The Mane 6 Finally Find Their Stallions

Chapters

"Twilight.... She’s Really Something...”
Muffins and Sprinkles
Hot Under The Work Harness
Eloquent Seams
"Quiet, and Adorable"
Two Pegasi of a Feather, Flock Together
All The Guests to the Party
A Friendly Questionnaire
The Royal Treatment
The Master...Of Romance?
Two Become One
How Old Wrong Doings Bring New Ones
“Guess Everypony’s Seeing Double”
“‘Legs, I've still got legs, good?’”
Thanks for the Memories
One...Two...Three...Four
The Royal Pardon
A Visit With The Doctor
An Encounter With the Familiar

"Twilight.... She’s Really Something...”

Everyone departed from Sugar Cube Corner, save Pinkie Pie and Bubble Berry, with their newfound friends. They each went their separate ways, deep in conversations with their lookalikes. Twilight had taken Dusk the long way around to her house so they could talk. “So, you say that you’re from another dimension?” inquired Twilight.

“Indeed...at least I think...” Dusk Shine replied reluctantly as they kept on walking.

“What do you mean ‘you think’?” she said, puzzled.

“Well, Rainbow Blitz has the brains for this predicament, not I. So--wait, can't we just cut through the main square to get to your house?”

“Yes we can,” Twilight replied and then quickly stated, “Wait, what do you mean by ‘Rainbow Blitz has the brains for this?’” She started on her way to do as Dusk Shine had advised, with Dusk Shine trotting by her side to keep up.

“Exactly what I said,” he smiled as they reached Twilight’s front door. He opened it politely for her.

“Then we’ll have to ‘inquire’ about it later,” she walked on in. Dusk Shine raised an ear in confusion, then followed her, closing the door on his way in. He looked around the threshold as he passed through the door, he felt at home when he saw the books and the desk where they usually were, but the placed smelled different. In a melodic call from Twilight, “Spike...O Spike, where are you?” Dusk let out a sigh of affection, then shook himself out of his stupefaction.

He murmured to himself, “what just came over me...” As he was debating on the subject, he heard a pair of feet walk down the stairs and he looked up.

“There you are my 'number one assistant', did you find those charts I’d asked for earlier?” asked Twilight. Dusk Shine had been petrified by the likeness this assistant posed to Barbara, the little dragon looked exactly like her.

“I do have them Twilight,” Spike said from behind a pile of star charts he was carrying, he stepped off the last stair and walked over to Twilight, from where Spike was standing, he didn’t notice Dusk Shine.

“I got someone for you to meet Spike, now, go put those charts on the desk.” she said.

As she did, Spike obediently turned around and started walking; however, due to the charts he was carrying he didn’t notice that he was headed right for Dusk Shine. He bumped into Dusk Shine’s foreleg and a few charts fell loose from his pile, allowing Spike to catch a glimpse of whom he hit. The little dragon looked up at Dusk Shine in confusion and then looked back at Twilight.

“Twilight?”

“This is the friend I wanted you to meet, his name’s Dusk Shine,” Twilight said vibrantly, as she walked over to them.

“I don’t understand Twilight, is he a clone like all those Pinkies that one time?”

“No Spike, he’s a legitimate pony. He says that he is me from an alternate dimension,” she said, giving Spike a smile. Dusk Shine saw the conversation was getting nowhere, so he decided to demonstrate his resemblance to Twilight.

“Here, let me help you Spike,” he said as he lifted all the star charts with his magic. He placed the papers on the desk, and turned back to the little dragon.

Spike looked up at Dusk, then Twilight, “He looks almost like you, except for the mane and tail,” Spike rubbed his chin, trying to think of something.

“Well, don’t worry your little head,” Twilight said as she rested one hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Now, I need you to go to Sugar Cube Corner and pick up my order of muffins.”

“Will do Twilight,” Spike responded as he saluted to her and walked out of the house.

Dusk Shine looked on until Spike left, “Peculiar...his actions, speech, and appearance, draws so many parallels with Barbara.”

“Who’s Barbara?” Twilight asked as she walked over to the desk and started perusing the charts.

“Well, she’s my assistant. For my magic test I...”

Twilight interjected with an astonished tone, “had to hatch her from an egg?”

“Yes, I did...who did you...” he said, stupefied.

“I had to do the same, but then I...” Twilight looked back as Dusk, who walked up to join her at her side.

“Lost control of your magic, and your princess had to step in? Resulting in your cutie mark?” Dusk smiled as he looked into Twilight’s eyes.

Twilight blushed, and turned back to the charts, “Seems that our lives aren’t as different as we might have imagined.”

Dusk Shine realized he was making Twilight uncomfortable and turned around; he walked over to the bookshelves and started scanning the titles. To his surprise, all the books were the same as the one’s he had back at home, in alphabetically order exactly as his own.

“Seems we share more than just life stories.”

Twilight looks back at him, “What do you mean?”

“Seems you have your books organized exactly like mine back home.”

“Really?” she said surprised, walking over to the shelves. “Well then, I bet you can help me.” Twilight started scanning the books, looking for one in particular.

“How?”

“I need my constellation guide, you think you can help me find it?”

“I’m not a unicorn if I can’t,” Dusk said. He gave her a warm smile, which effected a tail wag from Twilight as she started looking, Dusk Shine followed suit.

After thirty minutes of looking for the elusive book, almost every book that was on Twilight’s shelves was cluttering the floor. Dusk Shine and Twilight Sparkle were looking through every inch of the shelves with their magic, and Twilight started to panic. Dusk Shine noticed her uneasiness and walked over to her from his side of the bookcase. He was right beside her, looking for any crack that the book might have fallen in.

“Dusk, have you found it?” Twilight asked, quickly turning her head in his direction.

Dusk Shine turned to look at her to apologize for not finding it, but as he turned his head to her, they touched noses. There was a long, sentimental pause as both of them held each other’s gaze as they kept their noses touching. Twilight bashfully fluttered her eyes and blushed harder than she had ever done.

Dusk Shine smiled awkwardly back at her. He knew something was happening, for when he looked into Twilight’s eyes, he felt at home.

Twilight felt warm anxiety when she had looked into Dusk’s eyes the first time back at Sugar Cube Corner earlier that day, but now she felt something more. She lowered her ears and walked back slowly, she then tripped over one of her books. It scared her out of her stupefied state and she teleported to her room in reaction. When she popped back into existence, in the safety of her room, she wondered what just happened, she then realized she had a crush on Dusk Shine. She smiled at the thought and galloped over to her bed, flung herself on top of the sheets and cuddled her pillow in delirium.

It was still early in the evening. Back with Dusk Shine after Twilight’s sudden disappearance, he sighed and looked around at the books on the floor.

“Now how am I supposed to clean this up?” he asked himself, diligently starting to place the books back in alphabetical order with his magic. Halfway through his ordeal he thought to himself if he had a crush on Twilight. He thought about it, it made his tail wag as he kept working, debating about whether to do something nice for Twilight later on that evening or not. Dusk then exclaimed to himself, “I probably should do something nice for Twilight.... she’s really something,” he shook his head in acknowledgment as he placed the last book on the shelf.

Muffins and Sprinkles

Everypony departed from Sugar Cube Corner, save Pinkie Pie and Bubble Berry, with their new found friends. Both Pinkie and Bubble Berry stood at the door and waved goodbye to their friends, and then went back inside. Bubble Berry closed the door as Pinkie bounded to her place behind the cash register. Bubble Berry galloped over to the opposite side of the counter and started dusting off the display cases with his tail.

“So...whatcha want to do?” asked Pinkie as she opened the cash register and counted the coins inside.

“Well, I’ll clean up more, out here, if you want,” replied Bubble Berry calmly as he finished dusting and walked back to Pinkie.

“Nah, seems boring,” Pinkie said, closing the register. She then had a spectacular idea and hopped over the counter to Bubble Berry’s side. “I got it! You can help me bake my last order of muffins!” she exclaimed, enthusiastically.

“Sure, I’ve helped out Ms. Cup Cake in the kitchen lots of times,” he said with a smile.

Pinkie hugged him with joy, “Yea! More pairs of hooves in the kitchen means more goodies!” She let go of Bubble Berry and bounced to the kitchen. Bubble Berry slowly panted and then smiled.

“This will be fun,” he said, to himself, as he trotted to the kitchen.

When Bubble Berry entered the kitchen, he saw Ms. Cup Cake and Mr. Carrot Cake leaving through the back door, prompting him to ask Pinkie what was going on.

He walked over to Pinkie, who was carrying a bag of flour in her mouth. “Pinkie, what’s going on?”

She dropped the bag next to the counter, “Mr. and Ms. Cake needed to go out for some ingredients for a cake Bon Bon wants this afternoon, leaving us to work on the muffins.” She got straight to work on mixing the batter for the muffins, and Bubble Berry helped on his own station next to her.

He was delighted to see Pinkie working and dancing a little, wondering if that’s how he looked when he was baking.

She started humming a song as she worked and danced, and Bubble Berry got into the groove too. Pinkie noticed him dancing, and smiled, then kept on mixing her batter. She finished up with the batter and poured it into the muffin molds she had on the back table, and Bubble Berry helped out a little by taking the filled molds to the oven and putting them in to bake. They repeated their system for sometime, getting their coats covered in flour in the process. “We’re finally finished!” Pinkie exclaimed and hugged Bubble Berry again. Bubble Berry hugged her back, but then Pinkie Pie walked back to the finished muffins on the counter.

“Who are those for?” asked Bubble Berry.

Pinkie put the muffins on a platter, one by one, “their for Twilight of course,” she said with her giddy humor. Suddenly, the doorbell rang to announce a costumer. “Must be Spike, he’s always coming to pick up Twi’s orders,” she picked up the platter of muffins in her mouth and walked out of the kitchen to meet Spike who was standing by the cash register.

“Hi Pinkie,” Spike said as he stood up from his leaning position.

Pinkie put down the muffins on the counter, “Howdy Spike, one order for Twi right here,” she said as she slid the tray of muffins towards Spike. Spike put a small sack of coins on the counter, and then he picked up the platter.

“Twelve bits cover it?”

“Yep,” Pinkie replied as she opened the cash register to put the moneybag inside. She then closed the cash register and looked back at the kitchen.

“What were you doing before I got here?” asked Spike, curiously, as he noticed her gaze.

Still gazing at the kitchen, “Oh, me and Bubble Berry were in the kitchen making some last minute muffins,” she said jubilantly. Then, as if a distant thought had crossed her mind, she mumbled, “he’s actually pretty sweet...”

“You...and whom?” asked the little dragon as he picked up the muffin platter.

Pinkie shook herself back to reality, and then replied, “Bubble Berry of course! You know...Twilight’s got Dusk Shine, Dashie’s got Blitz, and... Yeah!” Pinkie gave Spike a convivial grin.

“Wait...there’s more colts running around that look like you girls?”

“Well, duh silly,” Pinkie exclaimed as she poked Spike in the belly, playfully.

“That explains something...well, thanks for the muffins Pinkie,” Spike replied as he took the platter of muffins and headed for the door. Ere he could reach the door, Derpy walked in. Noticing the little dragon, she politely held the door open for Spike, “Thanks Derpy.”

“No problem,” she answered as she let go of the door after Spike had left. She walked to the counter where Pinkie was standing, already with her saddlebags in her mouth. “Those today’s deliveries?” Derpy asked as she approached.

Pinkie nodded as she placed her saddlebags on the counter with a “clank”. Derpy diligently opened them, procuring from them four neatly stacked trays of muffins which had already been wrapped. “Ya know who each one’s for, right?” Pinkie asked with a smile.

“Of course, I’m the one that delivers the mail,” Derpy said sternly. She then put the muffins in her own saddlebags and left. When she was out the door, Pinkie let out a sigh of relief as she trotted back to the kitchen.

As Pinkie was giving out orders in the front, Bubble Berry was delightfully cleaning up the kitchen. He was melodically humming to himself as he did so, but now and again the thought came into his mind, “Pinkie’s actually kind of cute.” Bubble did his best to clean up everything, but he didn’t notice that he had missed a patch of flour on the floor. As he finished cleaning, conveniently, Pinkie walked back into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw him, then started her way towards him. “Hiay Bubble Be...Ahhh!” Pinkie didn’t notice the flour on the floor, stepped in it in her haste, and started sliding across the floor towards Bubble Berry. Pinkie, in her panic, stood up on her hind legs as she slid. Bubble Berry swiftly jumped up on his own hind legs before she throttled into him.

Thankfully, Bubble Berry had his back to the counter, hampering their trajectory. Pinkie had wrapped her forelegs around her unlikely savior as she struck his stomach. Out of her fright of the recent event, she held onto Bubble Berry and started to shudder. Bubble Berry kindly embraced Pinkie and rubbed his nose against her cheek, trying to calm her. His kind gesture must have worked, for Pinkie stopped shaking and rested her head on Bubble Berry’s chest. Bubble Berry was bewildered by the sudden mood swing, but he calmly patted her back with right fore-hoof. Pinkie, realizing who saved her, looked up at Bubble Berry with a soft gaze. Bubble Berry, leaning against the counter to keep himself on his hind-legs, gently returned the gaze. Pinkie and Bubble held that gaze for some time, making their tails wag. Pinkie pushed herself up and rubbed her nose against Bubble Berry’s, which Bubble Berry replicated. Pinkie then dropped down on all hooves and walked over to the island in the center of the kitchen. Bubble Berry, in his astonished, and mesmerized state, dropped down on all his hooves and followed Pinkie. “Whatcha going to do now?” he asked as he got to her side.

Pinkie bumped flanks with him, “We’re, going to start baking for the party.”

“What party?” Bubble Berry asked as he started to get some bowls, which he put on the counter.

“The party for you and your friends silly,” she elucidated as she rubbed her cheek against his. Bubble Berry started turning red in the face a little.

“Why’s that?” he asked flustered.

“Well, you guys are new here...you would do the same, wouldn’t ya?” Pinkie raised an ear in question, in her giddy way.

Bubble Berry looked at the bowl on the counter, then at Pinkie. “I would definitely!”

Pinkie hopped in place and let out some happy laughter. “Then let’s get to work,” she said as he started getting the ingredients, while Bubbles got the oven ready.

Hot Under The Work Harness

It was just before high noon when Apple Jack and AJ reached Sweet Apple Acres. AJ was delighted to see his old barn and home, but he still felt out of place. As they walked, the companions talked about their own homes. “...I could of sworn that that there windmill was on the opposite side of the barn,” elucidated AJ as he trotted along with Apple Jack.

“Well, don’t git your mind out of working AJ. Since your here, Big Mac doesn’t need to work as hard.” Apple Jack said coolly to her companion as she eyed him, occasionally, as they walked.

“Big who?”

“Big Macintosh, ya’know, my older brother,” she said bluntly as they reached the barn door.

“Older brother? Sorry Miss, but I only have two siblings, my older sis’ who...” his sonorous voice faded as he saw Big Macintosh walking up to them with a straw of hay out of his mouth.

“Who what?” asked Apple Jack. She then followed AJ’s vision to Big Mac, “Wait a stomping minute, are you telling me that your older sis’ looks like Macintosh?”

AJ couldn’t believe his thoughts either; Apple Jack’s brother did look like his sister (at least his color scheme and cutie mark). He shook his head to concentrate, “Well, I...I guess so. My lil’ brother, Apple Buck, looks different though.” Big Mac was stunned to find the conversation he had stumbled into, but he just looked at AJ coolly.

“So, ya kinda remind me of myself kid. Eeyup–you remember that time, AJ?” he directed the question in Apple Jack’s direction with a look at her.

“Which time?” Apple Jack said, raising an ear in confusion.

“Ya know, that time Twilight had Apple Bloom painted me from nose to tail, so I could look like you for that–”

“Oh yeah, for her ‘magic trick’ for Trixie?”

Big Mac nodded, “Eeyup.”

AJ looked at both of them as if they were crazy, his head was swimming from the conversation; he was utterly confused of someone named ‘Apple Bloom’, or a ‘trick for Trixie’. “Who was ‘Trixie’, anyway,” he thought. He gulped, then took his chances with speaking, “I know a Trixter, any relationship?”

Big Mac looked at AJ, Apple Jack noticed and intervened, “He’s new to these part, Macintosh.”

“He really looks a lot like you A.J., you sure he’s new,” Big Mac responded curiously.

“Yes, I’m sure. Now don’tcha need to go move some hay into town or somethin'?” Apple Jack said, doggedly, as she tried to send him packing. Big Mac got the hint and started to walk off.

“Right, need to go do that for Hearts and Hooves Day. I’ll catch you two later then.” He walked off in his similar fashion, his work harness moving from side to side as AJ’s own used to, when he wore it. Big Macintosh then strapped a wagon to his harness and was on his way into Ponyville.

When Big Macintosh vanished into the heart of the apple groove, on his way, AJ turned to Apple Jack. “So, ya needed me to git to work?”

“Later, right now, come inside to get some apple cider and tell me about your family.” Apple Jack trotted off to the house, bubbling with anticipation and wondering why she felt so giddy all of a sudden. AJ matched her pace and enter the home with his new company. When they entered, Apple Jack’s grandmother and Apple Bloom join the two newcomers at the door.

“Hey Apple Jack,” Apple Bloom said in her chipper tone, but fell silent when she saw AJ. “Who’s he?”

“The name’s AJ, Miss,” using his manners, he bowed to Apple Bloom and swept his hat before his other foreleg. Apple Bloom blushed a little, and so did the rest of the mares. AJ straightened up and put his hat on, “Well, you sort of remind me of my lil’ brother Apple Buck.”

“I do?” Apple Bloom said, curiously.

AJ nodded in response.

Out of embarrassment of such a kind gesture AJ had given her, Apple Bloom knew she had to get out of the house. “Hey, Apple Jack, where’s Big Mac?”

“He’s in town gittin’ some hay moved, and don’t ya need to be gettin’ to school?”

Apple Bloom realized that it was almost 12.30 and she was about to be late, so she rushed passed AJ and Apple Jack with a “See y’all later,” and raced down to the schoolhouse.

Apple Jack apologized to AJ for Apple Bloom’s behavior, but being the gentlecolt he was, AJ was kind enough not to mind; to AJ, Apple Bloom was not the only one that acted in such a way. The two mares, Apple Jack and Granny Smith, got AJ to sit down at the table, and got him some refreshments and instigated a conversation that got AJ to divulge details about himself.

“So, your from another dimension...and you look just like Apple Jack?” asked Granny Smith.

“It seems so ma’am.”

“How did ya git–” Apple Jack was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Now who could that be...Maybe it’s Derpy with my order,” she got up from her seat and walked over to the door.

“Derpy?” AJ thought, he was surprised at the thought that his Dopey had been able to come to this dimension too. But then, he grimaced at the poignant thought that it must not be. His second thought was true; he found the truth when Apple Jack opened the door to a slender, blond-maned, mare that looked almost like his own Dopey.

“Hiay Apple Jack!” exclaimed Derpy in her cheerful mood; she walked in past Apple Jack as she folded her wings. “Here’s your order,” said Derpy as she put her snout into her saddle bags and procured a nicely wrapped plate with muffins on it.

“Thanks Derpy, just set it down on the table,” Apple Jack insisted as she slammed the door, a little angry at the fact that Derpy had just marched right in. When Derpy turned the corner to enter the kitchen, she placed the platter on the table, then she notice a buffer looking Apple Jack at the table. “How’d you get here so quickly...wait–”

AJ stood up in his courteous manner, “Sorry Miss, I don’t think I’m the one you’re looking for.”

Apple Jack walked in, noticing why AJ was standing, she starts to feel giddy inside, again.

“So, who are you then?” Derpy inquired.

“The name’s AJ Miss...”

“Derpy Hooves is her name, AJ,” Apple Jack barked, starting to remember her annoyance with Derpy. Derpy noticed Apple Jack’s temper rising and started to slink away, out of the kitchen; AJ noticed and stepped in front of Apple Jack, bowing to Derpy and sweeping his hat in front of him, “Sorry madam, she didn’t mean anythin’ by it.”

“It’s okay, I got to go anyway,” Derpy answered as she flattened her ears in embarrassment. She then readjusted her saddlebags on her sides, opened the front door, and galloped out.

Apple Jack was now convinced that AJ was quite the gentlecolt. When he stood up again, from his bowed position, and put on his hat, he accidentally bumped into Apple Jack. She blushed and pulled her hat down, over her eyes and her now red tipped ears, as she stepped back from AJ; AJ noticed her reaction and quickly turned to face her, wearing his best smile to try and impress her. Both colt and mare locked eyes and both mused about the other. Granny Smith got the notion about the two and showed her way out of the house to give them there space, smiling to herself as she thought of them getting together.

As the two look-alikes looked at each other, lost in each other’s eyes and their own thoughts, Apple Jack realized that she needed to go pick some apples for dinner. She quickly grabbed a work harness from the wall and fitted it onto AJ, who didn't mind, and then she stepped back, "He does look like Big Mac with that on," she thought to herself.

"So, what's this for Miss?" AJ asked as he adjusted the harness on himself.

"It's so you can pull the wagon while I git the apples for dinner," Apple Jack elucidated as she quickly trotted passes AJ, and out of the house, trying to hide her reddened cheeks from him; AJ quickly followed, carrying the harness as if casual attire. Apple Jack got over her flustered state, enough to stop blushing, and deftly got a wagon ready for AJ, in the barn. AJ swiftly trotted in, behind Apple Jack, just as she was grabbing the straps to latch onto AJ's harness.

"I got it from here, Sugarcube," AJ said, with a smile, as he reached Apple Jack's side. Apple Jack strapped AJ to the wagon, hesitating to not slip up, but stayed calm on the outside. As for AJ, he may have looked calm as Apple Jack strapped him up, but he kept having to tug on the harness for he was getting "hot" from Apple Jack touch. When she was done strapping the wagon to AJ, Apple Jack stepped in front of AJ to admire her work (and maybe AJ too).

“Shall we git to work, Sugarcube?” AJ asked as he admired the mare standing in front of him. Apple Jack lowered her ears a little, noticing him looking at her, and then she walked to AJ’s side.

“I bet we should, AJ,” Apple Jack said as she brushed up against him. AJ blushed a little himself, then he mustered up the courage to ask her a direct question. Apple Jack must have wanted to ask a question too, in reaction to AJ’s nudge back, because when AJ turned his head to her, she had also raised hers to look at him; there was a long silence as their noses touched, but the pause between them relayed emotion, not awkwardness. They stared into each other’s eyes softly for a long while, then AJ went for it, and kissed her. Apple Jack was taken aback, her eyes widening as he kissed her, but after a few seconds she succumbed to the kiss and enjoyed the moment along with AJ.

After a short kiss the two ponies walked alongside each other to the orchard, with Apple Jack leaning against AJ dreamily and the wagon bumping along behind them.

Eloquent Seams

After all had dispersed from Sugar Cube Corner, Rarity deftly trotted out in the direction of her boutique, with Elusive following a few paces behind. Rarity noticed him keeping his distance, a normal gentlecolt’s way of following a women, and she started to feel a little more attracted to him; feeling so, she quickly dropped back to Elusive’s side. “So, you seem to have stole my look,” she said with a playful smile at Elusive.

Elusive smirked as he looked at Rarity, “Well, your hair style is quite attractive."

Rarity blushed a little, but quickly regained her composer as they reached the boutique’s front steps.

“So, you live here by yourself?” Elusive asked as he opened the door for her.

“Indeed I do, but how did you now?” She asked as she walked in.

Elusive gently closed the door behind them and walked to her side, feeling a little more relaxed about standing with her. “Well, I have the same establishment in my ‘universe’. I live by myself as well, but Sweepy Belle comes and visits now and then.”

“Sweepy Belle?” Rarity asked with a giggle, as she walked over to one of her mannequins, which was adorned with a sparkling purple dress, with ruffles around the shoulders. “I do believe which you mean ‘Sweetie Bell’, right?” She asked as she straightened out the gown's ruffles, with her magic.

“Nope, I truly mean Sweepy Bell, my younger brother,” his voice trailed off as he noticed a blackish suit in the back, which he curiously walked over to. Rarity didn’t notice him and continued to straighten out the dress.

“Well...never mind about that.” She raised her head to see where Elusive was, walking into the back where her previous designs were; she didn’t really mind. “Thank you, again,” she called to him, her voice trailing off a little for she felt a little embarrassed.

"‘Thank you’? For what?” Elusive inquired as he stopped short of the back room, turning his head in Rarity’s direction.

“Well...for the greeting earlier.” She blushed, putting her ears and tail down, as she walked to his side.

