Doctor Who: Equestrian Chronicles Series 1by Chris the BlueChaptersShadows in the EverfreeThe Mystery of Pinkie PieThe Doctor and the Dream MenMoonlightA Heart of SteelCyberponiesThe Plastic PoniesThe BreakoutPandemonium-Halloween SpecialStarswirl's TaleThe Time Lady's PlightBlank SlateShadows in the EverfreeIt was 7:00 in the morning, starting off like an average day. The day Twilight’s life was changed forever. “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!” she squealed like a school filly in her anticipation. For that day was Book Donation day. Book Donation day was, as the title might imply, was the day where thousands of new books would be donated to the Library for fresh reading material. Twilight ran as fast as her hooves could carry her, off to the post office. In this glorious day, Twilight would be able to read throughout the weekend, heck, maybe throughout the whole MONTH! What should I read first, the lavender unicorn pondered in her head, maybe a comedy, or a mystery novel! Oh, there are so many possibilities! ____________________________________ “One book?!” Twilight cried in disbelief. She levitated a worn out, flimsy book, “That’s all that was donated?” The wall-eyed pegasus mailmare nodded apologetically. “Sorry, but there’s always next month, right?” the mailmare replied in a cheerful tone, “But at least you can still read this one book,” “I guess you’re right” Twilight gave her a warm smile, and placed a few bits on the counter. Levitating the single book with her magic, she noticed a very old smell, like it was a piece of ancient literature. Instantly, her mind raced. What could be written here? Maybe it’s an old forgotten book of spells! Maybe it’s an antique novel that could be worth millions! With excitement rekindled in her heart, Twilight . When she stepped through the door, her Number One assistant immediately greeted her. “Hey, Twilight! How are the new …” Spike’s greeting was interrupted. “Hello, Spike!” Twilight greeted in response, as she ran through the door, “Can’t talk, new book!” Spike sighed, as he watched his caretaker go into her reading bench, knowing that when Twilight got a new book, wild manticores could stop her from reading. Hopefully she would finish the book by dinnertime. Spike thought irritably, to himself, as his stomach growled loudly. ____________________________________ Twilight looked upon the cover, where she just barely made out words in an almost illegible hoofwriting. A Journal of Creatures and Technology In the Universe. “It’s a journal?” Twilight flipped through the pages, filled with articles and hoofdrawn pictures, and a card fell out of the yellowed paper. “Go to pages 34 and 25,” She read, “Alright then.” Twilight read the first sentence on page 34 out loud. “The Vashta Nerada, the shadows that melt the flesh.” Twilight frowned, the book wasn’t really enjoyable and big disappointment. There was no story, no plot, no characters, no climax, nothing. Just gibberish on random, made-up creatures. She got up, placed the book, face down, on the bedside table, and yawned. It was about time to make dinner for herself and Spike. Twilight was just about to go to the kitchen, when some pony knocked on the door. Twilight’s ears perked up, because this kind of knock was a fast past one, and sounded a bit panic-y. When she opened the door, she found herself being hugged tightly by three trembling Cutie Mark Crusaders. “What’s wrong, girls?” Twilight demanded in a worried voice. Scootaloo was the first to answer. “W-we were t-trying to get our cutie marks and t-trekked through the Everfree with a guide. Th-then it got cold, and th-there w-as a shadow! It killed the guide!” “It ate ‘im! There was nothin’ but bones!” Applebloom sobbed. “A shadow?” Twilight eyes widened in surprise, “What was casting it?” “N-nothin’! Just a shadow!” She thought back to the book. Living shadow, just like the book said! “Where were you?” “Just outside the trail to the Everfree forest,” Twilight raced off to the spooky forest as fast as she could. How is this possible, She thought to herself, Right before this happened, I get a book that directs me to this living shadow things! Then Twilight reached the Everfree, and saw the most gruesome thing in her life. A skeleton of a pony, with all of his flesh stripped off him. Twilight let out a scream. "Oh, sweet Celestia!" Her scream eventually died off, but the feeling of terror still lingered in her soul. Her scream seemed to alert something in the forest. The leaves on the trees rustled, and something moved in the bushes. She thought of investigating, to see if it was something hostile. If it was, she could use her magic against it, right? But she immediately remembered something written in the Journal, in the entry about the Vashta Nerada. There’s nothing you can do. Just run. Could it be? Could these shadows be the Vashta Nerada? Could the book donation be a warning? Or could it be a prank? No, Twilight finally decided, there can’t be creatures smaller than a speck of dust, yet eat like a parasprite. As if on cue, a bird swooped down from the sky, into the darkness under the tree branches. Instantly, the bird’s bones collapsed onto the ground and landed right in front of Twilight’s hooves. Gasping, the frightened unicorn backed away from the dark forest. Then the shadows started to move. She tried concentrate, tried to use her magic, but the fear of death from those things took her focus away. Once again, Twilight remembered the advice from the book. She chose to follow it this time. Running hasn’t been Twilight forte. But apparently, being chased by living shadows that could eat her skin off in just seconds helps. But it didn’t help enough. I’m almost safe!, Twilight encouraged herself as Ponyville came into view. I’m going to make it! Pain shot up her back leg. Staying inside her library was a great way to exercise mentally, but not so much physic ally. Of course she would get a cramp now of all times. Exhausted, Twilight collapsed onto the grassy field below her hooves. She shut her eyes and waited for her doom. Whooosh, Whooooosh Twilight opened her eyes in surprise. Instead of the darkness she expected, she saw something blue. A blue box. But something stranger then happened. The doors of the box opened, and something popped its head out. It was a tall biped, like a pony standing on its hind legs. It wore clothes all over its body, except for its head and it’s claws. He wore a beige cape, a blue suit with a red tie and matching red hoof gear. The head was completely lacking of any fur, besides a spiky, brown mane. “Oh, hello!” the creature gave her a grin. It seemed to have a... Trottingham accent? “Why’re you running like that?” “What in the name of Celestia are you!” Twilight yelled at the thing. “I’m a time lord,” it explained impatiently, “but you still haven’t answered my question. Why are you running like that??” “Shadows! Forest! Running!” Twilight tried to warn it while gasping for air. The ‘time lord’ seemed to understand. “Ooooh, Vashta Nerada! I haven’t seen those for some time! I think it was in my tenth or ninth regeneration. Or both.” The Time Lord turned back to Twilight, “Come on! Come with me if you want to live!” “What?” Twilight demanded. She understood little of the words that the Time Lord had spoken, but enough to know that he was crazy. Still, some shelter is better than no shelter. Twilight obliged to the Time Lord’s instructions and stepped into the small box. Warning! Cliché moment here Twilight ran inside the box, and gasped. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head, upon realization of the box’s interior. “It’s bigger on the inside!” She blurted. “Aaahh,” the Time Lord sighed contently, “That never gets old!” “How is this possible?” Twilight ran around the machine’s floor, eyes and horn searching for answers. “Welcome to the T.A.R.D.I.S, Time and Relative Dimension in Space” He smiled. “The amount of magic used to fit the inside in the outside would leave a ton of magical residue!” Twilight said, inquiringly, “How did you do it?” “Magic?” It was the Time Lord’s eyes turn to widen, “You have magic here?” “Of course we have magic,” Twilight answered in her ‘that is the dumbest question I have ever heard’ voice, “Are you from another planet?” “Yep” The Time Lord replied with a smirk, “Anyway, where were you headed?” “Ponyville, 10 feet Northeast.” Twilight told him, “But how can we get there when the Vashta Nerada are-“ “Closest civilization?” “Ponyville, but why-“ “Alright then!” the Time Lord suddenly hollered, pulling multiple levers and buttons, and then turned to Twilight, “What’s your name?” “T-t-twilight,” “Okay, Twilight, I’m the Doctor” The Doctor grinned, “Time’s a-wasting!” “Doctor? Doctor who?!” “Just the Doctor.” The T.A.R.D.I.S. started vibrate, as the Doctor pushed some more buttons at random, and a noise filled the room Whooosh, Whooooosh, Whooosh, Whooooosh “You can step out now,” the Doctor informed her. “But… the shadows,” Twilight objected, “They’re still out there!” “Trust me,” Somehow getting consolation from the Doctors words, Twilight stepped outside the doors of the T.A.R.D.I.S. And found herself in the middle of Ponyville. “That’s not possible,” Twilight muttered to herself. She rushed back for an explanation. “How could we have moved?” Twilight frantically tried to find a way this magical box worked. “It’s all very simple. You see, in time and space there is something like a tunnel, a wormhole. My people built it to travel throughout the universe, in anytime, anyplace. So, using that tunnel, we teleported from that area to this one.” Twilight froze. “You said ‘time’” she realized, “That box can also travel through time!” “Yep” the Doctor answered. “You might think that time is a direct line of changing events. It’s actually a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey, stuff.” Twilight opened her mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say. He’s as impossible as Pinkie Pie! She thought. “Right! So we’re gonna have to investigate! So I need to blend into the surrounding. Don’t want attract to much attention. SO! Where is it, where is it? AHA! Here it is! The full body perception filter! Do you mind if I scan you?” “What?” Twilight was surrounded by a blue light, and when the light dissipated, she was standing in front of a pony version of the Doctor wearing a more equine version of his clothes. “Ahhhh, the full body perception filter! Scan someone else’s body template, and put it on like a brand new suit! Best part, it fits perfectly!” “Doctor, I don’t understand-“ “Right! Time’s a-wasting! Let’s go meet,” the Doctor said with a grin, “the Vashta Nerada.” ____________________________________ “Good, good,” the Doctor muttered to himself, “Very good. No sign of the Vashta Nerada. That means that Ponyville is most likely uninfected, so-” “Umm, Doctor?” Twilight interrupted, “What’s that flashlight-whistle thing you’re around?” “Oh, this old thing?” he smiled, waving a gold tube, with a blue bulb and a helix design at the end. The other end was made of some sort of rubbery grip, a material she had never laid eyes on before. “It’s just a screwdriver. A sonic one.” “Sooo, a sonic screwdriver” “That’s what it’s called!” “How does it work?” Twilight knew it was a bad idea to ask the Doctor about these kinds of things, but her curiosity got the best of her. “It’s simple, really,” he began to explain, “it’s telepathically linked with me, so I have to do, is point it at something, think, and press the button. You can’t see it because of the perception filter, but I’m pushing it now with my fingers.” Then the Doctor activated the screwdriver as a demonstration, and looked and the tiny screen on the back. “Off the charts! I haven’t seen these readings since…” his voice trailed off. “But what could be causing it?” Twilight asked “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! Who are you? Are you new to Ponyville? What’s that? Where’d you come from? How ‘d you get here? What do you do for a living?” a certain pink pony greeted. “Hello! I’m the Doctor, yes, the sonic screwdriver, Gallifrey, T.A.R.D.I.S., nothing” the Doctor replied without hesitation. “You’re new!? OHMYGOSH! Now we can have a Welcome to Ponyville party, and you can make LOTS of new friends, because if you’re new, that means you don’t know anypony, and that means that you’re lonely. So that gave me the idea for a PARTY TONIGHT!!” “Sorry, Pinkie, but I don’t have time for a party tonight. Saving the universe and all that. And if I defeat these aliens in my usual time, let’s say, 40 minutes, and that will give me only a few hours to get ready, and I’m a mess when it comes to getting ready for things in this regeneration, not to mention still not ginger. So, can we make it tomorrow night? Thanks!” and with that, he ran off, scanning more shadows with the screwdriver. “Wow,” Pinkie remarked before walking away, “What a weirdo.” After about five minutes of searching, the Doctor came back to Twilight “What’s the verdict, Doctor?” Twilight asked “Well, the good news is that none of the shadows in Ponyville are the Vashta Nerada,” the Doctor grinned nervously. “I’m assuming that there’s bad news.” Twilight sighed. “Of course there’s bad news! There’s always bad news,” the Doctor retorted, “the bad news is… their coming.” Twilight looked over to the Everfree. Shadows were pouring out like spilled ink on paper. Large quantities of the Vashta Nerada quickly slithered to Ponyville. And darkness fell. “Oh my Celestia!” “It’s night time!” “This is Nightmare Moon all over again!” “What’s happening, Doctor?” “The shadows are engulfing Ponyville, like a quilt.” The usual cheeky grin was wiped from his face, replaced with a solemn expression, “I don’t think I can help you this time.” “What!” Twilight shouted in disbelief, “But you must help us! You’re the only pony who can!” “WELL HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL!!” the Doctor suddenly shouted. By then, the screams of the dying ponies could be heard. He was on the brink of crying. “I find a species without war or genocide. A peaceful race. And what do I do? I bring nothing but death!” When I was a little filly and the sun was going down... “Huh?” his head shot up. Was that singing? The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown I'd hide under my pillow From what I thought I saw But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way To deal with fears at all She said: Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall Learn to face your fears You'll see that they can't hurt you Just laugh to make them disappear Ha! Ha! Ha! And at the last word, the sun shined again, the Vashta Nerada vanishing in a poof. There was no evidence of the previous attack, aside from a few bones. “What?” the Doctor asked to nopony in particular. “That was Pinkie’s laughter song. I guess it vanished the Vashta Nerada, somehow.” Twilight informed him. “No, that’s literally impossible. The Vashta Nerada can’t be killed, and…” the Doctor turned to Twilight, “Where’s Pinkie?” They found Pinkie Pie was laying on the ground, almost sleeping. Her breathing in a steady pace. The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, and used it to scan Pinkie’s body. “It can’t be…” “Can’t be what Doctor?” “Twilight, there are these creatures who are born in space, floating around until they find a host family. They have very strong psychic powers.” “Twilight… I think Pinkie is a Tenza” To be continued The Mystery of Pinkie Pie"Tenza?" Twilight gaped, "Are you saying that Pinkie isn't pony?" "Exactly," the Doctor replied. "But how can she not be a pony?" Twilight couldn't understand, "I know that she can be a little crazy, but I ran tests on her when I tried to figure out her Pinkie Sense, and she is defiantely equine!" "You see, the Tenza's are born in space, and find host families to take care of them. They come equipped with biological perception filters to wipe out inconsistencies of their lives out of their family's memory. When the Tenza feels frightened about something, they can use their powers to remove it. In this case, it's Pinkie's laughing song. That's an interesting thought. People say that laughter is the best medicine. So in this case it's true! Anyway…" He was interrupted be a gasp. "I…I'm not equine?" The two tuned to see that the pink pony they were talking about. "No!" Twilight denied, "Don't listen to him! He's insane!" "You're lying!" Pinkie was suddenly angry, "I always knew that I was a freak! That something was wrong with me!" When Pinkie spoke those words, the colors of her fur started to darken, and her mane deflated. She then ran off, through Ponyville's market place, brushing off the cheering ponies that had miraculously survived the Shadows. "Hey! Watch it!" a dark red pegasus growled as Pinkie bumped into him, Shut up!" Pinkie snapped back, all cheerful tones in her voice gone. "Well, why don't you make me?" the Pegasus sneered. "Ha, HA, HA" At the last 'ha', the pegasus began changing. His dark red coat suddenly changed to white, and his body started becoming rectangular. "No! No! NOOoooo!" the pegasus' screams became muffled as he formed into a pillow-like creature. The ponies around him gasped and backed away. "No! Please!" Pinkie pleaded, "Come back!" Despite these pleas, the ponies started to panic. They ran around in fear that they would also get converted into some obscure inanimate object. They became half pony, and partially transformed. The converted ponies had cold, blank stares, which seemed to look into nothingness. They wore disturbing, skeleton-like grins on their faces. The body was shaped in the way of a diamond dog's. The fore legs were bulky and the hind legs looked strong and agile, perfect for running and catching victims. The pillow, as Pinkie started crying, got up, and touched another pony. Upon the touch, the pony's coat became metallic, and shrunk, until transforming into what appeared to be a bucket of turnips. There was chaos. Objects were jumping about, transforming everything in their way. Its not fair, Pinkie thought to herself, Why can't they just stay still and be friends? She looked down and started crying. But she remembered. When she created Rocky and the others, they had been her friends. Would these things be her friends as well? "Hello, Monsieur Pillow!" Pinkie greeted cheerfully, while giving and eye twitch, " Would you like to have a party?" "Oui! J'adore les fetes!" the pillow replied. "Yes! I love parties! We should have one right now!" Pinkie's eye began to twitch some more. "We should invite everypony in Ponyville!" "Run, everypony, RUN!" a panicked pony screamed. "Oh, no you don't!" Pinkie shouted demonically. With a stomp of a hoof, four walls shoot up from the ground, caging Ponyville. "We're going to party, forever, and ever, and ever!" Pinkie laughed a crazed laugh. "Doctor, what are we going to do?," Twilight asked nervously. "What I always do." He smiled. "Try to save the world." ==== "Alright, Twilight!" the Doctor grinned. "You got a plan?" "Me?!" Twilight demanded, frustrated, "You're the Time Lord!" "That's just a name, it doesn't mean I know what I'm doing," he explained, "So, the powers of Tenzas tend to be powered by their fear. SO! What does Pinkie fear? "She isn't scared of anything really," Twilight thought audibly, "When she is, she just-" "Giggles at the ghostie," he smiled, "That would explain why she laughed at the ponies, turning them to obscure items. Did you noticed how this all had happened after discovering that Pinkie is a Tenza. She became darker, and her mane got all flatty. Not sure if that's a word. Yes it is. No its not." "So, now what do we do?" Twilight asked impatiently. "First, we run. Run, run, run, run, and run. Then need to know more about Pinkie's background. That way I can find out why she's freaking out like that. C, I save Ponyville and everyone in it, and we can have a great big party! Maybe we can get some fezzes, because fezzes are cool. I hope you're getting this down." "So where to now?" "Off to the TARDIS!" the Doctor answered "B…but that's all the way across town!" she protested "Looks like we've got a lot of running to do, then! ALSO, don't let them touch you, unless you wish to get turned into one of those things." Despite his randomness, and the danger they were in, Twilight couldn't help but smile as she ran long with that mad pony. The two ponies ran, until stopping at a construction zone for breath. The construction zone had nothing but the skeleton of the building, and a few cranes filled with supplies. "Look's like a good enough place to take a pit stop as any," the Doctor informed, without any sign of exhaustion on his face. "Aren't, pant, you, gasp, the least bit, pant, tired?" "Two hearts. Count 'em. This is just a light jog for me" Catching her breath, Twilight stepped forward. "Are you sure it's safe?" She asked worriedly. "Of course it's safe, why wouldn't it be safe?" he responded. Party party party "Well, well, well, look who it is," the Doctor greeted, "The Servants of Pinkie. Servants of Pink? How about the Pink Servants? OOO, I've got it! Pinkantians! Twilight, from now on, call this guys Pinkantians. So what brings you here?" Party party party "A party, huh, well, sorry to disappoint you, but, I have a lot to do. Like run for my life. And besides, aren't you busy with that lumber?" The Doctor lifted his foreleg, and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the cranes above. The sonic vibrations tampered with the inner workings of the cranes, causing them to drop their supplies… ...Right on top of the Pinkantians. "Ooo, that'll leave a mark," he winced before turning his head back to Twilight, "Alright, Twilight. Times a wasting! Now, RUN!" Twilight groaned in fatigue as she mustered enough strength into her legs to run more. And off they ran, until they arrived at the Magical box. "Good, now we're positively safe!" the Doctor said, beaming at the TARDIS interior. "Are you sure?" Twilight questioned, "Because that's what you said before, and those things attacked us!" "Number One, they're called Pinkantians. At least I think they should be. B;… wait, no,… Two, I lied to make you feel better." "What!" "Yep!" he replied cheerfully, "That's rule number one of traveling with me! The Doctor lies. However, the lies are usually bigger than that. You should get used to them if you want to travel with me." "And what makes you think I want to travel with you?" she protested. "I dunno," he said, while grinning his childish smile, "that's your decision." Twilight frowned, and decided to take a more detailed look around the TARDIS. The walls were moss green, and covered with glowing yellow bulbs. The floor was a shade of dark yellow. The controls of the ship was a hexagonal structure, golden, with an assortment of switches, levers, and buttons. In the center of that, there was a tall, bright blue cylinder of glass, holding a large pillar within. "So! Twilight, tell what you know about Pinkie's past." The Doctor asked. "Well, she grew up on a rockfarm…" she began to tell him the story of how Pinkie lived. He listened intently, not missing a detail. "-and then, because she said that she felt like a distraction, she moved to Ponyville. After tha-" Twilight was interrupted by the Doctor. "That's all I needed to know, thanks," he hesitated before resuming, "Looks like what Pinkie wants most is to be needed, to make friends through the parties she organizes. When she heard that she isn't a pony, she thought that she would be hated and discriminated. That's why she went crazy. And she used her powers to turn the other ponies into animate inanimate objects, God knows why." "And we just have to inform her that she's wanted, don't we?" "I'm afraid it isn't that simple, Twilight. You see, the foundation of Pinkie's fears was created waaaay back, if I'm correct," he thought for a while, "Okeedokee, we're going to have to know what happened. Ready?" "What do you mean by that?" "Oh, did I mention that this is a time machine?" the Doctor informed. "Oh my Celestia! A real time machine!" Twilight gasped in a manner that would put Rarity to shame. "Yeah, hence Time Lord," "So now what? How about fish and chips? See other planets? Or, my personal favorite, save some lives!" He pulled some levers, and the column in the center of the TARDIS started twirling. And there was a noise. Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh, thunk. "Can I go out now? Can I? Can I? Can I?" Twilight acted like a foal in a candy store for a new learning experience. "Come on, single file line! And stick around, you don't want to be stuck in the past, do you?" the Doctor warned. "Now, let's see, where are we," he saw a sign and his eyes widened. "You're strange, you ponies. Why would you farm rocks?" "Sssshhhh, there she is!" the Doctor turned his head where Twilight had pointed. He saw a young, pink filly with curly hair being berated by whom he guessed was her father. "Now, Pinkie, we don't have the time or money to have parties everyday!" he firmly stated, "And you can't hid our rocks and replace them with candy! Construction ponies need those rocks for cement!" "I'm sorry, papa," the filly sobbed, "it won't happen again." "A silly, random pony, living in a dull, serious rockfarm," the Doctor whispered to Twilight, "I can see why she always wants to make peo- ponies smile. Let's go." "Where are we going?" "We're going to do some rock inspection!" "What is that supposed to mean?" "I want to know the story from Pinkie's point of view," he explained, "So let's pay the Pies a little visit shall we?" "Hi, hello, so sorry to bother you," the Doctor pulled out a black wallet out from his pocket, "I'm, uuhhh, oh yeah, my name is Doctor Hooves, from the health and safety department of the Architectural Companies. This is, uh, Moonlight, my assistant." "Oh, hello. My name's Clyde Pie. I'm very sorry, but we weren't expecting an inspection, so I'm afraid that the farm is in a bit of a disarray" the tan coated earth pony apologized. "Oh, no problem at all," the Doctor responded, "I'm just stopping by, maybe have a chat with the kids." "Yes, sir," the tan pony gave a small nod, "I'll leave you to your business." "Alright, Twi-Moonlight, times a wasting!" And off he ran, excited by the thrill in the air, acting like a foal in a candy store. "Doctor? What are you doing?" Twilight asked, while the Doctor carried a strange device that beeped and had a satellite dish on the side, spinning around. "This is my psychic-detector," he describe, "It detects… psychic… stuff." "Where were you holding that?" "My pockets" Ding, ding, ding. "The detector detected something!" his eyes light up, "Let's go! This way!" "So how does this thing work?" "You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Anyway, Tenza's have a large quantity of psychic powers. The detector looks for the epicenter of the range of the power." "But I don't underst-" BEEP BEEP BEEP "IT DETECTED SOMETHING!" he hollered "THIS-A-WAY!" They ran across the farm, until bumping into a pink filly. "Hi!" she greeted "I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Hello, I'm the Doctor, I'm here to ask you a few questions," the Doctor began, "And what's that little contraption you have there?" "It's my party blaster!" she replied, "I never leave home without it!" "Party blaster? I think party cannon sounds much better, don't you?" Twilight suggested. "Oh my gosh! That does sound better!" Pinkie was hopping up and down in excitement (as usual). "So, Pinkamena, what's the purpose of this party cannon?" "I store all of my party supplies in it, so I can shoot out parties whenever I want!" "And why do you need a party cannon in the first place?" "Because I LOVE parties!" she said gleefully. "But why do you love parties? Why are you doing this?" "Because…" "Is it because you want purpose? Because you feel useless in this boring environment? Because you want to make this place smile?" "Well, yes," Pinkie's voice became noticeably sadder and slower. "Thank you! That's all I needed to know! Also, your name, don't you think Pinkie Pie sounds better than Pinkamena?' "OOO! Good idea! Thanks!" every bit of energy returned to herself. "Where are we going now?" Twilight asked while the two walked off to the TARDIS. "We're going BACK to the Future!" there was a short awkward silence before he explained his joke, "That's a movie from where I'm from." "Yeah, I don't think now is the best time to make references to popular culture." Twilight huffed. "Oh, aren't you Ms Grumpy McGrumps Jr. from Grump town, Grump land today. Anyway, come on!" Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh, thunk. Squeak "HEY!" the Doctor roared, "CLYDE! GET OUT HERE!" The window of the barn opened up, revealing Clyde's older self. "What? Who's there? I may be old, but I got one heck of a throwing arm!" he roared. "Hello, Clyde!" the Doctor greeted neighborly. "Haven't aged a day! You've aged a LOT of days." "Eh? Who the hay are yah!" "It's me, Doctor Smith! What's that Twilight? Oh, yes, Doctor Hooves! That's my name!" he loudly hollered back before being whacked by Twilight's fore-hoof. "He's awake!" Twilight found herself yelling as well, "He can hear you JUST FINE!!" Nopony made a noise. Both stallions were too scared of the raging unicorn. Finally, the Doctor broke the silence. "Ahem, yeah, anyway," the Doctor began, "I'm that inspector you met a few years back, remember?" "Wha-, that was nearly 10 years ago!" "Yeaaahh, I lost track of time," the Doctor apologized, "Good news! Your inspection passed with flying colors! Bad news, there's something wrong with Ponyville. It's about Pinkie." "Pinkie? What do you mean?" Clyde's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Oh, now the squinty eyes of suspicion," the Doctor became inquisitive, "Have you gone through any 'weird' experience with Pinkie?" "N-no, wh-why do y-you ask?" Clyde stuttered, as his stern face became nervous and worried. "Because I've seen something like this before. And I can help you with Pinkie." "And why should I listen to you?" "Trust me. I'm the Doctor" "It's- b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-igg-bigg-er i-in th-the-" "Alright, I'll just set the coordinates to Ponyville," the Doctor was flipping and spinning controls in the TARDIS. "b-bbi-bi-gg-bigger in th-th-th-" "Umm, Doctor?" Twilight poked the brown stallion hard enough to stop his ramblings to himself, "I think that Clyde's mind was just broken." "Hmm? Oh, that happens a lot," he replied, not seeming to be surprised at Clyde's near mental breakdown. The Doctor trotted over to the farm pony and whacked him on the forehead. Clyde blinked and returned to reality. "Inside! Sorry, I was somewhere else," he looked around the box, "This is amazing!" "I know," the Doctor ran back to the TARDIS controls, "So if I pull the wibbly lever…" Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh, thunk. "Oh, Celestia!" Clyde's jaw dropped to the floor. "Where are we?" The town was in ruins. Four walls were put around the village to trap any pony that tried to escape. The houses and the background became wallpaper on the four separate walls. The only thing inside of the entire place was a long dinner table. The plates on the tables were filled with cakes and crisps. "What a wonderful party!" Pinkie declared. The Pinkantian next to her grunted in agreement. "Well, look at that!" the Doctor became impressed, "Look at that! That is amazing!" "Why would she do this?" Twilight pondered "Tenzas need to protect themselves. They do this using their psychic powers to manipulate the world around them. Usually they just put their fear away, like little George. But this time, for some reason, she's interacts with them. Another thing, Tenzas are supposed to blend into their surroundings. She sticks out like sore, wait, no, ponies don't have thumbs…like something very noticeable! What happened?" "What nonsense are you two spouting out?" Clyde interrupted. "What do you mean Pinkie did this? It was never this drastic!" All eyes turned on the old farmpony. He quickly realized of what he said. "So you have witnessed something like this before?" "Yes," Clyde admitted, "There are thing's I've noticed about Pinkamena before. Nothing bad has ever happened to us since she was born. For instance, one day, the burglar alarm went off, and then we heard shouting in Pinkie's room, and then there was laughter. When Sue and I reached her room, we found her having a tea party with a sack of flour. Or the time there was an inspector. He threatened to shut down our business because he found our rocks to be too weak to be useful. When he left, Pinkie laughed, and we never heard from him again." "Don't worry, Clyde, there's a simple answer to all of this," the Doctor assured. "Oh yeah," Clyde retorted, "What's that?" "She's an alien," "What! Are you sure that you're a doctor?" "Tenza? What the buck are you talking about?" "Trust me. Just nod when he stops for breath." The Doctor rolled his eyes in annoyance, before resuming his explanation. "The tenza children come to a foster family if they want something in their lives that the tenza can bring them." He stopped in brief thought, "So why did she come to you?" "Well," Clyde explained, "Life on a rock farm is very dull and depressing, so we desperately needed somepony to brightened up our lives. It was a miracle when Pinkie was born. Life became 20% brighter." "Really? So life became happier the instant Pinkie was born?" "That's right. Its like she had some aura of cheer around her." "Hmmm," the Doctor tapped his chin with his hoof, "But Pinkie apparently was just as dull and depressed as you were, until about 5 or 6 years of age." "Yes… wait, that doesn't fit," "Uh huh," the Doctor smiled in realization, "Nothing about her history probably makes sense to you. What are some of your earliest memories of Pinkie?" "She would skate every winter, ever since she was little," Clyde thought aloud, "But that doesn't add up! Pinkie never skated until she was 10!" "The psychic field must have became messed up in the sonic rainboom incident Twilight told me about!" the Doctor slapped his forehead, "It's so obvious now! Ooo, I'm so thick," He proceeded to smack himself some more. "That explains it! Why Pinkie stands out so much!" "But what do we do now?" "We have to get to Pinkie. Which will be easy, because there's a whole army of Pinkantians coming towards us." Partypartyparty "Oh, it's you again! Isn't this just wonderful!" the Doctor clapped his hooves in sarcastic joy. "Can we hold them off?" Twilight asked. "I don't think so," the Doctor's eyes right and left, looking for an escape route, "You don't have any giant safety scissors on you, do you? No? Blast." The circle of Pinkantians closed in on them, tighter and tighter. Pinkie walked up to the three, trapped ponies. "Well well well!" Pinkie greeted cheerfully, "What took ya'll so long? We waited foreeverr for you! And now that you're here, it's time for a neverending party!" "Pinkie, no! Don't do this!" "Never ending party! Never ending party!" "Please, Pinkie! Stop!" Clyde pleaded. The sound of her father's voice caused Pinkie to pause. "Look, honey, I know that I was mad at you for never being serious back at the farm, but the truth is, we need you! I need you! And when you left for Ponyville, it was the saddest day of my life," he sighed, "It was you that made living in the rock farm happy, even if you are a tenzite…" "Tenza," the Doctor corrected, before getting another whack from Twilight. "Whatever, even if you are a tenza, I will always love you. No matter how silly you would act, I couldn't ask for a better daughter." Pinkie's eyes began to water. The psychic powers she had used to convert Ponyville into a dining room began to weaken its grip. The walls disintegrated and the buildings back into place. The Pinkantians seemed to melt and reform to their original pony bodies. The giant dinner table in the middle of Ponyville disappeared. And in the epicenter of the return of normal Ponyville, sat a crying pink pony. "There, there, Pinkie," Clyde comforted, "Don't cry." "I'm sorry daddy," Pinkie sobbed. "Come on," Twilight ordered, "I think that Pinkie and Clyde need some time togeth…" "ALRIGHT!! I'M OVER IT" Pinkie loudly informed, "how about a 'Sorry I transformed everypony into a hideous monster and try to take over Ponyville, and thanks for bringing my pop back, Doctor party!" Though a bit unsettled at first, the ponies of Ponyville accepted Pinkie's request of a party. "Oh, you ponies! Such a remarkable race! No fingers or thumbs, do thumbs count as fingers? Anyway, you still manage to hold things and build houses!" the Doctor chatted "And don't even get me started on telekinesis, teleportation, transformation, and whatever else you guys can do!" "I guess we are kind of remarkable to a an alien traveler. " "Anyway, Twilight, my offer still stands. How about traveling with me?" "So, see be able to the stars, everywhen, everywhere. To see the end and the beginning, and come home in time for tea," Twilight smiled, "How could I refuse?" "Good!" he grinned back, "Because there's a little level 5 civilized planet that constantly needs saving I'd like to bring you to." "Hmmm, just one minute." Twilight trotted to her bedroom, scanning the area until she found the book. The book that lead her to the Doctor. A field guide to creatures and demons, stretched throughout the galaxy. But how did she come across it. And then her eyes fell to the card that had directed her the Vashta Nerada. Go to page 34, it read. Twilight narrowed her eyes into slits upon reading it a second time. It looked suspiciously like… her hornwriting! Could it be? Could the pony who sent the book really be her. Time travel must be confusing work, she reasoned in her head. "Twilight! Come on! Are you ready yet? I want to bring you to one of my favorite planets!" "Ready, Doctor" "Okeedokee, press a few buttons, pull some levers," he muttered to himself before completely activating the TARDIS. Whoooooosh, whoooooosh, whoooooosh "We made it!" the Doctor happily exclaimed, opening the door, "We're in…" he paused in confusion "Earth?" The Doctor and the Dream Men"Oh sweet Celestia!" Twilight squealed in excitement, "A real alien planet! Oh my gosh, this is so amazing! Thank you so much!" "This can't be right!" "Oh, and what's that smell?" Twilight activated her horn to find the source of the smell, "Grass! Grass that smells like apples!" "Yeah, we're in the wrong planet. Wrong century for that matter." "Flying carriages! Without pegasi to pull them? How is that even possible? Earth is so amazing!" "Twilight?" "Yes, Doctor?" she answered. "I don't think that we're in Earth. This is New Earth. Sniff, same difference." "Still, this is amazing! Thank you, Doctor," She then gave him a hug, blushing when it ended. "Alright, Twilight! First of all, welcome to the year 5,000,000,053, give or take a decade, second of all, you need to blend in some more," the Doctor pulled out a strange-looking devise, "Strap this around your hip, and you'll look human." Twilight followed his instructions. He whistled, "Wow, that perception filter is pretty convincing!" She looked down at her new 'body'. "And don't you need to 'blend in' as well?" With a push of a button, the Doctor reverted to his original body. He looked down to his fingers, wiggling them in delight. "It's great to be me again!" he stretched his arms, "Walking on all fours can REALLY mess up one's back" His head turned back on Twilight, and seemed to have a double take. "Umm, Twilight?" he suggested, "I think we should get you some clothes." The two were too preoccupied to notice a small metallic spider, spying on their every move. Meanwhile, underground, two cloaked people in blood red robes huddled up to a screen. "Did you see that?" "What? What was it?" "It seems to be a lavender pony with a horn!" "But, the prophecy states...;" "I know what it says," he interrupted, "That is why we must destroy her before it comes true!" "So, the Sisters of Plentitude were actually breeding humans to find the cures. Pumping in every single disease in the known universe into their bodies," the Doctor told Twilight as they walked through the streets of New New York. "Really? What happened then?" Twilight asked, engrossed with the story. The first day of traveling was the most exciting thing that ever happened to Twilight; almost as exciting as the day she became Princess Celestia's protégé. Despite an awkward talk about why humanoids usually wear clothes, she thought it was going great, so far. Twilight picked out a red sweater and some jeans, or 'pantalons', as the Doctor called them. Walking in awe around the amazing structures, she caught her reflection in the many windows. Or rather, a lack of reflection. Luckily, none of the locals seemed to have noticed or, if they had, didn't care. The Doctor explained that was because the perception filter just alters her appearance, so it doesn't know what to do with her reflection, and leaves it blank. When the Doctor finished his story, he stopped at a large building with a green circle painted on its side. "Ahhh, the New New York Hospital," he smiled, reminiscing his achievement on saving the new humans, "I was wondering what happened to it." Twilight looked around, loving the new, alien scenery. "Doctor," she asked "What happened to the Sisters?" "They were dissolved by the NNYPD, and then taken into custody." "What happened to the new humans?" Twilight asked, "Were they out into good care?" As the Doctor and Twilight rambled on, the same metal spider stalked them, as the controllers plotting a trap for the Doctor and his companion. "This is great!" Twilight exclaimed for the third time since their arrival. They were currently dining at a 5,000,000,1st café. "Wow! The powers of time travel! What if go back in time to stop disasters like the fires of Trottingham, or the reign of Discord!" "No!" the Doctor objected, "You can't go back to stop events like that. That's how paradoxes are formed. Another thing I think I should tell you. Never, ever interfere with time and history." "Your right. I guess that's reasonable." Twilight "Think of the damage it could do to the world as we now it- Doctor? Where are you?" After lecturing Twilight on the dangers of time interference, the Doctor heard some crying down in the streets. The crying of a little girl. He couldn't help it. No matter the consequences, he has to help children in need. He saw the girl crying in the city streets. No one passing by seemed to care of her misery, or at least tried not to. "Hello," he greeted, "I'm the Doctor! How are you doing?" "Where have you gone this time, Doctor?" Twilight asked, frustrated. "Hey, Twilight!" her head turned to the direction of the Doctor's voice. "There you are! Do you have any idea how long I was searching for you?" "Approximately half an hour, give or take," he answered, "Now I found something interesting." The Doctor led Twilight over to a small crying female human out on the streets. He then kneeled until he was face to face with her. "Hi, again Claire!" the Doctor greeted, "This is... um... Martha Jones." "Hi," Twilight frowned at the fake name, "What's wrong?" "My father and brother disappeared last night," the girl sobbed. "That's terrible!" Twilight gasped, "What happened." "They just disappeared!" Twilight turned to the Doctor and said, "Do you know anything about this?" "Well, this obviously doesn't have to do with the infamous Gridlock; I'd say it's a few years after that little adventure." The Doctor informed, scratching his head in thought, "There's one thing I don't understand, why didn't anyone help you?" "People have been disappearing all over the city," she said, "And anyone who tries to investigate ends up disappearing, too." "Ah, so no one knows anything about this, then," the Doctor spoke cheerfully, "I love a good mystery. Don't worry, Claire, I'll find your dad. And while you're at it, if you see any angel statues, don't blink." "Doctor!" "Coming! Coming!" the Doctor ran off to Twilight, "Alright, Twilight! Where do you think we should start?" "Maybe there's somepony who knows something about the disappearances." Twilight suggested. "You're right. Someone who would have access to any reports of missing persons." the Doctor rubbed his chin, and started running. "Where are we going now?" Twilight groaned, whose legs were getting tired from running. "To the police!" "Hello! I'm the Doctor! And this is... Donna Noble!" he pointed to Twilight, who was still unsatisfied with her pseudonym. "And what do you what?" the secretary asked, impatiently. "I'm investigating the disappearing people," he replied, holding up the black casing Twilight recognized as the one used to trick Clyde into letting them into the farm. "As you can see, my credentials should be enough to let us through." "Oh, my! So sorry!" the secretary gasped, "Right here are the police records." She opened a drawer and pulled out a large file. "Thank you very much! We'll be on our way!" the Doctor thanked leaving with the file. The Doctor opened the file on the TARDIS console, as Twilight deactivated the perception filter. "Whew!" Twilight gave a sigh of relief, "Glad to be my old self again! Not to mention how this 'perception filter' cuts off my torso circulation." "Hmmm, Twilight?" the Doctor summoned, "I've noticed something about all these people. What do you think?" Twilight looked at the pictures of all the reported persons and tried to think of a connection. "Umm, they're all human?" "Exactly!" he gave Twilight a light pat on the back, "Another thing I've noticed is that every one of them was last seen with some sort of disease." "Wait, you read all those reports, in just one minute?" Twilight asked, astonished. "I'm a very fast reader," he replied, "Anyway, I think I know who's behind the disappearances." "Who?" "C'mon Twilight, let's go investigate!" the Doctor roared, not explaining a thing. The Doctor ran rapidly out the TARDIS, heading towards the New New York Hospital. Twilight attempted to follow, quickly ran out of breath. She frantically tried to run. But something was causing her to become drowsy. She soon found it hard to keep her eyes open. The last thing she remembered was the mechanical whirring of gears meshing together. "... I believe were all killed when the Bliss virus broke out. I should have checked. I always check, but that time I guess I was too busy or distracted. The only one left would be Novice Hame. Nice cat, haven't seen her in a while. Maybe I'll pop by... for... a," The Doctor stopped, realizing that something was wrong, "This is the longest you've ever gone without asking me a question." He turned around, only to see that he was all alone, without a companion. "Aarghhh, why do they always disappear?" "Uhhhh," Twilight groaned, "What happened?" Twilight woke up in a dark room. She shook her head as she tried to focus her sight. She tried to move her legs, but she found herself immobile, chained to a metal board. "Where am I?" Twilight asked, panicked, "What's going on here?" "The Destroyer has awoken," a silhouette approached her in the dark, revealing a cloaked human, wearing a hood down over his eyes and nose. "WHAT!" "Alright, dear, let's go track down a pony," the Doctor brought down the TARDIS screen, "Search for the current location of the latest TARDIS resident." "What do you want from me?" Twilight asked nervously. "You are the Destroyer," the voice answered. "I don't understand. Could you please explain what in the name of Starswirl's beard is going on?" Twilight pleaded. "An old legend says that when a purple unicorn realizes her true powers, she will bring the end of the universe!" "What are you going to do to me?" "We shall kill you before you learn to destroy us," he replied. "But... I... I just can't believe... I wouldn't do anything to hurt anypony!" Twilight denied. "Still, it's better safe than sorry," he gave a dark chuckle, "Wait, what the hell is that noise?" Whoooooosh whooooosh whoooooosh The TARDIS materialized in the center of the room. Twilight's captor gaped in amazement. Then the door opened. "Hello, Twilight!" the Doctor greeted, "Sorry I'm late, it took a while to find your location." "YOU HAVE A FRICKING TIME MACHINE!!!" Twilight hollered, clearly peeved off, "Now hurry up and free me!" "Alright, alright, hold your horses," he pointed up his sonic screwdriver. Whhiiiir Click "There, that should do it!" The locks of the chains snapped off, freeing Twilight. She quickly ran back to the TARDIS, but was stopped by the Doctor and handed the black wallet. "Who are you?" the cloaked figure demanded. "I'm the savior of planets and the Universe, I'm the destroyer of countless armies. I'm the Oncoming Storm," he gave a wide grin, "I'm the Doctor." At this revelation, the mysterious hooded man backed away. "No!" he shouted, "That's impossible!" "Oh, its not impossible. Now it's my turn to ask. Who are you?" Though Twilight couldn't see his face, she guessed that the man was glaring at the Doctor. "I am your future", he answered, "And you are my past." "Really? That would be confusing, but I already had practice with wibbly wobbly timey wimey timelines with River." "I could kill you right now," he threatened, "And keep you from ever causing me the problems that brought me here." "I wouldn't do that, you see, that would cause a paradox. Plus, I really doubt you can kill me." "I hold powers that you couldn't possibly dream of, Time Lord!" the cloaked man shouted manically, "I can end the very existence of this world if I wished!" The Doctor raised both eyebrows, the pony equivalent of receiving a heart attack. "Well, I'm impressed," he admitted, "I've never seen someone with as much power as you claim you do. I'm guessing that you're not human, correct?" "Not at all, Doctor. Now, I'm guessing that you're going to defeat me now and fly off in your magic box, isn't that right." The Doctor shrugged, "More or less, yeah." "And how do you propose to do that?" "Oh, c'mon, someone with amazing psychic abilities like yours?" the Doctor leaned closer to the man, "Couldn't you just use telepathy?" "How do you know this information?" "My Psychic Detector went Pinkie Pie crazy," he explained, "And now there's a mysterious creature that thinks that he can destroy the Destroyer of the Universe on his own. I just put two and two together. It's four, by the way. Anyway, if you're wondering how I'm blocking your telepathy, I just imagined a door to my mind. Then I chained, welded and deadlocked that door shut. And-" "But my dear Doctor," the cloaked man interrupted, "What makes you think that I'm alone?" On cue, a whole group of hooded men appeared from the shadows of the room. "We've been saving our power to kill the Destroyer, but I think we can spare some for you Doctor!" The men pulled down their cloaks, reveling a humanoid head, but with a large brain replacing much of the upper half. The brain was protected by a thick, translucent membrane. A single eyestalk protruded the front of the brain, with a long reptilian pupil. The back of the neck covered with sensitive tentacle feelers. "Oh, and I'm not sure if you noticed, but I gave something to Twilight while you were too busy freaking out about me. It was my psychic paper. On it, I put directions to the TARDIS medicine cabinet. And she should be back right... about... now." "Doctor! I'm back with the-AHHHHHHH" Twilight screamed seeing the creatures without their hood for the first time, and nearly dropping a black bottle that she received from the TARDIS. "Ah, thank you, Twilight," he took the bottle, "Do you know what this bottle is full of? A virus with no cure. All you have to do is explain why. Why did you kidnap these people?" Twilight's captor smiled. "We don't need to answer anything. Anything we dream of becomes reality, even a cure for this 'incurable virus'" "Oh, really? Because, do you know what this virus does?" The Doctor asked rhetorically, "It tampers with the mind. For you, it should shut off all your powers and give you IQ of a child. An unintelligent child. And then you will die. And don't try any funny business, I can make it blow with this." He pointed at the bottle with his sonic screwdriver. "Now, why did you kidnap these people?" "Because we needed food." "Food? Food? Is that what you think of them? And why the sick ones?" The Doctor demanded. "Because they are unimportant. We try to keep ourselves secret. And we have a pretty good way of keeping the others from being suspicious." "Unimportant? If one thousand years of traveling has taught me anything, it's that no one is unimportant. Who do you think you are?" "I am Jalastrefoica. You can call me Jalast," He bowed "I am of the species of the Somniumforms." "Somniumform? Also known as the Dream Men by Clom? My, my, my, I've never met one of you. Until now. Anyway, back to the poin-tah, why are you here?" "New Earth is such a wonderful place. Such potential. But everyday, humans must ruin its surface." Jalast answered in detest. "I've heard that before," he rolled his eyes, "How do know of this 'Destroyer' stuff? Twilight isn't a destroying type, I know that." "The legend came to us years ago. One night, every Somnuimform had the same vision. A purple unicorn destroying the Universe." "Alright. Now, I want you to stop this conquest. Go home, NOW!" "But where will we go? We have no more home planet. Somnious was destroyed in a great war between two terrible species. I fairly certain that you're familiar with it." "Doctor, what's he talking about?" "Twilight, get inside. You lot, there are other uninhabited planets everywhere, scattered around the universe! And with your power, you could make them able to support life." the Doctor protested. "But this one is perfect," Jalast argued, "And such a wonderful food supply. We have already " "I'm warning you. I have just enough mercy left for that one warning. Then the virus breaks out. I can destroy you with this. Now, what do you say?" he said "I say that you're a coward," Jalast replied, "You can't kill. Because that's not the type of man you are." "Then, looks like I'm a different man when you first met me. Because that was the wrong answer." Whiiiiiiir The bottle broke to pieces. It released the gaseous swarm of the virus. The Somnuimforms screamed in pain and terror. Jalast took one last look at the Doctor. "Goodbye, Doctor," he coughed out, "Until our paths cross once again." The Doctor walked back in the TARDIS, greeted by Twilight. "I'm guessing by the look on your face, they didn't agree to your terms." The Doctor shook his head. "Well, you did what you had to," She consoled, "Looks like the disappearances will stop." "Yeah, I guess your righ-" the Doctor stopped mid-sentence, "The disappearances! Twilight, you're brilliant!" He gave himself what Twilight guessed was a face hoof. "What, what did I say?" "When you get food, what do you do?" "I put it in the fridge." "Exactly!" he hugged her tightly, "If I'm right, the Somniumforms must have stock held the missing persons somewhere!" Claire sat on the street bench, night was almost upon her. She sang to herself for consolation. "Jack and Jill went up the hill, To fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down and broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after." She was ready to give up on waiting for the Doctor and Martha, when she heard a voice. "Claire!" "Daddy! Bobby!" she embraced her lost family with strong hugs. "Hello!" The Doctor shook his hand, "Told you I'd find them!" "How on New Earth did you do it?" Claire asked. "Oh, it wasn't that hard. And sorry it took so long, I had to take care of business," he gave a shrug. "Oh, thank you!" she looked around, "Where's Martha?" "She's taking care of a few other kidnappings. Though, that song you sang, what was it?" "Jack and Jill. Why?" "Why did you sing that specific song? Did your mum or dad sing it to you when you were going to sleep." Claire's answer was a shake of a head. "Just curious, I always look out for important things." "And it that important?" "Everything could be important, Claire." The Doctor answered, "You just have to look." "What does that-" Claire's question was interrupted by some sort of wheezing noise. Whoooooosh whooooosh whoooooosh "Sorry, love to stay and chat, but my rides here," he apologized, scratching the back of his head. "Wait," Claire's father grabbed him by the wrist, "Who are you? What was that box?" "I'm the Doctor, and that's the TARDIS. Can't give you a straightforward answer, sorry." "In any case, thank you for bringing us back to Claire." "Don't worry about it!" he smiled, "All in a day's work." And he slipped into the strange blue box of his. "That felt good, was able to save more lives!" Twilight smiled at him, before realizing something. "What about the virus?" "What, you mean the bottle? That was just hydrogen. When I released it, it interacted with the oxygen in the air, and created a cool smoke effect." "What about the Somniumforms?" "I know enough about them from research. They said that anything they dream of becomes reality. That's nightmares included." Twilight gaped at him. "So you're saying that they killed themselves with a virus, which they created with their powers?" "That's about it," "You are one clever alien," "I am, aren't I!" he agreed, "So, still want to go with me?" "Yes! Of course!" "Good. Because, next stop, old Earth!" Moonlight"Good morning, Jeffery!" a woman in her middle ages cheerfully greeted her neighbor, "'ow you doin' today?" "Hello, Charlotte," Jeffery replied, "What's new?" "The latest disappearance just occurred a few decades ago," she informed in a hushed voice, "And not to far from 'ere, too." "So what?" "So, every generation, on a full moon a boy goes missin'" Charlotte explained, "And tonight's a full moon! I guarantee you, someone's goin' tonight!" "Next you'll be saying that the kidnapper is a werewolf," he teased, "Oh, shut up," she gave him an annoyed glare, "But mark my words, someone's goin' tonight, and I sure hope it's not me!" Later that night, Jeffery walked around the town, whistling a merry tune as he swayed back and forth. He was a different bloke from the others. He preferred to go places where others wouldn't. Through this lifestyle, he found many strange and unique artifacts. Tonight, he found a large cave, with a large hole in the ceiling. "Hello, what's this then?" He stepped inside, and the first thing he noticed was the terrible smell. Like wet dog. Then he heard a voice. A weak, pale voice. "Ah, a traveler," the voice said, "Just in time." "Who are you?" Jeffery asked, "Just in time for what?" "When this body grows old and weak, I must search for a new host." "What're you talking about?" Jeffery started to regret his decision to come in the cave. Why did he have to go inside? "Your questions shall be answered," Moonlight seeped the cave roof. The light revealed a pale man chained and caged. The man opened his eyes. Jeffery's scream was heard throughout the town. "Life could be a dream, sh-boom, If I could take you up to paradise above, sh-boom, If you would tell I'm the only one that you love, sh-boom, Life could be a dream, sweetheart," "You're really enjoying that Earth music, aren't you?" the Doctor observed, "Nice dancing, but you'll never be as good as me." He did a little dance, shaking his arms above his head. Boom! The TARDIS crashed down to the surface of planet Earth. The planet was apparently one of the Doctor's favorites. Constantly under alien threat. Constantly in need of saving. "If this planet's your favorite, why'd you leave for Equestria?" Twilight asked. "I was running low on rift energy." He explained, "Normally I'd go to the rift in Cardiff to recharge, but I decided life always is in need of some change, is it not?" "And you're saying that there's a Rift in my planet?" "Yeah, the Rift opened in some area of space that lead me all the way across the next ten galaxies. Even the Time Lords didn't know much about your world. Burned up my inner curiosity. All we knew was how peaceful the planet was. Such potential. Such skills. Just like the..." The Doctor's eyes seemed to lose their shine as his voice trailed off. Twilight sensed that there was something on his mind. "Sorry about that. I should have gotten over this by now." The Doctor shook his head, cheer flooding back into his eyes. "Soooo, can we check out the old Earth?" "Oh, yeah! Sure! Equip the perception filter, and don't forget to put on some clothes before you activate it" he lifted his hand and clicked two fingers together, "Onwards?" "Onwards!" The TARDIS doors opened, revealing a sight very similar to Canterlot during winter. "Ahhh, England!" the Doctor exclaimed, "I missed you so much!" He dropped down and kissed the ground. "Looks like the 18th century!" "Smells kind of..." Twilight searched for the right words, "Funny." "I know, right?" the Doctor took a big breath, "That's the smell of Good old Britain! C'mon! I'll give you a tour!" "Actually, it smells like manure." "It's the Earth, Twilight, everything smells like manure" "See that?" he took out a brochure from his trench coat pocket and pointed to a picture of a large building with a clock's face on the side, "That's Big Ben, an alien ship crashed through that." "See that?" he pointed to another building, "That's Buckingham Palace. I saved it from being destroyed by a giant space ship called the Titanic!" "You seem to do a lot, don't you?" Twilight asked as the Doctor was reminiscing his adventures. "Yep. So many times that I can tell when something's wrong. This place is normally as busy as New New York. And it's a Saturday. So," he looked around the quiet city, "where is everyone?" "Look!" Twilight pointed at a newspaper, "Murderer in Scottland? See page 34 for details" "We're in Scottland, that's nice, love Scottland." "Hmmm, we have a place back in Equestria called Trottland. That's some coincidence" "Go Away!" "Huh?" Twilight and the Doctor turned and saw a frail old lady shooing them off, "If ya know what's good for ya, you best be running away!" "Why? What's going on here?" "Someone's gonna go!" she franticly shouted, "That's what I told Jeffery twenty years ago!" "Twenty years?" Twilight scoffed, "If someone disappeared twenty years ago, I highly doubt that there's anything to worry about." "Someone goes every generation," she explained, "On a full moon, a boy gets kidnapped, and many would find their livestock, in a bloody pile in the mornin'" "Oh please," Twilight rolled her eyes, "It sounds like your trying to describe a wolf-pony. Doctor...;" She looked around, only to have seen that he had run off. Again. "Three telescopes! Why on earth do you need three telescopes?" the shopkeeper demanded. "Trust me," the Doctor looked the shopkeeper in the eyes, while taking out a wad of pounds three inches high, "It's better if you don't know." "Where are you, Doctor," Twilight groaned, "Where are you?!" "Ughhh, hi Twilight," the Doctor approached, "Could you help me with these?" 