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TravelerCH8:Unlikely Meetings

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1001 C.R

The roaring had grown even louder. The ponies of Ponyville could no longer ignore it, they peeked out of windows and collected around the collapsing toy store. Pinkie still stood, impassively smiling at the crowd that was gathering. For all the monster's groaning and roaring, she was unafraid. Rainbow Dash floated nearby, eyeing the storefront warily above Applejack's head. The pair of them wanted badly to go in and silence the noise. But she had told them that Twilight and the strange visitor were taking care of it. Pinkie looked on as parts of the store caved in and knew, that even though things seemed bad that they'd be home soon.




35 T.R Castle of Lanterns

"Get him on the bed," The Doctor said, carefully directing Twilight and Fluttershy as they maneuvered his sleeping double. Rarity stood in the corner aghast, her head swiveling between the Doctor and the unconscious stallion.
"Doctor! Isn't this dangerous?" She asked. "Won't this cause a paradox? This breaks oh so many rules!"
"Well, that's kind of the problem," The Doctor said gravely. "There's one already."
Twilight hefted the heavy pony onto the bed, looking around worriedly. "Well, won't this cause another? We cant' afford to be fighting reapers right now!"
"No, no, it doesn't work like that." The Doctor putting a hoof to his temple. "Remember back in Ponyville when I said this universe might be like a new shoe?"
Rarity look confusedly at Twilight.
"He means horseshoe," she said. "Go on Doctor."
"Thank you Twilight." He looked at his sleeping doppelganger. "Well forget that, I should never make shoe metaphors. I was right, that small infraction wasn't enough to draw a reaper of that size." The Doctor stomped a frustrated hoof. "It's so obvious, it's a Paradox Circuit."
"A what?" asked Twilight.
"It's like this, I'm guessing you know a bit about electricity, there's a small amount of it back in your time, right?"
"Well, yes, I've read about it in books."
"Okay," said the Doctor, he looked around the room. Spying a pencil, he quickly grabbed it between his teeth and raced over to the wall. "It's like this." The Doctor swept the contents of a nearby desk to the floor. Fluttershy jumped back in dismay but he continued, drawing a large circle then a smaller circle on either side. "A circuit connects a power source to something which requires energy. So, at some point, I will go back in time, and crash into both Fluttershy's house," he nodded towards the frightened Pegasus. "And the toy shop. This is where I will meet the past version of myself, which creates a paradox, and the current circle of events. Now, I believed that two Doctors existing in the same space was what caused the initial paradox. Normally the universe would simply compensate for the unforeseen variable. But I'm new here, so I figured the rules might be a bit stricter,causing me to related the situation to an unfortunate metaphor about shoes. What actually happened, is much worse. You see we have in fact, been causing paradoxes since our arrival in this version of the future, such as you meeting Twilighttwo in the factory." he nodded to Twilight. "And ending with me meeting my future self who is currently unconscious. This," he pointed to the circle on the far left. "Is the power source, the reaper feeds on these, but in fact, does not need to appear at the site of every infraction. It exist here." he pointed to the circle on the far left. "At what is both the earliest, and latest infraction in the timeline, meaning that every consecutive paradox makes it stronger."
"So that thing's gotten even more powerful than when we first saw it?!" Twilight yelled.
"Sort of yes, it also means we have to hurry. We're still relative to the beast in the causal nexus."
"In English please," said Rarity.
The Doctor sighed, looking at Twilight. "Okay, did you ever wonder how this future could exist while a creature with the power to destroy the world exist simultaneously in the past?"
Twilight nodded.
"Well, that's because there's a choice, this future is one outcome, but it is not solid." The Doctor gestured around the room with a hoof. "If we do not find a way back to the past with a way to send the reaper back very soon, things will shift the other way."
