy said looking at little sad. Doohickey dropped to the floor in shock.
"What? Why not?"
"Because, the bearers of the elements aren't bonded by friendship anymore…" Fluttershy said quietly. Doohickey's face fell when she remembered that.
"Oh yeah…"
"I'm sorry little one, but… well, I don't think there's a way we can change that…" Fluttershy said sighing. She flew to the bookshelf and put the book she was reading back. She looked back at Doohickey and pulled down the book about the Elements of Harmony. "Here… you seemed truly interested… it might not do anything, but, at least you'll know about them…" she flew away after handing the little pegasus the book. Doohickey stared at it. It featured an image of six rainbow colored jewels connected by a gold frame.
" 'The Element's of Harmony: A Reference Guide'… I guess it kinda helps." Doohickey settled down into one of the cushions and began to read " 'The Elements of Harmony are six very powerful magical artifacts that maintain balance throughout all of Equestria, they each represent a powerful virtue: Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Loyalty, and Kindness. The sixth element is a secret element, it's location shrouded in mystery, the only hint to finding it hidden in this quote: `when the five are present a spark will make the sixth appear. ` The nature of this spark is unknown, but the last known place of the Element of Harmony is in the castle of the two sisters found in the heart of the Everfree forest.'…" Doohickey looked closer at those words "how old is this book?" Doohickey flew up to the shelf and put the book away. She walked away from the library, moping slightly. Suddenly a door to her right opened. Doohickey stared in shock; it was a thick jungle with vines falling from branches and strange flowers. Down the path, visible from the door was a tree. It appeared hollow and a light was flooding out from carved windows. There were jars hanging from the tree's branches and masks all about the base.
"Do not stare, all the way out there. Come in here, do not leer." Zecora called out from the door. Doohickey nodded walking forward. The door closed and she realized that she was in a huge room. The Tardis had adapted it to the occupant's wishes. Doohickey opened Zecora's door and marveled at what she saw. The tress was completely hallowed with ingredients lining the walls in jars, bowls and bundles. There was a huge Cauldron in the center of the main room and a bed lined with unusual furs off to the side. It was surprisingly roomy, for a tree. "Doohickey little one, what has the world done? What is in your tum, that makes you look so glum?"
"The Elements of Harmony might be the only things that can stop Celestia, and their completely useless." Doohickey said sadly.
"Useless I believe they are not, but it is true they are not where they aught." Zecora said putting some things into her cauldron. It began to bubble in a bluish hue.
"The Elements only work with strong bonds of friendship though…" Doohickey said sitting on a stool across the cauldron from Zecora. Zecora put a few more herbs and such in the cauldron. It began to swirl in a lighter blue shade.
"Friendship is a fickle thing, it is much like a ring…" Zecora said looking at Doohickey before stirring the cauldron with her giant wooden spoon.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"It is an endless bond that will not break, no matter how much the world does shake."
"But, even Fluttershy said they weren't friends anymore." Doohickey said. Zecora picked up a glowing green powder.
"It is true they are apart, but they only need a push for their bond to restart." Zecora said before throwing the powder into the cauldron. The cauldron threw up a great blue cloud before it cleared leaving a clear substance not unlike water in the cauldron. " In there the future you will see, when it is done tell it to me." Zecora said backing away. Doohickey stood on the stole and leaned over to look into the cauldron. She was instantly shown a vision. There were fireworks and lanterns in a darkened city. There were two short alicorns on a balcony above her. To her right the elements of harmony, minus Twilight, were laughing and dancing, enjoying themselves. To her right Doohickey looked horrified. Ditzy was sitting beside the Doctor leaning on him forlornly, the Doctor looked like he had been crying. Ditzy was saying something but Doohickey couldn't hear it. One of the alicorns flew off the balcony flying over the city. The Doctor looked up and sighed as Ditzy continued speaking. Doohickey tried to call out to the Doctor but was pulled away. When Doohickey opened her eyes again she was back in Zecora's hut. Zecora had moved a table over to the window and set up tea.
"Having tea with this is law, now come and tell me what you saw." Zecora said before poring tea for Doohickey.
"There was a city, two alicorn's… The Doctor was upset… but all of the element's were happy and laughing together."
"Hmm…" Zecora sipped her tea in thought.
"What does it mean?"
"That you are the start of something strong, a light to show all that the queen is wrong."
" Really? But, I'm just a filly… I don't know if I'm ready for this yet…" Doohickey said, her ears flattening and her eyes looking down.
"You must, for danger has long loomed, we need their trust, or Equestria is doomed…' Zecora stood and walked to Doohickey's side. "It is true that you are young, but your adventure has just begun. All of Equestria is counting on you, what is it that you shall do?" Doohickey stared at the zebra. After a long while Doohickey hopped off the stool and stood. She tightened her bow and spread her wings.
"I'm going to defeat Celestia… I won't let her destroy Equestria, never again." Doohickey said with determination.
"Thank you, Time Travelling pony…" Doohickey gaped at her in shock; Zecora winked "Your first step is to find the one who is lonely…" with that she pushed Doohickey out of her hut and closed the door. Doohickey stood at the door in shock.
"How did she know?" the filly finally spoke after a few minuets. Doohickey walked to her room formulating a plan. She was going to present her case to the adults in the morning. Doohickey took out her bow in front of her vanity. She slowly unraveled her Tardis key from her hair. She stared at it and wondered what her papa would say. Doohickey frowned and looked back at her mirror with determination. No matter what happens… I will save them… they may be sad when it first ends… but they'll be saved Doohickey thought avidly I'll save them, mama was wrong, the Tardis led me here, it wants me to save them… and that's what I'm going to do. With that Doohickey weaved the key back into her hair. She looked out her fake window. The moon was shining in a cloudless night. She said a silent goodnight to her mama and papa before turning away. Zecora woke up suddenly. One of her potions was glowing a light pale yellow. She smiled in slight shock.