“Oh, that. Well,” he smiled to her, “that’s how I greet royalty.” Elusive gave Rarity a wink, which provoked the mare to blush more. He then turned back to his prior objective, walking into the back room towards the unfinished tuxedo which lay half in shadow. “What is this?”

“Oh, that? Uh...that’s just one of my unfinished suits.” She quickly brought it out, with it still being on it’s mannequin, with her magic; she was now galvanized by an idea to give it to Elusive.

“Why is it in the shadows then?” He asked her as he admired her fine stitch work, though the suit was missing the tails, he thought it was superb. “It looks fantastic as a waist coat,” he turned to Rarity, “why haven’t you finished it?” Rarity examined her masterpiece as well, provoking some terrible memory that brought a tear to her eye, which she tried to hide by lowering her face; sadly, she only succeeded in letting her bangs fall over her eyes. Elusive noticed the tear, and slowly turned to her. Using his nose, he pushed her bangs away from her eyes. He looking into her pupils and smiled, and she inched forward a little so there noses touched.

“Well, I was waiting for a stallion to walk in here and buy it; one who could sweep me off my hooves, of course.” She smiled a little as her cheeks turned a rosy red, including the tips of her ears.

“Well, let’s finish it then,” Elusive said, rubbing his nose against hers. He then turned around slowly and brought forth a few spools of thread, a pair of scissors, and needles, with his magic. Rarity just stood there stupefied by Elusive’s action; slowly she snapped out of her daze and quickly took the suit, with her magic, off the mannequin and quickly put it on Elusive.

“Here,” she started to straighten out the suit’s shoulders on him.

“What are you doing?” he said in a gentle tone.

“Well, I never had a stallion to model for me,” she said with a wink. Elusive blushed, lowering his ears and smiling at her. “It’s a perfect fit too!” She exclaimed as her eyes twinkled with excitement. Elusive looked at the sweet mare and realized she was trying to hint at something.

“But what...” he mumbled. Rarity was so giddy that she didn’t hear Elusive, but she kept on with making arrangements to finish the tuxedo for him: gathering the supplies Elusive had acquired, and new ones as well.

After a few tweaks to the suit, a few miss placed needles, and a tea break, Elusive was standing in front of the mirror examining the tuxedo, with Rarity standing at his side. "It's perfect." Elusive's and Rarity's voices intermingled in the air as they looked at each other.

"Now, how much for it?" Elusive asked. Rarity was taken aback by the question.

"You want to 'buy' it?"

Elusive had figured that Rarity was modestly hitting on him with giving him the suit, so he grinned and said, "only if I can seep you off your hooves." The pick-up line had definitely worked, for not only did Rarity turn a rosy red, but she flung her fore-legs around Elusive's neck in an embrace.

"Yes you can!" She kissed Elusive on the lips, making him blush, and toppling him on his back. Lets just say that Elusive had just sowed their lost souls together.

"Quiet, and Adorable"

After everypony had dispersed from Sugar Cube Corner, Fluttershy and Butterscotch slowly made their way to their cottage. All the while, staying at each other’s sides, but keeping from conversation, for fear that one would utter something offensive to the other. Butterscotch, though, made the first move, looking over at Fluttershy, and softly uttering, “Hello...w-we didn’t properly introduce each other back there.” Butterscotch was right, though they had exchanged a few words back in Sugar Cube Corner, they never really were able to exchange names.

Fluttershy saw his attempt to break the ice, and looked back, offering a timid smile, “W-Well, the name’s Fluttershy.” Her voice was so quiet, that if Butterscotch hadn’t been accustomed to his own shy voice, he wouldn’t have heard it.

Butterscotch then quickly mustered up his courage and grinned sheepishly, “Well, the name’s Butterscotch. P-Pleasure to meet you.” Though it was an awkward conversation at first, the sentences started to flow in succession between them, and soon enough they each knew a little bit more about the other.

A trot or two later, the two timid Pegasi had made it to their cottage; feeling more comfortable around Fluttershy, Butterscotch took it upon himself to open the front door for her. Fluttershy, being the extremely shy mare she was, flushed predominantly as she walked passed Butterscotch, uttering a soft, “Thank you,” as she walked in. Butterscotch, in return, forced his reddening cheeks into a small smile as he walked in behind her, closing the door.

“Would you like some tea?” Fluttershy asked, in her normally, quiet, voice.

“Sure, thank you,” Butterscotch answered in his soft tone. Fluttershy quickly zoomed into the kitchen to prepare the tea, being in a rush so as to not keep the “cute” colt waiting. She kept thinking to herself how to not screw anything up. She knew Butterscotch to be cute and his manner made her heart skip a beat; however, she didn’t want to say anything yet, so she kept on making the tea as her cheeks got rosier.

In the meantime, Butterscotch carefully scrutinized the living room, noticing everything was almost the same as his cottage (except for the pictures, of course), including the sleeping bunny on the couch. “Angel?” he called, as he approached the white fluff ball. Angel twitched one ear, then the other, and stirred from his nap, sitting up and scratching his ears. He looked at Butterscotch, tilting his head in confusion; suddenly, Angel jumped in fright as Fluttershy entered the room again. Butterscotch’s wings, in fright themselves, sent him into the ceiling and he dropped back down with a “THUD.”

Fluttershy ran over to help, “Are you okay?” she asked, traumatized, as she sat down and rested Butterscotch’s head in her lap.

Butterscotch came to his senses, dazed, and he asked, “What happened? Angel?” Butterscotch had meant to call the bunny, to see if he was okay; however, Fluttershy must have thought he was talking to her, for her cheeks turned a bright red, and her wing fluffed out. Butterscotch realized the contextual error, but he rolled with it. “Thank you, Angel,” he said to her as he got up, helping her to her hooves next. Fluttershy just flushed harder as he took her hoof; she felt an attraction to this colt, but she didn’t understand her feelings quite well; she just knew she liked him. Same went for Butterscotch, for as he took her hoof, his cheeks started to turn a bit red.

“Uhm…..” Fluttershy struggled for words, but couldn’t bring any to her lips. She quickly pulled her hoof away, gently, and set it on the ground. She soon started to fill with some feeling she couldn’t explain and was overjoyed with herself, affecting a smile from her.

Butterscotch leaned in a little, “Y-you okay?” He offered a quick smile as Fluttershy looked up from the floor. Guess Butterscotch was a little to close to her for when she look up, their noses touched; both Butterscotch and Fluttershy almost melted out of anxiety, but they just held each others’ gaze.

Fluttershy soon realized she was smiling, “Uh…..you still want t-that tea?”

Butterscotch knew this was his chance to show this mare what he’d been feeling ever since they met. He rubbed his nose against hers, affectionately, “Y-yeah, that’d be good.”

Fluttershy started to blush, darkly, but she just replied with rubbing his nose simultaneously.

Angel, not knowing how to respond, just walked between them perusing every detail of each of the two ponies. He gently nudged Fluttershy’s foreleg with his elbow, seeing that the starring was going nowhere.

Fluttershy quickly broke off the gaze and gestured for Butterscotch to follow her to the kitchen, with a playful whip of her tail in his face, as she walked past him.

Butterscotch just blushed, and then followed her into the kitchen.

It was high noon as they sat with one another and sipped on their tea, which was accompanied by a crazy story of adventure, from Butterscotch. The pot of tea had lasted quite a while, they thought. Fluttershy was now thinking to herself, “Wow, he’s quiet and adorable. I-I really need to get him to stay.” Her train of thought was broken by a sharp knock at the door.

Butterscotch got up from his seat, “P-please, don’t move a hoof; I got it.” He quickly trotted to the door and opened it, slowly.

“Hiay!” Derpy greeted.

“Uhm….Dopey?” Butterscotch opened the door wide now, considering that he noticed the resemblance that this mare posed to his mail-carrier, back home.

“I got some muffins for you, Fluttershy.”--then a pause as she searched Butterscotch’s face--“Wait, your not Fluttershy.”

From the kitchen, Fluttershy let out a squeak, “Let her in...I-I mean, please.”

Butterscotch moved aside, bowing to Derpy, “Hello, t-the name’s Butterscotch,” his voice trailed to a whisper. Derpy walked in, nodding to him, and walked into the kitchen.

“I got your muffins, Fluttershy,” Derpy exclaimed as she approached the table. She moved aside their tea pot, so to put down the tray that she acquired from her saddle bags, but it was oddly heavy. “You guys let this get cold, it’s better hot.” She set the tray down and turned to exit and found Butterscotch still at the door.

“Thank you, Derpy,” Butterscotch whispered, as he opened the door for her, with a bow.

“Uhm...thanks,” she blushes a tad, “and your welcome.” She walked out into the sun and then shot off for Rainbow Dash’s castle.

Butterscotch, then, gently closed the door and headed back to the kitchen table to join Fluttershy.

“That was sweet of you,” her cheeks became rosy, once more, at the slip of the word “sweet.” Butterscotch knew, now after their long talk, that the cute mare sitting next to him had some feelings for him and he himself had some feelings for her.

“Really? I was only being nice.” He smiled at Fluttershy, causing her to drop her eyes to the table and fidget with her teacup.

“W-well, you’re v-very n-nice,” her cheeks became rosy once more at the realization of her mistake. “Geez, Fluttershy, what are you doing? You know you like him, so ask him to stay the night,” she argued with herself within her sub-consciousness.

All the while, Butterscotch noticed her physical murmurs and caught bits and pieces of the internal argument. After realizing what she was proposing to herself, he gently covered her hoof with his. Fluttershy just stopped her thoughts completely, turning to stone in utter embarrassment. She looked down at his hoof, on hers, and almost fainted; however, she found a reservation of strength that allowed her to hold Butterscotch’s glance.

“You were going to a-ask me something?” he said with a small grin.

“Well, I-I really like you-” she stopped herself from stopping there, “-’re company and I was w-wondering if you wanted to s-stay the n-night?”

Butterscotch blushed harder then he ever had, at that moment, swelling with rejoice and a burning desire to blurt out his answer. However, he played it cool and he collectively responded, “Sure, it b-beats staying with any other mare.” He nailed it! The one, loving comment he’d said to that mare all day and he said it at the most perfect time.

Fluttershy thought the same thing, not only did she jump out her seat, wings and legs outstretched, but also exclaiming, “Yay!”

Butterscotch’s reaction to hers was a chuckle, plus a pair of rosy cheeks and a kiss on her lips when she landed in his lap.
They chuckled, laughed, and embraced one another throughout the rest of the daylight hours as they cleaned, cooked, and did chores together. However, they spent most of the latter half of the daylight sitting in the meadow, Fluttershy resting against Butterscotch as he draped his wing over her; a quiet sigh of relief from both of them.

Two Pegasi of a Feather, Flock Together

After everypony had dispersed from Sugar Cube Corner, Rainbow Dash decided to take Rainbow Blitz to her cloud castle. Though Rainbow Dash flew circles around Blitz’s head, as he trotted on, it didn’t seem to bother Blitz one bit. “So, I suspect you to be the fastest flier around Ponyville,” he called up to her.

“Yep! The fastest, how’d you guess?” she asked, a ting of curiosity in the last syllable. She flew down next to him and started trotting at his side, their rainbow tails swaying in unison.

“Well, I am the fastest where I came from, even faster than Glida.”

Dash eyed him, “Well, duh. You can definitely be faster than a Griffin, especially Guilda.”

Blitz eyed her, “Excuse me?” he paused to see if there was any sarcasm ahoof, but didn’t find any.

Innocently, and with a ting of pompous flare, “Yeah, any Pegasus can be faster than a Griffin, especially the likes of us.” For a second, she forgot that she was speaking with a stallion and blushed as she knocked flanks with him, playfully; she shied away from his acknowledging smile by looking down at her hooves.

Blitz, able to see her rosy ear-tips, softly bumped her flank back. He thought a proper tone would settle her, so he continued his speech in his, flawless, British accent. “Well, I can deduce that the likes of us are faster than many here, me especially against Guild, but,”--he turned to her, catching a glimpse from the flustered mare--”I was hoping you’d acknowledge ‘Glida’ as a member of the Wonderbolts.” Blitz took his gaze off the cute mare to guide their track around the center square and off to the castle home, then slowly draped his left wing over her back.

Dash blushed as she felt the warmth of the stallion's feathers, unusual warmth at that, then came the sudden gust of cold wind that Blitz was anticipating. It whistled through the trees and tousled the rainbow manes, but Dash barely felt it. “Maybe it’s the warmth of this stallion,” she thought as she noticed she only felt her ears to be cold.

Blitz looked to her, a smile gracing his lips, “Feel that? Seems someone needs to get that wind under control.”

“Right, but first,”--she paused, thinking of how to really see Blitz’s speed--”let’s kick up some wind of our own, huh?” She extended her wings, pushing Blitz back. Dash took a ready stance and braced herself for a race.

Blitz, gulping in terror, then kept walking on, “I d-don’t do races.” He looked back at her puzzled look.

Dash quickly throttled to block his path, “What do you mean you ‘don’t do race?’”

“I’m kinda…...afraid of flying…” he shuffled his hooves, on the dirt path, as he avoided the mare’s agitated glare.

“You….WHAT!” She looks to him, gritting her teeth.

“I kinda am….but I would take off if I have a catalytic event upon me,” he offered her a weak smile.

Dash was infuriated, "Why are you a Pegasus, then?

Slowly, Blitz chuckled out of embarrassment, "Well, funny thing. My Professor kinda 'did away' with my--"

Dash, angrily, turned away from him and stomped her hoof as she whipped her tail in Blitz's face. "There's definitely no excuse for a Pegasus to be afraid of heights."

Blitz gulped, “Fine, be it so, but I won’t race you...at least not until I get my bearings of this world.”

Dash, realizing the terror in his voice, started to feel ashamed of her actions. She turned to him and gestured towards her home, which was in view now, “Fine, we can walk there, but you’ll have to fly up to get to the door.” She sighed, in both defeat and relief, when she felt his wing over her again.

“Very well and sorry for being such a disappointment, I have my reasons.”

“Sure you do,” she sighed, inching a little closer to him as they entered the shadow of her home.

“Lovely place, mine’s a bit more darker, though.” Blitz looked up at the cloud as he folded his wings.

She looked at him, “Darker? Like how?”

“Oh, a little less ‘colourful’ rainbows and gray-er clouds.” He looked to her, and since they were standing so close, their noses touched. Both pinned back ears and blushed as they gazed at one another.

A spark jumped from Blitz’s nose to Dash’s and she jumped, “Ouch! What the heck was that?” She hovered in front of him, eyeing him.

Blitz scrunched his nose and look to her, his tone growing grim and resorting to his normal accent, “Honestly….the reason I hate flying.”

She looked at him, puzzled, then shook her head, “Fine, I’ll wait for you top-side.” She smirked at him and zipped up to the cloud, landing, gracefully, on it. She then popped her head over the side, “Come on, I want to show you something,” she called to him, keeping an eye on him in both a flirting and a curious manner.

“Alright, I’ll do it…” he called back up, stretching his wings to full length. Since he couldn’t get a running start, he’d have to propel vertically, so he readied himself for the take off. Sparks snapped from his hooves and his wings as he lowered himself to the ground. Then, with a flash of speed, he took off, leaving a dark trail of rainbow in his wake and he landed behind Dash, before she had time to turn around.

She honestly only saw the dark rainbow trail and the ring of scorch marks, around his take-off spot, and didn’t notice him land, behind her.

He nuzzled her wing, “We going to go inside?” he asked, jumping back as Dash jumped in fright at the unexpected touch of his nose.

She hovered in front of him, once more, putting her nose to his in an interrogating way, “How’d you--How the--?” She fumbled for the words and planted her hooves on the cloud, not retracting her nose from his as she grew silent.

Blitz, a little flushed as well, smiled as he looked at her. “I believe this is a bad time to say this...but….um….your really cute when your mad.”

A smile made its way across Dash’s lips, her rosy cheeks turning redder. She realized her attitude towards the colt was both disbelief and admiration for his speed and his good character, so she quickly turned and raced inside the house, beckoning him to follow.

Blitz did, and soon enough, they were having a quaint pot of tea and discussing their pasts...at least, as much a Blitz wanted to state.

Time had passed and the sun started to set, the tea was gone, and both ponies were mesmerized with each other, then there was a knock at the door. “Don’t move a hoof, I got it,” said Blitz, quickly moving to the door.

Dash turned to look as Blitz opened the door to Derpy.

Derpy rolled her eyes, realizing this was another “clone”, “Really? Another one? Ugh, Doctor!" She shook her head and walked in, past Blitz.

He gracefully put a hoof on her shoulder, making her turn to him, "Did you just say my name?"

"What? No, I was talking about 'my' doctor."

"Oh, my apologies, Miss..." he bowed to her.

She rolled her eyes, "Derpy. it's Derpy Hooves, alright?" She became flustered by the gesture, from Blitz, then she walked into the kitchen.

"Derpy Hooves, like Dopey? Like Professor Hooves?" He thought.

"Hey, Derpy, what's up?" Dash regained her usual spunk and reclined in her chair.

"Nothing really, brought you some muffins."--she turned to look at Blitz, then whispered to Dash.--"Is he alright?--Is he yours?"

"Yeah, he's alright, just went through some 'wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey' stuff." She then looked up as Derpy was putting out the muffins, "And yes, he's mine," a ting of excitement in her voice.

"Wait, did you say 'wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff?'" She thought about it, then it hit her that Dash had answered her last question and giddily gave her a hoof bump.

Dash quickly joined in the silent giddiness and then soon regained her composer.

Derpy smiled, "Alright, I'll be off." She playfully saluted Dash and walked out of the kitchen, eyed Blitz as he held the door open for her, then walked out.

Blitz waited for Derpy to fluttered off, then he closed the door and returned to the kitchen where Dash was waiting for him at the table. "So, you hungry?"

Dash looked to her stomach and then to him. Then, slowly, "Yes?" She smiled as Blitz turned to the kitchen counter and started gathering some stuff to make some sandwiches.

"So, your world is kind of something."

Dash looked at Blitz, mesmerized by him. She said, dreamily, "Yeah...you are too."--She realized what she said--"I mean,'yeah, your...right,'" She smiled, giddily to herself.

Blitz smirk as he heard her, then quickly made two sandwiches upon two plates, without touching them, but Dash never saw. He turned around and put hers in front of her and then came to sit down, next to her, with his.

"Wow, just the way I like it," she gasped, realizing he was just like her. Guess that's what proved to her that her attraction to him was definite, because before either knew it, she planted a kiss on his lips.

After that kiss, Dash made out a spare room for him, down the hall from hers, just to be safe; then, Blitz's fear of flying soon faded as he zipped across the sky, at her side, trying to get that wind in check.

All The Guests to the Party

Darkness fell upon Equestria, as Princess Luna raised the moon, but that wasn’t the only thing that fell upon the homes of our Ponyville friends…

“No party like a Pinkie Pie Party!” Bubble Berry yelled above the amassing crowd. Seems Pinkie Pie and Bubble Berry had sent out invitations to the town, announcing the arrival of the six colts. The party went off without a hitch: streamers, cake, punch, and laughter. However, though it was splendid and Dash and the rest of the twelve were having fun, Blitz decided to sneak off to see his TARDIS. He made a discrete turn, off the beaten path, and went behind the building. He yanked free some piled brush, which was mounded over something, and excavated till his hoof hit something; oddly enough, it thudded on thin air. “Ah, there your hiding, Steve. Thought I lost ya," Blitz exclaimed, in his British accent once more.

The TARDIS gave an acknowledging clank, then it materialized, among the remaining brush.

Blitz looked this way, then that, and saw no pony in sight. He turned back to the machine and, in jest, he whispered to it, “They think your still broken--Are you?” He looked up at the door, which, in answer, swung open and he swaggered inside. “By George, you’ve out done yourself, Steve!” A mischievous smile came across Rainbow Blitz’s lips as he looked around at the repaired, and orderly, console room; however, through the open door there came gleeful shouts and giggles, and Blitz flew out as fast as he could.

“I can’t believe you wanted to miss such a great party, Scootaloo,” whined Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah, even Apple Jack said it’ll be fun. I actually wanted to formally meet AJ,” accompanied Apple Bloom.

“Well, wouldn’t it be more fun if we got our cutie marks, tonight?” Scootaloo questioned as she turned the corner, her Cutie Mark Crusader’s cape swaying behind her.

Blitz saw the little fillies and soon gained his composure, apple-bucked the TARDIS door, shut, and went hither to meet them, half way.

Scootaloo saw the Pony Box de-materialize and looked at the strange pony. In the moon light, she thought she saw her idol “Rainbow Dash?!” She rushed up to meet her hero, but she soon realized it was a different pony. She skidded to a halt in front of Blitz's forehooves.

Blitz craned his neck to look at the little filly, "Scooteroll? Is that you?"

Scootaloo looked up at the colt, their snouts a ways from each other. "Uhm...who-are-you?"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stood there, surprised. "Are you 'Rainbow Blitz?'" Apple Bloom asked, a little excited.

Blitz looked up from Scootaloo, smirking, "Now I know these aren't my colts--The name is Rainbow Blitz, Miss..." As he waited for her continuation, he bowed to Scootaloo, who grazed his bangs with her nose, curiously making sure he were real for his rainbow appearance was surely one of a kind.

Apple Bloom bowed, in return, and replied, "Apple Bloom, Mister."

"Apple Bloom?" He stood, erect, "Well, I do believe I know you from somewhere else." He smiled, then stepped away from Scootaloo.

Scootaloo eyed him, as she got up, "Oh, where do you know us from?"

Sweetie Belle pranced to Blitz's side and looked up at him, "Yeah, where?”

Blitz, realizing there was no danger in telling, started the chuckle, “Well, if you must know,” he turn to the three fillies, who had encircled him, “from a different dimension.”

“Wait one minute, what do you mean by that?” A strange voice, male in nature, came from up the path. The shadow this creature casted looked menacing, with scales and a tail. Blitz, being used to danger following him, quickly slipped passed Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, putting himself between the fillies and the enlarged shadow, protectively.

“Exactly what a meant, dragon.” Blitz crouched low, extending his wings in anticipation of a fight, for all he could see was the silhouette of the creature, against the moon.

Spike slowly walked down the hill, shaking his claws out in front of him, to show there was no danger. “Wait, wait. I’m Twilight’s friend.”

Scootaloo quickly tugged on Blitz’s tail, “Yeah, he’s a friend.”

Blitz, relaxing a little, looked to Scootaloo and then to Spike, “So…you’re not going to try and barbecue me?”

Spike, coming up to Blitz, “Barbecue you?”

Blitz, having to look down on the dragon, cleared his throat, “Hm, my apologies, Sir…?”

“Spike, that’s me,” the little dragon boastfully pointed towards his chest.

"Wait, not Barbara?"

"Who?" asked Spike.

Blitz shook his head and there was a pause.

Spike, looking up at Blitz. “So, your one of the newcomers, eh?”

“Certainly seems like it.”

“So how--”

“How did you guys get here, anyway?” Scootaloo interrupted, walking around to Spike’s side, a little more curious now.

“Well, I’d be able to tell you...but I’d rath--” A powerful crackle, in the air, broke Blitz’s train of thought. The lot of them slowly looked about, but nothing seemed to have caused such a bang. However, there was something, a crack, coloured a misty purple and white, that hung in the air. Blitz knew exactly what it was, but not what it meant. He slowly checked his watch, on his right wrist, and saw it was still flashing the displayed time and the acronym UG2. “You kids should get back from that dimensional rift…” He slowly started towards it.

“That...what?” the four young ones asked, in unison, as they clustered together and backpedaled from it, slowly.

Blitz murmured to himself, as he approached, “Now, why are you so close? Are you here for--” Another bang, this time letting a shock wave emanate from the crack, sending only Blitz onto his back.

Smoke engulfed the back lot of Sugar Cube Corner, but the party inside was too loud to hear anything. Coughing, “Wow, you did it!” exclaimed a young colt’s voice.

“Yeah, you actually jumped us, Sweepy Belle!" Another, western accented, voice exclaimed.

"I...did?" Sweepy Belle looked around, then used his magic to clear the smoke to find Blitz on his back. "Blitz!" Sweepy Belle called. The three newcomers quickly leapt into action, trying to help Blitz to his hooves and all the while their Cutie Mark Cavalries' capes waving behind them.

"Blitz, you okay?" The western accented colt asked as he used his bandana to dust off Blitz.

"Yeah, you okay, Blitz." The third colt, sporting the brilliant gamboge coloured coat, stood up on his hind legs and brushed off Blitz's mane as he asked.

