> Lyra and The Doctor
>  by Silver Inkwell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Doctor Come to Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Doctor Comes to Town

The Doctor flew in his Tardis waiting for his next adventure to come now then.



“Now then, the real question to ask here isn’t why I’m here, or rather why I am a pony instead, but rather why I’m even bothering to talk to you at all unless I am assuming that you are indeed and here, or at the very least watching and/or listening to me, or perhaps maybe you’re just fictional and I’m real instead.

Or maybe we’re both real instead, or I could just be talking to myself instead, I do that a lot, quite frequently so, but here’s the real question that you should be asking of me instead, why does the Tardis always take me to where I am needed?

Why in all of space and time can it always know where I am needed most?

Answer, it’s alive, and time is very fluid, only a few small select few tiny little spots are ever really truly fixed and therefore cannot be changed.

Or at least they shouldn’t instead, it depends upon how you look at it.

But anyhow I can’t wait to find my next adventure although I must rather admit that I have no real idea why I’m a pony now, though to continue being completely honest with you I do look quite handsome and charming, which is a plus for any species, race, or life form instead, but I still don’t have ginger hair yet, that’s sad, and I also have this tattoo thingy on my butt, I don’t know why that’s there exactly, but perhaps the native locals can explain it to me when I can finally get there, anyhow it was nice talking to myself, see you again soon enough if I get myself in some sort of danger or peril, which I always manage to do somehow.”



And with that said he stopped imagining himself in the Tardis as he walked through the town now, he liked to imagine himself in the Tardis quite a lot, very much so that sometimes he couldn’t always tell the difference between what was in his mind and reality, but he always could tell when it had landed, which was about thirty to sixty minutes ago by his calculations. His Tardis had landed in a very dark forest that looked both spooky and creepy too as well, and when he did he pulled out one of his detectors for alien life or rather anything different.

And something different would have to be strange and unusual and odd for this timeline and land, but if he was to know where he was exactly he would have to explore first. “Well then, another day another adventure, let’s go, shall we?”

And with that said he tried do find a way out and eventually he finally did so.

“Oh look, a very small tiny little town, that seems quite dull and boring and drab, but it’s probably exactly where everything dangerous happens or nothing interesting at all, so let’s go and take a look, shall we then?”

He rubbed his two front hooves together in much anticipation and expectation and then he wandered around the town getting to know it very well until he was finally quite certain that he had memorized it. “Okay, I know my way around town, now the only question that remains is who is the most important pony of them all? Wow, I never thought that I would say that question out loud, but before I start asking questions I’d better eat, I’m feeling rather hungry right now.”

He looked around for some food until he finally spotted a very lovely orange mare with a brown dusty hat selling some apples. “You there, hello,” he said trotting over to her, “How much for one of these apples? I’m feeling rather very hungry at the moment and I can’t think as well if I am ever really that hungry.”

“That’ll be two bits, sir,” she said.

“Bits? What are those exactly? I know it would be your standard rate of exchange or your currency instead basically enough, but what are they anyways exactly?”

“Uh, they’re gold, but are you alright sir? Is everything just fine?”

“Yes, it is fine and well, but two gold bits for one apple? That seems a bit excessive for some food, seriously I’m starting to wish for the company of the humans to be with them again, but would you accept something else as payment? Cash maybe? Or perhaps some music instead? I have a very lovely voice.”

“Uh sir, we only accept bits here, no other form of payment is needed or required so if you don’t have anything to pay with then you should probably leave.”

“Well alright, fine then, I’d best be going anyways because I need to find out who’s the most important here,” he said.

“Uh, that would be the mayor, she’s at the town hall.”

“Excellent, just point me the way there then and I’m sure I’ll eventually find my way there, there’s no need to be kind and generous by offering your help to me at all, but it’s the thought that really truly counts.”

She pointed in the right proper direction, “It’s that way sir.”

“Well then, thank you very much, good day, good luck, and goodbye now.”

And with that said he went towards town hall until he met her.

Meanwhile…

Lyra Heartstrings had been having a very private special talk and conversation with her very best friend Bon Bon until she heard the Doctor speak, unintentionally of course, but it was the word human that caught her attention the most as she suddenly turned towards him away from her friend. “Lyra? Are you even paying attention to me anymore? Loot at me right now if you are, okay?”

“I’m sorry Bon Bon, but he said something about humans, I have to go follow him, who knows, maybe it can really lead to something this time.”

She rolled her eyes, “Lyra, you have to stop this quest for humans, there’s no such thing, they’re not real and they don’t exist, they never have and they never will either, and I’m sure that he’s crazy and/or insane anyways, so let’s just go already, okay?” she said.

“No, I have to do this, and you can’t stop me either, I’m so very sorry, but I just have to go now,” she said quickly darting her way through the crowd as she dashed towards him filled with the rush of the chase. “Lyra! Wait for me!”

But it was already too late as she rushed in front of the brown stallion.

“Well hello there, who are you exactly? Or rather what should I call you instead if you don’t want to give me your real true name?”

“Call me Lyra Heartstrings, that’s the name that I was born with.”

“Well if that’s your story then I should have no room to doubt it or you instead, now then can you please guide me to the town hall? I seem to be a rather bit lost right now,”

“Sure thing,” she said smiling.

“Well actually that’s a lie, I’m not lost,” he said, “I was just testing you instead.”

“Testing me for what though exactly?”

“Your kindness and generosity, your braveness, intelligence, and wit can wait until later, anyhow thank you for the help even though I didn’t really need it, truly I didn’t,” he said as they arrived at the town hall.

“You’re welcome, but I actually had a question that I wanted to ask you-,”

“Not right now, I’m very busy, because first I’ll need to find the mayor.”

“There she is right now, but what should I call you though exactly?”

“Oh, that’s right, I never gave you my name, just call me the Doctor.”

“Just the Doctor? What, come on? No last or first name?”

“Yes, just the Doctor, and I have a name, it’s just one that no one else will ever know, both human and pony alike, and every other race and alien life form and species that’s out there, but enough talk, I have a politician to persuade.”

And with that said he walked over to the mayor.



“I don’t like politicians, I never have and I never will either, the only things that they ever want are money, control, power, and your vote of course.

And they’re all so very stupid and idiots too as well, they never learn and they think that fixing one problem won’t somehow eventually cause another.

They’re the worst people that I generally and usually have ever put up with, that and military of course, but in this case it’s rather ponies to use as the term instead, and it’s very annoying when I always have to constantly correct myself.

Traveling to completely new worlds and timelines can be so confusing sometimes.

Anyhow enough of what I like, which includes the singer David Bowie, the party animal known as Beethoven, and of course the ever crazy and eccentric party animal known as Mozart too as well, and then there’s my list of dislikes which may or may not be just as long as the list of things and people and also ponies that I like, it’s time that we get back to the story, don’t worry though, I’ll explain why I’m still bothering to talk to you in a moment after I’m done, okay?”



Lyra watched as he talked to the mayor.

“Well hello there, I would assume that you’re the leader of this town then now?”

“Well yes, I am sir, welcome to Ponyville, we’re very glad to have you here but can you please tell me what brings you here to us and why exactly?”

“My matters are my own, but just in case I’m a traveler that protects others from whatever harm, danger, and peril might come.”

“Well the town of Ponyville never has anything like that ever happen.”

“Oh trust me that’s what you all think until it actually does.”

“Well is there something that I can help you with? Anything at all?”

“Yes, can you tell me if you’re using any hologram projectors?”

“Uh no, and what are those anyways exactly?”

“Huh, so this is real, okay, unless I’m still dreaming,” he said pinching and then slapping himself, “Nope, this isn’t a dream, or at least I don’t think so,”

“Doctor-,”

“Although I should have figured out that you have nothing too advanced yet or alien since when I look around there’s nothing off, so clearly I must be a pony for real, I don’t know why though or for what reason exactly.”

“Doctor-,”

“So the only logical reasonable conclusion is that I must be in a completely new different universe, well this is new and very interesting, how curious.”

“DOCTOR!!!”

“What is it annoying green pony?”

“My name is Lyra and I demand an answer to my question.”

“Sure thing darling, I have time for you, anything at all as you might wish or want instead.”

“You said something about humans, can you please elaborate on that?”

“Sure thing, just give me a moment to finish talking to the mayor here,” he said turning to her, “Now then, are there any major events, holidays, or celebrations coming up at all? Anything at all to be considered even slightly not normal or regular or ordinary? Something different, strange, unusual, or odd?”

“Well we do have the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow, 1000 years of it to be exact.”

“Yes, I’m sure that it will be accurate enough, but will it be precise?”

“Doctor? Are you alright? Something seems to be troubling you?”

“I’m fine Lyra, I’m just thinking, that’s all,” he said, “Thank you for your help mayor, that’s all that I wanted, just information, nothing more or less.”

And with that said he strolled down the street.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“The library, there’s always one in every town or city that I go to, and chances are that there might just be something inside that can help me out, perhaps a book or a pony who knows something about a book instead, and if there is then it might just let me know the history of this town, land, and world too as well, and if I know that then I know what to look for, how to find it, and then all I’ll have to do is figure a way out to stop it before it’s too late for all of us.”

“Doctor, you’re not making any sense right now, care to explain yourself?”

“No, not just yet, I’ll have a plan though eventually of course.”

“Do you always have a plan for everything?”

“Yes I do, boy scout motto, always be prepared, and I am, with a plan of action and words too as well, and no matter what I will always win.”

“You’ve never lost a single battle or fight before?”

“Only when I lost my home planet and whole entire world to war, but at least their suffering is over, their strife is gone, they don’t have to be in agony and despair anymore, they won’t have to cry tears of sorrow, not anymore at least.”

“Well what if you can’t find something in time for your plan, what then exactly?”

“Well I’ll just wing it, it’s what I always usually do, well in most general cases.”

“You seem… well… different.”

“Thank you, I pride myself with my service of course.”

“You also seem a bit strange, you’re highly unusual, you’re very odd, I like that.”

“Well I have been told so by many before, and I’ve always taken it as a compliment, after all, who wants to be just a regular normal pony instead?”

“Well you don’t apparently enough,” she said.

“Yes, being what I am gets me many enemies, but it also can bring that start of something new, something truly amazing, wonderful and brilliant.”

“Well I guess that’s true enough, but here we are, the town library.”

“It’s much smaller than I expected it to be, and it’s also in a tree house, that’s new, and very interesting too as well.”

“Well it’s a very small tiny little town, we don’t need a big huge wide library with even more vast knowledge than that which we already have.”

“Well I hope that it just can fit my needs even if it doesn’t give me what I want or wish for, just like my Tardis.”

“Wait, what? What exactly is a Tardis?”

“A Time and Relative Dimension in Space machine, and the one that I currently have is a big blue police telephone box, and please don’t ask me why that is, I’ll just probably ignore you until I can find an answer to satisfy you with.”

“So, what is it that you’re looking for?” she said as they entered the library.

“Well the past history of this place of course, how the town came to be, how this whole entire world came to be, and speaking of land what’s this called anyways?”

“It’s called Equestria,” she said.

“Oh, how very lovely and interesting, okay, so who rules this land then?”

“Princess Celestia, she raises and lowers the sun each and every day.”

“Um, no, she doesn’t, that would-be science instead, and first of all, whatever you think you see her doing, it’s probably a lie instead.”

“She can actually raise and lower the sun using magic, we see her do it every year at the Summer Sun celebration, she isn’t lying, it’s very much real indeed.”

“Oh, sure you are, because why would you ever have room or reason to doubt that which you already know, something that seems like a fact.

Why ever doubt something that you knew ever since birth?

I mean it’s not like it could be a lie after all, right?”

“Why are you so doubtful of our princess, or magic?”

“Because there’s no such thing as magic, only science instead.”

“Well there is such a thing as magic and you should be more ready to believe in it instead of doubting everything that you see and hear, or the ones that you meet instead, you can’t go around your whole entire life like that.”

“Why not though exactly? Doubt always makes you ask questions, and I just love answering questions because they always give me a good enough challenge.”

“But if you always go around with doubt how will you ever know what or who to trust? Don’t you ever put your doubt aside for one moment?”

“Well yes, I do actually, when I’m trying to figure out the answer to the question of course, riddle or puzzle, give me both of them, test my logic and reason, but don’t ask me to ever stop asking questions or to stop doubting, because no matter what I think that there will always be a small tiny little seed of it in my mind to always haunt my thoughts and ideas, even my dreams too as well.”

“You seem very straightforward and honest with me, why is that exactly?”

“Because honestly, I don’t really care about you, or what you want, and you’re not annoying me, bothering me, or distracting me so that’s always a bonus and plus too as well. Anyhow where is a book on the history of this land? I can’t seem to find one anywhere at all and that is what’s starting to annoy me.”

“I would recommend this book first,” a voice said as they both turned to stare at a purple unicorn, “It’s the one that got me sent here in the first place anyways.”

“Well hello there, thanks for the help, what’s your name though exactly?”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, and you are?”

“The Doctor of course, now then could I please have that book right now?”

“Sure thing, just make sure to give it back to me when you’re down with it.”

“Alright, fine then, thank you very much,” he said as she left him.

“You’re welcome,” she said.



“Alright, quick moment to interrupt, I generally don’t usually like most ponies or people since they seem far too stupid to me, but every now and then I’ll meet a rather unique exception to this rule since there always seems to be one for everything, Twilight and Lyra were just a few of these that I found.

But there were still many yet to come, but back to the story now, shall we?”



The Doctor quickly flipped through the pages reading them very fast, or perhaps he was just glancing at them instead and not really looking at where he was instead. “Yes, I found it,” he said holding up a very certain page number to her.

“The mare in the moon, it’s so obvious and clear to me, and according to this book she should be escaping very soon indeed, we’ll just have to make sure that we’re there to stop it first, but before we do I have a quick question for you Twily.”

“My name is Twilight, and only my brother can call me that name.”

“Well then, I’m very sorry for you, anyhow quick question, why is the Summer Sun celebration being hosted here this year with a royal regal visit from the princess herself included with it too as well?”

“Um, I honestly don’t really know,”

“That’s because you’re not thinking hard enough like I do, clearly the princess must know about this enemy because she conquered the threat, she made the danger go away for a thousand years, and for that time there was no peril at all, but now there will be again, and I think that there must be something very powerful very close by that the princess herself might want to use again, and according to this book they’re called the Elements of Harmony, and even my detectors also sense high level energies coming from the forest too as well.

I mean just think about it, wouldn’t you want to be as close to the weapon you used to defeat something last time? I know that I certainly would be.

All the facts add up, it even mentions a castle in here that the two sisters lived in, and if I were to bet and guess, I would say that’s exactly where the weapon would be, because where else is a better place to hide a weapon than somewhere completely obvious, or somewhere where no pony else would dare to go again.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight said in great shock and surprise, “But how-,”

“Did I put it altogether? Don’t worry, I’ll explain it to you later, well maybe, I just might if we have the time to do, maybe perhaps even with a nice tea party.”

“Are you crazy?”

“No, I don’t think so, or at least not yet, but perhaps maybe I am since all the best people and ponies are, after all, what’s so wrong with being a little tiny bit insane? Can you tell me what would be wrong with that now then exactly?”

“Um no, I really can’t.”

“Good then, I’m sure that we won’t have any problems them, or we will and we’ll quickly fix them since that’s exactly what I do, I fix things and stuff.”

“But you call yourself the Doctor, why is that though exactly?”

“Because my name is a reminder to me about the promise that I made, it was to always help others no matter what happened or what the cost might be instead, and I have kept that promise for so long now, and I always will.”

“Ah, that would explain it, but why do you think that the mare in the moon is even real? It’s just a myth and legend, there’s nothing to it at all.”

“But there is, there always is, stories are based upon truth and turned into something else when we let our imaginations run wild and free, for example you’re just myth and legend in another world completely different than your own, and humans are real, yet you only see them as you want to, so in reality we can’t change the world around us, but we can change how we think about it and what we see too as well, perception is a very powerful tool to use with our minds, so that is why you should always strive to continue to use it no matter what happens, because you never know when you might just face death.”

“You’re not really making that much sense right now.”

“Darling, I never do because one of my goals is to constantly surprise others, and I always manage to do just that, I put the shock right into them.”

“You’re weird, you’re also very strange and highly odd and unusual too as well, I really like that about you, we’re already so much alike in so many different ways, because throughout my whole entire life I have believed in humans.”

“Well that’s just great, wait, what was that last part again?”

“We’re similar?”

“No, after that.”

“I have believed in humans my whole entire life?”

“Yes, that, how do you even know about humans?”

“Well I don’t know, I’ve always seemed to believe in them ever since I was a child.”

“How very interesting and curious, how strange and unusual, have you ever thought it odd that you seemed to be the only one to believe in humans?”

“Well sometimes, I mean no pony else would believe me.”

“Yes, of course, but I wonder why you believe in them in the first place, tell me, did you read a book or story about and on them perhaps?”

“No, I just know that they’re real, that’s all that there is to it really.”

“No, that’s impossible, you have to be inspired by something else.

There has to be more, I just know that there is, I just don’t know where yet.

Tell me, can you remember when you first believed in humans, the very first moment that you knew that in your heart and mind that they were indeed real?”

“It was a very long time ago, I was just a filly, I don’t know if I can…”

“Well just try for me, please,”

“Well alright, all that I can remember is that my parents took me to a carnival for one day since this was this bug huge travel around fair going around to places, I got lost and was separated from my parents and eventually I ended up in the maze of mirrors, and I’m fine with mirrors and mazes, but not both of them together, it’s just so easy to get lost and distracted, anyhow I just remember that an employee eventually found me and took me outside of it and over to a food stand, he was really kind and nice and generous because he got some cotton candy and ice cream for me, and then he told me something that I’ll never forget, he said that I should always believe in my dreams even if no pony else did, he said that I should always chase for them and never give them up either, he said that whatever I believed in, whatever I thought was real, it didn’t make me crazy, it just made me different instead, not exactly strange or odd since those are only words others use for me, just different, special, and that I had to determine just how different I was going to be, and then he told me one of the most brilliant and very entertaining stories ever, eventually after he was done my parents came to find me and took me back home, and they wanted to thank the pony with something very special at his own house, but later they eventually finally figured out that the pony didn’t even work for the fair, naturally they were very worried of course and the fair told them that they would look for this pony, but they never did manage to find him, and ever since then I have always remembered his stories and the words that he told me, but oddly enough I can’t remember his face or name anymore, I guess some things can slip your memory, right?”

“Yes, of course, thank you for telling me this.”

“You’re welcome.”

 “Well then, I’m done here, there’s only one thing left that I need to know, since the princess is visiting or coming here where will she show up for the celebration to ‘raise the sun’ then?”

“The town hall of course,” Twilight said.

“Thank you very much, now then I must be going, Lyra you can come with me if you want, you interest me and I have a few more questions for you.”

“Oh, really?” she said holding her hooves up to her face in great joy and delight almost fainting at the new that she had just heard now then.

“Yes, I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that you just might be very beneficial to me, I could need you, or perhaps maybe I just want some real true company to talk to instead and not just my imagination of myself in the Tardis.”

“Okay, alright fine then, I’m not even going to ask what that was about.”

“Yes, it’s probably better for your own sake of mind now.”

“So, where are we going then?”

“Well to my Tardis of course, and then to a whole new world of adventure and perilous danger filled with life threating situation that will always constantly put us at risk while we explore each new alien life form and species, so then miss Lyra Heartstrings, do you want to come with me? Are you ready and prepared for this, or would you rather forget that I was ever really truly here instead?”

She smiled, “I think that I just might be ready for this.”

He smiled, “No you’re not, you’re just saying that, no one can be ready or prepared for what I show them, but I still do like the enthusiasm nonetheless.”

And with that said they slowly trotted off back to his Tardis.

“Wait, your Tardis is in there?” Lyra said when they approached the forest and got closer to their destination. 

“Well yes of course it is, why though exactly?”

“That’s the Everfree forest, no pony ever dares to go in there, ever.”

“Well then, you’ll be the first then, won’t you?”

“Well I guess so…”

“Hey, don’t guess, know so instead, it’s what I always do before every battle and fight because if I know that I’m going to win it then I always will no matter what happens, now then why don’t you talk a bit more, it just might help me concentrate and focus, or maybe it’ll distract me instead, who knows really?”

“Truly you are really amazing and wonderful,”

“Don’t forget brilliant and radical,”

“Or cool and awesome, you’re the great and incredible Mr. Doctor now then.”

“Well yes I am I guess if you say so that I am.”

“Well what should I talk about?”

“Anything that pops up in your head, your favorite color, your life story, your best date, your best birthday, just keep talking and don’t ever stop at all, okay?”

“Yeah, sure thing, anything for you, Doctor, anyhow my favorite color is blue.

