The Doctor Whooves Chronicles Episode 3: The Monster in the Mirror

Chapters

Prologue: About to Get Ugly
Derpy's Warning
Four Mares and a Spaceship
Paulie
Splitting Up
Mirror of the Jabberwocky
Welcome Aboard

Prologue: About to Get Ugly

The Doctor Whooves Chronicles: Episode 3

The Monster in the Mirror

Prologue: About to Get Ugly

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

Derpy felt her heart skip a beat as the TARDIS came to a bumpy stop. She felt her legs turn to jello as she made her way towards the doors.

"You're sure you got it right?" Derpy asked.

"Yes. I'm absolutely positive that your home time is right outside those doors," the Doctor replied. Derpy took in a deep breath as she pulled the doors inward. She was met with a warm gust of air. She stepped outside to find herself in the middle of a lush forest. The trees stretched up high and their leaves kept the ground beneath them well shaded and cool. Derpy could see bits and pieces of the sky through the breaks in the canopy of leaves. It was late afternoon; probably around four or five o'clock. The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS after Derpy. "Ah...well...I may have been a bit off."

"No. I recognize this place," Derpy stated.

"You do?"

"Yes. We're not that far from Ponyville actually. It's about a three mile walk from here."

"Oh." The Doctor fell silent for a few seconds. "Well...I guess I should give you a-"

"No. It's fine, Doctor. I can fly home from here." Derpy turned to face the Doctor and extended a hoof. "I guess this is goodbye for now, Doctor." The Doctor nodded and shook Derpy's hoof.

"Yes, it has certainly been a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Hooves."

"Why do you keep calling me Ms. Hooves?"

"It's only polite."

"But you also call me Derpy sometimes."

"It counts on the circumstances." Derpy rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I guess we'll be running across each other again sometime soon."

"Yes. Until next time then." The Doctor and Derpy let go of each other's hooves. Derpy took a few steps back as the Doctor gave her a quick wave before disappearing through the TARDIS doors. Derpy prepared to watch the TARDIS disappear when she heard somepony calling to her.

"WAIT! WAIT! DERPY! DERPY, STOP HIM!" called the voice. Derpy recognized it. She turned around to see Carrot Top running towards her through the trees.

"Carrot Top?" Derpy asked in confusion.

"DERPY! STOP HIM! DOCTOR! DOCTOR!" Derpy turned back towards the TARDIS as it began to disappear. VVRROOMMPP! VVRROOMMPP! VVRROOMMPP! By the time Carrot Top had reached Derpy, the TARDIS had disappeared. "NO! YOU CAN'T GO! YOU NEED TO COME BACK! DOCTOR! DOCTOR! Darn it!" Carrot Top then turned to Derpy and gave her a big hug. "Oh! I'm so happy to see you, Derpy! You would not believe how stressed I've been for the past week!" Derpy tilted her head in confusion.

"Carrot Top, what are you doing here? How do you know the Doctor? Why do you have a bunch of bags with you?" Derpy asked as she pointed at the bags slung over Carrot Top's back.

"Huh? How come you don't...oh! I remember now! That hasn't happened to you yet!"

"Huh?"

"I'll explain everything, Derpy, I promise. But, right now, we need to find a way to call the Doctor back. Oh! Why didn't you tell me how he came back?!"

"I'm confused." Derpy then suddenly noticed something odd about Carrot Top; well, another odd thing versus her rambling and panicking. "Carrot Top...what happened to your cold?"

"Oh, that? I got over it around five days ago."

"But...when I left, you were still sick."

"Yeah. When you left a week ago I was still sick. Now I'm better."

"A week? Wait a moment! I've been gone for a whole week?!"

"Yeah...oh...you mean you didn't do this on purpose?" Derpy shook her head in response. "Oh...well...now you know." Derpy let out a groan and sat down. She rubbed her head for a few seconds before letting out a deep sigh and calming down.

"At least he didn't drop me off five months later or something like that."

"DOCTOR! DOCTOR!" Carrot Top called.

"It's no use," said Derpy. "He's probably in a different time by now." Carrot Top began pacing.

"This is bad. This is very bad. If what you've told me, or what you're going to tell me, is true then we don't have much time before the thing you're going to warn me about arrives!"

"What?" Just then, a loud explosion erupted in the sky above the forest. "What the hay?!" Derpy watched as a large, burning object came hurtling towards them.

"Move!" Carrot Top grabbed onto Derpy and pulled her into the forest. "I have to get Lyra and Bon-Bon out of here!"

"Lyra and Bon-Bon? They're here too?!"

"Yeah...they think we're just on a camping trip. I didn't tell them everything. I needed somepony else to come along in case things got ugly." Derpy looked up as the burning object grew closer and closer to the ground.

"Well, Carrot Top, things are definitely about to get ugly."

Time Vortex

The Doctor could have sworn that he heard someone calling him as he made the TARDIS dematerialize. Was it Derpy? No. It hadn't sounded like Derpy. Did someone need him? There was a chance. The Doctor thought hard about turning the TARDIS around. He began making his way over to the controls when something smashed into the exterior of the TARDIS. The Doctor grabbed onto the console and held on tightly.

"What?!" he asked. The sound of scraping metal emanated from outside the ship. A deep and menacing voice began calling out.

"YOU DARE TRY TO BETRAY ME! YOU SHALL BRING HER TO ME! BRING HER TO ME!" ordered the voice. The Doctor tried to understand what was happening but another violent collision nearly sent him flying into the wall. "SHE IS MINE! YOU CANNOT STOP ME, PILOT! DERPY HOOVES IS MINE! DERPY HOOVES IS MINE!" The Doctor felt his eyes widen and his hearts begin to beat faster as another collision between the TARDIS and the object outside occurred and all lights went out in the control room.

Derpy's Warning

Chapter 1: Derpy's Warning

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

Derpy didn't look back as she ran. Leaves and twigs crunched and broke underneath her hooves and warm summer gusts blew past her face. A sharp whistling sound began emanating through the air. She could feel the air growing incredibly hot.

"Keep moving!" Carrot Top ordered as she tightened her grip on Derpy's hoof. Derpy took a quick glance up at the sky just in time to see the burning object fly overhead. Derpy quickened her pace. Due to instinct, she began flapping her wings vigorously and even levitated a couple inches into the air. "We're almost there!"

Derpy looked ahead and could just make out a familiar sight coming into view: Carrot Rock. A small opening in the forest opened up before them. Carrot Rock was located off to the side of the clearing. Carrot Rock had earned said name due to, well, looking like a carrot. Only two ponies in Ponyville had any real history with the strange object: Derpy Hooves and Carrot Top. This was because it was at this rock many years earlier that the young Derpy and Carrot Top had met for the first time. Derpy didn't have time to reminisce for it was at that moment that she heard the object collide violently with the earth a little ways behind her. Derpy and Carrot Top came to a halt. They turned around in time to see a plume of smoke rising into the sky. A few seconds later, a shockwave blew through the forest and knocked the two mares on their rumps. The shockwave wasn't strong enough to knock any trees down but it was certainly powerful enough to cause a disturbance. Birds flew into the sky, leaves and dirt swirled through the air, and the cries of confused animals called out from the depths of the forest.

After about a moment of confusion, everything settled down. The cries stopped, the dust and leaves settled, and the plume of smoke thinned out to a skinny trail. Both Derpy and Carrot Top were breathing heavily.

"Well...that...was...fun," Derpy said with heavy breaths.

"At...least...nopony's...hurt," Carrot Top added.

"What in the name of Celestia was that?!" asked a surprised voice. Derpy turned around to see Bon-Bon approaching her and Carrot Top. Lyra was standing in the background and was busy trying to remake the campsite that had been made at the edge of the clearing. Bon-Bon walked over to Carrot Top and helped her up. The earth mare then turned to help Derpy up but Derpy pushed her hoof away.

"It's fine. I can get up myself," Derpy said coldly. Bon-Bon gave a sad look as Derpy picked herself off the ground. Derpy turned to look at Lyra in the background. Lyra gave Derpy a cold stare before returning to remaking the campsite.

Derpy had never been on "friend" terms with Lyra and Bon-Bon. When Derpy had moved to Ponyville a few years earlier with her aunt, who later went on to move to Vanhoover, she had not had an easy time in the area of making friends. Even today, Derpy didn't really have that many true friends in Ponyville. The only ponies there that she was close to were Carrot Top and Pinkie Pie. Derpy still remembered her childhood in Ponyville, which hadn't had that many happy-go-lucky moments. She had often found herself the target of others' amusement. Carrot Top was the only pony kind enough to befriend her. Carrot Top's two friends, Lyra and Bon-Bon, on the other hoof...were another story. Lyra had been a part of the group that bullied Derpy. Although, Derpy could give Lyra some credit as she wasn't the worst bully in the group. In fact, she had probably been the most hesitant. However, that still hadn't stopped Derpy from getting angry at Lyra for her involvement. One day, Derpy had discovered a secret of Lyra's: that she enjoyed to sit in an odd position that anypony could find amusingly odd. Derpy had felt angry and had wanted to get back at Lyra for making fun of her eyes. So Derpy took a picture of Lyra and showed it to the class. That's when Lyra snapped from her hesitant bully mode and that's when Derpy snapped as well. In the end of the whole conflict, several ponies were expelled from school and moved away, Derpy and Lyra ended up with a few injuries, and occasional teasing of both Derpy's eyes and Lyra's awkward, secret sitting position continued to the present.

