That Blue Boxby Aurora AuraChaptersSomething NewJealousy and Rebellion: Part 1Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 2Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 3 A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 2A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 3A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 1Something NewThe Doctor sat upright, running his fingers through his hair as he looked around. “I must have hit my head,” he said offhandedly. “Yeah, must be it, but I can’t help feeling I’m forgetting something.” As the Doctor finished his sentence, his TARDIS made an enormous noise, wheezing and groaning as sparks flew from the main console and the column in the center of the device moved feverishly up and down. The Doctor looked over to the site, and his eyes became wide with a mixture of fear and wonder. He shot up to his feet and ran over to the center console in his ship and began to working feverishly to stop his ship from crashing. But no matter how many switches and levers and dials he tried, the TARDIS was crashing, and the Doctor couldn’t remember why. The best the Doctor could do was to make an attempt to make a safe crash landing. “I’ll just aim for some English countryside,” The Doctor told himself as moved to begin making the necessary adjustments. But as he did this, the TARDIS started to make that huge noise again. The Doctor looked up and in an exasperated tone yelled out “oh what now!?” Then everything went black. Some time later the Doctor awoke from unconsciousness in a daze and sat upright, rubbing his face. “Hold on a second,” The Doctor began. “This is not my face!” The Doctor looked around for any signs of damage or any sort of indication as to what had just happened. It was as if a hurricane had come through the TARDIS, again. Though the damage the TARDIS had took was great, the Doctor suspected he had been hurt more than he had originally thought because the face he had was not the one he had moments ago. “Did I regenerate?” The Doctor asked the empty TARDIS. “No, that can not be. I still have the same thoughts, even my voice is the same.” The Doctor began to shake his head. He had no idea what had just happened, but he was determined to find out. “Alright I should do a quick check. Make sure I’m still in one piece” The Doctor spoke again to the empty console room of the TARDIS. “Eyes, two. Good. I like having two eyes. Nose, wow that is a honker. Face, I think it is longer than I've ever had before. But that is my face, I can feel it. Alright, hair” the Doctor brought up his hands to run them through his hair, but as he did, so he noticed a hoof where once a fleshy pink hand had been. “Well now that’s new. I have a hoof, I can honestly say I've seen this before.” The Doctor began to look around again, finding a mirror having moved up on his list of things to do. He had to seem himself, he had to know what exactly he looked like. But there were no mirrors in the console room; and even if there was, the Doctor wasn't sure they’d be in one piece anyway, not with the condition of the rest of the TARDIS. “I should get out of the TARDIS, it’s going to start repairing itself soon” The Doctor said as he put a key to the TARDIS around his new neck. The Doctor stood up to begin his walk for the doors. The first thing he noticed was the lack of increase in eye level between sitting and standing. The Doctor looked behind himself and saw a light bronze fur coated body with a deep chocolate tail right behind it exactly where he was standing. The Doctor just stared, not knowing how he should react to this. After a moment of silence, the Doctor began to move his newly acquired hooves around his chest and face. “I’m covered in hair,” it was more of a statement than a question. “I’m a Sasquatch, a finger-less Sasquatch!” The Doctor proclaimed. He moved his hooves to the top of his head. “Hair, normal enough hair. Good old reliable hair. And oh this is thick, good thick hair.” The Doctor noted. “Regenerating is so much easier when I can just see my reflection," said the Doctor, thinking again about the lack of mirrors. Suddenly there was a knock on the TARDIS door. The Doctor looked over and then let out a short sigh before walking over there. Noting how easily he had walked in his foreign body. The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and swiftly stepped out and closed them behind himself. In front of the Doctor stood a cream colored pony with a rosy mane on her head and a matching tail behind her. On both sides of her flank was the image of a rose, which was simplistic in its appearance yet still managed to give off a certain level of detail the Doctor couldn't quite put the hoof that had once been his finger on it. “Hey stranger, would you do me two favors? One, quit staring at my flank, you aren’t even trying to be subtle. And two, get your big blue box off of my garden.” When she spoke she kept her tone very low, but her annoyance was apparent. The Doctor turned to look at Roseluck, when he did he noticed a look in her eyes that told him that he had better do as she says and get away from her as fast as possible. “Uh, yeah of course, just give me one moment to uh. Move my box.” The Doctor said as he turned around and pulled at the TARDIS doors. They wouldn't budge. “Really, you have to do this now. Can it wait five seconds?” As the Doctor was bargaining with his box, a gray mare flew down and landed near the two ponies. The Rose colored pony’s eyebrow began to twitch with agitation. “What’s up Roseluck? What’s going on down here?” Asked the light gray mare. The Doctor turned around to face the new comer. She had a coat just a few shades darker than white and a distinctively blonde mane. Though the features that stood out the most was her wall-eyed stare and the wings on her back. Roseluck and this gray pony had continued to exchange words the Doctor didn’t hear. “Excuse me but, you’re a Pegasus right?” Asked the Doctor. The Pegasus in question turned to the Doctor and said “Well yeah, obviously, and I have a name too. It’s Hooves, Derpy Hooves. But you can just call me Derpy" The mare told him with an innocent smile. “Well hello Derpy the Pegasus” The Doctor said with a wide, cheesy grin. “Pegasi. How fantastic, how brilliant, how … cool.” “Er- Right. Anyway mister, like I was telling Roseluck, I can help you move your box. I know some ponies in the moving business from when I used to work for Two Mares and a Cart, I’m sure they could help you move that thing. Whatever you keep in it, it can’t be light.” “Oh why thank you Miss Derpy that would be greatly appreciated” The Doctor said as he gave Derpy a more sincere smile this time before turning to Roseluck. “And I am terribly sorry about this. Believe me when I said I had no intentions of ruining your garden. It was an unavoidable accident.” “Unavoidable” Roseluck asked. Raising an eyebrow at the Doctor. “Well, uh, you see. My box is um, you just-” The Doctor began. But he didn’t get far in his stumbling over his own words before Derpy spoke up. “Maybe we should leave Roseluck alone until my mover friends get here. Come on Mister I can show you the way to the local bakery. They have the best muffins this side of Canterlot” Derpy offered. “Sure, that sounds like a plan.” The Doctor said as he nodded in Roseluck’s general direction and began to walk away with Derpy close behind. “So do you have a name mister?” asked Derpy. “I do, actually. I’m called the Doctor.” “Doctor who?” asked Derpy. The Doctor looked over at Derpy and smiled at her before telling her “No actually, it’s just the Doctor.” “Just the Doctor?” Derpy asked. “Just the Doctor.” The Doctor confirmed. “So, just the Doctor, what do you do? Your Cutie Mark is an hourglass, are you a clock Doctor?” Asked Derpy Hooves as she gestured to the hourglass that was on his flank. “A what Doctor? My what?” asked the highly confused Doctor as he gave Derpy a puzzled look. "Your Cutie Mark silly, what does it mean?" The Doctor looked back and, just as Derpy had said, there was the image of an hour glass on his backside. "Well now isn't that something, it's almost like a tattoo but, what did you call it Miss Derpy?" "A Cutie Mark, it represents the thing that makes you unique. And you are special because you heal hour glasses" Derpy said definitively. "I don't think that's quite right," said the Doctor. "But what else could it mean? You’re a doctor, and your special talent involves something about hourglasses." "Well I'm not a doctor, well I am but my name is the Doctor. And perhaps my, Cutie Mark was it, is a metaphor of some sort." "You’re weird Doctor," Derpy said. "And don't you forget it" The Doctor snapped back, shooting Derpy a sly smile. “So why did you put your big blue box on poor Roseluck’s garden Doctor?” inquired the gray mare. “I honestly didn't mean to do it. Time got all wibbly, and it became something even I couldn't control. I’m not yet sure I understand exactly what happened myself. But I intend to find out.” "You're talking nonsense Doctor." Derpy said with a frown. "I never talk nonsense. Well, hardly never" the Doctor told her. Derpy rolled her eyes, a feat that seemed to take an extreme amount of coordination. "So who are you Doctor? I mean besides your name" Derpy asked, a light, genuine smile on her face. "Oh you know. Just a travelling man, out to see it all." "Well mister traveling man I hope you didn't leave your appetite with that box of yours because we're here." The Doctor looked forward and saw a large building in the center of what appeared to be a plaza of sorts. The Building itself had a tower coming out of the roof and seemed to have frosting coating the edges of the roof. "It looks like a giant gingerbread house" The Doctor said in awe. "I know isn't it awesome? Now lets go in and get some muffins" Derpy told the Doctor. "I know it may be a bad time to mention, but I don't exactly have any money with me. I never do" The Doctor said with a sigh. "Don't worry about it Doctor. I got you covered, now come on and lets eat." Derpy said with a large toothy grin. A smile the Doctor returned to the gray mare. A few hours had passed, and they had eaten to their fill and were now on their way to the edge of town. Where Derpy Hooves friends had brought the Doctor's big blue box. The sun was already retreating into the western sky, and the Doctor had an eventful day and was ready to get back to his TARDIS. The TARDIS was finally in view, but the Derpy's friends were nowhere to be seen. As they reached the outside of the TARDIS, Derpy turned to the Doctor. "So Doctor, you have a place to stay tonight?" "Actually I was just about to ask you the same thing." The Doctor told her. "What do you mean? Why would I need a place to stay. And even if I did where would I go?" asked Derpy. "Derpy I haven't been entirely honest with you. I haven't lied, but I haven't told the whole truth either." "Okay." Derpy said, her curiosity now peaked. "I'm a Time Traveler from another world. And this" the Doctor tapped on the door of the TARDIS "Is my time machine." "Okay Doctor. That's really cool. Now. Which hospital did you say you were at?" "Scoff if you must Derpy, but I'll let you see for yourself." "That's your time machine?" Asked Derpy. "Yes ma'am" the Doctor said with a courteous smile. "It's made of wood Doctor" Derpy pointed out. "And why does it say police box on top?" "Here let me show you" the Doctor said. He began to paw at the key around his neck with his hoof, to no avail. "Are you alright Doctor?" Derpy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Of course, a new body's like a new house - takes a little time to settle in, that's all," said the Doctor, still trying to grasp his key with his new hoof. "Here Doctor, let me help," Derpy said as she lifted the key off his neck with ease and put it into the key hole in the door of the TARDIS. Derpy decided to ignore the Doctor's last comment and what it might have meant, and just wrote it off to his abnormality. "Thanks Derpy," the Doctor said, walking over to the door. He tried to grab the key with a hoof but quickly ran into the same trouble. So instead he pinned the key between his two front hoofs and turned it. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed triumphantly. The Doctor slowly pushed open the door and said "This Derpy, is how I get around the universe. I give you the TARDIS." The door swung open reviling a large foyer beyond the wooden door, a room that was far to big and shouldn't logically fit inside the small, square box. Derpy was instantly dazzled by the light, the warmth, the life (albeit alien life) that permeated this huge room with all its indented walls and the strange device in the center with all its switches and levers and dials. The Doctor just smiled at Derpy's moment of awestruck silence. "It's" Derpy began. "Yes?" asked the Doctor. "It's bigger on the inside," Derpy said in awe. "Oh I love that part" the Doctor said to no pony in particular. Derpy was flying around the outside of the box for a moment before going inside to make sure it wasn't an illusion. "It's called a TARDIS. It stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space" said the Doctor. "That isn't a real word" Derpy accused. "Yes it is. TARDIS' is a ... is a Gaelic word." said the Doctor defensively. "A what?" Derpy asked. "It grows on my home planet of Gallifrey," he told her. "Where is Gallopfrey?" asked Derpy. "What?" asked the Doctor, not sure if he had heard her right. "Where is it, is it near Fillydelphia, or how about Baltimare?" "Fillydelphia? Baltimare?" said the doctor, confused at first but quickly started to giggle uncontrollably. "What's so funny?" asked Derpy. "Oh it's nothing Derpy, don't worry about it" the Doctor said as he tried to stifle his laughter. "You sure are a strange pony Doctor," Derpy said as she continued to look around. Once the Doctor's giggles had subsided he turned to Derpy, watching her look around every corner, trying to figure it all out. "This is an interesting trick and all Doctor, but I seriously doubt this will actually travel through time," Derpy said, turning to face the Doctor. "Oh yeah? Watch this" the Doctor told her as he closed the TARDIS' doors and trotted over to the center console. After the Doctor had finished flipping a few switches, and pulling a large lever there was a loud sound. The sound was unique to any sound Derpy had ever heard, and after a few moments it stopped, and the Doctor lifted the lever back to it's original position. "Look outside," said the Doctor. He had set it about twelve hours ahead so it would be morning when she opened the doors. Derpy trotted over to the doors they had entered from. Derpy didn't believe anything the Doctor was saying, even if his box was bigger in the inside, time travel wasn't even possible. As Derpy prepared to open the door, the Doctor came up behind her and said aloud to nopony in particular "Allons-y." "What?" asked Derpy. "It's a French. It means let's go" he told Derpy. Derpy nodded, giving the Doctor a strange look, and pulling on the doors before running out to greet the world. The first thing they noticed was the blinding white light of the morning sun. The second thing the Doctor noticed was the fourteen white stallions in full barding, each wielding either a spear or a sword. A few moments passed, and the Doctor realized they were standing on a marble floor, the ceiling high above them. The light hitting The Doctor and Derpy in the face came from one of the tall clear windows in the granite walls. "Oh hello there gents. Don't mind us, we are just passing through and-" "Doctor," Derpy said, nudging the Doctors sides one of her wings. "One moment Derpy, I'm just explaining to these fine men what we are doing here." "But Doctor, look." The Doctor turned around to see they weren't just in a large room. They were in a throne room. And on the throne sat a pony who towered above the rest. With a snow white coat and what seemed to be an ethereal mane the Doctor figured this was the pony in charge. "Why hello there. I'm guessing from the big crown thingy on your head you're in charge." "Doctor, that's princess Celestia" Derpy hastily whispered to the Doctor. The Doctor turned to Derpy to see her kneeling down. Then came a voice that was louder than anything the Doctor had ever heard in his long life. "WHO ART THOU TO COME INTO OUR THRONE ROOM UNANNOUNCED?" The Doctor rubbed his ears in pain briefly before saying to himself "I guess the term 'inside voices' doesn't hold any meaning here." Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 1There was a certain dampness in the air. Cold cobblestone walls enclosing them on three sides. The fourth wall was nothing but a row of two inch steel bars connecting the top to bottom. There was a steel bar door allowing the only entrance between the cell the Doctor and Derpy now found themselves in. The Doctor turned to Derpy, who had been silently staring at the back wall of their small cage for the last thirty minutes. “Derpy, I’m sorry.” “Sorry for what? For disrespecting the princess or for getting us thrown in the Canterlot dungeon” “Well both, I guess. But to be fair it’s not entirely my fault” the Doctor. Derpy turned her gaze away from the cobblestone wall and looked over at the Doctor. “You asked the princess where the queen is and when she just stared you just asked where her mommy was!” “You said princess and I assumed there was a queen. That’s a fair assumption” the Doctor said defensively. “She was sitting on a throne!” “I’m just saying it could have happened to anyone.” “You mean anypony?” Derpy asked. “Sure. But we need to figure a way out of this right now, and bickering will not solve any of our problem.” “You’re right Doctor. So what’s the plan?” “Well first let’s think about what we know” the Doctor told Derpy. “Alrighty then. What do we know Doctor.” “I don’t know, I was kind of hopping you could tell me, this world is new to me, and it is your countries history.” "Well I do know that if you keep calling yourself the Doctor it will only raise questions. You need a code name Doctor," Derpy suggested. "This is true. I usually go my John Smith when I have to." "That's a weird name Doctor, how about a more pony name. Like Time Turner. Since you have an hourglass Cutie Mark, and you keep saying you're a time traveler. It could be a fun inside joke between you and all your friends" Derpy offered with a smile. "Time Turner huh?" The Doctor said, rubbing his hoof on his chin, pretending that he was deep in thought. "You know what Miss Derpy, I rather think it's brilliant. Better, it's cool." Derpy Hooves and the Doctor exchanged smiles for a brief moment despite the fact that they were imprisoned. “So we really traveled back in time, huh Doctor?” “I’m afraid so Derpy. And without the TARDIS we aren't going anywhere.” “Well we must be really far back if princess Celestia is using her Royal Canterlot Voice.” “Is that what that was? I swear she nearly rupture my eardrums, and these are new!” complained the Doctor, rubbing his temples to help clear his head of the memory of the booming voice of the princess. Just then a four dark gray ponies, all with deep blue manes of similar length came into sight. They seemed to all be pegasus ponies but the wings seemed almost bat in nature. The metal plates on their armor rattled as they approached the bars of their prison. The one if front was the only one who spoke, and all four kept their eyes on the duo. When he spoke his voice was rough and harsh, “Princess Luna and Princess Celestia have requested your presence to explain whom you are and what your business is.” “Do we have a choice?” Asked the Doctor. “No.” The bat-pony guard’s response was curt. “Now stand against the opposite wall as I unlock this door so we can be on our way. The Doctor and Derpy complied and soon were on their way to meet with the two rulers of the land. The group of ponies remained silent throughout the entire walk towards the throne room. Derpy kept taking glances over at the Doctor, who seemed just as perky as he had been during the day they spent together in Ponyville. Finally, they reached the two well constructed and imposing doors of the royal throne room. Two of the bat ponies moved forwards and opened the doors as the other two ushered Derpy and the Doctor into the familiar room now devoid of a TARDIS in the middle of the magnificent marble floor. The Doctor leaned over to Derpy and whispered “Right then, allons-y.” The Doctor and Derpy approached the two sisters, and once they were about ten yards away Derpy knelt to the pony royalty yet again, and this time, so did the Doctor. RISE SUBJECTS! the booming voice was just as loud yet different this time. The Doctor's larger pony ears fell flat against his head, and he looked up to see whom he assumed was princess Luna sitting beside the large golden throne Celestia sat in. The Doctor rose to his full standing position, and Derpy did the same. "Hey listen. I know there is probably a reason you keep shouting and all but perhaps if you could just keep it down to a low holler then maybe I'll walk away from this place without the need of a hearing aid," The Doctor told the moon princess. "WE SPEAK TO EVERY COMMONER IN THIS TONE AND THIS MUCH SPEAKING VOLUME MUST BE USED" "What if I told you I wasn't a commoner?" Asked the Doctor. Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Then we could speaketh to thou in a gentler tone, but tell us, doth thou hath proof of thine nobility?" "Actually it just so happens I am Time Turner. Lord of all things timey wimey in the far off and distant land of Gallopfrey!" The Doctor announced. "But doesn't far off and distant mean the same thing?" Asked Derpy, now entirely lost as to what the Doctor was doing. "And this is my fair hoof maiden Miss Derpy Hooves" The Doctor said gesturing towards Derpy, completely ignoring her previous statement. Celestia turned to the bat-ponies and motioned for them to leave. The bat-ponies stood their ground. Celestia was about to stand up and remind those guards whom she was when Luna raised her hoof in front of Celestia, looked her in the eye and said "Only we shall command our guard. You have no authority over my night." Her words were barely a whisper, but still they seemed to echo around the room. The Doctor fully expected Celestia to began to yell, and an argument to break out. But Celestia proved to the Doctor that he knows nothing about this world as well as it's rulers because rather than become angry or to cower and apologize Celestia simply nodded and allowed Luna her control. "LEAVE US NOW." Luna commanded. The four bat-ponies, as if finally uprooted from their place, all fell out of the room and closed the doors behind them. Leaving only Equestria's rulers, the Doctor, and one particularly confused Derpy. "Let us start with introductions. We are Princess Celestia, princess of the sun and day. And this is our sister, Princess Luna. Princess of the moon and keeper of the night." "So it's not your claim to princess-hood that gives you total authority but rather you claim over those domains. Interesting, very interesting" the Doctor noted thoughtfully. "Thou seems to like to point out the obvious. Tell us Lord Time Turner, what exactly art thou doing here in Equestria?" Celestia inquired. Her voice steady and calm the entire time. Her cool gaze seeming to look right through the Doctor rather than at him. "Well we seemed to have been caught in extenuating circumstances. That blue box you moved, if you'd allow us to reunite with it we would happily be on our way" The Doctor said with a reassuring smile. Celestia and Luna exchanged a few thoughtful glances before turning towards the duo. This time, it was Luna who spoke up. "We shall bring you to where your box hath been moved to. Then you shall be on thine way, yes?" "Sounds like a deal, right Derpy?" the Doctor turned to look at Derpy and she just nodded. Still trying to take in the fact that time travel was not only possible but that she had spent nearly an hour in a dungeon in the distant past. It was a lot to take in all at once. But Derpy took comfort in knowing the Doctor seemed at ease. Princess Luna lead the Doctor and Derpy through the castle and into the Canterlot gardens. The gardens were lush greenery of life and energy that seemed to flow around all who entered them. Dozens of statues adorned the lawn, scattered about the small field. "So princess, I was sure we were about to see a stand off back in there." The Doctor mentioned nonchalantly. "Celestia means no ill will to us, but still we feel as if she is taking away what little we already have." "What little you have. Come now princess even you can't believe that. I mean the beauty of the night sky is unparalleled." Just then two foal could be heard off in the distance, a boy and a girl, yelling to each other words of caution for being out past sunset and the dangers of the night. Luna sighed. "We only wish more shared your feelings of our night." "You know princess. A very close friend of mine once told me that we are lucky we're alive to see this beautiful world. To see the magnificent night sky. That it's not dark and black and without character. He said that the black is, in fact, deep blue and mixed into it all some lighter hues of blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the winds swirling through the air. That shining, burning, bursting through it all were the stars. He asked me if I could see how they roll their light? And looking up now princess, I can." Derpy looked up at the night sky. She had never noticed it before, but the Doctor was right. It was uniquely beautiful. And maybe it would clear princess Luna of all her doubts. "Thou art correct Lord Time Turner. Perhaps it's time everypony saw that our night truly is worthy of their time. Thank you" Luna then stopped walking. Derpy and the Doctor stopped and looked back towards her. In the eyes of the moon princess, they saw a newfound determination. The sun was still setting, but the light wouldn't last another ten minutes and darkness was beginning to take over some of the minor details in the world around them, but that look in her eyes is one the Doctor has seen enough to recognize. "Thou shalt find thine box over by the exit of the gardens, just keep moving in this direction, and thou shalt surely reach it." and with that, Luna flew away. "Well now that was a bit odd, wasn't it? Guess you just can't rationalize royalty, so many traditions to uphold" the Doctor mussed as he continued to walk in the direction of his TARDIS. "Doctor, I have a bad feeling about all this. It all seems. I don't know, familiar somehow." Derpy cautioned. "Relax Derpy. We will sort everything out once we are back in the TARDIS" the Doctor told her. They only walked for another minute or so before the TARDIS was finally in sight. The Doctor ran over to that blue box and began to hug it's side. "Would you two like a minute alone," Derpy said with a giggle. "Oh hush up and get in" the Doctor told Derpy with a smile. Once they were back inside that magnificent ship with the TARDIS doors closed safely behind them Derpy sat down and looked the Doctor in his eyes. "Doctor, I think we are about in the time when Princess Luna became evil." "Princess Luna? How do you mean?" asked the Doctor. "Nightmare Night? The legend of Nightmare Moon? Oh come on, you know Doctor. Ponies celebrate it every year." The Doctor just shook his head and shrugged. "Oh hang on Derpy, I think I have an idea" the Doctor began. The Doctor cleared his throat and said very clearly "Show me all historical records of the legend of Nightmare Moon." The screen hanging above the main center console turned on, and painting began to show like a slide show as a generic speaking voice spoke along with the slides. Once upon a time ... The Doctor leaned over to Derpy, who was now sitting next to him watching the slide show with him, "I like it already, it's like a Disney film." "Disney?" asked Derpy. "Oh never mind," said the Doctor. In the magical land of Equestria, There were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn. The younger brought out the moon to begin the night "Wait wait wait, hold on one moment" the Doctor called out. The slide show paused itself. "So when they said they were the princess' of the sun and moon they meant they literally had power over it?" it was more of a statement than a question. "Well yeah Doctor. What did you think they meant?" Asked Derpy. "I don't know. We'll talk about this later, let's just finish this thing first. Continue." With that, the slide show picked up where it had left off. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth But shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her. But the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness. Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. "Alright that's enough. We don't want to spoil anything now do we?" "Hey Doctor. How come you had that whole thing and never looked at it before?" Asked Derpy. "I didn't know it was there. The TARDIS has records of many things, and I can't always explain how she knows, but she does and I'm glad for it." "What else does it know?" "Well let's find out." the Doctor began clearing his throat yet again "Show me all visual records of my previous regenerations." The Doctor had been meaning to take a look at his previous forms since he landed in Equestria. Faces of ponies started to flip on a loop on the display screen. Eleven faces, the last one he assumed was his current form. "So that's what I look like" the Doctor muttered to himself. "I don't understand Doctor. Who are these ponies? And why are you with them?" "There was something about that story that seemed to be hinting at events that happened tonight." The Doctor told Derpy, changing the subject. "Doctor. I've had a bad feeling about this place since we got here." "Right, and I think I know why." "And why is that Doctor?" asked Derpy. "Because I think I may have motivated Princess Luna to act on her frustrations. We have to stay here until we sort out this mess." "What mess. How do you mean you 'motivated princess Luna to act on her frustrations?' " Asked Derpy. The Doctor then turned to face Derpy and said "I may have given her that push down the path she needed to become Nightmare Moon." Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 2Derpy Hooves walked out into the main console room of the TARDIS. The Doctor was right where he was when she had gone to bed that night, the only difference being now he was wearing what appeared to be a suit jacket. The Doctor recommended she get some sleep because they were about to have a face a particularly interesting challenge, though now Derpy wasn't sure the Doctor had taken his own advice. Now he just sat there, staring at a screen Derpy couldn't see from where she was, his mouth a straight line, his eyes focused on whatever it was he was looking at. Everything about his expression told Derpy he was focused, and Derpy didn't want to interrupt him but given the circumstances she didn’t have much of a choice. “Good Morning Doctor, what time is it?” she said with a smile. “And did you even sleep at all?” “Hmm? Oh hello Derpy, it’s a quarter till nine. Yes, I slept. I’m not a pony, I don’t need as much sleep as you do. But you’re awake now so you can help me” The Doctor began enthusiastically. “Help you to stop Nightmare Moon, right?” “That is correct Derpy. And I already know what to do!” The Doctor announced. “Already, how can you have thought of something that quick?” inquired Derpy suspiciously. “I've been thinking inside the box!” “But Doctor, I thought the saying was to think outside the box?” Derpy informed the Doctor, giggling a little as she did so. “Nope, we think inside the box because it’s bigger in here” The Doctor told her playfully. “Speaking of which Doctor is there a word for that? For how this box is big and little at the same time?” “This box is dimensionally transcendental. Now, are you ready for what waits outside those doors, because if you aren’t you are more than able to wait here until it is safe?” The Doctor asked. His face growing more serious as he did so. Derpy was somepony the Doctor wanted to come away with him in the TARDIS, but she never actually agreed to go along with him, she just kind of got roped into this. The Doctor didn’t want Derpy to feel obligated because she wasn’t, but he silently hoped she would come along with him. Derpy looked the Doctor in the eye with a very serious face. She slowly made her way over to him, not saying a word. The Doctor kept a normal expression and waited patiently for whatever she was planning on saying. Derpy got about a yard away from the Doctor, leaned in and then, cracking the widest grin the Doctor has seen her make she said “Allons-y Doctor!” “Ha ha!” the Doctor exclaimed as he turned around and ran towards the exit of the TARDIS with Derpy right on his trail. The Doctor flung open the door and stepped out into the morning air. Only instead of being greeted by the warm rays of the sun the two were met with the darkness of night. "I thought you said it was almost nine Doctor" Derpy accused. "It is, but on the bright side it looks like we are on the right date," the Doctor offered optimistically. Derpy looked towards the Doctor and asked “so where do we start?” “Well I was thinking going back to the throne room is as good as any place.” “To talk with princess Celestia?” asked Derpy. “Might as well, see if she has any idea how to approach this problem.” “Alright then Doctor, lead the way,” Derpy said cheerfully. The two made their way through the large castle of Canterlot towards the throne room to speak with Celestia. Though the halls that were once quiet, dimly lit and empty were now brightly illuminated and loud with the busy movement of dozens of ponies in uniform barding. Almost immediately a few of the guard ponies dropped what they were doing and quickly had the Doctor and Derpy surrounded. The guard directly in front of them looked at the Doctor and said “You’re not supposed to be in here.” “Yes, we aren’t, but we seriously much need to speak with the princess. So if you would be ever so kind as to bring us to her we would appreciate it.” The Doctor replied. “As tempting as that is I think we’ll just throw you out” came one of the guards behind the Doctor. “You could do that, sure. But if you do you’ll never find out what this is,” the Doctor quickly pulled out what appeared to be a small length of brushed steel and raise it in the air. The guards all pulled out their swords while several “he’s armed,” and “it’s a dagger of some sort,” echoed up the hall, causing several other guards to stop working and look on towards the scene the Doctor and Derpy were making. “Oh you so wish. Derpy, cover your ears” the Doctor said with a smile as Derpy covered her ears. The Doctor made a quick movement of his hoof, causing the almost glass like tip of his device to illuminate a brilliant green and powerful sound that put Celestia’s royal Canterlot voice to shame. All the guards around the Doctor and Derpy fall drop their swords and knelt to the ground from the shock of the noise, letting out yelps of pain and surprise. The noise had continued for another six or seven seconds before the Doctor pulled his hoof out of the air, stopping the noise and sliding the loud device back into his coat. “Run Derpy!” The Doctor shouted. Derpy didn't know much about the Doctor, but what she did understand is that when he told you to do something, you did it. And there wasn't always time to question it. The Doctor had made off down the hall towards the throne room, and Derpy was as she had been throughout the entire, right behind the Doctor. She and the Doctor were weaving in between guard ponies and the clutter in the halls, causing more guards to begin to pursue them. The Doctor and Derpy finally made it to the impressive doors of the throne room. Only now there sat two guard ponies blocking their path. “I've got this Doctor,” Derpy called out as they got closer to the doors, and the two door guards stood up as dozens of guards behind them began to close the distance. Derpy hooves spread her wings and flew ahead of the Doctor and above the two guards and slammed her weight into the doors, causing them to burst open. The two guards turned around to stop Derpy and the Doctor shoved past them and into the throne room with Derpy. They had nowhere to run now and the guards had them surround. The Doctor was panting from the obstacle course he had just run through. After a brief moment, the Doctor turned to Derpy and gave her a reassuring grin “Well we made it to the throne room at least.” Derpy shook her head, still exhausted from the escaping they just did. ”ENOUGH!” the booming voice of Celestia causing the windows to vibrate. ”WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS. WHY ART THOU STILL HERE AND WHY HATH THOU FOUGHT THINE WAY TO OUR THRONE ROOM?!” “We want to help you, but we need to know exactly what is happening to do that?” the Doctor offered. Celestia raised an eyebrow before turning towards the large group of ponies by the door. ”LEAVE. GET BACK TO WORK PREPARING FOR THE TIMES TO COME!” Celestia commanded. The guards reluctantly obeyed, eyeing the Doctor and Derpy as they all left. Celestia turned her head to the guards beside her throne ”THOU AS WELL AND CLOSE THE DOORS ON THOU WAY OUT!” Celestia commanded. They obeyed and soon the three were left alone in the quiet throne room, a slight noise coming from beyond the large doors in the halls. “Now Lord Time Turner, who art thou to think thou could help us?” asked Celestia. “Yeah about that. My name isn’t Time Turner, it’s the Doctor. And I can help you because that’s what I do Princess. I help others.” “What doth thou mean, thy name is Doctor? Doctor who?” Celestia asked. The Doctor giggled a little before shaking his head and saying “no, no time, I need you to trust me. Now, what do you know?” Celestia sat thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Derpy. “What doth thou know of this stallion? How much doth thine trust of him go?” asked Celestia. The Doctor turned to Derpy and waited for her response. Derpy knelt before Celestia before standing back up and saying “Princess Celestia, I don’t know a lot about the Doctor, in fact, I barely known him a day” Derpy smiled a little at that. “But what I do know is that all he wants is to help. It seems to me that all he wants to do is help and, if we listen to him, he’ll do just that.” Celestia turned to the Doctor “Well we still don’t know whom thou is but given the circumstances we don’t have much choice.” “Good, now please, I have to know what is going on exactly” the Doctor pleaded. “Our sister has decided she will not make way for the light of day. She hath thrown the world out of balance, and worse, she hath lead her army of shadows into Equestria. We know not how much destruction she hath caused, but we fear war is imminent.” “Oh my,” Derpy said, a mixture of fear and worry in her voice. Sure all those guards getting ready had to have been getting ready for something but hearing out loud that Equestria is on the brink of war. Never in her life has Derpy ever thought of a war, and now she seemed to be looking it in the face. Everything had just gotten very real for Derpy, and she was afraid. The Doctor turned over to Derpy and saw the terrified expression and walked over to Derpy “are you all right Derpy? I can walk you back to the TARDIS is you want. You’ll be safe there, I promise you that.” The Doctor offered softly. Derpy took a deep breath in and in the exhale let out the word “no. No, I’m fine Doctor, just give me a minute.” “Of course” The Doctor said as he backed up and gave her a little space. He then turned to Princess Celestia and asked “Do you know where she is, your sister? Do you think there is any chance we could stop this before anypony gets hurt?” “It may be too late for that, but we may still be able to prevent any more damage from being done” Celestia offered. “Where is your sister ‘Tia? We need to answer that question first, maybe we can still talk some sense into her.” “Do not forget who thou speaketh to Doctor. We are a Princess of Equestria and we will be spoken to with respect.” Celestia’s stern voice told the Doctor that it may be a little early for nicknames, and he got the message. “Very well Princess, but do you know where we could find her?” Asked the Doctor. “We think she may be hiding herself away in the forest just to the south, at least that’s where her forces seem to be gathering around” Celestia told the Doctor. “But that’s the Everfree Forest,” Derpy said. “We have not heard that name before, Everyfree. Is that what the ponies of Equestria call it?” asked Celestia. "I get the feeling it is now," said the Doctor looking at Derpy then back at Celestia. “But whatever the case I think I know where we’re going next. Thank you Princess Celestia.” “Doctor, the way is dangerous and full of our sister’s forces, she will see thou coming a mile off.” “Don’t worry I know a way Princess” the Doctor told her with a smile. “We are going with you Doctor, she is our sister, and we need to talk with her. But, how art thou planning on getting past the gathering masses?” The Doctor smiled and turned to Celestia “Princess Celestia how would you like to go straight to your sister without her ever see us coming? And be there before your guards have time to ask where you've gone?” “We’d say thou were mad Doctor.” “Well maybe I am but it’s not a bad thing to be right now. Princess, Derpy, follow me!” The Doctor ordered as he trotted out the doors of Celestia’s throne room and out back into the gardens until he was right at the door of the TARDIS. Princess Celestia grabbed a small chest from her throne room and swiftly followed behind the Doctor and Derpy without saying a word, not yet entirely sure she could trust them. The Doctor turned around before opening the TARDIS and said “here it is Princess, our ticket to the, what did you call it Derpy? The Everfree?” “Yes Doctor, the Everfree Forest” Derpy confirmed. “Okay Doctor, you had our curiosity, now you have our attention. Explain” Celestia commanded. “Derpy, care to do the honors?” Asked the Doctor as he held out the key to the TARDIS. “Sure Doctor,” Derpy said as she lightly hovered over to him, grabbed the key and opened the TARDIS, then stepped back to allow Princess Celestia to take in what she was about to see. Celestia stepped forward and poked her head into the TARDIS. Then back out with a confused look on her face as she dropped the chest she had grabbed. She walked around the TARDIS and then back into the TARDIS, grabbing the chest on her way in. The Doctor turned his head to Derpy and winked. Celestia was in the center of the main room before she called out to the Doctor “Doctor, thou box. It’s bigger on the inside.” The Doctor mouthed the words as Celestia said them before calling back to her. “Is it? I hadn't noticed,” the Docter said nonchalantly. Derpy giggled, and the two walked into the TARDIS after Princess Celestia. "This must hath been enchanted by a very powerful magic indeed," Celestia said in awe, mostly to herself. “Sure you could call it that. Now hang on Princess because we are going to take a quick trip,” the Doctor said as he ran over to the center console of the TARDIS and began to adjust dials and levers. Derpy walked up behind the Doctor as princess Celestia continued to look around the inside of the TARDIS awestruck. “Doctor are you sure you can aim this thing in the right direction? The last time you said we were taking a quick trip we ended up almost one thousand years in the past” Derpy questioned. “Of course I’m sure Derpy, unless I’m not but I am so we are good.” “What?” asked Derpy “How can you be sure Doctor?” “Well that was her first flight after some major repairs she needed to be calibrated. And with a trip like that under her belt it’s a cake walk. That’s what I’m doing now, calibrating” The Doctor said with a smile as he cranked a wheel around in a circle. “Alright then Doctor,” Derpy said before stepping back to check on Celestia. “Princess Celestia, what do you think?” asked Derpy. “We do not understand who thou or the Doctor are or where thou comest from but perhaps we were right in trusting thou.” Celestia said. “Well I’m glad we can help Princess.” Derpy said with a smile. “Whom art thou Derpy, where doth thou come from to have such wonders in thine life?” Celestia inquired, looking towards Derpy, her face serious and demanding despite her pleasant tone. “Uhh” Derpy didn’t know what to say, what she could say. Derpy turned to the Doctor for support. The Doctor had looked up and gave Derpy an approving nod to let her know it was alright to tell her. Derpy breathed in, then out to collect her thoughts. “I am from the distant future. I don’t know about the Doctor, but this is his machine and I accidentally came here with him. We didn’t come here on purpose, it was a bit of an accident” Derpy explained to princess Celestia, not really thinking she’d believe her. “If thou art from the future then tell us, how doth this turn out? What happens to our sister?” “She couldn’t possibly know” the answer came from the Doctor as he continued to work, not looking up. “What?” asked Derpy. “History is in flux, and certain points can be changed, time itself can be rewritten” the Doctor explained. “Even if it is just small details maybe you can make certain events more pleasant for all involved, no matter how slightly they may be.” At that the Doctor stopped what he was doing and looked up “But if we tell you then it becomes fixed and you can’t change it, it wont matter how much you try.” Celestia nodded “we understand.” “Molto bene. Now let’s finish this thing,” the Doctor looked down at the console and pulled one final lever down, and the whole TARDIS suddenly began to shake violently and just as quickly as it started it stopped. The Doctor turned a monitor towards him and said “Good, I think we’ve hit the target dead center.” “Are you sure Doctor?” asked Derpy. “Absolutely, there can be no doubt this time” the Doctor said confidently. “Come on everypony, she’s waiting for us.” The Doctor ran over to the TARDIS door and flung them open. At first everything was black, but the shadows slowly began to recede to show a tall alicorn mare with a coat as black as the shadows that had only moments ago engulfed her. Her mane as ethereal as Celestia’s but a blue as deep as the night sky itself. On her body was well crafted and extravagant barding. There was no doubt, this is whom they were looking for. Celestia walked out to face her sister, the small chest on her back. The Doctor and Derpy walked out behind her and closed the doors behind them. “Ahh Celestia, we thought thou would come to face us. Though we didn’t expect thine way of travel to be so” she paused to think of the appropriate word she wanted to use “unique.” “Sister, please stop this, we doth not wish to harm you” Celestia pleaded. “We are no longer thine sister, call us Nightmare Moon for all shall feel what we are capable of.” “Listen to your sister, you can still stop this before any pony else gets hurt.” “No, we don’t think we will. In fact, we think we’ll let our shades take care of you.” Nightmare Moon turned her head to look somewhere behind her and nodded at the darkness. In that instant shadows from every possible direction engulfed them and the TARDIS. Then everything went black. Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 3"Shadows, actual shadows attacked us" Derpy was still dumbfounded. She, the Doctor, and princess Celestia had regained consciousness to find themselves chained to the cold cobblestone wall of a dungeon of sorts. There were no windows in their prison, but they didn't need one to know that the moon was probably still high in the sky. “It’s not that weird Derpy” the Doctor told her. “I mean they almost remind me of the Vashta Nerada.” “The Vashta what?” “The Vashta Nerada Derpy. They are carnivorous beings, the name roughly translates to the shadows that melt the flesh.” “Is that what attacked us Doctor?” Celestia asked. “Oh no, not at all. I mean probably not. The Vashta Nerada were known as the piranhas of the air, I couldn't image someone actually controlling them. Or even them showing restraint of any kind.” The Doctor said thoughtfully. “So if it had been them we’d be dead, is that what you’re saying Doctor?” asked Derpy. “Yup, so they are probably not them. But we need to get to Nightmare Moon, and soon. If only I could get to my sonic screwdriver I could get these locks undone no problem.” “No screwdriver could open these locks Doctor,” Celestia told the Doctor. “You’ve never seen my screwdriver.” “We mean there are no locks to pick. These chains are magically passcode protected. They shall only open if the correct words art spoken aloud near them.” “Oh,” the Doctor said, “is that all?” Celestia looked over at Derpy and raised an eyebrow in question. Derpy looked at Celestia and shrugged before turning her gaze to the Doctor to see what he was talking about. As if he knew what they were thinking, the Doctor began to talk. “You see from my experiences worded passcodes are always simple. They have to be if they want to remember them. I mean Ali Baba had ‘open sesame,’ or if you sound it out, ‘open says me.’ And just how do you think Moses parted the red sea? We just need to get inside her head and figure something out.” “Doctor I didn’t understand a word of what you just said, Ali Baba? Moses?” asked Derpy. “Not important Derpy, just know that all we need to do is start thinking like Nightmare Moon and we’ll be out in no time.” The Doctor said as he started nodding his head, then shaking it to clear his thoughts. “Grah! I am Nightmare Moon and I like evil things!” The Doctor yelled out. Nothing happened, and the Doctor began to look around, waiting. “Did you actually think that was the password Doctor?” asked Derpy. “Honestly no, but it was worth a shot.” The Doctor looked over at Celestia “She’s your sister, you try something. I know nothing about her besides she wants to rule the world and has an affinity for the night.” Celestia turned away from the Doctor and looked forward, deep in thought as to what her sister might have set the phrase to. “Alright you keep thinking then, Derpy help me” the Doctor said as he looked up towards the shackles that held his hoofs over his head. “Unlock, open, stop being locked. I got nothing.” Derpy looked at the Doctor then looked up at her chains just as he had done. “Please open? The Night is awesome. Umm, Nightmare Moon rules and Celestia drools?” at that Derpy’s shackles lit up in a bright light and then popped open, allowing Derpy to move her hoofs freely once again. The Doctor stared at her in disbelief. “How old is she? Twelve?” Derpy looked at Celestia, she had stopped thinking and just closed her eyes. Her face seemed completely calm and collected, but her left eyebrow was very visibly twitching. “Ah well, Nightmare Moon rules Celestia drools.” The Doctor said nonchalantly, and his chains opened just as Derpy’s had. The Doctor stepped away from the wall and looked at Celestia, her face unchanged. “Alright then, you say it, and we’ll be on our way. Celestia didn’t say anything. Just sitting there in silence. “Is that it then? Is this the type of leaders Equestria has? Sure, making that the pass phrase for the chains was petty but come on, can we just get a move on, there isn’t much time” The Doctor pleaded. Celestia looked up at the Doctor, and the Doctor and Derpy looked back at Celestia. “We won’t give her the satisfaction.” “Fine, be that way, but if you change your mind we’ll be saving your kingdom. Come on Derpy.” The Doctor walked out of the dungeon and into the labyrinth of stone that Nightmare Moon was resided in. They had been walking for almost ten minutes before Derpy broke the silence. “Doctor, are we lost?” “Of course we aren’t Derpy. Mazes have a flaw, an Achilles heel if you’d like” the Doctor told Derpy. “Who?” “Never mind that Derpy. Because the thing about mazes is that so long as you stay along the right wall, never deviating from it, you will find the exit of a maze. Sure you might back track a few places, but you will always find your way to the other side. And I’ve been leading us along the right wall this whole time. I reckon we should be near the end of it now” the Doctor informed Derpy. “Hey Doctor” Derpy began. “Why didn’t one of us just say the phrase for Celestia? I mean if she wouldn’t say it shouldn’t one of us have?” “Well yes Derpy, but you have to be within a certain distance to open them. That’s why when you said it the first time it didn’t open mine or hers. She is taller, and her chains were high enough that neither of us could have reached it.” Derpy gave the Doctor a quizzical look. “What?” the Doctor questioned defensively. Derpy nodded behind her and started to flap her wings gently, it was not enough to get her off the ground, but it drew focus to them. “Oh. Right you can fly” the Doctor said, a light blush of embarrassment starting to cover his face as he looked away. Derpy stopped moving her wings then looked at the Doctor. “Yes, I can fly. You know Doctor for a pony as smart as you are you can be very slow.” “Oh that’s me in a nutshell Derpy, but to be fair I’m still not used to the whole Pegasi thing. I mean you were the first Pegasus I’d ever seen until then, I didn’t know you were real.” “What does that even mean Doctor? What are you talking about, how have you never seen a Pegasus until me?” The Doctor looked back towards Derpy then forwards again, trying to collect his thoughts. “I’m not entirely sure I understand everything myself Derpy. But I plan to change that. As soon as we are finished up here I will find out exactly what happened and why I’m here.” “Is that what you usually do Doctor? Just keep calm, no matter what you come across, no matter how insane things get, you just keep calm and carry on to your next adventure like it was nothing?” “Pretty much, yeah. But it isn’t all bad. I mean it’s good exercise, and I meet loads of brilliant individuals like you Derpy,” the Doctor gave her a small smile as he said this. Derpy looked away, a blushing slightly. Here we are Derpy, the end of the maze. Derpy looked forward now and just as the Doctor has said. She could see some sort of light at the end of the passageway they were now in. The Doctor looked, and Derpy asked “are you ready for this?” Derpy gave the Doctor a sly smile, leaned in and said “allons-y Doctor.” The Doctor shot Derpy back a goofy grin before saying back “allons-y Derpy.” The two ran for the exit and into the unknown light. Once there they found themselves in a large room that somewhat resembled the layout of the throne room in Canterlot save for the actual throne and the materials. Where Canterlot’s throne room seemed to have extravagant marble this place seemed to be made entirely of stone. Where the throne would be there instead was a large window with a slightly elevated platform of stone, out the window could be seen the vast forest, as well as the mountain that the City of Canterlot hung from, and in the corner of the room sat the Doctor's TARDIS. Sitting in front of this window was Nightmare Moon and four shadow like creatures around her. They were different from the shades that had earlier engulfed them, these shades seemed to have at least some sort of definable form and two visible eyes that the Doctor could see. ”Where is our sister? We expected she would be with thou.” asked Nightmare Moon, turning around to face the Doctor and Derpy. “She’s taken a different route, she’ll be around to assist us momentarily, and you have no idea where she’ll come from” the Doctor told Nightmare Moon in a matter of fact tone. The four shades floated into the air and started circling the ceiling, watching the Doctor and Derpy, Derpy crouched down to hide behind the Doctor in fear of Nightmare Moon's creatures. “Is that so?” asked Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon’s horn began to glow blue and in a sudden flash of light Princess Celestia was on the ground in between Nightmare Moon and the Doctor and Derpy. “How …?” the Doctor began. ”It would seem our sister was right where we left her” Nightmare Moon calmly said. “Really Celestia?” called out the Doctor. Celestia slowly got to her hoofs and stood before her sister, staring Nightmare Moon in her cold eyes. ”Look Celestia, out that window. Our army of shadows have gathered, and in less than an hour Canterlot will be ours. In a day all of Equestria. In a week, the world!” Nightmare Moon began to laugh maniacally. Celestia kept her face serious and looked back towards Nightmare Moon. “Thou shall not get away with this. We will stop you” Celestia told Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon laughed again. “How would thou do that? With the Elements of Harmony? We possess three of the six thou needs, did thou really think that would work?” Nightmare Moon asked mockingly. “Here take them, they will never work anyway.” Nightmare Moon’s horn began to glow again and pulled a box from the side of the room and tossed it at Celestia’s hoofs. Celestia kept her gaze on her sister. “Excuse me but I have a few questions.” All eyes in the room turned to look at the Doctor after his sudden outburst. “Now am I the only one curious about those shadow things that attacked us?” the Doctor asked aloud to nopony in particular. “Why don’t you tell us about them?” Nightmare Moon smiled and took a few steps in the Doctor’s and Derpy’s direction. “They are only one of a few types of creature that has pledged their loyalty to us Lord Time Turner.” “His name is the Doctor” Derpy shot at Nightmare Moon. The Doctor looked over a Derpy briefly then turned back to Nightmare Moon and just nodded his head and gave her a slight shrug. “Fine then, Doctor Time Turner” Nightmare Moon said with an eye roll. “Actually if you don’t mind it’s just the Doctor. Now about these creatures you command.” “Between our shades circling over thine heads and the Vashta Nerada there is no amount of information that could help thou. And we are in no rush, now tell us Doctor. What doth thou wish to know?” “I’m sorry, but you just said Vashta Nerada? How could that possibly be, they would never listen long enough to make any sort of deal” the Doctor inquired. “When one has the power to grant them eternal darkness and give them entire free range of the planet they can be quite reasonable.” Nightmare Moon was smiling again. Her confidence seeming to resonate from her. “That doesn’t make any sense!” the Doctor accused. “Where are they now?!” “We sent them on their way. They were on their way out when thou had showed up. We suspect they are clearing the populations of Equestria’s cities as we speak” a light smile formed on Nightmare Moons lips. “You what?” asked the Doctor, his tone now grave and extremely serious. “Image it Doctor. Soon the world will be ours, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!” Nightmare Moon then flew up into the air, her horn glowing once again. The Doctor ran towards her, but by the time he had reached her, there was a bright flash of light and she was gone, along with the shades that had been circling over their heads the whole time. “What?! Where’s she gone to?” Demanded the Doctor. “Doctor, look.” Celestia pointed out the large window, and the Doctor ran over to the window. Over the forest was a prominent darkness that seemed to be drowning the Everfree Forest itself. Not the Vashta Nerada but rather those strange black figured even the Doctor didn’t recognize. Above them, all was Nightmare Moon, hovering over them all as their leader. She was far off yet close enough that the Doctor noticed her turn her head and wink in their direction. “We have to stop her. Now.” The Doctor said with divinity. “But how would we do that Doctor?” asked Derpy. “I don’t know Derpy. I just don’t know.” “Doctor” Celestia began. “We still have the Elements of Harmony. Our sister thinks we will be unable to use them because she once wielded three of the six elements. However she is in such great imbalance that the elements no longer cling to her. We can end this, we can end her.” “Celestia, I caught what she said, when she referred to me and Derpy as mortals. That would mean that you two aren’t and if that’s true then please listen to this little bit of advice before you do what you have to.” The Doctor looked at Celestia, and after she gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement the Doctor continued. “There has been enough death today already. She is lost and confused and right now she’ll need some kindness. Some compassion. Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that immortality is lonely. Send her away, lock her up but believe me when I say that if you kill her you will spend the rest of time wishing you hadn’t. And when she returns because they always do, no matter how perfect the prison, you will need to be wise. For the sake of Equestria, as well as the sake of your sister, be wise. And be ready to forgive. Because what’s the point of it all if you can’t learn to forgive every once in a while.” As the Doctor spoke, Celestia listened to every word that left the Doctor’s mouth. She had no idea whom this Doctor was or why he was here, but he was right, and Celestia knew it. The Doctor was wise, and though Celestia was smart and she was clever, she had not yet experienced the kind of trials that allow wisdom to develop. Celestia loved her sister, but Nightmare Moon had to be stopped. But maybe the Doctor was right, maybe there was another way. Celestia took a deep breath and nodded as the Doctor finished. “Celestia, when the time comes, be understanding and be prepared to open your heart. That’s all I have to say” the Doctor took a few steps back and sat down. Celestia looked down at the small chest and then back towards the Doctor. “Thank you Doctor. But we must put an end to this. If locking her up doesn’t stop this now, at least for a while, then we will do what we must.” When Celestia spoke her voice was unusually quiet and sullen. The Doctor could have sworn he saw a tear escape the corner of her eye, but before he could actually see anything there was a flash of light and Derpy, the Doctor, and the TARDIS were in the empty throne room at Canterlot. “I hope she does the right thing” the Doctor said to himself. “I’m sure she will Doctor. Would you like to know how that old legend ended?” offered Derpy. “Might as well, now that we’ve come to the conclusion one way or another.” Derpy cleared her throat before speaking. “Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the power of the most powerful magic known to ponydom: The Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently in the moon. And the elder sister took responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.” “Well hopefully that’s how it plays out. Though I’m curious. If this is a thousand years ago for you, does Nightmare Moon get out in that time? And if she did, what happened?” asked the Doctor. “Yes but six regular ponies claim the Elements of Harmony and turn her good again. Princess Luna was actually in Canterlot living with Celestia in the castle when I left.” The Doctor nodded his head “good, good.” “So what do we do now Doctor?” Asked Derpy. “Now we wait for either Celestia to walk through those doors, or for Nightmare Moon to.” It was only about an hour before the doors to the throne room opened, and Celestia walked in. The Doctor and Derpy had already guessed Celestia had won as the sun had started to rise about ten minutes before Celestia showed up. The Doctor didn’t have to ask to know that Nightmare Moon had been spared, he could see it in Celestia’s eyes. There was sadness in them but also hope, and the Doctor knew hope when he saw it. “How are you doing Princess?” Asked Derpy. “We shall be fine. And hopefully, one day, so will our sister.” “Oh I wouldn’t worry about that. I’m sure it’ll all work out for the best” the Doctor said in a cheer filled tone and a warm smile. Celestia looked over at the Doctor and his comforting smile and gave him a weak smile back. “We thank you Doctor. But, what will we do about the Shadows that invaded the local towns?” Celestia asked. “My recommendation, start raising the sun an hour earlier from now on. The Vashta Nerada live in trees, and if you create more hours of light then they won’t be able to travel back to the Everyfree Forest as fast. Some will make it back, but maybe you can starve a few of them out.” “But won’t that create an imbalance Doctor? We mean the world required stability and that may cause unforeseen issues.” “Just pull the sun back an hour then. And every few months switch between more daylight and less daylight. Trust me, it’ll balance out.” “Very well Doctor. Now there is the matter of thou and thine companions reward. There is to be a ceremony in thou honor later today. We hope thou will stay for it.” Celestia said, looking between the Doctor and Derpy. “Actually we need to be on our way, more to see and more to do. Our work is never done. But tell you what Celestia, I suspect this won’t be the last we see of you.” The Doctor gave Celestia a smile, nodded a goodbye and then walked out of Celestia’s throne room with Derpy and made their way back to the TARDIS. The Doctor walked over to the console, flipped a few switches and pulled a big lever, and there was that noise that Derpy was starting to love. Moments later the noise stopped, and the Doctor walked over to the doors and flung them open. “Come on Derpy, we’re back.” “Uh Doctor” Derpy began, visibly trying not to laugh, and failing. “What is it?” asked the Doctor as he turned around to look outside the TARDIS doors only to see a particularly annoyed and very confused, but mostly angry looking Roseluck standing on what appeared to be topsoil. “I see” the Doctor said as he slammed the doors of his TARDIS. “Let’s try that again, shall we?” asked the Doctor. “Yes, let's,” Derpy replied. The Doctor made a few adjustments and put the TARDIS in flight. Again the Doctor ran over to the doors and opened them. This time Derpy walked out without giggling at the scene and the Doctor followed. “We are in the White Tale Woods.” Derpy announced. “Is that a bad thing? There aren’t any sort of creatures hiding away in here are there?” Asked the Doctor as he started looking around. “I guess this is good bye, huh Doctor?” asked Derpy, looking down and pawing at the dirt trail below them. “It doesn’t have to be Derpy. If you want, you can come with me. I don’t know this world at all,, and I could use somepony like you watching out for me. So what do you say?” Asked the Doctor. Derpy looked up at the Doctor, “is every day like that for you Doctor?” “Well not every day but I’d be lying if I said it was always safe.” The Doctor kept looking at Derpy, waiting for her response. “It was completely terrifying Doctor. Really I have never been more scared in my entire life and yet, it was so, very exciting.” Derpy told the Doctor, now looking him back in his eyes. “And I would love to come with you Doctor.” “Great, then we better get started. Back in the TARDIS!” the Doctor shouted as they both ran back into the console room and he started fiddling with the main console once again. “I’ll let you pick the next destination Derpy but after that it's my turn and I know exactly where we are going because I need answers Derpy, and you’re going to help me find them.” Derpy looked at the Doctor and with a smile on her face said “allons-y Doctor” The Doctor smiled back as he flipped one final switch and the TARDIS dematerialized. A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 2A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 2 Doctor Rain Step and the Doctor trotted into the meal place. Unlike the rest of the caverns the Doctor had seen this room was more of a grand hall. The walls made of granite rather than dirt. Great stone pillars held the ceiling in place. Packed earth still served as long tables for the slaves to eat. In the far corner from the entrance there was a half dozen heavily armored diamond dogs curtly handing out child sized wooden bowls of hay, which had somehow acquired a greyish quality, to the mass of ponies that occupied the hall who had yet to grab their serving as they filed past the hulking canine, and even though their stomachs rumbled, they were as enthusiastic as slaughterhouse pigs. The Doctor began to look around for a familiar fair haired mare that had become his companion. Rain Step turned to the Doctor and asked "Spartacus, what does your friend look like? I might be able to lend assistance if I knew who I was looking for." "Right, well. She is a light grey pegasus mare with blonde hair," the Doctor answered, not turning away from surveying the large room. Doctor Rain Step began to look around too. After a few minutes of not being able to find Derpy Rain Step cleared his throat to get the Doctor's attention. "Perhaps we should eat before they stop serving and continue our search afterwards. They'll leave soon and the next meal isn't for another 9 hours." The Doctor nodded at first then threw a quizzical expression at Doctor Rain Step. "twelve hours? That's a weird time for a meal, isn't it?" "I suppose so. I believe it's due to the rotation our captures have. The diamond dogs rotate standing guard every twelve hours. Frankly I can't tell them apart but I see them switching out, at noon and midnight, like clockwork." "Hmm, very observant," the Doctor complemented as he rubbed his chin, pondering that fact for a moment. "Come on then Spartacus, let's eat quickly so we might find your friend." "Agreed." The two had grabbed the small portion of food and now sat across from each other. Doctor Rain Step had begun to hurriedly eat his food, not wanting to have time to properly taste it. The Doctor, however, had taken one bite and had spent the last minute or so just staring down at the bowl. "It even has a greying taste to it," the Doctor muttered more to himself than to Rain Step. "Are you sure there is no other food around, I'm pretty sure some of this is mold." "I'm sure, everypony just suffers through it really and most end up alright," Rain Step told him. "As for the mold goes you're probably right, they keep weeks worth of hay stockpiled in a few different rooms and they take out the older food first and with the portions they give out the hay is always too old by they time they get to it." "Stockpiles of hay?" The Doctor asked. "Yes ... why? What are you thinking?" asked Rain Step. The Doctor answered with a mischievous smile and another question "How quickly do you think you could gather together a dozen or two strong ponies willing to give us a han--hoof?" "Uh, I dunno. Most likely within the hour. Most everypony is in this room eating right now. Why?" "I have an idea." "Okay, so you know your part Doctor Rain Step, are you sure you're up for this?" "Spartacus, I'm not a colt anymore but there is life in this old horse yet. I'm sure I could fly faster than a diamond dog can run, besides it is only one guard," Doctor Rain Step answered confidently. "Right, you lot, you ready for this?" "Of course Spartacus. And rest assured everypony we distribute to will know it came from you" answered a pastel blue unicorn buck with a rich green mane. "Thank you all. Now, let's get this party started." Rain Step walked around the corner with the two now empty child sized wooden bowls that he and the Doctor had been eating from earlier. A moment later and the sound dull thud of wood on steel as Rain Step threw the two bowls at the diamond dog. The next instant was filled with the sound of heavy paws on dirt and the clanking of the diamond dogs metal armor hitting itself in various places began to echo down the hall as the sound slowly faded into the distance. "Right. That's our cue," said the Doctor as he rounded the corner. Rain Step had managed to help the Doctor recruit seventeen ponies in all. And each of them had a small cart in tow behind them. "Now you all know your routes, be sure that as many ponies get fresh food as possible but if you see diamond dogs don't be afraid to drop the cart and run if it's going to be the difference in getting away or getting caught. If you are taken I cannot guarantee your safety. You all understand this?" The group standing before the Doctor nodded and they began to load up every cart with as much fresh hay as possible, each pony leaving as soon as their individual cart was filled until only the Doctor remained. The Doctor sat by himself in Doctor Rain Step's admittedly cozy office behind the mound of packed earth that served as his desk. The Doctor had waited for all of forty minutes before Rain Step finally returned to their designated rendezvous. "You're late doc, I was begging to worry," the Doctor told Rain Step. "Yes well I got a tad sidetracked. But I do believe it was worth it Spartacus," said Rain Step as he trotted his way over to the desk the Doctor sat behind. "Oh, how so?" "I managed to find out where your friend is. Shall we go see her?" The Doctor was already walking towards the exit and Rain Step followed the Doctor out the door. "Right then, come on Spartacus. This way." Rain Step said as he began to walk down one of the many corridors. The Doctor followed behind. "So is the word spreading well enough?" asked the Doctor. "Oh yes sir. That was just the kind of stupid and reckless thing needed to get you noticed. It seems there isn't a single pony that can stop talking about you, even if it is just in hushed whispers," Rain Step informed him. "Now, let me ask you something Spartacus." "Certainly." "No pony, save for the hoof full that helped us out, knows what you look like. How exactly are you going to get the lot of them to know exactly who you are?" "Oh I have a plan, which is rare for me. Well alright it's not so much a plan as it is a gamble but if the diamond dogs react the way I think they will then it shouldn't be too hard to do," the Doctor told Rain Step. "Now about my companion, why didn't she come back with you?" "Well it's mostly hearsay but from what I managed to gather it seems she had tried to fly out and was captured again. And if you get captured while trying to escape they lock you up. There is a room up this hall, just a ways further, where I believe they are keeping your friend." The Doctor slowed his pace slightly and asked "wont there be a guard dog there? Should we be going in with something?" "No no, I assure you Spartacus that the diamond dogs believe that nopony will be able to get out of the prison they have their. And they'd be right for the most part but I get the feeling you wont be deterred by a locked door." "Not usually, though I'm missing the tool I need to get through it easily." "Is that what you were rooting your jacket for earlier?" "Yes, it is. No matter, how much further?" asked the Doctor. "Right around this corner." As the two stallions rounded the corner they found themselves in a circular room with an iron door on the wall, each spaced about two to three feet apart. The Doctor looked around briefly then called out "Derpy, you in here?" "Doctor?" came the familiar voice the Doctor had been hoping to hear. Before the Doctor could reply the face of the soft grey coated mare was at the window on one of the doors calling out again. "Doctor I'm right here." "Derpy! Let's see if we can get you out of there." "I'm sorry, did she just say you were a doctor Spartacus?" asked Rain Step. "Spartacus?" asked Derpy. The Doctor smiled at Derpy slightly and just shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me you had medical experience?" "I'm not that kind of doctor," responded the Doctor "Ah, a man of science. That makes more sense," Rain Step said with a nod of understanding. Derpy looked at the Doctor. Confusion emanating from her. "I'll explain later, but for now you wouldn't happen to have my sonic screwdriver on you?" The Doctor asked Derpy. Derpy answered the Doctor with a deadpanned stare. "Now there is no need for that Derpy, it was simply a question." "If I did have your sonic screwdriver do you think I would still be in here?" "Fair enough. But I don't have the sonic with me so we'll have to bust you out the old fashioned way." Derpy raised an eyebrow and asked "I didn't think you could pick locks Doctor." Rain Step cleared his throat, distracting the Doctor and Derpy from their conversation. "Or you could simply pull the bolts holding the door to it's hinges." "Right, we could do that." The Doctor then reached out to the side of the door and swiftly pull the two lengthy bolts from their positions. Derpy pushed the hinge side forward slighty as the Doctor pulled it sideways to move the lock out of it's place in the door frame. Once it was out enough that it wouldn't catch the door as it fell the Doctor backed away from it and said "Alright Derpy, go ahead and push the door over." Derpy put a forehoof on the door and gave it an easy push. The door gave way easily and hit the ground with a heavy thud, throwing a cloud of dust into the air. "Does it bother anypony else that it was that easy to open one of these things?" asked Derpy. "why would it bother me, if it wasn't that easy you'd still be trapped in there and I'd have to go off and find the guard with the key, probably do something incredibly clever to do so, and then make it all the way back over here. No thank you, I think prefer this," stated the Doctor. Derpy half smiled at the Doctor. Rain Step cleared his throat again. "You've been doing that a lot, you know that Rain Step. You're a doctor maybe it's worth checking that out yourself. Now Derpy, come one we should get out of here before we are noticed. And perhaps let's keep our heads down this time, just in case. That door did make a pretty loud sound." The Doctor, Rain Step and Derpy Hooves left the enclosed room and made their way to doctor Rain Step's office in silence. Once they were back they picked their conversation back up. "Derpy, you haven't happened to see the TARDIS since you've been back have you?" "No Doc- er ... I mean Spartacus," Derpy responded, risking a glance at Rain Step to see if he noticed her near slip. If he had he didn't show it. "If I may interrupt Spartacus, but, what is a TARDIS?" asked Rain Step. "Doctor Rain Step I haven't been entirely honest with you," the Doctor began. "Firstly my name isn't Spartacus, Spartacus is merely a," the Doctor trailed off, moving a hoof in a circular motion as if to stir up his thoughts as he searched for the word he was searching for. "Spartacus is merely a symbol. It's an idea for everypony to rally behind. It's better that they can't put a face to the name. My real name is the Doctor, yes just the Doctor. As for what the TARDIS is well simply put it's how me and Derpy here are going to leave this place. It's a big box, and it's a brilliant blue colour, you can't miss it." Rain Step seemed to ponder this for a moment before saying "So, you're name is just the Doctor?" "Well yes but you don't have to add the 'the' if you don't want to." "Well I- Hello there fella. Is there something the matter?" The Doctor turned around to see who Rain Step had began talking to and saw a hulking diamond dog in the door way. This one was much larger than the others and he couldn't properly fit through the small opening in the wall that served as the doorway into Doctor Rain Step's office. When the diamond dog spoke his deep voice seeped into the bones of the trio of ponies before him, "Master talk all po-nays now. You come." "Yes, we go. Po-nays follow diamond dog now," the Doctor said back. Derpy shoved the Docter slightly and whispered "don't antagonize the big muscle-y thing that hardly speaks. I think that's a good rule to have from now on. Because he doesn't use words to well so I have to assume he prefers a more physical solution to his problems." If the diamond dog understood the Doctor's insult or had heard Derpy's hushed chide he didn't show it. The diamond dog said "come now, follow" before walking away from the door and the trio followed and was greeted with another eight ponies. It didn't take long for the Doctor to realize they were being lead back into the familiar food hall. When they arrived however he noticed the packed dirt tables were gone and at the end that had once been the old hay serving station was not a large dirt stage. On top it were eleven diamond dogs and a pony that had been tied up with rope. Ten of the diamond dogs were the familiar bulky mass covered in iron armour but the eleventh was small and almost scrawny but the way he held himself made it evident that he was in charge. The pony was the familiar pastel blue unicorn that had helped him earlier that day Off stage was overcrowded to say the least. The mass of ponies made it unbearably hot and uncomfortable but no pony complained. No Pony even spoke a word. All sat in eerie silence as they waited for whatever was about to happen to begin. The Doctor gave Derpy a meaningful look, his brow furrowing deeply. After what seemed like hours the small diamond dog began to adress the crowd. When he spoke there were no breaks in his words or failure of enunciation. This diamond dog was clearly the brains to the rest of his army's brawn. "Ponies! It has come to my attention that one of my food stockpiles have been raided. And after I was so nice as to share it with all of you." There was a moment of silence as the leader of the diamond dogs assessed the crowd. "But no matter, for I have managed to apprehend the one that is to blame for this. The unicorn you see before you has admitted to conspiracy and treason to my kingdom. And I can't have that. So to prove a point you all will watch as he directs me to the traitor known as Spartacus. That is, unless you've decided to finally tell me." The unicorn buck remained silent. "Very well then, Spartacus I know you are in this very room and you can come forward and take the place of this poor soul, rest assured I will allow him pardon should he swear his loyalty to me. Or you can prove to every living being in this room what a coward you are and remain silent as this man suffers for following you. Your choice." The Doctor's jaw was clenched and after a brief second of silence he raised a hoof and proclaimed "I am Spartacus!" Derpy looked to the Doctor in shock and before the diamond dog leader could say anything Derpy shouted out "No he's not, I am Spartacus!" This was met with a confused whispers but a few seconds later Rain Step announced "No, I am Spartacus!" The trend continued until the entire room was claiming responsibility for what had happened. Everypony began to move towards the stage and the handful of diamond dog guards began to look worriedly between each other. The Doctor smiled slightly to himself as he noticed what no one else in the room had. The leader of the diamond dogs screamed "Enough! If that's how this is going to be then the unicorn buck will suffer regardless!" As the diamond dog turned around to face his captive he was met with only a pile of ropes. "Where did he go‽ All of you, where did he go‽" None of the diamond dog guards answered and the smaller diamond dog began to scream, rant and swear as the Doctor just smiled and said to himself "now this is going to be interesting." A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 3The Doctor, Derpy Hooves, doctor Rain Step, and the pastel blue unicorn buck with the rich green shaggy mane that hung down his face sat inside a familiar cozy office. The pale blue unicorn sat furthest away from the door so as to avoid being noticed should a diamond dog rear his or her head through the doorway. After ranting about how lucky everypony was that he wouldn't kill all his workers the diamond dog leader let them all go back to their scheduled work. "So, just so we're clear," the Doctor began. "Your name is Crimson Sunrise? But you're blue ... and your mane is really green" Crimson had incredible patients and this showed through because even after the nineteenth time asking he still responded with a smile and just as gently as the first time, "It's unusual I know, guess my parents really wanted my coat on the other end of the spectrum." "Doctor I think we've covered this enough, don't be rude," Derpy said, chiding the Doctor for the second time that day. "It's quite fine miss, I promise," Crimson said. "Besides he's helped us out so much just in the last twenty four hours that I'm just happy talking to the man." "I'm not worthy of your praise Crimson, not yet," the Doctor told him. "Not until I can get every slave out of here." "You really think you can do that Doctor?" Asked Rain Step. "If I can get to my TARDIS, yes. I think I have something in there that could possible give us the information that we need to win this." "You know my mother had a saying Doctor," Derpy said. "She used to say that 'if' is the most powerful word in the Equestrian language." The Doctor beamed a smiled at Derpy, one that she returned in kind. "That's exactly the reason we're going to win this Derpy. That winning attitude." "I'm sorry, but what is a TARDIS?" asked Crimson. Rain Step answered for the Doctor, "a big blue box." "Glass thing on top, says 'police' on the side?" asked Crimson again. "You've seen it then," the Doctor stated. "Yes, when the captured me they took me to the leader's throne room. It was serving as a back rest for his throne." "Well now that's just silly," Derpy said. "Derpy's right, I mean it's wood! Can't be terrible comfortable and it's also much too big for that tiny dog." "Well that's not what I meant Doctor. I was referring to the fact that there must be a million better uses for the TARDIS than a back rest." "Well now to be fair it depends on the craftsmen. I mean as long as whoever jury-rigged it together put forth their best effort and didn't cut corners then it should be fine. That's what the contractor for the pentagon did, cut corners. It was supposed to be an octagon. Oh well, c'est la vi right?" "You know what Doctor?" "What's that Derpy?" "The worse the situation gets, the worse your jokes get." "That wasn't a joke, the pentagon was designed by American architect George Bergstrom. His original plans