A chilling gale blew outside the TARDIS, cold enough to freeze water in minutes. Inside the scanner still wasn’t giving the Doctor any concrete results. It was a complete white out, all but a few feet blocked by the raging snowstorm. Pearl returned in a thick and fluffy coat just when it was getting too cold. She handed the Doctor his cloak and scarf while he fiddled with the temperature control unit. Much like everything else, it needed an upgrade. He shrugged it off, instead placing the component onto his workbench.

“Quite the arctic storm blowing out there.” the Doctor said confidently.

“What makes you say it’s the arctic?” Sea asked while bundling himself up.

“It’s difficult to make out, but those peaks in the nearby terrain appear to be of glacial composition.”

“Well if you say so. I doubt that there’s anypony out there.”

“There’s only one way to find out, now is there? Come along, Pearl, my foal. You too Sea, unless you wish to remain here.”

Sea shivered, not giving it a second thought before sighing and giving in. Outside was, of course, a million times worse than in the TARDIS. The cold wind stung their faces, the noise somewhat deafening. The Doctor could barely hear Pearl as she pointed out something in the snow. It was the top of a periscope turning around to look at the three of them. Quickly a triangular metal hatch opened up with several voices coming from inside. It was hard to make out if they were friendly, although anything was better than this cold. The underground bunker was much warmer, the hatchway quickly closing once everypony was inside.

Small clumps of snow still cling to them as they removed their protection from the elements. Just as things were calming down, the Doctor had somepony in his face again. He looked like some official or high ranking leader. Maybe a general or a manager, but definitely high in authority. Of course this would be the first pony to be breathing down his neck.

“Who are you, who are you working for, and what are you doing in a strict military zone? I want answers, and I want ‘em now!”

“Hmph. I don’t like your tone, sir.”

“Well I don’t like your hair, or your clothes. But right now, you’re a group of civilians who appeared with no prior notification. Not to mention you’re in the most desolate place in the world, so don’t lie with any of that amateur explorer nonsense.”

The Doctor couldn’t come up with a clear answer so he shifted over to Sea. Sea’s training kicked in when the general stomped down his hoof.

“Royal Naval Officer Sea Shanty, sir!”

“A naval officer, eh? Why aren’t you on your ship, then?”

Sea couldn’t come up with a believable answer either. The general rubbed the bridge between his eyes in annoyance. He didn’t even bother to question Pearl, expecting the exact same answer.

“I’ll be calling in High Command and they’ll be escorting you and that strange crate you left outside back to their office. However, you’re stuck here for the time being. The storm is too strong so nopony’s getting in or out until it passes. Keep them under guard in the observation room where I can see ‘em. I’ve got work to do, I’ll question again later.”

The three of them were then escorted down a flight of stairs that led into a much larger room. The observation room was round, every desk facing towards a wall of curved monitors. It was a rocket control room straight out of the old sci-fi movies. Some of the screens monitored the surface while most were reporting on the Zeta-Four rocket. Both Pearl and Sea gawked at everything around them. In their time, extensive space travel was still a dream that the average pony would believe to never see in person.

“Well, this is certainly more impressive than what you see on the telly.” Sea remarked.

One of the nearby scientists turned around in his swivel chair to greet him.

“It’s just the standard station, still impressive though, isn’t it? Chief Scientist Sparkfield.”

The commanding pony from before eyed them intensely while at his own station. Sparkfield just shrugged him off since they seemed harmless enough.

“Don’t mind him too much, Lieutenant Rye can be rather intense. Not much of a ‘ponies’ stallion, if you know what I mean. ‘Higher ups’ aren’t too keen on too many personnel, so staff is cut to abare minimum and we’re worked into the ground. All of us are here for a few months to monitor the new prototype probe’s launch, then it’s back home. Nearly finished here and thank goodness too.”

“I see, trust me I’ve been there. I’m the one mare HR back home. Maybe we can ride the ‘express’ ride back home with you.” Pearl sighed.

“Well I don’t mean to depress you, but I’m afraid that we’re not quite when you think we are.” the Doctor interjected.

