A New Harmonyby The-rogue-shadowChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15EpilogueChapter 1Twilight cast the spell on Applejack, merging her mind with that of the comatose Pegasus Rainbow Dash, in an effort to wake up Rainbow from her coma. The coma was a result of a brutal attack by Rainbow's former friend Gilda, the griffin. Twilight slumped down, exhausted from the effort of casting such a difficult spell. Fluttershy flew over and helped her up. "Are you okay Twilight?" Asked the timid yellow Pegasus, Twilight nodded to indicate that she was okay. The others that had gathered in Rainbow's hospital room breathed a sigh of relief. Twilight's friends had all gathered to give Twilight support; there was Fluttershy, The white Unicorn Rarity, the pink earth pony Pinkie Pie and Applejack's Brother and Fluttershy's coltfriend Big Mackintosh. "So what do we do now Twi." Asked Big Mac, his voice full of concern for his little sister, Fluttershy flew over and hugged him. "We do the only thing we can; we wait." Said Twilight, she had originally intended to go into Rainbow's mind to retrieve Rainbow, but was talked out of it by Applejack, who had insisted to go instead. "Unfortunately Twilight, we cannot even do that." Said a voice behind them, Twilight looked up at the beautiful white Alicorn Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria and Twilight's mentor. The look on the Princess' face was a mixture of sadness and anger. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight exclaimed, the ponies all bowed in respect to the Princess. "Yes Twilight, and I'm sorry but we have no time for pleasantries, the very fate of Equestria is at risk." Said Princess Celestia, her voice was filled with a seriousness that Twilight had never heard before. "What's the matter Princess?" Inquired Twilight, beginning to get worried. "You remember the Griffin that attacked Rainbow Dash?" She asked, and continued her explanation at the looks of anger that came across the faces of the ponies. "Well she was not just some random griffin, unbeknownst to me; she is the daughter of the leader of the United Griffin Empire." The ponies gathered around Celestia all gasped, Rarity was the most dramatic; she feigned a faint as she gasped. "And that is not all, because of the actions of Big Mac; they have declared war on Equestria, effective immediately." "WHAT! Ah was only protecting my sister, from that so-called Princess." Yelled Big Mac. "That may be so, but whatever story she told, it has gotten her father angry enough to break the truce between our nations that has lasted six hundred years." Said the Princess, looking sympathetically at Big Mac. "Is there any sort of peaceful solution?" Asked Fluttershy, hiding behind Big Mac. "I'm afraid not Fluttershy, they are refusing every offer of peace that we make with them." Celestia replied. "So what do you want us to do Princess?" Asked Twilight, suddenly becoming very serious. "I need you and the other elements to take up arms against this threat and defend Equestria." Proclaimed Celestia, invoking a strange feeling of pride in the ponies. "Yay! Let's go get those big Meany griffins." Said Pinkie Pie, jumping around, she suddenly stopped in mid-air. "Wait, I just remembered, we're down two elements." She said, looking at her two bed ridden friends. "Then we will have to find replacements." Said Twilight, to which Celestia nodded. "Can you think of any ponies that embody the elements of honesty and loyalty?" "What about Big Mac, he's very honest, and he's the bravest pony I've ever met." Said Fluttershy, suddenly coming out from her hiding space and kissing Big Mac on the cheek, making him blush. "Ah'd love to darlin, but ah don't think that I could handle the pressure of being an element, I'm not honest enough. Ah will gladly and easily lie to protect people ah love. But make no mistake, ah will gladly fight for you princess." Big Mac said, turning and kissing Fluttershy, whispering his apologies into her ear. He then turned back to Princess Celestia; "But ah have heard tell of a pony who is meant to be the most loyal in history. They say that he is not only loyal to Equestria, but to the whole planet." "And I know a pony who has never ever lied, not once, she's a bit clumsy, but she's always willing to help." Smiled Pinkie Pie. Princess Celestia nodded and smiled,. "I know exactly the two ponies you mean." She bowed her head, concentrating as her horn began to glow white. A sphere of white appeared in the middle of the group, and dissipated, leaving two stunned looking ponies in between them. One was a brown earth pony, a stallion, his coat, mane and tail were all brown, and his cutie mark was an hourglass. The other was a grey Pegasus, whose mane and tail were blond, and was fairly pretty, the only thing that seemed strange was her golden eyes, they looked in different directions. "What the hay? How did we get here Derpy? The last thing I remember, we were in the Tar-." Said the brown pony, before Derpy interrupted; "Doctor, look! It's Princess Celestia!" She said, smiling an enormous smile. "Oh My, Hello Tia." Said the Doctor, Twilight's eyes widened as the Doctor jumped up and gave Celestia a kiss on the cheek. 'Oh my Celestia, who is this pony?" Thought Twilight. "Hello Doctor, it's good to see you again." Smiled Celestia, obviously the two had a history together. "Same to you Tia, wow, it must have been what, a few centuries at least." Said the Doctor cryptically. "Just who in the Hay are you?" Asked twilight, fed up with wasting time. The Doctor looked at her and his eyes widened, as though he hadn't noticed the other ponies that had gathered. 'Oh, I'm sorry, hello, I'm the Doctor." He said, before walking over to the sleeping forms of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "And what's this? The Rainbow one's obviously in a coma, but what's with the orange one, sleeping, no, then what would be the reason for the spell." He bent down and licked Applejack's face, making the other ponies cringe. The Doctor stuck his tongue out; "Ugh, sour, new spell huh? First time trying it, hm, OH! I know, you have merged the minds of these two ponies so as to make the Rainbow one wake up, brilliant, absolutely brilliant." The Doctor chuckled to himself as Twilight's mouth dropped open. "Yes, tha..that's right. It will last for two days before Applejack is trapped or is pulled back into her own body." Said Twilight, stammering for words as she explained. The Doctor smiled at Twilight and said; "I see, well then, I suppose I should help out then shouldn't I?" He placed his hooves on either side of Rainbow's and closed his eyes. After a moment, he pulled his hooves away and walked back over to Derpy. "And just what did you just do to Rainbow Dash, you strange stallion?" Asked Rarity, staring at the Doctor, a gleam of lust in her eyes. "I did something very simple, I planted a seed." He said, before turning and making his way for the door. "A seed?" Asked Fluttershy, suddenly interested if there was plants involved. "Yep, a seed of doubt." He said and began to walk out of the room, Derpy following closely. The group, including Celestia all looked at each other, a look of confusion and shock on their faces, then turned back, before realising that the Doctor was leaving. As one voice they all called out his name, beckoning him back. "What, wasn't that what you wanted me for? To help wake up the Rainbow one?" He asked. Celestia gave a sigh, remembering what a handful the Doctor could be. "No Doctor, we need your help in defending Equestria from a war with the griffins." "OH… what do you need me to do?" The Doctor smiled awkwardly. "We need you both to stand in for these two as the elements of Loyalty and honesty respectively." Said Twilight, absolutely stupefied at the Doctor. The Doctor looked at Derpy, who was staring daggers at Rarity. "So what do you think assistant? Ready for another adventure?" He asked her, Derpy looked back at him and smiled; "With you Doctor? Always." Chapter 2The Doctor looked along the line at his new companions, and was instantly worried, he wasn't sure he could fit in with them, or if he could bring himself to get close to any of them, given his track record with friends. Derpy looked over and smiled at him, and the Doctor smiled back, but even then, he was worried about losing her, his only friend. The Doctor had witnessed wars, and fought in many, and he knew that you never get over the scars of what you do. But here were these young girls, about to fight a war with one of the most warlike and barbaric races on the planet, and for some reason, he felt certain that these were the perfect ponies for the job. The Doctor looked back at Celestia, who was opening the chamber that housed the elements of harmony, a source of power that even his species, the time lords, had failed to understand. Celestia opened the box, and The Doctor stared at the beauty of the elements, five necklaces and a crown, all adorned with a coloured jewel, shaped like the wielders cutie marks. Derpy turned to the Doctor and whispered into his ear; "I really just hope that we live up to their expectations." To which the Doctor replied; "I'm sure you will Derpy, I'm sure you will." They both turned back to Celestia and gave her their full attention. The elements flew out of the box one by one, attaching themselves to their owners; Twilight received the crown, as she had the most elusive element, magic. When it came to The Doctor's and Derpy's turn, they were reluctant to put them on, as the jewel stared back at them, almost as though it was telling them that they didn't belong. The Doctor finally grabbed his and slipped it on, and unexpectedly, both he and Derpy were lifted into the air by some strange power, they grasped each other's hooves, and were shocked to find that they could hear the other's thoughts. "Derpy? Is this what you feel like all the time?" Asked the Doctor, as feelings of sadness and memories of constant bullying assaulted his mind. He felt a new sense of closeness and responsibility for his companion, and another emotion he hadn't felt in a long, long time. "Not when I'm with you Doctor." She said, while the whole time, her mind was cascaded with the time lord's memories and regrets, for the grey Pegasus, it was almost too much, but she just wanted to be strong for the Doctor and held on. A new voice in their head came through, a deep, ethereal voice. "The Doctor of Gallopfrey, your Loyalty is without question. Derpy hooves of Earth, your honesty shines through the darkness of deceit. Protect Equestria and hold on to friendship." They were lowered down to the ground, and looked over at the faces of the stunned other elements, as well as each other. They looked down, and were surprised to see what was around each other's necks; Derpy still had a necklace, but the jewel had changed from a red apple shape to a group of three diamond bubbles, mirroring her cutie mark. The Doctor, however, didn't have a necklace, instead, around his neck sat a golden silk tie, emblazoned with his hourglass cutie mark at the bottom. "Oh my, those are lovely." Said Fluttershy, looking closely at the new elements. "Yes they are, aren't they, and I think this suits me a lot better than a necklace." Laughed the Doctor. "So Doctor how do I look?" Asked Derpy. The Doctor grinned at his companion and said; "Stunning Derpy, absolutely stunning." Derpy blushed. Rarity jumped into the middle of the two. "And what do you think of mine Doctor?" She asked, battering her eyes. Behind her, Derpy looked as though she was about to hit Rarity, but was pulled back by Twilight and Fluttershy. "Oh! Uh… It's very… nice Rarity." Said the Doctor, taken aback and unsure of what to say. "My little ponies, now is not the time for this! We have a meeting with Emperor Gregor of the griffins soon, so compose yourselves!" Said Celestia, her voice was serious but still had an undertone of laughter. The six elements bowed their heads, feeling foolish. "I am sorry for my attitude everyone, but this whole affair has me very worried." Celestia said, her eyes downcast. "If there is nothing else, then we should be going." The group nodded and they walked out of the chamber towards the meeting room where Emperor Gregor was waiting. Just as they were about to go in, Big Mac, clad fully in the golden armour of a royal soldier, stopped them at the door. "Princess, ah understand if this is improper, but may ah sit in on the meeting and explain to the Emperor my actions." Celestia frowned but nodded her head, and Big Mac followed her in. Emperor Gregor was by no means a warrior griffin, perhaps in his youth, but those days were long gone. The feathers around his face and at the tips of his wings were grey, and he was much larger around the middle than would be expected of a warrior. The seven ponies and Celestia sat down at the table across from Gregor. "Emperor Gregor, it is good to see you again, what a pity it isn't under better circumstances." Celestia said, smiling through her teeth at the disgusting mess of a creature. "Same to you Celestia, now let's cut to the chase." He said abruptly and pointed at Big Mac; "Is this the brute that attacked my sweet little girl Gilda?" "Your highness, please allow me to explain. Gilda had attacked my friend, and turned on my sister when ah stopped her. Please understand, ah was only protecting my family." Said Big Mac, with a respect that Celestia had not expected. Unfortunately, Gregor just shook his head; "Please do not sully my presence with your lies boy, Gilda told me the whole story. Of how she had been out for a casual fly through the orchard, and was set upon by a giant red brute, who had held her down and told of how he was going to cut off her wings and sell them." Said Gregor, spiting as he talked. Big Mac's eyes went wide with shock, he had not expected the lie to be so condemning. "I assure you Gregor, what Big Mackintosh is saying is the truth. We have Gilda's victim in the hospital of Ponyville. She has been in a coma since the attack." Celestia said, hoping to convince Gregor and prevent bloodshed. But Gregor wasn't listening; he had noticed the Doctor staring at him. "And what are you looking at weirdo." He said, narrowing his eyes at the doctor. "I remember you." Said the Doctor "Gregor, it's me! The Doctor! I was there many years ago when you were trying to woo that little filly in Manehatten." The Doctor winked at the griffin. "Doctor? You are the Doctor? You don't look anything like him, The Doctor I met was blue and had a Blonde mane." He said, the Doctor smiled awkwardly. "Oh right, good point, but I promise you, it is me. And as your friend, I implore you to see reason, you know that all a war will do is cause bloodshed, and I know that you are too gentle a soul to want that." The Doctor said to Gregor, invoking a glazed look from the griffin as he remembered. Gregor suddenly snapped out of it, looked at the Doctor and said; "I'm sorry Doctor, but times change. I'm not the Gregor you used to know, I'm responsible for a whole nation now, and my nation cries out for justice, but I am a fair ruler. I propose that I drop the war if, and only if, this Big Mac agrees to be publicly executed for the crime of attacking a foreign diplomat." The ponies all gasped at this proposal, then all argued with Gregor, but their arguments fell on deaf ears. Finally Celestia stood and declared to Gregor; "This proposal is outrageous, your daughter attacks my subjects and their hero is meant to lay down his life because of some spoilt little brat, well I say no, NO GREGOR! We will fight you, you have insulted me, and my nation, you have your war, be prepared." Celestia used the traditional Canterlot voice, which ruffled the feathers of the griffin Emperor. Gregor stood, smoothed out the feathers on his face and left the room with his guards; "Poorly handled Celestia, Poorly handled." He shouted back at the ponies as he left. Big Mac turned to Celestia; "But Princess, ah don't think that my life is worth the probable loss of thousands." He said, almost pleading with her to allow him to do this. "Big Mac, do you know how the griffins execute ponies?" She asked, Big Mac shook his head. "They tie you up, spreadeagled in the middle of a town, shave you right down, and whip you until you pass out. Then, they heal you, and do it again and again, and that's just the first ten days, every ten days, the form of torture changes, and if you survive one hundred days, they behead you. But if you die before the hundred days, they eat you, and send the bones back to your family, with the names of the griffins that ate you carved into them. I will not let you, a hero, be subjected to that." The seven ponies went silent, even Pinkie, her hair had been slowly deflating as Celestia described the execution. Suddenly, the Doctor screamed out in pain, clutching his head. Derpy held him up, so that he didn't hurt himself. "What is it Doctor?" Derpy asked, terrified. "There's a problem in Rainbow's mind, I need to get there fast." He said, calling out as the pain increased. Celestia's horn glowed and the whole group teleported straight to the hospital. On the Outside, Rainbow and Applejack looked fine, but still the Doctor was in pain, he walked over to Rainbow with Derpy's help. He placed his hooves on either side of Rainbow's head again, and closed his eyes. He let go a moment later, turned to the group, and with downcast eyes said; "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but Applejack is losing, she needs more time." All eight ponies' heads dropped, until Derpy shot up and said; "Wait, I have an idea! Doctor do you remember the last time we were with the Princess and I was attacked by that poisonous plant-thing." "Of course! Derpy, you're a genius, Celestia, the time lock spell!" exclaimed the Doctor, giving Derpy a kiss on the cheek. Princess Celestia nodded and bowed her head, concentrating. "WHAT IS GOING ON!" Yelled Twilight, sick of being out of the loop; Fluttershy cowered behind Big Mac at the sound of Twilight's outburst. The Doctor turned to her and said; "The last time we were with Tia, Derpy was attacked by a chloriflora, a very poisonous creature, and the antidote was going to take weeks to produce. So Tia cast a spell that essentially made a time bubble, with everything inside happening at a much slower pace, and needless to say, it worked, and Derpy is still with me." "So what you're saying is that time will move slower for AJ and Rainbow, and because the spell only lasts two days…" Twilight said, trying to make sense of the Doctor's nonsense. "Then the remaining time will be drawn out over a period of I don't know how long." Finished the Doctor. Celestia straightened up, and the group looked at their bed-ridden friends, surrounded by a bubble that seemed to bend light in certain spots. "The pain has stopped." Said the Doctor, but the group said nothing; they just sat looking worried at their friends. Celestia wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye, and cleared her throat; "Come on my little ponies, we still have a war to plan." And with another flash of light, the group vanished. Chapter 3Derpy was beginning to feel ill, teleporting was not the preferred method of travel for pegasi, but knew that the situation was too urgent to deal with flying normally. When they arrived at their destination, she was shocked as she looked over what was to be the battlefield, trees and shrubs were being cleared, both to make room for fighting, as well as to build up a defensive perimeter. On the far side, she could see a small camp forming, the griffins. She sidled closer to the Doctor, finding comfort in his warmth, and followed Celestia to the main tent that was to become their base of operations. It was a lot more simple inside than Derpy expected, in the centre of the room was a table, round and with a large map in the middle. The far wall was lined with cots, seven of them, as Big Mac would be sleeping with the rest of the earth pony warriors. Derpy noticed Pinkie Pie, she wasn't bouncing along, as was her normal mode of transportation, but instead walking. It made Derpy uneasy. As the others began to get settled, Derpy asked Pinkie to step outside and have a quick chat; "Hi Pinkie, um… I just wanted to say thanks. I know it was you that nominated me for the element of honesty. I hope I'm worthy of your trust." She said, hoping to bring a smile to Pinkie's face. Pinkie, her hair halfway deflated, just nodded and turned around. "And Pinkie? If you need to talk, just remember I'm here." Derpy told the retreating pony, and her ears drooped with concern. Inside the tent, there was a hive of activity, everypony was moving about as fast as they could, getting ready, for what could only be a dawn attack. The Doctor sat in the corner, at a workstation, huddled over something, Twilight was reading some of her larger magic books, searching for spells that would help. Fluttershy sat on her bed, whispering to herself; "Come on Fluttershy, you can do this, for Rainbow, and Applejack and for Big Mac." Pinkie just stared up at some swords that hung on the wall, ceremonial ones, passed down from the last great griffin war. Rarity was stitching a uniform for herself and Celestia studied the map on the table, planning out formations and looking for ways to flank the griffins. Derpy looked around, wondering what she could do to help, but knowing that she would be turned down, so she went over to a mirror that hung on a wall and looked into it, her wall-eyed expression looking back, and she couldn't help but feel as though it was mocking her. She sensed a presence beside her; "You know, throughout history, mirrors have been believed to be a window into the soul." Said the Doctor, looking into the mirror as well. "Then my soul must be wall-eyed as well Doctor, because that's all I see, a wall-eyed failure who can't do anything right." Derpy frowned, her eyes welling up with tears. The Doctor put his arms around her; "Derpy, do you know what I saw in your mind? I saw somepony that puts her all into everything she does, that always puts others before herself and is willing to forgive any insult, no matter how much it stings." He said placing his head against hers. "And don't forget the future I showed you, those two beautiful daughters of yours, you know? Sparkler and Dinky?" Derpy smiled, remembering the accidental trip in the Tardis that resulted in her seeing her future children. But what she never told the Doctor was who the father of the children was; he had run off to solve some crisis before he had seen his future self-enter the scene, and kiss the future Derpy. Derpy had vowed to keep this a secret until the Doctor made a move, so as not to alter the timeline and stop that future from happening. The Doctor kissed Derpy on the cheek and walked back to his work station. Derpy looked back at the mirror and smiled, feeling better about herself and more confident that she was going to make that future happen. Princess Celestia called all the ponies into the centre of the room, the map now clearly showed the positions of the two camps, as well as the group formations for the next morning. "Twilight, I want you to take command of the unicorn forces, teach them any new spells that they might need. Fluttershy I need you to command the archers, I know you have a keen eye and I believe that you can do this. Doctor, you and Pinkie will head up special ops, spy work, demolition, whatever is necessary. Derpy, I want you to take command of the Pegasus troops, I've seen you in action, and you're one of the best combat fliers I've ever seen, albeit a little accidentally. Rarity, I want you in research and development, try and come up with any new armour or weapons you can." "What? Me! Princess, don't you think I would be better served with the unicorns, not stuck in some lab with nerd ponies creating weapons." Rarity objected, a little over dramatically. Derpy rolled her eyes; she had no sympathy for the white unicorn. "So you want to get onto the dirty battlefield and fight ruthless griffins, and most likely get covered in blood?" Asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "Oh… Never mind, nerd ponies are fine." Said Rarity. "Tia, who is commanding the Earth ponies?" Asked the Doctor, the warrior in him beginning to shine through. Derpy hated seeing him like this, angry, guilty, remembering how he had killed his whole race to save the universe, and because of the mind link, Derpy remembered too. "His name is Commander Duskheart, and he is the most decorated Earth pony in the army." Celestia replied, I'll introduce you to him soon, as you and Pinkie will be collaborating with him on most of your missions." The Doctor nodded and the group left the tent. Pinkie walked side by side with Derpy, and then pulled her in between two tents; "Derpy… thanks. I appreciate your concern. I…I just don't know if I can do this, I mean, my whole life I've just wanted to make everypony smile, but this… this will do exactly the opposite." Said Pinkie, her eyes downcast and her voice was trembling. Derpy put her arms around her; "Pinkie, this may not make sense, but I've fought in wars before, not exactly like this, but close enough. Ponies aren't meant to fight, not like this. But trust me when I say this, it may seem like your just causing suffering, but when the war is over, everypony will smile with a new hope, a hope that you brought them, and there will be nothing like it." Pinkie smiled half-heartedly, as though she accepted what Derpy was saying, and they ran to catch up with the others. Celestia was introducing a large black earth pony; the armour he wore was black as well, except for some trim around the legs, which was gold. His cutie mark was of a heart, with two swords crossed behind it, but oddly for a pony, he only had it on one side, on the other was a patch of pink skin, with a scar about the same size as his cutie mark. "And this is the other pony I was talking about, Pinkie. Pinkie, this is Commander Duskheart." Said Celestia. Duskheart walked over and looked straight into Pinkie's eyes, the deep green made Derpy nervous, they seemed empty, cold. "Sweet Celestia! How are you meant to blend in with a bright pink coat!" He boomed, right in Pinkie's face. "You are going to be absolutely useless!" Pinkie's eye twitched. "I don't like it when ponies are Meany pants to me." Said Pinkie, losing her colour as her hair straightened. "Meany pants!" Duskheart laughed, "You are not fit for war girl, go back and make me a cupcake." Derpy noticed a pink blur beside her, and then Duskheart fell straight down, a stupid look on his face and a tooth missing. Pinkie was breathing heavily, and closed her eyes. After a second, her breathing slowed and her hair bounced back to its natural puffiness. Celestia looked at her, almost with fear, before laughing. The rest of then began to laugh as well, including Pinkie, who looked over at Derpy and mouthed "Thank you." The rest of the day was spent meeting the other army leaders, the ones that would be commanded by Twilight, Derpy and Fluttershy. When they meet the archers, they were all of a similar demeanour to Fluttershy, and welcomed her with open hooves. They asked Fluttershy to show them her skills, and Fluttershy, in an uncharacteristic enthusiasm, picked up the bow happily, slotted an arrow and pulled the string back. A few seconds passed before she let go and the entire group, aside from the archers and Celestia all dropped their jaws in surprise. Fluttershy hit the bullseye and the arrow imbedded itself all the way to the feathers, from twice the iron pony regulated distance. Celestia smiled; "I knew you could do it Fluttershy, I had complete faith." "YAY!" Yelled Fluttershy, almost inaudibly. Celestia lead them back to the tent, and they all got in their beds, ready for an early morning, but nopony slept. Derpy laid there looking at the roof of the tent, and suddenly felt a weight next to her, crawling under the covers. "I thought you might like some company." Said the Doctor, and put his arm across her, Derpy smiled and turned, nuzzling into the Doctor's embrace. "Thank you." Chapter 4Fluttershy was awoken by Twilight, it was still dark but the tent was lit up by a few small candles. She yawned, as though it was any other morning, until her brain kicked in and she remembered what was about to happen. She got out of bed and looked around; only Celestia, Twilight and herself were awake. Fluttershy went over to Derpy's bed and pulled back the covers; she was embarrassed to find not just Derpy, but the Doctor as well. She shook them both awake and begun to get her gear on. Pony archers were some of the best in the world, and were revered for their skills, Fluttershy was nervous as she would be leading a group of these archers onto the battlefield and wasn't sure she was the pony for the job. Fluttershy calmed her mind and thought of the ponies she was fighting for; Big Mac, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She put the last part of her armour on, a leather patch that sat on the inside of the forearm. Archer pony armour was designed not to weigh them down, so it was made completely out of leather and magical material that acted like metal. She grabbed the bow she had been given and the quiver of arrows, which she strapped to her back. Fluttershy looked at her friends, each putting on their own armour; Twilight's was a dark purple colour, and consisted of a breastplate and some guards that went on her front legs. It was designed to boost her magic level and help cope with fatigue. Derpy wore traditional Pegasus armour, steel covering her whole body, including the cutie mark, which was represented on the armour with gold. Her wings were tipped with blades, and the helmet covered most of her face. The Doctor and Pinkie had identical outfits; a special metal that bent light, making them harder to see. It was similar in design to Pegasus armour, but did not feature a helmet. Rarity was armour less, as there would be no need for it in the research department. Celestia's armour was the most beautiful, it was made entirely of gold on the outside, but there was another layer underneath that was made of the same substance as Twilight's, and was the same basic design as Pegasus armour, including the helmet, which was specially made to cover her horn. The tips of Celestia's wings were also bladed. "Okay my little ponies; are we all ready for this?" Celestia asked, and walked out of the tent with approving nods from the group. They went down to the battlefield, the battalions of ponies lined up in a specific formation. "Elements, follow me." Said Celestia and they all walked onto the middle of the Battlefield. Fluttershy saw movement at the other camp, and when the seven ponies stopped in the middle, she noticed three griffins flying towards them. They landed and Fluttershy recognised Emperor Gregor. "Celestia! What a fine day for war you've brought us." Gregor said mockingly. "Gregor, stay your tongue. I have come here to give you one last chance. Back off and leave us in peace, and allow your daughter to admit what she did, or face me and my army. And let me tell you, they will not show mercy." Threatened Celestia, causing Gregor to pause, as though contemplating Celestia's threat. He looked at his two guards, took a deep breath and turned back to Celestia. "Celestia, I want to explain something to you. You are not a parent, you have never looked upon your own flesh and blood, and almost been brought to tears out of concern for them. You have never felt the obligation to do whatever it takes to either protect your child, or make everything better. So you cannot understand the reasons that I fight this war, it's impossible for you to. So bring forth your army, they will find blood, either mine, or their own." Gregor turned and left, his wings working hard to take his large body aloft. The elements looked at Celestia, her eyes had widened in shock with Gregor's speech. Celestia bowed her head and teleported the group back to the camp. She looked at the elements one by one and then, her eyes closed. "Get ready to attack." She said finally and the elements split off towards their respective groups. Fluttershy stood at the forefront of the archers, all ready for battle. She felt like she had to give a speech, but nothing came to mind. She stared at her troops awkwardly and they stared back, expectantly. "Oh um…. We stand here, ready to face these griffins. And they will know the pain of our arrows. They will KNOW that it was us…we free ponies that stood here today; they took my friends from me, that is something I cannot… I will not forgive. FOR CELESTIA! FOR EQUESTRIA!" Fluttershy shouted, starting to feel more confident. The archers all put their hooves up in the air, cheering for Fluttershy, who turned and shouted; "On my mark, show them what happens when they underestimate us." Across the plain, the griffins charged, war cries and shrieks carried across the open landscape. Fluttershy cocked an arrow, and was followed by her entire platoon. They all took aim as the huge mass of griffins charged. Fluttershy suddenly heard Twilight's voice in the distance. "It's minotaur!" Fluttershy gasped, but kept herself steady. The Minotaur were halfway towards them before Fluttershy gave the signal and the archers let loose. A volley of about four hundred arrows glided through the air, and about three hundred hit their mark. The charging force was immediately halted; a few got up but were dropped once again by the archers. In the distance, Fluttershy saw more Minotaur that were dropped as soon as they were in range. The morning went on like this and at around midday. Fluttershy ran to princess Celestia, informing her that they were out of arrows. Celestia nodded and turned to Duskheart, who yelled; "Okay troops, archery team is done, get down there in formation and make Equestria proud." The earth ponies, including Big Mac all galloped down the hill, swords specifically made for earth ponies, grasped in their mouths. Fluttershy watched as Big Mac, who was near the front of the pack, galloped towards the Minotaur. The earth ponies collided with the next wave of Minotaur, and Fluttershy flew up into the air to keep an eye on Big Mac. The dust that had arisen in the melee obscured her view. "Fluttershy, come here." Said Celestia. Fluttershy landed and looked at the Princess. "I know you're worried about Big Mac, but you have to stay focused, I promise you that he will be fine. Now go and tell your troops to begin making more arrows. At nightfall, I will send you out to retrieve as many as you can, but for now, I want you to start making a stockpile." Fluttershy nodded and went back to her troops, informing them of Celestia's orders. The archers set about gathering spare wood and other materials for the arrows. Fluttershy, however, couldn't take her eyes of the battle, a few times she thought she saw Big Mac, but he disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. The dust began to settle hours later, as the wounded and the victorious returned, while their numbers were high, there were still less than had gone out. Fluttershy ran over to the returning ponies, searching the crowd for Big Mac, and when she saw him her heart sank. Big Mac was being carried by two ponies; a deep cut was on his side, which started at the shoulder and all the way along, through his cutie mark. "BIG MAC!" Fluttershy shouted and flew over to meet her wounded coltfriend. The ponies carrying him pushed past her, focused on getting him to the medical tent. Inside they laid him down on one of the beds and Fluttershy was pushed outside as the doctor's got ready to treat him. Fluttershy cried outside the tent, the other ponies offering only concerned looks. Rarity suddenly came running towards her and grabbed Fluttershy in a tight hug. "Oh darling Fluttershy, I'm so sorry, is he going to be okay?" She asked as Fluttershy cried into her shoulder. "I…I don't know." Fluttershy said through her tears. A young earth pony approached, Fluttershy recognised him as one of the ponies that had carried Big Mac to the hospital. "Hey, you're Mac's fillyfriend right?" He asked. Fluttershy nodded her head. "Well don't worry, from what I've seen Mac's a fighter. He got that wound at the start of the battle and he just kept going. Hell, he saved my life more than once. I have no doubt that he's going to pull through." He put his hoof on her shoulder and told her; "And on the way back here, Mac told me that if he didn't make it, that you should know that no matter what, he wants you to keep fighting. He also told me that he loves you with all of his heart." "Thank you…uh?" Rarity said, curious about the stallion. "Black Diamond, my name is Black Diamond." He said, giving Rarity a small smile. He walked off, leaving Rarity to take Fluttershy back to the tent, the fighting over as the sun began to set. Fluttershy had even more trouble sleeping that night, visions of Big Mac danced in her mind. The others fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the day's battle. Fluttershy got up and walked to the mirror, lighting a candle so as she could see her reflection. After a while, she took a knife off the table, and brought it up to her head. She grabbed a chunk of her mane and cut through it, allowing the strands to fall to the ground. Eventually Fluttershy was left with a short pixie cut that barely went down to her neck. "For Big Mac. For Applejack. For Rainbow." She said to herself. Chapter 5Rarity looked at the calendar on the wall and sighed. The war had been going on for three months, with no end in sight and she was still being pressured for more weapons. As the head researcher, she had come up with ways of improving the war strategies. One of her first innovations was to make a way for earth ponies and pegasi to hold onto swords and blades without the use of their mouths, and still be just as effective. Rarity was beginning to get fed up with her workmates, who seemed to want no interaction with her other than to flirt or get a design approved. She felt lonely in the cluttered workshop at the back of the pony camp. She was also worrying about her friends, the war had consumed them. Battle hardened; they became flighty or distracted easily. Fluttershy concerned her the most, Rarity had woke up one morning to find Fluttershy had cut most of her mane off, and shortened her tail. All Fluttershy would say about it was; "I can't let them down again." Rarity just wanted the war to end, to go back to Ponyville, to her store, to Sweetie Belle, to somewhere that she could groom herself properly. She turned when she heard somepony enter the tent. "Princess Celestia, welcome, how can I help you?" Rarity asked, glad to see a friendly face. "Hello Rarity, I am just here to see if