An Old Whooves Tale.

The Doctor and Derpy walked through the heart of the Everfree forest, with Derpy on constant alert and the Doctor oblivious as ever.

“Wait so you’re telling me that they wrap cider inside little noodles, deep fry them, then drain them in a cup so you can drink it?”

“Ya-huh,” Derpy replied.

“Seriously, where have you ponies been all my life’s? Little geniuses that’s what you are. Now if only I could get my hands on some of those butter-”

“Doctor?” Derpy tried to interrupt, but the Doctor continued on.

“Oh what if, we were to take pear and dip it in the oil, maybe I wouldn’t hate them as much-“

“Doctor?” Derpy tried again, but was ignored.

“Oh and then a deep fried apple pie, with whip cream on top, that is an absolute joy-“

“DOCTOR!” Derpy yelled out finally getting the Doctor’s attention.

“What?” he asked.

“Look!” Derpy said as she pointed to a few roots that were sticking out of the ground.

“Oh what’s this?” the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and began analyzing the stump.

“Interesting,” he said. “This has had the same absence of matter as back in the house, I think our trail is getting warmer Derpy!”

“Yeah I can see that,” she said while pointing ahead of them. There were more roots sticking out of the ground in front of them, as well as some patches of ground that look like holes had been dug. The two ponies continued onwards, following the paths of controlled destruction. Eventually they came upon a large canyon that separated two landmasses, only crossable by a bridge.

“Hey Derpy?” The Doctor asked.

“Yeah?”

“Doesn’t this look awfully familiar?”

“It sure does, but I can’t put my hoof on it.” The Doctor began to chuckle again and Derpy gave him a blank stare.

“Right right sorry,” he cleared his throat and continue. It seems like the same thing that caused those trees to disappear made this canyon.”

“The rock’s on the side are smooth like someone just cut them with a knife like butter.”

“Oh, good analogy. Come let’s see where this bridge leads us to eh?” The Doctor said motioning across the rope bridge

“Okie dokie Doctor.” The two ponies crossed the bridge with ease, but as they continued on the other side a thick fog began to envelop them.

“Hey Doctor, is it me or is a fog starting to roll through?” Derpy made sure to stay behind the Doctor so is not to loose him.

“No you’re definitely correct Derpy, this fog just get’s thicker and thicker the more we go in. Wait a second, you’re a pegasus!”

“I hope my wings didn’t give it away.” Derpy said mocking the Doctor.

“Ha ha, very funny. No you silly pony, if you’re a pegasus shouldn’t you be able to clear away this fog with your hooves or something?”

“Oh right, sorry I spaced for a second.” Derpy got in front of the Doctor and like peeling away dried glue on skin, she cleared a path for them little by little. Eventually they cleared enough to see a dark half built castle in front of them. The Doctor and Derpy stared up in shock.

“Who ever is building this Castle obviously did not want anybody to find it.”

“Anypony” Derpy corrected

“Whatever, let’s get a look inside shall we?” The Doctor started forward to enter the dark castle, but Derpy did not follow.

“Derpy? What are you doing?” The pegasus was curled in a ball shaking.

“You go ahead Doctor I’ll wait here, its fine!” She said nervously.

“Ms. Hooves what’s gotten into you? Why will you not go in?”

“Oh you know, I think you can handle it on your own this time, besides I uh- have to make sure the fog stays away see?” She grabbed a hooful of fog and pushed it away, giving a fake smile.

“Derpy?” The doctor said not believing her. She dropped the fog and gave a sigh.

“Okay, it’s because…I’m… I’m afraid of the dark.” The Doctor busted out laughing so hard he fell over and rolled around on the floor. Derpy was blushing now and grew angry.

“Hey that’s not very nice Doctor! Lot’s of fillies are scared of the dark, it’s not as rare as you think!” The Doctor was still laughed on the floor making Derpy fell even more embarrassed.

“I’m sorry- I’m sorry,” the Doctor began as he started to get up, still holding his sides. “But you? Afraid of the dark? The pony who help fend off CybaPonies? The girl who was captured by a giant ice monster and helped defeat a Jabberwocky? Your biggest fear is the dark?” Again he busted out in laughter, and Derpy sat there pouting until he stopped.

“Okay- okay I’m done, I’m done I swear, you ruined me. Don’t worry Derpy, the fun thing about my sonic screwdriver,” he pulled out his screwdriver. “Is that it doubles as a flash light!” He gave it a click and a ray of light shot out of it. “And you can hold it.” He handed it to Derpy and she took it hesitantly.

“Advante Ms. Hooves!”

Derpy was completely nervous walking through the halls of the castle as she was pointing the flashlight at any little thing she heard. Eventually the Doctor got frustrated.

“You know Derpy I gave you the flashlight so you would be less scared, not so you could spazz out and shine it all over the gaff!”

“I’m sorry I can’t help it- eep!” she cried and pointed the flashlight at a spider on the wall.

“Okay if you cannot keep it straight, then I shall take over flashlight duties got it?”

“Oh-okay” Derpy stuttered and shined the flashlight past the Doctor.

“Thank you, now this place is awfully peculiar.”

“I’ll say.”

“No not because of the atmosphere. I mean just look at everything. It’s brand new!  The stone is smoothed out, there is even carpets laid on the floor and glass panels have been put in, but one thing still disturbs me.”

“Wha- what?”

“With all the windows, why is there no sunlight coming through?” Derpy took a big gulp and began to shake again.