My best birthday so far is a tie between all of them to be honest with you.

And my best date, well that would be with my best friend Bon Bon of course.

She’s a girl, and I’m also a lesbian.”

“Ah, so you’re a lesbian then now, that’s very nice to know indeed,”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t like stallions just like you, it just means that I’m more interested in girls rather than boys instead, that clear enough for you?”

“Oh yes, quite so indeed, thanks for talking to me but I think that we should be here by now, I could have sworn that it was closer than I thought that it would be,” he said as they suddenly came across a blue telephone police box.

“Ah, here we are, the Tardis, doesn’t it look just lovely and wonderful?”

“What is that thing exactly?”

He laughed, “Well why don’t you step inside and take a look?”

And with that said she did so and gasped in great shock and surprise, “Oh my gosh, it’s bigger on the inside than the outside!” she said still glancing at it as she went both inside and then back out again, “But how-?”

“Magic to you, science to me, just don’t ask me, please, anyhow as you’ll soon find out the Tardis isn’t just a box or a time and space machine, it’s also actually very much alive and can even think for itself, which can get very annoying sometimes especially when I want to go somewhere since I always do.”

“This is just-,”

“Yeah, no need for the adjectives again please,”

“I was just going to say wonderful and amazing and-,”

“Yeah, I know the rest because it describes me too as well, anyhow I think that it’s time to park this somewhere else a whole lot closer to the action just in case.”

“In case of what exactly?”

“Well for when the perilous danger eventually finally decides to show up of course, because it always does and it always will.”

“Well who knows, maybe this time you’ll get lucky,” she said.

“Please don’t say that, just don’t, because I never get lucky, ever.”

“Well there’s always a first time for everything, right?”

“Well yes, of course, but sometimes you might not want those firsts.”

And with that said he pulled a switch and she heard a very loud whirring sound, “Hey, what’s it doing exactly?”

“Oh, it’s just relocating somewhere closer to the town hall, don’t worry though, you’ll still be in the same time zone and period/era too as well.”

And with that said it suddenly stopped whirring eventually and finally.

“Well here we are, somewhere safe, close, but out of the way too as well,” he said stepping out onto the roof of the town hall, “Well this could have been much different and better, but then again things are never what you really truly expect, are they? After all, this is time travel and space that we’re talking about here, there is literally a whole entire universe in the palm of your hands ready to be reached out for, grabbed, and then taken, or rather in this case hooves instead of hands, but then again I don’t think that really truly matters if you can get the expression, anyhow, come on Lyra, we have a celebration to attend.”

“If we’re going to a party, especially one as big and important as this celebration then don’t you think that you should wear something first?”

“No, my bowtie will be enough to make me look fancy for it, besides, most ponies that I have seen so far are wandering around here completely naked all day.”

“Well that’s right, but technically we hide our private parts until we actually need to use them, like in the bathroom, or sex instead…”

“You know what, I’m not even going to bother to ask you about that just yet, or ever for that matter either, perhaps instead maybe we could talk about something else instead, like maybe you could continue your story, please?”

“Alright, fine then, very well, I’ll finish my whole entire life story for you.”

And with that said she rambled on talking until the time came for the princess to show up eventually of course, “Finally,” he said to the mayor, “I was starting to get bored just waiting here for her since I have something very important to tell her, and trust me, I really don’t like ever getting bored at all.”

And with that said he waited, but she didn’t show up and then some pony else declared the worst news that they could all hear, “The princess! She’s gone!”

“Oh, how very interesting indeed,” the Doctor said while the rest of the whole entire room gasped in great shock and surprise as the conversation still went on.

“Wait, what do you mean by gone exactly?”

“What do you think that I mean? She’s gone now, lost away to the enemy, she’s very confused about where she is exactly, what else is there left?”

“Oh, there are plenty of options, you’re just not thinking about them right yet.”

And with that said suddenly there was a very cold cruel laugh and then a new figure appeared, “Oh, I would have to assume that this is not princess Celestia, correct or am I wrong instead?” he said.

“Doctor, now is not the time to bring attention and focus to us…”

“Of course it is, the first trick to defeating an enemy is by pretending that you already know their plan, and if you’re really lucky they’ll actually tell you, just watch me and how I deal with things,” he said walking up closer to her.

“Well hello, my little ponies, don’t you know your own princess when you see one? For a thousand years I have been trapped on the moon isolated from you, trapped by my sister known as princess Celestia, but no more, not any longer, she is no longer your one and only princess, I am, and you shall all love and fear me as you did with her, you shall treat me with the same respect and dignity!

And you shall all shout my name to the sky above, you will worship the nighttime for what it truly really is, for this has been your very last day in Equestria, I hope that you really liked, loved, and enjoyed it, because the night will last forever!

I will have my eternal night with shadows, and no pony else can stop me!”

The Doctor was about to speak up before Twilight Sparkle did so and he couldn’t help to only watch as she took it from there exactly from him.

“She’s stealing all my lines, I was going to say that I could stop her using the Elements of Harmony, and then I expected to laugh and say that I was a fool, and then I would say that I wasn’t, I only pretended to be because I was always one step ahead of others while looking like I was actually one step behind instead, and then we would do a very long or short dialogue between us until she finally decided to leave and then we would go to the castle and figure out how to use the Elements exactly, defeat her, and then get back to the Tardis and fly very far away to our next adventure,” he said.

“Wow, you really do have every detail planned out,”

“Yes, that was just in case something ever does go wrong I can change it very quickly because my plans are rather simple at the very best instead.”

“Well then what are we going to do now then?”

“We follow Twilight Sparkle to see if she can defeat her, if not that’s when we’ll step in, and only then, got that?”

“Okay, alright, fine then, very well, I got the plan now.”

“Very good then, just follow me and try not to make any noise and don’t go where I am not, basically just follow along right behind me and don’t get lost, okay?”

“Okay, alright, fine then, very well.”

“Good, now then, activate your stealth mode,” he said walking far away enough behind Twilight to not be heard, but close enough that he could still see her no matter what happened to any of them now exactly. They watched as she joined up with five other various random mares that the Doctor had seen before.

“Let’s see, we have Rarity, nice pony, she makes the bow ties here for me, we also have Applejack who overcharged me for an apple, Rainbow Dash the hothead, and there’s Pinkie Pie, I’m glad I decided to stay far away from her otherwise I might have had to endure the ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ song.”

“Wait, how do you know all of this?” she said.

“Oh, I have been around the town for a few days or weeks now, I can’t actually honestly remember which since time is all very confusing and relative to me now, anyhow I have had enough time to get to know each and every pony without ever being really noticed at all, after all, I have to tread very carefully not to cause any tidal waves in the pond of time, because only ripples are truly really okay.”

“But aren’t tidal waves good sometimes?”

“No, not really in general, usually they are never that good or great, truly they really aren’t otherwise I would always try to save those who I lost.”

“How many have you lost though exactly?”

“Too many to count, and a number so high that you need not bother with it.”

“Oh, well then, have you ever loved before?”

“I try not to, it keeps my heart safe,”

“But why though exactly?”

“I am a near immortal Lyra, each time that I die I regenerate, but I can only regenerate a certain number of times before I finally die for the very last final time, and once that has happened there will be no more lives for me anymore.”

“So wait, if you’re nearly immortal then how old are you right now then?”

“Over 900 years old, which fills in a whole lot of books with the number of things that I have ever seen, and I’m on regeneration number ten right now.”

“And not once during all that time have you ever found a home?”

“Technically I have, it’s my Tardis, or rather earth instead since it’s my job and duty to always protect it and to help out others too of course, but now that I’m in a completely different universe I’ll just have to protect this one instead, or at least until I can finally figure a way out to get back to earth of course.”

“So, this is your life then? Just hopping around world to world protecting it from whatever threat it might hold, eliminate the perilous danger and then jump to the next world and keep repeating the cycle until what though exactly?”

“Yes, that basically sums it up to be exact and precise, now then it looks like Twilight and the gang are fine so far, although I must admit that I did want to help when I first saw that chimera, but then again I did have to get over my shock and surprise of seeing it just like when I first saw myself as a pony, or when I actually saw other ponies including unicorns and pegasi too as well.”

“Yeah, I remember your freak-out quite well indeed,”

“Please don’t ever bring it up again,”

“Oh, don’t look so worried and nervous, I wasn’t going to, but it does make for a rather fun topic to talk about just casually with some of my friends of course.”

“Yes, of course it does,”

“Well now that we’re at the castle I wonder what will happen next, let’s just watch and see, shall we?”

And with that said they watched from the balcony window as Twilight Sparkle and her new very best friends defeated Nightmare Moon (“So that’s what the Elements of Harmony do, how very interesting, I wonder if they’re alien artifacts at all even if I don’t think that they really truly are.”

“Doctor, enough about alien artifacts,”

“Sorry, I just can’t help it,”

“Well just try to then,”

“Don’t worry, I will.”)

And then they continued to watch as Princess Celestia showed up.

(“Oh, the princess of the Sun!”

“Calm down Lyra, it’s only nobility, they’re nothing that special.”

“And why would that be exactly?”

“Just don’t ask, please.” She didn’t.)

And then they watched the return of the two sisters.

(“Oh, how sweet and adorable, I just wish that I had my camera here with me to record this,” he said watching them as they hugged each other tightly and cried too as well.) And then after that they decided that the day was saved (even if not by them) and then they slowly walked back to the town to return to the Tardis.

“So now what then exactly?” Lyra said standing in front of the Tardis.

“Well I’m going to offer you a choice first, you can either come with me and help me on my adventures and experience things you never have before, but I can’t guarantee your safety, sometimes there might just be a peril or danger that’s too threatening to us, and I don’t want to put your life at risk at all, ever.

But I can’t stop you if you want to come with me.

But if you don’t I could also erase all of your memories of me right now, you’ll never even remember that we met, or my name, where you where, what you did, it just won’t be there anymore, so what do you want exactly?”

She considered this matter for a very long good moment.

“I want to come with you of course, I want to get the chance and opportunity to see and meet the humans, and if possible for my friend too as well.

I want to see new worlds that are completely different, I want new, I want adventure, I don’t mind the perilous danger if you can always come up with or find a way to save me instead, because guess what, I really do trust you Doctor.

I trust you with my whole entire life, and you’re one of the very few ponies who I completely trust with it, the rest vary naturally enough of course.”

“Yes, of course, but if we’re going to be together let me establish a few ground or rather space and time rules first, rule number one, never touch anything without me around to advise or instruct you, this goes for the switches and buttons especially, rule number two, don’t ever call me unless it’s a dire emergency, my telephone number isn’t to be used just to talk about something casually you know, and rule number four, let me know if we ever run out of something like food or water in the kitchen, rule number five, always listen to what I have to say and don’t try to argue against me, you’ll probably lose, but the same goes with you to me since some of my previous companions can talk emotional sense into me when my cold cruel truth of logic and reason comes out very brutally instead.”

“Okay, alright, fine then, I can work with that.”

“Oh, one more thing, I only have two bathrooms right now, one library, and only two bedrooms, and of course one kitchen here.”

“Oh, alright, fine then.”

“I’m just letting you know because there are always options in case one of the toilets ever decides to clog up on us or if they ever get broken instead.”

“Oh, alright, fine then…”

“I bet your curious as to why I’m even still talking right now, right?”

“Well yes…”

“Ah, don’t worry about that, all shall be explained very shortly enough, but for now let’s go to our next adventure, so tell me this before we do, past, present, or future instead?”

“The past of course, duh.”

“Well alright, fine then, just make sure that you hang on very tight, this thing doesn’t exactly have seatbelts yet,” he said pulling a switch as it slowly started to whir again, “To where we go I know not, when exactly is yet to be determined, but of this can I be absolute certain of, adventure is out there, alons-y!!!”

And with that said they then went off to their next adventure…




> The Library of Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Library of Shadows

“Wow Doctor, I thought that I would never ever say this, but Star Swirl is a totally amazing epic pony, I mean I never imagined him to be that radical and cool.:

“You’re forgetting awesome again as usual, but yes, historical figures do tend to have a life despite what you might think by reading the books.”

“Oh, speaking of books I was wondering if-,”

“We could visit the largest library in the universe? Sure, why not?”

“I was going to say the Canterlot library, but I guess that works too as well.”

“Canterlot? Is that the capital city of Equestria?”

“Well I guess you could call it that.”

“How very interesting, well then, let’s go, shall we?”

“Yes, let’s, but can I pull the switch this time?”

“Sure thing, be my guest, I allow all my companions a turn with it if they ask first of course, sadly enough very few ever manage to do just that.”

“Well then it looks like I’m starting to change and break the cycle then, right?” she said as she pulled the switch and the Tardis slowly whirred away.

“Yes, you are, and for that I’m sort of glad right now, but the rest of my emotions and feelings will have to wait until later to be sorted out of course.”

“How can you sort out emotions though exactly?” she said now then.

“Simple, imagine a filing cabinet for your brain and then store your memories there but put all the trash in the proper containers, that’s exactly how I do it.”

“So then you just refuse to feel anything for anything, right?”

“Well no, not exactly, I just don’t like getting all emotional or feeling that way, ever, when I’m not emotional it helps me stay focused on the task at hand.”

“Hoof, you made another mistake,” she said.

“Sorry, it just takes some time to get adjusted to your new body and form although I must say that I never imagined being able to do certain shapes either, but then again I guess that every day is just another chance and opportunity to prover itself or yourself wrong, I mean you never know what to expect, right?

“Uh, I guess so?”

“Wrong, if you expect a surprise or shock then you probably won’t ever be disappointed If you’re me. Now then that’s the lesson of the day out of the way.”

“Ha, you just rhymed,”

“Ah yes, so I did, what are you going to do about it though?”

“Nothing, I was just saying that you did,”

“Oh, well then if that’s all that you had to say,” he said opening the Tardis doors, “Then welcome to the universe’s largest most extensive library with so many collections of books that it would take an immortal to possibly ever read them all. In here is the largest database known to any species and life form, the only thing that could possibly ever beat this is the Gallifreyan library of course.”

“Wait, Gallifrey, is that the planet that you come from?”

“Yeah, of course, why wouldn’t it be?”

“Oh, no reason at all, I was just curious.”

“Well don’t be, because we’re in The Library now, it’s so big and huge, so wide and vast that it just got the title ‘The’ added to it, just a great big huge ‘The’, nothing else, nothing more, kind of a bit silly and stupid if you ask me, but then again it also kind of sort of makes a little bit sense when you think about it because what can you name the universe’s largest biggest most huge library?”

“Alright, fine then, you’ve made your point, but can’t we just go take a look at them now if we’re not going to go to the beach?”

“Yeah, sure thing, but no reading ahead, it’s like taking a sneak peek preview of your future and I just hate spoilers,”

“Isn’t traveling with you like one big huge spoiler though?”

“Yes, it is, but I always try to keep you away from all the major plot developments, which I’m really bad at since you always want to know because of your constant questions which I don’t mind so much since you’re so interested in learning.

Learning new stuff and things is always very good for you, for your mind, your heart, and your soul too as well of course. Anyhow enough of that, let’s go take a look at The Library, shall we?” he said opening the Tardis doors.

“Yes, let’s,” she said before quickly being stopped by the Doctor.

“Oh, I just remembered, this probably isn’t a very good library.”

“Wait, you said that it was the largest and biggest most huge best library?”

“Did I? Well then let me tell you something else, this library is full of shadow creatures that will rip the flesh off of you in less than a second, so let’s go somewhere else shall we, how about the Canterlot library? Does that sound good enough or would you like this Castle of the Two Sisters instead?”

“The last option.”

“Alright, fine then, very well, off we go then,” he said.

And with that said they whirred away to the castle.

“So what would you call that shadow creature then?”

“The Vashta Nerada, and they are wherever meat is, they’re on more than a billion different planets, usually they’re in very small groups and they like to live and hunt in forests, but The Library, well let’s just say that it’s the largest infestation of them that I have ever really seen before. Anyhow every living creature, alien or not, has an irrational fear of the dark, but it’s actually completely natural and rational because of the Nerada, they know that something is in there, something very dangerous and deadly, they just don’t know what, but they are always there unseen and unheard too as well.”

“Wait, surely Equestria can’t have them?”

“Nope, they’re in the Everfree forest, and usually they can just live off of the scraps of dead animals and creatures, but sometimes a very stupid pony will wander in, and they never come back out again, but that’s very rare since they live very deep in the forest usually, and they will only attack once there is enough again, but as I said before, they like living in small groups.”

“Why are they so deadly though?”

“They’re like piranhas in the air, they will literally eat the flesh off of you in less than a second, and the worst part about it all, you can’t defeat them, Daleks it’s the eyes, Cyberman, well you can reprogram them easily enough, but the Nerada, well you just have to run instead, anyhow enough about shadow creatures, here we are, the Castle of the Two Sisters,” he said stepping out very proudly.

“Huh, I heard it was in ruins, but not that it was this much shambled.”

“Doctor, be nice please.”

“I am being nice, this is just my own thoughts and ideas no matter how cold, cruel, or brutal that they might be. Anyhow let’s take a look around, shall we?”

“Yes, let’s indeed.”

And with that said they slowly started to explore around the whole entire place.

“You know if there is one universal constant so far I would have to say that it is love of books, the smell of them, that makes them so special and unique and different, sure you can have your digital download to take wherever you want, but books, they don’t ever need a battery recharge, sure they need to be taken careful care of and they fade with time, but they’ll always have that smell with them, and it’s something a computer can’t just generate or ever really truly understand, anyhow feel free to read them, it’s from your current timeline anyways so the castle hasn’t exactly been rebuilt, yet.”

“Wait, this castle is going to be rebuilt?”

“Oops, spoilers, shouldn’t have said that.”

“Well it’s too late now, let’s just see if there’s anything interesting here yet.”

And with that said they picked up various random books.

“Anything interesting yet?”

“Nope, not yet, I’ll tell you when I do.”

Lyra picked up one book that had the cover of something very important indeed.

“Here, this looks very much interesting or at least I think so.”

“Diaries of a Draconequis? 101 Interesting Facts About Draconequi?

Nope, I don’t think so, not today at least.”

Suddenly there was a slow cold cruel laugh slowly echo throughout the whole entire castle. “Hello there, strangers, welcome to my castle.”

“Unless you’re a princess I don’t think this is your castle.”

“No, but I am a king.”

And with that said suddenly a black misty smoke started to rise out and form into a pony shape and form. 

“Welcome to the Castle of Shadows as I like to call it, a rather fitting name especially considering my current situation, right?”

‘Well, yes, of course, but do you mind telling me who you are first before you attack us because I can only assume that it’s part of your grand plan.

So tell me, what’s your name and scheme?”

“They call me King Sombra.”

Lyra shuddered at the name, “I’ve heard about you, after the Crystal Empire came back I heard news, rumors, myths, legends, stories, I didn’t know what to believe, so I decided to only trust in what the princess herself told me, which was that she had defeated you, which mean that you can’t be alive right now.”

“But clearly I am.”

“That’s impossible, sure maybe you’re just a hologram-,”

“Nothing is impossible, and I am very much real,”

-Or maybe someone else out there is trying to scare us, right?”

“There is only me, and you will fight with me right now if you wish to even have a chance and opportunity to 
live no matter how small it may be.”

“Oh, we’ll take small then because we work with tiny and little.”

“Are you trying to make a joke about this situation?”

“Oh no, why would I ever do that?”

“I don’t know exactly just yet, but I intend to find out very soon.”

“Oh, and how are you planning to just that exactly though?”


“Simple, torture.”

“Ah, but here’s the problem with torture, it means that you’re the only person in the room that is worth living for or about, you’re the only one that actually really truly does matter, so u=you use that advantage, turn it against them, they want you to die, well show them that you can die faster, show them that you’re not afraid to die first, and then you can finally escape and be set free.”

“Well then, I’ll just have to try killing you first then, won’t I?”

“Well you can try, but even if you did manage to I would eventually come back because I’m something called a time lord, or at least that’s what my race calls itself, anyhow we’re one of the most powerful alien life forms and species ever born, and do you want to know why? It’s because we can control time, we can travel through it and space, so literally we have the world in our hands, or rather in this case hooves, we have lots of different worlds that we could conquer if we wanted to, but we don’t just because we shouldn’t ever do it.”

“And you obey these foolish rules?”

“Oh yes, we do, even if I think that they’re a bit silly and stupid sometimes.

But guess what, you can’t save everyone, we can’t there are some fixed points in time that you can’t change at all, ever, these include the death of a time lord mostly, and death in general usually can be most likely a fixed time point.”

“Ah, so then not even you are immortal?”

