The Stranger From The Vortex

A low and cool mist wrapped around The Doctor's hooves as he paced himself carefully towards the Vortex Ooze. Only ten minutes ago did the Ooze made itself known at a dramatic level by nearly destroying the entire market place. It was definitely bigger now and by Ditzy's description, his assumption of its evolutionary capability to change and grow was right. At this point, no pony was around or at least any that he could sense at the moment. He stopped as the mist and vapor started to rise higher than before, going above his own body. The Doctor was at a standstill.

“Okay Doctor, no problem. It's only a mist …” he said to himself, while waving his sonic around in a full 360. The green lit tip at the end of his screwdriver emanated a mystical glow with the whirring adding more to that magical feeling. He flicked its claws, stunned to realize that the high radiation levels were mimicking the levels back on Gallifrey. Being a head scientist, he could easily recognize this right of the bat.

“… That is, it’s only a mist filled a deadly radiation levels for Earth Ponies. Meaning only creatures with two hearts could be able to move through it” The Doctor said to himself, before losing his track of thoughts to the gurgling sounds of the Ooze. The fog was thick, but he continued on, only to stop at moments to aim his sonic around and see if he was getting closer to the creature. It’s no lie that the Doctor is very persistent, over the years he has grown to overcome certain obstacles, and this was no exception. He moved forward, until he felt it. The sheer presence of the Ooze was now all around him. He could always feel evil, even when his eyes could not see any sign of the monster that gives him this dark and familiar feeling.

“Right then, you might as well show yourself. I know you’re here and I know what you are, so please … come out and I promise no harm will come to you” The Doctor said.

“Is that true?” said a raspy voice, bleeding through a thick and sludge tone. The Doctor looked up at the Vortex Ooze.

“Well then ... that’s different” The Doctor said, a little lost as he was facing a new form of the creature. His initial thought was to see a 25 foot tall blob with razor sharp teeth, and giant tentacles ready to rip him to shreds or something along those lines. Instead, the age old master of the universe had his eyes fixed on an unexpected new shape that it took. It was still gigantic in size, but now there was a pony head growing now out of the blob’s body along with an elongated neck. The dark violet spots were gone, and now replaced by pulsating waves of neon green all along its body. The head had no mouth, but to make up for it were its bulbous eyes that were white and blank with no pupils inside. With no mouth to express its physical emotion, the Ooze relied on the very brightness of the eyes to show its hatred to the Time Lord.

“Interesting shape, but I must say I am very impressed that you have evolved to a level of psychic communication, for a virus” The Doctor commented, “Allow me to properly introduce myself, I Am-”

“The Doctor, and a liar.” The Ooze interrupted.

“And why are you calling me a liar?” The Doctor asked.

“You said, ‘I promise no harm will come to you’, and yet you deliberately attacked me earlier in that stuffy tree! Why shouldn't I call you a liar?!” the Ooze replied.

“I’ll admit it, in the grand scheme of things, that really wasn't the right thing to do, and I always want to look for the best solutions. The only one I could come up with at the time was to just contain you, not destroy you.” The Doctor explained.

“Liar!” the Vortex Ooze forced itself forward, confronting the Time Lord face to face.

“I know all about you and what you've done. You would spread your diseases, plaguing civilizations for countless generations, causing mass extinctions, and even using the Vortex for your own dastardly purposes. My people knew it more than any other creature in the universe!” The Doctor’s details fascinated the creature. Through its evolutionary abilities, it was actually able to remember all the times it did such as the Doctor was saying.

“You said, ‘your people’ … which species are you referring to?” the Ooze asked as it crept itself around The Doctor.

“My people were from the very place where you originated from. Gallifrey, home of the Time Lords.” The Doctor answered, carefully keeping his eye on the creature.

“Time Lords?!” The Vortex Ooze shouted. Every time it spoke, the monster’s eyes would glow brighter, changing in color to the emotion it felt.

“Yes, but unlike Rassilon, you can trust me. You don't have to return to the Vortex.” The Doctor said, “I promise you, I can find some place to fit your needs”

“Why; after all, what makes you different from them?"

"I told you, I'm The Doctor, and you can trust me. I am the last of the Time Lords, and as a beholder of the laws of time and space ... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I only did what I thought was best, I didn't know that a simple virus as yourself would grow to such an existential level. I mean you are different, but you are a beauty." The Doctor complimented, not realizing the creature itself had its own plans in mind.

"... I do apologize Doctor, but I cannot trust you. You've lost your chance, and so has this world.” The Ooze replied.