'Sigh, Sure why not?" she used her magic to levitate the three telescopes from his arms. "No, no, no, no, no!" he yelled, "Don't do that!" "Witchcraft!" "Run!" "Good," he remarked, "I think we lost him." The Doctor had lead them into dark cave and turned to Twilight. "Never use magic here," he warned, "Never." "Why not?" "Because they would kill someone if they believed they saw a witch," he told her, "Even the trails would kill." He took out the screwdriver and readjusted the perception filter. "And what's that?" Twilight used her magic to pluck of a berry from a plant, hung up on the cave roof. "That's mistletoe!" the Doctor exclaimed, "It must be near Christmas! According to tradition, The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases." The explanation caused Twilight to blush a little. Luckily for her, the Doctor didn't seem to notice. "Strange, we have Mistletoe back in Equestria," she noted, and turned her attention back to the Doctor, "What're all the telescopes for?" "The old women, she said that the murders happen every generation, yeah?" the Doctor quizzed. "Yes," Twilight responded hesitantly. "And only on full moons, yeah?" "Uh huh," "And I know what it is," he paused for dramatic effect, "It's.... a were wolf!" "Are you being serious?" "No!" he laughed, "It's actually a Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform, but were wolf is much more easier to say. Hand me the Electric Light Amplifier" Twilight gave him a confused stare. She really hated it when he spoke of things as if she would know what it meant. "The one in your left hand-hoof." He sonic-ed the telescopes and his 'timey wimey' stuff, as he called it and realized something. "I don't have the prism!" he felt around his pockets, "I must have left it in the TARDIS!!" He looked at the cave entrance. "And now it's night time. With a werewolf on the loose." "How are we going to get there fast enough?" He smiled. "I have an idea." He activated the Screwdriver, turning off the filter. Twilight reverted to her original pony form. "Giddy-up, Twilight!" he jumped onto Twilight's back. "You've got to be kidding me." "Finally!" Twilight groaned, "We're here!" The Doctor climbed off her back and snapped his fingers again, causing the TARDIS doors to open once more. "Ohhh, Celestia!" she rubbed her back gingerly, "I can't feel my spine!" "Are you calling me fat?" he replied irritably, stepping into the TARDIS. When he returned, he was holding a jewel so beautiful, even Rainbow Dash would be impressed. "The werewolf will be destroyed if drowned in the moonlight that gives it it's power..." he stared at Twilight, "You know, people probably won't take you seriously like that." Whirrrrrrr- click "So, how are we going to-" she was stopped by a loud howl. "Arooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" A crash was heard, and the crying of a child. "Look, there!" the Doctor pointed to a few hooded men, donning mistletoe covered vests, escaping with a struggling child-sized bundle. "Stop!" he shouted, "Or you'll make me mad! And you wouldn't like that!" The men turned around and ran off, into a dark forest. "After them!" They ran off, and the Doctor mentioned something. "That's strange, we're chasing the villain this time," but his brief smile faltered, wearing a similar expression as before, when he was talking about her planet. "Sorry" he apologized, in a noticeably distant tone. They stopped at the cave opening. "It was there the whole time!" Twilight gasped. "There's no time to stop and stare, ms. Sparkle," the Doctor scolded her, "We need to stop them." The Doctor and Twilight followed the trail of the hooded ones, but the cave stopped. "How did we miss them?" the Doctor asked himself, "Unless..." He once again pulled out the sonic and scanned the surrounding walls. "Twilight, could you move over there for a moment, please?" he pointed to a spot on the ground. "Of course, why-AHHHHHHH!" Twilight shrieked as she fell through the trap door beneath her hooves. "That's why," he smiled, before jumping in himself, "Let's do it!" Twilight blinked and waited for her vision to clear up. When it did, she saw the Doctor was waiting for her to come to. "Alright, Twilight," he greeted, "And how did you sleep?" "Ughhh, what happened?" she rubbed her forehead. "The hooded people ran off via that trapdoor," he pointed to the hole above Twilight, "I opened the trapdoor with you underneath, and you, well, you were knocked unconscious for a while, but no matter, we need to go now." "Wait, I was knocked unconscious?" "Yeah, sorry about that," he sheepishly apologized. "For how long?" "Oh, about ten minutes... twenty... twenty nine." "You really need to be more careful," Twilight advised with a face-hoof. The Doctor and Twilight ran through the dark corridors. The Doctor stopped and started thinking out loud. "Mistletoe... Scottland... werewolf... it's all connected!" he grabbed Twilight by her artificial shoulders, "It's the Brethren!" "The what?" "They tried to infect Queen Victoria with the Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform! But their group started three centuries ago, and we must be on the second century for them!" "Who?" "And in the 19th century, I defeat them! Alright, now that everything makes sense, I can start making a plan. Time's a-wastin'" "When? What?!" "This child shall be the start of a new lord! We shall start the new century..." "Oh, hello!" a voice came from across the room. The monk that was speaking to the newly infected child turned to the door and saw the man and woman that had chased them just before. "How did you get inside?!" he angrily demanded. "Ohh, it wasn't hard," he smirked, "Though, next time, for safety precautions, use a wood door." He took out a small golden stick and tossed it in the air. "Who ever you are, you shall regret your decision to trespass into the domain of the wolf." "Really" The Doctor tilted his head in mock confusion, "And why's that?" "Because it is still nighttime. And we have already released the beast." A loud roar ripped through the air. "And that would be him right now," the monk gave them a narcissistic smile, "Have a nice night." He turned to the others, who were standing in front of a large cage. With a nod, they opened the door, and ran out of the room, adjusting the mistletoe vest and locked the door behind him. A large monstrous creature walked out of the cage. It's teeth bared and dripping with saliva. It's pupils large and wide, like a dog's. "Oh, that is BEAUTIFUL!" he squealed in astonishment. "I guess you have to be a giant, alien monster to get that kind of compliment," Twilight whispered under her breath, a bit peeved off, "So, Doctor, got any bright ideas?" "Yes, in fact I do. Literally!" he pulled out the upgraded telescope from his pocket ("Their bigger on the inside!") and fired it at the wolf, only to receive no reaction. "New plan, run!" They ran through the dungeon-like corridor, and ran around the corner, where a large flight of wooden stairs going up was waiting for them. The stairs led to a long dark hall. They ran through the dungeon-like corridor, and ran around the corner, where a large flight of wooden stairs going up was waiting for them. The stairs led to a long dark hall. They ran through the dungeon-like corridor, and ran around the corner, where a large flight of wooden stairs going up was waiting for them. The stairs went up back to the room underneath the trap door. The run gave them a few seconds rest, but the wolf was nearing closer. The Doctor securely locked the door with his screwdriver. "There!" the Doctor pointed to the tunnel, where rays of moonlight were dripping out, "There! I can use it to power the telescope!" He put the sight of the telescope under the light, only to shout out in disappointment. "What's wrong?" "The moonlight isn't strong enough," he explained, "If only we we're closer to the surface, or maybe the-" "You know I can just amplify it with my magic right?" "Oh," the Doctor responded rather awkwardly, "Do you just use magic to solve all you problems?" Suddenly, the Wolf burst through the door, sending splintered wood everywhere. "Now Twilight!" With a flash of purple light, the moonlight became more focused and concentrated. The light traversed through telescope's inner workings, and shone through the Prism at the end. Light exploded in the room blinding everyone inside momentarily. As Twilight tried to open her eyes, she could barely make out the faint shape of the werewolf. It slowly faded away, and she could hear a dying howl, as it was incinerated. When the light cleared, she turned to the Doctor, who was in a state of shock. "What's going to happen to the brethren now, Doctor?" "My screwdriver..." "They all escaped, and I think that the child was infected with the Lupine wavelength haemovariform." "Not my screwdriver..." "DOCTOR!" "Sorry!" he tossed the destroyed, charred device over his shoulder, "To answer your question, the Brethren do get any, but in the 19th century, I'll be there. The Lupine Wavelength Haemoviform was destroyed, or possibly passed on to the Royal family." Twilight gazed upon the black, burning wreckage that was melting on the floor. "What happened to the Sonic Screwdriver?" "The blast destroyed it. Along with the perception filter I see." Twilight looked at her body. Sure enough, her arms and legs were turned back to, well, just legs. "Sooo, we can't have you walking around Earth like this," the Doctor suggested, "How's about we go check out a little bit of Equestria?" "Great idea," she smiled at the prospect of seeing her historical hero's, even making a mental list. Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Cleaver, Smart Cookie, and the first Princess of Equestria to name a few. "Well then, my good lady," "Times a-wastin'." Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. A Heart of SteelA Heart of Steel A mare, Pie Crust, walked through Appleloosa’s apple orchard. It amazed her, the thought of the great Buffalo-Pony battle. A war ended by apple pie. As she walked through the path between the countless apple trees, she heard a loud noise. It sounded very metallic and mechanical. Thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz “Who’s there?” she demanded, “Flim, Flam, is that you? I thought we had enough cider for the year.” Thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz A strange creature appeared from the shadows of the trees. It was shaped like a minotaur, but made out of metal and lacking horns and hooves. The head was very blocky and square. And it marched towards her. “What are you?” Pie demanded, “What do you want?” It focused it’s head to Pie, and replied in a deadpan voice, “You are compatible.” “What does that mean?” “You will be upgraded,” it replied, “You shall become the next stage of Equine.” The metal thing grabbed Pie by the neck. A light engulfed them forcing her to shut her eyes. When she recovered, she teleported to an environment even stranger than the robot. She didn’t even know what she was attached to before it was to late, and components of metal fit over her head, like pieces of a puzzle. “Alright,” the Doctor rubbed his brow in frustration, “I did it once, and I can do it again.” He slammed the control panel of the TARDIS, even to the point of whacking it with a hammer, “Behave!” “Oh, I’m sorry, dear,” the Doctor hugged and stroked the pillar that protruded from the console (earning an eye-roll from Twilight), “I shouldn’t have done that, but could you please bring us back to Equestria? Twilight really wants to see her friends.” The iconic wheezing noise of the TARDIS engines filled the air. Gears of the interior meshed together and revealed a new sonic screwdriver. He smiled and whispered two words. “Thanks dear,” As the wheezing stopped the Doctor pulled down a small screen and stared at the faltering image. “Twilight, Ponyville wasn’t a Old Western type town, was it?” Surprised, Twilight ran to the screen. After a few seconds of viewing, she recognized the town as Appleloosa. “Appleloosa?” a highly amused Doctor chortled, “Isn’t that a coincidence.” “Appleloosa was at war with a buffalo tribe over an apple orchard,” Twilight smiled at the memory, “But the whole battle ended when the chief tasted one of their apple pies, and the two groups decided to share.” “Sharing? Really?” the Doctor shook his head in disbelief, “If only the creatures I face were that benevolent.” Once again, he seemed to space out, his face, usually cheerful, became old and heavy. As if remembering an old memory. One that he seemed to be ashamed of. Shaking his head, he returned to the conversation at hand. “Where were we? Oh yes, buffalo tribe,” he chuckled to himself, “Judging from the surroundings, I’d guess the buffalo were wearing large feather headbands.” He emphasized the last words by shaping one over his head. “Actually,” she informed, “They did.” That took the smile from his face. “Like how Earth was. Never ignore coincidence, Twilight. Unless it’s the kind of coincidence where you and your friend wear the same outfit, or if somebody shares a favorite hobby with you. Coincidences usually end up being traps.” “What does that mean for us, Doctor?” “Ah, it’s probably a coincidence!” his attention returned to the console, “Now, we’re in the same planet, and the same country, so it’s only a matter of guess and check until we get back to Ponyville!” “Doctor, wait!” she stopped him from leaving, “I can back to my time to see my friends again. I guess I should say hello to Braeburn and Little Strongheart,” “Well then,” the Doctor clicked his fingers again, making a snapping sound, “Time’s a wastin’!” The TARDIS doors opened wide, letting the hot climate of Appleloosa seep into the room. The climate and sand forced Twilight to cough. When she turned to the Doctor, he had disappeared. Again. It was becoming a bit tedious. Unlike the last time she saw it, Appleloosa was buzzing with life. Buffalo and ponies alike roamed the streets. It seemed like an impossible task, to find the pony and the buffalo they were looking for. “Well, howdy, Twilight! Just the pony ah needed to see!” greeted a familiar voice. She turned, and conveniently became face-to-face with Braeburn, still wearing his favorite hat. And still as neighborly as she remember him. “Hello, Braeburn,” Twilight smiled, which quickly vanished as her hoof was taken and violently shaken. Apparently, strong hoof shakes run in the family, “H-h-how g-g-goes the p-p-peace treaty with the buffalo-o-o?” He gestured to the streets, specifically how the buffalo and the ponies were cooperating together. “It’s goin’ great! Business been boomin’ the past few months!” Braeburn finally released her hoof (how he could have such a strong grip if he doesn’t have anything to hold on with was beyond her) and Twilight pulled it back. She seemed to have bad luck when it came to hoof-shakes. A metaphorical light bulb lit over Braeburn’s eyes. “Almost forgot why ah needed you,” he face-hoofed himself and resumed, “There’s a strange critter ah found. It seems to be like a gihugic bug-“ Braeburn stopped in mid sentence as a brown stallion with a spiky manecut jumped in front of him without warning. The stallion wore a full suit and a trench coat, despite the hot weather. “Gihugic, you say,” he noted inquisitively, “And what did this bug look like?” Braeburn turned to Twilight, with a rather confused look on his face. In other words, the typical reaction to meeting the Doctor. “Who’s your friend, Twilight?” Braeburn asked. The Doctor started rambling about creatures that could fit Braeburn’s description. Something about Racnoss and Vespiforms. “That’s the Doctor,” she responded with a smile, “We’re traveling together.” “Oh, ah see,” he gave her a sly wink. “Wait, WHAT!” Twilight exclaimed, “Oh, nonononono, nothing like that, Braeburn. We’re just…friends.” “Are ya shure?” he insisted, “You got that face, the one that Spike fellow has around Rarity.” She blushed bit and looked away. Luckily, the Doctor saved her from her awkwardness. “Hello?” the Doctor waved his hand (or would it count as a hoof?) in Braeburn’s face, “The bug?” “Oh, yeah!” Braeburn’s forehead scrunched up to find the correct words to describe what he saw; “I think it’d be better to just show it to you. C’mon I’ll take to my shed.” Braeburn’s shed was dark and noticeably unused. “Now, the shed just came with mah house,” Braeburn explained, “And no one really uses it. So, ah guessed it would be the best place to hide it.” The Doctor pulled out his new sonic screwdriver and activated it, causing a low, steady whistling sound. “Hmmm, readings indicate that everything’s normal so fa-“ the screwdriver started beeping rapidly. “What!” Suddenly, a metallic creature, roughly the same size as a cat, jumped at the Doctor. It’s fierce jaws snapped at his face. Twilight used her magic to hold the thing in place. “No…” he whispered, “It can’t be…” “What is it, Doctor?” “It’s a Cybermat!” “A Cybermat!” the Doctor paced around the shed floor, more annoyed than worried, “Even when I move ten galaxies away, they still manage to find me!” “Doctor!” Twilight scowled and whacked him on the head, snapping him back to focus, “Can you please just tell us what this means? You’re always doing this!” “Alright, fine, mum,” he replied sarcastically, “The Cybermats are little scouts of this blokes called the Cybermen. The Cybermen are beings from the planet Mondas, whose main purpose is to convert any convertible being into more Cybermen.” Twilight and Braeburn stared at the Doctor, who seemed content with his explanation. “Doctor,” Twilight began, shaking her head, “When will you learn that ponies are not used to this kind of talk?” “Sorry,” he thought of a simplified description, “Think super alien robots.” “Ohhh, I get it now!” Braeburn said nervously, and turned to face Twilight, “Hate to tell you this, but I think that your colt friend is crazy.” “I know, right?” Twilight rolled her eyes, “Wait, no! I told you already, I’m… He’s not my colt friend!” Then the Doctor popped up between the two and put his arm around their shoulders, “What are you guys waiting for?! Times a-wastin’!” “Have you seen anything strange lately?” The Doctor ran around town, scanning things left and right with his screwdriver. The whistling became faster paced, “Power surges, marching sounds, disappearing ponies?” Braeburn tapped his chin, “Well, there was that mare, Pie Crust. Nopony has heard from her for a while. And just last week, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000s all malfunctioned. Held us back in the apple cider market.” “Pie Crust, whose that?” the Doctor asked curiously, while inspecting his screwdriver, “Oh, it looks like we’re right on tra-” “Never mind that,” Twilight interrupted, “Did you say Super Speedy Cider Squeezy?” “Eeeyup!” he replied, “This two fellers, Flim and Flam stopped over and gave us a whole bunch of ‘em!” “But- They’re con colts!” she stammered, “They tried to run Sweet Apple Acres out of business!” “Sorry to interrupt your oh-so-important gossip,” the Doctor sarcastically remarked, “But, I need to focus, so could you stop your yammering, and shut up for a bit!” The Sonic beeped loudly, and the Doctor gave out a triumphant shout. He then dropped down to his knees and licked the dry ground. “Hmm, bit dry, could use a bit of water,” he criticized, and spa out remaining traces of sand, “Definitely traces of a transmat beam.” “Alright, I’ve had enough with you and yer crazy jibber jabber ‘bout Cyber whatsits and train mats!” Braeburn shouted in a frusterated tone, “Ah want some answers! Now! Who the hay are ya?” “Answers?” The Doctor got up, and looked him in the eye, “Are you sure you want to know?” Braeburn nodded his head firmly. “Okay…” the childish glint in his eye seemed to vanish, “Imagine that you were the last of your kind. Imagine that you could feel the world shifting under your feet. Imagine that you could somehow comprehend in your thick pony skull that there are other worlds out there, each containing evil creatures. And that it was your duty to protect it. Imagine you knew everything. Every possible future, the whole history of the universe. And imagine that nearly everything was against you, and hated you. That’s who I am. The Doctor.” All of a sudden, the lights of a restaurant on the right of the street dimmed down and flickered. The Doctor, Braeburn, and Twilight to the direction of the power shortage. A blue light appeared in the middle of the street, and something began to materialize. “Oh, dear.” “Halt all primitive life forms known as Equines, you are compatible. Do not run and or resist, or you will be deleted,” one of the creatures stated emotionlessly. “Doctor?” Twilight asked as the creatures marched around the town, herding frightened ponies, “You said Cybermen. Are these what you were talking about?” “Why, yes!” he exclaimed, a bit surprised, “Only they’re the mondas ones! It’s been a while. Luckily, I think I brought some gold to trade with-” Meanwhile, Braeburn was screaming at the top of his lungs, “What’s the matter with ya’ll! Doncha see those monsters out there?” “Hey,” the Doctor shouted indignantly, “Don’t judge a book by its cover! It’s very racist to think everything that doesn’t look like you is evil!” “So, are you saying that the Cybermen won’t do us any harm,” Twilight asked with relief. “Wellll,” the Doctor drawled sheepishly, “I didn’t say that…” The Doctor’s sentence trailed off. His eyes locked onto Braeburn. And he made a swift grab for his hat. “Hey! That’s mah hat!!” “I have to look presentable for these guys. I haven’t seen these guys since the day before I faked my own death!” “Wh-what?” Braeburn face hoofed, “Listen, Doctor, we need to git outta here, now! Who knows what those things want with us!” “I do,” the Doctor giving him a stare that would give Fluttershy a run for her money. He turned to the Cyberman and began to ‘do his thing’. “Helloooo, then,” he greeted, “And who might you be?” The Cybermen marched up to him, and said, “We are the Cybermen of the planet Mondas,” The first Cyberman answered, “We do not wish to bring harm upon the worthless, weak ponies. We shall collect them and send them for the upgrading process.” “Ah, yes,” he nodded, “Quite reasonable. But, I’m sure that many of the ponies here don’t want to be emotionless metal shells like you. Anyway, more to the poin-tah!, Why are you here, on this planet? The next answer was a bit hesitant. After a few seconds, the Cyberman finally answered, “We were… running.” “Huh,” he responded with a taunting tone, “All of your emotions, erased. But seems like you can still feel two things. Humiliation, and fear.” “This pony knows much of our race,” the Cyberman shouted, “Tell us where you got your intelligence from, or be deleted.” “Just answer me this,” the Doctor raised an eyebrow, “Just think. Just think of the person you were running from. And remember. Remember every day he destroyed you, or defeated you. And do you think you ran far enough? Across ten galaxies? No. Because…” He deactivated the Perception Filter. His image faltered, and he was replaced by his true form. His tall, biped form, standing on the dry ground. The Cybermen stopped dead on their tracks. The Doctor tipped Braeburn’s Stetson, “Hello, again! Now, I’m not asking for much. These ponies are simple, unsophisticated, and primitive creatures. Wait a minute… those words all mean the same thing. Anyway, all I’m asking for is a surrender.” The Cyberman seemed to consider this. But he just gave an answer in that cold, heartless voice; “No.” “Well then,” he replied, reaching into his coat pocket, “It’s a good thing that I’m always prepared!” he conjured a dark red bag. The Doctor threw it into the fleet, and it burst open, scattering some sort of dust all over the Cybermen. Instantly, they made a wheezing sound, and they all collapsed. “Gold dust,” The Doctor kneeled down to inspect a Cyberman’s head, “Never leave the TARDIS without it.” He pulled out the Sonic and removed it’s head. “What the hay just happened!” Braeburn shouted frantically, and he started to hyperventilate. Twilight rolled her eyes. You just get used to this sort of stuff in the TARDIS. “Alright, Twilight,” he moved towards the TARDIS, carrying the Cyberman’s head under his arm, “Time’s a-wastin’.” “Where are we going now?” “Deep into the heart of the Cyberarmy,” "We’re going to the Mothership.” CyberponiesTwilight followed the Doctor into the TARDIS, where he was hooking the Cyberhead to the console, “The Mothership?” “That’s it!” he said while attaching wires to the inside of the head, “With the help of the distress signal, I should be able to track down the Cybership!” “Cybership?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, “That’s… not really imaginative.” “Yeah, tell me about it,” he shook his head disappointedly, “But I guess the creativity was all drained out of them during the upgrade process.” Bam! Bam! Bam! “And how could it be at this hour,” the Doctor’s rubbed his chin, and pulled down the screen. The image was of Braeburn, fruitlessly trying to break into the TARDIS. The Doctor let out a sigh, and opened the doors. “Open this door righ’ no-woooooah!” Braeburn tripped into the control room, planting his face into the console. “Well, then,” the Doctor leaned down to be face to face with the earth pony, “The Doctor will see you now.” “Lookie here, what eva’ yah are,” Braeburn huffed angrily, “Let Twilight go, and leave this town now!” “Well, look at the gratitude I get for trying to save all of your lives,” the Doctor said irritably, “This universe would have been destroyed on multiple occasions if it weren’t for me!” “Look, what yer saying ain’t making a lick o’ sense to me,” he replied, “but if yah ain’t letting her go, ah’m gonna bust ’er out!” The Doctor rolled his eyes, and flipped a switch. Click! The doors behind Braeburn snapped shut. He ran off to open the doors. When he soon discovered that they were locked shut, he tried opening them forcefully, but with no avail. “You’re gonna open these doors, right now, Doctor! Or ah swear, you will pay!” Braeburn threatened, shaking his forehoof. “You’re right,” the Doctor agreed quickly, reaching for a wheel on the TARDIS console, “How terrible of me. I shall open the doors riiighht, now!” Whoooooosh, whoooooosh whooooosh The TARDIS engines wheezed loudly, taking Braeburn by surprise. He stumbled around the shaking room. Twilight and the Doctor, on the other hoof, grabbed onto the bench next to the console, obviously experienced. “W-w-what did you do?” Braeburn stuttered, “What did you do?” “Nothing much!” the Doctor replied innocently, “Just sent the TARDIS through the time vortex! We should be at the Ship any moment now!” The wheezing of the TARDIS was put to a stop and the Doctor walked to the door. “There, happy now?” When the door was opened, the environment had changed. Gone were the dry, plain lands of Appleloosa, and in its place were dull gray walls. Everywhere, robotic marching could be heard. “Alright,” the Doctor whispered, “We’re right in the center of the Cybership. Twilight followed him outside, “I don’t get it, didn’t the Cybermen kidnap dozens of Appleloosans? Why aren’t we hearing any struggling?” “Can’t say,” he replied, “But we have to hurry. I’ll need some tools to take the Cyberman down.” Twilight took a gander at her surroundings. “I’d say that we’re in a storage closet of some kind,” she pulled open a cabinet, “Hey, Doctor, what are these?” The Doctor’s eyes widened in confusion, “Those, those are EarPods! How on Raxicoricofallipatorious did they get these?” He pulled one out and scanned it with his screwdriver, “Ahh, stolen technology. There are many slight differences in the inner workings. Probably reversed engineered from deactivated Cybusmen.” “Would somepony tell me what the HAY is going on here!” Braeburn shouted, whose tolerance was at its peak. “Shhhh! There’s no need to shout!” the Doctor whispered loudly, “The Cybermen don’t know we’re here, so we need to be quiet.” “Audio heard in Storage Chamber one one nine five two six, reveal yourselves and bow to the mighty Cyberlegion.” The chamber door slid open, revealing a Cyberman. The Doctor innocently waggled his fingers, “Oh! Don’t mind us, just stopping by, hello!” “You will surrender immediately or be deleted,” the Cyberman deadpanned, “Bow down at once in the name of the Cybermen,” “Oh, yes, of course,” the Doctor agreed sarcastically, “you truly deserve our respect! Here, have some gold!” the Doctor threw another bag of gold dust at the Cyberman. The dust took its effect on the Cyberman, causing it to fall down to it’s knees. “Alright, Twilight,” the Doctor said while patting the Cyberman’s head, “I’ll need some help dragging the Cyberman back to the TARDIS,” “Ya’ll are crazy, ya hear? Crazy!” Braeburn stomped back into the blue box, “What ever ya’ll are planning, ah want no part in it!” Twilight and the Doctor exchanged glances. “I think I should talk to him,” Twilight suggested. “I think that’d be best.” “Braeburn?” Twilight stepped into the TARDIS to find Braeburn, sulking in the corner of the control room, “Look, life with the Doctor can be really confusing at times, so it’s perfectly natural to be confused.” “Ah… ah just don’t get it,” Braeburn pouted, “We just got over the territory problems last year. Why this? Why can’t we just negotiate? That’s what we did for them buffalo.” “I know the Doctor, Braeburn,” Twilight reassured, “And I trust him with all my heart. I know that he wouldn’t fight somepony if there weren’t any chance of negotiation.” “Yah think yah know him so well, don’t cha?” he said crossly, “Then tell me this: What’s his real name?” Twilight was silent. For the first time, she realized how little she knew of the Doctor. He never talked about himself, and he always had that tired, guilty expression on his face when he wasn’t ranting. What could happened, for some pony that happy and cheerful to never even talk about his past? “Exactly,” Braeburn scoffed, “Yah don’t even know him, yet yer sacrificing yer life to help him. Mark mah words, Sparkle; Someday he won’t be there for yah. Yah can go, prance around him, blinded by yer little crush” Twilight sighed as she stepped out of the TARDIS. She is going to have a big talk with the Doctor when this thing blows over. When she found the Doctor, he was using the Screwdriver to strip the Cyberman to its bare elements. “Hmmm,” he mumbled to himself, curiously, “It seems like the Cybermen have been waiting for quite some time now… the host had decomposed to the bone…” “And how goes your research on the Cyberman?” “Welllll,” he said while tapping the chest of the Cyberman, “The Cybermen were fueled by the sun. Somehow, there’s a large amount of energy radiating off it. I just can’t understand how that would work!” He paused and turned to Twilight, “Your sun isn’t sentient, is it?” “No, not that I know of,” she replied hesitantly, “Though I can explain the energy radiating from the sun.” “Really,” the Doctor widen his eyes in interest, “Please, educate me.” “Well, Princess Celestia uses her magical abilities to raise the sun every morning, as her sister raises the moon every night,” Twilight explained smugly, finally knowing something the Doctor didn’t, “Would that be helpful?” “Immensely,” he grinned wildly, “SO! The Cybermen are feeding off the magic Princess Celestia creates. And whom do I have for a companion other than Twilight Sparkle, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria! The go to expert on what makes it tick.” He clasped his hands together eagerly, “Lets go! Times a-wastin’” The Doctor poked his head into the hallway. He then motioned with his arm for Twilight to come over. “Alright, Twilight,” he handed her a small, metal tube. The metal was covered in a tan colored bandage, and had a green LED on the end, “You’ll need this to defend yourself.” Twilight grinned enthusiastically, clapping her hooves in joy, “Oh my gosh! I get a sonic screwdriver! This is-“ “Shhh!” the Doctor covered her mouth with is hand, “We’re sneaking around, and we can’t afford to make any noise!” “Okay, sorr-“ she stopped in mid sentence to collect her thoughts, “Wait a minute! If we can’t make any noise, what’s this?” She examined the device with her magic. “Well,” he ranted, “It’s an Electro Magnetic Multi tool. It uses the range of radiations in the electromagnetic spectrum. The device is activated telepathically, and designed to attach to certain surfaces, like your hoof for example. It’s pretty much very similar to the Sonic Screwdriver, but doesn’t make noise.” She turned it on, which allowed a green light effect to escape the tip of the tool, “So, it’s like a Super Torch,” The Doctor considered this for a moment. Scratching his chin, he said, “I guess so.” Thunk-zzzzz, thunk-zzzzzz Twilight and the Doctor dived into the shadows of the hallway, out of the view of the Cybermen. But it wasn’t long before their scanners picked them up. A Cyberman marched towards the two and prepared his gun. “Warning: Unauthorized life forms detected on board. Reveal yourself and receive a free upgrade. If you try to resist you will be deleted.” The Doctor stepped into sight, “Aw, shut up!” he whined sarcastically, “That’s all you ever talk about! Upgrade this, delete that! Can’t you change the subject at least once!” ‘The Doctor is on board. He is incompatible. Prepare for maximum deletion,” the Cyberman aimed the gun. “Ohhh,” he smirked, unimpressed, “You’ve got a gun! And guess what? I don’t care! ‘Cuz, I’ve got a SUPER TORCH!” He nodded to Twilight, who jumped out of her hiding spot and aimed the light at the Cyberman’s head. “Infrared rays,” he chuckled, “Quick thinking, Twilight!” He gave her a friendly pat on the back before them ran off to the next hallway, leaving the Cyberman on the ground, next to the discarded gun. Meanwhile, in the conversion chambers. The Cybermen were designing something new. Something that would help them catch more hosts for the upgrading. The statistics were all they needed to prove that the Earth Ponies were much faster compared to the humans and mondasians. Soon, they would have a sub-race, of scouts and kidnappers. A race of Cyberponies. Clank Twilight deactivated the last guard. The shell made a loud echo as it hit the ground. She turned to the Doctor, with a triumphant, yet tired expression on her face. “So, Doctor, are we at this lift yet?” She asked breathlessly. “Yup,” he said cheerfully, “No more running now, we can finally get to the Cybercomputer and end this once and for all.” He fiddled with the lift controls. The doors opened with a ding, and opened up. Twilight and the Doctor couldn’t believe their eyes. Because the lift was filled with Cybermen. When the Doctor woke up, he found himself inside of a cell. Groaning, he gingerly stroked the side of his numb arm. Looking down, he saw that there was a hole punctured into the left sleeve of his jacket. “Well,” he said to himself groggily, “Looks like your common variety knock out dart. I wonder if Twilight had woken up yet-“ Then he suddenly realized that he was alone. His eyes darted across the room, frantically searching for his lost companion. “Twiiiiliiiiight!” Twilight awoke to find herself uncontrollably marching. She couldn’t speak, nor run away. All she could do was march, synchronized with the other ponies surrounding her. She heard a faint beeping noise, and the cold touch of metal lingered in her ear. “Halt!” The cold, emotionless voice forced them to stop. A Cyberman walked towards Twilight, “Your biology is different and far more advanced than the other ponies around you. Explain.” She felt the mental grip of whatever was controlling her- did the Doctor call them earpods?- slip off enough to allow her to sleep, “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she answered monotonously, “I am biologically different to the Earth Ponies due to the fact that I am a unicorn. I snuck into the ship with the help of the Doctor.” Alarms seemed to go off in the Cyberman’s head, “Explain further. What is you relationship with the Doctor?” Twilight reluctantly complied, “I am the Doctor’s companion and friend.” The Doctor paced around the room, looking for ways of escape. Ugh, this would be much more simpler if I was still in my seventh form, he thought in frustration. He turned his head and saw two Cybermen jailors come in front of his cell. “Hey, what’s new?” he asked in a mock friendly tone, “Come to let me go yet?” The mouth of the first Cyberman lit up, “We wish to make a deal wish you.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow, “What?” The Cybermen lead the Doctor into the conversion chamber. The doors slide out and allowed them to enter. “Sooo, what’s this deal of yours,” he asked, “You know I can’t be converted.” The Cyberman didn’t even turn to face him. The Doctor huffed, “Fine! Killjoy.” So the Doctor waited. And he waited. And after what seemed like three hours of silence, the doors finally opened again. Twilight and a black helmeted Cyberleader marched in. “Twilight!” He attempted to run to her, but he was restricted by the two Cybermen, “Oh, for the love of…” “This is the deal,” the Cyberleader explained, “Kill yourself, or have your companion converted. It will be your choice.” The Doctor stared back at the Cyberleader, “That’s the deal. Kill myself, or let my best mate die?” The Cyberleader gave him a cold stare, “Yes. Every time our kind manages to capture you, you escape. Now we have taken every factor that could lead to your escape.” “Well then,” a new voice came from behind them, “Ah think y’all forgot ‘bout me!” The room filled with green light, and all the Cybermen collapsed to the ground. The stallion grinned and said, “Yeah! That’s the way we do it in AAAAppleloosa!” The constant beeping noise in Twilight’s head ceased. The last thing she remember before passing out was a brilliant flash of green. “So, is Twilight gonna be okay?” “Yep! Unicorns seem to have stronger mental power than Earth Ponies and Pegasi, no offence, which would explain the whole magic thing a bit.” Twilight opened up her eyes and saw Braeburn and the Doctor hovering over her. She shook her head trying to focus, “Braeburn? What are you doing here?” “Well, when we had that talk, ah felt sorry for talkin’ to yah like that,” Braeburn explained, “So ah tried to find yah. But there were those Cyberthingies everywhere! So ah broke a coupla’ of them EarPods and plugged ‘em into my ears. Just had to act real stiff-like and they bought it like an apple pie! They brought me and some other ponies to that Changing Chamber thing. But then ah saw you, and ah saw them confiscate that there flashlight thingy of yours. And turns out, that turning ‘em on would knock those Cyberpunks out cold!” The Doctor smiled, “Impressive. Gotta say, Braeburn, you were a lot less of a tin dog than I thought at first.” Braeburn frowned, “Thanks…ah guess?” “Right!” the Doctor clasped his hands together, “Where was I before those rude Cybermen interrupted me with their rude rudness? AHA! Yes! The Cybercomputer. Times a-wastin’” Ding! The lift doors opened, releasing the Doctor and his companions. And they looked upon what they have been restlessly searching for. “That it?” Braeburn asked. “Oh, yes. Just look at that craftsmanship! That is just BEAUTIFUL!” he stroked the screen, displaying every thing every Cyberman saw, “It’s a new idea, hasn’t really caught on yet. But a couple of Mondas ships do have them in. Alright, Twilight! Do your magic!” Twilight stepped towards the computer and zapped it with the Super Torch. The screen went black. “Was that all?” Braeburn asked, sounding a little annoyed. “Of course not! The computer just switched to its AI mode,” the Doctor grinned, “Now usually this would be difficult, but the whole computer runs on magic. And I’ve got a unicorn for an assistant!” He giggled gleefully. After taping a few keys, he looked at Twilight, “I’ve shut down the layers of firewalls, and after that, you should be able to send a signal to all the Cybermen. Something that’ll blow their minds. Quite literally.” “Well then,” Twilight smiled enthusiastically, “Times a-wastin’!” She focused her magic onto the computer. Purple sparks erupted out of her horn as she manipulated the computer. And she thought of her friends. Of how much she missed them. And she broadcasted the emotions to every Cyberman on deck. In the floor below, the conversion chambers, the EarPods of the Appleloosans deactivated and fell to the group. The everypony shook their head and started murmuring and arguing. “We should wait fer help!” “You foal! How do yah even know if any pony’s comin’ to help us?” “Maybe if we all walk in a single file line…” “What are yah? Seven?” Thunk zzzzz thunk zzzzz “Error. Circuits overloading. Error. Prisoners are escaping.” Everypony shut up and agreed on one thing. To get the buck out of wherever they were. Meanwhile, everywhere on deck, all of the Cybermen moaned in agony. A few ran about aimlessly until their heads finally blew up. Many others followed suit. “Okay!” the Doctor exclaimed as he watched the whole thing unfold via camera, “We did it!” The Ship shook violently, causing them to topple over. “Actually,” the Doctor observed, “I think we should RUN!!!” The trio ran out of the room, passing by several dying Cybermen. They ran down a flight of stairs, flames sending smoke throughout the stairway, forcing them to cough. When they finally reached the bottom, Braeburn and Twilight stopped for breath. “Twilight! What did you do?” The Doctor asked curiously. “I… sent… emotions…” she panted, “The memories of my… friends. You… said they can’t feel emotions, so I figured that it would… distract them.” He whistled, “It did hell of a lot more than that. Cybermen can’t even comprehend emotions, let alone have them. That’s enough to make them blow, like a bottle of pop.” “But…” Braeburn pieced the final pieces of the puzzle together, “All of those Cybermen… blowing up at once…” “I know,” he replied grimly, “That’s why we have to get to the TARDIS now!” “There it is!” Twilight pointed to a distinct shade of blue, before seeing a massive obstacle, “Directly across that chasm.” There was a large indent in the floor of the hallway. No doubt made from exploding Cybermen, running around like headless chickens, the Doctor thought. “Let’s see… AHA!” his eyes darted to a pipeline, attached horizontally to the roof, “Now, if only I had something… AHA!” he undid his cape and ripped it into long stripes, and tied them all together. He then threw it, in a very grappling hook like way. He motioned his head towards his friends and gripped onto cloth, “C’mon!” Braeburn face-hoofed, “Please, tell me we aren’t gonna-” “Wahhhhh!” Braeburn screamed with the lungs of a thousand griffins. Air whipped his face as they swung across the hole and let out an audible ‘ouch,’ as he landed on his face. “Okeedokee!” the Doctor cried out, going inside the box, “We’ve got some ponies to save!” Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh The TARDIS dematierialized from the ship, and was about to pick up forty-two hitchhikers. Appleloosa had never been so quiet. Ponies were mourning the loss of half of the population. But a few ponies managed to pick up the sound of the TARDIS engines. Inside the TARDIS, most of the new passengers were still astonished by its whole ‘bigger in the inside’ feature. One particular pony, a tan coat and a dark brown mane, walked to him. “Thank you, kind stranger,” the stallion said; “Yah saved us from whatever the hay those things are. We can’t thank yah enough.” “It’s all right, my good…colt? Stallion?” the Doctor rolled his eyes, “Someday I’m gonna get the hang of this ‘pony speak’ thing.” A metaphorical light bulb went off over the stallions head, “Pony speak? Yer saying that like yer not one.” The Doctor just gave a sly grin, “It’s all right. All I what is for you to have a normal life. Go home, read a nice book, eat beans on toast, et cetera,” he opened up the doors, “Go on. There’s Appleloosa out there.” As the ponies all left the TARDIS, the Doctor stopped the stallion, “I’m the Doctor, by the way, what’s your name?” “Sheriff Silverstar,” he replied with a tip of his hat. After all the ponies had left, the Doctor paced towards Braeburn, “You know, you can come with us if you like,” Braeburn awkwardly smiled, “Beggin’ mah pardon, Doctor, but yer sense of adventure is a might too much for this pony.” “Sorry, you feel that way. You would've made a good companion,” he got up and brushed his lap, “Oh, and before I forget, here’s your hat back!” “Nah,” he shook his head, “Yah can keep it, ah got tons o’ ‘em.” There was a short, awkward silence, before Braeburn broke it, “So… ah’ll be seeing yah aroun’, ah guess….” “Yeah, I guess so,” the Doctor nodded in agreement, before his face broke into a joking smile, “Now, get out.” “So! Off to Ponyville we go!” the Doctor smacked his hands together eagerly. The TARDIS started wheezing. But as the TARDIS left, something else was amiss. “Hello?” A maroon Earth Pony spoke into a phone, “Is this DAEL?” “Yes,” a gruff, male voice responded, “Why have you called?” “I just encountered a strange experience, Appleloosa. I don’t know what it was, but it kidnapped me, and 45 other ponies. They turned four of us into these weird, robot things.” “Is there anything else?” “Yeah. One of them is in my backyard” “Don’t worry,” the voice assured, “DAEL will be there shortly.” The Plastic PoniesWhoooosh, whoooosh, whoooosh, A blue box appeared in a corner of an alleyway. The door opened, revealing a very peeved pony with a spiky manecut. “You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding me!” The Doctor shouted, “Of all… what’s the matter with you, aye?” he turned to the box. “Oh my gosh!” Twilight gasped as she trotted out, “We’re in Canterlot!” The Doctor grinned, “Canterlot? That sounds like an important place!” Twilight nodded excitedly, “Yes, it is! It’s where I was born, and proud capital of Equestria!” “Well, what are you waiting for?” he demanded, “Let’s go check it out!” Soon, however, the curious look on his face was replaced with a more suspicious one. His eyes narrowed down as he surveyed the shops. Twilight let out an exasperated sigh, “What is it this time, Doctor?” “I don’t know, but I’m noticing something…” he scowled, “Something about those shops.” Twilight rolled her eyes, “That’s the same thing you said about that fat stallion with the gas problem.” “Hey!” he exclaimed, offended, “He could have been a Raxicoricofallipatorian!” Twilight just shook her head, and moved on, while the Doctor stared into the store window. “Why would this place need so many mannequins?” he asked himself. Octavia walked out the conservatoire, winning the hearts of countless classical music fans. As she trotted along the path next to the street, she lugged a heavy double bass with here. Octavia affectionately called it Bessie Mark II. The first one hade been crushed in that disastrous Gala. The replacement was made out of cheap wood. Despite the cruder material, she still managed to play beautifully. “Hey there, sexy,” a shady looking stallion grinned at her, “How about dropping that heavy wooden instrument, and have a look at my heavy, wooden instrument?” Octavia lifted her muzzle in the air, “A rather crude and very uncouth innuendo,” she said, “And I insist that you let me go on my way. “Oh, no you don’t,” he said, and grinned in a sadistic way, “You’re not getting away from me that easy.” Octavia frowned angrily. She saw red, and punched him with the might of a minotaur, “I said, ‘LET ME BE!!!!” This was another, rather unfortunate side effect from the Gala. Though Octavia believed she was passing with flying colors in her anger management, her physiatrist would beg to differ. As she pummeled the poor soul, a brown stallion ran towards her. He was wearing a blue suit and a Stetson ran towards her, and grabbed her by the shoulders, “Where is the Conservatoire?” “How dare you!” she slapped him away, angrily, “I am a lady, and I would like you to treat me-“ “Oh for the love of-“ he sighed, and then shouted, “WHERE IS THE CONSERVATOIRE!!” Octavia gulped nervously, “It’s a block away…” she pointed towards the direction she came. “Brilliant!” he patted her on the back in a friendly manner, “I’m the Doctor, by the way, what’s yours?” “Octavia.” “Nice to meet you!” the Doctor grinned, “Now, I wouldn’t be in anywhere near the building in the next two minutes,” and he pulled a strange ticking devise out of his pocket, and wagged it, as to wave goodbye. As Octavia walked away, wondering what the hay just happened, a purple unicorn bumped against her. “Have you seen a brown stallion in a Stetson near here?” she asked, breathlessly. “Why, yes,” Octavia answered, “He just went to the Conservatoire. Rather rude if you ask me.” “Thanks, DOCTOR! WAIT FOR ME!” Octavia thought about she saw, and shook her head, “Probably just some nutters.” Boom! She turned away, and saw that the beautiful building that hade once stood before her was reduced to rubble. Flames danced across the debris, and bits rained to the ground. Octavia became angry. No, she was furious! She ran into the demolished building in search of the two ponies. Clearly, those ruffians had something to do with it. “Ow!” the Doctor grunted as he was roughly shoved into a column that once held up the conservatoire roof, “What was that for?” “You’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do, mister!” Octavia growled, and whacked on the side of his head, “That conservatoire was the only place that could calm me down for a whole, freaking year! And I’ll bet my Double Bass that you did this!” The Doctor nodded his head, “Alright, god, you’re strong!” The purple one frowned at her actions, and said, “Isn’t that a little bit unorthodox?” Octavia dropped the Doctor down, who brushed off his lapels. “Okee-dokee!” he exclaimed cheerfully, “Ready for a story? The Doctor stood outside the TARDIS door, and knocked on the side, “C’mon! I want to see everything! What’re you looking for, anyway?” “Hold your humans, Doctor,” Twilight joked, “I’ve got what I needed.” She trotted out of the box, holding an old, dusty book. “What’s that?” “It’s the Journal of Creatures and Technology In The Universe!” she recited, as she flipped though the pages, “Its what lead me to the Everfree Forest, and then to the shadows.” The Doctor smiled at the memory, “Ah, yes, the Vashta Nerada! Our first date!” Twilight blushed a bit, “Yes… date, an appointed time or meeting… date…” “You alright, Twilight?” the Doctor stared at her, “You seem kinda… distracted.” “I’m fine, everything’s totally fine!” she assured nervously. Her crush on the Doctor was getting nowhere, and it seemed like the Doctor was completely oblivious, nor that he shared her feelings. Twilight gave the Doctor a tour of Canterlot. She brought him the Pony Joe’s, the theatre, the coffee shops. All of the fascinating parts of the beautiful city. But he wasn’t interested in any of that stuff. His attention was always taken away by something else… “Doctor, are you staring at the mannequins again?” Twilight asked, annoyed, “That’s the third time today.” “Sorry,” he narrowed his eyes, “It’s just that… there’s something I’m forgetting.” He sighed, “I’m getting old.” “Of course you’re not old,” Twilight reconciled, “How old are you, exactly?” “1110” “Oh,” she awkwardly replied, “Ummm, okay then,” After this rather shocking revelation, the two brooded in silence. “Back to the point at hand… Doctor, don’t you think you’re being a little bit… I don’t know, paranoid?” “Yeah, I guess,” He agreed, “It seems like I can’t live a day without being shot at by a crazed gunman, or a gas mask wearing zombie.” Twilight and the Doctor continued their conversation on his age. But as they walked towards the Wonderbolts Derby arena, a mannequin slowly turned its head to the duo. Deep, deep underground, a vat of orange-red liquid bubbled, in what could be only interpreted as laughter. A signal was soon sent to Canterlot plaza. The place with the ponies that knew too much. “Actually, I really don’t have a clue! That’s a problem with time travel. Very wibbly wobbly,” the Doctor looked over his shoulder, “I really think that we should kep an eye out for those mannequins…” Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed, “Really, Doctor. It’s like you want bad things to happen.” He shook his head, “Nah, its more like bad things like to follow me. Like right now…” The shattering of glass was heard, followed by a startled scream. The store dummies started to move. The Doctor slammed his hoof on the table, “I knew it. Danger always follows me!” Twilight flipped through the book, “Autons. Nestene projections. They appear as living plastic dummies. Do you think that’s what those things are?” He nodded affirmitably, “That sounds about right.” He pulled out the Super Torch from his coat pocket, “Here, set it on Radio, and aim for the head. That should disconnect the Autons from the source.” A mannequin trotted towards a mare, and it reached out its hoof to her. “Look everypony!” she cried, “I think their just trying to make friends!” “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the Doctor warned. “Oh, what do you know?” she snapped, and looked back at the Auton with a sweet smile, “There, there. I’ll be you’re friend.” She stuck out her hoof, expectantly. But she never got her hoofshake. The end of the hoof opened up, revealing a small gun. Bang! The mare collapsed. Panic spread throughout the crowd. Everypony blindly ran around, being taken down, one by one. Twilight tried to take down as much as she could via Super Torch, but to no avail. Autons were everywhere in sight, killing ponies. “Run!” the Doctor commanded as he tugged off the head of an approaching Auton. Bang! More ponies fell to the ground. Twilight obeyed, her legs galloping away, to the TARDIS. “Alright, Twilight,” He lifted the dismembered head of an Auton and, “There’s a weak signal, can’t trance it though, the head’s been battered a bit too much.” “What’re we gonna do, Doctor!” Twilight cried, “Can you stop them?” “Course I can!” the Doctor cheerfully nodded, “I just need to triangulate the position of the transmitter that’s sending the signal. After we get there, it’s just a matter of getting there, and getting rid of it. I can’t find where that damn Nestene is lurking about, though.” “That means we can’t stop it for good, doesn’t it?” “Actually, we can,” he shook his head, “If we find an Auton, in better condition, I can track it down. The Nestene should be hiding someplace big, round, like a plate. Or a bowl.” The TARDIS screen beeped. The Doctor pulled down the screen, and grinned. “The coordinates are pointed towards that area. The transmitter is attached to the tippity top of the Canterlot Conservatoire!” “And how are you gonna get rid of it, exactly?” Twilight asked skeptically. “The only way you can get rid of one,” he pulled out a small device from a drawer in the TARDIS console, “Blow it up!” “And that,” the Doctor concluded, “Is my tale.” Octavia hit him again. Hard. “Do you really expect me to believe that crazy story about some living lumps of plastic, coming to life?” “That statement was redundant,” the Doctor stated, before getting another whack on the head, “HEY!” “I don’t care!” she shouted, “Fix this. NOW!” “Fix an exploded building?” he demanded, “Are you crazy?” “Oh, coming from the colt who thinks that mannequins can come to life?” Octavia retorted angrily. “Mannequins. That’s interesting, I figured you’ve called them ponniquins, or something…” “Shut up!” she facehoofed, “Stop getting off topic!” “One more thing is,” he pointed out, “You have an English accent. That’s incredible! When I first heard of this place as a teenager, I was like, ‘Magical ponies? That sounds interesting! Now that I’m actually here, I thought you ponies had nothing else left to impress me with, but BAM! You came along!” “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” “Doctor?” Twilight said nervously, “Aren’t we a bit busy for this?” The Doctor smacked his forehead multiple times. “Oh, stupid me! Stupid, stupid Doctor! Sorry, Octa, but I have to leave.” Octavia stood, with her mouth open, and shut it closed. “Oh, no. You are not getting away from me that easily!” When Octavia finally reached the two loons, they were tugging the head off of a mannequin. “What the hell are you doing?” “Hello, Octa!” he greeted cheerfully, “The Nestene sent out more scouts from outside Canterlot to stop me! Oh, but that won’t work!” “You. Are. Bonkers!” Octavia poked him with each word. He sighed. “I had friend who used to say that. Donna Noble, her name. Haven’t seen her in years.” Octavia’s stern expression became soft. Clearly, there was some dark back-story, hidden away behind his cheerful mask. “Erm…sorry. Don’t really know what to say, though. Not the type for pep talks.” “Doesn’t matter…” he chuckled, “She’s getting on with her life. And I’ve lost a lot of people. I’m used to it.” “So!” he shouted and gestured to the head, “We’ve got a signal!” “And now all we have to do is trace the origin point of the track down the Nestene?” Twilight asked. The Doctor nodded affirmitivly. “Good, you’re learning.” The Doctor felt a light tap on his shoulder, and turned to see Octavia. “Look,” she said, “At first, I thought you were just crazy. But now. Now that I look into your eyes, I can see that you’re not. You’re just a bit eccentric. So, I kinda want to help you, with whatever you’re doing.” The Doctor grinned, “Well, what are you waiting for? Time’s a-wastin’!” “Oh, dear Celestia,” The Doctor smiled, “I know, it’s-” “Such an ugly color!” “Bigger on the ins- wait what?” Octavia clicked her tongue. The moss green color made her sick, “This looks like vomit! Vomit spewed all over the wall by a little foal.” “Hey!” The Doctor hugged the TARDIS pillar defensively, “Don’t worry, dear, you’re wonderful!” Octavia was rather disturbed by the thought. She looked over to Twilight. It looked like she was trying to look away. Was she… jealous? “Great!” The Doctor hooked the head to the TARDIS console. Looking over to the screen, he eagerly rubbed his hands together in anticipation, “Let’s go!” The Doctor activated the controls of seemingly random thingamabobs and doohickeys. Soon enough, a strange sound appeared. It sounded a bit like a key, scraping against a violin key. Whoooosh Whooosh Whoooooosh, thunk “We’re here!” the Doctor said in a singsong voice. Octavia frowned, “What do you mean? It just went Vroom, Vroom, but it didn’t really move anywhere.” The Doctor patted her on the head. “Oh, Octa, Octa, Octa.” He laughed, “So naïve, as most are when they first met me and the TARDIS. The ship is bigger on the inside, surely it would be able to teleport!” He opened up the doors with a snap. Octavia’s eye gave a twitch. “Wha-huh-cap-string-“ The Doctor watched her incomprehensible stammers and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Do you think it was too much for her?” Twilight shrugged, “Better reaction than Braeburn, in my opinion.” The Doctor looked around the landscape. It was underground, judging from the smell, and obviously a construction sight. He spied hammers, wrenches, saws, and toolkits. A building fanatic’s little slice of heaven. Unfortunately, this was neither the time, nor the place. “Twilight, do you know of a place called, ‘Celestia’s Sun?’” Twilight’s jaw dropped, “We’re… oh my gosh! We’re in Celestia’s Sun!” She giggled and jumped up and down while the Doctor gave her a blank look, “Ahem, Celestia’s sun is very symbol of piece and unity between the Zebras and Ponies. The two species built together to make a humungous statue.” “So it’s just like the Statue of Liberty.” “Seriously, you don’t know what Celestia’s Sun is?” Octavia scoffed, “What, have you been living under a rock?” “Oh,” the Doctor remembered something, “Guess now’s a good of a time as any to tell you; I’m an alien.” If she had been drinking tea, Octavia would have spit it out, “Well, that… would explain the taste in colors, and the teleport function… I guess…” The Doctor smiled, “Love the reaction. That’s always the best part.” As they walked deeper into the dark, Octavia began to lose her confidence. Deeper they got, the more menacing the surroundings got. The tunnel got darker and darker, the main source of light being small bulbs, dangling from the ceiling. The constant dripping sounds, echoing through the passageway. It sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly, something happened to the Doctor. Octavia watched in horror, as his image faltered, and he transformed into a horrifying beast. There really no way to describe it. He grew arms, like that of a dragons, and small extremities protruded from his hooves. Like a hairless monkey. Coincidentally, he looked similar to a drawing of a species that her cousin insisted on saying that she discovered them. Lyra, her name was. “Well would you look at that,” he examined his fingers, “Perception filter shorted out. Must be interference from telepathic signals. We’re be getting closer the Nestene Conscience.” Octavia looked on in terror, “What, is that gonna happen to us? I don’t want to end up a stinkin’ hairless monkey!” The Doctor gave an offended gasp, “This is my normal form! You all look weird to me. Like a five year old went crazy with a box of crayons, and can’t get his or her head out of a pony obsession!” “Alright then, Monkey Man,” she said with an indignant sniff, “Lead the way.” With a grunt, the Doctor pulled open great, big lead door. He wiped his hands on his pants and looked into the center of the chamber. There was a large vat, filled with a thick glowing liquid. The liquid radiated a red glow, that shone all over the room. “Is that it?” Octavia asked, “Cuz it just looks like bucket of melted plastic.” Fitting, isn’t it? Plastic leading plastic. “Who said that?” “Relax, Octa” the Doctor assured, “The Nestene has the ability of telepathy, which means it knows your every thought.” “That’s not very pleasant,” Twilight cringed. That’s right. For instance, I know things about your life, Twilight. “Hey!” Twilight objected, “Lots of grown mares sleep with teddy bears!” Not that. Don’t you find it suspicious how the first five mares you meet are suddenly your best friend? If I didn’t know better, I’d say that your Princess had something to do with it beforehand. “Shut up!” Twilight fumed, “Princess Celestia is the best ruler Equestria could have!” Riiiight, the voice said sarcastically, A ruler who invites six ponies to a formal gathering just to ruin it? She certainly has my vote. “Shut…up,” Twilight pleaded. The Doctor gave a worried glace. “She’s a good princess…I know it…” Just think about it, with the Nestene Conscience ruling, there will peace, fairness to all, and definitely no trickery nor deception to get our amusement. “Hate to interrupt,” The Doctor butted in with a sly smile, “But I know what you’re doing. You’re just trying to trick Twi here to think that the princess is an unworthy ruler.” Very good. And who might you be? You are certainly not a local. “What, the humanoid form give it away,” he said with a snicker, “No matter, I am going to give you a chance to leave this place. I like you, very polite. So! If you don’t leave now… I’m going to have to stop you,” his voice became darker, “And believe me, it will not be pretty.” It was now the Conscience turn to laugh. The vat trembled of the liquid inside it swayed back and forth in mirth. You? And how? When I read you’re thoughts, it shows that you are not planning anything. “Making it up as I go along,” The Doctor turned to Twilight, “And I’m sorry, I am very sorry.” “For what?” Instead of answering her question, the Doctor simply just grabbed Twilight’s mane and tugged it hard. “OW!” Then he grabbed the Super Torch and tied the pony hair around the button. “Now, this is set on the Electroshock setting. And it will kill you,” The Doctor threatened, “Go now, and there won’t be any deaths today.” So this is who you are, the Conscience broadcasted in understandment, the infamous Doctor. Always there to save everyone, no matter what. “Not everyone,” the Doctor said grimly, “And besides, what do you need this planet for? No gas, no pollution, nadda. What did you want?” There is a strange aura from this world. An aura that is exclusive to this planet. We don’t know what it is, but it feed our hunger, and quenches our thirst. “Ah, yes, the magic,” the Doctor nodded, “Still, the fact remains that you’re invading. And that needs to stop.” I understand. You’re going to throw the Electroshock devise at me, which will put an end to my life. So tell me Doctor, why are you doing this? “Because I know what you want,” he said, “I have seen what you can do. Now, I don’t want to be racist, so I’m giving you a chance to leave this planet.” Of course, Doctor. You don’t want anypony to die. “Exactly.” Well, consider this, my final victory. Killing ponies everywhere, and there’s not a thing you can do about it. A zebra and a Pegasus walked to the infamous Celestia’s Sun and basked in its glory. The statue was a scale replica of the Princess herself with her fore hooves up, balancing a large golden disc to represent the sun. The statue was located in the center of a plaza, or rather a plaza surrounded the statue. “Isn’t it wonderful, dear?” the Zebra sighed, resting her head on the Pegasus’s shoulder, “A symbol of peace and harmony, to be erect for years.” “Yeah,” he nuzzled the Zebra fondly, “Incredible how-What just happened?