Bon-Bon had been different from Lyra. She never bullied Derpy, but Derpy still had a hatred for her for what she didn't do. There were many times when Derpy found herself looking at not the bullies but the ponies standing around her. None of them, aside from Carrot Top, ever tried to stop the teasing. Derpy remembered Bon-Bon always standing there and never doing anything. Derpy was never sure if it was because she was too scared to stop the bullying or if she enjoyed the spectacle of it. Derpy would always catch Bon-Bon laughing the situation over with Lyra later. The laughing stopped after the whole Lyra debacle. Nowadays, Bon-Bon tried her best to avoid Derpy altogether; and, when they did come across each other, Bon-Bon would always be extremely nice to her. Derpy assumed this was probably her way of apologizing, but Derpy wasn't willing to forgive her just yet. Bullying somepony is one thing. Standing there, doing nothing, and watching the bullying take place may be just as bad, if not a bit worse. Derpy usually found herself wondering why Carrot Top had remained friends with Lyra, the hypocritical bully, and Bon-Bon, the indecisive bystander. However, Derpy assumed that Bon-Bon and/or Lyra would usually ask themselves why Carrot Top remained friends with Derpy, the cross-eyed outsider.

"You should have told us Derpy was coming, Carrot Top. I would have packed a bit more food," said Bon-Bon with an awkward smile.

"It slipped my mind," lied Carrot Top.

"Did you see that thing fall out of the sky?!"

"How could we not? It knocked all of us off our hooves," Derpy replied with a bored expression. Bon-Bon blushed a bit and turned away.

"Derpy, I know it's Lyra and Bon-Bon," sighed Carrot Top, "but can you just-"

"No." Derpy shook her head and turned towards Carrot Top. "Perhaps you could explain to me just what the hay you were panicking about earlier."

"I'm going to get to that...but I'm going to explain it to Lyra and Bon-Bon as well." Derpy rolled her eyes. "Please, Derpy. Be nice. This is no time to focus on old grudges! There are a lot more important things to focus on right now and if what you're going to tell me is true...then we should be pretty damn worried about that thing that fell from the sky."

"I'll try if she does," Derpy replied as she nodded towards Lyra. Lyra turned and glared at Derpy again.

"I guess I can't make any promises about her," Carrot Top replied with a gulp as she began walking towards her two friends. Derpy took a quick look at Lyra and Bon-Bon before looking back towards the trail of black smoke.

"Doctor, wherever you are, could you please come back soon? Something tells me that I'm going to need your help sooner than we thought."

The Doctor coughed loudly as a cloud of smoke flew into his mouth.

"Ugh!" he coughed as the lights in the control room flared back to life. The Doctor was lying on the floor with one of his hooves wrapped tightly around one of the controls. He quickly regained his balance and gave the main console a quick examination. "Let's see. Everything appears to be in order. No apparent damage to the console." The Doctor then suddenly thought back to the voice he had heard. Whatever it was, the Doctor knew one thing about the owner of the voice: it was after Derpy. Why? The Doctor could not answer. "I better get back to Derpy and make sure she's all right. Whatever I heard talking, I really don't want it to find Derpy before I do." As the Doctor began working the controls, the TARDIS gave off a loud hiss and a groan. The Doctor groaned in return and rolled his eyes. "Really? You're not moving?" The TARDIS gave another hiss as if it were responding to him. "Why? Am I supposed to be in the exact spot that you've decided to park? I'm sorry but I've got to save my friend!" He tried working the controls again but the TARDIS simply hissed at the Doctor. "Confounded ship! Damn it! Fine! I'll play your game! Whatever's outside those doors better help me help Derpy or else I'm getting down and dirty!" The Doctor stormed over to the doors and pulled them open. A cloud of smoke poured in through the threshold. The Doctor coughed as he waved the smoke away. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, and activated it. The smoke slowly began to disappear. "There! That's better! Now, let's have a look, shall we?" The Doctor took a step out of the TARDIS and looked at the scene before him. He cocked his head and gave an interested smile. "Well, well, well...what do we have here?"

Derpy sat down on a cushion that Bon-Bon had placed on the ground. Carrot Top sat a little bit away from Derpy. Lyra sat opposite to Derpy and Bon-Bon sat next to Lyra.

"You could have told us that she was coming," Lyra said to Carrot Top. Derpy frowned in response.

"If I had then neither of you would have come," said Carrot Top.

"I would have!" Bon-Bon protested.

"No you wouldn't," Derpy said. Bon-Bon shrunk back into her seat. Lyra frowned at Derpy. Carrot Top raised her forelegs and beckoned the three mares to calm themselves.

"Let's calm ourselves down. We don't have time for this," said Carrot Top. "This whole camping trip has everything to do with Derpy." Derpy's ears perked up a bit. Lyra crossed her forelegs and continued to glare at Derpy.

"Why?" Lyra asked coldly.

"This is a bit hard to explain. I'm sure the only pony here who'll believe me is Derpy." Carrot Top smiled at Derpy and Derpy looked at her with interest. "To be honest, I'm confused about the whole situation...but after what happened a week ago...I really don't have a choice but to believe in what Derpy told...or is going to tell me."

"I'm confused," Bon-Bon admitted.

"I guess that's something we can agree on," Derpy said with a somewhat warm smile. Derpy could tell that Bon-Bon wanted to smile back but she had decided not to. Lyra turned to Carrot Top.

"Continue then," said the green unicorn.

"Exactly one week ago, I discovered a gift from Derpy in our house a little while after she had left to do her regular mail shift. It was a book about Equestrian history. A note was left on the book that told me to go to a certain page: page 57 to be exact." Carrot Top reached into a bag and pulled out the book. She handed the book to Derpy. Derpy examined the cover of the book. It read: A Guide to Equestrian History by Morgan Freecolt.

"When did he become a writer?" Derpy asked. Carrot Top giggled.

"That's exactly what I asked when I saw it." Derpy looked at the note and read it aloud.

"Here's a little something I thought you'd enjoy. Get better soon! Oh! And I recommend that you start on page 57. Derpy."

"I was intrigued so I looked inside. Page 57 talks about the banishment of Princess Luna. On the next page, there's a picture of a painting, a painting by an old artist named Sir Isaac Longhair."

"Isaac?" Derpy asked under her breath. She was really interested now. Derpy quickly turned to page 57 in the book and found the picture. Sure enough, there was a picture of a painting in there that was stated as being painted by a Sir Isaac Longhair.

"The painting depicts Princess Celestia banishing Nightmare Moon," Carrot Top continued. "But the interesting part about the painting is that there's a message in it...a message made out to me." Derpy looked at the painting closely. Sure enough, she found it. "The message reads: Follow the smoke, CT."

"CT?" asked Lyra.

"CT for Carrot Top!" Bon-Bon chimed with a smile. Carrot Top nodded.

"Exactly. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence...but then I remembered the smoke," said Carrot Top.

"What smoke?" Lyra asked.

"A week ago, while you two were still at Princess Cadance's wedding, a meteor crashed into the Everfree Forest. Well...at the time I thought it was a meteor. A trail of smoke had been coming up from where the meteor had landed. Out of sheer curiosity, I walked out into the forest to find the meteor site. Luckily, I managed to find it without getting attacked by a manticore or something." Derpy smiled at the irony of Carrot Top's statement in relation to her first encounter with the Doctor and what had been chasing him. "However, I didn't just find the meteor site...I also ran into Derpy." Derpy's ears perked up even more as did Lyra's and Bon-Bon's. Lyra then turned to Derpy.

"What were you doing in the Everfree Forest?!" Lyra asked.

"She doesn't know! It hasn't happened to her yet!" Carrot Top explained.

"Huh?" asked Bon-Bon.

"Let me explain! Derpy told me that she had told Sir Isaac Longhair to put the message in the painting so that I would go and meet her in the forest."

"How? Sir Isaac Longhair lived centuries ago!"

"I'm getting to that! At first, I was just as confused as you all are. Then Derpy introduced me to her friend: the Doctor." Carrot Top turned to Derpy. Derpy was listening with complete attention. "Derpy already knows who he is...but, basically, he's an alien, known as a Time Lord, from another universe who has taken the form of an earth pony here in our universe." Lyra and Bon-Bon looked at Carrot Top like she had something smeared across her face. "I know it sounds crazy. Trust me, I was extremely confused when this happened. But then Derpy and the Doctor showed me the TARDIS, it's the Doctor's ship that he uses to travel throughout time and space. It looks like a wooden, blue box but it's a massive ship on the inside. If that wasn't enough to prove what they were telling me, they went and showed me the surface of the Moon...1000 years in the future. Then they took me back to my house in the present and Derpy explained the rest to me."

"What'd I tell you?!" Derpy asked.

"You should know!" Lyra snapped.

"Listen!" said Carrot Top. "Derpy said that one week from then, today, I would have to go to this forest and greet a past version of herself, the Derpy sitting here with us, and the Doctor and help them stop something evil that is going to arrive on this day, hence the object that fell from the sky earlier."

"What's the evil thing?!" asked Derpy. Carrot Top's face went pale.

"You didn't tell me. All you said was that everything would work out in the end...oh...and that I needed to bring two things with me."

"What things?" asked Bon-Bon.

"Firstly, the book and note that Derpy is holding." Carrot Top reached into a bag and pulled out a lyre. "And secondly, a simple lyre from a store."

"Did I explain what we needed them for?" Derpy asked. Carrot Top shook her head.

"No," Carrot Top replied. "You and the Doctor just said that everything would work out in the end. Then you left." The four mares were silent for a moment.

"So...what now?" asked Bon-Bon.

"Now...I think we should head back to Ponyville and get Carrot Top some help," said Lyra.

"I'm not crazy, Lyra," Carrot Top asserted.

"You're talking about time-traveling aliens in blue boxes! How does that not sound crazy?!"