you had any new developments." Celestia said, Rarity rubbed her eyes, lack of sleep and general boredom were taking their toll. She led Celestia over to a table that had a card on it, saying 'finished products' in fancy calligraphy. "Well Princess, I do have an upgrade to the unicorn armour." Rarity picked up a helmet, made of a purple metal that amplified magic. "This will fit on any unicorn and, as well as the power amplification granted by the metal, the crystal horn here" She pointed to the top of the helmet, to a crystal in the shape of a unicorn horn, but hollow so that it would go over the top. "The crystal will refract the magic, giving the spell more power and allowing the unicorn to use less energy" "Well done Rarity, this will surely be a boon to our cause." Said Celestia, smiling. "There is only one problem Princess. The crystal is very hard to obtain, so we could only make ten helmets, plus one for you out of what we had. So I suggest giving them to your best spell casters until my team and I can make more." Rarity explained, sounding defeated and ashamed, as though she had let down the Princess. "Thank you Rarity, I will give them to Twilight and she can distribute them as she sees fit." Said Celestia, taking the helmets and leaving. Rarity went back to her desk, tinkering over her latest design; a small blade attached to a spring that allows it to pop in and out at will. The blade would be attached to the forearm of a pony, and easily concealed. In truth the mechanism was finished, Rarity was just adding her own touch to it, patterns carved into the metal of the blade, making it look very decorative. "Rarity! Hurry up and finish that! I want these out on the field before the war ends." Rarity sighed and turned to the source of the remark, a skinny little yellow unicorn named Tinker. Rarity disliked Tinker a lot, mostly because of the scathing remarks he made. On her first day, Tinker had made Rarity cry, saying that she was only there because she was the Princess' pet, that she was too stupid to actually make anything. The next day, Rarity had created arrows that flew straighter and further than any had previously, all in an effort to get back at him. "Tinker, what a pleasure. Do you need something?" She asked dryly. Tinker pushed a piece of paper into her face. "Just sign these plans off and let me get back to work." He said, never looking directly at her. Rarity looked at the plans and laughed; "You have got to be kidding! These will never work, and if they did, they would be too dangerous to use on the battlefield." She looked at his face which was turning bright red. The plans were for a device that launched a Pegasus pony straight at a group of attackers, in the hopes of creating a diversion for unicorns and earth ponies to get the upper hand. "And besides, think about it, you would be putting a pony's life at risk." Rarity said tearing the paper in half. "Yeah, a Pegasus pony." Said Tinker. Rarity narrowed her eyes at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She said angrily. "Look all I'm saying is that if we lose some Pegasi in this war, I won't be shedding a tear. I mean, look at them, acting so high and mighty, always looking down their noses at us grounded ponies. They don't care about us, and you know what? I hope the griffins tear down that cloudsdale of theirs, just to teach them a lesson." Rarity was appalled at what she was hearing. "I think you better leave." Said a voice behind Tinker. Rarity looked over his shoulder and saw Black Diamond, his eyes burned with anger and his sword hung loosely off his back. "Oh and what business of yours is it?" Tinker said, spitting at Black Diamond, who just wiped it off his face very casually. "Well, my mother was a Pegasus. So how about you walk away before I stab you in the throat and feed you to the griffins." He said, again very casually. Tinker stared at him for a moment, as if summing up his chances against the dark green Earth pony. He eventually turned and walked off, mumbling something about a 'rotten half breed'. "Thank you Diamond, darling, but I could have very well handled myself." Said Rarity jokingly. "I bet you could have, but personally I think that chivalry isn't dead. Besides, he insulted my mother." Black Diamond smiled at Rarity, who couldn't help but be taken aback at his roguish charm. She gave him a quick kiss, and remembered the night a month earlier. Rarity had been working late on a project, and Black Diamond had entered, carrying the two broken halves of his sword. Rarity had fixed it in no time, but Black Diamond had stayed to keep her company. It had seemed like no time at all before they both gave into temptation and spent the night together. Since then, they had kept it a secret, lest it interfere with their work. "Now darling, what was it you wanted?" Rarity asked, giving him a sly wink. "Well, actually I'm here to see if my breastplate had been repaired." Rarity pulled his breastplate out from under her desk. The repair was completely seamless, as though it was brand new. Black Diamond smiled. "Care to help me put it on?" He asked, making Rarity blush. It went on easily, a perfect fit for him. "Anything else?" She asked. Black Diamond leant over and whispered into her ear; "Nothing we can do right now, meet me back here at midnight." He walked out of the tent, leaving Rarity with many thoughts about the night's events. She cleared her mind, focusing on the task at hoof. She finished up the pattern on the blade and placed it with the others. Deciding she needed a break, she walked out of the tent. In the distance she could see the dust of battle on the ground and the chaotic movements of aerial combat. She spotted Fluttershy on a rocky outcropping that had become known as 'archer's stage'. Fluttershy cocked an arrow and fired it a few seconds later. Rarity watched it sail high into the air, and could almost hear the scream of the griffin it hit. She watched the victim spiral down, before it went out of sight. Rarity still had trouble watching death, the crudeness of war, the way it had changed her friends. She kept walking, and spotted almost all of her friends, except for Pinkie, who had gone out on a secret mission weeks ago and hadn't returned. Rarity missed her friends, her real friends, and prayed every night that at the end of it all, when the war ended, her friends were still the same ponies she knew back in Ponyville. Chapter 6Twilight looked around the table at her friends. They had all come to mourn the loss of Pinkie Pie, the element of laughter, who had left on a secret mission six months earlier and still hadn't returned. Officially declared dead by the Equestrian military, the other six elements and Princess Celestia had gathered around her necklace to pay their respects. None of them had expected to lose her, so news of her death had shaken them right to their core. "Today, we honour our fallen friend, Pinkamina Diane Pie. She had made it her life's mission to make the ponies of the world smile, and now, we will never see that mission fulfilled again." Celestia said, giving the eulogy with tears in her eyes. Twilight turned her head at the sound of somepony entering the tent. It was Duskheart, a cruel, heartless pony in Twilight's opinion. "Twilight, I believe you wanted to say something." Said Celestia, nodding her head. Twilight took a deep breath; "Everypony, I'd like you all to join me in a song that I think represents Pinkie the best." Twilight cleared her throat and began to sing softly; "Come on everypony, smile, smile, smile. Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine; all I really need's a smile, smile, smile. From these happy friends of mine, from these happy friends of miinnee." She eventually stopped and cried, remembering the spontaneous parades that Pinkie inspired. Fluttershy put her arms around her. An obviously fake cough sounded from Duskheart's direction, the group all looked at him with annoyance. He ignored the looks and walked up to Celestia, handing her a piece of paper. "Good news Princess, our troops have pushed the griffins back into their territory." He said, pride written all over his face. "Thank you Commander." Celestia said, her voice still trembling. Duskheart looked over at Twilight, who was still crying, and shook his head, before turning and leaving the tent. "So what now?" Asked the Doctor. "Do we nominate a new element of laughter?" The group stayed silent, nopony wanting to even think about that right now. They eventually split off and went back to their stations, even though Celestia had given them the day off. Twilight watched Fluttershy ascend to Archer's stage, pick up her bow and continue the assault on the griffins. The Doctor and Derpy were staying close to each other, almost never having some part of their body not connected to the others. Rarity just quickly disappeared back into the research tent, a dark green pony following her in. Twilight walked down a small hill to where the unicorn troops were staying. Walking inside, she found the tent in chaos, books, tables and chairs all flying around the room. Twilight shot a stern look at her second-in-command, a light blue unicorn named Lightstar. "Just what is going on here?" Twilight asked, causing the other pony to back away. "I'm sorry Miss Twilight, one of the new recruits spell went amiss and we can't seem to fix it." Lightstar explained. Twilight sighed, bowing her head as her magic reversed the recruit's mistake and putting everything back to where it was. "Okay, is that it?" She asked irritably. Lightstar shook her head. "No ma'am, Duskheart wants us to lead the next charge." Twilight sighed even louder this time, turning and walking out of the tent, Lightstar following close behind. They met the rest of the unicorn troops at what had become known as 'The gates of madness', which in reality were just some rocks that led onto the main battlefield. Twilight faced her troops, looking at the strange mix of battle worn and young faces. "Ponies, I know I say this every time, but it needs to be said; Think of a loved one, and focus on that, now use that as your driving force. They are the ones you are fighting for; they are the ones that will be singing songs of your exploits. For love, for Equestria!" She shouted, the unicorns, all lit up their horns in response. Twilight turned, placing her helmet on her head, and ran out towards the battle already taking place. Twilight could see Big Mac in the melee. Now a corporal, Big Mac had his own platoon, and were seen by some to be the best. The unicorns arrived at the main battle, Minotaur and griffins going rabid at the attacking ponies. A Minotaur ran straight for Twilight, who teleported just as it swung a war axe. She landed on its back, her arms around its neck. The Minotaur tried grabbing her, but Twilight managed to dodge its wild grabs. She extended her hidden blade, and holding on with only one arm, plunged it into the Minotaur's back, right next to the spine. Using all of her strength, she moved it across, severing the spinal cord, just as she had read about in anatomy books. The Minotaur screamed, before falling face down on the ground. Twilight jumped off as it fell, keeping a steady pace as she ducked and dived through flailing limbs and weapons. Her eyes were set on one target; a griffin commander, controlling his troops from the back and not taking part in the actual fighting. A Minotaur fell in front of her, Big Mac's sword sticking out of its chest. Twilight used it as a springboard jumping high into the air in the direction of her griffin target. Extending her hidden blade once more, she collided with the stunned griffin, the blade piercing its chest and into its heart. The griffin fell out of the air, landing on its back, Twilight still keeping the blade planted firmly in its chest. She pulled it out and retracted it. "For love, for Equestria, for Pinkie." She whispered to herself. When the other griffins saw this, they made a beeline straight for Twilight, who unsheathed her sword and held it in the air with magic. They came at her as one group, well-coordinated, ruthless. Twilight kept her sword moving, blocking attacks and countering with some of her own, not giving an inch of ground. One griffin managed to get past her, swinging its sword towards her head. Twilight was barely fast enough to dodge it; the blade ran along her face, from eyebrow to cheek over the eye. Twilight screamed, before throwing her sword at the griffin, which got embedded in the griffin's skull. Her eye began to fill up with blood, obscuring her vision. She pulled her sword back to her as three more griffins charged, before suddenly stopping. Two of them had sword tips sticking out of their stomachs and the third spun as it fell, an arrow sticking out the back of its head, pink arrow feathers denoting Fluttershy's handiwork. The swords were retracted, revealing Big Mac and Lightstar, who quickly helped Twilight off the battlefield and into the medical tent. The doctors administered anaesthetic, hoping to save her eye from damage. Twilight swiftly passed out, awaking much later, judging by the darkness outside. Twilight became worried when she realised that she could only see from one eye, before discovering bandages covering the wound. She sat up, and her good eye widened as she saw a shape beside her bed. "Pinkie?" She asked, blinking. But upon opening her eyes again, found nothing. She began to cry, and beat the bed with her hooves and she shouted with grief. 'Why did it have to be you Pinkie? Why? You always seemed the most untouchable, the most invincible of us all; the only one I thought would leave this war and still be the same pony.' These thoughts screamed in Twilight's head, and she cried for her fallen friend all night. Chapter 7The Doctor cheered as he put the final touches on his project that had taken him since day one of the war to complete, eight months ago. Derpy and Twilight ran over, curious as to the reason for the shouting. "What is it Doctor?" Asked Derpy, with a glow that had been coming over her face for the last month. The Doctor held it out in his hooves. "Oh yay! You built a new one." "That's right, and it was very hard to do with the limited resources here." Twilight just looked at it, confused. "What is it?" She asked finally. The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean? 'what is it?' It's a sonic screwdriver." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look anything like a screwdriver. And just how is it sonic, and more importantly, can it do anything practical, like… I don't know… fix my eye." Twilight said, referring to her right eye. The griffin's sword had caused considerable damage, leaving a scar on the eyebrow and down the cheek about halfway. But the real damage was done to the actual eye. It had filled up with blood, which had then clotted, causing the whites of her eye to go black, and for unknown reasons, her iris had changed colour from purple to white, giving the whole eye a very otherworldly feel. "I'm afraid not Twilight, not this one anyway. My other sonic screwdriver might have helped, but this one is just too crude and simple." Twilight stared at him, her new eye making the Doctor feel very uncomfortable. "You know Doctor, you and I are overdue for a talk. And by talk I mean I ask questions and you answer them." The Doctor stammered, trying to find the words to get himself out of the mess he was in. He was saved by Celestia, who walked in at that moment, covered in blood and breathing heavily. "Princess! What happened? Are you okay?" Twilight asked. Celestia just panted, saying nothing for a moment. "Dragon." She finally said, sitting down. "The griffins alliances are getting more desperate, they have even called in the dogs to assist them." "Princess, how come you don't just go down there and vaporise the lot of them. Like you did when those Minotaur attacked the palace, after being let in by that stupid private." Derpy said. Celestia dropped her head. "Two reasons. One, at the signing of the last truce, I agreed that in any future wars, I was not to participate unless directly attacked. In exchange, we opened trading routes between the nations. And secondly, the only reason I vaporised those Minotaur was because they had killed my best friend. She was one of the royal guards assigned to me. Her name was Firefly, and I got so angry that I couldn't stop myself." "Wait, Firefly? I've heard Rainbow Dash talk about a Pegasus named Firefly." Twilight said, trying to remember what Rainbow had said. "Yes Twilight, Firefly was Rainbow Dash's mother." Celestia said. The three ponies looked at her stunned. "Hang on, that can't be, the last time I remember seeing you was centuries ago." Exclaimed the Doctor. "Doctor, you really must learn to fly your Tardis properly." Celestia giggled. "And change that calendar." Twilight was once again becoming frustrated, and the Doctor could see it. Another interruption in the way of a Pegasus entering the tent allowed the Doctor to relax a bit, safe from Twilight's questions. Derpy walked over to her. "Applethunder? Is there a problem?" Asked Derpy. Applethunder was second in command of the Pegasus forces and kind of idolised Derpy in a way. She also had the distinction of not only being Applejack's cousin, but also the first Pegasus born into the Apple family. Underneath her light yellow coat, her breathing was heavy and her gold and orange mane was drenched with sweat. "We… We managed to capture a live griffin." She said between deep breaths. Derpy put her hoof on her shoulder and told her to take the rest of the day off. The group found their way over to the prison, a large tent, with iron barred cages lining the wall. Inside one was indeed a griffin, fastened to a post by a chain around its neck. The Doctor noticed that there was already someone there. Duskheart. The Doctors telepathic abilities went haywire around Duskheart, telling him not to trust this pony. Duskheart, stood at attention as Celestia approached. "Princess, this griffin was captured trying to break through our defences. He also carried this." Duskheart picked up a knife and gave it to Celestia. The blade had her name carved onto it and a ribbon tied to the handle had the words 'For Gilda, For Gregor' written on it. "What was your plan?" Asked Celestia, her voice filled with anger. "Attack me at my own base. How did you plan on getting out? Don't you see how Gregor is using you?" The griffin got as close as he could to the bars of the cage and spat in Celestia's face. She wiped it off and turned. "Let him go, he is only following orders, a mindless soldier." She said and began to leave. "No Princess." Said Duskheart. Celestia turned to see Duskheart enter the cage and draw his sword. "Duskheart what are you doing?" Celestia shouted. "My duty." He said, swinging the sword down and decapitating the defenceless griffin. "NO!" Shouted the Doctor, Celestia picked him up with her magic and threw him against one of the other cages. "Why Duskheart, I told you to release him." Celestia shouted in his face. "What for!? so he could try again? It's my duty to protect you Princess, and I take that very seriously. In fact, my other protective measure is already on its way." "What new protective measure?" Asked the Doctor, suspicious of Duskheart. "I call it operation: Pinkamina." By now the other elements had heard Celestia's shouting and came galloping to the source. "What! Pinkamina. What do you mean? What did you do to Pinkie?" Fluttershy yelled, cocking an arrow and aiming it at Duskheart's head. Meanwhile, the Doctor's eyes had widened and he kept whispering "No" under his breath. "I released her full potential." Duskheart said, proud of himself. "And what does that mean?" Asked Rarity, staring daggers at Duskheart. "None of you would understand, you don't have the guts for war." Twilight added her magic to the mix, cutting Duskheart's face with the assassin's blade. "Fine… I'll tell you. It started six months ago, when I sent Pinkie and a group of ten others to destroy a griffin stronghold. From the report, I found out that Pinkie had gotten 'close' to a female corporal under her command. Rosethorn was her name. They stormed the stronghold, hoping to gather intelligence that we could use. But it was a trap; it came down to Pinkie, Rosethorn and three others. They were almost out and away, but then, Rosethorn was cut down. From what I read, it was something like beauty, vicious, savage beauty. They said that Pinkie's hair had straightened, her coat became darker and she had picked up two swords. Walking on two legs, she had killed every single griffin and Minotaur in the stronghold. The private who wrote the report stated that she refused to be called Pinkie, and only responded to Pinkamina." "That's not explaining what you did to her." Said Twilight, holding the blade to his face once more. "I used her. I took her to a secret research lab in Canterlot, and the Unicorns there played with her mind. Releasing Pinkamina while making her controllable." Duskheart explained. The Doctor became furious. Walking up and Punching Duskheart. "Do you know what you've done? Do you have any idea?" He shouted. Celestia looked at the Doctor in fear. "What is it Doctor?" She asked. The Doctor sighed, before turning to face her. "Ten years from next Tuesday, the war has been over for a while, and things had begun to go back to normal. But then an assassin breaks into the Royal palace of Canterlot and kills Princess Celestia. The assassin calls herself Pinkamina, angry over what was done to her; she seeks revenge on the ponies she believes are responsible for what happened. Princess Luna mourns the loss, and in an angry rage, kills Pinkamina. She then disappears into the stars, leaving Celestia's successor, the Alicorn Twilight Sparkle to rule over Equestria as sun and moon." The Doctor's story leaves everypony quiet, even Duskheart. "Twilight Sparkle… the Alicorn?" Said Twilight, breaking the silence. Celestia's eyes welled up as she listened to the Doctor. "Is there any way to prevent this?" She asked. "Yes, but we have to get to Pinkie quickly, before she starts killing. As soon as she begins to enjoy it, the timeline will be fixed and there will be no way of stopping her." Celestia looks at Duskheart, using her magic to squeeze him. He groaned in pain. "Where is she?" Celestia asked. Rage building in her voice. "She's on her way here; I've got pegasi carrying her in a large metal egg. On contact with sunlight, her mental programming will kick in and she will start killing any and all griffins and Minotaur." Duskheart said, still being crushed by Celestia's magic. Celestia threw him into a cell, locking the gate. Twilight added her own touch, electrifying the bars. The group galloped outside and saw the egg, suspended by four pegasi, hover over the battlefield. The Doctor begun to gallop towards it, sonic screwdriver in mouth, followed closely by the rest. The pegasi droppped the egg, which fell with a loud bang. The Doctor was still hallway towards it when it opened. Pinkamina stepped out, still walking on two legs, and unsheathed two swords from behind her back. The Doctor watched in horror as she was attacked by a group of Minotaur. Pinkamina didn't lift her head, but still dodged every swing of the Minotaur blades. 'That must be because of the Pinkie sense Twilight told me about.' The Doctor thought as he watched her. He reached her as she put both of her swords through the last Minotaur's chest. The Doctor grabbed her, placing his front hooves on either side of her head. Then he felt it. The cold blade of Pinkamina's sword as it went through his stomach. The Doctor's eyes opened wide and he looked down to see that the sword had been buried all the way to the hilt. Pinkamina pulled the blade back, and the Doctor fell to the ground. His eyes became heavy, and his breathing shallow. He saw Derpy tackle Pinkamina. He closed his eyes, hearing Derpy's voice very faintly. "No Doctor, No don't leave me." Chapter 8Derpy screamed as she saw the Doctor's eyes widen in shock. Pinkamina's sword sticking out of his stomach. Derpy picked up speed, and tackled Pinkamina, taking her up into the air. She spun her around, faster and faster, the g-force showing on Pinkamina's face. Finally, Derpy let go and Pinkamina slammed into the ground, bouncing. Derpy landed next to the Doctor, as the other elements and Celestia restrained Pinkamina. "No Doctor! No, don't leave me." She cried, lifting up his head. Twilight walked over and put her arms around Derpy. "I'm sorry Derpy, I think he's dead." Derpy shook her head, still crying. "That's just it Twilight, he's not going to die, but he's going to leave me." Derpy closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a strange tingling sensation. She opened her eyes to see the Doctor, his whole body glowing with a strange golden light. Twilight gasped and backed away, fearful of what the light could be. "Please Doctor, don't leave… I love you." Derpy pleaded. The light intensified. "Doctor, I know you don't die here, like this. I know because you were there… You were there with me and my children… Our children." The light only got stronger. The Doctor exhaled, a stream of light coming out of his mouth. The stream kept growing as the Doctor dimmed. The light swirled above the Doctor's body before coming to rest over the wound. Derpy watched the deep, gushing wound begin to close, and smiled, hoping it meant what she thought it did. The wound fully closed and the light swirled over the doctor again. For a moment, nothing happened, but then, the light went rushing at Derpy and hit her in the stomach. She absorbed the energy, feeling it pulse through her. It stopped, leaving Derpy feeling energetic, as though she had just woken from the perfect night's sleep. Derpy looked at the Doctor, now fully healed, but still unconscious. "Twilight. Help me get the Doctor to the medical tent." Derpy said, not as a request, but an order that Twilight immediately began to follow. A few days later The Doctor was still in the hospital, and still unconscious. Derpy had not left his side, leaving the running of the Pegasus forces to her second in command; Applethunder. "Derpy, ah just don't know if I can do this. There is still so much ah need to learn." Applethunder said, worried. Derpy didn't even look at her, keeping her eyes fixed on the Doctor. "Applethunder, do you remember how we met?" Asked Derpy softly. "Of course, but ah don't…" Applethunder started before being interrupted. "Tell me." "O…okay. Well, ah had just been appointed to your unit, fresh from officer's training. Ah told you mah name. You somehow associated it with cousin Applejack and we got to talking. Ah told you how I was Aj's cousin and the first Pegasus born into the Apple family. You also asked me if I had a very special somepony." "And what did you tell me?" "Ah told you that there was a certain pony back in cloudsdale. But that ah was too afraid to tell him how ah felt because ah didn't want to ruin our friendship." She said, ears drooping as she remembered. "And what was my reply?" Derpy asked again. "You told me that in life, just like love. You have to make choices based on what you think is best. And whether or not those choices are correct, you live with them and move past them, always allowing yourself the freedom of looking back and knowing that you did what you thought was best." Applethunder said; beginning to understand what Derpy was trying to say. Derpy nodded and said; "Now don't you think that you should be getting back to the troops? And please make sure Tornado Blaze remembers his armour this time." Applethunder hugged Derpy from behind, showing support for her friend, before leaving. Derpy kissed the Doctor as soon as she left. "Wake up Doctor." She said. The Doctor exhaled again, expelling more yellow light. Derpy remembered back to when she had first met the Doctor. It had been a hard time for her. She was being evicted from her house; she had just lost her job at the cloud factory in cloudsdale and was still being harassed because of her eyes. Derpy was on her way to visit her friend Carrot Top in Ponyville when it happened. A large Blue Box had flown past her, spinning wildly out of control. She watched it crash into the middle of the Everfree Forest and quickly followed, curious about what strange pony could be inside. Derpy had arrived as the Box's sole occupant emerged. "Are you okay mister?" She had asked, as the brown earth pony stumbled about. He had looked at her; a smile had come over his mouth. A handsome smile, Derpy had thought. "Oh hello. Now tell me… Am I ginger?" The stranger asked, before kneeling over and passing out. Derpy had carried him back to Carrot top's house and cared for him for the week he had stayed unconscious. When he had woken up, he seemed anxious to get back to the Blue Box, ignoring Derpy's protests. He had kept saying things that didn't make any sense, such as; "Why couldn't I have been ginger this time." Or "These new teeth feel weird." Eventually Derpy had just stopped him and demanded to know what was going on. To which he just replied; "I'm the Doctor and I'm far from home." Derpy had followed him back to the Blue Box. The Doctor referred to it as the 'Tardis'. She had watched him enter, closing the door behind him. Derpy's mouth had dropped open as the Tardis began to make a strange sound and then vanish slowly. She had looked around, stunned, before realising that the Doctor had gone. Her head had dropped; she had been hoping that the Doctor could help her with her problems. But he had just left without even saying goodbye. Derpy had started to walk away. Then she heard it; the same strange sound, followed by the Tardis. The Doctor stepped out, looked at her and said; "Hey! Are you coming or not?" Derpy looked at him in confusion. "And where would I be going?" "Anywhere, anytime." Was the Doctor's only reply. Derpy stared at him, before sighing. "Why would you choose me?" She asked. The Doctor had walked over to her, putting his hoof around her. "Because Miss Derpy Hooves. You saved my life, and I never forget a favour like that. Also, I need a beautiful assistant to help me." Derpy had blushed, never before thinking of herself as beautiful. She had looked at the Doctor one last time before running straight into the Tardis, smiling. "Wow! It's smaller on the outside." She had said upon entering. And since that day, Derpy had been travelling with him, seeing strange new worlds, new creatures. Over that time, she had also fallen in love with him. Derpy began to cry as she laid her head on the Doctor's chest, listening to his double heartbeat. Another day passed before the Doctor woke up. Derpy was still asleep on his chest and had fallen off when the doctor had sat up straight in bed. He looked startled, as though he was not expecting to wake up like he did. "Derpy? What happened? Where am I? And more importantly, why do I still look the same?" The Doctor was asking questions faster than Derpy could process them. Instead, she just kissed him, glad to have him back. She went on to explain what had happened with the gold light. When she got to the part about absorbing it into herself, The Doctor's eye went wide, and he looked at her abdomen. "What is it Doctor?" Derpy asked, confused. "N…Nothing Derpy, nothing at all." He stammered, hugging Derpy. Twilight suddenly walked in, followed by Princess Celestia. "Doctor! It is good to see you awake… And alive." Celestia said, beaming. Twilight walked right up to the Doctor, her white iris making the Doctor uncomfortable. "I want to know just how you survived that." She said. "It is not scientifically possible for you to have healed from that instantaneously." The Doctor smiled; "Magic?" He said awkwardly. Twilight shook her head, not convinced. "No. I checked every healing spell known to ponykind, and there is nothing even remotely similar to what you did. Just tell me! What are you?" Twilight's interrogation got the best of the doctor in his weakened state. "I…I'm a Time Lord. An alien. A time traveller. I'm from the planet Gallopfrey in the constellation of Casterberous. I am nine hundred and four years old. Are you happy?" Twilight stared at him, her mouth agape. Derpy reached over and closed it for her. "Don't worry, I had the same reaction when I found out his age." She said, still hugging the Doctor. Twilight began to assault the Doctor with questions before Celestia interrupted; "Twilight! I think that's enough. We came to ask the Doctor something important, not harass him with questions." "You're right, sorry Doctor." Said Twilight, feeling embarrassed. "Doctor, if you are feeling up to it, we would like you to have another look at Pinkie. So far we have not been able to break the programming Duskheart gave her." Celestia said. The Doctor jumped out of bed, his face serious all of a sudden. "I'm ready. What happened to Duskheart?" The Doctor asked, as the group left the tent. "Princess Celestia is keeping him in a cell and refuses to accept my idea of dressing him like a griffin and leaving him to Pinkie." Derpy told him. The Doctor laughed, assuming that it was a joke. "And Pinkie is being kept in a cell all to herself in a special tent at the back of the camp." They soon reached Pinkie's prison. Derpy had to turn away from the horror that was Pinkamina. It just scared her. The Doctor walked right up to the cage. "Hello Pinkie, it's good to see you again." He said pleasantly. Pinkamina looked up, her eyes were bloodshot and wide and her ears stayed down close to her head. She sat tied to a chair, both for her protection, and the protection of others. "Hello Doctor. It is good to see you to. But I must ask that you call me Pinkamina." Pinkamina's voice was soft, cold. It was completely distinct from Pinkie's, as though they were truly different ponies. "And why is that?" "Because Pinkie Pie is no longer around. Just me." The idea of that made a chill crawl up Derpy's spine. "Oh really? That's a shame. Because it's my birthday tomorrow and I was going to have a party." The Doctor said. Derpy noticed Pinkamina's ears prick up a little. "Well then, happy birthday to you Doctor. Enjoy the party." "That's just it. It needs to be planned, put together and I just don't have the time." Pinkamina's ears rose a little further. "I really need a pony that knows all about parties. Do you know one?" "Yes, as a matter of fact. But she's not in right now. Can I take a message?" Pinkamina smiled, arrogantly. The Doctor shook his head. "I was really hoping to speak to her myself." He said, opening the cage. Pinkamina's eyes grew wide. She began to struggle against her bonds, anticipating what was about to happen. "No! You can't. You need me! I can win this war for us! Don't you understand! I'm your only hope!" Pinkamina shouted. Derpy turned away, scared at the angry, soulless voice of Pinkamina. The Doctor placed his hooves on either side of Pinkamina's head and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, the struggling stopped and Pinkamina's head slumped on her chest, asleep. The Doctor walked out, and gave Celestia a look of triumph. "I think I did it. It was hard. Her mind is… chaotic, at war with itself. The Pinkie side is fighting for supremacy against the Pinkamina side, but I managed to tip the scales in Pinkie's favour. With luck, she will be Pinkie Pie in the next few days." Derpy, Twilight and Celestia all breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there any lasting damage Doctor?" Asked Celestia, the horrible thought suddenly coming to her head. "We won't know until she wakes up for certain." The Doctor said sadly. He walked over to Derpy and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you for waiting." He whispered into her ear. Derpy smiled, glad to hear his voice. "Thank you for coming back." She whispered in reply. "I think you both need some time to catch up, so Twilight and I will leave you alone for a while." Said Celestia, her intuition kicking in. "Aww but…but I had so many questions for the Doctor." Said Twilight, following Celestia out of the tent. The Doctor turned to Derpy, who grinned, showing all of her teeth. The Doctor smiled back. "Derpy, I need to tell you something, and it may come as a shock." Chapter 9Fluttershy looked out over the battlefield. Now stained red with the blood of ponies, griffins and Minotaur alike. Archer's stage had become like a second home to her. She always went there to think in times of uncertainty. Celestia's setting sun gave the scene a very picturesque view. Oranges and reds mixed together in a graceful dance. Fluttershy noticed Big Mac making the gradual ascent up the path to her. Saying nothing, he sat beside her and watched the sunset. As they had almost every day since Big Mac got out of hospital. "Did you hear the news about the Doctor and Derpy?" Mac finally asked. Fluttershy smiled, pleased for her friends. "Yes, it's nice to see that even here, the horrible gates of hell itself. That something as normal as that still occurs." Big mac turned and kissed her. And she kissed back, glad as always to be with her coltfriend. They stayed like that for hours, locked in each other's embrace. The moon rose, bathing them in a serene white light. Fluttershy ran her hoof along the scar on Big Mac's side, feeling her usual pang of guilt. He just smiled; instincts and experience telling him how she was feeling. "You know ah hate it when you blame yourself." He said, pulling her in closer. "I know, but I can't help it. I shouldn't have let you get yourself into this war." "You didn't. ah volunteered. And ah did it just so ah could keep you safe, not the other way round." Big Mac began to kiss her neck, making Fluttershy giggle. "I know. But still…" Big Mac sighed, looking at his fillyfriend. "Ah was going to leave this till another time, but now seems right." He turned over, reaching into a bag that he had brought with him. He pulled out a box, giving it to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, will you do me the immense honour of becoming my wife?" He asked as Fluttershy opened the box and stared at the ring that sat inside. Fluttershy blushed, looking at Big Mac. "Yes, yes I will." Her face lit up in the biggest smile Big Mac had ever seen. Fluttershy threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately. She broke it off, flying into the air. "Oh my, we just have to tell everypony." She took off in the direction of the main tent. Big Mac quickly packing up and chasing after her. Fluttershy entered the tent to find all of her friends, except for Pinkie, who was still recovering from the reprogramming. The other elements were there, as well as Princess Celestia, Black Diamond, Lightstar and Applethunder. They were all congratulating Derpy on her big news. Big Mac finally