were to make it an Octagon but the folks they got doing the actual leg work decided to make it go a little faster. Granted I'd be anxious to finish quickly too if my boss was a Voord. Blimey, not a catering bunch I'll tell you that right now." Before anypony in the room could attempt to make sense of what the Doctor had just said a charcoal-coated unicorn mare with streaks of color in her long white mane poked her head around the corner and said, "Sorry to interrupt but the name of Spartacus is being besmirch by the few slaves that actually look up the diamond dogs. Just, don't believe the rumors, whomever this Spartacus pony is, they are definitely here to help." With that the unicorn mare disappeared behind the wall of dirt again. "That was odd," stated Derpy. "This is what I mean Doctor. You bring everypony something they have not seen in a very long time. You think you have done nothing but really you have done the most important thing anypony could do. And that is give us hope," Crimson informed the Doctor. The Doctor pondered this for a moment before standing up and saying "Derpy, I think it's time we had a little talk with our slaver king. Don't you agree?" "What's the plan Doctor?" "That's the beauty of it my dear Derpy Hooves. I don't have one," the Doctor stated with a confident smile. Rain Step looked at the Doctor in shock, "but Doctor, no plan? The leader is a very dangerous diamond dog. Very clever and not too forgiving." "And that is exactly why I'm not going in with a plan. Something will almost definitely happen and I'll have to abandon the plan anyway. This way, since there is no plan not only will I not have to abandon anything but I'll have the element of surprise. He'll never expect it." "Are you sure about this Doctor?" asked Crimson. "Yes, just stay here with Rain Step and Derpy and I will have this sorted out my mid-morning tea." "Very well Doctor, I hope when I see you next it will be as a free stallion." "So do I Crimson, so do I." The Doctor and Derpy were making their way through the winding caverns of the mines. It had been almost an hour since they left Rain Step's office and almost twenty minutes since they'd last seen anyone else, pony or otherwise. And with still quite a bit of ways to walk if the instructions they received were accurate they decided that now is the best time they had to just talk. "Derpy, I want to apologize for getting you into this." "It's fine Doctor, I'm the one who wanted to come here in the first place. So really it's my fault." "No it's my fault, well the TARDIS' fault really. I mean the TARDIS doesn't always take me where I want to go but it most certainly always takes me where I need to go, she always knows where I'm needed. So it's a combination of fault between me and the TARDIS." "Did you just call the TARDIS a she?" Derpy asked, giggling a little. "Yes, me and her ran away together. She stole a Time Lord and I stole a TARDIS." "How do you mean you 'ran away together' I mean it's not as if the TARDIS can exactly talk," Derpy asked, still smiling. "Or can it?" Her smile faltered briefly at that as she pondered the thought. "Well without going into too much detail, the TARDIS is mine on a sort of finders, keepers basis." Derpy raised an eyebrow. "So you stole it?" "Well, maybe. I mean it's just been so long. The details are a tad fuzzy." "Really Doctor, it's been such a long time, what ten years? How old are you anyway?" Now the Doctor raised an eyebrow but added his own sly smile to it as well. "Guess." "I dunno, twenty three." "That's actually fairly close if you add two zeros." "Twenty three hundred?" Derpy asked in disbelief. "Alright now your just messing with me Doctor. I mean I know I said the same thing about the whole time travel stuff but there is no way on Earth that you can be that old. It's not possible, no pony is that old." "Except for Celestia and Luna," the Doctor added. Then the Doctor looked slightly downward and muttered mostly to himself "at least I think so. Hmm, I'm going to have to find out how old they are when we're done here." "Well that's different Doctor?" "Because they are alicorns?" "Yes Doctor, they aren't normal ponies like me or you." "I told you Derpy, don't you remember? I'm a Time Lord, we have quite a few tricks for cheating death, near agelessness is one of them." "Near agelessness? I don't follow." "I'm saying give me another eight hundred years or so with this face and I'll be needing a cane to walk from my bed to the kitchen in the morning." "So you really aren't a pony then?" "Eeyup. One hundred percent Time Lord here baby." Derpy face began to show small hints of pink with that comment but she didn't let up, "Can you prove you aren't a pony?" The Doctor had stopped walking now and had turned to fully face Derpy. Derpy stopped too and looked back at the Doctor, who had reached down and grabbed her by her hoofs and brought them both up to his chest and held them there as he looked Derpy in the eyes. Derpy's face had become more flush with the sudden hoof-holding but she didn't pull away. For a moment Derpy could only sit there. She could feel the Doctor's heard beat but more than that, she could feel both of them. Derpy Hooves was feeling a steady rhythm of four through her hoofs. Like a drum beat, four beats over and over. bum bum bum bum. It was a bit unsettling at first but she quickly became fond of the experience. The steady rhythm was calming and never without pause as each heart beat individually rather than in synchronization. As Derpy began to marvel at what she was feeling the Doctor began to speak. "I'm a Time Lord. I have two hearts and I am twenty three hundred and seventeen years old. I have many different abilities that is granted through my race, much like your ability to fly only my abilities are much less apparent. It's strange and it's complicated and I'll just need you to trust that a lot about me is impossible." Derpy nodded and lowered her hoofs. There was a moment of awkward silence before the two began walking again. After another minute had passed Derpy decided to break the silence. "So Doctor, is this how you've spent those two thousand years. Traveling time and space, kicking flank and saving innocent ponies?" "Mostly. I started my adventure when I was a spry two hundred year old." Derpy giggled at that. "A spry two hundred year old," she repeated. The Doctor smiled and nodded, "yes yes, I know how that must sound." "Doctor, I think we're here." The Doctor looked away from Derpy and focused on the double doorway blocked by two golden, gem encrusted doors. "These doors seem really out of place, don't they?" asked the Doctor. :"At least we know it's probably the right place," Derpy replied with a shrug. "Well no sense just standing here staring," the Doctor said as he trotted up to the door and gave it a few quick taps and called out "Hey it's Spartacus and his biggest conspirator! I'm the real Spartacus, we want to chat!" There was a brief moment of silence and the two doors slowly opened revealing an open room. The ceiling ascended out of the light and into the shadows, a pair of stalagmites rose up to meet a pair of stalactites on either side of the paved walkway that lead to the makeshift throne where the diamond dog leader sat. "Hello Spartacus," the diamond dog said. "It was very brave, albeit foolish, of you to seek me out like this." "I see. You're one of those boring maniacs who's going to gloat. Are you going to tell me your plan for running the world too?" asked the Doctor. Derpy leaned over to the Doctor and whispered "Doctor didn't we talk about you sassing people in power?" "Why does she call you Doctor?" asked the diamond dog. "Because Spartacus is nothing more than an idea. But that's irrelevant," the Doctor began, walking over towards the throne as he continued. "Because that back rest you got their is mine and I'd be liking it back no thank you." "That's not gonna work," Derpy muttered. "Are you threatening me pony?" "No, no I'm not. Because I don't make threats, but I do keep promises. And I promise you, I shall cause you more trouble than you bargain for if you don't return my property." "It's quite alright Spartacus I think I'll take my chances." "Doctor, why are there no guards in this room. Doesn't that seem a little strange?" "Yeah why is that Mr. diamond dog? And how did those doors open, wait, don't tell me. Remote control right? I can see the little button on your arm rest. Oh that is brilliant. But who is giving you this because you didn't come up with it on your own?" "It is actually one of my own inventions, thank you for noticing." "How is it that you are so mentally advanced while the other diamond dogs have the hardest time enunciating even simple words like 'pony?' And is that my sonic‽" The Doctor had noticed that his sonic screwdriver had been resting on the armrest with the button on it. Something he would have noticed sooner if it had been in one piece. "Is that what it's called. Strange, not the name I'd have given it," the diamond dog pondered that for a moment before snapping back to reality. "No matter, it's your item so here, fix it together and show me how it works and I'll consider letting you live." The diamond dog had grabbed the pieces and thrown them on the ground by the Doctor. The Doctor started to laugh but managed to contain himself. "As you wish." The diamond dog stared curiously at the Doctor during his little outburst but merely watched in silence and allowed him to work. All together it took the Doctor about a minute and half to piece all the tiny pieces together again. "I usually don't take that long but I'm used to doing that with more digits. The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the diamond dog and turned it on for a few seconds. Something that startled the diamond dog at first but he relaxed once he realized it was doing no damage. After the brief moment had passed the doctor brought the screwdriver up to his face and looked at the side, occasionally making knowingly mutters to himself. now the diamond dog was starting to get a little impatient. "Doctor what's going on?" asked Derpy. "It seems our friend here doesn't have an alien parasite in his head like I thought, and that's a big problem because I was really hoping it'd be as easy as removing a brain parasite." "Any plan yet?" The diamond dog cleared her throat to get the attention of the duo, "You are almost five feet from me, I can hear everything you are saying. In case you had forgotten." "Derpy, have you noticed a lot of people hear have been clearing their throats a lot?" "Yeah but that's been only as an attention grabber." "For the most part yeah, I just think it's kind of odd is all." "A coincidence I suppose." "Yes but you never want to ignore coincidence, unless your busy, then you always ignore coincidence." Another throat clear from the diamond dog cut their conversation off once again. "Perhaps we should focus," the Doctor suggested. "Yeah that's probably for the best," Derpy agreed. "How's that plan anyway?" "Already in progress." "That's enough! Both of you! I will not be ignored!" The Doctor chuckled a little at the outburst. "What's so funny‽" Demanded the diamond dog. The Doctor leaned over to Derpy and said, "there really is nothing cutie than an agree puppy." That had been the final thing that he could take, the diamond dog leapt from his throne and towards the ponies below. The Doctor had near simultaneously raised the sonic screwdriver and turned it on. Only instead the gentle sound of the alien device was amplified and it was directed right into the diamond dog's ear as he approached the Doctor and Derpy. The diamond dog collapsed to the ground, howling in pain. Derpy was doing her best to block the sound from her ears. The Doctor began to speak just loud enough to be heard as he kept the sound going. "Now here is what's going to happen. Every diamond dog will evacuate the mine, you can tell them what you wish but you will all leave. And the slaves shall remain here. Are we clear? Because if we aren't I can keep this up all day long." "Yes, yes you win we will leave, we will. Just stop it, please!" The Doctor and Derpy sat together in front of the Large throne as slaves ran around every part of the long series of caverns cheering. "You know Derpy, we are very lucky that we were up against dogs. That sensitive hearing was pretty much the only thing that won us the day. If it had been literally anything else I don't know what we would have done." "You would have figured something out Doctor, you always do." "Doctor," came the voice of the aged sage green pegasus. "Rain Step, there you are. I was beginning to think you weren't going to stop by and say goodbye," the Doctor said with a smile. "Of course I was going too, this room is just very far away from my office." "We're aware," Derpy told him. "Right, anyway I just wanted to wish you two luck in your travels. We'll never forget what you've done here today, Spartacus." "It was my pleasure Rain Step, sincerely it was. And don't worry about staying safe out here. I'll make sure Princess Celestia herself sends a regime out here to escort everypony back to their homes and families safely. She kind of owes me one." Rain Step chuckled, "if you say so Doctor." "Come on Derpy, lets go see what tomorrow has in store for us." "Or maybe yesterday," Derpy said, the smile on her lips evident in her voice. The two entered the TARDIS and the Doctor walked over to the center console. "Well Doctor, you said you wanted to see something. And it is your turn to pick where we're going so ... where are we going?" "We're going to see if I can't contact an old friend of mine." A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 1The Doctor ran around the spire in the center of the TARDIS’ main room, flipping seemingly random switches and hitting several buttons before stepping away from the console and towards Derpy. “So Derpy, where do you want to go?” Asked the Doctor. “Well I’ve always wanted to see what Equestria was like only a hundred years ago. Maybe see the start of Ponyville or something,” Derpy said, shrugging as she said the first thing that came to mind. “Well then let’s see us the start of a town,” the Doctor said, smiling as he turned back to the TARDIS. The Doctor stepped up to the console and moved a few more levers and turned some dials. Then, everything started to briefly shake then stop. The Doctor turned one of the overhanging monitors towards him and said “good,” as he gave himself a quick nod. “Are we here?” Asked Derpy. “Well we are on the right date, a Tuesday I think. Why don’t you take a look,” the Doctor offered, motioning towards the TARDIS exit. The Doctor and Derpy walked over the door and exited the TARDIS. The duo stepping into a glade. The open patch of forest seemed to be completely void of any plant life, and the dirt itself looked as if it had all been recently disturbed. “What is this place Doctor?” Derpy asked as they closed the TARDIS doors and stepped towards the middle of the clearing. “I don’t know, never seen anything like this,” the Doctor said as he knelt down to the dirt and began to inspect it. “It’s almost like all this dirt was dug up,” the Doctor said that as he licked a bit of it and allowed himself to taste the makeup of the dirt. “Did you just eat some dirt Doctor?” asked Derpy, worriedly. “The dirt is definitely natural. Nothing alien has affected it, at least nothing that sticks out,” the Doctor mused. “But why would an individual, or even a group for that matter, go through the trouble to dig up this opening? I’m missing something, something obvious, but what?” The Doctor stared down at the dirt attempting to figure out why he was so curious about this dirt and exactly what it was that bothered him about it. “Um, Doctor,” Derpy said cautiously. “One moment Derpy,” the Doctor said, still analyzing the dirt before him. “Doctor, this is kind of important, we may have a problem,” Derpy said, now beside the Doctor trying to look him in the eyes. “Alright, what’s the matter Derpy?” “Doctor, the TARDIS, it’s not there anymore,” Derpy told him. “What do you mean it isn’t there any more, of course it is,” the Doctor turned to look at the TARDIS as he said this, but when he looked in the direction the TARDIS should have been his gaze was met with the dense forest. “Yeah I’d say you were spot on when you said we had a problem Derpy.” “Where do you think it went Doctor?” Asked Derpy. “Well I doubt it went far, we would have heard it dematerializing. No, I suspect that someone or something may have taken it, and they couldn’t have gotten very far.” “Because it’s so heavy,” Derpy said, more stating than asking. “Well not really, from the outside it’s relatively light. It’s just the inside that’s heavy,” the Doctor told Derpy. “The inside weighs more than the outside?” Asked Derpy. “Well then how much does the inside weigh?” “Well let’s see, if I were to give a rough estimate I’d say about 5 × 107 Newtons, or the weight of 5,000 tonnes, yeah that sounds about right,” the Doctor said absentmindedly. “What about the outside?” “Oh who knows, it’s clearly light enough that it got carried away, now are we going to sit here and talk about how much my TARDIS weighs or are we going to go and find out where it’s gone off to?” “Did you just sass me Doctor?” Derpy asked. “I didn’t think you were the type to sass.” The Doctor opened his mouth and raised a hoof to make a point, but before a word left his lips they heard a strange voice that seemed to come from all around them. “Po-nies.” “Well now that’s rather creepy,” the Doctor said. “Who’s out there? Show yourself! Are you the lot that has got my TARDIS? You won’t get any use out of it, you might as well just give it back,” the Doctor called out to the forest. “Do you think that’ll work Doctor?” “Doubtful but it’s always worth a try,” the Doctor responded with a smile. ”Po-nies.” This time the word sounded muffled and seemed to come from below their feet. The Doctor and Derpy looked down then back to each other in confusion. Derpy lifted a hoof and looked underneath it, after seeing nothing she turned back to the Doctor and said “I think maybe we should get out of here Doctor.” “I agree, we’ll find my TARDIS later.” With that the Doctor and Derpy made a beeline for the trees. The Doctor was nearly beyond the trees when he heard Derpy let out a yelp behind him then go silent. He turned around to see what seemed to be a deep crater in the dirt and no sign of Derpy. The Doctor slowly stepped towards the crater only to find it was, in fact, a hole, and a deep one at that. “Derpy!” The Doctor called down the hole. There was no response. “Derpy!” The Doctor called out, this time a little louder. Still nothing. The Doctor took a few steps back, turned around, then shouted out “Whatever you are, you are making an extremely big mistake. Because it’s my fault she is here, and I will fight to my last breath to see her safe again! Now you’ve got to the count of three before I come looking for you, and believe me when I say that you don’t want that.” “One,” the Doctor called out. There was some rustling beyond the trees and shrubbery that caught the Doctor’s attention. The Doctor took a few steps towards the rustling and called out again. “Two.” “Last chance,” the Doctor offered. “Very well then. Thre-“ The Doctor was cut short by sudden and rapid movement. The ground seemed to give out underneath him, and all light seem to vanish as he felt a strange sensation that seemed to be a mixture of falling and sliding, yet, there was something holding onto the Doctor's rear limbs. The Doctor couldn’t place what was it was that was dragging him, but whatever it was, it had claws, and they were digging deep into the Doctor’s flesh. It was only around ten seconds before the Doctor and his captor had stopped moving. The Doctor began to look around in an attempt to get his bearings. The Doctor saw many torches adoring the walls of several caves and passage ways as they sprawled outward. The Doctor turned to face his attacker only to be met with darkness the Doctor quickly realized was nothing more than a black hood, which was tightened around his neck immediately. The Doctor tried to fight it, but a quick blow to the back of his head with some unknown blunt object quickly stopped any resistance he had been putting up. The Doctor awoke several hours later in a daze. The first thing he noticed was the lack of actual bedding. The Doctor opened his eyes to see he was actually elevated to about the height of a bed, though the only thing he felt below him was dirt. In fact, the small room he found himself in seemed to be dug out of the earth. The only things that weren’t dirt was the torch on the adjacent wall that gave the room a low glow, the other was the few plywood boards that had been fashioned into a rudimentary door. The Doctor sat up and got to his hoofs. He stumbled his way to the mediocre door and when he stepped out he was greeted with a particularly large chamber. There was no natural light seeping into the large room, but there were torches everywhere. There were also dozens, maybe even hundreds of ponies of varying ages that were doing all sorts of work. Some were pulling carts of gems down different passageways while others simply dug up the gems and loaded them into the carts. There were a few creatures that clearly weren’t ponies, but rather they appeared to be canine in nature. These dogs all had a strange set of studded iron armor on and some even carried whips with them as they barked orders at the various ponies. The Doctor didn’t know what was going on, but he had a pretty good guess. He stepped forward only to be stopped by a sage green hoof extending in front of his path from his left. The Doctor looked towards the origin of the hoof that was blocking his path to see a Pegasus stallion with a deep purple mane with a single stripe of a dark pink down one side of his hair who seemed to be near middle aged. The Doctor looked over the stallion before accepting that he wasn't in the condition to fight. “What’s your name?” the Doctor inquired. The stallion spoke in a gruff and harsh voice as if he had taken a shot a whiskey only a moment before speaking. “My name is Rain Step. Though most just call me Doc, seeing how I’m the only one here who will patch ponies up. The Diamond Dogs seem content to let us rot. I guess they figure they have enough of us that it doesn’t really matter, but so long as I’m around I’ll do what I can. I think I did a pretty good job stitching you up stranger.” The Doctor looked down at his hoofs where the claws had cut his flesh to see several fresh stitches. “Thank you very much,” the Doctor said. “I take it those armored dogs are whom you’re referring to.” “Well yeah, they must have hit your head something fierce for you not to recognize a Diamond Dog,” Rain Step said. “Why isn’t anypony fighting back?” Asked the Doctor. “Most have been in captivity so long they’ve stopped caring. They’ve lost hope.” “Well why hasn’t anypony on the outside tried to stop them?” “Think about it, we are in the middle of the Celestia damned Everfree. Anypony that actually comes looking for us gets trapped, and their work force increases,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “Personally I think it’ll take all of us fighting back together to be free, but I can’t imagine this lot coming together to fight back. They just don't have the will anymore.” The Doctor looked out towards the slaves thoughtfully and muttered to himself “a rebellion of slaves huh?” “Sorry, where are my manners, you have a name mister?” asked Rain Step. “Uhh, yes actually. Just call me Spartacus,” the Doctor told Rain Step. “Spartacus? Not the name I would have chosen, but if that’s your name that’s your name,” Rain Step said. “Do you have any other questions Spartacus?” “Actually I came in here with somepony else. Well not necessarily in here with them but about the same time we were taken. You wouldn’t happen to have heard anything about a gray Pegasus mare would you?” “A gray Pegasus? Not that I’m aware of. There are many different rooms like this, though I would wait another hour or so when they move us all towards the central hall so they can feed us whatever scrap they happen to feel like feeding us today. She’ll probably be there, but I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to pick her out in the crowd.” “I think I’ll be able to manage,” the Doctor said. “If you don’t mind me asking, why is it you aren’t doing any heavy work right now?” “It’s no bother,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “You see, like I said before, the Diamond Dogs could care less if we get hurt. But they still would rather not lose the worker if they don’t have to spend the time themselves to patch them up. So they allow me to help where I can so they can keep as many workers as possible, and in return I don’t have to do much of heavy lifting.” “Seems rational enough,” the Doctor said. “You can’t rationalize with them Spartacus,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “In fact the only medical supplies I have is from the various things ponies come in here with.” “Speaking of which, do you know where they might have taken my stuff? I had a few things in my pockets that I’m sure will prove useful.” “Actually I have it over in my office, follow me,” Rain Step told the Doctor. The Doctor followed Rain Step over to another dirt room that was only slightly larger than the one he had woken up in. In this room, the elevated dirt served as a desk rather than a bed. Rain Step walked behind the desk and pulled a box out from behind it before lifting it onto the dirt desk. “Let’s see, it should be in here somewhere,” Rain Step said. A brief moment passed, and he spoke again. “Here it is.” Rain Step pulled out a dusty coat that the Doctor instantly recognized. The Doctor reached for it and stuck his hoof into the deep pockets of his coat only to find them empty. The Doctor felt around in the pockets again to verify what he had just felt then reached for the box and began frantically looking through the box. He found nothing. “Missing something friend?” Asked Rain Step. The Doctor sat back it defeat. “Yes actually, but it’s replaceable,” the Doctor told him. “My friend, however, is not.” “I’m sure we’ll find your girlfriend right away, but there isn’t much we can do right now. Now why don’t you follow me, I’ll show you the ropes of being a slave,” Rain Step said, only partially jokingly as he started to make his way to the doorway. “She’s not my, oh never mind,” the Doctor said to himself as he threw his jacket back into the box and followed Rain Step out the door. The Doctor trotted up beside Rain Step and Rain Step turned his head as he led them down a passageway. “I can see it in your eyes Spartacus, a fire. If you really want to try and free all of us, you’ll have to get popular with all the other prisoners. Become a symbol, as it were.” “And how would I do that?” Asked the Doctor. “Well, down here, there are only three ways to get in good with the populous,” Rain Step began. “First, you can fight, there are daily tournaments that the Diamond Dogs like to bet on. The winner gets one desire granted. Usually that is to go free, which the Diamond Dogs do keep to their word, but they are almost always immediately captured again.” “What if I asked for them to set us all free?” “They’d refuse, and it might be the spark needed to begin a revolution. However it isn’t just fights, the fights are to death in an arena,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “Well I guess we can rule that out,” the Doctor said. “Next option?” “The second way is to become a dealer of various goods and comforts. Supply things others can’t, though I’m not sure how you would do that.” “You mean play off the desperation of others for profit?” Asked the Doctor. “Hey, I never said the options were pleasant,” Rain Step said defensively. “Fair enough,” the Doctor said. “What’s the other way?” “The other way is to do something incredibly stupid. Things like that tend to get around quick, I guess gossiping helps everypony to distract their minds,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “That’ll work. I’m good at stupid,” the Doctor said, just glad there was a way to get known without having to do something he knew he’d regret later. “Well whatever you are going to do I suggest doing it at meal time.” “Great, how much longer do we have to wait?” Asked the Doctor. “Well we’ve been walking to the feeding hall this whole time. I’d say we’ll be there in about five minutes, I hope you’re a fast thinker,” Rain Step said. “And be careful, I’d like to see you in my office again, but I’d prefer if you weren’t unconscious this time.” “I’ll do my best Doc, I’ll do my best.”