“ His sentence was cut off when a beam of blue light blasted out of the center of the disc. Their eyes widened as the light shot out across the land, seemingly all throughout Equestria. “What did you do?” the Doctor demanded. I sent a signal. The Autons are awake, and killing all the ponies. “You’re making me angry…” he warned. Oh, how frightening. Go ahead. Kill me. But leave, knowing that you couldn’t save all those innocent lives, because you were too busy talking to me, and trying to get me to leave, instead of just killing me. “Ha,” the Doctor chuckled darkly, “ Oh you’re going to wish you were dead by the time I done with you…” What? Octavia watched in horror as the Doctor twisted the end of the Super Torch and sent a volt of energy to the vat. The plastic mass inside writhed and bubbled. A blood curling scream was heard, echoing in her thoughts. No…Please… The Doctor’s face remained stoic as he shot the stream of light into the liquid. When the light finally passed, all that remained was a crust of black, corroded plastic. The Super Torch was now ruined, the bulb cracked, and smoke elevating from the circuitry. “What… happened?” Twilight asked, “Where’s the Nestene?” “Its here,” he gestured to the Super Torch, “The host plastic is ruined, and impossible to be piloted by the Conciseness. So it looked for another.” he sighed, “And then I killed it with an Electroshock blast before it got the chance to survive.” Twilight patted him on the back sympathetically. It was one of the Doctor’s guilty moments. One day, she had to ask him what the matter was. In Celestia’s Sun Plaza, Ponies ran as mannequins marched about, shooting bullets from their hooves. Bodies piled on the streets and carriages drove blindly. “Well, my dear,” the Zebra hugged her lover tightly, “It looks like the end is near,” The Pegasus hugged her back, “I never thought my death would be caused by a mannequin.” Carousel Boutique “This new dress is simply marvelous!” Rarity beamed in success, “I can’t wait to display it on the…” She paused. Surely she had placed a mannequin in her inspiration room? How in Equestria could she have misplaced it? Click A mannequin loomed over the couple, and pointed at them with its hoof. But, suddenly, it stopped and… danced? It moved its arms in a jerky manner and fell to the floor Rarity watched in amazement as the mannequin in front of her fell to the ground and wagged its legs in the air. The head spun around, until its head popped off the socket. She put her hoof on her forehead, “Oh, Sweetie Belle, when will I learn to not let you make lemonade.” The TARDIS materialized into the streets of Canterlot. The Doctor stepped out, smiling. “Well!” The Doctor grinned, “That’s a great feeling of achievement!” He turned to Octavia, “And for you. You did good out there.” “Yeah? And?” She asked, rather suspiciously. “Would you like to travel with me?” She sighed. She was worried he’d ask that, “Doctor, you are great. But you… you’re just frightening. He frowned. “What do you mean?” “The way you killed the Nestene. It was like you were the monster,” Octavia shuddered from the memory. The Doctor nodded understandingly. “Alright then,” he sighed, and then remembered something, “And if you ever change your mind, have this.” Octavia peered into his outstretched hoof (or was it a claw?) and saw a small golden key. “If I’m ever near… you‘ll know,” he walked back to the TARDIS, albeit disheartened. “Hello, Twilight,” the Doctor smiled as he set his hands on the console, “Ready to give it another go?” “Ready, Doctor,” Twilight nodded, “Maybe we’ll finally get to Ponyville this time.” “Time’s a wastin'.” Whooooosh, whoooosh, whooooosh, Whooosh, whoosh, whoooosh Thunk The TARDIS materialized into a grey, metallic warehouse. The walls were covered with guns and other strange weaponry. The windows were barred, and the doors seemed to be made of steel. It looked like a prison. The Doctor looked out and frowned, “No! This isn’t Ponyville at all! Stupid, stupid, stupid…” “Freeze!” He turned around and saw a red pony pointing a large pipe, resembling a shotgun from Earth, right at his head. All in all, not the best time to forget to turn on the perception filter. “Oh, hello!” the Doctor grinned, “Do you mind telling me where I am, exactly?” The Earth Pony scowled, “This is DAEL headquarters. And you are breaking and entering.” The BreakoutDedicated to Caroline John (Liz Shaw). “State your name and purpose!” the pony ordered. He spoke with a distinct Norwegian accent. The Doctor raised his hands up, “I’m the Doctor, and I’m just trying to get my friend Twilight Sparkle to her home. That’s all.” The red pony lowered his eyes in distrust, “The Twilight Sparkle? Pfft, yeah right. As if the princess’s protégé would break into a high security base.” The Doctor smacked his forehead, “She’s the-TWILIGHT!” She grinned sheepishly, “Sorry, I kinda…forgot…” “You forgot you were the student of royalty?!” “No…I just forgot to tell you…” Twilight explained. “Great,” he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, “I don’t feel left out at all.” “Hello?” the red earth pony regained their attention, “You know I’m still here, right?” “OH, sorry,” the Doctor grinned, “Um… what’s your name?” “My name is Guardian,” the pony puffed his chest with pride, “And it is my job to make sure creatures like you are locked up where they belong!” The Doctor eyed the gun casually, “Alright, Guardian, lead the way.” The Doctor and Twilight were lead through a bright prison. Cells as far as they could see. “How about I give you a little tour, since you will be staying here for a while,” Guardian said with a snicker. “Well there’s no need for that tone of voice,” the Doctor said to himself, “And what’s DAEL?” “DAEL,” Guardian explained, “Is the Defense Against Extraterrestrial Life. Our duty is to capture any strange, alien that wonders onto our fair lands. Then we cage them, experiment on them, anything the science colts ask.” Twilight gasped, “That’s awful! If Princess Celestia knew about this…” “Ha!” Guardian scoffed, “Who do you think funded our research.” “What… but she wouldn’t…” Twilight stammered, “Well, I’ll bet that she doesn’t know how you treat the inmates.” Guardian shrugged, “Doesn’t know, doesn’t ask. It’s all the same.” The Doctor tapped him on his head, “So, why exactly are you taking Twilight? She isn’t an alien.” “Seriously? You think I’m gonna fall for that?” Guardian laughed, “The real Twilight Sparkle would know what DAEL is. Everypony knows.” The group stopped at a large cage. “These,” he gestured, “Are the biters. We don’t know their real name, since their not the best at communication.” The cage held five snarling creatures, similar to humans in appearance. But they lacked noses, and their teeth were as sharp as a dog’s. Their eyes were sunken, and had no hair whatsoever. Each of them wore a black jumpsuit. “Biters?” the Doctor rolled his eyes, “That’s the best you can think of? Jack had a better name. Weevils, he called them.” “Oh, well look who’s mister smarty pants,” Guardian sneered, “What are their real names, then?” “How should I know?” the Doctor crossed his arms, “They aren’t the best at communication.” “This is the cell of the Cyberpony,” Guardian showed them another cage. “A cyberpony!” the Doctor slapped his forehead, “Of course one escaped. One always escapes.” “You know, this would’ve attacked all of Appleloosa if it weren’t for us,” Guardian said proudly. “Yep,” the Doctor nodded, “Twilight, remember when we defeated the Cybermen?” “Yes, I do,” Twilight replied, glad to have a chance to show up Guardian, “How did we escape again? Oh yes, you used you’re cape.” “Wha- bu-“ Guardian dropped his jaw, and regained his focus, “No matter, we should… move on to the next cage.” “No! No! No! NOOO! SOMEPONY HELP ME!” “What’re you doing to that poor thing?” Twilight fumed. “That’s not us,” Guardian cringed, “I’ve never seen what’s inside, but I’m not that sure I want to. Every pony who goes in never goes back and never talk about it.” “Can I see it?” “What?” Guardian was shocked upon this bold statement, “Did you not here what I just said?” “Yeah, I heard ya,” the Doctor answered smugly, “And it almost sounds like a challenge to me.” Guardian nodded uncertainly, and opened the hatch. “so I said, ‘Cupcakes are a million gazillion bajillion times better than muffins’. The she said ‘nu uh’, and I said, ‘Yuh huh!’ and it went like Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh…” A blue unicorn cupped his hooves over his ears in a futile attempt to cut off the noise. He turned to Guardian and the others. “Please, for the sake of Celestia,” he sobbed, “Make it stop!” The Doctor and Twilight widened their eyes. “Pinkie?” “This cage has something you might recognize, Doctor,” “Oh, that’s very likely,” The Doctor checked his nails to express that he was uninterested, “I know pretty much everything in this prison.” Ignoring his snide comment, Guardian revealed another cage. In it was a… human? “Like it?” he grinned, “It’s one of our greatest acheivements.” “What did you do?” “We infused the DNA of another alien into this one. Now he’s a hybrid human… and something else. He’s unbelievably clever, and we think the…” “So you’re saying the human in there, isn’t a human anymore.” Guardian nodded. The Doctor scowled. “So you think you can control all that?” he laughed, “You think the rest of the universe is like putty in your hooves, eh? I swear, no one’s every different.” “I think that ends our tour,” Guardian said venomously. “Hey! There is no need to shove,” Twilight whined, or rather complained. “Be quiet,” Guardian mumbled. “What was that?” Twilight put her hoof to her ear, “I can’t hear you,” ‘Be quiet,” he mumbled again. The confidence had been drained from him. That ‘doctor’ fellow was right. The whole organization was based on the belief that they were better than another species. Twilight became more sensitive. There was a chance that he didn’t really want to do what he did. It was to protect Equestria after all. “Oof!” the Doctor groaned. Two guards carrying gunsticks pushed into a cold, barred room, “Hm, not very accommodating. Can I have some room service?” The stoic guards gave no response. “Hm, you’re a bundle of laughs you lot,” the Doctor frowned. He huffed, getting bored. Meanwhile, “Careful, Iron Sight, careful,” a brown unicorn warned his partner. “I got it, Angle,” his partner reassured dragging a blue box via wagon, “What’s so special ‘bout this dumb box anyways?” Angle smiled, “Oh, this thing isn’t just a dumb box. They say it’s impossible to open. They even tried explosives! Not one dent!” “Fine, fine,” Granite sighed, “Let’s just dump this thing and go. Their serving pudding in the lunchroom.” Iron Sight set the box down to the ground next to large, dome shaped artifact. “Come on, I’m famished!” he complained. Angle shook his head, “You’re excepted in a place that defends Equestria from aliens and all you can think about is eating?” The two kept on arguing about priorities, and they never noticed a strange phenomenon occurring in the warehouse. The artifact started shaking as the box beside it glowed energy. It came to life. A glowing blue eyestalk rose upwards. It said one thing. “Exterminate!” “Ugghhhh!” Twilight groaned loudly, “This is so monotonous!” “Seriously? That’s the only thing you have to say?” Guardian took all his willpower not to bang his head with a shovel, “I mean, you are trapped in a cage.” “Yeah, but its so boring!” she pouted, “Do you have any books around here?” “Nope.” Twilight sighed. She had been aching on and on about the dull environment of captivity. This was probably the most uninteresting event in her journeys with the Doctor since he challenged her to read ‘The History of Peas’. Not even she could finish that book. “Do you have any interesting stories?” Twilight asked, “That might interest me.” “Nope,” Guardian grunted. “Come on!” she insisted, “Surely you have something. You fight aliens for a living, for Pony’s sake!” “Actually, I’m more of a guard,” he admitted sheepishly, “Never worked out in the field.” “Please?” Twilight begged. Cabin fever was kicking in, “I really need a distraction from claustrophobia right now.” “Alright,” he thought for a while, “Well, my father was a guard for Princess Luna herself. He always wanted me to follow in his hoofsteps. Always made me get up early and jog 5 miles before and after school. I had to run 7 miles on weekends. He was pretty proud when he learned that I was working with DAEL. The only time I ever made him proud.” He shook his head sadly. Twilight frowned, “It doesn’t sound like you enjoyed it.” “Not at all,” Guardian admitted, “My dream job was always to be a…,” “A what?” “A park ranger!” he blurted, “You see, I’ve always had a fascination with nature, and I hated seeing litter and pollution.” In the Doctor’s cell, the Doctor was busy planning an escape route. A sonic screwdriver would be handy, but for all he knew, it could be floating in space, surrounded by shrapnel of Cybermen. He took a look at his cape. A cape saved him from dying in the Cybership’s explosion. Looks like it can save him again. “May I have a glass of water?” he requested innocently, indiscreetly removing his cape. A unicorn guard walked towards him, his partner guarding the exit. He levitated a small canteen of water. “Here, now be quie-GURK!” the Doctor grabbed him and tied his neck to the cell bars, grabbing the gunstick. The other rushed over to assist the fallen guard, only to be hit in the face stick’s butt. He fell to the floor. “Thank you,” he smirked and plucked the keys from the unconscious pair and swung open his door. “If only ponies could see it!” Guardian exclaimed, “Trees are more then just chunks of would attached with leaves! They are shelter to countless birds, ants, and aphids! It’s not just brown and green either! It’s an explosion of tints and shades-“ A voice blared from a computer. “Alert! Prisoner 1963 has escaped! Last scene in mess hall!” “An escape?” Twilight widened her eyes in surprise, “Who is it?” The screen played a clip of a grinning Doctor staring at the camera. “Oo, they have custard! Yum,” The Doctor licked his lips, “Are those hay fries? That combination might actually work.” “Focus, Doctor,” he told himself, “You need to find a way to release those prisoners.” “What if we reach the main control point, we could unlock the doors electronically…” The Doctor paused. “This is the reason I have a companion.” In the warehouse, the dome shaped creature made its way outside. A guard saw it and readied the gun. “Ha!” he laughed, “What are you, a salt shaker with a plunger? This should be easy.” “I AM NO ‘SALT SHAKER’,” the creature screamed, “I AM DALEK! I AM DEATH! EXTERMINATE!” The Dalek raised its arm and shot out a green laser, and killed the guard instantly. “EXTERMINATE!” The Doctor ran through the Prison hallways, searching frantically for a door, or a sign that would help him locate a main control room of some sort. “What is it?” The Doctor froze. Two guards were having a conversation, blocking his path. A group of other guards were on his trail as well. “There’s another prisoner escaped!” Another prisoner? He thought, Looks like I got myself an assistant! “Stop right there! I swear, I’ll shoot!” Two audible shot were fired, followed by a clanging sound. As if it were striking armor. “YOUR PRIMATIVE WEAPONS ARE USELESS!” a voice screamed, “EXTERMINATE!!” The Doctor scowled angrily. They followed him here. They always find him. But how? The guard screamed bloody murder, and dropped to the ground. The Dalek floated over his body and surveyed the hallway. “SENSORS INDICATE HOSTILES IN A 50 RADIUS RANGE!” it screeched, “THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED!” The Doctor stepped behind the Dalek’s view, “Well, well, well, looks like you’ve caught me!” The Dalek swung its eyepiece around. “HOSTILE DETECTED! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!” “Oh, please,” the Doctor laughed, “I think we know each other well enough for you to call me ‘Doctor’” The Dalek shook its eyepiece fearfully, “YOU ARE THE DOCTOR! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!” “And how are you going to do that?” he sneered. The Dalek took its laser arm and shot the ground beneath under him, breaking open a large hole in the floor. It dropped down to the lower floor. “Okay, that’s just not fair!” The Doctor looked down and saw that the Dalek was gone. “Where are you, Dalek….,” “What the…,” Guardian stared into the computer. “What’s wrong?” “All the cells are electronically locked,” he explained, “And somepony hacked into the database mainframe.” Twilight looked into the screen as far as the restricting bars would let her, “What’s he doing?” “He’s opening all the cages!” Guardian shouted frantically, “All the inmates are escaping! It’s a mass breakout!” Weevils, Cyberponies, everything ran wild through the corridors. Guards were shooting to and fro. “Ahhhhh!” a guard screamed in pain as a weevil jumped him and sank his teeth into his neck. He was shot down by another guard. “Oh, sweet Celestia!” he shouted into his radio, “All hell’s broken loose ou-Ahhhh!” The Dalek removed its plunger arm from the computer. All of the guards would die. Everything will die, distracting the Doctor long enough to execute its plan. “DALEK SCOUT REPORTING!” it shouted, “THIS WORLD IS PRIMATIVE, AND STANDS NO CHANCE AGAINST THE DALEK ARMY! PREPARE TO INVADE!” “AFFIRMATIVE!” Everything is going perfectly. A large, circular ship floated downwards, to Equestria. The invasion was about to begin. Pandemonium-Halloween SpecialDedicated to John Pertwee “Where are you, Dalek…” the Doctor mumbled, “I know you’re hiding here, somewhere…” He leaned towards the computer screen and opened up a map of the building. The screen zoomed into the floor below him. He pressed a combination of keys, flipping through different cameras, until he found what he was looking for. “What are you up to?” the Doctor asked himself. The camera zoomed onto the Dalek. It was obviously up to something. But what? The Doctor flipped on the computer’s volume. The Dalek’s voice blared from the speakers. “DALEK SCOUT REPORTING!” it shouted, “THIS WORLD IS PRIMATIVE, AND STANDS NO CHANCE AGAINST THE DALEK ARMY! PREPARE TO INVADE!” He groaned, “Oh, come ON! Again?” Even here… Most likely the most peaceful planet in the cosmos. The Doctor cracked his knuckles, “Alright, then. If you think this planet has no chance, you’ve got another thing coming.” ==== Bam! Bam! A weevil fell to its knees, uttering one final screech. Guardian reloaded his shotgun and let out a breath of relief. “Alright, Twilight,” he gestured her to come with his hoof, “The coast is clear.” Twilight trotted to Guardian. “How much further until we get to this armory?” “Should only be past that corridor,” he pointed towards a dark hallway. “Of course,” Twilight sighed, “More corridors.” ==== “Lets see… Daleks have no weakness, but what if…” the Doctor smacked his forehead, “How can I stop this fleet.” “Who’s there!” a familiar voice called out, followed by two gunshots. “Hey!” he scowledi , “Careful! You could shoot your eye out with that thing!” A red unicorn stepped from the shadows. “Oh, its you!” the Doctor grinned, “Ol’ mister trigger happy!” “Doctor,” Guardian nodded, “Good to know someone made it.” He turned his head and shouted, “Twilight, it’s your companion!” “What?” the Doctor demanded, “For your information, it’s the other way around!” “Hello, Doctor,” Twilight stepped into view, “I missed you.” “Aw I missed you to,” he smiled back at her, “So, where y’all going?” Guardian looked at the door several feet away, “An armory is just ahead. We can arm ourselves there.” Kick The door broke down. Guardian rushed in and began to arm himself. “I always wondered,” Guardian levitated a small, blue object, “How does this work?” “It’s an ocarina,” the Doctor replied, lifting up a device he deemed broken, “The big question is: Where did you get this stuff?” “Celestia started the DAEL industry a decade ago,” Guardian explained, “It Was because of an artifact scientist’s found. It created a swirl of light, like a storm, and would allow us to capture alien life and technology. Of course we had to take advantage of it! Think of what we learned!” “Swirling light?” the Doctor stroked his chin thoughtfully, “Sounds like an upgraded time storm from the Sontarans. It could. They disbanded the idea and shot the project into space because it made war ‘un-honorable’. Like it ever was.” He turned and picked up a small gun and pocketed the devise, “Oh, a square-ness gun! That’ll come in handy.” “The thing is,” Guardian admitted, “I liked the job simply because I had some sort of authority. I wasn’t really liked as a child due to my accent. “A chula syringe,” the Doctor cringed, “Nah, the nanogenes aren’t programmed for ponies, don’t want anymore ‘gasmask zombies’.” “Are you even hearing me?” “Yeah, sorry,” he shook his head, “It’s like a store, filled with free samples of nostalgia! It’s like Ikea. By the way, there were so many free samples one time, I had supper there, didn’t even need any money!” “Is he always ranting like this?” “Of course!” the Doctor shouted, “What’s the point of being able to talk if you if I can’t talk on and on and on?” He looked into the map on the computer, and, “So that area, what is it for?” “That is the storage for the technology that isn’t thought of as weaponry, why?” “That’s where the Dalek came from,” the Doctor tapped his chin, “But why now, of all time?” “While,” Guardian replied, “We did put your box into the warehouse, does that help?” “Of course!” the Doctor stood up, “The Dalek used the timey wimey stuff!” “What?” Guardian asked, raising his bottom left eyelid. “Well you see,” The Doctor lectured, “Back in the Time War, Daleks would use the residue from the time vortex to power and regenerate themselves. My TARDIS picks up timey wimey stuff, gets put in the warehouse, makes contact with Dalek, and BOOM!” He waved his arms in the air for emphasis, “Any questions?” Guardian opened his mouth, but closed it in better judgment. === “The watch, somnuimforms, she is returning,” a biped creature walked around the halls, making his way into the warehouse, clad in a white jumpsuit. In his clenched hands, rested a journal, its pages yellowing in age. He pushed the warehouse doors open and saw it. “Hello, you sexy thing.” As the sentence left his lips, a surge of energy rushed through him. His feet patted the ground, his legs in a swirl. He stroked the wooden surface with one hand. He flipped the journal open, going through pages until he found the pattern, from a memory. A memory of a woman sticking a pin in the lock. He fumbled at the ground until he came across a paper clip. Click The door opened, a greenish glow radiated from the interior lights. “Well, I’m hardly in appropriate attire,” he glanced at his jumpsuit. His eyes floated to a sign above a corridor, reading: Wardrobe. === “What was that?” “What?” The Doctor turned his attention to Twilight, who was fixated to the computer screen. “Someone just got into the TARDIS,” she responded, poking at the screen. “But that’s impossible! A horde of angry crabs, and falling off a cliff couldn’t open that!” he scrunched his head, “Then again, Marge got in with pin-” “Anyway,” Twilight interrupted, “It might be a good idea to see who’s in there.” “Good idea, indeed,” he agreed, “Vite, vite, dépêche vous!” He sprinted to the door, but was blocked. Two blue unicorns, one skinny and one rather round, stood at the doorway. “FREEZE!” The two aimed their pistols to the Doctor. “Good!” he smiled sarcastically, “More blokes with guns. You want to save the planet? Come with me!” He ran past them. “What’s with him?” a guard asked curiously. “I think… that’s his normal attitude,” The two unicorns trotted towards the Doctor. “The name's Angle,” the skinny one introduced, “And this here is my friend Iron Sight.” “Well, I’m the Doctor!” “Why should we believe that you can stop this?” Iron Sight asked, “Aren’t you the one who started this?” “What?” the Doctor responded, offended, “Why would it be me?” “You were the first to escape,” Angle explained, “You also seem to be strangely happy.” “I’ll admit, I am a bit excited to help,” the Doctor confessed, “Sue me.” “Alright,” Angle agreed hesitantly, “Let’s go see whatever it is you want to do. === The Doctor and the ponies ran through the corridors. Weevils, strange red tentacle covered creatures, and autons appeared through all directions. “Dammit!” Angle cursed, “The warehouse is all the way down two floors!” “Let’s see, let’s see…” the Doctor punched his forehead, “What do I do?” Suddenly, a figurative light bulb went off over his head. “Hold on,” the Doctor grinned and pointed the ‘square-ness gun’ to the ground. “Times a-wastin’!” Twilight saw the warning gleam in his eyes, “Doctor, maybe we shoul-AHHHHHH!” The group, excluding the Doctor, screamed as the floor beneath them opened and swallowed them up. THUD “Ugghhh, warn me the next time you do something like that again,” Twilight groaned. “Does he do that often?” Guardian asked. “More than I would like,” “Alrighty then!” the Doctor jumped to his feet. He ran to the box, “Let’s see who the TARDIS intruder is!” Angle looked at him with a blank expression, “What’s this TARDIS?” “It’s my ship. One the best!” he boasted, “Let’s have a looksie, shall we?” The Doctor pushed the doors open. The faithful blue box stood tall and proud. “And there she is, my transport through the history of anything, and anywhere!” “What? A box?” Butter asked, “We went all this way for a box?” “It’s bigger on the inside,” Twilight explained impatiently, “Let’s just see what this is about.” The Doctor stepped up to the TARDIS door and knocked, “Hello, mind if you get outta my TARDIS?” The blue doors opened with a creak. A pale man in a leather jacket and khaki pants, topped off with a top hat, peered out. “It’s you!” he shouted in excitement, “I have been waiting for quite some time to meet you!” “Um… do I know you?” “C’mon! Remember the human thing you saw before?” the intruder pointed to himself, “That was me!” “Oh, I didn’t recognize you…” the Doctor raised an eyebrow, “Have you been in my wardrobe?” His question was answered with a nod. “Okay!” the Doctor clapped his hands, “I do have a few question, including ‘What’s your name?’ ‘How did you get inside the TARDIS?’, and ‘How do you know who I am?” The man pulled a book from the inside of his jacket, “This book is the answer to most of those questions. As for my name, Test Subject 18. Their first successful DNA splicing experiment.” The Doctor thumbed through the book, “Hold on- Twilight! Bring me your guide!” Twilight lifted the book from her saddlebags, and into the Doctor’s hands. “Well, well, how do you like that!” he chuckled, “Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey!” He handed the books back to their respective owners, “Twilight, say hello to the writer of the Guide of Creatures and Technology in Space!” “…” “You know, I expected you to be more excited about it,” Twilight blinked, “Oh, uh, wow! I… didn’t expect that.” “That’s better,” the Doctor, “Now! I know what your thinking. How is this nutter going to save us all? The answer is simple. I need something from my TARDIS.” “What’re you going to do?” Guardian asked precariously. “Trust me,” a gleam shone through the Doctor’s eyes, “I’ll also need a map of the building.” === The Dalek rolled to the speakers, “WARNING! WARNING! THE DOCTOR IS IN THE PLANET!” A voice blared back, “DOCTOR WHO?” The Dalek recoiled in confusion. “THE DOCTOR! THE ONCOMING STORM! THE PREDATOR TO ALL DALEKS!” “NO NAMES FOUND DALEK DATABASE!” the voice roared back. “THE DOCTOR IS AN ENEMY TO THE DALEKS. HE IS DANGEROUS! SEND REENFORCEMENTS” The Dalek requested. “REQUEST ACCEPTED!” the Dalek voice responded. A beam of light appeared, and a Dalek materialized. It lifted its plunger, a small syringe stuck from the center. === Guardian trotted to the Doctor, “Okay, I know you said ‘Trust me,’ when I asked, but what are you really going to do?” “I’m going to use these teleporters,” he lifted up a group of black devices he retrieved from the TARDIS, “I’ll need to go around the building, and place them. Now, the Dalek is like a homing devise, it sends a signal to the big ship up above, and should, considering how far away from here, and the speed of their ships… round about 10 minutes.” “So, 10 minutes to set up five transporters, around a building five miles wide, and 4 miles long?” “More or less,” “Right,” They walked on in silence. “Is it me, or is it too quite?” The Doctor wondered, “Shouldn’t we be dead already?” “Well don’t jinx it!” Twilight hissed back, “Just be thankful.” “Can’t help it. Here we are, in a building filled to the brim with unbelievably dangerous creatures, and here we are. This is impossible! Unless…” his face drained of his color, “Let’s go,” “What exactly are you worried about?” The three turned to see that TS18 was the questioner. “You’re smart. A building full of creatures plus a Dalek and complete silence, do the math,” TS18’s eyes opened in horror as he realized the implications. “There’s no way that single Dalek could have silenced the entire building that quickly, so…” “It’s bringing friends,” he finished the sentence, “I’m sorry, getting all serious again. Need to lighten up the situation. YOU!” he pointed an accusing finger at TS18, “I am not comfortable calling you by Test Subject 18. Don’t you have another name?” “Well, you’re the Doctor,” TS18 pointed to his journal, “Since I just write things down in this book, I can be… The Scribe!” “Hahaha! Nice one!” the Doctor smiled, “Good! Tension died, sorry tension, and lets get a move on!” === Pinkie sighed. Her cage door was open, but the chains held her down tight. Even her laughter wouldn’t-couldn’t removed them. She overheard something about them being dwarf star alloy. Wait! What was that? Her ears swiveled to a trotting sound. The sound of metal scraping against wood. And then she heard the sound of jingling keys. A weird ape thing in a suit stepped into view, swinging a ring of keys in his extended finger. “Hello, Pinkie. Miss me?” === “Yippee!” Pinkie bounced up and down, free from her binds. She aimed her nose into the air, and confetti shot from her nostrils. “Quite!” The Scribe shushed, “I hear something.” Tap…tap…tap…tap “Sounds like hooves,” Twilight said excitedly, “Maybe somepony’s there!” A dark silhouette formed in the shadowy hall. An upright, four-horned figure staggered into the light. “Is that…” the Doctor scrunched up his eyes, “No, it couldn’t be, too many horns.” A light erupted from the center of the creature’s crown of horns. It swerved around, scanning the group. “Six hostiles detected,” it lifted an arm, revealing a small metal tube ripping through the palm of it’s hand. “RUN!” The tube shot out a blue laser, nearly hitting them. A hole in the wall appeared where it hit. “Oh, I hate those things,” he groaned, “It’s not enough just to kill them, is it? You just have to use them as puppets!” Reaching into his bigger-on-the-inside pockets, the Doctor pulled out the square-ness gun. The blue light cut a square around the ceiling, crashing onto the creature. The Doctor wiped his hands together looked at a directory nearby a staircase. “This is going to take to long. Time to slit up. Twilight, Guardian, Pinkie, go off to the west wing, and set up these two transmats to the points here and here,” he tapped the directory, “Me, Butter, Angle, and the Scribe will place the transmats here, here, and here. Once it’s done, meet each other back in the warehouse, and we can all get outta this madhouse in the TARDIS.” Twilight nodded, “Good! Any advise on hostiles we meet?” “Yeah, if you see a Dalek, get away from it. As fast as possible,” the Doctor glared at the debris, “You really don’t want to mess with them.” “What do they do?” “That alien over there,” he pointed towards the debris, “Was a Judoon. The police of the universe. I don’t know how they did it, but somehow they managed to convert him to those puppets.” Twilight gulped. The Judoon forehead was split where the eyestalk stuck out. She didn’t want to end up like that poor thing. He pulled out a sack of gold dust, and a small spray can. “The cyberpony can be stopped with this stuff,” He explained, referring to the gold, “And the can has something from Jack, a friend of mine, called Anti-Weevil spray. That should come in handy.” Guardian took the tools with his magic and trotted away with Twilight and Pinkie, giving a small salute. === The Doctor looked smiled and looked around the hallway. The first teleporter was placed in a bathroom. That left two more. “So… these transporters… how exactly do they work?” Butter asked, examining one with curiosity. “Pretty much the same as how the time storms worked. Pick up one thing and drop it off somewhere else. In this case, the Daleks and the black hole, K37 gem. The gravity will pull them into, and hopefully kill them,” The Doctor said while fiddling with a wire in another box. Behind them was the Scribe. He limped and started stuttering. “What’s wrong?” the Doctor stopped and ran to his aide. “She is returning, the bomb, monsters. Monsters everywhere!” the Scribe chanted over and over again. “What’s wrong?” he asked trying to shake him from his trance. The Scribe desperately fumbled with a pen and jotted down something in the Guide. The Doctor heard some noises. In the end of the corridor, a dome shaped silhouette inched closer. “It’s coming,” he hissed, and turned to the Scribe, “We have to go!” The Doctor pulled out the square-ness gun and prepared to shoot the ground away again. The Dalek rolled into view. “EXTERMINATE!” A laser shoot from it’s firing arm, reducing the gun to ash. “Well, that’s not good,” the Doctor’s eyes opened and filled with panic. The Scribe slumped over, unconscious. Iron Sight whipped his head to a door, “There! It’s another warehouse! Nothing is able to penetrate through them!” The group ran away, the Doctor holding onto the Scribe’s arms. The Dalek pointed its arm to Iron Sight’s back and shouted the Dalek’s battle cry. “EXTERMINATE!” Another beam shot from the rod, and made contact with the target. His skeleton briefly appeared in the flash, brightly illuminating a green light. “Iron Sight, no!” Angle grabbed his rifle his magic and fired bullets to the monster. The Doctor pulled him back and pulled him into the warehouse. ==== Angle sat in the corner of the Warehouse and brooded. The Doctor slouched over a desk and half-heartedly played with a circular saw, inspecting the material. He slowly grinned. “This is Dalekanium,” he whispered excitedly, “We can use it as a shield to protect ourselves!” “What’s Dalekanium?” Angle asked, looking up for the first time. “It’s the material Daleks are made up of! It can deflect the beams back to them, and damage its armor! Then we can trap it, and make sure it can’t kill anymore!” The door to the warehouse became red. Angle cringed. “Let’s do it quickly. That thing is breaking in.” ==== The first transporter was placed. Even Pinkie, for one of the first few times, became serious and determined to stop that thing attacking the very building, which served as a prison for countless months. Guardian laughed awkwardly, and rubbed the back of his head, “So! Sorry for imprisoning you…” “Drop it,” Pinkie sighed. It almost seemed like an eternity, yet it almost felt like she just arrived. That Dwarf Star Alloy thing was weird like that. “I just hope we can survive,” Twilight gulped, “That Dalek puppet thing looked like a monster. With that laser coming out from its paw. And that eyestalk…” “I hope he can get rid of them, so I can get outta here,” Guardian confessed, “I feel more guiltier by the second.” “I hope that Ponyville can forgive me for missing all those parties!” Guardian stopped and grinned. “We’re here! Let’s go back while we still can!” === “Got the chain ready?” The Doctor whispered. “All clear!” The Scribe and Angle responded in unison. The Doctor narrowed his eyebrows. He cracked his fingers and prepared to open the door. CRACK!! The door splinted, showering them with debris. “NOW!” The Scribe lifted the saw in behind his back ran up to the Dalek. “EXTERMINATE!” Triggered by the battle cry, he quickly held the saw to his body. The laser bounced off against the surface, and back to the Dalek’s armor. “SHIELD MALFUNCTION! LASER MALFUNCTION!” Angle tugged at the chain. The chains fell to the Dalek, tangling it and restricting its movements. “Not so tough now, are you?” he grinned as he leaned towards the Dalek. “NO!” The Doctor warned. The Dalek raised its plunger arm to his face. The end wrapped itself against his face. “Mphphhhhh!” the sucker released its grip from Angle. A little spot of blood trickled down his muzzle. Angle coughed. His forehead bulged, until an eyestalk poked out of it. He raised his hoof, and a rod stuck out from the end. “No. No. No, NO, NO, NO!” The Doctor rushed to help him. But it was too late. Angle was gone. The Doctor glared at the Dalek. The Scribe swore he saw its eyestalk tremble. The Doctor’s eyes were ablaze with anger and hatred. Finally, his rage broke. He picked up the circular saw and walked to the Dalek. “Do you have any idea who I am?” “DATABASE SHOWS NO INFORMATION,” the Dalek blared. “Well, then,” he pressed a button on the saw, and the blade started to spin. The saw inched closer and closer to the trapped Dalek’s arms, “I’ll give you a reminder.” The Scribe watched in horror as the Doctor, in cold blood, sawed the Dalek open, removing the gun and sucker. The arms made a loud clank sound as it hit the floor. “AHHHHHHHHH!” Angle walked to the Doctor. “Prepare for extermination.” The laser beam shot from his hoof, and bounced back to him. Without Dalekanium armor, it instantly killed him. “You’ve been a good boy for the Doctor,” he said sarcastically, “Have some Jelly Babies.” He pulled out a bag from his jacket pocket, and threw it at the remains of the Dalek. === Guardian sat idly in the corridor where the Doctor asked them to wait for him. The excitement of the day wore off. It was actually getting quite boring. “Thanks for waiting.” Twilight ran to the Doctor, grapping him with a hug. “Good! You’re alive!” she let go of her grip, and smiled sheepishly. Her smile turned to a frown as she saw his face. Old and angry looking eyes stared back at her. “What happened?” “We met up with the Dalek,” he sighed, “Killed Angle and Iron Sight.” The other three gasped in shock. “How did you get out?” Guardian asked. The look the Doctor gave him showed that he hit a tough subject. “The important thing is, the transporters are in place, correct?” the Scribe quickly changed the subject. Pinkie nodded happily, “We met a few meanies on the way here, but I laughed at them and erased them from our plane of existence.” “Bon!” the Doctor clapped, “Now let’s go to the TARDIS and get out of this asylum.” === Vroooom, vroooom, vroooom. The TARDIS materialized in a sunny field. The survivors pooled out, and cheered in relief. The Doctor stayed in the TARDIS, and sighed. “Okay, everyone,” The Doctor shooed the ponies from the TARDIS, “I need to control the teleportation in the epicenter of the transporters. Sorry.” The TARDIS materialized away, again. The Doctor banged his head against the door, and sighed deeper. “I am so, so, sorry.” “Don’t be.” The Doctor, startled, spun around, and saw the Scribe, holding a perception filter in his hand. “You shouldn’t leave these thing laying around. Someone bad could get them. Like Adam.” “Wha-“ The Scribe lifted his hand to stop him. “I know what you’re going to do, but I just can’t let you do that.” “Scribe…” “You can’t,” he shook his head firmly, “You have so much more to do. There’s not much for me. But you’re fate is fixed.” “Don’t do this,” the Doctor pleaded, “I don’t need someone else’s blood on my hands.” “I have to.” He raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you’re right.” “I am,” the Scribe handed his journal to the Doctor, “Here. Apparently Twilight gets it in the past. Make sure she gets it. It’ll save her life.” “How do you know?” the Doctor asked, “Scribe, back in the warehouse, a Dalek was going to kill us. How could you just sit there and write.” Now it was the Scribe’s turn to sigh, “The person they spliced with me was a mighty, all knowing being. They took a piece of his brain, and put it in mine. That cell, that one speck, started to rebuild itself. It took over me. Every now and then, I would have these surges of information, and I can’t help myself but write it down. Before they got me the book, I would scrape it onto the walls.” The TARDIS stopped materializing. “Well, this is my stop,” he took off his top hat, “It has been just a pleasure working with you.” The Doctor took off his own Stetson, “The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Scribe.” Before leaving, he turned and said, “There’s something I need to tell you, though. Soon, very soon, there will be a departure, a rebirth, and a return.” === Vrooom, vroom, vrooooom. “”Where did you go off to?” Twilight asked, “And where’s the Scribe?” The Doctor stared at the DAEL headquarters. A giant flying saucer flew down to the building, about to land, when… BOOM! A large cloud of dust arose from the building, destroying it, and the ship. “I thought you said those were transporters!” Twilight accused. “Rule number one. The Doctor lies,” he hung his head low, and stared at the journal in his hand, “I’m sorry.” Twilight, Guardian, and, surprisingly enough, Pinkie were at a loss for words. Guardian trotted to the sulking man. “Does that mean,” Guardian gulped, “The Scribe is dead?” The Doctor nodded. === “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Twilight asked while she and Pinkie boarded the box. “Yep. I think I’ll need a new, calmer job after this. Maybe I can try the park ranger thing again. Besides, I’ve got a few hostiles to round up before I can do anything.” “Alright then,” she gave him a hug, “I’ll miss you.” Guardian waved goodbye. Twilight walked into the TARDIS, shutting the door behind her. The Doctor waved and said, "So long and thanks for all the fish." “I love you. Damn it!” === “Doctor, are… you okay?” “I swear I’m sorry Twilight. I just knew you wouldn’t let me destroy the building when I was in it,” the Doctor refused to make eye contact with her. “It’s alright,” Twilight assured, though her frown suggested otherwise, “You did what you had to do.” “Good! So, is there anywhere you’d like to go next? How about the invention of baseball? Or the Big Bang 2?” The Doctor's voice was almost desperate for some reason. “I told you already, Doctor, I want to see my friends. Pinkie probably wants to as well.” “Are you kidding me? I missed them soooo much. I can’t believe how many parties I must’ve missed. I also promised Applejack I’d have lunch with her, so I guess I’ll have to reschedule.” As Pinkie rambled on, the Doctor couldn’t help but wonder about the Scribe’s warning: A departure, a rebirth, and a return. He hoped the departure wasn’t what he thought. He hated goodbyes. Starswirl's Tale10 A.C. "Oh, dear godesses! Help us!" Dress Code ran fearfully. Ponies everywhere wear dropping dead. The hooded figures were closing in on them. He ran and ran. But he tripped on a stone. A stone that wasn't there before. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?!" The hooded figure walked closer to him, enough so that Dress Code could see the wet, jiggling brain in place of where it's face should have been, and a long eyestalk. "The Doctor." Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom. The Doctor furrowed his brow in worry. He wanted Twilight to stay as long as possible. How could he handle her leaving him? He spun disc on the console, trying to reach Ponyville once again. “How do you guys go around this place? It’s like a maze! Whee!” Pinkie bounced up and down, hopping around the console. Twilight smiled, and flipped a few levers on the TARDIS. He smiled. At least he managed to have a good run. Twilight and Pinkie were good companions. Granted, Pinkie joined for only two adventures, but who’s counting? She had that air of excitement and fun he liked in companions. And Twilight. She always wanted answers. Always asked questions. Needed more information. She even decided to learn to drive the TARDIS. And a good taste in music too. So why did they have to leave. Why can’t they stay? The Doctor sighed. He hated goodbyes. He looked at the two. They looked so naïve. So happy. “Hey, girls,” he smiled weakly, attempting to make lift tension, “What do you think of my new suit?” “Looks great, Doctor!” Pinkie praised in approval, “I like the new grey look! Still got Braeburn’s hat, I see!” "Nah... let's go without a hat," He hung it on the coat rack next to the TARDIS console, "I think it clashes." He sat down, propping his feet on the console, as Twilight attempted to drive her way back to Ponyville. He started to enjoy the peaceful serenity- “Doctor!” Twilight cried. A cloud of smoke erupted from the TARDIS console as she frantically waved her hooves, “HELP!” “And this is why I shouldn’t let companions drive the TARDIS alone,” he grumbled, “Dear lord, what did you do?” Spike walked through the street. He was going to the postage office for some new books. It was Book Donation Day. Then he heard it. “Doctor! HELP!” Spike turned his head. The voice came from a blue box in an alleyway, concealed by shadows. “T-Twilight?” All that time since the last time he saw her. Could she really be back? Spike shook his head. It wasn’t the time to think. It was time to act. He rushed to the box. “TWILIGHT!” Spike pounded at the door, “Whoever you are, let her go!” Knock, knock, knock! The Doctor turned his head with a rather confused. “And who could that be?” “Cough, cough!” Twilight gagged, “I can get that!” “Wait!” the Doctor lifted his hoof, “Don’t want another go to a cell incident! Let me put on my pony!” With a press of a button, his form shimmered into the body of a brown, spiked mane pony. He nodded to Twilight, and she pushed the open button to the doors. The doors opened, releasing the smoke. Outside the box stood an angry baby dragon. His claws were balled up into fists. “Spike!” Twilight ran up to him, and brought him close to her face with his magic, “How have you been?” “What?” Spike asked in confusion, “But-“ “Oh, I have so much to tell you!” Twilight was practically squeaked in delight, “You looked confused. Oh, right! I’ve probably only been gone for a few hours! I explain that!” “Twilight, please!” “Spike?” Pinkie bounced towards her little dragon friend, “You look unhappy! Looks like you need a party to stimulate those muscle movements on your face upwards to express joy!” “Pinkie?” The Doctor frowned. The dragon, Spike, had a confused, scared, and relieved look on his face. “Twilight? Pinkie? But-“ “What’s wrong, Spike?” Twilight became concerned how he was acting. “It’s been a year and a half,” he answered shakily. “Ah just can’t believe it. Is it really you?” “I say it’s some stupid changeling! Let’s just send it to the guards!” “I think it’s really her, Rainbow Dash…if that’s okay with you…” “I simply cannot except the simply disgusting outfit that stallion she was with was wearing!” Twilight hung her head. She should have expected this. The Doctor was never a good driver. Her friends were suspicious, and she couldn’t blame them. “Ah just can’t believe you’d tell us such lies! How could you say you were traveling to other planets? Just tell us the honest to Celestia truth!” Applejack begged. “I’m telling you it’s true!” Twilight insisted, “There are so many wonderful things I’ve seen. It’s just… I couldn’t see things I can see now. It’s beautiful. The whole universe was in the base of my hoof! I could do so much!” “So you think you can just ditch us?” Rainbow shouted angrily, “Why did you guys leave for eighteen months!” “Dashie,” Pinkie interrupted, “She was time traveling! She could’ve been gone for just a few days!” “And just what do you know?” Rainbow accused, “According to you, you were in a secret facility to study alien and paranormal things, sponsored by the Princess!” “But I was!” Click The six turned their head to the library door, and watched as the brown stallion trotted into the room. The Doctor looked at the group, his eyes dull and sad. “I am very, very sorry about what happened. It is all my fault,” he confessed, “I appointed Twilight as my companion a while ago, after Pinkie almost destroyed Ponyville.” Pinkie raised a hoof to her mouth and giggled sheepishly, her cheeks reddening. "Companion?" Rarity questioned, "Is that some sort of... sexual role?" "NO!" It was Twilight's turn to blush. “Aaaaanyway, the fact she was gone for a year and a half was because of my poor navigation skills,” the Doctor awkwardly admitted, “And there is no reason to be mad at her.” “Oh, sure!” Rainbow threw her forelegs in the air, “Lost for over a whole year? Yeah, right! What were you doing?” “We were traveling through space and time. We went to impossible places, different times, hacked into spaceships, fought aliens, and saved lives! And stopped at a café across the universe for tea. I have been at her side for a few days, and she already proven herself a clever mare who can get out of a tricky situation.” Rainbow huffed angrily. Applejack stepped up to confront him. “So she was in some adventures,” Applejack exclaimed, “Why is she tellin’ these crazy pony tales! And half those things you mentioned made no sense!” “I see I can’t convince you by talking,” he smiled, “I’ll show you instead.” The Doctor’s body flickered, and was replaced by his Time Lord body. The other four ponies and one dragon widened their eyes. “What the hay?” Rainbow cried in shock, “You’re some freaky alien!” The Doctor smirked, “No. Really? I had no idea.” “A freaky, smart ass alien,” Dash corrected herself. Twilight glared at her. “I have spoken my argument. I can see you would like to have a moment alone with Twilight,” the Doctor sighed, “Goodbye. See you later, Miss Sparkle. See you later, Miss Pie.” The Doctor turned the disguise back on, and walked out of the library. As he closed the door behind him, he hung his head. It’s better this way, he thought, better then have her die in a swarm of Vashta Nerada, or in the hands of a Weeping Angel. We’ve had enough close calls already. Octavia sighed as she downed another cup of tea, and slammed it down to the table. “More tea, Octa?” her roommate Vinyl asked sarcastically, “Or should I cut you off?” “Oh, I’m sorry for being so short with you,” Octavia said as she rubbed her temples, “I just feel… disappointed.” “Disappointed?" Vinyl questioned, “C’mon, you’ve been doin’ great since we decided to go to Ponyville. Nice little things we can play for here. And Pinkie even got me in the Canterlot Wedding!” “Money is all good,” Octavia sighed. She rested her head against the table, “When it comes to a social life, it’s, well, kaput!” She knocked over the teacup for emphasis. “Careful! I just polished that table!” Despite her reputation, Vinyl was a massive neat freak. Octavia said that it seems like she was a completely different pony behind her glasses. “Oh, no,” she cried in mock horror, “That’s totally necessas- ah!” “What’s wrong?” Vinyl asked. “It’s nothing,” Octavia lied. A hot, burning sensation erupted from her neck. She looked down at the source. It was her TARDIS key. The Doctor slowly made his way to the TARDIS. He almost hoped Twilight would’ve come out by now and stopped him. He lifted the key to the door, slid the key to the lock, and… “Doctor!” That voice. That accent. Could it be? He turned his head. A gray earth pony was trotting towards him, her eyes seething with determination. A glowing key hung from a necklace. “Octa!” “Doctor!” He grinned, “What’re you doing here, aye? Shouldn’t you be off, playing at some big shot concert in Canterlot?” “I… kinda regretted not going with you,” she admitted, “I tried going around the Earth, just looking for you!” “Aw, you shouldn’t do that!” he groaned, “Live your own life! Be your own pony!” “Don’t worry, it was easy!” Octavia said, “I just found out where Twilight Sparkle lived. Turns out she was a national heroine! Unfortunately, turns out she disappeared a while ago, but here you are now! Where’s Twilight?” “She’s gone,” The Doctor’s mood noticeably darkened, “I accidentally drove the TARDIS eighteen months further then intended, and now she ended up away from Ponyville for a year and a half. I decided to let her go.” “Oh…” Octavia lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry. She seemed a good companion, though.” “It’s for the best,” The Doctor insisted, “If she went with me, she was probably going to lose her life. It’s would be better for her to stay with her friends, where she’s safe.” After seeing the Doctor leave, there were four different reactions from each of the ponies. Rarity sat quietly, her mouth gaped open. Applejack wore a confused expression, Rainbow was feeling angry and betrayed by her ‘abandonment’, and Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane in fright. “What the hay, Twilight!” Rainbow abruptly exclaimed, “So now you’re buddying up with some creepy looking monster!” “He’s not a monster, he’s a Time Lord!” Twilight protested, “And you should be thanking him! He’s saved your lives countless times, and you don’t even know him.” “If he’s a ‘Time Lord’, how come he dropped you in the wrong time?” Rainbow asked. “Time Lord is the name of his species,” Pinkie explained, “Doesn’t mean he can actually use time right.” “DOCTOR!” “What in tarnation?” Applejack looked out of the window. A gray Earth Pony was running to the Doctor, a glowing key hanging on her neck. "Is that... Octavia?" Twilight asked, "What's the Doctor doing?" "Looks like he's ditching you!" Rainbow laughed, "How does it feel?" "No," she shook her head, "That can't be right! I'm his companion... he...he wouldn't..." "Truely sorry, darling," Rarity said, "But it almost looks like you're being replaced by that gray pony." "Oh, no he won't!" "Doctor! Get back here!" "Oooh, that's not good," the Doctor groaned, "Looks like she got suspicious. I need to leave." "Come on, Doctor!" Octavia insisted, "Can't she stay?" The Doctor just sighed and shook his head, "No. I can't let anything to happen to her. There's just too much of a risk. If she stays to long... well, I don't want another situation like Adric, Zoe, Jamie... River..." Octavia decided not to push him. He looked depressed enough already. "So, it's best if we don't-" "DOCTOR!" "Well, now it's a bit late," he mumbled, "Hey, Twilight!" "Exactly what are you doing?" she asked angrily, "Are you leaving me here?" "Hey!" Rainbow shouted, "What's wrong with Ponyville?!" The Doctor narrowed his brow, "Yeahhh, well, Twilight? Can you talk to me for a tick?" "Alright," she said suspiciously, "What do you want to talk about?" "Come with me, to the TARDIS," the Doctor motioned, "Your friends can wait for you in the console room." The Doctor sighed. It might as well be time to do it. Twilight was going to be in the TARDIS for the last time. "Twilight?" "Yes, Doctor?" His forced grin faltered. That mind. He was going to miss that mind. The questions. The curiousity. But might as well get over with it. "You see..." he started, "I think it's time... for you to go." "What?!" Twilight shrieked, "Why?" "I'm just worried, Twilight," he explained, "Before the Scribe died in the explosion, he warned me something. He told me that there would be a departure, a rebirth, and a return. I just don't want anything bad to happen. You've seen it already, I had you gone for eighteen months! You could have died in our adventures!" "I can be careful!" "It's not just that. No matter what, something will cause you to leave. It already happened to me once," the Doctor pleaded for understanding, "Something always goes wrong. I want you to remember our travels as something wonderful. Not something that distances you from your friends." "Okay," she bowed her head, "I suppose it's for the best." The two walked into the console room, where the rest of Twilight's friends were waiting. "We're done talking now," the Doctor stepped to the console, and pulled the door lock switch. The door opened, revealing Ponyville. But then the doors shut. "Oh, no..." the Doctor picked a mallet, and turned some knobs in a vain attempt to stop the TARDIS. The pillars began to shift, up and down. A hum radiated from the heart of the console. "Oh, you don't!" And a sound erupted in the room. Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom. "Not again!" BAM, BAM, BAM Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom. Thunk. "Ahhhh, yah did it." The doors opened to show a old fashioned city, filled with busy ponies. "You really have a problem with letting go, don't you," he yelled at the TARDIS, "Just like Martha." He looked outside, and saw the green fields of a newborn city. "Twilight?" "Yeah, Doctor?" Twilight answered in a confused tone. "Do you recognise this place?" A spark lit in Twilight's eyes. "Judging from architecture, the clothes, the decorations, and the temperature," Twilight gasped, "We're in Canterlot, 10 A.C.! IN THE FIRST HEARTH'S WARMING EVE CELEBRATION!" "What?" Rarity squeed, "Like the one we preformed in the pageant!" "Aw, sweet!" Rainbow cheered, "I can meet Commander Hurricane! She's so awesome!" "Really?" the Doctor deadpanned, "Can we just go back to Pon- hold it, what's Hearth's Warming Eve?" "It's a festival celebrating the unity of the pegasi, the unicorns, and the earth ponies!" Twilight explained. "Well that sounds... hang on a tick, did you say Earth?" "Uhhh, yes?" Twilight laughed, "Now that is one strange coincidence!" The Doctor turned his head to Octavia, "And you said Earth before, didn't you?" "Yes, that's the name of the planet." "But I always thought it was Equestria," Twilight chuckled, "Learn something new every day!" "Twilight..." the Doctor smiled nervously, "How exactly do you not know the name of your planet, and except the fact instantly?" "I don't know," she shrugged, "I just do. What's wrong?" The Doctor scrunched up his face, wrinkles forming on his forehead as he tried to remember something. "I guess it really is nothing," he admitted, "But is very, very, strange." He turned around at the feel of a tap on his shoulder. He saw Rainbow hovering behind him. "Hey, space guy," she said, "How about a deal? If you let us hang around here, we'll forgive you for ponynapping Twilight, if you let us have out around here!" "Ponynapping? But-the - what?" he stammered, "Ponynapping? But that doesn't make any sense! The TARDIS translation would've changed it to kidnapping." "I've been meaning to ask about that," Twilight interjected, "How is it that every species seems to speak the same language?" "That's actually the TARDIS translation unit," the Doctor explained, "It gets in your head and makes you speak and here the same language. So why didn't it translate ponynapping directly to kidnapping? It doesn't do literal." "Excuse me," a deep voice interrupted, "But pray tell, why are all you mare naked?" "Hah!" the Doctor laughed, "Oh, sorry, but looks like we're in a time where you have to wear clothes!" "Well, isn't that marvellous!" the white one squeed in delight, "So much business for fashion! Oh, if only I could live here!" "Hold on," the stallion spoke up again, "What are you all talking about?" "Sorry, we were attacked by some bandits," the Doctor lied, "They didn't take much, just the mares' clothing." "Oh, by the Creator, my condolences!" the stallion gasped, "I wish there was something I could do! Oh, you poor dears. I have no idea what you must be going through! If only I could help in any way." "What are you... oh," the Doctor chuckled nervously, "It's not like that! We just lost some clothes. Speaking of which, where can we shop for clothes?" " Of course," he smiled, "Try Pansy's Dress Emporium." "Oh, that most be Private Pansy," Fluttershy shouted in the quietest way possible, "She sounds very nice!" "Yeaaah, anyway, thanks," the Doctor grinned, "We'll be off!" "Wait!" the stallion held up a hoof. His brown goatee bobbed up and down as he walked, "Is it just me, or do I know you six mares?" "Well, I am pretty cool," the rainbow pony bragged, "I wouldn't be surprised if my awesomeness seeped through the time continuum." "That's not how time travel works," the Doctor shook his head disapprovingly, "Well, it can, but it's very rare." "Well, then," the stallion laughed, "You ponies make no sense, but I like that in a pony. My name's Starswirl. It's a pleasure to meet you." At that moment, Twilight's brain had ceased functioning. On the way to the clothes emporium, she seemed almost paralyzed. The only sounds she could make were mumbles, as Octavia dragged her along. "That's... Starswirl the Bearded?" she asked, when the feeling returned to her mouth. "Apparently," the Doctor nodded, "Whoever that is." "Whoever he is?" Twilight was shocked, "He's only the cleverest pony in the history of Equestria! Oh, he invented so many spells! The water walking spell, the gravity spell, the archery spell, the time travel spell, not as good as the TARDIS though, and the shine spell..." "I get it!" he raised up a disguised finger to Twilight's mouth, "I have one way see how much of a genius he really is... Hey, Starswirl!" he held up the psychic paper, making it say the Gettysburg Address. "Why are you showing me a blank card?" Starswirl asked in confusion. "He really is a genius!" the Doctor giggled, "He can't read the psychic paper! Oh, good lord, that is rich! I haven't met someone who could do that since... I dunno, Shakespeare!" "I told you haven't I!" "Sorry to interrupt you and your wife," Starswirl chuckled at his fans, "But we appear to be at the shop now." "We're not married!" the two said in unison. "Can they be any more obvious?" Rainbow sighed, while the orange one shook her head. "What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked nervously, "I don't have a crush on the Doctor!" "Oh, please," Pinkie scoffed, "You might as well have hearts floating around you!" "Well, that did happen once," she recalled, "Only they were bugs, in the shape of hearts. They were also a bit carnivorous." "....What?" "The point is, there's no way me and the Doctor could ever be together," Twilight "But just think, darling! Two lovers, not caring about species, prejudice, from opposite ends of the universe!" Rarity swooned, "That's so beautiful!" "Actually, he lived ten galaxies away, not quite on the opposite end of the universe. Also, the universe has no ends." "You just ruined the mood, Twilight," Rarity deadpanned in annoyance, "My, you really have learned more about the universe, haven't you? You just won't stop talking about it." Twilight smiled. With that one simple book, a book that directed her to the Everfree. She learned that Pinkie was an alien, the Princess had a secret foundation studying paranormal activity. She learned that there was so much more that she could have dreamed. She was lucky to have met her. But then a dark thought crossed her mind. What if she wasn't? The Doctor lives on for an eternity. What was his age? A thousand years? Twelve hundred? He could live on, while she would rot and die. And maybe she could have died, in the hooves of the Nestene, the Vashta Nerada, the Somniumforms, the Daleks. How much longer could she last? This will be the end of the adventures with him. That will be it. But maybe that was for the best. "So what's your name again?" Starswirl asked the shy, yellow pegasus. "I'm... Fluttershy..." she whispered shyly. "Well, hello, miss Fluttershy!" Starswirl smiled warmly, "It's a pleasure making your acquaintance." "Down, boy!" the Doctor chuckled, "Quite the lady killer." "I beg your pardon, Dr. Sparkle!" he huffed rather angrily. "Eh?" he acted confused, "Doctor who?" "Well, since you obviously are not a Sparkle, pray tell, what exactly is your name?" "Well, would you look at that! It's open!" the Doctor quickly changed the subject and opened the Emporium's door. "Hello!" a cheery voice cried out, coming from a yellow pegasus, "Welcome to my Emporium!" "Ms. Pansy!" Starswirl grinned, "Good to see your pretty little face again!" "Aw, you're too kind, sir," Pansy blushed, "But... why are you here? You do realize that this store is mostly for mares, don't you?" "My dear, Pansy," he chuckled, "Do you think I would need to buy something to see my good friend?" "So, you came here to visit me?" "Actually, no," he grinned cheekily, "They need to go on, what you might call, a shopping spree." "I quite like this bloke," the Doctor smiled at the discussion, as they stepped to introduce themselves, "I'm the Doctor. This is Twilight, Pinkie, the orange pony, the drama queen, the rainbow-y one, and Fluttershy. Say hello!" "How dare you treat a lady like that!" Rarity stuck her nose up in the air. "Does it smell nicer there?" "Oh, you impudent, rude, insulting..." Rarity's anger quickly faded away, as she saw all the clothes. Dresses, slippers, hats galore. She practically fainted, "This... is... a... utopia..." "Like what you see?" Pansy grinned, "Maybe you can buy something. Dresses are half a bit." "Ha-ha-lf a bit?" "Now, miss, it may seem a bit pricey, but I assure you, everything is hoof stitched, making yure every single detai-" she stopped as the white unicorn dumped the contents of her purse onto the counter. "Take it! Money is no object!" So the six mares went off, searching for some clothes to wear, the low prices of the past used to their advantage. All but Fluttershy. "Anything the matter, Fluttershy?" the Doctor asked. "It's... Ms. Pansy," she answered with her face behind her mane, "She's... so much louder than I thought..." "That's history books for you," the Doctor chuckled, "Always getting something wrong." "That's not it..." Fluttershy whispered, "She... she was like a role model to me... a hero, because I always thought she was like me..." "Hey," he patted her on the back, "If she was a hero to you when you thought she was like you, how is that different from you being your own role model? Grow up, wanting to be who you want is easy, find a person better than you, and strive to be like him or her. But to be your own role model is rather interesting. I think you admire yourself. But you don't speak up about it." "You're right, Mr. Doctor," Fluttershy beamed with confidence, "I'm sorry for wasting your precious time." "Don't worry, I'm a time traveller! I've got all the time in the universe," the Doctor shooed her off, "Now go, find some clothes with your friends." As she trotted away, he turned his head. She seemed to be good companion material. If only. But something caught his eye. And his face split into a lopsided smile. "Alright, girls!" Twilight smiled, "I think we're dressed up enough! Doctor! Are you ready?" The Doctor walked into view, donning a bright red fez. "Yes I am." Three cloaked figures hudled in front of a computer monitor. "That's him." "That's the Doctor!" The hooded figures grew excited. The Doctor was coming. And they were ready. The group walked on, enjoying the sites. Starswirl then stopped them. "Now, this, my friends, is my humble abode. Clover the Clever!" he knocked four times on the door. "Coming master," the door opened, revealing a rather tired looking purple unicorn, "Hello, Master Starswirl. Who are your guests?" "Forgive her bedraggled appearance," Starswirl shook his head, "But my apprentice seems to think that she is a detective, who can decipher the mysterious disappearances." "Disappearances?" the Doctor smiled, "Now we're getting somewhere!" "They started a while back," Starswirl explained, "Surely you've heard of them?" "Riiiiight, let's just pretend we haven't for a bit shall we?" "Well, the disappearances happened two weeks ago," Clover yawned out, "There's mass abductions, in specific areas, about half of the ponies in a ten yard radius is gone. No trace." "That is way too organised. It can be tracked down," the Doctor rattled out, "So why? What are they after?" "Don't try to make sense of it, I've been on the job since three days ago," "I'm clever," he grinned, "Now, if they were in some sort of a pattern... My I see a map of the disappearances?" "Looks like the trip just got awesome!" "Again," Twilight rolled her eyes. "Here, here, here, and here," the Doctor pointed, "I think we can rule out a message... so what? Is it trying to attract attention?" "Like I said, Doctor," Clover smiled wearily, "I can't make sense of it." The Doctor looked at Clover, and frowned. "What colour would you consider yourself?" "What?" "What colour?" "I think we have much more worry about," Clover sent her attention back to the map, "And to answer your question, lavender." "Of course..." "Doctor!" The Doctor turned and saw Twilight, levitating a piece of brown cloth. "Well, well, well," he held the clothe close to his face, "What did you find?" "It's just an ordinary piece of shined wool," Clover said in disbelief, "How can you be distracted by such silly things?" "Oi, what did he call you? Clover the Clever?" the Doctor scoffed, "May as well be Clover the Thick and Blind. Look at this." He gave the cloth a lick, "It isn't wool. It's polyester." "And what is polyester?" Clover asked irritably. "The cloth that apparently hasn't been invented yet," he scowled, "So the kidnapper's an alien. That does give us a lead." The two ran off to where Twilight had found the cloth. "Alien? Are you mental?" Clover shouted back at them, "... still, it makes more sense than anything I could come up with." Twilight had lead the Doctor, Starswirl, Octavia, and Clover over to the site where the cloth was found. An empty field. "Okay," the Doctor clapped his hands for attention, "The kidnapper, or kidnappers, left a piece of cloth. What does that tell us?" "They're clumsy?" Octavia shrugged. "No!" Clover interjected, "They were able to remove any evidence of their existence before, so why would they leave a bit of cloth there?" "Ohoho! You are cleverer than I thought!" the Doctor rubbed his hands together, "So in total, aliens that can destroy all evidence of their existence, revealed their existence. So why? Why would they do something so clumsy as that?" "Hell if I know," Starswirl frowned, tapping his hoof impatiently. Tap, tap, tap, tap. "How about that," he took off the fez and scratched his head, "That means... it's a trap." "Quite right, Doctor." The ponies (and Time Lord) turned and saw a group of ten hooded bipedal creatures. "The Somniumforms!" the Doctor threw his arms in the air, "Aw, how thick am I? Of course it's you!" "You... know of us, then?" "Of course!" The Doctor rubbed his hands together, and pulled back the hood of the creature. Starswirl, Clover, and Octavia cringed at the sight. "So, who are you than, mate?" the Doctor asked, "Are you Jalast? I'd recognise those tentacles anywhere!" "Why yes I am, Doctor," Jalast tilted his head in confusion, "Have we met?" "I met you, you haven't met me... timey wimey..." he rolled his eyes, "It can get complicated." "Doctor? Could you maybe not become friends with something that killed a bunch of ponies?" Octavia suggested. The Doctor nodded, "So... you know who I am... but not formally. So who sent who, huh?" "We were promised our world back if we helped the lord," Jalast bowed in respect, "The lord who saved us from certain death." The other somniumforms bowed their heads underneath their hoods. "Right, so someone sent you, this 'lord', to kill me?" the Doctor deduced. "No," Jalast shook his brain topped head, "The lord sent us... for reawakening." "How do you plan to do that?" "Simple," Jalast looked at Clover, who toppled over, and grunting in pain. "One simple instruction," he blinked, "Open the fob watch, and we will bring her back." "Bring her back?" Starswirl asked, "Do you mean you're killing her?" But the Somniumforms had disappeared. As they looked around, they saw that they were back in Starswirl's living room. "Don't worry my dear, Clover!" Starswirl consoled, "They said to open the fob watch, and that's precisely what I'll do!" "What did they mean 'fob watch', Doctor?" Twilight asked him, but the Doctor's mind was far gone. And then he remembered. "DON'T OPEN THAT WATCH!" Starswirl had levitated a fob watch from his pocket, and was about to open it. "Why not?" Starswirl asked angrily, "She'll die if I don't open it!" "Do you remember that watch, Starswirl?" the Doctor warned, "Think! Just, really, think about it!" "No... I... always just ignored it until now..." Starswirl admitted. "This was part of his plan!" he hit his forehead, "This was all an elaborate plan to come back!" "Who?" Twilight paled. If the Doctor feared this man... "The Master," "And who's 'the Master'?" Octavia asked, still confused. "He is-" Click "NO!" A golden light erupted from the fob watch, and drifted down to Clover. "What?" the Doctor was now confused. And Clover sat up straight, a deranged, evil smirk on her face. "Hello, Doctor. Long time, no see," "What?" he repeated. "Surely you remember your old friend, Rani?" Clover let out a laugh, sending chills down Octavia's back. "I'm back!" To Be Continued Author's Note Well, I'm glad this is over with. The Time Lady's PlightThere are some days where absolutely nothing bad happens. No killing, no invasions, no problems to cause anyone inconvenience. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days. The Doctor found his way into Canterlot in its first days, and after some convincing from Twilight's friends, stayed for a while. Of course, something went wrong. As the Rani laughed, the Doctor rubbed his temples, attempting to understand the situation. "Alright, Rani," the Doctor said, "You come to this planet. What for? No violence or wars from what I can tell. But the only reason you're here is the same reason as always, innit? Research." "Doctor, old friend, you remember me well," the Rani sneered, "It has been a while since the time war." "And you stole the Master's idea of using the chameleon arch," the Doctor scratched his hair, "Which means that you've been here a while... the ultimate disguise. A student of one of the most powerful mages in this planet. But why here? You curious for something?" "I've never been able to go to this planet before, Doctor," the Rani explained, "Why not now?" "So you chameleon arched yourself as a pony? But why did you only half arch yourself back? And why a unicorn? Why not..." the Doctor's face brightened up in realization, "You like the magic, don't you?" "Well, the psychic powers that unicorns possess, too be exact," the Rani nodded. "And that's why you're still a unicorn!" he laughed, "You can keep the powers! Oh, that explains why you came here!" "So, who is she? Ex-girlfriend?" Octavia asked blatantly. "No, he wouldn't be good enough for my standards," she drawled, "Especially with that off putting coat he wore." "There was nothing wrong with that coat!" the Doctor yelled, "Now, then, you want unicorn powers, you turn yourself into a unicorn. And now you're the most powerful unicorn in this room,, yah?" "I would believe so." "Well, think again, sistah!" the Doctor winked subtly at Twilight, "'Cause Twilight's the most powerful unicorn there is!" "But, Doctor!" Twilight corrected, "Clover the Clever was unfathomably more powerful than me! I can barely read the stuff she wrote without confusion!" "Yes... Twilight?" the Doctor gritted his teeth, "Have you ever heard of a bluff?" "Yes, of course... oh," she grinned sheepishly, "Sorry?" "You three run, then," the Doctor shooed them, "Got a few more questions. How did you meet the Somniumforms? 'cause that's way too planned and scheduled for it not to have been you! You wanted me to come here, and you wanted my attention to the disappearances." "I gave the Somniumforms instructions, yes," the Rani confirmed, "In exchanged for letting them have this planet for their own." "Yes. Somnious was destroyed in the Time War," the Doctor glared at his old enemy at the mention of the terrible nightmare that was the Time War, "And I suppose you won't keep your end of the bargain?" "You think of me too low," she said in mock insult, "Of course I will. I no longer have any need for this planet now that I have the power of the unicorn." "An old legend says that when a purple unicorn realizes her true powers, she will bring the end of the universe!" the Doctor clapped his hands, "That's what they meant. It wasn't Twilight they were after, it was you!" "A legend! About me?" the Rani smiled, "What an honor." "And..." the Doctor frowned, "You'll bring the end of the universe... the Somniumforms were trying to stop that. And you... you're trying to commit the Ultimate Sanction aren't you?" "Yes, Doctor," she spat out his name, "I spent too much time planning for it to go wrong. I can drive the TARDIS into the birth of time and space. The beginning of the universe. Reverse it. And end existence to all. Except for the time lords of course, who shall live on in pure consciousness alone. The offer still stands for you." "Rani, don't do this!" he begged, "The time lords are gone! Kaput! And you and I are the only ones left! Can't you see that trying to bring the time lords to power will be pointless with only two of them?" "Time lords... gone?" Rani shook her head, "Nothing could kill the Time Lords! "Yes! All of them! Dead! And I killed them," the Doctor scowled, "Don't make me do the same with you." "You couldn't kill me," the Rani scoffed, "Just like you can't our entire race." "Rani... don't lie to yourself. You can feel it." "Don't you lie to me," the Rani crossed her arms, "You were always good at that. How can you even consider me to be lying to myself." With that, she threw a dart at him. Swiftly, he caught it between his fingers. "Hah! Missed me," the Doctor cockily grinned. "Not... quite." His fingers started to tremble violently, and stop. "You see, that dart is covered in stargalite pollen," the Rani smiled sadistically, "It's won't kill you. Just paralyze you. Your companions should be able to help you. Until they do, and you can find me, fare thee well." The Doctor couldn't say anything back, but his face was clenched in pain. The world around him started to fade away. There was no pain, no feeling. And the numbness spread across his body until it became absolute. He could hear the tapping of hooves against a wooden floor. Before he passed out, the Doctor saw the form of a pony, with a multi coloured mane, walk out towards him. "Hey, Doc," she said, "Rare wants to know if... Doc?" ==== Octavia paced around. "It's been five minutes," Twilight bit her lip, "I think we should help." "What!? No!" Starswirl shouted in panic, "That crazy mare will kill us!" Twilight grew angry at her former hero. "Seriously? You're scared?" she scoffed, "The Doctor was scared too. He feared the Vashta Nerada, Cybermen, the Dalek. I could see it in his eyes! But he fought on. He was brace. He used that brilliant mind of his to save the universe over and over, and you're just sitting there. Like a useless lump. I don't care what you say, I'm gonna find him." "Me too," Octavia smiled, "There's no way I'm gonna let him go now, after I lost him for eighteen months! Let's go!" Starswirl also got up, albeit a bit reluctantly. "I suppose you're right," he brushed the dirt from his cloak. He had no idea what the words 'dalek', 'vashta' or 'nerada' meant, but from Twilight's context, they were something to be reckoned with, "I've been hiding in books far too long. And besides, you know what they say. The best way to live is by almost dying." ==== When the three reached the Doctor, they saw that he was surrounded by Twilight's friends. "What happened?" Twilight rushed to his side. "Rarity wanted to know if there was a wardrobe in that box thingy, and we just found him like this!" Rainbow explained. "Oh, my goodness! What do we do?" "Helllooooo? Dooooctor?" "Ah think someone needs to give him CPR!" "Ughh, I don't want to touch him... what if what he has is catching?" "Well, if you pansies aren't going to do anything, I'll do it!" Rainbow raised her hoof in the air, and slammed it down on the Doctor's chest. "UFFF!" the Doctor coughed a bit, and shook his head, "Thanks! Needed some extra stimulation in my nervous system to restart my muscles!" He grabbed Rainbow and kissed her. "Now we need to get to the TARDIS, and stop the Rani, somehow." "That's some plan," Octavia teased, while Rainbow was scraping her tongue. "Good! Glad you think so!" the Doctor's body shimmered, switching from time lord to pony. "Good grief," he shouted to Rainbow once he changed back to his time lord body. He banged on it with his fist until he turned back into a pony, "You broke my perception filter!" "Good lord, I was kissed by a talking monkey!" Starswirl jawed dropped as he saw the Doctors new form. Some sort of hairless, bipedal structure of which he had never seen the likes of before. He twiddled his claws around and ran them through his mane. "Alright, Twilight, Octavia, Starswirl, and everyone else I forgot to mention!" he pointed to the door, "The Rani paralyzes me with stargalite pollen. The Rani leaves, and is no doubt trying to get to my TARDIS. But how does she expect to get in if the doors are locked? Maybe she has a copy of the key? But how could she get one? TARDISes are all gone!" "I don't know," Octavia answered, "Maybe she took it from you when you weren't looking?" "I don't carry around the key with me anymore," he shook his head, "There really isn't anyway she could find it. I usually use the snap technique." "Amusing, isn't it?" Starswirl chortled, "My best friend turned out to be a manipulative psychopath. So much talk of tardises, and snapping, and keys, hah!" "Starswirl, I understand that you just learned that there is a lot more to life than you understand," the Doctor grabbed him by the shoulders, "But I need you to keep it together!" "Keep it together," he laughed, "I'm only going to be killed by those freakish creatures from the depths of hell." "Actually, they're from a planet called Somnious." "And what of you, Doctor? Are you from another planet as well?" "Yes," he nodded his head, "I'm from Gallifrey. And so is the Rani. She's been posing as a unicorn all her life to learn to use the psychic powers you hold. I'm sorry, but your friend never existed." "So everything I ever knew about her was a lie," Starswirl sighed, "And what now? What will you do to her?" "I'll stop her," the Doctor frowned, "And I'll have to do it for good." "What's that supposed to mean?" Rainbow asked, "What do you mean 'for good'?" "What do you think?" he answered. "You can't kill somepony!" Fluttershy squeaked, "Killing... is... wrong?" Her sentence broke as she saw the seriousness in the Doctor's expression. "I never kill, unless it's necessary," he said, "But back then, back when I first started, I had so much mercy in me. I let the Daleks' creation continue, I let the Master live. And it cost so many lives." He sighed, "Do you know how hard it is to except that you are the reason for their deaths? Countless, and millions of lives?" "So I can't be merciful," the Doctor continued, "I have to kill her." ==== The TARDIS sat on the edge of the city, no ponies noticing it due to its perception filter. As the Doctor and the ponies ran to it, they saw that it was alone, with no sign of the Rani. "I don't understand!" the Doctor rubbed his temples, "Where is she? The TARDIS is still here, which means she didn't get to it yet. But I've been paralyzed for a good four minutes before your friends came. There are probably Somniumforms placed around the entire city. So why hasn't she found it?" "Excuse me, but do you have some change?" "Sorry, no," the Doctor pulled a white paper bag from his pocket, "Have a jelly baby, if they're any consolation." "Thank you, kind sir." The Doctor chortled. "Oh, Rani, have you lost your touch?" "Oh, you clever man," the hood was pulled from her head to reveal the face of a purple unicorn, "What gave it away?" "They don't have Jelly Babies here," the Doctor smirked, "So, a few more questions. Why was Starswirl tapping four times? Completely threw me off." "I knew you might have realized who I was if you paid a little more attention towards Clover," the Rani said, "So I implanted a little I idea in his head. Very simple. You see, it was a mere case of hypnosis that took care of it. Gave him a little habit of tapping like that." "So now what?" "I have learned quite a few combat spells over the years," she charged her horn, "For intense, this spell." The last thing they saw was complete darkness. "Ohhhh, my head..." "What happened?" Rainbow shook her head, "I had this crazy dream that we were travelling with this weird box thingy... and there was a swimming pool in the closet... and... and... oh." She saw a hazy red blur, which focused into a red fez. The ground was cold, and hard. As her eyes focused more, Rainbow found that she was in a stone, cave like structure. Twilight, the Doctor, and Octavia were the only ones standing, while the others were lying on the ground, the only movement being from their chests, slowly moving up and down. "Aha! There it is!" The Doctor snatched it up, "Nice!" "Doctor! This is no time for headwear!" Twilight scolded, "The TARDIS is gone!" Octavia felt around her neck, and shrieked. "The key you gave me!" she screamed, "It's gone!" "I see," the Doctor stroked his chin, "The Rani must have stolen the key while we were under." "But when you taught me to drive the TARDIS, you said it was isomorphic to you and me!" "Icy what?" Octavia cocked an eyebrow. "Isomorphic," he corrected, "Means only one person can use it. And I'm not sure. Maybe she could find a way around that. I don't know, she's clever." The other ponies started to awaken. Starswirl shook his head, a cloud of dust settling around his mane. "Ewwww... everything's so dusty. Where are we?" Rarity moaned. "We appear to be underground, somewhere," the Doctor frowned, "My best guess... is in a prison." "Bu-but wh-who put us here?" Fluttershy squeaked in fear, curling into a ball. The Doctor stuck his hand out, feeling the air. He then stuck his tongue to, and licked his lips. His hands ran against the walls of the prison, and smacked it. A loud CRACK echoed around the room. "It's not real," he confirmed, "Has a sort of... physic residue. And the sound doesn't move around right." "So... what does this mean?" Twilight asked. "Oh, my dear, think!" he smacked her forehead, "The Somniumforms of course! They must have created a prison while we were asleep!" "How do we get out?" Twilight asked, as she to bite her lower lip. "Well, duh!" Rainbow hovered up, readying herself for shock, "I'll just smash us out!" She swiftly flew into the wall, but as she collided into the surface, Rainbow bounced back, not having left a single dent in the rock. "Oh, yeah," the Doctor smirked, "The prison is built to adapt itself to the prisoner, created from their subconscious. Every attempt to escape is picked up telepathically, and it fixes that specific flaw." "Couldn't have told me before?" Rainbow gingerly rubbed her head, "Oww..." "I don't fancy you," he responded, "Right then! Big, indestructible, thing. How will we get out?" "I don't know," Twilight sighed, but then gasped, a figurative light bulb lighting above her head, "We could try to destroy it by not thinking about it! Since the prison is built from our own subconscious, it'll cease to exist!" "That's right," he smiled, "You did learn from the best!" The eight prisoners closed their eyes. Starswirl opened his The walls shimmered. The Doctor reached out his hand, and felt absolutely nothing. He opened an eye, and saw that the prison was no more. "Alright, everyone," he scowled, "We've got a TARDIS to find." Octavia looked around. They seemed to be in an underground chamber of some sort, with walls made from damp soil. The smell of dirt hung around them. The room was illuminated by torches, giving the room a dungeon-like feel. "So, we appear to be in some sort of cave system. We must have been placed here by the somniumforms after we were drugged," the Doctor speculated, "I wonder where we are..." "Another prison, perhaps?" Twilight guessed. "No... it's defiantly dirt," the Doctor pulled out a root from the walls, and wiped his hands off his grey vest, "They couldn't put in this much detail." "Eww... I think I saw a worm," Rarity cringed, "My new dress is getting covered in mud!" "Sorry about that," Octavia sarcastically apologised, "How about we escort you to our 5 star hotel, where we can give you a nice pedicure, and get you a salad, on a china plate!" "Oh, we are going to get along famously," the Doctor smiled, "But, let's focus on getting out of here." The Doctor walked in the front of the group, quickly taking leadership. He had plucked a torch from the wall, brightening their path. The others followed suit. Fluttershy was terrified. "How much longer until we find a way to the surface, Doctor?" "Not quite sure, I'm afraid," he replied, "Not particularly good, as we don't have much time before all of existence is kaput." Fluttershy started crying. She wasn't ready for something like this. She didn't want to die. "Don't cry," the Doctor instructed, "We have enough problems as it is." "What's wrong with you, Doctor?" Twilight hissed, "That isn't going to make her feel better!" "If you ask me, being erased from the existence could make her feel even worse!" he sarcastically smiled, "Now if you don't mind, I've got this bigger picture to look at." There was another thing about the room that struck the Doctor as odd. The room was almost, if not, completely flat on all the walls. So that would probably mean that if there was any way out, it would have been given out by a blemish or dent on the wall of some sort. "Twilight!" he barked, "Can you scan the room's walls for any dents, holes, anything?" "Sure, Doctor," Twilight's horn promptly lit up, and purple light blanketed the room. Sure enough, an archway was revealed. "Perfect," the Doctor stroked the edges of the door, "I think we've found our way out." ==== A hole opened up in the ground, and eight triumphant looking ponies and time lord climbed out. The Doctor shielded his eyes from the sudden change in brightness. They found themselves in an area filled with plantlife. "Where are we?" Applejack rubbed her eyes, "Looks like the Everfree." "No, it can't be..." Twilight shook her head, "The fauna is completely different. We must be in the Canterlot Woods. That tree is indigenous to this area." She turned to the Doctor, expecting him to smile, but was surprised to see a frown instead. "That was... surprisingly easy," he mumbled and adjusted his fez, "Why do I feel like I'm walking into a trap..." A group of somniumforms appeared from the trees. The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Come on!" he shouted. His deep voice resonated around the woods, "Do you really think you can stop me?! I'm the Oncoming Storm! I destroyed Skaro, home of the Daleks! I faced Suhtek and lived! You think you can stop me by stuffing me into your silly cages? Think again! I have lost the ability to tolerate you idiots, and I will NOT hold any anger back!" "We have orders to take you to our mistress, the Rani," one of the somniumforms spoke from under his hood, "Until then, I would advise you to hold your tongue." "Jalastrefoica," The somnuimform was slightly taken back, "How do you know my name?" "Because we will meet again," for the first time in a long time, the Doctor smiled. But it wasn't his usual grin. It was cold, and sadistic, "And on that day, I will kill you." ==== One second they were there, the next they weren't. This is the best way to describe the feeling of the Doctor's companions when they were transported to the TARDIS by the somniumforms. Of course, the Rani was waiting for them. "Alright, there is no time for games, Doctor," the Rani scowled, "I didn't anticipate for your TARDIS to be isomorphic. So I'm forced to use you as the driver." "I see," he said with a callous face, "And you naturally sent the ponies as hostages, did you not?" "Yes," "And yet another mistake," the Doctor opened his mouth wide, and bellowed: "Activate command 1342, and bring the ship 0.4 times 10 to the power of 10000000000 kilometres above sea level!" The TARDIS automatically activated, the VWORPP noise swirled around the console room, and faded away. Much to Twilight's surprise, she didn't fade with it. "Doctor! What's goin-" was all she could manage say before the TARDIS completely materialized. "That jerk left us here!" Rainbow growled, quite understandably, as she figured out that her only home faded along with the aliens, "Great! Now we're stuck a thousand years before we're even born!!" "I'll never see Sweetie Belle again!" Rarity cried. "My family!" Applejack cried out, "The farm!" "Doctor..." Twilight's vision became blurry, and she felt a wet sensation dripping down her tear glands. She rubbed the tears from her face, and stared into the sky. ==== "What's going on?" The Rani demanded. "Oh, I assigned command 1342 to materialize the TARDIS without any previous inhabitants, excluding myself of course," the Doctor explained, smugly smirking. "Well what about me?" The Rani asked, "I was here when I kidnapped you during your sixth regeneration." "The TARDIS was destroyed, and rebuilt. And destroyed again," the Doctor stroked the machine, "I simply made it so that only inhabitants of this variation of the TARDIS are left behind. So, you have no more hostages." "Doctor..." "Not now, Starswirl, I'm bu-," he stopped mid-sentence, "Oh.. dear..." The somniumforms quickly grabbed Starswirl, and the Rani aimed a gun at him. "Now, pilot the TARDIS, Doctor," she gripped the gun's handle in her telekinesis magic, "Or this stallion will feel more pain then you will imagine. Not kill. Just slowly torture." The Doctor sighed, and pulled a switch in the TARDIS console, sending them back in time. "I hope you don't mind I make pot of tea." ==== The Rani watched the Doctor impatiently as he made tea. Starswirl had been gagged, a clothe covering his mouth and nose. The Doctor poured a pot of boiling water into a kettle, allowing the flavour of the leaves fuse with the drink. He added two scoops of white powder in the pot, and brought it to the TARDIS console room. Carefully, but not to obviously, he put it on a pressure pad on the console itself. "Now take us to the beginning of time, Doctor," the Rani ordered, "And let the destruction of reality begin!" "About that..." the Doctor smirked, "I really disagree with it." He lifted the tea kettle and began pouring it into the cup. A hissing sound was heard. A virus spread across the chamber. Taken by surprise, the somniumforms succumbed to the sickness. Their bodies quickly decomposed as they died. A small group managed to teleport away. One of them, Jalast, stared at the Doctor with such anger, and contempt. The Rani fell down as well, coughing and coughing. She looked at the Doctor, pouring the tea as those around him died. But there was one thing she could do. She knocked the tea pot out of his hand. It shattered on the floor, and the liquid spilled everywhere. She crawled away, disappearing in the TARDIS corridors. "NO!!" he shouted. He turned his head to Starswirl, who was also starting to fall victim to the virus, only having survived this long thanks to the gag. He had put an immune system enhancer in the tea, it having looked like sugar. And now he only had enough for one. The Doctor knew what he had to do. ==== Octavia was thinking about her life right now. She had just recently made friends with the local disc jockey of Ponyville. She was a nice pony, if a bit of a neat freak. She would never see her again. She got a new cello, which had cost her 500 bits. The destroyers of the original were all standing around her. She would never see that again. The Doctor. Now, those eighteen months seem like a waste of time. And she wouldn't see him again. "Ugh!" Octavia kicked the ground, "If only we could do something!" At that very moment, a great ball of fire fell from the sky. "What in tarnation?!" Applejack's mouth went ajar. "It's the Doctor!" Pinkie jumped in the air, "Yippee!" The ball of fire continued to fall. It was now only one kilometre away. "Is it me... or is he..." Twilight's eyes grew wide, "OUT OF THE WAY!" The TARDIS crashed on the ground, leaving a large crater on the streets of Canterlot. Many pedestrians were quite reasonably shocked. And then the doors swung open. And the Doctor and Starswirl walked out. "Hello, Twilight," the Doctor genuinely smiled for the first time in the whole adventure. She ran towards him, and squeezed him in a tight hug. "How do you feel, Starswirl?" he asked sympathetically after the hug was through, "Are you alright?" "My head's a little woozy... I can barely remember anything that happened," Starswirl scratched his head in frustration, "I vaguely remember a cup a tea..." The Doctor looked away from the group, who were chatting excitedly. He looked at his hand, and saw it glowing. It's begun. ==== Many light years away, a group of sick and weak somniumforms lived on a planet called Clom. They had made a reputation of themselves, the Clomians even started to call them the 'dream men'. They were the subject of fear in the planet. But one of the dream men waited, paranoid and scared, of the day that the Doctor promised to kill him. But what if the Doctor never met him? That's when Jalast realized what he had to do. He, and the rest of the group must find and kill the purple unicorn, before she discovers her true powers, and brings the end of the universe. ==== Almost a thousand years after the events of the crash, there was a test subject. A test subject in a secret facility known as DAEL. "Sir!" a guard barked, "Test subject 15 wishes for a journal and a pencil." "Why?" another guard asked. "Well, sir, he has memories that are not his. He says he wants to write them down." "Interesting... and which one is test subject 15?" "He was our first successful splicing operation," the first guard explained, "The whitecoats added the tissue of the brain of another specimen into his. The tissue seems to have rebuilt itself, and taken over the test subject's own brain." "Really?" the second guard was taken by surprise, "What was this specimen?" "We don't know. He escaped a long time ago. All that the records tell us is that he had two hearts." TS15 listened to the two behind his chamber door. Random, unfamiliar memories came to his mind. One of the most terrible is a breakout of all the creatures in the building. But all he could do was wait. ==== Braeburn walked through Appleloosa, appreciating that no more metallic aliens have attacked the town in a while. It was nice and peaceful. He still had a chunk of the Cybermat as a reminder of his adventure. VWOORP... VWOORP... "Doctor?" Braeburn gulped. This couldn't be good. "Hello, Braeburn," the Doctor smiled weakly, "Long time, no see." "No offence, Doctor," Braeburn said worryingly, "But why are you here? There ain't any more aliens, are there?" "No, no, no..." he held out his hand, holding the Stetson that Braeburn gave him two months back, "I came to return this." "My hat?" he took it back, "Oh, no, this was a gift- Doctor?" VWOORP... VWOORP... He smiled as he watched the TARDIS dematerialize. He put his hat back on, and continued with his walk in the beautiful Appleloosa. ==== Guardian smiled. After the destruction of DAEL HQ, he finally achieved his dream of a being a park ranger. There was nothing more satisfying then watching over such a beautiful plot of land. The litterbugs could be a bit tidier, but other than that, it was a perfect job. The park he worked at was also close by the mysterious Everfree Forest. Although... he still missed that unicorn. That brilliant, beautiful unicorn. But before he could dwell on it for long, his focus shifted onto a piece of paper. More litter? No... it was a message... It read: Come back to this place tomorrow at 7:00 AM ==== VWOORP... VWOORP... THUNK "Ponyville," the Doctor sniffed, "End of the line." "Ah! There's no place like home!" Applejack laughed, relieved to have gotten back home. Everypony laughed. They couldn't help it. "I feel so bad for Starswirl though," Fluttershy whispered, "He must be devastated..." "Don't worry, Fluttershy," Twilight consoled, "He has a great life. He finds a wife, and starts a family. He also grows that goatee out a bit more." The Doctor coughed, and a burst of yellow light escaped his mouth. Thankfully, nobody noticed. "Well... I'll be off..." he said, and re-entered the TARDIS. He frowned. The crash had heavily damaged it, and it looked like it was in need of repair. "Not so fast!" Twilight stopped him, "Not without saying goodbye." The Doctor frowned once more. Goodbyes did not settle well with him. Finally, he managed it. "Alright, Twilight," he nodded, "Goodbye." "You know... I used to have a crush on you," she admitted, not being able to hold it in any longer, "I don't think you seemed to notice." "I... um... oh," the Doctor awkwardly scratched his head, "I... well..." "It's alright, Doctor," Twilight laughed, "You probably weren't the best at reading emotions." "Nope," he shook his head, "Well, since I finally said it... I'll be off." "Hang on!" Octavia ran to the Doctor, "I ain't being left behind this time!" The Doctor patted Octavia on the back. "Alright then," he said, "Come on, Octavia," before going back into the TARDIS, he turned back to Twilight. "Are you sure you don't want to come along?" "I want to go, I really do..." Twilight looked back at her friends, "But I can't. I have a responsibility to my friends. Who knows. Maybe Discord could break loose and we'll need to stop him." "Actually..." Fluttershy started to say, "Um... I'll explain later." "Anyway... the point still stands," Twilight shook the Doctor's hand, "I'm needed here." The Doctor seemed a little saddened by this, but accepted it. "Alright," he walked to the TARDIS, "Time's a wasting." ==== The next day, at 7:00 AM, Twilight went to the Ponyville park. She was missing a whole year, and the donations were a lot more generous then the last year's. Since it was such a beautiful day, she sat down on the benches, and read under the sunlight. "Ms. Sparkle?" Twilight's eyes widened as she heard the familiar accent. "Guardian? Is that you?" "It has certainly been a while, Ms. Sparkle!" The two started to chat. And an old friendship was rekindled. ==== The TARDIS was in a terrible state. The pillar was cracked, buttons were missing from the console, and rubble was everywhere. The Doctor was in the TARDIS command room, and assigned it to rebuild itself as soon as they left it. As soon as he was finished though, his hand felt another jolt of pain, causing him to drop his tools. As he bent over to pick it up, he found a piece of paper. Dear Doctor, I saw you put the steroid in the tea. I knew what you were up to. And I survived. You must have forgotten that I was a unicorn. I still have my powers of teleportation. Until we meet again, The Rani. "Clever little, AHH!" The Doctor cried out in pain. Octavia heard this, and rushed toward his side. "What's wrong?!" she asked desperately. "Do... you remember... that I killed the somniumforms?" "Yes?" "I.... used a virus..." his voice became weaker, "The last of the cure... I gave to Starswirl..." "No! Doctor!" Octavia panicked. He couldn't die! Not like this! He fell limp, and his breath turned into a loud silence. Octavia started to cry. She opened her eyes to look at the Doctor once more and... The body was glowing... and glowing.... and glowing... And his entire body was engulfed in the blinding light. And in his place... was a much older looking man, with blonde hair. He grinned. "Hello again!" Blank SlateDid anyone actually like this dumbass fanfic? I remember always thinking that the phrase fanfic was derogatory. Meant for schlock 'n' shit 'n' stuff. And I always looked at my writings with too much respect to see them as fanfics. And I just called it a fanfic. I called it a fanfic THOUSANDS of times before as well. I lost ALL respect towards this... insult to the literary world. I vowed I'd never write another chapter. YET HERE WE ARE. POSTING A NEW CHAPTER. YIPPEE KAY YAY, MUTHA FUC-oh wait, this was rated Teen. I can't curse here what the sh-I MEAN POOP. I don't know why I decided to post this chapter online. It's dull. It's padded. It's not subtle. It's melodramatic. Basically what 'Dr. Who' is today. And I am definitely never going to post anything again for this so called story. Here you go. God, I work on a billion other things that I really like, but it's this stuff that get's 20 followers? Justice is blind as Scotty. Y'know, at the end of Evil Dead? Or Elle Driver at the end of Kill Bill, if you prefer that movie. ANYWAY HERE YOU GO DOCTOR WHO, THE EQUESTRIAN CHRONICLES CONTINUES! Imagine that you were in a box that was bigger on the inside. Now imagine that that box was filled with endless corridors, and the only being that you knew that could navigate it was an drowsy alien. This might help you understand how helpless Octavia felt after her new friend, the Doctor, died, glowed, and came back to life with in a new body. "Doctor!" Octavia shook the alien. His entire body seemed to be different. It was old and a bit wrinkled on the forehead, and his hair changed from dark spiky brown crown, to a lighter shaded blonde mop. "What happened?" she asked herself. He was an alien, and he said that he was dying. Could he have made a new body for himself? How could that even be possible? She looked around the corridor she was in. Where exactly was she? The corridor she was in started to shift, and contort. The phrase she was about to utter was filled with confusion, fear, and the same frustration one might get from trying to solve a complex puzzle. "What is going on?!" Meanwhile, the Doctor was facing some problems of his own: Post Regeneration Crisis. "Oh..." he moaned. He rubbed his head, hoping to ease the pain that was bounding in his brain. And then, he realized it. "My... my hair!" the Doctor quickly ran his fingers through his hair. It felt much more wiry than he remembered. He pulled a lock of the hair to his eyes, "It's blonde! Wasn't it..." He couldn't remember that he was going to say. What would that even mean? What kind of hair colour would he have had before? "Why can't I remember!" the Doctor shouted into the air in frustration. He had vague memories of a man in a blue suit with a Stetson hat. But the harder he tried to think, the more fuzzy the vision became. "Doctor!" a grey mare trotted towards him, having heard his shouting. She held up his limp head in her hoof, "Is... is that you?" "I'm not quite sure, Rose," the Doctor shook his head, "I... I don't know who I am..." "Rose?" Octavia shook her head, "I should never mind that, you seem sick... are you feeling alright?" She didn't get her answer, as the Doctor slumped back, unconscious once again. Was it him? Octavia started to become suspicious. The Doctor said he was dying... and then he blew up, and then he changed bodies. Maybe... He rebuilt his body? Is that possible? Maybe. All she knew about him was that he was an alien. It's quite possible. She shook her head. No, this is not the time. It would be better to get back to the console. Maybe then she could wrap her hear around everything. Hang on... wasn't this hallway different? She distinctly remembered being disgusted with the original walls. A mossy green. Now it turned... grey? Red? The longer she looked at it, the more it shifted. Octavia turned around, and checked if the Doctor was still behind her. He wasn't. "Ughhhh...," A man groaned. As he stumbled around a strange hall, he tried to remember who he was, what he was doing in the place that he was, and what the hell was going on. A small glimmer of remembrance sparkled, but to no avail. Doc... something. Doctor? Was he a doctor of medicine? Psychology? Or was he just a quack with a phony license? ...tor Fore... The second part of the name came back, yet the harder he tried to remember, the blunter the memory became. "Who am I?" His voice bounced around the room. The man fell to his knees. "WHO AM I!!!" He felt hopeless, utterly lost, and was having a sudden craving for a plate of fish and chips. The man continued to walk, and took a left. Grandfather! What was that? He turned to see who was calling him, only to see a long empty hallway, going straight into darkness. He kept on moving. Then he stopped. "What in the name of Suhtek?" he whispered. He distinctly remembered taking a left... or was it a right? It would depend on the direction of the point of view, wouldn't it? ... Right. It would be better to focus on the matter at hand. He cracked his knuckles, and went forward to where he heard the voice, hoping to understand why the halls of this maze of corridors kept on shifting. And one more thought went through his mind. "Who's Suhtek?" he asked himself. "Doctor?" Octavia called out for the nth time. She had already lost count, and was getting tired. She looked up to the ceiling. A rectangular light fixture hung down, stabilized by metal rods. She closed her eyes. When she felt rejuvenated and motivated, she got up, and got ready to continue her quest. "OH, COME ON!" she screamed, as she saw that the light fixture was gone. Light was now being supplied by circular domes surrounding the grey-red walls. Fairly enough, she started to kick the walls of the infernal machine. Then she heard a noise. Octavia stared at the wall, and saw an archway split open. The archway opened to a new hallway. "Is it trying to tell me something?" she asked to no one in particular. The man walked aimlessly in the endless maze. He could barely keep his eyes open. He was utterly exhausted. But then, something of interest caused him to open his eyes in surprise. "Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the Fourth Dimension? Have you? To be exiles? Susan and I are cut off from our own planet ..." The voice trailed off and faded away, but was still fresh in his memory. He told that to... Chaterton! Or something like that. There was a room. It was all white, almost blindingly so. And in the centre of the room was a mannequin. The mannequin was wearing a old black jacket, grey pants, a white button up shirt, and a silver vest. A ribbon black tie was wrapped around the neck of the collar. "What's this?" the man frowned. There was another display. A thin cane, knotted and twisted in the middle. He remembered... he had bad knees... He needed a cane to walk... And he remembered. He was a time lord! He was travelling with his granddaughter, and they picked up her teachers as stowaways! "Where is that Ian?" he said out loud, "Susan, my dear?" Oh yeah... Susan left the TARDIS... "I... what's happening?" "Isn't it obvious, my boy?" An old man walked into view. "You are suffering post regeneration crisis," he sniffed, "And you are acting quite unruly. I cannot believe you came from me. Though there will be twelve lives in between, and every one of them more rude and uncouth then the last. Especially the one with the spiky hair." "Who the hell are you?" the man asked. "I am a holographic replication of your original self," the old man explained, "And with the confusion you're going through, you'll need all the help you can get, I'm afraid." Octavia looked around the newly opened corridor. "What the hell is going on around here?" she asked to herself. She was obviously beginning to make a habit of it. Regardless, Octavia walked on, trying to find her way out. And walked. And walked. And walked. And just to add some difference to the pace of the endless tunnels, she started running, and found a door. Octavia opened it, and found a round, wide window. The window looked into blackness, and nothingness. And then it started to shimmer, and faded to something else. A colourfully dressed man, that looked like he was of the same species of the Doctor, was talking to another one. It looked like it was female, having similar traits to female of her own species. No audio came from the window, but the man was obviously very angry at the girl. And then... he started talking to her in a very accusative manner... and started to choke her to death. "Oh lord..." Octavia was horrified. Who would do something like this? The screen shimmered again. The image formed to that of an old man, about to smash another's head with a rock. Again, another man, with curly white hair, snapping the neck of his victim. A callous man with a hat, walking with an umbrella, as a building behind him blows up to ashes. "What are you showing me?" Octavia asked the TARDIS, "I know you have some amount of sentiency... Who is that?!" The screen shifted to a man, clad in a strange, black material, watching as a planet dissolves, and suddenly vanishes. Another man, watching, with explosions all around him, and a large red creature screaming in agony. A man shouting, scaring a whole army. "Who are these people?" Octavia was shaken. And a final video came. The Doctor, the proper Doctor, when he tortured the Nestene consciousness. And she finally understood at last. When the Doctor died, he got a new body. And these people, who murdered and destroyed. They were the Doctor. She was even more scared of him now then she ever was before. "Original self?" the Doctor asked, "How?" "Like I said, my boy, I am just a hologram, built out of old recorded video and audio files," the First doctor explained, "I you listen, you can hear where my voice jumps." "Oh..." the Doctor nodded in understanding. Then he realised that he didn't understand it one bit, "But why are you going through such measures? I don't think my past lives needed this." "It's because of what you were doing before you regenerated," the First Doctor said, shaking his computer generated head, "You really should have been more careful, my boy. The TARDIS needs to get you ready before you go off driving it." "I was... repairing the TARDIS!" the Doctor realized, groaning in frustration. The memories were still coming back to him, "It's... making new corridors! And I had a companion! Ace-" "Octavia," "Octavia's lost in the TARDIS!" the Doctor exclaimed, fixing his mistake, "But how are we going to find her?" "Easily done," the First Doctor gestured to a wall, which then protruded a screen. The screen showed clips, an old man going into a TARDIS with his granddaughter, meeting her teachers, going on adventures, meeting ancient races, and evil creatures that do nothing but kill, saving planets, and drinking cocoa. "All that..." the Doctor stammered, "Is that... me? It is! The French revolution! The Sensorites! The Aztecs! I remember it all!" "Yes," the First Doctor nodded, "It acts like a large infostamp. The memories you lost, are now replaced. You will be lead to the next infostamp room, which has the exploits of one horridly childish man." "Well, thanks for that," a wall opened to the Doctor's left. He assumed it was to the next infostamp. He bowed and said, "Until we meet again." "I think that's very unlikely," the first Doctor laughed, "But, I return the gesture all the same." The Doctor went to the next room, meeting his second life. He kept going and going, past the tall, big teethed man with a scarf long enough to strangle a daemon, a rather quiet man dressed suspiciously like Wild Bill Hitchock, to finally a man in a dark, leather jacket. "And... who are you?" he asked. "I'm your ninth incarnation," the man answered. The man grinned, one side of his face crinkling. He held his arms cross, as if he were telling the universe that he wasn't scared. "Nine, eh?" the Doctor grinned, "Looks like I'm the lasted in a long line." "Yeah," he chuckled, " Seems like we're always sticking our necks for those bloody apes. Ah well." "So... anything to tell me?" "Yes," Nine pointed to another screen, which quickly showed the events of Nine's life, his cruise on Platform One, his friend Rose, the Van Stattson Museum, and finally his death. "And... is that all?" the Doctor stared at the screen, expected more scenes to show up, "Seems like not much happened with you." "That's all there is," Nine said, pointing his arm towards the next door, "You should go." So the Doctor went on. "Why are you showing me this?" Octavia screamed. Finally, as the clips faded away, her response came. "Holographic projection, ready. Stock image; folder 'Octavia'. Downloaded. Stock found files. Downloaded" An 3-D image of herself was projected in the air. And then it started to speak. "This was an operation executed by the Doctor in his eighth life," she spoke. Octavia cringed from similarity, "He understood that the war he participated in would later come to effect his future decisions. Now the current is undergoing treatment." "What sort of treatment?" Octavia asked. She looked up and down the hologram reproduction of herself. It was perfect, to the colour of her fur, to the style of her hair. But was she really that round? "The Doctor needs to see infostamps of his previous lives. However, the Eighth Doctor made sure that any information that was associated with the Time War was removed," the hologram of herself was replaced with a new image. One of a orange planet, with dead creatures and demolished ruins of what looked like a cathedral. "Can't blame him for wanting to forget," Octavia agreed, "It's horrible!" "Now, he is completed," the wall next to her opened, leading to the console room. The room looked different, though. It was now grey with a red pillar, and bright lights illuminating from the roof. "Oo," she smiled at the sight, in spite of herself, "You're much nicer looking than before. I didn't really like that green look." The Doctor walked to the final room. "Hello." "Hello to you, too," he smiled sweetly to the Doctor, "You're the twelfth one, yes?" "Yeah," the Twelfth Doctor chuckled, "Didn't last very long, did I? If it weren't for that Rani... but I digress. That is what you're looking for, I assume?" He pointed at a screen. "Yes, yes it is," the Doctor peered into the screen, "Time's a wasting, Doctor! Play the reel!" And with that, the final clips of his life were played, and he was finally complete again. "That's it?" he asked, "Is it finally over?" "Not quite," the Twelfth Doctor said, "I believe that it's a tradition in our lives." A new door opened up. The Doctor walked through the doorway, and gasped. It was a wardrobe. He smiled as he rummaged through the different choices. OKAY! It's done. You can go home know. You know, it's interesting how much I hate this. I think I really just hate the guy who wrote this. THAT'S WRITE 2012 CHRIS, I'M CALLIN' YOU OUT! Oh wait, did I just reveal my real name? OH NO I BROKE THE ILLUSION. But seriously, I think with every megagram of HATE I get out of this... there is in fact a fondness to it. I... I really do like this. A nostalgic feeling of when I'd spend whole nights typing as fast as I could. Going nuts whenever my Mac would crash and I'd have to rewrite 60% of the story because I DIDN'T SAVE! I've lost those sweet, naïve days. I've become much more cynical. It's all part of growing up. I was 14. 3 years have passed. School's ending for me. I'll have to go to college and get a job and die. And I guess that's alright.