"...The other way?" Twilight asked warily.
"To a timeline in which we fail to stop the creature and it destroys the world in the year 1001. This future, and in fact any future, will cease to exist." The Doctor paused. "This path may lead down a dark road, but the other runs off a cliff into a ravine"
The room was silent besides the light breathing of Tick-Tock as he lay unconscious.
"...What do we do?" asked Twilight finally.
"Well," said the Doctor, taking on a slight smile. "We certainly don't stand around gawking like lost chickens." he turned, looking down the trapdoor Tick-Tock had come out of. "Fluttershy?"
The yellow Pegasus squeaked.
"Do you have any idea what's down there?"
Fluttershy fiddled with her hooves. "Um...no you...oh..I mean he..well...he never let me go down there. It's his work shop."
"I see," said the Doctor, staring down into the darkness. "Well, I don't think he'll give us any answers for at least an hour or so. Twilight, Rarity you can stay up here if you wa-"
Rarity was at the top of the steps before he finished. "I've been a cooped up in the sewing room far too long, I wouldn't miss this for the world, her eyelids fluttered. "Doctor..."
"Um...Quite right!" he said quickly.
"I'm coming too." Twilight stepped up. "Fluttershy, you stay here, tell us if he wakes up."
"Oh...okay..b-but wait I'm so confused...Tick-Tock?" she looked at the Doctor hopefully.
"Um..." the Doctor looked uncomfortable. "Not exactly....Did you follow my earlier explanation?"
Fluttershy shook her head.
"Well....In that case, do you remember a pony crashing into your house a few decades back?"
She nodded slowly. "Well yes...I thought you looked similar.." she paused. "Both of you, but I never asked. Tick-Tock has...well he has trouble remembering things.."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I was afraid of that... Well in anycase, let's just say that the pony who crashed into your house? That's me, The Doctor. The one that you know, Tick-Tock, that's him." he nodded to the couch. "We're....very similar, but not the same."
"Oh..."
"Don't worry." The Doctor said reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll wake up soon. Now, for the both of us, I need you to give us a shout if he wakes up, alright?"
Fluttershy nodded, looking at Twilight and Rarity. "Be careful..."
"We make no promises." The Doctor turned to the stairs. "Well, onwards and downwards."
The trio descended the stairs slowly. It was pitch black, the only place in the castle without a single candle to ease the darkness.
"Twilight, can you give us some light?" asked the Doctor.
"Sure" Twilight stepped into the lead. Her horn began to glow with a faint purple light. Deep shadows played along the walls throughout the tunnel as they progressed. Rarity leaned in close to the Doctor.
He stared for a moment "Do you mind?"
"Not at all." she snuggled closer.
The Doctor jerked back a bit. "Oh!....here's an idea. Why don't you lead, you know, to help Twilight light our way?"
"I think she's doing a fine job on her own. Aren't you Twilight?"
"Actually some help might be nice."
"Oh, fine." Rarity pouted. She stepped forwards and focused on her own horn.
Twilight glanced back at the Doctor. He mouthed the words 'Thank you' and they continued walking.
Twilight's curiosity got the better of her after a while. "Doctor, what do you think Fluttershy meant about that other you? You know, how he had 'Trouble remembering things?"
The Doctor stopped, looking back towards the stairway, it was a dot in the dark by this point. "I think I know."
"Well," said Rarity. "Fill us in."
"Think about it this way, you both know me right?"
"Of course," said Rarity before Twilight could open her mouth.
"Well, if I've been here this whole time, wouldn't I try to stop this?"
"If you've been trying I certainly haven't notic-"
"What she means to say is yes," Twilight interjected.
"Yep, that's me, can't keep my nose out of trouble for long. But you see, I don't think that pony of there is me. Or at least not all the way."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself, but the answer is down here. As they say, nowhere to go but down. Come on, time is of the essence." He started off again.
