It’s already been one week since me and Strawberry joined the Doctor and Derpy on the TARDIS. As of today, we have protected the Princesses and the entire population of Equestria from possible planetary meltdown due to the attack of the Weeping Pegasi. I just wonder how long it’ll be before we find any clues to my missing memory….
Strawberry hummed softly as she continued reading over my shoulder, trying to make heads or tails on what I was writing about. “Writing some more stuff dealing with our last adventure, Professor?”, she asked, propping her head on my shoulder. “Yes, I am. It’s quite remarkable to learn of things that exist out of my own comfort area. I mean, who would actually believe that this sort of thing actually exists? Weeping Pegasi, the TARDIS, and the Doctor himself: it is just one giant mystery that the world is hiding beyond what we have seen, my assistant.”
“Yup! And to think, Ms. Derpy gets to experience this kind of thing all the time!”, Strawberry said. “Professor! Strawberry! Breakfast is ready!”, Derpy said from down the hallway. I immediately closed the journal I was writing in and locked it away with the others in a small black safe beside my desk. I turned around in my chair and walked out of the door. “Professor, just remember that the…”, Strawberry started to say before a loud yell and a splash was heard. She sighed and said, “The pool is in that direction….”
With a quick drying of my body and a change of clothes, I rejoined Strawberry in the kitchen, seeing her nibbling away at a muffin that Derpy placed in front of her. I saw the Doctor chomping on another stick of butter for his breakfast. SERIOUSLY, WHY DOES HE DO THAT!?
“So, Doctor, what seems to be our heading this time?”, I asked him, chewing on one of the muffins that was on the table as well. The Doctor swallowed the last bit of his butter and looked at me and said, “Well, since the first place we went was 25 years into your future, I decided that it would be interesting to rewind the clock a bit and go back to the day that a cutie mark was even mentioned.” I choked on my muffin when he said that. Derpy patted my back, asking if I was ok. “I-I’m fine, Ms. Hooves. Thanks for ack!-asking. C-can the TARDIS even go back that far, Doctor? Ms. Sparkle once mentioned that the history of the cutie mark dates back even farther than when Celestia and Luna were born!”
“It’s approximately 6000 years in Equestria’s past, when all of the pony races were still feuding with each other. It’ll be extremely dangerous to go there knowing this.”, the Doctor said. Derpy went wall-eyed when he said this and asked, “Why would it be so dangerous, Doctor? I mean, it’s not like it’ll bother us any, will it?”
“Well, since the races are feuding in this time, it could get a tad RISKY. Pegasi, Earth Ponies, and Unicorns don’t really get along then. This is before Equestria was even formed, mind you.”, the Doctor replied. I folded my wings when he said that, and thought silently to myself. “Well, I better go and get us landed before we miss our destination.”, the Doctor said, walking out of the room to the control room. ‘Maybe I can find some information on my cutie mark this time…’, I thought to myself, still eating away at the muffins, hearing the whirring of the TARDIS as it made a slight thump on solid ground.
“Well, let’s be on our way, everypony! ....Hee-hee-hee, I can never get over that! Everypony….HA!”, the Doctor said over the speakers. I stood to my feet and said, “Strawberry, please go and get my suitcase. I get the feeling I will be needing it this time.” Strawberry looked at me and said, “Ok, Professor!”, and then hopped away to the further recesses of the TARDIS. I walked towards the control room, where Derpy and the Doctor were wearing warm winter clothes, just looking at them made me sweat. “Uh….why are you two wearing winter clothes?”, I asked.
“The TARDIS says that in this time, it is snowing outside, so it is better to be safe than sorry and bundle up warmly.”, the Doctor said. Derpy walked over towards me with two jackets and said, “I picked out a warm jacket for you and Strawberry whenever she comes back.” I chuckled and said, “Thanks, but I’ll be fine with my labcoat. I may not look it, but I am a pony that really enjoys cold weather.”
“Very well! Let’s be on our way!”, the Doctor said, walking out the front door. Strawberry and I followed the Doctor, the cold wind whipping us in the face. I could see a bunch of ponies gathering food and running towards their huts. “I wonder if a bad storm is heading our way?”, Derpy said, looking at the clouds. “Perhaps. The TARDIS did indicate some strong winds, so that could be the case.”, the Doctor said, picking up some snow in his hand. “Ah, this way!”, he continued, quickly running down an alleyway. “Doctor, wait up!”, I replied, following him with Derpy and Strawberry behind me.