arrived, standing next to Fluttershy. "Um… Everypony. I have an announcement. And I'm sorry to steal your spotlight Derpy, but…" Fluttershy held out her hoof, the ring shone brightly in the candle light. The Girls and even Princess Celestia all squealed, galloping up to Fluttershy. Big Mac was forced out of the way. Black Diamond and The Doctor gave him a hoof shake, congratulating him on his engagement. Fluttershy had never felt so happy in all of her life. The good news kept going, as Princess Celestia promoted Black Diamond to Duskheart's former position. Duskheart was being sent back to Canterlot to await trial. The war, for that night, was forgotten and the ponies celebrated. But all knew that the celebration would be short lived. There was still a war to fight, no matter what was happening in their personal lives. Fluttershy awoke the next morning, warm in Big Mac's arms. Easing herself out of his grasp, she put her armour on and went to see the only one of her friends she hadn't told; Pinkie. She opened the tent that was her prison. The chair she had been tied to had been replaced by a bed, although she was still tied to it. "Pinkie, I have some wonderful news. I'm engaged. Big Mac proposed to me last night." Fluttershy told the sleeping pony. Pinkie's ears stood up straight, and her hair had gotten back some of its natural puffiness. A sure sign in Fluttershy's opinion that she was getting back to normal. "Well I just hope that when my wedding comes around that you will be awake to plan the reception." She said, smiling at her friend. She left, feeling optimistic about the days ahead. Fluttershy began to walk back to Archer's stage, ready for the next battle. But then she heard crying coming from the research tent. Investigating, she found Rarity, curled up in a corner. Her left eye was black and she had grazes and cuts all over her. "Rarity! What happened!? Are you okay?" she asked, worried. She put her hoof on Rarity, who screamed; "No! Don't touch me, not again." Fluttershy pulled her hoof back, not wanting to upset her. "Rarity, it's me. Fluttershy, you can trust me. Just tell me what happened." Rarity shivered, as though she was remembering something horrible. "It was Tinker. He came in… I thought it was Diamond… He held me down… Told me he would kill me if I screamed… and he…he…" Rarity couldn't finish. She just began to cry even louder. Fluttershy finally clicked as to what she was talking about. Fluttershy felt the rage build up inside her. She walked out and saw Twilight walking over. "You! Get in there and help her!" Fluttershy shouted at Twilight, Who just did what she was told, bewildered. Fluttershy found Tinker still sleeping in his bunk. She threw him out, shouting obscenities. Tinker put up his hooves as Fluttershy cocked an arrow in his direction. "Hey, hey there's no need for that." He said. Pleading with Fluttershy. She let go of the arrow, which went straight though his arm and into a notice board behind him. He screamed, loud and animalistic, as the pain took hold. He held up his other hoof, and Fluttershy pinned that one to the notice board as well. More screams came from his degenerate mouth. By now his bunk mates had woken up, but were either too scared to do anything, or just didn't care about him enough. Fluttershy cocked another arrow, and aimed it right between Tinker's eyes. She released, but the arrow didn't move. It was being held by Princess Celestia's magic. "Fluttershy! What is the meaning of this?" she asked. Shocked at the display. "He hurt Rarity Princess. He is going to get what he deserves." Fluttershy said. She whispered what had happened into Celestia's ear, so as not to embarrass Rarity in front of the other ponies. Celestia's eyes burned with anger. She looked at Tinker, then at the arrow, still charged with enough kinetic energy to put an end to his miserable existence. Fluttershy noticed the look of contemplation on Celestia's face as she decided whether or not to let go of the arrow. Eventually her rational side took over and she lowered the arrow to the ground. "Rest assured Fluttershy. He will be punished. But this is not the way to do it. I will have some guards escort him back to Canterlot for trial. But not now. I think I will tell them in a few hours." Celestia said, the anger in her voice clearly upsetting Tinker's bunk mates. Rarity was moved to a secluded tent by herself, and refused to see any male ponies. Celestia had female doctors brought in specifically for Rarity. Black Diamond took it particularly hard. Even going as far as beating Tinker to a pulp one night as he sat in the prison, although it was never proven. Fluttershy stayed by Rarity, who seemed to only really trust her. Rarity had nightmares at night, and Fluttershy was always there to help her. One month afterwards. Rarity told Fluttershy exactly what had happened, crying as she did so. It was so hard for Fluttershy to see her like this. The strong, confident Rarity was gone, replaced by a ghost of her former self. Fluttershy secretly wished that Celestia had not stopped the arrow. A week after that, and Rarity had stopped having nightmares, or they were less frequent at least. Twilight came to relieve her one night, just wanting Fluttershy to get a good night's sleep. Fluttershy went to Big Mac's bunk instead of her own. She curled up with him, and as they started to fall asleep, Fluttershy said; "I'm going to kill her Mac." "Who?" asked Big Mac, worried about his fiancé. "Gilda. She started all this. And I won't shoot her with an arrow either. No. I will be up close, personal. I want to see the light leave her eyes and know that the last thing she sees on the earth will be me." "I will help you do that." Said Big Mac. The seriousness in his voice gave Fluttershy comfort. "Good. She has taken too much from us and it's high time we returned the favour." Fluttershy fell asleep, visions of killing Gilda danced in her dreams all night. Chapter 10Rarity poked her head outside, the warm sun felt good on her face. She took a deep breath; the fresh air filled her lungs. She slowly began to put her hoof closer to the boundary between the tent that had become her sanctuary and the outside world. As it got closer, her heart started to race and her breathing became more rapid. She quickly pulled the hoof back; as though she was scared that something would be attack it. Rarity walked back to her workstation, deciding to bury herself in her work instead. The sounds of laughter and battle mixed together outside were to Rarity muffled, almost as if she was hearing them from underwater. She looked around at the others in the new research tent. They were all mares, Rarity having dismissed all of the Stallions on her team, which had the unfortunate side effect of diminishing the research team from fifty strong to only fifteen, including herself. One of the unicorns came up to her, holding out a piece of paper. Rarity shivered as her sense of déjà vu made her think of Tinker again. Princess Celestia had assured her that he was being severely punished, but she felt no comfort in that. Even after six months, Rarity couldn't help but feel… dirty. Her mane had become dishevelled, as had her tail. She had suddenly realised that grooming was unnecessary, and it attracted attention that she did not want. Rarity looked at the piece of paper, a simple design to improve the insulation of Pegasus armour. Since it was the beginning of winter, Rarity approved the design immediately. "Thank you." She said very quietly, smiling a short smile at the unicorn. "You did a great job." Rarity had begun to praise her team more and value them for their work. She did so because she was afraid of angering them to a point where they might hurt her. Rarity turned back to her work; a new set of arrows that resisted wind, allowing for archers to still be just as effective in the high winds brought about by winter. She coated them in a special compound she had created; it reduced friction, thereby reducing drag on the arrows. Rarity felt a hoof on her shoulder and screamed. The other pony screamed as well, causing the rest of Rarity's team to come running, worried about their leader and friend. "Pinkie! I thought I told you not to sneak up on me!" Rarity said breathlessly, upon realising the owner of the hoof. Pinkie Pie, recently woken from her telepathy induced reprogram and slumber, just smiled. "Oh I'm sorry Rarity, I forgot. Everything's changed so much since I've been gone. I mean, just look at Twilight's eye. Creepy." Pinkie Pie said, bouncing around Rarity. Pinkie seemed back to her normal self, but Rarity still had her suspicions. The image of Pinkamina was still fresh in her mind, and it scared her. "Yes, well… That's what happens in a war. There are casualties, some large, some small and some… that ponies don't want to talk about." Rarity told her, making Pinkie stop. Pinkie hugged Rarity. "I'm super happy to be back to normal so I can help my friends." She said. Rarity smiled, glad to have her friend as well. "Pinkie, I've been meaning to ask but… Do you remember anything from when you were… you know?" Pinkie's ears lowered down to her head and she suddenly became very serious. "Rarity, I have a perfect memory. One hundred per cent recall. I have actually been studied by pony psychologists because of it. It helped my family get through one particularly bad winter when we couldn't harvest our rocks. They paid my father to allow them to study my memory systems. It was fun. But it's also a curse. Yes I remember when I was Pinkamina. I remember everything. But to be honest, the one image that stands out in my mind is Rosethorn." Pinkie explained. Rarity felt sudden concern for the party pony. A concern that made her forget her own troubles for the moment. She listened intently as Pinkie described Rosethorn. Every detail brought to life by Pinkie's natural ability to speak. Rarity saw Pinkie's eyes well up, and then remembered what the doctor had said. "You have to limit her exposure to strong emotions. Otherwise it may cause her to regress back to Pinkamina." Rarity quickly changed the subject. "Isn't Derpy getting big?" she asked, causing Pinkie to stop crying. She looked at Rarity in confusion. Then smiled, oblivious. "Oh I know. That was the best news ever when I woke up; I was all like WOOOOO HOOOOO! And hugged her and then hugged the Doctor, not just because of the big news but also because he saved me and now I'm so so happy." Pinkie said all in one breath. Rarity smiled awkwardly, glad that the crisis was averted. They talked for a while longer. Rarity just glad to have a friendly face around, it put her at ease, and the fact that it was Pinkie made it all the better. After an hour or two, Pinkie finally left, and Rarity continued with her work. Rarity went to bed that night next to her workstation, as was her custom nowadays. A small dagger nestled under her pillow, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Her dreams as always began the same; she is in her boutique. The feeling of soft, flowing fabric of a dress under her hooves, as she sews up the final touches. Sweetie Bell comes galloping over, smiling a big smile. Her cutie mark shines on her flank. "Rarity there's somepony at the door looking for you." "Is it a client?" she asks. Sweetie Bell shrugs. Rarity walks down the corridor, which seems to get longer and longer. She eventually reaches the end, a silhouette greets her. "Hello and welcome to Rarity's" she says pleasantly. The stranger steps into the light. "Hello, Celestia's pet." Says Tinker. Rarity runs the other way, fearful, just wanting to get away. She bursts through an open door. Inside the room are a bunch of ponies and griffins, all pointing at her. "You killed us Rarity." They all say as one. Rarity shakes her head. "No…No. I didn't kill anypony. I was stuck in the lab with nerd ponies." She pleads to the group for forgiveness. The groups just points at her, chanting 'Murderer, Murderer.' Rarity curls up on the ground, shaking her head. They group closes in on her. Then the crowd opens up, and Sweetie Bell walks toward her, her face hidden in shadow. Rarity reaches out to her sister. "Murderer." Says Sweetie Bell, a light fits her face, and only a skull greets Rarity, who screams. Rarity woke up screaming, her sheets were drenched with sweat and her face was wet with tears. She looked out the window at Princess Celestia, who was only beginning to raise the sun. Rarity got out of bed, slowly, still exhausted. She rubbed her eyes, clearing away the tiredness and the memories that had arisen to the surface. She got back to work as soon as she could, purely for the sake of a distraction. Another hour passed before the other members of her team arrived. Rarity paid no attention to them, feeling once again that she was listening to the world from under the water. She sat quietly during the day, slowly coating arrows with her special compound. A few designs were signed off on, and the day proceeded like any other. But Rarity still couldn't escape the dreams. Another night passed, more sweat, more tears. Rarity awoke the next morning, looking out the window at Celestia. 'Whatever it takes, I'm going to get past this.' She vowed to herself. Later that day, she had finally finished the stockpile of 'Winter arrows' and sat back, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Black Diamond walking past. Rarity jumped up, galloping over to the door but couldn't bring herself to go through it. Instead, she just called out his name. Black Diamond walked over, his face was a mixture of surprise, concern and happiness. "Hello Rarity." He said quietly, afraid of scaring her. Rarity smiled, and invited him in. They sat down, Rarity sat a bit further away than she used to. But reminded herself that before today, she wouldn't have sat next to him at all, let alone invite him into the tent. Sheepishly they talked. Black Diamond obviously not wanting to upset her, which Rarity appreciated. Black Diamond left smiling, and Rarity gave herself a silent cheer, having taken the first step towards getting past her nightmares. The next week saw Rarity meeting black Diamond every day for lunch, and feeling more and more confident when she had done so. But she was still ashamed that she couldn't even take one step outside of her tent. One day after Black Diamond left, Rarity saw the Doctor walking over and an idea formed in her mind. "Doctor, Doctor." She beckoned from her doorway. The Doctor walked over, smiling. "Hello Rarity, it's nice to actually see you after such a long time. Oh wait, that sounded really insensitive, I'm sorry I'm just a little stressed with Derpy getting close and still fighting a war…" the Doctor kept talking until Rarity physically stuck her hoof in his mouth. "Doctor, I need your help, can we talk?" She asked. The Doctor nodded, following Rarity into the tent. She led him in between some shelves, before looking around to make sure no pony was listening. "Doctor. I understand you have certain abilities. Like with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie." she said. The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, telepathy. What are you getting at Rarity?" The Doctor asked, his eyes narrowing. "I… need you to help me… forget… things." She said finally. The Doctor closed his eyes, sighing. "Rarity, I understand that this has been difficult for you but if I did that, you may lose a big part of yourself. I just don't know if it's the right thing to do." Rarity got angry, poking the doctor in the chest. "The right thing to do! What part of my life lately says that I care if I lose myself? It's already been taken from me!" Her voice slowed as she pleaded with the Doctor; "Doctor please. Haven't you ever had a memory you wish somepony would just take away. Please Doctor, help me get past this. Please." Rarity's eyes welled, as the Doctor's head dropped. "Okay Rarity, but you have to let me in. Any resistance and I may not be able to control what memories are taken." He placed his hooves on either side of her head, as Rarity tried to relax. Rarity could feel him inside her mind, as he started back at the event and worked his way to the present, destroying almost all traces of her fears, her insecurities and her doubts. The doctor finished, removing his hooves. "Okay Rarity, it's done, you still get the general gist of what happened, but now that your mind has no record of it, it will just seem like you imagined it. You will replace the lost memories with new ones, most likely happier. But be warned, I don't have any idea what this will do to your personality." The Doctor said, as Rarity closed her eyes, dazed and confused. Flashes of new memories forced themselves to the front of her mind, before fitting into place where the others had been destroyed. Rarity smiled, as though nothing bad had ever happened, her confidence returned and she started to run towards the door. "Thank you Doctor, I have a lot of catching up to do with my friends." Rarity stopped at the door, poking her head out, feeling the cold winter's breeze on her face. She placed one hoof outside, then another, and another. She laughed, before galloping out the door towards the main tent, and her friends. She realised about halfway that she still remembered most of it. But now, she just didn't care. She had moved past it. The Doctor hadn't done a thing. "Thank you Doctor, you trickster.' She thought. Chapter 11Twilight lay on her bunk, a book open before her, the apple she was eating held aloft by her magic. She felt uneasy as Pinkie's dark blue eyes rested on her in intense concentration. "Pinkie. Stop staring at my eye." Twilight said casually, not lifting her head from the book. "I'm not staring at your eye Twilight." Lied Pinkie. Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you staring at?" she asked the Party pony. "I'm uh staring at your horn." Pinkie lied again. "Then stop staring at my horn." Twilight responded. "Oh I'm not staring at your horn; I'm staring at your creepy eye… Oh wait." Pinkie realised what she had said and took off out of the tent, embarrassed. Twilight smiled, glad to have Pinkie back, even if she was annoying. She did notice that Pinkie was having trouble adjusting to what the group had become. Twilight had requested that Pinkie be shipped home to Ponyville, but Celestia had denied it, saying that she would prefer to keep a close eye on her. Twilight worried about her friends, but she was more worried about herself and what she was becoming. At night she could smell the fresh scent of blood and hear the screams of the Minotaur and griffins she had killed. But what scared her most was that she didn't mind. It had become second nature to her now, as though she had been doing it all her life. Twilight snapped out of her trance as a messenger approached. "Miss Twilight, Princess Celestia would like to see you in the special ops tent immediately." The messenger told her. Twilight nodded and placed her book down, making her way towards the door of the tent, before realising that she still had to put her armour on. She looked over at her new armour. Rarity and her team had done a great job at insulating it against the cold, as well as adding a dye to the metal, turning it white. The last thing Twilight put on was her hidden blade. She had made the decision a while ago to use it on top of her arm instead of the bottom, making it easier to use, but more visible. The leather around the mechanism was dark, stained with blood. Twilight breathed it in; the smell of iron gave her a strange comfort. She left the tent, the cold winter winds latched on to her exposed skin. She looked around at how it had changed on the camp. They had moved a lot closer in the sixteen months since the war had started. The pony camp now rested where the griffin camp had stood on the first day of battle. The new archer's stage was now a built structure rather than a natural formation. Fluttershy had insisted upon having one. Twilight watched as ponies returned from a recent battle, frost bitten and exhausted, Big Mac was among their numbers. She waved, and Big Mac nodded his greeting. Twilight arrived at the special ops tent, which was black, for no other reason than ambiance, Twilight reasoned. Inside were Princess Celestia and the Doctor, gathered around a table, a map in front of them. "Twilight, thank you for coming." Said Celestia. Twilight smiled, always happy to see her mentor. The Doctor looked at her and nodded, the serious look on his face unnerved Twilight. "Hello Princess, you wanted to see me?" Twilight asked. Celestia beckoned her over to the table. "Twilight, as one of my best warriors, I am charging you with a very special mission." She said. Twilight puffed out her chest; deep feelings of pride arose in her. "You can count on me Princess" Twilight replied, smiling. "I wish we didn't have to." Piped up the Doctor. Twilight raised an eyebrow in response. "I wish that we didn't have to send you on this mission, purely because of the danger associated with it." "Whatever the mission, I'm confident that Twilight can handle herself." Celestia cut him off, narrowing her eyes at The Doctor. "What is the mission?" Twilight asked, eager to do anything for the princess. "We learnt that the de facto ruler of the griffin empire, Prince Alistair will be giving a speech to the citizens of the Griffin capitol of New Grifburg. Seeing as how his father Gregor is away, Prince Alistair is the main power in the griffin empire. Your mission, Twilight, is to go to the griffin capitol, and assassinate Prince Alistair." Said Celestia. "What! Princess, I don't think…" Started Twilight. "You must Twilight. As your friend, I ask you. As your commander I order you, and as your Princess, I demand it." Celestia boomed. Twilight looked at the Doctor, who could only shake his head, offering no advice. Twilight sighed, realising that she had no choice. "When do I leave." She asked. "As soon as you can. The speech takes place in three days. You have until then to kill him and get out of the city. We can take you most of the way, but you will have to go into the city on foot. Go see Rarity, I had some equipment made up for you." Said the Doctor. Twilight looked at Celestia one last time before she left, as though asking if it was one of her pranks. But Celestia stayed stony-faced, and Twilight walked out. "Assassinate" she said to herself, rolling the word around in her head. She went to Rarity's tent, still the same one she had been moved into, although Rarity was no longer trapped inside by her own fear. She had even accepted the best of the stallion researchers back onto her team. Twilight was exceptionally pleased in her progress. Upon entering, she saw Rarity; her lips were attached to Black Diamond's. Twilight looked away, embarrassed. Rarity finally noticed her after a minute and pulled away, blushing. "Oh Twilight, I'm so sorry you saw that. Are you here for your equipment?" asked Rarity. Black Diamond whispered something in her ear and left. "I'm glad to see you and Black Diamond are happy again." Said Twilight, winking. Rarity blushed even redder. "Yes… well. I have your new gear over here, and for the record. I'm sorry that you have to go on this mission." Said Rarity, hugging Twilight. Rarity led her over to a box, opening it; she pulled out a white and red cloak and hood. "So this simply lovely outfit is fully insulated against the cold, features a hood that will conceal your identity and has lots of hidden pockets for storing anything you think may be useful." Rarity explained, handing it to Twilight, who took off her armour and slipped it on. Twilight noticed that it was a lot more comfortable than her armour. "Now I know you favour the hidden blade, so I made this one just for you darling." Rarity continued, handing Twilight a new hidden blade. The leather was embossed with her cutie mark and a very ornate 'T.S' in fancy calligraphy. The Blade itself was made out of a much shinier metal than her other one. The actual metal part was only on the outside, the core of the blade was made of a purple gem. "Thank you Rarity." Said Twilight, smiling and hugging her friend. "It was no problem Twilight. I just wish you didn't have to do this." Rarity said, hugging back just as tightly. "Just promise me you will come back Twilight." "I promise Rarity." Twilight left the tent and slowly made her way back to the special ops tent. Suddenly she was pulled in between two tents. Pinkie pushed her up against some supplies that were being stored there. "Twilight, please don't go on this mission!" Pinkie said. "Pinkie? How did you even hear about the mission?" Twilight said, stunned at the revelation. "Twilight, really, you expect me to NOT know about something like that." Said Pinkie sarcastically. "But the point is that you can't do this mission." "You honestly think I want to do this?" Twilight yelled, pushing Pinkie away. "Do you really think that I can kill in cold blood? On the battlefield, it's different, it's hot and fast and I'm doing it to protect myself. But… This time… I'm only going to kill because I am ordered to." "I know Twilight, but I'm worried. I don't want to lose my friends. And if you do this, I will lose you." Pinkie said, her ears stuck close to her head and her voice was quiet. "Pinkie, I promise that you will not lose me. None of you will ever lose me." Twilight said. Pinkie grabbed Twilight, pulled her close and kissed her. Twilight was too shocked to resist. Pinkie broke it off and blushed. Twilight just stood there, her mouth open. "Pinkie…" she began. Pinkie put her hoof up to Twilights mouth. "Be careful when you fight monsters, lest you become one, Twilight." Pinkie said, before turning and leaving. Twilight stood there for a bit longer, stunned, watching Pinkie walk away. Twilight began to walk over to the special ops tent, confused, Pinkie's words and the kiss swirling around in her mind. "Are you ready Twilight?" asked Celestia. Twilight looked up at her, and couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed. "Yes Princess, I'm ready." Twilight said, flipping up her hood, which covered her horn, giving the impression of an earth pony. Princess Celestia bowed her head, her horn glowing with white energy. Twilight was teleported, finding herself in a forest. Twilight walked up a small hill and looked at the city she was about to infiltrate. The city of New Grifburg, it was a large city by pony standards, but in the griffin empire, was only an average sized city. The main reason it was the capitol was because of the palace, which was nestled in the heart of the city. Twilight started to walk towards the docks, where trader ponies were still accepted, regardless of the war, the world of trade and the money that went with it was still going on. Once there, she quickly blended into the ponies, becoming invisible to the guards that patrolled the streets. Twilight spent the next day getting herself ready, finding out where the speech was planned to take place, and getting herself mentally prepared. During her first night sleeping on the streets, Twilight was appalled at the extensive amount of homeless. She saw them everywhere, begging for the smallest scrap of food, to be turned down or brutalised by the guards. The second night, the night before her grim task, Twilight stole some apples for herself, but as she settled down in an alley to eat, discovered a whole family of griffins living in the same alley. "What caused your misfortune?" She asked, sharing her food with the starving family. Making sure to keep her hood low over her face, so as to not disturb them with her eye. The mother of the family spoke to her. "We were forced out of our home by Prince Alistair and Princess Gilda. In Emperor Gregor's absence, they have raised taxes to a point where all but the richest are forced out of their homes. The guards are corrupt and not above brutalising us. My father, a griffin of the church, once tripped in front of Princess Gilda's path. She… She had him beaten and killed in public. We are all too scared to do anything about it. If only Gregor was not blinded by his love for his daughter, he would return from war and set things right." It was then that Twilight understood why she had been sent, it was not to destabilise their society, but to save it. "Will Princess Gilda be at the speech tomorrow?" She asked, hoping to kill two birds with one stone. The Mother shook her head. "No, she does not attend many speeches; she only leaves the castle to for one reason.' "Which is?" asked Twilight. "It is said she kidnaps ponies and tortures them, and that she only leaves the palace to hunt." Twilight felt the rage build up; she gritted her teeth resisting the urge to scream in anger. Twilight woke up early the next day, well before the family she had helped. She made her way to the square where the speech was taking place, and waited, out of sight. Despite the cruelty of Prince Alistair, a large crowd showed up. Fanfare accompanied the Prince's walk onto the stage. He was the spitting image of Gregor, but younger and thinner. "My loyal subjects, I stand before you today to tell you that the war is going to plan, that we will be victorious and that Celestia will feel the cold steel of my father's blade. But he needs your help, so, effective as of today, I am raising taxes a further five bits." Proclaimed Alistair. Twilight began to make her way towards him, his lies making her want to end his miserable life all the more. She pushed through the crowd, picking up speed. She neared the front before any guards became suspicious. They made their way towards her, spears and swords shining. But in a move that even surprised Twilight, the guards were halted by the citizens of the city, as if they knew the reason for her being there. Alistair spotted her and turned, making his way off stage. Twilight leapt up on stage and chased him; he threw off the cloak he was wearing, stretching his wings for take-off. Twilight used her magic to throw some knives at him. They hit him in the joint of his left wing, Twilight smiled as she heard his scream of pain. Now grounded, he pushed himself harder, but Twilight hounded him. Not giving him the chance to rest. Alistair climbed some stairs, heading for a rooftop. Twilight followed, their chase slowly coming to a close as Twilight gained on him. Alistair came to a large gap; he flapped his wings, but could not bring up the strength to get himself off the ground. Twilight tackled him as he turned, and they both went sailing off the roof to the street below. Twilight felt the impact through her hooves. Alistair groaned with pain as Twilight extended her new hidden blade. The purple gem glowed in the light, as if thirsty for blood. She planted it firmly in Alistair's heart. As he gasped his last breaths of air, Twilight asked; "Why?" "Because I am not my father. Because Gilda is not my father. Because we are better than them, better than you, Pony." Alistair said the last word as a curse. Before the light faded from his eyes. Twilight retracted her blade, allowing herself a deep breath. 'I want to go home' she thought. Chapter 12The Doctor watched Twilight flip up her hood, a look of confusion and fear on her face. Celestia bowed her head, her horn glowed white and Twilight vanished in a flash of light. The Doctor turned and sat on a chair, rubbing his eyes. "You don't approve, do you Doctor?" Celestia asked, sitting next to him. The Doctor shook his head. "It's not that I don't approve Tia. I understand why it needs to be done. I just wish you had told Twilight the real reason, or at least send some backup for her." He told her. "She needed to find out on her own Doctor. Twilight needed perspective on the war, otherwise how is she meant to take my place someday." Celestia explained. The Doctor looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean Tia? We stopped that future from happening." Said the Doctor, putting his hoof on her shoulder. Celestia looked at him and smiled weakly. "Doctor, you of all ponies should understand. I have to measure my actions over hundreds or thousands of years. Planning ahead, rarely letting myself leave anything to chance." Celestia stood, pacing around the table. "Doctor, how long have you known me?" she asked finally. "I was there when you were born, when Luna was born. I watched you grow up, knowing what you were to become. I stood next to you when you were crowned. I nursed your pain when your parents left. You travelled with me for some time. I have known you for centuries Celestia, and I plan to know you for centuries more." Said the Doctor, smiling at Celestia. "Exactly Doctor. And in all that time, have you ever known me to be this scared of the future?" The questions made The Doctor nervous. He stood, walking up to her, looking straight into her eyes. "What's going on Tia?" Celestia dropped her head, tears welling in her eyes. They were suddenly interrupted by Applethunder, who burst in, breathing heavily. "Princess! We have a problem." She said. Celestia composed herself and walked quickly out of the tent, followed by the Doctor. Applethunder pointed to the sky, as a giant red dragon swirled in the air. "Not this again. Applethunder, talk to the unicorns, I want them to bait it into attacking me, just like last time." Celestia turned, going into the tent to retrieve her helmet as Applethunder ran in search of Lightstar. Celestia looked at the Doctor one last time. The Doctor saw the look of pure fear on her face, and he suddenly realised. "Tia… You don't have to. You can't." He pleaded with her, but to no avail. "I'm sorry Doctor, but this is the way it has to be. The way it must always be." She placed the helmet on her head, taking a deep breath. "You can ignore the visions Tia, they aren't always right." The Doctor said. "The last time I ignored them, we got Nightmare Moon. I will not let that happen again. I love you all too much to let my ponies go through that again. Please tell twilight that I don't want her to cry for me." Celestia said. She stretched her wings wide, the bladed tips shone in the light. She bent down and kissed the Doctor on the lips. "For missed opportunities Doctor." She said, before taking off, heading straight at the dragon that had turned towards the unicorn bait. The unicorns had their horns lit up, drawing the Dragon closer. It noticed Celestia first, and attacked. The Doctor galloped down to the front lines, as ponies gathered to watch the epic battle. At first it looked as if Celestia had the upper hand, but then the dragon swung its spiked tail, sending Celestia slamming into the ground. The Doctor snatched a bow away from one of the archers, firing it at the dragon. The arrow hit it in the eye, but only enraged the dragon more. Celestia stood, unsheathing her sword. She lunged at the Dragon, dodging its claws and keeping a watchful eye on the tail. She flew fast, not giving the dragon a target, before bringing the sword down, and cutting off half of its tail. The dragon howled in pain, turning and breathing a blast of white hot fire at her. Celestia put up a magic shield, and for a moment the Doctor couldn't see her as she was engulfed in flame. The white and red mass of hot tendrils dissipated, and the Doctor gasped as he looked at Celestia. Her magic shield had failed her to a degree, and the feathers on the tips of her wings were burning. Celestia put them out with magic, and continued the assault, but the Doctor noticed that she was slower. Sword slash, claw swipe and fire followed for the longest time. But still Celestia fought. Never giving up, Celestia flew around the dragon near its mouth, hoping to flank it. But faster than the Doctor could blink, it lashed out and gripped Celestia with its teeth. "NOOOOOO!" screamed the Doctor, firing more arrows at the creature as it shook Celestia wildly. Finally it stopped. The Dragon collapsed; Celestia had managed to stick her sword into its brain. The Doctor galloped out toward her, tears flowing down her face. He looked at her, broken, bloody, her horn was broken at the head, and her eyes were closed. "Tia! Tia! Wake up, come on wake up." The Doctor shook her, screaming. She opened her eye a bit. "Doctor, I need you to do something for me. Take my horn. When you think she is ready, give it to Twilight. It is then that she will fulfil her destiny. And one more thing… Take care of Luna for me; I'm sure she will lead you all to victory." And with that, Celestia exhaled her final breath. The Doctor stood, and picked up Celestia's horn, lying in the snow. The tears melted the snow underneath him. Other ponies began to show up, dragging Celestia out of the dragon's mouth. She was taken to the medical tent and placed to a table, cleaned and dressed in her spare armour, as the entire army paid their respects. Luna showed up the next day, distraught, she wept by Celestia's side for hours, before building up the courage to talk to the Doctor, who had stayed by her side the whole time. "Cannot thou help us Doctor?" her voice was quiet and hoarse. "Cannot the Tardis retrieve her?" The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Luna, But even if this hadn't become a fixed point in time. I don't have the Tardis. When Celestia pulled me out of the time vortex to become the element of Loyalty, The Tardis was put on search mode. It starts at the beginning of time and searches every moment in time for me, every alternate reality, every timeline, incarnation, looking for the right me. It may take thousands of years for it to come back to me." Luna nodded her head, but the Doctor saw the sadness on her face. "Did she say anything before he died? Luna asked. "She said that you were to take charge of the army, and I was to keep an eye on you. She also gave me her horn. I'm to give it to Twilight when I think she's ready. Until then, you are the sun and moon Princess Luna." The Doctor told her, his voice was quiet. "Has Twilight been informed?" Luna suddenly wondered. The Doctor shook his head. "Celestia sent her on a mission before it happened." "One last thing Doctor, did she know? Was it one of her visions?" Luna looked at him, her eyes were red. He nodded once, and Luna began to cry again, louder this time. She hugged her big sister, and the Doctor left, leaving her to her grief. He went back to the main tent, the other elements had all gathered to grieve, as well as Big Mac and Black Diamond, who were comforting Fluttershy and Rarity respectively. The Doctor hugged Derpy, pulling her close and letting her warmth fill him. He rubbed her belly, and smiled, knowing that soon it would happen, and he could start his life over. But for now, The Doctor just wanted to sleep. A week passed, with no sign of Twilight and Luna still anxious about her new position. They had a funeral for Celestia, as unicorns and Luna encased her in a magical