Both Sea and Pearl sighed when the Doctor pointed to Sparkfield’s desk calendar. It read November 986, about twenty years after they’d left.

“At least that explains why there can be so few ponies running the controls. They must get all them computers to do the work for them.” Sea huffed in slight annoyance.

He then turned around to Sparkfield to ask: “Say, have we been to the moon yet?”

Sparkfield just looked at him, a bit blindsighted by what he thought was an obviously dumb question.

“Err…yeah? The latest expedition just returned. I thought you watched the launch two weeks ago.”

Before Sea could respond a few warning lights pulsated at Sparkfield’s workstation. He didn’t look too concerned, though was definitely puzzled. A dot-matrix printer spat out some figures on a piece of tractor paper before subsequently jamming. Sighing while tearing it off, Sparkfield handed it over to the desk in front of him. The Doctor placed a hoof to his chest, feeling uneasy. Something about this situation felt familiar. He’d read about these events in a book somewhere, but the specifics were evading him. A feed from the Zeta-Four rocket appeared on screen, displaying the two pilots.

“This is Ground Control to Zeta Four, this is Ground Control to Zeta Four. Do you copy?”

Sparkfield held down a button on his desk to keep two-way communications open.

“Loud and clear, what seems to be the issue?”

“According to our computers your altitude is eleven hundred miles, is that correct?”

The other astronaut checked a gauge before he replied.

“Yes. We appear to be about three degrees too high in our descent as well. Correcting now.”

The puzzle pieces were finally starting to click into place in the Doctor’s mind. He began scribbling down an idea onto a pad of paper from his pocket. At best he’d be wrong, potentially looking like a fool to Lieutenant Rye. If his potential prediction were correct, then there was far worse to come.

“Er, excuse me? If you don’t mind, I have some information for Lieutenant Rye.”

The guard turned to speak to him.

“Uh, my apologies, sir. Lieutenant Rye is very busy at the moment.”

The Doctor kept on kindly yet somewhat aggressively offering the piece of paper to the guard until he took it out of annoyance. Slowly more warning lights activated one by one. Ponies dashed into position as the emergency grew. The cockpit of Zeta Four appeared on screen again.

“Zeta four, what’s going on up there?!” Rye demanded.

“We’re not sure. The nose refuses to go down and something’s blocking Mars. We can’t reposition.”

“How much fuel is left in your reserves?”

“Less than three million gallons. Enough for the re-entry but not much else.”

“Keep steady and report back later, we’ll analyze the situation and provide a status update when ready.”

“Will do.”

The feed cut back to the rocket’s orbit, Rye fuming at how this could possibly happen.

“I want a full analysis on whatever this ‘thing’ is obstructing their view. We need the how and why, stat!”

Everypony obeyed, surveying and scanning the new object as it steadily entered their radars. Whatever it was, it was slowly approaching Equus. The more data they collected the more severe the situation became. If all the scans were truly accurate then this was the largest asteroid in history. It was a gigantic orb coated in ice and desolate terrain, an almost equivalent size to Equus. To those in the observation room and across the world it was impossible, but the Doctor knew all too well what this was. Now that he seemed to have an opening he approached the Lieutenant.

“What is it? Can’t you see I’m- you!”

“Yes, yes. I wrote down what I believe that you’ll be discovering, I gave it to my guard. Given how busy you appeared to be I figured it’d be more effective to consult you personally.”

The object in question appeared on the big screen as the first pictures of it were being broadcasted on the news globally. What was shocking was that the landmasses on the new celestial body were a near mirror image of Equus’. Sure there were some discrepancies, but the picture was unmistakable. The room went dead silent as Zeta Four called in.

“Ground control…something’s wrong…can’t…maintain…”

The feed was cutting in and out as the signal got weaker. The other planet was slowly pulling them off course and into its own orbit. The pilots didn’t look well either, drenched in sweat and like they hadn’t slept for days. It was hard to tell with the static, but they were getting paler by the second. The rocket fired its retro-boosters but it barely had any effect. The call cut out, silence draping over the room once more. The guard placed the note down next to Rye, the Lieutenant swiping it up out of anger. He looked at it, momentarily reading it over before his head slowly turned to the Doctor. He displayed a mixed array of emotions from disbelief to disdain.