“Come on, come on! It’s over-ooph!!!”, the Doctor exclaimed, getting tackled by somepony in old rags. The earth pony wheezed when she said, “Eyes as red as spilled blood, and a voice that brings fear to all that hears it! It’s coming…the end of days is coming!” The Doctor raised an eyebrow and said, “Excuse me? Who are you?” The earth pony hugged the Doctor close and said, “Run, Doctor. RUN WHILE YOU CAN.” The pony gasped and then passed out, her mouth opened wide as black smoke exited out of her mouth, disappearing into the sky above. When I saw all of that, a thought immediately escaped my lips: “Doctor, what the heck was that all about?”
“I have no idea, Professor. This is something I have never seen before. That smoke is similar to the regeneration energy I give off, yet this one was way off the charts.”, the Doctor replied, scanning the pony with his Sonic Screwdriver. “Then, does that mean?”, I asked, before he said, “No, she’s still alive, but barely. Ms. Hooves, Professor, help me get her to a safe place! That barn over there seems to be deserted.”, the Doctor said. He lifted the mare up by her head while Derpy and I grabbed her by her legs. Strawberry ran ahead to the barn to keep out of sight while keeping an eye out for any ponies that could see us moving the sickly mare. Once inside, Strawberry closed the door behind me and sat my suitcase down, walking over to us who was watching over the young mare.
“Who do you think she is, Doctor?”, Derpy asked, looking around for something to wrap the mare up with. “I have no clue, Derpy. Once she wakes up, I’ll be certain to ask her.”, the Doctor said. I looked at the mare with a peculiar look and then said, “What do you think she meant? Red eyes that are the same shade as spilled blood and a voice that drives fear into the hearts of all who hear it?” “Perhaps it’s a pony that these kind folk fear?”, the Doctor said. He shook his head and said, “No, that can’t be the case.”
Strawberry heard the pony groan and said, “Look, she’s coming to!” The mare shivered and opened her eyes slightly, groaning as she said, “What happened? Where am I?” The Doctor pulled something out of his coat and said, “Sorry for the trouble, miss. You ran into us a little earlier and said some….rather strange things. My name is Time Keeper, this here is my assistant Muffinbrain, along with our friends Living Paradox and Raspberry. Mind telling us what you meant about ‘The voice that drives fear into the hearts of all ponies?’ What do you mean?”, the Doctor asked, giving us all false names to hide our identities.
The mare sighed and said, “Well, it’s best if I tell you my name first. I’m Soothsayer. I’m what you would call the village fortune-teller. I have been seeing these….bizarre visions on this….mysterious pony lately. According to them, this pony would destroy our entire world with just a single breathe.”
“A pony destroying our world?! How is that even possible!?”, Strawberry exclaimed. Soothsayer shook her head and said, “Nopony knows, young child. Not even me. I am trying not to pay much attention to this vision, to be quite honest. Although….you, sir. The pony looked quite similar to you. Only his hide was different. His cutie mark was similar as well, just in different colors” She pointed a weak finger over at me when she said that. My eyes widened when I heard that. “My cutie mark?! Ms. Soothsayer, do you know anything else about it?!”, I asked frantically, perhaps finding another clue to my hidden past.
Unfortunately, she shook her head no. “I am sorry, Living Paradox. I do not know anything about your cutie mark. I’m certain the town librarian could help you….if she was still here.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow when Soothsayer said that. “Why, what happened? Did the librarian go missing?”, he asked. “It’s not an unordinary thing to notice ponies going missing during these times of war. Every day, at least one or two ponies leave the village in order to escape from the fighting. But recently, ponies have been disappearing in droves.”, Soothsayer replied.
“Time Keeper, what does she mean by droves?”, Derpy asked. “It means that the number of ponies disappearing is highly abnormal, even during this time. Soothsayer, do you know of anypony that may have a connection to the disappearances?”, the Doctor asked. “O-only one. She goes by the name of Pumpkin Pie. She’s the one that tends to the food supply here. You can find her on the outside of town, the last house you would pass on the right of this street.”, Soothsayer replied, coughing slightly. The Doctor nodded and said, “Very well. Ms. Soothsayer, you stay here and relax while we go and visit this Pumpkin Pie. Everything will be fine, trust me.”