bubble. Rarity was among those helping. Once the bubble was completed, it was turned to diamond, to preserve Celestia for eternity in the Royal tombs below the palace. A carriage covered in flowers carried her back to Canterlot for the city's funeral and for her to be put to rest. As the carriage went out of sight, Derpy groaned in pain. "Derpy! What's happening?" the Doctor asked. "My water just broke Doctor, It's coming." Chapter 13Derpy closed her eyes against the intense pain as the Doctor held her hoof, offering encouragement. The midwife sat at her lower end, informing her of her progress and continually telling her to push. Princess Luna stood in the doorway, engrossed by the proceedings. Derpy screamed and pushed as she felt the foal slowly moving. She breathed hard and fast, pushing methodically as inch by inch a new life was being brought into the world. "Come on Derpy, just one more." Said the midwife too calmly for Derpy's liking. "I can't!" She screamed, her body exhausted, pain blinding her. "Come on Derpy, I believe in you, you can do this." Said the Doctor, his voice sympathetic but tense. She looked at him, and the smile on his face, before screaming again, pushing one last time with all of the energy she could muster. Then she heard it; loud, healthy crying, signifying her foal was born. "Congratulations Derpy, it's a beautiful, little unicorn filly." The midwife said happily, wrapping the foal up tightly in a blanket and handing her to Derpy. The foal was light purple in colour, her large eyes were slightly darker than her coat and the tuft of mane on her head was dark purple, similar to the colour of Twilight's coat, Derpy noticed. The Doctor kissed her on the cheek, looking at his daughter. "You already have a name don't you?" he said, knowing the answer. Derpy nodded, too exhausted to do much else. "Sparkler." She said, remembering the older version she saw with the Doctor. The midwife motioned for Derpy to hand over the foal so that she could rest. Derpy began to hand it over, when Luna asked; "May I hold her?" She walked over and sat on a chair as Derpy nodded. The midwife happily handed her over to the princess, who looked uncomfortable. "She is so small. I have not seen a foal in over one thousand years. Greetings my newest subject." She said, smiling as a small tear ran down her face. Luna handed it back to the midwife, who took the baby away for her first wash and to be placed in isolation, so as to not run the risk of infection from outside sources. Derpy laid down, putting her head calmly onto the soft pillow. She tried to get comfortable, but panicked when she realised she could not move her legs. "Doctor, what's going on? I can't move my legs, or my wings." The Doctor calmed her down; "That's completely normal Derpy. Because of the thicker bones of earth ponies and unicorns, it puts a lot more strain on Pegasus bodies during birth." He helped her move into a better position, before kissing her. "I'll let you get some rest okay?" he said, turning and following Luna out of the room, as Derpy closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall asleep like she had wanted to for the last ten hours since the birth had begun. She awoke to darkness, as a noise startled her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she noticed four large shapes. "Doctor?" she asked, before a griffin's talon clasped over her mouth. It put one if its fingers up to its beak, ensuring Derpy would not scream. It pulled its hand away, wiping it on the bed as though it had grabbed something disgusting. "Wha…What do you want?" she asked quietly, scared out of her mind. It looked at her, then at the other griffins. "We heard there was a foal born today." It said, before another one piped up. "Foal? Don't you mean snack?" Derpy tried to get up, but was still unable to move her legs. "No! Please! You can't!" she begged. The griffins just laughed. Derpy heard Sparkler crying and she welled up with tears, scared for her daughter. The griffin used his finger to wipe a tear from her eye. He licked it up. "Wow, turns out Pegasus tears ARE sweet, looks like Gilda was telling the truth." They turned to leave. But stopped as another dark shape blocked the doorway. "Give the foal to her mother, and leave before you get hurt." The shape said, and Derpy recognised the voice as belonging to Pinkie. One of the griffins lit a candle, illuminating the Pink earth pony, and laughed. "What! Are you gunna stop us Pink." Said the one holding the crying Sparkler. "Yes." Said Pinkie, as she pushed on her front hooves, and raising up onto two legs. Derpy cringed as she arched her back and the sounds of the vertebrae cracking made her sick. Stunned and uncertain of Pinkie, one of the griffins attacked, swinging a wild claw. Pinkie ducked under it, before jumping up, her hoof outstretched, catching the griffin on the chin and sending him sprawling. The rest of the griffins attacked, except the one holding Sparkler, who slowly made his way along the wall to the exit. But Derpy's attention was focused on Pinkie, as she ducked, jumped and hit the griffins with all of her might. Eventually realising that they had no chance they drew weapons, and attacked again. But Pinkie was like a force of nature, at one point; she dodged a swing of a sword, broke it in half and then stabbed the griffin in the chest with the broken half. Derpy was both engrossed in the beauty of it and fearful of what she was seeing. The last two griffins were dispatched quite easily by Pinkie, as she kicked one in the face, making it fall back onto the other, getting impaled on the sword and the last she killed with a well-aimed scalpel thrown into the eye. Derpy noticed the last one at the door then, she willed her way out of bed, falling in a heap on the ground, and she crawled as fast as she could. "Pinkie, that one is getting away!" she yelled, frantic. Pinkie took off out of the tent, giving chase. Derpy reached the door in time to see Pinkie do something incredible; the griffin had begun to take off, and in a stunning display of skill, Pinkie, still running on two legs launched herself into the air, using a large rock as a step. Pinkie landed on the griffin and Derpy lost sight as the struggled started, she kept crawling, sheer force of will and maternal instincts keeping her going. She looked up as the griffin flew in front of the moon, being illuminated by the white moonlight. Derpy screamed in horror as the griffin suddenly took a steep nose dive, crashing into the ground. Derpy slowly lifted herself onto her hooves, and unsteadily made her way towards the crash zone, each step a matter of careful planning and willpower. She eventually arrived to find the griffin, its neck broken lying in the snow, and Pinkie curled up in a ball nearby. Derpy started to panic when she couldn't hear the crying of a scared foal. "Pinkie! Where's Sparkler?" she asked frantically. Pinkie uncurled herself, revealing cuts all over her body, a bloody nose and a black eye. She also produced Sparkler, sleeping contently in Pinkie's arms. "Sparkler!" Derpy exclaimed happily, and tried to run to her, but her back legs failed and she fell face first into the snow. Pinkie helped her up and put Sparkler in her arms, smiling all the while. Luna suddenly appeared, followed by the Doctor. "What happened here?" Luna asked, before seeing the dead griffin. Derpy told her the whole story, as the Doctor put his arms around her in an effort to keep her and their child warm. "I will have the night guards doubled immediately." She said, bowing her head so as to help Derpy back to her bed in the hospital. "Wait Princess. I want to say something to Pinkie. I… want to say thank you for saving my daughter, for saving me, it's a debt I cannot repay, so I have to ask if you would do me and my family the honour of becoming Sparkler's godmother." She said, smiling at Pinkie, who just nodded and smiled back, proud of herself. Derpy was placed into a new room of the hospital, more secure and closer to Sparkler. Within a week she had regained the full use of her legs, and almost the use of her wings. Pinkie came to see her every day, just to keep her company, and Derpy realised that for Pinkie, it had been a moment of redemption. A moment that Derpy believed she had earned. Chapter 14Fluttershy and Big Mac walked into the main tent, now decorated with black to signify mourning. Princess Luna looked at the map on the table, and Fluttershy noticed that her eyes were red from crying. "You wanted to see us Princess.' Said Big Mac, Luna jumped a bit, startled out of her trance. She cleared her throat, and Fluttershy feared that they were going to receive the traditional Canterlot voice. But was surprised to hear a soft, melodic voice. "Oh, yes, I have mission of the utmost importance for you both" Luna said, making her way around the table to them. "I am sending you both to the Griffin capitol to investigate the disappearance of Twilight Sparkle." Fluttershy was surprised to be sent on such a dangerous mission, but even more surprised that Twilight still hadn't come back from her mission. "Why would you pick us your highness?" she asked, not scared, just uncertain. Her confidence was now at the point where nothing scared her, except losing her friends. "I need ponies I can trust, not to mention the fact that you are both brave and wonderful warriors." Luna explained smiling. She was still learning how to command her troops in the modern way, after being out of practice for so long. "Rarity has some equipment for you both, and then return here, I will teleport you most of the way." "What are we to do once we locate Twilight?" asked big Mac, stoic, determination written all over his face. "You are to locate her and convince her to come back, and then leave on one of the merchant ships on the harbour. We will pick you all up on the next friendly port that you arrive at." Luna told them. She bowed her head; her horn touched them both on either shoulder, signifying special trust. Fluttershy and Big Mac left, heading for Rarity's tent. "Do you have any idea what Twilight's mission was?" Asked Fluttershy. "Eeeenope." Said Big Mac, shaking his head. Fluttershy heard crying and looked around to see Derpy, with her new foal and a bottle in her hoof. She smiled; looking at the joy on Derpy's face and couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. They arrived at Rarity's tent to find an ant's nest worth of activity. Ponies moving about fast, loud noises and the odd explosion could be heard. They spotted Rarity and made their way over to her. "Rarity, what's all this commotion?" Fluttershy asked as Rarity picked up a hammer with her magic and started to hit a piece of metal on the table. "Oh just the usual, the Princess needs new armour and we haven't made any yet, so there is a huge rush to gather materials and make it, not to mention make it look good. And then of course we have to deal with the normal stuff like broken weapons, broken armour and the like." Rarity said, obvious frustration on her voice. "Oh well then I'm sorry to ask but… Princess Luna said that you had some stuff for our mission?" Fluttershy said. Rarity just pointed to a box next to her desk. Big Mac opened it and handed Fluttershy her new bow, made out of a special wood that can only be grown with magic. The wood was dark red, almost black in colour and Fluttershy noticed that the bow strings had a slight purple colouring. "Rarity are these your mane hairs?" she asked, and was surprised to see Rarity nod. Big Mac pulled out his new sword, long and slightly curved; it featured a red gem running through the centre and a green gem, carved as a replica of his cutie mark on the hilt. "It's beautiful Rarity, thank you." He said, once again, Rarity only nodded in response. Fluttershy suddenly had an idea. "Rarity, what was Twilight's mission?" She asked. Rarity missed the metal, and the hammer became lodged in the wooden table. Rarity sighed, turning to face the two ponies. "Yes I do, but I'm not supposed to tell you. Although, I suppose if it could help you with your mission. Twilight was sent to assassinate Prince Alistair, Gregor's son and Gilda's brother." Both Fluttershy and Big Mac gasped, unable to believe that Twilight would assassinate anypony, or any griffin. "Are you serious?" said Big Mac. Rarity nodded and turned back to her work. Fluttershy and Big Mac left, stunned at the news. Neither could believe that Celestia would ask Twilight to assassinate a Prince. Luna was waiting at the main tent, once again absorbed in her trance. Once the two ponies were ready, Luna bowed her head, her horn began to glow with magic and she wished them luck before they were teleported to a small forest on the outskirts of the city. They made their way down to the streets and were surprised to not see many people on the streets. Fluttershy asked a griffin that was selling peaches on a corner. "Oh everygriffin is down at the town square, they finally caught Prince Alistair's assassin. There's going to be a hanging." Was his reply. Fluttershy and Big Mac rushed to the town square and discovered a large crowd had gathered around a very grim looking gallows. A skinny, hunched over looking griffin walked onto stage, and addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlefeathers, today is an historic day, today the pony that murdered our ruler will pay the price. And due to their heinous crime, we are forgoing the usual hundred days of torture. Instead, we are going to hang her, eat the flesh and send the bones back to Celestia! So without further ado, I present to you, the assassin." To Fluttershy's surprise, Twilight was cheered onto the stage, by griffin and pony alike. Her legs were chained together, preventing her from escaping. The griffin pulled her hood down and the crowd cheered louder. Twilight smiled, looking at the skinny griffin. Fluttershy looked at Twilight's mane, now cut in a similar style to her own. A larger griffin, his face covered in a black hood, placed a rope around her neck, tightening it. The chains around her legs were unlocked. Fluttershy panicked, pulling her bow out and cocking an arrow. "What do you plan to do? Shoot the rope?" asked Big Mac. Fluttershy took aim as the executioner made his way over to the lever, gripped it and pulled. As Twilight fell, Fluttershy released, and just as the rope was about to go tight, the arrow severed it and twilight fell through the trap door. The skinny griffin pointed at them, yelling orders to some guards, and Fluttershy and Big Mac fled, the guards hot on their heels. They ran down alleyways, zigzagging in an effort to throw their pursuers of their tails. Shooting down an alley, they were suddenly blocked by a group of guards; they turned as more griffins blocked their path. Now boxed in, Big Mac drew his sword, ready for a fight. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, ready for the slightest aggressive movement. Out of the corner of her eye, Fluttershy noticed some white shapes descend from the sky and land next to them. Some of the guards backed off. Fluttershy looked around at their rescuers, six identically dressed individuals, a mixture of ponies and griffins. Twilight stood next to Fluttershy, hood back over her face. "You all know who I am, who we are. So I am being generous today, leave and you can go back to your families. These ponies are under our protection. Oh and another thing… You may need to find a new chancellor." Twilight extended a hidden blade, red with blood. The guards didn't move for a moment, then turned and left, knowing they stood no chance against the group. Fluttershy looked at Twilight as she retracted her hidden blade. "Oh thank you Twi-" "What the hay are you doing here?" Twilight asked, her voice was angry. Fluttershy was taken aback by the outburst. "Uh… Princess Luna sent us to retrieve you, and we just want you back." She said. "Well you can just go home, I'm not leaving, not yet." She told her. "Look Twilight, we have a mission to complete and I intend to complete it." Said Big Mac, poking Twilight in the chest. One of Twilight's team called back to her. "Dusk! We have to go before they come back with more guards." Twilight sighed, looking at her two friends; She bowed her head and teleported the whole group. Fluttershy found herself in a round room, supplies and bunks lined up against the walls. A large stained glass window illuminated the room, and painted it in a deep mix of red, green and blue. "Twilight, where are we?" asked Big Mac, looking around as the other members of Twilight's team lowered their hoods. "This is our base of operations, located within a church." She replied, not lowering her hood. "And I think that it's time for you both to leave. I don't want you here." Fluttershy began to get angry. "How dare you! We risk our lives coming here to search for you, on Luna's orders and you don't even say hello. What is your problem? Do you even care about us anymore; this isn't what Celestia would have wanted." She yelled, at the mention of Celestia, Twilight dropped her head. "I know, but I can't go back, not now. And besides, Celestia sent me here to do something, and I have to see it through." She said. The others in the room, left, understanding that Twilight wanted to be alone. Twilight sat down on a bed, looking at the two. "I know, you were sent here to assassinate Gregor's son." Big Mac said, his tone was slightly disapproving. "It was more than that. Celestia sent me here to save these people. They are being oppressed and I am just trying to help them. So I gathered like-minded individuals and we do what we have to. Wed assassinate every corrupt Politian, every businessgriffin that brutalises their workers or runs slave camps. We fight for the people on the street, just hoping that our main target comes out of hiding soon." "And who is your main target?" asked Fluttershy, hoping for a certain name to be said. "Gilda." Said Twilight. Fluttershy looked at Big Mac, who nodded. They remembered the promise they made to each other, and realised that it was the perfect opportunity to fulfil it. "Twilight, we want to help. And we will not take no for an answer. I promised Big Mac and Rarity that I would kill Gilda, and I plan to be the one that does it." She told her, not giving Twilight the chance to argue. Twilight saw the look of determination on her face and nodded. "Good, then we make a change, instead of waiting for her, we be assertive and go and get her." Fluttershy said, Big Mac walked up and kissed her. "Ah love it when you get forceful." He whispered into her ear. Twilight sighed, and stood. "Fine, but if we are going to do this we do it my way, which means stealth. And not shedding blood if we can avoid it." She said, walking out of the room to inform her team. That night, they made their way to the palace, slowly, dodging guards and staying out of the light. Big Mac had the most difficulty, his enormous mass made stealth a real challenge for him. After making their way into the main palace, they carefully set about finding Gilda's room. Twilight eventually found it, as a star with a big letter 'G' was on the door. Quietly they entered, each creak of the floorboards seemed like a clap of thunder to Fluttershy. The covers on the large four poster bed were bundled over something. Big Mac readied himself near the bed, ready to pull back the covers on Fluttershy's signal. She pulled out a dagger she had been saving; the blade had the initials 'R.D and AJ' carved into it. She lifted herself off the ground, hovering next to the bed. She nodded her head, and Big Mac pulled the covers as Fluttershy dived, thrusting the dagger into the mass. She soon realized that there was no blood, but instead cotton. Twilight lit up her horn and the group sighed as they realised that Gilda was not in the bed, that Fluttershy had been stabbing a very creepy plush replica of Rainbow Dash. Twilight put the light out as she heard steps from outside. She put her hood back on and stood by the door. She reached out and pulled the startled servant inside. Covering his mouth with her hoof, Twilight let go once she realised it was a pony. Fluttershy's heart sank as Twilight lit up her horn and she saw the cuts, bruises and scars that crisscrossed over the servant's body. "Please don't kill me Dusk! Please." Begged the servant, Twilight let him up, and gave him some space. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, just tell me where Gilda is.' She said, using a slightly deeper voice. The servant suddenly smiled. "Is it her turn, have you come to kill her?" he asked gleefully. Then his smile faded. "Oh I'm sorry but she left to visit her father on the front lines, and I have no idea when she will be back." He said, genuinely unhappy. Twilight turned to Fluttershy and Big Mac; "Well it looks like you have your wish, I'm going where Gilda is." She said. The servant showed them a secret passageway out of the palace, which ended very close to the church. Fluttershy suddenly wondered; Twilight, why does everypony keep calling you Dusk?" She asked. Twilight smiled. "When I started, I didn't want anypony to link me back to the elements of harmony and you girls, so I changed my name to Dusk." She explained. Another question popped into Fluttershy's head. "And how come you weren't at Celestia's funeral?" she asked. Twilight stopped walking. "I was there. But I wanted to stay invisible, so I did. And I vowed to fulfil Celestia's last mission to the best of my ability. And I even think I've done that." She said, beginning the walk again. Twilight told her team that she was leaving, telling them to continue her work and to always follow the rules she set down. The three ponies left on a merchant vessel named the 'obsidian' the next morning. Luna was waiting for them at the next pony port, Twilight having had sent word by carrier pigeon. Twilight received a hero's welcome from the other elements, and delighted in being introduced to Sparkler. Fluttershy was shocked when upon seeing Pinkie; Twilight pulled her close and kissed her. Fluttershy smiled, realising that all of her friends had found love. And for Fluttershy, it meant that the griffins, and more importantly Gilda, didn't stand a chance. That night, she sat on archer's stage and looked over at the griffin camp, knowing that her enemy was so close gave Fluttershy a strange comfort. She pulled out her dagger again, and could almost feel it plunging into Gilda's heart. "For Rainbow, For Applejack." Chapter 15Rarity brought the hammer down again and again, the dark purple metal slowly bending to her whims. She put it back into the heat, taking a few deep breaths as the metal heated up. Again she pulled it out, and again she hammered, trying to get the right shape as the stubborn metal glowed red with protest. The sweat rolled off her face, blackened with soot, and she knew she looked disgraceful. The metal was dropped into a bucket of water, and gouts of steam followed. Rarity stepped back so as not to burn herself. As the Metal cooled, she prepared the final touch, gently tapping a chisel into a gemstone, shaping it with a craftsponies keen eye for detail. She pulled the metal out of the bucket, now shaped exactly as she wanted. The white gem was set into it, a half moon, almost completing Princess Luna's Breastplate. Rarity picked up the chisel again; minute patterns centred around the gem took form. The patterns were special, and would glow in the darkness of Luna's night. Finished with the decorative aspect that she prided herself on, Rarity completed the breastplate fully, adding clasps and straps to make it fit on Luna's slim frame. Proud of her work, Rarity sat back, panting, as the final piece of Luna's armour was finished. She felt a presence next to her, a familiar one and smiled as Black Diamond kissed her cheek. "I can't believe how attractive you look right now." He said, making Rarity blush. She knew she looked terrible, covered in soot, sweat and grime. She turned and kissed him on the lips, flattered at any rate. "Oh really? You like dirty girls?" she asked playfully. He nodded, smiling even more. "Well too bad, I plan on having a bath as soon as possible." She said, standing and walking to her room in the tent, which in reality was just a walled off section around her workstation and bed. Black Diamond followed her in, and watched as she wetted a cloth with some water and wiped the soot off her face. "So what are you doing now?" he asked. His platoon had been given the rest of the day off as the griffins weren't fighting due to a religious holiday, and the ponies decided to respect their request. Rarity looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I am going to drop some clothes off for the foal, tell Luna her armour is ready and then take a nice bath. That, darling is what I am going to do now." She said. Black Diamond nodded, and Rarity noticed a look of nervousness in his eyes, but ignored it. Rarity gathered up the foal clothes and push past Diamond, kissing him quickly. "You CAN tag along if you like." She said, as Black Diamond looked around awkwardly. He smiled and followed her. The snow was light today, as winter was nearing its end, pegasi flew through the sky, reminding Rarity of Ponyville and how soon, Winter Wrap up would be commencing. She sighed, wishing she could go home to participate in the celebration. All that she had at the front lines were letters from Sweetie Belle. Her latest one had made Rarity cry, as it told her that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had finally gotten their cutie marks. Rarity wished that she could have seen her sister when she had found her special talent. From what Sweetie Belle said, her cutie mark was an open scroll with a note on it, as her special talent turned out to be writing and singing songs. Applebloom's was a painter's palette over the top of a hammer, signifying her ability in building and decorating. Scootaloo's was a wheel with fire coming off it, as she realised her ability in speed on her scooter. Rarity had written back, praising the girls on the achievement and telling them that she would be home soon. Rarity had never mentioned to Sweetie Belle or her parents what had happened with Tinker, not wanting to upset them, as well as not wanting to relive it. Rarity looked at Black Diamond, who still seemed uneasy. "What's with you today? You seem… restless." She asked. Black Diamond turned to her, and his awkward returned. "Do I, I'm sorry. It's just well… to be honest there is two things; the first is that Luna scares the hay out of me, and I don't know why, and the second is… I wanted to ask you something." He said, before stopping. Rarity walked up to him, looking straight into his eyes. "What is it darling?" she asked, not sure where he was getting at. Black Diamond sighed, obviously nervous. "Okay, firstly, I understand if you say no, but. Big Mac and Fluttershy got me thinking, and this is going to be my last tour of duty for at least five years… so my question is… Can I spend those five years, and even the rest of my life with you?" His voice was quiet, only audible enough for Rarity to hear. Rarity felt it bubble inside her, an explosive happiness. "YES!!" she yelled. Black Diamond was knocked onto his back, not expecting an outburst like that. Rarity helped him up, kissing him hard, and the happiness she felt was all consuming. Other ponies looked at the two, and then turned away, embarrassed. Rarity broke off the kiss, dragging him along. "We have to tell everypony." The first stop was Derpy and the Doctor. Rarity handed over the clothes for Sparkler and told them the news. The Doctor shook Diamonds hoof, but stopped when he overheard Rarity say to Derpy; "I think it's your turn next." They left and headed for the main tent, finding the rest in with Luna. Upon telling them the news, Big Mac hugged his friend, before suggesting a double wedding. An almighty cheer erupted from everypony, except for Luna, Rarity noticed. Luna walked over to the couple, bowing her head. "As the ruler of Equestria, I give you my blessing." She smiled, but weakly. That evening, they celebrated, Rarity and Fluttershy discussed dress options, Big Mac and Black Diamond drank cider that Big Mac had brought from home, but they all had a good time. It was well and truly dark when Rarity returned to her tent, pleased with the progress of the day. She had never gotten around to the bath, but was too exhausted to care. She prepared herself for bed, brushing her hair and putting on a nightgown. A voice behind her made her jump, she turned and realised it was Luna. "Oh hello Princess, your armour, of course, I completely forgot, it's finished if you would like to pick it up." She said. Luna shook her head. "Thank you Rarity, but I am just here for advice." Luna sat on Rarity's bed. Rarity was surprised to hear that a Princess had come to her for advice. "What is it you need advice on?" she asked, sitting next to Luna. Luna smiled weakly, moving a bit closer to Rarity. "It's such a silly thing for a Princess to think about but… I need to know about love." Luna said, her head drooped at Rarity's look of surprise. "See, it is silly." "Not at all Princess, what seems to be the problem?" asked Rarity, putting one hoof around Luna. "It's just that I look at you all, and I feel nought but envy. You all have found love in one way of another. Although in my day, a love such as Pinkie and Twilight's was not expressed openly, or talked about for that matter. Which made things difficult for me." Luna explained. Rarity clicked after a moment as to what she meant. "You're a fillyfooler." She said, watching Luna's eyes well up. "And Now, I look at foals like the Doctor's and I can't help but wish that I had somepony special to share my life with, to create a foal that would be the ultimate expression of our love. I… just want… to… be… loved." Luna started to cry, the lonely tears of a pony that time has forgotten. Rarity hugged the Princess, unsure of what to say or do to console her. Luna pulled out of the hug slightly, looking into Rarity's eyes. Luna quickly started kissing Rarity, who tried to pull away, but the Alicorns strength meant that she couldn't. After about a minute, Rarity began to relax, starting to even enjoy it, much to her surprise. Then she remembered Black Diamond, and managed to push Luna away. "I…I'm sorry Rarity, was it not enjoyable?" Asked Luna. Rarity wanted to say yes but her rational side took over. "It wasn't that Luna, it's just that I'm with Black Diamond and this technically counts as cheating." She explained, hoping not to offend her. Luna nodded her eyes downcast. "I understand Rarity, and I'm sorry that I compromised your honour. I don't know what came over me I…I…I-"Luna stuttered, embarrassed. She stood and ran out of the tent, once again with tears in her eyes. Rarity watched her go, feeling bad for Luna. But what scared her the most was that she liked the kiss. Confused, she snuck into Black Diamonds tent and dragged him back to her own. She kissed him, feeling guilty. Her confusion got worse as she realised she liked kissing Black Diamond just as much. Rarity spent the night with her betrothed, but couldn't fully enjoy herself, thinking back to Luna. The next day, Luna returned, but this time it was to pick up her armour. Luna couldn't look Rarity in the eyes, as she helped Luna put her armour on. The other ponies left for lunch, leaving Rarity and Luna alone, as Rarity made adjustments to the armour. "Princess, I'm sorry if I insulted you last night. I was just surprised, that's all. And I do have a confession, I…I did like it." She told Luna, who smiled. "Then you are like me." She said happily. "That's just it your majesty, I like kissing Diamond as well. I'm just so confused." Rarity said, looking straight into Luna's eyes. "I am truly sorry to have brought this upon you Rarity, it was not my intention. I wished only to have a kindred spirit to share myself with." Said Luna. Rarity was heartbroken for her; to have lived a thousand years with no physical contact must have been torture. She sighed, knowing what she had to do, both for Luna, and herself. Rarity knew that if she didn't, her feelings of confusion would stay forever, and Luna would forever feel alone. "I have a proposition Princess; one that I think will benefit us both." Rarity explained the plan to Luna, who seemed at first apprehensive, then slowly got used to the idea. Luna agreed, and Rarity took a deep breath. She kissed Luna, and felt the same confusing feeling as the night before. Luna used her magic to shut the tent door and fastened it shut, so the two wouldn't be disturbed. Rarity and Luna spent the rest of the afternoon together, exploring. By the end, they just lay next to each other panting. Luna was smiling, happier than she had been in centuries, but Rarity, while she enjoyed it, felt guiltier than ever. She turned to Luna. "I can't help but feel guilty, your majesty." She told Luna, who still smiled. "I know Rarity, but has this given you any clarity on your problem?" Luna asked. Rarity nodded, she saw no other choice. "Do you think you can keep this a secret?" she asked. Luna looked at her quizzically. "Whatever do you mean?" "I can't bring myself to choose between you both, I see no way to do so without breaking the other's heart. So I'm asking if you are willing to continue, but in absolute secrecy. I can keep my lips shut if you can." She said, a little forcefully. Luna nodded, then leant over and kissed Rarity, who smiled, and kept telling herself that it is the right thing to do. Luna left a little later, and Rarity finally took her much desired bath, letting the events of the last two days be mixed with the steam and scented water. She thought of Black Diamond, and of their wedding. Then her thoughts turned to Luna and her want of a foal. She groaned in frustration, uncertain of her plan. She suddenly heard her name being called. It was Black Diamond's voice, she called out his name and he walked it, blushing at his fiancé in the bath. "I…uh just wanted to see how you were, and if you wanted to do anything tonight, like have dinner together maybe." He said, and Rarity nodded. Black Diamond walked out. Rarity facehooved, wishing she could just choose, but knowing that she couldn't. She got out of the bath and dried herself, when Luna walked in, the same smile on her face as before. "Greetings Rarity, I was doing some war planning when I thought of a way for you to clear your conscience. Why not enjoy Black Diamond and myself at the same time." Luna said. Rarity looked at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding? I don't think he will want to do that." She said. Luna smiled. "Yes he will, I already asked." She said, Rarity opened her eyes wide, stunned that she broke the secret so quickly. "WHAT! What happened to keeping the secret? He is going to hate me now." She yelled dramatically. "No I won't." Said Black Diamond from behind her, she turned, scared of the reprisal. "Princess Luna explained the situation to me, and while I don't think it's ideal, I understand. Rarity, I do however, wish you had told me beforehand. I don't hate you Rarity; I actually think that you are doing something sweet for a good friend, awkward as it may be. And if you want, I'm fully prepared to share you with Luna." Diamond said, smiling. Rarity looked at him, unsure of his sincerity. He kissed her, then Luna kissed her, Rarity smiled, the confusion gone and knowing that she was loved by two great ponies gave her a sense of belonging and safety, she felt like she was home again. EpilogueLuna sat on archer's stage, the afternoon sun warmed her face and she smiled for the first time in weeks. Her sister had passed, but she had found love in the form of Rarity. It had given her the courage to open a letter from her sister, dated three days before her death. Luna took a deep breath, and looked down at the battlefield. A new species of poppy had begun to grow there, with a blood red colour that no poppy had ever had previously. They swayed in the wind and Luna became entranced in the dance. She looked down at the envelope, Celestia's hoofwriting was unmistakable. The envelope just had the date and 'Luna' written on it. She opened it, a single page was inside and Luna had to compose herself before continuing. The letter read; My dearest Luna, If you are reading this, then my latest vision has come to pass and I have died protecting my subjects. There are some things I would tell you and some things I would ask of you in my absence. Firstly, I want you to know how much I love you, no matter what, I would do anything to protect you and I hope you can forgive me. I have lived in regret for one thousand years because of what I did to you. I don't want you to ever blame yourself for Nightmare Moon. The truth is that I saw it in a vision and was too scared to do anything about it, and for that, I am eternally sorry. Secondly, I want you to know that I believe that you will be a fantastic ruler. And that is not because of some vision. That is because I have complete faith in my little sister and that I will always be watching over you. Do not be afraid to turn to me in times of doubt, because I will guide you. Now, some instructions; Lead fairly, and never doubt your own abilities and respect those with advice, but do not follow like a sheep. Please continue Twilight's training, you are the only pony with the magical ability equal or greater than mine, and I know that you have more to teach her than I ever could. I also ask that you take on an apprentice of your own when you think the time is right, to pass on the knowledge of the royals. When Twilight takes my place, I do not expect you to bow to her, and I do not think that Twilight would ask you to, but it will be your responsibility to instruct her in the ways of the Alicorns. You will be the big sister this time. And lastly, do not dwell on my death, move past it. It will hurt for the longest time but it cannot impede your life. But just remember what I said when we lost mother and father; "From the blackest night comes the brightest day." Love always and forever, Celestia. P.S. Trust the Doctor, he will help you in your darkest hour. I have seen it. Luna put the letter back, tears were now flowing down her face freely, she missed her sister so much. She smelled the letter, Celestia's perfume wafted off it. Luna smiled; confident and determined that she would make Celestia proud. She heard her name being called; she turned and saw the Doctor running towards her. "Luna, Luna they're awake, they're awake!" she shouted, his voice filled with glee. "Whom do you speak of Doctor?" she asked confused. "Rainbow Dash and Applejack! They are finally awake!" He yelled back. Luna smiled, today was the day she was going to start making Celestia proud.
