In Honor of the 50th Anniversary, a ponyfication of the 20th anniversary. All five original Doctors join forces to fight an evil going back to Gallopfreyan antiquity.
After his battles with the greatest evils in existence, The Doctor and Company decide to take a short rest. However, rest isn't exactly an option for this Time Lord.
A dark secret of his home is brewing, and it's going to take all Five Doctors, and quite a few companions to stop it.
My favorite classic Doctor Who story, ponified and reinterpreted for your reading pleasure. If it goes over well, I may continue the process. But only for the classic series.
"The moment this brilliant young producer Miss Verity Lambert started telling me about Doctor Who, I was hooked. I remember telling her, "This is going to run for five years." And look what's happened!" - William Hartnell
As Caramel stepped out with his sketchbook, he couldn't help be overtaken by the beauty of the landscape around him. He had been traveling with The Doctor for some time now, but every now and again he still couldn't believe he was actually on another planet. The fields on this world seemed to go on forever. The mountains, reaching into the sky, were possibly the most majestic he had ever seen. After having to battle with the most evil beings in existence, from Discord to The Master, the fact that he could finally let everything sink in was one of the happiest thoughts he ever had. He began to sketch out the landscape, hoping that in some way, shape, or form that this moment could last forever.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
The Doctor was overjoyed as well, but for a completely different reason. One could say he was doing a bit of Spring Cleaning, but he preferred to think of it as shopping for a dress. Not for him, mind you, though he liked to keep an open mind. Rather, he had set up a new Console Room for the TARDIS, a bit more stark and white, with a single console in the middle. As he dusted the new console, a smile began to creep up on the 700+ year-old stallion.
Bon Bon, one of The Doctor's dearest friends walked into the room. "Is it done yet?" she asked.
"Yes. Looks rather splendid, doesn't it?" he replied. The Doctor was so happy to be rid of the old one. He didn't hate the old console, it's just that his tastes had changed with his new regeneration. His desire for a new console was no different from that of his newfound passion for the game of cricket.
"So does that mean it's finally going to work right?" Bon Bon challenged.
"Of course, once everything's run in." he explained. He'd never say this out loud, but one of the reasons he didn't travel alone was for the sake of the explanations. They made him feel clever by comparison.
"Wait, did you actually repair anything?" the candy-colored mare asked. It fascinated her how someone so smart could be so foolish.
The Doctor was caught off-guard by this one. "Well, the TARDIS is more than a machine, Bon Bon. It's alive, remember? It needs coaxing, persuading, encouraging."
"That's a no, then."
"Have a little faith in me, Bon Bon." he chuckled. The Doctor reached for a lever. "Observe." He pulled the lever, but nothing actually happened. A look of embarassment crossed his face. He then tried pulling the lever again, to no avail. He then repeated the process, a tad more rapidly.
"Told you." Bon Bon was filled with a smug sense of victory. Chances to one-up The Doctor were rare, but that made them all the better.
The Doctor was left with no other options. He fell to every stallion's default method of repair: Banging his hoof on the console. Fortunately, that worked, and the TARDIS doors opened.
As the two walked out into the field, they were greeted by Caramel.
"It's so peaceful. I feel so calm and relaxed." he said.
"It's the high bombardment of positive ions." The Doctor replied.
"It feels like Equestria right after a thunderstorm." Bon Bon observed.
"Also positive ions." The Doctor said.
Bon Bon looked at him with disdain. Well, as much disdain as she could muster in a place like this. "It's beautiful." she said, returning to her peaceful state.
"Some say that the Eye of Orion is the most tranquil place in the universe. I'm tempted to agree." The Doctor told them. In spite of his love of running, he had to admit, the chance to relax was very appealing.
"Can we just stay here?" Bon Bon pleaded.
That, however, was out of the question. "For a while," he replied. "But we'll need to go eventually."
Elsewhere...
A mysterious pony cloaked in black looked at The Doctor and company on a screen. He stood in a dark room full of mysterious technology, with a large screen and control panel in front of him, and a pentagonal display behind him.
As he spun a dial on the control panel the image on the screen changed. Gone were The Doctor and his compatriots, and a new stallion appeared outside some sort of temple.
What most didn't know however, was that this stallion was also The Doctor. The Original Doctor, prior to his regenerations, and with only one heart. He wore a black jacket and string tie, tied up in a bow. His coat was old and gray, and his curled back mane was a stark white. His eyes were were a tired brown color, still old, still sad. But the most noticeable difference about this version of The Doctor was his cutie mark. The Doctor traveling with Caramel and Bon Bon's hourglass had the sand flowing downward, but mostly evenly divided. The First Doctor, however, had an hourglass mark with almost all of the sand in the top half, the sand flowing further and further down with each regeneration, to remind him that while he was long-lived, he was not immortal.
The mysterious figure activated a device on the control panel, and a strange sphere of electricity materialized above The First Doctor. As The Doctor turned to look at the sphere, the strange construct swooped downward and captured him in it's lightning web. The trapped Time Lord was lifted into the air and disappeared into energy.
Behind The Doctor's attacker, a single section of the pentagonal display lit up.
Meanwhile on The Eye of Orion...
The Doctor suddenly collapsed in pain, and let out a yell. "Ah!"
His friends rushed over to help him up. "Are you alright? What happened?" Caramel asked.
"J-just a twinge of... of cosmic angst." The Doctor replied, panting.
"Cosmic?" Bon Bon wondered.
"I feel like I.. I've lost something." The Doctor tried to explain.
Little did he realize that the sand at the bottom of his hourglass cutie mark had begun to vanish.
Meanwhile in The Crystal Empire...
Many Crystal ponies were hard at work, trying to make the royal ballroom look better than it ever had before. After all, today was a very important day for the empire. It was Prince Shining Armor's birthday. Sadly, Pinkie Pie had been called back to her rock farm for a 'family emergency', which she had surprisingly refused to go into detail about. Fortunately, she had been nice enough to send Cadance her emergency "I'msuperultramegaspecialsorrythatIcan'tbetherebutI'msurethatShiningArmorwillloveitmegaultraemergencybirthdaypartyplanningemergency"-kit. While Cadance delegated the role to her royal festivities director, she had been given the role of keeping Shining Armor busy. Not like that. That was for after the party. Currently, she was pouring him some crystal berry juice in their private quarters.
"Happy Birthday, Shiny." Cadance told him, for about the fiftieth time that day.
"Today's a big day." he said. It wasn't just his birthday, mind you. He had also chosen this day to name who among the royal guard would be taking up his post as Captain, now that he had new responsibilities as co-ruler of the empire. He was sad that he had to step down, but Cadance made it more than worth it. "You know, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing everypony. My parents, Twily and her friends, my old guard buddies..."
"Yeah, small thing..." Cadance started. She was worried how her husband would react. It was the only major hiccup in the planning outside of Pinkie's absence. "I couldn't figure out how to contact one of your old guard buddies."
"Which one?" he asked, somewhat surprised. He was pretty sure he introduced Cadance to all of his friends, or they were at least aware of who she was. She was a princess after all.
"Your old scientific advisor." she told him, trying to gague his reaction.
"The Doctor? I don't blame you. I don't have any idea what he's up to right now." he replied, much to Cadance's relief.
"Really?" Cadance asked. She figured Shining Armor would be better about keeping in touch with his old friends.
There was a knock at the door. "My lord? My lady?" a voice called out.
"What is it?" Cadance asked.
The Crystal pony peeked his head in through the door. "Forgive my intrustion, but somepony seems to arrived early."
Another voice called out down the hall. "Sir, you're not allowed in there!"
"Rubbish. I'm allowed everywhere."
The unexpected arrival barged into the room. It was a stallion with a deep, charcoal gray coat and a messy black mane atop his head. He wore a black jacket and white shirt, with a purple bow tie, because bow ties are cool. His blue eyes were indicative of a spirit of adventure, and his cutie mark was an hourglass with a bit of sand at the bottom, but mostly at the top. "Nice to see you, Captain Armor, Mrs. Armor, as it were."
"Doctor?" Shining asked. He could hardly believe his eyes. This was The Doctor, to be sure, but not the one he last saw.
"Yes, yes." the Time Lord replied. "For once, I was able to steer the TARDIS right. And, well, here I am."
The crystal guard walked in. "Sir, you really aren't allowed in-"
Cadance cut him off. "That's alright. You're both dismissed." The guard and servant both left.
"Please tell me I'm not too late." The Doctor said.
"For what?" Shining asked.
"For your birthday party of course." The Doctor answered. "What sort of friend would I be if I missed your birthday?"
"How'd you even know about the party?" Cadance asked him.
"Are you kidding? It gets major coverage in Equestria Daily." he explained.
"It hasn't even happened yet." she said, somewhat confused.
"Tomorrow's Equestria Daily." he explained, only serving to confuse her further. "You're also picking a replacement. Wish I could've done that." he said, muttering that last bit.
"Well, you're here, that's what matters." the Captain said.
"Shiny, how about you and The Doctor take a walk, catch up on old times?" Cadance offered.
"You wouldn't mind?" Shining asked.
"No, it's your birthday after all." Cadance told him.
"Well, come along then, Captain. Mrs. Armor, have you redecorated this room recently?" he asked.
"Umm, yes?" she answered, confused yet again.
"I thought so." he said nodding. "I don't like it." He walked out, Shining following with a nervous smile. The Doctor was his friend, sure, but he had a bad habit of running his mouth.
The Crystal Guard walked back into the room. "Who was that stallion, my lady?"
"The Doctor." she told him, somewhat miffed at The Doctor's last remark.
"Doctor?" the guard asked. "Doctor who?"
Outside of the palace, The Doctor and Shining Armor walked along town square, laughing as they reminisced about old adventures.
"Yeah, the Yetis, the Cyberponies. You and I have had quite a time, Doctor." Shining recalled.
"And the Dalek's Masterplan." The Doctor said.
"The what?" Shining asked. He remembered Daleks, to be sure, but the phrase 'Masterplan' had never come up.
"Oh, right, that wasn't you." The Doctor said, not actually answering the question. "Oh! Omega!"
"Like I could forget that one." Shining said. That was the day he finally saw the TARDIS interior, the day all the time travel nonsense really started to make sense. "Speaking of, last I saw you, you were different guy. Three different guys, actually."
"Well, Captain, I'm not exactly breaking the laws of time at the moment, but I am bending them a little." he explained.
"You never were that good at rules, were you?" Shining said. Suddenly, something in mid-air caught his attention. "Doctor, what is that?"
The Doctor turned up to see for himself. It was yet another sphere of electrical energy. "Captain, when I say run-"
"Run?" Shining replied, finishing The Doctor's sentence for him.
"Exactly." The Doctor replied, somewhat proud. "RUN!!"
As the two ran from the sphere, Shining turned to his old friend. "Doctor, I didn't want to say this to anypony, but part of the reason I'm stepping down is I think I'm getting too old for this!"
"Nonsense! I'm over 500, and just getting started! Now, we need to get to my TARDIS." he replied.
Despite their efforts, the sphere swooped down and captured them both.
Meanwhile on the Eye of Orion...
The Doctor doubled over in pain once more. "Doctor, what is it?" Bon Bon asked, concerned for him.
The Doctor could barely speak. "Fading. All fading."
"Fading?" Caramel tried to confirm.
"My past." the cricketeer replied. "Great chunks of my past, detaching themselves like melting icebergs. Ah!"
The Doctor cried out in pain, and more sand at the bottom of his hourglass disappeared.
"Doctor!" Bon Bon yelled.
The Doctor then sprung up as if nothing was wrong. "No, no. I'm fine. I'm good. I think the worst of it is over now."
There was a short silence amongst the three. The Doctor then promptly collapsed.
Back during his time as a scientific advisor for Captain Armor, The Doctor was an entirely different stallion. His coat was a light tan, and his mane was poofy and grey. His preferred attire was a green smoking jacket alongside a white cravat. His cutie mark continued to show the sands flowing down, but he hadn't cared, as he had quite a bit of life ahead of him.
Celestia was kind enough to alot him a special chariot that was the latest invention in the world of 'automagic', a type of magitek that gave carts and other such vehicles prolonged motion without requiring any 'horsepower', so to speak.
This Doctor, the Third Doctor, was enjoying a ride in his automagic chariot, which he had affectionally nicknamed 'Bessie', on the outskirts of Canterlot. With his TARDIS not functioning properly, he had little to do but take in the simple things in life, like enjoying a nice drive.
Sadly, this nice drive was cut short. Another sphere appeared above The Doctor.
"Great balls of fire!" he exclaimed. The Doctor slammed the reigns on Bessie down, and she sped up. The Doctor engaged in evasive maneuvering, but it still wasn't enough to escape. The sphere captured him, as it did the first two Doctors, with Bessie in tow.