"My is that filly quick, I knew the potion would do the trick…"
"Are you insane?!" Lyra asked Doohickey quite loudly.
"No… well, possibly, my aunt was very eccentric after all…" Doohickey said walking back and forth before the collection of adults. Fluttershy bit her lip and sighed.
"I should never have told you about the Elements of Harmony… you're too young to be thinking of fighting like this…" Doohickey's eyes narrowed and her face began to burn red hot.
"I agree, you're too young to be even trying to fight with us, just let us grown…" Ditzy began but Doohickey finally snapped.
"ENOUGH ALREADY!" She screamed. The adults all looked quite shocked at her out burst. "I AM TIRED OF ALL THE ADULTS IN MY LIFE SAYING I'M TOO LITTLE OR TOO CLUMSY OR TOO YOUNG TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP!" Doohickey stomped right up to the Doctor and snorted angrily "I am offering a solution to end the war…" she glared at him angrily "isn't that what you want to do?" the Doctor looked at the little filly. He was eyeing her with a scrutiny he had not given her before.
"What you're saying Doohickey… you have to understand, we don't even know if it's possible…"
"It is… it must be…" Doohickey said trying to push down her uncertainty. She shook her head and pushed away her doubts "we won't know if it's impossible if we don't try." The Doctor smiled a little at that.
"Well, it's not really up to us, Fluttershy…" Fluttershy looked up quickly "what do you think?" Fluttershy backed up as everyone turned to her.
"Um… Well, I… um…" Applebloom walked up to her and looked sad.
"If we do this… I'll get Applejack back won't I?" Fluttershy blinked at the little filly
"Oh dear… um…" Doohickey looked at the yellow pegasus begging with her eyes. "Oh I can't stand here pretending I don't want to try… I thought about them all night… I miss them very much, and I'd like to try to get them back… oh! Only if it's not too much to ask… of course…" Everypony cheered. Bon Bon threw candies in the air as Lyra created fireworks. Applebloom and Doohickey spun around laughing. Ditzy hugged the Doctor swinging around before kissing him on the cheek. She then blushed like a tomato and flew away in a grey blur, hooves covering her face. The Doctor blinked rapidly in slight shock before we smiled and picked Doohickey and swung her around. Doohickey laughed and hugged him.
"I love you papa…" she whispered with closed eyes. The Doctor tightened his arms. Doohickey opened her eyes and blushed a bit, turning away from the Doctor.
"ALLLLLLRIGHT! We all got to calm down now! Can't celebrate yet, we've still got to go out and find them all everyone calm down! Alright!" the doctor turned to Doohickey. "You're our mastermind, who do we find first?" Doohickey blinked and smiled widely.
"Pinkie Pie." She said seriously. The adults looked at her.
"Um, Doohickey… Pinkie Pie hasn't been seen in, well since the start of the war." Lyra said. The other adults cringed. Doohickey smirked.
"Zecora… you're being awfully quite."
" Zecora…" Lyra and Bon Bon said turning to the Zebra. Zecora chuckled at the little pegasus
"The jig is up so it seems, my secrets are unravelling at their seams."
"Huh?" the adults all exclaimed.
"Every Tuesday just after three, the pink wonder mare visits me." The adults all gaped at her. The doctor finally shook himself out of his stupor.
"Wait… you're saying she gets through the locked door, through the control room, finds your door in the sea of doors, visits for an undetermined amount of times and then leaves again?" Zecora nodded "HOW?" Zecora shrugged "NO no no, you can't just shrug! That is a major beech in security! …HOW!" the doctor asked in deep confusion.
"It's Pinkie Pie, that's like asking how she fits her party cannon in her pocket…" Lyra said.
"Wait… she can fit a cannon in her pocket? …HOW?" Lyra, Bon Bon, and Zecora shrugged. "Argggg!" the Doctor shouted trotting away up to the console. He pushed a few button to display the date on the screen. He blinked at the date. "Today is Tuesday…"
"Ack!" Doohickey shouted, "what time is it?" she asked hurriedly in a panic
"2:45." The Doctor said turning the console away. Doohickey gasped and began pulling Zecora to the door.
"Come on! We have to get ready for Pinkie Pie!" Fluttershy made a move to follow. "No no Fluttershy! I'm going to do it alone, trust me. Come on Zecora!"
"Alright little one, it appears your adventure has at last begun." Zecora said winking at Doohickey. Doohickey smiled and flew ahead of Zecora to the jungle room. "just a warning before the pony arrives… she is not quite following the past drives…" Zecora said worriedly.
"What do you mean?" Doohickey asked becoming somewhat scared. Zecora's ear flicked
"This way she comes, leave no trail of crumbs!" Zecora hurriedly hid her in a cupboard. A knock on the door sounded. Zecora worked to put the finishing touches on tea.
"The door you'll find is open, you are welcome in my den." Zecora said Pinkie Pie opened the door and Doohickey was a bit shocked. She had always seen the pink pony depicted with a bouncy cotton candy mane. This pony had flat straight hair and she didn't appear to be truly smiling. She had one of those half smiles that Doohickey knew oh so well. Doohickey was a bit shocked… Pinkie Pie looked more like she did when the war was finished then anypony else she's met.
"Hey, Zecora…" Luna's moon, she even sounded glum.