Chapter 1Twilight cast the spell on Applejack, merging her mind with that of the comatose Pegasus Rainbow Dash, in an effort to wake up Rainbow from her coma. The coma was a result of a brutal attack by Rainbow's former friend Gilda, the griffin. Twilight slumped down, exhausted from the effort of casting such a difficult spell. Fluttershy flew over and helped her up. "Are you okay Twilight?" Asked the timid yellow Pegasus, Twilight nodded to indicate that she was okay. The others that had gathered in Rainbow's hospital room breathed a sigh of relief. Twilight's friends had all gathered to give Twilight support; there was Fluttershy, The white Unicorn Rarity, the pink earth pony Pinkie Pie and Applejack's Brother and Fluttershy's coltfriend Big Mackintosh. "So what do we do now Twi." Asked Big Mac, his voice full of concern for his little sister, Fluttershy flew over and hugged him. "We do the only thing we can; we wait." Said Twilight, she had originally intended to go into Rainbow's mind to retrieve Rainbow, but was talked out of it by Applejack, who had insisted to go instead. "Unfortunately Twilight, we cannot even do that." Said a voice behind them, Twilight looked up at the beautiful white Alicorn Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria and Twilight's mentor. The look on the Princess' face was a mixture of sadness and anger. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight exclaimed, the ponies all bowed in respect to the Princess. "Yes Twilight, and I'm sorry but we have no time for pleasantries, the very fate of Equestria is at risk." Said Princess Celestia, her voice was filled with a seriousness that Twilight had never heard before. "What's the matter Princess?" Inquired Twilight, beginning to get worried. "You remember the Griffin that attacked Rainbow Dash?" She asked, and continued her explanation at the looks of anger that came across the faces of the ponies. "Well she was not just some random griffin, unbeknownst to me; she is the daughter of the leader of the United Griffin Empire." The ponies gathered around Celestia all gasped, Rarity was the most dramatic; she feigned a faint as she gasped. "And that is not all, because of the actions of Big Mac; they have declared war on Equestria, effective immediately." "WHAT! Ah was only protecting my sister, from that so-called Princess." Yelled Big Mac. "That may be so, but whatever story she told, it has gotten her father angry enough to break the truce between our nations that has lasted six hundred years." Said the Princess, looking sympathetically at Big Mac. "Is there any sort of peaceful solution?" Asked Fluttershy, hiding behind Big Mac. "I'm afraid not Fluttershy, they are refusing every offer of peace that we make with them." Celestia replied. "So what do you want us to do Princess?" Asked Twilight, suddenly becoming very serious. "I need you and the other elements to take up arms against this threat and defend Equestria." Proclaimed Celestia, invoking a strange feeling of pride in the ponies. "Yay! Let's go get those big Meany griffins." Said Pinkie Pie, jumping around, she suddenly stopped in mid-air. "Wait, I just remembered, we're down two elements." She said, looking at her two bed ridden friends. "Then we will have to find replacements." Said Twilight, to which Celestia nodded. "Can you think of any ponies that embody the elements of honesty and loyalty?" "What about Big Mac, he's very honest, and he's the bravest pony I've ever met." Said Fluttershy, suddenly coming out from her hiding space and kissing Big Mac on the cheek, making him blush. "Ah'd love to darlin, but ah don't think that I could handle the pressure of being an element, I'm not honest enough. Ah will gladly and easily lie to protect people ah love. But make no mistake, ah will gladly fight for you princess." Big Mac said, turning and kissing Fluttershy, whispering his apologies into her ear. He then turned back to Princess Celestia; "But ah have heard tell of a pony who is meant to be the most loyal in history. They say that he is not only loyal to Equestria, but to the whole planet." "And I know a pony who has never ever lied, not once, she's a bit clumsy, but she's always willing to help." Smiled Pinkie Pie. Princess Celestia nodded and smiled,. "I know exactly the two ponies you mean." She bowed her head, concentrating as her horn began to glow white. A sphere of white appeared in the middle of the group, and dissipated, leaving two stunned looking ponies in between them. One was a brown earth pony, a stallion, his coat, mane and tail were all brown, and his cutie mark was an hourglass. The other was a grey Pegasus, whose mane and tail were blond, and was fairly pretty, the only thing that seemed strange was her golden eyes, they looked in different directions. "What the hay? How did we get here Derpy? The last thing I remember, we were in the Tar-." Said the brown pony, before Derpy interrupted; "Doctor, look! It's Princess Celestia!" She said, smiling an enormous smile. "Oh My, Hello Tia." Said the Doctor, Twilight's eyes widened as the Doctor jumped up and gave Celestia a kiss on the cheek. 'Oh my Celestia, who is this pony?" Thought Twilight. "Hello Doctor, it's good to see you again." Smiled Celestia, obviously the two had a history together. "Same to you Tia, wow, it must have been what, a few centuries at least." Said the Doctor cryptically. "Just who in the Hay are you?" Asked twilight, fed up with wasting time. The Doctor looked at her and his eyes widened, as though he hadn't noticed the other ponies that had gathered. 'Oh, I'm sorry, hello, I'm the Doctor." He said, before walking over to the sleeping forms of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. "And what's this? The Rainbow one's obviously in a coma, but what's with the orange one, sleeping, no, then what would be the reason for the spell." He bent down and licked Applejack's face, making the other ponies cringe. The Doctor stuck his tongue out; "Ugh, sour, new spell huh? First time trying it, hm, OH! I know, you have merged the minds of these two ponies so as to make the Rainbow one wake up, brilliant, absolutely brilliant." The Doctor chuckled to himself as Twilight's mouth dropped open. "Yes, tha..that's right. It will last for two days before Applejack is trapped or is pulled back into her own body." Said Twilight, stammering for words as she explained. The Doctor smiled at Twilight and said; "I see, well then, I suppose I should help out then shouldn't I?" He placed his hooves on either side of Rainbow's and closed his eyes. After a moment, he pulled his hooves away and walked back over to Derpy. "And just what did you just do to Rainbow Dash, you strange stallion?" Asked Rarity, staring at the Doctor, a gleam of lust in her eyes. "I did something very simple, I planted a seed." He said, before turning and making his way for the door. "A seed?" Asked Fluttershy, suddenly interested if there was plants involved. "Yep, a seed of doubt." He said and began to walk out of the room, Derpy following closely. The group, including Celestia all looked at each other, a look of confusion and shock on their faces, then turned back, before realising that the Doctor was leaving. As one voice they all called out his name, beckoning him back. "What, wasn't that what you wanted me for? To help wake up the Rainbow one?" He asked. Celestia gave a sigh, remembering what a handful the Doctor could be. "No Doctor, we need your help in defending Equestria from a war with the griffins." "OH… what do you need me to do?" The Doctor smiled awkwardly. "We need you both to stand in for these two as the elements of Loyalty and honesty respectively." Said Twilight, absolutely stupefied at the Doctor. The Doctor looked at Derpy, who was staring daggers at Rarity. "So what do you think assistant? Ready for another adventure?" He asked her, Derpy looked back at him and smiled; "With you Doctor? Always."
Chapter 2The Doctor looked along the line at his new companions, and was instantly worried, he wasn't sure he could fit in with them, or if he could bring himself to get close to any of them, given his track record with friends. Derpy looked over and smiled at him, and the Doctor smiled back, but even then, he was worried about losing her, his only friend. The Doctor had witnessed wars, and fought in many, and he knew that you never get over the scars of what you do. But here were these young girls, about to fight a war with one of the most warlike and barbaric races on the planet, and for some reason, he felt certain that these were the perfect ponies for the job. The Doctor looked back at Celestia, who was opening the chamber that housed the elements of harmony, a source of power that even his species, the time lords, had failed to understand. Celestia opened the box, and The Doctor stared at the beauty of the elements, five necklaces and a crown, all adorned with a coloured jewel, shaped like the wielders cutie marks. Derpy turned to the Doctor and whispered into his ear; "I really just hope that we live up to their expectations." To which the Doctor replied; "I'm sure you will Derpy, I'm sure you will." They both turned back to Celestia and gave her their full attention. The elements flew out of the box one by one, attaching themselves to their owners; Twilight received the crown, as she had the most elusive element, magic. When it came to The Doctor's and Derpy's turn, they were reluctant to put them on, as the jewel stared back at them, almost as though it was telling them that they didn't belong. The Doctor finally grabbed his and slipped it on, and unexpectedly, both he and Derpy were lifted into the air by some strange power, they grasped each other's hooves, and were shocked to find that they could hear the other's thoughts. "Derpy? Is this what you feel like all the time?" Asked the Doctor, as feelings of sadness and memories of constant bullying assaulted his mind. He felt a new sense of closeness and responsibility for his companion, and another emotion he hadn't felt in a long, long time. "Not when I'm with you Doctor." She said, while the whole time, her mind was cascaded with the time lord's memories and regrets, for the grey Pegasus, it was almost too much, but she just wanted to be strong for the Doctor and held on. A new voice in their head came through, a deep, ethereal voice. "The Doctor of Gallopfrey, your Loyalty is without question. Derpy hooves of Earth, your honesty shines through the darkness of deceit. Protect Equestria and hold on to friendship." They were lowered down to the ground, and looked over at the faces of the stunned other elements, as well as each other. They looked down, and were surprised to see what was around each other's necks; Derpy still had a necklace, but the jewel had changed from a red apple shape to a group of three diamond bubbles, mirroring her cutie mark. The Doctor, however, didn't have a necklace, instead, around his neck sat a golden silk tie, emblazoned with his hourglass cutie mark at the bottom. "Oh my, those are lovely." Said Fluttershy, looking closely at the new elements. "Yes they are, aren't they, and I think this suits me a lot better than a necklace." Laughed the Doctor. "So Doctor how do I look?" Asked Derpy. The Doctor grinned at his companion and said; "Stunning Derpy, absolutely stunning." Derpy blushed. Rarity jumped into the middle of the two. "And what do you think of mine Doctor?" She asked, battering her eyes. Behind her, Derpy looked as though she was about to hit Rarity, but was pulled back by Twilight and Fluttershy. "Oh! Uh… It's very… nice Rarity." Said the Doctor, taken aback and unsure of what to say. "My little ponies, now is not the time for this! We have a meeting with Emperor Gregor of the griffins soon, so compose yourselves!" Said Celestia, her voice was serious but still had an undertone of laughter. The six elements bowed their heads, feeling foolish. "I am sorry for my attitude everyone, but this whole affair has me very worried." Celestia said, her eyes downcast. "If there is nothing else, then we should be going." The group nodded and they walked out of the chamber towards the meeting room where Emperor Gregor was waiting. Just as they were about to go in, Big Mac, clad fully in the golden armour of a royal soldier, stopped them at the door. "Princess, ah understand if this is improper, but may ah sit in on the meeting and explain to the Emperor my actions." Celestia frowned but nodded her head, and Big Mac followed her in. Emperor Gregor was by no means a warrior griffin, perhaps in his youth, but those days were long gone. The feathers around his face and at the tips of his wings were grey, and he was much larger around the middle than would be expected of a warrior. The seven ponies and Celestia sat down at the table across from Gregor. "Emperor Gregor, it is good to see you again, what a pity it isn't under better circumstances." Celestia said, smiling through her teeth at the disgusting mess of a creature. "Same to you Celestia, now let's cut to the chase." He said abruptly and pointed at Big Mac; "Is this the brute that attacked my sweet little girl Gilda?" "Your highness, please allow me to explain. Gilda had attacked my friend, and turned on my sister when ah stopped her. Please understand, ah was only protecting my family." Said Big Mac, with a respect that Celestia had not expected. Unfortunately, Gregor just shook his head; "Please do not sully my presence with your lies boy, Gilda told me the whole story. Of how she had been out for a casual fly through the orchard, and was set upon by a giant red brute, who had held her down and told of how he was going to cut off her wings and sell them." Said Gregor, spiting as he talked. Big Mac's eyes went wide with shock, he had not expected the lie to be so condemning. "I assure you Gregor, what Big Mackintosh is saying is the truth. We have Gilda's victim in the hospital of Ponyville. She has been in a coma since the attack." Celestia said, hoping to convince Gregor and prevent bloodshed. But Gregor wasn't listening; he had noticed the Doctor staring at him. "And what are you looking at weirdo." He said, narrowing his eyes at the doctor. "I remember you." Said the Doctor "Gregor, it's me! The Doctor! I was there many years ago when you were trying to woo that little filly in Manehatten." The Doctor winked at the griffin. "Doctor? You are the Doctor? You don't look anything like him, The Doctor I met was blue and had a Blonde mane." He said, the Doctor smiled awkwardly. "Oh right, good point, but I promise you, it is me. And as your friend, I implore you to see reason, you know that all a war will do is cause bloodshed, and I know that you are too gentle a soul to want that." The Doctor said to Gregor, invoking a glazed look from the griffin as he remembered. Gregor suddenly snapped out of it, looked at the Doctor and said; "I'm sorry Doctor, but times change. I'm not the Gregor you used to know, I'm responsible for a whole nation now, and my nation cries out for justice, but I am a fair ruler. I propose that I drop the war if, and only if, this Big Mac agrees to be publicly executed for the crime of attacking a foreign diplomat." The ponies all gasped at this proposal, then all argued with Gregor, but their arguments fell on deaf ears. Finally Celestia stood and declared to Gregor; "This proposal is outrageous, your daughter attacks my subjects and their hero is meant to lay down his life because of some spoilt little brat, well I say no, NO GREGOR! We will fight you, you have insulted me, and my nation, you have your war, be prepared." Celestia used the traditional Canterlot voice, which ruffled the feathers of the griffin Emperor. Gregor stood, smoothed out the feathers on his face and left the room with his guards; "Poorly handled Celestia, Poorly handled." He shouted back at the ponies as he left. Big Mac turned to Celestia; "But Princess, ah don't think that my life is worth the probable loss of thousands." He said, almost pleading with her to allow him to do this. "Big Mac, do you know how the griffins execute ponies?" She asked, Big Mac shook his head. "They tie you up, spreadeagled in the middle of a town, shave you right down, and whip you until you pass out. Then, they heal you, and do it again and again, and that's just the first ten days, every ten days, the form of torture changes, and if you survive one hundred days, they behead you. But if you die before the hundred days, they eat you, and send the bones back to your family, with the names of the griffins that ate you carved into them. I will not let you, a hero, be subjected to that." The seven ponies went silent, even Pinkie, her hair had been slowly deflating as Celestia described the execution. Suddenly, the Doctor screamed out in pain, clutching his head. Derpy held him up, so that he didn't hurt himself. "What is it Doctor?" Derpy asked, terrified. "There's a problem in Rainbow's mind, I need to get there fast." He said, calling out as the pain increased. Celestia's horn glowed and the whole group teleported straight to the hospital. On the Outside, Rainbow and Applejack looked fine, but still the Doctor was in pain, he walked over to Rainbow with Derpy's help. He placed his hooves on either side of Rainbow's head again, and closed his eyes. He let go a moment later, turned to the group, and with downcast eyes said; "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but Applejack is losing, she needs more time." All eight ponies' heads dropped, until Derpy shot up and said; "Wait, I have an idea! Doctor do you remember the last time we were with the Princess and I was attacked by that poisonous plant-thing." "Of course! Derpy, you're a genius, Celestia, the time lock spell!" exclaimed the Doctor, giving Derpy a kiss on the cheek. Princess Celestia nodded and bowed her head, concentrating. "WHAT IS GOING ON!" Yelled Twilight, sick of being out of the loop; Fluttershy cowered behind Big Mac at the sound of Twilight's outburst. The Doctor turned to her and said; "The last time we were with Tia, Derpy was attacked by a chloriflora, a very poisonous creature, and the antidote was going to take weeks to produce. So Tia cast a spell that essentially made a time bubble, with everything inside happening at a much slower pace, and needless to say, it worked, and Derpy is still with me." "So what you're saying is that time will move slower for AJ and Rainbow, and because the spell only lasts two days…" Twilight said, trying to make sense of the Doctor's nonsense. "Then the remaining time will be drawn out over a period of I don't know how long." Finished the Doctor. Celestia straightened up, and the group looked at their bed-ridden friends, surrounded by a bubble that seemed to bend light in certain spots. "The pain has stopped." Said the Doctor, but the group said nothing; they just sat looking worried at their friends. Celestia wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye, and cleared her throat; "Come on my little ponies, we still have a war to plan." And with another flash of light, the group vanished.
Chapter 3Derpy was beginning to feel ill, teleporting was not the preferred method of travel for pegasi, but knew that the situation was too urgent to deal with flying normally. When they arrived at their destination, she was shocked as she looked over what was to be the battlefield, trees and shrubs were being cleared, both to make room for fighting, as well as to build up a defensive perimeter. On the far side, she could see a small camp forming, the griffins. She sidled closer to the Doctor, finding comfort in his warmth, and followed Celestia to the main tent that was to become their base of operations. It was a lot more simple inside than Derpy expected, in the centre of the room was a table, round and with a large map in the middle. The far wall was lined with cots, seven of them, as Big Mac would be sleeping with the rest of the earth pony warriors. Derpy noticed Pinkie Pie, she wasn't bouncing along, as was her normal mode of transportation, but instead walking. It made Derpy uneasy. As the others began to get settled, Derpy asked Pinkie to step outside and have a quick chat; "Hi Pinkie, um… I just wanted to say thanks. I know it was you that nominated me for the element of honesty. I hope I'm worthy of your trust." She said, hoping to bring a smile to Pinkie's face. Pinkie, her hair halfway deflated, just nodded and turned around. "And Pinkie? If you need to talk, just remember I'm here." Derpy told the retreating pony, and her ears drooped with concern. Inside the tent, there was a hive of activity, everypony was moving about as fast as they could, getting ready, for what could only be a dawn attack. The Doctor sat in the corner, at a workstation, huddled over something, Twilight was reading some of her larger magic books, searching for spells that would help. Fluttershy sat on her bed, whispering to herself; "Come on Fluttershy, you can do this, for Rainbow, and Applejack and for Big Mac." Pinkie just stared up at some swords that hung on the wall, ceremonial ones, passed down from the last great griffin war. Rarity was stitching a uniform for herself and Celestia studied the map on the table, planning out formations and looking for ways to flank the griffins. Derpy looked around, wondering what she could do to help, but knowing that she would be turned down, so she went over to a mirror that hung on a wall and looked into it, her wall-eyed expression looking back, and she couldn't help but feel as though it was mocking her. She sensed a presence beside her; "You know, throughout history, mirrors have been believed to be a window into the soul." Said the Doctor, looking into the mirror as well. "Then my soul must be wall-eyed as well Doctor, because that's all I see, a wall-eyed failure who can't do anything right." Derpy frowned, her eyes welling up with tears. The Doctor put his arms around her; "Derpy, do you know what I saw in your mind? I saw somepony that puts her all into everything she does, that always puts others before herself and is willing to forgive any insult, no matter how much it stings." He said placing his head against hers. "And don't forget the future I showed you, those two beautiful daughters of yours, you know? Sparkler and Dinky?" Derpy smiled, remembering the accidental trip in the Tardis that resulted in her seeing her future children. But what she never told the Doctor was who the father of the children was; he had run off to solve some crisis before he had seen his future self-enter the scene, and kiss the future Derpy. Derpy had vowed to keep this a secret until the Doctor made a move, so as not to alter the timeline and stop that future from happening. The Doctor kissed Derpy on the cheek and walked back to his work station. Derpy looked back at the mirror and smiled, feeling better about herself and more confident that she was going to make that future happen. Princess Celestia called all the ponies into the centre of the room, the map now clearly showed the positions of the two camps, as well as the group formations for the next morning. "Twilight, I want you to take command of the unicorn forces, teach them any new spells that they might need. Fluttershy I need you to command the archers, I know you have a keen eye and I believe that you can do this. Doctor, you and Pinkie will head up special ops, spy work, demolition, whatever is necessary. Derpy, I want you to take command of the Pegasus troops, I've seen you in action, and you're one of the best combat fliers I've ever seen, albeit a little accidentally. Rarity, I want you in research and development, try and come up with any new armour or weapons you can." "What? Me! Princess, don't you think I would be better served with the unicorns, not stuck in some lab with nerd ponies creating weapons." Rarity objected, a little over dramatically. Derpy rolled her eyes; she had no sympathy for the white unicorn. "So you want to get onto the dirty battlefield and fight ruthless griffins, and most likely get covered in blood?" Asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "Oh… Never mind, nerd ponies are fine." Said Rarity. "Tia, who is commanding the Earth ponies?" Asked the Doctor, the warrior in him beginning to shine through. Derpy hated seeing him like this, angry, guilty, remembering how he had killed his whole race to save the universe, and because of the mind link, Derpy remembered too. "His name is Commander Duskheart, and he is the most decorated Earth pony in the army." Celestia replied, I'll introduce you to him soon, as you and Pinkie will be collaborating with him on most of your missions." The Doctor nodded and the group left the tent. Pinkie walked side by side with Derpy, and then pulled her in between two tents; "Derpy… thanks. I appreciate your concern. I…I just don't know if I can do this, I mean, my whole life I've just wanted to make everypony smile, but this… this will do exactly the opposite." Said Pinkie, her eyes downcast and her voice was trembling. Derpy put her arms around her; "Pinkie, this may not make sense, but I've fought in wars before, not exactly like this, but close enough. Ponies aren't meant to fight, not like this. But trust me when I say this, it may seem like your just causing suffering, but when the war is over, everypony will smile with a new hope, a hope that you brought them, and there will be nothing like it." Pinkie smiled half-heartedly, as though she accepted what Derpy was saying, and they ran to catch up with the others. Celestia was introducing a large black earth pony; the armour he wore was black as well, except for some trim around the legs, which was gold. His cutie mark was of a heart, with two swords crossed behind it, but oddly for a pony, he only had it on one side, on the other was a patch of pink skin, with a scar about the same size as his cutie mark. "And this is the other pony I was talking about, Pinkie. Pinkie, this is Commander Duskheart." Said Celestia. Duskheart walked over and looked straight into Pinkie's eyes, the deep green made Derpy nervous, they seemed empty, cold. "Sweet Celestia! How are you meant to blend in with a bright pink coat!" He boomed, right in Pinkie's face. "You are going to be absolutely useless!" Pinkie's eye twitched. "I don't like it when ponies are Meany pants to me." Said Pinkie, losing her colour as her hair straightened. "Meany pants!" Duskheart laughed, "You are not fit for war girl, go back and make me a cupcake." Derpy noticed a pink blur beside her, and then Duskheart fell straight down, a stupid look on his face and a tooth missing. Pinkie was breathing heavily, and closed her eyes. After a second, her breathing slowed and her hair bounced back to its natural puffiness. Celestia looked at her, almost with fear, before laughing. The rest of then began to laugh as well, including Pinkie, who looked over at Derpy and mouthed "Thank you." The rest of the day was spent meeting the other army leaders, the ones that would be commanded by Twilight, Derpy and Fluttershy. When they meet the archers, they were all of a similar demeanour to Fluttershy, and welcomed her with open hooves. They asked Fluttershy to show them her skills, and Fluttershy, in an uncharacteristic enthusiasm, picked up the bow happily, slotted an arrow and pulled the string back. A few seconds passed before she let go and the entire group, aside from the archers and Celestia all dropped their jaws in surprise. Fluttershy hit the bullseye and the arrow imbedded itself all the way to the feathers, from twice the iron pony regulated distance. Celestia smiled; "I knew you could do it Fluttershy, I had complete faith." "YAY!" Yelled Fluttershy, almost inaudibly. Celestia lead them back to the tent, and they all got in their beds, ready for an early morning, but nopony slept. Derpy laid there looking at the roof of the tent, and suddenly felt a weight next to her, crawling under the covers. "I thought you might like some company." Said the Doctor, and put his arm across her, Derpy smiled and turned, nuzzling into the Doctor's embrace. "Thank you."
Chapter 4Fluttershy was awoken by Twilight, it was still dark but the tent was lit up by a few small candles. She yawned, as though it was any other morning, until her brain kicked in and she remembered what was about to happen. She got out of bed and looked around; only Celestia, Twilight and herself were awake. Fluttershy went over to Derpy's bed and pulled back the covers; she was embarrassed to find not just Derpy, but the Doctor as well. She shook them both awake and begun to get her gear on. Pony archers were some of the best in the world, and were revered for their skills, Fluttershy was nervous as she would be leading a group of these archers onto the battlefield and wasn't sure she was the pony for the job. Fluttershy calmed her mind and thought of the ponies she was fighting for; Big Mac, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She put the last part of her armour on, a leather patch that sat on the inside of the forearm. Archer pony armour was designed not to weigh them down, so it was made completely out of leather and magical material that acted like metal. She grabbed the bow she had been given and the quiver of arrows, which she strapped to her back. Fluttershy looked at her friends, each putting on their own armour; Twilight's was a dark purple colour, and consisted of a breastplate and some guards that went on her front legs. It was designed to boost her magic level and help cope with fatigue. Derpy wore traditional Pegasus armour, steel covering her whole body, including the cutie mark, which was represented on the armour with gold. Her wings were tipped with blades, and the helmet covered most of her face. The Doctor and Pinkie had identical outfits; a special metal that bent light, making them harder to see. It was similar in design to Pegasus armour, but did not feature a helmet. Rarity was armour less, as there would be no need for it in the research department. Celestia's armour was the most beautiful, it was made entirely of gold on the outside, but there was another layer underneath that was made of the same substance as Twilight's, and was the same basic design as Pegasus armour, including the helmet, which was specially made to cover her horn. The tips of Celestia's wings were also bladed. "Okay my little ponies; are we all ready for this?" Celestia asked, and walked out of the tent with approving nods from the group. They went down to the battlefield, the battalions of ponies lined up in a specific formation. "Elements, follow me." Said Celestia and they all walked onto the middle of the Battlefield. Fluttershy saw movement at the other camp, and when the seven ponies stopped in the middle, she noticed three griffins flying towards them. They landed and Fluttershy recognised Emperor Gregor. "Celestia! What a fine day for war you've brought us." Gregor said mockingly. "Gregor, stay your tongue. I have come here to give you one last chance. Back off and leave us in peace, and allow your daughter to admit what she did, or face me and my army. And let me tell you, they will not show mercy." Threatened Celestia, causing Gregor to pause, as though contemplating Celestia's threat. He looked at his two guards, took a deep breath and turned back to Celestia. "Celestia, I want to explain something to you. You are not a parent, you have never looked upon your own flesh and blood, and almost been brought to tears out of concern for them. You have never felt the obligation to do whatever it takes to either protect your child, or make everything better. So you cannot understand the reasons that I fight this war, it's impossible for you to. So bring forth your army, they will find blood, either mine, or their own." Gregor turned and left, his wings working hard to take his large body aloft. The elements looked at Celestia, her eyes had widened in shock with Gregor's speech. Celestia bowed her head and teleported the group back to the camp. She looked at the elements one by one and then, her eyes closed. "Get ready to attack." She said finally and the elements split off towards their respective groups. Fluttershy stood at the forefront of the archers, all ready for battle. She felt like she had to give a speech, but nothing came to mind. She stared at her troops awkwardly and they stared back, expectantly. "Oh um…. We stand here, ready to face these griffins. And they will know the pain of our arrows. They will KNOW that it was us…we free ponies that stood here today; they took my friends from me, that is something I cannot… I will not forgive. FOR CELESTIA! FOR EQUESTRIA!" Fluttershy shouted, starting to feel more confident. The archers all put their hooves up in the air, cheering for Fluttershy, who turned and shouted; "On my mark, show them what happens when they underestimate us." Across the plain, the griffins charged, war cries and shrieks carried across the open landscape. Fluttershy cocked an arrow, and was followed by her entire platoon. They all took aim as the huge mass of griffins charged. Fluttershy suddenly heard Twilight's voice in the distance. "It's minotaur!" Fluttershy gasped, but kept herself steady. The Minotaur were halfway towards them before Fluttershy gave the signal and the archers let loose. A volley of about four hundred arrows glided through the air, and about three hundred hit their mark. The charging force was immediately halted; a few got up but were dropped once again by the archers. In the distance, Fluttershy saw more Minotaur that were dropped as soon as they were in range. The morning went on like this and at around midday. Fluttershy ran to princess Celestia, informing her that they were out of arrows. Celestia nodded and turned to Duskheart, who yelled; "Okay troops, archery team is done, get down there in formation and make Equestria proud." The earth ponies, including Big Mac all galloped down the hill, swords specifically made for earth ponies, grasped in their mouths. Fluttershy watched as Big Mac, who was near the front of the pack, galloped towards the Minotaur. The earth ponies collided with the next wave of Minotaur, and Fluttershy flew up into the air to keep an eye on Big Mac. The dust that had arisen in the melee obscured her view. "Fluttershy, come here." Said Celestia. Fluttershy landed and looked at the Princess. "I know you're worried about Big Mac, but you have to stay focused, I promise you that he will be fine. Now go and tell your troops to begin making more arrows. At nightfall, I will send you out to retrieve as many as you can, but for now, I want you to start making a stockpile." Fluttershy nodded and went back to her troops, informing them of Celestia's orders. The archers set about gathering spare wood and other materials for the arrows. Fluttershy, however, couldn't take her eyes of the battle, a few times she thought she saw Big Mac, but he disappeared just as quickly as he appeared. The dust began to settle hours later, as the wounded and the victorious returned, while their numbers were high, there were still less than had gone out. Fluttershy ran over to the returning ponies, searching the crowd for Big Mac, and when she saw him her heart sank. Big Mac was being carried by two ponies; a deep cut was on his side, which started at the shoulder and all the way along, through his cutie mark. "BIG MAC!" Fluttershy shouted and flew over to meet her wounded coltfriend. The ponies carrying him pushed past her, focused on getting him to the medical tent. Inside they laid him down on one of the beds and Fluttershy was pushed outside as the doctor's got ready to treat him. Fluttershy cried outside the tent, the other ponies offering only concerned looks. Rarity suddenly came running towards her and grabbed Fluttershy in a tight hug. "Oh darling Fluttershy, I'm so sorry, is he going to be okay?" She asked as Fluttershy cried into her shoulder. "I…I don't know." Fluttershy said through her tears. A young earth pony approached, Fluttershy recognised him as one of the ponies that had carried Big Mac to the hospital. "Hey, you're Mac's fillyfriend right?" He asked. Fluttershy nodded her head. "Well don't worry, from what I've seen Mac's a fighter. He got that wound at the start of the battle and he just kept going. Hell, he saved my life more than once. I have no doubt that he's going to pull through." He put his hoof on her shoulder and told her; "And on the way back here, Mac told me that if he didn't make it, that you should know that no matter what, he wants you to keep fighting. He also told me that he loves you with all of his heart." "Thank you…uh?" Rarity said, curious about the stallion. "Black Diamond, my name is Black Diamond." He said, giving Rarity a small smile. He walked off, leaving Rarity to take Fluttershy back to the tent, the fighting over as the sun began to set. Fluttershy had even more trouble sleeping that night, visions of Big Mac danced in her mind. The others fell asleep quickly, exhausted from the day's battle. Fluttershy got up and walked to the mirror, lighting a candle so as she could see her reflection. After a while, she took a knife off the table, and brought it up to her head. She grabbed a chunk of her mane and cut through it, allowing the strands to fall to the ground. Eventually Fluttershy was left with a short pixie cut that barely went down to her neck. "For Big Mac. For Applejack. For Rainbow." She said to herself.