"Scooteroll?" Blitz asked the colt brushing his mane. "Apple Buck?" He asked the one with the bandana, who had already tied it about his neck once again. "And Sweepy Belle?" He asked the timid unicorn that had transported the three colts there and was sitting a little ways off so to not be scolded. Blitz unexpectedly hugged Scooteroll and tossed his mane when he put him down, affecting a bashful redness to cross the colt's cheeks. He did the same with the other two and smiled, "By George, everypony will be so happy to see you three!"

"You're not mad, Rainbow?" The three of them chorused.

"Not at all, I'm actually glad you kids followed."

"Wait!? Who are they?" Scootaloo barked, stalking half way to Blitz before Scooteroll turned about and their snouts met. "Uh....I mean.....hi?" She sat down, right there, blushing profusely as she looked up at Scooteroll.

"H-hi, miss," Scooteroll was also bemused and blushing at the site of the filly.

Blitz laughed hard, sending him on his back with his wing outstretched, once more. "Oh, bloody Hell!" He widened his eyes and quickly got up, coughing to regain his "regular" accent once more. "I mean, 'Damn, you guys and gals sure need to get acquainted.'" He quickly used his wings to shove Sweepy Belle and Apple Buck to either side of Scooteroll and with a nod to Spike the little dragon gently pushed Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to meet their counterparts. "Well, that's that. Hey, Spike, what do you say we go hitch ourselves some punch?" Blitz walked around the embarrassed bunch, to Spike, and signaled for him to get on when another explosion sent another purple dragon right into Spike.

"Oops, our bad Barbara!" Sweepy Belle exclaimed, not taking his eyes off of Sweetie Belle for more than a few seconds.

The two dragons rolled into a tree, Spike, when they stopped, ended up holding this new dragon on his lap. "Uh...hi?" Spike stuttered, his cheeks getting a darker purple than usual.

Barbara looked around, "What the--" then looked at the three colts, who had now to converse with the fillies. "You three colts are in some big trouble when Elusive hears--"

Blitz shook his head, "For Solaris' sake, Barbara...let them be, we're here too."

Barbara looked at Spike, then at Blitz, then soon sped over to the stallion; however, not before giving Spike a kiss, on the cheek, and a whispered, "Thank you."

Blitz laughed at the bemused look on Spike's face, then looked down at Barbara, "Everypony's inside, you should take your friend in too, so he could show you around." He smiled to her and motioned to Sugar Cube Corner and then to Spike.

Barbara looked stern up a Blitz, "Really?"

"Yes. Yes. Come on. No hurt in making friends, right?."

Barbara nodded her head in agreement and slowly turned to Spike when, from among the laughter and chatter of the three fillies and three colts there was a loud cheer.

"We're The Cutie Mark Knights!" The kids broke into laughter and started teasing one another.

Blitz smiled and called, "Seems all the guests came to the party, so come on, fellas and fillies."

Blitz looked back at his covered and invisible TARDIS one last time before he ushered all the colts, fillies, and the two dragons in. There was a big cheer from Pinkie and Bubbles, for "the more the merrier," and hugs from each of the older brothers to their younger siblings. And at the end of the night, when everypony went home, Blitz sat on the side of the bed, next to Rainbow Dash, and wrote in his journal his ninth entry about their visit to the mares' home world.

A Friendly Questionnaire

“Dear Journal,

It has been three weeks since we all landed here and gotten to know our mare-selves and being the gentlecolts that we are, (me more than the others for I have to keep up with Solaris and Artemis all day), we, I believe, have done the same thing every morning: wake up without disturbing anypony, going to make breakfast and surprising the mares with how delicious our cooking is (thank you, Bubble Berry! I bet he isn’t having any trouble with Pinkie…#lol, as humans would put it). And so, I now understand why we are so attracted to our mare counterparts, not just because they are perfect images of ourselves (mirror images, are we that self centred?) but because it be as if light matter and dark matter, polar equations of higher potential that normally exist in different worlds be in the same place for a split second. It would equate to the cliche that “opposites attract,” and as Tesla proved (to no small contribution from yours truly) it only takes a spark to ignite and keep the coil hot--in this case a sort of love attraction to our opposite-gender counterparts…By George, Steve, you’re a genius in a box for asking me to keep us here.”

“What?! I thought you said your ‘Tar-dice’ was broken and that we couldn’t leave?!” Dusk Shine scolded as he slammed the journal onto his desk.

“Are you kidding me? You think a highly advanced machine, such as my ‘TAR-DIS’ would stay broken this long? I dare say, you have a lot to study, my friend.” Rainbow Blitz, being a little pompous, yet gentle in tone, sat back in his chair and crossed his forelegs across his chest. Dusk and Twilight had been circling that chair, in the middle of their foyer, like sharks waiting for a drop of blood to appear in Blitz’s vulnerability, but he’d been able to dodge all their assaults all morning.

Dusk stomped up to Blitz and put his snout to his, intimidatingly, “Don’t undermine me, ‘friend’, in front of all of us. It’s a bad decision.” He looked around and acknowledged the gathered friends, again, to intimidate Blitz.

Dash seemed to be the only one not asking questions, “Guys, why don’t we just leave him alone? Get back to our spa day and everything?”

“O-Or we could ask him nicely about his answers,” spoke Fluttershy, a little more louder than usual.

“Yeah, it ain’t like he’s going to fly off without us. I mean, look at him and Rainbow Dash, they seem like a strong pair.” AJ smiled, holding back a chuckle as he looked from Dash’s blushing face to Blitz’s astonished look.

AppleJack elbowed him in the ribs to keep him quiet.

“Now, hold it right there, Work Horse. You have no business bringing that up--” Blitz started.

“Actually, Darling, I believe he does in this matter,” Elusive, letting go of Rarity’s hoof, for the first time all morning, stepped forward. “Look, I dare say that you two are right about Blitz not telling us the truth. However, I believe that his speech falters to my accented way too many times to count, when talking on the matter.” He looked at Blitz, offering a convivial smile.

“Your point?” asked Twilight.

“My point, my lady, is that I don’t think ‘this’ Blitz knows anything about the reasons or causes as to why we are here.”

“Now, how can you tell that?” Butterscotch asked, stepping forward to be his friend’s advocate.

Dusk thought out loud, “Yeah, your right, Elusive. We never heard of his ‘TARDIS’”--he shot a glance Blitz’s way--“until that day when he ate the Poison Joke.”

“Wait, what are you talking about, Duskie?” Twilight blushed as the last word came out of her mouth.

“Well, we won’t know till we let him go.” Dusk turned towards Twilight with an idea in his head.

There was a chorus of questioning about the idea, but through the chaos, Blitz caught Dash’s gaze. They smiled to one another for a little while until he gave her a wink, just as Dusk turned back to him.

“Though he hasn’t really told us anything, nothing of these ‘hoomans’ nor of this concept of Tesla or light matter, I believe that we should let him go...and force him into the Poison Joke grove within the Ever Free Forest.” He nodded to his idea as almost everypony gave similar nods.

Blitz spread out his wings and put his hooves in the air to motion for silence, “Alright, alright. If you truly want to meet my less attractive side, so be it. I have nothing to ‘hide’ anymore.” He looked up at Dusk, then slowly rolled of the chair, onto his hooves, folding in his wings. “Dashie, Sweetheart, care to bring me my saddle bags?” he gave her a grin.

Dash’s ear tips slowly became pink at the utterance of her name, in that fashion, though she had gotten used to Pinkie calling her that in public, she thought it embarrassing and dare say it sweet, for a stallion to call her that. She weaved through her friends and found their saddle bags, clustered in a corner, and retrieved Blitz’s. Then she trotted back to Blitz, with a sense of pride, and put them on his back. “Good?” she asked him.

Being the romantic Blitz was, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered to her, “Better than ever.”

Dash blushed profusely and smiled all the way back to her spot between AppleJack and Fluttershy, who both in turn started talking to her with little giggles here and there.

Blitz turned to Dusk, “Alright, since I have a sample of Poison Joke,”--he retrieved a small vial of blue liquid from his bag, and continued with it in his mouth--"then I will force my other to appear. Just...hold me down this time." He gulped, staring about the group of friends, and stopping his gaze on Dash. “What’s the worst that could happen?” He sat down, uncorked the vial with his forehooves and drank it all down. He then looked up at Dash, then at Twilight, “If I get out of hoof there’s an antidote in my saddle--,” he keeled over before he could utter another word.

“Uh…..what behind the bloody gates of Hell hit me!?” Blitz opened his eyes, tossing his black mane out of his face and struggling against the ropes he was bound to the chair with. “Untie me, you Dalek--” he looked around the room. “Oh, ponies...friends?” He spake as if he only had just woken from a dream, not recognizing anypony and then looked straight at Dusk.

“Sorry, Blitz, but the ropes are for all of our protection,” Dusk answered.

“Oh...right--Wait, now I remember who you all are! So why in bloody hay are you interrogating me?!” he struggled more, flicking his black tail and wings about.

Twilight stepped forward, “Please, control yourself Rain--”

Blitz stopped struggling and barked at her, “If you address me as “Rainbow” at all, you are mistaken. The name’s Haiex Romanov.” He put his nose in the air, snobbishly.

Dusk intervened, “Hi-what? Look, we just want answers.”

“'Hi-ex'...got it, scientist?” He looked at him, then around the room till his eyes met Rainbow Dash’s. “Well, if it isn’t a cute mare when I see one," he gave her a smile that bared his four k-9 teeth.

Rainbow Dash was taken aback a little. “Really, Blitz? You honestly don’t know me?

“Well…no. I just remember the guys in this room, not the pretty mares at their sides.” He gave another pompous grin.

“Alright, enough. Why have you brought your...TARDIS here?” Twilight asked, politely, coming around to Blitz’s front. She noticed his cutie mark and was taken aback, and a little bit intrigued. “So, you’re not Rainbow Blitz, are you?” She stared him down.

Blitz, or the black stallion that called himself “Haiex,” stared back at her, with an unblinking glare, until he broke into a smile. “Final, someone who gets it. I am the bi-product of The Professor’s attempt at making Blitzkrieg into her image.

“What, who’s this Blitzkrieg?” AJ interrupted.

“Surly you’d recognize your best friend’s name, Work Horse," he smirked at AJ.

“So then, who’s ‘The Professor?’” asked Butterscotch.

“Well, that’s really hard to say...a-pony-Gallifreyan that gave me the TARDIS. She was sweet, trying to make Blitzkrieg into a Gallifreyan too...but the procedure was too much for him, so his psyche split between him and me.” There was a pause, then Haiex murmured, "Or was I that was being turned into him and things got out of whack...?"

“And the only way to bring you out is the consumption of poison joke, am I right?”

“Why, yes. What, you think it was a coincidence that Blitz ‘happened’ to eat some before meeting you in the clearing?” He looked at Dusk with an unwavering smile. “I’m always half in control of the body. A sort of subconscious, if you will.”

“That still doesn’t answer the lady’s question on why you brought us here or why any of this.” Elusive gestured at the group of friends.

“Well, Elusive...all I can tell you is that war is upon us and that we need all the help we can get. Twelve elements are better that six, I might say.” He instinctively wiped his mane out of his face again, and continued, “Oh, and as for your instantaneous romance with your other, I’d have to say that Blitz was right when he characterized it as light and dark matter. Now, if you’ll excuse me…I must be leaving.” Haiex quickly used his nose to press on his watch twice and his form, as if it were a hologram, quickly shifted into a very scruffy looking dog. He then started chomping into the ropes with is teeth, swiftly cutting through the top one.

“What the?!” Dusk stepped back, protectively getting in front of Twilight. The other colts did the same for their mares, but Dash was left to be by AppleJack’s side, her colt no where in the room.

The wolf looked up, “Seems I bid you a due.” He barked something in some tongue that none of the gathered friends could understand, and the ropes just fell to the floor around him. The wolf quickly jumped off the seat, leaving behind the saddle bags on the chair, and jumped out of the window.

“What just happened?” AJ asked.

“Dang it, I had the antidote right here too.” Twilight quickly went to her desk where she had put the antidote vial when Blitz was out.

“Well, looks like our friend made off with it...but not the notebook?” Elusive pointed out, seeing that the notebook the vial had been sitting next to was untouched.

“I’ve had enough of this. I’m out.” Dash flew over to get her own saddle bags and then to pick up Blitz’s.

“Rainbow, wait.” AppleJack called.

“I’m okay, seriously. I’m just gonna...go home and relax.” With a worried look on her face she dashed out the door and down towards the spa.

“Maybe we should all go home and relax,” Twilight said, heavyhearted as the lot of them stared at the empty chair.

“Oh yeah...this feels so good,” Rainbow Dash sighed, relaxing in one of the spa’s hot tubes. Trying to mimic Rarity’s voice, Rainbow Dash proclaimed, “Now, all I need is a hooficure and i’m out.” She laughed herself silly as she slowly relaxed into the bubbling water. Then, from a distance, she heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, come on. Be careful. That’s a fresh wound.”

Rainbow Dash, being the curious type, got herself out of the tube, dawned a towel, and trotted around the divider about her tube to see a familiar colt in the next. “Blitz?!” she rushed over to get a closer look at the colt, spying some gashes about his mouth.

“Dashie? Dang...what happened to you?” he looked up at the mare, seeing her mane wet and matted to her neck was a first, but she looked good.

“I should be asking the same question,” she thanked the sister’s that were treating Blitz’s wounds and they soon left. After they were gone, she quickly took off her towel and got into the tube, right next to Blitz. “Where did you go and what the hay was that all about?” She stared at him.

Blitz gave an unsure, yet innocent, gaze back. “I honestly have no clue what you’re talking about. How did we even--”

“And your accent, it’s normal now.” She smacked him across the cheek with her hoof.

“Ouch! Seriously, I have no clue. I just know I woke up here, in this tube.” He rubbed his cheek, wincing at the pain and lowering his ears. “Look, all I know is that I must have cracked a bottle or something, in my mouth for I have these glass cuts all over my face.” He kept rubbing his cheek.

“Oh, really? Then explain the freaky thing about changing into a dog?”

Dash was mad and Blitz knew it. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hide everything but he certainly didn’t want something as crucial as secrets to ruin his relationship with her. “Look, take it easy--”

“Easy?!” With that she raised her wings in anger and started to get out of the tube.

Blitz stopped her and took her by the hoof. He stared her straight in the eyes as she sat back down next to him. “Look, no secrets between us, got it? So I’ll tell you, this watch,” he pointed to the watch on his right wrist, “is a magic gauntlet that allows me to change into whatever animal I want: human, wolf, dragon.”

“Wait, that was a wolf back there? And a dragon?” Her eyes got wide with interest and her wings stood on end with anticipation and once she realized she was also staring back at Blitz she blushed too.

“Hey, it’s hard to explain. So I assume you’ve met ‘Haiex’ which is my counterpart. He’s the TimeLord, more than I, and the one with the TimeLord brain. But he’s not as nice.”

“I could tell, he totally told off AJ and Twilight.”

“Really? Then he must’ve been mad.”

“Well...we did tie you up to the chair…” she smiled to him.

“Oh, that would make sense--”

“So he won’t come back?” Dash asked, putting her free hoof on top of Blitz’s.

Blitz smiled, “Of course not, Dashie. I won’t let him, as long as I am the Element of Loyalty, to you, I’m good.” He gave her a fangless smile.
“Good.” She hugged him, leaning into him.

Blitz, astonished by the gesture, blushed and put his forelegs around her. Wide eyed, he gently stroked her back.

“Now, don’t mind us bargin’ in, but this tube is already hot.” Apple Jack made a splash as she jumped into the tub, followed by AJ and the others.

Blitz and Dash just sat there, look at the lot of them and blushed; however, Dash sat up, next to Blitz, as to look strong around her friends and Blitz knew exactly what she was doing, so he put his foreleg around her shoulders and the conversation started with Blitz saying, “Okay, I’ll tell you everything.”

"Even about the dog thing?” AJ asked.

“Yes, even about that. You know, there’s a lot of references to me in history being another animal...just look at the Sphinx. That day my watch was on the fritz so bad.”

“The what?” Dusk asked and the day continued like any normal day in Ponyville, if there were such thing as that.

“Hey, Twilight?" Spike knocked on Twilight's open door as he poked his head into her room.

“Yeah, Spike?” Twilight looked up from the book she was reading as she laid the length of her bed.

“Uh, me and Barbara were out when I got this.” He handed her a scroll.

Twilight took it, teasingly asking, “Oh, you and Barbara?”

“Come on, Twilight, just read it.”

“Alright. Alrigh--” she undid the scroll and read the first line. “Emergency? Luna and I need to see you and you friends right away?” Twilight galloped down the stairs to the foyer, then she turned to the stairs leading to the basement, “Duskie?”

The Royal Treatment

The train finally stopped at Canterlot’s station, allowing Twilight and Dusk and their friends to depart the train.

“So, let me git this straight, the princesses want to see all of us?” Apple Jack asked, handing her luggage to AJ, who took it and started carrying it, along with his things.

“Well, no, not exactly. See, the princesses asked ‘us’” --she pointed at the mares in the group-- “to come, saying there had been a change with the elements.”

“Wait, did you say ‘elements?’” Rainbow Blitz questioned, hoisting Dash’s luggage along with his own.

“As in the ‘Elements of Harmony?’ Like what Blitz specified durin’ his...change?” AJ added.

“Exactly that. Seems this world has the same elements as ours. I believe it is a good idea I gave the journal back so--” Dusk started.

“So I can what, Dusk? Write down what is in our future?” Blitz stomped his hoof on the deck of the station’s platform, kicking up unusual sparks and dust.

“Exactly that,” Dusk retorted, gathering Twilight’s bag and his own and starting down the lane.

The rest of the friends followed suit, with Blitz mumbling behind and Dash trying to keep him cool. It wasn’t long before ponies started looking at them with curious expressions.

“I-I don’t like t-the way they’re looking a-at us,” Butterscotch whispered, putting his wing over Fluttershy, protectively, as he balanced his and her saddle bags.

“Yeah, it’s like something set this place off balance.” Dusk looked up at the sky and saw it a little gloomier than usual, but only the sky above Canterlot seemed to have such essence for it were clear and bright everywhere else.

The colts hurried the mares, kindly, as to not attract more attention and they quickly made their way to the castle. Six of the guards escorted them in the door, taking their bags to the mares’ appropriate rooms and left the group's side before they entered the throne room.

Celestia and Luna looked up from their seats as the friends entered.

“Ah, Twiligh--” Celestia began, but her train of thought was cut short when she saw a similar looking colt at her side.

Luna noticed the other colts as well, “What is this? A joke of some sort? Magic--”

“Calm yourself, Sister. I believe Twilight will care to explain.” Celestia nodded her head to Twilight, who in turn stepped forward.

Twilight bowed, then stood. “Princess Luna. Princess Celestia. I believe this disturbance that you have seen with the elements are the effect of…” She looked to Dusk, who nodded for her to continue. She nodded back then turned back to the Princesses, “these parallel universe doppelgangers arriving in our world.”

“Really? Then my I ask, who is that at your side?” Celestia motioned for the colt to step forward.

Dusk walked to Twilight’s side, bowing to the Princesses, then taking his stance. “I am, your majesties, Dusk Shine. I, along with my friends, come from a kingdom ruled by Prince Solaris and Prince Artemis."

"'Princes?'" Celestia asked in her kindly fashion.

"This must be a ruse, sister," Luna objected. "There can't honestly be a....how did Twilight put it?"

Blitz stepped foreword, using his British accent, "'Parallel Universe' is what I believe you are seeking."

Celestia and Luna perked their ears as if they had heard a ghost. "Please, come forth," Luna waved to Blitz.

Blitz was soon overtaken by an overwhelming feeling to hide, but he soon shook the feeling away and made his way to the Twilight's opposite side and bowed to the princesses. "My lieges," he said in his unfaltering accent.

"Now, I know I've heard that voice somewhere before," said Celestia as she scrutinized Blitzkrieg.

"Yes, me as well, Sister. State your name, newcomer." Luna eagerly asked, thinking of a past memory.

"Well," Blitz said as he stood tall, "I believe my Professor called me Rainbow Haiex Romanov Blitzkrieg, my liege."

"So, 'tis him," Celestia reflected.

"Here? Again?" Luna stood up and flew to Blitz's front, landing to face him. "Why are you here? You've only brought us dark omens the last times you've visited, Doctor." She angrily, but gently, put her snout to his, towering over him with her magic at the ready.

"Who's 'The Doctor?'" the friends murmured.

Blitz eyed her, back. "I honestly believe that I have no recollection of what you speak of," he gave her a teasing smirk.

"Stop this act--"

"Princess Luna, stop. He's only here to help." Twilight tried to step close.

"Yeah, he's really here to help. Okay?" Rainbow Dash said, her voice trailing off as she realized she was talking a little loud.

Blitz waved his wing to show it was okay, not taking his eyes off of Luna's. "I don't believe you're just starring at me for intimidation. Are you, Luna?" He cracked a smile and stepped back, standing tall and giving her and Celestia a warm smile.

Luna gulped, putting her wings down and quickly changing her demeanor while quickly taking her seat next to Celestia.

"Are you blushing, Sister?" Celestia whispered to Luna.

"What? No I'm not...I just though of somepony else," she whispered back.

"That wouldn't happen to be a black alicorn with a dark hourglass, on his flank, now would it?" Blitz's smile widened.

Twilight turned to Dusk, "Did he just hear them?"

"We're closer and I didn't even hear them," Dusk answered Twilight.

Celestia and Luna froze, turning to Blitz with surprised looks.

Rarity trotted forth, giving a quick bow, "Now, our Princesses, whatever do you three quarrel about."

Celestia cleared her throat, "Nothing, Ms. Rarity. Nothing at all. We are just catching up on an old conversation."

The rest of the colts introduced themselves to the Princesses and the subject soon changed when Flash Sentry brought out the case containing the Elements of Harmony, with the help of some other guards.

"What!? How can there be two of each now!?" Twilight rushed over to the case and started examining the newly appeared Elements that sat underneath the originals.

Dusk slowly came to Twilight's side, "Is it probably because we're here?" He smile.

"Yes, ofcoursethat'swhytheyarethere." Blitz covered his mouth, shocked as if he hadn't meant to say those words.

Elusive turned to him, "You knew this would happen?"

"Well, uh..." Blitz mumbled under Elusive's stare.

AJ soon stepped in, "And our little brothers? What about them, Sugarcube?" He gritted his teeth.

"A minor byproduct of showing Sweepy Belle a summoning spell," Blitz said, coolly, then grabbed at his throat like he was sure he didn't say those words.

Apple Jack pushed herself between the two stallions as AJ started advancing on Blitz, "Now, wait a hoof stomping minute. Isn't this all a good thing?"

"Perhaps for us, here, but without the elements back in our world the Princes are defenseless." Dusk gulped.

"At least you can still keep an eye on Apple Buck, right AJ?" The last two words, from Apple Jack, rang with sternness as she looked at AJ.

AJ snorted and walked to the case of elements, mumbling as smoke seemed to come from his ears.

Apple Jack followed him trying to calm him.

"So, this was the emergency?" Twilight looked up to Celestia for her answer.

"Yes, indeed so...and I don't need to remind you, Twilight, about the danger this posses." She gave her usual smile.

Dusk turned to Twilight, "Well, Twily, it seems it was a good idea to leave Spike and Barbara in charge of the animals and the Cutie Mark Knights back home."

"Yup, your right, Duskie. If we're going to wait and see what danger this proves to be, then it might take a while."

The Master...Of Romance?

“...Well, it has been a week since my friends and I have set hoof into this castle. Reminds me of Solaris and Artemis’, for homesick I and Dusk are. None the less, it be inconsiderate to hold on to such sickness when there are mares around that actually want us around. Still, ‘tis no remedy for such feelings...”

Blitz, after an hour of writing, finally put down the quill and book on the night stand. He then sat there, on the edge of the bed, pondering a strange drumming that had been in his head all afternoon: distance drumbeats that seemed all too familiar.

Dash rolled over to look at Blitz's back, "You finally done, so we can get some sleep?"

"Sorry, Professor--" Blitz choked on the realization of the slip of his tongue, then quickly tucked himself in bed, his back to her.

"What?" Dash elevated herself on one elbow, glaring down at Blitz as her temper rose. "This is the second time you've mentioned her. Who's this 'Professor?'"

"Bluntly..." Blitz paused, gritting his teeth in anticipation of a wallop. "She was my Doctor, before theMasterkilledher..." Blitz await an evanescent hoof to the back and just laid there, internally mourning.