"Hello my dear friend… goodness you look like the world is at a end."
"Maybe it is…" she mumbled quietly. Zecora didn't have a reply to that. She simply watched the pink pony as she sadly nudged and sipped at her tea. After a few awkward minutes Zecora offered Pinkie more tea. "No thanks… I think I'll just go…um… bye." The Pinkie pony walked off before Zecora could begin her reply. The zebra turned to the cupboard that hid Doohickey and tilted her head towards the door. Doohickey burst out of the cupboard and galloped out of the hut.
"Wait!" she cried. Pinkie jumped at least three feet. Se turned back to the little pegasus forlornly
"Oh… hello."
"Why are you leaving?" Doohickey asked. Pinkie looked at her.
"I don't belong here…"
"But… aren't you the best party pony in Equestria?"
"OH yeah!" pinkie said showing a really smile for the first time Doohickey had seen her but then her smile fell. She slumped down to a seating position "at least I used to be…" she then turned to Doohickey and glared "Who are you anyway, why do you care?"
"My name is Doohickey Whooves…" Doohickey said. Pinkie Pie blinked
"Wait… like Doctor Whooves?"
"Uhuh." The pegasus nodded. Pinkie blinked.
"Does he know?" she asked
"No, It's a secret… can you keep a secret?"
"Yep, Pinkie swear." Pinkie said smiling a little and nodding "cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She flapped her arms and put a hoof in her eye. Doohickey giggled. She then put on a serious look.
"Look Pinkie… I have a plan to defeat Celestia and stop the war… But I need the elements of harmony to do it… which means I need your help…"
"Wait! Did you say the elements of harmony!?" Pinkie asked getting right in Doohickey's face. She was staring at her with insistent eyes. Doohickey fell over to get away from the intense look.
"Yes…" the pegasus said uncertainly. Pinkie Pie smiled widely.
"REALLY?" she asked super excited. Doohickey blinked
"Um… yes?" She asked a bit confused. Pinkie Pie's hair exploded into pink bouncy cotton candy hair.
"WWWWEEEEEEEEE!" she screamed bouncing all around Doohickey. Doohickey got a bit dizzy trying to follow her. "Well come on silly, we've got to get moving. What are you doing on the floor?" the bouncy mare asked the filly. Doohickey was a bit shocked and confused
"Huh?" Pinkie Pie giggled
"My friends are out there Silly!" She picked Doohickey up and put her on her hooves. She then pulled the filly to her side. Then she stood up on two hooves and pointed to the horizon. "And we're going to recruit them!" she then giggled and began bouncing towards the door "Even if they don't want us to!" Doohickey stared with a confused shocked face. Before she smiled broadly and whooped. Suddenly Pinkie Pie gasped loudly "oh my gosh! I almost forgot I've got to go apologies to Fluttershy for being such a meanie weenie!" she disappeared in pink blur before Doohickey could stop her. She laughed before galloping after the hyper mare. Inside the jungle hut a pink bottle had begun to glow beside the yellow one. Zecora sipped her tea, smiling knowingly.
Pinkie Pie ran through the halls as fast as she could se was looking in all of the rooms.
"Nope!" another door "Nope!" another "Nope!" and another "Nope!" finally she stopped and rubbed her chin "If I was a yellow pegasus where would be?" Pinkie Pie giggled "Hee hee that is so silly, why would I want to be a pegasus, I'd much rather be a dragon, Oo Oo no a unicorn! No! A griffin! Wait, no… Oo Oo I know, an earth pony! Wait I am a earth pony!" She laughed. Suddenly she saw Fluttershy walking down the hall at the end of the hall she was in "FLUTTERSHY!" she tackled the pegasus in a tight hug.
"EEEKKK!" the shy pegasus screamed before realizing that it was just "Pinkie Pie?"
"OH my gosh it is so nice to see you, oh my gosh Fluttershy I'm so sorry for being such a meanie weenie and not visiting you… I'm an awful friend…" Pinkie said as tears began well up in her eye. She started crying quite loudly. Tears started pouring out of her eyes in a steady heavy stream. Fluttershy hugged her.
"Oh Pinkie Pie, I'm so happy to see you." Pinkie Pie hugged her back. Doohickey and the rest of the core crew watched this, smiling widely.
"Welcome to the peace core!" Bon Bon said happily. Pinkie Pie smiled and bounced up and down.
"This calls for a PARTY!" Pinkie Pie shouted before dashing off in a pink blur.
"Oh dear…" Fluttershy said cringing. The Doctor turned to her
"Um… what is wrong with that?" he asked worriedly.
"PARTY CANNON!" Pinkie Pie Screamed from some room in the Tardis.
"ACK!" the Doctor yelped before galloping in the direction that Pinkie Pie had dashed off to. Applebloom and Doohickey laughed and laughed. Doohickey looked up to Ditzy.
"This is going to be really fun!" the little filly said. Ditzy giggled. Suddenly the Doctor shouted.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY BUTTER FRIDGE!" The core ponies laughed loudly into the afternoon.
"Rarity is really super stressed and grouchy nowadays…" Pinkie Pie said, looking a bit sad, as she ate her breakfast, which was three batches of cupcakes, two pies, and one whole birthday cake. Doohickey was puzzling about how she didn't gain any sort of weight after that.
"Oh dear… why is that?" Fluttershy asked eating her muffin.
"Trixie." Was all Pinkie Pie said.
"Trixie? Trixie unicorn? The boaster with the coaster?" Lyra asked.
"Yep, she's Luna right-hoof mare. She's very… bossy." Pinkie said eating another cupcakes in one gulp.