The mysterious pony in black smiled at this victory, and the pentagonal display behind him lit up again. 3 sections full, only two left.
Meanwhile on the Eye of Orion...
"What's happening to him?" Bon Bon asked, "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know. Maybe he's under some kind of psychic attack." Caramel theorized.
The Doctor spoke up, still weak. "I'm being diminished. What is a pony but the sum of his memories? Especially when that pony is a Time Lord."
"Is there any way we can help?" Bon Bon asked.
"Y-yes." The Doctor weezed. "Get me back in the TARDIS."
Bon Bon carefully lifted The Doctor onto Caramel's back. Though Caramel's legs wobbled, he moved onward for the sake of his friend.
The Doctor screamed in pain once again. "Ah! I have to find them. I have to..."
"Find who?" Caramel asked.
The sands at the bottom of The Doctor's hourglass mark were almost fully gone now. He barely had any strength left as he muttered, "My other selves."
Meanwhile at The Books and Branches Library...
Twilight Sparkle was double-checking, triple-checking, and even quadruple-checking her checklist this time. She wasn't about to make a mistake this time.
"Present?" Spike asked.
"Check." she replied.
"Tickets?"
"Check."
"Food for Owlowicious?"
"Check."
"Food for me?" Spike asked, hopefully.
"Of course." she replied, floating a piece of topaz to him for his help.
"Ooo." he said, inhaling the scent of the gem deeply, making sure to savor it. "That should just about do it."
"Shame you can't come with us, Spike." she said.
"No big deal, someone's gotta look after the library, right?" Spike replied. "Just make sure to give your big bro and Cadance my best."
"On my other checklist." she shot back.
"Should've guessed. Be careful out there."
Twilight shook her head. Sometimes Spike was a little too concerned for his own good. "Okay. Have fun." she replied. Twilight headed out the door, planning to meet her friends at the train station. She was determined to make sure her BBBFF had the best birthday ever.
Meanwhile in Historic Canterbridge...
Canterbridge was quite easily one of the most famous Universities that Trottingham had to offer, and the preferred pastime? Punting down the river. And two ponies were engaged in the time-old tradition at that very moment.
One was yet another incarnation of The Doctor. This one's coat was a chocolate brown, and slightly darker mane was put up in curls. However, they were hard to see through his brown hat. Adorning the time lord were a deep brown jacket, and a scarf that went on for miles. If one were to compare this Doctor to the others, the hourglass would give away that this was the Fourth incarnation of the stallion.
Lounging with him in their boat was a unicorn mare with a light blue coat, and a two-toned mane, a darker blue with a stripe of white across it. She didn't really see why The Doctor felt the need to wear clothes, though she didn't object to his choice. Her cutie mark was also an hourglass, hers showing that she had yet to regenerate. The Doctor had nicknamed her "Colgate".
"Dr. Open Stable, Baked Cabbage, Petri Dish, Lord Buyer, Milweed..." he listed.
"Who's that last one?" Colgate asked.
"Milweed. He wrote Elysium Lost. Some of the greatest minds in Equestrian History attended Canterbridge." The Doctor explained.
"What about your buddy, Apple Drop?" she asked. Colgate really liked hearing stories about Apple Drop.
"Yes, Apple Drop too." he said bemusedly. "His laws of motion are part of the foundation of punting, after all."
"Yet another thing to thank him for." Colgate observed. She sighed and smiled. Equestria was such a simple planet, all things considered, but she had to agree with The Doctor, the place had a charm to it. "This is so relaxing. And I love Trottingham in the Springtime. The leaves, the colors..."
"It's October." The Doctor pointed out.
Colgate's smile faded. "But you said we were here for May Week."
"Yes, I did. But May Week's in June." He explained.
"I'm confused." she replied.
"So was the TARDIS. As such, October."
"Well, the leaves and colors are nice either way." Colgate returned to her relaxed demeanor.
"Yes." The Doctor replied. "And punting has it's appeal too. No co-ordinates, no dimensional stabilisers, nothing. Just the water, the punt, a strong pair of hooves and a pole."
As The Doctor pushed the two's boat down the river, another sphere of energy materialized above them.
"Doctor!" Colgate yelled.
The Doctor turned his head a moment too late to do anything, and the sphere swooped the two up.
Colgate, however, wasn't the kind of lady to go without a fight. Her horn began to glow, in the hopes that she could use her magic to save them both. They still disappeared.
Her efforts were not in vain, as the computer in front of the evil figure sparked and surged, indicating that this attack on The Doctor had been unsucessful.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
Thanks to Caramel and Bon Bon's assistance, The Doctor was able to get back to the TARDIS, and he had begun tinkering with the console.
"Alright, and we're- ah!" he began before screaming in pain once more. As he collapsed, the TARDIS began to shake as the three ponies were thrown about the room. In spite of the incredible pain, The Doctor was able to get the TARDIS moving.
At this point, Bon Bon finally noticed The Doctor's cutie mark, and saw that the sand at the bottom of the hourglass had completely disappeared.
"Uh-oh."
Meanwhile in Ponyville...
As Twilight walked over to the train station, she felt a skip in her step. Perhaps the universe was trying to give her more energy to make up for Pinkie's absence. She shook her head. "There's a terrifying thought."
Slightly more terrifying was the energy sphere above her. It swooped down and captured her as well. This being Ponyville, people had grown used to such events, and assumed that everything was well in hoof, and somehow, everything would turn out fine.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
Things weren't getting any better. The TARDIS was still in mid-flight The Doctor was literally starting to fade from Bon Bon and Caramel's eyes.
"What's going on?" Bon Bon asked, terrified at the prospect of The Doctor disappearing.
"Not to worry." The Doctor said, as the TARDIS stopped shaking. "We're here."
He finally fell unconscious.
Elsewhere...
The mysterious figure left the room with a wicked grin on his face. The Fifth Doctor had played right into his hooves. The pentagonal display was completely lit, though one of the five sections was flashing rather than fully lit.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
"From what I can tell," Caramel said, looking to the scanner, "we've landed in the middle of nowhere space."
"Did something go wrong mid-flight?" Bon Bon asked.
"I don't know. I couldn't tell you what half of this stuff is." Caramel replied.
"So what do we do now?" Bon Bon inquired.
Caramel looked to the unconscious cricketeer. "We wait for The Doctor to wake up."
Bon Bon voiced both of their concerns. "What if he doesn't?"
Meanwhile on Gallopfrey...
In the Gallopfreyan hierarchy of government, the highest office in the land was that of the Lord President. The current Lord President, a cream-colored earth pony stallion named Borusa, had a brow heavy with sweat. Even by Gallopfreyan standards, he was hardly a spring chicken. At his side was the blonde-maned earth pony known as Chancellor Flavia, the highest-ranked of all Time Ladies.
The final member of the High Council, a dark-coated earth pony stallion named the Castellan, entered the room.
"You're late, Castellan." Borusa said.
The Castellan bowed in deference. "Forgive me Lord President, however, I bring news. He has arrived."
A troubled silence filled the room.
"I still disagree with this plan." Borusa informed them. "Intelligent though he may be, we cannot trust him."
"You know the regulations as stated by The Ancient and Worshipful Law of Gallopfrey," Flavia replied. "If the remainder of the Council is unanimous-"
"My will can be overturned." Borusa completed. Of course he knew the Law. Prior to his tenure as the Lord President, he was one of the most beloved professors in the Time Lord academy. He had written theses and analyses of the Ancient and Worshipful Law for centuries. It had never occured to him that one day he would help to write it.
The Castellan took his place at Borusa's other side. "Shall we bring him forward, Lord President?"
Borusa sighed. "Send him in."
Flanked with guards at both sides was a crimson-red unicorn stallion. He wore a black Neighru vest and his black mane was cut short. Two features about him stood out. One was his black beard, as most ponies did not have the ability to grow facial hair that was not the color of their coat. The other was his cutie mark. Like all Gallopfreyans who had become Time Lords, this stallion's mark was a timepiece, in his case, a pocket watch. The watch however, did not show a time, and was broken and cracked in many places. This stallion had broken the greatest of all Gallopfreyan Laws: each Time Lord was allotted only 13 lives. He was on his Fourteenth. He walked into the room with a wicked grin.
"Castellan, Flavia, Borusa." he said, deliberately removing their titles.
"Koschei." Borusa replied.
"That's 'The Master' to you." The Master replied.
"You are one of the most evil and corrupt beings Gallopfrey has ever produced," Chancellor Flavia began, "Your crimes are innumerable, your demeanor horiffic, and your general attitude toward sentient life disgusts me to my core."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Flavia." The Master joked.
"In spite of this," The Castellan said, hoping to get the discussion back on track. "We are willing to forgive and forget, as it were."
"You seem to be mistaken. I have no desire for your forgiveness." The Master shot back.
"You don't fully appreciate what this means for you, Koschei." Lord Borusa explained. "Given that you have a new physical form, we could bend the rules for you a little."
The Master raised an eyebrow.
Lord Borusa sighed. "If you do as we ask... we will give you a full pardon for your crimes, and reward you with a second set of regenerations."
The Master's jaw dropped. This was his dream come true. To live a total of 26 lives? He would be that much closer to achieving his goal. With his extended lifespan he could spend millenia spreading his will over existence. With the extra twelve chances, his dominion as Master of All Matter was all but guranteed. But the best of all, he would certainly have enough time left in his life to humilate and destroy The Doctor once and for all.
"I would do near anything." The Master replied, still awestruck. "What must I do?"
"One thing only." Lord Borusa explained. "We need you to rescue The Doctor."
The First Doctor was suitably grumpy, as was his default emotion. One moment, he was going to decode an ancient riddle of a lost civilization, next thing he knew he was in some sort of neo-technological maze. He was curious to find out what had happened, sure, but he would have liked some warning!
As he made his way through the labyrinth a voice rang out, "Hello? Is anypony there?"
The Doctor could recognize that voice in a heartbeat. "Susan?!"
A light purple filly walked out from behind the next wall. Her mane was a slightly darker shade of purple, done up in a bun. Her cutie mark was that of a wristwatch, pointing toward noon.
"Grandpa!" she exclaimed. She ran toward the elderly stallion, who nuzzled his granddaughter affectionately. "What's going on? How'd we get here?"
"I wish I knew, my dear." The greying stallion replied. "I was hoping you could tell me."
The two then heard a sort of metal buzzing down the corridor. They tilted their heads slightly, and saw an ever-familiar dark shadow cast on the maze wall.
"We must be on Skaro." Susan deduced.
"Maybe not. We were brought here against our wills, perhaps this Dalek was as well." The Doctor replied.
The Dalek continued on down the corridor. A single Dalek was far from the greatest problem these two Time Lords had faced. But with no TARDIS, no allies, and no idea where they were, there was only one logical response.
"RUN!" The Doctor shouted.
As the Time Lords ran, the Dalek caught a glimpse of the two through it's eyepiece. "ANA-LYZ-ING." The image of the it's greatest enemy also brought a single response to the Dalek. "YOU ARE THE DOC-TOR. YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE DA-LEKS. YOU WILL BE EX-TER-MI-NA-TED! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"
Meanwhile in the High Council's Conference Hall...
The table at the center of the room projected the image of a large open area, filled with mountains and forests. At the center was a foreboding black tower with flags all around the summit.
"Behold The Death Zone." Borusa proclaimed.
"Charming." The Master replied in earnest. "Nothing quite like a dark secret in the midst of a so-called paradise."
"Somepony was able to reactivate the Zone, and is draining energy directly from The Eye of Harmony." The Castellan informed him.
"With the Eye's power drained, the damage to the Time Vortex caused by the manipulation of The Doctor's time stream could be irreparable." Flavia said.
"We need somepony to go down there and find out what's going on." Borusa finished.
"Did it ever occur to you to go there yourselves?" The Master challenged.
"We did send two members of the High Council," Borusa replied, "neither survived."
"Well named." The Master chuckled. "So your next logical choice was The Doctor?"
"Indeed." The Castellan said. "However, we could not find him in any of his incarnations."
"The Doctor has been removed from time near completely." Borusa explained.
"Near?" The Master repeated.
The image of The Death Zone disappated, and was replaced by one of The Fourth Doctor and Colgate floating unconscious in a dark void.
"Due to the interference of his chronomancer ally, The Doctor's fourth self was able to escape capture." The Castellan clarified. "We are trying to free them, but due the energy drain, we can't stabilize a removal procedure. For now they are caught in a Time Eddy."
"Good to know." The Master replied. Due to his new false body, he was a technical chronomancer, but his knowledge of magic was limited. Any new information about them was much appreciated. "How are you sure the other four are in The Death Zone?"
"Their time traces converge there." Borusa answered.
"How do you intend to get me into the Zone?" The Master inquired.