"I believe her," said Derpy as she stood up. "What Carrot Top's describing hasn't happened to me yet but I have met and taken a couple of trips through time with the Doctor. I've traveled back to the day Princess Luna was banished and I've traveled nearly 1000 years into the future to a city on the Moon!"

"I'm not surprised that you're crazy, Derpy Hooves." Derpy and Lyra took a few steps closer to each other.

"Well then, Lyra, if you're so certain that Carrot Top and I are crazy then you won't be afraid to check out the object that crashed into the ground a little while ago."

"Derpy, Lyra, please!" Carrot Top pleaded. Lyra held her hoof up to beckon Carrot Top to be silent.

The unicorn looked Derpy straight in the eye and stated with a confident grin, "Challenge accepted."

Four Mares and a Spaceship

Chapter 2: Four Mares and a Spaceship

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

The sky had begun to turn into a dark orange by the time Derpy, Carrot Top, Lyra, and Bon-Bon began their trek towards the location of the crashed object. Carrot Top walked up next to Derpy.

"We should be on our guard! We don't know what the hay is waiting for us!" she whispered. Derpy turned to her friend and nodded. The air felt warmer than usual and the smell of ash and soot moved through the air. Bon-Bon coughed in reaction to the smell. As they grew closer and closer to the crash site, the air grew foggier, the ground grew darker, and the temperature grew hotter. Derpy noticed small patches of fire in the grass as she walked. The fires weren't strong enough to continue and quickly died out.

"I see something!" said Bon-Bon as she pointed towards an opening between two scorched trees. The four mares passed through the opening and came to a halt. Lyra's and Bon-Bon's jaws dropped. Derpy couldn't help but be both amazed by what she saw and satisfied by Lyra's and Bon-Bon's faces.

Before them stood a grand structure that appeared to be the size of two houses. Derpy knew what the object was. She had seen plenty of them flying around Moonbase One and the Doctor had explained to her all about them.

"A spaceship," Derpy exclaimed under her breath as she took a few steps forward. The ship was mainly silver with a few streaks of gold here and there. It had a large jet engine in the back, two wide wings, and a cylindrical-pointed front with a windshield. Some parts of it were a bit singed from the crash and some parts of it had fallen off. However, the ship looked to be in good condition considering that it had fallen out of the sky while covered in flames. There was no crater underneath it but rather a black circle of ash. Smoke was pouring out of small holes in the ground around the ship.

"By Luna's moon...what the hay is that?!" asked a shocked Lyra. Derpy turned to look at Carrot Top, Lyra, and Bon-Bon.

"It's a spaceship," she stated. "I remember seeing plenty of these when I visited the future." Lyra shook her head and began approaching a door that was located on the side of the ship facing them.

"Let's take a look inside!"

"No! We don't know what could be in there!" stated Bon-Bon.

"Bon-Bon's right. I don't think we should take the risk right now," Carrot Top added.

"Fine. Then wait out here then," Lyra chuckled as she turned around and quickly pulled the door open. Derpy expected Lyra to scream from pain, for she expected the ship to still be hot from the crash, but no scream came. Lyra simply pulled the door open and stepped into the darkness of the ship. Derpy let out an annoyed sigh and trotted after the unicorn. Sure, Derpy wasn't fond of Lyra but that didn't mean that she would let her go inside a potentially dangerous spaceship by herself and possibly get killed by something.

Upon entering the ship, Derpy found herself in complete darkness. She stumbled around in the dark for a few seconds before a dim, lime-colored light appeared out of nowhere. Derpy looked and saw that the light was emanating from Lyra's horn.

"Huh, I though you'd stay out there with Carrot Top and Bon-Bon," said Lyra with a somewhat impressed smirk.

"You may not like me, Lyra, and I may not like you...but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you wander into a spaceship by yourself and possibly get yourself killed," Derpy stated.

"Okay then. Let's do some exploring!" Lyra pushed her chest forward and trotted deeper into the confines of the ship. Derpy followed with caution.

The floor felt cold like ice, which surprised Derpy, and the a strange scent flowed through the air that Derpy could only describe as the smell one encounters while walking through a hospital. There was a resonant echo with each hoofstep that she and Lyra took. Through Lyra's dim light, Derpy could see that the walls and floor looked quite clean.

This must be a very sturdy ship to survive a crash like that, Derpy thought. Just then, the sound of low breathing began emanating from the end of a hallway that Derpy and Lyra had just turned into. Derpy turned to Lyra and whispered, "Do you hear that?" Lyra simply nodded without looking away from the dark abyss of the hallway before them. "Should we go back?" Lyra simply gave a quick shake of the head before slowly continuing down the hallway. Derpy didn't want to but her sense of curiosity urged her to continue.

The breathing grew louder and louder with every passing second. Derpy felt her heart rate increase. She wanted to turn back. She wanted to run out of the ship and join Carrot Top and Bon-Bon on the outside. But she couldn't leave Lyra. If something happened to Lyra due to Derpy running away then the unicorn's blood would be on her hooves. She took a deep breath and trudged on. Soon, the two mares had come to the point where the breathing was right on top of them. They looked up, down, left, and right but there was nothing there. The breathing then immediately stopped. Derpy and Lyra were silent for a moment. Derpy couldn't find the nerve to ask anything and she could tell that Lyra felt the same way. In the end, however, it was Lyra who spoke up first.

"Were...were we just hearing things?" Lyra asked with a pinch of hope. Derpy gulped and shook her head.

"That sounded too real to be just a trick of the mind," Derpy replied.

"Then why has the breathing stopped?" Suddenly, a cabinet door behind Lyra opened. A dark creature with long, wide arms grabbed onto the surprised unicorn. Lyra tried to scream but a large, hairy hand covered her mouth. Derpy was frozen with fear. The light from Lyra's horn went out and the next thing Derpy knew her mouth was being covered by a strong, hairy hand.

The Doctor closed the TARDIS doors as he looked to examine the spaceship before him. He didn't know when or where he was but that didn't stop him from being intrigued by the crashed spaceship.

"Well, this is certainly an interesting turn of events," he said to himself. Suddenly, he heard a series of voices emanate from the other side of the ship.

"Should we go in after them?" asked one female voice.

"They sure have been in there for a while," stated a second female voice. The Doctor carefully began making his way around the spaceship, avoiding spots of hot ash and fire. He eventually made his way around the ship and came across two earth pony mares. One had an orange mane, a yellow coat, and a cutie mark of three carrots while the other had a pink and purple mane, a cream-colored coat, and a cutie mark of three candies.

"At least I know I'm still in Equestria," said the Doctor with a sigh of relief. He calmly began to approach the mares. "'Ello there!" The mares turned to look at him. The one with the orange mane widened her eyes and darted towards him.

"DOCTOR?!" she cried as she grabbed the Doctor's forelegs and began shaking him. "IS THAT REALLY YOU, DOCTOR?!"

"Yes! No need for the shaking and yelling!"

"Oops...sorry." The mare took a few steps back. The second mare awkwardly approached them.

"Who's this, Carrot Top?" asked the other mare.

"This is the Doctor that I was telling you about earlier!" The Doctor suddenly remembered something. He turned towards the orange-maned pony.

"You're name's Carrot Top?" he asked.

"Yes!" replied Carrot Top with a nod.

"Carrot Top. Carrot Top. Why does that sound so familiar? Oh! I remember! You're a friend of Derpy's!"

"Yes!" The Doctor suddenly frowned at the mare. "What's wrong?"

"You're the one who taught Derpy that it's okay to slap somebody...er...somepony in order to have them be quiet! Not a really nice thing to teach ponies." Carrot Top blushed a bit.

"Yes...well...anyway, Doctor...have you met me before now?"

"Hmm...no. Can't say that I have."

"Good," said Carrot Top with a sigh. "Then you're the right Doctor."

"The...right Doctor?" asked the Doctor.

"I'll explain everything later. Right now, we could really use your help."

"Well, a friend of Derpy's is a friend of mine. What's the problem?"

"Lyra and Derpy went into that ship several minutes ago and we haven't heard anything from them since!" the other mare stated.

"Sorry, but you are?"

"Bon-Bon, I'm a...uh...an acquaintance of Derpy's."

"Pleasure to meet you. Fitting name. Anyway, so Derpy and this Lyra are in that ship?"

"Yes!" The Doctor looked at the ship. A bad feeling began to creep through his body.

"I think it'd be wise for us to go in and get them out immediately."

"I agree," said Carrot Top.

"Let's hurry! Something's after Derpy and I have a feeling that it's in that ship."

"Wait...something's after Derpy?!"

"I'll explain later!" The Doctor pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver and made his way through the door. Carrot Top and Bon-Bon followed.

Derpy struggled against the hairy hand but it was too strong. It was definitely hard to fight something in the dark. She could hear Lyra's muffled groans and her heart began to race. What had captured them? Where was it taking them? What was it going to do to them? Derpy heard the creature breathing quickly and heavily. She heard a door open and found herself being thrown into a room. The room, thankfully, wasn't dark. A small lantern was situated in the center of the room. Derpy crawled towards it. Lyra emerged from the darkness a few seconds later and made her way over to the lantern. Derpy heard the door close and lock but their captor remained hidden in the shadows.

"What do you want with us?!" asked Lyra. Their captor emanated a loud shh from its mouth.

"Quiet! He'll hear you!" stated a male voice. Derpy and Lyra proceeded to fall silent.

"Who?" Derpy whispered.

"My captor." Derpy tilted her head a bit. Their captor had a captor? "You're lucky that I found you when I did. You would have been dead if he had found you first."

"Who are you?"

"You don't recognize my voice, Derpy Hooves?" Derpy shook her head in response. A series of loud footsteps reverberated through the darkness. "That's a shame." Their captor appeared in the light. Both Derpy and Lyra gasped. Standing before them was a monkey with green fur, a spiked tail, and four arms. He was wearing a blue space uniform and a warm smile was on his face. "Because I certainly remember you."

