Chapter 9

As the Doctor hit the cold stone floor of the dungeon cell he could hear the door slam shut behind him

Celestia had thought it best that he wasn't kept in a cell with his counterpart nor any of the companions, so he was on his own inside here

He got up, not wanting to waste any time, they took the sonic screwdriver and his element, possibly planning to execute him for blasphemy or something

Unfortunately the room was practically barren, only a mattress and a toilet, and the chain was missing from the toilet with only a piece of string to use

As the timelord paced a circle in his cell he became aware of a growing sense of being watched, as if whoever was doing it was getting closer

[…]

Luna woke up, as she trotted down to the throne room to see what the commotion was

What she saw wasn't anything she was expecting, she saw four ponies being hustled off by the guards, while a few others; including her sister, were looking at the items they had been stripped of

Two were like a metal and copper rod, while the third and final item rang a bell, a serious bell

It was a light brown hourglass, on a golden necklace

Her memories flashed backwards, to the stallion calling himself the Doctor, defeating Discord, running the kingdom, and to the four ponies hustled out, one fit the description perfectly of the Doctor

Celestia hadn't noticed her, as she was heavily invested in using her magic on the necklace, Luna was able to pick up the copper rod without getting noticed

She then slipped down underneath the castle and into the dungeons

[…]

The Doctor was beginning to feel hopeless, what could they do? Both of the sonic screwdrivers had been taken and they had left him nothing to work with here!

*creak*

The door to the cell was open, and the Doctor could see a familiar face on the other side

"Princess Luna?" He stood up

The princess of the night floated a small device to him, "Come Doctor, my sister has become far too obsessed with the humans, she has lost sight of what is right."

The Doctor took the sonic screwdriver, this one belonged to Whooves, but a Mk VIII sonic screwdriver would have to do

"Right then" the Doctor exited the cell, "What do we have to do?"

"You told me you do not travel alone, where is your assistant?"

The Doctor nodded, "I think they were taken this way, Adelante!"

[…]

Colgate was standing inside her cell, Rainbowdash was sharing her bunk

"What do you think the Doctor's planning for this one?" Rainbowdash asked

Colgate shrugged, "It's hard to tell with him, he never has plans that make any sense."

Rainbowdash continued to lay down on the mattress, not much else to do

"They work, and he saves as many ponies as he can" Rainbowdash said, "He always has a plan."

"Will he be able to save the planet though?" Colgate asked, "In the future there's this…"

"Dead planet" Rainbowdash finished, "It's been there my whole life, then the Doctor showed me what it really was."

"Spoilers"

The door opened, and Whooves was standing there

"Come on, we don't have any time."

[…]

The Doctor and Luna met up with the others in the hallway

"We need a plan" Colgate said, "Has she tried using the elements?"

"Yes, but they no longer respond to her." Luna answered, "My sister's plans may not be pleasant for the human race."

"I have a plan" the Doctor said, "But I can't guarantee anyone's safety."

"Let's hear it Doctor" Rainbowdash said

[…]

Celestia hadn't been able to spark anything even with the element the Doctor had been carrying, she couldn't help but wonder if he had been carrying it even after he left the last time. She began to wonder is he had been defeated by her basic dungeons, had he given up?

"In case you're wondering, no, I'm not giving up" The Doctor was in the room with her

"Doctor" Celestia sneered, "I see you're as crafty as I remember."

"I'm here to talk, are you willing to talk?"

"I will not negotiate with you Doctor" Celestia said, "However I may as well hear you out."

The Doctor nodded, "You want to destroy the human race, but you surely understand that they are not all harmful?"

"You see what they have done to their planet, their technology is beyond their knowledge" Celestia said, "They are pests to be exterminated."

That word sent a chill down the Doctor's spine, but he ignored it and continued

"There is a lot they have done for the betterment of its kind" the Doctor said, "You don't think for even a second that-"

"They are nothing but harmful" Celestia said, "They are not to be negotiated with."

"But you don't have the means to do it do you?" the Doctor half smiled, "You've tried the elements, but you don't have the raw power on your own do you?"

"I am sure that if I can talk to Luna about it, she will surely-"

"Disagree with you" Luna walked in, "I knew you were becoming obsessed, and you're going too far."

"If you do not assist me then I shall do it alone"

The princess of the sun began to crackle with raw power, knocking the Doctor over, Rainbowdash and Colgate arrived as per the plan but this scene wasn't planned for

"The humans will burn for their crimes" Celestia said, her royal Canterlot voice booming

The Doctor backed away, sliding along the ground as each of the windows shattered, and the princess launched into the air

"Oh no…" the Doctor jumped to his hooves, "She's gone to burn the earth!"

Luna broke down, she began to sob as the only family she had left was going to follow in the hoofsteps of her parents

"Luna, it's okay…" Colgate attempted to calm her down

Luna's head shot up, "No, I cannot call somepony like that to be the rightful ruler of Equestria."

The Doctor felt it then, a fixed point in time was forming

"Luna, what do you mean?" Rainbowdash asked

"I shall be the rightful ruler" Luna rose to her hooves, towering over everypony else, "The sun is going to destroy a race, so the moon shall remain in the sky, in everlasting night!"

Rainbowdash backed away, horrified as she understood what was happening, the Doctor stepped in to protect her and his friends/counterparts

"Then what are you calling yourself exactly?" the Doctor demanded

"This is a nightmare…" Whooves had just arrived, after sabotaging the guards quarters as per the plan

"That is what I shall call myself!" the insane pony rose and shouted in her royal Canterlot voice, "I AM NIGHTMARE MOON!"

[…]

Celestia was absorbing the sun's rays, when she let loose a beam so massive that it covered nearly the entire earth, surely roasting anything inside and outside

But she saw something before the beam hit, a child, who had lost his mother in the initial flurry, his face was streaked with tears and dirt, his clothing was covered in burns and his skin was matching

Before she could stop it, she knew that she had become a murderer, there had been innocents as the Doctor had warned her, but the bloodlust had taken advantage of her

Did she truly deserve to rule?

[…]

Colgate had grabbed the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, tossing it to him, and the Doctor tossed Whooves his screwdriver

"I don't like where this is going" the Doctor said, as they had made it to the throne room doors

"The night shall last FOREVER!" Nightmare Moon boomed

That was what they had taken as their cue to run, and ironically enough both of the Doctors had landed their TARDISes fairly close to one another

The Doctor waved a halfhearted goodbye, as Colgate thanked them for helping

"Good luck Doctor" Whooves said

"You too Doctor" the Doctor hadn't lifted his spirits with that remark

As they got inside they pulled their handbrakes at the exact same time

[…]

Celestia watched as the police boxes faded away, she was holding the element of Loyalty in her hoof, wishing she could save her kingdom from the night that had risen not moments before

Wishing, hoping that she could save the kingdom from her own dark side as well, she would never do this crime again, she vowed, she would be accepting of the new, and accepting of the Doctor if she saw him again

Then she noticed something, the element in her hoof was glowing, it was responding to her, she could use them to save her kingdom

Yet her heart for her sister cried out against it, would she be able to?

The princess of the sun sighed, she knew what she had to do

[…]

The Doctor was sitting down, after setting the TARDIS destination

Neither of the two ponies said anything, they had witnessed the destruction of the human race and the creation of Nightmare Moon

"Any loose ends?" the Doctor finally asked

"What?"

"Anything we're missing?" the Doctor rephrased, "Anything that still needs doing?"

Rainbowdash reached into her pocket and found there to be a necklace, one with the Equestrian symbol on it

"Yeah, I think so."

"Right then!" the Doctor seemed to brighten a bit, "Back to adventure!"