Chapter 5Rarity looked at the calendar on the wall and sighed. The war had been going on for three months, with no end in sight and she was still being pressured for more weapons. As the head researcher, she had come up with ways of improving the war strategies. One of her first innovations was to make a way for earth ponies and pegasi to hold onto swords and blades without the use of their mouths, and still be just as effective. Rarity was beginning to get fed up with her workmates, who seemed to want no interaction with her other than to flirt or get a design approved. She felt lonely in the cluttered workshop at the back of the pony camp. She was also worrying about her friends, the war had consumed them. Battle hardened; they became flighty or distracted easily. Fluttershy concerned her the most, Rarity had woke up one morning to find Fluttershy had cut most of her mane off, and shortened her tail. All Fluttershy would say about it was; "I can't let them down again." Rarity just wanted the war to end, to go back to Ponyville, to her store, to Sweetie Belle, to somewhere that she could groom herself properly. She turned when she heard somepony enter the tent. "Princess Celestia, welcome, how can I help you?" Rarity asked, glad to see a friendly face. "Hello Rarity, I am just here to see if you had any new developments." Celestia said, Rarity rubbed her eyes, lack of sleep and general boredom were taking their toll. She led Celestia over to a table that had a card on it, saying 'finished products' in fancy calligraphy. "Well Princess, I do have an upgrade to the unicorn armour." Rarity picked up a helmet, made of a purple metal that amplified magic. "This will fit on any unicorn and, as well as the power amplification granted by the metal, the crystal horn here" She pointed to the top of the helmet, to a crystal in the shape of a unicorn horn, but hollow so that it would go over the top. "The crystal will refract the magic, giving the spell more power and allowing the unicorn to use less energy" "Well done Rarity, this will surely be a boon to our cause." Said Celestia, smiling. "There is only one problem Princess. The crystal is very hard to obtain, so we could only make ten helmets, plus one for you out of what we had. So I suggest giving them to your best spell casters until my team and I can make more." Rarity explained, sounding defeated and ashamed, as though she had let down the Princess. "Thank you Rarity, I will give them to Twilight and she can distribute them as she sees fit." Said Celestia, taking the helmets and leaving. Rarity went back to her desk, tinkering over her latest design; a small blade attached to a spring that allows it to pop in and out at will. The blade would be attached to the forearm of a pony, and easily concealed. In truth the mechanism was finished, Rarity was just adding her own touch to it, patterns carved into the metal of the blade, making it look very decorative. "Rarity! Hurry up and finish that! I want these out on the field before the war ends." Rarity sighed and turned to the source of the remark, a skinny little yellow unicorn named Tinker. Rarity disliked Tinker a lot, mostly because of the scathing remarks he made. On her first day, Tinker had made Rarity cry, saying that she was only there because she was the Princess' pet, that she was too stupid to actually make anything. The next day, Rarity had created arrows that flew straighter and further than any had previously, all in an effort to get back at him. "Tinker, what a pleasure. Do you need something?" She asked dryly. Tinker pushed a piece of paper into her face. "Just sign these plans off and let me get back to work." He said, never looking directly at her. Rarity looked at the plans and laughed; "You have got to be kidding! These will never work, and if they did, they would be too dangerous to use on the battlefield." She looked at his face which was turning bright red. The plans were for a device that launched a Pegasus pony straight at a group of attackers, in the hopes of creating a diversion for unicorns and earth ponies to get the upper hand. "And besides, think about it, you would be putting a pony's life at risk." Rarity said tearing the paper in half. "Yeah, a Pegasus pony." Said Tinker. Rarity narrowed her eyes at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She said angrily. "Look all I'm saying is that if we lose some Pegasi in this war, I won't be shedding a tear. I mean, look at them, acting so high and mighty, always looking down their noses at us grounded ponies. They don't care about us, and you know what? I hope the griffins tear down that cloudsdale of theirs, just to teach them a lesson." Rarity was appalled at what she was hearing. "I think you better leave." Said a voice behind Tinker. Rarity looked over his shoulder and saw Black Diamond, his eyes burned with anger and his sword hung loosely off his back. "Oh and what business of yours is it?" Tinker said, spitting at Black Diamond, who just wiped it off his face very casually. "Well, my mother was a Pegasus. So how about you walk away before I stab you in the throat and feed you to the griffins." He said, again very casually. Tinker stared at him for a moment, as if summing up his chances against the dark green Earth pony. He eventually turned and walked off, mumbling something about a 'rotten half breed'. "Thank you Diamond, darling, but I could have very well handled myself." Said Rarity jokingly. "I bet you could have, but personally I think that chivalry isn't dead. Besides, he insulted my mother." Black Diamond smiled at Rarity, who couldn't help but be taken aback at his roguish charm. She gave him a quick kiss, and remembered the night a month earlier. Rarity had been working late on a project, and Black Diamond had entered, carrying the two broken halves of his sword. Rarity had fixed it in no time, but Black Diamond had stayed to keep her company. It had seemed like no time at all before they both gave into temptation and spent the night together. Since then, they had kept it a secret, lest it interfere with their work. "Now darling, what was it you wanted?" Rarity asked, giving him a sly wink. "Well, actually I'm here to see if my breastplate had been repaired." Rarity pulled his breastplate out from under her desk. The repair was completely seamless, as though it was brand new. Black Diamond smiled. "Care to help me put it on?" He asked, making Rarity blush. It went on easily, a perfect fit for him. "Anything else?" She asked. Black Diamond leant over and whispered into her ear; "Nothing we can do right now, meet me back here at midnight." He walked out of the tent, leaving Rarity with many thoughts about the night's events. She cleared her mind, focusing on the task at hoof. She finished up the pattern on the blade and placed it with the others. Deciding she needed a break, she walked out of the tent. In the distance she could see the dust of battle on the ground and the chaotic movements of aerial combat. She spotted Fluttershy on a rocky outcropping that had become known as 'archer's stage'. Fluttershy cocked an arrow and fired it a few seconds later. Rarity watched it sail high into the air, and could almost hear the scream of the griffin it hit. She watched the victim spiral down, before it went out of sight. Rarity still had trouble watching death, the crudeness of war, the way it had changed her friends. She kept walking, and spotted almost all of her friends, except for Pinkie, who had gone out on a secret mission weeks ago and hadn't returned. Rarity missed her friends, her real friends, and prayed every night that at the end of it all, when the war ended, her friends were still the same ponies she knew back in Ponyville.
Chapter 6Twilight looked around the table at her friends. They had all come to mourn the loss of Pinkie Pie, the element of laughter, who had left on a secret mission six months earlier and still hadn't returned. Officially declared dead by the Equestrian military, the other six elements and Princess Celestia had gathered around her necklace to pay their respects. None of them had expected to lose her, so news of her death had shaken them right to their core. "Today, we honour our fallen friend, Pinkamina Diane Pie. She had made it her life's mission to make the ponies of the world smile, and now, we will never see that mission fulfilled again." Celestia said, giving the eulogy with tears in her eyes. Twilight turned her head at the sound of somepony entering the tent. It was Duskheart, a cruel, heartless pony in Twilight's opinion. "Twilight, I believe you wanted to say something." Said Celestia, nodding her head. Twilight took a deep breath; "Everypony, I'd like you all to join me in a song that I think represents Pinkie the best." Twilight cleared her throat and began to sing softly; "Come on everypony, smile, smile, smile. Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine; all I really need's a smile, smile, smile. From these happy friends of mine, from these happy friends of miinnee." She eventually stopped and cried, remembering the spontaneous parades that Pinkie inspired. Fluttershy put her arms around her. An obviously fake cough sounded from Duskheart's direction, the group all looked at him with annoyance. He ignored the looks and walked up to Celestia, handing her a piece of paper. "Good news Princess, our troops have pushed the griffins back into their territory." He said, pride written all over his face. "Thank you Commander." Celestia said, her voice still trembling. Duskheart looked over at Twilight, who was still crying, and shook his head, before turning and leaving the tent. "So what now?" Asked the Doctor. "Do we nominate a new element of laughter?" The group stayed silent, nopony wanting to even think about that right now. They eventually split off and went back to their stations, even though Celestia had given them the day off. Twilight watched Fluttershy ascend to Archer's stage, pick up her bow and continue the assault on the griffins. The Doctor and Derpy were staying close to each other, almost never having some part of their body not connected to the others. Rarity just quickly disappeared back into the research tent, a dark green pony following her in. Twilight walked down a small hill to where the unicorn troops were staying. Walking inside, she found the tent in chaos, books, tables and chairs all flying around the room. Twilight shot a stern look at her second-in-command, a light blue unicorn named Lightstar. "Just what is going on here?" Twilight asked, causing the other pony to back away. "I'm sorry Miss Twilight, one of the new recruits spell went amiss and we can't seem to fix it." Lightstar explained. Twilight sighed, bowing her head as her magic reversed the recruit's mistake and putting everything back to where it was. "Okay, is that it?" She asked irritably. Lightstar shook her head. "No ma'am, Duskheart wants us to lead the next charge." Twilight sighed even louder this time, turning and walking out of the tent, Lightstar following close behind. They met the rest of the unicorn troops at what had become known as 'The gates of madness', which in reality were just some rocks that led onto the main battlefield. Twilight faced her troops, looking at the strange mix of battle worn and young faces. "Ponies, I know I say this every time, but it needs to be said; Think of a loved one, and focus on that, now use that as your driving force. They are the ones you are fighting for; they are the ones that will be singing songs of your exploits. For love, for Equestria!" She shouted, the unicorns, all lit up their horns in response. Twilight turned, placing her helmet on her head, and ran out towards the battle already taking place. Twilight could see Big Mac in the melee. Now a corporal, Big Mac had his own platoon, and were seen by some to be the best. The unicorns arrived at the main battle, Minotaur and griffins going rabid at the attacking ponies. A Minotaur ran straight for Twilight, who teleported just as it swung a war axe. She landed on its back, her arms around its neck. The Minotaur tried grabbing her, but Twilight managed to dodge its wild grabs. She extended her hidden blade, and holding on with only one arm, plunged it into the Minotaur's back, right next to the spine. Using all of her strength, she moved it across, severing the spinal cord, just as she had read about in anatomy books. The Minotaur screamed, before falling face down on the ground. Twilight jumped off as it fell, keeping a steady pace as she ducked and dived through flailing limbs and weapons. Her eyes were set on one target; a griffin commander, controlling his troops from the back and not taking part in the actual fighting. A Minotaur fell in front of her, Big Mac's sword sticking out of its chest. Twilight used it as a springboard jumping high into the air in the direction of her griffin target. Extending her hidden blade once more, she collided with the stunned griffin, the blade piercing its chest and into its heart. The griffin fell out of the air, landing on its back, Twilight still keeping the blade planted firmly in its chest. She pulled it out and retracted it. "For love, for Equestria, for Pinkie." She whispered to herself. When the other griffins saw this, they made a beeline straight for Twilight, who unsheathed her sword and held it in the air with magic. They came at her as one group, well-coordinated, ruthless. Twilight kept her sword moving, blocking attacks and countering with some of her own, not giving an inch of ground. One griffin managed to get past her, swinging its sword towards her head. Twilight was barely fast enough to dodge it; the blade ran along her face, from eyebrow to cheek over the eye. Twilight screamed, before throwing her sword at the griffin, which got embedded in the griffin's skull. Her eye began to fill up with blood, obscuring her vision. She pulled her sword back to her as three more griffins charged, before suddenly stopping. Two of them had sword tips sticking out of their stomachs and the third spun as it fell, an arrow sticking out the back of its head, pink arrow feathers denoting Fluttershy's handiwork. The swords were retracted, revealing Big Mac and Lightstar, who quickly helped Twilight off the battlefield and into the medical tent. The doctors administered anaesthetic, hoping to save her eye from damage. Twilight swiftly passed out, awaking much later, judging by the darkness outside. Twilight became worried when she realised that she could only see from one eye, before discovering bandages covering the wound. She sat up, and her good eye widened as she saw a shape beside her bed. "Pinkie?" She asked, blinking. But upon opening her eyes again, found nothing. She began to cry, and beat the bed with her hooves and she shouted with grief. 'Why did it have to be you Pinkie? Why? You always seemed the most untouchable, the most invincible of us all; the only one I thought would leave this war and still be the same pony.' These thoughts screamed in Twilight's head, and she cried for her fallen friend all night.
Chapter 7The Doctor cheered as he put the final touches on his project that had taken him since day one of the war to complete, eight months ago. Derpy and Twilight ran over, curious as to the reason for the shouting. "What is it Doctor?" Asked Derpy, with a glow that had been coming over her face for the last month. The Doctor held it out in his hooves. "Oh yay! You built a new one." "That's right, and it was very hard to do with the limited resources here." Twilight just looked at it, confused. "What is it?" She asked finally. The Doctor looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean? 'what is it?' It's a sonic screwdriver." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look anything like a screwdriver. And just how is it sonic, and more importantly, can it do anything practical, like… I don't know… fix my eye." Twilight said, referring to her right eye. The griffin's sword had caused considerable damage, leaving a scar on the eyebrow and down the cheek about halfway. But the real damage was done to the actual eye. It had filled up with blood, which had then clotted, causing the whites of her eye to go black, and for unknown reasons, her iris had changed colour from purple to white, giving the whole eye a very otherworldly feel. "I'm afraid not Twilight, not this one anyway. My other sonic screwdriver might have helped, but this one is just too crude and simple." Twilight stared at him, her new eye making the Doctor feel very uncomfortable. "You know Doctor, you and I are overdue for a talk. And by talk I mean I ask questions and you answer them." The Doctor stammered, trying to find the words to get himself out of the mess he was in. He was saved by Celestia, who walked in at that moment, covered in blood and breathing heavily. "Princess! What happened? Are you okay?" Twilight asked. Celestia just panted, saying nothing for a moment. "Dragon." She finally said, sitting down. "The griffins alliances are getting more desperate, they have even called in the dogs to assist them." "Princess, how come you don't just go down there and vaporise the lot of them. Like you did when those Minotaur attacked the palace, after being let in by that stupid private." Derpy said. Celestia dropped her head. "Two reasons. One, at the signing of the last truce, I agreed that in any future wars, I was not to participate unless directly attacked. In exchange, we opened trading routes between the nations. And secondly, the only reason I vaporised those Minotaur was because they had killed my best friend. She was one of the royal guards assigned to me. Her name was Firefly, and I got so angry that I couldn't stop myself." "Wait, Firefly? I've heard Rainbow Dash talk about a Pegasus named Firefly." Twilight said, trying to remember what Rainbow had said. "Yes Twilight, Firefly was Rainbow Dash's mother." Celestia said. The three ponies looked at her stunned. "Hang on, that can't be, the last time I remember seeing you was centuries ago." Exclaimed the Doctor. "Doctor, you really must learn to fly your Tardis properly." Celestia giggled. "And change that calendar." Twilight was once again becoming frustrated, and the Doctor could see it. Another interruption in the way of a Pegasus entering the tent allowed the Doctor to relax a bit, safe from Twilight's questions. Derpy walked over to her. "Applethunder? Is there a problem?" Asked Derpy. Applethunder was second in command of the Pegasus forces and kind of idolised Derpy in a way. She also had the distinction of not only being Applejack's cousin, but also the first Pegasus born into the Apple family. Underneath her light yellow coat, her breathing was heavy and her gold and orange mane was drenched with sweat. "We… We managed to capture a live griffin." She said between deep breaths. Derpy put her hoof on her shoulder and told her to take the rest of the day off. The group found their way over to the prison, a large tent, with iron barred cages lining the wall. Inside one was indeed a griffin, fastened to a post by a chain around its neck. The Doctor noticed that there was already someone there. Duskheart. The Doctors telepathic abilities went haywire around Duskheart, telling him not to trust this pony. Duskheart, stood at attention as Celestia approached. "Princess, this griffin was captured trying to break through our defences. He also carried this." Duskheart picked up a knife and gave it to Celestia. The blade had her name carved onto it and a ribbon tied to the handle had the words 'For Gilda, For Gregor' written on it. "What was your plan?" Asked Celestia, her voice filled with anger. "Attack me at my own base. How did you plan on getting out? Don't you see how Gregor is using you?" The griffin got as close as he could to the bars of the cage and spat in Celestia's face. She wiped it off and turned. "Let him go, he is only following orders, a mindless soldier." She said and began to leave. "No Princess." Said Duskheart. Celestia turned to see Duskheart enter the cage and draw his sword. "Duskheart what are you doing?" Celestia shouted. "My duty." He said, swinging the sword down and decapitating the defenceless griffin. "NO!" Shouted the Doctor, Celestia picked him up with her magic and threw him against one of the other cages. "Why Duskheart, I told you to release him." Celestia shouted in his face. "What for!? so he could try again? It's my duty to protect you Princess, and I take that very seriously. In fact, my other protective measure is already on its way." "What new protective measure?" Asked the Doctor, suspicious of Duskheart. "I call it operation: Pinkamina." By now the other elements had heard Celestia's shouting and came galloping to the source. "What! Pinkamina. What do you mean? What did you do to Pinkie?" Fluttershy yelled, cocking an arrow and aiming it at Duskheart's head. Meanwhile, the Doctor's eyes had widened and he kept whispering "No" under his breath. "I released her full potential." Duskheart said, proud of himself. "And what does that mean?" Asked Rarity, staring daggers at Duskheart. "None of you would understand, you don't have the guts for war." Twilight added her magic to the mix, cutting Duskheart's face with the assassin's blade. "Fine… I'll tell you. It started six months ago, when I sent Pinkie and a group of ten others to destroy a griffin stronghold. From the report, I found out that Pinkie had gotten 'close' to a female corporal under her command. Rosethorn was her name. They stormed the stronghold, hoping to gather intelligence that we could use. But it was a trap; it came down to Pinkie, Rosethorn and three others. They were almost out and away, but then, Rosethorn was cut down. From what I read, it was something like beauty, vicious, savage beauty. They said that Pinkie's hair had straightened, her coat became darker and she had picked up two swords. Walking on two legs, she had killed every single griffin and Minotaur in the stronghold. The private who wrote the report stated that she refused to be called Pinkie, and only responded to Pinkamina." "That's not explaining what you did to her." Said Twilight, holding the blade to his face once more. "I used her. I took her to a secret research lab in Canterlot, and the Unicorns there played with her mind. Releasing Pinkamina while making her controllable." Duskheart explained. The Doctor became furious. Walking up and Punching Duskheart. "Do you know what you've done? Do you have any idea?" He shouted. Celestia looked at the Doctor in fear. "What is it Doctor?" She asked. The Doctor sighed, before turning to face her. "Ten years from next Tuesday, the war has been over for a while, and things had begun to go back to normal. But then an assassin breaks into the Royal palace of Canterlot and kills Princess Celestia. The assassin calls herself Pinkamina, angry over what was done to her; she seeks revenge on the ponies she believes are responsible for what happened. Princess Luna mourns the loss, and in an angry rage, kills Pinkamina. She then disappears into the stars, leaving Celestia's successor, the Alicorn Twilight Sparkle to rule over Equestria as sun and moon." The Doctor's story leaves everypony quiet, even Duskheart. "Twilight Sparkle… the Alicorn?" Said Twilight, breaking the silence. Celestia's eyes welled up as she listened to the Doctor. "Is there any way to prevent this?" She asked. "Yes, but we have to get to Pinkie quickly, before she starts killing. As soon as she begins to enjoy it, the timeline will be fixed and there will be no way of stopping her." Celestia looks at Duskheart, using her magic to squeeze him. He groaned in pain. "Where is she?" Celestia asked. Rage building in her voice. "She's on her way here; I've got pegasi carrying her in a large metal egg. On contact with sunlight, her mental programming will kick in and she will start killing any and all griffins and Minotaur." Duskheart said, still being crushed by Celestia's magic. Celestia threw him into a cell, locking the gate. Twilight added her own touch, electrifying the bars. The group galloped outside and saw the egg, suspended by four pegasi, hover over the battlefield. The Doctor begun to gallop towards it, sonic screwdriver in mouth, followed closely by the rest. The pegasi droppped the egg, which fell with a loud bang. The Doctor was still hallway towards it when it opened. Pinkamina stepped out, still walking on two legs, and unsheathed two swords from behind her back. The Doctor watched in horror as she was attacked by a group of Minotaur. Pinkamina didn't lift her head, but still dodged every swing of the Minotaur blades. 'That must be because of the Pinkie sense Twilight told me about.' The Doctor thought as he watched her. He reached her as she put both of her swords through the last Minotaur's chest. The Doctor grabbed her, placing his front hooves on either side of her head. Then he felt it. The cold blade of Pinkamina's sword as it went through his stomach. The Doctor's eyes opened wide and he looked down to see that the sword had been buried all the way to the hilt. Pinkamina pulled the blade back, and the Doctor fell to the ground. His eyes became heavy, and his breathing shallow. He saw Derpy tackle Pinkamina. He closed his eyes, hearing Derpy's voice very faintly. "No Doctor, No don't leave me."
Chapter 8Derpy screamed as she saw the Doctor's eyes widen in shock. Pinkamina's sword sticking out of his stomach. Derpy picked up speed, and tackled Pinkamina, taking her up into the air. She spun her around, faster and faster, the g-force showing on Pinkamina's face. Finally, Derpy let go and Pinkamina slammed into the ground, bouncing. Derpy landed next to the Doctor, as the other elements and Celestia restrained Pinkamina. "No Doctor! No, don't leave me." She cried, lifting up his head. Twilight walked over and put her arms around Derpy. "I'm sorry Derpy, I think he's dead." Derpy shook her head, still crying. "That's just it Twilight, he's not going to die, but he's going to leave me." Derpy closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a strange tingling sensation. She opened her eyes to see the Doctor, his whole body glowing with a strange golden light. Twilight gasped and backed away, fearful of what the light could be. "Please Doctor, don't leave… I love you." Derpy pleaded. The light intensified. "Doctor, I know you don't die here, like this. I know because you were there… You were there with me and my children… Our children." The light only got stronger. The Doctor exhaled, a stream of light coming out of his mouth. The stream kept growing as the Doctor dimmed. The light swirled above the Doctor's body before coming to rest over the wound. Derpy watched the deep, gushing wound begin to close, and smiled, hoping it meant what she thought it did. The wound fully closed and the light swirled over the doctor again. For a moment, nothing happened, but then, the light went rushing at Derpy and hit her in the stomach. She absorbed the energy, feeling it pulse through her. It stopped, leaving Derpy feeling energetic, as though she had just woken from the perfect night's sleep. Derpy looked at the Doctor, now fully healed, but still unconscious. "Twilight. Help me get the Doctor to the medical tent." Derpy said, not as a request, but an order that Twilight immediately began to follow. A few days later The Doctor was still in the hospital, and still unconscious. Derpy had not left his side, leaving the running of the Pegasus forces to her second in command; Applethunder. "Derpy, ah just don't know if I can do this. There is still so much ah need to learn." Applethunder said, worried. Derpy didn't even look at her, keeping her eyes fixed on the Doctor. "Applethunder, do you remember how we met?" Asked Derpy softly. "Of course, but ah don't…" Applethunder started before being interrupted. "Tell me." "O…okay. Well, ah had just been appointed to your unit, fresh from officer's training. Ah told you mah name. You somehow associated it with cousin Applejack and we got to talking. Ah told you how I was Aj's cousin and the first Pegasus born into the Apple family. You also asked me if I had a very special somepony." "And what did you tell me?" "Ah told you that there was a certain pony back in cloudsdale. But that ah was too afraid to tell him how ah felt because ah didn't want to ruin our friendship." She said, ears drooping as she remembered. "And what was my reply?" Derpy asked again. "You told me that in life, just like love. You have to make choices based on what you think is best. And whether or not those choices are correct, you live with them and move past them, always allowing yourself the freedom of looking back and knowing that you did what you thought was best." Applethunder said; beginning to understand what Derpy was trying to say. Derpy nodded and said; "Now don't you think that you should be getting back to the troops? And please make sure Tornado Blaze remembers his armour this time." Applethunder hugged Derpy from behind, showing support for her friend, before leaving. Derpy kissed the Doctor as soon as she left. "Wake up Doctor." She said. The Doctor exhaled again, expelling more yellow light. Derpy remembered back to when she had first met the Doctor. It had been a hard time for her. She was being evicted from her house; she had just lost her job at the cloud factory in cloudsdale and was still being harassed because of her eyes. Derpy was on her way to visit her friend Carrot Top in Ponyville when it happened. A large Blue Box had flown past her, spinning wildly out of control. She watched it crash into the middle of the Everfree Forest and quickly followed, curious about what strange pony could be inside. Derpy had arrived as the Box's sole occupant emerged. "Are you okay mister?" She had asked, as the brown earth pony stumbled about. He had looked at her; a smile had come over his mouth. A handsome smile, Derpy had thought. "Oh hello. Now tell me… Am I ginger?" The stranger asked, before kneeling over and passing out. Derpy had carried him back to Carrot top's house and cared for him for the week he had stayed unconscious. When he had woken up, he seemed anxious to get back to the Blue Box, ignoring Derpy's protests. He had kept saying things that didn't make any sense, such as; "Why couldn't I have been ginger this time." Or "These new teeth feel weird." Eventually Derpy had just stopped him and demanded to know what was going on. To which he just replied; "I'm the Doctor and I'm far from home." Derpy had followed him back to the Blue Box. The Doctor referred to it as the 'Tardis'. She had watched him enter, closing the door behind him. Derpy's mouth had dropped open as the Tardis began to make a strange sound and then vanish slowly. She had looked around, stunned, before realising that the Doctor had gone. Her head had dropped; she had been hoping that the Doctor could help her with her problems. But he had just left without even saying goodbye. Derpy had started to walk away. Then she heard it; the same strange sound, followed by the Tardis. The Doctor stepped out, looked at her and said; "Hey! Are you coming or not?" Derpy looked at him in confusion. "And where would I be going?" "Anywhere, anytime." Was the Doctor's only reply. Derpy stared at him, before sighing. "Why would you choose me?" She asked. The Doctor had walked over to her, putting his hoof around her. "Because Miss Derpy Hooves. You saved my life, and I never forget a favour like that. Also, I need a beautiful assistant to help me." Derpy had blushed, never before thinking of herself as beautiful. She had looked at the Doctor one last time before running straight into the Tardis, smiling. "Wow! It's smaller on the outside." She had said upon entering. And since that day, Derpy had been travelling with him, seeing strange new worlds, new creatures. Over that time, she had also fallen in love with him. Derpy began to cry as she laid her head on the Doctor's chest, listening to his double heartbeat. Another day passed before the Doctor woke up. Derpy was still asleep on his chest and had fallen off when the doctor had sat up straight in bed. He looked startled, as though he was not expecting to wake up like he did. "Derpy? What happened? Where am I? And more importantly, why do I still look the same?" The Doctor was asking questions faster than Derpy could process them. Instead, she just kissed him, glad to have him back. She went on to explain what had happened with the gold light. When she got to the part about absorbing it into herself, The Doctor's eye went wide, and he looked at her abdomen. "What is it Doctor?" Derpy asked, confused. "N…Nothing Derpy, nothing at all." He stammered, hugging Derpy. Twilight suddenly walked in, followed by Princess Celestia. "Doctor! It is good to see you awake… And alive." Celestia said, beaming. Twilight walked right up to the Doctor, her white iris making the Doctor uncomfortable. "I want to know just how you survived that." She said. "It is not scientifically possible for you to have healed from that instantaneously." The Doctor smiled; "Magic?" He said awkwardly. Twilight shook her head, not convinced. "No. I checked every healing spell known to ponykind, and there is nothing even remotely similar to what you did. Just tell me! What are you?" Twilight's interrogation got the best of the doctor in his weakened state. "I…I'm a Time Lord. An alien. A time traveller. I'm from the planet Gallopfrey in the constellation of Casterberous. I am nine hundred and four years old. Are you happy?" Twilight stared at him, her mouth agape. Derpy reached over and closed it for her. "Don't worry, I had the same reaction when I found out his age." She said, still hugging the Doctor. Twilight began to assault the Doctor with questions before Celestia interrupted; "Twilight! I think that's enough. We came to ask the Doctor something important, not harass him with questions." "You're right, sorry Doctor." Said Twilight, feeling embarrassed. "Doctor, if you are feeling up to it, we would like you to have another look at Pinkie. So far we have not been able to break the programming Duskheart gave her." Celestia said. The Doctor jumped out of bed, his face serious all of a sudden. "I'm ready. What happened to Duskheart?" The Doctor asked, as the group left the tent. "Princess Celestia is keeping him in a cell and refuses to accept my idea of dressing him like a griffin and leaving him to Pinkie." Derpy told him. The Doctor laughed, assuming that it was a joke. "And Pinkie is being kept in a cell all to herself in a special tent at the back of the camp." They soon reached Pinkie's prison. Derpy had to turn away from the horror that was Pinkamina. It just scared her. The Doctor walked right up to the cage. "Hello Pinkie, it's good to see you again." He said pleasantly. Pinkamina looked up, her eyes were bloodshot and wide and her ears stayed down close to her head. She sat tied to a chair, both for her protection, and the protection of others. "Hello Doctor. It is good to see you to. But I must ask that you call me Pinkamina." Pinkamina's voice was soft, cold. It was completely distinct from Pinkie's, as though they were truly different ponies. "And why is that?" "Because Pinkie Pie is no longer around. Just me." The idea of that made a chill crawl up Derpy's spine. "Oh really? That's a shame. Because it's my birthday tomorrow and I was going to have a party." The Doctor said. Derpy noticed Pinkamina's ears prick up a little. "Well then, happy birthday to you Doctor. Enjoy the party." "That's just it. It needs to be planned, put together and I just don't have the time." Pinkamina's ears rose a little further. "I really need a pony that knows all about parties. Do you know one?" "Yes, as a matter of fact. But she's not in right now. Can I take a message?" Pinkamina smiled, arrogantly. The Doctor shook his head. "I was really hoping to speak to her myself." He said, opening the cage. Pinkamina's eyes grew wide. She began to struggle against her bonds, anticipating what was about to happen. "No! You can't. You need me! I can win this war for us! Don't you understand! I'm your only hope!" Pinkamina shouted. Derpy turned away, scared at the angry, soulless voice of Pinkamina. The Doctor placed his hooves on either side of Pinkamina's head and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, the struggling stopped and Pinkamina's head slumped on her chest, asleep. The Doctor walked out, and gave Celestia a look of triumph. "I think I did it. It was hard. Her mind is… chaotic, at war with itself. The Pinkie side is fighting for supremacy against the Pinkamina side, but I managed to tip the scales in Pinkie's favour. With luck, she will be Pinkie Pie in the next few days." Derpy, Twilight and Celestia all breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there any lasting damage Doctor?" Asked Celestia, the horrible thought suddenly coming to her head. "We won't know until she wakes up for certain." The Doctor said sadly. He walked over to Derpy and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you for waiting." He whispered into her ear. Derpy smiled, glad to hear his voice. "Thank you for coming back." She whispered in reply. "I think you both need some time to catch up, so Twilight and I will leave you alone for a while." Said Celestia, her intuition kicking in. "Aww but…but I had so many questions for the Doctor." Said Twilight, following Celestia out of the tent. The Doctor turned to Derpy, who grinned, showing all of her teeth. The Doctor smiled back. "Derpy, I need to tell you something, and it may come as a shock."