“Nope, this is my tenth regeneration and I’m over 900 years old, but no, I am not immortal, and neither are you either despite whatever you might think or believe, and if you think for one moment that I’m going to let you get away with your plan then you are very clearly and obviously thinking this through wrong.”

“You don’t even know what my plan is yet.”

“Oh, don’t I?”

“You can’t, it’s impossible.”

“Ah, but I thought- that just a moment ago- well you said that nothing was ever really truly impossible, or were you trying to lie to me instead?”

“I wasn’t trying to lie, because many and most will refuse to see the truth even if it is staring them right in their face straight into their eyes piercing their very soul. You can’t hide from the truth, none ever really truly can.”

“Yes, I already know that, but your ideas of truth seem to be a bit misguided so why don’t you tell me what you believe in first and then we can work through this together to sort this whole entire thing out?”

“No, we won’t, I will get exactly what I want or there will be consequences.”

“There’s already going to be that if I let you get away with this.”

“You can’t stop me, none ever can.”

“Well then, I guess that I’ll just have to be the very first then, won’t I? Besides you really should know better than to ever challenge me to anything, especially a stupid tiny little silly game, because you can try me out all you want, you can test me, quiz me, give me any question that you want, but if there is anything that I excel in it would be puzzles, games, and challenges too as well, but there is one thing that you really should never do, and that’s putting me in a trap.”

And with that said he pulled something out of his waistcoat pocket and fiddled around with it, “Oh damn these hooves, holding my sonic screwdriver would sure be a whole lot easier if I had any hands, oh well, there are pros and cons to every world, this one just so happens to be one that’s really handy I guess.

Oh dear, I just made a very bad pun, I wonder what could ever possibly be getting into my head, anyhow it’s time for me to stop whatever it is that you’re doing here exactly, King Sombra. Because that’s just what I do.”

“As I said before, you can’t stop me.”

“Well maybe, but you can’t stop me from trying at the very least now.”

“I can still try do exactly just that.”

And with that said the two enemies started to fight in the only way that they could, words. “You know I bet it’s very annoying not having a body because right now you’re only semi corporeal, but you need your old body back, isn’t that right? But you’ll also need to protect whatever is keeping you alive, which must mean that logically you must have guards around here somewhere, right?”

“You’ll never find what keeps me alive, it’s very well hidden.”

“Well, if you say so, but if I were you I’d know exactly where I kept the thing that kept me alive, because while you might seem just like the thing to keep something under heavy protection I also know that you’re also probably not that good with trust, so the guards would just be a distraction instead, a lie, so I figure that you would keep it as close to you as possible because you’re the only one that you can ever really truly trust after all, right? Anyhow it would have to be close enough for you to access, have something protecting it that would be easy enough for you but incredibly and amazingly hard for others of course.

Naturally enough the location must be under your throne room.”

And with that said he lifted a big huge chair up to reveal a reddish and black unicorn horn, “Bingo, looks like I found it, now all I have to do is break it and I’m guessing that I will end your life permanently, right then?”

“Yes, but please, mercy.”

“No, because guess what, I don’t think that you would have shown any pony else what mercy feels like exactly, and then what? Where would they be now exactly?”

“I really honestly don’t know exactly.”

“Well then at least you’ll die honestly,” the Doctor said suddenly snapping the horn in half. “So then, that’s over with, what will we do now then exactly?”

“We’ll move on, go to the next adventure just like we always do, although I must admit that this adventure felt a whole lot shorter than the last one that we had, but then again we just met and there was a whole lot more ground to cover.”

“Alright, fine then, very well, but can we at least take a book with us, just one?”

“No, that might be spoilers, actually it would be because some things and stuff, well maybe it’s just much better to leave that alone and untampered with instead, after all, a library is supposed to be a very quiet place, and our adventures, they’re never really that quiet.” And with that said they left.

> Project Cyberspark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Project Cyberspark

"Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and if you're watching this video than things have gone very terribly horribly wrong, if you're watching this then you just need to do two things for me, first, call the Doctor, he's the only one that can help us out now, he's the only chance and opportunity left. Two, they're coming, so run, just run, RUN!!!"

That’s how it all started.

After that, it was complete disaster.

Metal fell from the skies, but it came in the ponies themselves.

The Tardis slowly whirred away into a very large tall big huge treehouse, and slowly the Doctor walked. “Wow, I can’t actually believe that Celestia was that rebellious back in her teenage years, I mean who knew that?”

“Well technically I did, and so do you too as well now.”

“Doctor? Is that you? Thank goodness you’re finally here,”

“Wait, hold on, don’t tell me your name yet, let’s see, purple lavender unicorn with six stars on her butt, sorry, I meant flank instead, Lyra keeps reminding me of that, anyhow I would wager that you are Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yes, the one and only, and I’m so glad to see that you’re here now.”

“I’m sorry, but have we met before?”

“I think so, tell me, have you taken me to the moon and back yet?”

His face was completely blank. “Okay then, how about the Towers of Terror?”

Still nothing. “Okay then, you’re young, how about the Changeling invasion?”

Still nothing. “Okay then, you’re very young, very early days.”

“Wait, hold on a second, how many adventures have I had with you?”

“Enough, but I hear about them mostly, I have studied you my whole entire life Doctor, and I must say it’s quite an honor to finally get the chance and opportunity to meet you,” she said quickly shaking his hoof now then.

“Yes, I’m sure, but tell me this, I got your message by the telephone and video camera, but can you please tell me what’s wrong first though exactly?”

“First tell me who she is and how and when you got that message,”

“Well funny story,” he said, “You see the real question to ask here is…”

The Doctor and Lyra were flying in space when they got the phone call message.

“Oh, Doctor, your phone is ringing,” Lyra said.

“Yeah, I can hear that obviously, thank you very much, but the real question here is why? I just don’t give my number out to anyone you know.”

And with that said he picked up the telephone.

“Hello? Who is this exactly? Tell me right now please.”

There was no answer but suddenly a TV screen slowly flickered on.

“Hey there Doctor, thanks for your number, it’s really quite useful right now, anyhow we don’t have telephones here yet in Equestria, but I decided to take some notes after visiting your Tardis and eventually I finally figured out not only how to make a working one, but also something called a video camera as well too, anyhow Ponyville is in great danger and peril, come quickly, please, you’re our only hope now, not even magic can stop the threat that we have right now.”

“Well then, what do you suppose she means by that exactly?”

“I don’t know, but I do intend to fully find out very soon enough.”

And with that said he pulled his switch and that’s how they landed in the treehouse. “And that’s exactly how we landed in your tree house, Twilight.”

“I believe you, thanks for the explanation, but we have far more pressing matters at hoof, Project Cyberspark has gone very wrong, the experiment has failed.”

“Okay, first explain what Project Cyberspark and what the experiment were though exactly and how, where, and when it went wrong, okay then?”

“Alright, very well, fine then. Project Cyberspark was an attempt for me to advance all the technologies of Equestria based upon what I have seen in other worlds before, my latest experiment was designed to stimulate the neurons in the brain increasing their firing rate and speed making the mental processes of the brain much faster so that we could do more in a much shorter time span period, the tests worked very well with my lab animals, but when I tried to do it with a real actual test patient, well let’s just say that I don’t know where they are anymore, I lost them, they’re just too smart now.”

“Wait, hold on, can you make it simple for my friend here? I totally got it and understood what you were saying here, but my friend, not so much really.”

“Oh, okay then, fine, alright,” she said, “Basically the project makes you smarter, more intelligent, it was meant to help out both the young and old, the old for their lost memories to be recovered, the young so that they could work harder by it instead, I never meant for any of this to ever happen.”

“Hey there, don’t cry, this isn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it is, I might as well have made those monsters myself.”

“Okay, so maybe it is really your fault actually, so what? You can always start to make up for it right now by helping us out, okay then?”

She sniffled wiping away the tears in her eyes as she slowly adjusted her glasses.

“Alright, fine then,” she said getting up and adjusting her science coat.

“Now that’s more like it, now then can you please tell me what the name of the patient that you gave this chip to then?” the Doctor said.

“Wait, how did you know that it was not a potion or chemical drug instead?”

“Just a logical reasonable conclusion that randomly popped in my head as one of the more likely options, after all why contact me if it was a drug or chemical that would eventually wear off, no, you were worried because of something else that was completely different, and I decided to glance over your notes and I saw the word chip many times, even more so than any mentions to a chemical drug.”

“Yes, it was a chip, but that was only so I could store any data on a backup disc drive just in case it somehow stopped working so that way no data would ever be lost so long as it was within range and contact of my wireless tower.”

“Oh, I see, but you managed to build a wireless communications tower too as well, how very much nice, tell me how did you ever manage to do it.”

“Well first I-,”

“Never mind, I decided that I don’t really care that much anymore to be honest.”

“Well that’s very much rude.”

“Well maybe just a small tiny little bit, but enough, no more chitchat, the name of the patient now if you will please,” the Doctor said now then.

“Professor Mortimer Donovan, some weird old crazy pony obsessed with immortality and living forever too as well. He specialized in advanced technologies and making the absolute perfect life form, as I said before, crazy.”

“Do you know exactly where he is right now?”

“That’s just the problem, the chips don’t allow for tracking just yet.”

“Ah, let me guess, you did that to protect their privacy, am I right?”

“Yes, I don’t think some ponies would be too happy to know that they were being tracked especially if they were going somewhere where their wife and/or husband wasn’t supposed to be if you know what I mean, anyhow I lost track of him and now I can’t find him anywhere in town and I’m starting to get concerned.

Anyhow, can you please help me out Doctor?”

“Yes, of course, but I don’t see how this is a problem for me.”

“Well I wouldn’t have called unless I found something important enough to show you, because while I may not know where he is right now I do suspect his current location and area nonetheless, and I know that he’s up to something because I keep finding sketches of his thrown out and tossed away, and I don’t know why though exactly, but this latest discovery, it concerned me the most.”

And with that said she left, went into a room and came out with a very heavy chest lifting her with her magic, set it down and then slowly unlocked it.

“At first I didn’t even know what this was, but then I started to piece it together with the plans, and I can only tell you one thing, it’s not going to be very good, if anything it’s going to be very bad indeed,” she said as she lifted the metal robotic head unto the table showing it to all of them. Suddenly the Doctor had a great look of fear on his face, “No, he can’t be, surely not, this is impossible!”

“Wait, I thought that you said nothing was ever really truly impossible.”

“No, nothing is, but some things are very hard to ever possibly believe in.”

“So what is that thing exactly anyways, Doctor?”

“Something that I had hoped never to face here in Equestria, but it seems that like my hopes were misguided and misplaced, now my emotions and feelings are replaced by fear, because this, it is a cyberman helmet, or rather in this case a cyberpony helmet head instead,” he said.

“Are cyberponies a bad thing Doctor?”

“Oh, they’re a very bad thing indeed, the cybermen are programmed not to have any emotions or feelings at all, ever, they repress them instead, they have a much higher intelligence and strength than a normal regular ordinary human or pony, and their goal is to assimilate as many as they can, that’s what they call collecting and turning other life forms into exactly what they are, if they cannot assimilate you then they will Delete you, that’s what they call killing.

They are unstoppable killing machines, but they aren’t cold and cruel just because they have no emotions and feelings, or because they’re robots, but because of both I think, anyhow they’re not wild and they will always only ever follow their commands, they aren’t exactly fast or slow, but it doesn’t matter since they don’t ever really need to take a break to chase their enemies.

And they won’t ever give up on anything until their command is fulfilled, and they won’t stop until they can assimilate everything on a whole entire world, and then they’ll move on to the next if they are not defeated right now and here.”

“So then, how will we defeat them exactly? What will we do now then?”

“Oh, I already like the way that you think Twilight, we start by finding your patient first, and then from there I’ll just have to improvise it of course.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight said now then.

“Oh don’t look so worried about it, I almost always improvise the plan at the very last final minute when everything looks like it’s going to end very badly.”

“Oh, well then, fine then, alright, I guess that can work out for us.”

“Don’t guess, know and believe it in your heart, have just a little tiny small bit and part of faith.”

“I’m a scientist, I don’t rely on faith and belief, I rely on cold hard facts no matter how brutal or cruel the truth just might be to handle instead.”

“What a very practical, reasonable, and logical way to live, but also how empty of any friends to help you out as well too.”

“I have friends, very close friends.”

“Oh, and where would they be right now exactly?”

She was silent. “That’s exactly what I thought, it doesn’t matter if you have any real actual friends or not because we have far more pressing urgent matters to deal with right now, anyhow I must congratulate you on your project first.

Well done Twilight Sparkle, you created exactly what you wanted, a higher form of intelligence for every life form, but you also created a monster too as well.

You allowed for this monster to be born and created, and I’m not blaming you for anything, not just yet, just try to calm down on the ambition first next time.”

“Okay, alright, fine then, I will,” she said.

“Very good then, now tell me where did you find the helmet?”

“I found it in a gorge that’s very nearby here of course.”

“Take me to it right now.”

And with that said she did so as he stared out at the canyon doing math in his head. “Let’s see, he’s a very old man so he wouldn’t want to travel too far, yet he would also want it to be far away enough not to ever catch any amount of attention, and yep, that’s right, I think that I already know where he is.”

“Wait, what? How though exactly?”

“I’ll tell you all about it on the way over, but for now we have an army to stop!”

And with that said they slowly followed the Doctor along as he explained it to them. Once he was eventually finally done rambling they were there.

“Well then, should we knock first or not now then?”

“Doctor, please don’t be making any jokes, not right now.”

“But there’s always time for jokes no matter what the situation is or where we are exactly, after all, if you’re going to die you might as well go out with a smile on your face first, right?” he said.

“Yeah, sure thing, I guess so,”

“As I told you before, don’t guess, know, believe, have faith and hope too as well.”

And with that said he slowly knocked on the wooden door.

“I can’t believe that you’re actually knocking.”

“What? I always give my enemies the chance and opportunity to surrender first.”

“I don’t know if you’re incredibly stupid or brave by doing this thing.”

“Well why can’t it be both at the same time then? Any reason for that at all?”

“None that I can think of just yet.”

And with that said the door suddenly opened very slowly for all of them.

“Yes? Who is it? If you’re trying to sell me something- well then go away because I don’t want it and you can’t ever convince me to change my mind for it either.”

“We’re not trying to sell you something, we’re just trying to help you out.”

“I don’t need any of your help, I’m fine here all alone by myself thank you very much, now then if you’ll just leave me alone in peace I’ll be-,”

“You’re not going to be doing anything just yet Mr. Donovan.”

“Oh, and how are you going to stop me from doing it then exactly? Please do tell me how because right now you don’t have a single thing on me, and no pony else will be allowed to enter my house unless they have a warrant first, good day.”

And with that said he slammed the door shut right in front of their faces.

“So, are we going to go get that warrant now then?”

“Nope, we’re going to do this the easy way instead of course.”

“Wait, what? Why won’t you go get the warrant instead?”

“Well firstly because I have psychic paper that lets the mind see what I suggest or what they want or expect to see instead, it really depends sometimes.

Secondly you heard what he said, we literally have nothing on him just yet.”

“So what? You break in and enter his house then? That’s illegal.”

“Well I’ll be doing it for a very worthwhile noble cause so I think that there can be an exception to every rule, right?” he said pulling out his sonic screwdriver again and fiddling with it, “Damn these silly stupid hooves that I have!”

“Here, let me try,” Lyra said picking it up off of the ground for him.

“Wait, how though exactly?”

“It’s really quite easy and simple you know.”

“But you have hooves, grabbing stuff should be impossible.”

“I thought that you said nothing was ever really truly impossible.”

“It’s not, and I’m still sticking by those words, it’s just that sometimes something is really very hard to believe in even if it’s actually really true.”

And with that said he grabbed his sonic screwdriver and started to scan around for things and stuff. “So, what does that thing actually do anyways exactly?”

“It can open locked doors, it’s very useful for detecting something off, strange, different, unusual, or odd depending upon it’s sensitivity levels of course.

The only thing that it doesn’t quite work on is wood.”

“Why is that though exactly?”

“It just is, okay then?”

“Fine, alright, don’t get worked up about nothing.”

“Trust me, it’s not nothing, it really isn’t.”

And with that said he finally found a way in for them.

“Here it is, the window, it’s very small, but the only reasonable way in so far.

I don’t know if all of us will be able to squeeze in just right though.

I think that only one of us will be able to manage hopefully, and that pony would be you naturally enough of course, Lyra.”

“But why me?”

“Because you’re the smallest of the group, now then once you’re inside do not touch anything at all, don’t make any noise, try not to breathe, and move very slowly and don’t be noticed by Mortimer either, just get to one of the doors and open it for us please, and then once you do you’ll finally be safe and we’ll also be together again. And if you see a cyberpony whatever you do just don’t panic, if it’s eyes are black then it’s probably asleep, but if they light up blue or red then it means that they’re awake, only if they are awake do you run away, very far away, do you understand this? Do you agree to it?”

“Yes, I do Doctor, I’m ready and prepared for anything at all.”

“Alright, fine then, very well, good luck in there.”

And with that said he offered her some helping hooves, but she couldn’t quite fit in just yet and got sort of stuck hallway in and the Doctor had to push on her butt to shove her through. “Well, that’s a new first for me, because honestly I never thought that I would say the words I pushed a green unicorn pony’s butt through a house window, I guess every day is time for something new.”

And with that said he decided to talk to Lyra. “Hey, is everything alright in there?”

“Yeah, I’m just perfectly fine, I don’t need any help, you don’t need to worry about me, I think that I’ll manage somehow just fine on my own now.”

“Alright, fine then, good luck and stay safe.”

“I will,” Lyra said. But little did the Doctor know that everything was not fine in that room, Lyra had been lying, and for very good reason too as well.

Lyra’s POV

Honestly- I never thought that I would have any stallion, much less the Doctor push my butt through a window, yeah, he touched my butt, it’s no big deal, I mean it’s not like he made it a big huge great deal, or sexual either instead.

Anyhow after he pushed me through I had to stop myself from screaming because of what I saw. There were metallic parts in front of me everywhere, but directly in front of me was an inactive and sleeping cyberpony. Okay, don’t panic, I thought to myself, you’ve got this, but what would the Doctor do in this situation exactly? Well he would get around it naturally enough of course obviously. And once he did he would go straight for the door then.

I took a very deep breath in forcing myself to calm down first.

You can do this Lyra, you’ve done worse before, okay, maybe never something this dangerous and perilous, but still those other times she still had great fear, maybe even almost just as much as she was feeling right now perhaps.

Slowly she started to work her around the whole entire thing that held the chamber for this one cyberpony, but little did she know that it was going to be a very special, unique, and different one from all the rest when it was finally finished, but of course that would only be after it was done naturally enough.

Lyra continued to work her away around until she finally managed to reach the doorway eventually and slowly she climbed upstairs making sure that she wasn’t heard. But there was a problem that arose eventually, naturally enough of course since problems always came around to find their way to the Doctor and his companion. Lyra heard the footsteps of Mortimer coming and she had to hide very quickly, but the place that she went into was even worse than the last because it was completely full of cyberpony helmets. This time it was really hard for her not to scream, incredibly so. She prayed that Mortimer wouldn’t come looking in here for anything at all, and luckily enough for her he didn’t.

Oh praise Celestia and the stars in the sky above, she thought to herself waiting until he was definitely gone and she was certain of that fact before coming out of the closet and wiping herself off of the dust that now clung to her body.

What kind of pony keeps anything that creepy and deadly and perilously dangerous in their closets? Only the crazy insane ones would ever dare to do such a thing… slowly realization sunk into her. She would have to check the closet of the Doctor in the Tardis when she finally managed to get back to them eventually after opening the door up for them naturally enough of course.

Slowly she went to the front door and opened it up for them.

“Ha, I figured that she would do this door first, told you so.”

“Yeah, and a few other things as well too-…”

“I’m getting bored out here, should it be taking her this long?”

“Patience Twilight, we have no idea what possibly just might be in there.”

“Well maybe not, but I bet that she’ll use the back door.”

“Front door, it’s exactly what I would try to do.”

“Well it’s a fifty-fifty chance, right?”

The Doctor smiled very softly like as if he already knew something that she didn’t quite yet know. “Oh, it’s never a fair game when you play against me darling.”

“And why is that though exactly?”

“Because I never make it fair for my enemies of course, what else?”

“You’re very weird, but that’s one of the reasons that I like you, and you’re not so strange and different looking than any pony else even though you might be on the inside instead, but your oddness, that’s what makes you very special.”

“Hey, I’ve always strived to be the adjectives that I want to be.”

“Yeah, anyhow I think that it’s about time to explore in there, right?”

“Yes, indeed,” the Doctor said entering the house first.

And then they all slowly went in the house too as well.

“Now then Lyra, did you see anything that might help us out here?”