The darkness seemed to get thinker as they progressed, the light of the two unicorns did steadily to relive it. Slowly it threatened to swallow them with each step Twilight concentrated harder on the light, but it didn't seem to have any effect. She saw Rarity was having the same trouble.
The Doctor took notice of this, and walked a bit closer to them. "Keep it up," he said. "Whatever you do, don't put your lights out until we've reached the end of this tunnel. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Me too..." Twilight strained.
They walked for a while longer. It became harder to produce light, both Rarity and Twilight had to concentrate immensely to keep their horns from going out. When suddenly it stopped.
Twilight stumbled at the sudden lack of pressure, her horn glowing brilliantly for a moment before she reduced the magic output. Rarity did the same. They were in a large room which appeared to be a laboratory. Equipment sat in various stages of disorganization along several tables, a half eaten banana sat next to a pile of machinery that looked incomplete. Something that looked disconcertingly like an eye blinked at them warily. Twilight's light cast long shadows against the wall, they shifted around the room as they entered.
"Well, it looks like I've been busy." The Doctor noted. A pair of goggles hung on a hook by the entrance. The Doctor peered through them.
They immediately clamped around his face.
"Doctor!" Twilight and Rarity yelled.
He wobbled briefly, before regaining his balance "Don't worry....it's just a mechanism. Probably to make it easier to take them on and off.....oh...now this is interesting...."
"What?" asked Twilight.
The Doctor turned, the front of the goggles glowed a faint green, their wide lenses made him appear a bit like a large insect. "I've invented night vision!" he said with a grin. "Oh, I am clever!"
"Doctor, back on task," said Twilight. "What is all this stuff, and why is it so dark down here.?"
"Well," said the Doctor, examining a hoof. "It appears I am an inventor here. A rather good one at that. As for why I feel the need to work down here." He paused, his jovial mood vanishing. "Tell me Twilight...are you afraid of the dark?"
"Well, when I was little, but not any more, what has that got to do wi-"
She was interrupted as something blue shot out of the darkness and grabbed the Doctor. Tumbling into the opposite wall. Rarity screamed as it knocked over several test tubes sitting on the tables sending them to the ground in burts of glass.
Twilight quickly turned towards the thing that had grabbed the Doctor, leveling her horn in its direction, ready to cast a spell at a moments notice. She wasn't going to be taken off guard again. "Doctor! Are you alright?" she yelled.
Rarity's horn glowed brighter to illuminate the thing holding the Doctor. It was a Raggedy Mare. The fabric that made up its body was blue with various red patches along its the sides. Its tangled mane fell in disheveled locks across its face. It held the Doctor in its crossed fore hooves, sitting on its haunches. It lifted its head and looked questioningly at the two unicorns. Then it lowered its muzzle towards the Doctor.
Twilight gasped. She quickly tried to think of something, anything to get the Doctor from the creature's grasp. She saw a large metal pole leaning against the wall, she grabbed it, and brandished it at the creature. "Let him go!" she mumbled.
"Wait!" cried the Doctor. "No stop that tickles!"
Twilight dropped the pole, dumbfounded. The Raggedy Mare sat their nuzzling the Doctor like a teddy bear.
"Hahaha!!" the Doctor laughed. "Oh, what are you made of!? Feathers? L-Let me-Haha!-Go!"
The Raggedy obediently released him, setting him back on the floor and looking at the three of them expectantly.
"Doctor...what is that?" asked Twilight.
"That, my dear, is a Raggedy Mare, though it appears to be a slightly different model than the ones' we've been facing. Isn't that right?"
It nodded.
"By the looks of it, I'd say it's an assistant of some kind....a very fond assistant,but one none the less. Rarity, would  you happen to know anything about this?"
Rarity looked the thing over cautiously. "It's not one of mine. Quite frankly it's far too garish for that. I mean just look at that coloring. I mean blue? Honestly."