Chapter 9Fluttershy looked out over the battlefield. Now stained red with the blood of ponies, griffins and Minotaur alike. Archer's stage had become like a second home to her. She always went there to think in times of uncertainty. Celestia's setting sun gave the scene a very picturesque view. Oranges and reds mixed together in a graceful dance. Fluttershy noticed Big Mac making the gradual ascent up the path to her. Saying nothing, he sat beside her and watched the sunset. As they had almost every day since Big Mac got out of hospital. "Did you hear the news about the Doctor and Derpy?" Mac finally asked. Fluttershy smiled, pleased for her friends. "Yes, it's nice to see that even here, the horrible gates of hell itself. That something as normal as that still occurs." Big mac turned and kissed her. And she kissed back, glad as always to be with her coltfriend. They stayed like that for hours, locked in each other's embrace. The moon rose, bathing them in a serene white light. Fluttershy ran her hoof along the scar on Big Mac's side, feeling her usual pang of guilt. He just smiled; instincts and experience telling him how she was feeling. "You know ah hate it when you blame yourself." He said, pulling her in closer. "I know, but I can't help it. I shouldn't have let you get yourself into this war." "You didn't. ah volunteered. And ah did it just so ah could keep you safe, not the other way round." Big Mac began to kiss her neck, making Fluttershy giggle. "I know. But still…" Big Mac sighed, looking at his fillyfriend. "Ah was going to leave this till another time, but now seems right." He turned over, reaching into a bag that he had brought with him. He pulled out a box, giving it to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, will you do me the immense honour of becoming my wife?" He asked as Fluttershy opened the box and stared at the ring that sat inside. Fluttershy blushed, looking at Big Mac. "Yes, yes I will." Her face lit up in the biggest smile Big Mac had ever seen. Fluttershy threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately. She broke it off, flying into the air. "Oh my, we just have to tell everypony." She took off in the direction of the main tent. Big Mac quickly packing up and chasing after her. Fluttershy entered the tent to find all of her friends, except for Pinkie, who was still recovering from the reprogramming. The other elements were there, as well as Princess Celestia, Black Diamond, Lightstar and Applethunder. They were all congratulating Derpy on her big news. Big Mac finally arrived, standing next to Fluttershy. "Um… Everypony. I have an announcement. And I'm sorry to steal your spotlight Derpy, but…" Fluttershy held out her hoof, the ring shone brightly in the candle light. The Girls and even Princess Celestia all squealed, galloping up to Fluttershy. Big Mac was forced out of the way. Black Diamond and The Doctor gave him a hoof shake, congratulating him on his engagement. Fluttershy had never felt so happy in all of her life. The good news kept going, as Princess Celestia promoted Black Diamond to Duskheart's former position. Duskheart was being sent back to Canterlot to await trial. The war, for that night, was forgotten and the ponies celebrated. But all knew that the celebration would be short lived. There was still a war to fight, no matter what was happening in their personal lives. Fluttershy awoke the next morning, warm in Big Mac's arms. Easing herself out of his grasp, she put her armour on and went to see the only one of her friends she hadn't told; Pinkie. She opened the tent that was her prison. The chair she had been tied to had been replaced by a bed, although she was still tied to it. "Pinkie, I have some wonderful news. I'm engaged. Big Mac proposed to me last night." Fluttershy told the sleeping pony. Pinkie's ears stood up straight, and her hair had gotten back some of its natural puffiness. A sure sign in Fluttershy's opinion that she was getting back to normal. "Well I just hope that when my wedding comes around that you will be awake to plan the reception." She said, smiling at her friend. She left, feeling optimistic about the days ahead. Fluttershy began to walk back to Archer's stage, ready for the next battle. But then she heard crying coming from the research tent. Investigating, she found Rarity, curled up in a corner. Her left eye was black and she had grazes and cuts all over her. "Rarity! What happened!? Are you okay?" she asked, worried. She put her hoof on Rarity, who screamed; "No! Don't touch me, not again." Fluttershy pulled her hoof back, not wanting to upset her. "Rarity, it's me. Fluttershy, you can trust me. Just tell me what happened." Rarity shivered, as though she was remembering something horrible. "It was Tinker. He came in… I thought it was Diamond… He held me down… Told me he would kill me if I screamed… and he…he…" Rarity couldn't finish. She just began to cry even louder. Fluttershy finally clicked as to what she was talking about. Fluttershy felt the rage build up inside her. She walked out and saw Twilight walking over. "You! Get in there and help her!" Fluttershy shouted at Twilight, Who just did what she was told, bewildered. Fluttershy found Tinker still sleeping in his bunk. She threw him out, shouting obscenities. Tinker put up his hooves as Fluttershy cocked an arrow in his direction. "Hey, hey there's no need for that." He said. Pleading with Fluttershy. She let go of the arrow, which went straight though his arm and into a notice board behind him. He screamed, loud and animalistic, as the pain took hold. He held up his other hoof, and Fluttershy pinned that one to the notice board as well. More screams came from his degenerate mouth. By now his bunk mates had woken up, but were either too scared to do anything, or just didn't care about him enough. Fluttershy cocked another arrow, and aimed it right between Tinker's eyes. She released, but the arrow didn't move. It was being held by Princess Celestia's magic. "Fluttershy! What is the meaning of this?" she asked. Shocked at the display. "He hurt Rarity Princess. He is going to get what he deserves." Fluttershy said. She whispered what had happened into Celestia's ear, so as not to embarrass Rarity in front of the other ponies. Celestia's eyes burned with anger. She looked at Tinker, then at the arrow, still charged with enough kinetic energy to put an end to his miserable existence. Fluttershy noticed the look of contemplation on Celestia's face as she decided whether or not to let go of the arrow. Eventually her rational side took over and she lowered the arrow to the ground. "Rest assured Fluttershy. He will be punished. But this is not the way to do it. I will have some guards escort him back to Canterlot for trial. But not now. I think I will tell them in a few hours." Celestia said, the anger in her voice clearly upsetting Tinker's bunk mates. Rarity was moved to a secluded tent by herself, and refused to see any male ponies. Celestia had female doctors brought in specifically for Rarity. Black Diamond took it particularly hard. Even going as far as beating Tinker to a pulp one night as he sat in the prison, although it was never proven. Fluttershy stayed by Rarity, who seemed to only really trust her. Rarity had nightmares at night, and Fluttershy was always there to help her. One month afterwards. Rarity told Fluttershy exactly what had happened, crying as she did so. It was so hard for Fluttershy to see her like this. The strong, confident Rarity was gone, replaced by a ghost of her former self. Fluttershy secretly wished that Celestia had not stopped the arrow. A week after that, and Rarity had stopped having nightmares, or they were less frequent at least. Twilight came to relieve her one night, just wanting Fluttershy to get a good night's sleep. Fluttershy went to Big Mac's bunk instead of her own. She curled up with him, and as they started to fall asleep, Fluttershy said; "I'm going to kill her Mac." "Who?" asked Big Mac, worried about his fiancé. "Gilda. She started all this. And I won't shoot her with an arrow either. No. I will be up close, personal. I want to see the light leave her eyes and know that the last thing she sees on the earth will be me." "I will help you do that." Said Big Mac. The seriousness in his voice gave Fluttershy comfort. "Good. She has taken too much from us and it's high time we returned the favour." Fluttershy fell asleep, visions of killing Gilda danced in her dreams all night.
Chapter 10Rarity poked her head outside, the warm sun felt good on her face. She took a deep breath; the fresh air filled her lungs. She slowly began to put her hoof closer to the boundary between the tent that had become her sanctuary and the outside world. As it got closer, her heart started to race and her breathing became more rapid. She quickly pulled the hoof back; as though she was scared that something would be attack it. Rarity walked back to her workstation, deciding to bury herself in her work instead. The sounds of laughter and battle mixed together outside were to Rarity muffled, almost as if she was hearing them from underwater. She looked around at the others in the new research tent. They were all mares, Rarity having dismissed all of the Stallions on her team, which had the unfortunate side effect of diminishing the research team from fifty strong to only fifteen, including herself. One of the unicorns came up to her, holding out a piece of paper. Rarity shivered as her sense of déjà vu made her think of Tinker again. Princess Celestia had assured her that he was being severely punished, but she felt no comfort in that. Even after six months, Rarity couldn't help but feel… dirty. Her mane had become dishevelled, as had her tail. She had suddenly realised that grooming was unnecessary, and it attracted attention that she did not want. Rarity looked at the piece of paper, a simple design to improve the insulation of Pegasus armour. Since it was the beginning of winter, Rarity approved the design immediately. "Thank you." She said very quietly, smiling a short smile at the unicorn. "You did a great job." Rarity had begun to praise her team more and value them for their work. She did so because she was afraid of angering them to a point where they might hurt her. Rarity turned back to her work; a new set of arrows that resisted wind, allowing for archers to still be just as effective in the high winds brought about by winter. She coated them in a special compound she had created; it reduced friction, thereby reducing drag on the arrows. Rarity felt a hoof on her shoulder and screamed. The other pony screamed as well, causing the rest of Rarity's team to come running, worried about their leader and friend. "Pinkie! I thought I told you not to sneak up on me!" Rarity said breathlessly, upon realising the owner of the hoof. Pinkie Pie, recently woken from her telepathy induced reprogram and slumber, just smiled. "Oh I'm sorry Rarity, I forgot. Everything's changed so much since I've been gone. I mean, just look at Twilight's eye. Creepy." Pinkie Pie said, bouncing around Rarity. Pinkie seemed back to her normal self, but Rarity still had her suspicions. The image of Pinkamina was still fresh in her mind, and it scared her. "Yes, well… That's what happens in a war. There are casualties, some large, some small and some… that ponies don't want to talk about." Rarity told her, making Pinkie stop. Pinkie hugged Rarity. "I'm super happy to be back to normal so I can help my friends." She said. Rarity smiled, glad to have her friend as well. "Pinkie, I've been meaning to ask but… Do you remember anything from when you were… you know?" Pinkie's ears lowered down to her head and she suddenly became very serious. "Rarity, I have a perfect memory. One hundred per cent recall. I have actually been studied by pony psychologists because of it. It helped my family get through one particularly bad winter when we couldn't harvest our rocks. They paid my father to allow them to study my memory systems. It was fun. But it's also a curse. Yes I remember when I was Pinkamina. I remember everything. But to be honest, the one image that stands out in my mind is Rosethorn." Pinkie explained. Rarity felt sudden concern for the party pony. A concern that made her forget her own troubles for the moment. She listened intently as Pinkie described Rosethorn. Every detail brought to life by Pinkie's natural ability to speak. Rarity saw Pinkie's eyes well up, and then remembered what the doctor had said. "You have to limit her exposure to strong emotions. Otherwise it may cause her to regress back to Pinkamina." Rarity quickly changed the subject. "Isn't Derpy getting big?" she asked, causing Pinkie to stop crying. She looked at Rarity in confusion. Then smiled, oblivious. "Oh I know. That was the best news ever when I woke up; I was all like WOOOOO HOOOOO! And hugged her and then hugged the Doctor, not just because of the big news but also because he saved me and now I'm so so happy." Pinkie said all in one breath. Rarity smiled awkwardly, glad that the crisis was averted. They talked for a while longer. Rarity just glad to have a friendly face around, it put her at ease, and the fact that it was Pinkie made it all the better. After an hour or two, Pinkie finally left, and Rarity continued with her work. Rarity went to bed that night next to her workstation, as was her custom nowadays. A small dagger nestled under her pillow, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Her dreams as always began the same; she is in her boutique. The feeling of soft, flowing fabric of a dress under her hooves, as she sews up the final touches. Sweetie Bell comes galloping over, smiling a big smile. Her cutie mark shines on her flank. "Rarity there's somepony at the door looking for you." "Is it a client?" she asks. Sweetie Bell shrugs. Rarity walks down the corridor, which seems to get longer and longer. She eventually reaches the end, a silhouette greets her. "Hello and welcome to Rarity's" she says pleasantly. The stranger steps into the light. "Hello, Celestia's pet." Says Tinker. Rarity runs the other way, fearful, just wanting to get away. She bursts through an open door. Inside the room are a bunch of ponies and griffins, all pointing at her. "You killed us Rarity." They all say as one. Rarity shakes her head. "No…No. I didn't kill anypony. I was stuck in the lab with nerd ponies." She pleads to the group for forgiveness. The groups just points at her, chanting 'Murderer, Murderer.' Rarity curls up on the ground, shaking her head. They group closes in on her. Then the crowd opens up, and Sweetie Bell walks toward her, her face hidden in shadow. Rarity reaches out to her sister. "Murderer." Says Sweetie Bell, a light fits her face, and only a skull greets Rarity, who screams. Rarity woke up screaming, her sheets were drenched with sweat and her face was wet with tears. She looked out the window at Princess Celestia, who was only beginning to raise the sun. Rarity got out of bed, slowly, still exhausted. She rubbed her eyes, clearing away the tiredness and the memories that had arisen to the surface. She got back to work as soon as she could, purely for the sake of a distraction. Another hour passed before the other members of her team arrived. Rarity paid no attention to them, feeling once again that she was listening to the world from under the water. She sat quietly during the day, slowly coating arrows with her special compound. A few designs were signed off on, and the day proceeded like any other. But Rarity still couldn't escape the dreams. Another night passed, more sweat, more tears. Rarity awoke the next morning, looking out the window at Celestia. 'Whatever it takes, I'm going to get past this.' She vowed to herself. Later that day, she had finally finished the stockpile of 'Winter arrows' and sat back, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Black Diamond walking past. Rarity jumped up, galloping over to the door but couldn't bring herself to go through it. Instead, she just called out his name. Black Diamond walked over, his face was a mixture of surprise, concern and happiness. "Hello Rarity." He said quietly, afraid of scaring her. Rarity smiled, and invited him in. They sat down, Rarity sat a bit further away than she used to. But reminded herself that before today, she wouldn't have sat next to him at all, let alone invite him into the tent. Sheepishly they talked. Black Diamond obviously not wanting to upset her, which Rarity appreciated. Black Diamond left smiling, and Rarity gave herself a silent cheer, having taken the first step towards getting past her nightmares. The next week saw Rarity meeting black Diamond every day for lunch, and feeling more and more confident when she had done so. But she was still ashamed that she couldn't even take one step outside of her tent. One day after Black Diamond left, Rarity saw the Doctor walking over and an idea formed in her mind. "Doctor, Doctor." She beckoned from her doorway. The Doctor walked over, smiling. "Hello Rarity, it's nice to actually see you after such a long time. Oh wait, that sounded really insensitive, I'm sorry I'm just a little stressed with Derpy getting close and still fighting a war…" the Doctor kept talking until Rarity physically stuck her hoof in his mouth. "Doctor, I need your help, can we talk?" She asked. The Doctor nodded, following Rarity into the tent. She led him in between some shelves, before looking around to make sure no pony was listening. "Doctor. I understand you have certain abilities. Like with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie." she said. The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, telepathy. What are you getting at Rarity?" The Doctor asked, his eyes narrowing. "I… need you to help me… forget… things." She said finally. The Doctor closed his eyes, sighing. "Rarity, I understand that this has been difficult for you but if I did that, you may lose a big part of yourself. I just don't know if it's the right thing to do." Rarity got angry, poking the doctor in the chest. "The right thing to do! What part of my life lately says that I care if I lose myself? It's already been taken from me!" Her voice slowed as she pleaded with the Doctor; "Doctor please. Haven't you ever had a memory you wish somepony would just take away. Please Doctor, help me get past this. Please." Rarity's eyes welled, as the Doctor's head dropped. "Okay Rarity, but you have to let me in. Any resistance and I may not be able to control what memories are taken." He placed his hooves on either side of her head, as Rarity tried to relax. Rarity could feel him inside her mind, as he started back at the event and worked his way to the present, destroying almost all traces of her fears, her insecurities and her doubts. The doctor finished, removing his hooves. "Okay Rarity, it's done, you still get the general gist of what happened, but now that your mind has no record of it, it will just seem like you imagined it. You will replace the lost memories with new ones, most likely happier. But be warned, I don't have any idea what this will do to your personality." The Doctor said, as Rarity closed her eyes, dazed and confused. Flashes of new memories forced themselves to the front of her mind, before fitting into place where the others had been destroyed. Rarity smiled, as though nothing bad had ever happened, her confidence returned and she started to run towards the door. "Thank you Doctor, I have a lot of catching up to do with my friends." Rarity stopped at the door, poking her head out, feeling the cold winter's breeze on her face. She placed one hoof outside, then another, and another. She laughed, before galloping out the door towards the main tent, and her friends. She realised about halfway that she still remembered most of it. But now, she just didn't care. She had moved past it. The Doctor hadn't done a thing. "Thank you Doctor, you trickster.' She thought.
Chapter 11Twilight lay on her bunk, a book open before her, the apple she was eating held aloft by her magic. She felt uneasy as Pinkie's dark blue eyes rested on her in intense concentration. "Pinkie. Stop staring at my eye." Twilight said casually, not lifting her head from the book. "I'm not staring at your eye Twilight." Lied Pinkie. Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you staring at?" she asked the Party pony. "I'm uh staring at your horn." Pinkie lied again. "Then stop staring at my horn." Twilight responded. "Oh I'm not staring at your horn; I'm staring at your creepy eye… Oh wait." Pinkie realised what she had said and took off out of the tent, embarrassed. Twilight smiled, glad to have Pinkie back, even if she was annoying. She did notice that Pinkie was having trouble adjusting to what the group had become. Twilight had requested that Pinkie be shipped home to Ponyville, but Celestia had denied it, saying that she would prefer to keep a close eye on her. Twilight worried about her friends, but she was more worried about herself and what she was becoming. At night she could smell the fresh scent of blood and hear the screams of the Minotaur and griffins she had killed. But what scared her most was that she didn't mind. It had become second nature to her now, as though she had been doing it all her life. Twilight snapped out of her trance as a messenger approached. "Miss Twilight, Princess Celestia would like to see you in the special ops tent immediately." The messenger told her. Twilight nodded and placed her book down, making her way towards the door of the tent, before realising that she still had to put her armour on. She looked over at her new armour. Rarity and her team had done a great job at insulating it against the cold, as well as adding a dye to the metal, turning it white. The last thing Twilight put on was her hidden blade. She had made the decision a while ago to use it on top of her arm instead of the bottom, making it easier to use, but more visible. The leather around the mechanism was dark, stained with blood. Twilight breathed it in; the smell of iron gave her a strange comfort. She left the tent, the cold winter winds latched on to her exposed skin. She looked around at how it had changed on the camp. They had moved a lot closer in the sixteen months since the war had started. The pony camp now rested where the griffin camp had stood on the first day of battle. The new archer's stage was now a built structure rather than a natural formation. Fluttershy had insisted upon having one. Twilight watched as ponies returned from a recent battle, frost bitten and exhausted, Big Mac was among their numbers. She waved, and Big Mac nodded his greeting. Twilight arrived at the special ops tent, which was black, for no other reason than ambiance, Twilight reasoned. Inside were Princess Celestia and the Doctor, gathered around a table, a map in front of them. "Twilight, thank you for coming." Said Celestia. Twilight smiled, always happy to see her mentor. The Doctor looked at her and nodded, the serious look on his face unnerved Twilight. "Hello Princess, you wanted to see me?" Twilight asked. Celestia beckoned her over to the table. "Twilight, as one of my best warriors, I am charging you with a very special mission." She said. Twilight puffed out her chest; deep feelings of pride arose in her. "You can count on me Princess" Twilight replied, smiling. "I wish we didn't have to." Piped up the Doctor. Twilight raised an eyebrow in response. "I wish that we didn't have to send you on this mission, purely because of the danger associated with it." "Whatever the mission, I'm confident that Twilight can handle herself." Celestia cut him off, narrowing her eyes at The Doctor. "What is the mission?" Twilight asked, eager to do anything for the princess. "We learnt that the de facto ruler of the griffin empire, Prince Alistair will be giving a speech to the citizens of the Griffin capitol of New Grifburg. Seeing as how his father Gregor is away, Prince Alistair is the main power in the griffin empire. Your mission, Twilight, is to go to the griffin capitol, and assassinate Prince Alistair." Said Celestia. "What! Princess, I don't think…" Started Twilight. "You must Twilight. As your friend, I ask you. As your commander I order you, and as your Princess, I demand it." Celestia boomed. Twilight looked at the Doctor, who could only shake his head, offering no advice. Twilight sighed, realising that she had no choice. "When do I leave." She asked. "As soon as you can. The speech takes place in three days. You have until then to kill him and get out of the city. We can take you most of the way, but you will have to go into the city on foot. Go see Rarity, I had some equipment made up for you." Said the Doctor. Twilight looked at Celestia one last time before she left, as though asking if it was one of her pranks. But Celestia stayed stony-faced, and Twilight walked out. "Assassinate" she said to herself, rolling the word around in her head. She went to Rarity's tent, still the same one she had been moved into, although Rarity was no longer trapped inside by her own fear. She had even accepted the best of the stallion researchers back onto her team. Twilight was exceptionally pleased in her progress. Upon entering, she saw Rarity; her lips were attached to Black Diamond's. Twilight looked away, embarrassed. Rarity finally noticed her after a minute and pulled away, blushing. "Oh Twilight, I'm so sorry you saw that. Are you here for your equipment?" asked Rarity. Black Diamond whispered something in her ear and left. "I'm glad to see you and Black Diamond are happy again." Said Twilight, winking. Rarity blushed even redder. "Yes… well. I have your new gear over here, and for the record. I'm sorry that you have to go on this mission." Said Rarity, hugging Twilight. Rarity led her over to a box, opening it; she pulled out a white and red cloak and hood. "So this simply lovely outfit is fully insulated against the cold, features a hood that will conceal your identity and has lots of hidden pockets for storing anything you think may be useful." Rarity explained, handing it to Twilight, who took off her armour and slipped it on. Twilight noticed that it was a lot more comfortable than her armour. "Now I know you favour the hidden blade, so I made this one just for you darling." Rarity continued, handing Twilight a new hidden blade. The leather was embossed with her cutie mark and a very ornate 'T.S' in fancy calligraphy. The Blade itself was made out of a much shinier metal than her other one. The actual metal part was only on the outside, the core of the blade was made of a purple gem. "Thank you Rarity." Said Twilight, smiling and hugging her friend. "It was no problem Twilight. I just wish you didn't have to do this." Rarity said, hugging back just as tightly. "Just promise me you will come back Twilight." "I promise Rarity." Twilight left the tent and slowly made her way back to the special ops tent. Suddenly she was pulled in between two tents. Pinkie pushed her up against some supplies that were being stored there. "Twilight, please don't go on this mission!" Pinkie said. "Pinkie? How did you even hear about the mission?" Twilight said, stunned at the revelation. "Twilight, really, you expect me to NOT know about something like that." Said Pinkie sarcastically. "But the point is that you can't do this mission." "You honestly think I want to do this?" Twilight yelled, pushing Pinkie away. "Do you really think that I can kill in cold blood? On the battlefield, it's different, it's hot and fast and I'm doing it to protect myself. But… This time… I'm only going to kill because I am ordered to." "I know Twilight, but I'm worried. I don't want to lose my friends. And if you do this, I will lose you." Pinkie said, her ears stuck close to her head and her voice was quiet. "Pinkie, I promise that you will not lose me. None of you will ever lose me." Twilight said. Pinkie grabbed Twilight, pulled her close and kissed her. Twilight was too shocked to resist. Pinkie broke it off and blushed. Twilight just stood there, her mouth open. "Pinkie…" she began. Pinkie put her hoof up to Twilights mouth. "Be careful when you fight monsters, lest you become one, Twilight." Pinkie said, before turning and leaving. Twilight stood there for a bit longer, stunned, watching Pinkie walk away. Twilight began to walk over to the special ops tent, confused, Pinkie's words and the kiss swirling around in her mind. "Are you ready Twilight?" asked Celestia. Twilight looked up at her, and couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed. "Yes Princess, I'm ready." Twilight said, flipping up her hood, which covered her horn, giving the impression of an earth pony. Princess Celestia bowed her head, her horn glowing with white energy. Twilight was teleported, finding herself in a forest. Twilight walked up a small hill and looked at the city she was about to infiltrate. The city of New Grifburg, it was a large city by pony standards, but in the griffin empire, was only an average sized city. The main reason it was the capitol was because of the palace, which was nestled in the heart of the city. Twilight started to walk towards the docks, where trader ponies were still accepted, regardless of the war, the world of trade and the money that went with it was still going on. Once there, she quickly blended into the ponies, becoming invisible to the guards that patrolled the streets. Twilight spent the next day getting herself ready, finding out where the speech was planned to take place, and getting herself mentally prepared. During her first night sleeping on the streets, Twilight was appalled at the extensive amount of homeless. She saw them everywhere, begging for the smallest scrap of food, to be turned down or brutalised by the guards. The second night, the night before her grim task, Twilight stole some apples for herself, but as she settled down in an alley to eat, discovered a whole family of griffins living in the same alley. "What caused your misfortune?" She asked, sharing her food with the starving family. Making sure to keep her hood low over her face, so as to not disturb them with her eye. The mother of the family spoke to her. "We were forced out of our home by Prince Alistair and Princess Gilda. In Emperor Gregor's absence, they have raised taxes to a point where all but the richest are forced out of their homes. The guards are corrupt and not above brutalising us. My father, a griffin of the church, once tripped in front of Princess Gilda's path. She… She had him beaten and killed in public. We are all too scared to do anything about it. If only Gregor was not blinded by his love for his daughter, he would return from war and set things right." It was then that Twilight understood why she had been sent, it was not to destabilise their society, but to save it. "Will Princess Gilda be at the speech tomorrow?" She asked, hoping to kill two birds with one stone. The Mother shook her head. "No, she does not attend many speeches; she only leaves the castle to for one reason.' "Which is?" asked Twilight. "It is said she kidnaps ponies and tortures them, and that she only leaves the palace to hunt." Twilight felt the rage build up; she gritted her teeth resisting the urge to scream in anger. Twilight woke up early the next day, well before the family she had helped. She made her way to the square where the speech was taking place, and waited, out of sight. Despite the cruelty of Prince Alistair, a large crowd showed up. Fanfare accompanied the Prince's walk onto the stage. He was the spitting image of Gregor, but younger and thinner. "My loyal subjects, I stand before you today to tell you that the war is going to plan, that we will be victorious and that Celestia will feel the cold steel of my father's blade. But he needs your help, so, effective as of today, I am raising taxes a further five bits." Proclaimed Alistair. Twilight began to make her way towards him, his lies making her want to end his miserable life all the more. She pushed through the crowd, picking up speed. She neared the front before any guards became suspicious. They made their way towards her, spears and swords shining. But in a move that even surprised Twilight, the guards were halted by the citizens of the city, as if they knew the reason for her being there. Alistair spotted her and turned, making his way off stage. Twilight leapt up on stage and chased him; he threw off the cloak he was wearing, stretching his wings for take-off. Twilight used her magic to throw some knives at him. They hit him in the joint of his left wing, Twilight smiled as she heard his scream of pain. Now grounded, he pushed himself harder, but Twilight hounded him. Not giving him the chance to rest. Alistair climbed some stairs, heading for a rooftop. Twilight followed, their chase slowly coming to a close as Twilight gained on him. Alistair came to a large gap; he flapped his wings, but could not bring up the strength to get himself off the ground. Twilight tackled him as he turned, and they both went sailing off the roof to the street below. Twilight felt the impact through her hooves. Alistair groaned with pain as Twilight extended her new hidden blade. The purple gem glowed in the light, as if thirsty for blood. She planted it firmly in Alistair's heart. As he gasped his last breaths of air, Twilight asked; "Why?" "Because I am not my father. Because Gilda is not my father. Because we are better than them, better than you, Pony." Alistair said the last word as a curse. Before the light faded from his eyes. Twilight retracted her blade, allowing herself a deep breath. 'I want to go home' she thought.
Chapter 12The Doctor watched Twilight flip up her hood, a look of confusion and fear on her face. Celestia bowed her head, her horn glowed white and Twilight vanished in a flash of light. The Doctor turned and sat on a chair, rubbing his eyes. "You don't approve, do you Doctor?" Celestia asked, sitting next to him. The Doctor shook his head. "It's not that I don't approve Tia. I understand why it needs to be done. I just wish you had told Twilight the real reason, or at least send some backup for her." He told her. "She needed to find out on her own Doctor. Twilight needed perspective on the war, otherwise how is she meant to take my place someday." Celestia explained. The Doctor looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean Tia? We stopped that future from happening." Said the Doctor, putting his hoof on her shoulder. Celestia looked at him and smiled weakly. "Doctor, you of all ponies should understand. I have to measure my actions over hundreds or thousands of years. Planning ahead, rarely letting myself leave anything to chance." Celestia stood, pacing around the table. "Doctor, how long have you known me?" she asked finally. "I was there when you were born, when Luna was born. I watched you grow up, knowing what you were to become. I stood next to you when you were crowned. I nursed your pain when your parents left. You travelled with me for some time. I have known you for centuries Celestia, and I plan to know you for centuries more." Said the Doctor, smiling at Celestia. "Exactly Doctor. And in all that time, have you ever known me to be this scared of the future?" The questions made The Doctor nervous. He stood, walking up to her, looking straight into her eyes. "What's going on Tia?" Celestia dropped her head, tears welling in her eyes. They were suddenly interrupted by Applethunder, who burst in, breathing heavily. "Princess! We have a problem." She said. Celestia composed herself and walked quickly out of the tent, followed by the Doctor. Applethunder pointed to the sky, as a giant red dragon swirled in the air. "Not this again. Applethunder, talk to the unicorns, I want them to bait it into attacking me, just like last time." Celestia turned, going into the tent to retrieve her helmet as Applethunder ran in search of Lightstar. Celestia looked at the Doctor one last time. The Doctor saw the look of pure fear on her face, and he suddenly realised. "Tia… You don't have to. You can't." He pleaded with her, but to no avail. "I'm sorry Doctor, but this is the way it has to be. The way it must always be." She placed the helmet on her head, taking a deep breath. "You can ignore the visions Tia, they aren't always right." The Doctor said. "The last time I ignored them, we got Nightmare Moon. I will not let that happen again. I love you all too much to let my ponies go through that again. Please tell twilight that I don't want her to cry for me." Celestia said. She stretched her wings wide, the bladed tips shone in the light. She bent down and kissed the Doctor on the lips. "For missed opportunities Doctor." She said, before taking off, heading straight at the dragon that had turned towards the unicorn bait. The unicorns had their horns lit up, drawing the Dragon closer. It noticed Celestia first, and attacked. The Doctor galloped down to the front lines, as ponies gathered to watch the epic battle. At first it looked as if Celestia had the upper hand, but then the dragon swung its spiked tail, sending Celestia slamming into the ground. The Doctor snatched a bow away from one of the archers, firing it at the dragon. The arrow hit it in the eye, but only enraged the dragon more. Celestia stood, unsheathing her sword. She lunged at the Dragon, dodging its claws and keeping a watchful eye on the tail. She flew fast, not giving the dragon a target, before bringing the sword down, and cutting off half of its tail. The dragon howled in pain, turning and breathing a blast of white hot fire at her. Celestia put up a magic shield, and for a moment the Doctor couldn't see her as she was engulfed in flame. The white and red mass of hot tendrils dissipated, and the Doctor gasped as he looked at Celestia. Her magic shield had failed her to a degree, and the feathers on the tips of her wings were burning. Celestia put them out with magic, and continued the assault, but the Doctor noticed that she was slower. Sword slash, claw swipe and fire followed for the longest time. But still Celestia fought. Never giving up, Celestia flew around the dragon near its mouth, hoping to flank it. But faster than the Doctor could blink, it lashed out and gripped Celestia with its teeth. "NOOOOOO!" screamed the Doctor, firing more arrows at the creature as it shook Celestia wildly. Finally it stopped. The Dragon collapsed; Celestia had managed to stick her sword into its brain. The Doctor galloped out toward her, tears flowing down her face. He looked at her, broken, bloody, her horn was broken at the head, and her eyes were closed. "Tia! Tia! Wake up, come on wake up." The Doctor shook her, screaming. She opened her eye a bit. "Doctor, I need you to do something for me. Take my horn. When you think she is ready, give it to Twilight. It is then that she will fulfil her destiny. And one more thing… Take care of Luna for me; I'm sure she will lead you all to victory." And with that, Celestia exhaled her final breath. The Doctor stood, and picked up Celestia's horn, lying in the snow. The tears melted the snow underneath him. Other ponies began to show up, dragging Celestia out of the dragon's mouth. She was taken to the medical tent and placed to a table, cleaned and dressed in her spare armour, as the entire army paid their respects. Luna showed up the next day, distraught, she wept by Celestia's side for hours, before building up the courage to talk to the Doctor, who had stayed by her side the whole time. "Cannot thou help us Doctor?" her voice was quiet and hoarse. "Cannot the Tardis retrieve her?" The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Luna, But even if this hadn't become a fixed point in time. I don't have the Tardis. When Celestia pulled me out of the time vortex to become the element of Loyalty, The Tardis was put on search mode. It starts at the beginning of time and searches every moment in time for me, every alternate reality, every timeline, incarnation, looking for the right me. It may take thousands of years for it to come back to me." Luna nodded her head, but the Doctor saw the sadness on her face. "Did she say anything before he died? Luna asked. "She said that you were to take charge of the army, and I was to keep an eye on you. She also gave me her horn. I'm to give it to Twilight when I think she's ready. Until then, you are the sun and moon Princess Luna." The Doctor told her, his voice was quiet. "Has Twilight been informed?" Luna suddenly wondered. The Doctor shook his head. "Celestia sent her on a mission before it happened." "One last thing Doctor, did she know? Was it one of her visions?" Luna looked at him, her eyes were red. He nodded once, and Luna began to cry again, louder this time. She hugged her big sister, and the Doctor left, leaving her to her grief. He went back to the main tent, the other elements had all gathered to grieve, as well as Big Mac and Black Diamond, who were comforting Fluttershy and Rarity respectively. The Doctor hugged Derpy, pulling her close and letting her warmth fill him. He rubbed her belly, and smiled, knowing that soon it would happen, and he could start his life over. But for now, The Doctor just wanted to sleep. A week passed, with no sign of Twilight and Luna still anxious about her new position. They had a funeral for Celestia, as unicorns and Luna encased her in a magical bubble. Rarity was among those helping. Once the bubble was completed, it was turned to diamond, to preserve Celestia for eternity in the Royal tombs below the palace. A carriage covered in flowers carried her back to Canterlot for the city's funeral and for her to be put to rest. As the carriage went out of sight, Derpy groaned in pain. "Derpy! What's happening?" the Doctor asked. "My water just broke Doctor, It's coming."