Soothsayer sighed gently, and finally dozed off from fatigue. I looked over at the Doctor and said, “More ponies disappearing everywhere we go. This cannot be a mere coincidence, Doctor. What do you think?” He rubbed his chin as he thought silently to himself. “I think that these disappearances are not of natural causes. This Pumpkin Pie pony must know something on what is going on, so let’s find out quickly.”, he replied. The Doctor walked over to the barn door and shivered as the cold wind blew right into his face. “And let’s do it fast. It’s getting colder by the second!”, he continued, pulling up the collar on his jacket, and he stepped out of the door. I looked over at Derpy and Strawberry, and with a lift of Soothsayer onto my back, we left after the Doctor to Pumpkin Pie’s home.
The Doctor was right: the temperature was indeed dropping at a steady rate. If we stayed here any longer, we’d end up turning into pony-sicles! Faster and faster we went, noticing how empty the town was. It definitely did feel bizarre. We finally came across a small hut with a pony clad of a beggar’s outfit shoveling snow away from her front door….
“Excuse me! Are you perhaps Ms. Pumpkin Pie?”, Derpy asked, walking up to her. The mare flinched as Derpy stopped in front of her, falling over onto the ground in fear. She threw snow at Derpy shouting, “Go away, vile Pegasus! I’m just a cook! Leave us Earth Ponies alone!” Derpy whimpered slightly and sneezed loudly from the chill of the snow on her nose. “Doctor, why is she so mean to me?”, she whined slightly. “Now now, Derpy. Remember where we are: Earth Ponies and Pegasi don’t exactly get along here, remember?”, the Doctor replied, holding a hand out to the ginger mare. “I am quite sorry, ma’am. The Pegasus is with me. We just wanted to ask you a few questions about the disappearances here.”, he said softly.
The mare looked at the Doctor and took his hand, standing back to her hooves slowly. “O-Oh, is that right? I-I am very sorry. My name is indeed Pumpkin Pie. I’m the cook of this small village. Please, ask any question, and I will surely try to answer them.”, she replied gently. The Doctor was about to reply, but I quickly stepped in and said, “Why don’t we take this conversation inside? This poor thing is very sick.” I looked back at Soothsayer on my back, putting a hand to her head. I sighed and said, “A temperature of….101. A fever.”
Pumpkin Pie gasped when she saw Soothsayer. “Oh, dear! Please, bring her inside at once!”, she said, opening the door to her hut. We immediately walked inside behind Pumpkin Pie, noticing that there were two chairs in the entire house. I smelled the faint scent of freshly baked bread coming from her small kitchen, meaning we must’ve come in the middle of her dinner. “Just lay her down on the bed over there, child.”, the mare continued, pointing me over to an average-sized bed in one of the nearby corners of the room. I did just as I was told, tucking Soothsayer into the blankets.
“So, Pumpkin Pie, tell me: Soothsayer says you may have a clue to all of these disappearances that are happening. Can you explain?”, the Doctor asked, pulling out a chair for Pumpkin Pie to sit down in. The mare sighed and said, “It’s quite common for most ponies to disappear during this time of war, but things have been quite peculiar lately. Last night, me and my younger sister Lemon Pie was walking home from a shop we normally gather supplies for the village from nearby the Everfree Forest. Along the way, we both heard a sound over the wind: some sort of flute or something, I couldn’t really tell. My sister, being the curious one out of us, decided to go find the source of the sound. Everypony knows that the Everfree Forest is dangerous, more so at night. A few minutes passed, and my sister never came out. I decided to venture into the forest after her. It got rather late, and I was exceptionally close to the Royal Palace of our land. Nopony is allowed to be there at night, and yet, I came across the basket of food my sister was carrying, along with this.” She reached into the cloak she was wearing, and placed a piece of metal on the table. Upon it, the letter C was branded on it.
“D-Doctor….is that?”, Derpy started to say, before the Doctor softly said, “Cybers. Thank you, Ms. Pie. You can trust that me and my friends will find your sister and the rest of the ponies that disappeared.” Pumpkin Pie smiled slightly and said, “Please do. My sister is all I have left in this world.” The Doctor quickly stood to his hooves and walked out the door with Derpy quickly following behind. I looked at Pumpkin Pie and said, “Please take care of Soothsayer. Strawberry, let’s go!” Strawberry stood to attention and said, “Right, Professor!”, and away we went after the Doctor and Derpy. We had finally caught up with them and I immediately asked, “Doctor, what are Cybers?”
“It’s a race of perfect mechanical creatures. Back where I am from, they were known as the Cybermen. Here….they are called Cyberponies. Derpy and I ran across some in one of our earlier adventures, almost converted Princess Celestia into the Cyber Commander once. They are extremely dangerous, and if they got hold of Lemon Pie, it’s quite likely she has become one of them right now.”, the Doctor said, looking at his Sonic Screwdriver. “The entire area is surrounded with them. One false step, the Cyberponies will end up having a new member.”, he continued. Strawberry then looked at the Doctor and said, “Well, there has to be a way to stop them, right Doctor?”
