Once a Time Lord, Now a Pony

Golden Oaks Library: Twilight's Bedroom

Youtube Video

Everypony in the room stared at the spot where the Windigo had tried to emerge as if expecting it to reappear and try again. After a few moments, nothing happened and everypony almost felt the temptation to relax and drop their guard. Key word, ALMOST. They knew it would only be a matter of time before another incident happened even if it wasn't to be here. The obvious question was, where would the next portal to the Windigo's realm be opening, and when?

Celestia looked at Twilight seriously before saying "We need to get back to Canterlot, keep a eye on things there. I don't know why, but I fear this is only the beginning."

Shining nodded in agreement. Things could get much worse before they got better, and he knew it.

"Miladies, I will come with you and inform the guard." He said, but Luna shook her head.

"NO! It is best thou stays here and helps with the Doctor's recovery. We suspect we will need him." Luna told Shining in a tone of voice that Shining decided it was best not to argue against. "We will inform both your guard and ours."

"I... I understand." Shining agreed, although he didn't have to like it. With that, both Luna and Celestia teleported away in flashes of light.

"Well, isn't this just dandy?" Rarity huffed. "Creatures from Equestria's founding are reappearing after centuries and the Doctor's decided to take a nap!"

It was then the Doctor sat right up.

"Oi!" He cried. "I take offence to that. So, age old monsters of snow and ice have returned to wreak havoc? Sounds like just another day on the job for you lot doesn't it?" The Doctor commented even as Twilight rushed to his side.

"You're not well, you should rest." Twilight told him in a motherly tone of voice. The Doctor could only scoff.

"Me? Rest? Not when there's things out there that need to be stopped!" He replied gleefully before he screamed in pain as he clutched his chest and fell back into the bed as he muttered "No, not time yet... It's too soon. Cycle's not complete."

Twilight began to go into a fit of panic.

"What... What is it? What do you need? Water, tea? A good book, yes that always works!" Twilight said frantically as she began to hyperventilate. The Doctor gripped her shoulders and looked at her seriously.

"I need you to calm down. Take some deep breaths."

Twilight did so and almost at once she began to calm down.

"There, that's better." The Doctor smiled. "Right now, I'm of no use to you. I need you and Shining to deal with these things until I'm ready." He said before turning to Rarity. "You can help too if you like."

"But... But I'm not prepared to deal with the stuff you do!" Twilight whispered as she shook her head. The Doctor smiled at her and handed her his Sonic Screwdriver.

"See this? That means I have faith in you. I wouldn't have picked you as a companion if I didn't." The Doctor told her seriously. "Come on, you're a Element of Harmony and your brother's a Captain of the Royal Guard. Together, you can handle anything."

After he'd said this, the Doctor slipped back into the realm of unconsciousness.

"I'll stay here and keep a eye on him, make sure nothing bad happens to the Doctor. You have my word." Rarity said kindly. "But what are you going to do?"

Twilight Sparkle's eyes narrowed as a confident expression came to her face. She was Princess Celestia's personal student and anypony who dared argue otherwise or wanted to destroy Equestria or anywhere else would have to take it up with her, make no mistake.

"I'm going to be the Doctor." She told Shining and Rarity before she put the Sonic Screwdriver in her mouth and stood firm. "Now, are you going to give me a hoof or not?"

The Streets of Ponyville, later that night...

It was midnight also known as the Witching Hour, and the streets of Ponyville were all but silent was shops closed up for the night and bars stayed open only to fill up the most nightlife loving of patrons. The night was cold, as the year drew closer to the yearly holiday of Nightmare Night and wind whipped through the hallows as it came up from the Everfree. There was only one pony on the street right now, the town's local drunk Berry Punch. She'd just been kicked out of another bar and wandered the town in search of another to wash away her life's sorrows. About a year ago, her husband had left her and took her beloved daughter Ruby with him and to be honest her drinking was all she had left in life.

"Whuzzat?" Berry murmured as the area around her grew cold and ice began to grow on windows.

"Have those damn pegasi not got the memo? Winter izn't for a few months yet!" Berry slurred as she swayed drunkingly barely able to stand much less run from what she didn't know was about to be upon her. Suddenly in her drunken mind and state, a idea came to her. "Wait, has Winter come early and I haven't... (Hiccup) ...Haven't been told?"