Paulie

Chapter 3: Paulie

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

Derpy was speechless. She didn't know what to ask first. However, she quickly decided on one, simple question.

"What...what are you?" Derpy asked. The monkey gave a quiet chuckle and sat down.

"I guess it's true then. I've traveled through time," replied the monkey. "I'm guessing that you, Derpy, have yet to meet me." Derpy nodded in reply.

This must be another one of those weird "out of order" friendships. Kinda like the one the Doctor and I have with Princess Luna, Derpy thought. She looked at the monkey and said, "No, but I guess that you've met me."

"Yes. But, since you've yet to meet me, I guess introductions are in order. My name is Paulie. I'm a native of the planet Pariah."

"So...you're an alien?" asked Lyra.

"To you, yes, I'm an alien. By the way, who are you?"

"Lyra."

"Ah. Are you a friend of Derpy's?" Derpy and Lyra turned to look at each other.

"We have a history," Derpy replied. "Paulie...perhaps you could tell Lyra and me about your captor?"

"He's still weak...but not for long. I don't know how long it'll take for that barrier to hold up," Paulie replied. He looked at Derpy with a pair of concerned eyes. "Do you know how we came to be here?"

"Your ship fell out of the sky. I can't say I know anything beyond that."

"You stopped him, Derpy. You stopped him from destroying the Ark. You saved everyone on board."

He uses those weird terms that the Doctor uses. I guess not everything in my universe has the same terms as the ones on my planet, Derpy thought. Derpy then asked, "What's this about an ark?"

"I guess I shouldn't say too much as that lies in your future. I don't want to risk damaging the time stream. I've heard all about time travel and about how damaging it can be if something goes wrong. However, I will give you some of the details of how I ended up in this situation. I helped you defeat my captor-to-be; but, he took me down with him. He used his strength to capture me and forced me to help him find you again. He seeks revenge on you, Derpy. I didn't want to help him. I tried to destroy us both by entering straight into the time vortex but we somehow managed to survive the trip. Now, here we are. I have failed and now you're practically in his grasp."

"We need to get out of here!" Lyra exclaimed as she stood up. Paulie put a finger to his lips.

"Please, try to keep your voice down. I don't believe my captor knows that you two are on board yet. He doesn't even know what part of the ship I'm in. I think we'd all like to keep it that way."

"Are you planning on ever getting out of here?! I'm not planning on staying in this room for the rest of my life!"

"I don't plan on staying in here forever either. The reason I brought you two in here was to explain the situation to you before heading out. I didn't want to leave knowing that you'd probably stumble across my captor."

"You could have done that without grabbing us like you did."

"I know how people react when they see aliens for the first time. Trust me, I've been to plenty of planets to memorize the patterns. Would you have initially calmly listened to a green monkey with a spiked tail and four arms emerging from the dark?" Lyra fell silent.

"No...I would have probably screamed," the unicorn admitted.

"Exactly," said Paulie as he stood up. He slowly moved back into the darkness. Derpy heard the door to the room open a bit. "If we're going to go, we better go now." Paulie walked back into the circle of light and picked up the lantern. "We best leave while my captor is still weak and come up with a game plan as to how we are to go about defeating him."

"What's his name?" Derpy asked suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"Your captor. You keep calling him my captor. He's got to have a name, doesn't he?"

"Have you heard of the power in a name?"

"Rings a bell."

"Let's just say that my captor works like that as well. His name gives him power. I'd rather not allow him to heal any quicker." Paulie turned towards the darkness and then back to Derpy and Lyra. "Come. We best be quick." Derpy and Lyra began following Paulie to the door when, suddenly, the ship shook and a loud roar reverberated through the walls.

"What the hay?!" exclaimed Lyra.

"It can't be! Damn! Hurry! He's awake!" Paulie warned.

The Doctor was careful as he made his way through the darkened halls of the spaceship. His only source of light was the beam of light emanating from his Sonic Screwdriver. Carrot Top and Bon-Bon were making sure to keep close behind him.

"It's really quiet in here," said Bon-Bon.

"Yes," said Carrot Top as she scratched her chin. "Maybe a bit too-"

"Don't go there," the Doctor sighed. "This is no time to start doing horror clichés."

"Sorry. It was too easy."

"Yes. This is a bit too easy, isn't it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Bon-Bon.

"Think about it. This ship looks to be quite advanced and protected. I mean, it managed to survive a hell of a crash."

"Yes...and?" asked Carrot Top.

"So where's the security?" asked the Doctor in reply.

"Security?" croaked Bon-Bon.

"Yes, security. You know: cameras, laser beams, trip wires, booby traps, the works. A ship like this is bound to have a few security measurements."

"I understood about maybe half of what you just said."

"Give it time. You'll come to understand this stuff eventually." Just then, the Screwdriver began giving off an odd noise. "I think we're close to something."

"Close to what?" asked Carrot Top.

"I have no idea. Keep your guard up." The Doctor, Carrot Top, and Bon-Bon slowly continued down the hallway. The sound from the Screwdriver grew louder with each step. The three ponies soon found themselves being led towards a door at the end of the hallway. Technically, it was a pair of sliding doors that the Doctor assumed led to a much bigger room.

"This ship seems bigger on the inside," said Bon-Bon.

"It probably is," the Doctor replied as he aimed the Screwdriver at the doors. After a few, tense seconds, the doors slowly opened with a soft hiss. The Doctor braced himself as he stepped through the opening.

The room beyond the doors was definitely big. It was pitch black but the Doctor could tell it was big from the echo that was produced from his footsteps, or hoofsteps as the Equestrians called them.

"Do you hear that?!" whispered Carrot Top. The Doctor nodded. Reverberating through the room was a heavy, deep breathing. It sounded like it was coming from a great beast.

"We should probably back out. My guess is that Derpy isn't in here," the Doctor whispered back to Carrot Top.

"DERPY?!" boomed a sinister voice. The Doctor recognized the voice instantly. It was the same voice that he had heard during the crash. "AS IN DERPY HOOVES?!" A pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness. Carrot Top gasped and Bon-Bon stepped behind the Doctor. The Doctor readied the Screwdriver. The eyes looked at the Doctor. The next thing the Doctor heard was a cold chuckle. "Doctor...we meet again."

"Sorry to tell ya, mate, but I don't believe we've met," said the Doctor firmly.

"Then the monkey has fulfilled his purpose. He has taken me and my gateway through time. And if you're here, Doctor, then that means Derpy's here as well. Oh how I've waited many days and nights for this moment."

"Whoever you are, you're most certainly not going to cause any harm to my friend!"

"I may not be as powerful as I should normally be, but I can still find and take care of your friend as long as she's on this ship. And, to further satisfy my hunger, I shall destroy you, your little friends, and that blasted traitor Paulie." The creature's eyes began to grow brighter and angrier.

"Who are you?!" Carrot Top asked suddenly. A cold laugh echoed through the room.

"I am the ruler of realms. The destroyer of worlds. The master of fear and of the macabre. I am the the beast that all of my enemies fear! I am...THE JABBERWOCKY!" A loud roar suddenly exploded through the room. The ship began to shake all around them and the Jabberwocky began laughing like a maniac.

"Let's get out of here!" cried Bon-Bon.

"Wait a moment. Did you just say that you're the Jabberwocky? As in the Jabberwocky from Alice in...oh you've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed the Doctor.

"DOCTOR!" cried a fearful and slightly annoyed Carrot Top as she grabbed onto the Doctor's suit and pulled him out of the room.

"RUN! RUN! RUN ALL YOU LIKE! YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE ME AGAIN!" laughed the Jabberwocky.

The ship had suddenly flared to life. Random lights flickered in the darkness. Old speakers sent out static-filled signals. Electronic doors opened violently and slammed shut multiple times.

"Hurry! This way!" cried Paulie as he led Derpy and Lyra through the dark and vibrating halls of the ship. As they turned a corner, a booming voice began coming out of the ship's speakers.

"Hello, Derpy. You may not know me, but I certainly know you. You can either come quietly or things can get ugly. It's your choice," said the voice.

"I think things have already gotten ugly," stated Lyra.

"Keep moving!" urged Paulie. Derpy didn't hesitate to listen and continued to run.

"Fine, we'll do this the hard way then," chuckled the voice. The lights in the hallway suddenly burst to life. Derpy was blinded for a few seconds.

"Oh no! He's regaining control of the ship's security system!" Paulie gasped. Derpy yelped as Paulie grabbed onto one of her forelegs. "We're almost out. Run and don't look back!" Derpy yelped again as Paulie took off. She looked to see that the monkey was pulling Lyra along as well. She was impressed for Paulie ran pretty fast for a four-armed green monkey from another planet. As Derpy tried to regain her eyesight, she could make out the sounds of metal clicking and grinding.

"Duck!" cried Lyra. Derpy did as she was told and not two seconds later something flew right over her head and collided with the opposite wall. Pretty soon, projectiles were flying throughout the hallway.

"We're being shot at!" Derpy cried.

"I've noticed," said Paulie. Derpy saw a nearby gun fire something towards her. She didn't have time to duck but the projectile was deflected by a green shield. Derpy turned to see that Lyra was protecting them with magical shields.

"I need to thank Bon-Bon for encouraging me to take those spell classes," Lyra chuckled nervously. They rounded another bend and Derpy's eyes went wide.

"Well, here's your chance," stated Derpy. Running from the opposite direction was none other than the Doctor, Carrot Top, and Bon-Bon. "Doctor?!"

"Derpy!" exclaimed the Doctor.

"Lyra!" cried Bon-Bon.