“Yes, yes there is. Question is, what is the way?”, the Doctor replied. I mumbled softly and said, “Well….you said that the Cyberponies were trying to convert Princess Celestia into the Cyber Commander, correct? Why?” The Doctor replied, “Well, she was the Princess of Equestria, the most powerful being on the entire planet. She could raise the sun and moon at a whim, a goddess walking upon the beings of ponykind, in a way. With that much power, she could lead all of the Cybers against all different kinds of races until this entire planet was nothing but Cybers, then the Cyber Conversion would spread across the galaxy like a virus.”
“Hmmm…..and they are in this time….”, I said, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my muzzle. “If they are in the Everfree Forest trying to do the same thing, they need a power source SO TREMENDOUS, even Celestia looks small in comparison.”, I continued. “Is there even such a thing that exists, Professor?”, Strawberry asked as we reached the entrance of the Everfree Forest. I looked at my daughter, then at the Doctor. “I’m certain the Doctor would know what I am talking about.”, I said calmly. The Doctor looked at me and said, “I’m certain I do, since my first time here, both Celestia and Luna knew me quite well even though I have never seen them before. So, sorry, my lack of knowledge goes as far back to the day Nightmare Moon returned. What is more powerful than Celestia, Professor?”
“It’s not a matter of what, Doctor, but WHO. The only being that surpasses even Celestia in strength is her mother: Writing Glory. A pony riddled in legend that was said to exist in this time period. It was said that she disappeared around this time a few years after the birth of the royal pony sisters, Princess Celestia & Princess Luna. And her location: The Everfree Castle, in all its glory!”, I said. I shuddered at the mere mention of the castle. I still remembered quite vaguely the day I crash-landed there and fought against Nightmare Moon with Twilight and her friends. It was then that I gained the lost Element of Trust: the one thing that intensifies the power of the Elements of Harmony.
“Well then. Let us be on our way then, everypony. It should still be in the same location as last time.”, I said, leading the Doctor and the others into the darkness of the Everfree Forest. I shivered slightly as I lead the others deeper into the forest. It's still as dark and mysterious as I remember, even this far back in time. I felt Strawberry grab onto my hand, and I kept her close, feeling her trembling in fear. "Shhh, it's ok, Strawberry. It'll be alright. There's nothing to be afraid of in here.", I said to her, walking into a clearing.
"Oh yeah, Professor? Then, can I ask a really interesting question?", Strawberry asked with a nervous tone. "Sure, I guess.", I said. She sighed and said, "There are four of us here, correct?" I nodded and saw the look of fear returning on her face. "Then....why are there FIVE shadows?", she asked. The Doctor immediately said, "All of you, behind me NOW!" I heard a loud clanking noise as what appeared to be a pony made of metal appeared right in front of me. I immediately did as I was told, looking at the weird creature. "Doctor, is that...!?"
"Yes, it's a Cyberpony alright. But, something seems truly off about it!", the Doctor said, pointing his Sonic Screwdriver at it, and looking directly at it. "The reading's are completely off on it! It's not like the Cybermen I faced before! Whatever this is, it hasn't destroyed the body inside it." Derpy looked around and said, "Doctor! There's another one! What do we do?!" The Doctor stammered and said, "I don't know! If we had some sort of electromagnetic pulse, we could short circuit the Cyber technology and shut it down from the outside, but electricity won't be invented or even thought of for another 600 years from now!"
"Out of the way! I never thought I'd have to use this thing before, but now I have a reason to!", I replied, pulling out a device from the inside of my labcoat. I fired the device, and shot both of the Cyberponies, watching them drop to the ground from the surge of electricity running through them. "Well, that wasn't too difficult.", I said, putting the device back into my pocket. The Doctor stared at me with a dumbstruck look and said, "What was that you just had?"
