Author's Note

NEW INSTALLMENT! WOOHOO!
Seriously though, thanks for tuning in. Reminder that our first fic, Crash Landing, is needed to understand what's going on in this. In any case, enjoy!

Chapter 1: Exit Stage Left, Enter Stage Right

Twilight shifted around nervously, Pinkie by her side. "So," she said, "the Badlands?"

Fluttershy apparently had some ideas about trying to get Equestria allied with the changelings, but she felt she couldn't go alone. Starlight had agreed to come with, and managed to get Trixie to let them use their wagon, meaning she would come along as well. Discord agreed to tag along, obviously, and was helping pack in his usual trademark way. In this case, he made walking ice cream cones juggle the luggage along. He also helped prepare the surprise Fluttershy had planned for how she was going to win the changelings over, which he also made sure could attach to the back of the wagon. However, this created a heavier load due to the size of the thing. Thankfully, Applejack had agreed to haul all of it along the way, having Big Mac take over her duties on the farm, although that meant only two could still fit in the wagon without it being too much for her. Discord and Fluttershy immediately opted to trot alongside her both for the sake of conversation and in case Applejack needed a break, although Starlight and Trixie would stay in the wagon. It was Trixie's wagon, after all, and she did insist on talking with Starlight specifically.

In any case, the other girls had things to do. Rainbow had weather control and Wonderbolts training, Pinkie had her job at Sugarcube Corner along with helping the Doctor with his TARDIS, Rarity had the Boutique, and Twilight agreed to look after Fluttershy's cottage with Spike. Today they could at least find the time to see the rest of their friends off.

"Yes, Twilight," Fluttershy confirmed, "the Badlands. Don't worry! Discord would never let anything bad happen to me, along with Applejack and the rest of the girls!"

Twilight nodded, still a bit nervous. "If you say so, Flutters. Still, please be careful! I did some research on the Badlands beforehoof and only changeling magic works there, so you'll have to rely on non-magical means of escape if things go south."

"W H A T" came a cry from the wagon, as Discord's disembodied head appeared before them both. "I am literally the embodiment of chaos! Honestly, I think I would have better chances than all the mortal unicorn wizards who wrote your precious books when it comes to keeping my magic intact."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that's true, but I think you should still be at least mentally prepared for that, just in case."

"Yeppers," Pinkie said, "and I think you need to grab some tech!" She tousled into her mane, producing a strange scientific instrument that The Doctor allowed all present to instantly recognize. "I made you a sooooniiiiiiiic," she said in a sing-song voice.

Discord rolled his eyes, getting a result much higher than Twilight's measly 5 earlier. "Very thoughtful, my Gallifreyan friend," he said, taking the sonic screwdriver, teleporting it to the wagon, "although you could have told me you were a literal Time Lord earlier. I thought friends didn't keep secrets from each other?"

Pinkie shook her head. "If I tried to explain why I kept it secret to you, you would definitely take it the wrong way."

"Intentionally or unintentionally?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Because the unintentional one is funnier, but the intentional one is more clever."

"Ohhhhhh. Intentionally, then. If I didn't tell you, you would do something to figure it out."

"Damn it!"

Pinkie stuck her tongue out at Discord, who blew a raspberry that produced baguettes instead of spit in kind. Twilight rolled her eyes again (this time, known only to Discord, producing a nat 20) as she gave her new marefriend a quick kiss on the cheek, resulting in the pink Time Lord to give a little giggle. "Thanks, Twily."

"See you guys later," shouted Rainbow as the departing party, well, departed. "And try not to turn into loveless zombies, you hear?"

"Ah, shut up, Dash," came Applejack's reply. "Love all a' y'all! Stay safe now, y'all hear?"

As a chorus of goodbyes rang out among both groups, Fluttershy's crew headed out into the distance.

The remaining five headed back to the castle of friendship. "Well then," the Doctor said, "here's to hoping this all goes over well."

Rarity turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, do you happen to know what Fluttershy's plan is?"

The Doctor gave a light chuckle. "As a matter of fact, I do. Discord and I actually had to convince her it would work! It took the combined efforts of her and Discord, though, to convince me to keep it a surprise. I will admit, the look on all of your faces when you're told it worked will be quite amusing."

"Ha!" Rainbow flew next to the Doctor. "I knew I could awaken that prankster in you!"

"You should have met my younger self! He pretended to be a stubborn old man, but he was merely a teenager who would have loved to join in your pranking. It's because of that version of me I remember the noble art of fisticuffs."

Twilight scoffed. "Like we need a second super genius alien to join in on Rainbow's pranks." She glared a bit at her marefriend, who merely smiled in response.