The Raggety sagged a little at her comment.
"Hey!" the Doctor protested. "And just what is wrong with blue I might ask? It happens to by my favorite color." He paused as something dawned on him. "Oh..."
The cloth mare perked up and reached for him again.
"Nonono!" he said quickly. "None of that at the moment...um...Raggedy. First I have a few questions."
The raggedy stood at attention.
"Good, um...first question, and humor me here, are you my assistant?"
It nodded.
"Hmmm, yes, very good. Second question, did I create you?"
It nodded again.
"I didn't know you could sew....." Rarity remarked.
"Down Rarity," said the Doctor. He turned back to the Raggedy. "So, if you're my assistant, I believe that implies that I created you to assist me with something. So, hypothetically, if I did not remember what assisting I needed assistance with, could you, my assistant, show me what it was that was being assisted?
The Raggedy nodded a final time then turned on its heel, heading towards the back of the workshop.
The Doctor turned to Rarity and Twilight, his goggles glowing in the dark. "Follow me."  
They walked after the cloth pony, Twilight and Rarity at the Doctor's heels so as not to bump into anything in the dark.  They came to a wall at the back of the room. The Raggedy slumped awkwardly on its haunches.
"Well...what's it waiting on?" asked Rarity.
"Hmmm," The Doctor inspected the wall. "This is my workshop, so, I'm guessing that if
were working on some secret project, which I wouldn't want anyone prying into, I would hide it some how."
"So it's a secret passage?" asked Twilight.
"Knowing me, yes." the Doctor pressed various bricks along the wall. One of them compressed slowly. "There we go!"
The bricks slid away to reveal a stairwell, Twilight couldn't see past the third step in the meager light of Doctor's goggles. A strange smell wafted up from below, like motor oil and disinfectant.
"Well....I suppose we should go down," The Doctor said slowly. "Twilight, Rarity, keep it well lit." He turned to the Raggedy in the corner. "Melvin, you stay here."
"Melvin?" asked Twilight.
"What? Its got to have a name hasn't it? Can't keep calling it 'Raggedy', it might get offended."
The Raggedy turned its head to the side in confusion.
"I don't think it can get offended."
"Enough chit-chat!" The Doctor started down the stares. "We need to get to the bottom of this. Come along you two."
They fell in line behind the Doctor as they descended yet more stairs. Thankfully these were shorter than the last and they soon entered a small room at the bottom.
Twilight had to struggle to keep her horn lit once again. The Darkness was worse than it had been in the hallway. Her head began to hurt from the strain. She looked over and saw Rarity was having similar trouble.
"Doctor...." she said through clenched teeth. "I don't know how long I can keep this up...What's going on?"
"Just a minute, Twilight...." The Doctor said quietly. "I'll explain everything."
He walked forwards into the room, out of the small circle of light Twilight and Rarity were able to produce. He was swallowed by the darkness in an instant.
The room was silent for several minutes. The two unicorns stood there staring into what may as well have been a wall. They couldn't see anything beyond the light.
"Doctor?...." Twilight asked softly.
There was no reply for a moment.
"Doctor?" she asked again, a bit more urgently.
"It was me....This is my laboratory," he said finally.
Twilight sighed with relief. "What was you? She stepped forwards, Rarity following close behind, illuminating more of the room. The Doctor was standing a few feet away. "Are you o-" she jumped as a Darlock came into view.
The Doctor turned to face Twilight. "She used me."
Rarity stood behind her, stunned. "I-I don't understand".
The Doctor marched determinedly into the darkness. Twilight and Rarity followed, lines of Darlocks were illuminated as they progressed, there had to be at least a hundred each sitting inactive in the dark. Twilight shuddered.
"These things aren't Equestrian. They should never have come here. It's me, it's me she's using to build her army." The Doctor practically growled. Twilight had never seen him so angry. "It's my fault they're here, she's using my knowledge. My nightmares." He came to a desk in the corner, filled with paper and books filled with various things. The Doctor placed his forehooves on desk, pushing away stacks of books and sending pencils and pens scattering to the floor.