"Oh dear, I bet she doesn't like that…" Fluttershy whispered.
"Nope." Pinkie replied before lifting the pie and eating it in one gulp as well. Doohickey had abandoned her muffin, which was growing cold, to watch the mare eat.
"Well, then she'll be easy to convince to join us! That's a plus!" Bon Bon said ever being the optimist.
"Um, no." Pinkie said eating another cupcake. Ditzy flew in and saw the cold muffin in front of Doohickey who was watching the mare eat. She shook her head and placed a warm buttered muffin in front of the filly. The smell made Doohickey automatically reach down and take a bite, still staring at the pink pony.
"Huh? Why not?" Lyra asked eating her apple salad.
"She stays for her own reasons… you'll have to ask her, I pinkie promised not to tell anypony else her reasons for helping Luna, and believe me…" tears began well up in Pinkie's eyes and the curl at the bottom of her mane deflated a bit "they're good reasons." The ponies all looked at each other. Bon Bon cringed, her ear flattening,
"So she might not help us?" Pinkie shrugged.
"We won't know until we try… of course we could always use our secret weapon." The mare said smiling again.
"Um? Secret weapon… oh, Pinkie, um, we don't hurt other ponies." Fluttershy said shrinking a little.
"Not an army weapon silly! Applebloom!" the mare said licking her lips before eating the cake in one swallow. Doohickey's mouth dropped open a bit. Ditzy pushed it back into place with a click of Doohickey's teeth.
"Applebloom?" Bon Bon questioned worriedly "it's she a bit young to be fighting?"
"She won't be fighting silly! Sweetie Bell is with Rarity!"
"Sweetie Bell!? Where?" Applebloom asked running right up to the table.
"Sweetie Bell is onena my best friends! She 's the treasurer and Co-president of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
"The Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Doohickey asked with distaste.
"We've got branches all over Equestria! But the Ponyville branch is the original one, it's a group of foals dedicated ta finding their cutie marks, and trying whatever they can ta get it." Applebloom said. Then she cringed "Course ya wouldn't be interested in that sorta thing…"
"Not really…" Doohickey said flattening her ears. Ditzy frowned a bit from the oven as she began baking more muffins.
"Anyway! Ya said something about Sweetie Bell! What is it?" Applebloom asked Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.
"We're going to be visiting Moonhorn Moor to see Rarity! Sweetie Bell has been living with her so you two will get to see each other again.
"YAHOO!" Applebloom said jumping around in a random pattern before throwing her hooves around Pinkie Pie, then Fluttershy, before galloping off "I gotta get ready! Gotta look ma best ya know?"
"Moonhorn Moor?" Doohickey asked.
"Yep! There're a whole bunch of caves in the mountains around the moor. The whole thing is shaped like a crescent moon and that's where the Republic is hiding. The caves are connected by a natural maze and even though Celestia knows Luna's there, she can't get through the maze. Luna has a secrets back door, that's how she gets her troops out. Who knew you had to go UNDER the caves to get out… hee hee." Pinkie Pie said before eating her lat cupcake. "Whew! I'm stuffed! See ya!" the mare said before bouncing away. Doohickey looked at the mare in confusion and shock.
"How…"
"Don't try and figure it out, you'll just get a headache." Lyra said before turning back to her half eaten salad. Doohickey looked down to see her plate was empty. She shrugged and placed her plate in the sink. The Doctor walked it, looking like the sun had frozen over. There were bags under his eyes, his hair was a mess and his tie was wrinkled and crooked. He sat at the table, yawning widely causing tears to prick the corners of his eyes. Doohickey shook her head and flew to the second fridge. She placed a tray of butter beside the muffin that Ditzy was placing in front of him. She looked at Doohickey bewildered. Doohickey smiled and pointed to the fridge. Ditzy shrugged before flying to get a glass of milk for him, while Doohickey sat down with a second muffin. Fluttershy giggled slightly. The Doctor picked up the butter stick and took a bite out of it before he took a bite out of the muffin. He swallowed the rest of the butter before he licked his hoof then drank the entire glass of milk. He then finished eating the muffin. Finally he wiped his eyes.
"Mornin'" He mumbled. He walked out of the kitchen. Doohickey knew that he was going to the washroom, where he would brush his teeth, comb his hair, wash his face and straighten his tie. Five minuets later, the Doctor returned.
"Good Morning every one! Alright let's get going then!" he said bubbly and bouncy as always. Doohickey collapsed onto the floor laughing. "Uh… what exactly is the little one laughing at?" the Doctor asked Ditzy. Ditzy tried to hold it in, before she too dissolved into peals of laughter. The Doctor looked at the whole room bewildered as they all laughed. Even Pinkie Pie was laughing, despite the fact that she hadn't been in the room seconds before. "Alright alright you lot calm down! We've got to get going!"
"R-r-right." Ditzy said laughing. She snorted " Moonhorn Moor…" she chuckled again "There's should be a giant cave some where under the moor." She said finally wiping her eyes and ending her laughter. All around her the ponies were doing the same.
"Alright then! Let's get going!"
"Andiamo!" Doohickey shouted happily trotting up to him. The Doctor blinked in shock.
"Is… is that Italian?"
"Yep! For 'let's go'." the filly said innocently. The Doctor blinked again. As the group left he got more suspicious
"Ditzy… has she said that before?"
"Yep, she said it the first day we met her. Why?" Ditzy said slightly confused.
"Right, the day Luna was banished…" the Doctor said. Ditzy frowned, as she finally understood.
"Doctor, she not some evil alien out to take over Equestria."
