Return of the Master

A noise.

A noise that he hadn't heard for hundreds of years.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

He was finally free of the wreckage of the Library, a few scrapes and bruises littered his dark grey coat, but they didn't matter. What mattered now was getting back to the bunker.

Police and civilians crowded the remains of the small town. What had been a peaceful place for ponies of all kind to gather and socialize, was now reduced to rubble and charred wood.

And it was all his fault.

And he.... Was... proud.

He let out a small chuckle, gathering the suspicious looks of a few ponies. He simply smirked, and took to the skies, dust flying up from where he stood moments ago. "You're insane... You murdered innocent ponies!"

"Forget it, Doctor. You've committed your fair share of murder in your time."

I'm not the Doctor. I'm just his voice. Like how he hears you, you hear him."

"But why? Even I have no idea why that happened."

"When your current body was born, a little bit of your brain was transferred into his. Likewise, the same thing happened to you."

The Master didn't respond. He simply flapped wings harder until he was above the Everfree forest, it's trees running off into the horizon. Their green leaves turned a brighter shade, thanks to the rising sun of Equestria. "... How do I get rid of you?" The Master asked.

"It's simple. You kill the Doctor, but he has to kill you, as well."

"What?! Why?!"

"Neither of your minds are complete. He hears your voice in his head, tormenting him into madness. I am simply trying to complete myself once more. Once the Doctor is dead, your mind will be complete again, but, will be overwhelmed by having the brilliant mind of the Doctor, and your cunning mind, all in one brain."

"Like that Donna Noble..."

The voice in the Master's head stopped. A sound, as if it were breathing tormented his ears.

"Don't mention her."

"Did I strike a chord? If you don't want me to mention her, then tell me this: is there a way to make me complete, and live?"

The voice of the Doctor didn't respond.

"Rubbish, you are. Rubbish!" The Master descended into the forest, where he landed without a sound. He looked around, and walked over to a patch of grass. Shuffling around in it, he eventually hit his hoof on something metal. He lifted it up, revealing a stairway, leading into darkness. He took a look over his shoulder, and hopped in.

The Doctor laughed.

“Y-you’re alive! In my head! Oh, my god, this is the best news I’ve ever had!”

Doctor, you really must get a hold of yourself.

“*Ahem.* Oh. Yes. Sorry. But- how did you- did the Master- What is going on?!”

A tear. A tear in the Rift has opened.

“That’s how Jack got here...”

Exactly. Now, if that rift happened to tear at that exact moment a being was born, through a being who has had more contact with the void than any living being, it would have some interesting side-effects.

“That’s why the Master is getting stronger.”

“Doctor?” Jack called. “Who are you talking to?”

“N-no one, Jack!” The Doctor stuttered. he turned to Jack. “H-have you gotten a better grasp of what the TARDIS is like now?”

“I gotta admit, I like the Coral desktop theme better.”

The Doctor beamed. “Down that hall,” He pointed his hoof to the south of the console. “Take two rights then a left. The TARDIS saves any, and all themes I’ve ever had and will have."

Jack nods, and begins his walk.

"The Master... He needs to be stopped.... Twilight? Are you awake?"

Twilight slowly got up, and walked over to the Doctor. "How.... How long have I been out?"

"About an hour or two. I have somepony I would like you to meet, once he gets back. Colgate? How're you holding up?"

The dentist looked to the Doctor with a smile on her face. "Doing great. Still a little freaked out, but I'm ready to take down this Master guy. He ruined Ponyville, who knows what he'll do next?"

"You're right, Colgate. Which is why we need to alert the Princesses about him. He's insane, and has mild control over the Void, the space between dimensions."

Colgate and Twilight were shocked.

"If he really is as insane as I predict... He'll likely risk killing himself to get to me. If he does rip a hole into the Void, then not only will we be fighting for ourselves, but for the entire planet."

Despite his best efforts, a smile etched its way onto the Doctor's face. "All of Ponykind rests in our hooves..."

He looked to the two of his companions.