“You knew this entire time.”

“I had my predictions. However, I doubt that you would give them any credibility until after the proof had arisen.”

“Credibility my aunt fanny, who are you? You show up, things go awry and now the lives of two good ponies are at stake here. Don’t play games with me!”

“Me, causing a new planetoid to arrive in Equus’ orbit? Don’t be absurd.”

“For all we know this is all some mass illusion or a computer virus. Somepony else pulling the strings, trying to initiate a global panic. Your cohorts call you the Doctor but that’s just a title. What’s your real name, hmm? Doctor who?”

The two stood eye to eye once again. The Doctor understood Rye’s motives, however misplaced they may be. Another member of the personnel gently got both of their attention.

“Uh, sir? Something else was detected on our radars, touching down nearby. About half a mile away is the supposed impact zone.”

Lieutenant Rye sighed, rubbing the bridge between his eyes again before cooling down.

“Send a small party to go out and observe. Make sure to be cautious, highest level hazard treatment. Now as for you, Doctor, explain to me this ‘prediction’ of yours.”

Rye pulled up a seat, ready to listen.

“Long ago a similar planet to Equus shared an orbit, that is, until it began to drift and shot out into the cosmos. Theoretically evolution carried out along similar lines until the drifting began. No sunlight and no heat made the planet completely inhospitable. What’s on your scanners now is that exact same missing planet, returned to its proper place.”

“Even if I believe this crackpot theory has an ounce of merit, how could this planet have returned? The effects on the Solar System, let alone Equus, will be catastrophic.”

“The answer lies with the inhabitants of that world. Perhaps they’ve developed technologies far beyond your understanding.”

“But you said-”

“I said that merely the surface was inhospitable. Life once existed on your neighbouring red planet before it too became a barren wasteland. Beneath the surface are the corroded remnants of ancient civilizations existing long before the birth of ponies. It’s not hard to conclude that given less time to erode, the inhabitants of that world may have survived.”

“You’re seriously suggesting an alien invasion? Don’t tell me, it’s either the little green variety with three eyes or the ones that burst from your chest. Forget about it.”

“Yet you cannot deny the possibility, hmm? There are certainly some unexplainable facts in front of you. We musn’t dismiss the less likely as purely impossible.”

“And what do you suggest we do then, eh? Arm ourselves with the common cold?”

“Fortify yourselves. This world is about to be invaded.”

The small party returned still in their heavy coats. They slowly shuffled their way towards the stairs down to the observation room. Nopony paid them any mind besides the Doctor and Rye.

“What’s your report on the unidentified object?” Rye ordered.

Lieutenant Rye went completely ignored, causing him to demand more aggressively with the same result. Reaching upwards, the coats were removed and discarded. Pearl screamed at such a horrific site. Their heads were wrapped in a single cloth, holes showing the augmented remains of eyes and a mouth beneath the dark mesh covering them. Their hooves were organic but pale, attached to silver mechanical limbs. Tubes and wires extended from the life support units on their backs like the limbs of a metallic spider. Their skulls were held together by a drilled in rectangular chassis, a single floodlight welded into it. The reeked of antiseptic, like they’d just walked out of the hospital morgue with gowns to hide their mangled features.

Their heads turned robotically, their floodlights acting as portable scanners. A member of the security team tried to rush them, only to be killed by a weapon they unlatched from their sides. It appeared to be similar to the floodlight on their heads, only larger. In perfect sync, the three robotic figures re-hooked the weapons back to their sides. Nopony dared to move a muscle as these creatures marched down the steps and into the center of the room.

“Are yoooooou. In charge of this. Operation?” one of them asked in their grating robotic tone.

Lieutenant Rye nearly stumbled backwards as they approached, not sure which one of them the voice came from.