"Stun gun, my own creation. Back home, some crime has been occurring in Manehatten, and the Chief of Police came to me to create a device that could immobilize anypony. So, what better than a shock that can render a pony unconcious? Or in this case, a shock that can knockout a Cyberpony.", I replied. The Doctor chuckled and said, "Professor Skyfire, you are brilliant! Now, let's take a look at these Cyberponies. Maybe with a little luck, I am right about what I am thinking." He ran over to one of the unconcious Cyberponies and ran his Sonic Screwdriver across it. "Professor, Ms. Hooves, do you mind keeping an eye on the area around us to make sure no other Cyberponies sneak up on us? I need a little more time to examine this one.", the Doctor asked, changing the settings on his Screwdriver. "Sure thing, Doctor.", Derpy said, turning her attention in the other direction. I saw her use her eyes to look off in multiple directions, so I thought she had that side of the Doctor quite well watched. I removed my stun gun from my labcoat and looked around to make sure we weren't surrounded. I could hear Strawberry whimper behind me as she walked up and clinged to the leg of my labcoat.
"Professor, do you think it was a good idea to join the Doctor and Derpy? I'm scared.", Strawberry said. I patted her head gently and said, "Do not be afraid, Strawberry. If the Doctor didn’t know what he was doing, I wouldn’t have taken his offer to come along with him.” The filly sighed and lowered her head, keeping her attention on her surroundings. I flinched slightly when the Doctor said, “Of course! Why didn’t I notice it sooner?! Stupid stupid Doctor!”
“Did you figure something out, Doctor?”, I asked, looking back at him. He nodded as he turned back to the Cyberpony and used the Sonic Screwdriver once again. With a few whirrs, he continued to work around the neck of the being. A slight groan escaped from the metal body when that happened. The Doctor smiled as he placed his Screwdriver back into his pocket. He pried his thumb at the base of the neck and pulled on the head, it slowly coming off of the body….only to reveal the head of a young yellow filly. “Just as I thought.”, he said softly.
“What does this mean, Doctor?”, Derpy asked. “Unlike the Cybermen back in my universe, the host body is fully intact. My guess is that the technology of the Cyberponies has not advanced far enough to fully consume the body. This filly is only hypnotized, her mind being controlled by the helmet itself.”, the Doctor replied. “Oh, that is good news. Then there may be some hope in saving the other ponies that was abducted.”, Derpy replied. The Doctor nodded when she said that, his attention quickly being diverted by the young filly groaning slightly. “Oh, she’s coming to!”, he exclaimed, seeing a shade of blue appear from her eyelids. “Ohhh, my head….”, she whimpered softly. “Easy now. You’ve had a rough experience recently, young child.”, the Doctor stated. She looked around and her eyes widened the moment she spotted Derpy, Strawberry, and myself. “A Pegasus?! A unicorn and an alicorn too?! Demons of the pony world!”, she exclaimed, trying to remove herself from the Doctor’s grip. Derpy frowned slightly and said, “It’s ok, kid. We’re not going to hurt you. We’re friendly.”
I nodded and said, “She speaks the truth. Tell us, who are you? More to the point, why is this all happening?” The filly looked at us all, staring at Strawberry as she sighed softly. “Ok. My name is Lemon Pie. I live in the village on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest with my older sister Pumpkin Pie as the cooks for the Earth Pony tribe.” The Doctor’s eyes widened when she mentioned her name. “Oh, so you’re Lemon Pie! Your sister will certainly be happy that you are ok.”, he stated. “You know my sister, sir?”, she asked in surprise.
“She’s the reason that we came to the forest in the first place. We’re here to find the other missing ponies that have been disappearing recently.”, the Doctor stated. Lemon Pie gasped when he said that. She was just about to say something when I stated, “Doctor, something’s wrong.” The Doctor looked towards me and asked, “What’s wrong, Professor?” I immediately pointed towards the direction of the Everfree castle and said, “Well, correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t a bad thing if the Cyberponies are heading in that direction?!”
“What!? That’s not good! They must’ve gotten the orders to advance on the castle!”, the Doctor exclaimed. He looked down at Lemon Pie and asked, “Ms. Pie, do you happen to know another way inside the castle? It’s not just the ponies of your village that will be in danger if they get to Writing Glory. EVERYPONY, and I mean EVERYPONY will be in danger!” Lemon Pie looked at the Doctor with wide eyes and said, “Ok. You guys seem to know more of what is going on here. Quickly, this way!” She stood to her hooves and ran off in one direction, the Doctor and company following behind the young filly. Faster and faster they ran down the alternate path, finally arriving at a path underneath the bridge.
“I remember this path! This is the same path we took when Nightmare Moon reappeared, Doctor. Remember?”, Derpy exclaimed, flapping her wings to keep her afloat beside the Doctor. The Doctor nodded as he looked up at the castle, seeing the Cyberponies heading towards it. “We don’t have much time. Let’s go inside.”, he said. He walked up the path to the castle, Derpy flying behind him as me, Strawberry, and Lemon Pie continued in the rear. He motioned us towards a staff entrance door, and with a quick jog, we all entered into the castle. “Ok, we’re in. We need to get up to Writing Glory’s bed chambers. With any luck, that’s where she’ll be.”, The Doctor stated.