"These are my notes, my drawings, everything!"  The Doctor gazed over the various papers his goggles casting them in a pale green light. "I've fought them for years....and she has me constructing them." The Doctor hung his head. "All of this is my fault."
Twilight walked up behind the Doctor and gazed over the papers on the desk. For some reason she couldn't quite point out they looked familiar. She place a hoof on the Doctor's back.
"It's not your fault," she said softly. "It's hers."
"No, no Twilight you don't get it," he said, turning away. He marched back towards the lines of Darlocks, practically pressing his nose against their eye stalks. "This happens every time. Everywhere I go, everything time I land anywhere. I bring danger with me. I brought this knowledge. And now... she's going to use it."
Rarity walked up to him. "Doctor, if you'll excuse the question. I don't get it. She already rules the world more or less. What's she going to use them for?"
The Doctor sighed. "That's just it."
"What's just it?"
The Doctor began to pace. "She rules the world. There's more than one. You said it yourself, when you traveled with me. You've seen what's out there, all that wonder, all that life. It's in danger now."
Rarity gasped.
"She's not just building Darlocks. There are other plans here. Something big under the castle in Cantorlot."
"What is it?" asked Twilight.
"I don't know, half the plans are missing. But this technology is way beyond Equestria." The Doctor growled with frustration. "There's enough power here to go anywhere in the universe. But there's something strange. Something I'm missing."
The Darkness suddenly seemed thicker. Twilight concentration wavered, her horn blinked slightly. She felt a creeping sense of dread.
"Doctor?..."
He continued to pace, oblivious. "It's right in front of me. Theses plans are mine. What would I do?"
Twilight's dread grew, she had to concentrate even harder to keep her light from going  out. She backed further into the workshop, looking around warily. She jumped as she bumped into the desk in the corner, spinning around to face it, she caught another look at the paper littering its surface. The familiar feeling she'd gotten earlier felt stronger. There was a sketch of a Darlock  pinned to the corner of the desk.
"Doctor..." she said again.
He stopped pacing. "What is it Twilight?"
"These plans...they feel...familiar."
"Oh..." he looked at her very closely. "You've felt this way before haven't you?"
She nodded. "Yes...since we came here...I've known things. Like when I knew what was wrong with the Tardis..."
"I was afraid of this."
"Doctor, what's going on?"
The Doctor looked at the sketch. "First, tell me what stands out."
Twilight inspected it closely. "The firing mechanism. It's...different"
The Doctor looked where she instructed.
"Oh my," he said softly.
Rarity peeked over his shoulder. "What is it?"
"I missed that....I definitely missed that..."
"What!?"
"The guns...on the Darlocks. They don't fire energy the way the ones in my world do."
"Those horrid things?" Rarity looked appalled. "Those shots went clean through the metal of the train on the way here. What in Equestria are they firing?"
"Remember when I asked you if you were afraid of the dark earlier?"
Rarity nodded.
"And how it's been getting darker as we got closer to this workshop?"
"Yes, Doctor will you get to the point already? I would very much like to get out of here."
The Doctor glanced back at the Darlocks. "That's what they're using. The darkness."
"How can you use darkness Doctor? It's nothing."
"Exactly," said Twilight.
The Doctor turned to her. "You, understand?"
She nodded. "Yes, it's fuzzy...but I think I know what you mean. It's nothing. It cancels out everything it touches. It's awful..."
The Doctor nodded gravely. "Indeed. But you missed one point."
"What's that?"
"It only cancels out non-living tissue."
Suddenly the darkness grew even heavier. Twilight's horn became only a pinpoint of light
"Doctor..." she asked, looking into the dark.
"Yes?"
"What does it do to living tissue?"
Her light went out.