"We have a power-boosted, open-ended Transmat Beam available." The Castellan informed him.
"One last question." The Master said. "Why me?"
"In order to rescue The Doctor," Borusa began, "we require somepony who is intelligent, determined-"
"And expendable?" The Master cut in.
"Not at all." The Castellan corrected him. "After all, you would be useless to us dead."
"Now will you go or not?" Flavia asked.
The Master couldn't help but laugh.
Borusa and the other councilponies exchanged disappointed looks, it had seemed their last hope had failed.
"Of course I will." he said, to the shock of the High Council. "Without The Doctor, what would be the point?"
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
The Doctor struggled to get himself back up. Bon Bon and Caramel ran over to assist.
"Feeling better?" Caramel asked.
"A bit." he replied.
"What's happening to you?" Bon Bon asked.
"I'm being removed from time." The Doctor said, futzing with a few more TARDIS controls. "Part of me is there already. It's pulling the rest right behind it. I need to send a signal. And hopefully, I'll be whole again."
The Doctor turned to the scanner. Rendered on the display was a foreboding tower in the distance.
Meanwhile with The First Doctor...
In spite of the two Time Lord's efforts, they still had physical limits, and were beginning to grow tired. The Dalek, on the other hand, was inside a mechanical shell and could likely keep chasing them forever.
"YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE DA-LEKS! HALT, DOC-TOR! YOU WILL BE EX-TER-MI-NA-TED!" it shouted.
Unfortunately, the two had chosen to run down the wrong corridor. "It's a dead end!" Susan yelled.
The Doctor pondered this. "That may be precisely what we need." He figured. "My dear, when the Dalek catches up to us, when I say so, drop to the floor."
"I don't understand." Susan replied.
"Just do it!"
The Dalek rolled it's way down the corridor. It's body then rotated so that it's gun pointed at the Time Lords. "EX-TER-MI-NATE!"
"Now!" The Doctor and his granddaughter dropped to the ground as the Dalek fired it's gun. The blast hit the wall behind the two, but the material the wall was made from caused the blast to ricochet back at the Dalek, causing it to explode.
"And that, my dear, is why you never fire an energy weapon unless you know exactly what you're surrounded by." The Doctor boasted.
"Did you really know that would work, Grandpa?" Susan asked.
"Hmm? Er, yes, of course I did."
Susan rolled her eyes, which in turn caused her to notice a door next to her. "Grandpa, I think I've found the exit."
"Excellent work." The Doctor opened the door and the two walked out into the mysterious terrain. A familiar smell filled the air. "It's Gallopfrey." The Doctor said. "We're on Gallopfrey."
Meanwhile with The Second Doctor...
"We're where?!" Shining Armor asked.
The Second Doctor and Captain Armor were in a strange rock quarry. Shining would've simply assumed they had been teleported just outside the Empire, but the blackened skies gave away they had been sent to another location completely.
"Don't yell at me Captain Armor. Some ponies would kill to spend their birthday on vacation." The Doctor replied.
"I'm not exactly the average pony, Doctor. Now where are we?"
"I'm fairly certain we're on Gallopfrey. But I'm not entirely sure what part of Gallopfrey." The Doctor explained, he tilted his head so as to look out into the distance. "Captain, what is that?"
Shining turned around to look. Squinting to get a better view, he could barely make out a silver-colored figure out on the plains. "I can't tell from here."
"Perhaps we should get moving." The Doctor suggested. Shining nodded and the two starting moving in the other direction.
Meanwhile with Twilight Sparkle...
Twilight had only just materialized after being captured by the sphere. She was used to teleportation, yes, but it was usually under her own power, and not to this extended distance.
Worst of all, she had materialized in mid-air. She began to plummet downward. Her attempts to concentrate and use her magic to save her life had failed thanks to her natural reaction to such a situation: fear. As she screamed in terror, her life flashed before her eyes.
"Oh, Spike," she thought, "Why didn't I listen to you?"
Suddenly a voice rang out. "Grab on!"
She opened her eyes, and saw a rope in front of her face, and instinctively grabbed in with her teeth. She held on for dear life, and the rope tugged her up onto the side of a cliff, allowing her to climb to safety.
She spat out the rope. "Thank you." she panted, not turning her head up as she tried to gather herself after the umpteenth time gravity had tried to kill her.
"Not a problem."
She turned her head up, and was greeted by a familiar face. "Hello again, Miss Sparkle."
It was The Third Doctor! He had attached a grappling hook to Bessie, and had used the automagic chariot to pull Twilight to safety.
"It's you." she said. "But this isn't scientifically possible! I mean, even more impossible than things usually get around you. I saw you change, you turned all... all..." She began to gesture to her mouth and her mane, spinning her hoof around.
"Teeth and curls?" he presumed.
"Yes." she replied, stopping the game of charades.
"Well, I haven't yet."
Twilight couldn't exactly argue with his logic. She wouldn't really know how to. "Fair enough. Thanks for saving my life." she began, "Now could you tell me why I needed saving?"
"I'm not certain. I'm not here of my own volition, either." The Doctor explained.
"Well then, we'd better start investigating." she asserted.
The Doctor smiled. "That's what I like to hear."
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
The Doctor began pacing about the room, muttering under his breath. "I've got to-What is it I've got to do?"
Bon Bon just stared incredulously. "You said something about a signal." she reminded him.
"You also mentioned being whole." Caramel pointed out.
"Ah yes, of course. A recall signal." The Doctor remembered.
"Who's this signal for, anyway?" Bon Bon asked.
"It's-it's..." The Doctor started. He fainted dead away yet again. Bon Bon could only groan in response.
"I'm getting really, really sick of that." she told Caramel.
"I just wish he'd send that signal." he replied.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the TARDIS door. This caught the two off-guard, as it had never happened before. Bon Bon put her ear to the door. "Who is it?" she said, with exactly the sing-song quality you'd expect such a question to have.
"We could ask you the same question." a distinctly female voice replied.
"We're friends of The Doctor." Caramel projected.
"Is he in there?" the voice asked.
Caramel and Bon Bon exchanged glances. They needed help, yes, but they were well-aware that The Doctor had a lot of powerful enemies, and the idea of one knocking on the door was more than a little frightening. "Yes." Bon Bon responded hesitantly.
"We're his friends, too. Can you let us in?" she asked.
The two looked at one another carefully. Caramel nodded. Bon Bon walked over to the console, and banged her hoof on it.
The door swung open. And as luck would have it, it was two of the only ponies The Doctor trusted implicitly.
"So The Doctor's friends with some old guy and a little girl?" Caramel asked to no one in particular.
"Young colt, I am The Doctor." the graying stallion replied. "Now, ahem, where is your Doctor?"
Bon Bon, familiar with The Doctor changing his face at this point, pointed to the unconscious blonde.
The First Doctor trotted over to the young stallion. He shook Five's prone form with his front hoof. Five woke up. "You're here." he said, somewhat starry-eyed, "I knew you'd come."
"Steady on, my boy." One replied, assisting his new self in rising to his hooves. "Now, what number are you?"
"Five." he replied.
"Good grief!" he exclaimed. "I've died four times already?! I see that I'm rather clumsy in my old age."
Five looked rather cross. "Please, I don't look a day past 600."
Susan walked over to the two. "Grandpa, stop arguing with yourself. It's weird." She turned to The Fifth Doctor. "Is that really you?"
"Yes." he replied, smiling brightly. "I've missed you dearly, my little Susan."
"I hate to interrupt this touching reunion," Caramel interjected, "but what's going on?"
"Oh, where are my manners?" Five asked. "Caramel, Bon Bon, this is my granddaughter Susan, and me in my younger days."
Caramel stared increduously. The First Doctor was several hundred years younger, of course, but he appeared to be a senior citizen, and The Fifth was clearly a 'strapping young stallion' so to speak.
"And this is Caramel and Bon Bon, my newest traveling companions." he indicated to Susan and his younger self.
"Doctor, should you two be here at the same time?" Bon Bon asked.
"Definitely not." Five replied. "This sort of thing can be very dangerous for the time stream."
"Now, my dear filly, from your cutie mark, I presume you like to make sweets, eh?" One asked Bon Bon.
"Umm, yes?" she responded.
"Now, while he and I try to sort things out, why don't you go make us something nice, hmm?"
"Excuse me?!" she replied indignantly.
"Bon Bon, calm yourself please." Five requested.
"Do you realize how sexist that sounds?" she shouted.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes I know." Five said, attempting to run damage control. "I was young and foolish back then. It's no different than if I said you had cooties or something."
Susan walked up next to her. "Don't blame Grandpa. He doesn't always think before he talks."
Bon Bon wanted to stay angry, but Susan, being a young filly, had been trained to weaponize the power of cute. Furthermore, Bon Bon had more motherly instincts than she would care to admit.
"Fine. Would you like to help?" she asked the miniature Time Lady.
"Ooh, can I, Grandpa, can I?"
"Of course, my dear." One and Five said simultaneously.
Bon Bon and Susan walked deeper into the TARDIS corridors. Caramel shrugged and, realizing he didn't really have anything else to do, followed.
"So young colt," One began, "what do we know so far, hmm?"
As the technicians prepared the Transmat device, the three members of the High Council were preparing The Master.
Flavia threw a golden emblem into the air, which The Master then caught with his magic. His magic burned with a deep red color, even darker than his crimson coat. "This is the Seal of the High Council." she explained. "Hopefully it will convice The Doctors of your good faith."
"Hopefully." he emphasized.
The Castellan offered him another golden object, this one round and with blinking lights. "When you're ready, use this device. It will allow you to transport back here." he said.
"Is anypony going to wish me luck?" The Master asked.
"We wish you success." Borusa countered.
The technicians gave them the go-ahead, and The Master stepped onto the platform. A technician activated the device, and The Master was teleported away.
"And now, we wait." Borusa said.
"I intend to wait alone." Castellan shot back, and walked out of the room.
"I'll go talk to him." Flavia told Borusa, also leaving the room.
Meanwhile in The Death Zone...
As The Master appeared in The Death Zone, he took a quick look to the ground. Littered about were corpses wearing the robes of the High Council Members.
"My predecessors, I'd assume."
Meanwhile with The Second Doctor...
"It's just as I feared, Captain." Two explained, looking to the dark tower in the distance. "We're on Gallopfrey, in the Death Zone."
"Well, that's a reassuring name." the Captain deadpanned.
"Indeed." Two replied. "Before Rassilon and Omega rose to power, the Time Lords used their mastery over time and space to take the so-called 'lesser beings' of the universe, and trap them here. They would then compete in horrid bloodsport, with no chance of escape. Even if by some miracle they found a way to escape the forcefield, they would run right into the guards."
"Your people sound more and more charming every time you tell me about them." Shining Armor said sarcastically.
"This place in the shame of all of Gallopfrey, Captain. Time Lords included." Two countered. "Now let's go. I'll explain more on the way to the Tower."
"What's in the Tower?" Shining asked.
"The Tower houses Rassilon, the Alpha to the Omega. The single greatest figure in Time Lord history." Two said.
"So it's where he lives?" Shining questioned.
"No. It's his tomb."
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
Once Bon Bon and the other companions finished cooking sweets, they returned to the console room to an all-too familiar sight. The Doctors still bickering with one another.
"You've got to be kidding." Caramel said.
"He may look young, but Grandpa's still an old stallion." Susan explained. "He's an arguer."
"We need to send the signal and then we should wait for the others. Now stop talking nonsense, my boy!" One shouted.
"There's no time for that." Five yelled back. "We must leave immediately. Temporal instability's already starting to affect me."
"Yes, but without your other selves, you're still weak, and my body is infirm." One countered. "We'd be close to useless in the Death Zone."
"Well they won't last out there either! There is some evil force at work here."
"I'm sorry, but what's the Death Zone?" Bon Bon asked.
"It's the darkest part of Gallopfrey, pay attention little one." One explained.
Bon Bon shot a look of indignation at the elder stallion, and Caramel promptly held her back.
"Look, we can't afford to wait. Especially not if someone is tapping Rassilon's power." Five told his younger self.
"Very well, then. What do you intend to do?" One challenged.
It was here that the cricketeer had trouble. One had a good point. He was weakened, but he didn't exactly have a lot of options. When it came down to it, he only had one idea. A really, really bad idea.
"I'm going to the Tomb of Rassilon."
Meanwhile with The Third Doctor...
As Three and Twilight drove through the treacherous pathways of the Death Zone, he took it upon himself to give her a crash course in Gallopfreyan History. "All this was originally the setting for the games. But old Rassilon put a stop to that. He sealed off the Death Zone and forbade any further use of the Time Scoop."
"So if using the Time Scoop is illegal, why are we here now?" Twilight asked.
"Clearly somepony thought it would be amusing to toss us in here and see if we sink or swim." he replied. "The only thing we can do now is head for the Tomb of Rassilon."