“Er, yes.”

“We have returned toooo. Establish contact. Our worlds need. Each other.”

“Need? B-”

“Your rocket was. Detected. It is inefficient in. Design.”

“The rocket! Yes, well uh, could you bring it down for us?”

All three of their heads turned towards him in unison. That really made Rye jump.

“Why?” they all asked.

“Because there’s ponies up there, and they’ll die if you don’t do something!” Pearl blurted out.

Now the creatures turned to face her. Pearl stumbled a few steps back, almost falling onto Sea as they marched forwards. The antiseptic stench was stronger up close, sterile yet musty like an abandoned operating room.

“Ponies die every. Day. Why should you. Care?”

There was no malice behind the question, almost a sense of childlike curiosity if anything at all.

“Care? Of course I care, you’re not like us. You’ve got no feelings.”

“I do nooooot. Understand these. Words.”

“Emotions, love, pride, hate, fear. Have you no emotions, sir?” the Doctor interjected.

Sea grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall, planning to rush the creatures until they commanded him to stop. He was frozen with fear as the fire extinguisher was taken from him. With a single slow motion the fire extinguisher was crushed like a tin can in a hydraulic press. Everypony ducked and covered their ears when the extinguisher’s pressure burst out with a loud bang. The creatures didn’t even flinch, the remnants of the canister dropping to the floor with a loud clang.

“We are the. Cybermares. Our homeworld. Mondas. Became tooooo harsh. To support life. As such. We augmented our bodies tooooo. Survive.”

Sparkfield took a step to the side, allowing Rye to be able to activate a distress beacon and put the facility on lockdown. High Command phoned in immediately and requested a report on the situation. The lieutenant looked down at the desk and then back up at the approaching Cybermare. High Command couldn’t see or hear anything until the button on the desk was pressed.

“Yooooou. Should not have done. That. Call of the emergency. Or we shall use force. If necessary.”

It was obvious that their threat wasn’t empty, they’d already watched one of their guards be killed in a second. All of their lives were in Rye’s hooves and potentially the world’s as well. The Cybermare backed out of frame before Rye held down the button to answer the call.

“Err, no. Nothing to report. One of our systems must’ve developed a fault.”

The High Command seemed to buy it, though they were likely suspicious. In the best case scenario the reinforcements were already on their way to rescue them.

“Now will you please, please get that rocket down.” Rye begged the Cybermares.

“Why? The rocket’s destruction is. A foregone conclusion. Why should we. waste resources?”

“They only think in logic, Rye. They have no sense of care, no sense to attempt what may or may not be a foolhardy mission.” the Doctor stated while staring down the Cybermares with contempt.

“That is. Correct. We had no need for. Illogical and irrational impulses. Unnecessary risk is. Not logical toooo. Survival.”

“You’re all just a buncha tin cans, the lot of ya. Robots with no heart or soul.” Sea snidely quipped.

His snarky demeanor vanished when two Cybermares grabbed him, starting to take him away. Pearl wanted to fight them off but the Doctor held her back. The Cybermares were cold but not cruel killers, no death without reason. They saw Sea as a threat, but not an immediate one. Thankfully that meant that he wasn’t enough of a threat to be gunned down too.

“He will be placed in a. Secure area. Yooooou. Will give yoooour. Total surrender. Logically yoooour emotions will. Dictate surrender for. Survival.”

“Is that a threat?” Pearl spat out, dripping with anger.

“By yooooour. Terms. Yes.”

Sea grunted as he was shoved into the records room. The walls were lined with old tapes, monitors displaying feeds of every room and the outdoor surveillance cameras. While he could see what was happening, he had to do something. Seeing what looked like a projector, he started to try and get it to turn on. Aiming it at the top of the door, he could use it as a means to blind the Cybermare and use their weapon to bluff his way out. He started yelling for help and banging on the door, luring his captor into the room. Immediately it was blinded by the intense light in its unblinking eyes.