35. TR Dragon Moutain

Ponies scattered in all directions the cave wall collapsed inwards, the eyestalks of the invading Darlocks glowed in the raining dust that filled the air.
"Attack!" yelled Applejack at the top of her lungs.
The rebels pressed forwards, Big Macintosh leading the charge, the twin catapults on his back primed and ready. Pegausi flew through the air in formation, meeting the enemy head on. The Darlocks wasted no time, pushing forwards through the mobs of ponies.
Bunsen's knees were shaking. The noise was ringing in his ears as the battle started, all around him ponies were running forwards shouting and yelling commands. He tried to follow, but his legs refused to obey. He was jostled and bumped by the rebels as they fought. His mind reeled at everything going on in front of him. The Darlocks hadn't fired a single shot, and still they were progressing steadily through the mass of ponies in front of them. Rolling unstoppably forwards, any attack by the rebels rolling off like so much water.
"We...can't beat them..." he said softly. "We can't...it's hopele-"
A sharp hoof in his side cut him off. "We've got to try," said Delta. She stared at him for a moment. "Good luck."
Bunsen stuttered for a moment. "Yeah...you t-"
"Charge!" She galloped forwards and was lost in the fight.
He stared after her for a moment. Then at the approaching enemy. He sighed. "Yeah. We have to try." he charged at the nearest Darlock. Screaming at the top of his lungs.