As the friends bantered, they arrived at the castle, only to notice a young mare there, crying at the doorstep. She was an Earth pony with a grey coat and black mane, wearing a purple bowtie. Her cutie mark was of a purple bass clef.

"Octavia?" Twilight trotted up to the crying mare, who looked up at the princess of friendship. "Octavia Melody, right? You live just outside of town with Vinyl?"

The mare nodded, confirming Twilight's assumptions. "Yes, I just... I didn't know where else to turn. I- I..." The Doctor went up to Octavia and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Now now, my dear," the Doctor said. "You're among friends here. We'll try to help you in whatever way we can. Now then, what has you so frightened?"

Octavia took a few deep breaths before continuing. "There's an abandoned theatre, just short trot away from m- from our cottage..."

Vinyl and I were exploring it. We were trying to look for older sheet music, both for the sake of cultural preservation as well as for the sake of some performances of my own. At some point I saw a mask on the floor, and foolishly decided to pick it up. It was a tragedy mask, I think. Little did I know the nightmare that would lead to.

The curtains on the stage gave way, and both Vinyl and I thought the other was pulling a prank. If only... Then, I saw... Myself on the stage. Well, she... It looked vaguely like myself. It gave a monologue I think. Celestia, it was haunting. It described... A mockery of my life. I never had abusive parents, namely. At least... Not to such an extreme extent, anyways.

Then, it started saying something about... Strings. Strings that would lash out and kill anything that tried to stop me from being successful or... Something like that. As it was doing that, however, those very strings it was describing appeared and grabbed the imposter's limbs. It groaned and grunted in pain as it continued its monologue.

Then, the strings reached out from the stage... And grabbed Vinyl. I'm fairly certain the thing started talking about her, but I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy screaming and chasing after her. I dropped the mask in my pursuit, and the curtain closed. I went through the curtain, only to find the stage empty. I immediately ran out out of that Celestia-damned theatre, screaming. Not knowing what to do next, I thought of the heroes of harmony, and ran straight to the castle to wait.

"An- And that is what happened. T- To the best of my knowledge."

"Thank you kindly, my dear," the Doctor said. "Would you happen to know where the theatre would be?"

"J- Just a few yards away from my own cottage, just outside of town to the north. Woods have grown around it. Not the Everfree, but woods all the same."

"That will be most helpful. Now, I suggest you wait in the castle. We'll do our best to get your friend back."

"Thank you all so much," cried Octavia. "I... I am so unbelievably frightened of what that- That thing was! And Vinyl..." She started tearing up again as she made her way into the castle. "Poor Vinyl... I miss her so..."

As she headed inside, the five friends looked at one another.

"Welp," Rainbow sighed, "there goes my Wonderbolts practice for the day."

"My latest commission can stand to wait," Rarity agreed.

"We'll have to be careful," Twilight warned. "We don't have AJ or Fluttershy here, so we can't utilize our harmony magic, at least not as potently. We'll have to stick together, and our Gallifreyan friends will have to contribute a bit more of their know-how, especially if this is some alien threat."

"You can count on us, Twily!" Pinkie gave a proud salute.

"Well, now that we've all had a turn to speak," the Doctor said, " I believe we should make haste. This 'Vinyl' shall need our help."

With that, the group headed straight for Octavia's cottage, and the mysterious theatre that lay just outside of it...

As Discord, Fluttershy and Applejack all headed down the trail, Trixie's cart in tow, that cart's passengers were having an interesting conversation.

"Are you sure you can't tell Trixie?"

Starlight sighed at her... Date? Did a diplomatic mission to a society of shapeshifters count as a date? Either way Trixie counted as at least her marefriend now, thank Celestia. "I'm pretty sure. I know he probably can't hear us or anything, but- Oh, I already said too much, didn't I?"

Trixie shook her head. "Starlight, Trixie is almost certain whoever this moron is, he can't withstand the power of the GREAT, AND POWERFUL TRRRRIXIE!" Right as she said that, the cart hit a roadblock that sent her flying. Trixie grumbled half to herself. "That better not have been Discord messing with Trixie..."

Starlight stifled a chuckle. "Look, Trixie, it's not that I don't trust you, because I do. It's more that... The person in question is... Dangerous. You know the attack on Canterlot last month?"

Trixie nodded. "Trixie is aware. Are you talking about the creature that commanded the attack?"

Starlight nodded. The "grace period" for peace from the Master was up, meaning he could strike at any moment.

"Well, Trixie isn't scared of some lousy moron who calls himself 'the Master.' Stupid title, if you ask her."

Starlight gave out a light giggle before stopping, turning wide-eyed. "How did you know he calls himself the Master?"