"Hardly! The usual suspects never try to invade when the worlds already at war… except dalecks, but they are quite easy to identify… I'm actually afraid she's a spy… after all, she speaks Italian, she knows my habits, she seems to understand the Tardis, at least more then you lot do, and think about it… She was in Canterlot when Luna was banished, before she vanished, then she was in Canterlot AGAIN when Luna attacked, then she vanished, AGAIN! And then she just 'turns up' in sweet apple acres, and she knows the Tardis number, and Applejack hadn't even touched her, not a nick or scratch… it can't all be a coincidence…"
"Or she's just a incredibly unlucky filly who has had a very difficult life. As for understanding the Tardis, I've found she's just mechanically able. Her cutie mark is probably going to have something to do with machines, but don't mention that, she doesn't really want a cutie mark…"
"Because her cutie mark will have something to with espionage!" the Doctor said. Ditzy face-hoofed.
"No, because she doesn't think it's important! Honestly Doctor, she's just a filly! Don't be like this!" Ditzy angrily flew to the door "You're acting like Celestia!" she flew out of the kitchen. The door closed rather louder than usual. The Doctor blinked in shock. He swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof. He rubbed his face and blowed out a breath of air. He snorted at the noise, but didn't laugh as he usually would. He trotted out of the kitchen into the control room. Doohickey was talking with Applebloom in one corner, as she described Sweetie Bell. Pinkie pie and Fluttershy were talking about Rarity and The New Lunar republic in another. Ditzy was staring at him from the control panel. He trotted up to her and smiled.
"Don't worry Ditzy, I'm still very much in." Ditzy smiled and gave him a hug.
"Be sure to tell me when your not…" she said into his ear. Over on the other side of the room Pinkie's eyes widened then she smiled.
"FLUTTERSHY! She loudly whispered. Fluttershy looked at her to see that Pinkie was no longer beside her but at the end of the hall hiding in a rather obvious potted plant motioning a hoof to move towards her. Fluttershy flew to her
"Um, yes?"
"The Doctor and Ditzy are in love!" she whispered. Fluttershy blinked. She looked over at the Doctor who was talking animatedly to Ditzy as he pushed buttons and flipped switches.
"Um, they are?"
"Yes! We need to set them up!"
'Um, no."
"What?!" Pinkie Pie said sticking her head out of the plant in annoyed shock "Of course we doooooo!
"Um, no."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"YES!" Pinkie shouted. Everyone in the control room turned to her and Fluttershy
"No." Pinkie pie frowned angrily before she disappeared into the plant again and walked away. Fluttershy looked back at the Doctor and his companion. Ditzy was smiling while the Doctor recounted some story about an alien race on an alien planet. She blinked as she watched Ditzy laugh. The Doctor and her smiled at one another before he went back to prepares for travel. Fluttershy placed a hoof to her mouth and smiled. "Oh Pinkie Pie… you're good." The Doctor pushed a few more buttons before he moved to the ignition lever
"Alight everyone, hold on, it might get a bit bumpy." He pulled the switch. The whirling sound rang out through the halls. The Tardis did jump once or twice before the whirling sound began again. The light outside flashed before settling on a pale blue white. Suddenly an alert sounded on the screen. They had landed in Rarity's office. The white unicorn with the fabulous curly purple mane had jumped over her desk into an attack stance. Rarity was charging a spell. "Oops… bit too close wasn't I," he said cringing at the ponies that were glaring at him. Doohickey walked up to the door. She tightened her bow. The Doctor saw this and gasped "Doohickey! What are you…" but she was gone before he could stop her.
Rarity fired her spell the second the door opened. But it closed before she could see who was inside this odd box that had appeared with flashing lights. The spell was absorbed in the blue wood.
"Well that is an impressive protection." She said.
"Thank you." a small voice replied. She gasped and turned her glowing horn towards the voice. She stumbled a bit with what she saw. It was a pegasus filly with a smoke brown coat and light yellow and brown mane. She had blue eyes that were crossed like that mail pony Rarity had met in Ponyville, the really clumsy one that destroyed the town hall.
"Who are you?" the white unicorn asked angrily, horn glowing ominously.
"My name is Doohickey." The filly responded formally. Rarity turned her head quickly when the door to the blue box opened again.
"RARITY!" Fluttershy shouted angrily. Rarity was so shocked her spell dissolved. "How could you threaten a filly?"
"I thought she was an Empirial spy!" the unicorn said, defending herself.
"Oh, well that's okay then… wait, no it's not!" Fluttershy said glaring at Rarity before she scrutinized Doohickey for injuries.
"I'm okay Fluttershy." The filly said dipping her head at the pegasus. Fluttershy chuffed before flying back to the Tardis. She opened the door and Applebloom leapt out.
"Hiya there Miss. Rarity, um, can ya tell me where Sweetie Bell is?" Rarity smiled sadly just as her office door opened behind the Tardis.
"Sist… what is this box doing here?" A sweet high voice called out from the door.
"SWEETIE BELL!" Applebloom shouted happily. A white unicorn filly with a light purple and pink curly mane popped out from behind the Tardis
"Applebloom?" when the unicorn filly saw Applebloom they squealed and hugged each other, hopping up and down. Doohickey suddenly felt a little lonely, it didn't last long.
"Sweetie Bell! I want ya ta meet somepony! This is Doohickey! We met her by Ponyville, Doohickey this is Sweetie Bell." Sweetie Bell smiled at Doohickey.
"It's nice to meet you!" the unicorn filly said holding out a hoof. Doohickey smiled and shook it. Rarity looked at the two fillies and cringed.
"Why are you here Fluttershy?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted
"Not just her! I'm here too!" Pinkie Pie said leaping out of the Tardis and giving Rarity a big hug.