Sea took his chance, snagging the Cybermare’s weapon and aiming it at the Cybermare’s head. Quickly it recovered and marched towards him. He threatened it, begged it to not make him use its own weapon against him. It reached out a hoof towards him, but Sea didn’t give it a chance to do anything else. The Cybermare clutched its head before dropping to the ground. Sea wasn’t sure if the Cybermares had augmented out their pain, but it certainly sounded like they hadn’t. He dropped the weapon, tears running down his face. This didn’t feel justified out of self defence, it was just following orders. Whatever or whoever this thing once was, it didn’t deserve to die like this. It was too much for Sea to handle.

“It didn’t give me a choice…”

Back in the observation room it was too late for the rocket. The retro rockets kept on firing until they ran out of fuel. It was trapped in the middle of the two planet’s orbits, slowly tearing it apart in the vacuum of space. The Cybermares watched as everypony’s efforts to save it went to waste. There was no explosion or even a sound, the rocket’s signal just faded away. Truly nothing could have stopped this, the Cybermares were right. That was when they stepped forth, addressing the room.

“Yooooou. Could be free of this. Pain. The Cybermares offer a bargain. In exchange for magic. We will fix you. Eliminate illness. Eliminate Pain. You will become like us.”

“Ah, so your true motives have been revealed, hmm? You really do believe that you’re the ultimate form of survival. Now you’re realizing just how far from the truth that is. Ponies won’t just willingly give in to you as you’ve forgotten one fundamental thing: that survival is pointless if you can’t live.”

Sea came in guns blazing, shooting down one Cybermare after another. The guards picked up the remaining two weapons, the only fighting chance they had. This wasn’t even the reconnaissance party, they were just the emissaries. Somewhere out in the snow was a cybership with enough cyber soldiers to wage a battle. Already Lieutenant Rye was recontacting High Command to give a full detailed report and requests for further reinforcements. The base’s radars were already picking up an entire fleet moving in formation above the atmosphere. A small pain gripped the Doctor’s chest, merely the first on Equus to experience the effects of something on Mondas. The pilots were obviously the first victims and the Cybermares needed an entire species worth of magic to survive.

A unicorn dropped his coffee mug, causing it to shatter on the ground. The lights flickered and everypony was starting to feel it now. The Doctor was already the weakest of them all, old with age and the hidden scars of his travels. He blacked out, finding himself in the barracks when he awoke. He pushed the blanket off before stumbling his way back to the observation room. Everypony was going back and forth over something, sound was still somewhat hard to process. Words like explosive and megaspell were being thrown around before he could properly make out the conversation. The ultimate weapon called the Z-bomb was capable of destroying large bodies in space. It was designed as a way to combat large asteroids or as a last resort for alien threats. Mondas was already barely holding itself together, just a husk of a world.

The Doctor stayed in the doorway until he heard that Pearl was gone. He’d missed most of the carnage, the Cybermares obviously not backing down from the fight. Luckily he still had some fight left in him too, as weak as he may be. Sea and Rye were still arguing on what to do, not noticing him nearby.

“He’s still ill, he’s not ready!” Sea yelled in concern.

“If your friend has any idea on what’s happening then I don’t care. We need him, we need the Doctor.”

“There’s no need to shout, I’m already here. You could awaken somepony from their grave with all of this ruckus.”

Pearl would’ve given him a hug right now if she were here. Sea just smiled, glad that he was here but concerned for his health.

“Right, inform me properly on the current situation.”

Sparkfield cleared his throat, having just stood there silently while Sea and Rye argued.

“It was determined that the only remaining solution was that if Mondas was out of the picture, then the problem would be resolved. However there were…complications. The missile appears to have been disarmed before it could launch. However it’s still aimed at Mondas and the surface is crawling with Cybermares. They’re not going to take us trying to destroy their planet lightly.”

The Doctor turned to Rye, knowing that it was his decision to make that call. Sea or Pearl had clearly had a hoof in disabling the missile, just as much to the Doctor that Sparkfield did too.

“You dare to threaten to destroy another planet?” the Doctor said horrified.