Dash, about to take her hoof and brand Blitz's back with it, slowly unclenched her teeth. "Really..." She sort of felt sorrow and anger towards her bed-mate and soon gave in to her urge to just give him a hug, as she saw a tear run down his cheek.

<\Steve...rebooting.....execute memory bank code: 0-0-9-6/> Sorry to intrude, but to request of Haiex I have deleted this section of his recollection of the story to bring what truly happened to our beloved Professor Whooves and Doctor Whooves, from the beginning. Since Doctor Whooves' Tardis managed to latch a camera onto "their" Master, I'll be able to recollect his story to YOU:

It all started with a fate churning explosion.

"Haha! Finally, back in control of the Tardis," exclaimed a bat-winged alicorn as he made his rounds about the Tardis' control panel and a tied up Doctor Whooves, that sat on his bench.

"Mm-mmm-mmmhm-hm-hm," The Doctor gargled through the bit in his mouth. He thrashed this way and that, making his blue tie and tail flop about.

"Oh, now Doctor..." With a confused tone and expression upon his face, he positioned himself between the control panel and the Doctor, "What the hay did you just say?" With a stomp of his hoof and a twinkle of his horn, his magic dematerialized the bit and harness from the Doctor's face.

Taking a gasp of ample air, "I...said that 'if Derpy was here she'd probably take you out, but I'll do it myself!'" The Doctor pushed himself with his free hind legs, launching himself into the Master and pinning him against the console as he tried his sonic screwdriver on his shackles.

With a roar of anguish and a blast of strength, the Master pushed the Doctor off him and towards the door.

“Alright, Cozech, I’ll tax you with the burden of leaving my ship,” the Doctor exclaimed, freeing himself and getting to his hooves.

The Tardis jerked as it jumped dimension with an explosion, due to the Master’s cruel rewiring. As the two Gallifreyans struggled to gain their balance the Doctor’s Tardis latched a small camera to the Master’s red hair as he landed on the ground.

The Master got to his feet, “No one calls me that!” He rushed the Doctor, who sneakily opened the Tardis’ door and stepped aside, barely missing being skewered on the Master’s horn.

“And ‘Geronimo’, for you,” he exclaimed, triumphantly, before giving the Master the extra shove out the door.

“Ahhh!” The Master yelped before landing, on his back, in the middle of a dusty lane. As he came to his senses he watched as the Tardis ascended, above the water-fountain of Ponyville’s Centre Square, and hang there as a similar Tardis lost it’s cloaking, underneath it. “What the-” the Master spoke, just before a fate churning explosion erupted from Doctor Whooves’ Tardis, then a quick implosion cleaned up the mess, as if some black hole had foregone its existence.“He’s finally dead?...He’s finally dead!” The Master started chuckling to himself, reassuring himself it wasn’t a dream by taking some of the dust, on his hoof, and examining it, joyfully. His attention was then caught by a distant row that was taking place near the fountain.

“In! Now, Blitz!” yelled a brownish pony (with an hourglass for a cutie mark), to a rainbow-maned pony, as she opened the door to the stationary Tardis, by the fountain’s base.

The cyan coated, rainbow-maned, pony quickly dashed inside before the door was slammed shut.

“Now your mine!” screamed an alicorn who looked like a very defined, curved, duplicate of the Master himself. She ran into the scene, pointing her laser sonic screwdriver at the brownish pony, with her magic. “Got you now, Professor!” She fired, missing the pony by a hair, and having the beam of energy absorbed by the Tardis behind her.

“Really, Elizabeth? Your aim needs work.” The Professor scampered to safety, her red tie and black-redish coat moving side to side in her rush.

“I will not be made a mockery when I have the advantage! Cornering you and your companion in this ‘safe haven-world’ of yours will be my victory!” She became livid, but not out of control, taking careful aim at the Professor as the Professor ran pass Cozech.

Elizabeth, the female Master, saw her look alike and stopped pursuing her target and lowered her sonic screwdriver back into her waistcoat pocket as both the Tardis behind her and the Professor vanished.

Cozech had clenched his eyes, wondering if he were dead or just aging faster than he could calculate. When he cracked open one of his eyes and removed his covering ear, he found the brunet mare standing over him. “Why, hello?” he asked, coolly, giving her a small smile. “Yes, hello. What are you doing here?” She asked, irritated, as she looked him over.

“I believe the same reason as you: hunting the Doctor.” He stood, brushing himself off the best he could, but to his surprise he needn't work much for Elizabeth quickly interjected with a helpful swish of her tail that crossed both his muzzle and cleaned his coat. He stammered, but composed himself quite readily, “Thank you.”

“Of course. So, may I deduce your Doctor’s Tardis to be the one that perished?” She asked, swaggering past him and proceeding down the lane.

“Yes, I believe so.” Cozech quickly followed the pretty mare, at her side, but was baffled that she moved so freely about the town. “Are you not wanted, here?”

Elizabeth interjected with her own question, “Are you not feared in your own place?” She growled at a passing pony who quickly scurried off.

Cozech admired her boldness and her looks as he followed her.

She led him about Ponyville as she searched for that brown pony with the hourglass upon her flank. “When I see you, again, Professor...I won’t miss,” she mumbled to herself.

“You must really despise her--”

"Don’t you your Professor?” She turned on him, glaring into his eyes with a raging fury that soon turned to a soft glow and a smile. She immediately turned away, flustered by the new thought and trotted to the edge of the Everfree forest.

Cozech stammered, but kept up with her as he smiled a bit due to the receding warmth he felt on his nose, where Elizabeth’s nose had accidentally made contact. The smile soon faded with the warmth that had been kindled as he followed Elizabeth to a pristine castle of dark aura. “Did you build this?” The Master questioned as they perused the entrance hall.

“No, this used to be Equestia’s Princes’ former castle. I’ve kept it in good shape.”

“It looks like it was just built yesterday.”

“A lady does what she can, especially when the undergrowth is unrelenting.” She led him to the laboratory and astronomy wing, the sparks and fumes of her latest endeavours still parading the air under the majestic, clear (yet at the moment foggy), glass domed ceiling. Elizabeth couldn’t help but have her breath taken away every time she stepped into the larger than life room, complete with telescopes, work tables, elixirs, and the assortment of books and laboratory coats.

“Magnificent.” Cozech was starring about when his leader stopped unexpectedly and his next step led him into her backside. They both blushed, Cozech stepping back, quickly, while Elizabeth strutted over to her work bench, trying not to let her quick emotion show through her calculative gaze.

"I do believe we have an attraction…” she coughed, pouring a flask of green liquid into a larger glass cylinder, which continued her previous experiment with a hiss of smoke.

“W-What do you mean, we’ve just--” a flustered and amazed Cozech, stammered.

“Met? Yes, but dimensional proximity disturbances would attract us to each other--”

“As if light and dark matter in the same room.” Elizabeth and Cozech looked at one another as they realized their similar sentence. Elizabeth soon broke the eye contact and resumed her work.

Cozech, finding a moment, gradually scrutinized the mare’s lab as he made his way to her side.

She looked at him and upon realizing his proximity her calculative expression and manner slowly melted into a soft rosy colour in her cheeks. “W-Why, yes.” She swished her tail, this way and that, and tried to go back to mixing her elixir.

“Well, it seems obvious now.” Cozech smirked, getting up on his hind legs and leaning his elbow on the table in a suave fashion.

“Clearly, your side of the attraction,” she stuttered, trying not to let her two beating hearts get the best of her, “is more toxic then mine.” She slowly looked at him, shaking her mane onto her face to mask the warm colours of her cheeks.

“Oh, really?” Cozech elongated his syllables to try and mock Elizabeth.

“Yes, really.” She stomped her hoof, lightly. “Besides, I bet we have nothing in common.” She dodged his eyes and trotted to the telescope in the middle of the room, knowing her elixir would need to cool and wanting to put some space between her guest and herself. She could feel him standing next to her, soon after, and decided to look through the towering telescope to avoid looking at him.

“I highly doubt I’m the only atom being pulled so strongly.” Cozech looked the length of the telescope, all the way to the break in the dome roof. “Besides, I bet any stallion you’ve met has told you the same thing.”

“And what’s that?” She asked her question, a little annoyed of Cozech’s small talk.

“Well, that ‘you’ve probably looked up at those stars so much, your eyes have started to resemble the brightest ones.’” He gave a smile Elizabeth’s way, but the smile was more to reassure himself then it was for her; his hearts were fighting there way up his throat, by now.

Elizabeth flicked an ear, then looked up at him, blushing. “I-I’ve never heard that before.”

“Well then, seems we do have something in common.” He stepped to Elizabeth’s side, draping his wing over her in a loving fashion.

“O-Oh? What’s that?” Her ears were now pinned back and red as her cheeks.

“The stars. Watching them-wanting them,” Cozech distantly explained to her, giving her a smile when he met her eyes.

She held his gaze, “True.” She lost her thoughts of the Professor and of all of time, Done that instant, and focused on Cozech. She had never felt more known or accepted. Before she knew it- before they knew it -they had been kissing for a good while.

Cozech smiled as Elizabeth slowly moved her lips away from his, a rosy colour on both his cheeks still. “Well, guess you were right.”

“About?” Elizabeth’s voice cracked with excitement. She kept looking at him as she heard her experiment fizzing, but she didn’t want to move from under his wing.

“You know, this attraction we have.” He gave her a smile as she blushed in turn, with a devilish smirk on her face.

<\Steve...rebooting.....execute memory bank code: 0-0-9-7/> This is why the Master is after Haiex…An exert from Blitz’s journal.

"There was a crash and a boom. ‘Do you surrender, Missy?’ I scoffed through gritted teeth, with sword in hand whose tip just balanced on Elizabeth’s jugular .

'You watch,’ she panted out, blood running from her wounds, ‘I’ll put an end to you and the Professor, soon. If not me, then--’

‘Who? Your husband?’ I smirked as her pupils dilated with fear. ‘If he can’t save you know, how the hell is he supposed to take us on.’ I stared into her large, watery eyes, as my fingers gripped the sword tighter and the cuts on me I could feel bleeding. ‘You shouldn't have laid a hand on the Professor, Missy!’

‘Blitz! Don’t!’ But the Professor was to late, for as she approached Elizabeth was too far gone. Though Elizabeth had given her a painful bruise and a bleeding cut, she still knelt beside the body and whimpered. Her friend was gone with a whimper as I pulled the sword from her chest. ‘No, Elizabeth...Elizabeth! Regenerate, please!’ Her voice shook with emotion as she saw Missy’s body go limp, no sign of regeneration about her.

I slowly cleaned my blade, a little taken aback by the Professor’s crying, but stoic at the least. ‘She had no more regenerations in her, Professor. You know that.’ I had said with calm collectivity as the Professor looked up at me.

‘I-I know...but you didn’t--’

‘It was either her or you. I didn’t want it to be the latter option.’ I sheathed my rapier and knelt at her side, trying to encircle her shoulders with my arm but she shrugged me off as she clenched Elizabeth’s body close to hers. I knew in my heart I was sorry, but I was also glad she was gone; No more problems from her, which meant less worry about the Professor. But then, just as I though the trees about us with their dense, damp, dark leaves would have muffled the battle’s noises from the outside world, I heard a distinct cry of rage. It was far off in the distance, but I knew it was the Master; I knew he was out for blood and knew we had to get out of there before he got close. It was too late, though. He had maybe flown, or wrenched his way to the clearing we were in and was stand there with anger in his pupils. He knew now I was the one who had delivered the final blow…

The Professor told me to write this all down to remember the time my anger had boiled over, to remember not to let it get that far, and to remember Missy…”

“So, wait, let me get this straight...you’re saying that your Professor killed the Master’s wife?” Dash was sitting up on the bed, facing Blitz who was sitting opposite of her.

“Eeyup,” Blitz said, mimicking Big Mac’s saying to the letter.

“And that you really aren’t my double?” She looked him straight in the eye, with conviction.

“Eeyup. See, I had to infiltrate this world some way or other and I saw that the original Rainbow Blitz was in dangerous trouble. Considering that I was born an alicorn I could be susceptible to magical appearance manipulation; me and the Professor explored the possibility and we made it happen. I look exactly like him, in equine form.”

“And as a hoo-man?” Dash struggled with the word and the entirety of the story she just heard.

“As a ‘hu-man’,” Blitz articulated the word for her, “I look much different--maybe--from him.”

“Maybe?”

“It’s hard to say considering we couldn’t get him to comply with us that far.”

“So, he was the one that the Professor yelled to get into the TARDIS?”

“And hence, she gained his trust and we were able to transform me into him.”

Dash reclined on the headboard, relieved that he wasn’t her doppelganger, but also a little disappointed in not finding the true one. She loved this Blitz, though, anypony could tell. “So, what do you actually look like?” She looked at him, smirking. “Probably not as cool as me, huh?”

“Definitely not, Beautiful.” He smiled.

She rolled her eyes as she took the compliment with a smile herself.

“I’m actually that jet black stallion, with a black-ish brown mane.” He had to ponder what he had looked like when he had seen himself in the camera lens, after eating that Poison Joke.

“So, this ‘rainbow’ look…” she pondered.

“Yes?”

“So what’s your real name?” She leaned forward.

“Well, it’s supposed to be Haiex Pond, but after a few missions with the Professor I decided to call myself Lake Song after she alluded to someone else’s name...which I can’t remember.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t The Master’s name? You know, the one she killed?” Dash leaned forward to Blitz.

He leaned closer to her as well, meeting her nose with his, “I doubt it...but then again, I have another name that I took on when the Professor died. It used to be hers. Hence I call myself the Doctor, now.”

Two Become One

Rainbow Dash raised her ear off her eye and looked about the half darkened room. It was morning. The sunlight was pouring in through the skylight and glittering off the white walls of her bedroom. She didn’t understand why she woke up so early, it was her day off; her one day off from weather duty, at least that’s what Blitz had told her. As she came to her senses and the haze of sleep started lifting from her mind she realized that Blitz wasn’t with her. His spot on the bed, in front of her, was empty and she suddenly started panicking. She sat up, her wings on end and her heart pounding, “Dash, come on. Don’t worry...he’s probably downstairs with breakfast, or something.” She unconsciously put her hoof over her heart. “H-He’s just d-downstairs he’s n-not g-gone. He c-could’ve left before, b-but he d-didn’t.”

Blitz gently nudged the front door in as he quietly walked into Dash’s house, not a sound. He thought Dash was still asleep and he didn’t want to wake her with going up just yet, so he set down the ring box he’d been carrying, on the kitchen counter, and closed the door with his magic. “I hope she hasn’t woke up yet. It is rude to leave her unattended at rest,” he mumbled as he tried undoing the red sash about his waist. “I better put this to dry,” he said as he went to put the sash on the kitchen chair. “That rain storm was a pretty hard job to do. Good thing I can’t get that wet.” He chuckled as he compared his dry coat to the wet sash.
Dash heard a rustling from downstairs and sighed with relief. “He is downstairs,” she flopped herself back on the bed. She had gotten used to there being a canopy above her bed, when they had been staying at Princess Celestia’s castle, and she now had to squint as she looked up at the ceiling for the sun wasn’t her thing in the morning.

“Duskie?” Twilight called as she trotted down to the foyer. There was nopony in sight and it seemed that there was a note on Owlicious’ beak as she moved closer to her sleeping friend. “What?” She gently took it off the owl, with her magic, and read it. “After two weeks of being away from Canterlot, he, Spike, and Barbara are called back to investigate more into the elements?” she mumbled as she read. She let out a sigh next, “Well, at least they’ll be back tomorrow...” She took the note with her as she went upstairs to the balcony to try and spot Rainbow Dash for maybe a nice get-together later, but when she reached the open air she only found a gloomy sky. “That’s strange…”

“So, you did all my work for today, just so we could hang?” Rainbow Dash asked Blitz, a little pompous and prideful, as they ate lunch. She paid no attention to the dark clouds above, even if they were sitting just outside Ponyville’s finest café.

“Well, of course. Why else would I fly all over Equestria in one morning?” he gave her a wink.

She blushed hard, slipping down in her seat as she held her sandwich in front of her muzzle. “R-Right, sure you did,” She took a bite of her sandwich and pretended like her cheeks weren’t so rosy.

Blitz chuckled a tad, picking up his sandwich with his hooves, awkwardly, and taking a bite.

“You okay there? You seem to be having a little bit of trouble.” She grinned, sitting up in her seat again and snickering at Blitz’s effort.

“Yeah...just not used to eating with my hooves,” he gave her a sheepish smile and fumbled with his sandwich again, trying to flatten the sandwich between his hooves so as to get a better grip. No use, a bit of lettuce slipped out as he stuck out his tongue in concentration.

“Alright, easy there, ‘Hot Shot’,” Dash found her opportunity and started getting her pompous demeanor back. She gently pushed Blitz’s hoof down, so as to make him put down his sandwich.

“W-What? I was getting to eating that,” Blitz pinned his ears back, slightly, trying not to show how red his ear tips were getting. As he pushed his ears back, though, Blitz caught a glimpse of the gloomy sky. “That’s strange…”

“What’s strange?” Dash looked up to see the clouds had turn a deep black and soon a drop of rain fell on her muzzle. “What the--I thought you said only Cloudsdale was getting a shower?” she looked at him, surprised, and quickly wiped her nose.

“Yeah, that was what I did. Nothing more, but I bet we should take these sandwiches inside.” He gave her a grim look, reaching for the watch in his vest pocket.

“Uh..what’s up with your mane?” She pointed to him as his mane started to stand on end, like it was statically charged.

“I honestly--” As Blitz clicked open his watch a rush of future images ran through his head, like a movie, and he saw lightning striking their table in just a matter of seconds. He knew what to do, but it pained him to show it to Dash; he had to save her, right?

“Blitzie?” Dash started, but was cut off by Blitz lunging over the table. As he clutched her Dash felt a rush of warmth and a sudden rush of wind. She found herself with her eyes closed and clutching Blitz, tight, the next minute and as she opened her eyes she found them sitting behind the windowed door of the café and with Blitz’s forelegs and wings about her, protectively.

“It’s alright…” Blitz whispered to her as he nuzzled her ear, tiny sparks jumping from his coat, the “open” sign on the door swinging side-to-side.

“How did we get here?” She asked, keeping her voice steady and she looked about, a little angry as well as surprised; by the look on everypony’s faces, about the café, they must have made an entrance.

“Just a trick, Dash.” Blitz tried not to say “magic” for he thought Dash wouldn’t have understood.

Dash looked up at him, realising something else had happened as she saw him giving her that same, unsure, grin. She looked out the window to wear they had been sitting to find scorch marks on the ground and the table dark and smoldering on its surface. “What the hay happened?” she shoved him away and stood up. “What aren’t you telling me? Was that lightning that struck the table?” She started getting red in the face with anger.

Blitz, feeling guilty, started, “Well, care to take my entire story over a cup of coffee?”

Dash, still angry, but grateful he had done something to save her, agreed to hear him out.

Meanwhile, Twilight let Rarity and AppleJack into her home, as the storm took a turn for the worst. “Some storm, huh? The Pegasus ponies sure have outdone themselves this time. I hope you and Applejack don't have any trouble getting home.” She closed the door behind Rarity, trying not to slip in the puddles the two newcomers were making.
Rarity turned about, trying to wring out her hair as AppleJack tried the same. “It may indeed be a problem.”

AppleJack nodded in agreement.
Twilight looked at the two soaking friends and produced two towels for them, which they gladly took. “Well, you're welcome to stay if need be. Spike, Barbara, and Dusk are away in Canterlot on royal business. I'm home all alone tonight.” She gasped, “You and Applejack should totally sleep over! We'll have a slumber party! I've always wanted one of those.”

AppleJack and Rarity tried to refuse, giving excuses involving AJ and Elusive worrying about them, but Twilight eventually got them to stay.

“So, what? Now you’re telling me you’re really an alicorn?” Dash rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat, forelegs crossed over her chest.

“Yes. Exactly. Remember, I am not really Rainbow Blitz. I just took his name and face. I’m Haiex, that wolf you guys encountered, that’s the real me.” He sat up straighter, his rainbow bangs falling over part of his face, then quickly turned to the window of their kitchen as he saw a flash of lightning.

“So, you’re really a hard ass?” She chuckled, then got serious again.

“Yes...well, sort of. Now, if I were to change I’d be more calm.” He looked back at Dash and smiled.

“Alright. Anyway, you say that you can teleport?” Dash eyed him and his watch.

“Well, I did get us back home, didn’t I? And it was because of my Time Vortex Manipulator, not because of a teleportation spell, like at the café.”
“Right. Sure.” She squinted at him, then jumped at another flash of lightning.

“It isn’t supposed to be this bad, at least, it wasn’t this bad when I left it with that one mare...or was she a filly?” He looked out the window again.

“Wait, you’re telling me that you might’ve left this storm in the hooves of a filly?!” She got up on her hind legs and stomped her forehooves on the table. “Really?!”
Sheepishly, flattening his ears against his head, Blitz silently nodded to Dash who was gritting her teeth at him. However, another strike of blinding light sent Rainbow Dash jumping onto Blitz’s lap and Blitz’s own mane standing on end. "I gotta do something about this," Blitz thought as he gently helped Dash to her hooves and started for the door.
"Hey, hold up. If anypony's going it's going to be me. You’ve done enough damage." Dash quickly ran past Blitz, out the door, and into the downpour outside. In the darkened sky Dash could barely make out the blackened clouds through the heavy rain. Thunder crashed and ripped the sky around her as she flew higher, the rain pelting and drumming against her
"Dash!" Blitz ripped through the sky in his own lightning bolt; the fastest he had felt himself fly before.
Dash turned about to see her stallion flying towards her. She was about to stop hovering, but Blitz pushed her horizontally from him. “What the hay!” Dash spun around and around, away from him, then got her stability and was ready to start yelling at Blitz. Her jaw dropped instead.

Blitz teleported, just a few seconds after pushing Dash, maybe ten feet from where he was hovering. He saw Dash straighten out and then a massive bolt of lightning struck between them; however, in the eye-scorching light Blitz thought he saw a pair of glowing red eyes peering out at him. “The Master….?” Blitz’s hearts started to race, sounding like drums in his ears, “The drums are coming...I can hear them…” Blitz shot up, to Dash’s surprise and his own, in a rain sizzling streak of lightning (around a darkened rainbow that was elusive in the darkened sky). He dashed and zipped, this way and that, trying to avoid the oncoming strikes of lightning. “It’s like they’re being controlled,” he thought. “Maybe if I break the cloud line I can stop this…” He kept going, his lightning failing as the rain started to overcome him. It started to scorch his coat, his own electricity hurting him where the water hit; it was everywhere. He was so close to the clouds now.

“NO! Blitz!” Dash screamed.

“Tick tock goes the clock...” Blitz thought as he felt his body go limp, the shroud of darkness was pulling itself over his eyes as the lightning that hit him coursed outwards from his heart to his other limbs. “The rain. In my eyes. I didn’t see it. I was almost there. Directly in the left heart...my normal hear--” Even the voice in his head cut off as he succumbed the the pain...and fell.
“No...no, this can’t be happening.” Dash paced, sniffing back tears as the rest of her friends rushed in. It was morning now, Dash’s mane and tail were frizzed from the storm and from the past hours of anxiety.

Pinkie rushed in with a heart warming hug, “What happened to you?”

“Yeah? It looks like you just got caught in a storm, witness the death of Blitz, and then carried him all the way over here,” Bubbles smiled after giving Dash a hug.

Rainbow Dash looked, dumbstruck, at Bubbles. “I still can’t believe you two can do that.”

“Don’t try to wrap you mind around it, Dash,” Twilight gave Dash a reassuring hug. “But, is it true? They rushed us all over here after telling us the same thing.”

“I...I don’t know…” Dash started to tear up as she buried her muzzle in Twilight’s mane.

The ringing was subsiding from Blitz’s ears now. He twitched one, then the other, checking for feeling. The beeping of the medical instruments around his bed was pounding against his skull like the drums he kept hearing. It was still dark, he thought, but he then tried to open one eye, then the next. The fuzzy, light, images of the room around him were seeping into his head with the clearing of the fog that was still there. He looked this way and that, looking at his darkened wings. “There not black...but a dark blue,” he heard a voice say; he felt his lips move, but the voice wasn’t his, or was it? He looked at his legs, all four of them, “My George, I’m a dark blue...and this hair.” He tried to blow his bangs out of his eyes, the green streaked strands were the only ones he could see, but as he stared at the mirror at his bed side he noticed he had brown hair too. “Bloody hair, but why brown? And why is Elusive’s mirror here?” He picked up the thing with his magic, studying himself. He then noticed a book by his side, just on the bed as if somepony left it there as they slept. “A Daring Do novel?” He began to look the book over, and over, and soon found that he was reading it with emphasis. Sure, he read in his head normally, but his head voice had become to British to stand so he decided to read aloud and to no avail; his voice had become British inside and out and he couldn’t understand why. There was a knock at the door.