"Why do you do this? I can help you if you only give me a chance!" The Doctor shouted, trying to get a hold of the situation.

"You don't seem to understand me; I don't want your help. Remembering what I use to be makes me even more excited to show you this!" it said, humming a low pitch call towards something hidden in the fog. The Doctor watched as dark shapes started to surround him. He jumped around and watched as the virus was dangling the now Oozified bodies of many ponies, by its sticky tentacles.

“I quite like these equine based life forms. It’s new, it’s complex, it’s interesting, and it’s ripe for the sickening.” it said, chuckling at its sick changes to the ponies. The Doctor shut his eyes, hiding the rage that was burning inside him. By now, these ponies were dead. Their earthly bodies couldn't resist this high amount of radiation, the toxicity in the mist, nor this black slime. The Doctor grinds his teeth while stomping his hooves to the ground, growling in frustration. After all was said and done, the Doctor looked back up at the

“... I gave you a chance, but always ... why do I always give you lot chances? In the end, all you are is a curse from Gallifrey’s past, and I will not allow this curse to take over this world and its Pony kind” The Doctor threatened the Ooze.

“Oh Doctor, but you're just another Time Lord. What good could you have against me when not even your people found a cure or strategy to stop me. All you can do is lock me back into the Vortex, but I'll find a way out!" it then started to laughed as it moved its whole body up to the Doctor who stood his ground.

“Well you are a virus, and I'm the Doctor!” The Time Lord then pulled out his sonic screwdriver and amplified it to a higher frequency.

The Vortex Ooze screeched and hollered as the frequency made it lose its Pony face, retracting it back into its blob body. The other slimed ponies growled and stumbled to the floor, using their hooves to cover their ears. The Doctor groaned as the frequency made a strong powered whirring noise that ached his ear drums. He aimed it at the Ooze, forcing it and its puppets to push back. The creature screamed and waved its tentacles around. Without seeing it, the Doctor was shocked to see a tentacle slapped the sonic out of his hooves and into the the thick fog. Then out of the fog, the Doctor too was bashed in his sides by the tentacle, tossing him into the opposite direction of where the sonic screwdriver landed.

***

I am a major idiot. I am completely lost. I am a major idiot and I am completely lost. Glad I got that out of the way ... dammit I'm lost!

The Maestro slowly moved through the fog, creeped out by the green fog. He was grossed out by the slime underneath his hooves while the heat of the mist made him feel dizzy. Something about the environment started to get to him. The nervy was powerful and alien to his body. The air started to become thin for him. Suddenly the Ponyville clock tower bell rang.

BOOOOONNNNNG …

The Maestro stopped.

BOOOOONNNNNG ...

He started to sway from side to side.

BOOOOONNNNNG ...

Without any warning, his hooves started wobbling. He suddenly fell to the ground, as the glowing vapor retreated back into his body. The headache was back and stronger than before. Something was going on inside his mind again, sending his body into hysteria. He could barely breathe again as he held onto a knocked over cart. His eyes were starting to dilate. His body was glowing again, heating up his skin like if it was on fire.

“No ... Please, not now” The Maestro said aloud, coughing up the golden energy like earlier. He loudly let out a yelp of pain, ready to pop like a balloon as the radiation was getting to him. Suddenly as he was ready to blast away, he heard the distant sounds of a whirring along with horrifying yells. The whirring sounded like the one from the wand like device that the Doctor had. He looked up as he heard what sounded like two bullwhips cracking in the air. All of a sudden, he was slapped in the face by the sonic screwdriver, hitting him in the eyes. He groaned, rubbing his eyes immediately, but soon heard the gurgling of the ooze nearby. The Maestro gasped and shook his head, getting back his concentration. He reached out, tapping his hooves along the ground to try and find the sonic in the mist.

“Come on, come on, where are you?!” The Maestro was getting anxious now as he could hear the creature moving in on him. Then, out of sheer luck, he finally had the screwdriver in his hooves. He laughed in joy, only to stop as he felt the presence of multiple eyes looking down at his back. He slowly turned his head around and gasped to see black slimed ponies around him. The Maestro screamed as he got up and ran away in the opposite direction. The Ooze Ponies galloped after The Maestro as he kept running with the screwdriver in his mouth. He jumped over turned over carts, pushed down the food stands and barrels, and threw anything he could at them. The Maestro suddenly tripped over something heavy. He quickly turned around, and saw the grey Pegasus friend of the Doctor's, Derpy Hooves.