“Yes, I did actually, down in the basement, go check it out for yourself.”

Ever so slowly he did so as he very gently and softly moved across the wooden floorboards to the basement door, opened it, and then went down until he finally saw the cyberpony project right in the middle and center of the room.

“Oh, what’s this?” he said to himself as he circled around it, “Oh my, this is incredible, I didn’t even think there was any kind of metal in the lands of Equestria, clearly I was very much wrong instead, but no matter, it doesn’t matter what I thought or believed because we will have to figure out how to stop him before he ever even begins, so any suggestions, thoughts, or ideas at all?”

The room was silent. “Oh, juts me then it is I guess, oh well, I can work with that. Okay then, so what if he has a cyberpony design and a real actual suit, he obviously hasn’t figured out how to put any intelligence in it yet otherwise he would have done so already, that means that if we can somehow manage to remove his chip, destroy these plans and suits that we probably shouldn’t ever have to worry about them again, there, that sounds easy and simple enough for you, right? Well I hope so at least because that’s the only plan that I got right now. Anyhow let’s hop onto it or whatever phrase you ponies use these days now, I can’t keep track anymore with all the centuries that you live through and for.”

“I’m afraid it won’t be quite that simple, Doctor,” a voice said from speakers that were already installed in the room, “Because I heard every word that you said.”

“Oh, so you’ve been listening to us the whole entire time then?”

“Ever since you got in my basement yes, but Doctor, tell me this, do you really think that I don’t have my projects online and synched to the internet grid yet? Do you really think that I wouldn’t have some kind, some sort of security measure or protocol set up? If you honestly thought that, then you really are incredibly naïve and stupid, Number One, activate,”

Suddenly the cyberpony’s eyes glowed blue, “Number One, Protect, Defend, Attack, and Delete the Doctor.”

The cyberpony stepped forward detaching any cables and wires on it.

“Primary Orders: Protect, Defend, Attack, Delete the Doctor, Orders Confirmed, Affirmed.” And with that said it turned towards the group and aimed at the Doctor. “Delete!” it said firing a blast of energy that wasn’t quite what the cybermen used, but it was still very powerful nonetheless.

“But how-?” the Doctor said, “He can’t have technology that powerful yet.”

“But I do, I invented it, but now with my inventions I will be able to live forever creating the perfect life form and creation, free of feelings and emotions, so smart that any problem wouldn’t even be a challenge for them, absolute total perfection, don’t you want that Doctor? Don’t you want others to always be perfect? Don’t you want to stop protecting others that will only get in trouble in the end? Wouldn’t it just be much easier to leave it to my creations to protect this whole entire world instead? Wouldn’t it just be so much easier for you?”

“It would be, but it also would be wrong, emotions and feelings are very important, you can’t just remove them and expect life to be perfect, because guess what, it never will be, there will always be something wrong that you’ll have to fix, even in your own creations there’ll be problems, and what are you going to do then? Remove it? Fix it? No, you can, but eventually there’ll only just be another problem to take its place, and one day you just might come across a problem that you can’t ever fix because it’s just too big and huge for even you, and when that day come you’re going to be hoping and wishing that another will come along and fix it, you’ll wish for it too as well, but guess what, I’m the Doctor, I’ll respond in my own time because that’s just exactly what I do.”

“Doctor, you make a very fair and reasonable point, but your words still won’t make me change my mind, you won’t ever be able to persuade me either.”

“Oh, I already know that, I was just trying to distract you while Twilight followed my instructions, you should probably turn around right now wherever you are…”

Mortimer did so to see that Twilight Sparkle was indeed behind him.

“Number One! Stop!” he said, it did so, “Tell me how right now.”

“Ah, I never give away my secrets, but thank you for telling it to stop, I was worried that I was going to have to ask you to do it for me instead.”

“Doctor, tell me how or I will activate another cyberpony to kill your friend here.”

“Oh, very well then, since you asked so nicely I’ll tell you, alright, before we went in I told Twilight to go upstairs and around the whole entire house to explore and find you because I did suspect that you had some kind or sort of security measure or a protocol instead, and it turns out that I was very much right indeed, anyhow it seems like that she found you just at the right time for all of us.”

“Well done Doctor, it seems like you averted yet another perilous disaster and crisis, but did you really think that I would let you stop me so easily? I counted the voices and heat signatures in the room, there were only two of you when I knew that there were three instead because I saw all of you at my door, anyhow I think that it’s time for the next part of my plan now, program upload initiate.”

And with that said they suddenly heard groaning and screaming.

“Twilight, what’s going on up there right now?” the Doctor said running upstairs.

“I really honestly don’t know, he’s in this chair and he attached to some wires and cables, but I literally have no idea what’s going on here exactly right now.”

“Oh no, I think I know what he’s trying to do, you have to stop him first!”

“But Doctor, how can I? What’s he doing to himself right now exactly?”

“He’s trying to upload his mind into a cyberpony.”

“Is he crazy? Uploading your mind into something like a computer isn’t even possible in practice theory, he’ll kill himself!”

“Firstly, do you want me to answer your question, and secondly, yes, he is both crazy and insane, but he’s still going to try it if he’s that obsessed with immortality. He won’t ever stop trying to unless he gets exactly what he wants, he won’t give up, quit, or surrender, which makes him very dangerous for all of us, now then Twilight, remove the wires and cables anyway that you can.”

“If I do that will I destroy his mind?”

“Well I don’t know exactly, but yes, that is a very likely highly probable effect if the upload can’t complete the whole entire process, or it could just be saved in his body until the upload can be completed, just like an unsent email.

Anyhow just do exactly what I tell you to do right now please.”

She tried to do so but found out that cutting them wasn’t an option since they were very thick and also protected by magic too as well, it looked like she would just have to pull them out instead. She tried to do so, but they were wedged in their port holes very tight. “Doctor, I just can’t the cables and wires, they’re just too thick and they’re also protected by magic too as well, I tried to pull them out instead, but I just can’t, what do I do now then?”

“There is nothing that you can do, leave it to me instead,” he said suddenly as he burst open the right door, “Well that took me long enough to find.”

And with that said he ran around the room looking at everything.

“Well then Doctor, how do we stop this? How can we fix it now?”

“There’s no way that we can stop this, we have to let the upload finish, once it has then I think that I just might be able to fix this situation, okay then?”

And with that said they waited and eventually Mortimer closed his eyes as they heard the sound of shuffling from another room and soon enough Number Zero, the prime one, the ‘king’ came, because it was the one with Mortimer’s mind.

“Doctor, how nice it is for me to finally meet you in this new form, this is now my permanent body and shape, but now it’s time for you to die.”

And with that said Zero turned towards the Doctor, “RUN!” he shouted as Zero shot out his first blast at him. He managed to dodge it and also finally could grasp his sonic screwdriver in his hoof as he pointed and aimed it at the cyberpony momentarily blinding and confusing it. “Ha! I did it! I finally managed to hold something with these damn hooves of mine! This is just wonderful and incredible!”

“Doctor, please save your rants and ramblings for another time!”

“Yes, sorry, I’m still working on my plan,” he said going around to the back of the cyberpony and continued to use his sonic screwdriver until he could finally manage to deactivate the cyberpony eventually. “Now then I think that every pony should be safe so long as the cyberponies don’t ever wake up again.”

“But wait Doctor, shouldn’t we destroy them instead?” Twilight said.

“Living minds are still trapped inside their exterior Twilight; do you really actually want to truly kill them? No, just find a very safe place to hide them until you can figure a way out to get their minds into a much safer place instead.”

“Alright, fine then, but where should we keep it then?”

“Right here is good, just make sure that no pony else ever finds this house again, we wouldn’t want them messing around with things that aren’t exactly theirs.”

“Very well then Doctor, is that all then?”

“For now, yes, but I have a feeling that we might be meeting again very soon enough, take good care, Twilight Sparkle, may you have very good luck, and don’t forget about me and try to do what you can to fix this project before you decide to finally destroy it instead, got that?”

“Yes, Doctor, but don’t you forget about me either.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” he said, and with that they left her to be all alone.

“Do you think that she will be alright?”

“Oh, she’ll be just fine, she’s a scientist and she has friends, life is very good for her right now and she doesn’t need me barging in and ruining it for her.”

Lyra suddenly slapped her forehead, “Oh gosh dammit! Speaking about friends I haven’t even bothered explaining where I have been to Bon Bon yet.”

“Don’t worry, this is a time machine, I can take you to sometime shortly after you left with me, anyhow, next stop, Ponyville back in the past!”

And with that said he pulled the lever and a few switches and then they were off and away to their next chaotic adventure.




> Carnival of the Dead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carnival of the Dead

The Tardis whirred down in Ponyville very softly and gently.

“Oh, I’m just so glad that I can finally get the chance and opportunity to see Bonnie again, that’s the nickname that I call her you know.”

“Well now I do know,” the Doctor said stepping outside of his Tardis, “So then, where’s this friend of yours exactly? She should be somewhere around here, right?”

“She should be, if she isn’t then I don’t know exactly where she would be.”

And with that said she went inside the sweet shop.

“Bonnie? Are you here right now?”

No reply. But there was a note on the kitchen counter and the bed on her pillow too as well. Out for lunch, please wait, if you’re Lyra though come to the local town fair and carnival, because we really need to talk, BB.

Next to the letter was a piece of paper flier that advertised the fair and carnival.

“I hate when she does this to me, come on Doctor, follow me.”

“But wait one moment, why should I? After all, I’m much older than you are.”

“Well do you now the way there then now, hmm?”

The Doctor sighed, “No, I don’t very well then, fine, alright, lead the way.”

She smiled, “Thank you,” and then lead the way there very slowly.

As they got closer the Doctor shuddered. “Cold?”

“No, I feel something, it’s like something's off, something’s different, I just know that it is, I just can’t see or know exactly what it is just yet.”

“Well come on, it’s just a carnival, nothing dangerous or deadly here, it’s completely peril free, you don’t have to worry over here anymore.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of, things like this that attract very large crowds, well they also tend to distract them so alien life forms can do whatever they want with them, and sometimes it isn’t very pleasant at all, sometimes people, or rather ponies in this case, sometimes they aren’t ever seen again, never.”

“Oh, come on, it’s just a carnival, nothing interesting or exciting ever really happens here, not actually, not truly.”

“Oh, there’s a first time for everything, and you really shouldn’t have said that.”

And with that said they slowly wander around the whole entire area and place until they found Bonnie. “Bonnie!” Lyra shouted rushing over to her and then quickly hugged her, “It sure is nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, but is that any way to treat a friend of yours? You just decided to get up and walk out on me without any kind or sort of explanation, you left me for over three days now, and now I see you here with that stallion and you just decide to show up and what? Expect me to believe your explanation? I’m sorry Lyra, but I just don’t know if we can be friends anymore so long as he’s around us.”

“Lyra, I am not dating him, I still love you, like a whole lot, really I truly do, and if you’ll allow me I’ll explain and let me prove just how much I really love you…”

“Lyra, I wouldn’t believe you even if you told me that he’s an alien from a completely different world that’s already been destroyed, and also that he’s a time travelling pony in a small tiny little blue box.”

Lyra gasped in great shock and surprise, “How did you know? Because he kind of already is very much that now.”

“Yeah, sure thing, alright, fine, and I’m also a secret agent working for the Darkwood agency protecting the whole entire world from aliens,” she said scoffing as she tilted her chin upwards in a very rebellious defiance.
Lyra sighed and then suddenly kissed Bonnie.

“There, do you feel better yet?

“Just a small tiny little bit, but not that much really, but you’re still going to have to explain where you have been and what you’ve been up to.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” Lyra said, “But first do you want to have some fun with me here since it would be such a shame to leave early and talk instead, right?”

Bonnie sighed. “Yeah, I guess so, but I’m still demanding an explanation.”

“Yeah, I know, and I will too, just hold it off until later, okay then?”

“Fine, alright, very well let’s just go and enjoy the show now, shall we?”

“Yes, let’s,” she said as they slowly all walked together as the Doctor looked around the whole entire area with great fear in his eyes. “Doctor, just relax a bit.”

“I can’t, it’s my job not to ever to that, I have to keep you safe first.”

“What’s his deal exactly?” Bonnie said. “He’s just a bit… well… eccentric.”

“That’s one word to describe him, but you two have been gone for a while now.

And if you two weren’t dating then what were you doing exactly?”

“Oh, you know, traveling around through all of space and time, just the same old regular normal stuff and things, nothing out of the ordinary at all.”

“Yeah, sure thing, whatever, anyhow I’m just glad that you’re here now, it’s been very lonely just waiting for you to come back so that we could have some fun together. But I think that it might be time for me to finally share something very dark and secret with you, something that I’ve hidden for many long years now…”

“Well, what is it exactly?” Lyra said.

“I can’t tell you if he’s around, send him away somewhere else.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that.”

“And why would that be exactly even if he is your very best friend now?”

“He’s in a mood, if we stop moving right now he probably wouldn’t even notice until he went halfway around this whole entire area, just watch this.”

They suddenly stopped, went over to a booth, waited, and then saw the Doctor go on not even turning his back for a moment. “See? What did I tell you?”

“It seems like you were right, anyhow, the thing that I have to tell you, my secret…” Bonnie started to say before she was suddenly cut off by a very loud scream that came from nearby. “What do you think that is?”

Lyra shuddered with great fear, “So far from my experiences it’s nothing that would be really good, come on, let’s go find out who that is.”

And with that said they rushed towards the sound source of the scream.

Meanwhile…

The Doctor wandered on all alone completely oblivious that his two companions and friends had left him, he held out his sonic screwdriver trying to detect any anomalies. “No, this can’t be right, it says that there is something alive here at the carnival that’s not a pony or an alien instead, something different.”

And that’s when he heard the scream, don’t worry, he thought, I’m coming for you whoever you are, and I will save you, because that’s just what I do.

And with that in his mind he very quickly rushed towards the scream.

There was already a very large crowd of ponies gathered around the girl who had screamed and the Doctor and his companion friends arrived at exactly the same time to see the next sight before them. “Mommy, tell him to go away! I’m scared!”

“Darling, there’s nothing to be scared of, he’s just a clown honey, nothing more.”

“But mommy, he looks like a skeleton, a living skeleton.”

“Violet, don’t be so ridiculous and silly, every pony is staring at us.”

“But it’s true, just look at him!”

“Darling, we talked about this, you can’t let your imagination get away with you, it’s fine to let it go free and wild in your dreams, but not in real life, okay then?”

“I know what I’m seeing and it’s not my imagination!”

“Violet! Enough! Stop this right now or else!”

The girl remained silent and then the mother of the girl took her hoof and slowly walked away, “You’re making me look like a fool in front of every pony else…”

“I’m not lying mommy, I’m not…”

“I just wish that I could believe you…”

And with that said their conversation slowly faded away as they went out of sight. 

“Everything’s alright and just fine folks, just a scared small little tiny girl it’s really nothing at all, please continue to enjoy the carnival some more now.”

And with that said suddenly every pony slowly left one by one, all except for the Doctor and his companion friends. “Is something wrong sir?” the worker pony said as the Doctor got closer to him closely examining and even sniffing him.

“Yes, I’m just curious, let’s see, you smell real enough,” he pushed the worker and pinched him, “Hey! That hurts you know!”

“You feel real enough,” and then the Doctor did something very strange and unusual, he licked the pony, “Uh sir, not to be rude, but that’s just so gross.”

“You even taste real enough, so that leaves me only very few options left, one, the little girl was lying and you’re actually real, two, she was just imagining things, three, she was telling the truth instead and something very wrong is happening here, something that even I can’t make any sense of just yet.”

“Sir, you are very officially weird and strange,”

“Yeah, I know that already, because I am different and very highly odd, but guess what, none of you can do a single thing about it at all either, ever.

Now then, let’s see, option three, if the little girl was indeed telling the truth then that must mean that there’s something hiding exactly just what you really truly are, and sense my sonic screwdriver can’t detect any foreign alien or advanced technology I’m going to go ahead and say that it’s some sort or kind of sustained spell that not only keeps you alive but also makes you look real too as well.”

“Sir, not to be rude again, but are you crazy?”

“Oh, you’ve even got a program to respond to other ponies, but I wonder if you’ll respond to the same thing exactly the same way over again each time, I guess that the only way I’ll ever actually know is if I do a test on you first.”

And with that said he went over to the group and discussed the plan.

First it was the Doctor that came over with a drink in his hooves.

“It sure is a very lovely day outside, don’t you think so?”

“If you say so.”

Then the Doctor slowly approached him and spilled his drink.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s perfectly alight and fine sir, I can just wash my shirt on my next break.”

And with that said the Doctor left.

Next up was Lyra now, and she did the exact same routine.

“It sure is a very lovely day outside, don’t you think so?”

“If you say so.”

She spilled her drink, “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s perfectly alight and fine sir, I can just wash my shirt on my next break.”

Last and finally was Bonnie naturally enough of course.

She got the same exact response at the others too as well.

“Okay then, our worker said the exact same thing with no variation whatsoever, now then this program must not be very complicated, it only gives basic answers and responses, otherwise it might have known to vary its responses slightly, after all, no regular normal ordinary pony says the exact same thing in the exact same way three times in a row, and he should have mentioned hearing our question before, or that his shirt had already been soaked in our drinks before instead.”

“But how are you so sure that that little girl was telling the truth, Doctor?”

“Oh, trust me, I’m not, but it’s my job and I just have to do it.”

“So then, what’s your last final conclusion then, Doctor?”

“I don’t have anything yet, I mean it could just be a robot with a holographic image projector, but I highly doubt that, I think that that little girl could be right, I think that every worker here at this carnival could already be dead by now. 

I think that we could be walking inside a carnival full of the dead.

I think that whatever is going on here, it’s not going to be that good really.”

And with that said they all decided to go talk and eat somewhere else.

“Okay, so we think that they could all be dead, so what? What would be the big deal anyways? I mean they seem harmless enough to me.”

“Yeah, right now they are, but right now they’re also following their program, their master’s orders, but ask yourself this, what happens when a program gets too old, too corrupted, becomes infected with a virus, what then?”

“Are you saying that they could attack us at any moment then?”

“Yes, I am actually, because their programs, they seem very old to me, if it had been updated like a computer should be then it might respond differently to the environment around it, but it didn’t, it kept saying the same thing over again, they might be harmless right now, but trust me, something's going to go wrong and then they’ll snap, and then there will be consequences, they could hurt other ponies, they could kill the other ponies instead, blood, death, chaos, carnage, this is the danger and threat that we face from every peril and enemy that we face, and in its wake grief, sorrow, pain, and I really don’t want that.”

“So what do we do then this time?”

“I actually don’t know yet, they're suspended by magic, but unless I can find the pony responsible for it and tell them what’s up then I can’t really do anything to help, but if they start to attack in any way I won’t hesitate to stop them either.”

“Well I think I might know who that would be,”

“Who though exactly? Tell me exactly who right now please.”

“The owner of course, who else?”

“Ah, you’re completely right you know, I should have seen that point first though. I sure am lucky to have you along with me, anyhow enough of that.”

And with that said they slowly got up and moved towards the owner’s tent until they finally got there, but they saw a piece of paper in a note reading that he would be at the largest tent in the carnival doing the main show, or at the very least checking in and up on it. “Oh no, we have to go over there right now.”

And with that said they did so and they got their just in time for the show’s start, and they watched in silence as the acts went on desperately hoping and waiting for the chance and opportunity to talk with the owner, and it seemed that would have to wait until after the grand finale, the very last act of the show. The owner stood in the middle of the tent in front of the whole entire audience and crowd.

“Thank you very much, but please, hold your praise and applause until after the grand finale,” he said bowing as he tipped his hat very gently and lightly.

The crowd started to die down and stood very quiet. “Thank you, now then for my very last and final act I am going to be showing you something never before seen, ever, something that will live in your minds and memories forever, one that will haunt you for the rest of your life if you decide to continue watching.

But fair warning, this may be a bit scary for some of the younger audience members including very small tiny little children, so be advised that this might disturb them and maybe perhaps even you too as well. Anyhow, are you ready?”

The crowd shouted and roared and cheered. “I can’t hear you just yet!”

They grew louder, “Ah, that’s much better, now then, on to the finale and on with the show, enjoy your very last and final act of this carnival, because this will be the very last thing that any of you ever see again!”

And with that said he suddenly clapped his hooves together.

“Just wait my pony friends, the grand finale might take just a little bit longer than you might usually expect for you to finally really see it, but even when you do you still won’t truly understand why I am doing this for you.”

And with that said suddenly the ground started to rumble and shift.

“I am so sorry for all of you, but this must happen.”

Suddenly the ground split open to reveal skeleton ponies coming out of it.