"P…Pinkie?" Rarity stuttered out, shocked. "You sided with the core?"
"No silly!" Pinkie Pie said moving to stand beside Fluttershy "I sided with my friends."
"Oh… I see, well then what are you two doing here?" she asked with distain moving back behind her desk.
"We need your help." Doohickey said. The unicorn turned to the filly
"Oh, with what?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow. She conjured a tea set and poured her self a cup of tea, which she sipped daintily, listening to the filly.
"We're going to defeat Celestia." Rarity spewed her tea in a very un-ladylike fashion. She sputtered a bit as the filly continued "and we need the Elements of Harmony to do it." Rarity looked at the filly before she began to laugh, quite loudly in fact.
"My dearest little filly, Luna has attempted to overthrow Celestia for two years now… even more evidence against your ludicrous plan is the fact that three of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony are loyal to the very mare you intend to defeat… you have to realize that I must take this plan, with at least a tablespoon of salt." Rarity said lifting the sugar spoon with her magic and waving about in an animated fashion. She poured half a spoon of sugar into a new cup of tea and sipped it as the three ponies before her absorbed her words. At last, after a few sips and seconds of thought, she spoke. "I suppose… there is one way I could be convinced to help you…"
"What is it?" Doohickey asked in desperation.
"If you were to bring me some sort of proof… that the ponies working for Celestia can be convinced to fight against her… I might be willing to agree to fight for you. As it is I am really quite busy. I am one of the only ponies that actually does any work around here and Princess Luna simply cannot get anything done without me. I would have to be absolutely certain that this scheme would amount to anything before I spend the Republic's very valuable time and resources on such a project." Rarity said sipping her tea thoughtfully. Doohickey looked at the ground a bit before she smiled and looked back up to Rarity.
"Very well, we'll get you your proof! You won't be disappointed. I promise you! This will work." Doohickey said before turning back to the Tardis. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie took this as a sign that it was time to go.
"Applebloom… we're leaving…" Fluttershy said flying up to the two reuniting friends
"Already? But we just started talking!" Applebloom said pouting sadly. Fluttershy looked at the filly sadly and urged her towards the Tardis "bye, Sweetie Bell!"
"Bye, Applebloom!" Sweetie replied going to stand beside her older sister. Before Fluttershy entered the Tardis she turned back to Rarity.
"Oh, um, It was nice to see you again Rarity, if we ever get the chance, we should go to a spa together again, just like old times." The pegasus smiled before she closed the Tardis door behind her. The Tardis disappeared in a bright flash of light.
"It was nice to see you too, Fluttershy…" Rarity finally chocked out, her eyes swimming with tears.
"Once again, I must point out, YOU'RE INSANE!" Lyra shouted at Doohickey. The filly sighed and looked at the Doctor, who was being unusually quiet.
"Rarity wants proof, proof that we can convince the other bearers to hep defeat Celestia, so lets go convince one."
"Applejack is dangerous! She's the best sharpshooter in the Empirial army. It's like walking up to a sleeping Ursa Major and poking it with a stick!" Bon Bon argued. Doohickey looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Alright then, why not Captain Twilight Sparkle up in the Canterlot Library, or wait, I know, let's go up to Clousdale and have a little chat with Supreme Commander Rainbow Dash, I'm sure she'd love to have us over for tea." The Ponies all winced and looked at the filly. "Applejack is the easiest one to get to… I had hoped to have Rarity with us when we went to convince her, but we would have had to eventually… it's just a different order of operations… the point is, we need Applejack to get to Rainbow Dash and Twilight anyway… so lets turn two gears with one switch." Doohickey said. The Doctor laughed at her saying.
"'Turn two gears with one switch'? Where did you get that one?" Doohickey blushed.
"My papa was a clock maker." She said quietly. The Doctor blinked at that.
"That's pretty neat actually. What sort of clocks did he make?" Lyra asked with interest
"Pocket watches…" Doohickey replied quietly. The Doctor stared at the little filly in front of him. She looked a bit self-conscious as people began asking about her parents.
"What did your mother do?" Bon Bon asked.
"Urm… she was a storm pony…" Doohickey said quietly.
"A storm pony?" Bon Bon asked in confusion.
"Storm ponies work with thunder clouds, they're the ones that organize when the storms will arrive and when they end." Ditzy said smiling "I was a storm pony for a while, but I wasn't cut out for the long distance flying. Your mum must have had a lot of endurance."
"Haha… yeah…" Doohickey said smiling, but it looked more like a wince. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Look okay… I don't like talking about them… their dead aren't they." Bon Bon and Fluttershy's eyes widened and their ears flattened. Doohickey was crushed in a hug from Ditzy. She blinked a bit in confusion. The group looked at her a bit sadly. Doohickey finally shook herself free. "I don't need comfort right now… I need Applebloom." The filly said with a grim scowl.
"Huh? Why do you need Applebloom?" Lyra asked.
"Because she's going to be the final buck at the apple tree, so to speak…" the ponies looked a bit nervous at that comment but Fluttershy agreed to go fetch Applebloom. Soon, the earth filly was being herded into the control room. Doohickey sighed and presented her plan to the Peace Core congregation.
"Ya need me ta do what now?" Applebloom asked a bit shocked.
"Applejack has no recollection of you, and it is my personal belief that Celestia is controlling the three bearers of the Elements of Harmony with some kind of… mind control. If we jumpstart Applejack's memory, for lack of a better term, we may be able to break Celestia's hold over her."