“Derpy?” he said, remembering her name as well. He pressed hoof against her neck and felt a slow rhythmic pulse. He could hear the Ooze Ponies coming closer and closer, making him highly nervous. With not a moment to lose, he grabbed the mare and pulled her behind a couple of hidden barrels. He suddenly was face to face with the creatures, only noticing him running from behind the barrels.

“Give us the device!” one of them shouted. He noticed that they had no jaw, but he didn't question this as he made it his purpose to keep them away from the barrels.

“No!” He muffled with the sonic screwdriver in his mouth.

“Tell us why you were hiding behind the barrels?!” another Ooze Pony asked. Maestro spat out the sonic into his right hoof.

“Nothing for you lot, now answer me this; where is The Doctor?!” He demanded. The creatures started to make their way to the barrels

“Answer my question!” He shouted, they didn't listen as one half of the group started to move closer and closer to the barrels while the other moved in on him.

“Don't make me use this!” The Maestro held up the sonic and aimed it at the ones that peaked over the barrels. The others surrounded him, pressing him back.

“What a pretty creature you have hidden here ... Our master will be pleased with this specimen” they said as the barrels were pushed aside, making it easy to see Ditzy.

“I said, NO!” He shouted as he pressed the button on the side of the device, turning on the high frequency that rocked the monsters. They screeched and hollered as the Maestro kept the sonic at them. He inadvertently pushes the slider up to higher frequency. The unicorn now made his way to Derpy, pushing them away from her. With all his might, he dragged her back and placed her on his back.

“You tell your master if he doesn't give me, The Maestro, back the Doctor then you all will regret even trying to come after me!” The Maestro yelled as he ran away from the ooze ponies with Derpy dangling on his back. They growled and slunk away, retreating back to their master.

***

“Spike; Twilight, open the door! Quick, please, I found Derpy” he yelled from the door at Sugar Cube Corner. Immediately as the doors opened, he jumped right into the building. He noticed earlier that, after making his way out of the market, no ponies were outside, and the stores and homes were locked up tight. The Maestro asked for some pony to open the door for Derpy at least, but nothing. Every pony hid in their homes, in fear of what lured outside. Then remembering how Twilight and Spike were at that bakery sweets shop, he dashed his way back to the establishment.

“The Doctor, I think, was facing the Vortex Ooze. While I was lost in the fog, I could actually hear him.” The Maestro explained. “I followed his voice, but before I could do anything, I was attacked by these creatures.”

“What kind of creatures?” Twilight asked.

"They looked like ponies, but their bodies were covered by that Ooze's slime. Even then, I couldn't do much. The bells of the tower and the power inside this fog started giving me another one of those body spasms like at the hospital. I heard the Doctor scream and that’s when I found this.” he then pulled out the Sonic Screwdriver. He gave it to Twilight and Spike, while Rarity and Pinkie Pie were standing besides Derpy, who was slowly breathing and safe now. Mister and Misses Cake comforted their terrified babies. Applejack and Applebloom were stuck inside, not being able to get out of town in time to escape the fog with all the confusion

“And where is he now?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know. I was so scared that I ran away like a coward, even with that wand thing” The Maestro then looked outside. “And somehow, this is my fault.”

He hung his head in shame.

“Don’t beat yourself up. It wasn't your fault; if anything it was my fault for not taking to account the troubles with spell casting and scrolls. Besides, look at what you did today. You were so sick in the morning that not even a hospital could handle you, and yet you followed Spike to come and help us out when me and the Doctor had to face the Ooze” Twilight reminded.

“Only for me to get selfish due to my hunger.” he shared.

“You didn't seem selfish to actually come back to see if me and Apple Bloom were still okay after the Earthquake.” Applejack interjected.

“And a selfish pony wouldn't go out of his way to return back to a place, where he was pretty much banned by the sellers, to assist us in finding the Ooze” Spike added.

“And no selfish pony, who is running away from monsters would stop to save me” Ditzy suddenly spoke. The Maestro instantly kneeled before her.

“Actually I tripped over you … best fall of the day” he joked.

“Thank you, really thank you so much, but we've got to find The Doctor. We can’t let that alien ooze hurt him in any way.” she said, trying to get up. Suddenly she groaned as her wings were aching. Pinkie Pie and Maestro slowly put her back down.

“No, you stay. Something tells me that the fog made you weak. Yet, how was I able to easily move through it? Even after I was about to go into my episode ... there has to be some fundamental reason behind it. Think, did The Doctor mention anything as to why that is?” The Maestro asked.