“Now that’s more like it!” the Doctor shouted out very loudly, “That’s more like the action and adventure that I know, much better! But now the only question left is this, how am I ever going to save the day from peril and danger this time? Answer, I’m the Doctor, that’s just what I do naturally enough of course.”

And with that said he jumped down to the ground to face the skeleton ponies while the rest of the crowd tried to leave, but they were all trapped by the magic of the carnival owner. “No pony will leave here unless I want them to.”

“And I can’t let you get away with this, whatever you’re doing here right now.”

“And how are you going to stop me though exactly? You’re just one crazy insane pony with no friends and that stupid silly little tiny sonic screwdriver.”

“First of all, it’s not silly or stupid, secondly, I do have friends, and they’re here with me right now, Bonnie, Lyra, it’s time to come out right now please!”

And with that said they slowly did so. “So what? Not even your friends can help you out to attack and also defeat a whole entire army of the undead.

It just simply cannot be done.”

“Ooh, that’s one thing that you should never ever tell me, because impossible is my middle name, along with a few other adjectives and nouns too as well.”

And with that said he suddenly attacked the first skeleton pony.

“Okay, so here’s the plan, we take out the owner, without his magic the skeleton ponies surely collapse without any magic left to sustain them.”

“And what if we fail, what then exactly?”

“Ah, there’s just the problem, you have to stop thinking that you’ll lose or else you surely will, you always have to constantly think about winning instead.”

“Okay then, I’ll try to do that for you.”

And with that said they all went into action trying to get closer.

“It’s no use, there’s just too many of them to fight off!”

“Again, stop thinking the worst my dear, there’s always a positive side to anything and everything at all, ever. Besides, we don’t need to get close, we just have to get close enough to make sure that your magic will hit him Lyra!”

“Okay then, fine, alright!” she said casting a spell at the owner instantly sending him sprawling across the floor and made him unconscious then.

“Is he alright?” she said going over to his side.

“Oh yeah, he’ll be just fine, but for now I think that I’ll have to erase any and all mentions of the skeleton ponies from his mind, after all, we wouldn’t want him to be getting this same idea over again, now would we?”

“No, I guess not that much, not really, not truly.”

“Yeah, well what happens after you wipe and erase his memory then?”

“That’s where others start to come in, you, your friend Bonnie right over there.”

“Oh yes, that just reminds me of one more thing, Lyra, my name isn’t what you think it is, my real actual true name is Special Agent Sweetie Drops, I work for a top secret government agency known only as Darkwood, pleas just don’t ask about it otherwise I just might have to kill you, anyhow all that you need to know about it for right now is that it protects Equestria from dangerous alien artifacts, species and life forms that the Doctor otherwise could not ever do in the first place, or when he’s just too busy to pop in by and over to say hello first.

The Doctor may be protecting us, be we protect ponies and Equestria from him.”

“A very old but sill noble yet somehow silly and stupid sentiment.”

And with that said they looked up to see that the skeleton ponies were still there.

“Huh, I guess they’ll end when he dies, no other way around that.”

“Maybe you don’t have to get around that, maybe there’s another way instead.”

“Maybe, but would it be the better way?”

“I really honestly don’t know.”

“At the very least you’re still honest about it.”

“I’m sorry for not telling you this earlier Lyra, but we work in absolute secrecy, I just couldn’t tell you, not yet at least, but ever since I saw the Doctor I knew that I probably could tell you, I just had to make sure you were ready first, and guess what, now you finally are, and I’m so glad that I can finally get the chance and opportunity to tell you even though I have waited for so long by now.”

“Don’t worry, I forgive you, I just hope that you can understand that I’m just going along for the ride with the Doctor here saving the whole entire world.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I do, because so long as you’re with him I know that you’ll always be safe because he’ll always protect you no matter what else happens.”

“Well I just hope that we can see each other again soon enough.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure that we will, but Darkwood will take care of this mess now, you just go along and have fun saving the whole entire world or whatever else you do, me, well I think I have a lot of explaining and paperwork to do now.”

“Well then, see you soon enough, Bonnie.”

Bonnie smiled, “I think the nickname is starting to grow on me now.”

And with that said Lyra smiled and then went off with the Doctor.

“So, where to next then now?”

“Well I was thinking that we could do a romantic dinner date in Paris.”

“Oh, is that in the human world?”

“Yes, it is, but I’m not sure if that would even turn you and me into humans.”

“Well it can’t hurt to try, can it?”

“No, I guess not.”

And with that said he pulled the lever and pressed some buttons and flipped some switches, “Hold on though, it might just be a very rough and bumpy ride now, and you just might want to get some rest instead.”

And with that said they were off to their next wild crazy chaotic adventure.

> The Angels of Equestria
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Angels of Equestria



“Stop, look around you, now listen, are you safe, are you secure yet?

No? Yes? Well then, no matter your response I can continue nevertheless.

If you are safe, sound, and secure, that is always a very good thing, if you’re not then just run instead. Now then since I have taken care of that and it’s out of the way let’s go on. Statues, they’re everywhere, but there is only one living species, one alien life form that can take their forms and shapes, they’re called the Weeping Angels because once they see something living they can’t move, and luckily enough for us it’s just a natural built in instinctual survival urge.

So long as you don’t blink you’ll be just fine, okay, understand this? Good then.

Weeping Angels can be found anywhere and almost just about everywhere if you’re not careful enough to look where you’re going. If you do see an angel then always look it in the eyes and whatever you do, don’t ever blink.”



The Doctor and Lyra landed in a very cold dark graveyard.

“Well, the human world was a fail for now and going to Xatarx has taken a toll on me far greater than I could have ever possibly imagined. I mean I never knew that the Xatarians could ever possibly be that angry at us.”

“Don’t you mean you since you were the one that agreed to be one’s bride?”

“Well technically yes.”

“Well you’re very lucky to have me get you out of this one this time.”

“Yeah, I guess so, but I could have handled it just fine on my own.”

“Yeah, sure thing, right,” she said very slowly drawing out each word.

“I could have, I mean do you doubt me?”

“Yes, I do, Doctor.”

“Wait, stop, do you feel lie something’s off right now?”

“No Doctor, I don’t see anything off or odd at all, we’re just in a graveyard,”

“That’s precisely exactly what I expected you to say, but just take a moment and think, what don’t you see, what don’t you hear, what isn’t there anymore?”

“Uh, well I don’t hear any animals or creatures out there, including the crickets,”

“Yes, that’s a good start, but keep going because there’s still more that’s left,” he said. “Doctor? Was that statue always this close to us or-,”

“You’re not imagining it, so don’t worry about that, you haven’t quite gotten to my point and level of craziness,” he said, “Now then, I want you to keep looking at the statue and whatever you do don’t blink and never take your eyes off of it even for a second, do you understand me?” he said. “Yeah, sure thing Doctor, but what happens if I do take my eyes off of it even for a second, what then?”

“Well, it would start to move and I really don’t want that right now, so please, whatever you do, don’t blink and always keep your eyes on it as well too.”

“Doctor, I’m scared,” she said. “Yeah, I know that, let me just try to figure a way out of this one,” he said looking all around him, “Okay, so I count at least one where you are, and there must be four for the corner and they would be stupid not to have eight around us at the very least so I would say that we’re surrounded by about a dozen or so, maybe more, well probably more if they’re smart enough. Anyhow that definitely would give them the advantage if I was just a regular normal ordinary human or pony, but I’m not, I’m the Doctor and I always manage to find a way to get to the advantage point and level before they have or will.”

“What are they Doctor? Please tell me what they are first exactly.”

“They’re called the weeping angels, they will only move if they can’t be seen, it’s a built in natural defense mechanism and system of nature for them, but when they’re not seen they’re one of the fastest things that’s out there, even just a blink will allow them to move, so whatever you do, don’t blink.”

“Well what are they? Where do they come from?”

“Very little is known about them, but they are very deadly assassins that are just about as the universe itself, other than that I don’t really know that much.”

“Okay then, so how do we defeat them then?”

“We will run away of course, what else are we to do? After all, you can’t exactly kill something that has flesh of stone, it’s practically almost impossible.”

“So how are we going to escape them then?”

“We’re going to keep our eyes on them and slowly walk back to the Tardis,” he said. They tried to, but found it completely surrounded by the weeping angels.

“Okay then, scratch plan A, time for plan B instead,” he said. “Wait, what’s plan B?” she said. “Oh, that’s the one where we run into the weeping angels.”

“WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?” she shouted out very loudly now then. “Crazy is my middle name, come on, let’s just keep our eyes on the weeping angels until we can finally leave this graveyard and get to somewhere much safer instead, but as to where that will be or is, well let’s just hope that we will find out before anything else that’s very bad happens to us, okay then?” he said.

And with that said they slowly walked forwards making sure to keep their eyes always focused and fixed upon the angels at all times.

“Don’t blink, keep your eyes focused and fixed at all times,” the Doctor said.

“I’m not, just trust me on this, please,” she said. “I know, it’s just that whatever else you do, just don’t blink,” he said. Eventually they finally got to the very end of the graveyard and got out of it. “Okay then, now where do we go?”

“I have a few ideas, just follow me, okay then?” he said.

Lyra did so, and they slowly went into Twilight’s treehouse.

“We should be safe for here for right now, unless they’ve spread out of course.”

“Doctor? What are we going to do now? We can’t stay in here forever.”

“Well why not? Ah never mind answering that question, you’re right of course, we can’t stay here forever, we will need to get back to the Tardis eventually.”

“Well what do you suggest that we do then?”

“We will wait here until they leave or things calm down, we will just wait.”

“Is that all that you can really think up of? Just waiting here instead?”

“Yes, indeed, we will wait, we must wait,” he said. “So then, why are the weeping angels here exactly? Do you know?” she said. “Whatever they’re here for, whatever their goal is, whatever their quest, it’s not going to be very good, I can guarantee you that much, I don’t know why they’re here, how they got here, or how they could find me again, but then again, all my enemies have an annoying thing and tendency to do that no matter when or where I try to go, no matter how hard I might try I can’t ever seem to lose track or sight of them either.”

“Does it get lonely?” she said. “What?” he said. “Exploring time and space, does it ever get lonely all by yourself not ever really knowing how old you are exactly?”

“All the time, every day, that’s why I have you and other companions, you’re the ones that can keep me reasonably sane while I try to keep you, them, and the whole entire world safe too as well, each day the pain never ends, each day I hear the echoes and shadows of the past, each day I can’t ever make it go away.”

“Oh, that’s so sad,” she said. “To some and many, or so I guess, but come now, I think that I have an idea of how to get rid of the angels,” he said taking out his sonic screwdriver, “They probably want me, and I’m going to give them me.”

Suddenly the Tardis slowly started to whir inside the castle, “When have you had the ability to call the Tardis to you?” she shouted. “I honestly really don’t know, but I have a plan to stop the weeping angels, because if they look at each other then they’ll always be stuck and frozen just like the way they are.”

“And how do you plan to do that though exactly?”

“It’s very simple and easy, a maze of mirrors of course!”

“Yes, of course,” she said. And with that said they went inside.

“So, what are we going to do then?”

“We’ll lead them into a maze of mirrors if they want to get us, and I just have exactly the right perfect idea of where we can go to find one,” he said.

And with that said they suddenly landed in an empty carnival.

“They’ll eventually figure out that we’re here, and once they do they will come.”

“And what do we do then?” she said. “Well, we run into the maze of mirrors of course, and we get them to stare at themselves, and then once that’s done we’ll seal this off so that no pony else can ever come here again so that way they’ll always be safe, secure, and sound too as well of course,” he said.

They waited and soon enough the weeping angels did come to them.

“Ah yes, here we go, come and get us darlings,” he said.

And with that said they rushed inside the maze until each and every single one of the angels was completely frozen staring at themselves.

“Ah yes, we did good here, come on now Lyra, our next adventure is waiting for us!” the Doctor shouted out. “Wait, shouldn’t we seal this up first though?”

“I’m sure that our friends at Darkwood will take care of that and this for us, come on now, don’t just stand there all day, we have a whole lot more to go and see.”

“Yeah, I know, I just don’t really feel comfortable leaving here like this.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it, they won't ever come alive again even if some pony did happen to stumble across this place accidentally, the location and area is very remote so there is nothing to worry about, so come on, just hop on.”

“Okay then Doctor, as you wish,” she said hopping into the Tardis as they slowly whirred away. But little did they know that some pony else had been watching them the whole entire time and recording everything that had happened.

“Yes sir, he’s the one, I’m sure of it,” a strange and mysterious hooded figured of a pony said to another. “Very good then, you have done very well, keep recording the Doctor and all of his activities and then I will eventually finally decide when it is the very best time for him to come and meet me.”

The pony nodded and slowly went away as the other one slowly smiled.

> The End of Equestria 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The End of Equestria
“Doctor, what’s it like being able to travel through space and time?”

It was a question that he had received many timed before, but he was always ready to answer it. “Simply splendid,” he would always say, “It’s wonderful and incredible, and amazingly awesome at first, but then over time you begin to slowly go insane, very slowly, you can't keep track of how old you are and you lose sense of space and time… and then your gift starts to turn into a curse.”

Then they would ask him why this was so.

He would always say that it was his own opinion and view, and that they didn't have to agree with him, and then he would usually go away from them and off to somewhere where he didn't have to talk about his problems or issues to them anymore. When they pressed on he ignored him, and they would either give up eventually or not, but he would never tell them the truth, ever.

If he did he was afraid of what would happen afterwards, the ripple effect could turn into a tidal wave, and he did not want that to happen, ever.

However, it was a question that Lyra had just asked him right now.

He sighed, he knew that this would come, one day, it always did.

He gave his usual standard responses and then Lyra asked why.

“I can't tell you,” he said.

“Why not?”

“Because… you have to see it to understand it…”

“Oh, are we going somewhere then?”

“Yes… we are… we’re going to the future, the far future, to the end…”

“The end of what?”

“Your world.”

He pulled the switch and off they went forward into time.

“Wait, Doctor, I don't understand,”

“Don't worry, you soon will,” he said.

“But where are we going anyways?”

“The S.S. Horizons, one of the few Equestrian ships left, the others include, but are not limited to the Legendary, Nexus, Galaxy, Comet, Enterprise, Voyager, Sparkle, Starlight, Sunlight, Sunburst, Starburst, and so on…”

“Why those names?”

“Probably because they’re famous historical figures… heck… you might even meet a few of them although I think that you will find that Alicorns are the only species that can and have survived after all these years…”

“But why?”

“As I have already said before, just wait and see, please.”

“What other space ships are out there?”

“Canterlot, Crystal, Nebula, Eclipse, Midnight, Dawn, Thorax, Gilda, Contact, Holmes, Watson, Stardust, Eon, Infinity, and so on, to list all of them would take too long, there were literally hundreds if not thousands of them that launched. The ones that I have named are only a few among the most notable ones.”

“And they all have their own unique special names?”

“Yes, and we’re going to be on one of them?”

“But why?”

“Well simple, we’re going to watch the end of the world as you know it.”

The Tardis stopped, “We’re here,” he said, “Come with me…”

Lyra did so walking out of the Tardis as she slowly followed him along the narrow twisting corridors until they came into a room where ponies were all gathered together staring out of a window towards their sun… and the world of Equestria.

“My home…” Lyra quietly whispered as she got closer.

“Yes,” The Doctor said getting closer to her, “Celestia managed to raise and lower it each and every day, but she knew that one day she would have to allow the sun to destroy your own world, but in preparation she made the spaceships, and she has saved the lives of everypony by turning them into alicorns, all of them.”

“But how… why?”

“She did what she thought was right, and she’s tried to prevent this day, but now everypony will be watching this in honor of their old home, and even though some of them have their own worlds to govern they are here to respect and pay honor to their hold home, and see it destroyed in the blazing inferno of the sun.”

Lyra stared out at her own world now protected with an enormous pink bubble spell, but she could see her world, it was black and dead, red and yellow and orange, like it had been burned many times before. “What happened to it?”

“Celestia tried to protect it from the solar flares but… she failed…”

Flames leapt forward from the sun scorching and breaking the spell, and it remained broken. “Celestia doesn't want to keep the spell up anymore because she knows what has to happen, this is the very last day of Equestria.”

“You mean that my home, my friends, my family, and everything that I know will one day die and burn?” she asked with tears in her eyes.

“Yes, it’s a terrible knowledge to live with, and it’s my curse, and that’s why I couldn't tell you, I just had to show you to make you understand.”

“But why though, why?” she asked wiping away the tears.

“Because that’s just the way of life, all things die and perish, all things fade away in memories, they turn into dust, and even that will burn someday.”

“That’s so sad…” Lyra said now sniffling away the tears.

“Yes, it is, but that’s just the way of life, and not even I can change or stop that.”

“Then why do you fight so hard to make others happy?” she asked.

“Because you all really need my help, that’s why,” he said.

“But is that the only reason?” she asked.

“Maybe, but even if it wasn't all the other reasons are perfectly fine…”

“Well, maybe, but you could tell them to me.”

“No, I don't tell anything about myself, I am a complete mystery to all you see.”

“Has anything ever figured you out before?”

“No, I’m not even sure if I know who I am anymore…”

“How can that be true?”

“Time and space, time and space… that’s why… that’s always the reason why…”

“Doctor, you’re not making any sense right now.”

“I never make any sense,” he said.

“Eh, you have a very fair point…” she said.

“Yes, indeed, now come on, the end of the world is on display for us and it would be rude not to watch, just sit back and enjoy the end of everything that you have ever loved and known before… I hope that you like it…”

“How can anypony like this much less enjoy it?”

“Ponies as I have found out, are very strange creatures, I have learned not to question them anymore, it makes the insanity easier to deal with.

“Are you just saying that or what?”

“Maybe… I’m not telling you...”

“Oh Doctor, you are such a tease.”

“I am, but it’s not my fault that I know so much…”

“Yeah, well maybe you could tell me some more of your secrets one day, right?”

“Yeah, maybe,” he said.

“Well, just promise me to think about it, okay then?”

“Don't worry Lyra, I will, I would do anything for you,”

Lyra nodded and turned back to the scene before her.

“Why are we here on this ship, Doctor?”

“It was the very first one launched into space,”

“Ah, now I see why.”

“It also contains the oldest beings in the universe, well, yours anyways.”

“The princesses?”

“Them and many others, but they aren't as old as the Face of Vashar.”

“The face of what?”

“He’s the oldest living pony, he’s not an alicorn, he’s just a Pegasus, and he’s the oldest one, Star Swirl however, he’s the oldest unicorn here.”

“Star Swirl? No, isn't that kind of impossible when he’s dead?”

“Not even death could stop Celestia from saving her world and the ones that she cared about, she would do anything to protect them, anything…”

“Well, what did she do to protect them then?”

“She did what was needed…”

“This is your captain speaking, Princess Celestia would like to share a message with all of you, and as is tradition she will be speaking from the Horizons spaceship, this one, and her message will be broadcast out right about… now!”

Doors opened wide and then Princess Celestia stepped forward.

“Hello there, my little ponies, wish to welcome you to the very last day of Equestria, for many long years both you and I have known that this day would always come no matter what we might try to do and stop it.

That is why I prepared so many ships before all of this, and as a result I have saved all of you, and though the years we have all had our own hard times, and I know that some of you must be sad for what you have lost, but I say to look forward at the future with a bright hope because there will always be more.

Today may be the last day of Equestria, but it does mark the glorious new day of many worlds, one may fall, but there will always be more to take its place.

I know that some of you may feel resentful towards me and my sister for making all of you the same and immortal, but I did what I had to do in order to protect you because I really do care about you and truly do love you as well.

Not even death could stop me then, nor will it or you now, and let us all hope that no matter what we can forgive each other for the sins and crimes of the past, I myself look forward to the day where all worlds and ponies can live together in peace and harmony, so let this mark the momentous occasion that it is.

And let us always remember this day for what it really is, an end to something old, but a brand new exciting start to something else unexplored.

Because when one door closes, another will always open, thank you for your time my loyal and faithful citizens, that's all that I have to say to you today.”

“And that was a message from the Princess, and now enjoy some nice calm relaxing peaceful music as you stare out at the destruction of your old home world!” the captain said cheerfully as Princess Celestia slowly left the room.

“Ha, peaceful indeed, I just want to get back to my own world,”

“Indeed, who does she think she is to even deserve that title anymore? We’re all princesses and princes on our own worlds…”

“Well, she was the very first one you know…”

“Yes, but she should stop trying to defend her actions,”

“She did what she thought was right…”

“Yeah, well I just wish that I could give her a piece of my own mind…”

“Don't say that out loud! You don't know what spies she could have!”

“Well then, let her know, if she has spies it only proves that I’m right about her not trusting her own citizens, and if not, I don't care if anypony else hears us…”

“Please… just keep it down…”

“Well, since you said please…”

After that the Doctor was unable to hear the rest of their talk.