"So to clarify," Twilight began, "we've been thrown into a disused gladiatorial arena via illegal means, and in response we're going to a mysterious tower which houses a dead alicorn, and then do what exactly?"
"What I do best, Miss Sparkle. Improvise."
Twilight rolled her eyes. She had so much respect for The Doctor. He was brilliant, he really was. But at the same time, his recklessness and refusal to plan drove her up the walls. Would it kill him to make a checklist? Would it?!
"Doctor!"
Three pulled back on the reigns, halting the automagic chariot. He and Twilight disembarked and looked for the origin of the voice. Three turned around and saw another pony down the road.
"It can't be..." he muttered.
Suddenly a dark red flash of light appeared before the two. As it faded, the insidious form of The Master took it's place.
"Of course." Three said. "I should have figured that you were the one behind this."
"Doctor, who is this guy?" Twilight asked.
Three paused for a moment and considered this. He thought back to his travels with Twilight and remembered that, surprisingly, Twilight had never met his archenemy before. "Well, Miss Sparkle, this is my greatest nemesis. The Master."
"Delighted to meet you." The Master said, offering his front hoof.
"The pleasure is yours." Twilight replied, declining.
"You've changed bodies. That's odd." Three said. "Last I checked, you had run out of regenerations."
"I got creative." The Master explained.
"I'll bite the bullet and ask. Why have you brought us to the Death Zone?" Three questioned.
"Believe or not, Doctor, I'm not responsible." The Master replied. "I'm on your side this time."
"Well I don't believe it." Three said.
The Master had figured that. It was time to test Flavia's theory. "I come bearing proof of my intentions." He lifted the emblem Flavia gave him using his telekinesis. "Behold the Seal of the High Council."
Twilight grabbed it with her telekinesis, and floated it over to Three. The scientific officer gave it a discerning look. He then snatched it and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. "Clearly stolen." he said. "I'll be sure to return it once I get to the bottom of this."
Twilight looked at him strangely. She had never seen him like this before. Was this really the same pony who was willing to give the Daleks a chance, when she wouldn't? What could this unicorn have done to earn such distrust?
The Master was clearly just as upset. "Look, I knew this was going to be difficult, Doctor. But even I never thought you would be so arrogant as to make it utterly impossible."
"Doctor, can't you at least give him a chance?" Twilight asked.
"I've given Koschei plenty of chances." Three replied. "And every time, he turns on me at the last second. I refuse to keep making that mistake."
"I am here to help!" The Master shouted.
"I've never heard such absolute rubbish !" Three shouted back.
Suddenly an enormous bolt of electrical energy crashed down where the three ponies were talking. It was only through a great deal of luck that none of them were hurt.
"A trap." Three said. "As I suspected."
"You must be kidding." The Master replied. "I'm not a pegasus, I can't control the lightning bolts any more than you can."
As if to contradict his statement, a series of bolts continued to crash around the group. Twilight and Three got back onto Bessie and drove off in the hopes of avoiding the lightning strikes. The Master, having no such transportation, simply ran away.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
Five hit a button on the console, and a display of the Tomb of Rassilon appeared on the main monitor. "There are three entrances. One along the mountain pass, one from a series of abandoned caves, and the front door."
"Which one will you use?" One asked.
Five looked at the other Doctor as if the old stallion was still a foal asking if he could leave the table without finishing his oats. "The front door."
"I still think you should wait." One said.
"We don't have that kind of time." Five countered.
Meanwhile with The Third Doctor...
Three and Twilight left the smoking remains of poor Bessie. Sadly she just wasn't equipped for evasive maneuvers.
A group of Gallopfreyan technicians continued to operate on a series of computer banks. While they were not Time Lords themselves, they still understood how to operate the chronological technology. On the main computer screen was the image of The Fourth Doctor and Colgate floating in the Time Eddy.
Borusa took the head technician off to the side. "Is there anything you can do to retrieve them?"
"Nothing, my Lord President." he replied. "With the present energy drain, it is beyond our resources."
"Use whatever spare energy you have to stabilise that portion of the vortex. If nothing else it may give the other four Doctors more time." Borusa commanded.
The technician saluted and went back to work.
The Castellan walked into the room. "My Lord, is there any word from The Master?"
Borusa shook his head.
Meanwhile with The Second Doctor...
As Two and Captain Armor continued their journey across the treacherous plains of the Death Zone, a thought occured to The Doctor. "I wonder, could Rassilon himself have brought us here?"
This caught the Captain off-guard. "I thought you said that the tower was his tomb. How could he have brought us here if he's dead?"
"Rassilon is supposed to be dead, yes, but he's also incredibly powerful." Two explained. "For all I know, he's watching us right this very moment."
"And would that be a problem?" Shining asked.
"You said you remember Omega, correct?" Two questioned.
"Well, yeah." Shining said. "But you said that Rassilon was the good one."
"Compared to Omega, he's the good one." Two clarified.
"Compared to Omega, anypony's the good one." Shining joked.
"Exactly." Two said. "The official Time Lord history is not necessarily accurate. It's entirely possible that Rassilon was just as bad, if not worse. There were rumors that the other elder Time Lords sealed Rassilon away for his cruelty."
"And now he's awake?" Shining asked.
"And we're playing the Game of Rassilon at this very moment." Two answered gravely.
"I assume we aren't exactly expected to win." Shining replied.
"No." Two said.
"Well, when has that ever stopped us?" the Captain asked.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
Caramel walked over to Five. "Even if you do actually reach this Tower, what are you going to do?"
"I intend to deactivate the forcefield," Five explained, "once I do that, we'll be able to free the TARDIS, and then we can get to the bottom of this."
"I'm coming with you." Bon Bon declared.
While Five nodded, One looked concerned. "I think it would be in your best interest to stay here with me." One said.
Bon Bon was just about done with this old fogey. "I'm going with him."
Five returned to damage control. "Yes, Bon Bon, you're coming with me." He turned to his younger self. "Now, once I deactivate the force-field, I'm counting on you to bring the TARDIS around."
"Not a problem, young colt." he replied.
"Can I go too, Grandpa?" Susan asked.
Five and One replied at the same time, but were a tad contradictory. "Certainly!/Of course not!"
Five quickly turned to One. "I'm the oldest, so I say she comes with me."
"Yay!" Susan yelled.
She flipped a switch on the console, and the doors opened properly for the first time. The three left immediately, and the door slammed shut behind them. One gave a flat glare to the door.
"Kids." Caramel said.
"Tell me about it." One replied.
Meanwhile with The Third Doctor...
Twilight and Three were climbing a high slope. While Three was clearly over the moon about this newfound excapade, Twilight was not built for climbing directly up the side of a mountain.
"I thought you said were going to the Tower." Twilight complained.
"We are, there's an entrance at the top!" Three shouted back. Scientific advisor though he may have been, he was a member of the Royal Guard, and he had a great appreciation for physical activity.
"But isn't there an easier way?" she asked.
"Easier, yes! Quite as fun, not in the slightest!" he answered.
"Ugh." she moaned. She turned her head. "Doctor, look."
Three, ignoring pretty much everything they teach you when you start rock-climbing, looked down. Fortunately it was in his best interest. Below them was a large platoon of ponies. From their distance the average observer would call them normal earth ponies with silver armor. However, these two were hardly the average observer.
"Cyberponies." Three whispered, so as not to draw attention to themselves. "The Master must have brought others into the Death Zone with us."
While Twilight was still willing to give The Master the benefit of the doubt, she also knew how dangerous the Cyberponies were. She took a breath, and the two continued their ascent.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
As Caramel and One waited for Five to reach the tower, they enjoyed some of the cookies that Bon Bon had made. One had to admit, they were pretty good.
"So how long do you think it will take for The Doctor to reach the Tower?" Caramel asked.
One shot him a dirty look and moved over to the console.
"Fine." Caramel replied. "How long until The Other Doctor reaches the Tower?"
"Well it depends on if something tries to stop him. They called it the Death Zone for a reason, after all." One answered. Suddenly, one of the devices on the console began to blink. "My word, two more traces!"
Caramel rushed over. "Two more Time Lords?"
"Two more Doctors." One clarified. "That makes four."
"But if my Doctor's the fifth, doesn't that mean one of them is missing?"
"Yes." One responded. "I wonder what happened."
Meanwhile with The Second Doctor...
"Oooohhhhh, he who to Rassilon's Tower goes, must choose below." Two sang. "No, no, no. That's not it." He started to mutter the lyrices under his breath. "Who unto Rassilon's Tower goes, must choose above, between, below..."
"Doctor," Shining interjected, "please stop."
"You're not exactly cheerful for a birthday boy." Two replied. "I was trying to recall an old Gallopfreyan nursery rhyme. It supposedly contains a clue on how to enter the Tower.
"So in lieu of a map, we have a nursery rhyme." Shining criticized. Shining took his guard duty seriously, and wasn't exactly a fan of how childish The Doctor could get. At least The Third Doctor was serious about his work, even if the two disagreed on methods.
"Quite so Captain." Two said. "Aha!" He pointed to a small entryway in a rock formation.
"Spelunking. Just what I planned to do on my birthday." Shining said.
"You too?"
Meanwhile with The Fifth Doctor...
The group continued their trek through the Death Zone to Rassilon's Tomb. "We're almost there." Five declared, for the third time thus far.
"This is so much fun!" Susan said. She loved her grandfather unconditionally, but this version was a lot more fun than the one she was used to.
Bon Bon was considerably less excited. Her disposition was closer to that of 'tired'. "I'm glad somepony's enjoying themself."
"Doctor!"
The three looked around, and saw a unicorn in the distance.
"The Master." Bon Bon whispered.
"Leave him to me." Five replied. "Keep Susan safe." He walked over to the crimson-coated stallion, who met him halfway via teleportation.
"I realize what I'm about to say will sound ridiculous-" The Master began.
"Nonsense." Five countered. "I try to believe three impossible things before breakfast."
"I mean you no harm." The Master finished.
Five's eyes widened. "I'm listening."
Susan and Bon Bon watched from a safe distance. "Is that guy one of Grandpa's friends?" Susan asked.
"Not in the slightest." Bon Bon replied. This wasn't her first time meeting The Master, and every single time, everypony had been pushed to their physical, mental, and emotional limit. After all, this pony had killed The Fourth Doctor.
"They're talking like they're friends." Susan pointed out.
Bon Bon looked a bit closer. Both stallions were incredibly calm. Normally when The Doctor talked to The Master, he was on edge. Always thinking, always planning. Here, he was moving with the flow. "Which worries me."
What nopony realized was that another party was spying on both groups. It was yet another battalion of Cyberponies. One of the mecha-stallions walked over to another, this one's face being a dark black color, rather than the chrome than covered the entirety of the other Cyberponies' bodies.
"CYBERLEADER. THE-WHITE-EARTH-PONY-STALLION-HAS-BEEN-IDENTIFIED-AS-THE-DOCTOR." it intoned.
The Cyberleader replied with a somewhat deeper tone. "EXCELLENT."
Another Cyberpony approached it. "SHALL-WE-TAKE-THE-PATROL-TO-DESTROY-HIM?"
"NEGATIVE." The Cyberleader responded. "WE-REQUIRE-THE-DOCTOR-TO-PILOT-THE-TARDIS. HIS-ALLIES-ARE-TO-BE-CAPTURED. WHEN-THE-DOCTOR'S-PURPOSE-HAS-BEEN-SERVED-HE-WILL-BE-DELETED. HIS-COMPANIONS-SHALL-THEN-BECOME-LIKE-US."
In the meantime, the two Time Lords were finishing their conversation. "Doctor, I'm asking you to be reasonable." The Master requested.
"I am." Five replied. "I listened."
The Master decided it was time to force the issue. He lifted a cylindrical device from his jacket using his telekinesis. "I'm armed, Doctor. Had I wanted you dead, I would have shot you already."
"Your Tissue Compression Eliminator?" Five asked, somewhat incredulously. "Face facts, Koschei, you'd never use that thing on me. You would never kill me unless you could humiliate first."
The Master returned the device to his jacket. The Doctor knew him all too well. He then lifted a different device. "I also have a Recall Device given to me by the High Council. If I use this, we can return to Gallopfrey, and we can all figure this out together."
"I would prefer if you could give me more positive proof of your intentions." Five told him.
The Master mentally kicked himself. It was hardly his own fault, but this was incredibly inconvenient. "I did have the Seal of the High Council. But your third self took it from me."
"Forgive me if I don't exactly believe you." Five replied.
It was at this point Bon Bon noticed the band of cybernetic soldiers approaching. "Doctor! Cyberponies!" she shouted.