“Right. Let’s get….DOCTOR!”, I exclaimed, seeing the front door get blasted down, the Cyberponies marching in. “RUN!”, he exclaimed, the Cyberponies opening fire on us. “Delete! Delete! It is the Doctor! Show no mercy!”, said one of the Cyberponies, his attack barely missing my head. I fired my stun gun, taking out three of the Cyberponies at once. I watched in awe as Lemon Pie returned fire with what was left of her Cyperpony armor. “How did….”, the Doctor started to ask, but Lemon Pie interrupted and said, “Now’s not the time! MOVE IT! I can only hold them off for so long!” The Doctor nodded, and turned back up the stairs, running towards the bedrooms of the palace. “Ms. Hooves, split up! I’ll check this way with the Professor, while you and Strawberry go the other way!”, the Doctor said, dodging an attack that was aimed for his head. “Right, Doctor! Let’s go, Strawberry!”, Derpy said, taking hold of the young filly’s hand and running in the separate direction. I smirked and looked at the Time Lord and asked, “Is running something you enjoy, Doctor?” The Doctor grinned and said, “I so enjoy it. Let’s go!”
And so, we ran down the hallways, tearing open each room door we spotted, desperately trying to find Writing Glory. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the Doctor was fiddling around with his Sonic Screwdriver for some odd reason. I asked him what he was doing. He only said that he was planning ahead. Weird. We finally came across one final door, and the first thing I noticed was the many black wires that were going into it…
“Doctor, these wires….they are too technologically advanced for this timeline. What are these things?”, I asked, touching one of the cables that was next to me. “I’m afraid that we are about to find out.”, the Doctor stated, pushing the door open. I gasped as I saw a young mare, possibly no older than 35 strapped to some weird device. What shocked me the most was WHO the mare was. “Professor, who is that?”, The Doctor asked. “It’s Writing Glory: Princess Celestia & Princess Luna’s mother. I’ve seen photos, but none of them was precisely accurate on her. So this is what she looks like…”, I said softly. “They are using her as a power source. How awful.”, the Doctor said, looking her over. “And to make matters worse, she’s pregnant. They must be draining the power of her children as well. We don’t have much time.”, he continued, beginning to run the Sonic Screwdriver over the alicorn and the machinery. “DELETE!”, a loud voice was heard further down the hall. “Uh-oh! Doctor, they’re coming!”, I exclaimed. “I’ll need you to stall for time, Professor! This machinery is a lot more complex than the last time!”, he said, running his Sonic Screwdriver over the alicorn.
“Last time?! This has happened before?”, I asked. “Yes! With Princess Celestia! Like mother, like daughter, huh?”, the Doctor replied, finally getting a few of the shackles removed. “What about Derpy? Strawberry? Lemon Pie too? Are they going to be alright?”, I asked worriedly. “Don’t worry! They are in the TARDIS. Remember when you asked me why I was fiddling with my Sonic Screwdriver? I was calling the TARDIS to pick up those three! They are safe.”, said the Doctor. A Surprised look crept on my face as I fired pulse after pulse down the hallway, shooting down one Cyberpony after another. “Got it!”, the Doctor exclaimed, the last shackle finally coming off of Writing Glory. He groaned as he lifted the mare into her arms and said, “SHE’S HEAVY! She must be at least 9 months pregnant! She could pop any second!”
“And that would be a bad thing, especially now. THEY’RE HERE!”, I said, keeping my stun gun pointed directly at the Cyberponies. “Release the mare. She is compatible for upgrading. She will become the Cyber Commander, and with her power, we will rule this universe.”, one of the Cyberponies said. “Not a chance! This alicorn is in my care, and she will not become YOUR energy source for universal domination!”, the Doctor stated. “He’s right! No way are we handing Writing Glory to you!”, I replied. The Cyberponies were silent for a few moments, then one of them said, “Then you must be DELETED.” The Cyberponies started marching towards us, all of them chanting the same thing over and over: “DELETE. DELETE. DELETE. DELETE.” I almost thought that this was it, until I heard a familiar sound. The Doctor laughed and said, “Professor! Time to go!”