“Not to threaten, but the Cybermares will see it that way. There were no other options.” Rye tried to justify.

“Dear, dear me. You don’t understand, but Mondas is equally under the threat of the absorption as much as we are. Think of it as a dehydrated individual being thrown into a pool. Their planet can no longer handle the same amount of thaumic energy as Equus. All you must do is fortify Equus. Defend yourselves but do not instigate an attack.”

All the monitors went white before the picture cleared. The Cybermares were transmitting a call along the same frequency though it was very unstable. Sparkfield desperately tried to cut off the transmission, some kind of virus travelling through it and overtaking control of their systems. The Z-bomb rocket lowered, no longer aimed at Mondas.

“Yoooou. Claim to be. A peaceful race. Yet yooooou. Have threatened to destroy our world. Yooooour. Systems are under. Our control. Disarm the warhead completely. Or else we will detonate it ooooourselves.”

The Doctor quickly pressed the button to open the line both ways. He started stalling, hoping to waste more of the Cybermares’ time.

“So that’s how you plan to prevent an overload, eh? Once you’ve had your little pitstop you reduce the planet to rubble. No doubt you’ll harvest the remains for resources as well. What happens when Equus’ supply runs out then, hmm? Plan to execute this little plan eternally?”

“This conversation is. Pointless. Yoooooou. Are simply stalling for time. Yooooou. Have three minutes to make. A decision. Aaaaaaall unnecessary staff. Will be escorted for. Cyber conversion.”

Sea and Sparkfield looked over at the Doctor, expecting him to know what to say and do. Either the fighting continued and the staff could be killed and converted, or surrender and hope that it’s already too late. More ponies could die in either decision, either way it wasn’t his call to make. He couldn’t in good conscience make that decision when he was such an outsider. Lieutenant Rye stepped up instead, taking charge of the call.

“We surrender. We’ll send a party to safely disarm the warhead under protection. Just let everypony leave safely, not a single death here or anywhere on the planet, you understand?”

There was a long pause before a Cybermare simply replied “Affirmative” before ending the call. The rhythmic thump of the Cybermares’ hoofsteps echoed down the halls followed by the screams of terror. Rye made an announcement over the PA system to not resist the Cybermares and that they were to completely surrender.

“But…why?” Sparkfield asked in disbelief.

“High Command’s last order was to send up the last of their rockets into space. They’re hoping to counteract the drainage coming from Mondas. My son is on one of those ships, and I want to give him a fighting chance to live another day. If we keep fighting then the Cybermares will continue to retaliate. In the meantime, Sea Shanty of the Equestrian Royal Navy, you have experience in heavy lifting, don’t you? Sparkfield could need a strong pair of hooves when dismantling the warhead.”

Rye winked at him, an ounce of uncertainty in his tone. Cybermares burst through the doors to the observation room, this being the last area before reaching the exit hatch. The Doctor, Rye and dozens of other ponies were marched across the snow. The Doctor had a feeling that the Cybermares wouldn’t honor their end of the bargain. They wouldn’t care about the condition of their converts so long as they were fresh and usable. The inside of the Cybership was just as cold and mechanical as the Cybermares themselves. The Doctor was sat down in the cell next to Pearl, though calling it a cell would be doing it a favour.

All it was was a seat behind a gate of horizontal bars, their hooves cuffed to the gates. Sea was all on his own now, the responsibility of stalling and saving everypony on his shoulders. It felt unfair to the Doctor to put that kind of burden on anypony but himself. His only consolus on the situation was that Pearl was unharmed and nearby.

“Doctor, thank goodness you’re…are you alright?”

The old Timepony was more resilient than most, though even he had his limits. He was more pale and frail than he ever had been before. He’d been holding back death since falling unconscious in the observation room. Time and time again his travels were taking a toll on him mentally and physically, the magic drainage was just the straw to break the camel’s back. It was too much to bear any longer.

“This old body of mine is wearing a bit thin. Such a shame, Pearl. For once, I’m getting too old for this.”

“Heh, thinking of retiring soon?”