“The Doctor and I both believe that you were in the Time Vortex.”

“That’s interesting, so I came from this Time Vortex thingy and the Ooze came out of it through me-wait!" he said, pausing to process the clues together. He paced back and forth, banging his head against the table to figure out the answer. "Oh, Oh, Oh! That is amazing! I'm immune to the Virus thanks to the Vortex!”

“Time Vortex, what is that?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, you two aren't making sense.” Applejack commented.

“Wait, but how?” Spike asked.

“He was exposed to both the virus and the vortex simultaneously for Celestia knows how long. So that means that he can survive the fog long enough to find The Doctor.” Twilight said. "Maestro-"

Twilight stopped as she turned to see the Maestro had walked outside, shutting the door behind him. He waved at them, bouncing on the ground. He took in a deep breathe of the toxic air, and sighed it back out.

“Maestro, wait!” Twilight called out to him as she used her magic to teleport the sonic screwdriver in front of his hooves. He picked it right back up, and waved at the gang.

Minutes went by before he finally took notice of the fog was getting thicker. Maestro knew what was inside it, and he made it his way to push through the mist.

***

The Maestro kept walking for fifteen minutes, until he was faced with an unexpected challenge. The only light came from the moon as the creepy sounds of dirt and leaves rustled in the ground beneath him. He could hear several things around him, but nothing like the Ooze. His senses were somehow active in this environment, feeling more welcoming than the regular surroundings of the day before this happened. It felt alien, but it felt so comforting. The effects of the fog weren't sickening, but more relaxing and at ease for his nerves. Yet, he had to keep focus and not let any sudden noises scare him Suddenly surrounding him were the dead white eyes of the Ooze Ponies from earlier, but before he could try to use the Sonic Screwdriver, Maestro was shocked to see The Doctor tossed before his hooves. He jumped into action and got down to the tired Doctor.

“Doctor, can you hear me?! Are you alright” he yelled, getting a couple of coughs and groans.

“I can assure you, he is most definitely not alright.” the Ooze said, with a devious chuckle.

The Maestro growled and swung his hooves up, until he felt the Ooze grab him with a tentacle. Maestro gasped as he stared at the creature as its entire body had completely changed to a fifteen foot tall copy of the Doctor. It was an Ooze Doctor, a complete copy of the original Time Lord, with the only exceptions being it had no mouth, and its coat was shiny black slime. With all its might, it tossed the Maestro away from the Doctor. He yelled in the air, until his body crashed into an empty apple cart, dropping the Sonic Screwdriver. The Ooze grabbed the sonic, and merely smirked at it.

“Finally we meet again, the Maestro. However, you look quite different then when you became my host in the vortex. Quite alive too, but look at you ... the hero, right?” the Ooze said, mocking the Maestro in the Doctor's voice. The Maestro pulled himself away from the cart along the ground and groaned at his muscles.

"Who says I'm the hero?" he asked the creature, groaning as the force really hurt his sides.

"You called me out like some cowboy threatening the outlaws to run out of town and demanded your friend back. You're outnumbered, and yet you still walk. I'd call that heroic." the creature said, now morphing into The Maestro's shape.

"Okay, so sue me for being the hero. I'm having an identity crisis here." he said, rubbing his head roughly.

"Really? Well I'm not surprised, you were dead when I found you, so how could you remember what you did before you died. Sad and pathetic though, how the Vortex tore you into nothing, but luckily I came along to keep you sustained."

“You should talk!” he groaned out his words, trembling to get back up. “I think you're the one who needs to be sustained! You're a virus, and by definition you cannot even exist without a host! Heck you can't even stay looking like one body!"

He continued to banter on with the Ooze as it changed into the shape of Derpy Hooves, making The Maestro really angry.

"And don't you dare mock me by telling me that I needed you to be where I am now! I don't need you now, not before, not ever!" The Maestro cried to the Ooze, only getting a laugh from the creature and its cohorts. He only stared at the converted ponies, trying to figure out what they are.

“I've waited nearly ten million years to finally see what you are, and it is hilarious. Thank goodness for that girl discovering your scrolls, like I thought she would-oops ... HAHAHA!” the Ooze said, shaping himself into Pinkie Pie this time and continuing to laugh at him.

"My Scrolls; what are you talking about?" The Maestro asked, turning back at them.