Shadows in the EverfreeIt was 7:00 in the morning, starting off like an average day. The day Twilight’s life was changed forever. “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!” she squealed like a school filly in her anticipation. For that day was Book Donation day. Book Donation day was, as the title might imply, was the day where thousands of new books would be donated to the Library for fresh reading material. Twilight ran as fast as her hooves could carry her, off to the post office. In this glorious day, Twilight would be able to read throughout the weekend, heck, maybe throughout the whole MONTH! What should I read first, the lavender unicorn pondered in her head, maybe a comedy, or a mystery novel! Oh, there are so many possibilities! ____________________________________ “One book?!” Twilight cried in disbelief. She levitated a worn out, flimsy book, “That’s all that was donated?” The wall-eyed pegasus mailmare nodded apologetically. “Sorry, but there’s always next month, right?” the mailmare replied in a cheerful tone, “But at least you can still read this one book,” “I guess you’re right” Twilight gave her a warm smile, and placed a few bits on the counter. Levitating the single book with her magic, she noticed a very old smell, like it was a piece of ancient literature. Instantly, her mind raced. What could be written here? Maybe it’s an old forgotten book of spells! Maybe it’s an antique novel that could be worth millions! With excitement rekindled in her heart, Twilight . When she stepped through the door, her Number One assistant immediately greeted her. “Hey, Twilight! How are the new …” Spike’s greeting was interrupted. “Hello, Spike!” Twilight greeted in response, as she ran through the door, “Can’t talk, new book!” Spike sighed, as he watched his caretaker go into her reading bench, knowing that when Twilight got a new book, wild manticores could stop her from reading. Hopefully she would finish the book by dinnertime. Spike thought irritably, to himself, as his stomach growled loudly. ____________________________________ Twilight looked upon the cover, where she just barely made out words in an almost illegible hoofwriting. A Journal of Creatures and Technology In the Universe. “It’s a journal?” Twilight flipped through the pages, filled with articles and hoofdrawn pictures, and a card fell out of the yellowed paper. “Go to pages 34 and 25,” She read, “Alright then.” Twilight read the first sentence on page 34 out loud. “The Vashta Nerada, the shadows that melt the flesh.” Twilight frowned, the book wasn’t really enjoyable and big disappointment. There was no story, no plot, no characters, no climax, nothing. Just gibberish on random, made-up creatures. She got up, placed the book, face down, on the bedside table, and yawned. It was about time to make dinner for herself and Spike. Twilight was just about to go to the kitchen, when some pony knocked on the door. Twilight’s ears perked up, because this kind of knock was a fast past one, and sounded a bit panic-y. When she opened the door, she found herself being hugged tightly by three trembling Cutie Mark Crusaders. “What’s wrong, girls?” Twilight demanded in a worried voice. Scootaloo was the first to answer. “W-we were t-trying to get our cutie marks and t-trekked through the Everfree with a guide. Th-then it got cold, and th-there w-as a shadow! It killed the guide!” “It ate ‘im! There was nothin’ but bones!” Applebloom sobbed. “A shadow?” Twilight eyes widened in surprise, “What was casting it?” “N-nothin’! Just a shadow!” She thought back to the book. Living shadow, just like the book said! “Where were you?” “Just outside the trail to the Everfree forest,” Twilight raced off to the spooky forest as fast as she could. How is this possible, She thought to herself, Right before this happened, I get a book that directs me to this living shadow things! Then Twilight reached the Everfree, and saw the most gruesome thing in her life. A skeleton of a pony, with all of his flesh stripped off him. Twilight let out a scream. "Oh, sweet Celestia!" Her scream eventually died off, but the feeling of terror still lingered in her soul. Her scream seemed to alert something in the forest. The leaves on the trees rustled, and something moved in the bushes. She thought of investigating, to see if it was something hostile. If it was, she could use her magic against it, right? But she immediately remembered something written in the Journal, in the entry about the Vashta Nerada. There’s nothing you can do. Just run. Could it be? Could these shadows be the Vashta Nerada? Could the book donation be a warning? Or could it be a prank? No, Twilight finally decided, there can’t be creatures smaller than a speck of dust, yet eat like a parasprite. As if on cue, a bird swooped down from the sky, into the darkness under the tree branches. Instantly, the bird’s bones collapsed onto the ground and landed right in front of Twilight’s hooves. Gasping, the frightened unicorn backed away from the dark forest. Then the shadows started to move. She tried concentrate, tried to use her magic, but the fear of death from those things took her focus away. Once again, Twilight remembered the advice from the book. She chose to follow it this time. Running hasn’t been Twilight forte. But apparently, being chased by living shadows that could eat her skin off in just seconds helps. But it didn’t help enough. I’m almost safe!, Twilight encouraged herself as Ponyville came into view. I’m going to make it! Pain shot up her back leg. Staying inside her library was a great way to exercise mentally, but not so much physic ally. Of course she would get a cramp now of all times. Exhausted, Twilight collapsed onto the grassy field below her hooves. She shut her eyes and waited for her doom. Whooosh, Whooooosh Twilight opened her eyes in surprise. Instead of the darkness she expected, she saw something blue. A blue box. But something stranger then happened. The doors of the box opened, and something popped its head out. It was a tall biped, like a pony standing on its hind legs. It wore clothes all over its body, except for its head and it’s claws. He wore a beige cape, a blue suit with a red tie and matching red hoof gear. The head was completely lacking of any fur, besides a spiky, brown mane. “Oh, hello!” the creature gave her a grin. It seemed to have a... Trottingham accent? “Why’re you running like that?” “What in the name of Celestia are you!” Twilight yelled at the thing. “I’m a time lord,” it explained impatiently, “but you still haven’t answered my question. Why are you running like that??” “Shadows! Forest! Running!” Twilight tried to warn it while gasping for air. The ‘time lord’ seemed to understand. “Ooooh, Vashta Nerada! I haven’t seen those for some time! I think it was in my tenth or ninth regeneration. Or both.” The Time Lord turned back to Twilight, “Come on! Come with me if you want to live!” “What?” Twilight demanded. She understood little of the words that the Time Lord had spoken, but enough to know that he was crazy. Still, some shelter is better than no shelter. Twilight obliged to the Time Lord’s instructions and stepped into the small box. Warning! Cliché moment here Twilight ran inside the box, and gasped. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head, upon realization of the box’s interior. “It’s bigger on the inside!” She blurted. “Aaahh,” the Time Lord sighed contently, “That never gets old!” “How is this possible?” Twilight ran around the machine’s floor, eyes and horn searching for answers. “Welcome to the T.A.R.D.I.S, Time and Relative Dimension in Space” He smiled. “The amount of magic used to fit the inside in the outside would leave a ton of magical residue!” Twilight said, inquiringly, “How did you do it?” “Magic?” It was the Time Lord’s eyes turn to widen, “You have magic here?” “Of course we have magic,” Twilight answered in her ‘that is the dumbest question I have ever heard’ voice, “Are you from another planet?” “Yep” The Time Lord replied with a smirk, “Anyway, where were you headed?” “Ponyville, 10 feet Northeast.” Twilight told him, “But how can we get there when the Vashta Nerada are-“ “Closest civilization?” “Ponyville, but why-“ “Alright then!” the Time Lord suddenly hollered, pulling multiple levers and buttons, and then turned to Twilight, “What’s your name?” “T-t-twilight,” “Okay, Twilight, I’m the Doctor” The Doctor grinned, “Time’s a-wasting!” “Doctor? Doctor who?!” “Just the Doctor.” The T.A.R.D.I.S. started vibrate, as the Doctor pushed some more buttons at random, and a noise filled the room Whooosh, Whooooosh, Whooosh, Whooooosh “You can step out now,” the Doctor informed her. “But… the shadows,” Twilight objected, “They’re still out there!” “Trust me,” Somehow getting consolation from the Doctors words, Twilight stepped outside the doors of the T.A.R.D.I.S. And found herself in the middle of Ponyville. “That’s not possible,” Twilight muttered to herself. She rushed back for an explanation. “How could we have moved?” Twilight frantically tried to find a way this magical box worked. “It’s all very simple. You see, in time and space there is something like a tunnel, a wormhole. My people built it to travel throughout the universe, in anytime, anyplace. So, using that tunnel, we teleported from that area to this one.” Twilight froze. “You said ‘time’” she realized, “That box can also travel through time!” “Yep” the Doctor answered. “You might think that time is a direct line of changing events. It’s actually a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey, stuff.” Twilight opened her mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say. He’s as impossible as Pinkie Pie! She thought. “Right! So we’re gonna have to investigate! So I need to blend into the surrounding. Don’t want attract to much attention. SO! Where is it, where is it? AHA! Here it is! The full body perception filter! Do you mind if I scan you?” “What?” Twilight was surrounded by a blue light, and when the light dissipated, she was standing in front of a pony version of the Doctor wearing a more equine version of his clothes. “Ahhhh, the full body perception filter! Scan someone else’s body template, and put it on like a brand new suit! Best part, it fits perfectly!” “Doctor, I don’t understand-“ “Right! Time’s a-wasting! Let’s go meet,” the Doctor said with a grin, “the Vashta Nerada.” ____________________________________ “Good, good,” the Doctor muttered to himself, “Very good. No sign of the Vashta Nerada. That means that Ponyville is most likely uninfected, so-” “Umm, Doctor?” Twilight interrupted, “What’s that flashlight-whistle thing you’re around?” “Oh, this old thing?” he smiled, waving a gold tube, with a blue bulb and a helix design at the end. The other end was made of some sort of rubbery grip, a material she had never laid eyes on before. “It’s just a screwdriver. A sonic one.” “Sooo, a sonic screwdriver” “That’s what it’s called!” “How does it work?” Twilight knew it was a bad idea to ask the Doctor about these kinds of things, but her curiosity got the best of her. “It’s simple, really,” he began to explain, “it’s telepathically linked with me, so I have to do, is point it at something, think, and press the button. You can’t see it because of the perception filter, but I’m pushing it now with my fingers.” Then the Doctor activated the screwdriver as a demonstration, and looked and the tiny screen on the back. “Off the charts! I haven’t seen these readings since…” his voice trailed off. “But what could be causing it?” Twilight asked “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! Who are you? Are you new to Ponyville? What’s that? Where’d you come from? How ‘d you get here? What do you do for a living?” a certain pink pony greeted. “Hello! I’m the Doctor, yes, the sonic screwdriver, Gallifrey, T.A.R.D.I.S., nothing” the Doctor replied without hesitation. “You’re new!? OHMYGOSH! Now we can have a Welcome to Ponyville party, and you can make LOTS of new friends, because if you’re new, that means you don’t know anypony, and that means that you’re lonely. So that gave me the idea for a PARTY TONIGHT!!” “Sorry, Pinkie, but I don’t have time for a party tonight. Saving the universe and all that. And if I defeat these aliens in my usual time, let’s say, 40 minutes, and that will give me only a few hours to get ready, and I’m a mess when it comes to getting ready for things in this regeneration, not to mention still not ginger. So, can we make it tomorrow night? Thanks!” and with that, he ran off, scanning more shadows with the screwdriver. “Wow,” Pinkie remarked before walking away, “What a weirdo.” After about five minutes of searching, the Doctor came back to Twilight “What’s the verdict, Doctor?” Twilight asked “Well, the good news is that none of the shadows in Ponyville are the Vashta Nerada,” the Doctor grinned nervously. “I’m assuming that there’s bad news.” Twilight sighed. “Of course there’s bad news! There’s always bad news,” the Doctor retorted, “the bad news is… their coming.” Twilight looked over to the Everfree. Shadows were pouring out like spilled ink on paper. Large quantities of the Vashta Nerada quickly slithered to Ponyville. And darkness fell. “Oh my Celestia!” “It’s night time!” “This is Nightmare Moon all over again!” “What’s happening, Doctor?” “The shadows are engulfing Ponyville, like a quilt.” The usual cheeky grin was wiped from his face, replaced with a solemn expression, “I don’t think I can help you this time.” “What!” Twilight shouted in disbelief, “But you must help us! You’re the only pony who can!” “WELL HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL!!” the Doctor suddenly shouted. By then, the screams of the dying ponies could be heard. He was on the brink of crying. “I find a species without war or genocide. A peaceful race. And what do I do? I bring nothing but death!” When I was a little filly and the sun was going down... “Huh?” his head shot up. Was that singing? The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown I'd hide under my pillow From what I thought I saw But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way To deal with fears at all She said: Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall Learn to face your fears You'll see that they can't hurt you Just laugh to make them disappear Ha! Ha! Ha! And at the last word, the sun shined again, the Vashta Nerada vanishing in a poof. There was no evidence of the previous attack, aside from a few bones. “What?” the Doctor asked to nopony in particular. “That was Pinkie’s laughter song. I guess it vanished the Vashta Nerada, somehow.” Twilight informed him. “No, that’s literally impossible. The Vashta Nerada can’t be killed, and…” the Doctor turned to Twilight, “Where’s Pinkie?” They found Pinkie Pie was laying on the ground, almost sleeping. Her breathing in a steady pace. The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, and used it to scan Pinkie’s body. “It can’t be…” “Can’t be what Doctor?” “Twilight, there are these creatures who are born in space, floating around until they find a host family. They have very strong psychic powers.” “Twilight… I think Pinkie is a Tenza” To be continued
The Mystery of Pinkie Pie"Tenza?" Twilight gaped, "Are you saying that Pinkie isn't pony?" "Exactly," the Doctor replied. "But how can she not be a pony?" Twilight couldn't understand, "I know that she can be a little crazy, but I ran tests on her when I tried to figure out her Pinkie Sense, and she is defiantely equine!" "You see, the Tenza's are born in space, and find host families to take care of them. They come equipped with biological perception filters to wipe out inconsistencies of their lives out of their family's memory. When the Tenza feels frightened about something, they can use their powers to remove it. In this case, it's Pinkie's laughing song. That's an interesting thought. People say that laughter is the best medicine. So in this case it's true! Anyway…" He was interrupted be a gasp. "I…I'm not equine?" The two tuned to see that the pink pony they were talking about. "No!" Twilight denied, "Don't listen to him! He's insane!" "You're lying!" Pinkie was suddenly angry, "I always knew that I was a freak! That something was wrong with me!" When Pinkie spoke those words, the colors of her fur started to darken, and her mane deflated. She then ran off, through Ponyville's market place, brushing off the cheering ponies that had miraculously survived the Shadows. "Hey! Watch it!" a dark red pegasus growled as Pinkie bumped into him, Shut up!" Pinkie snapped back, all cheerful tones in her voice gone. "Well, why don't you make me?" the Pegasus sneered. "Ha, HA, HA" At the last 'ha', the pegasus began changing. His dark red coat suddenly changed to white, and his body started becoming rectangular. "No! No! NOOoooo!" the pegasus' screams became muffled as he formed into a pillow-like creature. The ponies around him gasped and backed away. "No! Please!" Pinkie pleaded, "Come back!" Despite these pleas, the ponies started to panic. They ran around in fear that they would also get converted into some obscure inanimate object. They became half pony, and partially transformed. The converted ponies had cold, blank stares, which seemed to look into nothingness. They wore disturbing, skeleton-like grins on their faces. The body was shaped in the way of a diamond dog's. The fore legs were bulky and the hind legs looked strong and agile, perfect for running and catching victims. The pillow, as Pinkie started crying, got up, and touched another pony. Upon the touch, the pony's coat became metallic, and shrunk, until transforming into what appeared to be a bucket of turnips. There was chaos. Objects were jumping about, transforming everything in their way. Its not fair, Pinkie thought to herself, Why can't they just stay still and be friends? She looked down and started crying. But she remembered. When she created Rocky and the others, they had been her friends. Would these things be her friends as well? "Hello, Monsieur Pillow!" Pinkie greeted cheerfully, while giving and eye twitch, " Would you like to have a party?" "Oui! J'adore les fetes!" the pillow replied. "Yes! I love parties! We should have one right now!" Pinkie's eye began to twitch some more. "We should invite everypony in Ponyville!" "Run, everypony, RUN!" a panicked pony screamed. "Oh, no you don't!" Pinkie shouted demonically. With a stomp of a hoof, four walls shoot up from the ground, caging Ponyville. "We're going to party, forever, and ever, and ever!" Pinkie laughed a crazed laugh. "Doctor, what are we going to do?," Twilight asked nervously. "What I always do." He smiled. "Try to save the world." ==== "Alright, Twilight!" the Doctor grinned. "You got a plan?" "Me?!" Twilight demanded, frustrated, "You're the Time Lord!" "That's just a name, it doesn't mean I know what I'm doing," he explained, "So, the powers of Tenzas tend to be powered by their fear. SO! What does Pinkie fear? "She isn't scared of anything really," Twilight thought audibly, "When she is, she just-" "Giggles at the ghostie," he smiled, "That would explain why she laughed at the ponies, turning them to obscure items. Did you noticed how this all had happened after discovering that Pinkie is a Tenza. She became darker, and her mane got all flatty. Not sure if that's a word. Yes it is. No its not." "So, now what do we do?" Twilight asked impatiently. "First, we run. Run, run, run, run, and run. Then need to know more about Pinkie's background. That way I can find out why she's freaking out like that. C, I save Ponyville and everyone in it, and we can have a great big party! Maybe we can get some fezzes, because fezzes are cool. I hope you're getting this down." "So where to now?" "Off to the TARDIS!" the Doctor answered "B…but that's all the way across town!" she protested "Looks like we've got a lot of running to do, then! ALSO, don't let them touch you, unless you wish to get turned into one of those things." Despite his randomness, and the danger they were in, Twilight couldn't help but smile as she ran long with that mad pony. The two ponies ran, until stopping at a construction zone for breath. The construction zone had nothing but the skeleton of the building, and a few cranes filled with supplies. "Look's like a good enough place to take a pit stop as any," the Doctor informed, without any sign of exhaustion on his face. "Aren't, pant, you, gasp, the least bit, pant, tired?" "Two hearts. Count 'em. This is just a light jog for me" Catching her breath, Twilight stepped forward. "Are you sure it's safe?" She asked worriedly. "Of course it's safe, why wouldn't it be safe?" he responded. Party party party "Well, well, well, look who it is," the Doctor greeted, "The Servants of Pinkie. Servants of Pink? How about the Pink Servants? OOO, I've got it! Pinkantians! Twilight, from now on, call this guys Pinkantians. So what brings you here?" Party party party "A party, huh, well, sorry to disappoint you, but, I have a lot to do. Like run for my life. And besides, aren't you busy with that lumber?" The Doctor lifted his foreleg, and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the cranes above. The sonic vibrations tampered with the inner workings of the cranes, causing them to drop their supplies… ...Right on top of the Pinkantians. "Ooo, that'll leave a mark," he winced before turning his head back to Twilight, "Alright, Twilight. Times a wasting! Now, RUN!" Twilight groaned in fatigue as she mustered enough strength into her legs to run more. And off they ran, until they arrived at the Magical box. "Good, now we're positively safe!" the Doctor said, beaming at the TARDIS interior. "Are you sure?" Twilight questioned, "Because that's what you said before, and those things attacked us!" "Number One, they're called Pinkantians. At least I think they should be. B;… wait, no,… Two, I lied to make you feel better." "What!" "Yep!" he replied cheerfully, "That's rule number one of traveling with me! The Doctor lies. However, the lies are usually bigger than that. You should get used to them if you want to travel with me." "And what makes you think I want to travel with you?" she protested. "I dunno," he said, while grinning his childish smile, "that's your decision." Twilight frowned, and decided to take a more detailed look around the TARDIS. The walls were moss green, and covered with glowing yellow bulbs. The floor was a shade of dark yellow. The controls of the ship was a hexagonal structure, golden, with an assortment of switches, levers, and buttons. In the center of that, there was a tall, bright blue cylinder of glass, holding a large pillar within. "So! Twilight, tell what you know about Pinkie's past." The Doctor asked. "Well, she grew up on a rockfarm…" she began to tell him the story of how Pinkie lived. He listened intently, not missing a detail. "-and then, because she said that she felt like a distraction, she moved to Ponyville. After tha-" Twilight was interrupted by the Doctor. "That's all I needed to know, thanks," he hesitated before resuming, "Looks like what Pinkie wants most is to be needed, to make friends through the parties she organizes. When she heard that she isn't a pony, she thought that she would be hated and discriminated. That's why she went crazy. And she used her powers to turn the other ponies into animate inanimate objects, God knows why." "And we just have to inform her that she's wanted, don't we?" "I'm afraid it isn't that simple, Twilight. You see, the foundation of Pinkie's fears was created waaaay back, if I'm correct," he thought for a while, "Okeedokee, we're going to have to know what happened. Ready?" "What do you mean by that?" "Oh, did I mention that this is a time machine?" the Doctor informed. "Oh my Celestia! A real time machine!" Twilight gasped in a manner that would put Rarity to shame. "Yeah, hence Time Lord," "So now what? How about fish and chips? See other planets? Or, my personal favorite, save some lives!" He pulled some levers, and the column in the center of the TARDIS started twirling. And there was a noise. Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh, thunk. "Can I go out now? Can I? Can I? Can I?" Twilight acted like a foal in a candy store for a new learning experience. "Come on, single file line! And stick around, you don't want to be stuck in the past, do you?" the Doctor warned. "Now, let's see, where are we," he saw a sign and his eyes widened. "You're strange, you ponies. Why would you farm rocks?" "Sssshhhh, there she is!" the Doctor turned his head where Twilight had pointed. He saw a young, pink filly with curly hair being berated by whom he guessed was her father. "Now, Pinkie, we don't have the time or money to have parties everyday!" he firmly stated, "And you can't hid our rocks and replace them with candy! Construction ponies need those rocks for cement!" "I'm sorry, papa," the filly sobbed, "it won't happen again." "A silly, random pony, living in a dull, serious rockfarm," the Doctor whispered to Twilight, "I can see why she always wants to make peo- ponies smile. Let's go." "Where are we going?" "We're going to do some rock inspection!" "What is that supposed to mean?" "I want to know the story from Pinkie's point of view," he explained, "So let's pay the Pies a little visit shall we?" "Hi, hello, so sorry to bother you," the Doctor pulled out a black wallet out from his pocket, "I'm, uuhhh, oh yeah, my name is Doctor Hooves, from the health and safety department of the Architectural Companies. This is, uh, Moonlight, my assistant." "Oh, hello. My name's Clyde Pie. I'm very sorry, but we weren't expecting an inspection, so I'm afraid that the farm is in a bit of a disarray" the tan coated earth pony apologized. "Oh, no problem at all," the Doctor responded, "I'm just stopping by, maybe have a chat with the kids." "Yes, sir," the tan pony gave a small nod, "I'll leave you to your business." "Alright, Twi-Moonlight, times a wasting!" And off he ran, excited by the thrill in the air, acting like a foal in a candy store. "Doctor? What are you doing?" Twilight asked, while the Doctor carried a strange device that beeped and had a satellite dish on the side, spinning around. "This is my psychic-detector," he describe, "It detects… psychic… stuff." "Where were you holding that?" "My pockets" Ding, ding, ding. "The detector detected something!" his eyes light up, "Let's go! This way!" "So how does this thing work?" "You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Anyway, Tenza's have a large quantity of psychic powers. The detector looks for the epicenter of the range of the power." "But I don't underst-" BEEP BEEP BEEP "IT DETECTED SOMETHING!" he hollered "THIS-A-WAY!" They ran across the farm, until bumping into a pink filly. "Hi!" she greeted "I'm Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Hello, I'm the Doctor, I'm here to ask you a few questions," the Doctor began, "And what's that little contraption you have there?" "It's my party blaster!" she replied, "I never leave home without it!" "Party blaster? I think party cannon sounds much better, don't you?" Twilight suggested. "Oh my gosh! That does sound better!" Pinkie was hopping up and down in excitement (as usual). "So, Pinkamena, what's the purpose of this party cannon?" "I store all of my party supplies in it, so I can shoot out parties whenever I want!" "And why do you need a party cannon in the first place?" "Because I LOVE parties!" she said gleefully. "But why do you love parties? Why are you doing this?" "Because…" "Is it because you want purpose? Because you feel useless in this boring environment? Because you want to make this place smile?" "Well, yes," Pinkie's voice became noticeably sadder and slower. "Thank you! That's all I needed to know! Also, your name, don't you think Pinkie Pie sounds better than Pinkamena?' "OOO! Good idea! Thanks!" every bit of energy returned to herself. "Where are we going now?" Twilight asked while the two walked off to the TARDIS. "We're going BACK to the Future!" there was a short awkward silence before he explained his joke, "That's a movie from where I'm from." "Yeah, I don't think now is the best time to make references to popular culture." Twilight huffed. "Oh, aren't you Ms Grumpy McGrumps Jr. from Grump town, Grump land today. Anyway, come on!" Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh, thunk. Squeak "HEY!" the Doctor roared, "CLYDE! GET OUT HERE!" The window of the barn opened up, revealing Clyde's older self. "What? Who's there? I may be old, but I got one heck of a throwing arm!" he roared. "Hello, Clyde!" the Doctor greeted neighborly. "Haven't aged a day! You've aged a LOT of days." "Eh? Who the hay are yah!" "It's me, Doctor Smith! What's that Twilight? Oh, yes, Doctor Hooves! That's my name!" he loudly hollered back before being whacked by Twilight's fore-hoof. "He's awake!" Twilight found herself yelling as well, "He can hear you JUST FINE!!" Nopony made a noise. Both stallions were too scared of the raging unicorn. Finally, the Doctor broke the silence. "Ahem, yeah, anyway," the Doctor began, "I'm that inspector you met a few years back, remember?" "Wha-, that was nearly 10 years ago!" "Yeaaahh, I lost track of time," the Doctor apologized, "Good news! Your inspection passed with flying colors! Bad news, there's something wrong with Ponyville. It's about Pinkie." "Pinkie? What do you mean?" Clyde's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Oh, now the squinty eyes of suspicion," the Doctor became inquisitive, "Have you gone through any 'weird' experience with Pinkie?" "N-no, wh-why do y-you ask?" Clyde stuttered, as his stern face became nervous and worried. "Because I've seen something like this before. And I can help you with Pinkie." "And why should I listen to you?" "Trust me. I'm the Doctor" "It's- b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-igg-bigg-er i-in th-the-" "Alright, I'll just set the coordinates to Ponyville," the Doctor was flipping and spinning controls in the TARDIS. "b-bbi-bi-gg-bigger in th-th-th-" "Umm, Doctor?" Twilight poked the brown stallion hard enough to stop his ramblings to himself, "I think that Clyde's mind was just broken." "Hmm? Oh, that happens a lot," he replied, not seeming to be surprised at Clyde's near mental breakdown. The Doctor trotted over to the farm pony and whacked him on the forehead. Clyde blinked and returned to reality. "Inside! Sorry, I was somewhere else," he looked around the box, "This is amazing!" "I know," the Doctor ran back to the TARDIS controls, "So if I pull the wibbly lever…" Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh, thunk. "Oh, Celestia!" Clyde's jaw dropped to the floor. "Where are we?" The town was in ruins. Four walls were put around the village to trap any pony that tried to escape. The houses and the background became wallpaper on the four separate walls. The only thing inside of the entire place was a long dinner table. The plates on the tables were filled with cakes and crisps. "What a wonderful party!" Pinkie declared. The Pinkantian next to her grunted in agreement. "Well, look at that!" the Doctor became impressed, "Look at that! That is amazing!" "Why would she do this?" Twilight pondered "Tenzas need to protect themselves. They do this using their psychic powers to manipulate the world around them. Usually they just put their fear away, like little George. But this time, for some reason, she's interacts with them. Another thing, Tenzas are supposed to blend into their surroundings. She sticks out like sore, wait, no, ponies don't have thumbs…like something very noticeable! What happened?" "What nonsense are you two spouting out?" Clyde interrupted. "What do you mean Pinkie did this? It was never this drastic!" All eyes turned on the old farmpony. He quickly realized of what he said. "So you have witnessed something like this before?" "Yes," Clyde admitted, "There are thing's I've noticed about Pinkamena before. Nothing bad has ever happened to us since she was born. For instance, one day, the burglar alarm went off, and then we heard shouting in Pinkie's room, and then there was laughter. When Sue and I reached her room, we found her having a tea party with a sack of flour. Or the time there was an inspector. He threatened to shut down our business because he found our rocks to be too weak to be useful. When he left, Pinkie laughed, and we never heard from him again." "Don't worry, Clyde, there's a simple answer to all of this," the Doctor assured. "Oh yeah," Clyde retorted, "What's that?" "She's an alien," "What! Are you sure that you're a doctor?" "Tenza? What the buck are you talking about?" "Trust me. Just nod when he stops for breath." The Doctor rolled his eyes in annoyance, before resuming his explanation. "The tenza children come to a foster family if they want something in their lives that the tenza can bring them." He stopped in brief thought, "So why did she come to you?" "Well," Clyde explained, "Life on a rock farm is very dull and depressing, so we desperately needed somepony to brightened up our lives. It was a miracle when Pinkie was born. Life became 20% brighter." "Really? So life became happier the instant Pinkie was born?" "That's right. Its like she had some aura of cheer around her." "Hmmm," the Doctor tapped his chin with his hoof, "But Pinkie apparently was just as dull and depressed as you were, until about 5 or 6 years of age." "Yes… wait, that doesn't fit," "Uh huh," the Doctor smiled in realization, "Nothing about her history probably makes sense to you. What are some of your earliest memories of Pinkie?" "She would skate every winter, ever since she was little," Clyde thought aloud, "But that doesn't add up! Pinkie never skated until she was 10!" "The psychic field must have became messed up in the sonic rainboom incident Twilight told me about!" the Doctor slapped his forehead, "It's so obvious now! Ooo, I'm so thick," He proceeded to smack himself some more. "That explains it! Why Pinkie stands out so much!" "But what do we do now?" "We have to get to Pinkie. Which will be easy, because there's a whole army of Pinkantians coming towards us." Partypartyparty "Oh, it's you again! Isn't this just wonderful!" the Doctor clapped his hooves in sarcastic joy. "Can we hold them off?" Twilight asked. "I don't think so," the Doctor's eyes right and left, looking for an escape route, "You don't have any giant safety scissors on you, do you? No? Blast." The circle of Pinkantians closed in on them, tighter and tighter. Pinkie walked up to the three, trapped ponies. "Well well well!" Pinkie greeted cheerfully, "What took ya'll so long? We waited foreeverr for you! And now that you're here, it's time for a neverending party!" "Pinkie, no! Don't do this!" "Never ending party! Never ending party!" "Please, Pinkie! Stop!" Clyde pleaded. The sound of her father's voice caused Pinkie to pause. "Look, honey, I know that I was mad at you for never being serious back at the farm, but the truth is, we need you! I need you! And when you left for Ponyville, it was the saddest day of my life," he sighed, "It was you that made living in the rock farm happy, even if you are a tenzite…" "Tenza," the Doctor corrected, before getting another whack from Twilight. "Whatever, even if you are a tenza, I will always love you. No matter how silly you would act, I couldn't ask for a better daughter." Pinkie's eyes began to water. The psychic powers she had used to convert Ponyville into a dining room began to weaken its grip. The walls disintegrated and the buildings back into place. The Pinkantians seemed to melt and reform to their original pony bodies. The giant dinner table in the middle of Ponyville disappeared. And in the epicenter of the return of normal Ponyville, sat a crying pink pony. "There, there, Pinkie," Clyde comforted, "Don't cry." "I'm sorry daddy," Pinkie sobbed. "Come on," Twilight ordered, "I think that Pinkie and Clyde need some time togeth…" "ALRIGHT!! I'M OVER IT" Pinkie loudly informed, "how about a 'Sorry I transformed everypony into a hideous monster and try to take over Ponyville, and thanks for bringing my pop back, Doctor party!" Though a bit unsettled at first, the ponies of Ponyville accepted Pinkie's request of a party. "Oh, you ponies! Such a remarkable race! No fingers or thumbs, do thumbs count as fingers? Anyway, you still manage to hold things and build houses!" the Doctor chatted "And don't even get me started on telekinesis, teleportation, transformation, and whatever else you guys can do!" "I guess we are kind of remarkable to a an alien traveler. " "Anyway, Twilight, my offer still stands. How about traveling with me?" "So, see be able to the stars, everywhen, everywhere. To see the end and the beginning, and come home in time for tea," Twilight smiled, "How could I refuse?" "Good!" he grinned back, "Because there's a little level 5 civilized planet that constantly needs saving I'd like to bring you to." "Hmmm, just one minute." Twilight trotted to her bedroom, scanning the area until she found the book. The book that lead her to the Doctor. A field guide to creatures and demons, stretched throughout the galaxy. But how did she come across it. And then her eyes fell to the card that had directed her the Vashta Nerada. Go to page 34, it read. Twilight narrowed her eyes into slits upon reading it a second time. It looked suspiciously like… her hornwriting! Could it be? Could the pony who sent the book really be her. Time travel must be confusing work, she reasoned in her head. "Twilight! Come on! Are you ready yet? I want to bring you to one of my favorite planets!" "Ready, Doctor" "Okeedokee, press a few buttons, pull some levers," he muttered to himself before completely activating the TARDIS. Whoooooosh, whoooooosh, whoooooosh "We made it!" the Doctor happily exclaimed, opening the door, "We're in…" he paused in confusion "Earth?"
The Doctor and the Dream Men"Oh sweet Celestia!" Twilight squealed in excitement, "A real alien planet! Oh my gosh, this is so amazing! Thank you so much!" "This can't be right!" "Oh, and what's that smell?" Twilight activated her horn to find the source of the smell, "Grass! Grass that smells like apples!" "Yeah, we're in the wrong planet. Wrong century for that matter." "Flying carriages! Without pegasi to pull them? How is that even possible? Earth is so amazing!" "Twilight?" "Yes, Doctor?" she answered. "I don't think that we're in Earth. This is New Earth. Sniff, same difference." "Still, this is amazing! Thank you, Doctor," She then gave him a hug, blushing when it ended. "Alright, Twilight! First of all, welcome to the year 5,000,000,053, give or take a decade, second of all, you need to blend in some more," the Doctor pulled out a strange-looking devise, "Strap this around your hip, and you'll look human." Twilight followed his instructions. He whistled, "Wow, that perception filter is pretty convincing!" She looked down at her new 'body'. "And don't you need to 'blend in' as well?" With a push of a button, the Doctor reverted to his original body. He looked down to his fingers, wiggling them in delight. "It's great to be me again!" he stretched his arms, "Walking on all fours can REALLY mess up one's back" His head turned back on Twilight, and seemed to have a double take. "Umm, Twilight?" he suggested, "I think we should get you some clothes." The two were too preoccupied to notice a small metallic spider, spying on their every move. Meanwhile, underground, two cloaked people in blood red robes huddled up to a screen. "Did you see that?" "What? What was it?" "It seems to be a lavender pony with a horn!" "But, the prophecy states...;" "I know what it says," he interrupted, "That is why we must destroy her before it comes true!" "So, the Sisters of Plentitude were actually breeding humans to find the cures. Pumping in every single disease in the known universe into their bodies," the Doctor told Twilight as they walked through the streets of New New York. "Really? What happened then?" Twilight asked, engrossed with the story. The first day of traveling was the most exciting thing that ever happened to Twilight; almost as exciting as the day she became Princess Celestia's protégé. Despite an awkward talk about why humanoids usually wear clothes, she thought it was going great, so far. Twilight picked out a red sweater and some jeans, or 'pantalons', as the Doctor called them. Walking in awe around the amazing structures, she caught her reflection in the many windows. Or rather, a lack of reflection. Luckily, none of the locals seemed to have noticed or, if they had, didn't care. The Doctor explained that was because the perception filter just alters her appearance, so it doesn't know what to do with her reflection, and leaves it blank. When the Doctor finished his story, he stopped at a large building with a green circle painted on its side. "Ahhh, the New New York Hospital," he smiled, reminiscing his achievement on saving the new humans, "I was wondering what happened to it." Twilight looked around, loving the new, alien scenery. "Doctor," she asked "What happened to the Sisters?" "They were dissolved by the NNYPD, and then taken into custody." "What happened to the new humans?" Twilight asked, "Were they out into good care?" As the Doctor and Twilight rambled on, the same metal spider stalked them, as the controllers plotting a trap for the Doctor and his companion. "This is great!" Twilight exclaimed for the third time since their arrival. They were currently dining at a 5,000,000,1st café. "Wow! The powers of time travel! What if go back in time to stop disasters like the fires of Trottingham, or the reign of Discord!" "No!" the Doctor objected, "You can't go back to stop events like that. That's how paradoxes are formed. Another thing I think I should tell you. Never, ever interfere with time and history." "Your right. I guess that's reasonable." Twilight "Think of the damage it could do to the world as we now it- Doctor? Where are you?" After lecturing Twilight on the dangers of time interference, the Doctor heard some crying down in the streets. The crying of a little girl. He couldn't help it. No matter the consequences, he has to help children in need. He saw the girl crying in the city streets. No one passing by seemed to care of her misery, or at least tried not to. "Hello," he greeted, "I'm the Doctor! How are you doing?" "Where have you gone this time, Doctor?" Twilight asked, frustrated. "Hey, Twilight!" her head turned to the direction of the Doctor's voice. "There you are! Do you have any idea how long I was searching for you?" "Approximately half an hour, give or take," he answered, "Now I found something interesting." The Doctor led Twilight over to a small crying female human out on the streets. He then kneeled until he was face to face with her. "Hi, again Claire!" the Doctor greeted, "This is... um... Martha Jones." "Hi," Twilight frowned at the fake name, "What's wrong?" "My father and brother disappeared last night," the girl sobbed. "That's terrible!" Twilight gasped, "What happened." "They just disappeared!" Twilight turned to the Doctor and said, "Do you know anything about this?" "Well, this obviously doesn't have to do with the infamous Gridlock; I'd say it's a few years after that little adventure." The Doctor informed, scratching his head in thought, "There's one thing I don't understand, why didn't anyone help you?" "People have been disappearing all over the city," she said, "And anyone who tries to investigate ends up disappearing, too." "Ah, so no one knows anything about this, then," the Doctor spoke cheerfully, "I love a good mystery. Don't worry, Claire, I'll find your dad. And while you're at it, if you see any angel statues, don't blink." "Doctor!" "Coming! Coming!" the Doctor ran off to Twilight, "Alright, Twilight! Where do you think we should start?" "Maybe there's somepony who knows something about the disappearances." Twilight suggested. "You're right. Someone who would have access to any reports of missing persons." the Doctor rubbed his chin, and started running. "Where are we going now?" Twilight groaned, whose legs were getting tired from running. "To the police!" "Hello! I'm the Doctor! And this is... Donna Noble!" he pointed to Twilight, who was still unsatisfied with her pseudonym. "And what do you what?" the secretary asked, impatiently. "I'm investigating the disappearing people," he replied, holding up the black casing Twilight recognized as the one used to trick Clyde into letting them into the farm. "As you can see, my credentials should be enough to let us through." "Oh, my! So sorry!" the secretary gasped, "Right here are the police records." She opened a drawer and pulled out a large file. "Thank you very much! We'll be on our way!" the Doctor thanked leaving with the file. The Doctor opened the file on the TARDIS console, as Twilight deactivated the perception filter. "Whew!" Twilight gave a sigh of relief, "Glad to be my old self again! Not to mention how this 'perception filter' cuts off my torso circulation." "Hmmm, Twilight?" the Doctor summoned, "I've noticed something about all these people. What do you think?" Twilight looked at the pictures of all the reported persons and tried to think of a connection. "Umm, they're all human?" "Exactly!" he gave Twilight a light pat on the back, "Another thing I've noticed is that every one of them was last seen with some sort of disease." "Wait, you read all those reports, in just one minute?" Twilight asked, astonished. "I'm a very fast reader," he replied, "Anyway, I think I know who's behind the disappearances." "Who?" "C'mon Twilight, let's go investigate!" the Doctor roared, not explaining a thing. The Doctor ran rapidly out the TARDIS, heading towards the New New York Hospital. Twilight attempted to follow, quickly ran out of breath. She frantically tried to run. But something was causing her to become drowsy. She soon found it hard to keep her eyes open. The last thing she remembered was the mechanical whirring of gears meshing together. "... I believe were all killed when the Bliss virus broke out. I should have checked. I always check, but that time I guess I was too busy or distracted. The only one left would be Novice Hame. Nice cat, haven't seen her in a while. Maybe I'll pop by... for... a," The Doctor stopped, realizing that something was wrong, "This is the longest you've ever gone without asking me a question." He turned around, only to see that he was all alone, without a companion. "Aarghhh, why do they always disappear?" "Uhhhh," Twilight groaned, "What happened?" Twilight woke up in a dark room. She shook her head as she tried to focus her sight. She tried to move her legs, but she found herself immobile, chained to a metal board. "Where am I?" Twilight asked, panicked, "What's going on here?" "The Destroyer has awoken," a silhouette approached her in the dark, revealing a cloaked human, wearing a hood down over his eyes and nose. "WHAT!" "Alright, dear, let's go track down a pony," the Doctor brought down the TARDIS screen, "Search for the current location of the latest TARDIS resident." "What do you want from me?" Twilight asked nervously. "You are the Destroyer," the voice answered. "I don't understand. Could you please explain what in the name of Starswirl's beard is going on?" Twilight pleaded. "An old legend says that when a purple unicorn realizes her true powers, she will bring the end of the universe!" "What are you going to do to me?" "We shall kill you before you learn to destroy us," he replied. "But... I... I just can't believe... I wouldn't do anything to hurt anypony!" Twilight denied. "Still, it's better safe than sorry," he gave a dark chuckle, "Wait, what the hell is that noise?" Whoooooosh whooooosh whoooooosh The TARDIS materialized in the center of the room. Twilight's captor gaped in amazement. Then the door opened. "Hello, Twilight!" the Doctor greeted, "Sorry I'm late, it took a while to find your location." "YOU HAVE A FRICKING TIME MACHINE!!!" Twilight hollered, clearly peeved off, "Now hurry up and free me!" "Alright, alright, hold your horses," he pointed up his sonic screwdriver. Whhiiiir Click "There, that should do it!" The locks of the chains snapped off, freeing Twilight. She quickly ran back to the TARDIS, but was stopped by the Doctor and handed the black wallet. "Who are you?" the cloaked figure demanded. "I'm the savior of planets and the Universe, I'm the destroyer of countless armies. I'm the Oncoming Storm," he gave a wide grin, "I'm the Doctor." At this revelation, the mysterious hooded man backed away. "No!" he shouted, "That's impossible!" "Oh, its not impossible. Now it's my turn to ask. Who are you?" Though Twilight couldn't see his face, she guessed that the man was glaring at the Doctor. "I am your future", he answered, "And you are my past." "Really? That would be confusing, but I already had practice with wibbly wobbly timey wimey timelines with River." "I could kill you right now," he threatened, "And keep you from ever causing me the problems that brought me here." "I wouldn't do that, you see, that would cause a paradox. Plus, I really doubt you can kill me." "I hold powers that you couldn't possibly dream of, Time Lord!" the cloaked man shouted manically, "I can end the very existence of this world if I wished!" The Doctor raised both eyebrows, the pony equivalent of receiving a heart attack. "Well, I'm impressed," he admitted, "I've never seen someone with as much power as you claim you do. I'm guessing that you're not human, correct?" "Not at all, Doctor. Now, I'm guessing that you're going to defeat me now and fly off in your magic box, isn't that right." The Doctor shrugged, "More or less, yeah." "And how do you propose to do that?" "Oh, c'mon, someone with amazing psychic abilities like yours?" the Doctor leaned closer to the man, "Couldn't you just use telepathy?" "How do you know this information?" "My Psychic Detector went Pinkie Pie crazy," he explained, "And now there's a mysterious creature that thinks that he can destroy the Destroyer of the Universe on his own. I just put two and two together. It's four, by the way. Anyway, if you're wondering how I'm blocking your telepathy, I just imagined a door to my mind. Then I chained, welded and deadlocked that door shut. And-" "But my dear Doctor," the cloaked man interrupted, "What makes you think that I'm alone?" On cue, a whole group of hooded men appeared from the shadows of the room. "We've been saving our power to kill the Destroyer, but I think we can spare some for you Doctor!" The men pulled down their cloaks, reveling a humanoid head, but with a large brain replacing much of the upper half. The brain was protected by a thick, translucent membrane. A single eyestalk protruded the front of the brain, with a long reptilian pupil. The back of the neck covered with sensitive tentacle feelers. "Oh, and I'm not sure if you noticed, but I gave something to Twilight while you were too busy freaking out about me. It was my psychic paper. On it, I put directions to the TARDIS medicine cabinet. And she should be back right... about... now." "Doctor! I'm back with the-AHHHHHHH" Twilight screamed seeing the creatures without their hood for the first time, and nearly dropping a black bottle that she received from the TARDIS. "Ah, thank you, Twilight," he took the bottle, "Do you know what this bottle is full of? A virus with no cure. All you have to do is explain why. Why did you kidnap these people?" Twilight's captor smiled. "We don't need to answer anything. Anything we dream of becomes reality, even a cure for this 'incurable virus'" "Oh, really? Because, do you know what this virus does?" The Doctor asked rhetorically, "It tampers with the mind. For you, it should shut off all your powers and give you IQ of a child. An unintelligent child. And then you will die. And don't try any funny business, I can make it blow with this." He pointed at the bottle with his sonic screwdriver. "Now, why did you kidnap these people?" "Because we needed food." "Food? Food? Is that what you think of them? And why the sick ones?" The Doctor demanded. "Because they are unimportant. We try to keep ourselves secret. And we have a pretty good way of keeping the others from being suspicious." "Unimportant? If one thousand years of traveling has taught me anything, it's that no one is unimportant. Who do you think you are?" "I am Jalastrefoica. You can call me Jalast," He bowed "I am of the species of the Somniumforms." "Somniumform? Also known as the Dream Men by Clom? My, my, my, I've never met one of you. Until now. Anyway, back to the poin-tah, why are you here?" "New Earth is such a wonderful place. Such potential. But everyday, humans must ruin its surface." Jalast answered in detest. "I've heard that before," he rolled his eyes, "How do know of this 'Destroyer' stuff? Twilight isn't a destroying type, I know that." "The legend came to us years ago. One night, every Somnuimform had the same vision. A purple unicorn destroying the Universe." "Alright. Now, I want you to stop this conquest. Go home, NOW!" "But where will we go? We have no more home planet. Somnious was destroyed in a great war between two terrible species. I fairly certain that you're familiar with it." "Doctor, what's he talking about?" "Twilight, get inside. You lot, there are other uninhabited planets everywhere, scattered around the universe! And with your power, you could make them able to support life." the Doctor protested. "But this one is perfect," Jalast argued, "And such a wonderful food supply. We have already " "I'm warning you. I have just enough mercy left for that one warning. Then the virus breaks out. I can destroy you with this. Now, what do you say?" he said "I say that you're a coward," Jalast replied, "You can't kill. Because that's not the type of man you are." "Then, looks like I'm a different man when you first met me. Because that was the wrong answer." Whiiiiiiir The bottle broke to pieces. It released the gaseous swarm of the virus. The Somnuimforms screamed in pain and terror. Jalast took one last look at the Doctor. "Goodbye, Doctor," he coughed out, "Until our paths cross once again." The Doctor walked back in the TARDIS, greeted by Twilight. "I'm guessing by the look on your face, they didn't agree to your terms." The Doctor shook his head. "Well, you did what you had to," She consoled, "Looks like the disappearances will stop." "Yeah, I guess your righ-" the Doctor stopped mid-sentence, "The disappearances! Twilight, you're brilliant!" He gave himself what Twilight guessed was a face hoof. "What, what did I say?" "When you get food, what do you do?" "I put it in the fridge." "Exactly!" he hugged her tightly, "If I'm right, the Somniumforms must have stock held the missing persons somewhere!" Claire sat on the street bench, night was almost upon her. She sang to herself for consolation. "Jack and Jill went up the hill, To fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down and broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after." She was ready to give up on waiting for the Doctor and Martha, when she heard a voice. "Claire!" "Daddy! Bobby!" she embraced her lost family with strong hugs. "Hello!" The Doctor shook his hand, "Told you I'd find them!" "How on New Earth did you do it?" Claire asked. "Oh, it wasn't that hard. And sorry it took so long, I had to take care of business," he gave a shrug. "Oh, thank you!" she looked around, "Where's Martha?" "She's taking care of a few other kidnappings. Though, that song you sang, what was it?" "Jack and Jill. Why?" "Why did you sing that specific song? Did your mum or dad sing it to you when you were going to sleep." Claire's answer was a shake of a head. "Just curious, I always look out for important things." "And it that important?" "Everything could be important, Claire." The Doctor answered, "You just have to look." "What does that-" Claire's question was interrupted by some sort of wheezing noise. Whoooooosh whooooosh whoooooosh "Sorry, love to stay and chat, but my rides here," he apologized, scratching the back of his head. "Wait," Claire's father grabbed him by the wrist, "Who are you? What was that box?" "I'm the Doctor, and that's the TARDIS. Can't give you a straightforward answer, sorry." "In any case, thank you for bringing us back to Claire." "Don't worry about it!" he smiled, "All in a day's work." And he slipped into the strange blue box of his. "That felt good, was able to save more lives!" Twilight smiled at him, before realizing something. "What about the virus?" "What, you mean the bottle? That was just hydrogen. When I released it, it interacted with the oxygen in the air, and created a cool smoke effect." "What about the Somniumforms?" "I know enough about them from research. They said that anything they dream of becomes reality. That's nightmares included." Twilight gaped at him. "So you're saying that they killed themselves with a virus, which they created with their powers?" "That's about it," "You are one clever alien," "I am, aren't I!" he agreed, "So, still want to go with me?" "Yes! Of course!" "Good. Because, next stop, old Earth!"