Both Time Lords swung their heads around to see the metal-plated menace. "Bon Bon! Get Susan back to the TARDIS!" Five yelled back. The two mares turned tail and ran. He turned back to the rogue. "Shall we?"
"We shall." he replied.
The two began to run for their lives, but unfortunately, lightning began to strike around The Master again. This bolt got close enough to knock him off his hooves. Five ran over to him, and noticed the Recall Device.
The Cyberponies caught up with the two. "YOU-SHALL-ACCOMPANY-US." one said.
Five nabbed the Recall Device and activated it. "Sorry. Must dash." He then disappeared.
Meanwhile with the High Council...
The scanner began blinking. "Locked on." a technician announced. "Preparing to retrieve The Master."
Borusa, Flavia, and Castellan walked over to the Transmat platform. The device activated it's neon blue glow, and a pony materialized. Much to their surprise however, it was not The Master.
"Quite the welcome wagon." Five said.
Meanwhile with The Master...
A Cyberpony turned to the Cyberleader. "THIS-STALLION-IS-A-TIME-LORD. BUT-HE-IS-NOT-THE-DOCTOR."
The Master rose back to his hooves.
"YOU-WILL-IDENTIFY-OR-YOU-WILL-BE-DELETED." The Cyberleader intoned.
"I am The Master." he replied. However, he did not finish it in his usual manner. "And I am your loyal servant."
Once Bon Bon and Susan got back to the TARDIS, they took it upon themselves to explain what had happened during their little excursion.
"And then he just disappeared." Susan finished.
"What could that mean?" Caramel asked.
"Well, ahem, I suppose, given the description, it must have been some sort of Transmat Device." One explained.
"He must have gotten it from The Master." Bon Bon figured.
"So now what?" Caramel wondered.
"I suppose, that without my other self, it falls to me to head for the Tomb of Rassilon." One replied.
"I'm going with you." Bon Bon said. She gave him an intense glare, as if to pre-emptively shoot down any complaints he may have.
"Oh, yes, yes, yes, very well." One conceded. "Young colt, keep an eye on Susan. Susan, once I deactivate the forcefield, I'm counting on you to bring the TARDIS around."
"No problem, Grandpa!" she said.
One and Bon Bon exited.
Meanwhile with The Fifth Doctor...
Borusa had just finished explaining the High Council's actions up to that point. Five wore a look of shame as the Lord President verified The Master's story. "It seems I've done Koschei a vast injustice." he said. In spite of their enmity, the two Time Lords had once been best friends. He should've given him a chance.
"I'm sure he will learn to forgive you." Borusa reassured.
Five smiled. Despite his distaste for the High Council, Borusa had been his favorite professor at the academy for a reason. "Well, if he isn't responsible, who is making use of the Death Zone?"
The Castellan scoffed. "We were hoping that you could tell us. You're the one who's been there."
Five pondered this. "Who would have access to the Time Scoop?"
"Nopony." Chancellor Flavia answered. "Use of the Time Scoop is completely illegal."
"But the device was never destroyed." Five replied.
Flavia's look turned stern. "Doctor, are you attempting to implicate a fellow Time Lord?"
"And an important one, at that."
Borusa could hardly believe this. "Doctor, this is a grave accusation. You will require evidence to this accusation."
Five stared Borusa right in the eyes. "Cyberponies."
The three Council Members turned silence. Time Lords were powerful, yes, but they would be fools not to acknowledge the threat.
"Even in our darkest hour, no Time Lord would randomly select a Cyberpony to be placed in the Death Zone. They play the games too well." Five explained, his eyes boring into Borusa's very soul. "Somepony brought them there for the express purpose of getting rid of me."
Five then opened the Recall Device he had used. A strange blinking chip was in the middle of the device, and seemed completely out of place. "Furthermore, this Recall Device contained a homing beacon. Perfect for leading the Cyberponies right to me."
Borusa was shocked. "And the one who gave the device to The Master was..."
The Doctor and the other two council members turned to The Castellan. "It's not true. I didn't know that was in there! I-"
"Commander!" Borusa yelled. A guard walked over to him. "Search The Castellan's living quarters."
"This is an outrage." The Castellan replied.
"If you speak the truth," Five said, "then you have nothing to hide."
Meanwhile with The Master...
The Master had offered an explanation to the Cyberponies. They hadn't really gone for it.
"WE-WILL-NOT-BELIEVE-YOUR-LIES." The Cyberleader intoned.
"I speak the truth." The Master countered. "We've been sent here for the amusement of the Time Lords, but we need not play their game. You can counter their efforts and destroy them. You just need my help."
"YOU-WILL-EXPLAIN."
"That tower in the distance is the fortress of the Time Lords," The Master lied, "and I can show you how to get in."
"WHAT-DO-YOU-EXPECT-IN-EXCHANGE?" The Cyberleader asked.
"My life." The Master responded.
The Cyberleader and and his lieutenant walked over to the side. "DO-YOU-BELIEVE-THIS-STALLION, CYBERLEADER?" the lieutenant asked.
"NO. WE-WILL-DESIGNATE-THE-PROMISE-OF-FREEDOM-AS-A-LIE. ONCE-HE-HAS-SERVED-HIS-PURPOSE-HE-WILL-BE-DELETED." The Cyberleader replied. It turned back to The Master. "YOU-WILL-TAKE-US-TO-THIS-TOWER."
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
Susan and Caramel looked to the scanning device on the console. "Why can't Grandpa move faster?" she complained.
Caramel, not being completely idiotic, saw through this, and attempted to help with the real issue. "Don't worry. Bon Bon will make sure he's safe."
Susan nodded her head. "Right." she muttered. "I just wish we could contact the other Grandpas."
A loud thump rang out. "What was that?" Caramel asked.
Susan flipped on the scanner, and the source of the noise was revealed.
"Cyberponies." she muttered.
There was a third battalion.
Meanwhile with The Second Doctor...
Two and Captain Armor had found their way into the underground system of tunnels beneath the Death Zone. Captain Armor had taken it upon himself to serve as a flashlight. "This way, Captain." Two said.
"Doctor, seriously, I'm getting way too old for this kind of thing." Shining moaned.
"Stiff upper lip, Captain, there's life in us yet." Two chuckled. "Haven't you noticed that we're going uphill?"
"And this should make me feel better because...?" Shining asked.
"Because we're that much closer to making our way into the Tower." Two explained.
Suddenly, a loud bellowing noise echoed throughout the catacombs. "Doctor, what was that?"
"I'm not certain, but I'd assume it's large, ferocious, carnivorous, and very hungry." Two theorized.
Three and Twilight's trek was about to reach it's conclusion, as they had come to a level path through the mountains, and had found a clearing.
"Are we just about done yet?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, now keep moving."
"Haven't we shaken the Cyberponies off yet?"
"I doubt it." Three responded. "They never tire out, remember?"
Twilight nodded. Before she took another step, a strange noise sounded out. A sort of 'ZING' kind of sound.
"Don't move." Three whispered.
Twilight immediately froze up. She didn't know what was going on, but had enough faith in The Doctor to listen to him. "What's going on?"
"That sound is the signal of a Raston Warrior Robot." Three explained. "They detect motion and wipe out any and all stragglers in the games."
"Anything else?"
"They're faster than those lightning bolts."
Twilight gulped.
As the two stood still, a loud thumping sound grew behind them. A Raston on one side, and Cyberponies on the other. The proverbial rock and a hard place.
"Do we run?" Twilight asked.
"Only if you'd like a swift death." Three answered.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
The Cyberponies' menace wasn't limited to The Third Doctor, however. Caramel and Susan remained trapped in the TARDIS, with another batallion outside.
"You're a Time Lord, right?" Caramel asked.
"Yeah." Susan said.
"Well, can't you use the controls to get us out of here?"
"I could," she replied, "but the forcefield's still active. We can't move."
Meanwhile with The First Doctor...
Even if Bon Bon knew what Caramel was going through at the moment, she would gladly trade places with him. She had long since had enough of The First Doctor. Every other sentence out of his mouth was a complaint or a condescending remark. Compared to how sweet and kind her Doctor was, it was quite jarring to make the jump.
Also, he didn't move very quickly. "Come on Doc, get the lead out!" she shouted behind her.
One stumbled forward, short of breath. "I'm going as fast as I can, young filly," he panted. "And kindly refrain from referring to me as 'Doc'!"
Meanwhile with The High Council...
The Castellan waited patiently for the Guard Commander to return. The Doctor's accusations against him were completely frivolous! He refused to let this get to him, mind you, but seeing The Doctor just sitting around waiting after accusing him for such a crime was more than a little annoying.
The Guard Commander walked in with a black box. "Behold, Lord President, a case that bears the Seal of Rassilon."
Five stood back up upon hearing this.
"And where did you find this?" Borusa asked.
"In The Castellan's quarters, sir."
Flavia opened the case. The box contained scrolls made from black paper. Flavia gasped. "The Forbidden Black Scrolls of Rassilon!"
The Castellan reacted immediately. "I've never seen those before in my life! They must've been planted on me!"
Five reached for the scrolls, but Borusa slammed the case shut. "They've been given the title of 'Forbidden' for a reason, Doctor." he deadpanned.
Suddenly, the case burst into flame. "Clearly you didn't wish to take any chances." Flavia said.
"I am innocent!" The Castellan shouted back.
"Commander," Borusa ordered, "take The Castellan in for interrogation. You are authorized to utilize the mind probe."
Everypony in the room gasped.
"No." The Castellan whispered, frightened. The Guard dragged him out of the room, kicking and screaming. "Not the mind probe!"
Five looked concerned for The Castellan. "Borusa, please let me talk to him."
"No need, Doctor." Borusa replied. "The mind probe will tell us all we need to know."
The zapping sound of a laser beam rang out. Borusa, Flavia, and Five ran out of the room to investigate. The Guard Commander had a look of guilt across his face, and The Castellan lay dead on the floor.
"He tried to make a break for it. I fired my staser gun on impulse." the Commander preemptively explained.
A staser was an interesting piece of technology, as it would kill a Time Lord and simultaneously negate his ability to regenerate. Naturally, only guards were permitted to wield such weapons, but even then, sometimes things like this could happen.
"Well," Five said, rather upset with the Guard, "at least the High Council has been saved the embarassment of a trial."
The true meaning of Five's statement was obvious. He was now over his nostalgia for his home planet, and had been reminded why he left in the first place.
"Maybe so, Doctor, but at least now we've found the traitor and we can focus on finding your other selves." Lord Borusa offered.
"Yes, I should probably get back to them."
Flavia interjected. "Not possible. We'll need time to recharge the Transmat device."
"Furthermore," Borusa said, "we'll need a report from you to help establish The Castellan's actions."
"Well, I can't abandon my other selves!" Five argued.
"They'll be able to cope, Doctor." Borusa shot back.
Five conceded. "Are all of them in the Zone?"
Borusa nodded. "All except your fourth incarnation. Your chronomancer friend knocked you both into a Time Eddy."
"Good old Colgate." Five said, reminiscing on the Time Lady.
"Flavia, would you escort The Doctor to a place where he can rest?" Borusa asked. "He's probably exhausted after all he's been through."
Flavia nodded and took Five with her.
Meanwhile with The Second Doctor...
Two and Shining were being very careful. The catacombs were a pratical labyrinth, and, as Shining said, all they had to go on was a nursery rhyme that Two didn't fully remember. To top it all off, some sort of beast was in the caves with them.
A large, hairy bipedal creature appeared in front of them. It roared with an incredible fury.
"A Yeti!" Shining announced, strangely. After all, they could both clearly tell what it was.
Two offered something a bit more constructive. "Captain, there's an alcove here, come on!"
The two fit through the small passage as the Yeti charged at them. They were able to enter the passway, but the Yeti reached its arm into the crevice.
"Doctor, any ideas?" Shining asked.
Two began rustling through his jacket pockets. He pulled out his recorder, a miniature catapult, an apple, a battery-powered battery charger, a bag of jelly fillies, and settled upon a tube wrapped in what appeared to be wax paper. "Captain, can you use your magic to set fire to this?"
"Yes."
"Excellent!" Two announced. "Now, when I throw this, I want you to ignite it once it gets close to the Yeti."
Shining nodded in affirmation, and Two tossed the tube. Shining fired a bolt of magic, and the tube exploded in a shower of golden sparks, scaring the Yeti off. Once the beast left, Shining turned towards Two. "What was that stuff?"
"Galactic Glitter." Two replied, placing his items back in his pockets.
Shining looked down their passway, and noticed something of interest. "Doctor, there's a door."
Two turned around. "That's our way in."
"Into the Tower that has an undead alicorn with time powers inside of it?" Shining clarified.
"Yes. After you, Captain."
"No, Doctor. I insist."
Two complied, wisely choosing to avoid doing this for the next five minutes.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
As Caramel and Susan watched the main monitor, they noticed the Cyberponies bringing a series of metal parts and a large coil of wire toward the TARDIS.