“You know some ponies have lost their respect for the princess…”

“Yes, I’ve noticed,” Lyra said, “But where are the oldies ponies anyways?”

“What?”

“You said something about the Face of Vashar, right?”

“Well yeah, I might have briefly mentioned him once or twice…”

“Well, where is he?”

“On this ship, I think that we can see him, well, eventually,”

“And what if we can't see him what then, huh?”

“We will make do with what we already have, but until then, why don't we just explore the ship a bit, talk to a few ponies and wait for the end of your world.”

“Okay then, I will do that then, Doctor,” Lyra said.

“Yes, well good luck, I'll always be right here just in case you need me.”

Lyra nodded and then went off to talk to a few ponies, “Hello there,” she said.

A velveteen scarlet pony turned around to face her, “Oh, are you one of the ones that actually got the chance to choose your alicorn status? You’re so lucky…”

“Crimson Cash, there is no need to be rude to her,” said yet another new pony, this one was distinctly female and had a snowy white body instead.

“Snowflake Frost, how nice to meet you again,” Crimson said with a sneer.

“Princess Celestia just couldn't and still can't change some for their own reasons, whether by design of nature, or choice, for example, Star Swirl cannot change because he’s already done so much that there is no need for him to change.”

“Yes, but what has she done? Nothing from what I hear, she’s completely worthless, and I just want to get back to my business and get off this ship,”

“Hey, there is no need to disrespect the princess!” Lyra said.

“Well then, why don't you go talk to her and prove me wrong if you’re so important, after all, not everypony is an alicorn, only the ones she doesn't care about, so that would make you some kind of ironic special, wouldn't it?”

“Look, I’m not any kind of special, I may be different, but I am my own special.”

“As we all were, once upon a time at least, not anymore…” he said.

“Crimson, I think you need to come with me so that way we can have a talk,”

Crimson glared back at Lyra, but went with Snowflake silently instead.

Lyra wandered around until she found the Doctor, “Ponies don't seem to like me that much at all,” she said, “Can you please tell me why that is so?”

“Because you’re different, the only non-alicorns are the ones that the alicorns can make back on their own worlds, ponies just like you, and the idea that one of their own citizens could surpass them and be here somehow, well it just upsets a few ponies, but it’s nothing to be worried about, honestly it isn't.”

“But Doctor, I can't be as special as they say that I am, right?”

“No, you’re right, you’re still more than that, better than that.”

“Doctor, please, no more,” Lyra said blushing at his remarks now.

“Very well then, I guess I won't compliment you anymore then…”

“Doctor…”

“And then I will only have insults left to…”

“Doctor!”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Can I please go talk to Princess Celestia?”

“Well, you can, but there’s no need to ask me, you’re a big pony girl now, go!”

“Oh, well okay then, thanks anyways!” she said.

“Just don't get lost on the way there!” he shouted back at her.

“Don't worry, I won't, trust me,” she said going off into the narrow hallways once more, she gazed around as she went forward hoping to see something obvious and clear, and eventually she did. The Princess Room? Wow, how unoriginal yet also so plain and simple too, she thought to herself as she knocked on the door and then, “Please, come in, enter, it’s rude to stand at doorways,” Celestia said.

Lyra did so and the doors automatically slid shut, “Is there something that you wanted to talk to me about, my little pony?”

“Yes, Princess Celestia, why do you not do anything to those that disrespect you? Surely there is something that you can do to stop it, right?”

“Because, my little pony, there is and always has been the freedom of speech,”

“Oh, well that actually makes a lot of sense,”

“Indeed, as your princess I must set the perfect example, even if that means I sometimes have to do something extreme to protect the ones that I love.”

“Oh, well then, thank you for your time today…”

“Was that all you wanted to talk to me about, my little pony?”

“No, I think that’s it,”

“Good then, you may now leave.”

They did so, but soon Lyra began to have even more questions for the Doctor.

“Doctor, just how old is the Face of Vashar exactly?”

“Still have questions for me, and about him? Well the answer is he’s very old, some say almost as old as the universe itself. But the real truth is that nopony knows for sure, but they do say that when he dies he will utter very important words to a very special pony, and he won't say what they are until he does die.”

“Sort of like your real name then?”

“Indeed, only at the very end will it finally be revealed.”

“Oh, well then, thank you, but can we go back home now?”

“Why? The view up here out towards the space and the end of something very old is just great, it’s a once in a lifetime chance and opportunity, so take it.”

“What if I don't want to?”

“Well, you are sort of stuck with me right now at the moment.”

“Doctor, you can be really annoying sometimes.”

“I know.”

“Okay then Doctor, what do you suggest that we do then?”

“Simple, we watch the end of your world, and then we will leave.”

“Oh, well okay then, that seems fair to me.”

“Thank you for seeing it my way.”

“Well, you’re welcome.”

With that said they left back to the front of the ship where they could see it.

“Beautiful, isn't it?”

“Now exactly the first word that I would use for this Doctor.”

“Oh, but it is, it’s the end, and also the start of something new and maybe in a million billion years it’ll be a new star or planet or something else instead, that’s just the way of life, it’s a constant circle going around and around, it never stops, just an endless cycle of death and birth and life forever and ever, it’s really quite remarkable when you stop to think about it for a second or minute.”

“Doctor, you sound so sad, is there a reason for that?”

“Oh? Well yes, after a while you start to lose all hope completely.”

“Well I won't give up hope, no, not ever Doctor.”

“We will see.,” he said, “Well, anyhow, why not talk to the other ponies?”

“Because I’m here with you.”

“Well, the other ponies are very rich and powerful, and alien too.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I would highly recommend that you go talk to them before something bad happens because with me around trouble always seems to come around.”

“Talk to them about what though?”

“Anything you want to of course, duh!”

“Yes, well of course, but I still feel…”

“Feel what?”

“Insignificant to them somehow.”

“Well, you are, now come on, this is a party, you don't have to feel bad talking to anything, go, enjoy yourself! After all, it is the end of the world as you know it.”

“Yeah… I know, but who should I even go talk to first?”

“Well, the one who is willing to talk back of course, duh! Now go, please!”

Lyra smiled and did as he asked while the Doctor remained behind and sighed.

Lyra went off back to the front and looked around trying to find Snowflake since she was the only one that she knew of who had actually supported and defended her earlier when they talked. Luckily enough for her, she found her very quickly.

“Hello there again!” she said. Snowflake, upon hearing this, turned to her and smiled at her and left the group that she was talking with and went to Lyra.

“Well, help there again, I remember you, but no name though…”

“Yeah, sorry about that, my name is Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Nice to meet you Lyra Heartstrings, my name is Snowflake Frost, and sorry about Crimson Cash, but please tell me, did you speak with the princess yet?”

“Yes, we have actually, it was a very short but also interesting talk indeed.”

“Oh? Really? And what did you talk to her about then and what with?”

“Oh, you know, just stuff, life, death, light, darkness and shadow, the world, the end, free will, the public, that sort of boring old stuff you know, right?”

“Yeah, sure thing,” Snowflake said, “Anything else though?”

“No, not really that much, as I told you before, it was very short.”

“Ah, well, I think I see now, thank you and have a good day.”

“You too.”

Lyra left her and then went on to go somewhere else, to where, she didn't know, but she hoped that whatever happened next would be fun.

This however, was not to be the case because trouble soon came.

“This is your captain speaking again, uh, I’m in a rather very tight spot you see and while this observation deck is stable for right now may I remind the guests that solar flares can cause gravitational pockets and temporary wave shifts.

I also have something here in the ship itself, a big blue box that needs to be claimed by a guest as property or a gift. And may I remind all of you that teleportation devices are strictly forbidden. And I would like to thank the sponsor of this event the Face of Vashar for all of this. But now for the tight spot, well, enjoy the last few minutes of your life and world, because you’re all going to burn for the money!”

Suddenly the whole entire ship wobbled left and right and shook violently.

“What’s happening?”

“I don't know!”

The room was in a panic, they were confused and everything was chaos.

Hopefully the Doctor would be able to sort this out.

“Oh, look, trouble again, well, I better go see the captain then I guess…”

“The sunshield is starting to come down”

“Unless the trouble is just too much of course,” he said.

“We’re all going to die!”

“Oh, calm down, you’re not going to die!”

“We’re not?”

“No, and do you want to know why? It’s because I’m the Doctor and I’m going to save this space ship and everything on it that I can, and I’m going to do it with style and I'll do it in my own weird, strange, odd, and brilliantly genius way too!” he said rushing forward towards the captain’s room and the doors too.

He slammed forward into it somehow managing to not get in.

“Lyra, mind casting a spell on this for me? Please?”

Lyra sighed, slowly walked over, and cast her magic at it to no avail.

“Locked,” he said trying to open it, “Well, here goes nothing…”

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the door and unlocked it somehow and then charged forward and entered the captain’s room.

“Oi! You there! How did you get in? You’re not supposed to be in here!”

“Ah, that doesn't matter, what really matters is my name, it’s the Doctor, and I’m here to save all of you, that’s what, now then can one of you please tell me what the problem is so that way I can fix it and also save the day too?”

“It’s the captain! He’s gone mad I swear! Says there’s spiders that are…”

“That are what?”

“Sabotaging the ship, sir.”

“Well, maybe he’s right and oh look, there’s one right now.”

“Where?” the crew member said turning to look as the Doctor punched him in the face causing him to fall to the floor fast asleep. “There, that takes care of him, he was rather getting annoying, now then, where is the captain?”

“Probably hiding in a dark corner somewhere trying to avoid his problems, duh.”

“Ah, well, if you see him tell him that help has come, okay?”

“Okay sir, don't worry, I will.”

“Good lad, now then, I wonder what is causing the problems around here…”

“Spiders.”

“Well don't be so ridiculous or silly, there’s no way regular normal ordinary spiders could do this, right? So, therefore, they must not be that way, therefore, they must be special, new, unique, different, odd, strange, just like me. And they must have been brought on board and snuck through whatever security measures you have in place here, and therefore something must have a reason for this, a purpose, and therefore, if we can find it, them, reason with it, them, then we just might have a chance to live, now then, if we could only capture one of these spiders so that way it can run back to its master then that would be just great, and if you could do it as soon as possible with all this trouble and all.”

“Uh yes, of course sir, right away, we’ll get on that,” yet another crew member said nervously saluting him with fear.

The Doctor glanced around and then smiled to himself.

“And while you’re at it, scan the pipes and electrical systems for any signs of living and/or non-living things, like robots or whatever you call them now.”

“Yes, of course sir!”

The Doctor smiled and waited as this was done and soon enough the results were back in. “Uh, sir, there are a lot of spiders in this ship right now…”

“Okay then, tell me where the closest one is right now and we’ll get that one.”

“Uh… well that would actually be right here in the captain’s room…”

The Doctor smiled, said, “Really?” and then dived down towards the pipelines.

“Okay, come on little buddy, come to papa, oh, you really are a little buddy, aren't you? You’re small, metal, red lights for eyes or seeing, I wonder who made you and for what reason or why they would also want to do this… but you can't tell me that, can you? You can only carry out the orders given to you, right? Well, yes, of course right, I'm the Doctor, I’m always right… now then, let’s see who your owner is by… nope, that won't work, oh well, maybe a more physical approach is needed. We’ll just have to wait a bit longer to see the results.”

“Doctor, who, or rather what, are you talking to?”

“Them of course, who else?”

“Right, anyhow can you please try to focus.”

“Sure thing, I am.”

“Whatever just-,”

“Wait! I see movement! Come along, let’s go find this mysterious owner, shall we?” The Doctor said before any of them could properly react in time.

“It’s heading down to the guest’s hall, let’s go, alons-y!”

Before any of them could utter one single word the Doctor was off running towards the guest room/hall. Soon enough Lyra was there with him.

“Well hello there everypony,” The Doctor shouted out very loudly once he got in the room, “As of now I am your commanding officer and/or captain or whatever you call them in this century, but anyhow the point is this, I’m the stallion that’s going to save your life and if you have any plans to get in my way take the escape pods and see how well you will last in that. Now then, if there are no objections I think the next step/part of my plan may now came forward if they so wish it.”

Everything in the room stared at him and then started to laugh.

“You, save us? That sounds positively ridiculous and absurd.”

“Well, trust me, it’s true.”

“Well, what proof do you have then?”

“The Doctor smiled and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, “Ever seen this before?”

“I can't exactly say that I have.”

“Well then, leave the questions to me please.”

The guest that had spoken up remained quiet as the Doctor continued to go around the room until he saw a ventilation shaft and waited for the spiders to come out. Soon enough they did and he smiled at them, “Well go on,” he said, “Take me to your leader, huh, I’ve always wanted to say that.”

The silver metal robot spiders scuffled around on the floor for a bit until they eventually found the one that they called their master. “Ah, so it’s you mistress Cassandra, I should have known it was you!” Crimson Cash shouted.

“Oh, yes, I’m the guilty one, oh go on, throw me in jail if you can but I think not, the death of Equestria is very soon and all of you are just as useful to me dead as alive even though I did have hope for a ransom, oh well, the stocks I have invested in your rival companies will triple once you’re dead and then I'll be rich, and I know it’s terribly rude to leave without a full explanation of why I’m doing this, but I think that I am rather running short of time as all of you are, and I know it’s highly illegal but I did bring a teleportation device onboard so goodbye.”

Those were her last words before the female reptilian and pony like hybrid vanished away. The ship then lurched left and right, “Doctor! The ship is overheating!” Snowflake Frost said hovering over a holographic image/picture of the ship.

“Oh, really? Well that’s just great news, let’s go fix it!”

“We can't! She’s overridden all automatic controls and the only thing left is manual and the ship has about…”

“Five minutes left.”

“Yeah, that much time before we all die!”

“Well then, let’s make them count!” The Doctor said running along the hallways towards the engine of this ship with Snowflake and Lyra along too.

“I swear it was like an hour and then half and then maybe 15 and 10 before!”

“What are you rambling on about!” Lyra shouted as they ran along the narrow hallways until they reached the engine room and almost stopped.

“The time before the world ended, duh! What else would I be talking about?” The Doctor said pulling his sonic screwdriver out whenever it was needed.

“Well I don't know! I have no idea!”

“Exactly! Thank you very much! Now then where is the shutoff?”

“It would be over there past those fans,” Snowflake said pointing to a set of giant fans that cooled off the ship.

“Oh, why are these here?”

“Old tech is in case of emergencies, like this, but it isn't enough,”

“Yeah, I can see that,” The Doctor said looking at the fans for a moment and then turned back around, “Ugh, they’re just too fast, I need them to slow down.”

Snowflake looked around and eventually spotted an override to make it slow down, “Go Doctor,” she said, “Go, save this ship.”

“No! You’re an ice pony, too much heat and you die!”

“Well then, you better be fast and not waste time then, eh? Time lord?”

The Doctor glanced at her, grinned, and then quickly stepped forward through the first fan slowly making his way to the override.

“How much time do we have left?” he said.

“Oh, less than three minutes I think,” Lyra said.

“That’s more than enough time for me,” The Doctor said.

“Actually, I think it might be more like less than two minutes now.”

“Whatever,” he said back casually.

“Sixty seconds left.”

“Okay, it might be a bit worse than I thought!” he said only halfway across.

“Doctor I’m going to melt any second here!” Snowflake said.

“Just hold on a little longer!” he said just as he got through the second to last fan. As he did Snowflake just simply vanished and turned into a puddle of water?

“Thirty seconds left.”

“Doctor! Snowflake is dead!”

“You take the lever then!”

“I am, it’s not working anymore! I think there’s a very big problem now!”

“Yeah, definitely!”

“Twenty seconds left!”

“Just move on Doctor, please!”

“Fifteen seconds left.”

“But what if I can't?”

“Don't worry, you can, I believe in you!”

“Ten seconds left…”

The Doctor smiled, those were all the words he needed to hear from Lyra.

“Nine seconds left…”

The Doctor took a deep breath in knowing that either way he would probably die.

“Eight seconds left…”

He took another breath in remembering all the good times that he had.

“Seven seconds left…”

He smiled and then took a step forward…

“Six seconds left…”

And he lived.

“Five.”

He was surprised, but he couldn't dwell on that, right now he needed to throw up the shields and cool off the ship.

“Four.”

He quickly dashed towards the lever and threw it.

“Three, Two, One…”

The world outside lit up in a flash of light and everything was burning and they were engulfed in flame and it felt so hot and it seemed so wonderful and terrible to Lyra, but then the wave of fire passed and they were all finally safe.

“We lived,” The Doctor said after the shockwave had slowly faded away.

“Yes, we did, yeah!” Lyra shouted out making a fist hoof in the air.

“Yes, but at what cost,” The Doctor said remembering Snowflake, “Anyhow, come on, I believe we have a criminal to catch that actually has to pay for her crimes here today, justice must be given and the law maintained too.”

“Uh, Doctor, where are we going?”

“Back, to catch a criminal, duh, what else?” he said.

“Okay,” she said trotting along behind him as they went back to the guest room/hall and then they stopped once there. “You there, I need your watch right now, and I also need my tools too, is there some cheese and tea I can have please? My throat is positively dry after spending so much time down in an engine room.”

The guests looked very confused at this request but soon gave him what he wanted as he made something that Lyra couldn't quite describe.

“Doctor, what is that?” Lyra asked said with some slight confusion.

“I have no idea, might be useful late on though, anyhow she teleported out of here which means that whatever device she had to use must have been close to her and hidden so the only conclusion I can make is that it must be a gift,” he said smashing an egg down to reveal alien future looking like tech there, “And if she went wherever she did I can bring her back with just a few little twitches.”

“Twitches?” Lyra asked with some slight confusion.

“Adjustments of the machinery and flips of the switches and/or levers.”

“Oh, okay,” Lyra said as he finished his job and soon enough Cassandra was back here in the ship again and she looked very surprised indeed.

“Hello there, sorry I had to interrupt your little meeting or whatever, but when you threaten my friends and put other lives in danger I have to stop you.”

“Okay, who and what are you exactly?” she asked.

“My name is the Doctor, I’m a time lord and I just saved this ship and you are going to pay for your crimes and then go to jail, or worse if you’re up against me.”

Everything in the room stared at him nervously when they heard the name of ‘time lord’ being used. “A time lord? But that’s impossible, they’re all dead!”

“Nope, not me, just most of them, we’re practically extinct, I just happen to be a lucky or unlucky survivor of the war, but the details of how and why I lived aren't exactly important or relevant here today because what is, well, it’s you.”

Cassandra looked at him nervously as guards started to detain her.

“You can't stop everyone Doctor, one day there’s going to be an enemy that you just can't stop, one that you won't see coming, a big bad wolf that will huff and puff and blow your big house of pride and smartness and whatever else you have in your mind down, and when that happens I can't wait to see the look on your face when you finally start to realize this one very simple and important thing…

You can't win every battle and/or fight.”

Cassandra smiled at him before she was hauled off and away out of their sight.

“Well, that’s over and done with, how about we go get something nice, cool, and refreshing, maybe some ice cream, or tea, whatever works…”

“Doctor…”

“Maybe we can go to somewhere cold and ski after this.”

“Doctor…”

“Or, we can go back to the ice age!”

“Doctor!”

“What?”

“I just want to go home.”

“Oh yeah, or we can always do that too instead.”

“Thank you, I think something nice and relaxing would be good after this.”

“Indeed, no more world ending events, just a beach to relax on instead.”

“Doctor, I don't think I ever will understand you fully.”

“Nope, never,” he said smiling at her very warmly, “Well, come on then, home, these folks can sort out whatever politics and money they want to.”

“Indeed,” Lyra said slowly stepping back into the blue box to go back home again.

“Remember, I'll always be here for you Lyra, no matter what might happen.”

“I know.”

“I was just making sure, anyhow, let’s go!”

He pulled the lever and off they went back home and then to their next adventure whatever that might be, but whatever it was, it would probably be good and all safe and well with the Doctor around because she knew that he would never let her get hurt and that as long as she was alive he would be perfectly fine and well and less crazy too. Hopefully they would never be apart for long though, but even if he was at the other end of the universe he could always be back for tea.
> The Void- Part One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Void- Part One

The Doctor took Lyra back home and she did get enough rest and relaxation eventually, but then it soon came time to leave again, but before they did they would have to take a short pit stop to refuel on some gas or energy fumes as he called it.

As they waited another figure knew that the Doctor should be around here somewhere close and nearby, and he was desperately running towards them.

“Doctor!” he shouted out trying to gain his attention, “Doctor!”

Sadly, he was too far away from them to be heard yet, and Lyra wasn't particularly paying attention that much except with a casual remark that the pony might need help but the Doctor casually dismissed that since if anypony did need help it would probably not be from him and more like a medical doctor instead, but the pony kept running towards them, right at them.