"We've got to alert the Princesses, then we find Derpy." The Doctor runs toward the console, and flips a switch, but nothing happens. His face turned pale. "R-right.... TARDIS is dead..." He laughed a little, his face turned a shade of red. “Ahem... Looks like we’re hoofing it. Jack, you’re a Pegasus... You could fly, if you knew how to. And Colgate, you and Twilight are unicorns... You two could teleport us to Canterlot.”

The Doctor closed his eyes and sighed. “It’s my fault this is happening... If I had finished the Master where he stood in the Library, none of this would be happening... We could find Derpy, we could bring Spike back to life, but we can’t, because I was a coward!” He brought his hoof down on the metal floor, causing a clang to echo throughout the dead TARDIS.

“Doctor,” Colgate began. “calm down. We’ll beat this guy.”

The Doctor’s head shot towards her. “How do you know that?! You saw what he did in Ponyville! And that’s not even all he’s capable of! He can take over entire planets within a day! You haven’t faced him before. He’s one of the most deadly enemies I know. He is a monster.”

The Doctor hung his head. “If you plan on helping me, you must know one thing. You will, more than likely, die. You see Spike, floating in the ball over there?” He pointed his hoof towards the magenta sphere encasing the dead dragon. “He did nothing. All he was doing, was watching the console. He was murdered in cold blood!”

He sighed. “The Princesses. Twilight, could you teleport us? I’m sure the Princess still remembers me. But from where?” The Doctor’s face turned from one of sadness to one of confusion.

“Uh...” Twilight stuttered, still recovering from the Doctor’s outburst. “Sure. Where’s Jack?”

“Oh! He should still be in the old console room.” The Doctor ran towards a hallway on the back wall of the console room.

“Jack?” He called. “We’re about to leave!”

A few minutes later, the Doctor and his companions were gathered outside of the TARDIS. Twilight stood in the center of the circle they formed, her horn glowing. “Okay... When we land, you may feel lightheaded. Just a warning.”

“Sounds just like a Vortex Manipulator,” Jack laughed.

The Doctor gave a small chuckle. "Okay, Twilight. Let's go."

Twilight nodded. Her horn started to glow even more, nearly blinding her friends.

The Doctor looked around. His friends were all there, prepared to fight.

"I have a tendency to pick up fighters, don't I?"

The Master stood in the center of the main room of the bunker. Where was Derpy? She couldn't have had escaped. Taking another look around, he noticed that a door to the far right as left ajar.

"She's gone exploring." He noted. He walked over to the door, and pushed it open further.

"She'll escape, eventually."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"You're not in the position to say anything. You're not well, Master."

"Not well? Ha! I feel better than ever!"

"The sound of drums. You're hearing them again."

"And?"

"The signal. It's coming from somewhere. It's driving you insane, faster than last time."

“The signal? How do you know it’s a signal?”

“I don’t. I could be wrong.... But from last time this happened, it didn’t really end well for either you or the Doctor.”

“Bah. Just shut up already.”

The Master tuned out the voice in his head. Derpy still needed to be found. He turned a corner, which led into a hallway with several doors.

Derpy and Sky Dancer stood in silence. Sky had been shocked at the revelation that she had been kidnapped by this “Master” character, like anypony would have, but she just sat here, and waited for her friends to save her. Well, that seemed kind of foolish, if you knew somepony who knew the way out of the place you’re being held at.

“You’re going to break me out of here?”

“Yes, I am. You’re being held here against your will. I know the way out of this place. I’m getting you out of here.”

“But what if the Master sees us?”

“He won’t. I promise.” Sky looked behind himself towards the door, making sure the Master wasn't there. “We just have to make sure he doesn't. He’s not here, is he?”

Derpy thought for a few seconds. “No. He left a while ago.”

“Then we don't have much time. If he has been gone that long, he could come back at any moment.”

Sky took her hoof, and ran towards the door, pushed it open, and ran down the hall.

“The exit is this way. If he’s coming here, then we've got to be fast!”