Moonlight"Good morning, Jeffery!" a woman in her middle ages cheerfully greeted her neighbor, "'ow you doin' today?" "Hello, Charlotte," Jeffery replied, "What's new?" "The latest disappearance just occurred a few decades ago," she informed in a hushed voice, "And not to far from 'ere, too." "So what?" "So, every generation, on a full moon a boy goes missin'" Charlotte explained, "And tonight's a full moon! I guarantee you, someone's goin' tonight!" "Next you'll be saying that the kidnapper is a werewolf," he teased, "Oh, shut up," she gave him an annoyed glare, "But mark my words, someone's goin' tonight, and I sure hope it's not me!" Later that night, Jeffery walked around the town, whistling a merry tune as he swayed back and forth. He was a different bloke from the others. He preferred to go places where others wouldn't. Through this lifestyle, he found many strange and unique artifacts. Tonight, he found a large cave, with a large hole in the ceiling. "Hello, what's this then?" He stepped inside, and the first thing he noticed was the terrible smell. Like wet dog. Then he heard a voice. A weak, pale voice. "Ah, a traveler," the voice said, "Just in time." "Who are you?" Jeffery asked, "Just in time for what?" "When this body grows old and weak, I must search for a new host." "What're you talking about?" Jeffery started to regret his decision to come in the cave. Why did he have to go inside? "Your questions shall be answered," Moonlight seeped the cave roof. The light revealed a pale man chained and caged. The man opened his eyes. Jeffery's scream was heard throughout the town. "Life could be a dream, sh-boom, If I could take you up to paradise above, sh-boom, If you would tell I'm the only one that you love, sh-boom, Life could be a dream, sweetheart," "You're really enjoying that Earth music, aren't you?" the Doctor observed, "Nice dancing, but you'll never be as good as me." He did a little dance, shaking his arms above his head. Boom! The TARDIS crashed down to the surface of planet Earth. The planet was apparently one of the Doctor's favorites. Constantly under alien threat. Constantly in need of saving. "If this planet's your favorite, why'd you leave for Equestria?" Twilight asked. "I was running low on rift energy." He explained, "Normally I'd go to the rift in Cardiff to recharge, but I decided life always is in need of some change, is it not?" "And you're saying that there's a Rift in my planet?" "Yeah, the Rift opened in some area of space that lead me all the way across the next ten galaxies. Even the Time Lords didn't know much about your world. Burned up my inner curiosity. All we knew was how peaceful the planet was. Such potential. Such skills. Just like the..." The Doctor's eyes seemed to lose their shine as his voice trailed off. Twilight sensed that there was something on his mind. "Sorry about that. I should have gotten over this by now." The Doctor shook his head, cheer flooding back into his eyes. "Soooo, can we check out the old Earth?" "Oh, yeah! Sure! Equip the perception filter, and don't forget to put on some clothes before you activate it" he lifted his hand and clicked two fingers together, "Onwards?" "Onwards!" The TARDIS doors opened, revealing a sight very similar to Canterlot during winter. "Ahhh, England!" the Doctor exclaimed, "I missed you so much!" He dropped down and kissed the ground. "Looks like the 18th century!" "Smells kind of..." Twilight searched for the right words, "Funny." "I know, right?" the Doctor took a big breath, "That's the smell of Good old Britain! C'mon! I'll give you a tour!" "Actually, it smells like manure." "It's the Earth, Twilight, everything smells like manure" "See that?" he took out a brochure from his trench coat pocket and pointed to a picture of a large building with a clock's face on the side, "That's Big Ben, an alien ship crashed through that." "See that?" he pointed to another building, "That's Buckingham Palace. I saved it from being destroyed by a giant space ship called the Titanic!" "You seem to do a lot, don't you?" Twilight asked as the Doctor was reminiscing his adventures. "Yep. So many times that I can tell when something's wrong. This place is normally as busy as New New York. And it's a Saturday. So," he looked around the quiet city, "where is everyone?" "Look!" Twilight pointed at a newspaper, "Murderer in Scottland? See page 34 for details" "We're in Scottland, that's nice, love Scottland." "Hmmm, we have a place back in Equestria called Trottland. That's some coincidence" "Go Away!" "Huh?" Twilight and the Doctor turned and saw a frail old lady shooing them off, "If ya know what's good for ya, you best be running away!" "Why? What's going on here?" "Someone's gonna go!" she franticly shouted, "That's what I told Jeffery twenty years ago!" "Twenty years?" Twilight scoffed, "If someone disappeared twenty years ago, I highly doubt that there's anything to worry about." "Someone goes every generation," she explained, "On a full moon, a boy gets kidnapped, and many would find their livestock, in a bloody pile in the mornin'" "Oh please," Twilight rolled her eyes, "It sounds like your trying to describe a wolf-pony. Doctor...;" She looked around, only to have seen that he had run off. Again. "Three telescopes! Why on earth do you need three telescopes?" the shopkeeper demanded. "Trust me," the Doctor looked the shopkeeper in the eyes, while taking out a wad of pounds three inches high, "It's better if you don't know." "Where are you, Doctor," Twilight groaned, "Where are you?!" "Ughhh, hi Twilight," the Doctor approached, "Could you help me with these?" 'Sigh, Sure why not?" she used her magic to levitate the three telescopes from his arms. "No, no, no, no, no!" he yelled, "Don't do that!" "Witchcraft!" "Run!" "Good," he remarked, "I think we lost him." The Doctor had lead them into dark cave and turned to Twilight. "Never use magic here," he warned, "Never." "Why not?" "Because they would kill someone if they believed they saw a witch," he told her, "Even the trails would kill." He took out the screwdriver and readjusted the perception filter. "And what's that?" Twilight used her magic to pluck of a berry from a plant, hung up on the cave roof. "That's mistletoe!" the Doctor exclaimed, "It must be near Christmas! According to tradition, The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases." The explanation caused Twilight to blush a little. Luckily for her, the Doctor didn't seem to notice. "Strange, we have Mistletoe back in Equestria," she noted, and turned her attention back to the Doctor, "What're all the telescopes for?" "The old women, she said that the murders happen every generation, yeah?" the Doctor quizzed. "Yes," Twilight responded hesitantly. "And only on full moons, yeah?" "Uh huh," "And I know what it is," he paused for dramatic effect, "It's.... a were wolf!" "Are you being serious?" "No!" he laughed, "It's actually a Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform, but were wolf is much more easier to say. Hand me the Electric Light Amplifier" Twilight gave him a confused stare. She really hated it when he spoke of things as if she would know what it meant. "The one in your left hand-hoof." He sonic-ed the telescopes and his 'timey wimey' stuff, as he called it and realized something. "I don't have the prism!" he felt around his pockets, "I must have left it in the TARDIS!!" He looked at the cave entrance. "And now it's night time. With a werewolf on the loose." "How are we going to get there fast enough?" He smiled. "I have an idea." He activated the Screwdriver, turning off the filter. Twilight reverted to her original pony form. "Giddy-up, Twilight!" he jumped onto Twilight's back. "You've got to be kidding me." "Finally!" Twilight groaned, "We're here!" The Doctor climbed off her back and snapped his fingers again, causing the TARDIS doors to open once more. "Ohhh, Celestia!" she rubbed her back gingerly, "I can't feel my spine!" "Are you calling me fat?" he replied irritably, stepping into the TARDIS. When he returned, he was holding a jewel so beautiful, even Rainbow Dash would be impressed. "The werewolf will be destroyed if drowned in the moonlight that gives it it's power..." he stared at Twilight, "You know, people probably won't take you seriously like that." Whirrrrrrr- click "So, how are we going to-" she was stopped by a loud howl. "Arooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" A crash was heard, and the crying of a child. "Look, there!" the Doctor pointed to a few hooded men, donning mistletoe covered vests, escaping with a struggling child-sized bundle. "Stop!" he shouted, "Or you'll make me mad! And you wouldn't like that!" The men turned around and ran off, into a dark forest. "After them!" They ran off, and the Doctor mentioned something. "That's strange, we're chasing the villain this time," but his brief smile faltered, wearing a similar expression as before, when he was talking about her planet. "Sorry" he apologized, in a noticeably distant tone. They stopped at the cave opening. "It was there the whole time!" Twilight gasped. "There's no time to stop and stare, ms. Sparkle," the Doctor scolded her, "We need to stop them." The Doctor and Twilight followed the trail of the hooded ones, but the cave stopped. "How did we miss them?" the Doctor asked himself, "Unless..." He once again pulled out the sonic and scanned the surrounding walls. "Twilight, could you move over there for a moment, please?" he pointed to a spot on the ground. "Of course, why-AHHHHHHH!" Twilight shrieked as she fell through the trap door beneath her hooves. "That's why," he smiled, before jumping in himself, "Let's do it!" Twilight blinked and waited for her vision to clear up. When it did, she saw the Doctor was waiting for her to come to. "Alright, Twilight," he greeted, "And how did you sleep?" "Ughhh, what happened?" she rubbed her forehead. "The hooded people ran off via that trapdoor," he pointed to the hole above Twilight, "I opened the trapdoor with you underneath, and you, well, you were knocked unconscious for a while, but no matter, we need to go now." "Wait, I was knocked unconscious?" "Yeah, sorry about that," he sheepishly apologized. "For how long?" "Oh, about ten minutes... twenty... twenty nine." "You really need to be more careful," Twilight advised with a face-hoof. The Doctor and Twilight ran through the dark corridors. The Doctor stopped and started thinking out loud. "Mistletoe... Scottland... werewolf... it's all connected!" he grabbed Twilight by her artificial shoulders, "It's the Brethren!" "The what?" "They tried to infect Queen Victoria with the Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform! But their group started three centuries ago, and we must be on the second century for them!" "Who?" "And in the 19th century, I defeat them! Alright, now that everything makes sense, I can start making a plan. Time's a-wastin'" "When? What?!" "This child shall be the start of a new lord! We shall start the new century..." "Oh, hello!" a voice came from across the room. The monk that was speaking to the newly infected child turned to the door and saw the man and woman that had chased them just before. "How did you get inside?!" he angrily demanded. "Ohh, it wasn't hard," he smirked, "Though, next time, for safety precautions, use a wood door." He took out a small golden stick and tossed it in the air. "Who ever you are, you shall regret your decision to trespass into the domain of the wolf." "Really" The Doctor tilted his head in mock confusion, "And why's that?" "Because it is still nighttime. And we have already released the beast." A loud roar ripped through the air. "And that would be him right now," the monk gave them a narcissistic smile, "Have a nice night." He turned to the others, who were standing in front of a large cage. With a nod, they opened the door, and ran out of the room, adjusting the mistletoe vest and locked the door behind him. A large monstrous creature walked out of the cage. It's teeth bared and dripping with saliva. It's pupils large and wide, like a dog's. "Oh, that is BEAUTIFUL!" he squealed in astonishment. "I guess you have to be a giant, alien monster to get that kind of compliment," Twilight whispered under her breath, a bit peeved off, "So, Doctor, got any bright ideas?" "Yes, in fact I do. Literally!" he pulled out the upgraded telescope from his pocket ("Their bigger on the inside!") and fired it at the wolf, only to receive no reaction. "New plan, run!" They ran through the dungeon-like corridor, and ran around the corner, where a large flight of wooden stairs going up was waiting for them. The stairs led to a long dark hall. They ran through the dungeon-like corridor, and ran around the corner, where a large flight of wooden stairs going up was waiting for them. The stairs led to a long dark hall. They ran through the dungeon-like corridor, and ran around the corner, where a large flight of wooden stairs going up was waiting for them. The stairs went up back to the room underneath the trap door. The run gave them a few seconds rest, but the wolf was nearing closer. The Doctor securely locked the door with his screwdriver. "There!" the Doctor pointed to the tunnel, where rays of moonlight were dripping out, "There! I can use it to power the telescope!" He put the sight of the telescope under the light, only to shout out in disappointment. "What's wrong?" "The moonlight isn't strong enough," he explained, "If only we we're closer to the surface, or maybe the-" "You know I can just amplify it with my magic right?" "Oh," the Doctor responded rather awkwardly, "Do you just use magic to solve all you problems?" Suddenly, the Wolf burst through the door, sending splintered wood everywhere. "Now Twilight!" With a flash of purple light, the moonlight became more focused and concentrated. The light traversed through telescope's inner workings, and shone through the Prism at the end. Light exploded in the room blinding everyone inside momentarily. As Twilight tried to open her eyes, she could barely make out the faint shape of the werewolf. It slowly faded away, and she could hear a dying howl, as it was incinerated. When the light cleared, she turned to the Doctor, who was in a state of shock. "What's going to happen to the brethren now, Doctor?" "My screwdriver..." "They all escaped, and I think that the child was infected with the Lupine wavelength haemovariform." "Not my screwdriver..." "DOCTOR!" "Sorry!" he tossed the destroyed, charred device over his shoulder, "To answer your question, the Brethren do get any, but in the 19th century, I'll be there. The Lupine Wavelength Haemoviform was destroyed, or possibly passed on to the Royal family." Twilight gazed upon the black, burning wreckage that was melting on the floor. "What happened to the Sonic Screwdriver?" "The blast destroyed it. Along with the perception filter I see." Twilight looked at her body. Sure enough, her arms and legs were turned back to, well, just legs. "Sooo, we can't have you walking around Earth like this," the Doctor suggested, "How's about we go check out a little bit of Equestria?" "Great idea," she smiled at the prospect of seeing her historical hero's, even making a mental list. Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Cleaver, Smart Cookie, and the first Princess of Equestria to name a few. "Well then, my good lady," "Times a-wastin'." Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
A Heart of SteelA Heart of Steel A mare, Pie Crust, walked through Appleloosa’s apple orchard. It amazed her, the thought of the great Buffalo-Pony battle. A war ended by apple pie. As she walked through the path between the countless apple trees, she heard a loud noise. It sounded very metallic and mechanical. Thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz “Who’s there?” she demanded, “Flim, Flam, is that you? I thought we had enough cider for the year.” Thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz, thunk-zzzz A strange creature appeared from the shadows of the trees. It was shaped like a minotaur, but made out of metal and lacking horns and hooves. The head was very blocky and square. And it marched towards her. “What are you?” Pie demanded, “What do you want?” It focused it’s head to Pie, and replied in a deadpan voice, “You are compatible.” “What does that mean?” “You will be upgraded,” it replied, “You shall become the next stage of Equine.” The metal thing grabbed Pie by the neck. A light engulfed them forcing her to shut her eyes. When she recovered, she teleported to an environment even stranger than the robot. She didn’t even know what she was attached to before it was to late, and components of metal fit over her head, like pieces of a puzzle. “Alright,” the Doctor rubbed his brow in frustration, “I did it once, and I can do it again.” He slammed the control panel of the TARDIS, even to the point of whacking it with a hammer, “Behave!” “Oh, I’m sorry, dear,” the Doctor hugged and stroked the pillar that protruded from the console (earning an eye-roll from Twilight), “I shouldn’t have done that, but could you please bring us back to Equestria? Twilight really wants to see her friends.” The iconic wheezing noise of the TARDIS engines filled the air. Gears of the interior meshed together and revealed a new sonic screwdriver. He smiled and whispered two words. “Thanks dear,” As the wheezing stopped the Doctor pulled down a small screen and stared at the faltering image. “Twilight, Ponyville wasn’t a Old Western type town, was it?” Surprised, Twilight ran to the screen. After a few seconds of viewing, she recognized the town as Appleloosa. “Appleloosa?” a highly amused Doctor chortled, “Isn’t that a coincidence.” “Appleloosa was at war with a buffalo tribe over an apple orchard,” Twilight smiled at the memory, “But the whole battle ended when the chief tasted one of their apple pies, and the two groups decided to share.” “Sharing? Really?” the Doctor shook his head in disbelief, “If only the creatures I face were that benevolent.” Once again, he seemed to space out, his face, usually cheerful, became old and heavy. As if remembering an old memory. One that he seemed to be ashamed of. Shaking his head, he returned to the conversation at hand. “Where were we? Oh yes, buffalo tribe,” he chuckled to himself, “Judging from the surroundings, I’d guess the buffalo were wearing large feather headbands.” He emphasized the last words by shaping one over his head. “Actually,” she informed, “They did.” That took the smile from his face. “Like how Earth was. Never ignore coincidence, Twilight. Unless it’s the kind of coincidence where you and your friend wear the same outfit, or if somebody shares a favorite hobby with you. Coincidences usually end up being traps.” “What does that mean for us, Doctor?” “Ah, it’s probably a coincidence!” his attention returned to the console, “Now, we’re in the same planet, and the same country, so it’s only a matter of guess and check until we get back to Ponyville!” “Doctor, wait!” she stopped him from leaving, “I can back to my time to see my friends again. I guess I should say hello to Braeburn and Little Strongheart,” “Well then,” the Doctor clicked his fingers again, making a snapping sound, “Time’s a wastin’!” The TARDIS doors opened wide, letting the hot climate of Appleloosa seep into the room. The climate and sand forced Twilight to cough. When she turned to the Doctor, he had disappeared. Again. It was becoming a bit tedious. Unlike the last time she saw it, Appleloosa was buzzing with life. Buffalo and ponies alike roamed the streets. It seemed like an impossible task, to find the pony and the buffalo they were looking for. “Well, howdy, Twilight! Just the pony ah needed to see!” greeted a familiar voice. She turned, and conveniently became face-to-face with Braeburn, still wearing his favorite hat. And still as neighborly as she remember him. “Hello, Braeburn,” Twilight smiled, which quickly vanished as her hoof was taken and violently shaken. Apparently, strong hoof shakes run in the family, “H-h-how g-g-goes the p-p-peace treaty with the buffalo-o-o?” He gestured to the streets, specifically how the buffalo and the ponies were cooperating together. “It’s goin’ great! Business been boomin’ the past few months!” Braeburn finally released her hoof (how he could have such a strong grip if he doesn’t have anything to hold on with was beyond her) and Twilight pulled it back. She seemed to have bad luck when it came to hoof-shakes. A metaphorical light bulb lit over Braeburn’s eyes. “Almost forgot why ah needed you,” he face-hoofed himself and resumed, “There’s a strange critter ah found. It seems to be like a gihugic bug-“ Braeburn stopped in mid sentence as a brown stallion with a spiky manecut jumped in front of him without warning. The stallion wore a full suit and a trench coat, despite the hot weather. “Gihugic, you say,” he noted inquisitively, “And what did this bug look like?” Braeburn turned to Twilight, with a rather confused look on his face. In other words, the typical reaction to meeting the Doctor. “Who’s your friend, Twilight?” Braeburn asked. The Doctor started rambling about creatures that could fit Braeburn’s description. Something about Racnoss and Vespiforms. “That’s the Doctor,” she responded with a smile, “We’re traveling together.” “Oh, ah see,” he gave her a sly wink. “Wait, WHAT!” Twilight exclaimed, “Oh, nonononono, nothing like that, Braeburn. We’re just…friends.” “Are ya shure?” he insisted, “You got that face, the one that Spike fellow has around Rarity.” She blushed bit and looked away. Luckily, the Doctor saved her from her awkwardness. “Hello?” the Doctor waved his hand (or would it count as a hoof?) in Braeburn’s face, “The bug?” “Oh, yeah!” Braeburn’s forehead scrunched up to find the correct words to describe what he saw; “I think it’d be better to just show it to you. C’mon I’ll take to my shed.” Braeburn’s shed was dark and noticeably unused. “Now, the shed just came with mah house,” Braeburn explained, “And no one really uses it. So, ah guessed it would be the best place to hide it.” The Doctor pulled out his new sonic screwdriver and activated it, causing a low, steady whistling sound. “Hmmm, readings indicate that everything’s normal so fa-“ the screwdriver started beeping rapidly. “What!” Suddenly, a metallic creature, roughly the same size as a cat, jumped at the Doctor. It’s fierce jaws snapped at his face. Twilight used her magic to hold the thing in place. “No…” he whispered, “It can’t be…” “What is it, Doctor?” “It’s a Cybermat!” “A Cybermat!” the Doctor paced around the shed floor, more annoyed than worried, “Even when I move ten galaxies away, they still manage to find me!” “Doctor!” Twilight scowled and whacked him on the head, snapping him back to focus, “Can you please just tell us what this means? You’re always doing this!” “Alright, fine, mum,” he replied sarcastically, “The Cybermats are little scouts of this blokes called the Cybermen. The Cybermen are beings from the planet Mondas, whose main purpose is to convert any convertible being into more Cybermen.” Twilight and Braeburn stared at the Doctor, who seemed content with his explanation. “Doctor,” Twilight began, shaking her head, “When will you learn that ponies are not used to this kind of talk?” “Sorry,” he thought of a simplified description, “Think super alien robots.” “Ohhh, I get it now!” Braeburn said nervously, and turned to face Twilight, “Hate to tell you this, but I think that your colt friend is crazy.” “I know, right?” Twilight rolled her eyes, “Wait, no! I told you already, I’m… He’s not my colt friend!” Then the Doctor popped up between the two and put his arm around their shoulders, “What are you guys waiting for?! Times a-wastin’!” “Have you seen anything strange lately?” The Doctor ran around town, scanning things left and right with his screwdriver. The whistling became faster paced, “Power surges, marching sounds, disappearing ponies?” Braeburn tapped his chin, “Well, there was that mare, Pie Crust. Nopony has heard from her for a while. And just last week, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000s all malfunctioned. Held us back in the apple cider market.” “Pie Crust, whose that?” the Doctor asked curiously, while inspecting his screwdriver, “Oh, it looks like we’re right on tra-” “Never mind that,” Twilight interrupted, “Did you say Super Speedy Cider Squeezy?” “Eeeyup!” he replied, “This two fellers, Flim and Flam stopped over and gave us a whole bunch of ‘em!” “But- They’re con colts!” she stammered, “They tried to run Sweet Apple Acres out of business!” “Sorry to interrupt your oh-so-important gossip,” the Doctor sarcastically remarked, “But, I need to focus, so could you stop your yammering, and shut up for a bit!” The Sonic beeped loudly, and the Doctor gave out a triumphant shout. He then dropped down to his knees and licked the dry ground. “Hmm, bit dry, could use a bit of water,” he criticized, and spa out remaining traces of sand, “Definitely traces of a transmat beam.” “Alright, I’ve had enough with you and yer crazy jibber jabber ‘bout Cyber whatsits and train mats!” Braeburn shouted in a frusterated tone, “Ah want some answers! Now! Who the hay are ya?” “Answers?” The Doctor got up, and looked him in the eye, “Are you sure you want to know?” Braeburn nodded his head firmly. “Okay…” the childish glint in his eye seemed to vanish, “Imagine that you were the last of your kind. Imagine that you could feel the world shifting under your feet. Imagine that you could somehow comprehend in your thick pony skull that there are other worlds out there, each containing evil creatures. And that it was your duty to protect it. Imagine you knew everything. Every possible future, the whole history of the universe. And imagine that nearly everything was against you, and hated you. That’s who I am. The Doctor.” All of a sudden, the lights of a restaurant on the right of the street dimmed down and flickered. The Doctor, Braeburn, and Twilight to the direction of the power shortage. A blue light appeared in the middle of the street, and something began to materialize. “Oh, dear.” “Halt all primitive life forms known as Equines, you are compatible. Do not run and or resist, or you will be deleted,” one of the creatures stated emotionlessly. “Doctor?” Twilight asked as the creatures marched around the town, herding frightened ponies, “You said Cybermen. Are these what you were talking about?” “Why, yes!” he exclaimed, a bit surprised, “Only they’re the mondas ones! It’s been a while. Luckily, I think I brought some gold to trade with-” Meanwhile, Braeburn was screaming at the top of his lungs, “What’s the matter with ya’ll! Doncha see those monsters out there?” “Hey,” the Doctor shouted indignantly, “Don’t judge a book by its cover! It’s very racist to think everything that doesn’t look like you is evil!” “So, are you saying that the Cybermen won’t do us any harm,” Twilight asked with relief. “Wellll,” the Doctor drawled sheepishly, “I didn’t say that…” The Doctor’s sentence trailed off. His eyes locked onto Braeburn. And he made a swift grab for his hat. “Hey! That’s mah hat!!” “I have to look presentable for these guys. I haven’t seen these guys since the day before I faked my own death!” “Wh-what?” Braeburn face hoofed, “Listen, Doctor, we need to git outta here, now! Who knows what those things want with us!” “I do,” the Doctor giving him a stare that would give Fluttershy a run for her money. He turned to the Cyberman and began to ‘do his thing’. “Helloooo, then,” he greeted, “And who might you be?” The Cybermen marched up to him, and said, “We are the Cybermen of the planet Mondas,” The first Cyberman answered, “We do not wish to bring harm upon the worthless, weak ponies. We shall collect them and send them for the upgrading process.” “Ah, yes,” he nodded, “Quite reasonable. But, I’m sure that many of the ponies here don’t want to be emotionless metal shells like you. Anyway, more to the poin-tah!, Why are you here, on this planet? The next answer was a bit hesitant. After a few seconds, the Cyberman finally answered, “We were… running.” “Huh,” he responded with a taunting tone, “All of your emotions, erased. But seems like you can still feel two things. Humiliation, and fear.” “This pony knows much of our race,” the Cyberman shouted, “Tell us where you got your intelligence from, or be deleted.” “Just answer me this,” the Doctor raised an eyebrow, “Just think. Just think of the person you were running from. And remember. Remember every day he destroyed you, or defeated you. And do you think you ran far enough? Across ten galaxies? No. Because…” He deactivated the Perception Filter. His image faltered, and he was replaced by his true form. His tall, biped form, standing on the dry ground. The Cybermen stopped dead on their tracks. The Doctor tipped Braeburn’s Stetson, “Hello, again! Now, I’m not asking for much. These ponies are simple, unsophisticated, and primitive creatures. Wait a minute… those words all mean the same thing. Anyway, all I’m asking for is a surrender.” The Cyberman seemed to consider this. But he just gave an answer in that cold, heartless voice; “No.” “Well then,” he replied, reaching into his coat pocket, “It’s a good thing that I’m always prepared!” he conjured a dark red bag. The Doctor threw it into the fleet, and it burst open, scattering some sort of dust all over the Cybermen. Instantly, they made a wheezing sound, and they all collapsed. “Gold dust,” The Doctor kneeled down to inspect a Cyberman’s head, “Never leave the TARDIS without it.” He pulled out the Sonic and removed it’s head. “What the hay just happened!” Braeburn shouted frantically, and he started to hyperventilate. Twilight rolled her eyes. You just get used to this sort of stuff in the TARDIS. “Alright, Twilight,” he moved towards the TARDIS, carrying the Cyberman’s head under his arm, “Time’s a-wastin’.” “Where are we going now?” “Deep into the heart of the Cyberarmy,” "We’re going to the Mothership.”
CyberponiesTwilight followed the Doctor into the TARDIS, where he was hooking the Cyberhead to the console, “The Mothership?” “That’s it!” he said while attaching wires to the inside of the head, “With the help of the distress signal, I should be able to track down the Cybership!” “Cybership?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, “That’s… not really imaginative.” “Yeah, tell me about it,” he shook his head disappointedly, “But I guess the creativity was all drained out of them during the upgrade process.” Bam! Bam! Bam! “And how could it be at this hour,” the Doctor’s rubbed his chin, and pulled down the screen. The image was of Braeburn, fruitlessly trying to break into the TARDIS. The Doctor let out a sigh, and opened the doors. “Open this door righ’ no-woooooah!” Braeburn tripped into the control room, planting his face into the console. “Well, then,” the Doctor leaned down to be face to face with the earth pony, “The Doctor will see you now.” “Lookie here, what eva’ yah are,” Braeburn huffed angrily, “Let Twilight go, and leave this town now!” “Well, look at the gratitude I get for trying to save all of your lives,” the Doctor said irritably, “This universe would have been destroyed on multiple occasions if it weren’t for me!” “Look, what yer saying ain’t making a lick o’ sense to me,” he replied, “but if yah ain’t letting her go, ah’m gonna bust ’er out!” The Doctor rolled his eyes, and flipped a switch. Click! The doors behind Braeburn snapped shut. He ran off to open the doors. When he soon discovered that they were locked shut, he tried opening them forcefully, but with no avail. “You’re gonna open these doors, right now, Doctor! Or ah swear, you will pay!” Braeburn threatened, shaking his forehoof. “You’re right,” the Doctor agreed quickly, reaching for a wheel on the TARDIS console, “How terrible of me. I shall open the doors riiighht, now!” Whoooooosh, whoooooosh whooooosh The TARDIS engines wheezed loudly, taking Braeburn by surprise. He stumbled around the shaking room. Twilight and the Doctor, on the other hoof, grabbed onto the bench next to the console, obviously experienced. “W-w-what did you do?” Braeburn stuttered, “What did you do?” “Nothing much!” the Doctor replied innocently, “Just sent the TARDIS through the time vortex! We should be at the Ship any moment now!” The wheezing of the TARDIS was put to a stop and the Doctor walked to the door. “There, happy now?” When the door was opened, the environment had changed. Gone were the dry, plain lands of Appleloosa, and in its place were dull gray walls. Everywhere, robotic marching could be heard. “Alright,” the Doctor whispered, “We’re right in the center of the Cybership. Twilight followed him outside, “I don’t get it, didn’t the Cybermen kidnap dozens of Appleloosans? Why aren’t we hearing any struggling?” “Can’t say,” he replied, “But we have to hurry. I’ll need some tools to take the Cyberman down.” Twilight took a gander at her surroundings. “I’d say that we’re in a storage closet of some kind,” she pulled open a cabinet, “Hey, Doctor, what are these?” The Doctor’s eyes widened in confusion, “Those, those are EarPods! How on Raxicoricofallipatorious did they get these?” He pulled one out and scanned it with his screwdriver, “Ahh, stolen technology. There are many slight differences in the inner workings. Probably reversed engineered from deactivated Cybusmen.” “Would somepony tell me what the HAY is going on here!” Braeburn shouted, whose tolerance was at its peak. “Shhhh! There’s no need to shout!” the Doctor whispered loudly, “The Cybermen don’t know we’re here, so we need to be quiet.” “Audio heard in Storage Chamber one one nine five two six, reveal yourselves and bow to the mighty Cyberlegion.” The chamber door slid open, revealing a Cyberman. The Doctor innocently waggled his fingers, “Oh! Don’t mind us, just stopping by, hello!” “You will surrender immediately or be deleted,” the Cyberman deadpanned, “Bow down at once in the name of the Cybermen,” “Oh, yes, of course,” the Doctor agreed sarcastically, “you truly deserve our respect! Here, have some gold!” the Doctor threw another bag of gold dust at the Cyberman. The dust took its effect on the Cyberman, causing it to fall down to it’s knees. “Alright, Twilight,” the Doctor said while patting the Cyberman’s head, “I’ll need some help dragging the Cyberman back to the TARDIS,” “Ya’ll are crazy, ya hear? Crazy!” Braeburn stomped back into the blue box, “What ever ya’ll are planning, ah want no part in it!” Twilight and the Doctor exchanged glances. “I think I should talk to him,” Twilight suggested. “I think that’d be best.” “Braeburn?” Twilight stepped into the TARDIS to find Braeburn, sulking in the corner of the control room, “Look, life with the Doctor can be really confusing at times, so it’s perfectly natural to be confused.” “Ah… ah just don’t get it,” Braeburn pouted, “We just got over the territory problems last year. Why this? Why can’t we just negotiate? That’s what we did for them buffalo.” “I know the Doctor, Braeburn,” Twilight reassured, “And I trust him with all my heart. I know that he wouldn’t fight somepony if there weren’t any chance of negotiation.” “Yah think yah know him so well, don’t cha?” he said crossly, “Then tell me this: What’s his real name?” Twilight was silent. For the first time, she realized how little she knew of the Doctor. He never talked about himself, and he always had that tired, guilty expression on his face when he wasn’t ranting. What could happened, for some pony that happy and cheerful to never even talk about his past? “Exactly,” Braeburn scoffed, “Yah don’t even know him, yet yer sacrificing yer life to help him. Mark mah words, Sparkle; Someday he won’t be there for yah. Yah can go, prance around him, blinded by yer little crush” Twilight sighed as she stepped out of the TARDIS. She is going to have a big talk with the Doctor when this thing blows over. When she found the Doctor, he was using the Screwdriver to strip the Cyberman to its bare elements. “Hmmm,” he mumbled to himself, curiously, “It seems like the Cybermen have been waiting for quite some time now… the host had decomposed to the bone…” “And how goes your research on the Cyberman?” “Welllll,” he said while tapping the chest of the Cyberman, “The Cybermen were fueled by the sun. Somehow, there’s a large amount of energy radiating off it. I just can’t understand how that would work!” He paused and turned to Twilight, “Your sun isn’t sentient, is it?” “No, not that I know of,” she replied hesitantly, “Though I can explain the energy radiating from the sun.” “Really,” the Doctor widen his eyes in interest, “Please, educate me.” “Well, Princess Celestia uses her magical abilities to raise the sun every morning, as her sister raises the moon every night,” Twilight explained smugly, finally knowing something the Doctor didn’t, “Would that be helpful?” “Immensely,” he grinned wildly, “SO! The Cybermen are feeding off the magic Princess Celestia creates. And whom do I have for a companion other than Twilight Sparkle, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria! The go to expert on what makes it tick.” He clasped his hands together eagerly, “Lets go! Times a-wastin’” The Doctor poked his head into the hallway. He then motioned with his arm for Twilight to come over. “Alright, Twilight,” he handed her a small, metal tube. The metal was covered in a tan colored bandage, and had a green LED on the end, “You’ll need this to defend yourself.” Twilight grinned enthusiastically, clapping her hooves in joy, “Oh my gosh! I get a sonic screwdriver! This is-“ “Shhh!” the Doctor covered her mouth with is hand, “We’re sneaking around, and we can’t afford to make any noise!” “Okay, sorr-“ she stopped in mid sentence to collect her thoughts, “Wait a minute! If we can’t make any noise, what’s this?” She examined the device with her magic. “Well,” he ranted, “It’s an Electro Magnetic Multi tool. It uses the range of radiations in the electromagnetic spectrum. The device is activated telepathically, and designed to attach to certain surfaces, like your hoof for example. It’s pretty much very similar to the Sonic Screwdriver, but doesn’t make noise.” She turned it on, which allowed a green light effect to escape the tip of the tool, “So, it’s like a Super Torch,” The Doctor considered this for a moment. Scratching his chin, he said, “I guess so.” Thunk-zzzzz, thunk-zzzzzz Twilight and the Doctor dived into the shadows of the hallway, out of the view of the Cybermen. But it wasn’t long before their scanners picked them up. A Cyberman marched towards the two and prepared his gun. “Warning: Unauthorized life forms detected on board. Reveal yourself and receive a free upgrade. If you try to resist you will be deleted.” The Doctor stepped into sight, “Aw, shut up!” he whined sarcastically, “That’s all you ever talk about! Upgrade this, delete that! Can’t you change the subject at least once!” ‘The Doctor is on board. He is incompatible. Prepare for maximum deletion,” the Cyberman aimed the gun. “Ohhh,” he smirked, unimpressed, “You’ve got a gun! And guess what? I don’t care! ‘Cuz, I’ve got a SUPER TORCH!” He nodded to Twilight, who jumped out of her hiding spot and aimed the light at the Cyberman’s head. “Infrared rays,” he chuckled, “Quick thinking, Twilight!” He gave her a friendly pat on the back before them ran off to the next hallway, leaving the Cyberman on the ground, next to the discarded gun. Meanwhile, in the conversion chambers. The Cybermen were designing something new. Something that would help them catch more hosts for the upgrading. The statistics were all they needed to prove that the Earth Ponies were much faster compared to the humans and mondasians. Soon, they would have a sub-race, of scouts and kidnappers. A race of Cyberponies. Clank Twilight deactivated the last guard. The shell made a loud echo as it hit the ground. She turned to the Doctor, with a triumphant, yet tired expression on her face. “So, Doctor, are we at this lift yet?” She asked breathlessly. “Yup,” he said cheerfully, “No more running now, we can finally get to the Cybercomputer and end this once and for all.” He fiddled with the lift controls. The doors opened with a ding, and opened up. Twilight and the Doctor couldn’t believe their eyes. Because the lift was filled with Cybermen. When the Doctor woke up, he found himself inside of a cell. Groaning, he gingerly stroked the side of his numb arm. Looking down, he saw that there was a hole punctured into the left sleeve of his jacket. “Well,” he said to himself groggily, “Looks like your common variety knock out dart. I wonder if Twilight had woken up yet-“ Then he suddenly realized that he was alone. His eyes darted across the room, frantically searching for his lost companion. “Twiiiiliiiiight!” Twilight awoke to find herself uncontrollably marching. She couldn’t speak, nor run away. All she could do was march, synchronized with the other ponies surrounding her. She heard a faint beeping noise, and the cold touch of metal lingered in her ear. “Halt!” The cold, emotionless voice forced them to stop. A Cyberman walked towards Twilight, “Your biology is different and far more advanced than the other ponies around you. Explain.” She felt the mental grip of whatever was controlling her- did the Doctor call them earpods?- slip off enough to allow her to sleep, “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she answered monotonously, “I am biologically different to the Earth Ponies due to the fact that I am a unicorn. I snuck into the ship with the help of the Doctor.” Alarms seemed to go off in the Cyberman’s head, “Explain further. What is you relationship with the Doctor?” Twilight reluctantly complied, “I am the Doctor’s companion and friend.” The Doctor paced around the room, looking for ways of escape. Ugh, this would be much more simpler if I was still in my seventh form, he thought in frustration. He turned his head and saw two Cybermen jailors come in front of his cell. “Hey, what’s new?” he asked in a mock friendly tone, “Come to let me go yet?” The mouth of the first Cyberman lit up, “We wish to make a deal wish you.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow, “What?” The Cybermen lead the Doctor into the conversion chamber. The doors slide out and allowed them to enter. “Sooo, what’s this deal of yours,” he asked, “You know I can’t be converted.” The Cyberman didn’t even turn to face him. The Doctor huffed, “Fine! Killjoy.” So the Doctor waited. And he waited. And after what seemed like three hours of silence, the doors finally opened again. Twilight and a black helmeted Cyberleader marched in. “Twilight!” He attempted to run to her, but he was restricted by the two Cybermen, “Oh, for the love of…” “This is the deal,” the Cyberleader explained, “Kill yourself, or have your companion converted. It will be your choice.” The Doctor stared back at the Cyberleader, “That’s the deal. Kill myself, or let my best mate die?” The Cyberleader gave him a cold stare, “Yes. Every time our kind manages to capture you, you escape. Now we have taken every factor that could lead to your escape.” “Well then,” a new voice came from behind them, “Ah think y’all forgot ‘bout me!” The room filled with green light, and all the Cybermen collapsed to the ground. The stallion grinned and said, “Yeah! That’s the way we do it in AAAAppleloosa!” The constant beeping noise in Twilight’s head ceased. The last thing she remember before passing out was a brilliant flash of green. “So, is Twilight gonna be okay?” “Yep! Unicorns seem to have stronger mental power than Earth Ponies and Pegasi, no offence, which would explain the whole magic thing a bit.” Twilight opened up her eyes and saw Braeburn and the Doctor hovering over her. She shook her head trying to focus, “Braeburn? What are you doing here?” “Well, when we had that talk, ah felt sorry for talkin’ to yah like that,” Braeburn explained, “So ah tried to find yah. But there were those Cyberthingies everywhere! So ah broke a coupla’ of them EarPods and plugged ‘em into my ears. Just had to act real stiff-like and they bought it like an apple pie! They brought me and some other ponies to that Changing Chamber thing. But then ah saw you, and ah saw them confiscate that there flashlight thingy of yours. And turns out, that turning ‘em on would knock those Cyberpunks out cold!” The Doctor smiled, “Impressive. Gotta say, Braeburn, you were a lot less of a tin dog than I thought at first.” Braeburn frowned, “Thanks…ah guess?” “Right!” the Doctor clasped his hands together, “Where was I before those rude Cybermen interrupted me with their rude rudness? AHA! Yes! The Cybercomputer. Times a-wastin’” Ding! The lift doors opened, releasing the Doctor and his companions. And they looked upon what they have been restlessly searching for. “That it?” Braeburn asked. “Oh, yes. Just look at that craftsmanship! That is just BEAUTIFUL!” he stroked the screen, displaying every thing every Cyberman saw, “It’s a new idea, hasn’t really caught on yet. But a couple of Mondas ships do have them in. Alright, Twilight! Do your magic!” Twilight stepped towards the computer and zapped it with the Super Torch. The screen went black. “Was that all?” Braeburn asked, sounding a little annoyed. “Of course not! The computer just switched to its AI mode,” the Doctor grinned, “Now usually this would be difficult, but the whole computer runs on magic. And I’ve got a unicorn for an assistant!” He giggled gleefully. After taping a few keys, he looked at Twilight, “I’ve shut down the layers of firewalls, and after that, you should be able to send a signal to all the Cybermen. Something that’ll blow their minds. Quite literally.” “Well then,” Twilight smiled enthusiastically, “Times a-wastin’!” She focused her magic onto the computer. Purple sparks erupted out of her horn as she manipulated the computer. And she thought of her friends. Of how much she missed them. And she broadcasted the emotions to every Cyberman on deck. In the floor below, the conversion chambers, the EarPods of the Appleloosans deactivated and fell to the group. The everypony shook their head and started murmuring and arguing. “We should wait fer help!” “You foal! How do yah even know if any pony’s comin’ to help us?” “Maybe if we all walk in a single file line…” “What are yah? Seven?” Thunk zzzzz thunk zzzzz “Error. Circuits overloading. Error. Prisoners are escaping.” Everypony shut up and agreed on one thing. To get the buck out of wherever they were. Meanwhile, everywhere on deck, all of the Cybermen moaned in agony. A few ran about aimlessly until their heads finally blew up. Many others followed suit. “Okay!” the Doctor exclaimed as he watched the whole thing unfold via camera, “We did it!” The Ship shook violently, causing them to topple over. “Actually,” the Doctor observed, “I think we should RUN!!!” The trio ran out of the room, passing by several dying Cybermen. They ran down a flight of stairs, flames sending smoke throughout the stairway, forcing them to cough. When they finally reached the bottom, Braeburn and Twilight stopped for breath. “Twilight! What did you do?” The Doctor asked curiously. “I… sent… emotions…” she panted, “The memories of my… friends. You… said they can’t feel emotions, so I figured that it would… distract them.” He whistled, “It did hell of a lot more than that. Cybermen can’t even comprehend emotions, let alone have them. That’s enough to make them blow, like a bottle of pop.” “But…” Braeburn pieced the final pieces of the puzzle together, “All of those Cybermen… blowing up at once…” “I know,” he replied grimly, “That’s why we have to get to the TARDIS now!” “There it is!” Twilight pointed to a distinct shade of blue, before seeing a massive obstacle, “Directly across that chasm.” There was a large indent in the floor of the hallway. No doubt made from exploding Cybermen, running around like headless chickens, the Doctor thought. “Let’s see… AHA!” his eyes darted to a pipeline, attached horizontally to the roof, “Now, if only I had something… AHA!” he undid his cape and ripped it into long stripes, and tied them all together. He then threw it, in a very grappling hook like way. He motioned his head towards his friends and gripped onto cloth, “C’mon!” Braeburn face-hoofed, “Please, tell me we aren’t gonna-” “Wahhhhh!” Braeburn screamed with the lungs of a thousand griffins. Air whipped his face as they swung across the hole and let out an audible ‘ouch,’ as he landed on his face. “Okeedokee!” the Doctor cried out, going inside the box, “We’ve got some ponies to save!” Whooooosh, whoooooosh, whooooosh The TARDIS dematierialized from the ship, and was about to pick up forty-two hitchhikers. Appleloosa had never been so quiet. Ponies were mourning the loss of half of the population. But a few ponies managed to pick up the sound of the TARDIS engines. Inside the TARDIS, most of the new passengers were still astonished by its whole ‘bigger in the inside’ feature. One particular pony, a tan coat and a dark brown mane, walked to him. “Thank you, kind stranger,” the stallion said; “Yah saved us from whatever the hay those things are. We can’t thank yah enough.” “It’s all right, my good…colt? Stallion?” the Doctor rolled his eyes, “Someday I’m gonna get the hang of this ‘pony speak’ thing.” A metaphorical light bulb went off over the stallions head, “Pony speak? Yer saying that like yer not one.” The Doctor just gave a sly grin, “It’s all right. All I what is for you to have a normal life. Go home, read a nice book, eat beans on toast, et cetera,” he opened up the doors, “Go on. There’s Appleloosa out there.” As the ponies all left the TARDIS, the Doctor stopped the stallion, “I’m the Doctor, by the way, what’s your name?” “Sheriff Silverstar,” he replied with a tip of his hat. After all the ponies had left, the Doctor paced towards Braeburn, “You know, you can come with us if you like,” Braeburn awkwardly smiled, “Beggin’ mah pardon, Doctor, but yer sense of adventure is a might too much for this pony.” “Sorry, you feel that way. You would've made a good companion,” he got up and brushed his lap, “Oh, and before I forget, here’s your hat back!” “Nah,” he shook his head, “Yah can keep it, ah got tons o’ ‘em.” There was a short, awkward silence, before Braeburn broke it, “So… ah’ll be seeing yah aroun’, ah guess….” “Yeah, I guess so,” the Doctor nodded in agreement, before his face broke into a joking smile, “Now, get out.” “So! Off to Ponyville we go!” the Doctor smacked his hands together eagerly. The TARDIS started wheezing. But as the TARDIS left, something else was amiss. “Hello?” A maroon Earth Pony spoke into a phone, “Is this DAEL?” “Yes,” a gruff, male voice responded, “Why have you called?” “I just encountered a strange experience, Appleloosa. I don’t know what it was, but it kidnapped me, and 45 other ponies. They turned four of us into these weird, robot things.” “Is there anything else?” “Yeah. One of them is in my backyard” “Don’t worry,” the voice assured, “DAEL will be there shortly.”
The Plastic PoniesWhoooosh, whoooosh, whoooosh, A blue box appeared in a corner of an alleyway. The door opened, revealing a very peeved pony with a spiky manecut. “You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding me!” The Doctor shouted, “Of all… what’s the matter with you, aye?” he turned to the box. “Oh my gosh!” Twilight gasped as she trotted out, “We’re in Canterlot!” The Doctor grinned, “Canterlot? That sounds like an important place!” Twilight nodded excitedly, “Yes, it is! It’s where I was born, and proud capital of Equestria!” “Well, what are you waiting for?” he demanded, “Let’s go check it out!” Soon, however, the curious look on his face was replaced with a more suspicious one. His eyes narrowed down as he surveyed the shops. Twilight let out an exasperated sigh, “What is it this time, Doctor?” “I don’t know, but I’m noticing something…” he scowled, “Something about those shops.” Twilight rolled her eyes, “That’s the same thing you said about that fat stallion with the gas problem.” “Hey!” he exclaimed, offended, “He could have been a Raxicoricofallipatorian!” Twilight just shook her head, and moved on, while the Doctor stared into the store window. “Why would this place need so many mannequins?” he asked himself. Octavia walked out the conservatoire, winning the hearts of countless classical music fans. As she trotted along the path next to the street, she lugged a heavy double bass with here. Octavia affectionately called it Bessie Mark II. The first one hade been crushed in that disastrous Gala. The replacement was made out of cheap wood. Despite the cruder material, she still managed to play beautifully. “Hey there, sexy,” a shady looking stallion grinned at her, “How about dropping that heavy wooden instrument, and have a look at my heavy, wooden instrument?” Octavia lifted her muzzle in the air, “A rather crude and very uncouth innuendo,” she said, “And I insist that you let me go on my way. “Oh, no you don’t,” he said, and grinned in a sadistic way, “You’re not getting away from me that easy.” Octavia frowned angrily. She saw red, and punched him with the might of a minotaur, “I said, ‘LET ME BE!!!!” This was another, rather unfortunate side effect from the Gala. Though Octavia believed she was passing with flying colors in her anger management, her physiatrist would beg to differ. As she pummeled the poor soul, a brown stallion ran towards her. He was wearing a blue suit and a Stetson ran towards her, and grabbed her by the shoulders, “Where is the Conservatoire?” “How dare you!” she slapped him away, angrily, “I am a lady, and I would like you to treat me-“ “Oh for the love of-“ he sighed, and then shouted, “WHERE IS THE CONSERVATOIRE!!” Octavia gulped nervously, “It’s a block away…” she pointed towards the direction she came. “Brilliant!” he patted her on the back in a friendly manner, “I’m the Doctor, by the way, what’s yours?” “Octavia.” “Nice to meet you!” the Doctor grinned, “Now, I wouldn’t be in anywhere near the building in the next two minutes,” and he pulled a strange ticking devise out of his pocket, and wagged it, as to wave goodbye. As Octavia walked away, wondering what the hay just happened, a purple unicorn bumped against her. “Have you seen a brown stallion in a Stetson near here?” she asked, breathlessly. “Why, yes,” Octavia answered, “He just went to the Conservatoire. Rather rude if you ask me.” “Thanks, DOCTOR! WAIT FOR ME!” Octavia thought about she saw, and shook her head, “Probably just some nutters.” Boom! She turned away, and saw that the beautiful building that hade once stood before her was reduced to rubble. Flames danced across the debris, and bits rained to the ground. Octavia became angry. No, she was furious! She ran into the demolished building in search of the two ponies. Clearly, those ruffians had something to do with it. “Ow!” the Doctor grunted as he was roughly shoved into a column that once held up the conservatoire roof, “What was that for?” “You’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do, mister!” Octavia growled, and whacked on the side of his head, “That conservatoire was the only place that could calm me down for a whole, freaking year! And I’ll bet my Double Bass that you did this!” The Doctor nodded his head, “Alright, god, you’re strong!” The purple one frowned at her actions, and said, “Isn’t that a little bit unorthodox?” Octavia dropped the Doctor down, who brushed off his lapels. “Okee-dokee!” he exclaimed cheerfully, “Ready for a story? The Doctor stood outside the TARDIS door, and knocked on the side, “C’mon! I want to see everything! What’re you looking for, anyway?” “Hold your humans, Doctor,” Twilight joked, “I’ve got what I needed.” She trotted out of the box, holding an old, dusty book. “What’s that?” “It’s the Journal of Creatures and Technology In The Universe!” she recited, as she flipped though the pages, “Its what lead me to the Everfree Forest, and then to the shadows.” The Doctor smiled at the memory, “Ah, yes, the Vashta Nerada! Our first date!” Twilight blushed a bit, “Yes… date, an appointed time or meeting… date…” “You alright, Twilight?” the Doctor stared at her, “You seem kinda… distracted.” “I’m fine, everything’s totally fine!” she assured nervously. Her crush on the Doctor was getting nowhere, and it seemed like the Doctor was completely oblivious, nor that he shared her feelings. Twilight gave the Doctor a tour of Canterlot. She brought him the Pony Joe’s, the theatre, the coffee shops. All of the fascinating parts of the beautiful city. But he wasn’t interested in any of that stuff. His attention was always taken away by something else… “Doctor, are you staring at the mannequins again?” Twilight asked, annoyed, “That’s the third time today.” “Sorry,” he narrowed his eyes, “It’s just that… there’s something I’m forgetting.” He sighed, “I’m getting old.” “Of course you’re not old,” Twilight reconciled, “How old are you, exactly?” “1110” “Oh,” she awkwardly replied, “Ummm, okay then,” After this rather shocking revelation, the two brooded in silence. “Back to the point at hand… Doctor, don’t you think you’re being a little bit… I don’t know, paranoid?” “Yeah, I guess,” He agreed, “It seems like I can’t live a day without being shot at by a crazed gunman, or a gas mask wearing zombie.” Twilight and the Doctor continued their conversation on his age. But as they walked towards the Wonderbolts Derby arena, a mannequin slowly turned its head to the duo. Deep, deep underground, a vat of orange-red liquid bubbled, in what could be only interpreted as laughter. A signal was soon sent to Canterlot plaza. The place with the ponies that knew too much. “Actually, I really don’t have a clue! That’s a problem with time travel. Very wibbly wobbly,” the Doctor looked over his shoulder, “I really think that we should kep an eye out for those mannequins…” Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed, “Really, Doctor. It’s like you want bad things to happen.” He shook his head, “Nah, its more like bad things like to follow me. Like right now…” The shattering of glass was heard, followed by a startled scream. The store dummies started to move. The Doctor slammed his hoof on the table, “I knew it. Danger always follows me!” Twilight flipped through the book, “Autons. Nestene projections. They appear as living plastic dummies. Do you think that’s what those things are?” He nodded affirmitably, “That sounds about right.” He pulled out the Super Torch from his coat pocket, “Here, set it on Radio, and aim for the head. That should disconnect the Autons from the source.” A mannequin trotted towards a mare, and it reached out its hoof to her. “Look everypony!” she cried, “I think their just trying to make friends!” “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the Doctor warned. “Oh, what do you know?” she snapped, and looked back at the Auton with a sweet smile, “There, there. I’ll be you’re friend.” She stuck out her hoof, expectantly. But she never got her hoofshake. The end of the hoof opened up, revealing a small gun. Bang! The mare collapsed. Panic spread throughout the crowd. Everypony blindly ran around, being taken down, one by one. Twilight tried to take down as much as she could via Super Torch, but to no avail. Autons were everywhere in sight, killing ponies. “Run!” the Doctor commanded as he tugged off the head of an approaching Auton. Bang! More ponies fell to the ground. Twilight obeyed, her legs galloping away, to the TARDIS. “Alright, Twilight,” He lifted the dismembered head of an Auton and, “There’s a weak signal, can’t trance it though, the head’s been battered a bit too much.” “What’re we gonna do, Doctor!” Twilight cried, “Can you stop them?” “Course I can!” the Doctor cheerfully nodded, “I just need to triangulate the position of the transmitter that’s sending the signal. After we get there, it’s just a matter of getting there, and getting rid of it. I can’t find where that damn Nestene is lurking about, though.” “That means we can’t stop it for good, doesn’t it?” “Actually, we can,” he shook his head, “If we find an Auton, in better condition, I can track it down. The Nestene should be hiding someplace big, round, like a plate. Or a bowl.” The TARDIS screen beeped. The Doctor pulled down the screen, and grinned. “The coordinates are pointed towards that area. The transmitter is attached to the tippity top of the Canterlot Conservatoire!” “And how are you gonna get rid of it, exactly?” Twilight asked skeptically. “The only way you can get rid of one,” he pulled out a small device from a drawer in the TARDIS console, “Blow it up!” “And that,” the Doctor concluded, “Is my tale.” Octavia hit him again. Hard. “Do you really expect me to believe that crazy story about some living lumps of plastic, coming to life?” “That statement was redundant,” the Doctor stated, before getting another whack on the head, “HEY!” “I don’t care!” she shouted, “Fix this. NOW!” “Fix an exploded building?” he demanded, “Are you crazy?” “Oh, coming from the colt who thinks that mannequins can come to life?” Octavia retorted angrily. “Mannequins. That’s interesting, I figured you’ve called them ponniquins, or something…” “Shut up!” she facehoofed, “Stop getting off topic!” “One more thing is,” he pointed out, “You have an English accent. That’s incredible! When I first heard of this place as a teenager, I was like, ‘Magical ponies? That sounds interesting! Now that I’m actually here, I thought you ponies had nothing else left to impress me with, but BAM! You came along!” “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” “Doctor?” Twilight said nervously, “Aren’t we a bit busy for this?” The Doctor smacked his forehead multiple times. “Oh, stupid me! Stupid, stupid Doctor! Sorry, Octa, but I have to leave.” Octavia stood, with her mouth open, and shut it closed. “Oh, no. You are not getting away from me that easily!” When Octavia finally reached the two loons, they were tugging the head off of a mannequin. “What the hell are you doing?” “Hello, Octa!” he greeted cheerfully, “The Nestene sent out more scouts from outside Canterlot to stop me! Oh, but that won’t work!” “You. Are. Bonkers!” Octavia poked him with each word. He sighed. “I had friend who used to say that. Donna Noble, her name. Haven’t seen her in years.” Octavia’s stern expression became soft. Clearly, there was some dark back-story, hidden away behind his cheerful mask. “Erm…sorry. Don’t really know what to say, though. Not the type for pep talks.” “Doesn’t matter…” he chuckled, “She’s getting on with her life. And I’ve lost a lot of people. I’m used to it.” “So!” he shouted and gestured to the head, “We’ve got a signal!” “And now all we have to do is trace the origin point of the track down the Nestene?” Twilight asked. The Doctor nodded affirmitivly. “Good, you’re learning.” The Doctor felt a light tap on his shoulder, and turned to see Octavia. “Look,” she said, “At first, I thought you were just crazy. But now. Now that I look into your eyes, I can see that you’re not. You’re just a bit eccentric. So, I kinda want to help you, with whatever you’re doing.” The Doctor grinned, “Well, what are you waiting for? Time’s a-wastin’!” “Oh, dear Celestia,” The Doctor smiled, “I know, it’s-” “Such an ugly color!” “Bigger on the ins- wait what?” Octavia clicked her tongue. The moss green color made her sick, “This looks like vomit! Vomit spewed all over the wall by a little foal.” “Hey!” The Doctor hugged the TARDIS pillar defensively, “Don’t worry, dear, you’re wonderful!” Octavia was rather disturbed by the thought. She looked over to Twilight. It looked like she was trying to look away. Was she… jealous? “Great!” The Doctor hooked the head to the TARDIS console. Looking over to the screen, he eagerly rubbed his hands together in anticipation, “Let’s go!” The Doctor activated the controls of seemingly random thingamabobs and doohickeys. Soon enough, a strange sound appeared. It sounded a bit like a key, scraping against a violin key. Whoooosh Whooosh Whoooooosh, thunk “We’re here!” the Doctor said in a singsong voice. Octavia frowned, “What do you mean? It just went Vroom, Vroom, but it didn’t really move anywhere.” The Doctor patted her on the head. “Oh, Octa, Octa, Octa.” He laughed, “So naïve, as most are when they first met me and the TARDIS. The ship is bigger on the inside, surely it would be able to teleport!” He opened up the doors with a snap. Octavia’s eye gave a twitch. “Wha-huh-cap-string-“ The Doctor watched her incomprehensible stammers and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Do you think it was too much for her?” Twilight shrugged, “Better reaction than Braeburn, in my opinion.” The Doctor looked around the landscape. It was underground, judging from the smell, and obviously a construction sight. He spied hammers, wrenches, saws, and toolkits. A building fanatic’s little slice of heaven. Unfortunately, this was neither the time, nor the place. “Twilight, do you know of a place called, ‘Celestia’s Sun?’” Twilight’s jaw dropped, “We’re… oh my gosh! We’re in Celestia’s Sun!” She giggled and jumped up and down while the Doctor gave her a blank look, “Ahem, Celestia’s sun is very symbol of piece and unity between the Zebras and Ponies. The two species built together to make a humungous statue.” “So it’s just like the Statue of Liberty.” “Seriously, you don’t know what Celestia’s Sun is?” Octavia scoffed, “What, have you been living under a rock?” “Oh,” the Doctor remembered something, “Guess now’s a good of a time as any to tell you; I’m an alien.” If she had been drinking tea, Octavia would have spit it out, “Well, that… would explain the taste in colors, and the teleport function… I guess…” The Doctor smiled, “Love the reaction. That’s always the best part.” As they walked deeper into the dark, Octavia began to lose her confidence. Deeper they got, the more menacing the surroundings got. The tunnel got darker and darker, the main source of light being small bulbs, dangling from the ceiling. The constant dripping sounds, echoing through the passageway. It sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly, something happened to the Doctor. Octavia watched in horror, as his image faltered, and he transformed into a horrifying beast. There really no way to describe it. He grew arms, like that of a dragons, and small extremities protruded from his hooves. Like a hairless monkey. Coincidentally, he looked similar to a drawing of a species that her cousin insisted on saying that she discovered them. Lyra, her name was. “Well would you look at that,” he examined his fingers, “Perception filter shorted out. Must be interference from telepathic signals. We’re be getting closer the Nestene Conscience.” Octavia looked on in terror, “What, is that gonna happen to us? I don’t want to end up a stinkin’ hairless monkey!” The Doctor gave an offended gasp, “This is my normal form! You all look weird to me. Like a five year old went crazy with a box of crayons, and can’t get his or her head out of a pony obsession!” “Alright then, Monkey Man,” she said with an indignant sniff, “Lead the way.” With a grunt, the Doctor pulled open great, big lead door. He wiped his hands on his pants and looked into the center of the chamber. There was a large vat, filled with a thick glowing liquid. The liquid radiated a red glow, that shone all over the room. “Is that it?” Octavia asked, “Cuz it just looks like bucket of melted plastic.” Fitting, isn’t it? Plastic leading plastic. “Who said that?” “Relax, Octa” the Doctor assured, “The Nestene has the ability of telepathy, which means it knows your every thought.” “That’s not very pleasant,” Twilight cringed. That’s right. For instance, I know things about your life, Twilight. “Hey!” Twilight objected, “Lots of grown mares sleep with teddy bears!” Not that. Don’t you find it suspicious how the first five mares you meet are suddenly your best friend? If I didn’t know better, I’d say that your Princess had something to do with it beforehand. “Shut up!” Twilight fumed, “Princess Celestia is the best ruler Equestria could have!” Riiiight, the voice said sarcastically, A ruler who invites six ponies to a formal gathering just to ruin it? She certainly has my vote. “Shut…up,” Twilight pleaded. The Doctor gave a worried glace. “She’s a good princess…I know it…” Just think about it, with the Nestene Conscience ruling, there will peace, fairness to all, and definitely no trickery nor deception to get our amusement. “Hate to interrupt,” The Doctor butted in with a sly smile, “But I know what you’re doing. You’re just trying to trick Twi here to think that the princess is an unworthy ruler.” Very good. And who might you be? You are certainly not a local. “What, the humanoid form give it away,” he said with a snicker, “No matter, I am going to give you a chance to leave this place. I like you, very polite. So! If you don’t leave now… I’m going to have to stop you,” his voice became darker, “And believe me, it will not be pretty.” It was now the Conscience turn to laugh. The vat trembled of the liquid inside it swayed back and forth in mirth. You? And how? When I read you’re thoughts, it shows that you are not planning anything. “Making it up as I go along,” The Doctor turned to Twilight, “And I’m sorry, I am very sorry.” “For what?” Instead of answering her question, the Doctor simply just grabbed Twilight’s mane and tugged it hard. “OW!” Then he grabbed the Super Torch and tied the pony hair around the button. “Now, this is set on the Electroshock setting. And it will kill you,” The Doctor threatened, “Go now, and there won’t be any deaths today.” So this is who you are, the Conscience broadcasted in understandment, the infamous Doctor. Always there to save everyone, no matter what. “Not everyone,” the Doctor said grimly, “And besides, what do you need this planet for? No gas, no pollution, nadda. What did you want?” There is a strange aura from this world. An aura that is exclusive to this planet. We don’t know what it is, but it feed our hunger, and quenches our thirst. “Ah, yes, the magic,” the Doctor nodded, “Still, the fact remains that you’re invading. And that needs to stop.” I understand. You’re going to throw the Electroshock devise at me, which will put an end to my life. So tell me Doctor, why are you doing this? “Because I know what you want,” he said, “I have seen what you can do. Now, I don’t want to be racist, so I’m giving you a chance to leave this planet.” Of course, Doctor. You don’t want anypony to die. “Exactly.” Well, consider this, my final victory. Killing ponies everywhere, and there’s not a thing you can do about it. A zebra and a Pegasus walked to the infamous Celestia’s Sun and basked in its glory. The statue was a scale replica of the Princess herself with her fore hooves up, balancing a large golden disc to represent the sun. The statue was located in the center of a plaza, or rather a plaza surrounded the statue. “Isn’t it wonderful, dear?” the Zebra sighed, resting her head on the Pegasus’s shoulder, “A symbol of peace and harmony, to be erect for years.” “Yeah,” he nuzzled the Zebra fondly, “Incredible how-What just happened?“ His sentence was cut off when a beam of blue light blasted out of the center of the disc. Their eyes widened as the light shot out across the land, seemingly all throughout Equestria. “What did you do?” the Doctor demanded. I sent a signal. The Autons are awake, and killing all the ponies. “You’re making me angry…” he warned. Oh, how frightening. Go ahead. Kill me. But leave, knowing that you couldn’t save all those innocent lives, because you were too busy talking to me, and trying to get me to leave, instead of just killing me. “Ha,” the Doctor chuckled darkly, “ Oh you’re going to wish you were dead by the time I done with you…” What? Octavia watched in horror as the Doctor twisted the end of the Super Torch and sent a volt of energy to the vat. The plastic mass inside writhed and bubbled. A blood curling scream was heard, echoing in her thoughts. No…Please… The Doctor’s face remained stoic as he shot the stream of light into the liquid. When the light finally passed, all that remained was a crust of black, corroded plastic. The Super Torch was now ruined, the bulb cracked, and smoke elevating from the circuitry. “What… happened?” Twilight asked, “Where’s the Nestene?” “Its here,” he gestured to the Super Torch, “The host plastic is ruined, and impossible to be piloted by the Conciseness. So it looked for another.” he sighed, “And then I killed it with an Electroshock blast before it got the chance to survive.” Twilight patted him on the back sympathetically. It was one of the Doctor’s guilty moments. One day, she had to ask him what the matter was. In Celestia’s Sun Plaza, Ponies ran as mannequins marched about, shooting bullets from their hooves. Bodies piled on the streets and carriages drove blindly. “Well, my dear,” the Zebra hugged her lover tightly, “It looks like the end is near,” The Pegasus hugged her back, “I never thought my death would be caused by a mannequin.” Carousel Boutique “This new dress is simply marvelous!” Rarity beamed in success, “I can’t wait to display it on the…” She paused. Surely she had placed a mannequin in her inspiration room? How in Equestria could she have misplaced it? Click A mannequin loomed over the couple, and pointed at them with its hoof. But, suddenly, it stopped and… danced? It moved its arms in a jerky manner and fell to the floor Rarity watched in amazement as the mannequin in front of her fell to the ground and wagged its legs in the air. The head spun around, until its head popped off the socket. She put her hoof on her forehead, “Oh, Sweetie Belle, when will I learn to not let you make lemonade.” The TARDIS materialized into the streets of Canterlot. The Doctor stepped out, smiling. “Well!” The Doctor grinned, “That’s a great feeling of achievement!” He turned to Octavia, “And for you. You did good out there.” “Yeah? And?” She asked, rather suspiciously. “Would you like to travel with me?” She sighed. She was worried he’d ask that, “Doctor, you are great. But you… you’re just frightening. He frowned. “What do you mean?” “The way you killed the Nestene. It was like you were the monster,” Octavia shuddered from the memory. The Doctor nodded understandingly. “Alright then,” he sighed, and then remembered something, “And if you ever change your mind, have this.” Octavia peered into his outstretched hoof (or was it a claw?) and saw a small golden key. “If I’m ever near… you‘ll know,” he walked back to the TARDIS, albeit disheartened. “Hello, Twilight,” the Doctor smiled as he set his hands on the console, “Ready to give it another go?” “Ready, Doctor,” Twilight nodded, “Maybe we’ll finally get to Ponyville this time.” “Time’s a wastin'.” Whooooosh, whoooosh, whooooosh, Whooosh, whoosh, whoooosh Thunk The TARDIS materialized into a grey, metallic warehouse. The walls were covered with guns and other strange weaponry. The windows were barred, and the doors seemed to be made of steel. It looked like a prison. The Doctor looked out and frowned, “No! This isn’t Ponyville at all! Stupid, stupid, stupid…” “Freeze!” He turned around and saw a red pony pointing a large pipe, resembling a shotgun from Earth, right at his head. All in all, not the best time to forget to turn on the perception filter. “Oh, hello!” the Doctor grinned, “Do you mind telling me where I am, exactly?” The Earth Pony scowled, “This is DAEL headquarters. And you are breaking and entering.”