“Um….uh….is anypony in there?” Fluttershy nudged the emergency room door open a tad as the others tried to console Rainbow Dash.

“Flutters?” Butterscotch looked about for her as the last glimpse of Fluttershy’s tail vanished through the door.

“Huh? What?” Rainbow Blitz fumbled and quickly shoved the Daring Do Novel under the blanket. “Yes?” Blitz looked towards the door and instinctively tried to fix a tie that wasn’t around his neck. “Damnit, where are my clothes?” he thought as he looked this way and that and then decided to sit there and wait for whomever was around the corner to bare the sight of him.

“Uh...hello?” Fluttershy peeked around the corner, hearing a strange sounding voice that sounded a lot like that wolf they’d encountered days before. “H-Haiex?” She saw the pony sitting in bed, staring straight at her. She squealed and hid behind the wall again.

“Fluttershy? Is that you?” Blitz tried to crane his neck to get another glimpse of the beautiful yellow feathers before they hid themselves.

“H-Haiex?” she squeaked again.

“What?” Blitz looked at himself in the mirror. “Come here...please…I don’t understand what you mean, Flutter.”

Fluttershy came from around the corner, “F-Flutter? Uh...I haven’t heard that name in a while. At least not from a stallion besides Butterscotch.” She looked at him-horn and wings-and saw that charismatic glitter in his eyes. “Blitzkrieg? But, you also remind me of-”

“Haiex? That black colt you took care of, many moons ago?” A soft grin crawled across Blitz’s lips. “So, that’s how you know me…”

“No...I took care of colt a couple of months back...” Fluttershy, unconsciously retorted. She then looked him up and down, “But how are you Blitz too? I thought you two were different-”

A light bulb flicked on in the recesses of Blitz’s mind, the TimeLord part of his mind, as Death’s fog vanished from his head. “Mindsets? Different personas? Maybe before-oh, I hope you don’t hold it against me that I growled at you before-and now I have my ole British accent back, a new body, and the best of being an Element of Harmony and a TimeLord. Plus, everything’s separated by two hearts to boot!” Blitz’s rant left him out of breath and Fluttershy speechless.

“I...I…” Fluttershy looked at him again, his darkened cyan coat and wings a stark contrast to his brown and streaked green hair. “But still those same eyes…” she thought, the voice in her head as timid as that from her lips. She moved to Blitz’s bedside, astounded and flushing.

“You don’t have to say anything...just, don’t tell the others.” Blitz put a hoof on her shoulder, wincing at the pain it took to achieve the effort, and managed a smile; as his lips parted to show his K-9 teeth, Blitz’s horn disappeared by his own magic, “A little dimensional rift spell. I didn’t care much for the horn anyway.”

Fluttershy gasped, louder than she’d ever before, “That’s what that pony said when she dropped that colt off at my cottage.”

“That the Professor did and I would never be able to repay you for taking me in, Flutter.” He tried to keep his smile, but it faded as the rest of the group rushed in, beckoned by Fluttershy’s gasp.

“W-We could do tea sometime...i-if you w-want?” she gave a timid smile as her wings began to rise. “So, he was that colt? But how? It wasn’t that long ago,” she thought.

Rainbow Dash then hurled herself at Blitz, landing on top of him in bed, “What the hay?! You’re alive!?” She hugged him and gave him a frantic filled kiss on the lips.

Rainbow Blitz just hugged her, uncomfortable by the position, but kissed her anyway as the Daring Do novel slipped onto the floor.

“You’ve been readin’ again, Sugarcube?” AJ picked up the book and set it on the nightstand, giving an eye roll to Fluttershy who was on the other side of the bed from him.

The friends all laughed and soon they were all gathered around the newly entered Rainbow Blitzkrieg, asking him things and finding that his Posion Joke personality and his Rainbow Blitz personality-the two that had been struggling to take control-had become one now.

How Old Wrong Doings Bring New Ones

“She dropped me off before that. Remember? And apparently picked me up before we came in the Tardis…” Blitz smiled, taking a sip of his tea and looked at Fluttershy.

“Before what? I haven’t said anything?” Fluttershy got up to get the tea kettle from the stove, nuzzling Celestia’s phoenix on the way back. Since Butterscotch was gone for the day to help Rarity and Elusive at their boutique, Fluttershy saw it a good time to give her phoenix friend a proper caring as Blitz told her about how it could be possible.

“Before he killed her…”

“Wait? Who, Haiex?”

“I don’t expect you to understand right away, Flutter…” Then, Blitz started falling into his reverie once more.

He could see it like it was just the day before, being walked up to that familiar cottage while under the caring wing of his Professor. “Why do I have to stay here?” he whined.

“Because, Haiex, you need to get familiar with this place and go to school.”

“But why?” He fumbled up the steps, still uneasy on his hooves. “Being a horse is weird.” As he grimaced his horn began to glow and with a flash of the Professor’s glasses the magic was gone.

“I told you to control your temper,” she knocked on the door of the cottage and Fluttershy answered, “you know what can happen.” She gave Haiex one of her stares that always gave Haiex the shivers.

“Umm...Hello?” Fluttershy smiled and peaked out.

“Yes, hi; we spoke by letter, Ms. Fluttershy?”

“Oh, yes, Ms. Rane.” Fluttershy looked from her to the colt by her side, patting him on the head, “And this must be your son? ‘Hay-ex?’”

The Professor snickered, then gained her composure as she looked around, the clear sky making the thought of leaving so dreadful. “Yes, but you pronounce it ‘High-ex.’” She smiled.

“Yes, of course.” Fluttershy ruffled Haiex’s mane behind the ear, which apparently the colt like for he smiled and wagged his tail as if a dog. “So, I’m going to be taking care of you for a while. The name’s Fluttershy. And yours?”

In a shy manner, almost parallel to Fluttershy’s, Haiex answered, “The name’s…Haiex…Flutter…Flutter…” He couldn’t get the ending of her name right, maybe because he was still enjoying the feeling of being petted, or maybe he was just shy, he would never remember.

“Well, it’s alright if you’re shy, I’m the same way. If you want, you can just call me Flutter.” She smiled at the colt, who smiled back and with that magic coming about his horn again.

With another flash of the Professor’s glasses and a whip of her magic, his horn was gone, leaving the wings to be seen and Fluttershy gasping. “Don’t worry. A little dimensional rift spell. He didn’t care much for the horn anyway.”

A knocking at the cottage door snapped Blitz out of his story. “You expecting somepony?” He looked at Fluttershy and sipped his tea.

“No, maybe it’s Discord coming by. I’ll get it and you can continue your story.” Fluttershy went to the door to open it to the dragon she was expecting.

“Why, hello Fluttershy,” Discord said in his usual, elongated phrased, speech.

“That voice…” Blitz thought as the drums started coming into his head, distant but there; they lulled him into another dream like state, this time while overhearing the conversation and not saying a word:

He had just kissed her, that female Doctor. She had just shoved him onto her work table and strapped him in, face down on the metallic surface. “Professor!? What are you doing!?”

She started putting needles into his flank, legs, and a larger three needled cup-link into the back of his head. “Sorry, my Lake Song. This is for science.” She trotted around the table as Haiex flailed against the restraints. “Easy there, it’ll just...be a minute.” She gave him a loving and frantic kiss on the head and then flipped the switch as she skipped back into their bedroom.
The heart of the Tardis whirred and brightened as its power grew and made its way down through the tubes that fed into Haiex. His coat became a dark cyan and his horn began to show; his mane and tail dulled to a brown with the green strips aglow; and soon his cutie mark began to shift, a lightning bolt to rift that protruding hourglass that now lay on his hip. He tossed and turned as the power surged through him, from his left heart to his right and soon his mind was adrift. He could see, in a dream, when they had loved, but now the Professor was using him as guinea pig. He felt his mind split and heard the Professor scream. There were two voices in his head now, Haiex and Rainbow Blitzk. He could feel the restraints come loose and the cup-links dislodge, the one on his head leaving a wound that healed instantly with sparks. As the scar became he rolled over on to the floor and realised he was back to his old “rainbow” self. “That’s strange,” he thought, hearing his American accent as well as his old British one in unison. He didn’t understand, nor did he care, for the whole Tardis was spinning about him as he walked to the bedroom. “Professor Rane?”

She looked up from a packed suitcase, and smiled at him. “Seems you made it, TimeLord,” she smiled and walked close.
“I...heard you scream, right?” He looked at the suitcase and a calendar was there, with that day’s date circled in red. He looked back at her, “Sweetie?”

“Tick tock...it seems the day has come.” She kissed him after she popped a coat on him, slipping her own green sonic screwdriver into the pocket along with his blue one, without Blitz’s knowledge.

“Professor?” He was dazed and trying to shake it off, to no avail, as the Professor made her way out to the table again. He followed, almost in a drunken fashion, overwhelmed with the two voices and personas in him as well as the power that was swelling his brain.

The Professor sat up on the table, bringing down the Chameleon Helmet that hung above her. She inserted her fob watch into the back slot and slid it over her ears.

“Rane?! Professor?! What are...you doing?” Blitz fumbled and had his head land on the Professor’s lap. Then the Tardis shook violently as the Chameleon Helmet started to work.

“I’m Sorry!!” The Professor’s body went limp and Blitz caught her, snapping to his senses finally. The fob watch fell out on to the table too as the Professor gained consciousness. “Well, if it isn’t you, silly filly,” she said as she rubbed Blitz’s cheek.

“Professor?”

“Who? No. Remember me?...I think my name was...Jane Doe…”

There was a crash and an explosion. A black hole seemed to just rip through the front of the Tardis. Blitz protected the Professor against the table, he eyed the watch too and shoved it into his coat pocket, not feeling the screwdrivers.

“Oh Doctor~! I’m home~!” The Master strutted through the opening with Daleks on his tail, chattering away: “The Professor must be EXTERMINATED!”

“You’ll have your fun,” he waved off the three Daleks in separate ways, to find the Professor.

“We gotta hide, Professor.”

Jane Doe trembled, not compliant with Blitz whatsoever. The console had been the only thing obscuring the Master’s view of them, but as he moved about it, Blitz became ready to fight.

“Why, hello Haiex,” the Master greeted in his usual, elongated phrased, speech.

“Come on, leave the Professor alone. It’s me you want!” He braced between the Master and the Professor.

“Oh, no...you took my beloved. I TAKE YOURS,” with the entirety of the Master’s might he threw Blitz, with his magic, against what was left of the wall. He strutted up to Jane and pulled her chin up; he look into her eyes with his red irises flamed like death. “And, it wouldn’t be symbolic, unless it was by your blade…” With that, and his magic, he conjured Blitz’s swords from down the hall and they flew to the Master’s sides. He took his time prodding Jane’s chest with the tips of them.

“No...Please...I didn’t do anything…” Jane whimpered.

“The second to last TimeLord, groveling on her flank as if a child. How pathetic.”

Blitz came to, his vision blurred. He looked horizontally at the two and Haiex screamed in his head, “NOO!” but Blitz could only manage a whimper from his lips as he saw the Master plunge both rapiers into the Professor’s chest.

The Daleks lined up at the now regenerating gap, at the start of the Tardis. “The Professor has been EXTERMINATED!” they screamed in unison.

“If you don’t get to destroying the Tardis, I’ll ‘EXTERMINATE’ you!” The Master yelled at the Daleks as he turned around. The three of them wheeled about, bumping into each other in haste, and then started to fire upon the Tardis.

The Master and his entourage of Daleks slowly left as the gap closed in the front of the Tardis, the Master’s tail tip barely making it as the hole closed. Their work was done, the Tardis on fire, and the flames reflecting in the pool of the Professor’s blood. Blitz came to, again, crawling on his belly to the Professor, his wings and legs sprained. He needed to get her in his arms one last time, pulling the blades out with his magic as he crawled through the Professor’s blood, smearing it down his underbelly and his face when he collapsed from the trauma. When he finally got to her, her body was carefully propped up against the table, as if the blades had stuck her there; their clanging on the floor seemed louder than the raging fire that engulfed the Tardis. With shadows dancing on their bodies and the blood making Blitz’s face partially black, he cradled her against him, moaning and sobbing…rocking to and fro. “No...no…” his tears fell from his cheeks onto hers as Jane Doe’s wings laid limp in the blood on the floor.
The Master’s voice rang in Blitz’s ears, deafening him to the roar of the fire that was soon being put out by the Tardis’ ability to heal. “I guess...Tick tock goes the clock, he laughed at fate and mourned her...tick tock goes the clock, even for the Doctor…”

“Shut up...Shut up…” Blitz mumbled, the fire slowly dying.

“Tick tock goes the clock...he cradled her and rocked her….Tick tock goes the clock...EVEN FOR THE DOCTOR!” The Master’s laugh rang throughout the Tardis, sending the dying flames higher, for an instant, then they died completely.

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!!!” Blitz yelled to the ceiling, holding the Professor closer. As the laughter overwhelmed him, Blitz cried out, “TICK TOCK GOES THE CLOCK! NOW I”M THE DOCTOR!”

“Oh, Rainbow Ditz?” Discord poked him on his shoulder.

Blitz’s eyes opened and he jumped right into Discord’s arms, “What the?” He looked up.

“Uh...it seems that Fluttershy’s rubbed off on you.” He gave him a smile.

Blitz snorted and teleported back onto the floor, “She did...a while ago. Now, what did I miss?” He looked around to see Fluttershy sitting on the couch sipping tea. She slowly patted the seat next to her, signaling for him.

“You were asleep, we thought. You were having a nightmare, weren’t you?” Fluttershy asked in her sympathetic tone as Blitz came to sit by her side.

“Cucumber sandwiches?” Discord offered the platter that was on the centre table.

“Of course, Discord. Thank you.” Blitz picked up one of the sandwiches with his magic and started chewing away.

“You were mumbling in your sleep, Blitz. Something about your Professor...and blood?” Fluttershy started to shiver at the thought.

Discord slowly patted her shoulder to console her, then snapped his fingers and a horn appeared on his forehead. “I like the new fashion statement, Blitz. Where did you acquire it?” Discord poked at the horn and smiled at Blitz, who was touching his own forehead.

“Oi, that belongs here, Discord,” with a click of his tongue, finishing his sentence, the horn magically floated off Discord and onto Blitz fixing itself upon his own forehead.

“Hello? That’s a bit of my magic,” Discord seemed, surprised, and reclined in his seat.

“Well, you’re not the only one that can use dark magic to ‘cause chaos,’” Blitz grinned.

“Well, now that I know that, I believe my work here is complete. Good bye~” Discord did his usual disappearing act, into thin air, leaving the sandwiches.

“What was that about? What business?” Fluttershy asked Blitz as she picked up a card that had appeared on the platter:

I Am Truly Sorry, Fluttershy. It seems that a fellow by the name of THE MASTER, hath decided to ask me for service in serving BLITZKRIEG some untimely justice. See you in the city square!

“What?” Fluttershy looked at Blitz, confused. “What does it mean?” She looked back down at her hoof and the note had turned into another sandwich.

“I don’t know, but we need to get to the town square if the Master’s involved.” Blitz took Fluttershy’s hoof and raced towards the door, letting Fluttershy’s hoof go to let her follow. The two flew and soon found themselves in front of the town hall and in a crowd of ponies.

The din of hoof beats on the path was deafening within the crowd, but somehow Blitz was able to tell Fluttershy to follow as they picked out their friends and rushed to the centre of the gathering.

“Does anypony know what this is?” Mayor Mare announced, inspecting the silvery domed object that sat in front of her.

“Well, by the way it’s humming and the smoke coming from underneath. I assume it might be some sort of projectile.” Dusk Shine gave the object a once over and stopped at the purple fumes.

“Pinkie? Is this another one of your rockets?” Twilight gave her a sidelong glance.

Pinkie was bouncing around, trying to get a better look at the rocket as she spoke. “Nope. But I think I saw Trixie put it here with the help of Discord. I think it could be a really big party rocket!”

“Trixie and Discord? This isn’t good.” Blitz checked the control panel of the rocket and was able to get somewhere. “Bubbles, see anypony else?”

Bubbles had been bouncing through the crowd, a party hat on his head and a kazoo in his mouth. “Well, I did see a red haired stallion with Trixie. As they say, the more ponies, the crazier the party!”

“Were his wings bat like?” Blitz turned his head to look at his friend, but ended up pressing their muzzles against each other.

“Whoa! Can you see what happens around here too?” He smiled. “OOOH! What does that button do?” The soft click of the green button on the console made everypony gasp.

“Bubbles!” Blitz bared his fangs in annoyance and scowled at his friend. The rocket started humming and emitting more smoke.

“Everypony clear out!” Twilight issued, her horn glowing a bit.

Everypony scattered, leaving the twelve friends semi-circled about the rocket. The under-layer of the rocket extended and the projectile started to shake the ground as its thrusters warmed up.

“Anypony got a rope? I could lasso it,” AJ protectively stepped in front of Apple Jack as he looked for anypony’s reaction to the comment.

The rest of the stallions did the same for their mares and soon shielded them with their own bodies as the rocket took off, the purple smoke blowing them all back from the site.

“HA! I knew you wouldn’t resist, Haiex! Or should I call you, ‘The Doctor’ now?” The Master appeared through the smoke, standing in front of the friends with his own party of ponies: Trixie, Discord, Sombra, and Chrysalis.

Blitz heard the voice and opened his eyes to the sight of them, but also to see he was on the floor, on his back, with his gauntlet broken and he was human. “What the--?” he became wide eyed and looked towards his friends who were having the same reactions to their own bodies, giving him relief: Pinkie and Bubbles where messing around with their toes and fingers and the rest were trying, to no avail (except Princess Twilight), to stand up. Blitz, however, quickly rolled onto his feet and got ready for a fight.

“Oh look, the Doctor got his wind back,” the Master teased.

“What the hay was that?” Blitz asked.

“Well, the rocket is a transdimensional infuser. But the exhaust was a test batch of the magic that is to come.” He gave a grin.

“Master!” Blitz dashed forward, throwing the first punch which didn’t land its mark. Then, a small battle ensued with the Master’s accomplices letting the fight take its time. Punches were thrown and Blitz was bruised, but the Master seemed to be quicker than him and was able to throw him off.

“Oh, trying to be the hero again. That’s terrible, Doctor. Remember what happened when you failed the last time?” The Master started laughing, but kept calm as Sombra opened a portal, along with Discord, as their escape.

“NO!” Blitz got back up and ran after them as they went through. He flung himself at the Master, but he was through the gateway and it closed just behind him, letting Blitz crash to the ground in a cloud of dust. “Dang it!” he got up, clenched fist and teeth, and stared at both is gauntlet and his friends. “Well, the one thing that was keeping me pony broke. But, seems I have an excuse to be human.”

But...though he thought his true form was human, was he right?

“Guess Everypony’s Seeing Double”

Blitz helped up his friends after he dusted himself off, a little salty from not being able to catch the Master, but he was gratefully to see he had Princess Twilight to help him teach the others.

“So these are what ‘hoomans’ look like?” Apple Jack asked, examining her hands and boots.

“Gosh, you all look so familiar,” Twilight surveyed the friends.

“Indeed they do, Twi.” Blitz looked this way and that to see ponies emerge from their hiding places.

“Uh...girls?” Fluttershy squeaked and shied away as a pony started smelling her.

“Uh...how do we explain this, Blitzkrieg?” Twilight tossed a glance Blitz’s way.

“Well, uh…” Blitz thought, then decided to just go with what he heard the Master say. “Mayor Mare?” he called as the pony in call came from behind her podium.

“Rainbow Blitz?” Mayor Mare almost collapsed from surprise, but Luna showed up, in the nick of time, to keep her up right.

“Yes, it’s me, Mayor…” Blitz quickly bowed, along with the rest of the friends (taking their motions from Blitz and Twilight) and ponies. “My liege, I didn’t expect--”

“You never expect me, Blitz.” She interrupted with an air of anger and sadness. “I have seen your recent dreams of this Master and came quickly to avert a catastrophe, but it may seem I’m too late.” She looked at the new humans standing in front of her, snorting as she laid eyes on the bowing Blitz, thinking he was trying his hardest to distance himself from her.

“No, we can still stop him,” Twilight spoke from Dusk Shine’s side, a little quiet as to not be too rude to interject.

“Yes, we may--” Blitz tried to get up, but soon fell flat on his flank as the ground shook. The shaking toppling Dash onto AJ, then Applejack, then all the friends collapsed in a heap, Luna flailed her wing as she fell on top of Blitz. Blitz, the wind knocked out of him by Luna, managed to at least give her a small smile as he embraced her midsection to keep her from falling anymore; She blushed at the gesture and kept still as best she could.

“Oh look, all the fillies and colts are falling over like dominoes.” Discord chuckled as he spun around to see a very similar dragon, to himself, but figured to be a female.

“Oh goodie! That means Legion will be pleased with us, Honey.” The female dragon looked through a telescope she made appear, which stuck out of the bubble her and the rest of the Master’s posse were lounging in, in space, in wait of their rocket to work.

“I believe so, Eris, Darling.” He gave her a grin that was shadowed with remorse the both of them shared.

“I don’t understand how we’re here anyway--another, Sombra,” Queen Osura, the female doppelganger of Sombra, was lounging on a couch waiting for Sombra to feed her another grape; with both pleasure and annoyance about him, Sombra did so as the Master spoke.

“Well, my Queen...I’ve been able to travel between your dimension and Sombra’s for quite a while. We decided to bring you here with us so that you don’t feel the after-effects of what is to come.” The Master pointed straight outwards towards the rocket, which had expanded a second time to produce a satellite dish that was now bombarding the planet below with dark purple, magnetic, waves.

“Yes, the combination of his and my magic will be able to bring our two worlds together, but we have concern about the effects to the population.” Trixter gave Trixie a soft nuzzle, seeing as they were relaxed on another couch.

“But, I do know that nothing will be destroyed, that’s for sure. Everything and every-‘one’ will be accounted for when done, and soon, Missy’s half of our machine--in your world, Oscura--will unite with mine in the one below and the ponies will be at their weakest.”

Chrysalis, recline on another chair (made for her by Eris herself), was being fanned by a rather large changeling as she spoke, “And soon, Equestria will be ours and we can finally get some peace. Isn’t that right, Amorphous?” From a speech to the group, to a small kiss to the changeling fanning her, Chrysalis’ demeanor changed in an instant as she looked into the eyes of King Amorphous.

The Master stifled a laugh, “Goodness, all you are quite entranced by your opposites. Seems I wasn’t the only one to find a connection in that world.”

Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, the more the ground shook the more there seemed to be that the buildings were cloning themselves. Blitz held onto Luna and just thought the shaking was making him see double, then he noticed his TARDIS, suspended still, behind SugarCube Corner. “What...t-t-t-t-t-the?” Then it all stopped, when Blitz popped his eyes open again he soon found everything to be back to normal and his TARDIS gone from sight. “Uh...Princess Luna?” He charismatically rubbed her back to get her to her senses.

“Huh...what?” She got up, still blushing and frantically moving her hooves in embarrassment. “My apologies, Prince Blitzkrieg.” She gave him a smile.

“Uh…I’m no Prince, Luna, but if you’re dubbing me such I like the ring of it.” Blitz grinned back as he got up.

Luna screwed up her face in confusion, surprise, and annoyance and snorted again. “Pompous…” She looked about as Blitz became confused himself, “It seems everything is fine here, we shall take our leave.” She gave Blitz a growl and walked off, noticing nothing new as she disappeared.

“Uh...Mind expainin’ that, SugarCube?” Apple Jack asked as she helped Dash up, confused as well as the rest of the friends as to Luna’s actions.

“Beats me.” He turned about and looked at the friends, then cocked his head to one side in confusion. “Uh, Madam Mayor. Did you leave a candle on in your house?”

“No, I never do…” She looked up at her window and saw one on, soon rushing to her home in hopes nothing got burnt, but when she flung open the door she saw herself standing in the kitchen; however, something about this pony made him seem more stallion like. She screwed up her face and looked at the pony, coughing to get their attention, “Excuse me, sir. What are you doing in my kitchen?”
He turned, “Uh...I believe this is my--” His jaw dropped as well as hers.