“Doctor, I think he needs help, maybe our help”

“Nah, he probably is just curious, or needs medical help, anyhow, we’re good, let’s go, it’s best not to drain the gas station for any others to come along.”

“Doctor!”

“Wait, I think I can hear him.”

“Just ignore him.”

The pony kept running towards them and despite her better judgement Lyra went in with the Doctor into the Tardis and then closed the doors behind them.

And yet the pony still kept running towards the box all the same.

He knew that he just had to get there before it left no matter what happened.

Leaping through the air he crashed into the Tardis and hugged it before it left.

The Tardis in response, tried to retaliate and get the intruder off as they all traveled through space and time. “Doctor, what’s happening?”

“I don't know! It’s never done this before! But I sure can tell you that it isn't very good, not at all, I mean I wanted to take us into the future, but not this far, I mean 100 years, 1000, 10,000 oh my, 100 thousand, a million, ten million, 100 million, a billion, ten billion, 100 billion, 1 trillion, 10 trillion, 100 trillion, what? It’s not supposed to go this far into the future and we need to stop right now!”

He yanked on the lever very hard and the Tardis slowly and reluctantly came to a stop at the very end and edge of the universe. The Tardis stopped and the pony was flung away from the Tardis towards the ground at an impressive speed killing him. The Doctor and Lyra however, were completely unaware of these outside events. “Well, that was a rather very curious thing indeed,” he said.

“Yeah, what the hell just happened?” Lyra asked.

“We went through the future to the very end and edge of the universe, not even the stars are alive, but come, we’re here, might as well explore.”

The Doctor smiled and opened the door and instantly saw the dead pony there, so did Lyra too. “Oh my gosh, look Doctor! I think that pony came along with us for the ride, but how? And wait, he doesn't look like he’s breathing!”

The Doctor looked around at the landscape seeing if anything else was there, but there was nothing, “Well yes, but I know this fellow, he’s been with me before which could explain why he even knew me, but as to the why he is here, well, I would just wait for him to tell us, he should be up about on his feet, I mean hooves in no time, stupid human terminology, old habits die hard you know.”

“Doctor, he’s dead! He’s not breathing and he has no pulse!”

“Oh, yeah, he’s dead now, but just wait he should be up just about…”

The pony took in a deep breath of air gasping in surprise as Lyra did.

“But he was dead, how…”

“Lyra Heartstrings, meet Bucky Harkness, the only pony who can't die.”

“Hello there, love, my, aren't you a fancy looking mare?”

“Bucky, what did we say about saying hi to other mares and women?”

“Hey, I was just trying to say hi,” Bucky said.

“In your case saying hello is flirting.”

“Hey, give a man, or rather a stallion a break.”

“What is this ‘man’ you speak of?”

“Human, if I can ever get my Tardis to work again I'll show you the humans Lyra, I promise,” the Doctor said crossing his heart in a dramatic fashion.

“Oh yeah, sure thing, promise her to do that but fail to come back for me.”

“Hey, I got busy saving the world,” the Doctor said.

“Oh yeah? Well I got busy making sure Torchwood kept the world safe from you.”

“Bucky, you know as well as I do what goes on in there.”

“No, it’s different now, I changed it,” he explained casually and calmly.

“Yeah, whatever, let’s just try to explore this world for a bit before I take you back to wherever you came from since the Tardis will probably need to recharge, again,” the Doctor said with some slight hint of malice in his voice now.

“Hey, it’s not my fault my temporal disrupter got damaged, I got stuck in Equestria for a century before I saw you there and when I did I took the chance           that I got and went with you, okay, there, that’s it, are you happy now?”

“I guess, but why did you wait so long?”

“Because I knew how you were, you love Equestria and especially Ponyville and Canterlot, and I knew that sooner or later you would get into trouble and you would have to stop and fill up your gas tank so to speak and yeah, that’s about it, but I do have to tell you, waiting a century does start to get boring.”

“Yeah, tell me all about it later on, right now we have the end of the universe to explore thanks to you and I suspect it’s because of our previous encounters.”

“Why? What happened to him?”

“Roseluck Tyler did,” The Doctor replied.

“You mean the Ponyville gardener and planter?”

“The one, same, and only, you see in another set of adventures that may or may not be coming to a story to a viewing audience soon,” he paused, looked up, winked towards the distance, and then continued, “Long story short she got these powers and there was this big bad wolf and she basically made Bucky here the first true immortal as far as I can tell and history records so far.”

“Yeah, lucky me, I died facing a Dalek in that last battle and then next thing I knew I was alive again, just as young and healthy as ever.”

“Wait, what’s a Dalek?” Lyra asked.

“Only one of the most dangerous things in the universe excluding everything else the Weeping Angels, Cybermen, humans, and time lords as well.”

“Oh,” she said, “That’s a small list.”

“The full list would be too long to read,” he said.

“Yeah, but come on Doctor, we have a world to explore and a lovely looking mare to keep me company so why don't we go around a bit and talk?”

Lyra blushed at his compliment and the Doctor sighed, “Fine then, but if you lay one single hoof on her I will personally send you to the gates of Tartarus.”

Bucky laughed a bit before he determined that the Doctor was quote serious and then he wisely decided to remain silent, “Right,” he said.

Meanwhile…

“Professor Kronos Turner?” a robotic voice called out from the dim light.

“What? I’m kind of busy right now at the moment,” he said.

“Well, we have a runner, and also something strange outside too…” the voice said, “By our scans it is four equines and a big blue box too.”

“Wait, what? Did you just say a big blue box?”

“Well the light scanners seem to indicate that color, our outside cameras for long range distance are a bit shaky at the moment.”

“And you said that there was a runner too?”

“Yes.”

“May Celestia have mercy on their souls.”

Currently…

The Doctor, Bucky, and Lyra all walked along casually along the gray surface of the planet, “Scans indicate a metal like material, and plenty of rock stuff too, it’s hard, dense, but very stable against earthquakes, there isn't enough weather or pressure to create a tornado, maybe a lightning storm though if there is enough water left, the ground and gravity appear roughly equal to Earth and/or Equestria, the air appears to be normal, almost everything does except for one small little detail, there are no towns, no roads, nothing, not even one pony wandering around, not even trash, no signs of life anywhere as of yet.”

“Doctor, you said it yourself, this is the end of the universe, so what?”

“Well, there should be something, I mean humanity or rather any kind of life has the will and urge to press on and keep living even through the end of the universe itself, I thought that there might be a few more survivors and all.”

“Well maybe they’re hiding because of something scary.”

“Like that?” Lyra said pointing down where they could clearly see a pony running away from what looked like vampire-zombie ponies, honestly that was the best way that Lyra could possibly describe them, they looked like a cross of swiss cheese, a changeling, and ponies as well. They looked horrible too.

“Wait, that looks like they’re hunting that poor pony and possibly yes to answer your question, but come on, let’s go, a life is in danger!”

They quickly found a way down to his level sort of going around in the circle when Lyra noticed that the sky was completely black, there were no stars, not anywhere, and she could swear that it not only seemed lonely, but cold too.

“Help me!” the poor pony said rushing towards them as the group happily accepted him as they kept running away, “Is there anywhere safe nearby?”

“Yes! There’s a shelter not too far away from here, we just have to get there first!”

“Okay, well then, let’s do that before we die!” the Doctor shouted back at him as they all ran following the strange pony until they saw something there.

It looked like an old military base, but it was clearly not abandoned like the caves and tunnel systems that they had seen earlier. As they got closer ponies scrambled around and demanded that they show their teeth and they did.

“Teeth! Okay, they’re safe, let them in!”

The gates slowly opened for them and then quickly shut before the horde got them and angrily they slowly left once a few warning shots and rounds of ammo had been fired. “Are you hurt?” The Doctor asked once they got inside.

“No, why?” the pony said back to him.

“Because I’m the Doctor.”

Meanwhile…

“Professor Kronos Turner? Hello, are you still there?”

“Yes, of course I am. What is it now? I’m still sort of busy at the moment.”

“How is Project Stardust?”

“It’s going well,” he lied back.

“Okay, we have some news, the runner is alive, but along with him is a pony that claims he’s a doctor plus two of his friends as well.”

“Wait, a Doctor, a Doctor of what exactly?”

“He says everything.”

“Oh, a scientist then! Well, let him in then, take him to me, any and all help would be great, I mean me and Chakra are doing just fine, but still…”

“Understood Doctor, good luck,” the voice said as the radio went silent.

“Thank you, Chakra, clean up this mess of a lab right now!”

“Cha, of course mister Turner, cha,” she said.

Turner sighed and then held his head as yet another headache came upon him, he had them his whole life and little could ever be done to stop them.

“Cha, Doctor, are you okay, cha?”

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you Chakra, just keep cleaning,” he said.

“Cha, yes, of course Doctor, cha.”

“You don't need to say cha to start and end every sentence.”

“Cha! But it would be rude, cha,” she said. Turner sighed as she cleaned up and hoped that whatever the mess that it wouldn't be too much for his guest to be.

The metal doors opened up slowly to reveal a brown stallion with a cutie mark almost matching Turner’s own, the only difference was that Kronos had a pen/quill and paper besides his own for some strange mysterious reason.

“Hello there, I was told that you were some kind of professor here.”

“Well yes, and I heard that you were a doctor, yes?”

“Yes, but not just a doctor, I am the Doctor,” he said.

“What’s your name then, Doctor?”

“Just the Doctor, that’s all?”

“Okay then, so, Doctor, I’m having a bit of trouble with this spaceship here,”

“You mean this old piece of junk?” The Doctor asked staring at some photos and images of it. “Well technically yes, but it will be able to hold our entire base and take us to the place that we have always dreamed about, Utopia, or as some like to call it, the Void, or even the great unknown of space would work too.”

“Well, what about you, do you think it exists?”

“Utopia? Maybe, but I like to call it Solara because of the sun princess and all.”

“You mean Celestia? How is she anyways?”

“Oh, she died with her sister when all the stars died out.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yes, indeed, it was quite tragic, this small base is what is left of the quine race and changelings, dragons, griffons, and more including alien races are here too, Chakra here for example, my assistant in the lab, is a hybrid of a changeling and what was it, a Toppla? Well, whatever it was she’s very useful here in the lab.”

“Yes, I can see, but do you know what your problem is?”

“I think, but I’m not quite sure otherwise I might have found a way to fix it by now,” Kronos said, “Oh, and forgive me, I never gave you my name Doctor, I am professor Kronos Turner, also a doctor of some sorts but rather bad at it.”

“No! You’re actually very good, some of this stuff I did not expect to see, but I do think I see your problem, if you just reroute the thermal ignition and cooling coupling and rewire the dynamic remote interface and move this bit here and remove this and replace it with this interface while doing this it should work!”

The Doctor smiled proudly as the screen flashed a bright green.

Project Stardust is now complete, the spaceship is now ready for departure, all residents please pack up immediately and prepare to leave.

That was the voice that came out of every speaker and was what was written on the green screen now, “But Doctor, wait, how did you do that? I mean it’s simply genius, thank you Doctor, thank you very much!”

“Ah, it’s no problem at all, but you’re the real genius for getting it this far.”

“Yes, but sadly someone must stay here to see the spaceship off and I have given up my hopes on Utopia so I shall stay for the benefit of all, and my stupid assistant refuses to go anywhere without me so that’s going to be two of us stuck here, but I am old and I am tired, and I want rest,” the brown coated black haired and silver eyes (with glasses on the end of his face/nose) stallion said sitting down on a chair and then rubbing his head feeling yet another headache.

“Well, don't give up hope yet, I have this big blue box that can travel through space and time and wait, are you okay?”

“Yes, just a headache, I’ve had it my whole life, but wait, did you just say that you had a big blue box that could travel through time and space?”

“Why yes, I did, got a problem with that?”

“No, not at all, but I am rather very curious to how it can possibly work.”

“Simple, timey wimey wibbly wobbly stuff.”

Kronos blinked, “I’m not going to even ask, but all of this seems familiar somehow, it’s almost like an old memory that I can't quite remember…”

“Uh, Doctor, the screen turned red,” Lyra said.

Kronos sighed, walked over and sighed, “I almost forgot the radiation energy fuel cells, without them this spaceship will never get anywhere, but getting in a suit might take too long and the radiation would kill a normal pony or alien.”

“Well, I have a solution for that, Bucky over there is your man.”

“Well, if you say so,” Kronos said, “You there, go to the radiation lab, now!”

Bucky smiled, grinned, got up and then through the careful instruction of Kronos over the speakers he lead him through to it where Bucky went in without a suit and did not die, “I don't understand, he should be dead.”

“Indeed, but he’s not, but your problems are all taken care of so why don’t you come with me on an adventure? Sure, you’re old, but I like you a lot.”

“An adventure, with you? But wait, what are you exactly anyways?”

“A time lord, I come from the planet Gallifrey,”

“Yeah, and he survived something called the time wars as well.”

Kronos shook his head and frowned, all of this was seeming all too familiar with him, almost like he was remembering something old and lost, and he could swear that he was hearing some voices that were definitely not his own in his head.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am fine,” Kronos said pulling out an old watch of his, “Just fine…”

Kronos started to stroke the watch round and around in circles and the Doctor instantly recognized it as a watch for whenever a time lord wanted to be mortal for various reasons, mostly to hide though, and only in times of great danger.

“Where did you get that watch from?”

“Oh? This old thing, I’ve had it for ages, been with me my whole life just like my headaches, it’s broken though…”

“Have you ever opened it before?”

“No, never.”

“Then how do you know it’s broken?”

“I can hear it, and I just know, okay?”

“Alright, fine then, just don't open it yet without me, okay?”

“Okay, whatever you say, Doctor.”

The Doctor glanced nervously upwards to see that Bucky had finished his job by now, but now an even greater worry was on his mind, Kronos.

“Doctor…”

“What?”

“You know, I’ve had this message for years now, and only now I understand, but it has always confused me until now, the message is simply this, professor Yana sends his regards to the one known only as the Doctor, and I can only assume he meant you, he also wishes me to tell you this, go rot in hell.”

“Wait, what?” The Doctor said with surprises.

Before the Doctor could say anything else a brilliant golden beam of bright yellow and white light filled the room as time lord energy flowed back through the watch into Kronos after he curiously opened it. Then once it faded he laughed.

“Wow! My plan worked, but then again, it always does, after all, they didn't call me the Game Master for nothing, or a chess champion, honestly, I never thought it would come to this, trapping myself into a mortal body, but no matter, sacrifices must be made on the battlefield, the General can tell you that much.

But now years of crazy brilliant and genius ideas are returning and they are wonderful! And what’s this, I think me and you are not the only time lords left, no, you recognized my watch, and Yana, it meant you are not alone, and Vashar was right, you aren't, but the Master isn't the only one left out there…

I’m still here, call me the Librarian if you will, although it is a rather poor name, my nickname of Gamemaster was much better suited, I also have a brother named the Historian, you know him, he’s still alive, and my sister, the Sparrow as we called her, although silver was a nice nickname because of her Tardis, and also because of her raven and interest in books and reading and whatnot too.”

Kronos quickly turned around and before any of them could react shot his assistant dead and smiled at them, “I always did find her rather annoying, but I do wish I had a better name, GM will do because I’m not the author or storyteller either sadly enough, and the General is not yet here either so I can have some fun with you my way and I think I'll start with your little friend first!”

Once again Kronos fired his gun, but this time at Lyra who he quickly went over to and tried to take before the Doctor took charge.

But it was too late and Kronos broke in the Tardis with Lyra.

“So then, Doctor, are you ready and willing to play my little game to save your friend or would you rather sit back and watch everything you love burn?”
> The Game- Part Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Game- Part Two

The Doctor was too stunned and shocked to even move for a moment, but when he finally did he decided to approach this the calm way around. “Look, I'll give you one chance and one chance only, leave my Tardis, return Lyra Heartstrings to me safely otherwise I will hurt you, I won't kill you since we’re brothers, we’re of the same race, but I will still hurt you nonetheless.”
Kronos (The Doctor decided to call him that rather than The Librarian all the time) laughed cruelly and it echoed coldly in the room. “Well, what are you going to do to stop me now, eh? You don't have your Tardis, and I can kill Lyra at any moment, and you see Doctor, I don't want to kill you either, I just want to be a part of history rather than just writing it, storing it, organizing it, it’s all just so boring and old to me now, but now with you, even if I fail I shall be a part of history, notable history rather than just a small insignificant being on the side.”

“Well did you ever consider that maybe that is not your place?”

“I have, and I just don't care anymore,” Kronos said.

“But why?”

“Because I want to have some fun,” Kronos giggled.

“You’re despicable.”

“I know!”

“You really don't care, do you?”

“Nope, not at all!”

“I hate you,” the Doctor said with as much malice as he could.

“Me too, Doctor! But now it’s time to have some fun!”

“If you hurt Lyra…”

“I have no plans for that, yet, if you will play my game.”

“What will it take to save her?”

“Play my game,” Kronos said.

“What do you want?”

“I already told you, play my game,” Kronos said.

“Stop saying that!”

“No, play my game, or else,” Kronos said.

“Or else what?”

“Trust me, you don't want to find out,” Kronos smiled.

“Okay, fine then, I will play your game.”

“Excellent, we begin at once, the first test is the game of chess,” Kronos said.

“Wait, what, chess?”

“Yes, you heard me, the game of chess, do you have a problem with that?”

“No, none at all.”

“Excellent, then please just give me a moment…”

“The Tardis whirred but remained relatively in place before Kronos and the Tardis vanished and then returned just barely a moment later, 

“Come in Doctor,” Kronos said opening the door, “Lyra is safe, for now, unless you change your mind, but I must warn you, if you do then you will regret it very much.”

“How dare you threaten my friend! How dare you threaten her and me too!”

“Relax, calm down Doctor, all I intend to do is to see if you are really great as the stories of you tell, I’ve read everything on every time lord that I myself have nothing that you can possibly know or exploit.”

“If you know anything about me then you know I will win.”

“That’s exactly what I am hoping for, Doctor,” Kronos said.

The Doctor walked inside his Tardis, “Whatever you’re planning, you will lose.”

“And I already planned on that, I’m one step ahead of you Doctor.”

“That’s what you think.”

“I knew you would say that,” Kronos said.

“You’re really annoying.”

“I already knew that,” Kronos said.

“Let me guess…”

“Tell me something that I don't know.”

“Yeah, I knew you were going to say that,” both said.

“Now that’s just weird,” both said again.

“Stop that.”

“No, you stop first, okay?” Kronos said.

“No, why don't you?”

“Oh, never mind!”

“Finally, thank you!”

“Don't thank me just yet,” Kronos said.

“Oh, trust me, I had no plans to do that, like ever.”

“Oh, I already knew that too,” Kronos said.”

“Is there anything, something that you don't know?”

“Your name,” Kronos said.

“Okay, you have a very fair point there.”

“I do,” Kronos said.

“Enough, let us play the game.”

“I couldn't agree any more with you, Doctor.”

They got out a chess board and started to play in silence with a few occasional comments and taunts, mostly from Kronos who just wanted to test his enemy, he poked and prodded him for an answer, but nothing ever came of it.

Eventually, the game came to an end and the Doctor was victorious.

“Well Doctor, so far you do not disappoint me, but you still have many more tests to come, and you must pass all of them in order to win back Lyra, but why don't you try to surprise me for once and lose one of them at random.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to see if you can handle losing when you win so much.”

“Trust me, whatever the challenge is, I will win.”

“Unless it’s losing,” Kronos said.

“We shall see, won't we?”

“Yes, I guess we will, Doctor,” Kronos said.

“I hope you don't mind losing to me then.”

“Trust me, I won't,” Kronos said.

The next game or test that they moved onto were card games.

The Doctor passed all of those games and moved onto the next big thing

They played for hours as Kronos kept pressing the Doctor on about what he knew, who he loved, what he cared about, the Doctor faced a maze, a 3D real life image simulation projector where everything felt real but was just a fake hologram instead, he faced monsters and demons that could only come from his own worst nightmares, they talked on for hours and it never stopped.

Eventually, the Doctor started to figure out what Kronos really wanted, or so he thought, if he was wrong about this then he would never get Lyra back, but after all the games and tests that he had done he was willing to take that chance.

“I give up,” he said. Kronos paused at this random outburst.

“What did you say? Do my own ears deceive me?”

“You heard me, I give up.”

“
So, in other words Doctor, you quit?”

“Yes, I do, I want to quit.”

“What if I told you that by quitting you will lose Lyra forever?”

“I think you want me to quit,” the Doctor said.

“Do I? Why don't you quit Doctor? And then see what happens to Lyra.”