"Bon-Bon!" cried Lyra.

"A green, four-armed monkey?!" exclaimed Carrot Top.

"More ponies?!" exclaimed Paulie.

"We can catch up later! Everypony keep moving!" cried Derpy. The five ponies and the alien monkey converged and turned down a central hallway. Derpy looked ahead. A small lobby was situated at the end of the hallway and so was an open door.

"The exit!" cried Bon-Bon. They made it out into the lobby and stormed towards the door. They were almost there when a gun popped out of the ceiling and fired. The gun was aimed at Derpy. Derpy had no time to move. The dart from the gun was about to hit her when Paulie quickly pushed her out of the way. The dart penetrated his chest and knocked him over.

"Paulie!" cried Derpy. The Doctor, with great speed, aimed his Sonic Screwdriver at the gun, which proceeded to explode due to an electrical overload. Lyra proceeded to levitate the wounded Paulie into the air.

"We need to help him!" cried Lyra. Suddenly, a screen turned on above the doorway. The screen was completely black except for two, red eyes. Derpy felt her heart stop.

Those eyes. I saw those eyes staring at me in my subconscious and through the window at Moonbase One! How? What is this thing?! Derpy asked in thought.

"Serves you right, traitor," chuckled the creature. "You cannot escape me forever, Derpy Hooves. Whether you come back here or not does not matter, for I will find you no matter what. You will never be safe from me, Derpy Hooves. Nopony who knows you will ever be safe. I will not rest. I will not sleep. I will simply wait and time will ultimately bring you to me." A cold laugh echoed through the ship as Derpy followed the others through the door.

The Doctor was the last one out of the ship. He pointed the Screwdriver at the ship's engines. A shower of sparks shot into the air.

"You're not going anywhere until further notice," said the Doctor as he turned away from the ship. The sky was a bright orange now and the sun was almost completely under the horizon. Derpy and the others had come to a stop a little ways into the trees. Lyra had placed the green monkey on the ground.

"Doctor!" cried Derpy. "You've got to help him!"

"Who is he?" asked Bon-Bon as the Doctor walked up to examine the monkey.

"What is he?" asked Carrot Top.

"His name's Paulie," said Lyra. "He's basically an alien monkey from the future."

"Ah. Well that makes sense." The Doctor examined the wound closely and carefully removed the dart.

"Is he going to be okay, Doctor?" Derpy asked as she walked up beside him.

"I...I'm afraid not, Derpy," the Doctor replied with a sad look.

"What?!"

"This dart contains a very acidic poison."

"Poison?!"

"Yes. He doesn't have long now, maybe a couple hours at best." The Doctor stood up and turned to face the four mares. "We better get him back to the campsite. Let's make his last hours as comfortable as possible."

"If I'm going to die...then I can at least give you all one last bit of help," Paulie coughed. Derpy knelt down next to him. "I could really use some water."

"We'll get you some when we get back to camp," said Derpy.

"Yes...once we're there and away from that ship...I'm going to tell you the Jabberwocky's greatest weakness."

Splitting Up

Chapter 4: Splitting Up

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

"His weakness?!" asked Derpy. Paulie nodded.

"Yes," Paulie replied before letting out a weak cough. The Doctor looked at the dying alien monkey before him. He desperately wished that there was something he could do. Almost as if on cue, Derpy turned to look up at the Doctor.

"There has to be something we can do!" Derpy looked back at Paulie. "Is there a cure?"

"What...what year is it?"

"1002," said Bon-Bon. Paulie shook his head.

"The poison inside me is known as Red Flora Toxin. Its antidote is a solution known as Green Spore. Neither of those will be invented for at least four centuries from now." Derpy turned to look at the Doctor. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"I could use the TARDIS to take a trip into the future and find the antidote," said the Doctor.

"Will you?" asked Derpy hopefully.

"It'll be risky. The TARDIS collided with that ship while they were both traveling through the time vortex. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get the TARDIS back in time to save Paulie." Derpy looked down. "But, that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try." Derpy looked up and smiled at the Doctor. Suddenly, something began shooting at them from the ship.

"Let's get back to camp!" said Lyra as she levitated Paulie. Derpy stood up. The Doctor looked straight into her eyes.

"I've got to stay," she said. She looked towards the ship. "Something tells me that I'm going to have to be the pony to face whatever's in there."

"The Jabberwocky," said the Doctor.

"Yeah...that. Once we get Paulie back to the safety of the camp, he'll be able to tell us the Jabberwocky's weakness...and then we can end this."

"I'll try to find the antidote and return here with it by the right time."

"By the way, where is the TARDIS?"

"On the other side of the ship."

"Oh...be careful."

"You be careful." Derpy jumped forward and gave the Doctor a quick hug. The Doctor watched as Derpy followed the others into the trees. He smiled before turning back towards the armed ship.

"Hold it right there!" stated a familiar voice. The Doctor looked back to see Carrot Top approaching him.

"Carrot Top?" he asked.

"I don't think you should go alone, Doctor."

"The others could use your help."

"I know. Derpy's the one who sent me. She's thinks you're the one who needs my help right now." The Doctor and Carrot Top turned towards the ship.

"Be quick on your hooves, Ms. Top."

"Don't have to tell me twice, Doctor." The Doctor and Carrot Top then broke into a run. A gun popped out of the top of the ship and began firing at them. The Doctor aimed his Sonic Screwdriver at it. The gun broke down but three more appeared in its wake. Adrenaline pumped through the Doctor's body as he ran along the scorched ground surrounding the ship. Soon, the TARDIS appeared in his sight. He managed to destroy a few more guns before signaling the TARDIS doors to open with a clap of his hooves. The Doctor and Carrot Top ran through the open doors like a pair of speeding cheetahs. The Doctor clapped his hooves again and the doors slammed shut. Carrot Top was breathing heavily as the Doctor made his way over to the control console. "That was fun."

"That's only the beginning. Now, let's see. About four centuries into the future." The Doctor grinned as he pulled down one of the levers. "Nothing too difficult." The Doctor and Carrot Top held on as the TARDIS gave off its signature sound and disappeared back into the time vortex.

It didn't take long for Derpy, Lyra, and Bon-Bon to get Paulie back to camp. Bon-Bon quickly gave Paulie some water while Lyra spread out a sleeping bag for him. Night had begun to fall and as Lyra began setting up a campfire, Derpy knelt down next to Paulie to talk to him.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Surprisingly well for someone who's near death," Paulie said with a chuckle.

"You're going to be fine. The Doctor's going to get back with that antidote. I know he will."

"But, in the case he doesn't, I best be quick about telling you what you need to know."

"I'm all ears." Derpy leaned in closer.

"Here's one thing that you've got to know about the Jabberwocky in his current state: he's not completely in our world."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The Jabberwocky is from another universe entirely different from our own. His only means of interacting with this universe is through an extremely powerful gateway."

"So, the Jabberwocky can travel between this universe and his universe through this gateway?"

"Well...yes and no. The Jabberwocky can transfer his powers and magic through the gateway and interact with our universe through the gateway but he can't physically travel through the gateway. That's mostly due to what you did, or what you're going to do."

"So, he's basically trapped on the other side of the gateway."

"Yes. Your main goal here is not to kill the Jabberwocky but to simply break his only link to our universe."

"And, what is this gateway exactly?"

"It's a nearly indestructible and durable device known simply as the Looking Glass. Others like to call it the Mirror of the Jabberwocky." A shiver ran down Derpy's back. She suddenly received a flashback to Isaac Longhair's warning.

"The monster lies behind the glass," she remembered him saying.

"That's what he meant," said Derpy.

"Hmm?" asked Paulie.

"Nevermind. So, how am I supposed to destroy this gateway?" Paulie slowly reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper.

"With this." Derpy took the paper in her hoof and examined it.

"It's a music sheet."

"Yes. The Song of the Looking Glass. It's a fail-safe made to destroy the Looking Glass if things took a turn for the worse."

"I think it's easy to say that's already happened." Derpy turned from the music sheet to Paulie. "If you've had this with you the whole time, how come you never tried destroying the Looking Glass yourself?"

"Because that song can only be played by one specific instrument. An instrument that, unfortunately for me, I neither have possession of nor know how to play properly."

"What is it?"

"The lyre." Derpy's eyes widened. She turned to look at one of Carrot Top's bags. The tip of the lyre she had brought was just sticking out.

"Well, lucky for us, we have both a lyre," Derpy turned to look at Lyra as she finished setting the campfire, "and somepony who knows how to play it."

"Then go and end this, Derpy Hooves. I am sorry that I couldn't be of more use to you."

"Don't say that. You were plenty useful. Now rest. The Doctor will return with your antidote soon. I know he will!"

"You seem to have a lot of faith in the Doctor. No wonder he likes you so much." Paulie gave a small grin as Derpy tilted her head a bit. Derpy grasped the music sheet in her hoof as she walked over to Carrot Top's bag and picked up the lyre. Lyra was busy keeping the campfire lit with her magic when Derpy approached her.

"So, how are we going to defeat the Jabberwocky?" Lyra asked. Derpy handed the lyre to Lyra along with the music sheet. "What are these?"

"Your weapons." Lyra looked at the lyre and the music sheet and began to shake her head.

"You don't mean-"

"You better learn that song quickly."

"Oh come on! I've got to go back to that ship and play a song in front of a monster?!"

"From how I see things, you've got the easy part. All you've got to do is play a song on a lyre, something you're really good at. I'm the pony the Jabberwocky's going to be aiming for."

Gaia, 1413 C.E.

The Doctor sighed happily as the TARDIS gave its last lurch.

"We're here! 1413 C.E.!" the Doctor announced.

"That's over four centuries," said Carrot Top with a smirk.