“Think she got it?” Pinkie asked Dash.

“Well, I’ve never seen her run that fast before, but that light’s still on.” Dash answered.

“Hey, Dusk Shine, a letter for you,” A pony hovered behind Dusk.

The familiar voice brought Dusk about and to his surprise it was Dopey! The mailcolt of his world, he hugged the pony about the neck. “How the hay did you get here? And how’d you know it was me?”

“Well, I was the Professor’s companion long enough to not be bothered by dimensional movement and I could tell it was you even if you’d changed form.” Dopey squeed, his eyes going derp once more as he finished his intuitive speech.

A human hand came up and snatched the note from Dopey. “This is from Solaris? Why didn’t he just send it the usual way?” Spines asked Dusk Shine.

Dusk looked down from Dopey to realise that Spines and Spike had been with them, and now her scales and tail were gone. She was about his chest height and fully human too, with the brightest emerald eyes imaginable. “Spines?”

“Yes?” She looked up at him and realised what he was. “You’re a human, like Spike described. Oh! Where’s Spike?” She looked about frantically to see a human Spike yank himself free from a nearby bush. “Spike!” She ran to him, helping him get thorns out of his arms.

“Well, that was weird.” Dusk turned to Dopey who was still hovering there, looking at him. “Uh...Dopey, you might want to land. We don’t know if there’s more ‘becoming human.’”

Dopey did, but soon spied Derpy walking out of her home, a smaller filly in tow. Either something clicked in his head or his heart skipped a beat, but his eyes became normal once more and he trotted his way to introduce himself to the mare coming from “his” home.

“Well, guess everypony’s seeing double.” Dusk turned around to see his friends and the few gathered ponies bowing, a shadow crawling over him. “Prince Solaris?!” Prince Dusk’s wings would have been on end, if he still had them, as he hugged his mentor about the neck. The full grown horse to human ration was good enough for Dusk to not need to look up so much. Then he saw Princess Celestia by his side and Prince Artemis on his other side, with Princess Luna on his “arm.”

“I believe you need to explain what’s been happening, Dusk.” Solaris smiled to his pupil and then signaled for Blitz to come up. “And Artemis’ pupil, Blitz, you also need to explain, for I don’t believe this could have been done by any mere pony.”

“‘Legs, I've still got legs, good?’”

After a long ride back to Canterlot, a discussion and hugs shared amongst the friends and royals, the Princes and Princesses were up to speed. Soon, all the royals sat in the throne room, on cushions, circled about a pot of tea on the centre table. “So, Dusk Shine, you’ve made acquaintances with the mares of this world?” Solaris looked from Dusk to Celestia, eyeing Celestia with interest.

“Actually, Princess Twilight and I are the only ‘friends’ here,” Dusk chuckled.

“More like a brother ‘slash’ sister, thing, Sire.” Twilight added as she looked from Solaris to Artemis, who was slowly putting his wing about Luna in some machismo way. “But the others--”

“Were a bit weaker, Prince Solaris,” Blitzkrieg interrupted, Rainbow Dash leaned against him, looking out the window, as Blitz stroked her hair.

“What do you mean by such, Blitz?” Solaris and Artemis asked in unison.

“He means that the attraction between them and their look-alikes hath been too much for them, but not Twilight and Dusk Shine,” Luna interjected, giving Artemis a nuzzle on the neck as she eyed Blitz for some type of jealously. However, sadness struck her heart as Blitz showed no sign of notice. She slowly leaned into Artemis, then, for comfort as she wept internally, making Artemis skeptical as he petted her and searched her thoughts.

The other friends were making progress on their Dungeons & Dragons game, in the next room, leaving Blitz, Dash, and the royals to mentally fend off the noise; however, both Rainbow Blitz and Rainbow Dash were still confused on why they had been invited to the discussion in the “improved” throne room, apparently now able to accommodate all four royals by the infusion of worlds. Celestia and Luna had insisted that “all the royals should be present” as Blitz tried to refuse, so both he and Dash were sharing confused looks with Twilight and Dusk. “May I ask, Princess Celestia, why are Dash and I here?” Blitz finally built the courage to ask.

“I would assume you would remember, ‘Prince Blitz’, or did that hit to the head that Sapphire give you leave a—“
Blitz stood up, “Princess Celestia! Stop now, please.” Blitz looked terrified as well as surprised.

“What’s the matter, Blitzkrieg? Can’t take the memories?” Luna asked, smug-like, eyeing Blitzkrieg for some sort of reaction to satisfy her anger towards him.

Blitz, however, just looked dumbstruck. Dash, lying flat, looked up at him with confusion too. “Look, I have no clue what you mean, Princess Luna. And all or…just you two Princesses…or, any of you! Just ‘NO SPOILERS!’” Blitz stormed out of the room, frantic and confused.
All the friends in the next room had heard the doors slam, but Blitz had never touched them with his hand.

“Was that….magic?” Prince Artemis finished off his brother’s sentence as they looked on with Dash and the others.

“You alright, Sugarcube?” Apple Jack popped her head out into the hall as Blitz stormed up.

“Yeah…fine.” Blitz was mumbling to himself, but had quickly answered Apple Jack in a frantic and distant sort of tone.

“You sure, Blitz? You wanna come in and finish the game with us?” Apple Jack stepped aside to let him in, but Blitz kept on.

“Sorry, no can do. I need to think of what’s occurred.” Blitz sped off down the hall and started reaching in his blank saddle bags for something. “There you are,” he lifted his Professor’s sonic screwdriver with his magic as he turned the corner. “I just have to know when this occurred,” he pulsed the screwdriver to call the TARDIS and heard the TARDIS materialize; when he turned around he found the TARDIS had landed on his tail, the pain made him jump and yelp. He then teleported himself into the TARDIS and quickly started configuring levers and hitting the bell, making the TARDIS whir and whiz through the Time Vortex. A zap and a power outage upon the TARDIS and Blitz was heading for a crash landing. “Geronimo!!”

“So, I really don’t know how we’re humans and you aren’t,” Dash addressed the royals.

“Indeed, it’s a puzzling predicament,” Solaris stated, giving Celestia a magical rose that appeared, effecting a blushed colour on Celestia’s cheeks.

There was a knock at the door, and then Blitz barged in, human form and sonic screwdriver in hand. “Legs, I still got legs, good!” Though he had threw his arms in the air, he brought them back down in an embrace around a young girl at his side.
Then a wave of magic hit the tower, everypony quickly closed their eyes to the purple ray, but upon opening them everypony found themselves to all be humans.

“‘Legs, I still got legs, good?’” Dusk echoed as he rushed in behind Blitz and started poking Blitz’s chest in anger, accusing him of the recent magic blast.

Of course, as all the ponies in Equestria fidgeted with their new bodies, Lyra and Harpsy jumping off their walls and screaming “Anthropology”, the Master gazed up at the metal orb that stood in front of him and his crew as they entered their new lair (deep in the Everfree Forest; The olden castle of the Two Sisters/Two Brothers). “Finally! The two pieces, from my world and Missy’s world, finally joined! Now, this M.M.P hath casted our magic across this planet!” They gave each other glances of approval.

Thanks for the Memories

As Celestia and Luna opened their eyes they saw Blitz and a young girl at his side. They looked on as Dusk confronted Blitz about the “legs” remark, but they paid no attention to the skirmish, only to the young girl.

“Is that..?” Luna turned to her older sister.

“I think she is.” Celestia called to the girl then, “Sapphire?”

She looked up from Blitz’s side, dressed in a blue princess’s gown and tiara. “Uh...” her eyes soon grew large and tears started to form as she raced to hug Luna and Celestia. “Celestia! Luna! You girls are okay?!” she gave them both a loving embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Dusk and Blitz just looked on, only, Blitz had a tender smile on his lips.
“Yes, we’re here, Sapphire,” Celestia gave her a nuzzle.

“But how? I-I thought Sombra was going to get all of Equestria.” Sapphire looked up at the two sisters, now wondering how much older they were to her.

“He tried, Sapphire, but did not succeed,” Luna explained, ruffling the girl’s hair.

Blitz stepped closer, his long coat’s belt swaying side to side, “It’s true, Sapphire. The Element Bearers stopped him permanently after Celestia and Luna chased him away, years ago.”

All three mares looked at him as he spoke, with Celestia adding, “Yes, the Element Bearers and Blitz banished him once more…but it seems he’s back.”

“Wait! You mean the Elements of Harmony myth is true?” Sapphire turned to Blitz, but not after giving a curtsy to the other three royals in the room. Blitz nodded to her, making her run to him, to hug him, “And you are one of them?”
Blitz nodded, half-heartedly, and looked up to Celestia and Luna (especially Luna) as a silent apology as Twilight came rushing in with the rest of her friends.

“Is everypony alright?” she waited for the nods and turned to an armoured guard who was rushing in.

“Flash?” Blitz asked, “What is it?”

Lifting his helmet Flash Sentry eyed Twilight and then began as he tried to steady his new legs, “It’s the whole city; we’ve all changed.”

“Uhm…are these the Element Bearers?” Sapphire squeaked

The friends looked to the young girl at Blitz’s side, as Celestia and Luna approach, followed by their stallions.

“If I may ask, who’s the adorable filly at your side, Darling?” Rarity asked, giving Sapphire a curtsy and admiring her dress.

Out of instinct, Sapphire returned the curtsy, but stood back up in awe at Blitz’s friends.

First, Blitz gave a nod to Sapphire and then addressed everyone in the room. “Well, everypony, from the fall of the Crystal Empire…to the hooves of Sombra,” Blitz growled and held Sapphire closer, “I present to all of you, Princess Sapphire.” Blitz stepped back a few paces and gave Sapphire a bow along with the other royals and soon the rest of the ponies in the room.

Sapphire giggled at the gesture, curtsying back to Blitz, “And my brother, Prince Blitzkrieg.”

All the humans in the room, save Celestia and Luna, chorused the same question, “He’s your brother? A Prince?”

The Master’s maniacal laugh resounded throughout the olden castle, “Everypony must be at their weakest now, including The Doctor.”

There was a long pause as the air became still in the room. “What is the name that stallion goes by, besides the ‘Doctor’ or ‘Blitzkrieg?’” Sombra asked, with an air of suspicion about him as he stared past the window into the darkness of the forest.

“Haiex, why?” The Master became intrigued for he thought he, only, knew about the Doctor’s given name, in this world.

“He reminds me of a Prince I met some time ago…Haiex beeth the name as well, but…” Silence overcame the room as Sombra’s resonating voice fell in thought.

“But what?” The Master gritted his teeth, knowing something was ahoof.

“He must have died out with the Princess and her parents as well, when I set the Crystal Castle aflame, in darkness.” He looked towards the Master, sweeping his cape back as he turned.

Oscura soon became worried as she saw uncertainty in Sombra’s eyes, but no one moved about the room as the question settled to the cobblestone, with a soft hiss. Then, the Master moved to turn off the flame under the hissing beaker, a purple fume boiling up from the opening. “So…you believe you met the Doctor, in the past, and he were of royal blood?”

“They called him such, which is all I know.” Sombra retired to his seat, next to Oscura, on the couch.

“So he’s a royal, big deal,” Discord hissed, peeling an apple as he spoke, deftly.

The Master turned on him, moving the chair Discord was reclined in, from beneath him, with him magic. As Discord landed with a thud the Master spoke through gritted teeth, “‘So?’ He isn’t supposed to get involved with the past like that. And if the kingdom’s royals died to Sombra, and he’s alive, I don’t doubt that his ‘kind hearts’ also saved that Princess, his sister.” The room fell silent as the Master’s clenched fist fell to his side; the purple fumes of the Master’s concoction spilling onto the cobblestone.

Back at Canterlot, Blitz soothed Sapphire as she ate, the others eating at the dining table as well. Luna kept seeking Celestia's eye for some glimmer of thought that would undo the harshness she’d shone Blitz. Celestia soon gave her sister a nod and a knowing smile, seeing Artemis was also doing his best to comfort Luna as well. Then somepony spoke.

“So, Blitz, whatya do to find her?” Apple Jack spoke, beckoning all to look to her, then to Blitz for his answer.

“Well, I bet the Princesses can help with the story,” Blitz looked towards Luna and Celestia as Celestia started recollecting how they first met Blitz. Blitz reclined, Sapphire leaning against him, and started remembering his side of the memory:

Blitz had landed with a thud, getting to his hooves as he checked the TARDIS. “I'm equine, again?” He snorted with annoyance (checking his sparking gauntlet), but made his way out of the TARDIS to see he landed just on the backside of the Crystal Kingdom’s Castle. He hid in a bush, quickly, as he saw two guards coming his way; clicking the TARDIS’ key, the TARDIS disappeared just before the guards saw it, but they saw him. They scooped Blitz up and carried him to the castle, managing to restrain the hooded stallion as he struggled back.

“Don't you know me?! I'm Blitzkrieg!”

“Again, you were caught trespassing, citizen. Now bow,” one of the guards, the one that had been talking, forced Blitz on the ground as the other pulled off Blitz’s hood. The other spoke and bowed, “My King Cortez, my Queen Emerald, we found this citizen trespassing on the grounds.

Before Blitz’s hood could be taken off his head he magically aged himself to look as if a colt. When he looked up he saw two unrecognizable horses sitting before him, definitely not Princess Cadence and Shining Armour. He bowed his head as well as flattened his ears, in a sign of adolescence.

The Queen offered him a smile and her face showed remorse for the poor colt, his cloak tattered and dirt all about him. She gave her husband a quick whisper, “He’s just a beggar. Let him go.”

He nodded, but proceeded to question the colt before him, “State your business, young one.”

Blitz couldn't think of what to say, but a whisper in his head told him the TARDIS was again damaged and that employment would lead to good reward. He pondered where he'd heard the words before, and it hit him: The Professor told him this story. After the thoughtful pause, Blitz stood straight, “I, Haiex Romanov Blitzkrieg, seek to impress the royals in hopes of finding acceptance in the ranks of their guard or jesters.” Blitz gave a weak smile, sticking to acting his “new” age.

Queen Emerald’s heart melted at the thought of being able to help the colt and she gave King Cortez a gentle elbow on his shoulder, cutting him off. She spoke, “Well then, show us some skill you possess.

Blitz perked up his ears and wagged his tail, “Yes, my liege.” Blitz spread his wings, to start, with such force that the two guards were blown back. Blitz propelled up, sparks in his wake, and then he used his magic to conjure enough black magic to darken the room (his eyes turning red), then the room was lightened by Blitz dissolving his magic into confetti that reflected the sunlight into rainbow patterns.

The Queen was impressed, the King and guards were taken aback, but the deciding factor was the filly at the doorway; stomping her hooves in enjoyment and whooping with satisfaction, she obviously enjoyed the show.

“That was awesome!” she ran over and looked Blitz up and down as he landed. “Can you do anything else?”
Blitz flattened his ears and blushed, “I could, but I must be going--”

“To get fitted for your new armour,” Emerald interrupted, seeing how much joy that performance had brought her daughter.
Blitz was taken aback, but felt himself smiling. He bowed, “Thank you, my liege.” He saw King Cortez quickly turn to his wife, after speaking with the guard at his side, and furiously whispering to her as the young filly and the guard from Cortez’ side led Haiex out to the guard barracks to get him suited.

“So, where are you going to be put?” The young filly asked.

The guard with them spoke as he looked forward, “He shall be put in with the royal guards, Princess Sapphire, by your father’s request.”
Princess Sapphire gasped with joy and hugged Blitz again, as they walked. “And, since you’re getting put as one of our personal guards, you’ll be able to teach me how you did that back there.”

Blitz felt a flurry of pride as he realised that the filly was being sincere. However, before he could open his mouth a couple of stallions dragged him into the armoury, proceeding to suit him with golden armour. Blitz struggled against the hooves as the guards did their job, effecting a giggle from Sapphire.

Blitz looked about the table, seeing Sapphire giggling again.

“So, you were just swept into the armoury?” Celestia asked.

Blitz nodded and was about to speak, again, but fell silent as he looked out of a nearby window to the darkening sky. He felt himself growl, but he knew he wasn’t meaning to.

Solaris spoke, “So, how did you come to meet Princess Luna and Princess Celestia?” Solaris gave Celestia a warm smile as he had said her name.

Blitz continued his explanation, but kept his eyes and ears aware of the coming storm.

It had been a month, the same routine judged Blitz’s days: Wake up by dawn, dawn his suit, and make his way to the royal kitchen to start the cooks on their way, then he would find his way up to his post in front of Sapphire’s room and would wait there till she stirred. The routine was his idea, for his true assignment was being Sapphire’s personal guard; Queen Emerald had done so, for she had seen how well Blitz got along with Sapphire, and she didn’t see how an older guard could have be so relative. But, the day which is being spoken about was the day the royal family ventured to Canterlot (not for their monthly visit with Canterlot’s royals, to keep their places united, strangely). However, though the ride, in the closed-horse drawn carriage was bumpy, it was tolerable considering The King and Queen had grown fond of Blitz, and he of they, and not to mention that most of the trip he played court jester for Sapphire’s entertainment. He was the only guard that was sitting in the carriage with the royals, the excuse being he was “Sapphire’s personal guard,” but that didn’t seem to be the only reason.

“So, my lieges. Once we are in Canterlot, I can personally escort you three to the castle—”

King Cortez interrupted, “There is no need, Blitzkrieg. The other guards will escort us four by means of the carriage.” He said this with a charismatic smile, one that a father would give his son in the brightest of moments.

Blitz smiled back as he stroked Sapphire’s mane and covered her body with his wing, seeing as she had fallen asleep with her head on his lap.

Emerald whispered, “So, will you reconsider? She already treats you like—”

“A brother, I know, my Queen, but I canst allow that. I…” Blitz’s voice faltered with agony as he looked from the two horses to the young filly on his lap, her horn gleaming as she dreamt.

“Didn’t you already tell us about your parents, how you canst remember how you lost them? How you lost your sisters?” Cortez softly asked, looking to Emerald.

Blitz realised that Cortez had been spending more time with him (asking Blitz to walk with him around the castle, showing him the secrets of their castle, or joining him as he escorted Sapphire about the gardens and town) just to butter him up for this very question. It had work. “Yes…but, I’m just a guard. What is so special about me?” He looked up at them both.

“The size of your heart,” Emerald answered. “See, many of these guards we have are in our presence for either their patriotism or because their job has been passed down their lineage...only. You, however, stay because you care for Sapphire. I see it in your eyes.”
Blitz blushed at the compliment, “And for you two, of course…this past month I have finally had ‘parents’ that are actually here.” He smiled up at them. Cortez and Emerald smiled back, filled with a sense of pride, but the mood of the moment was jerked out the window of the carriage as they hit the end of the draw bridge.

Sapphire stirred, “Are we…there already?” she rolled to put her muzzle on Blitz’s stomach and fell back asleep.
Blitz chuckled and looked up at the royals before him, “I guess we’ve entered the city?” Blitz looked out the window and saw the glimmering mountain-side city roll past as they rolled through.

“So wait, they adopted you? After you met Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?” Dusk, Solaris, Artemis, and Twilight chorused.
Celestia chimed in, “Well first, after Sapphire introduced us to Blitz, we had our fun as children do: running about the castle and garden.”

“Though he was my age, he acted as if a grown stallion already,” Luna gave a shy smile to Blitz, who winked back, causing her to blush.

“Yeah, like he was my ‘really’-older brother,” Sapphire teased.

Celestia noticed Blitz’s fixation on the coming storm and tried to sooth him, “Blitz, do you remember what Sapphire called you, in the meadow, when we were trying to see how many of us you could carry around?”

Blitz’s eyes focused on her and he grinned, “Yeah, it’s the reason, I think, that you recognized me when Twilight brought us here the first time.”

Sapphire laughed, “I called you a walking rainbow!”

The rest of the table laughed, but Blitz fell silent as he recollected and kept an eye on the dark clouds rolling in, from the direction of the Crystal Kingdom.

“We are all gathered here to unite two bloodlines,” a hooded stallion called. His voice echoed about the ceremony hall as Celestia and Luna, accompanied by their parents, watched as Blitz, Sapphire, Cortez, and Emerald encircled a pedestal that held a rustic looking basin. “The orphan, Romanov, and the royal bloodline of the Crystal Kingdom.”

Luna looked to Celestia and mouthed the word “boring” which effected a laugh from the fillies and a nudge from their mother.

“Let us begin,” the hooded stallion whispered to the new family before him, his brown cloak hiding everything but his muzzle. He held out a knife with his magic, next.

Blitz started, taking up the knife and admiring its curvature, but still proceeding to cut himself just above the hoof. The blood trickled down as he held the wounded leg over the basin, the blood pooling inside.

Sapphire, Emerald, and Cortez followed suit, adding their blood to Blitz’s. The mixtures of red held resemblance to the Professor’s, in Blitz’s mind, but only for a little while, for the mixture started to glow a bright red and pink as the cleric started to say his chant. The sphere of light lifted from the basin, impressing the onlookers, and leaving the bowl empty of its contents.

Blitz smiled to his new found parents, his new sister jumping for joy, quietly.

As the room grew bright with the sphere rising higher, it spontaneously split in to four parts, speeding their way into Blitz, Sapphire, Cortez, and Emerald. A feeling of fulfillment rushed through the four horses, and all sparkled as the crystal ponies they were.

“And see, we were there when the blood ritual occurred,” Luna nodded as she finished, giving Blitz a loving smile.

Blitz smiled back, getting elbowed by Rainbow Dash as she saw. Blitz grunted and was about to speak when the doors to the dining room banged open.

“Cadence? Shining?” Twilight got up and rushed to hug them both.

“Twi, what’s happened?” Shining asked as he hugged her. “We were on the train here when everypony changed into,” he looked at his new hands as his voice trailed off.

“Yes, we were on our way to warn you all about what’s happening at the Crystal Empire.” Cadence started to shake again, leaning against Shining for stability. “Changelings…they took over the castle…they’re coming here, next…”

Everyone in the room looked at Cadence as she whispered her warning.

Blitz looked out the window and saw the sky was pitch black outside, now. He absently stated, “I believe war is upon us.” The drums of war became clear in his ears, and Blitz was forced back into his memory by the noise.

The chandelier in the throne room swayed back and forth as the candles were snuffed out by the foul wind brought through the doors of the Crystal Castle as Sombra swaggered in. The clank of the stallion’s hooves echoed through the hall as each hoof fall left darkened crystals behind.

Blitz’s horn glowed a bright white as he set himself between the royals and Sombra, waiting for a fight. “Be gone, Sombra. I order you as the Prince of this kingdom,” he snorted.

Sombra smiled, his horn glowing a crimson red, “And what will you do, child, if I don't leave?” Sombra laughed, his booming tone seeming to make the hall darker.

Blitz growled, stomping his hoof, “I will fight.” With an outburst of magic, as he spread his wings, Blitz transformed before everypony’s eyes into his stallion form; his royal cape gently overlaying his back. “And, I'm not a child, Sombra.”
Sombra and the others in the room were taken aback, but it didn't stop Sombra from making the first move: he shot a bolt of crystal at the royal family, encircling Cortez and Emerald. “No…you still are. And, no child would fight if their parent’s lives hang in the balance.” He smiled his fanged smile.

Blitz saw Sapphire hoofing at the crystal around Cortez, “Fine, just spare Sapphire and her family. You can take me and the kingdom.” Blitz growled as he turned to Sombra.

“Actually,” Sombra grinned, “I'll spare all of you if you just go to your rooms.” Sombra laughed.
Blitz took that as his time to escape, so he rushed and started to try to free his parents, but to no avail.

Cortez got Blitz’s attention, “Blitz, get out of here. Save yourself and your sister.”

Emerald snuffled back tears, but kept a hardened stare at Sombra, “Go kids, we’ll be fine.”

“No! I'm not losing my parents, again!” Blitz’s horn glowed with a dark aura as he tried to fight the crystals with dark magic.

“No, don't waste your time with us. Get going, remember your duty as a royal guard,” Cortez barked at Blitz.

Blitz stopped in his track, “What do--”

Cortez shot him a teary look, “Your primary job is to keep your sister safe. Now go!” Cortez gave a look at Emerald and they nodded.
Sapphire was clenching onto Blitz by this moment, making it easy for Blitz to get her on his back. Blitz gave one last, tear filled, goodbye to his dying parents (a whisper of sorts, and a promise to protect Sapphire with his life), then he raced out of a side door while Sapphire held his neck in frenzy.