Something NewThe Doctor sat upright, running his fingers through his hair as he looked around. “I must have hit my head,” he said offhandedly. “Yeah, must be it, but I can’t help feeling I’m forgetting something.” As the Doctor finished his sentence, his TARDIS made an enormous noise, wheezing and groaning as sparks flew from the main console and the column in the center of the device moved feverishly up and down. The Doctor looked over to the site, and his eyes became wide with a mixture of fear and wonder. He shot up to his feet and ran over to the center console in his ship and began to working feverishly to stop his ship from crashing. But no matter how many switches and levers and dials he tried, the TARDIS was crashing, and the Doctor couldn’t remember why. The best the Doctor could do was to make an attempt to make a safe crash landing. “I’ll just aim for some English countryside,” The Doctor told himself as moved to begin making the necessary adjustments. But as he did this, the TARDIS started to make that huge noise again. The Doctor looked up and in an exasperated tone yelled out “oh what now!?” Then everything went black. Some time later the Doctor awoke from unconsciousness in a daze and sat upright, rubbing his face. “Hold on a second,” The Doctor began. “This is not my face!” The Doctor looked around for any signs of damage or any sort of indication as to what had just happened. It was as if a hurricane had come through the TARDIS, again. Though the damage the TARDIS had took was great, the Doctor suspected he had been hurt more than he had originally thought because the face he had was not the one he had moments ago. “Did I regenerate?” The Doctor asked the empty TARDIS. “No, that can not be. I still have the same thoughts, even my voice is the same.” The Doctor began to shake his head. He had no idea what had just happened, but he was determined to find out. “Alright I should do a quick check. Make sure I’m still in one piece” The Doctor spoke again to the empty console room of the TARDIS. “Eyes, two. Good. I like having two eyes. Nose, wow that is a honker. Face, I think it is longer than I've ever had before. But that is my face, I can feel it. Alright, hair” the Doctor brought up his hands to run them through his hair, but as he did, so he noticed a hoof where once a fleshy pink hand had been. “Well now that’s new. I have a hoof, I can honestly say I've seen this before.” The Doctor began to look around again, finding a mirror having moved up on his list of things to do. He had to seem himself, he had to know what exactly he looked like. But there were no mirrors in the console room; and even if there was, the Doctor wasn't sure they’d be in one piece anyway, not with the condition of the rest of the TARDIS. “I should get out of the TARDIS, it’s going to start repairing itself soon” The Doctor said as he put a key to the TARDIS around his new neck. The Doctor stood up to begin his walk for the doors. The first thing he noticed was the lack of increase in eye level between sitting and standing. The Doctor looked behind himself and saw a light bronze fur coated body with a deep chocolate tail right behind it exactly where he was standing. The Doctor just stared, not knowing how he should react to this. After a moment of silence, the Doctor began to move his newly acquired hooves around his chest and face. “I’m covered in hair,” it was more of a statement than a question. “I’m a Sasquatch, a finger-less Sasquatch!” The Doctor proclaimed. He moved his hooves to the top of his head. “Hair, normal enough hair. Good old reliable hair. And oh this is thick, good thick hair.” The Doctor noted. “Regenerating is so much easier when I can just see my reflection," said the Doctor, thinking again about the lack of mirrors. Suddenly there was a knock on the TARDIS door. The Doctor looked over and then let out a short sigh before walking over there. Noting how easily he had walked in his foreign body. The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and swiftly stepped out and closed them behind himself. In front of the Doctor stood a cream colored pony with a rosy mane on her head and a matching tail behind her. On both sides of her flank was the image of a rose, which was simplistic in its appearance yet still managed to give off a certain level of detail the Doctor couldn't quite put the hoof that had once been his finger on it. “Hey stranger, would you do me two favors? One, quit staring at my flank, you aren’t even trying to be subtle. And two, get your big blue box off of my garden.” When she spoke she kept her tone very low, but her annoyance was apparent. The Doctor turned to look at Roseluck, when he did he noticed a look in her eyes that told him that he had better do as she says and get away from her as fast as possible. “Uh, yeah of course, just give me one moment to uh. Move my box.” The Doctor said as he turned around and pulled at the TARDIS doors. They wouldn't budge. “Really, you have to do this now. Can it wait five seconds?” As the Doctor was bargaining with his box, a gray mare flew down and landed near the two ponies. The Rose colored pony’s eyebrow began to twitch with agitation. “What’s up Roseluck? What’s going on down here?” Asked the light gray mare. The Doctor turned around to face the new comer. She had a coat just a few shades darker than white and a distinctively blonde mane. Though the features that stood out the most was her wall-eyed stare and the wings on her back. Roseluck and this gray pony had continued to exchange words the Doctor didn’t hear. “Excuse me but, you’re a Pegasus right?” Asked the Doctor. The Pegasus in question turned to the Doctor and said “Well yeah, obviously, and I have a name too. It’s Hooves, Derpy Hooves. But you can just call me Derpy" The mare told him with an innocent smile. “Well hello Derpy the Pegasus” The Doctor said with a wide, cheesy grin. “Pegasi. How fantastic, how brilliant, how … cool.” “Er- Right. Anyway mister, like I was telling Roseluck, I can help you move your box. I know some ponies in the moving business from when I used to work for Two Mares and a Cart, I’m sure they could help you move that thing. Whatever you keep in it, it can’t be light.” “Oh why thank you Miss Derpy that would be greatly appreciated” The Doctor said as he gave Derpy a more sincere smile this time before turning to Roseluck. “And I am terribly sorry about this. Believe me when I said I had no intentions of ruining your garden. It was an unavoidable accident.” “Unavoidable” Roseluck asked. Raising an eyebrow at the Doctor. “Well, uh, you see. My box is um, you just-” The Doctor began. But he didn’t get far in his stumbling over his own words before Derpy spoke up. “Maybe we should leave Roseluck alone until my mover friends get here. Come on Mister I can show you the way to the local bakery. They have the best muffins this side of Canterlot” Derpy offered. “Sure, that sounds like a plan.” The Doctor said as he nodded in Roseluck’s general direction and began to walk away with Derpy close behind. “So do you have a name mister?” asked Derpy. “I do, actually. I’m called the Doctor.” “Doctor who?” asked Derpy. The Doctor looked over at Derpy and smiled at her before telling her “No actually, it’s just the Doctor.” “Just the Doctor?” Derpy asked. “Just the Doctor.” The Doctor confirmed. “So, just the Doctor, what do you do? Your Cutie Mark is an hourglass, are you a clock Doctor?” Asked Derpy Hooves as she gestured to the hourglass that was on his flank. “A what Doctor? My what?” asked the highly confused Doctor as he gave Derpy a puzzled look. "Your Cutie Mark silly, what does it mean?" The Doctor looked back and, just as Derpy had said, there was the image of an hour glass on his backside. "Well now isn't that something, it's almost like a tattoo but, what did you call it Miss Derpy?" "A Cutie Mark, it represents the thing that makes you unique. And you are special because you heal hour glasses" Derpy said definitively. "I don't think that's quite right," said the Doctor. "But what else could it mean? You’re a doctor, and your special talent involves something about hourglasses." "Well I'm not a doctor, well I am but my name is the Doctor. And perhaps my, Cutie Mark was it, is a metaphor of some sort." "You’re weird Doctor," Derpy said. "And don't you forget it" The Doctor snapped back, shooting Derpy a sly smile. “So why did you put your big blue box on poor Roseluck’s garden Doctor?” inquired the gray mare. “I honestly didn't mean to do it. Time got all wibbly, and it became something even I couldn't control. I’m not yet sure I understand exactly what happened myself. But I intend to find out.” "You're talking nonsense Doctor." Derpy said with a frown. "I never talk nonsense. Well, hardly never" the Doctor told her. Derpy rolled her eyes, a feat that seemed to take an extreme amount of coordination. "So who are you Doctor? I mean besides your name" Derpy asked, a light, genuine smile on her face. "Oh you know. Just a travelling man, out to see it all." "Well mister traveling man I hope you didn't leave your appetite with that box of yours because we're here." The Doctor looked forward and saw a large building in the center of what appeared to be a plaza of sorts. The Building itself had a tower coming out of the roof and seemed to have frosting coating the edges of the roof. "It looks like a giant gingerbread house" The Doctor said in awe. "I know isn't it awesome? Now lets go in and get some muffins" Derpy told the Doctor. "I know it may be a bad time to mention, but I don't exactly have any money with me. I never do" The Doctor said with a sigh. "Don't worry about it Doctor. I got you covered, now come on and lets eat." Derpy said with a large toothy grin. A smile the Doctor returned to the gray mare. A few hours had passed, and they had eaten to their fill and were now on their way to the edge of town. Where Derpy Hooves friends had brought the Doctor's big blue box. The sun was already retreating into the western sky, and the Doctor had an eventful day and was ready to get back to his TARDIS. The TARDIS was finally in view, but the Derpy's friends were nowhere to be seen. As they reached the outside of the TARDIS, Derpy turned to the Doctor. "So Doctor, you have a place to stay tonight?" "Actually I was just about to ask you the same thing." The Doctor told her. "What do you mean? Why would I need a place to stay. And even if I did where would I go?" asked Derpy. "Derpy I haven't been entirely honest with you. I haven't lied, but I haven't told the whole truth either." "Okay." Derpy said, her curiosity now peaked. "I'm a Time Traveler from another world. And this" the Doctor tapped on the door of the TARDIS "Is my time machine." "Okay Doctor. That's really cool. Now. Which hospital did you say you were at?" "Scoff if you must Derpy, but I'll let you see for yourself." "That's your time machine?" Asked Derpy. "Yes ma'am" the Doctor said with a courteous smile. "It's made of wood Doctor" Derpy pointed out. "And why does it say police box on top?" "Here let me show you" the Doctor said. He began to paw at the key around his neck with his hoof, to no avail. "Are you alright Doctor?" Derpy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Of course, a new body's like a new house - takes a little time to settle in, that's all," said the Doctor, still trying to grasp his key with his new hoof. "Here Doctor, let me help," Derpy said as she lifted the key off his neck with ease and put it into the key hole in the door of the TARDIS. Derpy decided to ignore the Doctor's last comment and what it might have meant, and just wrote it off to his abnormality. "Thanks Derpy," the Doctor said, walking over to the door. He tried to grab the key with a hoof but quickly ran into the same trouble. So instead he pinned the key between his two front hoofs and turned it. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed triumphantly. The Doctor slowly pushed open the door and said "This Derpy, is how I get around the universe. I give you the TARDIS." The door swung open reviling a large foyer beyond the wooden door, a room that was far to big and shouldn't logically fit inside the small, square box. Derpy was instantly dazzled by the light, the warmth, the life (albeit alien life) that permeated this huge room with all its indented walls and the strange device in the center with all its switches and levers and dials. The Doctor just smiled at Derpy's moment of awestruck silence. "It's" Derpy began. "Yes?" asked the Doctor. "It's bigger on the inside," Derpy said in awe. "Oh I love that part" the Doctor said to no pony in particular. Derpy was flying around the outside of the box for a moment before going inside to make sure it wasn't an illusion. "It's called a TARDIS. It stands for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space" said the Doctor. "That isn't a real word" Derpy accused. "Yes it is. TARDIS' is a ... is a Gaelic word." said the Doctor defensively. "A what?" Derpy asked. "It grows on my home planet of Gallifrey," he told her. "Where is Gallopfrey?" asked Derpy. "What?" asked the Doctor, not sure if he had heard her right. "Where is it, is it near Fillydelphia, or how about Baltimare?" "Fillydelphia? Baltimare?" said the doctor, confused at first but quickly started to giggle uncontrollably. "What's so funny?" asked Derpy. "Oh it's nothing Derpy, don't worry about it" the Doctor said as he tried to stifle his laughter. "You sure are a strange pony Doctor," Derpy said as she continued to look around. Once the Doctor's giggles had subsided he turned to Derpy, watching her look around every corner, trying to figure it all out. "This is an interesting trick and all Doctor, but I seriously doubt this will actually travel through time," Derpy said, turning to face the Doctor. "Oh yeah? Watch this" the Doctor told her as he closed the TARDIS' doors and trotted over to the center console. After the Doctor had finished flipping a few switches, and pulling a large lever there was a loud sound. The sound was unique to any sound Derpy had ever heard, and after a few moments it stopped, and the Doctor lifted the lever back to it's original position. "Look outside," said the Doctor. He had set it about twelve hours ahead so it would be morning when she opened the doors. Derpy trotted over to the doors they had entered from. Derpy didn't believe anything the Doctor was saying, even if his box was bigger in the inside, time travel wasn't even possible. As Derpy prepared to open the door, the Doctor came up behind her and said aloud to nopony in particular "Allons-y." "What?" asked Derpy. "It's a French. It means let's go" he told Derpy. Derpy nodded, giving the Doctor a strange look, and pulling on the doors before running out to greet the world. The first thing they noticed was the blinding white light of the morning sun. The second thing the Doctor noticed was the fourteen white stallions in full barding, each wielding either a spear or a sword. A few moments passed, and the Doctor realized they were standing on a marble floor, the ceiling high above them. The light hitting The Doctor and Derpy in the face came from one of the tall clear windows in the granite walls. "Oh hello there gents. Don't mind us, we are just passing through and-" "Doctor," Derpy said, nudging the Doctors sides one of her wings. "One moment Derpy, I'm just explaining to these fine men what we are doing here." "But Doctor, look." The Doctor turned around to see they weren't just in a large room. They were in a throne room. And on the throne sat a pony who towered above the rest. With a snow white coat and what seemed to be an ethereal mane the Doctor figured this was the pony in charge. "Why hello there. I'm guessing from the big crown thingy on your head you're in charge." "Doctor, that's princess Celestia" Derpy hastily whispered to the Doctor. The Doctor turned to Derpy to see her kneeling down. Then came a voice that was louder than anything the Doctor had ever heard in his long life. "WHO ART THOU TO COME INTO OUR THRONE ROOM UNANNOUNCED?" The Doctor rubbed his ears in pain briefly before saying to himself "I guess the term 'inside voices' doesn't hold any meaning here."
Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 1There was a certain dampness in the air. Cold cobblestone walls enclosing them on three sides. The fourth wall was nothing but a row of two inch steel bars connecting the top to bottom. There was a steel bar door allowing the only entrance between the cell the Doctor and Derpy now found themselves in. The Doctor turned to Derpy, who had been silently staring at the back wall of their small cage for the last thirty minutes. “Derpy, I’m sorry.” “Sorry for what? For disrespecting the princess or for getting us thrown in the Canterlot dungeon” “Well both, I guess. But to be fair it’s not entirely my fault” the Doctor. Derpy turned her gaze away from the cobblestone wall and looked over at the Doctor. “You asked the princess where the queen is and when she just stared you just asked where her mommy was!” “You said princess and I assumed there was a queen. That’s a fair assumption” the Doctor said defensively. “She was sitting on a throne!” “I’m just saying it could have happened to anyone.” “You mean anypony?” Derpy asked. “Sure. But we need to figure a way out of this right now, and bickering will not solve any of our problem.” “You’re right Doctor. So what’s the plan?” “Well first let’s think about what we know” the Doctor told Derpy. “Alrighty then. What do we know Doctor.” “I don’t know, I was kind of hopping you could tell me, this world is new to me, and it is your countries history.” "Well I do know that if you keep calling yourself the Doctor it will only raise questions. You need a code name Doctor," Derpy suggested. "This is true. I usually go my John Smith when I have to." "That's a weird name Doctor, how about a more pony name. Like Time Turner. Since you have an hourglass Cutie Mark, and you keep saying you're a time traveler. It could be a fun inside joke between you and all your friends" Derpy offered with a smile. "Time Turner huh?" The Doctor said, rubbing his hoof on his chin, pretending that he was deep in thought. "You know what Miss Derpy, I rather think it's brilliant. Better, it's cool." Derpy Hooves and the Doctor exchanged smiles for a brief moment despite the fact that they were imprisoned. “So we really traveled back in time, huh Doctor?” “I’m afraid so Derpy. And without the TARDIS we aren't going anywhere.” “Well we must be really far back if princess Celestia is using her Royal Canterlot Voice.” “Is that what that was? I swear she nearly rupture my eardrums, and these are new!” complained the Doctor, rubbing his temples to help clear his head of the memory of the booming voice of the princess. Just then a four dark gray ponies, all with deep blue manes of similar length came into sight. They seemed to all be pegasus ponies but the wings seemed almost bat in nature. The metal plates on their armor rattled as they approached the bars of their prison. The one if front was the only one who spoke, and all four kept their eyes on the duo. When he spoke his voice was rough and harsh, “Princess Luna and Princess Celestia have requested your presence to explain whom you are and what your business is.” “Do we have a choice?” Asked the Doctor. “No.” The bat-pony guard’s response was curt. “Now stand against the opposite wall as I unlock this door so we can be on our way. The Doctor and Derpy complied and soon were on their way to meet with the two rulers of the land. The group of ponies remained silent throughout the entire walk towards the throne room. Derpy kept taking glances over at the Doctor, who seemed just as perky as he had been during the day they spent together in Ponyville. Finally, they reached the two well constructed and imposing doors of the royal throne room. Two of the bat ponies moved forwards and opened the doors as the other two ushered Derpy and the Doctor into the familiar room now devoid of a TARDIS in the middle of the magnificent marble floor. The Doctor leaned over to Derpy and whispered “Right then, allons-y.” The Doctor and Derpy approached the two sisters, and once they were about ten yards away Derpy knelt to the pony royalty yet again, and this time, so did the Doctor. RISE SUBJECTS! the booming voice was just as loud yet different this time. The Doctor's larger pony ears fell flat against his head, and he looked up to see whom he assumed was princess Luna sitting beside the large golden throne Celestia sat in. The Doctor rose to his full standing position, and Derpy did the same. "Hey listen. I know there is probably a reason you keep shouting and all but perhaps if you could just keep it down to a low holler then maybe I'll walk away from this place without the need of a hearing aid," The Doctor told the moon princess. "WE SPEAK TO EVERY COMMONER IN THIS TONE AND THIS MUCH SPEAKING VOLUME MUST BE USED" "What if I told you I wasn't a commoner?" Asked the Doctor. Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Then we could speaketh to thou in a gentler tone, but tell us, doth thou hath proof of thine nobility?" "Actually it just so happens I am Time Turner. Lord of all things timey wimey in the far off and distant land of Gallopfrey!" The Doctor announced. "But doesn't far off and distant mean the same thing?" Asked Derpy, now entirely lost as to what the Doctor was doing. "And this is my fair hoof maiden Miss Derpy Hooves" The Doctor said gesturing towards Derpy, completely ignoring her previous statement. Celestia turned to the bat-ponies and motioned for them to leave. The bat-ponies stood their ground. Celestia was about to stand up and remind those guards whom she was when Luna raised her hoof in front of Celestia, looked her in the eye and said "Only we shall command our guard. You have no authority over my night." Her words were barely a whisper, but still they seemed to echo around the room. The Doctor fully expected Celestia to began to yell, and an argument to break out. But Celestia proved to the Doctor that he knows nothing about this world as well as it's rulers because rather than become angry or to cower and apologize Celestia simply nodded and allowed Luna her control. "LEAVE US NOW." Luna commanded. The four bat-ponies, as if finally uprooted from their place, all fell out of the room and closed the doors behind them. Leaving only Equestria's rulers, the Doctor, and one particularly confused Derpy. "Let us start with introductions. We are Princess Celestia, princess of the sun and day. And this is our sister, Princess Luna. Princess of the moon and keeper of the night." "So it's not your claim to princess-hood that gives you total authority but rather you claim over those domains. Interesting, very interesting" the Doctor noted thoughtfully. "Thou seems to like to point out the obvious. Tell us Lord Time Turner, what exactly art thou doing here in Equestria?" Celestia inquired. Her voice steady and calm the entire time. Her cool gaze seeming to look right through the Doctor rather than at him. "Well we seemed to have been caught in extenuating circumstances. That blue box you moved, if you'd allow us to reunite with it we would happily be on our way" The Doctor said with a reassuring smile. Celestia and Luna exchanged a few thoughtful glances before turning towards the duo. This time, it was Luna who spoke up. "We shall bring you to where your box hath been moved to. Then you shall be on thine way, yes?" "Sounds like a deal, right Derpy?" the Doctor turned to look at Derpy and she just nodded. Still trying to take in the fact that time travel was not only possible but that she had spent nearly an hour in a dungeon in the distant past. It was a lot to take in all at once. But Derpy took comfort in knowing the Doctor seemed at ease. Princess Luna lead the Doctor and Derpy through the castle and into the Canterlot gardens. The gardens were lush greenery of life and energy that seemed to flow around all who entered them. Dozens of statues adorned the lawn, scattered about the small field. "So princess, I was sure we were about to see a stand off back in there." The Doctor mentioned nonchalantly. "Celestia means no ill will to us, but still we feel as if she is taking away what little we already have." "What little you have. Come now princess even you can't believe that. I mean the beauty of the night sky is unparalleled." Just then two foal could be heard off in the distance, a boy and a girl, yelling to each other words of caution for being out past sunset and the dangers of the night. Luna sighed. "We only wish more shared your feelings of our night." "You know princess. A very close friend of mine once told me that we are lucky we're alive to see this beautiful world. To see the magnificent night sky. That it's not dark and black and without character. He said that the black is, in fact, deep blue and mixed into it all some lighter hues of blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the winds swirling through the air. That shining, burning, bursting through it all were the stars. He asked me if I could see how they roll their light? And looking up now princess, I can." Derpy looked up at the night sky. She had never noticed it before, but the Doctor was right. It was uniquely beautiful. And maybe it would clear princess Luna of all her doubts. "Thou art correct Lord Time Turner. Perhaps it's time everypony saw that our night truly is worthy of their time. Thank you" Luna then stopped walking. Derpy and the Doctor stopped and looked back towards her. In the eyes of the moon princess, they saw a newfound determination. The sun was still setting, but the light wouldn't last another ten minutes and darkness was beginning to take over some of the minor details in the world around them, but that look in her eyes is one the Doctor has seen enough to recognize. "Thou shalt find thine box over by the exit of the gardens, just keep moving in this direction, and thou shalt surely reach it." and with that, Luna flew away. "Well now that was a bit odd, wasn't it? Guess you just can't rationalize royalty, so many traditions to uphold" the Doctor mussed as he continued to walk in the direction of his TARDIS. "Doctor, I have a bad feeling about all this. It all seems. I don't know, familiar somehow." Derpy cautioned. "Relax Derpy. We will sort everything out once we are back in the TARDIS" the Doctor told her. They only walked for another minute or so before the TARDIS was finally in sight. The Doctor ran over to that blue box and began to hug it's side. "Would you two like a minute alone," Derpy said with a giggle. "Oh hush up and get in" the Doctor told Derpy with a smile. Once they were back inside that magnificent ship with the TARDIS doors closed safely behind them Derpy sat down and looked the Doctor in his eyes. "Doctor, I think we are about in the time when Princess Luna became evil." "Princess Luna? How do you mean?" asked the Doctor. "Nightmare Night? The legend of Nightmare Moon? Oh come on, you know Doctor. Ponies celebrate it every year." The Doctor just shook his head and shrugged. "Oh hang on Derpy, I think I have an idea" the Doctor began. The Doctor cleared his throat and said very clearly "Show me all historical records of the legend of Nightmare Moon." The screen hanging above the main center console turned on, and painting began to show like a slide show as a generic speaking voice spoke along with the slides. Once upon a time ... The Doctor leaned over to Derpy, who was now sitting next to him watching the slide show with him, "I like it already, it's like a Disney film." "Disney?" asked Derpy. "Oh never mind," said the Doctor. In the magical land of Equestria, There were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn. The younger brought out the moon to begin the night "Wait wait wait, hold on one moment" the Doctor called out. The slide show paused itself. "So when they said they were the princess' of the sun and moon they meant they literally had power over it?" it was more of a statement than a question. "Well yeah Doctor. What did you think they meant?" Asked Derpy. "I don't know. We'll talk about this later, let's just finish this thing first. Continue." With that, the slide show picked up where it had left off. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth But shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her. But the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness. Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. "Alright that's enough. We don't want to spoil anything now do we?" "Hey Doctor. How come you had that whole thing and never looked at it before?" Asked Derpy. "I didn't know it was there. The TARDIS has records of many things, and I can't always explain how she knows, but she does and I'm glad for it." "What else does it know?" "Well let's find out." the Doctor began clearing his throat yet again "Show me all visual records of my previous regenerations." The Doctor had been meaning to take a look at his previous forms since he landed in Equestria. Faces of ponies started to flip on a loop on the display screen. Eleven faces, the last one he assumed was his current form. "So that's what I look like" the Doctor muttered to himself. "I don't understand Doctor. Who are these ponies? And why are you with them?" "There was something about that story that seemed to be hinting at events that happened tonight." The Doctor told Derpy, changing the subject. "Doctor. I've had a bad feeling about this place since we got here." "Right, and I think I know why." "And why is that Doctor?" asked Derpy. "Because I think I may have motivated Princess Luna to act on her frustrations. We have to stay here until we sort out this mess." "What mess. How do you mean you 'motivated princess Luna to act on her frustrations?' " Asked Derpy. The Doctor then turned to face Derpy and said "I may have given her that push down the path she needed to become Nightmare Moon."
Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 2Derpy Hooves walked out into the main console room of the TARDIS. The Doctor was right where he was when she had gone to bed that night, the only difference being now he was wearing what appeared to be a suit jacket. The Doctor recommended she get some sleep because they were about to have a face a particularly interesting challenge, though now Derpy wasn't sure the Doctor had taken his own advice. Now he just sat there, staring at a screen Derpy couldn't see from where she was, his mouth a straight line, his eyes focused on whatever it was he was looking at. Everything about his expression told Derpy he was focused, and Derpy didn't want to interrupt him but given the circumstances she didn’t have much of a choice. “Good Morning Doctor, what time is it?” she said with a smile. “And did you even sleep at all?” “Hmm? Oh hello Derpy, it’s a quarter till nine. Yes, I slept. I’m not a pony, I don’t need as much sleep as you do. But you’re awake now so you can help me” The Doctor began enthusiastically. “Help you to stop Nightmare Moon, right?” “That is correct Derpy. And I already know what to do!” The Doctor announced. “Already, how can you have thought of something that quick?” inquired Derpy suspiciously. “I've been thinking inside the box!” “But Doctor, I thought the saying was to think outside the box?” Derpy informed the Doctor, giggling a little as she did so. “Nope, we think inside the box because it’s bigger in here” The Doctor told her playfully. “Speaking of which Doctor is there a word for that? For how this box is big and little at the same time?” “This box is dimensionally transcendental. Now, are you ready for what waits outside those doors, because if you aren’t you are more than able to wait here until it is safe?” The Doctor asked. His face growing more serious as he did so. Derpy was somepony the Doctor wanted to come away with him in the TARDIS, but she never actually agreed to go along with him, she just kind of got roped into this. The Doctor didn’t want Derpy to feel obligated because she wasn’t, but he silently hoped she would come along with him. Derpy looked the Doctor in the eye with a very serious face. She slowly made her way over to him, not saying a word. The Doctor kept a normal expression and waited patiently for whatever she was planning on saying. Derpy got about a yard away from the Doctor, leaned in and then, cracking the widest grin the Doctor has seen her make she said “Allons-y Doctor!” “Ha ha!” the Doctor exclaimed as he turned around and ran towards the exit of the TARDIS with Derpy right on his trail. The Doctor flung open the door and stepped out into the morning air. Only instead of being greeted by the warm rays of the sun the two were met with the darkness of night. "I thought you said it was almost nine Doctor" Derpy accused. "It is, but on the bright side it looks like we are on the right date," the Doctor offered optimistically. Derpy looked towards the Doctor and asked “so where do we start?” “Well I was thinking going back to the throne room is as good as any place.” “To talk with princess Celestia?” asked Derpy. “Might as well, see if she has any idea how to approach this problem.” “Alright then Doctor, lead the way,” Derpy said cheerfully. The two made their way through the large castle of Canterlot towards the throne room to speak with Celestia. Though the halls that were once quiet, dimly lit and empty were now brightly illuminated and loud with the busy movement of dozens of ponies in uniform barding. Almost immediately a few of the guard ponies dropped what they were doing and quickly had the Doctor and Derpy surrounded. The guard directly in front of them looked at the Doctor and said “You’re not supposed to be in here.” “Yes, we aren’t, but we seriously much need to speak with the princess. So if you would be ever so kind as to bring us to her we would appreciate it.” The Doctor replied. “As tempting as that is I think we’ll just throw you out” came one of the guards behind the Doctor. “You could do that, sure. But if you do you’ll never find out what this is,” the Doctor quickly pulled out what appeared to be a small length of brushed steel and raise it in the air. The guards all pulled out their swords while several “he’s armed,” and “it’s a dagger of some sort,” echoed up the hall, causing several other guards to stop working and look on towards the scene the Doctor and Derpy were making. “Oh you so wish. Derpy, cover your ears” the Doctor said with a smile as Derpy covered her ears. The Doctor made a quick movement of his hoof, causing the almost glass like tip of his device to illuminate a brilliant green and powerful sound that put Celestia’s royal Canterlot voice to shame. All the guards around the Doctor and Derpy fall drop their swords and knelt to the ground from the shock of the noise, letting out yelps of pain and surprise. The noise had continued for another six or seven seconds before the Doctor pulled his hoof out of the air, stopping the noise and sliding the loud device back into his coat. “Run Derpy!” The Doctor shouted. Derpy didn't know much about the Doctor, but what she did understand is that when he told you to do something, you did it. And there wasn't always time to question it. The Doctor had made off down the hall towards the throne room, and Derpy was as she had been throughout the entire, right behind the Doctor. She and the Doctor were weaving in between guard ponies and the clutter in the halls, causing more guards to begin to pursue them. The Doctor and Derpy finally made it to the impressive doors of the throne room. Only now there sat two guard ponies blocking their path. “I've got this Doctor,” Derpy called out as they got closer to the doors, and the two door guards stood up as dozens of guards behind them began to close the distance. Derpy hooves spread her wings and flew ahead of the Doctor and above the two guards and slammed her weight into the doors, causing them to burst open. The two guards turned around to stop Derpy and the Doctor shoved past them and into the throne room with Derpy. They had nowhere to run now and the guards had them surround. The Doctor was panting from the obstacle course he had just run through. After a brief moment, the Doctor turned to Derpy and gave her a reassuring grin “Well we made it to the throne room at least.” Derpy shook her head, still exhausted from the escaping they just did. ”ENOUGH!” the booming voice of Celestia causing the windows to vibrate. ”WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS. WHY ART THOU STILL HERE AND WHY HATH THOU FOUGHT THINE WAY TO OUR THRONE ROOM?!” “We want to help you, but we need to know exactly what is happening to do that?” the Doctor offered. Celestia raised an eyebrow before turning towards the large group of ponies by the door. ”LEAVE. GET BACK TO WORK PREPARING FOR THE TIMES TO COME!” Celestia commanded. The guards reluctantly obeyed, eyeing the Doctor and Derpy as they all left. Celestia turned her head to the guards beside her throne ”THOU AS WELL AND CLOSE THE DOORS ON THOU WAY OUT!” Celestia commanded. They obeyed and soon the three were left alone in the quiet throne room, a slight noise coming from beyond the large doors in the halls. “Now Lord Time Turner, who art thou to think thou could help us?” asked Celestia. “Yeah about that. My name isn’t Time Turner, it’s the Doctor. And I can help you because that’s what I do Princess. I help others.” “What doth thou mean, thy name is Doctor? Doctor who?” Celestia asked. The Doctor giggled a little before shaking his head and saying “no, no time, I need you to trust me. Now, what do you know?” Celestia sat thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Derpy. “What doth thou know of this stallion? How much doth thine trust of him go?” asked Celestia. The Doctor turned to Derpy and waited for her response. Derpy knelt before Celestia before standing back up and saying “Princess Celestia, I don’t know a lot about the Doctor, in fact, I barely known him a day” Derpy smiled a little at that. “But what I do know is that all he wants is to help. It seems to me that all he wants to do is help and, if we listen to him, he’ll do just that.” Celestia turned to the Doctor “Well we still don’t know whom thou is but given the circumstances we don’t have much choice.” “Good, now please, I have to know what is going on exactly” the Doctor pleaded. “Our sister has decided she will not make way for the light of day. She hath thrown the world out of balance, and worse, she hath lead her army of shadows into Equestria. We know not how much destruction she hath caused, but we fear war is imminent.” “Oh my,” Derpy said, a mixture of fear and worry in her voice. Sure all those guards getting ready had to have been getting ready for something but hearing out loud that Equestria is on the brink of war. Never in her life has Derpy ever thought of a war, and now she seemed to be looking it in the face. Everything had just gotten very real for Derpy, and she was afraid. The Doctor turned over to Derpy and saw the terrified expression and walked over to Derpy “are you all right Derpy? I can walk you back to the TARDIS is you want. You’ll be safe there, I promise you that.” The Doctor offered softly. Derpy took a deep breath in and in the exhale let out the word “no. No, I’m fine Doctor, just give me a minute.” “Of course” The Doctor said as he backed up and gave her a little space. He then turned to Princess Celestia and asked “Do you know where she is, your sister? Do you think there is any chance we could stop this before anypony gets hurt?” “It may be too late for that, but we may still be able to prevent any more damage from being done” Celestia offered. “Where is your sister ‘Tia? We need to answer that question first, maybe we can still talk some sense into her.” “Do not forget who thou speaketh to Doctor. We are a Princess of Equestria and we will be spoken to with respect.” Celestia’s stern voice told the Doctor that it may be a little early for nicknames, and he got the message. “Very well Princess, but do you know where we could find her?” Asked the Doctor. “We think she may be hiding herself away in the forest just to the south, at least that’s where her forces seem to be gathering around” Celestia told the Doctor. “But that’s the Everfree Forest,” Derpy said. “We have not heard that name before, Everyfree. Is that what the ponies of Equestria call it?” asked Celestia. "I get the feeling it is now," said the Doctor looking at Derpy then back at Celestia. “But whatever the case I think I know where we’re going next. Thank you Princess Celestia.” “Doctor, the way is dangerous and full of our sister’s forces, she will see thou coming a mile off.” “Don’t worry I know a way Princess” the Doctor told her with a smile. “We are going with you Doctor, she is our sister, and we need to talk with her. But, how art thou planning on getting past the gathering masses?” The Doctor smiled and turned to Celestia “Princess Celestia how would you like to go straight to your sister without her ever see us coming? And be there before your guards have time to ask where you've gone?” “We’d say thou were mad Doctor.” “Well maybe I am but it’s not a bad thing to be right now. Princess, Derpy, follow me!” The Doctor ordered as he trotted out the doors of Celestia’s throne room and out back into the gardens until he was right at the door of the TARDIS. Princess Celestia grabbed a small chest from her throne room and swiftly followed behind the Doctor and Derpy without saying a word, not yet entirely sure she could trust them. The Doctor turned around before opening the TARDIS and said “here it is Princess, our ticket to the, what did you call it Derpy? The Everfree?” “Yes Doctor, the Everfree Forest” Derpy confirmed. “Okay Doctor, you had our curiosity, now you have our attention. Explain” Celestia commanded. “Derpy, care to do the honors?” Asked the Doctor as he held out the key to the TARDIS. “Sure Doctor,” Derpy said as she lightly hovered over to him, grabbed the key and opened the TARDIS, then stepped back to allow Princess Celestia to take in what she was about to see. Celestia stepped forward and poked her head into the TARDIS. Then back out with a confused look on her face as she dropped the chest she had grabbed. She walked around the TARDIS and then back into the TARDIS, grabbing the chest on her way in. The Doctor turned his head to Derpy and winked. Celestia was in the center of the main room before she called out to the Doctor “Doctor, thou box. It’s bigger on the inside.” The Doctor mouthed the words as Celestia said them before calling back to her. “Is it? I hadn't noticed,” the Docter said nonchalantly. Derpy giggled, and the two walked into the TARDIS after Princess Celestia. "This must hath been enchanted by a very powerful magic indeed," Celestia said in awe, mostly to herself. “Sure you could call it that. Now hang on Princess because we are going to take a quick trip,” the Doctor said as he ran over to the center console of the TARDIS and began to adjust dials and levers. Derpy walked up behind the Doctor as princess Celestia continued to look around the inside of the TARDIS awestruck. “Doctor are you sure you can aim this thing in the right direction? The last time you said we were taking a quick trip we ended up almost one thousand years in the past” Derpy questioned. “Of course I’m sure Derpy, unless I’m not but I am so we are good.” “What?” asked Derpy “How can you be sure Doctor?” “Well that was her first flight after some major repairs she needed to be calibrated. And with a trip like that under her belt it’s a cake walk. That’s what I’m doing now, calibrating” The Doctor said with a smile as he cranked a wheel around in a circle. “Alright then Doctor,” Derpy said before stepping back to check on Celestia. “Princess Celestia, what do you think?” asked Derpy. “We do not understand who thou or the Doctor are or where thou comest from but perhaps we were right in trusting thou.” Celestia said. “Well I’m glad we can help Princess.” Derpy said with a smile. “Whom art thou Derpy, where doth thou come from to have such wonders in thine life?” Celestia inquired, looking towards Derpy, her face serious and demanding despite her pleasant tone. “Uhh” Derpy didn’t know what to say, what she could say. Derpy turned to the Doctor for support. The Doctor had looked up and gave Derpy an approving nod to let her know it was alright to tell her. Derpy breathed in, then out to collect her thoughts. “I am from the distant future. I don’t know about the Doctor, but this is his machine and I accidentally came here with him. We didn’t come here on purpose, it was a bit of an accident” Derpy explained to princess Celestia, not really thinking she’d believe her. “If thou art from the future then tell us, how doth this turn out? What happens to our sister?” “She couldn’t possibly know” the answer came from the Doctor as he continued to work, not looking up. “What?” asked Derpy. “History is in flux, and certain points can be changed, time itself can be rewritten” the Doctor explained. “Even if it is just small details maybe you can make certain events more pleasant for all involved, no matter how slightly they may be.” At that the Doctor stopped what he was doing and looked up “But if we tell you then it becomes fixed and you can’t change it, it wont matter how much you try.” Celestia nodded “we understand.” “Molto bene. Now let’s finish this thing,” the Doctor looked down at the console and pulled one final lever down, and the whole TARDIS suddenly began to shake violently and just as quickly as it started it stopped. The Doctor turned a monitor towards him and said “Good, I think we’ve hit the target dead center.” “Are you sure Doctor?” asked Derpy. “Absolutely, there can be no doubt this time” the Doctor said confidently. “Come on everypony, she’s waiting for us.” The Doctor ran over to the TARDIS door and flung them open. At first everything was black, but the shadows slowly began to recede to show a tall alicorn mare with a coat as black as the shadows that had only moments ago engulfed her. Her mane as ethereal as Celestia’s but a blue as deep as the night sky itself. On her body was well crafted and extravagant barding. There was no doubt, this is whom they were looking for. Celestia walked out to face her sister, the small chest on her back. The Doctor and Derpy walked out behind her and closed the doors behind them. “Ahh Celestia, we thought thou would come to face us. Though we didn’t expect thine way of travel to be so” she paused to think of the appropriate word she wanted to use “unique.” “Sister, please stop this, we doth not wish to harm you” Celestia pleaded. “We are no longer thine sister, call us Nightmare Moon for all shall feel what we are capable of.” “Listen to your sister, you can still stop this before any pony else gets hurt.” “No, we don’t think we will. In fact, we think we’ll let our shades take care of you.” Nightmare Moon turned her head to look somewhere behind her and nodded at the darkness. In that instant shadows from every possible direction engulfed them and the TARDIS. Then everything went black.
Jealousy and Rebellion: Part 3"Shadows, actual shadows attacked us" Derpy was still dumbfounded. She, the Doctor, and princess Celestia had regained consciousness to find themselves chained to the cold cobblestone wall of a dungeon of sorts. There were no windows in their prison, but they didn't need one to know that the moon was probably still high in the sky. “It’s not that weird Derpy” the Doctor told her. “I mean they almost remind me of the Vashta Nerada.” “The Vashta what?” “The Vashta Nerada Derpy. They are carnivorous beings, the name roughly translates to the shadows that melt the flesh.” “Is that what attacked us Doctor?” Celestia asked. “Oh no, not at all. I mean probably not. The Vashta Nerada were known as the piranhas of the air, I couldn't image someone actually controlling them. Or even them showing restraint of any kind.” The Doctor said thoughtfully. “So if it had been them we’d be dead, is that what you’re saying Doctor?” asked Derpy. “Yup, so they are probably not them. But we need to get to Nightmare Moon, and soon. If only I could get to my sonic screwdriver I could get these locks undone no problem.” “No screwdriver could open these locks Doctor,” Celestia told the Doctor. “You’ve never seen my screwdriver.” “We mean there are no locks to pick. These chains are magically passcode protected. They shall only open if the correct words art spoken aloud near them.” “Oh,” the Doctor said, “is that all?” Celestia looked over at Derpy and raised an eyebrow in question. Derpy looked at Celestia and shrugged before turning her gaze to the Doctor to see what he was talking about. As if he knew what they were thinking, the Doctor began to talk. “You see from my experiences worded passcodes are always simple. They have to be if they want to remember them. I mean Ali Baba had ‘open sesame,’ or if you sound it out, ‘open says me.’ And just how do you think Moses parted the red sea? We just need to get inside her head and figure something out.” “Doctor I didn’t understand a word of what you just said, Ali Baba? Moses?” asked Derpy. “Not important Derpy, just know that all we need to do is start thinking like Nightmare Moon and we’ll be out in no time.” The Doctor said as he started nodding his head, then shaking it to clear his thoughts. “Grah! I am Nightmare Moon and I like evil things!” The Doctor yelled out. Nothing happened, and the Doctor began to look around, waiting. “Did you actually think that was the password Doctor?” asked Derpy. “Honestly no, but it was worth a shot.” The Doctor looked over at Celestia “She’s your sister, you try something. I know nothing about her besides she wants to rule the world and has an affinity for the night.” Celestia turned away from the Doctor and looked forward, deep in thought as to what her sister might have set the phrase to. “Alright you keep thinking then, Derpy help me” the Doctor said as he looked up towards the shackles that held his hoofs over his head. “Unlock, open, stop being locked. I got nothing.” Derpy looked at the Doctor then looked up at her chains just as he had done. “Please open? The Night is awesome. Umm, Nightmare Moon rules and Celestia drools?” at that Derpy’s shackles lit up in a bright light and then popped open, allowing Derpy to move her hoofs freely once again. The Doctor stared at her in disbelief. “How old is she? Twelve?” Derpy looked at Celestia, she had stopped thinking and just closed her eyes. Her face seemed completely calm and collected, but her left eyebrow was very visibly twitching. “Ah well, Nightmare Moon rules Celestia drools.” The Doctor said nonchalantly, and his chains opened just as Derpy’s had. The Doctor stepped away from the wall and looked at Celestia, her face unchanged. “Alright then, you say it, and we’ll be on our way. Celestia didn’t say anything. Just sitting there in silence. “Is that it then? Is this the type of leaders Equestria has? Sure, making that the pass phrase for the chains was petty but come on, can we just get a move on, there isn’t much time” The Doctor pleaded. Celestia looked up at the Doctor, and the Doctor and Derpy looked back at Celestia. “We won’t give her the satisfaction.” “Fine, be that way, but if you change your mind we’ll be saving your kingdom. Come on Derpy.” The Doctor walked out of the dungeon and into the labyrinth of stone that Nightmare Moon was resided in. They had been walking for almost ten minutes before Derpy broke the silence. “Doctor, are we lost?” “Of course we aren’t Derpy. Mazes have a flaw, an Achilles heel if you’d like” the Doctor told Derpy. “Who?” “Never mind that Derpy. Because the thing about mazes is that so long as you stay along the right wall, never deviating from it, you will find the exit of a maze. Sure you might back track a few places, but you will always find your way to the other side. And I’ve been leading us along the right wall this whole time. I reckon we should be near the end of it now” the Doctor informed Derpy. “Hey Doctor” Derpy began. “Why didn’t one of us just say the phrase for Celestia? I mean if she wouldn’t say it shouldn’t one of us have?” “Well yes Derpy, but you have to be within a certain distance to open them. That’s why when you said it the first time it didn’t open mine or hers. She is taller, and her chains were high enough that neither of us could have reached it.” Derpy gave the Doctor a quizzical look. “What?” the Doctor questioned defensively. Derpy nodded behind her and started to flap her wings gently, it was not enough to get her off the ground, but it drew focus to them. “Oh. Right you can fly” the Doctor said, a light blush of embarrassment starting to cover his face as he looked away. Derpy stopped moving her wings then looked at the Doctor. “Yes, I can fly. You know Doctor for a pony as smart as you are you can be very slow.” “Oh that’s me in a nutshell Derpy, but to be fair I’m still not used to the whole Pegasi thing. I mean you were the first Pegasus I’d ever seen until then, I didn’t know you were real.” “What does that even mean Doctor? What are you talking about, how have you never seen a Pegasus until me?” The Doctor looked back towards Derpy then forwards again, trying to collect his thoughts. “I’m not entirely sure I understand everything myself Derpy. But I plan to change that. As soon as we are finished up here I will find out exactly what happened and why I’m here.” “Is that what you usually do Doctor? Just keep calm, no matter what you come across, no matter how insane things get, you just keep calm and carry on to your next adventure like it was nothing?” “Pretty much, yeah. But it isn’t all bad. I mean it’s good exercise, and I meet loads of brilliant individuals like you Derpy,” the Doctor gave her a small smile as he said this. Derpy looked away, a blushing slightly. Here we are Derpy, the end of the maze. Derpy looked forward now and just as the Doctor has said. She could see some sort of light at the end of the passageway they were now in. The Doctor looked, and Derpy asked “are you ready for this?” Derpy gave the Doctor a sly smile, leaned in and said “allons-y Doctor.” The Doctor shot Derpy back a goofy grin before saying back “allons-y Derpy.” The two ran for the exit and into the unknown light. Once there they found themselves in a large room that somewhat resembled the layout of the throne room in Canterlot save for the actual throne and the materials. Where Canterlot’s throne room seemed to have extravagant marble this place seemed to be made entirely of stone. Where the throne would be there instead was a large window with a slightly elevated platform of stone, out the window could be seen the vast forest, as well as the mountain that the City of Canterlot hung from, and in the corner of the room sat the Doctor's TARDIS. Sitting in front of this window was Nightmare Moon and four shadow like creatures around her. They were different from the shades that had earlier engulfed them, these shades seemed to have at least some sort of definable form and two visible eyes that the Doctor could see. ”Where is our sister? We expected she would be with thou.” asked Nightmare Moon, turning around to face the Doctor and Derpy. “She’s taken a different route, she’ll be around to assist us momentarily, and you have no idea where she’ll come from” the Doctor told Nightmare Moon in a matter of fact tone. The four shades floated into the air and started circling the ceiling, watching the Doctor and Derpy, Derpy crouched down to hide behind the Doctor in fear of Nightmare Moon's creatures. “Is that so?” asked Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon’s horn began to glow blue and in a sudden flash of light Princess Celestia was on the ground in between Nightmare Moon and the Doctor and Derpy. “How …?” the Doctor began. ”It would seem our sister was right where we left her” Nightmare Moon calmly said. “Really Celestia?” called out the Doctor. Celestia slowly got to her hoofs and stood before her sister, staring Nightmare Moon in her cold eyes. ”Look Celestia, out that window. Our army of shadows have gathered, and in less than an hour Canterlot will be ours. In a day all of Equestria. In a week, the world!” Nightmare Moon began to laugh maniacally. Celestia kept her face serious and looked back towards Nightmare Moon. “Thou shall not get away with this. We will stop you” Celestia told Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon laughed again. “How would thou do that? With the Elements of Harmony? We possess three of the six thou needs, did thou really think that would work?” Nightmare Moon asked mockingly. “Here take them, they will never work anyway.” Nightmare Moon’s horn began to glow again and pulled a box from the side of the room and tossed it at Celestia’s hoofs. Celestia kept her gaze on her sister. “Excuse me but I have a few questions.” All eyes in the room turned to look at the Doctor after his sudden outburst. “Now am I the only one curious about those shadow things that attacked us?” the Doctor asked aloud to nopony in particular. “Why don’t you tell us about them?” Nightmare Moon smiled and took a few steps in the Doctor’s and Derpy’s direction. “They are only one of a few types of creature that has pledged their loyalty to us Lord Time Turner.” “His name is the Doctor” Derpy shot at Nightmare Moon. The Doctor looked over a Derpy briefly then turned back to Nightmare Moon and just nodded his head and gave her a slight shrug. “Fine then, Doctor Time Turner” Nightmare Moon said with an eye roll. “Actually if you don’t mind it’s just the Doctor. Now about these creatures you command.” “Between our shades circling over thine heads and the Vashta Nerada there is no amount of information that could help thou. And we are in no rush, now tell us Doctor. What doth thou wish to know?” “I’m sorry, but you just said Vashta Nerada? How could that possibly be, they would never listen long enough to make any sort of deal” the Doctor inquired. “When one has the power to grant them eternal darkness and give them entire free range of the planet they can be quite reasonable.” Nightmare Moon was smiling again. Her confidence seeming to resonate from her. “That doesn’t make any sense!” the Doctor accused. “Where are they now?!” “We sent them on their way. They were on their way out when thou had showed up. We suspect they are clearing the populations of Equestria’s cities as we speak” a light smile formed on Nightmare Moons lips. “You what?” asked the Doctor, his tone now grave and extremely serious. “Image it Doctor. Soon the world will be ours, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!” Nightmare Moon then flew up into the air, her horn glowing once again. The Doctor ran towards her, but by the time he had reached her, there was a bright flash of light and she was gone, along with the shades that had been circling over their heads the whole time. “What?! Where’s she gone to?” Demanded the Doctor. “Doctor, look.” Celestia pointed out the large window, and the Doctor ran over to the window. Over the forest was a prominent darkness that seemed to be drowning the Everfree Forest itself. Not the Vashta Nerada but rather those strange black figured even the Doctor didn’t recognize. Above them, all was Nightmare Moon, hovering over them all as their leader. She was far off yet close enough that the Doctor noticed her turn her head and wink in their direction. “We have to stop her. Now.” The Doctor said with divinity. “But how would we do that Doctor?” asked Derpy. “I don’t know Derpy. I just don’t know.” “Doctor” Celestia began. “We still have the Elements of Harmony. Our sister thinks we will be unable to use them because she once wielded three of the six elements. However she is in such great imbalance that the elements no longer cling to her. We can end this, we can end her.” “Celestia, I caught what she said, when she referred to me and Derpy as mortals. That would mean that you two aren’t and if that’s true then please listen to this little bit of advice before you do what you have to.” The Doctor looked at Celestia, and after she gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement the Doctor continued. “There has been enough death today already. She is lost and confused and right now she’ll need some kindness. Some compassion. Because if there is one thing I know, it’s that immortality is lonely. Send her away, lock her up but believe me when I say that if you kill her you will spend the rest of time wishing you hadn’t. And when she returns because they always do, no matter how perfect the prison, you will need to be wise. For the sake of Equestria, as well as the sake of your sister, be wise. And be ready to forgive. Because what’s the point of it all if you can’t learn to forgive every once in a while.” As the Doctor spoke, Celestia listened to every word that left the Doctor’s mouth. She had no idea whom this Doctor was or why he was here, but he was right, and Celestia knew it. The Doctor was wise, and though Celestia was smart and she was clever, she had not yet experienced the kind of trials that allow wisdom to develop. Celestia loved her sister, but Nightmare Moon had to be stopped. But maybe the Doctor was right, maybe there was another way. Celestia took a deep breath and nodded as the Doctor finished. “Celestia, when the time comes, be understanding and be prepared to open your heart. That’s all I have to say” the Doctor took a few steps back and sat down. Celestia looked down at the small chest and then back towards the Doctor. “Thank you Doctor. But we must put an end to this. If locking her up doesn’t stop this now, at least for a while, then we will do what we must.” When Celestia spoke her voice was unusually quiet and sullen. The Doctor could have sworn he saw a tear escape the corner of her eye, but before he could actually see anything there was a flash of light and Derpy, the Doctor, and the TARDIS were in the empty throne room at Canterlot. “I hope she does the right thing” the Doctor said to himself. “I’m sure she will Doctor. Would you like to know how that old legend ended?” offered Derpy. “Might as well, now that we’ve come to the conclusion one way or another.” Derpy cleared her throat before speaking. “Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the power of the most powerful magic known to ponydom: The Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently in the moon. And the elder sister took responsibility for both sun and moon, and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.” “Well hopefully that’s how it plays out. Though I’m curious. If this is a thousand years ago for you, does Nightmare Moon get out in that time? And if she did, what happened?” asked the Doctor. “Yes but six regular ponies claim the Elements of Harmony and turn her good again. Princess Luna was actually in Canterlot living with Celestia in the castle when I left.” The Doctor nodded his head “good, good.” “So what do we do now Doctor?” Asked Derpy. “Now we wait for either Celestia to walk through those doors, or for Nightmare Moon to.” It was only about an hour before the doors to the throne room opened, and Celestia walked in. The Doctor and Derpy had already guessed Celestia had won as the sun had started to rise about ten minutes before Celestia showed up. The Doctor didn’t have to ask to know that Nightmare Moon had been spared, he could see it in Celestia’s eyes. There was sadness in them but also hope, and the Doctor knew hope when he saw it. “How are you doing Princess?” Asked Derpy. “We shall be fine. And hopefully, one day, so will our sister.” “Oh I wouldn’t worry about that. I’m sure it’ll all work out for the best” the Doctor said in a cheer filled tone and a warm smile. Celestia looked over at the Doctor and his comforting smile and gave him a weak smile back. “We thank you Doctor. But, what will we do about the Shadows that invaded the local towns?” Celestia asked. “My recommendation, start raising the sun an hour earlier from now on. The Vashta Nerada live in trees, and if you create more hours of light then they won’t be able to travel back to the Everyfree Forest as fast. Some will make it back, but maybe you can starve a few of them out.” “But won’t that create an imbalance Doctor? We mean the world required stability and that may cause unforeseen issues.” “Just pull the sun back an hour then. And every few months switch between more daylight and less daylight. Trust me, it’ll balance out.” “Very well Doctor. Now there is the matter of thou and thine companions reward. There is to be a ceremony in thou honor later today. We hope thou will stay for it.” Celestia said, looking between the Doctor and Derpy. “Actually we need to be on our way, more to see and more to do. Our work is never done. But tell you what Celestia, I suspect this won’t be the last we see of you.” The Doctor gave Celestia a smile, nodded a goodbye and then walked out of Celestia’s throne room with Derpy and made their way back to the TARDIS. The Doctor walked over to the console, flipped a few switches and pulled a big lever, and there was that noise that Derpy was starting to love. Moments later the noise stopped, and the Doctor walked over to the doors and flung them open. “Come on Derpy, we’re back.” “Uh Doctor” Derpy began, visibly trying not to laugh, and failing. “What is it?” asked the Doctor as he turned around to look outside the TARDIS doors only to see a particularly annoyed and very confused, but mostly angry looking Roseluck standing on what appeared to be topsoil. “I see” the Doctor said as he slammed the doors of his TARDIS. “Let’s try that again, shall we?” asked the Doctor. “Yes, let's,” Derpy replied. The Doctor made a few adjustments and put the TARDIS in flight. Again the Doctor ran over to the doors and opened them. This time Derpy walked out without giggling at the scene and the Doctor followed. “We are in the White Tale Woods.” Derpy announced. “Is that a bad thing? There aren’t any sort of creatures hiding away in here are there?” Asked the Doctor as he started looking around. “I guess this is good bye, huh Doctor?” asked Derpy, looking down and pawing at the dirt trail below them. “It doesn’t have to be Derpy. If you want, you can come with me. I don’t know this world at all,, and I could use somepony like you watching out for me. So what do you say?” Asked the Doctor. Derpy looked up at the Doctor, “is every day like that for you Doctor?” “Well not every day but I’d be lying if I said it was always safe.” The Doctor kept looking at Derpy, waiting for her response. “It was completely terrifying Doctor. Really I have never been more scared in my entire life and yet, it was so, very exciting.” Derpy told the Doctor, now looking him back in his eyes. “And I would love to come with you Doctor.” “Great, then we better get started. Back in the TARDIS!” the Doctor shouted as they both ran back into the console room and he started fiddling with the main console once again. “I’ll let you pick the next destination Derpy but after that it's my turn and I know exactly where we are going because I need answers Derpy, and you’re going to help me find them.” Derpy looked at the Doctor and with a smile on her face said “allons-y Doctor” The Doctor smiled back as he flipped one final switch and the TARDIS dematerialized.
A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 2A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 2 Doctor Rain Step and the Doctor trotted into the meal place. Unlike the rest of the caverns the Doctor had seen this room was more of a grand hall. The walls made of granite rather than dirt. Great stone pillars held the ceiling in place. Packed earth still served as long tables for the slaves to eat. In the far corner from the entrance there was a half dozen heavily armored diamond dogs curtly handing out child sized wooden bowls of hay, which had somehow acquired a greyish quality, to the mass of ponies that occupied the hall who had yet to grab their serving as they filed past the hulking canine, and even though their stomachs rumbled, they were as enthusiastic as slaughterhouse pigs. The Doctor began to look around for a familiar fair haired mare that had become his companion. Rain Step turned to the Doctor and asked "Spartacus, what does your friend look like? I might be able to lend assistance if I knew who I was looking for." "Right, well. She is a light grey pegasus mare with blonde hair," the Doctor answered, not turning away from surveying the large room. Doctor Rain Step began to look around too. After a few minutes of not being able to find Derpy Rain Step cleared his throat to get the Doctor's attention. "Perhaps we should eat before they stop serving and continue our search afterwards. They'll leave soon and the next meal isn't for another 9 hours." The Doctor nodded at first then threw a quizzical expression at Doctor Rain Step. "twelve hours? That's a weird time for a meal, isn't it?" "I suppose so. I believe it's due to the rotation our captures have. The diamond dogs rotate standing guard every twelve hours. Frankly I can't tell them apart but I see them switching out, at noon and midnight, like clockwork." "Hmm, very observant," the Doctor complemented as he rubbed his chin, pondering that fact for a moment. "Come on then Spartacus, let's eat quickly so we might find your friend." "Agreed." The two had grabbed the small portion of food and now sat across from each other. Doctor Rain Step had begun to hurriedly eat his food, not wanting to have time to properly taste it. The Doctor, however, had taken one bite and had spent the last minute or so just staring down at the bowl. "It even has a greying taste to it," the Doctor muttered more to himself than to Rain Step. "Are you sure there is no other food around, I'm pretty sure some of this is mold." "I'm sure, everypony just suffers through it really and most end up alright," Rain Step told him. "As for the mold goes you're probably right, they keep weeks worth of hay stockpiled in a few different rooms and they take out the older food first and with the portions they give out the hay is always too old by they time they get to it." "Stockpiles of hay?" The Doctor asked. "Yes ... why? What are you thinking?" asked Rain Step. The Doctor answered with a mischievous smile and another question "How quickly do you think you could gather together a dozen or two strong ponies willing to give us a han--hoof?" "Uh, I dunno. Most likely within the hour. Most everypony is in this room eating right now. Why?" "I have an idea." "Okay, so you know your part Doctor Rain Step, are you sure you're up for this?" "Spartacus, I'm not a colt anymore but there is life in this old horse yet. I'm sure I could fly faster than a diamond dog can run, besides it is only one guard," Doctor Rain Step answered confidently. "Right, you lot, you ready for this?" "Of course Spartacus. And rest assured everypony we distribute to will know it came from you" answered a pastel blue unicorn buck with a rich green mane. "Thank you all. Now, let's get this party started." Rain Step walked around the corner with the two now empty child sized wooden bowls that he and the Doctor had been eating from earlier. A moment later and the sound dull thud of wood on steel as Rain Step threw the two bowls at the diamond dog. The next instant was filled with the sound of heavy paws on dirt and the clanking of the diamond dogs metal armor hitting itself in various places began to echo down the hall as the sound slowly faded into the distance. "Right. That's our cue," said the Doctor as he rounded the corner. Rain Step had managed to help the Doctor recruit seventeen ponies in all. And each of them had a small cart in tow behind them. "Now you all know your routes, be sure that as many ponies get fresh food as possible but if you see diamond dogs don't be afraid to drop the cart and run if it's going to be the difference in getting away or getting caught. If you are taken I cannot guarantee your safety. You all understand this?" The group standing before the Doctor nodded and they began to load up every cart with as much fresh hay as possible, each pony leaving as soon as their individual cart was filled until only the Doctor remained. The Doctor sat by himself in Doctor Rain Step's admittedly cozy office behind the mound of packed earth that served as his desk. The Doctor had waited for all of forty minutes before Rain Step finally returned to their designated rendezvous. "You're late doc, I was begging to worry," the Doctor told Rain Step. "Yes well I got a tad sidetracked. But I do believe it was worth it Spartacus," said Rain Step as he trotted his way over to the desk the Doctor sat behind. "Oh, how so?" "I managed to find out where your friend is. Shall we go see her?" The Doctor was already walking towards the exit and Rain Step followed the Doctor out the door. "Right then, come on Spartacus. This way." Rain Step said as he began to walk down one of the many corridors. The Doctor followed behind. "So is the word spreading well enough?" asked the Doctor. "Oh yes sir. That was just the kind of stupid and reckless thing needed to get you noticed. It seems there isn't a single pony that can stop talking about you, even if it is just in hushed whispers," Rain Step informed him. "Now, let me ask you something Spartacus." "Certainly." "No pony, save for the hoof full that helped us out, knows what you look like. How exactly are you going to get the lot of them to know exactly who you are?" "Oh I have a plan, which is rare for me. Well alright it's not so much a plan as it is a gamble but if the diamond dogs react the way I think they will then it shouldn't be too hard to do," the Doctor told Rain Step. "Now about my companion, why didn't she come back with you?" "Well it's mostly hearsay but from what I managed to gather it seems she had tried to fly out and was captured again. And if you get captured while trying to escape they lock you up. There is a room up this hall, just a ways further, where I believe they are keeping your friend." The Doctor slowed his pace slightly and asked "wont there be a guard dog there? Should we be going in with something?" "No no, I assure you Spartacus that the diamond dogs believe that nopony will be able to get out of the prison they have their. And they'd be right for the most part but I get the feeling you wont be deterred by a locked door." "Not usually, though I'm missing the tool I need to get through it easily." "Is that what you were rooting your jacket for earlier?" "Yes, it is. No matter, how much further?" asked the Doctor. "Right around this corner." As the two stallions rounded the corner they found themselves in a circular room with an iron door on the wall, each spaced about two to three feet apart. The Doctor looked around briefly then called out "Derpy, you in here?" "Doctor?" came the familiar voice the Doctor had been hoping to hear. Before the Doctor could reply the face of the soft grey coated mare was at the window on one of the doors calling out again. "Doctor I'm right here." "Derpy! Let's see if we can get you out of there." "I'm sorry, did she just say you were a doctor Spartacus?" asked Rain Step. "Spartacus?" asked Derpy. The Doctor smiled at Derpy slightly and just shrugged. "Why didn't you tell me you had medical experience?" "I'm not that kind of doctor," responded the Doctor "Ah, a man of science. That makes more sense," Rain Step said with a nod of understanding. Derpy looked at the Doctor. Confusion emanating from her. "I'll explain later, but for now you wouldn't happen to have my sonic screwdriver on you?" The Doctor asked Derpy. Derpy answered the Doctor with a deadpanned stare. "Now there is no need for that Derpy, it was simply a question." "If I did have your sonic screwdriver do you think I would still be in here?" "Fair enough. But I don't have the sonic with me so we'll have to bust you out the old fashioned way." Derpy raised an eyebrow and asked "I didn't think you could pick locks Doctor." Rain Step cleared his throat, distracting the Doctor and Derpy from their conversation. "Or you could simply pull the bolts holding the door to it's hinges." "Right, we could do that." The Doctor then reached out to the side of the door and swiftly pull the two lengthy bolts from their positions. Derpy pushed the hinge side forward slighty as the Doctor pulled it sideways to move the lock out of it's place in the door frame. Once it was out enough that it wouldn't catch the door as it fell the Doctor backed away from it and said "Alright Derpy, go ahead and push the door over." Derpy put a forehoof on the door and gave it an easy push. The door gave way easily and hit the ground with a heavy thud, throwing a cloud of dust into the air. "Does it bother anypony else that it was that easy to open one of these things?" asked Derpy. "why would it bother me, if it wasn't that easy you'd still be trapped in there and I'd have to go off and find the guard with the key, probably do something incredibly clever to do so, and then make it all the way back over here. No thank you, I think prefer this," stated the Doctor. Derpy half smiled at the Doctor. Rain Step cleared his throat again. "You've been doing that a lot, you know that Rain Step. You're a doctor maybe it's worth checking that out yourself. Now Derpy, come one we should get out of here before we are noticed. And perhaps let's keep our heads down this time, just in case. That door did make a pretty loud sound." The Doctor, Rain Step and Derpy Hooves left the enclosed room and made their way to doctor Rain Step's office in silence. Once they were back they picked their conversation back up. "Derpy, you haven't happened to see the TARDIS since you've been back have you?" "No Doc- er ... I mean Spartacus," Derpy responded, risking a glance at Rain Step to see if he noticed her near slip. If he had he didn't show it. "If I may interrupt Spartacus, but, what is a TARDIS?" asked Rain Step. "Doctor Rain Step I haven't been entirely honest with you," the Doctor began. "Firstly my name isn't Spartacus, Spartacus is merely a," the Doctor trailed off, moving a hoof in a circular motion as if to stir up his thoughts as he searched for the word he was searching for. "Spartacus is merely a symbol. It's an idea for everypony to rally behind. It's better that they can't put a face to the name. My real name is the Doctor, yes just the Doctor. As for what the TARDIS is well simply put it's how me and Derpy here are going to leave this place. It's a big box, and it's a brilliant blue colour, you can't miss it." Rain Step seemed to ponder this for a moment before saying "So, you're name is just the Doctor?" "Well yes but you don't have to add the 'the' if you don't want to." "Well I- Hello there fella. Is there something the matter?" The Doctor turned around to see who Rain Step had began talking to and saw a hulking diamond dog in the door way. This one was much larger than the others and he couldn't properly fit through the small opening in the wall that served as the doorway into Doctor Rain Step's office. When the diamond dog spoke his deep voice seeped into the bones of the trio of ponies before him, "Master talk all po-nays now. You come." "Yes, we go. Po-nays follow diamond dog now," the Doctor said back. Derpy shoved the Docter slightly and whispered "don't antagonize the big muscle-y thing that hardly speaks. I think that's a good rule to have from now on. Because he doesn't use words to well so I have to assume he prefers a more physical solution to his problems." If the diamond dog understood the Doctor's insult or had heard Derpy's hushed chide he didn't show it. The diamond dog said "come now, follow" before walking away from the door and the trio followed and was greeted with another eight ponies. It didn't take long for the Doctor to realize they were being lead back into the familiar food hall. When they arrived however he noticed the packed dirt tables were gone and at the end that had once been the old hay serving station was not a large dirt stage. On top it were eleven diamond dogs and a pony that had been tied up with rope. Ten of the diamond dogs were the familiar bulky mass covered in iron armour but the eleventh was small and almost scrawny but the way he held himself made it evident that he was in charge. The pony was the familiar pastel blue unicorn that had helped him earlier that day Off stage was overcrowded to say the least. The mass of ponies made it unbearably hot and uncomfortable but no pony complained. No Pony even spoke a word. All sat in eerie silence as they waited for whatever was about to happen to begin. The Doctor gave Derpy a meaningful look, his brow furrowing deeply. After what seemed like hours the small diamond dog began to adress the crowd. When he spoke there were no breaks in his words or failure of enunciation. This diamond dog was clearly the brains to the rest of his army's brawn. "Ponies! It has come to my attention that one of my food stockpiles have been raided. And after I was so nice as to share it with all of you." There was a moment of silence as the leader of the diamond dogs assessed the crowd. "But no matter, for I have managed to apprehend the one that is to blame for this. The unicorn you see before you has admitted to conspiracy and treason to my kingdom. And I can't have that. So to prove a point you all will watch as he directs me to the traitor known as Spartacus. That is, unless you've decided to finally tell me." The unicorn buck remained silent. "Very well then, Spartacus I know you are in this very room and you can come forward and take the place of this poor soul, rest assured I will allow him pardon should he swear his loyalty to me. Or you can prove to every living being in this room what a coward you are and remain silent as this man suffers for following you. Your choice." The Doctor's jaw was clenched and after a brief second of silence he raised a hoof and proclaimed "I am Spartacus!" Derpy looked to the Doctor in shock and before the diamond dog leader could say anything Derpy shouted out "No he's not, I am Spartacus!" This was met with a confused whispers but a few seconds later Rain Step announced "No, I am Spartacus!" The trend continued until the entire room was claiming responsibility for what had happened. Everypony began to move towards the stage and the handful of diamond dog guards began to look worriedly between each other. The Doctor smiled slightly to himself as he noticed what no one else in the room had. The leader of the diamond dogs screamed "Enough! If that's how this is going to be then the unicorn buck will suffer regardless!" As the diamond dog turned around to face his captive he was met with only a pile of ropes. "Where did he go‽ All of you, where did he go‽" None of the diamond dog guards answered and the smaller diamond dog began to scream, rant and swear as the Doctor just smiled and said to himself "now this is going to be interesting."