In a alleyway, there came a fine mist and a whinny as something came from behind and Berry whirled around to face it.

"Wait, don't tell me you're the Ghost of Hearth's Warming Future?" Berry slurred as the Windigo began galloping towards her...

Nearby, Twilight along with a very tired Shining wandered the streets just like they had been for the past few hours.

"Come on Twily, don't you think it's time to turn in? We've been at this for hours and no such luck." Shining said. "Maybe the Windigos aren't coming out tonight." He guessed and Twilight glared harshly at him.

"NO! We're not giving up, we'll search the whole night and until morning if we have to!" She snapped, before she took a good luck at Shining. He was tired, and barely able to stand. Twilight's expression became softer as she looked at her brother.

"I'm... I'm sorry. It's just... I want to make the Doctor proud." She admitted and Shining smiled back at her.

"But you're not the Doctor. Just you. Never forget that." He said, and Twilight hugged him as she whispered "Thanks... What would I do without you?"

The brother and sister bonding moment was cut short as they heard the Windigo's whinny, and Twilight and Shining shared a urgent look as they heard it before the twosome galloped towards the sound where they found Berry under attack and nearly frozen half to death thanks to the Ice Spirit.

"Get away from her!" Shining shouted as he fired off a fire spell from his horn at the creature and Twilight soon joined in by throwing a trash can at it. The Windigo screeched a horrifying ear splitting sound of pain before vanishing into a cloud of mist. Shining ran over to Berry and checked her.

"She's alive, but she needs urgent care." He said, before wrinkling his nose at the smell of the cider that Berry practically was covered in. "...And a stay in the drunk tank." Shining sighed.

Canterlot Mortuary, the very next morning...

"Ugh... Mommy what time is it?" Sunburst murmured as he came back to the land of the waking world. All night, he'd worked to determine what killed the poor stallion now resting right on the table exactly to the left of the one Sunburst slept on. Unfortunately, all of that work was for naught as Sunburst still had no idea of what killed his subject of study.

"WELCOME!" Galaxy shouted cheerfully as he appeared in front of Sunburst startling him greatly.

"M-must you do that?" Sunburst stammered as he tried to get his heart rate back to normal. Galaxy looked somewhat ashamed of himself even as he stretched his wings like he always did as part of his morning routine.

"Where'd you sleep anyhow?" Sunburst asked curiously and Galaxy chirped back "In a coffin, upstairs. Why did you ask?"

"N-no reason..." Sunburst responded nervously, mildly disturbed and wishing he hadn't even asked. Galaxy raised a eyebrow but shrugged it off and trotted over to the dead body still on it's table.

"So, you find out what did this poor fellow in?" Galaxy asked, only to get a shake of the head.

"No... Mind you, I do have some theories." Sunburst told him and Galaxy looked curious.

"Like what?" Galaxy asked, but Sunburst didn't seem to have heard him even as he muttered to himself and went back to consulting some old tomes strewn all around the room that the unicorn had brought in last night to help with his autopsy.

"It's almost as if... Nah it couldn't be..." Sunburst muttered even as the signs added up. He didn't want to believe it, but it was staring him right in the face. The Windigos were back, as Twilight and Shining and the Princesses had found out earlier.

And then Sunburst couldn't deny it any longer.

"Oh Sweet Solar Princesses, it is them!" Sunburst suddenly shouted, his eyes wide in fear. "Oh dear oh dear... We're in trouble now." He murmured as Galaxy began to look very concerned.

"What? What is it?" The thestral asked rapidly.

"The Winter Bringers..." Sunburst whispered, terrified beyond belief. "The Windigos."

"From that old Hearthswarming Legend? I though they were just to scare foals into being lovey dovey friends with one another!" Galaxy exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oh, they're very real." Sunburst replied. "And there's a legend that says on the First Year of the Princess of the Moon's return they will be back to bring their revenge on the descendants of those who defeated them first time around."

"And who is that?" Galaxy asked, still not believing Sunburst's words.

"I... I don't know." Sunburst admitted. "But chances are, they're already among us."

"Great..." Galaxy muttered. "Just great."

In Ponyville, both Twilight and Shining felt a chill run down their spines, and they knew it wasn't from the possibility of the Windigos being around...