Big Mac spun on his back hooves, pivoting to face the largest group of Darlocks.
"Ya'll ain't welcome here," he said, nostrils flaring.
He swung his head backwards, grabbing a rope on the catapult. With a sharp tug the applebombs soared through the air. They hit with a wet smack. Exploding over the Darlocks spreading hot, sticky sweet goo all over them. The leader fell to the ground, its wheels clogged by the strange substance. The ones behind it suffered a similar fate, or were stuck fast in the muck, straining to roll forwards.
Big Mac's victory was short lived, more Darlocks poured into the cave to take their place, rolling determinedly forwards. With a gesture another pair of bombs rolled into place. He turned, firing hectically into the Darlock forces.
Applejack's HORN glowed as she faced her own battle. A bolder from the corner of the cave flew through the air, smashing into several Darlocks as they entered. She continued to hurl them at the entrance, trying not only to destroy the Darlocks in front of her, but block more from coming through. More rebels got behind her, HORNs glowing brightly as they flung any debris they could find towards the gaping hole in front of them. The flow of Darlocks slowed to a trickle, then stopped completely.
A cheer went up from the ranks at this small victory. Applejack spun to face the remaining Darlocks already inside. She the others pounding on the cave wall from outside and knew that their barrier wouldn't hold them long. They needed to take care of as many as possible before the rest managed to break through.
She whirled around to help, only to find an eyestalk an inch from her face. With a yelp She tried to back up, only to trip over one of the many rocks littering the cave floor.
The thing stared down at her unblinking. The Darlocks had yet to fire a single shot since entering the cave. But now the small gun on Darlock's front began to glow a faint purple as it prepared to discharge the weapon.  
" YOU DISOBEYED THE QUEEN. YOU ARE A PRIORITY TARGET. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!!" it shrieked.
Applejack looked up as it prepared to fire. A smirk snaking its way across her face.
"You think so do ya?"
There was a clang of metal striking metal as a wrench descended onto the Darlocks gun, bending it at an angle, sparks flying through the air.
"WEAPON SYSTEM DAMAGED! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD!!!"
"Come on!" yelled a yellow earth pony with a deep red mane. Her HORN glowed as she levitated a large wrench. Her cutie mark was a pair of cogs with an apple in the middle. "We ain't got time to be sitting around on our flanks all day." she returned the wrench to a pouch on her flank, and helped Applejack to her hooves.
"That'ya kindly sis," said Applejack.
"Can't have you gettin' Extermi...whatevered now can I?" said Applebloom.  
"FEEDBACK OVERLOAD! FEEDBACK OVERLOAD!!!"
"I think we'd better run now."
Applejack nodded. "Good idea."
The Darlock had begun to glow red hot as the energy inside built up.
"Get down everypony!" yelled Applejack, using her horn to amplify her voice. It echoed through the cave, over the cries of the fighting rebels. Those who could obeyed without question.
The Darlock turned its eyestalk towards the two sisters, its eye contracting to focus on Applejack. Its voice was strained and high pitched. "
"THIS...CHANGES...NOTHING..."
They dived behind some fallen rocks as the pressure built to its highest point. With an earthshaking boom the Darlock exploded sending pieces of molten metal hurtling through the air. The Darlocks closest to the blast were destroyed in a chain reaction of destruction. Applejack heard a few of the rebels cry out as they too were hit.
When the explosion ended everything was deathly silent. Even the Darlocks had stopped their advance. Their mechanical eyes focusing on the rock Applejack and her sister were hiding behind. They peeked out, looking at the battlefield. Applejack was relieved to see that few of the rebels appeared badly hurt, being helped by others to get away from the field during this lull.
Still nopony spoke, the silence was terribly unnerving. It was broken as the Darlocks grating voices rang out in unison.
"MAJOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO DARLOCK KIND. THREAT DETECTED!! THREAT DETECTED!! RAISING ATTACK LEVEL, FULL MONOCROMATION OF NON-PRIMARY TARGETS!!! EXTERMINATE!!"
The Darlock at the front of the pack turned to face a large crowd of rebels. Its gun began to glow brightly.
"Get down!!" Applejack screamed.
Ponies scattered in all directions, as shots whizzed into the crowd. Among them Bunsen ducked as a beam of dark light whizzed past his ear. He looked around wildly.
"Delta!?" he yelled. "Delta where are you?"
"I'm over here!"
Bunen barely heard her over the pandemonium. She was on the ground, one of the
ponies struck by flying debris. There was a harsh burn on the side of her leg.
"Delta!" he rushed over, looking down at her injury. "You're hurt!"
"Earning that degree of yours today aren't you?" she asked, grimacing at the pain. "Yes, but it's not too bad. Help me up."
Bunsen ducked as another volley of Darlock fire ripped through the air. Amazingly nopony had been hit yet. He tried to help her stand upright. "Come on!"
Delta's face twisted in pain as she got to her hooves. The pair slowly made their way off from the main battle field.
"How bad is it?" asked Bunsen.
Delta attempted to smile. "It's just a scratch really. Nothing that-" her eyes shot wide. "Look out!"
Delta shoved Busen to one side, sending him sprawling onto the cavern floor. He turned just in time to see a bolt of black light hit her squarely in the chest.
"Delta!" he screamed.
She didn't fall over. She stood there for a moment, eye still wide open, her irises as small as pinpoints. She stumbled catching herself for a second before finally falling to the ground.
Bunsen was on his hooves and by her side before he knew what was happening. "Delta!?" he placed a hoof on her side.
She turned stiffly to look at him. As he looked into her eyes, he noticed she looked different.
Her eyes were a lot darker.
"The darkness is falling," she said softly.
"What? Delta what are yo-"
Delta's head smashed into Bunsen's nose. He went sprawling to the ground.
"The darkness is falling....The darkness is falling...." She got shakily to her hooves. "The darkness is falling..."
Bunsen groaned from the floor of the cavern. His vision swam as he tried to focus, the sound of several more shots ringing through the air hit his ears. Several screams followed.
"The darkness is falling." a few more voices joined Delta.
Bunsen turned his head, Delta had begun to walk forwards. The darkness in her eyes had grown, they were large, dark circles, black as night.
"The darkness is falling..."
He stared in shock. There was nothing of Delta in those eyes, only darkness. She continued walking, Bunsen started after her, suddenly he was yanked away by the scruff of his neck
"Come on!" Applejack yelled. A beam of darkness wizard through the space he had just been occupying.
He Stumbled to his feet, head still throbbing in pain, he looked back as he was pulled
away. Delta, along with other dark eyed ponies, had begun to walk towards the collapsed wall, the ones already there were steadily removing debris. They worked fast, he could already hear the Darlocks calling from the other side.
Delta didn't turn to look back at him.
"Retreat!" called Applejack. "To the workshops! We can hold up in there!"
"Until what!?" Cried a rebel
Applejack was quiet for a moment.
"Until the end."