Chapter 13Derpy closed her eyes against the intense pain as the Doctor held her hoof, offering encouragement. The midwife sat at her lower end, informing her of her progress and continually telling her to push. Princess Luna stood in the doorway, engrossed by the proceedings. Derpy screamed and pushed as she felt the foal slowly moving. She breathed hard and fast, pushing methodically as inch by inch a new life was being brought into the world. "Come on Derpy, just one more." Said the midwife too calmly for Derpy's liking. "I can't!" She screamed, her body exhausted, pain blinding her. "Come on Derpy, I believe in you, you can do this." Said the Doctor, his voice sympathetic but tense. She looked at him, and the smile on his face, before screaming again, pushing one last time with all of the energy she could muster. Then she heard it; loud, healthy crying, signifying her foal was born. "Congratulations Derpy, it's a beautiful, little unicorn filly." The midwife said happily, wrapping the foal up tightly in a blanket and handing her to Derpy. The foal was light purple in colour, her large eyes were slightly darker than her coat and the tuft of mane on her head was dark purple, similar to the colour of Twilight's coat, Derpy noticed. The Doctor kissed her on the cheek, looking at his daughter. "You already have a name don't you?" he said, knowing the answer. Derpy nodded, too exhausted to do much else. "Sparkler." She said, remembering the older version she saw with the Doctor. The midwife motioned for Derpy to hand over the foal so that she could rest. Derpy began to hand it over, when Luna asked; "May I hold her?" She walked over and sat on a chair as Derpy nodded. The midwife happily handed her over to the princess, who looked uncomfortable. "She is so small. I have not seen a foal in over one thousand years. Greetings my newest subject." She said, smiling as a small tear ran down her face. Luna handed it back to the midwife, who took the baby away for her first wash and to be placed in isolation, so as to not run the risk of infection from outside sources. Derpy laid down, putting her head calmly onto the soft pillow. She tried to get comfortable, but panicked when she realised she could not move her legs. "Doctor, what's going on? I can't move my legs, or my wings." The Doctor calmed her down; "That's completely normal Derpy. Because of the thicker bones of earth ponies and unicorns, it puts a lot more strain on Pegasus bodies during birth." He helped her move into a better position, before kissing her. "I'll let you get some rest okay?" he said, turning and following Luna out of the room, as Derpy closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall asleep like she had wanted to for the last ten hours since the birth had begun. She awoke to darkness, as a noise startled her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she noticed four large shapes. "Doctor?" she asked, before a griffin's talon clasped over her mouth. It put one if its fingers up to its beak, ensuring Derpy would not scream. It pulled its hand away, wiping it on the bed as though it had grabbed something disgusting. "Wha…What do you want?" she asked quietly, scared out of her mind. It looked at her, then at the other griffins. "We heard there was a foal born today." It said, before another one piped up. "Foal? Don't you mean snack?" Derpy tried to get up, but was still unable to move her legs. "No! Please! You can't!" she begged. The griffins just laughed. Derpy heard Sparkler crying and she welled up with tears, scared for her daughter. The griffin used his finger to wipe a tear from her eye. He licked it up. "Wow, turns out Pegasus tears ARE sweet, looks like Gilda was telling the truth." They turned to leave. But stopped as another dark shape blocked the doorway. "Give the foal to her mother, and leave before you get hurt." The shape said, and Derpy recognised the voice as belonging to Pinkie. One of the griffins lit a candle, illuminating the Pink earth pony, and laughed. "What! Are you gunna stop us Pink." Said the one holding the crying Sparkler. "Yes." Said Pinkie, as she pushed on her front hooves, and raising up onto two legs. Derpy cringed as she arched her back and the sounds of the vertebrae cracking made her sick. Stunned and uncertain of Pinkie, one of the griffins attacked, swinging a wild claw. Pinkie ducked under it, before jumping up, her hoof outstretched, catching the griffin on the chin and sending him sprawling. The rest of the griffins attacked, except the one holding Sparkler, who slowly made his way along the wall to the exit. But Derpy's attention was focused on Pinkie, as she ducked, jumped and hit the griffins with all of her might. Eventually realising that they had no chance they drew weapons, and attacked again. But Pinkie was like a force of nature, at one point; she dodged a swing of a sword, broke it in half and then stabbed the griffin in the chest with the broken half. Derpy was both engrossed in the beauty of it and fearful of what she was seeing. The last two griffins were dispatched quite easily by Pinkie, as she kicked one in the face, making it fall back onto the other, getting impaled on the sword and the last she killed with a well-aimed scalpel thrown into the eye. Derpy noticed the last one at the door then, she willed her way out of bed, falling in a heap on the ground, and she crawled as fast as she could. "Pinkie, that one is getting away!" she yelled, frantic. Pinkie took off out of the tent, giving chase. Derpy reached the door in time to see Pinkie do something incredible; the griffin had begun to take off, and in a stunning display of skill, Pinkie, still running on two legs launched herself into the air, using a large rock as a step. Pinkie landed on the griffin and Derpy lost sight as the struggled started, she kept crawling, sheer force of will and maternal instincts keeping her going. She looked up as the griffin flew in front of the moon, being illuminated by the white moonlight. Derpy screamed in horror as the griffin suddenly took a steep nose dive, crashing into the ground. Derpy slowly lifted herself onto her hooves, and unsteadily made her way towards the crash zone, each step a matter of careful planning and willpower. She eventually arrived to find the griffin, its neck broken lying in the snow, and Pinkie curled up in a ball nearby. Derpy started to panic when she couldn't hear the crying of a scared foal. "Pinkie! Where's Sparkler?" she asked frantically. Pinkie uncurled herself, revealing cuts all over her body, a bloody nose and a black eye. She also produced Sparkler, sleeping contently in Pinkie's arms. "Sparkler!" Derpy exclaimed happily, and tried to run to her, but her back legs failed and she fell face first into the snow. Pinkie helped her up and put Sparkler in her arms, smiling all the while. Luna suddenly appeared, followed by the Doctor. "What happened here?" Luna asked, before seeing the dead griffin. Derpy told her the whole story, as the Doctor put his arms around her in an effort to keep her and their child warm. "I will have the night guards doubled immediately." She said, bowing her head so as to help Derpy back to her bed in the hospital. "Wait Princess. I want to say something to Pinkie. I… want to say thank you for saving my daughter, for saving me, it's a debt I cannot repay, so I have to ask if you would do me and my family the honour of becoming Sparkler's godmother." She said, smiling at Pinkie, who just nodded and smiled back, proud of herself. Derpy was placed into a new room of the hospital, more secure and closer to Sparkler. Within a week she had regained the full use of her legs, and almost the use of her wings. Pinkie came to see her every day, just to keep her company, and Derpy realised that for Pinkie, it had been a moment of redemption. A moment that Derpy believed she had earned.
Chapter 14Fluttershy and Big Mac walked into the main tent, now decorated with black to signify mourning. Princess Luna looked at the map on the table, and Fluttershy noticed that her eyes were red from crying. "You wanted to see us Princess.' Said Big Mac, Luna jumped a bit, startled out of her trance. She cleared her throat, and Fluttershy feared that they were going to receive the traditional Canterlot voice. But was surprised to hear a soft, melodic voice. "Oh, yes, I have mission of the utmost importance for you both" Luna said, making her way around the table to them. "I am sending you both to the Griffin capitol to investigate the disappearance of Twilight Sparkle." Fluttershy was surprised to be sent on such a dangerous mission, but even more surprised that Twilight still hadn't come back from her mission. "Why would you pick us your highness?" she asked, not scared, just uncertain. Her confidence was now at the point where nothing scared her, except losing her friends. "I need ponies I can trust, not to mention the fact that you are both brave and wonderful warriors." Luna explained smiling. She was still learning how to command her troops in the modern way, after being out of practice for so long. "Rarity has some equipment for you both, and then return here, I will teleport you most of the way." "What are we to do once we locate Twilight?" asked big Mac, stoic, determination written all over his face. "You are to locate her and convince her to come back, and then leave on one of the merchant ships on the harbour. We will pick you all up on the next friendly port that you arrive at." Luna told them. She bowed her head; her horn touched them both on either shoulder, signifying special trust. Fluttershy and Big Mac left, heading for Rarity's tent. "Do you have any idea what Twilight's mission was?" Asked Fluttershy. "Eeeenope." Said Big Mac, shaking his head. Fluttershy heard crying and looked around to see Derpy, with her new foal and a bottle in her hoof. She smiled; looking at the joy on Derpy's face and couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. They arrived at Rarity's tent to find an ant's nest worth of activity. Ponies moving about fast, loud noises and the odd explosion could be heard. They spotted Rarity and made their way over to her. "Rarity, what's all this commotion?" Fluttershy asked as Rarity picked up a hammer with her magic and started to hit a piece of metal on the table. "Oh just the usual, the Princess needs new armour and we haven't made any yet, so there is a huge rush to gather materials and make it, not to mention make it look good. And then of course we have to deal with the normal stuff like broken weapons, broken armour and the like." Rarity said, obvious frustration on her voice. "Oh well then I'm sorry to ask but… Princess Luna said that you had some stuff for our mission?" Fluttershy said. Rarity just pointed to a box next to her desk. Big Mac opened it and handed Fluttershy her new bow, made out of a special wood that can only be grown with magic. The wood was dark red, almost black in colour and Fluttershy noticed that the bow strings had a slight purple colouring. "Rarity are these your mane hairs?" she asked, and was surprised to see Rarity nod. Big Mac pulled out his new sword, long and slightly curved; it featured a red gem running through the centre and a green gem, carved as a replica of his cutie mark on the hilt. "It's beautiful Rarity, thank you." He said, once again, Rarity only nodded in response. Fluttershy suddenly had an idea. "Rarity, what was Twilight's mission?" She asked. Rarity missed the metal, and the hammer became lodged in the wooden table. Rarity sighed, turning to face the two ponies. "Yes I do, but I'm not supposed to tell you. Although, I suppose if it could help you with your mission. Twilight was sent to assassinate Prince Alistair, Gregor's son and Gilda's brother." Both Fluttershy and Big Mac gasped, unable to believe that Twilight would assassinate anypony, or any griffin. "Are you serious?" said Big Mac. Rarity nodded and turned back to her work. Fluttershy and Big Mac left, stunned at the news. Neither could believe that Celestia would ask Twilight to assassinate a Prince. Luna was waiting at the main tent, once again absorbed in her trance. Once the two ponies were ready, Luna bowed her head, her horn began to glow with magic and she wished them luck before they were teleported to a small forest on the outskirts of the city. They made their way down to the streets and were surprised to not see many people on the streets. Fluttershy asked a griffin that was selling peaches on a corner. "Oh everygriffin is down at the town square, they finally caught Prince Alistair's assassin. There's going to be a hanging." Was his reply. Fluttershy and Big Mac rushed to the town square and discovered a large crowd had gathered around a very grim looking gallows. A skinny, hunched over looking griffin walked onto stage, and addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlefeathers, today is an historic day, today the pony that murdered our ruler will pay the price. And due to their heinous crime, we are forgoing the usual hundred days of torture. Instead, we are going to hang her, eat the flesh and send the bones back to Celestia! So without further ado, I present to you, the assassin." To Fluttershy's surprise, Twilight was cheered onto the stage, by griffin and pony alike. Her legs were chained together, preventing her from escaping. The griffin pulled her hood down and the crowd cheered louder. Twilight smiled, looking at the skinny griffin. Fluttershy looked at Twilight's mane, now cut in a similar style to her own. A larger griffin, his face covered in a black hood, placed a rope around her neck, tightening it. The chains around her legs were unlocked. Fluttershy panicked, pulling her bow out and cocking an arrow. "What do you plan to do? Shoot the rope?" asked Big Mac. Fluttershy took aim as the executioner made his way over to the lever, gripped it and pulled. As Twilight fell, Fluttershy released, and just as the rope was about to go tight, the arrow severed it and twilight fell through the trap door. The skinny griffin pointed at them, yelling orders to some guards, and Fluttershy and Big Mac fled, the guards hot on their heels. They ran down alleyways, zigzagging in an effort to throw their pursuers of their tails. Shooting down an alley, they were suddenly blocked by a group of guards; they turned as more griffins blocked their path. Now boxed in, Big Mac drew his sword, ready for a fight. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, ready for the slightest aggressive movement. Out of the corner of her eye, Fluttershy noticed some white shapes descend from the sky and land next to them. Some of the guards backed off. Fluttershy looked around at their rescuers, six identically dressed individuals, a mixture of ponies and griffins. Twilight stood next to Fluttershy, hood back over her face. "You all know who I am, who we are. So I am being generous today, leave and you can go back to your families. These ponies are under our protection. Oh and another thing… You may need to find a new chancellor." Twilight extended a hidden blade, red with blood. The guards didn't move for a moment, then turned and left, knowing they stood no chance against the group. Fluttershy looked at Twilight as she retracted her hidden blade. "Oh thank you Twi-" "What the hay are you doing here?" Twilight asked, her voice was angry. Fluttershy was taken aback by the outburst. "Uh… Princess Luna sent us to retrieve you, and we just want you back." She said. "Well you can just go home, I'm not leaving, not yet." She told her. "Look Twilight, we have a mission to complete and I intend to complete it." Said Big Mac, poking Twilight in the chest. One of Twilight's team called back to her. "Dusk! We have to go before they come back with more guards." Twilight sighed, looking at her two friends; She bowed her head and teleported the whole group. Fluttershy found herself in a round room, supplies and bunks lined up against the walls. A large stained glass window illuminated the room, and painted it in a deep mix of red, green and blue. "Twilight, where are we?" asked Big Mac, looking around as the other members of Twilight's team lowered their hoods. "This is our base of operations, located within a church." She replied, not lowering her hood. "And I think that it's time for you both to leave. I don't want you here." Fluttershy began to get angry. "How dare you! We risk our lives coming here to search for you, on Luna's orders and you don't even say hello. What is your problem? Do you even care about us anymore; this isn't what Celestia would have wanted." She yelled, at the mention of Celestia, Twilight dropped her head. "I know, but I can't go back, not now. And besides, Celestia sent me here to do something, and I have to see it through." She said. The others in the room, left, understanding that Twilight wanted to be alone. Twilight sat down on a bed, looking at the two. "I know, you were sent here to assassinate Gregor's son." Big Mac said, his tone was slightly disapproving. "It was more than that. Celestia sent me here to save these people. They are being oppressed and I am just trying to help them. So I gathered like-minded individuals and we do what we have to. Wed assassinate every corrupt Politian, every businessgriffin that brutalises their workers or runs slave camps. We fight for the people on the street, just hoping that our main target comes out of hiding soon." "And who is your main target?" asked Fluttershy, hoping for a certain name to be said. "Gilda." Said Twilight. Fluttershy looked at Big Mac, who nodded. They remembered the promise they made to each other, and realised that it was the perfect opportunity to fulfil it. "Twilight, we want to help. And we will not take no for an answer. I promised Big Mac and Rarity that I would kill Gilda, and I plan to be the one that does it." She told her, not giving Twilight the chance to argue. Twilight saw the look of determination on her face and nodded. "Good, then we make a change, instead of waiting for her, we be assertive and go and get her." Fluttershy said, Big Mac walked up and kissed her. "Ah love it when you get forceful." He whispered into her ear. Twilight sighed, and stood. "Fine, but if we are going to do this we do it my way, which means stealth. And not shedding blood if we can avoid it." She said, walking out of the room to inform her team. That night, they made their way to the palace, slowly, dodging guards and staying out of the light. Big Mac had the most difficulty, his enormous mass made stealth a real challenge for him. After making their way into the main palace, they carefully set about finding Gilda's room. Twilight eventually found it, as a star with a big letter 'G' was on the door. Quietly they entered, each creak of the floorboards seemed like a clap of thunder to Fluttershy. The covers on the large four poster bed were bundled over something. Big Mac readied himself near the bed, ready to pull back the covers on Fluttershy's signal. She pulled out a dagger she had been saving; the blade had the initials 'R.D and AJ' carved into it. She lifted herself off the ground, hovering next to the bed. She nodded her head, and Big Mac pulled the covers as Fluttershy dived, thrusting the dagger into the mass. She soon realized that there was no blood, but instead cotton. Twilight lit up her horn and the group sighed as they realised that Gilda was not in the bed, that Fluttershy had been stabbing a very creepy plush replica of Rainbow Dash. Twilight put the light out as she heard steps from outside. She put her hood back on and stood by the door. She reached out and pulled the startled servant inside. Covering his mouth with her hoof, Twilight let go once she realised it was a pony. Fluttershy's heart sank as Twilight lit up her horn and she saw the cuts, bruises and scars that crisscrossed over the servant's body. "Please don't kill me Dusk! Please." Begged the servant, Twilight let him up, and gave him some space. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, just tell me where Gilda is.' She said, using a slightly deeper voice. The servant suddenly smiled. "Is it her turn, have you come to kill her?" he asked gleefully. Then his smile faded. "Oh I'm sorry but she left to visit her father on the front lines, and I have no idea when she will be back." He said, genuinely unhappy. Twilight turned to Fluttershy and Big Mac; "Well it looks like you have your wish, I'm going where Gilda is." She said. The servant showed them a secret passageway out of the palace, which ended very close to the church. Fluttershy suddenly wondered; Twilight, why does everypony keep calling you Dusk?" She asked. Twilight smiled. "When I started, I didn't want anypony to link me back to the elements of harmony and you girls, so I changed my name to Dusk." She explained. Another question popped into Fluttershy's head. "And how come you weren't at Celestia's funeral?" she asked. Twilight stopped walking. "I was there. But I wanted to stay invisible, so I did. And I vowed to fulfil Celestia's last mission to the best of my ability. And I even think I've done that." She said, beginning the walk again. Twilight told her team that she was leaving, telling them to continue her work and to always follow the rules she set down. The three ponies left on a merchant vessel named the 'obsidian' the next morning. Luna was waiting for them at the next pony port, Twilight having had sent word by carrier pigeon. Twilight received a hero's welcome from the other elements, and delighted in being introduced to Sparkler. Fluttershy was shocked when upon seeing Pinkie; Twilight pulled her close and kissed her. Fluttershy smiled, realising that all of her friends had found love. And for Fluttershy, it meant that the griffins, and more importantly Gilda, didn't stand a chance. That night, she sat on archer's stage and looked over at the griffin camp, knowing that her enemy was so close gave Fluttershy a strange comfort. She pulled out her dagger again, and could almost feel it plunging into Gilda's heart. "For Rainbow, For Applejack."
Chapter 15Rarity brought the hammer down again and again, the dark purple metal slowly bending to her whims. She put it back into the heat, taking a few deep breaths as the metal heated up. Again she pulled it out, and again she hammered, trying to get the right shape as the stubborn metal glowed red with protest. The sweat rolled off her face, blackened with soot, and she knew she looked disgraceful. The metal was dropped into a bucket of water, and gouts of steam followed. Rarity stepped back so as not to burn herself. As the Metal cooled, she prepared the final touch, gently tapping a chisel into a gemstone, shaping it with a craftsponies keen eye for detail. She pulled the metal out of the bucket, now shaped exactly as she wanted. The white gem was set into it, a half moon, almost completing Princess Luna's Breastplate. Rarity picked up the chisel again; minute patterns centred around the gem took form. The patterns were special, and would glow in the darkness of Luna's night. Finished with the decorative aspect that she prided herself on, Rarity completed the breastplate fully, adding clasps and straps to make it fit on Luna's slim frame. Proud of her work, Rarity sat back, panting, as the final piece of Luna's armour was finished. She felt a presence next to her, a familiar one and smiled as Black Diamond kissed her cheek. "I can't believe how attractive you look right now." He said, making Rarity blush. She knew she looked terrible, covered in soot, sweat and grime. She turned and kissed him on the lips, flattered at any rate. "Oh really? You like dirty girls?" she asked playfully. He nodded, smiling even more. "Well too bad, I plan on having a bath as soon as possible." She said, standing and walking to her room in the tent, which in reality was just a walled off section around her workstation and bed. Black Diamond followed her in, and watched as she wetted a cloth with some water and wiped the soot off her face. "So what are you doing now?" he asked. His platoon had been given the rest of the day off as the griffins weren't fighting due to a religious holiday, and the ponies decided to respect their request. Rarity looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I am going to drop some clothes off for the foal, tell Luna her armour is ready and then take a nice bath. That, darling is what I am going to do now." She said. Black Diamond nodded, and Rarity noticed a look of nervousness in his eyes, but ignored it. Rarity gathered up the foal clothes and push past Diamond, kissing him quickly. "You CAN tag along if you like." She said, as Black Diamond looked around awkwardly. He smiled and followed her. The snow was light today, as winter was nearing its end, pegasi flew through the sky, reminding Rarity of Ponyville and how soon, Winter Wrap up would be commencing. She sighed, wishing she could go home to participate in the celebration. All that she had at the front lines were letters from Sweetie Belle. Her latest one had made Rarity cry, as it told her that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had finally gotten their cutie marks. Rarity wished that she could have seen her sister when she had found her special talent. From what Sweetie Belle said, her cutie mark was an open scroll with a note on it, as her special talent turned out to be writing and singing songs. Applebloom's was a painter's palette over the top of a hammer, signifying her ability in building and decorating. Scootaloo's was a wheel with fire coming off it, as she realised her ability in speed on her scooter. Rarity had written back, praising the girls on the achievement and telling them that she would be home soon. Rarity had never mentioned to Sweetie Belle or her parents what had happened with Tinker, not wanting to upset them, as well as not wanting to relive it. Rarity looked at Black Diamond, who still seemed uneasy. "What's with you today? You seem… restless." She asked. Black Diamond turned to her, and his awkward returned. "Do I, I'm sorry. It's just well… to be honest there is two things; the first is that Luna scares the hay out of me, and I don't know why, and the second is… I wanted to ask you something." He said, before stopping. Rarity walked up to him, looking straight into his eyes. "What is it darling?" she asked, not sure where he was getting at. Black Diamond sighed, obviously nervous. "Okay, firstly, I understand if you say no, but. Big Mac and Fluttershy got me thinking, and this is going to be my last tour of duty for at least five years… so my question is… Can I spend those five years, and even the rest of my life with you?" His voice was quiet, only audible enough for Rarity to hear. Rarity felt it bubble inside her, an explosive happiness. "YES!!" she yelled. Black Diamond was knocked onto his back, not expecting an outburst like that. Rarity helped him up, kissing him hard, and the happiness she felt was all consuming. Other ponies looked at the two, and then turned away, embarrassed. Rarity broke off the kiss, dragging him along. "We have to tell everypony." The first stop was Derpy and the Doctor. Rarity handed over the clothes for Sparkler and told them the news. The Doctor shook Diamonds hoof, but stopped when he overheard Rarity say to Derpy; "I think it's your turn next." They left and headed for the main tent, finding the rest in with Luna. Upon telling them the news, Big Mac hugged his friend, before suggesting a double wedding. An almighty cheer erupted from everypony, except for Luna, Rarity noticed. Luna walked over to the couple, bowing her head. "As the ruler of Equestria, I give you my blessing." She smiled, but weakly. That evening, they celebrated, Rarity and Fluttershy discussed dress options, Big Mac and Black Diamond drank cider that Big Mac had brought from home, but they all had a good time. It was well and truly dark when Rarity returned to her tent, pleased with the progress of the day. She had never gotten around to the bath, but was too exhausted to care. She prepared herself for bed, brushing her hair and putting on a nightgown. A voice behind her made her jump, she turned and realised it was Luna. "Oh hello Princess, your armour, of course, I completely forgot, it's finished if you would like to pick it up." She said. Luna shook her head. "Thank you Rarity, but I am just here for advice." Luna sat on Rarity's bed. Rarity was surprised to hear that a Princess had come to her for advice. "What is it you need advice on?" she asked, sitting next to Luna. Luna smiled weakly, moving a bit closer to Rarity. "It's such a silly thing for a Princess to think about but… I need to know about love." Luna said, her head drooped at Rarity's look of surprise. "See, it is silly." "Not at all Princess, what seems to be the problem?" asked Rarity, putting one hoof around Luna. "It's just that I look at you all, and I feel nought but envy. You all have found love in one way of another. Although in my day, a love such as Pinkie and Twilight's was not expressed openly, or talked about for that matter. Which made things difficult for me." Luna explained. Rarity clicked after a moment as to what she meant. "You're a fillyfooler." She said, watching Luna's eyes well up. "And Now, I look at foals like the Doctor's and I can't help but wish that I had somepony special to share my life with, to create a foal that would be the ultimate expression of our love. I… just want… to… be… loved." Luna started to cry, the lonely tears of a pony that time has forgotten. Rarity hugged the Princess, unsure of what to say or do to console her. Luna pulled out of the hug slightly, looking into Rarity's eyes. Luna quickly started kissing Rarity, who tried to pull away, but the Alicorns strength meant that she couldn't. After about a minute, Rarity began to relax, starting to even enjoy it, much to her surprise. Then she remembered Black Diamond, and managed to push Luna away. "I…I'm sorry Rarity, was it not enjoyable?" Asked Luna. Rarity wanted to say yes but her rational side took over. "It wasn't that Luna, it's just that I'm with Black Diamond and this technically counts as cheating." She explained, hoping not to offend her. Luna nodded her eyes downcast. "I understand Rarity, and I'm sorry that I compromised your honour. I don't know what came over me I…I…I-"Luna stuttered, embarrassed. She stood and ran out of the tent, once again with tears in her eyes. Rarity watched her go, feeling bad for Luna. But what scared her the most was that she liked the kiss. Confused, she snuck into Black Diamonds tent and dragged him back to her own. She kissed him, feeling guilty. Her confusion got worse as she realised she liked kissing Black Diamond just as much. Rarity spent the night with her betrothed, but couldn't fully enjoy herself, thinking back to Luna. The next day, Luna returned, but this time it was to pick up her armour. Luna couldn't look Rarity in the eyes, as she helped Luna put her armour on. The other ponies left for lunch, leaving Rarity and Luna alone, as Rarity made adjustments to the armour. "Princess, I'm sorry if I insulted you last night. I was just surprised, that's all. And I do have a confession, I…I did like it." She told Luna, who smiled. "Then you are like me." She said happily. "That's just it your majesty, I like kissing Diamond as well. I'm just so confused." Rarity said, looking straight into Luna's eyes. "I am truly sorry to have brought this upon you Rarity, it was not my intention. I wished only to have a kindred spirit to share myself with." Said Luna. Rarity was heartbroken for her; to have lived a thousand years with no physical contact must have been torture. She sighed, knowing what she had to do, both for Luna, and herself. Rarity knew that if she didn't, her feelings of confusion would stay forever, and Luna would forever feel alone. "I have a proposition Princess; one that I think will benefit us both." Rarity explained the plan to Luna, who seemed at first apprehensive, then slowly got used to the idea. Luna agreed, and Rarity took a deep breath. She kissed Luna, and felt the same confusing feeling as the night before. Luna used her magic to shut the tent door and fastened it shut, so the two wouldn't be disturbed. Rarity and Luna spent the rest of the afternoon together, exploring. By the end, they just lay next to each other panting. Luna was smiling, happier than she had been in centuries, but Rarity, while she enjoyed it, felt guiltier than ever. She turned to Luna. "I can't help but feel guilty, your majesty." She told Luna, who still smiled. "I know Rarity, but has this given you any clarity on your problem?" Luna asked. Rarity nodded, she saw no other choice. "Do you think you can keep this a secret?" she asked. Luna looked at her quizzically. "Whatever do you mean?" "I can't bring myself to choose between you both, I see no way to do so without breaking the other's heart. So I'm asking if you are willing to continue, but in absolute secrecy. I can keep my lips shut if you can." She said, a little forcefully. Luna nodded, then leant over and kissed Rarity, who smiled, and kept telling herself that it is the right thing to do. Luna left a little later, and Rarity finally took her much desired bath, letting the events of the last two days be mixed with the steam and scented water. She thought of Black Diamond, and of their wedding. Then her thoughts turned to Luna and her want of a foal. She groaned in frustration, uncertain of her plan. She suddenly heard her name being called. It was Black Diamond's voice, she called out his name and he walked it, blushing at his fiancé in the bath. "I…uh just wanted to see how you were, and if you wanted to do anything tonight, like have dinner together maybe." He said, and Rarity nodded. Black Diamond walked out. Rarity facehooved, wishing she could just choose, but knowing that she couldn't. She got out of the bath and dried herself, when Luna walked in, the same smile on her face as before. "Greetings Rarity, I was doing some war planning when I thought of a way for you to clear your conscience. Why not enjoy Black Diamond and myself at the same time." Luna said. Rarity looked at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding? I don't think he will want to do that." She said. Luna smiled. "Yes he will, I already asked." She said, Rarity opened her eyes wide, stunned that she broke the secret so quickly. "WHAT! What happened to keeping the secret? He is going to hate me now." She yelled dramatically. "No I won't." Said Black Diamond from behind her, she turned, scared of the reprisal. "Princess Luna explained the situation to me, and while I don't think it's ideal, I understand. Rarity, I do however, wish you had told me beforehand. I don't hate you Rarity; I actually think that you are doing something sweet for a good friend, awkward as it may be. And if you want, I'm fully prepared to share you with Luna." Diamond said, smiling. Rarity looked at him, unsure of his sincerity. He kissed her, then Luna kissed her, Rarity smiled, the confusion gone and knowing that she was loved by two great ponies gave her a sense of belonging and safety, she felt like she was home again.
EpilogueLuna sat on archer's stage, the afternoon sun warmed her face and she smiled for the first time in weeks. Her sister had passed, but she had found love in the form of Rarity. It had given her the courage to open a letter from her sister, dated three days before her death. Luna took a deep breath, and looked down at the battlefield. A new species of poppy had begun to grow there, with a blood red colour that no poppy had ever had previously. They swayed in the wind and Luna became entranced in the dance. She looked down at the envelope, Celestia's hoofwriting was unmistakable. The envelope just had the date and 'Luna' written on it. She opened it, a single page was inside and Luna had to compose herself before continuing. The letter read; My dearest Luna, If you are reading this, then my latest vision has come to pass and I have died protecting my subjects. There are some things I would tell you and some things I would ask of you in my absence. Firstly, I want you to know how much I love you, no matter what, I would do anything to protect you and I hope you can forgive me. I have lived in regret for one thousand years because of what I did to you. I don't want you to ever blame yourself for Nightmare Moon. The truth is that I saw it in a vision and was too scared to do anything about it, and for that, I am eternally sorry. Secondly, I want you to know that I believe that you will be a fantastic ruler. And that is not because of some vision. That is because I have complete faith in my little sister and that I will always be watching over you. Do not be afraid to turn to me in times of doubt, because I will guide you. Now, some instructions; Lead fairly, and never doubt your own abilities and respect those with advice, but do not follow like a sheep. Please continue Twilight's training, you are the only pony with the magical ability equal or greater than mine, and I know that you have more to teach her than I ever could. I also ask that you take on an apprentice of your own when you think the time is right, to pass on the knowledge of the royals. When Twilight takes my place, I do not expect you to bow to her, and I do not think that Twilight would ask you to, but it will be your responsibility to instruct her in the ways of the Alicorns. You will be the big sister this time. And lastly, do not dwell on my death, move past it. It will hurt for the longest time but it cannot impede your life. But just remember what I said when we lost mother and father; "From the blackest night comes the brightest day." Love always and forever, Celestia. P.S. Trust the Doctor, he will help you in your darkest hour. I have seen it. Luna put the letter back, tears were now flowing down her face freely, she missed her sister so much. She smelled the letter, Celestia's perfume wafted off it. Luna smiled; confident and determined that she would make Celestia proud. She heard her name being called; she turned and saw the Doctor running towards her. "Luna, Luna they're awake, they're awake!" she shouted, his voice filled with glee. "Whom do you speak of Doctor?" she asked confused. "Rainbow Dash and Applejack! They are finally awake!" He yelled back. Luna smiled, today was the day she was going to start making Celestia proud.