The BreakoutDedicated to Caroline John (Liz Shaw). “State your name and purpose!” the pony ordered. He spoke with a distinct Norwegian accent. The Doctor raised his hands up, “I’m the Doctor, and I’m just trying to get my friend Twilight Sparkle to her home. That’s all.” The red pony lowered his eyes in distrust, “The Twilight Sparkle? Pfft, yeah right. As if the princess’s protégé would break into a high security base.” The Doctor smacked his forehead, “She’s the-TWILIGHT!” She grinned sheepishly, “Sorry, I kinda…forgot…” “You forgot you were the student of royalty?!” “No…I just forgot to tell you…” Twilight explained. “Great,” he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, “I don’t feel left out at all.” “Hello?” the red earth pony regained their attention, “You know I’m still here, right?” “OH, sorry,” the Doctor grinned, “Um… what’s your name?” “My name is Guardian,” the pony puffed his chest with pride, “And it is my job to make sure creatures like you are locked up where they belong!” The Doctor eyed the gun casually, “Alright, Guardian, lead the way.” The Doctor and Twilight were lead through a bright prison. Cells as far as they could see. “How about I give you a little tour, since you will be staying here for a while,” Guardian said with a snicker. “Well there’s no need for that tone of voice,” the Doctor said to himself, “And what’s DAEL?” “DAEL,” Guardian explained, “Is the Defense Against Extraterrestrial Life. Our duty is to capture any strange, alien that wonders onto our fair lands. Then we cage them, experiment on them, anything the science colts ask.” Twilight gasped, “That’s awful! If Princess Celestia knew about this…” “Ha!” Guardian scoffed, “Who do you think funded our research.” “What… but she wouldn’t…” Twilight stammered, “Well, I’ll bet that she doesn’t know how you treat the inmates.” Guardian shrugged, “Doesn’t know, doesn’t ask. It’s all the same.” The Doctor tapped him on his head, “So, why exactly are you taking Twilight? She isn’t an alien.” “Seriously? You think I’m gonna fall for that?” Guardian laughed, “The real Twilight Sparkle would know what DAEL is. Everypony knows.” The group stopped at a large cage. “These,” he gestured, “Are the biters. We don’t know their real name, since their not the best at communication.” The cage held five snarling creatures, similar to humans in appearance. But they lacked noses, and their teeth were as sharp as a dog’s. Their eyes were sunken, and had no hair whatsoever. Each of them wore a black jumpsuit. “Biters?” the Doctor rolled his eyes, “That’s the best you can think of? Jack had a better name. Weevils, he called them.” “Oh, well look who’s mister smarty pants,” Guardian sneered, “What are their real names, then?” “How should I know?” the Doctor crossed his arms, “They aren’t the best at communication.” “This is the cell of the Cyberpony,” Guardian showed them another cage. “A cyberpony!” the Doctor slapped his forehead, “Of course one escaped. One always escapes.” “You know, this would’ve attacked all of Appleloosa if it weren’t for us,” Guardian said proudly. “Yep,” the Doctor nodded, “Twilight, remember when we defeated the Cybermen?” “Yes, I do,” Twilight replied, glad to have a chance to show up Guardian, “How did we escape again? Oh yes, you used you’re cape.” “Wha- bu-“ Guardian dropped his jaw, and regained his focus, “No matter, we should… move on to the next cage.” “No! No! No! NOOO! SOMEPONY HELP ME!” “What’re you doing to that poor thing?” Twilight fumed. “That’s not us,” Guardian cringed, “I’ve never seen what’s inside, but I’m not that sure I want to. Every pony who goes in never goes back and never talk about it.” “Can I see it?” “What?” Guardian was shocked upon this bold statement, “Did you not here what I just said?” “Yeah, I heard ya,” the Doctor answered smugly, “And it almost sounds like a challenge to me.” Guardian nodded uncertainly, and opened the hatch. “so I said, ‘Cupcakes are a million gazillion bajillion times better than muffins’. The she said ‘nu uh’, and I said, ‘Yuh huh!’ and it went like Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh, Nu uh, Yuh huh…” A blue unicorn cupped his hooves over his ears in a futile attempt to cut off the noise. He turned to Guardian and the others. “Please, for the sake of Celestia,” he sobbed, “Make it stop!” The Doctor and Twilight widened their eyes. “Pinkie?” “This cage has something you might recognize, Doctor,” “Oh, that’s very likely,” The Doctor checked his nails to express that he was uninterested, “I know pretty much everything in this prison.” Ignoring his snide comment, Guardian revealed another cage. In it was a… human? “Like it?” he grinned, “It’s one of our greatest acheivements.” “What did you do?” “We infused the DNA of another alien into this one. Now he’s a hybrid human… and something else. He’s unbelievably clever, and we think the…” “So you’re saying the human in there, isn’t a human anymore.” Guardian nodded. The Doctor scowled. “So you think you can control all that?” he laughed, “You think the rest of the universe is like putty in your hooves, eh? I swear, no one’s every different.” “I think that ends our tour,” Guardian said venomously. “Hey! There is no need to shove,” Twilight whined, or rather complained. “Be quiet,” Guardian mumbled. “What was that?” Twilight put her hoof to her ear, “I can’t hear you,” ‘Be quiet,” he mumbled again. The confidence had been drained from him. That ‘doctor’ fellow was right. The whole organization was based on the belief that they were better than another species. Twilight became more sensitive. There was a chance that he didn’t really want to do what he did. It was to protect Equestria after all. “Oof!” the Doctor groaned. Two guards carrying gunsticks pushed into a cold, barred room, “Hm, not very accommodating. Can I have some room service?” The stoic guards gave no response. “Hm, you’re a bundle of laughs you lot,” the Doctor frowned. He huffed, getting bored. Meanwhile, “Careful, Iron Sight, careful,” a brown unicorn warned his partner. “I got it, Angle,” his partner reassured dragging a blue box via wagon, “What’s so special ‘bout this dumb box anyways?” Angle smiled, “Oh, this thing isn’t just a dumb box. They say it’s impossible to open. They even tried explosives! Not one dent!” “Fine, fine,” Granite sighed, “Let’s just dump this thing and go. Their serving pudding in the lunchroom.” Iron Sight set the box down to the ground next to large, dome shaped artifact. “Come on, I’m famished!” he complained. Angle shook his head, “You’re excepted in a place that defends Equestria from aliens and all you can think about is eating?” The two kept on arguing about priorities, and they never noticed a strange phenomenon occurring in the warehouse. The artifact started shaking as the box beside it glowed energy. It came to life. A glowing blue eyestalk rose upwards. It said one thing. “Exterminate!” “Ugghhhh!” Twilight groaned loudly, “This is so monotonous!” “Seriously? That’s the only thing you have to say?” Guardian took all his willpower not to bang his head with a shovel, “I mean, you are trapped in a cage.” “Yeah, but its so boring!” she pouted, “Do you have any books around here?” “Nope.” Twilight sighed. She had been aching on and on about the dull environment of captivity. This was probably the most uninteresting event in her journeys with the Doctor since he challenged her to read ‘The History of Peas’. Not even she could finish that book. “Do you have any interesting stories?” Twilight asked, “That might interest me.” “Nope,” Guardian grunted. “Come on!” she insisted, “Surely you have something. You fight aliens for a living, for Pony’s sake!” “Actually, I’m more of a guard,” he admitted sheepishly, “Never worked out in the field.” “Please?” Twilight begged. Cabin fever was kicking in, “I really need a distraction from claustrophobia right now.” “Alright,” he thought for a while, “Well, my father was a guard for Princess Luna herself. He always wanted me to follow in his hoofsteps. Always made me get up early and jog 5 miles before and after school. I had to run 7 miles on weekends. He was pretty proud when he learned that I was working with DAEL. The only time I ever made him proud.” He shook his head sadly. Twilight frowned, “It doesn’t sound like you enjoyed it.” “Not at all,” Guardian admitted, “My dream job was always to be a…,” “A what?” “A park ranger!” he blurted, “You see, I’ve always had a fascination with nature, and I hated seeing litter and pollution.” In the Doctor’s cell, the Doctor was busy planning an escape route. A sonic screwdriver would be handy, but for all he knew, it could be floating in space, surrounded by shrapnel of Cybermen. He took a look at his cape. A cape saved him from dying in the Cybership’s explosion. Looks like it can save him again. “May I have a glass of water?” he requested innocently, indiscreetly removing his cape. A unicorn guard walked towards him, his partner guarding the exit. He levitated a small canteen of water. “Here, now be quie-GURK!” the Doctor grabbed him and tied his neck to the cell bars, grabbing the gunstick. The other rushed over to assist the fallen guard, only to be hit in the face stick’s butt. He fell to the floor. “Thank you,” he smirked and plucked the keys from the unconscious pair and swung open his door. “If only ponies could see it!” Guardian exclaimed, “Trees are more then just chunks of would attached with leaves! They are shelter to countless birds, ants, and aphids! It’s not just brown and green either! It’s an explosion of tints and shades-“ A voice blared from a computer. “Alert! Prisoner 1963 has escaped! Last scene in mess hall!” “An escape?” Twilight widened her eyes in surprise, “Who is it?” The screen played a clip of a grinning Doctor staring at the camera. “Oo, they have custard! Yum,” The Doctor licked his lips, “Are those hay fries? That combination might actually work.” “Focus, Doctor,” he told himself, “You need to find a way to release those prisoners.” “What if we reach the main control point, we could unlock the doors electronically…” The Doctor paused. “This is the reason I have a companion.” In the warehouse, the dome shaped creature made its way outside. A guard saw it and readied the gun. “Ha!” he laughed, “What are you, a salt shaker with a plunger? This should be easy.” “I AM NO ‘SALT SHAKER’,” the creature screamed, “I AM DALEK! I AM DEATH! EXTERMINATE!” The Dalek raised its arm and shot out a green laser, and killed the guard instantly. “EXTERMINATE!” The Doctor ran through the Prison hallways, searching frantically for a door, or a sign that would help him locate a main control room of some sort. “What is it?” The Doctor froze. Two guards were having a conversation, blocking his path. A group of other guards were on his trail as well. “There’s another prisoner escaped!” Another prisoner? He thought, Looks like I got myself an assistant! “Stop right there! I swear, I’ll shoot!” Two audible shot were fired, followed by a clanging sound. As if it were striking armor. “YOUR PRIMATIVE WEAPONS ARE USELESS!” a voice screamed, “EXTERMINATE!!” The Doctor scowled angrily. They followed him here. They always find him. But how? The guard screamed bloody murder, and dropped to the ground. The Dalek floated over his body and surveyed the hallway. “SENSORS INDICATE HOSTILES IN A 50 RADIUS RANGE!” it screeched, “THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED!” The Doctor stepped behind the Dalek’s view, “Well, well, well, looks like you’ve caught me!” The Dalek swung its eyepiece around. “HOSTILE DETECTED! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!” “Oh, please,” the Doctor laughed, “I think we know each other well enough for you to call me ‘Doctor’” The Dalek shook its eyepiece fearfully, “YOU ARE THE DOCTOR! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!” “And how are you going to do that?” he sneered. The Dalek took its laser arm and shot the ground beneath under him, breaking open a large hole in the floor. It dropped down to the lower floor. “Okay, that’s just not fair!” The Doctor looked down and saw that the Dalek was gone. “Where are you, Dalek….,” “What the…,” Guardian stared into the computer. “What’s wrong?” “All the cells are electronically locked,” he explained, “And somepony hacked into the database mainframe.” Twilight looked into the screen as far as the restricting bars would let her, “What’s he doing?” “He’s opening all the cages!” Guardian shouted frantically, “All the inmates are escaping! It’s a mass breakout!” Weevils, Cyberponies, everything ran wild through the corridors. Guards were shooting to and fro. “Ahhhhh!” a guard screamed in pain as a weevil jumped him and sank his teeth into his neck. He was shot down by another guard. “Oh, sweet Celestia!” he shouted into his radio, “All hell’s broken loose ou-Ahhhh!” The Dalek removed its plunger arm from the computer. All of the guards would die. Everything will die, distracting the Doctor long enough to execute its plan. “DALEK SCOUT REPORTING!” it shouted, “THIS WORLD IS PRIMATIVE, AND STANDS NO CHANCE AGAINST THE DALEK ARMY! PREPARE TO INVADE!” “AFFIRMATIVE!” Everything is going perfectly. A large, circular ship floated downwards, to Equestria. The invasion was about to begin.
Pandemonium-Halloween SpecialDedicated to John Pertwee “Where are you, Dalek…” the Doctor mumbled, “I know you’re hiding here, somewhere…” He leaned towards the computer screen and opened up a map of the building. The screen zoomed into the floor below him. He pressed a combination of keys, flipping through different cameras, until he found what he was looking for. “What are you up to?” the Doctor asked himself. The camera zoomed onto the Dalek. It was obviously up to something. But what? The Doctor flipped on the computer’s volume. The Dalek’s voice blared from the speakers. “DALEK SCOUT REPORTING!” it shouted, “THIS WORLD IS PRIMATIVE, AND STANDS NO CHANCE AGAINST THE DALEK ARMY! PREPARE TO INVADE!” He groaned, “Oh, come ON! Again?” Even here… Most likely the most peaceful planet in the cosmos. The Doctor cracked his knuckles, “Alright, then. If you think this planet has no chance, you’ve got another thing coming.” ==== Bam! Bam! A weevil fell to its knees, uttering one final screech. Guardian reloaded his shotgun and let out a breath of relief. “Alright, Twilight,” he gestured her to come with his hoof, “The coast is clear.” Twilight trotted to Guardian. “How much further until we get to this armory?” “Should only be past that corridor,” he pointed towards a dark hallway. “Of course,” Twilight sighed, “More corridors.” ==== “Lets see… Daleks have no weakness, but what if…” the Doctor smacked his forehead, “How can I stop this fleet.” “Who’s there!” a familiar voice called out, followed by two gunshots. “Hey!” he scowledi , “Careful! You could shoot your eye out with that thing!” A red unicorn stepped from the shadows. “Oh, its you!” the Doctor grinned, “Ol’ mister trigger happy!” “Doctor,” Guardian nodded, “Good to know someone made it.” He turned his head and shouted, “Twilight, it’s your companion!” “What?” the Doctor demanded, “For your information, it’s the other way around!” “Hello, Doctor,” Twilight stepped into view, “I missed you.” “Aw I missed you to,” he smiled back at her, “So, where y’all going?” Guardian looked at the door several feet away, “An armory is just ahead. We can arm ourselves there.” Kick The door broke down. Guardian rushed in and began to arm himself. “I always wondered,” Guardian levitated a small, blue object, “How does this work?” “It’s an ocarina,” the Doctor replied, lifting up a device he deemed broken, “The big question is: Where did you get this stuff?” “Celestia started the DAEL industry a decade ago,” Guardian explained, “It Was because of an artifact scientist’s found. It created a swirl of light, like a storm, and would allow us to capture alien life and technology. Of course we had to take advantage of it! Think of what we learned!” “Swirling light?” the Doctor stroked his chin thoughtfully, “Sounds like an upgraded time storm from the Sontarans. It could. They disbanded the idea and shot the project into space because it made war ‘un-honorable’. Like it ever was.” He turned and picked up a small gun and pocketed the devise, “Oh, a square-ness gun! That’ll come in handy.” “The thing is,” Guardian admitted, “I liked the job simply because I had some sort of authority. I wasn’t really liked as a child due to my accent. “A chula syringe,” the Doctor cringed, “Nah, the nanogenes aren’t programmed for ponies, don’t want anymore ‘gasmask zombies’.” “Are you even hearing me?” “Yeah, sorry,” he shook his head, “It’s like a store, filled with free samples of nostalgia! It’s like Ikea. By the way, there were so many free samples one time, I had supper there, didn’t even need any money!” “Is he always ranting like this?” “Of course!” the Doctor shouted, “What’s the point of being able to talk if you if I can’t talk on and on and on?” He looked into the map on the computer, and, “So that area, what is it for?” “That is the storage for the technology that isn’t thought of as weaponry, why?” “That’s where the Dalek came from,” the Doctor tapped his chin, “But why now, of all time?” “While,” Guardian replied, “We did put your box into the warehouse, does that help?” “Of course!” the Doctor stood up, “The Dalek used the timey wimey stuff!” “What?” Guardian asked, raising his bottom left eyelid. “Well you see,” The Doctor lectured, “Back in the Time War, Daleks would use the residue from the time vortex to power and regenerate themselves. My TARDIS picks up timey wimey stuff, gets put in the warehouse, makes contact with Dalek, and BOOM!” He waved his arms in the air for emphasis, “Any questions?” Guardian opened his mouth, but closed it in better judgment. === “The watch, somnuimforms, she is returning,” a biped creature walked around the halls, making his way into the warehouse, clad in a white jumpsuit. In his clenched hands, rested a journal, its pages yellowing in age. He pushed the warehouse doors open and saw it. “Hello, you sexy thing.” As the sentence left his lips, a surge of energy rushed through him. His feet patted the ground, his legs in a swirl. He stroked the wooden surface with one hand. He flipped the journal open, going through pages until he found the pattern, from a memory. A memory of a woman sticking a pin in the lock. He fumbled at the ground until he came across a paper clip. Click The door opened, a greenish glow radiated from the interior lights. “Well, I’m hardly in appropriate attire,” he glanced at his jumpsuit. His eyes floated to a sign above a corridor, reading: Wardrobe. === “What was that?” “What?” The Doctor turned his attention to Twilight, who was fixated to the computer screen. “Someone just got into the TARDIS,” she responded, poking at the screen. “But that’s impossible! A horde of angry crabs, and falling off a cliff couldn’t open that!” he scrunched his head, “Then again, Marge got in with pin-” “Anyway,” Twilight interrupted, “It might be a good idea to see who’s in there.” “Good idea, indeed,” he agreed, “Vite, vite, dépêche vous!” He sprinted to the door, but was blocked. Two blue unicorns, one skinny and one rather round, stood at the doorway. “FREEZE!” The two aimed their pistols to the Doctor. “Good!” he smiled sarcastically, “More blokes with guns. You want to save the planet? Come with me!” He ran past them. “What’s with him?” a guard asked curiously. “I think… that’s his normal attitude,” The two unicorns trotted towards the Doctor. “The name's Angle,” the skinny one introduced, “And this here is my friend Iron Sight.” “Well, I’m the Doctor!” “Why should we believe that you can stop this?” Iron Sight asked, “Aren’t you the one who started this?” “What?” the Doctor responded, offended, “Why would it be me?” “You were the first to escape,” Angle explained, “You also seem to be strangely happy.” “I’ll admit, I am a bit excited to help,” the Doctor confessed, “Sue me.” “Alright,” Angle agreed hesitantly, “Let’s go see whatever it is you want to do. === The Doctor and the ponies ran through the corridors. Weevils, strange red tentacle covered creatures, and autons appeared through all directions. “Dammit!” Angle cursed, “The warehouse is all the way down two floors!” “Let’s see, let’s see…” the Doctor punched his forehead, “What do I do?” Suddenly, a figurative light bulb went off over his head. “Hold on,” the Doctor grinned and pointed the ‘square-ness gun’ to the ground. “Times a-wastin’!” Twilight saw the warning gleam in his eyes, “Doctor, maybe we shoul-AHHHHHH!” The group, excluding the Doctor, screamed as the floor beneath them opened and swallowed them up. THUD “Ugghhh, warn me the next time you do something like that again,” Twilight groaned. “Does he do that often?” Guardian asked. “More than I would like,” “Alrighty then!” the Doctor jumped to his feet. He ran to the box, “Let’s see who the TARDIS intruder is!” Angle looked at him with a blank expression, “What’s this TARDIS?” “It’s my ship. One the best!” he boasted, “Let’s have a looksie, shall we?” The Doctor pushed the doors open. The faithful blue box stood tall and proud. “And there she is, my transport through the history of anything, and anywhere!” “What? A box?” Butter asked, “We went all this way for a box?” “It’s bigger on the inside,” Twilight explained impatiently, “Let’s just see what this is about.” The Doctor stepped up to the TARDIS door and knocked, “Hello, mind if you get outta my TARDIS?” The blue doors opened with a creak. A pale man in a leather jacket and khaki pants, topped off with a top hat, peered out. “It’s you!” he shouted in excitement, “I have been waiting for quite some time to meet you!” “Um… do I know you?” “C’mon! Remember the human thing you saw before?” the intruder pointed to himself, “That was me!” “Oh, I didn’t recognize you…” the Doctor raised an eyebrow, “Have you been in my wardrobe?” His question was answered with a nod. “Okay!” the Doctor clapped his hands, “I do have a few question, including ‘What’s your name?’ ‘How did you get inside the TARDIS?’, and ‘How do you know who I am?” The man pulled a book from the inside of his jacket, “This book is the answer to most of those questions. As for my name, Test Subject 18. Their first successful DNA splicing experiment.” The Doctor thumbed through the book, “Hold on- Twilight! Bring me your guide!” Twilight lifted the book from her saddlebags, and into the Doctor’s hands. “Well, well, how do you like that!” he chuckled, “Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey!” He handed the books back to their respective owners, “Twilight, say hello to the writer of the Guide of Creatures and Technology in Space!” “…” “You know, I expected you to be more excited about it,” Twilight blinked, “Oh, uh, wow! I… didn’t expect that.” “That’s better,” the Doctor, “Now! I know what your thinking. How is this nutter going to save us all? The answer is simple. I need something from my TARDIS.” “What’re you going to do?” Guardian asked precariously. “Trust me,” a gleam shone through the Doctor’s eyes, “I’ll also need a map of the building.” === The Dalek rolled to the speakers, “WARNING! WARNING! THE DOCTOR IS IN THE PLANET!” A voice blared back, “DOCTOR WHO?” The Dalek recoiled in confusion. “THE DOCTOR! THE ONCOMING STORM! THE PREDATOR TO ALL DALEKS!” “NO NAMES FOUND DALEK DATABASE!” the voice roared back. “THE DOCTOR IS AN ENEMY TO THE DALEKS. HE IS DANGEROUS! SEND REENFORCEMENTS” The Dalek requested. “REQUEST ACCEPTED!” the Dalek voice responded. A beam of light appeared, and a Dalek materialized. It lifted its plunger, a small syringe stuck from the center. === Guardian trotted to the Doctor, “Okay, I know you said ‘Trust me,’ when I asked, but what are you really going to do?” “I’m going to use these teleporters,” he lifted up a group of black devices he retrieved from the TARDIS, “I’ll need to go around the building, and place them. Now, the Dalek is like a homing devise, it sends a signal to the big ship up above, and should, considering how far away from here, and the speed of their ships… round about 10 minutes.” “So, 10 minutes to set up five transporters, around a building five miles wide, and 4 miles long?” “More or less,” “Right,” They walked on in silence. “Is it me, or is it too quite?” The Doctor wondered, “Shouldn’t we be dead already?” “Well don’t jinx it!” Twilight hissed back, “Just be thankful.” “Can’t help it. Here we are, in a building filled to the brim with unbelievably dangerous creatures, and here we are. This is impossible! Unless…” his face drained of his color, “Let’s go,” “What exactly are you worried about?” The three turned to see that TS18 was the questioner. “You’re smart. A building full of creatures plus a Dalek and complete silence, do the math,” TS18’s eyes opened in horror as he realized the implications. “There’s no way that single Dalek could have silenced the entire building that quickly, so…” “It’s bringing friends,” he finished the sentence, “I’m sorry, getting all serious again. Need to lighten up the situation. YOU!” he pointed an accusing finger at TS18, “I am not comfortable calling you by Test Subject 18. Don’t you have another name?” “Well, you’re the Doctor,” TS18 pointed to his journal, “Since I just write things down in this book, I can be… The Scribe!” “Hahaha! Nice one!” the Doctor smiled, “Good! Tension died, sorry tension, and lets get a move on!” === Pinkie sighed. Her cage door was open, but the chains held her down tight. Even her laughter wouldn’t-couldn’t removed them. She overheard something about them being dwarf star alloy. Wait! What was that? Her ears swiveled to a trotting sound. The sound of metal scraping against wood. And then she heard the sound of jingling keys. A weird ape thing in a suit stepped into view, swinging a ring of keys in his extended finger. “Hello, Pinkie. Miss me?” === “Yippee!” Pinkie bounced up and down, free from her binds. She aimed her nose into the air, and confetti shot from her nostrils. “Quite!” The Scribe shushed, “I hear something.” Tap…tap…tap…tap “Sounds like hooves,” Twilight said excitedly, “Maybe somepony’s there!” A dark silhouette formed in the shadowy hall. An upright, four-horned figure staggered into the light. “Is that…” the Doctor scrunched up his eyes, “No, it couldn’t be, too many horns.” A light erupted from the center of the creature’s crown of horns. It swerved around, scanning the group. “Six hostiles detected,” it lifted an arm, revealing a small metal tube ripping through the palm of it’s hand. “RUN!” The tube shot out a blue laser, nearly hitting them. A hole in the wall appeared where it hit. “Oh, I hate those things,” he groaned, “It’s not enough just to kill them, is it? You just have to use them as puppets!” Reaching into his bigger-on-the-inside pockets, the Doctor pulled out the square-ness gun. The blue light cut a square around the ceiling, crashing onto the creature. The Doctor wiped his hands together looked at a directory nearby a staircase. “This is going to take to long. Time to slit up. Twilight, Guardian, Pinkie, go off to the west wing, and set up these two transmats to the points here and here,” he tapped the directory, “Me, Butter, Angle, and the Scribe will place the transmats here, here, and here. Once it’s done, meet each other back in the warehouse, and we can all get outta this madhouse in the TARDIS.” Twilight nodded, “Good! Any advise on hostiles we meet?” “Yeah, if you see a Dalek, get away from it. As fast as possible,” the Doctor glared at the debris, “You really don’t want to mess with them.” “What do they do?” “That alien over there,” he pointed towards the debris, “Was a Judoon. The police of the universe. I don’t know how they did it, but somehow they managed to convert him to those puppets.” Twilight gulped. The Judoon forehead was split where the eyestalk stuck out. She didn’t want to end up like that poor thing. He pulled out a sack of gold dust, and a small spray can. “The cyberpony can be stopped with this stuff,” He explained, referring to the gold, “And the can has something from Jack, a friend of mine, called Anti-Weevil spray. That should come in handy.” Guardian took the tools with his magic and trotted away with Twilight and Pinkie, giving a small salute. === The Doctor looked smiled and looked around the hallway. The first teleporter was placed in a bathroom. That left two more. “So… these transporters… how exactly do they work?” Butter asked, examining one with curiosity. “Pretty much the same as how the time storms worked. Pick up one thing and drop it off somewhere else. In this case, the Daleks and the black hole, K37 gem. The gravity will pull them into, and hopefully kill them,” The Doctor said while fiddling with a wire in another box. Behind them was the Scribe. He limped and started stuttering. “What’s wrong?” the Doctor stopped and ran to his aide. “She is returning, the bomb, monsters. Monsters everywhere!” the Scribe chanted over and over again. “What’s wrong?” he asked trying to shake him from his trance. The Scribe desperately fumbled with a pen and jotted down something in the Guide. The Doctor heard some noises. In the end of the corridor, a dome shaped silhouette inched closer. “It’s coming,” he hissed, and turned to the Scribe, “We have to go!” The Doctor pulled out the square-ness gun and prepared to shoot the ground away again. The Dalek rolled into view. “EXTERMINATE!” A laser shoot from it’s firing arm, reducing the gun to ash. “Well, that’s not good,” the Doctor’s eyes opened and filled with panic. The Scribe slumped over, unconscious. Iron Sight whipped his head to a door, “There! It’s another warehouse! Nothing is able to penetrate through them!” The group ran away, the Doctor holding onto the Scribe’s arms. The Dalek pointed its arm to Iron Sight’s back and shouted the Dalek’s battle cry. “EXTERMINATE!” Another beam shot from the rod, and made contact with the target. His skeleton briefly appeared in the flash, brightly illuminating a green light. “Iron Sight, no!” Angle grabbed his rifle his magic and fired bullets to the monster. The Doctor pulled him back and pulled him into the warehouse. ==== Angle sat in the corner of the Warehouse and brooded. The Doctor slouched over a desk and half-heartedly played with a circular saw, inspecting the material. He slowly grinned. “This is Dalekanium,” he whispered excitedly, “We can use it as a shield to protect ourselves!” “What’s Dalekanium?” Angle asked, looking up for the first time. “It’s the material Daleks are made up of! It can deflect the beams back to them, and damage its armor! Then we can trap it, and make sure it can’t kill anymore!” The door to the warehouse became red. Angle cringed. “Let’s do it quickly. That thing is breaking in.” ==== The first transporter was placed. Even Pinkie, for one of the first few times, became serious and determined to stop that thing attacking the very building, which served as a prison for countless months. Guardian laughed awkwardly, and rubbed the back of his head, “So! Sorry for imprisoning you…” “Drop it,” Pinkie sighed. It almost seemed like an eternity, yet it almost felt like she just arrived. That Dwarf Star Alloy thing was weird like that. “I just hope we can survive,” Twilight gulped, “That Dalek puppet thing looked like a monster. With that laser coming out from its paw. And that eyestalk…” “I hope he can get rid of them, so I can get outta here,” Guardian confessed, “I feel more guiltier by the second.” “I hope that Ponyville can forgive me for missing all those parties!” Guardian stopped and grinned. “We’re here! Let’s go back while we still can!” === “Got the chain ready?” The Doctor whispered. “All clear!” The Scribe and Angle responded in unison. The Doctor narrowed his eyebrows. He cracked his fingers and prepared to open the door. CRACK!! The door splinted, showering them with debris. “NOW!” The Scribe lifted the saw in behind his back ran up to the Dalek. “EXTERMINATE!” Triggered by the battle cry, he quickly held the saw to his body. The laser bounced off against the surface, and back to the Dalek’s armor. “SHIELD MALFUNCTION! LASER MALFUNCTION!” Angle tugged at the chain. The chains fell to the Dalek, tangling it and restricting its movements. “Not so tough now, are you?” he grinned as he leaned towards the Dalek. “NO!” The Doctor warned. The Dalek raised its plunger arm to his face. The end wrapped itself against his face. “Mphphhhhh!” the sucker released its grip from Angle. A little spot of blood trickled down his muzzle. Angle coughed. His forehead bulged, until an eyestalk poked out of it. He raised his hoof, and a rod stuck out from the end. “No. No. No, NO, NO, NO!” The Doctor rushed to help him. But it was too late. Angle was gone. The Doctor glared at the Dalek. The Scribe swore he saw its eyestalk tremble. The Doctor’s eyes were ablaze with anger and hatred. Finally, his rage broke. He picked up the circular saw and walked to the Dalek. “Do you have any idea who I am?” “DATABASE SHOWS NO INFORMATION,” the Dalek blared. “Well, then,” he pressed a button on the saw, and the blade started to spin. The saw inched closer and closer to the trapped Dalek’s arms, “I’ll give you a reminder.” The Scribe watched in horror as the Doctor, in cold blood, sawed the Dalek open, removing the gun and sucker. The arms made a loud clank sound as it hit the floor. “AHHHHHHHHH!” Angle walked to the Doctor. “Prepare for extermination.” The laser beam shot from his hoof, and bounced back to him. Without Dalekanium armor, it instantly killed him. “You’ve been a good boy for the Doctor,” he said sarcastically, “Have some Jelly Babies.” He pulled out a bag from his jacket pocket, and threw it at the remains of the Dalek. === Guardian sat idly in the corridor where the Doctor asked them to wait for him. The excitement of the day wore off. It was actually getting quite boring. “Thanks for waiting.” Twilight ran to the Doctor, grapping him with a hug. “Good! You’re alive!” she let go of her grip, and smiled sheepishly. Her smile turned to a frown as she saw his face. Old and angry looking eyes stared back at her. “What happened?” “We met up with the Dalek,” he sighed, “Killed Angle and Iron Sight.” The other three gasped in shock. “How did you get out?” Guardian asked. The look the Doctor gave him showed that he hit a tough subject. “The important thing is, the transporters are in place, correct?” the Scribe quickly changed the subject. Pinkie nodded happily, “We met a few meanies on the way here, but I laughed at them and erased them from our plane of existence.” “Bon!” the Doctor clapped, “Now let’s go to the TARDIS and get out of this asylum.” === Vroooom, vroooom, vroooom. The TARDIS materialized in a sunny field. The survivors pooled out, and cheered in relief. The Doctor stayed in the TARDIS, and sighed. “Okay, everyone,” The Doctor shooed the ponies from the TARDIS, “I need to control the teleportation in the epicenter of the transporters. Sorry.” The TARDIS materialized away, again. The Doctor banged his head against the door, and sighed deeper. “I am so, so, sorry.” “Don’t be.” The Doctor, startled, spun around, and saw the Scribe, holding a perception filter in his hand. “You shouldn’t leave these thing laying around. Someone bad could get them. Like Adam.” “Wha-“ The Scribe lifted his hand to stop him. “I know what you’re going to do, but I just can’t let you do that.” “Scribe…” “You can’t,” he shook his head firmly, “You have so much more to do. There’s not much for me. But you’re fate is fixed.” “Don’t do this,” the Doctor pleaded, “I don’t need someone else’s blood on my hands.” “I have to.” He raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you’re right.” “I am,” the Scribe handed his journal to the Doctor, “Here. Apparently Twilight gets it in the past. Make sure she gets it. It’ll save her life.” “How do you know?” the Doctor asked, “Scribe, back in the warehouse, a Dalek was going to kill us. How could you just sit there and write.” Now it was the Scribe’s turn to sigh, “The person they spliced with me was a mighty, all knowing being. They took a piece of his brain, and put it in mine. That cell, that one speck, started to rebuild itself. It took over me. Every now and then, I would have these surges of information, and I can’t help myself but write it down. Before they got me the book, I would scrape it onto the walls.” The TARDIS stopped materializing. “Well, this is my stop,” he took off his top hat, “It has been just a pleasure working with you.” The Doctor took off his own Stetson, “The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Scribe.” Before leaving, he turned and said, “There’s something I need to tell you, though. Soon, very soon, there will be a departure, a rebirth, and a return.” === Vrooom, vroom, vrooooom. “”Where did you go off to?” Twilight asked, “And where’s the Scribe?” The Doctor stared at the DAEL headquarters. A giant flying saucer flew down to the building, about to land, when… BOOM! A large cloud of dust arose from the building, destroying it, and the ship. “I thought you said those were transporters!” Twilight accused. “Rule number one. The Doctor lies,” he hung his head low, and stared at the journal in his hand, “I’m sorry.” Twilight, Guardian, and, surprisingly enough, Pinkie were at a loss for words. Guardian trotted to the sulking man. “Does that mean,” Guardian gulped, “The Scribe is dead?” The Doctor nodded. === “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Twilight asked while she and Pinkie boarded the box. “Yep. I think I’ll need a new, calmer job after this. Maybe I can try the park ranger thing again. Besides, I’ve got a few hostiles to round up before I can do anything.” “Alright then,” she gave him a hug, “I’ll miss you.” Guardian waved goodbye. Twilight walked into the TARDIS, shutting the door behind her. The Doctor waved and said, "So long and thanks for all the fish." “I love you. Damn it!” === “Doctor, are… you okay?” “I swear I’m sorry Twilight. I just knew you wouldn’t let me destroy the building when I was in it,” the Doctor refused to make eye contact with her. “It’s alright,” Twilight assured, though her frown suggested otherwise, “You did what you had to do.” “Good! So, is there anywhere you’d like to go next? How about the invention of baseball? Or the Big Bang 2?” The Doctor's voice was almost desperate for some reason. “I told you already, Doctor, I want to see my friends. Pinkie probably wants to as well.” “Are you kidding me? I missed them soooo much. I can’t believe how many parties I must’ve missed. I also promised Applejack I’d have lunch with her, so I guess I’ll have to reschedule.” As Pinkie rambled on, the Doctor couldn’t help but wonder about the Scribe’s warning: A departure, a rebirth, and a return. He hoped the departure wasn’t what he thought. He hated goodbyes.