"Well this is just Cuckoo-Clock-CRAZEE! How did you know?!" Pinkie pie asked the pegasus filly. Doohickey blushed a bit at that.
" I… may have overseen some…things, from a window…"
"OH so YOU were the one causing my floppy left ear, I thought it was Celestia!" Pinkie said, as if that explained so much.
" What does a floppy left ear mean again?" Lyra asked. Doohickey stared at her in confusion.
" Floppy left ear means some pony is watching me. As opposed to floppy right which means a cup of tea is getting cold."
"I used to be able to tell that." The Doctor said with a touch of nostalgia. Ditzy blinked at him in shock.
"You have a sixth sense too?"
"No no, I could just… feel it." the Doctor said placing a hoof on his left heart. He shook himself out of his remembrance fog. "Anyways, are you saying Pinkie that Celestia is indeed using mind control to control those three mares."
"Well sort of… I wouldn't really call it mind control, it's kind of like being discorded acttu…"
"Don't! Finish that sentence; I don't need to know any more… Discord gives me the creeps!" the Doctor said shuddering before marching up to the console. He pushed a few buttons, and then held his hoof on the ignition lever. "Alright, one pull of this lever and we're at sweet apple acres, but I won't follow through with this plan if your not alright with it Applebloom." The group turned to the filly. Apple bloom nodded with determination.
"If Celestia is makin' my sister do all those nasty thangs… I won't let her hurt ma sister any more!" the filly said stomping her hoof with an audible clang on the metal floor.
"Now that's a apple rancher!" the Doctor said happily before pulling the lever. The whirling sounded out twice before the Tardis suddenly jumped and began to rumble violently. "What the!" The Doctor turned on the screens to see two Imperial pegasi firing some kind of magical energy at the Tardis from strange apparatus not unlike a crossbow. "Darn it Twilight! Why'd you have to be so smart! Why'd I park in the middle of a cornfield! Ah, stupid stupid stupid!" the Doctor said thumping his hoof on his forehead. "Hold on! It's going to be a fun ride!" the Doctor pushed a few more buttons and pulling the lever again. The Tardis tumbled and shook like a leaf on a windy day, the ponies and objects inside bumping along for the ride. Only the pegasi were spared and even then, they had their fair share of bruises. The whirling sound bounced off the walls as they began to land, or rather, crash. "HOLD TIGHT!" the Doctor shouted out before bracing himself. The Tardis gave an almighty rumbled before throwing everypony up into the air. The earth bound ponies landed with a hard thump before the Tardis was plunged into darkness. "Grand…" the Doctor grumbled before the blue light of his sonic screwdriver broke the curtain of black. "Sound off!"
"Here!" Bon Bon called out from under a pony pile.
"Here!" Lyra called a few feet away.
"Here!" Applebloom shouted
"I am here, no need to fear." Zecora said picking her self off the pony pile up.
"I'm okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie said.
"Here." Fluttershy said softly helping
"Right here!" Ditzy said helping Doohickey up from the pile of clothes she fell in.
"mpher." Doohickey said. She spit the scarf that was in her mouth out. She tried to squirm free of it but just got more tangled. "Here." She said looking up at the Doctor from his hooves.
"Bless the universe! I haven't seen that scarf in ages… only you Doohickey, only you." he said helping her get untangled. Finally free she turned to the Doctor.
"What happened?"
"Space time interference, we should be up and running in a few hours, if I can find all the problems."
"Why don't' you just switch on the emergency power?" the filly asked. The Doctor stared at her.
"Emergency power?"
"Yeah you know, the emergency power." She turned back to the Doctor "Every ship has emergency power."
"I suppose… guess I've got to figure it out that's all… should be fun!" the Doctor said stretching out his front arms before shaking them out and placing his hooves on the control panel. He stared at the button and began to mumble to himself. "…Makes a wormhole, not very helpful, perhaps over here…" he pushed a few button and suddenly automated voice Doohickey knew so well came on.
"Good morning. Please set your destination."
"Oh well would you look at that! Has it always been able to do that? fantastic!" the Doctor said, smiling like a little kid. "All right, well I don't need a destination… what's this button do again?" he pushed it.
"Oh this is just Wonderful!" the Doctor said. "Now all I need is a map of the Tardis… not likely." The Doctor said pushing a few button's at random. By now several of the ponies were yawning a bit tired of the show. At last the voice rang out, after many requests for the Doctor to go into the depths of the Tardis to repair some several thousand-year-old damage.
"Emergency power activated." The lights flickered on and the door's opened.
"Alright! Best get going then, we've probably already gained the dear apple rancher's attention. Those of you who feel up to it, go on, the rest of you, I suggest you clean up any messes you find… their might be a bit more than a few."
"I'm going!" Ditzy said, flying up to Doohickey. Truth is she wanted to make sure the little filly didn't get hurt.
"I have to go." Applebloom said determinedly.
"Oh, well, Pinkie and I have to go to, so you won't be alone." Fluttershy said showcasing some of her true bravery. Doohickey smiled at that.
"Yep! You'll never be alone when we're with you! Now let's go! Twitchy left back hoof means some pony is looking for us! And I think I know who!" Pinkie Pie said before Galloping out of the Tardis. Doohickey stared after the outrageous mare before turning to Fluttershy
"Floppy ear? Twitchy left hoof? What does that even mean?" Doohickey asked
"Pinkie has a sixth sense, which she calls her pinkie sense… it lets her… know, things."
"Like what?" Doohickey asked as the group began to follow Pinkie Pie.
"Well a twitchy tail means something is going to fall from the sky… I am quite familiar with that one." Ditzy said blushing a bit.