At was at this moment, Trixie knew she bucked up. "O- Oh," she stuttered. "Trixie just heard a rumor, that's all. It's nice to have it confirmed, though isn't it?" She gave a nervous grin.

"Trixie," Starlight grimaced, "what aren't you telling me?"

Trixie's eyes shifted from side to side. "Trixie has no idea what you're talking about."

"Trixie," Starlight said through gritted teeth.

Trixie sighed. "Fine, Trixie's sorry. She just... She doesn't know why she's hiding what she knows." She started shuffling playing cards using her magic. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters," Starlight began, "how did you know it was the Master who attacked Canterlot?"

"Trixie guessed, honestly. He's the only creature Trixie's heard of who would manage to be both smart enough and dumb enough to bring the Autons here."

"Alright, but how do you even know that much?"

"Stories Trixie's mother told her about them."

"Your mother?"

"The Spectacle. Apparently, she used to steal planets!"

Starlight blinked. "Steal... Planets?"

"Yes! Trixie's mother would tell her stories of how she narrowly escaped the Doctor! See, she was hiding on a ship that was also a planet, or so she told Trixie. It would go to a planet, drain it of all its resources! All she did was pick the planets, and she chose planets that her father, who is also Trixie's grandfather, tried to conquer! So she left using her 'Tardis' thingy as the Doctor destroyed the planet, but it malfunctioned and ended up in our universe! She went around various planets trying to find one she fit in, and settled on Equestria."

"Wait," Starlight said, "your mom has a TARDIS?"

"Yes," Trixie exclaimed. "It was disguised as a piano in mother's bedroom last Trixie saw it."

Starlight just stayed quiet for a moment. "Wait... Trixie, are you a Time Lord?"

Trixie gave a hollow laugh. "No, Trixie isn't. She's never been to the academy, but she has been to Celestia's School, and that's the unicorn equivalent! And before you ask, Trixie is fairly certain she's only half Gallifreyan. She doesn't know who her father is, but what are the odds of 5 Time Lords coming to Equestria, anyhow?"

Starlight kept quiet at that.

"So yes, Trixie isn't worried about The Master or anything like that. She doubts even he would be heartless enough to hurt her."

Starlight gave a puzzled look. "Why would tha-" She stopped as she put the pieces together to change her look to one of realization. "No."

Trixie nodded. "Yes."

"NO!"

"YES!"

"YOUR GRANDFATHER IS THE-"

"Wait wait wait, can you stop asking at the word 'is?' Trixie thinks it's much more dramatic."

Starlight rolled her eyes, but complied. "So your grandfather is-"

"The Master, yes."

Starlight facehoofed. "This would have been useful to know about a month ago," Starlight grumbled.

"Trixie is well aware, but in her defense her mother specifically told her to keep this a secret, and she didn't know you as well back then."

Starlight sighed. "How many secret Gallifreyans are out there?"

"Trixie thinks it can't be more than four, right?"

Starlight spaced out for a moment before saying something. "At this rate? It might be more likely. Maybe not that your father specifically was a Time Lord, but there is an old saying that seems to apply to this. 'Once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, three is a pattern.' Now we're at four. I mean, what are the odds that 4 Time Lords ended up on our tiny little planet in the general time zone of modern Equestria by complete chance?"

Trixie scoffed. "Mother was on Gaea for 400 years before Trixie was born, according to mother, and the other three all seem to know each other."

Starlight nodded. "Right. Right! The Master said he came here specifically because of the Doctor. That still leaves Pinkie and the Doctor, though. I guess that can be a coincidence, but..."

"... But what?"

"... I'll tell you later. Right now, I really just want to relax a little bit. We're already dealing with trying to make amends with a nation that literally attacked Equestria, and nearly won too, so we need to be ready for... All that. So, let's keep our worries to what's immediately relevant now."

Trixie nodded, put down her playing cards and got out a strange rectangular device the same color as her coat. "Do you know what this is?"

Starlight shook her head, resulting in Trixie's grin.

"It's a human music player," Trixie beamed. "It's from the human year 2546, but it's meant to look like it's from 1987, and mother customized it to look like Trixie. It even has her cutie mark on the back!" Sure enough, the back had a crescent moon with a magic wand on it. "It has CENTURIES worth of songs on it! Trixie's never gotten to share this with somepony before aside from her mother! It has all sorts of artists ranging from the Vijjan band Fancy That to the Human band The Common Men! Just imagine, CENTURIES worth of tunes, all on this tiny little box."

Starlight nodded, grinning. "OK," she said, "where should we start?"

Trixie, for lack of a better word, squeed. "OK, so there's this band called Space Pirates, and they lived on a spaceship named The Twist, which is basically..."

Starlight could already tell that, at the very least, she was going to enjoy the trip.