"Don't get technical with me, Ms. Top! Besides, I'm only eleven years off and I did this on purpose. I estimated that the poison and the antidote were created in 1402. Eleven years would be enough time for it to become mainstream and commonplace."

"Hmm...good thinking, Doctor." The Doctor and Carrot Top made their way towards the TARDIS doors. "I have to admit that I feel a bit bad leaving Derpy and the others back in the present to deal with that nasty Jabberwocky. We've got the easy part of this situation."

"I have faith in Ms. Hooves and we're helping a possible ally for her and I by doing this. Besides, don't speak too soon about things being too easy." The Doctor opened the doors and Carrot Top gasped. The Doctor looked ahead to find several royal soldiers pointing guns with bayonets at him and Carrot Top. "See, Ms. Top? Spoke too soon!"

Mirror of the Jabberwocky

Chapter 5: Mirror of the Jabberwocky

Gaia, 1413 C.E.

"Step forward!" ordered one of the soldiers. The Doctor and Carrot Top carefully stepped through the TARDIS doors. They had parked in the middle of what appeared to be a massive throne room. Computers, monitors, and high definition televisions spanned one of the walls.

"I see that Equestria is well into its next technological boom right about now," the Doctor guessed.

"What is your business here?!" snapped another one of the soldiers.

"Soldiers! Stand down!" snapped a familiar voice. The Doctor looked and felt a feeling of relief wash over him as Princess Luna approached them. "This stallion and whomever is with him bear us no harm. They are allies to us, not enemies!" The soldiers nodded and lowered their weapons. Luna took a few steps towards the Doctor and both the Doctor and Carrot Top bowed.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, your majesty," said the Doctor.

"The pleasure is mine as well, Doctor," said Luna.

"You're friends with Princess Luna?!" Carrot Top whispered into the Doctor's ear.

"Oh yes! We go way back...but not in the correct order," the Doctor replied.

"Huh?"

"Wibbly wobbly timey wimey."

"So, Doctor, to what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected visit?"

"Aren't all of my visits unexpected?"

Luna chuckled and replied, "Yes, I suppose so."

"But," the Doctor continued, "Ms. Top and I do come with a purpose."

"And that is?"

"Do you happen to have any Green Spore? There's an alien monkey that I need to help because he's been poisoned with Red Flora Toxin."

"Yes. We have a large supply of it. Where is this alien monkey waiting for you?"

"In a forest on the outskirts of Ponyville over four hundred years in the past."

"A bit late, aren't you?" Luna asked with a smile.

"I can easily fix that," said the Doctor as he nodded towards the TARDIS.

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

Night had fallen by the time Derpy and Lyra began heading back to the Jabberwocky's ship. Bon-Bon had decided to stay at the campsite and watch over Paulie, who was doing well but could only hold off the main effects of the poison for another few hours at best.

The Doctor will come back in time. I know he will, Derpy thought as she trudged on. Pretty soon, the light of the campfire had faded away and the only source of light for the mares was an illumination spell emanating from Lyra's horn.

"So, you're going to distract the monster while I play this song?" Lyra asked.

"That's the plan," Derpy replied. Lyra let out a nervous laugh. Derpy turned towards her. "Something funny?"

"Kinda. When I woke up this morning, I didn't expect to end up helping you, of all ponies, fight a monster from another dimension while Carrot Top travels into the future with a time-traveling stallion to help save the life of an alien monkey."

"Who in their right mind would expect something like that?"

"Celestia knows." The two mares laughed a bit before falling silent. The cry of an owl echoed through the trees. A cool summer breeze pressed against Derpy's coat. It felt nice.

"It's funny how things turn out. I never expected us to ever talk to each other without scowling."

"Derpy, just in case something goes wrong and we don't make it out of this, I just wanted to say that...I'm sorry. And I mean it this time. I'm truthfully sorry." Derpy let out a loud sigh.

"I'm sorry too, Lyra. You weren't even the worst of the bullies...but that didn't stop me from attempting to get payback."

"You succeeded in that, alright. I'm sure there's still a few ponies around here who talk about my weird sitting habit."

"Why do you like sitting that way, if it's not too personal?" Lyra smiled.

"It actually all started because of a dare. Somepony, I don't remember who, dared me to sit like that during a game of Truth or Dare. Others say how uncomfortable the position is but I personally found it to be quite comfortable. After a while I began doing it more and more. I grew to like sitting in that other position versus the normal position. Of course, I kept it a secret because I knew others would tease me about it. I guess I had it coming when you revealed my secret. It was so afraid of being teased about my habit that I grew into the habit of teasing others about their weird habits and traits." Lyra fell silent. Derpy knew that Lyra was staring at her eyes, which had begun to invert again. "Why are your eyes like that?" Derpy sighed. "If it's too personal then you don't have to say anything!"

"No. That's not it." Derpy felt a sudden, quick pain rush through her head. She rubbed her temple and the pain disappeared. "My eyes weren't like this when I was born. Something happened to me when I was a young filly that resulted in my eyes becoming like this."

"What happened?"

"That's just it, Lyra. I don't remember. I remember being young and my eyes being normal...then there's just a large white space and then my life picks up with me moving to Ponyville with my aunt and a pair of screwed up eyes."

"Something traumatic must have happened to you and that's why you can't remember."

"Maybe...but I know one thing."

"And that is?"

"Whatever happened to my parents is related to what happened to my eyes."

"Your parents?"

"Oh look! We're here!" Derpy and Lyra emerged from the trees. The spaceship that held the Jabberwocky stood before them. Everything was quiet. Derpy turned to Lyra and whispered, "Turn off your horn!" Lyra nodded and the light coming from her horn disappeared. The two mares quietly approached the ship. Derpy kept her breathing to long, soft breaths. She didn't know whether the Jabberwocky was unaware of their arrival or if he were waiting for them to come in so he could trap them. Derpy gulped as she approached the door. She turned to Lyra and the green unicorn nodded back to her. The two mares held their breath as they passed through the doorway.

Gaia, 1413 C.E.

Luna led the Doctor and Carrot Top down a long hallway. The smell of sanitiser and soap began filling the air.

"We're nearing the castle hospital. Our collection of antidotes is located here," said Luna as they turned another corner.

"So, where are you and Derpy going after all of this is done with?" Carrot Top asked. The Doctor turned towards his temporary companion and sighed.

"I'll probably help her take care of all the things we have to do in this sequence of events and then I'll drop her back home. I, on the other hoof, will search for a way back to my own universe," said the Doctor.

"You mean you're not going to let her travel with you?"

"Occasionally I might come across her and bring her on a trip or two when I find myself seeking some company but I will not make her a full-time companion."

"Why? Do you not like Derpy?"

"It's not that. Of course I like her. She's a wonderful mare who is much smarter than what she appears, though I have noticed a few bubbly moments here and there. I...I wouldn't mind traveling with her."

"Then why don't you?"

"I...let's just say that I've traveled with others in the past...many others."

"Why is this a problem?"

"If there's anything I've learned while traveling amongst the stars for all these years it's that everything must come to an end. Stars, planets, entire galaxies...and friendships."

"Do you not consider them your friends anymore?"

"No. I still consider all of them as my friends. It's just that...I've had to say goodbye so...so many times. Some said goodbye to me, others I said goodbye to, many others were forced to say goodbye to me and vice versa, and some...some never even got to say or hear the word goodbye before they were torn away. I may look young, Carrot Top, but I am old. I am very old. I've met so many, befriended so many, grown close to so many...and yet I've always been forced to part with them. It's the sad cycle of life. You make a friend, grow close to them, and then you part ways in sometimes the most cruel of circumstances. Perhaps...this old creature is tired to saying goodbye."

"You wanna know what I think?" The Doctor turned as Carrot Top placed one of her hooves on his shoulder. "I see a stallion who could really use another hello. I know it's hard to not dwell on the past and to push away the pain of losing your past friends...but making new ones tends to always be a good step in finding peace."

"You know, for a mare who teaches her friends to slap others, you're quite intelligent yourself." Carrot Top smiled and blushed a bit.

"Here it is," said Luna as she opened a door in front of them. "The Medicine Chamber."

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

The ship had become dark once again. Derpy wasn't happy about this. Though, she admitted that she preferred to be safe in the dark versus being shot at in the light. She and Lyra refused to utter a single word as they made their way through the black corridors of the ship. Lyra cast another illumination spell to provide light but she made sure to dim it down. All Derpy could make out of Lyra in the dim light was her outline and nothing more. Soon, Derpy and Lyra finally came across the double doors that Bon-Bon had told them about.

This is it...prepare yourself, Derpy, Derpy thought as she made her way towards the open doors. Lyra readied the lyre and the music sheet. They slowly approached the doors and peered into the chamber. They saw nothing but could definitely hear low, deep breathing. Derpy turned toward Lyra's outline and nodded. Lyra nodded back. Derpy turned forward and walked into the chamber.

Instantly, Derpy was hit by a blast of hot air. The air reeked with the scent of rust and meat. A wretched taste began building up in the back of Derpy's mouth. She wanted to cough or gag but feared of waking the beast too early. Lyra had turned her illumination spell off so Derpy was now in total darkness. She could hear muffled hoofsteps shuffling away from her. Good. Lyra was following the plan. Derpy came to a halt and waited for a moment. She decided to give Lyra a bit of time to find some sort of hiding place in the darkness. After a moment of silence, Derpy began walking forward again. The air grew hotter and the stench grew worse as Derpy continued in her straight line. She knew the Jabberwocky could spring on her at any moment, but she was ready. All she had to do was distract the beast long enough to allow Lyra to play her song. She knew once the song would begin to play, the Jabberwocky would awaken. Derpy eventually came to a halt when she felt the presence of something tall and powerful in front of her. The hairs of her coat began to stand up. Derpy pressed one of her hooves forward. The icy touch of glass met her hoof. This was it. She was standing in front of the Looking Glass, the Mirror of the Jabberwocky.