“I think we are coming upon the throne room.”

They entered the biggest chamber either of them had ever seen. The walls were made from dark grey stones, and it was covered in dark blue carpet with black tapestries. The top looked unfinished, but they couldn’t tell because it seemed to extend into a never-ending darkness. A royal throne sat in the middle of the room that looked similar to Celestia’s. The Doctor approached the chair and wiped his hoof over it.

“Doctor please don’t!” Derpy cried focusing the flashlight on him.

“Weird, there isn’t a speck of dust on here, even though this castle doesn’t look like it’s ever been used. Even if there were someponies still building this place, where are they?” The Doctor turned around and looked at Derpy.

“Right here.” Said a voice from behind the throne. Derpy squealed and dropped the flashlight cowering into one corner of the room, and the Doctor jumped back as the little bit of light reveled a pony emerging from behind the chair. The pony that came out had a dark green coat, with a long straight mane that was sky blue. She was smiling as she came out and her eyes were a piercing dark blue.

“Oh hello, who are you?” The Doctor asked as the pony strolled around still smiling. She eventually said,

“You may call us Sugar Song.”

“Well hello Sugar Song, I’m the Doctor and that over there a bit shaken up is Ms. Derpy Hooves.” The pony continued to stroll around the hall admiring the architecture.

“Ms. Song, can I ask if you know who built this?”

“We did.” The green pony stated.

“Why?” The Doctor asked.

“We thought we needed a fresh start. A castle for ourselves that fit our…style.”

“Okay, I was willing to just accept that you may have a multiple personality disorder, but now I’m thinking there’s much more to it than that. Who is we?” Derpy slowly made her way over to the Doctor not looking up at the creepy pony.

“Oh Doctor, we are nothing and yet we are everywhere. Are the medium of the universe, but you never even realize it.”

The Doctor was looking hard at Sugar Song now trying to read her body movement.

“Who are you?”

“What’s the matter Doctor? Don’t like being in the dark?” Sugar started to laugh menacingly.

“Who are you?”

“Are you afraid of what you do not know? Or are you afraid of what you assume to be true?”

“Okay I know for a fact that it is not Sugar Song in there anymore you creature now tell me WHO YOU ARE, or I’ll make you come out!”

“Oh please Doctor, you’re threats are useless to us, for we are old as time itself.” There was a pause for a moment and the Doctors angry expression did not change. “Ah Sugar Song, she was the perfect host Doctor, at least for now. Her fascination for the night’s sky and fearlessness of the dark was perfect for us to take.”

“Doctor I’m scared,” Derpy whimpered behind him.

“Don’t worry, everything’s fine. Now tell me, I know of thirteen creatures that are as old as time itself, and I’ve figured out for a fact you’re not eight of them, so which one are you?” The pony simply laughed again and smiled at the Doctor.

“I’m a creature you have never even seen before! I am a creature born both from the void and from the universe!” The Doctor froze and Depry could see it. She was even more frightened now, as she never liked seeing the Doctor surprised.

“Where are they? The other ponies where are they!”

“They’re here with me Doctor, safe and sound in the void.” Sugar Song raised her hooves up into the air and the Doctor along with Derpy looked up to see several ponies descending from the darkness above them.

“Oh this isn’t good! Derpy run!” Derpy got up and ran towards the exit of the castle. The Doctor followed right behind her and looked back to see nearly an army of ponies with the same empty dark blue eyes as Sugar Song.

They ran as fast as their little pony bodies would allow down the longest hallway in the world, but the group was gaining quickly and the Doctor had to think of something that would hold them back. An idea popped into his head and he bent down to pick up a rock. He stopped running and turned around.

“Doctor are you crazy?” Derpy said stopping with him.

“Just keep running!” However Derpy wasn’t going to go without him.

The Doctor dug his hooves into the floor and chucked the rock into one of the stain glass windows of the hallway. The light flooded in and the group of ponies stopped in their tracks hissing at the sunlight. The Doctor smiled and taunted the ponies, “Yeah don’t like that do you!”

A possessed pony on the other side of the light growled at the Doctor and jumped across the window. The Doctor jumped back getting out of range of the pony’s grasp, but Derpy froze and her eyes widened.

“Derpy move!”

The possessed pony continued it’s path towards Derpy, but as it was hit with the beams of sunlight the pony began to sizzle and smoke. Then just before it reached Derpy, she vanished into thin air. The Doctor stood there shocked and Derpy was still unable to move out of fear.

The Doctor ran over to Derpy and picked her up, “Derpy you need to move now! Keep running!” She did as she was told and ran even faster down the hallway. The Doctor gave another glance behind them and across the sunlight he saw that the ponies that were chasing them retreat into the darkness with Sugar Song smiling and being the last of them to disappear into the black. The Doctor met Derpy on the outside of castle. She was panting hysterically and her hooves covered her face.

“Derpy? Derpy look at me are you okay?” She was sobbing hard and wouldn’t let her hooves move away from her face.

“She- she just- ju-ju-st vanished…into the air!” Derpy sobbed harder now and the Doctor held Derpy for a moment but whispered to her.

“I know Derpy I know, but we need to get out of here. I’m sorry but we need to leave now, we need to get back to the Princesses. Everyone is in a lot of trouble.” Derpy stood up and held onto the Doctor as he helped walk her through the fog.

“What…were they Doctor?” She cried. For a moment the Doctor didn’t respond, but then finally said.

“We just need to get to Princess Luna.”