He grabbed me by the arm and ran towards the window, shattering it as we fell down towards the ground. I braced for the impact, until I noticed that the TARDIS was heading straight for us. With a quick turn, it caught us and we landed safely on the TARDIS floor. “Doctor, you’re ok!”, Derpy said, tackling the Doctor and hugging him tightly. “D-Derpy…TOO TIGHT!”, he wheezed. “Oops, sorry!”, she said. Strawberry walked over to me and helped me to my hooves, smiling at me and said, “You two made it.” I chuckled and said, “Yes, we did. Looks like Lemon Pie made it as well.” I looked over at the young filly, who was STILL in shock about the TARDIS. “It’s….It’s bigger on the inside!”, she exclaimed. “Yes, yes it is! But now, we need a plan to stop the other Cyberponies before they ruin this planet.”, the Doctor said, taking over the controls of the TARDIS console. I was about to say something, when a loud yell was heard. I looked back to notice that Writing Glory had finally woken up…..and was going in labor.
“They’re coming! Nurse! Nurse!”, she yelled. She looked around and noticed that she wasn’t in her bedroom anymore. “W-where am I?! Where’s the nurse?!”, she exclaimed. “Possibly dead, Your Majesty. You’re in the TARDIS. We just saved you and your two children from becoming the energy source of the Cyberpony race.”, the Doctor said. Writing Glory breathed heavily as the Doctor said that. “Doctor….you kept your promise…..OWWW!!!”, she yelled loudly. “Doctor! You worry about the Cyberponies! I’ll deal with the birth process! Strawberry, I’ll need some blankets and latex gloves!”, I said. “On it, Professor!”, she said, running back to our room quickly.”
“If only that stun gun of yours was more powerful, we could use it to fry the circuits inside the Cyber armor, allowing the ponies inside to regain control. But, that’ll take time.”, the Doctor said. I reached for my gun and tossed it to him. “Time is all we got now! We’re in a time machine! DO IT!”, I exclaimed as Strawberry returned to me with the blankets and gloves I asked for. I put them on and said, “Ok, Your Majesty…..let’s pray. PUSH!”, I said.
Side by side, the Doctor and I dealt with the two problems at hand: the birth of the two royal pony sisters and the Cyberponies. With an insane amount of luck, he figured out that he could use the energy source inside the gun to release a massive pulse that would wipe out all the Cyberponies in the area…..but at a cost. The Everfree Castle would be destroyed and the possibility that some causalities may happen. It was out of our hands on that problem, so we let him do as he would. Time was a bit slower for me as I continued the birthing procedure with Writing Glory. Finally, after some time passed, the two pony sisters were born. With a loud whirring noise, the TARDIS fired the stun pulse all across the Everfree Forest, and as a result, the castle went up with a loud bang. The Doctor landed the TARDIS on the outskirts of the castle, and silence fell….
“Did it work?”, Lemon Pie asked. “No detection of Cyber energy at all. It worked.”, the Doctor replied. He smiled softly and said, “Luckily, no causalities occurred. Everypony got out unscathed. Although, there have been a few altercations to the flora and fauna in the Forest….but, that’s something to worry about on another day.” I sighed heavily as I fell back on the floor, exhausted from the delivery. “That was tiring!”, I said, looking over at Writing Glory holding her children. The Doctor chuckled as he walked down to me and sat beside me. “Well, think of it this way, Professor: if not for you, Celestia & Luna wouldn’t be here.”, he said, nudging my arm. “Holy Celestia, you’re right. These hands just helped bring the lives of the Royal Pony sisters into this world.”, I said in surprise. “That’s right.”, the Doctor said with a smile. I looked over at Writing Glory and said, “Have you thought of names for them?”
“Hmmm….I think I will call them Celestia & Luna. What do you think?”, Writing Glory asked. “They are perfect names.”, I said with a smile. Writing Glory smiled softly, then happened to catch a glimpse of my cutie mark on my shirt. “That mark….it can’t be. What Is your name, young stallion?”, she asked me. “Hm? Prodigy Skyfire, Your Majesty. You know something about my cutie mark?”, I asked. “There lies a tale about it in the Everfree Castle. It states that the cutie mark you have is the symbol….of the end of time and space itself.”, she stated.