Cortez and Emerald knew they couldn't have gone out without a fight, so they made one final effort: a joined blast of light to stun Sombra as their kids made their escape.

“Ah! Impervious souls you two have turned out to be.” Sombra opened his eyes to see Haiex and Sapphire gone, and blue sunspots in his vision. “You two are strong, I wouldn't mind having a strong throne to sit on. Let your children try to make it out…they won't!” His maniacal laugh rang through the halls, chasing the two children.

“Haiex! Watch out!” Sapphire braced herself against Blitz’s body as Blitz came to an abrupt turn.

“The entire bloody castle is in flame!?” Blitz raced up the staircase to Sapphire’s room, the flames licking at their manes. Blitz was familiar with this darkened flame, “demon fire” he called it to conjure the dark magic: it could destroy or recreate whatever it touched, to the wielder’s will. He knew he had to save his sister, and there was only one way he knew how, “Hold on tight, Kiddo!” Blitz felt Sapphire tense up as he lost the ground under his hooves and extended his wings. They both huffed as they flew through the smokeless fire, but Blitz soon banged through the door of the study-wing and set Sapphire down.

The little filly shook as the flames got closer about them. She looked up at her brother, terrified but curious of the calmness on the stallion’s face. She heard him click his tongue and saw him take out a green stick from under his cape. “What is that?” she whimpered, getting under Blitz as the tongue of the flames started to inch closer with every book that fell off the shelves.

“I guess…hope…” Blitz clicked the screwdriver and the TARDIS appeared; as quickly as it appeared the doors opened wide for the Prince and Princess. At that moment Blitz turned to look at the study’s doors and tried to imagine a different outcome for his parents, but to no avail; so with tears in his eyes Blitz threw the screwdriver into the TARDIS and picked Sapphire up by the scruff of her neck and raced inside.

“What is this…?” Sapphire was both quieted in fear and astonishment as Blitz set her down on the bench. “It's—”

“Bigger on the inside, I know; everyone says that.” Blitz said this line with utter dread, knowing it meant that he was about to leave another family, again. He put his hoof on the main lever as he watch the flames crawl under the closed doors of the study, then came what he had been waiting for: it was an ear-piercing scream, two to be exact, one male and one female. Blitz pulled the lever to close the TARDIS doors and then quickened his step to go cover Sapphire’s ears.

Tears streamed down Sapphire’s cheeks, onto Blitz’s chest, as the screams died away. “Was that…” There was no inflection in the filly’s voice, to signal a question, but Blitz knew what she meant through her tears.

Blitz clicked his tongue and the TARDIS revved to life as he gently stroked Sapphire’s hair and continue to rock her back and forth.

One...Two...Three...Four

"War? Now?" Celestia and the other royals looked to one another, Sapphire finding shelter under Blitzkrieg's arm.

"Yes, war is upon us, just like during Cadence and Shining's wedding," with that, everyone looked up to the ceiling as they started to hear the changelings land upon the roof. Ordinary storm clouds bring rain and lighting, possessed or not; however, the clouds outside casted a smoke-like veil upon Canterlot as it rained, but not water...changelings.

"Somepony better git me my rope," Apple Jack spoke.

"Eeyup, because here comes the rodeo," AJ finished the colloquial saying just before he jumped on and over the table, ramming into the doors as changelings tried to push in. "I can't hold them back much longer!" One stuck their hand through the opening and was forced to recoil when AJ shut the doors again.

In glee, "O.M.G! They look like real zombies when they're human!" Pinkie couldn't hold the ejaculation and everyone about the room stared her down. "What, they do," she gave a shrug.

Blitz got up, calm and quietly, and squared up behind AJ. "Let them come, I can buy you all some time. There is a back exit in the throne room that leads down to the catacombs. Get to the armoury and pony up."

Twilight sighed along with Spike, "Really? You had to make that reference."

"I said go!" Blitz wedged himself against the door as AJ and the others retreated down the passage described, led by Sapphire herself. Blitz was ready to release the doors and square for a fight, but when he released the doors the banging had stopped and a glimmer of light faded from behind them. There were groans and the doors creaked in.

"Oh, 'daddy discord,' you obviously have lost your training," A hooded, brown eyed girl (about 17, by the looks of her), strolled in the room and closed the doors with her magic. Her white robes swept at her feet and as she bowed.

"Who are you? And what do you mean?" Blitz gave a wary questioning.

She swept off her hood to show her hair was of gold, like the sun, and she bared the same green in it as Blitz did. She adjusted her belt, a queer shape, almost a spade of sorts.

The one name that kept coming into Blitz's mind as he looked at her was "Ezio" but it meant nothing. "'Who are you,' I ask." Blitz's palms began to spark.

The girl flicked her wrist and a blade extended from it and she held it towards the man in front of her, "Easy there, Doctor. You'll learn of me, and you'll tell this story to your child when she is ready; how an 'assassin' saved you from this mess." She gave a longing smile and a tear came to her cheek. "You'll find that there are more of these arm blades in the catacombs, Doctor. Just where the Professor left them."

Blitz was stunned, "Only I know of her weaponry stash there. Who are you?" Blitz looked the girl in the eyes and saw a flame of tender love, but then fell unconscious as one of the girl's blow darts hit him in the neck.

She leaned over him, her red and white cape covering the man's chest, "I am you...if you can believe that, only a part, though. Aroura is my name." She smiled at the closing eyes and looked up at the sound of rushing feet from whence Blitz's friends had vanished. She got up and turned about, walking towards the doors.

"Stop!" Rainbow Dash warned and took aim at the white, hooded, figure with her acquired slingshot. Fluttershy, with her bow and arrow at the ready, stood beside Dash as the rest brought up the rear as they encircled the royals.

“Bye moms…” the hooded figure, in a flash of light similar to the Tardis, vanished in front of the group.

Rainbow Dash stood stunned, murmuring, “Moms…?” as Fluttershy dropped her weapon and kneeled next to Haiex’s side.

“Haiex?” She stared at him, frantic, but soon calmed at the notice of breath and pulse.

“What did she do to him?” Dusk asked.

Fluttershy started to say something when a jolt of electricity jerked Blitz awake, “A horse tranquilizer.” He bolted upright and hugged Fluttershy in reaction, “But I’m fine.” Fluttershy hugged back as the rest sighed with relief.

“Perfect, now what are we going to do? And where did these weapons come from?” Rainbow Dash insisted as an explosion shook the castle.

Celestia ran over to the window, “It’s warfare out there.”

“They are taking any and all as prisoners?” Luna expressed, moving to see out the window as well.

“The weapons were mine and the Professor’s. Each will find that there is one for each of you, but not me.” Blitz got up, still speaking as he gave Fluttershy a hand up, “The Professor knew this day would come. I didn’t, however, she always spoke in riddles about it.”

Artemis began to clench his fists as Blitz spoke, but Solaris waved his hand to stop the anger. “So, what is to be done?” Solaris spoke.

“We fight,” Blitz grimaced at the thought of it, but also had a smirk disappear once or twice in the moment.

Elusive pushed passed the friends and came to Blitz, carrying a small pack in the opposite hand of his shield and staff. “Seems your Professor left you something to fight with after all.”

Blitz took the pack and realised it were half of an old-looking pair of saddle bags which bared his current cutie mark. “Twilight and Rarity? Have you finished making us colts those saddle bags?” Blitz spoke as if distant, training his five mile stare on the pack that hung from his hand.

“Uh, no. Why?” Twilight asked, walking up to Blitz as the others continued their guard of the room. She gasped at the bag, “It’s completely war-torn and it looks exactly like the ones I have planned for you.”

“But those plans should still be sitting in my boutique—oh, my boutique,” Rarity swooned a little at the thought, gratefully Elusive caught her in time.

Twilight turned back to Blitzkrieg, “Rainbow, do you think—”

Blitz answered, “When we’re dealing with wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, call me the Doctor, Twily.” Blitz waved to AJ and Apple Jack to guard the doors while the others stood guard at the back hallway; the royals in the room encircled Blitz as he dumped the bag’s contents out on the table. “Canst be this,” Blitz’s voice faltered as his eyes roamed over the same items that he saw that girl wearing, down to the robes and belt; however, these were blackened robes, not white, which struck him as odd as well as the other things. “Well, is it a coincidence that we still have robes in this castle?” Blitz eyed the people about the room as an idea came to his head.

Another explosion engulfed the castle walls in smoke as a fight between the guards and changelings…and guards ensued? Then, as eyes turned passed, a black, hooded, figure made his move out of the castle doors and into the bush.

“Come on, they’re distracted by each other,” Blitz waved from the bush at his cloaked friends who rushed to join him, in hiding. The robes he wore didn’t stretch, nor squeeze, they were a perfect fit and oddly smelt of himself and war (gunpowder and soot).

“Alright, what’s the plan?” Bubbles questioned, getting a little happier every time he stroked his newfound axe. Pinkie rubbed into him to settle him down, but to no avail.

“Get the Princes and Princesses out of here. I’ll deal with the guards as you all make it out the gate.” Blitz took another look at the quarreling guards and oddly enough started to see the fakes flicker form back into their changeling states.

“From there, we need to get back to Ponyville and warn the others,” Cadence whispered.

Fluttershy noticed Haiex’s focus on the fight and tried to squeeze his hand, but he only blinked. “Haiex, what is it?”

His vision started to flicker in and out of colour, from coloured to black-red-blue-white. “I don’t know, I think I’m remembering something.” He threw back his hood and squinted his eyes again; no colour change, but the changelings kept flickering in and out of form. “Do you see that?” Blitz whispered.

“What?” Fluttershy asked, looking at the guards fighting each other.

“You don’t see which are changelings and which aren’t?” Blitz looked at her, wide eyed, but the rest of the group eyed him back as if he were daft.

“You okay there, partner? Don’t be tellin’ me that those robes are poisoned, or is it those arm blades you got?” AJ asked, worry being heard in his voice.

“I’m not going crazy, I just saw something.”

Dusk shook his head, “Alright, the sun’s coming out so we better make our run now.”

“Then get going, I’ll catch up.” Blitz said, nonchalantly, as he pull his hood over his head and ran into the fray before them. “Oi, changelings! Come and get me,” something had clicked inside Blitz’s brain, a part of some past memory that gave him a new outlook on the fight. Blitz could see training he’d never thought he had, in his mind’s eye, with some man he honestly didn’t recognize but only by the robes he wore, which were exactly the ones Blitz wore at the moment. Blitz’s mind raced with the memories of training, so many, as he stood there awaiting the changelings (which he could see for what they were, now) that rushed him, then the first changeling swung and Blitz dodged to the left. The fight was over for the enemies before it had begun, it now seemed.

“What the hay got into Rainbow?” Butterscotch asked as he stopped at the gates, watching Blitzkrieg use his arm blades to cut at one of the guard’s knees.

“I don’t know, but if he is fighting them he must have found the changelings out,” Elusive conjectured as she tugged at Butterscotch’s hood. They both nodded and were off with the others towards the train station.

“All aboard!” Pinkie and Bubbles yelled as they put the train in gear.

There was a jerk and everypony grappled to keep their balance as they gathered at the entrance to the conductor’s cabin. “Guys, did he have to highjack the train?” Dusk yelped, then eyed the two troublemakers with surprise by their change into conductor attire.

“Well, duh, silly. The conductor was going to not pullout for he was paid off.” Bubbles growled at their tied-up prisoner, in the corner, and then walked back to the door as Pinkie took over.

“There are passengers on this train, fleeing like us. You sure you know how to operate this?” AJ asked, holding onto the same bar as Dusk, the train now picking up speed.

“Sure I do,” called Pinkie, “is it like flying your balloon Twilight?”

Twilight froze in place, and frantically called, “No.”

Pinkie turned about and hopped to the door and put her chin on Bubble’s shoulder, “Then this will be easy. You know I can’t fly that balloon, Twilight.” She smiled Twilight’s way and then raced back to the controls.

Twilight sat down on one of the benches, hyperventilating at the thought of Pinkie’s words.

“Alright, so Pinkie’s got this. Now, what about Blitzie?” Dash asked, sitting on the bench opposite Twilight.

Twilight was about to say something when they heard a thud on the roof of the train car. She then spoke, “I think that was him.”

The doors of the car swung open and everyone was prepared to see Blitz, but lost their smiles when they saw three men, dressed in suits, enter instead. The car was empty, save the friends, so the men’s heel clicks could be heard over the low rumble of the wheels. “Alright, turn this train around,” one of them ordered.

“Or what?” Dusk stepped closer to the middle of the car.

“Or you, Prince, and the rest of you get peppered,” another spoke.

All the friends looked at each other with questioning stares. “Uh, sorry to disappoint, but apples don’t go good with pepper nor salt,” Bubbles said as he patted AJ and Apple Jack on the heads. The friends snickered, but Celestia and Luna got the impression that they needed to scoot closer to the front of the car.

The final man drew a silver weapon, “The saying means either you turn the train around or you get riddled with bullets.

The friends looked at each other shocked and confused. “Uh, sorry, but if that’s a threat we don’t get it. What are bullets?” Dash looked at the intruders, who by this time were both annoyed and chuckling.

“Why don’t I show you?” The man pulled the hammer of his revolver back and took aim at Dash. “You can say it’s ‘fire’ magic.” He got his finger on the trigger and then the door behind them slid open.

“Why don’t you put the gun away, idiot,” Blitz pulled his hood on again, since the wind outside had blown it off.

The three men turned and looked at the newcomer. “Assassin?” the one with the gun questioned, then fired.

In a roll towards the three, Blitz dodged under the bullet and tackled the one with the gun. Once on the floor, as if by instinct, Blitz plunged one of his arm blades into the man’s neck and recoiled as blood squirted out with each dying heartbeat. The other two stood shocked, along with the friends, and then drew their weapons: an extending sword and another revolver. Blitz heard the gun cock, but didn’t move.

“You bring a knife to a gun fight, how sad,” The man with the gun took aim and Blitz only turned.

As the dark robes swooshed about Blitz, the friends saw his arm reach onto his back and swing forward. They waited for the fire magic, but nothing happened except the gun falling to the floor and then the man, with a knife to the neck. Blitz got up and dusted himself off, “It’s been a while. I was aiming for his head, guess I need a little more practice.”

The calmness in Rainbow’s voice made everyone in the car shiver as well as sink back into their seats. The remaining man, however, put his blade up and was galvanized for a fight. Rainbow had no hesitation and stood his ground in the centre of the car. The man approached, with caution, and swung. The blade was met by Blitz’s arm blade and parried. Swing after swing the clash of metal could be heard, then a quick sweep at the feet and the man was on his back. In one swift, almost natural, motion Blitz pounced on the man and sunk his blades into his neck. Blitz stood, hood covering his eyes, and the words that escaped his lips were quiet, but enough for everyone to hear, “Rest in peace.” The friends’ hearts sank and Pinkie jerked the train again as she sunk to her knees while holding back a shiver. The friends looked on as their hooded friend stood in the midst of three bodies, but their breaths were stolen once more when witnessing Blitz closing each of their eyes, one-by-one, and searching their pockets as if the act of killing had come natural.

“Haiex?” Luna called, her voice quivering.

Blitz turned to see her being sheltered by Artemis and her, herself, holding Sapphire close as Sapphire hid her face in her hair.

“What have you done?” Celestia hissed.

“They’re casualties of war, that’s all. It was either us or them.” Blitz shook as he came to his senses.

“But you’re the Doctor. You save people,” Bubbles stated from the door.

Blitz looked at him, “Yeah, but I was a killer first.” Blitz, gulping back agony, started for Bubble Berry and gently nudged his way into the cabin. Everyone sunk deeper into their seats as Blitz crossed into the conductor’s cabin, he searched the man’s pockets, as the man squirmed, and found what he had found on the other three men: a gold coin that bared a red cross. “Let us just get to Ponyville and I will explain…to listening ears, I hope.”

The somber mood in the car was cut by a voice over the train’s speaker system, “Oh, come on, Doctor. Admit it, you liked seeing their blood pool.” The Master’s laugh rang in their ears.

“Shut up, Master,” Blitz barked at the ceiling.

Then they heard fingers drumming on wood, over the speakers; four knocks, repeating. “Do you hear that, Doctor? I’m always hearing that rhythm in my ears, aren’t you?”

Blitz’s face went pail as the friends looked to him. “The drums of war,” Blitz whispered.

“Yes! Very good Doctor. That’s what I thought too, then I overheard the Professor once. She said it were, ‘a Time Lord’s heartbeat.’”

It made sense, what he had always been hearing was just his hearts, nothing more. He always forgot he had two hearts, but now it all made sense.

“But see, Time Lord, I’ve been driven mad by these ‘drums,’” the finger tapping continued, “and I get it now, they are drums, not my hearts. I need to feed the drums of war with war.” The Master laughed and all the friends looked at each other once more. “One…Two…Three…Four…I declare…a Time…War,” The Master laughed as he had said the words in time with the drumming. The laughs of his accomplices could be heard in the background.

Solaris spoke up as the sound cut out and the car became quiet again, “I guess it has begun.”

The Royal Pardon

“Get your hands off me. We did nothing to be condoned,” Blitz fought against the restraining grip of Solaris, Artemis, Dusk Shine, and AJ as they walked him off the train.

“Yes, you did,” Solaris whispered to Blitz, pulling Blitz’s hood, as well as his own hood, over his head. The other royals followed suit, and soon the Ponyville friends took the lead as to not cause too much of a spectacle.

“Friendship and Harmony canst live amongst violence and destruction,” Artemis hissed at Blitz as he kept his grip on their prisoner.

“I had to,” Blitz struggled, “if it weren’t them it would have certainly been all of you. ‘The death of a few to save many.’” Blitz tried to look at Artemis with an air of remorse but caught Dusk’s eyes instead, and Blitz’s eyes were only met with sadness from his friend’s.

AJ yanked a little as Blitz’s boots caught the dirt, “Could you at least walk?”

“How about I walk with you instead of being your prisoner?” Blitz barked, but shied away from the confused look AJ gave him.

Artemis had never seen his star pupil act like this and it worried him as well as his brother. “We should just let him walk, he could have teleported away by now.”

Solaris looked to his brother in surprise, but agreed nevertheless. “We should, then we could get to the town hall quicker,” the Prince looked to the clear blue sky, but knew that the storm on the horizon would reach them soon.

All four of the stallions let Blitz take his footing, but kept a wary eye as Blitz dusted off his robes. Dusk put a hand on Blitz’s shoulder, “Look, you try to teleport or anything and we are--”

Blitz raised his hand to Dusk to cut him off, “I highly doubt the Prince of Friendship could harm his friend. Rest assured, though, we won’t deceive you nor run, why should we?” Blitz looked to his friend and gave a small smile.

Dusk was about to say something when Pinkie and Bubbles hopped over to break up the ring of whispers. Pinkie started waving at the on-looking humans as Bubbles brought the five stallions to reality, “Guys, your stopped in the middle of the road, what gives? A bunch of hooded clerics starting a party or something? Come on, ponies are watching.” Bubbles hopped back to Fluttershy and Butterscotch as Pinkie took that as her queue to start on her way to Sugar Cube Corner.

“Pinkie? Where are you going?” Twilight asked.

“Sugar Cube Corner, of course! We can’t fight on empty stomachs,” Pinkie skipped on her way and soon Bubbles joined her.

Twilight sighed, “Typical Pinkie Pie.” A few more steps brought her and her friends to the doors of the town hall, and Twilight was about to knock when Mayor Mare pushed open the doors.

“Twilight! You’re all back. Please, come in. Everypony has been gathered here since the ‘change.’” Mayor Mare led them inside the hall and to everyone’s surprise it seemed as if all of Ponyville was crammed inside the building: figuring out what the hay was going on, how to use these “fingers”, or just confused in general.

Blitz closed the doors after letting the few people from the streets enter, “So, you all are here to figure out what to do?”

“No, more on how this all happened as well.” Mayor Mare whispered to Blitz, “Everypony is pretty traumatized; not just by the change, but by the fact that there are two of everypony, now.”

Blitz and the other hooded royals removed their hoods and everyone in the room bowed as awkwardly as they stood, even Mayor Mustang almost dropped his tea.

“Please, my subjects, rise and know that this problem will all be made clear.” Artemis looked to Luna and Blitz for some help with the speech.

Blitz took Twilight’s hand and whispered, “They look up to you, not me.

“But apparently you know more than me, and you’re a Prince.” Twilight looked at the awaiting mass and gulped, “You say something.”

“They don’t know I’m royal yet, so do what you can and I’ll step in when you see fit, your highness.” Blitz bowed and moved over between Dash and Luna, putting his arm around Sapphire.

Twilight gulped and began, “Everypony, we hope that you all have been able to cope and situate yourselves with each other. In the coming days we will be able to teach all of you what’s really been happening, but for now we only need to learn the basics.” She turned to Blitzkrieg and waved him forward, “My friend, Blitz, will be able to explain everything here at length.”

Blitz gave Sapphire a pat on the shoulder and let her go, into Luna’s care, as he stepped forward. He fixed his belt, “My fellow ‘humans’,” he started, letting the murmurs die away, then continued, “our worst fears are upon us. War has come to Equestria and it has started in the Crystal Kingdom.” There were enraged sobs and gasps as the news settled in, and Blitz continued. “King Sombra is at its helm, there, but I fear that the rest of our enemies are about to make their own side to the war.”

Princess Mi Amor Cadenza stepped forward, “Queen Chrysalis and her changeling army are in league with Sombra as well.”

There were more gasps, then someone spoke up, her black and white Mohawk able to be seen rising as she got up. “These dark deeds have been strewn, but fight we must, and soon.” Zecora, in her traditional dress and rings, came to the centre of the hall, followed by a man baring the same hair and rings as well.

“Changelings can take many form, but we shall make a brew to warn.” Zecoro bowed to the royals, followed by Zecora as well.

Shining Amour bowed to them, in return, as they returned to their spots amongst the group.

Zecora and Zecoro then stopped midway to their seats and turned to Blitz, speaking in unison, “To be disguised is to not be kind, but the truth of royal blood should be heard, in due time.” The hall was silent again as the two former zebras took their seats.

Blitz screwed up his face and was met with astonished looks from his friends as well. “How did they know,” he thought, “their cauldron must be more powerful then imagined.” Blitz shook the thoughts away and looked to the group again, “Just like Zecora and Zecoro, everyone will need to play a part in the coming war. From factory to fighting.”

There were murmurs again, then a little girl called out from under her mother’s arm, “The Doctor will save us,” but was quieted by her mother soon afterwards.

Dusk Shine and Twilight Sparkle looked to one another, confused. “Isn’t that what Blitz called himself, back there?” Twilight whispered to Dusk.

“Yeah, but how does somepony else know?” Dusk replied.

The murmuring started again as the crowd looked around for the girl that belonged to the voice, and Blitz turned to Celestia for help. He knew no one would listen to him, yet.

Luna took the opportunity and used her royal tone, “My subjects, please be silent for Blitz.” The yell cut the din of murmurs to a single whisper, then it was silent again. She looked to Blitz and smiled, which he returned.

Blitz bowed to Luna, next, then addressed the audience again as he weaved through the group, “Who is the little girl that hath spake?” Blitz gave acknowledging nods and smiles to the grouped humans and then a little girl tugged on his robe. He turned to see Dopey, Derpy, and the little girl on Derpy’s lap.

“I-I did, sir,” the little girl squeaked, then hid her face in Derpy’s side, out of embarrassment.

“Sorry, she didn’t really mean it. It’s just, we haven’t seen the Doctor for a long while,” Derpy looked down at Blitz as he crouched on his haunches.

Blitz smiled to Derpy, but the smile soon faded after kissing her hand, “I know, my Professor has been gone a while too.” He patted the little girl’s shoulder to get her to look at him, “Ditzy? You miss him, don’t you?”

The little girl, her cheeks red with embarrassment, turned to Blitz and nodded.

“Well, I’m probably never going to be able to step into his shoes, but I can tell you that his TARDIS and title are safe with me,” he smiled to the girl.

Ditzy cocked her head in confusion, “You are a Time Lord too?”

Blitz nodded, “You can call me, ‘The’ Doctor, if you want. Until he comes back, he entrusted me with his duties.” Blitz then thought a little, then smiled as he snapped his fingers, “And he gave me something, for you to have.” With a glow, of magic, from Blitz’s hand, a patchwork scarf appeared around Ditzy’s neck.

Ditzy cuddled the fabric as if an old friend and a lump formed in Derpy’s throat. Dopey consoled the mother as he saw Ditzy give Blitz a hug around the neck, affecting sighs from the crowd.