A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 3The Doctor, Derpy Hooves, doctor Rain Step, and the pastel blue unicorn buck with the rich green shaggy mane that hung down his face sat inside a familiar cozy office. The pale blue unicorn sat furthest away from the door so as to avoid being noticed should a diamond dog rear his or her head through the doorway. After ranting about how lucky everypony was that he wouldn't kill all his workers the diamond dog leader let them all go back to their scheduled work. "So, just so we're clear," the Doctor began. "Your name is Crimson Sunrise? But you're blue ... and your mane is really green" Crimson had incredible patients and this showed through because even after the nineteenth time asking he still responded with a smile and just as gently as the first time, "It's unusual I know, guess my parents really wanted my coat on the other end of the spectrum." "Doctor I think we've covered this enough, don't be rude," Derpy said, chiding the Doctor for the second time that day. "It's quite fine miss, I promise," Crimson said. "Besides he's helped us out so much just in the last twenty four hours that I'm just happy talking to the man." "I'm not worthy of your praise Crimson, not yet," the Doctor told him. "Not until I can get every slave out of here." "You really think you can do that Doctor?" Asked Rain Step. "If I can get to my TARDIS, yes. I think I have something in there that could possible give us the information that we need to win this." "You know my mother had a saying Doctor," Derpy said. "She used to say that 'if' is the most powerful word in the Equestrian language." The Doctor beamed a smiled at Derpy, one that she returned in kind. "That's exactly the reason we're going to win this Derpy. That winning attitude." "I'm sorry, but what is a TARDIS?" asked Crimson. Rain Step answered for the Doctor, "a big blue box." "Glass thing on top, says 'police' on the side?" asked Crimson again. "You've seen it then," the Doctor stated. "Yes, when the captured me they took me to the leader's throne room. It was serving as a back rest for his throne." "Well now that's just silly," Derpy said. "Derpy's right, I mean it's wood! Can't be terrible comfortable and it's also much too big for that tiny dog." "Well that's not what I meant Doctor. I was referring to the fact that there must be a million better uses for the TARDIS than a back rest." "Well now to be fair it depends on the craftsmen. I mean as long as whoever jury-rigged it together put forth their best effort and didn't cut corners then it should be fine. That's what the contractor for the pentagon did, cut corners. It was supposed to be an octagon. Oh well, c'est la vi right?" "You know what Doctor?" "What's that Derpy?" "The worse the situation gets, the worse your jokes get." "That wasn't a joke, the pentagon was designed by American architect George Bergstrom. His original plans were to make it an Octagon but the folks they got doing the actual leg work decided to make it go a little faster. Granted I'd be anxious to finish quickly too if my boss was a Voord. Blimey, not a catering bunch I'll tell you that right now." Before anypony in the room could attempt to make sense of what the Doctor had just said a charcoal-coated unicorn mare with streaks of color in her long white mane poked her head around the corner and said, "Sorry to interrupt but the name of Spartacus is being besmirch by the few slaves that actually look up the diamond dogs. Just, don't believe the rumors, whomever this Spartacus pony is, they are definitely here to help." With that the unicorn mare disappeared behind the wall of dirt again. "That was odd," stated Derpy. "This is what I mean Doctor. You bring everypony something they have not seen in a very long time. You think you have done nothing but really you have done the most important thing anypony could do. And that is give us hope," Crimson informed the Doctor. The Doctor pondered this for a moment before standing up and saying "Derpy, I think it's time we had a little talk with our slaver king. Don't you agree?" "What's the plan Doctor?" "That's the beauty of it my dear Derpy Hooves. I don't have one," the Doctor stated with a confident smile. Rain Step looked at the Doctor in shock, "but Doctor, no plan? The leader is a very dangerous diamond dog. Very clever and not too forgiving." "And that is exactly why I'm not going in with a plan. Something will almost definitely happen and I'll have to abandon the plan anyway. This way, since there is no plan not only will I not have to abandon anything but I'll have the element of surprise. He'll never expect it." "Are you sure about this Doctor?" asked Crimson. "Yes, just stay here with Rain Step and Derpy and I will have this sorted out my mid-morning tea." "Very well Doctor, I hope when I see you next it will be as a free stallion." "So do I Crimson, so do I." The Doctor and Derpy were making their way through the winding caverns of the mines. It had been almost an hour since they left Rain Step's office and almost twenty minutes since they'd last seen anyone else, pony or otherwise. And with still quite a bit of ways to walk if the instructions they received were accurate they decided that now is the best time they had to just talk. "Derpy, I want to apologize for getting you into this." "It's fine Doctor, I'm the one who wanted to come here in the first place. So really it's my fault." "No it's my fault, well the TARDIS' fault really. I mean the TARDIS doesn't always take me where I want to go but it most certainly always takes me where I need to go, she always knows where I'm needed. So it's a combination of fault between me and the TARDIS." "Did you just call the TARDIS a she?" Derpy asked, giggling a little. "Yes, me and her ran away together. She stole a Time Lord and I stole a TARDIS." "How do you mean you 'ran away together' I mean it's not as if the TARDIS can exactly talk," Derpy asked, still smiling. "Or can it?" Her smile faltered briefly at that as she pondered the thought. "Well without going into too much detail, the TARDIS is mine on a sort of finders, keepers basis." Derpy raised an eyebrow. "So you stole it?" "Well, maybe. I mean it's just been so long. The details are a tad fuzzy." "Really Doctor, it's been such a long time, what ten years? How old are you anyway?" Now the Doctor raised an eyebrow but added his own sly smile to it as well. "Guess." "I dunno, twenty three." "That's actually fairly close if you add two zeros." "Twenty three hundred?" Derpy asked in disbelief. "Alright now your just messing with me Doctor. I mean I know I said the same thing about the whole time travel stuff but there is no way on Earth that you can be that old. It's not possible, no pony is that old." "Except for Celestia and Luna," the Doctor added. Then the Doctor looked slightly downward and muttered mostly to himself "at least I think so. Hmm, I'm going to have to find out how old they are when we're done here." "Well that's different Doctor?" "Because they are alicorns?" "Yes Doctor, they aren't normal ponies like me or you." "I told you Derpy, don't you remember? I'm a Time Lord, we have quite a few tricks for cheating death, near agelessness is one of them." "Near agelessness? I don't follow." "I'm saying give me another eight hundred years or so with this face and I'll be needing a cane to walk from my bed to the kitchen in the morning." "So you really aren't a pony then?" "Eeyup. One hundred percent Time Lord here baby." Derpy face began to show small hints of pink with that comment but she didn't let up, "Can you prove you aren't a pony?" The Doctor had stopped walking now and had turned to fully face Derpy. Derpy stopped too and looked back at the Doctor, who had reached down and grabbed her by her hoofs and brought them both up to his chest and held them there as he looked Derpy in the eyes. Derpy's face had become more flush with the sudden hoof-holding but she didn't pull away. For a moment Derpy could only sit there. She could feel the Doctor's heard beat but more than that, she could feel both of them. Derpy Hooves was feeling a steady rhythm of four through her hoofs. Like a drum beat, four beats over and over. bum bum bum bum. It was a bit unsettling at first but she quickly became fond of the experience. The steady rhythm was calming and never without pause as each heart beat individually rather than in synchronization. As Derpy began to marvel at what she was feeling the Doctor began to speak. "I'm a Time Lord. I have two hearts and I am twenty three hundred and seventeen years old. I have many different abilities that is granted through my race, much like your ability to fly only my abilities are much less apparent. It's strange and it's complicated and I'll just need you to trust that a lot about me is impossible." Derpy nodded and lowered her hoofs. There was a moment of awkward silence before the two began walking again. After another minute had passed Derpy decided to break the silence. "So Doctor, is this how you've spent those two thousand years. Traveling time and space, kicking flank and saving innocent ponies?" "Mostly. I started my adventure when I was a spry two hundred year old." Derpy giggled at that. "A spry two hundred year old," she repeated. The Doctor smiled and nodded, "yes yes, I know how that must sound." "Doctor, I think we're here." The Doctor looked away from Derpy and focused on the double doorway blocked by two golden, gem encrusted doors. "These doors seem really out of place, don't they?" asked the Doctor. :"At least we know it's probably the right place," Derpy replied with a shrug. "Well no sense just standing here staring," the Doctor said as he trotted up to the door and gave it a few quick taps and called out "Hey it's Spartacus and his biggest conspirator! I'm the real Spartacus, we want to chat!" There was a brief moment of silence and the two doors slowly opened revealing an open room. The ceiling ascended out of the light and into the shadows, a pair of stalagmites rose up to meet a pair of stalactites on either side of the paved walkway that lead to the makeshift throne where the diamond dog leader sat. "Hello Spartacus," the diamond dog said. "It was very brave, albeit foolish, of you to seek me out like this." "I see. You're one of those boring maniacs who's going to gloat. Are you going to tell me your plan for running the world too?" asked the Doctor. Derpy leaned over to the Doctor and whispered "Doctor didn't we talk about you sassing people in power?" "Why does she call you Doctor?" asked the diamond dog. "Because Spartacus is nothing more than an idea. But that's irrelevant," the Doctor began, walking over towards the throne as he continued. "Because that back rest you got their is mine and I'd be liking it back no thank you." "That's not gonna work," Derpy muttered. "Are you threatening me pony?" "No, no I'm not. Because I don't make threats, but I do keep promises. And I promise you, I shall cause you more trouble than you bargain for if you don't return my property." "It's quite alright Spartacus I think I'll take my chances." "Doctor, why are there no guards in this room. Doesn't that seem a little strange?" "Yeah why is that Mr. diamond dog? And how did those doors open, wait, don't tell me. Remote control right? I can see the little button on your arm rest. Oh that is brilliant. But who is giving you this because you didn't come up with it on your own?" "It is actually one of my own inventions, thank you for noticing." "How is it that you are so mentally advanced while the other diamond dogs have the hardest time enunciating even simple words like 'pony?' And is that my sonic‽" The Doctor had noticed that his sonic screwdriver had been resting on the armrest with the button on it. Something he would have noticed sooner if it had been in one piece. "Is that what it's called. Strange, not the name I'd have given it," the diamond dog pondered that for a moment before snapping back to reality. "No matter, it's your item so here, fix it together and show me how it works and I'll consider letting you live." The diamond dog had grabbed the pieces and thrown them on the ground by the Doctor. The Doctor started to laugh but managed to contain himself. "As you wish." The diamond dog stared curiously at the Doctor during his little outburst but merely watched in silence and allowed him to work. All together it took the Doctor about a minute and half to piece all the tiny pieces together again. "I usually don't take that long but I'm used to doing that with more digits. The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the diamond dog and turned it on for a few seconds. Something that startled the diamond dog at first but he relaxed once he realized it was doing no damage. After the brief moment had passed the doctor brought the screwdriver up to his face and looked at the side, occasionally making knowingly mutters to himself. now the diamond dog was starting to get a little impatient. "Doctor what's going on?" asked Derpy. "It seems our friend here doesn't have an alien parasite in his head like I thought, and that's a big problem because I was really hoping it'd be as easy as removing a brain parasite." "Any plan yet?" The diamond dog cleared her throat to get the attention of the duo, "You are almost five feet from me, I can hear everything you are saying. In case you had forgotten." "Derpy, have you noticed a lot of people hear have been clearing their throats a lot?" "Yeah but that's been only as an attention grabber." "For the most part yeah, I just think it's kind of odd is all." "A coincidence I suppose." "Yes but you never want to ignore coincidence, unless your busy, then you always ignore coincidence." Another throat clear from the diamond dog cut their conversation off once again. "Perhaps we should focus," the Doctor suggested. "Yeah that's probably for the best," Derpy agreed. "How's that plan anyway?" "Already in progress." "That's enough! Both of you! I will not be ignored!" The Doctor chuckled a little at the outburst. "What's so funny‽" Demanded the diamond dog. The Doctor leaned over to Derpy and said, "there really is nothing cutie than an agree puppy." That had been the final thing that he could take, the diamond dog leapt from his throne and towards the ponies below. The Doctor had near simultaneously raised the sonic screwdriver and turned it on. Only instead the gentle sound of the alien device was amplified and it was directed right into the diamond dog's ear as he approached the Doctor and Derpy. The diamond dog collapsed to the ground, howling in pain. Derpy was doing her best to block the sound from her ears. The Doctor began to speak just loud enough to be heard as he kept the sound going. "Now here is what's going to happen. Every diamond dog will evacuate the mine, you can tell them what you wish but you will all leave. And the slaves shall remain here. Are we clear? Because if we aren't I can keep this up all day long." "Yes, yes you win we will leave, we will. Just stop it, please!" The Doctor and Derpy sat together in front of the Large throne as slaves ran around every part of the long series of caverns cheering. "You know Derpy, we are very lucky that we were up against dogs. That sensitive hearing was pretty much the only thing that won us the day. If it had been literally anything else I don't know what we would have done." "You would have figured something out Doctor, you always do." "Doctor," came the voice of the aged sage green pegasus. "Rain Step, there you are. I was beginning to think you weren't going to stop by and say goodbye," the Doctor said with a smile. "Of course I was going too, this room is just very far away from my office." "We're aware," Derpy told him. "Right, anyway I just wanted to wish you two luck in your travels. We'll never forget what you've done here today, Spartacus." "It was my pleasure Rain Step, sincerely it was. And don't worry about staying safe out here. I'll make sure Princess Celestia herself sends a regime out here to escort everypony back to their homes and families safely. She kind of owes me one." Rain Step chuckled, "if you say so Doctor." "Come on Derpy, lets go see what tomorrow has in store for us." "Or maybe yesterday," Derpy said, the smile on her lips evident in her voice. The two entered the TARDIS and the Doctor walked over to the center console. "Well Doctor, you said you wanted to see something. And it is your turn to pick where we're going so ... where are we going?" "We're going to see if I can't contact an old friend of mine."
A Diamond in the Ruff: Part 1The Doctor ran around the spire in the center of the TARDIS’ main room, flipping seemingly random switches and hitting several buttons before stepping away from the console and towards Derpy. “So Derpy, where do you want to go?” Asked the Doctor. “Well I’ve always wanted to see what Equestria was like only a hundred years ago. Maybe see the start of Ponyville or something,” Derpy said, shrugging as she said the first thing that came to mind. “Well then let’s see us the start of a town,” the Doctor said, smiling as he turned back to the TARDIS. The Doctor stepped up to the console and moved a few more levers and turned some dials. Then, everything started to briefly shake then stop. The Doctor turned one of the overhanging monitors towards him and said “good,” as he gave himself a quick nod. “Are we here?” Asked Derpy. “Well we are on the right date, a Tuesday I think. Why don’t you take a look,” the Doctor offered, motioning towards the TARDIS exit. The Doctor and Derpy walked over the door and exited the TARDIS. The duo stepping into a glade. The open patch of forest seemed to be completely void of any plant life, and the dirt itself looked as if it had all been recently disturbed. “What is this place Doctor?” Derpy asked as they closed the TARDIS doors and stepped towards the middle of the clearing. “I don’t know, never seen anything like this,” the Doctor said as he knelt down to the dirt and began to inspect it. “It’s almost like all this dirt was dug up,” the Doctor said that as he licked a bit of it and allowed himself to taste the makeup of the dirt. “Did you just eat some dirt Doctor?” asked Derpy, worriedly. “The dirt is definitely natural. Nothing alien has affected it, at least nothing that sticks out,” the Doctor mused. “But why would an individual, or even a group for that matter, go through the trouble to dig up this opening? I’m missing something, something obvious, but what?” The Doctor stared down at the dirt attempting to figure out why he was so curious about this dirt and exactly what it was that bothered him about it. “Um, Doctor,” Derpy said cautiously. “One moment Derpy,” the Doctor said, still analyzing the dirt before him. “Doctor, this is kind of important, we may have a problem,” Derpy said, now beside the Doctor trying to look him in the eyes. “Alright, what’s the matter Derpy?” “Doctor, the TARDIS, it’s not there anymore,” Derpy told him. “What do you mean it isn’t there any more, of course it is,” the Doctor turned to look at the TARDIS as he said this, but when he looked in the direction the TARDIS should have been his gaze was met with the dense forest. “Yeah I’d say you were spot on when you said we had a problem Derpy.” “Where do you think it went Doctor?” Asked Derpy. “Well I doubt it went far, we would have heard it dematerializing. No, I suspect that someone or something may have taken it, and they couldn’t have gotten very far.” “Because it’s so heavy,” Derpy said, more stating than asking. “Well not really, from the outside it’s relatively light. It’s just the inside that’s heavy,” the Doctor told Derpy. “The inside weighs more than the outside?” Asked Derpy. “Well then how much does the inside weigh?” “Well let’s see, if I were to give a rough estimate I’d say about 5 × 107 Newtons, or the weight of 5,000 tonnes, yeah that sounds about right,” the Doctor said absentmindedly. “What about the outside?” “Oh who knows, it’s clearly light enough that it got carried away, now are we going to sit here and talk about how much my TARDIS weighs or are we going to go and find out where it’s gone off to?” “Did you just sass me Doctor?” Derpy asked. “I didn’t think you were the type to sass.” The Doctor opened his mouth and raised a hoof to make a point, but before a word left his lips they heard a strange voice that seemed to come from all around them. “Po-nies.” “Well now that’s rather creepy,” the Doctor said. “Who’s out there? Show yourself! Are you the lot that has got my TARDIS? You won’t get any use out of it, you might as well just give it back,” the Doctor called out to the forest. “Do you think that’ll work Doctor?” “Doubtful but it’s always worth a try,” the Doctor responded with a smile. ”Po-nies.” This time the word sounded muffled and seemed to come from below their feet. The Doctor and Derpy looked down then back to each other in confusion. Derpy lifted a hoof and looked underneath it, after seeing nothing she turned back to the Doctor and said “I think maybe we should get out of here Doctor.” “I agree, we’ll find my TARDIS later.” With that the Doctor and Derpy made a beeline for the trees. The Doctor was nearly beyond the trees when he heard Derpy let out a yelp behind him then go silent. He turned around to see what seemed to be a deep crater in the dirt and no sign of Derpy. The Doctor slowly stepped towards the crater only to find it was, in fact, a hole, and a deep one at that. “Derpy!” The Doctor called down the hole. There was no response. “Derpy!” The Doctor called out, this time a little louder. Still nothing. The Doctor took a few steps back, turned around, then shouted out “Whatever you are, you are making an extremely big mistake. Because it’s my fault she is here, and I will fight to my last breath to see her safe again! Now you’ve got to the count of three before I come looking for you, and believe me when I say that you don’t want that.” “One,” the Doctor called out. There was some rustling beyond the trees and shrubbery that caught the Doctor’s attention. The Doctor took a few steps towards the rustling and called out again. “Two.” “Last chance,” the Doctor offered. “Very well then. Thre-“ The Doctor was cut short by sudden and rapid movement. The ground seemed to give out underneath him, and all light seem to vanish as he felt a strange sensation that seemed to be a mixture of falling and sliding, yet, there was something holding onto the Doctor's rear limbs. The Doctor couldn’t place what was it was that was dragging him, but whatever it was, it had claws, and they were digging deep into the Doctor’s flesh. It was only around ten seconds before the Doctor and his captor had stopped moving. The Doctor began to look around in an attempt to get his bearings. The Doctor saw many torches adoring the walls of several caves and passage ways as they sprawled outward. The Doctor turned to face his attacker only to be met with darkness the Doctor quickly realized was nothing more than a black hood, which was tightened around his neck immediately. The Doctor tried to fight it, but a quick blow to the back of his head with some unknown blunt object quickly stopped any resistance he had been putting up. The Doctor awoke several hours later in a daze. The first thing he noticed was the lack of actual bedding. The Doctor opened his eyes to see he was actually elevated to about the height of a bed, though the only thing he felt below him was dirt. In fact, the small room he found himself in seemed to be dug out of the earth. The only things that weren’t dirt was the torch on the adjacent wall that gave the room a low glow, the other was the few plywood boards that had been fashioned into a rudimentary door. The Doctor sat up and got to his hoofs. He stumbled his way to the mediocre door and when he stepped out he was greeted with a particularly large chamber. There was no natural light seeping into the large room, but there were torches everywhere. There were also dozens, maybe even hundreds of ponies of varying ages that were doing all sorts of work. Some were pulling carts of gems down different passageways while others simply dug up the gems and loaded them into the carts. There were a few creatures that clearly weren’t ponies, but rather they appeared to be canine in nature. These dogs all had a strange set of studded iron armor on and some even carried whips with them as they barked orders at the various ponies. The Doctor didn’t know what was going on, but he had a pretty good guess. He stepped forward only to be stopped by a sage green hoof extending in front of his path from his left. The Doctor looked towards the origin of the hoof that was blocking his path to see a Pegasus stallion with a deep purple mane with a single stripe of a dark pink down one side of his hair who seemed to be near middle aged. The Doctor looked over the stallion before accepting that he wasn't in the condition to fight. “What’s your name?” the Doctor inquired. The stallion spoke in a gruff and harsh voice as if he had taken a shot a whiskey only a moment before speaking. “My name is Rain Step. Though most just call me Doc, seeing how I’m the only one here who will patch ponies up. The Diamond Dogs seem content to let us rot. I guess they figure they have enough of us that it doesn’t really matter, but so long as I’m around I’ll do what I can. I think I did a pretty good job stitching you up stranger.” The Doctor looked down at his hoofs where the claws had cut his flesh to see several fresh stitches. “Thank you very much,” the Doctor said. “I take it those armored dogs are whom you’re referring to.” “Well yeah, they must have hit your head something fierce for you not to recognize a Diamond Dog,” Rain Step said. “Why isn’t anypony fighting back?” Asked the Doctor. “Most have been in captivity so long they’ve stopped caring. They’ve lost hope.” “Well why hasn’t anypony on the outside tried to stop them?” “Think about it, we are in the middle of the Celestia damned Everfree. Anypony that actually comes looking for us gets trapped, and their work force increases,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “Personally I think it’ll take all of us fighting back together to be free, but I can’t imagine this lot coming together to fight back. They just don't have the will anymore.” The Doctor looked out towards the slaves thoughtfully and muttered to himself “a rebellion of slaves huh?” “Sorry, where are my manners, you have a name mister?” asked Rain Step. “Uhh, yes actually. Just call me Spartacus,” the Doctor told Rain Step. “Spartacus? Not the name I would have chosen, but if that’s your name that’s your name,” Rain Step said. “Do you have any other questions Spartacus?” “Actually I came in here with somepony else. Well not necessarily in here with them but about the same time we were taken. You wouldn’t happen to have heard anything about a gray Pegasus mare would you?” “A gray Pegasus? Not that I’m aware of. There are many different rooms like this, though I would wait another hour or so when they move us all towards the central hall so they can feed us whatever scrap they happen to feel like feeding us today. She’ll probably be there, but I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to pick her out in the crowd.” “I think I’ll be able to manage,” the Doctor said. “If you don’t mind me asking, why is it you aren’t doing any heavy work right now?” “It’s no bother,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “You see, like I said before, the Diamond Dogs could care less if we get hurt. But they still would rather not lose the worker if they don’t have to spend the time themselves to patch them up. So they allow me to help where I can so they can keep as many workers as possible, and in return I don’t have to do much of heavy lifting.” “Seems rational enough,” the Doctor said. “You can’t rationalize with them Spartacus,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “In fact the only medical supplies I have is from the various things ponies come in here with.” “Speaking of which, do you know where they might have taken my stuff? I had a few things in my pockets that I’m sure will prove useful.” “Actually I have it over in my office, follow me,” Rain Step told the Doctor. The Doctor followed Rain Step over to another dirt room that was only slightly larger than the one he had woken up in. In this room, the elevated dirt served as a desk rather than a bed. Rain Step walked behind the desk and pulled a box out from behind it before lifting it onto the dirt desk. “Let’s see, it should be in here somewhere,” Rain Step said. A brief moment passed, and he spoke again. “Here it is.” Rain Step pulled out a dusty coat that the Doctor instantly recognized. The Doctor reached for it and stuck his hoof into the deep pockets of his coat only to find them empty. The Doctor felt around in the pockets again to verify what he had just felt then reached for the box and began frantically looking through the box. He found nothing. “Missing something friend?” Asked Rain Step. The Doctor sat back it defeat. “Yes actually, but it’s replaceable,” the Doctor told him. “My friend, however, is not.” “I’m sure we’ll find your girlfriend right away, but there isn’t much we can do right now. Now why don’t you follow me, I’ll show you the ropes of being a slave,” Rain Step said, only partially jokingly as he started to make his way to the doorway. “She’s not my, oh never mind,” the Doctor said to himself as he threw his jacket back into the box and followed Rain Step out the door. The Doctor trotted up beside Rain Step and Rain Step turned his head as he led them down a passageway. “I can see it in your eyes Spartacus, a fire. If you really want to try and free all of us, you’ll have to get popular with all the other prisoners. Become a symbol, as it were.” “And how would I do that?” Asked the Doctor. “Well, down here, there are only three ways to get in good with the populous,” Rain Step began. “First, you can fight, there are daily tournaments that the Diamond Dogs like to bet on. The winner gets one desire granted. Usually that is to go free, which the Diamond Dogs do keep to their word, but they are almost always immediately captured again.” “What if I asked for them to set us all free?” “They’d refuse, and it might be the spark needed to begin a revolution. However it isn’t just fights, the fights are to death in an arena,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “Well I guess we can rule that out,” the Doctor said. “Next option?” “The second way is to become a dealer of various goods and comforts. Supply things others can’t, though I’m not sure how you would do that.” “You mean play off the desperation of others for profit?” Asked the Doctor. “Hey, I never said the options were pleasant,” Rain Step said defensively. “Fair enough,” the Doctor said. “What’s the other way?” “The other way is to do something incredibly stupid. Things like that tend to get around quick, I guess gossiping helps everypony to distract their minds,” Rain Step told the Doctor. “That’ll work. I’m good at stupid,” the Doctor said, just glad there was a way to get known without having to do something he knew he’d regret later. “Well whatever you are going to do I suggest doing it at meal time.” “Great, how much longer do we have to wait?” Asked the Doctor. “Well we’ve been walking to the feeding hall this whole time. I’d say we’ll be there in about five minutes, I hope you’re a fast thinker,” Rain Step said. “And be careful, I’d like to see you in my office again, but I’d prefer if you weren’t unconscious this time.” “I’ll do my best Doc, I’ll do my best.”