Starswirl's Tale10 A.C. "Oh, dear godesses! Help us!" Dress Code ran fearfully. Ponies everywhere wear dropping dead. The hooded figures were closing in on them. He ran and ran. But he tripped on a stone. A stone that wasn't there before. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?!" The hooded figure walked closer to him, enough so that Dress Code could see the wet, jiggling brain in place of where it's face should have been, and a long eyestalk. "The Doctor." Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom. The Doctor furrowed his brow in worry. He wanted Twilight to stay as long as possible. How could he handle her leaving him? He spun disc on the console, trying to reach Ponyville once again. “How do you guys go around this place? It’s like a maze! Whee!” Pinkie bounced up and down, hopping around the console. Twilight smiled, and flipped a few levers on the TARDIS. He smiled. At least he managed to have a good run. Twilight and Pinkie were good companions. Granted, Pinkie joined for only two adventures, but who’s counting? She had that air of excitement and fun he liked in companions. And Twilight. She always wanted answers. Always asked questions. Needed more information. She even decided to learn to drive the TARDIS. And a good taste in music too. So why did they have to leave. Why can’t they stay? The Doctor sighed. He hated goodbyes. He looked at the two. They looked so naïve. So happy. “Hey, girls,” he smiled weakly, attempting to make lift tension, “What do you think of my new suit?” “Looks great, Doctor!” Pinkie praised in approval, “I like the new grey look! Still got Braeburn’s hat, I see!” "Nah... let's go without a hat," He hung it on the coat rack next to the TARDIS console, "I think it clashes." He sat down, propping his feet on the console, as Twilight attempted to drive her way back to Ponyville. He started to enjoy the peaceful serenity- “Doctor!” Twilight cried. A cloud of smoke erupted from the TARDIS console as she frantically waved her hooves, “HELP!” “And this is why I shouldn’t let companions drive the TARDIS alone,” he grumbled, “Dear lord, what did you do?” Spike walked through the street. He was going to the postage office for some new books. It was Book Donation Day. Then he heard it. “Doctor! HELP!” Spike turned his head. The voice came from a blue box in an alleyway, concealed by shadows. “T-Twilight?” All that time since the last time he saw her. Could she really be back? Spike shook his head. It wasn’t the time to think. It was time to act. He rushed to the box. “TWILIGHT!” Spike pounded at the door, “Whoever you are, let her go!” Knock, knock, knock! The Doctor turned his head with a rather confused. “And who could that be?” “Cough, cough!” Twilight gagged, “I can get that!” “Wait!” the Doctor lifted his hoof, “Don’t want another go to a cell incident! Let me put on my pony!” With a press of a button, his form shimmered into the body of a brown, spiked mane pony. He nodded to Twilight, and she pushed the open button to the doors. The doors opened, releasing the smoke. Outside the box stood an angry baby dragon. His claws were balled up into fists. “Spike!” Twilight ran up to him, and brought him close to her face with his magic, “How have you been?” “What?” Spike asked in confusion, “But-“ “Oh, I have so much to tell you!” Twilight was practically squeaked in delight, “You looked confused. Oh, right! I’ve probably only been gone for a few hours! I explain that!” “Twilight, please!” “Spike?” Pinkie bounced towards her little dragon friend, “You look unhappy! Looks like you need a party to stimulate those muscle movements on your face upwards to express joy!” “Pinkie?” The Doctor frowned. The dragon, Spike, had a confused, scared, and relieved look on his face. “Twilight? Pinkie? But-“ “What’s wrong, Spike?” Twilight became concerned how he was acting. “It’s been a year and a half,” he answered shakily. “Ah just can’t believe it. Is it really you?” “I say it’s some stupid changeling! Let’s just send it to the guards!” “I think it’s really her, Rainbow Dash…if that’s okay with you…” “I simply cannot except the simply disgusting outfit that stallion she was with was wearing!” Twilight hung her head. She should have expected this. The Doctor was never a good driver. Her friends were suspicious, and she couldn’t blame them. “Ah just can’t believe you’d tell us such lies! How could you say you were traveling to other planets? Just tell us the honest to Celestia truth!” Applejack begged. “I’m telling you it’s true!” Twilight insisted, “There are so many wonderful things I’ve seen. It’s just… I couldn’t see things I can see now. It’s beautiful. The whole universe was in the base of my hoof! I could do so much!” “So you think you can just ditch us?” Rainbow shouted angrily, “Why did you guys leave for eighteen months!” “Dashie,” Pinkie interrupted, “She was time traveling! She could’ve been gone for just a few days!” “And just what do you know?” Rainbow accused, “According to you, you were in a secret facility to study alien and paranormal things, sponsored by the Princess!” “But I was!” Click The six turned their head to the library door, and watched as the brown stallion trotted into the room. The Doctor looked at the group, his eyes dull and sad. “I am very, very sorry about what happened. It is all my fault,” he confessed, “I appointed Twilight as my companion a while ago, after Pinkie almost destroyed Ponyville.” Pinkie raised a hoof to her mouth and giggled sheepishly, her cheeks reddening. "Companion?" Rarity questioned, "Is that some sort of... sexual role?" "NO!" It was Twilight's turn to blush. “Aaaaanyway, the fact she was gone for a year and a half was because of my poor navigation skills,” the Doctor awkwardly admitted, “And there is no reason to be mad at her.” “Oh, sure!” Rainbow threw her forelegs in the air, “Lost for over a whole year? Yeah, right! What were you doing?” “We were traveling through space and time. We went to impossible places, different times, hacked into spaceships, fought aliens, and saved lives! And stopped at a café across the universe for tea. I have been at her side for a few days, and she already proven herself a clever mare who can get out of a tricky situation.” Rainbow huffed angrily. Applejack stepped up to confront him. “So she was in some adventures,” Applejack exclaimed, “Why is she tellin’ these crazy pony tales! And half those things you mentioned made no sense!” “I see I can’t convince you by talking,” he smiled, “I’ll show you instead.” The Doctor’s body flickered, and was replaced by his Time Lord body. The other four ponies and one dragon widened their eyes. “What the hay?” Rainbow cried in shock, “You’re some freaky alien!” The Doctor smirked, “No. Really? I had no idea.” “A freaky, smart ass alien,” Dash corrected herself. Twilight glared at her. “I have spoken my argument. I can see you would like to have a moment alone with Twilight,” the Doctor sighed, “Goodbye. See you later, Miss Sparkle. See you later, Miss Pie.” The Doctor turned the disguise back on, and walked out of the library. As he closed the door behind him, he hung his head. It’s better this way, he thought, better then have her die in a swarm of Vashta Nerada, or in the hands of a Weeping Angel. We’ve had enough close calls already. Octavia sighed as she downed another cup of tea, and slammed it down to the table. “More tea, Octa?” her roommate Vinyl asked sarcastically, “Or should I cut you off?” “Oh, I’m sorry for being so short with you,” Octavia said as she rubbed her temples, “I just feel… disappointed.” “Disappointed?" Vinyl questioned, “C’mon, you’ve been doin’ great since we decided to go to Ponyville. Nice little things we can play for here. And Pinkie even got me in the Canterlot Wedding!” “Money is all good,” Octavia sighed. She rested her head against the table, “When it comes to a social life, it’s, well, kaput!” She knocked over the teacup for emphasis. “Careful! I just polished that table!” Despite her reputation, Vinyl was a massive neat freak. Octavia said that it seems like she was a completely different pony behind her glasses. “Oh, no,” she cried in mock horror, “That’s totally necessas- ah!” “What’s wrong?” Vinyl asked. “It’s nothing,” Octavia lied. A hot, burning sensation erupted from her neck. She looked down at the source. It was her TARDIS key. The Doctor slowly made his way to the TARDIS. He almost hoped Twilight would’ve come out by now and stopped him. He lifted the key to the door, slid the key to the lock, and… “Doctor!” That voice. That accent. Could it be? He turned his head. A gray earth pony was trotting towards him, her eyes seething with determination. A glowing key hung from a necklace. “Octa!” “Doctor!” He grinned, “What’re you doing here, aye? Shouldn’t you be off, playing at some big shot concert in Canterlot?” “I… kinda regretted not going with you,” she admitted, “I tried going around the Earth, just looking for you!” “Aw, you shouldn’t do that!” he groaned, “Live your own life! Be your own pony!” “Don’t worry, it was easy!” Octavia said, “I just found out where Twilight Sparkle lived. Turns out she was a national heroine! Unfortunately, turns out she disappeared a while ago, but here you are now! Where’s Twilight?” “She’s gone,” The Doctor’s mood noticeably darkened, “I accidentally drove the TARDIS eighteen months further then intended, and now she ended up away from Ponyville for a year and a half. I decided to let her go.” “Oh…” Octavia lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry. She seemed a good companion, though.” “It’s for the best,” The Doctor insisted, “If she went with me, she was probably going to lose her life. It’s would be better for her to stay with her friends, where she’s safe.” After seeing the Doctor leave, there were four different reactions from each of the ponies. Rarity sat quietly, her mouth gaped open. Applejack wore a confused expression, Rainbow was feeling angry and betrayed by her ‘abandonment’, and Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane in fright. “What the hay, Twilight!” Rainbow abruptly exclaimed, “So now you’re buddying up with some creepy looking monster!” “He’s not a monster, he’s a Time Lord!” Twilight protested, “And you should be thanking him! He’s saved your lives countless times, and you don’t even know him.” “If he’s a ‘Time Lord’, how come he dropped you in the wrong time?” Rainbow asked. “Time Lord is the name of his species,” Pinkie explained, “Doesn’t mean he can actually use time right.” “DOCTOR!” “What in tarnation?” Applejack looked out of the window. A gray Earth Pony was running to the Doctor, a glowing key hanging on her neck. "Is that... Octavia?" Twilight asked, "What's the Doctor doing?" "Looks like he's ditching you!" Rainbow laughed, "How does it feel?" "No," she shook her head, "That can't be right! I'm his companion... he...he wouldn't..." "Truely sorry, darling," Rarity said, "But it almost looks like you're being replaced by that gray pony." "Oh, no he won't!" "Doctor! Get back here!" "Oooh, that's not good," the Doctor groaned, "Looks like she got suspicious. I need to leave." "Come on, Doctor!" Octavia insisted, "Can't she stay?" The Doctor just sighed and shook his head, "No. I can't let anything to happen to her. There's just too much of a risk. If she stays to long... well, I don't want another situation like Adric, Zoe, Jamie... River..." Octavia decided not to push him. He looked depressed enough already. "So, it's best if we don't-" "DOCTOR!" "Well, now it's a bit late," he mumbled, "Hey, Twilight!" "Exactly what are you doing?" she asked angrily, "Are you leaving me here?" "Hey!" Rainbow shouted, "What's wrong with Ponyville?!" The Doctor narrowed his brow, "Yeahhh, well, Twilight? Can you talk to me for a tick?" "Alright," she said suspiciously, "What do you want to talk about?" "Come with me, to the TARDIS," the Doctor motioned, "Your friends can wait for you in the console room." The Doctor sighed. It might as well be time to do it. Twilight was going to be in the TARDIS for the last time. "Twilight?" "Yes, Doctor?" His forced grin faltered. That mind. He was going to miss that mind. The questions. The curiousity. But might as well get over with it. "You see..." he started, "I think it's time... for you to go." "What?!" Twilight shrieked, "Why?" "I'm just worried, Twilight," he explained, "Before the Scribe died in the explosion, he warned me something. He told me that there would be a departure, a rebirth, and a return. I just don't want anything bad to happen. You've seen it already, I had you gone for eighteen months! You could have died in our adventures!" "I can be careful!" "It's not just that. No matter what, something will cause you to leave. It already happened to me once," the Doctor pleaded for understanding, "Something always goes wrong. I want you to remember our travels as something wonderful. Not something that distances you from your friends." "Okay," she bowed her head, "I suppose it's for the best." The two walked into the console room, where the rest of Twilight's friends were waiting. "We're done talking now," the Doctor stepped to the console, and pulled the door lock switch. The door opened, revealing Ponyville. But then the doors shut. "Oh, no..." the Doctor picked a mallet, and turned some knobs in a vain attempt to stop the TARDIS. The pillars began to shift, up and down. A hum radiated from the heart of the console. "Oh, you don't!" And a sound erupted in the room. Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom. "Not again!" BAM, BAM, BAM Vroooom, Vrooom, Vrooom. Thunk. "Ahhhh, yah did it." The doors opened to show a old fashioned city, filled with busy ponies. "You really have a problem with letting go, don't you," he yelled at the TARDIS, "Just like Martha." He looked outside, and saw the green fields of a newborn city. "Twilight?" "Yeah, Doctor?" Twilight answered in a confused tone. "Do you recognise this place?" A spark lit in Twilight's eyes. "Judging from architecture, the clothes, the decorations, and the temperature," Twilight gasped, "We're in Canterlot, 10 A.C.! IN THE FIRST HEARTH'S WARMING EVE CELEBRATION!" "What?" Rarity squeed, "Like the one we preformed in the pageant!" "Aw, sweet!" Rainbow cheered, "I can meet Commander Hurricane! She's so awesome!" "Really?" the Doctor deadpanned, "Can we just go back to Pon- hold it, what's Hearth's Warming Eve?" "It's a festival celebrating the unity of the pegasi, the unicorns, and the earth ponies!" Twilight explained. "Well that sounds... hang on a tick, did you say Earth?" "Uhhh, yes?" Twilight laughed, "Now that is one strange coincidence!" The Doctor turned his head to Octavia, "And you said Earth before, didn't you?" "Yes, that's the name of the planet." "But I always thought it was Equestria," Twilight chuckled, "Learn something new every day!" "Twilight..." the Doctor smiled nervously, "How exactly do you not know the name of your planet, and except the fact instantly?" "I don't know," she shrugged, "I just do. What's wrong?" The Doctor scrunched up his face, wrinkles forming on his forehead as he tried to remember something. "I guess it really is nothing," he admitted, "But is very, very, strange." He turned around at the feel of a tap on his shoulder. He saw Rainbow hovering behind him. "Hey, space guy," she said, "How about a deal? If you let us hang around here, we'll forgive you for ponynapping Twilight, if you let us have out around here!" "Ponynapping? But-the - what?" he stammered, "Ponynapping? But that doesn't make any sense! The TARDIS translation would've changed it to kidnapping." "I've been meaning to ask about that," Twilight interjected, "How is it that every species seems to speak the same language?" "That's actually the TARDIS translation unit," the Doctor explained, "It gets in your head and makes you speak and here the same language. So why didn't it translate ponynapping directly to kidnapping? It doesn't do literal." "Excuse me," a deep voice interrupted, "But pray tell, why are all you mare naked?" "Hah!" the Doctor laughed, "Oh, sorry, but looks like we're in a time where you have to wear clothes!" "Well, isn't that marvellous!" the white one squeed in delight, "So much business for fashion! Oh, if only I could live here!" "Hold on," the stallion spoke up again, "What are you all talking about?" "Sorry, we were attacked by some bandits," the Doctor lied, "They didn't take much, just the mares' clothing." "Oh, by the Creator, my condolences!" the stallion gasped, "I wish there was something I could do! Oh, you poor dears. I have no idea what you must be going through! If only I could help in any way." "What are you... oh," the Doctor chuckled nervously, "It's not like that! We just lost some clothes. Speaking of which, where can we shop for clothes?" " Of course," he smiled, "Try Pansy's Dress Emporium." "Oh, that most be Private Pansy," Fluttershy shouted in the quietest way possible, "She sounds very nice!" "Yeaaah, anyway, thanks," the Doctor grinned, "We'll be off!" "Wait!" the stallion held up a hoof. His brown goatee bobbed up and down as he walked, "Is it just me, or do I know you six mares?" "Well, I am pretty cool," the rainbow pony bragged, "I wouldn't be surprised if my awesomeness seeped through the time continuum." "That's not how time travel works," the Doctor shook his head disapprovingly, "Well, it can, but it's very rare." "Well, then," the stallion laughed, "You ponies make no sense, but I like that in a pony. My name's Starswirl. It's a pleasure to meet you." At that moment, Twilight's brain had ceased functioning. On the way to the clothes emporium, she seemed almost paralyzed. The only sounds she could make were mumbles, as Octavia dragged her along. "That's... Starswirl the Bearded?" she asked, when the feeling returned to her mouth. "Apparently," the Doctor nodded, "Whoever that is." "Whoever he is?" Twilight was shocked, "He's only the cleverest pony in the history of Equestria! Oh, he invented so many spells! The water walking spell, the gravity spell, the archery spell, the time travel spell, not as good as the TARDIS though, and the shine spell..." "I get it!" he raised up a disguised finger to Twilight's mouth, "I have one way see how much of a genius he really is... Hey, Starswirl!" he held up the psychic paper, making it say the Gettysburg Address. "Why are you showing me a blank card?" Starswirl asked in confusion. "He really is a genius!" the Doctor giggled, "He can't read the psychic paper! Oh, good lord, that is rich! I haven't met someone who could do that since... I dunno, Shakespeare!" "I told you haven't I!" "Sorry to interrupt you and your wife," Starswirl chuckled at his fans, "But we appear to be at the shop now." "We're not married!" the two said in unison. "Can they be any more obvious?" Rainbow sighed, while the orange one shook her head. "What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked nervously, "I don't have a crush on the Doctor!" "Oh, please," Pinkie scoffed, "You might as well have hearts floating around you!" "Well, that did happen once," she recalled, "Only they were bugs, in the shape of hearts. They were also a bit carnivorous." "....What?" "The point is, there's no way me and the Doctor could ever be together," Twilight "But just think, darling! Two lovers, not caring about species, prejudice, from opposite ends of the universe!" Rarity swooned, "That's so beautiful!" "Actually, he lived ten galaxies away, not quite on the opposite end of the universe. Also, the universe has no ends." "You just ruined the mood, Twilight," Rarity deadpanned in annoyance, "My, you really have learned more about the universe, haven't you? You just won't stop talking about it." Twilight smiled. With that one simple book, a book that directed her to the Everfree. She learned that Pinkie was an alien, the Princess had a secret foundation studying paranormal activity. She learned that there was so much more that she could have dreamed. She was lucky to have met her. But then a dark thought crossed her mind. What if she wasn't? The Doctor lives on for an eternity. What was his age? A thousand years? Twelve hundred? He could live on, while she would rot and die. And maybe she could have died, in the hooves of the Nestene, the Vashta Nerada, the Somniumforms, the Daleks. How much longer could she last? This will be the end of the adventures with him. That will be it. But maybe that was for the best. "So what's your name again?" Starswirl asked the shy, yellow pegasus. "I'm... Fluttershy..." she whispered shyly. "Well, hello, miss Fluttershy!" Starswirl smiled warmly, "It's a pleasure making your acquaintance." "Down, boy!" the Doctor chuckled, "Quite the lady killer." "I beg your pardon, Dr. Sparkle!" he huffed rather angrily. "Eh?" he acted confused, "Doctor who?" "Well, since you obviously are not a Sparkle, pray tell, what exactly is your name?" "Well, would you look at that! It's open!" the Doctor quickly changed the subject and opened the Emporium's door. "Hello!" a cheery voice cried out, coming from a yellow pegasus, "Welcome to my Emporium!" "Ms. Pansy!" Starswirl grinned, "Good to see your pretty little face again!" "Aw, you're too kind, sir," Pansy blushed, "But... why are you here? You do realize that this store is mostly for mares, don't you?" "My dear, Pansy," he chuckled, "Do you think I would need to buy something to see my good friend?" "So, you came here to visit me?" "Actually, no," he grinned cheekily, "They need to go on, what you might call, a shopping spree." "I quite like this bloke," the Doctor smiled at the discussion, as they stepped to introduce themselves, "I'm the Doctor. This is Twilight, Pinkie, the orange pony, the drama queen, the rainbow-y one, and Fluttershy. Say hello!" "How dare you treat a lady like that!" Rarity stuck her nose up in the air. "Does it smell nicer there?" "Oh, you impudent, rude, insulting..." Rarity's anger quickly faded away, as she saw all the clothes. Dresses, slippers, hats galore. She practically fainted, "This... is... a... utopia..." "Like what you see?" Pansy grinned, "Maybe you can buy something. Dresses are half a bit." "Ha-ha-lf a bit?" "Now, miss, it may seem a bit pricey, but I assure you, everything is hoof stitched, making yure every single detai-" she stopped as the white unicorn dumped the contents of her purse onto the counter. "Take it! Money is no object!" So the six mares went off, searching for some clothes to wear, the low prices of the past used to their advantage. All but Fluttershy. "Anything the matter, Fluttershy?" the Doctor asked. "It's... Ms. Pansy," she answered with her face behind her mane, "She's... so much louder than I thought..." "That's history books for you," the Doctor chuckled, "Always getting something wrong." "That's not it..." Fluttershy whispered, "She... she was like a role model to me... a hero, because I always thought she was like me..." "Hey," he patted her on the back, "If she was a hero to you when you thought she was like you, how is that different from you being your own role model? Grow up, wanting to be who you want is easy, find a person better than you, and strive to be like him or her. But to be your own role model is rather interesting. I think you admire yourself. But you don't speak up about it." "You're right, Mr. Doctor," Fluttershy beamed with confidence, "I'm sorry for wasting your precious time." "Don't worry, I'm a time traveller! I've got all the time in the universe," the Doctor shooed her off, "Now go, find some clothes with your friends." As she trotted away, he turned his head. She seemed to be good companion material. If only. But something caught his eye. And his face split into a lopsided smile. "Alright, girls!" Twilight smiled, "I think we're dressed up enough! Doctor! Are you ready?" The Doctor walked into view, donning a bright red fez. "Yes I am." Three cloaked figures hudled in front of a computer monitor. "That's him." "That's the Doctor!" The hooded figures grew excited. The Doctor was coming. And they were ready. The group walked on, enjoying the sites. Starswirl then stopped them. "Now, this, my friends, is my humble abode. Clover the Clever!" he knocked four times on the door. "Coming master," the door opened, revealing a rather tired looking purple unicorn, "Hello, Master Starswirl. Who are your guests?" "Forgive her bedraggled appearance," Starswirl shook his head, "But my apprentice seems to think that she is a detective, who can decipher the mysterious disappearances." "Disappearances?" the Doctor smiled, "Now we're getting somewhere!" "They started a while back," Starswirl explained, "Surely you've heard of them?" "Riiiiight, let's just pretend we haven't for a bit shall we?" "Well, the disappearances happened two weeks ago," Clover yawned out, "There's mass abductions, in specific areas, about half of the ponies in a ten yard radius is gone. No trace." "That is way too organised. It can be tracked down," the Doctor rattled out, "So why? What are they after?" "Don't try to make sense of it, I've been on the job since three days ago," "I'm clever," he grinned, "Now, if they were in some sort of a pattern... My I see a map of the disappearances?" "Looks like the trip just got awesome!" "Again," Twilight rolled her eyes. "Here, here, here, and here," the Doctor pointed, "I think we can rule out a message... so what? Is it trying to attract attention?" "Like I said, Doctor," Clover smiled wearily, "I can't make sense of it." The Doctor looked at Clover, and frowned. "What colour would you consider yourself?" "What?" "What colour?" "I think we have much more worry about," Clover sent her attention back to the map, "And to answer your question, lavender." "Of course..." "Doctor!" The Doctor turned and saw Twilight, levitating a piece of brown cloth. "Well, well, well," he held the clothe close to his face, "What did you find?" "It's just an ordinary piece of shined wool," Clover said in disbelief, "How can you be distracted by such silly things?" "Oi, what did he call you? Clover the Clever?" the Doctor scoffed, "May as well be Clover the Thick and Blind. Look at this." He gave the cloth a lick, "It isn't wool. It's polyester." "And what is polyester?" Clover asked irritably. "The cloth that apparently hasn't been invented yet," he scowled, "So the kidnapper's an alien. That does give us a lead." The two ran off to where Twilight had found the cloth. "Alien? Are you mental?" Clover shouted back at them, "... still, it makes more sense than anything I could come up with." Twilight had lead the Doctor, Starswirl, Octavia, and Clover over to the site where the cloth was found. An empty field. "Okay," the Doctor clapped his hands for attention, "The kidnapper, or kidnappers, left a piece of cloth. What does that tell us?" "They're clumsy?" Octavia shrugged. "No!" Clover interjected, "They were able to remove any evidence of their existence before, so why would they leave a bit of cloth there?" "Ohoho! You are cleverer than I thought!" the Doctor rubbed his hands together, "So in total, aliens that can destroy all evidence of their existence, revealed their existence. So why? Why would they do something so clumsy as that?" "Hell if I know," Starswirl frowned, tapping his hoof impatiently. Tap, tap, tap, tap. "How about that," he took off the fez and scratched his head, "That means... it's a trap." "Quite right, Doctor." The ponies (and Time Lord) turned and saw a group of ten hooded bipedal creatures. "The Somniumforms!" the Doctor threw his arms in the air, "Aw, how thick am I? Of course it's you!" "You... know of us, then?" "Of course!" The Doctor rubbed his hands together, and pulled back the hood of the creature. Starswirl, Clover, and Octavia cringed at the sight. "So, who are you than, mate?" the Doctor asked, "Are you Jalast? I'd recognise those tentacles anywhere!" "Why yes I am, Doctor," Jalast tilted his head in confusion, "Have we met?" "I met you, you haven't met me... timey wimey..." he rolled his eyes, "It can get complicated." "Doctor? Could you maybe not become friends with something that killed a bunch of ponies?" Octavia suggested. The Doctor nodded, "So... you know who I am... but not formally. So who sent who, huh?" "We were promised our world back if we helped the lord," Jalast bowed in respect, "The lord who saved us from certain death." The other somniumforms bowed their heads underneath their hoods. "Right, so someone sent you, this 'lord', to kill me?" the Doctor deduced. "No," Jalast shook his brain topped head, "The lord sent us... for reawakening." "How do you plan to do that?" "Simple," Jalast looked at Clover, who toppled over, and grunting in pain. "One simple instruction," he blinked, "Open the fob watch, and we will bring her back." "Bring her back?" Starswirl asked, "Do you mean you're killing her?" But the Somniumforms had disappeared. As they looked around, they saw that they were back in Starswirl's living room. "Don't worry my dear, Clover!" Starswirl consoled, "They said to open the fob watch, and that's precisely what I'll do!" "What did they mean 'fob watch', Doctor?" Twilight asked him, but the Doctor's mind was far gone. And then he remembered. "DON'T OPEN THAT WATCH!" Starswirl had levitated a fob watch from his pocket, and was about to open it. "Why not?" Starswirl asked angrily, "She'll die if I don't open it!" "Do you remember that watch, Starswirl?" the Doctor warned, "Think! Just, really, think about it!" "No... I... always just ignored it until now..." Starswirl admitted. "This was part of his plan!" he hit his forehead, "This was all an elaborate plan to come back!" "Who?" Twilight paled. If the Doctor feared this man... "The Master," "And who's 'the Master'?" Octavia asked, still confused. "He is-" Click "NO!" A golden light erupted from the fob watch, and drifted down to Clover. "What?" the Doctor was now confused. And Clover sat up straight, a deranged, evil smirk on her face. "Hello, Doctor. Long time, no see," "What?" he repeated. "Surely you remember your old friend, Rani?" Clover let out a laugh, sending chills down Octavia's back. "I'm back!" To Be Continued Author's Note Well, I'm glad this is over with.
The Time Lady's PlightThere are some days where absolutely nothing bad happens. No killing, no invasions, no problems to cause anyone inconvenience. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days. The Doctor found his way into Canterlot in its first days, and after some convincing from Twilight's friends, stayed for a while. Of course, something went wrong. As the Rani laughed, the Doctor rubbed his temples, attempting to understand the situation. "Alright, Rani," the Doctor said, "You come to this planet. What for? No violence or wars from what I can tell. But the only reason you're here is the same reason as always, innit? Research." "Doctor, old friend, you remember me well," the Rani sneered, "It has been a while since the time war." "And you stole the Master's idea of using the chameleon arch," the Doctor scratched his hair, "Which means that you've been here a while... the ultimate disguise. A student of one of the most powerful mages in this planet. But why here? You curious for something?" "I've never been able to go to this planet before, Doctor," the Rani explained, "Why not now?" "So you chameleon arched yourself as a pony? But why did you only half arch yourself back? And why a unicorn? Why not..." the Doctor's face brightened up in realization, "You like the magic, don't you?" "Well, the psychic powers that unicorns possess, too be exact," the Rani nodded. "And that's why you're still a unicorn!" he laughed, "You can keep the powers! Oh, that explains why you came here!" "So, who is she? Ex-girlfriend?" Octavia asked blatantly. "No, he wouldn't be good enough for my standards," she drawled, "Especially with that off putting coat he wore." "There was nothing wrong with that coat!" the Doctor yelled, "Now, then, you want unicorn powers, you turn yourself into a unicorn. And now you're the most powerful unicorn in this room,, yah?" "I would believe so." "Well, think again, sistah!" the Doctor winked subtly at Twilight, "'Cause Twilight's the most powerful unicorn there is!" "But, Doctor!" Twilight corrected, "Clover the Clever was unfathomably more powerful than me! I can barely read the stuff she wrote without confusion!" "Yes... Twilight?" the Doctor gritted his teeth, "Have you ever heard of a bluff?" "Yes, of course... oh," she grinned sheepishly, "Sorry?" "You three run, then," the Doctor shooed them, "Got a few more questions. How did you meet the Somniumforms? 'cause that's way too planned and scheduled for it not to have been you! You wanted me to come here, and you wanted my attention to the disappearances." "I gave the Somniumforms instructions, yes," the Rani confirmed, "In exchanged for letting them have this planet for their own." "Yes. Somnious was destroyed in the Time War," the Doctor glared at his old enemy at the mention of the terrible nightmare that was the Time War, "And I suppose you won't keep your end of the bargain?" "You think of me too low," she said in mock insult, "Of course I will. I no longer have any need for this planet now that I have the power of the unicorn." "An old legend says that when a purple unicorn realizes her true powers, she will bring the end of the universe!" the Doctor clapped his hands, "That's what they meant. It wasn't Twilight they were after, it was you!" "A legend! About me?" the Rani smiled, "What an honor." "And..." the Doctor frowned, "You'll bring the end of the universe... the Somniumforms were trying to stop that. And you... you're trying to commit the Ultimate Sanction aren't you?" "Yes, Doctor," she spat out his name, "I spent too much time planning for it to go wrong. I can drive the TARDIS into the birth of time and space. The beginning of the universe. Reverse it. And end existence to all. Except for the time lords of course, who shall live on in pure consciousness alone. The offer still stands for you." "Rani, don't do this!" he begged, "The time lords are gone! Kaput! And you and I are the only ones left! Can't you see that trying to bring the time lords to power will be pointless with only two of them?" "Time lords... gone?" Rani shook her head, "Nothing could kill the Time Lords! "Yes! All of them! Dead! And I killed them," the Doctor scowled, "Don't make me do the same with you." "You couldn't kill me," the Rani scoffed, "Just like you can't our entire race." "Rani... don't lie to yourself. You can feel it." "Don't you lie to me," the Rani crossed her arms, "You were always good at that. How can you even consider me to be lying to myself." With that, she threw a dart at him. Swiftly, he caught it between his fingers. "Hah! Missed me," the Doctor cockily grinned. "Not... quite." His fingers started to tremble violently, and stop. "You see, that dart is covered in stargalite pollen," the Rani smiled sadistically, "It's won't kill you. Just paralyze you. Your companions should be able to help you. Until they do, and you can find me, fare thee well." The Doctor couldn't say anything back, but his face was clenched in pain. The world around him started to fade away. There was no pain, no feeling. And the numbness spread across his body until it became absolute. He could hear the tapping of hooves against a wooden floor. Before he passed out, the Doctor saw the form of a pony, with a multi coloured mane, walk out towards him. "Hey, Doc," she said, "Rare wants to know if... Doc?" ==== Octavia paced around. "It's been five minutes," Twilight bit her lip, "I think we should help." "What!? No!" Starswirl shouted in panic, "That crazy mare will kill us!" Twilight grew angry at her former hero. "Seriously? You're scared?" she scoffed, "The Doctor was scared too. He feared the Vashta Nerada, Cybermen, the Dalek. I could see it in his eyes! But he fought on. He was brace. He used that brilliant mind of his to save the universe over and over, and you're just sitting there. Like a useless lump. I don't care what you say, I'm gonna find him." "Me too," Octavia smiled, "There's no way I'm gonna let him go now, after I lost him for eighteen months! Let's go!" Starswirl also got up, albeit a bit reluctantly. "I suppose you're right," he brushed the dirt from his cloak. He had no idea what the words 'dalek', 'vashta' or 'nerada' meant, but from Twilight's context, they were something to be reckoned with, "I've been hiding in books far too long. And besides, you know what they say. The best way to live is by almost dying." ==== When the three reached the Doctor, they saw that he was surrounded by Twilight's friends. "What happened?" Twilight rushed to his side. "Rarity wanted to know if there was a wardrobe in that box thingy, and we just found him like this!" Rainbow explained. "Oh, my goodness! What do we do?" "Helllooooo? Dooooctor?" "Ah think someone needs to give him CPR!" "Ughh, I don't want to touch him... what if what he has is catching?" "Well, if you pansies aren't going to do anything, I'll do it!" Rainbow raised her hoof in the air, and slammed it down on the Doctor's chest. "UFFF!" the Doctor coughed a bit, and shook his head, "Thanks! Needed some extra stimulation in my nervous system to restart my muscles!" He grabbed Rainbow and kissed her. "Now we need to get to the TARDIS, and stop the Rani, somehow." "That's some plan," Octavia teased, while Rainbow was scraping her tongue. "Good! Glad you think so!" the Doctor's body shimmered, switching from time lord to pony. "Good grief," he shouted to Rainbow once he changed back to his time lord body. He banged on it with his fist until he turned back into a pony, "You broke my perception filter!" "Good lord, I was kissed by a talking monkey!" Starswirl jawed dropped as he saw the Doctors new form. Some sort of hairless, bipedal structure of which he had never seen the likes of before. He twiddled his claws around and ran them through his mane. "Alright, Twilight, Octavia, Starswirl, and everyone else I forgot to mention!" he pointed to the door, "The Rani paralyzes me with stargalite pollen. The Rani leaves, and is no doubt trying to get to my TARDIS. But how does she expect to get in if the doors are locked? Maybe she has a copy of the key? But how could she get one? TARDISes are all gone!" "I don't know," Octavia answered, "Maybe she took it from you when you weren't looking?" "I don't carry around the key with me anymore," he shook his head, "There really isn't anyway she could find it. I usually use the snap technique." "Amusing, isn't it?" Starswirl chortled, "My best friend turned out to be a manipulative psychopath. So much talk of tardises, and snapping, and keys, hah!" "Starswirl, I understand that you just learned that there is a lot more to life than you understand," the Doctor grabbed him by the shoulders, "But I need you to keep it together!" "Keep it together," he laughed, "I'm only going to be killed by those freakish creatures from the depths of hell." "Actually, they're from a planet called Somnious." "And what of you, Doctor? Are you from another planet as well?" "Yes," he nodded his head, "I'm from Gallifrey. And so is the Rani. She's been posing as a unicorn all her life to learn to use the psychic powers you hold. I'm sorry, but your friend never existed." "So everything I ever knew about her was a lie," Starswirl sighed, "And what now? What will you do to her?" "I'll stop her," the Doctor frowned, "And I'll have to do it for good." "What's that supposed to mean?" Rainbow asked, "What do you mean 'for good'?" "What do you think?" he answered. "You can't kill somepony!" Fluttershy squeaked, "Killing... is... wrong?" Her sentence broke as she saw the seriousness in the Doctor's expression. "I never kill, unless it's necessary," he said, "But back then, back when I first started, I had so much mercy in me. I let the Daleks' creation continue, I let the Master live. And it cost so many lives." He sighed, "Do you know how hard it is to except that you are the reason for their deaths? Countless, and millions of lives?" "So I can't be merciful," the Doctor continued, "I have to kill her." ==== The TARDIS sat on the edge of the city, no ponies noticing it due to its perception filter. As the Doctor and the ponies ran to it, they saw that it was alone, with no sign of the Rani. "I don't understand!" the Doctor rubbed his temples, "Where is she? The TARDIS is still here, which means she didn't get to it yet. But I've been paralyzed for a good four minutes before your friends came. There are probably Somniumforms placed around the entire city. So why hasn't she found it?" "Excuse me, but do you have some change?" "Sorry, no," the Doctor pulled a white paper bag from his pocket, "Have a jelly baby, if they're any consolation." "Thank you, kind sir." The Doctor chortled. "Oh, Rani, have you lost your touch?" "Oh, you clever man," the hood was pulled from her head to reveal the face of a purple unicorn, "What gave it away?" "They don't have Jelly Babies here," the Doctor smirked, "So, a few more questions. Why was Starswirl tapping four times? Completely threw me off." "I knew you might have realized who I was if you paid a little more attention towards Clover," the Rani said, "So I implanted a little I idea in his head. Very simple. You see, it was a mere case of hypnosis that took care of it. Gave him a little habit of tapping like that." "So now what?" "I have learned quite a few combat spells over the years," she charged her horn, "For intense, this spell." The last thing they saw was complete darkness. "Ohhhh, my head..." "What happened?" Rainbow shook her head, "I had this crazy dream that we were travelling with this weird box thingy... and there was a swimming pool in the closet... and... and... oh." She saw a hazy red blur, which focused into a red fez. The ground was cold, and hard. As her eyes focused more, Rainbow found that she was in a stone, cave like structure. Twilight, the Doctor, and Octavia were the only ones standing, while the others were lying on the ground, the only movement being from their chests, slowly moving up and down. "Aha! There it is!" The Doctor snatched it up, "Nice!" "Doctor! This is no time for headwear!" Twilight scolded, "The TARDIS is gone!" Octavia felt around her neck, and shrieked. "The key you gave me!" she screamed, "It's gone!" "I see," the Doctor stroked his chin, "The Rani must have stolen the key while we were under." "But when you taught me to drive the TARDIS, you said it was isomorphic to you and me!" "Icy what?" Octavia cocked an eyebrow. "Isomorphic," he corrected, "Means only one person can use it. And I'm not sure. Maybe she could find a way around that. I don't know, she's clever." The other ponies started to awaken. Starswirl shook his head, a cloud of dust settling around his mane. "Ewwww... everything's so dusty. Where are we?" Rarity moaned. "We appear to be underground, somewhere," the Doctor frowned, "My best guess... is in a prison." "Bu-but wh-who put us here?" Fluttershy squeaked in fear, curling into a ball. The Doctor stuck his hand out, feeling the air. He then stuck his tongue to, and licked his lips. His hands ran against the walls of the prison, and smacked it. A loud CRACK echoed around the room. "It's not real," he confirmed, "Has a sort of... physic residue. And the sound doesn't move around right." "So... what does this mean?" Twilight asked. "Oh, my dear, think!" he smacked her forehead, "The Somniumforms of course! They must have created a prison while we were asleep!" "How do we get out?" Twilight asked, as she to bite her lower lip. "Well, duh!" Rainbow hovered up, readying herself for shock, "I'll just smash us out!" She swiftly flew into the wall, but as she collided into the surface, Rainbow bounced back, not having left a single dent in the rock. "Oh, yeah," the Doctor smirked, "The prison is built to adapt itself to the prisoner, created from their subconscious. Every attempt to escape is picked up telepathically, and it fixes that specific flaw." "Couldn't have told me before?" Rainbow gingerly rubbed her head, "Oww..." "I don't fancy you," he responded, "Right then! Big, indestructible, thing. How will we get out?" "I don't know," Twilight sighed, but then gasped, a figurative light bulb lighting above her head, "We could try to destroy it by not thinking about it! Since the prison is built from our own subconscious, it'll cease to exist!" "That's right," he smiled, "You did learn from the best!" The eight prisoners closed their eyes. Starswirl opened his The walls shimmered. The Doctor reached out his hand, and felt absolutely nothing. He opened an eye, and saw that the prison was no more. "Alright, everyone," he scowled, "We've got a TARDIS to find." Octavia looked around. They seemed to be in an underground chamber of some sort, with walls made from damp soil. The smell of dirt hung around them. The room was illuminated by torches, giving the room a dungeon-like feel. "So, we appear to be in some sort of cave system. We must have been placed here by the somniumforms after we were drugged," the Doctor speculated, "I wonder where we are..." "Another prison, perhaps?" Twilight guessed. "No... it's defiantly dirt," the Doctor pulled out a root from the walls, and wiped his hands off his grey vest, "They couldn't put in this much detail." "Eww... I think I saw a worm," Rarity cringed, "My new dress is getting covered in mud!" "Sorry about that," Octavia sarcastically apologised, "How about we escort you to our 5 star hotel, where we can give you a nice pedicure, and get you a salad, on a china plate!" "Oh, we are going to get along famously," the Doctor smiled, "But, let's focus on getting out of here." The Doctor walked in the front of the group, quickly taking leadership. He had plucked a torch from the wall, brightening their path. The others followed suit. Fluttershy was terrified. "How much longer until we find a way to the surface, Doctor?" "Not quite sure, I'm afraid," he replied, "Not particularly good, as we don't have much time before all of existence is kaput." Fluttershy started crying. She wasn't ready for something like this. She didn't want to die. "Don't cry," the Doctor instructed, "We have enough problems as it is." "What's wrong with you, Doctor?" Twilight hissed, "That isn't going to make her feel better!" "If you ask me, being erased from the existence could make her feel even worse!" he sarcastically smiled, "Now if you don't mind, I've got this bigger picture to look at." There was another thing about the room that struck the Doctor as odd. The room was almost, if not, completely flat on all the walls. So that would probably mean that if there was any way out, it would have been given out by a blemish or dent on the wall of some sort. "Twilight!" he barked, "Can you scan the room's walls for any dents, holes, anything?" "Sure, Doctor," Twilight's horn promptly lit up, and purple light blanketed the room. Sure enough, an archway was revealed. "Perfect," the Doctor stroked the edges of the door, "I think we've found our way out." ==== A hole opened up in the ground, and eight triumphant looking ponies and time lord climbed out. The Doctor shielded his eyes from the sudden change in brightness. They found themselves in an area filled with plantlife. "Where are we?" Applejack rubbed her eyes, "Looks like the Everfree." "No, it can't be..." Twilight shook her head, "The fauna is completely different. We must be in the Canterlot Woods. That tree is indigenous to this area." She turned to the Doctor, expecting him to smile, but was surprised to see a frown instead. "That was... surprisingly easy," he mumbled and adjusted his fez, "Why do I feel like I'm walking into a trap..." A group of somniumforms appeared from the trees. The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Come on!" he shouted. His deep voice resonated around the woods, "Do you really think you can stop me?! I'm the Oncoming Storm! I destroyed Skaro, home of the Daleks! I faced Suhtek and lived! You think you can stop me by stuffing me into your silly cages? Think again! I have lost the ability to tolerate you idiots, and I will NOT hold any anger back!" "We have orders to take you to our mistress, the Rani," one of the somniumforms spoke from under his hood, "Until then, I would advise you to hold your tongue." "Jalastrefoica," The somnuimform was slightly taken back, "How do you know my name?" "Because we will meet again," for the first time in a long time, the Doctor smiled. But it wasn't his usual grin. It was cold, and sadistic, "And on that day, I will kill you." ==== One second they were there, the next they weren't. This is the best way to describe the feeling of the Doctor's companions when they were transported to the TARDIS by the somniumforms. Of course, the Rani was waiting for them. "Alright, there is no time for games, Doctor," the Rani scowled, "I didn't anticipate for your TARDIS to be isomorphic. So I'm forced to use you as the driver." "I see," he said with a callous face, "And you naturally sent the ponies as hostages, did you not?" "Yes," "And yet another mistake," the Doctor opened his mouth wide, and bellowed: "Activate command 1342, and bring the ship 0.4 times 10 to the power of 10000000000 kilometres above sea level!" The TARDIS automatically activated, the VWORPP noise swirled around the console room, and faded away. Much to Twilight's surprise, she didn't fade with it. "Doctor! What's goin-" was all she could manage say before the TARDIS completely materialized. "That jerk left us here!" Rainbow growled, quite understandably, as she figured out that her only home faded along with the aliens, "Great! Now we're stuck a thousand years before we're even born!!" "I'll never see Sweetie Belle again!" Rarity cried. "My family!" Applejack cried out, "The farm!" "Doctor..." Twilight's vision became blurry, and she felt a wet sensation dripping down her tear glands. She rubbed the tears from her face, and stared into the sky. ==== "What's going on?" The Rani demanded. "Oh, I assigned command 1342 to materialize the TARDIS without any previous inhabitants, excluding myself of course," the Doctor explained, smugly smirking. "Well what about me?" The Rani asked, "I was here when I kidnapped you during your sixth regeneration." "The TARDIS was destroyed, and rebuilt. And destroyed again," the Doctor stroked the machine, "I simply made it so that only inhabitants of this variation of the TARDIS are left behind. So, you have no more hostages." "Doctor..." "Not now, Starswirl, I'm bu-," he stopped mid-sentence, "Oh.. dear..." The somniumforms quickly grabbed Starswirl, and the Rani aimed a gun at him. "Now, pilot the TARDIS, Doctor," she gripped the gun's handle in her telekinesis magic, "Or this stallion will feel more pain then you will imagine. Not kill. Just slowly torture." The Doctor sighed, and pulled a switch in the TARDIS console, sending them back in time. "I hope you don't mind I make pot of tea." ==== The Rani watched the Doctor impatiently as he made tea. Starswirl had been gagged, a clothe covering his mouth and nose. The Doctor poured a pot of boiling water into a kettle, allowing the flavour of the leaves fuse with the drink. He added two scoops of white powder in the pot, and brought it to the TARDIS console room. Carefully, but not to obviously, he put it on a pressure pad on the console itself. "Now take us to the beginning of time, Doctor," the Rani ordered, "And let the destruction of reality begin!" "About that..." the Doctor smirked, "I really disagree with it." He lifted the tea kettle and began pouring it into the cup. A hissing sound was heard. A virus spread across the chamber. Taken by surprise, the somniumforms succumbed to the sickness. Their bodies quickly decomposed as they died. A small group managed to teleport away. One of them, Jalast, stared at the Doctor with such anger, and contempt. The Rani fell down as well, coughing and coughing. She looked at the Doctor, pouring the tea as those around him died. But there was one thing she could do. She knocked the tea pot out of his hand. It shattered on the floor, and the liquid spilled everywhere. She crawled away, disappearing in the TARDIS corridors. "NO!!" he shouted. He turned his head to Starswirl, who was also starting to fall victim to the virus, only having survived this long thanks to the gag. He had put an immune system enhancer in the tea, it having looked like sugar. And now he only had enough for one. The Doctor knew what he had to do. ==== Octavia was thinking about her life right now. She had just recently made friends with the local disc jockey of Ponyville. She was a nice pony, if a bit of a neat freak. She would never see her again. She got a new cello, which had cost her 500 bits. The destroyers of the original were all standing around her. She would never see that again. The Doctor. Now, those eighteen months seem like a waste of time. And she wouldn't see him again. "Ugh!" Octavia kicked the ground, "If only we could do something!" At that very moment, a great ball of fire fell from the sky. "What in tarnation?!" Applejack's mouth went ajar. "It's the Doctor!" Pinkie jumped in the air, "Yippee!" The ball of fire continued to fall. It was now only one kilometre away. "Is it me... or is he..." Twilight's eyes grew wide, "OUT OF THE WAY!" The TARDIS crashed on the ground, leaving a large crater on the streets of Canterlot. Many pedestrians were quite reasonably shocked. And then the doors swung open. And the Doctor and Starswirl walked out. "Hello, Twilight," the Doctor genuinely smiled for the first time in the whole adventure. She ran towards him, and squeezed him in a tight hug. "How do you feel, Starswirl?" he asked sympathetically after the hug was through, "Are you alright?" "My head's a little woozy... I can barely remember anything that happened," Starswirl scratched his head in frustration, "I vaguely remember a cup a tea..." The Doctor looked away from the group, who were chatting excitedly. He looked at his hand, and saw it glowing. It's begun. ==== Many light years away, a group of sick and weak somniumforms lived on a planet called Clom. They had made a reputation of themselves, the Clomians even started to call them the 'dream men'. They were the subject of fear in the planet. But one of the dream men waited, paranoid and scared, of the day that the Doctor promised to kill him. But what if the Doctor never met him? That's when Jalast realized what he had to do. He, and the rest of the group must find and kill the purple unicorn, before she discovers her true powers, and brings the end of the universe. ==== Almost a thousand years after the events of the crash, there was a test subject. A test subject in a secret facility known as DAEL. "Sir!" a guard barked, "Test subject 15 wishes for a journal and a pencil." "Why?" another guard asked. "Well, sir, he has memories that are not his. He says he wants to write them down." "Interesting... and which one is test subject 15?" "He was our first successful splicing operation," the first guard explained, "The whitecoats added the tissue of the brain of another specimen into his. The tissue seems to have rebuilt itself, and taken over the test subject's own brain." "Really?" the second guard was taken by surprise, "What was this specimen?" "We don't know. He escaped a long time ago. All that the records tell us is that he had two hearts." TS15 listened to the two behind his chamber door. Random, unfamiliar memories came to his mind. One of the most terrible is a breakout of all the creatures in the building. But all he could do was wait. ==== Braeburn walked through Appleloosa, appreciating that no more metallic aliens have attacked the town in a while. It was nice and peaceful. He still had a chunk of the Cybermat as a reminder of his adventure. VWOORP... VWOORP... "Doctor?" Braeburn gulped. This couldn't be good. "Hello, Braeburn," the Doctor smiled weakly, "Long time, no see." "No offence, Doctor," Braeburn said worryingly, "But why are you here? There ain't any more aliens, are there?" "No, no, no..." he held out his hand, holding the Stetson that Braeburn gave him two months back, "I came to return this." "My hat?" he took it back, "Oh, no, this was a gift- Doctor?" VWOORP... VWOORP... He smiled as he watched the TARDIS dematerialize. He put his hat back on, and continued with his walk in the beautiful Appleloosa. ==== Guardian smiled. After the destruction of DAEL HQ, he finally achieved his dream of a being a park ranger. There was nothing more satisfying then watching over such a beautiful plot of land. The litterbugs could be a bit tidier, but other than that, it was a perfect job. The park he worked at was also close by the mysterious Everfree Forest. Although... he still missed that unicorn. That brilliant, beautiful unicorn. But before he could dwell on it for long, his focus shifted onto a piece of paper. More litter? No... it was a message... It read: Come back to this place tomorrow at 7:00 AM ==== VWOORP... VWOORP... THUNK "Ponyville," the Doctor sniffed, "End of the line." "Ah! There's no place like home!" Applejack laughed, relieved to have gotten back home. Everypony laughed. They couldn't help it. "I feel so bad for Starswirl though," Fluttershy whispered, "He must be devastated..." "Don't worry, Fluttershy," Twilight consoled, "He has a great life. He finds a wife, and starts a family. He also grows that goatee out a bit more." The Doctor coughed, and a burst of yellow light escaped his mouth. Thankfully, nobody noticed. "Well... I'll be off..." he said, and re-entered the TARDIS. He frowned. The crash had heavily damaged it, and it looked like it was in need of repair. "Not so fast!" Twilight stopped him, "Not without saying goodbye." The Doctor frowned once more. Goodbyes did not settle well with him. Finally, he managed it. "Alright, Twilight," he nodded, "Goodbye." "You know... I used to have a crush on you," she admitted, not being able to hold it in any longer, "I don't think you seemed to notice." "I... um... oh," the Doctor awkwardly scratched his head, "I... well..." "It's alright, Doctor," Twilight laughed, "You probably weren't the best at reading emotions." "Nope," he shook his head, "Well, since I finally said it... I'll be off." "Hang on!" Octavia ran to the Doctor, "I ain't being left behind this time!" The Doctor patted Octavia on the back. "Alright then," he said, "Come on, Octavia," before going back into the TARDIS, he turned back to Twilight. "Are you sure you don't want to come along?" "I want to go, I really do..." Twilight looked back at her friends, "But I can't. I have a responsibility to my friends. Who knows. Maybe Discord could break loose and we'll need to stop him." "Actually..." Fluttershy started to say, "Um... I'll explain later." "Anyway... the point still stands," Twilight shook the Doctor's hand, "I'm needed here." The Doctor seemed a little saddened by this, but accepted it. "Alright," he walked to the TARDIS, "Time's a wasting." ==== The next day, at 7:00 AM, Twilight went to the Ponyville park. She was missing a whole year, and the donations were a lot more generous then the last year's. Since it was such a beautiful day, she sat down on the benches, and read under the sunlight. "Ms. Sparkle?" Twilight's eyes widened as she heard the familiar accent. "Guardian? Is that you?" "It has certainly been a while, Ms. Sparkle!" The two started to chat. And an old friendship was rekindled. ==== The TARDIS was in a terrible state. The pillar was cracked, buttons were missing from the console, and rubble was everywhere. The Doctor was in the TARDIS command room, and assigned it to rebuild itself as soon as they left it. As soon as he was finished though, his hand felt another jolt of pain, causing him to drop his tools. As he bent over to pick it up, he found a piece of paper. Dear Doctor, I saw you put the steroid in the tea. I knew what you were up to. And I survived. You must have forgotten that I was a unicorn. I still have my powers of teleportation. Until we meet again, The Rani. "Clever little, AHH!" The Doctor cried out in pain. Octavia heard this, and rushed toward his side. "What's wrong?!" she asked desperately. "Do... you remember... that I killed the somniumforms?" "Yes?" "I.... used a virus..." his voice became weaker, "The last of the cure... I gave to Starswirl..." "No! Doctor!" Octavia panicked. He couldn't die! Not like this! He fell limp, and his breath turned into a loud silence. Octavia started to cry. She opened her eyes to look at the Doctor once more and... The body was glowing... and glowing.... and glowing... And his entire body was engulfed in the blinding light. And in his place... was a much older looking man, with blonde hair. He grinned. "Hello again!"
Blank SlateDid anyone actually like this dumbass fanfic? I remember always thinking that the phrase fanfic was derogatory. Meant for schlock 'n' shit 'n' stuff. And I always looked at my writings with too much respect to see them as fanfics. And I just called it a fanfic. I called it a fanfic THOUSANDS of times before as well. I lost ALL respect towards this... insult to the literary world. I vowed I'd never write another chapter. YET HERE WE ARE. POSTING A NEW CHAPTER. YIPPEE KAY YAY, MUTHA FUC-oh wait, this was rated Teen. I can't curse here what the sh-I MEAN POOP. I don't know why I decided to post this chapter online. It's dull. It's padded. It's not subtle. It's melodramatic. Basically what 'Dr. Who' is today. And I am definitely never going to post anything again for this so called story. Here you go. God, I work on a billion other things that I really like, but it's this stuff that get's 20 followers? Justice is blind as Scotty. Y'know, at the end of Evil Dead? Or Elle Driver at the end of Kill Bill, if you prefer that movie. ANYWAY HERE YOU GO DOCTOR WHO, THE EQUESTRIAN CHRONICLES CONTINUES! Imagine that you were in a box that was bigger on the inside. Now imagine that that box was filled with endless corridors, and the only being that you knew that could navigate it was an drowsy alien. This might help you understand how helpless Octavia felt after her new friend, the Doctor, died, glowed, and came back to life with in a new body. "Doctor!" Octavia shook the alien. His entire body seemed to be different. It was old and a bit wrinkled on the forehead, and his hair changed from dark spiky brown crown, to a lighter shaded blonde mop. "What happened?" she asked herself. He was an alien, and he said that he was dying. Could he have made a new body for himself? How could that even be possible? She looked around the corridor she was in. Where exactly was she? The corridor she was in started to shift, and contort. The phrase she was about to utter was filled with confusion, fear, and the same frustration one might get from trying to solve a complex puzzle. "What is going on?!" Meanwhile, the Doctor was facing some problems of his own: Post Regeneration Crisis. "Oh..." he moaned. He rubbed his head, hoping to ease the pain that was bounding in his brain. And then, he realized it. "My... my hair!" the Doctor quickly ran his fingers through his hair. It felt much more wiry than he remembered. He pulled a lock of the hair to his eyes, "It's blonde! Wasn't it..." He couldn't remember that he was going to say. What would that even mean? What kind of hair colour would he have had before? "Why can't I remember!" the Doctor shouted into the air in frustration. He had vague memories of a man in a blue suit with a Stetson hat. But the harder he tried to think, the more fuzzy the vision became. "Doctor!" a grey mare trotted towards him, having heard his shouting. She held up his limp head in her hoof, "Is... is that you?" "I'm not quite sure, Rose," the Doctor shook his head, "I... I don't know who I am..." "Rose?" Octavia shook her head, "I should never mind that, you seem sick... are you feeling alright?" She didn't get her answer, as the Doctor slumped back, unconscious once again. Was it him? Octavia started to become suspicious. The Doctor said he was dying... and then he blew up, and then he changed bodies. Maybe... He rebuilt his body? Is that possible? Maybe. All she knew about him was that he was an alien. It's quite possible. She shook her head. No, this is not the time. It would be better to get back to the console. Maybe then she could wrap her hear around everything. Hang on... wasn't this hallway different? She distinctly remembered being disgusted with the original walls. A mossy green. Now it turned... grey? Red? The longer she looked at it, the more it shifted. Octavia turned around, and checked if the Doctor was still behind her. He wasn't. "Ughhhh...," A man groaned. As he stumbled around a strange hall, he tried to remember who he was, what he was doing in the place that he was, and what the hell was going on. A small glimmer of remembrance sparkled, but to no avail. Doc... something. Doctor? Was he a doctor of medicine? Psychology? Or was he just a quack with a phony license? ...tor Fore... The second part of the name came back, yet the harder he tried to remember, the blunter the memory became. "Who am I?" His voice bounced around the room. The man fell to his knees. "WHO AM I!!!" He felt hopeless, utterly lost, and was having a sudden craving for a plate of fish and chips. The man continued to walk, and took a left. Grandfather! What was that? He turned to see who was calling him, only to see a long empty hallway, going straight into darkness. He kept on moving. Then he stopped. "What in the name of Suhtek?" he whispered. He distinctly remembered taking a left... or was it a right? It would depend on the direction of the point of view, wouldn't it? ... Right. It would be better to focus on the matter at hand. He cracked his knuckles, and went forward to where he heard the voice, hoping to understand why the halls of this maze of corridors kept on shifting. And one more thought went through his mind. "Who's Suhtek?" he asked himself. "Doctor?" Octavia called out for the nth time. She had already lost count, and was getting tired. She looked up to the ceiling. A rectangular light fixture hung down, stabilized by metal rods. She closed her eyes. When she felt rejuvenated and motivated, she got up, and got ready to continue her quest. "OH, COME ON!" she screamed, as she saw that the light fixture was gone. Light was now being supplied by circular domes surrounding the grey-red walls. Fairly enough, she started to kick the walls of the infernal machine. Then she heard a noise. Octavia stared at the wall, and saw an archway split open. The archway opened to a new hallway. "Is it trying to tell me something?" she asked to no one in particular. The man walked aimlessly in the endless maze. He could barely keep his eyes open. He was utterly exhausted. But then, something of interest caused him to open his eyes in surprise. "Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the Fourth Dimension? Have you? To be exiles? Susan and I are cut off from our own planet ..." The voice trailed off and faded away, but was still fresh in his memory. He told that to... Chaterton! Or something like that. There was a room. It was all white, almost blindingly so. And in the centre of the room was a mannequin. The mannequin was wearing a old black jacket, grey pants, a white button up shirt, and a silver vest. A ribbon black tie was wrapped around the neck of the collar. "What's this?" the man frowned. There was another display. A thin cane, knotted and twisted in the middle. He remembered... he had bad knees... He needed a cane to walk... And he remembered. He was a time lord! He was travelling with his granddaughter, and they picked up her teachers as stowaways! "Where is that Ian?" he said out loud, "Susan, my dear?" Oh yeah... Susan left the TARDIS... "I... what's happening?" "Isn't it obvious, my boy?" An old man walked into view. "You are suffering post regeneration crisis," he sniffed, "And you are acting quite unruly. I cannot believe you came from me. Though there will be twelve lives in between, and every one of them more rude and uncouth then the last. Especially the one with the spiky hair." "Who the hell are you?" the man asked. "I am a holographic replication of your original self," the old man explained, "And with the confusion you're going through, you'll need all the help you can get, I'm afraid." Octavia looked around the newly opened corridor. "What the hell is going on around here?" she asked to herself. She was obviously beginning to make a habit of it. Regardless, Octavia walked on, trying to find her way out. And walked. And walked. And walked. And just to add some difference to the pace of the endless tunnels, she started running, and found a door. Octavia opened it, and found a round, wide window. The window looked into blackness, and nothingness. And then it started to shimmer, and faded to something else. A colourfully dressed man, that looked like he was of the same species of the Doctor, was talking to another one. It looked like it was female, having similar traits to female of her own species. No audio came from the window, but the man was obviously very angry at the girl. And then... he started talking to her in a very accusative manner... and started to choke her to death. "Oh lord..." Octavia was horrified. Who would do something like this? The screen shimmered again. The image formed to that of an old man, about to smash another's head with a rock. Again, another man, with curly white hair, snapping the neck of his victim. A callous man with a hat, walking with an umbrella, as a building behind him blows up to ashes. "What are you showing me?" Octavia asked the TARDIS, "I know you have some amount of sentiency... Who is that?!" The screen shifted to a man, clad in a strange, black material, watching as a planet dissolves, and suddenly vanishes. Another man, watching, with explosions all around him, and a large red creature screaming in agony. A man shouting, scaring a whole army. "Who are these people?" Octavia was shaken. And a final video came. The Doctor, the proper Doctor, when he tortured the Nestene consciousness. And she finally understood at last. When the Doctor died, he got a new body. And these people, who murdered and destroyed. They were the Doctor. She was even more scared of him now then she ever was before. "Original self?" the Doctor asked, "How?" "Like I said, my boy, I am just a hologram, built out of old recorded video and audio files," the First doctor explained, "I you listen, you can hear where my voice jumps." "Oh..." the Doctor nodded in understanding. Then he realised that he didn't understand it one bit, "But why are you going through such measures? I don't think my past lives needed this." "It's because of what you were doing before you regenerated," the First Doctor said, shaking his computer generated head, "You really should have been more careful, my boy. The TARDIS needs to get you ready before you go off driving it." "I was... repairing the TARDIS!" the Doctor realized, groaning in frustration. The memories were still coming back to him, "It's... making new corridors! And I had a companion! Ace-" "Octavia," "Octavia's lost in the TARDIS!" the Doctor exclaimed, fixing his mistake, "But how are we going to find her?" "Easily done," the First Doctor gestured to a wall, which then protruded a screen. The screen showed clips, an old man going into a TARDIS with his granddaughter, meeting her teachers, going on adventures, meeting ancient races, and evil creatures that do nothing but kill, saving planets, and drinking cocoa. "All that..." the Doctor stammered, "Is that... me? It is! The French revolution! The Sensorites! The Aztecs! I remember it all!" "Yes," the First Doctor nodded, "It acts like a large infostamp. The memories you lost, are now replaced. You will be lead to the next infostamp room, which has the exploits of one horridly childish man." "Well, thanks for that," a wall opened to the Doctor's left. He assumed it was to the next infostamp. He bowed and said, "Until we meet again." "I think that's very unlikely," the first Doctor laughed, "But, I return the gesture all the same." The Doctor went to the next room, meeting his second life. He kept going and going, past the tall, big teethed man with a scarf long enough to strangle a daemon, a rather quiet man dressed suspiciously like Wild Bill Hitchock, to finally a man in a dark, leather jacket. "And... who are you?" he asked. "I'm your ninth incarnation," the man answered. The man grinned, one side of his face crinkling. He held his arms cross, as if he were telling the universe that he wasn't scared. "Nine, eh?" the Doctor grinned, "Looks like I'm the lasted in a long line." "Yeah," he chuckled, " Seems like we're always sticking our necks for those bloody apes. Ah well." "So... anything to tell me?" "Yes," Nine pointed to another screen, which quickly showed the events of Nine's life, his cruise on Platform One, his friend Rose, the Van Stattson Museum, and finally his death. "And... is that all?" the Doctor stared at the screen, expected more scenes to show up, "Seems like not much happened with you." "That's all there is," Nine said, pointing his arm towards the next door, "You should go." So the Doctor went on. "Why are you showing me this?" Octavia screamed. Finally, as the clips faded away, her response came. "Holographic projection, ready. Stock image; folder 'Octavia'. Downloaded. Stock found files. Downloaded" An 3-D image of herself was projected in the air. And then it started to speak. "This was an operation executed by the Doctor in his eighth life," she spoke. Octavia cringed from similarity, "He understood that the war he participated in would later come to effect his future decisions. Now the current is undergoing treatment." "What sort of treatment?" Octavia asked. She looked up and down the hologram reproduction of herself. It was perfect, to the colour of her fur, to the style of her hair. But was she really that round? "The Doctor needs to see infostamps of his previous lives. However, the Eighth Doctor made sure that any information that was associated with the Time War was removed," the hologram of herself was replaced with a new image. One of a orange planet, with dead creatures and demolished ruins of what looked like a cathedral. "Can't blame him for wanting to forget," Octavia agreed, "It's horrible!" "Now, he is completed," the wall next to her opened, leading to the console room. The room looked different, though. It was now grey with a red pillar, and bright lights illuminating from the roof. "Oo," she smiled at the sight, in spite of herself, "You're much nicer looking than before. I didn't really like that green look." The Doctor walked to the final room. "Hello." "Hello to you, too," he smiled sweetly to the Doctor, "You're the twelfth one, yes?" "Yeah," the Twelfth Doctor chuckled, "Didn't last very long, did I? If it weren't for that Rani... but I digress. That is what you're looking for, I assume?" He pointed at a screen. "Yes, yes it is," the Doctor peered into the screen, "Time's a wasting, Doctor! Play the reel!" And with that, the final clips of his life were played, and he was finally complete again. "That's it?" he asked, "Is it finally over?" "Not quite," the Twelfth Doctor said, "I believe that it's a tradition in our lives." A new door opened up. The Doctor walked through the doorway, and gasped. It was a wardrobe. He smiled as he rummaged through the different choices. OKAY! It's done. You can go home know. You know, it's interesting how much I hate this. I think I really just hate the guy who wrote this. THAT'S WRITE 2012 CHRIS, I'M CALLIN' YOU OUT! Oh wait, did I just reveal my real name? OH NO I BROKE THE ILLUSION. But seriously, I think with every megagram of HATE I get out of this... there is in fact a fondness to it. I... I really do like this. A nostalgic feeling of when I'd spend whole nights typing as fast as I could. Going nuts whenever my Mac would crash and I'd have to rewrite 60% of the story because I DIDN'T SAVE! I've lost those sweet, naïve days. I've become much more cynical. It's all part of growing up. I was 14. 3 years have passed. School's ending for me. I'll have to go to college and get a job and die. And I guess that's alright.