"What are they doing?" Susan asked.
"I don't know." Caramel replied. "But I don't like it."
Meanwhile with The Third Doctor...
The tension was so thick you couldn't cut it with a knife. The Cyberponies continued their approach, and Twilight beginning to sweat. "Doctor, I can't take much more of this."
"Give it a moment." Three whispered back.
At last the Cyberponies had arrived. The 'ZING' sound was heard again. Now, a Cyberpony has no fear, and would pay such a thing no mind. This would be the final mistake of this battalion. Out of nowhere, The Raston Warrior Robot appeared with another 'ZING'.
While Cyberponies were rather bulky in their design, a Raston Warrior Robot was thin and lanky. It's face had no eyes and no semblance of a mouth. The Raston fired a javelin from its hoof, skewering one of the Cyberponies. The other cyborgs returned fire from their head-mounted blasters, but The Raston's lightning-fast reflexes allowed it to continue this Cyber-massacre.
It was during this distraction that Three and Twilight were able to make their escape. The two ran past the Raston and up a cliff face. Fortunately, they were able to reach the mountain's peak unharmed.
"We should be out of its range." Three panted.
"And we've made it!" Twilight declared, pointing to the nearby Tower. From the peak, the two could make out a small door on a balcony near the Tower's summit. "Only, how are we supposed to get there?"
She heard a clank behind her. She turned around, and there was good news and bad news. The good news was that it wasn't one of the dangerous metallic ponies.
The bad news was that Three was holding his grappling hook in his mouth. And he was grinning ear to ear.
The death of The Castellan was still fresh in Five's mind. The Doctor, in any incarnation, refused to stop thinking. He would always live a tortured life, always asking himself the same question.
"Was I right?"
Flavia noticed Five's disposition. "Doctor, please don't worry. I'm sure that your other selves and your friends will be fine."
"I'm more concerned for Gallopfrey as a whole." He replied.
This confused Flavia. "We've already found the traitor, Doctor."
"Have we?" he asked. "I've known The Castellan for some time now. He was narrow-minded, yes, but he was fiercely loyal to the Ancient and Worshipful Law. Any mention of the Dark Times filled him with terror. I can't help but think that he was telling the truth about the scrolls being planted on him."
Flavia considered this. "If it will alleviate your concerns, I will speak with the guard who killed him. I'm sure to learn a thing or two."
"Thank you," Five said. Flavia left to do so.
"And I'll talk to Borusa." he whispered.
Meanwhile with The Third Doctor...
"You cannot be serious!" Twilight shouted.
"It's simple, Miss Sparkle." Three explained. "I'll throw the grappling hook, you'll hold on to me, we swing across, and once we're close enough, you teleport us onto the balcony."
"Yes, but we'll need to do a lot of math, account for weight, wind speed, gravity-is gravity different here on Gallopfrey?" Twilight ranted.
"Miss Sparkle, sometimes in life, you just need to take a chance." Three countered.
"Like when?" she asked.
"Like trusting five young mares you've just met."
Twilight promptly shut up. There was pretty much nothing she could say to come back from that.
The two walked to the edge of the cliff. Three threw the grappling hook, and it was able to connect to the balcony. Twilight grabbed on to Three's neck.
"I'm ready."
Three jumped from the cliff and the two swung across the gap. Twilight, of course, screamed for her life, but was able to get them to the balcony all the same.
"Thank you, Miss Sparkle." Three said, collecting his grappling hook.
"Not a problem," she replied, "just please don't ask me to do that again."
"Trust me, you'll be put through several major ordeals in the future that have nothing to do with me." Three said. He then put his front hoof on her shoulder. "And I have the utmost faith that you'll succeed."
Twilight smiled. "Thanks, Doctor."
"Now then, mares first." Three said, opening the door.
"My, what a gentlecolt." Twilight retorted. The two shared a laugh and continued into the Tower.
Meanwhile with The First Doctor...
Bon Bon and One had also reached the Tower by this point. Their journey had been more or less uneventful thus far, and had made it to the front entrance unharmed.
There was a bell on a stand outside the door.
"So now what do we do?" Bon Bon asked. "Ring the door bell?"
One lifted the bell to reveal a keypad underneath. "Or perhaps we enter the security code."
"Do you know what the code is?" she asked.
"No." he replied. He then pulled a cylindrical device from his coat. "However, I have this." He pointed the device at the keypad, which promptly beeped, and the door unlocked.
"You've got a sonic?" Bon Bon asked, somewhat surprised.
"Of course I do, my dear. I'm The Doctor."
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
The regiment of Cyberponies outside the TARDIS had begun construction on a mysterious device. While the design was foreign to both occupants, the function was clear.
"It's a bomb." Susan said, suitably frightened.
"A big one." Caramel confirmed.
Meanwhile with The First Doctor...
As One and Bon Bon entered the Tower, they came across a room with a strange design on the floor. It had been arranged into a checkerboard pattern with 10 rows. One put his hoof in front of Bon Bon.
"Be careful, young filly." He reached into his jacket pocket, and took out a bag of bits. He began to pitch the coins onto the checkerboard's squares.
"So, is it a toll booth?" Bon Bon asked.
"One that could cost us our lives." One wasn't familiar with the Tower's intricacies, but he had been in enough ancient temples to know a booby trap when he saw one.
Sure enough, as one of the coins landed, the entire board lit up. Suddenly, a projection of red energy rose up from the board, incinerating the coins.
"Incredible!" One said. "Once you reach the fifth row, everything on the board is destroyed."
Bon Bon gulped. "So it's a trap." she determined. "But how do we get around it."
"Our ancestors were quite creative in the art of death, weren't they, Doctor?"
Bon Bon and One turned around, and saw that The Master had caught up with them.
"Koschei, is that you?" One asked.
"I go by 'The Master' now." he replied. "And I've come to help you."
"There's a laugh riot." Bon Bon said, fury in her voice.
"Now, young miss, I don't know why you're upset with him, but I'll have you know that this was my old lab partner in the Academy." One explained calmly.
"What?!" Bon Bon shouted.
"I'm afraid the trip down memory lane must be cut short, my dear Doctor," The Master interjected, "as I've brought a few unwanted guests. If you'll leave me alone, I will be happy to dispose of them."
"Unwanted guests?" One asked.
"Cyberponies." The Master clarified.
That was pretty much all One and Bon Bon needed to hear. The two promptly hid in one of the corners of the room. The Cyberleader arrived with his battalion, The Master smirking.
"WHY-WAS-THERE-NO-GUARD?" The Cyberleader inquired.
"No need for one." The Master lied. "Now, if you'll kindly step across this board."
"STATISTICAL-ANALYSIS-INDICATES-IT-IS-A-TRAP. YOU-WILL-SHOW-US-THE-WAY-ACROSS." The Cyberleader replied.
The Master nodded and began to move across the board. He then stopped upon reaching the fourth row. "See, nothing to worry about."
"ALL-THE-WAY."
One and Bon Bon looked on in horror. The Master was evil, to be sure, but no one deserved to be incinerated like that.
"Very well." The Master replied. He stepped on the fifth row, and much to their surprise, he survived! He walked to the other side of the room unimpeded. However, he did jump over the ninth row.
"WALK-BACK-HERE." The Cyberleader demanded.
The Master walked back across from the tenth row to the first, this time skipping over the second row.
"As you can see, Cyberleader," he began, "you simply need skip over the second-to-last row."
But this couldn't be the case! After all, when One threw the coins, the death row was the fifth, halfway across the board! One pondered this as the Cyberponies lined up.
"MARCH."
The Cyberponies made their way across the board, sans their leader and The Master. However, once one of them reached the sixth row, the board lit up again! The Cyberleader looked on as his soldiers were annihilated. The Master gave a wicked grin.
"HOW-IS-THIS-POSSIBLE?" The Cyberleader inquired. If it were able to show anger, it most likely would be at this point.
"Perhaps I was mistaken about how the board operates." The Master lied. It was clear he knew the secret, but what was it?
"YOU-WILL-WALK-ACROSS-WITH-ME." The Cyberleader demanded.
The Master nodded, and the two began yet another trek across the board. The Master jumped over the fifth row this time.
The Cyberleader repeated the action, jumping over the fifth row. But in this precise instant, The Master teleported to the safe side of the board, and shot a blast of magic while the Cyberleader was still in mid-air.
The Master had destroyed an entire group of Cyberponies on his own.
Bon Bon and One came out of hiding, and The Master returned to their side of the board. This time, he jumped over the third row.
"A bit gruesome, eh, Koschei?" One asked. He was starting to see why Bon Bon didn't care for his old friend.
"Perhaps, but I've dealt with that particular danger for you." The Master shot back.
"Yes," Bon Bon countered, "but we still don't know how to get across the board."
The Master chuckled. "You haven't figured it out yet?"
He walked across the board yet again, jumping over the fifth row once more. "Try it, Doctor, it's as easy as pie!"
He then walked out of the room, leaving Bon Bon and One alone.
"As easy as pie?" One repeated.
"Yes, it's an expression." Bon Bon replied. Honestly, explaining all these things to this old fool was one of the most irritating things she had ever had to put up with.
"An expression." One muttered. "Eureka, my dear that's it!"
"What's it!"
"Pi! The mathematical expression 'pi'! Three-point-one-four..." he began.
"Yes, yes, what about it?" Bon Bon asked.
"When I threw the coins it was the fifth row that was dangerous. Then Koschei walked across and skipped the ninth. Then he walked back and skipped the second. 3.141-and here's where we start-5926535, and the next digit is eight!"
"So we just need to skip the eighth row?" Bon Bon asked.
Five entered into the main council room, and much to his shock, it was completely empty. He turned to a guard in the nearby hall. "I thought the Lord President would be in here."
"He was." the Guard replied.
"Well, inform Chancellor Flavia he's gone missing, will you?"
"Certainly, Doctor." The Guard left.
Five walked over to the Transmat platform. Nothing about the device indicated that it had been used recently. As such, he began to search the walls for hidden doors. No luck on that front, either.
Meanwhile with The Third Doctor...
Now within the Tower's walls, Three and Twilight found themselves walking down a series of staircases. Twilight mentioned something about deja vu, but Three decided not to question it.
A far more pressing issue was that Twilight had stopped moving. "Miss Sparkle, what's wrong?"
"Doctor, I can't move."
Three tilted his head. "What do you mean 'can't move'?"
"It feels like something is pushing me backward."
Suddenly it clicked. "Rassilon. His influence is trying to keep us from reaching the burial room." Three deduced. "Just rest for a moment. I'll figure this out."
"Be careful, Doctor." Twilight warned.
"Of course."
Three made his way through the corridors of the Tower. Dark, neverending corridors always held a place in his hearts. No matter what he got himself into, he knew he'd find himself making his way down a hallway at some point.
As he searched for a device that could be responsible for paralyzing his compatriot, he heard a sound. It was somepony's voice.
"Doctor? Are you there? Please help..."
Three, being a gentlecolt, rushed toward the voice, and the source of the voice shocked him.
It was a pegasus mare, blonde, and with a cutie mark that was a series of bubbles.
In spite of all of this, it was the eyes that gave her away.
"Miss Hooves!"
Derpy turned to see her old friend. "Doctor, I knew you'd be here!"
"How'd you get here?"
"I don't know, I was hoping you could tell me." Derpy said.
Three smiled at the sight of his former assistant. "Well, never mind that now. I need you to help me find a way to free my friend, Miss Sparkle."
Derpy strangely grew nervous. "Doctor, I don't think we've got time to do that."
"Why not?" he asked.
"Well, you know, your other selves are in danger." she replied. "We can't afford to wait."
This shook Three to his core. "My other selves?"
"Yeah, you know, the old one and the funny one." Derpy elaborated.
"But I never said anything about my other selves." Three said.
Derpy gulped. "Well I- umm..."
"Why would you assume my other selves were involved?" Three asked. "I've had no reason to believe they were involved."
Derpy began to sweat. "I-I, umm..."
"Miss Hooves," Three began, "how is Dinky?"
"Who?" Derpy asked.
Three's eyes widened. "You're not Miss Hooves. You can't be." He ran in the other direction. As such, he was spared the traumatizing sight of seeing Derpy disintegrate into black smoke.
Three ran right back to Twilight. "Miss Sparkle! Miss Sparkle!"
She remained where she was before. "Doctor, are you okay?" she asked.
"Yes." Three said, breathing heavily. "Just, there was a... a phantom."
Twilight tilted her head. She put her hoof on Three's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Three swallowed his feelings and shook his head. "No. Come along. I... you seem to be free of paralysis."
Twilight looked on Three with judgement, but still walked alongside him, deeper into the castle.
Meanwhile with The First Doctor...