35 T.R Castle of Lanterns

"No one...move," said the Doctor.
The only light came from the Doctor's goggles, and it was faint, so faint that Twilight had to focus to keep him from being lost in the darkness.
"What's happening?..." asked Rarity.
"You've probably noticed this by now," said the Doctor slowly. "But we're not alone."
"What!?"
"We haven't been since walked out of the light." turned to Twilight, his unblinking goggles staring at her. "Do you know why?"
She opened her mouth say no, then paused. At the back of her mind, just under her consciousness, Twilight knew.
"There's something in the dark..." she said. "Something bad..."
"Vashta Nerada. The hungry darkness."
Twilight felt Rarity jump in the darkness.
"Don't move!" The Doctor yelled.
"How are we still alive!?" asked Rarity, her voice panicked. "I've seen these things Doctor, I've seen what they can do."
"It's a good question," said the Doctor. "A very good question, and I have a very good theory."
Twilight could feel Rarity shaking in the dark. "Care to explain it?"
"Well...Judging by the worktables I come down here often," the faint glow of the Doctor's eyes turned towards the Darlocks. "To work...on these." he was quiet for a moment. "But!" he continued. "That means I'm safe. Something is keeping me safe. Not to say they aren't trying, they've been attempting to put out our lights since we came down, but they're holding back.... They're literally the piranha of the air, hiding in the shadows on every world. But I've never seen them in this concentration, or with any kind of restraint. They're not acting as they normally do." Twilight felt a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm assuming they can't harm you for obvious reasons." he paused. "But why's Rarity safe?"
"Well I'd hardly question it Doctor!" said Rarity.
"Ohhh, no my dear Rarity, questioning everything. There has to be a reason. This is my workshop, they won't attack me, if so my double would have been dead a hundred times over and Twilight's the queen, but why make provisions for anyone else?"  Twilight could see his goggles scanning the room. " Unless....There was someone else involved..."
Twilight heard the Doctor moving through the dark shuffling past the tables and tools, towards the back of the room.
"Stay there," he said quietly. "Try not to move much."
"Why?...." asked Rarity nervously.
"Because, if there are provisions for three ponies, then I think we're testing that limit...Don't make them any more excited than necessary."
Twilight gulped. The only thing she could see were the Doctor's goggles growing fainter as he moved throughout the room, looking for something.
"Ah! Here we go," he said finally. "I've found something...they're interfering with the goggles though. I can't make out what it is, I'm coming ba-" suddenly The Doctor was silent.
"Doctor, what is it!?" asked Twilight.
"There's a door back here. I didn't notice it before."
Rarity huddled in closer to Twilight.
"Don't worry about it! Just come back, please Doctor. I don't like this!"
"Just stay there," he advised. "I'll be back in a second."
There was the sound of long rusted hinges creaking as the door was opened. Suddenly, light poured out from inside, Twilight and Rarity were blinded by the sudden change, tossing up their hooves in defence.
"No..." the Doctor breathed.
"What is it?" asked Twilight, still blinded.
"I've found the other person...." he said quietly.
Twilight squinted through the brightness. The door opened into a small chamber, in which there was a table surrounded by lights Twilight had never seen before. They didn't appear to have bulbs of any kind, their entire surface just seemed to glow, cutting through the darkness like a knife. The entire workshop was illuminated by an eerie blue light, forcing the shadows against the walls and under tables.
Lying in the center of the room was a pony, Twilight barely recognized her, her coat was bleached blue in the harsh light, and her mane was straight and neatly combed, but there was no mistake.
The words left both her and Rarity's mouths at the same time.
"Pinkie Pie...."



1001 C.R

Pinkie Pie sneezed.
"Hmmm....Somepony must be talking about me..." she said mildly over the noise. "I hope it's something nice."



To Be Continued.


Merry Christmas
Whew, finally. Well this isn't actually the end, it's another one of those cliff hanger-y things I like so much.

In anycase, thought I'd leave this under the tree for you lot. My normal editor is busy, so please point out any errors and I shall fix them toot sweet. You guys are awesome and so very patient.

Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

-Squeak

Story by: :iconsqueak-anon:
Edited by: :iconlightsideluc:
Cover by: :iconxiphosis:

Doctor Who copyright the BBC

MLP copyright Hasbro
© 2011 - 2024 Squeak-Anon
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FeatherFlare1's avatar
I can't wait till traveler to come out they said it would come in February but it never came so you know when "bells of fate" is coming out?