“I can get her back even if I do decide to quit.”

“Very well then, I accept your choice to quit, and guess what, you win.”

“I do?”

“Yes, the whole point was to see how selfish you were, and you surprised me, you never stopped even when it seemed reasonable to do so, but now at a point where it would be insane to stop, you do, because of her, and loyalty to your friends is very admirable and worthy of honor and respect. But you see, there is one slight problem Doctor, I had fun playing these games with you, I really did, but the General has been watching, and now he will know your weaknesses just like I do, and I had to give her to him, he has her Doctor, not I.”

“You lied to me from the very start.”

“Indeed, did you expect anything less?”

“No, I didn't, but why did you do this?”

“I dare not defy the General, and also, I was bored, I wanted to have some fun.”

“And you decided to have some fun with me?”

“Yes, you are wise, smart, clever, and funny, use that against the General, be random, odd, strange, unpredictable, chaotic, that’s what I love about you.”

“Is there anything more that you like about me.”

“Oh, a whole lot more, but I have not the time for it.”

“Very well then, take me to the General.”

“I don't think I need to, he will find you, and if he wanted me to say that you should come to him, he probably would have already said it by now.”

“That’s okay, but how long do I have to wait then?”

“Not long, he is coming very soon.”

As he said that a blue and golden yellow light appeared.

“Or, he could already be here.”

“That is always a possibility.”

“No, wait, he is already here.”

“Then I can't wait to meet him.”

“Oh, trust me, you shall Doctor, you shall, he is most anxious to meet you.”

> The General -Part Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The General- Part Three

The General was not what the Doctor expected to see.

He expected a rough and tough nitty gritty bulky stallion, or perhaps even a sly, clever, wise, and smart stallion like himself, however, he did not expect them to be female, that actually did take him by surprise. “Wait, what? You’re a female? I can't actually believe this, I thought that you surely would look like something else, anything else, but not this,” he said upon seeing her for the very first time.

“Yes, I admit, my appearance is alarming, but I can assure you that I am indeed the General, although I did briefly consider using a male pony stallion to try to trick you, but you quickly saw through that in a second which is why I had to reveal myself as I really was which at the moment my form is unexpected.”

“Well yes, and that’s saying a lot from us, isn't it?”

“Indeed, but you see Doctor, you are here for one very plain and simple reason, you are either here to save the time lords, destroy the Daleks, or kill me, or perhaps maybe I am here to kill you, we shall see, won't we?”

“Indeed, but not if I have anything to say about it.”

“But guess what, you don't, just give up, Doctor,”

“Sorry, that word does not exist in my own personal dictionary.”

“I know,” the General said with a smile (The Doctor had come up with many nicknames for her already like Susan, Sarah, Alice, Daisy, Lily, and so on even though she liked to be called Skyler, but the closest he would come to that was Skyla instead). “Doctor, you cannot win against me, and you shall not escape this time, I won’t allow you to run away like the coward that you are, you need to stay and stand and face your fears and you need to fight for the really important things. I mean why do you fight for the humans and ponies at all?”

“Because they need help, and no one else is willing to give it.”

“Alright, fine then, but why fight so hard? Why not just give up?”

“Because I can't, I won't I refuse to stop or surrender.”

“Very well then, this shall make my games and challenges interesting…”

“Is the trick to say I give up and quit?” The Doctor asked.

“Maybe, maybe not, you shall see.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that to me?” The Doctor asked.

“Maybe because they are confident in their own abilities?”

“Perhaps, but then again, who isn't?”

The Doctor considered that a very smart question.

“Trust me Doctor, my plan for you shall become very clear very soon.”

“Okay then, what exactly is this great grand plan of yours anyways?”

“You will soon see as I already said,” the General said.

“Alright, fine then, but I don't see why you need to keep me in suspense.”

“It would ruin the surprise ending, and I know how you would hate that.”

“I suppose that you’re right about that,” the Doctor said.

“Oh, trust me, I am,” the General said with a smile on her face.

“Is there an easier name that I can call you?”

“You can call me Shiva, the destroyer of worlds.”

“I’ve come up with many names for you by now.”

“Then I'll suppose you’ll have to keep guessing then, won't you?”

“I hate guessing,” he said.

“But you love using it against your enemies, don't you?”

“I do, but at least have the respect to give me your name.”

“Call me Ash if you must, it’s gender neutral.”

“Ah, well I suppose that would work, as you wish, Ash.”

“Now what is your name Doctor?” Ash asked.

“Not of any significant importance, now tell me where is Lyra?”

Safe for now, but you see I can't give her to you, and neither can Kronos, we both withheld the truth from you Doctor, you see there is one more final test I wish to see. I hear that you ran away from your initiation, that you ran away from the time war, that you ran away from your own people, you run away from your enemies too sometimes, but other times you are very brave and face them instead, you’re unpredictable and chaotic, but there is one constant that has held true, you’re always willing to protect others first over your own life, the humans, these ponies, your friends, your companions, and now Lyra. So, therefore, I designed a test to see if that was really true or not, Doctor, the final test that you must pass is to save and rescue your best friend from the clutches of an entire planet of Daleks on Skaro, yes, you heard me right. Or, you can simply just run away, and living isn't required, only saving her is, and I know that you must be upset, but it was never in my intentions to harm her, and I did it for Kronos and his family, our people, they only want you now Doctor, they respect and admire and fear you too, even when you have no plan.

“Go, scare the wits out of them, go and save your friend, there is no time limit, but if you should fail or run away I will know, and I will kill Lyra. You cannot escape from this Doctor, no more running, it’s time to face your worst fears.”

“I’m not afraid of the Daleks,” the Doctor said.

“I think you’re lying, but if you aren't then this will be much easier, won't it?”

The Doctor shrugged casually, “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Good, now then your Tardis will be returned and you can use anything you want within reason, but don’t try to fix time or reverse it, I will know. Oh, and one more thing, Davros says hello, he sends his regards. Good luck Doctor, I hope that you win, but just in case I will try to protect your friend.”

“Yeah, like I would ever believe your word,” the Doctor said.

“Hey, I’m not the one who ran away like a coward,” Ash said.

“You’re not any better than me hiding behind a desk and making plans.”

“Hey, it’s just what I do, it's my job,” Ash said.

“Well, you do it very poorly then,” the Doctor said.
“Go before I become angry, you might not have much time with the Daleks involved, and right now she is in our current timeline with the Daleks.”

“Well, that’s one step easier and closer to locating her.”

“I merely wish for you to be prepared, Doctor,” Ash said.

“By giving me only bare essential information, yeah, thanks a lot.”

Ash smirked and pulled out a sonic screwdriver and soon enough the Doctor could see his very own familiar and lovely blue box. “You better hurry Doctor, your ride is here, and I think the Daleks are very anxious to meet you again.”

The Doctor stared at Ash and her sonic screwdriver, “Why do I get the feeling that someday we’ll meet again? And why do I feel like you know me?”

“Because you already do, and I know you will save your friend.”

“How do you know that?”

“Trust me, I just do, but anyhow, good luck, Doctor.”

“I won't need it,” the Doctor said.

Ash grinned, “That’s more like the Doctor that I know of and also respect too.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said getting into his Tardis and closing the doors.

“Farewell Doctor, I know that we shall meet again someday,” Ash said as he went in and the Tardis slowly vanished away as he went to face his next greatest danger, biggest threat, and possibly the most perilous moments ever as well.

He would be fine.

> The Daleks- Part Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Daleks (and Flashbacks, The Last Goodbye, Rebirth) -Part Four

“Well it’s not my fault that we’re stuck like this.”

“Actually, it’s entirely your fault!” Lyra shouted back at him.

“How was I supposed to know that making eye contact with an unknown alien species for a certain amount of time meant that you wanted to marry them?”

“Well maybe you should study more before we get chased down!”

“Please just shut up! You’re almost as bad as the Daleks!”

“Wait, who are the Daleks?” Lyra asked.

“A very powerful race of beings, highly intelligent, super powerful, almost impenetrable armor and a very explosive self-defense system and they repress their emotions. But I'll tell you all about them later, for now we run!”

Darkness. That was the first thing Lyra saw and remembered when she first awoke although it took a long time to realize that, but it was only be feeling around and pinching herself (repeatedly) that she determined that this was indeed real and not a dream. She didn't know where she was, she only knew that she was trapped, and she was scared, lonely, tired, and hungry too. And worst of all she had no light and she was cold, but she did know one thing that she wanted above all else, she wanted the Doctor here to help her out, but the last thing that she could remember was being taken away by Kronos… and there were these metal things? She didn't know, the memory was fuzzy around the edges, she didn’t know what was real and what was just a fantasy dream anymore. But she knew that she would not receive any help from the Doctor now, no, she would have to wait for him to come to her aid and rescue, which she knew that he would do because that’s just what he did, he helped others first. So, at least she had hope, but she still wished him luck in his efforts.

But that was when the metal machines and monsters came in and she screamed, for the first time in all of her time facing aliens she was genuinely afraid.

“Shut up pony girl! You will come with us and you will comply, move!”

The metal machine was harsh, strict, and demanding. “No, not until you tell me what you are and give me some food, water, and something warm too.”

The lights were on at this point but what it said next was terrifying.

“We are Daleks and you will come with us, food and water and other materials will be provided as deemed fit and proper with your compliance!”

“Alright, fine then,” Lyra said standing up, “Where are we off to?”

“You shall not ask questions! You will come with us and you will be silent!”

“Alright, fine then, calm down,” Lyra said.

“We are Daleks, we do not calm down.”

Lyra walked along with the Daleks to a chamber of what looked like thousands of them and gasped, there were so many of them, she knew the Doctor was good, but he described one of them as a monster, what would thousands do? This was completely hopeless, or at least it looked like it, but she hoped that the Doctor could find a way, no, she knew that he would, yeah, she did know that, she shouldn't doubt him, he would always find a way because he was that good.

“Supreme Leader, we are receiving an incoming transmission from the Doctor.”

“Open it up at once!”

A video screen came up and Lyra finally could see the Doctor for the first time and she was relived, and so was he that Lyra was still alive and unharmed too.

“Well hello there everyone, it’s me, the Doctor, nice to see you too Lyra but right now I’m trying to face the enemy, but don't worry, I'll find a way to save you, I always find a way because that’s just how good I am because I’m the Doctor.”

“You will do no such thing! If you try to save her you will be exterminated!”

“Yeah, your race keeps using that word, but you’ve never actually done it to me for whatever reason, sadly though Lyra, I don't have a plan of action, yet.”

“You always have a plan, what is your plan, Doctor?”

“You think I’m going to answer any of your questions Dalek? Well, you’re wrong.”

“Why did you call?”

“To see if Lyra was safe, and right now, she is, but if you hurt her in any way I will destroy you, if you kill her not even time itself will stop me from eliminating every single member of your stupid species even in the time war, if you kill her you will finally see what it’s like when you’re facing a mad and crazy Doctor, now then, doesn't that scare you? Isn't there a voice of reason inside your head?”

The Daleks seemed unchanged, but also silent too. “Oh, yeah, it does, I can see it, anyhow I’m coming for you, and not even an army of Daleks can stop me now.”

“We shall see Doctor!”

“Oh, shut up already, you’re just a smart and dangerous tin can full of garbage.”

“You dare to insult our species?”

“Yes, because you are machines, that’s all that you ever were and ever will be.”

“We are also warriors too!”

“So am I. And now then tell me if I am wrong, I haven't lost a single battle, and against me you’ve always lost, so what makes you think this time will be any different? What makes you think that you’ll finally get the last laugh?”

“We have numbers and strength.”

“Been there done that.”

“You will fail!”

“Said every villain I ever faced off against, don't worry Lyra, I’m coming for you.”

The Doctor after saying these words then turned off his screen and the Daleks screamed and shouted in fury, chaos, and confusion, but Lyra still remained calm because she knew that the Doctor would be coming for her no matter what it took. Meanwhile however, the Doctor was still not confident in himself.

“Come on man, pull yourself together, you can do this thing.”

His self-assuring words did very little to actually comfort himself.

“Come on, think, you can do this, you’ve faced off against worse and more than this, it should be a cakewalk, but this is Lyra we’re talking about, I can't let my feelings get in the way of my thoughts and ideas and genius logic too.”

He knew he was smart, wise, clever, and talented, but now he had to put that to use in order to save his friend and companion. He just had to think of a plan, or did he? He smiled, maybe he could just improvise it, like he almost always did. Well, whatever he was going to do, he couldn't do it from here, he needed to not be here for it, he needed to go straight to the source with whatever he had on him, and right now that was paperclips, some milk, cheese, and butter, a sonic screwdriver, and a Tardis too. He smiled and pulled the lever ready for quite possibly his last adventure, “Alons-y!” he shouted as he slowly pulled away and then went straight for the very source and center of all the Daleks, the main hub/hive. “Well hello there,” he said leaving it and smiling at the army, “I’m the Doctor and I’ve come for a friend and companion, and you’re not going to stop me, if you do then you will fail and you will die. You can't win against me.”

“Oh, Doctor, I wouldn't be too sure about that…” a new voice said.

“Wait, who is that, it sounds so familiar and yet different too.”

“Oh, come on now Doctor, tell me you that you till at least know an old friend, I mean after all, it’s not like they call me the Master for nothing.”

“Are you insane? You’re working with the Daleks?”

“No, I’m working against you, and currently I’m not on this ship.”

“Of course not, you’re a coward, you would never be where the danger is.”

“No, I’m just not stupid enough to near you.”

“You’re smarter than I give you credit.”

“Is that an actual genuine compliment? Well then, thank you Doctor.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to see you fail, you see Doctor, there is no way that you win, even if you do get to the controls on the ship past every single Dalek you won't have enough time to escape with your Tardis or her, you can only save her or yourself, you will lose and you will die and it doesn't matter what you try to do.”

“Well then, if nothing matters, I'll try my best to make sure that it does.”

“How so though?”

“Simple, the way I always do it, by surprise.”

The Doctor smiled and pointed his sonic screwdriver at a Dalek and made it blind, he then quickly tore off its laser and started to shoot at the army.

“The Doctor is armed! You must retaliate! But do not harm the girl!”

The Doctor however, was too quick for the army as he kept firing and he ran forward with Lyra in tow through the hallways towards the command center.

“Doctor, what are we doing? Where are we going?”

“The command center, we’re going to blow this ship up!”

“But we’re on this ship!” Lyra shouted back.

“I know that! But I have a plan, okay?!”

Lyra nodded, “Okay Doctor, I trust you.”

“Good, now follow me and try to stay quiet, please!”

Lyra nodded and silently followed him as he blasted his way through the hallways all the way to command central where he went to the control panel and hit the self-destruct button after playing with a few wires. “I can't believe they had a big red button,” the Doctor said with some slight shock.

“Neither can I,” Lyra said.

“Come on, we only have a few minutes before this place will blow up.”

“But we’ll never have enough time…”

“Exactly, that’s why I called a ride.”

The Doctor grinned as his Tardis slowly appeared before them, but before they could even take a step inside it they heard the loud clicking noise sound of a gun, “I told you Doctor, you can't win, not against me you can't.”

“If you’re going to hold a gun up against me, shoot first and talk later.”

“Good advice,” the Master said.

The Doctor turned around and grinned, “Goodbye.”

“I will find you.”

“I look forward to it.”

“You can run Doctor, but you can't hide.”

“We’ll see about that.”

The Doctor grinned, took Lyra inside and then turned to her.

“You know, I’ve been thinking a lot, and I’m curious, how do you know that humans are real? And when did you first know? Tell me all the details.”

“Like I said, it was a very long time ago, it was a carnival, I was lost, I was stuck in the maze of mirrors, and there were two voices actually, one male, one female, they told me, and I believed it, and it felt like I always sort of knew it, almost like it was destiny or fate or something. It was so strange and different and unique and also unusual, and I can almost make out the faces and voices too…”

“But you can't, and do you want to know why.”

“Why?”

“Because we were the ones that told you about humans.”

“No way.”

“Yes way, come on, let’s go back and tell yourself about something you already know thereby creating a perpetually repeating closed time loop forever!”

“Uh, okay, whatever that means.”

“That’s the spirit!”

The Doctor grinned and pulled his lever and off they went back in time…

A young Lyra Heartstrings was initially outside in the cold but then soon ran away and was lost, and now she was all alone in the dark, cold, scared, and worst of all, alone. But then she heard two voices speak up. “Are you lost?”

Lyra sniffled, “Yes, I am.”

“Don't worry, I’m here for you,” the first voice, a female said.

“Yeah, me too, always, and in more than one way.”

“Doctor…”

“Hey, no name calling, remember?”

“Sorry.”

“Who are you two?”

“Well, I’m your angel.”

“And I’m your friend.”

“And we’re both here for you.”

“Can you help me out?”

“We can, but we want you to do it so you’ll never forget how strong you are.”

“But I’m scared.”

“Don’t worry, just follow my voice, and hey, if you’re still scared, why don't I tell you a story? Would that help you out to be a big brave strong mare?”

“A story?”

“Yeah, you know, like a myth or legend, except this will be real and true.”

“Okay, I want to hear a story,” Lyra said getting up and slowly walking towards the voice.

“Okay, but just keep walking towards us, once upon a time there were these wonderful and incredible amazing creatures called human beings…”

Future Lyra told her story exactly the way she heard it the first time, and it was just as wonderful, incredible, and amazing now as back then.

Eventually the story stopped and Lyra found two very kind and gentle parents, and they took her to her parents who thanked them, but they soon found out that they were not staff, and they were gone, but Lyra did find it very curious that there was a blue police box in a corner of the room where almost nopony could see it.

Now, years later, it finally made sense to her.

“It all makes so much sense now, I’ve always known it because I have, and I knew it because I told it, who better than to trust other than yourself?”

“Indeed, but come on, our next adventure awaits us,” the Doctor said opening up the door for Lyra who stepped out and was greeted by Ponyville itself.

“Wait, I don't understand, what is this?”

The Doctor sighed, “I’m saying goodbye, I knew that this moment had to come eventually, but I never expected it to be this soon after all that we shared…”

“Doctor…”

“No, please don't cry or try to argue, there’s nothing you can do to change my mind, I need to go on, I can't stay forever, I have to move on from you.”

“Doctor, I love you.”

He nodded, “Yes, I know.”

“Wait, how though?”

“Form the very first moment that we met, but don't worry, we might see each other again, but I won't be like this, I'll be different.”

Lyra nodded, “Okay, good luck.”

“And to you too, Lyra Heartstrings.”

The Doctor nodded, smiled, and then left Lyra to the joy of Ponyville, it would be better this way, they could make her happy in a way that he never could, besides, he knew it was wrong to tear away others from friends and family. He shouldn’t do that, he couldn't, and he wouldn't if he could help it. But he knew where he had to go next, he had a deal to keep and an old friend to meet. He pulled the lever and went to go face his own doom. He slowly walked out and faced his friend, but it was also an enemy too. “I suppose it would always come to this.”

“Of course, Doctor,” Ash said.

“But why though?”

“Because I dare not stop him.”

“As I said Doctor, you can run, but you can't hide,” the Master said pulling out his gun and then shooting the Doctor directly in the chest. The Doctor groaned and moaned and started to bleed. “I am satisfied,” the Master said dropping the gun and then turning to leave. The Doctor fell down to the ground.

“I’m so sorry Doctor.”

“Don't worry, this will be my last life, I'll be just fine.”

“If you say so,” she said.

“No, I know so, I will always find a way,” he said.

The Doctor then burst out into a brilliant yellow golden light as he slowly started to regenerate from a brown stallion with brown hair into a much grayer coated pony with black hair too. “How do I look?” he asked.

“Well, you still have no ginger hair yet.”

“Damn it,” he said.

“Here,” Ash said holding a mirror up, “Take a look.”

“Damn, I look good,” he said.

“Yeah, I would say so too,” Ash giggled, “But now what will you do?”

“The same thing I’ve always done, help others,” he said.

“Even without Lyra?”

“Don't worry, I'll find someone else,” he said.

“If you say so,” she said.

“Yeah, except now I want a bow-tie, bowties are cool.”

Ash giggled, “If you say so, Doctor.”

She smiled and helped him up to his four hooves.

“I can't believe that after all this time you just stopped and gave up on her.”

“No, I just left her, I never give up on my friends.”

“Am I your friend?” Ash asked.

“Maybe, we shall see soon enough.”

“You’re such a tease,” Ash said.

“I know,” he said.

“So, would a date help with the whole friend thing?”

“Maybe, it depends how good it is.”

Ash giggled and laughed all the way to his Tardis.

“Well, good luck Doctor,” Ash said.

He smiled at her, “Trust me, I won't need it.”

Then he pulled down the lever and went off and away to his next adv