After successfully getting past the 'Pi' trap, One and Bon Bon continued their journey.
"Doctor," Bon Bon asked, "do you feel something weird in the air?"
"A sense of fear and foreboding?" One offered.
"Yes."
One chuckled to himself. "My dear, it is simply Rassilon's will trying to force us back. Simply ignore it, as I do."
"How can you ignore this?" Bon Bon wondered. "Even if there wasn't something like that around, this place would still freak anypony out."
"Maybe so, my dear." One said, smiling. "However, I've found that there is very little one should actively fear at my age. Dingy architechture hardly qualifies."
It was in this moment that Bon Bon saw something in One she hadn't prior. He was showing the caring side Susan advocated. This was the stallion who loved his granddaughter, and now, here he was, caring about Bon Bon as if she were his own.
For a moment, she saw a flicker of her Doctor in him.
She smiled and kept along.
Little did they realize somepony else was following them.
Meanwhile with The Second Doctor...
At this point, Two and Shining were going up stairs. Shining muttered something about knowing how his sister feels, but Two didn't worry about it.
"Doctor, I'm starting to feel sick." Shining said.
"You're feeling Rassilon's influence upon you." Two corrected. "A touch of nausea is only reasonable."
"Doctor!"
Two and Shining traded looks, and started running up the stairs to find the source of the noise. As they reached the doorway at the top of the stairs, they saw a butter-colored pegasus. However, this pony was not an animal caretaker.
He was a soldier.
"Pansy!" Two announced.
Sure enough, it was the famous pegasus, as well as Two's closest compatriot. True to his name, he was trembling and hiding his eyes. He opened one and saw the two stallions. "Doctor! Captain!"
"Pansy, old friend, how'd you get here?" Two asked.
"Probably the same way we got here." Shining figured.
Pansy got back up. "Doctor, there's a forcefield keeping me here. They told me if either of us touch it, it'll kill me."
Two's mind went into overdrive. "Don't worry, Pansy, I'll figure out something." He turned to the Captain. "Captain Armor, you're the forcefield expert!"
"Well, yeah," Shining replied, "but I can't take down ones that I'm not projecting."
"Doctor, don't worry about me." Pansy said. "Just find another way around, I'll be fine."
Two blinked. "You're not Pansy."
"What do you mean, Doctor?" Shining asked.
"Don't forget, Captain, that Pansy was trained by Commander Hurricane." Two reminded him. "As such, loyalty was drilled into his mind from day one. My entire time traveling with him, he absolutely refused to leave anypony behind. He'd never tell me to leave him to die."
Two walked straight through Pansy, who dissapated into smoke. Two shuddered. "Forgive me." he whispered.
"Doctor?" Shining said, concerned for his friend.
"It's nothing, Captain. We're almost there."
Meanwhile with The Fifth Doctor...
As Five continued to search the High Council room, he happened upon a portrait of Rassilon reading from a strange book. Next to it was a familiar musical instrument.
"The Harp of Rassilon?" Five questioned. "Now we're just getting silly."
Five plucked one of the strings on the harp, and in addition to the musical note, he heard a click.
"Ah, a sonic key!" Five declared. "And me without my screwdriver. Well, if I'm to find Borusa, I suppose I'll need to carry a tune."
Meanwhile in Rassilon's Tomb...
The legends, rumors, and history about Rassilon were all highly contradictory to one another. Some called him a construction worker, creating the technology that allowed for the Time Lords' mastery over Time and Space.
Some called him a political leader first and foremost. He wrote The Ancient and Worshipful Law of Gallopfrey almost entirely by himself and set up the system of the Lord President and his High Council.
Others went so far as to consider him a God. This was common on planets with alicorn rulers, but with Rassilon it was a tad more justified. He had complete knowledge over time, and could manipulate it easily with a thought. Couple this with his immortality, and it is difficult to argue he wasn't a God.
However, the rumors persisted that he was a horrible tyrant and a monster. The disappearance of the other alicorn, Omega, into the antimatter dimension fueled the rumor mill of Gallopfrey for generations upon generations. The Doctor's encounters with Omega only served to stoke the fire even more.
In spite of all of this, one thing was universal about Rassilon, no matter what your thoughts on him were.
Everypony agreed that he was a bit of a narcissist.
If the dozens of items that bore his name didn't give it away, his mausoleum more or less clinched it. The coffin in the center of the room bore his seal on all sides. The walls of the room had large statues of alicorns carrying pots of flame jutting out of them. And a mysterious obelisk was just off to the side of the metal box. On the other walls, strange computer banks littered the area.
One and Bon Bon easily agreed it was one of the tackier rooms they'd been in over the course of the past few years.
As One began his analysis of the obelisk, he heard somepony enter the room. "Ah, there you are, dear fellow." he said, "What kept you?"
It was Three with Twilight in tow. "What kept me?" Three asked. "What complete and utter arrogance on your part."
"I deserve to be arrogant, I've only been in The Death Zone a few hours and I got to Rassilon's crypt first. I win, dear boy." One countered.
Three fumed. "Well, we better get to work."
Twilight walked over to Bon Bon. "I'm Twilight Sparkle." she introduced.
"Bon Bon." the candy-colored mare replied, shaking the bookworm's hoof.
"I knew that the Doctor could change his face," Twilight said, "but I didn't know they could meet each other."
"Apparently they shouldn't." Bon Bon explained. "They said it's bad for time, but I think it's just because he can't stand somepony with an ego as big as his."
Twilight laughed at this. "You've traveled with him for a while now, haven't you?"
"Yep. Doctor," Bon Bon said, turning to One, "didn't you say there was another one somewhere in the Death Zone?"
As if on cue, the Cosmic Hobo himself walked into the room. "Quite so, my dear, and I'm doing just fine, thank you for asking."
"Oh joy, him." Three muttered.
"Oh, because I'm so excited to see you too, you old scarecrow." Two shot back.
"Scarecrow? This coming from the pony who wore a coat of imitation furs? Didn't think about the ramifications there, did you?" Three asked.
"One time!" Two replied. "One time, that happened!"
"Doctors, please control youselves." Shining said, as he walked into the room.
"Shiny!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Twily!" Shining replied.
The two siblings ran to each other, and shared a familial nuzzle.
"I'm here too," Bon Bon said, "if anypony cares."
"Captain Armor, I must say, it's a pleasure to see you again." Three said.
"Same here, Doctor." Shining returned. Captain Armor wasn't one to play favorites, mind you, but Three was The Doctor he had spent the most time working with.
"Now if you lot will excuse us, we're trying solve an ancient riddle, and I'm certain they'll screw it up without my help." Three boasted.
As The Three Doctors got to work on deciphering the sigils inscribed upon the obelisk, their companions got to doing what companions do best. Joke about The Doctor.
"Typical." Twilight muttered. "Drags you throughout time and space, and once he finally gets to the part that might actually be fun, he refuses to let you get involved."
"Mine's not much better." Bon Bon said.
"The old one?" Twilight asked.
"No, mine's not here. I hope he's okay."
"Don't worry." Shining said. "I've met all The Doctors up to this point, and one thing stays the same in each of his lives. He always figures something out."
Bon Bon smiled.
"He also thinks nopony in the room can keep up with him, so let's see how well three of him work together, shall we?" Shining joked.
As Shining had said, each of The Doctors had gotten to work on deciphering the obelisk, and each of them had learned much of its secrets roughly at the same pace.
"Incredible." Two muttered. "So the legends were true. In all my years, I never would have dreamed..."
"Nor I, but this changes nothing." One interrupted. "The problem at hoof is that we must lower the forcefield, save our fourth and fifth selves, and get everypony home."
"The old codger's right." Three agreed. "This doesn't concern us. Rather, it shouldn't concern us."
"Hold on!" Bon Bon said. "You've dragged us all across the Death Zone, and now you're not even going to explain what the deal is with The Tower?"
"She's got a point, Doctor." Shining pointed out.
"We've earned the right to know." Twilight argued.
"You." One said, pointing to Two. "Tell them."
"Why do I have to-It's Old High Gallopfreyan." Two said, folding almost immediately. "It's the secret language of the Time Lords. Such an old language almost nopony left alive knows how to read it."
All Three Doctors spoke at once. "Fortunately, I do."
"Well what does it say?" Captain Armor asked.
"This is the Tomb of Rassilon," Three recited, "in which Rassilon lies in eternal sleep."
"Anypony who has gotten this far has faced great danger, and shown much courage and determination." Two continued. He turned to smile at the companions. "This next part doesn't make much sense."
"It says 'To lose is to win, and he who wins loses'." Three retorted.
"I know what it says, you old sod." Two shot back. "I'm asking what in the world it's supposed to mean."
"The next bit claims that whosoever wears the Ring of Rassilon upon their hoof shall be given the reward they seek." One interrupted.
"Well, what's the reward?" Twilight asked.
"Immortality." he replied.
"So whoever takes Rassilon's ring will live forever?" Shining asked.
"Yes, my dear colt, that is what immortality means." One explained.
"I know what it means." the Captain deadpanned.
"But that shouldn't be possible." Twilight pointed out.
"Apparently it is." Three said.
"Rassilon was always said to be immortal." Two explained. "Apparently he's more than willing to share."
"Thank you, gentlecolts, that's all I needed to know."
The group turned to see the source of the voice, and sure enough, it was The Master.
"Oh my giddy aunt!" Two exclaimed. "Koschei, is that you?!"
"He's evil now." Three said.
"Oh." Two replied. "For shame."
"I came here as your ally Doctor, and my assistance was spurned. If the High Council shall not give me my reward, I shall take immortality from Rassilon himself."
"Out of the question!" Two exclaimed.
"You're hardly a suitable candidate." One pointed out.
"For anything." Three added.
As the Time Lords squared off, Captain Armor began to sneak around to the other side of the room.
"You don't get to decide that." The Master used his telekinesis to raise his Tissue Compression Eliminator. "I came to save you Doctor, but I will freely admit, the opportunity to kill you three times over is much more satisfying."
He then felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around.
"Hi." Shining said. "Remember me?"
There were two hits. Shining hitting The Master, and The Master hitting the floor.
The others just looked on in awe.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
Caramel and Susan also continued to observe. The Cyberponies were now hooking the device up to the TARDIS.
"Now what do we do?" Susan asked.
Caramel gulped. "If your Grandpa doesn't deactivate that forcefield, not much of anything."
Five continued to pluck away at the Harp, for all the good it did him. Nothing about it was actually having any sort of effect. He then looked at the portrait of Rassilon nearby. As he looked over the book that the alicorn held, he noticed that the writing in it was not Old High Gallopfreyan, but a series of musical notes.
With careful precision, Five played the tune shown on the portrait, and upon it's completion, a secret door opened.
As he walked into the mystery room, he discovered a computer bank and a lit-up pentagonal display. Five had done it! He'd finally found the secret lair of whomever had been manipulating his personal time stream.
In walked the perpetrator. This pony wore a black robe, and a golden crown covered with pink gemstones. And his face was all too familiar.
"Lord President?" Five asked.
"You seem a bit less surprised than I thought you'd be," Borusa replied, "did you see through my plans?"
"I had my suspicions, but to your credit, I didn't think so until Castellan's death," Five explained.
"Curses," Borusa muttered, "it's so hard to find a good scapegoat these days, isn't it, Doctor?"
Five shook his head. "Oh, Borusa. Why?"
"Do you have any idea how long I've been in control of Gallopfrey, Doctor?" Borusa said, starting his evil monologue. "Whether playing the political or academic game, I've always held a position of power."
"And now you're Lord President. What more could you want?" Five asked.
"Face facts, Doctor," Borusa interjected, "I'm going to be ousted from my leadership position before my time. I want to ensure my work will continue."
"You want to be President throughout the remainder of your regenerations?" Five figured.
"You think too small, Doctor." Borusa began to pace around the room, attempting to intimidate Five. "I intend to be Lord President Borusa the Eternal. I shall ascend to Godhood. Immortality shall be mine!"
"Rubbish," Five shot back, "that's not possible."
"You're misinformed, Doctor." Borusa stopped pacing. "Rassilon can make it possible."
Meanwhile in Rassilon's Tomb...
The Master had never been so humiliated in his life.
He was supposed to be one of the most brilliant and diabolical minds in existence, and here he was, having been knocked out by some random unicorn from a backwater planet, and having been tied up by The Doctor's annoying female assistants.
He muttered something less than politically correct behind the gag that Twilight had been so kind as to magic up.
Three finished a program on one of the computer banks. "Well, in theory the TARDIS should be free of the forcefield."
"Was it tough to shut down?" Bon Bon wondered.
"Not at all," he replied, "just had to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow."
"One day, I will get you to explain how you can reverse the polarity of something that has no electrical charge," Twilight said.