“THE END OF TIME AND SPACE?!”, I exclaimed. She giggled and said, “It’s but a harmless folktale, Prodigy. It tells about it and a being called The Living Paradox. He will bring destruction and ruin to our land, and with it, discord to the universe. He will be the end of everything. It’s only a story that is there to scare little foals.” I frowned slightly as Writing Glory said that. ‘Is that it? Is it really a folktale, or is there more to this story than she lets on?’, I thought to myself. My thoughts were broken when Writing Glory spoke again. “Dearest Doctor, it is indeed good to see you again. But, I cannot stay here for long. If you could, please land your vessel in the nearby village so I may take my leave.”, she stated. The Doctor’s eyes widened and he said, “Sure.” With a few knob twists and button presses, the TARDIS left its location next to the dilapidated castle and landed in Lemon Pie’s village once more. Writing Glory stood to her hooves slowly as she walked to the door. She bowed slightly and said, “We shall meet again, young travelers. I know it.” With a creak of the door, she stepped out and left the TARDIS. Lemon Pie cleared her throat and said, “I must leave as well. My sister will be worried!” The Doctor looked to Lemon Pie and said, “You are quite right, young filly. So, here’s a gift from me to you.” With a flick of his Sonic Screwdriver, the rest of Lemon Pie’s cyberpony armor fell onto the floor. “I doubt you’d want to see your sister looking like that, eh?”, the Doctor said.
Lemon Pie smiled as she bowed slightly and said her goodbyes, closing the TARDIS doors behind her. The Doctor pulled a lever, and once again, the TARDIS disappeared to who knows when. ‘The Living Paradox….it can’t be a coincidence anymore,,,’, The Doctor said, looking over to me while I talked with Derpy and Strawberry. He then spoke up and said, “Well then, to our next destination! ALLONS-Y!”
Meanwhile, back with Writing Glory in the Earth Pony village….
Writing Glory panted heavily as she continued walking through the village. She entered into the old barn where we treated to Soothsayer earlier, exhausted and drained of energy. “I….I can’t move….I can’t stay here much longer…I need to regain my strength….but my children….they’ll be alone…”, she wheezed. That’s when she heard somepony walk up behind her. “Who’s there? Answer me.”, she stated. “It seems to me that you need to take a breather, Writing Glory. Go, take as much time as you need to regain your strength. I’ll look after the children.”, the voice said, two hands reaching down to pick up her foals. She looked up and smiled softly as a familiar Pegasus stood beside her. “He came. Just as he said he would.”, Writing Glory said. “It’s probably the wrong one. Time tends to do that when it comes to him. But that isn’t important right now. Go to your Star Shrine. Get all the rest you need. Your children are in good hands.”, the stallion said with a smile. Writing Glory’s body glowed slightly as she slowly started to disappear. Her final words before she vanished were only this: “Thank you, Captain Jack Harkness.”
‘Well, Jack. Looks like you got work to do, and a Time Lord to catch up with. We’ll finally see each other again, Doctor. I know it.’, the pony thought to himself before he left the barn with the two foals.
While this was occurring, another problem started to occur back in the present day. It was night, and heavy rain was falling upon Ponyville…
A loud explosion was heard not far from the Professor’s home. Twilight rose from her bed with a startle from the noise. “What was that?!”, she exclaimed, tearing the covers from her bed to look out her window, to see a large crater right behind her library and Prodigy’s home. “Spike, quick! Something happened!”, she exclaimed, pulling the blanket off of the other bed to see her dragon assistant Spike, who looked as if he was possibly 17 by now, fall on the floor in his boxers. “What’s happening?!”, he asked, yawning loudly. “Slip on some clothes and come with me.”, Twilight asked as she put on a jacket and some boots. She picked up her umbrella, and both her and Spike went outside to check and see what was happening. When they arrived at the crater, they were shocked to see a young mare lying in the middle of it. “Oh, no! Somepony’s hurt!”, Twilight said as her and Spike went into the crater to see if the mare was alright. Twilight shook the mare gently, sighing in relief to hear a small groan escape her lips. “She’s fine. Spike, help me bring her into the library.”, Twilight said. “Ok, Twi.”, Spike replied, taking hold of the mare’s lower body as Twilight held up the upper half, the two carrying the mare into the library. Twilight used her magic to light some candles in the library as well as bring some dry towels to wrap the mare up in. The mare coughed as she opened her eyes gently to show a sliver of brown.
“Oh, you’re awake! Thank goodness. Are you ok? Nothing hurt, sprained, or broken?”, Twilight asked. “No….wait, you’re talking. How is that possible?”, the mare asked. “All ponies can talk. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head, miss….uhhh, what’s your name?”, Twilight asked. The mare looked around, noticing everything about her location and herself, then finally said, “Rose. Rose Tyler. And I am looking for the Doctor.”
To be continued…
