The Ambassador

Doctor Whooves hummed to himself as he trotted. Yes, Derpy was quite right. Getting exercise was a good idea. The warmth of Celestia’s rising sun spread like honey over the stallion’s coat.

“What a perfect morning! Why, I should do this every day. Half an hour, at least.”

The doctor circled the inner-most of the village twice before coming to a stop. He stretched, groaning as his back popped. “Don’t want to do that very often,” he chuckled to himself.

Doctor Whooves trotted back into his lab. It was still a bit messy from last night’s work, but it was neater now that Derpy had gone through it. She was a peculiar mare, that Derpy. But the doctor certainly didn’t regret hiring her. Even if she made an occasional fumbling mistake (the latest setting fire to the Doctor’s kitchen), she was very helpful.

And frankly, her cheerfulness was infectious. “Ought to give her a raise.” He mumbled to himself.

“You have to do a lot more than that, I’m afraid.”

Doctor Whooves jumped at the sound of an intruder. Had Derpy not locked the door last night? Well then, there goes her raise!

“Who’s there? I have a sonic screwdriver, and Luna knows I’m not afraid to use it!” Doctor Whooves quickly brandished a plastic spoon he plucked off the ground.

“Don’t be stupid. You don't have any such thing.” The voice rasped.

The mysterious visitor emerged from his hiding place in the shadows. What little light that came in from the window shined on the new stallion’s face, illuminating his features.

Doctor Whooves felt his legs weaken. The dark circles under the stallion’s eyes indicated he was extremely exhausted, and his brittle coat and mane over his frighteningly skinny body implied dehydration and starvation.

“Please tell me that’s not me after my lecture tomorrow.” Doctor Whooves chuckled awkwardly at his attempt of a joke.

“No.” The second doctor murmured. “You’ll never be so fortunate.”

~~~

It was sickening to think of. Everything that could possibly go wrong was going wrong. The fact that Lightning may have company aboard his quiet post was unsettling to Twilight. Especially since there was no way of knowing who was up there!

All the more reason to activate the beacon as soon as possible.

“This world must seem weird to you, huh?” The human escort said. “I mean, aside from all the nuclear winter and stuff.”

“No. This isn’t my first time in a human world.” Twilight responded without even looking at him.

“Huh. Okay, then.”

The human, Greg, as Caine had introduced him, said no more. He didn’t seem to mind having to escort the ponies back to the tower. In fact, Greg appeared more eager to be up and about. He, like most of the other humans, was scared of the ponies at first. But he seemed to get over it quicker.

Which might have been the reason Caine selected him to bring the trio of ponies back to the landing tower. He certainly wasn’t the most physically able of the humans she saw. Twilight didn’t intend to be curt towards Greg, but it was hard enough just keeping a lid on her stress at it was.

Caine and Roman had been reluctant, but understanding, when Twilight decided that it was best that they leave Earth. Come back in a few years when they were fully prepared and knew what to expect. Leaving, of course, meant that Lightning could come and get them.

Don’t be ridiculous. Twilight chided to herself. He’s safe and sound, probably settling into his post right now. I believe it.

~~~

“Alright man, you n’ me gonna talk.”

Caine looked over his shoulder to find Plumber standing behind him, accompanied by Assassin and Banks. Caine immediately noticed that they were all carrying at least one weapon. Was there disarray in his ranks? Plumber’s body language was friendly enough, but there was a hint of threat in his eyes.

“Is this something that we have to do, or more of an optional thing?” Caine smiled coldly back, letting them know he wasn’t intimidated.

Plumber’s swagger faded, and he scowled. “Them freaking aliens, man. You can’t be serious ‘bout workin’ with ‘em. Ain’t you heard no stories ‘bout aliens?”

Caine rolled his eyes. “This again, Plumber? More of your paranoid nonsense?”

“It’s sinister! Can’t you feel it?” Plumber hissed.

Caine glared impatiently at the three men. “You all need to grow some balls! All the shit we’ve been through, and you’re crapping your pants over a couple of goddamn ponies?! I’m not having any more of this.” Caine waved his hand dismissively.

“Get out. And do something productive, for Christ’s sake.”

Plumber glared daggers at Caine, but he silently obeyed, Banks and Assassin tailing him. Caine ran his hand through his hair, sighing. He did not want to deal with Plumber. He may be a loudmouth and a troublemaker, but he was a valuable member of their little team.

There was less than a hundred heads under his care. One hundred mouths to feed in a shrinking world with less and less opportunities each day. The likelihood of extinction increasing. Would they last until Twilight returned?