“In a sense, yes. I’ve done all that I can. It’s time for me to rest. All we can do is hope…for more time.”

The Doctor sighed, his hooves faintly glowing a mix of white and gold. He went in and out as the fatigue grew further. Everypony in a holding cell was starting to feel the same too, the magic that gave them life being ripped away from them. The Doctor was different though, he wasn’t going to end here. It was to be expected that this would happen eventually after all he’d done to wear himself out. Many what-ifs ran through the Doctor’s mind, the past raising from the slumber in his memory. He could’ve been the Lord President of Gallophrey had he kept his seat at the High Council. So long ago the young colt he once was ran across the crimson and orange fields full of dreams of the universe.

So long since Susan was forced to say goodbye, to forge a life of her own away from him. It felt like eons ago that he’d been in that junkyard with her on 72 Trotters Lane. It was stupid of him to take Spark and Berry with him at all, Free looking at him like he was insane when it was brought up. All those things that he put Cosmic through too, things he never meant to happen. The whole run with the Daleks, Lavender, T-Tauri and even Shining Star still burned in his hearts. At least Petunia went on, unscarred by the grim nature of his travels, if she even remembered them. All those memories of this life, his life, just slipped right through him. It wasn’t his time yet, he wouldn’t allow it. Sea and Pearl needed to get home and nopony else but him could do it.

Nopony else but this Doctor, not the one that would soon take his place. The whole ship rocked back and forth as it failed to take off. He awoke from his slumber just in time to see all the Cybermares melting where they stood. The organic components just faded away into dust, the machines were now incomplete. Sea rushed in and unlocked Pearl first, making sure she was okay. The source of the drainage was gone but for the elderly TimePony they remained.

“C’mon Doctor, wakey wakey. It’s all over now.” Sea said cheerfully.

“All over…that’s what you said? This is far from being all over. The ship, I must get back to the ship. Keep warm, you two…”

Sea and Pearl looked at one another confused. The Doctor just marched on without them into the blistering cold snow. The blizzard was already covering up the remnants of the Cybermares, by morning all traces of them would be gone. A bright and beautiful aura lit up the sky as all the magic returned to Equus. Leaning up against a pillar of ice, the Doctor could swear that he heard a voice in the distance. He refused to change, he refused to regenerate. He could just set the coordinates back to Equus, let the TARDIS do all the work. Every TimePony had to make this choice eventually, to die as they are or to change every single cell in their body. He refused to go through that change, to have another Doctor go on when the stallion he was now dies.

The next thing he knew he was entering the console room. The details in his mind were fuzzy, though in a different way he couldn’t describe. Before he was so sure, so scared to regenerate. Something had changed his mind, that fear completely gone with some reassurance in its place. His future was in good hooves, though he wasn’t quite sure why he felt that way. Several switches flipped on their own, the ship taking flight. The time rotor rose and fell as his friends pounded on the doors, begging to be let in. Looking up the Doctor could swear that he could see somepony across the console. A ghost perhaps? Anything was possible after all. Whomever was standing across that console he smiled at them, using his dying breath to open the doors.

Collapsed on the floor, the light engulfed him. His body changed to a darker gray, white hair becoming a short black bowl cut. This new Doctor, the second Doctor, was much younger than his predecessor. He slept, the TARDIS taking him, Sea and Pearl to whatever destination was next. For now they were safe, the future was safe. There was still so much in store for the three of them. There was however one concrete fact, that wherever or whenever he was needed, the Doctor would be there.

Author's Note

Well here we are, an entire era come to a close. I’d like to thank everyone who’s been along this journey with me so far and will continue to in the future. While this is an ending, the story is still not complete. This will be Volume/Book 1 in the TPJ series. I have many ideas for the series in the future, but I’m likely going to be taking a break for the time being. There will be an extra chapter planned in the future as a bonus, but for now, this is the end. Even if the moment has been prepared for, I’m still saddened to put this chapter to a close. See you somewhere or somewhen soon.

Your prized pencil pony

Pencil_Shavings109