"Good luck," her brother replied. He had wondered about that for quite some time, as well.
"I'll see if I can contact the Capitol," Two said.
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
A blinking light went off on the console.
"We're free!" Susan exclaimed.
"Great timing, I think they've finished that bomb," Caramel replied.
Susan flicked a few switches and the TARDIS dematerialized.
Meanwhile in the Secret Room...
"Immortality, Doctor," Borusa continued. "Rassilon left clues for anypony who wished to follow in his hoofsteps. I discovered so much. This control room for the games, the black scrolls, and this crown."
"But not the true secret," Five presumed.
"I know that it is hidden in the Tower. However, it is hidden behind dangers and traps," Borusa said.
"So you had me clear a path for you."
"I made sure you had allies to help you. I even gave you an enemy to fight." Borusa grinned maniacally. "It's all one big game."
"But you botched a roll, as it were," Five responded, "my fourth self is trapped in a Time Eddy."
"You needn't worry, Doctor." Borusa shook his head. "Your temporal stability will be maintained. I will require you to serve me, after all."
"I would never serve you," Five said, defiantly.
"You will have no choice in the matter." Borusa gestured to his crown. "For I wear the Coronet of Rassilon."
"Yes, and the pink brings out your eyes."
Borusa took a step back out of minor embarassment. "This crown amplifies my will, Doctor! You will bow before me."
The pink gems along the crown began to glow. Five was forced down by a psychic force. Borusa walked out of the room, Five being forced to walk alongside him.
"Come, Doctor. My immortality awaits."
A computer in the main room activated. Two appeared on the screen. "Can anypony hear me?"
Five was forced to march over to the computer.
Meanwhile in Rassilon's Tomb...
Five appeared on Two's computer screen.
"Yes, I can hear you," Five said, under Borusa's control.
"Ah, there I am, I mean there you are," Two responded. "We've reached the Tower. Everypony is safe, the TARDIS has been freed, and we've made quite the interesting discovery."
"Say no more," Five interjected. "I'm coming to you via Transmat alongside Lord President Borusa. We're going to leave the rest to him."
Five's tranmission ceased.
"A bit rude, isn't he?" Two muttered.
"He merely wished to avoid us mentioning Rassilon's secrets," One pointed out. "Perfectly natural."
"I think something seems off," Three argued.
"You're just the panicky type," Two replied.
"I'm not panicky!"
"But you do go looking for trouble. Remember that Vashta Nerada are in any shadow, not every shadow," Two joked.
"What's a Vashta Nerada?" Twilight asked.
All Three Doctors gave the same answer. "I'll explain later."
"Personally, I think the dandy may have a point," One said.
"Thank you!"
Two muttered rude things under his breath. "Well," he spoke out, "once he arrives you'll see that nothing is wrong."
As Five and Borusa appeared in Rassilon's Tomb, the companions and Doctors were having a lively chat. Including Caramel and Susan, who had brough the TARDIS into the tomb.
Bon Bon walked over. "Doctor, are you okay?"
"Silence, child!" Borusa proclaimed. "You are within my power. All of you are within my power!"
The pink gems on the Coronet of Rassilon began to glow once more, and the companions were forced down to the ground. The Doctors held firm, however.
"Thank you, gentlecolts," Borusa said, "You have served your purpose beautifully."
"So you were the one who brought us here?" Three clarified.
"He's clearly after the Ring of Rassilon," Two exclaimed, "He wants immortality all to himself!"
"And you thought nothing was wrong," Three deadpanned.
"He's a renegade," One began, "no better than Koschei."
The Master, still awake mind you, rolled his eyes.
"We won't let you," Two declared.
"This Tomb was sealed away with the best of intentions in mind," Three added.
"And once we return to our own personal time streams," One finished, "it shall be sealed away permanantly!"
Borusa grit his teeth. The pink gems began to glow again. The Doctors began to be forced back, but they stood firm.
"Doctor, we need your help!" Two called out.
"Fight it, dear boy!" One shouted. "Concentrate!"
The first three Doctors concentrated, and their eyes began to glow. Five's eyes began to glow as well. With their telepathic link fully established, The Doctors psychically forced Borusa into a wall. As Five's eyes returned to normal, the sand in his hourglass cutie mark returned to the bottom half.
Five took his place with his other selves. "It's over Borusa. With all of us together, you can't possibly succeed!"
Borusa stood back up. "You fools! Even if there were a dozen of you, the Coronet of Rassilon would give me more than enough power to out-will you!"
"Maybe so," Five countered, "but Chancellor Flavia is on to you now. Do you think you can overcome the entirety of the guard and the High Council?"
"I won't have to, Doctor!" Borusa yelled, "I am Lord President of Gallopfrey! Do you think that they will take your word over mine?"
"I HAVE HEARD ENOUGH!!!"
The Time Lords began to look around the room for the origin of the booming voice.
"I HAVE WATCHED YOUR COMPETITION FOR SOME TIME NOW, BUT IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS GAME MUST END."
"Rassilon," One whispered.
The flames from the pots that the statues were holding began to rise and coalesce in the middle of the room. The fire merged into the shape into a stallion that was at least three times the size of anypony else in the room. As the flames died down, an alicorn appeared in their stead. This alicorn had a coat of emerald green, with a golden mane and tail that flowed like water. Within his mane, stars could be seen being formed and entering supernova. His horn was sharp as a dagger, and his wings were truly a masterpiece to behold. Upon his flanks there was the image of an antique grandfather clock.
Upon hearing his voice, a practitioner of Royal Canterlot voice would be deafened.
"WHO DARES TO DISTURB MY SLUMBER?"
"It is I, my lord," Borusa responded, bowing in deference. "I am Borusa. Lord President of Gallopfrey."
"HAVE YOU COME SEEKING IMMORTALITY?"
"Yes, oh wise one," Borusa replied.
"DO YOU PERMIT THIS?" Rassilon asked, turning to The Doctors.
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
"You cannot allow this!"
"Don't listen to them, Rassilon!" One shouted over the others. The other Doctors turned to him like he was insane.
"YOU BELIEVE HIM TO BE WORTHY?"
"Indeed I do." One smirked.
"VERY WELL." A ring of fire appeared before Rassilon, and became a silver clasp, roughly around the size one would need to wear around their forehoof. "IF YOU WILL NOT TURN BACK, THEN TAKE THE RING OF RASSILON."
Borusa grinned maniacally. This was it! He had won! He took the Ring from the alicorn, and placed it upon his right foreleg. A golden energy began to surge through Borusa's body. A burning pain filled his body, and a horn burst out from his forehead! Wings then sprouted out of his back, and Borusa's manic cackling filled the room.
"This is it!" he proclaimed. "I am Borusa the Eternal! I am the alicorn! I am a God!"
"YES. YOU ARE AN ALICORN. JUST AS IS EVERY OTHER PONY WHO HAS REQUESTED THIS PRIZE FROM ME." Rassilon replied with a wicked grin of his own.
Suddenly, the statues around the room changed color. The once pale gray of the stone turned to that of flesh, and their eyes began to dart around the room. The room filled with a moaning sound of terror. Suddenly everything began to become clear.
Realization dawned on Five. "The other players. Statues."
"STATUES THAT SHALL STAND UNTIL THE END OF TIME," Rassilon clarified.
The implications then hit Borusa like a ton of bricks. "No," he whispered. His coat began to turn a crusty slate color, and he suddenly found it difficult to move. Borusa's eyes filled with desperation and terror.
The Doctors and their companions looked on, horror-struck. There was absolutely nothing they could do to stop his, and they frankly didn't want to.
Borusa's petrification was complete.
Rassilon's golden mane wrapped around the statue, and placed it with the others. Rassilon then conjured a pot for it to hold.
Borusa was now unidentifiable from the others, but his life would never cease. Forever conscious, forever looking upon this empty room, forever holding a pot containing the Fires of Rassilon.
Immortality at its finest.
The alicorn then turned to the others.
"AND WHAT OF YOU, DOCTORS? DO YOU ALSO SEEK IMMORTALITY?"
The Doctors didn't even have to think about it. "No, no, no no no! No, no, no no!"
"We're fine, we're fine!" Two shouted.
"Yes," Five said, gathering himself. "We only wish to be returned to our proper times."
"VERY WELL."
"One of us is trapped in a Time Eddy with a friend of ours," Five explained.
"THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN FREED."
Meanwhile in Historic Canterbridge...
Four and Colgate rematerialized in mid-air, and promptly dropped into the river.
The two then popped their heads above the water.
"Do you get the feeling that we just missed out on something really important?" Colgate asked.
Meanwhile in Rassilon's Tomb...
Rassilon turned to The Master. "THIS RENEGADE SHALL BE RETURNED TO HIS TARDIS. HE SHALL PAY FOR HIS SINS IN HIS OWN TIME."
The Master disappeared.
"FAREWELL, DOCTORS. YOU HAVE CHOSEN WISELY."
Rassilon returned to the form of a mass of fire, and returned to the pots.
One began to chuckle to himself.
"Did you know that would happen?" Five asked.
"Of course!" One replied. "'To lose is to win, and he who wins loses!' Rassilon knew that immortality was just as much a blessing as a curse, and wanted to weed out the greedy fools."
"Well, I suppose it's time to say goodbye," Five muttered. "A pity. I was just getting to know me."
"So you're the latest model, eh?" Two asked.
"And certainly the most agreeable," Five snarked.
"Quite clearly the most impudent," Three corrected.
"And the celery is an indicator that my dress sense hasn't improved," Two said, hitting two birds with one stone.
One shook his head. "And it is clear that my manners are long since gone. Still, I enjoyed this thoroughly. I'm very happy to see that my future is bright."
The other three smiled.
Susan walked over to the crochety, old stallion. "Goodbye, Grandpa."
The other three joined in simultaneous speech once more. "Goodbye, my dear."
One and his granddaughter faded away.
"Well, I suppose I'm next," Two announced. "Come along, Captain. Can't be late for your party."
"I'll be there shortly, by the way." Twilight said.
"Looking forward to it, Twily." Shining replied. The Captain turned to the other two Doctors. "Great to see you. All of you."
"Farewell, you old scarecrow!" Two shot at Three.
Three smirked. "Make your jokes, but you'll be me soon enough."
Two and Shining dissapated before he could make a witty comeback.
"Well, Miss Sparkle," Three began, "I do believe I've had the time of my lives."
"I'll stick to the one, Doctor." Twilight replied. She turned to the cricketeer. "It was nice meeting you.
"Nice meeting you, too." Three joked.
Twilight indulged in a small giggle before she and the dandy faded.
Five then turned to Caramel and Bon Bon. "I'm not the stallion I used to be. Thank goodness."
"So will we fade, too?" Bon Bon asked.
"Of course not. We have the TARDIS now." Five replied.
Suddenly Flavia teleported into the room with a small number of guards at her side. "Doctor, what happened here? Where is Lord President Borusa?"
"Well," Five said, "let's just say that the legends about Rassilon were true."
"I suppose your report can be part of your inaugural address." Flavia figured.
"What?"
"Borusa's disappearance leaves an empty place in the hierarchy," she explained, "You've saved us enough times to prove you're the only reasonable choice as the next Lord President."
"What?"
"You must feel incredibly honored. This is the highest honor anypony on Gallopfrey could ask for."
"WHAT?!"
Five began to breathe heavily. Lord President? He had to think quickly. "Yes, well, umm..." He turned to Caramel and Bon Bon, and a lightbulb went off. "Yes! Yes! Thank you! It is an honor, and I am more than happy to accept."
"That's wonderful!" Flavia replied.
"But of course," Five said, smoothly, "Now, I'm going to have to drop my companions off back home first. Until I get back, I give you full deputy powers."
"But Doctor," she started.
"Ah! That's Lord President Doctor," he countered. "Come along, you two."
The three ponies walked into the Doctor's TARDIS. The familiar dematerialization sound went off, and the Police Barn disappeared.
Flavia pondered this for a moment. Lord President Flavia?
She liked it!
Meanwhile in the TARDIS...
The Doctor flipped a few switches, while Caramel and Bon Bon wore dejected looks upon their face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Well, you're off to Gallopfrey to be Lord President," Caramel muttered, "and now we're never going to see you again."
"We'll miss you, Doctor." Bon Bon said, fighting back tears.
"What makes you think I'm going back to Gallopfrey?" he wondered.
"But Flavia-" Bon Bon started.
"Has deputy powers until I return. Who knows how long that could be?" he replied.
"You're not going to go back?!" Bon Bon asked.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," The Doctor joked.
"Won't they be mad at you?" Caramel pointed out.
"Oh, furious!" he clarified.
"So you're going on the run from your own people in a ramshackle old time machine that barely works?" Bon Bon asked.
The Doctor smiled. "Why not? That's how it all started."