"Spoilers, now listen, being that you're outnumbered. Why don't you go run along and play hero somewhere else, hmm? Or else I'll pay my congrats to your friend, Miss Twilight Sparkle and her little dragon boy." he said, mimicking Twilight's voice at the end. The Maestro watched as it shaped into Twilight's body, laughing at him before finally using its tentacles to slap the pony in the side of his face. The force of the slap flung him into the Ooze Ponies. The minions started to toss him around like a beach ball, using their hooves to beat him severely. His grunts and screams could be heard throughout the dark streets as the Vortex Ooze and Oozed Ponies kept cackling. The Maestro landed besides the Doctor, groaning loudly.

The Maestro looked at the Doctor, and back up at the Vortex Ooze.

“Why The Doctor, you may ask? I’m not aware if you know this, but he is a Time Lord, the last of the Time Lords. They have been exposed to me. These purple spots are only a side effect from absorbing his life force” The Vortex Ooze explained, hovering its new hooves over the Doctor’s body. Suddenly the same golden particles that Maestro recognized from his colic symptoms were slowly leaving his body and transporting into the Ooze’s body. The Doctor cringed, groaning as his very essence was being pulled out of him. The Maestro crawled to the Doctor, only to be caught around his hooves by the Ooze itself. His body was dangling upside down from the Ooze’s tentacles

“You know, he looks like he’s ready to die … he is very deilcious!"

“You find this delicious?!” he shouted, only to lose some air as the tentacles slithered around his chest and choked him. “That is disgusting; you’re an abomination!”

“No, I am the perfect biological creature in all of evolution! I can shape and form into the air, corrupt the waters, and skin the earth below my own body! And no damn Time Lords will stop me now!” the Ooze began to choke the Maestro even tighter now. The pony yelped out for some kind of help, but nothing could escape his mouth as the Ooze Ponies crackled their wicked laugh as the Maestro’s body was losing more and more air. The Ooze suddenly grew a smile out of spite and laughed with a darkness inside that made the unicorn cringed even more. He started to lose his vision as the blood kept rushing to his head made things even worse. He looked down, and saw The Doctor.

I’m sorry, Doctor.

He shut his eyes, ready to accept Death’s humble slumber that all lives across the cosmos meet at their final moments. No more pain, no more dreams, no more friends. His one day of life was about to end. Then he felt something. The burning sensation was returning again. Then he heard the very thing he never took notice today. His heart beats. They were returning, louder, and in a new rhythm he never heard before. It wasn't only two simple beats; No, it was four! He opened his eyes to see that he was still in the Ooze’s tentacle. The creature was shocked to see the Maestro still kicking.

“What is this?” it asked, confused as the Maestro was blinking now. His body started to glow out the very same golden particles from earlier. The light from the golden aura flowing from his mouth started to wrap around the Ooze’s tentacles.

“I’ll tell you what it is, it’s me. I finally know what I am right now. I am the Maestro and I offer to you my life for the Doctor’s life. I am a better host than he will ever be! I lasted longer than he did with you in the Time Vortex. You lived inside of my dead corpse, now you can forever thrive in my living body!” the Maestro begged.

The Ooze ponies were listening in on his begging as well.

“Why do you do this? After all, you've only known him for less than a day, why give your life for him?” The Ooze asked.

“He’s The Doctor. I trust him enough; I know him enough, and something inside me is telling me to do this for him, and by doing this for him, this one day will have a meaning to me. I don’t know who I really am, or who I really was before, nor can I believe that I was already dead when you found me. Even if I am dead, then maybe he can find out how and why I died? Just please, take me, and give him back his life.” The Maestro said, looking down or up from his perspective at the awakening Doctor

“Such a noble thing to do, and I am definitely enjoying this fresh life energy,” The Ooze smacked its lips together, licking them after. “What do you say my pets? There’s definitely more than enough for me and you all!”

“Take it Master! Take his life! It’s fresh, new, and pure! All hail our master, The Ooze” its minions cheered on. After thinking about it for a minute, the Ooze made its decision.

“After thinking about it, I have finally made my decision … I will take your life as my main course in favor of The Doctor’s life” the Ooze suddenly opened its mouth and blew the life force of The Doctor back into his body. He then gasped for air, feeling all of his energy return, and clear out the virus inside. He smiled as The Doctor kept coughing and coughing in the moonlight. Yet, even as this was such a crowning moment for the stranger, his smile faded along with the rest of his body as the Ooze immediately tossed him into its mouth. The Maestro then vanished into the body of The Vortex Ooze.