“Thank you, Doctor.” Ditzy smiled as she went back to cuddling the scarf.

Blitz smiled back and then went back to the front of the room, “Yes, you may call me the Doctor, for I save people. Yes, that was magic I used, for I’m an alicorn.”

There were astonished looks from the crowd and murmurs, then the question aroused from the mass, “Is he royalty?”

There were questions upon questions, no answers in sight. Time was extended by Shining Armour’s might; with Cadence to empower him, the stallion’s magic grew, and soon a protective bubble was placed around the hall and the town too.

“That should keep them out,” Shining acknowledged his work as he held Cadence close.

“Do you think the changeling will be the only ones?” Cadence looked up to Shining as she leaned on him.

“I doubt it, but until they come, we better get ready,” Shining looked back over at the mass swarming Blitz and his sister. Questions had been answered, but not the important ones and that made Shining wonder if Blitz was withholding something, for sweat beaded down the stallion’s brow.

Blitz finally spoke above the din, soft in tone, and impressively spoke what was on Shining’s, the royals’, and the Ponyville friends’ minds, “We must prepare for war. There is no other way and who bloody cares if I’m royal? I’m going to die as your kin anyway, so what is a title in life when in death we are all the same?” The room fell quiet and Blitz straightened his robes, “Now, we need a battle plan to keep ourselves alive, right now.” Dash started to salute and Blitz barked at her, “And don’t anyone dare salute me, nor call me ‘Prince’. I hate being saluted and I don’t think myself any different than the smallest pony here. Got that?”

Dash gulped and put her hand down, a new pride for her Blitzie now growing.

“Then I propose we start training,” Shining rose from his seat and adjusted his shoulder armour.

“Excellent. Gather those who are able to fight, Shining,” Blitz gave a nod. Scootaloo and Scooteroll both stood up, but then Blitz added, “But, I don’t think we can allow colts and fillies on the front lines.” He looked at them both as the two kids slowly slide back into their seats.

“Maybe we should send out scrolls to the surviving towns,” Cadence added.

Twilight and Dusk both stepped up, in unison of footing and speech, “And we’ll deliver them.” They both looked at each other, flustered a little at the situation.

Solaris got the room’s attention, “Then it is settled, the Element Bearers shall take the messages while the rest of us prepare.” He, unconsciously, put his hand in Celestia’s, fearing his own statement.

“Then it’s settled, we take the train,” Twilight gathered her friends as the others looked on in confusion of the swaying robes.

“I-I don’t like this p-plan,” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Yeah, exactly how are we going keep everypony, we find, safe?” Apple Jack asked.

“With our secret weapon,” Dusk Shine gestured to Rainbow Blitzkrieg as he said the final word.

“Then we’ll start on our designs,” Rarity clapped, giddily, and hooked her arm with Elusive’s.

“Uh, what?” Twilight asked.

Rarity gave a flick of her wrist, “Posh, Darling. You don’t suppose use to go around in these, do you?” Rarity tugged at her robe’s sleeve

“I’ll start making the new mannequins and templates,” Elusive zipped out the doors with his brilliant idea, so fast it would have made Bubbles and Pinkie drop their jaws.

“I don’t know,” Twilight questioned.

“I would find it much appreciated if I didn’t have to fight in these here robes. Too, poufy.” Apple Jack added, affecting nods from everyone except Blitz.

“I don’t--” Twilight began, but was stopped by Rarity’s hand on her mouth.

“Wouldn’t it be counterintuitive if we showed up in these…garbs?” Rarity asked, making a disgusted face at the thought.

“Well, I guess--” Twilight got interrupted again.

“Then it’s settled. Come along, Spikey Wikey, work is to be done,” Rarity turned on her heels and started off to her boutique, with Spike at her heels and Spines following to keep the former dragon from floating away as he swooned over Rarity, again.

“Oh, brother.” Blitz shook his head, “Three hours, tops, and we head out.” He pulled his hood on again and walked off, leaving everyone to question his authority and the tears that were in his eyes.

A Visit With The Doctor

We start our story, opening up on Butterscotch landing behind Sugar Cube Corner, carrying a camera; Dusk Shine's waiting for him on the ground. "Thanks for helping out with the group shot, for the princes, Butterscotch," said Dusk Shine in his perky manner.

"Least I can do..." Butterscotch replied, in his soft tone, as he proceeded to fiddled with preparing the camera.

Dusk Shine started to pace back and forth, muttering to himself, "Okay, so we got the princes busy inside...we got the camera...uh, where's Barbara and the other's when I need them..." At that moment, AJ, Elusive, and Bubble Berry rounded the corner and walked up behind Dusk Shine.

"Howdy!" Bubble Berry shouted, making Dusk Shine jump.

"We late o'something?" asks AJ as he walked to Dusk Shine's side and sat down.

"No, none of you are late. Now, we better get this going--is the camera set up yet Butterscotch?"

"I think so..."

"Everyone in the frame?" Dusk Shine asked Butterscotch, with a smile. Butterscotch noded, turning a knob on the camera and walking over to where Dusk Shine, AJ, Bubble Berry, and Elusive had bunch themselves for the picture.

"Not everypony's here though," Elusive remarked to Dusk Shine, who then quickly took inventor of his friends.

"Your right...anyone see Rainbow Blitz lately?" Dusk Shine said, astonished of his ignorance.

Our point of view switches to the camera's viewpoint and we see Rainbow Blitz fly in, carrying his saddle bags; he lands, panting. Bubble Berry bounced over and patted him on the back, "You okay, Buddy?"

"Yeah, you look a little winded, Sugarcube," AJ said as he walked over to Bubble's side.

"I'm...fine...just a little full...I guess..." replied Blitz as he panted and hung his head. He soon straightened up, but then slouched again as he panted, wings flexing with every breath.

Dusk Shine noticed a leaf hanging out of the corner of Blitz's mouth and walked closer, plucking the leaf out of Rainbow Blitz's mouth, with his magic; he assumed examination of it as it floated in front of his snout. "Exactly where were you before you got here, Blitz?" Dusk Shine asked, not looking away from the leaf.

"I was...in the Everfree forest, coming back from Zecuro's..." Rainbow Blitz got his second wind and straightened up, "I was coming back, and I was hungry. I must've eaten some Dandelions or something--"

"Not something Rainbow, Poison Joke!" At that moment, Dusk Shine dropped the leaf, in fright, and back pedaled a little. The rest of the friends followed suit and gave Blitz a wide berth. "Have you been feeling lightheaded, Blitz?" Dusk Shine asked, precaution filling his voice as he turned the Poison Joke leaf into an orange.

"No...not at--" Rainbow Blitz staggered a little and fell over in a plume of dust.

His friends crowded around him to try and help. Suddenly a black wing shot out from the epicenter of the mass. All the friends backed away from Blitz, revealing a black coated Alicorn.

Elusive stuttered, "Rainbow, i-is that...you?" he walked closer to Blitz, who staggered to his feet.

He flexed his jet black wings and shook off the dust, revealing a dark hourglass cutie mark. In a British accent, to match Elusive’s, "Well, of course it's me Elusive...well sort of." Blitz walked over to the camera and muses at his reflection in the lens, flipping his dark, black and brown, mane and tail around to look at them; he could help but muse at the looks his horn was getting from the friends. "Seems what Ms. Time Turner said would happen--oh, and you set this camera to three minutes Butterscotch, but it's almost out," he turned to the others and gave them a grin, then trotted over. Blitz surveyed his friends and noticed they all were still dazed about what just happened.

AJ snapped out of his confusion and stammered, "Wh...who are ya?"

"Why, it's me...Blitz," he began to chuckle and scrap the ground with his hoof, with enthusiasm. The rest of the friends slowly, but surely, escape their dazed states one by one. “So...you guys...na...” Blitz paused as he mused at the idea of sharing his Tardis with his friends, but he casually denied himself.
“If we want to what?” asks Dusk Shine in response.

“Oh, just to see my new Tardis,” replied Blitz. “I’ve been wanting to show you guys it for a while, now.”

“What is that?”

“Well, it’s a ‘time and relative dimension in space’ contraption that allows me to travel to any when and where.”

Dusk Shine raised an ear in surprise, “A what?...But space and time travel doesn’t exist.”

“You want to find out if it does?” Rainbow Blitz coaxed his friends who eagerly nodded at the idea of seeing such a machine. “Good,” Rainbow Blitz replied, he then reached into his saddle bags and extracted a funny looking, green, stick from one of them.

“And if I might ask, what’s that?” Elusive inquired, a little annoyed at his friend’s accent.

Blitz set it on the ground and pressed a button on it with his nose, and it began to emit a low buzzing noise that everyone, including the camera, could hear (along with the emittence of a blue light). “Well, Ms. Time Turner said it was a...um...sonic screwdriver?” he smiled towards Elusive. From out of a spark in the air, nearest to Butterscotch, who was standing at the edge of the group, appeared a Police Pony Box. Rainbow Blitz picked up the screwdriver in his mouth, winked at the group in general, and casually strutted over to the structure. He then pressed the button, on the screwdriver again, pointing it at the Police Pony Box. Through gritted teeth, “This is the Tardis.”--with rising enthusiasm--"I’m so happy to show you gents.” A latch is heard opening and Blitz pushed the door inward, putting the screwdriver back into his saddle bags, and trotted into the machine.

From the camera’s view we can see a capacious room within the tiny Tardis. From within Blitz called to his friends in a giddy voice, “You are all welcome to come in.”

They all do so, cautiously surveying the spacious room, and gasping in amazement, as they walk across the threshold.
“This is so cool!” exclaimed Bubble Berry as he bounced around the room looking at everything. “What’s this--What’s this--What’s this?”

Rainbow Blitz frantically exclaimed, as he rushed to stop Bubble Berry, “Don’t pull that lever, Bubble--” A lever is heard as it hits its end rail, and the door of the Tardis slams shut. The lights and gears of the Tardis whir to life and the box itself leaps into the air, emitting a strange purple ripple as it hangs there, in mid-air, in front of the camera. A bolt of lightning strikes and the Tardis is gone. The residual shock of the rip in time topples the camera and the photo is taken as the lens shatters on impact.

An Encounter With the Familiar

Whirring…buzzing…flashing lights. Rainbow Blitz, still in his Time Lord form, lay, unconsciously, on the floor of his Tardis. The room was a mess of loose bolts, broken wires, sparks, and cluttered boxes, everywhere, as if they had made a crash landing. Blitz twitched one ear and then the other, groaned, then slowly cracked his eyelids open. He stirred, surveying the disaster zone, “Guys…Guys!?” he yelled out, in a weak and strained voice. Out of one of the mounds of boxes he saw a butterscotch wing break through and stretch into the air. Rainbow Blitz struggles to his feet, soar in his joints but unscathed. He staggers over to the cluttered mound of boxes and started to dig. He uncovered Butterscotch’s dazed body under the mess. Rainbow Blitz got his strength back and started nudging Butterscotch’s side, “Butterscotch...stay with me buddy...”

“Uh...what happened…?” Butterscotch asked, in a dazed voice, as his slowly became conscious and stared about the room.

“We must’ve made a crash landing,” Blitz elucidated as he helped his friend up. Butterscotch got to his hooves and when the friends looked around at the room, closely, they noticed that their friends’ motionless bodies were strewn about the floor. They both helped each one to their hooves as fast as their soar joints could move them. Everypony looked around the massacred room and followed Rainbow Blitz to the door, after they all gained their strength. Rainbow Blitz rapped on the broken door of the Tardis, but it wouldn’t open to his touch. He stood back, “AJ, think you and I could bust open the door?”

“Let’s try it, Sugarcube,” AJ said in a patronizing tone, already stretching out his legs for the job.

Blitz stretch out his wings to full length and assumed a fighting stance, awaiting the blow-back from the door.

AJ assumed his stance next to Blitz and gritted his teeth. “Ya ready, partner?”

“Just hope you can keep up, Workhorse. On the count of ‘three.’”

Blitz and AJ counted down. As soon as they said, “THREE!” they bolted for the door. First hit gave them soar shoulders, but the door didn’t budge. They tried again, the door cracked outwards a bit, effecting smiles between all the friends. The third try sent the door shattering outwards along with AJ and Blitz onto the dusty ground outside, in a heap. The rest of the colts were blinded by the sudden sunlight, a great opposition to the dark Tardis, and they all stumbled out on top of AJ and Rainbow Blitz. Then there was a clutter of hooves, manes, tails, and a din of, “Get your hoof out of my face!”--"move your tail!”--”OUCH!”

All the friends managed to get their bearings and untwist themselves. They started brushing each other off. “Hey, look guys, we’re back home!” AJ announced. All the friends looked around in delight as they noticed they were in Ponyville, back behind Sugar Cube Corner.

“Then how did we take such as spill?” Elusive interjected, referring to the battered and smoking Tardis that now laid behind them.

“I don’t know. See Blitz, that time and rational dimen...”--Dusk Shine stuttered with trying to remember what Rainbow Blitz had explained the Tardis was--“...you know. That contraption of yours doesn’t work, we’re back home.” Butterscotch noticed a bird sitting in a nearby tree, tuning the argument out, he whistled a tune and the bird fluttered over to him. The bird landed on Butterscotch’s shoulder, then it quickly fluttered off when it noticed who he was. Butterscotch laid down in distress and both Dusk Shine and Rainbow Blitz stopped arguing, changing there attention to Butterscotch.

“What’s the matter Butterscotch?” asked Blitz as he patted him on the shoulder.

“I...don’t...know...that bird got scared as if it didn’t know me...” his hushed tone faded as he lowered his head.

“See! Now you even got Butterscotch paranoid!” Dusk Shine exclaimed. Butterscotch slinks away from both of them and walks to Elusive’s side.

“Paranoid? It’s a fact that we’re in another dimension, considering that the camera’s gone,” Blitz said, calmly, to Dusk Shine, he then gestures to where the camera had stood, but there were no tripod marks in the dust. Dusk Shine hesitates with his answer, then Bubble Berry intervened.

“Let’s take this up with Ms. Cup Cake, she’ll set this straight!” he bounces up to the street corner and around to the front door of Sugar Cube Corner, the others rush after him. He bounded in and across the threshold to the counter where Ms. Cup Cake was putting out some treats in the display cabinets. “Ms. Cup Cake, Ms. Cup Cake! I’m back!”

She stares at Bubble Berry with a confused smile as the other colts walk through the door. “Well, hello?...I’m sorry, but do I know you?” Ms. Cup Cake asked, finishing up with the pastries and sitting down behind the counter, staring at Bubble Berry. She glanced over all the colts, “you all look very familiar...” Rainbow Blitz walked up behind Bubble Berry and patted him on the back. Bubble Berry hung his head and lowered his ears and tail, walking back to his friends.

Blitz looked back at Ms. Cup Cake, “You really don’t know us?”

Ms. Cup Cake shook her head, “You must be new here. Pinkie will be pleased,” she smiles and pranced off to the kitchen. Midway to her destination, in front of the staircase, she stopped and called, gently, “Pinkie? Come down here and help me with these muffins.” She then resumes her course and walked to the back kitchen. The friends all look at each other and then Blitz gestured to a table in the corner and they all went to sit down, around it.
“How does she not remember me?” Bubble Berry exclaimed as he started to whimper, but luckily AJ decided to cheer him up.
“She probably is gonna throw ya a surprise party, o’something,” he grinned to Bubble Berry who started to perk up at the thought. The friends started debating the situation of time travel, considering that the place was cleaned up, as if the princes had left some time ago. Then, the friends hear some audible bouncing from upstairs, then a door opened and the bouncing travelled down the steps.

Pinkie Pie bounded off the last step and walked over to the counter, “Which ones are for Derpy, Ms. Cup Cake?”

“The ones in your saddle bags, Pinkie,” Ms. Cup Cake replied, from the kitchen. Pinkie reached for them, but through the display glass she notices a pink tail. She got curious and walks around the counter to see what was up. She starts to approach the table, where the colts were discussing their troubling matter. She believed she recognizes them, “Hi, Twilight!” Dusk Shine turned around and offered her a confused smile. She looks back at him puzzled and then looks at Bubble Berry. She gasped and jumped over the table at Bubble Berry, all the colts lean back as she topples Bubbles to the ground. They roll over a couple of times and Pinkie ended up sitting on top of Bubble Berry, and she pinned him down, gently, “Hiay!”

“Uh...hiay, Miss?” Bubble Berry replied, a little confused. Pinkie got off of him and then realized that the colts weren’t from Ponyville and gasped. She jumps up and zipped out the door.

“What was that all about?” asked Rainbow Blitz as he walks over to Bubble Berry and helped him to his hooves.

“I really don’t know, but she was something,” a dazed smile crossed his face and then he walks over to the door and looks outside.

“That mare looked awfully familiar,” Elusive exclaimed.

Butterscotch nodded in agreement.

Bubble Berry pinned his ears back in disappointment and walks back to the table, from the door, taking his seat beside AJ.

“It’s alright, partner, she’ll be around,” AJ patted Bubble Berry on the back. He started to perk up.

Rainbow Blitz smacked one hoof on the table and smiles, “Bubbles, would you do exactly what that mare did, if you met newcomers?”

“Yeah, I would even through them a party, like I did with Dusk Shine,” Bubble Berry elbowed Dusk Shine in the ribs. Dusk smiled and then walked over to the counter and took a look at Pinkie’s saddle bags.

"Bubbles, isn't this your cutie mark?" Dusk Shine waved Bubble Berry over and all the colts walked over with him.

"Yeah! These look like the same ones you made me Dusk Shine," Bubble Berry sniffed them and grimaced, "but they don't smell the same."

Rainbow Blitz coughed to get everyone's attention. Everypony turned and noticed that one of Blitz's saddle bags was soaked and his colors had returned to normal. "Hey, what was in your bag?" asked AJ.

Rainbow Blitz looks at his colors and then his bag, "Must have been the antidote Zecuro had given me." He smiles, his accent returning to normal, and then stated again, "If we hadn't crossed into another dimension, Dusk Shine, then why is there a mare very similar to Bubble Berry, here?"

Dusk Shine sighed, in defeat, "I concede to your notion, but now that you've proven your point, can we go home?" All the colts nodded in agreement with Dusk Shine's plea.

“Sorry guys, I checked the Tardis before we got into Sugar Cube Corner. It’s pretty beaten up and it’ll need some time to repair itself.”

Bubble Berry retracted his nose from Pinkie’s saddle bags and looked at Blitz, “Did you just say it was ‘repairing’ itself?”

Rainbow Blitz nodded in return, “Besides, it won’t let me in unless I undergo another change into my Time Lord form,” he gave Bubble Berry a convivial smile.

After the shock of being stuck in such a quandary passed, Dusk Shine started making conversation over what to do in the meantime. To the colts’ surprises, they heard chattering from outside.

“Pinkie, settle down Sugarcube,” said an unfamiliar voice, to the colts, displaying AJ’s western accent.

“I told you, I told you, Ireallysawclonesofyouguys! You guys haven’t cloned yourselves, right?” said the distinctive, upbeat, voice of Pinkie Pie.

“No we haven’t Pinkie, but we’ll indulge you and take a look.”

“Oh, thank you Twilight!”

There was a melancholy pause and the colts looked at each other in silent questioning. Then the door swung open by the majestic push of a blue Pegasus wing, that resembled Rainbow Blitz’s own, and six young looking mares made there way into the shop. The door slowly creaked closed as both groups of friends looked at each other, the colts identifying only the fact that the new guests had striking likeness to themselves. The mares had evidently noticed the same, for they now huddled together and started conversing in inaudible speech. The colts looked at one another, and reflecting on the manners that they acquiesced from their princes, lined themselves up and bowed to the mares, bidding them welcome. The mares in return fluttered in a silent giddiness, at least that’s what the colts could deduce from the sudden high pitched chatter coming from the mare’s huddled bundle. Then finally, Elusive mustered up the courage to bid them “good morning.”

He stood straight and took two paces to the center point between the two groups, “Good morrow, ladies,” he said in his unflinching accent, and with a fashionable smile. Then a purple mane, such as his, amongst the throng of mares caught his eye. “And who’d it be that belong to such a magnificent, velvet, mane, such as my own?” he asked in a beckoning tone. Out of both reply and curiosity, a white coated unicorn walked, awkwardly up to Elusive. She was obviously flattered and blushing because of his compliment, and when she stood in front of him, she sheepishly smiled and moved some of her mane. Elusive was about to speak, then noticed her cutie mark which had a remarkable resemblance to his. The mare noticed he was eying her flank and sat down out of embarrassment, which effected laughter from the other mares. Elusive’s look alike seemed to get infuriated by the laughter that she jumped back up to her hooves and looked him in the eyes.

“The name is Rarity, sir, and who are you?” she elucidated in a stern manner.

Elusive was taken aback by the sudden harshness, but then stated, “I’m but a tailor who mends bad soles and lovers’ hearts to one another.” Referencing his mental playbook of gentlecolt like responses, Elusive affectionately lifted up Rarity’s hoof with his own and kissed it. She recoiled and blushed harder, then ran back into the throng of mares. Elusive, for a few seconds, stood dumbfounded in the middle of the groups, trying to get another glimpse of the beauty. With no luck he sighed and returned to his place in the line of colts where AJ, the nearest to him, patted his back in a job well done. Then, after a brief pause, a purple coated unicorn walked out to the center of the groups. Dusk Shine noticed her perfect resemblance to him, all the way down to the cutie mark, and valiantly trotted forward to greet her. She extended her hoof in the air in front of him and he put his underneath, and they did there best to shake.

In a melodic, and intelligent statement from the mare, “the name’s Twilight Sparkle, what is your name, stranger?”

“The name’s Dusk Shine, proud pupil of Prince Solaris,” he stated in a choppy, nervous, reply.

“Did you say ‘prince?’ We only have princesses here, Dusk Shine.”

“Then I believe we come from different dimensions where we’re ruled by different genders, ma’am,” he said politely, bowing to Twilight as to not seem pretentious.

Twilight seemed to be confused for a moment, then walked back to her group murmuring, “I have to analyze this...” She entered the mass of mares as Dusk Shine slowly released a sigh of relief and returned to his friends, shooting a look of submission at Rainbow Blitz. The next thing anypony knew, Bubble Berry and Pinkie Pie were getting a conversation going about cupcakes and Fluttershy was cautiously approaching Butterscotch with one question after another. The rest of the colts paired up with their mare counterparts, flattering them with their gentlecolt like actions; however, Rainbow Blitz was left alone where he had been standing, not ever catching a second glimpse of that majestic blue wing, he’d seen earlier. He let out a sigh, then someone poked his wings from behind. Blitz turned around to come face to face with a rainbow maned Pegasus that had a striking resemblance to him.

She ruffled his mane, “If you were my clone, you’d look better.”

Blitz thought of a witty comeback that he’d used on Elusive once, “would twenty percent cooler suffice?”

She back pedaled two steps in astonishment, but Blitz just looked on like that was nothing.

“How did you know I said that?” she said, but her voice trailed off as she looked at her hooves, trying to hide her involuntary blushing.

“I had a hunch,” Blitz notices some of her mane fall in her face, and pushes it back with his nose, “the name’s Rainbow Blitz, and I have a hunch that yours it quite similar.”

Her face turned evermore pink and her wings stood up a little. She stepped back from him and tried to compose herself, and when she got herself back together she smiled at him. In her cocky fashion, “The name’s Rainbow Dash, the one and only.”

“Well, Ms. Dash, I do believe that you’ve peaked my interest,” he bows to her, effecting a blush, from her, once more.

It took several hours for some of the ponies to get acquainted, others took less time, but were intrigued to keep talking due to the signs of courtesy they gave each other in turn. In the end, the colts were each invited to stay with there mare counterparts, "Should we accept guys?" asked Dusk Shine.

"Well, we do need a place to stay. What better accommodations then our own homes?" stated Rainbow Blitz. He then looked over at Dash, noticing that she too was in a vehement discussion with her friends, he turned back to his group.

"I would like to pick up a sowing trick, or two, from Rarity," said Elusive with a grin.

"We shouldn’t get involved with ourselves, even if it's another dimension," Dusk Shine stated, cautiously.

"Oh, come on, Sugarcube, I saw how you were eyeing Twilight," AJ said, mockingly.

Dusk Shine interjected, "I wasn't," then he sheepishly admitted, "okay, your half right."

"Then it's settled, we're bunking with the mares tonight!" Rainbow Blitz said triumphantly. The colts gave each other hoof-bumps out of excitement, then they parted ways with there new found company.