"Why's that?" Doohickey asked.
"Let's just say there's a reason why everyone calls me 'Derpy Whooves'." Ditzy said. Flying a bit ahead of everypony. She came back with a flattened ears "Applejack found Pinkie Pie." The group galloped in the direction that Pinkie had dash of to.
"…Care if ya'll want me to be the queen of Equestria! Just go away AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Applejack shouted at Pinkie Pie. Her hair was flat as a pancake and she was not happy.
"WELL, EXCUSE ME FOR TRYING TO BE A GOOD FRIEND! Humph, I don't care anymore, stay here and rot!" Pinkie Pie said in anger.
"Hey! Don't say that bout ma sister!" Applebloom shouted at Pinkie
"YA? WELL I HOPE YOU ROT!" Applejack retorted
"Stop yelling!" Ditzy said to Pinkie Pie, but Pinkie Pie wouldn't listen. So Doohickey and Fluttershy stared as the four ponies began yelling at one another and all the while Pinkie and Applejack were still arguing.
"NO YOU!"
"NAW YOU!"
"NO YOU!"
"NAW YOU!"
"QUIET!" Fluttershy shouted. Everyone went silent. Doohickey stared at the shy pegasus in shock. "Can we please start talking like ponies do, instead of being a bunch of big mean bullying diamond dogs."
"Ya can start by leaving!" Applejack said angrily.
"We can't leave, the Tardis is broken, and the Doctor will need a few hours to fix it… I'm terribly sorry for our intrusion, but we're just going to have to stay until the Tardis is fixed." Fluttershy said talking to Applejack like she was a particularly rude animal.
"I could report ya'll to the queen! That'll teach ya!" Applejack threatened. The core ponies looked at the mare with fear. Doohickey stared at the orange mare.
"But you won't." she said. The core ponies looked at the filly in shock. Applejack faltered and turned to the filly.
"Say what now?"
"You're not going to report us to Celestia… I know you're not." Doohickey said before walking towards the farmhouse. The core ponies blinked at the filly before turning to the apple rancher and putting on strained smiles, squeaking for effect. Applejack huffed and picked up her hat, which she had thrown to the ground in her argument with Pinkie Pie. She dusted it off and placed it on her head.
"Fine. Yer welcome here, as long as ya don't touch anythin'. I have a very important organisation at work here an I don't need crazy core ponies messin' it up, so paws off." Applejack said looking at Pinkie Pie particularly strongly.
"okie dokie lokie!" she said before whipping down the path to the farmhouse in a streak of pink. Applejack sighed and shook her head. Applebloom was staring at some of the dead trees in dismay a ways off the path.
"Doesn't anythin' grow here anymore?"
"Naw, not much has grown in a while now." Applejack said string at the barren wasteland that was once a sprawling orchard. "It's hard without Big Mac here to help with the harvest, that an all of the apple family is working fer Celestia on the lines."
"Not all of em." Applebloom said sadly. Applejack looked at the filly in confusion. She walked back to the farmhouse with the little filly. Applebloom looked at it, with it's bared and broken windows and dull paint and felt a bit sorry for Applejack. " Where's Granny Smith?"
"She's dead…" Applejack said around the lump that had formed in her throat. She swallowed it away though. "She died a week after the war started, when Apple Strudel's body came back… it was too much of a shock fer her old heart." She turned back to the filly beside her and was shocked. The filly was crying, tears streaming down her face, eye screwed shut with pain. "Why are ya," Applejack was cut off by Applebloom lunging at her and wrapping herself around the older mare in a hug. Applejack looked down at the crying filly as her coat was wetted with tears. "It's alright their sugar cube…" she blinked at her words, as they brought back feeling and images she just didn't understand. "Alright Applebloom, let go." Applejack said pushing the filly away. Applebloom looked at the mare.
"Ya said ma name," she said. Applejack looked at her in confusion.
"What're ya talkin' 'bout?"
"Ya said Applebloom!" the filly said excitedly.
"I…I did? I…I did." Applejack said before she held her head in her hooves. "Ah, my head… that hurts like a goose egg." The mare cried out. The ponies inside the farmhouse came out to see what the commotion was all about
"Applejack!" Pinkie Pie shouted running up to the mare as she began to sway. She held the orange apple rancher up as the mare began to droop. There was a bright flash of orange light as applejack opened her eyes. Just as quickly as the flash arrived it left. Applejack stood a bit stronger as Pinkie Pie withdrew. Fluttershy stepped forward timidly
"Applejack?" the mare called out. The bearer of the Element of honesty opened her eyes.
"When I get my hooves on Celestia, not all of the Imperial army is gonna be able to hold me back." She said angrily. Applebloom whooped loudly and threw herself at Applejack's neck.
"Applejack! Oh I missed ya so much!" the filly said rubbing her face into her sister's coat, crying once more.
"I'm here, sugar cube… I can't believe Celestia would do something like this… it don't seem like the princess I knew." Applejack said staring at the sun in the sky.
"We better get moving… I don't know how long it'll take for Celestia to realize she's not controlling Applejack anymore…" Doohickey said worriedly.
"It's nice ta see that ya doing alright… I'm sorry fer the way I acted… ta all a yawl… I hope ya can forgive me.' Applejack said covering her face with her hat as tears began to fall from her eyes. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie wrapped the mare in a tight hug.
"All is forgiven." Fluttershy said.
"Yeah! What sorta friends would we be if we didn't forgive you silly!" Pinkie pie shouted happily. Applejack pulled them in tight.
"Yawl are the bestest friends anypony could ever ask for…" Applejack said as happy tears began replacing the sad.