Derpy turned back into the darkness and whispered, "Now!" She hoped dearly that Lyra had heard her. After about ten seconds of silence, a dim light appeared in the far corner of the room and a lovely musical chime began to play. It was beautiful. Each chord and note was like a feast for Derpy's ears. The peace didn't last long for it was at this moment that a loud roar broke the calm. Derpy, while terrified, was impressed for Lyra continued to play. Derpy looked up to see a pair of red eyes staring down at her. The lights in the room burst to life. Derpy gasped as her eyes fell on what stood before her.

The room was simply a large chamber with metal walls and a massive chandelier. The Looking Glass was about the height and width of the chamber, which was about the height of two floors and the width of half a house. It had a golden frame and its glass surface gleamed like a freshly-polished carriage. The Jabberwocky was truly a hideous creature. He had green, scaly skin; wide, insect-like wings; piercing red eyes; sharp, jagged, yellow claws; sharp teeth coated in the blood of his previous meals; and strange, tentacle-like protrusions sticking out of his face. Behind the creature, Derpy could make out what appeared to be a large room with velvet red curtains covering the walls and mounds of treasure spilling out onto the floor.

"At last you have come, Derpy Hooves," chuckled the Jabberwocky. Derpy felt her body freeze. His voice seemed to scratch at her ears like nails. Even though he was on the other side of the mirror, the glass was so clear that it was almost as if the glass weren't even there. The monster gave a wretched smile as his eyes looked over to a bookcase behind which Lyra was hiding. The wondrous notes of the Song of the Looking Glass spilled out from behind the bookcase. The mirror shook with the performance of each note and chord. Cracks began forming on the glass. "I see that you wish to destroy my gateway. I'm afraid that I cannot allow this." Derpy watched as a golden energy began flowing out of the mirror and into the walls of the ship around it. Several security guns popped out of the walls and aimed at the bookcase.

"Run, Lyra!" Derpy called. Just before the guns fired, Lyra ran out from behind the bookcase. The lyre floated alongside her and continued to play. "Why did this song have to be so long?!"

"I so wish that I could kill you physically, Derpy, but as I cannot pass through this barrier I must simply make do with what I can do." Derpy gasped as black shadows began appearing around her. Miniature shadow versions of the Jabberwocky began popping out of the floor and approaching her. Derpy looked to see that Lyra was busy dodging the guns and playing the song.

"Lyra! Finish that song quickly!" Derpy cried as the shadows began to surround her.

Gaia, 1413 C.E.

The Medicine Chamber seemed to stretch on into infinity. Bottles upon bottles of solutions and potions were packaged into the shelves of the chamber.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find what we're looking for in here!" said the Doctor with a smile.

"With me, it won't take long," said Luna as she took a step forward. Suddenly, a ghostly apparition popped out of the floor. It looked like a pony wearing a long cloak and surrounded in a dark blue aura.

"What the hay?!" gasped Carrot Top.

"What is your request, your highness?" asked the apparition.

"I need some Green Spore please," stated Luna.

"Yes, your highness." The apparition then disappeared into the floor. Luna turned to face the Doctor and Carrot Top.

"Poe Ponies," stated the Princess.

"Poe Ponies?" asked Carrot Top.

"Yes. Creatures from another realm of existence. Their entryway into our world is located over in the Scott Empire."

"Scott Empire? Clever," chuckled the Doctor. The Poe Pony reappeared and was now holding a bottle containing a green solution.

"Thank you," said Luna as she took the Green Spore.

"Anytime, your majesty," stated the Poe Pony before disappearing. Luna turned around and presented the Green Spore to the Doctor.

"Thank you, Princess," said the Doctor as he accepted the bottle. "Now, Carrot Top and I would love to stick around and chat but, you know."

"Places to go, creatures to save."

"As always."

"I look forward to your next visit, Doctor. I wish luck to your troubled friend in the past."

"Thank you." The Doctor then turned to Carrot Top. "Come, Carrot Top. We have an alien monkey to save."

"Right!" said Carrot Top. The Doctor and Carrot Top turned around and began making their way back to the TARDIS.

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

Derpy flapped her wings and took into the air as one of the shadows jumped at her. A few of the shadows launched themselves into the air and grabbed onto Derpy's legs.

"Let go!" Derpy ordered as she kicked away at them. Derpy gasped as she dodged a bullet from one of the guns. Lyra continued to dodge the bullets and play the song on the lyre. Derpy wanted to enjoy the beauty of the song but had to focus on other things such as the shadows sprouting wings and flying up to her. The Looking Glass was vibrating faster now. Cracks were spreading and the Jabberwocky was snarling. He didn't have much time left before the song completely destroyed his gateway.

"Kill them! KILL THEM!" ordered the Jabberwocky.

"Not so powerful from within your cage, are you?" teased Lyra. The Jabberwocky roared and began scratching away at the glass. The song from the lyre was growing louder and louder. Derpy began to feel a suction of air drawing towards the mirror. Derpy kicked at several of the shadows before they began to get pulled into the mirror.

"It's over, Jabberwocky. Your gateway's finished!" Derpy snapped.

"SHOOT HER! KILL THAT BLASTED UNICORN!" the Jabberwocky snapped at the guns. Lyra was having success in dodging the guns but she was quickly growing tired. The notes of the song were beginning to slow down.

"Lyra! You can't stop now!"

"Only...a few...more...notes," Lyra breathed. Suddenly a gun popped out of nowhere and caught Lyra by surprise.

"LYRA!" Derpy flew as fast as she could. She managed to push Lyra out of the way. Derpy proceeded to give out a frightened gasp as the bullet flew right through her right wing. Derpy fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"DERPY!" Lyra cried. Derpy could hear the Jabberwocky laughing in the background. Derpy looked to see a warm, red liquid surrounding her. She turned to look up at Lyra.

"Finish the song, Lyra. Finish...the...song." Derpy could hardly see. The pain was too intense to allow her to see clearly. Derpy smiled as her hearing focused in on the sweet tunes of the song. She could make out the sound of the Looking Glass breaking apart. Then, the Jabberwocky spoke to her.

"I do hope that shot is fatal, Derpy Hooves, and you should too. If you survive this day, don't think that this destroyed gateway shall end our conflict. I will find a new gateway to your world. I shall find you once again and I shall finish you myself. I will find a way, Derpy Hooves. Mark my words. I will find a way." Derpy forced her eyes open just in time to see Lyra finish the song and the Looking Glass disintegrate into a pile of broken metal and glass. Derpy suddenly felt herself grow weightless as a green aura surrounded her body.

"Stay with me, Derpy," said Lyra. "Stay with me."

Welcome Aboard

Chapter 6: Welcome Aboard

Gaia, 1413 C.E.

The Doctor and Carrot Top nearly flew through the TARDIS doors. The Doctor then handed the bottle of Green Spore to Carrot Top before making his way over to the controls.

"I recommend holding onto something," said the Doctor. "This is going to be a bumpy ride." Carrot Top grabbed onto the main console as the Doctor pulled down the lever nearest to him. The two ponies held on tightly as the TARDIS shot back into the time vortex.

Gaia, 1002 C.E.

The Doctor's mane was strewn over his face as he pulled tightly on one of the controls. For five straight minutes, the Doctor tried his best to direct the mending TARDIS through the time vortex.

"Is everything all right?!" asked Carrot Top.

"Don't worry! I have everything under control! I'm just trying to land the TARDIS close to the time we left!" the Doctor replied as he spun a knob and pulled down three levers. A loud bang rang out through the TARDIS and the ship veered dangerously to the left. Carrot Top let out a surprised yelp and the Doctor tightened his grip on the controls. "Come on!" Steam began to flow from the TARDIS console and a few sparks of electricity shot down form the ceiling.

"Doctor?!"

"Hold on!" There was another bang and the TARDIS came to a sudden stop. The Doctor and Carrot Top fell to the floor. Thankfully, Carrot Top managed to keep the bottle of Green Spore safe. Carrot Top coughed a bit as she stood up. The Doctor picked himself up and ran over to the doors.

"Did we make it?" asked Carrot Top as the Doctor pulled the doors open. The Doctor turned back with a grin on his face.

"I believe so," he said as he stormed through the doors. Carrot Top ran after him.

The TARDIS had parked on the edge of the clearing that held Carrot Rock as well as Carrot Top's campsite. The Doctor took note of how it was nighttime now. He hoped he wasn't too late. The light of a campfire illuminated the clearing. Two figures were huddled next to it. The Doctor quickly identified one of the figures as Bon-Bon and the other figure as Paulie the alien monkey, who was currently lying on a sleeping bag. Bon-Bon stood up as the Doctor and Carrot Top approached her.

"You're back!" gasped the mare as she ran forward to greet them.

"The Spore," said the Doctor as he turned to Carrot Top. Carrot Top handed him the bottle of Green Spore before giving Bon-Bon a quick hug.

"How long were we gone?" Carrot Top asked.

"About an hour or so. Don't worry. You're not too late," Bon-Bon replied. The Doctor made his way over to Paulie, who looked to be half asleep.

"Paulie? Paulie, can you hear me?" the Doctor asked as he knelt down next to the sleeping bag. Paulie turned to face the Doctor.

"Yes," he said in a wheezy voice. "Do...do you have the Green...Spore?" The Doctor grinned as he presented the bottle.

"Open up." Paulie smiled and opened his mouth. The Doctor uncapped the bottle and poured a fair amount of the solution into Paulie's mouth. Upon drinking the antidote, color returned to Paulie's face and a sense of comfort appeared to flow through his body. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you, Doctor. You have saved my life again."

