"So, what is you all are eating?" Makuta asked.
"Yeah, I thought Equestrians were completely herbivores, what are these slices of?"
"Oh, it's tofu, a griffon complained there was nothing meat-like at one of the feasts and gave us the recipe, apparently it's turkey-like, but it's been flavored for Equestrians and is digestible." Celestia said.
Paradox was digging into the mash potatoes, which seemed to be constantly re-growing on his plate, "I could make some real turkeys for you Makuta." But it came out garbled.
"No thank you. No need to eat, actually, I'm feeding off of all of your souls right now." Cadence and Shining Armor stopped eating for a second and gave a scared look to each other.
Paradox stopped eating for a second, giving the potatoes opportunity to arm themselves with his fork. "What does mine taste like?"
"Spicy." Makuta lied. It was actually creamy.
"Liar, it's actually creamy."
Makuta decided he wasn't going to talk to Paradox any more. Sombra made a bit of his shadow self stretch to Paradox's side of the table. "Um... Is my soul evil?" He whispered.
Paradox looked at him for a second. "I dunno, I get that your soul is a little too watery." Sombra was unable to respond to that, and it would haunt him forever.
"So, Hearth's Warming Eve has come yet again, and not a single invasion ship in the sky... maybe it only applies to Christmas, not all Winter Solstice holidays attract aliens after all." he Doctor said jovially, digging into some mash potatoes and tofu turkey. "after lunch we should go see the play, are you six performing again this year?"
Rarity frowned and shook her head. "Sorry but no. I'm afraid I was too busy this year to be able to come to the rehearsals."
"And I'm getting pretty busy keeping Ponyville's weather in check while still doing classes at the Wonderbolt Academy." Said Rainbow Dash.
"And I've been planning a huge Hearth's Warming Eve party with Paradox!" Pinkie said jovially.
"Me an Spike haven't been overly busy, but because something put us in the hospital two days before auditions I decided not to." Twilight narrowed her eyes at Makuta.
Shining Armor gasped and got out of his seat. "That thing did what to my sister?!"
"I flicked Archivist Twilight Sparkle on the forehead because she was mocking me and Spike because he knew too much."
"Mocking?" Twilight asked. "I said you wouldn't hurt a fly!"
"Exactly, you mocked my ability."
"Wait... that thing put you into the hospital by flicking you!?" Armor shouted.
"Yes..." Twilight said. "But it doesn't matter, it's all water under the bridge now."
"What I find funny is that you even agreed to come Makuta." She turned to the Doctor, "Oh yeah, by the way, this is your chance to team up with the other evil monstrous creatures that don't belong in Equestria."
"I'm glad to know you still appreciate me sister-in-law." The Doctor said sarcastically in his English accent. Celestia fumed at being called 'sister'. And even more so to know that he had married Luna.
Nightmare Moon spit out the wine she had hidden. "What?! When did this happen?!"
Luna raised an eyebrow. "I guess it didn't happen in your continuity." She looked to the Doctor.
"Hey, I'm a time traveler, not a dimension hopper, this is all Paradox's idea."
"Yep." Paradox lowered his head down to him. "By the way, there's another Pinkie in this dimension, which we should probably tie up somewhere."
"The one you brought with you, or the one who belongs here?"
Paradox turned to Pinkie Pie. "Mom?"
"Yeah?" Pinkie answered.
"Okay, we're good, it's the native that's on the loose, screaming about Changelings in Ponyville."
Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all turned to Pinkie. "So you're Pinkie Pie... but in another universe?" Twilight asked uncertainly.
"Absolutively!"
Celestia put a hoof to her face. "I'm beginning to think this lunch was a bad idea."
"By the way, which version are you?"
Celestia blinked. "What?"
"Are you from Paradox's, mine, or Makuta's universe?"
"I... don't know..."
"She's from yours, with Luna." Paradox answered. "I gave her this world's version's memories so she could crack jokes with Sombra and Makuta. And we are in Makuta's universe."
"Then where's the other me?" Celestia asked.
"Oh, probably at some play or another."
Makuta decided to leave a shadow clone and spirit away to the box that Celestia, Luna, and the Doctor arrived in. He stopped by it and wondered how he would fit his Rahkshi body inside the tiny blue thing. He decided he would deal with that afterwards, and shadow himself in through the crack in the door. But he was stopped by a force field. A holographic figure appeared. It was like an all-organic toa. "You have attempted to break into the Tardis." The hologram said. "So, I have one thing to tell you. I'm the oncoming storm, so many have tried to kill me or hurt what I hold dear, and what happened to them? I'm the last of the Time Lords, I've saved the universe multiple times, and I have now recorded your dna signature for processing. Don't break into the Tardis, or I'll break you. Thank you, signed the Doctor." Then the hologram disappeared. And Makuta solidified and pushed it off the side of the castle, watching as it dropped down into the town below, he smiled under his mask as it bounced off of some poor pony's house and began sliding down the great purple mountain. He then returned to the meal table, much happier than before. He couldn't get into the time Machine, so now nobody could. And he was the only one who knew where it had gone.
"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts! As long as it burns we cannot drift apart!" The Doctor and Luna sang, standing on their hind legs.
"Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few." Paradox, Cadence, and Celestia sang together.
"Laughter and singing will see us through!" Sombra and NMM sang out afterwards, making Celestia raise an eyebrow that they chose to sing that part in particular.
"We are a circle of Pony friends, a circle of friend's we'll be til' the very end!" the mane six and Shining Armor sang out together.
Makuta waited for the rest of it. But the others were already getting down and laughing. "What about the rest of it?" He asked, the others looked at him like he was dumb. "It wasn't even a minute long!"
Celestia laughed. "Don't blame me, this guy here wrote it." She pointed at the Doctor.
"I was trapped in a frozen hell-hole with two mares for six hours, we made up hundreds of songs out of every little thing we said, what I'm amazed at is that you don't celebrate the season by playing three-player tic-tac-toe! Now that was an achievement."
Paradox considered this for a few seconds. "If you don't exist in Makuta's dimension... and you didn't travel with Pinkie in mine... how was Equestria made in either of these? Didn't you lead the Pegasus here?"
"Well... I. I'm assuming... I'll be back in a second." The Doctor galloped around a large tower. They heard his scream. "WHERE IS MY TARDIS?!"
"Well, this has been... awkward." Makuta got up and turned to shadow. Less than a moment later the Doctor came back galloping, flashing his Sonic Screwdriver.
"Luna, don't wait up, I'm about to show another alien life-form why they should run away at the mention of my name!"
Luna sighed and stopped Nightmare Moon from getting up, but Sombra immediately galloped after him.
"Don't worry my Master, I'll defend you! No pony will stand before us!"
Cadence sighed. "Well, this was a fine afternoon." She turned around and gave Shining Armor a hug. "You want to go and beat up Sombra, don't you?"
"Yes, but I want to spend the day with you."
Cadence summoned a mace out of existence. "Beat him with this."
"Gladly." Shining Armor took it and ran after the others.
Celestia looked around, eventually settling her gaze on Paradox. "Well?"
"What?"
"Aren't you going to go running after them?"
"Nah, it's too late to make a Leroy Jenkins reference."
Pinkie smiled and pulled a helmet over her head. "No it isn't." And she took off. "PINKIE DEEEE PIIIEEE!"
Paradox smiled and flew after her. Twilight put a hoof to her forehead. "Oh my gosh she just ran in."
And so the five mares and four Alicorns went to see a play, and Makuta and the Doctor had an epic battle.
Afterwards they all decided never to do it again.
Paradox already made plans for next year.