Caine stood up, stretching. He walked towards the door, gazing out the grime-stained window. The early morning sun was rising higher. The ferals would be retreating to their nests, and the snares could be checked. If they hadn’t been ransacked.

“Maybe I can get some work done,” he muttered.

Caine hadn’t slept in nearly two days, but there was no sleeping after the events that had just unfolded. He made his way down the stairs, eager to do something. As he stepped out into the sunlight, he saw that several others were also emerging from their shelters. Most of them bunked in the faded, sagging houses on either side of the street, but the unlucky ones camped in tents or broken down cars outside.

Caine saw Spud and Habib at work starting a fire, most likely preparing whatever passed for breakfast. Leftover soup, or charred meat if luck was in their favor.

“Morning, boys.” Caine nodded to them. The two waved back in greeting.

“Did you see Stud come back? Man bagged some good, fresh meat!” Spud grinned.

Caine shook his head. Stud, one of their most exceptional hunters, had a tendency to track his kills for miles and miles. Hunts could last for up to three weeks, but Stud always came back with a decent prize.

“Where is he?” Caine asked. As if on cue, another man appeared from a nearby tent. Aside from his deep tanned skin, he was identical to Spud in appearance. They both were short, had curly brown hair, brown eyes, and a spark of cheer in their sunken eyes.

“Right here, bro!” Stud laughed.

Caine raised his eyebrows. “You’re in a good mood. Must have been a good run.”

Stud flashed another smile. “You know it, man! Bags and bags of squirrel and rabbit, a string of rats, and a mutt, too! I had to pull it all on a wagon!”

Caine whistled. Might be enough for everyone to have some meat tonight.

“Dude, you gotta see this mutt, man! I ain’t never seen anything like it!”

Caine cracked a little, allowing a hint of a smile on his face. “What do you got?”

Stud retreated to his tent, then returned pulling a small wooden wagon.

“I swear, freakiest damn thing ever. Mutations are weird, dude.”

Caine’s smile died as he saw the “mutt” in the wagon.

“Oh my God.”

“I know, right?” Stud chuckled giddily. “Reckon it should be safe to eat once we cook it. Almost bagged two of them, but I didn’t know these suckers have wings.”

Caine felt the blood draining from his face. “Oh my God, Stud.”

Stud faltered, hesitating. “What?”

Caine regarded his hunter with a look of mixed dread and pity.

“That’s no mutt you killed.”

~~~

“I did it. I can’t believe I did it!” Doctor Whooves bounced with joy. “I invented time travel! Or will, shall I say.”

“Do you not comprehend that I am currently exhausting every ounce of strength I have right now?” The second doctor growled.

Doctor Whooves coughed. “Yes yes, sorry about that. This must be extremely important, if I’m visiting myself to tell myself about it. I thought I swore to myself I would only visit the past in the event of an extreme emergency.”

“You did.” The new doctor rasped.

“Shall I… get you some water?”

“No! For Luna’s sake, I have to tell you something, and I don’t have much time!”

“Oh. Well, carry on, you handsome lad.”

The doctor stared at his past self, unimpressed.

“Rainbow and Soarin are celebrating the birth of their new son, are they not?”

Doctor Whooves nodded slowly. “I helped deliver the young lad.”

“Yes, I remember.”

The frail-looking doctor sighed heavily.

“I’m going to tell you to do something. Something very hard.”

Doctor Whooves nodded. “Of course. Whatever it is, I won’t let me down!”

“I’m not so sure.”

Doctor Whooves stared at his future counterpart. He appeared to regret some decision of his.

“Is it something dire? Is all of ponykind depending on me?”

“Don’t be overzealous. I can’t reveal too much, but nothing so drastic. No.” The older doctor’s eyes drifted to the wall behind Doctor Whooves. “But it might be enough to save her.”

Doctor Whooves turned his head to spot what had caught the other doctor’s attention. Behind him was a framed picture of him and his assistant. He remembered that day. Derpy had stolen some of his attire, donning them and making exaggerated impressions of the doctor to try and cheer him up after another experiment failed.

The two had gone out for muffins.

“My assistant?”

“Yes… my assistant.”

“Alright then… well, what must I do? If Muffin is in danger, I won’t allow it!”

The malnourished doctor looked Doctor Whooves in the eye, his gaze unwavering.

“I need you to kill Summer Blaze, the newborn son of Rainbow and Soarin Dash.”