"Again? Oh...I guess this is another one of those things that I'm going to do."

"Yes."

"Then I look forward to saving your life again in the future for the first time." Paulie chuckled as the Doctor turned towards Bon-Bon. "Where's Derpy and Lyra?"

"They returned to the ship to face the Jabberwocky," Bon-Bon replied.

"They did what?!" asked the Doctor and Carrot Top together.

"They didn't go unprepared! Paulie told them the Jabberwocky's weakness!"

"Which was?" asked the Doctor.

"The Song of the Jabberwocky. It'll take a bit of time to explain."

"I don't think we have a bit of time right now," said Carrot Top as she pointed towards the trees. "Look!" The Doctor looked. From the trees emerged a running Lyra with a lyre and an injured Derpy floating next to her.

"The Looking Glass is destroyed but Derpy's been shot in the wing!" Lyra cried as she ran forward.

"The Looking Glass?" asked Carrot Top.

"We can ask later! Right now, we need to get Derpy some medical attention!" said the Doctor.

"There's a hospital in town. Can you get her there with your ship?" asked Lyra.

"It'll be a bit tricky because the TARDIS is still slightly damaged, but I think I can get her there." The Doctor flung the levitating Derpy onto his back. "The three of you stay here and look after Paulie as he's still recovering. I've got Derpy."

"We'll meet you at the hospital as soon as we can!" stated Carrot Top. The Doctor nodded as he walked over towards the TARDIS. He looked back towards Derpy's face. She appeared to be slightly conscious.

"Derpy, can you hear me?" he asked. For a moment, Derpy was silent. Then she proceeded to groan a bit before uttering a single word.

"M...muffin," she sighed.

"Muffin?" asked the Doctor as he entered the TARDIS doors. Just as he began to work the controls, a voice from the past floated into his mind.

He thought back to the strange man he had encountered in the New York cemetery, who had said, "I see a fair amount of muffins in your future."

"Muffins," said the Doctor as he pulled down the lever nearest to him.

Derpy awoke to a smell that made her nose go wild. She was lying in a hospital bed. Several bandages were wrapped tightly around her right wing. The golden glow of the morning sun was shining through a window near her bed. She let out a groan before turning her head and seeing a plate of muffins sitting happily on her bedside table. Her stomach gave a loud rumbling sound. She slowly sat up and reached for the nearest muffin. It was blueberry. She sniffed it lovingly for a few seconds before scarfing in a manner similar to that of a starving wolf.

"Feeling better?" asked a familiar voice. The Doctor was standing in the doorway. Derpy smiled upon seeing him.

"You made it back," said Derpy. The Doctor nodded with a smile before entering the room. "How long was I out?"

"Not even 24 hours. Don't worry. I've talked with the nurses and they say that your wing is fine. Amazing, the workings of your world. In my world, it could take weeks to heal from a gunshot wound. Here, they just do some magic and your wing is good as new. I guess it also helps that the bullet didn't hit anything major in the wing nor was it poisoned."

"What about the others?"

"Everypony's fine. Huh. I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of your world's terminology." Derpy giggled and the Doctor cleared his throat. "Anyway, everypony's fine. Carrot Top has taken Paulie back to your house and Lyra and Bon-Bon are currently and their own place. All of them, save for Paulie due to obvious reasons, have come to visit you. They're all glad that you're okay."

"I'm glad too." Derpy turned towards the muffin plate before turning back to the Doctor. "You got me the muffins, didn't you?"

"I kinda assumed that's what you wanted. You said the word muffin to me before passing out last night."

"I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"Come on! You couldn't have been that hungry! Not after what we ate at Moonbase One!"

"Sometimes I have a hollow hoof."

"Don't we all?"

"Is the TARDIS all right? I remember hearing something about it being damaged."

"Yes. The Jabberwocky's ship can be thanked for that. By some act of fate or God knows what else, the TARDIS managed to collide with the Jabberwocky's ship as it traveled through the time vortex. It isn't beyond repair. As you can see, I managed to use it to get Paulie the Green Spore as well as get you to the hospital. All though...you and I took an accidental detour to the Moon in the distant future before getting back here. I better mark that year down because there's going to be a major attempted invasion that year."

"Thank you, Doctor. I knew you'd be able to save Paulie...and me."

"I think I'm doing a pretty bad job of keeping my promise to you. I say that I'm not going to let anything happen to you and yet you've already been possessed, shot, and accidentally kidnapped by yours truly." Derpy reached over and took hold of one of the Doctor's hooves.

"You're doing fine. I've come out fine through all of those situations. As long as I'm not dead or suffering from any permanent physical or mental scars then I think you can say that you've kept your promise."

"How can you stay so...upbeat after just getting shot?"

"I dunno. I guess it's the same way how you can sometimes remained amazed by things around you. It's just one of those little quirks I have." The Doctor smiled before letting out a loud sigh.

"Listen, Derpy...I've been thinking...and...I was wondering...if you wanted to come traveling with me," the Doctor said. Derpy's eyes went wide.

"You mean...permanently?"

"Not for your entire life but...for a while, yes. I've got a whole new universe to explore and I'd like to have somepony by my side to share the adventure with."

"Adventure. That's what Carrot Top says that I need more of in my life."

"That's who I talked to about this. I was reluctant to become close friends with you at first, Derpy. I've traveled with many friends in the past and...let's just say that I'd grown tired to saying goodbye. But, I guess I see now that I probably need somebody, or somepony there. Heh. It's funny. An old friend of mine once told me that I need somebody there to stop me. Now, I suppose she was right. I do need somebody there. In this case, I need somepony. You could be that somepony, Derpy Hooves, if you want to."

"Travel with you? See the universe? Encounter the dangerous and the unknown?"

"That's pretty much the gist of things."

"Heh."

"What's funny?"

"I guess one thing we have in common, Doctor, is that we both have friends who were right. You need somepony there to stop you, and I need some adventure and excitement in my life."

"Should I consider that a yes?" Derpy nodded as a wide smile appeared on her face. "Then it's settled."

"When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you're out of the hospital and packed."

"Packed?"

"Yes, packed. I'm sure you'd want some things from home in your room in the TARDIS."

"The TARDIS has a bedroom?"

"Oh, it has much more than that! What? Did you think it was just the control room and that was it? I can't wait to give you the grand tour. Just wait until you see the swimming pool!" Derpy let out a giddy laugh before reaching over for another muffin.

"Let the excitement begin then."

The Doctor had parked the TARDIS in front of Derpy and Carrot Top's house. Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Paulie were there to see them off. Derpy walked through the front door with a briefcase in hand, or in hoof as the Equestrians say.

"When do you plan to come back?" asked Carrot Top.

"Oh, you know. Whenever the wind blows us in your direction," the Doctor replied. Carrot Top laughed as she gave the Doctor a quick hug. Derpy walked over towards Lyra and Bon-Bon.

"Thank you," she said. "Without you, Lyra, it would have been much harder for us to destroy the Looking Glass and get rid of the Jabberwocky."

"It was nothing," said Lyra. Derpy stepped forward and gave Lyra a hug.

"No. It was more than nothing." Derpy then turned her attention to Bon-Bon and gave her a hug as well. "I forgive you, Bon-Bon. It's time for all of us to move on." Bon-Bon's eyes widened a bit as Derpy stepped back and smiled at her.

"T...thank you, Derpy," said Bon-Bon. The two mares exchanged a final, respectful stare.

"What about you?" the Doctor asked as he turned his attention to Paulie. "I can take you back to your time if you wish."

"Thanks but no thanks, Doctor. I was a nobody in my time and there are several things that I'm particularly glad to have left behind. Here, I can make a fresh start," said Paulie. He turned towards the forest in the distance and then back to the Doctor. "With the Jabberwocky gone, I'm sure I can get around to fixing up the ship and making in flyable."

"You can stay with me until you finish," said Carrot Top.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." Paulie approached the Doctor and Derpy and extended one of his hands. "Until we meet again, I suppose."

"Until we meet again," said the Doctor as he shook Paulie's hand. Derpy then gave Paulie a quick hug.

"Take care," she said.

"You too, Derpy. Be careful. You're going to come across my past self and the Jabberwocky in your travels. Just be warned, things are going to get a little bit messy," Paulie said.

"Thanks for the warning," said the Doctor.

"Goodbye!" said Derpy as she waved her hoof. Carrot Top, Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Paulie waved goodbye as the Doctor and Derpy entered the TARDIS.

The Doctor closed the TARDIS doors once he and Derpy were inside.

"So, where to now?" asked Derpy.

"Everywhere, but first I think we should take care of the whole paradox timey wimey stuff that led to Carrot Top meeting us in the forest with the lyre and everything," the Doctor replied.

"Of course." The Doctor and Derpy approached the console.

"And, Derpy." Derpy looked at the Doctor.

"Yes?"

"Welcome aboard." Derpy smiled as the Doctor pulled down a lever.

Gaia, 0 C.E.

Sir Isaac Longhair stood and stared at the doorway that the Doctor a.k.a. Dr. Smith and Derpy had passed through just moments earlier. He wondered what Derpy had meant by what she had said.

"Odd characters, those two. I do wonder if I'll ever see them again," said Isaac. Suddenly a strange sound began reverberating through the room: VVRROOMMPP! VVRROOMMPP! VVRROOMMPP! "What in the name of Celestia?!" Isaac watched as a blue, wooden box appeared before him. The doors to the box opened and Isaac's eyes widened as none other than the fair Derpy Hooves poked her head through the threshold.

"Hello again, Isaac," said Derpy. "Would you mind coming inside? The Doctor and I have something to discuss with you."

To be continued...